A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and/or added this story to your favorites and/or alerts. I hope you enjoy this chapter :)
And I forgot to mention in the prologue, but we just assume that Faith's been here all along.
Disclaimer: The Hardy Boys, I own not.
Chapter One
It was about 7.30 am when Laura Hardy started to wonder where her family was. Fenton was away in Upstate New York for another case but she knew that Frank should be up by now, and so should Faith. Frank was what the family called the early bird while, in contrast, his younger brother was the night owl. Maybe he's gone on his regular morning run, Laura thought to herself as she began to brew coffee. She checked her watch; he was usually home by this time. She was going to leave in about half an hour. Laura worked in a medical lab, doing research and was expected to be at work from about 8 to 5. Suddenly, she heard the creaking of the stairs and a stifled yawn.
"Mornin' mom," Frank said, rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he walked into the kitchen and gave his mom a kiss on the forehead. At 6'1, he was a few inches taller than Laura's 5'9.
"Morning darling," she smiled, handing her oldest son a coffee mug. She was struck at how alike her son looked with her husband, how she would just glance at Fenton and see Frank's mirror image in twenty years. "Where are Joe and Faith?" she asked. Frank shrugged as he glugged down the coffee. He headed back to his room to get ready for the day, knowing that he was already behind his normal schedule. He was usually up about an hour earlier, but after what happened with Faith's nightmare, he didn't get much sleep. Although he had tried to get some rest, his thoughts got the better of him and he lay awake, thinking of what Faith had gone through. He wanted to go back to her room and see how she was doing, feeling slightly more than guilty for going back to his own room. Sighing, at around four in the morning, Frank had gotten out of bed and quietly made his way to his sister's room. The door was ajar and he pushed it lightly. In the dim light of Faith's lamp that was on the opposite side of the room, Frank could see his sister's figure leaning against Joe. They both looked okay and in deep sleep. Feeling more relieved and a little less guilty, Frank made his way back to bed. Although he wasn't planning to sleep, a wave of tiredness had fallen across him. Soon, he had fallen asleep, only to be awoken a mere three hours later. On the way to his bedroom, he bumped into Joe, who was sleepily making his way to the kitchen, already dressed in jeans and a green short sleeved polo.
"How's Faith?" Frank asked cautiously, looking at his younger, dishevelled looking brother.
"She's okay. I don't think she slept much more, I fell asleep and she was still awake," Joe shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck tenderly. There was a crick in it from when he awkwardly fell asleep against his sister's headboard. He had awoken about twenty minutes beforehand, with Faith murmuring in her fitful sleep. Part of Joe wanted to wake his sister up, take her out of the misery of her daunting dreams but he knew better, that she needed all the sleep that she could get.
All three of the Hardys arrived in the boys' van twenty minutes within the first bell. Usually, they all arrived at different times, Frank coming in the van, Joe biking and Faith walking with her friends but neither of the boys wanted to leave their sister alone and she didn't want to stay alone either.
"Are you going to be okay?" Frank asked his sister, his worry forming a crease in his forehead. She nodded, trying to shake off any remains of her nightmare. The last thing she wanted to do was worry either of her brothers further, but there was no stopping them. Faith knew that they meant well.
"I'll be fine," she reassured both of them, giving them hugs before walking off to find her friends. Joe anxiously stared after her until she disappeared into the crowd.
"Boo," someone suddenly jabbed his sides, causing him to jump. He whirled around and saw that his girlfriend, Vanessa Bender was standing there with Frank's long time girlfriend, Callie Shaw, smiling.
"You gave me a fright," he muttered, giving his girl a hug. Vanessa was a few inches shy of Joe's 6 foot tall figure and was quite a contrast with her darker skin, ash blonde hair and mud brown eyes.
"You both look knackered," Callie commented, eyeing both her boyfriend and Joe. Callie was quite short, 5'7 with golden hair that reached just below her shoulders and emerald eyes that twinkled with intelligence.
