Okay, yes, this chapter is mostly even more fluff... sigh... but there's a cliffy, and some more things building that will be important in later chapters. Later chapters, which won't be nearly as fluffy as these. *cough*chapter31*cough*
Also, I think I've almost finished writing this fic and it's probably going to have 42 chapters. Maybe one or two more. And I'm kind of planning a sequel. *winces*
29. Proposal
Elphaba awoke with a cry in the middle of the night, startling Fiyero awake as well. He shot up and rubbed his eyes, disoriented for a moment. "Fae?"
She was trembling. "I'm fine," she whispered, taking a few deep breaths and then exhaling slowly through her nose again in an attempt to calm her racing heartbeat. "Just a nightmare."
He touched her arm and when he felt how badly she was shaking, he took her into his arms and held her for a while, rubbing his hands up and down her back soothingly. "It's okay," he murmured into her ear as he ran his fingers through her hair. "It was just a dream. You're safe."
She pressed her face against his shoulder and they stayed like that until she had stopped trembling and calmed down a little. They both lay back down, but Fiyero didn't let go of her, instead guiding her head to rest on his chest and her arm around him so he could hold her.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he whispered.
"It was… it was about Duran," she said, her voice still shaking. "And Avaric…"
Fiyero's grip on her tightened. "What did he do?"
"There was fire," she murmured, wincing a little. "Avaric trapped me inside a small room and set fire to the building. I could hear Fawn and Xalo screaming, and… and you were there, and Avaric had a gun… He shot Duran and then he tried to shoot you. It was hazy, but… it felt so real." She swallowed, a shudder running down her spine, and Fiyero pressed a kiss to her hair.
"It's all right, Fae," he said consolingly. "Nothing is going to happen to you or the twins. He's not going to do anything else because we won't let him. Okay? We know who he is now, we know whom we have to look out for, so we can make sure he's not getting anywhere near you."
She smiled a little, drowsy again. "Yero my hero," she sighed, holding on to him tightly. He chuckled slightly, trying not to let her show that her words actually touched him, and he continued to stroke her hair and back to lull her back to sleep.
He hadn't even fallen asleep himself yet when the door to his rooms creaked and he froze, alarmed; but then he heard a small voice ask, "Fiyero?"
"I'm here," he whispered back and Fawn and Xalo both appeared in the doorway to his bedroom, clutching each other's hand and looking frightened, but he could see the relief in their eyes when they saw Elphaba.
"We both had nightmares," Xalo admitted, "and we couldn't really sleep again, so we went to Mama's room, but she wasn't there, so we knew she'd have to be here…"
"We're sorry for waking you up," Fawn added, lowering her gaze, but Fiyero shook his head.
"Don't be," he said, motioning to the bed. "Come here, you two. Cuddle up next to your mum – my bed is big enough, anyway."
Their faces brightened and they both crawled onto the bed. Elphaba stirred and opened her eyes, smiling a little at her children when she saw them. She scooted away from Fiyero to make room for the twins to snuggle up in between them; Xalo wiggled down next to Fiyero and Fawn curled up beside Elphaba.
"Hello," Elphaba murmured, stroking Fawn's hair. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Fawn whispered back. "Just a bad dream."
Xalo was beaming as he lay there, looking from Fiyero to Elphaba and back. "Is this what it's like to have a dad?" he asked enthusiastically.
Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged a look.
Fawn perked up at that, too. "Yes! Yacin and Emala told us that whenever they have bad dreams, or they're scared, or they just want to cuddle, they always go to their parents' bedroom and then sometimes their parents let them sleep in the big bed between them, just like we're doing now!"
Elphaba ran her hand over Xalo's head and then touched Fawn's cheek. "Yeah, sweetie," she said quietly. "I suppose this is a little what it's like to have a dad."
Xalo smiled widely, closed his eyes, and promptly fell asleep. Elphaba held Fawn in her arms as she closed her eyes again, too, but she was still awake when Fawn whispered, "Fiyero?"
"Yes?" the bodyguard whispered back.
"I'm really glad you're here," said Fawn. "Not just to protect us, I mean, but also as our friend. We like you. I mean, I didn't in the beginning, but I do now. Like Mum."
Fiyero chuckled softly. "I like you, too, Fawn. Both of you. And I'm glad I came here."
