A/N: I really do apologize for the break in updates (again) but to prove to you all that I really am trying to turn over a new leaf this chapter is going to be much longer than most. (Okay, I feel as if I have to come clean and say that making it up to you guys isn't the only reason why this chapter is long…it kind of ended up that way…I couldn't make it stop!)

Anyway, thanks for your patience everyone. Onward!

Quintessential Bliss

Chapter 21

"Frank! Frank!" Charlie quickly knelt down beside Frank, not knowing what to do for him but scared that if he didn't get help quickly Frank would be in serious trouble.

"I…" Frank tried to speak but could only continue getting sick.

"Frank!" Charlie swore loudly when Frank fell all the way to the ground and started shaking and convulsing violently. "Help!" Charlie shouted and looked all around him in the woods. He knew Frank needed help but he felt like he couldn't leave him. After a few minutes of Charlie's frantic yelling Frank finally grew still.

"Charlie," Frank said with his eyes closed. "Keep going the same way. You should find the cabin."

"Okay," Charlie nodded, "I think I can carry you."

Frank was shaking his head before Charlie finished his sentence, "I'll just slow you down. I'm okay now. Just get help."

"Okay," Charlie stood up and wiped his hands on his pants, but not moving. "Okay," he repeated. "I'll bring back help."

But there was no response from Frank.

"Joe!"

Recognizing the voice calling his name Joe quickly turned around to find Vanessa running at him. She and Callie had just pulled into the little clearing that had quickly filled up with Network agents over the past couple of hours. Dawn was breaking through the trees and the thin hazy light cast an odd look on the surrounding forest.

"Vanessa," Joe's voice was filled with equal parts irritation, relief and worry. Glancing over his shoulder at the door of the building where he knew Network personnel would soon be carrying out their gruesome burdens; Joe turned back and grabbed Vanessa's shoulders when she reached him, carefully maneuvering her so that she couldn't see the door.

"Hey babe!" She smiled widely at him.

"Don't you hey 'babe me'," Joe said after giving her a quick kiss. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" Vanessa asked innocently. "The mystery is over isn't it?"

"Well," Joe's voice trailed off. Was it? Was the case solved? It didn't really feel finished, what with Beatrice still unaccounted for and Frank and Charlie still out wandering in the woods somewhere. "Not really Van," he finally replied. "I mean, we've got this to clean up and Frank and Charlie to find…"

"Exactly!" Vanessa grabbed his hand and pulled him toward Nancy and Callie who were standing talking next to the car. "That's why Callie and I are here, right Callie?"

"Right," Callie nodded. "Now that the big threat is…well," she gulped and looked over at the building behind them, "over…Vanessa and I thought we could finally help search for Charlie and Frank."

"How did you guys even find out about all this?" Nancy asked.

"Um," Callie looked sideways at Vanessa. "We can't tell you."

"What?" Joe's eyebrows drew together. "What do you mean?" he questioned Callie and then turned to look at Vanessa. "Van, what did you guys do?"

"Nothing," Vanessa shrugged.

"Then how did you find out?" Joe asked.

Vanessa simply shrugged, Callie looked away blushing.

"Joe!" Fenton motioned for his son to come join him and with one final confused look at Vanessa and Callie he turned and jogged over to his father.

"Okay," Nancy crossed her arms, "Now what did you guys do?"

"Nothing!" Vanessa laughed, "At least nothing that bad. We didn't hurt anybody or anything." When Nancy just continued looking at her she laughed, "Callie flirted the information out of the Network agent who was guarding the safe house."

Nancy laughed, "Callie did?"

"Hey, don't sound so surprised! It's insulting," Callie mock pouted. "He was young," she shrugged, "if he had been older and wiser it probably wouldn't have worked."

Vanessa laughed, "You should have seen her Nancy she was brilliant. The kid didn't even know what hit him."

"I'm so proud," Nancy's laughter died when Callie's mouth suddenly dropped open in shock. "Callie? What is it?" Nancy asked and turned quickly to see what Callie was looking at. A man Nancy quickly recognized as Charlie had come staggering out of the woods. Before she could say or do anything else Callie ran past her and threw her arms around her fiancé.

"Charlie!" she cried and rained kisses all over his face, tears silently streaming down her cheeks. "Are you alright? Oh my God, I never thought I would see you again." Charlie hugged her back just as fiercely and kissed her intently on the lips before pulling back and looking over Callie's head at the small crowd that had gathered around them including Nancy, Joe and Fenton.

With Joe's hand on her shoulder for support Nancy asked the one question on everybody's mind, "Where's Frank?"

Frank was sure that Charlie had been gone for hours. Was it nighttime already? When he blinked in confusion he saw that rays of sunlight still slanted in that early morning way so he knew that Charlie hadn't been gone for hours. Had he been gone for minutes, an hour? Frank could barely keep his eyes open, let alone keep his thoughts straight.

His insides went from feeling like they were on fire to ice cold in a heartbeat. The fire overtook his body and he groaned, clawing at his shirt that suddenly felt too heavy and too hot to wear. In the next instant he was lying on his side, curled up in a ball and shivering with cold. He turned his body into the ground for more warmth but nothing would work. Every movement caused him to reel with dizziness.

Frank's thoughts were a jumbled mass of confusion, one thought breaking off and another picking up in the middle so his thoughts never made sense to his tired brain. Images of the past year flashed in and out of his mind, the warehouse with Joe…proposing to Nancy…fires, guns, death. Always death.

