*Side note: This was in my final draft however, upon reflection I believe most of Ruby and Odie's interactions could be left of of the main plot.
All around the quiet neighborhood a brilliant sun, perched high in a clear blue sky, cast its light on the still houses below. No more were the large yellow school buses filled with sluggish students rumbling down the streets. All the red-eyed, harried parents were off on their way to work. The only things left were the small animals and birds chattering and singing, darting from tree to tree to catch an early morning breakfast.
Now is the time, after all the school buses make their rounds, after the line of cars disappear, and after the last morning bird-song had quieted to a murmur, that the Defenders finally start their day.
Many begin the morning as Bo did, waking up in awkward positions on the floor only to be trampled and pummeled or tossed around while their kids and parents prepare for the day. Some newer Defenders, security blankets against all that the wide world has to offer, are dragged around by their young children all day long. Some like to stay asleep, especially after a long hard night of defending. And then there are the older Defenders who have to scramble out of sight. Since they are no longer a constant companion for their child, many of them have to make their way back to toy boxes or closest or where ever they are kept. They may not be played with as often or cuddled as much, but they are solemn guardian in the night nonetheless.
In Bo’s neighborhood though, the streets are seldom as quiet as they seem. There are always sounds to be heard if you listen carefully enough. A dog barking, music from an open window, the wind racing through trees. All of these seemingly benign noises create a second layer of sound, one that hides in plain sight. Just like our Defenders. Within this sound, if you were listening closely (and passing by Max’s best-friend, Jayson’s, house) you would hear the quick tapping of a computer keyboard. Which, if you were observant, might seem odd as the house was supposed to be empty. Both parents had left for the day and Jayson, along with his twin sister Annabel, had both left for school on the same bus as Max and his sister. Then again, you might just pass by and pay no mind to the common everyday sights and sounds you’ve become accustomed to.
Odie, Jayson’s Defender, was busily typing away. He was a dark grey bear who wore a pleather motorcycle vest and sunglasses, and was currently covered in dirt and grime. This accumulated filth was picked up running back and forth between houses in the dark. His fur was still covered in bits of wet grass, and his normal light grey color fur was matted with mud and soggy from the morning dew. His vest had also caught at one point when he was climbing up a drain pipe and one of the seams had popped. He sat perched, damp and dripping, on top of a dirty towel spread out on the desk; an attempt to protect his kid’s furniture from the muck he was covered in. The previous night’s outing had been a doozy.
Finishing the last sentence, he smacked the “enter” key. He then dropped the two pencils he was using to type, closed his boy’s laptop, and stretched back to flop heavily on top of the towel. He turned his head and glanced out the window behind the computer. He tried willing himself to relax and bask in the warm sunlight and cheerful greenery.
Usually when he finished writing his reports and answering messages, he would go about his morning doing whatever tasks were needed. Today however, he continued lying on his back, replaying the events from the night before, as if they were stuck in some horrible looping gif. Needless to say, he wasn’t looking or feeling his best, and he was far from feeling like the calm scenery outside the window. He watched with growing resentment at its peace and serenity.
When all was said and done at the end of the night all he wanted to do was curl up with Jayson and pretend it was all a terribly annoying dream. Instead, he had to hide from his boy. Odie had gone to sleep with Jayson when he was clean and dry, trying to sneak back into the kids arms the way he looked would have been a big no-no. On top off all that nonsense he had a responsibility to read and respond to about a gazillion emails and messages.
Will this be what my days and nights are always like when I’m Breaker? He thought ruefully, rubbing the sleep from his one good eye.
How? Just how am I supposed to bring this before everyone? How can we- I, how can I fix this? … This is impossible.
The situation was bad enough and adding to it that he was still technically in training and the number two for the Council wasn’t going to sit well with a lot of Defenders. The Community was supposed to help each other. He couldn’t help but feel partially responsible for the ensuing chaos that he was positive would soon follow.
Absentmindedly, Odie began gently rubbing his missing eye.
No, this isn’t my fault. But I’m going to be the one in charge soon. We need some sort of plan, something to address this much larger issue…
His mind drifted off, trying to make his tired mind focus on one problem at a time, but it was useless. His eye drifted slowly down, down. The weight of the night finally taking its toll and letting him slip into sweet unconsciousness. Sadly, he was abruptly pulled from his meandering stroll into sleep as loud music from across the hall jolted him awake.
———————————————————————————————————
Ruby scoffed at the notification and put down her girl’s tablet with a huff. Odie had been gone all morning and finally sent her the all-clear sign. ‘Nothing to worry about, all is well’, the message said.
Yeah, right. Okay, if he doesn’t want to tell me, fine, I don’t need to know. In fact, I don’t want to know.
