Disclaimer: Nope. Just no. Of course not.

A/N: This would have been up sooner, but I just got my wisdom teeth taken out and sentences like, "Strange chicken, Nancy thought," weren't really what I wanted this chapter to sound like. Also, as this is the epilogue, I will reveal two secrets in the AN at the bottom. ;)

And then I went camping. No elaborate excuse there, just no Internet access.

Thanks to Agent Striker, MCR-1993, mangatiger14, iluv2bcrazee, PrincessSkywalkerOrgana, JamieLynn Black, Esmerelda Diana Parker, KennaC, animegrlsteph, sapphiretwin369 for reviewing!

Enjoy:

There was usually something cleansing about being at the airport that seemed to erase everything that had happened. Something that made it feel like everything had disappeared, they could start over and nothing bad was going to happen. The future was just a thought, not something to worry about.

Not this time.

It didn't matter to Frank that people were staring at him, the sleep-deprived man with black eyes and a broken nose. It didn't matter that he would probably have scars all over his face for the rest of his life. All that mattered was Nancy.

She had rejected him. Just when he thought things were going to work out, she flat out rejected him.

They had held hands until they reached the ambulances. Joe had given his brother the most painful hug he had ever received in his life before being escorted away by paramedics, clutching his ribs.

Nancy had looked at Frank.

Frank had looked at Nancy, who promptly started to cry.

Shocked by her tears, Frank had wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her as close as he possibly could without hurting her. He took one hand off of her back and stroked her hair, keeping her head pressed against his shoulder.

"It's okay," he said, feeling his legs shaking. "You're going to be okay, Nancy."

Nancy nodded against his shoulder and wiped her eyes.

"Nancy," Frank croaked, stroking her hair still. "You have no idea how terrified I was. I thought I was going to lose you. I can't even imagine what it would feel like to lose you, what it would be like to live the rest of my life without you. I thought I'd never see you again and when I saw you…collapsed on the floor like that…I thought I was going to die. I love you so much, Nan, you've got to know that."

Nancy froze in his arms, her tears streaming a little steadier. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't. For some reason, her voice got caught in her throat and she couldn't tell him. Her head spun and her knees went weak and suddenly she was crashing to the ground.

The next time Nancy woke up, her head was pounding dully and she had the oddest feeling that she was forgetting something important. She tried to open her eyes, but it proved to be a difficult task. She felt drowsy in the same way that she did in high school, when she would take Gravol to help her fall asleep the night before her exams.

Her arms felt very heavy when she stirred and she felt the oddest sensation of being weighed down.

Finally, slowly, her eyes opened and her first thought was that she had gone blind. But finally, shapes began to distinguish themselves and she realized that what she had once thought was a blank, white abyss was a pale blue, orderly hospital room. Her mind whirred quickly once this was understood and she fought to remember what had happened.

Suddenly, what had happened trickled back into her mind. The image of Seth lying on the floor, his face disfigured. Seeing Frank curled up into a ball on the floor. The sound of a gunshot. Fainting. Hearing Seth through the wall. Amy in labor. Waking up in a strange bathroom, completely disheveled.

Nancy suddenly felt very overwhelmed and closed her eyes again. She remembered the ride to the hospital, lying down on the stretcher and feeling helpless. She had spent the whole trip wondering if Frank was going to be okay, if Frank was mad at her, if she would get the chance to tell him she loved him soon.

She remembered arriving at the hospital and changing out of her sticky, dirty clothing and into a standard blue gown.

She remembered talking to the doctor and telling him what happened. She remembered getting an x-ray on her skull.

She remembered getting tested for rape. She remembered taking the morning-after pill.

She remembered getting lead to a room to wait for the results. And then, she remembered nothing but the claustrophobically overwhelming exhaustion weighing her eyelids down.

Nancy felt very empty suddenly. She didn't know what was happening to her, what was going to happen to her. She didn't know what was going on with anyone. She didn't know what was going on with Joe. Or Frank. Or Hayden. Or Amy.

She didn't know how long she waited before the doctor poked his head into her room. But suddenly, there he was, a tall man with salt and pepper hair, a clipboard and a white jacket.

"Good morning, Ms. Drew," he greeted her, walking over to her bedside table. "I hope you're feeling better today."

