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English
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Published:
2021-11-05
Updated:
2021-12-27
Words:
18,618
Chapters:
6/?
Comments:
7
Kudos:
40
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Constant

Summary:

Ace and Nancy were childhood friends who grew apart. Same story different retelling.

Chapter 1: Coming Back to Life

Summary:

1x1
Ace reflects on the Nancy Drew he once knew.

Chapter Text

Ace: 

With a slap, Ace glanced over his shoulder to see Nancy Drew slap down an order on the counter. She glanced up and met his gaze with a blank, ghost of a glance. Nancy Drew was the most vibrant person he knew. He thought back to the small, determined little girl she had been and the beautiful teenager she became. Now she just existed. After her mother passed away, Nancy had gotten a job at the same restaurant he worked in. Now if he had expected her to take some notice of her childhood best friend...or some notice of the world around her he would be disappointed. It's a good thing Ace didn't like to hold expectations for people. When Nancy had stopped existing in his world, it was like color had slowly drained out of it without his notice. Her determination and spirit had been a constant through his entire childhood. So it was natural he fell into a bit of a black hole in her absence. 

He had just finished plating Nancy's order when she walked back into the kitchen. He glanced up as she checked her watch and sighed heavily. "We are going to be closing early. I'm sure you can take off in a bit and catch most of the fireworks" Ace murmured quietly. Nancy met his eyes, a slight flush reddening her pale cheeks. 

"It won't be the same Ace" she sniffed gripping the counter. 

"Hurry up Ace! It's starting soon!"  an eight year old Nancy tugged on his hand as they weaved through a busy crowd. 

"A show requires snacks" he called back trying to keep up. He heard her laugh vibrate through the noisy night. 

"Nancy! Ace!" a female voice called through the night and there on top of the hill sat Nancy's mom and dad on a picnic blanket. 

Nancy released his hand to crash into her mom in a warm embrace. "We were getting worried about you kids"  Mr. D said giving him a stern glance but his mouth was quirked in a smile. 

"Nancy would kill me if we missed the fireworks" Ace grinned handing over his bag of snacks. 

"It's tradition. The four of us haven't missed a year except..." she teased pulling Ace onto the blanket and giving him a rueful smile.

"Are you still talking about when I was five and my parents had the nerve to bring me on vacation?" Ace laughed rolling his eyes to Nancy's parents. 

"You missed fireworks for a week in Florida and your grandma's senior center" Nancy threw up her hands in exasperation. 

"You're impossible" he laughed. 

"You could have still gone with your dad. He's probably out there knowing him" he reminded her. 

"That would be almost worse. I'm going to record the fireworks so I can watch them on my own" she said defiantly throwing her shoulders back and raising her chin fiercely. 

"Still impossible" he murmured turning back to the stove. Nancy opened her mouth to reply when the loud clatter of breaking glass filled the restaurant. 

He spun around grabbing the broom heading for Bess's latest accident, not missing Nancy's eyeroll. 

~

Ace was sitting on the kitchen counter contemplating why the richest guy in town would choose to come to their small, pathetic little restaurant. Also why George would eagerly agree to let him in the door. He looked up as Bess came swirling in and managed to not drop the dishes she carried as she dumped them on the counter. Ace could see instantly the mistakes she was making and was considering going over to show her how when Nancy bustled back in. She grabbed the boxed wine from the fridge and a glass but the glass barely filled halfway before she ran out. "Please tell me this isn't the last box" Nancy asked her voice irritated and directed at him. Ace thought back to earlier when he said seen Bess fill a glass all the way to the top and sneak outside with it. 

"Sorry I was thirsty" he replied unconcerned. 

"I will go check the storeroom" Bess spun around her meeting his eyes gratefully. He checked her out as she scurried past, her small figure prim and tight in all the right places. 

"I'm growing on her" he told Nancy with a waggle of his eyebrows. 

"Like a fungus Ace" she replied disdainfully. All of a sudden the lights flickered out in the restaurant. 

"It wasn't me" he promised, able to just see Nancy's face in the moonlight streaming through the kitchen window. Nancy grabbed the wine and walked past him while he went to the window facing the marina. 

"I'll be back" she said softly, her voice holding the softest hint of curiosity. "Whole marina's out" he called loudly enough so the others could hear him. 

"Ace help me get some candles out" George called.

Ace turned to go into the storeroom when he heard a familiar yell. "Nancy?" he called his heart skipping a beat. He ran through the swinging kitchen doors and was on the heels of Bess and George. They ran down the ramp the parking lot flashing with the lights of the fireworks illuminating a figure on the ground and Nancy over it. 

