It was four days before Christmas and the house was filled with the sounds and smells of the season. Pine and cinnamon could be smelled in every room as soft holiday music could be heard from the stereo in the living room. Eighteen-year-old Frank Hardy was sitting on his bed wrapping the last of the gifts he had purchased the previous day.  

He was anxious to have the gifts wrapped before his siblings snuck into his room, trying to find out what they were receiving. Each year he always caught one of them snooping and knew it would be a continuing tradition. Frank knew that as long as he had the gifts wrapped, there was less of a chance they could find out what they would receive.  

As he taped the last piece of paper down, there was a knock on the door. Taking a quick look around to make sure nothing was out, Frank said, “Come in.”  

The door opened and in walked his 12-year-old sister, Morgan Elizabeth. He smiled as he saw she had her brown hair, that matched his own, pulled back from her face with a holiday barrette. While her hair was the same as his, her eyes were the same blue as Joe’s.  

“What do you need Morgan?” Frank asked, as he set the wrapped gift on the floor.  

“Mom said I could go over to Becca’s to exchange gifts, but Mom and Dad have gone to finish their shopping,” Morgan said. “I was hoping you could take me and pick me up.”  

Frank looked at his watch. It was just about one o’clock. “How long do you plan to be a Becca’s?”  

“Not long,” Morgan answered. “Mom told me I had to be back for dinner.”  

“All right,” Frank said. “Get your stuff together and we’ll go.”  

Morgan smiled. “Okay. And thanks, Frank.”  

“No problem.”  

Morgan turned and hurried out of the room. Frank gathered the wrapped gifts and made his way to the closet. He stacked them with the others. He then realized he needed to pick up Callie’s gift. He had ordered it months earlier and the phone call had come that morning that it was ready.  

Frank suddenly sneezed three times and quickly blew his nose. He hoped he wasn’t getting a cold. But figured the sneezes has come from moving around the wrapping paper.  

He closed the closet door after grabbing his jacket. He left his room. Hearing the pulsating music coming from behind Joe’s closed door, he moved toward the door. He knocked a couple times before the door was finally opened.  

“What do you need?” Joe asked.  

“I’m taking Morgan to her friend’s house. We’ll be back shortly. Keep an eye on Chelsea.”  

Chelsea Ann was their eight-year-old sister and the spitting image of Joe, except for her hazel eyes, which matched Frank’s.  

“No problem.”  

Joe closed the door and Frank headed downstairs.  

* * * * *  

Almost four hours later, Frank pulled into the driveway. Driving home had become treacherous as a winter storm blew into the area. High winds and heavy snow quickly covered the roadways keeping the snowplows busy as they attempted to clear the streets.  

Frank had maneuvered the van through the ruts in the streets hoping to make it home before they got stuck. He finally let out a breath when he pulled the van into the driveway beside his father’s car.  

Morgan and Frank climbed out of the van and hurried to the front door before they were buried in snow and turned into snowmen. Once inside, Frank closed the door and began brushing the snowflakes off his coat.  

“You’re back,” a voice said with the sound of footsteps coming toward them.  

Frank looked up to see their mother, Laura, coming toward them.  

“Sorry for not getting home sooner,” Frank said. “The roads are getting pretty slick.”  

“I’m just glad you’re both home,” Laura said, pulling Morgan into a hug. “When we got home and found out you two were out in this storm, I did begin to worry.”  

“But you shouldn’t have worried,” Morgan said, leaning back and looking up at Laura. “Frank’s a great driver, even in the snow.”  

Frank tried not to grin at Morgan’s comments.  

“Frank is always a good driver, but there are time I still worry.” Laura patted Morgan on the head. “So, why don’t you get cleaned up? Dinner is about ready.”  

“Okay.” Morgan hurried up the stairs.  

Frank hung his coat in the hallway closet, the turned to Laura. “Did you and Dad get caught in the storm?”  

“It was just starting to snow when we started for home,” Laura answered. “It seemed to pick up the closer we got to home.”  

“Well, with the way the wind is blowing, and the amount of snow coming down, it looks like we’ll be having a white Christmas.”  

“I think you’re right,” Laura said. “Why don’t you get Joe and Chelsea so we can eat.”  

Frank smiled. “All right, Mom.”  

Frank made his way up the stairs and quickly stepped to the side when Morgan came barreling toward him. He chuckled as he continued up the stairs. He was amazed each and every day at the amount of Morgan’s energy. She always seemed to be on the go.  

Moving to Joe’s room, he knocked on the door and waited for a response. There wasn’t one. He pushed the door open and saw Joe sprawled on his stomach with his headphones on. Frank made himself a path to the bed, stepping between piles of clothes. He reached the bed and gently shook Joe’s shoulder.  

Joe sprung to his knees, quickly pulling the headphones off. “What?”  

“Sorry, Joe. I didn’t mean to startle you. Mom just wanted me to get you for dinner.”  

Joe took a deep breath. “That’s all right. I shouldn’t have had the music on so loud.”  

“Well, come on. Dinner is going on the table.”  

“All right.”  

Frank left Joe’s room and moved over to Chelsea’s. He knocked on the door. “Chelsea, it’s time for dinner.” There was no response from her room either. He pushed the door open and saw that her room was empty.  

Figuring she had heard him trying to tell Joe, Frank pulled the door closed and went down to the kitchen. As he entered the kitchen, he saw Morgan, Joe and their parents’ were in their usual seats at the table. Chelsea wasn’t there.  

