"Joe!" Frank shouted in alarm as he spotted his brother and in an instant he had reached his side "What happened?" he asked as he rolled Joe over.

"T-that man h-hit him." Bess stammered.

Frank spotted the man ahead and took off after him.

Nancy sent Bess an encouraging smile then ran after Frank. She looked down in the snow and noticed that they were the same prints from before.

The man glanced back at them and put on a tremendous burst of speed to a motorcycle that was waiting.

Frank made a flying leap for him just as the guy shot the motorcycle up the road.

Nancy gasped as Frank crashed to the ground "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He groaned as he pushed himself to his feet then he smiled "And... I've got a clue." he held up a sparkling gold watch "I think someone's going to be missing this."

Nancy nodded "Good work, Agent Hardy. I believe Sherlock Holmes would be impressed."

Frank chuckled "But I think he would recommend running away from the Hounds of Baskerville instead of chasing them."

Nancy simply laughed "Come on. Let's go make sure Joe's okay."

Frank immediately became serious again and hurried back to where his brother was laying, handing Nancy the watch to stick in her purse as they did.

Nancy could see the fear etched on his features and he checked the younger Hardy's head.

There had been only a few times when she had seen Frank lose his cool, and it had mainly been when something happened to his little brother.

He treasured family. Maybe that was one of the things she loved about him.

Nancy shook her head. Liked. It was one of the things she liked about him.

"He'll be okay." Frank said with relief "He'll just have a nice knot on the back of his head and probably a headache."

Joe started to groan and shift on the ground "What happened?" he moaned "My head hurts! I want a burger."

Nancy stifled a laugh as Frank rolled his eyes.

Joe suddenly sat straight up "Where's Bess?"

"I'm right here." Bess said softly, then she hugged him "You scared me to death!"

"Well, imagine the nightmare I was having while I was out cold! I thought maybe he had kidnapped you or something!"

Frank stepped away from his brother, a peculiar look on his face. Joe was seriously acting like him and Bess weren't just another relationship.

Several minutes passed before Joe got to his feet "Ow." he rubbed the back of his head "That hurts."

"I can bet." Frank patted his brother's back "Come on. Let's get you back to the hotel."

Nancy stood where she was and watched as the two Hardy's walked away.

"Nancy?" Bess asked "What's wrong?"

Nancy cocked her head slightly "Something... is bothering Frank. It wasn't before, but now it is."

"Don't think about it." Bess said "Let's just get back. This night New York air is starting to scare me."

Nancy nodded absently then followed.

"Frank?" Joe whispered "What's up?"

"What do you mean?" Frank asked, hitting the up button on the elevator.

Joe glanced back at the girls.

"We're taking the stairs." Nancy waved at them.

"What!?" Bess gasped "The stairs!?"

But Nancy simply pulled her through the door.

"Okay." Joe said as he and his brother stepped into the elevator "What's up? Something's bugging you."

Frank didn't so much as glance at him "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do!" Joe huffed "You're mad at yourself. Why?"

"I'm just thinkng about the case. That's all." Frank answered, stepping out onto their floor.

"Or are you thinking about your relationship with Nancy Drew?"

Frank spun around to face his brother "There is no 'relationship' between me and Nancy, Joe!"

The younger Hardy stopped short. Frank had never sounded so sure before... or mad.

Frank rurned around and walked to their room.

Joe frowned "Oh! My head! Frank! Drag me to the room!"

But Frank simply closed the door.

Joe sighed "What did I miss?" then his eyes widened "Hey! He's got the only key!"

Frank plopped down in one of the chairs, paying no attention to Joe's banging on the door.

"You've got to keep your mind off Nancy." he told himself "You're getting too involved! To the point that you don't see a guy about to slug your brother!" he shook his head in disgust "From this moment on, Nancy is just a friend and investigating partner. Nothing more."

"Hey Frank!" Joe called "You're not eating my Doritos are you?"

Nancy was absently climbing the stairs, her mind on other places... other people.

"Hey... Nan!" Bess huffed "Can we take the elevator now?"

"We're at the sixth floor." Nancy answered "We've only got six to go."

"Easy for you to say!" Bess groaned "You're not on a diet!"

Nancy smiled and shook her head "Neither are you."

"Ouch." Bess ran a few steps up "So... what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Then what's with Frank?"

"I think he's mad because he didn't see the guy about to beam Joe." Nancy leaned against the wall "He was... distracted."

"Aw!" Bess squealed "That is so sweet!"

"Bess..."

"I knew you and Frank would figure everything out!"

Nancy's eyebrows furrowed "What?"

"I mean, hello! M.F.E.O!"

"Bess, we'e not..." Nancy froze "M.F.E.O?"

"Made For Each Other!" Bess answered "So tell me everything!"

"There's going to be a strictly investigating relationship."

"What!"

"There can't be anything between me and Frank Hardy, Bess." Nancy shook her head "It's too dangerous while we're in the middle of a case."

"And after the case?"

"We'll part ways til next time."

Bess's mouth dropped open "Nancy Amelia Drew! You have to be the most stubborn girl I've ever met! Why won't you just go for it? What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid of ruining it!" Nancy blurted it out before she could stop herself.

Bess softened "Ruining it? What are you talking about?"

"Look what happened with Ned." Nancy whispered "Because of me we broke up. We had a big fight and now... we're not even talking."

"Because of you?"

"I couldn't or wouldn't make time for him. " Nancy rubbed her forehead "I broke that relationship into bits, Bess." she dropped her hand and looked over at her friend "If I did that with Frank... I'd never be able to forgive myself."

Bess nodded in understanding "Oh, Nan. I'm so sorry! I should have know! You know... the Ned thing."

Nancy smiled slightly "Thanks, Bess." she froze suddenly as a very light sound came from below "Bess." she mouthed "Go up the stairs... now. And don't look back."

Bess's face went pale but she started up the stairs as instructed.

Nancy waited til she was ten steps ahead of her before she started up.

The sound was still coming closer.

"Bess!" Nancy shouted "Run!"

A scream erupted from Bess's lips as she tore up the stairs.

Nancy went to follow but someone clamped a firm hand over her mouth and grabbed her arm behind her back.

"Alright, Drew." a voice sneered "You're going to listen to me right now." his arm moved to around her neck "You and your friends have stuck your noses in too far." his arm around her neck tightened. making breathing a challenge "Stop investigating before someone gets hurt. Really hurt. Not like that little knot the boy got on his head earlier."

Nancy held her breath. The room was starting to swim around her and her knees were starting to so weak.

"Don't make me warn you again." once again his arm tightened "Because your next warning may be a friend of yours out like light."

Slowly, everything faded into a thick black fog and Nancy collapsed to the stairs.

(Okay... if anyone remembers Joe mentioning that Chet is going to show, he's not. There's really not a way for him to enter the story. Sorry folkz! But he will be in the next story. I promise! Laterz!)