Love & Lies on Campus

Summary: When someone begins threatening the daughter of a prominent lawyer, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys go undercover as law students to solve the case. Takes place several months after Nightmares and Dreamscapes.

Disclaimer: Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys are not mine. But I love them as though they were my own.

A/N: Hi guys! Happy New Year! A perfect night sky filled with breathtaking fireworks for Really Cinderella, hardydrew, intriguedndhb, Me, Li'l Albatross, KennaC, Emeralds and Rubies, PrincessSkywalkerOrgana, EstellaB, Vee22, Silver Ash, Prismatic Iris, Katharine James and Silver Scorpion for the reviews. Thanks so much for continuing to stay aboard this ride!

Chapter 10

The group arrived at Club Viviamo in Parker's van later than expected since Joe had to swing by Carly's dorm building to tell her they were pushing through with their plans.

"Clubbing on a school night," Joe said in satisfaction as they found a table near the dance floor, where several couples were enthusiastically gyrating to the fast beat under pulsating strobe lights. He had to raise his voice over the loud music. "Now this is more like my idea of college!"

Nancy hesitated. All the seats at the table were taken and the only one left was the one beside Frank. As if sensing her uneasiness, Frank looked over at her and smiled. "Don't worry Nancy, I won't bite."

What if I want you to? she thought recklessly, then blushed as she sat down beside him. Frank couldn't help but steal another glance at her again. She was wearing a short V-neck navy blue dress that showed off her long toned legs and accentuated her sparkling blue eyes. She's so beautiful, Frank unconsciously thought for the umpteenth time, then forced himself to look away, his jaw clenching. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Joe looking at him with a knowing grin.

The group ordered their drinks and Nancy was beginning to wish she hadn't sat next to Frank. She could feel a palpable current of electricity between them and given the awkward state of their friendship, she wondered if it was negative energy or something else that was buzzing between them.

Nancy was almost relieved when Parker leaned over to ask her if she wanted to dance. As she smiled her acceptance and they got up from the table, she could feel Frank's eyes following them all the way across the dance floor.

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"Is everything all right?"

Nancy snapped out of her thoughts and blinked at Parker, who was holding her close to the slow beat of the latest song. "I'm sorry?"

Parker gave her a lopsided grin. "You look like you're a million miles away. Are you thinking about your boyfriend?"

Nancy smiled weakly at the mention of Ned. She had tried calling him several times after he had stormed off that night but he refused to speak to her. The only contact she received from him was a curt text message that said, Can't talk. Busy.

"So have you decided yet?" Parker continued when she remained silent.

"No, I haven't," Nancy said softly, her gaze drifting over Parker's shoulder to Frank and Gillian, who were wrapped in each other's arms a few yards away, swaying to the music. From an observer's standpoint, they looked like any other couple on the dance floor. Nancy bit her lip and tried to tamp down the familiar pang of jealousy.

Across the dance floor, Gillian tightened her arms around Frank's neck and rested her head on his chest. "This is nice," she sighed.

Frank saw Carly watching them from their table and he wound his arms around her waist. "How are you holding up Gillian?" he asked. "I thought you'd rather take a rest after what happened today."

"I can't bear the thought of being locked up in my dorm room waiting for another threat," Gillian told him with a shudder.

"Did you call your father?"

A sad look came over her face. "I tried to reach him, but his assistant said he was tied up in an urgent meeting with one of the firm's biggest clients."

"I'm sorry, Gillian." Frank meant it.

She shrugged. "It's okay." She smiled up at him. "I'd much rather be here with you anyway."

Frank returned her smile and stepped back as the song ended. "C'mon, let's head back to the table. I think I see our drinks." Carly was alone when they got back, the drinks clustered in the middle of the table. "Hey Carly," Frank greeted. "Where's Joe?" Beside them, Gillian turned to the table and reached for one of the two Long Island Teas.

"Oh, he just went to the bathroom," Carly replied, taking a sip of her Blue Crush. Just then, Joe walked up to them and held out his hand to Carly. "May I have this dance, milady?" he asked smoothly, making Carly giggle and his brother roll his eyes. "I'd love to, Joe."

A moment later, Nancy and Parker returned to the table. Parker picked up one of the beers and took a long thirsty swig. "Whew, I didn't know Nancy was such a great dancer," he grinned.

Frank met her eyes. "Care to teach me some moves, Nancy?" he asked lightly, offering his arm.

Nancy had to laugh, the sound breaking the awkwardness between them as she took his arm and they joined Carly and Joe on the dance floor. "As if Joe hasn't taught you enough moves over the years," she teased him.

Frank shrugged. "I'm not really a big fan of my little brother's so-called 'moves'." He spun her around before pulling her close. "How am I doing?" He smiled down at her. Nancy caught her breath as she gazed up into his twinkling brown eyes. "You're doing just fine, Frank," she murmured, unable to look away.

"Better than Parker?" Frank asked with a slight smile playing on his lips, his eyes dark.

"No contest," Nancy said seriously.

They stared at each other, swaying absentmindedly to the music. Frank's gaze dropped to her lips and a wave of longing washed over him. Feeling her warm, slender body pressed up against him and the scent of her vanilla perfume filling his senses was threatening to break down the wall he put up between them for both their sakes.

There it was again—that strange, wonderful magnetic pull that effortlessly, inevitably drew them together. Sometimes Frank believed it was a force of nature, like how tides were affected by the gravitational pull of the full moon. How the water felt more restless, more alive.

