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Discoveries	By : vinsmouse Category: G through L > Hardy Boys Series Views: 2987 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own The Hardy Boys, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Chapter List
- 1-Discoveries
- 2-Two
- 3-three
- 4-Four
- 5-Five
- 6-Six
- 7-Seven
- 8-Eight
- 9-Nine
- 10-Ten
- 11-Eleven
- 12-Twelve
- 13-Thirteen
- 14-Fourteen
- 15-Fifteen
- 16-Sixteen
- 17-Seventeen
- 18-Eighteen
- 6
- 7
- 8
Disclaimer: I don't own the Hardy Boys, not making any money, just cheap thrills.
Warnings: Angst, Slash
Rating: FRT
Discoveries
Chapter 7
Joe sat up, "Frank! Oh god please be okay Frank. Don't leave me," he begged as he turned the older boy over. His worry quickly turned to relief at the sight of dazed brown eyes looking back at him. "Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No, I'm fine, thanks," Frank replied.
"Thank God, I was so scared when I saw that crate falling towards you," Joe shakily admitted. "I thought I was going to lose you too," he quietly added.
Dale ran from the docks, his lover's voice as he plead with the other man not to leave him ringing in his ears. How could he have been such a fool? Believing Joe's lies so easily, he let loose a bitter chuckle, and he had thought the younger man was naive.
Frank stared at his brother, a smile growing as he realized what Joe's words meant. "You remember?"
"Remember? Oh no," Joe moaned as memories of the past month flooded his mind. "Dale," he whispered as he looked around the dock for the older boy. No, oh no, what have I done? "Did anybody see where Dale went?" he asked of the other men milling about the accident scene. He saw several men shaking their heads, a few of them looking disgusted. He didn't blame them for it; he knew what his words must have sounded like to Dale. His heart constricted as he imagined how hurt the older boy had to be feeling right now. Jumping to his feet he ran for the break room, unaware of Frank following him.
"Joe, what is it? What's wrong?" Frank asked, worried by the way his brother had ran off.
Joe turned at the sound of his brother's voice. Ignoring him, he directed his attention at the man behind Frank. "Mike, did you see where Dale went?"
"No and if I did I wouldn't tell you," Mike growled. "How could you do this to him Joe?"
"It's not what you think."
"Oh come on Joe, we all saw how you reacted to the possibility of office boy here being hurt. I can't believe you played Dale like that, he deserves better from you."
Joe shook his head, "I swear Mike I didn't...Frank is my brother..."
Mike glared at him, "Bullshit, you don't have a brother."
"Yes he does," Frank spoke up.
"Then why did you tell Dale and everybody else that you don't have any family?" he asked Joe, ignoring Frank.
"It's a long story Mike and I don't have time to explain it right now. I have to find Dale, I need to explain it to him. Please Mike if you know where he went, tell me," he begged. For a minute he was sure Mike wasn't going to reply, then the older man began to speak.
"I don't know where he went, but he headed that way," Mike pointed.
"Thanks Mike," Joe smiled. As he moved past the other man, Mike grabbed his arm.
"Make it right Joe, or you'll have me to deal with."
"I will Mike, if I can," Joe assured him.
"Joe wait," Frank called. "I'm coming with you."
"No, I have to do this alone."
"Joe he may not react well when you tell him the truth."
"He won't hurt me Frank."
"He might, especially when he finds out you're not really gay."
"That's why I know he won't hurt me Frank, because my feelings for him are real. I just hope he can forgive me for the other lies." Shaking off his brother's hand, Joe took off, intent on finding Dale.
Frank stared after Joe in stunned silence, his feelings are real? No, my little brother is not gay! He's just confused, that's all. Shaking off his surprise and shock, Frank left the room a few minutes later. He knew where Dale lived, he'd just follow Joe there and...what? What are you going to do Frank? Drag Joe out of there kicking and screaming? Yeah, he'll really be grateful for that, won't he? Realizing that he needed to give his brother the chance to talk to Dale, he decided to let Joe handle this, for now. He would, however, go to Dale's building and wait in the hallway, just in case his little brother needed help.
