She'd been out here since twilight; enjoying the much needed solitude; watching the beautiful blue sky that had accompanied the unusually warm spring day fade into a brilliant display of reds, purples and pinks. Each individual color melted into the next much like Laurie's watercolors did when Laurie applied too much water. And centered in this artistic display was a nearly golden sun, slipping slowly below the western horizon. Nancy had still been here, with Kevin finally joining her, silently watching as the first stars began to wink their way into existence across the darkening sky. Finally, calling Laurie away from her play in the front yard, she had reluctantly abandoned her spot on the swing to take Laurie in for her evening bath. Now she was back; with Laurie on her lap; reading from a favorite story book; and waiting patiently for her friends to arrive.

"And the day came when the beautiful young princess celebrated her 16th birthday. Every inhabitant of the castle was busy with preparations for the gala party to be thrown that night. Bored, the young princess found herself wandering from room to room in the castle that she knew so well. Much to her surprise, she came upon a room near the tower that she’d never seen before. Pushing the door open, she spied on old woman spinning wool on a curiously large wheel mounted on a frame. The wool appeared to go ‘round and ‘round the wheel, and with each turn, grew smaller and smaller until it appeared in thin strands of yarn. Never having seen this before, the young princess was entranced..."

"What’s that Mommy?"

"Hmm?"

"Entranced?"

Nancy thought. "It means she couldn’t look away. She had to keep watching the spinning wheel."

"Oh. Like you’re doing the street."

Nancy chuckled. "Kind of." She continued with the story. "The young princess asked the old woman what the unusual object was, having never seen anything like it before."

‘Why it’s a spinning wheel, my dear. Haven’t you ever seen a spinning wheel?’

The young princess shook her head. The old woman gave a soft laugh and offered her seat to the girl. ‘Here, dear one, sit and I will show you how it’s done.’"

Laurie gasped "No, Mommy! It’s a trick. She shouldn’t sit there. The woman is the bad one! She’ll hurt the princess. Like Uncle Greg."

Nancy stopped reading. "Honey, you realize that Uncle Greg won't hurt you now, right? He did some very bad things and when he realized he would never see you again, he made a big mistake and tried to take you. Because he’d miss you. But he can't ever again. Because he's going to go away for a long time. Ok, sweetie. No one is going to hurt you."

Laurie nodded, eyes wide as saucers. "You and my Daddy won’t let anyone hurt me. He told me so."

"Neither will I," Kevin added softly from his seat on the front porch steps.

Laurie nodded again. "And Uncle Joe won’t let anyone hurt me. So I’m safe. The princess needs someone to keep here safe."

Nancy smiled. "Yes, she does." She ruffled the little girl’s hair and continued. "The beautiful young princess sat down at the wheel. No sooner had she reached out to touch the wheel, the needle pricked her finger. Instantly the princess fell to the ground, sound asleep. And with her, the entire occupants of the castle fell asleep with her...."

"What have we here?" a deep voice ask.

Nancy and Laurie looked up to see Frank and Joe standing on the front steps. Somewhere along the way they had arrived.

"Daddy! Uncle Joe!" Laurie cried out. Story immediately forgotten, she jumped from Nancy’s lap and leapt into Frank’s arms.

"Hey, sweetheart," Frank said, planting a kiss on the top of the little girl’s hair. Still holding Laurie, he reached out and dropped a set of keys into Nancy’s lap.

"I’m returning your car. I’m going to be here a few more days, and I decided that you’ve been patient with me long enough. It was time to go rent a car." He nodded to the dark blue Toyota parked at the curb behind her car.

"Yeah," Joe grumbled. "And look what he rents. A Toyota. Couldn’t get something sportier, could he?"

Nancy laughed. Even Kevin, who hadn’t smiled all day, managed a chuckle. Frank sat on the steps. Joe eyed the space left; and opting out of sitting between Frank and Kevin, chose to sit next to Nancy on the swing instead. Nancy handed the book of fairy tales to Frank, smiling.

