Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters. There are OCs that are mine, but that's all.

Rating/Setting: Rating is T. Setting is pre-blue spine and AU. This story is a sequel to "Taken" which should be read before reading this story. Boys are about 16/17.

Author's Notes: Sequel to "Taken"! I decided to go ahead and post this second chapter to make sure you didn't think I was jumping right back into a survival story. ;-)


Chapter Two

The next morning found Frank opening his brother's door at 7:00 a.m. He was going on a morning run and was checking in on his brother before leaving. Viewing the room in the muted light from the pulled curtains, Frank sighed. Joe wasn't there. There wasn't a need for panic as this had happened the first morning after Joe returned. The events of the previous day had probably stirred up things for his brother. Frank was actually surprised that Joe was able to sleep as well as he did considering all that he had been through.

Moving quickly down the stairs, Frank noted that the security alarm was off and a note was on the frig: Don't worry Mom, I'm out back. Frank smiled a little; their mom had been frantic when Joe wasn't in his room the morning after his return. Luckily the panic was short-lived as Joe heard the commotion and returned to house where he promised to leave a note the next time he went out of the house early. Frank stepped onto the back deck and gazed into the shaded area of the backyard. No sign of Joe; but then he hadn't expected to see him.

Heading down the steps, Frank walked to the far corner of the backyard to where a broad spreading oak showed the remnants of a childhood tree house. It had never been very much. Just a few boards nailed to the tree to climb up and then a platform with supports around one side of the tree. Frank couldn't see all of his brother, but he could see his feet. "Mind if I come up?" he called.

The feet that had been moving a little back and forth, stopped. Out of sight as Joe responded, "Sure. Come on up."

With his height, Frank's eyes were soon over the edge of the platform. Joe didn't seem to be upset, but then looks could be deceiving. "You okay?" he asked as he finished climbing up and sat down beside his brother. He placed his back to the tree and waited.

A small smile appeared on Joe's face as he twirled a leaf stem in between his fingers. "Yeah, I was just thinking."

Frank sat in silence, not wanting to push, but wanting to be there for his brother.

"I spent a lot of time in trees the last few weeks. Got to be better at climbing them than when I was eleven." His smile faded. "I don't mind being up in the trees. Most of the time I felt safe when I was in a tree."

"Do you feel safe now?" Frank asked carefully.

Joe looked at his brother and thought for a moment. "Yeah, I do. I don't expect someone to jump out from behind a building and kidnap me or anything." He shrugged and then went back to looking at the leaf. "So, yeah. I feel pretty safe now."

Nodding, Frank leaned his head back against the tree. A contented silence stretched between the brothers before it was broken by Joe.

"It's been a week and you haven't asked me anything about the time I was gone," Joe said in a conversational voice.

Cutting his eyes to look at his brother, Frank said, "I don't want to make you talk about anything you don't want to talk about, Joe. Like you said yesterday, I heard the debriefing."

Joe sighed, "Yeah, I know I said that. But I also know that you still have questions. It's okay to ask them."

"Like I said, I don't want-"

"I'll tell if I don't want to talk about it," Joe cut in. "You know me, I usually don't hesitate to let you know if I don't like something."

Frank studied his brother's profile. "But this is different."

Joe turned his eyes to meet his brother. "No it's not. You told me that I could tell you anything. Now I'm telling you, you can ask me anything."

"Okay," Frank replied. "When we were at the hospital in Michigan, you said something about having thought that you never see us again. Did you think we had given up?" To be sure Joe hadn't thought that, but that statement had stuck like a burning coal in Frank's mind.

Joe leaned his head completely back against the tree and replied, "I never thought you had given up. It's just with our knowledge about crimes and abductions; I knew that the odds weren't in my favor. I had been taken from the crime scene to a second location, then to a third and then finally to a fourth. It just wasn't looking hopeful to me." He turned and looked Frank in the eye and said, "But I never thought that you had given up on me."

"Thanks," Frank said quietly.

Joe smiled as he turned his attention back to the leaf. "Anything else?"

"George."

"What about him?" Joe asked.

"How did he treat you?" Frank was baffled regarding the man. How could someone allow Laird to continue doing what he was doing? But then again, why help Joe when all it would do is send you to prison?

"At first he was aloof. Actually, we were never buddy buddy or anything. But he was never abusive and he never laid a hand on me."

"He kept you locked in a room, probably set the trap that injured you, and sedated you so that he could transport you to another state," Frank said in disbelief. He didn't want Joe to feel indebted to this man.

"I- I know. But you weren't there," Joe said softly. "Laird hunted me. Marilyn made me uncomfortable. I never interacted with anyone else except George."

"He could have done so much more," Frank said quietly.

"Yeah, he could have. But when it came down to my life… he saved me." Joe's gaze was distant.

Frank shook his head ever so slightly.

"I don't expect you to understand," Joe continued in a quiet voice. "George buried a teenage boy while I was there. I watched him through the window."

Frowning, Frank said, "I don't remember you talking about this in your statement."

Joe looked thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe I didn't. Probably doesn't matter who buried him. George was there when he was shot and Laird is the one that shot him. Who buried him doesn't seem that important."

"It seems important to you."

"While we were in Michigan, George had a couple of moments where he actually seemed concerned about me. I told him that I'd end up buried in one of the yards one day and to live with it when he threw dirt on my body."

"What did he say?"

"Nothing. I think I slammed the door to my room in his face."

Frank sat there not saying anything. The emotional roller coaster that his brother had been on was incredible. While Joe seemed to be slightly sympathetic towards George, Frank didn't cut him any slack. The man was as bad as Laird no matter his reasons for his actions. Information regarding charges and trials hadn't come through yet, but Frank hoped George received a nice stiff sentence just like the rest who were involved.

"Anything else?" Joe asked from beside him.

"No. I think that's plenty for now," Frank said.

"Sit with me for a bit?" Joe asked.

"As long as you want, brother."

.*********.

Laura Hardy stood beneath the large oak. She had seen the note on the refrigerator. Wanting to just check on Joe, she had ventured into the backyard. The sight of two pairs of feet hanging off the edge of the old tree house warmed her heart. Turning away, she headed back to the house.