The blond boy hissed in pain as his brother inadvertently hurt him when he helped steady him and then lowered him gently into one of the kitchen chairs. He then knelt down in front of his brother so he could look him in the face.

"Are you okay?" The concern he saw in the warm dark eyes was almost more then Joe could handle as Frank reached out reflexively to brush the hair from his face.

Joe flinched and Frank immediately dropped his hand a look of alarm filtering across his features.

Joe’s mind was reeling as he tried to remain lucid but inside he was screaming…

"N-no", Joe whispered as he tentatively reached up with a shaking hand towards his brother’s face now marred by the black and swollen eye.

He had failed.

Frank was growing increasingly worried but he dared not move somehow understanding how important it was that he didn’t. He closed his eyes for a moment when he felt the gentle almost non existent touch of his brother’s fingers as he ran them lightly along the dark bruise…careful not to hurt Frank.

His fingers trembled.

"No", he whispered again horrified to see Frank like this.

"Joe", Frank tried again as his eyes searched the face in front of him for answers, "what’s wrong?"

Joe’s face was so pale it had terrified Frank when he first saw him. Yet the skin that touched his cheek burned with fever.

And then when he looked into Joe’s eyes, his stomach dropped. In their sapphire depths he saw many things he couldn’t place…but the one that made the lump in the back of his throat was the look of complete and utter despair that seemed to permeate whatever other emotions Frank was seeing.

Joe caught Frank’s gaze for only a brief second before he dropped his eyes and his hand. He couldn’t bear to see what he knew must be in Frank’s heart… disappointment … anger…shame…

"J-Joe?" Frank’s heart was racing as his every fiber screamed that something was terribly wrong and all the feelings and warnings of his instincts left him trembling and it carried to his voice.

His earlier reservations and anger towards Joe had been forgotten as his big brother side came back on line shoving aside the suspicion and betrayal that had been living there.

The sound in Frank’s voice forced Joe to focus on him but only for a second before his vision was blurred by tears and he just whispered, "I’m so sorry…so so sorry…"

"What are you sorry for?" The older boy pressed gently although he wasn’t sure if he was prepared for the answer.

"Y-you…got hurt", Joe was starting to shiver more and Frank quickly undid the fleece lined shirt he was wearing and draped it around his brother’s shaking frame.

"It’s not your fault", Frank asserted as he gently placed his hand on Joe’s forehead and then frowned as he felt just how warm it was, "you’re sick."

Joe didn’t hear him or even flinch this time, his head just hurt too much and he was having trouble concentrating. He really just wanted to go to bed and get some sleep.

"Come on" Frank said gently as he slowly helped Joe stand up, "let’s get you to your room."

Fresh tears wet Joe’s cheek as he sobbed quietly.

Shaking more, Joe started mumbling and Frank had to lean over to make out what his brother was saying.

"Please…no…darkness…please…"

Frank’s heart clinched as he heard the pleading in his brother’s voice and he tried to reassure him, "Sshh it’s okay Joe…it’s okay. I’ll put the light on in your room…it won’t be dark…" swallowing the lump in his throat he added, "you wont’ be alone."

The older boy knew his brother was afraid of the dark and figured that was what he was talking about. It never occurred to him that it might be something much darker then the lights in his room that he was afraid…much much darker.

* * *

As soon as he lowered Joe to the bed, the younger boy grabbed the blankets and pulled them over himself shivering violently in explanation.

Frank hurried to the bathroom to find him some fever reducer and then came back with two and a glass of water.

Joe gratefully took both and then fell into a restless sleep.

Frank got a cold cloth to put on his forehead but as soon as he touched Joe, the younger boy recoiled as he gasped, "n-no… pl-please…" leaving Frank shaken that Joe didn’t want him to touch him at all, even to help him.

"Easy Joe. Easy", he said soothingly as he backed away and sat on Will’s bed. He watched Joe for a long time, briefly checking him periodically to see if his fever was still rising. After two hours, it finally started to come down.

* * *

When Will came home later that night he was very surprised to see Frank in his room, sitting on his bed nonetheless.

Frank looked up as Will came in and held his fingers to his lips to keep him quiet.

"Joe is sleeping…he’s really sick", Frank kept his tone low as he enlightened Will.

Instantly the twin was beside Joe’s beside and leaned over to look at him, concern on his face, "Is he going to be alright?"

"He should be", Frank sighed finding himself very uncomfortable with Will being so close to Joe like that, "I gave him some aspirin and it’s starting to work. He’s cooler then before."

"Good, "said Will genuinely relieved. He had been momentarily worried that Joe might not be able to continue to play.

"Okay," Will said taking off his sweater and tossing it in the laundry hamper. He pulled out a lighter t-shirt to sleep in, "you can go now then. I’m here."

Frank didn’t budge as his back went up at Will’s quick dismissal of him.

He was Joe’s brother too damn it!

William pulled out a textbook and plopped it on his desk before turning back to Frank and sighing, "Frank, you can leave. I am perfectly capable of looking after him…I’ve been doing it for a while now."

Frank started to say something when Will took a good look at him and saw his eye.

Unable to control a grin he asked, "What happened to you? I thought you were hitting the books today but I had no idea that they might be hitting back." Will found that hilariously funny and laughed out loud at the mental picture that created.

"Ha ha very funny", Frank said sarcastically and Will quipped, "But don’t worry too much about it Frank…that shade looks wonderful on you. Now if you don’t mind, I need to study and Joe needs to rest."

Will had pulled the trump card and casting a resigned sigh at his youngest brother’s sleeping form, Frank got up. He didn’t want to get into it with William right now because Joe was so sick.

So he got up and after checking his brother’s forehead one more time, Frank went thru the bathroom into his own room. But not before pausing and saying in a tone that brooked no argument, "Don’t lock this door. I’m going to be checking on him tonight."

William scowled at him and then after Frank left he went over and grabbed Joe by the throat. Panic filled blue eyes snapped open and locked on the horrid ones standing inches above his face.

"You little shit, "Will hissed as he felt the pulse in Joe’s neck as he squeezed it, "look what you’ve gone and done!"

Joe weakly grappled at his brother’s hands to try and remove them from his throat but he was too weak and this time William did not let go until Joe passed out. And then he had to force himself away from Joe’s still form.

Williams’ eyes flashed angrily… damn him… Frank was suspicious.

* * *

Frank paced in his room. Sleep was not anything in his near future so instead he paced.

He stared at his half eaten sandwich on the desk and then forced himself to sit down. His mind was reeling with emotions and thoughts that he couldn’t make heads nor tails out of.

Taking a thoughtful bite of his sandwich he stared at the computer screen and watched his screen saver for a while. It was one he had put together himself and it flashed home taken photos at different intervals.

He watched as a picture of Callie and him melded into a picture of him and Joe rollerblading down by the seawall at the beach. As he watched each of the pictures, most of which had Joe in them, he slowly became aware of something and kicked himself for not noticing before.

The boy lying in that bed with a fever was not Joe. Not the Joe he knew and grew up with anyways.

Somewhere along the way, the confident fun loving little brother that had grown with him had turned into the hesitant withdrawn boy in the next room.

And then Frank had his answer. The last picture in the set was a really cool one he had taken with the camera he got for his 16^th birthday. It was a picture of Joe looking at him from the bathroom. Joe had just taken a shower and had a white terry bath towel wrapped snuggly around his waist. But that wasn’t what he was looking at.

What had transfixed Frank’s attention was what he could see behind Joe.

Joe’s reflection in the mirror.