A/N: This is just a one chapter story, because it came as a rush of inspiration :) Please review and tell me what you think, I appreciate you reading my story whether you review or not so thank you and please enjoy!
I looked up to see my brother playing with his phone from across the room. I rolled my eyes with a laugh knowing he was debating on whether or not calling a certain girl-detective. I pulled out my own phone hoping he would notice and try to beat me to it. I slowly dialed the number so that he could have time to dial himself, but he was to caught up in his own thoughts to notice. So I called her.
"Hey, Joe! What's up?" She answered almost instantly.
"Frank and I are working on this case, and I thought maybe you could help us out on a few things." I said catching his attention. I studied my computer's blank screen intently and felt Frank's stunned stare from across the room.
"You guys have a case? Gosh, Frank told me he would call me and tell me if you guys got one. I've been bored out of my mind! So what's it about?" she asks and I raise an eyebrow at him. He had an excuse to call! He promised her he would call and he didn't, and that is why I am the best little brother in the entire world, not that he would ever admit it.
"It all began when we were riding our motorcycles through this bridge the other day and saw this laptop laying on the ground. Odd, right? So we parked a little ways away and checked it out, and apparently it belongs to some rich guy who had some important, classified stuff on it, yet get this, we found it, completely undamaged, laying the middle of a bridge, with a wiped hard drive."
"Weird." She said and I could feel her thinking through the phone… well, I could almost feel it… Next thing I knew, Frank came and sat next to me on the one person chair, almost pushing me off.
"Put it on speaker," he whispered roughly.
"Is that Frank?" She asked automatically and I roll my eyes, internally, because it was too painful. It was too real. These two were so perfect for each other, and they just wouldn't admit it. Neither of them would admit their undying love for each other, and it just… Well, it made me mad. I put the phone on speaker and Frank finally talked to her. It was almost like a dramatic clip of a movie.
"Hey, Nance, what's going on?" he started smoothly.
"Why didn't you call me?" she asked laughing.
"I was going to, but the case was to baffling… I just.."
"Forgot?" she finished and I could hear the strain of her voice. If it was one thing Nancy hated, it was being forgotten.
"No, Nancy he didn't forget," I interrupted and quickly continued, "He just wanted to make sure we had covered all of our bases first before asking a girl for help." I said laughing and Frank laughs relieved that I was able to smooth that over. Best little brother in the entire world. Nancy laughingly sighed and I could tell she had quickly moved on topics, and was now offering us helpful advice or theories she had about it our case, and that is why I supported their future relationship, because I wanted to have a sister as amazing as Nancy! She already felt like a sister so it seemed like a great time to make it official. We all know they will eventually get together, but they're moving at best at a glacial pace, and all I want is for them to hurry it up. Was that too much to ask? I didn't think so. I still don't, but that's irrelevant.
"What was that?" Nancy said interrupting her stream of thinking aloud. We grew silence as we heard some yelling coming from Nancy's end. Suddenly she began to panic.
"Guys, I'm alone in the house… Well, I thought I was! There are men downstairs!" she whispered into the phone. I looked to Frank who I could tell was already stressed. I'm sure his heart raced to her, but the miles separating us made it a little hard to physically do.
"Are they coming closer to you?" I asked unsure of what else I could have said.
"I think they're looking for something in my dad's office…" she said softly and I could hear her voice shaking.
"Is Ned around?" Frank asked almost making me punch myself. Ned. Roadblock on the Frank to Nancy route, but a unimportant one. Ned was a good guy, but not right for Nancy. Frank was right for Nancy, in fact, Frank was perfect for Nancy, but hey, maybe I'm biased!
"Umm," Nancy said chuckling nervously, and I could already tell that something was off, "I haven't seen him in a while, actually." she said carefully. Frank looked like his eyes were bulging out of his skull, but our thoughts were interrupted by a crash and a scream from Nancy's end. Then to make matters worse our connection was lost and when we tried calling back, our calls went straight to voicemail. So then we stopped calling her and began calling people who could actually help her. As I called Bess, Frank called Mr. Drew, and I noticed him throwing random articles of clothing into a backpack. He was packing.
