Okay, this is it! This is my LAST chapter for Baby Boomers. Thanks to all my reviewers for their tips, and enjoy!

Chapter 21- Lark

Nancy jumped up from the couch and raced towards the door. Bess, who had just put the babies back to bed, came racing down the stairs. "What is it, Nancy?" she questioned, pulling on her coat and shoes. "I know where Lark is!" Nancy waited for a brief moment for her friend, and then they both raced out the door.

Once in the car, Nancy explained everything to Bess. "The note said, Look for Lark in the building where the law rulesI know where that is! And do you know who has Lark?" Nancy waited, breathless, as Bess tried to guess. "No, who?"

"Antoine. Antoine has Lark. I guess George found it in her to trust people she didn't before." Bess was astonished. "But how did you guess?" Nancy pulled out the postcard. "This-" she showed Bess the painting on the card. There was a little signature which Bess could barely make out. "Antoine Ramirez." She spelled out, looking at Nancy. "That was one of Antoine's paintings. That's how George and Antoine met. I figured out that Antoine must be keeping her somewhere near the county building, since he is about to be taken back to Italy soon."

Nancy kept her hands on the wheel, and went as fast as the little car would take her. Only ten minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot. She had a key to the huge building, since she did so much work for the policemen. Bess and Nancy hurried to the front office. It was past midnight, and all of the windows were dark. Except for one. On the very top floor, a dim light could be seen flickering through the night. Nancy looked at Bess, and she nodded. Her baby was in that room. Hurrying, the two friends ran to the elevators. Nancy got inside first, and pressed the highest level button, the 31st floor, and waited anxiously as they ascended.

After a minute or so, the elevator stopped. "Oh, are we here?" asked Bess. Nancy's face went ashen. "No, Bess. The- the elevator is-stuck." The elevator was indeed stuck, and of all places to be stuck, right between the 12th and the 13th floor. "Now what, Nancy?" questioned Bess. "There's nobody else here right now." Nancy was anxiously scanning the elevator. Suddenly, she spotted an escape. The little hatch in the top of the elevator. "Boost me up." said Nancy, and Bess hooked her hands together so that her friend could climb up. Without a problem, the door to the top of the elevator swung open easily, and Nancy pushed her way up.

Bess waited as Nancy carefully made sure that she could support herself, and reached down to pull up her friend. After that, the two girls stood on the top of the huge metal elevator, and looked around. "I think our best bet is to either try jumping down or climbing back up." said Nancy after a moment. Bess groaned and rubbed her arms. "Oh, I think I could possibly go for the jumping idea. But maybe the climbing idea is safer." Nancy agreed, but the two couldn't make a decision, since both seemed logical, and they were stuck halfway between the two floors. Something suddenly caught Bess's eye. "Nancy, look! Little rungs!" Nancy smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. The ladder-like rungs led down to the twelfth floor. "Well, that's our answer!" said Nancy, and followed Bess down.

Once they had made it safely on solid ground once more, they surveyed the hallway. "I wonder why the elevator just stopped." wondered Nancy, and Bess nodded. "Maybe it was just a fluke." she said. "I mean, we haven't exactly had the best of luck these days." Nancy kept wondering that as they made their way to the stairs.

Nineteen floors later, a panting Nancy and Bess emerged from the stairwell. "Geez!" sighed Bess, still trying to catch her breath. Nancy laughed, and now they both had to be on alert.

"What direction from outside was the room with the light?" asked Bess. "Well, we were facing west, so the room was facing east. And right now," Nancy looked around. "We are facing north." So they made an about face and headed in the right direction. Down the long hallways they walked, past offices with gloomy features. Then, Nancy spotted a light up ahead. "We're here." she whispered, and the silent pair tiptoed off to the door of the office.

Once they reached it, Nancy turned and put a finger to her lips. Bess nodded, and the two began to walk through the doorway, their senses on full alert. Nancy led the way to the back of the office. She could hear voices. As they approached the voices, Nancy could hear what seemed to be a baby gurgling. Excited, she hurried. Then, she saw her. Lark. Her baby Lark. Was laying in a little makeshift bassinet. Nancy ran towards her daughter. Antoine looked on, silently. And as soon as the two girls had their attention on the returned infant, he quietly slipped out of the room.

The police returned to the Druid Manor the next morning. Burt was arrested on charges of kidnapping, assault, and stealing. George was let free and ran to Nancy as soon as she saw her. "Nancy," she cried, "I didn't mean to hurt you. I had no choice." she stuttered, and waited as her former friend stared at her. "George, even though you hurt me, more than I can say, I am just relieved that you didn't do it willingly, and that you may have saved my baby girl." Nancy handed Lark to George and hugged her tightly. George held on for what seemed like days. When they finally parted, Lark started to cry. Nancy, George, Ned, Bess and Robert all laughed. And from a distance, watching silently, Antoine laughed too.

THE END!!!

How did you like it??? I enjoyed very much writing this story, and am thrilled to see the reviews and ideas I recieved. Should I keep writing Nancy Drew stories??? What shall I write about next? Even though the story is over, the reviews can keep coming!

-Miss Authoress 13