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i just hope she don't wanna leave me

Summary:

When Ace continues to deliver Bertram Bobbsey's chocolate messages after being held under investigation, it gets him and Nancy into more trouble than they expected.

Chapter 1: don’t you give me up

Chapter Text

Storm clouds crept over the sky, bringing occasional thunder along with it. It hadn’t rained yet, but with Florence’s windows cracked ever so slightly, Nancy and Ace could both smell the petrichor of the storm. The wind whipped through their hair as Florence drove through Horseshoe Bay, and soft music drifted from the radio.

On Nancy’s lap sat a box, almost similar to Joe Kelsey’s evidence box. But inside contained old relics from Icarus Hall, memoirs from Tom Swift’s technological destruction from their exploits. Bess had insisted on finding the antiques, which were nothing more than an old wine goblet, a few books, and a heavy pendant that felt hot to the touch.

Why Bess needed these relics, she didn’t say. She had thrust the list at Nancy with a key that suspiciously matched the one Temperance kept in her pocket, and asked her to retrieve them for her. Muttering something about ‘other commitments,’ she had pulled out her phone and whisked away into the back room.

Nancy and Ace had stared at each other for a moment, eyebrows raised at Bess’ strange antics. But Nancy had sighed, glanced down at the list, and said she could do it. Icarus Hall was on the way to the police station, and had to stop by there today, anyways.

Ace had bristled for just a moment at the mention of her errand, knowing that the police station equated Agent Park. But at the mention of Icarus Hall, he felt uneasy at her going alone, and before he knew it, he was offering her a ride.

With a smile that could stir butterflies, Nancy followed Ace out of the Claw.

And now, Nancy picked at a splinter on the side of the box, refraining from poking through the items. She’d learned that the hard way when she touched the pendant, and frowned absentmindedly as she rubbed the burn on her finger. Ace found himself smirking at the look on her face, gently amused.

“You alright?” he asked her, and she winced.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. You think after all these years of investigating, I’d be smarter at handling enchanted objects.”

That earned another smile from Ace, but didn’t comment, his attention drifting elsewhere. Furrowing his brow, he looked up at the clouds. “The storm’s getting closer,” he murmured, twisting the steering wheel in his hand.

Carefully, Nancy regarded him, knowing that driving through storms made him nervous. Subconsciously, she thought of his awful car crash earlier that year, and accidentally pulled the splinter off the box.

“Do you want me to take over driving?” she offered. “When the storm reaches us?”

Ace just gave her a small smile. “Thanks, but I’ll be fine. The station’s only a few miles away. Let’s just pray we’ll beat the rain.”

“If you change your mind, just let me know.”

Soon, another comfortable silence fell over the pair, a soft blues tune drifting from the radio. Nancy quietly hummed along, recognizing it as a song that Kate used to sing when she was younger. The petrichor became stronger as they drove further down the road, and Nancy tipped her nose up to breathe it in. Silently, Ace cracked her window more, and her smile grew.

“Thanks.”

Ace was grateful she hadn’t been looking at him, otherwise she would have seen his smile. The sound of the wind rushing through the cracks filled the air, and Nancy leaned back in the seat.

But the silence didn’t last long as Nancy’s phone began to ring in the cup holder, and she moved to answer it. “Hey, Bess,” she said, balancing the box on her lap. “We got the stuff you wanted from Icarus Hall.”

Soft chatter drifted through the phone speaker as Bess began to talk, and Ace turned back to the road in front of him. The storm clouds were coming closer, almost right above them now. In just a few moments, they’d drive right into the downpour.

He winced as the splatter of rain hit Florence’s windshield, flicking on the wipers. Nancy’s voice was quiet as she looked out the window, her eyes narrowing as she watched the raindrops slide against the glass. She flicked her gaze over to study Ace’s face, noticing the way his jaw had tensed.

Then, before she had even realized she’d been moving, she reached out to rest her hand on Ace’s forearm. Squeezing it gently, she let her hand stay there for a moment. When she saw his shoulders visibly relax, she rubbed her thumb over his sleeve before withdrawing her arm.

Ace couldn’t help it; he smiled, feeling his grip loosen on the steering wheel. The place where Nancy had left her hand on his arm was quickly growing cold, but it left his cheeks a darker shade of pink.

The rain didn’t seem so terrible anymore.

Florence’s wheels rolled over a pothole in the road, causing the car to dip momentarily. It made the relics in the box rattle, and Nancy winced as the glass banged against the sides.

“Hold on, Bess,” she said, tucking the phone against the crook of her shoulder as she took the box off her lap and bent over to put it down on the floor of the car.

Then she froze, her eyes focusing on something under the passenger seat.

“Bess, can I call you back?” she asked, but didn’t give the woman on the other line a chance to respond. Hanging up, Nancy dropped the phone in her lap and reached under the seat.

Ace felt uneasy now, not sure what she had found.

He became deathly still when Nancy held up a golden box of chocolates, the purple ribbon fastened tightly over the lid.

Silence fell over the car, Florence’s engine quietly humming in the background.

Then Nancy spoke. “I thought you were finished with this. Doing these errands-” She spat the word out like it was foul. “-for Mr. Bobbsey.”

“I am,” Ace began, “but I can’t risk causing suspicion if I were to just stop delivering messages-”

“That was the whole point of the witness protection, Ace, that you turned down.” Nancy’s voice was hard, her eyes narrowed as she shook the box in her hand. “How long have you still been doing this?”

He swallowed. “Not long,” he said. “Only a few here and there.”

“Ace, the investigation is still ongoing! You can’t afford to be doing these-” She then dropped the chocolates onto the console between them. “-right under Mr. Bobbsey’s nose. Once he gets wind that you’re working with-”

“I’m not working with anyone.” It was Ace’s turn to raise his voice.

“Does Carson know?”

He was silent.

“What about Agent Park?”

He bristled. “This doesn’t concern him.”

“Fine. Detective Rosario? She’s working to put every single member of Mr. Bobbsey’s criminal circle away, including their messenger.” She tapped on the box. “Which just so happens to be you. You’re lucky Carson’s stalling on turning the security tapes over to the prosecution, or else we wouldn’t be here right now.”

“I get it, Nancy,” Ace hissed. “You don’t have to tell me twice.” He twisted the steering wheel in his hand. The rainfall was harsh now, crackling the tension between them.

Nancy was silent for a moment. “How are you going-”

“We’re not talking about this anymore, Nancy,” Ace hissed. He pushed the box of chocolates off the console, into the backseat.

“I think there’s plenty to still talk about,” Nancy retorted. “You’re digging yourself into a deeper hole than you realize. Why aren’t you teaming up with Rosario to identify the-”

“Because she’ll find out that I was a part of the whole thing, and no doubt try to put me in prison with Mr. Bobbsey. That’s what Carson’s trying to prevent, and I won’t make this worse for him.”

“But you’re only making things worse for yourself!” Nancy leaned over the console. “You’re going to get hurt, Ace.”

“I’m being careful,” Ace spat, turning his head to glare at her. “Leave it alone, Nancy. I’m-”

As he spoke, headlights danced across the hood of the car, and Nancy snapped her head to the road. Gasping, she lunged for the steering wheel. “Ace!”

Through the windshield, the pair could see a car swerving out of its lane, barreling straight for Florence. The headlights reflected off the rain, blinding them. But with hands on top of each other, Nancy and Ace managed to pull the steering reel to the side, sending the car sliding off the pavement.

With a screech of metal, mud splattered against the doors, and Ace heard Nancy scream as Florence flipped.

Once. Then twice. On the third roll across the grass, Florence’s roof hit the ground with a groan. Ace felt his head snap back against the seat, and he saw stars.

Or was that rain?

Before he could decide, he heard a weak groan. Slowly turning his head, he saw red hair spilling to the metal under them. Nancy’s eyes were closed, her necktie falling over her chin. Scarlet blood slowly began to drip up her scalp, and Ace could only call out her name.

“Nancy,” he whispered, reaching out his hand to find her own, tangled in the seatbelt over her legs. Fumbling to grasp her wrist, his fingers felt for a pulse, and he let out a relieved groan when he felt the steady thrum of her heartbeat.

Then a car door slammed in the distance, causing him to snap his head up. He groaned again at the wave of pain, feeling his vision start to go black.

Or was it blood trickling into his eyes? He felt the warm liquid dripping up his face, and moved to wipe it off his skin.

Then an overwhelming feeling of pain overtook him, and gasping, he looked down at himself.

Hands flew up to grasp the metal currently buried in his side.

Florence’s door must have split in the crash, he realized. But it was too late for him to already process the damage - a pair of boots had stepped on the grass inches from his face.

Ace opened his mouth. “Help us,” he whispered. His hand squeezed Nancy’s. “Help her, please.”

A gloved hand reached through the window, and to Ace’s horror, he saw a white cloth.

The last thing he remembered before it all went black was the steady pulse of Nancy’s heartbeat, thudding against his fingertips.

Chapter 2: please don’t give up

Summary:

Ryan starts to get the feeling that something's wrong.

Chapter Text

“Nancy!” Ryan called, swinging a bag of donuts by his side as he walked into the police station. “Where’s my favorite police liaison?”

The officer at the front desk looked up at his approach. “She’s not here.”

Ryan frowned. “You sure? We were supposed to go out for coffee later this afternoon. Wasn’t she here to meet with the FBI guy?”

Someone joined him at the desk. “The ‘FBI guy’ has not seen her here, either.” Agent Park dropped a manila file on the wooden surface, and regarded the man with a stare. “She never stopped by to pick these up.”

Making a face, Ryan pulled out his phone. “She probably got sidetracked. I’ll call her.”

Park shrugged, and moved through the room to his office. “Let me know if she picks up.”

Ryan hummed along to the tune of the ringtone, earning a look from the officer stationed at the desk. But he drifted off when Nancy’s voicemail emitted from his phone. “Hey, this is Nancy. Sorry I missed your call. Leave…”

He let the message continue, unconcerned. It was almost natural for Nancy to not pick up her phone, but something felt off. Surely her only errand was coming to the police station for Park’s files?

Dialing Carson’s number, he wasn’t surprised when the man picked up on the first ring.

“Ryan, I told you, I took the mini vacuum out of your car-”

“I’m not calling about the vacuum. Although you and Nancy need to stop taking that thing for your own personal use.” He shook his head. “I was supposed to meet Nancy at the police station, then we were going out for coffee. But she’s not here, nor has anyone seen her today. Have you heard from her at all?”

Ryan could almost hear Carson frown. “I only heard from her before she clocked into work this morning. Something about forgetting her name-tag. What’s wrong?”

“Nancy was supposed to arrive before me - she had a good thirty-minute head start. But she’s not here, and she’s not answering her phone. If she had another errand to run before the police station, surely she would have called ahead, right?”

Carson hummed his agreement. “Maybe her shift got busy, and she left her phone in the back room. You could probably drop by to the Claw and just double check.”

Ryan nodded. “Sure, I’ll do that. Probably save us some time.” He glanced through Park’s office window to see him talking on his own phone, back turned to him. “I’ll keep you updated.”

“Alright.”

Hanging up the phone, Ryan grabbed the manila files off the desk counter and started to leave. But then he heard Park call his name, and soon the man was joining him again.

“Any word from Nancy?” he asked.

“No. But I’m sure she got busy with work and left her phone somewhere. I’m dropping by the Claw to double check, though.”

“I’m heading out, too. Mind if I walk with you?”

But it appeared Ryan had no say in the matter, as the profiler was already grabbing his coat and falling into step with him.

“Where are you off to?” Ryan asked him.

“I’m running an errand - one of my co-workers mailed me something from Boston, and I have to go pick it up at the post office.”

Ryan just acknowledged him with a grunt, and pushed one of the double doors open. The damp smell of petrichor filled his nose, and he wrinkled it. “Smells like a storm’s coming,” he said out loud, not waiting for a response from Park.

But Park looked up at the sky, narrowing his eyes. “A bad one, at that.”

Nodding, Ryan pulled out his car keys and located his Porsche with a click of the button. A small chirp emitted from its spot in the lot, and he stepped towards the sound.

“I suppose this is where we part. Let me know if Nancy’s alright,” Park told him, and with a nod, walked off down the sidewalk.

Ryan just shrugged, and spinning the keys around his finger, walked to his car.
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The bell chimed loudly above the doorway, and George snapped her head up to see who had arrived. Setting her small legal pad down at the kitchen window, she turned to greet Ryan.

“What brings you here?” she asked him as he joined her at the counter. “I’m afraid we’re a little short on my famous tuna melts, if that’s what you came for.”

“Aw,” Ryan said, making a face. “Maybe next time. But I’m here to pick up Nancy. We were supposed to meet at the police station so she could pick up these-” He held up the files in his hand. “-and then go out for coffee together before dinner. But she never came. I thought she got held up here at work and left her phone in the back room.”

George clucked her tongue. “Well, she’s not here. Bess gave her a list of supplies for an errand and Ace offered her a ride so she left with him. They should have been back by now.” She checked her watch. “Actually, they should have been back an hour ago.”

Bess poked her head out the kitchen door. “Do none of you watch the weather? There was a big storm up near where they were, so they’re probably just waiting out the rain. And the cell reception here gets awful when there’s a storm.”

“Oh, that’s right. Nick said something about that earlier today,” George noted, tapping her pen against the counter. “And Ace gets nervous when he has to drive in the rain. They probably pulled over somewhere until it cleared up.”

“Where did they even go?” Ryan asked.

“Icarus Hall. I needed some supplies from there, and asked Nancy to grab them for me.”

“Why couldn’t you have gone yourself?” George said pointedly, raising an eyebrow.

Bess waved her hand as she turned around to back into the kitchen. “I had a scheduled conference call to make with Hannah. Couldn’t miss it.”

George turned to Ryan and lowered her voice. “By that, she means she wanted to call Addy.”

“I heard that!” Bess called.

Ryan sighed. “Looks like I’ll just wait here for them. The storm looks like it’s going to hit the coast soon, and I’d rather not get caught in it.”

“Wise decision,” George said, grabbing her legal pad and heading for the office. “There’s coffee in the pot if you want it,” she called over her shoulder.

Ryan called his thanks to her, and grabbed a mug off the kitchen counter. Letting the coffee pour, he listened to the gentle rumble of the thunder over the Claw, and hoped that Nancy and Ace were alright.

Chapter 3: honey, i belong with you

Summary:

Nancy wakes up, and soon discovers just how dangerous the situation is.

Chapter Text

It was cold.

Nancy’s fingers were numb, and under her coat, she could feel her body trembling. She cracked her eyes open, and couldn’t help but wince at how tight her jaw was clenched. Her hand twitched against the cold wood underneath her, and groaning, she struggled to sit up.

Drawing her legs up under her, she forced herself into an upright position. But momentarily, her vision darkened, and she sagged against the wall behind her.

Swallowing against the pain, she reached up to rub her eyes, flinching at how cold her fingertips were against her skin. She moved to press her hand to the throbbing in her head, and when she pulled away, her palm was smeared with blood.

Barely feeling anything, she tried to locate the source of the bleeding. Once her fingernails grazed the gash in her head, she hissed sharply, now knowing that she could very possibly need stitches.

Then she recalled the smell of petrichor and car exhaust. In short flashes, she remembered headlights shining through Florence’s window.

Florence. Nancy’s breath hitched when she remembered the way she sat suspended, upside down in the car.

There had been a crash. A bad one. That was all she could piece together, before her memory had gone dark.

Her breath came in shakily, and she looked around the room.

She made out the outline of a door, but in whatever hallway they were connected to, there was no light.

The only source of it she could see was from the window above her head, covered in old newspaper. She could make out some dark silhouettes of planks of wood, nailed to the outside wall, thus preventing any form of escape. She pushed a piece of hair out of her face, and slowly stood to her feet.

The floorboards creaked, and she froze, holding her breath. Listening for any sign of movement, she counted to fifty. When there was no reaction to the disturbance, she continued to move. Wincing at the slight creaks in the floorboards, she gingerly made her way over to the window.

Maybe she would be able to see something.

All she knew was that she had to get out of here.

Standing on her tiptoes, she grabbed the ledge of the windowsill and hauled herself up as best as she could. But she could barely make out anything under the edge of the newspaper, and when her muscles screamed for her to get down, she slumped back against the wall.

Frustrated, and tired, she just slammed her fist against the wall. “Come on, Nancy,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes against the pounding in her head. “Think.”

“There’s no way out of here,” a voice rasped, making Nancy jump against the wall. Twisting around, she strained to locate where it had come from.

The sickly shafts of moonlight streamed through the window behind her, to fall to the floorboards. From where she leaned against the wall, she could make out a figure lying on the ground.

Shaggy blonde hair had turned silver.

A gasp rising in her throat, Nancy stumbled away from the wall, falling to her knees besides Ace. She ignored the cold seeping into her knees as she took in the scene in front of her.

“Ace,” she croaked. Frantically, she looked him over, straining to see in the dark. She pushed his hair out of his face, trying to make out in the dim lighting that he was okay. But when Nancy pulled his jacket away from his body, his hand flew up to grab hers, groaning.

“Don’t touch it,” he hissed.

“Touch what?” But the question died on her lips when she looked down. Instead, a gasp escaped, and her hand hovered over the large gash in Ace’s side.

She looked down further, and felt her stomach roll when she saw that she was kneeling in a pool of blood. It hadn't been the cold after all.

"Ace," she whispered, "what happened?"

The young man on the floor inhaled sharply. "Florence's door bent in the crash. The metal cut me. Apparently it didn't seem fatal to whoever pulled us out, because they just-" He swallowed. "-just pulled me off of it."

Nancy felt like she was going to vomit. “Do you know how long you've been been bleeding?” she asked, her voice rasping.

Ace winced at the pain, instinctively squeezing her hand. “All I really remember is the crash,” he said. “So only about an hour or so. I’ve been trying to stay awake since they pulled us from the car.” He held up his hand, which was slick with blood. “And trying to keep pressure on the wound, but it’s not working very well.” His voice faltered, and the next words he managed to speak made Nancy’s stomach drop. “Nancy, I’m so tired.”

“I know,” she whispered, putting her other hand over his. She winced at how cold it was. “I know. But I’ll figure something out.” Looking around, she found that her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and could make out a few chairs, and miscellaneous items, such as a bucket, and a piece of covered furniture. “Ace, do you know where we are?”

Ace swallowed. “Probably one of Mr. Bobbsey’s safe houses. I’ve had to pick him up from a couple of them before.”

“I’m guessing we’re in the middle of nowhere, then.”

He shifted, letting out a small groan when the movement pulled at his wound. “Depends on which one it is.” He didn’t elaborate, his face now gone white. Nancy glanced down to see fresh blood seeping through his fingers.

“You shouldn’t talk,” she urged, her hands flying to press down against his side. “You’re just going to tire yourself out-”

Her words were drowned out by a yell, and Ace's hands tried to shove hers away. "Nancy, stop!" he begged.

"I have to make sure you don't bleed out!" she snapped, fighting to keep her hands over his wound as he tried to move away. But she held on, looking around for anything she could use to help staunch the bleeding. But she was too afraid to move, and remained kneeling by Ace's side. It seemed like her best option.

Soon, Ace's struggle became more weaker, and soon, he stopped fighting against her hands. He slumped against the floor, his breath coming out in short bursts. “That feels a little better,” he whispered. Nancy only bit her lip and nodded to show she'd heard him. Fumbling, his hands found hers, and soon their skin had turned red. Nancy was relieved to see that the bleeding had staunched a little, but she didn't dare remove her hands.

Then Ace's hand squeezed hers. “I should probably tell you who took us.”

The moment those words left his mouth, the latch on the door clicked, and they both turned their heads towards the sound. Slowly, the door creaked open, flooding the room with yellow light.

Squinting, Nancy held up a hand against the glare.

A figure stood in the doorway, a hand still on the door handle.

“You’re finally awake. Excellent,” it said.

Chapter 4: and only you, babe

Summary:

Ryan and the Crew go out to retrace Nancy and Ace's steps.

Chapter Text

The phone rang, startling Ryan, who shot up from his position at the bar counter. Next to him, his phone was shaking, with Carson’s contact name flashing. Answering it, Ryan put the phone up to his ear, quietly noting how dark it’d gotten since he fell asleep. George was sitting at one of the booths counting receipts, with Nick cashing out the tips for the kitchen staff. Bess could be heard humming a tune from the office, but so far, no sign of Nancy and Ace.

“Hey, Carson,” he yawned. “Did Nancy ever come home?”

"That’s the thing.” Carson’s voice was tight. “I haven’t heard from her in hours. I’m assuming you haven’t seen her, either.”

Ryan frowned. “No, she’s not here, yet.” He got off the bar stool to walk over to the blinds. “But there was a storm-I assumed she and Ace just pulled off to wait it out.”

“That’s what I thought, too, but the storm’s been past for the last two hours and I still haven’t received a call from her. I tried Ace’s cell, but nothing.” “That’s odd.” Ryan walked over to the booth, making Nick and George look up. He put the phone on speaker and set it on the table. “You’re on speaker now - are you sure that-”

“I’m certain that I haven’t seen our daughter ever since she left this morning for work,” Carson said sharply. “And I know that she left before a storm and hasn’t been seen since. I’m worried, Ryan.”

Bess hurried over, the kitchen door swinging behind her. “I just tried Ace’s phone again, and nothing. He never misses more than four of my calls.” She stopped next to Ryan. “Something’s definitely wrong.”

“I think we should drive what route they took,” Nick spoke up. “It might be our best bet to find where they went missing.”

“Do we even know where they went?” Ryan said.

“There’s a hundred ways to get to Icarus Hall, they could have taken any of them.”

“Ace likes to take the most scenic route,” George said thoughtfully. “My guess is that he and Nancy took the back roads past Gorham Woods.”

Ryan pulled out his car keys again. “That’s probably the best place to start, then.”

“I’ll ride with you,” Bess volunteered, and was the first one out the door. Ryan turned to Nick and George, who were sliding out of the booth.

“If Florence got into some car trouble, I’d better run over to Dodd’s and grab a truck,” Nick said, and George looped her arm through his.

“I’ll go with you,” she said. “And we can catch up with you guys.”

Ryan nodded, and the three of them filed out of the Claw. Bess was eagerly waiting for them next to Ryan’s Porsche, and after a few words, the group split off to their respective vehicles.

“Do me a favor, and call Carson,” Ryan told Bess as they slid into the car. “Tell him that we’re going out to look for Nancy and Ace, and we’ll keep him updated.” Nodding, Bess unlocked her phone and found Carson’s contact. Before she’d even held the phone up to her ear, the man picked up.

“Bess. Any news?”

“No,” she answered, “but I’m going with Ryan and Nick and George, and we’re going to see if we can trace the route Nancy and Ace took before they went radio silent. The rain’s cleared up, so we should be fine.”

There could be rustling heard on the other end as Carson moved around. “Okay, I’m heading to the police station- Detective Rosario just called and said that they have a development on the criminal ring case, and they need me to come in. Let me know if you find anything.”

“You’ll be the first one we call,” Bess assured him, and with a goodbye, hung up the phone. A silence of sorts fell over her and Ryan, and when they pulled onto the main road, she sighed. “Do you think we’ll find them?” she asked.

Ryan let out a breath. “We have to,” he said. “I don’t know what I’ll do if we come up with nothing.”

Bess reached over and patted his hand comfortingly. “Florence probably just had some car trouble, like when Nancy and Ace and George drove together on their way to Detective Con. For all we know, Nancy and Ace could be waiting for us to find them."

“I hope you’re right,” Ryan said, taking a side road through the woods. They drove in silence for a little while, Bess practically pressing her nose to the window, looking for Florence’s familiar blue and brown exterior.

“See anything?” Ryan asked, and she shook her head.

“No, not yet. Keep going, though. Icarus Hall is just past here. This road continues back through the woods to Horseshoe Bay.”

Ryan looked through his rearview mirror to see headlights bouncing off the reflective paint. The silhouette of the vehicle behind them told him that Nick and George had caught up to them, and then Bess’ phone rang.

“Hey, George,” Bess answered.

“Hey. Did you guys find anything at all?” “No, but we’re going to take the road past Icarus Hall, and follow it back to Horseshoe Bay. It’s the route Ace takes every time he drops me off here, so hopefully we’ll find something.”

“Good idea. Let’s hope we won’t have to use Nick’s tow truck tonight.”

“I think everyone’s wishing that tonight,” Bess said softly. She looked out the window as they passed Icarus Hall, the stone building almost glowing in the dim light. “But I’m sure everything’s fine,” she finally said. “Knowing how old Florence is, they probably just had some car trouble.”

“Don’t let Ace hear you say that,” Nick joked, earning a soft chuckle from both Bess and George.

Ryan could only give a small smile, his hand tightening around the steering wheel. Everything’s fine, he willed. Just some car trouble.

Bess and George lost themselves in a conversation, and Ryan focused on the road in front of him. Behind the guardrail, the bluffs spilled away into the lake beyond, which made for a peaceful sort of scenery as he drove. Gently rounding the bend in the road, Ryan watched as a few birds flew out of the trees above them.

But then Bess let out a loud gasp, causing him to slam on the brakes. He could barely get an explanation out of the woman before she was swinging the car door open.

“What-” Ryan fumbled with the seatbelt, rushing to follow her. Car doors slamming behind him told him that Nick and George had stopped, too, and were running with him after Bess. Their shoes pounded against the asphalt as they followed Bess, but then Nick gasped, surging forward to take the lead. He skidded to a halt, arms flying out to catch the group behind him in the chest.

“Nick, what-”

The only response was Bess screaming.

Chapter 5: only you, my girl

Summary:

Carson finds out that Nancy and Ace have been taken.

Chapter Text

Carson opened the double doors to the station, and was immediately approached by Detective Rosario. He started to smile, but it quickly faltered when he saw the grim expression that she wore on her face.

“What’s happened?” he asked.

“We have a lead on the case,” she started, leading him to one of the rooms down the corridor. “It looks promising - we think the criminal ring is starting to communicate with us. But it’s a very suspicious way of doing it.”

“Okay,” Carson began, but then an officer came into the room, holding a laptop in his hands.

“This computer was delivered to the station less than an hour ago,” Rosario began, pulling on latex gloves. “There was a Post-it note-” She was handed an evidence bag, in which she showed Carson the note. “-saying that we needed to be the first ones to open it. It’s been cleared by officials to open, so we can confirm that it’s not a bomb or any kind of danger. I haven’t seen anything yet; I wanted you to be here first before we did anything.”

“I appreciate that,” Carson said, taking his own pair of gloves from the officer. “Do we know who dropped it off?”

“No. Someone was clever enough to put duct tape over the security cameras outside. Clearly, they don’t want us to know who they are. But we’ll deal with that later.” She beckoned the officer over to the table, and opened the computer.

On the Post-It note, a login and password had been written under the message, and Rosario carefully typed it in. Once the screen opened up to the desktop, there was a video icon in the top left hand corner, titled ‘Message.’

Once it was clicked, a thumbnail was revealed in full screen, and the floor seemed to dip under Carson’s feet.

Rosario’s breath caught in her throat when she saw the blurry outline of Nancy Drew. 

“Carson, are you-” she began, but the man was already leaning forward to push her hands off the keyboard. He hit the mousepad, starting the video, and as the camera frame moved, he brought his hand up to his mouth.

Nancy was revealed kneeling on a cold wooden floor, with a figure standing behind her. Her arms had been pinned behind her with one hand, the other gripping her hair and pulling her head up. A knee had been planted in her back, forcing her to arch her spine.

Her breathing could be heard coming out in short gasps, and down her face and neck, blood trickled from a deep cut in her temple.

A distorted voice began to speak. “Tell your audience our demands.”

Nancy swallowed. “Release Asher Davies from prison,” she began, her voice hoarse. “Drop him of all charges and let him go. If you do this, me and Ace will not be harmed, and we’ll be able to come home.” Her voice cracked at the mention of Ace, and Carson’s stomach dropped when he realized he couldn’t see the man anywhere in the frame.

“Tell them about your friend,” the distorted voice said, and Nancy bit her lip, willing herself to not cry. 

“We were on our way back from Icarus Hall when our car was forced off the road,” she said. “We flipped in the crash, and Ace is badly injured. A piece of metal must have bent in the crash, and stabbed him, because he’s currently bleeding out from a gash in his side. He doesn’t look good. I don’t know how much time-” Her voice cracked then, tears spilling over. “-how much time he has left. So please.” Her brow creased in desperation. “Please hurry. Release Asher from prison, Dad. Don’t let Ace die.”

“That’s enough,” the voice said, and Nancy flinched as her head was pulled back. Then the screen went black.

Carson could barely move, frozen in his chair, as words began to appear on the screen. 

Release Asher Davies and drop all charges against him. Do this, and we will return Carson Drew and Captain Thom’s children to you unharmed.

It was deathly silent. Rosario was frozen over Carson’s shoulder, her mouth open in shock. 

All Carson could focus on were the words on the screen, the white letters swimming in his vision. The only thing he could hear was the blood roaring in his ears, and it took the detective next to him putting a hand on his shoulder to make him blink.

“Carson?” she whispered.

And with that one question, he felt the walls close in around him.

He had to get out.

Carson slammed the computer shut, and bolted from the chair. He almost hit the officer with his shoulder as he left the room, and he vaguely remembered muttering an apology.

“Carson!” Rosario called, but no one came after him. 

In the corridor, Carson leaned against the wall, his head in his hands. 

Please, Dad, Nancy called. Don’t let Ace die.

The image of blood dripping down his daughter’s face was ingrained in his memory now. The pain on her face when she explained the kidnappers’ demands.

If you do this, we’ll be able to come home.

Then it hit Carson: Nancy was gone. She hadn’t come home tonight.

His breath caught in his throat, and tears pricked in his eyes. Muffled footsteps could be heard, and then a hand was on his shoulder again.

“Carson, sit down,” Rosario urged, guiding the stunned man over to one of the benches. Once seated, she carefully took one of his hands and squeezed it. 

“We’re analyzing the footage,” she started. “The department’s been notified and-”

“Release Asher,” Carson said hoarsely. 

She faltered. “You know we can’t do that,” she began. “I know-”

Carson ripped his hand out from hers, standing to his feet. “You don’t know anything. That’s my daughter they took. You know just as well as I do that the people who took her are dangerous, and we don’t know what they could possibly do to her. Or to Ace.” 

Rosario stood, reaching for him. “I know, Carson. I know that you’re scared, and that this is a horrible situation for everyone involved. But we have to be smart about this. We can’t afford to lose this case, not when we’re so close to-”

“Don’t you dare prioritize this case over my daughter’s life,” Carson hissed. “I’m willing to let the entire ring walk if it means Nancy and Ace get to come home.”

“Carson-” Rosario tried, but he just shook his head, his hand coming up shakily to run through his hair. 

“You have to bring her home, Jean,” he said softly, his voice softening. “Both of them.”

“I know,” she whispered. “We’re going to do everything we can.”

Carefully, she stepped towards him, her hands going up to his arms. When he didn’t stiffen at her touch, she gently pulled him into an embrace.

“We’re going to find them,” she whispered. “I promise.”

They stayed like that for a while, with Carson struggling to regain composure. The blood had stopped roaring in his ears, but his heart thudded painfully against his chest.

Then a phone ringing cut through the noise, and he pulled away from Jean. Muttering an apology, Carson fumbled for his phone in his pocket.

His breath caught when he saw Ryan’s contact pop up on the screen, and swiped to answer 

the call. “Ryan-” he started, but was interrupted.

“We found Ace’s car on the side of the road-it looked like it was run off the road, and they flipped. There’s a huge hole in the side of the door, but Nancy and Ace are gone.”

Carson swallowed hard at the pause, and didn’t know what to say.

“Are you there?” Ryan urged.

“Yeah,” he said, looking over Rosario’s shoulder. “Yeah, I’m here.”

He made eye contact with Agent Park, standing frozen in the corridor. His face had gone white, and his jaw was tight.

Carson let out a shaky breath. “But I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

Chapter 6: only you, babe

Summary:

Nancy and Ace make amends.

Notes:

Warning: descriptions of violence.
Please proceed with caution if you're sensitive to such things.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Nancy was released from the figure’s hold with a gasp, and falling on her hands and knees, she coughed. The spot where she’d been kneed in the back was sore, and she groaned as she reached up to massage her scalp.

“Come on.” The man standing above her grabbed her arm, hauling her to her feet. “Let’s go.”

Too exhausted to fight the hold on her, Nancy allowed herself to be taken out of the room. The man stopped by the cameraman, and leaned in to speak in his ear. “Get that footage to the police station as soon as possible,” he ordered, and the man nodded.

Nancy was then hauled away from the cameraman, and she saw him winding the video back for review. She caught a brief glimpse of herself on the screen, and winced at how awful she must have looked taping the video.

I’m sorry, Dad, she thought. I’m sorry you have to see me like this.

She was led out of the room and down a hallway, back to the first room she’d woken up in. 

She hoped that Ace had managed to stay awake. It was the last thing she’d urged him to do before she’d been pulled away by their captors. Ace hadn’t replied, only having the strength to nod before the door closed between them. 

A man was standing outside the door when Nancy and her captor approached. 

“Did you get the video recorded?” he asked, and was answered with a nod.

“We’ll be sending it out shortly. In the meantime, take her-” He shoved Nancy towards him. “-And keep her in the room. When the D.A responds to our message, I’ll come back.”

The other man grabbed Nancy’s arm, keeping her still. “What do you want us to do with the other one? He’s not looking too good.”
Nancy’s breath hitched. How much had he deteriorated in the time she’d been gone?

“He’ll be fine,” the first man replied. “Hopefully he’ll last until the D.A releases Davies.”

“He needs a doctor,” Nancy finally said, causing the two men to look at her. “Or at least some sort of medical help. You had me promise my father and the D.A that we would be unharmed. If you let him get worse like this, you’re lying to them. That’s grounds for keeping Davies in prison.”

The man holding onto her shook her. “You shut your mouth,” he ordered, “and get in there.”

“The girl’s got a point,” the other one began, but Nancy was locked in the room before she could hear the rest of the argument. 

But that wasn’t important now; she hurried over to Ace’s side, still lying on his back on the floor. “Ace,” she whispered, kneeling next to him and shaking his shoulder gently.

“Hm?” he murmured, his eyes half-open. 

“Hey, I’m back,” she told him softly, taking his hand in hers. “How are you feeling?”

“Apart from the drastic blood loss?” he muttered. “Great. But don’t try to move me again, or I might just black out.”

“Sorry,” she whispered, remembering how she’d tried to get him to sit up against the wall earlier. It’d resulted in Ace snapping at her, before nearly passing out in her arms. “But do you feel a little better now?”

“Mm, not really,” he answered. “But the pain’s a little better.”

Nancy grimaced. “How about the bleeding?” she asked, gingerly pulling his shirt back to look at the wound. Ace didn’t miss her look of disappointment when she saw that while the bleeding had subsided, the wound was still oozing blood whenever he took a breath.

“It looks bad,” he said.

Nancy swallowed. “The bleeding slowed down. But you really need a doctor.”

“Yeah, I figured.” Wincing, Ace tried to take in a breath, and Nancy could only squeeze his hand. 

“I’m doing what I can to get some help. But we’ll just have to pray that the police act quickly, and can get us out of here before long.”

“That’s a lot of faith,” Ace breathed, and Nancy hated that he was right. After all, they didn’t even know where they were.

“Let’s hope that whoever’s keeping us will somehow mess up and leave a clue for the D.A to find,” she said, “Then they’ll find us.”