"Would you like to read to your daughter?" she asked.

"Oh please? Pretty please?" Laurie cried. "Mommy was reading me my favorite story. It’s the best story!"

Frank glanced at the pages. "Sleeping Beauty?" He asked doubtfully. Joe covered a smirk that appeared without warning at the thought of his big brother reading fairy tales out loud.

"Yes, Daddy, please? We were at the part where the pretty princess falls asleep for a long, long time."

Frank looked into his daughter’s eyes, unable to say no. "Okay," he said. As he began to read, Laurie rested her head against his chest. The little group watched in wonder as Frank continued to read. Laurie’s eyes began to slowly droop, lulled into sleep by the sound of her father’s voice telling the story of the princess who slept for a hundred years. Several times her head jerked forward, fighting the sleep that was slowly claiming her. As Frank spoke the familiar words "They lived happily ever after," Laurie’s eyes closed for the final time.

"She’s asleep," Frank whispered in awe. He shifted her quietly so that she rested against the crook of his arm, and stared into her small face.

"That was pretty good," Nancy said. "It usually takes me two or three stories to get her to go out like that. You’re a natural. I may have to let you take over bedtime stories." She stood up. "Here, I’ll put her to bed."

Frank shook his head. "No, let me. I want to do it. I’ve never tucked anyone into bed before." Kevin stood and opened the door for Frank. Frank disappeared into the house, his daughter’s legs, dangling over his arms; her head still resting against his chest.

"So," Joe began. "How was your day?"

"Surreal," Nancy said. "It feels weird, coming home, knowing Greg’s not coming back. I know he was the criminal, but there’s still this big hole that he left behind. I lost a friend yesterday, Joe. One I can’t get back." She glanced at Kevin. He nodded in affirmation.

"An even bigger hole for me," he said. He looked down at his feet, unable to say more.

"Yeah," Joe said. "I understand Kevin. I’ve lost someone I loved before."

"Ashlee?" he asked.

Joe shook his head. "No, I cared about her. But it wasn't love. I'm glad too. It was someone else, a long time ago...Two different girls, actually."

Nancy smiled sympathetically, knowing exactly who he was talking about. "How did your talk with Frank go?" she asked.

"It went well," he said smiling. "He doesn’t blame me for your leaving any more than you did. I feel totally absolved."

"Good," she said. "Cause it really wasn’t your fault. It was my mistake."

"I know that. It just felt good to hear you both say it." He was quiet for a moment. "We also decided something else."

"What’s that?"

"I’m going back to Bayport."

Nancy was silent.

"Did you hear me?"

"Yeah, I heard you." she said. "What about Frank?"

"He is too. He has to give notice at work, wrap up some loose ends, stuff like that, but he’s going to join me in a month or two. We’re going to open that detective agency we’d always dreamed about."

"That’s great," Nancy said, patting Joe’s hand. "I’m really happy everything's working out for you." She sighed, then turned and looked out at the night sky.

"We were also thinking...." his voice trailed off as he saw Frank appear at the doorway. "Never mind, it’s probably not my place to mention it."

Frank sat back down on the steps. "Mention what?" he asked.

"Nothing," Joe said. "How did your first tucking in go?"

"Well. I never woke her up," he said. "She’s so tiny. So perfect. I could stand to do that every night, I think."

The three sat in silence, listening to the sounds of the night. Somewhere in the distance a dog barked. The faint sounds of someone's car radio drifted in the air, followed by the occasional honking of a car horn. Finally, unable to stand in no longer, Joe spoke.

"So, I guess we're all through with the case now, right?"

