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Odorless smoke curled around the room, tall ceilings of what had once been filled with anger, destruction, and chaos a cloudy gray.
Nancy and Ace, at the eye of the storm, were transfixed, not on each other, but on the translucent portal in front of them. Bess had been the one to conjure it. They had drank from the same cup, then with some words that Nancy wasn't sure was entirely English and Ace was mostly sure was from Lord of the Rings, smoke started pouring from where their hearts were.
Nancy noted that it didn't hurt. Out of everything she had been through, this was painless- no soul shattering, aching pain that usually gripped her heart as a ritual was performed. The smoke intertwined between them, and as she grabbed Ace’s hand, it didn't hurt.
The portal flickered, Bess muttering some new words as the smoke shot straight for it. The first memory appeared.
The last time they had truly spoken about how they had felt, the almost kiss that ended in a broken barometer and hurt feelings. Nancy felt Ace’s eyes on her as the memory shifted to outside his apartment. She was crying, sobs wracking her body. She had stood there for maybe five minutes, willing the curse to go away. Wishing her life of ghosts, lies, and curses was anything but.
The memory before them faded, another focusing into view. Lev Stern, a former vessel of a piece of Charity’s soul, was speaking.
“Honestly, I feel grateful to be a vessel for Charity's soul. When I was under the Copperhead's trance, I actually felt the pull of its love for her. What a gift to experience that, if only briefly.” Nancy, Bess, George, and Nick were captivated by Lev’s experience. Ace was staring at Nancy, as if he understood exactly what Lev had experienced.
Nancy stole a glance at Ace, who had turned back to the portal. His face was flushed and his grip on her hand had gone slack, embarrassed at his actions. She squeezed his hand once, then twice.
It’s okay. I’m right here. She wanted to say so much, every fiber of her being wanted to stop and explain. But there was no guarantee this could work. Bess continued on with the ritual, flipping the pages in the grimoire she was using, the words seeming to glow as she read them.
Memories were flicking by at rapid pace now- Ace reappearing after being trapped in the liminal space with Hannah, his confession, the two parenting Carson and Ryan. The smoke started receding and the portal flickered out, Bess groaning in frustration.
“What, what’s the matter?” George, who had been watching quietly along with Nick, stared between the three of them.
“I have to go deeper into their memories. They’re both holding things back.” She looked apologetically at Nancy and Ace as she said it. “I’m sorry.”
Nancy knew what she was hiding. Temperance’s month of torture. Her dreamscape. Ace couldn’t be holding anything back, she thought. He was an open book and had been since the curse began. He never held back.
“Go ahead.” Nancy nodded at both Bess and Ace, before turning back to where the portal had been.
“Parate amantes quid fata remittant.” Bess chanted, the portal reopening. Smoke began to curl around everyone again as another memory began.
The room inside was filled with sunlight, two bodies in a bed. The redhead looked up at the blonde, smiling softly.
“Ace.”
“Mhm.”
“Are you awake?”
“God, I hope so.”
Nancy grit her teeth, her hand unintentionally going tighter around Ace’s.
“What...what is this?” He sounded as if someone had taken his voice, like he hadn’t spoken in a year. “This never happened.”
“When I hesitated at the veil…before I killed Temperance.” Her eyes watered and she faced Ace as the memory continued playing. “I spent an entire month there. Mourning Ryan, being with you.”
Ace opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of a car crashing stopped him.
“Ace? Ace? Somebody help me. Help me, please!”
“I couldn’t lose you.” Tears rolled down her cheeks and Ace used his free hand to wipe them. More memories rolled past, faster than before. Bess sped up as she spoke, the smoke between them making it hard to see George and Nick.
The blue of Nancy’s dreamscape crashed into view and again, more pain filled her heart. It felt like yesterday that the Wraith hitched a ride, sucking the happiness and life out of her. As Dreamscape Nancy and Ace spoke, she felt the Ace beside her wrap his arms around her.
The darkest secrets she had were now exposed to him and she felt incredibly naked before everyone. Regardless of who she was with, Ace had been connected to her since the first day she had spoken to him on their break at The Claw.
Expecting the portal to close, Nancy looked back at Bess, who’s brow had furrowed as the grimoire pages flipped and suddenly stopped. A memory slowly came to life, barely able to appear as Bess expended her energy.
Keene High School’s gym was booming with music from the 2010’s, mostly songs Nancy hadn’t heard since middle school. Friends crowded and surrounded her, dancing or grinding with boys. She was smiling and jumping to songs, but inside she worried. Her mother was at home, going through the worst bout of cancer she had ever seen. Nancy had begged to stay home, but Kate and Carson had practically pushed her out the door, begging her to be normal for one night, but when had Nancy Drew ever been normal?
“I’ll be right back!” Nancy waved to a friend, sweat dripping from her forehead. She wiped it away and walked to where the punch bowls were, grabbing a cup. Across from the table, a boy with long strands of blonde hair was leaning against the concrete walls of the gym, one booted foot against them. His father had made this his punishment for recent internet crimes- volunteering to chaperone in his place at the homecoming dance. His blue eyes looked at her with piqued interest- he knew her. From school, from newspapers, the police station. The detective of their small town since middle school who always took the opportunity to do the police’s job for them.
As he pushed off the wall to make his way to the punch bowl, the redhead turned away, another boy grabbing her attention. He deflated, leaning back against the wall.
“Is that my homecoming dance?” Nancy’s voice was practically a whisper as she pointed at the portal.
“I saw you that night. I’ve always noticed you.” The portal faded, smoke clearing from the room. “I thought about you since that night. Not in a weird way.” Ace gave a half hearted chuckle.
Nick cleared his throat. “We’re gonna give you two a-uh, minute, to see if the ritual worked.” He clapped Ace on the back slightly, an awkward expression on his face. Bess and George followed him out of the room and into the hallway.
“Ever since you walked into The Claw, I couldn’t get you out of my head. Through Laura, Amanda. Anyone.” Ace rambled, smiling down at Nancy.
“I never know what to think about, since I’ve been cursed.” She looked at a pair of glass cups on the table, noting how they didn’t crack when she mentioned the curse.
“I think about you.” Ace leaned down, capturing Nancy’s lips in a kiss.
It felt better than it did in the month-long dream she had- sweeter, tinged with even more longing, and everything she could have ever asked for.