Okay I have this story written...I hope you have enjoyed it. There are more chapters of course...I have a sequel that I am working on. Please review and let me know how you are liking the story. I'm a bit discouraged. Sigh...

Chapter 12:

Frank was sitting with his lovely wife in the den of his parent's home. They had begun to rebuild their house on the same lot with a floor plan they had found online. Right now Frank and Callie were scrutinizing flooring options and paint for the exterior of the home. Joe was surfing the TV channels sitting in front of Vanessa who was giving him a shoulder rub.

Laura and Fenton were on the second sofa relaxing as well. The phone rang and Fenton answered it. "Hardy Residence...Mr. Manoso...hello."

Frank and Joe both wheeled around at his father's greeting. They both listened intently. Fenton Hardy looked relieved. "When?"

"That is great news...how did you get a line on him?"

Fenton listened for another moment then he grinned. "Well...you can add the repaired door to my tab. So he went into his house and tried to put another package together?"

Frank was holding Callie's hand. Callie was squeezing his very tightly. Fenton hung up the phone and walked over to Frank and Callie. "They caught him...in Trenton...he is going to be extradited here to face your parents' murder charges. Then, when he is convicted, he will never see the light of day again."

It took Callie about ten seconds to comprehend what Fenton Hardy said. She looked up at him and whispered. "It's over?"

She then looked at her husband. Frank didn't wait for her to react. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. She started crying. Frank soothed her. "It's okay baby...its okay."

Vanessa and Joe were hugging each other and Mrs. Hardy came over and hugged her husband. She had just gotten her arm removed from her sling just two weeks ago. Sam Radley came through the door with his wife Ethel. "Tom just called me...did you hear from Ranger?"

Fenton answered him. "Yes we did..." The relief clearly etched in every word.

Sam came over and knelt in front of Callie and Frank. "How are you two doing?"

Callie turned and smiled at him. "I feel great...free."

Frank squeezed her tighter still. "Much better...now that I know they are safe."

Laura said enthusiastically. "This calls for a celebration. How about we order pizza for dinner? Sam and Ethel please join us."

Callie stood up and went to the bathroom in the hall. She couldn't believe it. For the majority of her pregnancy she couldn't enjoy any of it because she was so scared at finding this man over her shoulder. Now she could relax and not worry. It felt like a huge weight had been taken off her shoulders. The months of bed rest had been especially hard for her. In spite of Frank being there every evening...she still missed the closeness they once had. She was washing her hands and thought of her parents. They would be so excited for this baby and she missed them so much.

Then without warning she felt a large pop and then a gush of water. "Oh my god!" She clutched her stomach and took a deep breath as a contraction suddenly seized her.

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The door bell rang announcing the arrival of dinner. Both Joe and Vanessa went to get the door. Joe opened it and grinned. "Tony! Hey can you come in a minute?"

"You bet! How is Callie doing?"

Before Joe or Vanessa could respond they heard a cry from the bathroom. Vanessa looked at Joe alarmed and went to the door. "Callie? Are you alright in there?"

There was no response and Vanessa looked at Joe and Tony worried. Tony put the pizza on the lowboy by the door. Vanessa at the same instant opened the bathroom door and went inside. Joe and Tony waited by the door. Joe's spidey senses on alert. They knocked on the door. "Callie...Van..." Joe asked.

"JOE!"

Joe noted the panic in his fiancée's voice. "Callie's water just broke...get Frank QUICK!"

Joe didn't need to hear anything else. He and Tony separated. Joe ran upstairs to get Callie's bag and on impulse grabbed her a change of cloths and towels from the linen closet. Tony raced into the den with the pizza. Frank saw Tony and beamed. "Hey there..."

Tony put up a hand to stop his friend cold. "Uh you're needed in the bathroom and someone needs to call Callie's doctor...NOW."

Laura Hardy stood up and ran to the bathroom where the girls were. Frank handed his cell phone to his father after pushing a number he had now memorized and quickly followed.

Joe had made his way down stairs with Callie's bag and her change of cloths, and towels. Laura took them and pointed towards the den in quick measure. "Get Ethel...she'll need to help a bit and tell the men to stay put."

Joe disappeared and Laura focused on her daughter in law. She was standing in front of the sink gripping the counter and moaning. Laura went into all business mode. "Honey, have you felt any contractions today?"

She gasped as the contraction stopped. "Not until my..." She moaned. "Frank..."

