Bringing Down The Barriers (Part One)
By: DesertVixen NOTE: First ND/HB fanfic to make it past a disjointed scene. As stated in the story, some time has passed since the SuperMysteries (approximately 3 years). Hope everyone likes it!
DISCLAIMER: I obviously do not own the characters, because if I did, we'd have ditched Ned a long time ago. They're still wonderful to read, especially when I need a little mental vacation
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She wasn't sure which of their fathers had originally come up with the idea, but it had quickly been decided on and planned for – two happy families on a nice vacation at the lakeshore. Originally, it had been intended to last a week, but attempts to juggle too many schedules had turned it into a long weekend instead. She hadn't seen any of the Hardys except for Fenton in the last year, and that had been a short visit to her father on business. She had barely talked to him, beyond the cursory catching up at dinner. He had been warm enough, but Nancy had to wonder if he was wondering why she seemed to be avoiding his sons. She wondered herself, sometimes.
Ned hadn't liked her spending time with Frank. He'd never said outright that he didn't want her to see him, be around him, get snowed in a cabin with him – but she had known. Just watching his face get tight when someone else brought Frank up in a conversation was enough. She was a detective, after all. So she had decided to try and be what Ned wanted. She'd stopped doing detective work, and thrown herself into her college studies.
Journalism, however, involved a lot of the same talents as detective work, along with the missed dates, long hours, and crazy tasks. So the fact that Ned hadn't really liked that choice either should not have been such a huge surprise to her. After having cut herself off from the Hardys – since it was usually a case that brought them together – Nancy had dug in her heels on defending her choice of major. The decision not to be around the Hardys if she could help it had made Nancy feel as if she had cut off one of her hands. It hadn't been the only sacrifice she had made, but it was the one that seemed the most painful, the one that she most wanted to throw in Ned's face when they fought. Fights that became more and more common.
Nancy had changed majors finally, but not to please him. The switch to criminal justice as her major had been to satisfy herself. She had realized that journalism didn't satisfy the need she had to know. Every time she had to report on an investigation, she couldn't stop thinking about how she would have handled it. Or how the Hardys would have handled it…
More than that, she needed the closure that usually came with the end of an investigation. Nancy wanted to know, whether or not she could share the information with the public. The criminal justice classes were fascinating. Some parts of the legal system she was familiar with, being her father's daughter. Other parts of it, like juvenile and child protection issues, were new and fascinating. Of course, she was still debating exactly what to do with it.
Ned hadn't been satisfied, anyway, by any of the changes. Somehow, the girl he'd been attracted to – the girl who led the way, who wasn't afraid to step in and help others, who wasn't afraid to risk, who was independent and knew what she wanted – somehow that girl hadn't grown up into the woman Ned apparently wanted to marry. Hell, half the time, she wasn't even sure anymore why Ned had liked that girl if he wanted a woman who was going to be a wife and a mother, maybe with a nice little safe job. It was sad to say goodbye to someone who had shared so much with her, but they couldn't handle being friendly. At least not now, and it had been five months. Any conversations they might start degenerated into sniping comments and harsh words, and finally, Nancy had stopped answering the phone when the caller ID showed it was him. Maybe in time, he would be able to talk to her without conversations imploding. Part of her hoped so, and part of her wished he would go away, leave her alone.
The end of their relationship had also meant she had been thrown back into the dating pool. It had been a long time since she'd had to play the game, and Nancy feared she was a little rusty. She'd always been able to depend on Ned for an escort, even if she hadn't always needed to. Nancy had been out on a few dates now, but none of them had been worth a second date. Some of them hadn't been worth the first one. Various friends seemed determined to see her 'fixed up', and it was driving her crazy. There was nothing 'broken' about her. Hurt, and maybe a little bruised, but not broken.
She parked beside the other vehicles in front of the cabin – two SUVs that looked like rentals, and her father's beloved Mercedes – turned off the engine, and just sat for a moment. Composing herself. Not only for the Hardys, but for the guest her father had hinted at. Nancy didn't begrudge her father the companionship, but some of the women had seemed fairly predatory, or came at Nancy sugar-sweet. However, if he was bringing this one along on a vacation like this – a familyvacation, maybe there was hope. If nothing else, she'd spend the entire time out on the dock, baking herself in the sun. She was going to have fun.
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Joe spotted her first, and wandered over from the barbeque grill. Shirtless, already a good start on his tan, and his blue eyes smiling, Nancy could see why so many women fell for him. Every now and then, she fell for maybe half a second. He was cute and funny, sharper and smarter than he usually let on, but he wasn't the man for her. On the other hand, he had never made a serious play in her direction – flirted, yes, but never with intentions.
"Nancy!" He grabbed her around the waist, planting a kiss on her cheek.
