"Okay," she says, nodding again. "That's a good plan. I'll see if I can ask Caroline - I haven't had a chance to talk too much to Rose yet," she realizes with a touch of guilt. "I'll see if I can later."

She draws in a quiet breath as he starts to touch her, focusing on eye contact and his words again instead of the patterns he's tracing into her skin. And she's glad that she does, because what he says to her makes her heart swell with hope for the first time in what feels like ages. All of a sudden, she feels a little lighter, a little relieved. It means so much to her that he's giving her that bit of control; she doesn't feel like she's doomed to die anymore.

A little laugh escapes her lips, and she brings a hand to her cheek to wipe away a tear that's trickled out of the corner of her eye. She doesn't say anything for a moment, and her gaze travels down to their joined hands, to his other hand still trailing along her arm. Then she looks up at him and cups his cheek with her free hand, looking into his eyes.

"Thank you," she whispers, and then she leans in to kiss him.