Joe took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock for the second time. "Dale, please let me in," he plead. He didn't blame Dale for being upset, but how was he supposed to explain things if the other man wouldn't let him in. "Idiot," he berated himself as he remembered the key his lover had given him. Not sure of his reception, he cautiously pushed open the door, "Dale?"
"Go away Joe, back to Frank," Dale spit the name as if it were a curse word.
Joe stood watching Dale, wanting nothing more than to join him on the couch but not daring to yet. "It's not what you think, please give me the chance to explain."
Dale looked up at him, his eyes shimmering suspiciously, "Why should I?"
Joe sighed, hating himself for what he'd done to the other man, unintentional though it had been. "I don't blame you for not wanting to talk to me..."
"That's big of you," Dale sneered.
Joe looked away, "I deserve that."
"There isn't anything to explain, obviously you love Frank, not me."
"You're half right, I do love Frank, but it's because he's my brother."
"Damn it Joe! If you're going to keep playing mind games with me at least come up with something believable. You're an orphan and an only child, remember?"
"I'm not lying about Frank, will you give me the chance to explain?"
Not lying about Frank? How could that be? Joe had told him he'd grown up in foster care and he'd never mentioned a brother. Had he just assumed Joe was an only child? Was that the explanation? Only one way to find out Dale, "Explain."
"I'm going to ask you one thing before I start," Joe began, "please don't say anything until I'm finished. If," he licked suddenly dry lips, "if you never want to see me after I tell you, I'll understand and never bother you again."
Dale flinched at the raw emotion in Joe's voice, he was beginning to think maybe the other man really did love him after all. "All right, so explain it to me." Dale sat in silence as Joe explained everything, from the moment his father had approached him and Frank, right up until this morning and the accident on the docks. When the younger man wound down, the apartment was engulfed by deafening silence as Dale tried to absorb and process all he'd been told. It hurt to think he'd been lied to, but he supposed he couldn't blame Joe for the lie about his identity. After all, when he'd begun the investigation they hadn't known each other and for all Joe knew, Dale was into the piracy up to his neck. The shock receded and Dale took in the pale, frightened appearance of his lover's face as he waited nervously for the silence to be broken. "Come here gorgeous," he invited, patting the sofa cushion.
Joe let go the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. On shaky legs, he stumbled to the couch, collapsing beside his lover. "I'm sorry lo...Dale," he quickly amended.
"Do you love me?"
"Yes," Joe quickly answered, "God yes!"
"Good, then we can work everything else out."
Joe leaned over, brushing a kiss across Dale's lips, "You're amazing, you know that?"
He pulled Joe close, not wanting to let him go, "I do have some questions."
"What do you need to know?" Joe quickly asked, ready to answer any question.
"How long have you known you liked men?"
Joe blushed, "I didn't until you kissed me."
"So when you accepted my invitation for pizza, you were just pretending to be gay?"
"I thought I was pretending," Joe quietly admitted.
"How can you do that?"
"I'm sorry."
"It's your job, I understand that baby, I just don't understand how you can manage it. I don't think I could ever pretend to be interested in somebody just to get a job done."
"It's the one part of the job I hate," Joe confessed. "It feels too much like playing mind games and I hate that, they hurt worse than any injury."
Dale could hear the pain in the younger man's voice, cutting through his heart. "That sounds like experience talking."
"It is," Joe whispered. "Can I tell you about it some other time?"
"Sure baby, you tell me whenever you're ready," Dale replied, sealing the deal with a kiss. "Is this the end of us?"
"I don't want it to be."
Dale sighed, "I don't either Joe, but let's be realistic. You've got a family and friends back in Bayport, a life that doesn't include me."
Joe sat up, looking deep into Dale's eyes, "It could."
"God Joe I wish it could, but how? You'll be going to college, I'm just a former foster kid working on the docks, how could I fit into your life?"
