Author's Note:

Thanks to everyone who left a review for the last chapter. It's rather ironic. I was thinking that this story was going to be rather short and it's turning into a longer one. Oh, and there is a mystery coming soon. I decided it was going to be a little bit bigger than I thought originally. You know how it is with me. The story changes as it comes. Anyway, this chapter is rather short and "sweet" than my usual though I feel it ended just perfectly. A couple of you remembered the permanent marker and flour incident that was mentioned in the epilogue of Twisted after reading what CJ did to Joe. CJ is really a stinker, isn't he? Just to give you heads up, the incident doesn't happen for a little while (after William is born) but I think you might be getting a one-shot of that coming out later on (once it's written of course). Plus, I also have not one but TWO stories that are coming after this one. I thought about it a little bit and a new story came to mind that takes place after Waiting in the Wings (another hint of what is to come). I'm really getting excited about these new stories so I am hoping that this one comes out as planned and a little bit quicker than it's been. I hope I'm not confusing anyone in this story and if I am, just pm me and we can chat! Well, enjoy the chapter and don't forget to leave your mark so that I know that you were here! Until next time, have a wonderful and blessed Independence Day. It is truly one of my favorite holidays where we honor those who fought and died for our freedom. Always remember that freedom isn't free. Thank you to those who have served or are serving or have family members who serve. God bless you all.

Chapter Ten

The rest of Frank and Nancy's visit in Bayport was filled with happiness and fun but it wasn't long before their time there was over. Two days after Christmas, Fenton, Laura, and Joe all took Frank and Nancy to the airport together. Vanessa had stayed home with CJ. Although they wanted to stay longer, the couple knew they needed to return to River Heights and their fledgling business. Just before Frank and Nancy went through security, they stopped to say their goodbyes.

"You two keep in touch more often," Fenton replied after getting a hug from Nancy. "Let us know if you need any help with anything."

"We will," she smiled. Nancy turned to Laura standing next to him. "Thank you…for everything."

"It was my pleasure, sweetheart," she smiled, giving Nancy a hug. She lowered her voice so only the young woman could hear what she said next. "You let us know when you're ready. No one else knows to my knowledge. You are going to be fine, sweetie."

When Nancy pulled away, she nodded and smiled again, trying hard to keep her emotions in check. She looked over at Frank and Joe, noticing that the two were speaking in low tones. Straining her ears, Nancy tried to hear what was being said but she could barely hear anything over the sounds of the airport. She did catch something but she shook it off as a trick of her hearing. Joe cleared his throat when he noticed Nancy watching them.

"You call me if you need anything," Joe replied, this time louder. It was not only directed at Frank but at Nancy as well.

"We will, Joe," Frank replied with a nod. "Let us know when CJ's first birthday party is and we'll do our best to be there."

"Absolutely," Nancy nodded, grinning. She looked to Frank and held her hand out. "Ready?"

Frank nodded then waved reluctantly to his family as he took her hand and followed Nancy to the security checkpoint. The Hardys watched the couple go through security with ease and waved again when the two turned toward them before disappearing around the corner toward their gate.

"I hate that they have to go," Laura said sadly. Fenton put his arm around his wife, drawing her closer to him. Joe remained silent beside them though he felt the same way.

"You know that they eventually had to get back," Fenton stated. "We at least got to see them for Christmas and maybe they'll come or at least call more often now that the office is up and running."

"Yeah, maybe," his wife muttered.

The threesome finally walked away long after Frank and Nancy had departed into the throng of travelers. Their thoughts were on the couple, each one of them praying that the two would remain strong together.

Frank and Nancy walked hand-in-hand toward their gate, neither of them speaking. She knew that he was down about leaving his family again but what Nancy didn't know was that Frank was glad to be returning to River Heights with her. He was grateful to her for the time he had with his family but he wanted to be with her and their new business even more. It wasn't until they were in their seats on the plane when one of them finally spoke.

"Nancy," Frank said softly, taking her hand. She looked into his eyes. "Thank you. This was the best Christmas I ever had."