“Yeah,” he murmured, resting his head back against the ground. “Hopefully.”

“Hang in there, okay?” Nancy told him, still holding on to his hand. Ace just squeezed it, staring up at the rafters above them.

“Where’d they take you?” he asked her after a while.

Nancy reached up to massage her head again. “They wanted to record a negotiation, and I had to deliver the message. They’re sending it directly to Carson and Rosario.”

“What was the negotiation?” 

“To release Asher Davies from prison in exchange for our release.”

Ace blinked. “Do you think they’ll do it?”

“I’m not sure,” Nancy admitted. “I know Carson will be hell-bent on finding us, but Rosario’s too close to this case-she won’t want to risk losing it.”

“That’s comforting,” he replied.

Nancy could only allow herself to rub his hand. “We’ll get out of here,” she whispered.

Ace said nothing, doing his best to pull his jacket tighter around himself. With a pang, Nancy realized that he was shaking, and with every tremor, the moonlight reflected off the dried and fresh blood staining the fabric of his shirt, and the floor.

“Here,” she murmured, shrugging off her coat.

“No,” Ace began, “you need that. It’s too cold-”

“I’m not the one bleeding out in a freezing cold room. I will be fine. You need this more than me.” Not letting Ace protest, she laid the coat over him, gently letting the fabric rest over the open wound in his side

Ace tried again. “I’ll get blood on it. And this coat was expensive-”

“I don’t care,” Nancy interrupted. “My main concern is making sure that you stay awake, and that you stay alive. If we don’t get you warm, you will go into shock and  I won’t let that happen.”

Too exhausted to argue further, Ace just pulled the coat up to his chest, and did his best to bury himself under the heavy fabric. While he struggled to warm himself up, Nancy searched the room for anything that might help, and pulled out a box out from under one of the chairs.

“Here,” she said, dragging it over. “We have to elevate your legs to keep your circulation going.” She winced at the moan of pain Ace let out as she grabbed his legs. One by one, she gingerly lifted them onto the box, adjusting the box so it rested under his knees.

Once she was sure he was the most comfortable he could be, Nancy crawled on her hands and knees over to his side. “Does that feel a little better?” she asked him, and he nodded.

“Yeah. Thanks,” he whispered. Then he reached out his arm towards Nancy. “Come on, you have to get warm, too.”

Shuffling closer to him, Nancy allowed herself to lie down on the floor next to him. Careful to avoid his wound, she tucked her arm up under the jacket over her chest. Resting her head on his shoulder, she pressed herself to him in another effort to share warmth. His arm came up to wrap around her back, hugging her to his side, and his other hand moved under the jacket to hold onto her wrist.

They stayed like that for a while, listening to the hum of whatever machinery was whirring over their heads. Nancy felt Ace’s chest rise and fall unevenly under her arm, and shifted closer to tuck her head under his chin. Luckily, he didn’t seem to be shaking so hard anymore.

Then Ace spoke. “I’m sorry we fought,” he said. 

Nancy nodded. “Yeah. Me too.” She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you.”

He shrugged. “You had a good reason not to. I’m sorry for that, too.”

“That’s a lot of apologies,” she whispered.

“I have a lot to be sorry for.”

Nancy was quiet for a moment. “You do know that none of this was your fault, right?”

“You know I don’t believe that,” Ace murmured.

“Well, it’s not. The only reason why we’re here is because of Bertram Bobbsey. The chocolate messages you delivered had nothing to do with putting Asher Davies in prison.”

“Maybe,” he said, and Nancy felt him take in a breath to speak again. “Ah.” He let out a sharp hiss when it pulled at his side, and she winced.

“Don’t-” she began, but then the door swung open again, revealing the two men again.

One of them smiled when he saw Nancy and Ace curled up together. “Well, isn’t this sweet,” he sneered, taking a step into the room. “Sorry to interrupt, but we need the girl again. The boss wants to see her.”

Nancy’s fist closed around Ace’s shirt. “No,” she refused. “I’m not going anywhere with you until Ace gets a doctor.”

“Sorry, sweetie.” The man walked over to them as he spoke, and leaned down to grab Nancy’s arm. “But I’m afraid you have no choice.”

Angry, Nancy wrenched her arm from the man’s grip and sat up to shield Ace. “You bring a doctor here first, then I’ll go with you.”

“Nancy,” Ace started to say, but she ignored him.

“My father and the D.A are going to have a bigger case against you in court if you let him get worse. I told you before, you promised them that we’d remain unharmed-”

“You’re making it harder for us to keep that promise,” the man growled. “I won’t tell you again.”

“Make me,” Nancy spat, glowering at him.

Then the back of a hand collided with her cheek, causing her to fall on her shoulder. She let out a yelp as she hit the floor, and her hand flew up to press against the red mark.

“Nancy!” Ace yelled, but the man stepped in front of him, blocking him from Nancy.

“Want to try again?” he challenged, and she just glared at him.

“Nancy, please,” Ace begged, his hand reaching for her across the floor. “Just go with them. Don’t worry about me-”

“No, not until you get some help,” she protested. 

The man took another step towards her. “I went easy on you before,” he warned. “Now stop arguing, and get up.”

Swallowing her fear, Nancy just tightened her jaw and shook her head.

A boot collided fiercely with her ribs, and with a cry of pain, she dropped to the floor. 

“Nancy!” she heard Ace cry again, and groaning, tried to push herself up off the wood. Gasping, Nancy struggled for breath, a hand going up to press against her side.

“Now then,” the man growled, “are you going to cooperate now?”

Unable to get a word out, Nancy just looked up at him. Silence fell between them as she tried to take in a breath. Soon, she managed to say, “Just get Ace a doctor. Please.”

“Nancy,” Ace began, “stop. Stop it. Just go with them before you get hurt.”

“I’m not going to let them ignore you like this,” Nancy retorted. She snapped her head back to the man 

in front of her. “I said it once, and I’ll say it again: I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“You’re going to regret that,” the man chuckled. But there was no humor in his words. Before Nancy could even move, another boot had collided with her ribs.

Nancy couldn’t help it. She let out a pained yell as she hit the floor, both hands flying up to her stomach. Instinctively, she curled into a ball to protect herself, hands going up to cover her ears.

She heard Ace cry out her name again, and pressed her palms flat to muffle the sound. Another boot managed to find a weak spot, and she gasped when it hit her in the chest. Coughing, she gripped the floor and pushed herself away from the man. 

Her back collided with the wall behind her, and she let out a whimper. She was trapped.

The man stepped towards her again, his boots thudding loudly against the hardwood.

Then the door to the room opened wider, but the light was blocked by a silhouette.

“That’s enough,” the figure said.

Nancy gasped, but it wasn’t from the pain.

Notes:

Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! Thank you to everyone who's stuck with this story thus far. I can't wait for you all to see what I have in store. :)

Chapter 7: only you, darling

Summary:

Ryan has a heart-to-heart with a worried Carson.

Notes:

major plot twist at the end. *drum roll*

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Ryan shoved the front door open with a loud clang, starling Carson. He leapt up from the kitchen counter, eyes wide, but once he saw it was Ryan, he relaxed only a fraction.

“Do we have any more information?” Ryan asked, reaching him. Nick, Bess, and George followed him more slowly into the house, George closing the door behind her.

“No,” Carson replied. “Jean sent me home after I saw the video. Said it wasn’t the place for me to be right now.”

“So what can we do?” 

“Nothing,” he said sharply. “Until they find out more information, we’re not allowed to know anything yet. We’re too close to this one.” He then turned to the three friends standing behind Ryan. “You guys should go home.”

They were silent for a moment, the three of them looking at each other. Then Nick spoke.

“With all due respect, Carson, we’d like to stay with you guys.”

George nodded. “We don’t have anywhere we need to be. I closed up the Claw early, and the youth center doesn’t open again until tomorrow morning.”

“And Nancy and Ace are our friends,” Bess added. “I don’t want to leave in case we miss something. We owe that much to them.”

Nick and George nodded their agreement, and Ryan just shrugged.

Carson sighed. Clearly, he was outnumbered, and was too exhausted to argue. “Make yourself at home,” he said, dropping his arms to his side. “If you’ll excuse me,” He started to move towards the dining room, “I need a minute.”

Sympathetically, the rest of the group glanced at each other as Carson walked out.

After a few moments, Ryan cleared his throat. “I better go check on him,” he said softly, and crossed the kitchen over to the door frame.

Carson was sitting with his back to him in a chair, head in his hands. 

“Hey.” Ryan slowly made his way over to his side. Only a slight tilt of his head told him that Carson had heard him approach. “How are you holding up?”

When the other man didn’t answer for a while, Ryan pulled out a chair to sit next to him. When he finally settled, Carson lifted his head to look at him.

“I promised Lucy I’d protect her,” he said through his tears. Ryan faltered, tightening his jaw. “When she handed Nancy to me that night at the bluffs, I told her that she’d be safe with me.”

“You didn’t fail her,” Ryan began, but Carson cut him off.

“The night Kate died, when Nancy was at her spring formal-” Carson wiped a trailing tear from his cheek. “-I sat there at her bedside, holding her hand. Kate told me to look after Nancy. To make sure that she stayed safe, no matter what crazy adventures or mysteries she’d gotten herself into.” His voice cracked. “And then...her hand had gone limp. And she’d gone. That was the last thing she ever said to me.”

Ryan reached out to put a hand on his back. But Carson continued.

“And now...I don’t know where Nancy is. And she isn’t safe. She’s hurt, bleeding, somewhere I can’t find her. I failed Kate. I failed Lucy, and I-”

“Stop,” Ryan finally said. “You can’t do this to yourself.”

Carson tried to speak again. 

“None of this is your fault," Ryan interrupted. "None of us had any idea that Bobbsey’s criminals would have found her. Or Ace. Or hell, even kidnapped them.” Carson flinched at that. “Nancy and Ace’s disappearance had nothing to do with you-”

“I represented Asher, therefore I was the one person they had a reason for to go after. Is it really all that surprising that they’d use our daughter to get to me?”

“Still, none of that is on you. All you did was your job. You did nothing wrong, and you are not the reason Nancy and Ace are gone. Okay? I understand why you feel like you’re to blame, I get it. You’re allowed to feel sorry for yourself, to sit here at this table and beat yourself up for feeling like you’re the reason why Nancy and Ace are missing. But in the end, the only people responsible for this mess are Bertram Bobbsey and his friends. It’s not your fault that Asher Davies is in jail, let alone that you had to represent him.” He squeezed Carson’s shoulder. “And don’t give me that crap about failing Lucy and Kate. You did everything you said you’d do. If anything, I’m the one that failed them both for missing out on, well...everything. You’ve done more for Nancy than I ever will, and there is nothing in that that shows you let them down.”

Carson was silent for a moment, and then he sniffed. Ryan rubbed his back comfortingly. “We’re gonna find them,” he promised the man. “And then we’re going to make sure Asher Davies and his buddies get what they deserve.”

“Yeah,” Carson finally said, voice thick.

“Here. Let’s get you some water.”

Numb, Carson followed Ryan out of the dining room to the kitchen, where Bess, Nick, and George were sitting at the kitchen counter. The three of them turned their heads at the two dads’ approach, and they could only give a small, sympathetic smile when they saw Carson’s haggard face.

“You guys holding up okay?” Nick asked.

Carson could only nod while Ryan handed him a glass, but they all knew that nothing about their situation was okay.

“Here,” Bess whispered, sliding off her chair and going to offer Carson a hug, who accepted it gratefully. Then, Nick joined, George following. Soon, Ryan had no choice but to participate, and soon, the five of them stood in a group hug in the middle of the kitchen, willing for their friends, for their daughters, to come home.

**********

“That’s enough,” the figure in the doorway said. 

In the corner of the room, Nancy gasped, but it wasn’t from the pain coursing through her body. 

Dark eyes flicked to Ace’s weak state on the floor. “What on earth did you do to him?”

“That wasn’t our fault,” the man standing above Nancy said. “I found him like that in the crash.”

“And you did nothing to help him?” the figure growled. “The room here is freezing, do you want to make sure we all get arrested for kidnapping and murder?”

“But you said-”

“I said to keep them alive. I didn’t say to let him-” A hand gestured to Ace. “-die on our watch. That’s not what we promised the D.A. Now do me a favor, and get him some proper heating before he goes into shock.”

“What about the wound?”

“Bandage it!” the figure snapped. “And get him some water, too.” He turned his head, and the light fell across his features.

Nancy felt like she was going to be sick.

“Bring Nancy to the other room,” he ordered someone in the hallway.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Nancy rasped, and the man looked over at her.

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice,” he said, almost gently. He stepped to the side to allow another man in. “Please don’t make this any harder than it needs to be.”

“What will you do if I don’t?”

The man standing over her took a step closer. But the figure gestured for him to stay where he was.

“Then I’m afraid I will have to inform your father that your friend-” He looked over at Ace curled up on the floor. “-succumbed to his injuries much faster than we expected.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Nancy whispered.

“I really hope you don’t want to risk finding out.” He snapped his fingers. “Bring her to the other room. Now.”

Gasping, Nancy could only do so much to resist the second man reaching down to grab her. “Ace!” she called over her shoulder. “Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep!”

“Nancy!” she heard Ace cry out as she was taken away. But his protests were futile as Nancy was escorted out of the room. The last thing she saw before the door closed was Ace staring after her from his position on the floor.

The man led Nancy down the hallway again, but to a room different from the one she was recorded in. He opened a door and quite roughly, pushed Nancy in. Gasping in shock, she hit the floor with a grunt, feeling her fingers curl into the rough carpeting underneath her.

“James, back off,” a voice snapped. “You don’t need to be quite so rough.”

Footsteps followed her into the room, and Nancy spun around to look at the man standing over her. 

“Why are you doing this?’ she whispered.

The man knelt to crouch in front of her. “Dear Nancy,” Nelson said, “I’m afraid you have information that could be very valuable to me.”

“Regarding what?” Nancy said shakily.

The FBI profiler smiled. “Haven't you figured it out already? I’m a part of something much bigger.”

Notes:

How we feeling about that plot twist, folks??
*strums intro to Steve Lacy's 'Dark Red'* something bad's about to happen...
*******
Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! :)

Chapter 8: only you, my girl

Summary:

Carson and the crew follow a lead on Nancy and Ace's disappearance.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

George stood at the coffee pot, making what seemed to be her fifth cup in an hour. She could hear quiet chatter drifting from the living room, and occasionally, a soft snore. Carson had finally fallen asleep, and everyone wanted to make sure he stayed that way for a while.

Nick walked in, dragging a hand down his face. “Hey,” he greeted, and gave a wry smile when he saw the coffee mug in George’s hands. “You’re not going to sleep tonight if you keep drinking that stuff.”

“Wasn’t like I was going to sleep much anyways,” George replied, and when Nick faltered, her grip on the mug tightened. “Sorry. I didn’t mean-”

“No,” he said, coming to stand by her. “You don’t have to apologize. It’s okay.” When George turned towards him, he reached out to wrap an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. “How are you doing?”

George sniffed, twisting the mug handle in her hands. “I don’t know. I’m trying to hold it together, to not freak out. But-” Her breath caught in her throat. “I’m terrified. Nancy and Ace could be anywhere, and I know that while we haven’t seen the ransom video yet, I still can’t help but get this feeling that something is really wrong. And all we can do is sit around and wait for news. I hate it, Nick.”

Nick swallowed. To an extent, they knew how bad the situation was. Carson had told them over the phone earlier that both Nancy and Ace were injured, and that their release meant letting a criminal go in return. That was all he managed to get out before he’d hung up.

“I know. I hate it, too. But Rosario’s doing everything she can. Hopefully they’ll find something soon.”

“Yeah,” George said softly, tucking her head into the crook of Nick’s shoulder. “It’s just the waiting that kills you.”

Nick moved to kiss her on the top of her head. “I know,” he said again, rubbing her arm. “But they’ll find Nancy and Ace. And we’ll bring them home. All we can do is pray that they’ll be okay.”

George moved one of her hands from the mug to slide it up Nick’s back. “What about you? How are you doing?”

Her fiancé sighed. “I’ll feel better once we get some news. In the meantime, I’m just praying. Thinking. Trying to figure out why they were taken.”

George gently rubbed his back. “Drives you a little mad, huh?”

Nick let out a small laugh, but there was no humor in it. “Yeah, I guess.” He rested his cheek on George’s head, and they stayed like that for a little while. In times like these, it was little moments that kept them grounded.

Then a phone rang from the other room, and they startled, George nearly dropping her coffee mug. The pair heard a series of gasps, and most likely Ryan scrabbling for the phone.

Nick and George hurried in to see Carson bolting up from the couch. He narrowly avoided Ryan chucking the phone at his head, and grabbed it to answer the call.

“This is Carson,” he said, almost breathlessly. The rest of the group leaned forwards in anticipation, and could very faintly hear a voice drift out from the phone. “Okay.” Carson stood to his feet quickly, almost smacking Ryan in his shoulder. “I’ll be right there.”

He hung up and turned to the four of them. “There’s been a development on the laptop that was brought to the station. They need me to come down.”

“Can we come?” all four voices asked in unison.

Carson grimaced, knowing they most likely wouldn’t take no for an answer. “As long as you keep out of our way. We can’t risk anything compromising this case.”

They all nodded eagerly in response, and moved to follow the man out the door.

*******

Their footsteps echoed through the station, and nearly every head snapped up to see the group walk in. Almost immediately, Jean came out of her office to greet them.

“Carson,” she began, but when she saw the others, she raised an eyebrow. “This is an ongoing investigation, what are you-”

“They’ll keep out of our way,” Carson assured her. “I was thinking they could stay in one of our offices or the hallway.”

Jean just looked from him to the group, then back to Carson.

He lifted a shoulder. “They’re Nancy and Ace’s friends, too.”

“And father,” Ryan felt compelled to add, but was silenced with Bess’ elbow in his side.

The attorney sighed. “Okay.” But she raised a finger. “If any of you does something to compromise this case, I will tread very heavily on obstruction of justice. Stay seated, and don’t touch anything.”

“Yes, ma’am,” they all chorused, and an officer approached to take them to the side. Jean turned to Carson and led him down the hall away from them.

“What’s the new development?” he asked. 

“We’re getting close to tracing an IP address on the laptop. It looks fairly new, like someone bought it purely for the purpose of sending us the video. We’ve checked every security camera on the premises, but it looks like whoever left the laptop forgot about the small convenience store across the street.” She ducked into a room, and picked up a file off the desk. “We got a warrant for their footage, and found this. Here.”

Carson flipped through the file to see pictures from surveillance footage, and there was a blurry figure hurrying away from the front doors of the station. A hood had been drawn up, but it only left half of his face covered. A beady eye and hooked nose stared up at Carson.

“Has this-” He gestured to the picture. “-person been identified?”

“We’ve run it through every editing program we have, and so far, all we can confirm is that he’s one of the members of Bertram’s criminal ring. Traces of him have been found at every dealing involved, and we’re hoping to get a name soon.”

“Is that all?” Carson asked.

Jean softened. “I know this isn’t exactly the lead you were looking for, but it’s something.”

He just huffed and dropped the file on the desk, the pictures fanning out across the wood. “I need something more than just a possibility, Jean. Not a ‘maybe,’ or a chance.”

“We are doing everything we can,” Jean said. “But these people are smart. They didn’t leave fingerprints or names on whatever they left behind. It’s going to be hard to find a definite answer this early on.”

“So why did you call me back in here?”

“So you could see that we’re getting somewhere.”

“Next time,” Carson snapped, “don’t call me again unless you have a name, a location, or some sort of address. Don’t get my hopes up like this.”

Jean just watched as he looked back down on the desk, hands on his hips. Silence fell over the pair for a moment, and then Carson’s eyes narrowed. With a hand, he reached out to pull one of the pictures out from under the file.

“Did the laptop come in a box?” he asked, looking closely at the photo.

“Yeah, a cardboard one. The kind they use to package fragile items at the post office. Why?”

Carson snapped his head up. “Where’s the box now?”

“In evidence. With the computer. We’re working on tracing the serial number but they scratched it out pretty good.”

“We might not need a serial number,” Carson said in a breath, and left the room. Jean sputtered, and grabbed the files along with her as she followed him out. 

“Where are you going?” she called.

“Evidence!”

“You don’t have the clearance-”

“But you do.” Carson turned to her as she caught up. “I need to see that box the computer came in.”

“Why?”

“If we can somehow trace it back to the post office, we might be able to find where it came from, or who sent it here.”

Jean just pulled out her keycard as the two of them passed the group on a bench in the hallway. When he made eye contact with Ryan, in response to his confused face, Carson just held a thumbs up. 

They arrived at the heavy door, and Jean swiped her keycard. When the green light flashed on the keycard, she pushed the door open and went in. 

“Stay out here,” she ordered. “I’ll be back. And get some gloves on if you’re gonna handle this.”

Carson just nodded, and went to a desk in the next room for a pair of latex gloves. He turned around only to smack right into Ryan.

“Ryan-” He jumped back. “-what are you doing?”

“What was that all about? Did you guys find something?”

“We might have,” Carson said. “But I can’t say anything right now. Just-go back to the bench. I’ll fill you guys in later.”

Resigned, Ryan followed him out the room. Carson glanced over to the bench to see Agent Park standing with them.

“Nelson,” Carson called. “What are you doing here?”

The profiler gave him a small nod in greeting. “I heard about Nancy and Ace earlier, and didn’t get a chance to tell you I’m sorry. I just got back from a small lunch break. Are there any new developments?’

Carson sighed. “Maybe. But if anything happens, you guys will be the first to know.”

The group just nodded, and Nelson followed Carson over to the evidence room. “How are you doing?” he asked. 

The man sighed as he pulled the gloves on. “I’ve been better. But hopefully we’ll find something soon, and bring Nancy and Ace home. I just can’t sit around my house and do nothing.”

Nelson opened his mouth to say something, but then Jean showed up in the doorway. “Here.” She showed the baggie to Carson. “Whoever picked up the box scratched out the address, so I’m afraid there isn’t much.”

“There’s always something.” Carson took the bag from her, and lifted the box at all angles to inspect it. “Hopefully this box can be identified by a worker at the post office.”

“Post office?” Nelson repeated.

“We think the laptop that delivered the ransom note to us came from the local one here,” Carson explained. “Hopefully we’ll get some answers.”

Nelson let out a breath. “Do you want me to take it down there for you?”

“No,” Carson said. “I appreciate it, but I think Jean should do it. She’s in charge, after all.”

“So are you,” Jean argued. “But you’re right-it’s probably best if I go. You should stay here with the others.”

“I’ll make sure they don’t get themselves arrested,” Carson joked, and she smiled as she took the box from him.

“I’ll let you know what the post office says. Hopefully, if all goes well, we’ll get a warrant for their video surveillance.”

“Sounds good.” Carson stepped to the side to let Jean pass through the doorway, and watched her walk down the hallway.

“Think you’ll find anything?” Nelson said, but his eyes were fixed in a stare, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.

“We have to,” Carson said. “So we can find Nancy and Ace, and bring them home.”

Nelson just nodded, jaw tight.

Notes:

kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! so glad you all are enjoying the story so far!

Chapter 9: only you, babe

Summary:

Nancy and Ace are reunited, and find out the motive behind their kidnapping.

Notes:

so sorry for a delay in this next chapter! i was away celebrating Thanksgiving and wasn't able to post! If you celebrated Thanksgiving, I hope you had a wonderful time, and that you all had a good week. :) i hope you enjoy this next chapter!

*this is a bit of a longer chapter than usual, I hope you don't mind.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Nancy laid on the floor, arm slung over her eyes. Above her, the heater rattled, filling the room with warmth. If there was one thing Nancy could be grateful for in this situation, it was that Ace wouldn’t be so cold anymore.

At the thought of Ace, her chest tightened, and she rolled over onto her side. She hadn’t heard from anyone in a while, ever since Nelson gave up on trying to interrogate her and left the room.

“I’ll be back,” he’d warned before shutting the door and leaving Nancy lying in sickly yellow light. 

She wondered what time it was. Turning her wrist in the light, she looked at her small clock face.

5:14am.

Vaguely, she remembered Florence’s dashboard yesterday. It’d spun across her vision as they flipped, and the last thing she’d seen before blacking out were the numbers 3:45.

Lifting a hand to her eyes to rub them, she tried to piece together just how long they’d been here. But her head pounded, and she winced when her fingernail grazed the cut on her head.

Then the door opened again, and she looked to see Nelson standing there. In his hands, he held a kit of some sort, and his coat was gone, sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

“You need that wound checked out,” he said calmly, and Nancy narrowed her eyes.

“I’ll be damned if I let you touch me,” she said, voice hoarse. She didn’t dare sit up, for the slightest movement would send stars across her vision.

“If I do nothing, you’re just going to get worse. And you need stitches. I promised your father I’d keep you unharmed.”

Nancy said nothing, too tired to come up with a retort. Finally, she opened her mouth. “Is Ace alright?”

Nelson’s jaw tightened. “He’s fine. We have him in another room with some food and water.”

“You know just as well as I do that he’s not ‘fine.’ What about his wound?”

“He wouldn’t let us do anything else than bandage it.”

“I need to see him,” Nancy decided.


“You know I can’t let you do that.” Slowly, Nelson crossed the room over to her. “Not until you give me something.”

“If you let me see Ace, I’ll tell you what I know. Everything.” Swallowing, she shifted her gaze up to look at him. “Then you can treat me, whatever. I just need to know that he’s okay.”

Sighing, Nelson dropped the kit at his feet. “Fine. But if you try anything-” He leaned into her face, “-you will regret it. And Ace will pay the price.”

Nancy barely had the chance to register her fear before he was grabbing her by the wrist and hauling her to her feet. Gasping, her vision turned dark, and all she could do was fall against Nelson’s chest.

“Easy,” he told her, steadying her around the shoulders, and letting her lean on him, led her out of the room. She squinted and held a hand up against the light, shielding her eyes from the glare. “Where did you take him?” she asked Nelson, and he opened another door in response.

Nancy heard a gasp. “Nance?” Ace lifted his head from his position on the floor, and Nancy wrenched herself out of Nelson’s grip to stumble across the floor over to him. 

“Hey, are you okay?” she asked, falling to her knees by his side. Her hand flew to touch his shoulder, then his hair, then back to cup his cheek. She was relieved to see that he could sit half-way up to meet her, and that his face wasn’t as pale anymore. “How do you feel?”

Ace raised a hand to cover the one touching his cheek. “Better,” he said. “They bandaged my side and gave me some water. I think the bleeding stopped for now, but I don’t want to risk moving too much.” He quickly looked Nancy up and down, and his eyes widened. “But you look terrible, what did they do to you?” He shot a glare over her shoulder at Nelson. 

Nancy just shook her head, turning Ace’s face to look back at her. “I’m fine, just a headache.”

“Nance, you have more than just that. You might have a concussion from the crash,” he told her, voice tight. “That cut doesn’t look good at all.” Carefully, he reached out to feel the skin around her wound, and she winced at how his fingertips came away red. Pulling away from his touch, she grabbed his hand, grateful that it was warm again.

“They’re going to treat it soon,” she promised him. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay first.”

Ace narrowed his eyes. “You shouldn't have done that.”

“I’m fine,” she insisted. “Once I get some sleep-”

“No,” he interrupted, “don’t. It’s a bad idea to fall asleep with a head wound. You need some water and treatment.”

“Don’t worry,” Nelson finally said. “Once you two finish up, I’ll take care of her.”

Ace held back a scoff. “And what makes you think you’re qualified?”

“Ever since I took a required emergency first aid course during my training at the Federal Bureau.,” the profiler answered, and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. “And I really don’t think you’re in a position to stop me.”

Nancy unconsciously inched closer to Ace, nearly against his shoulder now. “Why are you doing this?”

Nelson cocked his head to the side. “What, treating you?”

“No. Taking us. Keeping us here until you get Asher Davies out of prison. Why?”

He met Nancy’s gaze calmly. “Davies was one of my top informants in the Road Back. He and I both worked together with Daniel West to gather information on our rivals around the globe and take out anyone who was a threat to our operation.” He crossed his arms. “When I joined the Federal Bureau as a way to get more access to government records, background checks came close to finding out mine and Asher’s dirty work. Fortunately for Daniel West, he had disappeared off the grid after our hitlist went missing. And even if the FBI was looking for him, I already had the clearances necessary to throw them off our trail.”

At the mention of Daniel West, Nelson gave a wry smile at the look on Nancy and Ace’s face. “Oh, yes, I know all about your little adventure with my friend.”

Nancy swallowed, and her hand slowly found Ace’s.

You gave her the list?

I made a deal with Celia to get the list back. She promised me she wouldn’t spill any blood or anything.

And you believed her?

I couldn’t lose you.  

Nelson cleared his throat, interrupting Nancy’s thoughts. “After I managed to clear our histories, Asher came to Horseshoe Bay and joined Bertram’s circle to contact other members of the Road Back. When our hitlist resurfaced with the help of your brother-” He gestured to Ace. “-I was able to track down Celia Hudson and figure out exactly what sort of deal you cut with her.” He looked at Nancy. “You really thought you were smart enough to hide the list under our noses like that?”

Then the memories came crashing back, like a receding tide coming back to shore.

I no longer believe that Everett Hudson was involved in the Bonny Scott murders.

She shook her head, blaming it on her pounding headache.

“Nance,” she faintly heard Ace whisper, but Nancy didn’t acknowledge him.

Then Celia’s voice ran in her head. 

It's okay. I am so sorry. I can't stay.

No, no, no, no. Don't go. No, please don't go.

A hand squeezed hers, and then she heard Ryan.

I got Celia killed.

No. No, you didn't.

She was doing a favor for me...If I had known then, Ryan, I would have-

How could you have known what the Road Back was capable of? You couldn't. She did. And those were the choices that she made.

H er breath caught in her throat once the pieces clicked together.

“You killed Celia,” she whispered, lifting her gaze to meet Nelson’s.

He held up a finger. “No. I didn’t kill her. Asher arranged with Daniel to go after the list.”

“But she’s dead.” Nancy got to her feet, stepping towards Nelson. “Because of you!”

Then her vision went black, but she still tried to move towards him. Soon, in one fluid motion, he’d swept Nancy’s legs out from under her, catching her just before she hit the floor.

Nancy gasped as her head snapped back, sending stars twinkling across the ceiling. 

“Nancy!” she heard Ace yell.

Nelson leveled her with a stare. “I wouldn’t try that again if I were you.”

Gasping, Nancy could only grab the front of his shirt as he lowered to the floor. 

“Now, then.” Nelson leaned in close, getting on one knee next to her. “I need Asher released because he has valuable information from Bertram’s messages that the Road Back depends on. Bertram doesn’t have this information.” He looked over at Ace. “Ace here was more than kind enough to make sure that fell into the police’s hands.”

Nancy blinked. “But...you work for the police,” she rasped. “Why not go get that information yourself?”

Nelson chuckled. “I only have the minimal security clearances at the station. Your lovely district attorneys were adamant I only work on the Frozen Hearts Killer case while I’m here. And if I were to use my information to get through any other clearances that weren’t authorized, I’d get flown back to Boston and unable to get any information then.”

“Well, what about other people?” Nancy murmured. “You could have easily stolen anyone’s card or information to get through.”

“You’re right,” he agreed. “But it isn’t so easy when you and your friends keep me out of the station for longer than I like. It’s harder than you think to access restricted information when you keep pulling me away from it.” He reached out to gently touch Nancy’s wound, and she hissed, pulling back.

“Don’t touch her,” Ace warned.

Nelson drew his hand back, smiling. But he moved up to touch Nancy’s hair, and she willed herself not to send a knee into his groin. 

“So I thought, since you’re so good at keeping me away from what I need, why don’t I just take you myself? And what a coincidence that you just so happened to be the daughter of Asher’s attorney.”

“You’re never going to get away with this,” Nancy gasped.

“Last time I checked-” Nelson leaned in closer. “-no one’s come looking for you. Your father is too busy finding out about the box our ransom computer came in to be out here searching for you and Ace. I guess we really know where his priorities lie, hm?”

“You’re bluffing,” Ace finally said. “Carson loves Nancy. He’d tear apart the whole of Horseshoe Bay to find her.”

And you, Nancy thought.

Nelson finally stood to his feet, holding his arms out wide. “I guess we’ll find out just how deeply a father’s love runs for his daughter once he figures out that we’re in the most remote place in Horseshoe Bay.” Then he held up a finger again. “Or is it Horseshoe Bay?”

“What do you mean?” Nancy turned her head, panic rising in her chest.

Nelson just shrugged, turning towards the door. “You’re the community liaison. I thought you’d be smart enough to figure it out.”

“Where are you going?” Ace growled.

“Don’t worry,” he called over his shoulder. “I’ll be back.”

Then the door closed, leaving them in the dark.

“Nancy?” Ace called. “Are you alright?”

“Mm,” she replied with a groan. “I think. Just my head-” She lifted a hand to her head. “-It hurts.” At the sound of shuffling, she protested. “Don’t even think about moving, Ace.”

“I need to make sure you’re okay.” More shuffling could be heard, and apparently Nancy’s pleas weren’t enough, because Ace appeared next to her. “Nance, you can’t be lying down. Come on.” Gentle hands grabbed her arm, and groaning, Nancy forced herself to sit up against the wall behind her.

In the dim lighting, she saw Ace wince and briefly press a hand to his side, and Nancy just glared at him.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered roughly.

“You took care of me before,” was Ace’s only answer. “Now let me take care of you.”

If it was any other situation, Nancy would have given in. But now, frustrated at his heroics, Nancy fussed like a child when she felt Ace’s hand touch her forehead again. 

“You’re not burning up, so that’s good. Have you eaten anything lately?”

“No,” Nancy muttered.

“Then you need to eat. You’ll dehydrate yourself.”

“I’m not hungry,” she started to say, but fell silent at Ace’s stare. He slowly moved away to fetch a plate and glass left on a table in the corner of the room. 

“Do you think Carson’s getting close to finding us?” she wondered out loud, and Ace just gave her a look.

“I know they’ll find something soon,” he encouraged. “For all we know, they could have found us already.” He crossed back over to Nancy to offer her the glass and a half a loaf of bread. 

“That’s what they gave you?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Better than nothing.”

Nancy just took the cup from him, and was almost embarrassed to find she’d downed half the glass in almost no time at all.

“Good,” Ace approved, holding the bread out to her, which she accepted.

He sat by her legs as she managed to nibble on the loaf, and offered her a sympathetic glance when she wrinkled her nose. 

“I don’t think I can eat anymore, Ace,” she admitted after a few minutes, and his brow creased in concern.

“You just went completely white,” he said, reaching out to touch her cheek. “Are you okay?”

But Nancy weakly pushed his hand away, trying to force down the sudden nausea that arose. “Give me a minute,” she mumbled, turning away from him,

A hand touched her back as she got on her hands and knees, and before Ace could say her name, she was vomiting the food back up, and she coughed, pressing a hand to her mouth.

Ace didn’t say anything, but grabbed her hair to pull it back. “You’re okay,” he told her, rubbing her back with the other hand. Nancy was grateful she couldn’t see his face-the concern in his voice was worse enough. She shook her head, trying to combat the dizziness that followed.

Coughing again, she backed away, almost hitting Ace in the chest.

“I’m sorry, are you okay?” he asked her, and Nancy finally lifted her head up to look at him.

His face quickly fell as her vision went dark, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. The last thing she remembered seeing before she collapsed was Ace lunging for her, and yelling her name.

