Author's Note:

Well, let's get this party started! Here it is, the first chapter. It's a long one but I hope it establishes everything that you need to know in order to move on from here. Thank you so much to everyone who left a review for the Prologue! I appreciate your kind words. Without any further ado, I leave you to your reading. Enjoy and don't forget to leave your mark to say that you were here! Until next time, later.

Chapter One

Joe stood outside the building where Hardy Investigations was located. It had been five weeks since the last time he was in there and from what he heard, a lot has changed in the short time he was gone. Joe did notice that his father and brother were more secretive than before. Ever since the reaction from Frank when he received a voicemail from some unknown caller on the day CJ was born. Frank left the room so quickly that even Fenton was surprised at the sudden move. But when his father didn't come back right away, Joe knew something was up. He just wished someone would tell him what was going on.

Sighing, he thought about his new family. Joe still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that he had a son. He always expected Frank to be the first to marry and have kids but the older brother seemed to not want to settle down in any way after what happened with Nancy. When Sam Radley had visited him to see the new baby, he mentioned the new people in the company including three women. Two of them seemed to take an interest in the single Hardy brother though from what Sam told him, Frank wasn't having any of it. He seemed to still be stuck on Nancy.

Although he hadn't admitted it in months, Joe really did miss her. He wasn't at all mad at Nancy, nor could he be. Just upset that she didn't confide in him with her plan like she did with everything about Ned…and Frank. Joe knew Nancy loved his brother just as much as Frank loved her but whatever happened in Chicago with Ned seemed to spook Nancy into leaving. Frank wasn't the same after that. Well, at least until he returned from China. As much as he tried to hide it, Joe had a feeling that Frank found something…or someone while he was there. Why is everyone keeping secrets from me? Joe thought, shaking his head.

"Are you lost, Hardy?" laughed a man standing next to Joe. He looked over and saw Sam Radley, one of his father's oldest friends and partner. He was grinning ear to ear as he clapped his hand on Joe's back, making him stumble forward. "It hasn't been that long since you were gone. Has fatherhood turned your brain to mush?"

"No, I'm good, Sam," Joe replied. "I was just thinking about a few things before I went in."

"I knew I saw smoke coming out of your ears," Radley guffawed. "Don't hurt yourself before get the chance to work again."

"Thanks, Sam," Joe rolled his eyes. "And to think I was going to go through the day without being picked on for no reason."

Sam laughed loudly, wrapping his arm around Joe and leading him inside. "Come on, Joe. I'll show you off to all the newbies."

"So it is true that Dad hired some new people," Joe replied.

"Yeah. We needed more help since you were gone and we kept having break-ins."

"What's been going on, Sam?" Joe asked concerned about the news.

"Right before you left," Sam explained, "several pieces of evidence disappeared from the evidence room. Your dad didn't say anything to anyone because he didn't want it to get out that the company was having problems. But that was just the start. Someone also hacked our system soon after. Information about some of our clients was leaked out. Your father's been worried because we lost several clients due to the breach."

"Why didn't he say anything to me though? I could have helped."

"Maybe because you had enough worries on your plate with a newborn," Sam said calmly. "You were needed at home so he didn't want to bother you. Frank has been taking up the slack along with Stacy and Xander."

The two were standing in the lobby where a reception desk stood. A woman was sitting behind the desk, filing her long nails. Joe's mouth dropped open when he saw her. She had maroon hair and a plunging neckline.

"Good morning, Mr. Radley!" she cried cheerfully, putting down her nail file. She then turned her attention to Joe and smiled. "What's your name, sugar?"

"Joe Hardy," he replied stretching out his hand clumsily. The women blushed when she took his hand and shook it.

"Miranda Billings," she said. "And here I thought only one Hardy brother was enough. Now there are two of you."

"Yeah," Sam muttered, grabbing a hold of Joe and walking him away. He sighed. "That was our new receptionist. She seems to be eyeing Frank the same way."

"What happened to Jessica?" Joe asked, confused. He looked back at Miranda who waved at him, her smile never wavering.

"Family emergency, I think." Sam noticed Joe wasn't paying attention and turned the young man around. "You're married, remember?"

"Right." Sam led him through the maze of cubicles before finding two people Joe never saw before.

