The Christmas Miracle!
By No1butjoe
Summary – Joe has had the mind of a child for nearly four months after a car accident injured him. All eighteen-year old Frank wants for a Christmas present is his brother back, but that might be easier said than done.
Chapter 1
Christmas List!
Eighteen-year old Frank Hardy rushed down the stairs and into the kitchen. He stopped when he realized who was sitting at the table. Seventeen-year old Joe Hardy looked up, his blue eyes radiated by the sun that was barely peeking through the window. Frank slowed down as he hurried to the refrigerator and pulled out some milk for cereal.
"Frankie?" Joe's innocent voice asked, expectantly.
Frank's whole body twitched at the baby name he stopped using when he was twelve.
"What's the matter, Joe?" he asked, turning to face him.
His younger brother frowned.
"My name's not Joe," he argued, firmly. "It's Joey."
Frank's eyes clouded over with unshed tears.
I know, he thought. But it's so much easier than referring to you as a child.
Joey jumped off of his chair and went to stand in front of Frank. A paper was clutched tightly in his hands.
"Can you help me write my Christmas list for Santa?"
Frank closed his eyes tightly, calmly telling himself that this was the same brother who had helped him solve cases with his father.
"Frankie?" Joey pressured.
"Sure, little brother. Lets go into the living room," Frank said, smiling on the outside, but inwardly crying out for the brother he had lost to come back to him.
"I think that's it," Joey announced, proudly as Frank put the pen on the table.
Frank smiled at his enthusiasm and watched sadly as he rushed off to show their parents. Four months. Four long months living with a seventeen-year old stuck with the mind of a child. Frank put his head in his hands as small tears escaped out of his eyes.
"I just want my brother back," he whispered. "I don't care about presents or gifts. I just want the old Joe."
The kitchen door quietly opened as a pair of blue eyes watched Frank head upstairs to his room.
Christmas Eve . . .
Joey Hardy was full of excitement as he and his family hurried home after the Christmas Eve Service at their church. Frank slowly trudged behind his mom, dad, and brother. Ever since yesterday, the youth hadn't been in the holiday spirit. Joey stopped walking and waited for Frank to catch up. When he did, Joey placed his hand in Frank's, then, continued down the street. A radiant smile lit up his face. He had asked Santa for the perfect gift for Frank. He just hoped it arrived in time.
Frank wasn't able to sleep that night. Nightmares of how Christmas might turn out the next day haunted him and he refused to close his eyes. He knew no amount of gifts could make him happy. Not if Joe was still 'Joey'. Sighing, he put on his robe and headed downstairs, careful not to wake up his family. He spotted the cookies Joey had laid out for Santa, as well as a note. Something about the note caught Frank's attention. It wasn't the note he had written for Joey! Instead, a new one took its place! It read:
Dear Santa,
Instead of presents this year,
I want something different.
You see, my brother, Frankie's,
been acting really sad lately and I
just want him to have a Merry Christmas.
If you could do that for me,
I won't mind not getting any presents this year.
If Frankie's happy, then I'll be happy.
Love, Joey.
P.S. I had my mommy help me spell some of these words.
Frank had tears in his eyes as he set the letter back on the table. If only Santa could make Frank's Christmas a happier one. With that thought, Frank sat on the couch and fell fast asleep.
Christmas Morning . . .
It was all a bunch of noise as Frank slowly came around. Fenton and Laura Hardy, his parents, were standing in the living room, talking excitedly.
Seeing their son awake, they immediately turned their attention to him.
"Frank, there's someone who's been waiting a long time to see you," Laura announced, tears in her eyes.
Thinking it was one of the guys, Frank hurriedly muttered he had to get dressed, but Fenton put a restraining hand on his arm.
"Somehow, I don't think he'll mind, son."
Frank frowned. Footsteps could be heard on the stairs as Joey bounded down, a smile stretched across his face. Frank managed a weak grin as he headed upstairs. Joey saw him every single day. Why was today any different? Just as he turned to ascend the first step, Joey spoke.
"Frank, aren't you going to wish me a Merry Christmas?"
His whole body stiffened. It was the same voice that had disappeared four months ago. His little brother no longer referred to him as 'Frankie'. That could mean only one thing. Frank whirled around. Joe had tears in his eyes, but his smile was all Frank could see.
"Oh my God!" Frank shouted, flinging himself into his brother's waiting arms. "How?"
Joe slowly pulled away from his older brother, but still kept his hands on Frank's shoulders.
"I just remember having a dream last night about snow falling all around me and I couldn't find my way out. Then, I saw a figure in the distance. He was sort of beckoning to me. I remember not wanting to go with him, but then I heard something off in space. It was sort of like the voice of a child. It said something like 'Go back to Frank. Tell him you-'"
Frank frowned.
"Tell me what, Joe?" he prodded, gently.
"How much I love you," Joe whispered, softly. "I knew I had to come back, I just didn't know why."
Frank thought back to Joey's Christmas letter to Santa and smiled slightly.
"I have a pretty good idea," he said. "I'd given up hope on ever speaking to you again like I am right now. I thought Christmas was useless with you only having the mind of a child."
Joe hugged him tightly. Frank, surprised at the sudden contact, eventually managed to hug his brother back.
"What's this for?" Frank asked, confused.
"I just realized how lucky I am to have a brother like you," Joe replied. "Frank, I just realized something. It was another part of the dream. Remember the figure I just told you about?"
His older brother nodded.
"It was you."
A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!