"How…" Nancy's voice cracked terribly, and she cleared her throat. "How long have I been asleep for?"

"A little over twenty hours," the doctor replied, checking his watch. "But that was to be expected, Ms. Drew. You've been through quite a terrifying ordeal."

Nancy nodded mutely.

"I have the results of your tests here," he spoke up, "and it would appear that aside from a rather severe concussion and a few superficial cuts and bruises, you are in perfect health. We'd like to keep you for overnight observation, but you should be free to go tomorrow. According to what you've told us, you've had plenty of experiences with concussions, so I'm just going to remind you that you will feel pain for a few weeks. We can prescribe something for the pain if you'd like, but I don't feel you'll need it. You should probably visit your family doctor for a follow up visit in about a month."

Nancy absorbed this quietly.

"And…what about th-the other tests?" Nancy asked quietly, meeting his eyes. She felt a tremor of fear run through the length of her torso as the doctor flipped through the pages on his clipboard.

"From what we can tell, there are no unusual signs of penetration or internal injuries. And as of now, there are no signs of STI's or the like, but you're going to have to have blood tests done over the course of a year just to make sure," the doctor told her and Nancy felt something inside her inflate, like a balloon of hope suddenly emerging. "And of course, it's too early to check for pregnancy but we're fairly certain that you won't become pregnant."

Nancy's mind whirred and she felt brighter suddenly, like not everything in the world was horrible.

"And that's…that's all?" Nancy asked, hope ballooning in her throat. "What about my friends?"

Amy didn't like the bed.

It was like a stiff, cold piece of cardboard that someone had covered with itchy sheets. But it's not like she was going to be in it for long, anyways. She had already been in labor for hours and by the time she had arrived at the hospital, she was already dilated eight centimeters. The pain was intense and terrifying and Amy just wanted to go home.

But, of course, Amy couldn't go home.

As another contraction came to an end, Amy flopped backwards onto the stupid, cardboard bed.

A nurse entered the room.

"Where's Nancy?" Amy demanded. "I want Nancy to come with me!"

"I'm afraid you're friend is asleep, dear," the nurse told her gently, brushing some hair back from her face. "And she could certainly use a rest."

"I could use a rest!" Amy screamed. She didn't know why she was so angry suddenly, but it seemed as though nine months of suffering had just EXPLODED inside of her and caused an avalanche of emotion.

"I know, sweetie," the nurse said sympathetically, brushing more hair off of Amy's face. "But it's almost over. And then you'll have a brand new baby!"

"How much longer?" Amy asked, wiping away tears and sweat from her face. The nurse went and checked.

"It looks like we're ready to wheel you into delivery," the nurse smiled. Amy felt her heart seize in her chest and thought she was going to pass out.

"Can any of my friends come with me?" Amy begged, tears streaming down her face. "I can't do this alone!" She wasn't ready to become a mother and she certainly wasn't about to do this alone. The nurse pressed her lips into a stiff line and grabbed the door frame.

"I'll make a call," she said, disappearing into the hallway. Amy gripped the frame of her bed nervously and tried to remember everything she had learned from the one Lamaze class Hannah had taken her to. She couldn't remember anything from the class, but what had happened later in the day suddenly popped into her mind.

She had been in the grocery store parking lot. She had been laughing and talking on the phone with Hannah. She had just run out to grab some Lucky Charms, her latest craving.

She had just hung up with Hannah and was innocently jingling the car keys in her hand when suddenly a hand tapped her on the shoulder. Amy had turned, not even the slightest been frightened until a fist pounded into head.

Every part of her body was mauled. She was punched, kicked and poked until she felt like her insides were about to start leaking out of her ears. When she finally got the courage to open her eyes, Seth's face was floating above hers.

"Why did you leave me?" he demanded. "You aren't…supposed…to leave me. We're meant to be together, Amy!"

Amy screamed. She screamed and screamed until finally a voice yelled at Seth and chased him away. She was transported to the hospital, where the doctor immediately put her on bed rest. That was only a week before Frank and Joe arrived. Seth's face froze in her mind. He was dead. He was dead and he was never going to bother her again. He was never going to bother their baby—her baby—and she was going to live a relatively normal life.

