A/N- Helloooooo! My first ever, non-songfic oneshot! Exciting, I know. That's probably why the ending sucks.. I'm not good at endings...

For those of you who are following Discovered, don't hate me for this. This was literally Heck Week, and beginning today, it really is Heck Week. You guessed it... the infamous Tech Week! Duhn Duhn Duhn.. opening is Wednesday for Fiddler on the Roof... and I'm the only one off book. Well, if anything, this week should be... interesting.

I posted today because I needed to give a prezzy to anyone who has ever read or reviewed my stories.. scratch that, anyone who has ever reviewed. I love you guys! It's like in elementary school, when it was your birthday you brought cupcakes for everyone else... Yup! Today is my birthday! Instead of cupcakes you get my first (and worst) oneshot ever!

Disclaimer: When you google Wicked (though I'm not sure why you would: If you're like me you know everything you could possibly know about Wicked), Stephen, Winnie, and Gregory's names pop up. Sometimes Idina, Kristin, and Norbert... not mine. Though I wouldn't mind being the next Elphaba... (Hey! I was Elphaba #5 so many years ago... I got to do Defying Gravity.. I'll shut up now!)

Enjoy...

He had had it. He had only been at his surprise engagement party for five minutes, and he was ready to leave. Not only was he set to marry Glinda, something he did not want to do, but wherever he went nowadays, the conversation always turned to a conversation about Elphaba, or the Wicked Witch of the East as everyone liked to call her.

"I hear her soul is so unclear pure water can melt her!" A man from the audience cried.

"What?" Fiyero asked, enraged. The crowd burst into chatter.

"Please, somebody go and melt her!" one woman shrieked. Some of them looked to Fiyero expectantly. As Captain of the Gale Force, it was Fiyero's job to search for Elphaba, he knew. They wanted him to melt her? This was one of the biggest lies he had ever heard. He was torn between fury and the strange desire to laugh at everyone's foolishness. He turned to Glinda, his fiancee as of moments ago.

"Did you hear that? Water will melt her?" He asked angrily. "People are so empty headed they'll believe anything!" Glinda giggled nervously and looked back at the crowd. No one seemed to hear Fiyero, but all the same she pulled him out of earshot.

"Excuse us, just a tik-tok," she called to her fans. She turned to Fiyero and gave him a look that clearly said "Talk."

"I can't stand here grinning, pretending to go along with this," Fiyero said. He knew there would be hell to pay for that comment, but he didn't care. Elphaba was a forbidden subject, something that was a closed case, permanently. That's the reason he joined the Gale Force in the first place. Their soul purpose was to find and kill the Wicked Witch of the West. Now that he could control them, Fiyero knew he would be able to find her and hopefully clear her name.

"Do you think I like hearing them say those awful things about her?" Glinda asked. "I hate it!" Fiyero stared in shock for a moment. Since the day Elphaba had left for the Emerald City and never come back, when Glinda had returned to Shiz tears streaming down her face, she had only said the hateful things Oz wanted her to say. The thing was, she said them no matter where she was: talking to a crowd of people or having a one-on-one conversation with Fiyero. He was sick and tired of hearing everyone talk about his friend that way.

"Then what are we doing here? Let's go, let's get out of here," Fiyero said, walking towards the exit. Glinda grabbed his arm.

"Fiyero! We can't leave now, now when people are looking to us to raise their spirits," she replied. He cringed at the word "us." He didn't even know how that "us" came to be. A dance in college turned into an "us," so much later.

"You can't leave because you can't resist this. And that's the truth," he added, daring her to contradict him. She glared at him ferociously as if to say, "How dare you suggest such a thing?" Glinda gave in.

"Maybe I can't," she said resignedly. "Is that so wrong? Who could?" That was the wrong thing to say, and they both knew it.

"You know who could." Glinda gave him a look, begging him not to say it. "Who has." Glinda's face became unreadable. He knew it was coming. He was going to get a lecture on how Elphaba had abandoned her in the Wizard's palace so long ago... how it was all her fault... Fiyero braced himself.

"Fiyero, I miss her too," Glinda said quietly. He looked up at her, amazed.

"You do?" Fiyero asked. He had assumed she had grown apart from her best friend. She had never been so... caring about Elphaba since the day she came back in tears. After that, she acted as though nothing were wrong and pretended she had never been friends with her. Glinda nodded.

"But Fiyero, we can't just stop living," she insisted. Who is "we?" Fiyero was still getting used to the idea Glinda didn't hate her former roommate. "No one has searched harder for her than you." It was true. Since Elphaba had been deemed the Wicked Witch of the West, Fiyero had joined the Gale Force (once graduating, of course), become the captain, and had, from then on, dedicated his life to finding Elphaba. From early in the morning to late at night, Fiyero was closed in his study, reviewing notes and his large map, decorated with multicolored thumbtacks, plotting the places she had been spotted.

