Author's Note: I'm a little late, but I wanted to write something for my favorite pairing for the 4th of the July. It's cute, fluffiness =)

I don't own Nancy Drew or we'd have a whole show or series about the day to day life of Nancy and Ned.

Rating: G

"Got it," Ned announced dropping a large box on the counter. "What we need for a perfect 4th of July."

"And that is?" Nancy responded barely responding as she cut more vegetables.

"Fireworks."

This caused Nancy's head to jerk up. "What?"

"It took me about an hour, but they're from my favorite shop in Middleton. Mom and dad have been buying from them for years."

"Are you insane?"

"Not any more than usual."

"Ned, that's dangerous."

Her husband laughed. "Nancy, what are you talking about? I've shot off fireworks for years, and we did it together years ago. We haven't done it since the kids were born, and I wanted to share it with them."

"The kids are going to burn the house down, and when they do, I'm going to kick your rear end up and down the street."

Ned waved her concerns off. "We're not going to set them off in the back yard."

"You're forgetting whose kids they are, Ned. They're going to get into them and set this place on fire."

"I doubt even you were that reckless."

"Mhmmm," Nancy answered with tight lips. "You didn't meet me until I was eighteen. You missed my bratty years."

Ned grinned mischievously. "You sure?"

Nancy rolled her eyes. "I'm seriously going to kill you."

"I thought you were going to threaten to shove a firework up my ass."

"Ha! As if you'd be that lucky."

"Okay, okay, you win. I'm going to hide these before the kids come down."

Fifteen minutes later Ned leaned up against the counter once more. "Operation hide the fireworks is a success."

Nancy slapped his hand as he reached for a strawberry. "Lay off. Those are for tomorrow. And I'm still not convinced I'm not going to wake up tomorrow with the fire alarms going off."

"Relax. It's going to be fine, and the kids are going to go nuts when they shoot them off tomorrow."

"Ned!" Nancy said with horror. "You can't let them shoot them off; they'll blow their hands off!"

"You know. For someone who's in a dangerous profession and the reason for all of your father's gray hair, I'm surprised by how much you're freaking out over this."

Nancy put the colander in the sink before starting the water. "I'm a mom. It's my job, Ned."

Ned wrapped his arms around her waist. "It'll be fine, Nancy. Chill, relax, let it go."

She twirled to face him. "Well, if they're anything like me, heaven help us."

Ned laughed. "What did you do that has you so afraid?"

"You really want to know?"

"Duh! More fuel for future fights and blackmail."

"Oh God. You're hopeless."

Ned relaxed on the bar stool. "I'm serious. Hit me with it."

Nancy narrowed her eyes before sighing. "Fine! Here it is. I may or may not have set a barn on fire when I was a kid."

"What?!"

"Hey! I was six and curious! What'd you expect me to do?"

"Did you kill anything?"

"No! Heavens no! The barn had been abandoned for years."

"Geez, Nance, what'd you do?"

"Dad and I were visiting my grandparents, and dad had bought a box of fireworks. I'd never been with my grandparents for the fourth, and I think they wanted to make it special. Anyway, I caught wind, found them, and took them out into the fields to set a few off. I just wanted to see what they looked like."

"And apparently your aim sucked."

"At six, yes. I really thought I had positioned it right, but before I knew it, the very first one flew right smack on top of the barn. It went up in flames. Pretty flames at first but flames nonetheless. I was horrified. I thought dad was going to skin me."

"And did he?"

"A little but I think he was more relieved I didn't kill myself or blow a hand off. Needless to say, we never had fireworks again. I think Dad was even afraid to even let me watch them for a long time after in case I got any ideas."

Ned just laughed. "God, you were a brat."

Nancy slapped his arm. "Shut it."

"Well, I guess we'll have to watch the kids like a hawk now."

"Yeah, but if you hid them well, they shouldn't know about it. I knew they were hidden somewhere; they don't."

Ned nodded in agreement. "That's true. Hey, I'm gonna get the cooler from the garage; be right back."

Before Nancy could respond, the two heard a crash from upstairs followed with a young boy's voice saying, "Lizzie, lookie what I found! I wonder what it does."

The two exchanged horrified looks before thundering up the steps.