Notes:

kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! :) thank you all for still continuing to stick by me and this story!

Chapter 10: only you, darling

Summary:

While Nelson heads back to the station, Carson, Ryan, and Jean work to identify the source of the ransom note, and stumble across a chilling discovery.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Nelson walked out of the safe house, his keys swinging from his fingers. His car gleamed from the shadows, and he made to unlock the doors when he heard a faint yell come from the house. Slowing to a halt, he turned towards the sound, wondering if he was hearing things. But soon, the front door swung open and a man appeared in the doorway, frantic.

Nelson frowned. “James. What’s going on?”

James gestured with his thumb towards the inside of the house. “The girl just passed out. She won’t wake up. What do you want us-”

He was interrupted as Nelson shoved his way past him and into the house. His keys clinked as they fell to the floor, but he didn’t care. One of his men appeared in the hallway, almost crashing into Nelson.

“The boy won’t let anyone touch her,” he started to say, but Nelson just pushed him aside. 

“What happened?” he asked, stepping into the room.

Ace snapped his head up to glare at him from where he sat on the floor. In his lap, Nancy lay with her head lolling against his shoulder. “She passed out, no thanks to you.”

“How on earth is this my fault?” Nelson hissed, crossing over to him. “Give her to me.”

“Like hell I will,” Ace spat, arms tightening around Nancy. “You’re the reason she’s like this.”

“I wasn’t the one who ran you off the road,” the profiler growled. “And you’re in no position to order me around. Clearly, my men made sure of that.” He sneered, glancing down at Ace’s side. Through his shirt, he could see the faint line of fresh blood starting to seep through. “So don’t make this any harder than it needs to be.”

Nelson grabbed Nancy’s arm, and threading an arm under her legs, lifted her out of Ace’s lap. Ace made a small noise of protest, still attempting to reach out for her. Clucking his tongue, Nelson shook his head, taking Nancy a short distance away from him. 

One of his men came into the room, and quickly restrained Ace by taking his arms and pinning them behind his back. Furrowing his brow, Ace tried to get up on his knees to ease the discomfort. But he received a knee in the spine, and let out a groan as he was forced to arch back. He hissed when the movement caused his wound to pull, and couldn’t help but let out a small whimper as he shifted under his restraints.

Nelson had laid Nancy on the floor, and moved to check her pulse. A steady heartbeat thrummed against his fingers, and he let out a sigh of relief. “She seems fine. But when she wakes up, I need her to get some water in her system.” He felt her hands and forehead. “Get her some blankets, too.” Standing to his feet, Nelson looked down at her.

“Where are you going?” Ace asked, eyes wide. “You can’t just leave her after-”

“I said she’s going to be fine. I know you’ll have no problem monitoring her while I’m gone, so keep an eye on her.” He looked at the man restraining Ace. “And keep an eye on him . Don’t let him try anything.”

The man nodded, and as Nelson walked out of the room, released Ace. Nelson watched from the doorway as he crawled on his hands and knees over to Nancy, and carefully touched her cheek, murmuring her name.

“Nance,” he heard Ace say. “Come back to me.”

Nelson fought back a scoff as he closed the door behind him, and walked back down the hallway. Another man came to join him, falling into step with him. 

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Back to the station. I’ve been gone too long, and can’t risk any suspicion. I’ll be back later tonight. Keep everything under control.”

“What do you want us to do with those two?”
“Nothing,” Nelson ordered, stooping to pick up the keys he’d dropped earlier. “But let me know if Nancy wakes up.”

“Will do.”

Once again, Nelson let the keys swing from his fingers as he walked to his car.  But he wore a grim expression on his face, and shook his head.

Don’t mess this up, he told himself as he unlocked the door.

*******

Carson stood behind a desk, arms crossed over his chest, as he peered over a man’s shoulder at the computer screen. The ransom message had been blown up to full screen, and a box at the very bottom corner was running quick diagnostics on the footage.

A cord led from the computer to another laptop on the table, where another pop-up box on the screen was tracing the IP address of the computer’s original source. 

“Anything yet?” he asked, and the man shook his head. 

“No, but with any luck, we should get something soon. The ransom note was filmed with a cellphone, which means we should get a good idea of where they took the video. If we can get that, and where our computer here came from, we should have no trouble at all finding where Nancy and Ace are.”

Holding back a sigh, Carson leaned back from the man. It’d been almost an hour since he’d come in to run diagnostics, and Carson found that his patience was wearing thin tonight. Seeing the thumbnail of the ransom message didn’t help any, either. Nancy’s blue eyes stared back at him dully, and he had to look away.

“Mr. Drew, with all due respect, maybe you should go get some coffee. Walk around for a little bit. This computer isn’t going anywhere,” the man said.

Carson shook his head. “Thank you, but I’m fine.”

The only response was fingers typing away on the computer, and he checked his watch for what seemed like the hundredth time that hour. Jean was supposed to be back any minute now from the post office, and itched to call her to make sure everything was okay.

Then, he looked up at the sound of a door opening, and Jean walked in, the postage box still in the evidence bag in her hands.

Carson perked up, turning away from the computer to greet her. “Any luck at the office?” he asked her, and she smiled.

“The postage worker there recognized it and said that the box was mailed from Boston. He said that it came with a general address sticker, but someone had torn it off after picking up the box. So we don’t have a specific location. Hopefully the computer will tell us more.”

“Was the worker able to identify the person who picked it up?”

Ryan walked into the room as Jean began to respond. He was in the middle of chugging a coffee, which was probably his fifth one in an hour. “He said that it was a male, tall, dark hair. Korean. I’m working on getting a warrant for their cameras.”

The man froze. “Wait, what?”
Carson raised an eyebrow. “Ryan? What is it?”

Ryan gestured to the box, almost frantic now. Jean leaned back to avoid getting splashed with hot coffee, and Carson had to push him away from the computers. 

“Where was the box from? Boston, right?”

“Yes.” Jean looked down at the box then back up at him.

Holding up his hands, Ryan said, “I heard Nelson say something a few days ago, when I came here to pick Nancy up for coffee. Before, y’know-” He gestured in the air, “-everything happened. But that’s not the point. Anyways, Nelson walked out of the station with me, and he said a co-worker sent him something from Boston and that he was going to the post office to pick it up. He didn’t tell me what it was but-”

“He fits the description,” Jean breathed. “Oh, God.”

The room fell eerily silent, eyes wide in shock. 

“Nelson couldn’t have done this,” Carson finally whispered. “Could he?”

“Where is he now? Does anyone know?” Jean asked. The dads shook their heads.

“He left after Jean went to the post office,” Ryan said. “I thought he was going home.”

“Okay, I’m going to put a BOLO out on his car and see if anyone can track him down.” The district attorney spun on her heel and rushed out of the room.

“Um.” The man at the desk raised a hand. “I found something.”

Carson nearly broke his neck turning back to him. “What?”

“So we got an IP address on the ransom video. It wasn’t filmed in Horseshoe Bay.” He pointed to the address on the box on the screen. “They crossed country borders over to Quebec, Canada. It’s very close to Maine, but it’d take almost an hour to get there.”

“Well, what’s the address to? A warehouse?”

“No, it’s an isolated home in the middle of nowhere. Almost all forests, it seems.”

“Then we need air search-and-rescue. I’ll have Jean contact the state department.” He gestured to the other computer. “Try to figure out who sent that computer to Nelson.” He spat out the man’s name like it was foul. “And let me know what else you find.”

“Where are you going?” the man called after him.

“To find my daughter.” 

Notes:

Kudos and comments are appreciated! I hope you all are still enjoying the story :)

Chapter 11: only you

Summary:

Ace waits for Nancy to wake up.

Notes:

Warning! There is no talk of suicide in this chapter, but Ace does struggle with the guilt of this situation and his dealings with the Bobbseys. Please be careful if any such topics such as death, depression, guilt, and/or injuries bother or trigger you.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

In the dark room, Ace sat at Nancy’s side. She hadn’t stirred since Park left her on the floor - only her chest gently rising and falling told him that she was still breathing. And with the moonlight streaming through the window, he couldn’t tell if she’d gotten paler or not. 

Ace had taken Nancy’s watch off to help keep track of time, but it was becoming increasingly harder to see. Maybe it was the fading moonlight.

His body told him otherwise.

He didn’t care, though. Ace had to stay awake through the discomfort, for Nancy’s sake more than his own. 

The door opened behind him, and slowly, he turned so as to not pull at his wound. One of Nelson’s men stood there, and Ace had to lean back quickly to avoid getting hit with a bundle of blankets.

“Here. For the girl,” the man muttered, moving to leave.

Ace reached for the blankets. “Her name’s Nancy,” he couldn't help but growl. He lifted his head to look back at the man, who just shrugged and closed the door.

Once enshrouded in the darkness again, Ace slowly untangled the blankets from one another, and used one to gently cover Nancy, tucking it under her to trap her body heat from escaping. He reached to feel her hands, and was disappointed to find that they hadn’t warmed up any.

Grabbing another blanket, he wrapped it around Nancy, tugging it up under her shoulders and hips to make sure no heat could seep into the floors. Helplessly, all he could do now was rub her arm, anything to get more warmth into her. 

Ace swallowed against a wave of nausea, and pressed a hand to his side. He grimaced as it came away stained with blood, but didn’t dare inspect the wound. He didn’t want to see it.

He blamed it on the blood loss. 

Maybe that was where the stars came from. They slowly trickled into his vision, twinkling against the walls, the ceiling, everywhere he looked.

Ace blinked, rubbing his eyes. Maybe he should sleep, too. It sounded so welcoming.

Then, in the dim light, Nancy twitched. Her eyelids shifted, and her fingers bent ever so slightly against her palm. 

Ace froze, and tried to blink the stars away. “Nance?” he whispered.

Nancy took in a breath, her eyes cracking open ever so slightly. “Ace?’ she croaked.

“Hey,” he said softly, leaning forwards. “Hey, it’s me.”

She rolled her eyes to look at him through slits, and managed a small smile. “Ace,” she murmured, but then she let out the breath she’d been holding, and her eyes closed again. Her hand went limp against the floor, and she was still.

Breath hitching, Ace’s hand went to her throat, checking her pulse. Once relieved at the fact her heartbeat still thudded against his fingers, he went to grab her hands, and willed her to wake up again.

“Nancy?” he urged quietly, throat now tight. “Come on, you have to wake up.”

The humming of the heating unit above them was his only response, and carefully, Ace pressed a hand to her ribs to make sure she was still breathing. Her chest rose and fell against his palm, and he breathed another sigh of relief.

“Come on,” he whispered. “You have to keep breathing.” He swallowed. “You can’t leave me. Not until after Carson finds you. And brings you home.”

What about you? Something pulled at his subconscious, and he winced.

I don’t deserve to get out of here. I put her into this mess-they ought to just leave me behind when they come for us.

You know that’s not true, the angel on his shoulder told him. You know who’s to blame for this, and it isn’t you.

“But if I had stopped delivering the messages,” Ace whispered to himself. He trailed off, swallowing. “None of this would have happened if I had just listened to Carson. Or Nancy, for that matter.”

You couldn’t have known that this was going to happen.

Bertram’s a dangerous man. I should have at least suspected something.

So is Park. And he managed to hide under everyone’s noses at the police station. No one knew a thing.

But I could have done better. I could have bargained my life for her release when we first got here.

You know Park has a soft spot for Nancy. Ace couldn’t help but flinch at that, closing his eyes at the anger that flickered inside his chest. He wouldn’t let her out of his sight, not when she’s too valuable to him and his operation.

Ace just rubbed his eyes, his fingers coming away wet with tears. 

I can’t be the reason that I lose her.

Why? The devil on his other shoulder appeared now, crowding his head. She’s put you into far more danger than you’d like to admit. You told her that yourself.

Ace closed his eyes against the wave of memories.

I’m scared. Sometimes you just have to let fear be.

Nancy’s blue eyes stared back at him through the dim light of the locker room.

Just because I’m mad at you doesn’t mean I wanna lose you.

Something pulled at Ace’s subconscious again. So why? Why is her life more valuable than yours? What does she even mean to you?

Ace lifted his face up to the window, the sickly moonlight pressing against his closed eyes.

She means everything, he realized .

His breath hitched, and against his will, fresh tears began to trace his cheekbone.

There, in that dark room, Ace finally let himself cry.

********

He didn’t know how long it’d been until in the corner of his vision, through the stars, he saw Nancy twitch again. Breath hitching in his throat, Ace looked over to see her hand tighten into a fist. Her brow furrowed as she opened her eyes, and he carefully turned towards her.

“Nance?” he whispered. Quickly, he used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the tears away, and hoped that she wouldn’t see.

Through slits, Nancy looked up at him at the sound of his voice.

“Ace?” she croaked. 

“Hey,” he breathed, moving closer to her. “Are you awake?”

“Maybe,” she said, voice hoarse. Wincing, she squeezed her eyes shut. “I don’t know. My head hurts.”

“I know.” Ace carefully reached out a hand to rub her shoulder. “I know. I’m sorry. But we’ll get you some water when you feel up to sitting.”

“Yeah, that’s gonna be hard,” Nancy whispered. She cleared her throat. “I don’t want to move.”

“That’s okay. You don’t have to move. You can just sleep if you want to.”

“I thought sleeping with a head wound was bad,” she murmured.

“Only if you’re not being watched. I’m here. I’m not leaving.”

She nodded just a fraction. “Good.” Slowly, she reached out a hand to find Ace’s. “Are you okay?”

“I’ve been better,” he tried to joke. Nancy just grimaced.

“What about your side?”

He glanced down at himself, the large blood stain on his shirt turning silver in the moonlight. “The bleeding stopped somewhat,” he told her. “It’s light, but I don’t want to risk moving too much so that it starts up again.” He didn’t dare tell her about how he really felt; they already had enough to worry about.

“That’s probably a good idea.”

They fell silent again, still holding hands. Ace moved to sit back against the wall behind them, still reaching out to grab her hand.

Then Nancy squeezed his hand, and he looked over at her. Her brow furrowed when she saw his face.

“Ace,” she whispered. “What’s wrong? You’re so pale.”

Ace just shrugged. “I think I’m just tired,” he whispered back. “I just don’t feel very good.”

“How?” Nancy moved to pull herself into a sitting position, her discomfort seemingly gone for the moment. Ace shook his head, moving to push her back to the floor. 

“Don’t strain yourself,” he told her, but she just pushed his hands aside. Much to Ace’s disappointment, he was unable to do much to fight back. Finally giving in to the nausea, he relaxed against the wall as Nancy shuffled over on hands and knees to him. Her blankets fell down around her legs as she sat up next to him, breathing heavily.

“Nance,” Ace began, but she just slowly shook her head.

“Let me look at you,” she told him. 

“I’m fine. It’s just blood loss,” he started to say, but winced as Nancy lifted the hem of his shirt up. Blood came away with the fabric, revealing a large, blood-soaked bandage pressed on his side.

Nancy hissed, eyes narrowing as she moved the shirt some more. “Ace, this doesn’t look good.” Carefully, she pressed her fingertips around the bandages, and Ace couldn’t help but let out a groan and grab her hand.

“Don’t,” he whispered. “Don’t do that.”

“Ace, you could have internal bleeding,” Nancy said softly. 

He let out a sigh. “I’m guessing it wasn’t that hard to figure out.”

Nancy looked helpless, her hand hovering over his side. “I-I don’t know what to do,” she admitted.

“It’s okay,” Ace murmured. “I guess we’ll just have to hang on until someone finds us.”

“But what if they don’t?” Nancy looked up at him, her voice thickening. “Ace, you could very well bleed out and-”

“Better me than you.” The words escaped his mouth much quicker than Ace would have liked, and he clenched his jaw shut.

Nancy blinked. “Don’t say that. You’re going to get out of here. We both are.”

“Nance, we all know that I’m the one who put us both here,” Ace began. “If anyone deserves to-”

Nancy reached to grab his jaw and turn his face towards hers. His bleary eyes met her own gaze. “No one deserves to die here,” she hissed. “And you are not the reason we’re in this mess. This is all-” Her voice caught. “-This was all Nelson. If anyone deserves a punishment for this, it’s him. Not you.”

“I got you injured,” Ace whispered.

Nancy pressed her forehead to his. “No,” she murmured. “You could never hurt me.”

Ace closed his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“I know.” She reached up to cup his cheek. “But we’re going to get out of this.”

Seeing no point in arguing with her, Ace just nodded. He opened his eyes to look into hers.

Stars danced in her blue irises, and he blinked.

Nancy grabbed the blankets wrapped around her legs, and shifted closer to Ace to share it between the two of them. “Here,” she murmured. “We have to stay warm.”

Ace lifted an arm for her to curl into his side, and carefully avoiding his wound, Nancy rested her head against the crook of his neck.

“Is your headache better?” Ace asked her, and she shook her head.

“Not really.” She took in a breath. “Still pretty bad.” 

“You’re not gonna pass out on me again, are you?”

She let out a sigh. “Let’s hope not. Sorry about that.”

“That’s alright. But don’t scare me like that again.”

“I’ll try,” she said. “Maybe I’ll give you a five-second warning.”

“That’d be nice of you,” he murmured, leaning his head back.

There, in the darkness, the two of them sat there against the wall. Nancy’s labored breathing began to match with Ace’s, and soon, her grip on his hand loosened.

It took a moment for Ace to realize, and looked down at her. “Nance,” he urged, “you okay?”

Nancy took in a shallow breath. “I think I might fall asleep again.”

“You can fall asleep,” Ace told her softly. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“What about you?” Nancy struggled to say. Ace ran a hand up and down her arm.

“I’ll be okay,” he answered. “Don’t worry about me.”

“Please don’t leave me” were the last words Nancy said before she slumped against his shoulder, unconscious again.

Weakly, Ace leaned his head against the wall again. His limbs felt like they were made of lead, and all he could do was shove down the panic rising in his chest.

She’s just sleeping, he willed. 

You’re lying to yourself, the devil on his shoulder whispered.

The stars began to twinkle again.

Notes:

Please note that I am not a medical professional, and that what I write here may not be completely accurate! I did my best to research symptoms of internal bleeding and concussions, but I apologize if any of it is incorrect.
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Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! Thank you for still reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
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Can you tell I just love these two so much?

Chapter 12: something bad is about to happen to me

Summary:

Nelson begins to understand the gravity of his situation, and just how horribly wrong things are going for him.
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Basically: Nelson panics.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Park pulled into the parking lot of the station, and clicked off the radio. The static from the police scanner went silent as well, and he moved to shut off the ignition. But movement immediately caught his eye, and he saw Ryan and Carson storming out of the police station. George, Nick, and Bess were following the pair, eyes wide. 

Slowly, Nelson leaned back into the shadows covering his car, praying that they wouldn’t see him. He reached out to crack his window, and the minute air began to flow in, he heard Carson speak faintly.

“Once we give the address of the safe house to search and rescue, Jean will give us a ride out there with a police escort,” he was saying to Ryan, who nodded along with the three behind him.

Nelson leaned forwards to peer out through the window, watching their faces.

You can read lips, he remembered telling Nancy. His jaw tightened at the memory of her innocent smile up at him through the blinds.

“What about us?” George asked.

“It’s too risky for you all to go.”

“But Ryan’s going-” she started.

“Because it’s too dangerous for you three. I’m sorry, but I can’t risk anything happening to you as well. Just stay here, and we’ll update you once we cross over into Canada.”

Nick laid a hand on George’s arm. “He’s right. And we’d be crowding them. Come on, let’s go get some dinner. You haven’t eaten all day.”

George only fell silent with a nod, and let Nick and Bess lead her away across the parking lot. Ryan and Carson disappeared back into the building, talking urgently.

Panic rose in Nelson’s chest, once he realized just why Carson was calling for search and rescue earlier.

“Shit,” he whispered, kicking on the ignition. In one fluid motion, he’d turned the wheel to pull out of the parking lot.

********

The usual hour-long trip dragged on, the streetlamps cutting lines across the interior of his car. Nelson had no way of contacting his people and warning them; there was no service in the area he was passing through, so all he could do was twist the steering wheel in his hands as he sped down the highway.

“Come on,” he muttered. He lifted his wrist to check his watch, and the numbers 11:34pm stared up at him. 

Surely Nancy would have woken up by now. He’d only been gone for nearly three hours. If she had, he’d failed to receive a phone call from one of his men. 

And even if she hadn’t, that wouldn’t make much of a difference; they had to move safe houses as soon as possible. “Shit,” he muttered again. They should have been smarter with the computers. Nelson had done all he could on his end, with removing the general sticker from the box and disabling the small GPS tool on the laptop. But it’d been out of his hands once he took it to the safe house.

He told his men to use a camcorder for the hostage message, and he hoped that wasn’t what got them caught. If so, it’d be a bad day for all of them. 

Then, in the headlights, Nelson saw a large aluminum sign in the distance. 

Welcome to Canada!

Seeing red, Nelson let out a growl as he pulled off the highway, right before he crossed the country border. Bertram had crafted an escape route under the toll booths, which made for easy access to the safe house a few miles instate. 

The road dipped under his tires as he turned into an old tunnel, and he hissed as the seat belt tightened against his shoulder. Moonlight streaked across the windows when he emerged from the darkness, which spit him onto an abandoned back road.

Bertram had assured Nelson that the road closed down years ago due to a construction accident, and hadn’t been touched since.  But no matter how many times Nelson traveled down it, the abandoned machinery littering the grass still sent chills down his spine.

 Grateful to finally leave the site, Nelson turned the wheel hard as he took a side road, hidden in the dense forestry around him. Soon, in between the trees, the faint light shining through the windows could be seen, and he pulled up to a halt in front of the safe house.

Snapping off his seat belt, he kicked the door open as he slid out of the car. Slamming it shut, he took off towards the house.

“James!” he called, shoving the door open. “Where’s the girl?”

The man jumped up from a chair in the kitchen. “Still in the other room. But-” His words were ignored as Nelson backtracked down the hallway, and he opened the door. 

“Is she awake yet?” he asked, and Ace looked up at him from the floor.

He’d taken careful care to wrap Nancy up in a blanket, and was sitting against the wall with her slumped against his shoulder. Her head was tucked into the crook of his neck, but she showed no signs of consciousness. 

“She woke up once,” Ace replied, voice tight and face pale. “But then she passed out again.”

The last few words were drowned out by the blood roaring in Park’s ears, and he ran his hand through his hair frantically. “Shit,” he said again.

“Boss?” James appeared in the doorway. “What’s going on?”

“We’ve been made.” Nelson whirled on him, eyes flashing. “They found our safe house, thanks to your incompetence.”

“What-” 

James barely had a chance to express his confusion when Nelson had grabbed the front of his shirt and slammed him up against a wall. Ace couldn’t help but flinch at the noise, arms tightening around Nancy.

“I told you to use a camcorder. Either you disobeyed my orders and made it easy for the police to track our ransom note, or we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“Nelson-”


Nelson shook him hard. “You don’t get to call me that,” he spat. “I can’t believe you could be so stupid. What the hell did you do?”

James swallowed hard. “The camcorder died, I swear. David offered to use his phone and-”

With a growl, Nelson ripped him off the wall, and slapped him hard across the face. “Thanks to your stupidity, the police are heading here with search and rescue. I thought I could trust you to do this properly, but apparently I have to do everything myself. Get those two-” He pointed to Nancy and Ace. “-out of here and to our next safe house. I’ll be damned if you try anything, or else I won’t hesitate to pin this entire thing on you.”

James just got to his feet and left the room, wiping blood from his nose.

Park whirled around on Ace, who just narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip around Nancy.

 “Give her to me.”

“Like hell I am. You’re not taking her.”

Stalking over to him, Park knelt in front of Ace. “I’m asking nicely this time.”

“I’m not letting her go anywhere with you.”

There, Nelson's frustration finally boiled over. Seeing red again, his hand shot out to grab Ace around the throat. “I don’t think you’re in a position to argue with me, Ace,” he said slowly, repeating his words from earlier. “It’s sweet how you think you can protect Nancy, when in reality, you’re the reason she’s in this mess.”

Ace gasped, his hand going up to claw against his grip. Pain flashed across his eyes, but something told Nelson that it wasn’t from the lack of oxygen. “Now, are you going to make this easier for Nancy, or do I have to rip her from your hands?” he snarled.

Ace’s hand went slack, clearly too weak to put up much of a fight. Nelson faltered for just a moment when he saw how grey his captive’s face was.

He’s fine, he told himself. He’s just tired.

“Please don’t take her,” Ace rasped.

“And why shouldn’t I?” Nelson snapped.

He swallowed. “I told her I’d stay with her. That I’d be here when she woke up again.”

“How sweet of you,” he replied with a sneer. “But I don’t have much sympathy left for either of you.” Swiftly, he grabbed Nancy’s arm, and pulling her out from under Ace’s embrace, swept her into his arms. 

“Please,” Ace whispered, his hand slipping from hers. His eyes brimmed with tears, and Nelson just stared at him.

“Don’t worry,” he told him, in a last stroke of kindness. “I’m not going to do anything to her.”

And with that, he spun on his heel and took Nancy out of the room.

The last thing he heard before the door shut was labored breathing.

Notes:

why, i do love writing Evil Hot Nelson Park. for some reason, i have a soft spot for this man and am ready to get hurt over his theorized betrayal.
if it comes true, i'll print out this fic and frame it on my wall.
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how we feeling about this one, folks??
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kudos and comments are always welcomed! i'm blown away by your guys' support over this story and you truly do encourage me to continue this piece of writing. thank you so much for all your kind words, it really means a lot to me. <3

Chapter 13: why i feel this way, i don't know, baby

Summary:

Nelson attempts to move safe houses.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“Here.” Nelson thrust Nancy’s body into someone’s arms. “Take her to the other room and get her ready to move.”

“What do you want us to do with him?” The man nodded towards the closed door behind them.

“We’ll get him last,” he growled. “We’re not moving him until absolutely necessary.”

Nancy was then carried down the hallway. Nelson watched as her red hair spilled over the man’s shoulder, and clenched his hands into fists.

“Boss? What do we do now?” someone else asked him.

Breathing harshly, Nelson just shook his head, holding his hands up. “Give me a minute,” he ordered, and pushed past him to leave the house.

The cold air bit at his face as he stormed out, and began to pace in front of his car. He’d left it running when he arrived, the headlights casting tall shadows across the forest floor.  The engine growled, drowning out his thoughts.

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.

Nelson dragged a hand down his face. Red flashed across his vision, and he willed himself to not punch something. 

How could he have been so stupid to trust anyone to do his job for him? Surrounded by incompetence, he found that he had dug himself a much deeper hole than he expected.

He pressed the heel of his palms to his eyelids and took in a deep breath, trying to find a rational thought rattling around in his head.

Once they moved out and started to head for their next safe house, surely Nelson could throw the D.A off their trail. He had the means to do it, he just needed time.

Time is all you have and don’t have.

Static crackled from his car, and he snapped his head up. Curious, he crossed over to the car and opened the door. The radio was broadcasting an old announcement from earlier tonight, and Nelson moved to increase the volume.

“Attention, this is the Horseshoe Bay police department calling from the state line of Maine and Quebec, Canada. As of 6:30 this evening, we’ve put out an emergency broadcast on a model 2019 black SUV, with a license plate number of KLT-743. The registered owner belongs to Federal Bureau agent Nelson Park, who is a lead suspect in the abduction and hostage of Nancy Drew-Hudson and Ace Hardy. If you have any information on the whereabouts of this man-”

Nelson nearly snapped the dial off trying to shut off the radio. His breathing was labored, and his heart pounded against his chest.

Frantic, he shut off the ignition, throwing the keys onto the floor of the car.

The car fell silent, with his breath faintly fogging in the air. 

You’re fine, he told himself. We’re in fucking Canada, there’s no way they can track us through their state jurisdiction.

Sighing, he leaned his head back against the headrest of the seat, and closed his eyes. He could afford a minute of quiet time, couldn’t he? 

The soft hum of the forestry around him began to fill the space, and he breathed in the cool air. Aside from the evil doings coming from the house in front of him, Nelson had to admit that this wasn’t a bad place to be.

Then through the cracked window, he heard a soft whirring. Snapping his eyes open, and straining to hear, he leaned forward in the seat.

The whirring grew louder, and narrowing his eyes, Nelson opened the door and got out.

Moving to stand in the clearing, he looked up at the sky.

Through the leaves and stars, he saw a beacon of light whip over the trees.

He gasped, feeling himself go weak.

“Shit” became a common word in his vocabulary now, and that was all he swore as he turned on his heel and took off towards the safe house. 

“James!” he yelled, calling out a few other names. “Get the girl! Now!”

“What’s wrong?”

The words were barely out of his mouth when a harsh fluorescent light flooded the space, and both men threw up their hands to shield their eyes.

“What is that?” James yelled, and snarling, Nelson spun around to stand in the front doorway. If he sprinted, he could make it to his car.

He looked up at the source of light, and saw the helicopter blades spinning far up in the distance.

He had time.

Save yourself, the devil on his shoulder urged.

“Boss, what are you doing?” James called.

“Saving my ass,” Nelson said, and started to run towards the car.

He heard James call after him, but he didn’t look back. Swinging open the door, he fumbled for the keys off the rubber mats, and jumped into the seat. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw James running towards him, but he just turned on the ignition, and casting a glare at him, peeled out of the clearing.

He heard a smack on the side of his car, and in the side mirror, saw James throw his hands up in frustration. 

Shaking his head, Nelson turned back to the trail winding through the forest. Better him than me. When he pulled onto the main road, he clicked off his headlights, and took a sharp turn, ready to escape through the tunnel.

But then he gasped, turning the wheel sharply to pull out of the path of an oncoming patrol car. Cursing, he screeched to a halt before he crashed into the dense forestry, and snapped back against the seatbelt.

Sirens blared loudly, and soon, the interior of his car was filled with flashing blue and red lights. Glaring through the window, he made eye contact with an officer.

“Nelson Park!” she called through a bullhorn. “We have you surrounded.”

Nelson looked around to see headlights sweeping his car from every direction, belonging to more patrol vehicles.

“Step out of the car with your hands up,” the officer said. 

He didn’t move for a moment, taking in the scene before him. Numerous police officers were getting out of their cars, and in the far distance, he saw flashing lights that belonged to two ambulances. Their sirens blared as they sped by, and Nelson watched as a standard issue SUV followed.

“Come out of the car with your hands up,” the officer repeated. “This is your last warning.”

Slowly, he unfastened his seat belt, and glaring against the headlights, swung open his door. He landed heavily in the grass, and he lifted his head to glare at the others.

“Hands up,” the officer called.

Gritting his teeth, Nelson lifted his hands to the sky. He maintained eye contact with the officer as she stalked across the grass over to him.

“Nelson Park, you’re under arrest for obstruction of justice, the kidnapping of Nancy Drew-Hudson and Ace Hardy, the attempted release of a criminal felon, impersonation of a government officer, exploiting multiple federal and state securities, and the arranged murder of Celia Hudson.”

“I didn’t kill Celia,” Nelson growled.

The only response was his hands being wrenched behind his back, and hissing, felt the cold handcuffs click around his wrists.

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you…”

Her words were drowned out by the sirens.

Notes:

Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! Again, thank you again for all your kind words. They have truly motivated me to continue with this story, and that doesn't happen very often. Thank you. I hope this fanfiction has been as entertaining to read has it has been to write. <3
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side note: the mental image that the ending brings me makes me realize just how much I love writing Evil Nelson Park.

Chapter 14: i think of her so much, it drives me crazy

Summary:

An officer helps to search the safe house for Nancy and Ace.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The backlights of the ambulance were ingrained in Carson’s vision as the car followed the emergency vehicle down the road. Ryan was pressed against his shoulder, staring out the window on his side.

“Look,” he breathed, and Carson followed his gaze.

It was brief, but through the harsh lights, he saw Nelson Park standing on the side of the road. Police cars had him surrounded with headlights, officers standing by their doors.

Carson didn’t think he’d ever seen Nelson look so angry.

Ryan cheered. “They finally caught the bastard!”

“And now we can go get Nancy and Ace,” Carson breathed. Ryan couldn’t help it-he smiled and squeezed his shoulder.

“And bring them home,” he added.

Jean twisted around in her seat at the front. “Remember that we're the least priority. When the responders go in to get Nancy and Ace, we have to wait outside. We can’t risk anything being contaminated. Understood?”

Carson and Ryan nodded. While they itched to be the first ones to get Nancy and Ace, they knew better than to get in the way of something this serious.

“Do you know what we’re going to find?” Carson asked. “When we get there?”

Jean took in a breath. “We know Ace is severely injured. We’ll be lucky if he’s still alive when we get there.” Her words were blunt, but they cut into Carson’s chest like a knife.

“And Nancy?” Ryan breathed.

“She looked okay when we saw the footage. But judging by the cut on her head, she could have a head injury. The paramedics will know more than us.”

The car fell silent, and Carson stared into the backlights of the ambulance as it made a sharp turn onto a hidden side road. After a few moments of riding through darkness, he asked, “Where are we going?”

“The house was built about a mile down this road. We should come up on it any minute now. Bertram was smart, he managed to sneak through federal security then circle back to the border so he could be just out of state jurisdiction. It’s a good way to get out of our grasp to operate.”

“Well, clearly, we were smarter,” Ryan said, and Carson elbowed him in the ribs. “Hey-”

“Shh,” he told him.

Then the car hit a small bump in the road, causing the two men to look up. A dark, one-story house loomed in front of them, half hidden in the trees. If Carson squinted, he could see newspapers and planks of wood boarding up some of the windows. 

There was a lone porch light above the front door, which was ajar, and the small clearing was illuminated with dim yellow light.

But soon, it was overtaken by red and blue, as multiple patrol cars filled the space. Soon, officers were drawing their weapons and moving to clear the house, with paramedics waiting to be allowed entry. Carson threw open his door, and after struggling with his seatbelt, Ryan followed.

Jean led them over to the side of the area, and the three stood with an officer as they waited for Nancy and Ace to appear.

******

Ducking in and out of the doorways, Officer Hale scanned the rooms for any sign of life. In the mere five minutes they’d been there, all criminals associated with the kidnapping had been apprehended and escorted out of the house.

But they had yet to find who they really came for.

“Come on,” he muttered, looking into another room. “Where are they?”

“Find them yet?” someone called, and he looked over his shoulder.

“No,” he replied. “Let’s hope we’re not too late.”

Then there was a shout on the other side of the house. “I found someone!”

Hale spun on his heel towards the sound, and ran down the hallway. “Who is it?” he asked, ducking into the room. But he gasped as he nearly slipped down a flight of stairs, and after maintaining his composure, carefully descended the steps.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw dull eyes staring back at him. Ace Hardy was sitting against the wall of a small, cold cellar, shoulders slumped and face pale. An officer had taken a knee next to him, checking his pulse.

“Ace?” Hale asked softly, approaching.

The young man blinked and didn’t reply. 

“Where are the paramedics?” the officer asked Hale, and he fumbled for his radio. His eyes never left Ace’s as he spoke into the receiver.

“This is Officer Hale. We’ve found Ace, and he needs immediate medical attention. An officer will meet your team and bring them to us.”

“This is Chief Ramsey,” a voice crackled over the radio. “We’re sending the paramedics in.”

Clicking off his radio, Hale stepped over to Ace. “Ace, can you hear me?”

Ace blinked again, and nodded. 

“Can you tell me where you are?”


After a moment, he sucked in a breath. “Hell.” 

It was Hale’s turn to blink. “Do you know how you got here?” he asked.

