Thank you everyone who left me wonderful reviews, on my last chapter and thank you to everyone who is reading, favorites, following, you are awesome. thank you to my beta reader for helping me with my story you are awesome.
I should mention there is talk of suicide in this chapter and rough language
A Brother's Revenge Chapter 17
Joe stood at the railing at the edge of the pier deep in thought, not really paying attention to what was happening around him, negative thoughts running rampant through his mind.
What made me think he loved me? I don't blame Dad really... I'm not the good son... I'm weak and useless. Dad has Frank, Frank is the good son, he's smart and strong. Why do I hurt the people I care about so much? I'm so tired of hurting. Joe's thoughts continued to drift as he watched as a family, consisting of a mother and father with their two young boys of about 10 and 11 years old, sail across the water in their boat. They were all smiling and laughing like one big happy family. Joe so wished that could be his family... to be happy again...but it's not... not after I screwed things up... maybe if I wasn't around things would be better.
Joe's teary-eyes looked up at the stars filling in evening sky. He had never felt so hopeless. "God, please help me," He began to pray, "I've tried so hard to be good a son, a friend, a brother, I can't do it anymore, I'm not strong...and brave... I'm sorry..." Joe sniffed back tears and had his hands tightly gripping the metal railing.
He could hear people walking past him along the boardwalk, but he paid no attention to them. Their voices started to sound farther and farther away as he stared down at the water below. Would anyone notice or would they even care?
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Biff was grateful he was in such good shape due to all his football workouts, because it took a lot of work just keeping up with those Hardy brothers. They were fast on their feet, even when they were injured, that's for sure.
This whole thing reminded Biff of the trip that he and Frank took to Bellevue when they were searching for Joe after he had been abducted by Hayden's minions. He remembered what a complete mess Frank had been at the time. How Frank had been going out of his mind with worry over his missing brother and fearing that he might be dead.
He would never forget driving along the road past the motel when Frank yelled at him to stop the van. Then before he could utter a word Frank practically flew out of the van and ran towards a wooded area clustered with trees. When he had finally caught up to Frank, he found him standing over something on the ground, it was a white sheet draped over the dead body of a man. Biff shuddered at the memory because they had both feared that it was Joe.
Biff shook the bad memories out of his head, he had to focus on what's was happening going on now, he had to find Joe.
"Damn it! I lost him." Biff cursed under his breath. He slowed down to a jog weaving in and out of the crowd. It was starting to get dark and almost time for the fireworks to start. His eyes scanned the area looking over the crowd of people searching for any sign of his blond friend. Then his gaze landed on a man in his sixties with gray hair poking out from under the blue cap he had on his head. Biff noticed that the man was wearing the name Jim on the badge clipped on a blue polo shirt with a Bayport pier logo in red print on the front. The man was sweeping up the trash along the boardwalk. He looked like he must be part of the crew that was working for the pier department.
"Excuse me?" Biff called out.
"Yes, can I help you?' The man looked up as Biff came up to him. He smiled up at the teenager.
Biff could have sworn that he saw the man flinch when he smiled, like it hurt. He didn't know why but something about this guy bugged him. But he couldn't worry about that now he had to keep his mind on finding Joe. "Did you see a young guy come past here? He has blond hair, was on crutches and was wearing a red polo shirt. "
The man rubbed his chin and thought for a minute, "hmm... come to think of it, a young fellow did come past here on crutches. He seemed really upset." He pointed in the direction he saw the blond boy had gone. Biff thanked him and took off again searching for his friend.
After a few minutes Biff made it to the start of the boardwalk, when he saw a blond figure on the boardwalk at the end of the pier, his hair glowing from the light of a streetlamp. He knew right away that that figure was Joe.
As he was trying to catch his breath, Biff noticed that Joe's crutches were on the ground at his feet, and he walked closer to his friend saying, "Dude, even on crutches you get around fast. I had a hard time keeping up with you."
Biff's heart dropped when he saw Joe gripping the metal railing tightly with his hands. His knuckles were white from the pressure he was exerting and his blue eyes were transfixed on the water below him. It appeared as if he didn't even realize that Biff was there and talking to him.
"Joe, what are you doing? Are you OK?" Biff asked, concerned.
"Joe, talk to me." Biff said when he didn't get a response.
