Epilogue
Three weeks later…
The sun was shining bright on the late June morning. A gentle breeze rustled the trees and flapped the large tent erected on the ground of the Hawkley residence. Rows of chairs led up to a decorative arbor with flowers all around while guest milled around waiting for the ceremony to start. Numerous servants and attendants bustled around with drinks and hors d'oeuvres.
Parker stood in front of the mirror while Frank fidgeted with his cufflinks. There were things on his mind though one in particular that was bothering him more than normal. He looked over at Parker and wondered how the man was so composed considering he was about to walk down the aisle, forever changing his life.
"How'd you do it?" Frank suddenly asked pulling on his jacket. He glanced nervously at the door wondering when Joe would be back. The younger Hardy had left the room to go see Vanessa before the ceremony.
"Do what?" Parker chuckled looking at himself in the mirror as he adjusted the bow tie of his tuxedo.
"Ask her."
"Ask who what?"
"You know…" Frank shrugged nonchalantly. He glanced at the door again praying Joe didn't come back right away. Frank sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. It was a stupid question anyway."
He checked the pocket of his jacket to make sure Candace's ring was there as realization dawned on Parker's face. Frank nervously ran his fingers through his hair causing his dark mane to stand up slightly.
"Are you asking how I proposed to Candace?" Parker finally asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Forget it," he waved him off dismissively. "It's none of my business."
"Then why bring it up?" The young groom stepped toward his friend, his eyes gleaming with glee. "Are…are you thinking about asking Nancy?"
"Ask Nancy what?" Joe replied as he strolled into the room with a bag of potato chips.
Frank's heart sank. He was never going to hear the end of it now that Joe was about to find out. When there was no answer from either Frank or Parker, Joe's eyes narrowed as he looked from one to the other. Then a sneaky grin formed on his chiseled face.
"Dude, no way."
"I didn't say anything, Joe," Frank quickly defended.
"You didn't have to, bro," his brother laughed. "It's written all over your face and I must say that deep shade of red totally clashes. Have you gone to Mr. Drew?"
"I haven't done anything yet!" he snapped though it only made Joe laugh harder. "I only asked Parker a simple question."
"So you're admitting that you're going to ask her," Joe smirked, waggling his eyebrows. "Do you have a ring?"
"Man, are you serious?" Frank cried throwing his hands in the air. "Can I ever get a break from you haggling me about my love life?"
"I'm just asking," his brother grumbled. "Look, Frank, I like Nancy. She's good for you and Mom and Dad love her. I just want to see you happy, that's all."
"I…I'm sorry, Joe," he said softly looking guilty. "I'm just on edge right now and it was the only thing I thought of to ask Parker to get my mind off of what's really going on."
"Why? You're not the one getting married, Frank."
Frank sighed rubbing his temples. "It's not about that, Joe." Parker looked just as confused as Joe and the two exchanged a glance before Frank finally explained what was on his mind. "I overheard Dad, Mr. Drew, and Senator Hawkley last night. It was after everyone went to bed. I couldn't sleep so I went downstairs to clear my head and I heard someone talking in the lounge."
"What were they talking about?" Parker asked.
"Melody."
"Melody?" Joe was shocked. "As in crazy Melody who's been in love with you since we first met her, that Melody?"
Frank nodded grimly. "Right before Mr. Drew boarded his flight yesterday he got a phone call from someone in Florida. Apparently Melody is being released on good behavior."
"Wait a minute," his brother held his hand up. "I thought she was in a psycho ward and wasn't going to be let out for a long time. They can't let her out because of it!"
"I know that, Joe," he said his voice breaking. "That's what I heard. The doctors said that she was okay to return to juvenile hall and she was a model prisoner afterward. Her lawyer stepped in and got her out. She's over 18 now so she is considered an adult."
"And when is this supposed to happen?" Parker inquired, his eyes full of concern. His didn't like the idea of Melody being released any more than Frank did.
"Tomorrow morning," Frank answered through gritted teeth.
"They can't do that!" Joe cried angrily. "I thought Mr. Drew had a handle on this, that he was to be notified before anything like this happened!"
"Mr. Drew was notified, Joe," he shook his head. "Yesterday and he conveniently is unable to do anything to stop it."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Mr. Drew is here," Parker said glumly. He looked at the ground and shook his head. "They waited until this weekend to do something. Maybe Dad can do something to stop it. Anything."