Ace’s breath hitched. “Florence. She crashed. We flipped. I don’t-” He began to cough, doubling over. The officer put a hand on his back.

“I’d hold off on questioning him until the paramedics get him out of here,” he advised Hale sternly, who just knelt next to him. 

Soon, paramedics thundered down the stairs. “Move out of the way,” they ordered, and Hale had no choice but to stand back.

He watched as they began to assess the young man, and winced when they pulled his shirt away from his body. Blood was all he could see caking the man’s side, some dried, and some fresh. A nasty bruise was developing below the large gash under his ribs, but Hale suspected that it was more than that.

“Can you tell me your name?” the paramedic asked Ace.

Ace told him, blinking.

“When’s your birthday?”

“May 7th, 2000.”

“What are your parents’ names?”

“Rebecca and Thom.” Ace swallowed.

Hale crossed his arms as he observed carefully, watching as they began to change his dirty bandages. Ace let out a weak groan when they hit a particularly tender spot, and Hale winced.

“Where’s Nancy?” Ace then asked, fidgeting under the paramedic’s hands. He looked over at Hale, eyes wide. “Nelson took her-I don’t know where. But she can’t be left alone, she’s hurt.”

“Do you know where she would be?” 

“No. No, I didn’t even know there was a cellar in this damn house until they moved me here tonight. I don’t know where she is.” His eyes then began to brim with tears. “I told her I’d stay with her. I can’t-”

“Hey.” Hale reached out and squeezed Ace’s shoulder. “We’ll find her, I promise.”

Nodding, Ace blinked back the tears. “Okay.”

Turning on his radio, Hale brought it to his mouth. “This is Officer Hale. Are there any updates on the whereabouts of Nancy Drew?” he asked.

“We’re getting close to the end of the house. We’ll let you know if we find anything.”

“Here, I’m gonna go help them look,” Hale told Ace, who nodded again.

But before he could move, Hale felt the young man grab his hand. Ace’s eyes were narrowed, but from the pain or exhaustion, the officer couldn’t tell.

“If they ever have to choose which life to save,” he rasped, “save Nancy’s. Not mine.”

Hale squeezed Ace’s hand. “How about we get you both out of here? Alive, okay? There is no life that matters more here than both Nancy and you.”

“Promise me,” Ace growled.

Hale blinked. “I promise that we’re going to get you two out of here alive,” he repeated. Huffing, Ace just dropped his hand, and Hale moved to leave the cellar.

Emerging, he shone his flashlight around what seemed to be a kitchen of sorts. A window above the sink gave him a clear view outside into the clearing, and he could see Nancy’s fathers standing in the shadows.

“Find anything?” he called out, walking through the room. An officer came to stand in the doorway to the kitchen with a grim face.

“We just have the back half of the house to search. But it’s so dark-”

“And?” Hale snapped. “You have two eyes and a flashlight. Use them.” He brushed past the officer, shining his light over the walls. 

Then there was a thud.

Jumping, Hale spun around to one of the rooms he’d passed. “You hear that?” he whispered.

Straining to listen, both Hale and the officer stood there in front of the door.

Then they heard another thud.

“Hello?” he called, twisting the doorknob. 

“I’m here,” a voice drifted out, and quickly, Hale shoved the door open. His flashlight fell onto the floor, catching an outstretched hand in the light.

Gasping, Hale took in Nancy Drew huddled on the floor. Her face was pale and streaked with blood, and her pale eyes stared back at him.

Hale recalled the memory of Ace’s own staring at him through the darkness, and blinked it away. 

“Nancy?” He crossed the floor over to the young woman. “Nancy, I’m Officer Hale. I’m with the Horseshoe Bay police department.”

The only response was raspy breathing. Nancy’s fingers twitched, and Hale reached out to grab her hand.

“Can you hear me?”

Swallowing, Nancy nodded. 

“Can you tell me your name?”

“Nancy,” she finally whispered. “Nancy Drew. My dads are Carson Drew...and Ryan Hudson. Both of my moms are dead. I have two birthdays. I can tell you one of them.”

“That’s okay.” Hale squeezed her hand comfortingly. “You can tell the paramedics when they get here.”

“Where’s Ace?” she murmured. Then her eyes shot open wide, and she moved to sit up. “Is he here?”

Hale quickly grabbed her to stop her from moving, catching her when she staggered. “No, but we got him. He’s on the other side of the house. Another team of medics are looking at him right now.”

“Is he alright?” Nancy looked frantic.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I talked to him, he seemed as okay as he could be given the situation. He was worried about you.”

Nancy just blinked. 

Then they heard footsteps, and Hale turned to see a team of paramedics entering. Scrambling out of the way, he let them drop their bags at Nancy’s feet. 

Their small flashlight danced across Nancy’s vision, and she winced.

Hale’s radio crackled, and he lifted it to hear better. “The house has been cleared and we’re working on bringing Nancy and Ace out. Stand by for emergency vehicles.”

“You can go,” one of the paramedics said, and casting one last glance at Nancy, Hale nodded and left the room.

He walked through the house, taking in the sight of officers shining flashlights over surfaces of the house, and one of them stooped to grab a green trench coat.

His breath hitched when he saw blood coating the side of it.

“Here, I’ll take that,” he said, reaching for it. The officer handed it to him, and Hale carried it out of the house. 

Notes:

kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! thank you for all your love on this story! <3

Chapter 15: i just don't want her to leave me

Summary:

Carson reunites with Ace and Nancy.

Notes:

this chapter was my favorite to write, and i hope you all enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Most of what Nancy could remember before she passed out was the feeling of Ace’s chest rising and falling against her shoulder. His breathing had been labored, and Nancy remembered wishing she could do something.

But then the darkness pulled her back under.

She vaguely remembered hands grabbing her. When, she didn’t know. But she recalled feeling weightless, like she was floating.

Then she woke up. To her horror, she realized that she was in another room. Instead of cold floors under her, she felt scratchy carpeting.

Through the haze, she remembered digging her fingers into this very carpet, when James pushed her into the room two days ago. 

Haven’t you figured it out yet? I’m a part of something much bigger, Nelson’s voice echoed.

Her blood ran cold, and Nancy gripped the carpeting once again.

Where was Nelson?

Then she gasped.

Where was Ace?

Panic welling in her chest, all her mind could process was the possibility of Ace bleeding out in a dark room alone. And she wasn’t there to help him. 

What if he’s already dead?

What if it’s too late?

No, Nancy decided. He’s strong. 

Her vision began to blur again when she moved, and groaning, slumped back against the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut when the floor began to rock under her, and willed for the pounding in her head to go away.

Then she heard sirens.

Her chest clenched. Maybe it’s just Nelson’s car, she wondered. Maybe he’s coming back.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

How could I have been so stupid to trust him?

Then the window above her head began to fill with flashing lights. And soon, her room was flooded with blue and red.

She gasped again.

Squinting in the lights, she began to hear footsteps. Her heart pounded when they came to her door, but then they moved on. Under the crack, she saw a flashlight retreat.

Come back, she willed.

Then she heard voices.

“Find anything?”

“We just have the back half of the house to search. But it’s so dark-”

“And? You have two eyes and a flashlight. Use them.”

Footsteps walked back to her door, and desperate, Nancy reached out her hand for something. Anything.

Her hand closed around a small cardboard box. Digging her fingers through the contents, she winced as sharp nails poked her. Slowly, she realized they were nails used to board up the windows above her.

Better than nothing.

Summoning the little strength she had left, she brought her arm back and threw the box against the wall.

The nails rained down around her, and she whimpered at the small pricks.

Come on, she begged. I’m here. I’m right here.

Then, someone spoke. “You hear that?”

Please. Nancy sucked in a breath. Finally, she slammed a fist into the floor, wincing at the way it shook her body. 

The doorknob began to twist, and Nancy gasped. 

“Hello?”

“I’m here,” she managed to say.

Then the door was shoved open, and a harsh light fell over her. 

There was a gasp. “Nancy?”

Nancy wondered just how badly she must appear to him. In the haze, she watched him walk over to where she lay, and kneel in front of her. 

“Nancy, I’m Officer Hale. I’m with the Horseshoe Bay police department.”

Those words were almost enough to bring tears to her eyes again.

She didn’t remember much of what happened next.

The last thing she could recall was asking about Ace.

He seemed worried about you.

A small flashlight shone in her eyes, and she flinched.

A pad of gauze was pressed against the cut on her temple, and she felt the sticky medical tape fasten it to her skin.

Something pricked her finger, and she yanked her hand away.

Then there was the creaking of metal, and hands grabbed her again.

Gasping, Nancy tried to scramble back, colliding with the wall behind her.

“Get off of me,” she rasped, pointing. “Don’t touch me.”

“Nancy,” one of the medics began, but she shook her head.

“You’re not taking me anywhere,” she said, glaring at them.

“She’s disoriented,” someone murmured. 

“Get the officer who found her,” another medic ordered.

Footsteps retreated, leaving Nancy to glare at the paramedics from the corner of the room. They didn’t say anything, just blinked sympathetically.

It made Nancy’s skin crawl. 

********

Officer Hale had just reached his patrol car when he heard a gasp, and snapped his head up to see Carson Drew take off across the clearing towards him.

“Officer,” the man said, eyes wide. “Can I see that jacket?”

Hale barely had a chance to hand it over before the coat was already yanked out of his grip.

“Carson,” Jean began, reaching his side. “You can’t-”

“This is Nancy’s,” Carson breathed. His eyes widened more when he saw the large blood stain coating the fabric. “Oh, my-”

Jean put a hand on his arm to steady him. “Let the police take that,” she whispered.

“I don’t think it’s Nancy's blood,” Hale offered. “I found her alive.”

Carson snapped his head up. “You found her? Is she alright? Where is she? Why haven’t-”

He held up a hand. “The medics are checking her out right now. We’ll know more when-”

“Officer Hale?” someone called, and the group turned to see a paramedic standing in the doorway to the house. “We need your help, Nancy won’t let us touch her. You're the one who found her-it might help if she saw a familiar face.”

At the mention of his daughter, Carson stiffened, as if he were going to run into the house himself. 

Hale looked at the man, and when an idea sparked, he grabbed Carson’s arm and took him across the clearing. 

“This is Nancy’s father,” he explained to the paramedic when he reached the door. “Carson Drew.”

The medic looked at him, nodding when he recognized Carson. “I know who you are.”

Hale continued. “I think you have a better shot of getting Nancy to comply if he were there with her. I understand that this is an active scene, but we need to get Nancy out of there in minimal distress. Carson can probably do more than I can.”

The medic nodded. “It’s better than nothing. Come on.”

Carson looked at Hale. “Are you sure?”

“If there is any time Nancy needs you here, it’s now." He glanced over at the police cars. "And I'll take full responsibility for any consequences.”

Swallowing, Carson followed the officer down the hallways. He glanced into the kitchen when there was movement, and faltered when he saw a team of paramedics hauling something up out of the floor.

“What’s that?” he whispered.

Hale backtracked to join him at his side. “It’s the cellar. It’s where we found Ace.”

“Ace?” Carson repeated, and just as the name left his mouth, a gurney was pulled from the cellar.

Blood-streaked hair trembled as the wheels hit the floor, and Ace let out a small groan. The man was lying on his back, his legs propped up on the medic bag at the end of the gurney. His shirt had been cut off, and a large bandage was wrapped around his abdomen and chest.

Before Hale could stop him, Carson was moving into the kitchen. 

“Ace,” he breathed, reaching the young man’s side. Ace turned his head to look up at him, and his brow creased when he saw Carson.

“Mr. D?” he croaked.

“Hey,” Carson replied softly, reaching out to stroke his hair. “Hey, yeah, it’s me. You’re okay. We’re getting you out of here.”

“What about Nancy?” 

“I’m about to go see her. We’re getting her checked out by the medics.”

“Is she okay?” The question was directed at Hale, who beckoned for the paramedics to start wheeling the gurney out. As they moved Ace through the house, Hale and Carson fell into step by his side.

“She’s pretty disoriented and most likely needs fluids and a series of tests to rule out any other brain injuries,” Hale told Ace. “We think she just has a concussion, but a pretty severe one at that. But she’s in good hands, just like you are. You’ll see her soon, okay?”

Ace just nodded, gritting his teeth when the wheels hit the door sill. He turned his head to look at Carson again. 

“I’m sorry,” he told him. “For everything.”

Carson shook his head. “You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about. None of this was your fault. If anything, I’m sorry I didn’t do more to protect you.”

“I was the one who got Nancy hurt. I flipped Florence.”

“No, you didn’t. You could never hurt Nancy, Ace. None of this is on you. We’re going to make sure Nelson gets what he deserves for what he did to you two.”

“Nelson? Did you catch him?”

“We got him right as he was trying to escape over the border. He won’t come after you or Nancy again.” He carefully rested a hand on Ace’s arm. “You’re safe now.”

Ace bit his lip at that, tears brimming. 

Softening, Carson squeezed his arm. “Hey, I’m going to see Nancy. I think Ryan’s going to ride with you to the hospital. Are you okay with that?’

“Yeah,” he croaked. “Yeah, that’d be good, actually.”

“Okay, I’ll see you soon. Hang in there.” 

Ace offered him a small smile, and Carson hung back with Hale to watch the gurney wheel out of the house. Ryan sprinted over to the group, and when he saw Carson nod, fell back to walk next to the gurney. He murmured something to Ace, and reached to grab his hand. Ace took it gratefully, and the two were escorted over to an ambulance.

Hale put a hand on Carson’s shoulder.

“Come on. I’ll take you to see Nancy.”

Carson nodded, casting one last glance at the ambulance, before following the officer down the hallway.

Walking through the dark house, he didn’t know what to expect. His chest clenched at the thought of seeing Nancy injured, and shoved away the memories of that night on the bluffs with Kate.

Just like she needed you then, Carson told himself, she needs you now. Hale’s words echoed in his head. More than ever.

Then he saw a small group of officers, maybe two or three, standing in the entrance to a room. Breath hitching, Carson surged forward. Shoving himself between the officers, he ordered them to move.

And when he finally pushed past them into the room, his footsteps faltered.

His daughter was pressed into a corner of the room, knees drawn up to her chest. She glared at the paramedics on the other side of the room, her blue eyes dull.

Dried blood stained the side of her face, from the large cut on her temple. Her red hair, which had been so vibrant, was tangled and matted with its usual shine gone.

Her coat was missing, and she sat in the corner shaking.

Carson took a step forward, and found the words lodged in his throat. “Nancy,” he breathed.

When she shifted her eyes up to look at him, he slowly crossed the room over to her.

“Hey, it’s me,” he whispered, crouching down in front of her. 

Nancy’s eyes focused on his face, and it took all the strength in him to not wince at how haggard she looked. 

Then she opened her mouth. “Dad?” she rasped.

“Hey.” He carefully reached for her. “Hey, you’re okay. I’m here,” he repeated. 

Then a body collided with his chest, and his arms instinctively came up to wrap around Nancy. Fingers clawed at the back of his jacket, clutching onto him tightly. She buried her head into the crook of his neck, and under his hands, Carson felt her begin to tremble violently.

“You’re okay,” he murmured, pressing his cheek to her head. “You’re safe now.”

Nancy just nodded, drawing her legs up to curl further into Carson’s body. Leaning back on his knees, Carson sat there in the dark room, and held her in his arms.

Finally, he drew back his head to look at her. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

“Will you stay with me?” she whispered.

Carson felt something lodge in his throat. “I’m not leaving you,” he told her. “I promise.”

Nancy nodded, and with his encouragement, allowed Carson to guide her over to the gurney in the room. It took two paramedics to help Nancy up onto the small mattress, and she was unsteady when she laid back. Seeing Nancy’s face drain of color made Carson’s chest clench, and he found her hand in his.

“How are you feeling?” he asked her.

She swallowed. “Tired. Dizzy,” she murmured. She turned her head to look at him. “I want to go home.”

“I know. But you have to go to the hospital first. Then we’ll take you home, I promise.”

Nancy let out a groan when the paramedics started a line of fluids, the needle making her fidget under their hold on her.

“You have to be still, Nancy,” Carson told her gently, holding her arm down when she tried to reach for the needle.

“It hurts,” she whimpered, trying to fight against his grasp. But in her dehydrated state, she could barely move Carson’s hand.

“I know. But it’s going to make you feel better. The pain will go away in a little,” he said, and Nancy just groaned again. But she fell still. From obedience or exhaustion, Carson couldn’t really tell. 

“Come on, let’s go,” one of the paramedics said. “We’ll do a full assessment at the hospital. For now, she’s stable enough to move.”

Nancy slipped her wrist out from under Carson’s grip, only to grab onto his hand. 

“Will you stay with me?” she asked again as the gurney began to move.

“I’m right here,” he said, and followed the paramedics out of the room. 

When they helped the gurney over the doorsill of the front door, the first thing Carson saw when he looked up was Jean standing next to the ambulance, arms crossed.

“Carson,” she began, but he held up a hand.

“Let me get Nancy to the hospital, and then we can discuss just how many protocols I broke,” he told her, voice low. “But right now, I really don’t give a shit.”

Blinking, Jean fell silent. She looked at the gurney, and stood back as they moved to load Nancy into the ambulance.

“How is she?” she finally asked.

“She’s stable,” Carson answered. “But they’re doing more tests at the hospital.” He grabbed the handle of the door and looked at her. “I’m going with her.”

Jean nodded. “Of course. Go, I’ll update you if they find anything here.”

The only response was the doors slamming shut.

Notes:

*apologies for any inaccuracies!
-----
kudos and comments are greatly appreciated, and thank you all so much for everything you've done to support this story!
-----
next chapter will be up in a few days!

Chapter 16: don't you give me up

Summary:

Nick, George, and Bess reunite with Ace and Nancy at the hospital, however brief it is.
----
TW: small mentions of blood, injuries, and needles. they're very brief, but please be warned if any of these are triggers.

Notes:

i hope you enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Bess sat next to George in a cold, stiff chair. The fabric under her barely did anything to ease the discomfort, but it wasn’t her current seating arrangement that had her knees bouncing up and down.

Ryan’s voice over the speakerphone echoed in her head, and instead of the waiting room floor under her feet, all Bess could see was Nick’s face as he’d answered Ryan’s call earlier that night.

“Ned Nickerson,” he’d said on the first ring. They’d been sitting around the Drew's kitchen table together, Carson offering them a place of solitude to wait for them in, before he’d left with the police escort.

The three of them had been grateful for it. Nick’s loft would have felt too….separate from everything. Here, in Nancy’s home, they were more at ease. Like a part of her was still around them, her smile now radiating from the photos on the walls.

Ace’s mom had called them earlier, asking for updates on her son. Nick had delivered the news to her that he and Nancy were being found and hopefully transported to a hospital soon. Rebecca had hung up with a tearful thank you, one that made Bess press her finger to the corner of her eye to stop her own tears from falling.

Nick had offered for Rebecca and Thom to come join them at the house, so that they wouldn’t be alone, but the woman had gently turned them down, saying that she and her husband were managing on their own.

Knowing how stubborn Ace’s father could be, Nick didn’t press, and instead joined Bess and George at the table. Left with nothing else to do, the group let Bess fret over the situation. Soon, almost ten cups of cold tea had been left on the table, the brunette nearly destroying Carson’s tea stock.

But George and Nick couldn’t bring themselves to stop her, their eyes only trained on their phones on the kitchen table. 

And when Nick’s phone finally rang, Bess gasped and shattered a mug.

“Ned Nickerson,” Nick answered. George reached over to grab his hand as he listened to Ryan, and after a minute, Nick squeezed her fingers.

“Okay,” he breathed. “Which hospital are you taking him to?”

Bess had pressed her hand to her mouth at that.

Nick winced at Ryan’s next words. “Okay, we’ll meet you there. Thank you.”

“Well?” George pressed as Nick pocketed his phone. 

“They found Nancy and Ace, and took Park into custody,” Nick told them. “Ryan’s getting ready to ride with Ace in an ambulance. He didn’t tell me what state he was in, but he did say that Carson had to go in the house to get Nancy, because she wasn’t cooperating.”

George swallowed hard. “Ryan said something about a hospital?”

“They’re transporting them to a hospital close to the country border. Because they were found so close to Canada, they couldn’t risk taking the hour-long drive back to Horseshoe Bay. So the paramedics decided to go to the nearest hospital there. But we have to go now, or else we’ll miss them.”

Bess was already out the door before Nick finished speaking.

The ride to the hospital was silent for the most part. The only noise made on the trip were the small ones of protest George and Bess made when Nick nearly broke ninety miles on the highway.

“You’re going to get yourself a ticket,” Bess had moaned from the backseat, but it hadn’t done much. Nick kept driving, slowing down only to take an exit into town. 

Parking haphazardly in the lot, the trio had gotten out of the car to see an ambulance fly past them to the emergency doors. Almost feeling like they were underwater, George, Bess, and Nick crossed the parking lot just as the ambulance doors opened.

Bess’ face had gone as white as a sheet, almost matching Ace’s pallor as they unloaded him from the vehicle. Ryan stayed by his side, hand gripping the bars to the gurney.

“Ryan?” Nick had called from where he’d pulled George and Bess to the side.

There, the man looked up to see them,

“You guys made it,” he said.

“How is he?” George called, unable to tear her eyes away from Ace’s bandages.

“He needs emergency surgery,” Ryan replied, helping to gather an IV tube from the ground. “And blood transfusions. How he didn’t bleed out in the last two days is shocking.”

“But he’s going to be alright?” Nick said.

“I-” Ryan started, but then Ace had turned his head to look at his friends. Bess’ stomach dropped when she saw the oxygen mask over his face, and without thinking, ran over to his side.

“Ma’am,” one of the paramedics started, but Bess just moved with the gurney, grabbing onto Ace’s hand as they went.

“Hey, it’s me,” she whispered to him. “It’s Bess. You’re okay. You’re back with us.”

Ace squeezed Bess’ hand. “Hey,” he rasped, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes were cracked, but they were dull as he stared back at Bess. Every bare patch of skin he showed was streaked with dried blood, and there were small cuts all over his face. Bess had to bite her lip to hold back tears, and her breath caught in her throat when she saw the blood seeping through the bandages on his side.

“Bess,” George finally hissed, reaching out to pull her friend back. “Let him go. We’ll see him soon.”

“But-” Bess cried, straining against her grip as her hand left Ace’s.

“No.” George wrapped her arms around Bess. “Hey, let them do their job. We’ll only get in the way of getting Ace the help he needs.”

Bess could only bury her face in George’s shoulder and cry. Nick rested a hand on her back and rubbed it, letting Bess shake in George’s arms. 

“Hey, come on,” he said after a while. “Let’s go sit down.”

They moved to find the waiting room, but snapped their heads up at the sound of a siren wailing. Red lights flooded the small space again, and they all had to squint when another ambulance screeched to a halt.

“Nancy,” the three of them murmured, and Bess sniffed as they watched the doors open.

Carson appeared before Nancy did, his face grey as he helped lower his daughter from the ambulance. Wheels hit the pavement, and red hair spilled over the side of the gurney. Nancy was pulled away from the vehicle, and George had to tighten her hold on Bess so she wouldn’t get in the way again.

The redhead was shaking under a bundle of blankets, curled on her side on the small mattress. An oxygen mask was fitted over her nose and mouth, and Nick frowned.

“Carson? Why does she have-” He gestured to his face, trailing off as Carson broke away from Nancy momentarily to join the others.

“She began to freak out in the ambulance. We had to sedate her a bit,” he told them. “Everything she’s been through just…hit her, and she wanted Ace.” He swallowed hard. “But she’s calmed down. Once she gets checked out and has some good sleep, she should feel better soon.”

“What’s her prognosis?” George asked.

“Dehydration, a concussion, and some physical damage to her chest and stomach. I think they wanted answers out of her, and when she refused to give them up….” Carson tightened his jaw. Bess couldn’t help it, she let out a small whimper.

“But she’s going to be okay?” Nick asked.

Carson nodded. “It’ll take some time, but she’ll be okay. Now that she’s in safe hands, we’re mainly worried about Ace. I called Rebecca and told her and Thom that we found him, but I didn’t want to tell them the extent of his injuries until they got here. Have you seen him?”

“Just a few minutes ago,” George said. “Ryan said they were taking him into emergency surgery.”

Carson paled at that, although they didn’t think his face could get any more white. “Okay. That’s good. It means he’s getting the help he needs.” He glanced over his shoulder at his daughter. “Look, I need to go with Nancy. You guys should probably-”

“We’re not leaving,” the three of them said in unison.

Carson could only manage a gentle smile. “I wasn’t suggesting you go home. You guys need to sit down and take a breather. I’ll call for some food soon once Nancy gets moved into a room. Either that or you can take my credit card.”

“They can take mine,” a voice called, and the four of them turned to see Ryan walking towards them.

The first thing he did was embrace Carson tightly. “Hey, you okay?” he checked, and Carson nodded.

“Just waiting for Nancy to move again.” He gestured to the gurney, and Ryan looked over.

“Nancy,” he breathed, and took a step towards the gurney. A paramedic moved out of the way to let Ryan take Nancy’s hand in his. From where they stood, Carson and the three friends could see Nancy turn her head slowly.

Her breath fogged against the mask, and Ryan reached out to touch Nancy’s hair in comfort. He winced as Nancy flinched away from his touch, but her grip on his hand tightened.

Nancy’s eyes closed again, and Ryan carefully set her hand back on the gurney, taking careful care to cover her up with the blankets.

“Come on, we have to move her,” one of the paramedics said, and Ryan took a step back. Carson broke away from the group to rejoin them, squeezing Ryan on the shoulder before he took up his position next to Nancy.

“Can you watch the kids?” Carson asked him. “I know they can handle themselves, but they shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“No one should be alone right now,” Ryan corrected him, voice soft, and stepped away to the three friends huddled together on the sidewalk.  “Come on,” he told them, “Let’s see what kind of horrible vending machine food they have in this place.”

********

After this ordeal would come to pass, doctors and friends alike would tell Ace that it was normal if he didn’t remember anything. Repressed trauma was common in a situation such as this.

But Ace didn’t have the heart to tell them that he remembered almost everything.

He remembered Nelson’s cold hand around his throat.

The feeling of Nancy being ripped away from his side.

The pain that flashed through his body as he was hauled to his feet.

The darkness that yawned before him down in the cellar.

Against the wall, he shuddered as his back pressed against the cold cement, and could only press a hand to his side. Cursing at the fresh blood that came away on his fingers, he leaned his head against the wall and prayed for someone to come.

His memory had grown hazy in that cellar, the edges of his vision blurring. Muffled sounds filled his head, and it felt like he was underwater.

And for a good while, Ace believed that this was how it was going to end.

Cold and alone.

He even started counting his breaths.

And before he closed his eyes, Ace couldn’t help but wonder where Nancy was.

Her copper hair and dull, blue eyes were the last thing he remembered before the darkness took him entirely.

For the first time in a while, Ace finally felt free.

He recalled his hands slipping from his side to hit the cold cement floor.

And then hands were on his shoulder, shaking him.

Cracking his eyes open, Ace looked up into a man’s face.

It wasn’t one of Bobbsey’s men. Or Nelson.

A visor shadowed his features, but a silver star glistened on his shirt. A baton swung from his belt, clinking against the floor as the man knelt next to Ace.

A cop. Ace’s heart jumped in his chest. Maybe he was safe after all.

“Hey,” he whispered, shining a flashlight over Ace’s body. “Can you tell me your name?”

Ace squinted in the light, tilting his head away from it. His mouth opened, and very hoarsely, he told the man his name.

“Okay, good. Good.” The man turned to the stairs in front of them. “I found someone!” he yelled, and soon, a second pair of footsteps pounded above their heads.

The next thing Ace remembered was another police officer appearing in the moonlight. A flashlight beam caught his body in the light, and Ace ducked his head away from the glare.

The second officer joined them. A conversation exchange passed in a blur. 

Then, heavy pants brushed against his leg, and a gloved hand reached up to carefully inspect the shallow cuts on his face. Tired again, Ace couldn’t bring himself to flinch, and slowly blinked at the man’s touch.

“Ace, I’m Dave,” the man said. “I’m with the city’s emergency department. Do you know where you are right now?”

Ace would remember the man asking him about his parents. His birthday. The standard questions first responders asked their patients. 

What he didn’t remember was his shirt being cut off, only to be replaced with heavy white bandages. Vaguely, a needle stuck into his arm, and Ace followed the tubing to a saline bag.

Then he was laid on his back, and unable to protest, Ace let the paramedics lift him onto a gurney.

The darkness returned to the corners of his vision, and he closed his eyes as he felt hands move the stretcher up the stairs. The wheels hit the linoleum floor with a clank, and he couldn’t help but let out a small moan at the pain that pulled at his side.

Then a hand was touching his hair.

Confused, he turned his head to look into Carson Drew’s eyes.

“Mr. D?” he whispered hoarsely.

“Hey,” Carson said, his voice sounding so far away. “Hey, yeah, it’s me. You’re okay. We’re getting you out of here.”

Ace remembered asking about Nancy.

Carson said something about going to see her, but the darkness was starting to come back again. Sighing, Ace had relaxed against the gurney as Carson was held back, feeling the wheels gently roll over the door sill.

Then another hand was grabbing his, and curious, he turned his head to see Ryan Hudson looking down at him. “Hey,” he murmured. “Hey, I’m coming with you.”

Oh, yeah. Carson said something about that.

Ace could only cling onto Ryan’s hand, holding onto it like a lifeline.

“You came,” he croaked, looking up at the man through half-closed eyes.

Ryan offered a teary smile. “Yeah, of course I came. I wasn’t going to just sit around and do nothing, not when you needed a friend.”

“Thanks,” Ace whispered as he leaned his head back against the mattress.

His stomach dropped as the gurney’s legs collapsed, and he was lifted up again. Harsh fluorescent light greeted him as he was rolled into the back of an ambulance, and Ryan’s hand found his again.

“How are you feeling?” he asked him, sliding into one of the padded seats next to the gurney.

Ace swallowed. “Like shit,” he said.

Ryan managed a small laugh. “Yeah, I don’t blame you. We’ll get you patched up, though. You’ll be driving the Porsche again in no time.”

“Her name’s Patrice,” Ace told him.

Ryan shook his head. “I can’t believe you named my car that.”

“It fits,” he murmured. 

The last thing he remembered before closing his eyes again was Florence’s pale blue body flipping once. Then twice. And on the third flip, Ace let out a sigh and let his hand go slack in Ryan’s.

With Ryan’s help, he managed to stay in a lucid sort of state during the trip. Through the darkness, he could feel an oxygen mask slip over his face. Gloved hands pressed against his side, and he remembered groaning, trying to pull away from the touch.

“It’s okay,” Ryan soothed. “They’re just adding more bandages.”

“Hurts,” Ace muttered.

“I know. But we’re giving you a small bit of morphine. That should help.”

Ace felt his breath puff against his face as he breathed out. Fidgeting, he hissed as one of the medic’s fingers pressed especially hard against the bruise in his side.

“What is it?” Ryan asked the medic.

Ace didn’t hear the response. He was too busy staring up at the fluorescent lights.

Then he squeezed Ryan’s hand again. “Nance,” he whispered.

“Yeah, what about Nancy?” Ryan asked him.

“Has Carson found her yet?”

“I don’t know. I’m sure he’ll call me when he does. But don’t worry-they’ll have found her. I promise.”

Ace closed his eyes again. 

Then, he felt the gurney under him shift as the vehicle pulled to a stop.

“Hey, we’re here,” Ryan told him. “We’re at the hospital.”

Ace only managed a nod, the small dose of morphine weighing his body down like lead. He heard the doors screech as they were pushed open, and almost immediately, the gurney was pulled out.

Ryan said a few words, but they weren’t directed at Ace. Hearing new voices, he turned his head on the gurney to see blurry outlines of Nick, George, and Bess.

And then Bess was there at his side, her small hand latching onto his.

“Hey, it’s me,” she whispered to him. “It’s Bess. You’re okay. You’re back with us.”

“Hey,” Ace rasped, feeling his breath fog against the mask again.

Then Bess was pulled away, and Ace felt her hand leave his. A part of him was too exhausted to care, and felt the gurney roll into a building.

“We’re here,” Ryan told him, rejoining him at his side. “We’re at the hospital.”

“Where am I going?” he managed to ask.

Ryan squeezed his hand. “You need emergency surgery. You’re headed there now.”

“Oh,” was all Ace could say.

Ryan rushed his words. “But you’re going to be fine. You’re strong. You always have been. And you’ve come this far; don’t give up on us now, okay?”

Ace nodded. “Thanks,” he whispered. “For being here.”

“Of course,” Ryan told him. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Promise?”

“I promise” was the last thing Ace remembered before the darkness took him again.

Notes:

*apologies for any inaccuracies!
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kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! sorry for the delay in this next chapter, my life got super busy. but i hope you enjoy this next chapter, and thank you again for all your support. it means so much to me.

Chapter 17: please don't give up (on me)

Summary:

Carson's taken care of everyone else for so long, that he forgot what it was like to have someone else take care of him.

Notes:

Father-daughter and found family fluff ensues.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Carson followed the gurney down the corridor, holding on tightly to Nancy’s hand. Her raspy breathing fogged the oxygen mask, and he tried to avoid seeing her blood stained nails digging into his skin. 

She’s safe now. The blood’s not hers, he kept telling himself. It’s not hers.

The memory of Ace’s bandages flashed across his vision for a moment, and Carson didn’t dare to think of why Ace’s blood would be on Nancy’s hands. He’d face the hard truth later, when he knew for certain the two of them would be okay.

For now, he had every right to shove away the horrible events that were locked up in that safe house. He’d find the keys when he was ready.

Carson ducked around a doorframe to step into a small triage room, and made room for the doctor to reach Nancy’s bedside.

The sedation medication had done its job, keeping Nancy lucid while she was being examined. The doctor and nurses began their initial assessment, and when one of them cut off her shirt, Carson looked away at the bruises covering her chest and abdomen. He’d stood back as a nurse began to examine her ribs, gently pressing against her side and stomach. Nancy hissed, trying to move away from her hands, and Carson squeezed her hand in an attempt to comfort her. But the medication kept her where she lay, and the nurse wrote something down on her chart.

The doctor began to treat the cut on her temple, the gauze pad coming away heavy with blood. Once the wound was cleaned thoroughly, eliciting a soft moan from Nancy, the doctor turned to Carson.

“She’ll need stitches, and unfortunately, it’s going to hurt. We might need your help.”

Carson swallowed and nodded, stepping up the bed again. “What do I need to do?”

“Hold her down. Distract her. She’s pretty out of it, but that hasn’t stopped patients before. I just want to make sure she doesn’t hurt herself further.”

Nodding again, Carson carefully reached out to grab Nancy’s hand. The nurse by her side quickly gathered her charts, and moved over to the side of the room. 

“Okay, this shouldn’t take more than just a few minutes.” The doctor brought out a lidocaine tube, and carefully applied the gel to Nancy’s cut. She winced, turning her head away from the touch. 

“It’s okay,” Carson told her, squeezing her hand. “We’re almost done.”

Nancy let out a groan when the doctor applied the first stitch, and tried to wriggle away. Carson grabbed her arms to hold her down, and the nurse came back over to keep the woman from kicking. Luckily, in her weakened state, she could barely do anything but try to push Carson away.

“Almost done,” the doctor murmured, grimacing when Nancy tried to move her head. But Carson gently took her jaw in his hand to keep her from moving, and she let out a whimper, her own hand going up to grab his wrist.

