"Yes!" Frank cried out, snapped out of his daze by the disappointment that had suddenly appeared in Joe’s eyes. "I always have time for you."

Standing up, Frank opened the car door. "Come on, let’s go. I know just the place." He grinned, holding the door open while Joe got out of the car. With a grateful smile, Joe followed his brother down the driveway. Falling in step next to him as they headed down the street, Joe realized immediately where Frank was headed.

"Just don’t try to hold my hand." Frank cracked, bringing on a flood of memories from their childhood. When they were young, Laura would always remind Frank he was the older brother and, as such, it was his responsibility to watch out for Joe whenever the two boys went out to play. Not wanting to get "lost" Joe would inevitably clutch his brother’s hand tightly until they had safely reached their destination.

Frank’s joking and the familiar, comforting routine had already started to soothe Joe’s raw nerves and he wondered why he hadn’t done this sooner.

The brothers walked towards the park a few blocks away in companionable silence, as Frank smiled to himself. He was in his element now, his comfort zone. As children, he and Joe had spent most of their days at the park playing on the swings, the jungle gym and the monkey bars with their friends. Long after they had outgrown the children’s playground, they often found themselves returning to the place that held such happy memories for them, most often when Joe would come to his older brother for advice or guidance. After arriving at the playground, they would always climb to the top of the jungle gym and sit side by side, where the innocence of their past seemed to surround them. It had taken only a few visits for Frank to notice the calming effect this place had on Joe. From then on, whenever Joe needed to "talk", Frank would bring him here.

Watching his brother as they walked, Frank paid particular attention to his body language, knowing the meaning behind all of Joe’s quirks and nervous habits. He knew when they got to the top of the jungle gym, it would take a while before Joe was ready to talk about whatever was bothering him. They would sit in silence for a few moments, then Joe would dance around the subject, talking in circles, before finally telling Frank what the problem was. Frank knew that would annoy most people to no end, but he loved it. Nothing could come close to the feeling he got drawing his brother out, getting Joe to talk about whatever was upsetting him and helping him find the answers he needed.

As they climbed up the criss-crossing structure, settling themselves at the top, Frank had no doubt he could once again guide his brother through this latest "crisis" – whether it be real or imagined. He had a perfect track record here at the park, never once letting Joe down, and he had no intention of failing today.

Joe shifted position, having no idea how or where to begin. This sudden onslaught of self-doubt and lack of confidence didn’t make a whole lot of sense to him, why did he ever think he could explain it to Frank? Afraid he would quickly talk himself out of this, Joe forced himself to calm down, focus on something and start talking.

Minutes passed as Frank looked out over the park watching a pick up softball game, a woman throwing tennis balls for her dog and a mother pushing her child on the swings. He noted that Joe, who had been fidgeting restlessly since they arrived, was now still – he was ready to talk.

"I had this dream last night." Joe began, watching the dog as he chased a tennis ball with abandon, thinking that while the dream wasn’t the sole cause, it seemed to be what had set him off. "Third time this week. We’re at the Winters mansion, we’ve just confronted the thieves. Everything starts out fine. But then my guy gets away." He stopped for a moment, searching for the dog that had disappeared over a hill. "I let him get away…"

‘What’s the matter, little boy? Scared?’ The taunting voice from his dreams filled Joe’s head.

"I was too scared to go after him." Joe gave up the search for the dog. He looked down at his hands and shook his head. "I never used to be scared of anything. But lately…"

Frank sat and listened, trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle Joe was feeding him. He knew Joe wouldn’t be scared simply because of a dream, even a recurring dream. And what exactly was he afraid of? Frank remained silent, waiting for Joe to continue, needing more information to make all the pieces fit.

"He said something to me. A threat, I guess. Or a promise."

"He?" Frank repeated, certain Joe was not referring to the man in his dreams who always got away.

Joe looked up as the dog came bounding back over the hill chasing a bright yellow tennis ball. "Rashman." Joe said quietly, dropping another piece of the puzzle in Frank’s lap. "He said he’d break me…and I’m starting to think…maybe…"

‘You son of a bitch!’ Frank silently cursed Rashman. ‘Trying to kill him wasn’t enough? You had to mess with his mind, too?’ Frank would be the first one to admit he hadn’t been completely focused the day Joe gave his statement to Carlos Sanchez, but he was absolutely certain Joe hadn’t mentioned this. Frank knew he would have remembered if Joe had made even the vaguest reference to it.

