A/N: Big thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing the last chapter…I'm so glad I didn't lose everyone during the Great Writing Drought of 09 (as I have taken to affectionately calling it). Before the GWDo09 I remember a couple of people asking about Joe and the letters he was getting before he left New York…don't worry, I haven't forgotten about them…but Joe certainly wants to. They're not just going to stop…dun dun DUN!

Anyway, thank you thank you thank you all again for the fabulous reviews. Sorry this chapter isn't very long… Enjoy!

Quintessential Bliss

Chapter 20

Frank groaned and rolled over on the cold ground, opening his eyes slowly and painfully to the bright morning light. The first thing that Frank noticed was that he was suddenly feeling much better. Of course, he was sore from sleeping on the hard ground but other than that…he felt fine.

Compared to how he had been feeling the night before Frank considered this a huge improvement. Ever since waking up in the cabin with Charlie he had been dizzy, groggy and feeling sick. Just last night his stomach had started to ache terribly. Thinking of Charlie, Frank slowly sat up and stretched, looking around him for signs of his new friend.

He saw Charlie sitting with his back against a nearby tree, his eyes closed. "Charlie," Frank said and Charlie quickly looked at him.

"I wasn't sleeping," Charlie said in a rush. "I was just closing my eyes for a minute."

"Why didn't you wake me up for my turn?" Frank asked.

"You needed to rest man. Last night you looked like hell," Charlie eyed him curiously, "Although I don't think you could say the same thing this morning. Are you feeling better?"

"Actually, yeah," Frank scrubbed his hands over his face and shrugged. "I actually feel pretty good."

Charlie sighed in relief, "That's great man. You were really starting to freak me out there for a minute."

"Me too," Frank replied and looked down at his wrist, "I guess this is just a plain old cut."

"I guess so," Charlie agreed. "And here I was making up all sorts of stories of what that could be."

"That makes two of us," Frank replied. He looked around, "The night was quiet?"

"Yeah," Charlie nodded, "Not a sound."

"Good, maybe we should try and find a way out of here," Frank stood up and brushed off his jeans.

"My thoughts exactly," Charlie stood to join Frank. "Any dizziness?"

Frank assessed how he was feeling and shook his head, "No." He sounded surprised, "Although I am a little hungry." When Charlie opened his mouth to suggest a can of beans Frank held up one hand to stop him, "No beans, I'm not that hungry."

"Crackers then," Charlie said and pulled the crackers out of his bag. He handed some to Frank and they began to walk into the woods. "You were a Boy Scout right?" Charlie asked suddenly.

"Yeah, why?" Frank asked with some trepidation. In his experience this answer usually led to lots of teasing, usually done by his brother Joe.

"Just wondering if I should worry about trying to read tree bark or something or if you're going to be able to find us a way out of here," Charlie said with smile that reminded Frank a lot of Joe.

"Well, even tree bark can't tell us where the nearest road is, but I'm relatively sure I can get us back to the cabin," Frank replied and continued walking.

Charlie stopped abruptly, "What?" He held up both hands, "You want to go back to the cabin?"

"You said last night was quiet, I don't think anyone is even looking for us. If we're careful we can head back to the cabin and find a road out of here from there. Unless we get lucky and stumble across a helpful logger before then," Frank shrugged.

Charlie shook his head in disbelief but began walking again, "Aren't Boy Scouts supposed to blaze their own trails? Make something out of nothing? Fight through the worst obstacles with only rubber bands and a few paperclips?"

"No, that would be the Marines," Frank replied dryly.

"Right," Charlie laughed hollowly. "If I had been stranded with a Marine we would have made a humvee out of a few branches and strips of our own shirts and been halfway to Los Angeles by now."

"That's right," Frank nodded. "Instead, you have a Boy Scout."

"Awesome," Charlie laughed.

"You have to meet my brother, Joe," Frank shook his head and pushed a branch out of the way. "You guys would get along great."

Even though he already knew the answer Charlie couldn't resist making his next comment, "Is your brother a Marine?"

Frank laughed loudly, "I'm sure he wishes." Looking ahead Frank glanced at Charlie, "We did a lot of zigzagging last night but I'm pretty sure that if we head directly south we should run into the cabin in about twenty minutes."

