Joe

Frank Hardy made his way back to Joe's apartment. Chet hung back with Joe's coworker, who hadn't left the scene. James had been right, there was a lot of blood. When they were alone for a minute, Joe's voice lowered. "You told me that he would go after me. Not my partner." He wanted to scream, but he knew that he shouldn't. If he needed Frank's help... he closed his eyes, not wanting to think about having to talk to his father again, but he'd do anything to get his boyfriend back.

He left out the fact that he had not told Frank that he had a partner.

"He's only ever gone after targets, Joe, not their partners; I'm sorry. I would have shared that news if I knew. Do you think it's possible he thinks Charlie is you?"

"Maybe." Joe sat down wearily as the police cleaned out his room. James, who had heard parts of Joe's confession when he'd told his boss about his name change, was reluctant to leave his friend with what he guessed was one of the Hardy boys. His stomach flipped a little bit, and he texted his boss about what happened and let him know he wouldn't be in tomorrow.

At least he had sick days.

"Do you want me to stay here?" James asked, kindly. Joe was grateful James had dropped off the papers, as he was one of the few people at the firm Joe had been at who knew the most of his backstory. James was nosy.

"Please?" Joe asked.

James nodded and sat down. The boys were sitting on the picnic bench outside of the hallway. "What's Dad think of all this?"

Chet winced, and Joe mildly wondered about that before he turned to Frank.

"We don't really speak anymore," Frank said. "We actually stopped talking after he kicked you out, really… he insisted on paying for my college education even after I told him I didn't want it if he wasn't paying yours. He said you didn't want to talk to me and that you filed a restraining order against me… which I was pretty sure wasn't true, not the latter. But he wouldn't give me any of your contact information… and I assumed you didn't want to talk to me."

Joe stared at him, trying to adjust his thought process. "You haven't spoken to him?"

"No. He kicked you out and disowned you for being gay. That's stupid. Besides, you're always my brother first… we might fight and I might do dumb things. But to disown someone just because they love someone different, or treat them differently for it?" Frank asked.

Joe stared at him in shock. He'd always imagined Frank living the life of luxury because Fenton agreed to pay for his college. "So.,. you and Dad don't talk at all now?"

"Haven't for five years. It's part of why I joined the CIA, really, the only reason. I wanted to get away from him." He hesitated. "I don't know if you ever found out… but I ended up changing schools halfway through because he wouldn't stop trying to pay for my tuition. I told him I saw how he treated you, and I wanted no part of it."

Joe nodded, his mind still trying to wrap what he'd heard. He was grateful James wasn't there, and very hopeful that he wouldn't tell his boss any of this. "You didn't even try to contact me for five years, though, Frank. Nor did you intervene when Dad kicked me out…"

"Joe?" The detective said. "A word?"

"You can stay over at my place tonight," James offered. He could sense Joe wouldn't want to go back to the apartment and he wouldn't want to stay with Frank.

"Thanks."

Joe said something awkwardly to Frank, then followed James out the door, to James' car. He sank into the seat. "I'm not… being rude or anything am I?"

"Not from just your side of the story, Joe. From what you said, your father disowned you when you were seventeen, couldn't even be bothered to remember your age, and that you graduated valedictorian. Then Frank refused to talk to you until the guilt caught up with him."

"Thanks," Joe said. "It's just… I need to find Charlie. If he dies, this will be my fault."

"It's not your fault, Joe. Of course we want to find him. But I'm sure he won't blame you."

"Thanks," Joe said. His stomach twisted in knots, and he once again got angry at Frank for coming in and trying to mess up his life. Maybe if he hadn't been here, none of this would have happened.

Charlie

Charlie awoke, his location unknown. He could hear people talking, though, and closed his eyes. Joe had told him about how, when he was a young child, he'd been kidnapped. He would have shuddered, but he didn't want anyone to notice he was awake.

"Now, Laura, come on. I'm just wanting to reunite the family is all," a sing-songy voice said. "You can't get mad at me."

"I can't? You've held me captive for five years as some kind of sick joke."

"Say hi to your son," he said, snarling. "There's no security cameras in there, either. You guys can have private time."

Charlie's stomach churned at the mention, but from what Joe said… Laura wasn't that bad. The lights flooded on, and he turned to see the door slam and Laura staring at him. She hesitated before untying him and he wondered if she'd caught on that he wasn't Joe.

She sat down, careful to keep her voice down. "You're not Joe," she remarked quietly.

"How -"

"I know my own son," she replied quietly. "But it's probably better if you pretend you are." She sighed wistfully. "How do you know him?"

Charlie remembered Joe's father's reaction to him coming out as gay, and his stomach twisted in knots. "I'm Joe's boyfriend."

Laura smiled. "That's great. How long?"

"Three years."

"Good. Then you know some about my son." She hesitated. "I guess I should tell you who's holding us captive. It's… it's his father. Fenton Hardy."

What do you think will happen next?