On a roll this story wise.
Chapter 6:
Jumping to hug the woman, Ruby just smiled as she felt the familiar arms wrapped around her laughing a little from the teal haired woman just enjoying the feeling. "I'm glad you're here Reese." Ruby chirped as she quickly pulled back from Reese as she could see the woman just smiling at her.
"Ruby you mind... I'm kind of sore." Reese said as Ruby just began to press her lips into a thin line as she stared at her ex-girlfriend before she groaned and lightly smacked the woman's arm as said woman just chuckled at the action. "Seriously Ruby. I'm sore and not for that reason... or entirely that reason. I've been on the go for like a day plus now after going to sweet rave." Reese said rubbing her arm lightly as Ruby just smiled faintly and grabbed the woman's hand before dragging her towards the house before remembering she was meant to deliver a message.
Stopping at the door as she could see the stationary silver car, Ruby quickly began to bound down the stone stairs of the side door, before coming to a stop by the passenger door. Lightly tapping the glass, Ruby smiled as she could see it sliding down to reveal her silver haired friend sitting in the car.
"Mom says she wants to talk with you in her office and to bring in the stuff she said Reese told you to get. There are cookies though. Want me to save you one? They are my Grandma Salem's special recipes." Ruby asked as Mercury just smiled at her.
Rolling his eyes gently, Mercury just glanced at the door of the house seeing Reese just wave her hand as if there had been some big accomplishment done. But as far as he could tell the only thing she had managed to really accomplish was making Mercury deliver the materials for his own coffin.
"It's fine Ruby. I probably shouldn't keep Cinder waiting. She probably isn't happy that Reese is here." Mercury said as Ruby just nodded her head. "Just go back in. I got everything taken care of out here. Just go and enjoy the rest of your day if I don't see you again today." Mercury said as Ruby nodded her head.
"You seem off Mercury. Is your dad hitting you again? I mean I know Mom can't really protect you at home but I do know she can help you a little. And I know you hate it when other people step in... but I don't want to see you hurt." Ruby asked calmly practically forgetting Reese being inside but just enjoying the fact that Mercury just chuckled softly.
"I'm not worried about that jackass Ruby. I'm happy that you are still concerned about me like that. But seriously just go back in. I don't want your Mom angry at me because you are out here in your bare feet." Mercury reassured her as Ruby just nodded her head almost ruefully as Mercury just smiled as he began to climb out of his car. "Serious Ruby, I promise you if the drunk jackass starts swinging at me and I can't beat him fast enough, I promise to tell you."
Happy that Mercury was at least going to tell her if something big did come up, Ruby began to walk back up the stairs, smiling as she could see Reese yawning into her hand as she came to a near stop next to Reese.
"We are in the living room... but Mom made cookies and I promised her I wouldn't touch them before you came here." Ruby said as she began to skip lightly towards the kitchen as Reese just smiled as she began to follow after her.
The matter of fact remained that Reese had no idea how she was meant to bring up that her mother very likely threatened her roommate at gunpoint for information and then proceeded to make her very likely piss herself.
A feat that Reese knew from experience no one had shame about when it came to Cinder protecting Ruby. Let alone if Cinder thought someone brought harm against Ruby. That was something Reese had learned through countless years of experience that even accidentally swelling Ruby's lips were enough to get the crime lord to desire to slowly murder you.
"So I ran into your roommate today." Reese said trying to just ease Ruby into the topic, knowing that if she treads wrong it would become clear why she was really there. Not to say she wasn't actually concerned about Ruby. But she also knew that Ruby would be looked after so well that she would recover.
"Really? How is Yang? I haven't really seen her sense she talked me into going to that party... I hope she is doing fine. She was looking for some guy." Ruby said as she picked up a few cookies and took a nibble as she held one out for Reese.
Shrugging her shoulders as she grabbed the offered item, "Said she was going to go home for a few days. Didn't really tell me why. But I assume she got the guy. Kind of ruined my thing with this girl I ran into." Reese said as she walked with Ruby towards the room she claimed the rest were.
As the door swung open, Reese frowned at the sight of Neo draping herself over the arm of the couch with a grin on her face that just made Reese feel a little uncomfortable. She just could never tell what was going through that devious mind, and how it often led to her being in agony. Or the even more common outcome of Reese getting a trip to the hospital from something Neo did to her.
"Brought cookies... and you all as my witness, I only had one. Mom is still treating me like a child all because I woke up in Patch from probably drinking too much. But at least she made more cookies."
"The fact you probably burnt your hand has nothing to do with it?"
Glaring at the small girl, Ruby wasn't sure how she should feel about the comment. Hell she wasn't even sure why Neo had been grinning as she was hanging her body over the edge of the couch. What she did know was she could get revenge on the woman. All that it really took was some time on her part.
