This is a follow up to Always. Forever. Never To Be Parted. It's really more of the same but it does move the story on a little. I'm hoping to make a short series of one shots about Elphaba and Fiyero's life together.

Bits of this are going to be quite English but hey, I am English and I saw the London production of Wicked which is slightly altered from the Broadway show to make it more appealing to the British audience. My idea of Shiz is that it is sort of like Oxford with towers and spires and the likes. I have also used the English system of degrees for the graduation. There are 5 classifications the best is a First then you can get an Upper Second, a Lower Second and Third and an Ordinary. Obviously a First is the highest (some people get distinctions as well but they are reserved for absolute geniuses).

It's M rated but I've tried not to be too filthy. I get a bit Mills & Boon with some of my descriptions but I've aimed to write this without being too graphic.

As before I acknowledge that none of the characters are mine so I would like not to be sued.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed Always. Forever. Never To Be Parted, it was very much appreciated, especially Bombalurinasara, your comments were very constructive and helpful. To anyone who didn't review last time please do so for this one. I was a bit disappointed that I had over 250 hits and only 6 reviews. I'd like to improve on that this time. I have made it longer and put a bit more into it if that helps.

Enjoy.

Promises

Fiyero quickly entered his room and pushed the door closed, breathing a sigh of relief when the lock clicked, signifying that he was finally alone. For two days he had been constantly followed by a mix of family, friends and general well wishers and he just wanted some quiet. He had known that his graduating from Shiz would be a big deal, after all nobody ever expected that he would make it, but he never realised it would be this big an occasion. It wasn't helping that he had gained a first in Politics, a thing almost unheard of at Shiz. He thought his mother was going to burst with pride when he was called up to the stage to receive his degree.

Of course he was pleased with himself but the full scale diplomatic event his Father had turned it into was too much for him to handle. When he had started at Shiz the only thought that had entered his head was how quickly could he get kicked out? Now he was graduating with honours. He understood why everybody was making such a big deal out of it but he just wanted some time to process it, to think about why he had suddenly decided to buckle down and actually do some work. His family had attributed it to Glinda's influence and he let them. He simply couldn't afford for anyone to know the truth. That he was in love with the 'Wicked Witch' and that everything he did, he did so that they might be together someday.

He removed the cap that he had worn for the ceremony and tossed it carelessly onto his desk. He had been itching to take it off for hours but his mother wouldn't allow it. All day it had been 'just one more picture' from his mother, aunts, sisters and even his father from time to time. All he had been able to think of though was her, imagining how good she would look in this cap and gown, thinking about how she should be with them, this should be her day also. He closed his eyes and smiled as images of her came into his head. He saw her walking up onto the stage to collect her first with distinction in Sorcery; standing beside him, smiling, in the hundreds of photos; being led into this room by him, peeling off that gown and allowing him to make love to her, wearing only her graduation cap.

He walked over to the window and gazed out at the Shiz skyline. The sun was just setting behind the towers and spires, creating twilight shadows in the lanes and alleys. How many hours had he spent secretly searching those dark corners, hoping to find her in one of them? He had informants in every seedy pub in Shiz who all came to him with information whenever they heard any news of the whereabouts of the Witch, for they all knew that the Prince of the Arjiki paid handsomely for good information. Nobody asked why he was so keen to find her; they just assumed that he had some personal score to settle with her. In a way they were right. He wanted to punish her for making him fall in love with her and then disappearing into thin air. For putting him through 2 years of torture where he spent every night dreaming of her, and every morning in despair as he realised that she wasn't there.

"Where are you Fae?" He whispered as his eyes fell on the forest in the distance. That place always brought memories of her for it was there that he had come to his greatest realisations about his feelings for her. When they had rescued the lion cub he realised that she wasn't the insane harpy she was made out to be, she was in fact a wonderful person. When he had walked there with Glinda he realised that it was not the blond girl beside him who was making his heart race. When Elphaba left Shiz he returned there to try and find the lion cub to make sure he was alright and he realised that he truly was in love with her. He had told her that he loved her before she disappeared but it was only later, when he had really thought about it that he knew he was absolutely serious. He loved her and he would love no other as long as he drew breath.

