A/N: A nice and long one this week! By my standards anyway...

...

The oak on Amster Green swayed gently in the spring breeze, it's leaves hiding two friends perched on its branches, having to cling to its trunk to steady themselves. "You're sure you haven't heard anything from them?" Clancy asked for the third time that day.

"Clance," Ruby sighed, looking longingly at her Bradley Baker watch. "If I had another assignment from Spectrum, wouldn't I be working on that instead of talking to you?"

"Glad to know I'm so high up your priorities list." He grinned, but he knew she didn't mean it that way.

"But you do have a point." She murmured, and Clancy tried not to look so confused. "If Spectrum isn't busy at the moment, then where does Hitch keep disappearing off to? I haven't seen him in days." She mumbled, more to herself than anyone else.

"He's probably just making the most of his free time." Clancy interjected, trying (and failing) to convince himself that nothing potentially dangerous was going on. "Maybe he just really loves... Walks in the countryside!"

"There must be something else... What sort of case would they not want me to know about?"

"Or swimming. He could just be brushing up on his not-drowning skills..."

"They found the mole, so I'm not suspected of anything - am I?"

"Bowling, golf, tennis - he seems like a tennis-guy..."

"He'd tell me if I was. After last time, Hitch would tell me."

"Or maybe he secretly loves video games, and he's at the arcade right now, or-"

"Clance?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you know that I don't?"

He stopped his rambling dead in its tracks. "Sorry?"

"I know something's wrong - if it's about you, then you don't talk enough, and if it's about somebody else, you talk to much. You've been doing a bit of both today, so tell me, what do you know that I don't?"

Shocked to say the least, the boy gaped at her for a second before regaining his ability to speak. "Nothing." He breathed. Ruby stared at him some more and he thought of Hitch and the Count and the Eye Ball and- "Nothing, Ruby!" Clancy could feel his fingernails digging into his palms. "I'm just as in the dark as you are." At least the last bit was true.

"Alright." Ruby begrudgingly let the topic go, knowing that Clancy would tell her what the problem was eventually. It was beginning to get dark, and birds were starting to nest in the surrounding trees. Clancy knew they'd have to leave soon, so he cleared his throat.

"So," He swung his legs precariously over the side of the branch he was sat on, calming his nerves but doing nothing for his balance. "The Misfit Fashion Show, huh?"

Ruby turned to face him, raising her eyebrows but waiting for him to make whatever point he was coming to.

"Dad says we each get a plus one; the press don't want empty seats..." Another gust of wind had them shifting their weight and steadying themselves again. "Um, I know fashion shows aren't really your thing, but they're not really mine either, so if you like... We could go together?"

Ruby surprised the, both by nearly falling out of the tree. "You want me to be your plus one?" She spluttered.

"It'd make me a lot more enthusiastic about the whole evening." Clancy admitted.

"Okay." Ruby nodded decisively.

Clancy blinked. "Okay?" He echoed.

"Yeah, I'll come."

"You won't be bored?"

"Of course I will - I'll be bored, you'll be bored - we'll be bored together. Sound like a plan?"

Clancy frowned, taken aback, then smiled. "Yeah." He nearly laughed. They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, listening to the faint humming of car engines, and occasional beeping of horns as people rushed home in time for dinner. A thought struck Clancy. "You know, you gotta wear something nice." He said sceptically.

"Sure."

"No, like real nice, Rube, the right kind of nice-" He tried again, unconvinced.

"What, you don't think I have any nice clothes?" She shot back.

"Oh, you've get them alright, you've just never worn any of them." Clancy could see her trying to think of a way out, but when push came to shove, he knew her loyalty would win over and she'd be at the show; correctly dressed or not.

"Can't I just-"

"No, seriously, Rube, you wear jeans and a t-shirt and my Dad will throw you out himself." Clancy stopped grinning now, letting her see how much he wanted her to be able to come in with him, not have to wait outside (which he knew she would).

