"And he teased Joe," Frank supplied helpfully, knowing that had more to do with Vanessa’s opinion of the Gray Man than anything else.

"That too," Vanessa nodded her displeasure.

"Do you think he’ll really let it be known he got the file back? And that he’ll do it tonight?" Callie asked.

"Probably," Joe answered, pushing himself up to a sitting position. He grimaced, rubbing his sore midsection. "He can be a pain in the ass, but stuff like that… if he says he’s going to do it, he will. Now…what’s for dinner? I’m starving."

"Proof positive that he really wasn’t seriously injured," Frank joked.

Callie looked at Vanessa questioningly. "Can we whip up something for dinner with what’s in the kitchen? These two don’t look like they’re up for a night out," she said only half jokingly.

Vanessa looked from Joe, who was sitting on the couch resting his head back, eyes closed with one hand lying protectively on his stomach to Frank, who was massaging his temples. He appeared drained and slightly dazed. "They do look kinda pathetic, don’t they?"

"Hey," Joe said defensively, but not bothering to open his eyes, "we had a few unexpected adventures today. We’re allowed to look pathetic."

Frank simply grunted in agreement, suddenly too tired to actually verbalize what he was thinking.

"Let’s see what we can scrounge up to feed them," Callie said to Vanessa. "Maybe it’ll revive them enough to watch a movie or two."

*****

Callie’s prediction was fairly accurate, and after dinner was consumed and the dishes were loaded into the dishwasher, the foursome retreated to the den. With the task of building a fire in the fireplace completed, Frank stretched out on the couch, resting his head contentedly in Callie’s lap.

Vanessa rounded up several large cushions from the couch in the living room, and arranged them on the floor in front of the large-screen TV. Laying a blanket down, she then settled herself against the cushions and crooked an inviting finger at Joe, who was only too happy to join her. Stretching out next to Vanessa, Joe laid his head on her shoulder.

"Whoever’s got the remote…you’re on," he said lazily.

"Let the killing of innocent brain cells begin," Frank joked.

After much discussion over dinner, Joe had been allowed to choose the first movie, with Callie and Vanessa selecting a second movie. Frank immediately predicted Joe’s choice would be filled with car chases, fight scenes, women in skimpy clothes and a non-existent plot that served only to render perfectly healthy brain cells useless.

"You’re just jealous that you don’t have my considerable powers of persuasion," Joe retorted.

"You mean your ability to whine incessantly, wearing down your opposition until they cry uncle and let you have your way?" Frank asked,

"Whatever works," Joe said smugly, as the movie began.

With Frank providing his own personal commentary throughout the movie, it went by much faster than he had anticipated. As the girls’ choice, The Wedding Planner, began, Frank couldn’t help but be reminded of the seemingly endless details he had assisted Callie with when planning their wedding. Inspired by the movie, Frank found he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to needle Joe about the extent of his involvement in the planning of his own wedding.

"You know, Joe, since you guys don’t have a wedding planner, you need to help Vanessa out with all the details," Frank pointed out, with a grin. "You really can’t expect her to do it alone."

"So you keep telling me," Joe remarked. "What makes you think I’m not helping?"

"Yeah, right!" Frank snorted with laughter. "I can just see you spending Sunday afternoons picking out invitations, poring over seating charts and meeting with florists!"

"I’ll have you know I have everything under control," Joe replied confidently. "I’ve got a list!"

Frank stared at his brother, momentarily shocked. "You made a list?!" he asked, slightly impressed at Joe’s foresight.

Joe chuckled and looked up at Vanessa teasingly. "No, Vanessa gave me a list," he winked at her as she reddened slightly. "It tells me everything I’m supposed to do from six months before the wedding right up to the big day."

"Does it tell you to show up at the church on time?" Frank laughed.

"Nope. Not on my list," Joe eyed Frank mischievously. "It’s on yours!"

"Mine?!" Frank exclaimed, now laughing out loud. "I have a list, too?"

"Yep, she’s got a list for everybody," Joe tugged on Vanessa’s hair playfully. "And on the Best Man’s list it says ‘provide groom’s transportation to the ceremony’. So if I’m late, it’s all your fault, bro! Think you can handle the responsibility? "

"I’ll do my best," Frank said dryly.

"Just ignore them, Van," Callie advised her friend, who was now blushing furiously. "There are hundreds of details involved in planning a wedding – you can’t be expected to remember all of them."

"Spoken like someone who hasn’t gotten their list yet," Joe grinned. "I hope your writing hand is all warmed up – according to your list, Matron of Honor, you have to help address the invitations!"

