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beetlegoose01 · 3 years

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Frostbite Chapter 5- Toxic

AN: Happy Friday y’all! Here’s a longer chapter to celebrate! It’s a little intense, but I hope you enjoy.

~~~

Morning came sooner than any of the turtles anticipated, but especially to Donnie who was running on three hours of sleep. He counted on snoozing for another twenty minutes before training, but luck wasn't on his side. Even before his own carefully crafted alarm clock robot beeped, a loud voice woke him.

"Donnie!" came Michaelangelo bounding in with the energy of a golden retriever puppy. He bounced on the crooked bed with a loud creak of movement.

He groaned, still half asleep and bleary. "I'm sleeping, Mikey."

His baby blue eyes sparkled with mischief, prepared to annoy his older brother with his charming, but obnoxious grin. "No you're not. If you were asleep, how could you be talking to me?" He poked Donnie's head playfully. "Duh. I missed you, bro." He lay flat on his back, taking up most of the space and nearly smacking Don in the face. "It was like peanut butter without the jelly. Batman without Robin. Raph without Chompy! Elphaba without Gali-"

Rolling over, Donnie sat up begrudgingly. "I get the point. But you saw me last night." He stated obviously. "Remember?"

He scrunched his nose thoughtfully. "That was forever ago! And you were all cooped up in your lab for most of the time. We never hang anymore. Like, doing fun stuff."

"I guess you're right about that." He shrugged. "Sorry, I promise we'll hang out again sometime. Maybe tonight?"

"Dude, that's gregarious!" He looked immensely proud that he used a big word, even if it was used incorrectly.

"Uh...close."

"We can have pizza, play video games, ooh! Have a monster movie marathon!" He exclaimed, listing each activity on his stubby fingers.

"That sounds great."

"Come on bro, I'm making everyone breakfast! So you better hurry before Raph hogs it all." Mikey leapt off the bed, springing into action. Most likely the kitchen.

It took a good five minutes for Donatello to physically move out of bed. He wasn't one for sleeping in, but he was never opposed to it either. Whereas Leo was always awake in the early morning and Mikey was chipper no matter what. And Raph...well, Raph was Raph.

The kitchen was bustling with energy, at least from Mikey's angle. He was cheerfully serving up omelettes on plates, carrying the ones he couldn't hold on top of his head with the balance of a ninja. Mikey had a talent for making even the fouled stench of the sewers comfortable and hospitable with only his charm and sweet demeanor. Not to mention his excellent cooking skills.

"Omelette au fromage made especially for Master Splinter." He said, passing the first plate to the wise rat. "Fromage means cheese in Spanish!" He explained. "Or...one of those languages."

"Thank you, Michaelangelo."

"Looks delicious, Mikey." April complimented, still residing in the lair. It was an hour or so before school, so she enjoyed having breakfast with the brothers. It felt as though she was part of their little family.

"Eh, don't forget me! I'm starved." Raph complained, eagerly stabbing his food with a fork as he dug in. Smiling softly, he cut up neat pieces for Chompy Picasso.

"Where is Leonardo?" Splinter glanced around the kitchen, noticing the blue masked turtle seemed to be missing.

"I thought he was mediating still." Raph said, puzzled.

"No, he wasn't." said Mikey. "I checked." He looked innocently at his brothers and April. "I made a plate of food for him and everything! Now it's gonna get cold." He looked down glumly.

"Maybe he's still asleep?" April suggested.

The three youngest turtles shook their heads in unison.

"Leo's always the first one awake. It's weird that he isn't here." Raph lifted Chompy onto his shoulder. "Not that I mind. I like the peace and quiet and lack of Space Heroes references to start my morning right."

"Donatello, perhaps you should check your brother's room?" Splinter suggested, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "It is possible he is still resting or feeling unwell."

"Hai Sensei."

April, sensing his apprehensiveness, stood up and rested her hand on his shoulder. "It'll be alright. I promise."

Feeling comforted by her warm tone, Donnie nodded firmly, and left the kitchen with high hopes that Leo was just snoozing longer than usual.

Something wasn't right. Donatello knew this, deep down, despite his optimism. His worry was growing the closer he moved to Leo's room, silently praying that everything would be alright. Raising a shaking hand, he opened the door.

He breathed a sigh of relief. There Leo lay in a deep slumber, even snoring lightly. It felt awful to simply wake him up, but he didn't really have a choice.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead." He murmured, patting him. "Training time."

Unexpectedly Leo retracted his head into his shell, snoring even louder. This was beyond unusual- heck, even out of character. Leo was always extremely punctual and neat, refusing to be late for any training session.

"Why are you so tired?" Donnie wondered aloud. "We went to bed at the same time..."

Leo yawned, sluggishly moving forward out of his shell and stretching. "M' awake." He blinked. "Were you talking to me?" The blank expression that he gave was enough to cause further anxiety.

"Yeah? We have training."

His eyes widened. "Training! Oh, sewer apples!" He stumbled out of bed clumsily. "I'm here, I'm-" He yawned again. "Awake."

Donnie frowned, trying to analyze why Leo was so exhausted. Sure, they went to bed fairly late, but they've gone to bed later before and Leo hadn't been nearly as tired as he was now. But he wasn't about to start an argument either.

"Right."

Training was...awkward to say the least. Leonardo, who was usually extremely precise and swift with his movements, was now sloppy and uncoordinated. Everyone seemed to notice, but no one made a comment until Mikey had successfully pinned his oldest brother to the ground after a Barai.

"Booyakasha!" Mikey cheered. "I did it!"

"Yeah, because Leo barely put any effort into it." Raph said smugly, holding Donnie in a headlock.

"Yame!" Splinter commanded.

Dropping Donnie casually, Raphael glanced at their sensei with a bored expression on his face.

April, looking uncomfortable, placed her tessen back in her bag. "Class starts soon. I should probably get to school." Turning to Splinter, she smiled. "Arigato, Sensei. See ya later guys."

Splinter nodded. "Excellent work, April."

Leo groaned, rubbing his back. Humiliated, he bowed miserably.

"Leonardo, I think it would be best for you to rest."

"Arigato Sensei." He replied gratefully.

Raph crossed his arms. "That was pathetic. Even for you." He sneered. "Sorry we can't have you leadin' without your little nap time. Should I tuck you in too?"

He glared. But he didn't seem to have the energy to argue.

Donnie watched him leave, a pensive look on his face.

~•~

April found herself trudging to school, regretting leaving the lair after remembering she had a math quiz that she forgot to study for. Funny how she'd rather be in the sewers over a classroom.

A long time ago she craved a normal life, but now she loathed it.

Though there wasn't much normality in crushing on both a deranged hockey player and a mutated turtle. With the Kraang, mutants still running rampage- her life was destined to be abnormal.

She placed her bags away in her locker, sighing loudly. The bell was about to ring, and she hadn't seen any sign of Casey. She had been hoping to chat with him at least a little bit.

"Hey April!" A pretty girl with afro puffs came towards her, beaming.

"Hi Summer," She breathed, tension breaking at the sight of her friend. Well...not really friends. But they were friendly, and that was good enough. "How was your weekend?"

"Fine." Summer said. "Very productive. The yearbook committee is in full swing!" Glancing at her quizzically, she giggled. "Are you okay? You seem a bit distracted."

"Hm? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Listen...have you seen Casey?"

Summer, who was fairly popular and seemed to know everyone at the school thought for a moment. "Casey Jones? Senior?" After April nodded, she shook her head. "Nope, I don't think so. Sorry, I know you two are close."

April felt herself blush. "It's complicated."

"Don't I know it. Come on, it's time for homeroom."

Her mind wandered throughout the day, wondering how she could possibly concentrate on physics, when the growing uneasy feeling in her stomach.

It was all going to be alright.

Convincing Donnie was one thing. But convincing herself? A totally different problem.

~•~

Instead of going to sleep as he was instructed, Leo found himself topside again. The sun was setting a beautiful peach orange color over the skyline of smoke. Teenagers roamed the streets, and he swore he caught April with a group of girls chatting animatedly about something. He smiled, happy she was having fun and some resemblance of a normal, mutant free life.

He felt like a lousy leader. Hell, a lousy brother. Sneaking out like a kid, over some girl? A gorgeous mutant girl...but still. Without even telling his own brothers, let alone father where he was going.

