Author's Note: A couple of things, the first big change is how Nancy and Frank escape. Second is Joe and Sallies though I didn't change much just made sure no one would die or get gravely injured from how they exited the building. I'll take any direction on tense, through circumstances I kinda skipped a lot of english classes in middle school. Add that up with dyslexia and dysgraphia and I've always been told my writing has good content but bad grammar and spelling. Without a beta not much I can do about that if I want to finish this. I hope ya'll enjoy - Kes

NDHBNDHBNDHBNDHB

Frank's eyes sweep over the large room taking in every detail. They stop when he finds the fireplace, more specifically the toolset next to it. "Wait here," he tells Nancy. He grabs the poker and comes back. He uses it as a lever and tries once again to open the elevator doors. It takes about two minutes, but now the doors are open.

Frank looks down the shaft and can see the fire down below.

Nancy looks at the cables and up the shaft to where they have to get to. "I was never top of my class in climbing." Frank's eyebrow raises at her comment, he has seen her transverse canyons and cliff sides. Climbing what looked to be one and a half stories on a ladder shouldn't be giving her pause.

Frank points to an emergency ladder located just right of the open doors. "Look it's easy, I'll help you to the ladder. Just go hand over hand and try to keep balance and keep going. And don't look down. You go first and I'll be right behind you."

Nancy looks down, "If I fall?" Logically she knew they had to do this. And if this was six months ago on an average day, she wouldn't be worried about her ability to do this. But so much had happened in these past months, she didn't know how to tell him that she could barely walk on her own most days without tripping. How was she going to drag herself out of this hell?

Frank turns to look at her. Once again, he wonders what has happened, and once again pushes it aside for 'later'. "I'll be right there with you."

Nancy's blue eyes are bloodshot, pupils wide. She grabs Frank's right hand with her own. He starts to say something, but she shakes her head. Instead, she slowly guides his hand up her left sleeve. Frank doesn't quite understand what she is trying to say until he feels something foreign under her dress. He raises an eyebrow.

Nancy looks down refusing to meet his concerned eyes. "Needle," she says softly.

And that was how Frank Hardy learn how the strongest woman he knew was kept for so long, drugs. Anger and despair beyond anything he had ever felt before flooded him. He wanted nothing more than to march into whatever room Rathbone had retreated into and beat the man to death.

Frank closed his eyes and formed a fist with his left hand. After a few deliberate deep breaths, Frank opens his eyes and brushes a figure along her arm. "Look we are going to get out of this. First .." Frank pulls a small Swiss army knife out of his pocket. "You can't climb with that in." He quickly puts a three-inch gash in the sleeve of the dress. Just enough for him to see the short tube attached to the needle and the medical tape keeping it there. Gently he loosens the tape. "Ok, I'm going to pull it out now."

Frank steadies Nancy's arm with his left hand while he gently pulls the needle. He notices multiple puncture marks in the hollow of her elbow. Clenching his jaw he tosses the hateful objects down the elevator shaft. "We need something to stop the bleeding."

Nancy glances up at Frank. She's glad they have always been on the same wavelength. She puts pressure on the small wound and gives him what she hopes is a smile. "Well Hardy, that is why you should have just cut off the sleeve."

Frank reds and coughs, "Right let me fix that." They quickly get her arm wrapped up with half of her sleeve. Now they are ready to leave.

Frank puts an arm on Nancy's back and gives her a steady look. "I'll be right behind you. Rember hand over hand, don't look down. We can go as slow as you want, just try to keep moving, O.K.?"

Nancy nods. She takes a deep breath then with the help of Frank she swings herself out onto the emergency ladder. As soon as she had gone up a few rungs Frank made his own way over onto the ladder.

The going was slow, mostly because Nancy had little to no energy. She did her best to keep reaching for the next rung and pull herself up. But it was becoming clear to her that she wouldn't last long.

NDHBNDHBNDHBNDHBNDHBNDHB

Fenton and Carson arrive at the Rathbone building, they hadn't been able to reach either Frank or Joe. Worry and the beginning of panic were starting to set in Fenton. Carson found himself being the voice of reason, a role that Fenton had been playing for him. A role he will gladly fill for the man whose family is giving him some hope of seeing his daughter again.

They are trying to get as close as they can when they are stopped by a fireman. "You can't come any closer."

"My sons might be in that building," a frantic Fenton states.

"Well search the crowd we've gotten a lot of people out so far," the fireman points towards a large group.

"But not all," Carson inquires.

"No not all," states the man.

Fenton looks up at the building. Fire is visible on multiple floors. "Oh my God!" he exclaims. He wonders just how the fire had gotten so out of control and how many victims this fire was bound to claim. How he would just have to hope neither of his boys were still inside.

Just then another man walks by. He stops as he recognizes the two men, "Fenton, Mr. Drew. What are you two doing here?" asks Agent Helms.

"My sons may be in that building. They got a lead to Nancy." Fenton answers distractedly.

"Why didn't they contact me?" inquired the agent.

"Because you told them they were on their own!" Fenton berated the man.

Realizing this wasn't helping Carson interrupts, "We better check the crowd. Come on." The two fathers run off to hopefully find the boys.

NDHBNDHBNDHBNDHBNDHBNDHBNDHB

The fire is closing in on Joe and the little girl with him. He looks around for an escape, he notices that there are some firemen setting up an airbag down below. All the windows, which were floor to ceiling, in the small office had shattered during the explosion. They were only four stories up the airbag was a way out. He just needed to be sure it was set right so that they would survive the fall. He leaves the girl cowering behind the reception desk. "It's going to be alright," he tells her, "I'm going to see if we can't get some help, ok?" He waits till she nods her head before moving toward the windows.

Joe carefully sticks his head out the window and bellows down, "We're trapped in here. We need some help." Four floors and the rush of flames, he hopes someone heard something. Even if they didn't, he thinks it's best if he stays by the window so the men below would have a chance to spot him.

It takes a few minutes, but Joe is spotted by a fireman. He watches as the men below reposition the airbag underneath the window he is at. Joe goes back inside to get the little girl. He kneels down beside her. "What's your name?"

"Sally."

"You ever jumped off a diving board, Sally?" He watches as she gives him a slight nod. "Ok, then this is going to be just like that. Want to try it with me?" The girl once again nods her head. Joe gives her a smile and leads her over to the broken-out windows.

"You're not scared are ya?" He asks her.

Sally shakes her head and gives him a smile. "No, not if you aren't."

"Ok, one, two, three," Joe counts down. Joe lets go of her hand on the count of three and watches the young girl jump. He sees her head twist to look back at him in confusion and betrayal. How could he explain to an already terrified child that jumping together put her at risk of injury? That he had tricked her into going first so that she wouldn't be left up here alone again. So, he just watches as the men below gather a weeping child up off the mattress, waits for the ok, then jumps just as another explosion rocks the fourth floor.

NDHBNDHBNDHBNDHB

Author's Note: The way they did in the show is 100% not even possible so I tried to find a way that could work and could still have the romantic part halfway through that will be in the next chapter. I know this isn't possible either as ladders are attached to the elevator car for one-story deployment but it is more reasonable than climbing out on a grease-uped metal cable. You are also not jumping onto an airbag with two people it is designed for one. Two people make the chances of one of the parties being hurt from the jump go up. If one party is an adult and one is a child it is my understanding that the child is likely to be the injured party, so that is why Joe and Sally don't jump together here like in the show. - Kes