Fiyero had never known how much went into the upkeep of a castle and had a new appreciation for the servants. Though he grumbled and muttered when Elphaba roped him into chores, he found he couldn't say no to her these days. Besides, it wasn't like he had anything else going on and it was a good opportunity to talk.

And of all the chores, he hated laundry the least.

Elphaba handled all the scrubbing while he used the mangle and hung them up to dry on the lines. When they were dry, he'd fold them and she would put them away. While they worked, he cracked jokes and told her funny stories to try and get her to laugh. That loud, shrill, joyous laugh.

"It took him ten minutes to realize he was flirting with a bust of my great-great grandfather—"

Chistery ran out.

"Vis'tors!" he announced.

"Visitors?" Elphaba repeated.

Fiyero secured the clothes pin.

"I'll go see who it is," he said.

It had only been a few days since the wagon incident. Fiyero strode through the house with Chistery on his heels and answered the door. To his surprise, a horse-drawn bus was out front and about twenty villagers were at the door. Some looked ill or injured while a couple seemed perfectly healthy but urgent all the same.

"May I help you?" Fiyero asked and they all struck up at once.

"I need something to help with my rheumatism!"

"I'm sick and need medicine!"

"My arm is broken!"

"I have a rash!"

"My joints ache!"

Fiyero held up a hand and they silenced.

"Um…" he said and looked down at Chistery, who shrugged. "Okay. Uh… why don't you come in? I will… you can sit and wait in—"

Castle sent furniture skittering into the foyer.

"—in the foyer while I fetch… Miss Elphaba. Chistery, keep them company."

Fiyero hurried back to the garden. He was going to have to figure out a title for her.

"Who is it?" Elphaba asked.

"Er… patients?"

She furrowed her brow and looked up at him.

"Patients?" she repeated.

"Yeah. Something about a rash and a cold and an injury."

Elphaba stared at him for a long moment, then stood up.

"I suppose I had better take a look then," she said.

Fiyero went back to the foyer to let them know she was on her way. A tea cart rattled towards him and Fiyero rolled his eyes.

"Where do you even get these things?" he asked.

Castle sent the cart crashing into his legs.

"Fine," he said and rolled it into the foyer. "Would anyone like some tea while they wait?"

He got suspicious and wary glances in return.

"Suit yourself," he said, parking it and heading up the staircase to watch from a distance.

Elphaba flew by him so fast, he almost thought she was on her broomstick.

"I'm here," she said. "Children and elderly come first."

It came so naturally to her. Fiyero rested his chin in his hand as he watched her work. She made notes on medicine she would need to brew and healed injuries with a wave of her hand.

"Nothing is wrong with me, Lady Scarecrow," said one woman. "It's my son, Avaric. You healed him just a few days ago."

"Oh, yes, how is he faring?"

"Better than expected after an accident like that," she said. "But he is still in so much pain and the doctor is charging more than I can afford for something to ease it."

Elphaba nodded. "I'll fetch you some willow bark, you make it into a tea, and I'll make a cassia balm to help the muscles. You drink the tea and apply the balm to wherever it hurts. Other than that?"

"He is walking—hobbling—the pain is keeping him from working and sleeping," said the woman. "I'd also like to thank you and his lordship for saving my only child. He's really a nice boy just… rough around the edges."

Fiyero snorted quietly.

"Of course. It's what we do," said Elphaba, sending Fiyero a stern look. She had the sharpest hearing of anyone he knew. "It will take me some time to make everything. Feel free to help yourselves to some tea while you wait, or I can collect your addresses and bring it by tomorrow."

The majority voted to wait, so wait they would.

Fiyero knew if anything went awry, Castle would keep them contained. He followed Elphaba to her lab.

"Looks like we might be getting a lot of patients," said Fiyero. "You up to being the Healer for the whole village?"

"You heard what they said," she replied. "Their doctor isn't doing his job. Even so… what if something comes up that I can't handle? I never had any formal training, though I did want to go to college."

"I think that's just a risk any doctor or healer takes," said Fiyero. "They have town meetings every Sunday, maybe you should attend the next one to tell them what you're qualified for. And maybe you can fly over to see Dr. Dillamond and get more training."

"That's… not a bad idea," she mused. "Actually, it's brilliant!"

She kissed his cheek and waved him away.

"I'm going to finish this," she said. "Can you please wring out and hang up the rest of the laundry?"

"I… yes…" Fiyero stiffly turned around and took a back way to the garden.

What was this feeling? He felt… warm. He felt foolish and brilliant and idiotic all at once. He rested his hand on his cheek where she had kissed him. She probably didn't even realize she had done it and yet…

He would give anything to have her do it again.

~o0o~

By the following Sunday, they'd had another busload of patients come to the castle asking for Elphaba's help. She and Fiyero now stood in front of nearly the entire village on a small stage.

"Good morning, everyone," said Fiyero. "We've been neighbors for so long and never really been properly introduced. I am Prince Scarecrow, this is Miss Elphaba Thropp the Court Wizard, and Chistery, our ward. Elphaba?"

