practically perfect
Glinda hummed to herself as she worked.
After all that mess last night, she’d realized just how much work she still had to do. Things could still be better. More perfect.
Boq and Nessarose were not happy with each other. No matter how well it was hidden, there were cracks in their relationship which would be clear for anyone to see and Glinda couldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t let Elphaba think that her sister was trapped in a loveless marriage.
And she certainly couldn’t let Elphaba think that she was just going to let it happen.
And so Glinda worked.
Flipping through the pages of the book, she searched and searched for the perfect solution to their little problem.
“Hmm, that could work… no, no that is much too dirty. Someone will get hurt,” Glinda murmured to herself as she continued reading. “This one would take too much effort, no, I can’t possibly pull that off. What about… oh yes. This will do nicely.”
With a satisfied smile, Glinda felt the familiar pull of her magic shifting around her, carrying out her will.
“Glinda? What are you doing?”
Glinda yelped, jumping in surprise. Her magic dissipated and she twirled around, folding her hands innocently behind her back as she took in Elphaba, wrapped in her robe gazing at Glinda through sleep-lidded eyes.
“Nothing, darling,” Glinda replied with a sweet smile as Elphaba approached her. “Why are you awake so early? It’s the weekend.”
“I could ask you the same thing,” Elphaba replied, wrapping her arms around Glinda’s waist and settling her chin atop her head. “It was cold without you. Come back to bed.”
Her entire body relaxed as she melted into Elphaba’s grasp, warmth blossoming in her chest and spreading to the rest of her body.
“I’m sorry, dearest, I was just working on something,” Glinda replied apologetically.
Elphaba peered behind Glinda, looking at the book she’d been reading. She turned back to Glinda, one eyebrow raised. “Is there something you need to tell me?”
“Why would there be?” Glinda questioned innocently.
“I don’t know,” Elphaba replied, reaching behind Glinda to grab the book off the countertop, displaying the cover. “Why else would you be reading this?”
“There is a perfectly good reason for that!” Glinda replied, feeling her cheeks heat up.
“Married Life: A Guide to Nurturing and Protecting Eternal Love,” Elphaba recited, reading the title of the book. She turned back to Glinda, an amused smile playing at her lips. “Care to explain, my dear wife?”
“Elphie!” Glinda shrieked, grabbing the book out of Elphaba’s hands and shoving it back into the cabinet. “You’re being very mean right now.”
“I haven’t learned how to nurture and protect our eternal love yet,” Elphaba teased. “Bring the book back out, maybe I can learn something.”
“It’s not for us, you wicked old thing,” Glinda huffed, swatting Elphaba’s hand away. “Although maybe it would do you some good to read it so you’d know to be kinder to your wife.”
“If it’s not for us, my sweet, then pray tell: who is it for?” Elphaba challenged playfully.
Glinda crossed her arms, mumbling under her breath.
“What was that?” Elphaba questioned, her fingers dancing across Glinda’s shoulders.
“I said,” Glinda huffed, “it’s for Nessa and Boq.”
“That is not the response I was expecting.”
“It’s just that they seemed so odd the other day that I thought perhaps I could do something to help them out! What else are sister-in-laws for, after all?”
“You wanted to meddle.”
“I do not meddle!” Glinda protested, affronted. “I merely wanted to do something kind for Nessa and Boq to--”
“--nurture and protect their eternal love?”
“Fine! I’ll just forget it ever happened since you seem so intent on making fun,” Glinda huffed, turning away from Elphaba. “Oz forbid I want to do something good. We can just continue on with our perfectly lovely marriage and leave Nessa and Boq to fend for themselves. It’s not like they wanted our love and support anyways.”
“Glinda, wait,” Elphaba called, gently tugging Glinda back towards her. She placed an apologetic kiss on Glinda’s forehead, smoothing her hair out of her face. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have made fun. It’s very sweet and thoughtful of you to want to help them.”
“Well, I am a very sweet and thoughtful person by nature,” Glinda pouted.
“Yes you are,” Elphaba confirmed with a light laugh. “But don’t you think that if something were wrong, they would’ve said something to us? Nessa tells us practically everything and she’s never mentioned being unhappy. In fact, just last night they went on and on about just how happy they were, remember?”
