Hourglass → Ace; Nancy Drew [1]

x. the pursuit of retribution

THE PURSUIT OF RETRIBUTION
CHAPTER TEN

Olivia strolled into the ambiently lit dining room of The Claw. She brushed her wet hands against her clothes– merely another stain on her designer dress for her father to get angry about. Between Ace's blood, the mud from the grass, and the dust from the dirty storage room floor she'd sat on, the once enchanting silk dress was dull and wrinkled, unsalvageable. However, after the events of the night, it was the last thing Olivia cared about.

As she slipped into the stool beside him, she couldn't help her eyes flickering toward him. She smiled shyly and stared down at her hands in her lap when he glanced back at her through knowing eyes.

"Um, excuse me, what was that?" Bess uttered through a suspicious, breathy laugh. Her eyes shifted from the pair sitting awkwardly and raised her eyebrows in disbelief when neither of them said anything.

"Any news from Nancy?" Liv said in an attempt to change the subject. She watched closely as the British woman dabbed Ace's arm with a disinfected cotton pad. Olivia grimaced to see that it was stained with fresh blood from his injury.

"I tried calling but she didn't pick up," Ace replied raspily.

Olivia's eyelids drooped and she stared at the bar table as fearful realization took over her. "You don't think..."

"No, no– it couldn't have. George and Nick were the first to see the Aglaeca and they beat her," Bess rushed, her head angling toward George as she entered the room. "Right, George?"

"Yeah, Drew always shows up," George assured certainly. She walked past the bar toward Nick who was sitting on a lower table, recomposing himself from the long night they'd had. "Have you done that before?" She grimaced as Bess placed a bandaid carefully across the wound on Ace's arm through the large cut in his shirt sleeve.

"It's not my first patch-up, but that is a story for another time." Bess patted her fingers over the plaster to straighten it on Ace's shoulder.

The door creaked quietly and closed with a soft bump. Olivia spun her head to see Nancy climbing into the restaurant with a tired grin. "Glad we'll all be around to hear it." Her hand was gripped onto her leather messenger bag, almost as a form of stabilizing herself. She stepped further into the restaurant with bowed legs, barely able to walk without trembling.

"Hey, you're okay," Ace cheered with a smile.

"Yeah. Who did the honors?" she asked, glancing between her friends.

Nick glanced at George while he raised his hand. "We did." Nancy smiled gratefully, too tired to come up with words of gratitude to say. The room was filled with silence while everyone's eyes shifted from one another, relishing the fact that they were all okay and alive.

Bess stepped forward, her slightly annoyed voice piercing through the peaceful quietness. "People, we should be celebrating."

"There's sparkling cider behind the bar," Ace suggested, turning to face Bess who grinned eagerly.