Chapter Three

Saturday, early afternoon
Crabapple Farm

Dan was fidgety. Jim and Mart were talking right beside him, but he hardly knew what they were going on about. Man, what's wrong with me? He kept thinking. He really didn't know why he was so nervous. Or did he? The dark haired young man shook his head and tried to dismiss his thoughts. As hard as it was to admit, he couldn't stop thinking about whether or not Joeanne would come. And, of course, he would never ask it out loud. He couldn't deal with both Jim and Mart's teasing! After all he was just curious. Then why the heck did his heart skip a beat every time he heard a car passing on Glen Road?

"Man, Glen Road's busy today!" He exclaimed, not noticing he was speaking out loud until he saw Jim and Mart staring at him, frowning. "What?" he asked, as he kicked some pebbles with the tip of his shoe, keeping his eyes down. Then he cursed himself. He did that since his childhood, whenever he was embarrassed. And Mart was sure not to miss it. The grin on his friend's face told him he was right.

"James, my friend, I do believe we are witnessing a singular moment. Our dear old friend, a soon-to-be remarkable lawyer, is endeavoring to keep something from us. I wonder what it could be?" Mart sardonically said, as he put an arm around Dan's shoulder.

Jim chuckled. "Leave him be. You know he never felt comfortable around a lot of people. That's probably just it!"

"Yeah!" Mart winked at him. "Dan's always been known for stage fright. Come on, spill it. You're not fooling me."

"You're crazy, Belden. I'm just worried about this Annie business," Dan said, trying to divert the subject.

Mart frowned. He liked to horse around, but he also knew when enough was enough. And since he knew something was going on with Dan, he picked up on his hint. "I know what you mean. I'm worried too. And now with Bobby wanting to go 'undercover'..."

"He was infected with the Shamus virus long ago! We should have seen it coming." Jim smiled tenderly as he looked over to where Trixie was standing, talking to Di and Honey.

"I always thought he would grow out of it. Heck, I used to think Trix would too." Mart shrugged his shoulders. "But at least he told us about what he intended to do. That's not so bad when we think about Trixie's M.O."

"Hey, she did learn her lesson. She knows better now." Jim said.

"Oh boy! Smoke does get in your eye, doesn't it?" Mart retorted, as Dan burst out laughing.

Distracted with his friends, Dan was startled by a familiar voice coming from behind him. And though familiar, it was a voice he didn't exactly associate with Crabapple Farm, so he spun around, hardly believing she was really there.

"Hello," Joeanne said, seeming a bit uncomfortable.

"Joeanne, hi. You actually came... I never really believed you would," Dan uttered, running his fingers through his hair. He had been wondering, but now he was half-speechless. Instantly, he saw his words would be misinterpreted. Her black eyes grew cold.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you," he heard her mutter as she passed by him to greet Mart and Jim.

"Don't mind her. Our sister is really touchy, sometimes." Only then did Dan notice the two boys standing at a distance. "Nice to meet you. My name's Dave and this is my brother, Kenny," the eldest boy said, as he walked up to him and reached out his hand.

Dan took it with a smile. "Hi, I'm Dan." He noticed the boys looked a lot like their sister, deep dark eyes shining in sun-tanned faces. The younger boy's hair, though, was lighter. Dan wondered if he looked like their mother, since he had been told Joeanne was a living copy of Joe Darnell. "Well, welcome to Crabapple Farm." Dan didn't have time to say anything else, since in a few seconds the boys and Joeanne had been surrounded by the whole Belden family and some of the BWGs, all wanting to welcome them.

Bobby soon took over Kenny and Dave and led them into the orchard, where they joined the Lynch twins, both sets of them, and Annie. And Joeanne was promptly taken away by Mrs. Belden, who dreaded the thought of anyone feeling like a stranger in her house. Dan watched the two women walk towards the house, the older woman slipping an arm around the younger one, tenderly. She had done that for him once too.

Though his feelings towards Helen Belden were warm enough, his thoughts didn't dwell on her for long. As he watched Joeanne walk away he noticed how pretty she looked, with her raven black air loose on her shoulders and the flowery dress she was wearing. She looked so young!

"That, my friend, is probably the hardest piece of wood you've ever had to chop!" Mart said, tapping his shoulder.

Dan jumped at the sound of his friend's voice. "What?" Then the words sank in. "What on Earth are you talking about?"

"Oh, I haven't seen that look on your face ever since... Hey, ever since the first time you saw Hallie. And even then you weren't this jumpy!"