“You didn’t think anything was wrong?” Glinda questioned, watching Elphaba’s face carefully.
Elphaba frowned slightly, her face scrunching up as she thought. “Now that you mention it, something was off at dinner yesterday.”
Glinda’s heart stumbled in her chest. “Oh?”
“Nessa didn’t take a single sip of her wine, she only drank water. Boq was the one who drank her wine for her, they just switched the cups,” Elphaba said, her eyes widening. “Oh Oz, you don’t think.”
Glinda felt herself nodding, a weight rising off her chest. “I do.”
“My baby sister is pregnant!” Elphaba exclaimed. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
Glinda let out a relieved laugh. “I don’t properly know either, but a girl notices these things, Elphie,” Glinda replied, smiling widely. “Surely you must have noticed that both Nessa and Boq were acting quite strangely last night.”
“I did, but I just thought…” Elphaba trailed off, her eyebrows furrowing.
“Yes?”
“Nevermind what I thought,” Elphaba said, shaking her head. “My little sister is pregnant.”
“Might be pregnant,” Glinda corrected.
“What do we do?”
“Well,” Glinda said, reaching for the book in the cabinet and flipping open to the page she’d been looking at earlier. “I was thinking something like this…”
“And you’re sure this will work? This?” Elphaba asked disbelievingly.
“The book said it would, so it must,” Glinda replied, though she was beginning to wonder what in the world they were doing.
“Where did you get this book again?”
“The book place, obviously.”
“The library definitely does not have a book that would recommend this. That book is some sort of witchcraft.”
“Just because you read more than the average person does not make you an expert on all books, Elphaba.”
“Glinda, sweetheart, there are enchanted shoes tap dancing across our kitchen right now. How is this helping Nessa?”
“Well-- yeah, I don’t know,” Glinda admitted, watching a pair of her own heels click across their kitchen tile. “Ideally, she would be wearing the shoes and they’d just sort of sweep her off her feet, you know?”
The shoes ran into the cupboards for the sixth time and both Glinda and Elphaba watched with a sort of horrified fascination as the shoes righted themselves on their heels and continued around the kitchen as though nothing had happened.
“And Nessa can’t just walk with her own two feet because…?” Elphaba asked.
“Well I thought that once the baby came they’d help her get around more,” Glinda admitted. “A part of me was hoping the shoes would magically learn to do housework for the both of them as well, but I suppose not.”
“Perhaps we’d better let Boq and Nessa come to us in their own time when they need our help,” Elphaba suggested and Glinda found herself nodding in agreement.
“Such a shame. I quite liked those shoes,” Glinda sighed, looking forlornly at the heels.
“Can’t you just, I don’t know, ‘unmagic’ it?” Elphaba questioned.
“A spell can’t be reversed once it’s been cast,” Glinda replied. “You know that, Elphie.”
“I--” Elphaba paused, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. “I suppose I do.”
“What do we do with them? Should we give them away?” Glinda questioned.
“And have someone else walking around in these shoes? Oz no,” Elphaba replied.
The two of them watched as the heels clicked themselves together, dancing around the kitchen.
Glinda tilted her head to the side, observing the heels.
“They’re a bit cute.”
“Glinda, no.”
“Fine.”
“Should we toss them in the garbage and call it a day?”
“A wonderful plan."
After triple bagging the heels, Glinda stood back and watched as Elphaba shoved the bag into the garbage bin, stacking garbage on top of the shoes and shoving it to the bottom of the bin to ensure that there was no chance of escape.
“You’re doing wonderful, darling,” Glinda called out as Elphaba cursed.
“What sort of spell did you put on these things? They’re stubborn,” Elphaba grumbled, slamming the lid back on the bin with a decisive thud.
“They’re designer, dearest, of course they have character,” Glinda replied.
“Well, the next time you decide to enchant designed shoes, you’re the one who gets to toss the body,” Elphaba huffed.
“A body? Should I be worried?”
“Fiyero!” Glinda exclaimed, rushing forward to hug the other man.
“Hello ladies, staying out of trouble, I hope?” Fiyero greeted, accepting Glinda’s hug. “They promoted me, you know, so if you two get into any trouble it’s my job to catch you.”
“As if you could,” Elphaba replied, giving Fiyero a quick hug.
