Well, this chapter took a while. *sighs* If one wants to get technical and in my head, I'm technically on four stories (even though Lying Truths and Truthful Lies have some of the same scenes, it leaves quite a bit to write) and this story is taking a while to find the ultimate plot. If there even is one, that is. For all we know (myself included) this could be a wild goose chase.

Now for ranting time! Has anyone seen the new Hardy Boys Clue Brothers or whatever they call the kid version of the series that has started to be published? Has anyone looked through just for the pictures? I did, and probably got some people from the bookstore staring at me for yelling at the book. Laura and Trudy aren't blonde like they're supposed to be (or, at least, how the graphic novels depicit them, and since those pictures seem more like what the characters would actually look like...). Fenton looks like the perfect dad you wish you had that is sportsy and has a job behind the desk. Iola and Biff are... weird. And I want to beat Frank up. And he's a child in that book. That's how bad it is. (Yes, I love children. They're lovable :D)

Okay, now for the rest. I don't own the Hardy Boys (because if I did, I would get some better pictures for the Clue Brother... *shivers at name*) and enjoy!

Add three conversations. They should make the bonds between the Hardys and parts of Bayport grow stronger.

"Cupcakes?" Chet immediately perked up.

"One of his specialties," Mad proclaimed as her twin almost ran to the oven. "He put them in when you guys just got here."

"Can we try them?" Iola asked.

"That's actually why I made them," Joe admitted, revealing a pan of cupcakes cooling. "We got chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and lime."

"Lime?"

"I've been trying a lot of different fruits with them, and I randomly picked lime when I had the batter."

An hour later found the group with a cupcake each, still warm and covered in frosting and sprinkles. Belinda smiled warmly at Madison, who she had gotten to know in the hour after they migrated to the yard. Frank had been talking to Callie and Phil about some computer program or something in the living room, while Joe revealed to Chet, Iola, and Tony some of the things that the siblings cooked in the kitchen.

"Seems like your brothers have potential girlfriends," she commented.

Mad smiled. "Good for them. I was beginning to worry if they scared them away unconsciously. Surprised about Frank, though. He's not blushing like usual."

"Blushing?"

"We haven't figured out why, but he does it around most girls."

"Oh." Belinda thought for a second. "How about you? And love interests?"

"Not really. I've been treated as an outcast guy so many times that I don't bother looking much. There are so many bastards who have an issue with going out with someone that looks like me physically. Either it looks too gay for them, or I'm just not girly enough with all the right parts."

"The chest?"

"The chest." Mad shook her head. "Of course, all the good guys who look past that already have girlfriends. This one time while we were undercover, some guy started randomly asking my opinion on the chests of the girls who were passing by."

"Seriously? What a perv."

"I told him that before I socked him. Of course, I got in trouble with our dad, but I feel that it was worth it in the end."

"I can't blame you. I always feel like those kind of guys deserve something like that. In fact, most of the male population needs to be punched around a few times." Belinda paused as her thoughts quickly reminded her of the boy she had thought that she cared about. Biff needed a good beating up too, now that she reminded herself of all the horrible things that he had done in vain attempts to impress her. "Why do you act like a guy then?"

"Someone has to act sensible." Looking down, Mad added, "I don't really get any of it myself. For as long as I can remember, I always acted like a boy. I played with Frank and Joe in sports. I hated tea parties and dressing up. It was always that way."

"I can guess what the other girls said."

"You could. It wouldn't take too much. They were really uncreative."

"Were you ever… bullied?"

"Hell, every day of our lives was pretty much a day one of us was going to deal with a bully! Back at our hometown, people didn't understand that being different was actually normal in society."

"That really stinks."

"Humans have a tendency to do that."

"I guess. My brother was a bully."

"Don't you mean is a bully?" At Belinda's questioning look, Mad explained, "We heard about the plot about burning the house down. In fact, I overheard him and was the reason he's arrested."

