Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.
Thank you! To Wendylouwho10 as usual for reading for flow and content. Typos are mine and I find them all the time!
Rating/Setting: Rating is T. Started as kinda blue spine with a touch of Casefiles but is now completely AU. Frank is 20 and Joe is 19.
Author's Notes: So finally we draw to a close of this portion of my on-going saga to injure Joe without causing too many visual scars. LOL I HAVE actually started on the sequel as of yesterday! Feel free to PM and pester me about how it's going or see what chapter I'm on. I really don't mind and the fact that people are looking forward to the posting my spur me to write faster. ;-D
Now, about this chapter. It's a lot of 'snapshots' of non Joe/Vanessa situations before we get to the J/V ending. I hope you enjoy it and with that being said, here are the people who wrote reviews during the 25 chapters so far. If I left anyone off - APOLOGIES! , Anne 1994, Barb, BMSH, Candie Marie, Cary Kate, CentaurdyJackson007, Cherylann Rivers, Constitution Chick, curlingduck, Erin Jordan, FanHB08, JoeNeal, Joe's Fan, John Quest, Langley Lit, Liana Jane, Lina 59, Malec, MANUTD, max2013, MoonyEstelChase, nancy drew, nicolelylewis, Robin's Egg, SleuthCK, and sm2003495.
And one last reference to the song that went so well with this story: If you want to listen to the song go to youtube and search for 'demons by imagine dragons.' Go with the one by ImagineDragonsVEVO channel, it'll be the official one. You can also Google the lyrics for the song as well.
Thanks everyone!
Chapter Twenty-Six
"What are we going to do now, Al-Rousasa?" Maya asked as she seated herself beside Hassan and across from Al-Rousasa.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?" she asked incredulously. "He hasn't paid for what he did!" Her tone spoke as loud as her words.
Al-Rousasa took in her agitated state along with the calm demeanor of Hassan. "VanStall and Yates have made our point. All groups involved understand that the Assassins will take steps to eliminate those who interfere. That was our purpose. Your revenge was just an added benefit but was not our objective." He paused as he watched her reflect and calm down. "You do know the difference between personal wants and the goals of our organization?"
Maya only paused a moment before answering. "Our personal wants are subject to the needs of the Assassins. I am sorry for allowing my personal vendetta to cloud my thinking." She bowed her head slightly in deference.
"Apology accepted. As for your vendetta, I ask for you to put it aside for now. We have assignments that need your talents." At her quick look up, he added, "But if the occasion arises, you will get your chance at Joe Hardy again."
.**********.
Arthur Gray steepled his fingers under his chin as he stared at the screen in front of him. The screen was filled with Joe Hardy's information. His record with ORT was extremely impressive for someone who had yet to turn twenty. His talents were not being used to their optimum. He was much better suited for the Network. Now… he just had to convince that young man.
.**********.
Frank twirled Callie around on the dance floor and smiled as she burst into laughter. Pulling her back into him their bodies swayed together rhythmically. He leaned close to her ear as the music in the club was loud as usual. "Having fun?"
She pulled back and looked at him puzzled. "Of course! We needed this!"
And she was right he thought as he pulled her in closer and moved off the dance floor. They had all been through the ringer on this one. When they stopped near the wall he closed his eyes and rested his head atop hers. She had been his rock during the whole situation and he didn't even want to think how long it would have taken him and Vanessa to turn Joe's brainwashing around without her. Her conviction and unwavering love for himself had helped Joe look at his own relationships and just as Callie knew Joe just had to look at his own heart to know what the truth was.
Frank started laughing as Callie tickled his sides and pulled back. She grabbed his hand, "Time to get back out there!"
He returned her smile as he followed her back onto the dance floor. Her love of life and exuberance were on display for all to see. Yes, he thought. It is indeed 'time to get back out there.' He planned to live life to the fullest and definitely with the love of his life. Joe had the right idea after all.
.**********.
Joe pulled a little at the neck of his new polo shirt and returned his hand to the wheel. It had been a month since he had gotten away from the Assassins and he was feeling more and more like himself. He was practicing with the team and attending classes. While he still spent a number of nights at his house instead of the dorm, he was returning to a feeling of normalcy. Except when he looked in the mirror. His hair was still a little short, but at least it was all the same length now. In fact it was similar to a military haircut, just a little longer than regulation.
He pulled into a parking space at the Southport Marina. Vanessa had scheduled a private cruise on a small boat with picnic luncheon to be had on Presque Isle where a lighthouse stood with a park. The light was maintained by the Coast Guard and not open to the public, but the park nearby was open to anyone who had a boat or chartered one.
Vanessa had chartered the boat to take them and pick them up. She had specifically asked Joe to wear a nice polo and shorts and she herself was wearing a beautiful print halter-top sundress. Her hair blew in the breeze as they exited the van. He glanced at her again and thought how beautiful she was. But was she up to something? Her words came back to him: "Can't a girl plan a date with her handsome boyfriend?" And he didn't have a response to that.
"It's a beautiful day! I'm so glad we're doing this before the weather turned cold!" she said with a smile.
And she was right. There wouldn't be a lot of days with this kind of temperature after the weekend. "And it's just a regular date?" Joe asked again.
Vanessa laughed. "What more would it be?" She grabbed his hand and pointed to the end of the dock. "There's our ride!"
She and Joe made their way down to The Salty Dog and boarded her. They sat in the back and enjoyed the ride. The captain stayed mostly at the helm while his first mate (who laughed at the name as she was his wife) checked on them and answered any questions they had.
The ride to the island took about thirty minutes and Joe enjoyed every moment of it as Vanessa sat snuggled up to his side. As they disembarked, he heard the captain's wife say, "Good luck," to Vanessa. He wasn't sure what was up, but he knew something was. He turned while on the dock and took the picnic basket and cooler from the captain.
