A/N: admittedly this is just a filler just because I wanted to give you guys something. Quarantine has kicked me about just a little, and I've had ups and downs but picking myself back up slowly. I hope everyone is staying safe and I love you all! And thanks FaesFlower for the review, it made me smile!

It took Fiyero two more weeks to finally confide in Elphaba about what had truly gone on that night he'd sacrificed himself for her. And before he could stop himself, everything came spilling out; starting from the news breaking out about her running away. Elphaba sat patiently in her chair in the library, her book long forgotten as she held him, comforted him, encouraged him to continue. She cried with him and wiped away his tears, and silently fumed when she finally got to know the truth, and she knew it wasn't Fiyero she was angry at. She could never be mad at him, even now when he'd kept it from her and confided in her best friend before he came to her. She could even understand why he spoke to Glinda. She was the closest person to him who went through the same thing and could share that burden, even while Elphaba herself was carrying her own burdens.

"I'm sorry," he spoke quietly, sagging against her as they sat huddled together.

Her fingers stopped mid-stroke in his hair and she glanced at him with soft dark eyes clouded with confusion. "Whatever for?"

He shrugged. "Not telling you? Not being strong enough to deal with it? Everything?"

She scoffed softly and she restarted brushing her fingers in his hair. "Yero... You don't have to deal with everything alone... Sometimes it's okay, and the right thing to do to ask for help. And that's coming from me of all people." she smiled.

He smiled faintly and hugged her tighter, nuzzling his head against her chest, heaving a heavy sigh, his hand resting on her stomach. "I just didn't want you to worry."

"I love you, Yero, but you can't do anything about that. I'll always worry about you. I always know when you don't seem yourself, or when you're hiding something from me, like your own nightmares. I want you to promise me something."

"What?"

"Please, please don't hide it from me any more. I want to be able to comfort you from your own dreams like you've done so many times with mine. I want to be there for you. We're in this together."

He nodded, falling quiet as he felt their child kick beneath his palm.

"Fiyero?"

"Hm?" He looked up then.

"Promise me?"

He nodded again, looking into her eyes, giving in to her once more, just as he always would. "I promise. I'll tell you everything." He kissed her lightly as she smiled. He knew that he would do anything she asked, and she knew it too. "I love you."

"Which one of us are you talking to now?" she teased.

"Both of you," he told her honestly, hearing the humour in her tone made him smile. "I... I'm gonna go without the sleeping tonic tonight."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded.

"Okay..." she smiled softly. "And I'm gonna be right here with you." she wouldn't leave him on his own no matter how much he would say he would be alright.

"Fae-"

"No. I love you, Yero, but if you even think about hiding it from me I won't hesitate to hex you." she raised an eyebrow. "We are in a relationship together. Even with my very limited experience, I know that means that we deal with everything together, however good or bad."

He sighed and thought for a minute. "Fine..."

"Good. Now if you could get off me please?"

"No." he smiled and tightened his hold on her.

She laughed and pushed him. "Fiyero!"

He grinned and let her go, climbing off the chair and he helped her to stand, and he watched her leave the room. he sighed heavily again and dropped back down into the chair once she was out of sight. Glinda was right, for once. he thought and shook his head. His friend had told him he would feel a bit better after talking with Elphaba, and he did feel the weight shifting in his stomach. Now he just had to keep his promise of letting her in, letting her help him.

A short time later, Elphaba made her way back to the library, smiling softly when she heard quiet snores before she saw Fiyero asleep in the chair. She took off her cloak and lightly draped it over him, picked up her abandoned book and sat in the chair opposite him, curling up to read again but her gaze kept drifting back to Fiyero, her heart breaking a little more as she really concentrated on him, she could tell how tired he was and how much he was breaking under the pressure and pretence of being okay when he so clearly wasn't. She looked up at the soft sounds of footsteps on the wooden floor, smiling a little as Riya entered.

"Is everything alright?" Riya asked, noting the look of concern on Elphaba's face.

She nodded. "Yeah, it was a long night for him last night, I think he's worrying too much."

"My brother... isn't as good at hiding his feelings as he thinks he is." Riya acknowledged. "He only thinks so because people don't pay close enough attention to him when he says he's fine."

"Which... I think I've been guilty of lately..." Elphaba sighed.

Riya scoffed and walked closer to her. "You can hardly be guilty of anything. It's only natural to be a bit preoccupied with your thoughts, especially when your hormones are all over the place. You're going through changes every day."

"But I missed the fact that he was hurting too."

"Listen to me. You're not to blame, you didn't miss anything. He just used the fact that you're preoccupied to lie to you about how he is. But I'm guessing he's told you what's really going on?"

Elphaba nodded. "He's been dealing with his own nightmares on his own. Well... not totally alone. Ambram has been helping...sort of..."

"What did the idiot do now?"

"He's been feeding him sleeping potions from the apothecary over the last few months."

Riya swore under her breath and shook her head. "I didn't think they were that stupid."

Elphaba shrugged. "They probably didn't know or realise. Yero said he's gonna try and go without them tonight."

"Is that wise?"

"Well, he has to try at some point... he won't be alone though."

"You shouldn't deal with this in your condition, Elphaba-"

"I've dealt with far worse a few months ago when I didn't even realise I was pregnant, I'm sure I'll be able to cope with Fiyero and his nightmares and the subsequent temper that will follow."

"But you shouldn't have to, and I'm sure he would see it that way as well."

"He may well do, but I am not a weak woman, I promised that I would help him and that is what I intend to do."

Riya nodded, smiling softly. She could see that she loved her brother very much. "Just... don't try and do it all by yourself if you're struggling."

