"Can I open my eyes yet?"

"Just a minute." Albert replied.

Michelle let out a mock sigh of frustration and playfully kept her hands over her eyes, as her father had requested before he stepped out of the room to collect Gertrude.

Once all the Hardys were inside the room, Albert took Gertrude by the shoulders, positioning her directly at the side of Michelle's bed, closest to her. Frank and Joe, who were standing on the other side of the bed opposite their aunt, were amused at her mannerism. Although they could see a warm smile on her face and the adoring look of a mother as she laid eyes on her child for the first time, it was somewhat refreshing to see that their aunt, the bold , take charge seemingly fearless woman they had grown up under, did indeed have a soft side.

"Okay, you can open them now."

Michelle took her hands from her eyes and looked around the room. Grinning, she threw her arms in her lap and gave Albert an amused look of disbelief. "Really, dad. Like I couldn't possibly know who would be here to see me. I mean, we know so many people around here."

Albert chuckled and looked at Fenton. "Well, I see her ordeal has done nothing to squelch her winning sarcasm."

"I'd say it's her age." Fenton chuckled knowingly, throwing a glance in the direction of his youngest.

Michelle then laughed and looked at Fenton. "Thank you so much for coming to see me, Mr. Hardy. I hope you realize I'm just teasing dad. You know, his whole 'close your eyes now, there's someone to see you' bit." Michelle continued, placing her hands over her eyes and wiggling her head from side side as she repeated what Albert had said. "I mean, who else would be here, over a hundred miles from home? Not that we know that many people back home, to tell you the truth."

Fenton smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better since I got that big cheeseburger a little while ago." Michelle admitted, patting her stomach. Joe smiled, approving of her menu selection.

"Well I know you had to be hungry, sweetheart, but I assumed the doctor would have wanted you to start out with something a little lighter." Albert replied.

"Maybe, but I don't see why it mattered. Other than being famished and exhausted, I'm only a little battered and bruised."

"And without the ability to walk." Her father reminded her.

"I don't think jello would have affected a sprained ankle either way." Michelle smiled. "At least that's what I managed to convince that cute orderly."

Frank then leaned over toward Joe and whispered. "And I thought we'd need an icebreaker."

Joe chucked, seeing himself in Michelle more and more. "Well you know how people like Michelle and I are, Frank. We just walk into a room and it lights up."

As Frank smirked, Michelle looked at them. "What are you guys whispering about?"

"Probably the fact that there are people in this room you haven't been introduced to yet." Laura jumped in, extending her hand. "Hi Michelle. I'm Laura Hardy."

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Hardy." Michelle replied. "But there was no need to identify yourself. It only took one glance for me to realize you had to be Joe's mother." She chuckled. "Just like Mr. Hardy can't deny Frank."

Laura smiled. "And this…" She continued, pushing Gertrude toward the bed a little more. "Is my sister-in-law, Fenton's sister, Gertrude Hardy."

"Miss Hardy…." Michelle replied thoughtfully, never realizing how Gertrude gasped as she clasped her daughter's hand for the first time. "I feel like I know you inside and out already. Dad's talked about you, especially, so much over the years." She then pulled Gertrude down so she could whisper to her. "Just between me and you, I've always thought he had a thing for you."

"Isn't that something?" Fenton smiled after a few moments, having overhead the conversation, when Gertrude found herself unable to reply.

Michelle let go of Gertrude's hand and gave her a curious stare for a few moments, confused by her mannerism. Slightly shrugging her shoulders, she then looked around the room. "Well, I must say I'm very happy that you all came to see me. I haven't enjoyed this much company since…..well, I can't remember when. She then turned to Joe with a laugh. "Of course, I'm not surprised to see you again, Joe. Despite the situation I was facing at that taxicab, I seem to remember you were trying to ask me out on a date. I had hoped you'd come by to try it again."

As the elder members of the Hardy family, and Albert, looked up to give Joe a multitude of stern looks, Joe was taken aback. "Well don't look at me that way. I didn't know yet!"

Now it was Joe's turn to be the recipient of Michelle's curious stare. "Didn't know what yet?"

After a few awkward moments, Albert cleared his throat. "Michelle, the Hardys are wonderful people, and I have no doubt they would have came to see you here for the simple fact that you're recouperating. But there's another reason for the visit."

"Really? What is it?"

Frank then spoke up. "I'm sure you heard by now that after you disappeared, Joe and I immediately went to work to find out who had taken you. What you might not realize is that we were also working to find out who your mother was."

