NOTE: Thank you so much for those of you who were kind enough to leave a review. There is something going on with not being able to see reviews- some odd glitch- ugh! But we did see them from Paulina Ann, max2013, hbndbcbiw4ever, and Tin Dog, via email. We are appreciative for your feedback and comments! Frank still needs to work through his doubts and fears, but we promise- the whole story is about the consequences... not just this aspect of uncertainty. Enjoy!

Consequences

Chapter 2

"Hey, little brother. Sorry I missed you. Just returning all your calls from yesterday…and the day before. One will really suffice you know." Frank chuckled. "Guess I'll talk to you later. Bye."

Joe stared out the window of his dorm room sadly. He'd listened to Frank's message several times and each time he did, a little piece of his heart died. The laugh had been forced. It was almost as if Frank were trying to leave him some coded message.

'Stop calling me so much. Once a day is enough.' That was what Joe heard every time he listened to the message. Joe had always called multiple times before and it never seemed to bother Frank. Now, however, Frank was emphasizing the fact that Joe left him several messages throughout the day and that he would have preferred just one.

"Maybe if you'd call me back I wouldn't have to keep calling you." Joe said out loud to no one.

When Joe had been told by his doctor that it was all right for him to move back to the dorms where he would be alone, rather than continuing to live at home where there was always someone with him, he began to notice the pattern with Frank immediately. Even though Joe had given Frank a copy of his schedule, Frank always seemed to purposely call when Joe was in class. It was almost as if Frank were avoiding him.

'He is.' Joe thought, turning away from the window. 'If only I could remember. I know it has something to do with whatever happened in Cape May.'

Joe shivered slightly at the thought of their disastrous vacation. Callie, Frank and Vanessa had filled in everything that had happened during the time he and Callie had been held captive and the first few days Joe had been hospitalized. Luckily, it was rarely discussed by anyone, so he hadn't yet had to admit that he still had no memory of it. And that, in fact, he thought he might still be having problems - after effects - to this day.

Joe noticed he would forget things sometimes - important things that he never would have forgotten before. Not a lot, but enough to concern him. However, the night he had left Vanessa stranded downtown until almost midnight, forgetting he had promised to pick her up, was a big wake up call for him. He never would have forgotten something so important before Cape May. He had been rattled for days at the thought of what could have happened to Vanessa simply because he forgot to pick her up as promised.

Yet Joe was afraid to share his concerns with anyone. If he did, he would have to admit he still couldn't remember what had happened last summer. Both Dr. Simonds, who had treated him in Cape May, and Dr. Milton, his own physician in Bayport, had assured him his memory would return within a month or so. The last time he brought it up, almost two months ago, Dr. Milton had seemed mildly concerned that Joe still hadn't remembered anything at all. Fearing he'd be subjected to endless tests, or even worse, a lengthy hospital stay, Joe had quickly backed off and never mentioned it again.

If anyone brought up what had happened in Cape May, Joe would vaguely repeat some of the things he had been told and then clam up. His family and friends simply assumed it was too painful for Joe to discuss in any detail and never pushed the issue.

'If they only knew…'

Joe couldn't escape the emptiness that now plagued him on a daily basis. For reasons unknown to Joe, Frank had begun to shut him out. It had started so innocently that at first Joe thought he was imagining things. Frank would sometimes treat him coldly and although it hurt, Joe would try to make excuses for his brother. Frank and Callie were entering their senior year in college, they had a wedding to plan, decisions to make about careers, starting a family – life-altering decisions. Joe tried to chalk it up to stress, but deep inside he knew Frank was upset with him. Angry with him. What Joe didn't know was why.

Slowly, he began to see that Frank was treating Callie the same way, although not quite as frequently. It became something else they shared…something besides Cape May…the something that Joe could not remember. And he knew whatever it was that he couldn't remember was the key to Frank's behavior.