Dan couldn't help to blush. "What look?" he asked, trying to sound carefree.

"The look you have glued to your now extremely-red face. The one that's been there since you saw Joeanne Darnell. And since Trixie mentioned you guys had met in New York and hadn't really got along, I can put two and two together and guess this is a kind of love/hate relationship. Of course the hate part is all from her side..." Mart burst out laughing at his own joke. "I'm sorry, man. I'm not trying to make fun or anything..." At this point tears were about to stream down Mart's face.

"They should have you committed, you know?" Dan mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah." Mart wiped his eyes with his hand and tried to compose himself. Trying to make a straight face, he said: "Hey but seriously, what's up? Are you interested?"

"In what?"

"Don't play dumb with me." Mart was serious now. "I'd be glad to see you taking an interest in someone else. That business with Hallie..."

Dan interrupted him. "That business with Hallie is over and done with. Come on, Mart. We've talked about this before. It didn't work. It was over before it started and it was all for the best, because we spared ourselves the heartache. She told me what she wanted from life and I wanted different things, so..."

"So she walked away with you as her friend and you stayed with a broken heart. That somehow strikes me as a bad deal."

He sighed. "Mart, I couldn't force your cousin to love me. It was an illusion. Even if she hadn't gone abroad to study it wouldn't have worked. We were too different. I needed some peace and quiet in my life and she wanted adventure every single day and to see as much as she could of the world. I was hurt, o, of course, but I got over it. She's a dear friend now."

It was Mart's turn to sigh. Somehow he still believed Hallie had been very unfair to Dan, leading him into thinking she loved him and then going off to Europe. "Ok, then. No more Hallie. What about Joeanne? I don't really know her that well, but she seems nice enough... Not to you though."

"There's no 'about Joeanne', Mart. Stop that. She is just... well, not a friend yet, since we got off to a bad start." Dan smiled. "But I hope I'll grow on her."

Mart half closed his eyes. Then he nodded. "Ok, if that's the way you want it, so be it. Let's just drop the subject and get back to hamburger grilling. I'm starting to hear stomachs growling."

Dan chuckled. "Yeah, yours!"

Bobby finally found Annie sitting under an apple tree in the orchard. She had her arms around her bent knees and was looking quite pale. He knew something was up, but had no idea what it could be. They had been having a lot of fun that afternoon and this sudden gloominess was a mystery.

The boy walked over, with a frown, and sat on the grass right in front of his friend. "What's going on?" he simply asked.

She looked up at him and hesitated. But finally, with a sigh, she said, "That woman that just arrived, Miss Darnell… Is she a friend of yours?"

"Oh, I haven't seen her in a long time. Trixie and Honey met her while they were trying to find Jim… You know, I told you about it, remember? The girl that run away from her family because her father had taken Mr. Lynch's trailer…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She interrupted him with a wave of her hand. "I just couldn't imagine she was Miss Darnell…"

"But what's the matter? Why are you so upset?"

"She's the social assistant who's taking care of my… case." Annie almost spat the word. "It's not very nice to see her here."

"Oh…" Bobby didn't know what to say. "I'm sure no one even thought of it. I don't think Trixie even knew."

"I know that, Bobby. I'm not even thinking that. But I don't quite know how to act…"

"Well, maybe it's a good chance to show her all the friends you've made and how much they care about you. To show her that you're fitting in. Isn't that one of the things they worry about?"

Annie's grim face lightened up. "I never thought about it that way, but maybe you're right. Maybe I shouldn't be hiding, hum?"

Bobby laughed as he got up and reached out his hand to help her up. "Yeah, maybe you shouldn't… C'mon, let's go. You can try and win her brothers' hearts. Maybe they'll put in a good word for you."

Annie smiled and took his hand. "Yeah, I might give it a try."

As they walked back to the Belden's backyard, Bobby slowed his pace and his handsome features took on a more serious look.

"What now?" Annie asked as she stopped and looked back at him.

"Annie… About Joeanne's brothers and winning their hearts…"

"Yeah?"

"Just… don't try very hard, ok?" Bobby blushed as he stared at the ground.

Annie gulped and blushed herself. There was not much she could say but, "Yeah, don't worry."

