Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Unlimited,

Together, we're unlimited,

Together, we'll be the greatest team there's ever been, Glinda

Dreams the way we planned 'em,

If we work in tandem,

There's no fight we cannot win,

Just you and I, defying gravity,

With you and I, defying gravity,

They'll never bring us down."

- Defying Gravity

-<—>-

When she was much younger, Glinda had found Frottica restricting. It's such a small town, tucked away in the rolling green knolls of Pertha Hills, surrounded by all manner of diary farms and marketplaces. It's nothing at all like the old constructs of Shiz or the spiralling glass towers of the Emerald City. It's not even Munchkinland, standing as the agriculture hub of the land of Oz.

Glinda couldn't wait to get out. She'd squealed loud enough to make dogs bark when she had received her acceptance letter to Shiz University. It's not like Glinda hated Frottica — she didn't, truly. She loved her little town. She loved walking through the market squares with her mother on weekends, she loved riding through the Arduenna-Upland estate. But, Froticca was miniscule compared to the rest of Oz. There was so much out there Glinda wanted to see, so much out there Glinda wanted to do.

She wanted to go to university. She wanted to study sorcery. She wanted to meet someone and fall in love.

Somehow, she had managed to do all of those things, to varying levels of success. She did go to Shiz for some time. She did study sorcery, for even less time. And she did fall in love and hmm, well. That's much more complicated. In fact, it's so complicated it's brought Glinda right back to Frottica, to a darkened corner of a tavern where she would not have been caught dead just a year and a half ago.

The tavern wasn't anything fancy, certainly nothing like the restaurants and clubs and salons her parents frequented. Dim lamps cast amber light across the wooden tables. The bartender moved mindlessly behind the counter. He hadn't given Glinda a second glance when she stepped inside, her blonde hair blending in with the rest of the Gillikinese patrons he had been serving for the better part of the night.

She'd done her best to dress down, to do away with the fanciful gowns Madame Morrible had been stuffing her into for the last six months, parading her around like the Wizard's showgirl of goodness and perfection. She wasn't here to be the paragon on a pedestal, wasn't here to be Glinda the Good as the Wizard had proclaimed, as the Emerald City had rejoiced — it hadn't caught on yet with the rest of Oz, but it would, Glinda knew. It's not about aptitude; it's about the way you're viewed.

But, she wasn't here to be that. She was here to be Glinda of the Arduennas of the Uplands. Just a girl visiting her home town after some time away. A girl who wandered away from her big, fancy house to slum it with the locals for a night in an unremarkable dress, a plain cloak around her shoulders and minimal make-up. Just a girl having a drink in a tavern.

Even if that drink was watered down ale she would faster throw up than swallow. And shared with the number one fugitive in the entire country.

"Is the ale offending you?" Elphaba drawled, hiding in the shadows in the corner of the booth, a cloak wrapped tightly around her body and pulled over her head. Gloves covered her hands to mask the green. The only parts of her Glinda could make out were the braid hanging down a shoulder and the whites of her teeth as she smirked at Glinda's twisted expression.

She glared over the rim of her glass. "I don't understand how you're drinking this swill."

"Not all of us had your snobbish upbringing."

"Get off your high broom, Third Thropp Descending. You're closer to royalty than I am."

Glinda felt the heat of Elphaba's glare even if she couldn't see it. She flashed Elphie a charming, little smile, the same one which got her to skip studying and go with her into the city proper of Shiz.

Elphaba huffed, continuing to sip from her glass of ale, picking at the small spread of food Glinda had immediately ordered when she arrived. Some bread and a bowl of soup. None of it for herself. All sitting on the table and awaiting Elphaba's arrival.

"You didn't have to do that," Elphaba had said the first time, three months ago, the pair of them tucked tightly into a seedy establishment in the run down parts of the Emerald City.

That had been a scary night, with Gale Force Officers patrolling the streets and the Monkeys in the skies, all ready and waiting to either drag Elphaba into the throne room or shoot her out of the air. Glinda had barely gotten out of the Emerald Palace without being caught, charming one of the stable boys into readying a horse for her and paying him handsomely for his silence.

Glinda had needed to see her. Selfishly. Desperately. Damn it all to hell and back, she had needed to see her.

She hadn't been sure it would have worked, the message coded into one of her speeches. When Elphaba had dropped next to her on the small bench and latched onto her wrist with a crazed look in her eye and an angry, "This isn't safe for you," hissing past her lips, Glinda hadn't been able to do more than throw her arms around her shoulders and hug her tight, tuck her face into her neck and exhale a broken sob.

The gods themselves could not have torn Glinda away from her.

Looking at her now, Glinda wondered how she'd managed to part with her again. Elphaba was ripping the bread into pieces and dipping it into the soup, washing it all down with gulps of the ale. She was smaller than she was three months ago. It pained Glinda to see her like this, ragged and wearied, shoulders strung as tightly as a bow. The smallest sound would send her skittering.

"Are you going to tell me what we're doing here?" Elphaba asked.

Glinda stared at her for a moment longer. She regretted not doing that more, when time had been a luxury between them and not a doomsday clock. She wished she'd taken all the seconds and minutes and hours just to look at her, to memorize the planes of her face and the quirk of her lips, the way her eyes sparked during debates in class, the way her voice dropped to a murmur when she whispered jokes into Glinda's ear.

Time was not a friend of theirs anymore.

Glinda reached into the pockets of her cloak and withdrew a parchment of paper. She slid it over the table, watching as Elphie reached for it and flipped it open. There was a prolonged pause as Elphaba read through the words written on the paper.

A schedule. A Gale Force schedule to be exact. Fiyero's Gale Force schedule in particular. Glinda had swiped it from his things before she left to visit her parents. She'd planned it right down to the last second. Speak to Morrible about taking a few days away from the hustle and bustle, time her departure with the Gale Force receiving their orders, swipe the orders as she told Fiyero to be safe and she'd see him when he got back.

She'd sent for Elphaba the second she arrived in Froticca, the second the footmen had dropped her bags in her bedroom. Glinda had thrown open her window and scanned the trees for a Bird, knowing the Animals were the best and easiest way to get into contact. Many didn't trust her, not when her name and her face had been plastered across the Emerald City for half a year. But, they knew Elphaba, they worked with her and with the schedule in her hand, Glinda had shown herself willing to help.

"If you needed someone, you could have picked me," Glinda had said what now feels like an entire lifetime ago. She meant it then, and she would prove it.

"Does anyone know you took this?" There was urgency in Elphaba's tone, a frantic edge around her.

Glinda waved dismissively. "Oh please. Don't you know? I'm more concerned with frills and pastels."

"Glinda—"

"Elphie," she trilled, her voice bright. "Perfectly safe. Fiyero must think he simply misplaced it."

"You're risking your life," Elphaba said.

"And you're not?" Glinda raised an eyebrow. "You're not risking your life flying around on that ridiculous broom and freeing Animals and destroying weapons cargo?"

Elphaba opened her mouth to argue further, but Glinda made a tut-tut sound and held up a finger. "If you say anything about magic and the Grimmerie, I will empty this glass of ale on top of you."

Her jaw snapped shut with an audible clack of her teeth. Her fingers drummed against the tabletop, the thuds muffled by the cushion of the gloves snug against her hands. Glinda had given her those gloves in the Emerald City, taken from Elphaba's things in their dorm room. She still had everything, tucked away into various compartments of her own trunks and wardrobe. She'd been afraid to part with it, afraid that if she let the luggage out of her sight then Elphaba would somehow slip through her fingers entirely.

"Why?" Elphaba looked straight in her eyes. The hood of her cloak slipped back enough for Glinda to see her properly, the emerald shine of her skin, her dark brows and lashes, her hair curling along the sides of her face. Even as a fugitive, she was beautiful. "You didn't come when I asked, so why now?"

"Elphie, dearest, you and I both know I would not survive on the run," Glinda said succinctly. "I would hinder you more than I would help. But this—" Glinda waved at the schedule, at the food, at the gloves, at their general surroundings in Frottica— "This I can do."

"You want to be my spy." A statement, not a question, Elphaba's voice dipping into incredulity.

"There's more than one way to overthrow a government." Glinda smiled while batting her lashes. "You stir the pots of revolution from outside, I win their hearts from inside."

Elphaba stared, quiet and contemplating. Her index finger traced the grooves of the table, a habit Glinda remembered from class.

Glinda didn't interrupt. Elphaba needed to work this through on her own, needed to convince herself that Glinda knew what she was doing, that Glinda could handle whatever Morrible would throw her way, that she would be safe and she would be careful. Honestly, Elphaba needed to worry more about flying around on that ridiculous broom than she needed to concern herself with Glinda's safety. Glinda would deal with things on her end. She already had ideas and the foundation was already laid. There was no greater tool than popularity after all.

Eventually, Elphie snorted and shook her head. A small grin fell across her face, soft and endearing and exasperated. She reached for her glass and lifted it slightly, as though she was toasting to something.

"To a better Oz," Elphaba murmured.

Glinda's smile widened. She raised her untouched glass. "To the future."

-<—>-

When Glinda returned to the Emerald City, there was a Falcon sitting on the railing of her balcony. Tied to the Falcon's foot was a feather quill and a little note.

"For you, Miss Glinda," he said, holding his foot out.

It's spelled to deliver messages straight to me. Once you finish writing, light it on fire and I will receive it. Please, be careful.

There's no signature attached but Glinda knew this handwriting like it was her own, the elegant slant of the letters offset by the smudges at the edges, as though the writer couldn't put their thoughts down fast enough.

She thanked the Falcon and watched as the Bird leapt into the air, disappearing into the western sky, off to wherever it was Elphaba had set herself up with the rest of the Resistance. She hadn't told Glinda and Glinda hadn't asked. Safety precautions and all that.

Glinda walked back inside and dipped the quill into an ink-pot, quickly scribbling a short message, folding the paper in half. She held the edge of the parchment to a candle flame. The paper hissed and then disappeared, only a spark of green embers left behind in its place.

