I told you it was long. Enjoy.

After Stella was safely in her bed, the others regrouped in the living room.

"I wonder what happened," Nick said curiously.

"She'll tell us when she wakes up tomorrow," Melissa said, wise as always.

"Someone should stay with her tonight, like not Melissa. She's a heavy sleeper," Emily suggested.

"I will. Melissa, you can stay in Jody and Emily's room tonight, right?" Joe volunteered.

"Sure, that works," Jody said.

"See you guys in the morning," Kevin said as they stood up and went to their respective rooms.

Joe quietly went into Stella's room and laid down on one of the beds. He quickly fell into a light sleep.

The next morning when Joe woke up, Stella was still sleeping. He got dressed quietly and walked out to see the others waiting for him expectantly.

"She's still asleep," Joe answered their unasked question.

"Well, it's 10:00. We were going to go down to the pool. Maybe work on our tans, swim a little, discuss plans," Melissa told him.

"How about we meet you down there when she wakes up? I won't let her sleep too late. We're probably going to spend the day down there, right? We could order breakfast and lunch by the pool," Joe proposed.

"Okay, when should we be expecting you?" Nick asked his older brother.

"I'd say… it's ten 'o' clock now, right? So then around 12:30. We'll meet you down there in time to order lunch," Joe answered.

"Alright, see you then Joe," Emily said perkily as she, Jody, and Melissa grabbed cover-ups and beach bags.

"Sure thing," Joe answered.

"See you," Jody and Kevin said. As the door closed behind his friends, Joe heard a noise coming from Stella's room. He worriedly went to her room and saw her stirring. He also saw the bruise on her cheek. He sat down on the bed and waited for her to wake up.

When Stella woke up, she found herself looking up into Joe's worry filled brown eyes.

"Stella, are you okay?" Joe asked as soon as he saw her eyes open.

"I'm fine," Stella said quietly as she sat up. "Just a little bruised."

"Well, you better get changed. We have to meet the others down by the pool," Joe said as he headed out of the room. When the door closed behind him, Stella realized it was only 10:30. They had 2 hours! She figured he must have something in mind, so she began looking for something to change into.

Five minutes later, Stella had changed into a bikini that showed off her perfect figure. Joe had changed into swim trunks and opened Stella's door. Stella did all she could not to gasp at his muscular, perfectly chiseled chest. Before she knew what was going on, he was pulling her into the closet. It was then that she noticed the guitar he had in his other hand.

"Close you eyes," Joe told her. Stella obeyed and let Joe lead her through the closet.

"Okay. Open them and sit down." When she opened her eyes, she saw that Joe had pulled two of the stools next to each other. She quickly sat down as Joe sat on the other stool. "I want to run something by you," he said as he began playing his guitar.

"Staring out at the rain with a heavy heart
It's the end of the world in my mind
Then your voice pulls me back like a wake up call
I've been looking for the answer
Somewhere
I couldn't see that it was right there
But now I know what I didn't know

Because you live and breathe
Because you make me believe in myself when nobody else can help
Because you live, girl
My world has twice as many stars in the sky

It's not finished yet, but-"

"Joe, it's beautiful. Who is it about?" Stella asked him.

"You," Joe said quietly. Stella gasped as he knelt down, pulled out a ring, and asked "Stella Jones, will you marry me?"

"Of course, Joe. On two conditions," Stella said.

"Name them," he answered her.

"First, we don't tell anyone until after we solve the mystery, which means I can't have this yet," Stella said, slipping the ring off her finger.

"Deal," Joe agreed.

"And you give me my first kiss right now," Stella said shyly. Joe pulled her over onto his stool and gave her a gentle kiss. When they pulled back, Stella laid her head on his chest. It was then that she realized her cheek was on his bare chest. She blushed and moved to pull away, but Joe gently pulled her back. "So, where are we going to have our wedding?" she asked.

"It depends on what city we're in after we set the date," he answered. Stella's confusion must have been obvious because he continued "Did I forget to mention you guys are coming on tour with us? You can't tell you r friends until we tell them about us. Not even my brothers know. You moms already okayed it. They only know about the tour."

"We should get going before they send a search party for us," Stella said, moving to get up. She was foiled when Joe fell onto his back and pulled her down on top of him. Stella wasn't used to this kind behavior since she hadn't trusted anyone for five years.

