Chapter Text
Ace was missing and Nancy was dying inside.
How could she let this happen? How could she have missed it?
It’s been five days. It’s been five days since she’d seen him and it was slowly killing her.
She’d investigated the Historical Society more times than she could count on her hands. She spent all day, every day there since Ace was missing. It’s the place he was last. His car was there, his coat was there, it’s like he never left.
Her friends and her dads and Aces parents have searched all over town for him and in neighboring towns as well. The police were stumped. It was like Ace just disappeared. That meant that this was supernatural somehow, and the Drew Crew were the only ones who could solve it. Except that they were missing a member, and it was starting to show.
Ace was their glue. He was the optimistic one in hard times. He was the one with the impossible skills that they could not do. He was the light in Nancy’s dark times. The hand that pulled her back before she went too far. The hug that pulled her together when she didn’t let anyone else in. The anchor that allowed her to cling to this earth.
Poor Bess was frantic. She did every ritual known to humanity to find Ace, but nothing worked. It was starting to look hopeless.
Nancy studied every inch of the Historical Society. From what she put together, Ace had fixed the key that unlocked the lock for the Copperhead’s cage. But that was it. His audio and computer equipment was still there. Florence was still parked outside. Where are you, Ace?
Nancy hasn’t slept in days. She hardly eats. Her friends are worried for Ace, but they are worrying for her too now. Nancy couldn’t help it. She had to find him. She had to find him. She promised his mother that she would not rest until she brought him home safe, and that’s exactly what she was going to do.
She made a complete mess of the Historical Society. Books lay everywhere and on every surface. She had dedicated an entire wall to a giant map of the town. Everywhere they had looked, everywhere they had checked, she put a pin in it. Everywhere Ace goes or has gone, she ties red strings to the pins and ties them together, like it will somehow bring her to an epiphany.
Knocking was a frequent sound that she heard. She didn’t know why, but it was starting to be background noise at this point. The lights would flicker in a strange way, but the building was old and haunted, so Nancy paid no mind. Every now and then, a book would fall off the shelf randomly, or the lamp would blink frantically, but Nancy couldn’t concentrate on a haunting right now, not when she knew Ace had to be close by.
Her friends scolded her for being in the Historical Society all of the time. Ace clearly wasn’t there, so why was she spending all of her time there and not looking for him?
The truth was, Nancy could feel him. She could feel that he was here, that he was close by. He never left, there’s no evidence of him leaving, which means he’s still there. Her family knew that she was distraught, that she missed him, but they didn’t understand why she stayed there. Even Nancy didn’t understand. She just knew it was right somehow. That she would find a clue, something.
She threw a book across the room in frustration, adding to the pile of many books all over the floor. Her hair was atrocious, her eyes were heavy with exhaustion, and her head was pounding, but she was not giving up. Ace wouldn’t give up on her, not ever.
Nancy's phone vibrated, a text from Bess. They were regrouping at the Claw to go over evidence and come up with more ideas. What good would that do?
The lamp blinked again and Nancy rolled her eyes. Couldn’t these ghosts just leave her alone for one day? Ace was her top priority right now.
Nancy sat up from the floor and stretched. There was no harm in regrouping to come up with new ideas, it’s not like she had any leads yet. She grabbed Ace's brown coat from off of a chair. She had kept it from police evidence. She hadn’t meant to, it just….it smelled like him. She just couldn’t bring herself to give it back. She wore it everywhere since he had gone, and no one had said anything to her about it. She wrapped it around herself snuggly, the sleeves extending way below her hands. It always felt like he had his arms wrapped around her, but it wasn’t the same.
As she went to leave, another book flew off the shelf at her and she groaned in frustration.
“Leave me alone!” She shouted. “I promise I’ll help you, whoever you are, but I need to find my friend first!” Her friend. That word didn’t describe Ace as well as it used to, he was so much more than a friend now. He was more like her sun, her joy, her spine, her heart. And now he was gone.
Her eyes filled with tears as she ran out to her car, it’s blue paint shining in the light of dusk. Florence was parked right next to it, and that brought her to the brink. Nancy climbed into the driver’s seat and slammed her car door. She put her head in her hands and broke down, her shoulders shaking with sobs.
Suddenly, the radio came on. Had she turned on the car?
“ On a night when bad dreams become a screamer-
when their messin’ with the dreamer-
I can laugh it in the face-
Twist and shout my way out and wrap yourself around me-
Cause I ain’t the way you found me-
And I’ll never be the same-”
It was Hall and Oat’s “You Make My Dreams Come True”. Nancy was hit with a sudden feeling. This song, she’d heard it before…..
Flashback*********************************************
Nancy felt miserable. The wraith was sucking at her life force, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Ace was driving her to a Hudson estate, the only place where they could find the equipment to rid her of this supernatural force.
She was tired and sick and hurting, but at least she was with her closest friend. Ace had insisted he drive her there, stating that Florence was in the best shape.
“We’re going to get through this, Nancy.” Ace said, wrapping his hand around hers.
Nancy attempted a small smile. She squeezed Ace's hand in gratitude.
The radio was on low, a song played over Florence’s speakers.
“Oh!” Ace smiled. “This song is the best, Nance. It’s really bouncy. It’s totally a sign.”
Ace turned up the radio.
“A sign of what?” Nancy croaked.
“That everything’s going to work out, you’ll see.” Ace squeezed her hand again. “Hall and Oats is a great band.”
“I’ve never heard of them.”
“I’m down on the daaaaaaaydream!” Ace sang loudly. “That sleepwalk should be over by now, I know!”
Nancy laughed for the first time in a long while, her smile so wide it hurt her face.
“WELL YOU!” Ace sang dramatically, swinging her arm. “You make my dreams coooome true!”
For a moment, Nancy forgot all about her sorrows. The wraith was supposed to feed off of her most vulnerable moments, to make her feel like she wasn’t herself. But with Ace, how could she ever not be?
**************************************************************
The familiar song blared over the radio. God , did the universe hate her? It just had to remind her of one of her happiest moments with Ace when he wasn’t here, of course it did.
Nancy wiped her tears. Ace wouldn’t want her to be upset. Just like when he played this song for her before, he’d want her to keep her chin up.
It’s totally a sign.
A sign of what?
That everything’s going to work out, you’ll see.