I apologize,t4swp if you got fed up with my story. Please tell me what you didn't like about it. I'll take your criticisms(if you have any) into consideration.

warnings: torture, character death.

Joe had visible bruises on his body from the volley of punches he received earlier. He had a split lip, a black eye and bruises on his ribs.

HBHBHBHB

Fenton rubbed his temples as he sat outside the nurse's office. His wife's incommunicado and Frank, the level-headed one is tettered by a strand of sanity. He didn't know how long it would be for him to give up on searching for his son. Fenton mentally berated himself. It has been two weeks since he was kidnapped and three days since Callie was kidnapped. When Joe was kidnapped multiple times before, you and Frank never stop looking for him

He went to the nurse who was with Joe.

"I'm sorry. Mr. Hardy. I don't know anything about Mr. Vernon." The nurse clammed up.

"I told you do you know anything about Joe's location or the people who abducted him but I never said his name."

The nurse bit his lip, he had just given away his part in Joe's abduction. His eyes darted to the floor and he murmured out a reply, his tone had overtones of weariness, stress and his voice broke; however, the overtones never registered in his tone. "Mr. Hardy. Please... my mother is suffering from cancer. Mr. Vernon told me that if I keep quiet about his nefarious activities, he would provide the facilities for my mother and he wouldn't hurt six younger siblings."

Fenton stared. His answer shocked him to the core and he couldn't help but feel anger towards Vernon and his nefarious activities.

"What are his activities and what does that have to with my son?" Fenton questioned, feeling his temper raise.

His answer startled Fenton and sent waves of despair and hopelessness. "He deals in bond destruction and targeting siblings like Frank and Joe Hardy. He doesn't like it because he can't have that with his younger brother."

"His younger brother?" Fenton asked, getting a sick pit in his stomach. He didn't like where this is going.

"You killed him in a shoot-out, remember?. Two months ago." The nurse reminded the private detective. "It was all over the news."

"So everything that happens to my family is all my fault?" Fenton's voice broke as he thought of his younger son.

"Please help me catch him. I promise that you will get exoneration if or when it ever goes to trail and your family won't get harmed."

The nurse's blue eyes welled in tears. "Thank you. Mr. Hardy. I don't deserve anything. All I can do is provide for my brothers and sisters.

"Whose looking after them now?" Fenton asked.

"The second and third eldest. They're 22. They're twins." The nurse explained. "They quit college two months ago to help me raise the others."

"Look, I don't care what happens to me but my family means everything to me. So please promise me that they'll be looked after."

Fenton promised him.

The nurse wrote a number or addresses on sheet of paper.

"What's this." Fenton asked.

"Its a list of addresses of his business operations. " The nurse explained.

"Thank you." Fenton clasped his hand before calling Frank.

Frank called the gang to wait with Vanessaand the kids. He admitted that there hasn't been time to inform them. He even called Nancy who was visiting a friend and he told her that Vanessa's alive.

FGFGFGFG

Half an hour later, the gang and Nancy arrived.

"Thank you for doing this." Frank said.

"No problem." Phil replied. "What's going on with Joe?"

Frank explained everything and there were varying degrees of emotion.

"Look. I'm calling child services." Nancy told him. The statement caught everyone off guard and Vanessablinked back tears. Nancy continued coldly, "Joe has no right to abandon his child. He's not kidnapped-there's no ransom note, Frank. I thought you're supposed to be the logical one. You expect me to believe that this guy abducted Joe in front of witnesses. That's ridiculous not to mention irrational and illogical."

Frank replied, "Callie is also kidnapped, haven't you forgotten." A day earlier, Frank had told the gang about Callie, the gang promised to be there for them. Nancy shook her head in disgust. "Don't do that. Don't pretend as if we know she's kidnapped. Everyone knows that Joe has no right to become a father with that negligent attitude of his. Once a flirt. Always a flirt."

Frank defended Joe. "My brother may be a lot of things, but he's caring, sweet and protective. Frankly, I don't care what you say, Joe's an amazing father. He raised Erica all by himself with Sofia. (Frank didn't mention about Sofia's true heritage. He didn't want to reveal it in front of Nancy). He didn't ask me or Cal for help. Because I've lost my son."

"You're the worst father ever. Erica is better off without you. You should have died instead of Vanessa." Frank recalled the hurtful words he said to Joe the day he got Ben. I never got the chance to apologise to you. Joe smiled at me as if my words didn't register when he was rescued the first time.

She pulled Vanessa's hair and screamed in her face. "Vanessa, you're the fool for marrying a person who cares more about flirting than he does for his girlfriend and/or wife. Haven't you forgotten about Iola or has Chet forgotten about his sister.

"Let go of her." Frank pushed her aside. She pushed Vanessaand Frank caught her.

The colour drained from their faces, especially Chet. Phil and tony put their hand on his shoulders.

"No one blamed Joe for what happened to Iola and neither do I."

