Joe tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. His worry about Jason kept him up, even though he was dead tired. He didn’t know what his family would do if Jason was taken. They had grown very attached to the little kid. Finally giving up on sleep, he decided to go to Frank’s room to see if he was awake. Not surprisingly, he was. Frank gave Joe a half smile.

"Can’t sleep?" he asked. Joe shook his head. "Let’s go down to get some milk," Frank proposed. They padded downstairs, and were surprised to see the light in their dad’s study on. They knocked and then went in. Joe was surprised to see his father sitting at his desk. What shocked him is how sad his father looked.

"Dad, what’s wrong?" Joe asked.

"Huh?" Fenton snapped his head up. He had been sitting on his chair, with his head in his arms. "Oh, hi boys," he said.

"What’s wrong?" Frank repeated.

"Nothing…but, boys, sorry for snapping at you before," Fenton replied.

"For what? You were upset, that’s understandable," Joe replied offhandedly.

"I still should not have taken it out on you. You’ve gone through a lot these past two weeks, and I shouldn’t have yelled at you. It’s just your mother, she’s so sick. I don’t think she could handle losing Jason," Fenton told him.

"I don’t think any of us can, Dad," Frank said quietly. "And, plus, Dad, they can’t take Jason away because of our jobs. No one couldn’t have predicted what Richards would do," Frank tried to assure his father, sitting down on the floor near his dad’s feet. Joe followed his example.

"That still doesn’t give me the right to take it out on you two. You were only doing what you could to protect Jason. You nearly gave your lives trying to protect him. I couldn’t have asked for more. I can’t ask you to do that again," Fenton said, taking a deep breath.

"Dad, you can’t give up on Jason. He’s a part of our family now," Joe said, putting a hand on his dad’s knee, trying to convey comfort. Fenton encircled Frank and Joe and hugged both his sons protectively to him. "As long as I breathe, I’ll try my hardest to make sure no one ever hurts you two again. No one!" Fenton thought to himself.

"How would you boys like to go camping?" Fenton asked, finally letting them go.

"Camping?" Frank repeated.

"Camping, fishing, hiking… just a couple weeks where you two can get to know you’re future uncle better, and we can have some time alone. Just the four of us," Fenton said.

"But what about Jason? We can’t leave him," Joe said. He was excited about the prospect of the trip, but they couldn’t leave Jason behind, not after this.

"Once your mother gets better, I think she’s going to want some mother time with him. While she’s doing that, we can have some time alone," Fenton replied, trying to sound encouraging.

"That sounds great dad, I’ve been wanting to do some climbing, and Colorado is nice this time of year," Frank added, smiling.

"Yeah and there’s rafting, canoeing, and the hot springs… Wow, are you sure two weeks is enough?" Joe asked, sounding excited.

"Well, we could stretch it to three, depending on how much we do and how tired we all are, but would you want to go if I arranged it?" Fenton asked, smiling at his sons.

"Sure," Frank said.

"Sounds great," Joe added, nearly at the same time.

Fenton gave his sons a big hug and started his computer, too hyper to sleep. "This is just what we all need. Now I can really be the father I know I can be to my sons… Yes, MY sons…I couldn’t be prouder of them both…And I’m going to show them what a true sportsman can do," Fenton happily thought as he turned on his computer to his favorite outdoorsman website.

Joe sighed, and Frank put an arm around his shoulders. "What’s wrong Brat? Aren’t you excited about this trip?" he asked.

"I am. I just wish I could be happy for Jason."

"Oh, don’t worry Joe! Everything will be okay, right?"

"Right," Joe replied, with a sigh.

"Don’t worry. Get some sleep. We both need a clear focus if we’re going to help Jason in the morning."

Joe nodded and went to his room, as Frank went to his. As Joe got into bed and drifted off to sleep, he realized they hadn’t gotten any milk!

Frank awakened Joe the next morning. Although Joe was not a morning person, this morning he couldn’t afford to sleep in. He knew child welfare was probably on their way, and Jason needed all the support he could get. He just hoped that Jason was here to stay. Joe couldn’t bear the thought of his mom suffering any more. She was too fragile now, and another heartbreak might cause her to have a nervous breakdown. He sighed and got out of bed. After using the bathroom and brushing his teeth, he put on some fresh clothes. Hearing a soft knock at his door, he knew it was Jason.