"You're welcome, Frank," she replied, her voice breaking with emotion. Frank tenderly kissed her hand before leaning to kiss her on the lips. "I'm glad we went too. In more ways than one."

"I know it was hard, Nan," he said. "I miss him too. He…your father knew how much you meant to me long before I even realized it. I owe him so much. I just wish I could have said it to his face before…"

"He knows," Nancy said softly, interrupting him. She cleared her throat and wiped her face free of the tear that was trying to escape. "There are some things that I…I still wanted to tell him too. It's just unfair that he's not here anymore."

"I know."

"I need to talk to Hannah alone when she gets back," she replied. "Would you mind if…"

"If I left you alone?" Frank asked. He kissed her hand again. "Anything for you."

Nancy leaned her head on his shoulder as the plane taxied down the runway. She was happy to be going home and hoped that Hannah would accept her apology.

Several hours later, Frank and Nancy stepped through the back door of the house. It was empty and dark for Hannah was not set to return from her sister's house until the next day. Frank offered to take her suitcase upstairs but she declined, lifting the bag up the stairs in her own way. The two went their separate ways, each one heading toward their respective rooms to unpack.

Nancy put her suitcase on the bed, a movement that brought a small pain to her body due to the strain. She was weary from traveling and she knew she wasn't supposed to lift heavy objects or strain herself unnecessarily. Nancy laid down on her bed, ignoring the suitcase and the inevitable laundry that was to come. Her thoughts moved to the life growing within her. She wanted to keep it safe, no matter what.

It felt like she had only closed her eyes for a split second before she felt a gentle hand caressing her cheek. Nancy slowly opened her eyes to see Frank sitting next to her on the bed, his face full of concern. The room was considerably darker than when she fell asleep and he had turned on the light to see.

"What time is it?" she said groggily, rubbing her eyes. She stretched though it didn't make her feel any better.

"It's 6:30, Nan," he answered, his tone comforting. He rubbed his hand on her cheek again. "I let you sleep for a few hours while I did a few things. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."

"You're starting to sound like Joe," Nancy laughed. She raised her body off the bed, still feeling exhausted though she slept for at least three hours. Nancy looked at the suitcase on her bed and silently cursed for not doing it earlier. She finally got off the bed and began unpacking once again. Frank stopped her before she got far.

"It can wait," he said, taking her hand. "I ordered takeout and it's getting cold. I'd like to talk to you while we eat."

Nancy took in a breath nervously. She didn't want to fight again and from what she could see in his eyes, Frank didn't want to either. "Talk to me about what?" she asked.

He silently led her downstairs to where the breakfast nook was already set for a nice meal. Plastic containers containing food were around the table while two candles were lit in the middle giving the room a romantic ambiance. Nancy's mouth dropped open slightly, a heavenly aroma hitting her nose.

"You went to Pianni's?" she asked, looking dreamily at Frank. Pianni's was her favorite restaurant just outside Mapleton.

"Yeah, I figured it would be a nice change," he shrugged. "Besides, I wanted it to be just…us."

Nancy hugged him. Frank felt proud of himself but he was worried as to how she was going to react when they finally talked. He pulled out the chair for her then took the bench on the other side. Dishing out the salad into bowls, Frank handed the first one to Nancy then served himself. The couple indulged themselves for a little while, smiling and giggling over the food, reminiscing previous events and cases they had together.

"What was it that you wanted to talk about, Frank?" Nancy finally asked once she dug into the main course of her chicken alfredo. He nervously wiped his face with a napkin then looked at her. Nancy looked nervous once more, fearing the worst was about to come out of Frank's mouth.

"I…I'm worried about you, Nan," he said at last. She gave him a quizzical look then she laughed, returning to her meal.

"You're worried about me?" she asked after taking a bite of noodles. "Why? I'm fine. We already talked about everything that we needed to talk about."

"I understand that," Frank stated. He looked down at his plate. "That's not what I'm talking about."

"Okay." She continued eating, waiting for him to explain.