Trixie was rejoicing. All of her family and dearest friends were together again, there in the dearest of all places, Crabapple Farm. She felt like dancing around the enormous table but she refrained herself and was content to just let her eyes travel around it. Her eyes eventually fell on Dan Mangan. He seemed absent minded, completely oblivious to the noise and movement going on around him. Trixie followed his eyes and a smile of sudden enlightenment spread on her lips. Another table had to be set up in the yard, since the group of the old days had grown considerably and Bobby, Annie and the twins had been assigned to it, as well as Terry, Larry, Mandy and Maggie Lynch. At that moment, Joeanne and Diana were standing close to them and it was on the pair Dan's eyes were set. And since Trixie knew better than to think Dan might have any kind of interest in Diana besides friendship, she instantly felt she was trespassing on some kind of secret. But her heart warmed at the thought of Dan finally finding someone special. Just like Mart, she still held a little grudge on Hallie for walking away on him.

"Honey, you're staring." Jim's voice in her ear made her jump.

"Oh!" She blushed. "But I'm not the only one, Jimmy. Have you seen the way Dan's staring at Joeanne?"

"Yes, I have, baby." Jim planted a kiss on her cheek. "But don't you go getting any ideas… Let things take their due course. If he plans to make a move, he'll do it when he thinks it's time."

There was some wickedness in Trixie's smile as she said, "Let's just hope it doesn't take him eight years to do it."

Sometime before Jim might have been hurt by being teased for taking such a long time to declare his feelings to Trixie. But the past year Trixie had managed to change a few things about him and his touchiness was one of them. As she had learned to be more cautious, he had learned to laugh a bit more at himself. So he smiled and his green eyes sparkled, in a way that nearly took her breath away. "Oh, I don't think it will. He's not half as patient as I am," he said, squeezing her hand under the table.

Later that night, as the group joined up in the Belden's kitchen to eat an enormous dinner of left-overs, Joeanne took a deep breath and decided it was time to settle things with Annie. The girl had tried to be courteous, but she had also tried to avoid her as best as she could. And Joeanne couldn't let this spoil the wonderful time she was having. For a few hours she had nearly forgotten that her life was far from being like that of her friends and that soon she was getting back to her monotonous, lonely daily routine. So she owed it to them. Slowly, she walked towards Annie who was standing by the window, a frown shadowing her pretty, young face.

"Hi, Annie," she greeted, with a smile. "Is everything ok?"

For a split second, Joeanne feared Annie would answer in the sardonic tone she used herself so many times. But the girl seemed to think twice and merely nodded.

"Annie," Joeanne took a sit on the windowsill. "I've been meaning to talk to you ever since I got here. I never meant to spoil your fun by coming. Truth is, when Trixie invited me over I really didn't know who you were. And when I found out, well… It sort of slipped my mind."

"That's ok. It just felt a little…"

"Awkward?" Joeanne completed with a smile. "Yes, I know. I feel the same way. But I guess we'll just have to get over it and forget about it. Just for the night. Tomorrow you can go on hating my guts again."

Annie's eyes widened and she rushed to explain, "Oh no, Miss Darnell. I don't hate you. Actually, I think you're kind of nice. It's just that…Well, I'm pretty scared about all of this."

The young woman reached out to touch the girl's cheek. "I know. But I'm one of the good guys, ok? Just remember that and that I'll do my best to make everything all right for you. Now, just stop thinking about it and go and have fun."

Annie's face lit up with a smile and she walked away, leaving Joeanne alone with one chilling thought: I just hope my best will be enough.

If only I could figure out what's wrong with me, Dan thought. Why can't I just stop staring at her? It shouldn't be so hard. After all, one does get tired of being abused and Joeanne hadn't said one nice word to him the whole evening. In fact, she hadn't even spoken to him since their meeting at the orchard. But that was precisely what was bothering him, to such an extent he had to come out of the house for some air. He could hear the voices and the laughter coming from the living room and from somewhere in the orchard he could also hear the kids. But he needed some time alone, away from the noisy bunch, to think it all through,

Sitting on the porch railing, with his back against the wall, amidst the shadows, Dan was pretty much invisible to anyone who didn't look directly at him, since the lamp over the door wasn't enough to light the whole porch. Because of that, Joeanne never saw him as she stepped outside and sat on the porch steps.

Dan unconsciously backed into the shadows a little further and caught his breath as she slowly walked to the porch steps and sat down, her chin resting on her hand. There was a pensive, somewhat weary look on her face. He heard her sigh and thought it best to reveal his presence. He really didn't want her to accuse him of spying on her.

"Hi." There wasn't much more he could say.

She started at the sound of his voice. "Dan…I didn't know you were there," she said as he came away from the shadowy corner.