Ace had never seen one outside crime scene photos but he knew instantly that Tiffany Hudson lay dead at Nancy's feet. Her face lit up death white. Her entire body rigid with death. "Nancy?" a male called running over. Ace didn't recognize him but he was about his age so he must have moved into the town semi-recently. "What happened?" he asked glancing between us, the body and then over at Nancy. 

"She's dead" Nancy said disbelievingly. They'd have all stayed there frozen with shock but the wail of cop cars filled the air and speeding cop cars came speeding through the parking lot towards them. Ace's hair stood on end and he swallowed sharply. Chief McGinnis stepped out of his police cruiser and Ace took an reflexive step back. He surveyed the scene in front of him and all of us. He then started barking out orders. Quicker than he could believe, police had swarmed and blocked off the scene and then herded all five of them back into the restaurant. His officers took quick statements from Ryan and his goons before escorting them outside. Then they began interrogating each of us in depth. 

Finally Chief McGinnis turned to them with a smirk. "Ace here has an alibi" 

"What?" Bess asked in disbelief. Ace inhaled sharply knowing what was coming and feeling his insides twist with guilt. 

"Bring the rest down to the station. Tell Mr. Hudson and his friends they are free to leave" he called. 

The four of them were herded away leaving Ace with hot guilt in his gut and a dirty restaurant to close up by himself. 

~

Ace was wiping down the kitchen as Bess attempted to follow a cranky George's orders before they opened. Nancy came in her face set. "You guys need to see this" she called. 

"See what?" Ace asked curiously. 

"I wanted to record the fireworks last night but I actually captured Tiffany Hudson's murder" Nancy said quickly, her voice rapid. Ace glanced up and for the first time in months saw her eyes were alert and steady. Her presence was vibrant and so achingly familiar. He could see the cogs working in her mind and could sense the curiosity swirling inside her. His heart lurched with the certainty that Nancy Drew was back. 

"I'm sorry what?" George demanded reaching for the phone. Ace saddled over and being the tallest could watch over her shoulder. He watched Tiffany Hudson and then a figure in a cloak seemingly fly behind her. The video then glitched.

"What the..." George began.  

"What's this?" Bess asked walking back in. 

"....I have no idea" Ace murmured grabbing the phone and replaying the video holding it so both girls could watch it. 

Bess yelped when the video glitched. "I'm sorry was that..." Bess began. "Play it again" George demanded blinking as if there was just something in her eye. Bess grabbed the phone out of his hand and replayed the video in her perfectly manicured hands. 

"Are we actually saying Nancy caught a ghost on film?" Ace asked. Bess played it once more. 

"Oh!" she gasped falling into Ace's chest. "Sorry, gets me every time" she apologized breathlessly. 

"Tiffany Hudson, murdered by a ghost" Bess said slowly. 

"Okay you've seen it three times. Can I have it back?" Nancy hissed stopping her pacing. 

"Hey you're the one who asked for our opinion" George reminded her annoyed. 

"Because I thought you would find another explanation" Nancy replied.

"I think my girl Bess nailed it" Ace declared.

"Not your girl. Never will be" Bess corrected. 

"And not just any ghost. Dead Lucy" Ace continued. 

"Okay, not sure she's a credible alternative suspect here, Ace" George chided. 

"You all know this ghost?" Bess asked. 

"Lucy Sable. She was crowned Sea Queen in the year 2000. Disappeared after the celebration, never seen again. Blood on the rocks, a little scrap of her pink dress" Ace told her. 

"It's definitely her!" Bess gasped, her perfectly decorated lips splitting into a grin. 

"Except definitely not" Nancy retorted. 

"Ghosts aren't real Bess" George added. 

"Ace don't be silly!" Nancy squealed as they rode along on their bikes. Ace had just turned 11 and gotten a new bike and Nancy, aged 10, was riding in front of him.

Putting on some extra speed he pulled alongside her. "Come on Nancy this town is full of ghost stories. Some of them have to be real" he replied. 

"There's no such things as ghosts. I believe in facts not stories" she told him. 

"Maybe stories are just unproven facts ever think of that Ms. Skeptic" he teased. 

"I'll stick to what can be proven true by science. Ghosts and legends definitely do not fall under that category" Nancy insisted. 

"Gotta keep an open mind Nancy-girl" he laughed shaking his head and skidded around a corner too fast making her squeal again. 

