Elphaba felt another fluttering stab in her chest which rippled pain throughout her wiry body at Glinda's plea, those deep blue eyes so clear and so without clouded judgment or sinister plans hiding behind their depths... so unlike herself. Thin ivy fingers twined around Glinda's ivory digits and held them there a moment, feeling the cool warmth and satin soft skin beneath her rough and worked fingers.... held them there, just a moment, applying a last gentle squeeze before pulling Glinda's hands off of herself, holding them away.<br/><br/>"You can't stay here... you could be in danger... you may already be in danger. Can't you understand that?"<br/><br/>Her dark velvety voice shivered with emotions, still barely contained... more fractures spiderwebbing across her resolve. Glinda... how could she possibly turn her out like this? But, she must... there was just too much at risk, namely Glinda's own safety.  Oh, this was too difficult.. and it hurt so,<em>so</em>much.<br/><br/>She squeezed the delicate hands encased in her own long fingers...