Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Joe asked again, gently gripping the sleeve of his sister’s sweatshirt. She was half turned in her seat, one hand on the door handle, and while her face was in profile he could still see her chewing her lower lip between her teeth.

It had been a week since Beth came home from the hospital, her body relatively healthy if sleep deprived. She’d gone to her therapist twice already in that past week, and she’d insisted on returning to school on the following Monday. While their parents had been hesitant, Beth’s therapist had suggested she should try to return to a normal schedule, at least as a test run.

Beth had gotten up early that morning, showered and dressed, then came downstairs to make herself breakfast before even their mother was up. That was the part that really had Joe concerned (aside from everything else). Beth was not a morning person, it was one of the things they had in common. Often, Frank would have to wake both of them for school before he left for his college classes. But in the last week, Beth was always awake early and the first to go to bed… and yet the dark circles under her eyes had not lessened.

Beth turned to him then and gave him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m fine, Joe. C’mon, I’ll be late for homeroom,” she pulled her sleeve out of his grasp and grabbed her backpack, climbing out of the van.

Joe sighed and dropped his head against the headrest. This is going to be a long day , he thought, locking the vehicle and coming around to meet his sister. She was fiddling with the straps of her bag, even though he knew they weren’t bothering her. She had a restlessness to her these days that he didn’t recognize, like she was anxiously waiting for something, though he couldn’t guess what. She looked up when she sensed him standing there, and he tried to give her a cheerful smile while offering a hug.

She licked her lips and swallowed, and seemed to take in a quick breath to brace herself before accepting the embrace. He held her for just a second, then ruffled her pixie cut hair and let go. She smiled at him, this time more genuinely, and they walked together into the high school.

It wasn’t long before Tony, Biff and Vanessa met them in the hallway, with Joe’s girlfriend giving him a quick ‘good morning’ kiss before taking his hand. The four older teens followed Beth to her locker, and waited for her to grab her books.

Beth eyed the seniors as she closed her locker. “Guys, I appreciate the escort, but I’m fine. I don’t need babysitters.”

“Who’s babysitting?” Biff asked, looking at Tony.

Tony shook his head, pretending to be as lost as Biff. “I don’t see any babysitters here.”

Vanessa rolled her eyes and smiled at Beth. “They always do this every time one of your brothers disappears. I’m sorry if you feel smothered, it’s just… We’re glad you’re okay, Beth. You really scared us,” she told her.

Beth scuffed her sneakers on the linoleum floor uncomfortably. “Sorry,” she said quietly.

“Nothing to be sorry for,” Joe said quickly.

The first bell rang, and the river of students all began moving out of the hallway. Tony and Biff moved with it, waving as they did. “I’ll see you at lunch, alright?” Joe said over the tumult, offering his sister a fistbump.

Beth gave him an amused smirk and returned it, before watching him and his girlfriend disappear. She readjusted her bag on her shoulders and took a deep breath before hurrying to homeroom. When she got there, her usual seat at the back was still open and she took it quickly. She could feel the eyes of everyone on her as she attempted to act normal, getting out her notebook and a mechanical pencil.

If I can just make it through the morning, everything will be fine , she thought, even though she knew it was ridiculous to think her classmates would leave her alone once lunch was over. However, her therapist had recommended that she try thinking more positively, and making small achievable goals to reach. She wasn’t sure it was working, but she was willing to try anything to keep her mind away from darker thoughts.

“Well, I guess Miss Hardy finally decided to grace us with her presence,” Rachael Miller said, leaning over Beth’s desk so she could smirk in her face.

Speaking of darker thoughts, Beth thought, hiding her annoyance behind an uninterested mask. “Good morning to you too,” she said flatly.

“Where have you been, Beth? We’ve been so worried. I figured you must be sick. I know your eating habits can be a little… unusual,” Rachael said with fake sweetness, flicking a stray lock of dark auburn hair out of her eyes. “I tried asking your brother, but he wouldn’t tell me anything.”

Probably because he knows you don’t really care, and that you’re thirsty as hell for him, Beth thought. “Oh you know, around,” she answered vaguely, fiddling with her phone. She had an unread message from Frank and one from Joe. She tapped Frank’s text first, ignoring Rachael as the girl continued to ply her with questions, trying to goad her into a reaction.

Dr Frankenstein: You okay? J said you were quiet on the ride this morning

She typed back a quick reply. Fine, Frank. Just tired. Focus on your class and don’t worry about me.

Beth opened Joe’s message just as her teacher asked everyone to take their seats. She watched from the corner of her eye as Rachael stomped back to her desk, clearly annoyed that she hadn’t been able to get any information out of her.

JoeJoe Siwa: Sorry about this morning. The guys just knew how freaked out I was when I realized you were missing. I know they’re my friends technically, but they like you. They think you’re funny!

Beth felt herself smiling and she shook her head, typing out her answer. Ah yes, that’s me, the comedian. It’s fine Joe, I appreciate that they care. I’ll see you later, k?

She put her phone away and focused on her teacher, trying to reassure herself that she wasn’t lying to her brothers. She was fine. She had to be. Because if she wasn’t fine, then what the hell was she?

“Hey, Beth,” Luke was straddling his desk chair backwards to smile at her in American History. Their teacher had stepped out for a moment and asked the class to read chapter six while she was gone. Naturally this meant everyone was on their phones or talking quietly.

Beth was sure Luke thought he was being smooth, but all she could think about was that day in the locker room, hearing him talk about her like she was a prize he could use to get back at her brother. Her stomach clenched painfully, and she shut her eyes for a second to make herself think about anything other than that day.

Apparently not noticing - or more likely not caring about - her obvious discomfort, Luke continued, “I’ve missed seeing that pretty face around school. Where have you been?”