"I didn't burn my hand. In the medical sense of the word. And that oven is evil... Plus Mom made Grandma Salem's special cookies that she normally only makes twice a year." Ruby hissed as she shoved the cookie into Neo's mouth before she tossed the other one towards Emerald who caught it with a smile. "And Emerald stop pouting. Reese just wants to hang." Ruby said as she plopped down causing Reese to quickly take a seat on the far end of Ruby just to be away from Neo whose eyes had been following her.
"So who did you rope in to answering?" Emerald asked calmly as she bit the cookie in her hands just looking at Reese feeling at least a little better that she was no longer meant to guard Ruby around the woman as closely, she just wished that Reese was less of a trouble causer to make what Emerald constantly had to do a lot easier.
"Mercury was kind enough to answer." Reese said as she raised a foot to place it on the coffee table as she looked at Emerald tensing a little bit.
"That reminds me." Ruby said as she rested her head on Reese's shoulder before turning to Emerald. "Emerald, your close with Mercury, I mean you guys did share a flat for a while. He was acting strange when I opened the door for Reese. You don't think his Dad is hitting him again right?" Ruby asked as Emerald coughed lightly as she patted her chest.
Smiling softly, Reese gently wrapped Ruby into a one arm hug as she handed the woman the half of a cookie she had left. "Mercury is fine to my knowledge Ruby. And he is still sleeping at my place. So if Marcus was going to do anything I think I'd now."
Leaning into the hug, Ruby just smiled as she felt the comfort she longed so long for. Even if she knew that she shouldn't find comfort in it because of how they broke up. But she still was going to enjoy the contact as long as she could.
"So what is the plan Ruby." Emerald asked lightly hitting Ruby's foot as she just groaned as she started to shake off the vestiges of sleep from her being stripped from her and the familiar contact that she just longed for.
"Mom just says we aren't allowed to bake... or use power tools. So I was thinking, we could go get some baggies so we can be baked and watch crap in the theatre room." Ruby says as Reese laughs a little as she could see Neo perking up as Emerald began to frown and slouch into her seat. "Oh come on Emerald, when was the last time we were all together like this and able to just relax? I promise I'll tell my Mom... once she is done with Mercury. And hopefully if he isn't busy we should invite him to join as well. If not, no harm done. Maybe he'll reveal what is on his mind." Ruby continued as she began to sit up fully with a smile as she looked towards Neo.
"Come on Em, is this because of how last time you told us you found Cinder hot? If anything I agree with you... in a domineering kind of way." Neo said with a laugh as Ruby began to shiver and gag lightly at her friends.
As she was acting like she was gagging, Ruby began to flail her hands lightly to her chest as she let out an 'ew'. Something that just caused Reese to laugh at lightly as Ruby just gently back handed her ex's chest as she shivered out of disgust.
"That is my Mom. So much ew. How would any of you feel if I talked about your parents like that?" Ruby gasped out as Emerald just laughed softly.
"Both of mine are dead, Neo only has a dad who is currently in jail for a while longer and Reese I don't know, how is the home life with your parents?" Emerald asked as she pulled her phone out of her pocket to quickly start a text just so she knew that if they were going to get drugs that they weren't going to be laced with anything because of how much Cinder would being the hammer down on the small fries for harming Ruby with something like that.
"Happily married and very straight. I mean they occasionally try and beat me with a bible whenever I visit but that could be because one of the more recent times Ruby and I got caught playing hide the super big strap on." Reese said as Ruby blushed a dark shade as she gently shoved Reese away as she remembered that memory very vividly. Added together with the fact she remembered her Mom wanting to burn the family down after the screaming that Ruby relayed back to her.
"Let's not talk about that. Still not sure if Mom was joking about wanting to kill your parents and burn them on a fire made of bibles... and she wanted to harm you too because of how we were intimate." Ruby mumbled as she stood up and began to walk towards some of the room's doors. "And Emerald... send that text... I'll buy this time. If you guys are going to get the munchies. I'm going to go tell Mom about the new plan." Ruby said as could see her friends just seemingly chuckle softly as Emerald just rolled her eyes seeing Ruby walk out of the room to do the one thing many people wished that they could be able to do. Namely walking into Cinder's office to interrupt her having a private conversation about the business and walking out with no chance of being killed.
Seeing the door closed, Reese took a deep breath as she slid away from Neo as she quickly looked around knowing that this would be the best time for her to get information for Yang, and if anyone knew it would be these two.
"So what is the story with Yang? Heard she met Cinder under bad circumstances and is terrified for her life?" Reese said as she could hear some soft laughing next to her making her remember exactly the kind of people she was surrounded by without the protection of Ruby.