Laura looked at him. “Where’s Chelsea?”  

“She wasn’t in her room, so I thought she was already down here.”  

“I haven’t seen her since we got home,” Fenton said. “Was she here when you left, Frank?”  

“She was,” Frank said.  

“Chelsea was playing with her dolls in her room,” Morgan said.  

“Everyone spread out,” Fenton said getting to his feet. “She has to be here somewhere.”  

Frank headed to the basement with Joe. The basement had been turned into another family room that held their video games, music and anything else they used when they were hanging out with their friends. They noticed everything was where it should be. Chelsea wasn’t there. They looked in the cupboards, but she wasn’t there either.  

“Kids! Come here!”  

Frank and Joe looked at each other and then started up the stairs. They reached the first floor, but didn’t see Laura. They figured she was upstairs. As Joe started up the stairs, Frank glanced at the boot tray for a moment. He felt there was something missing, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.  

He followed Joe upstairs and then they stepped into their parents’ bedroom. Laura was crouched down beside her dresser. He saw a broke bottle among a wet spot with a pair of black high heels tipped over close by. There was a definite scent of Laura’s favorite perfume in the air.  

Laura looked up at them. “What happened to my perfume?”  

Joe shook his head. “I don’t know, Mom.”  

“Me either,” Frank admitted as his eyes scanned the room, looking for something that could explain the damage to the bottle.  

“I don’t know either,” Morgan said.  

“Has anyone seen Chelsea?” Fenton asked.  

Frank immediately realized what had been missing by the front door. “Umm, I don’t think Chelsea is in the house.”  

“Why do you say that?” Laura asked, standing up.  

“Well, Chelsea’s boots are missing from the tray by the front door.”  

“What?” Fenton asked.  

Fenton and Laura rushed past the three of them and made their way downstairs. The three of them quickly followed behind.  

“Where did she go?” Fenton asked looking directly at Joe.  

“I don’t know. She was playing in her room.”  

“Were you actually watching her or were you in your room?” Fenton asked angrily.  

“Dad,” Frank began, knowing time was a factor. “We can worry about that later. We need to find Chelsea.”  

“You’re right.” Fenton looked at Laura. “Call her friends’ parents and see if she’s over at one of their houses. Frank and I will scout the neighborhood.”  

“I’m coming too,” Joe said.  

“Fine,” Fenton said. “If Chelsea is at one of the houses, call us on the cell phone.”  

“Got it,” Laura said, heading for the phone with Morgan close behind.  

“Joe, Frank, head down toward Main while I head toward Pine. She has a head start and we need to find her.”  

Frank and Joe quickly donned their coats and boots. They slipped their hats and gloves on before going out into the blowing snow and wind. The storm seemed to be easing some.  

The snow had piled up another half foot and made walking a challenge. There was also no sign of footsteps. The snow appeared to have covered anything that had been made earlier.  

Together, Frank and Joe trudged along through the snowdrifts, checking with the neighbors seeing if anyone had spotted Chelsea. But they weren’t having much luck.  

After they had checked the tenth house, Joe said, “I wonder where she’s gone.”  

“We’ve got to find her,” Frank said. “I just can’t understand why you weren’t watching her.”  

“I made a mistake,” Joe snapped. “I’m sorry I didn’t pay closer attention. I feel really bad about this. And if something has happened…” Joe choked up and couldn’t finish.  

Frank turned to Joe and placed his hand on his younger brother’s shoulder. He spoke gently, “I know you’re sorry and didn’t mean for this to happen. And I know we’ll find her.”  

“Really?” Joe asked.  

“Really,” Frank said. “Chelsea is just like you and I don’t think she would’ve gone far.”  

“Then where is she?”  

“I don’t know.” Frank shook his head. “Come on. Let’s keep looking.”  

Frank and Joe plowed through the snow checking with the rest of the residents on the street. They slowly made their way back to their house, disappointed they had come up empty handed. They hoped their father had better luck. They were freezing. The cold wind seemed to cut through their clothes and the temperature was still dropping. The snow had soaked their pant legs making them feel even colder.  

As they neared the house, they saw Fenton coming from the other direction. He was alone. Frank waited at the end of the driveway for Fenton to reach them. Fenton said, “We better go in and call the police.”  

Frank nodded and started to follow his father inside. But stopped when he realized Joe wasn’t following him. He turned and saw Joe was staring at the ground. He could see his little brother trembling, but he wasn’t certain it was because of the cold.  

“Joe, we need to get inside.”  

“We can’t stop looking for her,” Joe said. “Chelsea has to be around here somewhere.”  

“And we will find her,” Frank said. “By calling the police, we’ll have more people searching and we’ll find her a whole lot sooner.”  

“Frank, she’s only eight-years-old. She’s not allowed to go anywhere by herself. Anything can happen to her.”  

“Joe, I know you’re worried. I am too. But she does have some common sense. We need to go in and warm up some before we head out again. We will find her.”  

Frank put his hand on Joe’s shoulder and led his brother inside.  

Once they crossed the threshold, they got out of their winter clothes and went into the living room. Fenton stood in the middle of the room with the phone to his ear. “All right. We appreciate you sending someone over.” Fenton ended the call and turned to Frank and Joe. “An officer is on the way over.”  

Frank looked at his father and realized his father was distressed. He had never seen his dad look so worried. “Dad, do you want some coffee to warm up?”  

