Ruby – Chapter Four
(NC, Marvel. Ruby, moi)
On Wednesday, the phone rang.
"Let the machine get it," Ruby said, from Kurt's lap on the couch. "I'm comfy."
"Are you?" he asked, kissing her. After the fourth ring, the answering machine picked up.
"This is Ruby, you know what to do. Beep."
"Ruby Dawn Dees, this is your mother. I know you're there. I called your office and Chris said you were home this week."
"Are you going to pick up?" Kurt asked, as Ruby rolled off onto the couch next to him.
"No," Ruby said, folding her arms over her chest. "I have nothing to say to that woman."
"Ruby! Pick up this phone! You have avoided me long enough!" Ruby got up and turned off the volume on the answering machine.
"I suddenly find myself in need of fresh air," she said. "Want to go for a walk?"
***
"Jeff and Lisa are very accepting," Kurt said, as they walked back to the house, past the parking area. They'd spent the last couple of hours with Jeff and Lisa, the older, hippie couple who owned the property Ruby's dome was part of.
"I'm not entirely sure they don't view your appearance as a flashback," Ruby giggled. "I think I caught Jeff waving his hand in front of his face looking for tracers a couple of times."
"Feeling better?" he asked, taking her hand.
"Much. I just don't know if I'm ready to face the tape yet," she said, squeezing his hand.
"Let it go until tomorrow then," he said, bringing her hand to his lips.
"All right," she said, leaning up to kiss him quickly.
Just then, a state patrol car roared down the drive and screeched to a halt in the parking area, throwing up clouds of dust. Kurt pulled Ruby back, behind him.
"Ruby!" A young trooper leapt out of the car.
"Oh Good God!" Ruby snapped, pushing past Kurt. "Mike, what the hell are you doing here?"
"Your… your mother was worried," he said, looking suspiciously at Kurt, hand inching toward his gun.
"No. She's not worried, she's pissed because I won't talk to her," Ruby said. Kurt coughed. "Oh, sorry, Kurt, Mike." Ruby ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "Look, Mike, I'm sorry you drove all the way out here for nothing. I'm fine."
"Nice to meet you," he said automatically, nodding to Kurt, hand easing back from the gun. "It wasn't that far. They have me stationed out of North Bend right now. I'm glad you're fine. I'll let your mother know."
"Don't worry about it. I'll call her," Ruby said, relenting. "Want a coke, or a cup of coffee before you head on back?"
"Sure," Mike said, eyes back on Kurt. "You still got that mocha stuff?"
"Yeah," Ruby said. She took Kurt's hand again. "Mike and I dated briefly in high school."
"Ruby only ever dated anyone briefly," Mike said, taking his eyes of Kurt for the first time since he'd jumped out of the car. "The minute you got serious about her, she split like her ass was on fire."
"Oh, and you were Mister Commitment?" she said. "I seem to remember a heartbroken cheerleading squad one township over, there, Mr. Man."
"Yeah, well, we were young," Mike said, blushing.
***
Inside, they sat at the counter. Ruby got the coffee. The answering machine light blinked menacingly.
"You heard from Stephen lately?" Mike asked. Ruby dropped the bag of coffee.
"Stephen's dead," she said. "I guess mom neglected to tell you that." She picked up the coffee. "Its why I'm not speaking to her."
"Oh, Ruby, I'm sorry," Mike said.
"Nobody's fault, really," she said, her voice shaking.
"So, you're, ah…" Mike said, turning to Kurt after a long, awkward silence.
"A mutant," Kurt said. Over by the coffee maker, Ruby coughed, sounding suspiciously like a stifled laugh.
Mike blushed a deep red.
"And I suppose you were all blasé about it when you met him," Mike grumbled
"Actually, I was too worried about whether the truckers I rescued him from were going to follow us and run me off the road," Ruby said. "It didn't even occur to me who he was until we were well away from the rest area."
"She, rescued you?" Mike asked.
"Ja, she did," Kurt admitted, looking over at Ruby, a smile lurking at the corners of his mouth.
"If that don't beat all," Mike said. Ruby threw a wadded up coffee filter at his head. "Hey! What?!"
"What?" Ruby said, disgusted. "Don't you think I'm capable of…"
"Simmer down, Firecracker," he said, holding up his hands.
"Call me that again, and I'm spitting in your coffee," Ruby growled.
"Old nickname. Someone is a natural redhead," Mike told Kurt in a stage whisper behind his hand.
"Is she?" Kurt asked.
"You mean to tell me you haven't…" Mike started.
"I shave now, Michael," she said, laughing when he blushed a deeper red.
