Author's Note:

I'm early in the day but I couldn't help but to get this out. I know you're all waiting for it. Thanks to everyone who left a review for the last chapter! Your kind words throughout the whole story have literally kept me going! Smithy, I completely forgot it was Cinco de Mayo on Sunday, so you got me there! lol! Since this one is long, I will leave you to it. Enjoy and don't forget to let me know you were here! Later!

Chapter Fifteen

Frank stood over Ned, the branch still in his hand. He thought about what he should do. Ned was never going to let up on Nancy. In his mind, she was already his. Frank didn't want that for Nancy but he also wasn't a cold blooded killer.

"Go ahead, Hardy," Ned sneered from the ground. "Let's see if you're man enough to kill me."

"Even though you've put Nancy and my family through hell for months," Frank stated, throwing the branch to the ground. "I'm not going to stoop to your level, Ned. That's being honorable. You deserve to rot in prison for what you've done."

Ned laughed and rolled his eyes. He rose slowly, putting Frank on edge. "Honorable, huh?" he said, smirking. Before Frank could do anything, Ned charged him, knocking him backward but not to the ground. With every punch he threw, Ned continued. "You may believe that not killing me is honorable but I don't think the same way as you do, Hardy! You stole her from me and that deserves me pounding you into the ground!"

"Is that what you think happened?" Frank cried, pushing him away. Ned glared at Frank, his eyes glowing with rage in the moonlight. "That somehow I manipulated her over the years so that she would fall in love with me? Nancy and I never did anything to jeopardize the relationships we had with you or Callie. We always kept it professional."

"Oh, so Egypt was simply 'professional?'" Ned asked. Even in the darkness, he could see Frank become uncomfortable. Ned laughed. "I heard all about your little 'honeymoon' to Egypt from Bess. I heard every juicy detail without Bess even knowing I was nearby."

"Nothing happened."

"I highly doubt that, Hardy." Ned rolled his eyes. "Tell me, Frank, when did you actually realize you were in love with Nancy?" When he didn't say anything, Ned continued. "I have loved her from the moment I laid eyes on her. I told my best friends that the two of us would be married one day and live together until the day we died. And when I revive her, I'm going to make her forget about you and your meddling family because you won't be around to remind her!"

"You are sadistic, you know that?" Frank said, blocking a punch from him. The two were growing weary of their fight though neither of them wanted to let up. "You don't care about Nancy! You just want to own her! She's not something to be won, Ned!"

"Says the man who stole her from me!" Ned roared, charging Frank again and knocking him to the ground. The two rolled around, each one trying to best the other. Frank landed a punch to Ned, keeping the man to the ground. His chest heaving from exertion, Frank rose slowly, standing over Ned.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't steal Nancy?" Frank asked. "Yes, I've loved her for a while but I have respected her wishes from the start. What the hell have you done? You've lied, cheated, and even killed to get her, thinking that she would come back to you with open arms. Ned, that's not how it works! I love her more than anything in this world and will continue to fight for her even if it meant I couldn't be with her! You want ownership. Nancy isn't property! That's why she left you! And I didn't swoop in right away as you think I did! I toiled for months, respecting her so she could be done with you! I didn't want a rebound relationship! I wanted to be with her fully! You did it to yourself, Ned! She loved you and you blew it! I may not be perfect but I would never disrespect Nancy the way you have. You…"

Frank couldn't finish the sentence as Ned rammed into him again. The two fought, throwing punches and kicks. Frank finally got the best of Ned, standing over him once more. Even after everything that just transpired, Frank still couldn't bring himself to end Ned. He knew he just couldn't do it. The question was what could he do stop him from coming back?

The moment the Hardys were led away, Nancy opened her eyes. Her body felt weak, the effects of the poison still coursing through her but she needed to get to Frank. He needed to know she was alive. Even if it meant revealing herself to Ned as well.

