Hi, this is the last of the chapters. I always like to balance the role played by both brothers in a story. I tried but failed here. I have delayed posting this in hopes that I could sort of find a way of continuing smoothly, but it is not to be. Thus I had to break out Frank's story and put it in a sequel instead. I hope that you've enjoyed everything and will continue to enjoy Lessons Learnt as it gets written. Thanks too for all the lovely reviews. They were very much appreciated.

Growing Pains

By Jolly & Soda

Epilogue

Six months later:

In a quiet corner in downtown New York, an old abandoned building had returned to life.

The brightly lit building stood out clearly from the rest this evening. There was joy and gaiety in the air as more and more people trotted through the newly renovated main door into the building. Above the entrance, a sign proudly read: Everything You Need (EYN) Inc.

EYN was a non-profit organization that was set up by the families and relatives of the children who were kidnapped by the slavery ring. Its objective was to help runaway kids by providing shelter and assistance, give the kid time and help to find themselves before going home.

Fenton Hardy and his wife stood in one corner, as they watched Frank and Joe enjoying the festivities and catching up with Harry. Somkid had quit his job in uptown New York to open a Thai eatery in Bayport. Phailin currently attended Bayport High with the Hardys. Fenton had decided that she was both an interesting and likeable character. Yuki had returned to Tokyo to live with her grandparents and was unable to attend.

Fenton's gaze fell on his youngest, and he was again amazed by how maturely Joe handled himself in the aftermath of such a traumatic experience. Joe had attended his fortnightly psychiatry sessions, and the therapist had assured both parents that Joe was managing very well.

Then Fenton turned his attention to Frank. He noted with much pride that Frank had, without external help, coped with the situation. He was careful to give Joe space when needed, and was always available when Joe needed support. Fenton also realized that the nature of partnership between his two sons had evolved to a higher level. Frank now treated Joe as an equal partner on cases, rather than just his little brother.

Mr. Pan had in a way become a part of the family. He was the grandfather the boys never had. The boys would occasionally camp over at his house to practise their martial arts. Frank was delighted at the opportunity to spar with an expert like Mr. Pan, and the two often exchanged views on the differences and similarities between Karate and Taiji. Mr. Pan was naturally closer to Joe, and Fenton supposed it was because of the 'Master-disciple' relationship which he was still trying to understand.

The court case was still on-going, with the defendant angling for appeals. But the magnitude of evidence had made that a difficult process. It was clear to all that the Bonito family had suffered a major setback from this incident.

Finally, Fenton turned back to his wife and held her in a tight embrace. At Laura's inquiring looked, he laughed and said, "Nothing, I was just thinking, how lucky we are to have everything we need …"

The End

Authors' Notes: We hope that you've enjoyed the story, despite the lack of originality. All the references and the answers to the 'treasure hunt' will be posted in the next chapter entitled The Postscript. The few loose ends in Growing Pains will be touched upon in the sequel Lessons Learnt, where Frank had a few lessons of his own to learn about himself and his younger brother, and the threat of the Bonito Family grows as the trial progresses. Both Growing Pains and Lessons Learnt share the same epilogue.