Author's Note: Yes, this is the final chapter. Yes, there is a Casablanca reference in here. I couldn't resist. Yes, this is a long chapter. I thought the last one deserved to be. It was very nearly two chapters, but then I figured it should stay as a whole. So it has.

Thankyou everyone! We have reached - and surpassed - 100 reviews! Guest, you can have a virtual version of the cake in this chapter. Or pie, if you prefer.

To see the cake, please take a look at my blog (link on my profile).

In other news, I AM FINALLY SEEING WICKED! I have booked for my Mum and I to see it in February next year, and I'm hoping to go a second time, too. The tickets arrived the other day and I AM SO EXCITED.

CHAPTER 13:

When they arrived back at the hotel, Fiyero immediately disappeared into his room. Elphaba thought that must have been it for the night, and so was surprised when he turned up her door fifteen minutes later. What surprised her even more was what he had in his hand.

"Fiyero," Elphaba said slowly, "why have you got your suitcase with you?"

"It's our last night in the city together," Fiyero explained, "and I want to spend it with you. Make every last moment last."

Elphaba couldn't help but melt at that and she soon found Fiyero making himself at home in her room.

A moment later, there was another knock on the door.

"I hope you don't mind," Fiyero informed Elphaba casually, seeing her frown, "but I took the liberty of ordering dessert."

"Seriously, Fiyero?" Elphaba exclaimed. "Are you still going on about them not having dessert at the dinner? They had after-dinner mints."

"Hey," Fiyero protested as Elphaba opened the door, "after-dinner mints are totally not in the same league as dessert. But no," he added as the staff member brought the tray into the room and set it down on the table, "I'm not still going on about it. I'm over it. They can do what they like. That's like, whatevs. But that doesn't mean I don't still want dessert. Thus, this." He gestured grandly at the tray, eliciting a chuckle from the staff member and a raised eyebrow from Elphaba.

"Thankyou," the green girl told the staff member as he left the room and disappeared down the hall. She turned back to Fiyero and was about to admonish him when he lifted the lid of one of the cloches.

"I hope you like cake."

Elphaba's eyes widened as she stared at the dessert, before her gaze shifted back to the Vinkun prince. "Fiyero…"

"Hey, Shiz is covering our expenses, remember? And we've already saved them some money by not buying meals for a few days. We deserve a little treat. And what happened to calling me 'Yero'?" he complained good-naturedly.

Elphaba ignored this last comment. "What exactly is it?"

"Hazelnut chocolate torte," Fiyero announced, lifting the lid of the second cloche. Sitting on top of the high chunk of layered cake was a large, green sugar heart with the word 'attraction' piped on it.

Elphaba gasped. "Oh, Yero… You're a funny thing, but you're incredibly sweet."

Fiyero smiled as the green girl came over and wrapped her arms around him. He kissed her gently. "I know. Now, are we going to eat?"

Elphaba laughed. "I suppose," she agreed, sitting down.

Fiyero pulled the other chair around next to Elphaba's and picked up a cake fork, spearing a small piece of the dessert. "Open up."

"Yero –"

"Open up," Fiyero repeated firmly.

With a roll of her eyes and a sigh, Elphaba complied. The cake nearly melted on her tongue, and Elphaba's eyes fluttered closed. "Mmm, that's heavenly," she mumbled around the cake.

Fiyero smiled. "I'm glad."

The last of her resistance melted, Elphaba happily finished her dessert, giggling when Fiyero kissed some crumbs off her lips, and even fed him some cake as he had done to her.

Soon, all that remained was the sugar heart. Elphaba stared at it apprehensively, causing Fiyero to frown at her.

"What is it?"

Elphaba looked up sheepishly. "I'm going to sound like a total girl right now, but…it's too cute to eat!"

Fiyero chuckled. "Well, seeing as you are a girl, I'm won't hold that against you. It won't keep for long, though."

"I know…" Elphaba sighed as she gazed wistfully at the heart.

Finally, Fiyero picked up the heart. "Open wide."

For once, Elphaba did not roll her eyes; instead, holding a momentary internal debate with herself before complying with a smile.

Once she had finished eating, she leant over and pressed her lips to Fiyero's. "Thankyou," she whispered.