He was so lost in the thoughts of his raven haired lover that he did not notice someone creeping up behind him until a pair of arms wound around his waist and he felt the weight of someone's head resting on his back. He sighed heavily. He had specifically asked Glinda to give him a few moments alone while he changed. They were to attend their last party at the Ozdust and he just needed time to find his 'scandalacious prince' face before he went back out there. He could not send her away though. He did not want his melancholy to affect her. She did not deserve to be on the receiving end of his bad temper.

He took her hands in his and just continued to look out of the window as he brought them up to his lips and grazed a gentle kiss across the knuckles. It was as he glanced down briefly that he realised there was something amiss. Had he really seen what he thought he had just seen? The hands he held in his were not the beautifully manicured delicate hands of his girlfriend. They were green.

Unable to believe that this was anything other than a cruel trick he squeezed his eyes closed and took a deep breath. "I do not know what sort of game you are playing, or how you knew that I was looking for her but I suggest you leave my room now before I really get angry."

"I do not play games Yero; I thought you knew me well enough to know that." At the sound of that voice he quickly turned around, scared that if he wasted any time she would be gone. But she wasn't. She was there, just looking at him with a huge grin spread across her face, her blue eyes sparkling with merriment. His mouth went dry and he could not think of a word to say so he just continued to stare at her until the smile on her face began to fade.

"Are you not pleased to see me Yero? I thought you…" but before she could finish her sentence he pulled her into his arms and crushed his lips against hers. She buried her fingers in his hair and returned the kiss, ecstatic that he was not rejecting her as she had thought.

A list of questions ran through Fiyero's head as he caressed her lips with his own. Where had she been? Who had she been with? Why was she back and, most importantly, how long could she stay? He wanted to ask all of these things but found he couldn't because no matter how desperately he wanted to ask, his urge to kiss her was stronger than anything else he could think of.

After a while his hands instinctively went to the ribbon of her cloak and she went to work on the buttons of his shirt. Their passion for one another was growing with each passing second until, like a cold bucket of water thrown over them, there was a loud banging on the door.

"Is it locked?" Elphaba asked, maintaining her grip on his hair. He just nodded yes. "Ignore it then," she whispered with a wicked glint in her eye. He smiled at her and leaned in for another kiss. A few seconds later there was another bang, followed by another. They were able to ignore it until the banging was accompanied by shouting.

"Hey! Fiyero! I know you're in there." It was Avaric. Elphaba sighed and pushed herself away from her lover.

"What the bloody hell does he want?" she huffed petulantly. "Can't we ever get a minutes peace from him?"

"Glinda sent me up to see what's keeping you. You better be alright in there, I'm not going to be happy if I have to break the door down but you know I will."

"I'll have to get it," he sighed. "Just stay there and I'll get rid of him." He went over to the door and opened it just a crack so that he could talk to his friend.

"You're not even dressed! Glinda will flay you if you're not there soon."

"Yeah, about the party, can you tell Glinda I can't make it?"

"What? Why?" Fiyero was suddenly stumped. He could not come up with a single good excuse.

"Yero, are you coming to bed?" A sultry voice said from inside the room. He almost laughed when he realised she was doing her best impersonation of a Vinkun Vixen, one of the women from the 'pleasure houses of the west. Suddenly a pair of gloved hands appeared and began to run over his bare chest. Avaric smiled at this.

"Ooh Kinky," Avaric said eyeing the long black velvet gloves that roamed his friend's body. "Don't worry about it mate. I'll tell Glinda you're feeling under the weather. Say it was the lobster or something."

"Thanks Av," Fiyero said before Elphaba pushed the door closed, leaving Avaric stood in the corridor listening to the laughter coming from inside the room.

Fiyero spun around and lightly caught her around the waist, enjoying the sound of her giggles. It wasn't a sound he had ever heard from her before but now that he had, he could easily become addicted.

"That was very naughty," Fiyero said, unable to keep himself from grinning. "How did you know he wouldn't run off and tell everybody?"

"Avaric is the type of arsehole who keeps this sort of thing to himself. That way he can use it to blackmail you with later. He would never reveal his hand before he has to."