"Stacy Walker and Xander Atherton," Sam announced after introducing Joe to them.

"Nice to finally meet you," Stacy smiled though she seemed a bit cold.

"Sam and your brother told us all about you," Xander replied.

"Hope it was all good," Joe joked. "Nice to meet you both."

"Stacy is our new investigator we hired to help out while you were away and Xander is a tech," Sam explained. "If you ever need anything, they are good at finding things."

"I sincerely hope that you don't think I'm leaving now that you're back," Stacy stated with a smirk. "I plan on staying for quite some time. Just because you're the boss' son doesn't make you any good."

"Nice one, Stacy," Sam replied, giving her a look. "I didn't hear anything about you leaving any time soon but I will let Fenton know how 'nice' you were to Joe."

Stacy's smirk melted off her face. "You would defend him," she sneered. "I'll just have to prove my worth to Mr. Hardy and this one's inability to work. I'm sure he'll be just like his brother, cute but useless."

"Okay," Joe said, embarrassed. "Thanks for welcoming me back. I'll be sure to stay away from you from now on."

He walked away seething with Sam coming up behind him. "How could Dad hire that? She's awful! And what she said about Frank? Isn't that borderline sexual harassment?"

"Sorry about Stacy," Sam replied, shaking his head. "She's been a handful since she got here but she's excellent at what she does."

"What does she do anyway?" Joe asked, stopping in the hallway. "Cast spells on men and wait for them to drop before pouncing?"

"She specializes in finding cheaters," he answered. Sam led the way toward the basement, stopping at a door.

"Seriously?" Joe asked. He looked around the basement. "What are we doing down here? Please tell me it's not another one like any of the ones I just met. At least Xander was nice."

"Yeah, Xander is nice but he's an idiot," Sam shook his head. "He may know his way around a computer but common sense seemed to have left that one a long time ago. And yes, there is one more to meet but you actually might like this one. She's nice and keeps to herself. She doesn't go upstairs that often either. But she can be a real stickler. She seems more like a librarian than anything else but I guess that's why she was hired. Believe me, I saved the best for last."

The two men walked in but the room seemed empty. It was neat and clean, something Joe remembered that never happened before. He noticed the cameras and new lockers lined up in rows.

"Wendy?" Sam called out.

"What do you want, Sam?" called a female voice from beyond the stacks.

"There's someone I want you to meet," he replied, winking at Joe.

"It's not another date is it?" she said but she sounded closer. "You know you've tried nearly every available guy here and then some. I told you I'm not interested."

"No, no, no," Sam laughed as Joe blushed. "I told you about this one, remember?"

Seconds later, Joe heard a drawer being closed and a woman came around the corner. She looked older than her years with her hair pulled back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Glasses were perched on her small nose though they seemed out of place. She pushed them back up and studied Joe.

"Hmm, you look nothing like your brother or father," Wendy said in a slightly nasal voice. She had an accent but Joe couldn't quite place it. "I like him, not that I don't like the other one but he seems more brotherly than anything."

Joe raised an eyebrow, giving the woman a look. No one ever talked to him like that before but she seemed quirky in her own way.

"Joe, this is Wendy Crane," Sam replied. "Wendy has been cataloguing all the evidence as it comes in. She even redid the original system. Once we put the security cameras in, the break-ins almost completely stopped. Right, Wendy?"

"Yes," she said. She caught Joe staring at her and gave him a curt look. "Is there anything else, Sam? I need to get back to work."

"Oh, no," he smiled, pushing Joe out the door. "Sorry to bother you, Wendy."

When the door closed and the two men were making their way back up to the main floor, Sam sighed. He was relieved that the tour was finally over.

"I don't understand why Dad hired all these people, especially if we're having problems," Joe replied, interrupting Sam's thoughts.

"I know," he nodded. "If given the chance again, I wouldn't hire any of them except for maybe Wendy. She is nice when she wants to be. The other three, I could care less, especially Stacy. I'm sure that if you ask your dad, he'll tell you why they were hired."

Sam looked down the hall. Frank was coming their way, an annoyed look on his face.

"There you are, Joe!" he cried. He stopped just before them. "I've been looking all over for you. Dad wants us to go outside town to meet a new client. How's it going, Sam?"

