Fabian Keebler was an idiot. A total idiot. A moron!

Not worth the money the organization had sunk into his training!

The leader of the organization was a very patient man. He’d waited twenty years to find the daughters of Judge Logan Whittier. One had been under the nominal protection of the Scarpetti clan, of course – and someone managed to off her anyway! he chuckled ironically. He could stand to wait longer, now that he knew where the second daughter was. It wasn’t likely that she was going anywhere, after all.

The old man might be dead, he mused, but the blood debt hasn’t been paid. And while the leader lived, he was going to make sure that blood debt was paid in full!

He smiled as he leaned forward. First things first…there are a few holes to plug.

The man reached for the phone on his desk, and dialed.

*****

Frank gingerly tested his now-freed left arm, and winced when the up-and-down movement he was attempting caused it to hurt. But he decided that in this instance, a little pain was okay, since it meant that he was regaining the full use of his arm! To demonstrate, he stretched it slightly again, grimacing at the ache, and then carefully slid it about Megan’s shoulders, squeezing gently and smiling at her.

When he’d gone after Kirk Moncrief two days ago, instead of staying with her, he’d worried about her. Worried that she had been hurt worse than Dani and the paramedics thought. Worried that she’d have to spend more time in the hospital. Worried that with this new episode, Carolyn Wright might just forbid her to see him anymore.

He’d been incredibly relieved, when he arrived at the hospital at last, to find that Megan was doing very well, and wouldn’t even have to spend the night there. She hadn’t been knocked out by the smoke, after all; Kirk had done that – and she hadn’t inhaled as much smoke as they’d feared; Jack and Dani had gotten her off the tower quickly. She had responded well to the oxygen treatment she’d been given by the paramedics, and later at the emergency room. And Carolyn had seemed her usual self – and she conceded that this latest visit to the hospital had been Megan’s fault, not Frank’s!

Now they were seated at their usual lunch table in the Student Center, waiting for Joe and Vanessa to join them. Frank leaned sideways, and very carefully kissed the tip of Megan’s healing nose. She smiled, glancing up at him through her eyelashes, looking, in his estimation, absolutely adorable. And I want her to know I feel that way, every single minute….

They had been chatting, but now Megan was staring down at the table in silence, toying with a spoon. Frank wondered why she had gone so quiet, when she had been so effervescent just a short time before. Was she upset? Sick? Was she feeling badly about Kirk Moncrief, after all?

At last, Megan spoke:

"Frank – my mom and I had a talk last night."

"Mmmm?" He waited, wondering what this was leading to. Probably not Kirk….

"We talked about everything that’s happened, starting weeks ago with the car wreck," she continued, still gazing at the tabletop. "And we talked about other things too. Things that happened months ago. And after we’d talked it all over…." She hesitated.

Frank felt a queer, premonitory sensation beneath his ribcage – definite unease.

"Mom suggested – suggested that perhaps we ought to move away from Bayport." Megan finished. "She thinks it would be safer…for me. For both of us."

Move away from Bayport! Frank’s heart began to thump, hard, and his breathing went ragged. "Move…away?" he whispered, and couldn’t go on. How could this be happening? He couldn’t lose Megan – he couldn’t!

Megan still hadn’t looked up. "When she said that," she continued, "I could see her point – from her point of view, it seems like a very sensible thing to do."

"But—" Frank couldn’t manage more than a single word at a time. His heart was hammering so hard and erratically he wondered if he was having a panic attack. "You’re…you’re going to—"

Megan finally looked up, a very tender look in her azure eyes. "I told her I could understand where she was coming from – and then I told her that if she wanted to move away from Bayport…that she’d be going alone. I intended to stay here."

"You…you’d stay?" A vast sense of relief flooded him, even as he realized what a sacrifice this would mean for Megan. She and her mother were very close; since the death of Darrell Wright, they were all each other had. If Carolyn left….

"I’d stay." Megan reached across the table and laid her hand gently on Frank’s arm. "And you know what?"

"No…what?" Frank gulped. He wasn’t sure how much more he could take, right now.

"Mom said that’s what she thought I’d say. She expected it. But she’d felt it necessary to ask, just the same." Suddenly, a dazzling, dimpled smile broke forth on the little redhead’s face. "And then she laughed and said ‘Well, if that’s the way it is…what would you think of having the kitchen remodeled?’!" Megan’s rippling laugh cascaded out.

Frank didn’t care that they were in the middle of the cafeteria. He wouldn’t have cared if they were in the middle of Times Square. He leaped to his feet, moved around the table, and caught Megan up, holding her so tightly that his weak arm protested, and she emitted a little squeak of dismay.

"Don’t you ever—" He kissed her. "Ever—" Another kiss. "EVER – scare me like that again, d’you hear me?" Another kiss, this one so fervent that it generated whistles and applause from neighboring tables of lunching students. Frank ignored them, and tried to hold Megan even more closely.

Megan clung to him, eyes closed, a blissful smile on her face. "I love you," she whispered – and received another kiss in response.

More scattered applause. Frank finally released Megan, and they sat down again, close together – both blushing.

"And I love you," he murmured, raising her hand to his lips. She rested her red-gold head against his shoulder with a contented sigh.

Joe and Vanessa walked up to the table, pulling chairs with them.

"You missed the good part," a boy at a nearby table commented to Joe, laughing. "They’re behaving very circumspectly, now!" He got to his feet and left, chuckling.

Joe eyed his brother and Megan dubiously. "I’m beginning to wonder if I should admit being related to you! You’re getting a reputation I can’t live up to!" he complained, a teasing light in his blue eyes.