"We'll be ready to depart in an hour and half," the captain said as he waved at the young couple.
Joe nodded and made his way behind Vanessa down the dock, sparing a glance at some of the other vessels tied up there. He moved to walk next to Vanessa once they were off the dock. "You know, if it had only been the boat trip, that would have been enough. Having the picnic is really special."
Vanessa looked up at him and smiled. "You're special and I thought we needed this."
Joe smiled back and then looked to the path in front of them. The wind blew the salt-tinged air around them and he decided that she was right. They did need this.
.**********.
Thirty minutes later, they lounged on the blanket. Joe lay back in the sun with an arm behind his head. Vanessa lay on her side beside him, propped up on an arm and looking down at him. "What?" he asked her as he could see that something was on her mind.
Her beautiful smile popped out and she sat up to put away the few remaining dishes from the picnic. "Let's walk around the trail."
Joe sat up and helped her put away the last items. They sat the basket on a nearby picnic table and moved in the direction of the rock-lined path that went around the perimeter of the island going along the rocky shoreline in a number of places. The breeze had died down and was now just refreshing and blowing Vanessa's hair just a little so that she reached up and put it in a loose braid and pulled a hair tie off from around her wrist. Joe smiled, obviously, she had thought about this which made him wonder if there was something more to their island lighthouse visit. He glanced from her to the open ocean that now was before him. It was vast and at the moment relatively calm.
Upon reaching a spot with some benches and a railing to overlook the rocks and waves below, he moved to lean against the rail and turned his face upward to the sun. The warmth of the sun and the caress of the breeze added to the smell of the ocean and its sounds upon the rocks below, made him smile. As he opened his eyes, he decided he'd bring Vanessa back here when he proposed. He could feel the ring against his chest and it was only the fact that so many people, including Vanessa's mother, didn't want him to propose yet that he resisted. Maybe they're right. Would Vanessa just say yes to make me feel better? Do I have the right to bring her further into my life to live daily with the demons that haunt me so much?
Vanessa wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his back. "What are you thinking?" she asked softly.
He placed one of his hands over hers and glanced over his shoulder at the top of her head. "Just that this place is perfect for us. Perfect for today." He turned his eyes to the horizons. "No problems in sight. Beautiful weather." No demons to fight, he thought. Noticing there were no other visitors at this spot for the moment, he turned facing inland and the lighthouse and pulled her into his embrace. "It's like we're the only ones here." His hands rubbed her back. He turned his gaze from the lighthouse that was now in his view.
Vanessa glanced around. "It looks like we are the only ones here at the moment." She pushed back a little and looked into his eyes as she took his hands. "No time like the present."
Curious now, Joe asked, "Time for what?" The breeze was blowing her hair back off her face. She was beautiful and for a moment he was mesmerized until the spell was broken by her words.
"Joe Hardy, will you marry me?"
He could see the excitement and touch of apprehension in her eyes and all he wanted to do was scream 'Yes! Yes! Yes!' But before he could utter those words, the thoughts he had just moments before came rushing back. What right do I have to ask her to share my life at this moment? While he was doing much better, he knew that his captivity by the Assassins had hurt him in ways that Laird and RJ Couch never could. The Assassins had attacked his mind with an intensity that he hadn't experienced before. In fact they had gathered information about his demons with the Lairds and Couch and used them against him too. He closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them, he saw the hurt in Vanessa's eyes and knew he had to take it away.
His voice was soft and he stared directly into her eyes. "I love you more than anything, Vanessa. But right now my life is a mess." He paused and continued, "I want to marry you, but right now-"
He was surprised when she angrily cut in. "But we're young. Why don't we take some time? Why don't we just wait a year?"
Eyes wide, he slowly said, "You heard your mother and I talking."
Vanessa's hands gripped his tightly. "I did." She shook her head. "If YOU want to wait then let's wait. I love you, Joe. But don't let my mother, Dr. Childers, or your family convince you that we have to wait for your therapy in order to make informed decisions." She smiled as she stepped closer. She dropped his hands reached up to place them on either side of his head. Her eyes bored into his as his hands moved to hold her waist. "I've looked into your eyes and your demons don't scare me. We can fight them together."
Her words triggered something deep within him. Vanessa had found his fear and she wasn't afraid. She knew what he feared and she had made her choice. On her own. She loves me for who I am, not who she wants me to be. His mother had been right all those months back. He leaned down and kissed her passionately. Her arms twined around his neck and threaded through his lengthening hair. Time slowed down and when they broke from their kiss, he drew a deep breath and stepped back. He reached up behind his neck and found the clasp for the necklace he wore. Quickly he unfastened it and pulled the length from beneath his shirt. Carefully he let the ring slide off the chain and into his hand. He pocketed the chain and knelt on one knee while Vanessa watched him in surprise.
Looking up at her, he took her hand and said, "Yes, I'll marry you. Will you marry me, Vanessa Bender?" He took her hand and slid the ring on her fourth finger. He smiled up at her as he asked, "Changed your mind?"
She dropped to her knees and threw her arms around his neck almost knocking him over. "Yes! Yes! I'll marry you!"
Joe laughed as he regained his balance and held her tightly. After a moment they stood and embraced again.
"I didn't know you had the ring with you," she said as she gazed at it in amazement.
He smoothed her hair as he said, "I've worn it around my neck every day since I returned home." He smiled as she continued to look at the ring. "You know our parents aren't going to be very happy that we're engaged."
Vanessa chuckled and turned her smile upon him. "They're going to be even more surprised that we're married."
Joe frowned. "Married?"
"I guess I didn't finish my proposal." The smile was still on her face as she put her arms around his neck. "Let's elope."