Here is the next chapter! A huge thanks to all that follow/favorited/reviewed! Here are a couple recurring reviewers I'd like to add a shout out to... Agent Striker, Stock Hardy, NancyAustin, EMB, Bhar, delishus, smithy, jarlcarriers, Albany, , raven678, lys, nancyfrank, Ealasaid Una, future animator, and anyone else who reviewed! (If I forgot you, just let me know, it's not on purpose) You are all awesome! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys. Unfortunately.

Don't forget to leave a review! :) (Also if you have suggestion for the title of this chapter, Adjusting was just the first thing that popped into my head, so if you have a wittier idea, please let me know)

Vanessa woke in the middle of the night to the sound of muted crying. Yawning, she slipped out of bed and quickly walked over to Ivan's bedroom. However, the little boy was fast asleep, and for a moment Vanessa was confused at where the noise could have come from. Then she remembered Nancy and her family, and continued down the hall to their bedrooms.

One of the bedrooms had the door wide open, and peeking in, Vanessa realized with a jolt that it was completely empty. Did Nancy leave?

Then she saw the glow of the bathroom light at the end of the hall, and Nancy pacing back and forth, holding Lizzy.

Vanessa touched to door lightly. At the noise, Nancy whirled around, blue eyes huge.

"Sorry Nancy, I didn't mean to startle you," Vanessa apologized. Nancy relaxed, and Vanessa noted that she looked exhausted, her eyes had dark circles beneath them, and her shoulders were drooping. Lizzy's face was tear-streaked, but had a sleepy quality to it.

"I'm sorry we woke you up," Nancy sighed.

"I'm used to it from Ivan," Vanessa said. "Nancy you look totally worn out. You need to get some rest," she said concernedly.

"I know. But Lizzy's been having a hard time sleeping since... since a night ago, and Nick and Zoe have nightmares pretty often. I guess it's just been taxing. And I've been having trouble getting to sleep because..." Nancy suddenly stopped, face flushing.

"Why?" Vanessa asked.

"I can't really lie on my back," Nancy confessed. Vanessa frowned. Nancy's hand unconsciously went to her face, finger tips brushing lightly against her split lip. Vanessa's expression instantly changed with understanding. With a bit of difficulty, Vanessa hid her anger at the man who had hurt Nancy, instead deciding to focus on how to help the woman.

"Here let me take Lizzy, and you can show me," Vanessa said briskly. Nancy hesitated. "Nancy, please, I might be able to help you be a little more comfortable. I'm a nurse, actually," Vanessa said gently. Nancy nodded and gave Lizzy to Vanessa. The sleepy toddler didn't protest at the switch. Nancy lifted up the back of her tank top, showing a collage of dark angry bruises on her thin form. Vanessa sucked in her breath, her eyes widening and her pulse rising a bit with anger. However she forced herself to sound calm.

"It might be hard to hold ice to them, especially since you'll be trying to go to sleep, so maybe you'd like an advil for the pain?" Vanessa suggested, rocking Lizzy slightly. Nancy nodded. Quickly Vanessa got the medicine from the cabinet.

"Good night, sweetie," Vanessa murmured to Lizzy as she handed the girl back to Nancy.

"Thanks Vanessa," Nancy smiled.

"Get some sleep," Vanessa ordered with a grin. "For a second I thought you'd left when I saw the empty bedroom," she commented.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that. The kids are used to us all sleeping in one bed," Nancy explained.

"Don't apologize so much," Vanessa smiled. "It's totally fine.

"Thanks Vanessa."

"Call me if you need anything. Good night!"

"Good night!"


Frank yawned widely, walking out of the guest room he was staying in. He could hear the excited talking of children downstairs, and a wide smile spread across his face as he was reminded that Nancy was staying with them. He couldn't believe how early those kids got up. Nancy must be exhausted! Quickly he went down the stairs and into the kitchen. Nick and Zoe were both talking loudly at the table, laughing and making faces, while Ivan and Lizzy were both toddling around the floor, chasing each other in a sort of timid version of tag.

Nancy and Vanessa were chatting at the sink, doing dishes together. They turned and smiled at him as he walked in. Lizzy clung to Nancy's leg, looking at Frank suspiciously.

"Frank! Look!" Nick scrunched his face up in a funny face. Frank laughed and pulled out a chair next to him.

"Got any plans for the day?" he asked.

"We're going to go shopping," Nick told him. "Right Mommy?"

"For clothes," Nancy smiled. "Frank, you can come help us carry our bags."

There was a mischievous glint in her eye that reminded him of Nancy when she was a teenager. He watched her walk across the kitchen, noting that her movements were so much more relaxed than she had been the night before, and her face was flushed with happiness. She met his gaze, and he felt himself redden a little bit. Really, Frank? Stop acting like a high school boy. You're in your thirties, for goodness sake!

"Hmm, I wonder if I should get Ivan a new jacket? It still fits, but at the rate he's growing, I'm not sure if it'll last the winter," Vanessa mused. Nancy pulled her aside.

"Vanessa, I just wanted to let you know that I'll pay you back," Nancy promised. "Once I get my feet on the ground, I'll repay you for everything." She wasn't about to take charity.

"Nancy, we're not worried about money," Vanessa said carefully. "So you can repay Joe and I, but please don't worry too much about it. We're happy to wait."