There was that annoying feeling. Guilt. But...he was making the right choice. By getting his siblings involved, it would only lead to trouble.

"Leonardo..." That sultry voice cooed from behind.

"Nova." He gasped, releasing his katanas back in their holders.

"Sorry I'm late, my darling. My sleep schedule has been quite difficult."

He cringed. "Don't call me that. But, it's okay."

She curled her muscular tail around his waist comfortably. "My apologies." She slithered beside him, golden eyes meeting his ocean blue ones. His heart rate increased.

Changing the subject, he smiled easily. "Have you reconsidered my offer?"

"I have. My hunger has been satisfied for now, but that won't last long."

"What have you been eating?" Leo looked at her wearily, afraid of the answer.

"Shh...that isn't important." Lifting his chin gently with her claws, he melted at the touch.

"If you say so." Leo hugged his knees, then grazed her gnarled scales, admiring their shimmering form. Her claws brushed against him casually and he winced.

"Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's...okay. It didn't hurt. I promise." They were faint. Surely no one would notice.

Relaxing, she nuzzled him. "Good."

Her eyes were big, wide. The moon reflecting in her pupils made him move closer. Then he stopped.

"This is a bad idea." He said, taking his hand back. "I barely know you. Maybe...you should meet my family first? Or get to know each other? This is happening so fast I-"

"Soon." She vowed. "I trust you though. I think."

"I think so too." He uttered, soft lips pressing against hers. If this was wrong, why did he feel so right? Why did he feel so shaky, yet so bubbly inside.

This was one of his worst decisions. Why wasn't he stopping? He didn't know her. He didn't-

"It's a pretty good bad idea, isn't it though?" She smirked, stealing another tender kiss.

All he had to do was say no. That he couldn't put his family in danger.

Just say no.

Don't make the same mistake.

But he didn't want to.

"God yes."

~•~

His head felt foggy and tired, he hadn't gotten any closer to convincing Nova to stay but...he was alright. Leo hadn't had a chance to retreat to his bedroom before he was cornered by his taller brother. He hid his grimace with a forced grin.

"Donnie, I don't have time for this. I've got..."

"This'll only take a minute."

"Alright. What's up?"

"Did you really have trouble sleeping last night?" He asked, then jumped to a stronger conclusion. "Or...did you not go to sleep at all?"

"Don't be stupid, Don, of course I went to bed." Leo said. "I just..." He raised his left arm casually, and his younger brother once again caught the scars littering. Worse, they looked fresh.

"Your arms..."

Leo flinched away. "It's nothing."

His dark eyes narrowed.

"Donnie?"

"You're lying, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Leo brushed him off, but Donnie wasn't about to give up. He grabbed a hold of his forearm, pulling him back, though Leo was unaffected by the sudden jerk of movement.

"What happened to your arm?" Donnie demanded bluntly. "And tell me the truth this time."

"Donnie, I'm really tired. I...just want to meditate for a spell. We can talk later." He hadn't meant to sound dismissive, but his tired tone and increasing frustration made it seem that way.

"How much longer are you going to keep avoiding us all, Leonardo?" Donnie asked weakly.

Leo hastily moved his arm out of the way. The hostile motion made Donnie recoil. "I'm not."

"You keep shutting us all out. We aren't naive. We know you're stressed, but we're a family. We can help. Don't you see? First with Karai, now..."

"This is nothing like Karai." Leo blurted out. "Nova isn't like her." When Donnie looked confused, he elaborated. "That's her name. The mutant."

"She did that to you." He said, referring to his injured arms. The dots were slowly connecting.

Silence. "Not on purpose."

"You told me you were going back to bed. You promised! And you went out and tried to fight that dangerous mutant alone? Are you crazy?"

"I was trying to protect you!" Leo snapped, temper rising, though his voice still felt oddly robotic. "It wasn't done out of a whim. I didn't try to find her for fun. I was protecting you and the others."

"By lying to us? Your family?"

"Fighting her was not an option. I wanted to persuade her to join our side. She wasn't too dangerous, just scared. And I didn't lie, I did go to bed. Just not when you did."

"Do the others know?" He was mainly referring to Raph, who he knew would be as furious as he was. Maybe even more so. Mikey would have been heartbroken had he knew that Leo was going behind their backs.

"No."

"Why? We could have gone together."

The thought of Donnie watching Leo and Nova's last encounter made him blush profusely in horror.

"If we had gone as a group, it would have ended horribly. I needed to talk to her alone. I think..." He paused. "I think she's starting to trust me." His cheeks felt suddenly hot. He didn't want his brother to know that he had been out again, though this time with no moral intentions involved. The less Donnie knew, the better.

"Trust you?" Donnie repeated in disbelief. "You barely know her."

"You barely know her." Leo retorted. "You haven't even seen her. What could you possibly know?"

Those careless words set Donnie's rage into flames. "I know that you're my brother and she's hurt you, quite obviously!" Furious tears filled his eyes. "If you just listened to me- if we had a chance to go as a team, maybe she would have joined us. Willingly!" He took a deep breath. "I know what it's like to care about someone." His mind brought up sweet April, then the smirk of Casey Jones. "But it's so risky to do this. You've got to think logically. You're the leader."

Regret was hidden in his deep blue eyes, but he masked it with a scowl. "I didn't ask for this burden, to be lectured. Logic- inventions, all your science-y bullshit won't help us now. So stay out of my way. I know what I'm doing." The tone of his voice, mixed with his expressions were jarring and cold. Unlike the older, wiser brother Donatello had grown to admire as a hero.

Stunned and hurt by the harsh tone, Donnie blinked, taking a step back, as if he feared him.

Leo's eyes widened, immediately realizing his mistake. "Wait, Donnie I didn't mean-"

"Fine."

"Please, just let me-"

But as his older brother had done so many times before, Donnie dismissed his desperate pleas, stormed by him as the words flooded out of his ear slits and away from his mind.

~•~

The second Donnie climbed out of the manhole cover, he realized he had no idea where he was going. He knew the city by heart, sure, but he was never one to go topside for emotional reasons. Usually he locked himself in his lab. Now...he didn't know what to do or where to go. Each direction felt wrong. And the increasing feeling of wrongness calculated by the feeling of dread equaled an equation he didn't quite understand.

"I don't even know where to go..." He groaned. "I'm such an idiot." Wiping his tears, adjusting his staff, he kept walking the unknown direction, hoping to find an answer.

School had to be out, since the stars were already dotting the sky. Maybe he could swing by April's...

No, she was still living at the lair. How could he have forgotten? And he doubted her aunt would be thrilled to see a six foot tall turtle standing in front of her. That would only leave...

He stopped, looking at the cluster of apartment complexes. It would be risky, but he couldn't imagine going anywhere else. As he climbed the fire escape with ease, he had already made his decision.

As much as he longed for April's hugs or comforting words, he knew Jones was the best bet. So he carefully used his bō to tap lightly on the window, while still remaining hidden.

It swung open, and there was Casey Jones. Handsome, cocky, hair even messier than usual without its iconic black and white bandana holding it in place. He seemed ready to go to bed as he was dressed in a tank top and pajama bottoms.

"The fuck?" He rubbed his eyes. "Donnie?"

"Hey there Jones." He mused, awkwardly rubbing his neck. "Is ...this a bad time?" He couldn't tell if Jones was simply tired or had been crying, since his eyes appeared too red and dusty.

"Nah, Riley's in bed." He confirmed. "Asleep."

"And your parents?"

Casey waved him off. "Hang on a sec," and he swung over the window to the metal fire escape. Climbing up the spare ladder casually, he glanced back at Donnie. "This place is more private." He was now perched on the roof, smirking. "You comin' or d'ya need an invitation?"

Donnie joined him, sitting on the ledge with their legs hanging over. "Is everything okay?"

"It's...fine, I guess." He chewed at his lip moodily. "Well not really. It's family bullshit."

He huffed a laugh. "Boy, do I know how that feels."

"I'm assuming you didn't just come here to chat. Something happen?"

Donnie nodded meekly.

"Hey, you don't need to tell me." Casey stared at his calloused hands. "I guess I can tell you what's been going on." He picked up a stone, flicking it across the roof. It fell loudly into a dumpster. Donnie winced. "My dad is a huge dick." He stated bluntly. "But it's complicated. Normally I'd talk with Raph about this but..."

