InsaneJournal

Who: Stefan Salvatore, Joe Hardy, Frank Hardy, Nancy Drew, Anna of Arendelle
When: Memorial Day
Where: Casa de Lexi/Anna/Stefan
What: BBQ
Rating/Warnings: Low/None - update if necessary
Status: Complete when posted


Anna was a couple of drinks in by now. The party was going along well--there were people manning the grill, hanging out in the living room, soaking in the hot tub. Drinks were being drunk, snacks being eaten, and music playing at the exact volume so people could hear it, but they could also talk to one another. It was a classic, adult, summertime, barbeque party. No crazy, drunken schenanigans, no streakers, no destroying vases in the living room. Anna prefered it that way. She wasn’t ready for a big Animal House like frat party. It wasn’t her thing.

She was carrying her third drink, now very warm, very happy, and just as energetic as before (only with a little less balance control) as she bounced around the party greeting people and laughing at her own mishaps. She spilled a little of her drink on the concrete outside. She tripped over the carpet in the living room, and decided it was her shoes fault, she set her sunglasses down and forgot where she’d put them.

It was a tipsy, happy Anna who came to the door when it rang. She broke into a bright smile at the sight of the brothers there. “Hey! And Hey! I had no idea you guys knew one another!” ...of course, Anna had never put together that Frank, her Chinese Food Savior, and Joe, her Mechanic Savior, were brothers. Even though they had the same last name. “And Hi! I’m Anna! It’s so nice to meet you!” She went about hugging anyone who would let her. (And Anna was an exceptional hugger.)

Well, it seemed as though Anna was already having a good time. Her good mood was as infectious today as it had been the day she had brought her Prius to the garage for an oil change. Just as he had then, Joe found it hard not to smile back at her. He even laughed a little as he returned her hug. It would have been rude to refuse the gesture, especially from someone as bright and bubbly as Anna. “I didn’t expect to see you here, Anna.” But it was good to see her. Joe needed some of that bright and bubbly nature. “Glad to see you again.”

When she let him go again, Joe slung an arm around his brother’s shoulders. “I’ve known this guy my whole life,” he told Anna with a half-grin. “He’s stuck with me. Though as far as younger brothers go, he could have done a lot worse.”

“I could’ve done a lot better, too.” Frank quipped back. He shook his head and stepped forward to return Anna’s hug. It looked like the perpetual ray of sunshine had already had a few to drink, but that only seemed to make her smile more infectious. “Thanks for inviting us, Anna.” He had no idea that Anna had already met Joe, much less make the man laugh. It was hard for Frank not to raise his eyebrows at the gesture. His brother needed a bit more happiness in his life these days and apparently the girl had already started to help in her own way.

Stepping back, Frank figured he should at least attempt to continue the introductions. “As you know, this is my brother, Joe, and this is Nancy, a close friend who also recently moved out here to California.” He grinned at the strawberry blonde woman beside him and gave her a surreptitious wink. Leaning in, he spoke to Anna in a stage whisper. “Don’t let her normal clothes fool you. She’s actually a really famous mystery author back East. Right now she’s just undercover as one of our family friends while doing research for her next book.”

It went without saying that Nancy hadn’t been expecting to be swooped up into a hug, but she’d been standing between the brothers. And like any beginning adventure she had a tendency to just go with it. So she by the time they were released she was grinning, very amused. She couldn’t help but notice how Joe was reacting to this girl. It was something to store away for now. Not something to bring up until this had maybe gone a bit farther? Whatever this was? Joe needed it. She glanced at Frank and could tell they were thinking the same thing. When the introductions started she rolled her eyes at Frank’s wink. She smiled and held out a hand to Anna. “Nice to meet you,” She grinned. “Don’t listen to Frank. He’s wrong. I’ve been under cover in this role for 13 years and they still can’t get rid of me. He exaggerates, you’d think he wrote books instead of articles.” She shot him a slightly smug look, and a wink.

"Wait, you're brothers??" Anna asked with a laugh in her voice. "Wow! That's super cool!" She grinned over at Joe. "I live here! Of course I'm here! I can't miss a good party, anyway." With a playful gesture, she reached forward and gave his arm a little pinch. Anna was already getting kinda handsy. It came with the territory when she'd had a few drinks. "Good to see you, too, Joe." The smile on her face was warm and friendly. She was very fond of Joe.

And of Frank! After hugging both brothers, and the girl between them (New best friend?) she leaned back a little. "You're very welcome! I hope you guys have a good time. And it's nice to meet you, too!" She positively beamed at the other woman before her smile went a little sheepish. "Oh, wait, I already said that! Wait, mystery author? Is that true? I love Mystery novels! Have you written anything I'd know?"

“Wow, small fucking world,” Joe mused, mostly to himself as Anna talked with Nancy. He had worked with Stefan for weeks and hadn’t made the connection between him and Anna. Not that there was any real reason too. Stefan hadn’t mentioned her, and she hadn’t asked about him when she’d brought her car in. Then again, why hadn’t Anna brought her car to Dean’s garage before? Surely if she and Stefan were living together she would have done so instead of putting up with the chodes at her dealership. Hm. Very curious.

