Author's Notes:

Two updates in the span of 30 days, I am on fire! :)

So the plot bunnies hit, and I've been pounding out pages. Still trying to tweak some details. I don't want this story to go on forever, but I don't want to end it too quickly, either. It's such a delicate balance, and my muse is of no help whatsoever at this point.

I hope you all enjoy, and yes, I'll go ahead and say it for you all: I know I'm absolutely EVIL for ending this chapter where I did.

Enjoy!

Shutting her eyes in horror at the sound of her father's voice, Nancy was frozen in place. "Dad?" she asked softly, unwilling to believe that once again their secret had been found out. And this time, she only had herself, not Frank, to blame.

"Dad," Carson answered as evenly as possible. "Or should I get used to being called Granddad?"

Laura reached out and gave Nancy's hand a reassuring squeeze before turning around to speak to her husband's old friend. "Carson, this isn't the time or place," she gently reminded him.

"How long have you and Fenton known, Laura?" Nancy shuddered at the tone of her father's voice. Upset and shocked weren't even the beginning of how she would describe it.

Taking a deep breath, Nancy steeled herself and turned towards her father. "Only since yesterday," she answered for Laura. "Dad, please, let's not have this conversation right now," she implored.

Carson didn't answer immediately. He gave his daughter a steely once over. At the crushed look on her face, he caved into her request. "Fine," he replied in a short clipped tone, letting her know how upset he was. "We'll table the topic until a more appropriate time. However, do not think that for a minute the news is sitting well with me."

Nancy gulped audibly. She had known out everyone involved that her father was going to be the one to take the news the hardest. "Thank you," she whispered as her eyes filled with tears at the look of disappointment on her father's face. Deciding it was best to extricate herself from the situation before the tears began to flow, she said, "Excuse me," and dashed past Laura and her father in search of the nearest private area.

Taking Carson by the arm, Laura escorted him out through the lobby and through a side door to the outside where they could talk in private. "I know it comes as shock," she began. "Fenton and I were disappointed too, Carson."

"Disappointed doesn't even begin to describe it," he answered honestly. Still reeling from the news, Carson shook his head. "And to find out the way I did."

Laura laughed at his statement. At the quizzical look on his face Laura filled him in. "You're not the only one who found out by accident. Honestly, Nancy's the only one who didn't find out in some crazy way." She quickly told Carson the way that everyone, including Frank, had found out, and by the time she was finished with the story, she saw a hint of a smile cross his face.

"So that's why Frank was so tight lipped during the car ride to your house," he surmised. "And I thought I was just being the intimidating father by grilling him about his intentions with my daughter."

"Oh my," Laura laughed. "It's a wonder Frank survived the car ride!" Turning serious she looked pointedly at the distinguished man in front of her. "Fenton and I raised our sons to know better, just as you did Nancy. But what's done is done. Carson, those two are crazy about each other. You know as well as I do, it was just a matter of time before they decided to get married and start a family."

"That's the route I would've preferred them to take," Carson replied.

"Us, too," Laura agreed. "But we can't change it, we can only accept it. Don't punish them for what happened. They are adults, as much as we don't like to admit it."

A wry look passed over Carson's face. "That's the problem, Laura. I still see Nancy as my little girl."

Drying her eyes, Nancy stepped out of the restroom and made her way to the front door of the church. In desperate need of fresh air, she made her way through the throngs of arriving guests towards the front steps.

She watched as the guests were dumbstruck at the heavy police presence at the front of the building. 'It is rather odd,' she thought to herself. 'But since when have the Hardy's done anything that was normal?'

Nancy was surveying the guest's reactions when she spotted a vaguely familiar young woman making her way up the steps. Analyzing the woman with long red hair as discretely as possible, Nancy eyed her carefully. The police had her picture, so surely even in disguise there was no way that she would've gotten past them.

Her worst fears were confirmed when the young woman uttered a soft "Excuse me," as she squeezed past Nancy. Nancy was sure that the person she was looking at was none other than Sheila Duval.

"I'm sorry," Nancy said calmly, as she stepped out of the young woman's way. Nancy gave no indication whatsoever that she recognized the person in front of her.

As soon as Shelia disappeared behind the heavy oak doors, Nancy pulled her cell phone from her purse and dialed Frank's number. Swearing inwardly when it went to voicemail, she scanned the police officers in front of her looking for Con.