"Don't worry…I guess I'll be going in." Dan motioned towards the door, but she stopped him by reaching up for his hand. He stopped and looked down, surprised.

"No…Please stay." Joeanne looked embarrassed. "I… I meant to talk to you, anyway."

Dan's heart jumped in his chest. "Oh, you did? What about?" Oh, Hell, could you get any lamer than this? He thought, mentally slapping himself.

"Would you please sit down? My neck is cramping up from looking up at you…" She smiled, a bit uncomfortably.

"Oh, yeah… Sorry." Dan hoped the lack of lighting would be enough to hide his blushed cheeks and sat down on the step, beside her. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Joeanne took a deep breath and looked into the night. "I wanted to apologize…" she said, slowly.

Strangely, her words seemed to beckon a heavy silence, as if the whole world held its breath. Dan stopped listening to any noises coming from the inside and the kid's voices had faded away in the distance. All but the crickets were silent.

"Apologize?" He repeated, thinking he probably sounded like a parrot.

"I haven't been exactly nice to you tonight…Or any time before this, for that matter."

Dan shook his head. "Seems to me it takes two to tango… I've played my part in that too. So, there really isn't anything to apologize for."

Joeanne smiled, sadly. "That's very nice of you, but I've been told all my life how aggravating I can be. So, I guess there must be some truth in that…I do speak without thinking, most of the time."

It seemed to Dan that this was a chance to change things with Joeanne. Why he would want that he still didn't know, but he was pretty sure he wanted it. "Well, here's a thought… Why don't we just get this whose-fault-was-it discussion behind us and start afresh?" He said as he held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Dan Mangan."

Her smile widened, and he was pretty sure his heart skipped a beat at the sight. She grabbed his hand and shook it. "Joeanne Darnell. Pleased to meet you."

Dan held on to her hand for a few moments more before she drew it back, saying, "You are aware that we'll probably keep on fighting off and on, aren't you?"

He grinned. "Yeah… I'm pretty sure of that, but I'll guess we'll work around it somehow."

"I hope so…" She sighed and her eyes were drawn back to the moonlit orchard. "I hope my brothers won't get into trouble. They don't know the woods around here."

"They'll be fine. Bobby and Annie know this place like the back of their hands. And the twins do too." Dan took a sidelong glance at her. "They seem to be nice kids. You did a good job with them."

"They're wonderful." There was a noticeable note of pride in her voice.

"It must have been hard for you…I mean, having to be a second mother to them."

She lowered her eyes for a moment, and he hoped he hadn't screwed up things. But she sighed and answered, "Wasn't easy, that's for sure. But they've always been quiet, sweet children. I guess witnessing Mother's illness made them like that."

Dan was about to ask about her sister, but decided it was best to keep quiet. But Joeanne seemed to sense his hesitation and said, "Go on, it's logical to ask about my sister right now."

He chuckled. "Boy, you're good. I was going to ask about her, b, but I guess it's hard for you to talk about it."

She nodded. "It is. But that's life, I guess. Can't run from it."

Dan wondered if there really wasn't a part of life Joeanne was running from but didn't comment.

"I don't mind talking about Sally before she… well, you know. She was a bit spoiled, but she was a sweet kid. Daddy's girl."

"From what I've heard I thought you were your father's favourite."

There was another sad smile on Joeanne's face when she answered. "I guess people would think that, but no. I was too like my Dad to be his favourite. I was never a tender child, you know, the kind that is always giving away hugs and kisses. I was always tom-boyish and that kind of thing embarrassed me. And Sally was a little doll, loving bows and ribbons. A lot like Mum, so I guess that's why my father loved her so."

"But Trixie always talked about the way your father admired you and looked up to you."

Dan's heart skipped a beat as she looked directly into his eyes.

"When you're a little girl you want your parents to love you for who you are. Not to be looked up to by them. I know Dad loves me. But mostly he admires me, because I'm so much stronger than he ever was. Sometimes I feel like he fears me because I grew up to be what he really wanted to be. And that's pretty scary when you're growing up."

Boy, this is getting a bit too intimate, Dan thought, Tomorrow she'll hate me for having told me all this. But he wanted her to confide in him. "I'm sorry to say this, but maybe you do scare people away," he said slowly.

"I know. I always did… I don't know how to get close to people or how to let them get close to me."

"Maybe you're just scared yourself…" Dan reached out and softly caressed her cheek. Maybe it was going a bit too far but he couldn't resist the impulse. Joeanne shivered and looked away.

