A/N: Anything in bold refers to captions, don't worry you'll understand when you read the chapter.
Disclaimer: Oh come on do we really have to go through this again?
"You can lead a boy to college but you can't make him think." (Anonymous)
Frank's Day (Friday)
Frank awoke Friday morning in Kimberly's dorm room. He had spent the night before trying to make sense of what he had seen in the abandoned building.
"Good morning sweety mumbled the voice beside him."
"Good morning Kimmy."
Kimberly rolled over to look Frank in the eyes. "I know you're worried about all that.....stuff you saw in the building but I'm sure there's an explanation for it."
Frank laid on his back in silence. How could his girlfriend say that?
"Frank?" Kimberly said tentatively.
He opened his eyes, "Kim, I have to go."
"What?" she sat up, "Go where?"
Frank was already getting dressed, "Just somewhere."
Kimberly watched as her boyfriend left her room in a hurry.
* * *
Frank walked around campus in a dazed confusion. His mind kept going back to the building. He made the decision to climb in through one of the windows to see what was in the building. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting but it wasn't what he had gotten. In the room were four walls covered in photos. Not just any old photos, they were of the Hardy family.
The photos were arranged in a timeline, starting with the birth of Frank Hardy. As the timeline progressed, Frank saw that every event in his own life and his brothers had been photographed. Underneath each photograph was a caption, telling what the photo was about. Frank had read some of these captions, they ranged from "Frank gets first C on science test," to "Hardy family picnics in park (1995)." Frank paled as he realized that these pictures had to have been taken without their knowledge and that whoever took the pictures must have been following the Hardy family around for the last nineteen years. The most chilling photo was of Iola Morton unlocking the door to what would become her death sentence. Frank could feel his heart stop as he reached over to touch the photo, almost as if to make sure it was really there.
Frank shook his head, continuing his meandering walk around the campus. He couldn't make sense of what he had seen. He couldn't understand why anyone would document his and Joe's lives. He was fairly certain it documented only their lives. The only time any of the captions made mention of the rest of the Hardy family was when either Joe or Frank were with them.
"Hey!"
Frank had been so lost in thought that he hadn't watched where he was going and ran into someone. "I'm so sorry," he apologized as he kneeled down to pick up the books the person had dropped. "I didn't mean to.." His voice trailed off as he finally looked up at the person he had run into, Callie.
"Frank, you need to get your heads out of the clouds."
*Clouds, Callie.* Frank's mind made connections as it helped him remember something. One of the captions under a photo had read Callie and Frank watch clouds.
"Frank!" a voice called impatiently.
"Huh? What?"
Callie looked at him worriedly, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing Callie, don't worry."
Frank worries about english exam.
Frank shuddered.
"Okay now I know something is wrong, you look totally out of it." Callie led Frank to a table outside of the student store. After forcing him to sit down she asked, "What new case has you all shaken up?"
Frank looked up at Callie slowly, "How do you know it is a case?"
She grinned sadly and spoke softly, "Frank I know that look in your eyes, after years of dating you I have been able to decipher it."
For the first time, Frank realized Callie was holding his hand, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand. Callie blushed and dropped his hand.
"Really though, what's wrong?"
"I..I don't know if I should tell anyone. I mean I would like to but..." he paused at a loss for words. "I'm just confused."
"It's okay," Callie assured him, "I know that when you need to tell someone you will." She kneeled down so that she was at eye level with him, "But for now just know that everything will be okay. Everything is fine, just solve this case and the murderer, thief, whoever, will not be able to hurt anyone ever again."
Frank smiled and looked Callie in the eyes, suddenly all the reasons he had loved her came rushing back. "Thank you, that helps."
"No problem Hardy, just let me get to class and we'll call it even."
"Class? I thought you were only visiting."
"Actually, I transferred here at semester. That's right, I am an official NYU student."
"Well I guess I'll be seeing you around then?"
"Yeah, see ya Frank."
Watching Callie walk away, Frank couldn't help but feel confused. Hadn't she just been flipping out on him a few nights ago?
Joe and Vanessa have fight after relationship ends.
*Crap. I need to tell Joe.*
* * *
"Sorry Frank, your brother isn't home right now."
"Thanks aunt Gertrude, just let him know I called."
"Frank, is there something wrong?"
"No, just wanted Joe's advice on something."
"Is it that Kimberly girl?" Gertrude asked crossly,"I always knew that girl was trouble."
"No," Frank smiled at the familiarity of his aunt's usual cross tone. "It is about a new case."
