"But this fact is not going to stop you, is it?" the Chief smiled as he stopped the car near the driveway of the dark house. "Are you ready?" he asked as he was about to get out of the car.

"Good question," Fenton replied, deep inside he felt as if he was going to hell. He still had no idea what to tell Joe. He, of course, could throw his arms around him and say ‘I'm your real father’, but, considering the state Joe was in after yesterday’s horrible events, it was the worst thing he could do for him now. "Let’s go," he said, climbing out of the car, barely able to move because of his suspense.

This feeling grew even worse when they, after ringing the doorbell, patiently waited for somebody to open the door. Fenton put his shaking hands behind his back, however this movement didn’t escape Collig’s notice.

"Fenton, relax, everything’s going to be alright," with that he patted his tensed friend on his back.

Fenton opened his mouth to say something, but just then the front door opened and they saw Robert Owen in his dressing gown, his hair a bit messy, his eyes sleepy, appear in the entrance. He stared at them for a seconds, as if trying to remember where he’d seen them before, then finally asked, "Mr. Collig? Mr. Hardy? What happened? May I help you?"

"Good evening, Mr. Owen," the Chief started politely. "I'm sorry, I know it’s terribly late, but this couldn’t wait. Can we speak to Joe, please?"

"Honey, who is it?" a female voice asked from the upstairs.

"Don’t worry, Mary, it’s for me," Robert replied to his wife, at the same time opening the door wider and letting his guests in. "Is it really so necessary? It’s been a very difficult day for him, he’s sleeping in his room."

"Yes, we understand," Fenton nodded, his voice trembling with anxiety, "but this is very important. Could you please tell him we’re here?"

"What is it that you need to tell him in the middle of the night?" Robert narrowed his eyes.

"It is…it’s private," Fenton avoided giving a direct answer. "Please?"

"Ok," Robert gave in, "I'll see what I can do for you, but if he refuses to talk to you…"

"We’ll leave straight away," the Chief promised.

Fenton fastened his gaze on the direction Robert had disappeared in. If he could, he would run after him to see his son as soon as possible, but because of how anxious he was, he could barely breathe, let alone move. His heart stopped beating inside when he heard Robert knock on the door upstairs and open it. Soon, soon he’ll be right here, soon I'll see my boy right in front of me… God, give me strengths to go through this moment of truth….

His thoughts were interrupted by Robert’s worried voice, "Joe, are you here?"

Glancing at the Chief, Fenton suddenly felt very worried, what could’ve happened?

"Joe, where are you?" Robert kept asking, sounds of doors opening and closing following. "Mary? Mary, have you seen him?"

"What happened?" the Chief asked worriedly when the lawyer came into view.

"He’s not in his room!" Robert replied, coming downstairs, his face set in concern. Forgetting about the visitors, he rushed to search the rooms on the first floor.

"Not in his room?" Fenton’s mouth dropped open. "Then where is he?" he asked, following Robert.

"Joe?? Joe, where are you? Are you here??" Robert asked, ignoring Fenton’s question. "Mary, do you know anything?" he asked his wife who had appeared in the living room where they were.

The woman, dressed in her cream dressing gown, her hair in curlers, shook her head, the look on her face was of horror and fear, "How? Bob, he couldn’t just leave! He would have told us! Or at least leave a note or…or I don’t know what else. He must be somewhere here!"

"But he is not!" Robert stopped in the corridor, his hands on his thighs. "Think, think!" he ordered himself. "He couldn’t leave…."

"When was the last time you saw him?" the Chief asked.

"When he was sleeping an hour ago," Robert replied in a quivering voice. "He was very tired when we arrived and went to bed straight away. I checked up on him an hour ago, he was sleeping like a baby upstairs, so I went to bed…. Damn in, where can he be?"

"Didn’t he leave any notes or tell you?" Fenton asked, fear starting to settle inside.

"If he did I wouldn’t be so worried now!" Robert snapped. "Sorry, I didn’t mean it. I just can’t understand what could prompt him to leave and not tell anyone."

"Bob, you have to do something!" Mary squeezed her husband’s arm. "If he’s not here then he’s somewhere outside, in the middle of the night, alone. He might be in danger!"

"Yes, you’re right," Robert nodded and grabbed the phone. "I'll call the police and…."

