A/N: Hello, welcome to my new story! If you're a continued reader, welcome back and if you're a new reader, welcome! Let's take a ride, shall we? I hope you all enjoy the first chapter!

Also, if you're one of those people with amazing memories and you can remember all the way back to Second Chances when Callie mentioned the name of her fiancé and when they're getting married…try not to remember that. :) I had to change his name and when they're getting married for this story! :)

Quintessential Bliss

Chapter One

"Hey Nan, look at this," Frank said as he worked his way through the mail he had just brought in.

"What is it?" Nancy asked as she washed another dish.

Frank turned the thick white envelope so Nancy could see it from her position at the sink. "It's from Callie."

"Oh!" Nancy quickly dried her hands on a towel and rushed over. "Let me see!"

"Why? What is it?" Frank asked.

"It's a wedding invitation," Nancy said with a laugh. "Obviously."

"Obviously? What's so obvious about it?" Frank examined the innocent looking envelope.

"You're supposed to be a world renowned detective Frank," Nancy said with a laugh and pointed at the writing. "Fancy calligraphy, expensive white envelope, thick…and since when would Callie, an ex-girlfriend and longtime friend, address a letter to you so formally? Mr. Franklin D. Hardy and Miss Nancy Drew," she read the names on the front.

"Huh," was all Frank could think of to say. "I guess that makes sense."

"Better get used to it. As soon as we both get some time, your life is going to be all about picking out things like envelops for invitations," Nancy wiggled her engagement ring up at eye level. She laughed at the look on Frank's face. "Just open it, Hardy."

"How? It feels wrong to rip through obviously expensive paper."

Nancy laughed and shook her head, "Sometimes you can be such a man, Frank."

"Lucky for you," Frank replied and watched as Nancy slid a knife along the edge of the envelope and opened it neatly. "I'm lucky to have you in my life or that thing wouldn't have gotten opened until the next time I went to my parent's house and could have my mom open it."

"I knew that was the only reason you kept me around," Nancy teased, "to open those stubborn expensive envelopes."

"As long as we're on the same page," Frank said and pulled the invitation out of the envelope. The single sheet of thick white paper had more curling fancy writing on it. "It looks like they're getting married next month, in January."

"A winter wedding?" Nancy sighed, "That's going to be so beautiful."

"I don't know how winter-like it's going to be, they live in California," Frank replied. "Callie wrote you a message." Frank said and handed her the invite.

"She did?" Nancy asked in confusion, "I wonder why."

"You two seemed to hit it off last time she was in town for Vanessa's wedding," Frank commented.

"Yeah we did," Nancy murmured and read the handwritten note on the back of the card. She laughed, "She was just thanking me for recommending a friend of mine as a wedding planner. A girl I went to college with is located down there, she works wonders with parties."

"We should buy our plane tickets now, they're only going to get more expensive as time passes by," Frank said and used a magnet to stick the invite to the front of the fridge.

"You really want to go?" Nancy asked. She knew that Callie and Frank still had a good relationship, which was so rare for exes, but she wasn't sure how he'd feel watching her get married to some one else.

"Of course I want to go, why wouldn't I?" Frank was puzzled.

"I don't know…she was your first girlfriend and your first love…your first everything," Nancy shrugged.

Misinterpreting Nancy's words as jealousy Frank quickly folded her into a hug. "And you're going to be my last girlfriend, my last love…my last everything," he assured her. "If you don't want to go…I totally understand."

"What?" Nancy pulled back. "Of course I want to go!"

"You do?" Frank asked.

"Yes," Nancy looked at him, "you thought I was jealous." It wasn't a question but a confused statement.

"Well…yeah," Frank replied.

Nancy laughed and kissed him quickly on the lips. "You're adorable. I only plan on being jealous if I have reason to be. I know you and Callie are just good friends. I was only worried that it might be hard for you to see her getting married."

"Oh…well…there's my ego and there it is crushed," Frank said and made a face.

"You wanted me to be jealous?"

"No," Frank replied and shook his head, "Well, no. Not really…I just…well." Frank decided to quit while he was ahead.

Nancy laughed, "Come on. It's almost time to go to your parent's house."

"My parent's house?" Frank asked clearly having forgotten they were going over there.

"Not only do you keep me around to open expensive envelopes but without me your social calendar would all but be forgotten," Nancy smiled and kissed his cheek. "Tonight is my first annual Decorating of the Hardy Family Home for the Holidays."

Frank brought his hand up to his forehead, "I totally forgot."

"I know you did," Nancy smiled. "As I hear it from Vanessa it's quite the production. You men go outside and grunt over how to string lights up on the house and we womenfolk prepare hot chocolate and set out little mangers built out of Popsicle sticks made by you and Joe when you were kids."

"That pretty much sums it up," Frank replied with a laugh. "I'm sorry you won't get to do your own traditions this year," Frank said softly. He was referring to Nancy's tradition with her father of going out Christmas tree hunting every year, just the two of them.

"That's alright, I can make new traditions," Nancy smiled. "Starting with not being late to your parent's house for my first Christmas with you guys," she pushed him gently toward the door of the kitchen. "Go get changed and wear something warm. We leave here in ten minutes."

Frank gave Nancy a mock salute and ducked out of the kitchen.

"I can't believe it's only three weeks until Christmas," Vanessa sighed and unpacked another ornament. She set it next to the dozens she had already unpacked on the kitchen counter.

"I'm glad I have all my shopping done," Nancy said as she unwrapped a glass wise man.