“Don’t-” she started, “don’t grab me. Please don’t touch me there. He might hurt-”

“Nancy, I’m not going to hurt you,” Carson whispered. “I promise. We’re almost done, you just have to be still.”

“Let go,” Nancy said quietly, trying to get him to move. “Not there.”

Carson moved to hold onto her shoulders, silently willing for her to keep her head still. “Is that better?” he asked.

She nodded, squeezing her eyes shut at the last stitch the doctor added. Scissors cut the thread a moment later, and when the doctor covered a bandage over Nancy’s new stitches, Carson rubbed her arm comfortingly, going down to touch her hand. She held onto him tightly.

“I want to sleep,” she whimpered.

“I know. We’re gonna get you into a room soon,” Carson told her softly. “Once we get you more comfortable.”

Nancy nodded, flinching away from when the doctor patted down the corners of the bandage on her temple.

Carson frowned at the pattern of Nancy refusing to let anyone touch her head or face.

What exactly had that bastard done to her?

“Mr. Drew, I’m going to need you to leave the room so we can finish our assessment,” the nurse told him, gently nudging him away from the bed. 

Carson began to protest, but had to admit he was crowding the room. And Nancy needed all the help she could get. So he let himself be led out of the room, and down the hallway to the waiting area.

There, Nick and the others stood to their feet when they saw him, and soon, a chorus of questions greeted him.

“Is she alright?”

“How bad is it?”

“Can we see her?”

Carson held up his hand. “She’s getting examined. They gave her some stitches and some sedatives, and they’ll start to move her into her own room soon. She’s…not herself right now. Once she’s recovered enough, physically, we might need to send in a psych evaluation.”

Faces paled at Carson’s words, and George leaned her head against Nick’s shoulder. Ryan put a hand on Bess’ upper back to steady her, who had taken a step back in shock.

“Has there been any word on Ace, yet?”

“No,” Ryan said. “Not yet. We’re still waiting for his parents to get here.”

“Okay. Have you guys eaten anything yet?”

Heads nodded, and George held up a half-eaten granola bar. “What about you?” she asked. “You need to eat, too.”

“I will, once Rebecca and Thom arrive,” Carson started, but Nick shook his head. 

“No, come on. You have to eat a little something. You haven’t had anything since you left for Canada, and that was…almost four hours ago.”

“Last I checked, I was supposed to make sure you guys ate. Not have it be the other way around,” Carson told him.

Ryan huffed. “You really think we’re not going to worry about you, too? Carson, you’re filthy and you need fresh clothes and a nap. I’ll get something figured out.”

Before Carson could even open his mouth to protest again, the man was hurrying off. He seemed desperate for something to do, and none of them could blame him. Nick took Carson by the arm and led him over to a chair.

“Come on, sit down,” he told him. Carson doubted he could argue again, and sank into the chair.

“Thanks,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes. 

“How are you holding up?” George asked him.

Her only response was a short laugh. “I don’t know,” he muttered. “I’m relieved that Nancy and Ace are back, but…” He shook his head. “It’s the aftermath that worries me now.”

“Everything will work out. You guys caught Nelson. Ace and Nancy are in good hands, and we’ll get to see them soon,” George said. “And I’m sure Jean will take the lead on this. You can just focus on taking care of Nancy now.”

Carson could only nod, burying his head in his hands. Comfortingly, George lightly rubbed his back, while Bess sat quietly next to him. 

“Do we know anything about Ace yet?” Carson finally asked, not moving from where he leaned forward in the chair. Nick shook his head.

“No, but it’ll still be a while yet. He’s only been in surgery for an hour.”

Carson just sighed and said nothing else. After finally being still after so much chaos, he could feel the exhaustion start to wear him down.  

“Here.” Ryan was there then, holding out a cup of coffee and a granola bar. 

Carson accepted the cup, but wrinkled his nose at the food. But under the group’s stare, he sighed and took it. “Thanks,” he said as Ryan joined the group in another chair. George opened the granola bar for Carson, who had no choice but to drink the coffee. 

“What do we do now?” Bess finally asked.

“Wait,” Nick answered. “That’s all we can do.”

Carson leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes. Bess took the empty coffee cup from him before it fell from his hands, and went to find a trash can. Ryan and Nick began a quiet conversation, Ryan moving his hands animatedly. George didn’t turn her head, but from what she was hearing, he was telling Nick the story of their trip to the safe house.

Deciding she didn’t want to hear it just yet, she joined Carson in leaning her head back, letting out a soft sigh.

When Bess returned, she blinked sympathetically at Carson having fallen asleep, having shifted to move his head onto George’s shoulder. The young woman was asleep, too, her arms crossed over her stomach.

Quietly, Bess climbed into the chair next to Carson, and drew her knees up to her chest. Hugging herself, she leaned against Carson’s side, carefully resting her head on his shoulder, too. 

And sitting there quietly in the room, the five of them waited.

******

Nancy had no clue as to how long she’d been asleep. Before everything went dark, the last thing she remembered was Carson grabbing her hand.

Waking up was slow. Her body felt so heavy, that for a while, all she could do was shift in whatever bed she was in. The warm blankets offered no help, and it wasn’t like she was going to accept it. She was comfortable where she was.

Gradually, she managed to crack her eyes just a fraction. The world was sideways, her pillow pressing into her cheek. Burrowing down, Nancy buried her nose into the blankets. She let out a small groan at the pain that flared up, every muscle in her body aching deeply.

Maybe if she just stayed here….she wouldn’t have to see why she was aching so badly.

Then with a sudden realization, she shot up in the bed.

“Ace!”

She squeezed her eyes shut at the pain that shot through her head, and groaning, she reached up to feel bandages plastered over her forehead. 

Then her hand was being grabbed, and gasping, Nancy tried to wrench it out of whatever grip it was in. 

“Nancy, hey. Hey it’s me,” a voice said. Looking up, she saw Carson sitting on the edge of her bed. In the dim lighting of the room, she could see the outline of his body and the prominent features of his face.

But it was her father.

“Dad?” she whispered, looking down at her hand. 

“Yeah. It’s Dad,” Carson told her. “I’m here. You’re safe.”

Nancy shot out of the blankets and into his arms again. Carson let out a grunt. “Nancy-” he hissed, trying to not hurt her. But she didn’t care. Burying her head into his shoulder, she eventually felt Carson hug her to him. 

“You’re here,” she whispered.

“Of course,” he said softly. “I would never leave you.”

Nancy just tightened her embrace, sniffing as she pulled her legs up to sit in Carson’s lap. Her father rubbed her back comfortingly, breath bated as if he were holding something fragile.

“Are you okay?” he asked her softly.

Nancy nodded. “I think so.” Her head shifted to look around the room from her position in Carson’s lap. “Where am I?” she asked. Then she gasped and pulled away to look into Carson’s face. “Where’s Ace? Is he okay? Did you guys find him? Is he here?”

Shushing her, Carson put his hands on her arms to interrupt. “He’s okay. He pulled through the surgery, and he’s been sleeping. I haven’t seen him yet, but Ryan and his parents are with him. The doctor just wants him to stay here for a while under close observation.”

“Surgery?” Nancy repeated, her brow furrowing. Carson carefully moved her so she could lean up against her pillows, and it was then that Nancy winced at the pain in her chest. Maybe she shouldn’t have moved so fast.

Carson continued. “He lost a lot of blood, and had some severe internal bleeding. Florence's car door split in the crash and cut him. It’s a miracle he didn’t go into shock, or it’d be a different story.”

“But he’s going to be okay?” Nancy asked tearfully.

“I think so,” he told her gently. “Once he wakes up, we’ll see what we can do about seeing him.”

“Okay.” She nodded, reaching up to wipe a stray tear away. Then she stared down at her hand, where an IV needle was taped down. “What’s this for?”

“Fluids. You’re severely dehydrated and we can’t risk your concussion getting worse. We didn’t want to force you to eat or drink, so this was the best option.”

Nancy pressed her fingers to her head. “So why do I have this?”

“Stitches. You hit your head pretty hard and cut yourself. We think that’s also where your concussion came from.”

“Are my ribs broken?” she asked then. “It hurts to breathe.” 

“No. They’re just bruised, thankfully. I can see about getting you some pain meds if it gets bad enough.”

Nancy fell silent for a moment, picking at the blankets under her.

Then she spoke. ” What happened to me?” 

Carson took a deep breath. All the time spent replaying the events of last night didn’t fully prepare him for the fact that Nancy would be so anxious to know them. At least, not yet.

“Nancy, I don’t think-”

“Please.” She looked up at him. “I have to know.”

Carson put a hand on her knee. “And you’ll get to know eventually. But you have just come back from-”

“I know where I was.” Nancy’s voice was low. “I remember Nelson…” She swallowed hard, tears pricking at her eyes. “I remember what he did to me. To Ace.” Her breathing hitched. “How angry he was. He didn’t hurt me but I could tell that-”

“Nancy, stop.” Carson reached out and grabbed her hand. “Stop. You don’t need to tell me right now.” 

She continued. “But I don’t remember what happened when…when you found me. I don’t know how I ended up in that room, or-”

“You can’t worry about that. You’ll just stress yourself out.” Carson squeezed her hand. “And I know you, Nancy. I know that as much as you want to know, you are not ready to be told the story of whatever happened to you. At least, not yet. All that matters right now is making sure that you rest and heal.”

Nancy swallowed, and eventually nodded. Carson let her hand fall from his. “I’m going to go check on Ace and his parents. Are you gonna be okay to be alone for a few minutes?”

Nancy nodded again. 

“Okay. Do you want me to grab you any water or something to eat?”

Wrinkling her nose, she shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”

“That's alright. You just rest. I’ll be back soon.”

Nancy let Carson leave, welcoming the darkness when he shut the door. There was a window next to her bed, with the curtains open. Soft lamplight from the parking lot streamed in through the glass, encasing the room in a light golden glow.

The memory of Ace lying in such a light crossed Nancy’s vision.

Shuddering, she reached over to snap the curtains closed. Fumbling for her blankets, she pulled them over her head and burrowed back down into the mattress.

You’re fine, she kept trying to tell herself. You’re not there anymore.

Release Asher Davies from prison, she heard herself say . Drop him of all charges and let him go. If you do this, me and Ace will not be harmed, and we’ll be able to come home.

Then a figure entered her subconscious, crouching down in front of her.

Haven't you figured it out yet? Nelson whispered to her. I’m a part of something much bigger.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Nancy shook her head, willing for the voices to go away.

She just wanted to fall back asleep.

Then her breathing hitched again when Ace’s face crossed her memory again.

You can fall asleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.

Nancy gritted her teeth.

But you weren’t there. 

She gripped the blankets tightly.

You weren’t there.

Notes:

can you tell i just love writing Carson and Nancy's dynamic so much?
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kudos and comments are greatly appreciated <3 thank you for still being here.
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if you have any scene ideas, a duo you want to see interact together, or any suggestions, let me know and I'll do my best to write it! :)

Chapter 18

Summary:

Ace wakes up after surgery.

Notes:

warning! mentions of an IV needle, suicidal thoughts, and panic attacks are in this chapter, so please be careful if any of these are triggering. feel free to skip over this. <3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Drowsy, Ace turned on his side. Sniffing, he buried his head into the covers, and scrunched his nose when his hair fell across his face.

The room was warm - a striking contrast to the safe house, and a small part of Ace wondered where he was. Surely, he was still in the cold room, pressed against the cement walls.

Then there was a hand on his shoulder, carefully rolling him onto his back. Cracking his eyes open, he looked to see a figure standing over him. Sandy brown hair fell over the man’s forehead, and when his vision focused, Ace let out a soft gasp.

“Ryan?” he whispered.

“Hey,” Ryan said. “It’s just me. You’re okay.”

After a moment, when he was sure that he was real, Ace flew up to pull him into a hug. Ryan returned the embrace tightly, letting the young man grip onto the back of his jacket.

“Thank you,” Ace whispered after a moment.

“What for?”

“For being here.”

“Of course. I said I’d be right here when you woke up. I wasn’t about to break that promise.” Pulling away, Ryan looked him over to make sure he hadn’t hurt himself sitting up. “How are you feeling?” he asked him.

Ace looked down at himself. “I don’t know. A little sore. Tired, too.” He ran his hand over a small wrinkle in the hospital gown. “How long have I been asleep?”

Ryan glanced at the clock on the wall. “You came out of surgery earlier this morning. Around three or so. You woke up a little bit around six thirty, and then fell back asleep. You’ve been out like a rock; it’s almost seven in the evening.” 

“I’m in the hospital?” Ace said, sounding as if he were asking a question.

“Do you remember anything about last night?” he asked. He carefully adjusted himself on the bed so he could pull a leg up onto the blankets.

“I remember a police officer finding me. Then a paramedic took care of me,” Ace said. “He cut off my shirt. And then they brought me outside and I saw Carson. Then you rode with me in the ambulance. All I remember after that was something about surgery.” Absent-mindedly, Ace’s hand found the swath of bandages around his abdomen, and he looked down at the bulge through the hospital gown.

Ryan ran his fingers through his hair. “When you were in the ambulance you started to hemorrhage some more, and the paramedics found that you had severe tearing and internal bleeding in your abdomen,” he told Ace. “The surgeon said that it was a miracle you pulled through, given how weak you were when you came in.”

“Am I going to be okay?” Ace asked.

Ryan nodded. “Yeah. You’ll stay here under close observation for a few days, and once you’re cleared, your parents will take you home. You’ll have a long recovery ahead of you, but you’re going to be just fine.”

“What about Nancy?” Eyes wide, Ace sat up in the bed, only to be gently pushed back into the pillows.

“Nancy’s sleeping right now, as far as I know. I talked to Carson a little while ago and he said that she’d woken up for a bit. But then he texted me about an hour ago and told me that she’d fallen back asleep. When she wakes up, we’ll see if you guys can see each other. I know you two would like that.”

“I just need to see that she’s okay,” Ace said. “Can’t I just get a wheelchair and be taken to her room?”

Ryan shook his head. “You both need your rest, and your space to process what happened. Once you two have gained some strength, we’ll talk to the doctors.”

Breathing in deeply, Ace couldn’t find reason to argue with him. They were both safe and in good hands. He could wait a little while longer to see Nancy.

“Are my parents here?” he asked instead.

“They went to get coffee with Nick,” Ryan said.

Ace frowned. “Nick? He’s here?”

The man smiled. “He and Bess and George have been here since you arrived here. Last I saw them, the girls managed to convince a nurse to play Scrabble with them.”

“Huh,” was all Ace could say. 

“You seem surprised.”

“Well, yeah. I wasn’t expecting them to be here. I thought they’d be at Nick’s loft or…or the Claw.”

“You guys have a unique bond. The five of you. I don’t think I could get them out of here even if I set the building on fire.”

“Please don’t do that,” Ace said, managing a smile.

Ryan chuckled. “Of course not. But we’ll let you guys see each other when everything calms down some more.”

“Okay.” Ace ran his hand through his hair. “Who else is here?”

“I think that’s everyone. I think Jean is going to come by soon to talk with Carson about what she found at the house. She might pop in and check in on you guys. For now, I’ll go talk with a nurse and tell your doctor that you’re awake.”

“Okay.” Ace let Ryan get up and watched him leave. But when Ryan had just turned the doorknob, he called out to him. “Hey, Ryan?”

The man turned to him. “Yeah, Ace?”

“Thank you again. For being here. You didn’t have to, you know.”

Ryan offered a genuine smile. “Of course I did. You’re family, Ace. That means we all look out for each other. No matter what.”

Ace just sagged against the pillows and let Ryan leave. When the door shut, he looked around the small room. A few chairs and a couch were pushed up against the wall. A curtain was pulled shut, but its thin fabric allowed lamplight to stream into the room. 

Slowly, Ace slid down the bed to roll onto his side, the uninjured one, and studied the small grooves in the wallpaper. Above his head, a machine beeped quietly.

Then the devil on his shoulder began to whisper in his ear.

You’re the reason we’re in this mess. That Nancy’s in a hospital bed.

Beep. Beep.

You could have listened to Carson. You could have stopped dealing with Bertram.

Beep. Beep.

You shouldn’t even be here.

Ace swallowed hard and shook his head, trying to block the thoughts out.

You should have died in that cellar, right where you sat.

Hands flew up to press against his ears.

Beep. Beep.

Better you than Nancy.

Gasping, Ace flew up in the bed, his hand pressed to his chest. Above his head, a monitor started beeping loudly. Shoving the blankets off, he managed to stumble across the floor, collapsing against the wall next to the adjoined bathroom door.

Then there was a drop of blood.

Then two.

Then three.

Panting, Ace looked down at his arm to see a stream of red trickle down his arm.

An intravenous needle was just a few feet away on the floor, the tubing winding up to the I.V pole next to his bed.

Ace muttered a curse, pressing his arm to his chest to staunch the bleeding.

His panic must have made a commotion because there was a knock on his door, and someone called his name.

“Ace?”

Ace’s breathing only grew heavier, his chest constricting.

There was a clamor, with the same voice protesting. Then the door opened, and shoes thudded on the floor.

Then a figure stooping to kneel down in front of Ace. 

“Ace, focus. Look at me.”

He looked up into Nick’s face, tears distorting his features. A nurse was just bending down next to him, but Ace didn’t register it. All he could focus on was the man in front of him.

“Nick?” Ace asked, voice thick.

His friend gave a smile, a hand going up to touch his shoulder.

“Yeah, it’s me. You’re okay. I’m here. We’re going to take care of you.”

“Why?” That single word made Nick’s smile falter, but his hand remained on Ace’s shoulder.

“Because you’re my friend,” he told Ace. “And you could use one right now.”

Ace’s breath hitched, and there, the tears spilled over. All Nick could do was pull him into a hug, which Ace had no choice but to return.

“You’re going to be okay,” Nick told him quietly. 

Unable to speak, Ace could only nod, tightening his grip on Nick.

There on the floor, the two friends sat, where the only noise audible was Ace’s breathing. Ragged and uneven, he let himself cry into Nick’s shoulder.

“You’re alright,” Nick murmured, rubbing Ace’s back soothingly. “You’re safe.”

When Ace’s breathing had somewhat evened out, and his grip loosened on Nick’s shirt, Nick carefully stood him to his feet. Grateful for the support, the injured man leaned on his friend and allowed himself to be led back over to his bed. There, Ace and Nick sat on the edge and let the nurse check him over.

Once Ace was deemed somewhat okay, with his I.V reinserted and bandages checked, the nurse had him lay back in his bed. She said something about a doctor and left.

“I’m sorry,” Ace breathed. Nick looked at him.

“You don’t have to apologize for anything,” he said. “I’m just glad we were here to help you.”

Ace shook his head. “People need to stop telling me that I have nothing to be sorry for. But I do. I’m the reason-” He swallowed. “I’m the reason we’re all in this mess. You shouldn’t have helped me, you should have just left me on the floor. I deserve more than that.”

Nick frowned. “Ace, none of this was your fault.”

Gritting his teeth, Ace spoke. “But it was! I’m the one who didn’t listen to Carson. I kept meeting Mr. Bobbsey, and then they-”

“It wasn’t because of you that you guys got taken. It was because Nelson was pissed that Asher was put behind bars. Without him, your chocolate messages to Mr. Bobbsey were useless, and Nelson didn’t like that the police were close to dismantling his organization. So, he took the only thing that he thought could get Asher out of prison: Nancy. You just happened to be driving with her.”

Ace’s breath hitched. “But I-”

“Stop.” Nick shook his head. “Blaming yourself is not going to change anything. Yes, you made a mistake, but it is not what got you into this mess. If you want to blame anyone for this, blame Nelson. Not yourself, not Nancy, not Carson. Okay?”

Swallowing, Ace nodded stiffly. Nick leveled him with a stare. “Now I don’t want to hear any of that kind of talk anymore. That’s only gonna make things worse. You got it?”

Ace nodded again and cleared his throat. “Okay.”

Nick shifted, moving so that he was sitting next to Ace on the bed, shoulder to shoulder. Ace looked over at him.

“What are you doing?”

Nick smiled. “Hanging out with my friend. I haven’t seen him in a while.”

Ace couldn’t help but snort. “Yeah, sorry we had to reunite like this.”

Wrapping an arm around his shoulder, Nick let him lean into his side. “The most important thing is that you’re okay. And you will be. I’m just glad we got you back.”

Ace smiled and rested his head on Nick’s shoulder. “Thanks for being here,” he finally said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Of course.” Nick squeezed Ace’s shoulder. “When you can finally walk around, I’ll show you what kind of horrible vending machine food they have here.”

Ace wrinkled his nose. “Ew. I might have to pass.”

Nick laughed, and it made Ace smile.

He hadn't done that in a while.

Notes:

this family is just so 🥺
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kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! thank you for supporting me and this story! i can't believe we're at eighteen chapters!

Chapter 19

Summary:

Ryan helps Nancy through a nightmare, and Nancy and Ace reunite.

Notes:

this chapter was so sweet to write, i think i have cavities now.
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mentions of nightmares and panic attacks are briefly mentioned in this chapter, as a heads up :)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Ryan knocked on the door gently, and when Carson’s voice drifted through to let him in, he turned the doorknob and poked his head in.

“Hey,” he called softly.

Carson looked up at his entrance and gave a small smile. He was sitting in a chair next to Nancy’s bed, a bottle of water in his hand.

“You can come in,” he told Ryan, gesturing to a second chair next to him.

Ryan closed the door behind him, accepting the seat gratefully. He looked over to the bed, where Nancy was lying on her side, her red hair spilling over the pillow. The gentle rise and fall of her chest told him that she was sound asleep, but he frowned at how pale her face was.

“How’s she doing?” he asked Carson.

Carson sighed. “Better than when she first came in. She’s more…clear. The doctor said that she’ll feel better once she sleeps more and gives her body more time to recover. But she’s still dehydrated, and they want to keep an eye on her concussion.”

“But there haven’t been any problems?” Ryan checked. “Not since we came here?’

“No,” Carson assured him. “Aside from the confusion and initial pain of her injuries, she’s okay. She’s stable, and we’re hoping that if we manage to control her stress level, she’ll start to improve soon. But all she really wants to do is see Ace; make sure that he’s okay.”

Ryan couldn’t help but smile at that. “Yeah, Ace is the same way. Worried sick about Nancy; it was one of the first things he asked about when he woke up.”

“How’s he doing?”

“Um…good, I think. Well, as good as he can be. He’s not in a lot of pain, and he seems fairly lucid. That’s probably due to the medications they’ve got him on, but I think once he sees that Nancy’s okay, he’ll feel more at ease.”

“We’ll see if they can see each other soon,” Carson said. “The main thing we want to be sure of is that they’re resting well and remaining stable. With Nancy’s concussion, we don’t want her moving around too much. The same can be said for Ace and his surgery.”

“Yeah. And if they ever manage to stay awake at the same time,” Ryan chuckled.

Carson let out a small laugh. “You’re terrible.”

“No, I’m making a point,” he grinned. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and glanced from Nancy to Carson. “Have you eaten today?”

“I had that granola bar George gave me back in the waiting room. And I’ve been drinking water.” Carson held up his plastic bottle.

“You need something more substantial.”

“Says the man who scarfed down four pudding cups.”

“It was three pudding cups,” Ryan corrected him. “And I also had an omelet. It wasn’t bad for hospital food, actually. But their bacon was better.”

“You still won’t convince me to eat the food here. I saw you stab the eggs with your straw and then squeeze it out onto your plate. I’m not touching anything in that kitchen.”

“It took the shape of the straw,” Ryan protested. “It was an experiment. Nick showed me first, so if you’re going to blame anyone, blame him.”

“What are you, five?”

“If you’re so good at adulting, why don’t you go get something to eat without me having to keep telling you?”

“Fine, I’ll go. You stay here with Nancy. I’ll be back.” Carson stood to his feet and left the room, casting one last look at their daughter before leaving.

Ryan leaned back in his chair, quietly observing Nancy. She hadn’t stirred ever since he came in, the only movement from when her lips twitched in her sleep. Other than that, she seemed content. At peace. 

So, Ryan tilted his head to rest against the back of his chair, closing his eyes. The soft hum of the air conditioning above their heads filled the space, and down the hall, very faintly, music could be heard from the nurses’ station.

All in all, he had to admit that it wasn’t a bad place to be at the moment.

Tapping his fingers to the beat of the music, Ryan sat there quietly, soaking in the comfort that rarely existed in hospitals.

But it was soon shattered by screaming.

“Stay away from me!”

Ryan bolted up a second after Nancy did, snapping his head over to the bed. Nancy was upright, clawing at her bandages around her head.

“Woah, Nancy!” Ryan called, shooting from the chair and over to the bed. Not daring to startle her by touching her, he wove into her vision, hoping that she’d see him through the slits in her eyes. “Nancy, you’re okay! You’re safe, it’s Ryan. It’s me.”

When Nancy’s hands faltered over the bandages, she let her eyes open wider. Panting, she struggled to focus on Ryan’s face. Her brow was furrowed in confusion, and her eyes were bright with tears.

“Nancy, can you hear me?” Ryan encouraged.

The redhead managed to shift her gaze to his face, her hands dropping into her lap when she saw him.

“Ryan?” she croaked.

“Hey, yeah. It’s me.”

She didn’t respond; only blinked slowly. Ryan continued to speak, carefully straightening up in front of her.

“Do you know where you-” He let out a grunt mid-sentence when Nancy suddenly collided with his chest. When he realized that she had curled into his side, arms wrapped around his waist, he hugged her back.

“You’re okay,” he told her.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” Ryan said, rubbing her back. “Are you alright? Do I need to call a doctor?”

“No.” Nancy shook her head against his chest. “Just stay with me. He might come back.”

“No one’s coming back,” he promised her. “It’s just me and Carson. We’re here. No one’s going to hurt you anymore.”

Quietly, the two of them sat there on the bed. Nancy worked to even her breath out, and she winced as it strained her ribs. Carefully, Ryan straightened her out in his lap so she could curl comfortably without causing discomfort.

“Is that better?”

She nodded, grabbing onto the front of his shirt.

“Do you need any water?”

Nancy nodded again, and Ryan reached for a cup on the nightstand. “Here.” He helped Nancy drink half the glass, making sure she took deep breaths in between sips.

“Thanks,” she whispered, once the cup was empty. Ryan returned it to its place on the table, then moved to run a hand up and down Nancy’s arm. Much to his relief, her breathing had steadied, and she wasn’t shaking anymore.

“Can you tell me what you were dreaming about?” he asked her gently. She stiffened in his arms at first, as if she were going to refuse to say anything. “You don’t have to, of course. But it might be easier to process if you talked about it.”

Nancy let out a breath. “I dreamt that Nelson was back.” Her voice was quiet. “And that I was in that room again. He kept touching my head. Like he did before.” She buried her face into Ryan’s chest. “And he kept telling me the same thing over and over again. That he was a part of something much bigger.”

“He’s not here anymore,” Ryan told her. “You know that, right?”

“I know.” Nancy nodded. “But he’s always there when I sleep. And he won’t go away. Every time I close  my eyes, I see his face and feel his hand on my head.” She let out a small whimper, and Ryan rubbed her back. “I just wish he’d go away.”

“I know,” Ryan said softly. “And he will. You just have to give it time. Once we get you into a routine, you’ll feel better.”

“That’s what everyone says,” Nancy replied, almost harshly.

“Because it’s true,” Ryan said gently. “I know it seems like that’s all we say, but in the end, the only way you can make Nelson go away is if you face him. Process what you went through. Let yourself heal. If you let yourself stay in this little bubble of fear, you’ll never be free from what happened.”

“But that’s the thing. This…whatever happened to me and Ace…it’ll stay with us forever now. Nelson didn’t just give us fear, he gave us scars. Both mental and physical.” Nancy swallowed.

“Scars heal,” Ryan said. “They may not go away, but they fade. They become less painful, less ugly. You just have to give them time to heal.” He rubbed her shoulder. “And you’re right; a part of this will always be with you and Ace. And that’s okay. But it’s up to you both to decide how much of yourself you want to give to Nelson. How big of a scar you want to leave.”

Nancy was quiet, soaking in Ryan’s words.

“Can I see him?” she finally whispered. “Ace. I want to know that he’s okay.”

Ryan had to stop himself from sighing. “Do you feel up to it?” he asked her.

She nodded. “I think so. I slept a lot already, and my ribs don’t hurt as much. I think I’ll be okay.” Her voice was hopeful, and she twisted her head up to look at Ryan. “Please?”

“Let me call your doctor first,” he told her. “I’m not promising anything, but let’s see what we can do.”

For the first time since Ryan had seen her, Nancy smiled.

********

Much to Nancy’s pleasure, the doctor had declared her somewhat well enough to go visit Ace. But he was adamant about her staying in her wheelchair, and that she was prohibited from strenuous movement. Nancy just nodded, forcing herself to not bounce up and down on her knees on the bed like a child.

“And remember,” Carson told her as he helped her from the bed, “you have to promise me that you’ll tell us if you start to feel sick.”

“I promise,” Nancy replied, grabbing onto his hand as she turned to sit back in the wheelchair. “But I feel okay now. I think I’ll be fine for a little bit.”

“Our agreement still stands, though,” Carson reminded her. He grabbed onto the handlebars of the chair and carefully steered her out of the room. A nurse walked next to them, holding Nancy’s IV bag and tubing. 

“Where is he?” Nancy asked. 

“Down the hall,” the nurse told her. “On the other side of the wing.” Nancy stared past the woman at the wall, where as they passed down the hallway, she could read the words Intensive Care Unit. 

So that explained her lack of visitors and all the nurses. Maybe when she was moved to a lesser-priority wing, she’d get to see her friends.

“Here we are,” the nurse announced as Nancy was slowed to a halt outside a doorway. Breath bated, she strained to peer around the doorframe as the nurse turned to her.

“Before I take you in, I need you to know a couple things,” she began, and Nancy felt her eyes widen. “One, remember that Ace just had a very invasive surgery and can’t be doing anything strenuous. So please be extremely careful.” Nancy nodded. “Two, he has cuts and bruises on his face and shoulders. I doubt he looks very much like himself at the moment, so just try to prepare yourself. And three, he did suffer a panic attack last night and is under careful observation. So, if anything seems off to you, you have to let someone know.”

Nancy nodded again, almost impatiently. “Is there anything else I should know?” she asked, her voice surprisingly quiet. 

The nurse offered her a comforting smile. “I think that’s it. But I just need you both to be careful, okay?”

“Okay. I promise.”

“Good.” The nurse smiled again and turned to open the door.

“Ace?” the woman called as she stepped in. “You have a visitor.”

A small murmur was the only response as Carson pushed the wheelchair into the room. Nancy couldn’t help but hold her breath as she was wheeled in, and couldn’t decide if her pounding heart was from excitement or anxiety.

The first thing she saw was stormy blue eyes. They took in her face, her small frame, before they widened in surprise.

“Nancy?” Ace whispered, straightening up in the bed. Nancy’s breath caught in her throat as she looked at him.

His blonde hair was tousled from sleep, and deep purple bruises were prominent on the side of his face, his jaw, and down his neck. True to the nurse’s word, there were small cuts on his cheek, an especially long one tracing through his eyebrow, and his face was pale.

But it was Ace.

It was her Ace.

“Hey,” she whispered back, as Carson slid the chair up to his bedside. “Hey, it’s me.”

“Yeah,” Ace rasped, reaching out his hand for her to take. Almost desperately, Nancy grabbed onto it, swallowing back tears. “It’s you.”

“Are you okay?” she asked him, her voice cracking.

Ace swallowed hard. “Yeah, I think so. I feel okay. What about you?” He took in the bandages around her head, the bruises littering her cheeks, and squeezed her hand.

“I’m okay,” she told him. “Just a bad headache.”

They couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Nance, I think you might have more than just a headache,” Ace told her softly.

At the sound of her nickname, Nancy’s smile widened. It’d been a long time since she'd heard Ace call her that.

“How’s your side?” she asked him.

Ace’s hand went up to press against the bandages under his gown. “Better, I think. Just really sore. But they’ve got me on some good meds, so it’s not too bad.”

Nancy nodded. “That’s good.”

Carson then spoke up behind them. “It’s good to see you, Ace,” he said.

Ace gave him a small smile. “You too, Mr. D.” 

Carefully, Carson moved to exchange a tight hug with the young man, and he accepted it gratefully. Once Carson had stepped away with a squeeze of Ace’s shoulder, Nancy quickly found his hand in hers again. 

“How are you feeling?” the man asked Ace.

“Better than the last time I saw you,” Ace couldn’t help but lightly joke.

Carson visibly paled at that. “Good. But promise me you won’t scare me like that again.”

“I promise,” he told him, offering an apologetic smile.

“Good.” Squeezing Ace on the shoulder again, Carson stepped away from the bed to let Nancy and Ace have their space. The nurse stepped to the side to allow them some privacy, and he joined her in the corner.

But with their hands clasped together on the blankets, Nancy itched to be closer to Ace. To touch more than just his hand. 

And Ace wanted nothing more than to hug her to him, to feel that she was okay.

Almost in unison, they looked over at Carson and the nurse, who had become engrossed in a conversation of their own. In the corner of the room, the nurse was pointing to one of the charts on the wall, and Nancy looked back over at Ace.

He let out a breathless laugh. “Screw it,” he said. “Come here.”

Almost immediately, Nancy gripped the side of the bed and hauled herself out of the chair. Clambering onto the bed, she went to fit herself into Ace’s side. 

Ace slid down the pillows so he could hug Nancy to his chest, who in turn wrapped her arms around his back and buried her head into his shoulder. Their legs went to tangle around each other’s, and Nancy didn’t believe there was any space between them anymore.

“You’re here,” Ace whispered, his hand going up to tangle in her hair.

Nancy nodded, gripping the front of his gown in her hand. “You’re okay,” she croaked. “You’re gonna be okay.”

“Yeah, we both are,” Ace breathed. “We’re gonna be okay.”

Holding each other in their arms, the pair laid there in the blankets. The only audible noise that could be heard was their breathing, uneven and shaky. Ace could feel Nancy sniff, and soon, a tear drop soaked through the fabric of his gown.

“You okay?’” he asked her, leaning back to look at her. She glanced up to meet his gaze, her own blue eyes shining with unshed tears.

“Yeah,” she whispered, and when she blinked, a tear began to trace her cheek. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

Ace carefully reached up to wipe the tear away with the pad of his thumb. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Nancy offered a teary smile. “I’m just…really glad that you’re okay.”

Ace pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “You’re okay, too,” he told her. 

Nancy nodded, moving to nuzzle her way back into the crook of his shoulder. They laid in the sheets, legs intertwined with each other, trying to match the other’s breathing.

“You guys alright?” the nurse finally called, from where she had moved to stand at the foot of the bed. “You know better than to-”

Carson joined the nurse, gently shaking his head at her to make her be quiet. “I think they’re the best they’ve been since arriving here,” he told her quietly. 

“What makes you say that?”

Carson smiled, his eyes bright with tears. “Nancy hasn’t let anyone else touch her head until now.”

Notes:

i hope you enjoyed reading the nace reunion as much as I did to write it. 🥺
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kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! <3 thank you for still motivating me to write more of this story.
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i am now on holiday break and will be traveling this week! so i'm sorry to say that this fic won't be updated for a while. but i'll do my best to write when i can!
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in the meantime, you can find me on Instagram as @nancydrew_crew :)

Chapter 20

Summary:

Nancy comforts Ace after a nightmare.

