~ Thoughts on a Plane ~
Nancy Drew was quite used to chaos. Her lifestyle had her jumping from plane to plane, from one end of the world to the next. She'd faced near-death experiences, befriended a wolf, stole a priceless sapphire, ziplined between buildings, outran tornadoes, etc. In fact, Nancy always believed if there wasn't chaos in her life, she'd be rather bored.
Except for today. Today, she would give anything for some goddamn peace and quiet.
It wasn't a very long flight from Massachusetts to River Heights; just a little under three hours. Nothing compared to the long international flights Nancy was accustomed to. But this flight was ticking by like molasses, but at the same time, she seemed to be barreling towards home at lightspeed.
And it was all due to Frank Fucking Hardy.
Frank Hardy and his stupid face. And his stupid vests. And his stupid offer.
Nancy barely noticed her foot was working so hard she was actually kicking the seat in front of her. But she was getting ahead of herself.
Salem Massachusetts had been…like nothing she'd ever experienced. It was the first case where she'd really felt terrified. And worse than that had been the doubt. Nothing had ever made her question her beliefs as that hallucination did at the Hathorne House. She'd never felt so shaken.
But despite the hallucinations and the doubts and Deidre Shannon, Nancy was listing this as one of her favorite cases ever.
Nancy would never refer to Frank Hardy as a knight in shining armor, mainly because Nancy's pride would never allow it. She was a strong, independent woman with no need of saving. Except that was utterly untrue. Independent? Yes. In no need of saving? Eeeeh.
She had to face it; Frank, and Joe for that matter, had saved her life on numerous occasions. She had thought she was definitely doomed in Egypt, but Frank had saved her even then from inside a sarcophagus. Although she had saved their lives multiple times as well. But that was beside the point.
The point was that Frank had rarely seemed so much like a knight in shining armor as he did that morning, standing in the kitchen lecturing Joe. Sunshine was streaming through the window above the sink, highlighting his dark hair and his strong features. He was leaning against the countertop, his arms crossed over his chest in such a way it made those stupid muscles of his bulge a bit against his flannel shirt. And he was, as usual, sporting a vest, which alone set Nancy at ease like a blanket might to a child.
Before she had even crossed the kitchen, his smell had enveloped her. Which wasn't possible because the entire kitchen smelled like burnt Johnny Cakes. It was psychosomatic, but it was real enough to her. He smelled of air-dried sheets and old books and coffee. It made her feel safe and exhilarated at the same time.
But it had always been that way between her and Frank. Even when they were little, it was always her and Frank. Sometimes her, Frank, and Joe, but never just Nancy and Joe. It was their preteen years that trouble was on the horizon, though they certainly had no idea. No, they were stupid hormone-driven creatures confused by their hearts beating faster in each other's presence and love songs became suddenly awkward to endure in one another's company.
They grew smart enough as teenagers. Her and Frank toed a very, very thin line, one that was always so easy to cross. They were like magnets, pulling towards each other, even when their self-control spent all its energy on keeping them apart. She couldn't explain the phenomenon, not exactly. Or perhaps she simply didn't want to explain the phenomenon. Because doing so would bring about an entire world of change.
Nancy was…comfortable with her life. She lived her chaotic lifestyle, and between one chaotic case and the next, she rested her weary but satisfied bones at home. She loved staying at her childhood home, the stability of it, the constant of it. Where there were still pieces of her mother littering the house; like the little sketches above doorframes and the large piano in the living room.
Her friends were comfortable, reliable. They were a phone call away if she needed to vent her frustrations or hear herself talk or get a moral boost from Bess Marvin. They had never let her down, and she couldn't foresee that changing anytime soon.
Everything about River Heights was comfortable because it never seemed to change. Just like Ned Nickerson.
Things had changed somewhat, she supposed. He'd gone to college, coming home during Winter and Summer break and for holidays. But he always had the same stories and always seemed to end them with a "I guess you had to be there." Nancy still hadn't figured out if Ned was using that innocently, or if there was a double meaning behind it; because she wouldn't be surprised.
Patient, loving Ned had altered from the boy she'd fallen for in high school. Once he moved to college, he grew increasingly frustrated with Nancy's absences. Why wasn't she at home during the small stretches of time he was? Why couldn't she drive to Emerson here and there on a weekend? What was she planning to do with her life?
That question got her every time. It had started enough arguments that Ned had stopped asking…as frequently. She knew what Ned wanted to hear. He wanted her to settle into college life, get a degree, move on to a career. Or to join the local police department. To be a local detective. He wanted her to do whatever she wanted…granted she would be home every evening.
And god if that didn't make Nancy's stomach roll with nausea.
She couldn't imagine a world where she was home, sleeping in her own bed each night. Never seeing faraway places, meeting fascinating people. Tending to dinner and shopping and a brood of children.
A chill ran down her spine just thinking about it.