"Joe?" Bess answered surprised, "Hi! It's been so long since we have spoken! I have so much to tell you! First off-."
"Bess!" I almost shouted trying to stop her, "Nancy is in trouble! We were talking to her, but some men came into her house and then we heard a crash and then the call ended. We can't reach her! Don't go alone, obviously, but you should go check it out! Take more than George too, ok?"
"What!? Omigosh! I hope she's ok! Mr. Drew is working on this crazy case right now, so their probably involved with it… I'll grab George and my dad and we can go check it out!" Bess said, "Bye, Joe!"
"We tried calling back, but it went straight to the voicemail!" Frank said frantically trying to tell Mr. Drew. He listens for a bit and then he says good bye and then hung up.
"Frank, what are you packing?" I asked already knowing the answer.
"I can't just sit here and do nothing."
"No, I know why, but what? We already have emergency suitcases! Come on, and stop wasting time," I said pointing to the closet. He lunged for the closet and I ran down the hall to my aunt's room.
"Hey, Aunt Gertrude, we are leaving and we don't know when we are coming back!"
"What?" came her troubled response and I didn't take the time to explain. I just ran back into our room and grabbed my luggage and we rushed down the stairs.
"Where do you think you are going?" My aunt said walking slowly from her room.
"Nancy is in trouble," Frank said running from the house.
"Tell dad to tell our client we went out pursuing a lead for his case." I yelled to her with a laugh as we left, fully knowing she would never tell my father to lie for us. Throwing the baggage in the back we jumped in the front seats and started the car.
"Before we go, Frank, what's the gas like?"
"We have almost a full tank." he answered and I smiled remembering I had filled up the tank the night before. Best little brother ever. As he pulled the car out of the driveway I received a call from Bess.
"Bess! What's it like over there?" I asked putting the phone on speaker.
"Not good, Joe…" Bess said and I could definitely hear the worry coating her voice. Bess had never been good at hiding her emotions, "WE looked all over the house, and when we got to her room, we found her smashed cell phone and a floor lamp, chair, and end table that had been knocked over. Also one of her mirrors are broken…" she said as an after thought and I heard panic rising in her throat.
"Is her dad there, yet?" I asked and she panicked.
"I never called him! Oh he is going to hate me… I feel like such a horrible person…" she said almost in tears.
"No, Bess, we called him! Is he there yet?"
"You did? Thank God.. No he isn't here.." Bess said not forming complete sentences which I recognized as something she regularly did when she was terrified.
"Check his office for any damage," I said trying to give her something to do.
"Ok, here's George," she said passing the phone over.
"Hey, Joe," George said and I could hear the worry in her own voice, "The broken mirror has blood on it, so I'm hoping it's the kidnapper's and not just Nancy's.." she said and I noticed Frank's knuckles begin to turn white against the black steering wheel, "Anything Nancy could have done to point out to people where they took her, or who took her?" Frank asked.
"Hi, to you too Frank, and I'm still looking, but I think the mirror is our only lead. So even though it means Nancy is hurt, it also means we have a possible identifier of her abductors. Hopefully we can find her before we need to use them though." George said and I watched a disappointed look flash through his eyes, "Oh her dad is here!" she exclaimed and I heard his voice filter through the phone, "We will call you if we find anything out." George said ending the call abruptly.
"Should we call Ned?" I asked unsure. Frank looked thoughtful as he thought over what Nancy had said before we were interrupted by her kidnapping.
"Call Hannah, and tell her what's happened, and then ask her if it's a good idea… I mean she would know if that's a good idea right?" Frank asked and I raise an eyebrow at him.
"Why would I have her number?"
"Ugh, Joe, just use my phone, I have her number." he said handing me his phone. I felt a wave of surprise go through me. Why would he have her number? He was -is- so weird. When he was younger he was always the type to talk to his friends' parents and become friends with them as well. It was embarrassing to have him around sometimes, but I got over it. I press the call button and wait for her to answer.
