What? Another story by Riti? But SKDT isn't finished. Yeah, It's on a temporary hiatus. This was a hard chapter to write the first time through, and it's a hard one again. I'm even changing one of the details. Originally Jacques was going to be a part of the Wizard's mind that took the form of Elphaba. Deciding that after he heard rumor that she disappeared and was presumed killed, he denied her existence as anything more than a figment of his imagination to deal with the fact he lacked an heir after him in a strange way.

Also, Tiggy finished Better To Have Loved and I felt in the mood to post my attempt at Bookverse. I don't know why I don't write for it. It's the first of the two I visited. I think it's because of the depth of the characters and I don't think I can accurately portray it. Yet I'm doing it now. I highly highly request concrit, especially when it comes to the portrayals of various characters.

This was written as a chapter fic, I have the next three chapters written out as well, but it might work lovely as a oneshot, so if you prefer it to end here versus later, let me know. Thank you.

Edit as of 1/24/09: G.G. is helping me out a bit with strengthening my writing. this and other chapters have had some slight editing going on.

Disclaimer: If I only had the creativity, but that’s Maguire.

Fiyero spent most of Lurlinemas Eve debating if he should trust Elphaba or defy her orders to make sure she was safe. Several times throughout the day, he grabbed his coat and started to put it on before taking it off. One time, he almost left the club before second-guessing himself.

In the end, he realized that all the other times she sent him away for a week or more, he had listened to her and stayed safe. Not once was he hurt. Why should he defy her this one time? If he did, he knew she would likely disappear to someplace else and he would have to begin again.

He followed her advice and took a long bath, but chose to use warm water instead. She would never know that much, would she? Even if she did, she probably wouldn’t care. He found himself imagining Elphaba in there as well, making her usual remarks (and pointing out the absurdity of her in the bathtub with him) while simultaneously having that look in her eyes that meant she had something more interesting to him on her mind that what she spoke of.

In his mind, Elphaba crawled onto him and kissed him lightly at first, but then more and more passionately…

A large explosion sounded, breaking him from his fantasy. He quickly dried himself and got dressed. He pulled his cloak on and headed outside. He wasn’t the first at the club to have the idea, or at least, not the first to get out.

This is why you wanted me safe, he thought. This is what you’re doing.

Unfortunately, he saw little more than a man being pulled away by Gale Forcers, and medics coming to collect those injured or killed in the blast.

“What was it?” he muttered aloud.

“It was supposedly just a house,” the man next to him said. “But rumors had it, and it was proven, to have some sort of importance politically.”

Fiyero was tempted to run, to go to the Corn Exchange and make sure she was safe, but all he could think of was Elphaba disappearing if he did. Regretfully, and very scared, he turned and headed back to the club and his room.

He half expected Elphaba to appear sometime in the night, but she knew nothing more than he stayed in a club in one of the better districts of the City.

The next day, he thought about heading to the Corn Exchange, seeing Elphaba, but all the streets in the poor district were heavily watched. Whatever that man had done was only one success with many other failures. Elphaba was likely among the failures. He left for home the next day, despite all the danger he knew he’d face, but he’d faced the challenges, he could fight back.

“What kept you?” Sarima asked when he returned.

“The sessions needed more time,” Fiyero lied. If he wouldn’t sleep with her sisters, what would make sleeping with Elphaba fine to her? Elphaba… he had to forget about her. She was dead, or at least he hoped she was. She might not have thought she had a soul, but he did, and he believed that she had a better life on the Other Side.

It would beat what would have happened if she failed and lived. She would have been dragged away to Southstairs or some other unknown prison that was even worse. He heard various rumors of this and that… all terrible.

“You look tense,” Sarima said, suddenly more forgiving than usual. “Maybe I can help you out with that? Or maybe Two, or Three?”

“I don’t want them,” Fiyero said. “I’ve made it clear I don’t want them before, why would I want them now?”

