The Beckoning Cage

01. The Beginning

*Please see author's note at the end*

"I'm so sorry, Ned," Nancy sighed, her right hand gripping her phone against her ear, her left hand supporting her head.

She heard Ned sigh over the phone. The disappointment that filled it passed through her ear and lodged in her heart.

"It's okay, Nancy," he finally replied, trying to keep his tone light-hearted, but failing miserably.

"No, it's not," she closed her eyes.

"I'm sure you won't be gone long, right? We can celebrate when you get back. Where are you going?"

"New York," Nancy said, hesitantly. "I don't really know the details just yet. It doesn't sound very dangerous."

"Well...at least it doesn't sound very dangerous," Ned echoed before he went silent.

"Ned..."

"Call me when you get home, Nancy."

"But-"

"I love you. Bye."

There was a click on the other end and she pulled the phone from her ear to find herself no longer looking at Ned's contact information, but at her phone's wallpaper. She found herself, thinking sourly, that Ned's wallpaper was a picture of her and him on a date. Unlike hers. She sighed for what had been the hundredth time before placing her phone on her desk before placing her head in both hands.

She'd forgotten their anniversary again. She'd ruined plans again. Because she was on a case again.

And just like every time she did this, Ned said that it was alright. And just like every time she did this, she knew that it was not alright; even if Ned tried to play it off like it was alright.

The first time she'd forgotten, when she was in Germany, they'd almost broken up. And could Nancy really blame him? But they'd worked it out. But it seemed, to Ned at least, despite the amount of times this conversation played out, he wouldn't risk a replay of Germany. Because he seemed to know that if Nancy had to choose between him and his cases, that he didn't stand a chance.

Nancy wanted to hate herself for it. That she put these cases above her boyfriend of several years. That she was always ready (and waiting), to be whisked off on an adventure, away from here, and away from that doting boyfriend of hers.

It really was awful, wasn't it? There was nothing inherently wrong with River Heights. She loved it here. Loved her house, filled with memories. Loved her friends and the ice cream shop where they would roll their eyes about gossip, or "ooo" and "aaah" over her cases, and giggle about boy drama. She loved her dad, who lived and worked here. And Hannah, her mother figure of so many years. And Ned.

But yet, her mind still yearned for the places she wanted to see. Reminisced over the places she'd gone and would someday love to return to. Anticipated over the mysteries that seemed to only happen beyond this small town and its peaceful residents.

Sometimes she wished Ned wouldn't be so understanding about it all. And honestly, he wasn't actually understanding of it. He didn't understand her need for adventure and to investigate and to solve. He merely accepted it. Accepted that he didn't understand her or her world. And so, she could never be mad at him, only at herself.

Nancy got to her feet, wandering to the wall to her left, to the shelves that lined it. Upon those wooden shelves sat mementos from all of her cases. Each item had a story to tell and brought emotions rushing back to her. And it was those emotions, partially, that was an addiction for her. But she supposed, every aspect was addicting for her.

The thrill of the case. The unknown, waiting to be known. How could she possibly attempt to describe the feeling that came with solving a case? It was a high, she imagined. She loved the places she saw, the people she met, the excitement of deduction with each new clue; she even loved the adrenaline that accompanied the danger. She loved her work, but she felt guilty for doing so.

She constantly felt as though she lived in two worlds. Part of her was Nancy Drew, detective, who solved the unsolvable and put her life in harm's way, more often than not, for complete strangers. She was fearless (not literally), resourceful and successful. And part of her was Nancy Drew, the girl with the straight smile and the supportive friends and the successful, caring father and the picture-perfect boyfriend.

Nancy frowned. She hated that feeling; of being two different people. She hadn't always been that way. She used to be Nancy Drew, the girl with wonderful friends, family and boyfriend who was an amateur detective in her spare time. But as she grew older and her name well-known, the cases became more and more frequent. And of course, Nancy became less and less of an amateur.

At first, the transition was seamless; because she could be the same person in either situation, whether she was running for her life, or eating ice cream with her friends. Every little aspect of life was different in the eyes of Nancy Drew and she saw a mystery in most everything. While she ate ice cream with her friends and boyfriend, she could deduce that "weird" thing Bess saw earlier, or feel like a regular Sherlock Holmes as she recognized a decoration and recounted its native origin. She could recount her cases, especially the ones they'd been involved with, whether being there themselves, or giving her a different spin on a case over the phone.