Joe shook his head. It wasn’t any of his business. It was just as possible that Stefan liked to leave work at work and there was some kind of understanding between the roommates not to talk about work while at home. Yeah. That made sense. Sure.

Of course Nancy wasn’t sure why Anna living here was a question. Frank had literally called her up and said ‘there’s a bbq, want to come’ and so she was here. But just from listening to Anna talk, Nancy could tell that the two of them were going to get along. She seemed so full of energy. Fully of life really. And it was something that she knew that Joe needed right now.

She let out a chuckle and nodded. “That’s alright. I usually welcome everyone at least four times. No one really minds.” When she asked what books she’d written, Nancy shrugged. “That really depends on what you read. It’s possible. Ever heard of Thomas Blake or Carolyn Keene?” It wasn’t unusual that people knew her characters but didn’t know her. And truthfully? She rather liked it that way. She enjoyed her fans, they really were the ones who kept the series alive, because profitability was a big deal in the publishing industry, but they did more than that, they embraced the characters. But she still liked having her privacy.

Frank took a step to the side, letting two women converse, and looked back at Joe. He raised an eyebrow at his brother in an unspoken question. Anna was certainly a bit handsy toward his brother. That was certainly interesting in and of itself. How had they met? As far as he knew, his brother had become a borderline recluse, only going from work to home with the occasional stop at a bar or gym. Frank had not pegged Anna to be the type to be at either of those places. Perhaps he should have.

Just wait until Anna learned that the inspirations for two of Nancy’s characters were standing in her house. That might have thrown Anna for a loop and Joe was a little curious to see that. He grinned faintly to himself.

Then he felt eyes on him. He glanced over at his brother. Why was Frank looking at him like that? A small frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. “What?” he asked quietly.

"You two seem friendly." Frank replied in the same tone. His eyes were alight with questions, not unlike a dog having caught the scent of a bone.

Anna's jaw dropped. She stared at the woman standing between Joe and Frank--who she completely forgot existed temporarily. "No. Way." Anna said, then the dropped-jaw look turned quickly into an excited smile. It was like a light switch went on. "No! Way!" She laughed, and reached forward for the other woman's hand. "I love the Carolyn Keene books! I've read them all like, a hundred thousand times! Wow! It's so amazing to meet you!"

Anna’s enthusiasm was contagious. Legitimately contagious. The smile on her lips grew. “You too. It’s always great to meet someone who enjoys them.” She gave Anna’s hands a squeeze. “Though I’ll admit, I still get really surprised when anyone says they’ve heard of them. It’s one of those things I’m not sure you ever really get used to.” Let no one say she wasn’t humble about this sort of thing. This far all the fans she’d met were really nice people. “Thanks again for the invitation. I’m relatively new in town and still meeting people.”

Anna’s attention was on Nancy, leaving the brothers to talk in quieter undertones with each other. Joe did not like the look Frank was giving him. That knowing smirking look, as if he’d caught on to something juicy. Joe rolled his eyes. “Yeah, we’re friendly,” he admitted. “She brought her car into the shop for an oil change and we chatted a bit. So what? She’s nice. Stop looking at me like that.”

If nothing else, coming to the party was worth it just to see Joe roll his eyes without scowling for once. It was not much, but it was enough for Frank’s grin to widen. “As you wish, little brother.” He turned his attention back to the two women. Based on the look on Anna’s face, Frank half expected her to ask for Nancy’s autograph soon. He placed a hand lightly on Nancy’s shoulder. “Why don’t we head inside and the two of you can continue this discussion where we’re not blocking the entryway.”

“Oh! Oh, God, right. Yes. Of course. Come on in! I’m so sorry.” Anna stepped back and away, leaving the doorway wide open so they could all enter the house. Of course, she was super excited to meet Nancy, and was convinced that they were going to be best friends. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

Stefan was on his way in from outside. He was carrying an empty beer bottle in one hand, and a red solo cup in the other, filled with a clear liquid. He actually looked like he might have been a bit buzzing. Surprise surprise. When he saw Joe, he brightened a little. “Joe! Hey.” After chucking the beer bottle carefully into the recycling tub, he came over to where the Hardy Brothers and Anna were standing, and offered up his hand for Joe to shake. “Thanks for coming.”

“Me too. I was a bit iffy at first,” Nancy admitted. “But Frank was right. Getting out and meeting people? Much better than staying home.” Nancy gave Anna’s hand a quick reassuring squeeze. She was fine, really she was. She had a feeling she was going to be bombarded with questions and in that moment, Nancy realized that she didn’t actually mind it. She loved her fans and she already loved Anna, which was why when they stepped in and she saw someone else that Joe clearly knew she grinned. “Looks like Joe’s been making friends all over town,” She was pleased for that.