“Point taken,” Fiyero conceded. “Now, what was this about a body being disposed of?”
“It’s nothing.”
The trash bin clanged loudly as the heels kicked.
Fiyero gave the two of them a questioning look, blue eyes dancing with amusement. “You were saying?”
“A failed science project,” Elphaba replied.
“I wouldn’t say failure,” Glinda corrected. “In fact, it worked so very well that we were forced to dispose of them to ensure there was no fighting over such perfection.”
“Ah, of course,” Fiyero nodded indulgently.
“Is there something you needed?” Elphaba asked, changing the subject.
“Yes!” Fiyero said, flashing a wide smile. “I came to invite my two favorite girls to a party being hosted in my name to celebrate my promotion to captain.”
Glinda clapped giddily. “A party! How wonderful!”
“I thought you might say that,” Fiyero smiled, handing over two crisp invitations.
“It starts at 8. Show up at 9 to avoid the bore, and stay afterwards for the real fun,” Fiyero explained as the two of them skimmed the invitation. “It’ll be better than the Ozdust.”
“Aren’t you getting a little too old to be throwing parties like the Ozdust?” Elphaba questioned.
“I said better than the Ozdust, Mrs. Elphaba,” Fiyero corrected with a wink. “And to answer your question, no, I am not getting old. I stay young forever and nothing ever changes, isn’t that right Mrs. Glinda?”
“If you’d like,” Glinda replied indifferently, giving Fiyero a careful look.
Fiyero frowned. “Perhaps you two are the ones who are getting old.”
“Careful.”
“You two will come to the party and we will have fun,” Fiyero said decisively, straightening out invisible creases on his uniform.
“I suppose we could make an appearance,” Elphaba drawled, wrapping an arm around Glinda’s shoulders. “For a little while, at least.”
“I’ll take what I can get,” Fiyero smiled. He tipped his hat to them, bowing with a flourish. “Now if you ladies will excuse me, I have the law to uphold.”
“How did he get that job again?” Elphaba questioned as they watched Fiyero strut away.
“I don’t know,” Glinda admitted. “It made sense at the time.”
“Well, I guess we have a party to get to tonight,” Elphaba said, her voice revealing her distaste.
“Chin up, Elphie! It could be fun!”
“It’s a Fiyero party,” Elphaba deadpanned. “My liver is not nearly young enough to handle that.”
“We are still youthful!” Glinda protested. “It’ll be fun! Just like the old days.”
“Should I be worried?”
“Oh, most definitely. We are going to party until the sun comes up--
“Oh Oz, maybe we are getting old,” Glinda said as her eye twitched from the volume of the music.
Following Fiyero’s instructions, the two of them came to the party fashionably late. Despite Glinda’s big talk earlier, she was decidedly not prepared for the party playing out in front of her.
Music was blaring from speakers, the air was filled with the smell of perfume and cologne and expensive alcohol, and every room was packed with people.
“I tried warning you,” Elphaba replied, also cringing from the party in front of them. “You still look as youthful as ever, though.”
“Charming, darling, but I fear I won’t be able to hear by the end of the night,” Glinda replied. As she spoke, the volume of the party suddenly dropped to a more bearable volume.
“That’s better,” Elphaba smiled. “Drinks?”
“That sounds nice,” Glinda agreed. “I’m going to try and find Fiyero.”
“I’ll find you,” Elphaba promised, squeezing Glinda’s hand before disappearing towards the bar.
Glinda made her way through the party, offering greetings and smiles to familiar faces as she passed through. Around her, people were chatting, dancing, and drinking. In true Fiyero fashion, he had somehow managed to get even the most stringent politicians and officials to let loose.
Just as she was about to give up on finding Fiyero and return to Elphaba, she caught a glimpse of Nessarose running through the party, a hand clapped over her mouth.
Frowning, Glinda followed close behind Nessa. She made a sharp turn, disappearing into the bathroom.
Glinda stopped outside of the bathroom door, pressing her ear to the door. She cringed as she heard the sound of retching come from within the bathroom.
“Oh dear,” Glinda muttered to herself. Raising a fist, Glinda rapped on the door. “Nessa? It’s Glinda. Are you okay in there?”
“Glinda?” came Nessa’s strained response.