And Nancy knew with all her heart that if she accepted this future, she'd be forever confined behind that picket fence. Never again would she be able to accompany the Hardy brothers on a case. And that thought filled her with cold terror.
All of this came to a head on the front porch of the Parry house. She sat upon the wooden steps, thinking fondly of her time here. Thinking about the doubts and the 'ghosts' and the arson…and smiling. It had been a tough case, sure, but it had seemed far more solvable with the Hardy Boys around. Everything was always better with the Hardy Boys around. And she…she didn't want to board this plane. Especially not after Frank joined her on those wooden steps.
"Hey," he had smiled softly, warmth shining in those deep brown eyes of his.
"Hey," Nancy echoed the greeting and the smile.
"Why did you leave the party?" he asked.
"I got a call," Nancy said simply. She had. Ned had finally called her back. They'd been playing phone tag the entire time she was in Salem and, this time, he hadn't seem particularly bothered about it. He was having a fabulous time during his vacation by the sound of it. Judging by that very feminine voice that had answered the phone.
Regardless, Nancy had taken the call. He'd asked if she had finished her case and if it meant she would be home soon. Nancy had smiled weakly to herself, feeling rather conflicted. She decided to mention that little vacation idea of Deidre's, but as Ned delightedly accepted, her stomach dropped in disappointed.
God, what was wrong with her? Who in their right mind wanted their boyfriend to say no to a romantic vacation in Austria? Maybe that ergot was still working its way out of her system.
Frank hummed to her answer, his elbows on his knees, his chin atop laced fingers. It was so inherently Frank that Nancy's heart swelled a bit. He was looking across the street to the neighboring house, not that he was really seeing it. He was thinking and Nancy recognized the look as easily as she recognized her own heartbeat.
"You know, Nancy…" he trailed off for a moment before leaning back and looking to her. "I don't want you to feel pressured about the whole agency thing. Joe hinted that perhaps I had been a little too overeager."
"Oh, not at all," Nancy immediately replied. It was true, she probably had been a little aloof on the topic. Not because Frank mentioned it to her various times, but because she wanted it. She wanted it so bad she could taste it.
She could just imagine it. Walking into work every day, never knowing what case would be handed to her. Never knowing what remote place she would be flying off to, and getting paid for it. Working with Frank and Joe, picking their brilliant minds. Seeing Frank every day.
And there was the problem. She felt like this decision was drawing a line in the sand. She could not open a detective agency with Frank and Joe and remain with Ned. For one, Nancy was sure she'd have to relocate to New York and Ned would likely not be so willing. Two, Ned would never accept Nancy seeing Frank every day. He didn't even know Frank was here because he'd blow a gasket.
It was annoying really. Hadn't he enough faith in her not to jump Frank's bones while she was in a relationship? Yeah…sure…they had crossed that aforementioned line a few times. There was that time they'd been snowed into that cabin when they thought they were about to die, and that magical night in Egypt. But for the most part, Nancy and Frank went to great lengths to resist that magnetic pull.
They would try to be cognizant of physical touch, even though it was so natural they hardly noticed themselves doing it. In times where that line was growing ever thinner, one of them would bring up Ned or Callie, effectively building a wall between them.
God, didn't Ned know how hard she tried?
It was that thought that clanged through her. She was angry with her boyfriend because he didn't appreciate the fact that she felt she was sacrificing.
That wasn't normal, was it?
Nancy just wanted to shut her brain off, to halt the chaos in her mind and in her heart. She wanted a moment of peace. She didn't want to feel like she was slowly dying during this plane ride at the prospect of returning to normalcy, while feeling like she was speeding home because she had a decision to make.
She could make the decision at home, sure. Frank hadn't given her a time limit on when she would need to accept or decline their invitation. But at home there would be distractions and influences. Words that evoked guilt. No, she needed to make a decision on this plane that flew in some sort of interdimension where time is irrelevant.
For as much as she wanted that peace and quiet…Nancy couldn't stop thinking about the chaos. Of Frank's bad jokes and Joe's rashness. Of gasps of excitement or the feverish explanation that solves the case. Of trains and cabins and sandy beaches and the way the stars twinkled above the Nile.
But that wasn't just chaos.
It was life. It was peace. It was home.
It hit her then. Sitting on a plane beside Frank Hardy flying to some far-off location in search of danger felt much more like home than any house in River Heights could.
And so, when her plane finally unboarded, Nancy impatiently pushed her way through fellow passengers and made her way to the nearest help desk.
"Yes, ma'am, can I help you?" asked a blonde woman behind the desk.
"Yes. I need a one-way ticket to Bayport, New York please."
Author's Note:
Desperately wanting to update my ND fic, I tried to immerse myself in the fandom. I got sidetracked and studied the theories that the next ND game will be in Austria with Ned. And that made me sad because there's the perfect set up to unite our favorite detectives and to finally dock my favorite ship. So I wrote my feelings into a fic. I hope you enjoyed my Frenzied Sit Down and Write a One Shot in an Hour Passion Project. Stay safe, readers!