"Joe!" She had to laugh. He hasn't changed, she thought.
"Let me grab your bag," he insisted as she opened the trunk.
"Is there some woman you're trying to impress?"
"You, of course." He flashed her a grin. "Well, and there's a girl somewhere on the lake I'd like to meet. She water-skied by earlier."
"Why am I not surprised?" Nancy asked with an answering grin.
"Because you know and adore me, of course."
Their parents were gathered together on the deck. Carson Drew looked as relaxed and informal as he got, in a blue polo shirt and khakis, and Nancy went to give him a hug first. She looked around, wondering where his guest was.
"How was the drive?" Carson asked.
"Beautiful. It's going to be a nice summer, I think."
Laura Hardy was next to give Nancy a hug, which Nancy returned eagerly. The Hardys' mother had never failed to make her feel welcome, if a little wistful at the same time. Hannah Gruen had long stood in that role for Nancy, but there was always something about Laura that Nancy hoped her mother had been like. Fenton followed his wife, although the embrace was briefer.
The two families had known each other since their children were small, although it was in their teenage years that they had drawn closer. Now, the bonds were kept mostly by emails and cards, but within a few minutes of standing in the circle, she found herself wondering why they didn't do these things more often. Laura was asking her about school and her upcoming senior year, but Nancy found herself glancing around in between answers, wondering where the missing member of that circle was, as well as her father's guest.
Part of her question was answered as the door to the cabin opened onto the deck, and two women came out bearing a tray of food. One was tall and slim, elegant and dark haired like her brother, wearing a yellow sundress. The other was petite, with honey blonde hair that fell just above her shoulders in a mass of waves, and dark hazel eyes, in khakis and a loose white button-down shirt.
"Aunt Eloise!" Nancy found herself caught up in a tight hug. "I wasn't expecting to see you."
"Well, I hoped you would be happy to see me," her aunt teased. "How could I pass up the chance to see you and Carson together?"
The other woman, meanwhile, had gone to stand by Carson Drew, and Nancy turned to face her father.
"Nancy, I'd like you to meet Helena Radecki. Helena, this is my daughter Nancy."
The blonde held out a hand, and her handshake was firm and confident. "I'm pleased to meet you, Nancy."
"It's nice to meet you." This one seemed to be doing better than some of the others, Nancy thought to herself. Her father looked as if he wanted to say more, but Gertrude Hardy came out of the kitchen, and greeted Nancy in her usual brusque manner. Nancy braced herself for a biting comment about not having seen her lately – Gertrude was not known for her tact.
It wouldn't be polite to just blurt out her question – Where is Frank? – surely they would have said something if he wasn't coming. Nancy found herself standing by the rail with an iced tea in her hand, talking with her father and Helena. The older woman was also an attorney, specializing in family law, but apparently the two had ended up on a bar committee together. Four months later, they were sure looking like a tight couple. Nancy couldn't remember her father acting quite like this before, and Helena seemed genuinely nice, not just trying to come across as nice. They had been chatting about a charity committee that Helena was working on in River Heights, something about throwing a benefit fashion show, when she excused herself to refill her glass. Nancy let her gaze travel out towards the lake.
She almost dropped her iced tea. Frank Hardy was walking up from the lake, water dripping off him. She watched him for a minute before he noticed her, watched him run a hand through his hair. He had a good start on a tan as well, Nancy decided. He'd also been staying in shape. It was good to see him again.
Then he looked up and saw her. His dark eyes were a welcome sight, although not necessarily welcoming. He came up onto the deck, close enough to touch her but holding himself back.
"Hi, Nancy." The smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'd hug you, but you'd get wet."
"Hi, Frank." She wanted to say it didn't matter, but that would sound stupid. Worse, it would sound like it bothered her. That it did was something she didn't feel like getting into.
The moment threatened to lengthen uncomfortably, but Joe broke in. "How's the water?"
"Not bad," Frank replied. "The water-skier has gone home though."
"Never mind," Joe said with a theatrical sigh that got a laugh out of everyone. "What's for dinner?"
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Dinner was hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill. Joe and Fenton Hardy bickered companionably while they cooked the food, and Nancy found herself in the kitchen helping get things organized. Frank had gone ahead and thrown on a tee-shirt over the swim trunks, before settling down to chat with his father and brother. It was an informal meal on the deck, with some good-natured commentary on the cooks' skills. They sat and talked until the sun started going down, and Laura Hardy proposed a board game. Clue was decided upon, after some spirited discussion of who should be paired up – Gertrude insisting that the detectives be split up, so as not to give them an unfair advantage. When they had finished, with Fenton and Laura guessing correctly, most of the party drifted inside to the living room to relax in the broken-in furniture.
