Note: We are approaching the end. Only one more chapter to go after this! I sincerely appreciate the follows for this story and especially those of you who take the rime to review- it makes all the difference in the world! Many thanks to Red Hardy, Erin Jordan, East Blue, hbndgirl, Guest (#1), ulstergirl, max2013, Caranath, Paulina Ann, Hero 76, hlahabibty, EvergreenDreamweaver, and Guest (#2) for your reviews since the last chapter was posted. Every one of your comments was so appreciated!

The Secret Spaces

Chapter 26

Two weeks later

Fenton and Laura's house

"Tonight's the night," Fenton said to his wife. "I feel like it's Christmas!"

Laura smiled at him, sitting next to him on the couch and sipping her tea. "I have to admit- I'm terribly excited as well."

Fenton reached over and held his wife's hand. The past month had been a nightmare, but all officials had assured him that they believed Cotnig had fled and that they were safe. They were confident that he would be tracked down soon, but felt that the Hardys could go on with their lives. To that end, they had all been home for the past 10 days or so, and it felt like the best place on Earth. "We're grandparents, Laura," he said to her. "Every time I think about it, I ask myself where all the time went. I think I may steal that little baby away and keep him here."

Laura laughed, eyes twinkling. "You'd best be prepared to wrestle him away from both of your sons and their wives," she responded.

"Oh, I'm prepared," he replied happily.

Today was the day that Frank and Callie would be able to hold their son for the first time. They had asked for privacy during the day, but had invited the family to visit with them at night. Although they were home as well, they practically lived at the hospital, and Fenton knew they were stressed out and exhausted. But they were also excited and overwhelmed. Just like all new parents, he thought wistfully. Just with an insane amount of extra obstacles.

"He could be home for good in two or three weeks," Laura added. "Frank and Callie will need all the help they can get, so I hope you're planning on staying over soon."

"I'm moving in," Fenton replied, and Laura squeezed his hand.

"Okay, grandpa," she smiled. "I'm sure Frank and Callie would love that." She smiled at her husband. Truth be told, she totally got it. It WAS like Christmas.

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Joe and Vanessa's house

"How are you feeling, honey?" Vanessa asked Joe, who was sitting on their bed looking at the bags all over the room.

He looked up at her and patted a space beside him as he leaned his crutches against the small dresser by their bed. When she sat down, he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her neck. "I am sooooooo excited!" he said at last when he pulled reluctantly away from her. "I can't wait to see the little guy today!"

Vanessa giggled. "Me, too! What a miracle that baby is," she added.

Joe rubbed her waist. "I call Frank every day and I've spoken briefly to Callie once or twice," Joe told her. "I know how much today means to her. She has a way to go, but she's sounding a little stronger every day. I know how hard last week was for her," he went on, quiet.

Although she had still been in the hospital, she had managed to make it out for a few hours. Frank had finally been able to get Johnny's funeral together. Joe had helped, as the undertaking had been huge. They had managed a private funeral, free of the media, with Johnny's friends and few family members, and he was buried quietly in Bayport Cemetery, where his friends, who had become his family, could visit him.

When the autopsy had come back, it had confirmed everyone's fears; Johnny had died after being given a lethal injection of potassium chloride, Tobias's drug of choice. However, in a strange twist of fate, his knife wound had become infected, leading to sepsis; he was dying anyway. Joe managed the smallest of smiles when he thought of it. It was as if Johnny's final moment of bravery had been to tell Tobias, in some silent way, that he wouldn't have the power he thought he did to take his life. It was a final "F - k' you" to the man who had tried to kill him and failed. It made no rational sense, Joe knew, but he liked to think it was true. Johnny's bravery was unparalleled as he did everything to protect Vanessa and Callie, and his final gift to Callie was that she was in no way responsible for his death- that bullet he had taken for her to save her life had not caused his own death. He had been a hero in so many ways.

"Yeah," Vanessa agreed quietly, wiping an errant tear from her eye. "That funeral was so awful- he was so loved by people. I was a mess," she admitted. Then she met Joe's eyes. "But I still think of Callie. She was still so weak and in pain, and her heart was so broken. But- she didn't even cry, Joe."

