Mission Parameters

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.

Beta: Thanks again for WendyLouWho10 for once again reading to catch the big errors and for flow!

Rating/Setting: Part of my "Taken" story arc. Rating is T. Setting is AU but I was thinking about a cross between Casefiles and Blue Spines when I started writing the series. Boys are F19/J18.

Summary: Continuation of my "Taken" series. F19/J18. Joe's senior year is winding down as his and Frank's involvement with ORT increases. The brothers and Vanessa learn that sometimes mission parameters don't take into account issues of the heart.


Background:

So it's around the end of April now in the story. I don't have an exact time frame in mind. But everyone has said where they are going to college by this point. I'm not going to write a chapter with them doing that as I'm sure some of them had decided by Christmas where they were going. I doubt they were all keeping it secret until the college signing day (mainly big deal for athletes) at the end of April. So here is where everyone is or will be going:

Frank – Bayport College (fictional) – Criminal Justice with a focus in Digital Forensics (not sure that would be a minor)
Callie – Bayport College (fictional) – undecided… mainly because I'm undecided J
Chet – local community college near Bayport (fictional) – Welding Technology (hey, he can use it on the farm and welders make good money)
Phil – NYU (real) – undecided, perhaps financial

Joe – Bayport College (fictional) – Criminal Justice with a minor in Mathematics
Iola – Westchester Community College in Valhalla, NY (real) – Veterinarian Tech
Vanessa – Bayport College (fictional) – Cybersecurity with a minor in Criminal Justice
Biff – Eastern North Carolina University (fictional, there is an East Carolina University but not one with this name) - undecided
Tony – Southport College (fictional) – Business Administration with a minor in Culinary Arts

Don't worry, if you need to know what the major was to understand a particular chapter I'll be sure to include that in the chapter.


Chapter One

Laura Hardy tried to contain her nervous energy but couldn't, standing once again in the living room and then sitting back down on the couch. Frank and Joe would be arriving home shortly so the family could have a meal together. Thomas had other plans for the evening and this made things perfect for Laura to have her family discussion. She could feel her husband's eyes on her as she shifted her knees from the left to the right and then back again.

"We don't have to do this tonight," Fenton said with a smile.

Laura looked from the front door to her husband. "No. No. It's something I've been thinking about since Joe was injured and I think we need to go ahead and address it."

"And you're sure you don't want to run your… speech by me first?"

After letting out a deep breath, Laura said, "No. I think it will be better if the boys hear what I think and understand that it's coming from me. You can add your own take on it." She paused and said, "I understand if you don't agree with me." She leaned her head back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. "Who am I kidding? I know you won't agree with me." She lifted a hand and let it drop limply back in her lap. "You do this for a living because you love it."

Fenton chuckled and Laura raised her head to glare at him. She was just opening her mouth to comment when the front door opened and the two brothers walked in laughing about something.

Joe stopped abruptly causing Frank to bump into him.

"What?" Frank began and then saw both his parents sitting in the room.

"I didn't do it!" Joe said immediately.

"Do what?" Laura asked with some confusion.

"Do whatever it is that caused you to be in the living room and not in the kitchen," Joe spit out quickly. "You're never waiting for me. Together. In the living room." He glanced at the television. "With the tv off." Joe didn't say more as Frank pushed him further so that he could get all the way into the house and close the door.

"Joe's actually making sense," Frank said as he stepped to stand beside his brother. "What's up?"

Laura stood and motioned for the boys to have a seat. "I have something I wanted to talk about with the two of you." She smiled at Joe. "You're not in trouble. I just have been thinking about something and need to talk with both of you about it. About how I feel." Laura could see the glance that Frank gave her husband and saw his almost imperceptible nod. A slight frown formed on her lips as she saw Frank tense. She knew that he knew what she was going to bring up.

As Frank sat down, he said, "Maybe it's something we should discuss after supper." He gave a worried look to his brother who was looking at each of them.

"Wait? Do all of you know what this is about?" Joe asked with a slightly irritated tone as he looked around.

