ruby1redfort - Tumblr blog

[ruby1redfort]

I'll always be there for you

“See ya later, Clance,” Ruby calls as she gets on her bike and starts to head home.

“See ya later, Rube.” Clancy calls back, looking out the window watching her ride off. If only he had stayed at the window a little longer; then maybe we would be here for a different story today.

Halfway home, she feels her watch buzz. “Jeepers, Hitch. I thought you said I’d have the weekend off after closing the last case; guess criminals never know the meaning of break though. If only she had stopped to look at what the message had said. She would have seen that it actually told her to stay at Clancy house, that the Count had returned. Instead, she assumed it was telling her to go to the entrance, and so she turned her bike around.

At the next intersection, while waiting for the light to turn green, a black van approached. Ruby was so distracted on what the case might be about she didn’t notice, her second mistake of the evening.

It only took thirty seconds. She was grabbed off her bike, pulled into the van, all while a hand was covering her mouth. Then, a handkerchief was brought up to her nose, and everything faded to black.

Hours later, at the Redfort house, Hitch was debating what to tell LB. Ruby still wasn’t home, which was worrying, especially since Clancy said she went home when he showed up at his house to collect her.

“Hitch, there had better be a good reason for you calling me. With the recent return of you know who, I’ve been extremely busy, and you know it.”

“Yeah, LB, there is. I don’t know where Ruby is. She had already left the Crews when I sent the text, and she isn’t here,” Hitch admits, and LB breathes in sharply before letting out a few curses.

“You think he has her?” LB questions, and Hitch just nods.

“She wouldn’t just run off anymore. After what happened at the hospital, she’s had so many nightmares. One day I found her really shaken up, and she just told me that she would never run off or do something so stupid or irrational again. She hasn’t either,” Hitch admits, and LB just shakes her head.

“Alright, you and Blacker start searching for her. If you can’t find her, bring in a few others; ones you’re sure you can trust. Be careful Hitch, these are troubling times right now. If the wrong people catch wind, we’re doomed,” LB orders.

Hitch hangs up, and immediately dials Blacker. “We got the go ahead. You take North, I’ll take South,” He says, and Blacker nods.

They search for hours, long into the night and next morning, but it’s all for nothing. They bring in more people, Zuko and Sam. Same results.

LB hits the streets for the first time in years. This becomes the number one priority; LB sells it as if they find Ruby they’ll find the Count too. The other Spectrums join in on it, all of them keeping an eye out for her.

Eventually, the local police get involved. By this time, Ruby has been missing for a bit over thirty hours. They keep searching, but everyone is all too aware of the statistics. With each passing minute, the statistics are stacking against Ruby if this person were normal; they’re not quite sure if they should be happy that it’s the Count or not. On one hand you can never predict what he might do for what reason so she might still be alive, but then again, he kidnapped her and he doesn’t have the best track record of wanting her to stay alive.

Around this time, when they go through yet another abandoned building where someone said they spotted a girl looking like Ruby and come up empty, at the exact moment that Hitch and LB share this look of utter despair, Ruby wakes up.

All that she’s aware of is that the cell is dirty. Filthy, even by her standards. Though, that may be because her room is slightly cluttered, well, very if you're Mrs. Digby, but it doesn’t have layers upon layers of dirt, grime, blood, and who knows what else on it.

What is most horrifying, however, is who is standing outside of her cell. “Hello, Mrs. Redfort. How very nice for you to join me. I’m so glad you saw that I could protect you from those awful people at Spectrum. That you saw what I saw, how crooked they were, and how they only want to harm you,” The Count says sympathetically.

“I don’t know what bull you’re trying to sell, but it isn’t going to work on me. The people at Spectrum are looking for me right now, because you kidnapped me, you creepy psychopath. Stay away from me,” She all but yells, furious at what he said.

Count just looks at her like how the shark looked at her before it tried charging her, but instead he just turns heel and stalks out of the cell. She hears a door slam, and is now left alone in the darkness.

She gets up and starts pacing. Searching for something, anything to help her escape. Count wasn’t idiotic enough to leave her watch with her, but maybe he was enough to leave a nail behind. Hitch taught her how to escape with a nail once, just in case. He taught her how to escape with a lot of things. He said it was just in case, and that everyone Spectrum agent was required to know it, but she had been asking around and no one had to. It was probably just Hitch being overly cautious around her, as always.

When she sees there’s nothing, she goes back to the cot, and dramatically flops on it. She lays there, and now that she’s not moving, starts to feel the cold. She curls in on herself, trying to preserve the body's warmth and heat. Boy, do I wish Hitch would hurry up and find me. She thinks as she drifts off.

When she wakes up, there’s a tray of food under her cell. She curls up her nose, not in disgust, but in worry. What in the world is Count planning if it requires him feeding her? Experiments? Keeping her long term? Who knows what.

She decides to ignore the food. Best not to play along with his plans until he forces her to, which won’t happen. She won’t conform to his stupid plans and ideas.