"Hey, good morning," Joe said, stooping down to hug Jason.

"Good morning," Jason replied hugging him back.

"Are you okay?" Joe asked, looking at Jason’s sad face.

"I had a nightmare that the lady who smelled funny came, and took me away again." He said starting to cry again. "She’s coming to take me away isn’t she?"

Joe picked the child up and carried him to his bed. He sat down, hugging the child to him. "Hey, it’s OK little guy. I promise she won’t come."

Jason didn’t listen and started to cry more. Joe figured Frank must have heard Jason’s sobs, because he came in through the bathroom door. Frank saw the child sobbing in Joe’s arms, and came over to them.

"Hey Jason, you won’t be taken away, we promise that," Frank replied, hugging the little child, encircling his arms around Jason and Joe.

Even Joe felt comfort in Frank’s embrace. He felt like having a hug himself, and right now he wanted his big brother. Gradually Jason’s sobs quieted down until he fell back asleep. Joe carried Jason to his room, with Frank following. Joe put Jason back in bed, and tucked the covers around him. Frank picked up the blue teddy bear where Jason had dropped it, dusted it off, and tucked it under one of Jason’s arms. They left Jason sleeping and went downstairs for breakfast. They were pleasantly surprised to find their father making breakfast.

"Dad, you didn’t have to make breakfast," Frank said, coming over to him.

"Nonsense, you two sit down and eat," Fenton said, pointing at the plates on the table.

Joe looked over and saw the plates with hot fried eggs, home fries, and toast. "Wow Dad, this is great."

Fenton smiled. "Good, now eat up. And I’ll take this tray up to your mother."

Both brothers noticed that the tray had toast, Jell-O, and yogurt. There was a large glass of orange juice next to it. He had carefully arranged a napkin and spoon next to them. Hopefully their mom could eat some of that. As they ate, they thought about what to make for Jason when he woke up.

"Frank, do you think we should make him pancakes?" Joe asked after a mouthful of the home fries.

"Sounds good." Frank agreed, "At least he’ll eat and won’t get sick."

They continued eating in silence, each enjoying each other’s company and the quiet of the early morning hour.

"Do you want some orange juice?" Frank asked, breaking the silence.

Joe nodded and continued eating. Frank went and poured the two of them large glasses of orange juice. He brought them back to the table. Joe smiled and took a sip out of one of them. It wasn’t long after that there was a knock at the door. Dreading who could be at the door, they both hesitated for a minute to answer. Finally, Frank went to answer it. To his relief it was Matt and Gertrude. Matt was carrying his black medical bag.

"Good morning, how’s your mother doing," Matt asked as he came in.

"I don’t know. I haven’t seen her since last night. Dad took her up some breakfast and we’re just finishing up our own. Where did you two go?" Frank replied.

"Out to grab some supplies," Matt replied. Gertrude smiled at the boys, and then went about cleaning up the house, as Laura would have done. Matt had told her what Fenton had to him about the child welfare authorities. She had cried half the night over her potential lost of the twins. Matt finally convinced her that she couldn’t allow her grief to get in the way of helping her brother adopt Jason. She cleaned the bathrooms first then started on the rest of the house. She wanted to wait until Jason had woken up before vacuuming.

After they finished their breakfast, Frank and Joe washed their dishes and the pans that their father had used. If the welfare authorities showed up before Jason woke up, they didn’t want a dirty kitchen to reflect on them.

Jason woke up an hour later. Frank fixed his breakfast, while Joe went to straighten his room, and change into fresh clothes. His father came in briefly to say that Laura had eaten the breakfast that he had made, and Matt had told her she’d be fine with a lot of rest. While Joe cleaned up Jason’s dishes, Frank helped Jason get cleaned up and changed. Staci had come over and agreed to take Jason for a walk with Boomer. Frank was able to put on fresh clothes himself and straighten up his own room.

"Frank, do you think they’ll come by now?" Joe asked, as his brother was surfing the Internet.

Frank looked over at him. "I really don’t know. I guess…" He was stopped by a knock at the door.