“You can say that again.” Frank replied, raising an eyebrow in Nancy’s direction. He recognized Stefan from the few times he had visited the house, but once again the elder Hardy was surprised to see that his brother apparently already knew the man. Stefan’s face was definitely far more open than it had been before, but even now the memory of that look had him fighting the urge to stand up straighter. Shaking his head, Frank decided to let it go this time. He never goes anywhere, and yet he’s already friends with half the county. I guess that’s Joe for you.

“Happy Memorial Day, Stefan. Thank you for your service.” Frank said politely. He had never spoken to the man, but between the way he held himself and the not-quite-glare he had received, the reporter figured Stefan had served in the military for at least a handful of years. Probably. In Orange County the best bet for any military person was usually Navy or Marines, but Frank did not know enough to tell which branch his host had called his home. Golly! If he’s never even been to boot camp, I’ll eat my hat! …If I had a hat. Wait, what did I just... He shook his head to clear it. The Dreams were really starting to get to him.

It wasn’t really that long ago that Joe had been something of a social butterfly. Ever since he’d been a little kid, Joe had been able to make fast friends with those around him. As an adult, he’d been able to use that skill to develop a handy network he could easily tap as an investigator. He’d withdrawn considerably after Iola had died, cut himself off from many of the contacts he’d once had. However, around Anna and Stefan, the dark cloud that had seemingly been hanging over Joe’s head had diminished quite a bit and something of the old Joe had returned.

“Stefan!” Joe greeted his colleague and friend with a wide friendly grin. He grasped Stefan’s hand with his own for a hearty shake. “Thanks for having us over. Lemme introduce you to my brother and our friend.”

He turned and gestured to the two people he had arrived in. “This is my brother, Frank, who I think you’ve probably met already?” Frank’d been to the house once or twice already, hadn’t he? Met Anna here or something like that? “And this is our friend Nancy. Frank, Nan, this is Stefan. He and I work together at the garage.”

Anna was all sunshine and giggles at this point. “This is so weird,” she confided to Nancy, who was totally her new BFF. Since that’s how Anna rolled, anyway. The grin never left her lips as she leaned over to lower her voice and talk with her friend. “I mean, it’s cool and everything, just totally random. I’m glad the way things worked out, though!” Then she realized she was talking over the introductions, and forced herself to stop.

“You’re welcome. Just doing my patriotic duty,” Stefan said, giving Frank a little smile. He wasn’t in older brother protective mode at the moment, so Frank had nothing to worry about. Then he clasped Joe’s hand for a hearty handshake, smiling more warmly and genuinely than he had since either Hardy brother had known him. “Yeah, he came over to visit Anna.” Stefan replied. “And it’s nice to meet you, Nancy. Where are my manners? Did someone get you a round of drinks yet?” Pointed look at Anna.

Anna squeaked. “Zima! I’m drinking Zima. Nancy, have you ever had a Zima before? It’s amazing!” Then she looped her arms through Nancy’s elbow and Joe’s elbow to drag them toward the kitchen. “I’ve got a secret stash in here!”

“You too. This is quite the party,” Nancy offered Stefan a smile. “I think you and I spoke briefly over the network when I first got to town. It’s nice to put a face to the writing.” She didn’t have long to talk before she was being dragged to the kitchen, but got the chance to chuckle and say a quick “um bye?” before being carted off. “Um… No I don’t think I’d have the chance. What is it?”

Frank shook his head at the antics, choosing to follow the two women at a more leisurely pace. That was Anna for you. Not that he minded being swept up in the whirlwind, but he had gotten used to it after that first night of Chinese food. Hopefully, Nancy would quickly do the same. He eyed the smile on Stefan’s lips before doing the same. “I guess we’re meant to follow them.” As the designated driver of the group, he would likely just stick to soda and water, but he was sure that Joe would at least have a beer for him as well.

Stepping into the house, Frank turned to his host. “So Stefan, how long have you worked at the garage?” Small talk was easy enough to manage and the atmosphere was definitely both relaxed and festive.

“Not long,” Stefan replied, closing the door behind the party as Anna pulled Nancy along with her to the kitchen. “I think it’s been a few months now. Before that I was working as a handler in Disneyland. Friends with Rapunzel. It was fun.” He gave Frank a little smile. “Actually, my best friend Lexi works in Disneyland, so we got to go together a lot, so it was a great job. Just not… exactly… how I want to spend my days.”

Anna pulled open the fridge and started rummaging through the bottles. Thankfully, the blood bags had been tucked away somewhere safe during the party so they wouldn’t be seen.

Joe willingly let Anna drag him, along with Nancy into the kitchen where the promise of booze awaited him, a shit eating grin and a look over his shoulder at Frank that clearly said “I’ll be seein’ ya, Bro.” Joe wasn’t looking to get snookered (really, this Old Timey Lingo was starting to get old), but he certainly wasn’t going to turn down the drink Anna would put in his hand, Zima or otherwise. And he’d be sure to have one or two drinks for Frank since the elder Hardy had appointed himself DD for the day. It was the least he could do, honestly.