Just as they were finishing a practise and Taylor was putting a guitar away, he remembered something he'd forgotten to mention earlier.
"Guys?" he got their attention.
"When I go for the court hearings... next week even... I'll be under oath. How can I not mention Chris?"
Isaac and Zac
"If no one asks about him, you don't have to say anything," Zac replied simply.
"Well, Zac," Isaac said. "He was there too, while Tay was there. I mean, you have to face the possibility that his name might come up."
"If whoever's questioning Tay doesn't know, and Tay comes to a part of his story where Christian's presence was there, he can always refer to him as 'some other guy'."
"That doesn't answer the 'what if his name comes up' scenario."
Taylor
"If Leroy has anything to do with it..." Taylor trailed off as he closed the lid on the piano.
"I won't have a choice."
Zac and Isaac
"Well, I mean..." Zac frowned. "Would it really be that bad? I mean, they're trying to convict Blakesley here - which won't be hard. You don't have to say anything about interacting with Christian outside of the torture chamber - labs, I mean."
Isaac whacked Zac upside the head.
"He does have a point though," Isaac said. "I mean, they only try one person or matter at a time. Questioning you about Christian? Our friendship with him has nothing to do with Blakesley, so it won't come up."
Taylor
Taylor nodded.
"Yeah... yeah, you're right," he began to look less uneasy.
"It shouldn't have anything to do with it. And it should all be confidential anyway. And there's no evidence that says we've been conversing outside... I mean they don't necessarily know I was there when Chris brought him in."
Zac and Isaac
"Exactly," Zac nodded.
Isaac then thought of something and winced.
"What?" Zac asked.
"Well..." Isaac said slowly. "What about computer files? Video footage... stuff like that..."
Taylor
"On what?" Taylor looked worried again.
"We haven't been in..."
He hesitated, trying to think.
"I don't think they have any computer servers since the one you took the second time, and Chris only went in after that."
Isaac and Zac
"Okay," Isaac nodded. "As long as they didn't have a back up, we should be good."
"There you go," Zac said. "Problem solved. Worst case scenario there's a backup. But what's the worst they could find out? I mean, they're hardly going to find out about our friendship with him."
"Well... when we rescued Tay that time, we did stop to chat to him..."
"We killed the cameras remember?"
"Oh yeah."
Taylor
"Are you both coming next Thursday?" Taylor looked hopeful.
"Obviously Tad will have to... And I was thinking of asking Natalie."
Zac and Isaac
"Oooooh," Zac said. "Natalieeeeee."
"Zac, you're an idiot," Isaac replied.
Zac cackled.
"I think asking Natalie along is a good idea," Isaac went on to Taylor. "She may even be able to help you deal. I'll certainly be there."
"As will I."
Taylor
Taylor just rolled his eyes.
"Thanks," he murmured, "and yeah Ike, that's what I figured."
Isaac and Zac
"Okay, cool, we have a plan," Zac nodded.
Isaac put away his guitar.
"It's cool, Tay," he said. "Any other concerns you'd like us to alliviate?"
Taylor
"I need to find a good shirt," Taylor joked.