"You don't have to..."

"Nah, it's chill. Here's the Cliff Notes version of it. Basically my dad decided to drop this major bomb on me n' Ri. That he proposed to Sara. His girlfriend." He made a vomit noise. "And I can't believe it."

"Is she not nice?" Donnie wondered.

"She's okay, I guess. No, but they haven't been dating that long and- I can't believe he decided to replace Riley's mom like that."

"Riley's mom? But you..."

"She's only my half sister. My real mom died forever ago. He was cheating on my mom with Riley's mom- Grace. He's a mess. It's all a mess."

"What happened to Grace?"

"Divorced her. Like I said, he's a dick." He looked back wearily. "Sorry, I know that was a lot. I'm not good at...dealing with my feelings but I shouldn't have dumped that on you with no warning."

"No, please don't apologize. I understand."

"Cool. So...your turn."

"My turn?"

"I just dramatically revealed my trauma. That shit doesn't come for free, yo. And I know you came here for a reason. So what is it? Because I think we're at that stage where we can talk about it. Whatever it is."

The purple masked turtle hesitated.

"There's only so many Electric Skullz albums we can talk about..."

Donnie took a deep breath, finally settling on revealing his troubles. "It was just an argument."

"With Raph?"

"No, Leo. He's been acting so strange lately. With the new mutant and everything. I think he likes her. As in, having feelings for her. I swear, this is a Karai situation all over again." He frowned. "And then we started yelling and..." Head in his hands, he groaned. "It's troubling. He's been acting so distant and it's making me so ..."

Casey waited a moment for Donnie to find the word.

"Peeved."

"So, what you're saying is: it's all a mess."

Donnie laughed. "It sure is, Jones." Their shoulders bumped together. "Thanks for letting me vent."

"Hey, no worries. You let me rant, it's only fair. But I do know one thing for sure, families are complicated as fuck."

"Here here. But um, why did you bring me here again?" Donnie cocked his head to one side.

Casey stood up, hands on his hips. "Come on."

Donnie followed suit, raising a curious eyebrow. "And?"

"Start yelling."

"What?"

"Start. Yelling. It ain't rocket science. You're pissed off, I'm pissed off, so let it out! Go nuts!"

"But it's night out."

"This is the city that never sleeps, genius. Look, I'll do it first."

He let out a loud, ear splitting bellow from above, hands spread out and wind hitting his cheeks. When he finished, he turned to Donnie eagerly.

"Go on."

Donnie exhaled. "If you say so..." And with that, he too joined in with the screaming. At first, it felt silly but then it surprisingly felt therapeutic. As if he was letting out his pent up frustrations with life.

"How'd that feel?" Casey moved closer to him until they were inches apart.

"It felt...good." Donnie admitted. "And you're sure no one can hear us?"

"Pshaw." Casey said smugly. "Anyone who does hear us will think we're a couple of drunks. I got ya, D." He took his hand in his, squeezing it. The difference between their hands- one large, green with three fingers. The other pale, smaller, five perfectly normal fingers. Casey didn't seem to mind.

"It doesn't solve our problems though." Donnie said.

"No, but it releases a little tension. I've done this with my friends a lot from the hockey team whenever we lose. Which rarely happens, but on that off chance we do? We scream. Fuck the system!"

"You ...consider me like one of your human friends?"

Casey's hazel eyes squinted back at him, as if he was confused by the question. "Of course. Why wouldn't you be? We're friends."

"But I'm..."

"Don't." Casey stopped him, pressing a finger to his lips. "I don't say this to just anyone, okay? But you're a cool dude, Donnie. And the smartest guy I know."

Donnie swallowed. "Jones I..."

"You're perfect the way you are, you hear me? Don't go moping around. It's a little sad to watch." He punched his shoulder affectionately. "Alright?" He looked back into Donnie's mahogany eyes.

"Alright." He nodded, now fully aware how close they were. He stopped himself from staring too hard at Casey's individual freckles, dotting his cheeks like a galaxy of stars. Or his deep hazel eyes, or his perfect peach lips...

An embrace felt too forward, so Donnie simply smiled, revealing his adorable gap. Casey's heart warmed, loving every time he saw that smile. He wasn't lying. He thought Donnie was beautiful in his own way. Turtle or not. As beautiful as April, maybe but in a different way. He wanted to stay the entire night, watching the stars with him.

"I promised Mikey I'd hang with him." Donnie remembered.

"Oh," His eyes looked down, disappointed. "I can walk you there? It's getting kinda late."

"Sure."

"Listen, um, Donnie...there's something you gotta know..."

There was a rustling noise behind them. Donnie froze. "Shut up."

"Excuse me? Did you just tell Casey Jones to shut up?"

"Shut up!" He hissed. "Someone's listening. You idiot, we shouldn't have been screaming our heads off!"

Casey mumbled a curse under his breath.

"Ah, so you are the clever one. Good to know." An unfamiliar voice snarled.

"Who said that?" Casey yelled, grabbing his trusty hockey stick and taser. Donnie gripped his own bō tightly.

"How cute."

Out of the shadows approached the two boys. A mutant reptile at least twenty feet in length with massive yellow eyes staring them down.

"Jones?"

"Yeah, Donnie?"

"I think we found the mutant."

#tmnt 2012 #jonatello #fanfics #female ocs #oof

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forkanna · 5 years

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NOTES: Sorry to the Gelphie shippers for these Dozma chapters. I haven't forgotten you! You'll see!

And of course, sorry for taking so long between updates. Boring IRL things distracting me - one of which being Camp NaNoWriMo last month. The upside is, you're about to get not one, but two new fanfics from me soon! so hopefully that makes up for me dragging my feet on getting this one posted.

Of course, within the hour, it was time to hold court. Glinda had hastily explained the developments to Elphaba, who remained with Dorothy to help monitor the recent immigrant. Then she bolted up to Ozma's chambers to investigate the current situation.

"No, tighter, Jellia," Ozma was urging her as the servant tried to cinch her dress closed. Never in a demanding, condescending tone; that just wasn't how Ozma treated other people, regardless of station. But she did sound more anxious than usual. "Sorry, I know, it's as tight as it goes, but… I need to look my very best! So we can't do anything halfway today!"

"Your Highness?"

"What? Oh… hello, Glinda." She looked a little cowed when she saw the disapproving frown on Glinda's face, and glanced down at her pristine white heeled boots. "Jellia, that's fine; thank you."

"Quite welcome, Majesty," Jellia said with a bow of her green head before she retreated, having enough sense to be able to tell Glinda wanted to talk to her alone.

"Are you alright?"

Laughing weakly, she turned to her full-length mirror and observed the effect. "I'll have to be, won't I? The court awaits."

"Ozzie…" When she didn't answer again, she bit her lip as she thought for a moment. Then she asked, "Do you like wearing these get-ups? You could probably pass a law. 'No queen shall wear anything but old trousers and pointed caps during royal ceremonies' or something."

That did earn a little more of an earnest chuckle. "Honestly?"

"Sure. I like honesty."

"So do I." Swishing the skirts around, she smiled vaguely. "I thought I might feel more comfortable in those old clothes. And I did, in a way… but not as much as I thought. They don't fit me anymore."

"Well, we know why that is," Glinda joked as she gave a light tap on Ozma's behind that made her squeak in surprise. They both giggled. "Not that I'm saying it's that big, of course."

"Of course. Just… no, I didn't mean only that the actual size is wrong. They don't suit me anymore. I think I might like to wear… suits tailored to my new shape sometimes, because they are more comfortable than these highly regal gowns. But that doesn't mean I don't like wearing these."

Glinda tilted her head a little again. "Can you clear that up a little for me? I'm not saying you're wrong, just that I'm not following your chain of thoughts quiiiite yet."

Ozma paused, truly pondering her words. She turned so that Glinda could really take a look at her. What a breathtaking beauty she had become! Quite youthful, but serene, her perfect auburn ringlets framing her cheeks and slender neck and supporting the silver circlet as if it had been made to rest there. Sunkissed skin, no longer as tan as when they had first met her but still not as pale as that of a spoiled princess, gleamed from above the neckline that began the concealment of the rest of her form in puffs of white fabric and sparkling green ribbons. Truly a regal presence, and one that was a joy to behold, unlike the frightened respect that the Wizard had demanded via use of his puppets. This was definitely an improvement.