Callie had told him what went on while Nash and Jenkins had held them captive. In a way Joe was glad he couldn't remember. Between what he learned from Callie and the way he woke up screaming in the night from dreams that left him terrified although couldn't quite remember why, he hoped some things that happened in Cape May would remain forever buried.

But there was one thing he desperately wanted to remember. The one thing that had caused the rift between he and his brother. He hadn't wanted to tell anyone of his continued memory loss, but things had gotten so bad with Frank that Joe couldn't take it anymore. He knew he would have to ask Callie once again what had gone on in Cape May. Maybe this time he'd be able to figure out what it was that set Frank on this path of anger and mistrust. However asking Callie to relive those horrible days would be admitting his memory had never returned. Joe realized he had no choice. If he ever hoped to regain the close relationship he had with his brother, he needed to figure out what he had done and fix it. He couldn't do that without Callie's help.

Picking up the phone to call her, he was interrupted by a loud knock.

Opening the door, he found himself staring into the beautiful blue-grey eyes of his twenty-one year old girlfriend, Vanessa Bender. A slender young woman with ash blonde hair, she was almost as tall as Joe.

"Hey, Baby," he greeted her, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"Hey, yourself," she replied as Joe pulled her close to him, giving her a warm hug and a lingering kiss. He then simply stood in the doorway, holding her.

Not that Vanessa minded. It was only a few short months earlier that Joe had almost died. Ever since then she cherished every moment with him, never taking a second of their time together for granted. Tonight, however, she knew instinctively why Joe was so reluctant to let her go. Something – or rather someone – was bothering him…again. When he finally released her, she searched his deep blue eyes and knew she was right. Frank….

"What's the matter?" she asked, concerned.

"Nothing," Joe replied with an obviously forced smile. "Maybe I just like holding you."

"It's Frank again, isn't it?" she pressed.

Joe looked at her, silently begging her not to bring it up tonight. She had been furious at the way Frank was treating him – and Callie. However, Joe had begged, pleaded and finally cajoled her into not saying anything to Frank. Despite that, the air was usually thick with tension whenever Frank and Vanessa were in the same vicinity although Frank seemed oblivious to her change in attitude towards him. Then again, Frank seemed oblivious to a lot of things lately.

Vanessa sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"He has no right to treat you like this, Joe. You or Callie! You haven't done anything!" Vanessa continued, ignoring Joe's silent plea, her anger building.

"Apparently I have. I just don't know what." Joe looked at her, unable to conceal how much Frank's sudden distance was hurting him.

"Oh, come on. I was with Frank the whole time you and Callie were missing. And I barely left your side once we found you. You have done nothing – nothing – to deserve this kind of treatment. And even if Frank thinks you did something wrong, why won't he just tell you what it is?"

"Because he's Frank." Joe said miserably. "He hates letting his real feelings show even at the best of times. I doubt he's going to suddenly want to have a heart to heart talk with me."

Looking at Joe, who seemed so despondent without his brother's constant presence in his life, Vanessa began to regret her outburst. She hated seeing Joe hurt and knew he didn't deserve to be treated so coldly by Frank and she sometimes had a hard time keeping that anger inside.

"You want me to beat it out of him?" she said in mock-seriousness.

"You'd do that for me?" Joe asked with a little grin.

"Damn skippy, " she replied with her favorite saying, the one that always made Joe laugh out loud as it did now. "And he better be ready. I've been working out, you know."

"Yeah, I can see that." Joe eyed her appreciatively. Reaching out he squeezed her upper arm. "Very impressive," he teased.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Joe pulled Vanessa onto his lap.

"Tell you what," he began, pushing her hair back off her shoulder and running his fingers down her arm. "Let's forget about Frank for tonight," he said huskily, nuzzling her neck.

As Vanessa melted into Joe's warm embrace, she gave one final thought to his brother. Despite her previous promise to Joe, despite her best intentions to keep it, she had a strong feeling her immediate future was going to include a massive blow out with Frank.