DISCLAIMER: The Hardy Boys characters are not mine. Never have been, never will be. The characters and the quotes belong to Simon & Schuster, Inc.

AN: This is yet another attempt at creating drama where there really was none in the Casefiles series. It's also my way of deciding whether or nor I like Vanessa. I go through phases - sometimes I prefer Iola, sometimes Vanessa. After this, Vanessa is my new favorite.

The quotes at the beginning aren't necessary, so you can skip them if they bother you. I just put them in to try to justify my idea and to let everyone know that I do try to base these things on [my slant on] "canon". If you consider the CF series canon, that is. *shrug* Anyway, onto the story!

Frank tried to ignore these feelings. He was a man of logic, a man of facts. But there it was – he just didn't trust her. Probably he needed rest. Probably they both needed a rest. Ever since that incident with Iola, Joe and he had been involved in one case after another. Joe, especially, had gone about their cases with a passion and intensity that sometimes worried Frank

***

Frank would be mad but Joe didn't care. His big brother was getting altogether too critical lately, acting as if he had to take care of Joe. As if Joe couldn't think for himself, or choose a girlfriend. When Frank started telling Joe who to go out with, he needed to start cooling his heels. – Casefile # 20 Witness to Murder, pg. 4, 8

Vanessa looked at Joe. "You're brother is weird," she whispered. "Does he always carry around evidence bags?"

"I heard that," Frank said. "It's just a sandwich bag. My lunch was in it."

***

"He's definitely weird," Vanessa whispered to Joe as they started back toward the house.

"I heard that," Frank called out after them. – Casefile # 69 Mayhem in Motion, pg. 67, 69

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Vanessa Bender took a deep breath of the cool, autumn air as she pushed through the cold metal doors of the Bayport High gym. The late afternoon breeze caused her long ash-blonde hair to whip around her shoulders as she made her way down the sidewalk toward the football field. In the distance, she could see the Bayport team practicing some kind of play, their blue and white uniforms contrasting starkly with the pale grass. As she moved closer, leaving the concrete sidewalk and making her way to the sidelines, she searched for a familiar blonde head in the jumble of young men. Finally, she spotted him as he broke away from the rest of the team and began running toward her, a huge grin spreading on his face. She couldn't have stopped the answering smile from appearing on her own pretty face if she'd tried.

"Hey, Van! Come to see me in all my glory?" Joe Hardy laughed as he came up to her, barely out of breath. The wind had tousled his fair hair into a cute mess of waves and tinged his cheeks a very faint pink, making him look younger than his seventeen years.

"Actually, I came to see the rest of the team," Vanessa teased, as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. It wasn't much of a reach, since she was only two inches shorter than his even six foot frame.

Joe smirked, and opened his mouth to offer some witty reply, when the voice of the coach interrupted them. "Later, Hardy, we've still got more than a half an hour of practice left to go! Get your butt back over here, pronto!"

"Just a sec, Coach!" Joe hollered back at him. The coach shook his head but turned back to the rest of the boys on the field.

Vanessa bit her lip. "Sorry. I didn't mean to get you in trouble."

"Nah, don't worry about it. He sounds more irritated than he really is. If you don't mind waiting a little while longer, you can come with me and Frank to Mr. Pizza after practice," Joe offered.

"Sure! I'd like that. I'll just wait for you here." Vanessa gestured at the metal bleachers behind her.

"Great! Frank's up there, too. Probably studying. He's such a geek," Joe said with exasperated affection. "I'll see you in a bit." Joe kissed her again, blue eyes twinkling, and then turned and ran back to join the rest of his teammates.

Vanessa watched him for a second, then turned and surveyed the bleachers before her. There were a handful of students already scattered in the metal seats. A group of three girls giggled as they leaned their heads together on the bottom row directly in front of her. Another older girl was sitting by herself a little farther up, watching the team practice with a bored expression on her face and earphones plugged in. Two guys joked loudly with each other about halfway up and to her right. And on her far left, up in the corner, there sat a familiar dark-haired student, deeply engrossed in a heavy looking book in his lap.

