A/N: So, it's been a while—five years—and I've decided to give writing fanfics another try. I've been around though, reading, and I've discovered Merlin reveal fics. Yet I have returned to the Transformers movie area since I can't seem to accept the movie plots (I have officially rejected their "reality and substituted my own." Don't ask for details 'cause I don't them, and brownie points for those who know the quote!). I really hated the movies, and the only good thing about them was the CGI. I may not write a lot to be perfectly honest, and if I do they will mostly be one-shots since I may butcher a story if I try to write one, but I do have plans for one story. But this one came to me the other night when my dad made a comment on his own cooking . . . yeah. . . he has a bit of an ego. I own nothing except my OC's (Mimic/Michael McCurry and Ashlyn Dawson) and the plot bunny. ;-) Enjoy!
EDIT: Major editing. Just reread it, please. Happy Holidays!
Kitchen Dare
". . . Friday night football, Saturday Last Call, Sunday Hallelujah
If you like it up loud and you're hillbilly proud
Then you know what I'm talking about . . ."
Ashlyn couldn't help but dance as one of her favorite songs blared out of the speakers. Well, as best she could in her tiny car, and the unpaved road wasn't helping, but she was glad it kept her awake. As she was singing off key to the song while driving down the back roads of Texas to reach the private property located in the middle of nowhere, another country song clashed with the one on the radio. She barely heard her phone go off and reached for her purse in the passenger seat for the offending noise interrupting her jam.
"Hello," she grunted. Shouldering her flip phone, she turned down the radio while trying to keep her car on the road after she swerved to avoid a pothole that could swallow a tire with nope hope of return.
"Geez, you don't sound all too happy to see me."
Rolling her eyes, she replied, "Well, technically, I can't see you, and, if I did, I might be appalled at how you look since I know you're working in the lab."
"Oi! I'm as shiny as a new penny."
"Unless you're working for Wheeljack," she teased.
Mimic huffed in her ear, "Wheeljack works with me, thank you very much, but, it matters not because I'm about done anyways. Where're you at?"
"Uh, I just passed mile marker thirty-five. Wait, can't you find me using GPS?"
"No," he stressed the word, "neither your phone nor your car have GPS. But I can track you, now that you answered your phone."
"Sorry," she drawled, "you know how I am with technology." The number of times she broke her laptop astounded her and warded any Transformers away when she got angry.
"Yes, and it's a wonder that I haven't malfunctioned after all these years. Oh! and you missed the turn about three miles back."
Taking a moment to express her frustration with a few colorful words, she U-turned to scout for the road she missed, "Thanks for letting me know sooner." The old, stick shift car protested at the abuse on the rough dirt road, shifting gears with much difficulty she kept a slow speed so that she wouldn't miss the road again.
"You're welcome!" She could almost see his grin, and she did not need want to be dealing with his chipper attitude after a fifteen hour drive.
"Alright, I'll be there in a few minutes, I think, depending on how long the driveway will be."
"Given how long it took you to get to Texas, it'll take you half an hour to reach the property."
She glared at her phone, willing her anger to channel through it, before replacing it to her ear, "I'm going to hang up now since you're not helping the situation."
"'Kay, see you soon."
"A'ight." She tossed the outdated device to the passenger seat and returned the radio to its original volume groaning as Taylor Swift dominated the speakers. Shrinking down in her seat to pout at the lack of good music, she eventually found the driveway. It was nearly shrouded by the coverage of overhanging tree branches, and she began to wonder how Optimus's alt. mode was even small enough to fit under the canopy.
Looking in the rear view mirror to gage the distance from the road to the lowest branch, she spied two metallic devices on either side of the road at the base of two 'trees'. Right, Ashlyn realized, Hound. The brunette continued driving down the bumpy road (still with no good music playing), and watched the property come into view as she rounded a bend.
Tables were set up end to end with chairs scattered around in front of a large building, and what few people outside were either conversing or setting food on the table. Ashlyn pulled up to the side of the building where the other non-sentient cars were parked. Not even bothering to lock her mustang she checked the time and smirked at how off Mimic's calculation was; it only took her twenty minutes, though he would still complain about how slow she was driving. Not her fault, technically, but she didn't want anyone (namely Wheeljack) 'fixing' her car.
