Elphaba's touch was so warm, so where her eyes under this hardened surface that would not serve to fool Glinda, yet her words were so cold. Glinda stayed close, even with her hands removed. Her body was cooling rapidly without proper clothes, despite the warmth of the attic, but she barely felt it. Her mind was occupied in different ways: She knew different measures were needed. She had always been the ditzy blonde girl, and most of the time she probably was, but too many people didn't give her enough credit for decisions - for acting upon things - sometimes - and even less people gave her enough credit for the social skills that had put her where she was now in the society of Oz. And most of all, nobody gave her any credit for bravery. But she had it all inside of her, and it made her who she is and put her in the social place she was currently occupying.<br/><br/>"I understand that," she said finally and firmly. "But I've already spent<em>years</em>with you, and I should be cursed if I couldn't still read you a little." She looked up into Elphaba's eyes, her own properly watering. "If I leave now, I'll probably never see you again, and any danger is worth preventing that, Elphie."<br/><br/>There. Plain and simple, just like Elphaba's style. And necessary. Because it was Glinda who feared, and what else could she do but speak her heart as she had always done? What else could she do but let her emotions well to the surface and show Elphaba that there was some bravery and determination in her and that she was not going to run like a foolish little girl and risk everything she had just found.