Frank nodded. "Yeah. Greg confessed to everything. He started this back when he and Kevin were first turned down for adoption. Apparently he couldn't take the fact that there were girls out there throwing their babies away, literally, through abortions or other means, and yet the laws made it so hard for people who wanted those babies to get them. So he decided to circumvent them. After placing a couple of babies in homes, he was all set to try to pull papers through to legitimize one for the two of you," Frank looked at Kevin, "when his mom died. Bringing Ashlee back with him was his biggest mistake. She was greedy. She saw this as a chance to make money, both by raising fees on potential clients and by taking fees even when there wasn't a baby to place."

"So the part about cheating people was her idea," Kevin mused.

"Yeah," Frank said. "She was also the one who planned and executed Jennifer Price's 'suicide'. And the one who hired the guy that tailed Joe, and the rest of you, into the cemetery. Then she had him detain Joe on the way to meet Clarissa Carter." Joe made a face at that one.

"She didn't mean to get you hurt, Joe. He was supposed to keep you from meeting her when you got there; not get you killed on the highway."

Joe shrugged. "Doesn't matter what was supposed to happen. She's still responsible for it."

"True," Nancy said.

"What's going to happen to Greg now?" Kevin asked.

"The district attorney will probably make a deal with him in order to get Ashlee on a murder charge for Jennifer Price. That will get her the most time in prison. Since she was the one in charge of setting up the website and bouncing it around from server to server, we'll want to try her for that. But we'll have to wait in line behind the first degree murder charge. Greg will go to prison for profiteering off of those children; and for running a scam in cyberspace. But, considering how packed the prisons are, I'm sure he'll either get his sentence reduced or time off with parole."

"Hmm." Kevin said. "Well, let 'me let him out. I'm not taking him back." He frowned. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go in. Need some down time." With that, Kevin stood up, stretched, and headed into the house.

"He's taking this hard," Joe observed.

"Yes, he is," Nancy said. As they sat, they could hear strains of a sad song beginning to play. Kevin had turned on the CD player, keeping the volume just low enough to not wake Laurie, who was sleeping soundly upstairs.

"What is that?" Joe said, his hears quickly picking up the music. He could just make out the words of the old song.

Nancy groaned. "Not again! He's been playing that all day!"

"Really?" Frank asked. "What is it?"

"It's a Hank Williams song. Very depressing, old country music. This is how he communicates when's he's upset. He plays appropriate music that tells everyone around him what mood he's in. When he's really depressed, out comes that Hank William's cds."

"He's a very complicated person, isn't he? You have my sympathy," Joe said.

"She has more than that," Frank said. "He needs a friend to talk to, Joe. Go be that friend."

Joe looked stricken. "Me? Why?"

"'Cause I'm volunteering you. Go in. Talk to him. Take your time," he stared, attempting to get his point across.

Joe got the point. "Oh, man. Thanks a lot you guys. Fine. I'm going. But I'm confiscating that CD." He opened the door and paused. "But if he gets the wrong idea from this, you're paying for it big time, Frank Hardy."

Joe went in and a moment later, the music stopped.

Frank stood up and went to the porch swing. "May I?" he asked.

"Be my guest," Nancy said. Frank sat down next to her, trying to find the right words.

"Frank, about what I did. I know I've said this before, but I never meant to hurt you."

"I know that," he said quietly.

"I should never have let you think I died. Or kept Laurie from you. I was afraid that you'd never achieve your dreams if you were suddenly saddled with a family to take care of. It was wrong, and I wish I could take it back."

Frank was silent for a moment. Music had started back up in the house now. Still country, but with a different feel. Slightly more optimistic - and much more current. He sat and listened to the words, realizing that Joe was now in charge of the CD player.

"Do you hear that?" Frank asked. Nancy grinned.

"Think he's trying to make a point?" she asked.

"Excuse me." Frank got up and opened the front door. He could see Kevin sitting on the couch, with Joe flipping idly through a magazine, CD remote next to him.

Frank glared at Joe. "You can turn that down before you wake my daughter, Joe Hardy."

"Me?" he said innocently.

