"Joe! Hey Joe! You need to wake up," Frank said repeatedly, shaking his younger brother. "We need to get some of this warm broth into your system."

Soon after, the blue eyes of Joe Hardy opened to the world once again. His body was still shivering uncontrollably and his teeth chattered so hard that Frank thought that he might break or chip them. While Frank continued to rub his feet and hands, Quincy started to feed Joe spoonfuls of warm broth. Little by little, the color started to come back into his face. While he was still chilled to the bone, he was warming up. When all the broth was finished, Joe wanted to fall back asleep. It seemed like he was still in a groggy or confused state. But Frank kept him up. He talked to him about Christmas and some of the past Christmas’ shared by the family.

"Just think, this year I don’t think that everyone is going to be able to make it in from New York and Maryland with that snowstorm. It might just be the five of us because you know Aunt Gertrude is going to be there. She is like the mailman," Frank chuckled. Joe grinned at the mention of his aunt. This relieved Frank even more because it meant that Joe understood him.

"So is this Gertrude spoken fer?" Quincy asked. "Sound like a spitfire of a woman to me."

"That she is and then some! But I don’t think she is going to go for these living arrangements though," Frank answered with a smile. While Quincy seemed to have a nice primitive set up, Aunt Gertrude could not be without her stove, bed or television complete with VCR so she could watch her crime shows.

"True there son, very true," Quincy returned the grin.

Just then Joe spoke for the first time since he had fallen into the river. "Who is that?" he said weakly. His eyes did not quite open up fully. Exhaustion had set in.

"Quincy, Quincy Jenson," the old man said looking over at him. "Glad to see you coming around."

Realizing through the fog in his head that he was with Amelia’s brother, Joe tried to sit up. But a set of hands pushed him back down.

"Take it easy Joe, you need to rest," Frank said, sitting up next to him.

"Frank?" Joe said, trying to focus his eyes. "Is that you Frank?"

"Yes, I came looking for you as soon as I found out you came out here. I saw where you fell through the trestle and I finally found you on the riverbank," Frank explained. "Then Quincy here found us and brought us here to get you warmed up."

"How long has it been? We don’t have much time. We have to get Quincy to Amelia," Joe said as he sat back up. But Frank pushed him back down.

"Joe, you are in no condition to make that trip back in this snowstorm. You are lucky that you are even alive," Frank informed him.

"But Amelia…" Joe almost cried. "I promised Amelia."

"We will get there," Quincy spoke up. "But in the morning. We can’t haul you down there like that. We would need more hands and a four-wheel drive in this weather. For now, I think that we all need to rest so we can get going at the crack of dawn if the weather is kind to us." Quincy got up and pulled some extra quilts from a wooden trunk on the floor by his small window. He handed a couple to Frank and took one for himself and went over to the other side of the cave.

Frank knew Quincy was right. He could hear the wind start to howl through the woods again. It would be just too much to get Joe through that weather while he was still recovering from his fall in the cold Greenbow River. He balled up his coat under his head and laid down on one of the quilts and covered up with the thicker quilt. Seeing the snow fly past the window, Frank only hoped that Amelia could hang on for just a few more days.

Back in Bayport, Iola had already grown worried about her boyfriend before Mrs. Hardy even made it to the nursing home. She quickly called her brother, Chet, who was the Hardy Boys’ best friend. After hearing about Joe being out in the woods alone in the dark, Chet called in the rest of the gang that consisted of Biff Hooper, Phil Cohen and Tony Prito. The set of young boys all squeezed into Biff’s four wheel drive extended cab truck and set out to find Joe with the aid of the map that Joe had left with Iola. They carried with them extra blankets, flashlights and heavy snowsuits. Mrs. Hardy, while worried for the safety of all of the boys, seemed relieved that someone was going out behind Frank since Mr. Hardy had not made it home yet.

