AN. Ultimate Queen of Cliffies was reviewer 50 for Until the End of Time, and requested in return "a HAPPY Fiyeraba post musical" (HAPPY was strongly emphasised); which honestly, after After Forever was harder to write at first than I thought it would be. But here we are.

Wildest Dreams

By Vinkunwildflowerqueen

Elphaba had never been a dreamer.

The first dream she'd really allowed herself to have was the idea of working with the Wizard of Oz, to do some good. They all knew how that had ended. She hadn't even dared let herself dream of Fiyero- he had been only a most secret wish she'd hidden away in the depths of her mind.

After leaving Oz, there had been no dreams. There had only been plans.

Find somewhere safe, find a way to turn Fiyero human again.

When she'd found a source of magic strong enough to stick over that of the Grimmerie, the euphoria from her success swept both Elphaba and Fiyero off their feet. They were cocooned in their tiny studio apartment they called home in Oxwell, the Quoxian capital city, oblivious to everything and everyone except each other.

It was almost like a honeymoon, Fiyero had joked. Except for the marriage part.

"What happens now?" he asked her.

Elphaba looked up at him dazedly, her fingertips lightly tracing the muscles in his stomach, something that was completely wondrous to her- to them both- after almost two years of him being made of straw.

"What do you mean?" she replied.

Fiyero captured her fingers gently, raising her hand to his lips to kiss her fingers, watching her emerald skin shine as the rays of the late afternoon sun fell across her in their bed.

"I mean, what happens now?"

"Now as in… tonight?"

"Now as in the rest of our lives," Fiyero corrected her.

Surprise flickered over Elphaba's face for a moment, before the corner of her mouth curved into a faint smile.

"That sounds nice," she whispered.

Fiyero smiled too, leaning down to kiss her. "Really nice," he agreed.

Elphaba deepened the kiss, her hand slipping around the back of his neck to draw him closer as his hands slid down to grip her hips.

There were times it was still hard to believe that they were together, at long last; and now that Fiyero was human again, it seemed even more miraculous.

"Fiyero," she breathed, her eyes falling shut as he kissed along her collarbone.

Fiyero didn't lift his head. "Hmm?"

"You were saying?"

"Later," he dismissed her, and Elphaba certainly wasn't going to argue with him.

Darkness fell slowly over Oxwell, another summer's day fading away, the heat lingering even as the sunlight disappeared. It was only when Fiyero's stomach rumbled that they got up to find food and light some lamps. Elphaba put together a quick salad to go with the chicken Fiyero cooked and they ate in bed, which was just a mattress on the floor.

"So, life," Fiyero said, tossing a slice of cucumber into his mouth.

Elphaba smiled amusedly. "Life," she agreed.

"Our life," he added with another soft smile, leaning over to kiss her.

Elphaba chuckled, and gently pushed him away. "Uh huh. We're never going to have this conversation if you keep kissing me," she protested.

"You started it last time," Fiyero pointed out.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and picked up another piece of chicken to eat.

"What did you want to talk about, Yero?" she asked him.

Fiyero tugged her closer, swinging her legs over his lap so he could caress her bare, long legs.

"Us," he replied simply, savouring the word on his tongue. "What do you want to do now?"

Elphaba chewed her chicken thoughtfully. "I don't know," she admitted. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know either," Fiyero shrugged. "That's why I thought I'd bring it up."

He slid his thumb over the back of her knee. "What do you want, Fae?" he pressed. "What are your dreams?"

Elphaba's face was almost comical.

"Dreams," she repeated as though the word and concept were foreign to her.

Which they almost were.

It hadn't really occurred to her that she was free to dream again now. She'd given up on that, along with many other things, during her time on the run. It had seemed futile to dream of anything beyond staying alive. And being with Fiyero was more than she had ever dared to dream of.

When she said as much to Fiyero, he couldn't help but kiss her again, knocking the salad bowl off the mattress as he lay her down and moved over her.

"I love you," he said quietly.

Elphaba ran her knuckles down the side of his face. "I love you too. So much."