He immediately went to her side he applied counter pressure to her lower back and supported her weight as much as possible. Ethel appeared and took the towels and cloths from Laura. "Let's get her out of these wet cloths and into dry ones."

Vanessa looked around. "This room is too small."

Laura pointed out towards the hall. "I told Joe to tell the men to stay put."

Frank and Vanessa led Callie to the hallway. Ethel and Laura followed. With Laura's instructions they helped Callie get dressed and sat her down on one of the sofa's. Fenton approached when the girls entered. "Honey the doctor says bring her in."

Laura rolled her eyes at her husband. "I have been a labour and delivery nurse for 30 years Fenton...I know the drill. Tell the doctor the water was clear and her contractions seem to be coming about two minutes apart."

Fenton Hardy relayed the message his wife said to the doctor...

(Mr. Hardy has your wife looked at Callie does she know if she has dilated or softened any?)

Okay...he was truly out of his league. He knew that as far as dilation was concerned 10 centimetres was the magic number but what the hell?

"Laura he wants to know if she has dilated or..."

His wife cut him off. "NO! I don't know if she is dilated or effaced Fenton. I can check go get me a pair of your latex gloves."

Fenton told the doctor to hold on for a moment. Joe slipped out of the den and into the connecting office and grabbed the first aid kit and the box of latex gloves they had. Laura Hardy was using Ethel's hand sanitizer from her purse as he walked back in. Joe handed a pair to her and stood next to Vanessa. "BOYS OUT!"

Fenton handed the phone to Ethel and grabbed a gob smacked Joe. Sam did the same thing for Tony Prito who truly looked lost.

Laura focused on Callie and said soothingly. "Honey this may be a bit uncomfortable."

Frank was focused on Callie's face he didn't really want to know what his mother was doing he was sitting on his knees next to the couch. Ethel was standing to the side. Vanessa was at Callie's head. "Laura nodded. Ethel hand me the phone."

The woman immediately complied. "Hello Jim...glad to see you are on call. She is four centimetres and 45 effaced. We are coming to the hospital now."

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Fenton Hardy drove Joe and Frank's old van through the streets of Bayport as fast as he dared. Tony, Ethel, and Sam had left the Hardy home at the same time they had. Joe was sitting up front with his father rather put out that he couldn't drive. He needed a distraction. Callie's painful cries were getting to him.

Callie gasped she was sitting between Frank and Laura on the bench seat in the back. Vanessa was sitting in the center trying to encourage her. Callie gasped as a contraction stopped. "Are...we almost...there?" Suddenly she screamed and leaned back.

Frank soothed her. "Callie sweetie... breathe and relax."

"I'm sick of breathing...don't tell me to breathe Franklin David Hardy." The she screamed again as another contraction hit her and grasped his hand even tighter.

Fenton was grinning in spite of the situation. He remembered his wife telling him the same thing. And she was a labour and delivery nurse at the time she had both Frank and Joe. When you are in the driver's seat it is a whole different ball game. He looked in the rear view mirror and saw that Frank felt utterly helpless. He remembered something that his sister, Gertrude, told Laura on the way to the hospital when she was in labour with Frank.

"You're right sweetie breathing is totally over rated...try imagining yourself somewhere else. Somewhere restful..."

Laura nodded and added onto her husband's words beaming from ear to ear. "Close your eyes...hold on to the memory and when your next contraction starts don't scream moan softly and relax."

Callie did what she was told. She imagined herself on the beach with her husband and actually smiled. Then she whispered. "Here's another one...mmm."

Frank continued with his counter pressure on her back and soothed. "That's its sweetie..."

"Shut up Frank." Callie snapped through clinched teeth..."I'm concentrating."

Frank did exactly as he was told. He continued the counter pressure and held her hand. He didn't realize they had pulled up at the hospital's main entrance. Joe jumped out of the van and ran to get a wheel chair. He was back a second later and Vanessa opened the side door.

Only the door opening got everyone's attention. Joe jumped back and helped lift Callie into the wheel chair. Vanessa pulled out her camera and took a picture of Callie and Frank heading towards the hospital. Callie and Frank didn't even notice. Laura and Vanessa took off after Frank and Callie. Joe stayed back with his dad. "What now?"

Fenton pulled into the closest parking space and locked the van. He smiled at Joe as they walked towards the hospital entrance together. "Now we wait."