Over the following four weeks, Fiyero helped Elphaba put her plan into action. In small, unnoticeable groups, she had managed to lead the Animals out of the Gillikin Forest, and Fiyero was able to give them a route to the Quadling Country that he knew wouldn't be patrolled by the soldiers. A Doe had promised to send word to them once they had arrived.

Fiyero spotted Elphaba stood at a window, and he walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her. "What are you thinking about?"

She blinked in surprise and smiled softly, shaking her head. "Nothing in particular." she turned her head to look at him, she kissed his cheek. "You look concerned, my love."

He shrugged. "This task almost seems too easy."

"We've been lucky..." she conceded. Too lucky... she thought. "After the first 'ambush', Lysander has been putting it down to the Animals finding shelter elsewhere... Probably thinks that we won't be safe for much longer with the rebellion getting worse."

"Well, he's got a point. Just... not exactly the correct one."

"Shh." she smiled, a soft giggle in her throat.

He grinned at her and nodded, adjusting his arms around her to turn her to face him. "Fine."

"I just..." she started, then shook her head. "Never mind... it wouldn't work anyway..."

"What?"

"I wish Glinda could know where we're going. I... I'll miss her."

He nodded, resting his head against hers. "I know. Maybe one day, when everything has settled and the Wicked Witch is no more than a story parents tell their kids about to keep them in line."

"I think I want to see her before we go." she looked up at him. "I can't... I can't leave things as they are right now."

Every cell inside him screamed at him not to let her go, but he knew it would be pointless. He never could, nor would he ever control what she did. "Just... be careful, Fae. Please, I can't lose you again."

Elphaba smiled softly. "I will. I promise. I know you don't want me to do it, I know you'll worry, but it's just Glinda, and I'm going to give her the Grimmerie."

"Will she be able to read it?"

"Probably not... but she's better at magic than she thinks, she'd be even better if she could just get out from Morrible's shadow. Don't forget Glinda and I took that sorcery class together, I know what she was capable of back then."

He nodded. "We just have to hope that Morrible or the Wizard don't get it back." He watched as her back straightened and her face turned resolute. "Elphaba, no. You can't have that on your conscience."

"What choice do I have?"

"Walk away. Glinda is strong enough to deal with her effectively."

"What's more effective than ending her?"

"You are not a murderer. For Oz's sakes, Elphaba, you feel guilty for stepping on a creature's tail or something! You don't do well in stressful situations."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, commotion, I remember," she said sarcastically. "One last good deed for the world before I hide from everyone."

He winced at the bite in her words and shook his head and dropped his arms to his sides, the words immediately making him doubt their... his entire plan to keep her safe and protected. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

"What? No!" she let out a frustrated sound and gave him an apologetic look. "Yero, no... I'm sorry, I didn't mean it in the way it came out..." Her hands came up to his face softly.

He shook his head again until he was forced to look at her. "Elphaba, all I want to do is keep you safe, and the only way I can think of is to move away from it all, to take you somewhere where you can't be touched."

"I know... I know... Oz... me and my stupid mouth. Fiyero, you should know by now that I say things and I don't necessarily mean them in the way they sound... Especially when I'm so pissed at a situation and I hate it." She bit her lip. It was only a small action, but she was already missing his touch. "Yero, please..." she kissed him, tentative and gentle, her heart hurting when he didn't return it.

"I don't know what else you want me to do." he avoided looking into her eyes, he was finding it difficult to meander his way through his jumbled emotions and thoughts.

"J-just... just hold me... please...?" She curled her arms around his back and lay her head on his shoulder, struggling with unshed tears. "I'm sorry..."

He sighed and closed his eyes, slowly wrapping his arms around her again. Guilt. That's what he felt, an old familiar feeling he knew well because of the years he'd spent lying to Glinda. And now he felt guilt for another reason, he was keeping her for himself, his plan to keep her safe at Kiamo Ko was just, in her mind, another way to keep her trapped. He mentally shook his head. Would she really be so unhappy with him and not being able to do what she wanted? What if she grew to hate him? He let her go again and gently stepped away from her. "I... Fae, I can't be selfish with you."

"What are you talking about?" She looked up at him, watching him fight that internal war with his own mind. "Fiyero...?"

"You should get to be happy."

"I am! Fiyero, I have loved you for as long as I can remember, even when just being with you, being loved by you, being held and kissed in such a heartfelt and gentle way was just a dream to me..." She paused to wipe away her tears that had started to fall. He truly didn't know that he had saved her in more ways than one. And now he was walking away, she stumbled forward after him, grasping his hand just as she had done those year's ago in the clearing with the Lion cub. Oz, you really are pathetic now! Her brain had turned to torment her now. "Fiyero... please... I... I love you. Nobody in this world makes me happier than you... Nobody sees the true me apart from you..." she was trying to drown out that little voice by constantly talking.

