Good morning (if it's morning where you are)! Another loooong chapter here! First, a warm welcome to my newest reviewer, Sky Sorrow. Welcome to If/Then!

Enjoy!

Chapter 18

Faba

As soon as she flew over the gates of the Emerald City, Faba could tell that Boq had not been misinformed about the engagement party. The EC was packed to the gunwales with practically the whole population of Oz, happily celebrating the impending marriage of their two idols. In the city square, Faba thought she caught a glimpse of Glinda and Fiyero, dancing. How wonderful for them. Faba was a bit surprised that no one was catching a glimpse of her, flying over their beloved city and threatening them all, ha ha.

Faba was a little disconcerted to find that that the Palace was unguarded; she easily slipped into the throne room without notice. Did people really believe that she would go after Glinda and Fiyero before the Wizard of Oz, of all people? Well, it only made her job easier. She started looking around for where the Monkeys were being kept. She nearly jumped ten feet in the air when a booming voice said, "I KNEW YOU'D BE BACK." She immediately let out a sigh of relief. It was just the silly old man playing with his head machine. He stepped out to face her. "Listen! Hear me out! I never intended to harm you."

"You have harmed me," Faba said bitterly.

"I know," the Wizard said earnestly. "I'm sorry. Elphaba …"

"STOP!" Faba shrieked. "I'm here to set those Monkeys free. And if you try to stop me, or call your guards …"

He held up his hands. "I'm not calling anyone. Truth is, I'm glad to see you again." Faba scoffed at this. "No, really. It gets a little lonely around here. And, I imagine you get lonely too."

"You don't know the first thing about me!" Faba spat angrily.

The Wizard was unfazed by her anger. "Oh, Elphaba. I know. You've been so strong through all of this. Aren't you tired of being the strong one? Wouldn't you like someone to take care of you?"

She glared at him silently.

"Let me take care of you!" he insisted. "Please, let's start over."

"Don't you think I wish I could?!" Faba asked, glaring at him. "I would give anything to go back to that time when I believed in you! No one believed in you like I did." She remembered how incredibly sad she had felt when it had first sunk in that the man whom she had hoped would be a father to her was in reality a lying fraud.

The Wizard, ironically, now looked at her as her own father had looked at Nessa many times. "Oh, my dear child! Listen, I didn't ask to be a Wizard, or rule a country! Back in Kansas, I was just foolish Oscar Diggs, trying to fly, delusional. I was a mediocre inventor, more frequently blowing things up than making them." He grinned. "But then, one day, I successfully made a balloon that could fly through the air, much like you do on that broom of yours." And then, he promptly took it from her.

"Hey!" Faba exclaimed indignantly. "That's mine!"

The Wizard pretended not to hear her. "I presented my balloon at the Kansas State Fair," he continued, placing his top hat on her broomstick. "Kansas is where I used to live, you see. They all said I was mad to try it, but darned if it didn't work! I flew higher and higher, getting more thrilled by the minute, until I realized I didn't know how to get back down."

He looked to Faba for a sympathetic statement, but she remained silent.

"I was terrified," he continued. "I was so high; I thought for sure that it was going to be the end of me! But no, I landed gently in this strange country, and the people were so impressed, they proclaimed me a Wizard: the Wonderful Wizard of Oz." He smiled at her, and gave her back her broomstick, with his hat on top. "My dear Elphaba, you must understand. They called me wonderful! I had never been called wonderful in my life! So, my first official act was to commission the construction of the Yellow Brick Road and the Emerald City." When she seemed unimpressed by even this, he sighed. "Look, I never had a family of my own, so I guess I just wanted to give the citizens of Oz everything."

"So you lied to them," Faba stated bluntly, throwing his hat back at him.

"Elphaba, where I'm from, people believe all sorts of things that aren't true," the Wizard said. "We call it history." He laughed at his own witticism. "A man who defies the government, much like you do, can be branded as a traitor or celebrated as a great revolutionary. Understand?"

"Yeah," she answered drily.

"The only reason I'm wonderful is because the people of Oz think I'm wonderful! And you know what, my dearest Elphaba? You could be wonderful too! Just picture it: 'Former Wicked Witch Redeemed'! You'd be celebrated from the Vinkus to Munchkinland! From Gilikin to Quadling Country! Eh, Elphaba?"

Faba had to admit: the idea was thrilling. "Wonderful," she whispered to herself. "I could be wonderful."

"Absolutely, you could!" the Wizard exclaimed happily. "Come on." He moved over to a record machine in a corner of the room and turned it on. Fast music that Faba was very unfamiliar with started playing. The Wizard outstretched his arm, much like he had done when they had first met. "Let's dance."

"Well, I-I rarely …" But before she could say anything more, he grabbed hold of her skirt and handed it to her.

"One, two, and …" They started dancing around the throne room. Faba was bewildered. This was her mortal enemy, and she was dancing with him, of all things! He laughed with delight, and she couldn't help but crack a smile. Maybe she could work with this man. Maybe …

I could be planning city sites,

Where memories just like this one might be made.

The music stopped, and they both were breathless. "Wow!" Faba breathed. "I haven't danced like that – ever!"

"That's called ragtime, my child," the Wizard said, chuckling. "So, consider my offer. You've wanted this! I know you have! We could still make a map of Oz, you and me."

"Alright!" Faba admitted, unable to resist. "I'll accept your proposal."

He clapped his hands with glee. "Wonderful!"

"But …" She held her hand up. "I have one condition!"

"Name it."

"You set those Monkeys free." For a second, she thought he was going to deny it, but after about a thirty second staring contest, his face broke out into a grin.

"Done!" He flipped a switch, and immediately, Monkeys were flying all around the throne room, chattering ecstatically.