"It's not something I've discussed with your father or your brother since I first mentioned it a few days before your birthday," Laura said carefully. She didn't want Joe to think they were ganging up on him or were talking about him when he wasn't around. Silence came over the room as she let her words sink in.

Joe's brows knit together for a few moments and then he slowly said, "A few days before my birthday? I don't understand. That would have been when I was…." He stopped speaking for a moment and then completed his sentence. "That would have been when I was missing or in the hospital."

Laura nodded. "That's right. You were in surgery and I was in the waiting area with your father and brother." She saw him dart a nervous glance to both of the other men and then his knee began to bounce. She really didn't want to agitate him, but she needed to speak about this before both of them got caught up again in their government business. She drew a deep breath and said, "I'd like for you AND Frank to reconsider working for the government. I'm concerned about your assignments. I just feel that you'll be safer working with your father." She could see that Joe was already gathering himself to make a rebuttal so she hurried on. "I'm not saying that I want you to stop doing detective work. I just want you to reconsider WHO you work with." There. She was done… for now.

Frank looked to his father and asked. "What do you think, dad?"

"You're both old enough to make your own decisions but your mother does have some valid concerns."

"Do you think we should quit?" Joe asked heatedly.

"How can you quit what you've never really started?" Laura asked quickly and then realized that it had been the wrong thing to say.

"If you didn't think they were going to ask me to join, you wouldn't have had this meeting." Joe retorted. "It would have just been Frank." He cut his eyes to his brother. "Have you already talked about this with mom?"

"No," Frank said calmly. "She mentioned it in the waiting room just like she said.

"And what did you say?" Joe stared at his brother waiting impatiently for his answer.

"I told her that you wouldn't like us talking about your future without including you in the discussion."

Laura could see the anger dissipate from her youngest.

Joe looked at his father. "So you aren't against us staying with…" his eyes cut to his mother and then back, "the agency?"

"No, I'm not opposed to it. I plan to talk with the lead agents we work with about some safeguards, but they would be for all of the high school/college recruits not just the two of you," Fenton replied.

"Frank, what about you? Do you plan to continue?" Joe asked his brother.

Frank turned his gaze from his brother to his mother. "I do. I wouldn't have found out who set Joe up without the resources of the agency and the training I've gotten. I think staying with them awhile will only make me a better detective."

Laura slumped a little. If Frank was going to stay on, then Joe would undoubtedly do so as well. She was surprised to hear Joe say, "I'd like to talk to mom alone if it's okay." Laura took in his calm demeanor which was almost too calm for her and nodded. She saw her husband and Frank give Joe a final look before heading into the kitchen. Once the sounds of plates being readied for supper started, she turned her gaze to Joe.

"I only want-" she began but was cut off as Joe raised his hand in a 'stop' motion. The eyes he raised to meet hers were full of hurt and that stopped her from speaking more than his gesture.

"I thought you of all people would understand, mom," Joe began with an angry tone. "So what was that back in November? Just a load of bull to make me feel better?"

"Joe. I meant what I said-"

"Really?" Joe said somewhat sarcastically. His tone for this conversation was one that Laura rarely heard from Joe, at least directed at her. "Because I thought you were one of the girls that would love me for who I am," Joe dropped his eyes and his tone changed, "not for what you wanted me to be."

Laura paled as she realized what she had done.

"I'm staying with the agency, mom. At least for now." He raised his eyes to hers for a brief moment and then looked away as he stood. "I'm not hungry any more. I'll grab a snack later," he said as he moved toward the stairs.

"Wait!" Laura called out as she stood and looked at his back. How can I make this right? Dear Lord, help me make this right. "Maybe I should have approached this differently. But you have to realize I only asked you to reconsider working with these people. I never demanded that you stop. When you and Frank continue to work for them, it won't change how I feel about you." She paused. "And I hope this doesn't change how you feel about me." She waited and held her breath. Would Joe accept the peace offering?

Joe's shoulders slumped and she had to move closer to hear the words that he softly uttered. "Nothing could change how I feel about you, mom." He turned and moved a couple of steps to close the distance between them and swept her into a hug. "Nothing," he whispered again. When he released her, he kept his eyes down. "I guess I let my temper get the better of me again."