No, she corrected herself. She was never going to live a normal life, not after all that had happened after the past year. She wasn't the same girl she was last year. She had seen and dealt with—for the most part—things she never, ever thought she'd have to.

She'd been stalked. She'd seen the dead body of someone she loved. She'd been raped. She became pregnant. She moved to River Heights. She'd realized that she was in love with her best friend. She'd seen someone kill themselves over her. And now she was going to have a baby.

I'm strong, Amy realized. Sure, she hadn't handled everything very well but there were people who wouldn't have been able to handle it at all. She could do this. She could raise this baby, be it alone or not. Sure, she would need help getting back on her feet. But it was all over. She had made it through. It had been a very taxing test, but she knew now that she could get through anything.

The nurse re-entered the room, a small grin on her face. "Your friends have been through a lot, honey. They've almost all got concussions or broken bones."

Amy felt her face fall as another contraction started. She gripped the handrail tightly and squeezed her eyes tightly until it passed. When she reopened them, the nurse was still standing there.

"However," the nurse continued, "when your friend Hayden heard his nurse talking to me, he insisted to come. He's on his way now."

"Really?" Amy exclaimed, the feeling of relief flooding her sweaty, tired body. Another nurse entered the room and they began wheeling her into the delivery room. She tried to take deep breaths, but the pain rising within her was too much for meditation.

Just as they were about to enter the delivery room, the gigantic frame of Hayden came barreling down the hall.

"Amy!" he cried, grabbing her hand with his. Without thinking, he brought it to his lips and kissed it, closing his eyes tightly. When he opened them, Amy could see that his eyes were filled with tears. "I thought you were…I never thought I…God, Ames."

"I didn't think I was ever going to see you again," Amy told him, huffing through the pain of another contraction. "I'm so glad you're okay. You are okay, right?"

"I'm fine," Hayden assured her, grabbing a pair of scrubs from one of the nurses. He pulled them on quickly over his clothes before grabbing Amy's hand again. "I've never been better. Amy…I love you so much."

Amy beamed, but then cringed in pain. "I…I love you, too."

Hayden thought his heart was going to burst from his chest as Amy grabbed the collar of his scrubs and pulled him down so she could give him a kiss. When he pulled away, she smiled sweetly before letting out a groan of agony. "Get this damned thing out of me already!"

The next few minutes were a blur of pain and screaming and cursing. Amy thought that the contractions were bad, but she would have happily sold her soul for them over the mind-numbing pain of childbirth. But however badly it hurt, looking up at Hayden gave Amy the hope that she wouldn't have to do it all alone, and that gave her the strength to keep pushing.

Suddenly, the white-hot pain trickled out of her body and left her with a dull pounding ache. A watery cry filled the room and Amy thought for sure that she had died. But instead of a blinding white light landing on her face, a small and very red little baby landed on her chest.

Something caught in her chest, whether it was her breath or her heart as she stared at the wrinkled, goopy, perfect little thing in her arms.

"Congratulations," her doctor smiled, peeling off a very grody pair of gloves. "It's a boy."

"A boy," Amy breathed, happy tears finally, for the first time in months, trickling down her face.

"Amy," Hayden began but looking at the baby in her arms, he forgot what he was going to say.

His hair was brown and his eyes were blue and Hayden hoped that he would always look as much like his mom as he did at that moment. As the baby's cries finally settled down, he opened those bright blue eyes and Hayden could have sworn that he focused right on him.

"Do we have a name?" the doctor asked, grinning. Amy looked hesitant but eventually smiled.

"Joshua," she said quietly, looking down at the baby in her arms as if for verification. "Joshua Franklin. We'll call him Joe."

"Lovely name," the doctor enthused. "I'll give you a moment alone."

"Joshua Franklin," Hayden repeated. Amy nodded, touching her fingertips lightly to the baby's cheek.

"Frank and Joe have done so much for me," Amy said gently, her eyes tearing up. "They almost died trying to protect me today and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them."

Hayden gave Amy a kiss on the cheek and sat down next to her on the bed.

"I'm not going to let him grow up like his father," Amy told him in a quiet voice. "He'll never…be like him."

"How could he be, with you for a mom?" Hayden asked, smiling. "And I, of course, will be his idol."