"For what? Ordering dessert? Anytime." Fiyero grinned.

Elphaba laughed softly. "No, for being the best possible could-be boyfriend. For seeing me for me and not just for my skin. For everything."

Fiyero did not reply. Instead, he kissed her again, this time with fire.

After a few moments, the couple found themselves on the bed, entangled in a passionate embrace. Fiyero quickly discarded his tie and waistcoat as Elphaba shrugged out of her blazer, and both kicked off their shoes before returning to the more pressing matter of the kiss. Elphaba's lips soon emigrated from Fiyero's to trail down his chest as she undid each button of his shirt with tantalizingly slow, deliberate movements. Soon the shirt was hanging loosely from Fiyero's strong shoulders, and Elphaba slipped her hands beneath the fabric, her long fingers dancing around to Fiyero's back. With a low moan, Fiyero recaptured her lips and returned the favour by unzipping her dress.

In almost no time, Fiyero was free of his shirt and trousers, leaving him in only his boxer shorts, and Elphaba wore only her underwear and a slip. Suddenly shy, she pulled back and visibly shrank into herself.

Fiyero lifted her chin with his fingers. "Elphaba? Are you alright?"

Elphaba bit her lip. "It's just I've never been… so…uncovered in front of anyone before. I never show so much of my skin. I must repulse you."

Fiyero sighed. "Elphaba…I wish you wouldn't speak of yourself like that. You are beautiful."

"Really?" she asked, her voice hopeful; her eyes wide.

"Really." Fiyero pressed another kiss to her lips. "Really and truly."

Elphaba pulled away again. "Maybe we should stop."

"What? Why?"

"Before this gets out of hand. Before we go too far."

"No. We won't go too far; not if you don't want to. But please, Elphaba, let's not stop now. I don't want to stop. I can't stop."

Elphaba averted her gaze. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of." Her voice was quiet.

Fiyero flopped back on the bed and closed his eyes. "Oz, Elphaba, how do you expect me to stop kissing you when we're together like this? And no," he added firmly before Elphaba could say anything, "I am not going back to my room and spending the night in my own pathetic company." He sat up again and looked at her seriously. "But if things look like getting out of hand, we can surely make a rational decision to take a break? At least, I'm sure you will be able to. And I would respect that, Elphaba, because I respect you and I don't want ever to hurt you again in any way."

Elphaba still looked uncertain, but when Fiyero brushed her cheek with his thumb and gently kissed her forehead, she crumbled. She closed her eyes and let out a slow breath before nodding. "Okay."

Fiyero smiled softly and kissed her lips, running his hands down her arms, up her sides and around to her back to pull her closer.

Elphaba did not resist.

The next morning dawned bright and clear with no sign of the clouds which had threatened to spoil the previous few days. Elphaba woke to find herself tucked securely in Fiyero's arms and their legs entwined – in fact, she realized presently, she was half-sprawled across him. She debated for a few moments whether or not to extricate herself from this compromising position, but decided against it on the grounds that she was far too comfortable to move. Comforted by the early morning quiet preceding what she knew would be a busy day in the hotel corridors, Elphaba snuggled further into Fiyero's tight embrace with a smile and proceeded to trace light patterns over his chest. She then moved her fingers up to his face, following the line of his jaw, his eyebrows and his nose, before transferring a tender kiss from her fingertips to Fiyero's lips. Elphaba ran her index finger back down his face all the way to his navel, which was when Fiyero woke up.

Fiyero immediately took Elphaba's wandering hand and laced his fingers with hers. He raised their joined hands to his lips, before looking down at the girl beside him and kissing her hair. "Good morning, beautiful."

Elphaba blushed but, for once, did not rebuff the compliment. "Good morning, Yero," she replied softly.

Fiyero dipped his head lower to capture her lips. After a long moment, he broke the kiss, but did not pull away, instead letting his lips brush pleasantly against Elphaba's as he spoke. "I wish we didn't have to get up soon. I could stay here like this with you forever."