"Anyway," she said as if she wanted to shake the intimate moments away, "I have to take care of my brothers, and there's my job. And Sally. She's doing much better now, physically. She's stronger."

"But in her head…?"

Joeanne shrugged her shoulders. "She won't talk about it. Sally's still very angry. At what, I don't know. Mostly, it seems to be at me…But anyway, you are too new a friend to be bothered with all of this."

"I happen to know you don't bother your old friends either."

Joeanne stared at him and he stared back at her. "Isn't that right?" He asked, unable to keep a note of tenderness away from his voice.

"No, I don't. But still, that is my problem." The girl's defensive posture had returned but he wouldn't be troubled by it now.

"Joeanne, I'm not trying to pry. But I would like to know you better. And if the problems come with the territory, well, so be it…Besides, maybe it would be easier for you to talk to someone who is not so…well, intimate." Instinctively, Dan reached for her hand and held it in his as he spoke. He only realized what he had done when he saw her shudder and draw back her hand. He gazed at her, but didn't say a word.

"The thing is, Dan, I don't really have any intimate friends, so that theory really doesn't apply." Joeanne sighed, sounding tired. "But you already know all there is to know about it, so…" She shrugged her shoulders. "Well," she said as she got up "I better find out where my brothers are. We should be going. I'm going to see Sally tomorrow, so I still have to get some paperwork done tonight."

"Is your father going with you?" Dan asked, impulsively.

Joeanne seemed to consider whether or not to answer, but ended up replying, "No. My father has cut off Sally entirely."

"So you go there all by yourself, every time?"

She nodded. "She's my sister and I can't leave her alone."

"Yes, I know… But…" Dan took a deep breath, wondering if this wasn't the most idiotic idea he had ever had. "Still, it doesn't seem fair… I could go with you, if you'd like." He offered, half expecting her to just turn around and leave.

But she didn't. Instead, she stared at him as if his words were still sinking in.

"Why?" she simply asked. "It's not the most agreeable place in the world."

"I know…I'm not a stranger to those places… But I'm determined to be your friend." Dan gulped. "And I don't think you should be going alone…It's got to be a big strain on you."

"By now I've gotten used to it. After some time you start building up defenses and some things just stop bothering you." Joeanne looked weary as she spoke. "But you can come if you want. Besides…" She took a deep breath. "Chances are the gang that's dealing drugs in Sleepyside High is related to the one Sally hanged around with. Sleepyside's a small town. It can't be just another case." There was a sardonic flash in her eyes as she stared back at Dan. "You thought about it too, didn't you? That's why you offered to go with me, isn't it?"

Dan almost kicked himself for NOT having thought about it. It hadn't even crossed his mind. But he also knew Joeanne would find that thought more reassuring than that Dan actually had some other interests regarding her. So he decided it was best to find a compromise. "It did cross my mind, and I admit I would like to talk to your sister, but that's not the reason why I offered to go with you. All that I said was true."

"That's ok, Dan. I don't really mind. I'll pick you up at your place, is that ok? About 2 PM?" She tried to sound careless about it, but there was a light tremor in her voice.

"Why don't you make that noon and we'll have lunch on the way over?" Dan knew he was stretching a bit too far, but there was nothing to lose.

She gazed at him, with a frown and a pensive, suspicious look in her eyes. It wasn't easy for her to deal with this kind of situation. Finally, she agreed. "Ok, noon then." Then she climbed down the remaining steps. "I better find my brothers now."

"Joeanne!"

She turned around to face him again.

"You never asked me for my address. You know where I live?" Dan asked, his arms folded across his chest.

A smile lighted her pretty face and even in the dark, he could see her eyes shining. "You'd be surprised with how much I already know," she said, as she disappeared into the dark.

9:30 PM
Ten Acres

The silhouettes of the growing buildings stood before them, under the moonlight. To Bobby, though, there was another silhouette in the distance, but this one was like a ghost, a mere memory. He remembered the Frayne mansion all too well. He had cried himself to sleep the night it had burned down. And though he had been almost just a baby then, he remembered well the horror of the incinerated ruins. But soon another house, just like the first one, would be built on the site and turn all of his memories of it into happy ones.

The young bunch had climbed up the hill where the Frayne mansion had once stood and where Jim was already building his school for orphans. It was a beautiful spot, with all the stars hanging in the sky like little party lanterns, and the lights of Sleepyside shining in the distance. Bobby wished he was there alone with Annie, but instead the two sets of Lynch twins and the Darnell boys were with them.