“Do you want me to come in?” Glinda offered.
Nessa didn’t reply but the bathroom door creaked open and she took it as her cue to walk in.
As she walked in the bathroom, she found Nessa kneeling in front of the toilet, looking pale.
“Oh dear.” Glinda quickly shut the door behind her, rushing forward towards Nessa. “Are you feeling sick?”
“I guess I drank a little too much,” Nessa replied weakly. Even without looking at nessa’s face, Glinda could tell she was lying.
“You know, I’ve known you and Elphaba for a long time now,” Glinda said conversationally as she pulled Nessa’s hair away from her face. “Even though I’ll admit I know Elphaba much better than I know you, I still do know you, Nessa. I can tell when you’re lying.”
Nessa slumped against the wall. “That obvious, huh?”
“Don’t take it too hard. Elphaba can’t lie to me, either,” Glinda reassured her. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”
“I’m pregnant, aren’t I?” Nessa asked, looking at Glinda.
“If that’s what you’d like.”
“My mom died giving birth to me, did you know that?” Nessa asked, tears forming in her eyes. “She died so I could live.”
“I don’t think it’s that simple,” Glinda replied sadly.
“I didn’t even get to meet her,” Nessa said sadly. “What if I’m pregnant and I don’t even get to meet this baby?”
“You’ll meet your baby,” Glinda said firmly. “We’re all going to take such good care of you. I think you’d make a great mother, Nessa.”
“Do you really think that?” Nessa questioned.
“I do.”
“Okay,” Nessa nodded. “Okay. I’m pregnant.”
“You’re pregnant.”
“I’m pregnant,” Nessa repeated. Her eyes widened. “Oh Oz, I have to tell Boq. And Elphaba will want to know, of course. And I’ll have to set the house up and--”
“Don’t worry about that yet,” Glinda said, helping Nessa to her feet. She reached into her purse, pulling out a compact and beginning to touch up Nessa’s makeup. “You just worry about being happy and pregnant right now.”
“Ok. Just happy and pregnant,” Nessa repeated to herself, nodding along. “I can do that.”
“I know you can.”
There was a knock on the bathroom door.
Nessa’s eyes widened. “I don’t want anyone to know yet!” she exclaimed.
“So don’t tell them?” Glinda replied.
“What do I say as an excuse?” Nessa questioned, gesturing to the door.
“Why do you even need an excuse? Just say we were fixing our makeup, which we are,” Glinda whispered back, hastily touching up Nessa’s makeup with a few expert strokes of her brush.
“People will suspect something!”
“You’re being paranoid, Nessarose.”
“Just help me!”
“Fine!” Glinda huffed, snapping her compact closed and depositing it into her purse. “What do you want me to do?”
“Just-- play along.”
“That’s so reassuring.”
Nessa brushed past Glinda, pulling the door to the bathroom open. Another woman stood outside, looking at them with concern in her eyes.
“Are you dearies alright? I thought I heard someone being sick in there,” the woman said, concern shining in her eyes.
“It’s quite alri--”
“Nothing to worry about!” Nessa cut her off, giving Glinda a pleading look. She turned back to the woman, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You know how it can get.”
The woman looked at them in confusion and Nessa placed a hand over her stomach, nodding over at Glinda, who stared at Nessarose, slack-jawed.
That wicked little wi--
“Oh!” the woman gasped, staring at Glinda with wide, gleeful eyes. “You and Mrs. Elphaba must be so happy!”
“Yes, well it was quite, unexpected,” Glinda said with a fake smile, shooting a pointed look to Nessa, who mouthed a silent apology. “We’re keeping it quiet until it progresses further, so if you wouldn’t mind keeping this bit of information to yourself?”
“Oh yes, of course!” the woman agreed readily, nodding her head so hard the hat perched on her head nearly fell off. “It will be our little secret.”
“Our secret,” Glinda agreed with a saccharine smile.
As soon as the woman disappeared into the bathroom, Glinda rounded on Nessa. “I cannot believe you did that to me.”
“I’m sorry! I panicked!” Nessa defended.
“So you made me pregnant?!”
“How do you think I got this way?” Nessa shot back. “You made me like this!”
Glinda paused, looking at Nessa carefully. “What did you say?”