"They won’t do anything, they won’t start searching unless 48 hours pass," Collig said, regretting that such a rule existed.

"What am I supposed to do till then?" Robert exclaimed. "Sit and wait till the same police calls me and asks me to go for identification?"

"Bob!!" Mary stopped him, tears in her eyes. "Please, don’t say so!"

"Does he have his cell phone with him?" Fenton asked nervously.

"I'm being stupid!" Robert hit himself on the forehead, "You’re right!" with that he quickly dialled the number. Deathly silence filled the room as they waited. Seconds later they heard the cell phone ringing upstairs. "Damn it!!" Robert cursed, slamming the phone down. "What I am supposed to do?"

"Listen. First of all, we should calm down, secondly, we need to do something," Collig said, trying to be rational. "If an hour ago he was here and left, then he couldn’t have gone too far. We need to separate and go look for him. There’s nothing else we can do. Fenton, you take my car, Robert, you’ll ride in your own, Mary, I'll have to take yours while you stay here and call us in case he returns. Agreed?"

Everyone eagerly nodded. They quickly discussed the direction everyone would take and, while Robert was dressing and Collig taking the keys from Mary, Fenton climbed into the car and started the engine.

Two hours later Fenton pulled the car over and stopped to collect his thoughts. It was past midnight and he still was searching for Joe in the streets of New York for neither him nor Collig or Robert could yet find him. Fatigue, caused by yesterday’s sleepless night and today’s events, and anxiety were taking the best of him and he could barely move, let alone think straight.

Understanding all the absurdity of their attempts to find Joe in such a huge city as New York, he still couldn’t give up and continued looking for him, just like he has been doing for the last 17 long years. Joe could be anywhere - and there was no chance that he would be able to find him tonight.

Just let him be alright, don’t let anything happen to him, he’s got to be alright, he prayed to Heavens, hoping he’d be heard. If only he knew which direction which Joe would probably go, but he didn’t and that made him search twice as hard.

He’d been riding up and down the streets, looking into the faces of the passers-by, hoping to see only one face, but in the end, Fenton saw everything double in front of his eyes and he wasn’t sure he hadn’t seen and missed him somewhere. Hopefully, due to the late hours, there weren’t too many people, but among them there wasn’t the person he was looking for.

Fenton only hoped Joe wouldn’t do something stupid and, if not found, would come back to the Owens’ house alive and in one piece. What could make him leave without telling anyone? What was so wrong?…Grief, he’s in grief, but…could it drive him over the edge?…And will I be able to help him?

But Fenton had no answers to any of his questions. You can’t sit like that, he scowled at himself. Mustering all his strengths, he turned the ignition key and started the engine, which, to his disappointment, made a funny noise and died down. A bit startled, Fenton tried again to the same result. Looking down at the panel he discovered he’d run out of fuel. Just what you need, Hardy!

There was only one thing left to do. Quickly he called Collig and informed him of his misfortune. Hopefully his loyal friend promised to be there as soon as possible and pick him up. This done, Fenton leaned back in his seat and watched the surroundings.

The place he was at was one of the quiet streets of the Queens. To his right stood dark houses, to his left was a small park with a path, leading through it. On each sides of the path were lanterns, lighting the way to a bridge over another road which was about 100 yards away from where Fenton sat in his car. The place was quiet and dark Wonderful place to sit and do nothing. Waste time. Not do anything to find him….Fenton gloomily thought to himself.

Several rain drops fell on the windscreen. 5 minutes passed and he still sat in his car. The rain has become a heavy shower, dirty water was flowing in steams down the road, the wind was growing fiercer and fiercer…. And he’s someone out there, in the rain, alone, cold, hungry, wet…

His thoughts were interrupted by 2 people, who appeared from the park. It was a young couple, running hand in hand and laughing in the rain. Looking at them, Fenton couldn’t help but feel envious. Didn’t he deserve to be happy too? Sighing as they passed him by and disappeared, he looked back at the park, lost in his troubled thoughts.

Moments later he realised he was looking at one particular point. It was just a beam of that bridge, but for an unknown reason it caught his attention. Peering at it, he understood what it was - it seemed to him that he saw someone’s back. Obviously, there was a man, standing there and looking down at something below.

