A/N: I love you guys. Really, thanks for reading my story. Anyway, I've decided this is the penultimate chapter... I love that word. And, uh, just a warning: this chapter is hopelessly fluffy... Okay, now go ahead: read!
Disclaimer: Not claiming anything. Okay?
Joe sat on Vanessa's bed and took her hands. "Do they hurt a lot?" he questioned, gently rubbing her raw wrists.
Vanessa pulled her hands back. "You don't have to worry about me, Joe. I'm fine."
Joe sighed. "I know... but worrying about you has become somewhat of a habit over the past few days." He slipped an arm around her waist. "Right now, I'm just glad you're here for me to fuss over."
"You can say that again." Vanessa agreed. "That whole experience was pretty wild, huh?"
"Pretty scary, you mean." Joe replied grimly. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."
Vanessa's eyes grew moist. She could feel how serious Joe was, and it unsettled her. Vanessa always worried what would happen to Joe if she were to get hurt or killed. She knew that he had lost his first serious girlfriend to a terrorist bomb and that he had never gotten over it, but it had always been somewhat of a taboo subject with them. "Joe." she said, just as seriously. "Don't worry about it. I'm not going anywhere."
"Not this time," Joe said. "But what about when we run into a really evil criminal? There are loads of people out there who would think nothing of killing you if you were ever in that position again..."
Vanessa took his face in her hands. "I love you, Joe. And if that's the risk I'm taking by being with you, then so be it."
"I'd start an argument, but I know you won't back down." Joe murmured good-naturedly, breaking the serious mood.
"Darn right." Vanessa smirked, shifting slightly to kiss the corners of his mouth.
Joe laughed and pulled her body against his, meeting her lips gently.
Vanessa slid her arms around his neck and then suddenly gasped and pulled away, blowing on her sore wrists. "I guess they do hurt a bit..." she said sheepishly.
Joe grinned. "I'm sorry."
Vanessa shook it off. "Well, like Callie says, it comes with the territory when you date a Hardy!"
"Great..." Joe grumbled. He had a thought. "Speaking of Callie, she and Frank went off together a while ago."
"She might not be dating a Hardy much longer..." Vanessa finished.
Joe shook his head. "I don't know about that. Frank might not have it in him to kick her to the curb."
Vanessa elbowed him. "Hey, Callie's still my best friend!" she protested.
"Just kidding..."
A sudden knock on the door startled them. Joe got up and opened it. "Hey, Nance, come on in, it's cold out there."
"Thanks, but no thanks," Nancy replied quickly. "I just wondered if, um... maybe either of you have seen Frank?"
Joe shook his head, "Sorry, Nancy, not since this morning."
"Me neither," Vanessa said, coming to stand next to Joe. She winked. "Don't worry, you'll find him."
Nancy smiled at her friend. She was about to reply when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned in surprise to find Callie standing there. "Hi." was all she could come up with.
"Hey." Callie answered. She glanced at Joe and Vanessa and then back to Nancy. "He, ah, went towards the beach." she said.
Nancy just stared at this unexpected source of help. She was even more surprised when Callie winked at her a second later. "Go on," she urged. Then she handed Nancy the bundle she was holding. "And, um, bring him this. Idiot ran off without his coat..."
They must have broken up! Nancy's mind screamed. Callie has stepped aside.It's your turn to talk to Frank. Excitement welled up in Nancy as she stared from the jacket in her hands to Callie and back again. Callie, Joe, and Vanessa were all watching her. "Okay, I'm going!" she laughed, taking off towards the beach. About twenty feet away, she turned around. "Thanks, Callie!" she called.
"Anytime!" Callie returned with a grin.
Nancy kicked off her shoes before she went down to the beach. It was cold and wet out, but she'd rather the wet sand be on her feet than in her sneakers. She shivered as her bare feet touched the freezing sand anyway, the cold sea breeze whipping her hair around and pelting her face with raindrops. How unromantic, she thought wryly.
She jogged along the beach, keeping an eye out for Frank. Finally spotting a figure, the only one on the beach, she ran towards it. It was unmistakably Frank, and Nancy realized he was looking out to the ocean and that he couldn't see her. She considered sneaking up on him, but that would keep her in the rain a lot longer, she decided, and she was cold. Taking the chance that he wasn't feeling as happy about this turn of events as she was, she shouted, "Wouldn't it be ironic if we died of pneumonia out here?"