"Biff, a friend of mine, is a jock and going to college on a scholarship; Chet is a farm boy who will probably never be anything else; Phil is a certified genius from a wealthy family; Tony is the son of Italian immigrants; and you are the hardworking man I love." Joe ended his litany with a soul searing kiss.
"Wow," Dale whispered. "I love you too Joe, but I don't see how it can work. Shhh, let me finish. Obviously you hang out with lots of different types of people, but I still live in New York and you live in Bayport. Then there's the fact that none of those people knows about me, even if they could accept a gay friend, will they accept us?"
"I'll move to New York, and if they can't accept us then I don't need them as friends," Joe firmly replied.
"I love you Joe Hardy, man that's going to take some getting use to. I don't want you to give up your family and friends for me, I care too much about you to let you do that."
"I won't be giving them up love, they'll be giving me up and we can't either of us control that."
Dale sighed, "Joe you've never really lost anybody, you don't know what you're talking about giving up."
"I know more about it than you think," Joe's whispered response was nearly inaudible.
"Joe?" he questioned, not having heard what the blond had said.
"Look Dale you won't talk me out of this, love is too important and I'm not going to just walk away from you. So, what about you?"
"You're really serious about this, aren't you?"
"Very," Joe firmly answered.
"All right, but you need to be in Bayport with your family."
"Dale..."
"No baby, I won't let you walk away from your family for me. We can do a long distance relationship, it's not like I'm on the other side of the country you know."
"True," Joe conceded, "or you could move to Bayport," he suggested. Excitedly he continued, "Global has an office there, maybe you could get a transfer. We could see each other every night," he tempted his lover.
"I never thought of that, are you sure you're ready for it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Joe," Dale smiled, "you really are naive about some things aren't you? You're friends and family don't even know you like men, it's going to be hard enough to tell them that, are you ready to introduce me to them as your lover?"
"Oh, you might have a point there, but I'm not going to hide you like some kind of dirty little secret."
"How about a compromise?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"You go back to Bayport, tell your family and friends about the changes in your life; give them a chance to get used to it and see how they react. Then, we'll know what we'll be facing and we can talk about what to do next."
"I guess that would work, I can come and see you whenever I want, can't I?" Joe inwardly winced, hating that he sounded like a little kid begging for a treat.
"Every day if you want gorgeous," Dale smiled. Lowering his head, he claimed Joe's lips in a passionate kiss, breaking it only when the need for air became too great. "When do you have to leave?"
Joe smiled, "Not yet," he replied with a throaty whisper.
"They've probably been worried about you."
"That's why Frank was still working at Global, to keep an eye on me."
"That makes sense, but still they would have worried not knowing if you'd ever get your memory back."
"Trying to get rid of me?" Joe teased.
"Never baby," Dale assured him. "It's just that telling your family about the changes in your life will be hard enough, and your brother probably called home already; if you delay going home they might be upset with you before you tell them."
Joe sighed, "Can I use your phone?"
"Help yourself."
A moment later Joe was listening to the sound of a phone ringing on the other end of the line.
"Hardy residence," a soft voice finally answered.
"Mom, it's good to hear your voice," Joe smiled.
"Joe! Oh honey, when did you get your memory back? When are you coming home? Are you all right?" Laura showered her youngest with questions, holding the receiver so tightly against her ear it was almost painful.
"I'm fine Mom," Joe answered the most important question first. "I just got my memory back this morning, didn't Frank call and tell you?"
"I haven't heard from your brother today."
Joe frowned, "Hold on Mom, I need to check on something." Laying the phone down, he walked to the door and pulled it open. He had quickly realized where his brother was and why he hadn't called home yet. "Come on in Frank," he called to the figure hidden in the shadows.
"How did you know I was here?" Frank asked as he stepped into the light.
"Oh I don't know," Joe smirked, "maybe all those years of living with an over-protective big brother. Come on inside, I've got Mom on the phone." He didn't wait for an answer but simply turned and walked back into the apartment. "I'm back Mom, I was just getting Frank."
"Is everything okay Joe?" Laura asked, a note of worry in her voice.