Ashlyn waved to the people who greeted her as she made her way into the smaller building attached to the larger one with both serving as an R&R living space. The main building was large enough for the Transformers to live and move comfortably which included a science lab, a medical bay, and a recreational area. The other building attached to the first was much smaller, designed for the humans to be in close contact but separate from their Cybertronian counterparts. Even after years of intimate interaction both human and Cybertronian alike can be exhausted by the other species.
The smell of barbecue filled the kitchen and wafted down the hallways attracting many a hungry man (and woman) alike. Yet few men would dare enter the kitchen and face the wrath of the women and feminine-identifier inside, and those that would, well, let's just say they weren't the brightest of the bunch.
One particular dull light bulb was Robert Epps, that's not to say he was stupid—far from it—but his stomach overrode any warning signals his brain may have produced. The Chief Master Sergeant stealthily crept to the kitchen door and peeked around the corner with his back to the wall. He took the time to appreciate the room scattered with cooking paraphernalia, his wife, and the food left to cool. Wetting his lips in anticipation, he formulated a plan to sneak a piece or two of the shredded pork without causing the wrath of Hell to rain down on him.
Having watched Epps for a number of minutes as he used his years of military experience to scope out the kitchen, Ashlyn joined him once he spotted and waved her over. "Hungry?" The brunette eyed the airman with hesitation, as he whispered to keep the women in the kitchen from detecting him, deciding if it was worth it.
"Not really, just exhausted." It was then that the man noticed the dark bags under her eyes, amplified by the glasses she wore. Several strands of hair had been lost from the ponytail holder at the nape of her neck standing at odd ends to complete her frazzled look.
"Rough trip?" At Ashlyn's nod he continued, "Go sleep. I prefer solo operations, anyways."
Smirking and shaking her head, "Nah, I wanna say hey first."
Epps raised an eyebrow and stated, "They're gonna pester you for details. If I were you, I wouldn't risk it."
"Yes, but I'm not afraid of them like you are. I'm only gonna pop in real quick to let them know I'm here." The man nodded preparing to enter the kitchen after he gave a 'it's your funeral look' to Ashlyn.
Just as he was about to execute plan 'Steal the Pig' his wife called out, "Whatever you're thinking: don't." A stream of giggles reached his ears, and, sighing in defeat, the 'Master of Stealth' raised his hands in surrender as he stepped into the kitchen with Ashlyn following. Crossing the kitchen quickly, Ashlyn was enveloped in several hugs which she was in desperate need of.
"How'd you know?" All five of the kitchen's occupants turned to look at the male.
Monique quirked an eyebrow over her shoulder, "It's pork." The running water was interrupted as she continued to clean utensils that would not be used for serving while Sarah dried and put them in their proper places. Ashlyn walked over to the oven to help Arcee pull out the big pan of Mac-n-cheese that was near overflowing.
Point, but he wasn't about to tell her that. He crossed his arms, waiting for her to come clean. His wife copied his position and leaned on the kitchen counter after she replaced the dish towel that she used to dry her hands.
"Fred told Sideswipe, who told me," Monique adopted a smug look as Epps started muttering about traitorous sons and eyeing the 'innocent' smart phone in her pocket.
"If you want to sample, you may, but no more than a bite." The male in the kitchen sent a heartwarming smile to the lovely, British woman and thanked his lucky stars for her kindness.
"Why thank you, Carly." Epps gingerly and conspicuously took a pinch of pork from the tray and plopped it into his mouth. The airman smiled in appreciation as he savored the flavor, "That'll taste good on a chrome bumper!" He failed to notice the evil glint in the eyes of his best friend's wife.
A smile formed on Sarah's face as her plan revealed itself. It was cruel. It was evil. But it was worth it since she was still furious over the aptly dubbed 'Sparkle Fiasco.' Let's just say that Epps failed to explain to the babysitter, Bluestreak, who was watching Epps' five kids and Annabelle, with the girls going through a phase, that glitter was not necessary and that it did not need to go on everything.
