Note: Many thanks to those of you who have left reviews on the last chapter: Moon in Scorpio, BeeBee18, EvergreenDreamweaver, sm2003495, Hero 76, max2013, Drumboy100, Erin Jordan, candylou, and BMSH. I appreciate your time, feedback, and insights!

Stay by my Side

Chapter 3

Vanessa Hardy covered her heart as she watched Laurie and Evan play blocks with Frank on the floor. On occasion, Frank would end up chasing them around his huge family room, since both babies had started crawling at around the same time— just within the last week.

Unconsciously, she raised a hand to her stomach. At this time next year, Evan would have a brother or sister and she simply could not wait to be a mom again. She and Joe were bursting with excitement to tell everyone, but they could wait until Christmas. It would make it even more special.

"Van? You okay?" Callie asked, preparing a homemade cheesecake for dessert before starting on the actual meal.

Vanessa turned, smiled, and walked over to stand next to her sister- in- law and best friend. She nodded her head and indicated that Callie should look into the family room. Callie did, and Vanessa sighed happily as she watched Callie's face light up.

"Can you believe it, Cal?" she asked. "Our babies are playing. Our babies! When did this happen?"

Callie laughed. "Oh, I'd say about two years ago," she joked. "But I know what you mean. I sometimes can't believe it, either."

Vanessa watched as Callie continued to look into the family room. "You must have missed Frank a lot," she started. "At least he was here for Thanksgiving. I hate when Joe has to go away. He's so great with the baby, and it's just not as fun without him, you know?"

Callie turned to her at last. "I know. I love him. He's a big kid at heart. He was so excited about JJ and Uncle Joe day! He's such a great dad; so is Frank. I…" Callie blushed slightly, realizing how open she was being.

"Yes?" Vanessa queried, interested.

Callie shrugged. "I guess I didn't think I could possibly love Frank any more than I did until I saw him with our children. He's been so incredible with them and he's so… loving and amazing and supportive with me." She turned to Vanessa. "You get it, right?"

"Absolutely," Vanessa said enthusiastically. "I feel exactly the same way about Joe. I thought that getting married and me getting pregnant would make us slow down, might tame Joe a little, but it hasn't. He's still so fun and passionate and…"

"Stop!" Callie cut her off, chuckling. "Yeah, your hubby was trying to tell me just how much you've both been 'practicing' for baby #2, and I didn't need to hear it from him, either."

Vanessa giggled. "Well, let's just say that the 'practice' is incredible," she gushed.

"Ugh!" Callie replied with a shudder. "That is my brother you're talking about. Please. Just- no."

"Callie Shaw," Vanessa interjected with a laugh, using Callie's maiden name on purpose, "you can pretend to be all prim and proper with me all you want, but I have known you a long time… and you and Frank sizzle together no matter how you try to hide it. In fact, I'd be surprised if you didn't already drag him into bed before I got here!"

Callie's mouth fell open and she turned bright red, causing Vanessa to laugh uproariously. "Haha! Damn! I knew it!" Tears rolled down her face as Callie smacked her.

"Stop it!" Callie told her. Then, knowing she wouldn't win, she pre-empted the next question. "Yes, it happened. No, you won't get any details. And now- we should concentrate on the babies!" With that, she headed into the opposite room.

Frank sat next to Laurie, his adoration of his daughter completely evident. Callie scooped up Evan and kissed him repeatedly as she kneeled next to Frank. Finally, Vanessa perched on the couch opposite them both, taking her cell phone out to take pictures.

"Aw! Guys, look! Joe sent a few pictures of him and JJ. So adorable." She handed her phone to Callie as Frank looked over her shoulder.

"That IS cute," Frank admitted, smiling.

Vanessa looked down at her phone. "Joe says that he sent the same message to all of us— so check your phones! He also said that he should be back by 5 or 6."

"Dinner will be ready by then," Callie replied happily. "It's only four. We have plenty of time. I'm so relieved they're having a good time. I did see the pics before, by the way. I'm sorry I didn't show you."

"Was it hard for you to let JJ out of your sight?" Vanessa asked, and she didn't miss how Frank slipped his free arm around Callie, or how Callie met his eyes and smiled.

"It was actually hard for both of us," Frank replied, surprising her. He looked right at Vanessa while Laurie started to crawl again and Callie laughed as Evan attempted to follow. "I trust Joe implicitly, we both do, and there's no one I would rather JJ be with than him. But, Van— he's our baby, you know? And let's face it. Cal and I aren't the most laid back people in the world."

Vanessa smiled. She loved this new Frank, who was open and honest and funny and self-deprecating. Joe had sworn to her that this was the real Frank— so had Callie— but it wasn't until this year that she had truly seen it. Frank would always be quieter, more reserved, and more serious than Joe, but she had started to see how very similar they were in other ways: intelligence, athleticism, sense of adventure, and morals. And she knew that second to her and Evan, Joe loved and idolized no one more than his brother. She was starting to love him a lot, too.