"Hate to break it to you, champ, but you’re supposed to help with that too!" Frank informed his brother.

"Oh, no, he’s been absolved of that task," Vanessa shook her head vigorously. "We do want the postal service to actually be able to read the names and addresses! He’s not allowed near the invitations," she said adamantly, referring to Joe’s often illegible handwriting. She then shrugged and grinned at the good-natured teasing. "What can I say; I found this great website that had lists you could print off for just about everybody involved in the wedding. I figured they couldn’t hurt…especially for you!" Vanessa poked Joe emphatically.

"Good thinking, Van!" Frank agreed. "So what’s on your list, Joe?"

"First thing on my list is ‘select your best man’. I did that a year ago, so I’m way ahead of schedule! And at one week before the wedding, the list gives me explicit instructions to ‘attend bachelor party’." Joe raised his eyebrows at Frank suggestively. "I promised Van I would do everything on the list, so don’t forget to plan the bachelor party, okay? And keep in mind the awesome bachelor party I threw for you."

"How could I forget," Frank chuckled. "It’s almost two years later and people are still talking about it."

As the conversation died down, Joe attempted to focus on the movie, knowing it was one of Vanessa’s favorites. Snuggling comfortably into her embrace, Joe found the day’s events had finally caught up with him. He struggled to keep his eyes open, but with no action packed-fight scenes or dizzying car chases to capture his attention, Joe was soon fast asleep.

A while later, as the movie came to a close, Vanessa glanced down at Joe and then at the clock on the mantle. ‘10:25…he’s usually just getting warmed up!’ she thought affectionately.

"If people could only see the hard-partying Joe Hardy now," Frank cracked as if he knew what Vanessa had been thinking.

"Hey, he had a rough day," she defended her sleeping fiancé. Leaning down, she kissed his cheek. "Joe," she said softly, gently shaking him. "Come on, hon, let’s head up to bed."

"Sounds good to me," Joe mumbled, barely awake. Pushing himself to a sitting position, Joe winced and rubbed his stomach. Accepting Vanessa’s outstretched hand, Joe allowed her to pull him to his feet. "Night," he yawned, with a halfhearted wave at Callie and Frank as he and Vanessa disappeared up the stairs.

"You had a pretty rough day, too," Callie reminded her husband, running her fingers through his dark hair. "Are you ready to turn in?"

"Uh-uh," Frank sighed contentedly. "I’m happy right where I am. We can go up after the news," he said, enjoying Callie’s undivided attention.

Despite his best intentions to stay abreast of current events, Frank was sound asleep before the news even began. Not wanting to disturb him right away, Callie waited until the news was over before gently shaking him awake.

"Frank, the news is over…time for bed."

"Huh? What?" Frank blinked sleepily and then smiled sheepishly. "That’s what I get for teasing Joe, huh?"

"You both had a pretty exhausting day," Callie replied as she stood up. "Go on up. I’ll turn off the lights and make sure everything is locked up. I’ll be right behind you."

"You sure? I can do that," Frank began. Cut off by a huge yawn, he suddenly wondered if he had the energy to make it up the stairs.

"Mm-hmm," Callie pulled him up and gave him a little shove towards the stairs. "I’ll be up in a minute."

With another yawn, Frank dragged himself up the stairs and down the hall to their bedroom. He stumbled into the room and flopped face down across the bed. Exhausted from the strenuous skiing with Joe, all the hikes back and forth to the lodge and through the woods, and almost getting knocked unconscious, Frank immediately fell into a deep sleep.

Downstairs, Callie turned off the lights in the kitchen and started towards the door to check the lock. As she passed by the large front window, she stopped and frowned. The headlights on Frank’s car were on.

"They should have gone off automatically," she murmured to herself.

With a resigned sigh, Callie picked up the keys and steeled herself to leave the warmth of the cabin for a quick foray into the near zero temperature. Opening the door, she hurried to the car and slid behind the wheel. Squinting by the dim overhead light, she finally located the correct knob and pushed it in. As the lights went off, she got out of the car and relocked it, reminding herself to ask Joe to check it out in the morning.

Wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the bone-chilling cold, Callie started back towards the cabin. She had barely gone two steps when she felt a strong arm grab her around the waist, as a second hand covered her nose and mouth with a damp cloth.

Struggling to get free, Callie tried to scream for Frank. Instead, she inhaled the sickly sweet smelling liquid. Seconds later, the keys fell from her hand. One thought flitted through her mind as her eyes slid shut…

Callie collapsed, unconscious, into the arms of the man who had grabbed her. He easily lifted her petite frame and disappeared into the darkness.