"Didn't get much sleep last night," Frank replied, slipping his arm around Callie's waist. He didn't want to dwell on what happened last night, although he was still worried for his sister. Faith had awoken ten minutes after Frank did and joined her brothers for breakfast. They didn't mention the nightmare but both boys could see the cloud of insecurity in Faith's blue eyes. He didn't want to show it, but he was really very concerned for his sister. He didn't know what the nightmare was about and suspected that Joe didn't either. It had shaken the youngest Hardy a great deal, yet she wouldn't talk to anyone about it. Frank sighed, running a hand through his dark hair.
"Why's that?" Callie asked. Frank glanced at Joe, unsure of what to say. Callie and Faith were good friends but although Faith never would admit it, she didn't like Vanessa much. She was much closer to Joe's deceased girlfriend, Iola and was devastated when she was killed. Faith could never really bring herself to the realization that she was actually gone, giving her reason for disliking Vanessa. Both of the brothers knew that Faith would certainly not like for them to be spreading her personal situations with anyone. She was the type of person who hated to burden people with such things.
"Just a family matter," Joe shrugged it off like it was no big deal. Like Frank, he wasn't about to tell the girls about his sister's situation. She had gone through enough and like himself, he hated any sympathy given to him. Before either of the girls could ask further questions, Joe swiftly changed the subject.
When Frank and Joe had arrived home that afternoon once school had ended, Faith had not joined him. Although her family was not quite comfortable with her being out of their sight, especially since her kidnapping, but she insisted that she go about her usual, busy routine. At present, she was in the middle of soccer practice and for once, Frank was relieved she was not with them. He wanted to talk to his parents privately about what to do with her. They all knew that she was lacking a great deal of sleep and they also noticed that she wasn't eating as much as she used to. Faith also shied away from most social events apart from school and her extra-curricular activities. She was spending most of her time cooped up in her room and it worried Frank as it was something she never used to do often. That was before the kidnapping; Frank couldn't help but think ruefully.
"We're home!" Joe called out as he entered the house, dropping his bag near the entrance. Frank rolled his eyes as he followed Joe into the house, without the 'grand' entrance. Laura didn't usually get home until about five or six so they didn't really expect to see her home.
"Hi boys," Fenton appeared from his study, with a broad smile on his face. He had been away for the past few days and was just coming to stay the night in Bayport before going back to Upstate to finish off his case.
"Hey dad, I'm glad you're home. Could we talk?" Frank wasn't usually so straightforward about everything but this was a matter he wanted to get sorted as fast as possible. Fenton didn't quite know how to respond, giving his eldest son a quizzical glance.
"Yeah…sure. Let's go to my study. Is Joe involved?" He managed to say eventually. Frank nodded and the two brothers followed their father into his den.
"So what's the matter?" Fenton asked as they all sat in his study. Joe tried not to fidget. He was slightly uncomfortable telling someone else about his sister's problems, even though it was their own father and he knew that it was going to be the best for her.
"It's about Faith…" Frank trailed off, not quite knowing what to say next. Fenton leant forward in his chair and rested his elbows on the table. He too, had noticed the changes in Faith's behaviour when he was home and he was scared to find out if she'd gotten worse. Part of him blamed himself for her kidnapping, not just this one but the others but she never complained about it, or about the fact that their father was hardly ever home. Faith was never the type to say anything that would hurt anyone or question anything. Although Fenton had tried to get cases that were closer to home, most of his latest ones had involved him going out of town or even overseas. He didn't particularly like it, but it was part of his job. He tried to finish up cases that were far away as soon as he could, but it didn't always work out that way. After they had found Faith in the summer, Fenton had been given a case in Australia for a few days. Although reluctant, he had taken the case. He remembered the feud it had caused between him and Laura.
"Why are you taking this case?" Laura demanded, her hand firmly placed on her hip. She couldn't help but feel infuriated. They had just found their daughter, beaten and tortured half to death a mere few days ago and Fenton was going overseas?
"Laura-" Fenton started, not quite knowing what to say. He knew that he needed to be in Bayport, to support her and his family. And he wanted to stay. But his partner Sam Radley and himself had been hunting down this ruthless gang for over six months and had finally found their location. It just so happened to be that their headquarters where in Australia.
