24.

"I know you're crying."

She whirled around. "What –"

"Believe it or not," he said with a small grin as he closed the door behind him, "but I know you by now."

She sighed and allowed him to move closer and wrap his arms around her, leaning against his chest.

"What did he say?"

She told Fiyero everything her father had said to her and they were quiet for a while, thinking about it.

"And how do you feel about all that?" he asked then. He was glad that Frex had acknowledged that he had treated his eldest daughter badly. He still did not like the older man very much, but at least it was a start; and if it helped Elphaba, he was happy.

She sighed again and pressed her cheek to his chest. He rested his chin on her hair, marvelling at the way she was acting around him now in comparison to the way she had acted around him only a month or so ago. He could still hardly comprehend how much they both had changed, and not only when it came to their relationship.

"It feels… strange," she said finally. "All my life, I've been believing something that now turns out was never true. I'm relieved," she admitted, "that my mother did love me, and that even Father does… a little, in his own way. But it also feels a little unnerving. Like everything I knew has been turned upside down."

He nodded. He could understand that.

"And I feel stupid," she said, closing her eyes for a moment. "Maybe if I'd asked before, or confronted him… things could have been different between us sooner."

"Don't think like that," he admonished her. "Fae, you shouldn't regret things you did or didn't do in the past. You can't change it now, anyway, and it will only make you unhappy. Be happy you asked now instead of never at all."

She nodded, but he could tell she wasn't convinced.

"Do you think I go around feeling guilty every day?" he asked. "For being kicked out of so many universities and disappointing my parents? If I hadn't, I would never have met you." He nuzzled her temple. "Stop thinking that way."

"Okay," she said in a small voice and he cupped her face with both hands and kissed her.

"I love you so much," he told her. "And I'm proud of you for doing what you did today."

A hesitant smile lit up her face and he kissed her again before wrapping his arm around her waist. "Let's go for a walk. I think you could use some fresh air."

When they came back from their walk, they found a carriage in the driveway. Confused, they went inside to see who had come to visit.

The moment they entered the hall, Elphaba's eyes widened. "Galinda!"

"Elphie!" the blonde cried out before running at her friend and throwing her arms around her in a tight hug. Elphaba grimaced when her friend squashed her still-not-quite-healed bullet wound, but she didn't say anything.

"Oh, it's so good to see you!" Galinda gushed. Her face fell. "I've been so scared, with all this news lately… I thought there was going to be a war! I'm so glad that's not happening now, and that Wizard deserves to be locked up." She sniffed. "Not to mention Morrible. I never liked that woman."

"I know you didn't," Elphaba said with a grin. "You called her "Horrible Morrible"."

Galinda giggled. "Yes, well, now it turns out she was!" She hugged Elphaba again. "I'm so proud of you, Elphie! I always thought you were just being a little ridiculous, trying to save the Animals, and all, but now you actually helped it come true!"

Elphaba smiled a bit shyly – something Fiyero hadn't often seen her do before – and Galinda squealed suddenly. "Oh, I have some news of my own!" She thrust out her left hand and Elphaba's eyes widened.

"You're engaged?!" she exclaimed, examining the ring on her friend's slender ring finger. It was a silver ring with tiny pink stones laid in it and one bigger white stone that looked suspiciously like a diamond.

Boq grinned as he approached them and saw what Elphaba was looking at. "I've been saving money for years," he said as an explanation. He flushed a little. "Ever since, um…"

"Ever since you first saw Galinda?" Elphaba asked knowingly and he gave her a sheepish look.

"Something like that."

He approached her and kissed her cheek. "Nice to see you again, Elphaba." Then he shook Fiyero's hand. "And you. How are you two?"

"Good," Fiyero said. "You've probably heard what happened, but we're okay now. I think I'll be able to dance again soon."

"No," Elphaba said flatly and Galinda giggled before skipping over to Fiyero and hugging him, too, in greeting.

"When is the wedding?" Cyara asked from where she had been talking to her parents and grandfather while the friends had greeted one another. "Can I be a bridesmaid?"

"Of course," Galinda assured her with a bright smile, "and it will most likely be next December. We want a winter wedding."

"The winter wedding I didn't have?" Elphaba asked, remembering how Galinda and Cyara had been gushing over the idea of having her and Fiyero's wedding in the snow.

"Yes!" Galinda nodded. "In the snow, of course. I want a dress with fur and feathers, to keep me warm… oh, don't look at me like that, Elphie – I would never wear a dress made of Animals! I'll make sure it's made of animals, of course. Or perhaps I'll just go for fake fur," she decided. "In any case, it's got to be white and pink and it will be brilliant. The bridesmaids will be in pink, too, of course – and Elphie, please tell me you will be my matron of honour? Please?"

"Sure," Elphaba agreed and Galinda squealed again.

"Congratulations, you two," Fiyero said, looking from Boq to Galinda, who both grinned and thanked him.

"I will tell you all my wedding plans later, Elphie," Galinda promised, "but right now, I'm going to say hi to Nessa."

Elphaba waved her away. "You go, Glin. I'm just going to lie down for a moment. I'm not feeling very well."

"Are you okay?" Fiyero asked her in concern, but she gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine," she said. "I've just… had an emotional day, I guess."