She sighed lightly. "I don't know about dreams though. My father always said they were pointless."

Fiyero snorted derisively and she smiled knowingly.

"Dreams are important," Fiyero insisted. "It's what got me through you being on the run. Wasn't turning me back a dream?"

"That wasn't a dream, it was a plan," Elphaba said firmly, setting her jaw determinedly and he smiled. "Dreams always seem more… unattainable. Just out of reach," she said thoughtfully.

"And then sometimes we get them anyway," Fiyero reminded her. "Isn't that what 'dream come true' means? Come on, Fae. Your wildest dreams. However unattainable."

He spoke without thinking, immediately realising what her most unattainable dream would be- what it was for both of them. That the people that mean most to them- his parents, Glinda, could know that they were alive, were safe.

As he met Elphaba's eyes, he knew she was thinking the same thing. A shadow passed over her face briefly, before she leaned up and kissed him softly.

"I really do love you so much," she whispered, the familiar twinge of guilt that sometimes snuck into her tone hanging there in the shadows.

Fiyero rested his forehead against hers. "I know, Fae," he said gently. "I love you too. More than anything."

In other words, Elphaba knew, he had no regrets.

She frowned slightly. "What are your dreams?"

"You," Fiyero replied immediately, kissing her again. "You're my dream come true."

Elphaba smiled, unable to help herself. "Then what's the next dream?"

Fiyero paused, moving to lay next to her, their legs tangled together.

"I've been thinking about that," he said thoughtfully.

"And?" Elphaba prodded when no further explanation came.

He was quiet for a long moment, staring up at the ceiling.

"What do you think about seeing the ocean?"

"The ocean?" Elphaba repeated in surprise, lifting her head.

"Yeah. Can you imagine, Fae?"

"No," she said honestly.

There was nothing like it in Oz, that was for sure.

"We could go check it out?" he suggested. "Take a vacation."

They didn't have much money- there wasn't much work for someone who, until a few weeks ago, had been made of straw. Elphaba had been working at the school, not really teaching but helping students who needed some extra help. But now it was summer vacation, which meant their only income came from odd jobs she was able to get and their savings.

Elphaba figured the trip to the ocean, on the other side of Quox, was at least a week's journey away. They could afford the trip, but their budget would be tight until school started again in the fall. But the mental image of seeing a real ocean, something she'd only ever read about in books, was alluring.

"That could be nice," she replied, missing Fiyero's smile.

She paused.

"It could be a nice place for an actual honeymoon."

Fiyero's heart skipped a beat as he turned his head hastily towards her. A grin broke across his face as he moved to hover over her, his hands gently pinning hers above her head.

"Why Miss Thropp. Is that a proposal?" he asked her teasingly.

Elphaba met his gaze solemnly. "It's a dream," she replied quietly.

Fiyero kissed her fiercely, supressing the sudden urge to cry that arose in his chest.

"Let's do it tomorrow," he said breathlessly, pulling back.

Elphaba stared at him, her eyes dark. "The ocean?"

Fiyero shook his head urgently. "Get married."

Elphaba blinked, the faintest frown creasing her brow.

"Are you sure?"

"Am I sure?" Fiyero replied in disbelief. "Fae," he choked, his voice cracking slightly. "I dreamed ofyou, of us for over two years. You're the only thing I've ever been sure of."

Fiyero kissed her again. "We're safe here, you've turned me back… I don't want to waste another second we have together," he told her. "Let's do it. Let's get married."

Elphaba chuckled. "I don't think we can do it tomorrow. I think it takes a few days to apply for a marriage license, and we don't have any identification-"

"But it's a yes?" Fiyero cut her off.

She nodded, her face softening. "Of course," she whispered.

Fiyero kissed her in elation. And a little relief. "It's not much of a proposal, I guess," he said, frowning slightly.

But at least he'd actually gotten to propose this time.

Elphaba shook her head. "No, Yero. It's perfect," she reassured him.

