Author's Note: I apologize if it seems like the story is skipping around a lot, but at least for this chapter I think it's important I backtrack a bit, to clarify just exactly how Frank got separated from Nancy and what happened, etc. but it will jump back to present once that little bit is explained. I had to split Frank's segment into two parts, fair warning a little bit of Ned drama coming, but Part 2 of this chapter is Frank/Nancy, and then things will start to pick up from there. I need to do a Bess/George POV soon too, since they have a small part to play in helping tie all these loose ends together, so that will likely be coming next after Nancy/Frank, and then Eve and her date also have a bit more of a role to play as well. It's all coming together in my outlines and note taking even if it may not seem like that in the story.

Enjoy!


Half Hour Earlier: Part One

It all happened so fast. Shouting, Nancy was screaming, Jessica was unconscious, and now Frank was running for his life, Nancy in his arms. He hated himself for having to hit her, but it was easier to carry her like this when her damn stubborn pride wasn't getting in the way, and he could do what he needed to ensure their safety. Run, hide, repeat. This had gone on for the better part of at least fifteen minutes. Currently hiding behind an old wooden barrel in the barn's loft, Frank Hardy drew in a sharp breath and held it, amazed his face hadn't turned blue as he watched Todd Baines' hulking form carry something limp in his arms.

"We'll get out of this Nan. Promise. I...I'm going to save you," he whispered into the shell of her ear, knowing full well she couldn't hear him. He said it anyways.

One quick glance as they passed confirmed it was the man's sister, Jessica. There was a strange certain tenderness there by the way the creature held the woman who claimed to be his family, but Frank did not have time to dwell on it. He watched as the Black Lake Killer disappeared out a back door, likely headed towards the woods, Jessica's unconscious figure tossed over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Frank wondered of the perspective of the chaser, if they can fathom the fear of the chased. For in this need to escape his head and heart go to the place that is crushed and without light or match to bring a comforting spark. He felt the screaming of his lungs and the will of his muscles to go far beyond what exercise could ever demand. This was the body and brain in full survival mode, and it was nothing but pain. He had thought they were going to make it out alive for sure, though he would never—not even on his death bed—tell Joe what he'd had to do to get Nancy to cooperate. It was much easier to carry her in his arms like this, unconscious though she was, though the heavy pounding footfalls of Todd Baines thundering behind him reminded Frank of the danger they were all in if he couldn't find a way out.

He's coming and I can't stop him, I can't.

Todd Baines had hit Jessica unconscious, carting her off to only he knew where, and he was going to do the same, probably worse to him and Nancy if he couldn't get the two of them out of here.

Who knew where Cliff and Bess and George had gone, or if the cops had been called yet. He would have called himself were it not for two factors: a) no cell phone coverage, and b) talking makes noise, and making noise would give away his position for the killer to hear, announcing where he and Nancy were, and that he simply could not do. Todd Baines continued to hunt Frank down these damned hallways calling his name as if he were their old school friend - but in his hands is an axe and he meant to twist it in their guts when he gets close. Frank, Nancy in his arms all the while, had been running in a scattered way, run and hide, rinse repeat. Now, though, his energy was failing him, his heart beating like it meant to explode and his mind was but a scattered mess.

The exertion brings on more breathlessness, like the air around Frank and Nancy was devoid of oxygen. His ribs heaved up and down, but no benefit came. Just dizziness. Frank slumped to the damp earthen wood floor, using the trunk of an old oak tree as a support system to slide to the floor until he felt like his body had come back to normal, sickness passing and shifted Nancy's limp form in his arms. He could not help but notice how fragile she felt, how almost doll-like she looked, with her head tilted back, hair splayed out on either side of her face like a fan, and her face far too pale and white to be healthy. He didn't like the looks of her. Clearly the taxation was putting her body under immense amounts of stress, and if they didn't get help… "Jesus, Nan," he whispered, his voice breaking a little. "I…this is all my fault. If I wouldn't have brought you here…. Then we wouldn't, you wouldn't be hurt a—and everyone might still be safe…" he moaned, careful to keep his voice low. He could not finish that thought. Soon, they would have to move again, but for now, he thought they were safe to rest. He'd managed to give Todd the slip on the upper level of the barn and had ducked outside into the woods after fifteen minutes of hiding behind an old rum barrel, glancing around wildly for any sign of Cliff and Bess and George, where they had parked the rental car. Thinking they were safe, he grimaced as he dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his cell phone.