He froze at the touch of her hand in his, a feeling so reminiscent of a time long ago, the corner of his mouth twitched in an involuntary smile at the memory. "Do you ever let anyone else talk?"

Elphaba paused for breath and any further words died on her tongue, and despite the desperation and the sadness of their situation, a small laugh left her lips. "Sorry..."

Their eyes met again, doubt mirrored in both of their gazes, he yanked her forward and hugged her tight, a shaky breath finally expelling from his lungs when she held him tighter.

"Fiyero... I really am sorry..." she spoke quietly in his ear. "I never meant... I love you so much..."

"Do you really think that I would keep you trapped?"

"No! Yero, never!" she looked up into his eyes, those sad, lost blue eyes and she hated herself for causing him such pain, however inadvertently, she brushed her fingers across his cheeks to wipe away his tears. "My love, I will never feel trapped with you... Oz, if you knew... Fiyero, you saved me."

"If I knew what?"

"I can't tell you that. At least not right now."

He sighed and shook his head. "Fae..."

"No. Not now. Still too dangerous." She held on to him when he started to turn away from her. "Fiyero, please... I really can't say anything right now... but I can't do this without you... If you walk away you leave me trapped with him forever and I... I can't do that." she didn't care how ridiculous her pleading looked, how pathetic she looked, she knew all he wanted to do was help her, but she couldn't risk him doing anything to jeopardize her plan. "Just... just give me a week. Please, my love, let me just see this week out and then I will explain everything. I promise."

He knew he was pressuring her, he knew he shouldn't have, but he couldn't help it, he needed to know what was causing her to cry and lash out in her sleep every night. The latest night terror had scared them both to the point where Elphaba had refused to sleep since the early hours of the morning. Not once had she called out a name. Not once did she give any indication in her sleep on who was tormenting her so badly. He sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Alright. A week." he agreed.

"How are the renovations coming along?" she tilted her head, changing the subject.

"Still a work in progress, but my brother is helping, and it's looking more like home now." he smiled. "I can't wait for you to see it."

She grinned. "I think I may have a lead on Shell too. I did some digging, and I've heard that he's somewhere in the Greater Kells."

"That's great news! Are you gonna write to him?"

"I want to be sure that it is him first. But before I do, I want to be settled and away from here."

He nodded. His anger flared when they heard that familiar voice shouting angrily for Elphaba, causing her to jump. "Fae, you don't have to go to him."

She levelled him with a look and shook her head. "Unfortunately, Yero, I do." she sighed. "One more week," she muttered, though she wasn't sure who she was trying to convince, Fiyero or herself. She reluctantly pulled herself away from him and left her room, making her way to Lysander. "Yes?"

"One last assignment for you, Thropp. If this goes wrong, it will end you."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Fine. What is it?"

His lips curled into a cruel smirk. "You must eliminate Glinda the Good."

She growled. "You sick, twisted son of a bitch!"

"If you won't do it, Thropp. I will."

"Over my dead body! You're not going anywhere near her!"

He laughed darkly. "That can be arranged."

"Why are you doing this? Glinda is innocent in all of this."

"Because she's nothing but a puppet. Worthless to the cause. Collateral damage. Because her death will send a message to the Wizard that we will not go without a fight."

Elphaba glared at him. "If Glinda is the puppet, they won't even care if she's gone."

"But you will."

She growled and spat in his face, an action she didn't even regret as he landed a punch to her stomach and swung her legs from under her. She landed awkwardly on her arm and she looked up with a glare. One more week, Elphaba. she repeated to herself. She waited for him to leave and she slowly pulled herself to her feet and stumbled, catching herself on the wall, wincing when she moved her injured arm. Great... now Fiyero is gonna freak out... she grouched and continued to glare after the male. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you." she slowly made her way back up to her room, holding the affected limb to her body.

"Fae? What happened?" he stood from the desk and rushed to her side.

"I felt a bit sick and... I tripped up the stairs..."

"Here... let me see," he told her softly and he gently straightened her arm out, apologising profusely when she gasped and cried out in pain. He kissed her palm as he lightly pressed and tested her arm, checking to see if she had broken any bones. He frowned when he got to the crook of her elbow and it didn't feel quite right. He looked around the room.

"There's... there's a scarf in the closet..." she told him.