The base was still shiny.
How the group managed to obtain that much pink glitter was still a mystery to the blonde, but since Wheeljack was involved no explanation was needed.
Sarah took on an air of mischievousness and casually walked over to Epps who was still eyeing the pork. As soon as Epps saw the gentle smile on her face, he knew that trouble was brewing.
"How willing are you to test that theory?"
Yep. Definitely trouble. Epps looked at Sarah with trepidation and asked, "Depends."
Her smile turned into a grin. "We will give you," she motioned to herself and the three ladies that were working with her, "free access to the kitchen when we cook." Though the three in question gave Sarah a look of confusion, and even Ashlyn seemed perplexed at the idea of someone sampling food before dinner.
Damn. Can't back down now.
The military man, trained in the art of warfare and weapons, stood tall and proud with his hands on his hips, "What do you have in mind?"
Pointing to the man she said, "You will 'spill,'" she air quoted, "some barbeque on Ironhide's alt form then eat it in front of everybody."
The five ladies couldn't resist snickering as Epps' eyes bugged out, "Why Ironhide?" He'd been through Hell and back multiple times since he's been with the Autobots, and he wasn't afraid of a little dirt but Ironhide? While nothing could beat the wrath of the women, Ironhide came in a close third, with Ratchet taking the spot for second place.
Ratchet. Epps turned pale, If he sees, I will be subjected to his probing.
Weighing his options and watching the evil smiles Epps asked one final question, "For how long?"
Sarah tilted her head from side-to-side, "How does a year sound? That way you will get the Holidays."
Well, I'm screwed. He stuck his hand out, "Deal."
Sarah sealed the bargain with a firm handshake, "Now beat it, we still have things to do."
Needless to say Epps followed her orders and quickly joined the party outside contemplating and theorizing his deal and his demise. Once satisfied that Epps was no longer in the building, Sarah returned to her task of sorting utensils.
"He's going to lose."
Carly eyed Monique, "Way to have faith in your man there, love." Her reply was only a shrug.
The fake woman in the room smiled, wishing desperately that Springer would arrive soon, "Chromia may have mixed feelings on the bet." Knowing her sister could find it highly amusing, she also knew that she may not be up to pranks on her sparkmate since she just arrived on Earth not too long ago. It's a surprise that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were still alive, though their attention was on Prowl.
"Hopefully nothing too bad will occur. I'm not sure if my nerves can take much more abuse." Ashlyn walked over to the lone cabinet in the corner for some Ibuprofen to calm her high strung nerves.
The first few months Ashlyn had been involved with the Autobots, Sarah quickly realized how out of her depth Ashlyn really was. The brunette was down to Earth and had a bit of a no-nonsense attitude, and discovering that her boyfriend of five years was actually a Cybertronian, a pretender, well, she had a bit of a breakdown. It took months of talking and listening for her and Mimic to find a way to salvage their relationship, and the two still had a bit more ways to go before they reached the level that their relationship once had. Sarah, Carly and Monique had been there for the heartbroken girl every step of the way forming a strong bond among the four.
"So," Monique questioned, "how'd it go?"
Immediately understanding what she was asking and silently cursing how accurate Epps was (though she really shouldn't have been all that surprise), Ashlyn downed two pills, replaced the bottle, and turned to the four watching her, "It went."
A gentle look appeared on Sarah's face and replied with an equally sincere voice, "That bad, huh?"
Ashlyn nodded in agreement dragging a hand across her face, "My mom was hysterical, screaming and threatening to disown me. My dad was nearly just as bad, but I'm glad Cameron was there."
Carly walked over to sling an arm across to give the shorter woman a one arm hugged, "Don't worry love, we're here for you."
Smiling in return she replied, "I know, but I'm ready to put it behind me. That and I'm about to collapse."
"Then what are you still here for, girl!" Monique chastised, "Get on out of here."
"We'll get the details out of you later." A half-hearted glare was sent in Sarah's direction as Ashlyn turned to leave.