She nodded.

"It's come to my attention that many of you are in need of free medical care," she said. "I am more than happy to offer my assistance, but I do want it to be known now of my limits. I can mend broken bones and brew cures for common ailments. I even have a source to acquire vaccinations for other things like small pox, rabies, cholera, and such. While I have the skill for stitches, I am not trained in surgery or as a midwife."

"We have midwives," said Mrs. Abolar.

The town doctor had come to the meeting and stood up.

"Are you really going to listen to some witch and a talking scarecrow?" he demanded. "And he claims to be a prince nonetheless! For all we know they just took up residence in that old broken down castle and started calling themselves the leaders!"

"We are not claiming to be leaders," said Elphaba. "You're the doctor of this village?"

He drew himself up importantly. "I am. My name is Dr. Nikidik and I'm not going to let some stranger come in and take my place." He turned to the others. "Who do you trust? Me who has known you for thirty years? Or some troll who just waltzed in one day?"

Fiyero took a step forward, but Elphaba grabbed his arm and shook her head.

"Her," said Mrs. Tala from the dress shop. "She saved my son."

"And mine," said the postmaster.

"And she has a lovely balm for my rheumatism," said old woman Josie.

Avaric stood up and Fiyero worried for a moment.

"If it weren't for them, I'd be dead," he said. "You heard the witch, Nikidik. She can only heal smaller things. We'll still need you for surgery, though if you want to compete perhaps you shouldn't charge more than a person can afford."

Dr. Nikidik scoffed. "We'll just see. Eventually she'll fail."

"That happens," said Elphaba. "How many patients have you lost as a doctor? Sometimes people just don't respond to treatment, sometimes they seek help too late, sometimes it's an illness that doesn't yet have a cure. However, I promise here and now to never turn anyone away and to always treat them to the best of my knowledge. Even if, in the end, all I can do is ease whatever pain or discomfort they are feeling."

"And you, sir?" said an old man. "Will you be a prince to Kiamo Ko?"

"Yes," said Fiyero. "I think I've spent long enough secluding myself in my castle. From this point on, our doors are open to you. I want to help in any way I can. Starting with a regulation on how much doctors can charge for health care."

He narrowed his eyes pointedly at Nikidik.

"Food, shelter, and health are your right as people, both humans and Animals," he said. "It may take some time to pass it into law, but that's our goal."

Elphaba was smiling at him with a sparkle in her dark eyes. Did her eyes always sparkle like that?

The crowd was muttering in approval.

"Any other questions for us?" Elphaba asked.

"Who all lives in the castle?" one man asked. "All we've ever heard of were people going up to it and leaving in fear, but there's never any workers coming and going."

"Just us three," said Fiyero. "The castle is enchanted and tends to our personal needs."

There were no other questions, so they sat down and the rest of the meeting moved on. Discussions for the summer solstice celebration and the strawberry festival, calling volunteers for the harvest committee this year to organize food storage. Things like that.

"We really should start coming to these each week," Elphaba murmured. "It's the best way to be kept in the loop instead of hoping others come to us."

Fiyero nodded in agreement. After the meeting was adjourned, a few came up to talk to Elphaba and then they returned to the castle.

"That went well," said Elphaba.

Fiyero nodded.

"By the way, I have something for you," he said.

"What is it?" she asked.

He offered his arm and she took it, allowing him to lead her outside to the garden. He'd spent the last couple nights building it and was certain Castle had helped him along with some magic. He also moved a cluster of plants to create a plot of land.

"What's this?" Elphaba asked.

"It's a garden and greenhouse," he said. "For your medicinal herbs and things. I thought it'd be nice to have something offset from the kitchen for you to use and some of those herbs in that apothecary cabinet are kinda musty."

She stepped inside the greenhouse and looked around, then turned to him with a brilliant smile.

"Thank you, Fiyero," she said, taking his hand. "This is wonderful."

"Yeah? I'm glad you like it," he said.

"I can have some trimmings and seeds sent in," she said. "I also have a guide for local plants and I think I saw a case we can put them in. Best to start now before we get too busy."

Chistery elected to stay behind, wrinkling his nose at the thought of rummaging around for plants and instead looking back down at his book.

"He gets it from you," Fiyero teased.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and packed a lunch for herself.

"You don't have to come along," she said.

"I want to," he said. "I may have been a useless man, but I did know nature. I can warn you what plants are masquerading as medicinal. And I loved running around these mountains as a child."

"Tell me," she said as they set off into the forest.

"Tell you what?"

"Anything," she said. "Everything."

"Well, I always liked being outdoors," he said. "Horseback riding, hiking, free climbing."

"Free climbing?"

"It's when you climb rocks without any equipment," he explained. "We should find a lot of those herbs that you're looking for by Star Lake."

She nodded and allowed him to guide her towards it, weaving around trees and such. They got funny looks from birds and gave a black bear quite a shock as they zipped past. It wouldn't have been an easy trek on foot, the path weaving uphill and downhill.

Elphaba touched down.

"Oh, how beautiful," she said.