"Hello, Frank!" she answers kindly. I put it on speaker so I wouldn't have to tell Frank everything she said after we hung up.
"Actually this is Joe, Ms. Gruen." I said smiling at her through the phone.
"Hello, Joe! To what do I owe this pleasure?" she asked and I dreaded telling her. She was such a sweet lady and I didn't want to tell her…
"Well, normally it'd be a pleasure to talk to you, but we were talking to Nancy on the phone earlier and… basically we heard men come into her room and take her." There I said it.
"What?" she asked horrified. I grimaced not wanting to explain the entire thing all over again.
"Men came into the house and apparently heard her talking to us or something and took her... We are on our way right now, actually." I said trying to break the fall.
"Oh dear!" she said obviously shell shocked.
"Where are you right now?" I asked knowing Nancy had been home by herself.
"I'm across town having lunch with an old friend…Well, I was.. Now I am on my way back to the house.." she answered clearly worried.
"Ms. Gruen, do you think it's a good idea to call Ned?"
"No," she says after a long pause, " I know he'd want to know because they're still friends, but if he went to the house Carson would probably get mad at him all over again for breaking her heart like that, even though it wasn't really that bad… you know how fathers are."
"We heard the basics, but what really happened?" I asked knowing Frank would intervene if I didn't and I didn't want her to know that she was on speaker.
"He told her he was trying to focus on football and didn't want to have to worry about her constantly getting in trouble and going around the world finding mysteries and dealing with dangerous men all by herself, which is ironic because he just made her even more 'by her self'."
"Coward…" I heard Frank mutter angrily.
"Nancy, of course being the dear she is, told him that she didn't want him to be unhappy… two weeks later he was dating none other than Deirdre Shannon. Nancy was more mad than anything else, and I believe she is over it by now. That probably helped to speed up the process." Hannah finished sadly and I couldn't believe my ears… Frank opened his mouth but I beat him to it.
"So we won't call him then." I said shaking my head at Frank.
"Yes, please don't. This problem is the reason he ended it in the first place. He wanted freedom from having to know when she was in danger… Although, I'm sure he'll find out through the news or something… by now the news caster probably says it like, 'Drew girl gets abducted once again!'" Hannah said tiredly and then I realized how sadly adapted to Nancy's frequent yet terrifying disappearances she had become.
"Thanks, Ms. Gruen, we will see you in a few hours!"
"Oh you're coming?" she asked and I knew it was because her mind had been so preoccupied with worry before.
"Yes. We'll see you soon," I said and hung up after she said goodbye.
"They broke up…" Frank said bewildered.
"Weird.. There is probably more to it knowing how secretive Nancy is… I hope she's ok.." I said thinking aloud. Frank didn't respond and so I felt it necessary to comfort him with encouragement of her safety, "Frank, She's going to be fine, ok?"
"How do you know that?" he asked incredulously.
"Because she has to be, and it's Nancy Drew we're talking about here."
"I know only too well who we are talking about." He said softer this time, and although the situation was horrible I smiled at the window for just a moment before I became serious once again remembering what had happened to Nancy.
When we arrived in River heights it was late into the night and the city's lights were all off. Frank and I had switched driving and he was passed out in the passenger seat . I drove through the streets scanning them all, hopefully, for signs of Nancy, to no avail. Eventually, we arrived at the Drew house, and it happened to be the only lit house on the block. After waking Frank up, we hopped out of the car and headed towards their house. Frank looked half asleep but I knew it would be a while before he fell asleep, because he wouldn't sleep until he found her. I knocked on the door, and to my momentary surprise, the police were the ones to answer it. Chief McGinnis stood before us and next thing I knew we were shaking hands.
"Didn't know you boys were coming down. Glad to see you again." he said kindly but at the same time I was terrified for my life… I still have no idea how you can be both kind and gentle yet completely intimidating… He welcomed us inside thinking everyone knew we were coming. Hannah had assumed the others knew so apparently she didn't bother to mention it.