Placing her head onto Reese's lap, Neo just stared up at Reese as if she was enjoying the fear and terror that was in her eyes. "She inadvertently gave Ruby a drink that had been drugged, and she woke up naked with signs of being raped in Patch. As for what is going to be done with Yang, we are out of the loop on that. But we all know if Cinder wanted someone dead she wouldn't be given the chance to go whining to someone who pisses Cinder off almost as much as someone harming Ruby." Neo said with a chuckle as she could see some terror begin to become more and more pronounced. "So I'd tell her to not worry. As for if someone is watching her, wh-"
"Neo. Drop it. You know what will happen if what we know gets out to anyone that isn't need to know. No exceptions. And we both know with this information we won't be taken care of quickly. Especially with how angry she is due to the war path to find them and Reese's call just tipped it over." Emerald said snapping at Neo who just frowned a little as Reese breathed a sigh of relief. Something that increased as they could hear a door close followed by Ruby skipping into the room holding something behind her back.
Before anyone could ask the ever important question, Ruby produced a clear plastic bag and dropped it onto the table. "May want to call your guy back Emerald. Mercury had some that he was willing to share and he says once he is done a few more errands and will even pick up some fully loaded pizzas and junk food... provided we don't smoke it all on him and we don't watch his favourite Spruce Willis movie."
"Die Hard?" Reese asked as she nudged Neo's head off her lap and picked up the bag giving it a sniff causing her to just cough lightly before she felt a large smile take over.
"Yup... but I mean we could still get a movie or two in... and we do still have my mom's cookies... I already brought in some for her. And she is fine with us smoking. Just again as long as we don't get high enough to try stoned backing again. All because last time Neo set fire to the oven liners... and the herb plants..."
"Why do you keep handing Neo the torches?" Emerald asked as Ruby plopped down onto the couch shrugging her shoulders.
"I keep thinking 'this time will be different. She can't possibly screw this up.' which I know is the definition of insanity... but that time I at least had the excuse of being the highest I've ever been and Reese and I were already a little drunk." Ruby stated as she crossed her arms as she could see Neo standing up and quickly walking over to one of the humidors that were in the room. "And Neo at least has the right idea..." Ruby began as she could see Neo holding up one of the cigars as if to ask if that would do. "No Neo... that is one of Mom's expensive ones. The smaller humidor a shelf down. That has the cheap ones that she doesn't care if we get the skins from."
As the woman quickly replace the one she was holding before she reached down to shelf that was more at her height as she gently closed the one above it before grabbing a few of the cigars before skipping back over towards Ruby, tossing the items towards Reese who smiled faintly.
"It never amazes me the kind of stuff just laying around here..." Reese said with a smile as Ruby rolled her eyes at the comment as she plucked the bag from Reese's lap.
"Mom just has a lot of meetings she does from home. Plus when my Uncle Arthur visits he always brings some. Does make for good smoking fodder though. So shut up and get to unwrapping it. I'm going to be stuck home for a few more days and going to a shrink again... so I want to just forget that shit." Ruby said as Reese stopped what she was doing to just look at her ex-girlfriend. "Long story. Short version is she is worried over nothing and it was the only thing that could calm her down."
"I should question that but I know you don't like talking about shit like that. So let's just focus on the important issues right now. Namely getting high and figuring out ways to piss of Ashes. So let's just drop that and move on."
"Thank you. You guys see? Reese gets it. Not that I agree with pissing off Mom. She seems like she is in a bad mood. And the only thing I can think of a reason is the fact that she needs to work right now when she said we'd do some mother daughter things. Which she normally loves, but is being forced to go do something that I have a feeling is slightly… majorly… super illegal. But you know all know how Mom won't tell me exactly what it is." Ruby said as she opened one of the drawers of the old coffee table to produce a lighter as she could see some doubt in her friend's eyes. "The only time Mom calls off our time together is for her work, And when you two are almost forced to be around me nearly against my will, and Mercury isn't, she is always planning something super illegal that she doesn't want to get back to me." Ruby explained her reasoning as Emerald nodded gently along to it.
"Not entirely wrong... but I promise with what I know Ruby it isn't going to be something terrible. At least not nearly as bad as it could be. Just trust Cinder isn't going to go overboard." Emerald said as Ruby rolled her eyes.
"You and my Uncle Hazel both always say things like that, and I still never believe it. Mom seemed really mad yesterday. I just hope she calms down before she does something bad that can't be taken back..."
"Ah Ruru, you are worrying over nothing. Ashes isn't going to kill someone. So let's just get baked and put your pretty mind at rest." Reese said producing a freshly rolled item that caused Ruby to just smile grabbing it and placing it between her lips as she struck the lighter. "That a girl."
Author's Note:
Not the best ending for a chapter but seems good enough for me.