‘No one but me.’

Frank thought back over the past four months and the countless times he’d listened to Joe describe his living hell. As hard as it was for Frank to hear, he knew it was the reason he was the only one who came through Joe’s opening testimony relatively unscathed.

Frank glanced at Vanessa seated in the back between Joe and Laura. She held Joe’s hand tightly in hers but stared, unblinking and glassy-eyed, out the front windshield. Physically, she was right there by Joe’s side. Mentally and emotionally, Frank couldn’t even hazard a guess as to where she might be.

Seated to Vanessa’s right, Laura didn’t appear much better. Every few minutes she would blink rapidly fighting back tears she was determined Joe wouldn’t see. Fenton, in the front passenger seat, looked as if he’d aged ten years in one day. Frank couldn’t help but remember how strong his father had been while they were searching for Joe and those first few days Joe was in the hospital. Frank had been so caught up in his own grief and anger he hadn’t given his father a second thought. It suddenly became a little easier for Frank to understand why Fenton had chosen to block everything out once they returned to Bayport. Being the rock his family needed at the time had taken everything Fenton had to give.

A quick glance at Callie caused Frank to frown. That same haunted look he’d seen on her face and in her eyes last night was back stronger than ever. Sadness so deep Frank felt it in his soul. He had a feeling hearing about Joe’s painful ordeal firsthand was only part of it. Whatever else was bothering her Frank couldn’t even begin to imagine, frustrating him no end.

Pulling into a space in the hotel’s garage, the car doors flew open before Frank had even turned the engine off. It was as if the occupants couldn’t wait to escape the confined space that had become so filled with tension and sorrow.

Taking Callie’s hand, Frank trailed behind his parents, Joe and Vanessa. Sighing inwardly, he wondered if all the progress he’d made the past week – keeping Joe occupied and grounded; picking up the pieces when Fenton couldn’t do it anymore; simply keeping his family from self-destructing – had just been wiped out in one heartbreaking afternoon.

*****

Joe opened the door to the suite, holding it for Laura and Vanessa. He watched as Vanessa disappeared down the hall to their bedroom so fast she was almost a blur.

"Excuse me," he mumbled to his family and quickly followed.

Walking into the bedroom, Joe shut the door behind him. Following the muted sounds, Joe found Vanessa on the couch in the sitting room, hunched over with her face in her hands, crying. Hearing him enter, Vanessa looked up at Joe, tears staining her face.

"I’m sorry. I’ll be stronger tomorrow. I promise," Vanessa said, her voice catching. "I just…I didn’t realize…I wasn’t…prepared…"

Joe stood watching her, raking a hand through his blonde hair in frustration.

"I don’t want you to be stronger tomorrow, Van. I don’t want you to be prepared," he replied trying to keep his voice steady. "I don’t want you there at all!"

"B-but I have to be there," Vanessa hiccupped trying to get the tears under control.

"Why?!" Joe cried out, distressed. "Why do you have to be there?"

"To support you. To help you-" Vanessa began.

"Damn it, Van, that doesn’t help!" Joe paced, feeling his anger rise and trying to quash it. "Don’t you get it?! It’s hard enough for me to relive it. I don’t want you to relive it with me!" Joe gestured wildly with his hands, growing more agitated by the second.

Seeing Joe was on the verge of losing control, Vanessa reached out and grabbed his arm as he passed in front of her. With a gentle tug, she got him to take a seat on the edge of the coffee table.

"You were all alone the first time it happened," she said softly, taking his hands in hers. Leaning forward, she rested her forehead against Joe’s. "I just don’t want you to be alone when you have to go through it again."

Joe closed his eyes, taking a minute to compose himself. He knew hearing the details of the gruesome acts of torture he’d endured would eat away at her heart and soul. This afternoon was proof of that. Still she was willing to do it for him. Opening his eyes, Joe stared at her.

"I won’t be alone," he finally replied, much calmer. "Frank will be there. And he already knows…everything…we’ve talked about it a lot. Dad will be there too."

Sitting back, Joe continued staring into the blue-gray eyes, wishing he could drown in them and never have to face this again.

"Watching you die a little more with every word I say is going to kill me, Van. Can’t you see that? Please, if you really want to help me," Joe begged his eyes pleading, "stay here tomorrow."

As Vanessa listened to Joe’s impassioned plea, a little voice in the back of her mind told her maybe he was right. Had her attempts to be there for Joe, no matter what, become an obsession? Had she lost her focus and lost sight of what was really best for Joe in her determination to make a point of standing by him no matter what? She could easily see her reaction to the brief testimony she heard today had shaken him as much as the testimony itself had shaken her. Did she really want to know every single detail of the abuse Joe had suffered?

Confused and conflicted, Vanessa suddenly had no idea what was best for Joe – or herself. But she couldn’t make the promise Joe wanted to hear unless she was sure.

"I’ll…I’ll sleep on it," Vanessa said softly, deciding that was the best she could do at the moment.

"Thank you," Joe exhaled as he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.

While she hadn’t agreed to stay at the hotel, it was the first time she agreed to consider it and Joe would happily take any victory he could get – no matter how small.

