Note: I cannot thank all of you enough for the reviews; they mean so much! Thank you to TinDog, hbndgirl, SnowPrincess88, East Blue, Evergreendreamweaver, ulstergirl, max 2013, Red Hardy, hlahabibty, Paulina Ann, caranath, BeeBee18, and Hero 76 for taking the time to comment since the last chapter. This chapter changed the entire course of the story. Please read the note at the end. Many thanks!

The Secret Spaces

Chapter 17

"Babe, are you sure?" Joe asked Vanessa almost two days later. He sat next to her on the hospital bed as she was preparing to be discharged.

"Of course I'm sure," she emphasized, holding Joe's hand. "I wouldn't leave now anyway. Not with...everything." Her voice trailed off.

Joe slipped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her head. Vanessa was recovered enough to go home, but the police department and FBI, working in conjunction with the hospital staff, had requested that Vanessa be sequestered at the hospital for a few more days until the suspects were caught. Given the serious nature of the crimes, as well as the targeted attacks on the Hardy family and the law enforcement resources being stretched in several directions, head officers felt that Vanessa would be safer here. As much as Joe wanted her to be comfortable at their home, he couldn't help but agree.

"Any news about Callie?" she asked hopefully.

"Not yet, babe," Joe answered, pulling her into a hug. Callie hadn't regained consciousness, but was finally stable. Doctors remained very concerned, but were hopeful given that she hadn't regressed further.

"How's Frank holding up? He must be terrified," she whispered into his shoulder.

"He is," Joe admitted as he rubbed her back. "But he's strong. He made a promise to me- to himself- that he would keep things together. If Callie holds on- and she HAS to," he continued in a shaky voice, "then I know he'll be okay." Slowly, he pulled back from Vanessa, though he still kept an arm around her. "I've been thinking, Van. We still don't know where dad is; we still have no answers. I think Frank and I need to restart the investigation now. If the FBI and local officers can't find anything, then we HAVE to. I cannot let my dad suffer. I can't let what you've been through- what Callie and Johnny and Chief Collig have been through- go unpunished. Frank needs this more than ever, too. It'll keep him from getting sick every time he starts thinking about Callie and the baby if he has something to concentrate on."

"And Johnny?" she asked. "Oh, Joe. He was so brave. He tried so hard to protect us." She wiped the tears from her eyes.

"The doctor told Frank he just regained consciousness a few hours ago. I want to talk to him- see what happened."

"Thank God," Vanessa whispered.

"He's still in really bad shape, Van," Joe cautiously told her. "I don't want to push it too far, but I want to see him."

"I think I'll go spend time with your mom now," she said at last. "My mom and Callie's parents have been here nonstop. Maybe I can fill them in and try to distract them a little."

"That'd be nice. Only if you're up for it, though," he emphasized.

At that moment, Frank walked in the room. He was thinner, pale, and had dark circles under his eyes, but he looked remarkably calm. Vanessa hadn't seen him since he'd rescued her. She tried to smile at him through her tears as she stood and walked to him. Frank enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Hey, Van," he said in a low voice as he looked over her shoulder and gave Joe a quick wave. "How's my favorite sister in law?"

Vanessa stayed in Frank's embrace as she moved her head from his shoulder to meet his eyes. "You saved my life," she managed. "I don't know how to thank you."

Frank winked at her. "My thanks is that you're okay. Joe would be a real pain in the ass to deal with if I let you die."

Vanessa, surprised at Frank's response, laughed. "How are you holding up?" she asked, serious again. She touched his cheek gently. Over the years, she and Frank had gotten along just fine, but they had never been very close. Instead, she had formed a very tight bond with Callie, and she knew that Joe and Callie were extremely close as well. But that night, when Frank had risked everything to save her, putting aside his own health for her, his own heartache and fear for Callie to get her to safety, she saw a side to him she had never witnessed before: utter selflessness, kindness, and bravery up close. She had a feeling that it would be the start of a new relationship for them. Callie had always told her how funny Frank was, how there was a deeply affectionate and tender side to him that he hid behind his quiet facade. She wondered how many other sides of Frank there were, and she was looking forward to finding out.

"I'm… I'm okay," he replied at last.

