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Disclaimer: The Hardy boys, Nancy Drew, and all related characters are property of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. No copyright infringement is intended.

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If anything disturbed Frank Hardy more than the idea of being back in Bayport, it was the way there. Memories. Eyes probing the expanse of turf and sea below, he only half filtered in the dialogue from up front.

"…and so I talked to your wife at the market a few days ago and she said that there's the potential for Hardy Boys Technology to close."

His head swiveled, attention caught. "Phil is looking into starting his own business in New York, and I'd naturally think Ness would go, but the company isn't in any danger. I can always find new blood."

Knowing eyes riveted on him from the small plane's cockpit mirror. "The way you always talked about it, it was always going to be a family business, a few friends."

"Yeah, well, that was before two of the Hardy triumvirate went off the deep end, one way or the other." Rolling his neck, the elder Hardy brother sighed. Maybe it was for the best. Fenton Hardy had recognized the possibilities of technological expansion but never actually been interested in it, and Joe…

His father's longtime pilot and family friend nodded, swiftly changing subjects. "Hawaii isn't off the deep end, Frank. Not compared to the squalls we get around here. Speaking of that, how are your folks? I heard about Fenton's stroke…"

"It was minor." Minor like the half dozen preceding it, with a major lurking around the corner. "You know how stubborn Dad is. He overexerted himself, but he'll recover. The doctors…and Mom…just thought it best if he didn't travel for a few months."

"And that's what it took to get you back here. Well, I'm glad to see you. Was beginning to think poor Ms. Marvin would be spending the holidays alone, bundled up by Joe's side. It can't be good for her, Frank, and you know as well as anyone else that Joe wouldn't want the fuss."

"I know." Irritation began to gnaw. "Believe me; she's going back to LA when I go. Sooner or later her agent will take out a warrant otherwise, accuse me of locking his sterling jewel in an attic somewhere."

Jack Wayne chuckled as he gently steered the small plane to a landing. The runway was private, one Frank had helped finance not months ago, and Jack had been remarkably unstubborn about accepting the money. Guilt money for not coming home enough, Frank mused. But then, maybe his father's old pilot had realized that much and offered the small absolution.

A sleek red Boxster slowly made its way down the pavement, parking a few yards away.

Climbing down from the small plane and shouldering his carryall, Hardy swallowed his annoyance and tried for a genuine smile. "Thanks for picking me up from La Guardia, Jack. You can tab my account for the trouble."

"Account?" Wayne shrugged. "You don't have one. I don't charge family." Nodding goodbye, he ducked back into the plane and steered it gently towards the hanger.

Digging cold fingers out of his pockets, Frank smiled in bemusement, swinging open the sports car's passenger door and tossing his bag in the back before sliding in.

"You're lucky I went by the house after I left Joe." Bess informed him, flipping off the radio. "If I hadn't gotten your pickup message you'd be frozen by midnight. Am I noticing a double standard here, me taking time to check answering machines when you refuse to check voice mail?"

"I was going to call you from LA International, but the flight came up early and they don't allow cell phones in flight…"

"And the many messages I sent earlier?"

"I turned off the volume on the phone and forgot to check for new messages. It was a busy day at the office; I shouldn't have closed the place at all…" Bending, he rummaged through the takeout bag on the passenger floorboard and retrieved a steaming cup of coffee. "Thank God."

"It's a new blend. Tony wanted someone to try it; he suspects everyone who lives in Bayport is immune to Chet's concoctions by now but he doesn't want to run the tourists off testing the theory…"

Inhaling, Frank wrinkled his nose. "So I'm the guinea pig."

"Welcome home." Pulling out onto the main road, Bess wrinkled her own nose. "At least he got over the vegetable obsession. I think this one has berries."

"Pretty good, actually." Placing the mug in a cup holder, he turned to take his companion in. Maybe Jack had been right. Exercise regimes had forged Bess Marvin into a quasi-Hollywood form, but that wasn't what worried him. She ate enough when she got hungry, enjoyed cooking too much to do otherwise. She just looked tired. "Have you been sleeping lately?"

"Three hours last night." She responded automatically, brows furrowed as she watched the road.

"Three hours?"

"And nearly eleven the night before…I'm fine. I'm touched by your sudden concern."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mea…" Head swiveling, the elder Hardy brother frowned, eyes focusing on dim points of light behind them. "Is that Jack's car?"

Her gaze flew up to the rearview. "No."

"Pull over and let me drive."

"Frank, we don't own the road. It's probably just some tourist from down south out enjoying the blizzard."

"Humor me." Unlatching his safety belt, he opened the door and bounded out and around to the drivers slide, coffee forgotten in the snow. She slid over, slamming the passenger's door shut.

"They are slowing. Maybe they're lost."

"If anyone wants to talk they can follow us into town." Locking both doors, he hit the clutch, smoothly pulling out ahead of the dark sedan.

"You're settling into that overt paranoia stage I never could stand with Nancy…"

"Wasn't she usually right?"

"I was trying to forget that part, but I guess so." Tightening her safety belt, the blonde half-turned to peer out the rear window. "Maybe you should dim the lights."

"So you did learn something from all that involuntary sleuthing…" Finger sliding around the light switch, he chanced a wry grimace up.

Her head shook briefly, eyes lightening as they left the road to scan him. "Do you remember when I volunteered to finish Nancy's scoop at Wilder after she disappeared? Hannah and George were sorting out Nancy's things and there I sat at her desk, staring at this picture of her mom and dad with her she'd carried forever…and I was absolutely terrified, no idea what to write."