"From the sound of it, there's nothing anyone can do," Frank bit his lip. "I'm sorry, Parker. I brought the happiness in the room."
"It's okay, Frank," Parker smiled, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You did what you thought was best and I would have done the same thing to get my mind off of it. Now, let's get out of here and not think about what we just discussed." He straightened himself up and looked at the mirror one more time before turning to the brothers. "I have faith that nothing is going to happen today or tomorrow or after. Martin Davenport and his insane kids are not going to take away my happiness or yours. He can go screw himself for all I care. Besides, he doesn't know who he's really dealing with when it comes to the Hardys, right?"
"You know, you're right," Frank grinned.
"Oh, yeah!" whooped Joe. "Let's see that bastard try anything with us!"
Parker high-fived the two brothers and the three walked to the door to leave. Just as they were going to go down the hall, Joe stopped his brother letting Parker walk away alone.
"Are you really going to ask her?" he asked softly.
"I don't know, Joe," Frank answered his blush returning. "I want to but I also want her to get better before we go down that road. Nancy's everything I ever wanted in someone to spend the rest of my life with. I just don't know if she feels the same way."
"Bro," Joe laughed wrapping his arm around him, "you are way too blind to not see that she is crazy about you."
"Really?"
"Yeah," he smirked. "Just don't blow it."
Frank laughed. "I won't. I promise."
"Besides, you might want to ask her when you see her."
"Uh, what?"
"You'll see."
"Hey, are you two coming or not?" Parker called to them from down the hall. "I'd like to get married now!"
The brothers looked at each other and laughed before jogging down the hall to their friend. As they took their places for the ceremony, the three concentrated on the moment and those around them but never forgetting the knowledge that they would eventually have to deal with.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the DJ cried excitedly, "for the first time in public please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Parker Hawkley!"
Whistles and applause exploded from the guests as Parker and Candace stepped into the large tent where the outdoor reception was being held. Joe whooped loudly as Frank applauded next to him. The happy couple beamed at their guests then turned toward each other moments before they leaned in to kiss. The roar grew louder until Parker led Candace to the bridal party table.
"You look stunning, Candace," Nancy complimented hugging her friend as best she could. She leaned on her crutches though Frank was next to her just in case. "I'm so glad you convinced me to come!"
"It wouldn't have been the same without you, Nancy," the bride smiled. Nancy blushed deeply as Frank wrapped his arm around her waist. Candace took her place next to Parker leaving the two behind.
"Did I tell you that you look gorgeous tonight?" Frank whispered in Nancy's ear. She blushed deeply then looked up into his eyes. The dark eyes were deep though she could see the emotions he had for her.
"Hey, Frank!" Joe cried from across the table. "You gonna sit down or what? Some people are hungry here!"
Frank shook his head with half a smile. "I keep wondering what my parents were thinking when they decided to have a second kid."
"Oh, he's just playing with you, Frank," Nancy smiled patting him on the arm. "But then again, I do agree with him."
"You what?" The look Frank gave her made her giggle.
"I'm hungry too!" She reached up and gave him a peck on the cheek before whispering into his ear. "You look really handsome, you know that? Oh, the thoughts going through my mind right now."
Frank grinned as he pulled out her chair for her to sit then took the crutches to lean against a nearby post. As he sat down on the other side of Parker, he thought about Nancy. Gorgeous didn't give it justice as to how beautiful she looked that night. Even with the broken leg, Nancy was able to knock his socks off with the light gold bridesmaid dress she wore. He just hoped he could keep it together for the evening.
"Well, that was epic," Joe said breathlessly. He plopped down next to Frank who was nursing a beer, his bow tie hanging around his neck. When Frank didn't say anything, Joe continued. "My personal favorite was watching you oogling over Nancy all night."
"I did not!" Frank finally said slightly offended.
"He speaks!" the younger Hardy laughed. He nudged Frank playfully. "I'm just saying that I don't blame you for looking at her that way. I could hardly keep my eyes off of Vanessa."
"So what's with you two anyway?" he asked looking over at him. "You seem to flip flop back and forth all the time. Are you okay?"
"Well, I guess," Joe shrugged. "We have our moments. I'm just a little concerned about everything and now that we know that Melody is getting out, Davenport will probably make his move soon after. I don't want to put that on Vanessa."
"Joe," Frank said knowingly, "Vanessa knew what she was getting into when she started dating you. She knows what to expect and how to get through times like these. Besides, if she can handle you she can handle anything."