Joe felt his heart start to race, so he took a deep breath. Frank felt the tension coming from his brother and put a hand on his shoulder. "Let’s go," Frank said grimly.

Joe nodded and went downstairs with him. There they saw Linda Jones from child welfare talking with Fenton. Gert and Matt were there too. Linda wasn’t very nice looking. She looked stuffy in her business suit, and her large rimmed glasses made her look nasty, and she had a hard look on her face. They could tell why Jason was so afraid of her.

"Of course you know by now that the police told us of what had transpired over the last few days while Jason was in your care," Linda said, looking very hard at all of them.

"The police will assure you that my work, and the work of my sons was not responsible for what happened to him," Fenton tried to assure her.

"Never the less, Jason still came under harm while with you. In the eyes of the agency, this comes close to abuse," Linda replied, her face growing harder.

Frank could feel his brother tense up. He had to say something. "Richards was a mad man who targeted us only because we fit his sick profile, nothing more. We couldn’t control that."

"Jason was out of your care when he was kidnapped was he not?" Linda asked, looking straight at him.

"My girlfriend is more than capable to take care of him. She had her dog with him, and they were both nearly killed protecting him. We would have done the same thing," Frank replied, his own temper flaring.

"That still is not the point…" Linda began.

"What is the point? Our jobs are no different from a police officer," Fenton said, trying hard to keep his temper in check. "We all love Jason. And Staci, someone who only knew Jason for a couple of days, was willing to allow herself to be stabbed to try and save him. We couldn’t have predicted that a danger like Richards would come. No one could have."

"Look, Jason is just a small kid. You can’t guarantee his safety all the time," Linda fired back.

"Can you guarantee that? Can you guarantee that the person you send him to won’t be a child molester or abuser? Will that person be a parent 24 / 7 or dump him in daycare all day? Can you guarantee that he won’t end up in a state home with 30 or 50 other kids waiting to be adopted because you have his best interests in mind, when you know damn well kids of his age are less likely to be adopted?" Fenton practically yelled at her.

Linda was shocked. Sure, the system had flaws, but it worked, most of the time anyway. Yes, they had a severe overload of cases, but they handled it as best as they could. There have been children that fall through the cracks, but they still got most of them. That counted for something. Sure Jason’s age didn’t make him a likely candidate for adoption, but there was always a chance.

"Look, I know it’s not perfect, but it’s the best we have," Linda replied, trying to control her own temper.

"The best? Are you willing to actually say that to Jason?" Joe asked, finally able to talk.

Linda knew what he was talking about. Jason cried the moment she had taken him from the Hardys and refused to stop crying or eat until he was brought back.

"I want to say something." Gertrude said, speaking up. "I know we can give him the best home possible. Matt and I are willing to care for him whenever the Hardys can’t."

"Can you guarantee his safety knowing the line of work your brother does?" Linda asked her, causing Gertrude to want to cry again.

Joe nearly exploded. "Does that stop you from letting a cop become an adoptive parent, just because he makes enemies? Or a firefighter, because his job his puts his life on the line every time he gets a call? Look, we can’t guarantee his safety 24/7 the time. No one can. But you can be assured that we would rather die then see him get hurt."

"Look I don’t have any authority to take Jason away from you now. That’s for the judge this afternoon to decide, I’m just here to make a report, and trust me this does not look good," Linda replied and stormed out of the house.

Matt took his wife to the kitchen to get her some tea, while Joe sat down and put his face in his hands. He couldn’t believe it. He nearly let his temper ruin everything.

"Don’t blame yourself Joe. I lost my temper too," Frank said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"What do we do now?" Joe asked.

"What we planned to do." Fenton assured them. "We’re going to adopt Jason. We’ll just have to convince the judge we’d make the best family for him."

"You really want to be my family?" a tiny voice said behind him.

Fenton turned around, and Joe looked up. Jason was standing there with Staci and Boomer. Fenton walked over and took the child in his arms.

"I’ve course we want you as part of our family. Don’t ever think otherwise," Fenton hugged Jason tightly to him.

"Mr. Hardy, I can stay here with all of you today. I think Boomer likes having Jason take care of him," Staci offered.