"So could I," Elphaba whispered with another chaste kiss. "It feels like a wonderful dream I never want to wake up from. But, as with all dreams," she finished sadly, "it must come to an end." She looked at him for a moment, an expression of longing etched onto her face. Then suddenly, before Fiyero could register what was happening, Elphaba was on top of him and kissing him with such a burning intensity of passion and desire that Fiyero didn't know quite what to do, even as his body responded of its own accord.

"I have said before, it doesn't have to end," Fiyero whispered roughly as Elphaba attacked his throat.

Elphaba sighed and sat up. "Yero, I've told you: as tempting as it is…"

"Okay, okay…I get it." Fiyero reached out to caress her cheek, then moved his hand down her neck to her shoulder. Pulling himself upright, he pushed down the strap of Elphaba's slip and ran his lips gently across her shoulder and down to her collarbone.

Elphaba's eyes fluttered shut and her breathing grew slightly ragged. "Oh, Yero," she breathed, tilting her head backwards, causing her hair to tumble towards the sheets like an ebony waterfall. She felt Fiyero's hands begin to slowly roam over her body, and she reached up to tangle her fingers in his thick hair, effectively anchoring herself to him. "Yero…"

Fiyero replied by moving his lips back to her mouth, savouring the warm sweetness of the soft green flesh.

They enjoyed each other for some time before scrambling to get ready for the long day ahead and making a dash for the door.

"Look on the bright side," Elphaba told Fiyero after hearing him complain about having to tear himself away from her lips, "we have the whole day and a carriage to ourselves."

Fiyero grinned at the thought. "It might not be as comfortable or as private as a room with a bed," he commented, causing Elphaba to roll her eyes, "but it's still exciting. You…me…"

"Us," Elphaba finished, standing on tiptoe to peck his lips.

Fiyero's grin widened. "Us," he echoed happily.

Soon they were safely ensconced inside the carriage, wrapped comfortably in each other's arms as they headed out of the Emerald City and back towards Shiz. Some of the snow had disappeared since the previous week and there was no fresh powder, making the journey easier than the first.

By dusk, they had arrived at a small inn, much like the one in which they had spent the first night of their trip.

Before Elphaba could do anything, Fiyero strode up to the counter and asked for accommodation for the coachmen, the horses, and a single room for two.

Elphaba's face and neck turned beet red. "Fiyero," she hissed wildly, "what is Oz' name do you think you're doing?"

Fiyero smiled at her serenely. "Making every last moment last." He paused. "And saving Shiz some money in the process."

"Fiyero," Elphaba protested, beginning to panic, "we can't share a room."

"Why not? We already have."

"But what will people say?"

"No-one is going to know," Fiyero said firmly. "No-one except for us."

Elphaba had no time to air any further concerns, however, as at that moment, the receptionist returned with the key. "Here you are. Have a nice evening." She gave a bold wink that had Elphaba flushing all over again, while Fiyero just grinned and slipped his arm around Elphaba's waist.

"Oh, we will," he replied cheerfully. "Won't we, honey?" He squeezed Elphaba close and kissed her forehead.

Elphaba tried to figure out what to say; however, she was saved the trouble when the receptionist emitted a giggle which reminded Elphaba painfully of Galinda.

"Well, I'm sure you two don't want to stand around here making small talk with me. You probably want to get on with it." With a knowing smirk, she went back to reading her magazine.

As soon as the receptionist was pre-occupied with her reading, Elphaba elbowed Fiyero in the ribs, causing him to wince.

"What was that for?"

"For humiliating me."

Fiyero peered at Elphaba's unhappy face. "It really bothered you that much?"

Elphaba nodded and buried her face in Fiyero's jacket.

"Aw, I'm sorry," Fiyero apologized, wrapping his arms around her. "I didn't mean to."

Elphaba sighed. "I know," she said, her voice muffled. "You just don't seem to have the capacity to be embarrassed the way I do."

Fiyero chuckled. "We are so different, aren't we?"

Elphaba nodded.

"Come on," Fiyero said, guiding Elphaba towards the dining room, "let's get something to eat and go to bed."

The night passed for Elphaba and Fiyero in much the same fashion as the previous night; and Thursday was once again spent tucked away in the carriage, Fiyero's lips firmly attached to Elphaba's.

Friday looked destined to be a carbon copy of Thursday until mid-morning when Fiyero suddenly called out to the coachman to stop.