"Hey!" The brothers laughed together. "You're right, Frank. Vanessa is stronger than I give her credit for. I'm not like you though."
"What do you mean?"
"Wanting to settle down. That's you. I know I'm not ready to do anything like taking the plunge." Joe sighed. "Besides, Vanessa already told me she doesn't want to get married just yet. She wants to take it easy. Her parents didn't last after going too quickly and I think it rubbed off on her."
"That's understandable, Joe," Frank replied. "You're not the least bit disappointed?"
"What, me?" he scoffed. "Nah, I'm good for now. Neither of us want kids right away which will probably piss Mom off to no end when she finds out. I just want to be established as something before I bring any kids into the mix. We live dangerously, Frank. I don't want a family worrying about if I'll come home or not."
"I wasn't thinking about kids either, Joe," his brother admitted. "I just know I want to be with Nancy and if it turns out that we have kids right away then so be it but we'll make that decision together when the time comes."
Joe laughed, shaking his head. "Man, how is it that we're talking about having a family already? We're barely in our 20s. We have our whole lives ahead of us."
"I guess being in a wedding makes you think about your own life and where it's going," Frank said sagely. "But I've been thinking about marrying Nancy for a while even though we've only been dating since December. Would you believe that I even have a ring?"
"You really have a ring?"
"Well, had, I don't have it anymore." He looked down at his hands not knowing what to do with them. "See, Parker was thinking about asking Nancy to marry him. Remember the Renaissance Faire? He asked her to be there so he could propose but everything went sideways and both he and Nancy came to an agreement that they weren't meant to be."
"Okay, so what does that have to do with you having a ring for Nancy?"
"He gave me the ring he had intended for her." Joe's mouth went into the shape of an "O" as he listened to Frank. "It was gorgeous but I don't think Nancy would like it. It was too big and gaudy and I know she wouldn't want something like that. Parker approached me during the reception today and wanted to know if I still had it. He wanted to thank me for being there for him and for being in the wedding."
"So what's he going to do with it?"
"I don't know. He said that he'll give it back when I need it whatever that means."
"I'm sure you'll know it when it happens," Joe smirked.
The two got quiet watching the stars above thinking about what was to come. It seemed like forever before Frank finally stood up and wished Joe a good night. He headed inside, his body screaming for sleep after the long day but there was one thing left he wanted to do though he wasn't sure if Nancy was still awake. As he came up to her room, he abruptly stopped when he heard a squeal of delight coming from the other side of the door. Sighing Frank walked away, his hands in his pockets, knowing he probably wouldn't get another chance to talk to her before she left the next day.
Although her surgery was in a few weeks, Nancy's doctor gave her permission to go home in order to get a few things done before she was bedridden for another week or two. His only saving grace was that Nancy would return for her surgery and stay for several weeks again before returning home for good. Frank just hoped that he could change her mind and have her stay longer once her surgery and recovery were over.
Slumping back to his bedroom, Frank pulled off the tuxedo, hanging it up to keep the wrinkles out. After brushing his teeth, he crawled into bed and stared at the ceiling deep in thought. What was going to happen in the coming weeks? Was Melody really over him? All these thoughts and more were roaming through his mind as Frank finally succumbed to a restless sleep filled with dreams he didn't want to ever dream again.
Several weeks later, Nancy was lying in her hospital bed staring out the window as rain pelted the window. The surgery to remove the pins from her leg was a success and she was looking forward to finally getting on with her physical therapy though she wondered how long it was really going to take for her to get back to normal.
A knock came at the door and Nancy's face lit up when she saw Frank and Joe enter the room. The older brother carried a vase of flowers while the other held a bag of food and a drink.
"My hero!" she cried reaching for the bag of food from Joe.
"I thought you might like something different than the gag fest they give you here," he beamed.
"You?" Frank asked incredulously setting the vase down on a nearby table. "It was my idea and what do I get? Nothing!"
"Oh, you'll get something for it," Nancy quirked an eyebrow. She motioned for him to come toward her and he leaned in, kissing her on the lips much to Joe's disgust.
"Ugh, I think I'm going to puke," he muttered turning his head.
"You don't have to be here, Joe," Frank mumbled still kissing Nancy.
She pushed him away and grabbed the food again. "Oh, leave him be, Frank. He's welcome to stay if he wants."
"As long as you two don't do that again!" Joe exclaimed.
"What? This?" Frank kissed Nancy again and Joe cried in frustration. He was about to leave when she called him back.
