"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." -Maria Robinson

Joe

I saw Alexander Bernheart come out of the shadows. He stood over Frank's limp body, surveying the room. An heir of maniacal satisfaction about him.

"Hello Joseph," he nodded towards me.

"Let Hope go. Please. Tony and Biff too, they have nothing to do with this," I felt my facade breaking. I hated to beg, but it was the only thing left to do.

"Ah, but you're wrong," Bernheart said coming closer to me, "Mr. Hooper and Miss Peters aided you and your brother at the banquet and as for Tony, well he stole my daughters heart."

"What? You're crazy--"

"It's true," he bellowed, "Look at her! She can't concentrate on the task at hand. The wickedness is slowly dissipating. She is not the same girl she was when we were hiding out in the Ukraine."

"You act like she's broken. Like you can just throw her out, you're her father! Don't you have any compassion?" I hissed.

"Compassion, my dear boy, is overrated."

...

Biff

"We've got to get out of here," I said as the effects of the chloroform had finally began to lessen.

"Biff, there's no way out. The door's locked and we have absolutely nothing to even attempt to pick the lock," Tony said from his position leaning against the wall. He still looked slightly dazed. Whatever they had given him must have been pretty strong.

Ignoring him, I reached inside my pockets just incase there was something we could use.

"I'm sure they checked your pockets," Tony said not even looking up from the floor that he suddenly seemed to be fascinated with.

"Optimistic are we?" I muttered as my fingers made contact with something at the bottom of my pocket. I pulled out a small bobby pin and stared at it in confusion.

"Why do you have a bobby pin?" Tony asked, a smirk making it's way across his face.

"Uh...I dunno. Must be Hope's," I answered inspecting the tiny piece of metal.

"Yeah, but why do you have it?" he laughed.

"How should I know?" I glared at Tony as he got up slightly shakily and came walked over to the door inspecting the lock.

"Think you can pick it?" he asked.

"How hard could it be?"

...

Joe

I watched Frank who lay on the cement ground across from me, still unconscious. We were being held in a large bunker style room, cuffs and rusted chains hanging from the walls, and unfortunately my right wrist was in one of those cuffs.

I was really hoping Frank would wake up soon. He hadn't been chained. Maybe with his help we could find a way out. But at the moment I didn't have much stock in that.

My plan had sufficiently backfired. But of course now I knew exactly why I felt so strange around Akacia. She'd explained everything to me...

"When I was young, I first realized that I was different. I could hear what others were thinking. I could read their minds, know exactly what they were going to do next," she told me with little emotion.

"I didn't let my father in on my...powers, until I turned thirteen. That's when they fully came to me. I suppose it's different for everyone though. I can do anything, see the future, read minds, focus on people half way around the world...like a movie in my mind or something.

"At first it scared me half to death. I didn't know what to think. But then my father told me what I could do with my powers. I could rule the world, he had told me. But of course I knew that was a little far fetched.

"That's why when I started to look into your mind, Joe, things changed. I was more scared that I had ever been before. Scared that there could be someone out there like me. More powerful than me. I was terrified of you.

"We're channelers Joe. You and I. It's too bad that daddy wants you dead. I wouldn't mind having someone else like me in this world.

"I'm sorry. You just got your powers...and now...

She had left that last part up to my own imagination. But she was right, these powers were sort of...scary. I was a...channeler...and just like Akacia, I did suddenly feel...alone.

...

Biff

I concentrated solely on the lock in front of me. Not letting anything distract me, no even Tony's negative comments. Picking a lock was a lot harder than he Hardys made it seem.

"Biff?"

I tried bending the bobby pin slightly.

"Biff!?"

I attempted to figure the lock puzzle again.

"Biff!!"

The door wouldn't budge.

"Allen!!"

"What?!" I spun around to face an annoyed Tony.

"Would you give it a rest already? You've been trying to unlock that door for like twenty minutes straight," Tony said, not one ounce of optimism in his voice.

"Since when have you been such a pessimist," I grumbled, rolling my eyes, and turning back to the door.

"Since I've been tricked, betrayed, and dumped into this hell hole," Tony replied cynically. I turned back around to face him as he slid back down to the floor.

"Tony I'm--"

"I know. You're sorry. Don't worry about it."

There was a moment of silence that was almost deafening. Tony stared at the floor and I stared at Tony. I had never seen him so sullen.