"Understood." The green-skinned woman gave her a small smile, but she already knew that was a promise she would have trouble keeping.

"Have you heard back from your brother?"

"He should be here Friday... he sent word to me when he got to his final stop through the Pasture of Kumbrica Pass." Elphaba nodded and gave her a quizzical look at the slight grimace. "What?"

"He couldn't have chosen another route?"

"Apparently not... The coaches wouldn't allow him..." she shrugged. "Why?"

"Most people try to avoid Kumbrica Pass if they can help it. It's full of bandits... But I'm sure he'll be fine!" she hastened to add when she saw the younger woman look shocked. "Did he give an idea of his arrival in a couple of days?"

"Around lunchtime," Elphaba answered with a little fear in her tone. "Are you sure he'll be okay?"

Riya nodded. "Yes! Oz, I'm being dramatic... bandits are the worst-case scenario. He'll be fine. Forget I said anything."

The younger woman didn't look convinced and barely twitched a smile when Riya gently nudged her.

"I'm sorry, I should have kept my stupid big mouth shut, I speak before I think."

This time Elphaba did smile a little bit, that sounded familiar to her.

"Come on. I was told there were cakes and sweet treats in the kitchens." Riya linked her arm with hers and they both headed through the castle. Minutes later they found the kitchens, Riya ushered Elphaba to a chair and then made tracks to the fridge for the sweet treats and brought them across to her. "Have you made wedding plans yet?"

Elphaba pulled a plate of forest fruit cake towards her and took the fork handed to her. "No... I don't really know what I'd like to plan." she shrugged. "Glinda said she would think up a few ideas, but I don't trust what she would plan... She likes big, grand events with lots of frills and copious amounts of pink... It would be interesting to see what she would choose..."

Riya smiled as she popped a bite-sized piece of caramel topped brownie in her mouth, listening while she chewed. "If you'd like some help I can ask mother for some tips? A bit of a bonding exercise for us all maybe? If you're feeling up to it of course."

"I... I'm not exactly sure..." she said after a moment of silence. She didn't know what she was unsure of. Gradual acceptance? Socialising? The plans in general?

"There's no rush, of course," Riya assured her, though it wasn't exactly true. There would, of course, be talks from the people. The waiting press had been awaiting the scandal of her brother, waiting for him to fail every since his wild teenage days. It wouldn't exactly come as a surprise back then if he'd gotten some unsuspecting girl in a delicate situation and he hadn't intended on marrying her. But this situation was different. Fiyero had been head over heels for the woman in front of her ever since they'd been at Shiz together, and he was intending to marry her. How would they react to a child who would be technically illegitimate for a short time? What would it do to the lineage and any future children they had? She made a mental note to speak to her parents when she returned home.

For Elphaba, she didn't want to venture out of her comfortable little bubble just yet, she felt safe and calm for the first time in a while and didn't want to disturb it. She wanted to wait until after the baby was born to deal with it, but knew deep down, that in itself could cause complications for the pair. 'My whole life is one big complication.' she thought dryly. Instead, she settled on; "I just want to see my brother first. I want his input before I do anything else..."

Riya nodded, smiling. As much as her brothers annoyed her, she looked to them for their advice and looked up to them too. She understood that. "That's alright."

"You could look into dresses though if you wanted... make a start at least..." she told her with a nervous undertone.

"Of course I will. Don't be so nervous." Riya grinned. "I'll help in any way I can."

"I know, but..."

"Elphaba, I promise, don't worry. I get it, you're probably not used to all of this and it will be a long, slow road. But you're my sister now and I'm here for you, no matter how long it takes."

She smiled and nodded, delving into her slice of cake.

Sometime later, Fiyero woke up alone still in the library, having noticed Elphaba's book in her once-occupied chair. Tiredly, he stood, stretching out his cramped muscles before leaving the room and headed down to see if dinner would be ready soon, it wasn't long before he heard chatter and giggling. He followed the noise and grinned at the sight of Elphaba and his sister in conversation with each other.

"I swear, he's lucky he didn't break his neck! Oh, mother grounded him for a month!"

That revelation sent a new wave if giggles through the green woman. "There have been plenty of times he should have come away with injuries and he hasn't."

"What am I being blamed for now?" he teased as he entered the dining room.

Riya smirked at him. "I was just telling Elphaba about the time you fell out of the attic space in our grandparent's cottage."

"How does one manage to fall out the way you did?"

"One of my many talents, Fae, is not looking where I'm going. I was walking backwards with a box of Lurlinemas decorations." he grinned. "All because someone wanted them out a month early and refused to go up there among all the spiders."

A spoonful of ice cream went into Elphaba's mouth before the spoon was pointed upwards. "I'm with her on that. Spiders are just... nope."

"Exactly! I know why we have them, I just don't necessarily have to like them!" Riya complained. "And you love Lurlinemas just as much as I do!"

He rolled his eyes and laughed. "And for the record, there weren't any spiders to be seen."

"Oh, I know he does. He was like a child when we were at school together."

Fiyero swiped the spoon from her and took his own mouthful of ice cream before dropping between them. "Just because you're an actual Grinch when it comes to Lurlinemas-"

"I am not! I just don't see the point in making a fuss over one day!" she snatched the spoon back with a pout.

He laughed and kissed her head, putting his arm around her.

"Did you enjoy your nap?" Riya cocked her head.

He nodded. "Actually... yeah. For once. Not sure how a full nights sleep will go yet."

Elphaba smiled softly. "Baby steps, love. We'll get there." Her free hand rested on his leg and she went back to her ice cream tub.

Riya gave a small nod and she smiled. "Just be careful. Things like this can go wrong. And I'm talking to both of you now."