"But don't you see?" Glinda asked almost desperately. "She doesn't want to be found." Could that really be true? Did she not want to be found? Either way, it was a losing battle Fiyero was fighting.

"You're right. I'm sorry. And if it will make you happy, of course I'll marry you," Fiyero said, taking a step backwards. He couldn't stand being in the room anymore. Glinda smiled brightly, and just as quickly, the smile faded.

"But... you'll be happy too, right?" the blonde asked.

"You know me," Fiyero said with a shrug, taking another step backwards. "I'm always happy." He turned and left the room.

He could hear Glinda calling his name, but he didn't turn around. He walked quickly to his office, the one place he didn't have to hide. He could talk about the green girl from dawn until dusk and nobody would judge him.

Whenever he mentioned Elphaba in front of Glinda, he got a lecture on why she was a disgrace and was never to be mentioned again. Nevertheless, Fiyero couldn't help it. He thought about her constantly, and was surprised Glinda never noticed anything. He almost felt a little sorry for her. She was too naïve to realize he never really loved her...

"Congratulotions," several people called to him as he walked down the hallways. How they knew he was engaged already, he had no idea. Glinda had probably told them before she told him. Wasn't the guy supposed to do the proposing? Fiyero walked faster, and slammed his office door shut. With a sigh, he walked around the room slowly.

He fingered his shining musket, sitting next to his two-way radios. He hadn't needed them recently, and hoped he would never need them. He hated the idea that if the Gale Force ran into Elphaba at the wrong time he might not be able to call off the soldiers without calling attention to himself. He knew if worse came to worst, he could just leave... If she could become an outlaw at the drop of a hat, so could he. His eyes fell on an old photo of himself, Glinda, and Elphaba. He stood in between them, arms around both. He shuddered at the thought that there was a possibility that someday he would be forced to use that gun on her.

Fiyero closed his eyes. He enjoyed the silence while he could, not knowing how long it would be before Glinda came knocking on the door or calling his office phone. He wandered over to the large map of Oz on the wall. A row of red tacks were connected with a piece of red thread, tracking the places Elphaba had been seen. The blue tacks marked the places she could have been seen. The worst part of being the captain of the Gale Force was that he was the one that had to order the troops to search. They'd searched almost everywhere. Sooner or later, they would have to come across Elphaba's hiding place. He hoped that until he knew where to avoid, they would not find the place.

The phone rang. With a sigh, Fiyero made his way over to it.

"Hello?" he asked cautiously. Everything everyone did nowadays was cautiously. For Oz, it was in case the Witch came calling. For Fiyero, it was in case Glinda came calling.

"Is this Captain Tiggular?" the voice asked.

"Who is this?"

"Sir, it's Private Saunders. I'm calling from the pay phone on Topeka street," he said nervously.

"Isn't today your day off, Saunders?" Fiyero asked.

"Yes- Yes sir. But there is a sighting of the Wicked Witch at the edge of the Great Gillikin Forest, sir."

"Are you sure this is legitimate? Not another tree?" There had been several experiences where people had mistaken unusual planets in the sky or a fallen tree for the Wicked Witch.

"Never seen a tree that shoots fire, sir," Private Saunders replied.

"We'll be there. Don't lost sight of her," Fiyero said. Private Saunders agreed and they hung up.

He didn't want to get his hopes up, but Fiyero couldn't fight the soaring feeling in his stomach. This could be what he had been waiting for. He grabbed his gear and headed down to the barracks, calling out instructions. Within moments, the soldiers were ready to leave.

He had never been very religious, but he prayed to the Unnamed God that he'd find a way to talk to Elphaba. The last time there had been a real sighting was over six months ago, and Fiyero barely managed to keep the guards from shooting. Maybe, just maybe, it would work out.

Elphaba panted heavily. She couldn't shoot fire much longer. She knew by now, somebody had to have seen her, because the houses a little ways off all had their lights on now. She admitted to herself it was potential suicide, to send fire into the air as if they were fireworks. She had to do something, though. Those poor Deer were about to be shot.. the hunter had run off of course. He was probably the one to alert the rest of the town...

Shit.

They would have called the Gale Force hotline. The number had been set up specifically if she was ever spotted... The Birds that kept her informed told her the number went straight to the captain of the Gale Force's office... which meant... Shit. They were coming.

The Deer she was helping earlier thanked her quietly and scampered off with her family. Thank Oz it was nighttime, or she could be in Southstair by now. She heard the shouts ring out.