"It's not much of a story to tell people…"

"It's perfect," Elphaba said firmly. Then she grinned. "If anyone asks, we just won't mention what were doing at the time."

Fiyero grinned too, his eyes twinkling. "Or what we did immediately after," he agreed and lowered his head back to hers.

They were married at the Oxwell courthouse a week later, on a Monday afternoon wearing the best clothes they had. There were no guests, no flowers, no rings but neither Elphaba or Fiyero could have imagined a more perfect wedding.

"When we have the money, I'll get you a ring," Fiyero promised her as they signed the marriage certificate.

He felt a little guilty. They were spending almost every spare penny they had just on the ceremony and their honeymoon. In the week since they'd agreed to get married, Fiyero had wondered whether they should postpone until he could at least afford a ring for her, but Elphaba refused.

"I don't need a ring. We'll know we're married and that's all that matters," she told him.

Fiyero found the thought of Elphaba as his wife was more than enough to forget his guilt. The sense of elation and pride at being able to call himself her husband didn't really leave room for much else.

"Welcome home, wife," Fiyero said with a broad grin, carrying her over the threshold- at his insistence.

Elphaba couldn't help but laugh as he set her on her feet.

"Welcome home, husband," she murmured, leaning up to kiss him.

They'd discussed leaving for their honeymoon immediately after the wedding, but knowing it was such a long trip to the Quoxian coast, they had wanted to spend their wedding night at home.

Sapphire Sands was the name of the coastal town where they'd be spending their honeymoon. From Elphaba's research, it had a population of three and a half thousand people and it seemed to be a very peaceful little town. It wasn't a popular tourist spot, which was another reason Elphaba had thought it was a good spot.

They weren't staying near the water, because the waterside accommodation beyond their budget, but they could still see the water from the balcony of their hotel room once they'd checked in.

"See the lighthouse, Fae?" Fiyero demanded excitedly, pointing it out.

There was a warm breeze floating through the air as Elphaba followed him out onto the balcony, and she inhaled deeply.

"Smell that," she said softly. "The salt from the sea."

Fiyero grinned at her. "Smells good, huh?"

She nodded, leaning into his side as he wrapped an arm around her.

"Do you want to check out the beach or explore the town?" Fiyero asked her.

"Town. I'm hungry," Elphaba decided, realising just how hungry she was.

Fiyero kissed the top of her head lightly. "Alright. Let's go then."

Elphaba loved Sapphire Sands from the beginning, which would have surprised her a few years ago. She'd never thought herself as a small-town kind of person, and she'd never expected to love the beach as much as she did. But now, she found the little town so peaceful and relaxing. And the ocean just took her breath away. She'd seen rivers and lakes, but they were nothing like this.

The town seemed very welcoming too. They were polite, but not intrusive. And the reaction of the townspeople to Elphaba's skin seemed to be the same as anywhere they'd been in Quox- a little surprised, a little curious but no fear. And the further they got away from the border of Oz, the idea of "The Wicked Witch of the West" was more foreign to them. Sapphire Sands was about as far away from the Ozian border as you could get.

There was a little harbour on the outskirts of town, nestled beyond the sand dunes. Elphaba loved watching the lighthouse of an evening as it lit up the night sky. When it was dark, you couldn't see the red sandstone cliff that it stood upon, but in the day time, the red sandstone gleamed in the rays of the sun.

They'd spent every night of their trip sleeping with the windows in the room open to enjoy the summer breezes that came through the town. If they were really quiet, Elphaba swore they could hear the waves crashing on the shore. Falling asleep each night to the distant waves and the steadiness of Fiyero's heartbeat as her head rested on his chest were quickly becoming her favourite things in the world.

"New dream," she spoke quietly, one morning as they lay in bed.

"Yeah?" Fiyero asked sleepily, running his fingers through her hair.

"It's a little… crazy. Maybe."

Fiyero kept his eyes closed. "Wildest dreams, Fae. Hit me."

"What if we stayed here?"

Fiyero's eyes opened and looked over at her. "Move here, you mean?"

She nodded, a little tentatively. Fiyero rolled over so that they were face to face.