They sat on the moist grass, just outside the line of trees that encircled the clearing. Bobby felt Annie shiver next to him.

"Are you ok?" He whispered. The others were deep in conversation, so they never noticed Annie's distraction.

The girl's eyes surveyed the spot, and Bobby noticed how she tried to peer into the dark. "I don't know…" she said, slowly. "It feels strange…I really can't explain. As if there's someone else here…"

"Yeah, that's all we need. As if the place wasn't crowded enough." Bobby mumbled.

Annie gazed at him and blushed at the comment. Bobby blushed too as he realized the full extent of what he had said.

Suddenly, Terry Lynch got up. He was a year younger than Bobby, just as Larry, his twin brother, but he was almost as tall. The boy took a few steps away from the group and then turned to them again. "What's that?" he asked, as he pointed at some spot near the construction site.

Bobby joined him, forcing his eyes to adjust to the dark and stared to the spot Terry was motioning to. There was a flickering light just outside the school building. A light that seemed to be travelling from side to side. Bobby couldn't figure out why, but there was a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. This reminded him of something that had happened a long time before. But what?

"Bobby, that's a cigarette." Annie said as she walked up to him.

Bobby startled at the sound of her voice. "A cigarette? But who…" As a chill ran down his spine, Bobby remembered. His voice was hoarse as he turned to Terry and said, "Go down to the Farm and tell Jim to come up here. Tell him to bring one of my brothers or Dan, but don't let the girls hear." Terry must have understood something very serious was going on because he simply nodded his agreement and ran downhill.

"What's going on?" Annie asked as she held on to her friend's arm.

"I hope this is not what I'm thinking…" Bobby whispered, hardly listening to her.

"Bobby…" the girl was getting scared. She had never seen the boy so pale before. "Do… Do you think we should get up there?"

Bobby turned to her suddenly, as if he hadn't even noticed her presence before. "No!" he said, abruptly. "That's the last thing we should do… At least not until we have some kind of backup. And you… I think you should take the others back to the farm."
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what the heck is going on!" Annie's famous temper was about to explode.

Bobby took a deep breath, as he looked around, nervously. "Jim's stepfather… Remember I told you he was out of jail? Well, it could be him."

"And you don't think we can handle him?" Annie was feeling the adrenaline rush into her veins, but the mood soon died out after she looked deep into Bobby's eyes. He was scared. Really scared. The boy held her by the arms and dragged her closer to the other kids that were finally realizing something was up.

"Please, Annie, take them down to the Farm. Please, I'm asking you." There was something in Bobby's voice that told the girl this was no time for an argument about women's rights. So she sighed and joined the others. A few moments later they had disappeared into the woods.

Knowing it probably was one of the craziest things he had ever done, and that he was going against his own better judgment, the boy walked slowly towards the building. Jim was taking his time, and he had to make sure his heart was telling him the right thing. After all, it could be a bum or even one of the construction worker coming back to collect something he had left behind. While his mind worked at full speed trying to find other explanations, his heart kept saying the same thing: Jonesy's in there!

But he didn't stop. Carefully, he approached the window and knelt on the dusty ground. Definitely there was someone inside, smoking. But it was too dark to really see who the person might be. It was a man, that he was sure of. What he was doing inside he couldn't tell, but he was definitely up to something.

When Bobby was about to get up and leave, wondering what was keeping Jim and the others, the man suddenly turned to the window through which Bobby was peeking as if he had noticed something. The boy froze, expecting the stranger to see him. But apparently the man dismissed the feeling and walked towards the door. And as he did so a cloud that had been covering most of the moonlight flew away and the moon lit the entrance of the building. There was just enough light for Bobby to see his heart had been telling him the truth all along. He would recognize that face anywhere, despite the years that had gone by, and the fact that he had only seen the man recently through newspaper clippings. But he was sure. And he was also sure there was only one thing to do: get the hell out of there. Fast!

The boy rushed to his feet, ignoring his aching knees and ran back into the woods, hoping the man wouldn't see him. He had just crossed the first line of trees when he bumped into someone, his heart nearly stopping in the process.

"Bobby, easy, what's going on?" Jim said, as he grabbed the boy's arm to steady him.

Bobby was finding it hard to catch his breath. "Jim… You…scared me…In the school… Jonesy…"

Jim's face turned suddenly pale, his freckles visible even by moonlight. "What?"

Brian appeared from behind his friend. "You're trying to say Jonesy is up at the school?"