"Don't you dare 'Laura' me, Fenton Hardy! You do realize that your daughter is in there, unconscious?" Laura jerked her head in the direction of the entrance to the ICU. The Hardys had practically been living in the Bayport Hospital's waiting room for the past few days. It was the first time that Laura and Fenton had been alone during the week as they had suggested to their boys they go home for a few hours and get some rest. Fenton had decided to tell his wife the plans he and Sam had created while the boys weren't around. He winced at the sound of Laura's angry tone. He wasn't used to hearing it, as his wife was usually passive. It took something big to make her upset.
"I'm aware of that Laura," he replied in a calm tone, not wanting to upset her further. "I promise I'll be back in two days, three tops," he tried to give her a wry smile but she was having none of it.
"You know what? Just do whatever you want," Laura sighed, exasperated. She was used to Fenton travelling on a regular basis, knowing it came with the job description. She had even started to be okay with not having her husband home, but not at a time like this. Laura needed him. The boys needed him. And more importantly, Faith needed her father. She sunk into one of the plastic chairs, her head resting in her hands. What was her family coming to? She couldn't help but ask herself.
"I'll be home before you know it," Fenton tried to reassure her as he sat in the chair next to him. That's what I always say, he thought with a sigh.
"She's been having nightmares. About the Firm," Joe started, pulling Fenton out of his reverie. He raised his eyebrows. The boys always had a nightmare of some sorts in at least one occasion, even he had sometimes. He wondered why it would be such a big deal.
"They deprive her of sleep. And you've noticed her behavioural changes," Frank continued, running a hand through his dark hair. Fenton couldn't think of anything to say, lost in thought. He knew that Faith had now gained the habit of staying at home when she could be out with her friends, or eating the minimal amount of food, leaving half her dinner on her plate.
"Well, what would you like us to do?" he finally asked. The boys shrugged.
"That's why we came to you," Joe replied uneasily.
"What if we talk to her about seeing Dr Bates?" Fenton suggested, referring to the Hardys family doctor. From there, Fenton knew that he'd probably recommend Faith see a psychiatrist and get her some sleeping pills. Frank and Joe glanced at each other.
"Sounds like a plan..." Frank said slowly. Like all Hardys, although they had much respect for Dr Bates, they didn't particularly like seeing the doctor. Especially for the psychological side of things. Now, there was the task of actually getting Faith to agree with seeing Dr Bates, which was a task easier said than done.
The Bayport High girls' soccer team practice finished about an hour earlier than they had all expected. After Faith changed out of her sweaty training gear, she sat on the bench near the football field to call her family. Usually, she'd just walk home on her own, but ever since the kidnapping, Frank and Joe had decided to be twice as protective as before. She dialled Joe's cell phone number but there was no answer. Faith really wasn't too surprised; Joe usually liked to leave his phone lying around when he was home. She sighed, dialling Frank's phone number. But strangely enough, there was no answer. Faith suddenly felt a wave of frustration wash through her. She couldn't believe how she got an hour lecture on how important it was to be with one of the family at all times and now here she was, with no one to be with. Faith let out another frustrated sigh, not knowing what to do.
"What is wrong with this family?" she asked herself, gritting her teeth.
"Are you okay?" Faith heard a soft voice ask. She whirled around in such fright that she nearly fell off the bench. Standing in front of her was a boy that she knew, but not too well. He seemed about 5'11 with dark curly hair, dark skin, chocolate brown eyes and a stunner of a smile. He was clad in a Bayport High shirt and jean shorts that reached his knees.
"Yeah, I'm fine thanks," Faith coughed, struggling to compose herself.
"I'm Levi by the way, I'm in a few of your classes," he said, sort of shyly. Faith gave him a smile, glad that she know had company. She had recognized him sitting in her math, science and gym class. He was fairly quiet in class but him and his group of friends were known for occasionally wreaking havoc around Bayport. She didn't know too much about him except that he lived a few blocks away from her and that he was the best freshman soccer player in the school.
"Faith," she replied, giving him a small smile again. She patted the seat next to her and he sat down. They chatted for a few minutes, about little things and it felt nice to talk to someone who didn't ask about her family so much. She had never met a person who was so interested in her. Just her. Not what her dad does. Not her brothers' latest cases. But just her. It was a nice feeling, knowing that someone was genuinely interested in her. Faith glanced at her watch, noting that it was getting late. "Sorry, but I think I have to get going," she said, standing up and grabbing her gear. Levi flushed slightly.