A few years ago on one of their family vacations, he went night swimming in a lake during a full moon. Frank had swam along the moon's path, and whichever way he turned, the bright path on the surface stayed right in front of him. He tried to escape the trail of light, but it kept reaching out to touch him. Nancy had a similar effect on him, only he wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about that.

"Nancy," he whispered huskily.

Nancy suddenly stepped back self-consciously, her eyes sweeping across the room. "We can't do this, Frank," she said in a low tone. "Excuse me." She turned and headed for the restrooms at the other end of the club, weaving her way through other couples on the dance floor.

Frank watched her go, a muscle clenching in his jaw. So much for honorable intentions, he thought in self-disgust. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Gillian and Parker deep in conversation back at the table. He didn't think they saw the brief display.

Let it go. Go join the others before you do something stupid, he urged himself wisely.

He found himself following Nancy instead.

Frank was rounding the dark corner to where the restrooms were located when he bumped right into the object of his thoughts, who had just stepped out of the ladies room.

"Oof!" Nancy said in surprise, slightly stumbling in her heels, and Frank automatically grasped her upper arms to steady her. "Sorry, Nan."

Nancy pushed aside some loose strands from her eyes. "It's okay Frank, I wasn't looking where I was going."

"No, not about this," Frank exhaled. "For what just happened out there. I was overstepping my bounds. I'm sorry." He ran a hand through his thick brown hair in frustration.

Nancy stared at him. The only reason she stepped back was because she was worried that the others might see them, when Frank was supposed to be Gillian's boyfriend. It still hurt like hell that Frank regretted what he said to her during their last case, but when she was in his arms earlier, she could have sworn she saw something unguarded in his warm brown eyes that was the opposite of regret.

Now here he was, apologizing. He was confusing as hell.

"What do you want, Frank?" she asked him softly.

Surprised, Frank looked at her and saw she was serious. You, he was sorely tempted to say. "It doesn't matter what I want."

"Yes it does." Nancy took a step closer to him in the dark. "What do you want?" she repeated.

"I want you to be happy," Frank whispered, a resigned expression coming over his features as though he had repeated the statement a hundred times before.

Without another word, Nancy put her hands on his shoulders, rose up on tiptoe, and kissed him.

For a few seconds, Frank was too surprised to kiss her back. When Nancy started to pull back uncertainly, thinking he didn't want her, Frank suddenly swooped down to recapture her lips in a passionate kiss. He wrapped an arm tightly around her waist to pull her even closer, his other hand tunneling through her silky strawberry blond strands. He turned and braced her against the wall, deepening the kiss as his normally rigid sense of control began to slip. He groaned. She felt amazing. He had missed this.

Nancy felt as though she was going up in flame, the nerve endings in her entire body sparking and igniting. Ned, the case, the club disappeared off the face of the earth until only Frank and she remained. She ran her hands through his thick brown hair like she had wanted to do last week, that day she first saw him. "Frank…" The sensation of his strong arms holding her tightly and every inch of his firm, muscled body pressed up against her was beginning to overwhelm her. She was starting to feel lightheaded.

At the sound of his name, Frank broke off the kiss abruptly, breathing hard. He was jolted back to his senses, crashing down to reality. He took a step back and stared at Nancy. Her mouth was pink and swollen from his kisses, her hair disheveled and her cheeks flushed pink. "Nancy, I'm so sorry. I had no right…"

"What?" Nancy said dazedly, leaning back on the wall for support.

"Look, we haven't done anything we can't take back right?" Frank said painfully, not looking at Nancy. For God's sake, she's getting married to another man and I kissed her. He was furious at himself.

His words hit her soundly like a slap. Nancy felt the familiar burn of tears. "Why are you doing this, Frank?"

Frank noticed her unnaturally bright eyes and thought a solid punch to the solar plexus would have been kinder. "Nancy…"

Nancy ignored him and pushed past him into the ladies room, the door swinging shut behind her. Frank stared up at the ceiling, breathing deeply. His head was spinning. Maybe I should've let Joe teach me some of his moves after all, he thought with a twinge of regret.

Sometime later when he felt he had adequately regained his composure, he went back out to the table. Joe and Carly had returned and the four of them were laughing at something Joe said. Frank sank down in his chair and took a long pull of his lukewarm beer, grimacing slightly at the taste. He felt Gillian giving him a questioning glance beside him but pretended not to see.

A minute later Nancy walked back to the table and took her seat beside Frank. He stole a quick look at her and apart from her mouth, which was set in a firm, straight line, she looked like herself again. He heard Parker ask Nancy if she wanted to dance again, to which she mumbled, "No thanks, maybe later."

"So how do you find Stanton Pike so far guys?" Carly asked them brightly, blissfully unaware of the tension between Frank and Nancy. When neither of them answered, Joe spoke up quickly, "It's great, we really like it here."

This is going to be a long night, Nancy thought. She could already feel a headache starting to throb squarely between her eyes. Sighing unhappily, she reached for her Long Island Tea from the center of the table and took a long sip. A minute later she started to feel dizzy, and the room started to spin. Whoa. How much alcohol content is in…

Before Nancy could finish her thought, she slumped to the floor and everything went black.

A/N: I thought that we should start off the new year with a steamy kiss between Frank & Nancy (that hopefully made you guys think of fireworks. ;) What do you guys think? Thanks & have an awesome 2010!