A Million Dreams ~ Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Song Fic

~ A Million Dreams ~

At only eight years old, young Nancy Drew was going through what no child should ever have to endure- her first birthday without her mother.

It had been a full year since the fatal crash that had taken Katherine Drew away from her daughter, and now, with her special day just around the corner, Nancy couldn't sleep. Truthfully, that was a good thing. She knew that if she had, in fact, been able to rest, her dreams would have been haunted by memories of her last birthday, and of her mother's smiling face.

Nancy quietly slipped her feet into the pink bunny slippers her mom gave her that last birthday, and snuck out of her bedroom, being careful to avoid waking up her friends, Frank and Joe, who were settled in sleeping bags on the floor.

Moving silently through the house, she finally came to her destination: the back door.

Standing on tiptoes, Nancy reached up and pressed in the pin code for the alarm system by the door- she'd seen Hannah do it earlier in the day, and memorized it to prepare for this moment. It wasn't the first time she'd snuck out in this fashion. She'd already done it before, just to get some time alone. It was how she coped with life's biggest problems.

Nancy stepped out into the crisp August night, turning on the outdoor light and feeling the breeze gently toss her strawberry hair. She frowned. It felt so much like how her mommy used to play with her hair. Boy, did she miss that.

Ignoring the troubling thought, she stared out at the backyard, shroud in darkness, just like the sky above. She was grateful for the porch light over her head. Without it, she would have never had the guts to come out at night, and by extension, never dealt with what she was feeling.

She was even more grateful for the fireflies. They were comforting to watch as they danced around the blackness. It made the night feel a little less lonely.

Nancy sat down directly under the porch light, ignoring the moths and night bugs that circled the bulb. Outside didn't feel as safe as inside, but that's why she always ventured out when she needed to think through tough emotions. She didn't want to ruin the warmness and safety of her home by bringing her frightening feelings inside.

She knew what it felt like, the despair from the night her mom never came home still lingered and made her feel uneasy when it got quiet. She was afraid it would build up even more if she wasn't careful, like a monster hiding under the bed, waiting for a meal so it could get stronger, and finally snatch the little girl that was always just barely out of its reach.

"Nancy?"

Nancy jumped at the voice and turned to look at the dark-haired boy standing in the doorway behind her. "Frank! How did you know where I went?"

"I got up to get some water and you were gone. I looked around and found you," he sat next to Nancy under the light, his brown hair tousled, "why did you come out here? I thought you hated the dark."

"I do. I just didn't want to think inside."

"Guess that makes sense. A little."

"Go ahead. Say it."

"Say what?" Frank turned to look at her.

"That I'm weird. That's what Deirdre said when she heard me telling Bess about coming out here."

"Deirdre is mean, don't listen to her. She doesn't understand."

"But you don't either."

"Not really. But I don't need to."

A small silence came between the two children, only broken by a small sniffle. Frank looked at Nancy again.