Rose stood in the kitchen stirring the simmering pot. While most fifteen year old girls were out with friends, or studying, Rose was home cooking and taking care of the house...and her father. Granted she still did a fair amount of studying too, glad for the escape of school. Only because the County had been called whenever she was absent for too long. Rose was determined to study hard and get away, maybe be a doctor some day. She spent enough time around hospitals to know plenty already, the ache in her shoulder as she stirred reminded her of that. The slamming of the front door drew her away from her thoughts. "Rosie!" A loud, ominous voice bellowed
"Scrap!" She cursed under her breath
"Rosie I'm HOME! Is dinner ready?" Before she could answer Jon Deacon stormed in.
Jon was a barrel of a man, 6'5, 300 plus pounds of muscle. His Jet black hair and eyes and olive complexion, his overall...darkness... making him appear more sinister. Especially in contrast to Rose. She was the spitting image of her mother, who had died when she was a baby. Slight built...maybe 5'2 on a good day, long red hair, and soft, usually sad, blue eyes. "Well, I asked you a question girlie!"
Rose quivered. "I...I'm sorry, I had a lot of homework...and a big test I had to study for. I didn't want my grades to slip again and the Child Welfare..." Before she could finish her sentence she felt something sharp crack across her cheek as she flew back, landing against their modest, metal dinette table.
"You STUPID Girl! All I ask for is a clean house and dinner on the table! I work my tail off and THIS is the thanks I get!"
She scurried away from him as he came toward her, ready to strike again."I'm sorry, I really AM Dad!" Tears swept down her face.
He huffed. "You can just...forget dinner...I don't even want to look at you. You disgust me! I'll be at Sully's!" With that he thundered out , slamming the door behind him.
Rose sat for a moment, taking stock. Her lungs hurt, but they always hurt...she'd had so many broken ribs and punctured lungs she had lost count. She rotated her shoulder, wincing deeply. Probably broken, or at least badly sprained, she noted a large gash on her knee that would probably require a few stitches. "Looks like another trip to the hospital, thankfully dad will be at the bar for a while. He won't even miss me." She mused to herself, standing and limping to her room.
She grabbed a small backpack, and threw a change of clothes and a few necessities in there, along with a small,silk pink sack. If she was lucky maybe they'd find a reason to keep her, if not maybe she could find somewhere else to crash for the night, fresh wounds and her father's drunken...activities... never made for a good combination. She limped to the stove, making sure it was off, and then finally make her way...slowly, painfully...out the door to the bus stop.
Rose stumbled into the ER, thankful they weren't busy. They all knew her, and her father. Though few said much, patching her up and sending her on her way. The one time a doctor had tried to interfere, calling Child Welfare on her behalf, her father had come. Somehow he got the name of the doctor involved and had broken every window in his car. That, plus her father's impressive size, was enough to keep anyone else from making a report again for fear of retaliation, so they just turned the other cheek feeling there was little more they could do.
She checked in and sat until they finally called her back. She didn't even bother telling the truth anymore, it didn't matter. She always had some lie 'I tripped down the stairs' or ' I fell in gym'. Today's was 'I tripped into the table.' This was a new doctor though, one not seemingly willing to accept her excuses. "That doesn't explain the gash on your head" She felt around, until she found it. She hadn't even noticed. "Oh, Uh... the floor was wet...I slipped on the wet floor." Rose nodded, wincing. That seemed to appease the man for the moment.
He nodded "The knee and the head are going to need stitches, I want an X-ray of that shoulder." He comments to the nurse beside him who wrote the order, walking out, the doctor following close behind. The hospital was the usual routine, questions and X-rays, a little something for the pain.
Finally the doctor came back. "Well Ms. Deacon. We'll have to sew up your head and your knee. Your shoulder is dislocated...again." He nodded, thumbing through his notes and her past records "I'll have the Orthopedist come take care of that for you and then you'll be free to go home. You should have no problem having someone watch you over night for signs of concussion, correct?" Rose just nodded. She'd figure something out, she always did. Going home wasn't an option if it could be helped, not that her father would be much use anyway.
An Intern came and began sewing her up after giving her some medication to numb her and for the pain. "Ow!" It still hurt.
"Sorry" the doctor mumbled as she finished up. Next was the Orthopedic specialist. It had been a while since she had dislocated anything and Rose had forgotten how much it hurt, she screamed as the team of doctors popped her shoulder back into place and set her arm in a splint. Her knee hurt to bend, and she ended up hobbling a fair bit.
Finally she was released with instructions to follow up with her regular doctor. Rose just nodded and smiled "like that's going to happen" she thought. She couldn't remember a time she had been to a doctor that hadn't involved the Emergency Room. Rose made her way outside, setting herself slowly on the sidewalk while she came up with a plan. "Rose?" She was pulled from her thoughts as someone called her name looking around until her eyes fell on a boy about her age sitting next to a slightly younger one. "Yes?" She looked at the pair questioningly. "Jack...Jack Darby, from Advanced Chemistry" he said noting her confusion, "and this is Raf" he gestured to the younger boy.
"Oh Right!" she nodded "Hi, Raf" she waved. "What happened?" Jack queried "Fight with a dining table." She looked away quickly. "What about you guys?" she asked, anxious to get the attention off her "Asthma...Attack" Raf supplied, still semi-breathless. "Who's picking you up?" Jack asked. Rose just shrugged."I'll figure something out." Just then an Ambulance pulled up in front of the boys and a door opened, Raf climbed in first. Rose quirked a brow "Friend of my mom's, she works here. Want a ride?" He asked holding the door. "Sure why, not...Thanks." She stood slowly, heaving her backpack over her good shoulder and hobbled over as Jack helped in.