"Well, that's better than you probably could have hoped for a few days ago, huh?" she asked, wiping at her eyes again.

Frank gave a genuine smile at her answer. "You're absolutely right," he answered and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Break it up, you two," Joe called as he walked over to both of them. "Nice try, Frank, but she already landed the handsome brother."

"If by "handsome" you mean "loud and obnoxious" brother, then yes- I agree," he answered.

Joe smiled and gave Frank a quick squeeze on his arm. Although Frank was going through absolute hell right now, it was good to see him able to function, to still retain even a glimmer of his sense of humor.

"Are you ready?" he asked Joe, who nodded. They had a full schedule ahead. The plan was to talk to Johnny, and then meet with Chief Collig, who had been released from the city hospital and who had insisted on traveling to the Bayport Hospital to meet with his officers and Frank and Joe. Then, they had a meeting with the head of the FBI unit assigned to the case, who would be keeping them abreast of developments from the pursuit and the show's staff, and who would be receiving information on the man who had been brought in, dead, with Johnny and Callie. They needed to break this case open-get any information to save their father.

With final hugs for Vanessa, they headed for Johnny.

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Before they reached the room, Frank turned to Joe. "Tell me again exactly what Vanessa told you about the abduction. I need to make sure we have this straight before we talk to Johnny.

Joe nodded. "On the day they were taken, from her perspective, it basically looked exactly like the finale of Criminal Hunters. She was grabbed and thrown into a van. She didn't know how Johnny or Callie were taken, because she was unconscious. Assuming they were taken like she was, simultaneously, that meant three people were there."

Frank's expression was serious. "Plus a driver, unless one of them was the driver."

"Any luck on surveillance?" Joe asked. "Or is that something we're talking to the agents about later?"

"The agents, I think. I haven't heard anything," Frank replied. "When Van was with Cotnig, she said that he kept calling Johnny by his show name; he even called her and Cal by the names of the people on the show as well. Van was the best friend's name and Callie was the wife of the detective. Cotnig held a gun on them. They weren't given food or drink for a few days and were kept in a room in the cold. Ultimately, Johnny was told to decide who could go and who couldn't. Am I leaving anything out?" he queried.

"Cotnig didn't actually hurt them," Joe said quietly. "Van said a goon- big guy- bigger than Biff- went after them. She said that Johnny tried to protect them. But he couldn't. She said the big guy stabbed Johnny… hit her and threw her down."

"And kicked Callie repeatedly," Frank added, and Joe noticed how one of his hands had unconsciously balled into a fist. "That's probably how she got the bruised kidney." He turned to Joe, who saw how Frank was trying to remain calm. "Do you know how hard you have to kick someone to hurt him or her that bad?" The tremor in his voice conveyed his anger and fear.

Joe sighed. He felt the same rage Frank did, but Vanessa would be okay now, and Callie might not be. That was the only reason that he had any semblance of control right now. "I know," he answered, calmly. "Of course I know." Then, an idea struck him. "You know, Van said that when he hurt them, especially when Johnny was stabbed, that it looked as though the guy knew how to inflict enough damage to cause pain but not enough to kill them. I think that's worth noting."

Frank contemplated his words as they reached the ICU. Before the officer could usher them in, a doctor started to walk past from the direction of Johnny's room, giving the brothers a grim smile. Frank froze as a chill ran through him, watched the doctor go by, and suddenly stopped Joe.

"Joe, I need to see him first," he said quietly. Seeing Joe's confused expression, he looked down for a moment before meeting Joe's eyes again. "He's Callie's best friend. He was staying at my house. I know you're friendly with him and like him, but he's like a part of my family- the one I have with Callie. He's really a good friend to me, too. Let me go. I promise I'll tell you everything. I just don't want to overwhelm him."

Joe was about to protest, but he saw the determination... the utter gravity... in Frank's eyes. "Go," he said at last. "I'll be waiting here." Frank nodded and entered the room. In the past two days, Johnny had been in and out of consciousness, and though he and Frank had been to see him several times, they hadn't been able to speak much at all. He hoped that Frank would have better luck now.

