Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review. It means it a lot to me. And no, I don't hate Callie but sometimes people can be selfish without even realizing it.

Silent Night

Chapter 3

As Tony pulled up in front of Biff's house he sighed, "And now Frank's going to tell him that he's not going to the concert".

"Yup," said Biff, undoing his seatbelt, "I just don't know what's gotten into Frank. He knows how much Joe loves Christmas…. It would be like Joe making fun of Frank's chess tournaments or something. Man, some things are just sacred."

Nodding in agreement, Tony wished his friend a Merry Christmas and then drove home.

* * *

Joe Hardy sat down heavily on his bed, exhausted. He and his girlfriend, Iola Morton had been working together for the past month on the duet they wanted to sing on Christmas Eve with the school choir.

Every year students from Bayport High got together to go caroling at the hospital and this year, Joe and Iola had wanted to do something extra.

Although they had been practicing with the choir since the beginning of November, the desire to do something a bit extra had only hit him a month earlier, after the hospital had treated both him and Frank for injures received from falling through the floor in a condemned old mansion - Joe had only gotten the cast off his arm a few days earlier. He and Iola had been working on it ever since.

Iola had a beautiful voice and singing came easy to her, but for Joe it was more difficult. He had a good voice but he wasn't as disciplined as she was, and found it difficult to sing in the range that the song they had chosen required.

So, along with Mrs. Allan the choir mistress, he had been working every day to discipline his vocal cords, and today had been the final practice.

And now after his 'fight' with Frank, Joe felt even more tired. He rubbed his eyes and lay down on his bed. He couldn't understand why Frank had gotten so weird on him about Christmas.

He hadn't really wanted to get his picture taken with Santa, but when Frank had acted so…so…. Joe couldn't even put a name on it; it suddenly made getting the picture very important.

Joe just wanted Frank to enjoy Christmas and see it for the magic that it was.

But no, Joe thought sadly, all Frank saw was the commercialization. And this was why it was so important to him that Frank come and hear him and Iola sing tomorrow night. He wanted to remind his brother of what Christmas was really about.

It had nothing to do with money… it was about the spirit.

* * *

Frank stood outside his brother's door and paused before knocking. He knew he needed to tell Joe that he wasn't coming and although he could have waited until the morning, he wanted to get it over with.

He felt stupid about their fight in the mall, although he was relieved that Joe hadn't gone ahead and gotten his picture taken. It was just that Joe was 16 and it was time to give up such silly things as Santa Claus and magic. They weren't real.

Pausing only a moment longer, he gently knocked on Joe's door and called out, "It's me". For a moment he thought Joe wasn't going to talk to him but then the door opened and his younger brother stood there.

"What?"

"I need to tell you something."

Joe stepped back from the door so Frank could come in.

The younger boy thought his brother wanted to talk about what had happened at the mall, but the look on Frank's face told him otherwise… and then his older brother dropped a bombshell on him.

"Joe, I can't go to the concert tomorrow night," Frank said as he avoided looking his brother in the eye. "After supper, I'm going over to Callie's. We're going to hang out and watch Christmas movies."

"Well, can't you do both?" Joe pleaded, "We don't start caroling until 11:45! You and Callie could come out and hear us then. I mean, doesn't she want to hear Iola?"

Joe had already figured out he wasn't one of her favorite people, but he thought for sure Callie would want to go to support her best friend.

Frank winced as heard the plea in his brother's voice. "Joe, please try and understand. Callie is leaving to go away for a week. A full week Joe…" his words broke off and then he said firmly, "No – Joe. This is important to Callie and we don't get to spend much time together. You can sing for me later…"

Joe cut him off angrily. Frank wasn't even willing to make a compromise. "Forget it." Frank didn't understand. "Get out of my room. I'm tired."

The older boy tried to say something else, but then Joe lay down on his bed and turned his back to him as he said coldly, "Close the door on your way out."

Running a hand through his dark brown hair, Frank turned and left. There was nothing he could say… all he could do to console himself was think that Joe would forget about it once he saw what Frank had gotten him for Christmas. It was a nice gift and it had taken a long time to save for it.

* * *

Joe pushed a stand of curly blond hair out of his vibrant blue eyes as he grabbed his pillow and tossed it at the bathroom door in frustration. He and Iola had worked so hard and he was hoping all his family would be there to hear them sing. But Frank wasn't going… aargh!

And then as Joe sat up on his bed, he began to get angry. This isn't fair, he thought, I would be there for him!

Getting up, he stomped around his room as he pulled out the clothes he would wear tomorrow night.

If Frank didn't want to be there, then it was his loss, he thought, not caring about how much noise he was making – who needs him anyway?

And then he heard a small, almost child like voice inside him saying… you do.

Resignedly, he turned off the light, leaving his room in the gentle glow of a nightlight, and lay back down… I wish Frank could see the magic of Christmas…

* * *

Closing his eyes, the older boy could hear his brother in the other room. He didn't know what Joe was doing but it was noisy. He was tempted to yell out to him to keep the noise down, but that took too much effort… and he was tired.

Sighing heavily, he tried to get some sleep but every time he closed his eyes he kept seeing the look of disappointment on Joe's face.

He felt conflicted between what he wanted to do and what he wanted to do for his brother… aargh!

As he began to nod off he thought.… Sometimes I wish I was an only child….

* * *

A man's voice whispered softly to the small child standing next to him, "Be careful what you wish for."

tbc