"That's why Joe is the way he is. Because he's given a pass. If I was Chet and I had lost my sister, I would have locked his ass in jail and swooped in on Vanessa."

Frank had enough. The colour drained from Vanessa's and Chet's face.

"Leave, Nancy. No one is forcing you to stay." Ignoring Frank, she ranted " Frank, don't get me started on you. You're a cyborg who can't even pick up on emotions." Frank's brown eyes registered hurt.

Vanessamarched up to her.

"Joe's the best husband ever. He cares about me but I won't sit here and watch you berate my friends and she punched Nancy surprising the others.

"Frank, you could advance ahead in the detective field if that worthless, insipid person wasn't your partner."

Frank clenched his fists. "Joe is more than my partner, he's also my brother and best friend"

FGFGFG

"Slut! You can leave." Eric told her.

He unshackled her and she asked fearfully, what about Joe?

" That's none of your damn business."

" Sis,I'll be fine. I promise. No point in both of us staying here. You can tell Frank about the You Know What. Its up to you. I have no say in it."

Without hesitation, callie ran away. She didn't want to do it, but she knew that she was a burden to Joe. Don't tell anyone about Joe's location. Or Frank is going to get killed.

After she had left, fifteen minutes later, Jay's uncle arrived. He wanted to check on his nephew.

"Uncle, what are you doing here."

His uncle backhanded the forty-year-old nephew. "After your parents were killed, I took you and your brother in and I thought you everything you need to know." He grabbed his nephew's arm and twisted it.

"Uncle, please... im not eleven years old anymore." Jay pleaded, his voice breaking. He was petrified of his uncle who employed the same methods.

"I told you men shouldn't show their emotions or be weak. Why did you think your worthless brother died? Make three cups of coffee. I want to test the brokenness scale of this doll." He said referring to Joe and meaning Joe has no feelings, no dignity

"You think I'm awful and that i ruined your childhood. You know what my parents made my brother and I do. We had to work every day for meals. We were only given 30 minutes a day to rest. If we exceeded the time, we would be whipped. My elder brother took the beatings for me. Always. On top of his own.

Despite himself,Joe understood why Jay was the way he is and felt sorry for him. Despite the hellish punishment he had to endure, he couldn't be so heartless to ignore their suffering. He realised it was an abusive cycle.

Yes uncle. He hurried off to the kitchen holding his right hand in the process.

He returned later and carried a pot of coffee and three mugs.

"Put your hands behind your back and open wide." Jay did exactly what he asked. He poured the coffee down his throat. His tongue was burnt.

Emil knelt in front of Joe and poured the coffee down his throat. Joe screamed as the coffee burnt his tongue.

"You need another mug don't you."

Joe shook his head

"Don't shake your head as if you had a choice. Your reply should be, Yes! Sir." Slapping Joe across the right cheekbone, splitting his lip even further.

"Yes sir." Joe said, even though it hurts to talk.

He poured another mug of coffee and poured the contents down Joe's throat.

Emil placed handcuffs on Jay and tied him to the table.

The blindfolded was taken off of Joe. He ripped his nephew's clothes and stuffed his shirt into his mouth as a gag.

He gave Joe the rope and ordered him to strangle Jay.

"I won't do it." Joe begged. " I can't..."

"You will." He put the rope in Joe's abused hands and Joe sent a silent apology to his family.

He put the rope around his neck and pulled the rope tight. Jay struggled and Joe stopped for a brief moment

"Don't let me do this. Please." Joe begged.

"Continue." Whacking Joe's hands with a cane. Joe yelped.

Joe continued to strangle Jay until he went limp in Joe's arms. Tears sprang to Joe's eyes. Despite the horrific tortures Jay had put him through,Joe believed he didn't deserve to die like that. No matter how much of a nefarious, manipulative bitch he has been. Emil put him in coffin and Emil called the funeral bearers to bury him and not have the obituary. He paid them a sufficient amount to keep quiet about this.

Joe was shaking uncontrollably at his hand in Jay's murder. In all his years as a detective he has never killed anyone.

He poured another cup of coffee down his throat.

His throat was burned. There was a quarter left Inside the coffee jar.

"You're going to finish the coffee."

He removed one hand from the rail and put a mug in Joe's hand and forced him to drink it. Too slow. He tilted the mug and he choked on the coffee. His uncle let him spit it out into cup and poured the contents down his throat.

"Don't hurt me. You ordered me to kill Jay."

"You're nothing but a killer Joe. You and I are a lot alike. We've both have elder brothers who underestimate us and treat us like trash."

"Stick your tongue out." He ordered.

Joe obediently stuck his tongue out. His tongue was fully red and the back of the throat was swollen and inflamed. He poured the rest of the coffee down his throat and didn't care if he choked on it. The coffee was finished.

"Lets try that again, shall we?" Emil stated. Joe was visibly shaken even though it wasn't reflected in his eyes.

