Ruby Redfort Fanfiction: Look Into His Eyes And Take Your Last Breath

Clancy and Theo; a World of Problems

Clancy sat, dull faced, at one of his father's many parties, feeling very uncomfortable in his stiff white shirt and dinner jacket and unknown to all the drama currently surrounding him. It was a lawyer function, and lawyers (cunning and sharp as tacks were Clancy's general opinion of them) from all over the States were here to give talks and seminars, including, as his father had told him, some lawyers from Strattenburg, a city miles away from Twinford, who had recently convicted Pete Duffy for killing his wife. Clancy's attention had been aroused by this, and he had asked about it. Clancy's dad had told him Pete Duffy was on the verge of walking free when a surprise witness came forward, the judge had called a mistrial, Pete Duffy had ran off, then been found, tried and found guilty on the account of murder. This made the night slightly more interesting, but Clancy was craving human contact, a boy, a girl of his age, someone to talk to. Unexpectedly, his wish was granted. As Clancy scanned the elegant town hall, his eyes came to rest on a boy his age, with floppy brown hair like his, brown eyes, teeth covered by two rows of braces. The boy noticed Clancy at the same moment, and they both frowned in surprise at each other from across the room. Clancy looked around the rest of the room. There was no other boy or girl within a mile radius. So why was this guy here? Clancy stood up and left his corner seat (he had chosen it so he could see everyone) and wandered over to the boy.
"Hello." Said Clancy.
"Hello." Said the boy.
"I'm Clancy. What are you doing here?" The boy smiled, flashing Clancy his braces again.
"I'm Theo Boone. My parents are lawyers from Strattenburg, I was invited with them." Clancy raised an eyebrow.
"Lawyers? Both of them?" They nodded.
"They don't do any of the good courtroom stuff. My mother appears in Civil Court occasionally though." Clancy grinned.
"You must know a lot about the law huh."
"More than some." They admitted. "It's more interesting than you think."
"Did you watch the Pete Duffy trial?" Clancy asked excitedly. A grin spread across Theo's face.
"Yeah! I was the one who convinced the surprise witness to come forward. It was incredible!" Clancy's mouth dropped open.
"That sounds like the most exciting thing ever!"
"It felt like it." Theo agreed. "Have you had anything exciting happen recently?" Clancy had almost forgot his own adventure with Ruby.
"Well, ahh, Ruby and I wrestled a giant squid recently." Clancy replied lamely. Theo looked thrown. He didn't know what to say. He had just met Clancy, and he had no reason to believe him, but his lawyer instinct told him Clancy wasn't lying. He remembered his mother telling him a couple of children had been caught up in some nasty business in Twinford. It seemed this guy was telling the truth.
"Who is Ruby?" Asked Theo instead.
"Oh." Clancy felt another smile spread across his face. "She's my best friend. I don't know what I would do without her."
"Do you, you know, like her?" Asked Theo suddenly. Clancy struggled to hide his surprise. Here was someone who just guessed his biggest secret and had only known him five minutes! Clancy had to take a breath before speaking.
"How did you know?" Theo sighed.
"My best friend is a girl called April Finnemore. There isn't another person in the world other than my family that I care about more. But there is nothing I can do. I don't want to compromise our friendship. Sounds like we in a very similar situation Clancy." Clancy nodded. He could feel Theo's anguish.
"Clancy! Clancy!" There was a yell from the other side of the room. Clancy spun around. He could make out Ruby among the moving bodies at the door.
"Here." He called and she ran up to him. "What are you doing here?" Asked Clancy, a very confused Theo at his shoulder.
"Did Dan speak to you about me. Don't lie Clancy, just tell me." Ruby looked angry. Clancy frowned.
"He talked to me at the Double Donut a week before we went to Switzerland. He said something was bothering you. That's how I knew 100% that you were on a case." Ruby went pale.
"What did he say?" Clancy shook his head.
"Just that he was worried. I asked him if he done anything and he said no, but Ruby, what does this-"
"That idiot." Breathed Ruby. Clancy felt minor satisfaction at Dan being called an idiot,
"Ruby, what is going on?" Ruby ignored him.
"I should have known." She told herself firmly. "I have been so dim." And without another word ran off. Clancy shook his head in wonder.
"Did you understand any of that Theo?" Clancy asked. The boy almost looked amused.
"Not a word I am afraid." Clancy sighed.
"I guess I'll have to find out later."
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Double upload Saturday is here! Theo Boone is an AU character from the series Theodore Boone by John Grisham, and he is quite a bit like Clancy, and April (his pining love) is a lot like Ruby, so to satisfy myself I wrote the crossover. Ruby has basically discovered Dan is putting his feelings before his job, and is pretty mad. It'll all blow off in the next chapter...