Disclaimer: I'm a literary hobo. I own nothing, especially not these characters.
A/N: Thanks to Clare (I know, it's just so hard to resist. I think it's because he's the venerable baby brother), Bettycooper2sweet, Emeralds and Rubies, saphiretwin369 and IrishShamrock86 for reviewing!!
Now, proceed with caution, as Frank is digging himself into quite a deep hole. Plus, what happened to him is a touching subject with some…so please don't be offended.
Enjoy:
Frank stood angrily on Nancy's front porch for a few minutes, breathing deeply. When he finally calmed down, he turned on his heel and headed straight back towards the house.
Nancy was sitting nervously at the bottom of the stairs, toying with the hem of her t-shirt.
"Is everything OK?" she asked, standing up. "Where's Joe?"
"I don't care," Frank said gruffly, pushing past her and almost knocking her down. He walked into the kitchen, put his hands on his hips and turned to face her.
"What?" Nancy asked, regaining her balance. "What happened?"
"How could he say that?" Frank cried, throwing his hands up and running them through his hair.
"I don't know," Nancy replied. "Mostly because I don't know what it is."
"I was only trying to keep an eye out for him!" Frank continued, pacing back and forth. "And he had to bring that up?!"
"Frank, what is it?" Nancy asked, concerned. She reached out to touch his arm, but he turned quickly to face her and she jumped away, startled by the fury in his normally calm, dark eyes.
"It's none of your business, that's what it is!" Frank roared, pacing again.
"I…I'm sorry, Frank," Nancy said quietly, hurt by the tone of his voice. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Is there anything you can do?" Frank repeated, stopping. "Maybe you could stop sending me all these mixed signals, so I could know what the hell to do!"
"What?" Nancy took a step back, surprised. "Mixed signa--?"
"You could, for once, not make me try to solve the insane mystery that is Nancy Drew, and just tell me what you think…tell me how you feel about me!" There was no stopping Frank now. He had broken down the carefully constructed, steel barrier that divided his irrational thoughts and his calm, sensible ones and was throwing them around in one foul swoop.
"And," Frank continued, "you could stop flirting with Joe, because you have to know how I feel about you! Everyone else does! You can't possibly tell me that the great Nancy Drew can't figure this one out!"
"Frank, I don't know…"
"You SHOULD know," Frank cried. "Except you couldn't possibly, considering I haven't even told you that Callie and I are OVER!"
"What?" Nancy held out an arm to stop him. "Frank…did you break up with Callie for me?"
"Well," Frank faltered. Finally, the sirens were going off in his head, showing him everything he had said and done in the past hour. His gut dropped. "Not exactly…"
"What happened then?" Nancy felt stunned. All this information…no time to process it…it wasn't going to turn out well.
"She was pregnant," Frank burst out. "And she got an abortion. And she only told me three months ago."
"When did it happen?" Nancy asked, swaying on her feet with shock. It was a miracle she could still talk.
"Six months ago!" Frank cried, his throat feeling tight. "She didn't tell me…because it wasn't mine!"
"What?!" Nancy screamed.
"Well, at least…" Frank tried to catch his breath. "She didn't think it was."
"She was cheating on you?" Nancy asked in disbelief.
"Once," Frank told her. "She said she only cheated on me once. But I couldn't stay with her after that. How could I?"
Nancy was at a complete loss for words. So much drama. She and Ned had never been that complicated. For a brief moment, despite herself, she felt a pang of nostalgia.
Frank looked at the floor, and his pacing slowed.
"How could she do that?" Frank whispered, his voice cracking. "Even if she didn't love me anymore…how could she?"
"I don't know," Nancy whispered, grabbing onto a chair for support.
Suddenly Frank's anger returned with a vengeance. "I don't know either! I also don't know how you can just stand there when I pretty much just told you that I'm in love with you!"
"You…"
"Yes, Nancy!" Frank shouted. "I'm in LOVE with you! But it's fine. I know you couldn't give a crap! Not when JOE is out there!"
"What?!" Nancy yelled.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Frank said, mock-apologetic. "Are you still with Ned? Does he know about your little boy-toy?"
"Where the hell is this coming from?!" Nancy screamed. "I don't love Joe and I'm not with Ned!"
"You may not be with Ned," Frank sneered. "But you never said you don't love him."
"Frank, I'm not with Ned because I…"
"Save it!" Frank roared, effectively cutting her off. "Go and see your precious Ned, why don't you?"
"Fine!" Nancy yelled after a moment's hesitation. "I will!"
And with that, she walked out, leaving Frank alone…again.
--
Nancy drove furiously. She didn't really need to drive (Ned only lived a few blocks away) but she had an urge just to push down the gas pedal as hard as she could, to use as much speed as possibly to get as far away as possible.
She slammed on the breaks as hard as she could outside of Ned's house, flying forward in her seat. She was still breathing heavily when Ned stuck his head out of his front door. He walked slowly, curiously towards her car.