"Okay, okay, I get it! No casual clothes, jeez..."

"Just wear one of your mum's dresses or something?" Clancy suggested unhelpfully.

"If I ask my mother for advice," Ruby began, outraged, "She will forever hold it against me. 'The time I asked her for fashion advice'." She shuddered.

"Mrs Digby, then?" Clancy guessed the lady would have some sort of fashion-knowledge - she could do everything else! Ruby grumbled then, reluctantly, agreed.

"If I turn up tomorrow with make-up to rival a clown's, it's on your conscience, Crew." She shook her head, a small smile creeping onto her face, and Clancy gulped.

"It's for the greater good, buster!" He defended. "Both our parents would kill to see us in something expensive and glamorous, so let's just get it over with before it comes to that."

"Killing two birds with one stone?" Ruby admired the logical thinking in that. "Smart."

Although it was dark, Clancy turned away slightly so that Ruby couldn't see the red tinge his cheeks had taken on.

"Thanks." He smiled genuinely. "I'll pick you up at 6:00pm tomorrow?"

"Pick me up? We'll be in the same house, bozo."

"Well at first, yeah, but what makes you think my dad isn't going to be giving me the family-pep talk before we leave? I've got to go home to get ready."

"Oh." Ruby had gotten so used to Clancy always being around that it would be weird when he was gone even for a few hours. "Alright. 6:00pm, then."

An almost chilling calm had settled over the city; dim light seeping out from the buildings, muffled music and laughter echoing from a club nearby. The whole area seemed awake but... Sleepy. Ruby yawned and stretched tiredly. "Ugh. We should head back. I'm beat."

Clancy nodded in agreement. "I'm so glad it's Friday." He muttered, almost to himself, as they began to climb down from the oak.

"Yeah, no more Bugwart for two whole days!' Ruby cheered. Clancy was with her on that one. Vapona had been giving them even more grief than usual since she found out about Mrs Digby saving them that night, weeks ago. The press had covered the story to an extent, claiming that Ruby, Clancy and Hitch had been attacked on the roof. No Spectrum information was disclosed, obviously, but there were still rumours, and these rumours had reached the school in days. Ruby pretended not to care when Bugwart called her names or picked on Clancy to get to her, but Clancy could tell it was getting to her more than she was letting on.

The wind picked up, and by the time they'd reached the ground, Ruby was shivering. Clancy took one look at her, (wearing leggings and a t-shirt reading 'I'd rather be sleeping') and pulled off his jacket, handing it to her wordlessly.

"Clance, thanks, I appreciate the gesture and all, but I'm fine." She tried to hand it back, but he wouldn't except it.

"I don't need it, I've got a jumper on; you haven't." He insisted. He knew that Ruby both wanted and needed to put it on, but she hated depending on other people - she saw it as a weakness.

"If I was cold, you'd know about it."

"But you are!" Clancy exclaimed, frustrated. "You know what, don't worry." He put his jacket back on, and his voice softened. "Sorry." He said, moving to walk alongside her. "You said you'd be there for me, and this is me trying to be there for you."

Ruby didn't look at him until they were out of Amster Green and walking down the road. "I know." She whispered, unable to resist a small smile as they made their way back to Cedarwood Drive.

...

It took Ruby an hour to track down Mrs Digby the following morning. "Are you quite all right, child?" She'd frowned, seeing Ruby's relief at having found her. "You don't need me to g et my hair pin again, do you? She asked, a mischievous glint in her eye. She'd been enjoying the recent action.

"No, I-" Suddenly, it dawned on Ruby what she was about to do. "Clancy's taking me to the Misfit Fashion Show tonight." She took a deep breath. "I don't know what to wear - I need your help."

...

A/N: I think this is all ok but sorry for any typos - even though it's late I really wanted to post tonight! Next chapter or possibly the chapter after (depending on the lengths) should be when the action starts!