Cass Comforts Frankie After Her Flashback to the Explosion

Frankie peeks in the door of the Old Mill, but there's no sign of Ryan. Cass arrives then and tells her he didn't find Ryan either, and on top of that, Dean took off, and no one knows where he is, and Cass couldn't find out what was happening because it was so crazy backstage. Then Cass tells Frankie that Dean was planning to propose to Jenna onstage tonight. Frankie's upset about Dean being missing, and hoping that Ryan and Carl aren't together. She tells Cass they should just hang out at the Old Mill for a while, and that way they'll be there if Ryan or Dean should need them. Cass tells Frankie what a big heart she has, and how she's always at her happiest when she's looking out for somebody else. Frankie suggests she just look out for Cass for right now, and they're hugging when suddenly a rocket goes off over their heads. Frankie is so badly frightened by it that she hits the dirt. After the colors from the rocket fade, Cass calls out to her, and finds her cowering on the ground, clutching the rail of the footbridge and crying. He hurriedly hunkers down and runs his hands over her limbs, worriedly asking if she's all right. She clutches his jacket and tearfully asks Cass what's happening to her. She can't stop shaking. Cass asks her if she can make it back to the car, but instead of answering his question, Frankie says she thought she was over all of this. Then she tells Cass that when the rocket went off over their heads, she was back on the set of "Ladykiller" and she could feel the heat burning in her lungs. Cass pulls her to him and holds her tightly as she clings to him, fighting sobs. Cass gently eases Frankie over to where they can sit down. Frankie says she's a wreck and she can't stop her teeth from chattering. Cass replies that that's normal and then he holds her and rocks her gently back and forth in his arms. His gentleness extends to his tone of voice, as he tells her that she can't keep this stuff all bottled up inside, she has to let it out sometime, let it go and cry. Frankie reminds Cass that Clay the guru taught her to live in the present and embracing the now and letting go of the past. Cass says that doesn't mean repressing the past. Frankie nearly died in that explosion, and then she just jumped back into her life as if nothing had happened. Frankie says she guesses that is what she did, and she gets up and walks over to the rail, with Cass following her. He knows that she can handle anything, even before Frankie says that she's still ticking. Cass tells Frankie she doesn't have to prove anything, certainly not to him. "You've been so strong for so many people for such a long time," he tells her. "That's what I've tried to do," Frankie says tearfully. Cass gently turns Frankie to face him, his hands on her arms. "Let me be strong for you," he tells her. "Trust me to help you through this." He cups her face in his hands, then smooths her hair off her face. And that's when Frankie finally really breaks down sobbing. "I'm so scared!" she sobs out as the tears start flowing. "I know," Cass says, and he pulls her to him, and she's holding onto him so tightly, and he's holding on her just as tightly as she literally cries on his shoulder. "That's good, that's good, let it out," he encourages her. "Oh, Frankie. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. I'm so sorry that you had to go through so much alone. I love you, Mary Frances. You have a good cry." "What are we gonna do about Carl?" Frankie asks tearfully. Cass, still keeping Frankie in his arms, pulls back to look at her. "Oh, we'll catch up to Carl later," he assures her before framing her face gently in his hands. Then he touches his forehead to hers as he promises her that Carl will pay for everything he's done to all of them. Then he rains kisses on Frankie's nose, cheek, and temple, kissing away some of her tears (or that was what it looked like to me anyway), before embracing her again as she continues to have her good cry on his shoulder as they sway slowly back and forth. Thanks to Janie for the scenes.