Still nothing.
"Joe!" He said louder. This time Joe turned his head at hearing his name, Biff's heart sank even further when he saw his friend's tear-stained face and the deep sorrow in his eyes.
"Biff, go away." Joe said in a hollow voice.
"Sorry buddy, no can do." Biff said slowly walking towards his friend, not wanting to startle or pressure him and fearing what Joe was going to do.
"Please Biff, just go." Joe said sadly.
"Why?"
"I'll hurt you or get you killed. Just like Iola, just like Seth Cohen even though I never got the chance to meet him... he was murdered by Henry just because he was trying to help me. And then there's Phil. He was a good person and a good friend," Joe said tears streaming down his face, looking down at the water. "He's dead and it's all my fault."
"Hell, no, Joe." Biff replied, "It's Henry's damn fault, not yours."
"Why do you think he killed them?" Joe demanded, looking at his friend with anger in his voice. "Because of me."
Joe let out a heavy sigh, "I was the one that brought Henry into our lives. I thought he was a good friend who was being abused badly by his bastard of a father Hayden. But then Henry ended up turning on everyone who tried to help him. Look at Chet and his parents...they took him into their home because he needed a place to stay... they are good people and Henry turned on them. They didn't deserve to be treated like shit not after losing Iola. It's my fault they got hurt. They must hate me...I know if Iola was here...she would."
"My own brother even tried to warn me from the very beginning that Henry was bad news. But I didn't listen to him. I tried to see the good in Henry...I wanted to see the good in Henry…but it was all a lie. I defended him to the one person who stood by me no matter what and who means more to me than anyone or anything, and now Frank's fed up with me and I don't blame him either."
"I almost lost him twice." Joe's voice choked up as he spoke, "I'm the reason he's stressed out all the time. It's hard watching him battle his damn depression. When he was in the hospital because of his heart problem... I have never felt so terrified...not even when they hurt my leg. I thought that he was going to die."
Biff reached over to squeeze his shoulder to comfort him while he was venting. He waited patiently for Joe to continue.
Joe let out a heavy sigh, wiping the tears in his eyes. "I can't stop thinking of Henry pointing a gun at my brother's head. I tried to reason with him...I begged him not to kill Frank...but he wouldn't let up... all that time I kept thinking that he was going to shoot at any second. One false move and Henry was going to pull the trigger and my brother would be dead...and there was nothing I could've done to stop it. They fought for the gun and Henry got shot in the arm, but all he ended up with was a damn flesh wound."
"Frank is still here, Joe. He's alive." Biff said as he brought up another point. "And he's worried about you."
"He shouldn't have too." Joe said gripping the metal railing tighter, making his knuckles turn white again. His eyes were once more glued to the water down below. "If I wasn't around things would be better, especially for him."
"So how do you think Frank would feel about that?" Biff asked, not liking the hopelessness that he could hear in Joe's voice and where the direction that the conversation was going. He quickly slipped out of his shoes just in case he had to take a dive. He had promised Frank that he'd bring Joe back safely and that's what he was going to do, besides Joe was his best friend, he wasn't going to let anything happen to him if he could help it.. He casually stepped up besides Joe with his hand perched on the railing, ready to grab for his friend if he had to.
"He's going to Princeton so his life is set and besides he has Callie now...she's going to be his wife; she'll take care of him." Joe said as he continued to stare down at the water.
"What about the new agency? I thought that was your dream?" Biff said trying to get through to his best friend. Silently, praying for the right words to say.
"Dad has Frank and Sam; they don't really need me, especially since all I seem to do is just cause problems and screw up. The business will take off with them, they are all damn good detectives."
"What about your mom?"
"Biff, please I know what you're trying to do. It's not going to change my mind." Joe said as he sighed.
Biff was racking his brain trying to think of a way to stop his friend from doing something foolish and irreversible. Then suddenly an idea came to him, he knew it's exactly what Frank would do, it had to work, it just had to.
"Well I guess you've got it all figured out then, huh?" He said out loud and praying to the heavens that his idea would work. "Football's sure going to suck next year." Biff shook his head.
Joe tore his eyes way from the water and looked at his friend strangely. "What? I'm standing here pouring my heart out to you...and… and you're worried about football?"
