Frank rose to the smell of pancakes coming up from the kitchen. For the first time in two months, he felt like getting out of bed bright and early like he used to do. As he walked into the bathroom that was shared with his brother, Frank could not help but to smile uncontrollably in the mirror. He remembered how happy his father was to see Joe when they reached the van. Mr. Hardy could not stop his tears of joy at seeing his youngest boy again. Even though Joe was armed with crutches, he was a beautiful sight to their mother. She didn’t care that he had broken his ankle. All that she cared about was that he was alive and somewhat standing right before her face. The baby boy that she once cradled in her arms was now home again.

Then there was Iola’s family. Frank had never known such joy as seeing Iola reunite with her father. Her mother was brought to Bayport General along with Mrs. Hardy to make sure that they were all right. Iola’s mother trembled at the site of her daughter. It was the best case that they had ever solved. After spending the day at the hospital, Iola and Joe were released to their families to come home. Last night was the first night in a very long time that the couple was able to sleep in their own rooms in their own beds. Frank just could not hide the joy he felt in his heart. Then his thoughts drifted again. He walked over to the door leading into Joe’s room and peeked in. It was not a dream. Joe laid there staring up at the ceiling.

“Hey baby brother! How did you sleep?” Frank asked as he walked into his brother’s bedroom.

Joe looked over and smiled at him. “Wonderful. Even with the broken ankle, it was wonderful.”

Frank just stood there and smiled at him.

Then Joe’s face turned serious. “Frank, I wanted to thank you for finding us.”

“Joe, it was nothing,” Frank protested, but Joe stopped him.

“No, Frank. Just listen. I kept telling Iola that you would find us. I just knew that you had to know I was still alive deep down inside.”

Frank lowered his head. “But Joe, I did believe that you were gone. I didn’t even come searching for you until that night when I overheard Dad. I am the one who needs to thank you.”

Joe looked at his older brother in disbelief. “Thank me? For what?”

“For teaching me that sometimes you have to follow your heart instead of your brain,” Frank stated.

Joe’s face turned red. “Does this mean you are going to listen to me more often?”

“I doubt that,” Frank said with a laugh. “I am still the oldest you know. I am just glad that I am no longer the only Hardy boy. I don’t think you will ever understand how happy I am to have you back home again.”

“I think I do now that Iola is home too,” Joe reminded Frank. Frank nodded in agreement. Then he sat down on the bed and gave Joe a serious look.

“We never told them how we found you guys,” Frank said in a soft, but stern voice.

Joe looked at his brother like he was crazy. “What are you talking about?”

Frank looked very uncomfortable as he was trying to find the words to say what he wanted to say.

“Spit it out Frank,” Joe demanded, looking at his brother.

“You know…you and Iola in bed together,” Frank said, not looking his brother in the eyes. Joe just looked at him. “I saw the clothes on the floor and noticed that you had another set of jeans and shirts on. If anything happened, I am not…”

“Hold on Frank!” Joe said, sitting up in bed.

“Joe, I just want you to know that no matter what happened, I understand and I respect your privacy,” Frank said in a caring voice. “Chet and I never told anyone and we never will.”

Joe was shocked. While he was fine to talk to Frank about the matter, it was not something he preferred to talk about with anyone.

“I just wanted you to know that,” Frank added. “I know how much you have missed Iola and I know how emotions can run high. I just wanted you to know that your privacy was respected.”

“Thank you Frank,” Joe said with a grateful smile. He never thought about what it appeared to look like. He was fully prepared to explain himself even though there was nothing to really explain. However, he was even happier to not have to explain. “But I assure you…”

“Joe, it is okay. I am just happy to have my crime solving partner back,” Frank said with a huge grin. Then he got up and started to walk towards the door. “You had better get some breakfast in your system. Something tells me you are going to have a lot of visitors after word gets out you are home.”

“Frank?”

“What Joe?” Frank replied as he stopped and turned his attention to his younger brother.

“Does Vanessa know?” Joe asked quietly. “Do you know where she is?”

