"If this goes bad, get back inside and call the police," Joe murmured to Vanessa who squeezed his hand in a silent reply.

Joe sauntered down the three cement steps to the sidewalk and came to a stop a few feet in front of the boys – close enough to launch an attack if need be, but far enough away to avoid an ambush. Joe appeared to be staring at the tall, skinny boy but behind his sunglasses his eyes were scanning the ground for makeshift weapons should they be needed.

‘Broken bottle…piece of a two by four…couple of rocks,’ Joe thought assessing his choices. ‘Cement sidewalk always comes in handy…’

Joe felt confident he could eventually come out victorious if it came down to a fight; still, he slipped a hand into his jacket pocket and hoped the boys would believe he had some kind of weapon there without calling his bluff. "Can I help you with something?" Joe asked evenly.

The leader of the three slipped his sunglass down slightly and stared at Joe, although the other two were obviously avoiding his gaze. Joe stood his ground and never looked away. Glancing over Joe’s shoulder, the boy gave both Vanessa and Kara a slow once-over.

Standing in front of the doorway, Kara watched silently. She was familiar with the neighborhood boys who, while not affiliated with any of the local gangs, had garnered their own reputation for petty theft, and liked to think the local residents feared them. As the one boy eyed she and Vanessa lasciviously, Kara thought she heard a soft gasp from her childhood friend. Immediately, she narrowed her eyes, watching Vanessa carefully, noting the fear that had suddenly appeared on her face. She just now realized that when Joe had walked away from her, Vanessa had taken a few steps back so she was almost behind Kara and in very close proximity to the entrance of the building.

‘She’s shaking!’ Kara thought stunned. She recalled how they used to explore the streets of New York City almost every night as young teens, with Vanessa’s slightly wild streak getting them into trouble on occasion. Was this the same girl?

‘Obviously not,’ Kara decided, and wondered what could have possibly happened to cause such a drastic change in her friend. The answer would have to wait as she heard the tallest of the three boys finally respond to Joe’s query.

"Nice ride," he said glancing over his shoulder at the black Mustang before turning back to Joe.

"Yeah, it is," Joe replied, taking a step forward. He smiled inwardly when the two shorter boys instinctively took a few steps back, leaving their ‘leader’ unprotected and vulnerable. "And we were just leaving so if you don’t mind…" he let his voice trail off, indicating he wanted the boy to move out of the way.

Standing his ground a moment longer, the boy nodded once and stepped back out of the way. He then stopped once more and returned his envious gaze to the car.

"Let’s go," Joe motioned to Kara and Vanessa. Despite knowing the teen was simply putting on a show for his friends and was no threat to them, Joe still positioned himself between the three boys, and Kara and Vanessa. Taking in Vanessa’s slightly pale face and the trace of fear she couldn’t really hide, Joe reached for her hand and guided her to the car.

Taking no chances, he used the remote to unlock the car, letting Kara open the door and climb into the backseat. He waited until he heard the door shut and the lock click, signaling that Vanessa was safely inside, before he made any move to get in himself. Still keeping a cautious eye on the three boys, Joe walked around to the driver’s side and got in. Only when he was inside the car, did the three teens slowly walk away.

Locking his door, Joe glanced at Vanessa worriedly, hoping the encounter hadn’t dredged up too many painful memories for her.

"You okay, Babe?" Joe asked softly.

Vanessa turned to him, the last lingering fear draining away. She reached out and brushed a hand lightly across his cheek as she nodded.

"I’ve got you right beside me so I have nothing to be afraid of," she replied smiling.

"And I always will be," Joe assured her, leaning over to kiss her.

In the backseat, Kara watched the exchange carefully. Vanessa had been scared – terrified, in fact – when the teenage boy had leered at them. She remembered many times in their youth when Vanessa had responded in similar situations with a tough, sarcastic reply.

‘I wonder what she’s not telling me…’ Kara thought as she settled back for the ride.

"Have they ever bothered you?" Joe asked as he pulled away, still watching the teens in his rear view mirror.