"Francis Alexander Hardy you are in college to earn a degree, not solve everyone else's problems. I order you to take care of your own problems before taking on any cases. Is that understood?"
"Crystal clear Aunty."
"Good. Now talk to your mother." Gertrude handed the phone to a patiently waiting Laura Hardy.
"Hi, how's my college boy doing?"
Frank loved the sound of his mother's voice. "I'm doing fine Mom. I miss all of you though."
"We miss you too.You better be planning on coming home this summer, you didn't come home for spring break."
"I wouldn't dream of going anywhere else this summer."
"Good honey because we all really miss you, especially Joe. He doesn't have his older brother to bother. Between you and me I think he feels a little lonely. Even if he does have Biff, Vanessa, and Sweet."
"Sweet?"
"Yeah a new girl in town. I think Joe is really taken with her."
Frank chuckled, "Don Juan at work huh?"
His mother laughed, "Looks like it."
"Well Mom I would love to talk some more but I have to get back to working."
"Alright sweetheart, take care of yourself. I love you."
"Love you too, bye."
"Bye."
"Awww, loving moments with the family."
Frank turned to see Callie standing in his doorway. "Hey, how did you know where I lived?"
"Maybe I picked up a few detective skills from you." She grinned smugly. "Well that and I live right down the hall."
"Really? Then I can actually talk to you from time to time." Frank immediatly wondered if that was a good thing. After all, this was his ex-girlfriend. After thinking for awhile curiosity got the best of him, "Callie what is going on between us."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean at the party you were ready to rip my head off, you were acting all..."
"Crazy." Callie finished for him.
"Well I was going to say high-strung. But crazy works too."
Callie walked over to Frank and sat next to him. "Frank I know I was acting a little odd but you have to understand where I'm coming from.."
"I tried but I couldn't figure out why the woman who broke up with me would be mad at me for something."
She looked away from him, "Did I ever tell you why I broke up with you?"
"You said you wanted to be free when you got to college. Didn't want to be tied down the rest of your life."
She looked at him, "I lied. Frank it never had anything to do with wanting to date other men. It was all about pride." She saw that Frank was confused. "Frank I fell in love with you because you're smart, sensitive, creative, handsome, fun, and everything I was looking for. But loving you always came with one drawback. I had to share you with everyone else. I had to share you with everyone who wanted help, everyone who had a problem, I shared you with Joe, Biff, Chet, Vanessa, and God knows how many other people." She stopped for air, "And I always prided myself for being able to put up with it all. I thought I could make being the last person on your list work, I was wrong. Frank after awhile I couldn't even talk to you anymore. You were off halfway around the world solving case after case."
"Callie, " Frank interrupted, "I never meant to...."
"Make me feel that way. I know." She smiled and gave a small laugh, "And we still finish each other's sentences. Frank I had to break up with you for both our sakes. I needed someone with me at all times. You needed to find where you wanted to be. I was angry about it for a while but I got over it, at least I thought I did. When I saw you at the party all the angry, aggravated feelings came back. I'm sorry."
"No," Frank said, finally seeing the woman he had loved, "Don't be sorry Callie. I did deserve to be dumped."
"Frank," Callie's voice was so soft he could barely hear her, "I still love you."
"I love you to," Frank said then kissed her.
"Woah, maybe I should come back later."
The pulled apart guiltily.
"Chet!" Callie exclaimed as she ran over to give her old friend a hug.
"Callie! I didn't even know you were in town. Last I heard you were in Virginia."
Callie stepped back to get a better view of her friend, "I transferred here at semester."
"Really?" Chet asked brightly, "That's great, now I can see two of my best friends while I'm visiting New York."
"You go to Penn. State right?"
He nodded, "This reunion calls for a celebration at Burger King. How about it Callie?"
"Sure."
Chet looked at Frank, "You're paying."
"Whoa! I'm not going to attempt to fill that bottomless pit of yours."
"Oh come on. I need all the money I can get to buy enough gas to go back up to Pennsylvania."
Frank rolled his eyes, "Just this once."
* * *
Later that night Frank tried calling Joe again. This time the phone just kept ringing, no one bothered to answer it. Frank looked at his watch, 9pm, Someone should be home. Finally Frank hung up his portable phone and left the room to continue finding clues to his case. At least he thought he had hung it up. Frank didn't realize it but he hadn't hit the "hang up" option on his phone hard enough to actually hang it up.
For anyone who doesn't know, Frank can be short for Francis. I happen to like the name Francis more than Franklin so that is what I used.