"Nan?" Ned leaned down near her window, one hand on the roof of her car. He noticed the black eye, but he wasn't gonna say anything about it.
"Hi," Nancy said, still staring straight ahead.
"Hey," Ned laughed, crouching so he was at eye level with her. Well, he would have been if she looked his way.
Nancy kept her hands on the steering wheel, gripping it as tightly as she could. She was angry despite herself, just as she was sure Frank was. She had never seen him act like that. She had never seen him that…angry.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Ned asked.
"No," Nancy bit out.
"Are you sure?" Ned asked slowly, smiling. Nancy hesitated.
"No," she admitted. "Can I come in?"
"Of course," Ned smiled even bigger. He rose to his full height and opened the door for Nancy, giving her a hand out.
"Thanks," Nancy gave him a small smile. Ned kept her hand in his, leading her up to his house, as he had done a million times. Out of habit, Nancy took this opportunity to check him out.
He was wearing a close fitting dark blue t-shirt, the one that had shrunk in the wash and that he only wore when he had nothing else to wear, and black short that hung loosely off his muscular frame. His dark hair looked slightly damp and kind of mussed up, as if he had just gotten out of the shower and toweled it off quickly.
Ned squeezed her fingers gently, in the sweet way he had always done when she was upset about something. Nancy felt herself melt with the nostalgia.
He opened the front door and let her in. Nancy went on auto-pilot, climbing the stairs up to Ned's room. She walked straight into his room, and sat down stiffly on his bed.
The room hadn't changed much since she last saw it. Almost all the pictures of Nancy were gone, except for one. On his desk proudly stood a framed picture of her and Ned and their 3rd anniversary. Nancy looked happy. Ned looked happy. If only she had stayed happy.
Ned was taking his time going up the stairs, and when he finally came into his room, he took his chair and pushed it up against the closet before he sat on it. He was making sure there was a lot of room between them. Why? Nancy wasn't sure.
"So," Ned started, leaning forwards and resting his lower arms on his legs. "What's up?"
And with those simple words, Nancy exploded, tears sliding off her face, her breath catching.
Ned didn't hesitate. He took two big steps and landed down next to her on the bed. He pulled his arms around her, tucking her head into his neck.
"It's OK, Nance," Ned told her confidently. "Whatever it is can't be that bad."
"It's not," Nancy cried into his shoulder. "It's not bad at all. I don't even know why I'm crying."
"Sometimes you just have to," Ned said, rocking her back and forth. "Sometimes you can't do anything but cry."
And so, Nancy cried.
--
Frank felt like slamming doors, breaking glass and throwing things. He was that mad. Twice. He had been ditched twice today. Not to say it wasn't his fault. He knew he was being irrational.
He wanted to calm down, he really did. But he couldn't. It was seemingly impossible.
Instead, he stormed through the Drew's house, walking down the front hall until he was outside Amy's room.
Raising a fist, he knocked sharply on the door. The door opened after a few minutes, revealing the sleepy looking pregnant women. Her hair frizzed out from it's ponytail, and she was wearing a pair of flannel pajama bottoms, rising half way over her swollen stomach.
"Hi, Frank," Amy smiled, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "What's the matter?"
"Is it OK if I ask you some questions?" Frank asked impatiently. "About what happened…and what still might."
"I…" Amy faltered. "I guess. But…is it OK if Hayden listens in?"
"Fine," Frank sighed. "Go get him and meet me in the living room."
Amy nodded hesitantly, smoothing down her ponytail.
Frank turned at sat in one of the chairs that furnished the living room. It only took a few minutes for Amy and Hayden to join him. They sat down across from him on the couch, and Hayden grabbed Amy's hand reassuringly.
"Okay," she said quietly. "What do you want to know?"
"Uh," Frank's mind suddenly went blank. "What happened, for starters?"
Amy looked down at her lap and Hayden squeezed her hand. He held it tightly until she finished her story.
"God," Frank shook his head but held no real emotion in his voice. "Do you have any idea where he is now?"
"Not really," Amy let a little tear slip down her cheek.
"Do you know what he plans on doing?" Frank asked. "If he ever gets you, I mean."
"That's not something I really want to--," Amy started.
"If," Frank emphasized.
"I don't know!" Amy cried. "Do we really have to think about that? Aren't you here so that doesn't happen?"
"I'm not Superman," Frank said coldly. "I'm only here to try. I don't know what's going to happen."
Amy looked hurt, and a little scared.
"Has he ever said anything about taking the baby?" Frank asked, ignoring her expression. "Or killing it?"
Amy looked horrified. "You…you don't think he would do that, do you?"
"It's a possibility," Frank shrugged.
Amy started breathing quickly, and wrapped her hands around her stomach. More tears slipped down her cheeks.
Before Frank could stop himself, he rolled his eyes. When he realized what he had done, his stomach filled with guilt, and disgust.
