A/N: Thanks everyone for the positive feedback, I was feeling sort of self conscious about the last chapter and I'm glad to see that people enjoyed it. :)

Okay, so I'm feeling pretty shameful…but I had most of this chapter written a long time ago…I'm so sorry for the delay!

Quintessential Bliss

Chapter Twelve

"Nancy?" Callie called as she ran up the stairs toward Joe's study. She heard a low moan and she dashed quickly for the door and pushed it open. "Nancy!" She cried and rushed forward. "Oh my God, you're bleeding!"

"My head," Nancy pushed herself up off the floor and then sagged back down again. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Here," Callie rushed forward and grabbed the garbage can from under Joe's desk. She placed it in front of Nancy and held her hair back while she was violently sick. "Better?" Callie asked softly when Nancy appeared to be finished.

"Much," Nancy nodded and leaned back against the wall, her face white and clammy with sweat.

"It's probably a good thing you threw up whatever you ingested." Callie set the nasty garbage can away from them but still within reach in case Nancy wasn't really finished. "Here, let me look at that cut."

All Nancy could do was lean her head against the wall and take deep, calming breaths while Callie poked and prodded at her forehead.

"I don't think you need stitches," Callie murmured. "Do you think you need to go to the hospital?"

Nancy took a deep breath, "No, I don't think so."

"Okay, well let's get you into bed," Callie suggested.

"Actually, I think I'll just sit here for a minute more," Nancy cracked her eyes open. "There are still two of you, so I think it would be best if I stay down."

"Good plan," Callie agreed but kept a sharp eye on Nancy.

"Frank went after Joe?" Nancy asked slowly.

"Yes," Callie replied and watched both worry and relief crowd into Nancy's eyes. She laid a reassuring hand on her knee, "They'll be okay Nancy, Frank will take care of his brother and vice versa."

"I know," Nancy sighed.

"They're good at looking after one another," Callie murmured.

"Something I'm grateful for every day," Nancy replied and opened her eyes to look at Callie. Each woman took comfort in the knowledge that the other knew exactly how it felt to be in the other's shoes.

'My knees hurt,' was Joe's first thought as he slowly began to regain consciousness. 'Why do my knees hurt when it's my head that was hit by a paddle?' Slowly he took stock of how his body was feeling. His legs were asleep, which was weird. His knees were sore and throbbing, his shoulders were also sore and…he was freezing.

Oh. There it was. His head was beating like a thousand brass drums. He groaned and slowly opened his eyes. Where the hell was he?

"Welcome back!" Fred stood over him wearing a long flowing robe and a huge grin. Joe looked down and nearly laughed, having found the source of his throbbing knees.

He was kneeling in a bucket of ice water, stripped down to his boxers with his arms secured behind his back. 'You have got to be kidding me,' he thought to himself and shook his head.

"What's funny?" Fred asked and tilted his head to one side.

"I've been on both sides of this before," Joe replied. "So far, you guys get top marks."

Fred smiled down at Joe, "You're smart and sharp…the perfect addition to our brethren. Would you like to join?"

Before Joe could even think of how he should respond a bucket of freezing cold water was dumped over his head. He spluttered as the water dripped off his head, the cold temperature making him shiver.

"Well?" Fred demanded, still smiling widely.

Joe opened his mouth to speak but one of the "brethren" stepped forward and held a bottle of whiskey to his lips, forcing him to drink…and drink a lot. Joe could feel the alcohol burning its way down his throat and into his stomach as he wondered how much he was going to be forced to drink.

"I asked you a question!" Fred yelled loudly as he got down in Joe's face.

"Well," Joe took a deep breath and glared at Fred. "If you'd stop with the hazing techniques you learned from movies for a minute I'd be able to give you an answer."

Fred laughed loudly, "I like you," he continued laughing as he brought the wooden paddle slamming into Joe's side.

Joe grunted and doubled over before his head was forced back and more of the strong whiskey was forced down his throat. He felt light headed and slightly drunk already and more alcohol certainly wasn't helping.

"Okay, no more theatrics. Do you want to join?" Fred asked again.

Joe waited a moment for the next bit of hazing, but it never came. Eyeing Fred warily he opened his mouth to answer, intending on saying yes and seeing where that led him when another bucket of freezing cold water was poured over his head.

"Damnit!" Joe cursed and spit more water out of his mouth. "Yeah, no more theatrics, right," he said sarcastically.

Fred just continued to roar with laughter, "You are a livewire, aren't you? You'll get along just fine in our group. Now, your answer and this time I really mean no more theatrics."

"Yes, I'll join," Joe said through gritted teeth. The alcohol in his system coupled with his freezing body was making it hard for him to stay focused. Plus…he was pissed.

"Excellent," Fred turned to the other robed men who were Joe's neighbors. "Meeting adjourned," he turned quickly and left the room.

Hands grabbed him and pulled him roughly to his feet. "Hey brothers," Joe's words were slurred as he was pulled out of the icy water.

"He went easy on you," one of the men whined. Joe recognized him from the barbecue but knew there was no way he was going to remember his name.

"He's in a hurry to get this one joined up with the other," another man answered from behind Joe.

"Don't talk about it in front of him!" the whiny man said in a loud whisper and jerked his finger at Joe.

"You think he's in any shape to remember this, to even hear us correctly right now?" The man from behind Joe reached around and grabbed his chin, shaking his head roughly. "He's halfway gone."

