His hands fell away from her face to allow Inara some room. Derek couldn't stand any notion of an innocent person feeling coerced. His hands fell to the outsides of her elbows in a supportive gesture, holding her as lightly as he had her face in case she did want to distance herself from him. "He had to mean a lot to you too. Or she does. Both. They're like family. I get it," he uttered supportively.

"We have more in common than you probably realize. And there's no one to blame for that but me." He lifted a hand to run his thumb over her cheek affectionately one last time then let go of Inara completely. "My incentive is to help the people I work with who I've grown to consider like family. They've each lost a lot more than the job was ever entitled to taking. So I understand. And I'm proud of you." Derek offered his first genuine smile to her in days.

He had spent a couple of weeks working on a Christmas gift for Inara but knew in that moment it wouldn't be enough. Neither would Derek tell her what he was planning on doing. If there was any use to the law degree he obtained from Northwestern, it would be that he could argue a case fairly well. The city would approach her and offer her healing as an oversight on their end for having accidentally sent her home before her time.

Eudio would have a nightmare on their hands if the administration dared to deny him his request. That much, he was certain.