"What's wrong?" Joe asked her as he held her close and put his hand on the small of her back. He began rubbing slow circles on her back as he waited for an answer.

"My old boyfriend. We broke up five years ago; we were dating for three years. I thought I loved him and he loved me, but… One night he tried to… tried to…" Stella took a deep breath and blinked her eyes to hold back her tears from the memory.

"Stella, it's okay. Please tell me. I want to help you," Joe told her.

"He tried to…" Stella gave him a look and he knew exactly what had happened.

"Oh, Stella. I'd never hurt you or do anything you don't want me to do. I love you," Joe said as he wiped away a tear that had escaped her eye.

"I love you too," Stella said as she kissed his cheek. Joe began caressing her cheek and she looked surprised.

"What?" he was confused.

"It's just that no one has ever been this gentle with me before. Especially him," Stella explained. His touch was so loving and gentle.

"Don't you know I'm not the tough guy my image says I am?" Joe asked her teasingly.

"Well, we have to change that image. I'm just not used to it," Stella answered him, smiling.

Changing the subject, Joe said "You know, you aren't very subtle when you stare at someone the whole time you can see them." Stella blushed but said

"Well, who notices one girl staring at them in a crowd?" It was Joe's turn to blush. Joe gently placed Stella on the floor next to him and stood up. Then he helped her up. He put on his T-shirt and they headed out into the hallway.

"Remember, they can't know about this yet," Stella warned Joe. He pouted a little, so she said "Don't worry. We can meet in my closet again later." She gave him a quick kiss and moved to the side just before they came into view of the pool.

As they walked out to the pool area, they saw Melissa tanning and Nick, Emily, Jody, and Kevin swimming. They walked over to two seats near the ones their friends were using. Stella motioned to Joe to be quiet as she grabbed a small cup and filled it with pool water. Then she walked quietly over to Melissa. Joe realized what she was going to do and began trying to contain his laughter. When Stella dumped the cup, Melissa screamed.

"Aaaggghhh! That's cold!"

"Not really, Mel," Stella said pointedly as she made her way to the pool steps.

"Oh, hey Stella," Melissa stuck her tongue out at Stella before continuing. "Hi, Joe. I guess I'll go in with you guys. Hey look who's here, you guys!" she yelled to the others. They all called out 'hi' to Stella and Joe and swam over to the steps. Joe was about to put his foot on the first ladder rung when Stella pushed him and he toppled into the water. Melissa and Stella began laughing and the others joined in as Joe surfaced with a shocked expression on his face. Melissa and Stella slowly got in, as Stella knew Joe was waiting to pull her under. She was right as her legs were pulled out from under her and she dunked down. She surfaced to hear Joe's laughter. When they had all clamed down, Jody asked

"Stella, are you okay? From last night, I mean?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, except for this bruise," Stella answered. "But isn't it time for lunch? That's what Joe said we were meeting you here for. Besides I want to see some light around here. Isn't it cool that it feels like summer in here, when it's snowing outside? We are in Colorado."

"I put in the orders just before you guys got here. I ordered hot dogs, chips, and lemonade for all of us," Emily explained. "They'll call when our order is ready."

Hours later, they were sitting around the pool, eating a delicious dinner of shrimp and pasta, with chocolate mousse for dessert. Over dessert, Stella thought of a great idea.

"I think the thieves are only after Lori's riches. If we can get her to let Joe drive a shipment of gold from her company from town to the lodge, we might be able to lure them here and capture them. We could at least probably get some clues," she suggested.

"Great idea, Stel. We'll ask her tomorrow morning, or maybe I can call her from the suite tonight if we have time," Jody said. Stella gave Joe a pointed look when Jody said suite and tonight. She was reminding him that her promise was still on. They finished their meal and headed toward the elevator. Once they got to the suite, they immediately changed into pajamas. Emily was wearing a cute pair with flowers. Melissa was wearing pink silk pajamas; they are her favorite. Joe, Kevin, and Nick had on different color pajama pants and a T-shirt. Jody had on basketball pajamas. They matched her sporty personality. Stella had on polka pajama pants and a shirt that said 'Fantabulicious' on it.

"Guys, let's call Lori and get it over with, then, I have a great idea," Jody said as she put the phone on speaker and dialed.