Joe nodded, remembering how he had sat next to her when Frank had been speaking, and how she had simply buried her face in his shoulder as he held her. And he also knew that she had a lot more on her mind than she was letting on- she barely uttered a word, couldn't meet people's eyes. He knew that body language as well as he knew himself: unfathomable grief, confusion, and guilt. And something else he couldn't quite place... He made a mental note to talk to her soon about it, because if he didn't, he knew how it could destroy her, as it had done to him, so many years ago. He knew there was nothing he could say, so he'd just kissed her head and offered his sister his physical support. He got it more than anyone else ever would, and now they had another bond, both having had their best friends taken from them so senselessly. Callie was numb, and Joe knew that feeling, or lack thereof, all too well. No, she hadn't cried, because, like him when Iola died, she had cried enough already. It was her heart, not her eyes, overflowing.

"Oh, he would have loved JJ," Vanessa went on in a soft voice. "And I can practically picture what he would have looked like- what the expression on his face would have been- to know that Callie's baby was his namesake."

Joe smiled as well. "Well, we all know I would have fought the guy to make sure it was Joseph Jonathan, not the opposite," he teased, picturing Johnny's response as well.

Vanessa let out a little laugh. "You know Frank and Cal," she replied. "They'd probably name the baby "Jay" and just let you two go on wondering who he was named after, and you'd both be right and they could happily ignore you both!"

Joe nodded and kissed Vanessa's temple. "Think we have enough stuff for them?" he asked, again surveying the room. He and Vanessa had gone out and gladly spent a small fortune on carriages, car seats, diapers, clothing, and all things baby. Vanessa had felt terrible that Callie hadn't had her baby shower, and they would desperately need things at their house. Laura and Fenton, as well as the Shaws and Andrea, and Callie and Frank's numerous friends, would be doing the same thing. Among all of them, little JJ and his parents would be well taken care of- and no one deserved it more.

"Nah," Vanessa replied, wrinkling her nose. "I'll be shopping for little baby clothes every time I go out. I DO think that you set JJ up nicely with all of the sports equipment that he won't need for about five to ten years, though," she teased, catching sight of the the bats, mitts, various sports balls, and other sports items that Joe had managed to sneak in. Her eyes softened when she saw the tiny Nike sneakers Joe had been able to find. And, as small as they were, she knew it would be several months before he would even fit in them.

"You can never start too early," Joe replied happily. "I am so excited to be the coolest uncle ever. I can't wait to hold him."

Vanessa impulsively kissed his cheek. "You're going to make an amazing father one day, you know that?" she said gently.

Joe looked down and bit his lip. He certainly hoped so. Turning back around, he took Vanessa by surprise and pushed her gently back on the bed, leaning over her and caressing her hair tenderly. He kissed her softly at first, but then increased in intensity. Looking at his beautiful wife for a moment, he caught his breath, and murmured in her ear, "How about we get started on that baby making?"

Vanessa moaned slightly. "Are you sure you're up for it?" she managed.

"Oh, I'm definitely up," he responded mischievously, kissing Vanessa's neck.

They managed to make the most of the few hours they had left before visiting the hospital.

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Frank and Callie's house- morning

Frank yawned and stretched- 7:30. It had been 1:00 in the morning when they'd arrived from the hospital, and they'd be back in just a few hours. It was exhausting, but also excruciating to be away from JJ. And today- today, he and Callie would hold him, together, for the first time. He thought his heart would burst from excitement.

Callie was resting next to him. Instinctively, he reached over and wrapped his arms around her from behind, spooning her close. He felt her move back against him, and he kissed the back of her head, breathing in the familiar vanilla scent of her shampoo. He was reminded again how very much he loved her, how she truly was his world. Being able to come back to the house late last week and to hold her again all night was indescribable. She had been his greatest gift since they had met, and, now, she had given him the most precious gift he ever could have imagined: his perfect little boy.

She turned slowly and snuggled against him, resting her head against his chest, eyes still closed.

"Morning, baby," he whispered softly.

"Morning," she mumbled against him, scooting even closer.

"Today's the day," he reminded her, and looked down as she opened her beautiful, dark eyes. She smiled and touched his cheek before pulling him to her for a kiss. "Mmmmm. Finally," she whispered.

Slowly, she pulled away from him and sat up. "Frank, I'm so excited!" she said suddenly and looked down at him. She waved her hand in front of her eyes. "I feel like crying!"

Frank sat up as well, hugging her again. "Don't cry, honey," he said tenderly. "It's about time."

