A/N: So sorry for the delay! Life has been frantic, my grandmother had her third open heart surgery last week (she's recovering really well) and Graduation (I changed my major more times than I can count) is around the corner! After the thirteenth, hopefully life will calm down and I'll be able to update more. :) Thanks SO much to everyone for continuing to read! Enjoy!

Quintessential Bliss

Chapter Fourteen

"Frank," Nancy whispered loudly and shook his shoulder. "Frank!"

"What?" Frank groaned and looked over at Nancy. Understanding suddenly lit up in his eyes and he cursed and quickly jumped out of the bed. "How much time do we have left?"

"Twenty minutes," Nancy told him and climbed slowly out of bed.

"I can't believe I didn't hear the alarm and you did. You're the one who's been poisoned." Frank ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "Maybe I'm getting old."

"Old?" Nancy laughed. "Frank, you're tired."

"Yeah, well," Frank shook his head and watched Nancy make slow progress around the bed. "Are you okay?" he asked concerned.

"Yeah I'm fine. I feel kind of weak, but I'm fine." Nancy smiled and reached up to lay a soft kiss on Frank's lips. "Let's go wake up your brother."

A few minutes later a cursing, groaning, angry Joe sat on the side of his bed with his head in his hands. "I still feel drunk." He mumbled.

"Take a cold shower," Frank suggested with a shrug.

Joe lifted his face to glare at his brother with one open eye, "screw you."

"Mom would be so proud," Frank crossed his arms and smiled at Joe.

"Well Mr. High and Mighty. While you were sitting at home NOT getting bludgeoned with a flat wooden paddle I was learning things." Joe lifted his head out of his hands tentatively. "My head feels like a damn bowling ball."

"You curse a lot when you're mad," Frank commented.

"Anyway," Joe continued, completely ignoring Frank. Instead he turned to Nancy and told her everything he could remember about the night before.

"It sounds like you're in Joe, whatever that means," Nancy looked at Frank and exchanged a worried glance. "I better not let you out of my sight."

Nancy suddenly sank down to sit on the bed next to Joe, "Nancy? What's wrong?" Frank hurried forward.

"Nothing, sorry. I just couldn't stand up any longer," Nancy tried for a smile. "I'm okay, really."

"What happened?" Joe asked confused.

Frank quickly filled Joe in on the other events of the night before, never taking his eyes off of Nancy.

"You think you were seen?" Joe asked.

"Yeah," Frank spared Joe a meaningful glance.

"Well, I guess if they had figured anything out we would know by now," Joe shrugged it off. "How much time do we have until the cameras are back on-line?" he asked.

Nancy glanced down at her watch, "Six minutes."

The group was silent for a moment before Joe spoke up, "Frank, you should probably go."

"I know," Frank stood up. Eight hours didn't seem nearly long enough now that it was coming to an end. He didn't like leaving when Nancy was feeling so sick and Joe looked so beat up. "Call me if you need anything."

"I'll walk you out," Nancy stood up and laid a steadying hand on the bedpost.

"No," Frank said and shook his head. "Stay here and rest." He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss goodbye and with a nod at his brother headed out of the room.

"We're a pair, aren't we Nance," Joe smiled at Nancy.

"We seem to find ourselves in these sorts of situations a lot," Nancy returned Joe's smile.

"I think I will take that shower," Joe stood up and groaned. "I feel old."

Nancy laughed at the echo of Frank's earlier thoughts. Feeling slightly dizzy she laid back on the bed and closed her eyes, "I think I'll just take a nap while you're in there."

Joe looked at where Nancy lay across the end of the bed with her feet hanging off the edge. "Right there?"

"Yep," Nancy replied, keeping her eyes closed.

"That doesn't look comfortable at all," Joe commented.

"It really isn't, but I don't mind," Nancy waved her hand at Joe feebly. "Just take your shower, you smell like a frat party."

Joe chuckled and headed into the bathroom.

"Good morning Frank!"

Frank looked down Nancy and Joe's front walkway and a feeling of dread quickly came over him and he had no idea why. "Good morning Fred."

"Beautiful day out, isn't it?" Fred looked around the neighborhood and rocked back on his heels. "Makes me want to go camping or something."

"I'm more of a boating man myself," Frank replied and walked closer to Fred.

"I own a boat, maybe if you're around long enough we could take it out for a spin," despite the grin on his face Frank could feel an undercurrent of tension radiating off the man in front of him.

"Maybe," Frank shrugged and moved to walk past him. "I'm not sure how long I'll be around."

Frank started walking across the street to Callie's house when Fred's voice stopped him halfway across. "How are Joe and Nancy?"

"Fine," Frank replied.

"Early for a house call," Fred made a dramatic show of looking at his watch. When Frank remained stubbornly silent Fred laughed. "You're pretty close to our new neighbors."

"They're nice," Frank replied and turned to continue on his way to Callie's.

"Oh Frank," Fred's voice stopped him again. He turned slowly around to face Fred, "It must have made you really mad…what my wife and I did to your brother and your fiancée last night."

The words hit Frank like a ton of bricks. "I have no idea what you're talking about," Frank replied. "I've never even come close to having a fiancée and my brother died years ago."

"Oh he did? How sad," Fred pulled open his jacket and reached into the inside pocket for something. Frank immediately tensed and only relaxed marginally when he saw Fred pulling out a piece of paper. "Let's see what this says here." His eyes scanned the page, "Blah, blah, blah, blah…torture…madness…blah, blah blah. Ah-hah! Here we go." Greg cleared his throat and read clearly, "The trial of Greg Atkinson concluded today, marking the end of a hellish nightmare for Joseph Hardy. Joseph can now recover with the support of his loving family, the famous detective Fenton Hardy and his brother Frank. Article dated…about a month ago." Greg carefully folded the paper back up and tucked it inside his jacket. "Very interesting reading, don't you think?"

