Babs : *rests her forehead against his shoulder, she's fine, it's fine, definitely fine, she just needs to be held, it's fine*
THEIR RELATIONSHIP EXISTS BEYOND WORDS  :  where fingers trace over hers ,  foreheads meet in silent acknowledgement ,  eyes close in shared emotion .  what troubles her ,  he can't quite ascertain ,  ruminatively biting his lower lip ,  but maybe  ---  knowing isn't the solution at all .   maybe it's a case of awareness ,  of presence ,  of solidarity .  so he doesn't hesitate to wrap strong arms around her ,  swivelling gently so he can embrace her properly ,  and she can hide herself away under his protection .