Upon reaching her bed Elphaba took her vial of oil (scented with lavender… the cheapest she could buy) in hand but looked back over her shoulder, towards the physical manifestation of her past… and the sight caused her heart to arrest.  There sat Galinda - no,<em>Glinda</em>, shimmery dress discarded, sitting in her camisole and frilly panties, the creamy pale skin of her smoothly curved shoulders and petite back, her blond curls tumbled down her shoulders, the golden tips caressing her back. The view threw her mind and her heart back… was it 5 years ago? More? Less?  Glinda had changed physically, Elphaba noticed. Oh, she was still ever the gorgeous petite blond with beautiful golden tresses but she had certainly 'filled out' in their years of absence - not to say that Glinda was fat in any way shape or form!  Her body appeared toned, more full of feminine curves and generally very pleasing to the eye.<br/><br/>Elphaba turned away.<br/><br/>It threw her back to those days in their shared school dorm, that turbulent time full of intertwining winds of indignation and hope, the dark times with Madam Morrible’s betrayal, Dr. Dillamond’s death, spotted with light… the light that came from Galinda. Galinda and her friendship. Especially those quiet moments in their dorm when Elphaba would snatch peeks and glances over at Galinda when she got dressed. Now, nothing of any real consequence was seen but those secret looks filled Elphaba with mixed feelings… part of it she was sure was of jealousy for Galinda’s perfect pale skin and feminine body. But now… now she wasn’t so sure that that was the case.<br/><br/>The emotions that rose up in her chest threatened to strangle her, the needle-sharp pricks in her heart, the deep ache, the hard hammer of her heart… it was too much. Too, too much.  It was a kettle that had now boiled over and which burned her hands.  Elphaba leapt to her feet, dropping the bottle of scented oil which hit the ground with a heavy thud and rolled away, the top coming loose and spilling some of its contents out. It only took a few long-legged strides to reach Glinda and Elphaba roughly yank her to her feet.<br/><br/>“You have to go. Now.”<br/><br/>Elphaba’s voice quivered with unshed emotion, her stony front beginning to crack and fracture at the revival of old, long neglected feelings and memories. She couldn’t afford to allow this to affect her – she was part of the arrow, she had a job to do… this would only be too dangerous (and too stupid) to involve Glinda, no matter how much she ached for it.<br/><br/>“Please, ‘Linda, my sweet… don’t ask. Just go.”<br/><br/>Her brown eyes were hidden behind a dark veil of hair but surely they were…