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Disclaimer: The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and all related characters are the property of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. No copyright infringement is intended.
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One of the least gratifying aspects of sleep Joe Hardy had ever found was the fact that the longer you did it, the less rested you felt. Sure, he'd always been tough to wake up, but that was only because it took so long to get to sleep in the first place. After an abrupt downfall and several years worth of napping…that was what Bess wanted to call it, anyhow…he felt plain nervous. The ride home was killing him. "Nothing looks familiar." He complained, crushing the pillow he'd been given to his chest and leaning forward to stare out the Boxster's front window.
"It's winter. There's snow. Everything's the same. I promise." Frank responded absently in the monotones he had apparently come to favor, fiddling with the heater switch and sending a blast of hot air through the car.
Bess glanced back, nails digging into her seatbelt strap, smile encouraging. "Not much has changed on the surface, anyhow. You'll adjust. I remember the first time I went home to River Heights in college, I was lost. It's batty how big a small town can become to the mind in absence."
"Sure the surface may be the same for now." He argued. "But the people on the face of it have clearly changed."
"Not everyone." She reassured. "And you'll find yourself a few new niches soon enough."
"Maybe I don't want a new niche. Maybe I want my life back, the old, simple one." Leaning back dejectedly, the younger Hardy swallowed another mouthful of shake. "I sound like Granddad."
"Actually, you sound like you." His brother interjected, rearview mirror reflecting the glint in his eye. "You're just making me feel like Granddad."
"That's very funny, Frank. But that's right; you are the one going prematurely white-headed, aren't you?"
"See?" Marvin's voice held cheer. "You two are arguing already. Things are getting back to normal."
"Stop stretching yourself thin, Marvin." Frank advised, steering gently into the drive of the old Hardy home. "Joe's right. Not everything can be like the old days again, and he's just going to have to get over the self-pitying stage and deal with it."
"I'm beginning to think you would be better off at the home." Leaning back to offer her opinion in a stage whisper, the blonde rolled her eyes ever so slightly. Joe buried a grin swiftly as his brother's eyes shot back up to the rearview mirror to stare back.
"I'm willing to drop you both back off there if you don't stop and let me drive." Frank grumbled.
"Everything seem a little unfamiliar, big brother?" Joe inquired innocently.
"Not at all, little brother." The answer came through gritted teeth. Making a swift turn, he parked, pointing at the old house before them. "See? We're home. I'll go ahead and unlock the door."
"There's no need, I've already taken care of it." Warm, cheerful tones came from around the corner of the gate dividing the Hardy yard from the neighbors.
"Callie?!" Both brothers chorused, Frank slamming his head on the car door as he hastily jumped out.
"Why, boys…" The chestnut headed woman drew to a stop a foot or so away, arms crossing critically. "What a sore sight. Sleep wear and suits. We girls have to work on your sense of Bayport style…and soon."
"Aw, Callie, it is you." Opening his arms as he climbed from the back seat, Joe engulfed her in a hug.
She laughed, a hand lingering on his arm fondly as they disentangled. "I stopped by earlier to open the house up. Con Riley called and mentioned you were on your way in. I thought I'd go on and turn on the heat, warm things, since Bess hasn't been around much the last couple of days to do it."
"That's thoughtful." Frank agreed uncertainly as Bess moved to his side.
"Thank Con, not me." Dusting a sprinkling of snow from her nose, Shaw smiled slightly. "At any rate, I just wanted to welcome you back…both of you. I can't stay; Joel is going to come home any minute expecting dinner. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow, hmm?"
"Only if you bring Joel with you when you come." Bess made a face. "I need someone to bounce story ideas off of."
"It's a deal." Callie agreed, casting another smile over her shoulder as she trudged back towards the gate.
"Come on, Frank, let's get him in." Bess nudged both brothers forward.
"Joel…did she mean Joel as in Joel Tigue?" Frank asked as they stomped up the porch, shaking loose snow from their feet.
"Did she mean Joel Tigue as in Joel Tigue from high school?" Joe followed, making a face. "He was a jock."
"You were a jock." His brother noted uncharitably. "Bess?"
"He's a great guy." Bess threw off her jacket as they stepped into the warm foyer, throwing it over a hook on the wall and taking the home borrowed one Joe shucked as well. "Works for the Bayport paper as a part time investigative journalist. He also does stories for papers overseas. France…"
"The language of love." Joe mocked his brother.
"Callie and Joel have been married over five months, Frank." Bess reminded, ignoring the interplay between the two brothers. "You were invited to the wedding."
"And I would have come if I'd…"
"…if you hadn't forgotten to check for the message." She prompted.
"Yes, okay, maybe I missed it." Frank shrugged. "I'm happy for her…them. I think I'll go take a shower." Peeling off his wet shoes, the elder Hardy paced up the staircase, frowning.
"Well…" Bess placed a finger on her lower lip, smiling at her patient. "Welcome home, Joe."
"Thanks…I think."
"Oh, it isn't always like this. Frank's actually not such a bear most of the time. He's been overworked lately. Um…as you see, Callie is now your neighbor, and I'm pretty sure the rest of your old gang will pop in over the next few days."
"So Mom and Dad are in Hawaii now?" Walking slow circles around the rooms nearest, he glanced back. "I need to call them soon, don't I? And Aunt Gertie passed away…" A shaky hand settled on a picture frame, portrait of two boys and three adults, and the Hardy family was smiling…even Aunt Gertrude."
"I'm sorry, Joe." His old friend's head dipped down. "Frank and I are going to try and make this as easy a transition as possible, but there are things that have changed so much…"
"No. It's okay. I understand, really. So Hollywood starlets don't make very good housewives?" He teased. "Everything is kind of dusty."