"Fiyero," asked a puzzled Elphaba, "what's going on?"

Fiyero climbed out of the carriage and then held out his hand to her. "You'll see."

Elphaba took Fiyero's hand and followed him off the road. They wandered amongst the trees until Fiyero came to a stop, and Elphaba's eyes widened in recognition.

"The cottage?" Elphaba turned to look at Fiyero. "But why?"

"Because that," he replied, nodding at the cottage as he wrapped his arm around Elphaba's waist, "is where I changed. Where my life changed. Where my whole outlook on life changed." Fiyero lifted his free hand to stroke Elphaba's cheek. "Where I got to know you. That cottage is now a very important place to me. I thought it would be nice to come back."

Elphaba smiled gently. "You really are a sentimental old coot, aren't you?" But Fiyero noticed that her eyes were moist.

Fiyero lightly kissed the tip of her nose. "Come on."

Hand in hand, the couple strolled around to the back of the cottage where a large grouse was hanging from the handle of the back door.

"Just as I thought," Fiyero murmured.

"Hmmm?"

Fiyero did not reply; he just glanced over towards the stable. "This way."

The two made their way around to where the chickens were kept. There stood a scruffy-looking man, probably in his sixties, with white hair and a beard. He wore tattered-looking clothing and spoke to the chickens in a low, gravelly voice as he fed them.

"Excuse me," Fiyero called, "are you the owner?"

The man did not spare him a glance. "Who's askin'?" he returned gruffly.

"My name is Fiyero, and this is Elphaba. We stayed at your cottage last week."

Finally, the man looked up, with something akin to friendliness written across his ruddy face. "Oh?"

"We just wanted to thank you for your hospitality. I know we didn't exactly ask, but it was very kind of you to let up stay there and to provide us with meat for our meals. We are very grateful."

Squinting, the man stalked over to them and peered into Fiyero's face. "No bother. Didn't do much. No need to be so grateful."

"Well, we are anyway," Fiyero said firmly. He dug out his wallet and offered the man a wad of cash. "A token of our appreciation."

The man eyed the money with distaste. "No use for that. Don't need your appreciation."

"Please."

The man's eyes narrowed even further in suspicion. "Why are you so insistent?" he asked at last. "It can't be just the loan of the cottage or the provision of meat."

A smile tugged at Fiyero's lips. "You're right, sir; it's not. But by your allowing us to stay here, I got the opportunity to get to know this wonderful girl" – he looked fondly at Elphaba – "and I realized just what a stuck-up idiot I was. All in this one small building. So you see, I have a lot to be grateful for." He pressed the notes into the man's weathered hand.

The man hesitated as he looked at the money; then, evidently having mulled over Fiyero's words, his face softened and he split the money into two piles, one of which he handed back to Fiyero. "Thankyou, lad, but you keep some. Buy the lass something nice." And with that, the man went back to feeding the chickens.

"Just one more thing," Elphaba called out. "How did you know we would stay here?"

The man turned around, tapped his nose and gave a wink.

Elphaba smiled. "Well, thankyou, anyway."

"Well, you heard the man," Fiyero said as he and Elphaba headed back to the waiting carriage. "Let's go and buy you something nice."

"Fiyero –"

"I won't hear of any protestations," Fiyero said gently but firmly.

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but couldn't help feeling a renegade streak of excitement shoot through her chest. She gave an exaggerated sigh and grumbled, "If you must."

"I must." When they reached the carriage, Fiyero asked the coachman to stop at the next town. "It won't take long," he promised.

The coachman stopped at the next town as promised and Fiyero took Elphaba into the first jewellery store they came across.

"Fiyero…" Elphaba began warningly, "…what are we doing in a jewellery store?"

Fiyero took her hand. "Trust me?"

"I'm not sure I do at the moment."

"Please?"

Elphaba heaved a sigh. "Fine. But only if you stop pulling that puppy dog look on me."

"What puppy dog look?" Fiyero asked innocently, exaggerating said puppy dog look.

"That puppy dog look," Elphaba said pointedly.

Fiyero chuckled. "Right." He pulled her over to a display case filled with beautiful, sparkling necklaces. "Anything here take your fancy?"

