A/N: Hey everyone, this is my first (posted) fanfic and I'm a little nervous about it! I hope you all enjoy it! Leave me a note with any comments or questions you might have. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: It is with my deepest regret that I must admit I do not own the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew or any of the other wonderful characters I'm planning on borrowing from the books. Cheers!

Second Chances

Chapter One

The day dawned sharp and bright; one of those funny contradictions Mother Nature liked to throw out every once and awhile. The sun was strong and searing to the eyes and yet a bitter chill raced through jackets to bite greedily at shivering bodies.

Frank Hardy stood blowing on his cupped hands for warmth next to the van, waiting for his brother to come and unlock it. If Joe hadn't hid the keys last night, he would at least be inside the van and warm, instead of outside and freezing.

When Joe slammed out of the front door Frank rolled his eyes skyward, Joe was always running late, usually making his brother run late as well. "At the risk of sounding like Mom, we're going to be late….again." Frank stressed the last word.

"Don't worry about it," Joe replied and jumped into the front seat. When Frank was safely buckled in he swung out of the driveway and stepped on the gas, "with me behind the wheel, we'll get there in half the time."

"With you behind the wheel, we might not get there at all." Frank retorted and gripped the dashboard in front of him as Joe took a turn about 10 miles faster than Frank would have ever dared.

"Well brother, with YOU behind the wheel we wouldn't get there until tomorrow. You drive slower than old man Jacobs." Joe laughed when his brother swore under his breath. It was obvious Frank didn't like being compared to Mr. Jacobs, their high school History teacher. Joe always joked that Mr. Jacobs taught History because he had actually been there to witness it and was therefore the best qualified for the job.

The boys were in such a big rush because it was the last day of finals before winter break. Frank had an important presentation in his Civics class, which happened to be his first period of the day. He had made sure that Joe knew how important it was that they got to school on time last night at dinner. Frank glanced down at his watch and grimaced, they were cutting it way to close for the studious older brother's comfort. Joe, on the other hand looked relaxed and perfectly at ease.

When they finally careened into the school parking lot and found a spot, Frank had to admire his brother. They had made it to school in half the time, which meant he still had plenty of time to get to first period and look over his notes before class began. They walked into the school side by side, stopping halfway in to wait for Vanessa Bender, Joe's girlfriend to catch up with them. Joe hooked an arm around her shoulder, "are you excited for winter break?" he asked her, smiling wide.

"Of course! I can't wait to spend our first Christmas together!" With that, the trio walked through the front doors of Bayport High. They waved goodbye with Joe and Vanessa heading one direction and Frank heading in the other.

He was standing at his locker fiddling with the combination, when a sly voice spoke from right behind him, "I see you Frank Hardy. Turn around slowly and nobody will get hurt."

Frank grinned and turned around to face Callie Shaw, "Oh yeah? What did I do this time?"

"Oh, nothing that can't be forgiven if you get down here and give me a kiss hello." She smiled up at him as he leaned in to give her a quick kiss. He was smiling when he pulled away.

"So, ready for finals to be over?" he asked her.

"Always, I think they should ban finals all together." She laughed at his stunned expression and knew it was genuine. Frank had always been a fan of school and schoolwork, which was one of the many things she loved about him. When she noticed how many books he was putting in his locker, she looked at him quizzically "Uh, Frank? Why do you need so many books? It's the last day of the quarter!"

"Never can be too sure, I just want to be prepared." He took her hand in his as they made their way down the hall.

"Ah, the Frank Hardy I know and love. Always prepared, and always ready for anything. Are you sure you were never a Boy Scout?" she asked him.

"On my honor" he replied stoicly as he made the sign of the Boy Scouts. They both were laughing when they reached the door of her first class. He wished her luck and gave her a kiss before he hurried down the hall to his own classroom. Only five minutes to review my notes...he thought to himself as he found a seat near the door.


"Ugh, my brain is mush!" Joe complained loudly when he met Frank by the front doors of the school later that day.

"How many finals did you have today, little brother?" Frank asked as he adjusted his backpack on his shoulders.

"Little brother? First, I'm not little, I'm only an inch shorter than you and I could take you in wrestling any day. Second, I had one final and it was devastating." Joe grumbled and moaned pathetically as they walked across the parking lot. Frank thought of the three finals he had done that day but remained quiet. He knew his brother well enough to realize that Joe needed this time to let off some steam.

"I think your talents are wasted on the Football field Joe, you should explore the art of theatre." Joe sent his older brother a glare as they climbed into the van.

"I'm going to ignore your last comment and instead take the high road and ask you how your presentation went."

"It went well, better than I expected." Frank replied. The boys drove out of the parking lot and headed towards home. "Oh, and I made arrangements with the girls to have pizza tonight, to celebrate the start of Winter Break, I figured you were probably free."

"Hey, I take offense to that! Maybe I had other plans! Maybe I was going to leave town tonight to track down a vicious mob boss on the streets of Chicago!" Frank chuckled at his younger brother's imagination and thought; it really WAS a shame that Joe had skipped out on Drama.

"Whatever, we all know you would never pass up an opportunity to see Vanessa."

"This is very true" Joe replied thoughtfully. "Well, I guess the mob boss can wait for another day. Tonight, I'm celebrating with my girl!"


Later that night Frank, Joe, Callie and Vanessa all sat at a booth over a steaming pepperoni pizza with extra cheese. "That looks like THE best pizza of all time." Vanessa inhaled deeply and sighed.

"Let's dig in!" Joe exclaimed and helped himself to three pieces of the pie.

"Ever heard of sharing, Joe?' Frank asked as he politely took one slice.

"It saves time if I just start with three, that way I don't waste valuable time reaching for a slice when I could be eating it." He explained around a mouthful of cheese.

"Good thinking, honey!" Vanessa commended and gave Joe a pat on the back before reaching for a slice. The four teens sat around talking and laughing, glad that they wouldn't have to worry about school for another two weeks.

"Callie, when are you leaving to visit your Aunt?" Joe asked.

"Monday morning" Callie replied. She was going to visit her Aunt and cousins in California for Christmas.

"Wow, and you won't be home until the day after Christmas, right?" Joe's mouth dropped open in mock surprise. "Why, Frank! How on EARTH are you going to survive without Callie for an entire week AND have her gone on Christmas?"

Frank laughed at his brother's antics and gave Callie's hand a squeeze. "I'm not sure, baby bro, but I'm sure glad I'll have you around to comfort me." The teens laughed and Frank pulled Callie into him and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "The truth is; I am going to miss you."

"I'll call you every day," Callie promised.

The look on Joe's face said that he was about to make some sort of silly remark but he was blessedly interrupted by the ringing of Frank's cell phone. Frank frowned down at the unknown number on the display before answering, "Hello, Frank here."

"Frank!" cried a feminine voice, "Frank, I'm so glad you answered! I'm so sorry; I wasn't sure who else to call," the voice sounded slightly frantic.

Frank sat in silence a few moments before he could find his voice, "Nancy? Nancy Drew, is that you?"


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