His heart sinking in his boots, Fenton got out of the car and, not paying any attention to the rain, started to walk there. The man, whoever he was, was about 90 yards away from him. All he saw was his outlines and Fenton didn’t know why he was going there, but he didn’t resist whatever was leading him.

Just then the person walked off and started walking away from Fenton, his back on him. As Fenton looked closer, he saw something familiar - not that the man was limping, there was nothing unusual about his gait, it just…Fenton starting to run, not feeling the rain drops gushing into his face.

The distance between them was becoming shorter and shorted and Fenton could already make out the blond hair. It is him! Thank you, Jesus, it is him!! His heart threatening to jump out of his chest, Fenton screamed at the top of his lungs, "Joe!! Joe, wait!! Don’t go away! Wait!!"

Hearing someone call his name, Joe turned his head, but seeing who it was, he just continued his way. Not only did he want to see nobody, but that man especially. Knowing all along that Fenton would catch up with him anyway, he didn’t even try to run.

"Joe, wait!!" a bit taken aback by Joe’s actions, Fenton ran as fast as he could, his breath already coming in gasps and his legs giving way under him. Just a few more feet…. Making a couple of steps ahead of Joe, he stopped in front of him, breathing heavily.

There was only one thought in his head at the moment. "I can't...believe I...I found you," he said between gasps for air, his face breaking into a happy smile which, however, disappeared as quickly as it had come the moment Joe replied.

"Accept my congratulations," he coldly retorted, walking past Fenton and continuing his way down the bridge and towards an alley.

"What?" whatever Fenton had expected, the reaction he received was beyond all his suggestions. "Joe, wait! Where are you going? I've got something very important to tell you!"

"There's no need to tell me anything."

"Yes, there is! Listen to me..." catching up with him Fenton caught his arm but Joe jerked it away and turned around to face him.

"Listen you!" he said, anger in his restrainedly calm voice. He pointed his index finger at Fenton's chest. "And listen very carefully! The last thing I want is for you to say out loud and repeat what I already know. And what I want most of all is for you to leave me. For good!"

"Joe, what are you saying?" Fenton asked, a sinking feeling in his heart. "You can't know. Listen," he swallowed hard.

"No, we're talking about the same..." Joe replied. "Daddy..." he added between clenched teeth.

Daddy?? He knows?? He knows!! Oh my God, he knows? How? Who told him? Why didn't I know? Fenton’s mouth dropped open, his eyes opened wide in shock. "Joe...I don't....How did you know?"

"None of your business!" Joe snapped and span on his heels.

"I don't understand...I got to know it only today! How come you...." Fenton asked, looking at Joe's back, disappearing in the pouring rain. Who could have told him?...Antoneskou! Of course, that man has brainwashed him! "Joe, wait, you have to listen to me!" he shouted, starting after his son.

"What for?" Joe turned around to face him again.

"Whatever he told you, you obviously don't know the whole story!"

"The whole story?" Joe asked derisively, pushing his wet hair off his forehead. "You mean, your story? A story which would show how nice and loving you are? Oh please, spare me it!"

"It was Antoneskou who brainwashed you, wasn't it? And you believed that creep?" Fenton asked. He was getting afraid it wouldn’t end up as happily as he thought.

"That creep? Who the hell are you then if you call him 'creep'?" Joe snarled. "Leave-me-ALONE!!" he said between clenched teeth. "I don’t want to see you! Do you hear me??" he shouted, his eyes flashing anger. "Never come back after me!! Get the hell out of my life! I don’t want you in it!"

"But I do," Fenton said, each Joe's word was twisting a knife in his heart. "I've been searching for you all these years... You must believe me!"

"Are you deaf?! How many times do I have to repeat that I want you to clear of?? Leave me alone, Fenton! Or should I call you John? Or is there another name you want me to call you?"

"Dad."

"What?"

"I want you to call me Dad."

"Stop it!! You're not my Dad! You never were, you are not and you will never be!... God, I can't believe I'm even talking to such a swine!" Joe waved his hand in the air. "Just…just clear off..." upon saying that, he turned around and went to cross the road in the alley, leaving downhearted Fenton to collect his thoughts behind.

Too engrossed in his feelings, Joe didn’t look aside when stepping onto the road. A loud sound of a car horn brought him to reality and he raised up his head just in time to see two headlights move on him at a full speed!