HBHBHBHB

"Cal, you're alright." Frank hugged his wife. Earlier he had gotten a call from Callie and he asked Phil, Chet and Tony to look after Ben, Erica and Vanessawhile he checked on Callie. He didn't want to leave his children nor Vanessaalone.

"Cal, I'm sorry. I tried everything to find you but the evidence was wiped clean." Frank paused. "Cal, please. Rest. You're safe now."

Callie sobbed into Frank's shoulder. Frank held her as the sobs racked her entire body.

She pulled away. "Frank. There's something that I've got to tell you and I'm afraid you may not be able to forgive me or Joe."

"What?" Frank said incredulously.

Callie took a deep breath and told him about the Kiss. Frank's eyes widened. Tears welled in her eyes. "Frank, Joe and I were forced to... we didn't want to hurt you. If you like I will sign the divorce papers."

"Cal, I know neither of you did it to hurt me. But don't apologise for what they force you to do. You don't need to sign the divorce papers, we'll be okay. I promise. Cal, I love you and I always have and Joe's my brother. I'm sorry you were forced to do something like this, Cal. You had no control this and I don't want to ever make you feel as if you can't speak to me about anything."

Tears welled in callie's eyes at her husband's sincerity.

"Cal, I don't fault you or Joe for what he made you do."

He hugged her and gave a peck on the cheek.

HBHBHB

Joe was subjected to drink eight more cups of coffee. His throat was fully burned and inflamed. Joe couldn't speak at all.

Emil came and said "look up."

"What are you going to do with me?" Joe aske fearfully.

"This is the lesson you deserved. So bear with it. But first..." he took a syringe and plunged the contents into his arms. "This will make sure that you will be awake and conscious through everything."

He went over to Joe and placed a medium- sized ball gag on his mouth.

He was taken outside and his handcuffs were taken off and replaced with twine. The twine secured his wrists and it felt as if a thousand knives were piecing his wrists.

He cut a branch and placed it on his arms and secured the ends around the twine. The man stepped on the branch. The extra weight was bad for Joe's spine. But the lunatic didn't care. He dug his foot on the branch causing it to splinter against Joe's back.

Joe started to cry. "Please don't do this." He pleaded.

"Tell me. Joe. Would you stay or be a wimpy bitch and blab to everyone." He rubbed the branch against his spine. Tears flowed down Joe's eyes. His voice was an incoherent garble but Emil understood him perfectly having been used to it as he employed this method to his nephews.

"You have no say in what I do. Unclench your fists and make a claw as if you're holding something. Joe did as he asked. He rubbed the log against his back.

Joe screamed in pain as the position of the wrists caused him to break the bones in his wrist when the branch was rubbed against his back.

HBHBHB

Callie had come home and was resting in Frank's bedroom. Frank wanted to stay with her but insisted that she would be fine. "We've got to save Joe." Van said

"We've done everything, Van." Frank snapped at her in frustration. He later regretted it as she saw a stray tear slid down her weary eyes.

"Van,I'm sorry. I didn't..."

"Doesn't matter, Frank. I shouldn't be so sensitive." Frank gave her an apologetic peck on the cheek.

Frank's phone rang. He picked it up.

"Slow down. What are you saying?" Frank recognize the voice to be a girl

"Look, I'm a friend of Joe. His location is 26th crescent lane, Leonia. I'll tell you later. Its too much to say on the phone. But hurry,Joe's in bad shape."

Frank's eyes widened. The location was an hour away from his house. Hang on Joe,I'm coming.

HBHBHBHB

Emil stopped and put a beaker in his mouth and poured coffee down his throat. This continued eight more times before stopping.

HBHBHB

Two hours later, Fenton and Frank heard Joe's screams and their blood ran cold. Joe was being tortured. Joe pleaded with them to stop but they smirked.

"What the hell are you doing to my brother?" Frank enraged. He saw the bastard put his foot on the log and rubbed the log against Joe's bruised arms.

"Joe, you and I are alot alike because our older brothers treat us like trash."

Frank glared at him. "I'm nothing like you." Frank replied coldly.

"If you don't denounce him. I'll make sure that he suffers the same fate as Jay." He whispered into his ear. Joe shook his head. The man stomped on the branch until Joe cried out when the branch broke causing pain to his spine.

one more step and i will out a bullet through his skull.

Joe glared at Frank. "Frank's the worst protector and an awful elder brother. . He let me get humiliated . He wanted to show everyone at the hospital how he gets away scot free while I'm tortured by my father's enemies and humiliated.

"Joe... that's not true." Frank's voice broke." I would never... " whatever Frank was going to say was cut off by Joe's anger.

"Stay the hell away from me." Joe said the three words that broke Frank's heart. "I hate you,you backstabbing viper. " He didn't know who he hurt more with his words. Frank or him.

The colour drained from his face.

"You always resented me because I'm so much trouble and you wanted to be an only child. Tears pricked Frank's eyes and he quickly brushed them away.

The people were arrested.

Hope you like this chapter. So sorry for the delay. As always, please review and comment.