"You are brilliant my Fae." Elphaba blushed a dark shade of green and bit her lower lip.

"You have no idea how long I have yearned for you to call me that again," she said softly.

"About as long as I have yearned to say it I should have thought." He leaned in to kiss her lightly before pulling back again. "Why did you come back Fae? I am overjoyed to see you but surely you must know how dangerous it is. We have a Gale Force battalion in the town now. What if you get caught?"

"Don't worry about it. It wouldn't be the first time I've come across Gale Force. They're not all they're cracked up to be, trust me." Fiyero just looked at her suspiciously. He could tell that she was hiding something from him but he didn't want to ruin everything by trying to make her tell him things she didn't want to tell him.

"Okay, but seriously, why did you come here?"

"Do you really think I would miss today?"

"What?"

"This is the day that the man I love fulfilled his promise to me. I had to be here to see it." Fiyero's thoughts turned to the words she had spoken to him just before she had left him last time they were together.

"You are the very best of men my love. Beneath that carefully chosen façade you have the mind and the heart to make a real difference in this world. Use it my Yero. Be the man that you were born to be and maybe one day you might come up with a way for us to be together."

"I promise my Fae. I will be everything you want me to be."

"Fae, my love, I will always keep my promises to you but you were there?"

"All the battalions of the Gale Force couldn't keep me out of that hall."

"You were in the hall! How?"

"I stayed in the back just long enough to see you and I know a few tricks, nobody looked twice at me."

"To say you are the cleverest person I have ever met that was the stupidest thing I have ever heard." He let go of her waist. "How could you do that? All it takes is one person to be impervious to whatever spell you cast and the Gale Force would have you in chains before you can blink." He turned away from her as he felt his anger rising.

"Yero I…"

"Don't Fae," he held his hand up to stop her from continuing. "I don't want to hear any of that noble bullshit about how it wasn't that dangerous. We both know you would be lying. Did you even stop to think about me?"

"What are you talking about?" She was starting to get annoyed with him.

"Today was supposed to be about me, celebrating my achievements. What would have happened if you were caught? My moment would have been taken over." Elphaba just stared at him. She did not know what had come over him but something wasn't right. This was not the man she had fallen in love with talking to her. This was the voice of the petulant prince who had nearly run her over

She walked over to where he stood and gently grasped his chin, pulling his face around so that he was forced to look at her. "Yero, why are you getting angry with me? What is this really about?"

He looked at her and she saw the anger fade away from his eyes to be replaced by fear. "I don't know what I would do if something were to happen to you. Every morning I wake up terrified that this is the day when I am going to read in some broadside that you have been captured or worse."

"You read the broadsides?"

"Damn it Fae, this isn't funny." He pulled away from her grasp once again. "I know what I go through doesn't compare to how hard your life is but it doesn't make the fear go away. I feel sick every time I hear someone say the Gale Force have a lead on your whereabouts. I just want to be with you. I want to protect you. I know you don't need me to do that but I can't help how I feel."

"Yero, if I had you with me to protect me I would be the luckiest person alive."

"But?"

"But we both know that it can't happen. It would be too dangerous, for both of us. You would become just as much of an outlaw as I. We would be hunted all across Oz and who knows what the Gale Force would do to either one of us to get to the other? Could you live with yourself if I were captured and tortured and used as bait to draw you out?"

He closed his eyes and tried not to imagine such a thing. "We would be together though, to look out for one another."

"And where would we hide? Between my skin and your reputation there isn't a soul in all of Oz who wouldn't recognise us."

"Kiamo Ko is all but impenetrable. It's guarded by Vinkun warriors day and night. We could be safe there."

"And the Wizard would know exactly where we were. They would lay siege to the whole area. Every soldier in the Ozian Army would be camped out, prepared to starve every inhabitant of every town for a hundred miles until we gave ourselves up. You wouldn't do that to your people. Not even for me."

"I would do anyth…" Elphaba put her hand over his mouth to stop him saying what she knew he was about to say.

"Don't. You wouldn't do anything for me. There are some things that even love can't dictate you do and I wouldn't want them to. I couldn't bare it if you became the sort of lovesick fool who pays no attention to the needs of anyone else. That's not the man I love."