"If you can’t live up to it, that’s not my problem," Frank declared. "And we were just celebrating the fact that all the current mysteries are solved, everybody’s healthy again, and Megan has a nice new car." There was no way Frank was going to mention Carolyn’s suggestion and Megan’s declaration, not right now! Maybe he’d tell Joe later, but…not now.

"All good reasons for a celebration," Vanessa agreed. "Joe, believe me, you can live up to anyone’s reputation!"

Joe frowned. "Not sure I care for that remark," he muttered, and kissed his girlfriend quickly. "You’re right, it’s time for a celebration!" He leaned closer and added another kiss, taking a little more time with this one. Megan and Frank exchanged amused glances.

"Jeez, guys, how about coming up for air?" Dani Tanner chuckled as she slid into a nearby chair and scooted it close to the table. Close behind her, Jack Wayne followed suit. "You’ll get oxygen-deprived, and I’m off duty – I don’t do resuscitation when I’m off duty."

All four teens jumped in surprise, and then grinned at each other. A chorus of ‘Hi’s" welcomed the newcomers.

"What are you two doing here?" Joe inquired curiously.

"Closing up things on the fire department end of the case," Dani explained. She smiled guilelessly. "Jack just…came along to keep me company. They found plenty of evidence against Kirk Moncrief. He’s not going to be able to get off – even if he ever gets out of the psychiatric hospital he’s in now."

"Well…I’m glad he’s going to be getting help," Megan murmured softly. "And I’m glad he’s off the streets and can’t bother anyone." She sighed in regret. "I just wish someone had been able to help him before he started setting all the fires! He was so desperate…."

Frank shuddered at the memory of Kirk’s actions. Desperate was the word for it, all right!

"It’s a shame Dr. Mitchell decided to leave, after all the things that happened," Vanessa observed, after a moment.

"He’s just on an extended leave of absence, though," Frank offered. "Joe and I talked to him yesterday. He was pretty upset – he decided that this hit way too close to home – he’d missed all the signs that his nephew was going to do something like this. Even the picture Kirk cut up and dropped, by the first fire site, didn’t clue him in. He was so sure that Kirk wouldn’t stoop to violence -- well, it was out of character for him. I guess something just -- snapped. Dr. Mitchell’s decided to move back to Connecticut for awhile, and try to reconnect with his family."

"I hope he comes back eventually," Joe remarked. "I really liked him."

The conversation halted briefly while Joe, Vanessa, and Megan went to get sustenance for them all. They returned with several baskets of French fries, among other things, and distributed them about the table.

Frank nibbled on a few, then selected another and fed it to Megan, kissing her again as he did so. She accepted it graciously, not bothering to point out that she was holding a handful of her own.

"Have you heard anything about when the buildings are going to be replaced?" Jack asked, dragging fries through a pool of ketchup.

"No telling," Frank replied. "Insurance will pay for rebuilding and repairing them, but I’d be surprised if they’re done before we leave school. At least no more campus buildings will be burnt! And the repairs on the bell tower, at least, are pretty minimal. They never even stopped playing the chimes!"

"They’ll get the football field back in shape, for next year at least!" Joe put in, his eyes snapping with enthusiasm. "Until then, though," he added with a wry grin, "we’ll just have to keep playing on Bayport High’s field. It’s like being back in high school, only now my team doesn’t actually know how to play! Frank, are you positive you don’t want to come play quarterback?" he implored.

Frank grinned as he hugged Megan again. "Yup, I’m positive. I’ll leave the pounding of the gridiron to you, bro. I’m too fond of my bones staying in one piece to tempt some lineman who’d like to set a new record for quarterback sacks! Besides – by next year, I won’t be here; this is a two-year school, remember? I’ll need to transfer."

Megan smiled as she watched them and listened to their banter, and she leaned closer to Frank, making it easier for him to keep his arm about her.

"Anyone up for a ride?" she asked, after a time. "I feel like cutting class…and I think we could all fit in my car – well, maybe."

"Sure, Red," Joe said with a grin. "Just let me cut off my legs at the knees, so I have some chance of getting in."

"We could tie you to the top," she suggested sweetly.

"You could," Joe agreed, "but I thought the whole idea was to show off the car. If I’m on top, no one will even notice it. After all, what car can compare with the magnificence of Joe Hardy?"

Frank responded to that comment the only way he could: he lobbed a French fry at his brother, and nailed him squarely in the nose!

"Oh, by the way," Frank said conversationally to the others, as Joe muttered protests and dire threats beneath his breath, "Mom heard from Aunt Gertrude again."

"Yeah?" Joe hadn’t heard this story yet. He leaned forward with the rest, anxious to hear. "What’s up?"

"Cruise." Frank said succinctly.

"Huh? What do you mean, cruise?" Joe’s brow furled in confusion.

Frank’s grin split broad across his face. "She asked Mom about the cruise she and Dad went on a few years ago. Get this: Aunt Gertrude is going on a cruise…with a man." He paused for a moment, to let the gasps subside, then sank back, theatrically.

"The world is officially ending."

*****

"Well…time to move along." Still slightly pale, and looking as if his head ached beneath the bandage, Michael Ranson escorted Erica towards his car in the hotel parking garage.

"I'm looking forward to Canada," she admitted.

"Erica…remind me of something," Michael Ranson requested, as they stowed their bags in the Mercedes' little trunk.

"What?"

Ranson climbed behind the wheel and started the motor. "The next time I get a bright idea about seeing if someone is as good as their reputation says - remind me what happened here in Bayport. Fenton Hardy IS as good at what he does as people say he is. And I'll tell you this: I don't ever want to be on his bad side! Now - let's be on our way."

The End

We would like to extend MUCHO THANKS to Jenn ‘Sparks’ Hart, for her timely advice and the information she provided. Dani Tanner and crew are much more ‘real’ because of Jenn! J J J