Michelle perked up. "Did you find out anything?" She then turned to Fenton. "Oh I assumed you would know something, Mr. Hardy. Dad talked about Miss Hardy here all the time, but he talked about you too, like you were all old friends. I couldn't imagine why he never wanted to visit someone he seemed so fond of, but when I decided to go against him and search for my mother myself, I couldn't think of anyone else other than you that might know something."

Fenton cleared his throat. "Yes Michelle, we found out about your mother."

Michelle became wide eyed and turned to her father. He had kept the facts about her mother from her for so long, she felt awkward pressing for further information while he stood in the room. "Dad?"

"It's okay sweetheart." Albert nodded. "Listen to what Mr. Hardy has to say."

"Can you tell me where she is buried?"

Fenton shook his head. "No."

"You can't?" Michelle replied, disappointed.

"The reason he can't…." Joe spoke up. "…is because she isn't buried."

Michelle looked at Joe wide eyed. "You mean she's alive?"

The only response was a series of heads nodding around the room.

Michelle then jerked her head toward her father. "You told me she was dead!"

Albert held his hands up to calm her. "Michelle there is a good, and logical, explanation for that."

"Which I'm dying to hear." Michelle shot back, hurt by what she saw as Albert's betrayal. "But first I want to know where she is. Is she anywhere close to here?"

"About as close as she can get." Frank offered, unconsciously looking at his aunt.

Michelle followed Frank's gaze until her eyes landed back on Gertrude. She then only looked away from Gertrude long enough to notice that everyone else in the room was looking at her as well.

"Miss Hardy?" She asked, making assumptions based on the fact that all attention was focused on Gertrude. "Can you tell me something about my mother? Do you know her?"

"I..." Gertrude paused, taking a big breath. "I...am your mother."

"You?" Michelle gasped. "But...you're Mr. Hardy's...his sister, is that right?"

Gertrude nodded, a hint of tears in the corners of her eyes.

"You can call me Uncle Fenton." Fenton announced, embracing the shocked girl.

"Uncle Fenton." Michelle repeated, still in shock. "I've never had an uncle before."

"And that makes me your Aunt Laura." Mrs. Hardy added, following Fenton's embrace with one of his own.

"This is not a joke?" Michelle dared to ask. "You really are my aunt and uncle?"

"They are, sweetheart." Albert assured her.

"And Frank and Joe, they're my cousins?"

The boys smiled and nodded. "Guess that puts a damper on our date plans." Joe announced.

Michelle heaved a deep sigh and looked down at her lap, absorbing the information. After a few moments, and on the verge of tears, she reached up and invited Gertrude into an embrace. "I can't believe it." Michelle sobbed, hugging her tightly. "I thought you were dead all these years."

"I love you, Michelle." Gertrude replied with an emotional voice as well. "I've loved you from the moment I've known about you."

Mother and daughter continued to embrace for a few moments, their emotions spilling over into the room. Laura was crying just as hard, if not harder, as they were. Although the guys were doing a better job of keeping their feelings in check, each of them could be seen swiping a corner of an eye with their thumbs, sniffing, and taking deep breaths.

After everyone had calmed down, Michelle felt she had a right to know why she had not been allowed to have a relationship with her mother her entire life. The next thirty minutes in the room were spent with everyone filling in bits and pieces of the information about how Michelle and Albert ended up on their own. By the time Michelle had learned about her parents' secret marriage, her mother's comatose pregnancy and how, unbeknown to her, she had been the target of a murderer practically her entire life, her head was swimming.

"So what now?" Michelle asked.

"Now..." Albert replied, slipping an arm around Gertrude. "...Your mother and I are going to renew our wedding vows and get legally re-registered as a married couple. We're going to be a family, Michelle."

Michelle smiled. "Well it will be the biggest family I've ever had, and for that I'm glad...Mom."

As Gertrude smiled and squeezed her hand, Fenton spoke up. "I'm glad to know you like big families, Michelle, but I hope I can make it a little bigger."

"What do you mean, Fenton?" Gertrude asked, turning to her brother.

Fenton put an arm around his sister's shoulders. "Gert, you've been with us all these years, and we would miss you terribly if you left. And, well, that house at the corner of High and Elm Streets could hold quite a few more people than it presently does."

Gertrude blinked. "Are you saying that you want me, Albert and Michelle to live with you?"

"We all do." Laura assured her as Frank and Joe nodded as well.

"Of course, it's up to the three of you." Fenton replied, looking at the Ingraham family.

"I've already given my okay, if it's what you want, Gertrude."

Gertrude smiled. "How do you feel about it Michelle?"

Michelle shrugged. "I've always wanted a big brother to pick on, but in a pinch, I'll take a couple of cousins instead."