"I'm going to take a shower, okay?" she asked as she slowly got out of bed, missing Frank's arms around her instantly. Ever since this nightmare, she couldn't get close enough to him. She needed him physically and emotionally, as she awoke to terrible nightmares, gave in to grief over Johnny and fear over JJ, and tried to overcome the physical pain she was always in. In addition to her ordeal, the after effects of the surgery limited her movement significantly, and she moved much slower than normal. Her bruises weren't fully healed and she was trying to deal with the changes in her body. Somehow, she had to learn to breastfeed and that was a constant area of discomfort and even pain, plus she was having great difficulty with it for many reasons. Her fluctuating hormones made her susceptible to crying one minute, completely overwhelmed, and being overcome by joy the next moment. She had managed to be brave and strong in front of everyone except for Frank, who literally supported her at all times. She didn't know what she would do without him.

"Of course, sweetheart," he answered, and helped her out of bed. "Do you need anything?" he asked, standing next to her.

She smiled in spite of herself. "In the shower?"

Frank blushed slightly. "Just thought I'd check."

Callie felt bad instantly and wrapped her arms around his neck. "In a few more weeks, as soon as I'm cleared, I will invite you into the shower or anywhere else you would like to come with me," she whispered to him. And she meant it. She missed physical intimacy with her husband, craved it more than she could imagine in spite of everything. The hormones weren't helping, either, exacerbating every emotion- she and Frank had always had a very active and passionate physical relationship, and she wanted nothing more than to have that now, as she needed that closeness; that tangible expression of love. Though she couldn't imagine being physically ready at the moment, she looked forward eagerly to the day when she would be. She gave him a lingering kiss.

"Mmmmm," Frank murmured, pulling her even closer. "I'll be counting the days. I love you, baby." She had no idea how much he wanted her...

"I love YOU," she responded, and then reluctantly stepped away from him and made her way to their master bathroom.

After taking a quick, cold shower himself in the guest bathroom, he got dressed and went downstairs to make a fast breakfast for himself and Callie. It was much harder than it should have been with his broken hand- even things like taking a shower were a pain as he had to avoid getting the cast wet. But never in his life had he appreciated an injury more.

As the coffee was warming up, he headed upstairs again and found himself looking into JJ's nursery. He was filled at once with so many emotions- he could hear Johnny's voice on the phone telling him how much he loved it; could picture his dad's face when he saw it for the first time; and could envision Joe's expressions as he complained about building the crib and the rest of the furniture while, deep down, he knew Joe loved every minute of it. The only thing missing was JJ, himself, but very soon he'd be here. He could hardly wait.

In the corner of the room was a pile of presents for the baby that Johnny had brought when he had stayed there. It was still too painful for Callie to look through them, which he understood completely. It had been hard enough when he had to pack away Johnny's suitcases in their attic; when the surfboard he had loved so much had arrived at their house for the funeral and had been placed behind the casket, and it now stood mounted to the wall in the nursery. Callie had cried when she saw that he had done that, but it fit in perfectly, and it seemed very much the right thing to do.

On the rocker, though, was something he hadn't seen before- a manila envelope. Strolling in, he picked it up. "For my darling Callie and my dear friend, Frank. This is my gift to you, so you can't say no. Remember that. Thank you for being my family. Love, J-" Frank's eyes widened. He recognized Johnny's handwriting scrawled on the envelope. Curious, he opened it…

Ten minutes later, he walked, still stunned, into his bedroom. Callie was finishing up drying her hair, and looked up when she saw him. He reached out his hand for her, and she immediately turned off the dryer. He took her hand and led her to their bed.

"Cal," he began slowly, "Sweetheart, I have to talk to you about something."

Callie gasped, and Frank knew what she was thinking immediately. "JJ's fine, honey," he reassured her, and gently rubbed her back.

Callie let out a breath. "Thank goodness," she managed. "You scared me! You look so serious."

Frank nodded and took his arm from around her, showing her the envelope. "Babe, before you left for the city- before everything happened- did Johnny show you this?"

For a brief moment, she was quiet, her heart literally feeling pain when she heard his name. Finally, Callie squinted her eyes, trying to remember, and then it came back to her. "Yes, I think he did," she said softly. "We were having a pretty intense… talk…" she swallowed as the memory came back to her. "We almost argued," she admitted shakily, "but it worked out." She had to pause for a moment, remembering how stressed out she had been, wanting desperately to talk to Frank about her fears about motherhood. It had taken this real tragedy and nightmare for her to realize that Frank had been there all along; that the worst things in life were those you couldn't possibly imagine. She took a deep breath. "He told me that I was his family and all he had left. He gave that to me, and said that we should open it together. He said that he would love our babies forever, and that our children would be the closest he would ever have to having his own. I think he said something about it being a gift and I couldn't argue. I told him I wouldn't. Then he hugged me. Why? Where did you find it?"