"Frank! Joe!" Mr. Drew said surprised at our entrance. Bess and George jerked around surprised at our appearance.
"Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Bess asked shocked.
"We told Hannah!" I replied defensively, and all eyes turned on the friendly housekeeper.
"I assumed you all, already knew!" she said shrugging.
"Any signs of Nancy?" Frank asked not even greeting them.
"We know who her abductors are.. We just don't know where they are.."
"Is it involved with a case you are working on right now?" Frank asked Mr. Drew curiously.
"Yes, I am afraid so." he answered and it was evident he was blaming himself for the entire ordeal.
Ring-Ring-Ring
"Hello?" Mr. Drew answered, "Where is she?" and at this statement the room shifted as everyone tensed when they realized it was the kidnappers.
"ok, just let me talk to her. Nancy? Tell me where you are! Give me clues! Anything." he listened for a moment and then began snapping his fingers implying for someone to hand him a paper and pencil. He began scribbling a few words down and then he shouted, "No! please! Don't hurt her!" he let the phone gain distance from his ear and reattached it to the stand.
"She was able to say a few words before they took the phone away." he said.
"What were the words?" Bess inquired impatiently reading everyone's minds.
"Why, are, readers everywhere." Mr. Drew read. I closed my eyes thinking hard.
"Ware!" Frank shouted almost instantly, "She is in either a warehouse, or a place with the word, 'Ware,' in the title. W-A-R-E." he said pulling me back outside.
"Let's go!" he said and Bess grabbed my arm.
"Let George Drive. Come on everyone, let's go!" Everyone raced out of the house following after us and I felt hope rising in my chest.
"We'll go to the warehouse, and you guys go to Wanda's Wares, ok?" Bess said taking charge.
"Sounds good." Mr. Drew said hopping in the car with Chief McGinnis, Hannah, and a lieutenant. George jumped in the driver seat because she knew her way around the town way more than Frank or I, and well Bess just had never done well with pressure… You know actually she did a lot better that night than I had seen in the past, and I was instantly intrigued and wondered how many hidden strengths she had. I had always thought she was amazing, but the more I seemed to find out, the more I had grown to see all of little quirks, and by quirks I mean things that I loved about her. Frank sat in the passenger seat, and Bess and I sat in the back.
"Hannah told us about Nancy and Ned." I whispered to her knowing she would shed more light on it than was already shed.
"Oh.." she said almost stunned by the randomness of my statement.
"How long ago did it happen?"
"Two, no three months… Surprisingly they are still friends…"
"But we just talked to her a month ago and she never mentioned it!" I said stunned.
"She was still trying to figure everything out." Bess said defending Nancy and I couldn't help but smile at her loyalty.
"Does she still love him?" I asked with a whisper knowing it was a tricky question.
"She told George and I that he was her first love so she will always love him," she began and then I caught her glance up to Frank and then continued, "but she is past him."
"Bess.. My brother.." I started unsure of her own feelings about Frank and Nancy.
"And Nancy?" she finished questioningly, and at first it seemed like she was shocked but then a smirk spread across her face, "I think so too!" she said and I nodded my head.
"What are you two whispering about back there?" George asked throwing a glance at us through the rearview mirror.
"Just brainstorming.." I said frustrated with a sigh, "We were hoping on coming up with a plan on how to actually rescue Nancy if we do, in fact, save her from dangerous kidnappers," I said trying to sound stumped.
"Good idea," Frank said but it came a little too late as we arrived at the warehouse. No vehicles other than ours were in sight so George kept driving and parked around the corner next to a small SUV. Then we began walking and neared the warehouse once again.
"How about we split up. I go with George, and Joe you go Bess," Frank suggested and I nodded.