Gertrude then looked back at her brother. "The chance to have my own family without losing the one I already have? I think you know what my answer is!"

With that, Gertrude hugged her brother. As emotions threatened to run high again, Frank decided that it might be a good idea to divert their attention to something else. "Now might be a good time for that icebreaker, Joe." He suggested.

"Here Michelle." Joe announced, bringing Gertrude's attention away from Fenton as he handed his new cousin the gift. "It's a little welcome to the family gift from me and Frank.

Michelle chuckled at the gift. "Hey, I like Snoopy." She announced, admiring the stuffed dog that sported a pair of sunglasses and a blue shirt. "Joe Cool?" She asked in amusement, pointing to the writing on Snoopy's shirt.

"Two guesses on who picked that gift out." Frank announced as Joe grinned in amusement.

"The one Frank picked out is a little more practical, I guess you could say." Joe announced, pulling an envelope out of his back pocket that contained the restaurant gift card his brother had chosen.

Frank's eyes widened as Michelle began to tear into the envelope. "Michelle, I..."

"I don't believe it!" Michelle exclaimed in excitement, looking at Frank in awe. "Oh Frank, I was just thrilled to have a family after all these years, and for you to give me this!"

"Boy she sure gets excited about a gift card." Joe whispered in confusion.

"Look Dad!" Michelle exclaimed, showing the envelope to Albert. "Frank and Joe have given me four tickets to the Grand Cayman Islands!"

"Wow boys, I'm impressed." Albert grinned.

"Me too." Fenton replied.

"But why four?" Gertrude asked.

"Well, umm..." Frank stumbled, as Joe stood there waiting for his brother to figure out a way to redeem their tickets. "I, that is Joe and I, we thought that you and Uncle Albert could use a nice second honeymoon."

As Joe rolled his eyes in exasperation, Gertrude grabbed at the tickets. "Second? We never even got to have a first one!" She laughed. "Oh Albert, we've got to renew our vows as soon as possible. I can't wait to go home and get packed!" She then ran around the bed, practically knocking her brother down in the process as she embraced her nephews. "Thank you Frank! Thank you Joe! This is the nicest gift ever!"

"You're welcome." Both of the boys replied as they patted their aunt on the back, even though Joe had a smirk on his face.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door "Got room for another visitor?" A voice called out.

As the door opened, Michelle smiled. "Nancy!" she exclaimed as the visitor ran to her and embraced her.

The boys were surprised to see a familiar face. "Nancy Drew?" Frank asked.

"You know Nancy?" Michelle asked in amazement as she released her friend.

"We've worked together from time to time." Frank replied.

"Wait, how do you know her?" Joe asked.

"We lived in River Heights for a few years. Nancy and I attended the same school." Michelle replied.

"We were on the same swim team, to be more specific." Nancy emphasized. "And Michelle is being too modest. She is my best friend outside of Bess and George. I was in New York working on a case when I saw the whole story of Herringbone and how he had kidnapped Michelle on the evening news. The moment I did I had to rush straight down here to see if she was okay. Are you?" Nancy asked, turning her attention back to Michelle.

"I'm getting better by the moment." Michelle admitted, explaining to Nancy how she had gained a family, been given a trip, and had received a visit from one of her best friends all in the course of about half an hour.

"That Cayman Islands trip sounds nice." Nancy admitted. "You did good, Frank. I sure wish I had a vacation coming up."

"You do, Nancy!" Michelle exclaimed. "Frank gave us an extra ticket for the trip. Why don't you use it?"

"Gosh, really?" Nancy asked, taking the ticket that Michelle handed to her. She then squealed and hugged Michelle again. "This is fantastic Michelle! We'll get to spend so much time together! Oh I'm going to head straight back into the city and start shopping for a bathing suit!"

As the girls continued their excited chatter, Joe smirked even more. "How do you like that Frank? All the work we've done on this case and all the other cases we've handled this year and Nancy Drew gets to go on our vacation!"

"Well don't blame me, Joe, you're the one who pulled the wrong envelope out of your pocket!"

THE END

(Author's note: Thank you for reading my story. This tale began quite a few years ago on an entirely different website and I'm delighted to have finally found the energy and dedication that was required to finish it. With that said, please remember, fan fiction authors do what they do for the delight of writing and the joy they bring to those who read, nothing more. Therefore I humbly ask that if you have read this story and enjoyed it, to please take a few moments to leave a review. I have wrote many fan fiction stories and I can assure you, if I get a lot of reviews, I get much more excited about writing and I feel I do a better job. I would like to offer further stories of Frank, Joe and Michelle in the future, but only if I know there are people around to read them. Happy reading as you explore other contributions in the world of fanfiction.)