“That’d be nice,” Fenton said distractedly, looking about the living room.  

Frank turned to leave the living room and saw Joe heading upstairs to his room, his head hung guiltily. He knew he would have to do something so Joe wouldn’t beat himself up. He knew he had to take care of his father first.  

Heading into the kitchen, he saw Laura sitting at the table. But she wasn’t alone. Morgan was sitting on her lap with her head nestled on Laura’s shoulder, a scene he hadn’t seen in many years.  

“Is your dad off the phone?” Laura asked.  

“Yeah, he is.” Frank moved to the coffee pot and poured a cup for his father. “He said an officer is coming by.”  

“Okay,” Laura said. “Is Joe home?”  

“He’s gone upstairs to change.”  

“You should probably change too.”  

“I will.”  

Frank took the mug to his father. He then headed upstairs and quickly changed. Once was in dry clothes, he decided to check on Joe to make sure he was all right. He made his way into the hall and started toward Joe’s room. He stopped outside the door when he heard Joe talking.  

“I really never meant for this to happen. Chelsea was playing in her room. She was fine. I know I’m at fault. I should have been paying closer attention to her. If by chance something has happened to her, there’s no one to blame but me. I let my responsibility be neglected and I don’t blame dad for getting angry with me. I just hope she’s all right. She’s my little sister and I love her so much.”  

Frank knew he needed to get Joe into the mindset that they would find Chelsea. He needed his brother to be positive or they were going to have problems.  

“Joe?” Frank asked, knocking on the door.  

“Come in.”  

Frank opened the door and looked at his brother. Joe was sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed with his knees pulled up to his chest. Joe was staring at the floor.  

“Dad said and officer should be by shortly,” Frank said. “They’ll probably want to talk to you.”  

“Okay.”  

Frank stood for a moment, unsure of what to do. The last time he had seen his brother so quiet was in the days following the death of his girlfriend, Iola Morton. He had only started talking following the memorial service. But Frank knew Joe hadn’t gotten that deep into despair and guilt, yet. If they couldn’t find Chelsea, he felt that’s where Joe would be headed.  

Joe finally looked up at Frank. “Dad has to hate me.”  

“He doesn’t hate you,” Frank said, sitting down on the bed. “You made a mistake and he knows it.”  

“I never meant for this to happen.”  

“I know, Joe. We’ll find Chelsea and everything will be all right.”  

Joe sighed. “I hope so.”  

“I’ve got an idea,” Frank said. “Why don’t you check with Vanessa, Biff and Chet? They may have seen Chelsea?”  

“Do you think she could have gone that far?”  

“It’s possible.”  

“All right. I’ll start calling.”  

Frank nodded his head. “I’ll check with Callie, Phil and Tony and see if they saw her.”  

“Sounds good.”  

As Joe reached for the phone, Frank left the room. He hoped one of their friends had seen her. He knew it would be a weight off his shoulders if she had been seen.  

* * * * *  

Half an hour later, Frank was sitting in the living room with the rest of the family. He had called his friends, but no one had seen Chelsea. He was disappointed, but he was also very concerned. He hoped that his worst fears, that she had been kidnapped were not real.  

Now, they were seated on the couches telling family friend and Bayport Police Officer Con Riley, about Chelsea’s disappearance.  

“Since you’ve been home, have you received any telephone calls or letters requesting money for her return?” Con asked.  

“There’s been nothing,” Fenton said. “We checked with the neighbors on both sides of the house down to the side streets. No one has seen her.”  

“Who was the last person to see her?” Con asked.  

“I was,” Joe said quietly. “I checked on her shortly after Frank and Morgan had left. She was playing with her dolls in her room. That was the last time I saw her.”  

“Did you see or hear anything out of the ordinary?” Con asked.  

“I didn’t,” Joe said. “I was in my room listening to music. It was a little louder than it should have been.”  

“Why do you think Chelsea ran away?” Con asked.  

“When we were looking in the house for her, we found one of Laura’s perfume bottles broken on the floor along with a pair of overturned shoes,” Fenton explained.  

“Overturned shoes?”  

“A pair of my black pumps were tipped over as if someone had quickly slipped out of them,” Laura elaborated.  

“So you figured Chelsea broke the bottle and left fearing she was going to get into trouble.”  

“That’s what we think, but we’ve had no luck in finding her.”  

“Fenton, I really think Chelsea will come home on her own, but I will alert all the officers to look for her.”  

“Thanks, Con.”  

“Don’t worry. We’ll find her in no time at all.”  

As Fenton walked Con to the door, Frank looked at Joe and realized his brother wasn’t comforted by Con’s words.  

“Boys.”  

Frank and Joe looked over at the doorway and saw their friends standing there. He couldn’t believe Biff Hooper, Chet Morton, Tony Prito, Vanessa Bender, Phil Cohen and Vanessa Bender were standing in their house. Frank asked, “What are you doing here?”  

“We’re here to help find Chelsea,” Callie said.  

“You all came out in this storm to look for her?” Frank asked in disbelief.  

“We figured the more eyes the better,” Biff said.  

“So, where do we start?” Tony asked.  

Frank looked at Joe, and then his parents, and saw the same look of surprise on their faces. He knew his friends wouldn’t have offered their assistance if they didn’t mean it. He now had a renewed feeling they would find Chelsea.  

