He unlocked the Saturn and got in, performed his usual struggle with fastening his seatbelt one-handed, then started the motor. He was glad his car was an automatic shift; he might have been able to manage with a standard, but steering with his disabled left arm was tricky. He glanced at his cell phone, lying on the passenger seat, but decided that since he was going to be home soon anyway, he wouldn’t bother turning it on.

Frank put his car in Drive, and exited the parking lot, still happily contemplating his successful test flight.

*****

Joe pulled to a stop in front of Megan’s house, and switched the engine off. In the back seat, where she had curled in silence throughout the drive home, Megan stirred and sighed. Vanessa and Joe both turned to look at her.

"How you doin’?" Joe inquired gently.

"I’m okay – but my face aches," the little redhead admitted dejectedly, "and I’m awfully tired."

"Let’s get her inside and lying down," Vanessa urged her boyfriend, opening her door and getting out.

As they were escorting Megan up her front steps, Joe’s cell phone chimed melodically from its place clipped to his belt. He sighed, dreading having to explain this to Frank – but when he glanced at the readout, he saw the call was coming from his home. Well, it still might be Frank.

"Hello?"

"Joe? I just got home, and found your note." Laura’s voice came clearly through the connection. "What’s happened?"

"Oh, Mom, I’m glad it’s you!" Quickly, Joe explained about the accident.

"Is there anything you’d like me to do?" his mother asked, after commiserating with Megan’s plight.

"Actually, do you suppose you could get hold of her mother, and tell her about the accident?" Joe requested. "Megan," he pulled his mouth away from the phone to speak to her, "what’s your mom’s cell phone number, do you know?"

After a moment’s thought, she gave him the information, and Joe relayed it to Laura. "Mom, be sure and tell her that Megan’s okay; we’ve taken her home, and she’ll call her after a little while."

"I’ll tell her," she assured Joe. She paused. "Frank doesn’t know yet?"

"No – not yet. I’m not looking forward to that." Joe sighed.

"If he hasn’t checked with you when he gets home, Joe, I’ll tell him." Laura offered. She knew as well as Joe how Frank would react to news like this about his cherished girlfriend.

Joe was filled with gratitude. "Thanks, Mom – maybe he’ll take it better, if it comes from you. I’ll talk to you later." He shut his phone and returned it to its clip. "Family room couch, or bed, Megan?" he inquired.

She gazed about blankly. "Bed…I guess." she murmured at last, and allowed Joe and Vanessa to guide her in the appropriate direction.

While Vanessa helped Megan get settled, Joe created cold packs, and fetched water and the medications Vanessa had gotten from the pharmacy. Finally he knocked gently on Megan’s bedroom doorframe. "Okay for me to come in? Everybody decent?"

"Yes, come on in," Vanessa replied quietly. She took the ice packs from Joe, and stood back as he approached Megan’s bedside.

"Hey, Red – think you can get these down without it hurting your mouth too much?" Joe glanced at the labels on the bottles, and removed the appropriate dosages. "One of each, that’s all."

Wincing at the touch of the glass against her cut lips, Megan swallowed the tablets and lay back against the stacked pillows. "Thanks," she whispered. "I’m sorry to be such a bother."

"You aren’t a bother; I haven’t gotten to play doctor for a long time." Joe teased gently. Vanessa snorted quietly at that, and even Megan attempted a smile. Joe took her hand and squeezed it lightly. "You just rest."

But rest wasn’t on Megan’s mind at the moment. "My mom…we need to call her." Megan suddenly started to struggle upright. "Even if she talked to Laura, I need to call her. And the insurance company has to be called….The number of her hotel – it’s written by the phone in the kitchen. Or call her cell…." She blinked back a sudden rush of tears. "I’d better talk to her myself," she said, "Otherwise, she’ll get all scared and think she needs to come home, and miss her conference…."

"Stay put," Joe ordered. "I’ll make the call, and tell you when to pick up the phone in here so you can talk to her. Don’t you dare try to get back up!"

"Tyrant…" she whispered, but meekly obeyed.

"Hey, I owe you, after all the flak I took from you in Tahoe!" the younger Hardy reminded her, and departed for the kitchen to call Carolyn Wright.

*****

Frank parked his car and headed for the house, mildly surprised to see Joe’s Aztek absent. I thought Joe and Vanessa were planning on hanging here tonight…wonder if they went to her place instead? Or maybe they decided to go out to a movie or something. He entered his home, and walked towards the kitchen, hearing the sounds of Laura working on dinner.

"Hi, Mom!" Frank leaned to kiss his mother’s cheek, and she hugged him affectionately.

"Hello, darling." One look at Frank told Laura that he hadn’t received Joe’s message; he looked far too happy and serene. She turned her back to him hastily, biting her lip in consternation. Well, Laura, you told Joe you’d tell him! Get on with it!

"Frank – have you checked your phone messages recently?" she began.

"No – why, did you leave me one, or something?" Frank reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Oh – looks like Joe did…." He sat down at the table, starting to hit the buttons that would call his voicemail.

"Honey, I can tell you why Joe called—" Laura stopped Frank from accessing his messages. "Frank – honey—"

"What’s wrong?" Alarm bells were suddenly clanging in Frank’s head. "What’s happened?"

Laura spit it out as fast as she could. "Megan was in a car accident this afternoon, but she’s okay, Frank, she wasn’t hurt badly. She’s already been released from the hospital."

"WHAT?" Frank shot to his feet, going pale. "WHEN? WHERE? Why didn’t someone let me know? How could you just wait for me to come home?" Now his face was turning red with fury.

