Author's Note:

Another long one but a good one (I hope!). Enjoy and God bless!

Chapter Seventeen

"What did you need to say that couldn't be said in front of them, Bethany?" David grumbled as he walked away from Nancy and Frank.

"Davis recognized a couple of people while he was out," his secretary stated grimly. "One of them was Adam Stevens."

David stopped abruptly, whirling around to her. "Is he sure?"

"Yes, he's sure, David," Bethany nodded. "Davis said he saw Adam Stevens but the other one he wasn't sure of his name but he's definitely a sleeper."

"I'm not worried about that one," he waved her off dismissively. "It's Adam I'm worried about. He's capable of anything and we don't know what he has up his sleeve. All we can hope for is that the files are found. Do we know anything about that yet?"

"It's unsure as of now," she shook her head. "Our informant wasn't able to get that information but when he left, they were still searching. What should we do? I'm sure Nancy and Frank are going to get antsy soon enough and will want to see their family especially when they find out the truth."

"I know that, Bethany," David snapped, "but I don't know what else to do at the moment. We'll just have to keep them in the dark until we need to tell them. How is Fenton by the way?"

"He seems better but not," Bethany sighed. "Dr. Morris is suspecting that it will be a few days before he wakes up. His body is just healing. When he does wake, I think we should move though. We're too vulnerable here."

"I agree but we have to abide by the doctor's orders. I did not save the man's life only to have him die before we're safe. Besides, he's not the only reason why we can't go to where we should have gone. Where is Enrique anyway?"

"He should be arriving within the next few hours," she replied. "Everything worked out the way you planned so far. I just hope it continues that way. I don't want to use drastic measures."

"Me too, Bethany. Me too."

It was the next morning when Joe went downstairs to the kitchen, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee permeating the air. The FBI was still in the basement going over the files with a fine-toothed comb. Carson Drew's video confession stunned them all but not as much as it did Joe and Laura. Although it didn't change their view of the man, it did show them how close David and Carson really were. Carson said he never committed a crime in helping his friend but he did keep the secrets from the law for numerous years which made everyone wonder why he did it.

Joe plopped down at the kitchen island at the same time his mother plunked a mug of coffee and a plate of food in front of him.

"Eat up, Joe!" she said cheerfully, her demeanor completely changed since the night before. "I don't know how much food we'll have left once the agents come up from downstairs."

Laura maneuvered back into the kitchen as Hannah pulled a breakfast quiche from the over. It seemed as if the two were preparing to feed an army instead of a handful of people. Joe was just about done eating when the house phone rang loudly over the sounds in the kitchen. "Joe, will you get that please?" Hannah asked hurriedly from the oven. He nodded and went over to the wall phone.

"Hardy residence."

"Oh, thank goodness!" cried a frantic, familiar voice. "I hoped the rumors weren't true, Frank. I'm so glad to hear your voice!"

"Uh, this isn't Frank, Joanna," Joe said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. He knew they sounded alike but he didn't think by much.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Joe! Is…is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"The newspaper is stating that someone broke into his house and both he and Nancy are missing!" Joanna replied quickly. "Please, oh, please tell me this isn't true!"

Joe was shocked that the local newspaper had the scoop on what happened the day before when barely anyone else knew the details. He made a mental note to check it out once he had the chance.

"I…I'm sorry, Joanna," he stammered eyeing Hannah. The woman watched him intently, setting a plate of pancakes on the counter. She came over and gently took the phone from him, softly thanking Joe.

"Joanna?" the woman replied. She walked out of the room leaving Laura and Joe to wonder. Fifteen minutes later, Hannah was back, her face set.

"What's wrong?" Laura asked, coming up to her friend.

"Joanna's upset because of what happened," Hannah sighed, "as we all are but she's also worried about this afternoon."

"Why?" Joe asked confused. "What's going on this afternoon?"

"Nancy was going to stop by the theater after she was discharged from the hospital." She went on to explain the meeting with Nancy, Joanna, and Nelly. "She was going to go with Frank and deal with everything together. She didn't want to bother any of you because it was something she felt compelled to do. The board is voting today on the sale of the theater…without Nancy's permission. They're going to try to sell it out from under her."

