Hardy Detective Agency featuring Hardy Boys Fan Fiction

"Nothing that a hot shower and a nice mug of hot chocolate won't cure. Thanks for all the driving around tonight. I owe you," Joe said. "See you around."

"Take it easy, okay, Hardy?" Biff said, the concern in his voice genuine.

Joe nodded with a tired smile. "Don't think I have the energy to get into any more trouble tonight. Thanks again." Biting back a groan, he climbed slowly out of the car and gave his friend a parting wave. Hugging himself tightly against the frigid wind, he limped quickly toward the front door.

Even before he could close the door behind him, he heard his mother's voice calling out. "Frank? Joe? Is that you?"

"It's me, Mom," Joe answered, rubbing his arms briskly in an effort to chase away the cold.

"My goodness, what happened to you? And where is your brother?" Laura Hardy came to an abrupt stop when she caught sight of her bedraggled younger son. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

"I'm all right, Mom. Really," Joe said.

"You look frozen! Where's your jacket?" Laura hurried forward, wrapping her arm around her son. "You feel frozen! What happened?"

"I would really love some hot chocolate right now, Mom," Joe said, trying to still his chattering teeth.

Laura grabbed the throw from the nearby sofa and draped it around her shivering son. With her hand still on his arm, she led him into the warmly lit kitchen.

"Sit down. I'll have the hot chocolate ready in just a minute," she directed.

Joe pulled the soft blanket around him, luxuriating in its warmth. The abrupt change from cold to warmth and the light of the kitchen was making him light-headed and he closed his eyes.

"Frank's not home yet?" he asked, his eyes still closed.

"I thought he was with you," his mom replied as she heated up the milk, all the while casting anxious glances at her son's pale face. She felt that familiar lurch in her stomach. Something had happened.

"Guess he must be driving Callie home then," Joe said, half to himself.

A moment later, she set the steaming mug before her son and touched his arm gently. "Joe, the hot chocolate is ready."

He opened his eyes and gave her a tired smile. "Thanks, Mom."

She had the uneasy feeling that his eyes were not in full focus, but said nothing as she pulled a chair up along side of his. She rested a hand on his shoulder and watched as he took eager sips of the warming liquid.

It wasn't until half of the mug was gone that Joe looked at her and gave her a real smile this time. "That really hit the spot. You still make the best hot chocolate, Mom."

"So, are you ready to tell me what happened?" she asked, her voice quiet.

He grimaced and looked pleadingly at her. "I don't think you want to hear it."

She arched a brow. "If you put it that way, then I definitely want to hear it."

At this moment, they heard the front door opened and Frank's voice immediately followed. "Mom, is Joe home?"

"We are in the kitchen, honey!" Laura answered. She stood up and set about heating more milk, knowing that her older son no doubt would appreciate a mug of hot chocolate as well.

"Joe!" Frank burst into the kitchen. When he caught sight of his younger brother sitting at the kitchen table, seemingly whole and enjoying his hot chocolate, Frank could at last feel the nerves in his stomach unclenching. "You okay?"

Joe gave his brother a weak smile. "Still in one piece, as you can see."

Frank's eyes swept over the younger Hardy carefully, as if to make sure that he was not being lied to. Laura set down the second mug of hot chocolate and resumed her seat by her younger son.

"Frank, your hot chocolate," she urged as Frank continued to scrutinize his younger brother.

"Thanks, Mom." Having satisfied himself that Joe was indeed in one piece, Frank at last sat down. "So, are you going to tell me what happened to you tonight or do I have to shake it out of you?"

Joe drew in a deep breath and set down his empty mug, while using one hand to pull at the slipping blanket. "Well, you got my message that I was over at Jason's house tonight."

"Who's Jason?" Laura asked.

"He's a kid that I met at the Center. He needed help with a school project so I offered to go over to his house to help him with it. Frank was going to the movies with Callie tonight and was to pick me up from the Center after the movie. I left him a message on his phone telling him where I was," Joe explained, his eyes on his older brother.

Frank shifted, looking shamefaced. "I got your message. The earlier show that we had planned on seeing was sold out so we decided to wait for the later show." He looked at his mother almost apologetically. "I asked Biff to pick Joe up instead as I didn't want him to wait around at the Center for me. Unfortunately, Biff didn't know that Joe had gone over to Jason's house and I wasn't able to get the message to Biff until the movie was over."