“We need to get back out there,” Frank said. “We’ve had enough time to warm up.”  

“Where are we looking?” Biff asked.  

“I want to search as well,” Morgan spoke up.  

“Mr. Hardy, I’m not really dressed to go traipsing through the snow. Maybe Morgan could come with me and we could scour the area by car?”  

“I think that’s a good idea,” Fenton said. “And the house will be the base of operations. Everyone should go out in groups.”  

“Where are we searching?” Tony asked.  

“We’ve already checked with the neighbors to the side streets. So we need to head further out.”  

“Then let’s get going,” Frank said.  

* * * * *  

Half an hour later, the Hardy’s and their friends were out searching for Chelsea. The snowstorm had eased up even more, making it easier to see, but there were no signs of Chelsea. Fenton had paired up with Tony in the search, while Joe and Vanessa had gone off together. Biff and Chet had also teamed up while Frank and Phil searched.  

As Joe and Vanessa trudged their way through the snowdrifts, Joe kept wondering if Chelsea was all right. He couldn’t believe what he had done, or what he hadn’t done.  

I should have been much more responsible, he thought. This is all my fault. I should have listened when Frank left and checked on her more than I did. But I didn’t. Maybe if I had been with her, then we wouldn’t be going through this now. Mom and Dad raised me to be responsible and when they need me to come through, I fail them. Chelsea has to be okay. Right now, I am willing to promise anything and everything to know that she’s all right. This is so frustrating not to know where she is.  

“Which way should we go now?” Vanessa asked, breaking into Joe’s thoughts.  

He looked around trying to get his bearings. He saw they were nearing the park and immediately felt another pang of guilt knowing Chelsea loved to play there.  

“Let’s go into the park,” Joe said quietly. “She may have gone in there.”  

“Okay,” Vanessa said.  

As they crossed the street, Joe made silent wish. Please, he thought, just let one of us find Chelsea, unharmed, and I will never, ever, ask for anything again. I love Chelsea so much and I never, ever want anything to happen to her. Please, let us find her.  

Joe felt Vanessa take hold of his hand. He looked at her as she gave him an encouraging grin. Together they trudged through the drifts looking for Chelsea.  

* * * * *  

On the other side of town, Frank and Phil made their way along, talking with residents who were clearing the show from their driveways. No one had seen Chelsea. Both of them were getting discouraged.  

“Frank,” Phil began as they rounded the corner, “can you think of anywhere she would have gone that hasn’t been checked?”  

“I have no idea,” Frank said, stopping and looking around. “Mom and Morgan checked with all her friends. No one has seen her.” He locked eyes with Phil. “What if she was kidnapped? What if she’s hurt? With the way the snow was coming down, she could have easily been missed by drivers.”  

“Frank, calm down,” Phil said gently. “You can’t keep thinking that way. We will find Chelsea and she’ll be all right.”  

Frank remained silent. He had a hard time believing him. His thoughts immediately drifted back to the day that he, Joe and Morgan learned they were going to have another sibling.  

He had just celebrated his tenth birthday a week earlier when their parents gathered them all in the living room.  

He had noticed his mother hadn’t been feeling well for some time and hoped that it wasn’t serious. He felt that if it was, he needed to be strong for Joe and Morgan since he was the big brother.  

“Kids, we have something to tell you,” Fenton said as he took one of Laura’s hands in his.  

“What is it?” Joe asked.  

“Your dad and I wanted to let you know that in a few months we will be having an addition to the family,” Laura said.  

“We’re getting a puppy!” Joe yelled.  

“Yeah!” Morgan yelled.  

“That’s not it,” Fenton said with a chuckle.  

“Then a cat?” Joe asked, hopefully.  

“Sorry, Joe,” Laura said. “Actually, we will be having another baby.”  

“A baby?” Joe asked.  

Frank smiled. He remembered when Morgan had been born. It had been fun to have a baby in the house and now it was going to happen again.  

Then, six and a half months later, a baby girl joined the family: Chelsea. The three of them went into their mother’s hospital room and saw Laura holding a bundle in a pink blanket.  

They each got an opportunity to hold her. Frank settled in the chair in the room and gently cradled his new sister in his arms. She was adorable and was thrilled she was part of their family.  

A phone ringing interrupted Frank’s memory. He reached into his pocked and pulled the phone out. Frank put it to his ear. “Hello?”  

“Frank, you and Phil should come on back to the house,” Fenton said.  

“Why?” Frank asked, looking at Phil. “Has Chelsea been found?”  

There was silence and he knew the answer.  

“Frank,” Fenton began, “you two need to come back. The temperature is dropping. We need to regroup to see where we need to continue searching.”  

“Dad, we can’t stop. Chelsea is out here.”  

“I know, son. But we need to come up with another plan.”  

Frank closed his eyes and sighed. “All right. We’re coming.” Frank ended the call.  

“So, we’re heading back,” Phil stated.  

Frank looked around one last time, hoping to spot his sister. He let out a breath. “Yeah.”  

“Then let’s go.”  

* * * * *  

It was in the early hours of the morning and Frank was exhausted. But he couldn’t sleep. Each time he tried to close his eyes, images of Chelsea hurt or in danger entered his mind, making him worry even more than before.  

As he glanced around the living room, he felt a sense of appreciation. All their friends had offered to help search and were now sleeping, exhausted from their trek through the cold and snow. They had all had passed out on the couches and floor, figuring they would take a break before they resumed their search. The police had also called in reinforcements to search while the family and friends warmed up.  