"Um. I'm walking home, would you mind if we walked home together?" his voice suddenly going quiet and shy. Faith couldn't help but smile. She wanted to say she didn't mind at the least but she could hear Frank's voice in her head telling her to say yes, she did mind. She knew that it wasn't going to be right thing, I mean, she had just met the guy but before her logic could take over she blurted out,
"Course not." Levi let out a sigh of relief involuntarily and coughed, trying to hide it. Truth be told, he had wanted to ask Faith out since last year. Even though he was known as a 'jock' and had his fair share of girls in his pursuit, the only girl he'd ever looked at was Faith. It wasn't to do with the fact that her dad was famous or that her oldest brother was probably the smartest guy in the whole school and her other brother was the starting quarterback for Bayport; it was something to do with her. She was pretty, there was no denying that. But it was something more than that. She wasn't like all the other girls in Levi's classes that were boy crazy, materialistic, loud and wore clothes that left little to the imagination. Faith was...she was just something else.
On the way home, they talked a bit more. They mostly tried to get to know each other a little better; sharing stories about their lives. Faith found out that Levi and his family had moved to Bayport from Upstate New York about three years ago and he had four younger siblings that ranged from twelve to five years old. Faith wondered what it would be like to be the oldest. She was constantly used to her brothers teasing her about everything and she knew that they worried about her, only because they loved her so much. What would it be like without that kind of protection? She couldn't help but think. Faith also found out that he was guitarist and had been playing for almost as long as he could remember. For Levi, Faith was so easy to talk to. He felt like he could say anything to her without having to worry about how stupid it sounded or how 'feminine' it might be. In turn, he learnt that Faith was really as quiet as she acted in class. She volunteered at the children's programme at the library, she was what she called, 'a book dweeb' and she liked photography. What also surprised Levi was that she was too a guitarist. She hadn't been playing for nearly as long as he had and complained that she wasn't any good. For some reason, Levi highly doubted that. Twenty minutes passed in what seemed like five and before they both knew it, they were on the corner of Elm and High.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then," Faith mumbled awkwardly, glancing over at her house, wondering what would happen when she opened the front door. She was expecting some sort of lecture followed by an interrogation. She was about to walk up the path leading to her house when Levi suddenly called out,
"Wait!" She turned around and gave him a little smile, making his knees go weak. He hadn't expected to say anything, it just sort of...happened. Now he was stuck, not knowing what to say. He probably looked like a complete fool. Calm down! He thought to himself firmly.
"Um. I, was. Well. Uh." Levi felt even more of an idiot, feeling his cheeks flood bright red. Faith didn't say anything but looked at him expectantly. "Would you like to hang out sometime?" he finally managed to blurt out. Faith looked at the ground bashfully and for a moment, Levi thought the worst, kicking himself inwardly. After a few seconds that felt like eternity, she spoke.
"I'd like that," she walked over to him as she fumbled into her bag to find a pen. Once she grabbed it out, she scribbled her cell phone number on his hand. "See you tomorrow," she said quietly, giving him a quick smile before walking up the path and into her house. Levi was practically bursting with excitement. He couldn't believe it! He might actually have a chance with her, he thought gleefully as he made his way home.
Faith entered her house, feeling on cloud nine. Had she just been asked out? She wondered, with a thoughtful smile.
"You're a bit early," Fenton commented when his daughter walked into the kitchen. It was only six, the time her practice usually ended. Faith snapped out of her daydream when she heard her father's voice.
"Hi daddy," she said as she walked over to him. Fenton smiled, enjoying the fact that his youngest daughter was always going to be a baby to him. Faith wrapped her arms around him and he returned the hug, truly happy to be home. He'd been upstate for about a week and Faith missed him more than she cared to show. When she let go, Faith plonked herself on the seat next to her father. "Practice finished early today. I tried to call Frank and Joe but neither of them would pick up," she explained her early appearance. Fenton nodded. Before he was going to ask how she got home, Joe rushed into the room.