"Me, too," Fawn said sleepily. "I told you – she's happier when you're around. You make her happy and we like seeing Mum happy."
Elphaba could tell that Fiyero had no idea what to say to that. He eventually settled for, "Thanks, kiddo," and Fawn yawned.
"Good night," she muttered.
"Sweet dreams," he whispered back.
Elphaba fell asleep with a smile on her face.
On Saturday, Cohvu and Galinda informed Elphaba and Fiyero that they'd be having an impromptu little party the next afternoon.
"Nothing big," Cohvu assured them. "Just tea in the garden with a couple of friends, to celebrate our good news. Galinda already contacted Gazilon to ask if he'd be able to come and he let her know this morning that he can make it, so it's on for tomorrow."
Elphaba, who knew all about the blond man's proposal plans, grinned at him knowingly and he grinned back. Celebrating Galinda's pregnancy was a good excuse to get all their friends together, but it wasn't the actual reason for the party. The green woman was already looking forward to seeing the look on her best friend's face.
"What about Duran?" she asked, her grin fading. "Is he coming, too?"
Cohvu shook his head. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "Glin invited him, but he hasn't let us know yet if he'll be there or not. We'll just have to wait and see."
Elphaba sighed. "I feel awful."
"Don't," Cohvu told her, touching her shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong. He'll come around, I'm sure of it. Duran doesn't hold grudges and he's the most easy-going guy I know. He'll sulk for a bit and then he'll be back acting like nothing happened, don't worry."
Elphaba just hoped he was right.
Sunday afternoon rolled around and when Fiyero went looking for the dark-haired witch to see if she was ready yet, he found her in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom. She was wearing a pretty dress in different shades of white, grey, and silver, with short sleeves and a swirly skirt down to her knees. As he walked in, she was just attempting to secure her long, ebony hair in a high ponytail with a pink ribbon, only the ribbon refused to stay put and she cursed.
Fiyero laughed. "You looked so pretty and girly just now, but that language ruined the picture a little," he teased as he came further into the room.
Elphaba glared at him. "I am not pretty, nor am I girly," she informed him.
He just shook his head. "You're right," he said. "You're not pretty, you're beautiful; and you're too much of a woman to be girly." He stepped up behind her and kissed her cheek, taking the ribbon from her. "Why don't you secure it with an elastic band first and then tie the ribbon around that?" he suggested and she turned around to stare at him.
"Since when have you been an expert on hair accessories?" she demanded.
He grinned, handing her an elastic band. "Hurry, will you? Cohvu is ready, Oscar and the twins are already downstairs, Gazilon and some of Galinda's girlfriends are here, and Galinda herself will be entering the garden in twenty minutes – if she's on time, anyway." They'd all gathered earlier than Galinda thought she had to be there, so Cohvu could prepare his proposal and surprise Galinda with it the moment she arrived.
Elphaba wrapped the elastic band around her hair and then turned around to face Fiyero. "And Duran?"
He shook his head sympathetically, watching her face fall. "Sorry, hon. He's not here."
She took a deep breath. "Well, that was to be expected, I suppose. I hoped he'd put aside his problems with me for Cohvu and Galinda's sake, but I guess he's just too hurt and angry."
"You didn't do anything wrong," Fiyero told her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and looking at their reflection in the mirror. "You know that, right?"
She shrugged listlessly. "Cohvu said the same thing, but…"
"Well, he's a teacher, so he's always right and you should listen to him." Fiyero smiled at the face she made at him in the mirror and he pressed his lips to her temple briefly. "Give me that." He took the pink ribbon from her and expertly tied it around her ponytail. "Done. Now come."
"Should I be worried that you can tie hair ribbons?" she asked as he pulled her out of the room.
He winked. "It's one of my many qualities."
"I'd say cooking is a handier skill to possess than tying hair ribbons," she muttered under her breath, "but that could just be me."
Fiyero childishly stuck out his tongue and pulled her down the stairs, all the way to the ground floor, and outside into the garden. Only when they arrived there did his face clear. "Hey – I just found my way from your room to the garden, all by myself!" he said in wonder. "Without taking a wrong turn, I mean! That never happened before!"
Elphaba laughed at him and made him take his place.