He comes down to visit her again. Spewing the same old mess about Spectrum, how glad he is that she’s on his side now, etc. She responds the same as yesterday, and he just leaves again. He doesn’t make a comment on the food.

The second day greets her the same as the first. With a tray of food. It’s harder not to go over and devour it, so much harder than it was the day before, at least what she thinks was the day before. Yet, she couldn’t break her resolve. Rule 48: Don’t get distracted, focus on what you got to focus on. She has to focus on delaying Count’s plans with her, and the only way not to is to not eat, so she can’t eat. She can’t get distracted by the temptation.

When the Count comes down today, he frowns when he sees the untouched tray. “Now, Miss Redfort, you must stop this childish rebellion of yours. I know you're upset, but I’m really trying to help you. Spectrum was hurting you. They all hated you, they were all manipulating you and trying to brainwash you, trying to make you think they were the good guys.”

“Leave me alone, Victor. All you're going to do is hurt me. And stop pretending you care; you’re the one who kidnapped me. You're the one who tried to kill me. You’re the one who hates me; stop talking so bad about them and just leave me alone,” Ruby screams as she throws the tray of food he slid through the bars at him.

He just smiles, and goes ahead and leaves, though not before rolling the apple back under the bars. Ruby goes to the corner and sits in there trying to breathe. As much as she doesn’t want to, she knows she needs to eat. If she doesn’t, then Count will just let her die, or force feed her. Neither sound all that pleasant.

So sometime when her little cell turns pitch black, she goes and gets the red apple, and slowly starts to eat it. She justifies it with Rule 40: If you ain’t breathing, you ain’t surviving. Surely one apple wouldn’t hurt. 

“Please hurry Hitch, I don’t know how much longer I can take this,” She whispers. She doesn’t know quite what she was referring to. Maybe it was the solitude. The lack of light. The cell. Count. Possibly even the lack of food. The lack of food she was inflicting on herself, to keep Count from hurting her. But, possibly the worst, was that she was slowly starting to believe him. 

There was that little voice, that little voice that she hated that was saying that Hitch would have found her by now if he was looking. They all would have. And if they aren’t looking, it means they don’t care. Still, that voice isn’t that loud. It’s just starting to appear.

“Dang it, Blacker! What do you mean you didn’t find her! The clues specifically stated she would be there. Maybe you missed a room or something, check them all again. And Froghorn, check the code again and make sure that’s what it actually says,” Hitch order, frustration taking over his body. Both people he’s yelling at, Blacker on his watch and Froghorn in the room with him both nod, and do as he dictates. That’s how the past few days have been.

“Hitch, a word,” LB says, materializing at the door.

“What, LB?” He bits out.

“Hitch, it is only for the sake of I know that you’re stressed, and I know you’ve been taking notes from Redfort, so if I sent you home, you would instead stay here and continue ordering people around. But it has to stop. Your irritable behavior has to. Everyone is trying their best. Count is toying us, we knew it as soon as he sent the clue. We’re all just dancing to his tune, and until we can get ahead of the beat, that’s the way it’s going to have to go until we can get ahead of him. Now, I suggest you go ahead and go home, get some sleep and a better mood, and then come back tomorrow. And Hitch, none of this has been a discussion, it’s been a talk that you need and the last few bits of it an order.” LB firmly rants, and Hitch sighs. He knows she’s correct, but he can’t bring himself to admit it.

He starts to walk out, before LB calls out. “Oh, and Hitch, don’t turn to the bottle. I have a feeling we’re going to be getting another message tomorrow, and I’m going to need you in top shape for it.

The days pass as the second, well really third, did. Only, slightly more pleasant. Through trial and error, Ruby learned that if she was pleasant, Count would stay for a longer time. She liked when he stayed. Then she got to talk to someone. Somewhere, she knew he was a dangerous man, that he was playing her, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. 

So, she ate the food the tray provided.

Then, the game changed. If she wanted his company and to eat, she had to say something bad about someone in Spectrum. She didn’t want to at first. She didn’t. But then, she got weak. She could feel the pressure in her chest, and knew if she didn’t do something she would die here. And she really didn’t want to die.

So, she silently asked Hitch to forgive her, and then started to badmouth him. Count gave her food and medicine. Pretty soon, the second he stepped in the room she started badmouthing Spectrum, so that he would stay and give her something to eat. 

She slowly started to agree to everything he said about Spectrum, because surely it had to be true. Ruby would be back with her parents now, if they cared. They surely couldn’t care, none of them. She had no hope of someone finding her, Count was her only contact and her only friend. Her only way to keep sane and survive.

Hitch was not handling this well. No one in Spectrum was, but Hitch worse than everyone else. He had taken to drinking again, and was drunk quite often. No one spoke of the drunk calls they got from him, and no one could blame him. 

He had started to grow a beard too, and was extremely rough. He snapped at everyone, and no one wanted to be near him.

Blacker, he was never the most clean but it got worse after Ruby was gone. He stopped getting donuts, he couldn’t stomach the thought. There was no such thing as an organization system, and even Froghorn gave up on trying to help him.

