By the time Frank got to Callie’s he was exhausted. 

Mrs. Morton had helped him wrap the gift he bought for Callie, as he always waited until the last minute to buy her gift.  Coming from a wealthy family, she was hard to buy for. 

This year he had bought her a diamond pendent and earrings.

He knew that Callie was expecting a promise ring, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to give her that – something kept holding him back.  But he couldn’t place a name to what it was.

“Do you want some hot chocolate?  I got the small marshmallows that you like,” Callie said, already getting up.  Her large screen TV was showing the opening credits to “A Christmas Carol” – the Alistair Sim version, as she had already turned off all the lights, leaving only the twinkling little red and green lights of her tree on.

“Sure,” Frank said, stifling a yawn as he stretched his almost six-foot frame out on the comfy couch and laid his head back on his hands, gazing up at the tree. 

It was beautiful but as he watched it he was suddenly overcome with an overwhelming sadness and he didn’t know why. 

Closing his eyes he was surprised to see the face of the little blond boy that he had chased in the mall. 

The little boy seemed to be saying something to him but as Frank strained his ears to hear him, he couldn’t make out anything the child was saying. “I can’t hear you!” his mind yelled. 

The little boy stopped talking and looked at him with the saddest blue eyes Frank had ever seen, and they tore a hole right through his heart.  And then the boy faded away and Frank drifted into a deep sleep before Callie had a chance to come back in from the kitchen.

* * *

“Frank!”  The little boy yelled, “Frank!” but the dark haired boy didn’t hear him.  Finally, frustrated, the little boy turned away.

The older man shook his head and then went to find the boy. 

He couldn’t interfere but at the same time, he couldn’t let the little boy go by himself.  An unbroken habit, he needed to make sure the little boy was okay. 

That was what they did – they looked out for each other.

* * *

“Fra-“Callie’s voice cut off in mid word as she saw her boyfriend lying on the couch fast asleep. 

Smiling affectionately, she walked over and sat down beside him, soaking up the pure innocence on his sleeping face.  She loved him more than her life itself…she wondered if he would ever know that.

Grabbing a warm blanket, she gently covered him up and then turned off the TV.  Cradling the hot chocolate on her knee, Callie curled up on the stuffed armchair across from the couch and just watched him while he slept, with the little lights casting soft green and red glow on her beloved.

* * *

The blond haired boy with the vibrant blue eyes saw the brown haired boy was now asleep on the couch. 

As he approached the sleeper he expected the older man to try and stop him but he didn’t.  In fact, the older man was nodding encouragingly at him….

And then the little boy reached out his hand and touched the gently rising and falling chest – no…not his chest…his heart.

It was as if that small hand reached right in and touched the actual beating heart – feeling the hole that was there.

The teen’s eyes flew open and for one second the child thought that he had been seen.

* * *

Frank had been sleeping when he suddenly felt as if someone was touching his chest…. his heart. 

And he was embraced in a feeling of such warmth and goodness, his eyes flew open in recognition… Joe.

Bolting up, Frank felt his head start to swirl and he had to lie back down for a moment.  Callie saw him and became instantly concerned. “Frank, what’s wrong?”  she demanded, as she saw such a look of loss on his face, it scared her.

Frank fought to focus on Callie as he was swept away with images. Images of his life…but not this life…not the life he knew…but the life he remembered.

Grabbing her arm he asked anxiously, “Where’s Joe?” 

Callie looked at him worriedly, “Joe?  Frank what are you talking about?”

“Joe – my brother.  You know…” and then his voice dropped off as he saw the look on her face, as she reached out with her hand to touch his face.  He was burning up.

“Frank, you’ve got a fever.  Just try and relax while I go and get you an aspirin.”  Callie hurriedly left the couch, afraid that Frank was delirious.

But Frank wasn’t.  He had a brother and he had to find him… before it was too late!

* * *

The boy with the vibrant blue eyes smiled up at the older man, “It’ll be okay,” he assured the older man, who smiled back at him and nodded.  It had to be.

* * *

“Mr. Hardy this is Callie.” It was now after 11 p.m. and Frank was still ranting about a brother he thought he had.  Finally, Callie had broken down and called his father. 

In the background she could hear Frank telling her that he needed to find this Joe person. 

“I don’t even know this person and I already don’t like him,” she mused a few minutes later as she hung up.  After hearing about Frank’s delirium, Fenton told her he’d be right over to pick his son up.

“Callie – I can’t find my keys!  I need to borrow your car,” Frank said after taking all the cushions off the couch looking for them. 

He had left them on the coffee table when he lay down, and Callie had the quick foresight to pocket them before he made good on his threat and left to go out in the snow looking for a ghost.

“Frank, your father is on his way….He’ll help you find this brother of yours,” she said, trying to placate him by pretending to be part of his delusion.

“Good – I’ll wait outside for him,” Frank said impatiently.  He needed to find Joe.  He was desperate to find him. 

His mind was tearing itself apart as it tried to deal with the images that were overwhelming him as he was conflicted between two lives –

Joe existed…somewhere…someplace…and Frank needed to find him…he needed to tell him something.  Although right now he couldn’t remember what it was….

* * *

Fenton drove as fast as he dared in the snow slick streets.  He knew that Frank must be really sick to be hallucinating like that.  A brother…you’d think I’d have known about it…if that were true, he thought sarcastically to himself as he turned the corner and headed up the driveway to the Shaw house.

A few minutes later as he saw his son, Fenton Hardy decided that they weren’t going home…they were going straight to the hospital.

Pulling out his cell, he dialed his wife’s pager number and then left a message: FRANK’S SICK.  I’M BRINGING HIM IN. 

And then hung up. 

Laura had almost gotten out of the hospital before being called back to perform an emergency hysterectomy…and then two fully dilated sisters were brought in and things got interesting from there….

Fenton had hoped that she would be home for Christmas morning, but now as he pulled into the hospital parking lot, he wondered if any of them would.