"It's going, Frank," Sam smiled. "Just showing Joe around to the new troops."

"That means you met Miranda and Stacy," Frank cringed. "Miranda has been trying to get me to ask her out since the moment she laid eyes on me. And Stacy, don't get me started on that one. PMS seems to be her constant mood."

"What about Wendy?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Barely know her," he shrugged. "She rarely leaves the evidence room unless she's leaving for the day. Why are you asking anyway? Please don't tell me you want me to date her too."

"Oh, no," Sam laughed. "You just didn't mention her, that's all."

"Yeah, is there something that you aren't telling us?" Joe asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Shut up, Joe," Frank rolled his eyes. "You're as bad as Dad and Sam. At least Dad doesn't hound me to start dating again."

"Well, this is an awkward conversation," Sam replied, walking away. "I'll see you guys later."

When he was gone, Joe turned back to Frank. "Do we really have to go?" he whined. "I was hoping to get a jump start on something, maybe even take a nap before I have to go back home. CJ hasn't let us sleep longer than three hours at a time."

"I guess the only thing I can say is 'welcome to parenthood,'" laughed Frank. "Expect no sleep for the next 18 years, probably more if you have more kids."

"Hardy har har," Joe replied sarcastically. "Don't even say something like that! I can barely handle the one and he's only a little over a month old. One is fine for me at the moment. I don't even want to think as to how Mom handled it when we were little. You know though, Frank, karma's a bitch. I'll make sure to rub it in when you have your first kid. I'm sure Nan…" Joe stopped himself before he said her name completely but he knew the damage was already done. Frank stared sadly at him before walking out the door. Joe followed his brother, regretting his words.

"Hey, I'm sorry, Frank," he said, catching up to him. They stopped right beside Frank's SUV. "I know it's been hard since Chicago."

"What do you care, Joe?" Frank snapped. "You've been angry with her even since you found out she left without saying anything."

"I didn't mean to make it worse by being angry with her, Frank," Joe replied sadly. "It's just that…it hurt that Nancy just left without saying goodbye. She left before you even got the chance to tell her how you feel about her. I think that's why I've been so upset with her."

"Joe…" Frank sighed, looking at his brother then closed his eyes. He ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated. His dad asked him to come clean to Joe when he returned to work. Now was as good a time as any. "Nancy didn't leave without saying goodbye. I talked to her. I tried to convince her to stay but she didn't. She left to protect me. Ned threatened her and she was scared. I couldn't do anything to stop her, Joe. I'm not mad at you or her. I'm mad at the whole situation! You have Vanessa and there is nothing in this world I wouldn't give to have that same thing with Nancy. But right now, it's not even possible to be in the same room with her let alone on the same continent."

Joe looked at the ground, thinking about what Frank just said. Then a realization hit and he looked back up. "I hope I'm going out on a limb here but do you know where she is?"

"No," Frank said a little too quickly. He hustled to get into the car and Joe ran around to the passenger side to get in.

"You know something, Frank," he said, narrowing his eyes. "The way you said being on the same continent gave it away. Do you know where Nancy is?"

"Not at this moment," Frank stated, starting the car. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed out of town.

"Then you knew," Joe said, incredulously. "You knew and you didn't tell me? Does Dad know?"

"Of course, he knows," his brother said, annoyed. "He made me tell him the morning CJ was born."

"The voicemail," Joe said. "It was from Nancy?"

While they were stopped at a stop sign, Frank pulled out his phone and dialed his voicemail. Seconds later, Nancy's message replayed for Joe. He shook his head.

"Have you heard anything from her?"

"Do you honestly think I would keep that from you and Dad now?" Frank asked. "I haven't heard anything since that night and I'm getting worried. It's like she dropped off the face of the planet. What if she got caught and we don't even know it? What are they waiting for anyway?"

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because I was being selfish, okay!" Frank cried, pulling into a restaurant parking lot. He cut the engine but didn't make a move to leave the car. "Dad already lectured me about it. If I had said something, Nancy would be here with us. With me. I know I screwed up. She was on the other side of the world and since something happened there, I couldn't do anything to help her when she needed me the most. I don't care what Ned said to her. The moment I see her again, I'm not letting go. Plain and simple."

