"What makes you say that?" Fenton asked nervously.

"We were caught leaving the building," Joe told him. "I had already checked the records. There are no adoption records for me."

"I don't understand," Joe continued. "Why don't you want me to know about my real parents?" he asked Fenton, his blue eyes filled with a mixture of pain and disillusionment.

"This isn't the time or place to discuss this," Fenton said, unable to keep looking Joe in the eyes. "Let's go home," he added.

"Now is a great time to discuss this," Frank argued. "You do know who his parents are, don't you?" he asked, looking his father in the eyes.

"I will not discuss this here," Fenton said firmly. "Not for my sake," he added when Frank started to argue. "For Joe's."

"What do you care about Joe?" Frank demanded.

"I'm going to tell you this only once," Fenton told Frank. "Just because Joe isn't my natural son doesn't mean I don't care about him. I would do anything for Joe." He looked at Joe's bowed head and walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I love you so much. I would gladly die for you. I just couldn't lose you both," he added, starting to cry.

"But you chose Frank," Joe said, looking up at Fenton, his eyes cold and hard. "Not because you didn't want to lose us both but because he is your son and I'm not. Nothing has changed," he added, moving away from Fenton's hand. "I'm still not your son."

"Can we please go home and discuss this?" Fenton begged. "Your mother has every right to be present during this conversation."

Frank wanted to argue but realized he was right. She was involved. She knew and she had chosen not to say anything. She had some explaining to do. Joe looked over at Frank. Whatever he chose, Joe would agree too. Frank nodded and the three of them left for the hotel to pick up Frank and Joe's things.

Fenton called the airport from the hotel to make reservations for the next plane to Bayport. It would not leave until the next morning so he checked into another room for the night. Frank and Joe went out for some dinner and left Fenton at the hotel. Returning later, they saw him talking with Chief Andrews in the lobby. They crept up on the twosome and listened in.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Fenton was saying. "Laura and I swore we would never tell Joe. It wasn't his fault."

"But you don't have a choice," the chief argued. "He will find out, one way or another. It had to come out sometime."

"But not the way it did," Fenton stated. "This mess is all my fault," he moaned and put his head in his hands. "Laura was right. I've lost Joe and Frank. I never knew how much Joe really did mean to me until this happened. And now, it's too late."

"He'll forgive you," Todd told his friend. "They both will. It may take some time, but they'll understand why you kept it from them."

"Will they?" Fenton asked, looking up at Todd with doubtful brown eyes. "Or will they just hate me more?"

"Loitering is not allowed," a voice said from behind Frank and Joe. They spun around and saw the bellhop standing behind them.

"Sorry," Frank said. "We were just admiring the pictures," he added, waving a hand at the pictures in front of him.

"Yeah," Joe agreed. "We're art majors. They're hand painted, aren't they?"

"I think so," said the young man.

"Well, we'll be off now," Frank said, faking a yawn. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," said the bellhop as Frank and Joe retreated to the elevator.

"What wasn't my fault?" Joe wondered out loud once they were back in their room.

"I don't know," replied Frank. "I guess we'll find out tomorrow when we get home." He pulled some pajamas out of Joe's duffel and tossed them at him. "Try to get some sleep baby bro," Frank urged.

"I don't think I can," Joe said. "I don't know who I am. I have no idea why Dad didn't care about me. And now, my being his son, your brother, is due to something bad."

"That's not true," Frank tried to comfort his brother.

"Frank," Joe said, holding up a hand and preventing Frank from saying any more. "You heard him. It's not my fault. I was a baby. But if it wasn't my fault, then it was someone's. And that someone had to be one or both of my parents."