Notes:

sorry for the delay of getting a new chapter up and going! I was traveling all week and didn't have my computer with me. but i hope this chapter makes up for it. it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
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i hope everyone had a great winter break and a very happy holidays!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

When Nancy and Ace finally fell asleep, they slept hard. Hard enough that every once in a while, Nancy let out a gentle snore. After minutes of gently shaking their shoulders in an attempt to wake them, Carson and the nurse decided that it was useless, and resigned to calling Ryan and Rebecca and Thom to let them know that their kids were okay and sleeping.

Rebecca said to let her and her husband know when they woke up, and Ryan said that he’d pass on the news to Nancy and Ace’s friends.

The nurse urged Carson to go and get something to drink, telling him that she’d watch the pair while he was gone. Carson had developed the recent habit of refusing to leave his daughter, but began to learn that nurses were dangerously stubborn, and had no choice but to go hunt down a cup of watered-down coffee.

When he had left, the nurse paged the doctors to let them know of Nancy and Ace’s whereabouts, and began to take their hourly information. Much to her pleasure, their blood pressures were stable, and oxygen levels remained steady. It was the best it’d been ever since they arrived at the hospital, and the nurse wasn’t blind to the strong bond between Nancy and Ace. Surely their stats had something to do with how relaxed they were around each other.

Deciding that she’d done enough poking and prodding already, the nurse packed up the charts and moved to sit in an empty chair. Leaning back, she crossed her arms over her chest, and looked over at the pair in the bed. She couldn’t help but smile when Nancy shifted closer to nuzzle her head deeper into Ace’s shoulder, and in response, Ace wrapped his arm tighter around her back. 

The nurse wasn’t sure what the pair’s relationship was.

But she knew that whatever it was, it was strong, and clearly affections ran very deep for each other.  Judging by how comfortable they were in each other’s personal space, she had a suspicion that it had started long before Nancy and Ace were taken captive.

Shaking herself, the nurse scolded herself for being nosy, and leaned her back against the headrest of the chair. While things were steady, she decided she could afford just a few minutes of sleep. The night shift was long, and she was due for another patient’s check-up in about an hour.

Sighing, she let herself slip into a light doze.

********

Ace’s arms were warm, and his hold on Nancy was strong and secure. It felt good. With her head tucked under his chin, Nancy could let herself sleep soundly,

It felt safe. Carson and Ryan’s embraces were one thing.

But with Ace…she felt like nothing would come after her as long as he was here.

So with a fistful of Ace’s shirt in her hand, Nancy closed any and all space between her and Ace, and fell  sound asleep. 

Holding Nancy close to his chest, Ace finally felt like he could breathe. That he could allow himself to rest, knowing that she was safe and with him. That she wasn’t going anywhere. Not with Nelson, a police officer, or a nurse.

She was here with him, for the first time in a long time.

And Ace finally let himself sleep.

Their breathing soon matched the other’s, and their legs tangled together. Still pressed against one other, the two began to relax. While their hold on each other had loosened, Nancy still slept clutching onto his chest, and Ace kept his arm looped around her waist.

Even in sleep, they couldn’t let go of each other.

In the distance, the only audible noise was a clock ticking, and machines beeping softly. Nancy began to snore softly, but Ace didn’t wake.

It was only the sinister smile on Nelson’s face that sent him bolting up in bed.

It’s sweet how you think you can protect Nancy, when in reality, you’re the reason she’s in this mess. Now, are you going to make this easier for Nancy, or do I have to rip her from your hands?

“No!” he heard himself cry out, and his hand flew up to cover his mouth.

“Ace?” There was a sleepy murmur next to him, and the sheets rustled as Nancy realized that she wasn’t holding onto Ace anymore. “Are you okay?”

Ace didn’t respond, he couldn’t find the words. All he could manage was a slight shake of his head, and without hesitation she sat up beside him. Her slender arm wrapped around his back, and she took his hand in hers. He turned to look at her, giving her a strained smile as she rested her chin on his shoulder. 

They sat in silence, giving him time to gather his thoughts. Her presence was comforting, grounding, and allowed Ace a chance to breathe.

“Just a nightmare,” he finally said. He was whispering, but in the silence of the room he might as well have shouted. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

“You don’t need to apologize.” Nancy squeezed his hand. “I’ve had them, too.”

Ace just let out a small noise of acknowledgement, bringing up the hand holding Nancy’s up to cover it with his other. He tilted his head forward, letting it rest on their hands. Nancy’s other hand came up to gently rub his back, and gradually, he was able to take in deep breaths.

“Can you tell me what you dreamed about?” Nancy encouraged, her voice gentle. Ace hesitated, and she noticed. “Ryan says that it might be easier to process if you talk about it.”

Even with all the breaths he took in, Ace’s exhale was shaky. Swallowing hard, he looked up at her before he spoke.

“It was something…Nelson told me. Back at the house. When he moved you before the police found us. You’d passed out again, and he was trying to take you away from me. I…didn’t let him. I tried to tell him…” He cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks grow a darker shade of pink. He hoped Nancy wouldn’t notice. “I tried to tell him that I told you I would be there when you woke up. Like I promised.” His voice cracked. “He grabbed me by the throat and said…that I was the reason we were in this mess. That you were hurt.”

Nancy frowned, her eyes bright. 

Ace continued. “And then…he took you away. And that was the last time I ever saw you. Until…a few hours ago.”

“Oh, Ace,” Nancy whispered. She squeezed his hand and moved closer to him, shifting her head on Ace’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” He let his head rest on the top of Nancy’s. “It’s not any of our faults. But…”

“It’s not easy to push away the guilt,” Nancy whispered. “I know. I get it.”

The pair sat there in the bed together, waiting for Ace’s breathing to even out. Trying anything to distract himself, Ace looked around the room. Noting that it was empty, he turned his head to look towards the door. It was cracked just a fraction, the dim lighting of the corridor streaming in.

The nurse must have left to continue her rounds.

Nancy squeezing his hand again caught his attention, and he glanced over at her. She was already looking up at him, her blue eyes soft.

“Do you think you can go back to sleep again? Or do we need to call a doctor or-”

“No.” Ace gave her a soft smile. “I’m okay. All I need-” He let out a sigh and moved his arm to wrap it around Nancy’s waist. “-Is you. Everyone else can wait.”

“Good.” Nancy smiled gently. “All I need is you, too.”

Carefully, the pair settled back down in the bed, pulling the blankets over them. They returned to their previous positions, with Ace keeping an arm around Nancy’s waist, and Nancy’s head on his arm.

“Are you sure you don’t need anything?” Nancy asked softly, her eyes half-closed.

Ace nodded. “Yeah. Just stay with me.”

Nancy smiled again. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Notes:

don't you just love it when Nancy and Ace are concerned for each other's wellbeing?🥺 (we also stan the nurse being a nace shipper like us)
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i hope you enjoyed this chapter! :) thank you for still motivating me.
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be honest with me, how far are you willing to see this chapter go? (should i give it a sequel so you guys don't have to scroll through 15+ chapters?)
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kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!

Chapter 21

Summary:

*tries to think of a summary at one in the morning*
all i can say is that there's cute Nace and soft Carson and Nancy and Ace finally letting himself be taken care of.
I hope you enjoy :)

Notes:

so sorry for the delay in chapters! school and life in general has been really busy, but I hope this chapter somewhat makes up for it!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Nancy and Ace fell asleep after a while, this one lighter than the last. Nancy turned in the bed for a few minutes, unable to get comfortable. It was only when Ace used his arm to pull her into his chest that she was able to remain still.

“I’m not hurting you, am I?” she managed to ask.

“No,” Ace murmured, his breath stirring her hair. “You could never hurt me.”

Nancy fell back asleep with a smile on her face.

The morning sun was the next thing that woke them up. Ace stirred first because of pins and needles down his arm, but didn’t have the heart to wake Nancy up. She was sound asleep on his forearm, nose buried in the blankets with a soft sore eliciting every once in a while.

So Ace was content to just lie there with her, letting himself drift off into a light doze. His abdomen was sore, sure, and he knew that soon, a nurse would have to come in and change his bandages. But until then, he was okay with no one taking care of him.

He was okay with being in a moment where time seemed to stand still.

He hadn’t had this chance ever since he was taken.

Listening to the machines beep slowly above his head, Ace burrowed into the covers, until his cheek was pressed against Nancy’s shoulder blade. Their hair tangled in each other’s, a sea of red and brown spilling across the pillowcases.

And while he couldn’t find the ability to fall back asleep, Ace closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of Nancy’s shampoo.

It was different from the usual clove and citrus smell she brought with her every time she walked into a room. Ace decided it must have been the hospital’s standard shampoo, and he hoped that the two of them would go home soon.

Home smelled like clove and citrus.

Ace startled at the sound of a door clicking open, and grumpy at the fact that their peace was now disturbed, he glared over Nancy’s shoulder at who was walking in.

Carson peered around a nurse, taking in the sight of Ace and Nancy curled up together. His face softened as he carefully made his way over to Nancy’s side of the bed.

“How are you two doing?” he whispered softly.

Not wanting to move, Ace gave a small shrug. “I think we’re okay.” His voice was raspy from disuse, and he cleared his throat carefully to not wake Nancy. “Just tired.”

“Any pain at all?”

“A little. But it’s not so bad.”

“Okay. The nurse here is going to change your bandages and get you cleaned up.” When Ace opened his mouth to protest, he held up a hand, an eyebrow raised. “Ace, you need to wash your hair and get a fresh change of clothes. If you don’t, you’re an infection waiting to happen, and I want you out of here at least by the end of next week.” He gestured to Nancy sleeping. “And once your doctors check you both over, we can bring Nancy back this afternoon. And if you feel good enough, by the end of the week, you two can be moved out of the ICU and down to a primary care floor. But before that can happen, you two need to let yourselves be taken care of. Okay?”

Sighing, Ace found himself unable to argue with Carson. “Okay,” he replied, stretching out in the bed. When his arm had left Nancy’s waist, she roused, murmuring.

“Nancy,” Carson whispered, running a hand up and down her arm. “Hey, come on. Wake up.”

The woman’s eyes open, cobalt hues finding her dad’s face. “Dad?” she muttered, scrunching her nose as she lifted a hand to push her hair out of her face. Instinctively, Carson reached out to smooth some stray pieces back, and neither of them missed the way she flinched back into the pillows.

Carson withdrew his hand quickly, covering it by going back to rub her arm.

But Nancy noticed. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I don’t know why-”

“You don’t have to apologize for anything,” Carson told her softly. “It’s okay. We’ll work through it together.” He gave her a small smile. “But, hey, the doctor wants to see you, and Ace needs his bandages changed.”

When Nancy realized what her father was implying, she let out a small groan.

“I don’t want to leave. I’m comfortable where I am.”

“I know,” Carson said. “But we have to get you checked out, and then once Ace is finished and the doctor checks you out, we can bring you back, okay?”

Nancy turned her head to look at Ace, who smiled reassuringly. “I’ll be here when you come back,” he told her. “I promise.”

“Promise?”

Ace swallowed, fighting the urge to think back to the same promise he made her before they were separated in the safe house.

“Yeah. I promise.”

“Okay.” With the help of both Ace and Carson, Nancy slowly sat up in the bed and swung her legs over the side. The nurse, who had been so patiently standing by the door, brought over a wheelchair for her, and helped transfer her from the bed to the seat. Nancy winced at how the movement pulled at her ribs, and hissed slowly as she was eased into the chair.

“You alright?” both Carson and Ace, wearing identical expressions on their faces.

Nancy nodded. “Yeah, it just hurts a little.”

“We’ll get you checked out,” Carson assured her. “See what we can do about that.”

Nodding again, Nancy cast one last glance at Ace before her chair was being wheeled around to the door. 

“I’ll see you soon,” she told him, and Ace smiled at her.

“I’ll be here,” he promised.

*****

The nurse was pleased to see that Ace’s scar was healing well. As he unwound the bandages around his abdomen, Ace dared to look down at the wound. He hadn’t summoned up the courage to do so ever since he initially woke up from the surgery, knowing that it wouldn’t be pretty. 

So as the nurse stepped away to open up sterile packaging, Ace glanced down at the exposed wound in his side.

His breath hitched at the ugly red cut. It snaked around from his back up to under his sternum, where staples created a set of train tracks on his skin.

Unable to speak, Ace just leaned his head back against the pillows, blinking.

And as the nurse worked on cleaning the cut, all he could think of was Nelson Park.

The only feeling that elicited from it was anger.

It was because of him that he had to bear this ugly scar.

That he had to carry with him the trauma of what he had done to him and Nancy.

That his life had shifted on a seismic scale, and that a part of him would never return to normal.

Nelson Park gave him monsters that lived under his bed.

Dragging a hand down his face, Ace steeled himself to not pull away under the nurse’s touch, when he began to wrap his abdomen again. But instead of the usual gauze, the nurse was applying a plastic cover of some kind, and Ace furrowed his brow.

“What’s that for?” he asked.

“To protect your wound in the shower,” the nurse responded.

“Oh” was all Ace could say. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a shower. 

“Come on,” the nurse encouraged gently, carefully sliding one of his arms up under Ace’s back. “Careful now. Don’t tense your muscles.”

Gritting his teeth, Ace let the nurse push him into a sitting position. Embarrassed to be out of breath, Ace avoided looking at him, pushing his hair out of his face. When he nodded, the nurse helped his legs over the side of the bed, so he was sitting on the edge.

“I know it’ll hurt, but walking will do you some good,” the nurse told him. “It’ll help you gain back your abdominal strength.”

Ace could only nod, bracing himself against the nurse’s forearm to stand to his feet slowly.

“Shit,” he cursed under his breath. 

“I know,” the nurse said sympathetically, and helped Ace across the room to the bathroom. In the small room, he turned on the small faucet to the walk-in shower, and after checking Ace over, left so he could let the young man shower in peace.

Well, the most peace he could get with the nurse standing right outside the bathroom.

Not that Ace could blame him. Even though he probably would have refused help, he knew he had to stay close in case anything happened.

But he felt okay for the time being. A shower would do him some good.

The hot water was a godsend, pouring down his back and drenching his hair. Ace steeled himself against the dirt and grime that was washed off his skin, and he found himself scrubbing hard with soap until his skin was raw. He avoided looking at his wound, but he couldn’t ignore the sharp pains that came with reaching up to wash his hair. Ace found himself not wanting to care, going to the lengths of shampooing nearly three times. 

It was only when he saw blood trickling to gather at the bottom of the plastic bandages that he finally shut off the water and went to dry off.

A set of sweatshirts and sweatpants were folded on the counter, and Ace dressed himself, leaving the sweatshirt so the nurse could check him over.

When he allowed the other man in, his brow furrowed in concern when he saw the small amount of blood.

“Are you in a lot of pain?” he asked.

“No,” Ace. “It just pulled a little. It’s not so bad.”

Wordlessly, the nurse carefully removed the plastic wrap, and patted down the wound until it was dry. Then a pad of gauze was pressed over Ace’s skin, and a roll of bandages were rolled tightly around his abdomen.

Ace was embarrassed to admit it, but he had to let the nurse help him pull on the sweatshirt. 

But he found it easier this time around to walk back to his bed, feeling much more awake than before the shower.

It felt like he finally got the stench and grime from the safe house washed off, and Ace was relieved.

He only wished it was that easy to rid himself of the nightmares.

“I’ll get you your meds and some lunch. Are you up to eating a little bit?” the nurse asked, and Ace found himself nodding.

“Yeah, I could eat,” he admitted, and the nurse left.

And for the first time ever since he arrived, Ace was okay with being alone for a little bit. He let himself carefully stretch out in the bed, breathing in deeply enough so he wouldn’t hurt himself.

In the dim room, Ace laid there in the blankets, a small, contented smile on his face.

He knew that he was safe.

He could rest now.

Notes:

can you just tell I love writing Ace's scenes?
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also 3.11 knocked out all the writing brainpower i had in me, and I still have yet to recover from that episode.
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thank you all for still motivating me. <3

Chapter 22

Summary:

Nancy returns to her hospital room.

Notes:

i promise you, the chapter's more exciting than the summary, because I CAN NOT think of good summaries at one in the morning.
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enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

It was a quiet trip back to Nancy’s room, but with the disappointment of leaving Ace so soon, it felt like it dragged on for minutes. 

“How are your ribs?” Carson asked his daughter, who instinctively reached up to touch her bandages.

“They’re sore,” she admitted. “I couldn’t really get comfortable last night.”

“Regardless of how much you move, you’re bound to be stiff in the mornings. Still, we’ll have the doctor check them out and then we’ll get you cleaned up.”

“I don’t look that terrible, do I?”

But even before the words escaped her mouth, Nancy knew she was looking worse for wear. She’d caught her reflection in the small window in Ace’s door when she left, and knew she desperately needed a hot shower and some food. Her hair was wild, falling out of her bun, with sunken cheeks and a pale face. Her bandages had become lopsided while she slept, and true to Carson’s word, her ribs ached from morning stiffness.

“No,” Carson told her reassuringly. “You just look tired. Fresh clothes and a shower will do you a world of good.”

“I think you’re just being nice,” Nancy teased him, poking her father in the arm. He dropped his jaw out of mock offense.

“I would never lie to you,” he said, cracking a small smile. He stepped to the side to let the nurse turn Nancy’s wheelchair into her room, following to shut the door behind them.

Carefully, they helped Nancy out of the wheelchair and into her bed, taking careful note of how she winced when she twisted to sit.

“You sure you’re not just stiff from sleeping?” Carson asked her, and she shrugged, unable to give him an answer.

“I don’t know. They just hurt.”

The nurse had her lean back in the bed, pulling her shirt up to assess her ribs. Nancy hissed when her fingers pressed against a particularly tender spot and tried to move away. But Carson held her steady, telling her to try and stay still.

Finally, after examining Nancy, the nurse straightened up and announced that she was going to call the doctor down and ask for radiology to come do some x-rays.

“I don’t think there’s any cause for concern, but I do want the doctor to make sure that your ribs haven’t gotten worse,” she told Nancy. “In the meantime, I’ll change your bandages on your stitches, and take off the ones around your ribs.”

“Can I take a shower after?” Nancy asked.

“Yes, after radiology leaves,” the nurse promised, going to fetch more bandages. Nancy sighed and relaxed into the pillows, groaning when it pulled at her ribs. Carson rubbed a hand down her arm.

“You feeling okay?”

“I think so.” Nancy nodded slowly.

“Is there anything else we need to know about besides your ribs? Does your head feel better?” he asked.

“A little,” Nancy admitted. “But it still throbs a lot, and bright lighting hurts.”

“You’ll be photosensitive for a while. But the doctor said that if you just lay low and don’t push yourself, it’ll go away quicker.”

“Yeah,” she murmured. “It just…sucks.”

Carson just gave her a sympathetic smile, squeezing her hand gently. “I know.” He pulled up a chair next to the bed to sit, and the two sat there in comfortable silence as they waited for the nurse to come back.

“How’s Ace doing?” Carson finally asked.

Nancy thought back to last night, where they both slept in each other’s arms. She began to smile, but then winced when she remembered feeling Ace shoot up in bed next to her. The sounds of his heavy breathing filled her ears again, and the smile faltered on her face.

“He’s…struggling. I think mainly with the guilt of…the situation we were in. He blames himself.”

Carson nodded slowly. “Yeah, I know. We talked about that. When the paramedics pulled him out of the cellar.”

“They what?” Nancy sat up quickly in the bed, eyes wide. Carson froze, feeling his face going white.

Shit. She doesn’t know about that.

“Nancy-” He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, taking her hands in his. But she tore them away from him, eyes narrowed.

“Dad. What are you talking about?” 

Carson knew that he wasn’t going to be able to back out of this one. “Nancy, I need you to understand that when we found you both in the safe house…it wasn’t pretty. I didn’t want to tell you until I thought you were ready.”

“So, you were hiding it from me,” Nancy said slowly. “From-”

“I was protecting you.,” Carson cut in. “From remembering the hell that you went through. I don’t want you to deal with that yet, not so soon after you were brought here. You’re still fragile, Nancy. I wanted you to have some strength back before you heard the story.”

“I’m not asking for the full story with all the details,” Nancy said, her voice loud. “I’m asking you why the hell was Ace in a damn cellar when you found him?”

Carson moved closer to her, trying to soothe her. “We think Park hid Ace in the cellar to buy time. To try and escape before he got caught. Obviously, it didn’t work. But that’s where the paramedics found him. One of the officers had me come into the house to get you, and I happened to be there when they brought him out of the cellar. That’s when I talked to him.”

“Oh,” Nancy said softly. Her shoulders were trembling. 

Carson carefully reached for her hands again, and this time, she let him take them.

“You okay?” he asked her quietly.

She forced a nod. “Yeah. I just..now I know where they took us. Why they separated us before… before we were found. I remember lying on the floor and wondering where they took him.”

“It’s okay,” Carson said. “You don’t have to talk about it now.”

Nancy took a deep breath. “You know…if anyone had to find Ace, after what he’d been through…I’m glad it was you. That it was you and Ryan.” 

Carson managed a small smile. “I’m just glad we got you both out of there.”

“I’m sorry you had to see us like that. I know it must not have been easy.”

“Nancy, you have nothing to be sorry about. Not one thing. And you’re right: none of this has been easy for any of us. But it will get easier. You and Ace will heal. And you guys will go home.”

“Yeah,” Nancy whispered. “I know. It just sucks.” She let out a teary laugh, moving to wipe away a tear with her knuckle. And when a tear spilled down her other cheek, Carson reached up to wipe it away with the pad of his thumb. Nancy steeled herself to not flinch, to not jump away this time.

It’s your father. He’s not going to hurt you, she told herself. You’re safe.

But the thought of being unable to let her own father touch her made her jaw tremble, and soon, Nancy was sobbing, head bowed with her hair falling down her face.

“Hey,” Carson whispered. “It’s okay.”

He felt his own heart breaking inside his chest, watching his daughter shake in front of him. He carefully brought his hands up her shoulders to pull her to him, which she obeyed by crawling into his arms. Careful to not hurt her ribs, Nancy slowly brought her legs up to curl into his lap. There, she buried her face into Carson’s chest and cried.

And just like when she was little, whenever she woke up from a nightmare, Carson hugged Nancy to him and rocked her back and forth. 

Slowly, he felt her breathing steady, and her sobs gradually faded to small hiccups. But her grip on his jacket was tight, and she never moved to leave his arms.

“We’re going to get through this. You’re not alone in any of this,” he told her. He felt Nancy nod against his chest.

Then the door clicked open, and he looked up to see a nurse, the doctor, and a radiologist technician entering the room. Behind them, they wheeled in a tall machine of sorts.

“Hey,” the doctor said softly, taking in the scene before her. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Carson said. “Just taking a moment.”

The woman gave a small smile. “Do you need us to give you some privacy for a few minutes?”

“No, no. You’re fine.” Carson let Nancy unfold herself out of his arms, going to slowly lean back against her pillows in the bed. She let out a wince as she turned, trying to settle herself.

The doctor noticed and walked over to the side of the bed. “How are your ribs doing? Your nurse said that you mentioned you were in quite a bit of discomfort.”

“They’re more sore than usual,” Nancy admitted. “I think I moved around too much in such a short amount of time. But I can’t get comfortable.”

“We’ll get you checked out,” the doctor assured her, gesturing for the technician to come over to join them. “Since we don’t want to risk moving you around so much, we brought a portable x-ray machine to get a closer look at what’s going on.”

The nurse came over to prep Nancy for the x-ray, shooing Carson away from the bed so they could have more room. In the corner of the room, he watched as Nancy was made to lie still on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He couldn’t help but take note of her pale face, her glassy eyes, and the way she kept squeezing her eyes at the flash of the machine.

But soon, the machine was pulled away, and the doctor took careful care of Nancy’s concussion to only turn on the small lamp in the corner of the room. “Okay, once we have the results up, we’ll let you know what we find,” she told Nancy. “Your nurse here is going to make sure you shower and get some medication. Try to lay low and don’t be afraid to ask for help, okay?”

“Thank you,” Nancy told her, offering a small smile. With a nod to Carson, the doctor and radiologist left, shutting the door behind them.

“You alright?” Carson checked, and she nodded, pushing her hair back.

“I think I’ll feel better once I have a hot shower,” she said. “And some food.”

“That’s a good idea. Do you need any water or anything before?”

Nancy shook her head slowly. “I just want a shower.”

“Okay. I’ll be in the hallway making a few calls.”

Carson stepped out into the corridor as the nurse helped Nancy to the bathroom. There, the shower was turned on, and the nurse removed her bandages and let down her hair from the messy bun. Seeing as Nancy couldn’t lift her arms above her head, she helped brush out the knots in her hair, until her red locks were smooth and free of any tangles. After covering her stitches with a plastic cover, the nurse left so Nancy could have some privacy. 

There, Nancy stood under the hot water for a long time. She tried to fight the dizziness, the nausea, the white stars that had been dancing across her vision ever since she came back to her room. It was the first time she was alone by herself in almost a week and a half. Surely she could stick it out for the next half hour to enjoy her damn shower.

Gritting her teeth, she pressed a hand to the shower wall next to her as the room spun around her.

Maybe she should have taken up Carson’s offer on some water before.

When the hot water and steam made her sweat and begin to sway harder on her feet, she shut off the faucet. Nearly stumbling out of the shower, she managed to pat her skin dry, and leaving her hair wet and still streaming with water, pulled on the sweatpants and sweatshirt offered on the counter.

But she must have moved too fast, because one moment, she was turning to leave the bathroom.

And the next, she was collapsing to the tiles.

The last thing she heard before her vision went dark was a crack.

Notes:

i couldn't let the plot remain peaceful for too long, could I?
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don't worry, im sure nancy will be just fine. right?
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and i promise, Ryan and the crew will make more appearances in the next chapters! i just couldn't resist writing my favorite dad-daughter duo again.
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kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! <3

Chapter 23

Summary:

Ace reunites with his friends, and Carson and Ryan find out about Nancy.

Notes:

for mckenzie. <3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Carson stepped out into the hallway, cracking the door behind him as he found Ryan’s number.

The man picked up on the second ring. “Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me. Just got Nancy back to her room. She’s taking a shower, so I thought I’d call and check in with everyone.”

“Well, apart from going stir crazy over here, we’re fine. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve lost to George over poker.”

“Please tell me you weren’t using real money.”

“Well-”

Then George was speaking, her voice triumphant. “I won a whole three hundred dollars from him!”

“Ryan-” Carson started, but he was interrupted again.

“She said she’d pay me back in tuna melt sandwiches when we get home, so what’s the harm?”

“The harm is that you’re still broke and can’t afford to be losing money right now.”

“Ouch. Okay, fine, I’ll stop betting money. We can use something else.”

“We are not playing strip poker, before you get any ideas.” That was Nick, now, his voice carrying a warning tone, like it had been suggested before.

“Now why would you think I’d ever say something like that?”

“Ryan.” That was all three of them now, Bess joining as well.

“Anyways-” Carson said loudly, trying to gain back control of the conversation. “The doctor said that if Nancy and Ace continue to do well this week, they’ll be moved out of the intensive care unit to primary care. And if it’s all smooth sailing after that, we’ll get to bring Nancy and Ace home. But-” He raised his voice over the cheers on the other end of the line. “They’ll need to be transported to Horseshoe Bay’s local hospital for an overnight stay or two. If they still continue to do well, they’ll finally be able to sleep in their own beds.”

There was clapping and more cheers. “Can we come see them?” Bess asked. “Just for a few minutes? Surely if they’re doing so well, they can have visitors, right?”

“I’ll ask if you guys can come see Ace. Nancy just got back to her room, and I want to make sure she’s settled before she sees any visitors.”

“Okay!” multiple voices chorused, and Carson said his goodbyes before hanging up. He moved down the hall to find a nurse, which didn’t take long. After explaining to him their situation, Carson managed to convince him to let Ace see his friends.

Seeing as Nancy was still in the shower, with the nurse on standby, Carson went to bring the others up to the hospital floor, meeting them at the elevators. He was greeted with a clap on the shoulder from Nick, and a hug from Bess. George and Ryan were immersed in a conversation of their own, and Carson was privy to the fact that they were still arguing over Ryan’s lost three hundred dollars.

“Okay, you guys have to be quiet,” he shushed them. “It might surprise you to find out that we’re not the only ones here.”

The group fell silent, like school children waiting to line up for recess. With a nurse’s permission, Carson led the four of them down the hall to Ace’s room.

“Just be mindful that he had major abdominal surgery, so please be gentle,” he told them. The group nodded in response. Carson knocked on the door lightly. “Hey, Ace,” he called, turning the doorknob. “Someone’s here to see you.”

Ace turned his head at the man’s voice, eyes widening at the group that followed him into the room.

“What, what are you guys-” he began to say, sitting up slowly, but was interrupted by Bess sliding to sit on the edge of the bed, throwing her arms around him as gently as possible. Ace let out a soft grunt, surprised, but returned the hug tightly.

And soon, Nick was sitting next to Ace’s side in the bed, looping an arm over his shoulders. George crawled over to the other side to worm her way between Ace and Bess. Ace moved one of his arms from around Bess to hug her to his side, and soon, the four of them were nearly piled on top of each other in a long-awaited reunion.

Ryan couldn’t resist taking a photo.

“Are you okay?” George asked, her voice muffled from where it was buried in Ace’s shoulder.

They heard Ace’s voice crack as he spoke. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. Better now that you guys are here.”

Nick squeezed his friend’s shoulder, and even though he wouldn’t admit to it, Carson saw him blink back a few tears.

“It’s so good to see you again,” Bess told Ace softly, sniffing. “How are you feeling?” She pulled away to talk to him, wiping away a stray tear. “You look better.”

“I feel better,” Ace admitted. “They have me on some pretty good drugs, and I’ve been sleeping basically the entire time I’ve been here.”

“How’s your side?”

At that, George gasped, flinching away from Ace as if his skin was red hot. “Oh, did I hurt you? I didn’t mean to, I-”

Ace reached out to touch her shoulder reassuringly. “You’re fine. You didn’t hurt me, I promise. I didn’t feel anything.”

“Are you sure?” George’s eyes were wide, glancing from Ace's face to his abdomen. 

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

The woman let out a soft sigh of relief. “Good.” Ace offered his arm out to her, and she carefully moved to snuggle up under it, going the extra length to put a pillow between her and his side.

Soon, the four of them were chatting away, Bess telling Ace the story of how Ryan lost to George in poker. The man in question kept interrupting to add details of his own, making George retort with a witty comeback. Eventually, Carson had to pull Ryan aside before it got too loud, which made Ace laugh.

“Ow, guys, you can’t-” Ace started, dissolving into giggles when Ryan made a face at George. But it seemed like the pain wasn’t significant, as Ace kept laughing.

It made Carson smile. He hadn’t seen Ace this happy ever since…before the safe house.

Then the door to the room opened, and the two dads turned their heads to see a nurse rushing in. They recognized her as Nancy’s primary. But Carson’s smile faltered when he saw the look on the woman’s face.

“You have to come with me,” she said to the two of them. “Nancy passed out.”

She didn’t have to say another word-Carson had already bolted out of the room the moment his daughter was mentioned.

He wasn’t the only one who heard the nurse-the last thing Carson heard was Ace calling after him, with worried murmurs from Nick, Bess, and George. Soon, Ryan had joined Carson at the doorway to Nancy’s hospital room.

“What-” he began, peering over Carson’s shoulder.

A nurse was bending over Nancy on the bed, a blood pressure cuff around the woman’s arm.

“What happened?” Carson snapped, joining him at the side of the bed. “I only left for-”

“She passed out after her shower. She’s dehydrated, and the hot water caused her blood pressure to drop. She’s coming around now, but we need x-ray to come down and take a look at her ribs.”

Nancy’s sweatshirt had been pulled up to her chest, exposing the lower half of her ribcage. Even through the bruises from her abuse in the safe house, Carson spotted fresh, red marks on her skin.

“Are they broken? Her ribs?” he asked, his voice merely a breath.

“It’s a possibility. But I’ll need an x-ray to prove it before we begin to panic.”

Nancy let out a loud groan, eyelids fluttering as she began to rouse. 

“Nancy, can you hear me?” the nurse asked.

The woman turned her head to look at the man, her brow furrowed in pain. “It hurts,” she rasped, her words coming in short breaths.

Then the door was thrown open wider, making Ryan crash into a wall in order to avoid the x-ray machine barreling past. “Okay, everyone who isn’t medical personnel, out, ” the second nurse ordered. Nancy’s doctor followed suit, nodding at Carson and Ryan to leave.

“We’ll take good care of her, I promise,” she told them. “But you can’t be here right now.”

Ryan had to pull Carson away, murmuring to him that they wouldn’t go far.

Outside in the hallway, Ryan stood with his hands on his hips, almost bent in half, while Carson paced the floor.

“I should have picked up on the signs,” he was muttering. “I should have made her drink some water, at least eaten something before she-”

“Carson-” Ryan began, “you couldn’t have known. Sit down before you pass out next.”

“That’s not funny,” Carson warned, and Ryan just sighed, forcing the man over to a chair.

“Just sit and take a breath. Nancy’s being taken care of. What we can do right now is not work ourselves into a panic.”

Carson put his head in his hands, but the sound of heels clicking against the floor made him look up again. 

“Jean?” He blinked, wondering if the attorney walking towards him was real, or a figment of his imagination, conjured up by the panic he was feeling.

“Carson, is everything okay?” The woman joined him at the chair, eyes wide.

“Uh.” Carson blinked again, trying to accept the fact that she was indeed, real. “Um, no. Not really. Um, Nancy passed out, and could have broken her ribs." He realized that he was talking a mile a minute, frantically gesturing towards Nancy's door. Then he stood to his feet, nearly hitting Ryan behind him. "Wha-What are you even doing here?”

It was Jean’s turn to blink, taking in what kind of situation she had walked in on. “It’s Park,” she finally said. “He said he’ll talk. But only if it’s with you.”

Notes:

The Drew Crew just makes me feel all soft and fuzzy inside. i love writing about their friendship.🥺
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considering ending the story here and starting the sequel off with all this chaos....
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or maybe ill just keep it going here. *insert shrug emoji*
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it's been a hot minute since i mentioned my evil man.
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kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! <3

Chapter 24

Summary:

The group stays with Ace as he struggles to process what happened to Nancy, and Carson and Ryan wait to hear from the doctors.
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nace reunion is secured for a second time here, don't worry :)
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also very sorry for the delay in updating new chapters, the creative juices were not flowing this week. or last week.
----
enjoy!

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The moment the nurse had come in, Ace could tell from the look on her face that something was wrong.

And he knew he was right when Carson fled from the room without a word, leaving Ryan behind to look from the doorway to the four huddled on the bed, and back to the door again to finally take off after Carson.

When he had moved to leave the room, almost instinctively Ace threw the blankets off himself to try and follow him. 

He knew that had been a mistake when he let out a yelp at the pain when he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Groaning, he couldn’t fight it when Nick grabbed his shoulder to gently push him back into the bed. Bess quickly reached out to grab the fabric of his sweatpants to keep him from going anywhere, eventually taking hold of his legs and swinging them back onto the bed.

“No, let me go,” Ace started, trying to push her off of him. “It’s Nancy, I have to-”

“The last thing we need is you hurting yourself or getting in the way of whatever is going on,” George told him, with a hand on his forearm. 

A nurse tried to step from the other side of the room to help assist, but when Bess shook her head at him, he froze. Watching the group carefully for any signs that he would, in fact, have to intervene, he managed to move up to the foot of the bed.