Without waking the others, Frank quietly got to his feet and went into the kitchen. He stopped suddenly when he saw Joe standing by the kitchen window, looking out into their dark backyard.  

From his brother’s posture, he knew Joe was beating himself up internally about Chelsea’s disappearance. He knew he needed to offer his brother some support. He stepped into the kitchen and stood behind Joe. He put his hand on Joe’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.  

“Frank, where is she?” Joe asked softly, worry evident in his voice. “Why haven’t we been able to find her?”  

“I don’t know, Joe. But I can tell you this. I won’t stop looking until she is back home.”  

“Frank, what happens if we don’t find here?” Joe looked up at his older brother, fear showing in his eyes. “What if something has happened to her?”  

Frank knew he needed to be strong even though he had the same fears as his brother. “Joe, we still don’t know that for certain. We have to keep searching. And playing ‘what if’ is only going to make you worry even more. Chelsea is smart for her age. She’s probably somewhere safe and will be back in the morning.”  

Joe was quiet for a moment. “I hope you’re right.”  

They both turned and looked back out the kitchen window. Frank also hoped he was right.  

Frank looked up at the clear night sky, easily making out the different constellations. He knew the clear sky made it even cooler and he immediately wondered if Chelsea was warm enough. Looking at the stars, Frank realized one star seemed brighter than any of the others. He released his hold on Joe’s shoulder and stepped closer to the window. There was something about the star that seemed out of place to him.  

The star seemed to be casting a glow on the ground below. Frank didn’t know if it was real or not, but something was telling him he needed to go there. Frank turned and made his way to the front door where his coat hung and his boots had been drying. He quickly slipped them on before pulling on a hat and his gloves.  

As he reached for the doorknob, Joe asked softly, “Where are you going?”  

“Out,” Frank said vaguely. He really wasn’t sure where he was going.  

He stepped outside pulling the door closed behind him. He knew he needed to follow the light from the star. Making his way around the house, he spotted the light once again. Frank had to go to the side street to gain some ground on the light. He realized the light shining down seemed to be at the wooded park about three blocks behind their Elm Street home.  

The closer he got to the wooded area, the easier it was to spot the stars light. He reached the edge of the wooded area and made his way through the trees. Each step was carefully placed before another one was taken since the snow was deep. He still kept his eyes on the light.  

It seemed like several hours had passed when he finally felt he was nearing the light. He moved through the trees and stopped suddenly. The light from the star bathed a tree right in front of him.  

But it wasn’t that which surprised him. Lying on the ground, under a shelter of fallen trees was Chelsea. She appeared to be sleeping.  

Frank hurried through the snow to get a closer look at his sister. He noticed her face was pale as he kneeled beside her in the snow. He slid his glove off his hand as he reached his trembling hand for her. Frank placed his fingers against her neck and waited with baited breath. He sighed in relief when he felt her pulse.  

“Chelsea, open your eyes, sweetie. Please, Chelsea. Wake up.”  

There was no response from her. Frank knew time was of the essence. He quickly slid his warm winter coat off and then wrapped it around Chelsea, making sure it was zipped tight. Once he was sure it was tight, he lifted Chelsea into his arms. Getting to his feet, he followed the path back out of the woods. He pushed the cold out of his mind as the wind blew through his sweatshirt, feeling as if pins were being shoved into his body. He could feel the wind also blowing through his soaking wet jeans.  

Frank continued as quickly as he could through the woods. He kept looking at Chelsea’s face hoping for some sign that she was all right. But she remained motionless.  

When he finally reached Elm Street, he was struggling to keep hold of Chelsea. He was freezing and could feel the tingling in his arms and legs. He knew they needed to get inside where it was warm and fast.  

Frank finally saw the lights of the house and was relieved they were almost home. “We’re almost there Chelsea. In a little while, you’ll be nice and warm. Just hang on, Chelsea.”  

He stepped up to the front door and pulled Chelsea closer to himself, giving him a little more room to grab the doorknob. He turned the knob and pushed the door open, grateful that it hadn’t been locked after he left.  

Frank stepped across the threshold and stopped when he saw Joe coming down the hallway toward him. Joe stopped short.  

“Take…take her,” Frank stuttered.  

Joe hurried forward and took Chelsea from Frank’s arms. Once the weight was gone from his arms, Frank reached for the banister that led upstairs and steadied himself. His entire body felt like Jell-O and he felt like he was going to fall.  

As he lowered himself to the steps, Joe yelled, “Everyone! Wake up! Chelsea’s back!”  

Frank watched as their friends scrambled to their feet and heard his parents thundering down the stairs.  

“Chelsea!” Joe called out.  

“She…she...wasn’t awake…when…when I…found her,” Frank stuttered as his body began to shake uncontrollably.  

“Get her out of those clothes!” Fenton thundered. “Joe, call Dr. Bates and see if he can come over.”  

As Laura, Vanessa and Callie got Chelsea out of her wet clothes, Fenton turned to Frank as Biff closed the front door. “Let’s get out upstairs and into some warm clothes as well.”  

Frank was shaking even more than before. He didn’t think he would make it up the stairs. He stuttered, “Dad…I don’t…don’t think…it’ll work.”  

“We’ll help you,” Biff said, stepping forward with their other friends.  