"Hello?" They heard Lori's voice over the line.

"Hi, we're detectives staying on the penthouse floor, aquarium suite. We know how to capture the thieves and get your necklace and earrings back," Jody said. Then Stella told Lori her plan.

"Okay, that just might work. I'll call and set up a shipment due to leave at 6:00 P.M. tomorrow evening. Joe, you be careful, though. Those thieves are dangerous. Remember, there are two abandoned houses in the forest if you get into any trouble," Lori agreed with the plan. Stella mouthed 'yes' and pumped her fist. Joe smiled at her antics. He thought she was amazing.

"Thank you so much, Miss Shara, and congratulations on your engagement," Melissa said.

"Oh, why thank you. Please, call me Lori," she insisted.

"Okay, Thank you so much Lori," Joe said. Then, Jody hung up.

"So, Jody, what's your idea?" Nick asked. He was genuinely curious.

"Oh, right," Jody said, faking the fact that she forgot all about it. "Let's play charades!" she exclaimed.

"Oh my gosh, Jody! You know I love charades!" Stella said excitedly. Well, here was something else Joe now knew about Stella.

"Me too!" Melissa and Emily said together, equally excited. The brothers shrugged and said

"We're in!"

"Yes!" Jody clapped her hands together and began writing down names to draw for teams. It ended up with Team Awesome, as they called themselves, having Jody, Emily, and Kevin. Team Battlefield had Stella, Melissa, and Joe. Nick voted to be score keeper and judge.

Two hours later, it was time for the speed round. Nick read off the scores and rules before they started.

"Team Awesome had 36 points, while Team Battlefield has… 36 points, too! Okay, looks like the speed round is a tie-breaker. Each team will pick their best word actor outer. That person will get a list of ten words randomly selected by your mothers. There is an equal amount of easy and hard words on each. I will start this timer at two and a half minutes. Whoever gets more words correct in that period of time wins. No talking, only motions. There is no deduction for wrong guesses. If it is a tie, we'll figure that out later. Will the actors come get their list please?" Stella and Jody walked forward and got their lists from Nick. When they were positioned, he said "Go!" Stella and Jody started acting and wild guesses were being called out. Nick began counting down the last thirty seconds. At the last possible moment, Joe and Melissa both said

"The Ultimate Christmas Present!"

"Yes!" Stella said as the buzzer sounded. They had gotten all ten. They didn't know how many the other team had gotten and Nick took his time counting both teams' scores.

"Nick, come on!" Kevin said after a minute.

"Okay, okay. Team Battlefield got all ten, giving them a score of 46. Team Awesome got… 9 of them, giving them a score of 45. Team Battlefield wins!"

"Great game guys," Emily said.

"I think we should head to bed. It's almost eleven 'o' clock and we are going to have a big day tomorrow. Well, actually a big night," Melissa said as she yawned, stretched, and headed into her room. Nick, Kevin, Jody, and Emily soon followed. Before Stella entered her room, she whispered to Joe

"Meet me in the closet after Melissa falls asleep. She's a heavy sleeper, so you should be good." She went into her room and left the door a crack open for Joe. She entered her closet and decided to pick out tomorrow's outfit while she waited. She headed over to the shoe section and began looking for a pair she liked.

Joe had been waiting for twenty minutes, and decided to go check if Melissa was asleep yet. He quietly opened and closed the bedroom door and ducked down. He heard even breathing and knew she was asleep. He walked to the closet and quietly closed the door behind him. After his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Joe tried to decide where to go first. He decided that he would check the shoe section. As he rounded the corner that led to it, a hand covered his eyes, he felt a chin on his shoulder, and an arm was draped over him.

"Surprise," Stella whispered, smiling in the darkness. He wouldn't be able to see the blush that was rising on her cheeks in the dark.

"I love when you blush," Joe whispered quietly. She groaned and heard him chuckle. Joe allowed her to take control for a moment, keeping her hand over his eyes and letting her plant small, quick kisses up his neck until she reached his cheek, where she lingered a bit longer. He knew girls liked to be in control every once in awhile, and Stella was no exception. Finally, the urge to switch control gets to him and he decides to switch positions. He spins around rather quickly and pushes her gently against the carpeted wall. Not wanting to scare her, he slowly moves his hand to the hem of her pajama shirt and slides it under until it is on the small of her back. Before he continues, he whispers in her ear

"Is this going too fast for you?'