"Finally," he whispered, breathing an audible sigh of relief as he felt the tension in his shoulders leave him. "We're gonna get help, Nan, I promise. I got us into this mess, I think I can get us out, a—and then…Call Cliff, the others can call the cops and meet us somewhere."

A rattled receptionist answered after about ten rings. "Casston Police Department," she answered, her voice frayed and on edge completely. "Please state the nature of your emergency." Panicked.

"My—my name's Frank Hardy, and he's back," he panted, still heaving trying to catch his breath and failing miserably. "The—the Black Killer took another victim, I think. He's got his sister trapped somewhere. Woods out on the eastern side of the Black Lake. Hideout—has—hideout. You—you need to send a SWAT team or something, ma'am. I don't—damn it, I hear something. I gotta go. Get your men out here!" he swore, ignoring the reception's demands to provide him with as much detail as possible as he heard the sound of cracking footsteps, the crunch of a twig. Instinctively, he felt his fingers curl into a protective fist around Nancy's waist as he gingerly rose to his feet, glancing down at Nancy in his arms. She needs feeding up, he thought sadly. Way too thin.

Frank's face relaxed when he realized it wasn't Todd Baines come after him, and he felt his back muscles tense and go rigid as he looked at Ned. A hot fire-seed of anger swelled in the pit of his stomach as he looked at Nancy's ex-boyfriend and saw how Nickerson looked at her.

A muscle in Frank's jaw twitched as Ned's gaze flitted from Nancy in Frank's arms and then traveled upward to Frank a couple of times.

When he turned at last to face Frank, there was no trace of tears, not in his eyes or in track marks on his reddening face. His eyes were narrowed, rigid, cold, hard. In that moment Frank Hardy knew he was already far away. Once more he was the enemy here, but he would endure if it meant Nancy would be safe from the worst of his temper. These swings from most loved to most hated would be the end of her. Ned Nickerson's states had no grey-scale, only the polar extremes existed. Frank drew in a deep breath; the burning hard stare would last only as long as it took him to think of the most brutally cutting thing, he could tear him down with or worse…Nancy. Though he had broken up with her. And after that, Frank could kiss anything breakable goodbye. Which right now might just be his nose, it was so hard to tell and so pointless to run. There was a reason Ned was on his college football team. He was taller than Frank and outweighed him by at least a few pounds. Ned let out a sigh and glanced behind the trunk of a tree. "Is he gone?" he asked. Frank released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Ned was asking about Todd Baines, not about…about…this.

"For now," growled Frank, and even he winced at the hostility in his voice. "I—I think I lost him," he sighed, shifting against the trunk of tree, and if anything, his grip on Nancy's unconscious form tightened, and he didn't relinquish his hold on the young redhead, despite Ned holding out his arms to take her from him. "No way, Nickerson," Frank snarled.

"She's my girlfriend, Hardy," Ned growled darkly. "Give her to me."

"Not anymore she isn't," Frank pointed out, no warmth in his tone. "Nancy loved you, Ned, and you broke up with her right after she almost got killed!" he shouted and flinched as Nancy stirred and mumbled something incoherent. Cursing himself under his breath, he lowered his voice and forced himself to try to remain calm, though it was becoming harder and harder for him to do so. Ned had always had the one thing Frank had only ever wanted: Nancy. "You know what?" Frank growled, secretly relishing in the look of shock as Ned took a seat on the ground next to him, not caring that the dirt and grit of the woods dug into his jeans. "I think Nancy would love you even more if you were kinder. But you, Nickerson, you've always taken more than you gave her. I'm right, aren't I? Nancy did the best she could, and still you bit her and looked down at everything she was ever good at. There's a damn reason she doesn't invite you along on a new case, Ned," he whisper-hissed through clenched teeth. "Because of this!" he snarled, gesturing to her limp form in his arms. "She knows the risks. You don't. You're a liability if something happens to you, and you really think Nancy could live with herself if the worst happened to you because you tagged along on a case?" His voice cracked as he said the last part. "She… loved you. Once."

Ned's face flushed red in anger and he balled his hand into a fist. Not knowing what to do with it and fearing he might lash out at Frank in anger, or even worse, Nancy, he stuffed it into the pocket of his windbreaker. "Nancy's taken, Hardy," was the only retort he could think of. Frank rolled his eyes, fuming silently and seething in his anger. He glanced down at Nancy's still-sleeping form and brushed a lock of red hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear.