'Well, hell yeah, you know I eat, sleep and breathe football. Now that Johnny Stevens has graduated and moved to California; that means you've moved up in ranks as quarterback. Morton and I can't carry the team alone. As a matter of fact, the whole team needs you. I mean we're talking about our senior year Joe. It's supposed to be a fun, wild and crazy time! It's our turn to rule the school." Biff glanced back at Joe's to see his reaction.
Sure, enough, Joe turned and gave him a sour look. "Rule the school?"
"Yeah, I know it's cheesy, Frank gave me that same look when I said it to him." Biff replied turning his eyes back to the water watching the boats pass by. So far, his idea was working he had to keep going, "What about senior prom? Lizzy already said she'd be my date. I really like her; I'm thinking of asking her to be my girlfriend."
"Good for you." Joe replied.
"I wonder who Vanessa will go to the prom with." Biff was trying his damnedest, and he was not giving up. He was not going to lose his best friend. "She is pretty hot; I imagine she'll have guys lining up to ask her out."
"She's better off with someone else. At least then she won't end up hurt or dead." Joe said turning his attention back to the water.
"Are you kidding? You are a bonehead if you let a girl like that slip away." Biff said, shrugging his shoulders "But if you're not going to be around then who's to stop someone from asking her out."
"After today she'll probably run as far away from me as possible."
"Joe, if Vanessa's still here after all this Hardy crazy shit, then she's the one for you."
"Well, then I guess we'll never know." Joe said keeping his attention on the water suddenly lost in his thoughts.
"I guess." Biff could see the wheels turning in his friend's head. Before Joe could counter back, he decided to try one last approach.
"Joe, you and I have always been straight with each other. I'm mean we call out bullshit when we see it. Well I'm seeing it now and I can tell you, this isn't you. I've known you since grade one. You would never take the easy way out, because you like doing things the hard way."
"If you don't think people care about you, you're wrong...we need you." Biff stated simply. "And maybe you don't care about Frank, as much as you say you do."
"I do too. I love my brother." Joe shot back tearing his eyes away from the water, he loosened his grip on the railing and looked at his friend.
Biff had to force back a small grin when he saw it: a flicker in Joe's blue eyes. He knew he had him. He cleared his throat. "Well you've a funny way of showing it. You're going to leave him at a time when he needs you the most. Frank is still in a lot of trouble Joe; he's being accused of murdering that bastard Hayden. He could still go to prison."
"I know that Biff, but Dad won't let me help with the case. He doesn't trust me. He hates me. He wants me to be more like Frank and I keep disappointing him and proving him right." Joe replied somberly as he sniffed back tears. He turned his eyes back to the water.
"No, he doesn't hate you." Biff replied. He had to admit he was still angry at Fenton Hardy for hurting Joe the way he did. Then again, he didn't know the whole story.
"Yes, he does!" Joe shouted with angry tears as he shook his head, "You heard him...hell everyone did."
"He was just upset." Biff said trying to keep his voice calm. "Sometimes people say things they don't mean when they're angry or even scared."
"No, he hates me," Joe sniffed back another sob. "I don't blame him really, because I'm not the son he wants..."
"That's not true." A voice said behind them causing both boys to jump.
Joe's anxiety began to rise at hearing that voice and it made his blood start to boil. He turns his head and sure enough there he was, the great Fenton Hardy standing behind them.
Biff whirled around to see Fenton standing there. He started to feel a bit nervous. He almost had Joe off the railing and here comes Mr. Hardy to get Joe all stirred up again.
Fenton had found Joe and Biff in a full conversation on the boardwalk at the end of the pier. He had stopped in his tracks when he heard what Joe had said. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop but he was frozen because of the startling sight unfolding before him. There was Joe looking really upset and with his crutches laying on the ground and his hands gripping the metal railing. His tear-filled blue eyes were transfixed on the water below him. Biff had his shoes off and his hands on the railing as if ready to make a move.
Seeing Joe and Biff like that threw Fenton back several years to one of the most traumatic days of his life and thoughts raced through his head. Dear God...no please. Not Joe... I can't lose my son... not like this...not like my father... The face of Fredrick Hardy suddenly crystallized in his mind... he could still hear the gunshots...see the blood on the walls, his body completely still on the floor it was as if it happened yesterday. Fenton shook the memory of the incident out of his head, he needed to keep his focus on Joe right now.