Joe turned to look at his brother and Frank saw something in Joe’s eyes that had never existed before – self-doubt. "I think maybe he did."

‘No way, Rashman. I won’t let you do this to him.’ Frank vowed. It was obvious Joe had already started to believe it as evidenced by his strange behavior today. Frank was determined to stop it – now – before it grew too big for Joe to overcome.

"And if that’s true, then you have a right to know." Joe told him, "Because it’ll only take one time for me to freeze, or take too long to make a decision and you’re the one who would end up paying for it."

Frank was fairly certain he knew what Joe was saying, albeit in a very round about way, and he couldn’t believe Joe suddenly had so little faith in himself. All their lives it was Joe who literally had no fear. He was always the first one to try something new, no matter how risky or dangerous, always up for a challenge, never backing from down a dare. At times Frank wished Joe would show a little fear, recalling some of the crazy things his brother had done.

"You need to know that your partner will back you up, without hesitation, no matter what. You have to have complete faith in them to make the right decision in every single time." Joe stopped and took a deep breath, looking his brother straight in the eye. "I’m not sure I can do that anymore."

Frank was silent for a moment, trying to process Joe’s little speech, and truthfully, too stunned to say anything right away.

"Joe, are you asking me if I still want to work with you? Still be partners?" Frank asked, wanting to make absolutely sure he and Joe were on the same track.

"Yes." Joe replied. "If I don’t think I can pull my weight, it’s not right to keep it from you. It’s your life that could be at stake if I screw up."

Frank shook his head, wondering if Joe had been sending signals about this for weeks now and he just hadn’t picked up on them. Up until today, Joe had been acting like himself – like his old self – more so than he had all year. ‘At least in front of me he was.’ Frank thought, reminding himself how good Joe had become at hiding his feelings unless he wanted them known.

Frank went through a quick mental checklist before replying, making sure he didn’t inadvertently say the wrong thing causing Joe to shut him out. ‘Acknowledge that he really believes this, even if I don’t. Tell him I haven’t seen any ‘proof’ of this change. Make sure he knows I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my life and know he’ll make the right decisions.’ Satisfied, Frank began to reply.

"Okay, first of all I understand you really do believe this, so I’m not trying to brush it off. I’m taking it very seriously. But I have to tell you, Joe, I haven’t seen this guy your talking about, who’s scared, doesn’t know if he can pull his own weight, or has the confidence to make the right decision. And you are the only person I trust, one hundred percent, no questions asked, to watch my back no matter how bad the situation. There is no way you would ever let anything happen to me if it was in your power to prevent it." Frank said, looking at him intensely.

"If you’ll remember, it was you who finally figured out the connection between the insurance company and the domestic service. If you hadn’t we might still be chasing down those jewel thieves. You’re also the one who found all the connections between the victims in this case – the birthdate, the city, the hospital. It was even your suggestion that made us realize why those four were targets. And you were right about the fact that I was supposed to be next." Frank’s voice dropped a little. "And if you hadn’t come back last night, I probably would have been next."

Joe remained silent, continuing to look out over the fields.

"That sounds like someone who knows exactly what they’re doing to me. So to answer your question, I like the partner I have now just fine. I don’t want a new one. Okay?"

"Yeah." Joe replied, seeming only a little relieved. "But that was yesterday, and the day before, and last week." Joe turned to look at Frank. "What happened to me today?"

"Other than the fact that you were pretty quiet, I don’t know. Was there something going on today that you never mentioned?" Frank asked, trying to draw Joe out a little more, knowing there had to be something else.

Joe opened his mouth to speak, hesitated, then shut it. Looking down at the ground, he just shook his head, indicating he’d changed his mind.

Frank rewound the day in his head, trying to recall every detail. They had arrived at Sansom’s house. They had watched while the evidence was uncovered, Sansom was read his rights and handcuffed…

‘Handcuffed. That’s when his wife showed up. Joe thought he saw something…’ Frank realized that had to be what set Joe off today.