But one thing that is always certain, is that things change in life. As she became more and more sought after for cases, her friends experienced things on the Homefront that Nancy missed out on. Sometimes she would come home from a case to find George was dating someone new, that Bess had broken up with a guy she'd never heard of, that so and so had gotten married, or so and so died; and it was easy to feel a little disconnected from the people she loved.

And then there was Ned.

She sighed. Ned.

Two years her elder, Ned moved on to college once he'd graduated. He was following his father into business; insurance. With the exception of the time she spent on cases, Nancy and Ned still spent plenty of time together. Ned would make every effort to come home to escort her to dances or take Nancy on a date. It was usually only on weekends, however, as they were both busy with studies. More so Ned, as high school didn't really require much effort.

But then Nancy graduated and she found herself, as all graduates did, with an open calendar in which to mold her future. In her mind, it meant more cases, more time spent doing what she loved. But this hadn't seemed to sit well with Ned. For everyone else in her life, it was a natural progression for her to start taking on more cases, and many of which she could charge some kind of fee for. She wasn't entirely sure why Ned was so surprised about it. Did he think she would just move to college with him? To do what?

She did consider it once; after a particularly nasty fight with Ned about her constant absence. She thought about participating in a criminal justice program. Couldn't hurt right? But the thing was...she didn't need to. Nancy had already made a name for herself and no one, ever, asked for a degree when they hired her. So why waste the time and money?

"For me!" Ned had shouted at her.

But what about her? What about what she wanted?

But then she was the bad guy again. Because why didn't she want to be around him? Why didn't she want to see him more? Why didn't she want to work on their future together?

Nancy was used to questions; it was kind of her thing. But these questions she didn't seem to have a certain answer to, a phenomenon foreign to her.

She did want to see him. She did want to spend time with him. But she wanted to do other things too. Was it her fault that Ned couldn't go everywhere with her?

The amount of fights they got into might seem alarming, but it wasn't really; not completely. When they fought, they fought. But they never had any other spats. They were peas in a pod normally...lately.

They were peas in a pod while she was still in high school, and they were peas in a pod now. But there was a time when the future didn't seem very optimistic. During that transition of hers, things were always on edge. While normally Ned loved to hear her tales, any time she brought them up when they were together, he'd snap. She was always on a case, she was never here, couldn't she just enjoy her little time with him when she did see him? And so, the stories were told fewer and fewer until she never brought them up anymore.

This all made Ned look less than charming, she realized, but she understood. Ned loved her; a lot; he was sweet and thoughtful. And her? She was never here. She was always away, doing exciting work in exciting places. She'd forget their plans, special events, their anniversary. He felt like a footnote in her life. And he did try to understand, he really did. He tried to be fine with it. He wanted to be fine with it. But it was hard for him. Especially when she did this to him again and again and again.

Nancy closed her eyes against her warring feelings, taking in a deep breath through her nose. It was exhausting, honestly. Mysteries were never this complicated.

With this thought, Nancy moved across her room, pulling open her closet doors. Her eyes scanned the floor within, locating her worn suitcase and throwing it atop her bed. She began to sift through her closet for clothes, wondering if she'd need to wear anything nice on her new case.

Nancy was just finishing work on her scrapbook, adding her latest case to its pages, when her phone rang. She peeked over at the screen, and the contact picture made her smile, as it always did. She picked up the phone.

"Hello boys," she smiled into the phone.

Nancy used the term 'boys' out of force of habit. They'd deemed themselves 'The Hardy Boys' and so The Hardy Boys they remained, despite the fact they were boys no longer. The last time she'd seen them in person was two years ago, and they were men then.

Frank, one year older than her and Joe, was the taller of the two, though not by much. His brown hair was always kept, and his brown eyes, when not warm and welcoming, were calculating and shrewd. He had a leaner build but there was no mistaking that he kept himself fit. Wasn't there just something about muscles that weren't overly large but still acted as such?

Joe was the hardier of the pair. His shoulders were broad, like a linebacker. His blonde hair was always a mess, but the kind of mess that might make girls wonder if it was supposed to look messy. It wasn't, Joe was just lucky. His blue eyes were always alit with mischief, always giving people the impression he was younger than he was.

"Hey, Nance!" Joe's voice came through the phone.

"Hi, Nancy," Frank's voice was softer, but no less welcoming than his brother's.