"Breakdown in communication," Laura commented.

Frank shrugged. "Sort of, I guess." He then turned to Joe. "So how come you weren't at Jason's house waiting for the ride? Where did you go?"

"I was there. I came down to the foyer of the apartment at around ten o'clock to wait for you, or I guess, for Biff. I waited for more than half an hour but nobody showed up," Joe explained. "I thought something had happened to you."

"Sorry, Joe. Like I said, Biff didn't know where you were until I told him," Frank explained. "But why didn't you just wait in Jason's apartment for Biff? I gave him your number there and he would have called you when he got there. Why were you waiting in the foyer?"

"Jason didn't want his father to find out that I was over. I had to leave the apartment before his father came home," Joe explained. Seeing the puzzled look on their faces, he went on, "His father is not exactly a loving parent. You should have seen the bruises on Jason's face, compliments of his dad."

"He beat his own son?" Laura looked both horrified and angered.

Joe nodded. "For skipping school. I didn't want to be the one responsible for another beating so I made sure that I wasn't in the apartment when his father came home. That's why I waited downstairs for you, or Biff rather."

"And then what happened?" Frank asked, eyeing his brother carefully, wondering what was hidden under the blanket. And why was Joe wrapped in a blanket anyway?

Joe glanced away. "Well, like I said, I waited for over half an hour inside. I thought then maybe you couldn't see the number of the apartment in the dark so I decided to go outside where it'll be easier for you to see me."

Frank frowned. "Not the safest place to be, Joe, by yourself and at night."

Joe shrugged and winced as his body protested the movement. Frank's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

"Seemed pretty quiet at the time and I didn't think I would have to wait much longer." Joe paused and then added, "Then I sort of got distracted."

"What happened?" It was Laura who asked.

Joe let out a shaky breath and then proceeded to tell them what happened that night, being careful to skim over the more disturbing details. By the time he finished, both his mother and brother were looking quite disturbed, in spite of his best efforts.

"You said they roughed you up a bit, how?" Frank asked.

Joe shrugged once more. "Just a bruise here and there. Nothing serious. Bumped my head a bit, but you know what a hard head I have."

"Are you sure they are just bruises?" Laura asked. "Maybe we should drive you over to the hospital just to make sure."

"No, please, Mom. I am fine. I just want to take a hot shower and then get into bed. I'll be fine in the morning," Joe insisted. "I'm just sorry that they took that jacket. I really liked it."

"Never mind the jacket. We can always get another one. I just want to make sure that you are all right," Laura said.

"I am all right," Joe assured her and stood up slowly. "Now if you would both excuse me, I think I'll go and take that shower now." He bent down and kissed his mother on the cheek. "Good-night, Mom."

"Good-night, honey," Laura said, grasping her son's hand briefly. "Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"I'll be fine, Mom," Joe said as he headed out of the kitchen.

Laura turned back to her older son and saw his frown deepen. She let out a soft sigh.

"I know, he's probably hurting more than he is admitting," Laura said. "But you know Joe. We will see how he is in the morning and then take it from there."

Frank shook his head. "Sometimes I could wring his neck."

"I’ll let you in on a secret, I feel the same way sometimes," Laura smiled a little tightly. "I am just thankful that he seems to be relatively unscathed. It could have been much worse."

"That doesn't exactly inspire confidence, Mom," Frank said.

Laura laughed. "I know, I've learned to always look on the brighter side of things and snatch what comfort I can. It's the only way to keep my sanity in this household of detectives."

Frank rose and went to stand behind his mother, wrapping his arms around her shoulders from behind. "This household of detectives greatly appreciates all that you have done, and all that you have not said."

She patted his hands. "I know, better to be appreciated this way than to be scorned as a nag. Besides, Joe looked pretty beat tonight. I'll nag him tomorrow when he's at full capacity to withstand my wrath. It's late. You better get to bed as well. Who knows? Your brother might have left some hot water for you."

Frank laughed softly. "That will be the day."

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Disclaimer

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The Hardy Boys Fan Fiction authors of the Hardy Detective Agency have just borrowed them for an adventure or two. The authors promise to put the boys back when they are done with them. The authors do claim copyright to the original characters in this story. Please do not borrow original characters without express permission of the authors.