Biff and Phil helped Frank to his feet and took his weight so he wouldn’t fall. They slowly made their way up to Frank’s room. Once in the room, Frank sank down onto his bed. Biff grabbed the comforter from the bed and wrapped it around Frank as Phil took the blanket that was folded up at the foot of the bed and did the same.  

“I’ll help him get changed,” Joe said coming quickly into Frank’s room. “Biff, could you keep an eye out for Dr. Bates?”  

“Sure,” Biff said and headed out of the room.  

“Phil,” Joe said turning to him, “could you help Van and Callie make tea for them?”  

“Got it.” Phil also left the room.  

Frank watched Joe kneel in front of him and unlace his boots. Joe said, “You’ll warm up soon.”  

“Chelsea,” Frank began.  

“She’ll be all right,” Joe said. “Let me just worry about you for a couple minutes.”  

Frank sat still and used what strength he had to hold the blankets around himself. Within a short period of time, he was in a pair of dry sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Some warmth was beginning to return to his frozen body.  

He looked at Joe. “We should probably go downstairs.”  

“Are you up to it?”  

“I think so.”  

“Okay.”  

Frank struggled to his feet and grabbed Joe’s arm to steady himself. He knew he should stay where he was, but he was just as anxious as Joe to see how Chelsea was doing.  

“I’ll help you,” Joe offered.  

“Thanks.”  

Joe grabbed the blanket from the bed and they started down the stairs. They were halfway down when the front door was opened by Biff and Dr. Bates stepped in.  

“She’s in there,” Biff said, pointing toward the living room.  

“Thanks, son,” Dr. Bates said.  

Frank and Joe made their way down the rest of the stairs. They stepped over to the threshold leading to the living room. Chelsea was stretched out on the couch covered in blankets with Fenton and Laura hovering close by. Dr. Bates moved over to Chelsea. Fenton and Laura reluctantly stepped back from her. Megan stayed where she was, peering over the arm of the couch.  

“Has she had anything to drink?” Dr. Bates asked sitting down beside Chelsea.  

“She did swallow a couple spoonfuls of broth,” Laura admitted.  

“How is she?” Frank asked.  

Laura and Fenton looked up startled. Fenton hurried over to him. “Frank, you look like you’re about to collapse.”  

“I’m okay,” Frank said, but allowed his dad to lead him to the recliner. Joe handed him the blanket he had brought down.  

He looked at Chelsea and saw some color had returned to her face since he found her. Just as he was about to ask how she was doing again, Frank saw Chelsea move her head, and then finally open her eyes.  

“Mommy?” Chelsea asked softly.  

“I’m here,” Laura said, moving back to the couch and leaning over the back. Tears of joy were coursing down her cheeks. “Just relax and let Dr. Bates check you over.”  

“How did I get back here?” Chelsea asked, looking around the room.  

“Sweetie, we’ll answer that once Dr. Bates is done.”  

Frank glanced at Morgan, Joe and Fenton. All of them were smiling, grateful Chelsea was awake.  

They all waited as Dr. Bates finished checking her over. He set his stethoscope down and looked at Chelsea. “I think with some warm food in her system and some rest, she’ll be absolutely fine.”  

“Really?” Fenton asked.  

“Really,” Dr. Bates said. “It’s possible she may come down with a cold in a couple days, but she is all right.”  

“What a relief,” Laura said, reaching down and hugging Chelsea.  

“Doc, since you’re here, could you give Frank and look-see as well?” Fenton asked. “He was out in the cold without a coat on.”  

“I’m all right,” Frank said.  

“It’s not a problem,” Dr. Bates said.  

Frank sighed knowing there was no way to get out of it. His parents always wanted to be certain they were all right.  

As the doctor started checking him over, he saw Joe move to the end of the couch and watch Chelsea. He knew Joe wanted to talk with her and was going to do so at the first opportunity he got.  

When Dr. Bates finished, he looked Frank in the eye. “You’re going to be fine, but I do suggest you get something warm in your system as well. You also need some sleep to regain your strength.”  

“That’s not a problem,” Frank said. “A nice warm bed sounds like the best idea I’ve ever heard.”  

Dr. Bates looked at Fenton and Laura. “If either of them get real sick, just give me a holler.”  

“All right,” Laura said.  

Fenton stepped over to Dr. Bates and shook his hand. “Thanks for coming over.”  

“No problem.”  

Dr. Bates gathered his things and then left the Hardy house.  

A moment later, the Hardy’s friends appeared in the doorway with their coats and boots on. They had gone into the kitchen while Dr. Bates checked over Frank and Chelsea.  

Fenton looked at all of them. “Thank you for your help searching for Chelsea. It was greatly appreciated.”  

“We’re just glad we were able to help,” Vanessa said.  

“And from the looks of Chelsea and Frank, they could both use some sleep, like everyone else,” Phil said. “We’ll get out of here and let you all sleep.”  

“We’ll talk later,” Joe said.  

“No problem,” Chet said.  

The friends quickly bid good-night and left the house.  

Once the Hardy’s were alone, Fenton said, “I know there are a lot of questions I have about all this, but they can wait until later.” He glanced from Chelsea to Frank, and then back to Chelsea. “You two need sleep and I think the rest of us will welcome it as well.”  

“Your father is right,” Laura said. “We should all sleep for several hours.”  

“No arguments here,” Frank said, trying to stifle a yawn.  

“Joe, why don’t you help Frank upstairs while I take care of Chelsea?” Fenton suggested.  

