Fenton Hardy looked at his watch. 1:30 in the morning. Six and a half hours since he had gotten the phone call from Ezra Collig. He leaned back in the hard vinyl chair in Vanessa’s hospital room and closed he eyes. The events of the night had been an emotional whirlwind, leaving him exhausted but his mind refused to stop. When was this guy going to strike again? There had to be a pattern to the attacks. He had methodically planned everything else – the cities where he raped, the number of rapes in each city. There had to be a pattern as to when the next one would occur. ‘Damn, why can’t I see it!’ he cursed himself. If only they’d caught this guy in Kirkland or Southport. He couldn’t believe how guilty he felt. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what Joe was going through.

He opened his eyes and looked at his wife curled up on the small, hard couch; more like a love seat really. He looked across the room at the hospital bed where Joe was asleep, his arms wrapped tightly around Vanessa. She appeared to be clinging to him for dear life, even though she was sleeping. Earlier she had become extremely agitated and upset, even though she hadn’t really regained consciousness. When Joe spoke to her in a soothing voice she seemed to sense he was there. When he had climbed onto the bed and held her in his arms, she finally started to calm down. He had fallen asleep holding her. Every so often Vanessa would let out a small cry, and he knew she was reliving the brutal assault in her dreams.

Luckily a private room had been available that evening. Fenton was more than willing to pay the extra cost to ensure privacy for Vanessa and emotional support for Joe. Dr. Jackson had made arrangements to allow Fenton and Laura to stay the night in the small hospital room as well.

Frank’s confession earlier that evening in the hospital corridor had left Fenton speechless. He had grown so used to Frank always knowing just how to handle Joe it never occurred to him that Frank would be at a loss as to how to comfort and support his younger brother now. Joe needed to be there for Vanessa. Frank needed to be there for Joe. Callie needed to be there for Frank. Laura would always be there for her children. Fenton needed to be there for all of them. ‘Who’s going to be there for me?’ he thought sadly.

Unable to sleep, he thought of the irony of what had happened. Over the years many of the criminals Fenton, Frank and Joe had put away vowed revenge on them and those they loved. Many had tried to extract that revenge, vowing to destroy the close-knit family. All of them failed. Yet tonight a total stranger, in what appeared to be a random act of violence, may have succeeded where all the rest had failed. His sons were falling apart before his eyes. Fenton Hardy couldn’t shake the overwhelming fear that his family’s own personal nightmare was just beginning.

As Vanessa slowly began to wake up, she became aware of a constant dull throbbing in her head. The bed she was lying in was hard; not the big, soft, comfortable bed she loved at home. Where was she? She readjusted her legs to get more comfortable and gasped in pain. ‘God that hurt!’ Tears sprang to her eyes automatically. She felt someone touch her hair. Instinctively she threw up her arms in defense and tried to scoot to the far side of the bed, each movement resulting in even more pain.

"No! No! Please, leave me alone." she cried out, trying to make herself as small as possible. ‘Everything hurts! Why does it hurt so much? God, please, make is stop hurting!’

"Vanessa, babe, it’s me. Joe. You’re safe now, honey. It’s ok. You’re safe."

Vanessa opened her eyes a crack. The light made her head pound even more.

"Joe?" she asked fearfully.

"Yeah, I’m here, babe."

Immediately she reached out for him. Joe sat on the bed and Vanessa crawled into his arms. He gently rocked her back and forth, smoothing her hair. As Vanessa began to fully awaken, the events of the night before came flooding back to her. She started trembling, trying desperately to choke back tears.

Joe held her, still stroking her hair. "It’s ok, baby. Let it out."

She shook her head no. She didn’t want to let it out. She hated losing control, but she couldn’t hold it back. She had no idea how long she cried, clinging to Joe like a lifeline. He held her, whispering to her, trying his best to comfort her, although he knew nothing he said could take away the pain.

Finally, the tears slowed to a trickle. Joe thought he heard her mumble something.

"What did you say, hon?"

Barely above a whisper, she repeated. "I’m sorry. I’m so sorry."

Joe closed his eyes, resting his chin on her head. ‘No, no, no, no! She can’t possibly think any of this was her fault!’ Joe felt his eyes sting with tears and the burning rage he’d been suppressing all night threatened to come exploding back to the surface. ‘No, I can’t lose it now.’ He heard his fathers voice once again. ‘You have to be the strong one.’ He heard Vanessa speaking softly.

"If I had just checked my messages one more time before I left. If I had just called you one more time to make sure you got my message." Her lower lip trembled. "This never would have happened."

Joe was on the verge of losing control again. He took a deep breath to calm himself and looked into Vanessa’s eyes for the first time since the assault. The pain he saw there was almost unbearable for him. ‘When I find this bastard he’ll be sorry he was ever born! ‘

"Listen to me. There is no way any of this was your fault. None! Understand? So you didn’t check your messages. You didn’t call me one more time. That doesn’t give anyone the right to hurt you!" Vanessa nodded silently but her eyes said she disagreed.