“What about me? Nor might like a little sibling to play with, the boys always exclude her from their games. This one wouldn’t be able to say no for a long time…”

Fiyero glared. “I don’t need sex, Sarima. Leave me alone.”

He stalked off, not sure where he would head, but he needed to be away from Sarima and her giggling sisters.

But if his children found him, he’d let them spend time with him. He liked his kids, even if he didn’t care for their mother. He never really had; it was a wonder that he and Sarima even managed to have them.

Still, he liked his kids, and they cared for him because they wanted to. Even Irji had little idea about obligations in life, especially since Fiyero was losing the battle on teaching them.

He had survived the failed attacks of Lurlinemas Eve; he could win anything now. He found himself climbing up one of the towers. He knew there was a room there, originally meant for a sentry in his father’s time, but they were at peace now. So it would be where he would hide, where he could mourn Elphaba’s death without anyone interrupting him.

“Daddy?” Except for his kids, like he decided.

He turned around. “Yes Nor?” He forced a smile.

“Why were you and Mommy yelling? Am I getting a baby brother or sister?”

Fiyero shook his head. “Nor, something kept me in the City and it… wasn’t good.” It changed me. He noticed that she was holding something. “Is that a story you want read?”

Nor nodded furiously and pushed the book towards him.

“Well then…” he took the book and opened it up. “A long time ago, in a land far away…”

He read the story to her, twice, three times, each time more and more involved.

“Again!” she said giggling.

Fiyero shook his head. “No more Nor. I need some time by myself.”

Nor pouted. “Tell me a different story then.”

“Another time,” he said, hugging his daughter.

Somehow, he started composing the story of him and Elphaba.

Once Upon A Time, it began. Here in Oz, there was a prince. He wasn’t like those in other stories, instead of skin and hair the color of the sun, he was the color of night. While he had quite a bit of money, he didn’t have so much that he could buy the world. He was married young to a woman from the tribe, but he couldn’t see her. He saw her once by accident, but he never really cared then.

When he was eighteen, he headed to school at Shiz, Ozma Towers to be precise. He had a bad first day, involving magicked antlers. This caused a few boys from Three Queens to try and help him. He befriended one who brought him into a group of several more people. They all welcomed him, this strange group that had people from all the schools and all the countries, if two Munchkinlanders who grew up in Quadling Country thought it would be fun to claim it as their home. There was even one peculiar girl who had green skin. She interested the Prince because despite her anti-social behavior, she always came willingly.

The group split when the Green girl disappeared into an equally green city while most of the group ended up at the Philosophy Club which ruined one of the Three Queens boys’ lives. Some graduated that year, more the next, and finally the Prince the year after. He met his wife and had three kids.

Three years after graduation, the Prince found the Green Girl, who wanted to fight for the right side. The prince was amazed by the girl again, this time because of her spirit. He thought he fell in love. He hoped she did too. But she died fighting for what she believed in, or got caught and tortured for it. Two days after she died, he left to go back to his wife and children, upset he lost the woman he wanted.

Nor would hate it though. It destroyed everything Nor loved about fairy tales. He also feared she would tell Sarima. He would lose every argument (Not like he did with most already) with her, if she had that trump card.

It was his story. He wouldn’t let it get out until he was dead.

The next day, Nor came back, carrying a different story, and Irji and Manek following her. He read it, with all three very eagerly requesting the tale be told again and again.

Every few days it would happen again, with Sarima and her sisters wondering where they snuck off to. When they didn’t come, he tried to draw his children. Occasionally, he’d ask for them to stay so he could get a portrait of all three done for him.

He very rarely headed down to face the women. But now he seemed to win his arguments with Sarima far more often, especially since he noticed Manek and Irji with a few markings of their own a few months into his seclusion. He knew their claims that “Mommy’s doing what you want” were more than just something to make him happy.

It did make him happy. Elphaba rubbed off on him, before she died. He had some of her with him. If only that some of her was enough