He nodded and went to fetch it, his eyes wide as he recognized the black material dotted with red poppies. "You still have this?"

She looked up and smiled softly. "Yeah." she nodded. "It seems silly... but it was the first present you ever gave me... and it wasn't a prank one."

"It's not silly." he smiled and tied it around her in a makeshift sling for her arm. "I would never have hurt you like that."

"I know she's not really malicious."

He nodded in understanding. "Are you alright? You said you felt a bit sick."

She shook her head, scowling at the floor now. "No. He said he has one last assignment for me."

"Which, judging by your face that you don't like it."

"Don't like it?!" she scoffed bitterly. "Fiyero, I hate it!" she looked up at him. "He's dragging Glinda into this mess!"

"Okay, okay slow down." he sighed, keeping his hold on her to stop her from fidgeting. "What did he say?"

Another scoff. "He wants me to eliminate her."

He paused, staring in disbelief.

"And if I don't, he will." she snarled. "Of course, I'm not going to, I just need to find a way to keep her safe."

Fiyero didn't think the man could sink any lower, and he shook his head. "We can warn her. He doesn't know where her home is, right? So we send her back there until it's over."

"No, but I don't think it would take him long to find out." she sighed. "We could try it..."

"At least if she's warned, she knows to be careful." he pointed out.

"I swear to Lurline if he so much as breathes in her direction I'll skin him alive," she growled.

He kissed her gently. "Calm down, sweetheart. We'll warn her. It will be alright."

She nodded, but her nerves were wound too tightly for her to listen to him. "Do you know where Chistery is?"

He paused. "Uhm... by the river last time I saw him. Why?"

"He can be our messenger."

"Will he listen?"

She raised an eyebrow. "As bad as I feel about it, I gave him his freedom with those wings. He's done everything I've asked of him so far I'm sure he can do this." She spun to pick up her cloak and put it around her awkwardly and managed to fasten the button.

While she was busy, Fiyero scrawled a quick note for Glinda, telling her to leave for her family home, and that he and Elphaba would explain soon. "Come here," he told her gently, pocketing the note and straightened the cloak out for her. "There." he grinned.

She smiled and they walked outside into the chilly afternoon, the sunshine pouring through the now bare branches of the trees.

"Is that thing warm enough for you?"

"It'll do for now... I think you've seen by now I don't exactly have the luxury of a coat." she shrugged.

"I don't even want to think about how you keep warm up there, flying around." he shuddered.

She smiled. "I made up a spell for it. It heats up the cloak and keeps warm for a few hours."

He nodded, smirking a little. "Of course, you did."

"Did you ever doubt me?"

"Never."

"So, you never need to worry about me, Yero, I will always find a way around things." she grinned as they made their way through the forest down to the river, there, they found Chistery lounging in the water. "Chistery."

The Monkey looked up at his mistress's voice and screeched, leaping out of the water and ambled to the pair once he had shaken his fur.

"Oh, Chistery, if you don't keep trying to talk, you'll never get it..." she sighed. "No matter..." she added with a wave of her hand. "Can you take a message to Glinda the Good in the Emerald City?"

The creature nodded as Fiyero took the note from his pocket. He still didn't trust the former soldier, but he seemed to make his mistress happy, so the creature simply put up with it. He eyed the note suspiciously before snatching it from the Arjiki's hand.

"Chistery!" Elphaba scolded.

The Monkey screeched back at her indignantly before taking flight.

She sighed and watched until he disappeared. "Sorry about him..."

Fiyero shrugged. "It's fine. He doesn't trust me, I get it, he doesn't have a reason to."

"I trust you, that should be reason enough."

He smiled. "I know. But he doesn't know me. You do."

She nodded. "I guess so."

He held her close and he kissed her gently, grinning at the soft moan he heard. He held her against the tree trunk and kissed along her jaw and dipped down to her neck.

Elphaba closed her eyes, sighing softly and she tangled her fingers in his hair. She gasped when he nipped her ear.

He smirked against her skin and lifted his head when he felt her push him back. "You alright?"

She nodded, her eyes slowly opening and she looked up at him. "Shouldn't we wait until we're less out in the open? We're not running for our lives now." she tried to smirk, though it was probably more like a dazed smile.

He laughed quietly and nodded. "As the lady wishes."

"I dunno which lady you're talking about but I don't think it's me."

"Oh, it is. I've seen the evidence."

She laughed. "You're impossible..."

"One more week, and I'll take you home."

She hummed, a wide smile on her face. "Home. That sounds nice."

He grinned and walked back inside with her.