A/N: Thanks for the reviews Virtute, Leya and Don't Ever Forget! They made me smile. I had fun pairing up Frank and Fenton. I love seeing Fenton as their mentor and really helping them learn how to be detectives. He stays involved here, but it does get back to Frank and Joe working as a team. In fact, Joe gets jolted out of his testosterone haze and back into the case rather quickly by the end of this chapter. LOL Thanks again to everyone reading!

Chapter 30

As they passed through the swinging doors into the dimly lit kitchen, Joe reached for Emily, turning her around and drawing her into him. As she rested her hands on his shoulders for balance, he gazed down at her. She stared back at him, her eyes wide. She was so beautiful, and he hadn't stopped wanting her for his own from the first moment he'd seen her. He slid his thumb over her lower lip, trying to steady his breathing. He needed to be gentle. Tender. Slow. Whatever it took not to frighten her. He lowered his head slightly toward hers and watched as she parted her lips in anticipation. He groaned low, closed his eyes and slid his hand around to the back of her neck, tilting her mouth to his. When his lips finally touched hers, he could feel a surge of heat course through his body. She was soft and warm and tasted like heaven. He felt her melt into him as he slid his other arm around her waist, and pulled her against him more fully. She reached her hands around his neck, holding him tightly as the kiss intensified. Joe broke the connection briefly to stare into her eyes. "Wow," he murmured, before he covered her mouth with his again.

He drew her closer to him until his arms were wrapped completely around her, and his hands wandered up and down her back, caressing her gently. Soft. So incredibly soft. The urge to deepen the kiss was overwhelming and as he did so, Emily sighed against his mouth. That sweet, little sound was his undoing, and Joe fought hard to control the desire that swept over him as the kiss went on and on.

"Hey, how about that popcorn?" Mike called out from the other room.

Startled, Emily pulled back from Joe. Her cheeks colored slightly as he smiled at her. "I–I think we'd better get back in there," she stammered, reaching for the large bowl on the table. "They might start to suspect something."

"I think they already do," he teased as he reached for the stack of smaller bowls.

Emily blushed more deeply as she pushed through the swinging doors back into the living room. She handed the popcorn to her sister, Rachel, who gave her a knowing look. Mike grinned at her as he tossed one of the kernels into his mouth. "Glad you could stop making out long enough to remember the snacks."

"How could we forget?" Emily retorted. "You've done nothing but remind us."

Mike reached for another handful. "It's my 'make out radar'. My timing is impeccable."

Rachel slapped him lightly on the arm. "Just ignore him, Em."

"Hey, I'm just getting her back for all the times she walked in on us."

"I was thirteen," Emily reminded him, as she turned back to Joe, who sat his stack of bowls on the coffee table.

"Quiet, kids," Mr. Clark called out. "I'm trying to hear the movie."

Joe and Emily took their seats on the sofa again, with Joe pulling her into him closely. She snuggled against him and he pressed his lips to the side of her head. "Happy?" he asked her.

"Very," she said, smiling up at him.

"Me, too." Joe bent down and kissed her lips softly. They broke apart as a popcorn kernel flew through the air and bounced off Emily's head.

"Impeccable," Mike said with a laugh.

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

"Who is it?" Fenton whispered, as Frank moved into the stairwell.

"Not sure yet." Frank leaned forward slightly, peering through the false door into the restroom and beyond to Perriton's office.

"Whoever it is, they're not being quiet." Loud sounds of drawers being opened and shut and files being shuffled met their ears. "Can you see anything?"

Frank shook his head. "No, but the light's on. Wait." He held up his hand, as someone passed through his line of vision. "It's a man."

"Could be our pretend security guard. We need to be prepared to hustle down the stairs," Fenton warned.

Frank nodded and moved forward slightly as the man began to mutter aloud.

"Where is it, damn it?" the voice called out.

"He's looking for something," Frank hissed to his father.

"It's got to be here. It's got to be."

Frank's eyes widened as he recognized the voice. "Dad, it's Perriton."

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

"Thanks so much, Mom," Emily said, as she hugged her mother goodbye.

"You're welcome, sweetheart." Her mother patted her back. "You and Joe have a safe drive back to Bayport."

"Joe, it was nice meeting you." Steven Clark extended his hand. "I can't thank you enough for what you did for Emily."

"It was nothing, sir," Joe replied modestly.

"It wasn't 'nothing' to us," Mr. Clark continued, placing his other hand on Joe's shoulder. "We hope to see you again sometime soon."

Joe looked sideways at Emily. "I hope so, too."

Emily smiled, her dimples showing. "I'm pretty sure he'll be back."

Mr. Clark leaned in and kissed his daughter. "You be careful sweetheart, you hear?"

"I will. I promise." Emily hugged him tightly and turned to walk with Joe to her car. He held the door open for her and quickly moved around to the driver's side. He paused after he started the ignition and smiled at her.