"Don't tell me you guys are in trouble again."

"No; well, not yet anyway," Frank said.

Nancy could hear Joe's eyeroll. "Don't be such a worry wart, Frank. Everything's fine, Nance. We just received a mission, but it doesn't sound inherently dangerous."

"Doesn't matter if it doesn't sound dangerous, Joe. Somehow, they always turn out dangerous," Frank sighed.

Nancy chuckled. "It comes with the job. So, what's your non-dangerous mission?"

"We can't really talk about it over the phone," Frank replied.

'Ah, it's a mission from the Network,' Nancy thought.

The Network was a secret crime fighting organization that Frank and Joe often assisted. These missions typically were dangerous.

"I see," Nancy said in a tone that indicated she got the message.

"But," Joe started. "We were thinking we could talk to you about something if you fancy a trip to Bayport."

So, they wanted her on the mission. She wondered what was so important about the mission that the boys needed to enlist her help.

"Well, I haven't been to Bayport in a long time," Nancy smiled.

"Far too long," Frank agreed.

"I'm sure I can be there by tomorrow evening; if that's not too late."

"Sounds great, Nance!"

"I don't suppose your mom's lasagna will be for dinner tomorrow?" Nancy asked.

The boys laughed.

"Unfortunately, no," Frank said. "Mom and Dad are away on a trip at the moment."

"And I'm afraid Frank can't cook to save his life," Joe said.

"I cook better than you!"

Nancy laughed at the boys' squabble. "That's okay; I'm glad they're getting some time away. Is there a special occasion?"

"Their anniversary," Joe replied simply. "They had to postpone it a month but they're finally going."

Anniversary...

"Crap!" Nancy muttered to herself.

"Something wrong?" Joe's voice asked.

"Oh...uh...no!" Nancy replied quickly. "Look, I'll see you guys tomorrow night then, okay? I'd better get packing."

"See you soon!" Joe said excitedly.

"Have a safe trip, Nancy," came Frank's kind voice.

"Bye, boys."

And so, Nancy hung up and moved her scrap-booking materials out of the way to reveal the large calendar that sat upon the desktop. She looked to the weekend, a day after she'd arrive in Bayport and her heart sank when she saw the number in the middle of a heart she'd drawn.

How could she call Ned and tell him she forgot their anniversary again? That she'd accepted a case without a second thought to her boyfriend and the day that represented their many years together. She could just cancel; call Frank and Joe right back and say she'd had a scheduling conflict. She could simply call them and say it was their anniversary and the boys would immediately understand. After all, they'd put so much effort into Ned and Nancy's relationship the first time she did this.

But something stopped her. She looked at her phone, now sitting blank upon the desk, but she didn't even find herself picking it up. What kind of girlfriend was she?

Not a very good one, she sighed as she reached for the phone to call Ned. And now she was here, sifting through her clothes, contemplating her entire life. Another undeniable fact of life: sometimes, a few hours is all it takes to drastically change one's path.

Nancy was feeling rather pleased with herself. The Hardys weren't expecting her for another five hours, but Nancy had heard the airline employee confirm a cancellation on the flight before hers and Nancy was out of her seat in ten seconds to snatch the opportunity. She planned to surprise the boys with her early arrival.

As Nancy stepped out of the cab, she glanced up to the Hardy home. Every time she came here, it always looked the same as it did in her first memory of this place.

Fenton Hardy and Carson Drew were old friends. Detectives tended to need good lawyers and Fenton had set his sight on a newly licensed Carson when he'd read about a groundbreaking jury verdict in the paper. Fenton decided that if Carson could turn that case into child's play, his case was in the bag. He'd contacted Carson that day and the rest was history.

Nancy often wondered what it would have been like to grow up with the Hardy boys. In some ways, she had, as the Drews visited the Hardys every few years as they grew up. But she often wondered how life would have been if they'd lived even in the same state. She thought of all the mysteries they could have solved. "Or started," Carson Drew would joke.

Nancy had no distinct memory of meeting the boys. They'd simply always been there. A constant. Like her dad. Or Hannah's pancakes on Christmas morning. Or the fact that morning would always come, whether one wanted it to or not.

Despite their fathers' jokes, Nancy, Joe and Frank were together even when there wasn't a mystery to solve.

