action;
[ It is a very rare occurrence that Jean-Luc puts down the authoritative captains hat, that certain air about him that maintains an invisible wall around his person that's virtually impenetrable. And it's only ever been done with a select few individuals, people he can count on one hand and not use up all five fingers, in fact. So he surprises himself by doing so now as everything about him seems to change, his usually hard, rigid exterior completely morphing into something akin to soft and comforting. A rare thing indeed, as usually he considers remaining strong in midst of turmoil and heartache, a comfort. But with Helen, it's different. It's different in a way that he doesn't quite understand.
He holds her gently to him, his chest rising with slow, smooth breaths. She'd said she had no living relatives. And she seemed so mission oriented, like himself, that he hadn't thought to ask if she had ever had a family or children. But she had, as she had said, over a century ago (for her). In his time, of which he is certain there would be a Doctor Helen Magnus somewhere in the universe were she from his world, it would have happened much longer ago. He knew that even if Ashley had been even in part similar to Helen, that she had been an amazing person. ]
Oh there are some losses so deeply profound that we never truly get over or move past them. The ache only scabs over rather than truly heals... and scabs can so easily be reopened even at the slightest provocation. [His voice is a soft, deep timber rather than it's usual assertiveness. He feared he had been the one to peel this scab away for her. And while he enjoyed learning more about her, he didn't like being the one to cause her pain.
Which is why he pulls back only enough to cup either side of her face and look into her eyes. ] I do hope that you will tell me all about her as I would like to learn more of you.