Nancy sat on the steps to the deck, enjoying the balmy evening air. It was warm, but not too warm, and daylight was fading. It had been a long day, with the drive to the lake, and it was nice to just sit and relax. She looked up, slightly startled, when Frank sat on the step next to her. They could hear the sounds of the television, of people inside talking, and the sounds of the summer evening coming alive around them.
They'd been in dangerous spots before, and yet none seemed quite as dangerous to her as this, sitting on a porch in near dark, not a bad guy in sight. Maybe that was what made it so dangerous, Nancy thought. If they started spilling their souls now, who would save them from the consequences of that?
He spoke first. "How's Bess? George? Ned?"
"Bess is working for a wedding planner," she replied with a smile. Bess was in her element in that job. "George is working as a camp counselor this summer. I suppose Ned is working."
"You suppose?" He was looking out, away from her, and she couldn't see his eyes.
"We're…not dating anymore." There. She had said it. The words that had the power to change how everything lay between them. She knew Frank and Callie had called it quits within the last year, although they had managed to remain friendly. Joe had mentioned the fact in an email, and despite being a detective, Nancy couldn't figure out if he had been trying to tell her something, or if he'd just been catching her up on news. She still wasn't sure – despite his friendly openness and joking demeanor, the younger Hardy brother could be hard to read. For some reason, she hadn't been able to bring herself to just ask him.
"What happened?" Was it just her imagination, or had his voice changed, ever so slightly?
"Nothing too dramatic," Nancy said with a small shrug. "Just the realization that neither of us was going to change."
"You must have been upset," he offered after a moment.
"A little sad," she admitted. "We wanted each other to be different things. He wanted me to be safe and settled. I wanted him…" To be like you, she thought suddenly. I wanted to share my passion with him, not just have him tolerate it.
"Nancy?"
She realized she had fallen silent. "I wanted him to understand, and I didn't want to hurt him." Nancy heard from mutual friends about him, but he didn't appear that he had moved on. They had run into each other by accident, both of them with other people. The situation had been awkward, to say the least. She did wish him well, despite the pain they had put each other through in the end. It was hard to say goodbye to a long-held dream, even when you knew you couldn't make it work.
There was a long moment of silence before he spoke again. "It's difficult. Being a grownup," he said, voice quiet.
"Must be why Joe has so much fun," Nancy said with a sly smile.
They both had a good laugh at that one, and she could feel the tension that had been sitting between them since she had arrived breaking. It felt good to laugh and tease each other, and she suddenly wondered why she had let that year and more go by without picking up the phone. She had let herself hide in emails, and the one event that would have brought them together in person before this, Nancy had found herself making up an excuse not to go.
"How long has it been over?" He was still looking away from her, hadn't looked at her yet.
"Four months, almost five."
"Callie and I… it's been eight months." He let out a long breath.
"Joe told me." The words, And you didn't, hung unspoken between them. "What happened?"
He was quiet for a long moment, looking down at his hands, and Nancy wondered if he was going to answer. Wondered if she wanted to hear the answer. "She decided she wasn't ready to live my mother's life. Worrying. Waiting."
"I'm sorry." She was. It was hard to hear that someone you loved, someone who had been in your life for a long time, couldn't handle you being the way you were.
"We're still friends," Frank replied. "At least she was honest about it now, and not somewhere down the road."
"So… are you seeing someone?"
He shrugged. "A date here and there. Nothing worth writing home about. I've been keeping busy with school and work."
Silence fell between them, lengthening uncomfortably.
"Can't you even look at me, Frank?" Nancy asked quietly, uncertainly. The tension was back between them, and for a moment, she wondered if she might have poisoned this relationship as well. Watching his profile and trying to read his body language in the dim light was driving her crazy. Frank was good at keeping his emotions off his face, good at control, good at not giving himself away. It was a handy trait for a detective to have, but now it was frustrating as all hell.
He turned to face her then, dark eyes intense. "I don't want to just look at you, Nancy."
She remembered a snowed in cabin and the looming probability that they were facing death, and a balcony in Egypt when they had stepped over the line they had drawn for themselves – and then tried to convince each other and themselves that they didn't want to step over it again. 'Just friends – good friends'. Why did we keep lying to ourselves? She could see he was remembering as well.
"Then why don't you do what you want?" Nancy asked softly, reaching out to rest her hand on his leg.
He rested his hand on top of hers, his palm warm against her skin.
"Frank! Nancy!" Joe stuck his head out the screen door, looked down at the pair sitting there studying each other, and immediately wanted to kick himself as Nancy jerked her hand back, like she'd been burned. "Your presence is requested inside," he finished sheepishly.
"Remind me to drop my brother in the lake tomorrow," Frank muttered as he stood and held out a hand to her.
Nancy took hold of the offered hand and pulled herself to her feet. "I'll help," she said with a small smile.