“I wasn’t meant to say that out loud, was I?” Nessa frowned, her shoulders slumping.
“What?”
“Let’s just go back and do it again, how about that?” Nessa proposed, taking a deep breath. “No harm in wanting things to be done correctly, is there?”
“I don’t--”
“I’m sorry! I panicked!” Nessa exclaimed, repeating her words from earlier.
“You--”
“There you two are!” Elphaba appeared, her hand slipping into Glinda’s, handing her a bubbly drink. “What are you doing over here?”
Glinda’s eyebrows furrowed as she stared at Nessa, who was acting like things were completely normal.
“Just a bit of a close call,” Nessa replied with a cheery smile, plucking the drink out of Glinda’s hand. “I’m going to go find Boq and I’ll let Glinda explain it to you,” Nessa said, promptly disappearing into the party.
“What was that about?” Elphaba questioned, staring after her sister.
“I-- I don’t know,” Glinda replied honestly.
“Weird,” Elphaba remarked, turning her attention back to Glinda, her thumb brushing over Glinda’s knuckles, grounding her. “What was it you were supposed to tell me?”
“Well, I--”
“You’re pregnant?” Fiyero exclaimed, appearing at their side.
“You’re pregnant?” Elphaba repeated, looking at Glinda reverently. Her hand hovered over Glinda’s stomach, eyes wide. “Is that why-- the book?”
“What? No!” Glinda exclaimed, wincing as her voice came out louder than intended, drawing stares from other people.
She took a deep breath, composing herself. She turned to Fiyero. “Who told you I was pregnant?”
“Miss Greyling!” Fiyero replied, looking at her dubiously. “She said you were having baby sickness in the bathroom!”
“She wasn’t supposed to tell anyone,” Glinda groaned.
“You know Miss Greyling loves gossip,” Fiyero replied.
“Well obviously I forgot that detail when I was puking my brains out!” Glinda replied with a huff.
“Wait, so you are pregnant?” Elphaba questioned, squeezing Glinda’s hand.
Glinda smiled lightly, rubbing her thumb over Elphaba’s hand. “No darling, I’m not pregnant,” she replied softly, taking note of the way that Elphaba’s face fell ever so slightly. “I am, however, going to murder your sister. She made me cover for her.”
“If the party didn’t make it clear, I am captain of the police force,” Fiyero reminded them playfully. “No talk of murder. At least not in front of me.”
“Wait, so Nessa is pregnant?” Elphaba questioned, her eyes widening to a comically large size.
“Boq is going to be a dad?” Fiyero questioned excitedly.
“Oh Oz, this is all too much,” Glinda sighed, slapping a hand over her forehead.
“Fiyero, go away,” Elphaba commanded, pulling Glinda towards her, rubbing a comforting hand up and down her arm.
As if in a trance, Fiyero turned away from them, walking robotically into the crowd.
“You’ll have to apologize later, you know how much of a drama queen he can be,” Glinda said to Elphaba, sinking into her side.
“I will. Later,” Elphaba agreed, wrapping a protective arm around Glinda’s shoulders. “So. My sister is pregnant?”
“I stumbled in on her puking in the bathroom. She confirmed it,” Glinda said.
“I wish she would’ve told me,” Elphaba admitted sadly.
“She wanted to tell you first,” Glinda offered gently. “She was just scared.”
“Why would she be scared?” Elphaba questioned. “I’m her sister. I’d be happy for her.”
“She wasn’t scared of you,” Glinda said softly. “It’s pregnancy. When your mother had Nessa, she never woke up. That’s scary for her to think about.”
“But that’s not going to happen to her,” Elphaba argued, her brows furrowing. “Mom was a drunk and she ate all of that milkweed. That’s why she never woke up. Not because of Nessa.”
“And Nessa knows that,” Glinda said reassuringly, “but it still doesn’t make it any less scary. That’s why she was keeping it a secret.”
“I wish she wouldn’t think she had to do it alone,” Elphaba said with a heavy sigh, resting her head atop Glinda’s. “I mean, she knows we’re there for her right?”
“She does, darling. Just let her come when she’s ready.”
“Being wise and patient sucks,” Elphaba huffed.
Glinda chuckled. “I suppose I could meddle a bit.”
“You’re my favorite.”
“I’d better be.”