"But they can't do that!" he cried. "I heard it myself from Joanna. The stipulation was that the board had to get permission from a member of the Winslow family before a sale is to go through."

"We know that, Joe," Hannah said as calmly as she could, "but apparently Martin Shannon got a judge to think a little differently and overrule the stipulation."

"But how?" Laura gasped.

"They said that Nancy wasn't thinking clearly because of everything that she's gone through over the last few years," she stated. "Since she's the only Winslow left, they went after her integrity. She was furious yesterday but insisted on meeting with the board members, cast and crew around three at the theater today. Nancy was going to try to convince them otherwise that she was perfectly capable of making the decision despite all that's happened."

"But with Nancy missing," Laura caught on, "there's no voice to stop them! Oh, of all times for this to happen! When she finds out, she's going to be devastated especially if a sale goes through while she's gone!"

"Then let's go there and deal with it in her place," Joe suggested. His mother and Hannah looked at him in surprise, neither of them expecting the thought. "What? I don't want to see the theater torn down any more than she does. The place is cool!"

"I…I'm just surprised to hear it come from you, sweetheart," Laura soothed. She smiled broadly and hugged her son. "That's my boy! I agree! We need to show this 'board of regents' not to mess with the Hardys!"

"What time is it?" Nancy yawned looking up from her book. She was lounging on the couch, her feet propped up on Frank's lap. He was dozing, leaning on his elbow and jolted awake at the sound of her voice.

"Wha?" He stretched, his back cracking in a spots. He looked at his watch and groaned. "It's only one but it feels like it should be later.

"I'm bored too," she admitted closing her book. "I've been reading the same page over and over again for the past twenty minutes, I think. I wish there was a TV nearby so we could at least veg out or watch the news. Then maybe we could figure out where we're at exactly."

Frank looked away in thought. He wanted to take Nancy away from wherever they were and get her out of harm's way. As safe as David said he was keeping them, it still irked Frank that they had no say in what was going on. He looked up at the high ceiling, listening to the loud patter of the rain pelting the roof.

"Frank, are you all right?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine, Nan." He looked over at his wife and the negative thoughts seemed to melt away. Every day he thanked God that she was in his life. Nancy seemed radiant to him, her face glowing with the excitement of knowing she was going to be mother.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked warily.

"Just because," he smiled. Frank gently lifted her feet as he got up then knelt down next to her. Nancy watched him the whole time, wondering what he was doing. He took her hand and kissed it then leaned in to kiss her lips.

"What was that for?"

"Do I need a reason to kiss my wife?" Frank laughed.

"No," Nancy giggled. She stopped, her eyes sparkling.

"What?"

Without a word she took his hand and placed it on her belly. She smiled broadly when another kick punched his hand.

"Woah," Frank smiled. "That was so cool. You think he'll be a football player like I was?"

"I don't know, Frank," Nancy smirked. "I was thinking more of a gymnast or cheerleader?"

"You're still thinking it's a girl, aren't you?" he laughed.

"Yes, I am and don't mock me, Hardy or you'll be sleeping on the floor tonight."

"Nan, I'm already sleeping on the floor."

"Oh, right." The two got quiet, their intimate moment gone as the reality of their predicament came rushing back.

"Frank?"

"Yeah?"

"How is your dad doing?"

Frank sighed. Just before sitting down with Nancy, he went to see his father and Dr. Morris who was standing vigil with Fenton. There was a scare when he stopped breathing earlier that morning but Dr. Morris was able to bring him back. Frank knew his father needed a hospital but David insisted that he was safer with them at the moment. It just scared Frank to think that after everything they'd done to save him, they could still lose his father in the end due to lack of medical help.

"He…he's fine," he lied, diverting his eyes from her. Frank didn't want to worry her by telling her the truth. He felt Nancy's hand clasp his own and he looked at her pleading eyes.

"How is he really?"

