hardy boys fan fiction
GUARDIAN IN THE DARK
hardy boys nancy drew fan fiction
by
Jolly
Chapter 14
hardy boys fan fiction
THE CHAPTERS
To Go Home
We held on tightly to each other for a long while, I have no idea how long exactly, before we finally let go of each other. But I know it is a long while because by the time Joe and I let go of each other, [because] the Van Helsings are comfortably seated on the ground happily enjoying the sea breeze and politely enjoying the somewhat interesting view of the distant horizon.
I am sure they were sort of watching us somehow. Joe must have come to the same conclusion for his face turns a little redder as he follows my line of sight to them.
“So, what happened to you Joe? How did you escape – or did something else happen?” I ask him outright, too impatient to wait any longer.
I can see the twins are curious too as they quickly turn their attention towards us.
I knew they were watching!
“So what exactly happened, Joe? You were supposed to be found with Frank of course, we tried to make sure of that. And if they didn’t manage to get their hands on you…” That was Jonah. He doesn’t talk much, but when he does, he can be rather detailed or long-winded, depending on which way you want to see it.
And Joe looks even more embarrassed than ever. That had me feeling even more curious.
“Well, I didn’t wait to be found…” Joe starts to say.
We all give him our rapt attention. I just hope he will not go into one of his yarn spinning modes. Not now, when all the Van Helsings and I want are the bare facts.
“I woke up with a bad headache in what I thought look like a collapsing building. So I decided to make my way out of there for safety’s sake,” Joe blushed. “… and wandered somehow straight into danger zone.”
Okay, THAT sounds like Joe, all right.
There are audible gasps of dismay from the twins.
“I got hit by a falling piece of debris, and may have gotten knocked out for a while. I really can’t be sure what happened next. But I remember forcing myself to walk away somehow towards safety…and I finally collapsed somewhere…”
Then Joe turns to me with this apologetic look on his face, I wonder why. He continues.
“When I woke up again, there was this old woman standing in front of me asking if I was all right and my name. It was only then I realized that I couldn’t remember….Suffice it to say, the police don’t care much for poor Hispanics, and I only remember after Adam found me,” Joe finishes his story with a grateful nod towards Adam.
His eyes promise me a more detailed version at a later date. I acknowledge his message with the slightest tilt of my head. It feels so exhilarating to know that we can still understand and communicate with each other as if the last year never happened.
Then I too turn and give Adam Van Helsing a grateful smile and quietly thank him for finding my brother.
“BUT, enough about me for now, Frank.”
Somehow, the way Joe says that has all my warning instincts on red alert.
“I think there is someone you need to talk to,” Joe tells me as he pushes me towards Jana.
How the heck did he know?!
I note that Jonah is also doing the same to Jana, who is clearly trying, like me, to find a way out of this. My eyes narrow. I see now that there is some sort of conspiracy here.
“Go on, Jana…and we’ll be back later.”
I look on approvingly as Jana gives her younger brother a glare that…well, if looks could kill, that was it.
Suddenly Joe leans close to me and whispers in a serious tone, “Frank, you must ask her about the bonding.”
What the...?!
Then in a louder voice, Joe announces, “Hey Jonah, I think it’s time we really get to know each other better…”
And they all left me and Jana alone at the top of the cliff.
I have to admit, the silence between us at that moment is extremely awkward. What am I supposed to say to her? I watch her use the tip of her shoe to make patterns on the sandy ground.
She is nervous.
Memories of the year I spent with her flash by my mind’s eye. I know she loves me, because of everything that she has done for me.
I remembered how she cared tenderly for me all those times when I was hurt. I remembered how she bullied me into living when I felt like giving up.
She truly loves me. I am awed by the certainty of that knowledge. What have I done to deserve a woman like her? What have I done to deserve her? More importantly, can I tell her I have come to love her over the year we spent together?
Then, I remembered the summer when I was thirteen.
“I remember,” I say to her and she tilts her head back to look at me at the sound of my voice. “I remember the summer we first met.”
I cannot help but smile at the surprise on her face.
“We were all at summer camp down in Florida…you were that girl with pigtails and a generous sprinkle of freckles on your nose.”
Yes, I can recall her image in detail now. And I remember thinking she looked adorable, even then with her little pigtails. But I was too shy to approach her, and all too soon, summer camp was over.
Jana screws up her nose at that and says, “Gawky…you called me gawky…”
Did I? Oh dear, so I did…
“I am sorry,” I choke out.
“And you aren’t too happy when Jonah and I beat you and Joe in that obstacle and puzzle course.”
Okay, and that too…
“I was rather childishly egoistic back then.” I search desperately for an appropriate response.
“You did not like the idea of losing to a girl, and one who was a year younger, too,” she accuses.
Maybe I was a little chauvinistic back then…
I am starting to think that bringing up that summer camp wasn’t such a bright idea after all. Then I notice a tiny little quiver of her lips, and I know that she is having some fun at my expense.
I suppose I can give her that.
I walk up to her and with my hand tilt her face upwards towards me, and I look her straight in the eye. I open my mouth, but my mind blanks out. I have no idea what to say to her. So I simply pull her into my arms, and relish her warmth and the feel of her body pressed firmly against mine. I am happy and relieved that she lets me. That is a very good sign.
“Frank, you know I never expected anything in return, so you don’t have to—” Jana murmurs against my chest.