"Go away, I have nothing to say to you." Joe said heatedly he whirled back around keeping his eyes on the water, his leg giving way slightly but his hands were tightly gripping the railing.
"Fair enough." Fenton said slowly stepping up to the railing on Joe's other side, reminding himself to stay calm and collected. "I get that you're angry with me. That's fine. You have a right to be." He took a deep breath and looked out at the water. "How about I make you a deal? You listen to what I have to say and then I'll leave you alone."
Joe was quiet and staring down at the water; Biff could see the wheels turning in his head but wasn't sure if he was going to say anything.
Fenton waited patiently for his son to respond, although it was hard.
"Fine." Joe finally answered.
Fenton let out a breath he was holding and saying a silent prayer for the right words to come. "Biff, could you give us a moment alone, please?"
"Joe, do you want me to go?" Biff glanced questioningly at Joe to be sure, he wasn't going to leave his friend if he didn't want him to.
"It's okay Biff." Joe said softly, shifting nervously from one leg to the other. His left leg was starting to hurt from standing on it too long. But he didn't care. His eyes never left the water and his hands remained gripping the railing.
"Okay." Biff replied, as he slipped his shoes back on. "I'm not going to be far though, so if you need me holler." He glared at Fenton as he spoke. He was still nervous about leaving Joe alone with him, so he walked away to the other side of the boardwalk just far enough away so he couldn't hear what was being said but he was still close enough that he could intervene if he thought that he needed to.
Fenton nodded his acknowledgment to Biff. After what had happened earlier, he didn't blame him for hanging around.
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Once the two were alone, Fenton took a moment to gather himself. He casually leaned forward and resting rested his arms on the railing as he looked up at the evening sky at the stars. He then looked down at the water below before turning his eyes to his son.
He had caught the wince on his son's face and knew that Joe needed to get off of his leg, which, in a way, was a blessing in disguise. He took a deep breath and said calmly, "Why don't we go have a seat so you can rest your leg?" He gestured to an empty bench just a few feet away.
Joe remained quiet with his eyes cast down at the water; Fenton didn't think he was going to comply at first but then to his surprise, Joe let go of the railing and took a step back. An abrupt, "fine," was his only reply.
Fenton picked up the crutches off of the ground and handed them to Joe. Without a word, Joe took them from his father and quickly made his way over to the bench, where he propped them up against the bench and carefully sat down.
At least he's off the railing. Fenton thought, that was a start. He had to admit he was feeling apprehensive. He was stepping into a familiar territory that he didn't want to be in, and it was bringing back many bad memories. For he too was once was in that dark place where Joe was standing in now, and his own father had been consumed by that dark place and it took his life.
Fenton had feared that Frank would be the son to be consumed by the darkness of his depression, but he seemed to be dealing with it fairly well, despite everything that had happened and was happening with him. With his focus on Frank, Fenton had failed to realize that it was Joe, his normally bright and happy baby boy, that was being consumed by the darkness. He had to be very careful of what he was going to say to his son, as one wrong word and Joe would be back on the railing and letting the darkness rule his life.
Fenton took a deep breath to calm his nerves and sat down on the bench beside him. Joe pursed his lips together, folded his arms to his chest in a defensive posture and turned his head away from Fenton, staring back across the water.
"You wanted to talk, so talk." Joe said.
"Joe will you please look at me?"
"Did you hear everything?" Joe asked dryly, leaning back slightly and stretching out his legs, while still gazing out at the bay.
"Pretty much." Fenton said. "The part about me hating you, it's not true…"
"Yeah, right. If it's not true then why did you say what you did?' Joe scoffed keeping his head turned away. "I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment and I can't be more like Frank."
"Joe, please look at me. I need you to see me as well as listen to me." Fenton asked.
Joe reluctantly did as he was instructed; he turned his head and glared at Fenton, his eyes pain filled and resigned.
It was killing Fenton inside seeing the hurt and anger in his son's eyes, and knowing that he had caused most of it.
"First off, " Fenton said. "Joe, I owe you an apology, I am utterly ashamed of myself for all of my actions, but especially for verbally attacking you and not giving you a chance to explain things earlier. "
" I don't want you to be like Frank, what I meant to say was that I just wish you would use some of his sense of caution." He paused and then continued. "And there are times when I wish he was a lot like you, by pushing himself to try new things."