*****

In dark contrast to previous evenings, the mood in the penthouse was decidedly somber. Listening to others describe Joe’s nightmarish ordeal was one thing. Hearing Joe tell it was something entirely different. The undercurrent of fear in his voice and pain in his eyes had been devastating to his family – more so than they had ever thought possible.

Like Vanessa, Laura had sought refuge in her bedroom the second they had arrived back at the hotel. Shaken and distraught, she shunned Fenton’s repeated efforts to get her to come out for dinner or at least allow him to order room service for her. Insisting she wanted to be alone, she emerged only once, ostensibly to check on Joe and make sure he was all right. In reality, her imagination had gotten the better of her and she needed to see for herself that her youngest son was indeed safely ensconced in his own bedroom and not chained to a fence somewhere in the wilderness.

With Joe and Vanessa holed up in their room and Laura refusing to leave hers, it was a quiet meal for Callie, Frank and Fenton. After several minutes of very strained after-dinner conversation, the three decided it was best just to turn in early.

Following Callie down the hall to their bedroom, Frank hesitated in the doorway. Glancing to his left Frank stared at the closed door at the end of the hall.

"Why don’t you go check on him?" Callie said quietly. "Make sure he’s okay."

Turning back to his wife, Frank gazed at her and smiled. Sometimes it still amazed him how well she understood him.

"I’ll only be a minute." He leaned down and kissed her.

Continuing down the hall, Frank stopped at the closed door and listened. Hearing nothing at all, he knocked softly. A few seconds later the door opened to reveal Joe in sweatpants and a t-shirt, clutching the latest issue of Sports Illustrated.

"Shhh," Joe whispered, putting a finger to his lips. "Van’s asleep."

"Good," Frank nodded shoving his hands in his pockets and shifting his weight, suddenly self-conscious.

After a moment of awkward silence, Joe gave him a lopsided grin. "Soooo…did you want something?"

Frank returned the grin realizing it was pretty silly to start beating around the bush now. "Yeah, I wanted to make sure you were okay. I know you really didn’t want Van to hear any of that…"

Joe considered Frank’s words for a moment before responding with a slow nod. "I’m okay."

"You sure?" Frank asked not believing his brother for a minute.

"Yeah. Vanessa said she’d consider staying here tomorrow." The lopsided grin returned along with a glimmer of hope in the deep blue eyes.

"Really? How’d you convince her?"

Joe smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Would you believe I lost my temper?"

"No?! You?!" Frank replied in mock-horror.

"Hard to believe, huh?" Joe chuckled. "But I guess it shook her up a little. She agreed to at least consider not going. That’s a start."

"Good. She doesn’t really need to hear it," Frank agreed. "Listen, if you think it would help if I spoke to her tomorrow…" he let the offer hang in the air.

"I’ll let you know," Joe assured him. "And thanks."

"No problem. Goodnight."

"Night," Joe shut the door and returned to stretch out on the couch once more.

Opening the magazine, he tried to focus on the article he’d been reading and block out the images of burning logs, swinging chains and stinging scorpions that were seared into his memory.

*****

"NOOOOOOO!"

Joe shot up in bed as the scream tore through his heart. Next to him, Vanessa was sitting up staring wide-eyed into space. Her face was a mask of terror and tears were streaming down her face unchecked.

"Van?" Joe touched her shoulder, unsure if she even knew he was there.

With a gasp, Vanessa pulled away but only for a second. Quickly realizing where she was, Vanessa threw her arms around Joe’s neck and sobbed on his shoulder.

"Shhh. It’s okay, Baby. Just a bad dream. I’m right here; you’re completely safe," Joe said comfortingly, thinking Vanessa was having a nightmare about the rape. They had diminished considerably over the past eleven months but came back stronger than ever when Vanessa was stressed or upset.

"N-no," she hiccupped, holding on to Joe as if her life depended on it. "It w-was you."

"Me?" Joe asked, confused.

Just then, Joe heard the sounds of doors opening and closing and footsteps in the hall, followed by a muffled voice he recognized as Frank.

"Joe? Everything okay?"

"Fine," Joe called out as Vanessa tightened her grip on him. "Go back to bed."

He heard more muffled voices and then retreating footsteps. As Vanessa continued to cry, Joe held her tightly. "You wanna talk about it?"

Vanessa shook her head furiously, then apparently thought better of it and nodded slowly.

"You w-were chained to a fence. I was there, and F-frank and your parents…even Callie," Vanessa stuttered and stammered, unable to shake the sounds and images. "You were begging us to help you. I tried. I tried so hard to reach you, but I couldn’t…we couldn’t…" Vanessa stopped as tears overwhelmed her again. "We c-couldn’t get to you…oh, God, Joe you died! Right in front of me, you died!"

"I’m not dead!" Joe said forcefully, holding her as close as he possibly could, wishing it could be closer. "I’m right here with you. I’m fine," he said soothingly, stroking her hair. "Just fine."