Nancy flexed her fingers and slowly rolled over. She gasped when she saw Treyford lying dead on the floor, wondering who killed him. Getting to her knees, Nancy held on to the table near her to pull herself off the floor. She swayed just a bit before taking a step toward the front door. Knowing that anyone could come back for her, Nancy moved as quickly as she could toward the door, stumbling along the way.

When she finally made it outside, Nancy had no clue as to where to go. She looked all around the front yard before heading toward the trees off to her right since the rest was an open view of the valley below. Nancy stumbled through the trees with only the moonlight to help her way. Several times she almost walked into a branch or tripped over a root. The heels she wore caused her to stumble over rocks and sticks but Nancy felt it was better to keep them on to protect her feet. The gown kept snagging on bushes and leaves but she was too weak to rip off the bottom half of the gown to make her trek easier.

As she continued moving slowly through the woods, Nancy finally heard the sounds of a fight just to her right. Not caring about tripping anymore, she pushed herself forward, hearing Frank's voice ahead of her. Nancy stopped just outside a small clearing where she saw the silhouettes of two men fighting. She listened to what they were saying though she couldn't tell the difference between them as the moon was covered by clouds.

Tears came to her eyes as she listened to Frank talk about his love for her. In that moment, she wanted to protect him. Nancy saw a branch on the ground nearby and picked it up, her body screaming in jest. One of the men seemed to get the upper hand on the other, standing over him. Worried that the man on the ground was Frank, Nancy swung the branch against the man standing. She hit him on the side of the head and he went down but was not knocked out. Nancy didn't realize her mistake until it was too late. The clouds cleared the moon, revealing that it wasn't Ned whom she hit but Frank. He was leaning on his elbow, wavering just a bit. Nancy turned back to where Ned rose from the ground, his evil grim making her skin prickle with fear. She dropped the branch and scrambled over to Frank. He looked at her in surprise.

"Nancy?"

"I'm so sorry," she said, taking his head between her hands. Nancy felt warm, sticky blood coming from the side of his head where she hit him. "I thought you were Ned."

"It's okay," he replied, kissing her hand. His eyes widened as he looked behind her.

Ned grabbed Nancy by the hair, kicking Frank in the stomach. He doubled over, a gasp escaping from his mouth.

"Well, I guess I get to kill Frank in front of you after all, Nancy," Ned laughed. She struggled to get out of his grip but she was still weak from the poison. "Thank you so much for helping. I knew you still felt something for me, Nancy."

"You wish!" she cried, scratching at his face. Ned roared in pain letting go of her hair. Before she could get away though, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her close.

"That was stupid, Nancy," he said through gritted teeth. Ned kicked him again, Frank gasping once again.

"Stop it!" Nancy cried. She glared up at Ned. "No matter what you do, you will always be half the man Frank is!"

"Oh, really?" Ned smirked. He looked over at Frank who was slow to get up. "Jack may have betrayed me but I still get the girl in the end, Hardy!"

Frank finally stood up, his chest searing with pain from being kicked. He knew a few ribs were either bruised or broken but he didn't care. His heart pounded as Ned leaned into Nancy, smelling her hair.

"Mmm, strawberries," Ned taunted. "You always knew how to turn me on, Nancy."

Frank knew what he had to do. He was about to put Nancy's life in danger just as much as his own but if it will stop Ned, he'll take the chance. For a split second, when the moon came out again, Frank saw his opportunity. He looked at Nancy, seeing the fear in her eyes. "We are going to get through this, Nan," he replied confidently.

Although she had no clue as to what he had planned, Nancy still nodded, trusting him completely. Ned just laughed, never taking his grip off her. Before Ned even knew it, Frank was colliding with him, the three of them tumbling over the edge and down a steep embankment. Ned held tightly onto Nancy as they all slid down the rock and dirt before Frank reached out and grabbed a root. He had his hand around Nancy's other hand. Their cries echoed in the valley, coming to an abrupt stop as the root held. Frank held the weight of three people wondering how long the root would hold before they all plummeted into the ravine below. Nancy grasped his hand tightly as Ned gripped her other wrist, dangling over the precipice.