Speaking of Froghorn, everyone thought he was the least affected besides LB by this all. They didn’t really know anything. He spaced out, started back talking authority figures, and even yelled at LB when she told him to start working on other cases and stop solving all the useless clues Count was sending them. He also disobeyed a direct order. 

He even started to go into the field, to follow up on clues when Blacker was working on another case. Hitch went with him, of course, but still. LB wasn’t happy about this, but didn’t try to stop it beyond telling them not to.

Everyone ignored the statistics. They all knew them, but no one talked about them.

Once, Clancy asked. He helped with the search, and honestly is the best off of all of them. He misses her, God only knows how much he misses her.

He asked what are the chances that she was still alive, and everyone just stared at him. Finally, Blacker answered that they weren’t good, and that’s all anyone said on the subject.

One day, Clancy came in with another clue. No one said anything, since it was a common occurrence. No one could figure out why he was so excited. Then, they looked in the envelope too, and they saw. This time, he sent a picture of Ruby.

Everyone was immediately called in, and all they could do was stare at the photo. At least everyone but Froghorn did that; he got to working on the code immediately. 

“Got it. It says she’s in an abandoned warehouse in ChinaTown,” Froghorn proclaims, and Hitch starts to move towards the door. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” LB asks.

Hitch doesn’t even look back before replying, “To go get her. What do you think?” 

“I think you’re not going alone,” Is LB’s response. Everyone in the room follows her lead. They don’t talk, don’t say that it could be another trap or false hope. They all feel it; this time is different. This time they’re coming home with her, or knowing they killed the people who killed her.

Ruby wakes up to people knocking on the door.

Who could it be? Victor just comes straight in, and no one else cares. If they cared, they would have been looking for me. Victor said they didn’t bother looking for longer than a day. He says that Hitch was happy I was gone, since he could be a field agent again and didn’t have to look after me. He said Blacker was happy because now he didn’t have to share his sweets. He said LB was happy now that she didn’t have to lecture me. He said Clancy was happy now that he didn’t have me nearly killing him. Everyone was happy that I was gone, so why are they trying to look for me?

Oh, I know. They must have a case. Victor said when they had trouble solving something, they would try to find me so they could use me again. That it was all Spectrum ever did; use me. 

They step in. Hitch first, with his gun drawn. Almost as if he expects Ruby to attack him, or at least that’s how she perceives it. Right on his heels are LB, and then Blacker, and then Clancy, and lastly, surprisingly, Froghorn.

“Crud, Ruby, gosh, we need to get her out of here,” Hitch exclaims. Surprisingly enough, at least to Ruby, worry is tracing his face.

“It doesn’t matter if you open the call, I won’t come out. I don’t want to be used, or around you. None of you care about me,” Ruby screams at them, much like how she did to Count a month ago.

“Ruby, what did he say about us?” Froghorn asks quietly.

“He said y’all didn’t search for me because you didn’t care. That you were happy I was gone. And he was right. If you had cared, you would have found me sooner,” Ruby murmurs, and everyone unconsciously tenses and vows to murder Count.

“What did he say about us, individually?” Froghorn presses. Blacker shoots him a questioning look, but Froghorn just shakes his head and holds his finger up for one minute.

“He said that Blacker would be happy that he didn’t have to share with me, and didn’t have me annoying him and making you mad. He said that Hitch was happy since he could now be a field agent. Clancy was happy that I wasn’t risking his life. LB was happy that she didn’t have to constantly lecture me,” Ruby recites, and Hitch has to close his eyes to keep from lashing out.

“But he didn’t say anything about me. So that means I still feel the same way about you as before you left. And before you left I liked you, so you can believe what I say. Correct?” Froghorn asks, and Ruby looks at them for the first time.

They see her eyes, her childlike eyes that don’t belong to her teenage body. They see her vulnerability, and insecurity in her slow, shy nod. 

“Ruby, we did look. We tried to find you. We searched everywhere. The Count would play with us by sending us clues that turned out to be empty warehouses, but we still followed everyone of them up because it might be the warehouse that you were in. Hitch and I disobeyed LB’s orders to keep on this case; we wouldn’t let it close. We care about you, and we will always be there for you. It might just take us a while to get there,” Froghorn says, and that does it. 

Ruby breaks down, sobbing. You can see her fighting with herself, with what she was fed for a month, the lies Count told her and brain games he played with her, and with her instincts. 

Finally, her sobs die down, and she simply whispers, “Rule 28 and Rule 6.”

She gets up, very, very, unsteadily, and walks to the bars.

Hitch doesn’t waste a second, and rushes foreward. Ruby reaches out through the bars, and he takes her hand. They try to hug through the cells, and don’t pull away for a long time.

However, just before they do, you can hear Hitch whisper, “I love you, Ruby. And I will always try to find you, and be with you, no matter how long the run will be.”

[ruby1redfort]

For the bad things bingo

Ruby: brainwashed

On it. I just finished.