"No, I trust you," Stella answered him quietly, allowing him to move closer to her. He knew what she meant by that. She trusted him to stop if she said so and know how far to go and what to do. Stella felt Joe begin to rub circles on her back and his touch against her skin made her tingle. Surprising them both, she began tugging his shirt upward until it was only around his neck. Happy that she wasn't afraid to make a move, Joe took it off the rest of the way and let her lay her head on his chest. Stella felt content as he held her there. She knew he had given her her first kiss that morning, but it had felt rushed instead of how she wanted it to feel. She was hoping he would make up for it and give her a real one now. Stella knew her wish was being granted as she felt him pull away slightly and tilt her chin up so she was looking into his eyes. 'Those gorgeous brown eyes' they both thought to themselves as they looked at each other. Stella saw many emotions in Joe's chocolate eyes, including love, compassion, protectiveness, and gentleness. She was getting lost in his eyes. Joe felt himself doing the same in her eyes. He could tell exactly what she wanted by looking into them. Stella noticed that he was leaning closer to her. He stopped when they were touching noses. Joe was waiting for Stella to close the gap. She did and he pulled her as close as he could. Stella was absolutely sure that he made up for that morning. He was rubbing larger, quicker circles on her back and his hand was running gently through her hair. She felt the urge to do something besides kiss back. She moved her hand up and snaked it through his hair and moved the other one to his shoulder, massaging it. They finally broke it and ended up laughing quietly on the floor. When she finally calmed down, Stella crawled back over to Joe and settled down in his arms. Joe began thinking as they sat there. After a while, he heard even breathing and looked down. Stella was asleep. He smiled and carefully picked her up so he wouldn't wake her. It was almost midnight. When he had placed her on her bed and covered her, he went to get ice. He put it on her nightstand and looked around the room thoughtfully for a moment. He was about to leave when he heard a sound.

"Joe?" Stella mumbled from her bed. She had opened her eyes, but she was still half asleep. He quickly moved to her side and put his finger on her lips to shush her so she wouldn't wake Melissa.

"I'm right here Stella," Joe whispered. "What's wrong?"

"They aren't going to hurt me again, are they?" she asked. At first Joe was confused, then he realized she was talking about last night. She was half asleep and probably thought they were going to come to the hotel again.

"No, they aren't coming here. Your in the suite, and Melissa is sleeping next you. Good night. I love you," Joe whispered.

"Okay. I love you too. Good night," Stella leaned up and kissed his cheek. Then she closed her eyes. Joe smiled as he pulled the covers back over her and shut the door. He quietly went into his own room and got into bed. He was thinking about one of his best nights ever as he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning was bright and snowy. Joe woke up at 9:00 and saw a note on his nightstand. It said that the others had gone to town for some food shopping and would be back by noon. He wondered if Stella was still in her room and quietly opened her door. He found her sleeping, but she was beginning to stir. He sat down on her bed so she would see him when she woke up. It never occurred to him that she would still be a little too tired to figure out who he was. He saw her mouth open as if to scream and quickly cut her off with a kiss. She settled back down on her pillow when she realized that it was Joe. She was still sleepy and didn't make any move to get up. She looked at Joe and pointed to the rest of the empty bed next to her. He smiled at her and lay down next to her. She curled up in his arms and fell asleep again.

Stella's Dream

Stella sees blue sky all around her and in the distance she sees a glowing figure. She walks towards it and realizes its Joe. The figure begins running toward her and scoops her up in its arms. She smiles as Joe whirls her around.

End of Dream

As Stella woke up a second time, she figured out that she had never slept that well before. Seeing Joe's arm around her, she looked up at him and said

"You won't leave me, will you?" She was a little afraid after her last relationship.

"Baby, that's in the past now. You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Anyway, good morning," Joe said. Stella smiled and answered

"Good morning, honey." She wanted to wear the ring so much, but couldn't until the mystery was solved. She kissed him on the cheek and pointed to the door. Joe reluctantly left and she got changed. As she emerged from her room, the others came back. It was exactly 12:30.

"How was your trip?" Stella asked.