"That was fun. I really like your family."

"They like you, too. Will you come back with me the next time I get a weekend off?"

Joe leaned in close to her. "You won't have to ask me twice." He bent his head down and gently kissed her lips.

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

"The museum director?" Fenton moved forward. "Let me have a look."

Frank stepped back as Fenton positioned himself so he could see through the slight crack in the false wall.

"I wonder what he's doing here at this hour?" Frank mused.

Fenton shrugged. "Lots of people work in their offices at night, son."

"Yeah, but he's clearly upset about something."

At that moment an object came hurtling into the bathroom and smashed onto the tile floor. Fenton jumped. "Clearly." He moved cautiously toward the opening in the wall and listened carefully as Perriton's voice got louder.

"How could he do this to me? How could this be happening? I will be ruined by this, and it isn't even my fault!" He banged a few more drawers open and shut, uttered a few choice expletives, then stormed out of his office.

Frank turned on the flashlight and he and Fenton exchanged glances. "What on earth do you make of that?" Frank asked.

Fenton's mouth pulled into a tight line. "I think we may have just discovered the person who's been searching for the mysterious paper."

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

"So then Frank went to push me, and I stepped to the side, and he took a nosedive right off the pier." Joe laughed as he told Emily of a childhood incident between the brothers.

Emily giggled. "I'll bet he got you back later."

"Oh, he did," Joe agreed. "But at least it wasn't in front of the cutest girl in the whole ninth grade."

Emily smiled broadly. "So did you win the girl?"

"Temporarily. Until I realized underneath it all, she was pretty...um, how should I say it...vacant."

"Ah, so brains are more important to you than beauty?"

"I like the total package," Joe said with a grin. "That's hard to come by, though." He reached over and squeezed Emily's hand. "However, I think I may have just found it."

She looked up at him through her eyelashes. "Likewise."

Joe lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. As he turned to look at her, a pair of headlights in the rearview mirror caught his attention.

Emily noticed the change in his expression. "Joe, what's wrong?"

"I don't know," he said slowly. "I think that car might be following us."

She glanced out her side mirror. "It does seem awfully close."

"Let me try something." Joe quickly turned onto a side road. After a few moments, the car appeared behind them again. His face turned grim. "Yep, definitely following us."

"What should we do?"

"I'm going to try to lose him," Joe told her. He deftly maneuvered the car through the streets of a neighborhood. The vehicle behind them kept up. "He's good, even if he's not subtle." He glanced over at Emily. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I know I'm safe with you."

Joe felt a surge of protectiveness toward her. "Let's try another strategy. I'm going to pull in front of that convenience store. There are quite a few people around. Let's see what he does."

He parked the Honda in front of the gas pump and waited. The vehicle behind him did not enter the lot, but slowed, then shot past the store. "Did you recognize the car?" Joe asked Emily.

She shook her head. "I've never seen it before."

"I couldn't read the plates either. They had mud on them." He turned to her. "Obviously someone doesn't want to be recognized."

Emily's expression was troubled. "Do you think it's the guy who broke into my house?"

"That's a possibility," Joe said. He saw the fear in her eyes and mentally kicked himself. "Don't worry. I won't let anyone hurt you." He pulled her into him and hugged her tightly. "In fact, I'm not letting you go anywhere alone. You'll stay at our house until we catch this nut and either Frank or I will be with you all the time." He felt her relax in his arms and he kissed her forehead.

She smiled at him. "Thank you so much. I don't know what I would have done without you these past two weeks."

"Hey," Joe said, his voice low and husky, "in case you haven't noticed, Emily Clark, I'm kind of falling for you."

She giggled and gave him a lopsided smile which made his heart flip.

"In fact, I was wondering if..." Joe cleared his throat nervously and paused.

"You were wondering...?"

He ran the back of his hand gently over her cheek and took a deep breath. "I was wondering...if you would consider...beingmygirlfriend." The words came out in a rush.

A slow smile spread across Emily's face. "I would like nothing more than to be your girlfriend, Joe."

"Really?"

She slid her arms around his neck. "Really."

"You're not afraid?"

"I'm slightly less than terrified, but I'm also tired of pretending. It's exhausting." She brushed back a lock of his blond hair that had fallen over his forehead. "I'm kind of falling for you, too."

Joe bent down and brought his lips to hers. "It's official then," he whispered, before kissing her, slowly and deeply.

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

"You think Perriton ransacked Emily's office?" Frank asked his father.

"I think it's a distinct possibility." Fenton listened carefully at the false door, then slipped into the restroom.

Frank followed him, shining the flashlight beam over pieces of the vase Perriton has thrown. "You think he attacked Emily?"

Fenton paused at the door into Perriton's office and motioned for Frank. They stepped inside and Frank played the light across the room. "Maybe. He's obviously angry over something he can't find."

