Ruby Redfort: try not to scream

Chapter 29- Similar People

Ruby's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the light. She reached out and arm to search for her glasses. After sliding the dark frames onto her nose, she decided she needed some banana milk. Stretching her legs, she stood up, wincing slightly as she did. She was in a lot of pain but being Ruby Redfort, she didn't show it. She smiled as she looked down at her outfit. She was wearing shorts and one of Hitch's hoodies. She was surprised to know he even owned such a garment. Being quite short and thin, it drowned her completely. She pottered down the stairs, and as she reached the kitchen she heard voices across the hall in the living room. She heard the unmistakable gravely murmer belonging to LB and the deep sigh of Hitch. Alongside them was the cheerful sound of Blacker, the sound of a potato head, the british accent and Clancy's smiley gush. She was tempted to listen in but she really didn't have the strength. Reaching for the carton of her favorite beverage, she poured herself a glass. Sipping slowly, she hauled herself onto the counter and sat there. It was nice to be out of her room for a while.

After a few minutes of sitting, Hitch walked in, presumably to make another coffee.
"Kid," he said, walking over to her. "What are you doing out of bed?" He looked concerned, especially seeing that Ruby had climbed onto the counter. She held up the glass.
"If you wanted a drink, why didn't you contact me?"
Ruby sighed.
"The escape watch is for saving my life, not asking my house manager for a glass of banana milk. Besides, I'm fine," Hitch raised an eyebrow. The statement 'I'm fine' was not one he would use to describe someone who had been stabbed the previous day.
"So what's going on in there?" she asked casually, taking another sip of banana milk.
Hitch paused, making Ruby a little nervous.
"Hitch?" she said, putting a hand on his shoulder, waking him from his moment of hesitation.
"Just a discussion on how to prevent this from happening again, kid,"
Ruby nodded.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"As good as I can be, I guess," Ruby sounded discouraged. As if all her confidence was draining from her brain and being replaced with fatal paranoia. Hitch sensed her worry and took her little hand in his.
"I will never let anything happen to you again, Ruby. I promise you,"
Ruby smiled. If there was anyone she could count on, it was Hitch.
"But you gotta promise me that you won't go looking for danger. You won't even try to find Count Von Viscount and you will leave this to me," He pleaded with her. Ruby gave him her most mischievous smile.
"Hitch, as much as I love you, I can't do that. We're a team, you and me. I won't let you work alone but I will promise that I won't do anything stupid. You know why I came back don't you? Not to please The Count or prove a point. I came to find you because I would rather die than live without you," The sincerity in her voice was almost sad. Ruby Redfort was one of the most emotionally closed off people you would ever meet but she also felt more pain and love than anyone in the world. Hitch never knew what to do when she opened up to him. In a way, she was almost similar to him. Two agents who cared more than anyone but never got the recognition for the amount of love they actually had within them. He smiled and helped her off the counter. She came in to say hi to everyone.
"Hey guys," she smiled, trying to hide the amount of pain she was in.
"Rube," said Clancy, standing up and going over to kiss her. She smiled up at him and when she turned back to the others she saw Blacker and Froghorn pretending to vomit. She giggled slightly and turned to LB. Her boss was staring at her strangely. As if she was caught on some distant memory and it tied back to Ruby. When she noticed Ruby's gaze, she smiled slightly, reassuring Ruby that there was nothing wrong.
Ruby sat down in between Clancy and Hitch. Bug, her loyal husky, curled up by Hitch's side.
"So, what are we talking about?" she asked.
"We are making sure you don't get you ass whooped again," laughed Blacker.
Ruby pulled an unimpressed expression and rolled her eyes.
"I did not get my ass whooped. I made it out of there fine until my house manager decided to go and get himself in a brawl with an employee of Dracula," Hitch smiled.
"House manager, not butler?" he laughed. "That's a first,"
"Well considering my privilege of having banana milk delivered to my door whenever I want is due to you, I figured I would be nice to you," she grinned. "Also this hoodie is really comfortable and I am buttering you up so that you don't get mad when I keep it,"
Hitch shook his head, smiling.
"We were also talking about Baker," said LB. Everyone except Ruby could see what she was doing. She was trying to find out more about Ruby's relationship with the legendary agent. 
"Really? I mean, why not. The dude was a great man," she smiled.
"Yeah, I hear you two were close," added Dan.
"Me and Baker?" asked Ruby. "I mean, I guess. He was super nice to me and he knew something about me that no one else did. So, sure we were close,"
Hitch's eyebrows raised.
"What did he know?" asked LB. Ruby paused. The little yellow notebooks were her secret. Only shared to Bradley Baker by accident and had become a secret to only Ruby again when he died. Although she knew everyone was bound to find out eventually, she wasn't sure she wanted them too. She had kept this secret for almost sixteen years. But then she realized that she trusted them. Maybe they ought to know. She beckoned them upstairs to her room. When they were all inside, she removed one of the floorboards and pulled out the box of little yellow notebooks, the magenta rule book and the blue notebook. Everyone around her just looked confused.
"I make notes," she said, calmly. "I write down what I notice. Anything really. Even the mundane can tell a story, right?" LB sort of smiled.
"That's exactly what Bradley said when he..." she paused. "When he talked about everything you had told him,"
The similarities were starting to show. From the way they worked, to actual things they said. Hitch looked shocked slightly. He had worked with Ruby for three whole years and never once had he known about this. Even Clancy didn't know about this. Dan was almost smug to see this. Although he didn't dislike Clancy, he really liked Ruby and any problem the two had could potentially lead to their breakup.
As they talked downstairs, the dark began to creep in through the windows. Every single one of them fell asleep on the Redfort's couch. Hitch woke up later and found Ruby hugging him and sleeping happily, curled up next to him. He hugged her back and fell asleep smiling.