"Yes, Ned, you've made that perfectly clear," he snapped, venom and sarcasm dripping from his words. He could practically hear the anger in his voice as he spoke. Unfortunately, Frank's words only further fueled the fire of Ned's wrath and it was like pouring oil on water.

Next came the wildfire.

"You. You've been…. stalking her, pining after Nan like a lovesick little dog ever since we started dating a few years ago," he growled as he glowered at Frank. He snorted at the incredulous lock of shock in the amateur detective's eyes. "Don't think I don't pay attention, Frank. I know more about this…. this situation between you and Nan than you think. You want her," he growled. "I can see it in your eyes, Hardy. I want the damn truth, Hardy. What happens between you and her? And why did you do it? And don't even think about lying to me, Hardy…"

Frank stared, hardly daring to believe what he was hearing. "Are you even listening to yourself, Ned? Are you out of your mind? There's—there's nothing between Nan and I, I swear it," he swore as his own features hardened and settled into a very serious expression.

Ned continued to keep Frank under his piercing gaze, never letting on that he was going to let this little conversation go. "Somehow, I don't believe you."

Frank bit his tongue hard enough that he felt the coppery taste of blood settle on his tongue, repressing his urge to scream at Ned. He would have, but he would wake Nancy, and she needed the rest, even if it was rather…unorthodox, how she had come by a solid sleep, her first in what had to be days. She'd not slept well ever since her breakup with Ned. And the fact that he was now staring the root cause of her problems dead in the eyes was more than enough to fuel Frank's fire.

"You wanna do this now? I really don't think this is the best time, Ned, not with the killer still on the loose, don't you think?" growled Frank, glancing around wildly for any signs of Todd. Though the Black Lake Killer's huge, hulking form was unmistakable, they didn't exactly know what the man looked like, given he had hidden his features behind some kind of horrible hockey mask. And then there was the matter of despite the man having a football player's build, the man was silent.

Silent. They would have to be careful.

"Yeah, I do," snapped Ned, not giving a damn if a killer was on the loose or not. "I came here to get Nancy back, and I'll have a go at anyone who stands in my way of that. I was wrong to leave her. I know that."

"All right," Frank hissed. "I'll have a go at you then if no one else will. God knows Bess won't. George won't. Joe won't, but I will. You're a—a relationship vampire, Ned, draining the life force out of Nancy, and I'm not going to sit by and let that happen. She deserves better than you," he growled. "You're the one that broke up with her, Nickerson. I know I'm gonna regret asking this question but…why?" he asked, feeling his voice go softer. "Why did you break up with Nancy, Ned?" Frank asked quietly. "Were things really that between you and her, Ned? Huh?"

Ned narrowed his eyes at him in both disbelief and anger. In truth, he did not believe a word Nancy's friend was telling him. He needed the entire truth. Nancy had told him earlier that was nothing on her side of their…friendship, but it was Frank that concerned the football player.

What was Frank's intentions towards his girlfriend? He had to know. "I want the truth, Frank," Ned growled threateningly, leaning closer into Frank's face, the tip of his nose practically touching Frank's, never once breaking eye contact with the young man he'd once considered a friend. "Are your…intentions towards her noble or not? Or have you just been using Nan this time for your advantage?" he bellowed.

Frank rooted his jaw and clenched his teeth as he felt Nancy stir in his arms. She blearily opened her eyes and tried to focus her view a few feet in front of herself. "Wh—what?" she moaned, groggily sitting up.

"Just great, Ned," hissed Frank. "Now look! You woke her up!"

Nancy furrowed her brow into a frown, a hand on her cheek where Frank had hit her. She blinked owlishly at Frank and Ned, her brain struggling to catch up to what was going on. "Frank," she groaned wearily. "Y—you have one hell of a mean hook. Why'd you hit me?"

Frank winced as Ned's head whiplashed sharply to the left as the football player silently regarded the detective. "What?" he demanded, his voice clipped and hard. "He hit you, Nan?" Ned demanded incredulously, glowering at Frank as though he could not quite believe his eyes. His dark eyes narrowed as he placed both hands on Nancy's shoulders to steady her as she gingerly stood to her feet, her equilibrium still off balance, thanks to her cast, as was proven when she tried to take a step forward and pitched forward, an arm shot out to grab onto something—anything she could to keep herself from falling, and that something just happened to be Frank's arm. A gesture, which, it might be noted, was not lost on Ned Nickerson. Frank, meanwhile, wasn't done with Ned.

