Epilogue

Nancy sat on the vanity stool. Her hands shook slightly as they supported her head, elbows resting on her knees. Her nervous mind whirled as she thought of what she was about to do. She had prepared for this moment for months now, but she still didn't know exactly what to expect. She just knew it was right. Not only was it the right thing to do, it was the one thing she had only allowed herself to dream about for three years, though she knew she had thought of it before then. She thought of a night, about seven months ago.

They sat on the beach of Lake Michigan. Nancy loved coming here with Frank. This is where they had gone after their first official date as a couple. They had sat there talking as the sun set.

Nancy smiled at Frank as she stuck her bare feet deep into the sand, wiggling her toes. It was their two year anniversary of officially being a couple. "Your quiet," Nancy observed, looking at Frank fondly. "Spill."

Frank stared of into the ocean-like lake for a few seconds, his eyes shining in the setting sun, before speaking. "Nancy, you know how much I love you, right?" He turned his head toward her, looking at her with what looked like a mix of fear and hesitation in his eyes.

Nancy didn't even answer the question. "Frank Hardy, that was a break-up line, You tell me right now if you are breaking up with me." Fear was written all over her face, while his face quickly turned to shock.

"Nancy! No! That came out wrongly," he said in a rush he slowed down as much as he could. "What I meant was that I want you know how much I love you."

Nancy looked relieved as she smiled, though she still didn't know exactly where this was going….unless…..holy crap! Was he-? She tried not to let her thoughts show.

"I love you so much, Nancy." He continued. "You mean absolutely everything to me. You are the most wonderful, smart, caring, beautiful person in the world. I love you. So much that it hurts."

"I love you too, Frank. I fell the same exact way." She internally laughed at herself for sounding so cliché.

"I….." He stopped. "I guess…. What I'm trying to say is…" He paused, taking a deep breath. He moved so that he was no longer beside her, but in front of her. He kneeled down and reached into the pocket of his khaki's, pulling out a velvet …gulp… ring box. "Nancy, will you marry me?"

Tears slid down her face as she whispered 'yes' even before he could open the box to show her the ring. "Yes," she said, louder this time. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

He slid a gorgeous golden, three-diamond ring onto her finger before standing up and kissing her. He hugged her tight, and did the most over-used thing ever and spun her around in the air.

She laughed before kissing him passionately, but briefly. They pulled apart, just enough for them to admire Nancy's left hand.

"I would have proposed with your mom's." Frank said. He laughed. "But I was so scared already, and I didn't want you to think I was cheap."

Nancy laughed at the expression on Frank's face. He looked like a five-year-old who was just told Christmas was going to be celebrated every week.

Nancy had begun to think of her life in two eras. B.F. and W.F. .. Before Frank, and With Frank. (Joe had thought it would just be hil-ar-i-ous to start calling the With Frank era the With The Frank era…for obvious reasons.) After she had told this Bess and George, she had suffered from weeks of merciless teasing, but she knew they agreed with her. Anyone who didn't know Nancy that well, would say that Nancy was the same person now that she was then…apart from maybe smiling a little more often. But anyone who really knew her would be able to tell exactly how different she had become. Yes, she smiled more and was generally happy more of the time, but now she was more secure with her life….and herself. Nancy no longer had to feel guilty when she worked into the night on her latest case. Frank was never overprotective to the extreme level as Ned had been. He knew Nancy could protect herself, though he was always concerned, but he learned only to say "be careful" when Nancy was in a particularly 'case-adrenaline-rush' mood…and sometimes not even then. Frank never expected something from Nancy, and Nancy no longer put pressure on herself to be the perfect girlfriend, which had relieved a lot of unneeded stress.

But, Nancy had discovered that the person who was able to describe it best was the person from which she had least expected it.

Nancy and Joe were in the office, though they weren't working. Firstly, because they didn't have a case, but secondly, because even if they did, they were too famished to concentrate on anything but their stomachs. For Joe, this was common, but this happening to Nancy (and Frank, for that matter) was rare. Frank had been elected to make a McDonald's run, and Joe and Nancy waited anxiously for his return.

"Where is he?" Joe slammed his hand on his desk in impatience. "I'm starving!"

"You are hardly starving, Joe." Nancy said, laughing at her future brother-in-law. "Frank probably forgot my oh-so-complicated order." She giggled, and answered her ringing cell without checking the caller ID.

"Nan?" Frank's soft, deep voice asked.

Nancy quickly hit speakerphone, trying to contain her laughter. "Yeah?"

"Did you order the Happy-Meal with a hamburger and coke?"

Joe fell off of his chair as he succumbed to the giant burst of laughter that had overcome him.

Nancy managed only to let out a giggle. "Cheese-burger and sprite." she laughed into the phone.

"I'm glad I called then." She could hear the smile in his voice. "And a cheese-burger happy meal with a sprite." He added. His voice was not directly in the phone so Nancy knew that he was adding that to his order. "Why is Joe laughing? Am I on speaker?"

"Yes."

"What's so funny about me asking what you ordered?"

