Author's Note:

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It sounds like some of you were going to have some really yummy foods and good family times! Mine was pretty good as well. Although I made a lot of the food, I wasn't the host (thankfully since my house is a mess! lol!). Now, it's game day so I thought it would be good to get out the chapter before it started. Thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story and most especially to those who left a review! Welcome is in order for Autumngirl and I totally agree with your assessment of the original canon. Ned was so bland at times and I hated it. And yes, it is The Greatest Showman that they are doing. I am a HUGE fan of the film and have been wanting to use it for a while. Plus I've loved Hugh Jackman since the original X-Men movie. He completely embodied Wolverine and I can't really see anyone else playing the role (or any role he's played for that matter). Okay, I'm done with the whole fan crush with him. I hope that you enjoy the chapter and leave a review if you'd like. Have a great weekend and God bless! Oh, and one more thing...GO BLUE!

Chapter Six

"Man, who were those two pieces of work?" Joe asked. The brothers followed Joanna to the lower level of the theater where the dressing rooms, costume shop, and prop room were located.

"Deirdre Shannon and her father, I guess," Frank muttered. "It's the first time I met him but Nancy and I had an unfortunate encounter with Deirdre a few days ago. Watch out with that one. She'll sink her claws into you and won't let go. Nancy says she's harmless though but after that, I'm not so sure."

"Who? Deirdre?" Joanna asked turning around to face them. "She is harmless. I've known her about as long as I've known Nancy. Those two were never friends and it stems from the rivalry between their fathers. Martin Shannon was always trying to one-up Carson but he never could beat him. Carson had more integrity and took pride in his job. He treated his clients with the utmost respect and was loyal to the end. Even when David was around, Carson was still a stand-up guy though David was hardly an angel."

Frank's mind started churning at the mention of David. He looked over at Joe who was just as surprised.

"David?" Frank asked finally.

"Yes, he was Carson's best friend in high school," she nodded. "the two were inseparable at times and even made each other the godfathers of their girls. I thought you knew that."

"I…I did," he stammered. "I just didn't know David went to school around here."

"David Willowby was one of the most troublesome boys," Joanna continued with a shake of her head. "I'm surprised that Carson became a lawyer after hanging around him."

Frank and Joe exchanged looks again. "Willowby?" Frank asked. "His name isn't Wainwright?"

"Well, that's what he goes by now," she shrugged. "He'll always be David Willowby in my book."

"Why did he change his name anyway?" Joe asked.

"He changed it to sound more regal when he formed his company," Joanna explained. "I'm not sure how many people know that he changed it but Carson told me years ago when I asked about David. Wainwright sounded more dignified than Willowby, at least to him."

"Are his parents still alive?"

"Oh, heavens no," she shook her head grimly. "They passed away suddenly after David graduated high school. At least they got to see him get his diploma before the accident. God rest their souls. Carson's family took him in for a time until he left to seek his fortune. The man is a genius in every sense of the word so it's no surprise that he formed his own tech company. Why do you ask anyway?"

"It's nothing," Frank said before Joe could answer. "Does Nancy know his real name?"

"I'm…I'm not sure," Joanna replied confused. "She always knew him as David Wainwright so I'm assuming that's who she knows him as. You seem awfully interested in David, Frank. He's a good man and even though you sound skeptical of him, I assure you that he would never intentionally harm Nancy or those around her. He treats her like his own daughter. Julia I think her name is."

"That's not what I was thinking, Joanna," he replied. "I just wanted to know more about him. He seems a little mysterious to me."

"That's okay, Frank," she said patting his arm. "Trust me when I say that although David was a hellion in his teenage years, he wouldn't hurt a fly now."

Somehow Frank didn't seem as confident as Joanna was about David but it was the only way to get more information about the man other than from Nancy. He exchanged glances with Joe as the woman turned toward a room they stopped at. She opened the door revealing racks of costumes. Two women looked up from their sewing while a third sat behind them at a sewing machine, a look of determination etched on her face as she furiously sewed.

"Nelly?" Joanna called, looking at the woman at the sewing machine.

"Not now, Joanna," the woman answered exasperated. "I have to start on a whole new costume for that little prick, Jared, before he storms in here. And don't get me started on the hat. Mr. Cartwright, the milliner, is already yelling at me because he had to make a new one on top of the ones he's already working on. Two more, in fact! That's what Miles wants, you know!"

"Miles Gibson is the director," Joanna explained softly to the Hardys. "Nelly, I'm sorry for the intrusion but I want to introduce you to the young men who are going to find out who's committing all the acts of sabotage."

The seamstress stopped what she was doing and turned toward them in a slight huff. Her face softened when she saw them and she rushed over to greet them.

