Chapter One

Frank stared out the window of his apartment. Even though he knew his family was nearby and he could walk to work, he still felt lonely. There was something missing in his life and he knew what it was…or rather who.

Sighing, Frank walked back to the small kitchen table where his laptop sat open. Printouts of photos and maps were strewn around the table in no particular order. Take-out cartons and old drink cups cluttered the normally clean kitchen counters as well with a fowl smell that he seemed to ignore. It was his nightly routine anymore after the FBI confirmed that Nancy was in Europe. He spent a good part of his down time searching the Internet for possible photos of Gidget, the woman who took his girlfriend. Frank had a feeling that Nancy wasn't out in the open which is why he was searching for Gidget instead. So far, he hadn't found anything, just old photos of the woman and new photos of nothing but tourists. The problem was that it was dangerously becoming an obsession and, unknown to him, his family was starting to notice.

Rubbing his face, Frank contemplated continuing on with his search. It had been so long since he'd seen Nancy that he wondered if she was still alive.

"No," he mumbled shaking his head. "She's alive. I know it and I'm going to find her."

His fingers glided over the keys as he typed in different locations around Europe. It was a moot point considering it was literally searching for a needle in a haystack. There had to be recent pictures of small towns throughout Europe. Gidget was there and so was Nancy. He just had to figure out where.

The hours passed quickly and soon Frank's eyes were drooping, his head lolling as he tried to stay awake. In the wee hours of the morning, Frank laid his head upon the keyboard on the laptop and was asleep within seconds, muttering incoherently.

Hours later, the sun dawned bright and Frank was woken up by the sound of someone pounding on the door and calling his name. He yawned and stretched, feeling the kinks stretch in his neck and hearing the popping from his joints. The person at the door pounded again more urgently this time.

"Yo, Frank!" cried Joe on the other side of the door.

"I'm coming!" Frank grumbled as he shuffled to the door, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. He slid the lock out of place and opened the door just as Joe knocked only this time it was on Frank's head. "Ow! Damn it, Joe!"

"Hey, sleepyhead," his brother said cheerfully, ignoring Frank's grumbling. He strolled into the apartment and looked around the messy room, a look of distaste on his face. Joe took a whiff then pinched his nose. "Geez, you better not let Mom or Aunt Trudy see you living like this. They might drag you back home to teach you how to clean. I thought I was the messy one."

"I've been busy," Frank growled picking up an empty Chinese takeout box that was still filled with food from the night before. "What the hell do you want, Joe?"

"Well, that's not a nice thing to say to your brother on this fine day," Joe pouted taking some of the take-out cartons and throwing them in the trash. "You've been searching the Internet again, haven't you?"

"So, what if I am? It's a free country."

"Yeah, but it's also disturbing. You're ignoring everything else that's going on. You know Mom and Dad are worried about you. They wanted to make sure that you were okay especially since you didn't make it to dinner again last night."

"I was busy," he answered as he closed the lid to his laptop.

"Sure, right," Joe said give him a look and shaking his head. "Look, I know you're missing Nancy. We all are. But you can't stop living your life by spending the majority of it searching for photos that don't exist. We will find her."

"I know that, Joe," Frank snapped, gathering some of the papers from the table. "You told me that weeks ago but it's so hard not to try and do something! I love Nancy too much to just let her go. Now, just go. I'll be in to work in an hour."

He walked back to his bedroom in the hopes that Joe wouldn't follow him. The younger Hardy was hot on Frank's heels and was able to stop the door before it slammed in his face.

"You don't get to ignore everyone, Frank!" Joe yelled, pointing his finger at him. Frank's eyes went wide in alarm. "Do you honestly think that this is all about you? I get it with Nancy! She is a part of our family and we have no idea where she is but dwelling on it like this isn't healthy!"

"What do you know about it?" Frank snapped back. "Your girlfriend is still with you. Nancy went missing and all we've done is meet up with a bunch FBI bums who know nothing more than the fact that she's in Europe somewhere! I'm actually doing something! You have no idea how this feels!"

"I have no idea?" his brother boomed, his face getting red. "You're not the only one who was hurt! You have no idea what it's like to wake up during the night screaming! I do! Every time I close my eyes I see that bastard Davenport in my head! You have no idea what I or Dad or Mom have been through because you're holed up here half the time! You don't even ask! We see you at work and that's it! Even the therapy sessions I go to are agony to relieve those moments but it has to be done! Frank, you need us to get through this. We all need to get through this together. I know you promised Mr. Drew that you would find her and I get that you want to fulfill that promise, but not like this. It isn't healthy. I promise you that I will be right there with you the moment we know exactly where Nancy is. I will go anywhere with you to help, you know that! So, please, don't push us away."

