Chapter 10

At the top of the stairs, Charlie knew he had gotten Frank's attention. Therefore, he quickly and quietly moved down to Joe's room. This time he would have them all together in one place. It was by sheer luck that he'd seen Frank's friend go off to be with that girl, and luring Frank up was no problem, knowing how naturally curious he could be. The minute he opened Joe's door, an older woman turned around and with a wide grin, she came over to him.

"Fenton, I knew you'd be back!" she said, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Shut up, lady. I told you, the name is Charlie." he looked at her with cold eyes.

"Fenton, why are you being like this? You need help. Let me help you."

"Go sit down. I'll deal with you in a minute." as he poked his head back out the door and saw Frank running down the hall. He let the boy see him and ducked back inside the room.

As soon as Frank had gotten to the door, and he cautiously stepped one foot over into the room, Charlie slammed the door into his face, knocking him down on his back. His head hit the floor and made a resounding crack. There were not many people visiting today and the hall was fairly empty. So when Gertrude saw what her brother did to his own son, she screamed loudly.

Charlie dragged Frank's unconscious body into the room, then turned and shut the door, taking a nearby chair and pushing it up under the door handle to keep the others out. He turned back around when he heard crying.

"What's that brat crying for?" Charlie hissed loudly.

"Because you scared him. He doesn't like loud noises." she sniffled. "Why are you doing this, Fenton? You need help."

"I am not Fenton." he roared. "And shut that kid up before I do it myself!"

Just as Gertrude went to keep Joe quiet, there was pounding on the door.

Earlier, after Natalie had found the information, she and Tony had gone in search of Frank. Not finding him in the foyer, they assumed he had gone up to see Joe. As they got nearer the room upstairs, they heard a scream. Running down the hall, they had observed Joe's door being shut, then something slamming into it. They tried the door but it was jammed shut.

Tony pounded on it with his right fist. "What's going on? Frank? Aunty G?" Tony called out. "Open the door!"

They looked at each other with worry etched on their faces. Something was wrong. "I'll go back to the nurses' station and call security." Natalie called over her shoulder, as she took off at a run down the hall.

"Fenton, I want you to stop this! These boys have done nothing to you." Gertrude cried out. "Don't you have any shred of decency left in your warped mind?"

"Not unless you can tell me which of these brats has the formula." he eyed her suspiciously.

"You are seriously insane, Fenton. I do not know anything about any formula and neither do the boys. You should have had yourself checked out years ago. Right after father had his breakdown. You should let me get you some help. This is a nice place. You could stay here. You could get all the help you need and you can get your family back. Oh, Fenton. Please stop this awful nonsense."

"Alright, that's it lady." Charlie growled. "I've had it with you!"

He went over to her, took a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket, and cuffed her wrists around one of the steel rods on Joe's bed frame.

"What are you doing, Fenton?" Gertrude kept up her tirade. "I will not be treated this way. You hear me? I'm older than you Fenton and so help me…" her cries went unheeded as he slapped a piece of duct tape over her mouth. "Mmhmhm." she tried to yell, but it didn't do any good.

"I tried to warn you lady. I am not Fenton. But you just won't shut up." he said angrily. "They don't care about you. But they want the boys out of the way."

Gertrude's eyes went wide as she looked at Joe. Charlie followed her gaze. Then gave a sigh. "He wasn't supposed to end up like this. He was supposed to be dead."

Just then, they turned toward the door as a couple of security men started pounding.

"Open this door!" one of the men yelled.

Charlie did not say a word, but he went over to the window and opened it. He then got Frank by the arms and started dragging him over to the opening. Gertrude could not believe her eyes. Her brother - or was he? She wondered- was going to throw Frank out the window. The fall would surely kill him. She struggled and fought with the cuffs but they only bruised her wrists. She tried screaming but was of no use.

Just as Charlie lifted Frank up on the windowsill, the door burst open. Charlie whipped around at the same time he had drawn his gun. Tony came in behind the police, who had just arrived, in time to see Frank falling out the window.

"No! Frank!" Tony screamed. He wanted to see, but could not bring himself to look at his friend's broken body, two stories down.

