she sighed with relief, closing him into her embrace and pressing her nose against his hair, eyes sliding shut for the moment as she squeezed, crushing him against her. Still the same too-strong woman under all that new dignity. She almost let him go until he spoke, body tensing as she crushed him again, uttering of sob and laugh.

"I'm sorry if I caused you trouble, love," she whispered, one of her hands lifting to stroke the back of his head, smoothing his hair gently before she leaned back to look at him.

"There was nothing I could do...the one thing I worried about everyone else doing and I went and did it. I'm so, so sorry."