“My parents sent me to Ecuador to learn how to ride llamas,” Beth told him, getting way more entertainment out of his look of confusion than she’d thought she would.

“Wait, really?” Luke asked.

“No,” She turned back to her textbook.

“Oh, well… uh,” He fumbled for a moment to reclaim his smooth smile. “I was thinking we could go out sometime. Maybe this Friday? My dad will let me borrow his truck.”

“I don’t think so,” Beth said without looking up from the chapter she was reading.

“Great, I’ll pick you up at seven,” Luke grinned.

Beth finally looked up to frown at him. “I said ‘no’, Luke.”

“Sure, but you meant ‘yes’,” He shrugged, still smiling.

She took a deep breath to keep her temper in check. “I guarantee if you show up at my house on Friday night, you’re going to get your ass kicked,” she told him.

“I’m not scared of your brothers,” He said, chuckling.

“I didn’t say my brothers would be the ones doing the ass kicking,” She muttered, rolling her eyes.

“C’mon, Beth, don’t be like that,” Luke cajoled, reaching out to Beth’s hand that was holding open her textbook.

Beth jerked back out of his reach, cold panic shooting through her. “Don’t touch me!” She snapped.

“Bethany!”

Beth looked up, her heart still beating wildly. Her teacher had come back just in time to hear her outburst, and most of the class had turned to see what the fuss was about. Ms. Stewart frowned, crossing her arms. “Miss Hardy, what is going on?”

“I -” Beth faltered, her face burning. She swallowed. “Nothing, I’m sorry,” she murmured, sinking back in her seat.

Her teacher looked at her sternly for another long, painful moment before turning back to the whiteboard. Several of her classmates were staring at her like she’d suddenly grown a second head, and she desperately wished she could disappear.

Chapter Text

Beth’s morning only continued to spiral downhill from there. Rachael, Luke, and their friends seemed to make it their mission to make her miserable all morning, either pestering her about where she’d been all week or trying to convince her to go out with Luke. By the time she got to lunch, her nerves were just about shot. She got in line for food, her brother already waving at her from their usual table with his friends. She gave him a quick wave back in acknowledgement before focusing on what was being offered. Most of the items on the lunch menu today made her stomach clench painfully, so she settled for a small serving of mac and cheese and a prepackaged salad.

Over the last week, food had proven to be… difficult for her. When she first came home to live with her family, she was always hungry. She’d been kind of embarrassed at first to ask for seconds at dinner, but after a few therapy sessions and long talks with her parents, she’d mostly moved past the feeling. Soon, she’d felt comfortable enough to ask for food without fear of retribution or punishment.

But now, ever since she came back from the hospital, she’d had the opposite problem.

Beth just… didn’t want to eat. The very thought of food now made her nauseous. Certain foods in particular she couldn’t even stand the sight of - ie, pudding and milk. She’d never been a picky eater. It was kind of impossible to be picky when food could be as scarce and valuable as gold. But her first night home? She couldn’t stomach a single bite of the stew her mom had made. She’d felt incredibly guilty not eating anything, but her mom wasn’t offended and instead asked if there was something else she did think she could eat. She’d settled for a grilled cheese and her parents assured her that they weren’t upset and understood. From that night on, Beth had either made her own food, or her mom would ask specifically what she wanted. She’d talked extensively with her therapist over her guilt on that, feeling like it was too much trouble to go through just to make her comfortable, but her doctor kept insisting that it wasn’t a big deal and her parents were doing it because they loved her.

Even though the mac and cheese looked weirdly wet and the salad’s lettuce was a little wilted, Beth decided she could probably eat most of it. She brought her tray over to her brother’s table, purposely ignoring a few stares she was getting from the upperclassmen. She was almost used to them by now. At least at lunch, she could pretend the looks were because she was a freshman surrounded by mostly juniors and seniors, not because she went missing for a week.

Joe, Vanessa and Biff smiled at her as she sat down, and she tried to return the look.

“How was your morning?” Her brother asked.

Beth shrugged noncommittally. “Fine,” she murmured.

Joe rolled his eyes. “Are you going to use any other adjectives today aside from ‘fine’?”

That made her laugh, if only a little. “Probably not, I think it’s my new favorite word,” she joked.

“My mom says fine stands for, Freaked Out, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional,” Biff offered with a grin.

Beth shrugged and nodded, “I mean, yeah, I can’t even argue with that. It sounds about right.”

“Hey guys, what did I miss?” Tony greeted, as he sat down with his tray across from Beth.

“We were just talking about the first game of the season,” Vanessa said, knowing Beth hated to be the center of attention.

“Yeah, we’re going to kick Southport’s butt in a couple of weeks,” Biff said, jumping on the new topic. “Especially when we have the best running back on our team,” he slugged Joe playfully in the shoulder and the other boy grinned.

“Fast-Foot Hardy, that’s what they’re going to call me,” Joe made a wide sweeping gesture, like he was seeing his name up on a billboard.

Vanessa grinned and kissed her boyfriend’s cheek. “Don’t get too cocky now. You won’t have Frank as quarterback this year, or Chet for a linebacker to clear the way for you.”

“Pfft, we’ll be fine,” Joe dismissed. “We don’t need those two. If anything, they were holding us back,” he added, a teasing glint in his blue eyes.

Tony laughed. “Sure Joe, whatever you say.” He picked up his soda, the movement catching Beth’s eye as she was eating. Her gaze then zeroed in on the cup of chocolate pudding on his tray and she froze, a bite of salad held midair.

“Beth? You okay?” Vanessa asked, noticing how pale the younger girl suddenly was.

