Not Your Enemy

“What do you want to do after high school?” Ruby asked Emmett as they made their way to Port Angeles to have some time together.

“Hmm, stay here to be with you for your senior year,” he smirked.

“Aw,” she cooed, “you’re so warm and fuzzy.”

He laughed at the irony of her words. He wasn’t warm, but he was fuzzy. He got fuzzy feelings whenever he was around her. He felt like a real teenager when he was around her. His hands would sweat, if he could, and his heart would beat out of his chest, if it could. She just plain made him crazy with love.

He would be so hurt if she rejected him after she found about what he truly was. He wouldn’t be able to take it if she saw him as a monster. He was already head over heels for her.

An hour later, when they were half way to Port Angeles, Ruby got a horrible feeling. It was a chill that coursed her body and suddenly she had to talk to Tobi. It was a weird connection she had with her best friend. She took out her phone and called Tobi, but her phone went to voicemail.

“What’s wrong?” Emmett sensed her uneasiness.

“Tobi won’t answer her phone… she always answers,” she muttered as she tried again.

“Hey, I bet she’s just ‘busy’ with Jasper,” Emmett winked at her.

Ruby laughed away the feeling. “You’re right. I shouldn’t disturb them. God knows Tobi needs to get laid.”

Emmett laughed and was glad he could distract her.

Another hour later, they were at Port Angeles. They went straight to the movies, but all through out the movie she felt like something bad was going to happen.

Her gut feelings were never wrong. She always knew when things in her life were going to get complicated. It was the same feeling she got when she got inside of the car with her parents on that eventful evening. She just knew something was going to happen.

She remembered telling her parents how they should just wait five minutes, and those five minutes would’ve saved them, but they just told her it was okay and that nothing was going to happen.

If they would’ve listened, they’d still be alive.

“We have to go,” she whispered to Emmett during the middle of the movie. “I just need to go back home, Emmett, please I just need to make sure everyone is okay.”

Emmett sighed. The look she was giving him was breaking his heart. She was really worried, and he was surprised just how well connected Tobi and Ruby were. He never met such close friends.

“Okay,” he kissed her forehead and stood up with a full bucket of popcorn.

They exited the theater and headed back home.

Ruby shook her leg up and down all the way back. She asked if he could faster than 65 and he went all the way to 85.

She was surprised when they made it Forks without a single ticket, Emmett, somehow, always knew when there would be a cop just a mile away. She found it very weird.

Her heart sank as she saw the smoke.

Her heart told her everything. It was Tobi. She caused it.

“No, no, no,” she chanted and removed the seat belt.

Emmett stopped the Range Rover because Ruby had opened the car.

“RUBY!” He called after her as she ran towards the house.

Ruby used all of her strength to get to the house. She got to the house just when Jasper was coming out of the burning house with an injured, unconscious Tobi in his arms. The medics immediately took her away, Carlisle and Saline in the ambulance.

Ruby got to the twins and asked them if they were all right.

Hannah hugged Ruby tightly.

Jasper got into Saline’s car and drove the twins to the hospital.

Ruby got with Emmett and they went to the hospital.

They arrived at the emergency room, but couldn’t do anything until they would hear back from the doctors.

Hannah stayed close to Ruby. Holden stayed close to her too because they were afraid to lose their sister. Ruby told them Tobi was a fighter and that she was going to make it through.

Though, a lot of factors were involved. Tobi must’ve inhaled a lot of the smoke, which was poison to the body. Not to mention if she got any burns.

Ruby tried not to think about it too much because it would make her go into a very dark place.

Two hours later, Carlisle walked out to tell them what was going on.

“She’s stable,” he spoke towards Saline, “but she did suffer a third degree burn on her leg… which… means she’ll no longer…”

“Dance,” Ruby finished for him.

Carlisle gave them a short nod. “I’m sorry.”

“She really likes to dance,” Saline sobbed. “How am I going to tell her?”

“I’ll tell her,” Ruby said. “Are we allowed to see her now?”

“She’s being transferred to recovery, I’ll let you know when you can go,” Carlisle said and with a sympathetic look, he walked away to let them have some time.

“The best thing is that she’s alive,” Ruby told Saline.

Saline nodded. “But dance is--was a very big part in her life.”

“I know,” Ruby said sadly, she very well knew how important dance was to Tobi.

