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Author's Note: Thank you all for your reviews and ideas. It really helps me out. I know I left the last chapter off at a bad place, but I hope that this chapter will make up for that. Again, thanks a lot.

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Nancy was already out of her seat.

"Nancy, wait!" Frank said, jumping out of his seat and following her. "You can't go after him alone!"

"Then come on!" she said, already at the door.

Joe threw money on the table and saw that people were looking at them strangely. He just gave them a polite smile and followed Frank and Nancy. They were stopped right outside the door.

Nancy scanned the street where she had seen Fitz. She pointed. "There he is!"

"He's got a pair, I'll give him that." Joe muttered.

"Police! Freeze!" Frank shouted pulling out his gun.

Fitz looked back at them and he locked eyes with Nancy. He gave her a chilling smile before he took off running.

"Nancy, call the police!" Frank said, starting to take off after Fitz.

"Frank, you are the police." Nancy said.

"Just do it, Nan." Frank said.

"No, Frank. You will not leave me out of this!" Nancy said, running after him.

"Don't argue! Do it before he gets away!" Frank said. He darted in front of traffic to go after Fitz.

Nancy looked after him, angry. She was starting to shake. How dare he leave her out of this!

Joe looked at Nancy apologetically. "I'm sorry, Nan."

"Just go after him, Joe." Nancy said tightly.

Joe took off after his brother. "Frank! Wait up!"

Frank didn't even look back at his brother. "He just cut a right into that alley!" he shouted.

Joe nodded and caught up with his brother. Frank put on a burst of speed. Fitz was just three yards ahead of him. Sensing that, Fitz shoved a large trash can in Frank's direction. Frank managed to avoid it at the last second. He heard Joe jump over it behind him.

"Mike Fitzgerald, I order you to stop!" Frank shouted. He drew up his gun and aimed and fired a shot. The bullet hit a brick wall near Fitz's head.

Frank sighed in frustration and holstered his gun. It wasn't helping him. He saw Fitz take a left and dart into another alley.

"Joe, try to cut him off!" Frank said to his brother.

"You got it!" Joe said, taking off in another alley.

Frank approached the alley, making as little noise as possible. He drew his gun back from its holder. He was hoping that Fitz would run towards him in order to avoid Joe. Frank darted a look all around the alley. Just as he was about to emerge from the end, a large board came towards him and hit him in the stomach. Frank hit the ground gasping for air and a shot rang out from his gun.

Joe froze when he heard the shot. He raced around the corner to see Fitz taking off and his brother lying on the ground, clutching his stomach.

Joe hesitated. What should he do? Go after Fitz or check on Frank? He chose his brother, which he knew he would regret later.

"Frank!" Joe said, stooping next to his brother.

"Go after him, Joe." Frank grunted.

Joe shook his head. "It's too late," he said, glancing down the alley. Fitz was nowhere in sight.

"No, you have to go after him for Nancy." Frank said.

"It's too late." Joe said. "I'm calling an ambulance."

Frank wanted to protest more, but Joe grabbed his cell phone and placed the call.

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Nancy was still fuming about Frank. She knew that he was protecting her, but he had never shut her out before. And it hurt her. Why should now be any different from any other situation they had been in?

But she was anxious, too. She had no idea what was going on and Frank and Joe had been gone for a while now. And that bothered her.

Nancy heard the sirens off in the distance. She had called them fifteen minutes ago. She stood on her tiptoes to see that an ambulance was approaching along with the police cars.

That's weird, she thought. I didn't call for an ambulance. She saw the ambulance turn down the street where Frank and Joe had run.

She felt her stomach lurch.

"Frank." She said softly.

Nancy took off down the alley.

Oh, please let everything be okay, she pleaded. She skidded to a stop behind the ambulance. She looked around the ambulance and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Frank leaning against a wall.

"Frank!" she exclaimed. She ran up to him and leaned down next to him. She grabbed his face in her hands and pushed his hair away. She felt tears spring to her eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He brushed a stray tear from her face. "What are you doing here, Nancy?" he asked weakly.