[ruby1redfort]

[ruby1redfort]

Please request anything you’d like. I gave a few plan for a couple of ones, but I can change it if you’d prefer something else. Just say the prompt and what characters you want. You can also add a few others from the series if you want for some of the prompts.

I got a bad things happen bingo card! Characters: Ruby Redfort Blacker LB Hitch Froghorn Bradley Baker SJ Dr Harper Clancy Count Lorelei

[ruby1redfort]

I got a bad things happen bingo card! Characters: Ruby Redfort Blacker LB Hitch Froghorn Bradley Baker SJ Dr Harper Clancy Count Lorelei

[ruby1redfort]

White and Red

"Are you sure that you want that dress LB? Its very, um, well, red, and wedding dresses are supposed to be white. Unless you're implying something for me," I hear Bradley protest for what feels like the thousandth time, but is really only the tenth.

"Bradley, remind me to never take you shopping! You're impossible," I reply exasperated, causing Dr. Harper to nod vigorously, Hitch to burst out laughing, and Bradley to make looking offended.

"I'm not that bad, Birdie. I'm just... nice try evading the question Birdie. Seriously, why does it have to be this dress? Its Ruby Red. I don't know much about what women are supposed to wear, or fashion, but I know that wedding dresses are white, not red. This and you evading the question, causes me to think that you are indeed implying that-"

"Baker, what have I told you about calling me 'Birdie' especially when people are around; the fact that they're the best man and maid of honor at our wedding still doesn't mean that you can call me that. And, I'm choosing red because I can't stand the color white. It's so plain, boring, and easy to ruin. Red, on the other hand, can't get ruined, and its my power color. Furthermore, it's the main color of our wedding, and it's my dress that I'll be wearing, so let me pick the one that I want out," I lecture, causing Bradley to look sullen and Hitch and Dr. Harper to exchange a look of amusement behind my back.

"I don't understand it but fine." Bradley hurts while crossing his arms over his chest. This gesture caused whatever self restraint that Hitch and Dr. Harper had keeping them from howling with laughter to break.

While everyone was distracted, I give one of my ever rare smiles, and know that I'll remember this moment forever. A glimpse of happiness in my gloomy life.

6 months later At 3 AM

After Bradley and I finish talking, after I made my choice and had to watch the love of my life be shot down, I break down and start sobbing.

He's dead. He's dead on our wedding day. What started out as me going home to grab my wedding dress ended in me killing my husband. No, he's still my fiance. He was 3 hours away before becoming my husband.

I grapple for something, anything, to dry my tears on, and come across a silky material. No, it's impossible, I left it upstairs in my closet. There's no way that it's down here. I think as I open my red eyes.

It is: its my wedding dress. The thing that I would put on and twirl in, the thing that I always felt beautiful in. Red always was my color, and I loved the material of this dress. Now all it it does is remind me of something that I'll never have, something that I dreamed of, and came three hours away from having, but then self-destroyed my chance. It reminds me of the bickering we did, of the happiness I felt that day, and how he later complimented me saying that I looked striking in the dress. The dress reminds of everything that I'll never feel again.

I hear the dreaded voice speaking again, "Well LB, it seems that you should have chosen white to your wedding, then you really could have worn it on a special day. I guess looking like you've seen a ghost will just have to do. On that subject though, seriously red. I mean, I get that it's the color for romance, power, passion, and blood things that are in your life in a daily basis, but wearing it to your wedding? You really should have chosen white, alas now you'll never get to wear a white dress. You're too loyal to the past, even if you and Hitch are old flames."

I suck in my breath quickly. How does the person know so much about me. I mean, they even know that Hitch and I had a fling about six years ago. The only other person who knew that was Bradley. For goodness sake, they know that I loved the color red.

The voice keeps on taunting me, but I hear nothing. All that drums through me head is that he's dead, and that it's my fault.

Two hours later, I feel a presence hovering over me. Hitch. He can see the tear stains all over the red dress, and assumes that I've already heard the news.

"I'm so sorry LB. I'm so sorry." He mummers rubbing her back.

"I-I-I need to-" I start to stammer, but Hitch cuts me off.

"Stay at home? Yes you do."

"Hitch-"

"No, LB. I'm not going to let you drown your grief in work. Not yet anyway. Take a few days off. Accept that this has happened. Leave everything to me." Hitch says sternly, before shaking his head. This shouldn't have happened to them, especially not today.

"I'm glad you finally let me back into the sector that I run," I say as I saunter into my office which he has kept me from for the last week.

"LB, why-" Hitch starts before I put my hand up for silence.

"They all have their reason behind me wearing them. If you can figure it out, then you deserve to know. If not, then you should get put if my office and stop gawking at me." I respond, sternly, showing Hitch that I won't be questioned. Not on this, not anyone. The voice taunted me, so now I'm responding from the taunts.

Though, I can't blame them for being surprised. How I preached on how I would never wear white, and then all of the sudden, I show up in a white pant suit. No one knows what it represents though, no one but one person.