"I…I just want you to be careful, that's all," he said, fidgeting with the food on his plate. "We have some new possible cases and one of them could be a little dangerous. I…I don't know what I would do if anything were to happen to you or our baby."

Nancy stopped and leaned back in her chair. She eyed him though he looked right back at her. "Are you…are you benching me?" she asked after the brief pause.

"Not exactly."

"I mean we haven't taken on any dangerous cases yet, Frank," Nancy stated, folding her arms across her chest. "And we don't really have to, if you think about it. Besides, you know me. I'm not stupid."

"And I'm not saying that you are," he quickly replied. He was trying to keep his emotions down though he could feel the tension rising in her. "It's not you, per se, that I'm worried about. It's…I don't know."

Nancy tilted her head. She knew what he was trying to say. She thought of it herself moments before she fell asleep. Sighing, Nancy returned to her meal without another word. Frank sat across from her, anxiously waiting for her answer. He was nervous that he might have overstepped the bounds but he wanted to make sure she remained safe and didn't run into any trouble. The couple finished their meal in silence, cleaning up the plates and takeout trash before leaving the kitchen.

She was done before Frank and went into the den, plopping down on an overstuffed chair. Looking out the window, Nancy remained silent, her mind going through her thoughts slowly. Frank came in and sat on the couch, watching her. The room was quiet with only the ticking of the grandfather clock in the foyer. Soon the tell-tale chimes of nine o'clock rang through the house.

Finally, Nancy looked over at Frank, noticing that he was staring at the floor. She got down on the floor and crawled over, stopping just in front of him. Taking his head in her hands, Nancy made Frank look her in the eyes. What he saw wasn't what he expected. Nancy's bright blue eyes were tender and kind as opposed to the anger he suspected she'd give him. Frank calmed as he felt the tension dissolve between them.

"I will take it easy," she said, breaking the silence. Nancy smiled. "I may not like it but it will just have to be until our baby is born."

"Do you really want this baby?" he asked softly. He remembered their conversation in Bayport. They were both scared.

"If it means being with you and knowing that you have my back," she replied, "then absolutely. I wouldn't change it for the world. I love you, Frank."

"That makes two of us," he smiled.

Nancy leaned in and kissed him. Frank pulled her close, his hands resting on the small of her back. The kiss soon became more urgent and passionate. Without stopping, Nancy moved, straddling him on the couch, his hands rubbing her back. The heat rose between them as did the passion. Frank's kisses moved to Nancy's neck, her eyes closing in ecstasy. Neither one of them wanted to stop nor did they care. The two were just happy to finally be alone after the emotionally draining holiday.

A few hours later, the two were entwined in bed. Nancy's breathing was deep as she lay on his shoulder. Frank could feel her heart slowly beating, a sign that she was fast asleep. He listened to her breathing, thinking about what the future held for them. Now that the holidays were over, Frank knew the business would start back up again. He already knew of several potential clients who called while they were away, leaving messages on their office voicemail.

While Nancy was resting earlier, Frank listened to each one, making notes when he could. One in particular worried him slightly. A repeat client only this time she sounded frantic. He thought about the phone call he made to Mrs. Stein, hoping that it wasn't her cat again. Her grandson disappeared Christmas Eve and she was worried sick. She had already phoned the police but they could not help her right away. All they could do was put out a BOLO on him until they could help. The kid wasn't the only one to have gone missing recently and the police were worried that something deeper was going on. Frank made a mental note to contact Detective Hawkins at RHPD the next morning to see what was going on. It was the type of case that had Frank worried and not just for the missing person and their family but also for him and Nancy.

Frank heard Nancy sighed in her sleep, bringing him back to the present. She snuggled deeper into him. Even in the dim light, Frank could make out a small smile on her face. Though his mind was still reeling through everything, Frank closed his eyes, pulling Nancy closer to him. The next day would be a busy on with the phone calls to make and Hannah returning home. The new year was four days away and Frank was trying his best to think optimistically as he finally fell into a deep slumber.