" Umm Jack, are you sure this is a good idea?" Raf asked, his face full of concern as Jack climbed in behind them.
"It's Cool, Raf...I know her." Rafael shifted uncomfortably in his seat, climbing in the back so Rose could sit up front.
"I hope you're right." Jack climbed into the drivers seat and off they went. It wasn't long before Rose looked over. "Hey...Jack, You aren't driving." The teen shook his head. "Nope, don't need to." Rose quirked an eyebrow.
"Rose, you always come to school with bruises...cuts...'Fight with a dining room table.', your excuses are slipping Rose."She cocked her head "My mom's a nurse, Rose...I know what abuse looks like."
He put a hand gently, comfortingly on her arm. "Probably more like a fight with your Dad, am I right?" Rose only nodded, defeated.
The ambulance growled, it wasn't that the engine revved...it actually gave a human-like growl. Rose stared at the dash in shock before Jack drew back her attention. "I'll explain when we get were we're going." Jack interjected. "Just know you're safe now, he can't hurt you anymore." Rose only nodded, wondering what she had gotten herself into.
Before she knew what was happening they had driven into a large rock formation, she rubbed her eyes looking out. There were giant...robots...scattered about the mammoth structure busily working or doing other things. After a moment the vehicle they had been riding in stopped and the doors opened "Wait there Rose." Jack said, sliding out the driver's side. He came around, opening the door. She grabbed her backpack from the floor and took his hand, wincing as her foot hit the floor. To add to her amazement the ambulance that the three had previously been riding in transformed into a giant robot behind them
"What happened?" a tall, slender robot asked coming forward, Rose could tell she bore a slightly defensive pose.
"Relax Arcee" Previously-ambulance-bot said "I was testing a molecular displacement formula. It clearly is still...unstable. Rafael had an adverse respiratory reaction, so we made a quick trip to the hospital. He's fine." Raf nodded and Yellow and Black Muscle car-bot beeped.
"Yes, Bee...I'm sure. I doubt the human hospital staff would have released him if they suspected anything more severe was going on." Rose couldn't help but snicker at that, but no one seemed to notice. Until Bot-that-resembled-an-18-wheeler Spoke "I am glad that Rafael is well, but that does not explain our guest." He gestured in Rose's direction.
Before anyone could speak a large green SUV-type truck drove into the base, another girl Rose recognized from school exiting still talking a mile a minute as the vehicle she had been in transformed into a robot. "That was SO Awesome, Bulk!" She paused, her eyes falling to Rose immediately "What's she doing here!"
Jack huffed, jumping in to Rose's defense. "I brought her here!"
Miko interrupted "Ohh, Jack's got a girlfriend."
He growled through gritted teeth "Cut it, Miko! This is Rose...We have Chemistry class together. " Miko nodded. "So what's she doing here?" The tiny Asian girl nudged on.
"We ran into her at the hospital" Jack began. "Raf and I. I've seen Her...you in class" He continued, moving closer and putting an arm softly around Rose."Always banged up, bruises...and always some excuse." He shook his head, looking Rose in the eyes. "Like the battered women my mom sees in the ER all the time."
Rose could do little but look down as tears filled her eyes, nodding softly. The ambulance-bot growled again. Rose peeked her head up slowly, wiping her eyes. "Bu...Who...What? Are all of you?.
The large robot resembling an 18-wheeler stepped forward. "My name is Optimus Prime, and we are Autonomous Robotic Organisms from the planet Cybertron. As our own world was ravaged by years of war, we came here, and are now guardians to Miko, Jack and Rafael, as well as all of human kind. "
Rose nodded slowly, trying to absorb it all. "This" Optimus gestured to the Muscle Car-shaped robot. "Is Bumblebee, Rafael's guardian." His servo swept next to the Ambulance-bot "Ratchet, our Medic" then to the large SUV-shaped Bot" Bulkhead, Miko's guardian" and lastly to the smaller blue bot "and Arcee, Jack's guardian." Rose squinted... "Wait, Jack...is that your motorcycle?" She looked astonished as he nodded "Yep the same one. "
"Oh-Em-Gee...so your motorcycle is a Robot? Nice!" Jack laughed.
Rose tried to stand, they all seemed so... official... that she tried to salute without falling over. "I'm Rose ….Rose Deacon, and. "She looked down again, ashamed. "It's true what Jack says, my mother died when I was a baby, ever since then it's been my father and I. He gets angry a lot" she swallowed hard as Jack hugged her softly. "I'm usually the target of that anger."
"Then..." Optimus spoke, causing Rose to look up. "You will stay here, I will not allow harm come to a human, especially a human child."
She tried to interrupt "You don't have to... I can take care of myself."
Optimus put a servo up "It is our sworn duty and honor to protect humankind...and you."
Rose sighed, resigned. "Fowler's not going to like this." Arcee quipped.
"I will deal with Agent Fowler" Optimus commanded.
"Who's that?"asked Rose, cocking her head to the side, wincing and yawning.
"Don't trouble yourself with such things, I will handle it." Optimus answered. Rose only nodded, clearly outnumbered.
"It's getting late, the kids should go home" Arcee mused
"Aweeee "chorused Miko and Rafael.
"You'll be back tomorrow, Miko" Bulkhead laughed.
"I know.." Miko pouted "I just hate to break up the band!" Bulkhead only rumbled a deep laugh as he transformed into his alt mode, the other 'bots following suit.
"G'night, Rose." Jack said, giving her a gentle hug "You'll be safe here tonight." She nodded, hugging him back
"Night Jack, Thank you. For everything." He nodded, climbing on Arcee and slipping on his helmet. Miko and Raf each giving one final wave before climbing into their respective vehicles for their homes.