A/N Hello, everybody, I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Here's the next installment.

Thanks to all reviewers!!

Dedication: To daisymall13 for her review.

Disclaimer: I own nada.

"Hey, honey, how was work?" Callie Hardy nee Shaw greeted her husband when he entered the kitchen of their apartment.

"It was okay." Frank replied. "What are you cooking, something smells good?" Frank added.

"Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans." Callie replied absently. "You seem kind of annoyed." She noted as she glanced at the oven timer to check on the chicken.

"New case. Plus Joe is sort of getting on my nerves." Frank admitted, seating himself on one of the stools located behind their kitchen island.

"Trouble in paradise?" Callie asked teasingly.

"We've got this case concerning the disappearances of five prodigies in their individual fields; one in art, one in music, one in computers, one in linguistics, and one in chess. Joe is concerned that I could be a target." Frank explained. "He always jumps to conclusions, and it doesn't help that Don is egging him on."

"Your cousin? How is he involved in this?" Callie asked.

"It's an FBI case, the latest disappearance was in California." Frank explained.

"So, Don is worried that you could be a target, as well?" Callie asked her tone belying her own fears.

"Yeah, me and Charlie as well." He answered, tracing an abstract pattern on their countertop as he went over the details surrounding the case.

"Ah, so he thinks that you and Charlie need to be watched, basically?" Callie asked knowingly.

"Essentially." Frank answered. "When have you ever known me to be anything other than cautious? The way Joe was going on you'd think I was going to march right up to this guy, and jump up and down saying 'hey you, look at me, prodigy, right here!'" Frank added sarcastically. Callie had to hold back a snort of laughter at that image.

"That's more Joe's style." She said grinning fondly as she thought about her brother-in-law.

"Which is probably why he thinks everyone else would behave in the same manner." Frank concluded.

"Don't be too hard on him, he's just worried." Callie admonished her husband as she went to get the chicken out of the oven.

"Yeah, yeah." Frank muttered. "I'll keep that in mind." He continued as he gathered up the plate of green beans and bowl of mashed potatoes depositing them on their kitchen table while Callie brought over the chicken. "Want something to drink, babe?" He questioned heading over to the fridge.

"Diet coke would be lovely, thanks." Callie answered. Frank nodded his head absently grabbing two glasses from the cupboard and filling them up with ice before getting the soda out of the fridge.

"Listen, Cal, there's something else I need to talk to you about," Frank began as they sat down to dinner.

"Oh?" She asked interestedly.

"The bureau wants everyone involved in the case to head to the L.A. offices tomorrow morning and compile data, including dad, Joe, and I." Frank explained. "Dad just informed us this afternoon; sometimes I think Joe gets his tardiness from him." He added after a pause.

"How long are you going to be gone for?" Callie asked.

"Probably at least a week, Dad said to tell you he's sorry." He said in reply.

"I'll miss you; at least you're going the same weekend that Vanessa and I are going to the spa, though." Callie said. Callie was a second grade teacher at Bayport Elementary school, the kids had Monday off for some obscure holiday or other, and she was taking advantage of it to spend a weekend with her best friend who had managed to get the day off of work at her computer firm.

"True." Frank admitted. "I'll miss you as well. Make sure you keep you cell phone with you and actually charged." He added. Callie was notorious for either losing track of her phone or forgetting to charge it, making her nearly impossible to reach.

"I will." She replied with a laugh.

"See that you do." Frank said in a mock-stern tone.

A few blocks away, Joe Hardy was enjoying take-out Chinese with his long time girlfriend Vanessa Bender. It was a solid Wednesday night tradition for them to get dinner from their favorite Chinese restaurant.

"Is it just me or is the Sweet and Sour chicken particularly good tonight?" Joe questioned.

"Let me see," Vanessa answered reaching over and spearing a piece of the chicken off his plate. "I'd have to agree with you on that." She said nodding her head approvingly and totally ignoring his squawk of dismay at the stolen food.

"Setting aside your pilfering ways for the moment, I have something I need to discuss with you." Joe mentioned.

"What about?" Vanessa queried looking up from her egg roll.

"We're working on this new case, concerning missing geniuses-"

"You're worried about Frank." It was a statement, not a question.

"No, well, yes, but that's not even the point." Joe explained in a jumbled manner. "Anyway, we've got this case, five disappearances so far, each concerning someone in a different field, and each person disappearing from a different state. The latest one occurred in L.A. Dad has been consulting on the case for the FBI, and he is bringing us in on it, the bureau wants the different agencies to compile their data, and is flying everyone out to L.A. in order to do so."

"When do you leave?" Vanessa questioned tucking an errant strand of her ash blonde hair behind her ear.

"Tomorrow morning."

"They're forcing you to get up early?" She asked laughingly.

"I know." Joe grumbled. "At least it's for a good cause."

"How long are you going for?" She asked.

"At least a week, very likely longer considering the lack of leads."

"Oh, Joe, I don't know how I'll go on without you for that long, I will be utterly bereft without you." Vanessa exclaimed dramatically before breaking into a grin. "Seriously though, I will miss you, make sure to call me, alright? Don't lose you phone, or your charger, remember to actually plug in your charger when charging it, etc."

"Haha, very funny." Joe said mock laughing at her display.

"I thought it was, I'm glad you agree." Vanessa replied.

"I'd better go pack now." Joe said with a groan getting up and bringing his plate to the sink. "I loathe packing." He added before disappearing into their bedroom.

A/N Review, please. Next chapter will be out soon.