"Ok, and everyone put your phones on silent, and keep in touch via text messages.. Only call if safe and/absolutely necessary," George agreed. We all did so and then we entered. Frank and George entered going to the left, and Bess and I entered going to the right. Silently, we began to work our way forward. I grabbed her hand and upon her shocked expression explained, "Just to make sure we stay together and they don't grab you when I'm not looking." She nodded and we kept moving forward. Just then the phone in my hand lit up. George. 'Found her. Back Right corner.' I showed Bess and we looped back around meeting up with them. Frank's face was covered with both an expression of relief and one of complete horror. Nancy sat bound to a metal chair with a gag looped tightly around her mouth. Her strawberry-blonde hair clung to the side of her face and I felt a knot in my stomach form. Her hands were behind her and her legs were individually ties to the chair's legs with duct tape.
"Poor Nancy!" Bess whispered stunned by her friend's appearance. Nancy looked like she could pass out any second, but we noticed her stare straight ahead. She was determined not to show any fear or emotions… we needed to show her that we were hear without her abductors also knowing that we were hear. The man watching Nancy had his back to us, but if we were ever to make a sound he would most definitely hear it. George pulled out her phone and turned the flashlight feature on. She then quietly moved right into the path of Nancy's gaze and began showing the light but only for two flashes. Then she returned to us. Nancy's gaze didn't change but she began to cough, and then the man jerked up as she 'struggled' to keep breathing. His frustration was evident, because he wanted to help her but he didn't know if he could. The next second (she had been holding her breath) her face began to become red and he pulled his gun up to her.
"Don't try anything funny, Drew," and he pulled the gag off. She began coughing violently and at first I had been convinced it was real, but George showed us her dimly lit phone. Her coughs were so obviously Morse Code so we listened carefully. How was her captor not hearing this?
- - . (G)
. . - (U)
- . (N)
- - - (O)
- . (N)
- . - . (C)
. - . (R)
. - (A)
- (T)
. (E)
We figure since it took us a few coughs to figure it out that she must've said something before, but our guess was either, 'There's a gun on crate,' or 'Spare gun on crate.' regardless she was helping us. Finally she began to breathe normally again and the man was relieved, and even though she had been incredibly loud she managed on not waking up the sleeping man behind her. Frank was the best with weapons so he volunteered to get it.
"Ok, take a few more breathes and I'll put the gag back on." He said and we were impressed with this since most kidnappers could care less. She nodded and then took a few deep breathes.
"I'm good," she whispered and this shocked us too… No wonder he was being 'kind'! She was being a cooperative victim. She obviously had been a very good prisoner and this made me sad. She had most likely stared straight ahead for all of the hours she had been a captive and I can't even imagine. I couldn't focus on just one thing for more than ten minutes, before it began to wear on me. The man gave her a few extra ones and then replaced the gag. She looked worn out from the exhausting coughing. We spotted the gun on a nearby crate and then I found a small object and chucked it in the opposite direction. The man flinched.
"What was that?" he jerked toward the noise and away from us. He stared at the other side of the building for just long enough for Frank to creep to get the gun. The shock of Frank appearing registered for just a moment on her face. It looked like a mix of shock and gratitude. She was so happy to see him, and didn't bother to hide it. The man began to slowly turn around and Frank grabbed the gun. He then circled around to the man behind Nancy and slammed the butt of the gun on his head just hard enough to render him unconscious and pointed his gun at the man who now jerked his eyes and gun to him.
"You girls stay here," I whispered lightly and crept up behind the man pulling my pocket knife out from my.. Well, my pocket… I whispered into his ear, "Put the gun down," and held the knife to his throat… What he didn't know is that there was no way I would have slit his throat.. I decided I would most likely rotate it and stab it into his shoulder if anything. I just hoped it wouldn't come to that. Frank held the gun to him. The man slowly put down his weapon. I heard the warehouse door open and close. I released the man from my knife grip and went to Nancy carefully. I cut her loose from the chair and slipped the gag from over her mouth. She stood up shakily and I undid her hands. She smiled gratefully as she caught her bearings.
"You guys came! I mean I knew you would call my dad and maybe Bess or George… but.. You came?" she said incredulously and I looked for Frank's reaction. His eyes were still on the kidnapper.
"We will always come." He said.
"You got that right!" I said in agreement.