A white pant suit that represents the life that drained out of me, when I was forced to make what should have been the happiest day of her life, the hardest to get through is the obvious answer to the few that know about what I had to do. While this answer seems obvious, and is partly true. But, anyone from the wedding who knew everything, would now that its really because I never got a chance to wear white on my special day. I did it as irony, that white represents pure, innocent, while I was anything but, at least in my mind. Besides, whoever taunted me should have know better, part of it was just to spite that person. Another part is to show that I am resilient, and that I will rise no matter what you throw at me.

The red toenails. Anyone from old Spectrum knows that red was my power color, especially the shade of Ruby Red. I loved it, looking better than amazing in it, and I knew it too. Red represented everything that she had, that is until romance was missing. She still had power, justice, passion, perseverance, and patriotism for her new country, but no romance. I don't have what if was know for, so I can't fully dress in it. I can have a small reminder to the past, and to focus on the present that I brought upon myself.

Yes, white and red. An interesting combination that most people could never figure out why LB would use. But someone knew. Someone who was always watching, waiting for the destruction, someone who didn't gawk when she saw LB after six days, but instead smiled at LB's character. If only LB knew what message she was sending everyday, especially on the days that she reapplied her nail polish.

[ruby1redfort]

Death

A plane appears on my screen, and not just any plane Bradley's'

I immediately know that this it's him, even if it doesn't say so. The color drains from my face, as the horrific, deafening countdown starts. A countdown making me do something terrible.

Which do I choose? Do I kill my most trusted ally, my best agent and friend, my fiance, or do I kill the people who trust me? One life over a thousand?

I slowly, hesitantly, click on the screen, choosing to kill him.

This should be the end now. I should see his plane being shot down, him dying.

Of course, the person who's doing this can't have pity on me. They must force me to do the impossible. Talking to him. Telling him that he will be killed, and that I'm the one who will do it.

As my face appears on his screen from the plane, his confusion shows.

"LB," He says, in the tone that he would use when I used to sneak out to go on missions that I was specifically told NOT to go on, or go anywhere near.

I take a deep breath, trying to gather courage. I can't! I can't do this! I can't tell him that I had to kill him. I can't make him go through that, his last thoughts being about me, how he wanted to take care of me! I just can't.

"Nothing Bradley. Nothing. I just wanted to say, that I'll love you until the end of the earth, til death. But unfortunately, not to the point where I would kill multiple people for you. I just can't. I love you Brad, till the end of this life, and into the other." My gravelly voice travels through the communications, to him, and it's as if time slows.

Hopefully, he will get this! He will get what I had to this. Of course, that would be too much to hope for.

"Sure LB. Just make sure you don't kill too many criminals to keep me safe. I don't want ALL those people's death on my hands, just because I have an overprotective fiancee, who just happens to be the leader of a secret organization." He teases lightly, completely not getting what I'm telling him. Not getting that he's going to die. That we will never marry, never have a child, never go on a mission together, teach recruits what to do, get on to each other for stealing gadgets, racing to break codes, all those fun things we do together. We will never do that again.

I start sobbing, leaving Bradley in the dark, not understanding why, considering that he's coming home from a mission, supposedly all safe and sound, alive, and it's not like he hasn't been gone or on more dangerous missions.

Then, I watch as the plane's altitude starts dropping, and I see him mouth those last words, "I love you LB. Forever and always. Until the end of my days, love of my days." and my heart shatters completely.

[ruby1redfort]

Discovery

“LB here are the files you requested, and I have some more information on you-know-what.” Hitch says as he walks into the door.

“Close the door now!” I respond, passionately and irritated; he should know better than to talk about that with an open door.

He thankfully does, and walks over to my desk, placing the files on it. “If you need help-“

I immediately cut him off. “It’s Bradley, Hitch. I won’t need help, now where is he?”

“He’s in Little Mountain, in a hospital there.” So that’s where he’s been. Why didn’t he come back to Spectrum?

“Good. I’ll be leaving now, and I will be back with him.” I say, getting up and walking to the door.

“Good luck.” He calls out to me, taking over Bradley’s role since he would say that to me before I went out on a mission.

At the hospital

I enter the room silently, with determination. I will take Bradley home with me, where we belong; together.

Then, I see all the lines. All the machines he’s hooked up to, and how weak he looks. My Bradley isn’t weak, he’s one of the strongest people I know, physically and mentally, but here he looks like a baby could beat him up. Do I really need to return him to this life, with him being so weak?

I make my choice, slowly walking out of the room. I can’t return him to this life, especially knowing how weak he is and that he was forced to become a spy. This is the chance he can get to live a life, without any spy involvement.

Besides, now he’s safe. The people who want to kill him think that he’s dead, so they won’t look for him. Hitch and myself are the only ones that know that he’s still alive, but that can easily be fixed to keep my wonder boy safe. He must stay safe, since I’m giving him up, for himself.

