Nancy stood silently before the metal railing, staring out at the raging dark water. Her thoughts were a confused jumble. Where was this place? It looked so familiar, yet...

Rain began to fall, pelting her face sharply as she strained to see through the darkness. She appeared to be standing along the side of a road, one that was built along a bluff overlooking the ocean. Glancing down, she noticed her bare feet and legs peeking out from under the her night gown. Night gown? 'A dream,' she realized. She spoke aloud, to no one in particular, "I must be dreaming. I don't know where I am, but it doesn't matter, does it? It's just a dream."

"Is it?" a voice asked. She turned to find herself facing Frank Hardy.

"Frank?" Nancy's breath caught in her throat. "Frank what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," he said. He turned and leaned his arms on the guard rail. "Always looking, but never finding."

"I..I don't understand," she replied. She wanted desperately to reach out and touch him, but was afraid that doing so would end the dream, causing him to disappear.

"It all starts here," he said softly. "Everything does. Here is where it falls apart." He glanced up at her sadly. "Don't you remember?"

Nancy was confused. "Remember what?" she asked.

He didn't answer. Instead he turned to look back out at the water. "You need to look out," he said.

"You‘ve lost me. Look out for what?"

"For that," he replied as turned around. Frank's gaze swept past Nancy as he pointed toward the road. She pivoted in time to see a pair of blinding headlights cut through the darkness and rain toward them. Nancy threw her arm up to shield her eyes from the glare. Breaks squealed as the car careened straight at her. Nancy's eyes widened in fear as she realized that the car was going to hit them.

"Frank!" she cried out. She turned to push him out of the way, but he was gone. Tires squealed against pavement and Nancy dove to the right. Looking up, she saw the car, HER car, crash through the guardrail and hang, as if suspended by an invisible thread, partially over the edge of the bluff.

"NO!" Nancy screamed as she bolted straight up in her bed. She covered her face in her hands and struggled to breathe. It had just been a dream. That's all a dream. She took several deep breaths, attempting to calm her racing heart.

The door to her bedroom opened and light spilled in from the hall. Greg stood silhouetted in the doorway, his hand groping for the bedroom light switch. "What happened?" he asked as he flicked on the light. "We heard you scream." Kevin appeared behind him, still attempting to fasten his robe about his waist.

"It was nothing," she said. "Just a bad dream. Go back to bed guys," Nancy threw off the covers. "I guess I better go check on Laurie, since apparently I woke up the entire household."

Greg nodded at Kevin. Kevin slipped back out into the hallway. "Stay put, Rebecca. Kevin will take care of that."

Nancy nodded her assent. Greg crossed the room and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Want to tell me about it?"

"No, not really," she said. "It was just a dream."

"Sounded more like a nightmare," he said. He paused, regarding her carefully. He knew she had her secrets. She had managed to share a few of them with him over the past few years, but he had a feeling he still didn't have the whole story. "I think you should talk about it. It will help you feel better."

Kevin appeared in the doorway. "Our girl sleeps like the dead," he announced. "Sound asleep - never heard a thing. Unlike us, of course." He rubbed his hands together. "Well, since we're all awake, how about I make us a snack? Maybe a grilled cheese and some cocoa?"

"I don't want anything," Nancy said. "Thanks, though, Kev. Why don't you guys go on to bed, get back to sleep?"

Kevin grinned. "We weren't exactly asleep. We.."

Nancy held up her hand. "Kevin, how many times do I have to tell you -- way to much information, ok?"

He laughed. "So, how about I at least make you some cocoa?"

"That sounds good, Kev," Greg said. "While you're at it, make us all some cocoa. Rebecca and I are going to have a talk."

"Be right back," Kevin said.

Greg turned back to Nancy. "Slide back up into bed," he ordered. Nancy did as she was told and he tucked the quilt around her.

"Have I ever told you how easily you guys manage to make me feel about 10 years old sometimes?"

He smiled. "Someone has to watch out for you. You're so busy taking care of everyone else that you tend to neglect yourself. Now, what was the dream about?"

She sighed. "The accident."

"You haven't had that one for a while. What brought it on?"

She shrugged. "How should I know? Besides, it was different this time. I wasn't alone."

Greg touched her hand. "It was that guy, wasn't it? Kevin's friend from the photo shoot?"

"You mean Joe?" she asked.

"Yeah, him. You two knew each other. When your eyes met, it was like you both had a seen a ghost."

"Where we that obvious?"

Greg nodded. "It's him, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's the guy you left behind after the accident. Laurie's father."