He stopped speaking when people passed by them to continue on their way. Fenton blinked as his eyes began to mist, and his voice began to crack as he spoke. "I've failed to protect you and your brother so many times, I can't even begin to count them. I didn't protect you from Hayden's abuse, and then when you were abducted out at the Morton farm..."
Joe just raised an eyebrow at seeing his father get emotional, he had never seen his father like this before and it was a little hard to take in and believe.
"Those three days that you were missing was the most terrifying three days of my life. The whole time I feared that maybe Hayden had...kill..." He stopped himself he couldn't finish that word.
"Then you were found by Con alive, only to learn that you had been shot in the leg and almost died...and now this threat against you boys is forever ingrained in my head... 'When you were late getting here...I thought you were in trouble and that maybe this time...the threat was carried out..."
Fenton paused for a moment to change the subject slightly. " Truthfully, I am angry and frustrated that I can't be a part of Hayden's murder investigation either. Knowing that Frank is in trouble and there's nothing I can do but to sit back and let Chief Collig and his officers handle it, it's extremely frustrating."
"I've been taking my anger out on you Joe, and for that I am truly sorry. I promised myself that if I ever became a father that I would never become MY father."
"What do you mean, YOUR father." Joe asked skeptically.
"He used to say things to me that were hurtful and demeaning, although he never got physically violent with me, the verbal and emotional abuse was just as painful. Those are the kind of scars that takes longer to heal."
"Do you hate him?" Joe asked.
Fenton couldn't let go of what Vanessa had said after Joe had left the picnic and the feeling and word of the word resentment., It bothered him to think he has been a terrible father for making Joe feel that. He didn't know where that was coming from. He wanted to get to the bottom of that issue, but he had to be patient and let his son bring it up.
He saw the look in Joe's eyes; he wanted an answer and he was getting impatient. He answered the only way he knew how to, by giving Joe the truth. "Yes, sometimes I hated him, because he'd never apologized for it, except for the note that he left us before he took his life."
Fenton took a deep breath. He was working hard to keep his emotions at bay. Then he stopped himself...no he couldn't do that; he couldn't hide his emotions anymore. He had to set an example for Joe and let him know that it was okay to cry. That was the advice he kept expressing to Frank because of his fear of showing his emotions. It would be hypocritical of him if he didn't follow his own advice.
"I don't want that to be us." Fenton cleared his throat. and then he sighed wearily. "I have been under the impression that you are afraid of me and can't come and talk with me because of the way that I would react. I'm sorry for making you feel that way, Son."
Joe looked down at his feet and started shifting nervously on the bench. He wished he knew why he felt some resentment towards his father. He wanted so much to have his strong arms around him to feel safe, the way that he used to when he was really little. He just couldn't right now, it didn't feel right.
Fenton continued, "Please don't ever be afraid to talk to me." He paused to take a breath. "Even if we get angry and agreed to disagree with each other on things. It is important to want to keep the lines of communication open between us."
He reached over and gently lifted his son's chin with his hand to make sure he was looking at him and listening, "There is nothing you could ever do or say that would make me love you any less. I love you Joe, more than anything in the world. Besides your mother, you and Frank are the most important people in my life."
"You know, we're so good at helping other people solve their problems, but went it comes to dealing with our problems we intend to want to run away from them and avoid them." Fenton, paused for a moment and then continued. "And a lot of that is my fault. "
"I should have been honest from the start with you boys about your grandfather's mental illness, but at the time I didn't know how to deal with it myself and for that I found myself in that dark place of depression. That has to stop with you two boys, we need to deal with these issues and not run away from them because it is nothing to be ashamed of. I strongly believe family counseling will help us do just that." Fenton said.
"What if it doesn't help? What if our problems are too big to fix?" Joe asked, rubbing his hands together nervously in his lap.
"Look, Joe, what happened to Iola, Phil and Seth Cohen, Chet and his parents, none of that is not your fault. That was a choice that someone else made. As for Frank, and, you most certainly did not cause your brother's heart problem or depression. It's just something that happened."
Joe shrugged. "I'm sorry, Dad I can't help how I feel. And it is my fault. I'm not good, so counseling is not going to do any good."