"Tell me again what you said about Gloria Sansom, you know, when she first showed up at the house?" Frank requested. When Joe’s head shot up and he looked at Frank slightly stunned, Frank knew he’d been right. "Didn’t you ask me if I had seen something?"

"Well, yeah, but you didn’t see it, so it had to be nothing, right? I had to have imagined it." Joe replied, uncertainly.

"Why would you think you imagined it? Just because I didn’t see it too?" Frank pressed for more details. "Joe, I was so busy watching Sansom and the cops, I never noticed Gloria until you pointed her out. I never saw it because I wasn’t looking at her at the time. That doesn’t mean it never happened and it certainly doesn’t mean you didn’t see it. Tell me again, what exactly did you see?"

Buoyed by Frank’s belief that Joe really had seen something, even if he didn’t, Joe repeated what he had witnessed. "When she first saw what was going on, saw the cops there, she got this look on her face like someone who realized they’d just been caught. And when she saw you, she almost looked like she recognized you."

"Joe, if you say that’s what you saw, then I believe you. I wish I had been looking at her at the time, if only to make you believe it too." Frank knew his support of Joe would make his brother feel better temporarily, but still didn’t explain where all these doubts were coming from.

"Joe? Do you know what it was that suddenly made you start doubting yourself? Did something happen that I don’t know about? Because you’ve been the same old Joe Hardy I know – taking off after Sansom when he tried to kidnap me, a high-speed car chase through downtown Bayport, suckering me and Dad into paying for most of your speeding ticket." Frank reminded him hoping for, and getting, a smile.

Joe looked back out over the fields not quite sure how to respond. He knew Frank wouldn’t be happy unless there was some specific, tangible reason. Something logical and sensible. And Joe didn’t have one. All he had was a threat from Rashman, some strange dreams and the fear that he would never come to terms with what Rashman had done to him.

"If you’re looking for a specific incident, something logical that makes sense…" Joe looked at him, wondering if he had made a mistake. "…I can’t give it to you. I know that’s how your mind works, but it’s different for me. All I know is ever since I got home, I haven’t been able to get past what Rashman did to me and I’m afraid I never will." Joe told his brother, his voice shaking. "And if I can’t, then he really did break me. I know that’s not enough for you…"

"Yes, it is, Joe." Frank interrupted, stopping him cold.

"It…it is?" Joe asked, surprised.

"Of course it is." Frank replied, gently. "Believe it or not, I don’t need concrete, physical proof for everything. What happened to you was traumatic, Joe, both physically and mentally." He said, resting a comforting hand on Joe’s shoulder. "It usually takes the psyche much longer than the body to heal from trauma. And your body still isn’t one hundred percent recovered, so it would make sense that mentally – and emotionally – you haven’t recovered from it yet either."

He watched as Joe shifted nervously on the bars, a sure sign he was battling some internal demons. Frank knew part of Joe was relieved that Frank understood, and accepted, how he felt and why. He was just as sure that another part of his younger brother was ashamed and embarrassed at having to voice what he apparently thought were unforgivable signs of weakness. Understanding this "confession" was difficult for Joe to make, Frank moved his hand slightly and gently rubbed Joe’s back, a gesture that always made his younger brother feel secure.

"You said you haven’t been able to get past what Rashman did to you and you’re afraid you never will. You have talked about it in therapy, haven’t you?" Frank probed gently. The way Joe had his left arm clutched to his body, almost painfully tight, told Frank he wasn’t going to like the answer.

"Yes." Joe replied after a brief hesitation. "And no."

"What does that mean, exactly?" Frank pressed, knowing he was walking a fine line and hoped he wasn’t pushing too hard.

"I tried but… Linda doesn’t know what happened – all the details. I mean she has to know if she’s going to help me, right? So I’d have to go back and tell her everything – from the beginning. I already had to do that with Carlos. I’ll have to do it again at the trial…trials." Joe corrected himself and looked at his brother, slightly haunted by the thought of what that would entail. "How many times do I have to relive it before I get to forget about it?"

"I don’t think that’s something you can ever really forget, Joe, no matter how badly you want to. And the fact that you haven’t dealt with it is obviously starting to manifest itself in other ways. Like these new fears and doubts about yourself.

