The words were caught in his throat. They felt useless. They felt hollow. It felt like he was trying to patch a bullet wound with a band-aid. It just wasn't going to work. He had done a lot of damage. He had hurt so many people. He needed to fix his mistakes. He needed to let these people know that he was sorry. If they chose to attack him, end him or just shun him that was fine too. They had the right to do all of that. He had messed up on such a large scale.

He let out a grunt as she flew into his arms. His arms locked around her and he held tight. He kissed the top of her head and let out a soft sigh. He shut his eyes and allowed himself to forget the things he had said to her in her room. He pushed what he had become out of his mind long enough to enjoy seeing her again. He didn't want to think about how she might never trust him again or love him the same. He just wanted to breathe her in.

His eyes opened finally, but he didn't let her go. "I'm sorry, Rose. I thought--" The words were getting caught in his throat. He wasn't sure he could force them out. "I thought I was doing the right thing. I never wanted to hurt you." His voice was soft as he spoke to her.

He loved her. He did care. He cared a lot.