#uncle henry

Notes/Facts

- Hunk was brought up in the UK before moving to Kansas, so he's got a bit of a British accent. His family's also pretty wealthy too, but he chose to become a farmhand anyway. He's secretly down bad for Miss Gulch and the others judge him for it. He manages the cornfield.

- Hickory has pituitary dwarfism, and a metal leg prosthetic from accidentally cutting off his leg as a teen. Visitors to the farm sometimes mistake him for a kid right until he talks. He's at least tiny bit taller than Dorothy, and Dorothy can lift him up when she actually tries. He chases theives with his axe, which he lovingly calls "Nick". He's the farm's tinkerer and maintenance guy (with Hunk as a helper).

- Zeke is actually the youngest of the trio. He was a homeless teen on the streets when Em and Henry found and gave him a place to stay. In exchange, he cares for the crops and the animals. He's quite anxious and easy to startle, though. He's a big strong guy, too. Miss Gulch scares him, though he tries to not show that.

- Emily "Em" Gale is Dorothy’s father's sister, though she's often mistaken for Dorothy’s mother. She and Henry aren't actually officially married, but their relationship has gone so far that they very much consider themselves married. Sadly, she can't have children, but fortunately, Dorothy fills that void. She hates Miss Gulch's guts, and was utterly terrified during the cyclone.

- Uncle Henry is an average white guy in his 40s. He was disowned by his family for being with Em, who is a poc, but he doesn't care, his family can jump in a pit for all he cares. He's not the brightest, but he tries his best, especially with Em and Dorothy. He wishes to be able to afford a ring for Em one day. He doesn't really get why everyone's afraid of Miss Gulch. Sure, she owns half the county, but she's really not that scary to him.

- Miss Gulch owns half the county, and is sisters with the Mayor, Neveah-Rose Gulch. Frankly, no one likes her, as she has a reputation for taking people's pets and supposedly getting them euthanized. She rides her bike very menacingly, and it often surprises people to know that she's actually 24, when she acts like an old grumpy witch. Hunk always has a bit of his shirt open for her to see. Almira had a bit of a rough upbringing, and disappeared after the cyclone.

- As a bit of an extra, Dorothy is often puzzled when she compares her uncles to her friends in Oz. For Zeke and Lion, eh...she can kinda see it, since Lion has Zeke's voice. But for Hunk and Hickory, she CAN compare the voices, but the looks? Scarecrow and Tin Man look nothing like Hunk and Hickory, it really boggles her.

Also, as another side note, if Aunt Em and Uncle Henry ever met Dorothy’s friends, they'd be a bit okay with the Cowardly Lion, but as soon as Scarecrow and Tin Man walk in, they'll be doing this;

“NEVER?? You’ve NEVER had a SLEEPOVER?? A SLUMBER PARTY????” She shouted, looking horridified at the news. 

All Dorothy did was shake her head in response, eyes wide at the blonde’s animated speech patten

“Now, now, Galinda” Fiyero chuckled “It’s not a crime to have never had a sleepover. I certainly didn’t feel like I missed much” 

“Boy sleepovers are different!” She insisted “Girly sleepovers are wonderful - Oh, oh no this will not do!” 

“Galinda. Deep breath” Elphaba nonchalantly instructed as she turned the page of her nextbook from her bed. Galinda paused as if frozen in place, and took a dramatically deep breath. 

“Hoooo - Thank you, Elphie!” 

“It’s what I’m here for apparently” 

Fiyero chuckled, and looked down at Dorothy, who was leaning over to look at Elphaba’s book with interest - Now that there was an illustration on the page of course. 

“I still think I have a wonderful idea - A spectacularful one, even!” Galinda confirmed

“And what might that be?” Fiyero questioned. 

And now they were here, in Galinda and Elphaba dorm room - mostly because it was twice as large as anyone else's. How they fit all of them in there was still rather surprising, but Fiyero couldn’t help but notice that Dorothy was having a wonderful time. 

Elphaba had braided the little girl’s hair in a simple but elegant braid that Galinda had filled with the smallest (“But Cutest!”) flowers the Gillykin noble could find. Boq and Nessarose were doing their best to teach the child a munchkin card game. Dorothy didn’t seem to fully get the rules, but she was giggling endlessly, and everyone seemed satisfied at that. 

And Fiyero? Well, Dorothy was treating him like a lounge chair, and he didn’t much mind it. 

It was strange… This wasn’t typically how the prince liked to spend his time. Doing something so mundane, so relaxed.. But nice. It was nice. 

Dorothy yawned, leaning back onto Fiyero, looking worn out from all the sleepover activities. 

“Heehee” Galinda grinned “It seems out night is almost over” 

“Seems so!” Boq agreed, putting away his cards

“Aw…” Dorothy whined “Nothin’ else?” 

“What else would you like?” Nessarose asked. 

“Hm… What ‘bout a lullaby?” 

“Oh?” Elphaba looked up from her book “A lullaby?” 

