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[abrightboy]

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[conning]

Neal's voice is smooth as silk gliding over the edge of a blade. "What they did about it is less significant in this scenario than the fact that you have two former inmate friends, one of whom is an expert at getting in and out of forbidden spaces unassisted and the other of whom has--some relevant talents of his own."

Neal glances at Norton with a smile, not wanting to share what isn't his to share, but he doesn't think Norton will mind the implications.

[pharadyne]

Norton flashes a quick grin. "Absolutely. Mind you, I don't think the situation's come down to gaol break operations yet. Everything's still in the post-murder early chaos and confusion stage of things." He waves his hands around in wild gesticulation to go with his words. "Even if Shaw hasn't set a particular end to her extremely close Miss Surveillance State supervision, it'd be difficult to keep it up long term. For one thing, her wife might object at some point."

He pauses to take a dainty sip of his tea.

"Hmm, speaking of surveillance state, I'd operate under the assumption that Shaw monitors Will's network communications. She's the background and temperament for it. Maybe planted a teensy tiny futuristic microphone or transmitter or some other sort of thingummy like that on his communicator."

Norton always assumes it's possible (even if unlikely) that someone, somewhere is monitoring his network communications. Five years of working in signals intelligence before being recruited into Torchwood will do that to a person. But where Shaw is involved, he thinks it's raised from a distant possibility to a very likely probability.

[abrightboy]

“Shaw has always monitored his communications,” Malcolm tells them. “All of them. Always. And I hope she does hear what I said this morning, even though I think she can only creep his side.” He pauses and looks back and forth between them, his eyes wide and vulnerable. “You guys would help me see him if she locks him down?”

[pharadyne]

"I knew it! I knew I was right to be paranoid!"

He clears his throat and settles himself down.

"Anyhoo, yes, I should imagine so. A few days of lock down to sort out what's going on and determine what needs to be done long term is one thing, but if it stretches on too long that becomes an unreasonable punishment for what was...if not entirely self-defense, exactly, certainly provoked." He shrugs. "I might get accused of undermining another warden's authority, but I'm comfortable with that. I'd wait a week, however. Everything else aside, Will did murder someone and a week with Chaperon Shaw is better than a week in Zero. After week there'd be a stronger case to be made that continued lock down is excessive for the circumstances."

[abrightboy]

"A week?" He looks from Norton to Neal and nods. "I can do a week, if it comes to that." It's a time limit; the longest he'll have to potentially go without seeing Will. That's all he wanted. Some of the tension ebbs out of him.

[pharadyne]

"Then it's settled. If there's no change after a week, we make other arrangements."

And if a teensy bit of Norton's motive for going above and beyond in supporting Malcolm and Will's relationship is lingering fear that Neal might leave him for Malcolm if Malcolm became available, well, he'll just keep that bit to himself. It's not the only reason. He does consider Malcolm a friend. And he does think that total lack of privacy perpetuated for too long could become disproportionately punitive for the circumstances. But he's honest enough with himself to know it's not just altruism driving him.

[conning]

Neal nods slowly, satisfied, his own temper cooling a little as Norton takes point. It's a relief to calm down, which is a strange feeling. He slips an arm half-way around Norton's waist and hooks his thumb over the top of Norton's slacks. Not suggestive--steadying. Grounding. Letting someone else pilot the emotional forklift for a few minutes.

"Sounds good to me."

[abrightboy]

“Thank you so much. Both of you.” He splays a hand on his own chest. “Really. I just. Feel like I’ve been shouting into a void all day. I don”t know what I’d do without you. Thank you.”

[pharadyne]

"Always glad to be a calming influence," he says, usually being more the opposite. "And to help a friend. I can't imagine how I'd feel if someone said I wasn't allowed to see Neal indefinitely, but I'm very sure there's be sneaky assignations before long." He glances up at Neal and rests a hand on his shoulder.

[conning]

Neal's expression softens out of the tension he's been carrying most of the day. Neal reaches up to give Norton's hand a squeeze. "Oh, without a doubt."

[abrightboy]

"Everyone else made it sound like I was being selfish," Malcolm admits. "Like what I wanted was more important than what was good for him. But he wants to see me, too."

[pharadyne]

"Sounds to me like both you and Shaw want to help Will but have different notions what that entails."