Joe turned to his sister instantly, his eyes catching the item that held her attention mere seconds before Beth was scrambling to her feet. He cursed softly, jumping up after her as she ran across the cafeteria to the nearest trash bin. He reached her just as she leaned over the bin and retched. There were shrieks and some laughter around the cafeteria as those nearest saw what was happening, but Joe didn’t notice as he rubbed his sister’s back, gripping her trembling arm firmly.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay,” Joe told her softly. “Just let it all out, Beth. It’s alright.” From the corners of his vision he registered a teacher making their way over, and Tony and Biff pushing some overzealous students with their phones back, but he kept his focus on Beth as she heaved, her whole body shaking beneath his hand.

“What’s going on over here, Mr. Hardy?” His science teacher, Mr. Richmond asked, sounding very concerned.

Joe thought quickly. “My sister was out sick this past week. We thought she was doing better today, but…” He shrugged helplessly. Beth had stopped vomiting, but was still bent over the bin, breathing heavily.

“You better take her to the nurse’s office,” Mr. Richmond told Joe, frowning sympathetically at Beth. “I’ll let your teachers know you probably won’t make it to your next period classes.”

“Thanks, Mr. Richmond, I owe you,” Joe said gratefully as Vanessa hurried over carrying both of the siblings backpacks. Beth straightened up slowly, her face flushed with embarrassment and exertion, but was otherwise still pale. Her eyes were glued to the floor, arms wrapped around her torso as she wished - for the thousandth time that day - that she could turn invisible.

Mr. Richmond waved him off. “It’s not a problem, Joe.” He turned to the cafeteria at large, clapping his hands to grab the attention of the students who were still trying to see what was happening, or were filming it on their phones. “Shows over people. Mind your own business now. Come on, shoo!”

Joe did his best to tamp down the flash of anger he felt as he saw the crowd slowly turn their attention away from his sister, clearly disappointed that their entertainment was over. As if she doesn’t have enough on her mind, he thought, tucking his sister into his side to shield her from the students as much as possible. He took the two bags from his girlfriend and gave her a quick kiss in gratitude.

“I’ll take notes for you,” Vanessa promised. Biff and Tony added their own assurances that they wouldn’t let Joe fall behind on his work.

“Thanks guys,” Joe told them gratefully, slinging both bags over his shoulder as he ushered Beth out of the cafeteria.

They passed Rachael as they left, and Beth could feel tears stinging her eyes as the girl gave her a smug smile. Bulimic , she mouthed viciously.

Beth stayed glued to Joe’s side even as they were shown into the nurse’s office, curling against him when they sat down on a cot. Joe carded his fingers through his sister’s hair, rubbing her back as Nurse Fletcher, a white haired, pleasantly plump woman in her sixties, rummaged in a cabinet. He felt Beth flinch when the nurse turned back to them, a small bottle of clear liquid in one hand.

“Has she been throwing up a lot lately? Could be a stomach flu,” Nurse Fletcher said thoughtfully, putting the bottle on the counter. “Does she have a fever?”

Joe shook his head. “No fever. It’s… complicated,” he said after an uncertain pause.

Nurse Fletcher smiled. “With the Hardys, I’m not surprised. You know, I’ve seen your brothers here more times than any other student in the last four years?” She said to Beth with a fondly exasperated shake of her head. “I was hoping to break that streak with you - ahh well. Here, honey, let me take your temperature just to be sure.”

Beth cringed back from the nurse, shaking her head forcefully and whimpering, “No, please…”

The elderly nurse raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Joe held Beth a little tighter, shifting so the hand on her back was now wrapped around her waist, while he took her hand in his other one. “Beth, it’s alright,” he murmured to her, his heart breaking as nervous tears dripped down her cheeks. “I know her, she won’t hurt you. She just wants to make sure you’re okay.”

Beth sniffed, rubbing her face with the edge of her sleeve. “O-okay,” she stuttered.

Nurse Fletcher picked up a device from her counter, showing it to the two teens. “This is one of the new models. It takes the temperature with a little lazer, I don’t even have to touch you with it. Okay?” She said kindly.

Beth nodded, marginally relieved.

The nurse held up the thermometer a few inches away from Beth’s forehead and clicked the button. After a few seconds, the machine beeped, and she pulled it back to check the read out. “A little elevated, but nothing too serious,” she announced. “I think it’s probably mostly from exertion.” She set the thermometer back down and picked up the bottle she’d retrieved before. "This is an electrolyte drink, it's easy on the stomach and will rehydrate you faster than water. It's the best I can do for you unfortunately - these days I'm not even supposed to give out aspirin," she added, clearly a little exasperated.

Beth hesitantly took the bottle, reading over the ingredient list carefully. "Thank you," she murmured, her voice still hoarse. She untwisted the cap and sipped the drink slowly, getting used to the sweet and slightly salty taste.

"Of course, honey. Joe, do you want me to call your folks? I can write notes for both of you," Nurse Fletcher offered, taking off her glasses to clean them with a cloth she’d pulled from her pocket.

Beth turned to her brother quickly, shaking her head. "Joe, no! If you call them, they'll make me stay home another week," she pleaded.

"I can't believe you're actually passing up the opportunity to stay home and sleep in," he said teasingly, but sobered when he saw the desperation in her eyes. "Look, I know this was just… a bad day," he said quietly after a moment’s hesitation. "But you're still so pale, and you're shaking. I think going home early, at least for today, would be better."

Beth fiddled with the bottle in her hands. "I guess…" She agreed reluctantly.

Joe sighed, his mouth pulling to the side in thought. He turned back to the nurse. "Does it have to be one of my parents that needs to pick her up?"

Nurse Fletcher shrugged. "It can be anyone listed as an emergency contact or guardian in her file."