"Alright, alright. I'm out. See y'all later." Just as she was taking her leave Arcee called out, so Ashlyn back tracked a little to poke her head back into the kitchen.
"Mimic is on his way to meet you." A little jealous at the ease of communication between the Cybertronians, Ashlyn thanked Arcee and continued on her way.
The majority of the hallways were deserted though she passed by a few familiar faces, Ashlyn theorized that most of the humans were lounging about in the Cybertronian rec. room. She'd been told that they were there only for the enormous flat screen TV that was said to be hanging on the wall.
She found her room number after getting only a little lost and stepped inside, realizing she forgot her overnight bags and purse she pushed it off for later and flopped on the neatly made bed. No sooner had she settled on the bed did her bladder remind her that a certain issue needed to be taken care of. Groaning into the fluffy pillow she pushed herself up and off the king sized bed to cross the room to the private bathroom across from the bedroom door.
Within seconds of entering the bathroom, she heard a door open and someone called her name, recognizing it as Mimic she replied, "Give me a minute." She finished her business quickly then decided to let her hair loose since she's not in public, the humidity immediately took refuge in her hair to poof it out. Puckering her lips in dismay at how unmanageable her hair was she quickly left the full size bathroom not wanting to deal (or look) at it any longer.
Furrowing her brows at the toiletry bag she nearly tripped over with her glucose meter on top, Mimic was placing the last of her bags next to the bed while her laptop bag and camera case were already on the desk in the corner. Ashlyn smiled at Mimic's thoughtfulness and picked up the bag in front of her to place on the bathroom counter, "Thanks." She took a quick test of her blood sugar level now that she remembered to do so and was satisfied with the numbers on the screen.
The woman stepped back into the bedroom to join Mimic on the bed which sagged under his weight and, once again, flopped back onto the black comforter. Shifting on the bed alerted Ashlyn that Mimic was scooting closer to her prone form, "Want to talk about it, now?"
Ashlyn could only shake her head in response being careful to not scratch her glasses in consequence. The corrective lenses were quickly removed and placed beside her, but she looked towards her best friend instead of smothering her face in the pillow once more, "My mother is such a bitch."
The red optics watching her flickered in response to copy the motion of blinking, "Not everyone has an open mind, but you can hardly blame her on how she was raised." Mimic had only met Christina a handful of times, and the dark, green mech quickly realized how firm (and vocal) she was on her religious views.
"Yea, but that's no excuse on how she believes the whole world is playing a joke on her, even though you guys have been public for several years now." Ashlyn closed her eyes in frustration willing the situation to be gone.
She heard him 'hmm' in response, "I know that you two never had the best relationship, but you shouldn't shut her out of your life. Though the temptation to do so would be much easier, but families are important to maintain, and it's incredibly depressing how many humans don't care about their family." Hating the logic he just spouted, Ashlyn couldn't help but want to be done with her mother, and her maternal grandfather for that matter. Ashlyn understood though, the number of Cybertronians left in the universe was unknown, and the chances of any of them being Mimic's caretakers were slim to none.
Opening her eyes again she looked Mimic in the eye, "I promise not to shut her out, but if she starts it, I'm going to end it. Though you should know that she has already threatened to disown me." The scientist nodded holding her to that promise though not entirely sure what she's referring to when she said 'start it' and 'end it' and was disturbed at the threat from Christina.
Mimic looked back at Ashlyn to see that she closed her eyes again, "We'll discuss this later. I'll wake you at five." The only response he got was a nod, but with that he left once he turned out the lights and closed the door. Walking away as quietly as possible (though it did prove a challenge given his weight and peds) Mimic returned to the lab to finish his report that was interrupted by Arcee's message on how worn Ashlyn look. Arcee was, of course, putting it lightly, Ashlyn looked horrible. Her face was pale which made the bags under eyes stand out even more, and he could tell she had been slapped. Hard; several scratches of nails still lined her right cheek though she tried to cover it up with make-up.
