"You once said I'm your better half," Frank said, getting winded. "Now we'll find out."

Nancy snapped her head to stare at him, panting as they ran. "What?"

"I will be your hands, dear," he said simply and somehow pulled her along just a little bit faster.

"But you don't—you're not—"she sputtered. Then she saw what she was looking for, and her mouth fell open in fear and horror. "Stop, Ned! Stooooop!" she screamed, and Frank yelled with her as they reached the top of the beach.

Ned was just entering the lake, knee-deep in water. He dragged the trash container behind him, the water lapping at the bottom of the cement edges. If the bomb touched the water, it would become highly unstable. Ned was ragged with exhaustion, his face a sickly light yellow.

Following his friends' voices, he momentarily paused to look up. A burst of energy came to him as his face darkened angrily. "Stay back!" he yelled in return. "Come any closer and I'll crack your skulls together!" Ned then rattled off a string of expletives that would have made a sailor blush.

Nancy halted abruptly, putting a hand on Frank's arm to stop him as well. She was shocked and afraid. She had never seen Ned like this, and she knew him quite well.

"Ned, Nancy can—" Frank began.

Nancy shot Frank her best let-me-handle-this look. She put her good hand up in a gesture of surrender. "Ned," she said soothingly yet firmly. "Ned, I think we have a good chance of powering off that bomb."

"There are less than five minutes left, Nancy," Ned growled.

"I think we can do it," she repeated. "Let me at least look at it. I'm begging you."

A flicker of doubt passed through Ned's eyes. "No," he said. "Get back. Please tell Cara that—"

"We're not telling her anything," Frank snapped, unable to stay silent. "Not when there's still a chance."

Ned looked from Nancy to Frank and back again. His jaw clenched with determination. "Swear to me on your daughter's grave that you both will run away as fast as you can if you haven't figured it out when there's one minute left," he said with an edge to his voice.

Frank and Nancy would have sworn to anything. "Yes," Nancy said immediately as Frank said, "We promise."

Ned stepped back but kept a protective hand on the side.

Frank and Nancy sprinted the rest of the way down the beach, splashing ungracefully through the water. "Okay," Nancy said, beginning the muttering ritual that always calmed her nerves in stress. "White, green, blue dots. Blue, red, brown, yellow wires." She turned to her husband and rattled off some clinical terms that Ned couldn't understand.

"I think so too." Frank nodded. "But you're the expert, Nance."

Nancy stared longer to analyze, using precious seconds. "Frank," she said slowly. "Switch these two discs here while you pull the yellow wire."

Frank did as told. Nothing happened. "I think that was the right move," Nancy mused.

"Three minutes," Ned prompted.

Nancy looked at Frank seriously. "Then this is it," she said. "No second guesses. Keep your head in there, Frank." He did.

Nancy couldn't see the colors with Frank's head in the way. "Ned," she said, "you'll need to hold the container at a forty-five degree angle so I can see it over Frank's shoulder."

With the remainder of his strength, Ned pushed and held the cement structure at the proper angle, his muscles shaking as the seconds went on. Nancy spoke low instructions to her husband, and he complied. A few moves later, Nancy said, "This next one should finish it."

Frank pushed another disc and pulled out the third wire. Ned's hands began to bleed as the container began to slip out of his grasp.

"Oh," Nancy said in surprise. "Damn, I guess now it's one more move."

"Time's up," Ned said abruptly, letting the container fall to the sandy water. "Get back."

"There's only one more move this time!" Nancy shrieked. "Annie!" she screamed involuntarily as her daughter's face came to her vision unbidden.

"We'll make it," Frank said hurriedly.

"Liars!" Ned swore violently, pulled Frank out of the container, and gave him a powerful shove for the second time in fifteen minutes. Frank fell in a sprawled-out position, splashing in the shallow water, and knew he couldn't come any closer when he took one look at Ned's expression.

"Nancy," Ned growled. "Leave." He grabbed the container in a bear hug and gave it a yank into the water. A ripple crashed on it and almost splashed inside.

Nancy followed into the water, frantic with panic. Suddenly her eyes dawned with recognition. "That's it!" she declared. "I got it!"

"You said that before," Ned yelled at her, and raised his arm to push her as far away as possible.

Nancy responded by quickly reaching her left hand into the cement enclosure. She used three fingers on her good hand to depress three small buttons at once, and held onto them. "Pull the red wire out, Ned!" she screamed, one inch from his face. "Pull it out!"

Ned looked at her, a panoply of rage, fear, and uncertainty. Frank watched from the beach, helpless again.

With a carnal yell of exasperation, Ned reached inside and pulled the brown wire.

The three adults covered their eyes like children, regressing from sheer terror. A wave splashed over the top and spilled inside, causing a sizzle like bacon left too long on a grill.

A moment passed. Then two. Ned, Nancy, and Frank looked at each other, stunned. They once again began to hear the sounds of everyday life, the birds calling to each other and children's laughing voices carrying from the other side of the lake. Frank took a powerful leap and grabbed the cement, looking inside. No lights were lit up.

Frank shouted with relief and automatically grabbed Nancy and Ned, an arm for each of them. The two sagged into him, bone tired, causing him to lose his balance. The three fell the same direction into the water, laughing with abandon. Nancy splashed Ned in the face with her good hand. Frank nuzzled Nancy's ear and murmured, "You're brilliant, Mrs. Hardy."

Ned broke free to run farther inland, falling down and literally kissing the sand. "Geez, Nancy!" he groaned, collapsing on his back and letting the water gently lap up on his sides. Nancy and Frank gripped each other in an iron hug, afraid that the other would evaporate into a mirage if they let go.

Nancy smiled sheepishly at her ex. "You can never be rid of my antics, Ned," she said apologetically.

"I should have realized that," he said wearily. "But really, Nan, this takes the cake. According to our old rules, you wouldn't be sitting down for a month."

Frank started to laugh until he noticed Nancy's blush begin to creep up her neck and around her cheeks. She giggled and held a hand over her mouth like she was just a little too happy and embarrassed to hear Ned's words.

Frank cleared his throat. "Nancy…please tell me that Ned didn't used to spank you after every reckless activity you did." Nancy looked away, her shoulders shaking with laughter.

Ned propped himself onto one elbow. "And richly deserved, too, Frank, you've got to admit. Maybe we all wouldn't be here right now if you'd taken her in hand yourself."

Frank and Nancy jumped in surprise at another cherished, ordinary sound: Nancy's cell phone ringing. Nancy pulled it out of her soaking wet pocket. "I'm never going to back to my old phone company," she said.

Zoe's military voice cut through their reverie. "Congratulations, team. Time's up and there have been no explosions, so everyone must have been successful. But get back to your posts if you've left them! Stand guard next to your deactivated bomb and block everyone who tries to get near it—the last thing we need is a panic on our hands if people notice them!"

Frank groaned, not ever wanting to let his wife out of his arms or sight again, but started to stand up. Ned stopped him. "No—stay with Nancy, Frank. That's where you belong. I think I can watch a mailbox until the government gets there." His legs shook with fatigue as he stood up, his figure stooped from exhaustion as Frank and Nancy watched his retreating figure.

Frank knew that he and Nancy had a lot of talking to do, but he also knew what the first order of business was. "Nancy…"

"Yes?" She looked up at him, a proud smirk covering her features.

Frank gave a respectful nod toward Ned's direction. "I think I finally understand what you saw in him."

tbc