Both I and Joe applied to study Law at New York University and got in quite easily. I took an additional minor in Mathematics while Joe dabbled his way through a minor in Creative Writing. The twins also enrolled in NYU, both majoring in Psychology. Vanessa, Joe’s girlfriend, joined us there after returning from a six-month stint in New Zealand helping her mom with the digital artwork for The Lord of the Rings directed by Peter Jackson. She majored in Digital Media, of course. All five of us moved into Manhattan and lived near our college campus. I, Joe and Jonah shared a three bedroom apartment while Jana and Vanessa shared a two bedroom apartment just two blocks from us.

Of course, life was not exactly smooth sailing through college. I had a lot of adjustments to make. For example, I, like the Van Helsing twins, cannot participate in any sports because our enhanced physical capabilities would mean that we have an unfair advantage over others. That left me with lots of spare time on my hands.

Not surprisingly, I spent most of that time in the sun, especially during my freshman year in college. You cannot imagine how much I had missed the sun. I read, relaxed, tutored Joe, and generally just enjoyed life. Life that was suddenly so very precious to me. Then in my sophomore year, I joined the debating team, followed by the chess team. Gradually, life went back to ‘normal’ for me.

As ‘normal’ as it can get being the son of well-known Fenton Hardy, and the boyfriend of vampyre-hunter Jana Van Helsing.

There were still lots of vampyres out there – the ones that chose eternal damnation over true eternal life. And living with the Van Helsing twins means that we still bump into them every now and then.

Well, a little more than one every now and then…

Joe is still the Guardian, and…well…after all that I had gone through, I am quite uptight when it comes to seeing vampyres appearing at our windows. So eventually I turned my room into our study and moved into Joe’s room. That way, Joe can prevent me from staking the good vampyres looking for salvation, while I prevent the bad vampyres from killing Joe.

It was all so strange for me. I spent most of my teenage life making sure my little brother woke up on time for his classes. But I spent my college life making sure Joe sleeps in, especially on the nights when several vampyres came looking for salvation.

I still have to pull Joe out of real life trouble, such as being kidnapped by some of ours or dad’s enemies every now and then. That aspect of our relationship still remains the same. I am my brother’s keeper to the very end.

Joe remains the true Guardian, not of me but of my heart and soul. God Yahweh sent him to be my kid brother, so I can have him as my moral core. I may be the smarter, the more intellectual, and the more lethal one. But Joe is my heart and my compassion, and being with him softened all my hard edges. It was through Joe that I learned to look beyond all the faults of Man to the Grace of God. He showed me how to see the light in every person (and every vampyre) we met, no matter how bad or miserable they are.

So yes, Joe is very special indeed.

And I? I have no idea what God Yahweh intended for me. I do not understand the reason behind the exceptional athletic capabilities that I was given (but they are useful when it comes to helping Jana hunt vampyres or saving Joe from the bad guys). I remembered Lilith mentioning that all the chosen ones lived ordinary lives and that their impact was seldom felt until long after they left Earth. I suppose I will never know for as long as I live.

But I have faith that it will be good.

I will not abuse the skills I was given. I will live a good and fulfilling life, and do the right things.

Like marrying the woman I love and who I know loves me.

I know there is a silly smile plastered on my face at the moment. I look down at the little ring nestled in the little blue velvet box. It is a single heart-shaped pale blue sapphire. I bought it because it was the exact shade of her eyes.

Yes, I am planning to propose to Jana today. I plan to do that right after the convocation ceremony.

Do you think she will accept?

I smile a little nervously and let my mind replay the scene I so carefully planned and set....

There is a rap on the door and Joe swaggers in.

“Hey Frank! Time to go, Mom and Dad are waiting. And don’t bother spending too much time before the mirror, big bro…I am still the good looking brother here.”

“Of course you are, baby bro…I am merely better looking,” I tease him, and turn to give myself a final check before leaving.

Then Joe sees the ring in my hand and his expression softens.

“She’ll accept, big bro…don’t you worry about that.”

“I know, but I am still nervous…”

Joe pats me on my back saying, “Of course you will be! You will be nervous, but you will conquer your nervousness and ask her in your meekest tone to marry you, and she will pause for a second, letting you feel the fear you expect to feel, when she is actually really trying to catch her breath before throwing her arms around you and shouting ‘yes’ into your ear….And the two of you will live happily ever after!” Joe finishes with flair as he smoothly packs the ring back into its velvet box and gently places it into my pocket, then propels me towards the door and out of my room.

“But none of those is going to happen if you miss Jana’s grand moment as the valedictorian of her class…so let’s get going!” Joe admonishes.

So we rush down to the graduation hall and go through the long tedious process of waiting for everyone to be called one by one to collect their certificates. Then there are the requisite group photo sessions followed by the friends and family photo sessions.

Then we are free.

I hem and haw and watch for the opportunity to whisk Jana away from everyone else.

I finally manage to do just that, and guess what? It all happens just as Joe described! How the heck did that little brother of mine know that?!

THE END

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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.