"Which is difficult never knowing who is listening and by which possible means," Steve says, his voice low and serious. Ned's comments about not wanting to discuss such things outside with never knowing who will over hear aren't far from his mind.

At the moment, he realizes that he is extremely naive to the consequences. Not only has he not directly seen or experienced any, he's of the mind that having the information far outweighs those possible costs. He's been tortured before, trained to withstand and deal with it, and right now he doesn't expect these observers will be able to break him. Ned's behavior and concern however are strong balances to Steve's point of view. While he's willing to risk almost everything when it's himself on the line, he's not willing to take those same chances with someone else, especially someone else who's willing to help him against what might be his own best interests.

"But, that just means we need to be extra careful and not bring undue attention." With a smile Steve places a hand on Ned's shoulder and squeezes gently. "Tell me your house is nearby where we can speak without as much concern."