Yay! Tis a sequel to "Secret Killer". Thank you everyone who reviewed it!

Some notes before you start reading this...
1) I do not own the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew.
2) I'm not the biggest Nancy Drew fan. Due to this, I kind of forgotten bits and pieces about her whole story thing (I still know the basic plot, though). But I will say this: If any bad guy wants to get rid of her in any future books, please do not lock her up in a pantry full of food, even if it's for a weekend. I looked over the Super Mystery "Where's Nancy?", and thought it was a bit sad that this had happened.
3) I have not read any of the books where the Hardys meet Nancy Drew. I've browsed some sites, and read something about them meeting up at a rock concert in the newer version. I think it might be a bit more believable that their fathers know each other, since laywers and PIs usually work together
4) Some states that get snow have a February winter break. I don't know why really, it's just there.

Well, enjoy!


~Joe

I never expected to become an older brother. That was always Frank's job. I was supposed to be the one everyone fussed over, because I was the immature one (something I would never admit out loud, of course).

Frank was never supposed to be the one always under watch, either.

"No, no…"

"Frank, it's okay." It's one in the morning, about four days into February winter break. I had been woken up by my brother having another nightmare. There was not one time where my brother could stay asleep for a few hours without having a nightmare from Stacy's hypnotism.

I guess this should be expected. That bitch hypnotized my brother to imagine some of the closest people to him stabbing him over and over. His mind was tricked into feeling all of that pain, making the mental scars deeper. Now, he couldn't even look at the people he had imagined that tortured him.

After a few more moments of shaking him, Frank finally woke up. The second he saw me, he groaned and hit the covers. "Again?"

"If I say yes, would you feel better?"

"Why can't I break free from this crap? It's ruining my life!"

"That's why Stacy did it in the first place, bro. She wanted to torment you for as long as you live, even though she planned to kill you a few hours later." I tried to read his expression, but it was hard since I didn't bother turning on the lights.

"It's just so frustrating."

"Including the part where Mom won't let Dad walk around the house at certain times because she wants you to move around instead of hiding in your room?"

A long, dramatic sigh answered my question. "I'm mad at Dad, but I don't want to torture him like this."

"Yes you do. Your inner evil commands you to be… evil."

"I don't have an inner evil, Joe."

"Yes you do. You just let it loose when you think no one is looking."

Frank pushed me off the bed, causing me to meet the ground very loudly. "See! Right there!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. You fell off the bed, remember?"

"I hate you sometimes." I got up from the floor. "You better now?"

"Yeah, thanks." Frank turned over in his bed. "You shouldn't have checked on me, though. I know how much you love your sleep."

"Please, if you think I'm gonna let you go have a nightmare in the middle of the night… well…" This was probably one of those rare moments when I couldn't think of something to end the threat. If I could even call it a threat.

"I get the idea, thanks."

A few minutes later, I was tossing in my own bed, trying to fall back asleep. Well, at east Frank isn't screaming in his head I thought silently.

--------------

Another day, another awkward moment in the family.

Our mom had set up rules to help Frank deal with living in this house while he tried to recover. Mainly, it consisted of either Frank staying in his room or Dad in his study.

Was there any better way for us to deal with this problem? Truthfully, yes. Was I gonna try to think of this new, better way? Hell no.

"Are you two going anywhere?" Mom asked. At the moment, it was the end of Dad's turn to stay in the study.

"I need to get some shopping done," I admitted. "Review book for geometry."

"Psychologist appointment," Frank said, getting up from his seat. He brought his plate to the sink. "I won't be back till dinner."

"Okay sweetie." Mom watched Frank leave the house, and finally tore her gaze from him when he left the driveway in her car. She then turned her attention to me. "Is Frank okay?"

"Better than he was on Friday." I took another bite of pancakes.

"Are you sure? He stayed out of the house for the past few days, and insists on being left alone…"

"He's not alone, Mom. He's got me and Phil-"

"Phil's helping too?"

Crap. I forgot that Frank hadn't told Mom about his relationship with Phil yet. "Yeah… Kinda…"

"Joseph Hardy, are you not telling me something?"

