A/N: For those who may wonder, I didn't mention other Hardy friends, since I'm not sure if Nancy knew them…however, I'm pretty sure she met Chet once, in one of the other crossover series besides the Supermysteries…I'm also relatively certain she knew of Vanessa, and I know she knew Callie, though if she ever met Vanessa and Callie, it happened behind the scenes, to the best of my knowledge. Memories expressed in this chapter come from my recollections of various books, and my own imagination, in case anyone is wondering.

I never expected to feel this way at the end of it all. I expected to feel some sort of sense that justice had been done, that we had accomplished something. And instead…I'm feeling mostly exhaustion. Defeat. Loss.

I never noticed how much of my energy was going into this trial, into being there for my brother. My own grieving process, it seems, was temporarily halted while we fought to put Nancy's killer in jail. And now that it's over, now that he's going to sit in jail for the rest of his life, we have nothing else to do.

Sitting here, I look at the faces around me. We've all gathered here, in the Drew's living room, though no one seems to feel like celebrating. Instead, my parents are conversing quietly with Mr. Drew and Hannah; Ned and Frank are both staring off into space; Bess and George are playing a lackluster game of cards. I sit here, staring blankly at the television, wondering how Nancy's friends in Bayport are handling things. Feeling that they didn't know Nancy well enough, Chet, Callie, and Vanessa didn't come here for the trial, though they sent their condolences. But they must be grieving, too.

I know for a fact that were a few national news stations covering the trial, since Nancy had earned a name for herself. Sometimes it amazes me that she was ever able to go undercover, as strangers always seemed to know her. Still, she was a good actress. In fact…

(Abrupt perspective switch, sorry. We're now in third-person)

"Hey," Joe said, deciding it was about time they talked about the absent star of this tragedy. It was a clichéd tactic, but he'd heard it helped, and this stifling atmosphere was killing him. "Anyone got any good Nancy stories to tell?"

For a moment, everyone stopped. Then he was met by looks that, by varying degrees, all told him quite well that he was perfectly insane.

"Oh, come on…we're all sitting here, thinking of her. We're just not saying her name."

"Well…" Bess began slowly, "it's not a pleasant memory, but I remember when Nancy's clock, the one she got from her first case, became the object of another mystery. We ended up getting locked in a big ice cream freezer because of her investigation, and I remember telling her that the old clock might be her last case as well…at the time, it was a bit of morbid irony. But she wouldn't hear of it. And she was right, in the end."

George smiled. "I remember that. At the end of it, we celebrated with hot chocolate, even though it was summer."

"I remember Brenda Carlton pressuring her for details when we came here to investigate the body-snatchings," Frank said with a grin, "Nancy looked so irritated, I half-wondered if she was going to punch Brenda for being such a nuisance."

Everyone laughed. "Well, Brenda does have a talent for poking her nose in things…remember when we had her pose as Nancy? I'm still surprised Nancy didn't kill us for that when she found out…" Joe commented.

"Well, Joe, as I recall, you're the reason Brenda was there in the first place. I was an innocent."

"Oh, you were just as guilty for getting Brenda to do it as I was."

"Maybe so."

"Remember that time she got poisoned?" Ned asked.

"Which one?"

"The case with Allison of the alligator slippers."

"Yeah! Probably the worst dose of poison she'd ever suffered, and yet Nancy was laughing and looking for adventure again in no time. She always bounced back."

"Yeah…hey, remember when you called her a "teen sleuth, girl detective," Bess?"

Bess laughed. "Yes…she didn't take so kindly to that."

"What do you mean? I thought she took it rather well…"

"Oh sure, that's because you two helped her tickle me."

"Well, you did call us her "dimwitted assistants."

"What about the time she got squeezed by a robot?"

"Squeezed by a robot!"

"Yeah…at the time, it wasn't funny. But afterwards…"

"She knew how to fake a faint really well, too."

"You're telling me. The girl should've won an Oscar."

Carson broke into the teenagers' discussion. "I remember a time when Nancy was five," he said quietly. "We were at the fair, standing in line for the Ferris wheel. Suddenly, we heard someone yelling for help. A man ran toward us, holding a big purse in his hands. Nancy just looked at him, stuck her foot out, and down he went. She was proud she'd stopped him, but really upset that he'd hit her and knocked her caramel apple to the ground when he fell." Everyone chuckled.