Nancy's eyes widened. "No!" she blurted out. "Never in a million years could he be Laurie's father. That would mean we would have had to have... " she made a face. "No! Absolutely not!"

Greg held his hands up in mock resignation. "Sorry," he said. "Wasn't expecting that vehement a reaction! I just thought.."

Nancy shook her head. "No, Joe is definitely not Laurie's father." She sighed. "He’s her uncle."

"Oh," Greg said. He was silent for a minute. "Is he the one you told about her before the accident?"

"Yes."

"And he recognized you, didn’t he?"

"Yes."

"And is that what you talked about tonight?"

"What?" Nancy asked.

"In the bathroom. He followed you into the bathroom, didn’t he?"

"Yeah, he did." She shook her head again. "I mean, yes, he asked about her. But he was just more shocked to have discovered that I was still alive."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don’t know yet," she sighed. "I’m going to go to lunch with him tomorrow and spill my guts, I guess. We’ll just have to see where it goes from there."

"Do you think he’ll tell Laurie’s father?"

"He will eventually," Nancy said. "The Hardys have a very strong sense of family and Joe will need to tell Frank what he’s discovered."

Greg stared past her at the wall. "What if he wants to take Laurie?"

"I don’t know, Greg. I don’t know anything yet, except that this was bound to happen sometime. I knew we’d cross paths at some point. And if we didn’t, one day Laurie would want to know where she came from. I just wasn’t expecting it to happen so soon." She paused. "I’ll meet with Joe tomorrow, and we’ll just see where it goes from there." She flopped back against the pillows.

"I don’t like it," he said. "It feels like a threat to my family." She smiled.

"It’s not." She propped herself up on one elbow and kissed him on the cheek. "Laurie and I owe both you guys a lot. No matter what happens, you’re still part of our family."

He nodded. "I think I’ll go check on Kevin and that cocoa now. We‘ll be right up."

"You do that," she said. Greg stood up and left the room. Nancy glanced over at her alarm clock. It was only 12:30. She sighed and stared up at the ceiling, knowing sleep was going to a long time in coming back.

***

Frank Hardy was jarred from slumber by the ringing of his phone. He sat up, momentarily confused at his surroundings. What was he doing at his desk? Obviously not working. Realizing he’d fallen asleep, he checked the papers his head had been resting on for signs of drool while he reached for the phone. Nothing there. Good, he hadn’t ruined anything.

"Frank Hardy," He answered. "And this better be good ‘cause it’s 3 am."

"Hey, Frank," came Joe’s voice over the line. "Sorry. Did I wake you up."

"It’s ok," Frank said. "I’d dozed off going over some notes. I needed to get up, anyway, so I could actually go to bed."

"Want me to call you back in the morning?"

Frank chuckled. "No, technically it is morning." He glanced at his watch. "I’m just glad you called me back."

"What’s up? You sounded like it was important I get back to you."

"I was just feeling frustrated over this case I’m on. I thought I’d feel better if I talked it over with you." Frank made a silent wish that Joe would get over this desire to live in LA and move here with him. He was never going to get used to not having Joe as his partner.

"Talk away, then," Joe said. "I’ll listen, and give you my honest opinion when you’re done."

"Gee, thanks," Frank said dryly. "Glad to know I can get your honest opinion."

"Sorry, that didn’t come out right, did it? I’ve had a long day." He heard Joe sigh on the other end.

"Hmm, maybe you should be the one talking to me then," Frank said. "Want to tell me about your day instead?"

He could hear Joe cough. It sounded like he was spitting out his drink.

"You ok?"

"Yeah," Joe replied. "Just managed to inhale my coffee rather than drink it."

"You don’t drink coffee this late at night. It makes you too jittery."

"Yeah, well, seemed like a good idea at the time. Tell me about the new development in your case. You said something about kidnapped kids."

Frank frowned. Something was wrong. He could hear it in Joe’s voice.

"Nope, you first. Spill. What’s bothering you?"

"Nothing, really."

"Don’t lie to me," Frank said. "I’m your big brother. I know you better than anyone and something’s wrong. Now tell, or I’m going to have to drop everything; fly out to LA; and beat it out of you."

He heard Joe laugh. "It’s nothing, Frank. Nothing I can’t handle."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Joe paused. "It’s just...I met this girl tonight..."

"Oh," Frank said. "A girl. I wish you’d go back home and hook up with Vanessa again. I can’t keep up with your girlfriends in LA - there’s way too many of them."