"Joe, don't go," she pleaded. "You brought me food so I owe you. I'll make Frank behave."
"I'm sorry, little brother," Frank laughed wrapping his arm around Joe's shoulder. "Consider this payback for all the times you hounded me about my love life."
"So, what's going on?" Nancy asked taking a bite out of a burger. She rolled her eyes in ecstasy, savoring the bite. "Mmm, that is good."
"It's from the diner down the street," he stated. "We went there to eat right before coming here and decided to get you some as well."
"Well, thanks, guys. I appreciate it." She took another bite and chewed as she waited for the boys to answer. "Well?"
"Well, nothing," Joe shrugged. "There's nothing going on. Dad has eyes and ears all over the place looking for outsiders but it all came up bupkis. Maybe Davenport's not going to do anything."
"But Melody got out weeks ago," Nancy pointed out, "then disappeared before her first meeting with the parole officer. My dad is looking into any chatter too but as far as I know there's nothing either. Why would she disappear and then they not do anything? You would think they would since I'm pretty much out of commission for the next several months."
"We were all thinking that too," Frank nodded. "It seems fishy if you ask me."
"Yeah," Joe agreed. "So, how's River Heights? Anything new going on?"
"Well, Bess and Daniel parted ways," she answered.
"Seriously?"
"Yep, but it wasn't a bad breakup or anything. They just had a mutual feeling to end their relationship. Besides with Daniel working on Wyvern Manor, he doesn't really have a lot of time on his hands anymore."
"So, he's really going through with remodeling the place instead of demolishing it?" Frank asked. He stole one of Nancy's french fries and she swatted his hand.
"Thief!" she laughed as he rubbed his hand. "And yes, he already has the plans made up to change the whole manor to make it into a hotel. It's big enough for it."
"Well, you won't catch me going there ever again," he grumbled. "Even without the ghosts it's still a creepy place."
"Chicken," Joe laughed. Frank swung at him but he ducked. "Why doesn't Daniel just bulldoze the place? I thought he was hell bent on it."
"He was until he saw the price tag," Nancy shrugged. "It was more expensive to get rid of it than just remodel the house. Plus Dad told him the benefits of turning the place into a hotel. It would give him tax credits especially if he made it more energy efficient. So, Daniel found some of the best contractors around, called the phone company, got internet and cell service. All that's left is redesigning the rooms. Some of them have bathrooms but some unused parts of the house are still in the dark ages. And he has to make sure the furnace heats the whole manor. It's going to be a few months before he opens but I think it will be amazing once it's done. I told him that we'd all come out for his grand opening when he finally has it. He's already got inquiries about when he was going to open. There's also talk of reopening the town of Haven. The employees are going to need a place to live so he thought about rebuilding the houses there too."
"How much money did he get from the treasure that was found anyway?" Frank asked shocked.
"More money than you can imagine, Frank," she smirked. "He's set for a long time. I think he's doing the right thing too."
"Then why did he and Bess break up?"
"I told you, it was a mutual agreement. Bess didn't give me very many details besides that. I think she was still having a hard time seeing him past the whole Donovan possession thing."
"Understandable."
"Excuse me." The trio turned to see a nurse behind them. "Ms. Drew needs her rest. You two can come back later."
"Sorry, guys," Nancy said glumly. "I guess I have to do what the doctor orders. Thanks for the food and the flowers."
"Anytime, Nan," Joe waved as he headed for the door.
Frank leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be back when you wake up," he whispered.
"I look forward to it," she smiled. Nancy held on to his hand until he walked away, her eyes never leaving him. The moment the room was quiet, she looked over at the nurse who was looking at a tablet nearby. "How long do I need to rest for anyway?"
"Not long," the woman replied though she didn't look up from her tablet. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," Nancy shrugged. "I don't understand why I need to rest since I was out for hours during the surgery."
"Well, the doctor just wants you to keep your strength up and the only way to do that is by resting." The nurse looked up a kind smile on her face. "Do you need anything to help you sleep?"
"No," she answered cautiously, slightly taken aback by the question. "Why would I need that?"
"Just procedure," the woman nodded. "Do you need anything before I go?"
"Nope, I'm good," Nancy waved her off dismissively.
"Well, then, I will leave you be. Rest easy, Ms. Drew."
Nancy watched as the nurse headed out of the room and quietly closed the door. It was a strange encounter and she wondered what the nurse really wanted. Sighing, Nancy closed her eyes and leaned her back on the pillow. At first she didn't feel tired but she soon was dozing off though a sound woke her.