She was there when Joe learned he'd have to wear braces for 18 months. She was there the winter Frank got a nasty case of the flu and was told he couldn't travel with the family that year; Nancy had caught the first plane and nursed him through so he wouldn't be alone on Christmas. They were there when her mother passed. There when she cracked her first real 'big' case. There when she returned to Scotland, her head full of fuzzy memories, her heart full of grief and relief and needing some kind of direction.

Every fight between her and Ned. Every new girl that lasted with Joe for more than three months. Every case with the least desired outcome; she would sit on the stoop with Frank, who always took it hardest, her head on his shoulder, his hand in hers.

There had never been a world without the Hardy Boys, for Nancy. And there never would be such a world. No force of nature, or wrath of any god, would be able to change that fact. Even when they went weeks without talking, or years without seeing each other not through a computer screen, they'd always find their ways back to one another.

Nancy smiled as she tugged her luggage forward, making her way up the path to the porch. She climbed the worn steps and knocked on the door.

The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps gave Nancy a good idea of their owner before the door to the Hardy residence flew open.

"Nancy!" Joe beamed, flinging open the door so he could engulf her in a hug.

"Hi, Joe," Nancy chuckled, returning the hug the best she could with her arms nearly trapped against her sides.

"We weren't expecting you 'til later! Why didn't you call us to pick you up!?" Joe prattled as he let Nancy inside, grabbing her bags from her and setting them in the entryway.

"I wanted to surprise you, Mr. Detective," Nancy said, glancing around. "I was able to get on an earlier flight. Where's Frank?"

"On a run," Joe replied as he impatiently swept some golden curls from his eyes. "You know, since we weren't expecting you yet. He shouldn't be long; he left near an hour ago."

"Does he run for an hour every day?" Nancy asked with raised eyebrows.

"Oh yeah. It's disgusting really. He tries to drag me along most of the time."

"Do you go?"

Joe shifted his eyes. "Most of the time."

She laughed as the door to the Hardy residence opened and a figure stepped through the door.

Frank Hardy was a lot of things. Clever as they come, smart as a whip, loyal to a fault, organized just short of neurotic, sculpted by the gods...

Nancy wanted to roll her eyes at herself.

The Hardy brothers were handsome men, both in different ways. Even the holiest of nuns couldn't deny the truth of it. Joe's blue eyes and wavy hair the blondest of blonde never bothered Nancy. She could see him naked and feel nothing less of natural. But Frank...

Frank was Frank.

There had always been something about Frank. They had this instant connection that was almost a little too...connected? Great, her thoughts were already getting jumbled.

Some things in this world just had a habit of attracting to one another. Negative and positive ions. Blood and sharks. Bees and pollen. And Frank and Nancy.

They both tried to hide from it once they became aware what that connection might mean. They were dating other people for one. Nancy and Ned and Frank and Callie. And even if they weren't, they just couldn't. They'd been friends their whole lives. They were unstoppable on cases, and oh how many had they solved together. She couldn't jeopardize that. And neither, it seemed, could Frank. Not that the thought seemed to keep them from m̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ kissing s̶e̶v̶e̶r̶a̶l̶ a few times.

But it was meaningless. Completely meaningless. And although that might be a lie, the fact that Nancy valued Frank deeply on a separate level from intimacy, was not. He was, often times, her closest friend. He understood her. Understood the dedication and the passion and the sacrifice that came with them. She could talk openly to him in ways that she just couldn't with others. He was always there for her, rain or shine, day or night, in peril or not in peril. He was always there with those warm eyes and those kind words and his hugs that did, truly, make her feel at peace.

And so, Nancy quickly untied her own tongue as she watched Frank wipe some sweat from his forehead as he wore only a tank top and shorts. He walked into the house, his eyes falling over Joe, and then Nancy.

"Nancy!" he blinked in surprise before grinning. "What are you doing here so early?"

"She was so eager to see us, she got on an earlier flight," Joe explained.

Nancy hit his arm playfully. "Hi, Frank. How are you?"

"Better now that you're here," he smiled at her. "I'd give you a hug, but I'm not sure you'd like it."

Nancy laughed and ignored the sweat glistening against his muscles. "I'll take a rein check."

Frank nodded and moved past her and Joe into the kitchen to fetch a glass of water. "Safe flight?"

"The safest."

"No one dare pull a crime on the plane that THE Nancy Drew is on," Joe joked.