"I can only hope," Amy replied, looking up at Hayden. He brushed the sweaty strands of hair off of her face and she smiled sweetly. "My greatest wish is that he grows up to be as wonderful as you."

There were no words for a minute. The two just looked at each other, smiling, before turning their attention to the baby.

And that small moment, approximately twenty five seconds in length, turned the worst day of their lives completely around.

"I must be the greatest," Joe said to Frank the next day. The brothers were sitting in Joe's hospital room, with Joe in the bed and Frank in the chair by the window. "Broken ribs? No problem. A concussion? I'm an expert. And I laugh in the face of stitches! I laugh!"

Frank didn't answer. Instead, he just gazed out at the hospital's parking lot, appearing to be deep in thought.

"No 'congratulations'?" Joe questioned, trying to get his brothers attention. "No feeling or remorse over possibly losing your dearly beloved baby brother? Frank? No?"

Silence.

"FRANK!" Joe cried, startling his brother into paying attention. "Are you okay? Do you need me to call a doctor?"

"No," Frank assured him quickly, shifting in his chair. "I'm just a little dazed, that's all. Yesterday was…a lot."

"Yeah," Joe agreed quietly, leaning back against his pillows. "Frank, I don't think I'm ever going to forget that."

"Me neither," Frank replied, wincing as he jostled his arm against the arm of the chair. The night before was a total blur for him, but when he finally woke up (at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon) he discovered he not only had a broken nose, but a dislocated shoulder. But this, even when combined with bruises and scratches on 80 percent of his body, didn't compare to the pain of being away from Nancy. When she collapsed the night before, he was irrationally positive that she had died. All the relief of having her safe in his arms drained away into fear and anguish. He had barely caught her when the paramedics had rushed up with a stretcher and carted her away. Frank still didn't know what had happened to her, what was happening to her or if she was going to be alright. And most importantly, he still didn't know her response to what he had told her.

"I'm still on edge," Joe admitted, snapping Frank back into reality. "He was so…disfigured and…I don't know. I almost felt bad for him, for a fraction of a second. Then I remembered what a total dick he was."

Frank nodded silently and regretted it when pain rushed to his face.

"Frank," Joe muttered under his breath. "I'm really glad you're okay. I know we've been in situations like that before, but last night…"

"…felt like it was going to be the last night," Frank finished for him. He understood exactly what his brother meant. Something about the previous night's events made him feel like he was going to lose his brother entirely. Like something was going to take Joe away from him violently and permanently.

"And when he…you know…" Joe winced, "it was like something being released inside me. Like everything I had ever kept bottled up inside me just melted away. I kind of thought that I was going to go crazy."

"Shock," Frank replied, looking out the window again. "It was probably the shock."

"Well…yeah," Joe replied slowly, staring hard at his brother. "Frank…"

"Hmm?"

"Go see Nancy," Joe told him. "Please, go and see Nancy before you go insane."

"Are you sure?" Frank asked after a moment, but he was already out of his seat. "I can stay with you if you want."

"I want you to go see Nancy," Joe replied forcefully. Suddenly, Frank bounded over to the bed and leaned over, planting a kiss on the top of his brother's head.

"I'm really, really glad you're okay," Frank told him seriously and the look in his eyes told Joe that Frank honestly would have died to save him last night. As his brother left his room, Joe sank back even farther into his pillow.

Joe loved his brother with all of his heart. Frank was his idol and his best friend and honestly the best man Joe had ever met in his life. He knew that Nancy would make his brother happy. He knew they would be right together. And he knew that Frank would die for Nancy in a heartbeat.

The love Frank had for Nancy made him want to be a better man. It made him want to be able to so openly express his love that everyone around him could see it and feel it.

Reaching hesitantly over to his bedside table, he picked up the receiver and dialed a number he knew by heart.

"Hey, Van…" he said, smiling into the receiver when she picked up.

"Joe?" Vanessa questioned. "Where are you? I don't recognize the number."

"Actually, I'm at the hospital," Joe told her slowly, cringing as she gasped. "But I'm fine."

"You can't be fine if you're at the hospital!" Vanessa exclaimed and Joe thought he heard her voice catch. "What happened?"

Joe filled her in on what had happened the night before, carefully leaving out all the parts that would hurt her more than necessary.