"Well, he is a nice dog," Fenton said.

"Really? He can spend the day?" Jason excitedly asked.

"Yeah, he can stay," Fenton, replied.

Jason struggled out of Fenton’s arms. He put Jason down and watched as he paddled over to the dog and hugged him.

"How does Boomer stay so calm around children?" Fenton asked.

"Part of K-9 training is that Boomer learns when to be aggressive and when not to be. Since he is a housedog, his training is more like tricks, little things he does for rewards. He won’t be aggressive around Jason unless he senses danger," Staci explained.

Fenton was relieved. He was initially reserved about having a dog as big as Boomer in the house, but Jason seemed so happy with Boomer that he didn’t mind. Jason took Boomer upstairs and Staci followed.

"How’s Mom? Can she make it to the court date?" Joe asked.

Fenton shook his head. "She can barely lift a spoon to eat. There’s no way she can appear."

"I can appear." Staci said, coming back down, "And I’ll bring Boomer with me."

"Wait, I thought only dogs for the handicapped were allowed in the court house," Frank said.

"I can get special permission for Boomer since he’s considered a police dog," Staci replied.

Staci walked over to Frank. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"We’re all just a little strained," he replied, sitting down.

"It’s going to be all right. Who’s the judge you’re having the appearance with?" Staci asked.

"Judge Hawthorne," Fenton replied.

Nobody heard Gertrude gasp in the kitchen. Judge Hawthorne was the judge they had to report to later that afternoon!

"I’ve met Judge Hawthorne. He’s tough when it comes to criminals, but he does have a soft spot. I’ve met him and his wife before at a police function my dad went to," Staci said.

"So you’re saying we might have a chance?" Joe asked, hopefully looking into her eyes.

Staci smiled, "Yeah, I think you do."

***

"All rise," the bailiff announced.

Everyone stood as Judge Hawthorne entered the courtroom. "You may be seated," Judge Hawthorne announced as he sat down.

"The first case today is a petition by Fenton Hardy and Laura Hardy to adopt Jason Lewis. Is the petitioning party here?" Judge Hawthorne asked.

"Yes, your honor," Larry Anderson, the Hardy family attorney spoke.

"Am I to understand that the child has come under danger since living with the Hardy family?" Judge Hawthorne asked.

"With all due respect Your Honor, the last incident was not due to the job of Fenton Hardy or his sons. Richards has been arrested and is now in Belvue under maximum security," Larry replied.

"The report by Linda Jones says that she feels that the Hardy family will not make a suitable home for Jason. Do you wish to comment on that?" Judge Hawthorne asked.

"If it pleases the court, I ask that Fenton Hardy be allowed to speak, and his sons as well. Staci Rivera also wishes to speak," Larry said.

Judge Hawthorne looked and saw Staci sitting with the Hardy family with Boomer lying by her feet. She knew Judge Hawthorne couldn’t be friendly towards her in a courtroom setting.

"Alright you may speak, but make it brief. Then I will speak to Jason in my chambers. Only then will I make a decision," Judge Hawthorne replied.

Fenton was first to speak. "I know my job is not the safest in the world. I cannot guarantee that Jason will be safe all the time. But I promise the court I will do my best to make it so. Please, my wife and I will do our best to give Jason a family life."

"Where is your wife?" Judge Hawthorne asked.

"She’s sick and couldn’t attend. The doctor felt it was best for her to stay in bed," Fenton replied.

"Your opinion is noted. You said your sons wanted to speak?" Judge Hawthorne asked.

Fenton nodded. Frank stood up first. "I know our jobs are dangerous. I know that every time my brother and I investigate cases. We promise to give Jason a family and love him with everything we have."

Joe stood up and took a deep breath. "Your Honor, I know Jason is a small child, and doesn’t understand the work we do, or why the welfare authorities say he can’t stay with us. I want you to know that Jason will be loved and cared for."

Staci stood up. "Your Honor, my dad must have already told you what Boomer and I went through. Jason was a small child and Boomer and I risked our lives to protect him. I know Jason hasn’t been with the Hardys for very long, but I also know that he’s been there long enough to know that he’s loved and will be protected."