"You and Ruby have known each other a long time?" Kurt asked to save Mike, as he sputtered.
"All our lives," Mike answered finally. "Born two days apart in the same hospital. Our families always thought we'd get married."
"Sorry, Mike. I just never felt that way about you," Ruby said, sitting on the kitchen side of the counter.
"Me neither, really," Mike said. Something in the tone told Kurt that wasn't entirely true.
"So," Mike said, after a minute. "Ruby rescued you?"
"Kurt, can I talk to you before I go?" Mike asked, after he'd finished his coffee.
"Of course," Kurt said, following Mike out the door.
"Sorry, if I seemed a little twitchy back there," Mike said. "What with the phone call from Mrs. Dees, and, well…"
"My appearance?" Kurt supplied.
"Yeah, that," Mike said. "I shoulda known if you were with Ruby you were ok. She's good like that."
"It is all right. I'm used to it," Kurt said.
"No. No, its not. I could have done something stupid," Mike said. He took a deep breath, and offered Kurt his hand. "Take care of Ruby," Mike said. "She's not as tough as she'd like to think."
"I will take care of her," Kurt said, shaking his hand. "But I think you underestimate her greatly."
"Maybe I do," Mike said. "I still remember the girl sitting in the middle of a road in her prom dress with a dying dog in her lap after another car hit it." He looked off into the distance. "We never did make it to prom. She made me drive to the vet's house. The dog didn't stand a chance, but she said she had to try. She cried for hours." He cleared his throat. "A word of advice. Avoid meeting her folks as long as you can. They're not gonna take you well at all."
"It's the accent, isn't it?" Kurt asked, deadpan. Mike looked blank. "I am kidding. I understand. Thank you for the advice."
"I'll tell Mrs. Dees that Ruby's fine," Mike said. "And that she's found herself a good guy. Tell Ruby I said bye." He walked back to his patrol car.
"Well?" Ruby asked when Kurt came back in the house.
"When he first got here, did you notice…?"
"His hand near his gun? Yeah, but I knew he wouldn't shoot you, so I ignored it," she said.
"You might have mentioned that to me," he said.
"Eh?" she shrugged. "What did he have to say?"
"He wanted to tell me to take care of you," Kurt said, hugging her.
"And you said?" Ruby prompted.
"That I thought he underestimated you," he said kissing her. "But I would like nothing more than to take care of you for the rest of both our lives."
"You romantic schemer," she said, kissing him back. Then, "See. Nothing to worry about."
"He also told me about your prom date," Kurt said.
"Yeah, my mom screamed bloody murder. A three hundred dollar prom dress ruined, covered with dog blood." She sighed. "Anything else?"
"He suggested I avoid meeting your parents," he said.
"That's not going to be hard, since I intend to have as little to do with them as possible," she said. "Their reaction to Stephen's death was the last straw. I know they didn't approve of his lifestyle, but all things considered, I expected a little more compassion than, 'what did you expect from one of those people?' Like he was an alien species or something." She pulled away and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. "Argh!! Ok. I'm doing it. I'm calling my mother. If you feel for me at all, please, have a drink ready for me." She picked up the phone, and punched in the number.
"Hi, mom. Yes. Yes, Mike was here. Everything's fine. Yes, I know I haven't called. I know. I KNOW. Mom, what's this really about?" Ruby asked, folding her free arm over her chest. "I know you too well, you raised me, as you so often point out. Mmm hmm, yes. Yes, I did have to be rude to Bob like that. Yes, he is to blame for Stephen's death, and yes, I did call him a piece of shit. I also called him a fucking redneck. Why?" She pulled the phone away from her head for a second and stared at it unbelieving, before answering. "Because he is, Mom. He is. He tried to beat Stephen to death. The only thing that stopped him was me and a fucking gun. Yes. Yes, I appreciate that you still have to live in the same town with him. Fine, tell him you've finally disowned me. Why the hell not? You've been threatening to for years." She sat on the arm of the futon. "Mom, look I'm sorry Bob took it out on you, ok? No. No, you're right you didn't raise me like that. I developed principles all on my own." She clicked off the phone and threw herself down on the couch.
"Can I do anything, Ruby?" Kurt asked, sitting next to her.
"Just hold me for a while," she said, wiping tears off her face. "Remind me that not everyone in this godforsaken world sucks."
Kurt pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. She rested her head on his chest, with a deep sigh. After a few minutes, he looked down at the top of her head.
"Ruby Dawn?" he asked.
"Call me that again and you sleep on this couch," she muttered, head still resting on his chest, eyes closed. "Its not my fault."
Kurt chuckled, and squeezed her quickly.