"No," Joe said sharply. "This isn’t a girlfriend. Not even close to girlfriend material."

"I’m intrigued. What kind of girl catches your eye that’s not girlfriend material?"

"I think I’ll resent that remark tomorrow when my brain is clear enough to register it," Joe huffed.

"Sorry," Frank said. "Go on. Tell me about her."

Joe sucked in his breath..."Well, there’s nothing to tell...yet. I think she’s in trouble and needs my help. She may need the help of both Hardys before it’s over."

"Um, Joe, I’m kind of busy out here. As much as I’d love to come out and work a case with you, I have a job to attend to here."

"I know, I know. Just, try to make yourself available in case I need you on this, ok?"

Frank sighed. "Ok, I’ll try."

"Now, about your case?" Joe asked.

"Well, you remember what I’ve told you about the internet adoption scam? How they’re taking people’s money, but not coming up with the babies to be adopted?"

"Yeah, I remember. I even looked their website up after you told me. They had already moved it again, but I thought I found the new web address a day or two later."

"Right." Frank told him. "They do that. They always stay one step ahead of us. Anyway, get this. Now there’s a twist. We have a couple who actually got a child through this agency."

"You’re kidding!" Joe replied. "So, they do carry through on some legitimate adoptions?"

"That’s the twist," Frank said. "It was an open adoption."

"Um, I’m afraid I don’t know what that is," Joe said.

"It means the birth parent and the adoptive parents keep in touch both during the adoption process and after the adoption is complete. It can be anything from sending the birth mother pictures and letters to actually having physical contact throughout the years."

"Ok, what makes that a twist then?

"The baby has some medical problems. When the adoptive parents tried to contact the birth mother to get a more detailed family medical history, she was gone."

"Gone? I don’t understand."

"She’s vanished. By all appearances, she doesn’t seem to have ever existed. Like the baby came right out of thin air." Frank added.

"You think the baby was kidnapped?"

"You got it. Why else would the mother disappear on an open adoption. Furthermore, now we can’t find evidence that the woman listed on the birth certificate even existed. She seems to have used a false name. I don’t know what to think for sure. It could be an alias, but I don’t think so.

For a moment Joe didn’t reply.

"You still there?" Frank asked.

"Yeah," Joe said. "It’s just that the alias thing, well, it threw me for a minute."

"Really?" Frank said. "Did it trigger an idea?"

"No, not really." Joe answered. Frank waited for him to continue. "Yes, actually it did."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You know the woman I mentioned earlier?"

"Yes, the one that you think is in trouble."

"Yeah, her. She works for Find the Children. They coordinate the search for missing kids here in LA."

"I’m not sure I follow you. How can you help?"

"I’m going to run your case by her. We were just discussing kidnappings at dinner tonight. She may have heard or run across something similar in her work."

"You went to dinner with this woman tonight?" Frank wanted to know.

"No, she was the blind date of someone else in our group. I went with Ashlee. And that’s besides the point. Let me talk to her tomorrow and get back with you. It’ll give me a good starting point to get some information out of her about her situation, if nothing else."

"Ok," Frank said. "I appreciate it."

"Sure," Joe said. "No problem. I’ll call you back tomorrow night."

"Ok," Frank said. "I guess I’ll catch you later then. Goodnight, Joe."

"Night, Frank." Frank heard a click and then silence. Joe had hung up. He slowly replaced the receiver and frowned. Joe was hiding something from him. He just hoped it wasn’t anything that could get Joe hurt. Glancing at the clock - it was now nearly 3:30 am, he sighed. He guessed he should at least TRY to get some sleep. Although between worrying about the case and worrying about Joe, he was sure that wasn’t going to be easy now.

*****

Nearly 2,500 miles away, Joe Hardy found himself glancing at the clock. After midnight, he thought. He’d only been home for an hour, but it seemed much longer than that. He supposed he should go to bed, but what was the use? He wasn’t going to sleep any time soon. He turned on his computer and logged onto the internet. Maybe he’d send Vanessa an email, just to say hi.

*****

Nancy slipped softly out of her room. She felt an overwhelming need to check on Laurie. Greg and Kevin had turned the light out in their room, so she assumed they were asleep. She lightly touched the little girl’s dark curls and listened to her quiet, even breathing. She never failed to be amazed at how much Laurie looked like Frank. Nancy closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to slip out. "Soon," she whispered to the little girl. "Soon, I think you’ll get the chance to finally meet the rest of your family."

*****

For at least three young people, this was going to be a long and sleepless night.