Once he returned to the lab, noting that Wheeljack had not returned after giving the pretender a ride to Ashlyn's car, Mimic finished his report for Ratchet concerning the nanites' efficiency in the holoforms that underwent rigorous testing. As soon as the document was sent, the mech walked down the stairs to the floor since his work space was on the unused work counter in the corner. Knowing that the motion sensors would turn the lights off within the hour, Mimic walked out of the lab and headed for the large rec. room.
Loud shouts alerted him to the ongoing football game as he drew closer to the room. Many of the male humans cheering for their team were either on the platform that was eye level with the larger Transformers or on the large table in front of the couch designed for the Transformers. Not really in the mood to place bets like everyone else, the mech settled on a recliner once he reached the platform to watch human interaction.
It had been nearly two years since Mimic had been injured and ultimately discovered as a pretender as he tried to get Ashlyn and himself out of Birmingham when a couple of rogue Decepticons were intercepted. As frightening as it was to have his leg crushed and trapped under debris, the shock and fear on Ashlyn's face was even more so since he knew that she could leave him and flee into the battle with no regard for her safety. Surprisingly enough, Ashlyn didn't (most likely from the shock), but she did wait with him for help to find them (phones destroyed). It took no more than an hour for Optimus and a few soldiers to arrive after Mimic commed him, yet Ashlyn didn't say a word as she was led away to get a check-up when a first responder saw her medical I.D. bracelet (which she started wearing once the Cybertronians went public at Mimic's insistence).
Cries of anguish jolted him out of his memories and smirked as many of the soldiers were paying up to Jazz, though what the transformer would do with his earnings was unknown and not a comforting thought.
The freshness of a bath would put a pep in any girl's step, so much so that Ashlyn wore a pink blouse and a black, business skirt for the evening dinner. She touched up her make-up and hair one final time to make sure her 'battle wounds' weren't too noticeable, though it's a guarantee that everyone would know by tomorrow thanks to the observant eyes of the Cybertronians. Exiting the bathroom she saw Mimic shift to his Michael McCurry disguise while trying to decide on a green or blue button down.
Ashlyn tilted her head and leaned against the door frame as Mimic donned on the blue shirt, "Why are you in disguise?" Sure, it's a good looking face and body, but given where he's at and the company he was in he really shouldn't have activated that program.
Without looking up from the buttons he answered, "Everyone else will be in holoform. Guess I just don't want to be the odd man out."
A un-lady like snort was his answer, "No. You just want to mess with the newbs when we announce our engagement tonight."
Mimic sent a twisted grin in her direction, "That, too." He finished tucking in his shirt then sat on the bed to put on his shoes and socks.
Shaking her head at how odd her fiancé was since he prefers to wear clothes (in both forms, and, frankly, him wearing clothes while in mech form was just, plain weird) instead of using his nanites to produce 'clothes' around his disguise. Ashlyn pushed off from the door frame to slip on her flats then gave her boxed engagement ring for Mimic to pocket. While tonight was the annual summer celebration party (aka 'I've survived another year'), the two decided to announce to their closest friends of their engagement that happened two weeks ago; hence, Ashlyn's long drive from Saraland to inform her parents of their decision. Even though Mimic should have been there Ashlyn insisted that she didn't want him to join her, claiming that she needed to face her parents alone with the support of her brother who was quite fond of Mimic (even before Cameron discovered his true identity) and the Cybertronians.
The outcome wasn't pretty, and the deadline for Christina's threat was Ashlyn and Mimic's wedding, though neither were willing to have a strained relationship with Christina and Martin, the couple agreed that it was their choice to take the next step in life.
Though everyone knew Ashlyn visited her parents, she only told her Autobot family that it was to tell her parents the rumors were true about him being a pretender, but Ashlyn also told her parents of their future plans. While Mimic preferred not to be public for both his and Ashlyn's sake, leaks of his existence spread like wild fire leaving people in fear of another 'Alice.' Who became very popular on YouTube during the Revenge of the Fallen fiasco since some people saw the resemblance between the 'robots' from 2007 and Alice's failing disguise.
Leaving the room Mimic had a comforting arm around Ashlyn as the two navigated their way out of the smaller building. As the two passed by the kitchen, Ashlyn stepped away to check in on the occupants. The three women remained, but Arcee was not present. Ashlyn theorized that she's with her sister. "Do y'all need any help?"