Before Charlie could take a shot, the police had a hold of him and handcuffing him behind his back. Security was busy undoing Gertrude's handcuffs. When the tape was removed from her mouth, she let off with a tirade of words that left the men wanting to hold their ears. Ramblings of, 'How dare he tape her mouth shut.', 'not being right for a brother to tie up his sister.' etc... until she noticed the tears in Tony's eyes when he looked at her. She looked around the room for the one person she could not find.

"Where's Frank?" she asked, sudden panic rising up in her.

When he didn't answer her, she asked again, a tremble in her voice. "Tony, where is Frank?"

He looked at the window, and Charlie laughed. "At least I got him, and that other brat can't talk. My work is done. Now maybe I can get my own face back." he sneered, but he was being led out of the room before he could say any more.

"You monster!" she cried after him, and then tried walking over to the window, where the police were talking and giving orders. Tony grabbed her by the arm.

"I wouldn't, Aunt G." he implored her, eyes full of tears and running down his cheeks.

For the first time that he had ever known her, Gertrude looked unsure of things around her and fear fought its way to the surface. Compassion engulfed him. He knew her pain, because it was the same pain in his own heart. The very thought of it was devastating. Just as he felt when Joe had died. Thank God, he was still alive.

Then a shout from the window pulled their attention in that direction. There was a scuffling noise by the window and then a voice said, "Hey isn't anyone happy to see me?" Frank's head popped over the windowsill with a couple police officers helping him.

"Frank!" Tony cried. He was so stunned he could not move for a moment. Then pure rapture beamed across his face. He ran to his friend and gave him a huge bear hug. Frank caught his aunt's eye. She stood there, confusion mixed with happiness on her face. He let go of Tony and went over to her. With misty eyes, Gertrude gave him a tight hug of her own. "Don't ever do that to me again. I am an old woman and my heart cannot take that. I thought you…" she couldn't finish. Frank gave his aunt a quick rub on her back as he held on to her.

"I thought I was, too, Aunty."

He let her go and stepped back. "I came to, when he was pushing me over the edge." he explained as he turned around to face everyone. "I felt myself falling, but, I grabbed onto the nearest thing I could get and it so happened to be the flower box underneath the windowsill. Good thing it was attached so well. But I think I crushed all the flowers in it."

"Well, don't worry about that, for goodness sake," Natalie implored. "The main thing is that you're alive!"

"Yes, thank goodness for that." said his aunt.

Just then, Sergeant Ames walked in. He spotted Frank and went over to speak to him.

"Well, Mr. Hardy, what happened this time?"

As Frank gave his statement, their aunt went to stand by Joe's bed. She looked at him and sadly shook her head and whispered to him.

"Oh Joey, I love you. I hope you know that. I thought I could protect you. But I deluded myself into thinking I could talk my brother into doing the right thing. But I couldn't. For some reason he wouldn't even listen to me." she said in a confused voice. Tony had stepped over to the bed without her knowing and had startled her. "Oh my, Tony. You should be more careful. You could give an old lady like me a fright."

"Sorry, Aunty G." he said, apologetically.

"That's okay." she sadly smiled to him.

Joe's whimpering brought her attention back over to him. She gently brushed the hair off his forehead and told him everything was okay. But every thing she did seemed to agitate him more. Upon hearing Joe, Frank told Sergeant Ames that he would be right back. He rushed over to see his brother crying and half chewing and half sucking on his thumb, both fists up to his face.

"I can't get him to calm down." his aunt said, visibly upset.

Frank walked around the bed to where his aunt was standing and Gertrude backed up a ways to give her nephew some room. Joe eyed Frank, as he still was afraid of what was going on around him. Frank leaned over, touched the side of Joe's face with the backside of his fingers, and caressed his cheek.

"Hey little brother. What's all the fuss? It's not that bad is it?" he smiled, talking in low tones. "It's okay. Everything is fine now. Nothing is going to happen to you. I'm right here." he kept speaking in a low soothing voice.