"You're pretty sure?" Charlie couldn't stop himself now that Frank seemed to be feeling better, "You know, if a Marine was here…he'd be sure."

Frank just laughed, shook his head and kept walking. "You and Joe…" but he was unable to finish his sentence because he suddenly doubled over, fell to his knees and began throwing up violently.

Three hours earlier Joe and Nancy finally reached the building Sam and Fenton had found. Entering cautiously they quickly found Fenton and Sam in what looked like a massive control center. Computers lined the walls, maps and blueprints were hung and stacked all over the room. A massive planning desk dominated the central space and a large map of the United States lay on top of it with different colored tacks placed on it.

Bodies lay all around the room. Some of them sat slumped over in their chairs in front of computers. Others lay sprawled out on the ground, pools of blood gathering around them.

"Dad," Joe breathed as his eyes swept the room, taking in the carnage. His quick count showed eleven bodies.

"They're all dead," Fenton replied with his back to his son. "All of them."

"Oh my God," Nancy breathed and started circling the room. "Oh my God," she repeated and stopped near Sam, who laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"We've already called the Network, they should be here shortly," Sam said quietly.

"Dad?" Joe called from across the room. "Did you see this?" Joe pointed to a man's still form.

Fenton turned and nodded, "Yes."

"Who is it?" Nancy asked.

"It's Fred," Joe replied.

"Where's Beatrice?" Nancy asked.

"I don't see her," Joe said looking around. "I recognize a lot of these people from the barbecue."

"I can't be in here anymore," Nancy said suddenly, "I'll wait outside for the Network." She turned quickly and left the room, needing fresh air fast.

"I think I'll wait with her," Joe said after a minute and also left. Walking outside he found Nancy sitting on the ground, her arms wrapped around her legs, an unreadable expression on her face as she watched the road. "What are you thinking about?"

"Not much," Nancy replied, her voice empty. "I was thinking about my dad…and how I need to remind him to go in for his tux fitting for the wedding. He's so busy that I have to start reminding him now or it will never get done on time."

Joe sat down next to Nancy in the dirt, "Nan, you were there for me earlier, now let me be here for you. What's on your mind?"

"My father's tux," Nancy turned to look at Joe. "Seriously."

Joe was quiet for a moment as he studied her face…and believed her. "Really?"

Nancy turned back to look at the road, "That and the fact that I can sit out here and think about my wedding and chores I have to finish at home while eleven people lay dead a few feet away from me. When did I become so jaded?"

"We're all pretty jaded Nan," Joe replied quietly.

"I guess so," Nancy shrugged. "And I'm worried about Frank," she whispered. "They obviously broke out of that cabin…but where are they now? And with their captors all dead…they're just wandering the forest."

"Beatrice wasn't in there, she could still be alive," Joe pointed out.

"I wonder where she is," Nancy said out loud.

"Probably in a cozy bed somewhere sleeping, with no idea that her husband and the leader of whatever operation they had going on here, is dead." Joe replied.

"Probably," Nancy agreed.

Beatrice handed her train ticket to the smiling man with an equally radiant smile of her own. Lifting her small suitcase she marched onto the train and located her seat, stowing her luggage above her before sitting down.

Her smile stayed plastered on her face as she nodded to other passengers as they passed and she thought of the bloody scene she had left behind her.

Once again, her organization had met its downfall because of a man. A couple of different men actually, she thought to herself. If it wasn't so important to her ultimate goal she wouldn't waste time with husbands, they always screwed things up.

Her people wouldn't be happy that she had been forced to terminate everyone in the project-again-but they would start again, they always did.

It was really too bad, because she had actually begun to like Fred.

Sitting back in her seat, Beatrice pulled out her pocket book of Sudoko. Flipping to the last puzzle in the book, the hardest one, Beatrice settled back in her seat. Letting out an annoyed huff at seeing the state of her fingernails Beatrice pulled her nail file out of her purse and began scraping the dried blood out from under her nails.

The train let out one last final whistle before slowly pulling out of the station. Beatrice glanced out the window, excited for the process that lay ahead.

It was always such fun making a home in a new place.