18. Hypothetical

Fiyero was pretty sure he was. In love with Elphaba, that was. He supposed he'd known for a while now, deep down, but it had taken her telling him – however jokingly – for him to realise that it was true.

He thought at first that maybe it was just his friendship with her that made him feel this way. She was his friend, but she was also a gorgeous woman, so wasn't it only natural for him to feel attracted to her? Did that really mean anything? Sure, he thought she was witty and passionate; she made him laugh and she could really be quite sweet, even gentle, when she wanted to be. Her smile made his stomach flip, he liked being around her and he loved the sound of her laugh, but couldn't that just be friendship, too?

Well, he thought wryly to himself as he nursed his cup of coffee, watching Elphaba chase the twins around the kitchen, the answer is no. He could stay in denial about it a bit longer, but he didn't see the point in that. If he had learned anything from his life alone, after his parents kicked him out, it was that beating around the bush never got anyone anywhere. First, though, he'd try to figure out how she really felt.

"Upstairs!" Elphaba commanded. "Now!"

"Fiyero!" Xalo cried, hiding behind the bodyguard's back. "Save us!"

He laughed wearily. "Sorry, kiddo," he said, ruffling Xalo's hair. "Listen to your mum. We'll have to go home soon and you don't want to travel in your pyjamas, do you?"

Both twins considered that for a moment, but then decided that they indeed did not want that and they went upstairs.

Elphaba sighed, blowing a lock of hair out of her face as she sat back down. "Thanks." She glanced around. Only Nessarose was still in the kitchen now, reading the newspaper as she ate her breakfast, looking sleepy and apparently not paying attention to her sister and the bodyguard at all. All the guards were scattered inside and around the house, arranging some last-minute things and lifting the luggage into the car, while Oscar was hogging the shower in the only bathroom in the house. "Yero?"

"Mmh?"

Elphaba tilted her head to the side thoughtfully, gathering her long, straight hair and tying it together in a high ponytail. "Hypothetically speaking," she said slowly, snapping the elastic band in place and lowering her arms again. "What if I said I did want more? More than just casual kissing, I mean. Or casual sex, for that matter."

He stared at her. Apparently she'd been thinking along the same lines he had that morning.

"I'm not saying I do," she told him sternly. "This is purely hypothetical."

He nodded, although he was not by far convinced of that. It made him feel giddy, though. "I suppose I would then say, hypothetically speaking, that I'd like to take you on a date."

"You would?" she asked in surprise.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because I'm the green, prickly, cold deputy mayor who also happens to be a single mum to two kids and has a stalker after her," Elphaba pointed out.

"The stalker is hardly your fault," Fiyero said. "The green is beautiful, the prickly and cold part turned out to not even be true once I got to know you better, and I think the kids are great. Besides," he added, "it would be a date, not a wedding."

She relaxed visibly at that latter statement, her shoulders losing their tension. "I suppose."

Carefully, he probed, "So did you want to make this hypothetical situation less hypothetical?"

She looked at him, her gaze just as cautious as his. "Perhaps."

From the corner, Nessa suddenly piped up, "For Oz's sake, just come out and say it. Both of you. Go on a date once you're back in the City and stop acting like two infatuated teenagers."

"Oh, look who's talking," Elphaba retorted instantly, arching one eyebrow. "Does that mean you'll be going over to Boq's soon to finally tell him how you really feel?"

Nessa's cheeks coloured and the green woman smirked triumphantly at her younger sister.

"She's right, though," Fiyero said, causing Elphaba's gaze to snap back to him. "Fae… I'd love to take you on a date."

Nessa giggled and Elphaba shot her an angry look before looking back at Fiyero. "Okay," she agreed, figuring she didn't really have anything to lose. Nessa was right. She wasn't a teenager anymore. She was a grown woman and she'd been alone for long enough; she could just go out with Fiyero a few times and see where things went, no strings attached. "Although technically you've already taken me on one."

"That was a friendship date," Fiyero protested. "That didn't count."

She smirked at him and he couldn't help but smile in reply.

The drive back to the Emerald City went by mostly in silence.

Elphaba had been sad upon saying good-bye to her sister and she could tell the twins didn't like leaving so soon, either, although Fawn had quietly confessed to her that she was glad they'd be going home after what had happened the day before. Elphaba herself was anxious about Nessa, wondering if she'd be all right, but she had to have faith in the security guards that were staying behind. Besides, she knew Nessa had never even been a target, anyway.

Fiyero was driving the car now, with Elphaba in the passenger seat next to him. Right behind them were Oscar and the twins. Benn and the other guards returning to the City with them were driving ahead of them, keeping an eye out for anyone following.