"Fly!" Faba called to them, almost as happy as they were. "You're free! Fly! Fly!" But as the Monkeys departed the Palace, Faba noticed a figure under a blanket. A sick Monkey, perhaps? "You, under the blanket! Fly! You're free!"

"No, don't!" the Wizard exclaimed as Faba pulled back the blanket. But it was too late. Faba gasped at what she saw.

"Doctor Dillimond!" He didn't seem to recognize her. "Doctor Dillimond, it's me, Elphaba, from Shiz! Don't you remember me?"

An awful sound came from Doctor Dillimond's mouth: a bleat that made Faba's blood run cold.

Her despair quickly turned to anger. "We have nothing in common," Faba told the Wizard, feeling more furious than she ever had in her whole life. "I am not like you, AND I WILL FIGHT YOU TILL THE DAY I DIE!"

The Wizard, being the coward that he was, retreated behind his head machine. "GUARDS!" he called. "GUARDS!"

Almost immediately, a Gale Force soldier bounded into the room, a captain from the looks of him. Then, Faba realized who he was. "Fiyero!"

"Silence, Witch!" he commanded sharply, aiming his gun at her. What?

"F-Fiyero?"

"I said silence!" Before Faba could properly register his new attitude towards her, another Gale Forcer entered the room.

"There is a goat on the lamb, sir," he told Fiyero. Doctor Dillimond …

"Never mind all that!" Fiyero said in that same cold tone of voice. "Just … fetch me some water."

The soldier looked confused. "Water, sir?"

"You heard me; as much you can carry."

"Yessir!" The soldier marched away determinedly.

No. Faba had to get through to him. "Fiyero, please …"

But to Faba's surprise, instead of going for her, Fiyero lunged behind the giant head and dragged a squirming Wizard out by his ear. "Don't make a sound, Your Ozness!" he said almost triumphantly. "Unless you want your guests to know the truth about the Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

Faba truly did not know what to think now. "Fiyero, you frightened me. I-I thought you'd changed."

"I have changed." He sighed. "Look, Elphaba, I know this is going to sound corny and rehearsed, but -…"

"FABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Faba gasped for air as Glinda rushed into the room and latched onto her. "Thank Oz you're alive! And, I still remember you like to be called Faba." Glinda giggled giddily.

"Hi Glinda," Faba said with a grin after Glinda had released her. "It's good to see you too." But Glinda had just noticed the hostage Wizard.

"Fiyero, have you misplaced your mind? What have you done?!"

What came out of Fiyero's mouth then surprised both girls. "I'm going with her."

Glinda was shocked by his bluntness. "What?!"

"What?" Faba echoed, equally floored.

"Elphaba," Fiyero started, looking at her in such a way that made her excited and nervous at the same time. "Or Faba, if you wish. Oh, sweet Oz, this is going to sound completely like a line, but I think I know you. I-I mean, of course I know you, but like, in a … deeper sense, you know?" She stared at him as if he had sprouted another head. "Oh Oz, I'm doing everything all wrong and we have to get out of here! Can I come with you?"

Faba, for once, was at a loss for words. "I … Sure. Yeah."

Fiyero looked overjoyed. "Yeah? I can come with you?"

She nodded happily. "C'mon. I'll show you the attic where I escaped before."

Both of them had forgotten Glinda's presence until she presently shrieked, "WAIT, you two! You can't just leave me here like a … thing! How long has this been going on?!"

"No, it wasn't like that," Faba said quickly, trying to be reassuring.

"But it was," Fiyero said, looking at Faba. He turned back to Glinda. "But it wasn't. Faba, let's go."

As much as Faba knew they had to leave quickly, she still lingered. "Look, Glin …"

Fiyero grabbed her hand. "No time. Let's go!"

They flew north for about an hour. It took Fiyero awhile to get used to flying; Faba could tell by the way he held onto her for dear life. But eventually, he relaxed. Faba really could not believe what had just happened. Guys like him never went for girls like her. Yet here he was, flying right behind her. They decided to spend the night in the Gilikin Forest.

"Well," Fiyero said once they had landed. "Your way of getting around is … interesting, to say the least."

Faba smirked at him. "Do you need to throw up?" she asked bluntly.

"What? Me? No! No, I'm a tough guy." Faba burst out laughing at that.

"Says the guy who held onto me like his life depended on it the whole way here!"

He chuckled. "Touché."

"Fiyero?" Faba asked, growing serious. "Why did you … I mean … ugh, you know what I mean! This came out of nowhere! Don't you love Glinda?"

Fiyero sighed. "As a friend? Yes, with all my heart. But the way I love you? Doesn't even come close." And then he kissed her. No. She wasn't ready.

Faba pulled away. "No, this is … too fast! Last time I was with a guy, he got me pregnant, and then got mad when I got rid of the thing!"

"Who was this?" Fiyero asked, curious.

"Ugh. Lukas Valentinis, old high school friend, doesn't matter; he wasn't who I thought he was." She looked at him sincerely. "Would you …?"

"Would I completely reject you and disrespect your choices? Of course not!" He sighed again. "But who are you to know that? After all, men are men and odds are odds. You never know, I guess." The smile on his face was too irresistible. She kissed him, something she dared not do even in dreams.

By the time he lifted her skirts, she was too happy to worry about another child, or any possible STDs, or even the Gale Force, for that matter. Tonight was the only thing that mattered; she was with a handsome man who had all the right things going for him, who had sacrificed everything just to be with her.

You know, deep down I'm a coward,

Afraid to let you in.

But the only thing more frightening

Is to say what might have been,

So here I go!

I love you so!

Oh, here I go …

As they were falling asleep that night, Faba could not help but laugh at how her life had changed that day. "What is it?" Fiyero asked, amused.

"It's just … for the first time, I feel … wicked!"

And that is that!

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Elle Dottore