"You know back in Chicago, Dr. Marston told Dad he wanted you to talk to someone – a therapist – while you were there. He was concerned that you hadn’t said one word about what happened. Not voluntarily, anyway. He said no one could take something like that in stride." Frank told him. "He backed down when Dad told him you had a therapist here that you trusted. Joe, we all thought you’d been talking to Linda about it. You can’t not talk about it and assume it’ll go away." Frank said a little softer. "If you don’t let it out, it will eat you alive." He finished, thinking it probably already was.

Joe sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Yeah, I guess I knew that. I just don’t want to relive it all again." Joe turned and looked at his brother as if he had a sudden epiphany. "You know, it would be a lot easier if I could talk to someone who already knows what happened, so I didn’t have to explain it all again."

Frank’s heart skipped a beat as he realized what Joe was asking. Joe was finally reaching out to him, asking for help. Something that would require an enormous amount of trust on Joe’s part. In his own way, Joe was letting Frank know he was ready to begin re-establishing the trust that had been lost and Frank was not about to lose this chance; he’d been waiting too long for it to come.

"You want me to be that someone?" Frank asked, wanting to be sure he was reading Joe correctly. There had been far too many misunderstandings recently and he did not want this to be another one.

Joe nodded, hoping Frank would agree, but giving him an out just in case. "Only if you want to. I would understand if…"

‘Can I do that without pushing myself over the edge?’ Frank thought, reminded of his intense reaction the day of Rashman’s arraignment. His hatred had only grown stronger since then and he knew that listening to Joe talk about what he had suffered through would only feed that hatred and increase his desire for revenge. Seeing the hopeful look on Joe’s face, he knew that somehow he’d find a way to deal with his own tumultuous emotions.

"Anytime you want to talk about it, I’ll be ready to listen." Frank assured his brother, and saw Joe visibly exhale in relief.

"Thanks." Joe replied. No matter what happened between them, Frank was the one person with whom Joe could share his deepest feelings and biggest fears – never having to worry that they would be ridiculed or brushed aside.

"You’re welcome." Frank smiled, thinking how ironic it was that for everything Rashman did to try and destroy Joe, he would actually end up helping the brothers reestablish the trust that had been broken, hopefully making their bond that much stronger in the process.

Seeing that Joe was looking at him with a hint of worry, Frank knew there was something more. "What else? I can see there’s something still bothering you."

Joe frowned. "I just…I can’t help feeling that you’re not out of danger yet. George Sansom was just so adamant that he was innocent." Looking back out over the fields, Joe shrugged. "It’s probably nothing." He said, hoping to convince himself that was true.

"Your feelings are usually right on the money, Joe. So I think I’ll be a little extra careful for a while." Frank replied. He honestly didn’t think he was in any immediate danger, but if it made Joe feel better – and Frank knew it would – he would try to be more aware of his surroundings for the forseeable future.

"That sounds good." Joe smiled. Whether Frank believed he was in danger or not, if he promised Joe he would be cautious, Joe knew he would. And that was enough to alleviate his fears, at least for the time being.

Checking his watch, Joe let out a soft whistle. "We’ve been here almost two hours! Guess we should get home to the womenfolk, huh?" Joe grinned, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"You can get home to your woman. Mine is out with her mother doing some mother-daughter bonding thing." Frank joked.

"You can come hang out with me and Van if you want." Joe offered.

"Thanks, but an evening alone with nothing but peace and quiet sounds pretty tempting."

Climbing down off the jungle gym, Frank and Joe began the short walk back to their parents house to retrieve their cars.

"So is there some secret Big Brother School where you go to learn all the right things to say?" Joe joked.

"Nah." Frank drawled blowing on his fingertips and rubbing them against his shirt. "I’m a natural." He quipped.

"That you are." Joe agreed with a laugh.

Arriving at their cars, Joe climbed into his, waving as Frank pulled away and headed home. Smiling to himself, Joe was glad he had decided to confide in Frank, understanding they had taken a major step forward tonight. For the first time he was absolutely certain that eventually, his faith and trust in his older brother would be completely restored.