Elphaba sneaked a glance at them over her shoulder every now and then, slightly worried about how her children were taking all this, but they seemed to be doing just fine; Oscar was distracting them by pointing out things outside the windows and playing games with them.

"I spy with my little eye something… green!" said Oscar brightly and the twins heaved a deep, annoyed sigh in unison.

"Is it me?" Fawn asked flatly, leaning back in her seat with her arms crossed.

Oscar shook his head, grinning. "Nope."

"Then it's Mum," Xalo concluded, sounding bored. Oscar looked startled and the twins giggled.

"Too obvious," Elphaba advised her father from the passenger seat. "Find something more difficult."

She looked tired, Fiyero thought, with dark circles under her eyes. She was playing absently with her phone without actually using it, simply clicking the screen on and off the entire time as she watched the landscape roll by outside the windows. She'd asked him if she could open a window this time, given the fact that the stalker already knew she was in Munchkinland, anyway; but Fiyero had carefully advised against it. Not so much to hide her from the stalker as to protect her from him, just in case – the windows were made of bullet-proof glass, after all.

"Are you okay?" he murmured and she flashed him a weary smile that didn't reach her eyes. She scooted over, just managing to lean her head against his shoulder, and she closed her eyes for a moment.

"Fine," she said. "Just tired."

She glanced out of the window and Fiyero added knowingly, "And scared."

"And scared," she admitted. She shuddered a little and Fiyero put his free arm around her for a moment, squeezing her gently before returning his attention to the road.

"I know it may not seem that way now," he said, "but everything will work out in the end, I promise."

"You can't promise such a thing," she muttered. "I appreciate you trying to making me feel better, Fiyero, but I'm not a child. I know it's not realistic to think that all this will play out without anyone getting hurt – again," she added, lightly touching the spot on his abdomen where she knew the scar to be hiding under his shirt, "or worse."

He sighed. "Maybe not," he conceded. "But I'll try my best."

"I know." She closed her eyes again. "Thank you."

To an observer not paying too close attention, it might seem like Elphaba slept during the trip, but Fiyero knew better. He could feel the constant tension in her shoulders and the fact that she was shivering just the slightest bit all throughout the ride home. He rubbed her arm and nuzzled her hair, touching her as much as he could in an attempt to comfort her, but he knew she would only really relax once she was out of the car again. He started softly singing a silly song into her ear, which made her smile a little despite herself. Her smile made him smile, too. She had a beautiful smile. It made her look even more radiant than her vibrant skin colour already did.

Behind them, Xalo whispered, "Grandpa? Are Mum and Fiyero in love?"

"I think so," Oscar whispered back.

Without opening her eyes, Elphaba said sternly, "Dad."

Oscar chuckled and the dark-haired witch opened her eyes and sat up, twisting in her seat to look at her children. "We're not in love," she told them and Fiyero's heart sank a little, but then she added, "But we do like each other very much, yes. You know what a date is, don't you?"

Both of them nodded and Elphaba continued, "Well, Fiyero asked me to go on one when we get back to the City. We'll see where it goes from there."

Xalo nodded. Fawn tilted her head a little to the side, her emerald eyes piercing as she looked from her mother to Fiyero and back.

"What if you do fall in love?" she asked. "Are you going to get married then?"

"Maybe," said Elphaba. "Not anytime in the near future, though."

Xalo sucked in his breath excitedly. "But if you get married, won't Fiyero be our new dad?"

Fiyero shifted and clutched the steering wheel a little tighter, uncomfortable, as Elphaba looked at the twins earnestly. "Tell me – and be honest," she said. "Fiyero and I are not going to get married anytime soon – possibly not ever at all – but if we do," she glanced at Fiyero for a moment with a slight smirk, "hypothetically speaking…"

He rolled his eyes at her, but he was grinning.

"…would you guys mind having him become part of our family?" Elphaba finished, meeting her children's gazes.

"Cool!" Xalo cried, sitting up straight at the mere idea. "I've always wanted a dad! And Fiyero is, like, awesome!"

Elphaba inadvertently smiled a little, but she was still looking anxiously at Fawn.

The little green girl looked thoughtful. "He's kind of part of our family already, isn't he?" she asked finally. "I mean, he's been with us for a month now and he does everything with us. I like him," she admitted. "I guess I would like him marrying you, Mum. In a while, I mean."

Elphaba's smile widened. "Good." She turned back in her seat and directed her smile at him for a brief moment before settling back down against his shoulder.

Fiyero understood that he had just passed a very important test.

