Joe stepped off of the private plane and onto the tarmac at the small River Heights airport. "Alright Joe, be careful! Tell Nancy we're wishing her the best!"
"Thanks Mr. Morton! Tell Chet I say hello!" Joe yelled as Chet's dad stepped back into his plane and prepared to take off. Joe grabbed his bag and began walking toward the front of the airport, where Bess had offered him a ride since Frank hadn't picked up his cellphone in over an hour.
While on the phone with his best friend Chet, Joe had been lucky enough to discover that Chet's dad was a recreational pilot. When Chet heard of what was going on with Nancy, he immediately got his dad to agree to fly Joe out to River Heights himself. While Chet didn't know Nancy personally, he knew how close the three detectives were and knew how badly Joe wanted to see Nancy.
As if on cue, Joe's phone rang. "Hello?"
"Excuse me, Mr. City Boy, but this Small Town Girl is wasting gas while waiting for you in the parking lot." Joe had to laugh. There was something about Bess that had always kept him… alive. There was always going to be a small spark between them, he just knew it.
"Maybe you should turn the car off," Joe teased.
"And turn the air conditioning off, effectively sweating my make-up off? In your dreams, Hardy."
"Such a beautiful blonde like you shouldn't need to wear so much make-up," Joe replied.
"Oh, you and that Hardy charm." Joe hung up the phone as he approached her yellow car. He popped the trunk open and threw his bags in before climbing into the car beside her.
"Oh, hello gorgeous," Joe teased. Bess blushed and shoved Joe lightly.
"Is this why you called me out here to get you? So you could flirt up a storm?"
"Yep. It definitely had nothing to do with the fact that Frank hasn't picked up his phone in over an hour," Joe replied as they pulled away from the parking lot. Bess' face grew somber.
"Frank isn't answering his phone?"
"No, he isn't. I figured he was busy with Nancy." As the words tumbled from Joe's mouth, he realized the weight they carried. "Bess. Frank just found out about Nancy being single, right?"
"I think we're living in the same fear here, Joe." With that, Bess sped off for the hospital.
Frank continued to pace the room as Nancy sat on the bed, trying to calm him down. "Nancy, again, I am so sorry-"
"Frank, again, you don't have to apologize. I enjoyed the kiss," Nancy protested.
"I've completely overstepped my boundaries. I'm supposed to be helping you-"
"Which you are!" Nancy interjected.
"But instead I manipulated your memories into something they're not. I built you how I wanted you to feel!"
"Frank, please calm down. I want to talk about this. We can't brush this kiss off." Nancy reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. "Please." Frank sighed and sat next to her on her bed where he had been sitting moments ago. "Are all of the stories you told me true? About how you feel and what we did together?"
"Yes. I meant every word."
"Then we knew the two of us would get here someday. Did we imagine it like this, with me in a hospital and you trying to tether me back to reality? No, we probably didn't. But it's happening. And if there's one thing we both know how to do, it's improvise. I'm not looking for a label. Let's just get through this mess together. Once we're out of the woods, let's label us whatever we want to label us, okay?" Frank took a deep breath.
"Okay, Nance. Your calmness always amazes me," Frank joked. "What would you like to talk about?"
"My mom," Nancy begged. Frank tensed again. "I know it's a harsh subject. Since she hasn't been here to visit me, and no one has mentioned her, I'm assuming she's not in my life anymore. I want to know why." Frank opened his mouth to protest, but Nancy stopped him. "You can't keep things from me. You have to help me, remember?"
"I know. I'm just worried about you. You always hated how much I worried about you," Frank said with a light chuckle. "It's a heavy story, and I feel like I've already put you through a lot today. Are you sure you're ready?"
"Yes, please."
"Alright," Frank sighed. He started to slide off of the bed to give Nancy some space, but she stopped him.
"Stay up here with me. We've shared a bed before," she asked. Frank swallowed the lump in his throat.
"Okay." Frank sat across from her. To him, she looked young again. Her blue eyes were wide and eagerly awaited his stories. She was bundled up in blankets and laid back against the pillows. "It would take me years to really tell the story of your mother, just based on what you've told me and the little I remember about her. Her name was Katherine Austin, and Kate Drew after she married your father. Her hair was the same reddish color yours is, and she had the same grace that you do. She also had the same determination, too, and the same desire to help people. She was a lot like you.
"Your mother loved to solve puzzles, maybe even more than you do. When she was studying in college, she studied abroad a semester in Glasgow, Scotland. She fell in love with the city and wound up staying. Kate also befriended Moira in college, despite Moira hating her guts. She finished college in Scotland and became a journalist for the Glasgow Standard. She even got Moira a job there, and the two became best friends.
"Kate was an incredible journalist. She could handle vast amounts of information at one time. This caught the interest of an organization named Cathedral, a division of MI5. They offered her an interview, claiming to be a magazine brand. Your mom didn't fall for it and instantly noticed all of the hidden cameras and microphones. Cathedral hired her immediately, along with Moira and her husband, Michael."
"My mom was a spy?" Nancy asked in disbelief.
"Yes she was, Nan. An incredible one. You found this all out just two years ago, when a mysterious letter came for you. It was from Cathedral, stating that the operation your mother stopped was starting up again, and only you could stop it. You left for Scotland without saying a word to anyone, even your dad.
"But once you got there, things only went downhill. You reconnected with Moira, whose husband had died in the line of duty for Cathedral. She confessed that she had called Kate back into Cathedral after she'd left the spy world behind. Kate wanted to be a wife and a mother, and she couldn't do that in Scotland. But Moira had lured her back in by promising her round the clock protection- something Moira didn't have. Kate went, despite Carson begging her not to go. On July 14th, 2005, Kate stopped the Colony operation, a massive biochemical attack on Glasgow, but she paid with her life. Your mother saved thousands of people.