[ruby1redfort]

What are we Doin’ in Love LBaker Songfic

Italics are LB, Bold is Bradley, Strike through is both.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wVp57Py07I   Link to song

We're like summer and winter. We're not one bit alike.

When they first met, it was because he was reckless. Sure, he was pushed into the river, but what was he doing by the river in the first place, when he was warned of the dangers and told to stay away unless an adult was around? She, on the other hand, was there because he temper might have got the best of her, so she went for a walk to cool down; to make sure she didn't snap at her niece and nephew that she was being forced to babysit. She was cautious too, staying on the trail until she heard the shouts.

After the rescue, he was happy to meet someone new, and tried to flirt with her right off the bat. She turned him down cool, and then gave him a good dressing down for being so reckless. It made him almost wish that his people would show up, that was until they dud show up.

We're like satin and cinders. I'm definitely not your type.

When they met later, they were even more different than that day. Bradley, as she learned his name was, seemed to have it all together, but he was fragile and had a death wish. You had to be careful what you said or did around him, or he might go crazy and do something stupid and reckless. He needed a warning if he was going to be able to do something properly. You couldn't just ask him to do something without preparing him. She, was all burnt out though. She had no energy to deal with his stunts and pranks. She was course, straight to the point, and could handle anything anyone threw her way with ease.

He kept on flirting with her, and seemed surprised when she just rolled her eyes, sighed, and ignored him. She didn't tease, some, laugh, or do anything on the whim. Instead she planned everything, sighed, rolled her eyes, shot any guy who got within 10 feet of her down with her scathing sarcasm, and seemed to have a permanent death stare and scowl. He was romantic, buying her red, the color that suited her the best, roses and chocolates for Valentine's Day, while she was even more sarcastic and mean to him. He also couldn't understand sarcasm, practically the only language she spoke, at all, while she didn't understand hoe someone could always be smiling.

Then what are we doin' in love? What are we doin' in a mess like this?

Surprisingly, Bradley thought that he knew it first. He figured out that whenever LB was really being mean to him, she was actually using sarcasm. And, unlike with most other people, her sarcasm didn't mean You-are-so-annoying it actually meant I-love-you-but-don't-know-how-to-show-it. Once he realized this, he didn't get offended by her sarcasm, but responded to it with more sarcasm. Granted, it was awful sarcasm, but it's the thought that counts; or so he said when LB made it her living point to rip his sarcasm to shreds.

In all reality, LB knew that she felt something other than annoyance and disgust to the teenage boy that she was forced to work with. She couldn't quite pinpoint what this feeling was, but she knew it was something. She tried to hide it be being even more sarcastic to him, which caused office conflict for everyone. Most were taking Bradley's side that LB was being mean to him for no reason, but others took LB's saying that Bradley needed to grow up. To put it shortly, a lot if age it's got mad at one another because if the other person's view on who was at fault, and this went on for many years until everyone was told to get it together or get fired.

What are we doin' in love?

What indeed were they doing in love, Hitch, who was forced paired with them in hopes to make them at least be diplomatic to each other when lives weren't on the line, asked himself daily. Along with how they, along with everyone else, were so oblivious to it. LB wasn't like that to everyone, and neither was Bradley. You couldn't talk any bad about LB with Bradley around, or you would get severally tongue lashing; something that Hitch learned the hard way. And LB, she wasn't that mean to everyone; if she disliked you this much, she just wouldn't speak to you. And if he even suggested they were in love, he was insane because they didn't even like each other. But, he saw the truth, so he would just smile and bide his time until it was the proper time to start placing bets that is.

Why were you someone I couldn't resist?

When LB finally figured our what she felt for Bradley, she couldn't believe it. He was an arrogant, no respect, childish, dangerous to everyone around him, hormonal, annoying, stressful, ignorant, reckless, impulsive, teenage boy who acted like he was 8! The exact opposite of her, who was calm, collected, and fair. There was no way she could like him, much less love him, her head spoke, but her heart spoke louder saying that she couldn't, and shouldn't, try to resist him.

What are we doin' in love?

This was the thought that kept the trio up for many nights. Hitch was wondering when they would both just grow up and quite their squabbling. It was giving him a headache every night, especially the days that they refused to say a word to each other.

Bradley was wondering why he was so attracted to the Australian girl. Yes, she was kind of pretty, but she wasn't worth all the trouble she was causing him. Yet, he just couldn't bring himself to flirt with someone else, even though he knew he was wasting his time. There was no way she would ever love him back.

LB was wondering when she would get over this phase. There was no way that she could ever love someone, least not a childish American boy. Yet, she found herself feeling some affection to him, if anyone ever asked she would deny it if course, but she couldn't dent it to herself. She was in love with him, for the worse.

We're like paper and matches

And indeed they were. One was the fire, and the other was the fuel. Sure, Bradley antagonized LB a bit; she was just so much fun to get wound up. The lecture that he would gave to sit through afterwards, not so much. In the end, Bradley would always yield to LB's command, even though he didn't want to. Something about her just made him listen though.