Then Joe started quieting down as he kept his eyes firmly fixed on the person who was being so nice to him. His lip trembled and he had small little shuddered whimpers, at the same time he was slowly letting his fists drop to his chin, shaking, his breathing still rapid.

"That's it, Joey. It's okay. I'm right here. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Frank kept going, as he brushed his fingers through the soft curly damp hair.

As Joe kept staring at those warm dark eyes, he felt secure. The tremors eased off and his breathing had gone back to normal, and as the fear left him, he gave Frank a small smile, never leaving the protectiveness of those eyes.

"There, everything's fine now, baby brother. You are going to be okay. I am going to try very hard to stay with you tonight. Would you like that?" Frank spoke gently to him, rubbing his thumb back and forth on the top of Joe's hand for comfort. He bent down and kissed his forehead and when he pulled back, Joe's face lit up with a huge smile and made a little noise as if to say thank you.

When Frank turned around, everyone in the room was staring in awe.

"Wow. That's the fastest he's ever calmed down." Natalie said. "If you need to spend the night, I'll try my best to arrange it."

"Thanks." Frank said, gratefully.

Then Natalie stepped up to him and whispered something in his ear. He frowned, but nodded his head, and thanked her again.

One by one, everyone left the room. The only people there with him were Tony, Aunt Gertrude, and Sergeant Ames.

"Are you going to be okay?" Tony asked Frank, as he laid a hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed for comfort.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Then I'll be back. I'm gonna talk to Natalie." Tony excused himself, before he walked out.

Ames stepped up and told Frank he'd give him a minute and he'd be back to get the rest of his statement. Frank nodded and Ames left to go find his men and to call into headquarters.

Frank walked over to his aunt, who, had somewhat composed herself and was looking out the window. He watched her for a moment before looking out the window himself.

"You could have died." she said, so softly Frank had to strain to hear her.

Tears brimmed her eyes. "I thought I could talk some sense into him, but I couldn't. I almost lost you, and would've never been able to forgive myself."

Frank turned to face her. "Aunty. I want…I need…custody of Joe." he looked at her, his eyes pleading for her help.

Her features softened even more when she turned to look at him. She took a handkerchief out of her handbag that sat on a rocker next to the window where they were standing, and dabbed at her eyes. Finally, she looked at him again and this time had a new determined look on her face. Frank frowned because he knew that look all too well. It was the look that she gave when she wanted things her way.

"I know you think you could take care of Joe, and give him everything he needs, but…" she took a breath before going on. Frank's heart felt like it was being squeezed, cause as far as he knew, she wasn't gonna give Joe up without a fight. "the truth is… you are the only one that could do that. As much as everyone else would try, you're the only one he responds to like that."

Frank could not believe what he was hearing. His heart was now trying to skip beats to keep up with the adrenaline flowing faster than ever throughout his body

"Aunty?" he barely squeaked out in question. He did not know if what he was hearing was what his aunt was saying.

She smiled at him and patted his arm. "I'll sign the papers over to you. I know now, that it was foolish of me to think I could take him out of the country and care for him. However, he has never looked at me like that. I think he recognizes either you or that bond you two always had. Something is there. So yes, in order for him to get better, he'd be better off with you."

Frank's eyes filled with tears, and he gave his aunt a hug. "Thank you." he cried. "Thank you so much."

"Your welcome, honey." she said, as she returned the hug. "You go make yourselves a life. Make it the best you can be, you hear?"

Frank nodded his head. "I will. I'll take good care of him."

"I know you will." she pulled back, looking at him with sad eyes, but a smile on her lips. "Just let me come to visit once in a while, okay? Keep in touch?"

"I promise, Aunt Gertrude." he smiled as he sniffled and kissed her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too, child."

She then straightened up, flattened out her skirt with her hands, and grabbed her purse again. "Will you call me a cab? I want to call the airport as soon as I get back to the hotel. I'm ready to go home now."

Frank nodded and left to go to the nurses' station. As he dialed for a cab, he heard his aunt ask to see personnel to let them know Frank had her permission to take Joe out of the facility.

Frank smiled. All was right with his world again.