"When you came home from Scotland, you showed up on my doorstep at two in the morning. I didn't care. I was glad to see you. You stayed the night with me and told me everything about your mom. I think you just needed to get everything off your chest. You told me you weren't ready to talk to your dad yet. The next day, I drove you back to River Heights and sat with you and Ned and your family as you talked about your mom.
"You admitted that in the end of your trip, you found out that you had been lured there in order to get you to find the formula to create the biochemical bomb. You, of course, stopped the bomb and brought the rogue agent in. You told me all about the people you'd met, like Alec and Zoe, and how they'd helped you stop the bombs. You did a lot of good, Nance. I'm sure your mom would have been very proud."
"Thanks," Nancy said. "I wish I could remember all of that trip. I remember bits and pieces of it."
"Don't stress yourself out. You'll remember everything," Frank reassured. Nancy sighed in frustration.
"When? How much longer do I have to wait in the dark?"
"I'm not sure, Nance. But it's only been two days since we started. Don't rush yourself. I'm going to be here as long as you need me here, along with Bess and George and Joe, okay?" he said. Nancy nodded and sullenly looked down. Frank slid off of the bed and stood in front of Nancy. He tipped her chin up and gently kissed her lips. He felt Nancy's body relax as she let him kiss her. A knock at the door startled the detectives. Frank stepped back from Nancy and sat down in the chair by her bed as the door opened.
"Hope we're not interrupting!" Joe yelled before he burst into the room. Bess was right behind him. Joe strolled over to Nancy. "Nancy! You're looking as lovely as ever!"
"You must be Joe," Nancy laughed. "It's nice to meet you…again. Frank told me all about you."
"Well there are so many good qualities to talk about when it comes to me," Joe teased as he gave Nancy a hug. "How're you feeling?"
"Better, I suppose. Thanks for coming out to see me. I may not fully remember you, but being surrounded by friends helps," Nancy replied. There was another knock on the door as Dr. Nightguard opened the door.
"Hello everyone. Nancy, how're you feeling?"
"A little better, Dr. Nightguard. It's nice to sort of feel like me again," she said.
"I'm sure it is. Perhaps we could have a moment outside?" The two brothers and Bess stepped outside after giving a nod to Nancy. Once the door closed behind them, Dr. Nightguard's attitude fell. "I informed Frank of this when he first arrived, but when Nancy was admitted, she was in bad shape. As you can tell, she had been beaten black and blue and now has a broken rib and sprained ankle. We also took some samples for a rape kit, just to cover all of the bases." The three friends in the hallway had their moods drop instantly. "The results just came back positive. We think whoever went after Nancy raped her," Dr. Nightguard admitted. Frank felt like he was going to vomit.
"Were they able to acquire any DNA?" Joe asked, trying to get a handle on the situation before Frank lost his cool.
"No known matches in the system. Whoever went after Nancy doesn't have a record. Chief McGinnis is trying to get ahold of the case, but due to the nature of it, Chicago PD wants it. But keep in mind. False positives aren't uncommon with kits like these. Once Nancy regains her personality, then we can approach her about her injuries and the case she was working. Our priority is restoring Nancy to full memory. I just thought it was important for you three to know," Dr. Nightguard explained. Frank's face was pale white and he looked miserable. Bess swallowed the lump in her throat. Joe extended a hand to Dr. Nightguard.
"Thank you for letting us know. We'll take the best care of Nancy possible. I know my brother cares very much for her. It's almost a competition," Joe joked. The doctor smiled.
"You must be Frank's brother, Joe. It's been a pleasure to meet you. Please let me know if Nancy says anything about the case. She hasn't mentioned anything in her sessions yet."
"Sessions?" Frank croaked out.
"Yes. A psychologist meets with Nancy every morning to determine how she's progressing. It's part of the process here." Frank nodded before the doctor stepped away to his office. Joe turned to Frank and put his hands on his brother's shoulders.
"You can't tell Nancy."
"That's not fair," Frank replied. "You know how I feel."
"Everyone does, Frank. But this is what's best for Nancy," Bess replied with a concerned look. "I want revenge on the people that hurt my best friend. We can't get that unless we ease Nancy back into her case. We have to care for her."
"You're right. Revenge," Frank replied darkly. Joe stopped him immediately.
"That's not who we are. How would Nancy feel if she found out you went after the men that hurt her, completely alone? Don't hurt her with your actions. You know she'd be disappointed in you," Joe said. Frank nodded.
"I know. I'm just upset. I should have been there for her. She doesn't deserve this. She's such an incredible person and she's so beautiful and strong yet fragile-"
"Uh huh, and how many times did you kiss her?" Bess nudged teasingly. Frank's head shot up to meet Bess.
"What?"
"Dude, you didn't answer your phone for over an hour. I know you weren't driving. You were here, with Nancy. Even if the two of you are just hanging out, you're better about phone calls than that," Joe laughed.
"I didn't kiss Nancy. That wouldn't be right," Frank snapped back, but his argument felt flawed.
"Sure you didn't. I just hope you didn't rush things," Bess teased again. Frank sighed in frustration.
"I need to go clear my head. I'll meet up with you guys later, at Nancy's house. We should tell her dad about all of this," Frank suggested. Joe and Bess's fun attitude fell on the spot.
"Okay. Be careful," Joe warned. Frank nodded as he turned away and Joe and Bess went back into Nancy's room.
"I'll be careful to make sure they never hurt her again," Frank muttered as he stormed down the hallway. He stepped into the elevator and pulled out his cellphone. The phone rang once, then twice before the person answered. "Chief McGinnis? Yeah, it's Frank Hardy. I've got a favor to ask."