"Perfect," Joe grinned as Beth lifted a confused eyebrow. He pulled out his phone and dialed their brother.

Frank picked up the phone in three rings. "Aren't you supposed to be in Spanish right now?" He said, instead of hello.

"Long story, I'll tell you more later. Can you come to the school? You can leave your bike and take the van. Beth needs to leave early," Joe said as his sister continued to slowly sip the electrolyte drink.

"She okay?" Frank asked, instantly worried.

Joe glanced down at her slumped form. "Been better, but she doesn't want to worry Mom and Dad. I can't sign us both out, and as much as I want to leave with you guys, I have a quiz this afternoon, plus practice. You don't have any other classes today, right?" He added, furrowing his forehead as he tried to remember his brother's schedule.

"No, I'm done for the day, " Frank said immediately. "I'm on my way. Be there in twenty minutes. Make sure she has her cell phone, and that the ringer is turned on."

"Will do, thanks bro." Joe hung up and slid his phone back into his pocket. He gave his sister a quick squeeze before standing up. He slung the two backpacks across his shoulder and offered her a hand up. "Come on, he's going to pick you up from the office in twenty minutes," he smiled gently, trying to push down the flash of worry in the pit of his stomach when she didn't return the smile.

Chapter Text

Beth’s knee bounced nervously as she sat in the office, trying to ignore the curious looks she was getting. While the secretary, Miss Pembroke, seemed to be mostly focused on her work, all of the student office assistants wouldn't stop watching her, occasionally whispering to each other and not so subtly texting. There was a part of Beth that very desperately wanted to stand up and scream at them to mind their own business, but she was too tired to even acknowledge it. She could feel a gentle pounding beginning to build behind her eyes, and she shut them to block out the flickering fluorescent lights. I wish Nurse Fletcher could have given me some aspirin after all.

She wasn't sure how much time passed before the door suddenly opened, letting in a rush of chilly late September wind. She looked up, relief washing over her at the sight of her oldest brother in his leather jacket, hair mussed from his motorcycle helmet.

Frank knelt in front of her, his eyes scanning her from head to toe, looking for obvious injuries. He cupped her cheek and frowned worriedly. "What happened, Kid?"

Beth’s eyes darted to the kids who were definitely not hiding their curiosity anymore, and shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it here," she murmured.

Frank's frown only deepened but he nodded. "Alright, let me sign the forms and we'll get out of here." He stood up and approached Miss Pembroke, sending irritated glares at the gawking students. Most of them got the message and suddenly became very invested in their work.

The secretary gave him a motherly smile, "There’s my favorite assistant. I tell you, nobody could ever organize a filing cabinet like you, Frank. How's Bayport U treating you?"

Frank returned the smile. "It's going great, thank you for asking. Nurse Fletcher told you I was coming to pick up Beth?"

"Sure, Hon, just fill these out for me," she handed him a clipboard and a pen.

Frank filled out the forms quickly and handed the clipboard back. She took the paperwork and stamped it. "Alright, Frank, take care, and look after her for us." She leaned forward to say more softly, "Fletcher seemed pretty concerned. Poor Beth's had a rough day from what I've gathered."

Frank glanced back at his sister who was picking listlessly at a small rip in her jeans. "I will, thanks."

Once out in the parking lot, Beth started to turn towards where Joe had parked the van, but Frank stopped her with a nudge.

“Come on, I wanna take you for a ride,” he said, jerking his thumb towards his motorcycle parked in front of the school. Beth looked surprised but followed him willingly. She strapped the extra helmet to her head, and waited until he had the bike cranked to climb on carefully behind him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, her weight resting comfortably against his back.

“Good?” He asked over the sound of the motor.

He felt her head nod and he smoothly pulled out.

For a while, they drove through the stop and go, midafternoon city traffic. At every stop light, Frank would glance over his shoulder to check on Beth, finding her in almost the same position every time, tightly pressed against him, eyes closed. Once they got farther out of the city, the traffic thinned until it was almost nonexistent, allowing him to open the throttle fully and increase his speed as they followed the winding country roads, heading towards the bay.

At first, Beth squeezed his torso more tightly, but as they continued their pace, the fresh air whipping around them with the scent of hay and earth, she slowly loosened her hold and leaned back. Frank could see her in his side mirrors looking around at the scenery, a small smile finally peeking around the corners of her mouth.

The relief he felt seeing it was immeasurable. It was incredible, in a way, that in such a short amount of time his big brother instincts had expanded to include both Joe and their sister. He’d once thought there was no one else in the world he could feel this protective over. The feeling towards Joe could already be overwhelming at times, but without even trying Beth had lodged herself into his heart, and he’d quickly learned he would do just about anything to keep her safe and happy.

He thought back to their time kidnapped together. At that point, Beth had difficulty conveying basic needs, let alone asking for the comfort she’d been denied as a child. She’d made incredible strides with the support of their family and her therapy sessions, but in the last two weeks it felt like all of Beth’s walls had rebuilt themselves overnight. The confidence she’d gained over the summer seemed almost gone, leaving her a ghost of herself all over again.

He felt that familiar rush of burning anger in his gut, silently cursing the deranged Dr. Lawson. His only consolation was her insanity plea had gone over like a lead balloon. In light of the lengths the doctor went to in order to hide from law enforcement for nearly eight years, the work put into inbedding herself in Bayport High in order to select a new victim, and the doctor’s meticulously kept notes on Beth’s ‘progress’ during his sister’s captivity - nobody was buying ‘temporary insanity’. The woman was sociopathic to be sure, but no one could claim she didn’t know what she was doing.