LB on the other hand was still striving to prove that women needed to be in Spectrum. Bradley made her strive more, since everyone saw him as perfect and the golden child. He could do no wrong. So, she made it her point to do better than him, whether it be doing a better job at coding, making a better plan, or following the plan. Her plan to proving herself didn't involve any love interest whatsoever, especially not someone as frustrating as Bradley.

We'll probably have our share of fights.

Oh boy, was this an understatement. When you have two agents, one that believes that he is the best agent in the world and can't die but everyone seems to like him while the other is rational, quick witted, but unlikable, they're not really going to see eye to eye. The fact that Bradley was so arrogant and fun to prove wrong, while everyone in Spectrum didn't believe that LB could do the job correctly was just a breeding ground for these fights. Since we can't stay on this topic for the next 20 years though, lets hit on the two biggest arguments that nearly split Spectrum apart.

1. The ongoing argument of should agents have children. While all agents were opinionated on this subject, these two took it to a while new level. Especially when they realized that they loved each other. LB believed that it was too dangerous to start a family, since she always put family first. Besides, Spectrum agents should be devoted to their job; worrying about their child would take valuable time away from that. Bradley instead believed that if you could juggle the two, go for it. What does it matter if you miss your child's performance in whatever because of your job? There will be others and it wouldn't be the end of the world. You can hopefully see why these two clashed on this topic, especially with LB's feeling about family and how important it is. Though, they did both raise some good points in the arguments, a few punches might have been thrown when some name calling got involved.

2. The Trolley Problem. Call it the little bit of Bradley's rationalization that he had, but he always believed that whatever saved the most lives was the right choice. If it was just two lives, go for saving the younger life since they have longer to live. LB believed that if you didn't make any friends or like anyone, then you could beat the problem. They would gave nothing to hold over. This really got under Bradley's skin, since he believed that friends were the most important thing in life, and if you wanted to live one without them you were just plain stupid. When he told LB this, it's a wonder the fight didn't get physical, and knows if Hitch hadn't showed up and separated the two when he did then maybe it would have.

We're like roses and switches

And in a sense they were. Bradley was always soft, fragile, kind. He needed a bit of protection, but he was still easy to get to, and the reward of gaining his trust was having him around and being good natured. If he was going to give you a dressing down, it wouldn't be that bad.

LB on the other hand was harsh, bold, and her words stung. LB, was more like the protection of Bradley. Thorns both protests the rose from danger, but they also suffocate it; something that Bradley was always complaining about her doing. She was made into the person she was, crafted to perfection and groomed to do the job at a young age. You could definitely count on being tempted to cry after a dressing down with her, and a few agents did.

It's gonna be hard but we gotta try

LB would always say that she was the one who started it all, but she was dreadfully wrong. Hitch was the one who suggested to both parties that they might love the other one. They both brushed it off, but when they became absolutely unbearable, he told (ordered) LB to tell Baker how she felt, or he'd do it for her.

When she did confront him, she mentioned those very words. She knew that it would be hard liking an egotistical jerk, but she also knew that she couldn't ignore that feeling that she had. The feeling that caused her sleepless nights, and that annoyed her to all ends. She even started making irrational decisions because of it; though maybe those decisions were because it's Bradley Baker and he didn't exactly have the best track record of not getting caught. As it was, he ignored her and didn't say anything in response, making LB furious.

So what are we doin' in love? What are we doin' in a mess like this?

The question of what they were doing was indeed asked by Hitch. Along if Pinkerton finally figured out how to get rid of someone's personality and did a test run on LB, which got him a 'playful' slap.

When it was just the three of them, they were a bit more civil to each other. Still unsure of what in the world they were going and feeling, but knew that they couldn't ignore these feelings, however much they both wanted to. There was still a difference, one that their fellow agents picked up on, but no one wasted any energy trying to figure out what was going between the two.

What are we doin' in love?

The next time that they talked about these feelings was at a late night in when Bradley couldn't take it anymore. He just blurted it out that he loves her, causing her to put down her file of paperwork and look at him dumbly, unable to comprehend what he said.

And what are we gonna tell all our friends?

This was also a question that was asked that night that they finally took their feelings seriously. How in the world would they break it to everyone in Spectrum that the two agents who hate each hate others guts, and have been quarreling since day one, are in love with each other.

You don't have to like someone, to love someone. That rule was made to be broken

This new coup!e was evidence if this. They still didn't like each other. The other got on their last nerve everyday, and they were both tempted to commit a murder. Yet, no one doubted that they loves each other. They just didn't like each other.

Believe it or not, this was the first rule that LB ever broke, and the last that Baker did. Unless you count him somehow surviving the crash, but both he and LB will argue that that was him must being stubborn and his teenage rebellion that he never grew out of. Although, she did argue that the rule was made to be broken, which many people argue of wasn't, it was a pretty bad rule. Besides, who better to break the rule than the guy who likes to defy death on a daily basis, and the woman who changed nearly every workplace rule?