Frank focused the flashlight on Perriton's filing cabinet. "And it's paper."

Fenton turned to see files scattered everywhere. "That's what the guy who was after Emily was looking for, right?"

Frank nodded. "He's physically more powerful than she is. He could have done it." He snapped his fingers. "One way to prove it though."

"How?"

"Emily injured her intruder. Stabbed him with a wicked shard of glass. He'd have a nasty cut on his arm."

"Then all you need is a way to figure out if he does," Fenton said.

"Oh, is that all?" Frank said and chuckled.

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

Emily felt drowsy as she and Joe drove down the quiet country road toward Bayport. He held her hand in one of his and steered the Honda with the other. "Are you sure it will be okay for me to keep staying at your house?" she asked.

"Definitely," he assured her. "I know Dad and Frank won't mind at all, and my aunt will like having another female around."

She smiled. "The testosterone level in the Hardy household must be overwhelming."

"For her, yes." Joe grinned, glancing sideways at Emily. "Even though she scolds us, I think she secretly enjoys it."

Emily laughed, then gasped as she looked up. "Joe!"

He swerved the car to avoid a pair of headlights headed straight for them. The car sideswiped them, clipping the front bumper. "Are you okay?" Joe called out. Emily nodded, unable to speak. He looked into the rearview mirror. "Damn. He's turning around. He means business." Joe accelerated, trying to outrun him. Unfortunately, Emily's little Honda didn't have nearly enough power to compete with the engine of the full-size sedan. The car gained on them quickly, nudging them from behind. Joe accelerated again. The car pulled to the side and began turning into them, trying to push them off the road. Joe applied the brakes and the car shot past them. "How close are we to civilization?"

"Um, there's a small town about five miles down the road," Emily paused, trying to catch her breath. "Right here, we're in the middle of farm country, though."

"Okay, well, let's hope I can out-drive him for a little bit longer." Joe braced himself as he saw the car turning around again. He sped up, hoping to pass the sedan before it came out of the maneuver. He managed to shoot by it, but the sedan quickly came alongside the Honda again. Joe attempted to cut him off, slowing the sedan for only a moment. He watched as the passenger side window on the car was lowered. The driver, wearing a ski mask, pointed a gun at him. "Emily, duck. Now!" Joe ordered.

He floored the Honda and pulled ahead of the car, as a gunshot rang out. The back window of the Honda shattered. Joe pressed the accelerator harder and gained even more distance between him and his pursuer. He heard the weapon fire again and felt the Honda sway violently. "Damn, he got the tire." Joe struggled to control the car, but without much luck. A sharp turn in the road came upon them suddenly, and he realized they were going to crash. "Stay down, Emily!" The last thing he saw before the Honda slid off the road was the sedan speeding away.

OOOOOoooooOOOOO

"Joe?" Emily called out. She felt his body pressing against hers. She remembered how he threw himself over her at the last minute, protecting her as best he could from the impact of the crash. She struggled to move, his weight heavy on her back. "Joe?" she repeated, this time with a note of panic in her voice. He didn't move.

Emily wriggled out from underneath him, and reached over to lift his head. She pulled her hand back when she felt something warm and sticky on it. Blood. Oh, no. No, please! Not Joe. Be all right, be all right. Please be all right. She pressed her fingers against his neck and felt a strong, steady pulse. She gave a shaky sigh as she gently leaned him towards the driver's seat. The car was tilted sideways, the passenger door resting against the ground, so she held his chest with one hand while she tried to examine him. She spotted a large cut on his head that was bleeding profusely. Fighting panic, she looked around for something to staunch the flow. Reaching backwards toward the glove box, she pulled out her first-aid kit, and still holding Joe away from her, unrolled some gauze and wadded it up. With one hand, she held it against his cut while she wound the rest of the gauze around his head, tying it as best she could. Then she carefully let him sag against her body. She struggled to turn in the tiny space, and managed to get him draped over her.

Stopping to try and catch her breath, she said a silent prayer as she laid him down across the seat in the opposite direction. She wriggled out of her jacket and slipped it under his head as she propped him up against the passenger side door. She tried to position him so that his head was higher than his heart and counted on gravity to help the bleeding slow a bit.

"Joe?" she called. "Joe, can you hear me?" Tears filled her eyes. Not now, Emily. You need to be strong for him. You need to get him help. She sighed and tried to open the driver's side door. It was jammed shut.

Fortunately, the window had broken and she managed to crawl through it, unceremoniously tumbling into the dirt and glass below. Brushing herself off, she stood and climbed up the side of the small ravine where the car came to rest. As she peered down the road, a horrible thought crossed her mind. What if that guy hasn't left? What if he's waiting to see if we're dead, and if we're not, finish us off? As if on cue, a pair of headlights suddenly appeared around the bend.