"Good, until Kevin got us lost on the way back," Jody said, laughing and sticking her tongue out at Kevin.

"Well, how about we go skiing? I want to practice something I saw Lindsay Vonn do in the Winter Olympics," Jody said.

"I wanted to go to the skate track. I think you know why, Lis," Stella said, winking at her best friend.

"But, guys-" Jody started.

"Jody, we went up on the mountain the other day. You and Emily wanted to. It's our turn to pick," Melissa said.

"I'm confused. Why do you want to go to the skate track?" Nick asked.

"One word, Nick," Jody said before Melissa and Stella said dreamily

"Apolo."

"Who?" Joe asked and Stella sent him a glare. She and Melissa answered automatically in unison.

"He's an 8-time winter Olympic medalist, world's greatest short track speed-skater, incredibly cute, philanthropist, 'What Star Can Dance?' champion. His birthday is May 22, 1982, he was born in Seattle, he yawns before races because it calms his nerves, and he broke the record for most Olympic medals. His name is Apolo Anton Ohno."

"Duh," Emily said, who was also a huge fan of Apolo.

"Shall we go on?" Stella asked, looking irritated. How dare they not know who Apolo was? Jody knew who he was, but wasn't a fan. She was a fan of Shawn White and Lindsay Vonn. Melissa and Stella liked Julia Mancuso and she was tempted to tell them that they could practice some of her tricks, but knew Apolo was number one.

"What about Julia Mancuso? She is a skier and you guys like her," Emily said it for her.

"Apolo is better and you know that," Melissa argued. While the girls argued over the athletes, Joe pulled Kevin and Nick aside.

"Do you think we could get Apolo and Lindsay here to meet them? I know they are taking a year off before training on the track again. Maybe they could come on tour with us too. We could try to get Julia too, but I think she's still training," he whispered to his brothers.

"I'll make the call after you leave later. This Apolo sounds pretty cool. Maybe I'll do some research on him too," Nick whispered. They heard Jody nearly yell 'Fine!' and whirled around.

"We're going to the skate track. Tomorrow, Melissa and need to get new speed skates, but our old ones will work for now," Stella said excitedly. They all grabbed coats and headed out the door. They decided to borrow a regular car instead of the limo and were at the track in no time. The boys and Jody rented skates while Melissa, Stella, and Emily put theirs on.

"Will one of you say go?" Emily called to them as they were putting on skates. The boys looked up and then looked at Jody with a confused look.

"They're going to race a 500. Ready? Set? Go!" Jody yelled. The boys were watching in awe as they zipped around the track. The lead had o change about five times before Stella cut in front on the last stretch and pulled it out with Melissa and Emily close behind.

"You guys are amazing. Stella, I bet you'd give that Apolo guy a run for his money," Kevin said. Stella's eyes sparkled when she was compared to her idol. She may be the most girly of her friends, but she had amazing talent when it came to short track.

They hung out at the track for awhile. The girls had many races, but Joe, Nick, and Kevin said they'd race the next time they came to the track. Melissa assured them it would be soon. They had quick dinner in town before Joe got ready to head over to Lori's warehouse.

"Be careful, Joe," Nick said as he got into the car.

"Good luck," Emily said as she started the engine.

"Thanks," Joe said and he watched them drive off before going to the warehouse. Two workers showed him the truck when he arrived and he drove off.

Waiting in the bushes were three men dressed in black and wearing ski masks. When Joe turned onto the forest road, one of them whispered

"Now." Joe was concentrating on the road, so he didn't hear one of the men board the truck. All of a sudden, he was grabbed from behind. He opened his mouth but was silenced when a sock was stuffed in his mouth.

"Drive the truck into that clump of trees and turn off the engine. Leave the keys in the ignition," the man commanded. Joe slowly turned the truck off the road and parked it. He didn't want to risk getting hurt yet. The man then pushed him out of the truck into the arms of his waiting partners.

"You guys go drop him off. I'll wait here," the man in the truck said. The two men holding Joe dragged him up to one of the abandoned old houses. There, he was handed off to two other men and a woman.

"This was a plan to capture us. Give it to him good," one of the men told the woman as they began walking back to the truck.

