A phantom of a smile tugged at the corner of her thin lips, the smile felt out of practice yet it also felt good after so long. She knew she had missed the girl-turned-woman collapsed on top of her, and as much as she had tried to deny that, it was hard to ignore such a hard-earned friendship.  It was true, however, that she had loathed and had taken the blond as another aristocratic brat (well.. there was still<em>some</em>truth to that) whose only concern was herself and her public image. However, Elphaba had learned in their time together that more lay beneath that flimsy and flighty exterior than she let on: Glinda was capable of much when she wasn't acting how everyone expected or wanted her to.<br/><br/>"O-oh hey, now.. don't - don't cry Galinda.."<br/>For a moment Elphaba was confused and worried with a good double-handful of guilt at her friend's sudden tears, all the anger and irritation she had directed towards the other woman evaporated like vapor, gone as suddenly as it had arrived.<br/><br/>"It's okay - I don't hate you... I'm not upset ---- okay, well.. not<em>really</em>upset. Please don't cry?"<br/>She tried to think of something to do, something that she could do to help... and slowly, awkwardly, she patted the slender and quivering back with her leaf-green hand. This felt strange, she was so out of practice, and her hand felt so large and heavy against Glinda's delicate body.<br/><br/>"There... there..."<br/>She winced when a stray saline tear splashed down on to her neck, burning at her skin on contact.