"Me?" Kara snorted. "No, they wouldn’t waste their time and effort on someone who doesn’t have anything worth stealing," she said bitterly, before continuing. "And that’s really all they’re about – petty theft. They like to think they’re tough, but compared to the local gangs, they’re pussycats."

Joe nodded silently, still wondering just how safe Kara was, living in the rundown neighborhood.

*****

Over a leisurely lunch, Kara repeated the story she had told Vanessa the previous afternoon. Joe listened intently, stopping her frequently to ask questions and take notes. As he noticed the encouraging glances Vanessa would throw Kara’s way, his heart tightened. Based on what Kara was saying, and the evidence that had been compiled against her, he could find absolutely no justification to investigate any further. With a sinking feeling, he knew if this were anyone else, he would politely decline the case; but this wasn’t anyone else. It was Vanessa’s closest childhood friend, and despite Joe’s personal opinion that more than likely she really was guilty, he was quickly coming to the realization he couldn’t say no to Kara’s request.

As the waiter took their dessert order, Joe put away his notes and sat back, watching Vanessa and Kara get caught up in happy childhood memories.

‘She’s practically glowing she’s so excited,’ Joe observed of his fiancée’s reaction at rekindling an old and cherished friendship. ‘How can I say no?’ He sighed inwardly, thinking of the confrontation with his father that morning. ‘How can I say yes?’

Forcing a smile to his face, Joe ran a hand through his wavy blonde hair. ‘And how do I get myself into these things…’

After another thirty minutes of laughing and reminiscing, the group finally prepared to leave.

"I just have to use the restroom before we go," Kara said, looking at Vanessa, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, yeah, I know…it’s a chick thing," Joe grinned waving them both off. As he reached for his wallet, Joe kept a watchful eye on Vanessa until she disappeared into the restroom wondering when – if ever – he’d break himself of that habit.

The second the door to the restroom closed Kara whirled on her friend and grabbed Vanessa’s arm.

"Oh, my God, Van, what a babe!!!" Kara exclaimed breathlessly. "WHERE did you find him and are there any more like him at home?"

"I lucked out," Vanessa laughed at Kara’s reaction to meeting Joe in person, although she wholeheartedly agreed. "He found me."

"So does he have a brother? And can you fix me up with him?" Kara requested only half-jokingly.

"Yes and no. He has an older brother, Frank, but he’s happily married and hopelessly in love with his wife."

"That’s okay, I’ll take a younger brother." Kara compromised.

"Sorry," Vanessa laughed again. "There’s just the two of them – Joe is the baby."

Kara shook her head and sighed wistfully as she turned and entered one of the bathroom stalls. "Is he really as nice as he seems?" she asked, the slightest hint of envy in her voice.

"Even more so," Vanessa replied smiling as she gazed in the mirror and touched up her make-up. ‘I am soooooooo lucky.’

"Why can’t I have your luck when it comes to men…" Kara wondered reappearing beside Vanessa. Meeting Vanessa’s eyes in the mirror, Kara couldn’t help but remember all the nice guys Vanessa had dated in high school as compared to all the losers she seemed to attract.

"Don’t worry," Vanessa hugged her friend supportively. "There’s a really nice guy out there somewhere just waiting for you to find him."

"If you say so," Kara rolled her eyes, as she finished washing her hands and the two left the restroom and returned to Joe.

"All set?" Joe asked them, putting an arm around Vanessa and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Mmm-hmm," Vanessa replied, wrapping one arm around Joe’s waist and linking her other arm through Kara’s. "Let’s go."

As they drove back to Kara’s apartment, the conversation was light and happy with Vanessa and Kara regaling Joe with stories of their exploits in junior high and high school. Joe simply listened and smiled, reveling in the sound of Vanessa’s laughter and the happiness in her voice – a far cry from how they had started the previous year. As they pulled up in front of Kara’s building, she unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the lock on Vanessa’s door.

"Thank you so much," Kara said genuinely grateful. "For lunch…for listening…for everything."

"Whoa, hold on," Joe ordered, turning around to face her. "We’ll walk you up."

"Joe, that’s really not necessary," Kara began.

"Yes, it is," Joe insisted.