Because she was the girl he loved. And he would die for her.

Frank didn't waste any time crossing the hospital to Nancy's room. His heart was racing and his mind was soaring and he couldn't wait to see her. In fact, there was a physical pain that was eased by just thinking of her.

When he finally found her room (201 shouldn't be on the third floor, right?), he knocked hesitantly and braced himself. But instead of Nancy opening the door, a small elderly nurse appeared before him. Before he could even get a glimpse of Nancy, she shut the door behind her and smiled up at him.

"Can I help you with something, dear?" she questioned, her voice husky with age.

"I'm actually here to see Nancy," he told her, gesturing to the door behind her.

"Well, I'll have to run this by her first…" the nurse replied, opening the door a crack.

"Tell her it's Frank," he informed and the old lady gave a smile before disappearing behind the door.

When the door swung open, Nancy jolted her head up in surprise. She had been on the verge of falling asleep after a long day of tests, test results and questioning. She felt emotionally and physically drained and it was all she could to stop herself from groaning when the nurse (Katherine) entered for what seemed like the fourteenth time.

"Sorry to interrupt you again, honey," Katherine croaked, adjusting her hearing aid. Katherine was a volunteer candy-striper who seemed to have taken a shining to Nancy. All day long she had been stopping in with ice cream and pudding and various other treats that she watched Nancy eat as she detailed what a brave girl she was for going through such a horrifying ordeal.

"It's alright," Nancy smiled tightly, sitting up slightly in her bed.

"There's a young man outside who wants to see you," Katherine told her and Nancy yawned.

"Katherine, I really don't want to see anyone right now. I'm completely exhausted," Nancy told her, smiling sleepily and sinking back into the pillows. A voice in the back of her mind yelled FRANK! but she was too sleepy to listen to it.

"Alright, dear, I'll just send him away," Katherine nodded before disappearing behind the door. Before it had even closed, Nancy was out like a light.

"She doesn't want to see you," the old lady told him. Frank felt his heart sink. He was so sure that Nancy would want to see him; that she would be ready to finally talk about their feelings. But now she didn't want to see him, period?

He was sure his heart was breaking, but he managed to smile and back away from the door so the old lady could get away. Completely dazed, he dropped himself into one of the chairs lining the hallways, not even wincing when he smacked his shoulder against the wall.

Why had he worked himself up about this so much? He should have known that Nancy wouldn't want to see him. The sheer force of his affection for her probably turned her off of him.

As he was sitting there, slumped against the wall, a person moved past him in a hurry. The person was almost unrecognizable behind a huge bouquet of lilies. Frank didn't really give it much thought until they stopped in front of Nancy's door and lowered the bouquet.

It was Ned.

Briefly glancing over at Frank (he must not have recognized him with all the gauze on his nose), Ned knocked on the door. Frank held his breath.

A moment passed.

The door swung open.

Ned walked in.

The door shut.

It felt like everything in his body had shattered. Like something had broke and destroyed him.

Frank sat there for a moment before the pain of staring at the door became too much. He stood to his feet and stalked away, leaving the broken pieces of his heart behind.

Hayden didn't know how long it had been since he had slept. But it didn't matter. Watching Joshua sleep felt better than four days of sleep. The baby's chest rose softly with each breath and Hayden couldn't believe that something so awful and horrifying had produced something so sweet and lovely.

"Hayden?" Hayden turned at the sound of Frank's voice. The elder Hardy was a sight to behold, what with bruises and gauze and black eyes.

"Hey, man," Hayden said softly. "How are you doing?"

"I've been better," Frank replied gruffly. "What are you doing?"

"Amy's baby," Hayden smiled, pointing at the swaddled up, little blue bundle on the other side of the glass. Frank came up beside him and peered through the window.

"Wow," Frank murmured. "He's…nothing like I expected him to be. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I kind of expected him to look…"

"Just like Seth?" Hayden finished and Frank nodded. "It's not all that strange. I think I expected the same thing."

"Weird, isn't it?" Frank asked. "How it looks nothing like him?"

"A small miracle," Hayden muttered. "He looks just like Amy."

"Yeah," Frank nodded, but something wasn't quite right about it. Staring at the baby, he could see that something wasn't quite right. "Is Amy's natural hair colour black?"

