Joe had never understood how Frank could stay so calm when things were falling apart. Now was no exception. Joe was still working on the fact that Frank was sick, and Frank already knew what he wanted to do!

As soon as the four of them arrived home, Joe had disappeared. He took a shortcut to Claire Whitmyre’s apartment, the boys favorite babysitter from their childhood, praying all the while that she would be home. He rang the doorbell, half-expecting her to be gone, and he was very relieved when she opened the door.

Claire took one look at Joe and knew something was wrong. She’d known Frank and Joe Hardy since they’d moved to Bayport fourteen years ago. She and Joe had become very close when Frank had been sick with leukemia. She would never forget the afternoon that Joe had shown up at the Whitmyre home in tears when he was ten. He’d had this look on his face that told her his world was falling apart. He now had that look again.

Claire pulled him inside and sat him down on the couch, then held him as he cried. Slowly his tears subsided and he pulled away. Claire handed him a box of Kleenexes. "What’s wrong, Joe?" she asked gently.

Joe wiped his eyes. "Frank’s leukemia is back and I’m scared, Claire. If I lose Frank too I’ll go crazy." He looked up at Claire. The loss of Iola Morton, Joe’s first true love had hurt him deeply. Losing Frank would hurt even more.

Claire took Joe’s hand and squeezed it. "I don’t know what to tell you, Joe."

"I know." Joe smiled for the first time that day. "But I can cry here without damaging my reputation."

Claire just shook her head. Joe’s ability to crack jokes never ceased to amaze her. "Joe, why didn’t you go to Vanessa?"

"Vanessa doesn’t know about the first time. And Frank wants to keep it quiet as long as he can. I can’t say that I blame him either." Joe leaned his head back against the couch and fell silent.

He stayed almost an hour, catching up with Claire and crying a little more. Claire finally told him it was time for him to head home.

"Why?" he asked, just as he had when Claire would tell him and Frank that it was time for bed.

Claire smiled at him. "You don’t want to be late for your own hanging do you?"

Joe’s mouth dropped open.

"I know all about your little incident yesterday, Joe"

"H-h-how?" he stammered, clearly shocked.

Claire flashed him a cheeky grin. "I can read you know!"

"It made the paper?" Joe asked.

Claire nodded, still smiling.

Joe reluctantly bid Claire good night, promising to be good, then headed back home to face the firing squad. What Joe failed to notice though, was the black car that followed him home and parked in the shadows across the street.

When he arrived home, he could see the living room lights were on. Through the picture window, he could see his parents sitting on the couch. Frank’s bedroom light was also on and Joe could see him pacing back and forth, holding the cordless phone to his ear.

As Joe walked slowly up the driveway, he could just imagine the conversation that Frank was probably having with Callie. And it wasn’t a very nice one either. Since Callie had come back from spring break in California, she’d been different. Almost as if she’d had a personality transplant while she was out there. It seemed like add her and Frank had done since then was fight.

Joe shook those thoughts out of his head as he opened the kitchen door and he was almost bowled over by Frank. Joe spun out of his way. "Where are you going in such a all-fire hurry?"

"Callie’s house," Frank answered as he raced for their father’s car. The van was still in the shop after having been sabotaged at school Wednesday.

Joe rolled his eyes, then went to face his mother. Fenton had changed his mind and gone ahead and told Laura what had happened so they could be thinking about what to do. Joe was secretly glad that he had, because Joe honestly didn’t know how to explain what he’d done.

Joe sat down in a chair and met his mother’s steely gaze. The disappointment in her face was almost more than Joe could take. "Mom, before you tear into me, I want to tell you some things. First, I’m sorry. Second, I realize that what I did was very stupid. Third, whatever you do to me, I deserve it."

Laura’s gaze softened. "I’m glad you realize that, Joe. What you did was not only stupid, but inexcusable and dangerous! You could have easily been killed!" She paused for a moment, then continued. "Your father and haven’t quite decided how to deal with yet. When we decide, I don’t want any arguing. Understood?"

Joe nodded. He’d meant what he said.

Laura reached over and took his hand, then pulled him onto the couch. "I love you, Joe. Don’t’ ever forget that."