Try not to be reckless, darling. I'll write to you soon.

-<—>-

A few weeks later, after a long day of dodging the Gale Force and starting fires and disrupting operations and just trying to survive, Elphaba returned to her hideaway and collapsed in her makeshift nest of leaves and branches. Her limbs hurt and her back was sore from the hard angles she whipped the broom at in the air to avoid the gunfire. And she was starving.

The last proper meal she had came from Glinda in that tavern in Froticca. Since then it was wild berries and fruits and whatever stew she managed to cook up when she wasn't too tired. Which wasn't often. Elphaba was always tired. Elphaba was never not tired these days. She went from one fight to another, didn't give herself the chance to stop and breathe.

If she did, she feared what she may do. She feared she would get back on the broom and not fly to the next fight. Rather, she'd fly to Glinda. She'd point the broom east and will the magic to take her right back to the city, to the palace, to the girl she left behind.

As though the thought summoned her, Elphaba felt a subtle weight on her lap. A letter, black ink written across light pink paper. Elphaba snorted at how ridiculous Glinda could be sometimes. Grasping the edges, Elphaba flipped the parchment opened and started to read.

Would it please you to know Morrible kicked up a small tornado in her office when Fiyero delivered the latest news? Animals freed, the Gale Force battalion sustaining heavy injuries, their weapons supply entirely destroyed. I think her face got purple with anger the more Fiyero spoke.

They're starting a hunt for you in earnest. I managed to sweet talk my way into getting Fiyero to lead the squadron, convincing Morrible that no one would know you better than a friend. At least with Fiyero in charge, you'll be somewhat safe.

Don't start your nervous tittering, Elphie. No one suspects me of a single thing. If they did, they would know better than to discuss their next weapon shipment right in front of me.

Elphaba smirked at the details which followed. Date, time and place. The approximated number of Gale Force Officers which would be tasked with receiving and transporting the weapon crates back to the city.

Glinda signed the letter off with a trio of little hearts.

"You cunning girl," Elphaba said fondly.

-<—>-

"Come on!" Elphaba called, sweeping down from the sky. Her hand shot forward, magic pulsing in the air. The latches on the cages clicked and the doors snapped open, releasing the Animals inside.

They stampeded out, Elephants knocking guards aside, Hawks and Falcons diving on them from above. The Animals rushed towards the opening mouth of the tunnels. They were imprisoned beneath the city, in an old tunnel system which had existed since the Ozmas were still ruling Oz.

The Wizard had outfitted the tunnels to function as his personal, secret Animal prison, unlike Southstairs. The ceilings had been extended, stretching high enough to allow Elphaba to fly through comfortably. Cells and cages had been built against the walls, all of them in various sizes to hold different species of Animals.

The blueprints had appeared to Elphaba a few days ago, along with a lengthy note detailing the perfect distraction for Elphaba to use as cover.

The Wizard was throwing Glinda a ball for her birthday, likely at Morrible's behest. The majority of the guards were being routed to the palace for the celebration with the flying Monkeys posted along the palace walls. Eyes would be on Glinda, dazzling, shining, perfect Glinda the Good. Elphaba would be able to get into the tunnels and out before alarms could raise.

And, sure enough, when Elphaba dropped into the tunnels just after sunset, there wasn't a huge Gale Force presence. Just a couple small patrols, enough to keep guard for the night. Not enough to stop a magic powered individual on a flying broom.

It was laughably easy to dispatch the guards, their bullets no match for her Grimmerie fueled spells. She whipped through the tunnels, slamming her broom into the faces of guards as she went by. Once the Animals were out, she escorted them through the tunnel system until they were outside the city walls.

They would be safer outside, where they could disappear into the forests and the fields, hiding in the shadows until they could acquire transport. If rumour was to be believed, many Animals had fled to the Thousand Year Grasslands, free to roam and do as they pleased without the boot of the Emerald City on their necks. Elphaba passed on that rumour to everyone she released, allowing them the chance to choose for themselves.

"Thank you," a Dog said when they were out. "Truly. Thank you."

Elphaba gave him a small smile. She turned back to the tunnels and held up her hands, allowing the magic to flow through her. The earth shook as stone crumbled, the tunnel system collapsing in its entirety. With a satisfied glance at the sealed entrance, Elphaba tossed her gaze to the sky. It was about an hour before midnight.

She turned her attention to the palace, a terrible, truly terrible idea brewing in her mind.

-<—>-

Glinda shut the door of her apartments with a soft thud. She toed off her heels and kicked them aside, padding deeper into her rooms, pulling pins from her hair as she went, allowing the blonde curls to fall free from it's intricate half-up style.

The ball had been ostentatious, with a huge orchestra and floral decorations, pink flowers clinging to green walls and pillars. Glinda was caught in a whirlwind of pleasantries, being shuffled left and right between aristocrats and businessmen, her polite laugh ringing in air as she forced herself to charm and demure.

But, it had to be done. When the ground warbled beneath their feet less than fifteen minutes ago, the edges of Glinda's smile had turned real. The guards had immediately rushed away and the guests had been shown out, cutting the celebration short. Sure, Morrible would spin this in the coming weeks, say the Wicked Witch wouldn't even allow a birthday party to take place, but she wouldn't be able to undo the things Elphaba achieved tonight.

Glinda loosened the ties of her gown, grateful she didn't have to call anyone for assistance. She was done with the act for the night, ready to breathe easy in the space she had carved out for herself in this place. She hung the gown up, replaced it with her nightdress and a robe. She walked into her private bathroom, flipping the switch on the side.

For a moment, Glinda stared at herself in the mirror. At the make-up and the cascade of blonde hair. At the image she projected to the world like it was armour. The curated smile and the delicate curve of her eyebrows, the guests bowing and calling her "Your Goodness," Fiyero like a sentinel on her arm. All of it handpicked and pitch perfect, a show delivered to the world, a show of distraction.

Glinda's smile and laugh in exchange for Elphaba's broom and spells.

She turned the tap, holding her hands under the fall of the warm water. She lowered her head, splashing the water across her face, gently washing the make-up away with a soft towel. She shut the faucet off a moment later, dropping her toothbrush back into its holder, taking the light off as she stepped out of the bathroom.

As she pulled the blankets back on the bed, there was a knock on her balcony door.

Glinda whipped towards the balcony, the curtains drawn over the door and the windows. There was no way it was a possible assailant. No one in their right mind would try to scale the palace walls. They would slip on the glass and break their necks long before they crossed the ground floor. Not to mention, assassinating Oz's golden girl wasn't going to get them anything other than killed, effective immediately.

So, unless Chistery and the Monkeys have decided to wish Glinda a happy birthday in the middle of the night, there was only one person who could be standing out there, on the balcony of the room which was specifically chosen for its western facing view.

Heart in her throat, Glinda stepped away from her bed and over to the door, grasping the edge of the curtain and pulling it to the side.

Elphaba raised her head, looking at her from under the brim of her hat. She tilted the broom towards the door in a silent question.

Glinda's hand moved lightning fast, flicking the lock and tugging the door open. She grabbed Elphaba's arm and yanked her inside, Elphie almost tripping over the edge of her cape as she was pulled into the room.

"What are you doing here?" Glinda shrieked, dragging the curtains closed with a quick look around to make sure the Monkeys had not spotted the shadowed figure on her balcony.

Elphaba didn't reply immediately. When Glinda turned back to her, Elphaba's eyes were casting around the apartments, from the vanity to the bed, to the archway leading out to the living room and dining room, the pair of tall cherry blossom trees. There was a hint of longing in her eyes and Glinda's heart twisted itself into knots.

The private suite she had been promised. The private suite she no longer wanted. They were meant to be here together. That had been the plan, before it all imploded in their faces. They were going to leave their marks on the world in this city.

Elphaba shook herself, looking to Glinda. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't wish you a happy birthday? Or bring you a gift?"

"My gift is you not getting arrested," Glinda said, her voice rising in pitch with every syllable.

A faint smirk tugged at the corners of Elphaba's mouth. "Worry not, my sweet. The guards are sufficiently distracted."

"The tunnels?" Glinda inquired. The blueprints had been a goldmine, mixed up in various scrolls and documents in Morrible's office. With her eye for architectural plans, it hadn't taken long for Glinda to replicate them and send it off to Elphaba before Morrible noticed the original was missing.

"Sealed off," Elphaba said.

Glinda squealed, grabbing Elphaba's arm and giving it a squeeze. "Oh Elphie! That's wonderful!"

"Mm," Elphaba hummed with a soft grin. "Now, your gift. How would you like to fly?"

Glinda's gaze dropped to the broom, to the intertwining, gnarled branches of the stick and the dark bristles of the brush. In Elphaba's hand, it was more than just a mere cleaning tool. It was a staff of power and magic.

And Elphaba wanted Glinda to sit on it.

"I will fall to my death," Glinda said simply.

"Hell and Oz, you're so dramatic," Elphaba grumbled. "You'll be fine."

Glinda eyed the broom suspiciously, the same way she watched it when it dislodged from its corner of that dusty attic and floated over to them. She honestly did not know how Elphaba got around on that thing, how she trusted that she could get from A to B without falling from the sky.

There was that moment when Elphaba had held the broom and jumped from the attic, that awful moment where it had seemed as though Elphaba would not fly. Glinda hadn't felt fear like that in her life before. It had been a handful of seconds, maybe even less, but Glinda would remember that fear right down to her deathbed. That single clocktick where the world had suspended and all Glinda could do was beg Lurline or the Unnamed God or whoever was out there to just, please, please, let her rise, let her soar.

"I won't let you fall, Glinda," Elphaba promised, and that, more than anything else, was what got Glinda perched on the broom in her nightdress and robe, hands wrapped around the stick.