"I never claimed to be well-rounded." Lifting her head to glance in his direction, Bess smiled wryly. "Callie has stopped by once or twice to get the worst of the cobwebs, and I tried to clean as often as possible, but..." Her tones trailed as she followed him into the kitchen. "I was never much of a housekeeper to begin with, and I spent a lot of time at the home with you."
"I just never thought Frank would make such a messy tenant." Running a finger along a scarred table corner...brotherly bicycle crash, they'd been eight and seven years old respectively...he shook his head.
"He generally isn't." Straightening, she turned to offer an awkward smile. "Sorry. I really was planning on a feast for you when you came home...I just wasn't expecting you today. If you don't want to wait, there are a few new takeout joints listed in the phone book..."
"No, it's all right. I'm not that hungry." Leaning into the corner, he crossed arms and let his brow furrow with suspicion. "Bess, he doesn't live here, does he?"
"Frank?" Hefting a bag of flour onto a counter, his old friend turned again, a hand resting on her hip. "He travels a lot for his business, Joe. And lately other projects have drawn his attention away from Bayport…"
"You were never very good at avoiding questions." He cut in. "Where is this tech company of his really based? Here or California? Where does he spend most of his time?"
A faintly upset smile creased her brow. "California, LA in fact. He…Frank wasn't doing too well after Nancy disappeared and you went into the home. He had his strong front, of course, but staying here, nursing you, was killing him. Mr. Drew and your father broke proverbial backs to get him resources to start his own company after the newspaper job failed. He didn't want to go. He didn't want to leave you…but somehow we convinced him. And after a few years out there…"
"He didn't want to come back. Is that why you had so much trouble contacting him?"
"Well, that and the general distraction that seems to come inherent with Frank." Laughing softly, she absently folded a dish rag. "He was afraid to come back. It's a completely different thing." Her smile faltered, eyes going distant. "Frank's only human, and if he lost his brother again, I'm not sure he would be even that. Don't let him lose you."
"Hey." Straightening uncomfortably, he flashed a grin. "Last time was luck. Besides, after I get another taste of your cooking, do you think I'm likely to feel like going back to a feeding tube any time soon?"
"Aha, my reputation precedes me." Brightening faintly, she lifted a spatula. "Having you back is going to ruin my diet, Joe Hardy."
"Don't worry, Marvin, I'll be sure to keep you on your toes." Squeezing her arm, Joe prepared to move off upstairs. Nearly barreling into his brother on the way up, he could only chuckle.
"What?" Frank demanded, jostling a cell phone with one hand while using a towel to scrub at his wet hair with the other.
"Just thinking about the most unlikely couple I've ever known." His brother said lightly, whistling as he shoved hands in his pockets and continued on.
"Joe!" A sharp bark brought the blond around, brow raised. Frank grinned, tossing the cell towards him. "It's Vanessa and Phil. Talk to another unlikely couple and alleviate their worries, huh?"
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"That was mean." Glancing over her shoulder briefly as Frank entered the kitchen, Bess managed a disapproving frown.
"Not entirely. He needs to talk to her, and Phil needs to talk to him."
"I'm just not sure that kind of pressure so soon will help him any…"
"Bess, he doesn't know the meaning of pressure yet." Reaching over her shoulder to grab a half sliced loaf of bread, he tore off a chunk and sat heavily in a nearby kitchen chair.
"Oh?" Throwing the paring knife she held down, his wife turned, arms crossed.
"Oh, right. In case you've forgotten, Joe was hurt in New York City the same week Nancy disappeared from Eloise Drew's. When two of the world's top detectives…well-acquainted friends at that…fall to foul play in the same place at the same time, questions are bound to eventually come up. Now that Joe is awake, and Nancy is still missing, he's in the hot seat."
"So? If anything, that would lead me to believe the same person who beat him up did something to Nancy. We know that Joe could never hurt her, or she him. The police may question him and he may eventually remember what led to his coma, but there's no reason to suspect he's responsible for Nancy's disappearance. Come on, Joe and Nancy…all of us, for that matter…probably could claim a lot of mutual enemies by now. Maybe he knows who did whatever it is they did to her, and we can bury this case and try to really move on. We have to at least try."
"I know." He admitted softly. "And I'd like to think we can, but I honestly don't know any longer. Con Riley made it sound like the authorities have something to incriminate Joe with, and Con doesn't take matters like this, matters involving those he cares about, lightly. I'm afraid this one may be beyond us."
"Well, we'll disprove them." She said firmly, moving across the room to touch his shoulder. "You're his brother. Frank Hardy…maybe not the Frank Hardy of then, but still Frank Hardy, still his brother…with the Hardy Boys back together again and a willing sidekick or two…hey, I'll call George…there's no one that can ever hurt Joe again. We won't let them." Her eyes narrowed. "Unless, of course, you actually think he did something to Nancy…"
The elder Hardy brother only smiled wanly.
"Frank…" The blonde stepped away, shoulders squaring. "Sometimes no support is better than half-hearted support. Maybe you should have stayed in California."
"No." He countered with a snap, standing and dusting the crumbs from his shirt. "Maybe you should have. Who have you been married to the past four years, Joe or the other brother? His coma already took over our lives. I'm not going to let defending him when he's a big boy who can defend himself do it again. And if he can't defend himself…well, neither could Nancy. Maybe it's his due."
"I can't believe you." She accused quietly, eyes flashing.
"I don't know what I can believe." Frank sighed. "I don't know what I believe anymore. Look, I'm sorry. You know I'll help Joe in every way I can. It's just…this is going to get a lot harder before it gets better."
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