"Joe, is there a reason why you're so hesitant about going to counseling?" A thought suddenly entered Fenton's mind, he had to ask it. "You do like Dr. Reese, right? Do you like talking to her? Are you comfortable with her?"
"Yes, I like her." Joe simply said. "She's doing a good job of helping Frank deal with his depression. It's just not for me." He was suddenly feeling nervous but he didn't know why.
"Is it because she's a woman?" Fenton asked, "Would you feel more comfortable talking to a male counselor? There is no shame in that. Dr. Reese would understand if you wanted to."
Instead of answering, Joe went quiet he turned his head letting his eyes gaze out on the water lost in his thoughts; however, he was rubbing is hands intermittently absent-mindedly across his shorts. Fenton saw it as a sure sign that something was definitely wrong. He wondered if that could be it?
"Joe, are you alright?"
"No. I don't want to talk to a male counselor." Joe said abruptly, snapping out of his thoughts, blinking his eyes. He looked around the pier at the people passing by them before looking at his father and the concern evident on Fenton's face. "Yes, I like Dr. Reese. I don't know, I just don't think it will help."
"We have to be able to work together. If we can't work out our problems and build a trusting relationship, how do we expect our clients to trust us? Plus, for the sake of our family, it's worth a try. What do you say?"
Once again, Joe went quiet as he turned his head letting his eyes gaze out on the water. He straightened up and looked at Fenton. "Can I think about it?"
"Yes, of course, take as much time as you need." Suddenly the sound of Fenton's cell phone ringing brought them both to attention.
Fenton immediately picked up the phone and answered, "Detective Hardy speaking."
"Fenton, it's Sam. Boy, have I got information you need to hear." Fenton's heartbeat began to quicken. By the expression on his father's face, Joe knew something was going on.
"Dad, what is it? Does it have to do with Hayden's murder investigation?" Joe asked the minute Fenton hung up his phone. He was doing his best not to panic; he just wanted some good news for a change.
Fenton hesitated to answer at first, but then again maybe it would give Joe some encouragement. Get his mind on something else like a little detective work.
"No actually, Joe, it has to do with the hospital fire case Sam is working on." Fenton replied, giving him the rundown of what Sam had told him.
That perked Joe right up, "Did Sam find out what caused the fire?"
"He did. There's a possibility a bomb may have been planted in a utility closet on the second floor near an elevator, fragments were found which could explain how the fire and smoke spread.
"A bomb?" Joe repeated.
Fenton nodded, "Sam and the authorities that are involved with the investigation as well as the fire marshal believe that someone had switched off the breaker that controls the system thereby and disabling the backup generators. That someone would have to have knowledge and access to the main fire control system."
"Frank, said he saw Ryan on the second floor. He chased after him out of the hospital and through the courtyard. Frank said that he jumped into a black car." Joe began, thinking of what his brother had told him of that night of the fire. "We know he's the main suspect in that fire case. So, it's obvious that Ryan had help."
"Dad, you said that someone had to have had knowledge and access to the main fire control system. That someone would have had to know his or her way around the hospital?" Joe began to theorize, he all at once felt himself slip into detective mode. "Like a maintenance worker, or a doctor...or maybe a nurse...The only person I can think of that could've helped him", then his blue eyes lit up like a lightning bolt, "Nurse Crazy!"
A smile spread across Fenton's face; this was exactly the encouragement that Joe needed. He then said, "We don't know that for sure, and we're going to need proof."
"What's going on?" Biff asked as he ran over to Joe after hearing and seeing the excitement on Joe's face from across the boardwalk he quickly ran over to his friend.
"I'll tell you on the way." Joe exclaimed all full of enthusiasm and excitement he grabbed his crutches and quickly stood up and headed back towards the picnic area to find his brother. "I have to tell Frank!"
"Hold on Joe! Not so fast." Fenton lightly chuckled softly as he shook his head, thinking to himself that. At least he made some progress... At least he was off the railing, and he opened up a little. Hopefully he'll agree to go to counseling. He got to his feet to catch up to the boys.
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Back at the picnic area, Laura and Gertrude had gone for a walk to talk and to clear their heads after the confrontation between Fenton and Joe. Frank and his friends all agreed to stay and wait for them to return.