Elphaba slid on behind her, one arm wrapping around Glinda's waist to keep her steady, the other grasping the broom just below Glinda's hands. For a second, nothing happened. There's nothing beside Elphaba's breath ghosting over the shell of her ears, the heat of Elphaba's body behind her, the way her heart galloped in her chest. In the next, the broom suddenly took off, lifting them both off her balcony and high into the air.

Glinda yelped from the abrupt movement, closing her eyes and pressing back into Elphaba for something solid to ground her. Elphaba, wicked, mean thing that she was, cackled at her expense. Glinda couldn't even pretend to be upset. It was always a joy to hear Elphaba laugh, even if she was laughing at Glinda.

"Open your eyes, my sweet," Elphaba whispered into her ear. "You won't get this view anywhere else."

Glinda held out a second longer, taking deep, steady inhales and exhales. Slowly, she allowed her eyes to open, taking in the sight of the city at night. A gasp fell from her lips at the amber lights decorating the streets, the way the emerald glass reflected the moon. It seemed quiet, lulled into the serenity of peace under the cover of darkness.

She hadn't ever thought the Emerald City could look so still. All the day to day hustle and bustle ground to a firm halt in the dead of the night. There was something romantic about it, about the way the city harmonises with the gentleness of the moon and stars, softening the edges of sharp towers and looming buildings.

Elphaba tilted the broom up and they rose higher, closer to the clouds. Glinda, feeling brave, feeling safe with Elphie right behind her, dared to reach a hand out, fingers brushing through the condensed water vapour. It was cool to touch, cold against the warmth of her skin, sending a rush of chill through her bones. Her eyes tracked the stars, sparkling dots hung like diamonds in the sky, decorating the black canvas like glitter.

Elphaba steered them away from the city, beyond the walls, down into the gentle knolls of a meadow. With Glinda's feet on the ground, she swung off the broom and took in her surroundings.

A lone tree stood against the backdrop, tall and ancient, thick branches stretching left and right, big green leaves clinging to the bark. Long grass sprouted from the ground, interspaced with the shoots of wildflowers. Fireflies drifted through the air, their yellow light flickering in and out as they flitted over the meadow.

"This reminds me of the poppy field," Glinda said, trailing the tips of her fingers along the top of the grass.

The poppy field of Shiz University had been one of Glinda's favourite places on the entire campus. The bright poppy flowers blanketing the ground, the gentle water stream winding its way to the main river, the trees offering shade on particularly sunny days. They'd spent much time in the poppy field together, by themselves and with their friends. In between classes and on weekends, to study for exams and to have picnics.

The poppy field had been a sanctuary, a place where Glinda didn't pretend and Elphaba didn't brace for the harsh attention of the world.

"A taste of normalcy," Elphie said, shedding her cape and coat, leaving herself in a pair of pants and a tunic fashioned from the fabric of the dress she wore that dreaded day they had arrived in the city. She pulled the hat off her head and dropped it on the coat, her braid loose with flyaway strands sticking out.

"What do you suppose we would have been doing?" Glinda asked. "Had we not gotten on the train?"

Glinda asked herself that question plenty. In the middle of the night, when she was burrowed in her pillows and blankets, when her mind was loud with past regrets. She asked herself, "What if I didn't follow her on that train? What if I didn't let her get on the train?"

She could never find a satisfying answer to the question. If she never got on the train, she'd never know about the Wizard, she'd never know the true reason behind the propaganda Morrible spun against Elphaba, she never would have been in a position to offer Elphaba help. If Elphie never got on the train, well, Oz would chug on its currently laid tracks, more Animals would be dragged from their homes, more injustices would continue and there would be no force in the world capable of stopping it because in that reality, Elphie never put her hand on the Grimmerie.

Neither of those were worlds Glinda wanted to live in. Still, she was curious to know what Elphaba thought.

Before her, Elphaba tilted her head to the side in consideration.

Glinda loved seeing her like this, unguarded and open, no thick fabric hiding the gorgeous emerald tone of her skin. Her shoulders were looser, her limbs not locked in a perpetual flight or fight or both. There were no Gale Force Officers or patrols for miles. It was just them and the field and the night stretching as far as the eye could see. This was their first private moment in just under a year.

"You would have finally decided to confirm Architecture as your major," Elphaba said eventually, shooting her a grin.

Glinda breathed a laugh. "You think you're funny, Elphaba Thropp."

Elphie almost preened. She came to stand at her side, both of them watching the grass and wildflowers sway in the gentle breeze. When Glinda shivered from the chill, Elphaba wrapped her cape around her shoulders. Glinda tucked her nose into the garment, inhaling the smell, the scent of forest and rain. Her scent of ink and old books, her scent which used to dance in the air of their dorm room with Glinda's vanilla perfume, was long gone.

"Fiyero would have been dragging us to clubs," Elphie said, painting the picture of them still at Shiz. "Crope and Tibbett would have been distracting us in class. Nessa hopefully would have broken up with Boq. Boq hopefully would have gotten over his foolish crush on you."

"Foolish?" Glinda stared at her with a raised brow.

Elphaba mirrored her expression. "You're not interested in him."

"And how do you know who I'm interested in?" Glinda prodded with feigned half-heartedness. Inside, her heart was galloping, pounding, wrapping around her ribs and shaking.

Elphaba looked down at her, long and hard. The depths of her eyes were like the depths of the earth, filled and buried with all manner of secrets, of power.

Glinda nearly shivered again, for reasons entirely unrelated to the night chill.

"We would have been stupid university students," Elphie murmured. "Not—" she gestured between them but she wasn't really talking about them; she was talking about what Oz had turned them into, into the warped personifications of wickedness and goodness — "Exiled and exalted."

Glinda released a sharp breath, the heat fogging in the cold air. Exalted. She should not have been the exalted one. That was supposed to be Elphie. It was supposed to Elphie at the Wizard's side, in the Emerald Palace. It was supposed to be Elphie with the platform for causing real change in the world, pioneering rights for all citizens and innovating their industries.

The world had a way of diminishing true goodness. There was no proof of that more stark than the person standing next to her. There was no one in all of Oz better than Elphaba was, no one who had endured more and still managed to turn out good.

And yet.

"We'll fix it," Glinda said, turning fully to face her, reaching for her hands and lacing their fingers together, Elphaba's green a sharp contrast against Glinda's pale skin. Glinda loved that about them, loved that they were opposites in every way possible. "I am going to bring you home. Come what may and hell to pay."

Glinda would bring her home. To the city. To their friends. To her sister. To her. Even if she had to rip Oz down and rebuild it from scratch, she would bring Elphaba back and ensure she never had to leave in fear ever again.

"Oz damn whoever gets in your way," Elphie mused.

Glinda smiled, radiant, brilliant, beautiful enough to put the celestial night sky to shame. She dropped her hands and wrapped her arms around Elphaba's waist, leaning her head on her shoulder. Elphaba pressed her cheek to the side of Glinda's head, nosing against her temple, stealing breaths of her.

They didn't remain in the meadow any longer. It was well past midnight by now and the guards were no doubt either on their way back to the palace or already there. Glinda needed to get back before anyone realized she wasn't there. Elphaba needed to get out of the city before she was caught.

The return flight was tinged with melancholy, their little bubble of peace and quiet popped by the edges of the world creeping in. If Elphaba's arm was heavier around her waist and Glinda pressed back into her chest harder than before, then, well, that was between them and the secret night.

Once the broom swept down onto her balcony and she slid off, Glinda cupped the side of Elphaba's face in one hand, pressing a lingering kiss against the other cheek. "Thank you, Elphie. For tonight."

When she drew back, Elphaba looked a deeper shade of green than usual. Eventually, she found her voice for long enough to murmur, "Happy Birthday, my sweet."

-<—>-

Elphaba shot out of the clouds, barrelling down from the sky with all the force of a rippling tornado. She swung left on the broom, aiming for the machinery, the great, big hulking metal gears carving space between the swampland, mowing down scattered mangrove trees and ripping out grass. She thrust her hand forward, already chanting, her magic gathering in the air. A spark boomed, an unseen force colliding with one of the machines and sending it crashing down.

Hello, dearest. I do hope you're well, as well as you can be. We're long overdue a dinner where I stuff you full of food which actually has nutritional value. Perhaps you'll grant me the pleasure in the coming weeks. I'm supposed to be going on an excursion to Gillikin. Not home to Frottica, but rather, to Lake Chorge. There's a businessman there who needs to be charmed into financing our wonderful Wizard's latest project. Morrible is sending me to smile and bat my lashes in hopes of convincing him accordingly.

The Gale Force Officers cried out and aimed their guns to the sky. Elphaba curved in a circle to avoid the fire, ducking low on her broom. Her eyes swept over the construction site, over the infantry of officers dressed in deep emerald green and gold standing guard, over the remaining two machines carving up Quadling Country.

The project is, of course, the building of the Yellow Brick Road. Yes, the very same we were shown that day in the throne room. The very same road we picked the colour of. The Wizard has decided to turn all of his efforts towards the construction. The palace has been overrun with Gillikinese businessmen for the last week, each of them having their egos stroked expertly and their wallets loosen in the next breath.

In the wake of the grinding gears, another machine rolled through, this one laying bricks over the smoothened earth. Bricks the colour of sunflowers at dawn, stacked neatly and pressed into the fresh soil, packed together to create a road leading from from Quadling Country all the way to the Emerald Palace.

Elphaba and Glinda had aided in the creation of this road. They'd stood with him over his little miniature construct of the land of Oz and fiddled with the light switch, flipping between the colours. Glinda had chosen the colour of this road, her arms wrapped around one of Elphaba's, her voice soft and light in her ear as she said, "It just says road to me."

Construction has already began. That was announced today. The Wizard and Morrible have had a foot out in Qhoyre for a couple months, quietly digging their heel in and laying the foundation. They plan to start in Quadling Country because it's the least defendable. As you well know, the Quadlings have long felt the boot of the Emerald City on their necks. Unlike Vinkus and Munchkinland, there is no royal family or Eminent coming to their defence.

