A big THANK YOU to all who reviewed. I know I left a pretty terrible cliffhanger but now at least some of your questions will be answered. Enjoy!

2. Strangers

Nancy Drew opened her eyes and looked around. What she saw alarmed her. White, impersonal walls surrounded her while machine beeps filled her ears. And two men, one a boyish blonde of about twenty-three, the other a handsome dark haired man of about twenty-four, stared back at her.

"Nancy? Are you alright?" Joe asked with concern.

"Who are you?" Nancy asked.

Frank studied the woman, looking for any signs of recognition. He found none. It wasn't Nancy staring back, it was a stranger. Just as they were strangers to Nancy.

"Don't you recognize us Nancy?" Joe questioned, stunned by her words. "Don't you remember us?"

"No, she doesn't." Frank whispered, searching Nancy's eyes. It seemed as if someone else was staring out through her eyes. Frank's heart tore in two as realization set in. "She has no memory."

"What, you mean amnesia?" Joe looked between Nancy and Frank. When Frank only nodded, Joe crumbled.

"No! It's not true! It's Nancy, she's been through everything. She's done everything. We can't lose her to amnesia! We just can't! Other people get amnesia, not Nancy." Tears streamed freely down Joe's cheeks as he tried to fight reality. Looking to Nancy he pleaded again. "You know us, don't you? You have to know us." he whispered.

Frank hung his head. In his mind he saw Joe the first time they met Nancy. He was just the kid brother at the time, the one who idolized his big brother. As soon as he had met Nancy they had become lifelong friends. In his own way Joe cared for Nancy deeply. She was one of the most important people to him. Frank couldn't help but feel sorrow, not only for Nancy, but for Joe as well. Joe had always thought of Nancy as a hero. In a way he almost idolized Nancy.

"Joe, go call Bess and George. If we're going to help Nancy we're going to need all the help we can get."

"But, aren't they on vacation?"

Frank nodded and pulled a slip of paper from his pocket. He handed it to Joe. "This is the inn where they're staying. Just call that number."

Joe nodded silently and walked out of the room, wiping tears from his eyes.

"What happened? Why am I here?" Nancy questioned Frank. "I feel so lost right now."

Frank sighed. "Do you remember anything at all? Who you are?"

Nancy shook her head and Frank fought back tears while he tried to compose his thoughts. "Your name is Nancy Drew. You're a twenty-four year old amateur detective who lives in River Heights. Your father is Carson Drew. He's a lawyer who lives in River Heights as well."

"Who was that guy?" Nancy interrupted.

"That was my brother Joe."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Frank Hardy, your boyfriend. You've known us for years. We have solved several cases together."

Before either could say another word the doctor came in. He held a clipboard as he observed the scene. "I'm sorry Mr. Hardy. Your brother told us of Ms. Drew's condition. It may be best if we give her time to rest."

Frank nodded and moved to stand up. He didn't want to leave but he wasn't sure how long he could sit with Nancy, knowing that it meant nothing to her. Frank turned toward the door and was about to walk away when he felt Nancy's hand on his arm. Big blue eyes met his gaze, pleading.

"Help me? Make me remember. Please."

Frank leaned down and gently hugged Nancy. "I'm here for you. I'll be back soon. Trust me."

Nancy watched helplessly as Frank walked out the door. He really did seem sweet, and worried. Nancy just wished she could remember. Would she really care about a guy like him, or was he just a friend? She sighed and settled back in her bed. All she could do now was wait, and put her trust in the man who claimed to be Frank Hardy.

Frank found Joe quickly after he left Nancy's room. Joe had finished his call to Bess and George and was on his way back when Frank motioned to him that it was time to go.

Bright sunlight met the Hardy brother's eyes as they stepped from the hospital. It was mid-afternoon and Frank realized that neither he nor Joe had eaten anything in hours. Frank climbed into the car and waited for Joe to climb into the passenger seat. Once Joe was settled, Frank left the hospital and drove downtown to a small diner.

Frank and Joe pulled in into the small parking lot and climbed out of the car. Few other vehicles occupied the lot. Joe made his way into the diner, followed closely by Frank. They waited until they had been seated and given their orders to the waitress before they turned back to the situation at hand.

"Did you talk to Bess and George?"

"Yeah, I caught them just as they were leaving. They plan to catch the first plane back so they can help us out. What can they do though?"

"They are Nan's best friends. She must have told them things that we don't know. We just need anything that may trigger her memory. It could be a story, a picture, a smell, anything. We also need to find out more about that old mansion. That painting looked just like Nancy. There's a story there."

"But where do we begin? Information on that place, if it even exists, could be anywhere."

Frank shrugged. "We're better off trying the library and the courthouse."

Their food came and the brothers ate in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Neither one was looking forward to the task ahead of them, but neither would turn his back on Nancy.

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Frank sat back in his seat and rubbed his temples. He had already been to the courthouse. He had spent a couple of hours going through paper work. The search had turned up no information.

Frank looked around him at the stacks of library books and old newspapers. He had gone through every one without success. In fact the only information he had found had been a news article from a microfilm describing the house.

Frank looked at his watch and yawned. It was nearly five. He stood and stretched, then grabbed the copy of the article he had made and went to find Joe.

Joe looked up from the computer he was sitting at as Frank made his way over. He shook his head in disappointment. He had found nothing while searching the internet.

"I have this." Frank said, handing the paper to Joe.

Joe scanned the paper quickly. He had almost finished reading when something caught his eye. A notation at the end of the article about a death notice made Joe gasp. The name of the deceased was Drew.