"Who was that guy?" he demanded, his blue eyes narrowing in Faith's direction. Faith felt her face turn a dark shade of red. "Well?" Joe said impatiently. He was in his room finishing off some homework when he caught a glance of two people out his window. Wondering why they'd stopped in front of their house, paranoia took over and he scooted closer to his window. Before long, he realized that the girl was his own sister but he didn't know who the guy was. He felt a wave of annoyance wash over him as he watched his sister walk closer to the boy, write something on his hand before entering the house. As soon as he saved his essay on the computer, he rushed downstairs to confront his sister. Fenton, being in the kitchen during the whole ordeal had no idea what was going on.
"What are you talking about?" Fenton couldn't help but ask. Both Joe and Faith ignored him.
"It's okay Joe. He's just a friend," Faith muttered, shifting around under her brother's uncomfortable gaze. Joe raised his eyebrow as he took the seat across from her.
"Really now? Who is he? What were you doing? What did you write on his hand?" Joe bombarded his sister with questions. Instead of feeling embarrassed, Faith now just felt frustrated and annoyed. She rolled her eyes. Did her brother not trust her that much?
"His name is Levi. He's in a few of my classes. He was walking me home. And I wrote down on his hand the secret to eternal happiness," Faith said, the last part practically dripping with sarcasm. Joe was not pleased, to say the least. He certainly wasn't pleased with her little quip but was less pleased in the fact that a guy had walked her home.
"Walking you home?" Joe echoed.
"Yeah. Because I tried to call two people to pick me up like they'd asked me to. But neither of them picked up," Faith retorted roughly, standing up. It was Joe's turn to go red. He remembered that his phone was on silent, somewhere in the bottom of his school bag. And he knew that he had just dug a hole for himself. But before he could dig himself any deeper, Faith icily excused herself before leaving to go to her room.
"Well, that went well," Fenton commented drily. Joe shot him a look of annoyance. He felt guilty for interrogating his sister and even worse about forgetting to pick her up. She could have been taken again. Just like last time. A shiver went up his spine as he thought of the worst possible scenario.
"I feel like an idiot," Joe muttered, putting his head in his hands. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay son. She'll be over it soon. Why don't you go pick Frank up from Callie's? We'll be having dinner out tonight," Fenton said softly. Joe looked up at his dad and nodded. He was definitely glad that his dad was home.
Frank had left home Callie's about half an hour after their talk with Fenton. He wanted to slip out unnoticed by his brother, not in the mood for Joe's antics. Unfortunately, as he tried to slip past Joe's room, his blonde haired brother caught him.
"And just where do you think you're going?" Joe asked, trying to pull of his Aunt Gertrude impersonation. Frank couldn't help but slightly redden as he shouldered his backpack.
"To Callie's," he said. "For study," he added quickly before Joe could open his mouth. Joe rolled his eyes.
"Sure you are," there was no doubting the sarcastic tone in his voice.
"Oh shut up," It was Frank's turn to roll his eyes as he tried to push past his brother. Joe didn't let him past, holding his arm up.
"Mom gave me a list of things she wants me to pick up. Including Faith from soccer practice. I was planning to do them now. I'll drop you off? And then you can walk over to the school and pick Faith up. And I'll pick you guys up from there," Joe suggested firmly. He gave Frank no choice. The elder Hardy muttered something about annoying little brothers as he handed the van keys over.
That was about two hours ago and as Joe had predicted, Frank and Callie were not exactly studying. They had finished doing some of their English assignment but managed to distract each other. As time passed, Frank heard his cell phone go off. Reluctantly, he pulled out of Callie's embrace.
"It's probably not important," Callie murmured in Frank's ear, pulling him back. He hadn't mentioned much about Faith, as he knew that although they were friends, they weren't that close. Before he could reply, Callie pulled him back in before kissing him on the lips. Frank moved in closer and soon forgot about all.
"Frank! Joe is here to pick you up!" Mrs Shaw called from downstairs. Hearing her voice, Frank untangled himself from his girlfriend and glanced at his watch. 6:15. Oh crap, he thought as he scrambled up and grabbed his belongings. He had totally forgotten about his and Joe's plan.
