I'm baaaaaacccccckkkkkk! Hello! First I would like to thank everyone for being so patient while I finished school and everything. You're all fantastic!

LaurenHardy13- Thanks! I'm really bad at fluffy moments, but there's one in this chapter.

LLTIF- Yay! Thanks! That made my day… again

Guest- Thanks! Here you go…

Hardydrewsgirl- Whoaaaaa! I'd tell you to calm down but I'm laughing to hard! Sorry to make you wait so long! I'm trying to add more detail, I just don't want to be one of those authors that drags EVERYTHING. But hopefully this is more descriptive. *Takes and eats motivational cookie*

Chapter 4: Dinner and a Show

(Frank is 11. Joe is 10)

It was six o'clock sharp as Fenton climbed the stairs to rouse the boys. For the past two hours, Laura and Gertrude had slaved away in the kitchen preparing a meal of salad, garlic bread, spaghetti and meatballs, and apple pie for desert. Gertrude's pie had won first place in the state fair and was a guaranteed hit with the boys.

Fenton smiled as he poked his head into the first bedroom. As he stepped closer to the bed, his smile turned into a frown and his brown eyes filled with tears. Daniel lay on his back on top of the bedspread. His blonde hair fell lightly over his closed eye lids. It was what was in his hands that made Fenton tear up. Daniel held the last picture of the four Hardy's before Fenton's world had been torn apart.

The elder Hardy would never forget the day that picture was taken. It was the second weekend in June, and close to Frank's birthday. The family of four took a weeks' vacation to Belmont Lake State Park. Fenton's friend in the force, Sam Radley had a lake house down there and rented it to the Hardy's for free.

The quaint cottage was set far back, right next to the lake. The cabin was a painted a soft cream with black shutters and a red door. There was a wooden boardwalk that led from the front door to the edge of the water. At the end of the dock was a sleek motorboat painted blue with the name Angel scrawled on the side in white. Fenton remembered how much the boys loved that boat. He had promised them when Joe turned sixteen they could get a boat of their own.

It was a beautiful week. The sun shone brightly through the sparse clouds, drenching everything the light touched in a warm glow. There was a soft breeze that rustled the tall grass next to the lake. Fish gulped at the surface, catching bugs and birds chirped from the trees. Fenton and Laura were sitting in comfy lounge chairs on the front deck, enjoying the scenery and watching the boys play. Frank and Joe were playing on a rope swing which was attached to a tree near the water and the boys were taking turns swinging from the rope into the lake. They were both wearing floaties on their arms, due to the fact that neither could swim yet.

Gertrude sauntered out of the house and onto the freshly laid wooden deck with the family Polaroid camera. "Family photo!" She called, Fenton and Laura rose from their seats and the boys came running, shrugging off their floaties in the process.

"Ok, now Fenton, pick up Joe, and Laura do the same with Frank." The woman commanded.

Fenton playfully rolled his eyes but did as he was told, Laura grinned but followed suit.

The parents glanced at each other, and shared a discreet smile, mentally communicating in ways only parents understood.

"Say cheese!"

Fenton and Laura began to tickle the boys, making them laugh, and inspiring joyful smiles to light up their faces. At that exact moment, Gertrude snapped the picture. With the lake scenery as a backdrop, the photo turned out gorgeous.

Fenton sat down on the edge of the bed, tears still coating his cheeks. He gently removed the picture from Daniel's hand and set it back on the nightstand. The small boy stirred, and began to wake. Fenton quickly wiped his eyes and smiled. However, he didn't expect the first sound to come out of Daniel's mouth to be a scream.

Fenton jumped up from the bed, horrified. Daniel shot up into a sitting position and scooted back until he was leaning against the headboard. Footsteps could be heard hurrying up the stairs, and Michael came running into the room, his brown eyes blazing.

"What did you do to him?" He yelled, rushing over to his brother, who looked at him, concern filling his face.

"Michael, please calm down, I didn't do anything to him. I was just going to wake him up for dinner." Fenton put up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"He didn't hurt me, Michael. Just scared me." Daniel mumbled, his eyes downcast.