"No one is going to blame you." Joe continued. "No one!"

Just then, the door opened and a nurse walked in.

"Good morning. I’m Karen." She smiled at Vanessa. Joe moved out of the way as Karen reached for the blood pressure cuff. "How are you feeling this morning?"

Vanessa hesitated a moment. "Sore." She replied quietly. Joe stiffened. It took every ounce of self-control to keep his anger hidden. "And my head really hurts."

"Are your eyes sensitive to light?"

"Yes."

"That’s to be expected. You took a pretty nasty bump on the head." Karen was silent while she took Vanessa’s blood pressure and recorded it on her chart. "That should improve over the next few days. Dr. Jackson will be in to see you shortly. I’ll have a breakfast tray sent up for you." Karen said as she turned to leave.

"Thank you." Vanessa replied, although she didn’t feel much like eating. She leaned back against the pillow, closing her eyes. She felt the tears well up again.

"Van? Are you okay?" Joe asked softly.

‘I’ll never be okay again.’ She thought, but nodded mutely. ‘Why? Why did this happen to me?’ She felt the tears spill over onto her cheeks.

"Oh, Baby, I’m so sorry." Joe started to reach for her.

"Please, don’t." she whispered. Seeing the look in his eyes, she immediately regretted it. "I’m sorry. I just…I feel so…dirty." ‘Will he ever want to touch me again? Will I ever want him to?’

Joe willed himself not to cry. The last thing Vanessa needed was to see him break down.

"Well, I still see the same beautiful woman I saw yesterday and the day before that and the day before that. I love you, Van. Nothing will ever change that."

She reached out and squeezed his hand. Looking down, she noticed the bandage on his right hand.

"What happened to your hand?" she asked, concerned.

"I, uh, broke a coffee mug. Cut my hand." Joe said quickly. ‘It’s not a total lie.’ He thought remembering his violent outburst the night before. The coffee mug had been broken when he had flung it across the room and he did end up cutting his hand. He held his breath hoping she would not ask for any further explanation. He hated lying to her but this time the truth was not an option. Luckily, he was saved from any further questions when Karen came back in.

"The police are here to see you, Vanessa. Dr. Jackson got called away on an emergency but he said if you feel up to it, you can see them."

Vanessa looked at Joe. "They must be here to take your statement." He told her. "If you don’t want to do it now, they can come back."

"I’d rather just get it over with. Will you stay with me?"

Joe hoped what he was feeling inside was not written on his face. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was listen to Vanessa recount the awful details of the rape. But the haunted look in her eyes kept him right by her side.

"I’ll do whatever you want, Babe."

"Thank you." She turned to Karen. "Ask them to come in."

Ezra Collig, Con Riley, Jeff Kroner and two female officers walked into the room.

"Hello, Vanessa." Chief Collig smiled at her. "This is Detective Julie Barbone and her partner Crystal Phillips. I thought you might be more comfortable talking to them." At that moment, Joe regretted every sarcastic comment he had ever made about Chief Collig having no heart.

Vanessa looked at the two women. Julie Barbone was a tall, striking redhead with brilliant green eyes. Her easy smile made Vanessa feel a little more comfortable. Crystal Phillips was several inches shorter than her partner, with light brown hair and matching brown eyes. The two women seemed very comfortable with each other and started making small talk with Vanessa in an effort to get her to relax as much as the situation would allow.

As the three men turned to leave the room, Con stopped and waited for Joe to join them.

When Joe didn’t move, Con raised his eyebrows and looked at Joe questioningly.

"You’re not staying." He said quietly.

"She asked me to stay. She needs me."

Con shook his head in disbelief. "Joe, you can’t -"

"I’m not leaving her!" Joe growled at him.

Con wasn’t sure whether he admired Joe or thought he had lost his mind. Knowing Fenton and Laura had gone to the airport to pick up Andrea, Con told Joe he’d wait in the hall, just in case he needed anything, and left. Joe turned back to Vanessa, who clutched his hand tightly, took a deep breath and began to speak.

"I was sitting at the bus stop on Greenridge Road. The last bus had pulled away just as I came around the corner so I was the only one there. As soon as I sat down the streetlight burned out so it was really dark. I was getting cold so I got up and started walking back and forth in front of the bench to keep warm. Next thing I knew I was on my knees seeing stars. Someone hit me over the head…" her voice trailed off.

‘Stay in control. Stay calm.’ Joe told himself. He knew Vanessa needed him there with her, but he wasn’t sure how much he could listen to without losing control.

"No...wait…" Vanessa frowned in concentration. She stared at the wall as if whatever she was searching for in her memory would be found there. "I was walking in front of the bench when someone grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. He punched me in the stomach and I doubled over. That’s when he hit me in the head."

She looked apologetically at the detectives. "I’m sorry. I guess it’s still a little confusing."

