"I just think that you are going to need Jason to really nail this guy," Craig said to his silent friend. "We have all been friends since even before this incident. I can't imagine keeping a secret like that for ten years."

"I did it for Maria." Adam said, still looking at the floor. "I went to LA to get her blessing because I had to break that promise."

"Well, once we get Jason on board, he will come up with a great plan," Chuck said leaning back against the porch swing that he occupied.

"That is if he believes me. I have lied to him for ten years now," Adam said looking up at Chuck. "As for a plan, I already have a plan. I have waited for years to put Bill where he belongs and I am the one who is going to put him there."

It was then that the boys heard a car coming up the long drive that led to the secluded house. It was Jason and in all of their lives together, this was the most awkward moment that any of them could recall. As Jason stepped out of the van, Craig and Chuck excused themselves into the house. It was clear the brothers needed time alone. Adam made his way off of the porch and towards Jason. He could not look him in the face though. Maybe Craig was right, he did need his brother. It was going to be hard testifying in court with his father and James watching as he recounted the entire story without Maria. But he still could not help but to hang his head in shame and guilt as Jason walked towards him.

Jason was also nervous. Standing before him was a figure that looked a lot like his brother, but he seemed so distant. They were a team and depended on each other when they were working on cases. So no matter what, he was going to stick by his brother. As Adam stood in front of him with the bruised lip, he noticed that he was not facing him. His brother not only looked physically beaten, but emotionally beaten as well. He could see the tears streaming down his face and dropping to the ground. Jason was trying to fight back tears himself at the sight of his now trembling brother. He knew that the past years had all came to a head at that point and time. Adam was a strong person and to see him reduced down to a child was hard for Jason to witness. The silence continued, and neither brother knew how to break it. Jason knew that he had to make the first move because Adam just was not thinking at all, but what could he do? He did not comprehend his brother's feelings nor would he ever be able to relate to that. But he did remember something that his mother had said after the accident and she saw her younger son struggle with various things in his life. "Don't try to understand, just listen and love unconditionally." Adam always shrugged her off a little and called this her "flower child" theory, but to Jason it made perfect sense at this time. Jason stepped forward, just like his mother, and wrapped his arms around his little brother. Instead of a sarcastic comment, Adam returned the hug. He started to cry and the tears did not stop. Jason just stood there and hugged his brother fiercely. In his own mind he was just as confused, he would recall the good times with Bill, but before him stood his brother devastated by the same man. It was the last thought that made him angry and guilty at the same time.

After Adam had regained himself, the brothers walked over to a picnic table that was under a big old Weeping Willow tree that stood in the side yard. It was there that Adam told his brother everything that had happened over the years. Adam's accounts matched what Jason had read in the notebook, but hearing his brother retell the events made it more real than on paper. After Adam had finished, he stopped in silence.

"What?" Jason asked in response to the abrupt silence.

"So do you believe me?" Adam asked, still not making eye contact with Jason.

"Of course I believe you! But why didn't you say something before now?" Jason asked. "I know you promised Maria and you were young. But why didn't you tell me that night when you found out what Bill did?"

"I have a lot of reasons that are hard to put into words and when I can, you will be the first to know. However, most of all, I did not want to split our family up like that. I also knew that you worshipped him and I just couldn't..." Adam said as his voice started to stammer.

"Adam, we would have never forsaken you. Bill is the one who is responsible for his actions, not you or Maria," Jason said. "Yes, I did enjoy being with Bill and he did the greatest things with me. I just feel awful that all that time that I was having fun, you were locked up in a closet. All of those errands he sent me on, he was beating you and I did not see it." His voice grew angrier as he spoke.

"Jason, you didn't know. You were young too," Adam said glancing over at Jason. "It was not your problem."

"If it is a problem for you, then it is my problem as well. We are going to handle this together," Jason said, standing in front of Adam. "And the first thing we need to do is tell Dad."

"NO!" Adam screamed. This startled Jason at first.

"What do you mean, no? We have to tell our parents," Jason said in his "take charge tone".

"I said no. Jason this is my fight and if you want to help, it is going to be done my way," Adam said with a determined look. "I want to take Bill by surprise. If we tell Dad, then Bill will run. I don't want that since Dad gave his word that Bill was going to remain in his custody, not to mention we may lose our chance to put him away."

"Fine. But that means that you will have to come back to the house," Jason replied. "Otherwise Dad is going to want more direct answers. Right now we can blame it on the pressures from the accident. You will have to trust me in that area. Dad is not going to let you just run around the country side, especially when you are under school suspension."

"But I will not stay in that house alone with Bill," Adam answered. There was no way he was going to stay there.

"I am going to stay with you. I have left you alone to take the brunt of things way too long. We will use the time to contact the other lawyer. I will get that info from James," Jason said. "I have to let Bill and everyone believe that everything is going fine, even though I do not like going behind Dad's back. I don't want to see him look like a fool."

"He won't look like a fool. Hopefully it will be Bill. I just wish that Maria was in it with us," Adam said, looking away again. "Besides, Bill is his brother. Well, he was raised as his brother."

"But you are his son. I can't imagine how Dad is going to take this though," Jason said in softer tone. "I know how I feel about it and I just can't imagine."

"What about Mom? They are going to be so betrayed that I did not tell them. I don't think things will be the same again," Adam said. He was beginning to get emotional again. He heard that haunting phrase in his head again.

"They are not going to be mad at you, Adam," Jason said in response to his brother's fears. "I would say they may feel a lot like me right now."

Adam was silent for a moment and then asked, "And how is that?" His blue eyes were searching for any response.

"I feel like a fool. All this time and I did not see it. I was always angry with Maria for leaving her father. I guess I was also a little aggravated with you because you never joined us. I read the notebook and I was just in shock. Then when Chuck told me that Eric didn't get one jab in on you, I figured that it had to be Bill that hit you," Jason commented. "Seeing your face right now makes my stomach turn because of all of those supposed accidents and I didn't put the pieces together."

"Jason, you were young too and I went along with it," Adam said looking over at his brother. He knew that Jason was protective of him, even when they were young. Adam always resented it, but accepted it as Jason's way of showing that he cared for him. He was lucky because some siblings hated each other.

"Well, we still have a lot to talk about privately. I will call Dad and tell him that we will both stay out here for the night at Chuck's if you don't mind sharing the back of the van with me. I think that you need some time to just calm down before we go into this. The trial is going to be this Thursday in Los Angeles," Jason said as they started to walk back towards the house. "I still have the sleeping bags in the back."

"Are you sure that you want to share sleeping quarters with me after the other night?" Adam asked jokingly.

"I guess I have no choice," Jason said with a chuckle. Then his voice was serious. "Adam, I am sorry that I was not there for you."

"It is okay Jason, you are here now and that is what counts," Adam said putting his arm around his older brother. Neither of the boys knew what the future held, but they knew that they had to get a handle on the past.

Jason soon phoned his father and convinced him that everything was fine. Mr. Kramer had a certain trust with Jason so he was more understanding with his older son. Probably because Jason did not really get into the trouble that his younger brother did. He also found out the name of the prosecuting lawyer.

That night, Craig helped the boys look up his phone number using the computer Internet. Soon the Kramers were in direct contact with Julius Lansing, the sole attorney of the city of Airdale. Both boys were very apprehensive about going against their father, but they knew that they had to put Bill behind bars where he could not hurt anymore people. This was the only way to do that since the girls already had a case against him. While they did not "rat" out James' plan, they did try to safeguard against it. It was decided that Mr. Lansing would come down to meet with them tomorrow.