"Yeah," Hayden answered hesitantly. "Why?"

"It's just…his hair is so brown. And I know that Seth's was blond, so it's just a little weird." Frank shrugged with his good shoulder.

Hayden stared at the baby.

"And Amy is so pale…and so is Seth," Frank went on, something clicking in his head. "But he's so…tan. But he's a newborn. He's probably a little darker than he'll usually be…"

Hayden's mouth dropped open.

"Oh, God," Hayden murmured. Frank looked over at him.

"What is it?"

"Maybe…" Hayden muttered to himself. "Maybe it's not Seth's!"

"What?" Frank cried, despite the fact that he had just been thinking the same thing.

"What if it's Jacob's?" Hayden whispered, his eyes widening. Frank's jaw dropped as the light bulb finally clicked into place.

"Amy's boyfriend?" Frank asked. "Well…that would be great!"

"Frank," Hayden laughed, "that would be freaking amazing. Do you think they can do a paternity test? I mean, the coroner's got to have…"

"I'll bet they do," Frank nodded emphatically. Despite the good news, Hayden could tell that something was seriously bugging him.

"You okay?" Hayden asked and Frank nodded again, wincing and touching his nose as he did.

"Completely," Frank sighed. "Now go talk to Amy." Hayden nodded and started off the hall, but turned back suddenly.

"Take a look at the name," Hayden told him before running down the hall.

Frank looked.

And despite his heartache, he smiled.

Nancy opened the door with trepidation, half expecting to see Katherine on the other side. But instead, all she saw was a mound of lilies and a dark head poking out from behind them.

Frank, her mind told her and her heart began to swell with emotion. But then the bouquet lowered and the handsome face of Ned staring back at her with concern.

"Ned!" Nancy cried with surprise, accepting the bouquet of flowers he was holding out to her. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard all about what happened," Ned told her, grabbing both of her shoulder and holding on tightly. "I was so worried about you, Nan; when I saw on the news that you had been involved at what happened in the woods, I came down here as soon as I could…"

"Well, I'm touched at your concern," Nancy said carefully, trying not to hide her disappointment. She had really thought it was Frank. "Thank you so much for these; they're beautiful…"

"Nan, sit down," he told her, guiding her over to her bed. She sat down hesitantly and folded her hands in her lap, waiting while he paced around the room.

"Is everything all right?" she asked nervously, playing with the hem of her hospital gown.

"Nancy, when I heard that you were in the hospital…I almost died," he told her, kneeling in front of her suddenly and grabbing her hands. "It suddenly became so clear to me…I still love you, Nan, and I don't know what went wrong last time but I'm willing to work on it. I just want to be with you and I have a feeling you do, too. You wouldn't have come to my house if you didn't. So, please, Nancy. One more chance?"

"Ned," Nancy interrupted gently. "I can't be with you."

"Why not?" Ned asked, his face a mask of hurt. Nancy thought about this. Why couldn't she be with Ned? Why couldn't she be with the nice, handsome guy who loved her and would support her for the rest of her life?

"Because I'm in love with Frank," Nancy told him, surprised at how easily the words flowed. She suddenly felt, despite her many injuries and lack of sleep, lighter than air.

Ned looked down at the floor.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Okay. I kinda figured that was why we broke up…but I hoped that it wasn't."

"I'm so sorry, Ned," Nancy told him, squeezing his hand. "I wish things were different, but…I love him."

"I wish things were different, too," he smiled weakly and stood, leaving the room without a second thought.

Nancy sat there for a moment, completely stunned.

She had said it. She had finally said it and now that she had, she knew that it couldn't be truer.

She loved Frank.

She ran to the door as fast as her aching limbs would allow her and opened the door. However, she barely made it three feet when Doctor Matthews appeared and stopped her.

"May I ask where you're going, Ms. Drew?" he asked gently.

"I just need to speak with my friend, Frank," Nancy replied, trying to walk around him, but he held a firm grip on her shoulder.

"Nancy, you've been through an awful lot the past few days," he told her seriously, "and you need your sleep. We aren't releasing Mr. Hardy until tomorrow morning, so there will be plenty of time to talk to him before than. But for now, I highly suggest that you head back to your room."