"All right men. Search the area. You two, watch the skies. The rest of you, let's go," the voice called. Fiyero? Could it really be him?

Elphaba watched flecks of light in the distance that could only be the soldiers' flashlights. In a desperate attempt to distract the men from her location, she sent on more burst of fire into the air. She sent it far, hoping it would look like it came from somewhere else. It worked. The flashlights all moved away before stopping again. She knew she was risking it, but she silently moved closer, hoping to hear why they had stopped.

"What if it's a trap?" someone asked. That was definitely not Fiyero.

"I'm not sure how it could be," someone else replied impatiently. Was that him? It had been so long.. had she forgotten what he sounded like?

"Well, if she knows we're here, she could have sent that farther away to make us go there." Elphaba held her breath.

"That doesn't make sense. But if you're that worried, a few can go this way. The rest of you, go check out that fire before she gets out of here," the Captain stated. She still couldn't tell if it was him. It had to be, right? She hadn't heard of a new Captain being appointed, unless Fiyero simply hadn't come and someone else was in charge. "Move out."

Elphaba began to back away quietly. She finally turned and ran, as silently as she could. She flattened herself against a large oak when she heard footsteps nearby. This was it. She was done for.

She closed her eyes and pressed herself against the tree again. A man came into view. He didn't appear to see her. He walked around there for a moment before seeming to leave. Noiselessly, she moved away from the tree, in the opposite direction the soldier had seemed to go in.

Of course, Elphaba seemed to have the worst luck of anyone, ever. She managed to step on what must have been the only twig in the forest. She cringed as it snapped and the soldier returned quickly. Now she really had no chance. If he didn't see her, he'd surely hear her heart pounding in her head. Once again, the soldier went out of view. What was going on? She soon found out.

Within moments, hands encircled her wrists and pulled them behind her.

"I haven't done anything," she said through gritted teeth.

"Silence, witch."

"I was only helping a Deer, she was about to get shot, her and her family-"

"Shut up!" The soldier hissed. He tied rope around her wrists, and he let go. She didn't know if it was on purpose or not, but she realized he hadn't really tied her that well. When the right moment came, she could break free.

The soldier stepped back to admire his handiwork, before circling her.

"The Wicked Witch of the West," he whistled. "Miss Elphaba Thropp." Elphaba's breath caught. She turned to him furiously.

"How do you know I'm-" she couldn't finish her sentence. This wasn't any soldier, it was- "Fiyero," she said quietly. He stared at her for a moment, as if he couldn't believe she was there. Quite frankly, she couldn't believe it either.

Without warning, Fiyero shot forward. Elphaba thought he was trying to strangle her until she realized he was hugging her. Unsure of what to do, she didn't move at all. He held her at arms length, grinning widely. She stared back at him.

"Oz, it's good to see you again," he said, before hugging her close again. She stared at his hand. A gold engagement ring. Already? was the question she thought of first. She had known it was coming since he was appointed Captain of the Gale Force. That didn't mean she liked it.

"You too," she said, without emotion. They both looked up in time to see a Sparrow fly down from above them. It landed on the ground, wheezing. Elphaba carefully bent down and picked it up, stroking its feathers and pulling off the poorly tied rope. Of course, it was tied poorly on purpose. "Are you alright?" she asked the Bird. Fiyero couldn't help but feel a little jealous.. Why didn't she talk to him that way? Never mind, he knew why. He stepped backwards, hiding in the shadow of the oak.

"Miss... Elphaba..." the Bird panted. "News from... the city... Captain... Fiyero... is engaged... to Lady... Glinda..."

"I know," she told it quietly. The Sparrow took a moment and calmed down.

"How do you know? Have you been inside the city?" Elphaba shook her head.

"Are you alright?"

"Are you alright?" the little Bird returned. He tilted his head with curiosity.

"Yes, Rebpur," she told him. "I've just got the entire Gale Force after me, that's all." She said it as though it were no big deal. Rebpur squeaked with indignation and fright.

"Are they here?" She nodded. "Well.. Well I can go and maybe distract them. Do you think I could be loud enough?" Elphaba smiled at the Bird's determination.

"I'm sure you could be. But there's no need. They know I'm here." The Bird began hopping furiously.

"Well.. they don't know we're in this spot, do they?"

"They could..." she answered thoughtfully.

"Wait, what does that mean?"

"One of them knows I'm here. I don't know if he's alerted the others yet." Fiyero stepped out of the shadows.

"Why would I have done that?" Fiyero asked suddenly. The Witch turned to him slowly.

"Because I'm public enemy number one. The Wicked Witch of the West," she said simply, a cold gleam in her eye.

"And I'm the head of the Gale Force," -Rebpur chirped in shock- "Are you going to send me flowers?"

