Joe found him. Of course, Joe found him. Sitting on the floor next to his bed in their shared room, knees pulled tight to his chest in a very un-Frank like way. Her words replaying in his head. He heard Joe come in, and call his name. He sounded excited about something.

'Respond.' He told himself. He tried to call out but his mouth was locked tight, rage and sorrow muting his lips. A shadow entered his line of sight, then worn blue jeans and the face of a worried blond.

"Frank...?" He couldn't make himself make eye contact. He looked straight through Joe to his phone. He couldn't move anymore than he could speak.

"I'm so happy I-" Joe snapped his fingers and Frank recoiled, wrapping his arms around his head, his forearms pressing over his ears. He tried to block out that thud, that final thud.

"Frank! Look at me!" Joe peeled his arms away and shook him. Something snapped. Frank jumped to his feet.

"I need to- I have to- I can...I can get there-She's- she's..." Frank looked desperately around the room for something, anything that would fix this. He tore open drawers and dug through the contents of his desk. He needed his keys, a plane ticket, shoes, any way to get to her. There was time, there had to be, he needed to call the police, her father, his father, anyone. He could fix this. He just needed something, something...

"Frank?" He couldn't stop, stopping made it real. He didn't see Joe pick up the phone, but he heard it.

"It's me. I love you..." Her tiny voice filled Frank's ears. He turned and Joe hit the pause button.

Frank finally looked his little brother in the eye. He looked so worried, how could he tell him? Frank loved her, but she and Joe were just as close as they were and he knew Joe loved her like the sister they'd never had. How could he tell him, how could he tell everyone?

But, he didn't have to, it only took that look. In that split second of eye contact, Joe knew. He shook his head and put the phone down only to rush forward as Frank began to collapse; his tears finally coming, now that they had somewhere to fall. Frank leaned on his brother's shoulder and grasped at his arms as his legs gave out, desperately looking for support. And he found it. Joe didn't sway an inch, he just wrapped his arms around his brother and did his best to keep him from falling apart. Frank sobbed into the younger man's chest, so lost in his own grief that he didn't even feel Joe's tears on his scalp. He didn't feel anything but the pain.