"I missed the bad jokes," Nancy wistfully joked while Joe put a hand to his wounded heart.

"I'm going to take a quick shower and we can talk about dinner," Frank said, grabbing Nancy's bags before she could protest. "I'll drop these off in your room."

As Frank ascended the stairs, Joe turned towards Nancy. "Pizza?"

"Duh."

Joe lay on the floor, groaning. "Why didn't you guys stop me?"

"I tried," Frank rolled his eyes, peering down at his brother from his spot on the couch.

"It's true," Nancy nodded, sitting beside Frank and glancing down at Joe. "But then I'm pretty sure you threatened him?"

"I would never!"

"Right," Frank shot him a glare.

In a surprising turn of events, their pending case hadn't been brought up the entire time the three detectives gorged themselves on pizza. Despite their eager personalities, the three had seemed to subconsciously decide they needed a few hours to talk and laugh and catch up. Afterall, it had been a few years since they'd had a conversation that wasn't over the phone, through email or via facetime.

"Okay boys-"

"I told you we need to change the name," Joe muttered, his arm draped over his eyes.

"No you don't," Nancy said, airily waving her hand before continuing, interrupting whatever Joe was about to say. "Now boys, settle down."

"You're lucky I physically can't move," Joe said.

Frank threw a throw pillow at Joe's head. Nancy laughed.

"Speaking of names," Nancy glanced over at Frank. "What happened to opening your own detective agency?"

Nancy melted as Frank's face lit up. And that wasn't an attraction thing. Nancy just loved to watch people be passionate about things. Well, except if they're passionate about committing crimes.

"It's finally all going through! We found this great place to set up shop!"

"Yeah, like a year ago," grumbled Joe.

"It's been a long process getting all the legal requirements dealt with. There's the property deed, getting licensure for our company, actually getting licensed ourselves, getting the building up to code and furnishing…" Frank continued listing their tasks, ticking them off on his fingers.

"Frank," Joe cut him off. "Nancy doesn't care."

Frank's cheeks immediately flushed and he glanced away.

"Joe!" Nancy tutted. "My dad's a lawyer; this is normal dinner conversation."

Frank snuck her a grin and she winked. Joe only groaned again, attempting to roll on his side.

"Where did you find a location?" Nancy asked.

"Right here in Bayport!" Frank answered. "We've been waiting for everything to be official before we move downtown."

"Do you think we have time to visit?" Nancy asked, wanting to see the fruits of their efforts.

This time, both boys were equally excited. Joe even found the energy to sit up.

"Yes!" nodded the blonde eagerly. "We could use a professional opinion."

Nancy laughed. "Okay, Hardy."

As Joe was indisposed until his digestive tract caught up, Frank quickly nipped upstairs for his case files. Carrying a thick manila folder, its tab labeled, and his laptop, he came down the stairs and deposited the items on the coffee table. Nancy scooted to the end of the couch cushion to get a better view and Frank sat down beside her once more, opening the folder.

"So what does the Network have for us this time, boys?" she asked, watching Frank sift through his paperwork.

"The CEO of I.G. Pharmaceuticals is claiming that some research has been hacked, presumably stolen, and erased," Frank said, grabbing a copy of the interview transcript.

"Presumably stolen?" Nancy echoed.

"Well the research has definitely been erased," Joe piped up, now sitting beside the coffee table on the ground. "And, yes, it was backed up on different servers but they've all been erased."

"It wouldn't make a lot of sense if someone just erased it," Frank continued. "The pharmaceutical business is a multi billion-dollar industry. Likely, someone stole the research and erased the evidence so I.G. couldn't claim they'd done the research."

"What was stolen?" Nancy asked, taking the sheet of paper from Frank.

"Potential cancer eradicating research," Frank said grimly.

This caused Nancy to glance up in surprise. "That's ground-breaking."

"And it does raise the question about whether or not it was stolen," Joe said thoughtfully.

Frank frowned at his brother, but his eyes portrayed the same thoughtfulness. "That's true. Pharmaceutical companies stand to lose a lot of money if an eradicating treatment was found. They make their money off of treatments, not cures."

Nancy's eyes stared at a wall on the far end of the room. "Hmm…it's a thought, but you're right, still not very likely. Even if they erased the information, the research team could probably duplicate their studies. It would stall the process but not indefinitely. It'd be smarter to steal the research so at least they'd make the initial money on the cure."