"How dare you claim that I have anything but honest intentions, Ned? Who the hell do you think you are? I thought you were my friend!"

"And what is that?" Ned was fully shouting now, the two men almost at odds again, and Nancy gingerly tugged on Frank's shirt sleeve.

Ned's breathing rate had increased, and he was enraged, his emotions ranging from fear to their current predicament to pure onslaught. He was fuming, and seemed to give no regard for Nancy, having eyes only for Frank. "You foul loathsome piece of shit, Hardy."

"Frank, Ned, don't do this," she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper. She turned to Ned and visibly flinched, seeing the unspoken pain and anger in his eyes. "N—Ned, can't we talk about this later?"

But Frank ignored her, stepping in front of Nancy and held one arm in front of her, as if he thought that could somehow prevent her from taking another step towards Nickerson, who would undoubtedly mistreat her, Frank knew, as soon as things went back to normal.

The jealousy, the envy, it stopped. Tonight. No matter what he had to do. If it meant enduring another beating from Ned, then so be it.

"I would have thought it was obvious, Ned!" snarled Frank, taking a step forwards towards Ned. Out of his peripherals, he could see Nancy struggling to take that same step forward, to try to stop him from whatever it was she thought he was about to do, but a quick glare back over his shoulder and a curt shake of his head no sent the message.

Though she did not like it, Nancy returned the nod and fell silent, though he hated to see the worry and anxiety written on her pretty face.

Frank shook his head in a sad fashion at the sight of Ned pining after the woman he had thrown away and cast her aside as if she were nothing more than a dirty sock. At that thought, he ground his teeth in anger. If Nancy were ever fortunate enough to be his girlfriend, he'd never let her go, doing whatever it took to keep her happy by his side.

"Have you not the faintest idea of what goes on in your girl's head?" Frank demanded, gesturing towards Nancy standing behind him with a jerk of his thumb as he glowered at the football player. "Clearly not!"

"What are you talking about?" Ned's voice dropped to an almost inaudible level, but anger and confusion plain as day lingered in his tone.

Frank glared at Ned in an equally angered fashion. "It isn't my place to say," he growled. "The answer to your question is right here!" he shouted, stepping aside and pointing a slightly shaking finger towards Nancy, whose already pale face had whitened even more, giving her the pallid, ashen look of a corpse, or at the very least, someone on her death bed. Not on my watch, thought Frank angrily, but he bit back his retort.

It occurred to Frank just how much rudeness one must be forced to endure when the other man was taller than you by a couple of inches, outweighed you, and had the ability to break every single bone in your body in a mere matter of seconds. It's why he was so good at football.

Frank let out a sigh of defeat and felt his shoulders slump. He ran a hand through his dark hair in anguish and shivered. Night had completely fallen now, and Todd Baines was nowhere to be found, and now, they were very nearly lost in the godforsaken damned woods.

The brush was thick, and the darkness made it impossible to navigate back towards the main roads. "I um…can sense you need a minute." Or five, his conscience thought darkly. "I'm going to go look around," growled Frank, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

Nancy and Ned watched Frank leave until he disappeared around the bend, his footfalls silent save for the crunching of the twigs and leaves beneath his sneakers. A chill ran through Nancy's blood as she heard Nancy's yell of anguish and frustration as he kicked a tree stump.

Frank, she knew, could not help her with this. Not this time.

It would be up to her, and just that thought alone was enough to make her shudder as a freezing cold wind of winter would wake someone. Her blood ran cold and a bead of sweat dripped down her face.

She stood there, shivering in the chilly night air, not sure what to do and too scared to even think of another apology to come to her mind.

Nancy was, perhaps for the first time in her life, at a loss for words.

One leg was folded across the other as he leaned against the tree trunk for support, and that one stubborn lock of coarse dark hair had fallen into his left eye, that tended to act like a shield, a curtain between himself and whatever he did not wish to see, and Nancy could just tell by the curt, sharp flick of his wrist as he irritably brushed it out of his eye, that he was royally ticked at her, but why, Nancy did not know his reasons, and whenever he stood up straight like he was doing now at his full height of six foot three, he tended to tower over the women, and especially Nancy. He looked, perhaps for the first time since she had ever known him, truly frightening, and when he lifted his chin to meet Nancy's gaze, there was an icy coldness there that did not belong to Ned's eyes, an unfamiliar hardness. Nancy swallowed back the lump forming in her throat. She'd never seen him look like this. He was…yes, there was no doubt about it, he was angry.