“You don’t understand-” Ace tried again. “I told her I’d be there, that I’d-”

“Ace,” Bess interrupted, grabbing both of his hands in hers. “Look at me.” Eyes wide, it took all of Ace’s self-control to obey her. “Whatever’s happening, Nancy has some of the best doctors here taking care of her. And she has her dads with her. I know she’ll be okay. You just have to-”

“You don’t know that.” Ace’s breath hitched. “You don’t know half the shit she went through. The things she’s seen. She hasn’t gone one night without a nightmare ever since we got taken, and she could be alone right now-”

“But she isn’t-” Bess began, but she was cut off again.

Ace pulled his hands out of hers’, trying to shrink away from the three of them huddled around him. 

He continued, almost angry now. “I know she’s hurt, that she’s in pain, that she’s scared out of her mind. And I was always there-” His breath hitched when he briefly remembered their separation in the safe house.

How cold the cellar had been without Nancy pressed up against his side. 

She was always there for me when I was hurt and scared.” Ace pushed the blankets further off him. “And now you’re telling me I can’t be-” He knew it was futile, but he still tried to wriggle through Bess and Nick, in an attempt to get off the bed. He let out a hiss when his wound pulled, but he didn’t care.

George was the one to move this time, grabbing his forearm again, and with Nick’s help, pulled him back to the bed. “Because you’re only going to get in the way,” sbe told Ace. “I know that’s not what you want to hear, but if Nancy’s hurt then we have to let her doctors have the space to take care-”

“But I told her I was going to be there,” he said, almost loudly. He knew his voice was edging on fear, nearly shaky with tears. And he hated that they were seeing him like this.

“I know,” Bess whispered, resting a hand on his leg. “I know. But it’s not your fault that you can’t right now.”

Ace could feel his chest start to heave, his eyes prick with unshed tears. His mouth parted to let out a strangled sob, and he quickly clenched his teeth together, fighting back another cry.

“Oh, Ace.” Bess carefully slid closer to her friend, opening her arms to embrace him. 

The dam finally broke, and Ace nearly collapsed onto her shoulder, burying his head in the crook of his neck. George carefully slid a hand up his back to rub small circles, and Nick rested his own hand on the back of Ace’s neck.

“I said I’d be there,” Ace repeated, voice thick and muffled. “I said…I’d be there.”

“I know,” Bess murmured, and said nothing else.

Ace could feel his face contort in pain at the thought of Nancy on the floor alone, unconscious and in pain. His breath caught when he could nearly see Carson and Ryan fighting to be by her side in her hospital room, and with another sob, wondered just how badly she was hurt.

“I can’t see her, can I?” Ace tried again, his voice hoarse.

“Not right now,” Nick whispered. “I’m sorry.”

And there curled up on the bed, Bess held onto Ace while he shook in her arms.

******************

Carson had barely a moment to process what Jean had just said to him when the door to Nancy’s room swung open. The doctor stepped out, closing the door shut behind her. Ryan strained to see into the room, and caught a glimpse of Nancy on her back, looking up at a nurse.

Carson nearly fell out of his chair standing to meet the doctor, eyes wide. “How is she? Is she okay? What-”

The doctor held up a hand to interrupt, and the man closed his mouth. “Nancy’s stable now, and she’s resting. She took a pretty bad fall, but the good news is that she’s going to be fine.”

“Something tells me that there’s bad news following this,” Ryan said, crossing his arms over his chest.

The doctor nodded slowly. “When Nancy first arrived here, she had initial x-rays taken before she was admitted. All we saw was major bruising, which isn’t rare to see when someone’s suffered abdominal injuries. But unfortunately, a hairline fracture wasn’t detected by the machines, and we missed it. When Nancy passed out and hit the floor, she made the fracture worse and some of her ribs cracked all the way through. Luckily, it isn’t a major break. Nothing was punctured, but we do want to make sure that there isn’t anything else we’re missing. So in a few minutes, we’re going to take Nancy down to take a CT scan.” She looked at the two men expectantly.

Carson and Ryan just stared back, processing what she had just told them.

“Okay,” Carson finally said slowly. “What about her concussion? Did she hit her head?”

The doctor nodded. “Yes, we’re going to take a look when we get her to CT.”

That seemed to be the only question either father could think of, and wordlessly stood to the side so the nurses could wheel Nancy’s bed out of the room. 

Carson bumped into Jean and startled. He’d forgotten she had been there.

“I’m sorry, Jean. I can’t talk right now,” he told her. “You have to understand-”

“No, I know,” Jean said. “I know. I can come back another time. I don’t have a problem with letting Nelson squirm in his cell for a little while longer.” She hesitated for a moment. “Will you update me on Nancy? If that’s okay for me to ask?”

“Of course,” Carson replied. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Okay.” With a small smile, Jean left the group, walking back towards the elevators.

Carson didn’t have a chance to watch her go, as Nancy’s bed was pushed out of the room. His daughter was lying on her back, propped up halfway by the headboard. She looked at him through half-closed eyes, her breath fogging up the oxygen mask over her nose.

“Hey.” Ryan and Carson stepped up to her side, both grabbing onto the rail of the bed. 

“How are you doing?” Ryan asked her.

Nancy just gave a thumbs up, too exhausted to talk. She dropped the hand to let it rest over both Ryan and Carson’s, to let them know that she was okay.

Well, okay as she could be. 

Carson slipped his hand out from under her’s to grab onto it, squeezing her hand gently.

“We have to move,” the doctor told them gently, gesturing for them to walk with her as Nancy was wheeled down the hallway. 

Wordlessly, Ryan and Carson fell in step next to the bed, taking in some sort of comfort listening to Nancy’s ragged breathing.

It let them know that she was alive, that she was still fighting.

That she was strong enough to make it through whatever she faced.

Holding onto Nancy’s hand, Carson drew strength from it, knowing that she was still here with them. He couldn’t help but fight back tears that threatened to surface.

Hadn’t she been through enough already?

Resisting the urge to tighten his grip around Nancy’s hand, Carson walked down the hallway, and all he could think about was Nelson Park.

And how he would love nothing more than to lunge across a room and put him in the ground.

He says he’ll talk. But only if it’s with you.

Carson gritted his teeth. How dare he try to make any sort of demand with him?

If there was only one agreement he was going to settle on with Nelson, it was how much prison time he deserved. And even then, he wouldn’t stop until he was certain he’d never see the man again.

With the blood roaring in his ears, Carson barely stopped in time with the gurney when the nurses pulled it to a halt. Ryan had to grab him by the back of the shirt to keep him from knocking into the doctor.

They must have heard something, because every head was turned to look behind them.

“Wait!” someone was calling.

A series of yelps followed. “Ace!” 

“Ace?” Nancy gasped, tilting her head up to try and look behind her.

When a figure nearly propelled himself into the hallway, she struggled to sit up in the bed, clawing for the oxygen mask around her face.

“Nancy!” A nurse and her two fathers scrambled to lean her back before she hurt herself again, quickly fastening the mask back over her nose.

“Get off…me,” Nancy rasped, struggling to push them away. “Ace-!”

“Nancy.” With the help of a nurse, who had no choice but to run and assist him, Ace was brought over to the side of the bed. 

“What are you doing out of bed?” the doctor hissed. “You know better than to-”

“I’m so sorry,” George started, coming up to the group.

“We thought he was asleep,” Bess tried to continue.

“But he saw Nancy and made a run for it,” Nick finished. 

But Ace made no move to defend himself, reaching to hold onto Nancy’s hand. She took it in hers gratefully, trying to smile over the mask. Eventually, she pulled it down her face, letting it hang around her neck.

“Are you okay?” Ace asked her.

She nodded. “Yeah,” she said, her voice hoarse. “I think so. Just sore.”

“What happened?”

Nancy looked awkward now. “I must have been too dehydrated,” she said. “Broke a few ribs in the process but-” She had to cut herself off, wincing at how talking stretched her ribcage.

“Okay, I’m sorry to cut this short, but we have to get Nancy to CT,” the doctor said. “I can’t risk losing any time or information we need. And you, sir-” She pointed at Ace, “-need to get back in bed before you hurt yourself, too.” She pointed her finger at the three friends standing behind him. “Until visiting hours are done, for his sake, make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

“If anyone around here is going to do something stupid, it’s Ryan,” Bess cracked, and Ryan made a noise of indignation. 

“I mean it,” the doctor said sternly, which earned Bess an elbow in the side from George. “Take him back to his room, and make sure he stays there.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the group chorused. Nick reached out to touch Ace’s shoulder, who had been lost in conversation with Nancy.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Ace was fretting, and Nancy was cracking a small smile.

“I’ll be okay. I’ll see you in a little bit,” she promised him, her voice raspy.

“I’ll be here,” Ace told her, almost intensely. Like it was something he had told her countless times. Carefully, he pulled the oxygen mask up her face, adjusting it over her nose.

Nancy nodded, letting him fix the straps around her head.

“Okay, let’s go,” the doctor urged, already beginning to pull the bed away. Ace and Nancy quickly grabbed onto each other’s hand, squeezing before they were forced to let go.

And Nick stood with his hand on Ace’s shoulder, and the four of them watched Nancy move further down the hallway.

Notes:

i love my found family.
-----
kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! <3

Chapter 25

Summary:

Ace confesses why he doesn't want to go home.

Notes:

hello. I have nothing to say for myself, except that the season finale sucked all the motivation out of me. but no worries! I am slowly crawling out of this rabbit hole I have found myself in.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The good news was Nancy only broke three ribs in her fall.

The bad news was she was confined to her bed for two weeks.

The better news in all the chaos was that Ace was going home in three days. His doctors discussed his progress with his parents, pleased at how well the incision was healing and that there was no sign of infection. They agreed to move Ace down to primary care so he could officially start his physical therapy, and referred him to a therapist in Horseshoe Bay for when he got home.

But the hard part was getting Ace to agree. He sat in a chair in his room, arms crossed over his chest. Apart from the expression he wore on his face, he was looking better than he had in weeks. Nick had gone with Ace’s parents to grab some of his personal belongings from home, bringing back his favorite t-shirts and jeans, which he wore now.

His bruises were just beginning to fade, with color returning to his face. His hair was clean, and from where he sat, a passerby could barely tell there was a swathe of bandages under his shirt. But the one thing that hadn’t changed since Ace’s rescue from the safe house was the separation anxiety that had set in.

“Ace,” Rebecca tried again. “You are healing wonderfully. The doctor wants to-” 

“I am not leaving Nancy,” Ace interrupted, his voice low. 

“Nancy is going to be okay,” his mom told him. “The doctors are certain now that there isn’t anything to worry about.”

“That’s what we all thought before she passed out.”

Rebecca visibly paled at that, and when she opened her mouth to speak again, Thom began signing to their son, from where he stood behind his wife.

Nancy is in good hands. Her dads are here, and didn’t the doctors say she was starting to sleep through the night?

That’s what Nancy would tell them, Ace replied, hands matching his father’s speed rather aggressively. I know her, I know she’s had nightmares and bad dreams. I can’t leave her if she’s still-

Ace. Thom held up his hands to stop his son before signing again. At this point, there is no use in keeping you here longer than need to be. The sooner you go home, the sooner Nancy can, too. But she needs her space, and time by herself.

Ace looked hurt. You’re saying I can’t be around her?

Thom shook his head. I never said that. All I said was that you both need your own space. You will get no further in your healing if you’re letting yourself fall behind so Nancy can catch up. She’s strong, she’ll get to where you are soon. But you can’t stay in this hospital if there’s no reason for you to. So come home, okay? 

Ace sagged in his chair as pitifully as he could, and tilted his head back against the wall behind him.

His parents stood there blinking at him for a moment, letting a strained sort of silence fall over the three of them. Finally, Ace reached up to rub his eyes, and he could only manage a nod and a soft “Okay.” His mother reached out and carefully squeezed his hand. 

“I’ll go talk to the doctors,” she told him, and stood to leave.

Thom waited for his wife to leave before pulling up a chair next to Ace. He waited patiently for his son to turn his head towards him before asking him a question.

Is there something else that makes you not want to come home?

Ace stared up at the ceiling, eyes wide so tears wouldn’t spill over. He didn’t want to cry.

Finally, he lifted a hand.

If we drive home, he began, we’ll pass Icarus Hall. Past the place where we crashed.

Thom’s brow creased in concern. We don’t have to take that route home.

I know. But I’ll have to drive past it someday. I’ll have to relive the same memories that I see in my nightmares almost every night. I just…I don’t want to do it alone. I don’t want to go home alone.

You know you’re never alone, right? I’m here. Your mother’s here. Your friends are here.

I know. Ace swallowed. But I was alone a lot of the time…back at the safe house. Either Nancy was passed out or we were separated. We never spent a lot of time awake together. But even in it all, she was my only constant. She was the only one who took care of me. And now that I have to go home….it feels like I’m leaving her behind. Like I’m reaching the finish line faster than her.  He sucked in a breath. I thought that we would go home together. And it feels wrong that I’m leaving first. 

Thom didn’t respond for a while. But he did reach out to rest a hand on top of Ace’s, to make him look at him. He nearly faltered when he saw tears streaking Ace’s face and reached out to wipe one of them away. He slid his chair closer to him and began to sign again.

I know it feels like you’re abandoning Nancy. Like you’re leaving her behind. But it may surprise you to know that you’re not. You’re just…going home. There’s no instance here in which you’re abandoning her. Nancy is just moving at a slower pace than you are, and that’s okay. There’s no race to healing; you both suffered very different injuries and so your healing processes are going to be different. She’ll be coming home soon, and you’ll be able to see her then. She has doctors and nurses here, and her fathers, so she’ll be okay. I promise.

Everything Thom said made sense. There was no threat here. No one said anything, but Ace noticed a significant influx of security in the halls, and they were never left alone for more than an hour at a time. 

Logically, realistically, Nancy would be safe here.

But that didn’t stop the anxiety from working its way to Ace’s stomach. 

When he never responded, his father patted Ace’s hand to get his attention.

You won’t have to move rooms for a while yet. Would it help if you saw Nancy before you leave?

Almost immediately, Ace nodded.

Thom told him to wait, and went to go find Rebecca. Soon, they returned with a nurse and a wheelchair, which Ace refused to use.

“I can walk,” he told them, and was allowed to do so, but only if he had someone supporting him.

While he was still incredibly sore, Ace found it easier and easier to take the trip down the hall. His primary nurse had been insistent on getting him to walk at least ten minutes a day, down to the elevators and back. While it hurt like hell for the first few days, Ace had to admit that it helped with the stiffness that set in. And he felt stronger, clearer.

“Are you sure you can make it down to Nancy’s room?” Rebecca asked him, her brow creased in concern.

Ace nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

Wordlessly, his parents stood on either side, helping to escort him down the hall. It was slow-moving, but they didn’t care. Carefully, Ace quite literally shuffled down the hall, wincing softly at the initial pain that had set in. But soon, he was able to lengthen his stride, and passed the elevators almost at full speed.

Then there was cheering from further down the hall, and Ace looked up to see Ryan and Carson standing outside Nancy’s room with big smiles on their faces.

“Look at you go!” Ryan encouraged. “All by yourself!”

“Yeah,” Ace replied, a slight pant in his words. The man jogged over to walk the last few steps with Ace, a hand on his shoulder. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked, and Ace managed a nod.

“Hanging in there,” he replied. 

“Ace is being moved down to primary care later this afternoon, and he wanted to see Nancy before he goes,” Rebecca told the two dads.

“That’s great! I’m assuming you’ll be going home soon?” Carson asked.

Ace nodded again, pushing aside the anxiety that sparked at the thought of going home without Nancy.

The response was another cheer from Ryan, who clapped him on the shoulder. 

“Nancy won’t be too far behind you,” Carson told him. “She’s already fighting the nurses to let her out of bed, and it’s only been two days.” 

“How has she been doing?” Rebecca asked him.

“Good. She’s not happy about her current situation, obviously, but she’s on the mend. We’ll just have to keep a close eye on her until she starts showing significant signs of improvement. Then, we’ll discuss when she gets to go home.”

“You know I can hear you guys,” a voice called from the room, and every head turned towards the sound.

“Nancy, you okay?” Carson asked, stepping into the room. Ryan and Ace followed suit, with Rebecca and Thom a few steps behind. 

“I’m fine!” was the exasperated response, coming from Nancy who was sitting in bed, propped up by the elevated headboard. She was hugging a pillow to her chest, blankets in a heap down by her feet. Apart from the bandage plastered over her forehead and her pale face, she was looking much better than she had before she went for her CAT scan.

And her eyes were bright when she saw Ace peering over Carson’s shoulder. “Ace? What are you doing here?” She couldn’t stop a smile from curving the corners of her mouth, and she sat up straighter in the bed.

Ace made his way over to the chair next to Nancy’s bed, and with a hand on his arm, Ryan helped Ace ease himself into the seat.

“Just wanted to see you,” he started, suddenly hesitant at telling Nancy he was going home soon.

With a quick glance over at the parents in the corner, Ace made it clear that he wanted to be alone with her for a few minutes. Rebecca and Carson got the message, pulling their respective parent out of the room with them. 

“We’ll be just outside!” Ryan called before the door shut.

Shaking his head, Ace turned back to Nancy in the bed, who had turned on her side to face him. It was clear she’d picked up on Ace’s small cues, because her eyes were now round with curiosity, and they read Ace’s apprehensive face.

“You look like you’re about to tell me my dog just died,” she joked.

Ace took a deep breath. “I’m going home,” he said. “In a few days.”

Nancy blinked once, then twice. Then she smiled. “Ace, that’s wonderful,” she told him. “That’s really great.” She reached across the bed for Ace’s hand, which he met her halfway with. On the bed, she squeezed his hand. “You don’t look so happy about that,” she said gently.

Ace let out the breath he’d been holding. “I wish you were coming home with me,” he admitted. “It feels wrong, leaving you here alone.”

“Oh, Ace.” Nancy squeezed his hand again. “You’re not leaving me. Especially not by myself-I haven’t known peace since I…passed out a few days ago. Carson and Ryan won’t leave me alone,” she tried to crack.

“But that’s what I’m worried about. What if something happens and I’m not here?” Ace bit his lip. “We haven’t really been apart since we first got taken, and even if something happened, we were always together. I don’t….” He took a deep breath again.

“I know,” Nancy said softly. “I know it’s scary. But it’s a good thing, too. It means you’re getting better and that you’re healing. And when you’re back home, you’ll feel more comfortable.”

“But what if home doesn’t feel comfortable?” Ace admitted. “It’s where we crashed…where we were taken. I’m afraid that if I go back, I’ll have to remember everything that happened. And I don’t really want to see Florence crashing again.”

Nancy let out a small exhale. “I know,” she said again. “I know it’ll probably bring back awful memories. But remember that Horseshoe Bay is where you grew up, where we saw fireworks on the Fourth of July, where we always make George mad for not showing up for work. There are still good things there.”

“Yeah,” Ace murmured, leaning forward to cross his arms on the bed and resting his chin on top. “I’d feel better if you were coming, though.”

Nancy reached out to brush a few strands of hair out of his face. “Me too. But I’ll be okay, Ace. We both will. And you’ll be there when I come home.”

Ace nodded and didn't say anything. He let Nancy gently play with his hair, trying to assure himself that it was okay to go home.

“You okay?” Nancy checked. 

Ace shrugged. “Not really. I just hate feeling this weak.”

“You’re not weak,” she said, almost immediately. He looked up at her, and she took in the look on his face, the fading cuts and bruises, the dark circles under his eyes. And she reached down to carefully trace the cut that wove through his eyebrow. It’d scabbed over now, nearly faded, but it was still prominent on Ace’s pale face.

“You’re not weak,” she repeated, moving to cup his cheek in her hand. “You’re just hurting. And still processing. It’s natural, in this case.”

Ace made a face, scrunching his nose. “It’s never been like me to…to cower and run and hide. It feels like there’s something wrong with me, and I…” He let out a breath, leaning into Nancy’s hand. “I don’t feel like myself.” 

“And believe me when I say that it’s okay. No one is asking you to act like you’re fine and nothing happened. Because you’re not. None of us are okay right now. But that in itself…it’s okay. You’re strong, Ace. The fact that you’re still here and getting to go home is proof of that.”

Nancy tilted forward and pressed a kiss to Ace’s hair. He leaned into it almost as if it were second-nature and closed his eyes as he breathed in citrus and cloves. 

“What would I ever do without you?” he murmured quietly, and felt Nancy smile.

“Mmm, probably still working as a dishwasher with a single earring and a baseball cap,” she joked. “Sneaking outside to take a smoke break before George catches you.”

“I still wear that snapback, I’ll have you know,” Ace replied.

Nancy glanced at his ear. “But not the earring,” she pointed out. “Are you ever going to start wearing it again?”

Ace smiled. “If you want me to.”

She matched his grin. “I do, actually. I miss it.”

“I didn’t know you were so attached.”

“Mmm. Not to the earring. More so the person who wore it.”

Their smiles could have mirrored each other’s, which was refreshing to see. In all the pain, hurt, and fear, a smile was rare nowadays.

And seeing Nancy smile made Ace feel like everything was going to be okay.

Like maybe going home wouldn’t be so bad after all.

But that didn’t mean he wanted to leave Nancy just yet.

That’s why when Ryan and Carson returned with Ace’s parents, they found their kids curled up in bed together again, sleeping soundly.

“I guess we don’t have to move Ace until tomorrow,” Rebecca said fondly, taking in how Nancy was holding on tightly to the front of Ace’s shirt, and how Ace had tangled his legs up in hers.

“They might as well just be joined at the hip at this point,” Ryan joked.

So, leaving the pair under the supervision of a nurse, the parents quietly left the room, shutting the door behind them. They’d come and get Ace when it was lighter outside.

Notes:

aren't they just the cutest?
----
not ready to let go of my angsty hospital babies just yet, but I need to start wrapping this story up before I accidentally kill someone.
----
kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! hope you all are still enjoying :)

Chapter 26

Summary:

Ace goes home.

Notes:

I promise you, I did not forget about this story - school has led to my writing motivation being completely shot but it's slowly coming back!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Bess huffed as she pulled Ace’s heavy duty bag down the hall towards the elevators. “For someone who came to the hospital with nothing, you’re leaving with a lot more than I expected to carry.”

“If you’re going to blame anyone, blame Nick and my parents,” Ace replied, a smile on his face as he watched his platanchor struggle with the bag again. “And if you need help-”

“No, you are going to stand there looking all pretty and let me do all the heaving lifting,” Bess immediately said. “I am not going to be the reason you popped your stitches right before you left the hospital. The nurses, your parents, and Nancy’s dads will have my head if-”

“Relax. I’m not gonna do anything,” Ace assured her. “But there’s always a nurse or some staff member who can help.”

“I wish they had a trolley, like what the hotel doormen use for luggage. Now that would be a big help.”

“Do doormen even exist anymore?” he wondered aloud, adjusting the hoodie around his neck. 

Bess just shrugged as she resumed pulling the duty bag down the hallway. “Not in Horseshoe Bay, they don't.” At that she smiled. “Are you happy to be going home?”

Ace slowed his stride so he could walk besides her. “Yeah,” he said, more confident now than the last time he talked about home. “It’ll be good to finally sleep in my own bed. And to see everyone again.”

George and Nick had gone back to Horseshoe Bay a couple of days after Ace was moved down into primary care, saying that the Claw and youth center could only be left unattended for so long. But a glance between the pair told Ace that something else was back in Horseshoe Bay for them. He barely had a chance to interrogate them before they’d swept out of the room, calling a goodbye and ‘see you soon!’ over their shoulders.

Ryan and Carson were spending the majority of their time with Nancy, which was understandable, given the redheaded’s condition. But they never failed to stop by Ace’s room at least twice a day, bringing his favorite pastry from the hospital bakery and coffee for his parents. Ace once asked Carson if he was going back to Horseshoe Bay to work on the case, and the man answered that he had been taken off.

Carson gave a reassuring smile, shrugging his shoulders. “Conflict of interest,” he added. “And besides, it wasn’t like I was going to go back anytime soon. Not with Nancy still here.”

And it was true-after Jean’s abrupt visit the day Nancy collapsed, she had called Carson that night, telling him that due to the nature of the case, and who was involved, that it was better if Carson was removed from the case and representing Asher Davies.

“You’re too close,” Jean had told him. “I’m afraid that the case will be compromised and Nelson won’t get the justice he deserves.”

“I understand.” Carson had glanced over to Nancy’s sleeping form as he spoke. Besides her in a chair, Ryan slept soundly, almost snoring with his head tilted back. “And it’s for the best. I probably won’t be coming home until Nancy does, too.”

“Tell her I send her my regards. The whole firm here is praying for a speedy recovery for both Nancy and Ace.”

“Thank you, Jean,” Carson said softly. “That means a lot.”

There was a small, comfortable pause, and then a soft, “Goodnight, Carson.”

“Goodnight. I’ll talk to you soon.”

Then they hung up. And Carson hadn’t heard from her or anyone else since.

Ace had then asked him about Nancy, and Carson smiled. “Much better. She’s still confined to her bed for the next few days, but she’s starting to eat regularly and she took a shower on her own last night. Soon, we’ll start some physical therapy and have her do some laps around the floor. She’s gotta build up strength before she’s moved down to primary care. Then once she shows significant improvement, we’ll discuss taking her home.”

The next day, Ace was told he could go home, and his parents wasted no time packing his things. His shift nurses supplied them with extra gauze, bandages, and medication prescriptions for his continued recovery at home, and one of them was kind enough to give Ace an extra sweatshirt.

So when Rebecca and Thom left to sign their son out of the hospital and to bring the car around, Bess assured them that she could manage the luggage and bring it downstairs.

That proved to be a struggle for the petite brunette as she carried the duty bag down the hall. She had permitted Ace to carry his abundance of medical supplies in a backpack, which swung by his side as he watched his platanchor shuffle her feet to avoid tripping.

“You sure you don’t need help?” he checked again.

“Yes, I am quite certain,” she said. “But if you wouldn’t mind holding the elevator for me-”

Ace pushed the button for her, glad to feel somewhat useful. He could only imagine the boredom he’d face at home, with George ordering him to not come to the Claw or youth center until his surgical staples were removed. 

Maybe he could convince the woman to let him prepare food in the back room. Anything to escape his constant worrying. 

“Ace,” Bess called from inside the elevator, grabbing his hand gently to pull him in with her. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Just thinking about how bored I’m going to be at home.”

“I wouldn’t call it any less boring than this hospital,” Bess joked. “Surely you’ll have things to do to take your mind off of everything.”

“Yeah,” Ace said again. 

Bess regarded him with a glance, knowing that something was on his mind, but knew better than to press. So she leaned against the wall, fiddling with the straps of the bag and watching the numbers count down.

She heard Ace suck in a quick breath when the elevator dipped at the end of their ride, and she was flashed a quick smile. 

“Butterflies,” he explained.

Bess reached out and squeezed his arm. “Let’s get you home, hm?”

Ace smiled again, this one genuine. “Yes, please.”

The pair stepped out of the elevator, just in time to be greeted by Ace’s parents and a nurse. 

About time, Thom joked, smiling as he signed to the two. We were just about to come up and check on you.

I’m fine, Ace promised. Bess was just having a bit of trouble carrying everything, and wouldn’t let me help.

Bess let out an exasperated sigh, clearly understanding the wordless conversation happening in front of her. It’s not my fault Ace packed so much to bring home.

Now it’s my fault? Ace feigned mock offense.

Rebecca smiled, and signed as she spoke. “How about we work on getting the luggage in the car, then you two can continue your discussion on the way home?”

The nurse took that as his cue to step forward and take the heavy duty bag from Bess, who gave it up to him almost too eagerly. Thom took Ace’s backpack from him, walking alongside his son as the four of them walked out of the hospital.

It was sunny out, the sky stormy blue and thick with white clouds. But the wind was mild and swept through Ace’s hair as he stepped out onto the pavement. And when the wind hit him, it brought with it a sense of refreshment. Like he was rediscovering what it was like to be outside again. The most he’d ever gotten in the hospital was when he opened his windows in his room. 

Relieved to be standing in the sun again, he lifted his face to the sky, feeling the warmth soak into his skin. He took in a deep breath, ignoring the twinge of pain that came from the pull on his scar. 

“The sun looks good on you,” he heard someone say. Ace opened his eyes to see his mom standing next to him, a small smile on her face as she watched her son. “Does it feel good?”

“It feels great,” Ace replied. “Like I found something that I lost. If that makes sense.”

Rebecca nodded. “Of course it does. You haven’t been outside in so long.” She reached up to smooth away the hair that had fallen across Ace’s forehead. “It’ll do you some good to have color in your face again.”

“You and Dad might need to get me a hammock. String it up in the backyard,” Ace joked, and his mother laughed. “I’ll stay in it forever.”

“Or maybe we just need to take you to the beach,” she said. “You used to love it when you were little.”

“I remember. Maybe after this whole thing passes-” He gestured to the hospital behind him. “-we can go down to the shore together.”

“Deal.” Rebecca smiled. “We’ll get you all the ice cream you want.”

“Nancy actually got me hooked on sorbet,” Ace told her, as he was led over to the car. “It’s actually better than ice cream.”

“Who are you, and what have you done with my son?” his mom laughed, wrapping her arm around Ace gently. “Come on, let’s get you home, and then you can have all the sorbet you want.”

Ace just smiled as he opened the car door, climbing into the backseat with Bess. She was already making the space comfortable for him, with a pillow and a few blankets gifted from Ace’s nurses. “I had your dad grab the small DVD player from home, the one you said you used to watch movies on all the time when you were little.”

Ace grinned again as Bess pulled out the black box from his duty bag on the car floor. “You remembered?”

“I also got your favorite movies,” she added, holding up as many DVDs as her hands could grasp, and Ace saw an assortment of old Disney and Pixar movies. “Or well, your favorite childhood movies, at least. I think we all need to watch singing forest animals help solve princess’ boy problems every once in a while.”

“I’m starting to get a feeling that you didn’t make my dad bring those just for me,” Ace joked as he pulled a blanket over himself.

“It was either these or the Notebook.”

“Thank God you chose Disney,” Ace moaned. Bess giggled as the car pulled away from the double doors of the hospital, and Ace managed to wave goodbye to his nurses before they disappeared from sight.

“We’re going home!” Bess cheered, wriggling happily in her seat. Ace smiled, watching the hospital grow smaller and smaller out the rearview window. 

“Finally,” he said, but he barely heard himself. He couldn’t help but feel guilty again, like he wasn’t just leaving the hospital behind, but Nancy as well. He had gotten the chance to talk with her over FaceTime the night before, courtesy of Carson and Ryan loaning their phones to the pair before falling asleep on the couches in Nancy’s room. 

“You’re going home tomorrow!” Nancy cheered, her voice slightly altered from the video’s feedback. But her smile was bright, with her eyes crinkling at the corners. It was Ace’s favorite look on her, one that made him automatically smile, too. “How are you feeling?”

“Good,” Ace replied truthfully. “I’m ready to sleep in my bed again. And raid the pantry at two in the morning like I used to do in high school.”

“Ugh, I’m so jealous.” Nancy rolled her eyes playfully, the smile never leaving her face. “What I wouldn’t give to eat some decent food in this place.”

A voice spoke up in the background of Nancy’s video. “It’s not that bad…”

“Ryan, go back to sleep.” Nancy told her dad. She rolled over on the mattress away from the direction of Ryan’s voice, burrowing down in the covers. 

“You look good,” Ace told her. “You don’t seem like you’re in so much pain anymore.”

“I feel good.” Nancy replied. “I mean, sure, my chest is still pretty sore and the doctors are still keeping an eye on my concussion, but I can finally walk and shower without anyone helping me. So I call that a big step in the right direction. Hopefully after some more therapy and rest, I’ll be moved down to primary care.”

“And then you’ll come home.” Ace added.

“And then I’ll come home,” Nancy echoed, smiling again. “Are you excited?”

“About me going home, or you? Because I’d much rather it be you than me.”

“Don’t say that,” Nancy scolded lightly. “I’m not that far behind. And you deserve to feel good,  like you can get out of this hospital. I know you’re slowly going insane staring at these ugly cream walls all day.”

“You have a point. I’ll just go home and stare at my ugly gray walls in my room now. It’ll be a nice change of pace.”

Nancy snorted, laughing. She visibly winced, but kept giggling. “Maybe George will let you go to the Claw and stare at her ugly tan walls, too.”

“I’m gonna be so bored without you,” Ace said, almost pouting. “Bess is most likely going to make me watch the Notebook on repeat with her until the doctors remove my staples.”

The redhead smiled. “Maybe you can just burn the DVD-she’ll never know. She still hasn’t figured out that it was you who knocked over that pail of oven grease on her suede jacket.”

“Well, maybe if she hadn’t dumped out all the stuff from her locker onto the counter, I wouldn’t have done that.” 

“Or maybe if you weren’t so clumsy-”

“Who was it that broke three plates the last time we worked together?”
Nancy let out an exasperated sigh. “That wasn’t my fault-George scared me and I reacted.”

“I thought Nancy Drew wasn’t afraid of anything.”

Nancy tilted her head to the side “Who said I was?”

“Apparently everyone who saw George scare you.”

“Oh, shut up.”

They talked late into the night, making the other laugh so hard that Nancy had to sit up to breathe. But she never let that faze her, insisting that Ace hadn’t hurt her.

They eventually fell asleep together on FaceTime, Nancy dozing off first with Ace quietly sitting in her presence, no matter how digital it was. He couldn’t help but take one photo of her with her nose buried in her covers and her hair falling over her face.

And when Ace found himself growing sleepy too, he didn’t have the heart to end the call. So when Carson came down to retrieve his phone later that night, he stood there quietly watching Ace and his daughter sleep on the phone together. And then, smiling softly, he carefully took the phone out of Ace’s hand, and adjusted the blanket around the young man’s shoulder.

He and Ryan had come down the next morning with Ace’s favorite pastry again, wishing him a safe trip home. 

“Nancy fell back asleep a little while ago, but she wanted us to tell you that she said hi and that she hoped that you don’t get into too much trouble while you’re at home,” Ryan told him, smiling. He squeezed the man’s shoulder. “We’ll see you in a few weeks, okay?”

Ace smiled and nodded. “I’ll see you guys soon.”

And now, he leaned against Bess’ arm, his head on her shoulder as the pair watched the opening credits to a movie on the DVD player. The soft rhythm of the car moving down the highway made him drowsy, and he found himself slipping back into a comfortable sleep on Bess’ shoulder. 

Rebecca looked into the rearview mirror once, wondering why the end credits music was still playing,, and saw the two friends sleeping, Bess’s head resting on top of Ace’s. 

She smiled to herself and turned back to the road.

They were finally going home.

Notes:

i just can't wait to see them again in the fall! In case you haven't heard already, Nancy Drew has been renewed for a fourth season and I'm so happy, I could cry.
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i just really love my platanchors and the comfort they bring to each other.
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kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! :)

Chapter 27

Summary:

Hello.
I have nothing to say for myself.

except to enjoy the last three wonderful chapters of this story.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Update: Ace was going crazy. 

It had been nearly two weeks since he’d come home from the hospital, and he could on one hand the number of times he had set foot in town. More than half of which were for follow-up appointments or physical therapy.

It was because of these outings that Bess walked into the Hardy house to see Ace with his hands against the wall, slowly stretching out his side. She assumed it was under orders from his therapist, and didn’t miss the wince of pain when he straightened. But nevertheless, Ace smiled when he saw Bess standing in the doorway. 