Frank turned, his arms folded across his chest, an amused expression on his face. "You know what, Nan?" he asked. "Looks like its you and me."
What does he mean by that? Nancy wondered vaguely. What she said was, "Ned was right, your eye looks awful." Frank's handsome features were masked by a series of dark bruises from his encounter at the hotel, including a black eye.
Frank laughed softly. "So that's how it's gonna be, Drew? I'm finally free to tell you that I love you and all you can do is insult my appearance?"
Nancy was almost shocked by Frank's words, but not quite. They'd had feelings for each other for a long time now. "No, no, it's a nice black eye." she teased, pulling herself together. "It suits you."
Frank grinned at the beautiful girl standing cockily in front of him, taking in her disheveled appearance from her bare, sandy feet to her windswept hair, glittering with rain droplets. He took a step toward her and she involuntarily took a step back.
"How do you know I'm not still with Ned?" she whispered.
Frank shook his head. "You broke it off with him as soon as you could, same as I did with Callie."
Nancy's eyes sparkled. "But how do you know?"
"Because I know you, and I know that you're an honest person. You wouldn't want to keep up the charade with Ned when every minute it could mean hurting him more."
He delivered his answer with such sincerity that Nancy had to ask, "How much will your face hurt if I kiss you right now?"
Frank bit back a laugh. "I don't know, but I'm willing to try it out..." He lowered his lips to hers.
Nancy returned the kiss in the spirit that it was given: a trial, a test run, the first time they could kiss without worrying about being seen, the first time they could end the kiss and choose to start a relationship, the first time they could end the kiss and share another...
The two teens broke apart, breathing heavily. Frank leaned down to kiss her again, just because he could.
Nancy smiled up at him. "It stopped raining..." she noted softly.
Frank saw her shiver slightly. "Cold?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"I guess." Nancy said.
Frank gently took the jacket Nancy forgot she'd been holding and slipped it over her shoulders.
They both laughed.
The next day, Nancy and the Hardys drove back up to the shady motel to collect their stuff. Vanessa tagged along, deciding to spend a few hours with her Aunt Rachel after all (and hoping she could persuade her to move to a nicer neighborhood.)
Nancy laughed as she re-entered the awful motel room, casually leading Frank by the hand. "I will be so glad when we never have to come here again."
"You can say that again." Joe agreed, tossing his clothes and toothbrush back into his duffel. He stopped suddenly, coming upon his wallet, which, curiously, had a scrap of paper pinned to it. "What's this?" he wondered, holding the sheet of paper up to the light. Reading its message, he half-sighed, half-laughed. "Check this out, you two."
Frank and Nancy gathered under the flickering ceiling lamp. Frank took the note and read it aloud.
"Dear Joe, Frank, and Nancy,
Just wanted to let you know we are alive and well, and hold no grudges about the alarm fiasco. (Yes, Nancy, we know that was you.) Show this note to the police if you will, but we will be long gone by the time you find it. Anyway, it's been a pleasure working with you all.
Until we meet again,
Charity, Fiona, and Dr. Fox"
"I don't believe this!" Nancy exclaimed, shaking her head in amusement. "They've got some nerve."
Frank grinned. "Wait, there's more; just wait till you hear this." He continued reading.
"P.S.- Joe, to prove there are no hard feelings between us, I managed to convince Charity to return the wallet she lifted from you a few days ago. Much love. -F.F."
Nancy and Frank burst out laughing.
Joe rolled his eyes and made a grab for his wallet. "Give me that!"
"Well, at least they're okay." Nancy said, sobering up. "I have to admit I was worried about them."
"Don't worry for them." Joe snorted. "They always bounce back!"
"And they're not done with us." Frank mused, rereading the note. "'Until we meet again...'"
Joe groaned. "Great."
"Actually, I can't wait." Frank said. "We definitely have a score to settle..."
"Definitely." Joe and Nancy agreed.
A/N: I've got one more epilogue-type chapter for this story. And then that's it... PLEASE REVIEW! I always feel vaguely uncomfortable after posting one of these romantic-type chapters because they're sort of controversial, what with the pairings and all... so ease my mind and give me your honest opinion!