Laura laid a hand on his arm and waited for him to look her in the eye. "You've been through a lot. I could have done this a better way. I could have asked for your and Frank's opinions on this instead of suggesting you stop working for… the agency."

Joe shook his head no. "No, mom. It was me. I want you to be able to talk to me. You shouldn't have to worry about me blowing up about it."

She placed a hand on his cheek and smiled. "I think we both could have done things differently. How about that? Truce?"

"Truce," Joe said with a smile.

"Will you eat with us?"

"Yeah, my appetite seems to have returned," he said as he moved toward the kitchen with his arm around his mom.

Laura placed her arm around Joe's waist and squeezed. She was still worried, but she had to let the boys live their lives… even when it made her nervous at how they did it.

.*********.

Frank watched his brother carefully across the dinner table. Joe appeared to have made a complete recovery from his ordeal at the hands of the Sacco family but Frank still wasn't sure. It was only three weeks ago that Joe had to use a wheelchair to get from the parking lot to the stands at BC so that he could watch Frank pitch. Frank had pitched one of his best games ever that night. No way was he going to lose a game that his little brother had struggled to attend.

Joe looked up and caught Frank staring and turned his head to side slightly. Frank knew that Joe was trying to figure out what was going on so he smiled at his brother and then looked over to his father who was speaking.

An hour later, Joe was driving Frank back to BC.

"So you and mom worked things out?" Frank asked carefully. He could see Joe smile.

"Yeah. She's not all that happy still, but I don't think she'll push the issue again like she did this time." His smile faded and he gave a glance to his brother. "Did mom really bring this up when I was in the hospital?"

"She did. We were waiting for you to get out of surgery." Frank drew a breath at the painful memories that were just below the surface. "She was pretty angry about it. She was ready to end your participation in ORT and mine too. But I managed to hold her off."

"How?" Joe asked glancing to his brother once again.

"I told her that you'd be none too pleased about her deciding your future without your input."

Joe smiled as his gaze remained on the road. "You were right."

"What was that?"

Joe laughed, "You heard me. You were right."

"Music to an older brother's ears."

.**********.

Joe parked the van in the Hardys' driveway and turned it off. He placed both hands on the steering wheel and drew a deep breath. He hadn't lied to Dr. Childers or his family; he was okay- for the most part. The part that wasn't so okay was his mind when he was sleeping. During the day, it wasn't that difficult to keep the multiplying memory demons at bay. There was a lot to distract him and for him to focus on. The only glitches occurred when something specific sparked a particularly bad memory like those grocery bags. But at night? At night, there was nothing to distract him from the memory demons. Though he was all right with what happened with his mother earlier, he was certain that it was going to bring on a bad night. His parents didn't know when he had the night terrors as they weren't close enough to his room to hear his soft cries or to see him clawing at his mouth and nose as he relived the strongest of his memories. Yes, there were others that came out at night: the Lairds and Camille. But here lately RJ and the plastic bags were the primary culprits. No sense putting it off, he thought as he reached for the door handle. It was time to go inside and finish homework before he settled in to fight his personal nighttime tormentors.

.*********.

2:17 a.m.

Joe woke to the darkness of his room. Breathing heavily, he sat up and used the bottom of his t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his face. He made his way to the bathroom and flicked on the light which caused him to blink and squint. A washcloth from the side cabinet was soon under the faucet that was running cold water. Turning off the water, he looked into the mirror and grimaced. Guess I could have left the light off, Joe thought. It's exactly what I expected. He wiped over his face and then rinsed and wrung out the cloth and then placed it against his cheek. Two red streaks went from his right cheekbone down to his neck. He had found that by applying the cold cloth quickly, the marks would be hardly noticeable in the morning. By the time he got home from school they would be completely gone. This was the result most of the time when he dreamed of RJ- the feeling of suffocation and then the frantic attempt on his part to tear the nonexistent bag from his face. Rinse and repeat, Joe thought as he put the cloth under the cold water again. He'd do this for about ten minutes and then he'd attempt to get some sleep before it was time for school.