The muse heard you! I'm trying to fit Joe in here a little more, but I feel like I'm just replacing "Frank" with "Joe". Next chapter, I promise.

Thank you ALL for your amazing reviews for the last chapter. Story is almost done!

Disclaimer: As stated before. I assume you're tired of reading it by now.

Holding Vanessa's hand, Joe looked around at the assorted police cars and government vehicles before them. He usually arrived on the scene before the cops showed up or after they were already there. He could also count on one hand the number of times that he had been practically ignored at the crime scene.

The Hardys had been shoved to the side as police officers and federal agents in nondescript suits sealed off the entire street and entered the building. A uniformed officer had told them to wait patiently because someone was on their way to talk to them. That was at least ten minutes ago. Sam Radley was engaged in a deep discussion with a NYPD Detective and hadn't even looked at them since he had first gotten out of his car. Not even Fenton's past on the police force was enough to get any information.

If it weren't for mom, they'd never even know about this in the first place, thought Joe grumpily. They could at least show her some respect. To people who didn't know her well, Laura Hardy looked as calm as ever. A tightness around her eyes betrayed her nervousness, but she was holding up better than Joe would have expected. She had been through so much already; had made so many hard choices. It would be so not fair if she got judged or criticized for what she did 20 years ago or two days ago. If any court sentenced her to prison, Joe would start thinking of ways to break her out. Maybe they could all live on the run in Hawaii…

As a new SUV screeched to a halt on the other side of the yellow crime scene tape, the six of them turned to look at it. The man who emerged from the driver's side had slightly tousled brown hair and looked like every other federal official except he radiated a sense of power and authority. At the sight of him, Fenton relaxed and the tightness disappeared from Laura's eyes. After conversing briefly with a colleague, the newcomer walked toward the Hardy's with his eyes fixed on Laura.

"Hello Jeff," Laura shook his hand. "Although there's no one else I'd rather see right now, I was hoping I would never see you again."

"Likewise, Laura," he answered with a smile. "When Sam Radley called me a half an hour ago, my first thought was that someone was playing a joke." He grew serious. "He mentioned something about a kidnapping and the Camarazzi syndicate, but no specifics. Do you want to fill me in?"

"Thomas survived going off the pier, but had a nasty case of amnesia," Fenton answered as Laura hesitated. "He just recently regained enough of his memory to come after us…"

"And he did that, how?"

"By kidnapping Fenton, Frank and Joe," answered Laura. "He hoped that would be enough to get me to rejoin him. You'll find his body down there. Fenton shot him."

"In self-defense," she added quickly, noticing Jeff's raised eyebrow. "Forensics will back it up, but the room is a carbon monoxide trap, so be careful." Her shoulder was starting to ache from the fight and she suddenly wanted to crawl into bed and pull the covers over her head.

"Doesn't explain how you managed to find him," Jeff said perceptively. Joe decided that Jeff reminded him too much of his father, always asking the right question that you did not want to answer.

"Used an old contact to track him here," Laura answered. "There was no time to call you, it was too late."

"Uh-huh," Jeff said. "No name I suppose?"

Laura firmly shook her head.

"No one you need to bother with," she said. "He's lost too much to return to his old ways."

"And you have gained too much to return to yours," Jeff said, his eyes moving to Frank and Joe.

"I'm Jeff," he said shaking their hands. "I knew both of your parents years ago. It's been a great pleasure seeing you follow in your father's footsteps."

"Thanks," said Joe. "Sorry to sound rude, but who are you?"

Jeff laughed. "I work for the FBI's taskforce on white collar crime. Years ago, I was part of the team that investigated the Camarazzi syndicate. Your mother kept us busy until she turned herself in."

"Once I did that, Jeff facilitated my pardon," Laura broke in. "He and Fenton had to fight to get it approved, but they did."

"Pardon!" Frank inquired as his mind reeled and his heart skipped a beat. "Then why all the secrecy?" His harsh tone of voice surprised him. Callie and Vanessa managed to look both worried and angry and Joe's eyes widened in surprise. To all present, it was obvious that Frank was really asking why he had not been told before.

"The official story is that Laura Basden's whereabouts are unknown. She is still alive and on the run," Fenton answered, making contact with each of them. "Warrants for her are still in the system. So, the police definitely would have arrested her."

"We'd noticed increasing activity around this area, but never dreamed of Camarazzi," Jeff interjected, seeing that this needed to be a private conversation. "I need to see what evidence is down there to see if arrests need to be made this morning. I cleared you with the other people around here. You are all free to go, and we'll collect any statements we need from you later."

"Jeff-," Laura started, and then stopped at the look he gave her. "Thank you," she said instead.

"Consider it even," he said shaking her hand and then moved on to shake Fenton's. "We still owe you for what you did the last time we met."

"Bayport Savings Bank was robbed earlier," he commented seemingly as an afterthought as he shook Callie's hand. "Hopefully the stuff will turn up before too long," he added, shaking Vanessa's hand. "I'd hate to have to get involved in that. I have much more important things to take care of."

As Jeff walked away, Vanessa kept a polite expression on her face. But she silently vowed to give up any further thoughts of a life of crime. Between Jeff and Joe, she'd never get away with it.

"Sam's coming," Joe interjected, seeing Frank turn toward their mom and directing his attention toward Callie instead. He caught Vanessa's eye and tried to pass strength and reassurance to her.

Frank leaned closer to Callie and gave her a hug. "I won't ever forget that you did it for me," he said softly. "And I'll always love and support you, no matter what."

"Along with Chief Collig," Fenton added, noticing the other figure. "How did he get here so fast?"

