Ford hadn't intended for Noble to be involved in any of this, but just as he'd been relieved a moment ago when he'd had an outlet to admit it all Ford found himself gratified by his brother's response. If he kept Noble out of anything that could lead to being caught, or anything that was dangerous, that was fine, wasn't it?

The last question nearly made him laugh out loud. "No, I thought I'd keep it all for me," he joked. Of course it was helping their family — was there anything else that could drive Ford to break the law?

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Set by Lady!

Noble laughed back at Ford. "That's not what I meant," he said, still sounding amused. "I just meant — you shouldn't have to do it alone." Noble could be helpful sometimes; he did not always choose to do so, (and sometimes he was too busy thinking of the drowned to be helpful), but putting everything on Ford wasn't fair.

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set by Lady

Ford grinned. "I'm not." Sometimes he wondered if he ought to have been doing this alone, or at least shouldering a more significant burden and shielding Noble from some of it, but never in all the time since their father had died did Ford feel as though he'd been alone. They did not always agree — they did not always trust each other — on some occasions they had not even been speaking to each other &mash; but neither of them had ever been doing this alone.

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Set by Lady!