I'm so sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up! My computer didn't want to upload the file so I've had to retype it. Anyway, another longer chapter. Bare with me! Enjoy!

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"Joe!"

Joe turned around at the sound of his name. A grin stretched across his face as he saw Nancy Drew crossing the street towards him. She was dressed in a beautifully tailored gray pantsuit with three inch heels on and still managed to hurry with grace.

Frank's going to be upset about missing lunch. Joe thought. Personally he had never felt anything other than brotherly affection for Nancy but he couldn't deny she was a beauty.

"Hi Nancy," Joe said, kissing her cheek when she reached him. "Glad you could make it." He studied her face where Saffron had hit her and was glad to see the bruise was almost gone completely gone. You had to know it had been there to see the remaining ting of blue. Nancy caught his scrutiny.

"Joe, I'm fine. Almost like new," She said, smiling in reassurance. "Shall we?"

"You read my mind – I'm starving!"

"Joe, you're always starving."

Joe shrugged and laughed. "True."

The pair walked into the busy café in downtown DC. It was a little hole-in-the-wall place that sold burgers, steak sandwiches and the best fries in Washington. After they found a book in the corner and ordered drinks, Nancy looked over Joe closer.

His hair was still sun-drenched blond and his eyes were the same sizzling blue with a hint of mischief. However, he looked more mature and hardened. Nancy sighed inwardly – that's what happened when you worked in espionage.

"So how are you really?" Joe asked, his voice uncharacteristically serious. Nancy smiled.

"My ribs still hurt and my jaw is stiff but other than that, I'm ready to get back to work," She replied.

"Don't rush it Nan," Joe said. Nancy laughed.

"Now you sound like your brother."

"God forbid!" Joe said in mock horror.

"So how have you been Joe?" Nancy asked, folding her hands on the table.

"Getting my feet on the ground. How long as it been since we've seen each other? We used to run into each other all the time, whether working on cases together or on our own."

"Hmm…the last case we worked on together was when we caught ex-CIA Carl Dubchek in San Diego. That had to be over five years ago. We did see each other at your parents' anniversary party right after that, but I think that was the last time," Nancy said, her eyes widening. "Wow! That was a longer time than I thought!"

"Yeah. Well since then I've gotten degrees in criminology, naturally, and linguistics, if you can believe that, from New York. I moved to Virginia, near Frank, right after graduation to start working at the CIA," Joe said, smiling smugly.

"I never imagined you in the CIA. Maybe the FBI, but definitely not in intelligence," Nancy laughed. Joe cracked another Hardy grin.

"I know. It shocks even me. Apparently, I have a brain!"

"Twenty-four and you haven't found a nice girl to settle down with? Any women agents I should know about?" Nancy asked. Joe was notorious for his flirtatious nature.

Joe just shook his head, smiling, "Please, you sound like Aunt Gertrude. I like playing the field," he said with a wink. Nancy laughed again. Her ribs were going to be really sore before lunch was over. That was okay with her, she needed the laughs.

"How is Bess? And George?" Joe asked as the waitress refilled their drinks. Nancy gave her order to the waitress and waited until Joe was done to continue.

"Well, Bess has her own clothing like in New York, happily playing the field as well," Nancy said, " and George has been happily married for three years and is the head of the athletic department at River Heights High School. She just had a baby girl." Nancy said, smiling at the shock on Joe's face.

"George has a daughter? Why haven't I heard about this?" He cried, feigning anger.

"Expect an announcement in the mail soon," Nancy replied, smiling, thinking about her goddaughter. "Bess and I were thrilled and she's adorable! Brad is beside himself with pride and can't wait to make her a sports superstar. They are very happy."

Joe nodded. "I'm glad George found such a good guy. I'm still sorry Frank and I couldn't make it to the wedding, we were out of town on assignment."

"Understandable, George has forgiven you," Nancy said.