“I can’t believe Nessa told everyone you were pregnant.”
“I can’t either.”
“How long is that going to last?”
“Glinda! Elphaba!” a very intoxicated man appeared in front of them, slurring his words. He lifted a glass to the both of them. “Congratulations on the good news! It will be wonderful to have new little Munchkins running around this place.”
Glinda plastered on a smile. “Thank you, Tibett.”
Another man appeared, just as intoxicated. “Just the two ladies I was looking for!” he exclaimed, leaning heavily on the other man for support. “Got a little bun in the oven, I hear.”
“It is supposed to be a secret, Crope,” Elphaba replied this time.
“Oh!” both Crope and Tibett exclaimed at the same time. “We wouldn’t dream of telling another soul. Scouts honor.”
“Wonderful. Run along now, boys,” Glinda smiled, shooing them away with a delicate flick of her hand.
The two men stumbled away, their glasses sloshing precariously in their hands.
“I love your sister, but if one more person asks me about my nonexistent pregnancy, I am going to scream,” Glinda murmured through a forced smile.
Elphaba laughed lowly, pulling her closer with an arm around her waist, the two of them slotting together seamlessly. There was a press of lips to her temple. “Hold out, my sweet,” Elphaba murmured into her hair.
Glinda froze, the words echoing in her head.
Hold out, my sweet. A brush of lips. A hurried goodbye. An excruciating pain in her heart, followed by a deep, inconsolable loneliness.
Hold out, my sweet. Green eyes, frantic and apologetic. A book pressed into her hands, the worn leather bindings warm under her fingers, the weight of it was crushing.
I can’t read this.
You’re going to have to. A rush of tears. Words exchanged that spoke of friendship, forgiveness, love, and everything in between. The words left unsaid hung in the air, mocking.
Hold out, my sweet. The splash of water. A terrible scream. The excruciating pain of a broken heart, unable to ever be whole again.
“Glinda?” Suddenly Elphaba was in front of her, green eyes shining with concern as she held Glinda’s face delicately in her hands. “What’s wrong, my love?”
“Nothing,” Glinda found herself saying, desperately pushing away the thoughts that had invaded her mind.
Elphaba frowned slightly, her thumb caressing Glinda’s cheek. “You’re crying.”
“Am I?” Glinda questioned, becoming aware of the moisture on her cheeks. “When did that happen?”
“Let’s go home,” Elphaba said, worry lingering in her gaze as she took Glinda’s hand in her own, anchoring her to reality.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Elphaba questioned once Glinda was settled on the couch back at home.
Glinda accepted the mug of tea Elphaba offered her with a grateful smile, the warmth in her hands grounding her in reality. “I’m okay, Elphie. Really,” Glinda insisted despite the fact the images that flashed through her head earlier were still bothering her.
It all happened so fast that she was barely even able to remember half of the things she saw, but she could not forget how it made her feel.
The pain in her heart was real. The sadness, the grief, they were nearly suffocating.
“You started crying in the middle of a party, sweetheart,” Elphaba reminded her gently, settling next to Glinda on the couch. She took Glinda’s hand in hers, playing with her fingers. “What made you cry?”
I thought you died, Glinda replied in her head. I thought you died and left me alone to live without you and the thought was so painful that I could barely breathe.
But she didn’t want to worry Elphaba. Even though she knew Elphaba would reassure her and make everything better. She didn’t want the thought to linger any longer.
A knock at the door stopped her from having to answer.
The two of them turned to face each other, matching looks of confusion on their faces.
“Are we expecting somebody?” Elphaba questioned.
“I don’t believe we are,” Glinda replied, slightly relieved at having been saved from giving a response. “I wonder who that could be.”
Elphaba rose from the couch, tucking the blankets around Glinda. “You stay here and relax. I’ll go check the door.”
“Alright,” Glinda said, settling comfortably into the cushions of the couch. “Hurry back.”
“I won’t be a second,” Elphaba promised, placing a kiss on Glinda’s forehead before making her way towards the front door.
Glinda closed her eyes, resting her head against the back of the cushion. She released a deep breath, feeling the residuals of her headache fade away.
It wasn’t real. It’s just your mind playing tricks on you, Glinda told herself. Elphaba is here. Everyone is safe. You still have her.