He took her hand and raised it to his lips, brushing a gentle kiss over her fingertips. "How can you be so amazing after everything you've been through?" he asked, a note of wonderment in his voice. She blushed again. This was becoming a habit around him. "Why am I so lucky to have you?"

"I'm the lucky one Yero. I've done nothing to deserve you yet here you are, offering to give up everything for me."

"You're right, you don't deserve me." He leaned in and kissed her lips lightly before allowing his voice to drop to a whisper. "You deserve so much better. I love you Fae."

She didn't answer him. She wound her hands around his neck and pulled him back down to her for another kiss.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" He asked. "You don't need to worry about being seen. Anyone still living in halls will be at the Ozdust until dawn and then sleeping off a hangover in the morning."

"They could be holding the party in the closet for all I care. I won't leave you until I have to."

"My Fae," he whispered capturing her lips in a heated kiss. From that point on words weren't necessary. Fiyero began backing her up until her hips hit the edge of his desk. He lifted her slightly so that she was sitting on the wooden surface. They began to unclothe each other hurriedly, almost aggressively, with buttons flying and the sound of cloth tearing filling the room alongside little sighs and whimpers. Elphaba tore at the fastenings on his trousers as he lifted her skirts, both knowing that the two years they had waited to do this again dictated that there be a certain amount of urgency.

Elphaba parted her thighs invitingly and Fiyero wasted no time in moving between them and swiftly entering her, pushing her back against the wall. She had to hold on to his shoulders to stop herself from falling backwards. It was as if she was a spring that had been coiling tighter and tighter and now the sensations she was feeling had released her and she had suddenly lost all of her strength.

Unlike the last time they had made love Fiyero was not slow and gentle with her. He gripped her hips tightly as he thrust powerfully into her. Elphaba moved her hands under his shirt and scratched her nails down his back, causing long red welts to raise on the olive skin. It was hard, it was rough and it was heaven.

It only took a matter of minutes for them both to climax. As she felt the spring inside her begin to re-coil, Elphaba, aware that there were still people around, buried her face into Fiyero's shoulder to muffle her cries. When it happened it hit them both with the force of a train. Elphaba lost all sense of self, forgetting who and where she was, as she saw stars behind her eyelids. She had never felt anything like it. Not even the euphoria inducing potions, given to her by Quadling witchdoctors as a teenager, compared to what Fiyero had just done to her.

When she came down she found that in the heat of passion she had sunk her teeth into Fiyero's shoulder, causing nasty red bite marks to match the scratches on his back. "Sorry about that," she said lifting her head from his shoulder. "It must sting."

"What?" he asked hazily.

"I bit you," she said awkwardly, gently touching the mark.

"I didn't notice." He bent his head and began to press his lips against the skin on her shoulder and upper chest that was exposed by a rough tear to the neckline of her dress. "Your skin is so beautiful," he murmured. "So smooth." He began to tug at the zip of her dress, determined that he would wait no longer to see her properly. She helped him by shrugging her arms out of the sleeves and allowing the fabric to fall to her waist, exposing her breasts to him. She lifted her hips to allow him to remove the dress entirely.

A low growl came unconsciously from the back of his throat as he took in the expanse of emerald flesh. He began to kiss his way down her body. Elphaba leaned her shoulders against the wall, as if she were boneless, and closed her eyes. Every so often he would lick or nibble a particularly sensitive spot and she couldn't help but whimper, causing him to smile against her skin. He removed her boots and stockings, leaving her completely naked and utterly beautiful.

"Take me to bed Yero," she whispered in his ear as he came back up for another kiss. He folded his arms around her back and directed her to wrap her legs around his waist. She felt him place something on her head. "What's this?" she asked, bringing her hands up to feel the sharp corners of the graduation cap she had seen him wearing earlier.

"A fantasy," he replied lifting her and carrying over to his bed. She was amazed and excited to feel that he was ready to take her again. He set her down on the bed, lightly kissing her.