Elphaba's magic lassoed another machine and ripped it off the ground. The machine spun in the air, metal and gears groaning and creaking, screws and bolts flying loose. She threw her arm to the right and the machine soared, crashing into the third, the pair of them slamming backward at such a force that they dove into the already laid bricks, cracking the road into pieces.

There is no stopping the road from being built. No matter how much disruption you cause, no matter how many plans and schedules I send you, every brick will be placed, every brick you tear out will be relaid. I know you are going to try nonetheless. So, while you're tearing through the Gale Force and uprooting the Wizard's machines, there is something you can do, something which wouldn't make you feel as powerless. The railway doesn't go all the way into Qhoyre, which meant the Wizard couldn't get the machines far into Quadling Country. He needed another method of transport.

She spotted them then, barricaded in the infantry camp. Rhinos. Six Rhinos, two for each machine. Six Rhinos who had been forced to pull the machines from where the railway stopped, chained like carting mules to cargo. Elphaba's anger flared in her chest and her magic echoed her fury, fire catching along the doors and roofs of the Gale Force tents. Her magic sparked through the camp, destroying weapon supplies and personal cargo, wrapping around the bars keeping the Rhinos restrained and tearing it straight out of the earth.

I'm sorry you can't do more, Elphie. But, you can save the Rhinos.

Elphaba cleared a path for them, using her magic to fling the Gale Force officers aside. The Rhinos helped, rushing forward with their horns ready and pointed, brute strength knocking the guards away. They ran through the camp, Elphaba following from above, keeping her eye trained for any surprises. The infantry was scattered, distracted by the fire destroying the camp and the destroyed pieces of the Wizard's machinery.

You can get them out, get them to safety.

The Rhinos ground their feet into the cracked bricks as they ran, disappearing into the mangroves and the swampland. Elphaba would find them, would direct them to the Grasslands before she returned to her hideout. However, before she turned to go after them, she swept her broom around, and shot both hands out, palms forward. She waved her hands in the air, chanting steadily, louder with every word. Her magic thrummed, sung with the harmony of an old god.

Every brick which was placed crumbled into dust, every gear of every machine melting.

With production firmly halted, Elphaba flew into the sky.

-<—>-

The heat in Munchkinland was sweltering. Glinda fluttered her fan as the carriage rumbled through the streets, regarding her choice of dress for the day. The various layers were not helping her situation. She could already feel the sweat beading along her temples, gathering along the back of her neck. Summer was well and truly upon this region of Oz.

Alongside the carriage, a small number of Gale Force Officers trotted on horses, their uniforms just as unforgiving as Glinda's dress. Though she didn't feel bad for them in the slightest. With her growing popularity, the Wizard had deemed it necessary for Glinda have a small escort of guards to accompany her around on her duties, especially when those duties took her out of the borders of the Emerald City.

"To keep you safe, dearie," Madame Morrible had said. "We don't want the Wicked Witch to cause you harm, now do we?"

Glinda had to restrain herself from laughing in her face. The idea alone was more than preposterous. Really, if Glinda had less control over herself she might have let out an undignified sound and double over with a serious case of giggles. But, it was a remainder that the Wizard and Morrible didn't view her as anything more than the silly, little girl Elphaba had brought to the city, clinging to her arm like a stowaway. She was the furthest thing from a threat in their eyes.

So, she'd nodded and thanked them graciously for thinking of her safety. The small escort was a challenge but, she'd been too busy over the last couple months to see Elphie face to face. Morrible had sent her, and Fiyero by extension, on a tour of major Ozian provinces, starting in Vinkus and ending in Munchkinland.

She'd been sent to twirl in her gorgeous gowns and flash her white teeth; to sing the praises of the Wizard and condemn the actions of the Wicked Witch of the West; to hold Fiyero's shoulder and let him spin her around ballrooms while their audience cooed and awed over Oz's new favourite couple. She was the distraction the palace dangled in front of the masses to keep their eyes away from Elphaba's insurrections.

"We're here, Miss Glinda," her carriage driver informed, pulling the horses to a stop.

One of her guards opened the door and offered his hand, helping her down the steps.

In front of her, behind a gilded gate and a sprawling forecourt free of grass, was Colwen Grounds, the seat of the Eminent Thropp of Munchkinland. And, waiting for Glinda on the other side, sitting primly with her hands folded in her lap as eyes keenly watched the guards open the gate, was Nessarose.

"Glinda," Nessarose greeted with a dip of her chin.

"Nessie." Glinda smiled, stepping forward, leaning down to hug her and press a polite kiss to her cheek.

"Quite the entourage you have," Nessa observed, looking between her and the guards. "Do they need anything?"

Glinda waved dismissively. The guards would be fine. They would deal with themselves. She didn't particularly care what they did while she shared lunch with Nessa.

She gestured towards the manor, its balcony lined with topiary saints in terra-cotta pots right above the massive front door. It was an architectural marvel, this historic seat of political power in Munchkinland. She'd visited a couple other Eminents while on her tour but, none of them lived in a house as grand as Colwen Grounds.

Nessa turned her wheelchair and started forward, Glinda falling into step beside her. They hadn't seen each other in over a year, not since those early weeks when Glinda first moved into her wing of the palace. She'd heard about the heart attack Frexsparr had suffered and, while Glinda despised the man for how he treated his elder daughter, he was still Nessa's father and she'd wanted to share her condolences.

Since then however, they'd both been absurdly busy, only having the time to send letters back and forth, Glinda with all her appointments across Oz and Nessa with taking care of Munchkinland while also taking care of her great-grandfather. Peerless was still clinging to life, not allowing the Eminency to pass until he finally took his last breath, but he hadn't been in any shape to truly govern the region in many months. Hence, it fell to Nessa.

"I do hope I'm not inconveniencing you too much," Glinda said as they glided through the foyer, deeper into the manor until they arrived in a dining room. The table was set for three, food platters covered and awaiting their arrival. A house servant rushed forward and quickly removed the third place setting.

"Nonsense. I always have time for a friend," Nessa said, wheeling herself into place. "I do regret not getting to see Fiyero though."

"Ah yes, he sends his love." Glinda took the seat to her right, unfurling the cloth napkin over her lap with a slight flourish. "And he wishes you well."

Fiyero was supposed to accompany her once their duties in Wend Hardings was wrapped up, but during their last night, he'd received reports of sightings of Elphaba along the outskirts of the Great Gillikin Forest. He'd left almost immediately, without a second thought or a second glance, whirring Feldspar into action and taking off with his small band of officers.

Glinda sometimes wondered if he believed he was subtle. Maybe to the rest of the world he was, but to her, she who knew better than anyone else what it was like to be infatuated with Elphaba Thropp, he couldn't have been clearer than water.

"And how are you two?" Nessarose asked. "I know what the Gazette pages are saying but, really, how are things?"

"Oh," Glinda hummed, knowing full well she couldn't say well, we're both nursing a not so insignificant crush on your older sister and quite frankly, we should have cut our losses a long time ago but we didn't so, now he's chasing her across Oz and I'm helping her orchestrate a government take down."We couldn't be happier."

The house servants removed the covers from the food dishes, revealing roasted butter potatoes, steamed vegetables and slices of baked turkey. The delicious smell wafted through the air as Glinda served herself a polite but generous amount, thanking the servant who poured her a glass of chilled wine.

Conversation meandered, flitting between random, non-important topics. The weather and recalled memories from their childhood, the new book Nessa was reading, the latest show Glinda saw in the city, the new clothes boutique in the town proper of Nest Hardings. Neither of them mentioned Boq, who was somewhere in the manor and surprisingly leaving them well enough alone. Glinda was shocked that he wasn't lingering outside the dining room.

Eventually, unsurprisingly, their thoughts circled around to the giant, green elephant sitting in the corner of the room.

"Has Fiyero had any luck with finding her?" Nessa was trying to sound nonchalant, but Glinda could hear the sharp edge to her voice.

"No," she said. This, at least, was not a lie. "Wherever she is, she's hidden."

Nessa didn't speak for a moment.

"Are you worried for her?" Glinda asked gently.

Nessa scoffed out a bitter laugh. "Worried? Was she worried for me when she stole the Grimmerie? Was she worried for you when she left you in the city?" She took a sip of her water. "Frankly, I hope he doesn't find her. I might light her on fire if I see her again."

Glinda winced. There was pain bleeding from those words, deep-seeded pain. Nessa had never lived her life without Elphaba around, a constant shadow at her back, watching over her whether she wanted to or not.

"Do you worry for her?" Nessa parroted.

"Of course." Another truth. "I worry for her every second."

Nessa exhaled through her nose. She shook her head, eyes drifting to look out the windows at the gardens of Colwen Grounds. When her gaze returned to Glinda, she wasn't fast enough to hide the anguished sheen inside, fury and terror sharpening the edges.

"I hear things with the road aren't going as planned," Nessa commented, almost offhandedly, as though Elphaba's successful attack in Qhoyre was a piece of random gossip and not news which had been battered out of the papers and buried six feet under,

Glinda quirked an eyebrow. "Where did you hear that?"

"Does it matter?" Nessarose said. "More interestingly, the Wizard has written to me."

To the unassuming eye, it would appear as though nothing happened. But Glinda froze in her seat, her entire body locking together as if the blood in her veins had been replaced with iced water. The Wizard? What could the Wizard possibly be writing to Nessa about? Why didn't she know Nessa was being contacted?

Sweet Oz, she hadn't been in the Emerald City in just a handful of months and already, things were falling out of her view.

"Oh?" Glinda sipped from her wine glass, playing the part of the curious courtier without trying to appear desperate, even though that was exactly what she was.

"There's a delegation coming in a couple weeks," Nessa said. "To open talks about construction of the road. Unlike Quadling Country, the palace has to contend with the local government before they start ripping up the ground in Munchkinland."