"I love feeling this pretty. It's something that was deep inside of me that I didn't even know was there until you helped reveal it. But sometimes, I still feel like… I don't deserve it, or I'm not really a girl because I grew up as a boy. Which I know isn't true! This really is who I am, I believe that with my heart and soul. But the doubts come back and I can never seem to make them completely go away. So that's… that's what I meant."

Smiling gently, Glinda reached up to cup either side of Ozma's sweet face. "Oh, little angel Ozzie… it must be tough, having to always 'be the princess' in front of the whole Emerald City when it's such a new thing for you."

"Yeah. That part doesn't help; the… public part."

"But you're doing a great job. And you know all you have to do is ask Jellia to make you a few suits for casual afternoons, working in the garden with Jack, or just days when you aren't feeling quite up to the frills and frippery. She'd be happy to! You're the one in charge, so do what you want. We'll all support you."

Ozma nodded. "Thank you, Glinda. I don't know what I'd do without the coven around."

"Council," she corrected, and they both snickered. "Also, if you ever want to take a little vacation, we could probably arrange for that. Get away from the responsibilities of queendom for a week or so."

"I'd like that. As long as you and Elphie and Nessa came along."

"And Dorothy?"

Sighing, she turned back to the mirror, regarding it with a frown this time. "Do you think… she'll hate me for this? I thought easing her into the idea by turning up as Tip was a better plan, but now I feel… stupid."

"Only one way to find out." She didn't want to comment on whether or not the plan was stupid; privately, she thought it was, but she also fully appreciated why Ozma tried it in the first place. Being honest with Elphaba about her own feelings had been one of the most difficult choices she'd ever made, and she had been terrified of rejection. It was probably much the same for her forlorn Ruler.

"That's true. Do I look alright?"

With bald honesty, she whispered, "You look perfect." Then she leaned in to kiss both her cheeks and boop her on the nose with her index finger, earning a slight giggle. "And cute! Now go out there and face the music; your people await."

~ o ~

So Ozma did just that. Glinda quickly took her place with Elphaba in the bench on the righthand side of Ozma's seat of power; Nessarose was on the other side, and there was room for further seats on each side, though the chairs were not present. The idea had been to allow for space for a larger Council, should the need ever arise, but so far it had not. When visiting the Emerald City, Fiyero would sometimes take a seat next to Nessa, as an honorary Councilman.

Glinda kept her eyes focused on Dorothy as Ozma entered, glancing back to make sure she could monitor how the princess was doing now and then. The girl had snagged herself a spot very near the front of the crowd, wanting her first glimpse of this regal being to be a good one.

"Hail to the Queen Ozma!" Jellia announced.

The crowd, appropriately, responded with "Hail!" and then burst into cheers and clapping. In the first few days of her reign, Jellia and the Council had tried to discourage them from causing so much commotion, but right away Ozma had told them to let the people celebrate if they wanted to. As Ozma sat, Glinda saw that Dorothy was clapping along with everyone else. Her brow was creased a little in very mild confusion, but she was otherwise as pleased as everyone else.

"Thank you all," Ozma said. Even though she was nervous, it barely showed; despite being a very young and inexperienced ruler, the ability to act "professional" in front of her subjects was something that came naturally to her. "Today, we will be hearing reports from outlying cities of the Land of Oz. If you have a grievance or report from within the Emerald City outer walls, or the cities nearest the walls in Gillikin, Munchkinland, Vinkus, or the Quadling Country, please refrain and hold your remarks for another date, wherein we will be welcoming them from your areas."

As she spoke, Dorothy's face began to come over with pure shock. To be fair, she did not make a scene, but it was readily apparent to her old friends that she had figured out Ozma and Tip were the same person without needing any explanation. Clever as she was, that came as no surprise.

"Well, there goes the neighbourhood," Elphaba muttered into her ear.

"Shh, Elphie." Still, she had a hard time disagreeing. A quick glance at Ozma showed that she wasn't paying Dorothy any attention. Purposefully. That was very like her to do, making sure that her focus remained on the matters at hand and to worry about personal issues later.

One by one, the reports were received. A band of thieves was trying to interrupt emerald mining in the Glikkus. Some city in the south of the Vinkus was in dire need of fresh water, for their well had run dry. The Quadlings wanted fairer trades for their wares. Most of these matters were settled in short order, though there was occasionally some debate needed to resolve the problem to the satisfaction of all parties involved. At the end of the day, however, the people remained as thrilled with their new ruler as before.

However, just when they were wrapping things up and the crowd started to stir and get ready to leave, Ozma called out, "One final matter for the day." After some brief murmurs, she added, "Dorothy Gale of Kansas."

A hush fell over everyone else. Slowly, Dorothy first pointed at herself, and then awkwardly pushed to her feet.

"Welcome to Oz. Myself and the Council wish to make it known to all here that you are forevermore Princess Dorothy of Oz, and should be afforded all the rights and respect that this title offers." There was only the briefest of hesitations before she went on, "And you may take a position of authority over any of the countries in Oz if you so choose, or decline such, and reside wherever you wish. For the services you have rendered us, we remain in your debt."

Glinda's heart sank. She was offering Dorothy a way out. Now that she knew Tip was Ozma and there was a possibility things might be awkward between them, she wanted Dorothy to know that she would not be required to continue living in the palace if she wasn't comfortable with the idea. It was a magnanimous gesture, but also could sound like she was sending her away.

But while the crowd was applauding the brief speech, all Dorothy could do was look stunned. When the clapping died down, and she noticed everyone was looking at her, she managed an ungainly little curtsy, then announced, "Th-thank you… Your Majesty." It seemed to be all she could come up with.

"Thank you," Ozma countered. Then she hastily said, "This concludes today's audience," and turned to step down briskly from the seat and leave the audience hall.

Immediately, the rest of the council followed her, but Glinda thought her efforts were best applied elsewhere. She whispered to Elphaba, "Tell Ozzie I thought she was very brave," then slipped down into the rest of the crowd to seek out Dorothy.

She had to chase her down. By the time she got to the audience seating, Dorothy was already out in the hall, so she had to push through the throng until she caught up with the dazed girl, leaning against the wall a little further down.

"Hey," she said in an imitation of her usual cheery voice. "Doing alright?"

"What? Oh… oh, yes, Miss Glinda, of course," she laughed — and it was a bit manic. "Why shouldn't I be? I'm… I'm a princess now! A-and so is…"

When no finish came to the sentence, Glinda provided one. "So is Tip."

"I guess so."

"Are you… really alright? Honest-to-Oz?"

"Sure! I mean, why shouldn't I be? Girl like me from nowhere, gettin' to meet a real live princess, a-and then become one? It's like a dream come true! I'm… I'm just over the rainbow about it!" But when Glinda only frowned, Dorothy turned away. "A-and she looked very nice up there, in that… dress, and the pretty crown…"

"Dorothy-"

"You know, maybe I will go and visit Scarecrow after all. See how he's doin'. A-and then I can come back and… and figure out what to do with myself. Can't just sit around bein' a big nuisance all the time! Aunt Em always said…"

But she didn't finish that thought; bringing up her aunt only took away her false joy. Glinda placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Dorothy… come on, you don't have to act brave if you don't feel brave. I'm your friend."

"I… I know. And you tried to tell me somethin' yesterday, but…" Her shoulders shrugged, taut and full of tension. "I wasn't listenin' properly. Thing is, I ain't wired like you and Miss Elphaba, so… I don't know. I need to clear my head, but after that, maybe… I can find a way to…"

She drew her in for a tight hug, and Dorothy only put up a fight for the first few seconds before she melted into it, shivering. Not crying, but clearly struggling to suppress some reaction. Whether that be sadness or anger, or something else, Glinda couldn't quite say. But she held on for some time. Eventually, the shivering petered out, and she took a deep, bracing breath.

"I'm alright now," she said with a false brightness, drawing back to beam up at Glinda. "Thanks."

"You are not. But… I'm glad you're better. Do you want to go and have lunch? We could take it somewhere… somewhere else."

Dorothy could definitely tell that Glinda was carefully not saying "somewhere without Ozma." It was written all over her face. After a moment, she nodded. "If you're sure it's alright? I mean, Miss Elphaba-"

"-Will survive one meal without me," she laughed, taking Dorothy's hand and patting it gently as she led her off to find another hall in which to dine. There were plenty in the Palace.