"You're a little overdressed don't you think Master Fiyero?" She pushed his shirt and robe off his shoulders, revealing the blue diamond tattoos which adorned his chest and made her feel even more aroused just by looking at them. She ran her fingers over the pattern, knowing that her fascination with these markings would never be satisfied.

As she occupied herself with this exploration, he went to work on removing the rest of his clothes, occasionally having to stop to compose himself as she pressed her lips to his skin and brushed her fingers over intimate areas.

When he finally removed the last of his clothes she sat back and admired his body. She didn't understand how he had managed to keep his muscular physique after three years of doing nothing but studying but he was every bit as powerful now as he had been the last time she saw him like this.

As she kissed his lips she groped around on the bed searching for one of the pieces of cloth he had just discarded. Finally her fingers found the black graduation robe and she grabbed hold of it, draping it around Fiyero's shoulders once again. He looked at her quizzically.

"You're not the only one with fantasies my love," she responded to his unspoken question. She began to place delicate little kisses and bites along his jaw. "As soon as I heard that you would be graduating with a first I couldn't help but think about it. The more I thought the more I came up with these lurid images of my big brained boyfriend making love to me wearing nothing but his graduation robes."

"What did you just call me?" He asked, unable to believe his ears.

She looked away and blushed before replying in a small voice. "My boyfriend."

He smiled at her, a big, wide grin that made her stomach flip. "I like the way you make that sound," he said lovingly. It was such an ordinary word. It made them sound like carefree teenagers who were just discovering the joys of such intimacy. It made them sound normal, the one thing that they truly were not.

He pulled her close, pressing his hands against the small of her back as he did it. He could not miss the hiss of pain as he touched her. "Fae what is it?" he asked as he looked at her face and saw a brief look of pain in her eyes before she was able to hide it from him. She did not answer his question so he pressed her again. "Fae, what's the matter?"

"It's nothing Yero."

"That clearly isn't true. Turn over."

"Don't be silly Yero, there is nothing wrong and you are ruining a perfectly good tryst."

"Elphaba, please do as I asked, turn over." She was ready to argue her point until she looked into his eyes and realised that he would not give up until he had got his way. With anyone else she would have told them to go to hell but he was the one person in Oz who she would not refuse. She dutifully turned around and laid down on her front, revealing ugly black bruises marring the skin of her lower back.

"Fae, what in Oz? Did I do this to you? Was I too rough? I'm so sorry, I didn't realise you were so easily bruised. I just couldn't help myself; I wanted you so badly and…" Elphaba raised her hand to his lips to stop him from babbling.

"Yero, hush my love. You did not do this. These bruises are old. Nothing to do with you." He was relieved to hear that but the relief only lasted a few moments. She knew what was coming next as she saw the look on his face darken.

"Then how did it happen?"

"It was nothing, a stupid accident. I… I… I fell off my broom and landed awkwardly. My own clumsy fault really." He didn't believe her for a second.

"Now tell me what really happened."

"That is what happened."

"Fae you're a terrible liar. How did you get hurt?"

"I had a run in with some officials that's all. There was a little bit of a tussle and I got some bruises. It was all over very quick and I was away before anything really bad happened."

"They were Gale Forcers weren't they?" She didn't say anything, just nodded and turned her head so that she could see his reaction. His eyes looked as though black thunder clouds had rolled into them and his look was murderous. She knew that he would gladly kill any Gale Forcers who came anywhere near at that moment.

"Were you even going to tell me? How could you be so careless as to be caught by them? They're monsters Fae. You are nothing but a hunter's prize to them and once you are in their grasp the will not hesitate in making you suffer in the very worst ways. I live in fear every day that you will fall into the clutches of some green coat and that will be it. I'll never see you again." His voice dropped to almost a whisper. "I can't lose you Fae. I can't live in a world that doesn't have you in it. Please don't make me give you up."

"Yero please don't."

"No Fae. I beg you one last time, come West with me. I leave in two days to begin working alongside my Father in the Arjiki Council. I could meet you at the castle in under a week. We would be protected there. Please Fae; don't make me worry about you anymore."

The pleading look on his face was almost her undoing. For a brief moment she was ready to do anything he asked of her. She would go anywhere with him and be anything he asked her to be. Fortunately for them both though that compulsion was quickly overcome by common sense.