"That's it," Hayden leapt up and across the room, pulling Frank up so he could deliver a sharp punch to the elder Hardy's stomach. Amy gasped, and covered her mouth with her hands.
Frank crumpled to the ground, folding over at the stomach.
"Don't you ever talk to her like that!" Hayden roared, leaning over Frank. "Got it?"
Frank nodded weakly.
"I'm…sorry," Frank managed between pants. "I'm….not myself…today."
"Whatever," this time Hayden rolled his eyes. He took Amy's hand and pulled her away from Frank. "Just…leave, alright?"
Frank nodded again, slowly getting to his feet. Hayden took Amy into her room, glaring at Frank as he shut the door.
Frank walked over to the front door, opening it, walking out and closing it quietly behind him.
He began walking back to the hotel, hands in pockets. What was wrong with him? He had yelled at Joe, yelled at Nancy, been disrespectful to Amy…he was a monster.
Suddenly, he stopped in horror. He had told Nancy that he loved her. Frank swallowed hard and continued walking. No wonder Nancy didn't say anything back. Who could possibly love someone like him?
Frank let out a harsh cough, then another. Then he groaned with realization, remembering Joe right before he got sick. He had been really angry, too. All the time.
Shaking his head, Frank whipped out his cell phone, pressing speed dial number one--Joe's number.
Frank listened as the phone rang and eventually picked up. The person on the other side said nothing, however, but Frank could hear steady breathing.
"Look, Joe," Frank started. "You don't have to talk. I just want to apologize for being such an ass. I don't know why I said all those things. I went off on Nancy too. And then Amy."
Silence.
"Maybe I'm PMS-ing," Frank joked. "And, as karma would have it…you got me sick. Joe? There is a plus side…I told Nancy that I love her… Joe? Are you there?"
"Isn't that sweet?" A deep voice rasped.
"Who is this?" Frank demanded.
"Ask Amy," the voice said happily, hanging up on Frank.
Frank stared down at the phone in his hand for a minute.
"Oh, crap," he whispered.
--
Nancy stopped crying after a few minutes, but she still didn't back away. She just wanted to be held for now, and Ned would have to do.
Ned rubbed her back and stroked her hair, murmuring in her ear that it was okay; that everything would be just fine.
Finally, she backed away, wiping at her eyes. She was about to thank Ned for being there and not asking any questions, but she was cut off by his lips forcefully meeting her own. One of Ned's hands drifted down her back, the other rested on her neck.
Nancy, shocked, kissed back.
Really, you couldn't judge her. She was sad, and it felt nice to be close to Ned again. She wasn't thinking right. She was sad. She was angry. She was…in love with Frank.
Her senses kicked in again as Ned lowered her down on the bed, hovering above her.
"No," Nancy mumbled against his lips, pushing him back gently.
Ned pulled back, hurt and confused.
"What's wrong?" he asked, looking innocent and childish with his cheeks flushed and his hair mussed.
"I…just…no," Nancy stammered, rolling out of his grip.
"I thought that's why you came," Ned said sadly. "Don't you want me back? Don't you miss me?"
Nancy opened her mouth, but stopped herself. Did she? It certainly felt nice to be back in Ned's arms.
"I…" Nancy was horrified to feel the tears rise up again. "I don't know."
Before she could say anything else, she ran out of his room, downstairs and back to her car. The keys were still in the ignition.
She turned the key and the car roared to life. Nancy put her foot down on the pedal as hard as she could and squealed away from Ned, away from Frank.
Just away.
--
The first thing Seth did was take Joe's cell phone out of his pocket. When he woke up, Joe's first thought would be to call the cops. So, yes. Taking his phone away was a good idea.
The second thing he did was carry the unconscious Joe quickly out of the motel. When he was sure no one was looking, he stashed the young Hardy in the trunk of his car, slammed the lid and drove away.
Just away.
--
Nancy knew she was speeding. She knew it was dark. She knew she was speeding, in the dark, with her vision blurred by tears.
She also knew this was not a good idea. But she didn't stop.
She drove down the road, not quite sure where she was, and finally broke down into sobs. But she didn't stop.
She didn't know how it happened. The road looked deserted. But then, suddenly, a small, silver car cut in front of her, going too quickly and too slow all at the same time. Nancy couldn't do anything. There wasn't enough time to hit the brakes.
Hopelessly, helplessly, she crashed into the trunk of the car in front of her.
Both cars stopped, the drivers jumping up and out. Nancy looked at the other driver. He looked at her. Then, before she could do anything, he ran. He ran up the road, around the corner and right into the woods.
Nancy tried to run after Seth, but a noise came from the battered trunk. Her heart nearly stopped.
Her car was still running, so she jumped back in and backed away from the abandoned car. When it was a fair amount away, she got back out and pried the trunk open.
Even more tears flooded her eyes. Her heart stopped. Her knees went weak.
Joe Hardy was in the trunk.
A/N: Hmm. I think this has been the quickest update in a while!
Yay me!!
Reviews?
