Ruby Redfort: Embers of Memories( A Bradley Baker/LB fan fiction)

LB wants to see you... alone

LB wants to see you, alone.
These are unwelcome words to any agent. Well almost any agent.

LB had just this year been appointed as the boss of Spectrum 8. Bradley Baker (her fiancé) for one was incredibly proud. From the first ever female field agent, having to claw through highway RR for every opportunity to the head of them all. He smiled. Many agents considered him right for the role however he knew that in LB Spectrum could have a sense of organisation he could never bring. What's more she could get people to talk. There was no hiding from her gaze.

She had made her mission to leave no stone unturned and many an agent had been called in for these individual meetings. From their faces upon exit Bradley could only imagine she had grilled them, only Hitch had he ever seen emerge with a smile.

This morning he had received his orders. BAKER 6:30 REPORT TO COMMAND.

He'd rolled in at around 5 I order to get breakfast and some of his paperwork done. This was one of his more formal meetings with LB, not the usual cryptic note arranging to meet in one of their assorted destinations. This was to do with work. Missions and the like. Maybe a new briefing, maybe continued debriefing. They usually lasted 2 minutes shorter than were timetabled. They could both be clear cut and to the point when preferred. Then for those final minutes it would be back to the usual -flirt, laugh, enjoy the privacy of her office.

Whatever this meeting is about he was glad to see her, she'd been so busy with the twin ford bank case recently that he felt he'd barely seen her.

'LB will see you now' -says Buzz the new telephone coordinator

I stand up and give three sharp taps on the door.

'Come in' says LB

I walk in and smile. Without ever looking up from the files on her desk she says
'Stop smiling for a minute Baker and shut the door. '

I oblige and make my way over to her desk.

I lean over behind her and give her a kiss on the cheek

'What are you working on?' I ask as I walk round to my seat

'Documentation of the city bank plot'
and she slaps the file shut.

'Okay down to buisness.' She says.

Something is off about her. It's hard to lay a finger on it.

'There is a mission for you.'
She sates matter of factly
'Okay ' I say.
She fixes me with one of her stares

'Any other information...?'

'It's for three weeks, training, North Brazil.'

She taps the file on her desk to straighten it out.

'You leave in 3 days.'

'And you??'

'No I'm not going '

'Come on LB, you sure?'

'I will be staying here'

'But think of the fun, I know you love travelling especially-'

'Spectrum 1 ,it seems,' LB slowly draws breath,
'have decided that since I am no longer a field agent my time is best spent not there,'

I take a moment to process.

'So that's it,no more training or fieldwork ever?'

'Oh don't be stupid Baker, you know me better than anyone and I'm not one to sit chained to a desk. But while the culprits remain at large I will concede that my time is best spent here,'

I give her a nod of assurance. LB is a superb agent no doubt about that.

'Not of course that I don't wish that I was there with you.' She looks down at the file again 'I'll miss you Bradley' she says, averting my eyes.

'You know I'd trade it for time with you in a heartbeat.' I say

If it was my choice I'd never leave her, I love her.

'But it's three weeks, I believe I will manage,' she says

LB's tone shifts,
'Now is there anything else you wish to discuss while we're here?'

Now the conversation has moved to a less serious note,

'Dinner?' I say

She laughs, 'well husband I don't believe I can deny you the pleasure. Where?'

'My surprise,'

'Mysterious... any other surprises I should know about?' Asks LB raising an eyebrow questioningly

That's for me to know' I say while standing up. She takes a few strides to meet me at the side of her desk.

'And you to find out,' I bop her on the nose to which she smiles and looks at her watch.

'One more thing' says LB

'What?' I ask

'This' she says.
And in one swift motion she lifts her hands to my shoulders and kisses me...

5 minutes later.

I walk out of LB's office reluctantly, and start down the corridors when I run into Hitch along the way.

He looks at me, does a quick double take and snickers.

'Something funny?' I ask curiously, raising an eyebrow.

He smiles knowingly,
'Well judging by the rather red colour of your lips, either you've been experimenting with makeup... or you've had one of your meetings with LB,' replies Hitch clearly finding it rather hilarious.

Her lipstick, thanks for that LB!

'Very funny Hitch' I say 'Need  I remind you that I am spectrum's most highly trained fighter' I say

'I think your time would be better spent  reminding yourself of where the sink is personally, unless of course you want to walk into the atrium looking like that. I imagine LB would not be best impressed,' replied Hitch, then happily continuing on his way.

I  imagine LB would actually find this rather amusing but of course Hitch does not need to know this. Nevertheless I take his advice and head to the sink.

Well he wasn't wrong.

Sure enough LB has left her ruby red mark on my face.

When she meets me for dinner that evening I say

'The lipstick, you didn't think to tell me,'

She laughs 'You're going away for 3 weeks, I've got to have a little fun with you before you leave'

This is the least planned thing I have ever written but oh well :)

~Katherine