"Yero, please don't ask that again. It makes my heart break a little every time I have to refuse you and I didn't have much to break in the first place."

"You talk an incredible amount of piffle sometimes. You have the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met."

"Yero…"

"No, I don't want to hear it. Stay there." He stood and walked over to his bathroom, emerging a minute later with a small jar full of a white cream.

"What's that?"

"It's good for bruises. I used to get into a lot of bar fights," he said by way of explanation at having such an ointment on hand. He sat back down on the bed and opened the jar, rubbing some of the cream between his hands to warm it up. He then gently began to rub it into the bruises. She winced a little at first before the heat of his hands began to feel soothing on her sore skin.

"That feels really good," she murmured.

"Really, how about this?" he began to rub a little lower so that he was just skimming the top of her buttocks.

"Mmm better."

"And this?" He leant down and placed a light kiss on her bruised back.

"Much better." He smiled and took this as his cue to continue. He placed kisses all along her back and shoulders until he reached her neck when he gently rolled her over and began to do the same to her front. He would not be content until he had kissed every last inch of her and that is exactly what he did. He worked his way across her torso and down one leg, right to her toes. He then proceeded to kiss his way up the other leg until he came to the very top of her inner thigh. He could feel her quivering with anticipation and he smiled wolfishly up at her before positioning her legs over his shoulders.

Elphaba had to bite her lip to stop herself from groaning when she felt him kiss her in the most intimate of places. He began to explore her with his tongue, making her writhe and clutch at the pillow beneath her. He wrapped his arms around her and placed his hands on her hips to stop her from moving. "Mmm Yero my Hero," she moaned as she reached down and buried her hands in his thick curly hair.

It didn't take him long to bring her to the peak of desire again. She could not help from crying out as she climaxed. She sang out his name in beautiful clear tones which made his whole body shudder. He looked up at his lover to see her breathing heavily, her eyes closed and a blissful, dreamy smile stretching across her face. She had never looked so beautiful to him. He ran his lips up her body until his face was level with hers. She dazedly handed him a glass of water from the top of his cabinet, which he took a gulp of before leaning in to kiss her again. She wrapped her arms around him and languidly returned his kiss, unable to do anything in a hurry.

Suddenly there was loud bang at the door. Elphaba growled. "If that's Avaric I'm going to shove that broomstick right up his…"

"Who is it?" Fiyero called out, distracting her from her violent thoughts.

"It's Glinda." The two lovers looked at each other wide eyed before jumping up off the bed. Elphaba dashed around grabbing her things while Fiyero pulled his trousers on and tried to flatten his hair. As he watched Elphaba rush around picking up her clothes he was tempted just to go over to the door and let Glinda see. That way it would be out in the open. He wouldn't have to pretend that he loved Glinda any more and Elphaba would have to come with him if they were to be safe. He knew he couldn't do it though. Neither of them would ever forgive him if he did that.

"Are you alright?" Glinda called through the door, sounding concerned.

"Erm yes, fine. Just give me a minute I'm er… in the bathroom." He turned to Elphaba, who was picking up her stockings from where he had dropped them. "Hide in the wardrobe," he quietly instructed her. He guided her over to his dressing room and opened the door to the walk in wardrobe. "Are you alright?" he whispered as she rushed past him.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I mean I feel awful but…"

"But it's a little bit exciting too? Almost getting caught."

"Yeah," she nodded, smiling at him guiltily. He leaned in and kissed her. "You might want to put a robe on as well," she murmured against his lips, grabbing a bath robe from one of the hooks on the inside of the door.

"Why?" He followed her gaze down and realised that his erection was all too visible as it strained against his trousers. "Good point." He took the robe from her, slipped it over his shoulders and quickly kissed her before closing the wardrobe and running over to the door. He opened it just a crack.

"Glinda. What are you doing here?" He asked, trying not to sound harsh. "I thought I asked Avaric to tell you to go to the party."

"Oh he did and I did but… Fiyero, you look awful. You're all flushed and sweating, do you have a temperature? You should be resting." He turned his head and saw his bed. He had to suppress a smile. The sheets were all crumpled and he could see the imprint of Elphaba's head where she had thrown it back on the pillow during a passionate moment. Glinda exploited this momentary lack of attention to push at the door and slip past him into the room.