"You have all your shopping done?" Vanessa asked her eyes wide, "no way."

"I do," Nancy smiled. "I finished last week."

"Well, that's irritating. It's a good thing you're so nice or I'd have to hate you," she smiled at Nancy who grinned back.

"I like to be finished early," Nancy shrugged.

"What? And miss the crowded malls with the moms and their screaming children?" Vanessa closed her eyes and sighed, "Bliss, pure bliss."

"For you maybe," Nancy replied with a chuckled.

"How about you Mrs. Hardy, do you have your shopping done?" Vanessa asked as Laura walked into the room carrying another box.

"Almost, just a few odds and ends for stockings and things left," Laura heaved the box onto the table. "Eventually Vanessa you're going to have to start calling me Laura."

"I do sometimes," Vanessa said and blushed.

"You still do stockings for Frank and Joe?" Nancy asked. She found the idea completely charming.

"Of course," Laura replied, "for you girls too."

"For us?" Nancy asked and looked at Vanessa who was smiling.

"Of course," Laura replied. "Your name is getting sewn onto yours as we speak."

"Mine?" Nancy was completely taken aback, "really?"

"Really," Laura smiled and pulled off the lid of the box. "Girls, I think I hit the mother load. This box is filled with all of the boys' handmade things, from kindergarten on up."

"Oooh, I love this part!" Vanessa said excitedly. She leaned closer to the box as Nancy joined her.

The three women had a great time pulling out things that Frank and Joe had made. A lopsided manger made out of Popsicle sticks complete with a headless Joseph ("I think it fell off a couple of years ago, we should probably fix that." Laura explained), a wreath made out of colored bits of red and green tissue paper which Laura promptly hung on the fridge with pride and a book chronicling the story of Christmas complete with stick figure drawings done by Joe. There were an assortment of other homemade items and ornaments and the girls had a great time discovering each one.

The sound of the front door opening had everyone turning, "Hey baby!" Vanessa cried and threw her arms around Joe, "Look what we found!"

Joe groaned, "I was hoping we would miss this portion of the evening." He turned to his dad, "you know I'm starting to think it wouldn't be too much after all if we lined the grass with lights."

"Too late son, I smell coffee," Fenton said and ducked into the kitchen for a mug.

"Look how cute you were," Nancy said to Frank as he came over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She held up a hand painted ornament with his picture in the middle. "What happened?"

Joe started laughing, "A classic, but a good one Nancy."

"Thank you," Nancy grinned and then leaned over to give Frank a soothing kiss. Seeing his bottom lip sticking out in a fake pout she laughed, "I'm sorry, I take it back. You're much cuter now."

"Ruggedly handsome," Frank muttered. "I'm ruggedly handsome now."

Joe let out another roar of laughter. When he had finally calmed down he started to tug Vanessa toward the door. "Grab your coat babe, you've gotta see the lights we put up. It'll put the Griswold's to shame."

"They get more and more into it every year," Frank explained as he and Nancy followed. "I just do as I'm told, climb the ladder and make sure when two different strands meet we have the right ends."

Nancy laughed and followed Frank and the rest of his family outside. "Dad, hit it!" Joe instructed and Fenton connected the lights with a flourish.

"Wow!" Nancy breathed, "Its beautiful Frank." She leaned into his side and he wrapped his arm tighter around her.

"I helped too," Joe called out from where he was standing behind Vanessa with both of his arms around her.

"Me too," Fenton said with a smile, Laura's arm entwined with his.

"Great job to all of you," Nancy said. "It's a masterpiece."

They all stood for awhile longer admiring the lights before Nancy turned to Frank, "When are you going to do this at our house?"

Amid Joe's laughter and Fenton's deep chuckles they headed back inside to decorate the Christmas tree.

"Hey Nan, come with me to put the lights up in my old bedroom window," Frank said after they were finished admiring the finished product of the tree.

"Joseph, why don't you go hang your lights up?" Fenton said when Joe made no move to follow.

"I will in a minute, right now I'm bushed," Joe said from his place on the couch.

Nancy followed Frank up to his old room and sat down on the edge of his bed and watched him start to string the lights. "This is a really great tradition," Nancy said happily. "I like seeing your family's history highlighted in your Christmas decorations."

"Me too," Frank said with a smile as he leaned over his desk to get to the window. "Every one of them reminds me of something."

"After the last couple of months we've had it's nice to take a break from it all and do something normal like decorate for Christmas," Nancy stood up to help with the lights.

Frank was quiet for a minute before saying quietly, "Joe seems to be doing okay." He shook his head and the move was full of frustration. "It's not like I want him to be having a hard time or anything like that, it's just…I know my brother. He can't be okay."

Nancy took a moment to think everything through, "you're right. Joe does seem to be doing okay and maybe he really is. Maybe having his family near him and support him so much is all he needs."

Out in the hallway Joe paused and listened to his brother and Nancy's conversation. The now familiar headache started to creep its way into his temples and he rubbed at them absently. He thought he had his family convinced he was doing fine and with the weekly trips to the counselor he really was starting to do better.

Well, he had started to get better. He felt the envelope in his back pocket and walked quickly into his old bedroom. It was the second one he had received in the last week and his headache intensified as he pulled out the plain white envelope and unfolded it.

Taking a deep breath he opened it and read the words on the page again. The sick feeling in his gut returned and he swallowed determinately. It looked like whoever had sent him the message in the newspapers wasn't finished after all.