Hardy Boys Fan Fiction at the HDA - With This Ring

Joe couldn’t stop staring at the ring now safely back in his hands. He didn’t want to tear his eyes away from it, afraid it might disappear, but he could feel the weight of a stare. Slowly looking up he saw both Con and Frank looking at him…watching him…and smiling.

“Thank you,” Joe said, feeling as if they had taken the weight of the world and lifted it from his shoulders. “Both of you. It…it doesn’t seem like enough but I just…I don’t know what else to say…thank you,” he repeated hoarsely. Emotions he’d worked so hard to tamp down for the past week suddenly came bubbling to the surface.

“Glad to help,” Con replied, smiling. Before he could say anymore a uniformed officer came up to them and looked at Joe.

“One of the guys in lockup wants to see you.”

Joe exchanged a puzzled look with Frank and Con. “Which one?”

“The one you attacked,” he answered matter-of-factly. “Said he needs to talk to you. He was pretty adamant; says he has something important to tell you.”

“Okay,” Joe shrugged. “Don’t worry,” he assured his brother and Con with a wry grin. “I’ll keep my hands to myself – promise.” And he meant it. He had Vanessa’s ring safely back in his possession and that’s all he cared about. Turning he followed the young officer back to the holding cell.

The cop unlocked the door and held it open for Joe. “I’ll be right outside,” he said, taking in both Joe and Dylan.

Joe nodded and walked into the small room as the door clicked shut behind him. Saying absolutely nothing, he put on his poker face, pulled out a chair and sat down across from Dylan. Then he crossed his arms and waited…

Dylan simply stared for a minute, his face also giving nothing away and then he spoke, his voice in stark contrast to his outward façade of cool indifference. “My girlfriend…fiancée…she has the ring,” he confessed. “She doesn’t know I stole it. She’s gonna be here any minute. Just give me a few minutes with her to explain…try and explain…and I’ll get it back.”

Joe stared at him for a long moment, surprised, but keeping it well hidden. Then he slowly pulled the ring out of his pocket and held it up silently.

Dylan stared at it and then looked at Joe. “You told her.”

“We proved to her it was stolen and she believed us,” Joe corrected. “She’s got a conscience. She did the right thing,” he practically growled. The anger that had dissipated so quickly upon getting the ring back was returning in spades. Still, Joe was mindful of the promise he made to Frank and Con. If he needed to lash out the only weapons he’d use this time would be his words.

Dylan looked back at the ring. “Good…I don’t think I coulda lived with myself…” His voice trailed off and he shifted his gaze to Joe again. “Tell her…your fiancée…tell her…I’m sorry.”

Joe was very good at reading people; it was his forte. His gut instincts were rarely wrong and right now, despite how angry he was, they were telling him this guy was sincere; he truly was sorry. But Vanessa’s pain was still too fresh, the sound of her waking up screaming still too raw, the image of her staring at her bare finger and crying still too vivid…. Joe didn’t care if he was being petty; it was just too soon.

Standing, Joe put the ring safely back in his pocket. He stared at Dylan hard. “Go to hell,” he said venomously, turned and walked out.

*****

Tanya Madison followed the police officer down the hall, wondering how she was even able to walk. In the past hour her life had been turned completely upside down. Her legs felt like rubber and she wondered how it was possible that she hadn’t simply collapsed yet. After finding out her beloved engagement ring had been stolen, she had broken down in the restroom and sobbed for a long time. When she had finally cried herself out, Tanya tried to get herself together. She splashed cold water on her face, brushed her hair and tried to make herself look presentable.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror Tanya finally had to admit it – she’d had a pretty good idea Dylan was involved in the robberies. After the fourth time Dylan had to work his second job coincided with the fourth robbery, she knew. But denial had been so much easier than facing the truth. And if there was one thing she was good at it was denial; it was the only way she’d been able to cope with her stepfather’s nightly visits without killing herself…or him.

Still, no matter what else Dylan had done, he’d saved her from that and in the process he became her protector, her hero…her knight in shining armor. And while the armor was now showing signs of tarnish it didn’t change what he had done for her, nor the way he treated her. She’d told that guy Dylan always treated her like a princess and he had. He treated her with nothing but respect and showered her with love – complete, total and unconditional love. He accepted her as she was even after learning of her tormented and abusive past. In fact rather than pushing him away, that knowledge had made him fiercely protective of her. No one had ever made her feel so safe or so loved. And it was that love that allowed her to forgive him – completely.