"Don’t argue with him, K," Vanessa said teasingly, although there was an unmistakable note of pride in her voice. "He won’t let you out of the car if he can’t personally deliver you to your door and know that you are safely locked inside."

"If you insist," Kara blushed, unaccustomed to having anyone care about her safety.

"I do," Joe replied, getting out of the car and walking around to the other side.

Opening the door, he helped Vanessa out. Holding tightly to her hand, he reached down and released the seat, helping Kara out of the car all the while scanning their immediate surroundings for any sign of danger. With one arm tightly around Vanessa and the other resting lightly on Kara’s back, Joe guided them into the apartment building and up the stairs to Kara’s apartment.

His blue eyes swept the darkened hallway as Kara unlocked the four deadbolt locks and opened the door. Turning, she faced Joe and Vanessa, sadness filling her eyes once again.

"Thank you both so much for listening," she said softly, her eyes shining brightly.

"Anytime," Vanessa replied. She reached out and hugged her friend tightly. "Next time, don’t wait so long to call for help, okay?"

"Okay," Kara sniffled. Pulling back, she wiped at her eyes before looking at Joe. "Thanks."

"You’re welcome," Joe replied, his heart going out to her, despite his misgivings about her guilt or innocence. "We’ll call you tomorrow."

Kara nodded, thanking him once more for lunch before bidding them both goodbye. As the door closed, Joe and Vanessa stood and waited until they heard all four locks click into place before turning and leaving the building.

As Joe pulled out into traffic, Vanessa settled into her seat and looked at him. "So…what do you think?" she asked anxiously.

She had been with Joe long enough to know that other than her belief in Kara’s innocence, there was no reason whatsoever that Joe should invest the time and effort in trying to help her. And had she not been Kara’s best friend, Vanessa knew Joe wouldn’t even contemplate it.

Joe stared out the windshield, uncharacteristically lost for words. The evidence was overwhelming and there was absolutely nothing to support Kara’s claim that she had been framed – even Kara admitted that. Logically, Joe couldn’t find one good reason to agree to investigate any further; and then he turned and looked at Vanessa.

Stopped at a red light, Joe stared at her and flinched inwardly. At first, he couldn’t place the hauntingly familiar look in her eyes – the same look Kara’d had all during lunch – but it sent a chill down his spine. A soft gasp escaped his lips as he suddenly realized why it looked so familiar to him. It was the same look he’d seen in his own eyes in the days after he’d been arrested and charged with killing Vanessa’s rapist – desperation. All the evidence had pointed to him and everyone had believed it without question, despite his protests of innocence and his repeated claims that Chris Taylor had framed him

‘Even Dad and Frank believed it at first…’ Joe thought sadly. While the pain had lessened considerably, it still hurt to recall those twenty-four hours when his father and brother had honestly thought him capable of murder.

"Joe," Vanessa said quietly. "I promised myself I wouldn’t try to influence you but…" She faltered only for a second before plunging ahead. "Joe, I know in my heart she didn’t do it. Please, say you’ll help her…please…"

Joe stared into the huge blue-gray eyes, begging him to help.

"I know all the evidence says she did it and there’s really no good reason for you to believe otherwise; but Kara says she didn’t do it and I believe her. I don’t care what the evidence says." Vanessa gazed at Joe intently, hoping she could get her point across without having to say it out loud. She knew, almost a year later, it still hurt for Joe to think about it.

‘You believed in me, too, when no one else did,’ Joe thought with a mixture of sadness and joy. He lifted Vanessa’s hand to his lips and kissed it softly.

"I’ll look into it and see what I can find out," he promised.

Squealing with delight, Vanessa unsnapped her seat belt and launched herself on Joe in the confined space, smothering him with kisses.

"Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she repeated, punctuating each affirmation with a kiss just as she had done the previous evening.

‘Like I could ever say no to you,’ Joe thought, enjoying a particularly lengthy kiss.

The sudden blaring of car horns forced the laughing couple apart.

"I think you better stay in your own seat," Joe warned teasingly, "You can be very distracting."

"If you think that was distracting, just wait ‘til we get home," Vanessa smiled seductively. "Then I can give you a proper thank you," she said and leaned over, whispering in his ear.