"Fiyero, you really don't –"

"– have to buy you anything?" Fiyero finished. He grinned. "Of course not. So is there anything here?"

"They're all rather fancy, aren't they?" Elphaba commented with a sigh as she swept her gaze over the display case. "And so incredibly expensive. Nothing that cries 'Elphaba' at all."

"That's true, I suppose," Fiyero agreed reluctantly. "But surely there's something here that…" He trailed off as something caught his eye. "Yes, that's it! That's perfect! Excuse me," he addressed the man behind the counter, "but do you have that necklace in an 'E'?"

"Certainly, sir." The man trotted off to fetch a little blue box, which he opened to let Fiyero see the exquisite golden necklace, attached to which was an 'E' pendant studded with emeralds.

"Yes, that is undoubtable perfect. Elphaba? What do you think?"

Elphaba stared at the necklace. "I think it's far too expensive."

"I'll take that as a yes." He turned back to the salesman. "We'll take it. Thankyou very much."

The exchange of cash for necklace was made, and then Elphaba and Fiyero hurried back to the carriage.

"Here," Fiyero said as the carriage moved off, "let me put it on for you."

Elphaba patiently held still while he did so, and once the necklace was securely settled around her neck, she glanced down and gently fingered the glittering pendant. "It's beautiful," she said softly, "but you really shouldn't have. You should save your money for something important."

"Okay, one: it was my decision," Fiyero began, counting off on his fingers. "Two: lazy multi-millionaire, remember? I think I can afford it. And three: you are important." He kissed her wrist. "So let's not have any arguments over this; let's just enjoy our last full day together. Okay?"

Elphaba nodded. "Okay."

"Good."

By now, the coachmen appeared to have cottoned on to what was happening inside the carriage, for when Elphaba and Fiyero alighted in front of an inn that evening, one of the men sent the green girl a cheeky wink, and she was fairly certain she caught the other smirking behind his glove. Blushing, Elphaba grabbed her suitcase and sauntered into the building.

"I suppose this is going to be a repeat of last night?" she muttered to Fiyero, who grinned.

"Are you going to object?"

She didn't.

The next morning saw Elphaba frantically trying to hurry Fiyero up while the latter calmly shaved.

"Come on, Fiyero," the green girl said in exasperation, hopping from foot to foot, "we're going to be late."

"Calm down, Elphaba. They're not going to leave without us, are they? They can wait a few more minutes. Besides, I want to make the most of today. And for that, I intend to look my best." He washed the soap off his face before inspecting himself critically in the mirror.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You look fine. Now can we just get a move on?"

"Almost done," Fiyero said absently as he fixed his hair.

"Oh, for goodness' sake, let's just go!" Elphaba cried, storming into the bathroom, grabbing Fiyero's hand and physically dragging him out.

"It's not like it's much further to Shiz," Fiyero complained good-naturedly. "So who cares if we're a few minutes late? We were two whole days late getting to the Emerald City. Don't you want to spend more time with me?" he added, pretending to be affronted.

Elphaba softened. "Of course I do. And you're right." She kissed Fiyero lightly.

Fiyero grinned. "Now that's more like it."

At last, they were settled in the carriage, Fiyero with his arm around Elphaba and Elphaba with her head leaning on Fiyero's shoulder.

"I'm going to miss this," Elphaba said softly with a sigh.

Fiyero stroked Elphaba's hair gently. "Me, too." He tugged the hairtie from Elphaba's neat braid and tossed it aside, then started to run his fingers lightly through her silky tresses.

"I wish we could stay like this forever." Another sigh.

"Me, too."

Elphaba raised her eyes to meet Fiyero's pensive gaze. "What are you thinking?"

"Just trying to figure out if there's a way we can –"

"Fiyero. We've discussed this."

It was Fiyero's turn to sigh. "Sorry."

Elphaba reach up to gently trace Fiyero's face. "Do you regret it? Any of it?"

Fiyero let out a chuckle. "How can I? You changed me, Elphaba. Everything is so much better now. My life is so much better. I just wish…"

"I know."

"It's bittersweet, you know?"