As the officer unlocked the door to the interrogation room, Tanya straightened her shoulders and held her head high. Dylan had always been strong for her, now it was her turn to be strong for him.

“I’ll be right outside,” the officer said, before stepping out and closing the door.

Immediately Tanya rushed to the table and sat down, taking Dylan’s hands in her. “Are you okay?” she asked, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice.

Awash in guilt, he stared down at the table, unable to look at her. Her heart breaking for him, Tanya finally put a finger under his chin and nudged gently, forcing his head up so she could look into his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “For everything. I just wanted to get us out of here…to start a new life, a better life. The kind of life you deserve.” He stopped and swallowed hard, his lower lip trembling. “And I’m really, really sorry about the ring. I just…I wanted you to have something as special as you are. Not that you’ll want to marry me now…after all this.”

Tanya listened, a lump in her throat, as Dylan took a shaky breath and continued.

“You know, I asked that guy to come down here. I told him I’d explain everything to you and get the ring back.” Dylan shrugged and then looked at her almost proudly. “But you beat me to it. Please don’t take this the wrong way but I’m glad you gave it back,” he confessed. “I don’t think I could’ve lived with that on my conscience.”

“And that’s exactly why I love you,” Tanya said emotionally, hurting not for herself but for Dylan. “Oh, Dylan… Yes, the ring was special and beautiful and wonderful…but I don’t want to marry a ring. I want to marry you.”

Dylan shook his head and his eyes grew bright. “I really screwed up this time, Tanya. I’m gonna cooperate completely, I’ll testify against the other guys and give back every penny I stole but…I’m still gonna have to do some time, Baby. There’s just no getting around that.”

“I know that,” Tanya said hoarsely. She wiped away a tear and then cleared her throat, sitting tall and holding his hands very tightly. “I also know that everything you did, you did for me. You did it all because you love me. And everyone deserves a second chance. So as soon as you finish your time – however long it might be – I’ll be right here. Because you already proposed so ring or no ring, we are getting married, Dylan Bradford,” she grinned but quickly turned serious again. “And then we can start our new life…together.”

*****

Pulling into the parking space, Joe glanced up at the apartment he shared with Vanessa and saw the soft glow of a light shining through the sliding glass doors – she was waiting up for him. Patting his pocket, Joe silently thanked his brother, knowing if not for Frank’s spur of the moment idea he wouldn’t have been able to look Vanessa in the eye for a very long time.

Getting out of the car he hurried through the side door and up the stairs to the second floor. When he finally walked through the door, Vanessa was already rushing towards him. She didn’t say anything but looked at him, as she had every day since the robbery, trying not to get excited but with a hopeful gleam in her eyes.

“Hey, Baby,” Joe said, opening his arms. He could almost see her deflate and felt the tiniest bit guilty, eased only by the knowledge her reaction would be so worth it.

“Hey,” she said, forcing a fake smile and stepping into his arms for a hug.

Joe held her for a moment, not wanting to give anything away and ruin the surprise. Then he stepped back, releasing her. “I need to ask you something,” he said seriously.

“Uh…okay,” Vanessa replied, wary and uncertain.

Very slowly, Joe pulled the ring from his pocket and held it up as he broke into a huge grin. “Will you marry me?”

“OHMYGODJOEYOUFOUNDIT!!!” Vanessa’s squeals of delight were surpassed only by her enthusiasm as she threw herself on him, knocking Joe back against the door. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

Each expression of thanks was punctuated with a resounding kiss, the last one so passionate that when Vanessa inched away almost a full minute later Joe was breathless.

Resting her forehead against his, Vanessa murmured, “And, yes…I will marry you.”

“Whew,” Joe joked, “you had me worried for a minute there.”

Vanessa released him and held out her still bare left hand, her reaction having been so overwhelming Joe still had the ring clutched in his hand. “Now you better make it official – again – before I change my mind,” she teased.

Suddenly feeling emotional, Joe took her hand, kissed the back of it tenderly and slipped the ring back on her finger – where it belonged. He then stood and watched as she simply stared at it, teary-eyed and mesmerized, and committed that image to memory. A few moments later she looked up at him and smiled. Taking his hands she started walking backwards, tugging on him in a silent request for him to follow.

“Where are we going?” he asked, playing along though he already had a very good idea.

Vanessa grinned seductively, her voice low and husky. “I need to thank you…properly…”

With that she turned and led him down the hall to the bedroom.

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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.