"This place is a mess," she said as she looked around the room. "And so are you. Oh my, your really don't look good." She went up to him and pressed her hand to his forehead. "You have a temperature. You should be in bed. You go to the bathroom and wash your face and I'll go and get you some pyjamas." She began to walk towards his dressing room.

"No!" He cried, a little too forcefully.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I just don't want you wasting your time with me. I'll be fine on my own."

"I know you will but you're ill and I want to look after you. I love you Fiyero." She reached up to kiss him gently on the cheek and he felt guilt wash over him.

"Look, Glinda. Today has been so wonderful I don't want to ruin it for you. I'm ill and in a terrible mood and I don't want to ruin your night." A melancholy look came over her face as he spoke. "What is it?"

"It has been a wonderful day hasn't it? I just wish…"

"What?"

"I wish she were with us. This should have been her day too. It should have been you me and Elphie."

"I know it should." He placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him, allowing her to cry on his shoulder.

"Can you imagine how well she would have done? She's so smart. She would have got a distinction for sure."

"Yes she would." He allowed his gaze to drift over to the closet.

"I miss her so much. I just want her to come back. I don't know if I can move on without her Fiyero, she was so strong, she helped me so much. I don't think I can be an adult without my best friend."

"Glinda. She's not dead. There's always a chance that she will come back."

"I know but it doesn't make days like this any easier." Fiyero pulled her closer to him and allowed her to weep until she was all cried out. When he was content that there were no more tears he moved away a little and placed his hand under her chin, lifting her face to look at him.

"Feeling better?" He swiped his thumbs under her eyes to wipe away the tears. She smiled and nodded.

"I'm sorry. I'm just being silly."

"No you're not. You're just being you and I wouldn't have you any other way." They smiled at each other. "Now further to that, the Glinda I hold dear would rather die than miss the highlight of the Shiz social calendar."

"But what about you?"

"What about me? I can't go I'm ill, but if you stay here and get sick too I will feel even worse than I already do. Now go on. Out. Enjoy yourself before you become too much of an adult to do so."

She smiled broadly at him. "What did I do to deserve you?" More guilt.

"I'm the one who is undeserving." She moved to kiss him but he turned his face away offering his cheek.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want you to get ill too. Just in case it's contagious."

"Oh, okay. I'll see you tomorrow." She kissed the offered cheek and slipped out of the door.

Fiyero closed the door, sliding the bolt across to make sure it was locked before rushing over to the dressing room. He quickly slid back the door of the wardrobe to find Elphaba in a heap on the floor, tears streaming down her face.

"Oh Fae," he rushed forward and pulled her shaking body into his arms.

"I didn't realise I was hurting her so much," she cried between sobs. "And now I'm betraying her even further. Every time I look at you I feel such joy and at the same time I feel more guilty than I ever thought possible."

"I'm sorry Fae. This is just as much my fault."

"No it isn't. You didn't run away and leave her alone in the middle of a strange city. You didn't stay away for two years. You have been here for her."

"And I keep making her think that we have a future together when I am madly in love with her best friend. I'm the bastard here. Maybe I should leave you for a while. I could go down to the common room and you could get some rest."

"No!" He was surprised by the force in her voice. "I don't want to be parted from you."

"But I can't be making you feel any better."

"You are the only thing that makes me feel better. Being with you makes me feel awful but only you can give me comfort when I need it. Please don't leave me now. I need you." He kissed her lips and lifted her into his arms, carrying her back into his room. He gently laid her on his bed and pulled the sheets up over her. He walked around turning off the lights he had switched on before until the only light in the room was the silvery moonlight that poured through the window. He then removed his clothes once more and slipped under the sheets behind her, pulling her into him.

She took the hand that rested on her stomach and intertwined her fingers with his. She raised his hand to her lips and gently kissed each of his fingertips. "I love you Yero," she whispered. "I love you so much. It breaks my heart that I can't be with you always."

