Western!AU

Sheriff Hardy had the two most rambunctious boys in the settlement.

But they were clever, so even though she knew better, Nancy was going to ask them for help.

Her father, the best - and only - lawyer in town, had always told her that they were good kids and would be helpful in a pinch. (Nancy was pretty sure that her father only thought that because the Hardy boys were the sheriff's kids.)

Well, it didn't matter now.

She needed their expertise.

There was most certainly hidden gold in the valley, and she knew that the outlaws who'd stolen it would be back soon.

She needed reinforcements, and they were her best bet.

That afternoon, she was crouched behind an outcropping of rock with Frank and Joe, spying on the outlaws, and she found herself glad she'd gone to them. Frank gave her a smile, and while she never thought she needed moral support, she felt a jolt of unexpected exhilaration.

They found the hidden gold in record time.