"You guys, Lucy gets blamed for a lot of stuff around here" he replied feeling just the slightest annoyance. 

"Kid puts a baseball through a window. Dead Lucy. Wife finds a strange earring in bed, husband blames Lucy. Never had a murder blamed on her though" Ace said slowly, thoughtfully. 

"Unlike us" George growled. Loud knocking distracted them. 

"Here we go again" Ace walked to the coffeemaker, knowing it would be in demand in minutes and the girls all scattered from the kitchen. 

"Welcome to the Claw. Glad that murder didn't affect your appetite" George said in her dry, welcoming manner letting in that Nick guy from last night. 

"I'm just here for coffee. Usually, Nancy brings me one, but this morning she didn't show" he announced. 

Ace sighed in the kitchen and scowled at the coffee pot. He heard a clatter and looked over to see Nancy looking annoyed holding a tray of ketchup bottles. "I thought maybe learning about my past might have scared her off" he continued sauntering up to Nancy. 

Ace busied himself with making Nick's coffee and trying to tune out Nancy and Nick's conversation until he couldn't deny himself another minute. Bess gave him a look that clearly read 'what the hell'. Ace shrugged. "Customer wanted coffee" he said easily, trying to distant himself but also feeling that Nancy Drew vortex and needing to be in the situation. His entire childhood Nancy had dragged him into any case or mystery she was working on. It was around sophomore/junior year when Nancy had started pulling away and hanging with the popular kids but he would see her across a crowded hallway or in the cafeteria and that pull would nearly overwhelm him. His feet almost tingled with the intense desire to walk across that short space and slip into the vortex. Instead, he would turn away. It was around this time he started skipping classes. 

"I think he changed his mind" Bess replied gesturing to Nancy and Nick. 

"Oh" he replied taking a swig of the coffee. 

"Nancy?" Nick asked. 

"Nick and I are seeing each other. He seems to have a problem with me not acknowledging this publicly, and has decided that now is the time to rectify this" Nancy told the group at large and Ace studied the stranger warily. Of course Nancy had a string of boyfriends growing up and he'd certainly dated around. Still the coffee in his throat tasted a little bitter.

"Consider it rectified. I feel much better" Nick retorted looking pleased with himself. 

"Other than the fact that we are all murder suspects, even though the real culprit is probably Ryan Hudson" Nancy rolled her eyes. 

"No" George said shrewdly looking slightly disgusted at the idea. 

"I can't believe he's behind it" Bess said. 

"Why? Cause he's rich?" Nick scoffed. "I'm with Nancy. Look at the husband first" Nick said holding Nancy's gaze. 

Get in line Ace thought sipping the coffee again. "We need evidence of his motive" Nancy declared. 

"Which we get where?" George asked dryly. 

"In their house. In their room. Husband and wife, it's an intimate relationship. I mean to start were they even sharing a bed?" Nancy continued, her mind working at top speed. Ace smirked softly despite everything he was happy to see his old friend back in her born role.  

"Well if she liked her sex like she liked her fish that would be dry and flavorless so I would say nope" George replied sounding angry. 

"Mean" Bess objected. 

"But relevant" she countered. 

"Was either of them on medication? Is there a secret cellphone? Is there a new will? A post-nup? An insurance policy?" Nancy continued clearly having ignored the interruption. 

"Gambling debt. A strange addiction" Ace added thinking of some of the mysteries Nancy and him had solved in their younger years. Nancy's eyes fixed on him for one second practically glowing with ideas. 

"I thought you were Team Ghost" Bess reprimanded hitting him lightly and distracting him. 

"I am Team Ghost" he promised her straightening up. 

"Is the stolen ring evidence of a botched robbery?" Nancy kept going clearly just thinking aloud. 

"Or is that what it's supposed to look like" Nick offered. 

"Exactly" Nancy murmured looking at him intently.

Then suddenly her face fell and her eyes lost their gleam. "I just, uh, I just meant that that's where I would start...If I was gonna start something. But I'm sure the police can figure it out on their own" she said her voice faltering and becoming aloof.

She strode off to attend to the customers her eyes becoming glazed and distant. Ace thought he could almost see her spirit being pushed back down under the cold wall she put up since her mother's death. He had seen it though, her spirit flare back up and if there was anything he knew it was that Nancy Drew wasn't so easily deterred. At least he hoped she would stick around and not slip back under the veil of the ghost of who she'd been all year. He didn't know if he could lose her again.