“No problem.”  

“I’m quite comfortable here,” Frank said, fighting to keep his eyes open.  

“Come on,” Joe said, nudging Frank’s shoulder. “Your bed will be a whole lot more comfortable.”  

“All right.”  

* * * * *  

After Frank was in bed, Joe turned off the light and left the room for his own. He could hear his parents in Chelsea’s room getting her settled. He shut off the light in his room and sat down on his bed. He listed to the sounds, waiting for his parents to return to their room. He knew he could go to sleep, but he had something that needed to be done first.  

A half-hour later, he heard his parents make their way down the hall. He waited another 15 minutes and when he was certain they were in their own room, he quietly left his bedroom.  

Stepping into the hall, he glanced at his parents closed bedroom door. No light could be seen from underneath and he figured his parents had finally gone to sleep.  

Joe quietly crept over to Chelsea’s door. He pushed it open, hoping it wouldn’t make a sound. He slipped in and was not surprised to see the white bear night light on beside her bed. He closed the door.  

As he moved toward the bed, he saw Chelsea roll onto her side and pull her teddy bear close to her chest. He reached the bed and kneeled on the floor beside her. Looking at her peaceful face, he was grateful that she was back with them and all right.  

Watching her sleep, Joe thought, I am so grateful she is here. She wasn’t hurt and that was my one true wish. There is nothing else that I want. I am going to make this the best Christmas Chelsea will ever remember.  

Joe reached up and brushed Chelsea’s blond hair back from her face. She didn’t wake. Joe leaned close to her and spoke in a whisper.  

“Chelsea, I may not say this often, but I do love you. I wasn’t paying attention yesterday when I was supposed to and I’m sorry. I do promise I will be a better big brother in the future.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “I love you Chelsea.”  

“I love you, Joe,” Chelsea murmured in her sleep.  

Joe smiled and then left her room.  

* * * * *  

It was Christmas Eve and the Hardy family was getting ready for their traditional family time together. Each Christmas Eve following the church service, they would gather in the living room by the Christmas tree. This year, Frank had missed the service since he had come down with a cold the previous day, which included a high fever.  

He was sitting on the couch in the living room, a blanket covering his legs, waiting for the rest of the family to gather after changing out of their church clothes.  

As he sat there, Frank thought back to the evening after the incident. They all had gathered in the living room and Chelsea told them what had happened and why she ran off.  

Chelsea looked down at her hands. “I went to Joe to see if he would play with me. I asked a couple times, but he didn’t say anything.”  

“I never heard you,” Joe said quietly.  

“Well, I then went into Mommy and Daddy’s room and tried on Mommy’s shoes. I went to the dresser and was playing dress up. I dropped the bottle and it broke.”  

“Why did you leave the house?” Fenton asked.  

“I was going to get into trouble,” Chelsea said softly. “I knew I wasn’t to play with Mommy’s things without her there.”  

“So, you ran away,” Fenton concluded.  

Chelsea nodded her head.  

“Did you think we wouldn’t come looking for you?” Laura asked.  

Chelsea remained quiet.  

“Chelsea, please look at me,” Fenton said. Chelsea lifted her head and looked at him. Fenton continued. “When we realized you were missing, we were terrified you had been taken away from us. And the storm increased that worry. Chelsea, running away is never the answer. When you make mistakes, you fess up to them. You don’t run away.”  

“I’m sorry,” Chelsea said, tears evident in her voice. “I didn’t mean to make you worry.”  

“We know you’re sorry,” Laura said. “But you do know you will be punished.”  

“I’m grounded, huh?” Chelsea asked.  

“Two weeks,” Laura said. “No playing outside and no television.”  

“Okay,” Chelsea said.  

“And Joe?”  

“I know,” Joe said. “I get two weeks as well for not paying attention.”  

“But it’s my fault,” Chelsea said. “I was the one who broke the bottle and ran away. Joe didn’t do it. He shouldn’t get punished for that.”  

“He’s not,” Laura said.  

“I am in trouble for not keeping an eye on you,” Joe said. “Instead of being responsible, I ignored my duty. If I had done as I was asked, we wouldn’t be here now.” He looked at Chelsea. “Maybe since we’re both grounded, we can find something to do together to keep ourselves occupied.”  

Chelsea smiled. “I’d like that.”  

“Good.”  

They all had learned a valuable lesson and Frank knew they wouldn’t go through that situation again.  

Frank reached up and massaged his forehead. His head was throbbing and he was anxious to climb back into his bed. He had forced himself out of bed because he didn’t want to miss the family tradition.  

He heard a pair of small footsteps coming down the stairs and knew it was Chelsea. She had bounced back quickly from her ordeal with just the sniffles.  

Turning his head, Frank saw Chelsea slide to a stop beside him.  

“Is there anything you need?” Chelsea asked.  

“I’m all right.” Frank covered his mouth as he coughed. “Maybe you could see if Mom needs any help in the kitchen.”  

“Okay.”  

As Chelsea hurried out of the living room, Frank lowered his legs to the floor and readjusted the blanket. Just then, Joe and Morgan came into the living room and sat down.  

Joe looked at Frank. “Do you really think you should be up? You’re awfully pale.”  

“I’m okay,” Frank said, propping his elbow on the arm of the couch to hold his aching head. He massaged his forehead again hoping the medication the doctor prescribed would take effect.  