The three turned towards her as Mimic stood just outside the door, "We're good. Just go enjoy the party." Thanking Sarah the two continued their way outside.
"They're hiding something."
Sarah furrowed her brow towards Monique, but Carly posed the question, "What makes you say that?"
"Well, at least Ashlyn is. It's hard to tell with 'Mic since he's a pretender, though he is in disguise for some reason, but Ashlyn twists her fingers when she's bluffing for poker."
Carly placed a hand on her hip with the other was supporting her weight on the counter, "Is that how you keep winning? You little sneak."
Sending the tall blonde an amused look she replied, "You tend to notice that kind of stuff when you have five kids to look after. Besides, if it's important enough they'll tell us, so no pestering them Sarah."
"I'm not nosy," Sarah's arms were crossed, and she had an 'excuse me' look on her face.
Deciding that a distraction was in order so that a fight will be avoided by stepping between the two, Carly asked, "Ready to head out? I'm sure everyone's starving."
Each woman filled their arms as much as they could trying to make as few trips as possible, but considering how many mouths they had to feed, including the Autobots who had holoforms that could now digest food thanks to Mimic and Wheeljack, they had no choice but to make more than one trip.
After recruiting a bit of help from some of the males and masculine-identifiers, all the food was placed on connecting tables in a buffet style. The food was eaten with lively conversations concerning the past year, the news, and the weather. Several groups emerged containing both human and holoforms, and many laughs resounded through the evening air over the new foods the transformers tried.
Ashlyn had sat herself in a folding chair with Mimic sitting in one next to her after the two fixed their plates. The pretender was still in disguise, and Ashlyn couldn't help but smile at how he actually had to buy clothes and shoes just like a human did since he wanted the full 'human' experience. As a result the mech took a great enjoyment in fashion. Of course, Ashlyn was sworn to secrecy about his interest in shopping, and when anybody brought the issue up Mimic replied that he didn't want to any of his 'not-in-the-loop' friends to find an empty closet or lack of clothes baskets.
"What?" Brought out of her memory Ashlyn blinked back into the present and saw Mimic was watching her, "What?"
An amused smile reached his lips, "I asked you first."
Shaking her head at his childlike response Ashlyn popped a chip in her mouth just to avoid answering (and to get her thoughts together) which she knew annoyed him. True to nature Mimic puckered his lips, waiting and hoping she would answer.
"Just amusing myself on how you wear clothes," she replied with quite a bit of cheek. Mimic furrowed his brows and looked down at himself checking to make sure he had his clothes on right (it wouldn't have been the first time if they weren't) before coming to the party. He gave an unimpressed glance at his fiancée before giving the plate in front of him his undivided attention.
It had taken weeks for Ashlyn to acclimate to his real form, though she now found it absolutely fascinating since the curiosity in her wanted to know what made him tick even if Mimic wasn't too keen on that idea. It hadn't helped at all when Mimic openly admitted to never wanting to tell her the truth when she asked him about it, but the fact that Ashlyn stayed (after a brief shunning and isolation period) warmed his spark and made him love her all the more.
Ashlyn smiled, unconcerned by his behavior, and a comfortable silence descended on the two as they ate. Unbeknownst to Ashlyn, their conversation was observed by Optimus and Ratchet. The two older mechs knew how stressful the situation was for both the couple and the people involved. While Optimus had no qualms about the relationship (unlike others), Ratchet was still wary of the woman and her mental stability though she hadn't had a breakdown in a couple of months. Knowing to just leave the two alone for the evening, Optimus sent a positive message to the pretender who returned the comment with a smile. It had been a long war, and nobody should be denied at their chance of finding love.
"How was your brother? I haven't had a chance to talk to him lately since Wheeljack has ways of ignoring his internal chronometer and asking me for help at odd hours." Even before Cameron knew that Mimic was a pretender the two became quick friends by discussing sports and ways to remain healthy despite the weight he had to gain for his football career. That and the two had a way of aggravating Ashlyn with sarcasm and wit that the photographer lacked.