Frank remained silent. "What? Are you shocked that your dead brother is alive and well?" Fred asked sweetly.

"What do you want," Frank ground out between clenched teeth.

"I want you to come with me and I want you to come with me quietly," Fred replied simply.

Frank laughed sarcastically, "Yeah, sure…okay."

Fred laughed as well, "Alright, you don't have to come with me but I feel obliged to tell you that if I don't return home in…" he checked his watch. "Two minutes, my wife has orders to eliminate your friends." When Frank didn't reply Fred continued. "Let me be clear: my wife is not sentimental nor does she have a compassionate bone in her body. If I don't return home, with you in tow she will have your brother, your precious fiancée and your dear, dear friend killed. Do you want all that blood shed on you conscience?"

"When they don't hear from me, they'll know something is going on," Frank walked closer to Fred. "I don't know if you read about it in your research, but when one of us goes missing…" He let the sentence trail off.

Fred laughed, "A threat? You're a fun one Frank Hardy. We'll have you call Callie when we get to the house." He slapped Frank jovially on the back. "We should be going."

Frank threw one desperate glance behind him at both Callie and Joe's houses but knew that nobody had seen the exchange out in the road. It was way too early in the morning for Callie to be awake and happen to be looking out a front window and he knew Joe and Nancy were in their bedroom, facing away from the street.

He was on his own.

"Hey Callie!" Vanessa's voice was a welcome distraction for Callie as she walked out of her bathroom and into her bedroom. "Oh, I completely forgot to check the time difference. Its way early there right now isn't it?"

"Don't worry about it, I was up. Vanessa! How are you?" Callie asked.

"Better question, how are you?" Vanessa asked. "Any news? I haven't really…heard much."

"No, nothing." Callie sighed and pulled up her blinds to the early morning light. "Although…I think there are some things I don't know about yet."

"Where's Frank?" Vanessa asked.

"He's um…across the street." Callie replied and looked out her window. "Actually, he's in the street."

"In the street?" Vanessa sounded confused. "Why?"

"Um…" Callie watched as Frank walked past Fred and continued toward her house. "He's coming home."

"Oh," Vanessa was quiet for a minute.

"Wait," Callie saw Fred grab the paper out of his pocket. "Uh-oh. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Callie? What is it?" Vanessa asked quickly.

"I don't know." Callie watched as Frank went willingly with Fred in the direction of the older man's house. "It might be nothing but…"

"Callie, you're not an over-reactive type of person. Do you think something is wrong?"

"Yes," Callie replied.

"Then something is. Hang up, call Joe. I'll call Fenton," Vanessa spoke quickly.

"Okay," Callie hung up the phone and immediately dialed Joe's number.

"Thank-you for calling me Vanessa," the stress was clearly evident in Fenton's voice.

"I'm coming with you," Vanessa replied.

"Joe would…" Fenton began but Vanessa cut him off.

"Sir, Joe isn't here right now. I'm going with you. I may not be able to be much help, but I can be there for my friends," Vanessa held her breath waiting for Fenton's response.

"Okay, but you stay where I tell you to stay," Fenton finally replied.

"Of course."

Standing in Joe's study Nancy and Callie waited while Joe made a hurried call to the Network. Speaking quickly he soon hung up. "Network will be here in less than five," he said as he walked across the room and opened a cupboard. Reaching into the back he pulled out two black vests. He handed one to Nancy and began to pull his on.

"You guys are going in with them?" Callie asked, completely astonished.

"Of course," Joe replied and checked over his equipment. "And you Callie are going to a safe house."

"What?" Callie was shocked.

"A government agent will be pulling up to the front of our house shortly." Joe turned around and peeked through the curtains. "There's your ride now." Joe looked at Nancy and eyed her critically, "Maybe you should be getting into that car with Callie."

"No," Nancy replied aggressively.

"Nancy, if you're not feeling well…" Joe's voice trailed off at the look Nancy shot him.

"I feel fine," she replied in clipped tones.

"Nancy, Frank wouldn't want you to…" again Joe's voice trailed off but this time because Nancy grabbed the front of his vest and pulled his face close to hers.

"Frank is exactly the reason why I am up for this. Understand? Back off Hardy, I'm fine," Nancy released Joe and went back to checking her equipment.

"Alright, alright," Joe shrugged and reached back into the closet and pulled out two guns and extra ammunition.

"Guns?" Callie's voice squeaked. "Guns?"

"There was no way we were going to let them put us in this situation without some sort of protection," Joe explained with a shrug.

"This isn't High School anymore, is it?" Callie asked faintly.

"Nope," Joe finished strapping his gun on. "Ready?" he asked Nancy.

"Ready," Nancy nodded.

"Once we leave here we have to move fast, cameras," Joe reminded her.

"I know," Nancy replied.

Moving quickly down the stairs and outside Joe approached the government vehicle and the driver's side window rolled down. "Which way to the airport?" he asked the driver quickly.

"Don't take the freeways, too much construction. We'll be taking back roads."

Joe nodded, understanding the code, "More scenic that way."

"Precisely. How much luggage?" the driver asked.

"Just one," Joe opened the back door for Callie and looked up as a caravan of black SUV's headed up the road. "We'll call you," he said quickly to Callie and then turned and jogged quickly up the street with Nancy.

Checking his watch Joe was glad to see that it had only been ten minutes since Callie's first frantic call. He only hoped that they wouldn't be too late to help Frank.