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

Aftermath (One of Three)

A lot of things happened after that night on the cliffs. First of all, Hitch was immediately emitted to hospital to get his gunshot wound treated. Clancy and Ruby were also sent in for checkups, Clancy got his wound sterilised and bandaged, his cuts and bruises treated to and Ruby was declared mostly unharmed. Brant, Sabina and Ambassador Crew were sent for, but luckily Hitch felt well enough to help Ruby explain what had happened in his own, twisted way. Clancy was less lucky, Ambassador Crew was quite seriously planning on sending him to boot camp to get his behaviour dealt with, but Hitch, again, poured cold water on the burn and Ambassador Crew relented. But not even Hitch could prevent Ambassador Crew from grounding Clancy for two months and taking away his beloved books for a month. Ruby observed all this from a distance and shot sympathetic looks at Clancy when he looked her way. Brant and Sabina were concerned, and submitted Ruby for therapy, something she really wasn't looking forward to. So, as it was, Clancy and Ruby didn't get a moment together all evening, and wouldn't for quite a while in the foreseeable future. Ruby and Clancy were driven back to their homes just as the morning sun rose over the trees. As soon as Ruby arrived home, Mrs. Digby launched herself upon her, asking a hundred questions in a second. But Hitch, whom Ruby considered to be the real hero that morning, told Mrs. Digby that Ruby had just had an extremely stressful night and required all the rest she could get. Mrs. Digby firmly agreed, and Ruby was allowed to go to bed. But Ruby could hardly move in her exhaustion, and Hitch had to piggy back her up the stairs into her bedroom. As Hitch tucked the covers around Ruby, she whispered in his ear,
"It's all going to change now, isn't it?"
"It will." Agreed Hitch, and Ruby, satisfied, slipped into deep slumber. She slept through the whole day and woke up at nine the next morning. Hitch was sat at the end of her bed, stirring some sort of porridge in a bowl. Handing the bowl to Ruby, he took off his shoes and propped himself up at the opposite end. He had dark rings around his eyes, and his arm was in a sling, but he grinned at her and looked a lot more at peace than Ruby had seen him for a while.
"The cover is that you were kidnapped by some money grabbing thieves and Clancy went to save you and you both got a bit bust up."
"And Dan?" Asked Ruby as calmly as possible, licking her spoon. Hitch didn't meet her gaze.
"Told your parents that he went back to the UK last night. MI5 aren't too pleased about us losing one of their star agents, but there's nothing they can do about it, for once." Ruby stopped licking the spoon,
"So he's not being recognised for what he did?"
"I'm afraid not. Catching a bullet for another agent isn't regarded as a good idea in MI5's book." There was silence.
"He saved my life." Said Ruby, her voiced hollow, "And I did nothing at all to deserve it." Hitch shrugged,
"I guess things like that don't matter when you're in love." He caught Ruby's eye.
"I guess it doesn't." Replied Ruby, a smile spreading across her lips.
"Funny," laughed Hitch, "that the person that brought the downfall of the Count couldn't even see two boys absolutely head over heels for her." Ruby looked thoughtful.
"Yes, the only person equal to the Count managed to kill him after all." Hitch continued. Ruby frowned and shook her head.
"No, I wasn't that person. It was LB that killed the Count, not me. She's his only equal." Hitch looked surprised,
"I guess it is."
"What I don't understand was why the Count reacted so dramatically when LB almost shot me."
"I think," began Hitch thoughtfully, "that his alter ego made him so... What's the word? Obsessive? Obsessive that ruining his plans was one of the worst possible things that could have happened." It was Ruby's turn to look surprised,
"You're right." Hitch winked at her. "How did you know where to find me?" Hitch snapped his fingers.
"I've known you only a year, Ruby Redfort, but that's enough time to be able to take an accurate guess at where you are when you're missing. Clancy's known you so long that he probably figured out your exact coordinates before you even got there." Ruby laughed, a lovely sound.
"Probably. I should go and visit him." Hitch shook his head.
"Ambassador Crew is taking no visitors for him what so ever, let alone you. You won't see him for a while I think." Ruby stared at Hitch,
"How long have you known me exactly?" The penny dropped, and Hitch wagged a finger.
"Ah I see. Ruby Redfort never does what she is told." Ruby was already climbing out of bed.
"I do follow instructions sometimes." She retorted, "And you don't exactly have a pristine record yourself."
-----
Exactly thirty-four minutes later, Ruby pulled up in front of Clancy's house. But instead of walking up the drive and ringing the bell, she circled to behind the house and climbed the wall into his back yard. Scaling a tree a few paces away, she leaped from the tree to the house, clinging to the ivy that hugged the walls. Shuffling sideways, she used the bathroom window beneath her to boost herself up onto Clancy's window sill. Clancy was, as it happened, sitting on his bed, back to her. Ruby could see through his body language; hunched shoulders, slumped posture, that he was thoroughly miserable. She tapped gently on the glass. Clancy spun around and his eyes lit up when he saw Ruby. With a quick glance at the door to make sure it was shut, he walked to the window and let Ruby in. She swung down from the window into his room, landing perfectly on two feet.
"A Clancy from just a couple of months ago would have never opened that window." She remarked. Clancy shrugged,
"I'm not the Clancy from two months ago." Ruby nodded.
"You're right. You aren't." And she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

-----

Almost to days and this book is almost finished, I can't believe it. Blink and You Die is on its way, I have preordered it, but I'll only be getting it on Friday, and that is optimistic. I'll probably have the reviews out by next week and next week is half term! I now declare half term week as binge read Ruby Redfort week, so get together all the books and have a marathon!