"So you're just giving up?" I whispered. Tony looked up at me, emotion heavy in his dark eyes.

"No," he muttered.

"Nic's really worried about you. Your dad too, everyone is," I told him.

"I bet," Tony said, this time more sincere.

"Yeah. That's why we've gotta get out of here."

Tony looked at me and smiled, "Thanks."

"For what?"

"Trying so hard to unlock that damn door."

I laughed at the response, because I knew exactly what he was thanking me for, and it wasn't about the damn door.

...

Five minutes later the door was unlocked, thanks to the added optimism in the air and we had moved onto the door to Hope's prison. Now that I had gotten the technique down, this lock was much easier to figure.

With Tony as a makeshift look out I managed to get the large door open. As we cautiously made our way into the dim lit room I quickly noticed there was something amiss. Hope was nowhere to be seen.

I turned to Tony and began to ask him if he was sure this was where she was being held when a large piece of wood came flying at my head.

"Hey!" Tony shouted as I brought my hand up to catch the large plank. I spun to my right and looked our attacker straight in her sapphire eyes.

"It's just us!" I yelled, not realizing how loud my voice was. I looked at Hope, her face pale and her eyes filled with terror and indecision. Tony slowly pulled the board from Hope and I clamped a steady hand on her arm and again whispered, "It's just us."

With a burst of realization Hope jumped full force into my arms, tears streaming down her face, "Oh Biff."

"Uh Hope?" Tony began after she'd started to pull herself together wiping her eyes on her sweatshirt sleeve, "Where'd you get this?"

Tony was inspecting the large piece of wood in his hands, realizing the damage it could have done to someone if it did make contact with their skull.

"Oh," she sniffled, "over from under the window."

Tony and I both looked to where she was pointing. There was a small almost nonexistent window letting in one small ray of moonlight. Underneath it I could see some splintered wood and a few nails sticking out haphazardly. Both Tony and I couldn't help letting out a small laugh. Nothing can hold my girl back.

"What?" Hope furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance, "I had to be prepared."

"I know love, it's just--"

"How'd you manage to pry this molding off the sill?" Tony finished my thought, still looking at the wood in his hands.

Hope smiled then grasped both of our arms, her strength and energy seemingly in tact, "C'mon, let's go. We still have to find Frank and Joe."

"What?" Tony and I both gasped as she guided us from the room.

"They came here--probably Joe's doing--looking for us. Guys, Joe has this sort of--"

"Power," I finished her sentence. Tony gave us both a wild look but kept quiet.

"Yeah how'd you know?"

"Long story."

"Well, I'm sure it's a great one," Tony said sarcastically, "but right now I believe that we have bigger problems on our hands."

"Agreed," Hope and I said in unison.

...

Joe

"Frank?"

"Yeah?" he muttered.

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked. He wasn't looking so good ever since he'd regained consciousness.

"Mmhmm.

"You sure?"

Frank looked up at me rubbing the back of his head, "Sure. Just...worried."

"That seems to be a constant with you lately," I smiled. He smiled back.

At that moment I felt something in the back of my mind. Something creeping...creeping into my subconscious. A thought. Faces. Voices.

"Frank," I looked up to the door.

"What?"

I smiled and kept staring at the door, knowing exactly what was going to happen in...3...2...1...

The door burst open and the room flooded with light from the hallway.

"Oh, I'm so glad y'all are okay," Hope said coming out from behind Biff and Tony.

"Yeah, now lets get out of here," Tony said, looking around nervously, he looked dizzy and unstable. He only looked half here.

Frank and I rose from the cement ground smiling. Biff came over and inspected the cuff around my wrist. I didn't even question the bobby pin in his hand...that could wait. Then I noticed the slightly annoyed look that came over Hope's face.

"What?" I asked, except I already knew what she was thinking.

"Joe! I'm gonna kill you."

"Melodramatic?"

"No. I think it's appropriate," she smirked.

"I thought I knew what was going to happen...but--"

"We understand," Biff said.

"Uh..actually..." Tony raised his hand slightly, a small grin on his face.

"Well, most of us understand," Biff amended.

"Alright, explanations and apologies later," Frank said pushing his way out of the small room. But before anyone could move another inch, a sinister voice turned my thoughts to ice.

"I don't think you'll be going anywhere," Akacia Bernheart sneered as she pointed a loaded pistol at Hope's head.

A/N: Cliffy? It's finished! More updates coming soon! Thanks!