The garden was decorated in white and pink, to keep up the baby theme (Galinda was convinced her baby was going to be a girl). There were balloons, strings of fairy lights, and a couple of small tables with chairs alongside a large buffet table on which the food would be installed later that afternoon. There was even a band, standing on an improvised stage at the back of the party area. Above the stage was a banner, covered in silver and pink glitter. Two of the Palace's staff members were standing on ladders on either side of the stage, hiding between the trees, and they would drop the banner at Cohvu's signal. The banner said 'Galinda, will you marry me?'. It was all very over the top and very Galinda, which was why it was perfect.
Xalo was dressed in a smart, white suit and Fawn wore the most adorable little pink dress, also short-sleeved and with a swishy skirt like her mother's dress, only this one also had some ribbons on it. It had been a present from Galinda for Lurlinemas the previous year and Fawn hated it with a passion, but it was the only pink thing she owned.
"You're not wearing pink, either!" she accused Elphaba when she saw her.
Elphaba pointed at her hair ribbon. "Am, too."
"But that's not fair!" Fawn stomped her foot. "Why can you all wear white and I have to be stuck in this dress? I look horrible, Mum! Auntie Galinda can say all she wants, but pink does not go good with green!"
Fiyero laughed and Elphaba crouched down in front of her daughter. "It's only for today, honey," she said consolingly. "Auntie Galinda got you this dress and she'll be very happy to see you in it. She'll love it, I'm sure. Just do it for her, okay? Because it's her special day?"
Fawn sighed and nodded reluctantly.
Elphaba gave her a conspiratorial grin. "And after today, you'll never have to wear it again."
"Can I burn it?" Fawn asked hopefully, which made Fiyero laugh even harder.
"We'll see about that," said Elphaba to her daughter, who was satisfied with that and skipped off.
The dark-haired witch looked at Fiyero. "Should I be worried that my nine-year-old daughter wants to burn things?" she asked.
He shuddered. "To be honest, Fae, I can't really blame her. That dress is horrific."
Elphaba chortled. "I know. I might just burn it myself tonight." She looked around the garden. Cohvu was standing a bit off to the side, clearly nervous, and Gazilon was trying to calm him down. Fawn and Xalo were now chasing one another through the garden, zig-zagging between guests. A group of Galinda's girlfriends stood close together, talking and giggling about something, and Oscar came walking up to Elphaba and Fiyero.
"You both look nice," he complimented them, but they could only stare at him.
He looked down at his clothes and then defensively back up at them. "What? The theme was pink and white, wasn't it?"
"Yes, Dad," said Elphaba slowly. "Pink and white. Which most of the men interpreted as white clothes with a touch of pink, such as a tie or a handkerchief. Not the other way around."
His shoes were white, yes, but that was about all. Oscar was wearing pink trousers, a matching pink jacket, and a shirt in lighter pink. His tie was striped in different shades of pink. Overall, it looked even more terrible than Fawn's little pink dress did.
Oscar just shrugged. "I'm embracing the theme," he informed his daughter. "Galinda will love it."
"He's right about that, at least," Elphaba muttered to Fiyero as her father walked away. "Would it be very rude for me to pretend I don't know him today?"
Fiyero just grinned.
Just then, someone else came into the gardens, instantly going up to Cohvu. "Sorry I'm late," Elphaba heard him say to the blond man, sounding slightly out of breath. She stared at the back of his head.
"Is that…?" Fiyero began, but by then the man had already turned around and they could see his face. He looked at Elphaba, said something to Cohvu, and then made his way over to her.
He stopped in front of her, but she couldn't even look at him. "Hey," he said.
"Duran, I'm so sorry," she burst out, looking up, but he just sighed and shook his head.
"Look, I won't pretend that it's entirely okay," he said. "I'll admit that I was angry, and hurt. Mostly hurt."
She hugged herself. "I know," she whispered. "I didn't want to believe it, I really didn't, but the evidence…"
"Fiyero told me." Duran glanced at the other man, who gave him a nod. He nodded back. "Still, I can't stay mad at you forever," he said to Elphaba. "We've been friends for so long already and you're right – everything pointed at it being me, so I can't really blame you. Nor you," he said to Fiyero. "You were only doing your job." He glanced at Elphaba again, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Besides," he added, "you're too pretty for me to stay angry with you for long, anyway, even if I wasn't in love with you. All you have to do is give me that wide-eyed 'I'm-sorry'-look and I'm done for, you know that."