In the lodge, the others were waiting for Joe. Stella was frantic. Melissa was trying to calm her down. She had pulled up Apolo's Twitter account on her laptop and was showing Stella some of the pictures he had posted. It was sort of working. Stella was loving the pictures Apolo had posted, but was worried about Joe. They were all waiting in the lobby to begin phase two of their plan. Nick was also frantic that his older brother hadn't showed up yet. Everyone knew he loved both his brothers, but was closer to Joe than Kevin.

"I told him to be careful. Where is he?" Nick said.

"Oh, I just know something terrible had happened to him. Let's go find him," Stella said. She looked away from the laptop and stood up and began walking towards the door.

"Stella, wait. We were expecting him at nine 'o' clock and it's only 9:30. Let's at least wait until midnight. That we, if he was captured, we have the darkness to hide us," Melissa told her gently as she searched something on her laptop. "Hey, look what this says Apolo!" she said excitedly to cheer Stella up.

"Okay," Stella said quietly. "Let me see!"

In the abandoned house, Joe's arms were twisted painfully behind him by one of the men. The sock that had been shoved in his mouth was making his throat dry and he was glaring angrily at the man and woman, who were whispering to each other.

"It's Joe Jonas. I wouldn't mind being foiled by a Jonas. Can't we just tease him a little and chloroform if he cooperates?" the woman was saying.

"Fine, but I'm putting a sweaty sock in his mouth and we at least punch him once," the man agreed.

"Deal," the woman said. The man signaled to his partner, who began pushing Joe roughly across the room and down the stairs to the basement. As he was being pushed, Joe knew he would be at the mercy of these criminals until at least midnight. He and Melissa had made a deal that they wouldn't come looking for him until midnight. He decided to take his mind off things by wondering if Nick had called the Olympians yet.

Back at the lodge, Nick had decided to take this opportunity to make the call to Apolo and Lindsay and maybe even do some research on Apolo. He could tell Joe about it later. He dialed the number he had found earlier and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello?" a voice came over the line.

"Is this Apolo Ohno?" Nick asked.

"Yes, can I help you?" Apolo asked. He sounded very nice to Nick.

"This is Nick Jonas."

"Nick Jonas?! Wow, you and your brothers have great voices," Apolo said excitedly.

"Thank you. My brothers and I heard you were taking a year off before getting back to training. Is that true?" Nick asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Well, we have some friends who think you are amazing and we were wondering if you'd like to come on tour with us?" Nick said hopefully.

"No way! Of course, man. Thanks. Where are you guys now?" Apolo sounded really excited now.

"We are in Colorado, staying at the Mountain Lodge. Our friends will super excited to meet you, but it's a surprise. All us when you get here. Do you like mysteries?" Nick said quickly.

"Slow down there, Nick. Yes, I love reading and solving mysteries. If it's a surprise, I will call you when my plane lands. I'll probably be there by the time you guys have your concert. I can't wait," Apolo said.

"Thanks for coming. See you then," Nick said.

"See you," Apolo said and hung up. Nick now dialed Lindsay Vonn's number. Jody would love this. Emily would probably like it too.

"Hello?" a female voice came over the line.

"Miss Lindsay Vonn?" Nick asked.

"Yes, may I help you?" Lindsay said.

"This is Nick Jonas. You are taking the year off before training for the games again, right?" Nick asked.

"Oh my gosh. it is you. Yes I am taking a year off. May I ask why?" Lindsay answered.

"Some of our friends are huge fans of you. We were wondering if you'd like to come on tour with us?"

"Of course. You're in Colorado now, right?" Lindsay asked, becoming excited.

"Yes, the Mountain Lodge. The slopes here are great. It's a surprise for our friends, though, so can you call when you get here?" Nick said.

"Awesome. I can't wait. Sure I'll call. I love surprising fans. Thanks so much. See you soon," Lindsay said, then she hung up. Nick began researching Apolo on the lodge's computer and he found out some interesting facts.

In the basement, Joe was shoved into a chair and tied tightly to it. He was told to spit the sock out and he did so gratefully.

"Okay, Mr. Rock Star, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. What time are your friends coming to look for you?" one of the men said. When Joe refused to answer, the other man punched him squarely in the jaw. "I said, when are your friends coming?" the man growled, looking Joe in the eye. Joe just glared at him. "Okay then," the man said and took his partner aside. "I want you to beat him just enough to knock him out for about three hours. We'll get him ready," he said quietly.