I’m not losing her.
She heard Elphaba’s familiar footsteps approaching and leaned forward to place her mug of tea on the table in front of her, freeing her hands up.
“Who was at the door, dear?” Glinda questioned, lifting the blanket so Elphaba could cuddle in.
“Nobody,” Elphaba replied, resting her body against Glinda’s releasing a contented hum when Glinda’s hand found its way into her hair, scratching softly at her scalp. “Nobody at all.”
“It’s awfully late for someone to be knocking at doors,” Glinda remarked as Elphaba’s head found her way to the crook of her neck. “I do hope we don’t have any troublemakers in the neighborhood.”
“No, no trouble,” Elphaba reassured her. “Just someone who got mixed around. I set them straight.”
Elphaba’s hand came up to rest against Glinda’s stomach. “You know, I think you’d look good pregnant.”
Glinda let out a breathless laugh as Elphaba traced her stomach lightly. “Is that so?”
Elphaba hummed and Glinda could feel the vibrations against her collarbone. “You’d look radiant.”
“I’d have to buy a whole new wardrobe.”
“I think you’d like that.”
Glinda chuckled. “You know me so well.”
“It’s my best trait,” Elphaba replied earnestly, depositing a light kiss on Glinda’s cheek. “What about you? Do you think you’d want that?”
“A new wardrobe?”
“A baby,” Elphaba replied, the vulnerability clear in her voice. “Not now, of course, and I can’t promise they won’t turn out, well, green, but it could be nice, don’t you think? Our own family.”
“Elphie,” Glinda breathed, her hand coming up to cup Elphaba’s cheek. “I don’t care if our child is green, blue, or purple. I only care that it’s with you.”
“Really?”
“Elphie,” Glinda repeated, staring deeply into Elphaba’s green eyes. “I want everything with you. Every lifetime, every reality, every experience, everything. We’re forever.”
Elphaba smiled up at her, tears shining in her eyes. “Forever sounds perfect.”
****
“I won’t be a second,” Elphaba promised, placing a kiss on Glinda’s forehead before making her way to the front door.
After seeing Glinda cry earlier, seeing the haunted look in her eyes, Elphaba was worried. Even though Glinda told her nothing was wrong, Elphaba could see the pain in her eyes.
There was something that was hurting her, and Elphaba needed to find it and get rid of it.
She pulled the front door open, finding a man dressed in an odd green uniform in front of her.
“It’s you,” he gasped, eyes wide. “Of course it’s you. The Wicked Witch of the West. You’re supposed to be dead.”
Elphaba frowned deeply. This man was insane. Glinda couldn’t hear any of this, it’d only upset her more.
“You should leave. Now,” Elphaba commanded, stepping outside and closing the front door behind her with a gentle click.
“What have you done with Glinda the Good?” the man stuttered out, practically shaking with fear as Elphaba stalked forwards.
At the mention of Glinda’s name, Elphaba felt a flare of protectiveness rise within her. “What do you want with her?” Elphaba questioned, her voice deadly.
“I have come to rescue her! We know you’ve kidnapped her. Her and all these Munchkinlanders,” the man declared, finding his balance. “By the order of the Scarecrow, protector of Oz, he demands that you release them at once. If you refuse, deadly force will be used.”
“You should leave,” Elphaba repeated. “You’re causing a commotion. You don’t belong here.”
“I will not bow down to wickedness!”
Elphaba’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “My wife is resting. I will not allow you to disturb her.”
“I am not leaving without Glinda the Good.”
The air thrummed with raw magical energy.
“Yes, you are.” With a bored flick of her hand, the man was sent flying. He soared through the air before disappearing completely in a flash of pink and green.
Elphaba looked down at where the man had stood, frowning. “He’s trampled the poppies,” she muttered with a grimace.
With a delicate flick of her hand, the lawn was restored to its pristine condition.
Elphaba nodded in satisfaction then turned around, returning inside.
Glinda was exactly where she’d left her and Elphaba didn’t hesitate to fill the empty space Glinda opened for her.
“Who was that, dear?” Glinda questioned, draping the blanket around Elphaba as she got comfortable.
“Nobody,” Elphaba replied, melting under Glinda’s touch, the man outside already forgotten. “Nobody at all.”