She looked at him hopefully and he made a face. "See? There it is." He held out his hand. "Friends?"
She ignored his outstretched hand and threw her arms around him instead, hugging him tightly. "I really am sorry, Dur," she said, her voice coming out a little choked. "Not just for this, but for everything."
She could tell he knew what she meant by the way his gaze flitted to Fiyero for just a moment and he softened. "I know." He lowered his voice, whispering into her hair so only she could hear. "He's good to you, right?"
"Very," she assured him and he nodded and pulled away.
Fiyero's eyes had grown a little wider. "It makes sense now," he said, looking at Elphaba. "Remember the gunman?"
She nodded – how could she forget the man who tried to shoot her? – and Fiyero said, "He described someone who looked like Duran, when he was asked to tell us about the man who bribed him. That's partly what we based our suspicions on, along with the cufflink with the military insigne. Fairly tall, brown hair, strong jaw and chin, thick eyebrows, dark blue or green eyes…"
Elphaba stared at Duran and thought about Avaric, and she saw what Fiyero meant. "They look alike."
"Not that much," Fiyero amended, "but enough for us to get confused. All the things he mentioned are characteristics Duran and Avaric share."
"Never mind that Duran is actually taller than Avaric, or that Avaric is more muscular, or that his eyes are green and Duran's blue," Elphaba mused aloud. "There are differences, but from that description, it could have been either one of them."
Fiyero grimaced. "We've been so focused on Duran that we completely missed the links to Avaric."
"It happens," Duran assured him. "I'm a soldier, Fiyero – I know a bit about these things. I can understand what happened and I don't really blame either of you. Just buy me a couple of Vinkun beers at Square One someday soon and I'll forget all about it, I promise."
The bodyguard grinned and Elphaba smiled.
"Take your places!" Cohvu suddenly shouted and they all sprang away from each other, hiding behind tables, trees, and bushes. Cohvu himself stepped up on the stage with the band members and took a microphone.
When Galinda came walking out into the garden, everyone leapt out and yelled, "Surprise!"
The blonde laughed, even though there were tears in her eyes. "Oh, you guys! That's really sweet, that you gathered here early to surprise me; but it's not really a surprise for me if the party was planned by, well, me, you know."
"Are you sure about that?" Cohvu asked her from the stage, the microphone making him clearly audible throughout the garden, and Galinda looked at him.
He smiled at her. "My dearest Galinda," he said and she suddenly held her breath. "I don't think I'm the only one who fell in love with you the moment I first saw you, but I do believe I'm the only one who only loved you more with each minute I spent in your company. We've been together for well over four years and I've loved every moment of it, because I knew I could call you mine."
Galinda was already crying, probably at least partly due to hormones, and Elphaba moved over to her and took her hand. Galinda squeezed gratefully and smiled when Fawn and Xalo stepped up beside her as well.
"You're always cheerful, always happy and bubbly, and you're optimistic to a fault," Cohvu continued. "You're quite literally the sunshine of my life, because every time I see you, you bring a smile to my face. I can't imagine my life without you anymore, Galinda; and now we're going to be parents." His smile widened even further. "That is why I want to ask you a very important question." He signalled the staff members on the ladders and the banner fell in a rain of glitter. At the same time, the band started to play a love song.
Fawn and Xalo cheered and Galinda clasped both hands over her mouth, more tears spilling from her eyes.
"Yes!" she wept, running over to Cohvu as fast as she could in her ridiculously high stiletto heels and flinging her arms around his neck, kissing him. Everyone present applauded and whistled and Cohvu and Galinda were both crying as they kissed one another, completely oblivious to anything or anyone else around them. Fiyero wrapped his arms around Elphaba's waist and she leaned back against him, smiling as she watched her two best friends celebrating one of the happiest moments of their lives.
"Someone go get the cake!" Oscar shouted merrily and Fiyero, laughing, let go of Elphaba and went inside, moving to the kitchen to get the cake Harron had made especially for this occasion from the walk-in fridge. He opened the door, only to find everyone's blissful bubble of happiness shattered when he saw the cake, destroyed and covered in red paint, with a folded note stuck into the top.