"You honestly thought I would stay back when I saw an ambulance racing down here?" he asked, some of her anger returning.

"Excuse me, miss." A paramedic was tapping her on the shoulder. "We need to get him to the hospital."

Nancy stood back and watched as the paramedic examined Frank. He and his partner loaded him onto a stretcher. She turned to see Joe talking to an officer a few feet away. Joe looked up at her and she made her way to him as he finished giving his statement.

"Joe, what happened?" Nancy asked.

"Frank and I were chasing Fitz. He hid and when Frank came around the corner, he hit him with a 2x4." Joe explained, running a hand through his hair.

"I knew I shouldn't have let you two go alone." Nancy said.

"And that could have been you, Nancy. Or he could have done worse. He wants to kill you, remember?" Joe said.

Nancy closed her eyes in frustration. "Where's Fitz?"

"It's my fault he got away. He hit Frank and I didn't go after him. I was too worried about Frank." Joe said, frustrated.

Nancy took a deep breath. She had to calm down. She couldn't blame Joe. She would have done the exact same thing.

"Come on." he said. "Let's get to the hospital and check on Frank."

Nancy nodded and let Joe lead her to the car.

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"What is taking so long?" Nancy asked, pacing the waiting room for the hundredth time.

"They have to check everything, Nancy." Joe said. "They'll let us know something as soon as they can."

"How can you be so calm?" Nancy asked. She sat down next to Joe. "I hate hospitals."

"Bad experience?" Joe asked, trying to get her mind off of Frank.

"Let's just say that every time I land in one, someone tries to kill me." Nancy said ruefully.

Joe nodded understandingly. "I hate them, too."

"And why do you hate them?" Nancy asked.

"Have you seen some of the nurses?" he asked. "I usually get the one female nurse in the hospital that looks like a man and goes by the name of 'Olga'."

Nancy laughed.

Joe smiled at her. "I knew I could get a laugh out of you if I tried."

Nancy leaned her head on Joe's shoulder. "I just wish that this nightmare would end."

"It will, Nancy." Joe said, and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Miss Drew? Mr. Hardy?" A female doctor came out of the examination room.

"Is he okay?" Nancy asked, standing up again.

"He's going to be fine," the doctor said. "He has a couple of bruised ribs and some cuts and bruises. He was very lucky."

"So he can go home?" Nancy asked.

The doctor nodded. "Soon. We just want to watch him for a couple of hours. You can go see him if you would like."

"Thank you, Doctor." Joe said. He turned to Nancy. "I told you he would be fine."

Nancy smiled. "I know."

They walked into the exam room. Frank looked at them and smiled weakly.

"Hey." he said softly.

Nancy kissed him on the lips. "Hi."

Frank looked at Joe. "Come on, Joe. Where's my kiss from you?"

"Sorry, bro." Joe said. "All you get is a handshake."

Frank smiled as Joe shook his hand. He then saw the look of anger on Nancy's face and his smile quickly faded.

"I'm sorry, Nan." he said.

"You're sorry?" Nancy shook her head. "I don't know what I should be angrier at: You not letting me go with you or you letting Fitz hurt you."

"I didn't let Fitz hurt me. He surprised me." Frank said. "And if you had went with me, this could be you in this hospital bed."

"I already heard it from Joe. I don't need to hear the same thing from you. And that's beside the point." Nancy said. "You left me out, Frank. You have never done that before."

He saw the pained look in her eyes. He really had hurt her by leaving her out. And it hadn't helped his case any that he had gotten himself hurt. He was angry at himself. He should have been more alert and figured that Fitz would do something like that.

"All I can do is apologize, Nancy." Frank said. "And when I'm able to get out of this bed, grovel at your feet."

"No, I'm sorry, too. I know you were looking out for me." Nancy said. "And I should have a little sympathy for you. Especially with you in the hospital and all."

"I'll make it up to you." Frank said, taking her hand.

"Really?" Nancy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just name the price." Frank said.

Nancy gave him a mischievous smile.