By that time, Laura and Gertrude had made it up the stairs and were lingering in the doorway. What happened? Laura mouthed to her husband.

Help me his eyes told her.

"Michael, sweetheart, it's okay. Why don't you and Daniel come down and eat. You must be hungry." Laura stepped in kindly.

The boys' stomachs rumbled loudly, they looked at each other and nodded.

"Okay then. See you two downstairs." Laura said as the three adults exited the room.

As soon as the door closed Michael turned to Daniel. "Are you sure he didn't hurt you?"

"Yeah." Daniel said as he got off the bed. "I was asleep and when I woke up he was sitting there and..." He drifted off looking at the floor.

"And what?" Michael inquired.

"And, for a second, I thought he was Dad."

There was a moment of silence as the last sentence sunk in. Then, Michael enveloped Daniel in a hug. "I won't let that monster hurt you ever again. You got that?"

Daniel nodded into Michael's chest.

"Good. Now let's go get something to eat, I'm starving."

They sat at the table in silence. The only sound that could be heard was the clinking of forks on plates as the boys ate hungrily. They had never had a meal this good, much less a meal at all.

"This is very good, Ms. Hardy." Daniel said in between bites.

"Thank you, Daniel. I'm glad you like it."

"And Mr. Hardy, I'm sorry for yelling at you." Michael apologized to Fenton.

"It's alright, son. I understand." Fenton and Laura glanced at each uncertainly. "Do you want to hear about us?"

The boys nodded as they ate their spaghetti.

"Ok, well, my name is Fenton Hardy, I'm almost forty years old. I used to work for the New York Police Department, but now I'm a private investigator. This is my wife Laura who works at an attorney's office, and my sister, Gertrude. She works at a grocery store down the street."

"If you don't mind me asking, sir. Why did you leave the police department?" Michael asked.

The three adults glanced at each other as Fenton continued the story with a heavy heart.

"Well boys, about eight years ago, Laura and I had two children, Frank and Joseph. They were the loves of our lives. We were just a typical family living here, in New York."

Laura picked it up. "We were so happy here. They loved to go to the park, just up the street. Frank had just turned three and Joe was two when it happened."

"It was the Fourth of July, and the boys wanted to see fireworks for the first time." Gertrude added.

"It was about two o'clock in the afternoon when I woke the boys up. We walked to the park and joined our friends, the Morton's, for a barbecue. The Morton's had a son named Chet and he was friends with Frank and Joe. At first, the boys were playing together, then they ate a hearty meal and Chet wanted to take a nap, but our boys wanted to keep playing, so we sent them to the playground with a ball to play catch." Fenton's eyes were moist with unshed tears.

"That was the last we ever saw of them." Laura whispered, and Fenton took her hand.

"We searched everywhere. The only thing we ever found was Joey's hat. The police couldn't find anything either. They told us the boys could have run away, but we knew better. They wouldn't do anything without telling us. Our boys were taken from us and it destroyed our family." Gertrude said, tears running down her cheeks.

"I quit the force to look for them on my own. The department was wrapped up in another case. So, I became a private investigator." Fenton reiterated.

"The boys in the photo?" Daniel asked.

Fenton nodded. That was taken at the lake a few weeks before they were kidnapped.

"What photo?" Michael turned to Daniel.

"It's upstairs. It's a picture of Mr. and Mrs. Hardy with two children." He answered.

There was a pause. "Did you ever find them?" Daniel asked quietly.

Before Fenton could answer, the doorbell rang. When he answered the door, he was greeted by Officer Con Riley, Officer Sam Radley, and a man Fenton didn't recognize.

"Hey fellows, what can I do for you?" Fenton asked his former co-workers.

"We're here to collect statements from Michael and Daniel Callaway." Officer Riley replied, and the three men entered the house.

Okedokey! I hope you all liked that chapter. Please don't forget to review. If anyone knows anything about lawyers or trials and stuff please let me know. I need some help for the next chapter. REVIEW for me PLEASE! Love you all!