Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked…
Author's Note: well hello, I once again bring you a short Gelphie story, set in two parts. I got the idea from Idina Menzel's new song Brave. This really isn't a song fic, just inspired by a song. So yeah…I hope you enjoy it!
Summary: A look at the two instances in which Elphaba and Galinda must say goodbye to one another, the first being the Defying Gravity scene and the second the For Good scene…Musical verse…with a Gelphie twist
Brave-
-Chapter One: I Might Be Afraid
"So, this is really goodbye?" Elphaba's question hung in the air damp, dingy air of the musty attic.
Glinda and Elphaba stood facing one another. Elphaba held the recently bewitched broom in her hand, clutching the cloak Glinda had just placed around her shoulders to block out the cold that was pressing down on her; she could feel the weight of the Grimmerie in her bag, pulling on her shoulder. Her posture was strong and brave, but to anyone who truly knew her it was quite obvious that she was slowly breaking. She stared at her friend, eyes wide, feeling truly vulnerable for the first time in her life.
Glinda stood facing her best friend, starting to shake herself. It was suddenly cold. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her stomach, willing the sudden bout of nausea to subside. Her recently straightened, to perfection, blonde hair rested on her shoulders, making her neck itch. She took in a deep steadying breath. She had never seen Elphaba look like this before, and what it was she didn't really know. Confident, scared, vulnerable, and brave all at once; her hat and cloak and broom gave her a haunting look that, Glinda noted, seemed to fit her perfectly. It was as if the green woman had been born to look that way.
Glinda suddenly felt sick, Elphaba's words ringing through her mind, loud as a bell. Goodbye? How could this be goodbye? They were supposed to be together for the rest of their lives. They were going to work together with the Wizard, live in the exciting Emerald City where every day would be an adventure. That's how it was supposed to be. They were supposed to be together. The thought of separation was doing something to Glinda that she never thought would ever happen. Together. Together? Together was what?
Glinda didn't care, she was beginning to realize that a life without Elphaba was a life she didn't want to live.
"Elphie I-" her voice cut off as tears bordered her eyes and her throat tightened.
"Glinda," Elphaba took a step forward, her voice pleading. "Come with me," she tried one more time. "Please, Glinda, come with me. Think of everything we could do. Everything we would be able to accomplish. Please, Glinda. Please," Elphaba's voice was soft and sad. "Come with me."
Glinda chocked back a sob, her hand shooting to her mouth, trying to will it away. By the time Elphaba had finished talking Glinda was slowly shaking her head, taking a step back as Elphaba moved forward.
"No, no, no," she said, moving her hand away from her mouth. "This isn't supposed to happen. No. We can't…Elphie, you can't. This isn't…No…I…I won't let you! You can't!" Glinda's voice was growing frantic, rising slightly with each unfinished sentence until she was practically screeching.
"Elphaba think of what you're doing!"
"I have," Elphaba replied calmly.
"Have you?! Elphie, think about this. I mean really think about this. More than just the two seconds it took for you to come up with this crazy scheme!" Glinda's sadness suddenly morphed with anger as she tried to talk so sense into her whim-full friend.
Elphaba rubbed her temples. She could hear the faint sounds of the guards on the other side of the attic door, trying to figure out how to break into the room. They were running out of time and Glinda was making this more difficult than it already was.
"I have thought about it Glinda! You head him, you saw what he was! He's a fake and he's behind everything horrible that's happening in Oz. I refuse to sit around and do nothing! I'm not going to work for a man who I don't believe in. I refuse to inflict laws on people and Animals that I don't agree with in the first place!"
"That's all well and fine, Elphie, but there are better ways of going about this. Go back to him, say you're sorry, decline is offer and tell him you won't tell a soul he's behind it all!" Glinda started pacing, moving her arms about spastically. "If you leave right now, he's going to destroy you Elphaba. You'll have nothing left."
Elphaba stared, stone still, I would have you… the words sang in Elphaba's mind begging herself to speak them, but she couldn't. Something about Glinda's words had struck a chord, making her anger burst through in a way she had never known before. She closed her eyes as her fists clenched into tight balls, her green knuckles nearly turning white. She shook her head, trying to will Glinda's words away.
"Having nothing is being better than some brainless pawn in the game he's playing at; a role, I have no doubt, you'll fill perfectly Glinda," Elphaba snapped, quickly slipping back into her old habit of insulting others to keep herself protected.
Glinda stopped pacing, her pleading eyes turning an icy cold as she stared at Elphaba. Elphaba took a step backwards, instantly regretting her words, knowing she had somehow crossed a line. Glinda couldn't bring herself to say anything; she simply stared, not believing that her friend had insulted her so.
"Glinda, I'm-"
"Don't."
"But-"
"Don't Elphaba."
Silence folded over the two women as they stood staring at one another.
"How could you accuse me of doing that Elphaba? Why would you really think that I would join him?"
Elphaba sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Your eyes. I saw the look in you eyes when he mentioned us forming some grand team. You want it Glinda, just as much as I used to want it."
Glinda's gaze softened as her shoulders slumped as well. "I can't help it Elphie," her lower lip quivered as the tears once again began to form in her eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't."
Elphaba dropped her broom and stepped to Glinda, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman. Feeling Elphaba's arms wrap around her Glinda let her tears fall, grabbing a fist full of Elphaba's dress in each of her small hands.