She tried to shake off her annoyance by looking out the window at a day full of promise and warmth. The soon-to-be summer sun shone through green branches and danced off dewdrops. Birds chirping happily and the occasional dog bark scored the picturesque scenery. The light warmed her deep red fur and helped settled the thoughts circling in her head. She leaned back on a pillow enjoying the scene and adjusted her bright blue bow, which always settle slightly askew over her left ear. The calming picture was dangerously close to erasing the frown latched onto her face. It had been there since Odie left in the wee hours of the morning.
Of course, he was annoying, a total pain, and an all-around butthead to her, but he was still her brother and she did worry about him from time to time. As she was contractually obligated to, as she would tell him.
Such will be his life as the Tie-Breaker. Sucks to be him! He's going to have to make a lot of difficult choices for the Council and our neighborhood when he’s in charge. I’m glad it’s not me.
She gave an involuntary shudder at the thought of all that responsibility. He’ll just have to learn to cope. Now if he could also stop caring so much what others think he might actually be a half-way decent Breaker. Not that I’d ever tell him.
She thought about when he finally came home, he didn’t say a word, just waved a damp paw in obligatory acknowledgment and proceeded to Jayson’s room.
Something had to have happened last night, and he’ll probably want to talk about it. She rolled her eyes. He knows where to find me.
Not wanting to interact with her brother more than was necessary, Ruby decided to while away the hours doing her usual routine. She streamed some relaxing music on the tablet and settled back with a good book. As the gentle melody of “Over the Hills and Far Away” filled the room she inched up the volume just a little more, she couldn’t help herself.
Listening to music, reading, drawing, browsing Facebook or Twitter, or watching a movie were about her only options and she pretty much did all of them every day. Not a lot for a Defender to do during the daytime when the sun is up and the shadows run. Ruby often wondered if other Defender groups had little get-togethers like they do. Probably, we all need a little something to occupy the time and keep us sane.
A slight knock on the door brought Ruby out of her contemplation. Odie poked his head in. He looked absolutely terrible. His fur was matted and clumpy, his sun glasses were askew, and his vest was comically disheveled.
“You look like something the cat dragged in,” Ruby said, looking at him from head to toe. “And not a nice cat either, like a sewer cat. You look like something a sewer cat would drag in.”
“I feel like something a sewer cat would drag in,” He gave a grand flourish and spin. “Be honest, how bad does it look?”
Ruby made a face. “Remember that time Bo came to the meeting after Jason and Max had that mud wrestling competition with you guys?”
Odie's mouth fell open like a terrified goldfish. “Do I smell THAT bad too?!”
“Not that I can tell, but don’t get too close.” She made a cross with her paws. “Don’t even think about coming up on the bed. Why don’t you go sit in the hall?”
“Naw… here’s good.” He proceeded to fall flat on his back with a satisfyingly wet slap on the hardwood floor.
“Tough night?” she called down to him. “Do I need to get the cookie tin?” Referring of course to the blue circular tin where the family supply of sewing bits and bobs were kept.
“Yeah, but later, I'm too tired for that right now,” he gazed at the ceiling.
Ruby waited for him to elaborate, but none seemed to be forthcoming. She gave a great audible sigh turning down Robert Plant’s wailing final notes and propped up on her elbows at the edge of the bed.
“We could talk about the birthday party this Friday? Huh? Who’s coming, how Defenders should get here, what games we want to play? Ohhh! We could start our own Party Planning Committee! I’m thinking a game of silent poker, then a silent dance party, and of course it wouldn’t be complete without a rousing bout of staring contests.”
No reaction, he just continued laying there like a slug. “Not right now,” he sighed.
“Ooookay. You obviously want to talk about last night. Or is ‘all is well’ still the official line of Mr. Tie-Breaker in training?” She emphasized by trying to give air quotes, “Darn these paws. Makes it hard to distinguish between subtle sarcasm and waving adorably.”
“Not really,” he lamented, still staring at the ceiling. “There’s nothing I can really do. I’m not Breaker yet. And even if- Ow!”
A marker thrown with perfect precision smacked Odie dead center of his forehead.
“Spill it, Mopey! Or the next thing I throw will be heavier and have an edge.”
Odie grunted onto his elbows and rubbed his forehead. He glowered, but Ruby just smiled sweetly. A thick hardcover book was already cocked back and waiting for release.
“Don’t! Just… okay, I’ll spill. Put it down, please? Thank you. But I can’t get into too much detail just yet, and we have to set up for the meeting.”
“Well, to start the text was from Leia- ”
“Leia? Is she alright?” Ruby was instantly hooked, but a look from Odie and she mimed locking her lips and throwing away the key.