He returned her smile. "You could say that."

She left and he turned back to Boq. "So… how about an engagement party for you and Glinda?" he suggested, eyes twinkling.

"Fiyero," his mother sighed and he rolled his eyes.

"Joking, Mum."

"Are you?" Cyara asked sarcastically and he shrugged innocently.

"Well, if you so happen to want to throw a party…" he said with a grin. "I mean, come on – it's been a while."

"We had a party for Lurlinemas," Humberto reminded him.

"That doesn't count," Fiyero complained. "And that's been too long already, anyway – nearly three months!"

The others ignored him. Instead, Danna asked Boq about his and Galinda's plans regarding their future, and soon everyone was immersed in that.

Fiyero sighed and gave up, instead deciding to see what Frexspar was up to and if Galinda and Nessa were having fun. Frex turned out to be in the library, reading a book; while Galinda and Nessa were talking animatedly about the colour scheme Galinda had in mind for her wedding, which did not really interest the prince. He climbed the stairs with slight difficulty and turned a corner to stand in front of his bedroom door.

He knocked softly. "Fae?"

When he didn't hear anything from inside, he pushed open the door. She was sprawled on the bed on her stomach and at first he thought she was sleeping; but then he heard a muffled sob and he entered the room, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He reached out to touch her back and she jumped, but she relaxed a little when she saw it was him.

"Go away," she sniffled, but he just rolled his eyes. He rubbed her back and she eventually gave in, burying her head back in a pillow.

"I suspected that conversation with your father hit you harder than you let on this morning," he said. "But it's good that you talked to him, Fae. Maybe now things will change between you two; and if not, then at least you said everything you wanted to say and you now know the truth."

When she didn't respond, he pulled her into his lap and she buried her face in his shirt as he rocked her back and forth, softly running his fingers through her hair. She eventually calmed down, but she still didn't look up.

"Fae?" he asked, trying to look at her face, but she refused to look at him. "Fae, come on. It's okay."

"No, it's not," she said, her voice muffled by his shirt. "I hate crying."

He chuckled. "Fae –"

"I don't want you to see me like this."

"I'm sorry, hon, but that's a little too late now."

She huffed.

"I don't mind seeing you like this," he tried.

"But I do."

He laughed softly. "You're being ridiculous. Come here." He tilted her chin up and looked at her tear-streaked face. He gently wiped her tears away with his thumbs, pressing a kiss to her forehead and then rising to his feet to get her some tissues and a glass of water.

When she had calmed down a little, he sat back down next to her. "Are you okay?"

She hugged herself. "I'm sorry."

"For what? Crying?" He shook his head. "You're only human, you know. No-one blames you and you shouldn't blame yourself."

"I…" She bit her lip. "I thought I could blame something else for a while," she said softly.

He didn't understand what she meant. "Blame something else? For what?" He let out an incredulous laugh. "For crying?"

She nodded, not looking at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused. "What could be the cause of you crying – you know, except for you just having been through a lot lately and that all catching up with you emotionally?"

She bit her lip and then raised her gaze to meet his. "Hormones."

He froze.

"Wait," he said, his voice sounding strange to his own ears. "Are you saying…"

"I thought so," she said, lowering her gaze again. She fidgeted with a loose thread on the blanket. "For a while. But I wasn't sure. I decided to wait with telling you until I did know for sure, but… well, then my period came."

He was dumbstruck. Of course he knew the possibility was there – they were married and they had not used protection… but somehow, he still had not expected it.

"Would you have been happy?" he asked softly. "If it had been true?" They had never really discussed it. Quite frankly, Fiyero hadn't even really thought of it. So little time had passed since they had even met for the first time, and so much had happened in between, that the idea had never crossed his mind.

Elphaba sighed. "I'd be a horrible mother."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she continued, "But the baby would have you, too, and your family… I guess it would be sort of nice to have a baby. I don't know. I… I don't think I'm ready for all that." Fresh tears welled up in her eyes. "I wasn't even sure if I should tell you if I had known for sure that I was pregnant," she confessed in a choked voice. "I was scared."

He sighed. "You should have told me right away. The moment you suspected it."

"But I didn't want to bother you with –"

"Fae, you're my wife," he stressed. "This marriage thing works two ways, you know? I tell you things, you tell me things. We go through stuff together. And I think that this would have been something that was my business, too, since you're talking about our possible child."

She looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"I don't want you to apologise." He brushed some hair away from her face. "I just want you to realise that we're in a real relationship now. I know you don't have any experience with those. Neither do I. But I do know that it's important for us to talk to one another and that we shouldn't be keeping big things like this to ourselves, okay? Not to mention that I would have helped you. I don't want you to go through that alone. Anytime you're scared, or sad, or whatever… you can always come to me."

She nodded and he kissed her, softly at first, but then harder. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

He was right – she was new at this whole relationship thing. It was hard for her to share everything on her mind, simply because she was not at all used to talking about those things… or to someone wanting to hear it. They both still had a lot to learn about all this, but they had an entire lifetime for that; and at least they could do it together.

Sorry, guys. No babies in this one. I feel like it would be too soon for them and they're not ready for it. I'll make you a deal, though - there are babies/children in the next story!

Only the epilogue to go now :).