"When Laura's call came in and your name was mentioned, NYPD called him," Sam answered, his eyes filled with a silent apology as Collig approached. "We wanted to make sure you were all right."

"We're alive and in one piece," answered Fenton, knowing that they would understand that it was enough. "Thanks to you both for coming."

"Of course," said Collig. "I know you've been cleared to go, but would you mind explaining what's going on?"

"Have you heard of the Camarazzi syndicate?" Laura asked before Fenton could say anything. If she really meant what she said earlier about not caring who knew about her past, this was a good time as any to start.

"The case that secured Fenton's rising reputation when he caught them. The only remaining member of the syndicate at large is Laura Basden and she's been-"

"No," he said firmly.

"Yes," she answered. "That's who I was before I met Fenton."

"You- you." None of them had ever seen Collig speechless before.

"Thomas came back," Laura answered, coming to his aid. "And kidnapped them," she gestured toward her family members "to get me to join him".

"But you never would have joined him," said Collig dismissing that possibility entirely.

"Of course not," said Joe quickly. "He was absolutely crazy."

"So if you're Laura Basden," Collig resumed. "How come the federal agent who was just here didn't arrest you earlier?"

"Pardon," Laura answered. "But it was kept secret because it would have been dangerous for me if other syndicate members knew I was alive," she clarified. "I knew too much about Camrazzi operations for one thing."

A thought came to Collig and he looked at her inquisitively. When she nodded, he glanced at Fenton who confirmed the unspoken exchange with a glance.

"Wow," said Collig appreciatively. "I'm impressed. Not many people could have fooled me."

"I'm glad you are all ok, but you are going to the hospital to get checked out," Collig said returning to his normal gruff demeanor. "All of you, with the exception of Miss Shaw and Miss Bender. I'm getting an ambulance," he declared as four mouths opened to argue. "No excuses."

"Oh, I'll make sure you all go," Vanessa said with a sly smile on her face. "One way or another." The four mouths closed again.

"Oh -," said Sam, as Chief Collig started to walk away. "Before you go, there's one other thing."

Here it comes, Callie thought. He's going to press assault charges against me. I wonder if Frank will visit me in prison. Do I rate being held with a segregated population because I'm his girlfriend?

"I got this from an ex-con friend of mine," said Sam. He pulled the safe-deposit box that they had left on the kitchen table in Bayport out of a backpack. The six people froze, their eyes transfixed by the small box.

"No questions asked," he said handing it to Collig. "It won't happen again." His eyes twinkled as they met Laura's. Vanessa and Callie exhaled audible sighs of relief, which Chief Collig seemed not to notice.

"You can't do that!" he said. "I'll have to charge you as an accessory."

"You can send me to jail," said Sam. "But I'm not telling you who. It's a friend of mine who was caught in a bad situation. As you can see, the box was never opened and everything is intact."

Collig frowned. It was clear he didn't like the situation but didn't want to put Sam in jail. And there was an unusual amount of tension emanating from the group that he didn't want to know the source of…

"Everything's there?" he demanded finally.

"You can see that it was never opened," Sam answered. "Everything is there."

"No questions asked," Collig finally said. "But if someone does rob the bank again, I'll know where to look."

After talking privately with Jeff and ensuring that an ambulance would soon be arriving, Chief Collig left. He had more important criminals to catch than a bank robber who didn't do anything with the loot and probably would not be robbing anything again. The bank wouldn't care too much about the identity of the culprit as long as the materials were returned.

"Sam," both Fenton and Callie had spoken at the same time, and then looked at each other. As Fenton gestured that Callie should go first, she continued:

"I'm so sorry that I hit you. I know there's no way I can make up for it, but I'll do your dishes, iron your clothes, file your papers, anything! I did it for Frank, but that's no excuse. None!"

"It's ok," Sam said. "You have a good arm." Seeing Callie's disbelieving look, he continued "You do! And you've been put into a very difficult situation and you made the best of it. If I had a daughter, I couldn't be more proud of her."

"I know you, Laura," he added turning to her. "I know how much your family means to you and that you would never do anything to hurt them. I'm sorry I went off at you earlier."

"Forgiven, Sam," Laura said. "We should have told you a long time ago. And what you said really made me realize what I was turning in to. It was that more than anything that made me call the police and end this."

"After the way I reacted, I understand why you didn't tell me earlier. I wish I could have been ready to hear it before."

"There was another reason," Fenton admitted. "When I first spoke to the police about her, I lied to them. I told her she was never involved with the crimes she actually had committed. Telling the truth about her would have meant you finding out that your partner lied to the police. I did put it right, but I never had the courage to tell you. I was protecting myself just as much as I was protecting her…"

"You?" said blinking his eyes in surprise. "I never would have thought-" He had taken Fenton Hardy under his wing soon after Fenton had arrived in Bayport. He had started training Fenton, but had ended up learning just as much if not more from Fenton than he had taught. In all the years they had known each other, Fenton had never considered bending rules or working outside the law. Or so he had thought.

"Me neither," Fenton said. "If you want to stop working with me, I'll understand."

"Stop working with you?" Sam demanded. "Because of a mistake you made over 20 years ago and then immediately put right? I can't promise everything will be like before, but I'm willing to try."

"Sorry," said Frank after a brief pause. "Let's see if I get can get this straight. Dad lied to the police saying that mom was never involved with one of the most widespread syndicates on the East coast, but mom ends up with a pardon approved by the future head of an FBI task force?"

Fenton and Laura laughed. "Well," said Laura. "Your father was sitting outside of the Bayport Court house…"