Middle Ground
Chapter 27
He knew what would come next.
He didn't want to, but he knew what he would find behind those doors. He didn't want to go, didn't want to heed the Wizard's call, but he had no choice. This was his job. This was his life. He knew what he would find in there. He knew her too well to think otherwise. Knew, because what else could it be? Who else?
Of course it was her.
She was standing on the other side of the room, her broom in her hand and a strange look in her eyes.
So what now?
Oz dammit, what now?
What had she done?
If only she had..
If only he had...
"Fiyero."
The relief in her voice almost made him cry.
"I don't believe it."
And he didn't. He couldn't believe that she had never mentioned any of this. Not once. Had she been planning this? Or was it...was it because of...was she here because she was angry? Was this revenge? Would she really risk being arrested and killed?
"Fiyero, thank Oz. I..."
Were those words real? Was she relieved to see him? Did she think he could help, that he would have a way out?
He needed to think of something. Fast.
"Silence, Witch!"
He hated himself for it but he had to. She'd understand, later. When she was safe and away from here. Away from him.
"Fiyero, not you too..."
He couldn't let her finish that sentence. Whatever it was she meant by that, whether it was for him, or purely for their audience, he couldn't let her keep talking. It would break him.
She had to know he was lying. Of course she knew.
"I said, silence!"
She listened. For once, she listened. He was so relieved he could have cried. Fighting every instinct to look at Elphaba, to grab hold of her and run, he was unsure, for a moment, of how to proceed. He felt the eyes of his soldiers on him, could feel the anticipation in the room, could feel Elphaba's emotions rolling off her in waves. Or maybe that was him.
He was saved from having to decide on the best course of action, when one of his men stepped forward.
"There's a goat on the lam, sir!"
He'd nearly forgotten about Dr Dillamond.
"Never mind that now."
He needed them gone.
"Go and fetch me some..water."
He held enough authority to make them go with very little protest, but he was annoyed at being questioned, his impatience shining through.
"Are you deaf? Now!"
His thinly veiled anger and panic seemed to work. They marched off without another word. He made a beeline for the Wizard as soon as he heard the door close.
"Elphaba, I'll find Dillamond later. Get out of here!"
He wanted to ask her to wait for him. He wanted to tell her he would wait for her. He wanted to tell her so many things, but he didn't know which should come first.
His mind spun fast and halted at what mattered most; her safety. He'd settle for her safety .
He'd settle for that every day.
The moment he walked through the door was a wake-up call she hadn't expected. She'd known, that he was still the Captain of the Guard, of course. So it would be him that led the troops. It would be him that would be the first through the door, to come to the Wizard's aid.
But she had been so caught up in this plan, that she hadn't stopped to consider that it would involve Fiyero pitted against her. That it would make him, for all sakes and purposes he was, in this room, her enemy.
It was a moment she could not have been prepared for. Still, she felt somehow that she shouldn't be this shocked.
She'd known the Ball was tonight, and she'd known he'd be the one the Wizard would call for.
She'd flown in to hear the music, to see them dancing, the brightly shining couple in the middle of the room, their radiance made even brighter by all the admiring eyes that followed their every move.
She'd wondered, but pushed it aside. She'd come on a mission, and she'd let it dictate her moves. Everything else would wait until she returned. If she returned.
But as she'd stood there and watched them dancing, dressed up to the nines, perfect together...
They'd looked so beautiful, she'd almost ached with it.
She'd never come close...
They looked perfect together. Always had.
As was true to nature, it was her against them. Not because of them, not because of anything they did or had done, but simply because she didn't belong. And they did. They belonged on the same side. By all that was right and good and fair, they belonged together. Had been meant for this since birth.
It was the natural order of things.
She didn't know what that meant. If it even meant anything. Didn't think it really changed anything, either.
Because she still loved him. And he still loved her. Enough to act on impulse, enough to put her first.
Elphaba watched in fear and astonishment as Fiyero pulled the Wizard up by his collar from behind the golden head and dropped him to the floor. She heard him make his threat clear but was distracted by the relief that washed over her, her shoulders sagging and her body instantly relaxing.
For one moment, she'd been truly afraid. Afraid that she'd risked his life, more than her own, in the end. Afraid that this would be where he paid for her mistakes.
But then...
Then everything changed.
Everything changed.
"Elphie!"
