She looks puzzled for a moment but nods in quiet acceptance. She closes the distance between them and rests her brow against his, touching her nose to his.

"All right. Yes, if that is what you need, then yes."

He's not surrendering the field. He stays to fight. He just needs time. The strategic mind she adores so much.

That bright thread of hope shines through all of it. Hope and the same warmth she always holds for him when she speaks.