Frank refocused on the road in front of the bike, not wanting to wreck. By now, they were hugging the cliffs along the coast, heading towards one of his and Joe’s favorite spots to go to when they wanted a day off that wasn’t too far from home. For years, it had been a secret between the brothers that not even their friends knew about. That is, it was, until this past spring.

He frowned at the memory. He’d brought Callie to the spot for a romantic night out alone, and things had gone well to begin with. At least he’d thought so. Unfortunately, that was the night Callie had finally decided to broach the subject of breaking up. They’d had a huge fight, and when he finally took her home, they could hardly look at each other. They hadn’t spoken again until she called him a couple of weeks into her summer courses at university, only to tell him she’d met someone else.

He shook off the bitterness that still lingered when he thought of his ex-girlfriend. Now wasn’t the time.

In short order, Frank was pulling off to park on the side of the road where the grass was well trampled down. He killed the motor and put down the kickstand, waiting for his sister to hop off before settling the bike and removing his helmet. “You okay?” He asked as he watched her remove her own.

Beth nodded, running her fingers through her short hair and smiling shyly. “Yeah, that was… nice,” she said, making him grin.

“Good. Come on,” Frank threw his arm around her shoulders, leading her down a subtle footpath that snaked along the rocky slope towards the beach. “Joe and I found this place with Dad on his boat when we were kids. We come here whenever we need to get away for a little while.”

“Dad has a boat?” Beth asked, a bit distracted as she concentrated most of her attention on where she was stepping. The ground was a mixture of sand, dirt and loose patches of grass, and her sneakers kept slipping in the loose soil or tripping on the hidden rocks.

“Yeah, it’s called The Sleuth .”

“Of course it is,” Beth snorted, shaking her head fondly. “You guys are nothing if not consistently on brand.”

That made Frank laugh.

Once they were down on the beach, they found a place to sit on the sand. Beth picked up a handful and let it sift through her fingers, while Frank watched the waves lap against the shore. "So what happened today?" He asked after a few minutes of silence.

Beth sighed. "I- I really thought I could handle it. I just want to pretend nothing happened, and let everything go back to normal."

"Beth… Kid, it's not that simple," Frank squeezed her shoulder warmly. "What happened to you was… a lot. There’s no shame in taking time to let yourself recover."

“It’s not just recovering from this. It’s - ugh, I just want to be normal!” She said, picking up a rock and angrily tossing it towards the water. “I have spent my whole life having to walk on eggshells. I’d bite my lip and keep my head down, just moving from day to day hoping no one would notice me. As long as I was invisible, I was safe. But that’s not living, Frank! I’ve been sleepwalking all this time. And just when I was finally starting to feel in control of my life, it got ripped away from me.”

Frank nodded, but didn’t comment, recognizing his sister’s need to vent. It was strange, in a way. He’d grown up with a brother who wore his heart on his sleeve. Joe was the outgoing one; the one invited to parties, who asked out girls, and who was never afraid to tell you what he thought or felt. Frank was used to working with that opposite personality, as much as it sometimes clashed with his own. Beth, on the other hand, was so much like him - reserved, thoughtful, and socially awkward. It was no wonder that they hadn’t gotten along as well at first. It took them forcibly spending time together while kidnapped for him to appreciate how nice it was to have a sibling with a kindred spirit.

“I still feel like if I follow my first instincts, I’m going to get hurt somehow. So instead of telling Rachael to go jump in the bay like I want to, I ignore her. Instead of pantsing Luke in front of the whole school for being such a creep, I pretend he’s not bothering me. Instead of stealing Coach Sullivan’s megaphone so I can scream at the cheer squad that I’m not anorexic, or bulimic, or have any kind of eating disorder, I pretend I can’t hear them snickering in the locker room when we shower.” The breeze was even cooler here on the beach, and it helped to cool the anger Beth could feel in her cheeks.

“Why do you feel like you can’t react to those things?” He asked quietly after a moment.

Beth seemed to be watching a few seagulls who were hunting for food along the water’s edge. “If you act like nothing is happening, you draw less attention to yourself. Reacting to Tim being drunk, to the lack of food in the fridge even though you know he just got paid, to not having a proper winter coat - reactions like that get you hurt. If you say something out of turn, if you act angry or upset, if you seem too needy, you set off the bomb and there’s no getting away from the explosion.”

“Beth,” he tugged gently on her shoulder until she turned to look at him.

He studied her eyes for a moment, appreciating the difference between hers, Joe’s and their mother’s. Laura’s eyes were a deep, mature sapphire blue, Joe’s were a bright, clear summer sky, but Beth’s reminded Frank of the ocean in winter - dark blue with just a hint of green right in the middle. You couldn’t really just call her eyes blue, and that seemed to suit her perfectly.

“Tim is gone,” he reminded her. “He’s never going to hurt you again. You should never feel like you have to hide how you really feel. Not at home or school. I’m not saying I want you to punch everyone you don’t like, that’s Joe’s thing and he’s pretty territorial about it.”

That made her snort out a giggle and he grinned. “Beth, you don’t need to censor yourself. You’re not on your own anymore. We’ve got your back, and we always will. I promise.”

Beth blinked a few times, wiping at her eye. “Thanks, Frank.”

Frank nodded. “Anytime. Is that all that’s bothering you?”

She sighed and shook her head. “I - it’s stupid.”

He raised an expectant eyebrow, which only made her laugh. “I swear, you’re the only one I’ve ever met that can actually raise your eyebrows independently. It makes you look like a cartoon character.”

“Gee, thanks,” he gave her shoulder a very light shove as she laughed again.

She sobered after a moment. “I’m having a hard time eating,” she explained. “A lot of foods make me nauseous now, but some are worse than others.”