"Remember her old dog, Togo?" Hannah asked. "I once found her trying to give Togo a bath, but just as I got there, he knocked her into the water instead."

"What about when she fooled not only the driver, but us, by putting that face gunk on the privacy window?"

"Yeah. I'll say it again: She deserved an Oscar. Her acting saved our butts more than once."

"Whereas you can't act at all…"

"Hey! I can so!"

"How many times did Nancy end up going over a cliff, anyone know?"

"More than I'd like to count. I'm surprised she didn't have a fear of heights."

"No…she loved flying too much to ever give up her fear of heights."

"Good thing, too…otherwise I can think of several cases that would've ended badly."

"Like your fiancé, Ned."

He winced. "Don't remind me. I'm so glad Nancy forgave me for that one."

"Well, what about the time…"

A/N: And that's where we'll leave them. I know that it's not a fully resolved ending, but I think it's better this way…there's honestly no other options to explore. Hendricks is stuck in a jail cell, and it's time to let the characters begin their healing. And that, I think, they can do without my help.

I know I violated some legal issues: jurisdiction (since technically Nancy's case should've been tried in Ohio, not near River Heights), the verdict and the subsequent sentencing. However, this is a work of fiction, and though I study criminal justice, I'm only in my first year of courses for it...I'm bound to make mistakes. Not to mention our beloved trio have had some law-breaking/bending of their own in the past.

It's been a long ride, and I'm so glad all of you offered support and critiques, and stuck with me to the end.

TesubCalle: My sounding board, who predicted certain events before they actually took place. I appreciate your listening to my complaints, my worries, and then immediately telling me whether they were founded or not. Thanks also for being a great beta. You let me know when I needed to tweak things, and when I was just fine, and for that, I'm truly grateful.

Ragna (ICE)land: I'm glad you enjoyed Hendricks so much. He was very entertaining to write. I think he's probably one of the best villains I've ever written, so it was good to know he wasn't disappointing to readers.

msnancydrew: Thanks for being there at every step and letting me know I was doing a good job. Especially when it came to the emotional content, as those were the parts I also worried about my readers' reactions the most. Thanks also for believing this doesn't need even the slightest revision, when I mentioned that possibility.

merry: Nice to know that you found my chapters worth waiting for.

nancy drew: Unfortunately, Nancy just couldn't be brought back. But I'm glad you kept reading anyway.

shadowdancer: I'm glad you pointed out my error. But since I'd already constructed the plotline, I couldn't change the verdict. Still, I'll keep it in mind for next time. As to your suggestion on how to rewrite the fic and keep a similar ending, I think it would lose a good portion of the emotional impact. Labeling Hendricks as insane makes his actions slightly more excusable, and that means the verdict would not be so unexpected. Also, regarding your comment on having him committed, Hendricks is never going to be released. (No matter how much he tries to convince me to let him out, lol). So even if I were to take your suggestion, that would not be possible. I think I've put Nancy's family and friends through enough hell with this man.

Lady Emily: I hope you find the end satisfactory, and liked Frank's reactions to Hendricks.

nanfran: Unfortunately, Nancy's gone for good. Well, at least in this fic. At the moment, I have no plans for sequels to this plotline, so Nancy, Frank, and Joe will all most likely remain alive no matter what in whatever I cook up next.

Sarah Jane: It was an interesting idea, but for this fic, Nancy had to be really dead.

Rohit Mundra: I hope you kept reading, even though I couldn't provide the whole story at once.

wildxtreme: Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it.

Silentheaven: I appreciate your review.

anonymous and proud to be one: I'm glad you thought it was one of my better stories.

Ashe: Thanks, I'm glad you think so!

PorscheDsgn: Hope you kept reading and enjoyed it.

NSW: Glad you liked it.

Steph: Thanks for reading.

Amandaleb: Thanks very much for the kind review. I have something else in progress, so I hope you're around to read that when it's posted.

epalladino: Thanks. :D

Julzprice: Don't worry, my next project will definitely be more cheerful.

Lisa: Personally, I like Nancy. I'm upset I killed her off as well. But sometimes, no matter how much we love a character, they have to remain dead. Still, I'm glad you kept reading despite the fact I killed her.

a fan:) : It's good to know you enjoyed the graveyard scene and the conclusion, since those are definitely in the top three chapters I struggled most with (the other being the verdict).

SS/Destiny Daae : Glad to know you enjoyed it.