A/N: this is when the beginning of angsty Joe comes in! Also, this will be the last chapter until Monday! So enjoy!

CHAPTER SIX: Breaking a little

Gertrude Hardy had already planted her veggies and fruits in the garden so she was sipping some lemonade as she watched one of her favorite movies, The Man From Snowy River. Her sister-in-law, Laura walked into the living room with a wrinkled forehead expressing her feelings. Gert pushed the pause button on her remote and looked up at her.

"What's wrong, Laura?" She asked.

"...I'm worried about Frank and Joe. The principal called me and told me Frank only showed to some of the morning classes but... Joe didn't show up at all." Laura explained then sat next to the older woman.

"Oh my,"

"What should I do, Gertie? I already tried calling Fenton. He must be on a case with Sam." Laura sniffed.

"Did you leave a voicemail, sweetie?"

"Yes, I did." Gertrude nodded before looking away at the frozen TV screen. She didn't know what to do. She wasn't a detective like her brother. She was an ordinary old maid living with her brother and his family.

"Well, call him again, Laura! Keep trying!" Gertrude cleared her throat and patted Laura's back trying to be encouraging.

Joe's phone buzzed in his back pocket as he sort-of ran out of the hotel. He tried to look and remember the surroundings. Bayport Hotel...that was halfway across town! He fished through his jeans pockets. His wallet was gone except for his phone. His driver's permit was in there! What would his father say now? If he is your father. He stood on the hotel's sidewalk, trying to calm himself down. He took out his phone. He had gotten a text from Frank.

Frank: Where are you?!

It had been twenty minutes ago. Oh no. Joe thought. He must be worried about me by now!

Joe: I got into a fight. The three little dots that showed Frank was typing back to him appeared. Joe exhaled knowing that he would definitely be in trouble with the school principal.

Frank: and?!

Joe: I got kidnapped

Frank: Joe! Where are you?

Joe: I'm at the Bayport Hotel. I got to keep moving or they'll capture me again.

Frank: Ok. keep your GPS on.

Joe was about to type back when he saw a shadow beside him, he turned his head to see Caine standing there with an angry expression on his face.

"Joseph, you shouldn't be running when you're hurt." He scolded as Joe instinctively took a step backward. He had to get out of here - fast!

"I don't care! Leave me alone!" Caine's eyes hardened and snatched Joe's phone away from him. "That's mine!"

"Well, you WON'T have your GPS on, Joseph, for your brother !" Joe's heart sunk all the way down to his shoes, dread filling his entire body. He blankly stared at the phone in Caine's hands. There was a drainage opening beside the sidewalk. "Say goodbye!" Time seemed to slow down as Joe shouted, "NOOO!" as he reached for the phone that slipped through his fingers into the drain with a plop! sound. All the pictures that he had with Iola, Frank, and his family were gone. Forever. Caine laughed evilly.

"That was a NEW phone!" Joe shouted. "Thanks a lot." Joe heard approaching running footsteps so he backed away from Caine who stood there staring at him with a weird glint in his eyes.

"I'm not Xavier's son." Joe said his voice breaking. He wanted to say it like it was real but he wasn't so sure anymore.

"But you're not so sure, are you? You feel like your family have been lying to you, don't you?" Caine voiced his thoughts, his worst nightmares as if he was in his head looking through every single thought.

"Their my family," Joe gritted his teeth, still backing away. Suddenly Xavier and a few of Caine's goons appeared beside Caine, breathless from running.

"Look, Joseph, we know how hard this might be, but please, trust me. I wouldn't lie to you." Xavier said. "When I found out I had a child, I searched day and night to find you. I have found you. Please believe me."

"...I...I...You can't BE my father! Dad has always been there. He would never lie to me about me being somebody else's kid." Joe insisted, his heart breaking a little.

"We have all the evidence, son," Xavier said softly.

FLASHBACK

"Families are always broken because of something like this, aren't they?" Joe asked his father as they had just wrapped another case. Fenton Hardy wrapped an arm around his two sons.

"Yes, unless they realize that their family even though they're not really blood relations. It's what matters in here." Dad pointed to Joe's heart. "Not some DNA test, Joe."

END FLASHBACK

It broke his heart a little bit more to think about those thoughts… if Fenton Hardy had been lying to him all these years then that might mean he was just getting him ready to really tell the truth to the fifteen year old boy. Joe swallowed as he thought of these terrible things.

"Joe, why don't you come back with us?" Joe looked up and saw Xavier standing right before him. Why hadn't he sensed that? Was he so tied up with his own thoughts and feelings not to even see that they were already so close to him? He was tired and sad. He felt miserable as if his heart was breaking. Since he could tell when the truth was real and when it wasn't. This time they were telling the truth. He didn't have any more strength to fight the thoughts anymore of being someone else's kid. His family had lied to him so much.

"I need to say goodbye though," Joe mumbled quietly.

"I understand, son," Xavier put his hand on his shoulder to comfort the betrayed sleuth. He could see that the boy had been broken and shattered in just those few minutes. Words were so much damage to a kid his age.

He really was Shaun Stevenson.

TO BE CONTINUED…

I really didn't want to drag out the defiance of Joe's past. I mean, whats the fun in that? lol. He's not a superman so HNB FRAY's review inspired me for this chapter! Remember this will be the last chapter until Monday!