Frank stared at the ground, his thoughts heavy. He didn't know about Joe's nightmares or even realized how the whole ordeal changed his parents. He never asked nor did it seem like he cared. All he cared about was finding Nancy and it wasn't fair for him to push his family away the way he did. They all needed each other in order to get their minds focused on the task at hand, on finding Nancy.

"I…I'm sorry, Joe," Frank finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. He couldn't even look at his brother's face as he spoke. "I…I've just been so…frustrated."

"I know," Joe replied honestly stepping toward him. "I'm frustrated as well. I want to find her too but we can't do anything if we're moping around like this trying to find a needle in a haystack. The FBI knows more than their telling us. Dad said that Mr. Drew is coming tomorrow and he wants us both to go with them when they confront the FBI on it."

"Carson is coming here?"

"Yeah, if you had come to dinner last night you would have known that."

"I said I was sorry!"

"I forgive you. You just owe me since Aunt Trudy drove me nuts asking me when I was going to move out too."

"Ouch. I'm sure that was painful but it probably would've been entertaining to watch."

"Thanks a lot, Frank." Joe gave him a look of disdain. "I don't get it either. It's like she wants the house to be empty except for Mom and Dad." He paused and shivered slightly. "Ugh, I just got a really bad vision in my head."

"I really don't want to know," Frank shook his head. He went to his dresser and began pulling out clothes to wear then turned to Joe. "Tell Dad I'll be in as soon as I can."

"I will," his brother nodded heading for the door. He paused just before he left and quirked at eyebrow at Frank. "You're not going to go back on that computer, are you? Do I need to stick around to make sure?"

"No, get out of here. I'll be there."

"Okay, if you say so. And, Frank?"

"Yeah." Frank stood at the bathroom door, looking at Joe expectantly.

"We'll find her, you know that right?"

"I know," he smiled sadly. "I just hope we're not too late when we do."

"Don't give up hope. That's all we have right now. And besides, Nancy's too bullheaded to not put up a fight with Gidget. I hope I see that woman get wailed on by Nancy one day."

"Me too," Frank laughed.

"I'm serious though," Joe looked intently at his brother. "Don't give up hope. Nancy will be back and you can finally ask her that question you've wanted to ask for over a year now."

"Two years, Joe."

"Wow, really?" He was surprised forgetting how long it had actually been. Joe opened the front door and waved. "Anyway, see you soon. Don't take too long either. I don't want to feel Dad's wrath and have to come back to get you after he's done with me."

"I'll be there, okay!" Frank cried as the door closed.

Minutes later he stood in the shower letting the water flow off of his body. Frank thought about Nancy and what she was doing in that moment. He felt in his heart that she was still alive but for some reason he also felt she was going to be different when he saw her again. He didn't understand why but there was something that was nagging him, almost as if things had changed dramatically in the last few weeks since the FBI showed the pictures from England. Whatever the feeling he had, Frank didn't like it. He just hoped that they weren't too late.

Nancy gazed at her plate, her head bowed. Although she was hungry, she didn't really want to eat…at least not the food that was being provided to her and certainly not the company she was in. She looked at her new host, a man who seemed impeccable at all times. From the way he dressed, Nancy could tell that he was a man with a lot of power and prestige though she still hadn't figured him all out just yet.

Gidget, on the other hand, was easy to figure out. The woman was not happy about being in the presence of the man who called himself Donatelli. In fact, she was fearful which would explain why Gidget was picking at her food across from Nancy.

"My, my," replied Donatelli looking from one woman to the other. "If the mood gets any worse around here, I'd be obliged to commit suicide."

"Good," spat Gidget, glaring at him. "It would save us the agony of being within five feet of you."

"Now, now, Gigi," he smirked, spearing a large piece of meat with his fork. Donatelli pointed his eating utensil at her as if to jab her. "You shouldn't be talking like that to me. You were the one who agreed to stay. I'm not stopping you from leaving, unlike Nancy here. You can leave whenever you like."

"And then you'd have one of your men kill me before I could reveal who you are to Interpol, right?"