Judge Hawthorne nodded. "All right. I will note what you’ve said, and I will speak to Jason in private in my chambers."

"Your honor, if I may ask. Please take Boomer with you. Jason is very scared to be in here, and Boomer will help him calm down," Staci said.

Judge Hawthorne looked at Boomer. "Am I right in that he’s received K-9 training?"

Staci nodded. Judge Hawthorne nodded to bailiff who came and took Boomer’s leash.

"Obey, Boomer," Staci commanded.

"Come," the bailiff said, and Boomer obediently followed him.

Jason was sitting in the judge’s chair, playing with some paper and crayons that the bailiff had given him. He brought Boomer into the room. Jason came over and hugged the dog, who sat and let the child hug him.

"Hi Jason, my name is Judge Hawthorne," Hawthorne said, smiling at the small child.

"Hello, can I go home with my daddy now?" Jason asked.

"Well that depends on whether I think you should go home with the Hardys. Why don’t you sit on the chair so we can talk," Judge Hawthorne said.

Jason eagerly sat in the big padded chair. Judge Hawthorne sat in a chair next to that one. The bailiff left them and closed the door behind him.

"Do you like living with the Hardys?" Judge Hawthorne asked.

"Yeah. I get my own room, and lots of toys. Boomer comes over to visit all the time, and all my brothers’ friends are really nice to me. Last week my brothers took me to the movies and the fair. Mommy is always making me pancakes," Jason happily answered.

"You like pancakes?" Judge Hawthorne asked. Jason nodded. "Me too, my wife makes the best pancakes in town. Now you do know that Fenton Hardy is your uncle, Laura is your aunt, and Frank and Joe are your cousins?"

"They asked me what I thought, and I know they’re my new mommy and daddy, and my new brothers," Jason proudly said.

Judge Hawthorne nodded, knowing that some day the truth would make sense to Jason. Right it was only right to let him think that he had a real mom and dad, and real brothers.

"Now Jason, I have to ask you some important questions, and it’s important that you answer them truthfully," Judge Hawthorne said.

Jason nodded, "I promise. Daddy told me that I have to tell to the truth to all the questions you ask me."

Judge Hawthorne smiled. "Well, he’s right." Then his face became serious. "Now you do realize why some people say you should live with the Hardys?"

"Because they think that the bad people might hurt me," Jason answered.

"That’s right. They think that they might hurt you in order to get your new dad or your brothers to do something against the law or each other." Judge Hawthorne replied, "That’s why they say you shouldn’t live there."

"But they take care of me. Frank and Joe read me stories and sing me songs when I go to sleep. Mommy makes me all my favorite foods. She can’t right now because she’s sick. But Staci and Frank and Joe make them for me. Sometimes Daddy makes them. And they always make sure I eat my carrots, and help me tie my shoes. One time when I couldn’t do it right, Joe showed me how to brush my hair," Jason explained, wanting to say everything his new family had been doing for him.

"Do you feel safe with them?" Judge Hawthorne asked.

"They protect me. One time when the monsters in my dream came for me, Frank and Joe scared them away; they even let Boomer sleep in my room so they wouldn’t harm me. Daddy always holds my hand when we go anywhere, and he carries me to the car. They always make me sit in my special seat in the van, or in Daddy’s car," Jason answered.

Judge Hawthorne smiled. "So you really like living with them? How would you feel if you had to leave?" Jason’s lower lip began to tremble. He gave a small shrug, and tried not to cry.

"I like living with them. They said that I can call that my room and my house now. And Staci promised to bring Boomer over any time I couldn’t sleep. Her daddy is a police officer. He let me sit in his police car, and I rang the siren," Jason replied, his voice wavering. "Can I go home now?"

Judge Hawthorne smiled. "I don’t see why not."

"Really? I can go home?" Jason, all thoughts of tears gone.

"Yes, you may," Judge Hawthorne replied.

"I don’t have to go with that lady with stinky breath?" Jason asked.

Judge Hawthorne smiled. He knew she was talking about Linda. While she did care about the children on her list, the woman had obviously never heard the words, toothbrush, mouthwash, mint, and dentist.