"Is there something else you needed?" Nancy mumbled thinking the nurse had returned. When no one answered, she opened her eyes to find an empty room.
Confused, she sat up a little to get a better look. The room was darker, the blinds drawn to the dreary day and lights turned down low. Did she fall asleep? Shaking her head, Nancy leaned back on the pillow and closed her eyes once more. Again sleep took her, her head lolling to the side slightly, her world going dark.
"Daddy, how much longer are we going to sit here?" Melody whined. She sat behind her father in the back of an SUV, a building looming above them. Their driver, Mars, remained silent though he felt the same as she did. He didn't like being out in the open with the feds around.
"Patience, Princess," Martin Davenport cooed as he watched the main entrance. "We have to wait for Gidget and when she's done, we'll leave."
"What kind of name is that?" she asked angrily. "She can't be that intelligent with a name like that."
"Gidget is trustworthy, Melody," he answered cooly. "And don't let that fool you. The woman is a master at what she does. That's why she's now a part of the family."
"But she's not my mother." The girl folded her arms defiantly, her lips pursed. Davenport turned toward his daughter and chuckled.
"I know she's not your mother and she will never replace her but for now, Gidget is one of us."
"Well, if you have Gidget now, why are we here?"
"You know why. Ah, here she comes."
Seconds later, a woman climbed into the backseat, leaning over to kiss Davenport on the lips. She plopped back down into the seat and buckled her belt as Melody rolled her eyes.
"Is it done?"
"Oh, yeah," she smirked. "No one was even the wiser though I had to go back because I could tell I wasn't going to get anywhere the first time."
"And you left it?"
Gidget nodded. "Yes, my darling. I give it a few weeks though."
"Why can't we just deal with them all now, Daddy?" Melody piped up from behind.
"Sweetums, we have to be tactful," Davenport answered gently, turning toward her. "This was just a warning. I didn't want my plan to go on without certain figures in the mix which include your brother."
"Hunter?" she scoffed. "Why would you want that asshole out?"
"What your tongue, young lady," he clucked sternly. "Your brother may have a few screws loose but he's needed in the end. We have a way of getting him out without anyone knowing he's out but that will only come when the time is right. They were expecting us to do something so this was just a way of putting them on alert."
"But why?"
"You'll see. Believe me, the Hardys and the Drews will pay for what they've done."
"And him?" Melody asked hopefully, her face blushing a little.
"Ah," her father chuckled. "And they thought you were over him."
"Oh, I am…sort of," Melody smiled sheepishly. "I just want to know what will become of him, that's all."
"Sure, Princess. How about this: we do what we need to do and when the time is right, I'll let you take care of Frank on your own…as you see fit."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Oh, thank you, Daddy!" Melody cried, wrapping her arms around her father's neck. Gidget raised an eyebrow at him.
"She has a fascination with one of the brothers," he explained.
Gidget nodded though she didn't say anything. She may be married to the man but she didn't like his daughter at all. The man spoiled her too much. Melody leaned back in her seat, practically bouncing with excitement.
Davenport looked out the window towards the hospital and smirked. Four people stood just outside the doors, none of them knowing that he was not far from them. Several agents were around them so he knew he couldn't do anything at that moment but thought about the moment they were his. No Secret Service or FBI agent would be able to save them including Secret Service Agent Jim Taylor, the man who put him away. Taylor would be dealt with as well.
"Let's go, Mars," he ordered. The driver nodded and pulled out of the parking space. Martin Davenport watched the small group made up of Taylor, Carson Drew, and Fenton and Laura Hardy as they passed just feet from them. Not one of them looked their way but he was going to make damn sure that they didn't see him coming either until it was too late.
Author's Note:
Well, it's over. I'm sorry (again) that it took so long to get this out. I wanted it to be just right before I finished it. Plus I was able to work on it a little during our snow days even though I still had to work from home. We didn't get as much snow as I thought we would but we still saw the white stuff. I do look forward to getting out of the house tomorrow though. Going stir crazy here! Anyway, I hope that anyone caught in the path of this storm is safe and sound nestled in your homes! Thank you to everyone who read the last chapter and special thanks to those who left a review! I hope you enjoyed the ending and the set-up for the next story (I guess it's a given as to what's going to happen, huh?). If you will, please leave a review to let me know what you think! Anyway, until next time, stay safe, be merry and God bless!