Iola and Laura Hardy sat and watched helplessly as the snow flew past the window almost horizontal at times, praying that all would come back safe and sound. Amelia, though very tired, managed to speak to both women off and on. Laura loved hearing Amelia’s stories and Amelia loved hearing stories about the Hardy’s adventures. Soon Iola dozed off in the chair next to Amelia’s bed. Laura walked over and put a blanket around the young girl. Iola refused to leave Amelia until Joe made it back, so Laura called her mother and reassured her that she was with her. Amelia had also dozed off and was resting comfortably in her bed. While Laura was tired, she could not sleep. The three most precious things to her were out in that snow and she could not help but to worry. She could not imagine a Christmas without her husband there to set out the gifts and welcome each guest into the Hardy home. Then she had to smile at the thought of her sons. She was blessed with two handsome and respectable boys. The holidays just would not be the same without having the ramblings and goings of the boys and their friends. She just hoped that those memories of Christmas’ past would not be the only things she would be left with after tonight as she watched the fury of the storm.

"Frank?" A voice weakly broke through the roaring of the storm outside.

"Yes Joe?"

"We really need to get Quincy to Amelia," Joe said, taking deep breaths.

"Joe, you are too weak. We would never make it back. I am not willing to take that chance," Frank said sternly.

"We have taken many risks before and made it," Joe called back, his voice going in and out of a whisper.

"But Joe, this time we almost lost you out there," Frank said softly. "I am just not willing to take that chance with your life this time."

Joe let out a sigh. Frank knew his brother was not happy with the decision, but he also knew that Joe was too weak to stand on his own two feet let alone walk back to the van in the snowstorm. It was then that the guilt came back over him.

"Joe?"

"What?"

"I am sorry about what happened. I should have canceled my date and came with you earlier. I have been putting you off a lot lately and I am not going to do that anymore," Frank said, sitting up to face his brother. He could see Joe’s face in the light of the fireplace.

"Frank, I am the one who came out here by myself. I have done quite a bit of things by myself lately so I do not see this as your fault at all," Joe answered, still shivering a little off and on.

"Well, we are going to spend more time together like we used to do," Frank said with a determined tone. ‘We can double date or just toss the football around. I have let Callie dominate my time a lot lately. I mean, I have even hardly eaten dinner with you or lunch this past month. We used to talk about everything, now it seems like we are becoming strangers. This all really woke me up. I never thought you would ever come and take on a case without me."

Joe listened to his brother. "I had to help Amelia and I didn’t want to waste any time, but it looks like I really messed that one up." Joe retold the events that led up to his current location being Quincy Jenson’s cave. Frank could not help but to be proud of his brother for thinking of another human being. Many people did not realize just how sensitive Joe really was because they only saw the tough side. But Frank knew that under all of the laughter and side remarks was the heart of a very sentimental person.

"Well, I want you to know that I am proud of you and I am so happy that you are alive. You had me scared to death for a while," Frank said, patting his brother on the shoulder. He would have hugged him, but he feared that Joe would have a heart attack since Quincy was in the room. While Joe was a sentimental person, he did not openly show his feelings in front of others like Frank did.

"I am just so tired, but my mind will not stop running," Joe said starting to change the subject. He did that when Frank got emotional. But then he thought of what he was thinking right before he passed out beside the river.

"Hey Frank?" Joe spoke up again.

"Yeah Joe?"

"Thank you for coming after me," Joe said. "You saved my life you know."

"No problem Joe. You would have done the same for me."

Then there was a silent pause.

"Frank?"

"Yes Joe?" Frank said, his tone a little bit aggravated since he was somewhat tired.

"I love you big brother," Joe said softly to where Quincy could not hear.

Frank felt a big rush of warmth rush through him. It was very rare that Joe Hardy admitted openly that he loved his brother. While his actions always showed his true feelings, it was rarely that he spoke about them openly. The older brother sat up and smiled at Joe. Playfully punching him in the arm, Frank grinned wide and said, "I love you too, Joey."

With that, the two brothers fell asleep while the storm raged on outside.

Unknown to them, Quincy was wide-awake. He was thinking of his own sibling. It had been a long time since he was able to tell Amelia how he felt about her. Silently praying for the same opportunity that Joe had, Quincy lay cuddled up under his quilt and watched the snow through the window.

The silence of the night was interrupted by a loud thud at the door of the "cave house". Quincy was immediately up and at the door before Frank could even get up. Snow blew in from the door and the night darkness still laid across the land. The only light was that of the fire in the fireplace. Frank recognized the plump figure of the first visitor even in the dim firelight.