He remembered. She'd called not too long after he had received the news that his old friend…old flame if he chose not to delude himself…was missing. Only hours before Joe had been found unconscious.

"The road, Bess, watch it. I asked you…" He frowned, speeding up slightly as the twin headlight beams drew closer. "I snapped, asked you what was so important to you about a ridiculous story when Nancy was missing."

"Yeah." Her smile tilted. "I think I hung up on you, I was fuming. And I wrote the article. It wasn't terribly good, but I learned a lot more from that article than anyone else did, I can tell you that." She swished her head impatiently, blonde tendrils drifting loose around her shoulders. "I realized I hadn't known Nancy half as well as I thought I had, hadn't really understood her, anymore than you understood me. And I also realized that I couldn't pretend it didn't matter. I was tired of wasting time, time I should have been using to get to know the people I cared about most."

"And that reflects back on our current situation how?"

"I'm not going back to California with you. I have nothing there. I'm not famous…not famous enough. Oh, I know that's why you came, that and Vanessa's determination. You're welcome to spend the holidays here, Frank, it's your home…but it's my home now too, the safest place I've felt in a long time. And I'm not leaving Bayport or Joe, not now…"

"I don't feel particularly safe right now, so could we talk about it later?"

"If you insist." Slouching back down, she again stared out the back window. "Frank, they're tagging us."

"Hold on." Hitting the gas, he turned the wheel sharply, sending a cloud of snow into the air. The wheels shrieked against the pavement briefly and the sedan behind slowed slightly. "How far are we out of town…four, five miles?"

"We won't be able to hold them off that long." Her tones climbed towards panic.

"I don't think we'll have to." Noting their position, Frank slowed the car. "There's a little road up ahead I'm going to cut off on. It leads to a dead end."

Frosty blue eyes glared. "Is that your demented idea of a joke?"

"You know me better." Grinning slightly, he took a deep breath. "On one side of the road there's also a shallow ravine…four, five foot deep. The road leading into town is on the other side."

"Five foot…you call that shallow?" Voice muffled as she chewed on a strand of hair, Bess continued to glance between the rear window and driver.

"Sure. Joe and I rode dirt bikes over it when we were kids."

"You aren't going to try that with my new car, are you?"

"Do you have any other ideas?" Tones grown terse, he craned his head to smile wryly.

"I knew I should have let you freeze." Sighing, she placed a hand over his briefly, eyes softening at the white of clenched knuckles on the steering wheel. "But since you're determined to make a grand re-entrance, I'm going to close my eyes. Just tell me when it's over."

"Hang on." Speeding up, he jerked to the right ever so slightly, the sedan moving up on their bumper. When the Boxster had rolled to a near stop he thumbed the driver's window down, leaning out as if to wave for help.

"If they have a gun…" She began, eyes hurriedly reopening.

"They won't be stupid enough to use it. They need an accident, not foul play." Gritting his teeth, Hardy held his breath as the passenger door of the other car opened. The young man that stepped out was of medium height, tawny skinned and lean. "Hi." Frank began genially, slowly moving a hand over to grip the slender, slightly trembling one on the seat beside him. "My wife and I appear to be low on gas. It might be better if you drove ahead of us in case we roll to a stop…"

Dark eyes surveyed him. "My girlfriend and I live only a mile off. If you would follow, we keep a supply of emergency fuel. It's not a night to be caught outside."

"Thanks." Closing the window as the man climbed back into the sedan, Frank whistled. "I don't recall a house a mile off, but as everyone keep pointing out, it's been a while…"

"There isn't a house a mile off." The color slowly returned to Bess' cheeks. "So what now?"

"Now we jump." Pressing the clutch again, he pulled back onto the road, cautiously eying the vehicle ahead of them. When the sedan had sped up, he hit the brake, turning sharply onto the trail that appeared scarce yards down. "And now they'll be coming back."

"There's the ravine." Bess straightened, pointing to the snow bounded furrow. "Frank, I don't think you can get enough momentum…"

"Watch me." Swearing lightly as headlight beams flickered through the trees, he turned and backed into a clear area, stoking the motor. "That's why I told you to get this car."

The crack of colliding bumpers startled a faint scream out of his companion and Hardy floored the gas, tires squealing as they attempted to build traction. "Hold on!" He shouted, both hands rigid on the wheel, eyes riveted ahead. The ravine looked a hell of a lot deeper than he remembered, and it had been so long since he'd been in a scrape like this…

Rubber impacted fallen tree limbs, pine scraping against the windshield. Finally daring to release a breath, Frank pulled the sports car to a stop, glancing in the review mirror. The sedan had done a perfect nose-dive, stymied into the gulch. A vague chuckle rose despite the situation and he leaned over to kiss his companion.

"Next time…" Bess crumpled the takeout bag in a palm, biting her lip, shoulders shaking as well. "Next time Jack flies you to the doorstep. Shouldn't we check to see if they're alive?"

"Find my cell phone. We'll call for help on the way back to town. There's no sense in risking getting stranded out here with a couple of college pranksters. They were probably exchange students…the winter weather drives them crazy if they've never experienced it before…"

"I think it's more serious than that." She bit her lip again, staring out the passenger window as he slowly pulled through a copse of trees and back onto the road.

"Is there something I should know?"

"Only what I was trying to tell you all along. Frank…Joe is awake."

Joe is awake.

The elder Hardy brother sighed. It had suddenly gotten a lot colder.