"You have a point there." He chewed for a few minutes, staring at her through narrowed eyes. "I couldn't have you telling certain people who I am. It's bad for business. Most of my family and closest friends don't even know how I got my fortune. They only know that my father was the one who whittled it away into nothing, gambling his way into bankruptcy. It was embarrassing but when the time came, Father did the right thing by driving his car off a cliff. Oh, wait. That might have been the brakes I had cut too." Donatelli chuckled at his inside joke. "One of the perks of knowing the ins and outs of a car."

"You're a monster," Nancy whispered. She stared at him aghast. The man was worse than she could have ever thought…even worse than Davenport which was saying something.

Donatelli turned his attention to Nancy and smiled broadly at her. A shiver went down her spine whenever he looked at her but at least he never made any advances towards her. In fact, in the two weeks she had been with him, Donatelli gave her a lot of freedom to roam the house…with an escort of course. All-in-all, he was the perfect host to her but she knew she wasn't a guest. Nancy was a captive like a princess held hostage in a castle by an evil wizard. They were even in an old castle which made the simile all the more apparent. They had moved from the chateau owned by Francois Marceau the week before after Francois met an untimely end at the hands of Donatelli. If only she could get away…

"She speaks," Donatelli laughed, bringing Nancy back to reality. "And here I thought we'd never hear that beautiful voice again. You haven't really spoken since the first day you arrived at Chateau Marceau."

"I don't have anything to say to you," Nancy pouted looking away. She pushed her plate away then rose from her seat.

"Sit down," he ordered, the pleasantry gone from his voice. Nancy glared at him, ignoring his order. She walked toward the door only to be stopped by two men. They grabbed a hold of her and half-dragged, half-walked her back to her seat where they plopped her down. Nancy yelped in protest and tried to get back up but each of the men held her down by the shoulder. "Now, Julius and Hiram would not have had to do that if you just listened, Nancy. You are a guest in my house and you are to abide by my rules. Is that understood?"

"I don't care about your damn rules!" she shrieked trying to get up again. "I want to go home!"

"We'll see about that," Dontelli said gently. He took another bite of his meat and savored every morsel of it as he watched Nancy squirm. "It all depends on your mother now."

"My mother is dead, you sadistic bastard!" Nancy screamed. "If she was alive, she would have come here by now, don't you think? Quit destroying her legacy by speaking lies!"

"Oh, I assure you that Katherine is very much alive. I'm sure that by now, she knows you're missing and she'll be willing to do anything to get her baby girl back. Same thing with your father. He has a lot of clout and I want to take advantage of that when the time comes. For now, you need to just be my guest and enjoy your time here."

"I'm not your guest," she growled. "Guests are allowed to leave. I can barely go anywhere without an escort."

"True," Donatelli nodded. "Would you like to go down to the town? I can arrange for that."

"Can I go alone?"

He laughed, throwing his head back. "Oh, I think not. I'd never see you again. No, Nancy, you wouldn't be going alone but I am willing to let you have a little more freedom…for a price, that is."

"Don't do it, Nancy," muttered Gidget, shaking her head. "It's a deal with the devil."

"Oh, hush, Gigi," Donatelli waved dismissively. "You, of all people, know that everything comes with a price. Just look at your dead family." He turned back to Nancy. "Do we have a deal?"

"I don't know what you're asking of me."

"It's simple, my dear. I have a gathering coming up and I want you to be there with me. Not as my date, just by my side as a good, little hostess."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Why would I want to even be near you? I don't want to have anything to do with you. Plus there are people looking for me. Don't you think that others would find it kind of strange that I look like a missing woman?"

"You are correct." Donatelli leaned toward her, gazing intensely into her eyes. "But I believe that you have potential to excel in my line of work. I need someone who will follow in my footsteps and I choose you, Nancy. Your whole life is about to change for the better. You just have to embrace it."

"Nancy, no," Gidget shook her head. "Don't do it."

"Shut up!" the man boomed. His hand whipped out of nowhere, backhanding Gidget across the face. The woman was knocked back in her chair and toppled to the ground with a loud crash.

Nancy stared dumbfounded at the woman who took her away from her family. She thought Gidget was the enemy but now it was Donatelli and he was more dangerous than Gidget ever would have been to her. Nancy's heart pounded as she stared at her, grief and regret coursing through her veins. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the edge of the chair arm.

Donatelli turned back to Nancy then moved toward her. His eyes bored into hers, the sheer madness she witnessed scaring her beyond belief. His face was an inch from her own, with Nancy keeping her head against the back of the chair. There was no way to get away from him in the position she was in. Besides, she had questions that needed to be answered.