"Nan, I…" For the first time in a long time, Frank Hardy was at a loss for words. He didn't normally cry in front of others but the tears seemed to flow even though he tried to wipe them away. "He's not looking good. He's lost so much blood and we keep trying to give him more but it seems like it's not working. I know it's only been a day since he was shot but he needs a hospital that can monitor him properly. Not that Dr. Morris isn't doing his best." He paused deep in thought. "What if…if we lose him after everything we've tried in order to save him? I would never be able to look Mom in the face again knowing that I failed him."

"But Frank, you haven't failed him" Nancy replied softly. "Both you and Dr. Morris are trying your best to save him and I'm sure he knows that somehow. You just have to have faith that we'll all get out of this and he gets the medical attention he needs."

Frank stared at the ground, his tears long dried out. He remembered the last time he cried. It was the hardest moment of his life. The knowledge that they lost their son the year before still hurts him. He had failed Nancy then and he felt like he was failing her again now that they were in hiding.

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what again."

"Blaming yourself for everything that's happening."

"No, I'm not."

"Oh, stop it." Nancy slapped the back of his head. "You are and you know it. None of this is your fault! If I could be honest, I'd blame David but I can't! He's done so much to ensure our safety. But I do blame this Board that is trying to kill us even though we did nothing to them except maybe piss off a few people…I think. I blame them because we're here and can't do anything to help the ones we care about."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I was supposed to go to the theater today," she said sadly.

"Okay…" he said cautiously. "I'm not sure why you're so upset about that but I'm sure Joanna will understand."

"No, Frank!" Nancy cried. "You don't understand!" She explained the meeting she had with Joanna and Nelly the day before and that the board of regents was going to vote on the sale. "If I'm not there, the board is going to vote to sell! It was important to Mom and Dad and I failed them by saying I wasn't interested and now look! I'm the reason why they're going to tear it down!"

"Now I get it," Frank nodded. She looked at him, tears flowing down her face. "We're both blaming ourselves for things that happen out of our control. You're not even taking your own advice that you just gave me. You are doing the best you can to save the theater. You didn't know this was going to happen and neither did I."

Nancy looked at him and smiled slightly. "We can't seem to make up our minds can we?"

"Nope," he shook his head. "One moment we're blaming ourselves for something and the next we're holding each other up. We make quite a pair, don't we?"

She nodded and the couple laughed, the sound echoing off the walls. Frank looked around wondering what they could do next. "What time was that meeting supposed to be anyway?" he asked.

Nancy held out her hand and he helped her off the couch. "Three," she sighed. "I was hoping that after I was discharged from the hospital we would go over there together. I guess that's been dashed. Ooo, and I had a really good plan too that I was hoping you would fully support."

"Why would you say that? You know I would support you," he said confused. She gave him a sweet smile, one that always scared him because it meant she wanted something from him. Frank's shoulders drooped slightly. "Oh, no, no, no. You're kidding me right? Please tell me you are."

"Please?"

"You know how I feel, Nan," Frank grumbled. Nancy stepped toward him, her smile never wavering. "This isn't really the time and the place to do this."

"Then when is?" she asked, folding her arms in front of her. "It seems like we have all the time in the world to discuss it."

"Uh…" He looked up in the hopes of thinking of an excuse but nothing seemed to come to mind. "Oh, I hate it when you're like this, you know that?"

"No, you don't," she smiled again. "You just hate it because you always give in too easily."

"No, I don't," Frank pouted. Nancy raised her eyebrow. "Okay, maybe I do but I'm not giving in this time. Not in a million years."

"Think of the look on your mother's face, Frank," Nancy smoothly spoke. "And it'll be around Mother's Day too so think of it as a present."

"But…your due date is a week later," he protested. "What if you go into labor that day or even during?"

"Then we'll deal with it."

Frank glared at her and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. She always did have a way of making him sweat. "I'll think about it. Let's just get out of this mess first before we drag ourselves into another one."

"Deal," Nancy nodded. "But we will discuss it the moment this is all over. And don't worry. This will only be between the two of us."