"Still," the whiny man muttered.

"Whatever," the man behind Joe said, "Get him out of here."

Joe wasn't quite as far gone as they all thought he was and he was grateful for it. Even still, he was grateful he had two men on either side of him, supporting his drunken, shivering weight.

The draft of cool air that hit him had Joe recoiling and trying to pull away from his supporters. "Nope, out you go," one of them said laughing and Joe was pushed forward out onto the damp front lawn.

Groaning Joe struggled to get up on his hands and knees, 'I can't believe I have to do the walk of shame without the fun before it,' he thought groggily to himself, the whiskey swirling sickeningly in his stomach.

Frank looked at the house from his position behind a rather large, stately bush and wondered what the hell he should do to help his brother.

According to his watch Joe had been inside for over an hour and the only signs of life were the bright lights in the living room and kitchen.

His indecision was beginning to annoy him and so Frank started to walk toward the house, hoping a plan and course of action would take shape before he got there. When the front door suddenly opened Frank hurled himself behind one of the cars in the driveway and watched the men throw his brother outside.

Waiting until the door was closed Frank rushed out of his hiding place and to Joe's side who was struggling to sit up. There was blood matted in his hair and an angry red welt on his side, not to mention he was shivering, soaking wet and nearly naked.

"It's okay Joe," Frank reached down and helped his brother stand.

"Frank?" Joe said drunkenly. "Hey Frank!" he smiled. "I'm part of the brethren, didnchaknowthat?"

"Huh?" Frank whispered. "What are you talking about?"

"They hazed me! Can you believe that? Like college!" Joe said and laughed before his face turned serious. "But I'm really cold," He bobbed his head up and down before he stopped, "Ouch, bad idea."

"Here," Frank shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around his brother.

"Hey, thanks Frank! That was nice of you! I do that for the ladies you know…like when we're on dates and stuff. I'm a big fan of the ladies," Joe smiled.

"Okay," Frank helped his brother lean most of his weight on him. "Let's get you home."

"Don't be mad Frank" Joe slurred, "They made me drink all the alcohol."

"I'm not mad," Frank gritted his teeth as they made their slow way down the street.

"You are mad," Joe insisted. "You're doing that muscle clench thing with your jaw." To illustrate Joe brought his fist up and punched Frank's cheek. Thankfully there wasn't a lot of force behind the swing.

"What did they do to you?" Frank asked as Joe stumbled over his own bare feet, nearly taking them both down.

"I…had…a….breakfrew," Joe declared loudly.

"Shh!" Frank looked over his shoulder at the house that was still far too close for comfort.

"I'm one…of…the guys now," Joe stage whispered. "They told me I was going to join the other one!"

"The other one?" Frank asked. "What other one?"

Joe rolled his eyes, "The other one!"

Knowing he wouldn't get much more out of Joe in this state Frank decided not to question his inebriated brother any more and just concentrate on getting him home, getting him warm and getting his head bandaged.

"I'm really, really cold Frank," Joe muttered tiredly.

"I know bro, just a minute longer and we'll get you in your nice comfy bed."

Halfway home Frank looked up and saw Callie running toward him, "Oh my God! What happened?"

"Hazing," Frank replied and paused while Callie draped Joe's other arm around her shoulders, helping to carry his weight. "Where's Nancy?"

"I finally got her into bed," Callie replied. "She got sick, so I think most of whatever she took is out of her system. She wouldn't settle down until I went out and looked for you; she said you had taken too long."

"Alright," Frank replied. He wanted nothing more than to get the two people he cared most about in the world together in one place so he could settle in and watch over them both.

Joe seemed to notice that someone else was helping him walk now for the first time, "Hey Callie!" he said with a grin. "You're so pretty."

Callie smiled, "Thank you Joe."

"I apologize though…because I think Vanessa is the most beautiful woman in all the land!" Joe grinned happily and then groaned, "My head hurts…so does my side."

"Keep it down Romeo," Frank muttered. "Your wife's name is Nancy, remember?"

"Nancy?" Joe asked with a confused look on his face before his face lit up. "Oh yeah! I sleep with Nancy!"

Frank groaned and dragged his brother the last few steps to his house.

"Dad, I need your help," Frank said in way of greeting as he paced back and forth in Joe's office.

"What is it?" Fenton sounded alert even though Frank knew it was really, really late in New York right now.

"Something happened to Joe and Nancy. They're both going to be fine, but I need to be with them all night to be sure. I can't do that because this place is wired with bugs and cameras. What can I do?" Frank ran his hand through his hair, feeling frustrated.

"I have some contacts in that area. Let me make a few calls and I'll call you right back. Then I expect a full explanation on what happened," Fenton trusted that if Frank told him Joe was alright, then Joe was alright.

"Of course, thanks dad," Frank sighed and settled in to wait for his father's call.

It didn't take long, he hadn't expected it to. When the phone rang Frank answered immediately, "Yeah?"

"My contacts were able to secure you eight hours. They'll disrupt the feed, make it impossible for them to be able to fix. In eight hours they'll miraculously find the source of the problem and they'll be back on. Starting in ten minutes, you'll have eight hours."

"Okay," Frank nodded, "Thank you Dad. Thank you."

"Of course son, now tell me everything that happened. It'll help pass those ten minutes."