"Kick the gun over to me." Frank said and I watched the man silently obey. Next thing I knew, the door to the warehouse was opened with a thud and a thunder of footsteps warmly welcomed us. Uniformed policemen swarmed the area and Frank placed the gun on the ground gently as soon as the men were in cuffs. The man glanced to Nancy, who's cheeks were now soaking wet with tears. He scowled now realizing what the coughing had been about. Frank and Nancy stared at each other for a moment and now that his attention wasn't on the prisoner, it was completely on her. He stared at her full of relief.
"You're ok…" he said slumping over as the tension seemed to melt away.
"You came." She said shakily walking over to him. I watched as he wrapped his arms around her tightly and she folded herself into him. I was watching a turning point in their relationship and I knew it.
"You're ok." he said again quietly. I almost felt like I should look away, but I couldn't. Nancy released herself from the embrace and looked around to see her father who she then ran into the arms of. Frank and then her dad? Hmmm… I walked over to Frank and smiled at him.
"Told you she was going to be ok."
"I know bro.. She just gets me so worried, and I couldn't even concentrate on anything except for her this entire time… If anything were to happen to her I would never be the same again…"
"Frank, are you getting all sappy on me?"
"Shut up."
"What I mean is, why are you telling me this? You should really be telling Nancy this.." I said expecting to get the usual, 'She's just like my little sister Joe..' and I would mentally respond, 'the little sister you're in love with, you creep.' It had always been the most frustrating thing in the entire world when two people loved each other but they never admitted it. Nancy looked around and spotted me and began to walk over. Frank patted me on the back and I looked to him bewildered. Was he actually going to tell her? I swallowed and when she was in front of me I leaned down and gave her a bear hug. I could actually call her my little, big sister. Because I had never seen Nancy as more than a friend, unlike Frank. She smiles at both of us.
"I can't even describe the way it made me feel seeing you come out of those dark crates.. I was expecting George maybe or even Ned cause I never told you guys.. But seeing you guys…" she smiled and took a breath looking to the ceiling and then to Frank. TO FRANK. I shook my head smiling.
"Nance, you screamed and then the call ended," Frank said as if nothing else was an option. They stared at each other for a long moment.
"Um, I need to go talk to Bess and George." I said acting like I had forgotten something.
"ok." Frank said not really hearing. I walked swiftly away and then yanked Bess's arm.
"Ow!"
"Sorry, but look!" I said and we watched them from behind some shelves. George came up next to us.
"What are you guys doing?"
"Look!" Bess exclaimed and her eyes lit up as she saw Frank and Nancy standing there. However, to our surprise, Frank grabbed her hand and they ran stealthily through the back entrance.
"Hey, that's not fair!" Bess said rolling her eyes.
"You're right it's not," George said smirking and then told us to follow her. We quickly ran out through a separate side entrance and came out to see a brick wall.
"We can't see, George." Bess said annoyed and disappointed.
"No, look." George said and we saw some of the bricks were missing randomly throughout the wall, like holes. We each chose our own 'window' and watched. Frank was earnestly saying something to Nancy. She was covering her mouth with hands and I could only make out a few words, and then I heard one thing that he declared a little more loudly.
"I'm so in love with you that it hurts." He said finally ending his speech, there was a moment of suspense, but then Nancy pulled him down and in for a kiss and I did look away. I looked to Bess who was already looking at me. Her smile was so white in the night that it was like a little slice of light. Bess and I nodded at each other gratified and then we looked back at them. It was pitch black outside at the time so we could barely see, but we saw enough. They were still kissing, but it soon ended and she smiled up at him. Best little brother ever.
"And, Hardy, I'm in love with you too."
"Are you happy Joe?" Frank shouted back after a moment and I rolled my eyes annoyed. Nancy jerked around.
"It's like a personal victory, actually." I shouted back slightly embarrassed. Bess giggled and then covered her mouth. Nancy laughed hearing her friend out there as well.
"Bess? George?" she said adding George in as an afterthought.
"We're leaving." I shouted satisfied. And all I heard was Frank.
"Where were we, Drew?"