Bobby only nodded, his breath still ragged. Brian's face was pale too, but he still seemed more collected than his friend. Jim seemed to be frozen in place.

"We should go up there," Brian said, slowly. His eyes were fixed on Jim, waiting for a reaction. The young man's voice as he answered made his blood freeze.

"Yes… We should." Jim was pale as paper, his red hair standing out in the moonlight as a beacon. But Brian knew him well enough to realize the strange calmness in his voice was a sign of deep distress. Jim hated to show fear or sadness, so he hid it behind the same calm and hardened expression he was now showing.

"I'm coming too." Bobby said, running his fingers nervously through his blond curls.

"The only place you're going is home. We snuck out of the house, but I noticed Trixie was watching us. So you better make up something to keep her away."

"Keep me away from what?" Trixie came out of the shadows, followed closely by Mart.

"Oh, for Pete's sake! I should have known better…" Brian mumbled.

"Jim?" Trixie whispered softly, seeing the strange look on his face. "What's wrong?"

As no answer came, even when she held his hand, she turned to her older brother. "Bri?"

"Jonesy's up in the school. Bobby saw him."

Bobby nodded when his sister gave him an inquisitive look. Mart took a deep breath and his eyes locked with Trixie's. They didn't have to say a word to know what the other was thinking.

Then Jim started to move away from the cover of the woods, his even step taking him towards the construction site. The others, caught off guard, couldn't do anything but follow him, exchanging glances in silence.

To Jim, the few yards that separated him from the building seemed endless. His feet were as heavy as lead, and his heart was pumping like mad. But finally he got there. Carefully, silently, he peered through the same window where Bobby had been a short while before. But there was no one inside. At least, no one he could see.

"There's no one here…" he said, the strain in his voice still audible to all.

"But I saw him!" Bobby exclaimed.

"Take it easy, kid." Mart intervened. "We better check inside, anyway. Maybe we'll find something…A clue or…" He interrupted himself. He was thinking like Trixie, now! Looking back, he saw his sister grinning at him, despite the pressure of the moment.

Again silent, the group moved towards the door. Before they entered, Trixie reached out for Jim's hand and held it firmly in her own. He stared at her, his eyes greener than ever, and for a moment Trixie saw the same expression that he had in his eyes nearly ten years before: Fear, pain… and hate.

The ground floor of the building was empty and the first floor still had no walls, so there was no place for anyone to hide. But it didn't take long for Trixie to find footprints on the dusty wooden floor and cigarette butts scattered all over the place.

"It seems that…" Mart gulped and decided against speaking the name. "That the person was here for quite some time."

Jim shook his head. "No…He smoked compulsively. Most times he wouldn't even finish the cigarette before lighting another one. Specially when he was nervous or mad…" The red haired young man crouched and picked up one of the butts. As he had said it was only half smoked. "Same brand…" he whispered.

"Jim…" Bobby's voice trembled as he called out for his friend. Jim rushed to where the boy was standing. Mart pointed his flashlight at the wall and the words freshly painted on it became visible to all: I'm back. J.

"Jim…" Trixie walked slowly to her boyfriend. He was sitting on the porch railing, his eyes staring deep into the dark. Inside the house at Crabapple Farm, everyone was helping with the cleaning up. But, of course, Trixie, Mart, Brian, Bobby and Jim's minds weren't really into it. Finally, Jim had given up pretending and had walked outside, with the excuse of taking out the trash. But he was taking a long time, so Trixie went out to look for him. She found him there on the porch.

Sitting beside him, Trixie held on to his hand and waited. She knew better than forcing him to speak.

After a few moments, he sighed and put an arm around her shoulders. She snuggled against him, closing her eyes. The feeling of his touch still thrilled her through and through.

"I'm scared," he said.

She looked up at him, into those beautiful green eyes. "I know. I am too."

"I hated the way it made me feel, Trix." Jim pulled her even closer to him, closing his arms around her. "When Bobby said he had seen him…I knew in my heart I would be able to kill him with my bare hands if he touched any of you. I never felt so much rage and so much fear at the same time…And I hated it!"

"Oh, honey." Trixie held on to him, wanting to erase those feelings from his heart, but feeling them herself.

"He's out there, he's on the loose…And he wants revenge. He made it clear." Jim's voice sounded almost desperate.

Trixie reached out to hold his face in her hands and stared into his eyes. "We're on guard now, Jim. He won't dare try to hurt anyone."