Taking a deep breath, Nancy counted to ten before re-entering the church. She had to be as discreet as possible as to avoid attracting Sheila's attention. Nancy scanned the crowd milling about and quickly zeroed in one Sheila's location. Memorizing her appearance, Nancy filed away the information as she went in search of someone to help her.

She knew that Frank, Joe, and Fenton were still inside the sanctuary taking the last round of pictures. She ducked into a side hallway and strode quickly towards the back entrance to the sanctuary. Bursting through the doors, Nancy was startled to find the area empty. "What in the…?" she muttered to herself. "Where did they go?"

Making her way across the room, she re-emerged into another small hallway. She followed the sounds of excited male voices and found the groom's room with no problem.

Knocking once, Nancy opened the door without invitation. Joe was adjusting his tux and smiling at his reflection in the mirror as his groomsmen gathered around wishing him good luck. Frank stood to his right and smiled when he saw Nancy in the doorway. His smile faded though, when he saw the intense look on her face.

She beckoned him out into the hallway and he quickly excused himself to join her. "What's wrong?" he asked her immediately, as soon as the door was shut.

"Where's Con?" Nancy asked urgently.

"Why? What happened?" he tried once more.

Nancy sighed exasperatedly. "She's here, Frank."

"What? How?" came Frank's shocked reply.

"I don't know, and I don't care," she told him. "But we've got to get her out of here, now!"

"What's going on?" Fenton asked as he stepped out in the hallway to join Frank and Nancy.

"She's here," they chorused in unison at Fenton's question.

"She's here?" Fenton echoed.

Nancy nodded. "She walked past me when I stepped outside. I wasn't sure at first, but she said 'excuse me' when she passed by me and I recognized her voice."

"Did you see Con anywhere?" Fenton questioned.

Shaking her head no, she said, "No, that's when I came looking for you guys. "

"Okay, Frank you stay here with Joe. Nancy, come help me find Con," Fenton instructed.

"No way, Dad," Frank replied heatedly. "I'm going to be there to take her down."

"No, you're not," Fenton argued. "And neither is Nancy," he said giving both of them a pointed look. "You need to stay here with your brother so he doesn't suspect anything. We don't need him any more worried than he is. Nancy's going to give Con a description and then she's joining your mother."

Both Frank and Nancy opened their mouths to speak, but Fenton silenced them with a steely look. "End of discussion. Let's go, Nancy."

Frank reached out and squeezed Nancy's hand before she turned to follow Fenton down the hallway. "Be careful," he whispered.

Nancy nodded silently before she took off after Fenton. She said a silent prayer that this whole ordeal would be over before anyone realized something was wrong.

"This is it," Vanessa said, giving her mother a tearful smile. Callie, and the rest of her bridesmaids had left the room to take pictures with the groomsmen, and she was now alone with her mother.

Andrea Bender hugged her daughter tightly. "My little girl is all grown up," she said through tear filled eyes.

"Stop," Vanessa whispered. "If you start crying, then so will I, and I'll have to redo my make-up."

Andrea laughed lightly as her daughter tried to calm the emotions that were overwhelming the both of them. Dabbing at the corner of her eyes with a tissue, she told Vanessa, "You look amazing, baby."

A knock on the door interrupted the special mother-daughter moment. The door opened before Vanessa or Andrea could offer an invitation and a young woman about Vanessa's age and build stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Can I help you?" Andrea asked warily. She unconsciously stepped in front of her daughter, shielding her from this uninvited stranger.

"Pastor Simmons sent me to let you know that you've got about fifteen minutes before the ceremony. Oh, and the coordinator is looking for you," the young woman smiled towards Andrea.

Relaxing visibly, Andrea turned to her daughter. "You ready?"

"Go on," Vanessa urged her mother. "I just need to touch up my makeup and I'll join you."

"Good luck, honey," Andrea said, hugging Vanessa one last time.

Andrea opened the door and left the young woman alone with Vanessa.

"Are you scared?" the stranger asked Vanessa in a friendly tone.

"Not at all," Vanessa answered honestly. She turned to face her reflection in the mirror once more. "I'm marrying the love of my life. There's nothing scary about that."

The friendly tone of the young woman turned to one of steel. "He's the love of my life, and you're not marrying him today."

Vanessa's blood ran cold as she listened to the stranger's words. She turned to confront her enemy and came face to face with the end of a gun.

She opened her mouth to scream, but before she could, the young woman fiercely swung the pistol at her temple and Vanessa's world faded quickly to black.

TBC...