"Well, aren't we in a predicament?" Ned laughed. "Looks like I get to take you both out!"

"You'll die too!" Nancy cried, obviously in pain from being stretched between Frank and Ned. "Let me go, Ned!"

"No!" he yelled. Ned looked down at the rocks below then back at her. "If this is how I go, you're coming with me!"

Ned tried swinging to get Nancy to fall but Frank held tight to her, though he cried out in pain. She let out a scream when the root dropped them lower. Nancy looked up at Frank, tears in eyes.

"Don't let me go, Frank," she said.

"I'm never going to let go, Nancy," he stated, determined.

"And neither will I, Hardy!" cried Ned from below. The root dropped slightly again but this time, Ned lost his grip on Nancy. Just before he fell, he grabbed onto her leg. Nancy screamed as she felt her grip with Frank slipping. She reached up with her free hand and grabbed a hold of his arm, securing their grip on each other. Frank strengthened his own grip by taking her arm as well. The two locked eyes even as Ned continued to hold on to her.

Nancy looked down at her ex-fiancé. In that moment, she loathed him with every fiber of her being. He had taken her father away from her, tried to destroy her friends' lives but the one thing he wasn't to take from her was Frank.

"Get out of my life, Ned!" she cried. Nancy kicked him in the face with her free foot. Although he didn't let go, it stunned him for a bit. She kicked him again and this time, he lost his grip. She cried out when Ned twisted her foot, her shoe slipping off as he plunged to the rocks below. His scream suddenly stopped as he hit the ground. Nancy turned away, looking up at Frank. He stared down at her, knowing what she just sacrificed.

The two dangled precariously, not knowing if anyone heard their cries earlier. Frank looked up. Though he couldn't see the top, he willed someone to come to their aid. The root continued to hold their weight though Frank felt his strength leaving him as he tried to hold on. Losing Ned's weight brought a little bit of relief but he still held on by a thread. He could tell that Nancy was getting tired as well, the fatigue evident in her dirty face that shone in the moonlight.

"I guess I should have thought this through a little better, huh?" Frank replied with a small laugh.

"At least we're together, Frank," Nancy said. She looked into his eyes as they continued to hold on to each other. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Joe and Fenton rushed through the trees. They could hear the others around them running through as well but they strained to hear any more cries. Joe stopped when he saw something white clinging to a bush.

"Dad!" he cried. "Over here!"

Fenton came over, looking at what Joe was shining on with his flashlight. "That's from Nancy's gown," he stated, pulling the cloth from the bush. "We're going in the right direction."

They heard a woman scream and a man yelling soon after. The two headed toward the sounds. Joe could have sworn he heard Frank's voice but he stopped when the sound of a blood curdling scream echoed around him. It suddenly stopped and only the crickets could be heard. Not knowing where he was going, Joe burst through the trees into a clearing, his father right behind him. Joe panned the flashlight around the clearing but didn't see anything until another flash of white bounced off the beam. A white shoe lay on the ground and he rushed over to it only to be stopped by Fenton. In his haste, Joe didn't see the edge of the cliff.

"Watch it, Joe," Fenton replied. The two looked down the steep cliff face, looking for anything that might show where Frank or Nancy went. They couldn't see the bottom but as Joe passed the beam over the lower edge, Fenton thought he saw movement. Fenton took the flashlight from Joe and aimed it to where he saw the movement. A root moved slightly as if holding a great weight. "Frank?"

"Dad!" cried his older son's voice from below them. Fenton saw the root moved again only this time, he saw a hand gripping it, the knuckles straining from the weight below.

"Oh, my God," Fenton said before yelling for help. Within seconds, FBI agents, Sam, Jack, Stacy, Vanessa, and Laura were bursting through the trees. "Don't worry, son. Help is coming."