She had seen him annoyed, upset, yes, but never angry. And she knew just by looking at him, that she was the cause of it. His head snapped up so fast that Nancy had to move her head back to avoid connecting with it. He almost gave himself whiplash, he moved so quickly. "How can you be so calm about this! Someone attacked you in the middle of the night," he snarled. Ned did not shout, but he seemed so shocked, and there was pain and anger all laced throughout his voice, and it was in his eyes. He was confused by her response. "You could have been killed this evening, and yet you are more concerned with my well-being. Why?" he yelled.

Nancy stared after the brush for a moment, thinking she had heard a noise. She hoped it was just Frank. before returning her attention back to Ned. He was definitely growing angry. Nope. There it was.

That strange fire-seed of anger that came out. Because you're my friend, even though I shouldn't ever want to talk to you again, Ned. And I never want to hurt you, her mind answered, but she dared not voice this thought. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she closed her eyes and tried again. "Because you are my friend, Ned," she insisted again, trying to make him see her side of the situation. She just had to make him see this!

"But…" His voice was pained and staggered as he looked upon her.

"Because," she continued, raising her voice an octave higher so he could hear her. She could tell he was growing incredibly upset and angry. The laughter and kindness had evaporated from his eyes. His customary warmth gone faster than summer rain in the heat of August. Indeed, even his focus was somewhere at a spot on the tree behind her, as if Nancy had become invisible to him or he could not bear to see her at all. She had crossed some invisible line, offended his sensibilities by not coming to him when Frank had offered to take her to Casston for a quiet getaway. Nancy had seen him do this to mostly his mom whenever the older woman was greatly annoying him, but she'd thought their growing bond immune to this behavior. Now, her blood drained and heart hammered erratically inside her chest, pounding. She was never afraid of his anger when it came as fire, for that burnt hot and fast, but she was deathly afraid of his ice, for it coated him like a protective sort of permafrost. This sort of behavior, a shield if you will, had saved him from the torments of his youth, of growing up under such strict parents, but now that same method could isolate him from his family, from his friend.

And even…from her. It was pointless to try to reach him now, her well-meant words would bounce off him as good as hard rain.

But she would still have to see him, thaw his anger, so it was up to her to return the loving spark to his eyes.

Still, she tried again, and she would continue to try to reach Ned.

"I meant what I said to you earlier. There is no one I trust more than you. And I have never had a friend like you before, my friend. I mean it."

"I do not deserve your friendship," he stated coldly, turning his head away from her. "Nor do I deserve your trust. I have done nothing but cause you hardship and strife. I followed you here, without you knowing about it." His gaze drifted towards her now-bleeding hand. "Someone did this to you. I don't know who it is that could have done this to you, Nancy, but…your life would be much better off…w…" Without me, his mind finished, but he could not speak the words. "I think you should leave," he answered coldly, when he'd finally found his voice again. As he turned back to face Nancy, the look on her face was too much. She looked as though he slapped her. "Being around me is too dangerous, and I will not—I cannot—have your life in danger, Nancy."

Anger rose within her, but she stomped it down, refusing to let him see it. Why did he place the blame on himself? Why did he feel like he was the one responsible? What had happened, it was her fault. She had insisted to stay and had made matters worse by refusing to tell him the truth about her feelings for him, what she truly thought of Ned Nickerson. Unable to stop herself, she felt herself stomp her foot, a moment of frustration, and turned to firmly grip both of his shoulders and forced him to meet her gaze. "Don't you dare!" she snarled angrily. "Don't you think for one second, one minute, that this was your fault! The blame is with me! I should have come to you with this, I should have…told you sooner."

Ned's eyes widened at her seriousness and agitation. He had rarely seen her like this.

"Nancy," he murmured softly, surprised at her insistence.

"No, Ned!" she interrupted, violently shaking her head and staring at the floor beneath her bare feet, which were freezing and she desperately wished she had a pair of slippers, but quickly shoved that thought aside, as it was not important in the moment, but Ned was. "I am the one who has not been entirely truthful with you, about who I really am, where I've come from, and…you're right in that someone did do this to me," she began cautiously, glancing down at her bandaged hand and flinching.

She had to tell him the truth. But that small twinge of caution that she harbored still towards Todd Baines told her not to.

And for that, Ned had every right to be incredibly angry with her. She deserved whatever he was about to say to her. "Nancy." His tenor-like voice was gentle, yet there was a firmness there that told her to look up. But she couldn't. After all she had done to him, she didn't deserve to look upon him ever again. How could she after it?

