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[abrightboy]

 This is Bright. Leave a message.

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[conning]

"I had to keep them safe," Neal says softly. "My friend, my best friend--the people who would have come for me knew his face. Elizabeth, his wife, she was pregnant, and all the two of them ever wanted was to have kids. It wouldn't have taken much digging to turn up old contacts and find out where they were."

He's not sure if she's trying to convince her or himself. Neal rubs his face with one hand and takes another drink of tea. "What's done is done," he says, tone softly ironic. "And now we're in another world entirely, so what's done isn't exactly relevant any more."

[retisense]

"If that's what it took, then you probably made the best decision you could have. And like, I know we're not best friends or anything, but I know you, Neal. I know you made the decision that you thought was best for the people you love, but it probably wasn't really the best for you."

For a moment, she's quiet, then she reaches out across the table and puts her hand on top of his, squeezing just a little.

"And it might not be what's best for Malcolm either."

[conning]

She shouldn't see him so clearly. How is it that all these people seem to see him so clearly? Has he gotten that bad at this game, has he gotten that desperate to be known?

He nods slowly, though he still doesn't really agree. "I'll think about it," he promises. "I will."

[retisense]

It isn't so much seeing Neal clearly, she doesn't think. She just knows that Neal is a good man who was probably doing his best to do right by the people around him. It's not difficult to tell that much, not considering how he'd started to make her tofu and vegetarian meals after he found out about her history.

"Okay. That's really all I'm asking."