"If that's what you want for your engagement present, then so be it."

"How did you-"

"You can't walk around with a ring as big as Oz without people noticing it, Fiyero," Elphaba interrupted, tilting her head towards his hand. On instinct, he moved it behind him. "Honestly, Fiyero. That won't do you any good. Why don't you just retie the rope and call the rest of those asses so we can get this over with and you can go back to Glinda?" She held it out, looking bored.

"I... I can't," Fiyero said finally.

"And why is that? I haven't got all night. They'll be wondering where you've gone."

"Elphaba I... I love you." She stared at him for a moment, and Rebpur looked like he was about to faint.

"Funny way of showing it," she hissed. "Becoming a Gale Force soldier- the one occupation bent obsessively on killing me."

"What else could I do? I became a soldier so I could dedicate my life to finding you." Elphaba snorted. "It's true. And besides, do you have any idea how hard it is to put up with listening to thousands of people criticizing your love every day? How hard it is to put up with that love's best friend accuse her of abandoning her? Yes, Elphaba. Glinda hasn't shut up about how you've betrayed us all by leaving the palace that day. Do you know how hard it is to listen to people trading fantasies about killing your love and stoning her to death? That's all anyone talks about: How they're going to kill you," he said.

"As a matter of fact I do know how hard it is. In case you haven't forgotten, I'm the one they're out to kill," Elphaba hissed back. "How about this? You can live on the run from Animal camp to Animal camp, and I'll go sit home in a big fluffy palace." Fiyero was silent. "And I could blame Glinda for abandoning me if I wanted to. I offered her to come with me and she refused, saying it was too much of a risk. How about that? Your best friend giving your friendship up because it was a risk." Again, Fiyero was silent. He had never known that side of the story. He wasn't sure he had anything more to say. He studied Elphaba in the pale glow of the moonlight. She had lost weight, much weight, since the last time he had seen her. Her dress hung a little loose, a clear implication of how skinny she had gotten. Her dress was torn in several places, mended clumsily with other fabric. Her arms, somewhat exposed, were covered in scratches, some worse than others. Some hardly penetrated the skin, while one or two looked like they needed serious care. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her skin was slightly paler green than before. Her eyes themselves were dark brown, full of pain, sadness, and hatred. As far as Fiyero could see, there was no compassion left for him.

"Do you remember that day, with that Lion Cub?" Fiyero asked, suddenly. He absentmindedly fingered the scar on his right cheek where the Lion had scratched him. Elphaba nodded, the steeliness in her gaze softened just a bit. "I remember it well. I think about it all the time." He stared into the distance for a moment. "Aren't you sick of this, Elphaba? Aren't you tired of being the strong one?" The compassion in her eyes was gone.

"You think I have an option? You think I do this just for fun? Let's see how much she can take before she snaps! I'm sick of running, and I'm sick of being chased after. There's nothing I can do about that, unless I drop dead. There's nothing that can change that." Her expression wavered and she wiped her face angrily. He pulled her into a hug and this time, she hugged back. "I missed you," she whispered, inhaling deeply.

"I missed you too," he replied, grinning. They heard shouts from the other side of the forest. The other soldiers. "Promise you'll be careful," he insisted.

"I promise. Watch out for Rebpur. He'll send messages to you, won't you?" Elphaba asked the Sparrow, who bounced happily.

Elphaba backed away from Fiyero and deeper into the forest, where she grabbed her broom and shot into the air.

The Gale Force crowded around Fiyero and watched as the Wicked Witch of the West flew out of the forest and towards the west. They raised their guns.

"Hold your fire," Fiyero ordered. "If you shoot wrong you'll kill her. Morrible would then kill you." Some of the soldiers agreed, and others kept their weapons facing sky-ward. One glare from Fiyero, and they lowered them reluctantly. They began the journey back to the palace. Fiyero caught Private Saunders by the arm.

"Yes, sir?"

"Thank you for calling today," Fiyero said, giving him a smile.

"But... we lost her," he replied, nervously. Fiyero nodded and turned away, so that no one could see the grin on his face.

"We'll get her someday," he promised, if not to Private Saunders then to himself. He couldn't wait until that day came.

A/N- You could probably tell where this falls in Wicked... If not, please reread the first paragraph or so again. The ending stunk, I know... blame it on my life! Tech Week, two HUGE assignments due, presenting said assignments, reviewing lines, all that fun stuff! I warned you Discovered followers I could be slow for a bit.. I'm guaranteed to be back after today. Not saying chapter 12 is coming Sunday, but that's when I can focus. This and lines and assignments have been running my life... Sorry for the epic author's notes! Needed to get that out...