Security at the Palace had indeed been tightened. It took them nearly twenty minutes to get to the fifth floor with all their luggage, having to pass several security checks – guards asking for their ID, several doors that could only be opened with the passes the head of security handed them upon arrival in the hall – and there were cameras following their every move. It unnerved Elphaba, but she understood it was necessary.

They all retreated to their respective rooms to get some well-needed rest, although Elphaba didn't sleep much. She woke up at every sound, convinced something was happening to the twins, and she came out of bed four times that night, padding down the hall on her bare feet to check up on her children. They did sleep just fine, which she was glad about. She let them sleep and went down for breakfast at some ungodly hour in the morning, nibbling on some dry toast and downing three cups of coffee by herself before returning to her room to shower. Since she didn't think anyone else would be awake at this hour, she threw on a pair of jeans and a tank top and then set to the unpleasant but necessary job of unpacking.

As she lifted her bag onto the bed and zipped it open, she checked her phone for any messages. A text from Duran and a missed call from Gazilon, both from last night – after the journey, she'd been too tired to deal with anything and she'd just tossed her phone onto her desk without looking at it. Still, it was nice at least her friends were thinking about her.

Galinda told me you're in Munchkinland, the text message said. Just wanted to check if everything's okay.

Figuring Duran didn't need to know about the attack, she texted back an evasive reply.

We just got home. Everything's fine, don't worry.

Her phone beeped again a little while later.

Good. If you need anything, give me a call.

She typed a message back.

Will do. Thanks.

Then she checked the time and, figuring Gazilon would already be up since he usually worked on Saturdays, she dialled his number and waited for him to pick up.

He did after a few beeps, saying anxiously, "El?"

"Hey," she said and she heard him heave a relieved sigh.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Galinda and Cohvu have been acting all mysterious, I asked Duran and he said he knew what was going on but he couldn't tell me, and you haven't replied to my text last weekend and then I hear you're sick. Something's going on, isn't there?"

"There is," she confirmed, taking some things out of her open bag with her free hand. "I can't tell you what, though."

He lowered his voice. "Does it have something to do with Avaric?"

She froze. "What do you know about Avaric?"

"Not much," he said hesitantly, but she didn't believe him for a clock-tick.

"Did Galinda blab about him to you?" she asked sternly and she heard him sigh again on the other end of the line.

"Yes," he confessed. "She told me he was at the twins' party. Sorry I couldn't attend, by the way," he began, but she cut him off.

"It's fine, Gaz. You live in northern Gillikin and you had to work. It doesn't matter. And yes, Avaric was there, but that's not what's going on – or, well, it is, or it may be…" She trailed off, realising she wasn't making sense. "Never mind. I can't tell you anything right now, I'm sorry. It's a little… complicated."

"All right. I understand." He sounded concerned, however. "You know you can always talk to me about anything, right? If something bad is going on, I'm here for you."

She smiled inadvertently. Stalker or no stalker, she knew she was lucky to have such good friends in her life. "I know, Gaz, and I appreciate it. A lot. Thank you. I'll be fine, though, and I'll tell you everything once it's over."

She bade him good-bye soon afterwards and hung up, quickly typing a message to Nessa.

Good morning. Everything okay over there?

She tied her hair together in a ponytail to keep it out of her face before continuing to unpack her bag. She opened her closet and transferred folded little piles of clothes back to the shelves inside, hanging up some other items of clothing and tossing the rest of it in the laundry basket in her bathroom. She checked her phone a couple of times and when she heard it beep, she quickly opened Nessa's text message.

I'm fine, Fabala, it said. I'll let you know if anything happens, but I don't think it will. Those guards are still here, too, and Boq says hi. Don't worry about me.

Elphaba was relieved to hear that nothing had happened, but she supposed her anxiety over her sister – or anyone else she loved, for that matter – would completely disappear until her stalker was identified and arrested. She sighed and continued to unpack.

She was just moving her toiletries back to the bathroom when she heard her phone ring again and she scurried back into her bedroom to pick the thing up from where she'd thrown it on the bed. "Hello?"

There was some noise and she walked closer to the windows, hoping to get better reception. She still didn't hear anything. Was her reception that bad? "Hello?" she asked again.

Nothing. She was about to hang up when she did hear a sound: breathing. Someone was breathing into the phone on the other end of the line, but he wasn't saying anything.

Both fear and anger bubbling up inside of her, she gripped the phone tighter. "Look, I don't know what you think you're doing, but if you think that threatening me and attacking the people I love is the way to my heart, you're a complete moron," she hissed down the phone, her temper finally winning out. "Stop acting like a coward and talk to me. Who are you and what do you want from me?!"

The only reply she got was more silence, more rustling noises, and more breathing. Was it her imagination, or was it growing heavier?

Then a click and a beep. He'd hung up on her.