Soon he was crying and couldn't figure out why. His tears felt like knives on his skin and when he tried to wipe them away he cried out from the pain of his movements. 'What did they do to me?' he thought sluggishly to himself as once again his body turned ice cold.

He forced himself to focus on something positive when he felt his mind start to wander back down its dark depressing path. He thought of basketball games with his brother…backyard barbecues in his and Nancy's new house. He thought of the miracle that he could call Nancy his, something he had never thought he would be able to do. He thought about marrying her…and having children.

Even with these happy thoughts the darkness still crept around him until he couldn't stop it anymore and let it take him.

"He's back there," Charlie pointed. "I'll show you. He needs help."

Joe looked at his father, "Go," Fenton said. "We'll send in help when it arrives." Nodding, Joe took off after Charlie and Nancy who were sprinting into the trees.

Joe knew that Charlie was exhausted, it was written all over the man's features but he couldn't help but feel frustrated that they weren't moving fast enough. Even though they were all running full out, it still wasn't fast enough for Joe.

"How far?" Joe panted.

"I'm not sure. It took me awhile to reach you guys." Charlie replied and kept running, his mind completely focused on making sure they got back to Frank and not end up lost in the woods.

A few minutes later Charlie stopped abruptly, panting. "I think…" his voice trailed off as he looked frantically around him. "I think we're close."

"How close?" Joe couldn't keep the frustration out of his voice.

"I…I don't know," Charlie wiped his hands over his face. "It all looks the same in here."

"Frank!" Nancy yelled suddenly and turned around, yelling again. "Frank!"

They were silent for a minute waiting for a response. When they heard none Joe moved off a little and yelled, "FRANK!"

Growing quiet again and listening intently for any sign of life Charlie had just opened his mouth to speak when Nancy held up her hand, "Joe, did you hear that?"

"Yes," Joe replied. "Which direction did it come from? Frank!"

This time all three of them heard the sound and they quickly turned and ran toward it.

"Oh my God, Frank," Nancy fell to her knees beside him and started to run her hand down his face. When he cried out in pain she quickly yanked her hand back, "What's wrong with him?" she whispered.

"I don't know," Charlie said and crouched down beside Nancy. "He had a cut on his wrist when they brought him to the cabin."

Nancy glanced up at Joe and saw his horrified expression while looking at his brother. Turning back to Frank, Nancy carefully lifted his arm to inspect his wrist and Frank moaned again. She gasped when she saw the flaming red sore.

"I swear it didn't look like that last night," Charlie said.

"What do you think it's from?" Nancy looked at Joe and asked. When Joe didn't reply Nancy spoke louder, "Joe!"

"Yes?" Joe's voice cracked with emotion as he continued staring at his brother.

"Do you see this?" Nancy pointed at Frank's wrist.

Joe's eyes moved slowly from his brother's face to his wrist and he nodded, "What is it?"

"I don't know," Nancy turned back to Frank and wanted so badly to run her fingers through his hair. "Frank," she leaned closer to him. "Frank, its Nancy. Joe is here too, Charlie showed us where to find you. Help is on the way."

"Nancy?" Frank whispered and started to get up.

"No Frank, sit still," in reaction she reached out and gently pushed him back down. At her contact Frank let out a cry of pain so tortured Nancy instantly cringed back and tears sprang to her eyes. "Oh God, Frank I'm so sorry!"

Finally Joe snapped out of it and knelt down beside his brother, "Frank, hey Frank can you hear me?"

"Hey Joe," Frank swallowed and winced. "Man, I'm so cold."

"Here," Joe pulled his jacket off and gently laid it over his now shivering brother, who winced at the contact. "Better?"

"I can't get w-w-warm," Frank shivered. "They…did something. I don't know w-w-what."

"With your wrist?" Joe asked.

"Y-y-yes," Frank swallowed and looked at Nancy. "Hey Nan."

"Hey Frank," Nancy smiled at him.

"Don't worry about me, okay?" Frank said when he saw her eyes well up. "Now that you guys have found me I'm going to be just fine." He started coughing violently again and Nancy had to fight to hold back her tears. When he finished coughing Frank looked at his brother, "Joe, I want to talk to you for a minute…alone."

Joe and Nancy exchanged frightened glances before Nancy turned back to Frank, "Okay, I'll just go over there with Charlie."

"I love you Nancy," Frank replied with a smile.

"I love you too Frank," Nancy said and then hurriedly got to her feet. She could no longer hold in the tears.

"What's up Frank?" Joe asked trying not to sound as scared as he felt.

"Is Nancy gone?" Frank asked.

"Yes," Joe replied.

"Good," Frank gulped. "Make her leave Joe. Make her leave."

"Frank…you know that's going to be impossible," Joe shook his head. What was Frank talking about?

Suddenly Frank opened his eyes and looked straight into Joe's and spoke quickly and clearly, "You have to make her leave Joe. It's going to get bad here, really fast, I can feel it. She can't be around for this."

"Frank…" Joe's voice trailed off when Frank interrupted him by grabbing his hand and wincing.

"Promise me Joe," Frank began coughing, "get Nancy to leave!" He pushed at Joe's jacket laying on top of him, "I'm too hot for this. Take it off."

"Alright," Joe nodded and removed the jacket, concern for his brother written clearly on his features. "Alright, I'll get her to leave."

"Good," Frank relaxed back on the ground and was silent for a minute. "I can't let Nancy see me like this, but I'm going to be a little selfish here..don't leave me. Please."

"You know I won't Frank," Joe replied.

Those would be the last lucid moments Joe would have with his brother for a long time.