While he thought, Neil's embrace tightened bit by bit, and with each fractionally tensing of his muscles, Regina softened, letting her body find his and fit to it, closing up the distance between them. Although she knew she couldn't change any of that--lonely, scared, lost, hollow, hopeless--she could feel for it, and did, deeply.

By the time he'd finished speaking, her eyes gleamed with unshed tears. No pity, he was far too strong to call that from her. Genuine grief for everything he hadn't had and the fear he'd felt. She knew that humor helped him, and that, too, was familiar. Her sharpness did similarly for her. So she let him have that, smiled at his self-assessment, although it didn't quite reach her eyes.

I love you, that was what was in her eyes and she didn't hide it any more than she had since the other night when his arm had kept him awake. But she didn't, couldn't, say it, either. Instead, she said, "I'm glad he found you, even if I don't think much of his parenting skills," which, considering how little she liked his king, amounted to the same thing. I'm glad you are who you are because of him. I'm glad you're here now. I wish you'd never suffered, but you're here now and I love you.