Vanessa carefully climbed her way up the bleachers to him, adjusting her backpack and pushing her hair behind her ears when a cool draft blew it into her eyes. She was more than halfway to him, her long legs making the climb swiftly, before he finally looked up from his reading. Frank Hardy raised his brows in surprise and gave her a friendly smile as she moved up to sit next to him.

"Oh, hey, Vanessa. Did you and Joe have a date planned for today?" Frank asked, his gentle baritone differing from his younger brother's slightly higher-pitched and much more energetic voice. He looked down at his book again, then took a bookmark from the inside cover and marked his place, leaving the closed book in his lap. Vanessa noticed it was some kind of advanced mathematics textbook, probably for the college computer course he was taking.

"Doing some light reading?" she teased lightly.

Frank merely shrugged and smiled wryly, without saying anything. She couldn't tell if he was embarrassed to be caught studying or irritated at being interrupted or neither.

After a moment, she continued, answering his question. "Not really, but I guess we do now. He invited me to have dinner with you guys at Mr. Pizza." Then, when all she got was a nod in reply, she added quickly, "I mean, if that's okay with you, too?"

Frank gave her a curious look. "Of course that's okay with me," he chuckled. "Why wouldn't it be?" His dark eyes met her blue-gray ones inquiringly.

Vanessa said nothing in reply, just shrugged and looked back down at the field. She could feel Frank's eyes on her for a few seconds before he also turned his attention to the field. They watched the team practice for a few minutes, the silence between them seeming almost awkward to Vanessa. She caught Joe's eye once, when he turned to look up at them, and she waved, smiling when she received an enthusiastic wave in return. She heard Frank laugh quietly at his brother's antics, and looked at him out of the corner of her eye, but then quickly looked back at Joe before Frank could notice her glance.

The silence stretched on for another few minutes, and Vanessa fought the urge to check her watch or make an excuse to leave for a minute or two. A stronger gust of wind hit her, its chilly fingers finding their way through her red windbreaker. She shivered, and pulled her jacket closer around her body, barely managing to contain a sigh.

She heard some rustling beside her as Frank reached down and dug through the backpack at his feet. Then she turned when she felt a gentle nudge on her arm.

"Here, use this," Frank said, holding out a wrinkled, dark blue sweatshirt to her. When she hesitated a moment, he offered another wry smile, and added, "It's Joe's. He left it in my locker this morning."

Placated and slightly embarrassed by her hesitation and what it implied, she took the heavy sweatshirt from his hands and pulled it over her head. It was ridiculously large on her, but the warmth it provided was instantaneous. It smelled like Joe.

"Thanks, Frank," she murmured, giving him a grateful smile.

Frank looked pleased, and then sat back against the railing, once again looking away from her. Vanessa also turned back to the team below, expecting the silence from before to return, albeit more comfortably.

"I know you think I'm weird – and you're probably right - but I don't bite. I really don't mean to make you nervous."

The unexpected sound of his calm voice almost made her flinch. She glanced over to see him studying her, a thoughtful look on his attractive face. She could feel the beginnings of a blush start up in her cheeks and fought to control it before it gave her away. While not as extroverted as Joe or even Callie, Vanessa was not a timid or self-conscious person by any means. In fact, she considered herself very competent at making new friends and at feeling comfortable expressing herself freely to others. So it was beyond her why she felt so uncomfortable around Frank.

Vanessa had to admit that Frank's overall serious attitude made him sometimes seem much older than he was. He didn't indulge in silly pastimes as much as other boys his age did and he wasn't quite as vocal with his opinions so it was often hard to read him, which could make him intimidating to approach. Yet their little group of friends appeared to be completely comfortable with his unusual maturity and even went so far as to teasingly call him their "fearless leader".

She had known Joe and Frank and their friends for a few months now. While she'd had no trouble fitting in with the "gang" and was even quickly becoming very close friends with Frank's girlfriend Callie Shaw, Vanessa still wasn't very sure where she stood with Frank. He had been very friendly when she had first met him and Joe, and she was incredibly thankful to both of them for their help and kindness when her mother had been in trouble. But it seemed like Frank had yet to fully accept her as a new member of their group, like all the others had done. And it was increasingly hard not to take it personally.