~ o ~

Dorothy did set off for Kiamo Ko the next morning. As she had told them, even without "other things" being a factor, she still wanted to reunite with her old friend, and to see whether or not Boq was adjusting to life now that he was no longer carrying around so much rage and murder in his heart. After all, he had been nothing but good to Dorothy, so there was no pretending he was wicked through and through. Maybe the new lease on life would be enough to set right what had been darkened within him.

Ozma was distraught by this news, of course, but Glinda tried to reassure her that it was a temporary absence. If Dorothy came back and decided she was moving away, they could fret over it then, but for now there was no use worrying.

So they turned their focus to other matters. Tending the queendom, as was always pressing. Elphaba was still perfecting some new spells to make all their lives easier, and Nessa trying to change certain outdated laws in the hopes that governance would run more smoothly. Glinda busied herself consoling Ozma and meeting with members of Emerald City nobility when Ozma wasn't feeling up to it. Though they missed the girl who formerly wore the Golden Shoes, there was no shortage of distractions.

Finally, on the third night after she had gone, Glinda walked in to find Ozma was again wearing the Tip costume. Rolling her eyes, she came and sat next to her on the bench in front of her vanity.

"That's not going to fix anything."

A moment or two passed as Ozma stared forlornly at her reflection. Then she said, "Mombi was able to curse me once. What if… we found that spell in her books and did it again?"

"Then we would be robbing Oz of its rightful heir."

"I could still be a prince as easily as I could be a princess."

"Is that who you believe you truly are?"

"NO!" she burst out, slumping down so that her head thunked against the lip of the vanity. "But I… I can't stand the thought of… of being this way, only to have…"

Sliding an arm around her, she whispered, "Listen. I know this is hard; I know you want to do something about it. Really, we've all found ourselves in a situation where… what we want is so hard to get our hands on, and it's tempting to change something about yourself that's really important to get it. Like… me with Fiyero."

"Fiyero? What about him?"

"Both Elphie and I were in love with him once. Or we thought we were," she added in a mutter. "But he obviously cared more for Elphie than for me, after the initial charm of my good looks wore off." More as a force of habit, she fluffed her golden girls with one hand.

"I see," Ozma snorted.

"So I tried being a little more altruistical. A little more… giving, and kind, and thoughtful of others. Not because it's the right thing to do, which is more how I do things now, but because… I thought it would make him like me better. And it didn't; he's admitted to us now that he was a lot more interested in Elphaba for being… well, genuine, I guess."

For a moment, Ozma simply nodded. Then she pulled at her long, perfectly-coiffed hair and growled, "I feel so stupid, though! Dorothy is… is perfectly entitled not to feel the same way now that she knows I'm a woman. I keep telling myself that! What's wrong with me?!"

"Whoa, whoa! Alright, you're way too tensed up. Come over here now. No, no, come here."

Glinda led a very pouty Ozma away from the bench to two chairs arranged around a small table. The usual purpose for these chairs was for her to take tea with one of the Councilwomen, if and when they needed them — though usually, the small dining room was used. She pushed Ozma into one and then sat across from her.

"Here." At first, when she pulled one of the princess's old "boy shoes" off, Ozma rolled her eyes, but the minute she began to knead into her stocking foot with her thumbs, the annoyance and uncertainty vanished. "There now. Relax."

"Ahh…" A few seconds passed as Ozma did her best to resent melting at the pleasant sensation. "Alright, I get it, Glinda. You're right. I'm… worrying about this… too much. You don't have to…" A little sigh. "Keep going…"

"Was that 'You don't have to keep going', or 'You don't have to,' and then you changed your mind and asked me to keep going?"

Chuckling just a little, Ozma favoured her with a grateful smile. "Was supposed to be the first one. But thank you. I don't know why you keep doing things like this for me yourself when I'm sure we could get the royal masseuse. If we have one of those."

"Not yet, but we should!" They both laughed. "But I don't mind. Honestly… it might sound a little odd, but I like having you around to take care of. Maybe it's my motherly instincts having nowhere to go, especially since I like taking care of Elphaba but she's even more self-sufficient than the two of us put together."

More laughter, and this time Ozma reclined a little, letting Glinda finish the job and move on to the other foot. "So I'm your surrogate child? That seems a little funny when we're technically the same age. I just haven't known I was a princess so I have to relearn everything as I go along."

"Ah, but you lost those early years, so I'm older now," she teased, wiggling her toes through the stocking fabric. For that, Ozma picked up a napkin lying on the table and attempted to throw it at her, and it fluttered to the floor uselessly. "Wow, you really have fully transitioned into being a spoiled royal girl."

"That wasn't a serious throw. You and I both know I could pick up this teaspoon and chuck it hard enough to split your nose." That made Glinda laugh so hard she snorted like a pig, and Ozma really lost it then, pulling both legs back so she could double up and wrap her arms around her sides, tittering until breathless. "OH! Oh, Glinda, that's t-too much!"

Wiping her eyes as she laughed along with her, Glinda Upland regarded the sweet princess in her old, worn-out clothing, briefly broken from her dark mood. She did deserve to be happy. If Dorothy would make her happy, and she would make Dorothy happy, it was really quite pathetic for any other factors to get in the way. So she realised that she had two immediate goals. First, to determine whether or not Dorothy's feelings for the illusion that was Tip had been infatuation, or the elusive "true love" that some spent their entire lives searching for. And second… to figure out how to get them fixed up together.

~ o ~

"Hello, everyone!" Dorothy cried out as she skipped in through the dining hall doors, eyes full of unshed tears. It had only been a week, give or take a day, but she still acted as if she had been gone for another dozen years.

And the Formerly-Wicked Witches reacted as if she had, as well. They all forsook their dinners to stand and envelop her in a crushing embrace, petting over her hair and laughing gaily as they welcomed her home. Dorothy squirmed and giggled freely, cheeks bunched with the force of her happiness. Even Jellia couldn't suppress a smile, despite her typically detached and professional demeanor.

Once the initial joy wore off, they turned as one to Ozma, who had at least stood to approach them but was hanging back, uncertain.

"Get in here," Glinda urged her through her toothy smile.

"N-no, I'd… better not," she said with a slight flush to her cheeks.

"It's alright!" Dorothy insisted, then covered her mouth with a shy fist once she had heard herself speak. Clearly, she hadn't meant to do so that suddenly. "I m-mean… I've missed you, too, Tip!"

"Ozma," Nessa corrected in a whisper.

"Ozma! R-right! Princess Ozma, y-your Majesty!" She did a curtsy, and her elbow connected with Elphaba's ribs. "Oh, s-sorry, I'm… awful clumsy sometimes!"

Before anyone else could try, Ozma was there to help steady her. Their hands remained in each other's as she gazed across into her eyes, smiling gently. "I'm… so happy to see you again."

"Oh? Happy?" Dorothy seemed to fixate on that. If Glinda were to hazard a guess, it was because there were two very different potencies of "happy" that the Ruler could be.

"Very happy. But, um… I believe I'm weary just now. I'll retire to my chambers and let you all catch up." Reluctantly, she slid her hands out from beneath Dorothy's and took a step backward. "Perhaps I'll see you tomorrow?" Dorothy nodded. Without any further comment, Ozma curtsied and left the dining hall at a quick pace.

And then they were left to look at each other. After a moment, Elphaba said, "So Glinda explained things to us. Which you can't be surprised about, but I'm sorry if you feel your trust is betrayed."

"Not really," Dorothy said with a little shy smile. "But gosh… I didn't think she'd look so… I dunno. Hurt, I guess? She looked hurt, and I didn't mean for her to be."

"You didn't hurt her," Nessa said in a reasonable tone, patting her on the shoulder. "And of course you didn't mean to. But… I think she had an unrealistic expectation that you didn't meet. Knowing it was unrealistic didn't make it go away."

Though she looked as if she already knew the answer, she squirmed and asked, "What 'spectation is that?"

"That Tip turning out to be Ozma wouldn't matter," Elphaba sighed. "What a silly thing to assume."