"You feel safe here?" he asked her.

That was his top priority. It was why they'd settled in Oxwell initially- it had access to magical resources Elphaba needed, and it was large enough that she felt they could relatively blend in.

She nodded without hesitation. "I feel at peace here. In a way I've never felt since… well, ever. And you like it here, don't you?"

"It's great," Fiyero agreed immediately. "What about Oxwell? You feel ok about leaving there? It's been home since we left Oz."

Elphaba leaned over and kissed him. "My home is you," she said simply. "It doesn't matter where we live."

Fiyero pulled her closer, brushing her hair back from her face gently. He paused for a moment, debating whether or not to bring it up.

"Speaking of dreams," he finally said slowly. "This would be a great place to raise a family."

The only reaction from Elphaba was for her gaze to shift somewhere over his shoulder towards the window.

"One day," Fiyero added a little hastily, drawing her eyes back to him.

"One day," she agreed softly.

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Elphaba smiled faintly, sitting up in the bed and pulling her hair back nervously. Fiyero sat up too, watching silently as she loosely braided her hair.

"I can't say the idea doesn't terrify me," she admitted. "But maybe in a few years, once we're more settled… especially financially… "

She looked to him solemnly. "If we're going to do this, have a family, I want to do it right. We don't have a support network," she reminded him. "It will just be us."

Fiyero thought about that carefully. She was right- they had no friends or family around them. Even after two years in Oxwell, they kept to themselves. And they had little in the way of finances. Now that Fiyero was human again, their tight budget was stretched even further. Adding a baby right now, as wonderful as the idea was, did not enter the equation.

"Ok," he said simply.

"Ok?" Elphaba repeated.

"Ok," Fiyero nodded, leaning over to kiss her again. "Although," he murmured between kisses, pulling her closer. "I think you and I will be just fine. I think together, we can do anything, Mrs Tiggular."

Elphaba smiled softly, pulling back to look him in the eyes.

"So do I," she replied.

That night after dinner, they took a walk along the beach while the sunset.

"Are you serious about moving here?" Fiyero asked her as they gazed out over the water.

Elphaba looked up at him. "Yes. What do you think?"

Fiyero smiled, kissing her temple softly. "I think you should be in charge of all our dreams from now on, wife."

Elphaba laughed even as she rolled her eyes. "Yero, I'm serious."

"So am I," he protested. "Getting married? Excellent dream. Living here? Almost as excellent."

"What would we do for work though? Where would we live?"

All practical details, but Fiyero waved a hand dismissively. "We'll look into that tomorrow," he promised.

Elphaba didn't appear convinced and Fiyero took her hands in his, squeezing them gently.

"I mean it, Fae. If this is something you want, if this is a dream of yours, I'm going to make it happen," he said.

He kissed her lightly. "I've got my dream come true. You deserve yours."

Elphaba deepened the kiss, winding her arms around his neck. "Yero, you're a dream come true I never knew I had," she reminded him. "That's better than having a hundred dreams come true."

That didn't make Fiyero any less determined.

They spent the rest of their trip investigating every detail Elphaba could think of to make Elphaba's dream a reality. Fiyero had woken up the next morning to find Elphaba had already filled the complimentary hotel notepad in their room with questions and details they'd need to answer before a move from Oxwell to Sapphire Sands was feasible.

They'd never had this problem in Oxwell. Once they'd decided this was their best chance of finding answers to make Fiyero human again, Elphaba had gotten a job at the first place she saw was hiring and then they'd rented a room to stay in.

This was Elphaba's chance to be as organised and detail oriented as she was capable of. And Fiyero never failed to be impressed by his wife's attention to detail.

"It's very sexy," he insisted, nibbling on her neck and tossing the notepad onto the nightstand.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and pushed him away. "Nope. Come on, Tiggular. We've got things to do."

Fiyero sighed, pouted for a moment but then obediently followed her from the bed.

"Fine," he grumbled. "Let's make some dreams come true."

Elphaba laughed at him as she headed for the bathroom.