“Hush,” I cut her short and again raise her eyes to mine. “You have no idea how often I wished that I dared to ask you out during that last year, Jana…”
I look into her eyes and see the doubts there and sigh.
“Jana, I won’t say I love you simply because of what you have done for me and because you said you love me. That would be too unfair for someone as special as you. But I can tell you honestly; that there were many times in the last year that I wished that there could have been something more between us. I will admit that I cannot say with absolute certainty that I love you the way you love me. But I can say that I do like you a lot, and that there are lots of things that I do admire and respect about you. And I can say that there is a distinct possibility that I do like you enough to love you…”
I cup her face in my palms, and look directly into her eyes as I ask of her… “Will you give me that chance to find out, please?”
My heart pounds furiously as I wait for her response. She stares into my eyes for a long while, and finally, to my immense relief, she smiles back at me. I can feel her hands curl around my neck as she says in her endearing cheeky tone, “You can give me a kiss here and now, and I’ll tell you afterwards if you are worth a chance.”
I laugh a joyous laugh and proceed to do just that.
Much later, we are snuggling at the cliff’s edge and simply enjoying each other’s company. Then I remembered Joe’s words before he left with Adam and Jonah.
“Jana?”
“Hmmm…?”
“Lilith mentioned a one-way bonding…what was that about?”
I start to feel a little concerned when Jana chooses to continue staring out into the dark ocean rather than look at me.
“It is my choice wholly, Frank.”
“Does it have any negative impact on you?” And remembering the tone of Joe’s admonishment, I add, “Please be honest about it…please?”
“Love cannot be forced Frank, so there is really nothing you can do about it. So please don’t feel bad about it or anything.”
“But it does affect you?”
“Yes and no…I already love you anyway so it doesn’t really matter. But it is the nature of the bonding that I would never be free to love another for as long as you live, even if you choose another. And for some, it can turn them bitter…”
Like Lilith…
“Jana, I…”
Jana chuckles, gives me an evil grin, and added in a mockingly threatening tone. “Actually, you might be in more danger than you know…”
Okay, I didn’t think of it THAT way…
“But as I say, I knew what I was doing, and unless you do love me fully and wholly, there is nothing you can do about it…and I won’t turn bitter, I can promise you that.”
What can I say in return to that? Nothing; nothing that can do justice to her generosity and the purity of her love so freely offered.
I can only look her straight in the eye, and hope she can see how much that means to me. More importantly, how much she means to me.
The others choose that moment to return. I grouse good naturedly at their bad timing, while Jana mutters something about the impeccable timing of baby brothers under her breath. We exchange an understanding, long-suffering look; yes, that is another something we have in common. I am starting to believe that our relationship will work out real fine.
I watch the three of them walk towards us, my arm firmly clasped around Jana’s waist. I am still not ready to let go of her.
“It’s almost dawn,” Adam comments. “We have to figure out how to get Joe home.”
“Joe is coming home with me of course.” I dare them to refuse me.
“And how are you going to explain Joe’s appearance to your parents, and everybody else?” Jonah throws me the gauntlet.
“I…” Okay, I really have no idea.
Then a thought hits me and my lips curl into an absolutely wicked smile. I can see Joe looking worried and that only serves to widen my smile further.
“I’ll let the expert spin the yarn,” I tell the Van Helsings and cannot help but feel gleeful at their mystified expressions. “And I seriously doubt if my father is going to swallow another slavery or pornography scenario…”
I can see the Van Helsings turn red at that remark. Even Joe chuckles at that.
“Such faith you have in me, big bro!” Joe says mockingly.
“I always have faith in you to find an appropriate excuse, baby bro!” I shoot back.
And we break into laughter as memories of all the wild tales that Joe spun all came back in a rush. We laughed till our abdominal muscles hurt, and we both know that it was because we were exorcising all the tensions, fears, and hopes of the past year. And I find that I can hardly wait to see what Joe can come up with this time.
Finally, the laughter dies down.
That is when I and Joe notice the amused and indulgent looks that the Van Helsings are giving us. We can see that the dark purple skies are rapidly turning grey.
And Joe turns to Adam, his expression serious. He lifts his arm and when he opens his palm, offers to Adam the small globe of light that floats on it.
Adam reaches out for it and simply lets it hover just above his palm. Then he turns to the twins, giving each of them a bear hug.
“It’s time for me to go…home,” he says to them.
It is clear to me the twins knew this was coming. It is equally clear to me that they weren’t as prepared for it as they thought they were. I reach out to Jana and pull her into my arms. She leans back into my embrace, and holds on tightly to my hands. I note that Joe has his hand placed comfortingly on Jonah’s shoulders. I can see that Jonah is also holding on very tightly to Joe’s other hand.
“You’ll help take care of them, won’t you?” Adam asks of us.
Of course we will, we say to him.
Then the first rays break through the horizon.
Adam lifts his face to the rising sun, his last words carry over the morning breeze.
From dust you were made and to dust you shall return…
The golden sun rays light up his face and for a short moment a golden halo surrounds him, and then slowly he melts away in the golden rays. Joe lifts his hand and directs another globe of light skywards. And we watch the golden dust follow the globe into the heavens high above us.
The sun is clearly up and the sky is slowly turning from gold to a clear blue when we finally and reluctantly move from our positions.
It is also time for us to go home.
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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.