“Here are the drinks,” Laura said coming into the room, carrying a tray with six mugs on it. Chelsea followed her with a tray of cookies.  

“Are we ready?” Fenton asked, coming into the room. He moved over to the stereo and found a station playing holiday music.  

“I am,” Chelsea said, plopping herself down on the floor in front of the tree.  

“Me too,” Morgan said, sitting beside Chelsea.  

“So am I,” Joe said, sitting down on the floor and leaning back against the couch.  

Frank nodded as he sipped the hot tea Laura had made for him.  

“All right,” Laura said, sitting down on the couch next to Frank. “Fenton, it’s all yours.”  

Fenton grabbed a book from the bookcase and moved over to his recliner. He looked at all of them as he sat down. As soon as he was settled, Morgan and Chelsea hurried over to him and sat down on his lap. They leaned back against him as he opened the book. He turned to the first page and read, “T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” *  

Listening to his father’s deep baritone voice reading the story, Frank’s thoughts drifted to his earliest recollection of the holiday. He was about four years old. They had come home from church on Christmas Eve, changed into their pajamas and gathered in the living room by the tree. Fenton pulled out the storybook and told the story with Joe and him sitting on their father’s lap. The tradition continued through the years.  

After Morgan had been born, Frank had held her on his lap through the story. Then when Chelsea was born, Morgan continued to sit on his lap and Joe held Chelsea. When Frank and Joe had gotten too big to sit on Fenton’s lap, they had found seats, usually by the chair to listen to the story.  

Fenton’s voice brought Frank back to the present. “And they heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, Merry Christmas to all and to all a goon night.” *  

Looking at his sisters, he saw Chelsea’s eyes were drooping and she was on the brink of falling asleep. Fenton closed the book and looked down at the girls. “I think it’s about time we got a couple people to bed before Santa arrives.”  

Frank grinned, as did Laura and Joe. He saw Morgan smiling as well, even though he knew she didn’t think Santa was real.  

“I agree,” Laura said.  

“Daddy?” Chelsea asked sleepily.  

“What sweetie?”  

They all watched as Chelsea opened her eyes and looked up at Fenton.  

“Do you think Santa will really come?” she asked, hesitantly.  

Fenton looked at her, puzzled. “Why wouldn’t he?”  

“Because I ran away.”  

“Oh, sweetie,” Fenton said pulling her close. “What you did was a mistake. While Santa does keep track of when you’re naughty and nice, he takes into account that people do make mistakes and doesn’t hold that against them.”  

“Do you think Santa knows that I’m sorry and I didn’t mean to make everyone worry?”  

“He does,” Laura said, getting to her feet and moving over to Fenton’s chair. “Now, the only way for Santa to come is if you all get upstairs and into bed.”  

“But we need to put out more cookies,” Chelsea protested.  

“Then let’s get that take care of,” Laura said, taking Chelsea’s hand and heading into the kitchen.  

“Come on, Morgan,” Joe said getting up. “Let’s get the gifts we’re giving and put them under the tree before we go to bed.”  

“Okay.” Morgan and Joe headed upstairs.  

Frank coughed several times and drank the rest of his tea. He was anxious to get over the cold.  

“How are you feeling, Frank?”  

He looked at his father. “Better, but I can’t wait for this to be gone.”  

“Give yourself a few days and you’ll be feeling like your old self.”  

Frank nodded his head.  

At that moment, Chelsea and Laura returned to the living room. Chelsea was carrying a tray with peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses on top. She set the tray on the coffee table. She looked at everyone. “Santa loves these cookies.”  

“He sure does,” Frank said. He pushed the blanket off his legs. “Come on, Chelsea. I’ll tuck you in so Santa can come a whole lot sooner.”  

“Okay.” Chelsea went to Fenton and kissed him. “Night Daddy. I love you.”  

“I love you too,” Fenton said.  

Chelsea moved to Laura. “Night Mommy. I love you.”  

“I love you too, sweetie.” Laura kissed her cheek. “Now scoot.”  

Chelsea hurried up the stairs as Frank looked at his parents. “I’ll make sure she’s in bed so you can get started.”  

“Thanks, son.”  

“Here, Frank,” Laura said moving over to him. She handed him two tablets, which he knew was his medication.  

“Thanks, Mom.”  

Footsteps were heard coming down the stairs and they turned to see Joe, Morgan and Chelsea coming toward them with gifts in their arms.  

Joe looked at Frank. “I got yours as well.”  

“I appreciate it, Joe.”  

Once all the gifts were placed, the four of them made their way upstairs. They settled in their beds pulling their covers up to their chins.  

Drifting to sleep, Morgan realized that while she didn’t truly believe in Santa Claus, she loved the holiday season and being with her family.  

Looking at her night light before closing her eyes, Chelsea wished Santa knew for sure that she was sorry for worrying her family and also wished that they would get everything they ever wished for.  

As Frank slipped into slumber, his last thoughts were of his family being together, for now and forever.  

Joe stared up at the ceiling in the darkness. He felt relief that his family was safe and together. He knew that was the only thing he wanted this years and he had gotten his wish. He knew they all were going to have a Merry Christmas.  

-- The End --

 

Happy Holidays to Everyone!!

 

* The reference is to the story, “T'was the Night Before Christmas.” Although I do not remember who wrote it, I am acknowledging that I borrowed the beginning and ending and am not meaning any harm.

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The authors 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.