"Hurry!" Frank cried. "I don't know how much longer we can hold on!"

"Is Nancy with you?" Fenton asked.

"I'm here!" cried Nancy though she sounded lower.

Fenton sighed with relief but he had no idea how they were going to get to them before either the root or Frank's stamina failed. No one had a rope and there wasn't enough time to go back to the villa to find one. The ledge was too steep for anyone to walk down and get them either.

Joe looked at the ground, thinking. Like his father, nothing came to mind as to how to get to his brother and Nancy. He listened to the others around him discussing what they could do though nothing was sounded like it would work. Joe started feeling that they were wasting time. Then, as if the clouds suddenly opened up and revealed light, an idea popped into his head. He turned to his father.

"Dad!" he cried. "Human chain!"

"Wha?"

"A human chain!" Joe cried again, kneeling over the edge of the cliff. "It's the only way to get down there in time."

"But it's almost twenty feet down, Joe!" cried Fenton, kneeling beside his son.

"Dad, quit arguing!" he cried, giving his father a stern look. "Just trust me on this! I've done it before!"

"What are you carrying on about?" Dearing asked, annoyed.

"I'm serious," Joe replied, looking at his father. "This will work. It's the only way down there. They're too far down for anything else and we don't have a rope. Please."

Fenton bit his lip and closed his eyes. Sighing, he nodded and looked up at Dearing. "We need some help. I'll hold on to Joe if someone will hold on to me."

The SAC nodded and quickly ordered a few agents to help out. Sam and Jack also got into it. When he felt it was safe to move down, Joe slowly slithered his way day the steep embankment, using his arms to push himself. Once he was far enough, he could feel his father grunt behind him as he shifted onto the dirt as well.

"You know, Joe," Fenton replied, "I really liked this suit even though it was going to be the death of me. Make sure that doesn't happen for real this time."

"I didn't ask you to come along," he laughed. "Just don't drop me."

Those who weren't helping with the human chain aimed the flashlights down so that Joe could see where he was going. He was almost there when he saw the root slip again and Nancy let out a cry. It was hanging by a thread. Joe was within inches from the edge when he finally caught a glimpse of the top of Frank's head. He could see the pain from holding on in his brother's eyes but also surprise at seeing Joe coming down to rescue him.

"Joe?" Frank replied.

Joe grinned as he inched closer. Frank looked as if he were in a fight, his face bruised and a gash along the side of his head. "You look like shit, Frank," he said.

"I feel like it too," Frank laughed, grimacing slightly. "That hurt. Don't make me laugh when I'm like this, okay?"

"I'll get you out of this," Joe reassured him. "Can you reach for my hand?"

"No," he answered, shaking his head. "Nancy has my other hand. I let go, we both go."

Joe nodded then inched his way closer, his hand within reach of Frank's. He cautiously wrapped one hand around Frank's forearm just as the root finally gave way, dropping them all further down. As he slightly went over the edge, Joe could see the darkness below them. Nancy hung from Frank's other arm, staring up at him. "I gotcha," Joe smiled as Frank wrapped his own hand around his forearm. "You good?"

"Yeah," he nodded, relieved. "I think so. Just get us out of here."

"Dad!" Joe cried. "Pull us up!"

Slowly but surely the chain moved back up the mountain. Joe felt relief when he finally felt the rock and dirt underneath him, the weightlessness he felt just moments before gone.

As Frank cleared the edge, he breathed his own sigh of relief, knowing that they were almost out of danger. He looked down to see Nancy clearing the edge as well, her face betraying her fatigue and relief. Joe never let go even once he was on the grassy clearing. He wanted to make sure that Frank and Nancy made it all the way up before letting go.

Once they were pulled up by the family and agents waiting for them, the two collapsed onto the ground, sitting side-by-side, neither of them wanting to move. Their adventure was over and they were glad for it. Frank wrapped his arm around Nancy, pulling her close. He wasn't going to let go of her ever again and neither would she.