The two brothers sat in silence for a few minutes. Frank stared out the window while Joe watched him. "Look, Frank," he said, breaking the silence. Frank turned back toward him, his eyes filled with concern and torment. Joe laid a hand on his brother's shoulder. "We are going to do everything we can to find her and bring her home. This isn't the end. We're far from it. No matter what it takes, we'll find her. You got it?"

"Thanks, Joe," Frank smiled. He got out of the car and started walking toward the restaurant. Joe came up behind and stopped him.

"Since we're on an honesty kick here," he said sheepishly, "I have something to ask you. Van and I have been discussing it and we want you to be CJ's godfather."

"Of course," Frank said enthusiastically. "I would be honored."

"That's not all though," Joe said looking uncomfortable. "Mom has been bugging us to plan his christening pretty much since the day he was born but we want to wait."

"Why wait though? It would make all our lives easier since Mom has been on a rampage about it."

"I know but we can't just yet," he said. "Not all his godparents are here."

"Huh?" Frank gave him a weird look.

Joe sighed. "We want both you and Nancy to be his godparents. I didn't want to pressure you or anything but we just felt that it was fitting for both of you. We'll wait as long as it takes but that's what we want. Is that okay with you?"

"Is that okay with me?" Frank laughed. He gave his brother a hug. "She'll be honored, you know that. And when Nancy comes back, we'll make it a point to discuss a dual partnership if you catch my drift."

"Yeah, I do," Joe smirked. He squirmed out of his brother's arms. "Now get off me before someone sees us."

Frank laughed again as the brothers walked into the restaurant. He gave the hostess their names and she guided them toward the back of the nearly empty restaurant.

"Your party has already arrived," she stated. She stopped at a booth in the corner of the restaurant and walked away.

"Dad?" Joe said when he saw the occupants of the booth. "What…what are you doing here?"

"Did anyone follow you, Frank?" Fenton asked, ignoring Joe's question.

"I didn't see anybody," he answered, looking down at the woman sitting next to his father. He slid into the booth but Joe hung back.

"What's going on here?" he asked confused. "I thought we were meeting a new client."

"That was to get you out of the office without raising suspicion," Frank stated. Joe finally slid in beside him and quickly took a sip of water.

"You remember Agent Christine Hayworth, right, Joe?" Fenton asked, gesturing toward the woman sitting next to him.

"How could I forget," he said grimly. "You and your partner accused Nancy of killing not only Edith Nickerson but also her own father."

"That wasn't me," she said softly. "Agent Wallace took it a little too far. You don't need to worry about him though. He's not here. He was forced into retirement a few months back. I am here on business."

"What kind of business?" Joe asked.

"Did you tell him, Frank?" Fenton asked, looking at his oldest. Frank nodded, averting his eyes. "Everything?"

"Yes!" he cried.

"Good, then no more secrets," Fenton smiled. "Christine called me this morning saying she needed to speak with us. She wanted to meet here away from the office and I filled her in with everything you told me while we were waiting."

"What is it that you wanted to speak with us about?" Frank asked.

"I received a phone call a few weeks ago," she began with a small smile. "It was a tip about a former adversary of yours who may have escaped from prison. I take it that you know all about this."

"Yes," Frank said.

"No," Joe said at the same time.

"I thought you told him everything!" Fenton cried.

"I didn't get the chance to tell him that part!"

"Oh, for the love of…" Fenton said angrily. "Do you remember Mount Mirage?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Jack Treyford, ring a bell?"

"No."

"Joe!"

"Okay, maybe. Is that who's behind this?"

"I think you're finally getting it," Fenton mumbled. He turned back to Hayworth who looked amused at what just transpired. "There are only a few people who knew that and I don't think anyone at this table called you. Who gave you the tip?"

"A mutual friend," Hayworth said. "There's also a message to go with it but I wasn't given the message until yesterday."

"What's that?" Frank asked, his heart pounding with anticipation.

"She wanted me to tell you that she's fine," the agent replied. "But you have a mole inside your office."

"Who's 'she?'" Joe asked confused.

It wasn't Hayworth who answered though. Frank looked dead at the agent. "It was Nancy. She's here."