The musical voice carried into the room, carrying with it a light and brightness that had been missing for years now. That nobody would ever be able to replace. Not even Fiyero.
Glinda.
Oz, she loved her so much. She'd nearly forgotten.
And Glinda...Glinda didn't know...
She couldn't bring herself to look her in the eye. Hid her face in blonde's curls, hidden from what she feared would come out of her mouth. It would never show in her eyes, but she would tell. If she stayed here too long, she would confess.
She was glad, too, for Glinda's arms around her. Her sweet smell surrounding her, engulfing her, dulling every sense but smell.
But it was over too soon, Glinda pulling away with panicked words of safety and danger. She meant so well. She loved her friend. Even now. Even after all this time.
But then Fiyero moved. His gun trained at the Wizard, catching Glinda's attention. Risking them all. Risking everything.
"Fiyero? What's going on?"
She stood there and watched, and she knew, she knew, what was coming. She knew what would follow. She felt her stomach rebel.
"Glin, just go back to the ball."
She tried to focus on Glinda and whatever it was the beautiful blonde was saying to the Wizard but all she could see was Fiyero, who was looking at her with such a pleading look in his eyes.
"Fiyero, have you lost your mind? What are you doing?"
It felt as if time stopped. Or as if it should have, anyway. It was too big a moment, too important, to simply flash by in a matter of minutes.
Here they were now. All of them in the same room again. Never, if she'd be granted the chance, would she look back and say this flew by. The words were quick, the minutes ticked by, but she felt every agonizing second. She saw the powder on Glinda's face, the perfectly applied lipstick, the few curls that were trying to escape their hold. She saw Fiyero's guilt over what he was about to do, saw his gaze go to Glinda, saw his eyes crinkle with pain. She could feel her heartbeat, loud in her ears. She saw the Wizard, out of the corner of her eye, looking on with interest, his fear receding now that it was clear that what was about to unfold had nothing to do with him any more.
She didn't know what to hope for. This was Fiyero's last chance to save his own. To save Glinda from pain, to save his own reputation. To take, not the easy, but the best way out.
Of course, leave it to Fiyero to take the one last chance at normal, that life would ever give him, and throw it to the winds.
"I'm going with her."
Her heart thudded.
"What?!"
"What?"
Elphaba flinched at his words, at her own question, echoed in Glinda's cry of surprise.
Oz, Glinda.
What? What was he doing? He was openly choosing her. He was choosing her! Why? Why would he...
Oh, Fiyero.
Fiyero, Fiyero.
No.
And Glinda...Glinda didn't understand. Of course she didn't understand.
Oz, Glinda. Glinda, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for the pain I am about to cause you. The pain I must have caused you.
"The two of you...all this time...behind my back.."
Oz, Yes. Yes, Glinda, and I'm so sorry.
I'm so sorry, Glinda...
I'm so sorry.
"No, Glinda. It wasn't like that."
But her words lacked power and conviction. Because it was like that. It was.
They'd gone behind Glinda's back for so long. They'd lied. Both of them. So often. Lies that had never seemed little, had never seemed white, but that paled in the light of what they felt, of what they meant to each other. Of what they thought they needed.
Or wanted.
They'd wanted each other. And Glinda...Glinda hadn't been enough to stop either of them.
It was exactly like that.
And I wouldn't change it. Not ever.
And Fiyero only made it worse.
"Well, it was."
She threw him a look.
Glinda...
"Only it wasn't."
But it was and in that moment they all knew it.
She wanted to step forward and comfort Glinda. Offer her everything, anything, if only she'd forgive her. But Fiyero's fingers grabbed hold of her hand and tugged her with him, yelling at her to run.
And she did. Good Oz, she did.
Because tonight had proven that she'd overestimated herself. She'd deluded herself into believing somehow that the reason she couldn't stop was not only her love for Fiyero, but also the bubble of their world. She wasn't in the real world, when they were together. She wasn't lying to Glinda.
If she'd see her, if she saw her. Surely, she'd stop.
But now, she knew the truth about herself.
Nothing would be enough. She'd seen Glinda. She'd seen, clear as day, how much she'd hurt her. She'd seen the pain etched on her face, those beautiful eyes, large with confusion as the two people she loved most ran from her. Together.
And it hadn't stopped her.
Perhaps, then, nothing would.
Believe it or not, but the next chapter will be up in a few hours. For those still reading this, I salute you!