Nessarose was beginning to get worried. The sun had set a few hours ago, and not to mention Elphaba had been gone for more than twenty four hours. She paced back and forth, contemplating whether or not she should go out there herself and go look for her sister. However, that did not seem possible considering she doubted she could climb a mountain. She shivered at the thought of walking in snow, and she prayed for the first time in a few years that Elphaba was fine and Glinda had been found. Nessa wasn't sure if this was coincidence or the Unnamed God answering her prayers, but she quickly walked over to the window when she heard a knock on it.
Opening the window, Nessa was more than relieved to see Elphaba on her broom with Glinda in front of her. "Thank Lurline you're both okay," Nessa breathed before shouting for Boq to come into the room. She had gotten a conjoining room so that when Boq arrived (who decided to travel by train) he would be close by if she needed him.
"Help me with her," Elphaba said. Nessa nodded. Glinda looked completely exhausted, as if she'd pass out at any moment.
"Come here, Glinda," Nessa smiled, holding out her arms. "Hold onto me, that's it." Small hands grasped her shoulders as the blonde put her feet on the windowsill, falling into Nessa's arms.
"I'm sorry," Glinda mumbled into Nessa's shoulder. The brunette hugged her, telling her that everything was okay and that she didn't need to be sorry. Elphaba got into the room on her own, Boq closing the windows behind her. Elphaba had given up her coat to the blonde as well as her scarf, so she was shivering uncontrollably.
"I'm going to put you on the bed and take care of Elphaba first, okay?" Glinda didn't seem to mind when she was led to one of the beds in the room. "Boq, could you get Glinda a glass of water with a straw please?"
"Yes, Nessarose," he replied, actually using her name. If the circumstances were different, Nessa would have been confused and questioned him. However, she had her sister and Glinda to take care of.
"Put these on," Nessa said to Elphaba, giving her a nightgown and robe that had been sitting near the fire. Elphaba was so cold, she didn't register that Nessarose helped her into nightclothes until she put one arm in the sleeve of the robe. Boq helped Elphaba sit by the fire before running out to go get her something to eat.
Nessa approached the blonde who had been cooperative and drank the water. She helped her up and into the bathroom to get her changed. "I'm sorry," Glinda said to her, leaning her head into Nessa's chest. The poor thing was exhausted, and the brunette couldn't help but let a few tears fall. She wished she could fix Glinda for good so that she wouldn't be miserable.
"Don't be, Glinda," Nessa forced back her tears and a smile.
"I know I worried you…I shouldn't have done that."
"It's okay, Glinda. I forgive you. What did you do to your arms?" Nessa asked, examining them. It looked as if Glinda had dug her own nails in her arms, causing them to bleed. Glinda looked just as shocked as Nessarose when she looked at her bloody forearms. The blood, though, was dry.
"I don't remember," Glinda admitted.
"Let's get you cleaned up, okay? You can fall asleep in the bathtub while I clean you," Nessa said to her, turning on the water.
In the other room, Elphaba had been given food and a glass of milk. Boq sat beside her while she ate, tending to the fire to keep the hotel room warm. "Nessa told me things about Glinda," Elphaba started before she took a bite of her salad. "But I never expected Glinda to be this…I hate to say this, but crazy."
"Nessarose says not to call her that," Boq replied quickly, thankful that the bathtub had been running when Elphaba said this. If Glinda heard that, he wouldn't want to know what she'd do; she'd either cry and refuse to eat, or get angry. "Nessarose says she isn't. There's something mentally wrong with her but she hasn't figured it out. She got that degree in psychology, you know. She doesn't know I know that, but it's true."
"I guess Glinda found the right place to stay, then," Elphaba smiled while staring at the fire.
"Glinda wasn't the only one who benefitted from this, you know. Nessarose was taking away all of the little rights Munchkins had. I don't think walking made Nessarose the way she is now. I think taking care of someone helped her. I don't know why, but it did. After Glinda came to stay with us, she gave all of our rights back, and then some," Boq explained.