The Hardy boys nodded in agreement.

Nancy's eyes moved over the case intake form before glancing to the stack of papers on the coffee table. "The CEO…" Nancy's eyes glanced back to the paper. "Mr. Jackson…He said there's a main research team for the project."

"Yeah," Frank immediately began thumbing through the pages in the folder. "I've got basic information on them in here."

"Have any of them been interviewed?"

"No; it's a brand-new case, just came in yesterday," Frank replied.

"They gave it to us straight away. I think the Network wanted us to stay away from anything that might blow up or burn down," Joe rolled his eyes.

Nancy chuckled at him. "And I'm very grateful."

Joe pouted at her while Frank began passing her the information on anyone the Network thought relevant.

"What about suspects?" Nancy asked as she leafed through the pages. "Anyone Mr. Jackson fingered outright?"

Frank peeked down at his information. "He did name their number one competitor: Intel Health Discoveries."

Nancy nodded absently.

"There's a lot of people to interview. You'll be in Heaven, Nancy," Frank gave her a sly smile.

Nancy shot him one of her own. "Frank Hardy, you know me so well."

The three detectives discussed the case, making notes and drawing up plans, well into the evening. Around ten, Frank decided they should call it quits so they could rest for the next day. He listed the itinerary from memory, earning a few jabs from his brother. They'd have time to eat breakfast and make a quick stop at what would soon be the new Hardy headquarters, before driving to New York city.

As they retired to their rooms, Nancy sat on the edge of the guest bed. She peered around the guestroom, jokingly referred to as "Nancy's room" by Laura Hardy, appreciating that it never seemed to change much. The walls were the same color as they'd always been, the bedspread updated every few years, and the bookshelf in the corner hadn't moved since its inclusion; although the number of books upon its shelf did.

Nancy's eyes moved over the shelves, taking in the items that sat upon them. The collection of books was vast in its subjects. Old cookbooks that had been discarded from the kitchen now sat among the various detective novels, sport legend biographies and a smattering of young adult novels. Probably Frank's, Nancy thought with a smile. A picture frame sat on the third shelf, depicting young Joe and Frank on a fishing trip with Fenton. Little Frank was sopping wet, standing beside his father, as an even littler Joe roared in laughter beside him.

Nancy tore her gaze away and her soft smile fell. She peered down to her phone sitting beside her on the gray comforter. She should really call Ned. Their anniversary was in two days and she was unsure if she'd even be able to talk to him.

Nancy hadn't thought much about Ned since she'd stepped off the plane at Bayport International. Her mind had been filled with memories, a mystery, and the Hardy Boys. It was another reason to feel guilty. Another one yet was that Nancy hadn't been entirely truthful with Ned. She hadn't lied…per say; but she'd neglected to mention that the mystery she was running off on was with her male detective counterparts.

Nancy wondered about said decision and the entire train of thought left her with a headache. If she'd told Ned she was ditching him on their anniversary to fly across the country to work with the Hardy's, he probably wouldn't have allowed it. That was to say, he would have highly encouraged Nancy to rethink her decision. If she told Ned while she was working the case, he'd be furious with her for not having mentioned it and would have all kinds of suspicions about her. The fight that would ensue could be astronomically detrimental. She could just continue to…omit the origin of the case. But then, what if he found out? Would it be better than if she told him once on the case? She could try to claim she'd "forgotten" to mention the fact.

Nancy found herself scoffing at her thoughts. What would the Old Nancy have thought? Trying to pass off lying as a slip of memory and embracing ignorance over truth? Old Nancy would have been horrified.

But then…Old Ned would have been more reasonable.

No he wouldn't have, cooed the voice in the back of her mind.

Nancy shook her head in an attempt to dislodge the voice, but she couldn't live in denial. While Ned's progression to the person he was now had been gradual, his dislike of the Hardy Boys not so much.

They'd been friends once, by association. They enjoyed each other's company when they did happen to see each other and kept in frequent contact via phone or text. Frank and Joe had even been there for their first 'real' break-up; Joe even penning and voicing a nauseating wonderful poem about Ned and Nancy's relationship.

