This is an idea I've had floating around for a while. I'm stuck on the sequel to "Nancy's Heart," so I figured I'd give this one some life for a while. It's probably going to be kinda short (as in # of chapters.) But I hope you like it!

(Added at a later date) I keep forgetting this part!

Disclaimer: I don't own Nancy, Joe, Frank, Carson, Fenton, Laura, Hannah, or… wait. I think that's it.

Hotel Hostages

Chapter 1

"Dad? Do we hafta go?" six-year-old Joe Hardy whined to his father, Fenton. His blonde hair, tousled by the wind, glinted in the afternoon's sunlight. He tugged on his father's hand, hoping the action would make his father slow down.

Joe's brother, Frank, older by a year, trudged behind a few steps. "Dad, it's boring there. Can't we stay home and play?"

Fenton Hardy hid a laugh behind one hand, while his other held onto Joe's tightly as they walked down the sidewalk of their house towards the car, parked at the curb. "Frank, Joe. I expect you two to be on your best behavior. That means no interrupting, no jokes, and especially, no whining."

Joe grumbled quietly to himself, but Frank remained quiet. Their father, a private investigator, rarely took them along on appointments dealing with his cases, even though Frank and Joe begged to go nearly every time. Especially when the police station, their favorite place to go, was his destination.

This time, however, he was headed to an all-day conference in New York. He would have left his sons home with their mother, Laura, but she hadn't returned yet from a trip to see her sister.

This was an annual conference, and this time, New York City had been the chosen location. People of all careers, dealing with criminal activity and law enforcement, had been invited. This year, Fenton was one of the guest presenters.

Luckily for him, the event organizers had been gracious enough to provide an area for the children of their guests. A room was being provided with games, snacks, movies, and the works. He knew supervision was being provided as well, and he hoped that for once, his eager sons would behave.

Both fancied themselves detectives, just like their father. And on occasion, they had proven their developing abilities. But those abilities tended to get them in trouble quite often.

An hour later, they arrived at the hotel where the conference was being held. Both boys stood in front of the large, glassed-in revolving doors of the tall building. Neither of them had seen such a fancy building. Fenton ushered his sons inside the exquisite hotel, where they were greeted by a young woman.

"Oh, you must be Frank and Joe! My name is Lita Keane. I've heard so much about you two, I expected you to be teenagers!" the woman exclaimed, winking at Fenton.

Frank smiled modestly. "We're smart for our age," he replied, holding his head and shoulders high, trying to appear older.

Joe just looked at the woman, whose straight black hair hung past her waist. He studied her. She looked younger than his teacher at school. Maybe she'd be kinda cool, he thought. His teacher at school always seemed to be yelling at him.

He removed his hand from his father's hold. "Don't worry, Dad. We'll be good. Promise."

Fenton smiled. "I know you will. Oh, and I forgot to tell you. Nancy Drew will be here with her dad. So you will have a friend to have fun with."

Joe groaned. "Not her. She's bossy."

Fenton laid a hand on Joe's head, forcing him to look up. "Joseph. I want you to be nice to Nancy. One day, you two will be great friends." He glanced at Lita. "If you have any problems, you know how to find me."

Lita nodded, winking at the older gentleman. "We'll be fine." She looked at Frank and Joe. "You guys ready to join the others? We have all kinds of video games up in the room."

Joe's eyes lit up at that. "Really?" He grabbed hold of Lita's hand and started dragging her away from his father.

Lita and Joe began talking about the games as they walked away. Frank glanced over at his dad, who was smiling. "Don't worry, Dad," he reassured his father. "I'll keep Joe out of trouble."

Fenton chuckled. "Watch out for Nancy, too. And you three stay out of trouble." Famous last words, he thought. With those three together, trouble was never far behind.

Joe and Lita chatted like old friends during the short elevator ride to the fourth floor. It didn't seem to take long for Joe to be awed by Lita's "coolness." Frank, however, was excited about seeing Nancy Drew. He always had fun playing with her, even though Joe teased him about her.

"Frank and Nancy sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G..." Joe had teased him relentlessly.

That teasing had resulted in Nancy chasing Joe down and tickling him senseless. Joe, still going through the cootie phase at the time, had nearly died.

Frank grinned broadly at that memory. Nancy was the only girl he knew who wasn't afraid of getting dirty.

When the Lita, Frank, and Joe entered the room, the first thing Joe noticed was the television in the corner. Another boy about his age was staring intently at the screen as a green car zoomed around a track. Joe immediately dropped Lita's hand and ran over to the boy. "Can I play, too?"

The boy nodded without looking away from the screen. "You can't be the green car, 'cause it's my favorite. You can be the yellow if you want."

Joe eagerly picked up the controller. Soon, the two were bickering good-naturedly about who had the fastest car.

Frank, on the other hand, had spotted Nancy at a table nearby, sitting with another boy and girl. The boy was much younger than the girl, who was patiently showing him how to put together a puzzle. From their identically-freckled faces, Frank figured they were brother and sister.

Frank sat next to Nancy, and rested his elbows on the table, quietly observing her for a minute. "Whatcha' doing?" He propped his chin up in his hands and looked at Nancy. Her tongue was sticking out, as she concentrated on a blue mound of Play-Doh.

She looked up and grinned at Frank. "I'm making a dog." She frowned, her delicate hands kneading the mass of dough. "But it doesn't ever look right." Nancy shoved the mass into Frank's hands. "Here. You do it!"

He went to work on the Play-Doh, as Nancy watched in amazement.

NDHB NDHB NDHB NDHB

Meanwhile, Carson Drew stood up and waved when he saw Fenton Hardy walk into the room. The old friends greeted each other warmly, and Carson gestured to an empty seat across from him.

Fenton gladly took it and glanced at his watch. "I'm telling you, Carson. It's only been ten minutes, but I already feel they're into trouble."

Carson laughed. "You underestimate them, I think. For once, those three aren't the only kids around. There are other children for them to make friends with, and lots of toys and games to keep them busy. Maybe, for once, they'll stay put."

Both men were quiet for a moment, each silently hoping Carson's statement would come true. Then their eyes met, and they laughed at the absurdity of such a thought.

NDHB NDHD NDHB NDHB

Hope this gets you interested. I have a fun little plot laid out for the young crime-solvers. As always, I'm ready for comments, suggestions, (no flames), and the usual. Thanks and hope you enjoy!