"I think he will…I mean, I hope he won't. But we've seen what he's capable of." Jim jumped off the railing and paced throughout the yard. Then he turned to Trixie, his fists clenched. "But that's not what worrying me right now. Trix, I want to get even too! I want him to suffer for all he has put me through…And Julianna. And all of us! And I don't like the way it feels. It's as if…I'm just as bad as he is!"

Trixie's heart seemed to miss a beat and she jumped off the railing, rushing to him. She held his hands close to her heart, her eyes searching desperately for his. "Baby, no! Jimmy, you'll never be like him! You're the best person in the world…You're just scared and confused. I know I am! He will suffer…If he does anything we'll put him behind bars again! Everything will turn out fine. He won't do anything. He's just a coward!"

Jim's eyes brimmed with tears and he pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes as he felt the softness of her hair. "I love you so much, Trix. I'm just afraid I won't be as strong, as perfect as you'd like me to be."

She held on to him, her arms encircling his waist and her cheek pressed against his heart. "I don't think I'd love you if you were perfect. I know you couldn't love me if you were, faulty as I am…" Then she looked up at him, tears already running down her face. "I never expected you to be more than human."

Jim felt a chill down his spine as he saw the look in her eyes. He couldn't say a word. So he just bent down and kissed her. Passionately.

What a beautiful scene!

He thought. Hiding in the bushes he heard the whole conversation, his blood boiling. So, I'm a coward, hum? We shall see about that.

If Jim and Trixie could have seen the grin on Jonesy's face, they wouldn't have slept without nightmares that night.

12 PM

Joeanne's Apartment

Joeanne lay awake for a long time that night. For many reasons today had been the very best time she'd had in a long, long time, going back to those two blessed years at the Smith's, before her mother had grown terribly ill.

Now she knew there were people who cared about her for who she was. Well, maybe they also pitied her, but somehow she was able to deal with that. At least they weren't too obvious or patronizing. Mrs. Belden was such a dear! And Dave and Kenny had also loved the day and made new friends. She would never have admitted it to Dan, but she had been concerned about the company they kept. Until now, she really had no reason to be worried, but still… She had never imagined the trouble Sally would get into either.

The young woman sighed, brushing her long hair back from her face. Dan…He was another little something on her mind. She kept saying to herself that he was merely interested in what Sally could say to help with Annie's case, but even so she couldn't overlook the tenderness in his voice and the way he spoke to her. Honestly. The way a true friend would.

Joeanne always tried not to listen to her heart, but now was one of those times it was trying to speak up. And her memory was also playing tricks on her, by going back to her high school days.

At the age of thirteen, Joeanne had gone to Sleepyside High. Most of her friends from Elementary School were there and she didn't exactly feel lonely, but she never really got very close to them. That was just the way she was.

But she remembered watching the BWG's from afar and wishing she could join them. Jim, Trixie, Honey and even Di had invited her to their table at lunch several times, but she had always declined. As the years passed, she had grown to believe she had been afraid that if she did join them, her presence would spoil the perfect picture.

But there was something else she feared too. A certain tall, dark stranger, who somehow also seemed out of place amongst them and made her tremble just by the sight of him. Dan.

But she would never have admitted to having a kind of crush on him all through the few years they had spent together in school. No way! And when she'd met him at the conference in New York, she had believed her adolescent fantasies had come back to haunt her.

So, this all seemed like a dream. Or a nightmare, she wasn't quite sure. What she knew for sure was that it was disturbing her life and the strict way she had kept it organized. Joeanne didn't know how to deal with the way he made her feel. She had decided long ago that there was no space in her life for that. And now…

Joeanne turned to her side and breathed in deeply, decisively. She was going to convince herself he was merely interested in Annie's situation. And that was that.

A/N: So someone posted in a review that she dislikes that authors ask for reviews, so I guess I have to repeat myself. I have already written this story and I am just here to share my story, but it doesn't matter to me whether you review or not, but if you would like to see a new chapter, than I would appreciate review very much. Hmmm…that sounded a bit threatening? Haha oh well sorry about that, but I am serious about what I have said. I have already written this story, so seeing more than one review lets me know that you all want to see more. Oh I just want to say to Fidelis Et Espoire A Noel Dy that I really appreciated that she went back and reviewed all my chapters in my first story. Mylee your still my best reviewer ever! Love you! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story, my first story, and the spin-off story I have been posting. I'm glad you all like it. And to aribela 187, you are in for some surprizes. *dun dun dun* Back to what I was saying, I like that you are using the forshadowing element I put in the story. And thanks everyone!

Claudia