The rest of Joe's friends would playfully tease her and joke around with her and invite her to do things with them, treating her like they had always known her. Frank was still very nice to her but it was more like the politeness of an acquaintance rather than the warmth of a friend. It made no sense to Vanessa, since she spent more time around Joe's brother than she did Joe's friends. There was still a subtle distance between the two of them, and it was really beginning to frustrate her that she didn't know the cause.

At first, she had worried that she had inadvertently offended Frank with her comments to Joe on his "weirdness" when she'd first met him. But when she'd voiced those concerns to Joe, he had laughed them off, saying that even Frank himself knew he could be a little odd at times. Joe also said that his brother wasn't easily upset by other people's opinions of him. Rather than relieving her, it just confused her even more. If that wasn't the problem, what could it be?

It was important that she know the reason. She may not have known Joe for a very long time but anyone could see that the brothers were close and Joe obviously adored his older sibling. And if Vanessa wanted a relationship with Joe, she would have to be able to get along with his brother too.

Frank was patiently waiting for a response to his statement. So she obliged.

"You don't make me nervous." When all she received from that was an arched brow, she conceded. "Well, maybe a little. You just…You don't seem to like me very much." There, she finally said it.

Frank looked surprised at that and then strangely guilty. "That's not true. I think you're a great person, Vanessa. Joe cares about you. So does Callie. We're all glad to have you as our friend."

She observed him carefully as he spoke. He seemed sincere. But after nearly four months of polite conversation and what appeared to be token acceptance, she wanted more of an explanation than that.

"Okay." She took a deep breath before pressing forward, keeping herself composed and subconsciously matching his careful tone. "But why do you act so… cautious around me? It's like you don't trust me. Almost like you're… waiting for me to do something wrong. What is it, Frank? Did I do something wrong? Did I offend you somehow?" A new thought came to her suddenly, and her eyes widened. "Are you worried that I'll hurt Joe? I'd never want to do that!"

If she hadn't been watching him, she would have missed the barely perceptible cringe at the last question. Her eyes narrowed in thought. Finally, she was getting something back from this guy, something to read into.

Frank's gaze had shifted back to the players on the field. For a few moments, he appeared deep in thought before he finally spoke, keeping his eyes focused below them. Only this time, the confidence that was usually evidenced in his manner of speaking was replaced by a more subdued tone, one she was unfamiliar with associating with him.

"I'm sorry, Vanessa. It's not your fault; it's my problem… You haven't done anything wrong at all. Actually, you've been great!" He paused to take a deep breath. "I guess… I'm just a little too protective. Or so I've been told." He finally looked back at her with a sheepish face. "Several times, in fact. I'm sorry if I made you think you weren't good enough for Joe or something. I didn't mean to. I just…" He waved a hand in a helpless gesture and trailed off uncertainly, waiting for her reaction.

Vanessa released a small sigh of relief at his answer. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She swallowed and cleared her throat subtly before replying. She met his suddenly humble gaze and couldn't help but smile. He looked so discomfited and completely unlike his normally reserved self. It was surprisingly endearing.

"Well… that's a relief! I thought for sure it was something that I'd done or said. It's okay, Frank, apology accepted."

Frank visibly relaxed at her words and returned her easy smile. The openness in his face reminded her of Joe and she could suddenly see a striking resemblance between the brothers despite their different coloring. While Frank had a slightly leaner face and sharper bone structure, both boys had the same wide grin and the same crinkles around their smiling eyes. The observation eased the last of Vanessa's tension and she settled more comfortably beside Frank on the bleacher.

They resumed watching the players finish their practice in companionable silence this time, each mulling over their conversation. And the more Vanessa thought about Frank's explanation the more she began to wonder.

Frank's stare was distantly contemplative but he quickly turned his attention back to Vanessa when she spoke.

"Frank, why are you so protective of Joe? I mean, is there a reason for it or have you just always been this way?" Vanessa asked bluntly.

Frank frowned slightly before answering and Vanessa quickly tried to backpedal.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that –"

"No, it's alright, Vanessa." Frank sat up straighter and offered a wan smile. "I owe it to you, I guess." He took a moment to organize his thoughts before he answered.

"Joe's had a pretty rough year. You know about Chet's sister, Iola, right?"