"He's doing pretty good despite the circumstances, and he says thank you for the new health information you sent him. He meant to text you that, but he obviously forgot," Mimic noted the smug tone knowing that she was pleased at her brother forgetting something for once. Cameron had an excellent memory and despite his near perfect grades in high school, he had no desire for any other career besides football.
"I suspected he would, and I'm amazed at the leaps and bounds scientists have made over the years even without our tech," knowing that he wasn't being insulting though his tone was near haughty Ashlyn had to agree with him. While she could see the potential in the world with the advanced technology, Ashlyn also understood the risk of those turnig such information into weapons as well. Government conspiracy hasn't sat with her well when the President released the number of years the Cybertronians have been on Earth and the NEST branch they were working with after the battle in Chicago.
The majority of American citizens were disturbed by this fact, including Ashlyn, while Mimic feigned shock to the information so that he wouldn't be subjected to accusations of the bizarre theories that began to grow like wild fire. Such theories ranged from original and creative to science fiction rip-offs though many were dispelled after a public appearance by Optimus to inform the public with (very limited) Cybertronian information. The Prime and his officers believed the human population was not quite ready for the information that their species was asexual. The talk with Ashlyn about that made for a very interesting afternoon.
"The biggest leap we made was probably the trip to the moon," the woman quipped since she enjoyed studying the post-Cold War era in college.
"Nah, I think it was the discovery of cells," Mimic took a bite of a casserole before continuing, "it made the basis for evolution, disproving the fact that humans weren't just plopped down on the Earth like the Bible states."
Ashlyn took a moment to absorb what he just said, "You just love when humans are proved wrong, don't you."
"Human reactions to information that is opposite to theirs is most amusing," the pretender smirked.
"Jesus, now you sound like Phlox from Star Trek instead of the logic you usually spiel in a Vulcan-like-fashion."
"I can pull off a Denobulan grin."
"I have no doubt that you can."
"Would you like me demonstrate?"
"Sure, go find a newb and record their reaction, please."
"Be back in a bit," the pretender left once he shoved his empty plate in Ashlyn's lap. The brunette huffed in response but took both plates to the trashcan concentrating on not losing the napkins to the breeze. Once she trashed the plates Ashlyn did a quick sweep of the area to see who was around. When she spotted Optimus she sent a quick text to his comm. link that basically read: if you hear screaming, it was Mimic. Not that she wanted him to get in trouble, though she secretly enjoyed watching him get reprimanded for messing with the new recruits (she even got a lecture once herself for encouraging it), but to make sure no one panics and activates their battle program (Ironhide) or cock their gun (Epps).
Once she slid her phone back in her pocket, Ashlyn made a beeline for Sarah and Annabelle who she spotted sitting on the edge of the party keeping an eye on her husband who started chugging beers at Epps' encouragement. Weaving her way through the crowd was easy enough though the amount of people there made it seem like a she was on some kind of scavenger hunt. The twenty-six year old sat down next to the older woman who was watching her only child sketch her favorite Cybertronian and family guardian, Ironhide. Annabelle's admiration of the old mech only inflated his ego.
The eight year old was a blooming artist, and Ironhide highly encouraged the child, especially when she first started to draw his holoform and, later, mech form. Annabelle had drawings of all the Cybertronians she had met, but Ironhide dominated the majority of the pages in her sketch book.
Sarah greeted her as she sat down before returning her attention to the child's drawing of her Autobot family. It's true that those pictures would never leave the property, but it was endearing how the soon to be second grader had most of the alien allies wrapped around her finger. She smiled at the thought of the other children on the property and how the Cybertronians acted towards them. It was enlightening to her on how precious children were especially since she knew that without the Allspark the Cybertronian race would be extinct.
Quickly shaking off the prospect of children and how she would never have any due to Mimic's physique, Ashlyn turned to Sarah. With Curiosity killing her inner Cat about the incident in the kitchen earlier, Ashlyn asked, "So, when is he going to do it?"