"I'm going to go shower," she said.

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "You think it might be faster if I joined you?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes again but smiled. "Maybe."

Fiyero grinned, striding over to her and sweeping her into his arms. "See? Dreams coming true already."

When Fiyero looked more closely at Elphaba's list, there were a few surprises. There were all the expected things- employment, housing, transportation. On the very last page, there was a smaller list, just labelled 'Wildest Dreams.'

An ache spread through Fiyero's chest to see 'home' at the top of the list, followed by 'baby' which gave him a thrill. The third item on the list, made him look up at his wife with a raised eyebrow.

"A cat?"

Elphaba looked up from the newspaper, where she was looking at the wanted ads. "What's wrong with a cat?"

"Nothing. But it's not a dog," Fiyero replied as though that were obvious.

Elphaba shrugged. "It's my dream list and you said I was in charge," she reminded him.

Fiyero sighed resignedly and returned to the list. They were getting a cat.

They decided that the most practical plan would be similar to what they had done when they'd moved to Oxwell- find employment and a room to rent. Once they were settled, Elphaba pointed out, they could save up and find somewhere else to live- a proper home.

Fiyero was only a little disappointed with their plan. He'd rather envisioned finding their dream home and starting their new life in Sapphire Sands properly. But they just couldn't afford that and as Elphaba told him,

"Dreams wouldn't be dreams if they were easy to achieve."

Fiyero thought that was rather poetic, not that he dared tell her so.

"I'll make a dreamer of you yet," he did tease her however.

Elphaba just smiled.

It took another two and a half years before Elphaba and Fiyero were settled in their house of dreams, as they had begun to think of it.

A little white house on the harbor shore, which overlooked the harbour and offered beautiful views of the harbour from the living room and a view of the lighthouse from the bedroom. It was three bedrooms, although only two bedrooms stood empty- at least for now.

Late one evening the following May, Fiyero turned in at the gate and saw his wife sitting on the bench in the garden. There was a book on her lap, but she wasn't reading it. She was staring out over the harbour distantly, and he knew why. Watching the lighthouse come alight as evening fell was one of Elphaba's favourite things about their home.

"Hi," he greeted her, kissing her softly as he sat next to her.

"Hi," she replied. "How was work?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Fine. Are you warm enough?" he asked worriedly.

It was late spring, but it wasn't entirely warm enough yet to be sitting outdoors of an evening, especially with the breeze coming off the ocean.

Elphaba smiled knowingly. "I'm fine," she said. "I've got extra body heat," she reminded him, gently patting where her stomach curved softly.

Fiyero couldn't help but beam at he covered her hand with his own. He hadn't been able to feel the baby move yet, although Elphaba had felt the odd fluttering or two in the past week or so.

"Speaking of which," he said. "I had an idea today for a name."

"Hmm?"

"Imina. For a girl, obviously."

"Imina," Elphaba repeated slowly. "Imina Tiggular…"

"It means 'dream'," Fiyero said quietly.

As though on cue, Elphaba felt another faint flutter from their child within.

Elphaba looked to Fiyero. "If it is a girl," she said a little apprehensively. "How does Imina Galinda Tiggular sound?"

Fiyero smiled and kissed her again. "Perfect," he assured her. "And if it's a boy?"

Elphaba sighed faintly, moving to rest her head on his shoulder.

"Hm, not sure yet. I've got some ideas, but nothing really fits. I'm not worried though. We have time."

"I still think Fiyero Junior is a great name," Fiyero hinted.

Elphaba didn't even bother rolling her eyes, merely tilted her head back to meet his gaze. "This is why I'm in charge of the dreams," she told him.

"This is true," Fiyero conceded. That system certainly hadn't steered them wrong since leaving Oz.

They sat there in silence for a time while the sun slowly sunk and then the lighthouse lit up like the first star of the evening.

Maybe Elphaba was a dreamer after all.

AN. The response to the last chapter of UtEoT rendered me speechless, as you'll see when Chapter 8 goes up. Thank you all.