Vanessa nodded solemnly. Callie had told her about it. Iola Morton had been killed last year in a bombing at the local mall during a political rally. In an attempt to intimidate Fenton Hardy, who had been the Chief of Security for the campaign, Joe and Frank had been targeted by a terrorist group – only Iola instead had walked into the trap set for them. Iola had been Callie's best friend and Joe's first girlfriend. Joe opened up to her very little about the incident but Vanessa didn't push for more despite her curiosity, realizing that it was still painful for him to discuss.

Frank reached into his backpack to pull out a binder and then opened it and took something out of a sleeve. It was a photograph. He handed it to her somberly.

Vanessa recognized everyone in the photo except for one. Joe, Frank, Callie and the rest of their small group of close friends were huddled together for the picture on a sandy beach, all with bright smiles on their faces. Joe had his arm around a small, pixie-faced girl with dark hair and eyes. Vanessa felt a tiny flare of jealousy that was quickly extinguished when she understood who the girl must be. Upon closer inspection, she could pick out a faint familial resemblance between Chet and Iola. They had the same hair color and facial features, although Chet's tall, chubby frame dwarfed his younger sister's petite stature. Joe and Iola looked happy and carefree together and Vanessa felt an unexpected sadness fill her knowing that this young girl was no longer alive and smiling like she was in this picture.

Vanessa reverently passed the photograph back to Frank and watched him gently return it to its protective sleeve. She found the gesture surprisingly sentimental coming from him and decided then that there must be more to Frank Hardy than she'd originally thought.

"After Iola died…" Frank started, still looking at the picture in his binder. "Joe took it really hard, of course. He went a little off the deep end sometimes and was even more reckless than usual. At the same time he tried to get right back into dating. I guess it was his way of trying to pretend everything was normal. But…"

Frank's hesitated and Vanessa could tell he was trying to pick his words carefully.

"Well, let's just say that some of the girls weren't the best choices he could have made. A couple of them got him into trouble and he just wasn't in the right frame of mind to see things objectively. So I decided that I needed to be more objective and cautious for him. He didn't care for that much, though. I was on his bad side some days. Eventually, he calmed down again, at least as calm as Joe can get, that is."

They shared a brief chuckle at that.

"He's been slowly getting back to himself, although I doubt he'll ever really be back to the way he was before. None of us will." Frank sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop, for something else to go wrong. That's just the type of person I am, I suppose, always worrying about something. I tend to be overly cautious at times… and that's probably the reason why I've been expecting you to turn out to be some sort of maniacal serial killer."

Frank smiled self-deprecatingly as he finished and she couldn't help but laugh, even though she had a lump in her throat that had grown during Frank's story. Vanessa had known that Joe had recently experienced something horrible but hearing Frank talk, even vaguely, about Joe's reaction was making it seem more real.

She wondered what kind of trouble Joe had gotten into with those girls but she doubted Frank would tell her. She'd have to wait until Joe was ready to open up to her to find out. In the meantime, she would convince Frank that she was good for Joe.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Frank. It sounds like you've had it pretty rough too." When Frank just shrugged noncommittally, she continued. "And I don't think it's wrong for you to worry about your brother. I don't have any siblings but I've always wanted one. It sounds like Joe's lucky to have you around," she said sincerely.

The look Frank sent her was one of gratitude and Vanessa was extremely pleased at the progress they had made with one conversation. She felt she had a much better understanding both of the older Hardy brother and of her new boyfriend. She was about to try to change the subject to a lighter one when they were interrupted.

"Hey, are you guys ready for pizza or what? I'm starving!" Joe called out from the bottom of the bleachers. He had already changed out of his uniform and Vanessa was surprised to see the field and bleachers were empty except for the three of them.

She and Frank exchanged a brief but meaningful glance as they both stood and gathered their things.

"We're ready!" they called out in unison as they made their way down to Joe together.

As Vanessa linked arms with Joe and the trio walked to the parking lot discussing pizza toppings, she felt more confident. She was looking forward to getting to know Joe Hardy a lot better and becoming someone important in his life. And just maybe she and Frank would become friends as well.

AN: Well, there you go. Nothing spectacular, but I hope it was at least somewhat interesting to someone besides me. Let me know what you think, please!