HDA - Living in Darkness Trilogy - Pt 2 - The Search

Warnings: This is an angry story: anger between the characters creates the tension- and dissonance- which is the theme of this story. As some of the characters behave rather uncharacteristically, I thought an AU rating most appropriate.

Plot Blurb: What would cause Frank Hardy to leave Bayport, permanently?

Splash Page: “Well?” asked Callie. She hadn’t missed Joe’s uneasiness and exchanged a glance with her parents; apparently they hadn’t either.

“Well . . . um,” Joe began. Then he just spit it out, “Frank left.”

“Frank left,” Callie repeated, not sure of her hearing or of Joe’s meaning. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” said Joe as he took a deep breath, “Frank ran away from home. He left this note. I found it when I came home yesterday.” He handed the note over to Callie, who took it with a shaky hand.

There was a stunned silence as Callie read the note before handing it to her father. Then, she flung herself at Joe, pounding him on his muscular chest as she cried out, “No! He didn’t leave me! You’re lying! You horrible liar!”

Joe just stood there and took the abuse. Even if he could understand that Frank had found it necessary to leave, he could empathize with Callie. Part of him felt the same sense of rejection and betrayal. But Joe, alone of all Frank’s circle, had not been rejected.

Special Notes: This story is in large part a product of the hours I spent reading stories by Stormwatcher, Phoenix, and Mellon-- way before Wishes was ever dreamed up and I formally entered the HDA world. It is also a product of my own anger, and served as a useful conduit for the wild, raging emotion that simmered inside last fall.

Special thanks to Purple and JD for taking the time to read and beta the story, and to Piper for encouraging me to post it.

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Disclaimer

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 original characters without express permission of the authors.