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 Notes: So, I'm celebrating being home from vacation and once again having access to a full keyboard! So the question has been raised about when the action would be coming... well, it's coming, just not yet. But I promise to get there. I'm just a plodder when it comes to my stories. I don't like to skip over the background when I'm writing it. So, just know that it's coming! Hang in there! Next update will be the regular scheduled day of Tuesday.
Chapter Twelve
Monday's lunch at school was awkward for all the friends. It was true that they had gone through something similar when Joe and Iola had broken up at the beginning of last December. But there had been a third party manipulating the situation back then. Now, the problem lay not in someone's schemes but within Joe and Iola themselves.
Joe sat at the normal table for the group and stared at the lunch line. Ross Blanchard was in line behind Iola and the two seemed to be talking animatedly. Joe looked at the food on his tray and found all of it to be unappealing. Ross was a nice guy and Joe was just going to have to get used to Iola talking to other guys… dating other guys… bringing other guys to group events. He wouldn't even think about her kissing Ross or any other guy. He couldn't- not yet. Sparing a glance down the table, he saw that Iola had sat down alone and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Biff, who was sitting between Joe and where Iola was looked to his friend and said, "You know she wouldn't do that."
"Do what?" Joe asked as he decided he'd eat so he'd have to talk less.
"I saw you staring at her and Ross in line. She wouldn't bring another guy over to sit with us."
"Not yet," Joe mumbled through his mouthful of sandwich. "But it'll happen sooner or later."
"What about you?" Biff asked.
Joe's brows drew together as he looked at his friend. "What about me?"
"What if you decide to bring a girl over?"
Joe snorted in artificial amusement. "Not happening."
"Not yet, but it'll happen sooner or later," Biff said as he threw those words back at his friend with a smile.
Joe laughed and then the smile on his face faded as he looked past Biff to Iola. "Maybe, but right now my heart hurts too much." Feeling that he had put too much of his feelings on display, Joe looked at his tray and said, "You know, I'm just not hungry today." Standing, Joe picked up his tray and headed to the trash unsure if he could handle being at the same table with Iola everyday right now. He was unaware of the green eyes that followed him as he left the cafeteria.
.**********.
That evening, after supper…
Joe put the last plate in the dishwasher as his mom put the leftovers in the frig. Since Frank was at college, they tended to have more leftovers than usual as Laura hadn't made any alterations yet to her recipes to lessen the yield. Closing the dishwasher, he pressed the button to start the cleaning cycle which would begin shortly. His father had received a call at the end of the meal and had excused himself to go to his office to talk in private. So it was just Joe and his mom in the kitchen.
"Um, mom?"
"Yes, Joe?" Laura asked as she grabbed a cloth to wipe off the table.
"Were you dating dad when he was at the police academy?"
Laura stopped what she was doing and straightened, holding the cloth in her hand. "Why, yes. I was dating your father at that time."
"Were you ever worried then about what would happen to him as a police officer?" Joe asked as he pulled out a chair at the table and sat down.
As she walked over to lay the wet cloth on the side of the sink, Laura replied, "Of course. I think it's the same for every wife or husband of a police officer, firefighter, military person, and other occupation where you put your life on the line."
Joe looked carefully at his mother as he asked, "When dad left the force, did you encourage him to?"
"I supported him in his decision," Laura answered carefully.
"But did you encourage him to?" Joe asked again.
Laura sighed and reached over to take his hand. "Joe. I loved Fenton when he was a cadet. I loved him as a police detective. I love him as a private investigator. And I love him when he's working for the government." She smiled as she squeezed his hand and then let go as she leaned back. "But having said that I have to say that I have worried about him in each and every one of those roles."
"Do you wish he had a different job?"
Laura tilted her head as she thought, "No. Your father is a detective at heart and to change what he is would be to change his heart." Her voice softened and Joe could see that his mother was reliving some past memory. "And his heart is what I fell in love with." Joe started smiling as his mother began blushing as she came back to the present. "So, no, I wouldn't change his profession. I just always ask him to be careful."
"Thanks, mom," Joe said as he stood from the table.
Laura stood with him and reached out for his hand. "I know it doesn't mean much right now, Joe. But there is a girl out there who will love you for who you are, not who they want you to be."
Joe pulled his mom in for a hug and whispered, "I love you, mom."
.**********.
Laura watched her son exit the kitchen. She was overwhelmed that he had talked with her. She didn't know everything about Joe and Iola's break-up; she did know that it centered around Iola's fear of Joe being injured or dying. It was a fear that she knew well from being married to a detective and then raising two boys who seemed determined to follow in their father's footsteps. She wondered if Iola truly knew what she was giving up.
.**********.
Callie sat in her car staring at her cell phone. Her roommate was not going out and this was a conversation she didn't want to have in front of her. But as she sat in her car she just didn't know how to start off the conversation or if it was even one she could do over the phone. Finally making a decision, Callie placed her phone to the side and rummaged in her purse for her keys.
Thirty minutes later Callie pulled into the Mortons' driveway, her headlights cutting a swath of light across the front of the farmhouse before she cut them off. As she climbed from the car, the front door opened and Mr. Morton stood under the porch light. "Is that you, Callie?"
"Yes, Mr. Morton, it's me. Is Iola at home?"
"She is. Come on in, it's chilly out here," Mr. Morton said as he opened the screen door of the house to go back inside.