Emmett approached Ruby and embraced her. She was never so happy to have him by her side. She might have the tough act in front of everyone else, but he knew just how vulnerable she was. She was glad to let someone see that side of her.

He console her and told her everything was going to be all right, which she knew, but it was so nice to hear it from him.

She knew she could never have what she has with Emmett with anyone else. It was a connection so deep that it went to her core, her soul. It filled her up with hope, which was something she had lost so long ago.

She was able to see Tobi, along with her family. Carlisle was able to get Tobi a private room where it was just her.

Tobi looked a bit colorless, but she did just survive a fire. Ruby joked about how it was bound to happen sooner or later.

“I warned you about playing with that,” Ruby said once Saline and the twins were gone. “You could’ve died.”

“I know,” she coughed.

“You know?” Ruby raised an eyebrow. “Huh, then why are you in a hospital?”

“Look, I was upset with… something that happened,” Tobi fought off another cough.

Ruby shifted on the edge of the bed. “What happened?”

“After school Paul came by and he and Jasper almost got into a fight. I tried to push them away, but then… Jasper pushed me away roughly and I hit my car pretty hard. I was scared, and hurt and drove away,” Tobi explained. “Jasper didn’t do it on purpose, I think he just didn’t know how rough he had done it.”

“He was the one that pulled you out of the fire, I think he’s very desperate to see you right now. What happened to Paul?”

“I think he was going to phase because he was so angry, so he went into the woods at the side of the school and I haven’t seen him since.”

“So you went home, wanted your ‘friend’ Mr. Fire and then what?”

“I… lit the room with candles… then, I fell asleep.”

“I’m just happy that you’re alive and well.”

Tobi nodded and smiled. “Me too. I can’t wait for my leg to heal.”

Ruby’s heart sank to the bottom of her stomach.

She cleared her throat as her face grew hot with concern of what her reaction might be.

“The burn on your leg is third degree, Tobi,” her voice was different, it wasn’t light which Tobi took notice of. “Carlisle said that… you won’t be able to dance anymore.”

The horror that went through Tobi’s face was enough for Ruby. She would never understand the pain that went through Tobi, but she would be there for her. Ruby hugged her friend as she cried about her loss.

Nurses had to come in and put her asleep because she wouldn’t stop crying.

Ruby walked out of the room and let Jasper go inside to be there for her.

Saline and the twins went to the cafeteria to get some food. Saline asked Ruby if she wanted anything. She told her that she was fine.

Emmett stayed with Ruby.

His thoughts went to his brother. He was glad Jasper got there on time. It was just a close call though. He wondered what he would’ve done if it had been Ruby. He knew he would’ve torn that burning house apart with his bare hands to find her.

He hugged her more tightly, instinctively. He inhaled her aroma and closed his eyes and let himself get lost in her wonderful scent.

It was disturbed by the foul smell of wet dog.

“Paul,” Ruby said as she saw him come out of the elevator.

Paul looked at Ruby with relief, but he looked at Emmett and narrowed his eyes. He looked back to Ruby with a masked blank look. He was beyond worried about Tobi. He heard what happened from Charlie and his whole world had gone into a black pit of worry until he saw that Ruby wasn’t crying which meant Tobi was alive and well.

“Where is she?” he asked Ruby.

“In her room with her boyfriend,” she said walking away from Emmett and closer to Paul. “You can wait out here until she’s ready to see you.”

He shook his head.

“I need to see her, Ruby, okay? I know we hate each other, but I need to see her,” he was trying to make her remember what Tobi was to him.

She did remember and she sighed. “Crap, look Jasper is in there and I don’t want to cause her any trouble. So, can you please--and I don’t say please often--just stay out here until Jasper is out to eat or something?”

Paul let out a very big scoff and looked at Emmett with a small smirk. “Right, when they have to go out and feed.”

Ruby did sense the tension between the boys.

Paul looked back to Ruby. “How’s Tobi? Is she okay?”

“Yes, but she got burned on her leg.”

Paul went into panic. “IS SHE OKAY?! DO THEY HAVE TO CUT HER LEG OFF?!”

Ruby smacked his arm. “God! Don’t be a dumbass! She’s fine. It’ll heal, and why would they cut her leg off? Look, it just means she won’t be able to dance, which is the one thing she loved more anything in this world.”

Paul’s heart got heavy. He could only wonder the pain she was going through.