"Nancy, I…" His voice trailed off as he lifted his hand to touch her shoulder, but Nancy quickly stepped away, refusing to meet his gaze.

"So…you don't want me around anymore," she began slowly, her voice present again, but the woman refused to look at him. "Because I had no right to get so close to you. I overstepped the boundaries. Because you do not think yourself worthy of my affections, given how you look. But don't you know there's more to love than just physical attraction?"

Ned's eyes widened as he heard the resignation in her voice. She started nodding her head, almost erratically so, and he recognized, perhaps a second too late, just what it was that he had done. He had ostracized this young girl and made Nancy Drew question her feelings for him. What had he done to her? He had ruined her, and any prospects she might have had for a good life here. What had happened to her tonight, someone had very nearly killed her with an axe. Because of him. If he hadn't broken up with her, Frank wouldn't have seen fit to take her here, and they would all be back home in River Heights.

He was dangerous to her. "No," he said without thinking. "No, Nancy, that is simply the reality that you and I live in, but it's—" But he did not get a chance to finish speaking.

"No. I understand," Nancy retorted, lifting her eyes at last and giving him a look of someone who had just woken up, realizing they had been in a dream. "I understand completely what it is that you wish of me. I'll go now."

"Nancy, no, that's not what I—"

But she was walking away from him. "If this is what you wish, then who am I to argue?" she continued flatly, still averting her gaze. "This is, after all, your life, not mine. My apologies." She coughed once to quell her tears and turned away. Before she could take so much as a few steps, however, Ned grabbed her by the shoulders roughly, not wishing to have to resort to such drastic lengths, but she was giving him very little choice in this regard.

As he turned her towards him, he noticed the sheen of glistening tears welling in her blue eyes. "Nancy, you are misunderstanding me. I care for you, more than you can…possibly imagine," he said, his voice soft, desperate. Desperation. Truly? He had never heard anything like that come out of his mouth before.

"But as you have just said, this cannot continue," said Nancy, looking up at him with her brows furrowed. She was much calmer now, which was strange. "It is unacceptable. I—I am no longer acceptable to you, with you. I can see that now. I overstepped a line when I dared to get close to you. You are afraid to love back, truly, because you're afraid your heart will be broken in the process, but guess what, Ned? That is love, sometimes it hurts, just look at Dad, and sometimes it's painful and…and…"

"NO, Nancy!" he roared, finally losing the last vestiges of his patience. Ned, despite knowing that he really ought not to, took hold of her cheek, tilting it upward and forced her to look at him. Her skin was soft, just as he knew it to be, and this only made his heart ache and things much worse for it. "You are better, have you not been listening to a single word I've said?" he demanded incredulously anyways, but knowing it was unlikely that she would ever understand him. How could she? She would never understand him, not truly. They came from two completely different worlds. "You can do better than me, and you should," he snapped, feeling the fire-seeds of jealousy well deep within the pits of his stomach at the thought of envisioning this creature before him with another man.

"I have," she snapped, her blue eyes flashing angrily. "Let go of me!"

He ignored this last request. "You deserve better, which is will I will—"

"No, you won't!" Nancy shouted. "You don't want me here anymore!" Words flew from her mouth that she never thought she'd even think, let alone say out loud, and it was on the person she perhaps cared for the most. She knew instantly from the look in his eyes that they'd hit their mark. In that instant, their friendship shattered into glassy shards.

Nothing would ever be the same again, and they both knew this. They were both panting, Ned still cupping her cheek. Nancy's voice was cold, hollow, and he wondered why she was as upset as she was. He figured maybe it was because she had grown used to her life always traveling, surrounded by new people, that she did not have a place she could truly call her own home, though he had foolishly hoped it would be with him, one day, when they were old enough to…to marry, but….