"Not silly," Glinda hissed at her roomie, who rolled her eyes toward the chandelier above them. "But yes, that's what she was hoping. You would see she was a princess in disguise, say 'oh my goodness!' and then move on from that. And when you didn't, even though your reaction was quite understandable…"

"I made her sad." All three of them nodded, and Dorothy walked over to the table and plopped down. "Well… I've been thinking on that a lot."

"And?"

"And… I ain't the kind to think a whole lot. But it seems to me that… that I should start over. Get to be friends with Ozma, like I did with you three."

Elphaba's smirk was nearly criminal. "You're going to throw water on her?"

"Hush up," she giggled, and they all shared a relieved look. It was torturous seeing Dorothy as anything less than happy. At least her drawn appearance was slowly beginning to even out; she'd been packed off with plenty of bread and cheese and cakes when she left, and had probably been richly served in the Vinkus, as well. Not quite the plump girl she had been when they all first met, but certainly healthier.

After a moment, they returned to their seats and called for some bread and jam for Dorothy, and they listened to her tales of her travels. As it turned out, they did run into a few interesting characters along the way, including a cat made of glass and a boy as bright as a button, but more or less her journey was blessedly free of complications. Fiyero had been a wonderful host. Alas, Boq was a little odd and distant, but at least he had been pleasant and spent no time complaining about former matters. After a couple of days, she felt she had reminisced long enough and started making her way back.

Which led them to ask her about Ozma. At first, she tried to ask them about the goings on within the Emerald City to distract them from the topic, but that didn't work for more than a pair of minutes.

"Alright, alright. Like I said, I want to start over. Because… I think I let Tip bein' a boy go to my head, and got wrong ideas. Maybe led him on? Well… not on purpose, but I think I did, anyway. If I'd known he was a she, I mighta been able to just… be friends! Like two normal people! Don't know why I acted so silly around him, I've never acted like that around boys before…"

Nessa smiled a knowing smile. "You grew up, Dorothy. I mean, you're still fairly wide-eyed, but you're an adult woman now. Really, I'm surprised you never chased any boys before now."

That earned her a disapproving gasp from the Kansas girl. "Oh, I couldn't! Chase a boy? Me? No, no, that's not how a lady behaves! Aunt Em told me…" She came over melancholy again, but pushed through it more effectively this time. "Well, that it ain't proper for a girl to chase after a boy; the boy is s'posed to do the courtin', and the lady waits for him, and…" Her voice faded with uncertainty.

"That may be how they do it in Kansas," Glinda conceded with her arms folded over her chest, "but sure as heck not how we do things in Oz. You like somebody, you tell them; simple as that."

Of course, she wanted to say more. She wanted to point out to Dorothy that she and Ozma had already kissed, whether the poor girl and her strangely restrictive views about romance wanted to remember the event or not. But it was painfully clear to her that Dorothy needed to take a step away from that aspect of their relationship for some reason or another. It seemed to mostly be because of Ozma being a woman now, but she wondered if it wasn't also because of how young and inexperienced she was. After all, from their many conversations, all she ever heard about from Dorothy was about the farm, the farm, and in rare moments of great variety, the farm. The girl was the furthest thing from Ozmopolitan one could be.

"This is stupid," Elphaba finally sighed. "Just talk to her. You have to start there, or you won't get anywhere."

"Exactly," Dorothy sighed.

"No, I meant right now."

"Huh? Oh… n-no, I don't wanna bother her! She said she had to lie a spell…" At their staring, she dipped her head a little. "D-do you think if I came to breakfast, a-and tried to act like everything's peaches 'n' cream, that… th-that it'd be alright?"

Feeling bad that they were pushing her so much, Glinda rested a hand on her shoulder. "Of course. And if you're not feeling up to it in the morning, that's alright, too! We just wanted you to know that Ozzie's going to be happy to see you if you do pop in, and not upset. Alright?"

Elphaba looked like she had a lot more to say on the topic. However, she merely let Dorothy nod, and Jellia hastened to make sure her things were taken up to her rooms in the palace. But hoping that would be the end of it was something Glinda wasn't nearly foolish enough to try.

~ o ~

"You really think we're doing the right thing?"

Glinda's head lolled over to glance at the nude form in the bedsheets to one side of herself. Not that Elphaba was much for putting her body on display; something she understood too well herself. Still, that insatiable part of her heart wanted to see as much as possible every waking moment.

"Of course, Elphie. Ozma's no older than us, and has had to do a lot of growing up as a woman in only a few months. And Dorothy's… Dorothy."

Nodding, she turned her green eyes toward the light streaming in through the green-tinted windows. They had both been meaning to commission someone to fashion them clear panes, so that the natural colouring of the rooms could be enjoyed — at least in the private rooms within the Royal Palace. They could stand on tradition in the public audience chambers like the throne room.

"This whole thing is stupid." Her hand fell to find Glinda's and wrap around it. "They're only resisting nature's pull because Dorothy's worried about pointless gender issues, and Ozma's worried about Dorothy."

"I know."

"Then we ought to do something about it."

"Like what?" she giggled, rolling over to curl her body around that of her lover. Silky skin against her own made her stomach flutter, but it was a flutter she had grown used to. Not in a way that removed its thrill, but she no longer panicked and tried to run from the room.

And she saw Elphaba flinch. That was happening fairly often, ever since she got back from Kansas. She knew the reasons by now because they tried to be open and honest with each other about everything, but it still hurt to know Elphaba had her comfort levels with that variety of touching shaken by something that should never have occurred. Little by little, she was going to erase that discomfort. Even if it took the rest of their lives.

"Like… shove them into a closet and tell them they can't come back out until they kiss." Her further giggling made Elphaba crack a smile, and she rolled her eyes as she admitted, "Alright, alright. I know it's supposed to be none of our business."

"I think forcing two people to kiss isn't exactly the best way to cause 'love' to brew, Elphie."

"You're right, of course."

"But… I understand." Her lips pushed into Elphaba's neck, earning a sigh that caressed through her own golden waves of hair, down across her bare shoulder. That was better; she was relaxing, welcoming the reassuring touches. "Ozma's never been this worried about anything in all the time since she first took the throne. Once she was sure she wasn't going to be thrown out of the palace, I mean. Probably because…"

"Because?"

"Well, you saw how Tip looked at her."

"I saw how they looked at each other," Elphaba murmured, and Glinda snickered. "Like you used to look at Fiyero, and Fiyero used to look at me."

"You weren't supposed to look at Fiyero looking at you while I looked at him," she teased.

A dark chuckle floated out of her. The kind that set her skin ablaze, her heart to racing. "Where's that rule written down?"

"The Grimmerie. It's somewhere in the back, you haven't made it that far in yet."

"Oh I haven't made it! The only one of us who's read the entirety of the book!" They both laughed, and Elphaba rolled to embrace Glinda back, smiling through her mirth. "Ohhh… you're such a nuisance."

Glinda's cheeks glowed. "You only call me a nuisance when you mean to say 'I love you'."

"You say it enough for both of us." Still, gruff as she was, Elphaba wasn't too good to follow through once in awhile. So she kissed Glinda very gently, softly, and whispered, "I love you, Glinny."

"Gosh…"

"You don't have to act like it's a surprise every time."

"What if it is? Every time you say it, I'm shocked that I get to hear it from your lips. That it's meant for me."

A green hand drifted up and perched on her glowing cheek, thumb tracing its way gently up and down along the skin as she gazed across at her, raven hair spilling out over the pillow in the most artful of ways and making Glinda want to reach past and slide her fingers through it. But for now, she was content to perch hers on Elphaba's ribcage.

"You shouldn't be. Winsome girls with golden curls are the ones who always find love. It's me who's lucky; I'm-"

"Just as beautiful," she cut her off, knowing what would come next. The self-deprecation, the eye so critical that it would tear her own appearance to shreds at any given opportunity. "Moreso for being unique; cute blondes are a dime a dozen in Gillikin."

"If I could have a dozen of you for a dime… my purse would be empty."

Lines like that always worked on Glinda. She had figured they would wear off once they settled into a relationship such as the one they were now enjoying, but every last time, Elphaba could make her feel sixteen again. Tittering and burying her face in Elphaba's shoulder, she heard her chuckle and felt strong arms wrapping around her back, holding her close. Caressing every inch they could reach. Lips pressed into the crown of her head before they whispered again.

"You make my heart leap, Glinda. Every day we're together."

