For Who You Are

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

Thank you: Wendylouwho10 who read over the story for me and made content suggestions, helped with the flow, and provided some spelling/grammar corrections. A big help, as always! Typos are mine and I discover them all the time. :-)

Rating/Setting: Rating is T. Setting is AU.

Author's Note: Sequence of stories: Taken, Recovery, Retaliation, Wild Pitch, Undercover Trouble: Covert Contention, and now For Who You Are. And yes, you probably should read the others first, but feel free to read this as a stand alone. However, some of the events referenced need the other stories to make sense.

As I promised (end of May/beginning of June). However, I am still writing on the story and will probably slower than my norm until it's done. Just know I'm on chapter 26! Also, for those of you who like a lot of action in each chapter, you may find the going a little slow to start out with. However, it's just part of my style. If you find there's a lull for you, wait for a few posts and come back, maybe the action will pick up. :-) Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews!

Chapter One

The evening that Joe and Frank arrived home from their undercover mission in Michigan was surprisingly normal for the family. They unpacked their suitcases and had supper and even watched some tv all together. When it was starting to get late, Laura went to each of the men in her life and kissed them. "I'm going to go get ready for bed. I'm sure that the three of you have a lot to discuss without me around." She winked at Fenton and then left the room.

Frank watched his mother's retreating back suspiciously and asked, "Why do I get the feeling that she knows what happened?"

Both of the boys turned to stare at their father.

"What?" Fenton asked as he threw his hands into the air. "I didn't tell her anything."

"Then why isn't she giving us the third degree?" Joe asked with a suspicious look still on his face.

Fenton sighed. "Your mother has been the wife of a cop and a private investigator for over twenty years. Don't you think she picked up on a few things over time?"

"She broke into your files?" Joe asked incredulously as he sat forward.

Laughter erupted from Fenton as he responded, "Of course not. But as soon as we got word that you were coming home, she began doing web searches on her own tablet. It took a bit of work on her part, but she made a point of leaving her tablet at my spot on the kitchen table. It was open to a Detroit news site indicating the takedown of major criminal ring."

Joe smiled as he turned to Frank. "She's good."

Frank returned his smile. "She can shoot, do MMA, and investigate. Callie and Iola have some work to do to catch up to mom."

"Don't expect too much from the girls too soon," Fenton joked. "Your mother didn't start out this way."

After some more joking, the three of them talked for about an hour regarding the mission before the boys headed up to bed.

Once changed, Joe sat on his bed and waited for the knock he knew would come. When the soft knock on the door to the bathroom was heard, Joe said, "Come on in."

Frank walked over to stand beside his brother's bed. "So how are you really?"

Joe knew that Frank had been waiting to talk to him alone. They had had a short amount of time at the hotel but they had both been exhausted. This was the first opportunity for them to talk as brothers.

"I'm good." When Frank remained quiet, Joe continued, "I was on my meds the whole time. No problems. No depression and no guilt." Joe made sure to look his brother in the eye as he said the last.

Frank let out the breath he was holding and dropped onto the end of Joe's bed. "You don't know how ticked off I was at ORT when I realized they had sent you."

Joe laughed, "Yeah, I knew you would be, but that wasn't going to stop me."

Shaking his head, Frank said, "I knew you were good, but I would have never bragged to Overman about you if I knew this was going to happen."

"Why? I thought things went well."

"We know that now," Frank stressed the now. "But when I saw you, all I could think about was you getting a dislocated shoulder just like I gave Sean. I didn't want that to happen to you and you know it could have."

Joe looked away from his brother for a moment and then looked back to him. "Yeah," he said softly. "But it could have happened to you too. As long as ORT said I could cut it, no one was going to stop me from going on that mission. Nobody watches your back like I do."

Frank nodded at his brother. "I know."

Joe hoped that Frank could tell that he really was doing better and that nothing had happened to set back his recovery because of the mission. But he also had a few questions of his own. "Um, about Sean…" Joe paused as Frank looked down at the floor.

Frank looked back up at his brother and said, "I did what I had to do. He'll recover with minimal damage. It was that or breaking an arm or ORT causing an 'accident' that might have done far worse damage."

Nodding, Joe said, "I understand. I just wanted to be sure you are okay with that."

Frank drew in a deep breath and then released it. "It was hard at first, but I'm okay with it."

Joe let the topic drop and Frank moved on to his next question.

"So, what about Vanessa?" Frank asked, completely changing the tone of the conversation.

"What about her?" Joe asked perplexed.

"What was it like sharing a room with a hot girl?" Frank asked with a big grin.

Joe pulled a pillow out from behind his head and threw it at his laughing brother. Pointing at Frank as he continued to laugh, "I am SO glad you can't bring that up around our friends."

Frank's laughter died down as he said, "You know I'm joking."

"Yeah, and for the record, it was incredibly awkward starting out. But by the time the mission was over, it seemed almost normal."

