The Next Best Thing

By Vinkunwildflowerqueen

AN. I am thrillified to announce that the Life's Epochs sequel, Until the End of Time is complete and will be beginning to be posted this week. But I really wanted UtEoT to be the 100th fic I will post on this site. Hence, this one shot... that became a two-shot.

Also, June was the 10 year anniversary of my joining this site. And last week was the 10 year anniversary of the Aussie production of Wicked opening.

Chapter 1

Glinda was having a wonderful day.

It was Saturday, for one thing. She had no schoolwork or studying that had to be done- at least not urgently. The sky was a brilliant blue, with not a cloud to be seen and it was warm enough that you didn't even need a light jacket. Summer had arrived in Oz, and with it, their graduation from Shiz seemed at least to be within reach.

Glinda had spent the day lying on the grass with Pfannee, Shen-Shen and Milla as they gossiped, read magazines and painted their nails. She even could have napped, lying there on the grass, but she wasn't willing to risk getting sunburned.

Now she was practically skipping along the path that led from the Shiz campus into town, going to meet her other group of friends for dinner. She'd met up with Fiyero along the way and happily chattered away as they walked, filling him in on the latest campus gossip.

Fiyero wasn't particularly interested in gossip unless it involved someone he knew, but he listened patiently- at least far more patiently than Elphaba would.

"You reminded Fae about dinner before you left, didn't you?" Fiyero asked her, interrupting her recount of a tumultuous relationship between a couple in her Sociology class. They'd broken up for the tenth time that Glinda could recall, in a very public spat at the beginning of the lecture yesterday.

Glinda rolled her eyes. "Yes," she said patiently. "She was already packing up her things when I left. She was going to shower, change and collect Nessa before heading over."

Elphaba was deep in study mode for finals already, although they were still three weeks away, so they had all agreed it was easiest to leave her be for the day. Fiyero, having known Elphaba for over three and a half years and having dated her for the past eight months, didn't trust his girlfriend to lose track of time and forget about their dinner plans.

Glinda sighed and tilted her head up towards the sun as they walked.

"Hasn't today been such beautiful weather?" she asked Fiyero. "I love summer."

"Me too," Fiyero agreed. "No school."

She giggled. "Another month and that won't matter," she reminded him. "Then we'll never have a summer off again."

Fiyero made a face. "Yeah. Who would have thought I'd ever be thinking that I'll miss school?"

"You won't miss school, you'll miss Elphie," Glinda said knowingly and Fiyero grinned sheepishly.

It had been a long road for Elphaba, Fiyero and Glinda.

He and Glinda had had a messy breakup, over what Glinda had thought was his unwillingness to commit to her, after three months of dating. It had been another six months before Glinda realised that Fiyero had fallen in love with her best friend, and another two months before she realised Elphaba returned those feelings.

Glinda had watched, torn between anguish and fascination as Fiyero spent the next nine months slowly working his way towards a relationship with Elphaba, biding his time as her friend and quietly waiting for her to recognise his feelings and be willing to act on her own.

Normally, Glinda would have leapt at the chance to matchmake, but her own pride and vanity had taken a hit in the beginning. She'd never dreamed that Fiyero would work that hard or be that patient for anything or anyone, and it hurt that it hadn't happened for her. She and Fiyero had an uneasy friendship after their breakup, and while she'd come to love Elphaba like the sister she'd never had, it still hurt to think about the idea of Elphaba and Fiyero dating.

But then last summer, she'd visited Elphaba and Nessarose in Munchkinland. And after seeing with her own eyes what Elphaba's home life was like, she'd made her peace with the idea. If anyone was worthy of a fairytale love story, it was her best friend, she'd decided. Cinderella seemed rather fitting.

So, she'd given them both a little nudge when they'd returned to Shiz in the fall, and the rest was history. Glinda had to admit, seeing Elphaba and Fiyero together had been easier than she'd expected. And seeing Elphaba so happy with Fiyero, seeing her come into herself, was worth any pain. If Elphaba was Cinderella, Glinda liked to see herself as the fairy godmother. It was the next best role in a fairytale you could have, if you weren't a princess.

Glinda and Fiyero were only a few streets away from the restaurant where the group had agreed to meet when Glinda suddenly paused outside a jewellery store.