Glinda knew that; it was part of the reason for her Ozian tour. Vinkus had been swayed by the delight of her and Fiyero. Gillikin was investing in the road so, they hadn't needed much convincing. There hadn't been opposition from the few Eminents Glinda had met with previously but, the Eminent Thropp was the highest ranked Munchkinland official. Even if the others agreed, Colwen Grounds had the final say.

"And where does Munchkinland stand on the matter of the Yellow Brick Road?" Glinda asked.

"That depends entirely on what the palace is willing to offer," Nessa replied.

Glinda's head spun with the possibilities, with the things the Wizard and Morrible would possibly toss at the Eminent's feet in exchange for the road's construction. Tax breaks and trade deals and all manner of leeway so they're free to do as they please. They would butter her up like a fresh loaf of bread.

And they might sway her already wavering loyalty away from her sister, loyalty which Glinda and Elphaba needed to keep if their end goal was to de-legitimize the current head of state and his weather wielding sorceress adviser. They needed the Eminence of Munchkinland with them, and not with the Wizard and Morrible.

Their lunch wrapped up without any fanfare. The servants cleared their plates from the table and Glinda got to her feet, following Nessa down the same hallways back to the front door. Mercifully, she still hadn't run into Boq.

"Take care, Nessie," Glinda said, hugging her.

Nessa patted her back. "Safe travels, Glinda."

She wheeled herself around and disappeared back into the manor. Glinda didn't move for a second, standing there and processing all which she learned over the course of that enlightening meal.

"To the station, Miss Glinda?" her carriage driver asked once she finally walked out the gates, her guards readying themselves on their horses on either side.

"Yes," Glinda replied, her mind churning. Elphie. She needed to talk to Elphie. Now. But she couldn't do that in the city, not safely. Luckily, there remained one place in Oz where the guards were not permitted to hover over her every little move. They were more than welcome to try, though they would meet the business end of her father's hunting rifle. "But, we're not going to the city. I think I shall pay my parents a visit."

-<—>-

"You need to speak with Nessa," Glinda said as soon as Elphaba had a foot inside the window, getting straight to the point. They didn't have a clocktick to waste with regard to this matter. They needed to get ahead of this, before the Wizard's efforts to court Colwen Grounds succeeded.

Elphaba, now fully in the bedroom, blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"You need to speak with Nessarose," Glinda repeated, dropping to sit on the bench of her vanity. She crossed one leg over the other, smoothened the fall of her skirts and laced her hands together, all prim and proper like the young lady she was raised as.

"I heard you the first time, my sweet," Elphaba said, dismantling the image splashed across newspapers and posters, dropping the hat, cape and coat on a corner of Glinda's childhood bed, leaning the broom next to the window. Those posters never did do her justice, far more concerned with warping her appearance than appreciating it. "But, I've yet to hear a reason."

Glinda inhaled through her nose, rubbing that little space between her eyebrows. For someone so ridiculously brilliant, the most obvious things really did go right over Elphaba's head. Honestly, how would she have been approaching this whole thing without Glinda? Flying half blind and half cocked and right off the handle into everything she'd wager.

"We need Munchkinland, Elphie," Glinda said. "We need Munchkinland on our side because when push comes to shove—" and Lurline knew it would come to shove; Elphaba didn't do a single thing subtly and the Wizard and Morrible wouldn't go without a fight— "we need the leaders of Oz with us. Vinkus will fall behind Fiyero. Gillikin wouldn't care as long as they're making money. Quadling Country will be happy with a leader who doesn't exploit them. And Munchkinland…" Glinda trailed off.

Munchkinland was the key. The vast majority of crops was grown in Munchkinland. The region fed every other region in Oz and hosted many prominent Gillikinese businesses, producing a great deal of trade and food commerce. It was a hub of power concentrated in flowering meadows and crop fields, lining the pockets of noblemen and the bellies of the people. Without Munchkinland, this whole thing would fall apart.

However, to get Munchkinland, Glinda had to first get those two stubborn as mules sisters in the same room to talk about their Oz-forsaken feelings.

That task seemed harder than the governmental coup she had spent the last year and change plotting.

"Do you think Nessa would side with the Wizard just to spite me?" Elphaba asked.

I might light her on fire if I see her again.

Well. Glinda can't say the thought didn't occur to her, but she wasn't going to tell Elphie that.

"I think she's hurt," Glinda told her, thinking of the girl who greeted her at the gates of Colwen Grounds, who'd been angry and terrified when she'd finally brought her sister up during their conversation, who'd asked if Glinda worried for her, as though if she heard it from someone else, she would allow herself to do the same. "And I think, despite what she may say, she misses you."

Elphaba lowered herself to sit on the edge of Glinda's bed, holding her head in her hands, fingers tangled in the fall of her dark hair. She suddenly looked her age, a young woman barely into her twenties, holding onto far more than anyone should reasonably have to carry.

Glinda crossed over to sit next to her. She wrapped her arms around one of Elphaba's, leaning her chin on Elphie's shoulder. She used to do this back at Shiz sometimes, when Elphie got too engrossed in her books and stopped paying her attention. Glinda mostly did it to annoy her but, truthfully, she had just wanted to be close. Even if they weren't talking, Glinda had just wanted to be near her.

"Do you want me there with you?" Glinda asked with a quiet voice. She wasn't sure how she would make that work, what she would spin to Morrible to go back to Nest Hardings. It's not as though Glinda could ask to lead the negotiations between the Eminent and the palace. That wasn't her job, but she'd figure it out if Elphie wanted her there, wanted her nearby.

"I always want you with me," Elphie said, covering her hand with one of her own, the callouses on her fingers rough against Glinda's soft, smooth skin. "I'd relinquish the magic to have you with me."

Glinda turned scarlet, hiding her face in Elphaba's shoulder. "Scoundrel."

Elphaba chuckled, low and rich, like dark chocolate melting on your tongue. She leaned her cheek against the crown of Glinda's head, sharing the quiet which had settled over them. For a prolonged clocktick, neither of them spoke. Glinda's eyes fluttered close and there was a non-zero chance of her falling asleep just like this, sitting on the edge of the bed with her arms wound around Elphie's.

"I just realized I've never been here," Elphie said, waving her hand at the room.

Glinda turned, just enough to look around them, cheek pressed along Elphaba's bicep. Her eyes cast about the space. This was her room — her childhood room, the room of Galinda Upland, before Shiz, before Elphie, before everything. The pale pink walls; the closet packed with all manner of skirts and dresses, filled with ruffles and frills and whalebone corsets; the vanity topped with her powders and perfumes. It was a time capsule to the person Glinda used to be.

"I think you would have liked Froticca," Glinda said quietly, living in memories which never happened. Dragging Elphie around the markets, through dress boutiques and cafés, taking her riding through the estate, to the theatre in Settica her parents had standing seats at, to every bookshop she could find. Bringing her back to the manor and curling up next to her in this bed, whispering about all the things they did, whispering about all the things they would do the next day.

There was so much life which had been denied from them, so much experiences which slipped right through their fingers the second Morrible set her eyes on Elphaba on Shiz grounds.

"One day," Elphie said, dropping a gentle kiss to the crown of Glinda's head.

The unspoken promise in those two words whirled through the air in the room.

One day you'll show me.

-<—>-

There was something different about Colwen Grounds at night. The stately house loomed larger than life, casting long shadows over the forecourt, the topiary well kept where they stood in pots along the balcony. The lights inside were on, an amber glow emanating around the edges of the drawn curtains. The air was still, quiet, entirely unprepared for the hours ahead.

Elphaba hovered on her broom, just, looking.

She had not spent an egregious amount of time here. She may be Munchkinlander by blood and Third Thropp Descending in title but, this was not the home of her youth. Frex had ensured that, when he dragged the entire family through the swamp mashes of Quadling Country, preaching the word of the Unnamed God to anyone who would listen to him. Elphaba's childhood was defined by heat and still, muddy water and mosquitoes biting the skin of her arms, by the choirs of cloisters where she'd been asked (told) to perform.

They'd returned to Munchkinland right before Elphaba turned sixteen. Peerless had sent for them, claimed his heir should be living in Colwen Grounds, should be learning the layout of the land she would one day govern, cultivating relationships with the locals and rubbing elbows with officials. It had been more a demand than a request and Frex, unable to say no to the Eminence of the East, had packed them up and brought them home.

Shiz hadn't been in the cards either. It was supposed to be one trip, just to see Nessa off, just to wish her well. Elphaba had a small army of rotating tutors waiting for her at Colwen Grounds, scholars handpicked and handsomely funded by Peerless to teach her history and politics, literature and life sciences. Shiz was not part of the plan.

But then she lost control and Morrible was sweeping in and Glinda —

She'd thoroughly derailed from the life path which was laid out before her, whether by fate or choice or some unknown, mysterious power of the universe.

Elphaba directed the broom along the side of the manor, towards the back gardens. She dropped to the ground in the middle of neatly trimmed hedges and blooming night flowers, cape snapping behind her, boots sinking into soft grass.

She eyed the backdoor hesitantly. Was this really necessary? Surely, Glinda could be mistaken. Maybe she didn't need to do this. They could toss the Wizard off his throne and deal with Morrible and then figure out what to about Munchkinland. Would the Eminent really say no if the rest of Oz rallied behind them?

"Hell and Oz," Elphaba cursed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She was thinking herself in circles.

Taking a deep breath, Elphaba walked forward, shoulders tight and tense, as though she were marching into war and not a conversation with her little sister. She grabbed the door handle and gave it a quiet twist, slipping inside without a sound.

The hallways were all sleek, neutral, dark woods, matching the cream walls and the brass lighting fixtures. Colwen Grounds wasn't built to intimidate. It was built to feel like a cozy trap, with it's wide window arches to let in the natural lighting during the day and harmless furniture tastefully arranged in various parlours and rooms.