At nearly three that afternoon, Joanna Stein nervously watched the doors to the auditorium, praying that someone would walk in and save the day. When she heard the news about Nancy that morning, Joanna was practically frantic. Although she was worried about Nancy and her family, she was also worried about what was going to happen to the theater without Nancy being there to speak out. Joanna looked over at Grady who was motioning for several stage hands to move the lights and speakers that were returned to the theater moments before. Nelly was examining the fabric as well even though several members of the board glared at both Grady and Nelly as if they weren't supposed to touch the items.

"Joanna," replied a man who looked like his neck was too long and his head too big for his body. "Let's get this meeting started. I think everyone is here who is going to be here."

"Fine, Mr. Holliday," she seethed, glaring at the smug looking man. At the mention of the meeting, everyone in the room sat down and stopped all conversation.

Before Joanna could start though, the sound of a door opening echoed through the room and as one, the board members, cast, and crew all turned to see the newcomers. Hannah, Laura, and Joe walked in with two men in dark suits following close behind. Joanna breathed a sigh of relief and went to greet them much to the dismay of the rest of the board and Martin Shannon who was there on behalf of his client.

"Hannah!" Joanna cried softly, embracing her friend. "I'm so glad you came! And you brought backup too! Thank goodness! I was worried that no one was going to come."

"We're here for Nancy," Hannah smiled as best she could. "She would want someone to be here for this. And we also have something for you."

Joe pulled out an envelope and handed it to Joanna. It had her name on it and it was marked "Urgent."

"What's this?" she asked as she opened the envelope.

"We don't know," he shrugged. "Some woman outside handed it to us as we were walking in. She said to only give it to you and you would know what to do with it. It was all very strange but the woman was adamant about it."

Joanna scanned the letter quickly, her eyes moving so fast they were a blur. "Oh, my!" she finally cried a smile stretching across her face. She looked up at the three of them, her eyes sparkling. "This is wonderful news!"

She whirled around and rushed toward the board members standing off to the side. Martin Shannon closed in as well to hear what was going on. It was only a matter of seconds when he burst out in protest.

"This is absurd!" Shannon bellowed. "You can't be seriously thinking that this is a legitimate offer! We had a deal that you would only consider my client for the theater!"

"We never made that deal, Mr. Shannon," replied a woman in the group. "Only you and Mr. Holliday did. If this seems like a legitimate offer then we need to consider it. I say we extend the vote for a week to make sure."

"No, we have taken too long on this!"yelled Holliday. "Mr. Shannon's client is willing to make the deal now and we can finally get rid of this place! There is no one here to object on this and we all know she can't make the decision wisely even if she was here."

"That is ridiculous!" Joe yelled rushing up to the group.

"And who the hell are you?"

"I'm Nancy's brother-in-law, you pinhead," he snarled, "and for you to even think that she can't make that decision because of everything that's happened in her life is ludicrous. Nancy is one of the sanest people out there and you guys think she can't handle it? If she were here, she'd be giving you an earful over this shit!"

"Joe!" Laura snapped.

"I'm sorry, Mom, but they need to hear it!" Joe continued. "You want to take the deal with Shannon's client, then fine but consider this a warning. I wouldn't put it past Nancy to put you guys through the ringer in court over it. You do realize who her father was and he taught her well. So my suggestion is that you stop the bullshit and think about what you have in front of you. If you have a new offer then you are obligated to think it over. If not, then I suggest you lawyer up because it won't be just Nancy coming after you."

The board members stared in disbelief at Joe then looked at each other. Most of them looked guilty at what they were about to do. Joanna held her head high while Laura beamed with pride for her son.

"All those in favor of considering the new offer," Joanna raised her hand. Nearly all the members raised their hands except for Holliday and another man standing next to him. "The yeas have it. We will discuss this matter again in a week."

"I don't think we need to extend this out any longer than it should, Joanna," Holliday protested. Several members nodded.

"As much as I dislike him, I agree," replied another man. "Three days, Joanna. Then we'll make the decision whether Nancy is here or not."