“What kind of - I mean, what did she…?” He trailed off awkwardly. Beth hadn’t told either Frank or Joe what had happened in detail. They really only knew what was written in the file their dad had on past victims - forced feedings with nasogastric tubes, victims kept restrained and/or drugged. They hadn’t wanted to push her, but both of the brothers couldn’t deny they’d wanted to ask. If only so they could help their sister recover.

Beth grimaced at the memory.

“You don’t have to tell me,” Frank backpedaled quickly.

“It’s alright. I want you to understand.” She licked her lips and swallowed. “At first, it was this milk formula. She made me take it through a feeding tube… I couldn’t even puke it back up because she kept me gagged. It was cold, wet and it felt slimy going through my nose. God, it just,” she took a deep breath and shook her head, staring up at the low hanging clouds. “I constantly felt so nauseous and full. It was like a gallon of the stuff every three hours.”

“Kid,” he said softly, horrified. He reached for her hand on instinct, and was relieved when she let him take it. He squeezed her smaller hand in his, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles.

“Eventually, she switched to this chocolate pudding mixture she’d doctored up.” She shuddered, her whole body reacting to the memory of the thick, slimy cream sliding down her throat. “Only instead of using the feeding tube, she made me swallow it. Bowl after bowl, it just - god, it felt like it never ended! Frank, I don’t think I like chocolate anymore,” she said seriously, swallowing back a bit of bile she could feel in her throat.

“Can’t say that I blame you,” he muttered, anger once more simmering in his gut for the doctor who’d hurt his sister.

“I’m worried,” she admitted quietly, gripping a handful of sand in her free palm. It felt soothing to let the sand slowly slip through her clenched fingers. “That I’m starting to develop an aversion to eating. I don’t want to develop an eating complex over this. I don’t want that woman to dictate the rest of my life - I don’t want to even think about her ever again!” Frustrated tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and she blinked a few times to clear her vision.

“Have you talked about this with your therapist?”

She shrugged. “A little. I don’t know if she really understands just how freaked out I am about this. I was already feeling sick to my stomach at lunch, but then I saw the cup of pudding on Tony’s tray and I just - I couldn’t handle it. My body flipped out and I barely had time to react. I almost vomited right there.”

Frank hummed thoughtfully, still rubbing her hand. “Well, I’m not your doctor, but I think you should definitely talk about it more with her. Explain it to her the way you explained it to me. She should have some suggestions. In the meantime, maybe you should focus on those feelings.”

Beth’s forehead wrinkled. “I should focus on being nauseous?”

He shook his head. “No, that’s not what I mean. Focus on how Dr. Lawson doesn’t have any power over you, in the same way that Tim doesn’t. Focus on doing things your way, and not worrying about what anyone else thinks. I’m not saying you have to stand up to everyone who bothers you, but don’t let yourself be run over anymore. Be willing to put your foot down. You deserve to be treated as well as everyone else. It’s a basic human need and right to be seen and heard, and you’ve been denied it for too long. And if anyone gives you a hard time about it, I’ll kick their ass myself.”

She looked up at him, a little amused. “Now who’s trying to get into fistfights?”

“For you and Joe? I’d do anything. You should know that by now,” he cupped the back of her neck, pulling her forward so he could kiss her forehead.

She didn’t pull back, enjoying the affection. “I do. Thanks, Frank.”

Chapter Text

They spent a couple more hours at the shoreline talking, enjoying the breeze and the sound of the rolling waves. When the sun had started to slant in late afternoon rays across the sand, they decided to head home. Beth spent the ride more relaxed, leaned back slightly from Frank but still keeping her arms locked around his waist. When he would glance in the side mirrors, he could see her smiling as she watched the scenery change from countryside back to their sleepy little city.

Joe practically tackled her in a hug as soon as they walked through the door. “Ack - down boy! Heel!” She scrunched her face comically when her brother only squeezed harder, her arms pinned to her sides as he lifted her off the floor. “I don’t know why Frank complains about never getting a dog. You’re part golden retriever,” she grunted, making both boys laugh.

Joe finally relaxed his hold and set her back on her feet. “Sorry, I just…” He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “You were so pale when you left school. I was worried.”

Beth gave him a soft smile. “Thanks. I’m better now.”

“Better - but not good?” Joe asked, noticing the difference.

She shrugged as Frank patted her back reassuringly. “I’ll get there. Just not today.”

“There you are!” Laura said, coming around the corner. She swept Beth into another tight hug, though this one wasn’t rib crushing. “What happened? Joe said you got sick at school.” She pulled back to brush some of Beth’s fringe from her face, scanning her features as if it would give her a diagnosis.

Beth grimaced, but explained what had happened at lunch. She also reluctantly expounded on how she’d been feeling that morning before school in response to her mother’s prodding questions. By this point, they’d migrated to the dining room table where Joe had been doing his homework while he waited for his siblings to arrive home.

“I wish you’d told me you felt ill,” Their mom finally said, shaking her head. “I would have kept you home.”

“I wanted to try to go to school!” Beth insisted. “I just,” she sighed, “I wanted to feel normal again.”

“I know, baby.” Laura said soothingly, “but if you push yourself too hard or too fast to recover, you’ll end up worse, not better. It’s okay to take your time. Do you feel up for a snack now?”

Beth thought about it. “...Maybe? I don’t know, just - just nothing creamy or smooth.”

“You’ve got it, just give me a few minutes,” her mom kissed her forehead, shooting a look over Beth’s head at the boys that clearly stated ‘watch her’.

Frank lifted his chin in acknowledgement. “Do you have a lot of homework, Kid?”

Beth rolled her eyes. “Ugh, yes! You would think getting abducted would buy you a tiny bit of sympathy, but these teachers are merciless.” She pulled out several textbooks and her binder.

