Title: Topsy Turvy
author: Cindy Ryan
spoilers: 1x16
Summary: Nancy picks up the pieces

He'd been cleared of all charges.
Carson Drew had his life back.
Should've been the best day of his life.
Instead it felt like he was losing everything he held dear.

"The baby was me."Nancy stated in a sad voice threatening to break.

Carson took a hesitant step forward. He knew this day would come. Carson just hadn't counted on facing it alone. Now that he was his mind was spinning. Nancy looked like her world was crumbling. Hurting his daughter was the last thing he'd intended.

"Nancy."Carson began forcing his feet to move.

"Was that even my name?"Nancy asked shakily.

"Lucy never told us what she intended to name you."Carson explained as he reached her. "So Nancy was a name we chose."

Nancy nodded stiffly and retreated to the living room and sat down on the sofa. Carson felt her withdrawing and it killed him. He needed to fix this. Nancy was all the family he had left, and damn it she was his daughter blood or no.

"I'm a Hudson."Nancy commented with an amazed shake of her head.

"No,"Carson said fiercely as he sat next to her taking her hands in his. "You are a Drew."

"Why didn't you tell me?"Nancy asked in a whisper.

"We made a promise to protect you from the Hudsons."Drew replied hoarsely hearing his voice crack."Your Mom and I did that the best way we could."

Tears flowed down Nancy's cheeks and Carson's heart broke. A lump formed in his own throat as he squeezed his daughter's hands.

"I love you, Nancy. You are my daughter. No matter what the DNA says."Carson said softly.

"I love you too."Nancy replied sadly. "But I can't stay here."

"Where will you go?"Carson inquired worriedly.

"I don't know."Nancy said as she stood.

Carson watched helplessly as Nancy went upstairs. Fifteen minutes later she returned to the first floor suitcase in hand. Seconds later his daughter was gone. Carson knew he should have stopped her, insisted she stay but he knew that wouldn't work. Nancy had suffered a shock; a double shock really. She needed time to process and heal. Carson had to believe that she'd come home.

Nancy logically knew she should find somewhere to stay for the night and do what she planned in the morning. Logic wasn't the word of the day. Upheaval was or maybe broken. When she'd woken that morning in Owen's arms she'd known who she was. Tonight it was a whole new world.
Lucy Sable was her mother.
Nancy's brain still wouldn't full wrap around that fact. She'd been haunted the last few weeks by her mother's ghost. All this time she'd longed to see Kate Drew's ghost instead she'd gotten her birth mother. At the thought of Kate, tears started again and Nancy furiously blinked them away. God, this was so crazy.

What was weirdly the grounding thought in all of this was her birth father. Over the last week her opinion of Ryan had changed so drastically that now Nancy thought he might welcome her in his life. If he didn't drop dead from shock Nancy thought as she parked her car outside of Ryan's house.
Nancy turned off the headlights and got out. She stared at the house for a moment. Nancy had thought about texting him or calling. After their experience of finding Lucy's journal Nancy knew he'd answer. In the end she hadn't been able to. Now she stood in the dark with news that would turn Ryan's world on it's head too. Lucy didn't have a chance to tell him of the pregnancy. Ryan's father had made sure of that. With a sigh Nancy squared her shoulders and walked to the house. Either way Ryan deserved to know he had a daughter.

Ryan Hudson glanced at the monitor that showed the footage of the security camera on his front door. After the day he had some how he wasn't surprised to see Nancy Drew on his doorstep. Part of him wanted to ignore her and go to bed. Then memories of the day tugged at him. What she'd done for her father was remarkable. Plus she'd solved Lucy's mystery and brought closure to that chapter of his life; Ryan owed the young woman for that. With a sigh he went and opened the door. He was shocked by what he found Nancy's face was pale and her eyes red rimmed from tears.

"Nancy, are you alright?"Ryan asked with concern.

"No, it's been a long weird day."Nancy responded gravely. "I have something important to tell you. Something that came up during Lucy's investigation."

The seriousness of her voice caused a niggle of worry and Ryan nodded stepping back to allow Nancy to step inside.

"Long weird day is an accurate description."Ryan commented as he walked into the living room.

He went to the small bar near the window and poured a glass of whiskey. Ryan held up the bottle to Nancy.

"I have wine too if you'd rather..."Ryan offered.

"No, thank you."Nancy said as she hovered in front of the coffee table.

"Suit yourself."Ryan replied tiredly as he sat on the leather sofa. "What's going on?"

"When Lucy died; she was pregnant."Nancy explained in an unsteady voice.

Ryan felt like he'd been punched and dropped a few flights. His face paled and the room spun for a moment. Ryan blinked trying to clear his vision but his brain was too muddled. Pregnant; Lucy had been pregnant...

"It was mine."Ryan stated in a shocked hoarse voice. "The math...the timing..."

A coldness swept over him and he downed the whiskey before throwing the glass across the room causing Nancy to jump. Lucy had taken their child with her to her grave...bile rose in his throat. He'd had a child and lost it without knowing...

"Ryan."Nancy prompted her voice closer but he didn't turn.

Why hadn't Lucy told him? Not that Ryan was sure how he would've reacted if she had told him. Suddenly something hard was pressed into his hands. Ryan looked down to see a cell phone. On the screen was an image of a document.

"What's this?"Ryan asked his voice raspy

"I had my DNA run to help my Dad. I thought my Mom was involved somehow. "Nancy explained hollowly. "It didn't match to my mother, but to Lucy."

Ryan tried to focus on the document and Nancy's words but his brain was spinning. His emotions all over the map. One thing caught and held '...didn't match to my mother; but to Lucy.' Ryan did a double take taking a real look at Nancy Drew. It couldn't be; could it? The universe certainly wasn't afraid of slapping him up the side of the head but this...

"I'm your daughter, Ryan."Nancy continued quietly. "Lucy gave me to my parents right before..."

"God."Ryan whispered as he stood and walked away from the sofa.

"I can't quite believe it either."Nancy commented with a shaky laugh.

Ryan scrubbed a hand over his face trying to calm his racing heart and thoughts. He had a child; a daughter...a grown daughter.

"My fath...Carson confirmed everything. He finally told me what happened that night."Nancy said sadly.

"Let me guess."Ryan said bitterly. "Lucy made Carson and Kate promise to protect you from the Hudsons?"

Nancy nodded tearfully. Ryan sighed then sat in a black leather chair near the sofa.

"Nancy."Ryan began then faltered.

What could he say?How did he approach this?

"I just thought you should know."Nancy said as she stood. "We don't have to be friends; but I'd like to be."

Before Ryan could say anything Nancy walked to the front door opened it and disappeared into the night. Ryan slumped back into the chair staring at the broken pieces of glass on the hardwood floor.