"No sweetie. You can go home with your family. Now you stay here, and I’ll send the Hardys in for you," Judge Hawthorne replied. Jason leaped down from the chair and threw his arms around the judge’s knees.

"Thank you!" he said happily. The judge laughed and hugged Jason back, transported back into a time where his own son would hug him like that.

"You’re welcome, kiddo," he said warmly.

"Can Boomer stay?" Jason asked, going over and hugging the dog.

"Yes, he can," Judge Hawthorne replied.

Judge Hawthorne knocked on the door. The bailiff opened the door and announced that he was coming back into the courtroom.

"Well, I’ve made my decision," Judge Hawthorne announced. The Hardy family held its breath. Staci took hold of Frank’s hand, while Frank put an arm around Joe’s shoulders.

Fenton thought his heart would burst out of his chest.

"I’ve spoken with Jason, and I’ve seen you all in court before. Jason seems to be a very happy child. Yet the most important thing is the child’s well-being and safety. I know myself that it’s difficult to care for a child let alone raise one. I’ve seen your sons in the courtroom and in the normal setting. I must applaud you Fenton for raising such wonderful sons despite your job. You have proven that sometimes our observers are wrong," Judge Hawthorne explained. "Now for my decision."

"I order that the permanent adoption of Jason by the Hardy family be allowed. I also order that the family and Jason report to the court once a year to update on the progress of the child and to assure that he is getting the best care possible. I also order that Jason, once he reaches the age of 18 or earlier if you feel the time is right, be allowed to know who his real family is, and where he was adopted from. I’m also ordering that all insurance benefits stemming from the life insurance of Jason’s biological parents be put into a trust fund until he’s age 18, upon which he will only be allowed to use it to further his education or support his family if he chooses the military, police, or firefighter professions. I trust that you will encourage him to be the best that he can be?" Judge Hawthorne asked. They all nodded, smiling happily. "Then without further delay you may take the child from my chambers. The bailiff will show you there."

The family rushed to get Jason and take him home as fast as they could. Fenton picked up Jason and wouldn’t let him go.

"Come on Jason, let’s go home and take care of your mother," Fenton said.

They piled into the brothers’ van, and stopped at an outdoor ice cream parlor called Patt’s Water Ice. Jason laughed as Boomer slopped up a small dish of vanilla ice cream.

Jason laughed. "He looks funny with ice cream on his nose."

They others laughed too. "Yeah, he does," Frank remarked.

After dropping off Staci and Boomer they drove home. They were greeted by Matt and Gert who had to leave, but said that they were going to do some shopping for their home. Seeing the happy looks on their faces, they couldn’t tell them where they were really going.

"Can I tell mommy I can stay forever?" Jason asked.

"Not now Jason. Let’s let her get her sleep, then we can tell her," Fenton told him.

Jason nodded and yawned.

"It looks like it’s your naptime. Why don’t you go lay down. I’m going to go to the market and pick up some stuff, and we can surprise your mom," Fenton said.

Jason smiled and gave his new father a big hug. Then he leaned back and with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, asked, "Daddy? Can I have a new toy?" he asked. Fenton groaned, then laughed, shaking his head. As he walked out the door, the boys heard him mutter,

"Just as bad as Frank and Joe…" Laughing, Frank carried Jason upstairs, while Joe checked in on his mom. Laura was sleeping peacefully, but Joe knew that later tonight she’d be feeling much better. While she wasn’t going to be the mother to the twins, she was still going to be the mother to a wonderful little boy. Joe knew his mother was going to be the best that she could. "Hey…she raised me!" he thought with a grin. When Joe got back to Jason’s room, Frank had already changed him, and was tucking him in bed.

"May I have a lullaby?" Jason asked, looking tired.

Both Frank and Joe smiled and began to sing.

Jason’s eyes closed and he clutched the blue bear tightly to him. Both brothers knelt down and kissed their new little brother on his forehead. They left leaving the door open a little in case he needed them. They went downstairs and quietly watched TV, patiently waiting for their father to return. Tonight was going to be the first night they could truly celebrate. Now, they were a family.

* I Like to Teach the World to Sing (I like to Build a World Home) by Backer - Cook - Davis – Greenaway (Think of the Cola-Cola commercial)