Joe winced. “Yeah, that might be partially our fault, sorry. We sort of used up all their good will?”

“I’m not mad, Joe, I’m just disappointed,” Beth said with a straight face, but the twinkling in her eyes gave away the joke and had both boys laughing.

“Do you want any help?” Frank asked when he caught his breath.

Beth looked sourly at her math textbook. “If you don’t mind. I - I just don’t get this stuff,” she admitted, embarrassed.

“Your teacher probably isn’t explaining it well,” Frank reassured her.

“No, I’m just stupid,” She muttered, flipping to the correct lesson and frowning in irritation at the formulas written on the page.

“Beth,” Joe said, firmly enough to gain her attention. “You are not stupid. Algebra is stupid. Don’t give up on yourself before you even try, okay?”

She gave him a small smile, maybe not totally convinced but grateful for the kind words. “Thanks, Joe.”

Just then, Laura reappeared with apple slices, pretzels and glasses of iced tea. The rest of the afternoon passed for Beth in a blur of homework and joking around with her brothers. Before she knew it, they were clearing the table and setting it for dinner.

Fenton had arrived home at some point in the afternoon, but only stopped briefly to greet his family before disappearing into his office. Beth couldn’t help the irrational worry that began gnawing in her gut that he was mad at her. She knew that was ridiculously illogical, but it hovered in the back of her thoughts like a storm cloud as she helped her mom chop vegetables and place a tray of rolls into the oven. Eventually the table was set, the food laid out, and the Hardy kids were all seated. Laura shot Fenton’s empty chair a disapproving look, before she headed in the direction of his office.

Beth played with her fork, trying to push back the feeling she’d done something wrong. Joe and Frank were discussing the high school team's odds against Southport for the upcoming game, but Beth couldn’t quite make herself pay attention. Even when Fenton and Laura eventually came into the dining room and they started eating, she still had a little hot ball of worry simmering in her chest.

Laura watched from the corner of her eye as Beth absently moved food around on her plate, occasionally taking a bite, but mostly just shifting piles of vegetables and cuts of chicken. Her lack of appetite had been a growing concern over the course of the last several days, but tonight seemed especially bad. She tried to catch Fenton’s eye from the opposite side of the table, but her husband seemed even more absent minded than their daughter, though he at least was eating.

Exasperated, she checked to see if either of the boys had noticed their sister’s behavior. Frank and Joe met their mom’s look and subtly nodded. Yes, they had noticed, and yes they were worried. They also clearly had no idea how to help.

Finally, Laura cleared her throat pointedly, which at last roused Fenton from his thoughts. When he met her gaze, she cut her eyes to Beth, who was still listlessly playing with her food.

“Oh! Uh… so, Beth? How was school today?” He started, missing Laura’s small sigh. At least he was mentally present again.

Beth started, looking up at her dad before immediately dropping her gaze back to her plate. “Um… not, not great?” She offered uncertainly.

“What happened?” Fenton asked, his mental fog finally clearing enough for him to recognize her melancholy.

Beth’s mouth flattened into an unhappy line. What was this, the third or fourth time she’d had to recount the miserable events of the day? She gave her dad the highlights as concisely as she could while attempting a few more bites of her now cold broccoli. She could reheat her food in the microwave, but she didn’t see the point. It wasn’t like the temperature was what was keeping her from eating.

“I’m sorry that happened, honey,” Fenton said sincerely after she finished. Beth glanced at her dad and saw what she privately called his ‘detective brain’ kicking in. She’d sort of hoped he would leave it at that, as she was really tired of talking about today, but he pressed on. “Was there anything else that happened that’s bothering you? You know that you can talk to us about anything.”

Beth dug a little hole in the center of the rice on her plate with her fork. “There’s this girl in my class…” She started slowly. “She’s kind of a bitch.”

Joe let out an amused snort and then quickly tried to cover it with a cough when Laura glared at him.

“Anyway,” Beth continued, apparently ignoring Joe, “She and her friends started a rumor in school that - that I used to go to some fancy boarding school, but you and Mom had me come home because…” She took a sip of her drink, throat suddenly dry. “Because I have an eating disorder, and that’s why I’m so skinny.”

Fenton and Laura shared concerned and bewildered looks.

“How long has this been going on for?” Laura asked for both of them, covering Beth’s hand with her own even as she looked at her boys in confusion. Frank couldn’t meet his mom’s eyes. Joe rubbed his neck uncomfortably.

“Since the start of the semester, basically,” Beth admitted. “I told Joe not to say anything, and Frank didn’t know until today. It’s dumb, you know? They don’t know what they’re talking about! And like yeah it’s frustrating, but I’ve been talking about it with my therapist, and it’s just gossip. They can’t hurt me with words. I can handle a few nasty rumors and petty girls… I’m used to that,” she added more quietly.

“Well, is there something else that’s been bothering you aside from that?” Fenton pressed gently after a moment of silence. As much as he wanted to go into more detail on the bullying his daughter had been facing, he knew when she didn’t want to discuss something nothing could persuade her otherwise.

“I mean - ugh, that’s dumb too!” Beth finally gave up and pushed her half eaten dinner plate away. She scrubbed her face and roughly raked her fingers through her hair, planting her elbows on the table. Frank and Joe seemed to take that as their cue, picking up their finished plates and taking them to the kitchen.

“If it’s bothering you this much, then it is not dumb,” Laura assured her. “What’s wrong baby?”

“Aside from everything?” Beth asked with a bitter chuckle.

“ Aside from the obvious,” Fenton clarified, squeezing her shoulder. “I know that you’ve had to do everything on your own for a long time, but you don’t have to handle everything alone anymore. You can trust us to help you, even for the things you feel are dumb.”