But if  we have to say goodbye, to a life we've gotten used to

Something that they never considered though, was the fact that LB would be dating an agent, an agent herself, and still working. Now days, this is fine, but in the 1950s, not so much. LB would have to quite, and Bradley wouldn't get her as a partner anymore. He'd finally gotten used to all her annoying habits like drinking tea (coffee is much more superior.) and her ability to abide by all the rules and expecting him to do it too!

They eventually figured it out, only having to break into the Ghost Files to get blackmail information twice. LB would stay Bradley partner, and she could date and even marry him, but they couldn't have kids. If they did and the heads learned about it, LB would have to leave. This just made them determined to make sure that if they has children, their child would be safe and kept a secret.

What are we doin' in love then?

Everyone bow asked this. What are they thinking?! Why are they in love? They aren't alike at all! The two, much to their dismay, quickly became the gossip of Spectrum, and to two very private people, this was a worst nightmare. Yet, they didn't seem to mind it. Amazing the things that happen when you're in love.

We're like sun up and sundown. People say we're never gonna last.

They were this in every sense of it. LB preferred sundown, she said that it made her feel more alive and happy. She always was a night owl, staying up until three AM on a nightly basis, and it would be more likely to see her going to sleep at five AM, then waking up st that time unlike Bradley. He preferred early morning, the earlier the better, as long as the sun was up. He loved to make a hot cup of coffee, and watch the sun rise in those few quite peaceful moments.

People did say that. That it was just a phase, a fling, that they would be back to hating each other in a couple if days, weeks at the most. They even bet on when they would have their falling out. When they didn't, Hitch became slightly unpopular because of all the money he collected.

Like uptown and downtown. You like life slow, while I like it fast.

They kind if were. One was the poster boy of Spectrum, the golden child. He could do no harm. Yet, he also cared for everyone's feelings,and as good as he was, LB inspired more people. With out her, Spectrum wouldn't have their best agents, scientists, and doctors, because they all would have been too afraid to join if she hadn't paved the way.

LB did. She liked everything slow so that she could understand it all before making her move. She liked to think before moving. She couldn't live off of adrenaline, unlike Bradley. He loved everything moving at breakneck speed, to where be didn't have to think about his next move; he just had to stay alive.

What are we doin' in love? What are we doin’ in a mess like this?

It's ironic, I guess, that their first mission was to a bar. And in that bar, this song was playing. And, to maintain their cover, they had to dance to it, and sing it. LB even had it to call it their sing. Little did they know, that UT was. It was their song, a song that told their love story and a song that would be passed down from generation to generation of children, as two lovers who changed the world's special song.

What are we doin' in love? What are we gonna tell all our friends

When they held the private wedding, and would have the public one for everyone later, everything went well, except for the Count visit at the end of course. The funny thing was, that he said he couldn't wait to see how the daughter compared to the father. He was the first to know, even before both LB and Bradley, that they were going to gave a daughter after the private wedding. They thought about telling others, since the Count already knew and their daughter was already in danger, but decided against it. It was too risky for LB, they would just have the baby, and give her up for adoption. A special adoption.

What are we doin' in love? What are we doin' in a mess like this? What are we doin' in love?

In conclusion, they were in love, but still hated each other. Their love was a huge mess if mixed feelings, mixed messages, skeptics, and everyone against them, even themselves. Yet, they somehow succeeded.

You were just someone I couldn't resist. So that's what we're doin' in love.

[ruby1redfort]

I see where your coming from. Blink and you Die makes me WANT to die from the feels and ties with my main choice simple because I can’t admit that devastating of a book is my favorite. In my mind, you can’t get better than Catch your Death, because I love animals, the idea of perfume messages is so freaking cool and I really want to do it, it sets everything up for the whole world of problems that follows and is really where things pick up speed, it’s the first book that the Australian Woman is in and she’s my favorite villain, and Clancy. Clancy in this book is so… he just needs to be protected at all costs and it shows in this book.

Which is your favourite rr book? Mine is Blink and you die (edit, tied with feel the fear, because i really can’t choose) but I love all of them

[ruby1redfort]

Adding my own headcanon in here about LB and Bradley Baker being Ruby’s parents. Yes, it makes total sense and I think that she is adopted too. She doesn’t act, and in my mind look, anything like them.

I’m a firm believer that Sabrina and Brant are very very blonde and when Ruby came out with hair as dark as dirt everyone just thought she was adopted 

the poses the question: ruby = adopted?? maybe?? would make sense??

[ruby1redfort]

Off the top of my head, Tom Hiddleston. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve thought about Froghorn, but I think it would work. Besides the film would be the most expensive in the world to make, but considering what happened in BAYD, we deserve it.

Ok so here’s something new. I’m gonna put characters I personally don’t have a fancast for and if you do cast a vote in comments or reblog!! (This is your personal fancast and there can be so many different ones!!)

Who would you cast for Froghorn?

[ruby1redfort]

Chapter 7

[ruby1redfort]

Chapter 6 is up!