"I just want to pick up that bracelet I was getting repaired," she said to Fiyero. "Do you want to go ahead?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Nah, I'll come in," he said. "It won't be long, right?"

"No."

They stepped inside the store and Glinda immediately went to the counter.

"I'm picking up a repair for Miss Upland," she said briskly.

The clerk bowed his head. "Of course, Miss. One moment, please."

He disappeared into the back room. The store was empty other than Glinda and Fiyero, either because of the beautiful weather enticing people out of doors, or simply that they were approaching closing time.

Tapping her fingers on the counter as she waited, Glinda admired the sparkling jewels in the glass display cabinets. Momsie and Popsicle had asked her in their last letter what she wanted for a graduation present, and Glinda was thinking something sparkly might be just the perfect idea.

Glinda straightened as the clerk returned, a small wrapped parcel in his hands.

"Here you are, Miss Upland," he said to her, revealing her bracelet. "As you can see, we've repaired the clasp and re-set some of the stones, as requested."

Glinda examined the bracelet carefully before looking up with a smile.

"It looks wonderful, thank you."

It took another minute to finalise payment and sign the paperwork to show she had picked up the order, but finally Glinda thanked the clerk again and turned to find Fiyero. He was over in the back corner of the store, intently studying one particular display case.

Glinda tucked her package into her bag as she crossed over to him, wondering what had caught his interest. Elphaba's birthday had been a month ago, so it wasn't that; but perhaps he was thinking of a graduation gift for her?

As she came close enough to see what he was looking at, a gasp escaped her lips before she could stop herself.

Fiyero jumped as though a fog horn had sounded through the store, turning so quickly he almost fell over.

"Glin," he said, almost warningly, watching her stand as though frozen.

Her eyes were as wide as saucers and one perfectly manicured hand was pressed over her mouth in shock.

"Glinda," Fiyero said again.

Glinda stepped closer gingerly, staring transfixed at the display case he stood before. Rows of sparkling diamond rings blinked up at her, dancing as rays of the late afternoon sun streaming through the windows caught the light.

When she lifted her head to meet Fiyero's gaze, her vision was blurred slightly, and she wasn't sure if it was from the glittering diamonds or the tears that suddenly rose in her eyes.

"Is this for real?" she asked him in a trembling voice. "You're going to propose?!"

"I never said that," Fiyero said quickly, shushing her, although they were the only ones in the store.

She stared at him pointedly. "Fiyero, you don't just casually look at engagement rings!" she dropped her voice to a hiss.

"I was just killing time while I waited for you," Fiyero said innocently.

Glinda crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. "Then why did you jump?" she demanded.

Fiyero didn't have an answer for her.

Glinda stepped closer, her voice softening. "Yero. You're going to ask Elphie to marry you?"

Fiyero faltered for just a moment. "I'm thinking about it," he admitted.

Glinda took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to process it. Behind them the clerk was obviously closing up for the day and she wordlessly led Fiyero from the store.

They walked to the restaurant in silence and found a table. The others hadn't arrived yet, which was possibly for the best. Glinda was still in shock, and she didn't think she would be capable of holding a normal conversation just then.

"You've only been dating for- it's not even eight months yet!" she finally blurted out.

"Two weeks away," Fiyero reminded her, as though that made a difference.

When she just stared at him, Fiyero sighed and leaned forward on the table, running his hand through his hair.

"Look," he said finally. "I know it's only been eight months, but… I've loved her for so much longer than. You know that," he said, only a little hesitantly, trying to read her expression.

Glinda simply nodded. "I know."

"I've been thinking about how we're so close to graduation now, and what's going to happen after that. I hate the thought of Fae going back to Munchkinland," he said miserably. "You know what her father's like, Glinda. Fae had to fight tooth and nail to get his permission to come to the Vinkus with me over Lurlinemas. What is it going to be like once she's back home full-time? How often is he going to let her come visit, or let me come visit?"

Glinda knew he had a point. Frex had barely taken the news of Elphaba and Fiyero's friendship well, let alone the news that they had started dating.

"I get that," she reassured. "A long-distance relationship across Oz would not be easy. But is that a good enough reason to propose this quickly?"

She held up a hand quickly as Fiyero opened his mouth.

"I'm just saying this because I know Elphie will. And I think it's better to hear it from me now than from Elphie when you're down on one knee proposing. Isn't it?"

Fiyero knew she was right but couldn't stop himself from raising an eyebrow at her slightly.