“Ooh, We could all sing! Oz has so many lullabies!” Galinda proclaimed

“A lullaby for everything!” Boq eagerly agreed

“Everything?” Dorothy looked as if she was in awe at this fact. 

“And anything,” Fiyero assured. “Go on, what do you want your lullaby to be about?” 

“Uh…” She seemed to really think about it “Hm… Rainbows” 

The college students all looked at each other - faces showing a certain nervousness. Oz had many lullabies about many things… but not rainbows. 

Fiyero cleared his throat. “What Dot wants, Dot gets” 

Elphaba glared at him with a little bit of bafflement mixed into her expression. In response, Fiyero took a moment, letting Dorothy shift and get comfortable in his lap, those big brown eyes of hers - tired but attentive - looked up at him in interest. 

Okay Fiyero. You’re creative. You can do this.

“Some-where over the rainbow… Way up high” 

All of the adults looked at him with surprise - that was the melody from- 

“There’s a land that I heard of… once? In a lullaby” 

Yup. He took that melody from the funeral dirge they’d learned in music class. Was he nuts??

“Somewhere… over the rainbow… skies .. are.. Blue..” Uh oh. He looked stuck. 

But then… 

“And the dreams that you dare to dream, really do come true” Elphaba jumped in. 

Surprised, Fiyero watched as Galina leaned forward, singing in the softerst version of her voice he’d ever heard. 

“Someday I’ll wish upon a star, and wake up where the clouds are far be-hiiind Me-e-e” 

Nessarose raised her hand, getting everyone's attention as she added “Where trouble melts like lemon drops - high above the chimney tops!” She motioned to Boq, who looked a bit panicked before adding

“That’s where you’ll … find me?” 

Elphaba chuckled, and looked over at Fiyero again.  “Somewhere.. Over the rainbow.. Bluebird’s fly” 

Fiyero chimed in “Birds fly over the rainbow.. Why then oh why can’t I?” 

“If happy little bluebird’s fly…” Galinda twittered “Beyond the rainbow…” 

“Why oh why can’t I?” 

The end harmony was sung quite unexpectedly by all of them, and the time FIyero looked to see Dorothy’s reaction, she looked up at him with an admiration so pure he almost choked. Instead, he asked her, “… How was that?” 

“It was… Perfect. The most perfect lullaby there ev’r was” Sh complimented, resting her head on his shoulder in a hug “... Can you sing it again?” 

The others about the room looked both relieved and pleased, and Fiyero glanced briefly at Elphaba, whose smirk of approval was far more reassuring than even she could have guessed. He smiled down at the little girl. 

“For you, Dot? As many times as you want” 

-

“Heh, I knew you’d like that, Toto” 

The pup gave little more than a sniffed exhale out of his adorable little nose, and adjusted to curl up further in the crook of her arm. He was so small - were all puppies all this small? Auntie Em said that most puppies weren’t, but that didn’t matter. Todo was perfect, and he was the best 10th birthday gift that Dorothy could have ever asked for. 

There was a soft knock on the wall near her door. Uncle Henry. 

“Y’shouldn’t be lettin’ a pup sleep in y’r bed, Dorothy” he lightly reprimanded, though it had no teeth. 

“He’s too small, Uncle Henry” She argued “Plus, he likes lullabies” 

“I do hear you singin’ to him every night” The man recalled “I’ve never heard that’un before” he pointed out “The rainbow one.. Is that one y’r father sung?” 

Dorothy seemed to think about it “hm.. No. I don’t think so… I think…” She let her words trail off, recalling the last time she brought up ‘the Oz dream’ “... I think I heard it back in Topeka. Somewhere.” 

“Ah… Perhaps with one of those friends of your mothers. They seemed rather… kind.. When I met ‘em” He tried to sound nice - But Dorothy knew he hated Topeka - He hated cities. He liked being alone with Auntie Em on the farm. 

“What’dya need, Uncle Henry?” She asked, hoping she didn’t sound rude. 

The man coughed “Em want’s you in the kitchen. She’s uh, made some cookies for you” 

Ah right, cookies. Because Em had yelled at her about her reading books from the library in town - saying she was wasting her time when she had chores to do.. Without knowing that Dorothy had already done them. 

They were apology cookies - This wasn’t the first time. “.. Okay. I’ll be in the kitchen in a minute” 

“I’ll tell ‘er.” He nodded “Don’ bring down that book, if ya don’t want her gettin’ cross with you again” 

The child huffed “... Fine” 

He gave her a small smile “Don’ you worry, Dorothy. You can read whatever you want - Just not in front of Em” Something about that very “Uncle Henry” way of comforting her finally got her to smile, and Henry left her alone. 

She thought back to the song again, and sighed. That dream, that strange, strange dream from her childhood. . . 

A part of her still thought it wasn’t a dream. 

She looked at Toto, who had woken up again and was looking at her with a little, wiggling tail. 

“You know” she whispered “if you can talk, you can always tell me. I won’t tell a single soul. I don’t care if you’re an animal or an Animal. You’re my best friend now, okay?” 

All she got in response was a lick on the nose, and she giggled,