Elphaba followed the sounds of rustling paper, the soft clink of a quill in an ink-pot, the scratch of wheels against the wood. She passed by the kitchens and the informal dining room, passed the parlour for entertaining guests, until she arrived at the downstairs office which had once functioned as her private study.

The door was cracked open, mindless noise filtering out. Elphaba nudged it wide and filled in the doorway, the shadow of her hat like a ghoul as it stretched over the floor.

Nessarose looked up from the documents she was shuffling through and locked eyes with her. She blinked, surprise briefly flashing across her face before it was wrestled away, replaced with cool indifference.

"If you're here for Father's funeral, you're more than a year late." Nessa's voice was clipped.

Elphaba winced, hand flexing along the length of the broom. "Hello, Nessie."

"Or are you here to abdicate officially?" Nessa asked, barrelling pass the greeting. "Or to exercise your immunity rights? The Gale Force can't well drag you out of Colwen Grounds, now can they?"

Elphaba exhaled through her nose. So. This was going to be exceedingly difficult then. She wasn't shocked, but she did hope that this one single thing in her life could have been a little bit easy. Gods, what did Elphaba need to do to be allowed a break? Conform?

"Neither — Or well," Elphaba paused, considering, "we can discuss the abdication. But, no that's not why I'm here—"

"So you need something then?" Nessa assumed. "I'm sorry Elphaba, but I can't harbour a fugitive."

"Nessa." Elphaba sighed. Oz give me strength. "Will you let me speak?"

"Why should I?" Nessa snapped. "Why should I let you do anything? Do you really think you're allowed to waltz in here after a year and make demands? You left me!"

"I thought I was protecting you," Elphaba said. "I thought you'd be safer if I wasn't around. Nessa, this would have been the first place they looked. What would have happened to you if I was here?"

"Great-Grandfather would have stopped them before they could take you to Southstairs," Nessa said.

"Maybe," Elphaba conceded. "Or maybe not. Who's to say what would have happened? I couldn't take that chance."

Her sister gulped. She ripped her eyes away and looked down at her lap, shoulders heaving with uneven breaths, her hands shaking where they rest on the top of the desk.

Elphaba leaned her broom against the wall and walked over, rounding the corner of the table. She knelt down at Nessa's side, wrapping her hands around the armrest of the wheelchair.

"You're flying around saving the rest of Oz," Nessa whispered. "But you left me alone to help everyone else."

Elphaba's heart squeezed.

"You don't need saving, Nessie," she said gently, reaching up to wrap an arm around Nessa's back, resting her forehead on her shoulder. "And you don't need anyone's help."

Nessa dropped her head against Elphaba's, her hand on her shoulder. "I missed you."

Elphaba swallowed a hundred apologies. No apologising would take back the last twenty months. Instead, she hugged her sister tighter and said, "I missed you too."

Nessa pulled back with a sniffle, wiping under her eyes with the back of her hand. She levelled Elphaba with a look. "Now, tell me. What do you need?"

"Who said I needed something?" Elphaba tried to look innocent. Maybe she could get out of here. Maybe this little heart to heart was enough and would save them all the trouble in the future.

Nessa was not impressed. She raised an eyebrow, her expression deadpan.

Elphaba scratched the back of her neck. She cleared her throat. "The Wizard's contacted you to discuss the road, hasn't he?"

Nessa's eyebrows furrowed. "Yes? But how do you know that? The only person I told was —" Her face went slack, her jaw dropping slightly. She couldn't hide the surprise this time. "Glinda!"

Elphaba shushed her, even though the house was empty at this time of night. It was just them and their great-grandfather upstairs in his room, but still. It was better safe than sorry. Glinda's well-being depended on her not being found out. The last thing Elphaba needed to add to her plate was a prison break in Southstairs.

"You never could stay away from her," Nessa said.

Elphaba turned a deeper shade of green. She didn't appreciate when someone pointed that out to her. Nessa had spent too many hours at Shiz teasing Elphaba about it.

"I did wonder about some of your attacks," her sister mused. "Far too organized."

"Are you saying I'm not coordinated?"

"Fabala." Nessa sighed exasperatedly. "If Glinda is to be believed, you jumped from a tower without knowing for certain if that broom would fly."

Elphaba's eyes widened with a touch of shock. "You know what really happened?"

"Of course." Nessa sounded offended that she ever believed otherwise. "Glinda told me. She cried her eyes out and said she was sorry she couldn't stop you. I told her she was wasting her tears. Nothing in Oz would have stopped you."

Guilt churned inside Elphaba's chest, a burning, searing guilt, at how she'd hurt them when she leapt into the sky and flown west. She'd done it to keep them safe, to keep them within the good graces of the Wizard, so the palace wouldn't have a reason to condemn them both beside her.

Yet, Glinda was writing to her and plotting from right under their noses and Elphaba was standing in Colwen Grounds, talking to her sister. All of her intentions, her promises to herself not to bring anyone else into this fight, all firmly thrown out the window.

"Do you want me to keep the road out of Munchkinland? Is that it?" Nessa inquired.

"No," Elphaba said immediately.

The road was coming here one way or another, either through diplomatic talks or brute force. No, Elphaba's concern wasn't the road. She'll swoop in when word of forced Animal labour reached her but, destroying the road was a useless goal. Already, the damage she'd done in Quadling Country was being rectified, every brick relaid, just as Glinda had told her it would. The road wasn't a fight Elphaba could win.

"I just need your support," Elphaba said. "I need to know you'll stand with me, when the time comes."

Nessa gave her a curious look. "What are you and Glinda planning?"

Revolution. A coup. A government take down. The removal of the Wizard from his throne. The removal of Morrible from her office. The freedom of the Animals. The equal rights of all Ozians.

"A better future," she summarized. "So? What do you say, Nessie?"

Nessa didn't say anything for a clocktick. But, then, she smiled and lifted her chin. "Munchkinland will stand with you."

-<—>-

Glinda was sitting at her vanity, running a brush through her hair. It had been a long, long, too long day. A brunch, followed by a luncheon, followed by a dinner, all of which she had spoken at, sugary words of charm and goodness which drew laughs and smiles from her audience. A photo op had been stuffed into her schedule as well, her assistants lacing her into a dress of pale tulle so soft it might as well have been a cloud.

Frankly, she was looking forward to crawling into her bed. She had to be up early in the morning to receive Fiyero at the palace entrance, some piece of superficial performance Morrible had cooked up after she had returned from her Ozian tour without him. Now, Glinda was expected to greet him every time he returned, to smile as he swept her off the floor into a twirl, while the citizens of the Emerald City awed over their shared happiness as though it was their own.

She put her brush down and stood, walking over to draw back the covers from the bed, slipping under the blankets. She pulled them up and over, settling into her pillows, turning on her side and tucking one hand under her head, the other resting loosely over the empty space on her left.

If Glinda focused, she could almost be back in the train cart, sharing a too small bed with Elphie on their way to the city. If she focused, Elphaba was lying next to her, whispering about the different sights in the city. If she focused, she could fall asleep to the sounds of her memories.

A loud crash on her balcony interrupted her drifting thoughts.

Glinda jumped, shooting up in bed. "Oz!"

She swung out of bed, grabbing her training wand from where it was tossed mindlessly across a chest of drawers. It didn't help her wield magic but it would surely be good enough to whack someone with. Clutching it like a baton, Glinda cautiously approached the balcony doors. The smart thing to do would be sending for the guards but, she didn't want to risk calling them for nothing.

Of course, nothing had another name, starting with E and ending in A.

Glinda drew the curtains back and unlatched the door, stepping outside. There, in the corner, struggling to stand, using the broom not as a staff of magic but rather as a walking cane, was Elphaba.

The training wand clattered to the ground as Glinda rushed to her side, exclaiming, "Elphie!"

She ducked under her arm, pulling it tight across her shoulders. Elphaba groaned, almost falling entirely into her, almost taking them both down to the floor. Glinda braced her with a hand against her side, eyes widening in horror when her skin came into contact with something warm and sticky. She pulled back and looked down at her palm, gasping at the sight of wet, red blood.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Elphaba mumbled, slumping against her.

Glinda grunted with effort. Oz, Elphaba was all muscle, all lean limbs and strong shoulders and right now, she wasn't holding up the majority of her own weight, resting most of it on Glinda's slimmer frame. She did her best to manoeuvre them into her apartments, pulling Elphaba's cape free and letting it fall to the ground behind them, the hat following, the broom landing with a soft thud.

Glinda carefully helped Elphaba onto the bed, pushing the coat off her shoulders before she could recline. It joined the rest of things on the floor. Glinda didn't give any of it a second glance, too busy grasping the hem of Elphaba's tunic and tugging it upward.

Her face turned paper white at the sight of the gashes on Elphaba's stomach. There were three of them, varying in width and length, splitting her green skin open. The blood pooled, red rivulets streaming down her sides and decorating Glinda's bedsheets.

"What happened?" Glinda asked, grabbing the closest thing she could find, a silk dressing robe, and pressing it over the wound to staunch the bleeding.

Elphaba hissed upon contact, her torso tensing. "The Gale Force. A rescue mission which escalated. I'd freed some animals and a mother Wolf got separated from her Pup. The officers had him. I took a few spears trying to get him back because I couldn't use magic since the Pup was in the line of fire."

"This was in Munchkinland?" Glinda used an edge of the robe and wiped some of the blood away. Water. She needed to get water and something to wrap the wound. There should be some bandages in her bathroom.

Elphaba nodded, looking towards her. Her eyes dropped from her face onto her clothes. Her eyebrows rose, disbelief lighting up inside them. "Is that my shirt?"

Glinda blushed. She grabbed Elphaba's hands and placed them on the robe. "Hold it."

"You're avoiding the question."

Yes, it was her shirt. It was the pale blue one, a part of Shiz's uniform. Glinda had it stashed away with the rest of Elphaba's things though, she kept this one on hand, often sleeping in it. It had lost Elphaba's smell a long time ago but it was still hers, still fit Glinda differently, still allowed Glinda to keep some piece of Elphaba with her always. She also had a black wool sweater of Elphaba's nearby, draped over the back of her desk chair.