"Frank! Joe tried to call you!" Laura scolded him. "And I just found out about it a little while ago, when I got home. We had no way of reaching you; you turned off your phone!"

Frank bit his lip and stared at his mother. The anger drained from his face, and worry flooded in to replace it. "How badly is she hurt?" he whispered.

"I think it was mostly bumps and bruises," Laura replied. "Call Joe, darling, he can tell you; he and Vanessa took her home."

"I’d better get over there…" Frank wheeled about, already moving towards the door.

Laura grabbed his arm. "Wait – please, Frank, call Joe first." Joe had briefly explained Megan’s reluctance to see Frank – or rather, to let him see her. "Please."

Frank cast his mother an anguished look, then sank into his chair again and clicked on his phone to call Joe’s cell number.

"Joe? It’s me – Mom told me what happened – how is she?"

A few minutes later, Frank was once again behind the wheel of his car, driving across Bayport to Megan’s home. Despite Joe’s repeated reassurances as to Megan’s well-being, he wanted to see for himself. His mind churned with concern and worry for her, and with anger for the careless driver who had caused the accident. Joe said he’d checked with the police, and the guy was ticketed for running a red light, and speeding – and his insurance will pay for replacing Megan’s car, and the hospital bills…but that’s not enough! Frank clenched his teeth. That’s not enough! Joe didn’t tell me his name – maybe he didn’t know. Did he and Megan talk, after the accident, or was she too badly hurt?

When he reached the modest ranch-style house where Joe’s car sat in the driveway, Frank quickly parked and hurried towards the front door. Before he could ring the doorbell, the door was opened by Vanessa, who pulled him inside, and then put her arms around Frank and hugged him tightly.

"Frank, stop looking like that; it’s going to be all right – but Joe and I want to talk to you, before you try to see Megan." She tugged him towards the kitchen. "Come and sit down; I’ve made some tea, and you look like you could do with a cup."

"What do you need to talk to me about?" Frank demanded, his eyes flicking from Vanessa to Joe, who was in the kitchen, seated at the table. "Why can’t I just see her? I want to make sure she’s all right!" His voice scaled upwards.

"Because this is important." Joe held his brother’s gaze steadily. "Now, are you willing to sit there and listen?"

"Y-yes…." Frank sank into a chair and drew the mug of tea Vanessa poured closer. He picked it up and sipped, gingerly.

Joe glanced at his girlfriend, and then plunged in. "First of all, believe me when I say that she really isn’t badly hurt. You know she wouldn’t have been released from the hospital if she was. You believe me, right?"

"Okay…." Frank took another sip of the tea.

"She’s got some bruises and bumps that will probably show up later, and the doc mentioned neck strain – whiplash – but what took the most impact, Frank, was her face." Joe continued, his voice very gentle. "She has a broken nose, and one of her front teeth was broken off, her mouth’s cut up, and her forehead was cut." He paused, interrupted by Frank’s shocked gasp.

Now Vanessa spoke. "Frank, when Joe and I got to the hospital, the doctor told us that Megan didn’t want to see anyone; she was too upset. But I went back anyway, to where she was. She was crying herself sick – and she said she didn’t want you to be called – because she’s afraid that you won’t love her anymore….because now she isn’t pretty anymore…" Vanessa’s words trailed into poignant silence, and her eyes were full of sympathy as she gazed at Frank’s horrified face.

"How could she think something like that?" he gasped. "That’s – that’s crazy! I wouldn’t stop loving her!" He looked down at the cast on his arm. "She didn’t stop loving me, when I was hurt – why would I stop loving her?"

"Bro, we know it’s crazy, but right now Megan’s not thinking very straight." Joe said, reaching to lay a comforting hand on Frank’s wrist. "We just didn’t want you charging in there, not knowing what she was thinking, and feeling." He smiled a little. "I’m not sure she’s awake, anyhow," he continued. "The doctor gave her pain pills and a sedative, and we made sure she took both. I suspect she’s pretty much out of things, right now."

Frank stared at them, feeling both relieved and confused. "Thank you – both of you – for being there for her," he murmured, finally. "Since I wasn’t able to."

"That’s what brothers are for, isn’t it?" Joe quipped. "Backup?"

Frank returned to the incredible idea that Megan had had. "I just don’t see why she would think something like that," he repeated.

Vanessa cleared her throat. "Double standard," she said dryly. "As Megan herself said, ‘guys like pretty girls.’ She knows that right now, she isn’t all that pretty."

Frank rested his elbow on the table and dropped his face into his hand, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Drink your tea," Joe suggested. "And then we’ll see if she’d let you talk to her for a couple of minutes. But don’t be surprised if she’s only half awake – or if she refuses to see you."

Frank managed to down about half the cup before he could wait no longer. "I’ve got to see her," he said, pushing the cup away.

"But she was pretty adamant about you not seeing her right now," Vanessa reminded him. "If you march in there and she gets upset…."

Frank stared at her piteously. "Van, I – you know she’s wrong about—"

"Hang on—" Joe held up both hands, palms outward. "I’m coming up with a brilliant idea, here." He winked at Vanessa and gave Frank an encouraging grin. "What about this? Frank can go and sit with her…but keep the lights off? Just have enough dim light from the hallway so that he doesn’t trip over things, maybe? Megan could know he’s there, but she’d also know he couldn’t really see her."

The harried look faded from Frank’s face. "Joe, that is brilliant!" he congratulated his brother, who nonchalantly buffed his fingernails against his shirt.