As he was speaking, Nancy's heart bounced up and down in her chest, demanding that she see Frank nowNowNOW but each blink became more and more delayed and the next thing she knew, the Doctor had led her back to her room and she was in bed…completely…asleep.

Hayden ran to Amy's room with a speed that could have started winds of hurricane proportions. He burst into the room without even stopping to think whether or not she was asleep and as a result sent her flying up in bed.

"Did you ever have sex with Jacob?" Hayden demanded and Amy pressed a hand to her chest.

"What?" Amy cried, leaning back against the pillows. "What kind of question is that?"

"What if," Hayden scurried to her bed and sat down next to her, "Joshua is Jacob's baby?"

Amy paused for a moment, taking this in. Then she shot up in bed, clutching a hand to her mouth.

"Don't do this to me," she told him, leaning her head against his chest. "Do you think we could get a paternity test done?"

"Frank thinks so," Hayden smiled. Amy was quiet for a moment.

"Can you go get the doctor?" she asked and he happily obliged, leaving her alone to collect her thoughts.

Why hadn't anyone thought of it before? Of course it could be Jacob's! But just because she had been raped, everyone had assumed it was Seth's. Suddenly everything seemed a little brighter and weight she hadn't felt before was lifted from her chest.

Her baby's father might not have been a monster. He might have been a kind, sweet and funny man who Amy had actually liked.

But suddenly, Amy realized that she didn't care who the father was. Sure, it would be a thousand times better if Jacob was little Joe's father, but it didn't matter. If Seth was the father, she'd deal. And most importantly of all, Hayden would still be there with her.

That was really all that mattered.

"You're leaving?" Joe cried. "Why?"

"Because I can't be here any more, Joe," Frank told him sadly. "I can't be here with Nancy, knowing that she's with Ned again."

"You don't know that she's with Ned again," Joe sighed. "Maybe you should just let Nancy explain."

"I can't face her, Joe," Frank replied, looking down at his lap. "She didn't want to see me; I'm going to respect that."

"But I think that if you talk to her, she'll tell you that…"

"Joe," Frank looked up, surprising his younger brother with the tears in his eyes. "I'll see you when I get home. Vanessa is coming up and she'll fly back with you."

"Okay," Joe said quietly, still stunned by the tears on his brothers face. Frank stood, giving his brother a watery smile as he did and reached for the doorknob.

"Can you even fly like that?" Joe blurted out before he could even think about it. Frank cracked a small grin and nodded before disappearing behind the door.

Closing his eyes, Joe sighed. He was sure that there was a logical explanation for what Frank had seen, but he knew that his brother's mind had been made up and he had to respect that.

He didn't intend to fall asleep, but he must have because the next thing he knew Nancy was standing over his bed, a silly grin plastered on her face.

"Hey, Nan," Joe yawned, sitting up. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for Frank," Nancy told him excitedly. "I need to tell him something."

Joe's heart sank.

"He's gone, Nan," he told her sadly. The grin melted off Nancy's face so suddenly that he felt his heart break a little.

"He's…why?" she asked, looking so sad and confused that Joe cursed his broken rib. All he wanted to do was give her a hug and explain, but he couldn't.

"He saw Ned go into your room…" Joe gave her a look and Nancy's face suddenly dropped into an expression of horror.

"He doesn't think…?"

"He does, I'm afraid," Joe told her. "I tried to convince him to stay and hear your side of the story, but he wouldn't. I'm sorry."

"I wanted to tell him that I love him," Nancy whispered, sinking into the chair that Frank had been occupying so many hours ago.

"I know," Joe whispered back, feeling his heart clench as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"He probably thinks that I hate him," Nancy moaned, clutching her head with her hands.

"He doesn't," Joe reassured her. "He may not think that you love him, but he knows you don't hate him."

Nancy was silent for a moment.

"When is he leaving?" Nancy demanded suddenly. Joe looked at the clock hanging above the door.

"His flight leaves in an hour and a half," Joe told her. Nancy jumped to her feet and dashed towards the door.

"I'm going to the airport," she told him. Joe's jaw dropped.

"That is so Hollywood," he breathed. "Good luck, Nan."