She pulled back to lean up and take her lips, unable to hold back for another second. There was no reason to, and she couldn't have if there were. Elphaba's response was not as enthusiastic, but that wasn't her way; she was patient, she was earnest. But that in no way meant she wasn't passionate; it was just a different passion than her own. And that was what made them work.

A few minutes later, when Glinda raised her thigh a little higher to slide between another pair, Elphaba shivered and drew back. The thighs were the worst of the zones; she always flinched from that. But now, the reactions were equally alarmed and excited. It was progress.

"Again, so soon? You normally don't try for twice in a night."

"Can't get enough of your…" Glinda's cheeks flushed. Neither of them were very good at talking about this topic in detail, even after months of trying. "Your rose and your pearl."

That got Elphaba to push her hand into Glinda's face, cackling and rolling away as if she were completely through with her. But when Glinda reached past her hip and resumed their play, she certainly didn't fight her off a second time.

To Be Continued…

#The Coven of Oz #forkanna writes #wicked fanfiction #wizard of oz #jess the writer

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wickedlyqueer · 7 years

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It's so good to my little gay heart that you can apply Glinda question Elphie leaving her to the book as well, there has always been a missing puzzle piece in their relationship, especially with those fights in the end and everything being extra painful hahahahha good memories nvm

I’ve actually screamed talked about this before with @lily-onher-grave! We’re pretty much on the same page that had Elphaba given Glinda even a fraction of a choice after confronting the Wizard, she would’ve gone with her.

Glinda is heartbroken. The way Elphaba left her is very much described as a rejection:

Elphaba hadn’t cried, of course. Her head had turned away quickly as she stepped down, not to hide her tears but to soften the fact of their absence. But the sting, to Glinda, was real.

So reading it as a rejection it makes sense that Glinda wouldn’t immediately go after Elphaba. Also, Glinda isn’t the one out of the two who would throw herself headfirst in a situation. She’s more careful and calculative, and left on her own, would rather be in circles and situations she’s familiar with.

This also explains when she meets Fiyero in EC, she has slipped back into her society behavior. But! Underneath it, she’s still that clever girl who was the first of her village to go to Shiz.

Glinda Upland reads him in a second. He barely has to say anything and she knows he has found Elphaba. And she’s so fucking pissed about it. Because (and this is where the screaming began) ever since in the Emerald City, Glinda has probably been looking for Elphaba. Without any luck.

Here’s some evidence for that claim for funsies:

Glinda is very desperate to try and have the old Charmed Circle back together and wants to invite them all (Crope, Fiyero, Nessa, even Avaric), either as to try to recreate her happy period in Shiz or in the hopes Elphaba would show up.

Before Fiyero can leave she asks him about Elphaba (probably because she suspects the affair she had deduced so easily might actually be with Elphaba)

Crope says he might’ve seen Elphaba once and Glinda and Fiyero are both immediately on to him and Glinda even goes a step further saying: “You never told me that Crope.” Clearly suggesting she is hawking at any information she can find about Elphaba.

When Fiyero misspeaks about the oils, Glinda’s suspicion is confirmed

Before Fiyero leaves, she again tries to meet up with him, even specifies without Crope, because: “The past seems both more mysterious and understandable with you right here before me.”

And then she says that heartbreaking “If you should see her, tell her I miss her still.” A last desperate attempt. All her cards on the table: she knows Fiyero has met Elphaba and they’re having an affair. But she hopes that if Fiyero would slip anything of Glinda’s presence to Elphaba, she would have the upperhand again. Because she would.

All this happens in three fucking pages! Dear lord.

Then we basically don’t see Glinda again until after Nessa’s death. Over 20 years have passed and this is also part of the ‘missing puzzle piece’ you mention. We don’t get to see Glinda’s journey. She was abandoned like Nessa, and she points this out when they re-unite again.

Gelphie is as much as what is being said as what is left unsaid. It’s reading between the lines. We actually see that Glinda and Elphaba get the best out of each other during the Shiz-era. Glinda smoothens Elphaba’s rougher edges, and Elphaba is the first person to encourage Glinda to dig deeper and be who she is instead of who society wants her to be.

The more heartbreaking it is that circumstance rips them away from each other. Leaving them both rather bitter and resentful. Understandably so, but even after all this time, they cannot stop loving each other.

When Elphaba sees Glinda, it’s described that her heart is churring. Then a few pages later we get the gayest description ever how if she remembers her youth “she could scarcely dredge up an ounce” of their meeting with the Wizard, and rather choses to remember her and Elphaba sharing a bed “how brave that had made her feel, and how vulnerable too”. jESUS WOMAN HOW GAY CAN YOU GET??

If only one of the two had moved. If only one of them had gone after the other. If only they weren’t so hellbent in believing the other couldn’t possibly feel the same way. If Elphaba had been an ounce more selfish and not wanting Glinda to be safe, but with her. If Glinda had been a bit braver to step outside her familiar comfort zone and go after what she wanted.

We could’ve had it all and it keeps me up at night tbh…

#fem's asks #wicked meta #long post #elsannafondue #gelphie #idk why this got so long #but it did #¯\_(ツ)_/¯#mostly tagging gretchenmaurice #bc a lot of my theories have developed by bouncing ideas with other creators #also her resistance fic is excellent if you want abandoned Glinda pov

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lcvedandlcst-a · 7 years

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OKAY so this has been bouncing around my head for quite some time, and I finally decided to post a full meta on it. just be prepared, because this is hella long. It’s an explanation of what happened between them, along with small little clippets of writing. Here we go!!

THE OFFICIAL META FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ELPHIE & RICKY!!

( Tagging some people I think would like to see this: @bcckmarked , @humcne , @ofsweetsunshines )

It all started freshman year of college, right after first semester. She was on the verge of turning seventeen, he had just turned 19. Elphie was walking across campus, all packed up and ready to go home for Winter Break, when she was tackled by this GIANT ball of black fur.

“Mom, Momma I’ll be fine. It’s one plane trip, I’ll be home before you know it. And I mean, it’s better than driving the nine hours back home with all this snow. Yeah, I know, I know. I’ll see you soon, lo-” Elphie’s chatter was cut off as something hurtled into her side going full speed, knocking the wind out of her and sending her to the ground. Her phone skidded just out of reach, worried noises coming from the speaker. A paw, nails cutting into her parka, rested heavily on her chest. Some huge dog was on top of her, head bent and muzzle pressing into her neck. The scream tore lose before she could stop herself and the dog jumped back. More hesitant, he padded over again, gently pressing his nose to her sleeve and as he whined. The initial panic subsided, and Elphie pushed herself up to sitting position as she really looked at him. He looked like some sort of mix, most likely some part Rottweiler. He was wearing a frayed collar, the tags shiny and new. Slowly, she reached for them. The dog sat patiently, stubby tail wagging wildly.

As it would turn out, the dog’s name was Teddy. Figuring he was lost, Elphie put up a post on the school’s social networking site. Because if he was on campus he probably belonged to somebody. She sat on a nearby bench and waited, hand on the dog’s collar. Now imagine her surprise when the school’s infamous badboy heartthrob shows up. Richard White. He was known around school under various names, Ricky being the most widely used.

From the moment they met, there was something in the air. There’s no other way to describe it. An instantaneous attraction, and that feeling that your entire world’s just changed. Elphie has never believed in fate or soulmates so she’s quick to shake it off, and hurried off to catch her flight. Ricky’s left holding Teddy as he watched her walk away, not sure what to say.

Fast forward to the beginning of second semester. Despite trying to shake off their meeting, Elphie can’t seem to stop picturing a pair of vivid blue eyes and messy dark hair. She was so lost in her own head that she crashes into another student while walking into the biology classroom. And low & behold, there stand Ricky. He was looking at her in a way no one ever has before, and it made her heart beat faster. She mumbles and apology and goes and sits down. Ricky, determined to befriend her, follows her over to the corner table and plops down next to her.

They spend most of the period joking around, because being around each other is so easy. There’s something undeniable between the two of them. After that class, they exchange numbers and are constantly texting one another. It’s hard for either of them to admit, but they’re falling fast.

Elphie’s never been good at trusting people. It’s something she developed after years of teasing, backstabbing, and being ostracized by other students. She had her family and her small group of friends and that’s all she ever needed. After her relationship with Mark, she swore off love because it hurt too much to try again. And she figured all relationships would work out the same way.

