A/N: I don't really know what universe/timeline this story is going to be following, but if you like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys as characters and you think Frank and Nancy were made for each other, this story is for you :P

This is my first fanfiction ever, and I'm a total newbie at writing mystery and romance, so if you hate it, just move on! Feel free to leave any thoughts or critiques, however, to help me improve. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy!

Nancy Drew sat staring at her suitcase, packed hastily with whatever she thought she would need for a winter climate. She was certainly no stranger to travel, having gone across the world and back for some cases, and short-notice packing was one of her specialties. For some reason, however, Nancy couldn't shake the feeling that there was something she was missing. It wasn't everyday she needed to pack for an icy climate, and she wasn't sure what to expect from a Canadian winter.

The reason she needed to pack at all was because of a phone call she'd taken last night from Bess. Bess, against all odds, had won three all-expenses-paid trips to a ski resort in Canada, located somewhere in Banff National Park if Nancy recalled correctly. According to the site it was a very upscale resort that certain high-profile families vacation at. Obviously, Bess had immediately invited both Nancy and George along with her for a full week of snow and fun. The skiing looked fantastic, but the resort itself also promised to be a lot of fun and Nancy was looking forward to the trip.

It would be a break from a mystery, though, and while she was excited to explore the wilderness of the area it would be odd without something to puzzle over during her stay there. Over the past few years, more and more people were calling her for help when they had a mystery on their hands, and not just from River Heights, either. She was quickly developing a reputation as a sleuth and Nancy's schedule had been pretty busy as of late.

Meanwhile, Bess and George were both getting ready in their own way. Bess was packing as many cosmetics as she could fit into her bag as well as all of the latest outfits she was planning on wearing. George, on the other hand, was all set for skiing, snowboarding, and hiking, three of her favourite winter sports. Both girls had different goals for the trip, but the one thing they both agreed on was that they would do their best to steer Nancy away from any potential mysteries in the area for the duration of the trip. While they made this their goal, they weren't altogether too optimistic. Mystery had a way of finding Nancy Drew, whether it was wanted or not.

AAA

Joe Hardy tapped his foot impatiently against the floor as he waited for his dad to finish up and join him and his brother in the living room. He threw a glare at Frank, who was seated calmly, reading a novel, and seemingly uninterested in the promise of a new case from their father. This case would be the one, he knew it. Something was going to happen, although he didn't yet know what. It had to, because if it didn't he'd probably go insane with boredom while his brother calmly watched on. "Agh! What's taking him so long?" he exclaimed in frustration.

Frank tried to suppress a smirk at seeing his younger brother so worked up. It had been a while since they had last gotten a good case, and he knew Joe was hoping this one would make up for the last few cases. Digging through dumpsters and waiting for hours on end before catching the culprit got boring, fast. In all honesty, Frank was probably just as eager as Joe for a new case. He just had better restraint, and the amusement gained from watching his brother hopping around was worth keeping a straight face.

"Oh, don't look so smug, Frank. I know exactly what is going through your mind right now and I know you're looking forward to this."

Frank shrugged and raised his hands palms up, grinning. "Guilty as charged, I guess. But unlike some, I can control myself." Just barely though - Fenton Hardy had been keeping this mysterious case a secret since morning and it was already past dinner. He couldn't help but to wonder where they might be headed to this time. They had made a career for themselves in the sleuthing business, and although they still had to slog through some more boring cases now and then they were getting more and more recognized around the world. Their father, Fenton Hardy, helped them out by keeping an ear out for any mysteries or cases he thought would interest the boys.

"I know, I know, you want to know more about this case," said Fenton, as he entered the room. He noted the behaviours of both boys with amusement, and could tell they were each eager for a case that didn't involve sifting through trash, writing up paperwork, or waiting long hours on a stake out with, occasionally, no results. While he didn't know if this case would prove better, at the very least it'd give them a chance to get away from home for a while and take a break.

"Daaaaad..." complained Joe, anxious for the case details.

Fenton chuckled, and relented at last. "Your next case is to catch a saboteur at an upscale ski resort in the north. There have been complaints of vandalism and such throughout the resort, both inside the lodge and on the trails and slopes. At the moment, the work of the saboteur is fairly mild: a few instances of faulty equipment, a minor case of food poisoning, small events, but the owner is worried it may get worse and wants to catch the culprit before it reaches that point. You'll be staying at one of the guest cabins the resort offers, and he is willing to pay a handsome fee to end the vandalism around the building." Frank looked up, eyes alert.

"Vandalism? Has anyone been harmed in an incident yet?" asked Frank.

"Everyone is unharmed, other than the food poisoning incident, but the owner is insistent that it be investigated fully before that changes for the worse."