Frank sat around the table with Callie and his friends. He couldn't get the confrontation between his dad and brother out of his head as well. How could his dad say such hurtful things to Joe? His mind went back to the comment Vanessa had made that Joe was feeling some resentment towards their father. Where did that come from? Is something going on? Is there something that happened that I've missed?
He felt utterly drained and his depression was hitting him in waves, he just wanted to breakdown and cry, but once again he forced his fatigue aside, he had to keep it together, now wasn't the time to break, he needed to be strong.
Frank could see the shock still on the faces of their friends so he took a deep breath and said., "Guys, I want to apologize for what just happened..."
"Frank, there's no need to apologize," Chet spoke up first. He pushed his empty plate aside. " I know you told us there was friction between your dad and brother, but wow. We didn't realize things were that bad."
He was trying to find the right words to say to comfort Frank. But in truth he didn't know what to say. He'd known the Hardy's most of his life. He and Iola grew up with Frank and Joe. They were like a second family to him. They've been there for each other in both the good times and the bad and had grown a lot closer after the horrific death of his sister. It bothered Chet a lot to see the Hardy's fighting like this.
"Yeah it's that bad." Frank said as he slowly sat back down at the picnic table. "I told you guys about the window incident and the blow-up Joe and Dad had then."
"Did your dad really almost hit Joe?" Tony asked the question that everyone was thinking. He couldn't believe how Mr. Hardy and Joe were acting towards each other, he cringed. "Maybe I shouldn't have asked that."
"No, it's okay." Frank answered. "Yes, he almost did, until I stepped in. I think everyone is just stressed out by everything that is going on. There are things about my family I can't talk about, because, some of it is not mine, and there are things that are confidential. We were planning on going to family counseling to hopefully work out some of the issues. But now it's probably all shot to hell."
"Frank." Callie said softly, sitting down next to him, leaning into him and rubbing his back, trying to comfort him. "Are you okay? Do you want to go home?"
"More than anything. I want to go home and curled up in my bed and go to sleep and pretend this last couple days never happened. But, I can't." Frank straightened up and looked at her, with tears in his eyes.
"How about the two of us go for a walk then?" Callie suggested. She slipped her hand into Frank's. She could sense that he needed to get away for a bit.
"I promised my mom we'd wait here for Joe and Dad. I need to be here in case something happens."
"We'll wait for them." Lizzy said.
"Yes, we just want to help." Brenda said, she wasn't sure about everything that had happened. She just knew the Hardy brothers were really nice guys, and wanted to offer some comfort and support.
"Yeah." Marcy said kindly. "We're here for you, whatever you need."
"Thank you. All of you," Frank said gratefully, "Talking about this really helps and your support means a lot."
"Yeah you two go ahead." Lizzy said and began gathering up the dirty plates. "We'll start cleaning up the picnic. That way your mom and aunt don't have to."
"That's a good idea." Brenda said pitching in to help clean up along with Chet and Tony.
Frank and Callie got up from the table and began to go for their walk.
"Frank?" Vanessa said getting up from the table to catch up to them. "Do you think Joe will be alright?" She wiped the tears from her eyes. She couldn't stop thinking about Joe. And she couldn't believe what had transpired between him and his dad.
"He will be, eventually." Frank replied, he felt bad seeing her upset. then he asked, " you really do care about him don't you?"
"I do. I just hate to see him like this." Vanessa said.
Suddenly her phone began to ring. She took it out of her purse, "It's my mom. She's here, I better go meet up with her. I don't know what to say to her. I really wanted her to meet Joe, but I guess now is not really a good time."
"Vanessa, I think..." Frank started to ask when he was interrupted by a shout grabbing everyone's attention.
"Frank!"
Even though it was dark out, but thankfully with the help of glow of the street lights Frank looked up to see his younger brother hurrying up to him as fast as he could on his crutches. Even with the darkness fast approaching, Frank could see the with excitement all over Joe's face. He saw his Dad and Biff trying hard to keep up with him. Now what's going on?
"Joe, slow down!" Frank called to his brother. Then something out of the corner of his eyes caught his attention and ran towards his brother. "Joe, look out!"
But it was too late, before Joe could stop in his tracks, "Joeeeee!" A little voice called out. Hearing his name Joe immediately whirled around only to be tackled to the ground by a little blond blur.