Joe started checking his watch after 15 minutes had passed. Soon after, he heard a commotion coming from the room- several doctors started rushing in, but Frank did not come out. Then, after 30 minutes, he checked again. By the time 45 minutes had passed, he was ready to burst into the room as several doctors left, shaking their heads, charts in their hands, beepers and cell phones out. Frank came out after an hour. He was the last one to leave.

Joe started to bombard Frank with questions, but stopped when he saw the look on his brother's face. Instinctively, he grabbed his arm. "What's wrong?" Frank's eyes were haunted; he was fighting tears.

"Come with me," he said in a clipped voice. After a few minutes, they arrived in the back corner of the waiting room outside the ICU, where Frank sat down. He was shaking.

"Frank?" Joe asked, nervous now as he watched Frank rest his head in his hands and try to catch his breath. "Frank?! Tell me - what happened? What did he say?"

When Frank looked back up, tears were streaming from his eyes. He spoke in a voice broken by small gasps of air, his voice strained more and more with each statement he made. Joe listened, horrified by the look on Frank's face. "He said he tried to protect Callie, that she was kicked in her knee and was bleeding and weak and she could barely walk. He told me what was done to him; what Cotnig told him. He told me what he and Callie talked about in the woods-that he was so scared she would freeze even though she had his coat." He stopped, closed his eyes.

"Frank?" Joe prodded. "Keep going." Joe felt his stomach turn. Frank was really shaken- something was horribly wrong.

When Frank looked up again, his eyes stared at the wall in front of him, avoiding Joe. He seemed to be speaking from somewhere not inside him. The tears continued to fall.

"Then he told me that he was going to go back. He said he made a terrible mistake taking Callie out. Cotnig had let them go."

Joe was trying to follow Frank's disjointed timeline as he listened.

"And then the big guy came back with a gun and promised that if he let her go, she wouldn't get hurt. He said he wouldn't shoot. But he did. He tried to kill Callie."

Joe sucked in his breath. "It's okay," he started, "Now-"

Frank talked so slowly, otherworldly, right over him, ignoring Joe's interruption. "But Johnny saw what was happening, and he jumped in front of her. He was shot protecting Callie. Then he somehow managed to get the gun. Said the guy was startled he hadn't killed Callie. And Johnny killed him."

Joe was silent, watching his brother. He looked absolutely stricken; shocked.

"Okay," was all he could think to say. As he began to collect his thoughts, Frank continued to talk to the wall.

"He kept apologizing. Can you believe that? He kept saying he was sorry he couldn't protect her more. He said he held her when the shot went off and he was hit, because no matter how much pain she was in, how much she was bleeding, herself, she was terrified for him. He kept saying he was sorry he couldn't keep her safe. " Frank's repetition was unlike him, and his voice had a faraway quality that made Joe very nervous. "He was so relieved when I told him she was alive." By now, Frank's chin was quivering and he was gripping tightly the arms of the chair. "He said he was waiting for me. He had to know Callie was okay. He said to tell her that he loved her. And then…"

"And then what?" Joe asked, fearful for his brother's reaction to Johnny's news.

Finally, Frank faced him with a look so haunted that Joe couldn't speak.

"And then he died."

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Note: Welcome to my first and only author's note, placed here so I wouldn't ruin what happened before you read it. Let me assure you that I agonized over this chapter. Literally. The story was planned in a whole other way. And I love Johnny; I do. I almost cried when the chapter kept screaming at me to do this. I fought the muses. I re-wrote this chapter at least 10 times. I refused to let my Johnny die. It just wasn't supposed to happen. I had to stop the story here when I wrote it and take pause; did I even want to go on? And I almost trashed the whole story here- because it was too sad for me. But then a great thing happened. I became inspired. Johnny sacrificed himself so that this story would make sense in the way that it needed to, and, were it not for this moment, the next story, which I am so passionate about, would never have come into being. I decided to challenge myself to make some really tough choices, to go for literary merit instead of taking the expected route, and I shall do this going forward in my stories. For that, I thank Johnny.

This is the last time I shall insert my own voice. I prefer to think of myself as a vehicle through which these characters' stories are crafted as they wish them to be. As such, I am not important and cease to exist. This is their story to tell as they wish to do so. Thank you.