"Oh, my!" Nelly cried. "I didn't know you were able to get a hold of anyone, Joanna! That's wonderful news! Oh, I'm so sorry for being rude. This has been the craziest show I've ever done! My costumes have either disappeared or ruined. I think I've done the coat three times now already and I just feel like I've done it once too many, especially since I can't stand being around Jared. Usually the charity show I don't have to work on costumes because the singers just wear whatever they feel like they want to wear. Within reason, of course. But this show has thrown me a curve ball with all the requests! Good thing I have some outside help now thanks to Joanna. What did you say your names were?"

The woman had spoken so quickly that the brothers were still trying to figure out what she said. They were able to decipher some of it but it was Joanna who answered.

"This is Frank and Joe Hardy," she introduced them. "I called Nancy and she sent these two strapping young men to help us. I'm sure the costumes will be safe now that they're here to figure everything out. And I'm glad granddaughter will be able to help out once she comes home in a few days. When she changed her major to fashion design last summer, I knew she'd eventually be able to help you."

"Isn't there any security to protect the theater?" Joe asked catching on to the safety of the theater.

"Yes…and no," Nelly nodded sadly. "Harland Walker is hardly security. He's about twenty years past retirement and the theater doesn't have the heart or the money to replace him. Harland's sweet on people too so pretty much anyone can get by him if they want to. I'm taking home the costumes so they're safe and bring them back when they're needed. Besides I can work on them from home as well."

"Nelly, is that really necessary?" Joanna asked concerned.

"Yes!" the seamstress nodded. "I'm not taking any more chances with this! And if Jared has a conniption about it, he can jump off a cliff!"

"This Jared doesn't sound like he's very well liked," Joe laughed nervously. "Why would he care if you took home the costume so it wouldn't get damaged? Wouldn't he want that?"

"Because he wants to look at it every time he comes in," Nelly said rolling her eyes. "He's obsessed with it because it's the first time he's landed a lead role. And no, he's not well-liked. Not even the case likes him which is crucial when doing a show like this."

"Why hasn't he landed a lead before if his voice is so great?" Frank asked.

"Oh, I wouldn't say it's 'great.' Mr. Hardy," she smirked. "He does have range, I'll give him that, but it's everything else that's the problem. He's not exactly leading man material if you catch my meaning. Puberty wasn't kind to him."

"You could say that again," one of the other seamstresses burst out. The two girls started laughing at the joke. "He doesn't measure anything on a scale of 1-10."

"Now, girls," Joanna scolded, "that's not nice. Jared is…handsome in his own way."

Frank suddenly felt uncomfortable as the older woman eyed him. Even Joe nudged him a little but stopped when Frank shook his head.

"Nelly!" cried a voice form the hallway.

The Hardys turned toward the sound and were greeted by a very angry young man who looked to be about their age and whose face was pockmarked with acne scars. Frank was startled at the intrusion but knew immediately that the man was none other than the person they were just talking about: Jared. The performer looked just as startled as Frank at the sight of the brothers before scanning the room. His unusual eyes stopped on Nelly who folded her arms in front of her, waiting for the onslaught that the man was about give.

"What's this I hear that my costume is gone!" Jared screeched.

Joe clamped his mouth shut at the sound of the man's voice, trying hard not to laugh. His mother always told both him and his brother to not make fun of people because it wasn't polite though he always had a tendency to forget. With Jared though, being polite wasn't going to be easy for Joe.

"I thought it was locked!" the man continued. "You know that I need that costume!"

"Jared, you know good and well that I had the costume under lock and key!" yelled Nelly. "We all know how much you 'need' the costume since you literally stare at it for hours on end while you're here! You forget though that you're not the only person in this show! I don't know how it disappeared but I'm working on a new one as fast as I can!"

"Well, that's your own incompetency for losing it, Nelly!" he screamed.

"Hey!" Frank cried out startling the others in the room with his booming voice. He stepped forward to defend the seamstress. "That's enough! It's no one's fault that it was stolen! You need to get your damn head out of the clouds and come back down to earth with the rest of us!"

Joe's mouth dropped open at his brother's outburst. He would never expect Frank to yell at someone he didn't know but then again, Jared was already on Joe's list of people he didn't like.

"Oh, and are you going to make me?" Jared cried puffing out his chest in the hopes of looking macho. He stepped up to Frank who stood a good half-foot taller than the performer. Jared seemed not to be intimidated by Frank's presence and it was evident in his words and mannerisms toward him. "This is none of your damn business, Buddy! I don't know what the hell you're doing here and you're not welcome! Now, get lost before I lay the smackdown on your ass!"

Joe wanted to laugh out loud at the man's words considering how tiny he was compared to Frank but the younger Hardy could feel the tension rising in the room so he didn't say anything. Joanna and Nelly looked between the two men, waiting to see if anything happened. What surprised Joe the most was how Frank remained cool though he could tell that his brother was about to lose it.

"We were asked to come here," Frank seethed, breaking the tense silence. He glared down at the smaller man though Jared didn't move. "You are not the one in charge here so I suggest you back down before I throw you down!"