“As I was saying, the text was from Leia. It came in just past midnight and it was the standard ‘need help!’. It went to the Council’s group text but I wasn’t sure who else saw it. I had some issues getting there, my vest got caught as I was climbing up her window, but I was also in a hurry. When I got there, I found I wasn’t the only Counsil member to respond. Trixy, felt secure enough she could leave her kid and offer a paw. Lucky for me she did. If the text was unexpected even more so was what he found.
On my way over I was hoping for the best but preparing for the worst, but the situation was even worse than I could have imagined. Leia was sprawled out on the floor unconscious and a Fear the likes of which I had never seen was standing over Nick and feeding.”
Ruby turned her head and closed her eyes, her face pinched as if she felt the pain too.
“Right, it was... bad.” Odie continued. “We moved behind the Fear and dragged Leia out of harm’s way then launched ourselves at creature. That was a terrible idea, especially armed only with the small weapons we brought with us. The Fear batted me away with a viscous backhand that nearly snapped my sunglasses in two. And, thanks to the spectacular flying cartwheel I flew away in, my loose eye is barely hanging by a thread now.”
Odie removed his glasses and Ruby gave a little yelp. “That is way worse than before, Odie...”
“Don’t I know it,” He sighed and put the glasses back on. “Anyway, we regrouped and Trixy ended up finding Leia’s laser sword. I tied a couple of shoes together and tossed them around its legs, tipping it up pretty bad. As soon as it hit the ground Trixy turned it into smoke. We waited until we could wake Leia up then tried to make a plan for today, hence the message. Trixy and I had a brief discussion but the Counsil still needs to deliberate before anything final is decided. So, there you have it, in a nutshell anyway.” He finished, shrugging in resignation.
Ruby absorbed his words and took a closer look at her brother. He really did seem ready for a nice long soak or a spin in the washing machine. At the same time however she knew he was leaving out crucial information. She could always tell when he was hiding something because their kids are twins, and therefore so are they (more or less). That and he would scratch at his left elbow, like he was doing now, which is what Jayson did when he was hiding something too.
“If what you are saying is even mostly true, this meeting is going to have to address the tip of a much larger iceberg of a problem.” Ruby felt uneasy of what it all meant. Odie hung his head.
“So, what are you going to do?” She asked, sliding off the bed. She stood in front of him trying to catch his good eye, his loose eye was aimed at the ground.
“I don’t know… I mean, I know it has to be something. Something solid. Something that will stick. And poor Leia, I don’t… I just… I don’t-…” He covered his face with his paws, his grubby snoot poking through the fury barricade. He looked so hopeless even Ruby couldn’t help but feel a little bad for him.
“Listen, I’m going to say something to you and I’m only going to say it once, so pull your paws down and look at me.”
Reluctantly Odie dropped his paws and stared at her.
“You will be a good Breaker. Whatever you decide we should do will be a good decision for everyone.”
“You really think so?” A ray of faint hope glinted in his dirty eye.
“Sure, why not? Whatever you decide to do, I and the Council will support you. And so will your friends. And the community.”
Odie snorted at the last part. “They’ll eat me alive.”
“Okay, most of the community will stand by you. Regardless, when the time comes, you’ll be ready.”
Finally, Odie cracked a smile.
“What? What did I say that was so funny? I was being serious.” Ruby glowered.
“You looooove me. You loooove your brother!”
“I said no such thing!”
“You didn’t have to,” Odie stood up, “Wait till I tell everyone how kind and nice you were to me.”
“I will deny everything.” Ruby folded her arms and glared at him.
Odie stretched out his arms, “Come here you big softy!”
Ruby back peddled and held her paws out. “Don’t you dare touch me with your awful muddy stank! You are so annoying! Do you know how hard it is to keep my fur looking as good as Annabel keeps it?”
Odie took a threatening step forward, hesitated, then lunged. Ruby dodged out of the way just in the nick of time. He gave chase to her as she bellowed at him to leave her alone. They ran around the room, laughing and happy, like they did when their kids were younger. Soon they were wiped out and collapsed on the floor, panting but smiling.
Odie sat up, a clouded look settling back on his face. “Yeah, I guess I’ve prepared enough.” He said, half to himself. “That is if the responsibility doesn’t break me.”
“You’ll do fine, you big goober. And if anyone has a problem, they’ll have to get through me and Annabel’s library first.” She picked up one of the dozens of books on the floor and wielded it threateningly. He cracked a smile at that. “That’s right, I got a lot of books I can chuck,” she continued. “They’d have to get through me, and the books, and Bo probably, he wouldn’t leave you high and dry.”
Odie smiled devilishly, “Oh, so you’d stand side by side with Bo, huh?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ruby sad, haughtily. “Of course, why not?”
“Side by side,” He snickered. “Rubbing elbows?” He wriggled his eyebrows.
“That’s it!” Ruby walloped Odie so hard with the book he did a full summersault backwards.