Several minutes passed before Vanessa loosened her arms and sat back. Staring up at Joe, she could see him smiling at her by the moonlight streaming in through the glass doors on the balcony. Reaching up with a shaking hand, she touched his cheek lightly as if to confirm his presence.

"You’re here. You’re all right."

"I’m all right," Joe repeated calmly.

He lay back down on the bed pulling Vanessa down with him. As she rested her head on his shoulder, Joe continued to stroke her hair and murmur words of comfort until her breathing slowed and the shudders stopped, letting him know she was asleep once again. Sighing, he looked at the clock on the bedside table knowing he’d be up the rest of the night haunted by his own nightmares.

*****

Reluctantly, Joe turned off the hot water and stepped out of the shower. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he used another to dry his tousled blonde hair. Emerging from the bathroom, he was surprised to see Vanessa up and dressed – in jeans and a sweater. Taking in her slightly swollen eyes complete with dark circles underneath, he knew whatever sleep she had managed to get wasn’t exactly restful.

"I’m not going," Vanessa announced softly.

Joe exhaled, feeling the tension drain away. He took two strides and pulled her into his arms.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Believe me, this is the best thing you can do to help me."

Vanessa stood in his warm, slightly wet embrace, for several minutes. The nightmare had been so real, she was afraid to let Joe out of her grasp; afraid she might never see him again.

"You’ll call me when you get a break?" she asked hopefully.

"Absolutely," Joe reassured her. Stepping back, he looked into the eyes he loved so much. Leaning forward, he kissed her lightly on the lips. "Thanks, Babe."

"Guess I’ll have to find something to amuse myself, huh?" Vanessa gave a shaky laugh as she wiped an errant tear from her cheek.

"Hmmm…maybe I can help you with that," Joe smiled as he hastily grabbed the sweatpants and t-shirt he’d been wearing the night before which was now thrown in a heap on the floor. "Be right back," he called over his shoulder as he hurried out of the room.

Joe stopped and knocked on the closed door in front of him. Seconds later it swung open.

"Hey, Joe," Callie greeted him as she pulled the door open wider. "Frank’s in the shower, but he’ll be out in a minute if you want to wait."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you," Joe said following Callie into the room. "I need a favor."

"Sure, anything," Callie replied. As horrible as it had been for her to listen to what Joe had been through, and despite the doubts and fears it had raised for her, she knew today was going to be the worst day yet for Joe. With that in the front of her mind, she was eager to do anything that might make it easier for him.

"Vanessa agreed not to attend the trial today," Joe began obviously relieved. "But I don’t want her to be alone." He hesitated a moment, not quite sure who Frank had been speaking to when he’d knocked on the door in the middle of the night. "She had a pretty bad nightmare last night…"

"Yeah, I heard," Callie said softly. "Is she okay?"

"I think she’s still a little spooked. And I don’t want her to be alone today. Would you mind skipping the trial and staying here with her?"

"Of course!" Callie agreed immediately. ‘Thank you!’ she sent out a silent prayer. She herself had been up most of the night after being awakened by Vanessa’s bloodcurdling scream. The hours dragged slowly, giving her ample time to obsess on the question of whether or not her future included the children she so badly wanted.

"Thanks, Sis," Joe said gratefully. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"You know," Frank drawled as he walked into the room, "if I were the jealous type and I walked in on my brother kissing my wife, I’d put two and two together and come up with-"

"Five," Joe finished for him as he walked towards the door. "Thanks, Cal…for everything." He winked and disappeared down the hall.

"So," Frank began teasingly as he approached Callie and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close, "you’re having a steamy, torrid affair with my little brother, huh?"

"Yeah, but don’t spread it around. We’re trying to keep it a secret," Callie replied mischievously.

"My lips are sealed," Frank promised, leaning down for a kiss of his own.

"Vanessa isn’t going to the trial today," Callie began to explain, once Frank released her.

"Good. Hearing him describe what he went through will only upset her. He barely got started yesterday and she was a wreck."

"And the more upset she gets, the more stressed out he gets," Callie completed his thought.

"Exactly."

"Um…he asked me to stay with her today. You don’t mind, do you?" Callie asked nervously. Would Frank want her there to offer him moral support?

"Mind?!" Frank whirled around to face her, surprise written all over his face. "Of course not! I wasn’t too crazy about you hearing Joe’s testimony either. I’ll feel much better knowing you’re here with Vanessa rather than in court listening to what that animal did to him!" He finished, his anger quickly rising to the surface.

"What about you?" Callie asked concerned. Those sudden flashes of anger had been increasing in frequency and duration, leading Callie to believe Frank was starting to snap under the strain.

"What about me?" Frank parried somewhat defensively. "I’ll be fine. I can handle it. Besides, I’ve heard it all before."

‘That’s what worries me,’ Callie thought, as Frank finished getting dressed.

She had seen Frank’s hatred for Keith Rashman and his burning desire to somehow avenge Joe’s suffering grow with each passing day. Noting her husband’s sudden lapse into a moody silence, Callie wondered how many times Frank could listen to Joe describe the savage brutality he had lived through before Frank finally cracked.