The lake was large, clear, and calm with the mountains reflecting into it like a mirror. Elphaba stood there a long moment, admiring the view. She took a deep breath and adjusted her glasses.

"Right. To work." She opened the guide and started looking around.

Fiyero held the bag containing jars and soil for her to place their trimmings in and her broom, pointing out to her poison oak and other plants that could hurt her.

They walked along the edge, reaching the waterfalls that fed into the lake. Elphaba marveled at them and gasped when Fiyero moved her so she could see the mist catch the sunlight and cast rainbows.

"The Vinkus is so beautiful," she said. "I think I'll never grow tired of looking at these mountains. I'd always wanted to run away when I was a child. Find somewhere beautiful with lots of flowers and a cottage all to myself."

"How come you never did it?" Fiyero asked. "You're so smart. Smarter than anyone I've ever met."

"I would never abandon my sister," she said. "I was the only mother she'd ever known. It's not fair that she can't take care of herself. I hope her new nurse has learned how she likes everything."

If Pip had needed help like that and all she had to help was Fiyero would he have done it? Dedicated himself to helping her just live? He didn't know, but hoped he wasn't selfish enough to leave her struggling.

"I'm excited to see her," she said. "Father is hosting a gala to celebrate her birthday. Her favorite suitor is going to be there and I want to make sure he's good enough. I'm still unsure about what to bring as a birthday present. There's that beautiful shawl Miss Lanore crocheted, the one with the roses? It's been hanging in the shop for a while now."

"That'd be nice," said Fiyero.

"But she has so many and she takes good care of them," said Elphaba. "Perhaps… a watercolor set. She's an excellent painter, really has an eye for the delicate."

"Sure," said Fiyero.

"Mm… maybe not. She was telling me that Father bought her a lovely new set just last month."

"Well," said Fiyero, tucking a flower into her hair. "It's not the gift, it's the cost that counts."

She laughed and touched the flower lightly, before stooping down to compare a cluster of plants with an illustration. She looked up into the woods and tipped her head.

"Do you see that?" she asked.

"Huh? What?" Fiyero followed her gaze. "Oh!"

Nestled in the trees was a cottage.

"I wonder if someone lives there," said Elphaba, standing up.

They headed over. It was a small place built on stone stilts, no doubt to keep it out of the water when the spring runoff came. Elphaba made her way up the steps and knocked on the wooden door, peering through the small window.

"Hello?" she called.

Fiyero tried the handle and the door opened. Elphaba flicked her fingers sending orbs of light to the ceiling. It looked abandoned. There was a good layer of dust on every surface, and cobwebs in the rafters. An iron stove was in the corner and stairs led up to a loft.

"Well, looks like you found your dream cottage," said Fiyero.

Elphaba chuckled.

"Maybe ten months ago I would have moved in," she said. "I like where I'm at now."

"You know, I do too," said Fiyero. "I feel more at peace than I have in a long time."

Elphaba sneezed, sending her glasses sliding down her nose.

"Let's get back to it," she said.

Fiyero nodded and when they returned to the castle, they had a full bag of seeds.

Three days later, the evening before they were supposed to leave, Fiyero went to her room with an arm load of clothing.

"Fae?" he called. "Which of these do you think is appropriate for your sister's birthday?"

He bumped open the door and saw her slumped over in her chair with her face buried in one of her hands while the other clutched a letter.

"Fae?" He dumped the clothes onto the floor and touched one of her shaking shoulders.

Elphaba sniffled loudly and handed him the letter. He took it and smoothed it out, needing a moment to read the curly script.

Elphaba,

I am aware of your intentions of you and your husband visiting for your sister's birthday. If you have any love for your sister you would do right to stay away. Your mere presence would undo all the hard work we have done this past year to gain a social presence. There will be suitors attending Nessarose's birthday, all of whom are not aware of your abominable skin color. It would not do well to have them believe it is genetic rather than a mark of your sin. If all goes well, I may consider a visit soon. Until then, the best you can do is remain in the Vinkus and send money to provide for your family.

Father

Fiyero scowled, crumpled up the letter, and hurled it angrily into the fireplace. Elphaba exhaled a soft sob and he turned to her, kneeling in front of her chair.

"We could still go," he said. "That's just what he thinks. I bet your sister really misses you."

She shook her head. "No. He's right. It's already difficult to matchmake when your daughter is in a wheelchair. Prospects are even lower if her sister is green."

"Neither of those things should matter!" Fiyero protested.

"And yet, they matter so much to so many," she replied.

He pressed his lips together wishing more than anything he could prove her wrong, but knew they would just be false words. After all, her green skin had mattered to him when she first showed up and more than anything he wished he could take it all back.

"I'll send a letter to Dr. Dillamond asking him to come visit us," she said. "That'd be better anyway. I can't promise to be available to take patients and then go away for a few days."

Her voice cracked and she pressed her fingers to her lips. Fiyero wished there was something he could do to make it all better. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and offered it. Elphaba took it and buried her face into it. While she cried, he held her as tight as he could.