"That's enough, Frank," Joanna replied calmly, placing her hand on his arm. She turned her attention to Jared who still glowered at Frank. "Mr. MacMillan, I agree with Frank. You are not in charge although you seem to think you are. I asked the Hardys to come help us with the problems we've been facing. They are here to help but I don't' think either one of them appreciate your attitude."

At the mention of their name, Jared's face went white and his dark eyes grew wide. He stepped back, nervously wringing his hands all the while never taking his eyes off of Frank. Joe sensed something more about Jared though he wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Hardy?" Jared finally squeaked out. "I…I didn't realize that it's gotten this bad."

"Well, it has, Mr. MacMillan," Joanna nodded curtly. "I expect and your fellow cast members to give them every cooperation you can until the culprit is found, though I have a feeling that only you will have a problem. I wonder though, why are you not at rehearsals? I know Savannah to be very strict when it comes to practice and she abhors insubordination."

"They gave us a break for lunch," he grumbled, his earlier demeanor returning. "I came back here to see if everything was okay in my dressing room and that's when I heard about the theft from Mr. Shannon."

Frank's eyes narrowed at the mentioned of the lawyer. As if on the same wavelength, Joe piped in: "Why would Mr. Shannon talk to you?" he asked. "I mean, no offense but he doesn't seem like the type to converse with someone like you. Same thing with Deirdre."

"For you information," Jared said hotly, his hands on his hips, "I went to high school with Deirdre and know her family very well. My parents are good friends with hers. Although we were never close, Deirdre is still nice to me."

"Deirdre isn't nice to anyone," Frank growled eyeing the man. "At least not that I have seen."

"Well, if you were with Nancy at the time," the performer laughed heartily, "it's understandable. It's no secret that she and Deirdre hate each other but at least Deirdre is nice. Nancy always ignored me, too stuck up to even look at me in the halls."

"You went to high school with Nancy and Deirdre?" Frank asked surprised.

"Yeah, what of it?" Jared replied rudely. "Even Nancy's best friends, Bess Marvin and George Fayne, ignored me."

"Must be your glowing personality," mumbled Joe. Jared shot him a look and huffed.

"Nancy was a snob, Hardy," he replied with disdain. "Deirdre was the only one who treated me with respect so excuse me for being a little bit angry with the girl who you seem to hold with such high esteem. Makes me wonder if the rumors were true about what happened between Nancy and Gerald Blake in his office."

Frank's face went red with anger at the way Jared spoke about Nancy and Blake. The change in mannerism didn't go unnoticed by Jared either and the man sneered gleefully. Sensing trouble, Joe stepped in front of his brother, looking at the performer in playfulness.

"Tell me though," he said cocking his head, "what does Deirdre see in a guy like you? I mean, I think when you were born, someone hit you with the ugly stick…hard. But good luck on the show though, Jared. I'm sure the ladies will all be lining up to see a pockmarked, pipsqueak play in one of the greatest musicals of all time…not."

The two young seamstresses giggled behind their hands as they watched the scene unfold. Jared seethed at the brothers before storming out of the room leaving the girls in stitches.

"Joe," Joanna replied calmly but sternly, "that wasn't very nice."

"Yeah, well, he deserved it," he retorted. Joe looked at his brother whose fists were clenched tightly at his sides. "Nancy is nothing like that and he knows it. He was just trying to get a rise out of Frank which I think he succeeded."

"Shut up, Joe!" cried Frank whirling around to him. Then he turned to Joanna. "Why in God's name would anyone put that little piece of shit on the stage and allow him to treat people like that?"

"I told you, Frank," Joanna answered calmly, "he's the only one we have. Our normal lead, Matthew, fell and broke his leg just before rehearsals started. Jared was his understudy."

"So Jared wasn't the first choice?" Joe asked. He kept stealing glances at Frank who was slowly calming down.

"Heavens no," she laughed. "If it were up to me, Jared would have been expelled years ago for his attitude. He thinks he's better than everyone else but the board kept voting it down because we needed the talent. It's a shame too."

"Can't you replace him?"

"With who?" Joanna asked, looking around them. "Besides, even if we tried, he'd make our lives and the life of his replacement a living hell until long after the show was over."

"You have to admit, Joanna," Nelly smirked, "the look on Jared's face was priceless. Mr. Hardy, you have brightened my day with your words. It's what everyone here has wanted to say for a while but we never had the courage to say it. I'm sure Jared will be feeling that sting for quite some time but I think you might want to stay away from him for a while. He tends to be very vindictive to those who insult him even if he deserved it."

"Oh, I'll make sure to remind him of it later," Joe grinned.

The light-heartedness was soon dispelled by the sounds of shouts and cries coming from the hallway. A loud crash reverberated around the room, dusting falling from the ceiling and covering those within. The group looked at each other in shock though no one said anything. Moments later, a young man with blonde hair rushed into the costume shop, his chest heaving from exertion.

"Mark!" cried Nelly. "What's wrong?"

"The stage lights!" he cried. "We were moving them into place when the wires holding them snapped! The fixtures crashed onto the stage and shattered! They're…they're completely destroyed!"