But Ned had grown quickly accusatory of Frank. It started with: "Oh, you're hanging out with Frank." And quickly progressed to: "You're going to be with Frank alone?" No matter how many times Nancy told Ned that she loved him, no matter how many times Nancy told him that Frank loved Callie, no matter how many times she explained they'd all been friends for awhile…it didn't matter to him. The minute he saw Nancy and Frank in person together, he began to narrow his eyes in Frank's direction. Over the course of a few years, it grew to being downright rude about his very existence. Joe was lumped in via association.

In some ways, perhaps Ned had the right to be weary. Hadn't she just admitted to herself last night, and yet again today, that her and Frank had always been…well…Nancy and Frank? Hadn't they kissed several times before instantly regretting it? But she always went home to Ned. She always called Ned. She told Ned that she loved him. And thanks to the little excursion in Egypt, Nancy had purposely distanced herself from Frank.

That headache began to throb in her temples and Nancy sighed in aggravation, rubbing at them fruitlessly. She glanced to her phone again. She really should call Ned. Despite the change in their relationship, and Nancy's subsequent feelings towards said relationship, she did love Ned. He was her first real love. Her first everything (almost). And she knew that, no matter what happened, a piece of her would always love Ned for that reason.

Picking up her phone, Nancy went to her favorite contacts and pressed on Ned's name. She held the phone to her ear and her foot began to tap nervously against the floor as the phone rang…and rang…and rang.

Hey, this is Ned. Sorry I missed you! Leave a message and I'll call you back!

Nancy sighed and ended the call. She quickly opened her texting app.

'Just wanted to say goodnight. I hope you had a really good day. Love you.'

Nancy sent the text, frowning at her screen, lost in thought until she heard someone clear their throat. Startled, Nancy glanced to the open doorway. Frank leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest, eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Frank, you scared me!" Nancy gently scolded him, setting her phone down on the bed.

"Is everything okay?" Frank asked, taking a step into the room.

Damn his detective skills.

"I'm fine," Nancy lied, smiling at him.

He frowned. "No, you're not."

The brunette walked over to the bed, sitting next to Nancy. Nancy looked down to her knees and picked at an imaginary thread.

Frank spoke gently. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Absolutely not!

Nancy gave Frank a small smile. It was a real smile, thanking Frank for being the caring friend he always was, but a small smile. "It's okay, Frank."

He knew she wasn't okay, no use lying to him, but it was going to be okay…right? It always turned out okay. She'd adjusted to the changes in her relationship. She'd accepted things how they were. And if her brain started to go over things too often, she'd take up a new case.

Frank's eyes ranked Nancy's face for a moment before he nodded. He gave her a gentle hug before pulling back. "Well, you know where I am if you change your mind. Do you need anything? I originally just came to see if you needed anything before I went to sleep."

A bigger smile this time. "I'm good, thanks. See you in the morning."

"See you in the morning," Frank agreed, getting to his feet and closing the door to N̶a̶n̶c̶y̶'̶s̶ ̶r̶o̶o̶m̶ the guest room as he left.

"Swanky place, Hardys," Nancy said, peering about the room.

The building was void of furniture but there had been obvious work done to the place. It was decent-sized place with lobby being wide and open. There were several rooms in the back the size of a typical office. A smaller room indicated it was a bathroom.

"Joe, Dad and I each have an office," Frank immediately rattled off, pointing to rooms in turn as he wandered closer to them. "Dad wanted to work here part time. Mom's begging him for an early retirement but even he knows that's not going to go well for anyone involved. Oh, there in the corner is a decent place for storage files."

"Frank already bought all the filing cabinets in Bayport," Joe cut in.

Frank went on as though he hadn't heard him. "All the flooring is new. Mom picked the color, said it was calming. We have all the furniture purchased; we've been waiting for the renovations to be completed."

"Did you get plaques for your desks?" Nancy asked, stifling a smile.

"They're for our doors!" Joe corrected excitedly, moving over to the nearest door and using his hands to demonstrate where the plaques would rest.

"Impressive," Nancy did smile this time as she watched the boys' excitement. She wandered to the front where they'd entered, peering through the panes of the large windows. The view outside was charming and reminded her of River Heights. The building sat on a main street and the store fronts outside were as varied as they were colorful, happy shoppers milling around outside.

Turning her eyes to Laura Hardy's paint job, markings near the ceiling caught her eye. Bordering the top of the walls were tiny little magnifying glasses. This was almost too adorable for her heart to handle.