Frank laughed again, "That doesn't surprise me as you tried to follow her into her hotel room last night."

Turning red, Joe retorted, "I was really tired."

As Frank stood, he tossed Joe the pillow back. "I know you were, little brother. I just couldn't resist teasing you." His tone turned more serious as he stopped in the door to the connecting bathroom. "I'm really glad that you were there."

"Me too, Frank. Me too."

With a final nod, Frank headed back into his room. Joe fixed his pillows back and got under the covers and turned out his light. What a difference a year made.

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

The next day, the Hardy brothers joined their friends late in the afternoon for a swim and a picnic at the Morton farm.

Callie and Iola sat on one of the large rocks on the opposite bank of the creek from the Morton house. They watched as the rest of the group played in the water or swung out on a rope swing. Everyone was there… Chet, his girlfriend Madison, Biff, his girlfriend Karen, Tony, and Phil. Everyone looked normal… everyone but Joe that is.

"So, Frank only told me that he was on an undercover assignment." Callie turned to look at her friend. "Did Joe tell you anything more?"

"No," Iola sighed. "Of course he told me about the tattoos…" Both girls turned to look at the blonde Hardy who was about to swing out on the rope to drop into the creek.

"Yeah," Callie said. "It makes you wonder what they were doing doesn't it?"

Iola pulled her knees in close to her and wrapped her arms around them, hugging them close. "It worries me," she said softly.

Callie looked at her friend carefully. "You know that Frank and Joe have been doing dangerous things for years."

"I know," Iola said as she looked at Joe. She then turned to look at Callie and gave her a rueful smile. "I know better than most."

Callie blushed. "I didn't mean-"

Iola waved off the rest of Callie's comment with a hand. "Don't worry. I know what you meant." Her eyes went back to her boyfriend and the tattoos on his body. "This just seems different."

Looking at Joe as well, Callie said, "I know what you mean. With Joe's tattoos and his scars…."

Iola turned a worried face to her friend. "If Joe's personality were different. If he acted like a bully-"

"He would so look the part of a thug," Callie finished for her.

"I guess I'm just worried that whomever he's working for is going to having him doing dangerous things just because he can so easily look the part with those scars." She paused and said, "And knowing Joe, he'll probably be happy to do it because it will give some kind of… I don't know… purpose for having gotten them."

Conversation between the two girls stopped as Joe swam over to their side and pulled himself up on the rock beside Iola. "You two look way too serious for a picnic."

Callie laughed and said, "Well, the two us hardly know what to do. I mean our boyfriends leave us for weeks without much explanation and now you're back." Even though it was said jokingly, there was truth in what she said.

Joe blushed slightly and ran the fingers of his left hand over the tattoo on his right arm. "You know we'd tell you both more if we could."

Putting her hand over Joe's, Iola said, "We know it; it's just kinda hard you know. Wondering what happened. Worried about the danger you were in."

Joe looked into her eyes and said, "I promise we weren't in any more trouble than usual."

Laughter burst from beside them as Callie said, "And that is supposed to make us feel better? You two Hardys get into some serious danger sometimes." She shook her head. "I don't know how Mrs. Hardy does it with three of you."

"Well, according to our dad, she wasn't always this way. She kinda grew into her role."

Iola looked thoughtfully at Joe and for the first time a doubt about their relationship entered her mind. Can I be like Laura Hardy? Can I stand to watch Joe go out on assignment after assignment where I don't know where he is or where he's going? Or… if he's even alive? She bit her lip as she looked at the boy that had been her sweetheart for practically her whole life.

Joe maneuvered off the rock and back into the water and raised his arm to help Iola in. "Time to enjoy the water, Iola," he said with a smile.

Putting on a smile she didn't completely feel, she took his hand and jumped in.

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

As the group of friends headed back toward the farmhouse with the remains of the picnic, Iola held Joe back. They stopped at the tree that they had sat under so much the previous year after they had been recovered from their kidnapping. It was a special place- a place of truth and healing.

Joe stood looking at Iola, waiting for her to let him know why they weren't up with the others. They both had on tee shirts that were partially wet and towels draped across their shoulders.

Iola reached up carefully to run her fingers across the short hair on the side of Joe's head. It was the side with his scar. "Your hair was shorter when you started your assignment." It was a comment, not a question and he waited for Iola to say more. "They wanted your scar to be noticed." It was another comment, but this time she didn't comment further as her fingers dropped to take his hand.

"Yeah, they did want it noticed," he said softly.

He stood silently as she stared at him. There wasn't much more he could say. Perhaps if she asked, he could answer but she didn't ask more. It was as if she had drawn her own conclusions.

Iola dropped his hand and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," she whispered.

Joe returned the hug and placed the side of his face on the top of her head. "I don't want to lose you either," he replied. However, they both knew that Iola had the greater fear and neither knew how to lessen it.