Ricky’s never had anyone stick around. His mother left when he was one and his father always had something more important than him. He was raised by a constant stream of rotating nannies, who didn’t love him in the least. His friendships had always been superficial at best. The one solid thing he had in his life? The parties where he could drink until he couldn’t think anymore. Couldn’t feel. The only thing keeping him in school was his father’s checkbook.

But being around Elphie...it changed Ricky. He swore off parties and actively tried in school. Elphie tutored him to help him catch up.Three weeks in, he decided to finally do it. It was during one of these sessions that he finally asked her out. She was more than happy to accept.

His pencil tapped against his leg repeatedly as he listened to her speak. What she was saying he had absolutely no idea, but she looked so cute Ricky didn’t want to interrupt her. Elphie’s forehead had that cute little crinkle it did whenever she was passionate about what she was talking about, and he figured now was as good a time as any. “Fae?” She turned towards him, looking worried. “Yes?” “Do you, I dunno, want to go out sometime?” He held his breath, genuinely nervous. The school’s infamous bad boy, the guy that everybody wanted to ask out at some point, was nervous. The look on her face was one he’d never forget. There was a moment of shock, before she split into the widest grin he’d ever seen her wear. “Yes, I’d like that very much.” The grin on his face mirrored hers, and he turned back to his textbook.

Their relationship was amazing, if a little codependent, from that moment on. Where there was one, you were guaranteed to find the other. Ricky had his own apartment off campus, and the amount of times that Elphie slept over ( in the most innocent way possible, watching Disney movies until they fell asleep. with the age gap, both of them agreed that they wouldn’t do anything until she was legally able to give consent. ) couldn’t be counted.

When she brought him home for the first time, her brought flowers for Carly and was on his absolutely best behavior. He was sweet as could be, and acted the same way around the Wicked squad. More than anything, they were happy around each other. Elphie’s eyes were always bright, lips curved into a new lopsided smile. ( that mimicked the smile that Ally used to have specially for Carly )

Everything was picture book perfect for about a year and 4 months. Then it happened. As happy as Ricky was, there as something pulling him back towards the way he used to live. He missed the parties, missed the drinking, missed the drugs. So, he figured why not combine them. If he could show Elphie how amazing it was to forget everything for long periods of time, then he could have his Fae and his parties.

Elphie wouldn’t usually, but this was RICKY. She trusted him with her life. She tried to reason that lots of college kids went to parties, that it was nothing too terrible. So...she agreed. Knowing her meds wouldn’t mix well with alcohol, Ricky talked her into going off them for a while.

The first party is a catalyst. Elphie finds out that when she’s drinking, her superhuman brain isn’t thinking. And she LOVES it. She LOVES everything about it. How she doesn’t feel like an outsider. How she feels totally normal. How Ricky’s lips feel against her jaw. All of it. There’s no coming back from that first party.

Everything goes down the drain in the coming week. She stops returning calls and texts, and is more often drunk than not. As good as Ricky & Elphie had been building each other up, it seemed they were even better at tearing each other down. Quickly, their relationship turned toxic. But Elphie was too drunk on him and on whatever was at the parties she went to to even care.

Fast forward a month. Ricky got into a nasty drunken brawl defending Elphie at the club they were at for their anniversary. He beats the guy into unconsciousness, and before he’s arrested he tells Elphie to run so she doesn’t get in trouble. She takes off, panicking. Then, she comes up with an idea. It’s rash and stupid, but she follows it anyways. She’ll break him out and then they lay low for a week or two. Wait for things to blow over. She leave Teddy & Mr. Pickles (The cat her & Ricky adopted together) with a close friend. After breaking Ricky out, she leaves her mom a quick voicemail saying not to worry and she’ll be home soon.

What’s supposed to be a week turns into something bordering on two and a half months. By then, Elphie had slowed down enough to actually start thinking. And what she’s thinking is that she doesn’t like this life as much as she used to. She misses her family, misses her friends. Misses the old Ricky. But when she tries to tell Ricky all of that, he doesn’t exactly take it well.

His hand shot out, wrapping tightly around her wrist. He was squeezing hard enough that it HURT. Elphie tried to pull her hand free, eyes wide with disbelief. “Ricky, Ricky you're HURTING me.” At her words, he let go, stumbling back. “You can't go, you can't just leave me, Fae. We promised we'd take care of each other, remember?” There was something oh so desperate in his eyes, but Elphie turned away and sighed. She'd made that promise a long time ago, to a boy who was long gone. It hurt to admit it, but the Ricky she'd known - the one she loved - wasn't there anymore. And the man who wore his face was dragging her down a path she didn't want to take. But still, she had to try to save him. “Then come with me. We can't keep doing this Ricky. Living like this....it was cool at first but....i miss my family. I miss my momma, so much that it hurts. So let's get sober, together, and you cam make a home with me.” There was a last ember of hope in her voice, that he might take her offered hand and follow her to a new world. A better world. Instead he turned away, running a hand through his hair. “I....I can't. You can't either. This is where we BELONG, Elphaba, why can't you see that?? Your family, your ma, I doubt they'll even take you back after this. You left them, abandoned them, made your choice. You chose me. You go back there, they'll turn you out on the street.” The thought made her stomach turn nastily, her head swimming with visions from her worst nightmares. Her mind painted a picture of her mother, with the same thinly veiled cold disgust she'd seen Ricky's father give him. And it was almost enough to knock her down. But she shook those mental images away, remembering her momma. The same mom who'd always been there, through the good times and the bad. Who'd held her close and kissed her forehead when she was sick. Who'd fought with the principal tooth and nail when the kids had been bullying her. Her mother would never turn her away, no matter how badly she screwed up. No matter how badly she deserved it. “I'm going home, Ricky.” He turned suddenly, beyond livid, and what happened next unrolled so fast Elphie didn't quite have the time to realize what was happening. One second she was talking to him, trying to say her goodbye, and the next she was on the ground, hand gingerly cupping her swelling cheek. She looked up at him, and even with her brilliant mind her blank stare was proof that she wasn't processing what happened. Ricky looks down at his own hand, shock and horror quickly taking over his features. “Fae, Fae I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me, I didn't mean it, I'm so-” “DON'T.” Her voice was cold, detached, and she pushed herself to her feet. “Just don't, Richard. I'm done, I can't do this anymore. Maybe one day, when you realize that this life isn't for you and get sober we can talk. But until then, I never want to hear from you again.” The entire things sounds robotic to her ears, but perhaps that was just the fact that she couldn't deal with what was happening. Because while she HATED the fact that she'd followed him down this self destructive path, that she'd fallen for him, it didn't change the fact that a piece of her would always love him. The connection between them, it was unbreakable. Loving someone as fiercely as they had loved each other, it created the kind of ties that could never truly be severed. And she HATED him even more for that.

Elphie goes to a program for two weeks, gets the worst of it out of her system. Getting sober is a long, difficult process and she fights for it every step of the way. Every time Ricky comes around, her hopes that he’s finally getting sober skyrocket. But every time, it’s just him telling her that they need to run away together. The reason she acts like she hates Ricky is because it’s easier that way. Easier than dealing with the pain of knowing she can’t save him. Of knowing even though he says he loves her, he’ll choose his vices over her again and again and again, without fail.

The truth is, if Ricky actually got sober and came back around? There’s no doubt in my mind Elphie would give him a second chance in a heartbeat. Because she LOVES him, she always has, and knowing that he’s trying would be enough for her.

#(OH GEEZ this is super super super long but i mean their relationship is super super super complicated so...)#(also it's really late here and i'm tired i apologize in advance for any typos)#❝ ᵗʰᵉ ʰᵉʳᵒᵉˢ ᶠᵃˡˡ ʰᵃʳᵈᵉˢᵗ.❞ ||「☤ 」 About #❝ ᵃʳᵉ ʸᵒᵘ ʰᵃᵖᵖʸ ᶰᵒʷ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ˢʰᵉ'ˢ ᵒᶰ ᵗʰᵉ ᵍʳᵒᵘᶰᵈ?❞ || ➩ ELPHABA SUN #❝ ʰᵒˡᵈ ᵒᶰ ᵗᵒ ᵐᵉ ᶜᵃᵘˢᵉ ᶤ'ᵐ ᵃ ˡᶤᵗᵗˡᵉ ᵘᶰˢᵗᵉᵃᵈʸ.❞ || ➩ RICHARD WHITE #NOTP: I Want You To Color Me Blue...Anything It Takes To Make You Stay || Ricky & Elphie

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