“I just - I don’t know why it’s still bothering me, above everything else. Maybe even more than what happened with Lawson, which is - I mean, it’s ridiculous!” Beth rubbed tears of frustration off her cheeks, irritated to be crying again. "That woman tortured me for almost three days, but I'm over here having a breakdown about Luke."

"Who's Luke?" Laura asked. Fenton was sort of glad she didn't know either. He'd had a very irrational thought for a moment that Beth had a boyfriend she hadn't told them about, and he… well he wasn't quite ready to deal with that idea.

"He's this guy," Beth sighed. "He's second string for the football team. He has some kind of beef with Joe, I don't really know what about, but I - I heard him talking with his friends. Bragging, really, that -" she swallowed a lump in her throat. "That he was going to hurt me to get back at Joe."

“How was he going to hurt you?” Fenton asked, leaning forward protectively.

Beth couldn’t seem to answer him, which told him everything.

“When did this happen?” Laura ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair soothingly, voice softer than before.

“Literally the day she took me from school.”

“How come you didn’t mention it?” Fenton tried to lower his voice as well, knowing Beth often became distressed if she thought someone was mad at her when they were really upset about something else.

“It just - it felt so unimportant compared to everything else,” Beth tried to explain even as a lump in her throat threatened to steal her voice. “I’d almost forgotten about it, but then today Luke was trying to ask me out and it all came flooding back. I told him ‘no’, but he just - he wouldn’t listen! It’s like he doesn’t even see me as a person.” As she broke down crying in earnest, Beth let her mom pull her onto her lap, cradling her like a little kid and running her fingers through her dark hair.

Fenton spotted Joe and Frank peeking in from the kitchen doorway, clearly still eavesdropping. Frank looked concerned and protective, rubbing his hands helplessly. Joe, on the other hand, appeared downright murderous, forearms shaking as his knuckles turned white. He signaled the boys to meet him in his study and stood from the table.

Fenton knelt next to his wife and daughter and gathered them into a warm hug. “It’s going to be okay, Beth. We’ll sort this out. I’m so proud of you for telling us, sweetheart, I know that was hard.” He kissed her damp cheek, exchanging a glance with Laura before joining his sons.

To Joe’s credit, he didn’t explode until Fenton had shut the door, and even then the outburst was an angry hiss instead of a scream. “I’m going to kill that little bastard!” He paced the study like a caged lion, pounding his fist into his hand repeatedly but otherwise tried to be quiet. Beth’s crying could still be heard through the closed door.

Frank sat on the loveseat, still wringing his hands, looking as lost as he had when they’d realized Beth was been missing. “She told me there was a guy being creepy at school, but she didn’t tell me -” He shook his head and added darkly, “If I’d known, I would have gone back to the high school and beat the shit out of him myself.”

“Oh believe me,” Joe said, gesturing angrily. “Tomorrow, when I see him, he’s going to regret ever even looking at my sister.”

“Alright, alright,” Their dad cut in with a sharp wave of his arm. “Enough. Who is this kid, and why does he want to get back at Joe?”

Joe rolled his eyes dramatically. “He’s this punk who’s convinced I somehow bribed my way into everything, or something like that. From the moment he started freshman year, he’s been a thorn in my side; trying to find ways to get my spot on the team, or otherwise knock me out of the running back position. I think he’s just never been told ‘no’ before and doesn’t know how to handle it.”

“So you’ve never done anything specifically to provoke him?” Fenton clarified and Joe winced.

“Well…”

“Joe caught him bullying another student into doing his homework and told the coach,” Frank explained when his brother hesitated. “Luke was suspended from the team for a month and got detention for a week. Honestly, I think he should have gotten a harsher punishment, but his dad is some big shot stockbroker that donated a lot of money to the school. Luke thinks he can get away with anything - and often does.”

“And now he thinks he can touch my sister,” Joe added bitterly. “Which is not going to happen.”

“No, it isn’t,” Fenton stated firmly. “But it’s not going to be because you couldn’t control your temper. As much as I hate to say this, Beth may have to handle this on her own.”

“You’re not going to help her?” Frank asked incredulously.

“Of course I am,” Thei father said soothingly. “But unfortunately at the moment, we only have Beth’s word against Luke’s. We need concrete evidence to bring against Luke, something that his parents can’t sweep under the rug with intimidation or a donation. Video evidence would be the best option,” he added thoughtfully.

“Put a camera on me,” Joe immediately offered. “I can get him to confess.”

“More like you’ll get yourself arrested,” Frank corrected him with a head shake. “I know you too well, little brother. There’s no way you can keep your temper in check and not beat the kid up on video.”

The blonde boy rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.

“I’ll do it,” Beth’s quiet voice said from the doorway.

The three turned towards her, startled. None of them had heard or seen her open the door. She sniffed and used the back of her wrist to wipe her nose and damp cheeks. Her face was flushed and her eyes were red around the edges, but her expression was determined. “I’m tired of people thinking they can take what they want from me and treat me like a doormat. I wanna do this myself.”

Her dad pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you, baby.” He pulled back and leaned down so they were closer to eyelevel. “If you’re going to do this, there are some conditions. Other than being in class, I don’t want you going near Luke or any of his friends on your own. Between classes, stick with Joe, Vanessa, Tony or Biff, okay? I don’t want to give him an opportunity with you alone.”

“How am I going to get him to admit to what he said if I’m always with someone? He’s a piece of shit, but he’s not stupid,” Beth said.

Joe snorted and Frank barely suppressed a smile, “Language, Beth.”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “I could call him far worse.”

“I’m sure you could,” Fenton said dryly. “And you’re right, he won’t say anything with witnesses present. So here’s what we’re going to do…”