Maybe she did not trust him, did not think that he would simply support her without wishing anything of her in return. Ned knew she had her morals, much stronger than his. But still, he needed her to understand why. But this was also perhaps the last time he could ever look upon her beautiful face ever again. Never again, at least, not in this manner. Ned could not stop himself from letting his thumb drift across her cheek, wishing he could make her tears disappear. "Your future is not here. You as good as said it yourself, you've a whole life of adventures waiting for you out there," he said stiffly, and then, realizing he sounded too harsh, softened his tone, once they had recovered somewhat. "I will help you, Nancy. I—I don't know how that is, but I promise to repay you for all the good that you have done for me, to apologize for the hardships you have suffered while dating me. I care about your future, just as much as you do, and… if you stay here, with me, you will be labelled. I'm a monster, nothing more, nothing more. My father was right," he growled darkly. "I'll never be anything but, and I was foolish to think otherwise. "I cannot be your friend." There's nothing for you here, is what he wanted to say, but couldn't speak. The tears betrayed them both, falling from her blue eyes and landing on the back of his hand. What was the secret behind them? Ned shook his head as he thought on this. He voiced his own thoughts as they came to him. "Why would you even want to stay here?" he said, smiling at Nancy as she looked sharply away, biting her bottom lip hard enough to cause it to bleed if she weren't careful. "What possible reason could you have, when the whole world is waiting for you out there?" Here, he gestured to the balcony. "I know it is a dangerous one, one not particularly kind to women, I know that, but I believe there is something better waiting for you out there despite this." Ned had expected her to reply immediately, but he saw her wince, as if Nancy was only just coming to terms with something deep within herself.

She almost looked guilty, though God only knew why. When she finally rose to confront him, Ned saw a clarity in her haunting eyes, as well as confusion buried there. Her gaze trailed across his face, and he flinched as it finally rested on his eyes, just as he had looked at her many times over. It was as if she no longer cared that he knew that she was looking at him. He had thought of it. Of course, he joked to himself, knew she felt something, but… if it was to the degree he now saw clearly in her eyes, then something had only just now become apparent to her in that moment, like she had woken up from a long sleep or some horrible witch's curse at last. "When you found me earlier in the café with the others, I…" she began, but her voice quickly faded as Ned let go of her cheek, letting his hand fall to his side. "I didn't know. I hadn't thought that I could…that I could…" she was struggling badly.

It was Ned's turn to look incredulous now, as he stepped away. Nancy looked scared, scared of his reaction, but she took a step forward. "I do not want to deny how I feel anymore," she whispered. Her voice was resilient, but also on the brink. Ned could hardly believe that he had actually placed her there. Placed her there because of own monstrous stupidity. Why couldn't he have just left her be, left her alone, admired her from afar! He never should have asked her out for coffee back when they met, and none of this would be happening. Ned Nickerson shook his head, turning away from Nancy. His voice was hard as he looked down at his shoes, wishing he could turn back time. "You only feel this way because you are confused," he said coldly. He dared not look back, for if he had, he would have seen her white face. Nancy was far too pale, her knuckles white with suppressed rage, her shoulders shaking from the effort to restrain herself from lashing out.

"How dare you speak to me like that? Take that back, right now! So, I am confused but you are not?" Nancy retorted, frustration rising again. "I am not some stupid dumb bimbo with no understanding as to her own feelings! It's clear this had nothing to do with me or my future, Ned Nickerson," she snarled. "You simply don't wish to confront the fact that something is there, something is happening between us, something you cannot even begin to contemplate because of who you are, what I am. Because you were born into wealth and I wasn't? Are you really going to let your parents dictate every life choice for you? Are you blind?" When he did not answer, she scoffed and rolled her eyes. "No, not blind. Just stupid." This was what she thought of him, really thought of him. Ned closed his eyes, letting a ragged breath escape from his mouth, exposing his feelings to Nancy at long last. Ned heard her timid footsteps as she approached him from behind, and he could feel the heat radiating off her body, reaching out to him, trying again. Nancy was looking at him as though she had just had some sort of epiphany, for her blue eyes were growing wide and round with shock as she realized something.

"I see it now. You're ashamed," she said, her voice as hard now as his. "You are ashamed of me. That is what this is, though you don't wish to admit this." Ned felt his eyes fly open and he pulled himself towards her and cleared his throat before turning to look at Nancy again.

He took a moment to collect his thoughts before replying to her one-time true statement. It was true. Though she had one crucial part wrong. He was not ashamed of her, but of himself. He had foolishly allowed this to happen, to think that for an instant, that he might have…that he could have had a future with this young beautiful woman.

"You're wrong, Nancy," he said quietly, as he felt himself smile sadly, though he did not turn to look at her. "The creature you met during homecoming, the one who only saw an angelic girl in front of him, he might have thought that, once. But I'm not doing this to you because of what I think. I don't even blame you for thinking such thoughts of me."

"Why?" she asked, and the heartbreak in her voice was entirely too much.