"Hush Fae. Don't think about that. Just be here with me. Let me love you tonight. We'll make every moment we have together count." She turned herself over so that she faced him.

"Yes we will." She kissed his lips before resting her head on his chest, moulding herself to his body. She closed her eyes and before long he feel her breathing even out and he knew that she was asleep.

He looked up at the ceiling and allowed himself to indulge in the fantasy that he was not engaging in an illicit affair with a fugitive but was lying in bed with his wife, looking forward to what tomorrow would bring for them. He desperately tried to forget that tomorrow was exactly what he dreaded. After a while he was able to drift into a peaceful sleep, filled with dreams of the tomorrow that he longed for, not the tomorrow that he knew was coming.

Just before dawn Elphaba gently shook Fiyero awake and they made love once more. She straddled his lap and lowered herself onto him. She controlled the pace with long languid strokes, making sure that it lasted as long as she could make it and when they were finished they just lay in one another's arms, not talking, just listening to the sound of even breathing and hearts thumping.

The sun was high in the sky when they finally got out of bed. Elphaba would have done anything to stay there forever, but she knew that was not possible. It was risky enough, leaving in the middle of the morning but if she stayed any longer there was the chance that people would start coming out of their alcohol induced comas and she would be caught.

Elphaba went into the wardrobe to get her clothes and began to dress. It was then that she remembered the urgency of their first coupling and the way that Fiyero had torn her dress in an attempt to get to her flesh quicker.

"Oh no, what am I supposed to do with this?" she asked, holding up the dress to Fiyero, showing him the long tear that would threaten to expose her breasts were she to wear it.

"I suppose you will have to stay here," he said mischievously, walking up to her and kissing her once more. "We can't have you exposing yourself after all."

"Or you can bring me a needle and thread and I can have a go at fixing it." She smiled at him.

"It was worth a try." He walked further into the wardrobe and came back with something that definitely wasn't a needle and thread. "I was out shopping with Glinda last summer and I saw this in a shop and I couldn't help but think how wonderful it would look on you so I went back the week after and bought it. I always hoped I would get the chance to see you wearing it." He unzipped the clothing bag to reveal a beautiful creation of satin with wisps of lace. It has a high neckline and long sleeves. The skirt was long, probably floor length and it kicked out at the hem.

"Yero," she whispered. "It's gorgeous."

"Of course I prefer you wearing nothing at all," he said playfully as he removed the dress from its hanger. "But I believe this could be the next best thing." He held it out to her and she stepped into it, allowing him to pull it up over her body. He laid one last kiss on her back before closing the zip. He guided her over to the full length mirror to see herself.

She gasped, for the first time she truly felt beautiful. She spun around and threw her arms around him, kissing him fiercely. "Thank you my hero," she said happily. "I really don't know what I have done to deserve you or how I can thank you."

"I can think of one thing. Just say you will be there when I arrive in the Vinkus next week."

"Yero, don't. Don't ruin it. We have already been through this. It would never work. We both know that this is probably the last time we will see one another."

"No, I can't accept that."

"You must. We've been through this it is not safe to keep doing this. I won't put you in danger. You must promise me that you won't come looking for me."

"Fae."

"Promise me!"

"Alright. I promise."

"I have one other thing that I want you to do for me as well. I want you to promise me that you will stay with Glinda. She loves you and she deserves to be treated well and respected. I know that you will keep her safe, that you will protect her heart. Please say you will do this for me." He wanted to refuse, but that pleading look on her face meant that he was not capable of refusing her anything so he just nodded his assent. "Say it," she commanded, wanting more than just a half hearted nod.

"I promise."

"Thank you my love." She kissed him one last time before rushing out into his room. She couldn't bear the thought of a long goodbye so she grabbed her broom and threw the windows open, flying out and away into the sky before he could say a word to stop her.

He ran out to the window and watched her disappear. He was angry with himself that he had allowed her to extort those promises from him, but he knew he must keep to them. He would remain with Glinda and he would make her happy, as he knew would please Fae. Also he would not go looking for her and he would make sure that nobody else found her either.

He quickly threw on some clothes and went out to find his father. He had made a decision. He was going to protect his lover the only way he could think of.

He would join her pursuers.