"Why?" she whispered, her voice barely a rasp.

Donatelli leaned in and smiled. "Because it's what I want and I usually get what I want."

"You're insane. It'll never work. No matter how hard you try, it will never work and I'll never be compliant."

"First, I'm a monster and now I'm insane," he laughed throwing his head back. "Do you really think your father told you the truth when it comes to what happened to your mother? He knew about the possibility that she could be alive and he kept that from you."

"You lie!" Nancy hissed. She tried to kick her leg but Donatelli was faster. He pressed down on her leg causing her to squirm even more.

"Gigi already told me about your ability kick men where the sun doesn't shine. Now, Nancy, your father knew about it. I know this because a little birdie told me a while back." The man shifted though still kept pressure on Nancy's leg. "My reach stretches far and wide because in my line of work, I have to know certain things. I have one in particular who knew your mother very well and was close to your father soon after the whole 'accident.' Your father knew."

Tears flowed down Nancy's face. She didn't want to hear the lies Donatelli was telling her but for some reason she felt that they were true in a way. Her father did keep things from her but she always chalked it up to him being in the position that he was in.

Donatelli stopped, lifting his hand to wipe her tears. "Why would I lie to you, Nancy? What gain do I have? I just want you to know the truth. Would it help if I told you something about the Hardys? Something that I know is on your heart?"

Nancy's heart dropped and she nodded. She wanted to know if Frank was still alive. It was the one thing that Gidget never told her over the months they were together alone and every time she asked about him, Gidget would avoid the subject.

Donatelli stood up, lessening the pressure on her leg. He grabbed his phone and began flipping through it until he found what he was looking for. The man sadly smiled as he handed the phone to Nancy. Her hands trembled as she stared at the photo on the phone. It was a gravestone with Frank's name on it. Three people were standing around it, their silhouettes dark due to the umbrellas they carried and the rain that pelted around them.

"I'm so sorry, Nancy," Donatelli replied softly as he took the phone back. "I had one of my men search for him and this is what he found."

"He can't be dead," she whispered shaking her head.

"Why would I lie to you, Nancy? I feel that you need to know. All I want is what's best for you."

"He's lying, Nancy!" screamed Gidget jumping from her seat. Nancy could see the ferocity in her gaze as the woman stared down Donatelli. Gidget glanced at her and shook her head. "Frank is not dead. I can assure you."

"This coming from a woman who has a penchant for lying," laughed Donatelli. "You were trained to lie! Don't keep her hopes up by lying!"

"I'm serious, Nancy," Gidget reiterated, ignoring him. "He's the one lying to you. That's all he does! Remember what he told your mother!"

Suddenly a shot rang out and the woman flew back. Donatelli held a smoking gun still aimed at where Gidget was. Nancy yelped in alarm, her hands going to her face. Donatelli was satisfied and put down the gun. He then turned to Nancy.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Nancy," he replied, lowering the gun. He turned back to her, his face calm and collected. "Gigi was getting on my nerves and overstaying her welcome. To call me a liar...well, that was the final straw."

"You are a liar," Nancy whispered though the confidence in her words was wary.

She averted her eyes away from him, trying not to look directly into his dark eyes for fear of being lost in the lie. Her heart skipped a beat as she watched Gidget slink away, her bloody hand holding her side. The woman shook her head at Nancy then disappeared into a side room. Neither the guards nor Donatelli realized Gidget was still alive but Nancy quickly turned her attention back to the man in front of her who smiled kindly at her.

"I'm going to show you the world, Nancy."

Author's Note:

Yes, I know. I took longer than I said I would. I'm thinking that this might be the way it's going to be for now though so I'm really sorry! Anyway, thank you so much for the response on the prologue. This is going to be a difficult journey for everyone in the story and it might go in different directions for all I know. You know how I am. Some of the stories I've previously written were spawned out of the blue just from the direction the story decided it wanted to go. I'm really glad that you liked the back story of how Kate came to where she is now. She will be back, I assure you. And yes, I purposely kept the identity of Kate's baby a secret for a reason. I want to keep you all guessing as to who it is. I do know what I have planned and the child is but that's all I'm saying for now. The story will move quickly from here on in...at least, that is my plan but it could change. Unlike previous stories where I waited a few chapters to bring in the action, this one starts right away, if you hadn't noticed. I hope that you enjoyed the first chapter and if you will, please leave a review to let me know what you think! Have a great week and God bless!