Nancy smiled. "Um…It's an inside joke. I'll tell you later when I can see your face! Love you!" She hung up and broke into the fit of laughter that had been threatening to consume her.

The future-siblings continued to laugh for a good five minutes longer before coming to their senses.

Joe looked at Nancy with a loving expression. "You really love him."

Nancy looked at him in his place lying down on the floor. "You just figured that out?" She asked incredulously.

"No! You can just see it in the way you light up when you talk about him or to him. That I just figured out."

Nancy smiled and rolled her eyes at him. They were lost in their own thoughts until Joe spoke again. "Do you ever think about Ned?"

Nancy thought it over. "Rarely….why?"

"I don't know….." There was another pause. "The way Ned 'loved' you never made sense to me."

"Well that made perfect sense!" She laughed.

"Well, I don't know. I heard once, and it was probably said by some famous person I've never even heard of, though It could've just been dad… I don't know. Anyway it was something like 'love someone for who they are, not in spite of it.' You are a detective, you love mysteries, and, correct me if I'm wrong, but Ned always seemed to act like he didn't like that part of you, he still 'loved' you, but he suffered because of that part of who you are."

"You're right." Nancy nodded. She had never thought of it that way, but it pretty much hit the nail on the head.

"And Frank…." Joe rolled is eyes. "He just worships the ground you walk on! He just loves ev-ry li-ttle bit of you! He is so insanely blinded by his love for you…." Joe looked at her. "Don't tell him I said this, but it just amazes me some times!"

"Joe, you can be the same exact way."

Joe smiled at the memory of Iola. "Yeah. I guess." Pause. "So what did we learn today? Love someone for who they are, not in spite of it." Joe talked as if he were addressing a bunch of pre-school-ers."

They both were still laughing when Frank finally returned.

Nancy turned around as Bess and George entered the small, cozy dressing room. George was dressed in mid-calf length, light blue dress, while Bess was in a royal blue one. After Nancy had announced her engagement to them, she had wanted to make them co Maid of Honor's but George refused, saying Bess would handle things much better than she would and was completely satisfied with being a normal bride's maid. Bess squealed. "Nancy! I'm so excited! Where is Hannah? I thought she said she was going to help you start to get ready before we got here!"

Nancy giggled at her friend's enthusiasm as she stood up to give them hugs. "Relax, Bess!" Nancy said, smiling. "She just forgot my-!"

Nancy was cut off as Hannah returned. "I got your veil Nancy!" she said. "Bess, George! I'm glad you are here. You can help me with this." In no time, they had the shoulder-length veil attached securely to Nancy's head. All four women gasped as they looked at Nancy's image in a floor-length mirror.

Nancy's veil was of course, her mother's. It rested on the bun of the up-do style her hair was in, which was only possible because of its longer than normal length. The veil was shoulder length, the headpiece being a small tiara, hand-beaded beautifully in white beads. Her dress looked breath-taking. Floor-length and flowing, it fitted beautifully. The dress was completely strapless. It had a beaded lace corset bodice, draped skirt with a beaded lace inset, a split back, and a chapel-style train. Nancy's hands were clad in long and silky white gloves.

"Oh, my!" Bess whispered.

George walked up to Nancy and gave her a huge hug, shortly followed by Bess and Hannah.

"You are so beautiful!" Hannah said as the group broke apart. She wiped away a forming tear. "You look just like your mother!"

A tear formed in Nancy's eye that she quickly wiped away, not wanting to ruin the makeup Hannah had caked onto her face. She gave Hannah one last hug before walking over to the small vanity in the corner of the room where she had previously been sitting. She gently picked up the bouquet of pink-with-yellow-tips roses.

...

Nancy stood at the top of the aisle, waiting for her entrance. She had to admit that she was a bit frightened, but knew the feeling would pass.

Bess had just walked down the isle, and Nancy knew she was next. She nervously ran her hand over her hair, and was instantly calmed by the feeling of her mother's veil. She knew her mother was with her…they both were. As she music changed, Nancy slowly opened the doors in front of her, entering the beautiful church.

Her eyes immediately locked with Frank's, and all her nervousness disappeared. She smiled radiantly at him. Today was the first day of the rest of their lives. Together. She was going to be absolutely fine.

A/N: So that was it! A bit cheesy, but weddings always are. I would really like to thank everyone who has ever reviewed! They have really helped me finish this story! And to those of you who have never reviewed, I would love for you to just leave a review now. Tell me how you felt about the story has a whole! Thank you to everyone who has been with me from the beginning… even through that 9 months I didn't update! You all have heard my excuses so I won't repeat them J! Anyway, you can expect to me reading some of my new work soon…..though I don't have any ideas yet ;).

Thank YOU!

Emeralds and Rubies

Ps. IDK what is going on with DeanParker and the prequel…..she hasn't updated in a LONG time! And hopefully, she's reading this and will get the message ;) ! Anyway, it called Past is Dead, Present Stalked, Future Unknown… check it out and review….maybe she'll update!

Thanx Again,

Emeralds and Rubies