"Oh."

"Oh?" Mad frowned as she repeated the sound. "I'm the reason your brother got arrested, and all you can say is oh?"

Belinda shrugged. "It's gotten to the point where I would easily choose having no brother than having Brian."

"That bad?" The tomboy shook her head. Belinda could have sworn that she had heard a hint of sympathy in the question. "That's too bad. I guess it would be different than what I know of siblings. Mine treat me like a guy. At least, until Joe points out my chest."

"Is it… could it be a medical thing. You know…" Lacking the words, Belinda just pointed to the tip of a scar that was visible beneath the collar of the shirt.

"True. The doctors weren't too helpful on that certain point." She sighed. "At least it's easier to pull of looking like a boy."

"What's it like?"

"Confusing, I guess. I mean, the 'guy's code' is really just a stupid little thing that is just a bunch of social ideas that they had somehow managed to agree on!"

"Really? Do tell…"

"There's not much to tell. It's just something that we do," Frank explained to Callie. He had been extremely patient in explaining everything that she felt the need to be questioned. Unlike his blond siblings, the brunette offered full detailed tales and descriptions, which was something she appreciated in a person. Not that she didn't have other means to judge people…

Phil cracked a grin at the statement. "You make it sound so easy."

"Not easy, really. Just… a challenge. Something to do to help society and all. Even… expected."

"Expected?" Callie repeated.

"You know, Dad being big shot Fenton Hardy, world class private eye. What else would his children do?"

"What do his children want to do?"

Frank smiled a somewhat sad smile. "We don't mind doing some detective work once in a while, but not all the time like Dad. It's left too many bad memories."

The single female of the trio frowned at the words. "Anything a little more specific?"

The Hardy's face brightened a bit. "Despite what we've been telling Mom, we've thought about a bakery of sorts. Maybe even a restaurant. I've also looked in a bunch of computer related work."

"How many other Jacks?" Phil asked, earning him two questioning looks. "You know, the saying. 'Jack of all trades, master at none.'"

"Well, we do have a few masters besides the crime fighting one. I'm into technology and logic. Joe's brilliant at making desserts and some other dishes. Mad…" He lowered his voice. "Don't tell her I told you because she'll most likely kill me. She knows her fashion."

"Her? Fashion?" Callie asked in a critical tone that clearly stated her disbelief.

"I barely believe it myself. Joe claims it's all of her supposed girliness is. Something about so small it was only able to converge and dent her that way. She also has a knack for design appearances."

"How does that make you want to join the bakery/restaurant idea?" Phil asked.

"Cooking is relaxing. We picked it up once Dad had a hostage situation and wasn't coming home. It was actually for a home ec project but it just kinda branched out."

"So you wouldn't mind helping out your siblings?"

"We've been through a lot together. I doubt we'll change that any time soon."

An image skidded across Callie's mind of the trio of siblings tortured with dismal hope of being rescued. It might have even crossed their thoughts that the last friendly faces they would have seen would have been each other's. A chill went through her spine.

"How about school?" she asked, trying to change topics.

"I fitted myself for a schedule full of college courses," Frank admitted, looking down slightly.

"Lemme guess: you could have graduated early, but you want to wait for the twins."

"Is it really that obvious?" the boy asked with a sheepish grin.

"Not really. Part of it was guess work."

"Ah. A detective in the making." The brunette chuckled. "Joe and Mad actually skipped a grade, so I thought it would be fair to hold back with them."

"With them?"

"They thought about graduating early, but figured it wouldn't do our parents well to just leave the house so fast. They are the babies, after all."

Phil laughed, but Callie's look seemed to counter the sound. "What choices have you made that were completely your own? So far, everything is attached to your siblings."

"A few. None of them are too life changing…"

Callie, being the young teenage girl that she was, pried further. "Why are you so dependent on them? You act like they're your only friends-" Suddenly, she trailed off. "They iare/i your only friends, aren't they?"