Nancy glanced back to the Hardy brothers finding their heads close together, whispering heatedly at one another. Familiar with the view, Nancy raised an eyebrow. The look was so classic of the Hardy Boys and Nancy edged forward to perform one of her greatest skills: eavesdropping.

"But this is the perfect opportunity!"

"I said 'no', Joe!"

"WHY?"

"If she wanted to, she would have answered the last time we brought it up," Frank snapped.

"That was years ago. You should at least ask her-"

"Ask me what?" Nancy finally cut in, arms crossed over her chest and smiling playfully as the boys jumped apart.

Frank immediately shot Joe a glare, which he ignored by suddenly becoming interested in the ceiling tiles. Neither boy spoke immediately but Nancy waited, eyeing the boys expectantly.

Frank caved first, sighing as he did so. "Well, Joe was just mentioning the time we talked to you about…you know…"

Frank gestured with his hand, as though that would prompt Nancy to finish the sentence. Instead she quirked her eyebrow higher, turning to Joe.

"Well remember how we offered you a partnership here?" Joe finally said, blue eyes sparkling.

Nancy did remember. Since this had first become the Hardys' dream, they'd propositioned Nancy to be part of it. Nancy hadn't completely disregarded it. After all, opening a detective agency with the Hardy Boys? It seemed like a no-brainer. The trio had been solving mysteries together since childhood. They'd all made names for themselves and the cases would flow in undoubtedly.

But Nancy had held back. Bayport was quite the trip from River Heights, Illinois. She would have to move here if she took the deal. Not that she minded Bayport. It was a quaint place, despite being located in New York. The people were friendly, and the city was well taken care of. But her life was back in River Heights. Her dad and Hannah were there. Bess and George…well actually, Bess was often traveling for work, maintaining a schedule similar to Nancy's. George was away at college still with her future plans undecided. And then there was Ned of course.

Honestly, he'd been the biggest factor. Everyone had to leave their family home some time, right? It was well past time for Nancy to spread her wings; not that she stayed at home much as it was. Her cases took her all over the country, all over the world actually. She loved her dad and Hannah, but she would probably see them just as much as she did now if she left. But Ned…he was already settling in River Heights. There was no question at this point whether he would move to Bayport with her. And to tell him she would be working with the Hardys every day? Ha.

But her resolve over the matter was suffering in this moment. It began to waver at the sight of Frank's and Joe's faces, their vision of plaques on their doors, the tiny magnifying glasses painstakingly etched onto the walls. She could almost envision herself here, walking through these doors every morning. A new case waiting for her after every case she closed. A bubble of excitement welled in her chest at the thought.

And then Ned's face popped into her mind again.

Nancy swallowed, offering the boys a smile. "Did you have the sign made yet?"

The boys blinked. "What?"

"The sign for the building," her smile broadened. "That has the name of the agency on it?"

Joe looked puzzled but Frank finally burst into laughter. Joe turned his look on Frank, then Nancy.

"Remember, Joe? You said that if it helped persuade her, we could name it The Drew and Hardy Detective Agency," Frank chuckled. "Her name first."

Joe's eyes brightened with recognition and he chuckled as well. "Well now that you mention, we haven't ordered the sign yet."

"We can't agree on a design," he whispered to Nancy conspiratorially.

She beamed and something pulled at her chest. She wanted this, badly, she realized. But it wasn't a possibility at all in her current life.

"Let's tackle one thing at a time," Nancy said, and she hoped the sadness she felt didn't reflect in her tone. "We'll talk about the Agency when we're back to Bayport."

That seemed to satisfy the boys and the hopeful, encouraged looks they gave her almost took her breath away.

Oh…she was in big trouble.

Author's Note: Welcome!

True to my character, I've become re-obsessed with the Francy fandom. Unsatisfied with the canon world, I delved into every website I could find in search of my Francy fix. The problem? There's not enough! And most stories were written back in 2008, a few in 2012. And I thought: I need Francy in my life...the rest of the world must too.

So here we are! I was hoping to postpone posting until I had at least 1/3 of the story written; as this has been my new policy. But I was just so excited! And I needed to touch base with the fan base! So here is chapter one. Postings will likely be sporadic for a while, as I've not written most of the story yet.

This story will contain content from the Supermystery and Casefiles series, as well as from the games.

Disclaimer: I do not own Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys. Because if I did, I'd be settling into a nice quarantine instead of facing it at work every day.

Keep each other safe! Opinions welcomed (especially now).