"Yeah, you. We don't need your little hint there. We can hold a private conversation just fine without a nudge from you."

Joe just held his hands up in a 'I have no idea what you're talking about gesture'. Kevin smiled. Frank shook his head, closed the door, and sat back down on the swing.

"Meddlesome little brother," he muttered. Nancy smiled.

"That's okay," she said. "Those who meddle get it returned threefold."

"If you say so," he said. He paused. "What you were saying a minute ago. About taking it back. We can't you know. We can't go back. Only forward."

"I know." She sighed. "I started that this morning."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," she said. "I made a couple of calls. I called my dad."

"Wow," Frank said. "Big step. And?"

"After I finally got his new wife," she paused on that word, "to realize it wasn't a sick joke, it went pretty well. I think he was so thunderstruck that I was really alive that he didn't have the chance to think of anything else. I promised to come out next week with Laurie. And talk to him more in depth about everything that's happened in the past five years."

"So you're going back to River Heights?"

"Temporarily. I can't live there. Not yet. It would be too hard right now. I'll come back here when I'm done, wrap things up at work; then.....I don't know yet."

"I sort of had an idea on what you should do next. Well, Joe and I did."

"You did?" she asked softly.

"I thought maybe you might want to come to Bayport. You could work with me and Joe at the new agency we're starting. I know he told you about it. I heard him as I was coming back out."

"You'd want to still work with me?" she asked.

"Well, yeah. We could get you an apartment, or a little house with a yard for Laurie to play in. Laurie would be near Mom and Dad. I could see her everyday, maybe tuck her in at night..." Frank smiled at that thought.

"It sounds pretty good. You know I couldn't leave right away; providing I took you up on the offer, that is. I'd have to train someone else to take my job, and then there's Kevin."

"I think Kevin's a big boy that can take care of himself. Give him a month or so and he'll bounce back."

"Probably," she said. "But in the meantime, he's going to need a friend to lean on."

"Yeah," Frank said. "And I'm sure you're a great friend to him. But, there's another reason I'd like you to move to Bayport. More important than Kevin."

"Oh," Nancy tilted her head to look at Frank. "And that is..."

"Well, make me spell it out," he said. "You. I still care about you. I'm still in love with you - at least the you I used to know. I don't know you now, and you don't know me. We've changed over the past five years. But I want to get to know you again. And I can't do that very well if you're living on the other side of the country. If I can work with you, have dinner with you, spend time with you; I can get to know you again. And maybe, just maybe, I'll find that I love the you of today as much as the you of five years ago. And maybe you'll feel the same about me." He paused. "There's actually some logic in that speech somewhere."

"And meanwhile," Nancy finished. "Laurie gets two parents, a great uncle, and grandparents."

"Don't forget a great-aunt," Frank said.

Nancy laughed. "No, I definitely can't forget her."

She thought for a moment. "I could take her for visits back to see Dad and Hannah in River Heights from time to time. It'd be easier to get off from work for that if I worked with you rather than here."

"Right," Frank said. He sat there, waiting for her to reply.

"Well?"

"Have I ever told you that I think you're just about the smartest guy I've ever met?"

He grinned. "Not lately. But you can say it all you want. It sounds pretty good. That was a yes, right?"

"Yes, it was," she said.

"Good!" He bent down, brushing his lips against hers as the phone rang inside the house.

Nancy broke away. "That would be my other phone call," she said, smiling.

"You want to answer it?" Frank asked.

"It isn't for me," she said secretively. "Remember how I said that those who meddle get it returned threefold?"

Minutes passed, and suddenly Joe stuck his head out the door, cordless phone in one hand. "Okay. Anyone care to tell me how Vanessa Bender knew exactly where to find me tonight? On the night I needed to hear her voice the most?"

Frank grinned. Nancy just smiled at Joe, and settled back against Frank's shoulder in the swing. Frank put his arm around her. "I don't know, Joe. Maybe she's psychic."