She wasn't going to tell Elphie any of that. Honestly, her lack of an answer was answer enough. The shirt wasn't big enough to be Fiyero's, nor was it small enough to be Glinda's. Elphie was a smart girl. She would figure it out.

Glinda walked into the main area of her apartments, moving into the kitchenette. She had no use for a full kitchen, considering her meals were prepared by the palace staff and usually taken with Fiyero in a private dining room when he was here. Otherwise, a servant would bring it to her and set up her little dining table, unless Morrible requested her presence for anything.

The kitchenette served as a tea station more than anything else, with sparse appliances and a very small stove and sink. Glinda opened one of the cupboards and grabbed a ceramic bowl, filling it with water. She didn't have any gauze but she had soft towels in her bathroom.

Elphaba hadn't moved too much. She was propped up more comfortably on the pillows, head reclined back against the headboard. When she heard movement, she looked to Glinda, eyes giving her a once over, from the open collar of the shirt, all the way down Glinda's bare legs. The air smouldered and Glinda was not entirely certain it wasn't a product of Elphaba's magic.

Elphie's magic was always responsive to her emotions. It was her greatest tell. A shattered window out of frustration. Levitating objects when she was excited or upset. Slamming doors when she was angry.

Glinda deposited the bowl on the nightstand, stepping into the bathroom for the towels, locating the bandages as well before returning to stand at Elphaba's side. She dipped one towel into the water, dampening it. She pulled the robe from Elphaba's stomach and started to wipe the blood away.

"Careful," Elphaba muttered. "Didn't you hear? Water melts me."

Glinda snorted, the sound entirely undignified and improper. "Yes, dearest. I'm aware."

"How did you come up with that?" she asked, hissing when the towel caught on the wound.

Glinda whispered apologies, dipping the cloth back in the water, continuing to clean. "It's just foolish enough to be believable."

"Until someone tosses a bucket of water on me," Elphaba said.

"Better water than a spear," Glinda grumbled, pressing the edge of the cut for good measure.

Elphaba groaned, squirming away, shoving at her hand. "Okay! Okay! You've made your point."

Glinda cleaned the blood away, dabbing at the corners of the wound with gentle hands. Once the blood was gone, the gashes didn't appear as bad. Elphaba's original assessment might have been true. The cuts were still red and angry, and would certainly scar but they didn't appear to need stitches. Which — thank the gods. Glinda didn't know how to do stitches.

She tossed the towels aside, reaching for the roll of bandages. She gestured for Elphaba to lean forward, to give her the space to run the bandages around her back.

Elphaba released a sound of protest as she did so, leaning off the pillows and sitting up as straight as she possibly could to allow Glinda the room she needed.

Glinda stretched her arms around Elphaba's body, trying to focus on the task at hand and not on the proximity, on the heat emanating from Elphaba. Hot. She'd always run so hot. Glinda remembered curling up next to her in her bed back at Crage Hall, remembered the way she felt like a furnace. Her knuckles brushed over the bare skin of Elphaba's back and Elphaba inhaled sharply. Glinda shoved the sound out of her mind, covering up the wound and securing the bandage.

They were still close when she was done, close enough that Glinda could count every individual eyelash, could feel Elphaba's breath on her skin. Glinda's hand dropped onto Elphaba's shoulder, thumb stroking up the skin of her neck, nail scratching just under her jaw.

Elphaba made a noise like a purr, like a hum, tilting into the gentle touch.

"You need to be more careful," Glinda whispered.

"I'm alright," Elphaba said.

"If that spear was any higher, Elphie, you wouldn't be." And that was a fear Glinda lived with, every single day, every single second. That there would come a moment when the Gale Force didn't miss their mark, that Elphaba would pick a fight she couldn't fly away from, that she would fall from the sky and Glinda would be forced to endure celebrations of her death. Glinda would be forced to partake in them, to smile prettily and cheer while Oz rejoiced.

"My sweet," Elphaba murmured, covering Glinda's hand with her own. "Nothing's going to happen to me. I promise. I swear it."

"You can't gainsay death, Elphaba," Glinda said. "All the magic in Oz couldn't bend the will of death."

"I don't need to." Elphaba pushed herself to stand, hands wrapping around Glinda's arms. She dipped her chin to meet her eyes, held her gaze steadily. "I just need you to trust me."

Elphaba brought her into her space, wrapped her arms around her back. Glinda leaned her cheek on Elphie's shoulder, eyes fluttering close. She was mindful of how tightly she held her, doing her best to not disturb the bandage wrapping and the wounds.

Elphaba rested her forehead on Glinda's temple, her nose brushing the top of her ear, her voice sending goosebumps along her skin. "I'm not leaving you behind, my sweet."

All she could do was press deeper into her in response.

-<—>-

Glinda quietly slipped into her apartments, nudging the door closed without even a creak. Her heels were dangling from one hand, thrown aside the second she had the privacy of her own space. She leaned her back against the heavy wooden door and inhaled a deep breath as the events of today rushed through her like a crescendoing tsunami.

"What does it feel like, Captain Tigelaar? How does it feel to be engaged to our dear Good Witch?" Morrible's smug voice had announced, causing the crowd gathered in the palace courtyard to erupt into cheers.

Glinda hadn't been warned until minutes before. Fiyero hadn't been told until the very moment. Neither of them had been given the opportunity to object to the union. Morrible had shoved Glinda onto the stage as soon as the words had left her mouth, right next to Fiyero as he stood in his captain's uniform, draped in a sash and his ceremonial hat, golden epaulettes crowning his shoulders.

She looked down at her hand, at the silver ring now sitting on her finger, slipped there by Fiyero in front of the masses, his hand shaking with all shades of frustration and anger. He'd pulled it out of his jacket, no doubt placed there sometime earlier by Morrible's minions. The diamond was modest but still beautiful. It was the kind of ring Glinda should have liked.

Glinda pulled the Oz-damned thing off her hand and flung it across the room. It clinked against the tiled floors somewhere near the balcony door, the diamond reflecting the night lights of the city. If she'd had any kind of magic in her veins, she would have made it disintegrate. She sank down, knocking her head back on the door, arms winding around her knees.

"Yes, we couldn't be happier!" she'd sang into the microphone once Fiyero had run off, no longer able to stand there beside her. Her voice had gone a few octaves too high but no one noticed. Glinda was far too conditioned to perform for anyone to tell something was so very wrong. "I couldn't be happier!"

And yet, all that Glinda could think was Elphie, Elphie, Elphie was somewhere, Elphie was hearing this broadcast, Elphie was going to think—

A sob ripped out of her chest as she doubled over, forehead knocking onto her knee, her entire body trembling with an agonized cry. She didn't want this. Hell and Oz, she didn't want it. It didn't matter what she once told Elphaba in their room back in Crage Hall.

Fiyero was — a comfort, perhaps. Not a lover, no he hadn't been a lover for a long time now. He was a familiarity, even when he could barely stand to look at her with anything more than confused derision. He wasn't the person Glinda wanted to marry, wasn't the person Glinda wanted to annoy with wedding pageantry and cake tasting and seating charts.

Her chest heaved, her shoulders shook, tears staining the silk fabric of her dress. A guttural scream echoed through the room as the pain wrecked her body.

I'm sorry, Glinda thought, hoping her sheer force of will would send the message to Elphaba. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

-<—>-

Elphaba didn't really know what she was doing here. She was supposed to be in Munchkinland. Nessa had contacted her about a gathering of Gale Force Officers around Restwater. There was no proof of any seditious activity but, it was always better to run reconnaissance before writing off the actions of the Gale Force. An innocent looking encampment could be hiding any manner of dreaded secrets.

She'd promised her sister she would check it out, but, instead, she was in the Emerald City, in the Unionist chapel in Saint Glinda's Square.

She couldn't begin to explain her reasoning for being here. Elphaba wasn't religious. In fact, she scorned the very idea of religion. It was likely due to Frex and all his missionary work. Elphaba had seen the ugliness of religion up close most of her childhood. She had no desire to get on her knees and beg forgiveness from some unknown higher power.

Yet, here she was, on her knees before the altar of Glinda's namesake.

The ikon of the Saint wasn't particularly well-kept. There were stains along the robes and the statue was tilted, leaning to the right. The metal had darkened with age. It had probably stood there for centuries, long before the Wizard swept in, since the time of the Ozmas.

Elphaba stretched a few fingers out, allowing the candles lining the altar to catch fire. The flames sparked, casting an orange-yellow glow over the statue's robes. The ikon's face was lovely, a timeless sort of beauty preserved in finely crafted metal, not unlike Glinda herself.

Her jaw clenched, teeth grinding.

The news had echoed through her treehouse, from a cranky old radio which never worked half the Oz-damn time. But today? Today, it worked perfectly. Today, it made sure Elphaba could hear every single word loud and clear, with no room given for uncertainty.

"Good fortune to the Oz's happiest couple!" Morrible's voice had crooned.

The branches had nearly caught fire like kindling, Elphaba's mind spinning, her heart clawing at her throat.

Elphaba clasped her hands and bowed her forehead to them.

"Yes, there is much to be done! There is a wedding to plan!" Glinda had said, her voice airy and bright like a spring breeze. She almost sounded happy. She almost sounded like the teenage girl who had looked Elphaba in the eye after the Ozdust and confidently proclaimed, "Fiyero and I are getting married!"

Elphaba nearly brought the entire forest down around her, shaking with barely restrained magic, the pages of the Grimmerie fluttering frantically between all manner of spells to be cast, the glowing words calling to her, begging her to chant. Spells to turn the palace to ruin. Spells to dispose of the Wizard. Spells to steal Morrible's voice right out of her throat. Spells, spells and more spells.

She looked up at the ikon.

Glinda was getting married.