Frank nodded slightly, after making sure no one heard her revelation, despite being the only three in the room. "It's just…" He hung his head, subconsciously running a hand through his hair. "Joe and Mad were instantly branded as freaks since the first day of school. Even though I was different, it was decided I was a freak by relation. I wanted to fit in so bad…"

Phil's eyes widened as he muttered, "Did you bully them?"

Callie never thought she would see such self loathing as she did on Frank's face. "The worse part was that they forgave me. They wouldn't tell any of the adults and… and when we were at home, it was like I never did anything to them. I… I waited for that day that they would explode and kick my ass…"

"When did it happen?"

"Never."

An unsettling silence seemed to suddenly cloak the group. Frank diverted his gaze to the floor, and waited a moment before speaking again.

"They told me that I was lonely and that they had each other. They worried about me having friends instead of their big brother being an idiot." He sighed. "It would be impossible to replace them."

"Are you claiming, good sir, that grand cooking with artificial ingredients cannot be done?" Chet said in a mock voice of authority. "I'll have you know that I have had some splendid dishes where such a thing is feasible."

Joe laughed, then replied in the same tone, "I'll have you know, good sir, that I can prove to you that it is in fact impossible to do such a feat!"

Iola rolled her eyes for possibly the tenth time within the conversation. "Really?"

"Yes, really. In fact, I do need some taste testers for some new recipes I've been itching to try."

"Like what?" Tony asked out of curiosity. After working in his father's pizza place, he had come to an appreciation of cooking or baking of any kind. It took some work to produce quality food, and if the cupcakes allowed for any kind of glimpse into Joe's skills, Tony was willing to try.

"Eh, some random dishes I've picked up. Most of them are probably gonna end up being some kinda of dessert or sweet. Frank says it's my specialty." Joe shrugged half heartily before a grin spread on his face. "It's weird picking up that for a hobby, but it gives me reason to eat a lot of sweets!"

"How many cupcake recipes do you have?" Iola asked.

"A ton. A certain twin of mine thought it would be funny to get me a stack of books of cupcake recipes and decorating ideas for the past five birthdays and Christmases. Of course, I've been returning the favor…"

Chet crack a grin. "Revenge?"

"Sure, if that's what you want to call it. I call it karma, since it would mean that she couldn't punch me." Walking behind the counter, Joe pulled back a cover of a cabinet that had been separate from the rest of the kitchen setup and had rested on the counter next to the fridge instead. He moved aside to reveal a shelf of cook books. "We haven't invested in a bookshelf just yet, but we're going to. This is only a quarter of our collection."

"Only?" Tony stared at the books, estimating over twenty alone from the selection that was revealed. "You should have invested in a bookshelf a long time ago if this is only a quarter."

"Our old kitchen had a shelf built into the cabinets. We never really needed one."

"If you have that many things to try out, I'll be happy to come over at every meal!" Chet exclaimed, eyeing the books himself. Iola shook her head at her brother's statement, and Tony could swear he heard her mutter something about a "bottomless stomach."

"That would be nice, but I'm not sure if the family could handle so much variety in so little time."

"They're lost."

Tony shook his head. "How about a weekly thing? We'll come over on Saturday and you can test all your dishes then."

Something sparked in Joe's eyes, which Tony was grateful for. Ever since the mention of his past run in with the cruel gang, he seemed to have dulled his personality (even though that was tough to prove considering there had been only a small handful of times where they talked). But something about cooking brought him out of it.

"Why not? Might as well get myself some test hams."

"Test hams?" Iola asked. "You mean like hamsters?"

"Yeah. We call it test hams because of a case we were on. You see…"

Yup. It's bonding. And character development. And food. *is kinda hungry now* We get a glimpse of Madison's "girlish side" as Joe dubs it, Frank's own issues, and Joe's cooking collection. As for test hams... yeah... um... gotta go!