Frank, Joe, Vanessa, and Callie, Iola, and Chet arrived in Nebraska the next evening.  Iola and Chet had offered to go to help out the Hardys, now that school was out. Joe had agreed to that, and he now found himself wondering why on earth he had. Nervously, he kept glancing back at Iola, who was doing a relatively good job at ignoring him. Sooner or later, Joe knew, he'd have to confess to Vanessa about what had transpired between him and Iola- he just hoped it wouldn't be sooner than he was prepared for. He also knew that he should speak to Iola as well; although they couldn't be together, he didn't want to hurt her, and he really didn't understand why she was acting so strangely towards him.

At dinner that night, Joe took a few moments to sit back and observe his surroundings, for once, rather than participating in them. We'd look normal to most other people, he thought to himself. If only they knew. He watched as Iola and Vanessa acted completely nicely towards each other, but Joe could sense that Vanessa was a bit uneasy and Iola was a bit angry. Callie chatted pleasantly with both girls and Frank, but Joe could see the stress in her pretty face, and he felt horribly, knowing the news. He needed to speak with her. Frank was listening politely, as always, but Joe saw how he constantly had one eye on Callie or an arm around her. Chet was the only one who really was normal, as he munched happily away on prime ribs.

After dinner, Frank suggested that they all go upstairs to the boys' room to take a look at the case thus far. The more minds that were working on it, the better, he had said, quietly. Chet happily agreed, and headed upstairs with Iola. Vanessa followed behind.

Joe glanced at his brother, whom he'd unfortunately not been able to talk to since the previous night. He knew that it wasn't the right time now, either. "Frank?" Joe questioned him. "Go ahead upstairs I'll be with you in a few minutes."

Frank bit his lip, and replied, "I… um… well, I'm waiting for Callie. She's in the ladies room. I don't think she'll be long."

With a gentle smile, Joe prodded his brother in the direction that Chet and the girls had just gone. "Go ahead," he said. "I'll wait for Callie. Really, Frank. She'll be okay."

With momentary hesitation, Frank fought off his doubt. "Well, okay," he said, slowly. "I'll be waiting for her … and you… before we do anything."

"Get some chips and soda!" Joe joked.

"Okay," Frank replied, flatly, as he headed away from the table. Joe sighed. He couldn't really blame Frank for not finding things funny, but he wished Frank would see that his life wasn't totally over.
In minutes, Callie emerged from the bathroom and Joe watched her face change in surprise when she didn't see anyone at the table. With a small wave, Joe signaled to her. Seeing him, she headed over.

"Where'd everyone go?" she questioned him.

"Upstairs, to review the facts from the case," Joe answered her. "Look, Callie, can I talk to you for a second?" he asked her.

Callie took a deep breath. She really didn't want to fall apart right now; it was too hard to keep fighting simply to stay normal. Still, as she met Joe's eyes, she gave a small nod.

Draping an arm around her shoulders, Joe led Callie outside the restaurant, to the beautiful night air under the canopy of stars. He wanted to say so much to her, to ask her what she intended to do, but somehow, as he looked at her, he realized that it might not be appropriate. For someone who was pregnant, she looked thin and frail. Nothing made sense.

"How ya doing, Callie?" he asked her. It was all he could think of at the moment.

"Okay," she whispered. Joe stared at her. She looked so sad. Instinctively, he pulled her to him for a hug. She felt so small and fragile in his arms. He realized in that moment how much stress she must be under, and how Frank's reaction was not the only problem that Joe should have been worried about. In a few minutes, she pulled away.

"Thanks," she said, softly. Looking up, she met his eyes. "Frank told me that you know about everything. Thanks for not saying anything to me until I found out for sure. I don't think I could have handled it."

"Sure," he replied, feeling very badly for her. "How are you… handling... everything?"

"Oh, as best as can be expected," she said, with a small laugh. Joe had to admit-- Callie had guts. He'd never realized that about her before.

"Oh, Callie," Joe sighed, as he leaned against the fence and looked up into the sky. "This really stinks."

Callie laughed. "That's an understatement," she replied. It was so hard for Callie to keep her composure, but Joe always had a way with words. Somehow, he was managing to distract her from her own problems without even trying.

"Yeah," Joe replied, finally turning to look at her. "I guess it is." He gave her a small smile. He waited a few moments, and then continued. "Well, you look good. I mean, no one would ever guess."

"Thanks," Callie replied. "At least, not yet. Pretty soon, it'll be too clear. Some people have already guessed," she finished, thinking about her weight loss and the possible side effects of chemotherapy.

"Well, there are ways of hiding it, I guess," Joe said, thinking of how girls often dressed in baggy clothes. Callie, thinking that Joe meant a wig, felt her eyes brim with tears but fought them off. Joe suddenly realized what Callie was implying.

"So, you're going to go through with it?" he asked, knowing the answer.

Callie shot him a puzzled glance. "I really don't have a choice, Joe. It's either that or die."

Joe fought back the anger he was beginning to feel. Callie had already made up her mind without even asking Frank. He tried to remember that Callie was in pain, too; he just wished she would give it more thought. He chose his words carefully. "Don't be melodramatic, Callie. I know it seems that you don't have a choice, but you really do. You have to consider your options. I mean, have you considered how this is going to affect your life? And what about Frank? Are you really ready for this and all the responsibility it takes? What about college? It's kind of selfish to expect everyone to change their lives to accommodate you. I mean, it's your decision, and I'll back you no matter what you decide-just think of how everyone's life will change, not just your own." He knew his words sounded harsh, but he wanted to tell Callie how he felt. Besides, he did offer her his support, and he meant it, too. Callie's child would be Frank's as well, and he'd always stand by his brother.

He didn't expect Callie's reaction. She looked totally stung. He watched her as she took a shaky breath, and saw the tears slip down her cheeks.

"Callie…" Joe began, feeling badly. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I just wanted to be honest about how I felt. Please, don't cry. You know I care about you."

Callie literally felt sick to her stomach, and she brushed away her tears. I will not be mad, she silently thought. But she did feel devastated-she never thought Joe wouldn't support her. "Joe," she choked out, "IF you care, you have a funny way of showing it. I don't know about college-at this point, it may not be a viable option for me. And how do you know so much about options, anyway? Until you're in my position, you can't comprehend what it's like. Of course I've thought about how this is going to affect my life. My God, Joe! How could I not?! No, I'm NOT ready. Would you be?" Finally, Callie couldn't take it any longer. She felt like she was going to start sobbing, and she knew if she started, she'd never stop. She turned away from Joe.

"Let's go inside," she said, quietly. "I won't mention our little talk. And as for Frank…" she turned around. Joe was struck silent by the utter horror in her face. "He has been a godsend, and he never makes me feel like I'm a bother to him. However, maybe you're right. Maybe I am a drain on people around me. Don't worry, Joe," she replied, bitterly. "I won't ruin Frank's life."

Callie looked utterly defeated. "Let's go." She turned around and headed inside.

Joe began to think he shouldn't have opened his mouth. He had no idea how strongly Callie would react, and he felt horrible. Slowly, he followed her inside.

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The authors 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 them without express permission of the authors.