"That's the only reason?"

Glinda rolled her eyes. "Fiyero, we broke up two years ago," she reminded him. "Was I shocked to see you looking at rings? Yes."

She couldn't deny that, but she was sure anyone would be.

"But if you and Elphie get engaged, I'll be thrillified," she reassured him. "It's just that you haven't been dating long. Have you even discussed marriage before now?"

Elphaba had never mentioned anything to her about it, but Elphaba still felt a little odd talking to Glinda about her relationship with Fiyero, she knew. She was very conscious that Fiyero was Glinda's ex, and how hurt Glinda had been when their relationship ended.

Fiyero shifted in his seat. "Fae knows that I love her," he said firmly. "She knows that I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"But you've never discussed a timeline," Glinda said knowingly.

"Not exactly," Fiyero agreed.

Fiyero's shoulders sagged as he sat back in his seat. "I love her, Glinda. I love her, and I just want to be with her forever. That's all I'm thinking about right now."

He scratched at his ear faintly and sighed. "Are you saying I shouldn't ask her?"

Glinda bit her lip. "No," she said slowly. "I'm not saying that. Let me talk to Elphie. Find out what she's thinking. Discreetly," she added hastily, seeing Fiyero's sceptical look.

"Trust me, it'll be a lot subtler coming from me than you."

"Can you be subtle?" Fiyero asked doubtfully.

Glinda glared at him.

Suddenly Fiyero straightened in his seat and his face lit up. Glinda didn't need to look behind her to know that Elphaba had just entered the room.

"Hi," Elphaba greeted them as she slipped into the seat next to Fiyero, Nessa wheeling herself along behind her.

Fiyero leaned over to kiss her sweetly. "Hi," he grinned at her. "How was your study day?"

"Productive," Elphaba answered, looking far more relaxed than Fiyero had ever felt after a day of studying. "I'm starving though."

She reached for some menus, handing one to Nessa.

"Where's Boq?" Nessa asked Fiyero and Glinda. "He's usually the first one here."

"We haven't seen him," Glinda replied honestly. "But don't worry, I'm sure he'll be along soon."

"Do we have to wait for him to order, do you think?" Fiyero asked.

Usually Elphaba was the first to say that they should wait until they were all here. But, she really was starving.

Luckily, Boq arrived before they had to make a decision, panting a little, clearly having run at least part of the way here.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologised, taking the seat closest to Nessa. "I was working on an assignment and lost track of time."

Elphaba turned to Fiyero and raised her eyebrows. "And you were worried about me forgetting dinner."

"When did I say that?"

Elphaba smiled. "You didn't have to. I know you," she reminded him.

Fiyero grinned. "And I know you. Why do you think I was worried?" he asked teasingly, kissing her.

Glinda couldn't help but watch Elphaba and Fiyero more closely during dinner than usual, Elphaba in particular.

She didn't know what exactly she was looking for, it wasn't as though Elphaba was going to wear a sign around her neck proclaiming that she was ready to get married. Elphaba had always been very good at hiding her thoughts and emotions. Glinda often wondered if it had come from having to protect herself from her father, who never gave a damn about Elphaba's thoughts and emotions.

Sometimes Glinda thought Fiyero was the only person who knew exactly what she was thinking at all times. In fact, she was sure of it. Because she'd watched him study Elphaba Thropp 101 for months as though his life depended on his final grade.

But in light of their conversation that afternoon, Glinda wondered if maybe it did. Or at least his heart depended on it.

That night in their dorm room, she watched Elphaba cross off another day on her calendar, counting down towards exams and graduation.

"Elphaba," Glinda said thoughtfully, climbing into bed.

Elphaba turned to her. "Yes?"

She knew it was serious if Glinda was calling her 'Elphaba' instead of 'Elphie.'

"You love Fiyero, don't you?"

Elphaba's brow furrowed as she reached for her hairbrush. "Yes," she said slowly.

"You're in love with him?" Glinda pressed.

Wariness flickered across Elphaba's face. "Yes," she confirmed hesitantly.

"What's going to happen after graduation?"

It was clear whatever question Elphaba had been expecting, it wasn't that.

"Oh."

Glinda readjusted her pillows so that she was sitting up in bed more comfortably, looking at Elphaba expectantly.