"I have to go. I'll call you tonight," he muttered hurriedly, giving her another quick kiss before rushing out the door. Joe tutted as Frank entered the passenger seat of the van.
"Bro. What about the plan?" Joe demanded as soon as Frank called the door. The brown haired boy tried not to gain any eye contact as he pulled on his seatbelt. He was feeling guilty, not to mention a tad embarrassed.
"Sorry. I, we..." Frank trailed off, struggling to find words to explain himself. Joe caught on and burst out laughing as he turned the ignition on and started to back out of the Shaw's driveway.
"Wait 'til the guys hear about this," He managed to say in between his laughter.
"Oh shut up Joe," Frank mumbled, his face going a deep pink. "How'd Faith get home?" he asked, changing the subject. At this, Joe immediately stopped laughing and he gripped the wheel tighter, his thoughts from before coming back. What if something had happened to her? Faith had gone missing and been kidnapped a fair number of times but nothing was as terrifying as the last ordeal. Something that Joe never wanted to experience again. Or want his sister to go through.
"She walked home. Neither of us answered our phones so some guy walked her home," Joe explained blankly. He was trying to hide his guilt and usually it worked on everyone else, except for Frank, who could read his younger brother like a book. Frank too, felt a pang of guilt as he remembered his phone going off. He said nothing for a second.
"Who was the guy?"
"Levi. You know that guy that Chet was talking about the other day?" Joe was referring to their childhood friend, Chet Morton, whom was known for being the all around funny, chubby guy that everyone loved. Frank tried to think about what day Joe was talking about but he couldn't remember.
"Refresh my memory," Frank replied.
"I think it was Tuesday. The freshman guy who's taking the soccer team by storm, yeah that's him," Joe answered.
"And what was he doing walking home with her?" Frank couldn't help but jump to conclusions. Usually that was what Joe did but his perspective was slightly shot with guilt and worry. Joe shrugged just as they pulled into their driveway.
"I guess we have some apologies to make," Joe muttered as they hopped out of the car.
Dinner at the Hardys was never quiet. And today was no exception. Fenton and Laura were discussing his latest case and about how long he was going to be away for while Joe was trying to make conversation with Frank, or to be more accurate, teasing him about a particular blonde haired beauty. Faith usually joined her brother in talking about nonsense but today she looked at her food, pushing it around her plate in disinterest. Laura noticed and stopped talking to her husband.
"Faith, are you okay?" she asked as she looked at her only daughter in concern. Faith, suddenly aware that someone was talking to her, looked up.
"Yeah, just not too hungry," Faith answered, trying her best to sound happy. In truth, although she had a good day, she was shattered and all she wanted to do was get some rest. But she knew that she closed her eyes, the Firm was going to haunt her. Laura nodded worriedly and glanced over at Fenton.
"Why don't you go to bed and get some rest? You look in need of sleep," Fenton suggest softly, trying a different tactic. Everyone at the table noticed Faith's eyes went wide with shock and fear.
"N-no, it's okay," Faith coughed, trying to hide her stutter. She blinked and the man with the ski mask appeared in front of her. He was laughing at her, pointing her out, as if mocking her silently. She couldn't help but scream in fright. "Leave me alone!" she cried, scooting her chair in such hurry she almost fell off. Joe had no idea what she was seeing but no-one else could see the man she was trying to fight.
"Faith!" he called, in desperate attempt to break her away from her hallucinations. He waved a hand in front of her face and she suddenly jumped. His heart was breaking, seeing his sister looking so terrified.
"What?" Faith felt like she had just been pulled out of a daze. The past few seconds seemed to have been erased in her memory, leaving nothing but blackness. "What happened?" The sound of confusion had scared Joe. Had she seriously not remembered what happened? It was barely a minute ago she was screaming at something, or someone to leave her alone. Joe wondered again what on earth the Firm had done to her for her to be so...different.
"It's okay Faith," he tried his best to reassure the youngest Hardy, even though he felt helpless. There was nothing he could do. He wondered if she would ever return to normal. Then a scary thought occurred to him. What if this was her new normal?