"So where are we actually headed, dad?" Joe piped up, happy to know the case was sounding interesting. Ski resorts? Sign me up! he thought to himself.

"For this case, you boys will be heading up to Canada."

AAA

The girls walked up to the ski resort with their jaws open. It was huge, and extremely beautiful. The largest building was the main lodge, and it included the check-in, the cafeteria/break room, the lesson sign-up desk, and the rental shops for skiing and snowboarding gear. Nearer the back was a smaller area for putting on your ski or snowboarding boots and other gear before heading off to the slopes.

Their living quarters, courtesy of the contest prize, would be in a cabin set in a smaller area of woods. Although it wasn't visible from the front of the lodge, based on the info package they knew it looked like a cozy log wood cabin, removed from the main hustle and bustle of the vacationing skiers and hikers at the resort.

To George's dismay, however, she caught sight of a uniformed police officer a few minutes after entering the building in a windowed office. Nudging Bess, who was scouting for any potential dates, George pointed out her observation and felt Bess mentally groan beside her. They glanced nervously at each other, then snuck a peek at Nancy. She had definitely noticed the presence of the police officer, and judging by the keen look in her eyes she was dying to walk over and see what the situation was. After a few moments, which Bess and George spent watching her visibly force herself to ignore it and keep on walking, they breathed a temporary sigh of relief knowing that it wouldn't be the last they heard of this police officer during their week-long stay. Like they said, where Nancy Drew went, mystery always followed.

Although the resort was gorgeous, the first thing Nancy noticed upon walking in was not the large glass windows or the solid oak flooring, but the young man in a police uniform standing offside the check-in desk conferring with the manager. It was clear that they didn't want to alarm any guests because both the officer and, whom she assumed was the manager of the resort, were trying to look inconspicuous through the glass window of the office. She saw the manager frown and begin to say something before thinking better of it and shaking his head.

Noticing for the first time Bess and George's shared looks, she gave herself a quick mental shake and reminded herself that she wanted to be on vacation from mysteries for a while. Sort of.

During the stay she was hoping she could have some time to relax and meet some new people with Bess and George. It had been nine months since she had split up with Ned, give or take, and she was eager to head off Bess in her quest to find Nancy's soul mate.

Their breakup had been a mutual one, and while it was occasionally a bit awkward to see each other nowadays, they were pulling off the 'just friends' thing pretty well in Nancy's opinion. In the end, it had eventually just come to the point where Ned was sick of worrying so much each time she started a new case. On Nancy's part, although she had tried to give detective work a break for a while, she couldn't keep herself from it for long. Over time, she found herself resenting Ned for keeping her from it and eventually they realized it would be better for both of them to break things off happily.

Bess, of course, was devastated that Nancy's 'true love' hadn't worked out, but she understood the choice over time and was already starting to try and set Nancy up with someone new. In her opinion, if she could just keep Nancy from a new mystery, she could definitely find a hot Canadian guy (or at least a tourist there) for Nancy to meet up with.

Not to mention one for herself and George, too. She resolved not to waste a second of their time here.

AAA

"So what do you think, bro? Promising start?" asked the younger brother as they stood in the airport terminal, searching for their bags on the carousel. Joe frowned, annoyed. All of the bags were black. All of them. There wasn't a blue or green one in sight!

"Well, it sounds interesting enough. We haven't taken on a case of vandalism for quite a while now," Frank replied, also searching for their luggage. They had both been feeling cooped up on the flight, and they were still trying to stretch their legs out as best as they could. In Frank's opinion, the sooner they got there and started working, the better. Thankfully, the flight had passed fairly quickly and Frank had even managed to fall asleep for some of it. Now he just had to get his stuff, call a taxi, and get going to find out what they would be working on exactly. "Either way, we're almost there now - be patient and we'll soon see exactly how serious of a problem they have out there."

Finally, they found their bags and called up a taxi to begin the trip up to the resort, where they would be staying at during their time on the case. From what their father had told them, they would be sleeping in one of the cabins the resort offered in a more removed branch of the woods. It sounded great to both brothers, and they couldn't wait to see it. Finally, they reached the main lodge – just in time to see a glimpse of a young redheaded woman, accompanied by a curvy blonde and an athletic brunette, leaving the check-in desk.

Frank did a double take, which would have been more comical if Joe wasn't so surprised as well.

"Was that-?"

"Did you just see-?"

They stared at each other in confusion, cocking their heads slightly, as they tried to think back to who they thought they had just seen. It was impossible though. They were in Canada, for crying out loud, and they hadn't seen her since their last case together - almost a year ago from today. Frank raised an eyebrow at Joe, and they silently agreed to push it to the back of their minds (at least for now) before making their way to the front desk. That was definitely a mystery they were going to have to solve as soon as possible.