The look on Elphaba's face seemed to suggest she'd never considered the idea before, but Glinda doubted that was true. Glinda wouldn't be surprised if Elphaba had been thinking about this from the very first time Fiyero had asked her,

"Would you want to go to dinner with me sometime?"

Elphaba bit her lip. "I don't know," she finally confessed. "He'll be in the Vinkus and I'll be in Munchkinland. It's not exactly a short trip between the two, and we'll both be busy. He'll have royal duties and I'll be…"

"A glorified servant," Glinda said, pursing her lips.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Taking care of Nessa," she corrected her.

Glinda sniffed. "There's not a whole lot of difference, Elphie."

Elphaba smiled faintly, brushing her hair to braid it before she went to sleep.

"But you have a plan, don't you?" Glinda pressed.

"A plan?" Elphaba repeated.

"A timeline. You know, he'll come visit for Lurlinemas; you'll go visit in the summer… a spring wedding?"

Elphaba laughed. "A spring wedding?" she repeated.

"Or summer, whatever works best for you," Glinda reassured her.

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"We don't have a plan," she said quietly.

She braided her hair in silence, looking thoughtful.

"Where is this coming from?" she asked suddenly.

Glinda shrugged, looking innocent. "Fiyero and I were talking about graduation before you and Nessa arrived for dinner. He mentioned he wasn't sure when he'd see you next, and I just wondered."

It was a very simple cover story, and not entirely a lie.

"I just see how happy you are with Fiyero," she added sincerely. "I've been wondering how you're feeling about it all."

Elphaba tied off her braid and pushed it back over her shoulder, blushing faintly.

"Glinda…"

Glinda sighed. "Come on, Elphie. We can talk about this. Fiyero and I dated for three months over two years ago. We're all over it. And not talking about it doesn't mean it's not happening. You and Fiyero going to get married, and have children, and you and I are supposed to just pretend that you're not crazy in love with him? That your relationship is not a big deal? Because that is really going to ruin my maid of honour speech… that I have not already started working on."

Elphaba smiled faintly. "I don't know if that's going to happen, Glinda," she said softly, lowering her gaze.

Glinda's eyes widened. "What's not going to happen?"

"The whole marriage and children thing," Elphaba replied.

There was a wistful note in her tone Glinda had never heard from her friend before and it made her want to cry.

"Why not?" she demanded furiously.

Elphaba sighed. "My father-"

"You don't need his permission!" Glinda interrupted. "You're an adult!"

"But how can I leave Nessa?" Elphaba asked simply.

Glinda got out of bed and moved to sit next to Elphaba, placing her hand on her arm.

"Elphaba. You are not the only person in Oz capable of taking care of Nessarose," she reminded her calmly.

"Nessa is a dear. But you are not responsible for her, and you shouldn't sacrifice your happiness for her," Glinda said firmly. "I don't care what your father has made you believe, you do not owe Nessa your freedom."

It was a moment rather reminiscent of the night they had become friends, the long-ago night where Glinda had first proclaimed that she would marry Fiyero.

The girls shared a smile as they recalled the night and then Glinda looked at her solemnly.

"Let's pretend for a moment, that your father is a human being," she said, which made Elphaba laugh.

"That's a hard sell, but I'll try and picture that world," she agreed, and Glinda giggled.

"If you could do anything after we graduate, what would you do?"

The speed of Elphaba's answer told Glinda just how much she had thought about it.

"I'd move to the Vinkus," she said simply.

"To be with Fiyero?"

Elphaba nodded. "I love him. I know it hasn't been that long, but I'd choose spending the rest of my life with him over everything," she admitted.

Tears sprung to Glinda's eyes, which startled Elphaba for a moment, but Glinda hugged her tightly before she could say anything.

"I'm so glad you two found each other," she said shakily.

Elphaba hugged her back tightly. "Thank you, Glinda."

Glinda sniffled and returned to her own bed.

Elphaba turned off the light and the room was plunged into darkness.

"I think…"

Glinda lifted her head from the pillow as Elphaba's voice drifted through the darkness.

"Think what, Elphie?" she asked.

"I think I'd want an autumn wedding," Elphaba almost whispered, as though to put the thought out into the world was daring the universe to ensure it never happened.

Glinda beamed, although Elphaba couldn't see it. "That would be pretty," she agreed. "Outdoors, with the leaves all changed colours?" she suggested.

"Maybe."