"You're not?" Vanessa teased him, which got a couch pillow thrown at her before he took off after the babies.

"Want to watch some television?" Callie asked. "We might as well try to rest a bit."

"The Wiggles and Barney give me anxiety," Vanessa quipped.

Frank returned, carrying two squirming babies in his arms. "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse I can tolerate," he said, again surprising Vanessa and making her laugh.

"I thought you'd be Mr. Sesame Street," she joked. "Or Little Einsteins."

"Well, I won't deny that," Frank teased back.

"How about Blues Clues in honor of our boys," Callie finally added, taking Evan from Frank and again kissing him and cuddling him close as he played with her earrings. "Solve a little mystery."

"I can live with that!" Vanessa agreed, happy with her family and excited to reunite with Joe as quickly as possible.

As soon as Frank could reach the remote, he turned on the television, preset to default to the local news station. As soon as the set came on, the pictures burst forth from the scene. The images from the Bayport Mall were terrifying.

"A robbery in progress. Shots fired. Hostages. Children trapped. Suicide mission? Potential victims. Mission unclear: robbery? terror? Situation critical."

Vanessa gasped as she saw Frank's face drain of color and Callie's knees give out as she sank into the chair. Instinctively, Vanessa reached for Evan.

"Oh my god," Callie managed. "I think that's where Joe took JJ."

Time froze.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Joe took a few minutes to stretch his muscles as he made sure, again, that JJ was right near him. Mercifully, he had finally fallen asleep clinging to Joe and his teddy bear, and Joe was able to place him gently next to him as he tried to figure out what to do.

It was eerily calm. After the initial gunshots and scattering of people, the patrons of the store had been shuffled to the back employee room, where they now stood or sat waiting after nearly an hour had passed.

Some children were still crying, and mothers held tightly to their children as they tried not to think about what could happen to them at any moment.

Every nerve in Joe's body vibrated on high alert. Why weren't they being released? Why hadn't the criminals taken the money and run? Then again, where would they go? There had to be a back employee exit out into the mall proper, but surely the police, who had to have been there by now, would have had that blocked off. And that meant one of two things: something had gone horribly wrong on the part of the gunmen, or they weren't there solely for the money. That was the part that was both puzzling and terrifying.

If only he would have been there alone, he could have done something. But he would never, ever endanger JJ. For the briefest of moments, Joe's heart skipped a beat and he felt himself break out in a cold sweat as he thought of his family. What stress Vanessa must be under right now, which couldn't possibly be healthy for her or their baby. And what hell must Frank and Callie be going through, probably paralyzed with fear over the safety of their son?

Don't worry, he pleaded with them silently. I will protect him with my life.

The unknown was always the worst, and having a little knowledge was worse than having none, as it could lead to all sorts of bad decisions based on partial assumptions. He knew something bad had happened with one of the gunman; knew that at least a few people had been hurt. And there was something wrong with the one guarding the room into which they had been herded. He looked jittery, uncertain… almost scared.

Maybe I can use that to my advantage. Yes, he could.

Instinctively, he bent down again and picked up his sleeping nephew, kissing the top of his head. He hated to do this… but there was no choice.

He made eye contact with a young lady holding her own two kids close; the girls couldn't have been more than four or five years old. She looked at him through glassy eyes.

"My name is Joe Hardy," he said quietly to her. "I'm a detective and I work a lot with the Bayport PD. I know that you don't know me, but I need you to trust me. Okay?"

She nodded slowly and spoke so her kids could hear. "See, girls? This man is kind of like a police officer. He's going to help us." She then looked up, and he admired her bravery, her ability to drown out the surrounding noises and concentrate on him, putting her faith in a total stranger."How can I help?"

Joe smiled kindly at her. "I don't know yet. I'm coming up with a plan and I have some ideas, but I need to gather more information. I am asking you- begging you- to go to the furthest corner of the room and get behind any table you see. Stay calm. But I need you to watch my nephew as you would your own girls. Do nothing else except protect our kids. Stay by their sides no matter what. Please- that little boy is the world to me." He tried to steady his voice and remain professional and soothing, but having JJ with him was throwing him off. He would never trust anyone with his nephew, much less a stranger, but if this situation escalated, then JJ had to be safe.

She took a deep breath and reached for JJ.

There are moments in life that will always stand out, either because of their quiet beauty or their abject horror or their passionate intensity. No matter what, those moments always involved letting go of or going right to a person you loved far more than yourself. As Joe released JJ, he felt acutely the weight of what he was about to do; about to risk. The minute JJ left the protection of his arms, he felt a profound emptiness that tore at his heart. That child represented all the goodness, love, and hope in his family. He was the first of the next generation, a miracle child, and literally the world to Frank and Callie. He could not— he would not— let any harm come to him.

He watched her usher the girls and JJ backwards, making their way to the safe corner of the room. And he fought tears for a brief moment before collecting himself.

Then he faced the areas where the gunman was standing and watched him through the window. He studied, concentrated, planned.

And knew he had to act.