Nancy smiled and relaxed. She was grateful that Vanessa hadn't insisted that she didn't need to pay for anything. Although she knew that Vanessa and Joe would be happy to pay for everything, she knew that for herself, she needed to pay it back. Maybe it was her stubborn sense of pride, or the fact she didn't want to be in debt to anybody, but Nancy knew that she would be happier if she planned on eventually paying things back.

"Except, Nancy, you don't need to pay us for staying in our house. Just consider that you're like family in our house. Same with the food. We aren't charging Frank, so you shouldn't pay either. And Frank probably eats as much as your whole family combined."

"Alright," Nancy had to admit that made sense. She laughed at Vanessa's comment about Frank's appetite, and felt a rush of warmth when Vanessa laughed with her.

"I swear, these Hardy boys..." Vanessa shook her blond head, grey eyes sparkling.

"Shall we go torture them with shopping?" Nancy asked, grinning. Vanessa took her arm.

"Absolutely."


"Look, Mommy! It's a doggy!" Zoe exclaimed excitedly, clinging to Vanessa's hand.

"I see! He's cute, isn't he?" Nancy shifted Lizzy in her arm. "Man, this place is packed!" she commented to Vanessa.

"I know," Vanessa nodded. "It's all the last minute Christmas shoppers."

"Are we going to do anything for Christmas?" Nick asked, his cheeks flushed from the cold.

"Yes, we're going to have a nice dinner, and stockings, and games, and presents," Joe smiled.

Nick and Zoe looked excitedly at Nancy, who smiled faintly.

Internally, Nancy was wondering what she was going to do with herself. She knew she wanted to get a job and an apartment for her family, but what job exactly did she want? She wanted something that could support a whole family, but she also wanted to be there for her kids when they needed her.

Mentally she made a note to talk with Frank about going back to River Heights to get her papers.

All I need is a high paying part time job...Nancy groaned silently. With only training in detective work, how was she going to get that? Instantly she shied away from the idea of returning to detective work, her thoughts going back to Ned.

"Nancy, maybe you should drop the case. You're working yourself too hard, with your father's death and all." Ned's handsome face was lined with concern.

"No. I need to figure it out. I'm so close..." She knew she was chasing after a broken dream, hoping that somehow if she solved the case, it would solve everything else. She knew she just wanted to distract herself and hide away from her father's death, but she couldn't give up the hope. She began crying, turning so that Ned wouldn't see. He saw anyways, wrapping her in a gentle hug.

"Nancy, please. I don't think it's helping you," he whispered.

"No, I can't. I just can't," Nancy choked.

She remembered the feeling of his arms around her, before he had to leave, had to slip away to his house, leave her forever.

The next morning, she found the ransom note.

"Nancy?"

A gentle touch on her arm brought her back to her surroundings. Frank was watching her worriedly.

"Sorry, zoned out," Nancy murmured, looking away, suddenly filled with sadness. Frank cautiously put an arm around her, and she found herself leaning against him a little bit, surprisingly okay with the physical contact. Frank was the only person she had really told about Ned's death. Even when she had gotten married to Tom, he had never asked about her past, sensing she didn't want to talk about it.

Maybe it was okay to lean on somebody once in awhile.


Frank felt as though he was floating as he watched Nancy and Vanessa disappear into a kids clothing store.

"Dude, you still like her," Joe commented, leaning back against the bench. Frank flushed.

"Just as a friend. She needs somebody for support right now."

"Frank, we both know you like her as more than a friend," Joe said seriously. Frank sighed, running a hand through his thick brown hair.

"Okay, even if I did like her like that there wouldn't be any point. She probably isn't ready for another relationship, and after Tom, I wouldn't blame her if she didn't ever want to be in another relationship again. I just need to be there as a friend for her."

Joe silently groaned, recognizing the familiar self sacrificing attitude that Frank was approaching. If Frank was convinced that he just had to be a friend for Nancy, then he wasn't going to budge.

"You don't know what's best for her," Joe pointed out. "Her relationship with Tom was over long ago, and for some reason she trusts you even though you'd think she wouldn't ever want a man near her children again."

"C'mon, Joe, think. She left Tom only yesterday. We can't seriously be talking about this."

"Okay, you have a point. But she knew the relationship was over for way longer than that. She seems to be moving on pretty quickly." Joe frowned. "And you should probably realize that you're starting to see her as more than a friend."

"Joe, just drop it. She's a friend, and I'm just helping her out."

Joe knew from the stubborn expression on Frank's face that the conversation was over. His brother could be as difficult as anything when he wanted to. And blind when it came to women.

They sat in silence for a moment.

Suddenly a tall dark haired man approached them, dressed in jeans and a slightly grubby sweatshirt.

"Excuse me, could I ask what your name is?" the man asked Frank, standing in front of him. "You look quite familiar."

"I'm Frank Hardy," Frank answered slowly, certain he had never seen the man before.

"Frank Hardy," the man repeated. "Oh, I'm sorry, I guess was thinking of someone else," the man apologized, his green eyes gleaming. Frank felt suddenly unsettled as he caught the flash of anger in the man's expression. The man turned abruptly and strode away on long legs.

"Weird," Joe shrugged it off, being used to seeing strange things. Frank, however, felt on edge from the encounter. Something was definitely wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Please review! Tell me what you think!

(who is that strange guy? will Frank admit he's more than a friend? will Nancy want more than a friend?) Find out soon!