Bess and George had been on many adventures with Nancy. Joe enjoyed running into them as well. Especially Bess. "How is your dad? Is he still the number one lawyer in River Heights? Is Hannah keeping him in line? And why haven't you and Ned tied the knot yet?"

"Hannah complains the house is too quite. Dad is as busy as ever and worried about his baby girl all by herself in scary DC." Nancy replied, rolling her eyes but smiling.

Carson Drew was a famous lawyer and Hannah Gruen was their housekeeper that had helped raise Nancy after Nancy's mother passed away when Nancy was three. The conversation stopped as the waitress brought out the pair's lunches – a hamburger with fries for Nancy and a Philly Cheesesteak with fries for Joe.

"And Ned?" Joe prompted, popping a fry into his mouth.

"Last I heard of Ned, he was getting married to a girl he met at Emerson – that was five years ago," Nancy replied, swirling her drink with her straw. Joe frowned.

"Wait…what? You and Ned haven't been together for five years?"

Nancy just shrugged and shook her head. Her once long-time boyfriend Ned Nickerson had left her a long time ago. He had said that he couldn't handle Nancy being gone all the time, putting herself in danger and bringing her work home with her. She had understood. It had been an amicable break, but it had still hurt. Since then, there had never been anyone else that special.

"He couldn't accept my job and so we split up," Nancy said. Joe nodded.

Sounds like Frank and Callie, he thought.

"What about your parents? How are they handling both of their sons as CIA agents?" Nancy asked, changing the subject as she slathered ketchup on her burger. She had always liked Fenton and Laura Hardy; they had always been very nice to her whenever she had met them. Fenton was a private investigator and had taught Frank and Joe all they knew.

"They are very proud but Mom worries," Joe replied. "Dad is thinking of retiring soon and taking Mom on a long vacation. Mom always says it is too quiet without us home and we don't get home as often as we used to."

"I know how that is. It's been three years since I've graduated and been in DC with the DIA and the only time I get home is Christmas. How the times change," Nancy said, picking up a fry.

"You've lived in DC for three years and you've never called?" Joe joked.

Nancy smiled. It was the first time she'd been able to get together with Joe since that night on the ocean. She owed him and Frank her life – again. An unexpected pang went through her as she thought about the older Hardy. They had always had a special spark when they were younger but back then Nancy had been with Ned and Frank had his girlfriend Callie Shaw.

"Yoo-hoo, Earth to Nancy."

Nancy glanced up at Joe, a sheepish smile on her face.

"I'm sorry Joe, I got caught thinking about the old days."

"Oh yeah, the old days," Joe laughed. "Running around, seeing the world and getting into more trouble than possible for teenagers. The amount of different places we would run into you was astonishing! Australia, Amsterdam, France…" Joe ticked off on his fingers.

He refrained from mentioning Egypt, knowing how sensitive that case had been for both his brother and Nancy personally. Maybe that had been too close on that adventure. Joe couldn't be sure because Frank had never told him what had gone on between himself and Nancy out on the balcony in Cairo, but that was one of the last personal cases the three friends had worked on together. Now, seven years later – they had been thrown together again.

"Not to mention a few clower to home," Nancy laughed, "Padre Island, New York, Indiana…"

"I noticed you didn't say good old days," Joe pointed out. Nancy shook her head.

"No, I wouldn't say all of them were good. Working with you guys was fun, but sometimes overly dangerous and we were very lucky. But now we are trained professionals and know better."

"Still, it gets dangerous…" Joe trailed off, thinking about the incident on the Ark I. IF he hadn't stumbled across the parlor at that moment…he shook his head. Don't think about what-ifs. Nancy seemed to have had the same train of thought.

"I owe you and Frank my life – again. I never did get to tell you thank you," Nancy started, holding up her hand when Joe started to protest, "and so lunch is on me." Joe just looked at her for a moment and then burst out laughing.

"Deal." He said and dug into his sandwich.

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I had to cut the chapter in half so it would load. Part II is right behind it!