Ned lets out a tiny, shaky laugh of pure relief. Galen doesn't know. Not the worst of it, at least: not about him killing his mother. He covers his eyes with his hand, smiling now. He can't help feeling how much worse it could have been. Ned honestly isn't sure if he could be near someone who knew about that. If Galen had retained that secret, it would come between them like a wall. Ned would think of it every time he saw Galen's face, would be reminded over and over and over again of something that he spent each day trying not to think about.

"Oh, thank God," Ned sighs heavily, and there is a friendliness in his tone that has been lacking up until this point. He's more than happy to let Galen keep thinking it's something to do with Laura. Him thinking that draws his attention and concern from the truth, from the areas where Ned is actually most vulnerable. "It's fine, Galen. None of that is anything private. Everyone here knows about my power now, anyway, so it's fine. We're fine."

And he means it. His relief at the knowledge that his worst secret is still secret sweeps away everything else. Perhaps it's his own feeling of guiltiness, of escaping the blame and recrimination and disgust of others, that makes him swing so suddenly and so drastically back to Galen's side of things.

"I forgive you. It wasn't even your fault in the first place, so there isn't anything to forgive, but for what it's worth, I forgive you. Hell, I had a nightmare the night before that and you had nothing to do with it." He wipes away a last stray tear. "Plus, I've done worse." He says it frankly; Galen knows it is true, even if he thinks Ned only means the man he killed the other day.