"I don't want to fight with you Elphie," Glinda sobbed into the taller woman's shoulder.
Elphaba sighed and allowed herself to lay her cheek atop Glinda's head, tentatively running her hand through her hair in a rare moment of comfort; something Elphaba never thought she was possible of doing. "I don't want to fight with you either, Glinda," she said, pausing to take in a steadying breath. "I would hate for our last moment together to be spiteful."
Glinda pulled out of Elphaba's embrace slightly to look the green woman in the eye. "Our last moment together?" she gasped, trying to control her breathing.
Elphaba smiled sadly, biting her lower lip to control the sudden burst of emotion that sprang from her stomach and spread through her body. "This—this could be the last time we see each other, Glin-" the blonde's name caught on her lips and Elphaba gulped, trying with all her might to keep her own tears at bay.
Glinda lunged forward, her arms wrapping around Elphaba's neck as she grabbed her friend as if her life depended on it. Glinda was sure she was going to die. Whether from lack of oxygen or from the through of never seeing Elphaba again, she wasn't sure.
"No," she coughed, rubbing her head into Elphaba's shoulder. "No, that's not how it's supposed to be. We're supposed to be together, forever Elphie. Forever."
"It can still be that way, Glinda," Elphaba whispered, whether she was reassuring herself of Glinda she didn't know. "If you come with me, if we work together. Think of the possibilities," she pleaded again.
Glinda dug her head further into Elphaba's shoulder.
"Stay with me," Elphaba whispered directly into Glinda's ear.
Glinda shuddered as Elphaba's warm breath came into contact with her cool skin, a feeling she couldn't identify running through her. She pulled back from the embrace again, looking Elphaba in the eye, the feeling of self struggle taking hold of her. Elphaba recognized the look that covered Glinda's face, the look she had had minutes ago when she had considered joining Elphaba in leaving it all behind.
Glinda felt herself falling apart. If she went with Elphaba she would leave behind a world she had longed for. But in its place she would have Elphaba. Elphaba. And only Elphaba. There would be no certainty of tomorrow. There would be no knowing if today would be her last day. The constant feeling of being hunted would hang upon her, a burden on her shoulders. But she would Elphaba. Could one person really be enough? If she stayed she would have it all. Everything she had ever wanted and more. She would have something she had longed for even before her friend entered her life in all her green glory. Life, as she had known it all her life, would be complete.
Once again, Glinda slowly stepped away from Elphaba, blue eyes meeting brown. "How can you be so brave?" she asked quietly, wrapping her arms around her middle once more.
Elphaba's entire body slumped, defeated, immediately recognizing Glinda's round-about denial. "This is my first chance to finally do something. I suppose I have to be," she whispered back, afraid that speaking aloud would disrupt something. She didn't know what.
Glinda nodded, averting her eyes and clutching her sides tighter. "So this is goodbye..." she whispered in the air.
"Glinda, in case we never-" Elphaba stopped when Glinda turned her head again, once again making eye contact with Elphaba. The taller of the two felt her breath hitch. "In case we never…I want you…What I…That I…I…" Elphaba's voice trailed off, as she wrung her hands together.
"What is it Elphie?" Glinda asked, her cheeks stained with tears.
Elphaba didn't respond. She opted to taking two steps forward, wrapping her arm around Glinda's waist, and pressing her thin lips to Glinda's full ones.
Elphaba let herself go for a minute, dropping her hard exterior and the walls she had built up and put everything she had into kissing Glinda. If it were the last time she was going to see her friend, she wanted her to know that somewhere in the midst of their odd friendship Elphaba had grown to care for Glinda in a way she had never cared for anyone before. In a way that she would never be able to care for anyone else in the future. A way that was solely reserved for Glinda and Glinda alone.
Glinda felt herself melting, as she blindly grasped at Elphaba's shoulders, pulling her closer; the height difference forcing her to stand on her toes. She couldn't really comprehend what was going on, but she knew that she never wanted it to end. The feeling of Elphaba's lips pressed to her own, their rhythmic motion like the ocean, was something Glinda wanted to remember and feel for the rest of her life. She was quite certain that she could die at that moment and she would die happy.
Slowly Elphaba pulled away, trailing small kisses up Glinda's jaw to her ear. "I love you," she whispered, kissing Glinda's cheek. "Be brave my sweet."
Without another word Elphaba turned away, picked up her newly acquired broom and went to the window. "I can't," Glinda called out, her voice breathless.
Elphaba smirked as she turned her head, casting a sideways glance at Glinda. "Then I suppose I'll be brave for the both of us," with a swish of her cloak and a leap of faith Elphaba disappeared into the horizon, Glinda running to the window to watch as she flew away.
Elphaba felt the wind brushing her cheeks, combing her hair. It was exhilarating. Below her she could hear the city as frenzy broke loose. Morrible's voice echoed again throughout the land, the word "Wicked" ringing above them all. Gooseflesh raised her green skin, but she didn't care.
Tomorrow would be something she feared. There would be no knowing what was in store from her or whether or not the Wizard would allow her to see the next day. But somewhere in it all it was okay. Somehow this was a beginning. The beginning of a new life. Her life.
Author's Note: Well I hope you enjoyed the first part! The second part, For Good, will be up in a couple of days!!! Let me know what you think! Thanks!
Until next time,
Your humble Author,
The Lonely Goatherd