The red headed officer was saying something to Vanessa but Joe didn’t hear it. ‘He hit her…twice!’ Joe was seething with rage again. He was clenching his teeth so hard his jaw ached. He could not wait to get his hands on the man who had done this to Vanessa. ‘You are going to be so sorry…’

"Vanessa, were you able to get a look at him at all? Maybe just a glimpse?" Detective Barbone asked.

Vanessa shook her head. "I’ve been having trouble with a computer program at work. I was so caught up in thinking about that I never even heard him. I guess I should have been paying more attention to my surroundings." She said quietly. "Maybe this wouldn’t have hap –"

"It’s not your fault!" Joe cut her off, then quickly softened his voice. "I’m sorry, Babe, but I hate to see you blaming yourself. You didn’t do anything wrong."

"He’s right, Vanessa." The red headed officer continued. "You’re still alive. So whatever you had to do to survive was the right thing to do. The only person who is at fault is the man who did this."

Joe smiled at the officer gratefully. ‘Maybe if she hears it from someone other than me, she’ll start to believe it.’

"So he hit you over the head with something and you fell to your knees." Detective Phillips picked up her story. "What happened after that?"

"I was trying to stay awake. I didn’t want to black out. I didn’t want him to take me somewhere else, but I could barely keep my eyes open. He picked me up and carried me to a car and threw me across the backseat. Then he went around to the other side and opened the door by my head. I tried to lift my head up, to look at him, but when I moved I felt like I was going to throw up. And when I could keep my eyes open I kept seeing double images of everything." She shook her head at the memory.

"Then he grabbed my arms…no, first just one arm and pulled it over my head. He put something on my wrist. Then he pulled my other arm up and did the same thing. I heard a click and realized he handcuffed me to the door handle."

‘I can’t do this. I can’t listen to this.’ Joe thought as he started to panic. ‘God, she hasn’t even gotten to the part where he…’ He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. ‘Breathe in, breathe out. You cannot lose control now. Take a deep breath. Focus on something – anything but what she’s saying.’ He stared at the plastic ID bracelet on her wrist, trying to block out the words.

"He got in the car and pulled away. My head really started to hurt then and I passed out. When I came to he was pulling me out of the car. He was behind me, dragging me and then I hit him."

"You hit him how?" Detective Barbone asked.

"With my elbow. I hit him in the head. He let go of me and I tried to run but he caught me again." She closed her eyes and leaned back against the pillows.

"Van?" Joe said quietly. "Are you ok? If this is too hard…"

"No. I want to get it over with." She said wearily. Seeing the look in Joe’s eyes, she felt torn. ‘He shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t be hearing this. It’ll kill him. But I can’t do this alone.’

As if reading her mind, Joe squeezed her hand. "I’m right here, Babe. I’m with you all the way."

Vanessa closed her eyes again. She did not want to see Joe’s face, knowing the worst was yet to come. "He grabbed me around the waist and threw me on the ground. I hit my head again – hard – and almost passed out. I really wanted to this time. I hoped I would but…" a few tears slid down her cheeks. She clutched Joe’s hand tighter and tighter as she gave the graphic details of the assault. Eyes tightly shut, she told the two detectives everything she could remember, concluding with the passer by who had found her.

"He put something over me. His coat I guess. I heard him talking, calling for help. He kept telling me I was safe now and help was coming." She finally opened her eyes. "I don’t remember anything after that until I woke up this morning."

Slowly turning her head, she looked at Joe. The look on his face was completely neutral but the look in his eyes scared her to death. ‘What have I done?’ She had never seen such pure hatred before and it terrified her.

"Joe?" she said quietly. He didn’t respond.

"Joe." She repeated louder. She looked down at their clasped hands and gasped. "Joe, you’re bleeding!" She pulled on his arm, finally getting his attention.

"Huh? What?"

"Your hand. It’s bleeding!"

He looked down and saw the blood seeping through the bandage on his right hand. While Vanessa had been holding tightly to his left hand, his right hand had instinctively balled into a fist. As Vanessa had been talking, he had been clenching the fist harder and harder until it finally re-opened the laceration on his hand.

"I’ll get a nurse." Detective Phillips said hurrying out the door.

"I’m sorry, Joe. I never should have asked you to stay." Vanessa cried.

"Sssh. It’s ok, Baby." Joe tried to comfort her. "I will always be here for you. Always. No matter what."

Detective Phillips returned with Karen who was closely followed by Andrea Bender and Fenton and Laura Hardy. Andrea immediately rushed to her daughters side, hugging her tightly. Vanessa clung to her mother, letting the tears flow freely.

Joe let his parents pull him away and out into the hall, grateful to escape the room. He was aware of his parents talking to him, of Karen asking him questions and bandaging his hand, but all he could hear was Vanessa’s voice, describing the rape in vivid detail.

Joe nodded at his mother, having no idea what she had just asked him. He heard his father say something about food, and then he was alone. He wandered down to the window at the end of the hall and looked out at the bright blue morning sky.