"Nancy, if you stay here with me, then I…" Ned let his sentence drop, lifting his gloved hand again as he winced and flexed his fingers, touching her face again, despite the anger displayed here, and he was surprised in that she did not turn away from him like he expected her to do. He took a chance and stepped forward so he hoped she would understand, see what he was sure was displayed so clearly on his face now. "I know what will happen if you stay," Ned whispered as he grimaced, hating how desperate his voice sounded. "You and I both know you could never truly…I could never be with you as a…"

Husband one day, maybe, his conscience finished. By God, he couldn't say it. It did not need saying, yet Nancy's eyes lifted abruptly, brightly shining with shock. Clearly, she had not expected him to think that far.

But he had. Oh, gods, he had. A million times over, but it couldn't be. Taking hold of her face now with both hands, Ned took the last few moments he had in her company to try and memorize every little detail of her face, the slight of her mouth, that little wisp of red hair which never failed to fall on her forehead. If ever there was a time where he wanted to kiss her, this was it. He almost laughed, a bitter, cold laugh at himself. As if he had not wanted to this entire time, during their entire friendship and acquaintance. "I will not do that to you," Ned continued. "You deserve so much better." Even if you hate me for it, he thought, though he dared not speak of it. Nancy looked as if she wanted to protest, but then she closed her mouth, realizing, Ned hoped, just as he had to, that he was right in this regard, as much as he did not want to be. Ned had to fight very hard to relinquish his grip of her, to let go of this otherworldly creature, but he did. He let his hands slip from her cheeks, landing helplessly at his sides. There was a horrible smothering sense of inevitability in the air, the only conclusion possible, really, and Ned took a deep breath, readying himself to turn away. But then Nancy spoke, shattering the silence. "It is clear to me that you do not understand, and I don't know if you ever will, Ned." Her tone was clipped and hard, and her voice had seemed to come out of nowhere, and when Ned lifted his head to look up at her, he saw that her tears were now gone, and she looked almost like she had done when she'd entered his life.

"Tell me what it is I don't understand then," he snapped flatly.

"You do not understand at all. It's clear. My feelings on the matter hold no bearing to you. You have made up your mind, Ned, and I cannot deter you from your decision. Not only do you not understand me, but you don't understand yourself." Her words were strange, they sounded foreign to him, and she was talking now from some other place, some place where he could not find her. "You are wrong, Ned, when it comes to what you think is of value in this life. It is time that you started seeing yourself as someone with more to offer a girl than just your looks. I deserve to decide my own fate, as you have said throughout this conversation. You wish me to leave you alone, forever. You do not respect me, not truly. I see it now. You've made your choice, Ned. And I've made mine, at last. You do not respect me; you don't love me. But Frank does," she added, and she was aware her voice sounded incredibly mean, but she did not care. Ned had done this to her, and he deserved to know the truth. "I choose Frank, Ned. He doesn't get jealous, he understands me. Not like you did. Come to think of it, I don't know if you ever did."

He did not see Nancy leave. He turned away once she said her piece.

It was all he would have of her. Her words. Fitting, really. But just before Nancy Drew left him for good this time, Ned heard her speak to him again. It was her final closing statement, which left him unable to find any sort of closure, only leaving him with further torment and anguish in his weak heart. "You are the kindest man I have met in all my life," she said, though there was no warmth left in her voice. "I do not wish to see you hurt like everyone else I have known. Would you allow me to, I can help protect you, be a friend to you, and maybe…"

Here Nancy hesitated and bit her lip, fighting back her urge to break down and blinking back briny tears. "Maybe I could have even loved you if you would have allowed it, but I can see now that you do not want that. You wish me to be gone from your life forever, so I will go. Don't try to help me and don't follow Frank or I, Ned. I've made my choice. You should just go home, Ned. Go home, before something happens to you. It's not safe for you to be here. Go home, go back to your parents. You owe me nothing." It had taken him a good minute or two to realize what she had said, for she had spoken so softly and without any kind of feeling in her voice at all.

As he blinked, her words finally registering, he bounded towards the place where Nancy had disappeared, following Frank, but he was too late. Nancy Drew was once again gone from his life. For good this time.

And it was all his fault.

As he watched after the spot where Nancy had stood only moments before, Ned was suddenly hit with a feeling of great unease for Nancy. Dread crept down his spine like a spider leaving a careful trail of silk. He felt her feet on his skin, descending until he was almost frozen to the spot, his stomach full of lead, his mind worryingly empty. Save for one thought. Ned could not shake the feeling that Nancy was in danger. But from what, he did not know, and the fear he felt for her was making him calm.

And that was what scared him the most.