Ruby Redfort: try not to scream

Chapter 43- Surprise

As Hitch pulled up to the Innovation X parking lot he smiled. Ruby looked around, confused. They were at an entrance to Spectrum. Why, she did not know. Was she in trouble again? Jeez, she thought. What could she possibly have done now? Ruby groaned inwardly. Hitch noticed the look on her face and chuckled slightly.
"Don't worry, kid. It's nothing bad,"
Ruby highly doubted that. The last time he had said something like It's going to be fine or everything's ok, one of them had ended up hurt. As much as she trusted him, she knew she had to be in trouble. When was she ever not in bother one way or another?
As the car slid through the passageway to Spectrum 8, Ruby noticed the balloons on the walls. When they pulled up, Ruby stepped out of the car and noticed all of the decorations. Ruby grinned and turned to Hitch who was standing by the door. He beamed and winked.
"You did all this?" she asked.
"I had help but I figured that you deserved to have at least one good birthday,"
Ruby laughed and pushed open the door. Inside, the auditorium was decorated and everyone was standing in the room. Clancy was standing by Blacker, smiling at her.
"Happy birthday kid," grinned Hitch as he slipped in behind her. Ruby smiled at her friends and just for a moment she was speechless. Her smile grew even more when her husky dog, Bug, ran over to her. She scratched him behind the ears and he licked her hand.
"Thank you guys," she said. "Now this is what I call a party,"
She spent the rest of the night, eating donuts with her fellow agents. LB pulled her to one side at about ten o'clock and took her into her office.
"Am I in trouble again? Whatever it is, Froghorn started it," she sighed.
LB laughed and shook her head.
"Relax Redfort, I just want to show you something,"
Ruby followed her boss into the gallery in the back of the White Room. She pointed to one of the pictures on the wall. Ruby gasped. It was a black and white photo of three teens. A boy of about twenty, a girl of about seventeen and another boy of about fifteen. As soon as Ruby saw them she knew who they were. Bradley Baker, Loveday Byrd and Art Hitchen Zachary. As she looked at the figures she smiled. LB was the spitting image of Ruby, Bradley Baker was identical to Clancy and Hitch looked so similar to Dan. LB had her elbow rested on Hitch's shoulder and Bradley Baker had his arm around her. Ruby pulled out her phone from her pocket and found a picture of her, Clancy and Dan. She held it up next to the one on the wall and laughed. Apart from the pose and the colour, they were exactly the same.
"It's funny how similar we all look," said LB.

When the end of the night was drawing in, Hitch came over to Ruby, smiling.
"Come with me, kid,"
He brought her through the orange corridor until they reached the Red Room.
"Your present is in there," he grinned mischievously.
"Oh no. If The Count is in there I swear to god..."
Hitch laughed and pushed the door open. As he did, Ruby saw the walls of her office. Once plain and boring, now covered in photographs. Some black and white, some in colour. Ruby gasped and grinned. The one photo that caught her eye was one of her and Hitch. It was taken after they had stopped The Count from stealing The Jade Bhudda. Both of them were covered in blood and green sand. Ruby giggled when she saw it. What a time that had been. Then she noticed another photo. It was of her and LB, sitting in the White Room LB was rolling her eyes at Ruby's t-shirt which read excuse me while I yawn. Ruby laughed at her boss's expression. Hitch put an arm around her and ruffled her hair.
"Happy Birthday Ruby," he said, grinning.
"Thanks Hitch," she whispered, hugging him.
"Any time kid,"
As it hit midnight, Ruby let out a small sigh. She had had the best birthday ever and it was all down to the greatest friends in the world. Five main villains, Four years since she joined Spectrum, Three years without The Count, Two enemies, One story. Ruby Redfort was no longer a child. She was still learning though. She had learnt to love, laugh, fight, jump, rescue and trust. Although she was now a lot more mature, she still wanted to live while she was young. Only seventeen but she had an older mind. She smiled to herself. Around her were several sleeping agents. Only her and Clancy were awake.
"Thank you Clancy," she whispered.
"For what?" he asked.
"Making this the best birthday ever. I love you, ya know,"
He smiled and kissed her slowly. She raised one hand to the back of his neck and kissed him back. Her other hand raised to his shoulder. He grinned and pulled her closer.
"Ok, that's enough of that," came a tiny voice from Ruby's barrette.
"Hitch?" said Ruby groaning. "Why whenever something is happening do you show up?"
"Because I love you kiddo," He emerged from the Green Room carrying a brown paper bag.
"Now let's eat these donuts and get home before your mother has a fit," he grinned.
Hitch took Clancy home and as they left Ruby grinned.
"What are you smiling about, kid?" he asked, curiously.
"Can I drive?" she said, grinning.
"What? Kid, I am not going to let you crash my car,"
"I'm not gonna crash it. I have a licence ya know," she said, elbowing him. She pulled her best 'please' face. Hitch rolled his eyes and handed her keys. She grinned.
"If we die because you crash I'm gonna kill you," he scowled.
Ruby giggled and jumped into the driver's seat. Hitch fastened his seat belt and pulled a face. Ruby started the car and backed out of the Crew's driveway. Hitch was holding his breath.
"Relax man, I can drive," she laughed.
"That's what I'm afraid of. I've seen what you did to your car,"
It was true, Ruby had scraped the side of her car. She had been gifted it for Christmas by her parents. She had scuffed the door on the wall on Amster Green. Ruby rolled her eyes.
"It's a tiny scrape on the corner," she groaned.
"That you managed to do in broad daylight when you weren't high on sugary donuts and soda. Now it's midnight, you've had a glass of champagne and it's my car, kid,"
"Chill out, dude. I'm not gonna crash your car,"
True to her word, Ruby did not crash Hitch's car although she drove at such a speed that she was lucky not to. Hitch spent most of the journey saying things like slow down, watch the curb and kid, if you kill us I swear I will flatten you like a pancake. Ruby spent the journey saying things like calm down Zach, we'll be fine and I can drive ya know. When they pulled up at Greenwood House, Hitch let out a huge sigh. "See," grinned Ruby. "I didn't kill us,"