"I know." Elphaba laid her head back down on Fiyero's shoulder and draped her arm across his waist. "I'm glad, though. I'm glad you don't regret it. Because I have to confess, I don't actually know a memory-erasing spell."

Fiyero laughed. "Good. Because these memories, I want to keep."

As the day wore on, the couple drifted gradually from the peaceful bliss of morning to the intense passion of a restless afternoon.

Finally, one of the coachmen informed them, as per Fiyero's request, when they had reached the last town before Shiz. "We're about ten minutes away," he added.

Fiyero turned to look at Elphaba sadly. "Well, I guess this is it."

"I guess so." Elphaba returned his gaze evenly, subconsciously raising her chin as if trying to defy emotion.

"I've really enjoyed our time together."

"So have I."

Fiyero took Elphaba's hand. "I've said everything I could ever say in that letter. But thankyou."

Elphaba glanced down at their joined hands, before saying quietly, "I don't think I've said anything I want to say." She paused. "You're the first person to ever show any interest in me. To make me feel human. To make me feel like a woman. To make me feel like I'm someone worth knowing. In less than a fortnight with you, I've experienced things I never thought I'd experience in my entire lifetime. Things I couldn't even hope for; things I could only dream about – if I allowed myself to, and if I was prepared to deal with the pain of knowing that could never happen. Not to me. But you…" Her voice broke slightly as she at last allowed her emotions to show. "You changed that. If only for a few days. So thankyou. I know I keep shooting you down every time you say it, but I wish…" She swallowed.

Fiyero smiled at her tenderly and stroked her cheek. "We'll always have the Emerald City."

Elphaba returned his smile. "I know."

"Well, I guess this is it," Fiyero said heavily after a long moment.

They kissed one final time before putting themselves to rights.

Before long, the carriage was drawing up in front of Shiz University. As expected, Nessarose was awaiting Elphaba's arrival with Galinda by her side.

"You survived, then?" Nessarose teased with a grin as her sister hoped out of the carriage and strode over to embrace first Nessarose, then Galinda (at the latter's insistence).

Elphaba cast what she hoped was a convincing scowl over her shoulder at Fiyero. "Just."

"Admit it, Thropp," Fiyero said casually, "you enjoyed spending an entire thirteen days with me."

"In your dreams, Tiggular," Elphaba spat, trying her hardest not to blush.

Nessarose shot Fiyero a disapproving glance. "Egotist."

Fiyero grinned wolfishly at her, making the girl shrink back into her wheelchair in repulsion.

"Come on, Fabala," she said stiffly. "Let's get away from this creep." Nessarose began to wheel herself away, Galinda tottering along at her side.

Elphaba picked up her suitcase and began to stalk off in the direction of the girls' dormitories, but turned back momentarily. "Just bear this in mind: I still hate your guts, Tiggular."

Fiyero flashed her a grin and winked so quickly that nobody but Elphaba could pick it up. "Back at ya, Thropp."

Author's Note: Firstly, I think I should apologize. I know everyone wanted Elphaba and Fiyero to get together and stay together back at Shiz, but this is how I originally wanted to write it, and so this is how it stayed. However...if you really want...I just may do as NymeriaFae suggested and consider writing a sequel...?

Secondly, I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, faved and/or followed this story. It really means a lot to me and I certainly wasn't expecting this big a reaction. So thankyou all. xx

I'm not yet sure what my next story is going to be, since I have a heap in the works (surprise, surprise), but don't worry, there will be another one up sometime! Unfortunately, what with uni and everything, I don't even know if I'll have anything else up this year; but I hope there will be something no later than the beginning of next year. In the meantime, I do have a bunch of one-shots which are feeling rather unloved at the moment (hint, hint). ;)

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own any of the characters mentioned in this story; they belong in their entirety to L. Frank Baum and Gregory Maguire. The only character I own is Xathu. Please do not steal him, as I am rather fond of him and may use him again in the future. I DO, however, own the story, which is protected in my name under Australian Copyright Law dating back to 2014.

Special thanks to vinkunwildflowerqueen for helping me come up with a title; Glitter-Bunnii for helping me come up with Xathu's name; and Ultimate Queen of Cliffies for letting me bounce fluffy ideas off her.