"You got it boss," his partner said and headed upstairs. Joe almost groaned as a sock was again shoved in his mouth. He was blindfolded and his ankles and wrists were tied and duct taped together. He was carried to where the other man was waiting and put in a corner.

"Meet us in the van when you're done," the woman said.

Two hours later, Emily, Stella, Nick, Kevin, and Jody were pacing with worry. Nick had finished his research an hour ago.

"Nick, I think Danger is in danger," Kevin said, worry in his voice.

"Who's Danger?" Melissa asked from the lobby couch.

"It's Joe's nickname," Nick answered her.

"Alright, let's go search those abandoned houses Lori told us about, quick," Jody said.

When they arrived at the first house, Melissa said they should probably check upstairs first. When they opened the bathroom door, they gasped at what they saw. Joe was lying motionless on the floor.

"We can't untie him here. Let's carry him back to the lodge," Emily said. Stella's breath had caught in her throat when she saw Joe and she was now gasping for breath. Melissa was at her side quickly and helped her walk to the hotel while the others carried Joe.

Back in the suite, they laid him on the bed. Kevin and Nick cut the duct tape off while the girls untied him. They let out a sharp breath in surprise at what they saw. He was beaten and battered. His face was bruised the worst, but the rest of him only had faint bruises. He was also unconscious.

"You guys go to be. I and Kevin will wake you when he wakes up." Stella knew her voice was shaky even though she tried to hide it. Last night they had been content in her closet and tonight he was unconscious. She collapsed on the bed when the others left and a single tear rolled down her cheek. Then she heard a noise and looked up. Kevin was attempting to juggle and she giggled.

About half an hour later, Joe opened his eyes and smiled weakly at Kevin and Stella.

"Kevin, will you wake up the others in five minutes?" Stella asked. Kevin nodded and left the room. "Joe, are you okay?" she asked, hugging him gently.

"I'm fine, Stella and that's not a hug," he pulled her closer and inhaled the strawberry scent of her hair.

"What happened?" Stella asked after she had kissed his cheek and stood up. Before Joe answered, the others opened the door and sat down, waiting for him to explain.

"I was about five minutes from the lodge. I guess one of the men boarded the truck because I was grabbed from behind and gagged. I was pushed out of the truck and two men dragged to one of the abandon houses. They took me to the basement and tied me to a chair. One of the men asked me a question, but I didn't answer and was punched. Then I was tied up and taken somewhere upstairs. I guess I was knocked unconscious," Joe explained.

"Why didn't you answer the question?" Kevin asked.

"If I answered, you guys would have been in danger," Joe said.

"My hero," Stella said quietly.

"Are you hurt?" Nick asked.

"Only my jaw, but I don't know why," Joe answered.

"Joe I think you were chloroformed. That guy didn't have the heart to hurt you," Jody said.

"They know they weakened you, though, and are going to keep after you until they get information," Melissa said.

"I know who did it!" Emily cried. She had been looking at the clues. "It was Lori and her fiancée`. I remember seeing the buckle on a belt he was wearing and he wasn't there on the night of the robbery. The paper has a 'J' on it, which must be his initial. The hair is the color of Lori's. They want to collect the insurance money. I bet one of the men the men that captured Joe was him and they hired the rest."

"Great job Emily. You're right. The clues point to them," Nick complimented her.

"The day after tomorrow, let's search the old mine. I bet that is where the loot is hidden," Jody said.

"Why?" Joe asked.

"Because," Jody answered.

"Okay, but let's get some sleep now," Kevin. Everyone went to their rooms and Joe asked Nick if he had gotten hold of Apolo and Lindsay yet.

"Yes, they are coming. They can't wait and they are coming on tour with us. Wait until I tell you some facts I found out about Apolo," Nick answered.

"Tomorrow, Joe said as he turned the light out and closed his eyes.

I hope you liked it. I wonder what will happen when Apolo and Lindsay arrive and when Lori's fiancée` finds out that they know he did it. Please tell me in a review what you think of my story and what character you think you identify with the most. I Thin I am a cross between Jody and Stella. I love sports like Jody, but I am a little girly and flirty, like Stella. Plus, I love Apolo. Thanks for reading and please Review.