"In the nursery."

"I guess I must have put it in there before- you know-" she answered, unable to go on.

"Did you look at it?" Frank asked her, gently, wrapping his good arm around her shoulder as she held the envelope.

"No," she answered, sadly. "He said to wait for you. I forgot about it."

"I think you should," Frank told her, squeezing her shoulder. "It's… incredible."

Callie furrowed her brows as she shakily emptied the contents of the envelope. There was a smaller envelope, which, she now saw, was filled with pictures. She'd definitely have to go through them later. Then, there were all the papers. She looked through them, curious, and then her mouth dropped open. She felt tears spring to her eyes and gasped, dropping the envelope and covering her mouth with her hands.

"I know," Frank whispered, and kissed her head. "I can't believe it."

Johnny had given them a certified copied of his will, and had given them separate access to all of his finances, including his savings and checking accounts, even while he had been alive, trusting them totally not to take advantage of him. His will specifically stated that his fortune was to go to paying for Callie's children's colleges or vocation of choice - a quarter of a million dollars for each child she would have. And he had given Callie and Frank a direct sum of one million dollars. He'd left a note saying that he had more than enough money and it was only the start of his career. What he didn't have was family, until he met Callie. And he told them that it would mean the world to them if he could share his fortune with them, because what good was any of it be if couldn't be shared?

Callie was sobbing by now, and Frank rocked her in his arms. She had a long way to go to even start to heal from Johnny's loss; they all did. His presence was always with them. And for Callie, especially, the grief, he knew, went far beyond what anyone could know. He knew, of course. And he owed Johnny his life, as only she knew. "You're safe," he whispered to her, and he knew it was what she needed to hear. Johnny had protected her twice, and Frank lived to protect her now. Yes, Johnny was giving them his final gift, but Frank couldn't help but to think-he would have given all the money back in a moment to have Johnny with them again.

The Hospital- Several Hours Later

"Are you ready?" the doctor asked, having wheeled JJ, who was currently in an incubator, into a private room outside the NIC-U.

Callie was sitting in a chair, Frank standing behind her. Both were dressed in scrubs, hands having been thoroughly washed and disinfected as well. "More than ready," Frank answered.

The doctor reached into the little container and gently took out the baby, who was swaddled, and who wore the tiniest little hat on his head.

"Here's your beautiful son," he said kindly, and handed him to Callie.

She had been so nervous to hold him, afraid he would break: that she wouldn't know what to do with him, or that she would somehow hurt him. But the instant he was in her arms, it was as if he was born to be there. She rested him against her chest, ignoring her aching body, and touched his cheek tenderly. She inhaled his new baby scent and kissed him over and over again. "Oh, Frank," she whispered, eyes never leaving the baby's face. "I think I'm in love."

Frank gazed at his beautiful wife and child before responding. "I KNOW I'm in love," he answered softly, in awe of his precious little family, and kissed her lips softly. And, when he finally got to hold his son, maneuvering him with his broken hand, he didn't think he'd ever been more proud.

Later, his family would be here to celebrate their joy with him, and he could not have been happier about it. The secret spaces in his heart he had not even known were there were filled at last, and, for now, for the first time in months, he felt at peace.

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Alan Cotnig sat in a hotel room in upstate New York. How it had all unraveled so quickly was still beyond him. Years in the making and Fenton Hardy and Ezra Collig remained alive. His co-conspirators, including his brothers, were either locked up or dead. His flawless plan, apparently, had been flawed.

Still, it wasn't a total failure. He had managed to wreak havoc on Collig and the entire Hardy family. Thanks to the death of John Gellers, his name would forever be remembered. All that remained on that front was to see if the television show would, indeed, go on. He hoped so. He always liked surprise endings.

It was too bad, though, that more physical damage hadn't been done. Beyond all expectations- beyond reason, really- Collig had lived and recovered. Fenton Hardy, his two daughters in law, and his grandchild had lived. His sons had managed to escape relatively unscathed. At least they'd always have the psychological damage. There WAS that, and it was something.

After Tobias was beaten to a pulp, he had decided to leave the hospital, and he had arrived here. He knew that the Hardys were starting to get comfortable again; it really wasn't hard to keep an eye on them from afar. He had his sources. Yes- indeed he did.

Good. Let them get comfortable. It would be easier to catch them off guard. And when he did, it would be perfect.

It might take him weeks. It might take him months. It might even take him years. But he would get his revenge. It was a dish best served cold, anyway.

He never started something that he couldn't finish.

Never.