"Everything's fine Mom, but I do have some things to take care of before I come home."
"Things? You're not in any trouble are you honey?"
"No Mom, but I had plans made and I can't just disappear on people it wouldn't be right. I need to pack too," he added, not mentioning that he was already packed for the move to Dale's.
"So when will you be home?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"You can't get here any sooner?"
"No Mom, I'm sorry but I need to do this. Please understand?"
Laura sighed, she could never resist her baby when he used that pleading tone. "Okay honey, but you better be here before lunch tomorrow."
"I will Mom," Joe assured her. "I love you Mom."
"I love you too sweetie, I've missed having you and your brother home. Can I talk to Frank for a minute?"
"Sure," Joe smiled. "She wants to talk to you," he informed his brother, passing the phone to him.
Frank broke off the staring contest he'd been engaged in with Dale, taking the offered phone. "Hi Mom...I was going to call you Mom, I just hadn't had time yet." Frank shot his little brother a thanks a lot look, glaring when the brat just laughed and turned away. "Yes Mom we'll both be home tomorrow, I promise," he paused, smiling softly. "I love you too Mom, see you soon, bye."
"Problems Frank?"
"That was a rotten trick brat," Frank growled. "Why did you have to tell her I knew about you getting your memory back?"
"I didn't mean to, I was just surprised that you hadn't already called her so it slipped out, sorry."
Frank couldn't keep up his angry act, "It's okay Joe, but you're only getting away with it because I'm so glad to have you back. Now what's this about you not going home until tomorrow?"
"Like I told Mom, I've got some things to take care of."
"You're going to spend the night with him aren't you?" Frank asked, shooting a glare Dale's way. His anger this time wasn't an act.
"Yes I am," Joe confirmed, wrapping his arm around Dale's waist. "I told you Frank, my feelings for Dale are real, I'm not going to pretend otherwise."
"Joe you haven't been yourself, literally, for the last month, how do you know that what you feel is real?"
"He has a point baby," Dale softly mumbled in his ear.
"Damn it! I know what I'm feeling," Joe snapped. "Just because I didn't know who I was doesn't change how I feel."
"Calm down Joe," Dale soothed, holding him tight.
"You stay out of this," Frank growled.
"Don't talk to him like that Frank," Joe warned his brother. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Look big brother, I know my feelings for Dale are a surprise to you, but denying it won't change anything."
"Joe can't you see that he's just taking advantage of your confusion..."
"Get out," Joe growled, his blue eyes flashing with anger.
"Joe don't, he's family..."
"No, the brother I know isn't a bigoted jerk."
"I wouldn't care a bit if you were gay Joe, but you're not," Frank insisted.
"You're right Frank, gay isn't the right word for what I am, bi-sexual is probably more accurate. The main thing I am though, is in love, I was hoping you could accept that; if you can't then it's your problem."
Dale swore his heart stopped as Joe began to speak; only resuming it's natural rhythm with the second part of his lover's statement. "I'm not going to hurt your brother Frank, I love him too much to ever do that."
Frank looked between them, he could see that his little brother wasn't going to listen to reason. He wanted to knock Dale out and take Joe out of there, but he had to admit that would only have Joe digging in his heels even more. Angry and feeling helpless, something he hated, he did the only thing he could, "I'll be at my apartment when you get ready to go home." He didn't wait for an answer, turning on his heel and heading for the door. Stopping with his hand on the knob, he knew it was playing dirty pool but he had to try, he turned back for a parting shot. "You know I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad Iola isn't alive to see what you're doing." Unable to witness the look he knew would be on Joe's face, he turned and left before he gave into the love he held for his brother, and admitted he hadn't meant the words he'd so coldly thrown at him.
Joe felt his heart shatter with his brother's words. He was barely aware of Dale tightening his hold as he called to him, or of his feet moving while the older man led him to the couch. All he could hear were his brother's words; while a picture of a pixie faced girl, eyes flashing with disgust and anger hovered in front of him.
- 6
- 7
- 8
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