Callie followed him up and inside. Iola was coming down the stairs as they entered, "Who was it- Oh, hi, Callie. I wasn't expecting you."
"I know," Callie said awkwardly.
Mr. Morton cleared his throat and said, "I'll just go back into the tv room and let you girls talk."
Callie gazed up to her friend on the steps. "I was hoping we could talk."
Iola slowly came down the last four steps and stood at the bottom clutching the carved balustrade. With a tired voice she said, "If you're here to convince me-"
"No!" Callie said quickly and then lowered her voice. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not here to tell you what to do or to convince you to do something. I just want to understand."
Iola looked Callie in the eye and asked, "Are you mad with me?"
Callie smiled. "No, but I do want to understand. At the party you didn't want to talk and I haven't had a chance to talk to you since then."
"I just couldn't talk about it then." Iola walked past Callie toward the small formal living room of the house. She motioned for Callie to follow her. The room was rarely used but Chloe Morton loved it and had decorated it with frilly fringed pillows, brocade covered furniture, and old-fashioned lamps with glass shades. Iola sat on the couch and pulled one of the pillows in front of her. Her fingers threaded through the rose-colored fringe that went around the edge.
When Iola didn't say anything, Callie carefully asked, "Was it Joe's costume?" She was surprised when Iola softly laughed and smiled.
"No, although I was pretty ticked when I saw it. But it wasn't the costume that broke us up, it was me."
Callie waited patiently for her to elaborate.
Iola leaned her head back against the couch and groaned. "Am I an idiot? No, don't answer that," she said as she sat up and shook her head.
"Why did you break up?" Callie prodded a little. "Was it just your fear of what could happen to him?"
Iola paused and then quietly said, "I can't be Laura Hardy." Her eyes were focused on the pillow in her lap.
"I don't think Joe expects you to be his mother."
Iola smile and looked up. "Not his mother really, but he expects me to handle all the injuries and danger… and I can't."
"I know it's hard when Frank is in danger or hurt. I worry-" Callie began but was interrupted.
"But has Frank almost DIED in the last year?" Iola asked.
Callie frowned slightly, "No, but the chance is always there."
"But that 'chance' hasn't been thrown in your face time and again. Callie, when Joe and I were kidnapped I was terrified. I know what we went through in that basement could have been even worse." Her frightened eyes lifted to Callie's. "I thought I had lost him then but I didn't. But it wasn't the end. In December, I looked at his broken body and was heart-broken."
"What happened in December didn't have anything to do with his detective work."
Iola smiled ruefully. "And is that supposed to make me feel better?" She waved off the comment that Callie was going to make. "No, I understand. What happened then was Camille's fault. It wasn't Joe's. But it was like a domino effect. Once they started to fall after our kidnapping, they just haven't stopped. Camille, Marilyn Laird, and now whatever group Joe and Frank were working with this summer." Tears began to spill from Iola's eyes to run down her cheeks. "I know what Joe is willing to do to save me. I know."
Callie moved over to the couch to put an arm around Iola. "He loves you."
"I love him too but I can't live each day wondering when his luck will run out," Iola said as she laid her head on Callie's shoulder.
"But you'll still be friends so you'll still have to live with that."
Iola ran a hand across her cheeks to wipe away the tears. "I know and I will be devastated if something happens to him. I just don't think I can marry him."
Callie pulled back and stared at her friend, "Marry? You're still in high school!"
Iola laughed as she wiped away a couple more tears. "Don't act shocked Callie. As much as you and I have talked about weddings and dresses over the years, I know you've thought about what it would be like to marry Frank."
Callie smiled back. "Yeah, you're right."
Shrugging, Iola said, "Why would I want to lead Joe on thinking we have a future? The last two months haven't been the best and I don't see that changing when I can't shake the uneasiness about a life together."
"But breaking up…"
Iola sniffed as she turned to face Callie more directly on the couch. "Do you think Joe and I have been having fun?"
"Well, sometimes," Callie replied truthfully.
"Yes, sometimes. But most of the time?" Iola continued.
Callie shifted uneasily on the couch. "Well, there's been some tension-"
Iola couldn't help but laugh out loud at that. "Some tension? Really, Callie, I think that's understated. I think Joe going as 007 just shows just how messed up our relationship has gotten."
Callie looked at her friend with a touch of exasperation. "How was I supposed to know anything when you haven't wanted to talk about it?"
After drawing in a deep breath and letting it out, Iola replied, "You're my best friend but you're also dating Joe's brother. I thought it would just put you in an awkward position."
"I would have kept anything you said in confidence."
"I know that, Callie. But still, if I had told you a couple of weeks ago that I was thinking about breaking up with Joe it would have been awkward." Iola watched her friend. "Wouldn't it? I know you wouldn't have told Frank anything, but what if he asked what was going on with me and Joe?"
"I wouldn't have told him, but you're right, it would have been awkward." Callie thought back to the conversation that she had with Joe. She hadn't told Iola or Frank about that and it had been awkward for her. But things were different now. "But you will talk to me now won't you?"
Iola gave Callie a small, sad smile. "Sure. No reason not to. It's not like your dating my boyfriend's brother."
Callie reached over and gave Iola a hug as the words to help ease her friend's pain just weren't coming to her. But in her mind she hoped that Iola had made the right decision.
Author's Extra Note: So up until this chapter my tentative title had been "What is Normal?" But when I wrote this chapter, it changed to "For Who You Are."