"CHET!" Frank yelled out as he jumped up. It was then that he noticed the rest of the gang and another guy that he did not know. "Tony, Phil, Biff. How did you get here?"

"Samuel!" Quincy called out, recognizing the other uniformed man. "What brings you here on a night like this? Come in and get warm!" The snow covered individuals gratefully came into the cave area. Quincy offered to make them warm cocoa or coffee, but all turned down his offer.

"We came looking for the two boys. I was hoping that you might have ran into them," The forest ranger said. "I ran into them on their way here. I told them to go back, but then they told he told me that his sister’s boyfriend came out here looking for you and his brother came after him. They refused to go back without their friends so I stuck with them. They told me the whole story about the one boy coming out here to get you to your sister."

"Yes, that is true. We were planning on leaving as soon it was light," Quincy replied.

"We need to leave now. There is a three-hour break in the storm. If you are going to get out of here, we have to go now. They have radioed up the coast. The worst is yet to come. As it is, I have my plow and we can get the van out of here along with the other car. But if we wait, we will be snowed in."

"That would be nice, but we have a problem. Joe here fell through the train trestle and went into the river. We got him warmed up, but he is no shape to make the trip on his own accord. Frank and I were going to slide him out of here on my sled. I think he is going to be fine, but his strength is just plain zapped," Quincy answered. Frank nodded in agreement. The rest of the gang seemed to be relieved to know that both of their friends were okay.

"Well, the way I see it, we have to move now. I don’t think you have enough supplies for six people to be stranded up here and I have a family to get home to you know," the middle aged man said with a smile. "I think between the lot of us we can get him down to the cars and we will go from there."

Quincy, not wanting to waste anymore time quickly gathered up what he needed while Frank got himself ready for the long cold track back to the parking area. Chet woke up a somewhat groggy Joe and told him of what was happening. Joe tried to insist that he was fine, but he had problems standing up. The cold water took his energy and strength. He knew that with a few days’ rest and hot meals that he would be fine, but that was not going to help in right that moment. Wrapping his best friend up in the blankets, the four chums got Joe ready for the hike. They put him on the sled while Quincy anchored his supplies and clothes beside the younger Hardy. After putting the fire out and securing the shudders on the window, the six set out quickly to beat the rest of what the storm had to offer.

The snow was just sprinkling down slowly unlike earlier when it was peppering the ground. The moonlight was beginning to shine through again. It seemed funny to Frank how the big storms sometimes came in "pieces" like that. He remembered at times during the storm that the air was nothing but black and then the snow would slow down and the moonlight would peek through the clouds. The moonlight, when the thick clouds did not block it, illuminated the snow making it look like a bed of diamonds. Joe would wake up off and on. He could not get over how weak he was. Yet his spirit wanted to trudge on and clear the way to get Quincy to Amelia’s side. He would look up and see his brother, helping to carry him out of the woods that almost claimed his life. Frank was just relieved to see his brother safe beside him. Smiling back at his younger brother, Frank trudged on baring his share of the weight. Even Chet did not complain of being hungry or tired. It seemed that everyone knew that they were on a mission. A mission that Joe started alone and they were determined to help him finish it together.

A half-hour passed as the group made it to the train trestle. It was evident that they had to cross the bridge to make it in time. To walk around would take them an extra hour, time that they did not have to waste. The haunting and gaping hole reminded them of the risk of making the crossing. Now they had to not only balance themselves, but Joe as well. Standing there in silence, each thinking the same thing.

"Do you think we can make it across carrying Joe?" Chet spoke up, saying what everyone was thinking.

"We have to. It would be dangerous for Joe to even try to walk across the bridge since he is still weak," Frank said, feeling the same uneasiness.

"We just got to git across this bridge and we will be set," Quincy chimed in. "I am not getting’ any younger standin’ here thinkin’ about it. Sometimes you are better off to jump right in than to stand back and think about what could happen that might not even happen."

"You sure are reassuring," Tony quipped, looking across the old bridge. The moonlight helped a light the way a little, but the sound of the rushing water was not so calming.