The flames flared to the shoulders of the statue.

Elphaba tore her eyes away and got to her feet. She was wasting her time here. No amount of praying was going to undo this, no amount of her anger and frustration was going to shove the words right back into Morrible's mouth.

She wound through the narrow halls of the chapel, heading for the back entrance she had slipped into. The sky was dark, the moon just past its peak, making it minutes after midnight. Elphaba had enough time to get to Munchkinland and check out Restwater.

She mounted her broom and hovered off the ground, steadily rising into the air. She angled the broom towards Munchkinland.

Then, she swung around and shot towards the Emerald Palace.

-<—>-

Hours later, Glinda was still on the floor when the knock came, brisk and sharp against the glass of her balcony door.

Her breath caught in her chest. She scrambled to her feet, almost falling over from how quickly she stood up. She all but threw herself across the room, hand slamming down on the handle and yanking the door open.

Elphaba was expressionless as she said, "Congratulations."

"Elphie," Glinda croaked, grabbing her hand, pulling her inside as she had so many times before. "Elphie, please—"

Elphaba looked down suddenly, lifting her boot. Beneath her foot was the engagement ring Glinda had thrown what now felt like a hundred years ago. She bent over and grasped it between two fingers, lifting it up between them.

In Elphaba's hand, Glinda appreciated it more. The cut of the diamond, the gleam of the silver band. In Elphaba's hand, it looked like something Glinda would treasure instead of despise.

"You got what you wanted," Elphaba said, turning the ring left and right, examining it like she was ready to melt it. She probably was. Glinda wouldn't stop her if she did.

"I don't want this!" Glinda exclaimed, clutching her arm. "Gods, Elphaba. How could I want this?"

"You did, once," Elphaba said simply.

Glinda turned away, pressing her hands to her face. She couldn't handle Elphaba like this, stoic and detached, as though she didn't care as to whether or not Glinda married someone else. It was a front, deep down, Glinda knew it was a front. It was Elphaba protecting herself.

But, she didn't need to protect herself from Glinda. She didn't need to hide her true feelings.

"It's a sham, Elphie," Glinda implored. "You know it's a sham. I don't want him. Oz, I don't think I ever wanted him. Not really. Not truly."

Perhaps she wanted to want him. That's what she was supposed to do, wasn't it? Chase the pretty prince, chase the titles and the money and the prestige which came with him. That's what she was supposed to do. That's how she was raised. Find the richest man with the highest title and convince him to marry her. If love bloomed in the middle of that, then good! She would have been lucky.

Glinda didn't know anything else. Not until Elphaba. Elphaba taught her what it meant to want outside the lines drawn for you, to dare for something different, something with the potential to be better.

It wasn't Fiyero's clothes Glinda was sleeping in. It wasn't Fiyero Glinda was risking her life for every time she wrote a letter and set it on fire. It wasn't Fiyero who Glinda dreamt of at night.

"Morrible sprung it on us," Glinda explained, still facing away. "The ring, the party, the announcement. It was planned. We didn't have time to say no."

She dug the heels of her palms into her eyes, trying to force the fresh round of tears away. Gods, she was going to have to use so much powder in the morning. Oz couldn't know their Good Witch had spent the entire night crying over her glorious engagement. That wouldn't look good and Lurline knew what Morrible would do.

Something terrible enough to make Glinda sick.

"Elphie, please." Her voice shattered into another cry, her throat already raw from screaming. "Please believe me. I don't want him. I don't. I promise, it's not him. It's never been him. Lurline, why would it be him when there's you? It's you, Elphie. I want you, it's always you, I love you—" Her knees buckled, but she didn't hit the floor.

The broom clattered as Elphaba lunged and caught her around the waist, pulling Glinda against her.

Glinda fell into her chest, hands twisted in the fabric of her tunic, crying hard enough to full the mythical oceans. She laid herself on Elphaba's heart, listening to the rapid thud thud thud as Elphaba wound an arm around her, using a hand to brush through the fall of her hair, to push the blonde curls out of her face.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please forgive me, Elphaba please—" Glinda cried.

"Breathe, my sweet," Elphaba said gently. She flattened Glinda's hands against her sternum, making her feel the steady rise and fall of her chest. "Breathe with me."

Her cries soften into quiet whimpers as she inhaled for a heart beat and exhaled for another, mirroring Elphaba's rhythm. They did that for a while, until Glinda could take a breath without stuttering into another round of tears.

"Do you believe me?" Glinda asked, her voice small and scratchy.

"I believe you," Elphaba whispered, rubbing circles over the small of her back. "I do. I just —" She cut herself off, turning to look out at the city for a second. "I don't know, Glinda. I know it's hard to do, well, this." She gestured between them with her chin. "And I thought — I don't know what I thought. Maybe that you deserved something easy, someone who could be here. Someone not being hunted by the state."

"I don't care that it's hard," Glinda said. She cradled Elphaba's face in her hands. "Do you hear me? I don't give a damn. It's you or nothing for me. Always."

"You're saying that now—" Elphaba protested.

A coldness washed over Glinda suddenly, causing her to drop her hands and step out of Elphaba's arms. "Is it me then? Is it me you don't want? Is that it?"

Glinda hadn't thought about that part of it. She had always just assumed — with the way Elphaba looked at her sometimes, the way she behaved, with how she brought her to the city and asked her to leave with her, with how she showed up for her birthday and took her for a ride on the broom, she had assumed the feelings were reciprocal. Had she been mistaken all these years? Had she looked like an idiot, longing for someone who didn't even care?

"No, what —" Elphaba lunged forward again, arms winding around Glinda's waist. "Don't be foolish. My sweet, of course it's you I want. Oz, Glinda, I know I could be dense but I'm not that dense."

Glinda's giggles at those words drew a smile to Elphaba's face. She slid her hands up Elphaba's arms and draped them over her shoulders. For a clocktick, they simply stood there, holding each other, breathing the same air, existing in the same room.

"I wish it was you." Glinda tipped forward to rest their foreheads together. "In a perfect world, it would have been our engagement being celebrated across Oz."

She could see it clear as day. The way the city would have commemorated them, the banners which would have unfurled from the buildings, the firework shows exploding in the skies. Her dress, white and extravagant, beaded subtly with emeralds. Elphaba's dress or robes or whatever she would have chosen to wear, understated but no less beautiful. The way the hall would have been draped in flowers and streamers, the horses of their carriage outfitted in finery.

There would have been parades and pageants and lunches and dinners. Elphaba would have hated every single second of it, claimed she had more important work to do as the Wizard's Grand Vizier. But, she would have stood there with Glinda's arm around hers and she would have watched Glinda more than she watched anything else, smiling long and suffering but so, so fond.

"I wish I could have given that future to you," Elphaba said. "I hate that I can't, that you have to stand here and take the cards the palace deals for you."

"You still can," Glinda said. "When the Wizard's gone, when we're free."

"Are you saying yes?"

"Are you proposing?"

Elphaba chuckled under her breath, the low sound settling somewhere in the base of Glinda's spine. The air turned, crackled, smouldered. That pulse rushing, head reeling, face flushing feeling returned in earnest. Elphaba nudged Glinda's nose with her own and Glinda felt her breath catch in her chest, lower than her chest. Her hands tightened on Elphaba's shoulders as her heart ticked up a notch or several, picking up a swarm of butterflies in her stomach along the way.

Glinda turned her head before Elphaba could close the distance, nose bumping against Elphaba's cheek. Gods, how she wanted this to happen, how she wanted to push up on her toes and kiss her senseless, kiss her sweetly and soundly and softly; kiss her hard and unapologetic and heavy.

But, that couldn't happen now. Not like this. Because it would only make Glinda selfish, and she couldn't be selfish with Elphaba's safety.

"Don't kiss me," Glinda whispered into the space between them, hands wound grippingly tight around the neck of Elphaba's cape. "If you kiss me, I'll beg you to stay. And you can't stay, and I can't go."

Elphaba exhaled a broken sound. She pressed her forehead to Glinda's, one hand fitting itself along the curve of her cheek, the other resting on her waist. It's a position foreign and familiar all at once. Elphie had never held her like this before. At least, not in this life.

"What if I waited until you fell asleep?" Elphaba asked softly.

Glinda laughed, the noise cracking halfway through and more tears escaping from the corners of her bloodshot eyes. "What a joy that would be, to wake up beside you."

Only in her dreams did Glinda wake up beside her. To the sun filtering through the curtains, rich and bright, painting the room in gold. Only in her dreams did Glinda know the weight of Elphaba's arm over her waist, steady and heavy with sleep, chest rising and falling in steady tandem, at peace, without the weight of the entire world on her shoulders.

But, this wasn't Glinda's dreams. This was their reality. And their reality wasn't safe right now.

"Glinda—"

"Don't," she said quietly, tipping her head back to look at Elphaba. She drank her in greedily. It would be months before they stole time for themselves, before they took a night from the gods and blanketed themselves in the secrecy of darkness. "Just — just come back to me. Keep coming back to me."

Elphaba made a noise deep in her throat, a strangled noise that was half a whine and half a shout, as though she was railing against all the forces and laws of the world which had forced them apart like this.

She wrapped her arms around Glinda for perhaps the hundredth time tonight, her hold secure and sure. Glinda sank into the warmth, into her steadiness, tucking her forehead into Elphaba's neck, nestling into her like she had no intention of ever coming out, as though if she got close enough, inside her skin, into her veins, into the cavities of her ribs, into her heart, if she got close enough, she'd never have to leave her again.

"I love you, my sweet," Elphie murmured against her temple, those three words like a balm for Glinda's anguish. She brushed a lingering kiss along the corner of her eye, lips soft and gentle on her skin. "Just hold out a little longer. Hold out for me."

Her arms dropped, biting cold replacing the heat of home. She was gone by the time Glinda opened her eyes, the only sign she was ever there at all the curtains billowing in the night breeze and the smell of forest and rain in the air.