When Nancy awoke the next morning, she was surprised to see her father sitting at the kitchen table. She looked at the kitchen wall clock to make sure she had the right time. Yep…it was nine o'clock.

"Hey, Dad," Nancy said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "I thought you'd be at the office already."

Nancy made her way over to the coffeepot and grabbed her mug out of the cabinet. She poured herself a cup of coffee and then sat at the table. Her father hadn't answered her and he had a troubled look on his face.

"Dad, what's going on?" Nancy asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

He jerked, startled and Nancy laughed. "Something must be going on in that mind of yours."

"Oh, honey," Carson said, giving her a weak smile. "I'm sorry. I'm just off in my own world, I guess."

Nancy took a sip of her coffee. "I can tell," she said. "So, what's on your mind, Dad?"

"Aren't you going to ask me about what happened at the police station last night?" Carson asked, eyeing his daughter.

"Oh, my God," Nancy said, slapping her forehead. "I forgot all about that!"

Carson looked at his daughter, not knowing whether she really did forget or she was waiting for him to start the conversation. Oh well…there's no putting it off right now, he thought miserably.

Carson took a deep breath and grabbed Nancy's hand.

"Well, this can't be good," Nancy said. "You only hold onto my hand when you have something bad to tell me."

"The reason I was called to the station last night was because of Dominic Shepard," Carson said.

"What?" Nancy asked. "What would he want with you?"

"He wants me to represent him," Carson said softly.

Nancy scoffed. "You laughed in his face and told him to go to hell, right?"

Carson turned his gaze away from Nancy and looked at the table. Nancy slowly took her hand from his and just stared at him, shocked.

"Dad, tell me you said no," Nancy said, meekly.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sweetheart," Carson said.

"Why?" Nancy asked. "What possible reason could you have to represent the…the monster that terrorized me for days?"

"Nancy, I have my reasons for wanting to do this," Carson said.

"And I deserve to know those reasons!" Nancy shouted.

"Please remember that you are still my daughter and you are not automatically privy to everything that goes on in my life!" Carson said, loudly.

"When it pertains to me, then I do have a right to know," Nancy protested. "And besides, you can't represent him, especially when I'll be on the stand testifying against him!"

"I can represent whomever I please," Carson said.

"So, you're telling me that you'll actually be able to stand in that courtroom and question me without any guilt at all?" Nancy asked. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Frank, Joe, and Hannah gather around the kitchen's entrance.

"Of course it's going to hurt me, Nancy, but I really have no choice!" Carson said.

"What did he do, Dad?" Nancy asked. "What is he holding over your head?"

"Nothing, Nancy," Carson said. "He's holding nothing over my head. I chose to represent him on my own."

Nancy shook her head in disbelief. She stood up from the table and continued to stare at her father, begging for a sign that he had another reason for doing this. But his face remained neutral.

"I've got to get out of here," Nancy said, softly.

"Nancy—wait!" Carson said.

Nancy shook her head and stormed out of the kitchen, pushing through the Hardys and Hannah. The three just stared at Carson, but he refused to meet their eyes. He just stood up, grabbed his briefcase and keys off the table and walked out the door.

"I better see if Nancy is okay," Hannah said, wringing her hands on her apron.

"I'll go, Hannah," Frank said.

Before Hannah could say anything, Frank was already making his way up the stairs. He stopped in front of Nancy's door and rapped softly on it.

"Just go away," Nancy said, quietly.

"Nancy, it's Frank," he said. Not hearing a response from her, he opened her door to see she was lying on her bed. He closed the door and sat on the edge of her bed.

When Nancy looked at Frank, his heart nearly broke. She had tried to wipe her eyes before she looked at him, but he saw a couple of stray tears on her cheeks. He gently wiped them away before he spoke. "What happened?" he asked softly.

Nancy let out a laugh. "You mean you didn't hear the great screaming match of 2005?"

Frank nodded. "I heard it. In fact, I think the whole neighborhood may have heard it."

Nancy sighed. "I've never fought with him like that, Frank. My dad and I have always agreed on everything. But this—this is almost unforgivable."

Frank didn't say anything. He wanted Nancy to talk to him freely without any prompting.

"He is doing the most inexcusable thing ever," Nancy continued. "Can you believe he actually agreed to represent that monster?"

"Did he tell you why?" Frank asked.

"He said it was none of my business," Nancy said. "Frank, I have never, in all my life, felt so betrayed. And to be betrayed by my own father, it makes it that much worse."

"Nancy, he must have his reasons for wanting to do it," Frank said, cautiously. He didn't want to set Nancy off.

Nancy stood up and walked over to her window. She stared out into the sunlit neighborhood. "I want him to tell me the reason, Frank. I deserve to know. He's never kept anything from me before, so why start now?"

"Nancy there has to be a logical explanation for this," Frank said. "Maybe he's doing it to protect you."

Nancy whirled back around to look at him. "To protect me? From what? Dom is in jail—what could he possibly be protecting me from?"

Frank shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe he took the case to ensure that Dom got sent to jail. Did you ever think about that?"

"My dad wouldn't do that, Frank," Nancy said. "He's too ethical."

"A father would do anything to make sure his children are safe, Nancy," Frank said. "Even if that means going against his ethics."

Nancy sighed. "I don't know. Maybe you're right."

"And maybe I'm not," Frank said. "The only thing you can do is know that your father is doing this for a reason. He may not let you in on it. But you can be almost sure that it's to benefit you."

Nancy rolled her eyes. "Why do you always have to put things into perspective?" she asked, slightly annoyed. "It's much easier for me to be angry at him."

"Maybe so," Frank said.

Nancy took a deep breath. "I guess I should apologize to him."

"How about giving him some time to think things through? Who knows? Maybe he'll be more open to you about everything," Frank said.

Nancy didn't say anything. She looked around her room and her eyes settled on her desk. Frank saw the confused look on her face.

"What is it?" he asked.

Nancy picked up an envelope. On the front was her name written in block letters. "This…it wasn't here last night when I went to bed."

Frank stood up and walked behind her. "Maybe it's a note from your dad."

Nancy shook her head. "I don't think so. This isn't in my dad's handwriting."

Nancy tore open the envelope and took out the sheet of paper that was enclosed. Her blood immediately ran cold when she started to read it.

"'Dear Nancy,'" she began. "'By now your father has given you the great news. I only regret that I couldn't be there to witness your reaction firsthand. But I do look forward to the time we'll be spending together in the coming weeks. I'll make sure to look my best for you. And just so you know, you were right. Katie is not real. But you are…You are more real to me than anything I know right now. P.S.—I can't wait until your father gets me off and we can continue where we left off.'"

"That son of a bitch," Frank muttered under his breath.

Nancy sank down to her bed and sat down. "He's never going to leave me alone, Frank," she whispered.

Frank stood in front of Nancy and brought her face up to look her in the eyes. "He's not going to be released, Nancy. No jury, in their right minds, would let him have the opportunity to wreak havoc in this town again. It's a solid case against him."

Nancy looked at the note in her hand and then at Frank again. "But you're forgetting one thing, Frank."

"What's that?" Frank asked.

"He has the best criminal defense lawyer in River Heights," Nancy said. "One that has never lost a case yet."

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Author's Note: Well, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! As always, leave some feedback!