"Thanks, Joe," she smiled. She opened the door, paused and raced over to his bed to give him a kiss on the cheek. "See you soon, I hope."

"I expect to see you at Christmas," Joe winked.

And with that, she left.

Frank hoisted his luggage farther up on his shoulder and began to head towards security. His head was pounding and his shoulder ached but he didn't care. He needed to leave River Heights and the sooner he did, the faster he'd recover.

He had barely taken three steps when he heard his name being screamed over the rush of the airport.

"FRANK!" He turned and searched for the owner of the voice. "FRANK HARDY!"

A strawberry-blonde head began weaving through the crowd towards him and he let his luggage fall off his shoulder in shock. The head started moving faster and faster until he suddenly looked down and there was Nancy, wearing her hospital gown over a dirty pair of jeans and her face a bruised mess. She wasn't wearing any makeup, but Frank had never found her more beautiful.

"You," she told him, poking him in the chest and breathing heavily, "can't leave."

"Why not?" he asked, too surprised to remember that he was heartbroken. "Why can't I leave, Nan? Isn't that what you want?"

"I don't!" She cried, clutching at her chest. She waved her arms around frantically. "Would I be here if I wanted you to leave?"

Frank was silent. He was almost positive that Nancy could hear his heart thudding in his chest.

"I've realized," she said quietly, "that I hate it when you leave. It causes me actual pain. I don't want you to ever leave. So please…don't, Frank. Don't leave."

"But…"

"Frank," Nancy took a deep breath and grabbed two handfuls of his shirt, pulling him close to her, "I'm completely, totally, mind-numbingly in love with you. I've always loved you. Sometimes I can't believe how much I love you. And if you leave…I'll be heartbroken, because I'll know I missed my chance with you. It will kill me, Frank."

"Nancy…"

"I'm begging you, Frank," Nancy continued, shutting her eyes tightly and grabbing his hands. "Please, please don't leave. I love you so much and I'm sorry I couldn't say it before, but it couldn't be more true and when I found out that you were leaving, I thought that you hated me and never wanted to see me again. I really, really hope that's not true, Frank. And I hope you understand that…"

His lips crashed down on hers so suddenly that she almost gasped. She let go of his hands and grabbed the back of his head, pulling him down closer to her. His arms slid around her waist as he broke away and rested his forehead on hers.

"I've waited so long to here you say that," he told her, smiling. "I love you so much, Nan."

"I love you," Nancy whispered, her face splitting into a radiant smile. With her heart bursting, she pulled him down again to-.

"We are now boarding Flight 26 to Bayport, New York," a pleasant voice rang through the airport, causing Nancy and Frank to look up. Frank looked back down at her nervously.

"That's my flight," he told her sadly. Nancy paused for a moment before pressing her lips to his tenderly.

"You can catch the next one," she told him and he smiled.

And there, in the middle of the crowded airport, they kissed.

Again.

And again.

And again.

A/N: WHOOSH. SHE IS DONE.

Along with a feeling of ELATION and JOY and RELIEF, there is a small undertone of sadness. I really did love writing this story, although my updates may have said otherwise. I would like to extend THANKS and HUGS and KISSES and the WINCHESTER BROTHER OF YOUR CHOICE to everyone who has ever reviewed, favourite-ed or subscribed. You guy are the best. The bomb, as some may say. The bee's knees.

I would also like to thank my dear friend Val, who is better know as THE ONLY REASON I ACTUALLY WROTE. She would nag me annoyingly until I finally relented and wrote. She was also the best beta-ish type person and supporter that I could have ever asked for.

So CHEERS for Val and all of you lovely people who hang around in the Internet. You are my raison-d'être.

And, finally, I sign off.

-Melissa

P.S. As this may be the last time you guys hear from me for a while (busy, busy me), please review and tell me what you thought!

P.P.S. Oh, right! Secrets.

1) Originally, Amy died. :S I know. I'm horrible. But it's true. Seth killed her along with himself.

2) Speaking of horrible, Frank and Nancy weren't supposed to get together. But…I couldn't resist.

P.P.P.S. As for the people who really want to know who the father of Amy's baby is, go with your gut. A paternity test can take anywhere from 1 to 6 weeks and we didn't have that much time. So that part is up to you. ;)

Nerdfighters!