Frank walked back over to the bed and sat down again. “Vanessa went to California to study film production. Her mother moved out there too. She just didn’t want to stay around here. She said everything reminded her of you.”

Joe looked down sadly at his hands. He felt a lump in his throat. “I never wanted to hurt her.”

“It wasn’t your fault Joe. She knew it was an accident, but you meant a lot to her. She e-mails me off and on and the last time I heard from her was just last week. She had just started to date again and she was starting to enjoy her classes. I know that mom gave her a call and left a message for her telling her the news.”

“Has she called back?”

“She is on her way here to see you. Her flight does not get in until tonight though. She can only come for a few hours and then she has to fly back out tomorrow morning. Van said she would have been here sooner if she could have got a flight. She said she just had to see you to believe it.”

Tears swelled in Joe’s eyes as he thought of his dear Vanessa. “What am I going to do Frank? I really liked Vanessa. She was so special to me. But I love Iola. I never stopped loving her since our freshman Homecoming dance.”

“Did you and Iola get to talk about things?” Frank asked. “Let’s face it; you are both different people now. Two years might not be long when you consider a lifetime, but there have been a lot of things that have happened to both of you during that time. Geez, I have noticed a difference in you just over two months!”

“I hope you mean that in a good way Frank,” Joe quipped with an ornery grin.

“Actually it is good. You seem more at peace and a lot more level-headed. Sort of like me,” Frank replied with a laugh. Joe playfully punched him in the arm.

Then his face turned serious. “What should I do Frank? I don’t want to hurt Vanessa or Iola.”

“For right now, you need to concentrate on getting better and getting your life back in place,” Frank said as he got up again and headed towards the door. “I really don’t think that Vanessa plans on picking up where you guys left off. She has moved on and I think that what will be, will be.”

Joe gave a slight grin, but Frank could tell that he was deep in thought.

“I’ll be honest with you Joe. I feel like I am getting to know you again in a weird kind of way.”

“What do you mean by that?” Joe asked, almost defensively.

“Joe, life went on for the both of us. There are two months that is missing between the two of us. Two months of pure you know what for me. I had to peak in the door this morning to make sure I was not dreaming!” Frank explained.

“It was not a picnic for me either Frank. Not a day when by that I didn’t think of you and mom and dad. I wondered what you were doing and how you were doing,” Joe quipped back. “Then I was trapped in this room with just a window watching time pass by and wondering if I was going to be there like Iola and dying for real before you guys knew that I was still alive! You had family, friends and home. I just had Iola and…,” Joe’s voice started to quiver. He dropped his head in frustration. Frank held his hand out and touched his brother on the shoulder. It was rare that Joe Hardy showed his emotions, especially any type of emotion that would make him appear “weak”. “Besides, I am not a stranger.”

“I think that after everything settles down and you are back on the mend, we should go and have a weekend out. Just us,” Frank replied in a soft voice. He really didn’t think it was good timing to settle things at that time. Things were too raw right now and he knew Joe needed time to adjust to life in Bayport again.

Joe looked up at Frank. “I think that I would like that very much Frank.” Then he lowered his head again and started to play with his fingers nervously. “Things just seem to be very confusing right now. I am happy to be home, please don’t get me wrong. But I just feel a little out of place right now. I didn’t mean to snap out at you Frank.”

“It is okay Joe. I am just glad to have you back home,” Frank said with a grateful smile. Joe grinned and patted his older brother on the shoulder. “You also need to get some food in that stomach before it starts to talk on its own!”

Joe was in so much thought that he never even noticed that his stomach was growling.

“I will bring breakfast up to you, tinker toes,” Frank laughed. He glanced back at his brother before he opened the bedroom door. Joe was already in deep thought.

“I usually don’t give out other people’s advice, but since it helped me find you maybe I should pass it on,” Frank said as he stopped by the door.

“What?”

“Joe, just follow your instincts. Sometimes you just have to go with how you feel in your heart rather than what your brain tells you to do. I know you will make the right decision.”

“Good advice,” Joe replied with a grin. “Who gave you that advice?”

“Someone who I should consider listening to a little more carefully in the future.”

THE END

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.