Mom would know if I lied. She has this freakish power of knowing sometimes. I personally blame the research librarian in her. "Mayyyybe."

She sighed. "Should I let Frank tell me?"

"Yep."

"Okay, I think I get it." She got up from the table as Dad walked into the room. "Just try to get Frank to be more open. He doesn't talk to anyone besides you and Phil, and it isn't good for a victim suffering mental pain to-"

"To close up and try to deal with the plain alone. You've told me about a hundred times, Mom."

"Well, another few hundred doesn't hurt."

I clutched my heart and pretended to be in pain. "It was one time too many, Mom!" I did dramatic groans of pain, and ended it with a shriek and fell from my chair.

Truthfully, I was trying to fall on to the table. But I lost my balance and hit the floor. Not like I'm gonna tell my mom that, though…

"Joe…" Mom shook her head, smiling, and went to the stove. "Want anything to eat, Fenton?"

"Pancakes, please." Dad turned his attention to me as I tried to get back into my chair. "So, Joe, what's happenin'?"

My dad was trying to talk "hip," which could only mean two things. Either he was having that midlife crisis earlier than Frank and I thought he would, or he was trying to bond after all the crap that happened. I really hoped that it was the latter, because I didn't want to deal with Dad myself.

"Not much." I tried to concentrate on eating my pancakes.

"Well, do you need any help with anything? I have the time."

"No, I'm fine." I quickly finished what was left of my breakfast. I washed my plate, and went to my room to grab my coat and wallet. All while trying to distance myself from my father.

It wasn't like I hated my father. That right was reserved to Frank, even though he won't show that anger. I just… wanted to stay away from him. It was hard for me to deal with Dad. I once looked up to him. He was this awesome detective that I tried to compare myself to. But after the way he ignored us while trying to understand that Frank's gay, then Stacy's hypnotism trick on my brother…

I just wasn't ready to deal with Dad.

I took the keys to Dad's car, and drove to the mall. I really wanted to go on my motorcycle, but there was still a fair amount of snow and ice outside. Not to mention the fact that it was freezing…

The bookstore was relatively empty. I guess people would rather sleep in or get ready for work than spend time here. I managed to find a decent review book and pay for it before bumping into anyone I knew.

"Hey Joe!" I turned to see Callie walking towards me.

"Aren't you supposed to be at 'camp'?"

"Camp" was the lie Ivy and Callie told their parents to let them go to the ATAC training place. It was about an hour from here, and they were supposed to stay the whole week to become temporary agents.

"They sent us back early. They gave us a whole bunch of books to go over to finish the course." Callie shrugged before grabbing the review book out of my hand.

"Hey!"

"Geometry? Hated that class." She handed back the book. "So glad I finished that class last year."

"But don't you have calculus now?"

"Good point." Callie stuck out her tongue in disgust. "Just as bad. So, how's Frank?"

"He's doing a little better. He's at the psychologist right now. She think she might be able to figure out how to stop the effects by today."

"Hope she does." Callie looked over my shoulder. "Don't look now."

"You know I gonna look now that you told me to."

"It's Chet."

"Great." I turned around, and sure enough, Chet was walking towards us, a pile of hobby books in hand.

"Hey Joe! Callie," he greeted us.

Neither of us responded, so Chet continued to talk. "So, you guys having a good break?"

The anger in me slowly bubbled. "Depends. Does good mean that my brother is seeing a psychologist every day because he can't stand looking at some people without having a breakdown? Especially when the list includes you?"

"What?" An expression of amazement appeared on his face. "Is it because of the joke?"

"Yeah, 'joke.'" The prank that he pulled on Frank was not a joke. It was to make my brother look like a joke. "Well, it was nice talking to you, Chet." I flashed a fake smile, then left the store through the mall entrance.

"Joe!" I ignored Chet's call, continuing on towards the food court.

"Joe, slow down." Callie ran up to catch to me. "You okay?"

I headed over to the giant balcony window at the edge of the food court. It had begun to snow again, the white powder erasing some of the landscape.

"No," I admitted. "I'm not sure if I'll be alright ever again. Not until Frank is completely better, and we leave this place behind in our dust."