"Probably because Nessa was sick of being taken care of," Elphaba replied.
"Yeah," Boq agreed. "But even though Nessarose got better, Glinda's far from it. We both agree that you can help."
"In what way?"
"Talk to her," Boq shrugged. "I think she'd tell you more than what she'd ever tell Nessarose despite their friendship." Elphaba was about to reply when her sister and Glinda came out of the bathroom. Glinda was heavily leaning onto Nessa who was struggling to drag her over to a bed. Elphaba stood to help her sister and took the blonde from her. She scooped her up in her arms with ease. The green woman was surprised at how much lighter she was than what she remembered from when they had originally traveled to the Emerald City before she caused trouble. Without her corset on, Glinda looked so small and weak. She had to keep a straight face though. She didn't need to worry Glinda who looked up at her with tired eyes.
"Bring her to bed. She's exhausted. Boq and I will go in the conjoined room," the younger Thropp decided. "I doubt she'll have nightmares tonight. Before you ask, yes, you can use the bathroom once she falls asleep but don't leave her and go on a midnight broom ride."
"Don't worry, Nessa, I won't. I'll stay with her until she wakes up," Elphaba said, rolling her eyes at her bossy little sister.
"Good night, Elphaba," Nessa smiled.
"See you in the morning," the green girl replied as she settled Glinda down into bed. She watched as her sister gave Glinda a kiss goodnight on the forehead, as a mother would to her daughter. Nessa left the room, closing the door behind her and Boq. "I'll be only a minute. I just need to get ready for bed," Elphaba said, stroking her wet blonde curls. Glinda whimpered as she was exhausted. Elphaba quickly did her business before going back into the room. She got into the bed beside Glinda and the blonde immediately snuggled into her and let herself fall asleep. Elphaba wondered why Nessarose bathed her when she was this tired and she made a mental note to ask her in the morning.
Elphaba forgot how much she loved when Glinda snuggled into her and fell asleep. She closed her eyes, remembering when they had gone to the Emerald City. That trip had been amazing, except for the outcome. But she tried to remember things before it all went downhill. The first night they spent in a hotel room on the way to the city had been wonderful. Glinda hadn't declared her love for Elphaba, but it was quite obvious how much she cared for her. Elphaba had felt the same. They had to share a bed that night. Elphaba had been willing to sleep on the floor, but her blonde roommate protested, whining that perky nickname she had given her. Elphaba had crawled into the bed with her, Glinda snuggling up against her. Her arm had wrapped around Elphaba's midsection and her head rested on her chest, much like what she was doing in the present.
Glinda was sleeping deeply. Her breathing was very calming for Elphaba. Sleeping beside Fiyero had been completely different considering he snored loudly. Even when Glinda was dating him, she'd come back from his dorm room from the night before and be exhausted, complaining about his snoring. After her loud complaints, she'd settle beside Elphaba who was reading a book, falling asleep on the dull, gray bed instead of her pink fluffy one. Had Elphaba been that oblivious? Obviously, she had considering she hadn't noticed that the blonde had liked her the ways she was supposed to like Fiyero. But that didn't matter in the moment because Elphaba was holding the woman she loved in her arms; she lightly laughed to herself when she compared herself to the knight in shining armor, and Glinda was the princess who needed saving like in those fairytales Glinda liked. "I'm not like them. I'm never going to need to be saved," Glinda had said long ago after Elphaba read some fairytales to her before bed.
"And why is that, my sweet?" Elphaba had chuckled.
"Because I have you to protect me before I even need saving. Oz, Elphie, you're as good as having the Gale Force as personal guards!" Remembering those words that were briefly exchanged that night made Elphaba hug the fragile girl closer to her, if that was possible. She had let Glinda down. But, she'd make up for it for the rest of her life, if it was enough. She'd do anything to make Glinda that happy and bubbly blonde that she once was. With these thoughts of happier times to come, Elphaba fell asleep.
Sorry for the long wait! Hope this makes up for it. Next chapter will most likely be extremely interesting. Thanks to everyone who's reading and reviewing!