“Hey, stranger,” he told her, stepping away from the wall. “What are you doing here?”

Bess held up her phone. “Your mom called me and said she wanted me to at least attempt to get you out of the house. So come on, we’re going out.”

“Bess,” Ace started, “I just got home from therapy. Surely that counts as ‘going out.’”

A raised eyebrow was his response. “No, Ace, it doesn’t. You need to stop staring at the same three walls in your house and only stepping outside to go to the doctor’s. It’s not going to make Nancy come home faster, as much as it may pain you to admit.”

Ace’s only reply was a slack jaw. “I-”

And it was true. Maybe it was his separation anxiety, maybe he was being clingy, or maybe it was the fact that he couldn’t fall asleep without every single moment of his kidnapping flashing through his head, but being away from Nancy only made his restlessness worse. It didn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but there were instances where Rebecca had to shake Ace awake from nightmares, from crying out Nancy’s name, from yelling at Park to stay away from him. 

He had laid in bed late one morning, listening to his mom talk on the phone with Carson. It was the aftermath of an especially bad nightmare, one where it left Ace still trembling under the covers. 

“Ever since we came home,” he heard Rebecca say, “his nightmares have gotten worse. It’s almost like Nancy was his dream catcher. She kept all of the bad ones away.”

She paused to listen to Carson’s reply, then she spoke again. “I know. I know, Mr. Drew-” She was cut off again, and then gave a soft chuckle. “Okay. Carson. I just wish I could do more for him. I’m not Nancy, I couldn’t begin to come close to understanding what Ace went through. And I don’t want to seem like the overbearing mother who-” She was cut off once again, and sighed.

Ace had then burrowed into the covers, not caring to listen in on the conversation anymore.

He felt guilty. For coming home like this. For being so helpless and needy. It was why he hesitated at Bess’ offer to go out: he didn’t want the pitying looks he’d be sure to receive in town. 

And Bess read her platanchor like a book. “We don’t have to go out to a movie or to any store. I know that the Claw’s open, and a little bird told me that George made your favorite sandwiches this morning. So come on, it’d be good for you to get some fresh air and food in you.”

As gently as Bess approached him, it was clear to Ace that she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. This was proven by her grabbing his green coat off the staircase railing, and he sighed, taking a step forwards.

“Fine. But only for the sandwiches.”

Bess smirked, almost triumphantly. “Don’t let George hear you say that.”

***************************

His return to the Claw was very similar to when he came back after his coma last year. There was a banner strung above the bar, bright and colorful with the words, “Welcome Back!” shining against the mirrors. Balloons were hung as well, blown up and taped to the columns, corners, and to the back of chairs. 

What made Ace smile the most was when Nick brought a cake from the kitchen, one with his face on it, beaming up through the candles. 

“You put my face on a cake?” he asked, echoing the same words he’d said back then.

“Of course we had to,” George said, sliding up to him. “It seemed like the proper welcome back. But if you don’t like it-”

Ace slid up an arm to hug her to his side gently. “I love it. Thanks, George.”

George pressed her head against his shoulder, hugging him back. “Good. Go on, then, blow out the candles! I’m not about to eat wax with my cake.” Her last sentence was drowned out by Bess cheering as Ace blew the candles out, and joined in with clapping.

Nick fanned the smoke out, making quick work to pluck out the candles, and moved over to the counter to cut the cake.

“Bess said you made sandwiches?” Ace asked George, and she smiled. 

“Your favorite, more specifically. Come on.” She gestured to follow her into the kitchen, and Ace didn’t miss a silent exchange between her and Bess.

He figured he’d keep his mouth shut and find out about it later, and pretended like he hadn’t seen the looks the two women gave each other. He got away with it by appearing particularly interested in the decorative fish hook above the kitchen doorway as they passed under it, and he barely had a chance to think about the interaction further as a plate of sandwiches was thrust into his hands.

“Just for you,” George said with a grin. “Now do you need anything to drink? Some water? And don’t think for one minute that you’re going to be on your feet this whole time-”

“George.” Ace put a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “I am fine. You don’t need to wait on me for everything, okay?”

The woman blinked, and then her breath hitched. “I know,” she said, her voice quiet. “But you weren’t fine for a while. You guys scared the shit out of me and I didn’t know what to do. Of course, none of that was your fault, but now that you’re home-” She bit her lip, “-I know you’re okay now, or at least, you’re going to be, but I just-” It was there that her voice broke, and she looked down at the floor.

Ace carefully set the plate of sandwiches down on the counter, and pulled George into a hug. She nearly fought it, muttering something about his stitches, but he couldn’t care less about it.

“Shhh, just let it happen, George,” he told her, hugging her to his chest. “It’s okay.”

Soon, he felt George’s arms wrap behind his back, and her head instinctively buried into his shoulder. Ace had to admit that he was surprised at the sudden bout of emotion, and it almost made him choke up, too.

“I’m gonna be okay,” he told her softly. “Me and Nancy both are. And even just the fact that you guys are here looking after us is helping. More than you think.”

George nodded, her grip on him tightening. “I was just so scared,” she whispered. “I didn't want to lose any of you guys.”

“I know,” Ace murmured. “But we’re safe now. You won’t lose Nancy or me.”

“Yeah,” she said quietly.

She just nodded again, giving him a quick, tight squeeze before stepping away. She let one hand rest on his shoulder as she wiped a tear away, and he offered a small smile. “You okay?” he checked, and she nodded, smoothing out her shirt. 

“Yeah, I think so. Just give a minute,” she said, and returned the smile. “Here, take the sandwiches, and go join the others. I’ll be right behind you.”

Leaving the kitchen with his new possession of sandwiches, Ace rejoined Nick and Bess at the bar counter, where the two were arguing over the proper way to cut the sheet cake in front of them. Clearly, Nick had already started the task, only now being interrupted by Bess. She was reaching for the knife that Nick held high up above his head, like a three year old in a toy store.

“Nick, you’re going to take someone’s eye out with that,” Ace warned him lightheartedly, switching hands from the plate to reach up and pluck the knife out of his friend’s hand. “And Bess, you’re going to turn out to be an accessory to murder if you’re not careful.”

Bess sighed in resignation, sliding into the bar stool next to Nick. “Fine. But don’t complain if the pieces come out all uneven and misshapen.”

“I’m not that bad,” Nick defended, resuming his busy work of cutting the dessert. “And sometimes the broken pieces are the best ones.” He turned to Ace. “Is George alright?”

Ace knew that even as wounded he already was, that George would have no problem making him pay for it if he told anyone about their moment in the kitchen. And it wasn’t like Ace was going to tell; some moments were better kept private.

“Yeah, she’s fine-she just forgot some things from the back room,” he told him, gently easing into the bar stool behind him. Instinctively, Nick reached out to steady him by the elbow as he sat, not missing the small wince on Ace’s face as he shifted in the seat. 

“You good?” he asked, helping to adjust him by turning the stool seat to face them. 

“Yeah, thanks.” While Nick resumed cutting the cake, Bess pulled the plate of sandwiches closer so she could snatch one, earning a friendly glare from Ace.

“Whose Get Well Soon sandwiches are these?” he teased.

Bess waved her hand, rolling her eyes. “It’s just one. The rest are all for you. And besides, George already made a bunch more and stuck them in the fridge. You won’t starve, I promise.” She was distracted momentarily by her phone buzzing next to her arm, and lifted it with her free hand to look at the screen. 

Her lips formed a small ‘o’ before shutting off the phone and taking another bite of the sandwich.

“Who was that?” Ace asked.

Bess shrugged, clearly unable to answer with a mouth full of tuna melt. Ace suspected that was her strategy all along, supporting his theory that she and George were hiding something.

“Just eat your sandwich,” Nick told him, noticing how Ace wouldn't look away from Bess with a skeptical look on his face. “Before Bess takes them all.”

“Maybe you two ought to save a few for me,” a voice called from the kitchen.

Ace froze.

No, it couldn’t be. She was still at….

He turned in his seat to see Nancy standing with a big grin on her face, next to George in the doorway.

Notes:

what can i say, i do love surprises :)

Chapter 28

Summary:

Nancy and Ace reunite for the second time and it STILL tugs on my heartstrings.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Nancy had instructed Ryan and Carson to park behind the Claw, going so far to even tell them to use the back roads so there wouldn’t be any chance of their car being spotted from the front windows of the restaurant, behind which Ace’s welcome-back party was happening.

“This a good spot?” Ryan asked, narrowly avoiding hitting a dumpster bin with a side mirror as he swung behind the restaurant. Carson’s face had gone pale at that, bringing a hand up to rub his eyes.

“Yes, this is great. Thanks, guys.” Nancy pulled her coat tighter around her, almost as if she was trying to squeeze the nerves out of her body.

She had been home for the last three days, making her dads and her friends swear to not let anyone know, especially Ace. She’d had the idea of surprising him a few days before she was released from the hospital, and when Bess called her about his welcome-back party, Nancy suggested it.

Bess’ squeal had been deafening, even when Nancy pulled the phone away from her ear. “Oh, Nancy, would you really be able to do that?”
“As long as I’m home by the end of the week, yes. The doctors are pleased with my progress, and they might be discharging me earlier than they said. But you can’t say anything-”

“Oh, of course I won’t!” Bess said. “You can trust me.”

“I know. Thanks, Bess. Send me all the information on the party, and I’ll be sure to twist Carson or Ryan’s arm into giving me a lift down to the Claw. I’ll let you guys know when I’m home.”

“Except for Ace,” the woman nearly sang. “Okay, I’ll let you go. See you soon, Nancy.”

Nancy had been discharged from the hospital the morning after her phone call, and the drive from Canada to Maine felt like it’d never end. She’d passed the time by sleeping for the majority of the trip, rousing only when Ryan tried to offer her a “Get Well Soon Slushie” from the gas station they’d stopped at. Carson had stared at him in horror from where he stood at the pump.

“What if she gets a brain freeze? Do you want to make her concussion worse?” Nancy gave him a strange look. “Or she gets sick and-”

“I doubt a slushie will make a concussion worse,” Ryan replied, but he did take a moment of consideration to pull out his phone and open Google.

“There is absolutely no correlation between a concussion and a brain freeze,” he announced after opening many links. “I think Nancy will be fine.”
“I’m right here,” Nancy called from where Ryan stood in front of her open window. 

“Here,” Ryan said, handing her the cold red drink. “I got you cherry. It reminds me of your hair.”

Nancy smiled and accepted the drink, already knowing that she wasn’t going to be able to drink it all.

And about an hour later on the road, she proved that to be true when she dozed off with a half-drunken slushie in the cup holder next to her. She awoke to Ryan yelping in pain, where she startled and lurched forward in her seat to make sure he wasn’t hurt.

“Ryan!” she said, taking in a nearly empty slushie cup, and her father clutching his head.

“Brain freeze,” Carson sighed, waving his hand. “Go back to sleep, Nancy, he’ll be fine.”

Nancy couldn’t help but chuckle, carefully adjusting so her ribs weren’t groaning in pain from the sudden movement.

“Good to know I’m not the only one here with a splitting headache,” she joked, settling back in her seat.

“That’s not funny,” both the dads said in unison, although one voice was more agonized than the other.

Nancy laughed and curled back up against the window to fall asleep again.

And now, she sat in the back seat again, taking in the sights of the Claw. She hadn’t been here since she arrived home, having been confined to the couch and her bed by her dads. It was a miracle Nancy managed to convince them to let her come down and surprise Ace, whom she suspected the mention of made them agree. She secretly loved the fatherly affection they both shared for the young man, and knew that they had a soft spot for him. Especially after they protected and looked after him in the hospital.

The thrill of seeing Ace for the first time since he left sent a chill down Nancy’s spine, and she took in a deep breath as she looked out the car window.

“Do you want us to go in with you?” Carson asked her gently, and Nancy could tell by the apprehensive looks on his and Ryan’s face that they hoped she’d say yes.

So she nodded, allowing Carson to open her door and help her out of the car. As Ryan locked the car, she sent a quick text to Bess and George, letting them know that she had arrived.

Almost immediately, the back door swung open to reveal George.

“Drew!” she cheered, opening her arms up for a hug. Nancy stepped into it gratefully, ignoring the small cramps of pain from her ribs as she was embraced. “How are you feeling?” 

“Good,” Nancy told her. “I’m ready for your sandwiches, though.”

George smiled, guiding  her into the back room, barely holding the door for Ryan and Carson to follow. “You and Ace are going to deplete my stock by the end of this party, huh?”

Nancy matched her smile. “How’s Ace?” she asked her.

The other woman took in a breath. “Good. He’s good. He loved the party surprise, which I think is what 

he needs. Thank goodness Bess got him out of the house today - he’s gotten a little too pale for my liking.” She looked up the back room steps to the dining room, where chatter could be heard.

From where she stood, Nancy could see that George’s eyes were a little red, matching the tip of her nose. And her eyes were glassy, confirming Nancy’s suspicion that she’d been crying.

“George, are you okay?” she asked gently.

George turned back to her, eyes wide. “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Nancy gave her a soft smile, almost maternal. “Your eyes are red and a little watery. And your hands are shaking.” She carefully gestured to the hands clasped in front of George. The woman stared down at them, and pursed her lips.

“I’m okay, really,” she insisted. “I just needed a minute. Everything…just sort of hit me all at once.”

Nancy reached out to squeeze her arm. “It’s okay.” She knew better than to press further. “But please let me know if you ever need to talk or anything.”

George couldn’t come up with a snarky response to that, only managing to reach up to squeeze Nancy’s hand. “I will.”

Knowing that the rest of the conversation would be better left unsaid, with the only quiet sense of understanding tethered between them, Nancy looked towards the dining room. “How about we go join this party before the sandwiches are all gone?”

“Don’t forget about the cake,” George added, her shoulders relaxing. She had no problem with pushing Nancy in front of her, ushering her up the steps. Clearly, the tender moment the two women shared had passed, and was instead replaced with eager excitement.

As George pulled out her phone to text Bess, Nancy felt her heart begin to thud against her ribs as she made her way towards the doorway. As she peered around the corner, she felt a thrill go through her when she saw Ace sitting in a bar stool, his back to her. Nick was standing next to him at the corner of the bar, cutting a large knife into a sheet cake in front of him. Bess was on his other side, adjacent to Ace, having just taken a bite out of her sandwich.

Ace was leaning towards Bess, and Nick nudged him.

“Just eat your sandwich,” he told him, “before Bess takes them all.”

Nancy took in a breath. “Maybe you two ought to save a few for me,” she called from where she stood.

Ace’s shoulder stiffened, almost as if he was unsure of what he just heard. Or rather, who. And then he was turning his head to look at her, and his jaw went slack. Eyes wide, he turned his whole body to face her.

“Nance?” he said, getting to his feet. Nancy smiled, moving to cross the dining room.

“Hey-” she started to say, but was taken by surprise when Ace grabbed her hand and pulled her into a tight hug. Her arms instinctively went up to wrap around his back, her hands gripping onto the fabric of his jacket.

“You’re home,” he murmured, his voice soft.

Nancy tightened her embrace around him, breathing in the scent of his cologne. “I’m home,” she said.

And then for a moment, it was blissfully quiet. In each other’s arms, the world seemed to stand still, almost like the universe decided to pause time just for this moment. Nancy buried her head in Ace’s chest, hearing his heartbeat thump against her. It had been rapid at first, due to the excitement from their reunion, but as they held each other, Nancy heard it slow down, and his breathing even out.

And as Ace held Nancy tightly against her, he kept trying to convince himself that this was real. It wasn’t another pain-induced fever coursing through him as he lay on a cement floor. It wasn’t a prank or a joke. And the smell of cloves and citrus flooding his nose proved it to be true, and the feel of her coat fabric against his skin told him that she was really home.

Ace broke away for a moment to look at her. “How long have you been back?” he asked, his voice soft as if he was still in awe of her presence around him.

“Only for a few days,” she told him, still holding onto him as she tilted her head back to look at him. “I was given the all clear from my doctors the day after you left, and then I was discharged later that week.”

“And are you feeling okay?” His eyes went wide, and the grip he had around her waist loosened. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No,” Nancy smiled, tugging him closer to her. “I’m fine. I promise. What about you, are you okay?”

Ace released a deep breath. “Better now that you’re here.”

They shared a soft smile, a sense of relief passing between them. Now that they had seen, felt, and heard the other, their shoulders released tension they didn’t know they’d been holding in.

And standing there together for the first time in weeks, they couldn’t help but take the other in.

Nancy noted how well Ace’s bruises were healing, and the cut through his eyebrow was scarring neatly. She could barely see it anymore. But she took in how tired and pale he looked, and felt a pang as she realized that his nightmares and therapy were most likely the culprits responsible for keeping him up at night.

And Ace was relieved to see that the small cuts on Nancy’s face were nearly gone, and the wound in her temple from the car crash only had a band-aid covering it. But he didn’t miss how she winced when she breathed in too deeply, or how haggard she seemed when she tilted her head back to look at him. In the sunlight, he caught the faintest tint of purple and yellow snaking her way up her neck from under her shirt, and realized that the bruises she sustained from her abuse in the safe house were still healing.

And they both knew that even though they had recovered remarkably well since arriving at the hospital, they still had more healing to do. 

But now that they were both home together, it would be easier to bear.

Then Ryan broke through the silence, with a gasp and “Ooooh, is that cake?” Then he exclaimed. “Ace, is that your face ?”

Laughter passed through the group as Nick slapped Ryan’s hand away from the dessert. “I haven’t finished cutting it yet.”

“And are your hands washed?” Carson called from where he stood next to George. 

“You act like I’m five,” Ryan grimaced, moving behind the bar to the small sink used primarily for washing dishes.

“Only because I saw you steal half a sandwich and then lick your fingers,” Carson said. “I am not eating cake if it has your slobber all over it.”

Ryan made a face at him, their bickering dissolving into background noise as Nancy and Ace made their way over to Nick, who stopped his handiwork to tightly hug Nancy for a few moments.

“It’s really good to see you,” he told her, and she smiled, almost tearing up.

“I missed you,” she said softly, resting her head on his shoulder momentarily. She wanted to say something else, something to express her profound gratitude for everything he’d done for her while she was recovering in the hospital. She just couldn’t find the words. 

But when she looked up into Nick’s face again, he said everything that needed to be said with another tighter embrace and a small smile. Nancy stayed tucked into his side as she looked at the cake, chucking at the fact that Nick hadn’t touched Ace’s face yet.

“Whose idea was the cake?” she asked.

“Mine!” Bess spoke up, wiggling her way between Nancy and Ace, throwing her arms around the redhead. Nancy nearly collided into Nick next to her, returning the hug. 

“Welcome home, Nancy,” Bess said softly. “I’m so happy you’re back.”

“Me too,” Nancy whispered, willing herself to not tear up.  “Thank you. For everything.”

Bess just hugged her tighter once more before letting go. 

“Ryan, as requested,” Nick slid a plate over to the man at the sink, “here’s your cake.”

Ryan accepted the plate eagerly, diving into it with a fork. Nick distributed the other pieces to the rest of the group, and soon they had settled into light conversation and laughter.

And Ace and Nancy were glad-it was slowly starting to feel more and more like home the longer they were around their friends. And they were grateful for the fact that they weren’t being coddled or handled with care, like they were made of glass.

After Carson watched Ryan eat his third piece of cake with a look of fascination on his face, he slowly pulled the cake leftovers away from him, and smacked his outstretched hand. “No. You’re going to make yourself sick if you have another piece.”

Ryan pouted and wiped the crumbs off his face. “Fine.”

“Everyone about done?” George asked, standing to collect the plates. The rest of the party let her clean up, chorusing their protests when Nancy stood to help. Ace grabbed her hand and gently pulled her back into her chair next to him. 

“You are not going anywhere, Drew,” George told her, snatching the rest of the plates up before Nancy could move. 

The redhead looked just like Ryan when she pouted. “Okay. But you can’t clean up everything on your own.” She turned to her dads. “Will you please help her?”

Carson was already moving to take the sheet cake away from Ryan. 

George rolled her eyes. “Nancy, I’m sure I can-”

Nick squeezed Nancy’s shoulder gently. “Just let her do her job. And besides, we still have a little bit of time before me and Bess take you two to your surprise.”

“There’s a surprise?” both Nancy and Ace said, eyebrows turning up in suspicion. “Where?”
Bess and Nick smiled. “It’s called a surprise for a reason. We’re not telling you anything.”

“You two are mean.”

“Hey, I bought your cake. Hush.” Bess swatted Ace on the arm, and left to help Carson pack up the cake.

“Don’t worry.” Nick put his arms around Nancy and Ace’s shoulders. “It’s a good surprise, I promise.”

Notes:

i just really love my found family and I can't wait to see them again in the fall.

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kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! <3

Chapter 29

Summary:

Ace (and Nancy) receives another surprise.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Ace and Nancy were escorted out of the Claw, over to Ryan’s Porsche. Bess opened the back door for the pair, telling them to close their eyes once they were buckled in.

“This seems questionable,” Ace said, staring into the backseat with a raised eyebrow. “I’m not sure I-” 

“I promise it’s okay,” Nick said, sliding up to him. “Come on, I’ll be right in front of you guys the whole time.” Then he lowered his voice. “And if it makes you feel any better, Carson’s gonna drive.”

That earned a snort from Ace. “It does, thanks.”

“Come on!” George groaned good-naturedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet next to Nick’s truck. Clearly, she was eager to join Nick and Bess in the surprise. “We don’t have all day!”

Nick helped Ace into the car, making sure he was comfortable before turning to Nancy and holding out his hand. “You ready?”

“I’m afraid to say yes,” Nancy joked, accepting his help. “But I could use a little excitement. The good kind, of course,” she added with a grin. Nick just shook his head and gently shut the door. 

As Nick prepared to lead the group out of the parking lot, Nancy and Ace gravitated towards each other in the backseat. Nancy immediately went to tuck herself into Ace’s uninjured side, and Ace put his arm up behind her on the edge of the backseat.

“Any idea as to where they’re taking us?” Ace asked her.

“I haven’t,” she said, her eyebrows turned up in wonder. “But if it has anything to do with our friends, I’m sure it’ll be quite the adventure.”

“And with Ryan driving?” Ace lowered his voice when the two dads got in the car. “Definitely.”

“I heard that!” 

Nancy giggled, tilting her head back against Ace’s arm. 

“Now close your eyes, the both of you,” Carson told the pair, settling into his seat. “The last thing we need is Bess yelling at us if your surprise is spoiled.”

Nancy hummed, closing her eyes. “How long have you known about this surprise?”

“I’m not telling you a single word until we get there,” Carson said matter-of-factly. Then he made eye contact with Ace through the rearview mirror. “Ace, close ‘em.”

Ace sighed, leaning back against the headrest. Even in the darkness, Ace felt the car start to pull away from the lot and began to feel sleepy. Music began to play from the radio, one that Nancy began to hum to. Her hair was spilling over Ace’s arm, and he caught the scent of her usual scent of cloves and citrus.

And he smiled and let the movement of the car pull him into contentment.

His heart skipped a beat when Nancy shifted to rest her head in the crook of his neck. She was warm, and her breathing was deep. And while they drove, Ace kept his eyes closed, but not just because Carson told him to. But because all he wanted to do was stay in the scent of clove and citrus. Nothing else mattered to him right now.

Then the clicking sound of a turn signal snapped him back into reality, and he felt the car gently turn around a corner. A few quiet words from Carson and Ryan were the only thing he heard before the car rolled to a gentle stop.

“Mmm.” Nancy lifted her head, and Ace felt disappointed at the absence of her warmth. “Are we there?”

Ryan was audibly giddy, shutting off the car. “Yep!”

“So can we-”

“Nope!” A car door opened and shut, followed by their side door opening. “Come on, give me your hand.”

The door next to Ace opened as well, and he felt a hand carefully touch his shoulder. “I got you, Ace,” Carson told him, guiding him out of the car. “Watch your head.”

He heard another door slamming in the distance, and then George’s voice. “Are their eyes still closed?”

Carson and Ryan chorused their answer and led Ace and Nancy over to the group. 

“Guys,” Nancy chuckled nervously. “Are you going to tell us what’s going on?”

“All will be revealed soon,” Nick told her, and took Carson’s place to lead Ace across whatever parking lot they were in. 

As they slowly walked, Ace could smell metal and motor oil. 

And he refused to remember Florence's jagged metal cutting into his side. Metal smelled a lot like blood, and that was all he’d known when he had been suspended upside down in the car.

So instead he focused on his friends around him, listening to George and Bess murmur quietly from behind. Nick carefully brought him to a halt, and told him and Nancy to keep closing their eyes.

Then a chain rattled, and metal screeched. Ace identified it as a garage door opening, and his curiosity grew. He knew better than to open his eyes, but that didn't stop him from crossing his arms over his chest and rocking back on his heels. 

“Okay, one moment,” Nick said, and began to walk away.

Nancy groaned. “Nick,” she drew out. “You’re killing us here.”

“I just need to do one more thing!” he called. Then the whipping of fabric cut through the air, and Ace felt  dust billow up around him. 

And then he had a sinking feeling that he knew what was in front of him. 

He felt his throat tighten. “Nick…” he croaked. 

“It’s okay. You can open your eyes now.”

Ace felt his eyes prick, even before he fully opened them. 

But when he saw the vintage blue body of Florence, tears welled up on his lashes.

Nancy let out a soft gasp, but Ace didn’t move. 

She looked perfect. It was almost as if the crash hadn’t happened. The brown wooden decal along her sides had been refinished, with the blue paint restored and rebuffed. The metal gleamed in the afternoon light, almost as if Florence was saying hello again. Like she was welcoming him like an old friend.

Ace eyed the driver’s side door, looking for any cracks or dents that would have given away her once broken, jagged edge that split in the crash. But it was smooth, revealing nothing but freshly painted steel. His breath hitched again.

“Nick,” Ace whispered again, finally tearing away watery eyes to look at his friend. “How did you…”

Nick spoke. And when he did, he was quiet, trying to not let his emotions unsteady him. “When we found Florence….on the side of the road, about a day after you and Nancy were taken, I towed her back to Dodd’s repair shop. While we sat around waiting for news, I started to fix…well, everything.” He took a deep breath. “I took out the door and replaced it. I put in new windows and popped out all the dents. When you guys were in the hospital, I managed to find all the right paint colors and Bess helped me find some new leather for the seats. George ordered some new headlights and interior pieces. I-” He ran a hand over Florence’s hood as he wandered back towards the group. “But I couldn’t fix everything. There’s still some scratches and-and bent metal, and the leather doesn’t quite match, but-”

“It’s okay,” Ace said tearfully. He took a deep breath. “You said that sometimes the broken pieces are the best ones.”

Nick blinked back tears of his own. Then he exhaled sharply. “Welcome home, Ace.”

Ace pulled him into a tight hug, which Nick returned gratefully. They stood there in the garage, clinging to the back of each other’s jackets. 

“Thank you,” Ace said softly, quiet enough so only Nick could hear, and so his voice wouldn’t crack.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Nick replied. “I couldn’t leave Florence on the side of the road like that. And I wanted you to have something to come home to.”

Ace just hugged him tighter, letting the tears fall. There, he let himself feel every single emotion he’d felt since he’d arrived home,

The grief, the pain, and the relief. The shock from seeing Florence in her glory was still coursing through him, and when he decided on one last emotion, it was gratitude. And when he loosened his grip on Nick, that was all he felt as he broke away to look at Florence.

“How did you manage to find…well, everything?” he asked, his voice still thick. 

Nick chuckled. “A lot of Googling and file pulling. Thank goodness Josh saved copies of car models and their information. Me and George spent a lot of time looking through those.”

Ace moved to wipe a few stray tears away, and sniffed. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Then don’t say anything.” Nancy was there again, tucking herself under Ace’s arm and rubbing his back. 

Bess appeared over Ace’s other shoulder. “Go on,” she said, gently urging him forward. “Go check her out.”

Ace hesitated as he turned towards Florence. While her familiar blue shape was so achingly welcoming, he couldn’t help but remember. As he took in the leather seats and metal frame, he heard the cracking of steel against asphalt. He smelled the blood and smoke, sharp and acidic. 

He tightened his jaw, and felt Nancy rub his back a little harder. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” she said softly. “At least, not yet.”

Ace swallowed and looked at her, finding solid ground in her blue irises. “Will you come with me?” he asked her, matching her tone. She smiled gently. 

“Of course.”

As Nancy moved around Florence, Ace turned to Bess, who beamed.

“Are you happy I finally chased you out of the house?” she teased.

Ace laughed. “What would I do without you?”

“Mm, not much,” she said, opening her arms up for a hug. Ace stepped into them, embracing her tightly.

“Thank you,” he told her. And in those two words, he told Bess all he wanted to say, and she understood, responding by hugging him tighter.

“You don’t have to thank me for anything. You did just that by coming home,” she whispered, sniffing back tears. 

The two friends broke away, and after a gentle smile was exchanged, Ace turned to George. 

“You’re pretty great at surprise parties,” he told her, and she laughed. 

“I guess it runs in the Fan family,” she cracked. 

“I know I’ve said this a lot,” Ace started, “but I mean it. For how you took care of me, how you’ve looked after me ever since I got home, for giving me a cake with my own face on it-” They both laughed at that. “-And for everything you did for me when I was in the hospital. For helping Nick with Florence-” His voice caught again. “I don’t deserve any of you guys.”

“Hey, Ace?”

“Hm.”

“Shut up and let me hug you.”

“What?” Ace barely had enough time to form the word before he was being tugged into a tight embrace. “George-”

“Shh. Just let it happen.”

Ace returned the hug tightly, resting his cheek on the top of George’s head. “You’re a really good friend, George,” he told her. “You ought to know that.”

George sniffed. “And you’re one of my best. I mean that.” She broke away from him to quickly wipe away a tear. “Now get out of here before we all start crying. You and Nancy are the only exception today.”

He didn’t have to be told twice. Nick tossed Florence's keys to him, and with a nod to Carson and Ryan, Ace slid into the driver’s seat. Nancy grinned at him from the passenger side. “You ready?”

Ace flashed her a nervous smile. “I can’t promise we’ll go far.”

“Hey.” Nancy reached over to put her hand over Ace’s. “You go where you’re comfortable. I don’t care if it’s five feet or five miles. Even if we don’t go anywhere, I’m more than content to sit here with you.”

Ace’s smile grew, and with a deep breath, turned the key over. Almost eagerly, Florence roared to life, the meter lines dancing over his dashboard as she turned on. Come on, she seemed to be begging. Get me out of here.

“You ready?” Ace asked Nancy, and she smiled. 

“Whenever you are.”

Switching the gears, Ace drove out of the garage, smiling when the crew outside clapped and cheered. In the rearview mirror, he saw them wave.

When Ace turned onto the main road, he looked at Nancy. “Where do you want to go?”

She smiled. “Anywhere, as long as it’s with you.”

Ace found himself unable to stop grinning, the pure euphoria from finally driving Florence after so long charging through him. It gave him the courage to reach over the console and take Nancy’s hand in his. And she met him halfway, closing her other hand over his fingers. 

“So,” she said as they turned onto a familiar back road. “Where are you taking me?”

“Only the best view in Horseshoe Bay.”

Nancy smiled when she realized what that meant, and was content to ride with him in comfortable silence. And Ace relished in it, taking the time to rediscover all of Florence’s familiar parts. The ridges in her steering wheel, the way her gear shift was worn down to fit his hand, her engine’s hum, and the occasional radio static. 

It almost brought tears to his eyes again, when he thought of the extreme care and lengths Nick must have gone to restore the old car back to her former glory. He knew it was something he could never pay him back for, and it made him all the more grateful to know what wonderful friends he had.

When he rolled to a gentle stop in the leaves, Nancy let out a sigh. “It’s been so long,” she murmured as they looked out over the bluffs. 

Ace looked at her, and she looked at him. “We’re home,” he told her.

She swallowed. “We’re home,” she echoed, squeezing his hand. They turned back to the city lights, which was casting a soft glow over the waters of Horseshoe Bay. 

And for a few moments, everything was perfect. They sat there in the dark, in each other’s company. It was warm and comfortable, creating a moment in which time seemed to stand perfectly still. 

There, in the driver’s seat, Ace had a stroke of courage. The idea that just a few weeks ago, he was mere inches away from death, hanging upside down in this very same car. His throat tightened at the reminder that he almost lost Nancy, too, and just to make sure that this was real and that he hadn’t, in fact, died and gone to heaven, looked over at her.

She looked back at him and smiled. And it made Ace’s heart skip a beat.

Her eyes softened. “What’s wrong?” she asked him.

Ace realized that he must have been close to tears. He blinked, a little embarrassed at the tear that escaped. Nancy reached out to wipe it away, and Ace let her. But then he took his hand in hers and pressed it to chest, to the fabric of his shirt. 

“I almost lost you a few weeks ago,” he said softly. Nancy frowned, splaying her fingers against his shirt. “And I know that we’re safe now. That no one’s going to hurt us again. But it really did make me realize just how… close we both were to not coming home.”

“Yeah,” Nancy whispered, swallowing hard. 

“And it made me realize something else.”

Nancy tilted her head to the side.

“I love you.” He gave a small smile. “I’ve loved you for a long time, Nancy. And I know that it’s cliche that a near-death experience is what led me to confessing, but I mean it. Even if we had never been taken, I still would have told you. I’m not expecting you to-”

Nancy leaned over to kiss him, which shut him up, and in the shock of it, Ace barely registered her tugging her hand out from under his to cup his jaw.

It was a relatively short kiss, but when they pulled away, Ace’s chest hurt. From relief or shock, he couldn’t tell.

And looking into Nancy’s eyes, nose inches away from hers, he finally decided that it wasn’t any of those.

This was love in its purest form: the kind that took your breath away and made it hard for you to focus on anything else but the person in front of you. The kind that made Ace pull Nancy back in for another kiss, desperate to feel like he was suffocating again. 

Because with Nancy’s lips on his, he felt like he was floating.

Nancy broke away to rest her forehead against Ace’s. “I love you, too,” she whispered, a breathless laugh escaping her. “Oh, you don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to tell you that.”

Ace smiled softly. “You’re really sure you’re okay…with me? I’m a bit of a mess at the moment.”

“I think Nick said once that sometimes the broken pieces are the best ones. You may feel like that, Ace, but you’re not. You’re my missing piece.” Nancy smiled again. “The one I’ve been looking for for a long time. And with you, I feel whole. I feel complete. No one else makes me feel that way.”

Ace’s only response was to pull her in for another kiss.

And under the stars, they let go of every fear, every hesitation, every doubt. Because they knew that in this moment, they were all that they needed.

They were each other’s broken pieces, and together, they fit as one.

Notes:

Wow. It's finally here. My longest Nace fanfiction has come to an end, and I'm sorry to have to end it here. But I'm so proud of this story, and I'm so glad I got to share it all with you guys. I really cannot thank you all enough for your support and kind words. Thank you for sticking by me and this story, regardless of all my inaccuracies and irregular posting. Life can get crazy, and I will forever appreciate the fact that you understood that and still didn't give up on this story.
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Thank you for loving this story, and for loving our angsty star-crossed lovers. I can't wait to go into season four with you guys, and I would love to hear your thoughts on this piece. I hope to write many more Nace fanfictions in the future, when my life gets less crazy. I hope you guys are well, and that wherever you are, I hope you know that you are loved and valued. Thank you for being here and thank you for everything you've done for me.
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this is where I sign off. Goodnight, everyone.