Sarah glanced around her before answering, "Soon." Ashlyn nodded before returning her gaze to the blonde child who had ran off to show Ironhide her drawing of him. The child was praised and hugged and was shooed off to back to her mother for her dessert. Sarah watched Ashlyn with pride on how far the young woman had come before handing Annabelle her dessert plate, "How're you doing tonight?"
The brunette immediately knew what the older woman was referring and wished not to have this conversation, but she knew it would be better to do it face to face since they had no idea when they would see one another again. Her leg started bouncing violently to release some of the pent up energy her building anxiety was producing. "Good, I think. My mother's jump-the-gun attitude was in full swing. She started spouting off stuff that I dare not repeat, and she threatened to disown me if I don't leave 'Mic. I mean I know she loves me, but it's infuriating that she's under the impression of knowing what's best for me. It's mine and 'Mic's choice, and she isn't going to be with us on a daily basis, and-"
A motherly hand stopped her rambling the moment it touched her shoulder, and Sarah forced the girl to look at her, "I know that there are still many trials for the two of you, and your mother is only looking out for you. While I can understand your and 'Mic's decision, the mother in me can't help but agree with her."
"It's not just that, though, she's bringing religion into the mix and wants me to be as devoted as she is instead of being agnostic," the anxiety in Ashlyn's legs moved to her arms as she waved them around in front of her for emphasis. Ashlyn's decision to change her beliefs only furthered the divide between mother and daughter.
Sarah furrowed her brows in confusion, "Agnosticism is a religion?"
"That's a bit of a fuzzy area," Ashlyn shrugged, "while we believe in a single deity, Jesus is not his messenger. We don't have a scripture, either, so to each their own, basically."
The blonde nodded signaling that she understood, "Well, you need a chill pill. This is not the time or the place for you to be worrying about it. Go grab a drink and mingle, just don't over do it." Sarah winked at the young woman as she shoved her shoulder to scram.
A laugh escaped from Ashlyn, "I would love some alcohol right about now, just a couple drinks and I'm as chill as a sea turtle." Ashlyn stopped and blushed at what she just said, "You get me talking, and I just don't shut up."
Sarah smiled to the woman next to her, "Everyone's glad that you started to converse with them. We started to believe you became a mime, and Ratchet started to prescribe you medication for your mental health."
Ashlyn scrunched her nose in disgust, "They're creepy. Why would anyone want to do something like that?" Sarah noted how the younger woman avoided the medicaton statement but laughed to cover her scrutiny.
"Beats me," Sarah replied with a shrug. "Now shoo and find the booze."
"Only if your husband hasn't chugged it all."
"Don't worry Bobby and Jazz made sure that this party was well supplied. Rumor is that they bought out at least three liquor stores." Both women looked over at the not-quite-drunk-but-getting-there group, they saw that Lennox was actually the most sober one though Epps was trying to thrust a second beer into his free hand. Sarah frowned, "Remind me again why I encourage their friendship?"
"'Cause Monique can set them both straight with a look," the brunette laughed. "Wish me luck as I brave the randomness of 'Alcoholics United.'"
Sarah watched the woman go before returning her attention to her daughter who had wondered over to the dessert table to get seconds. Putting on her stern face the mother walked up behind Annabelle to set her straight.
Ashlyn took Sarah's advice to heart and went straight for the alcohol. Promising herself to just have one, she hoped the selection was good. Reaching the coolers she picked out a heavy, craft beer, avoiding the look Lennox and his group was giving her.
"Should we be worried?" Giving the Major a withering look, she popped off the cap and took a swig.
"Probably, since I'm following your wife's advice."
Faking a horrified look Lennox replied, "Uh-oh that is definitely not good." Laughing with the group Ashlyn nodded in agreement trying not to cringe at the burning sensation down her throat.
"I'll be sure to tell her that."
"Whoa, now. I do not want to be sleeping on the couch."
"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll understand how concerned you were for my well being," smirking as she backed away, Ashlyn saluted the soldiers with two fingers. While returning to her original seat by Mimic she was reminded of his true nature by the way the metal chair had been dented under his weight when he sat, Ashlyn smiled at the fact that he was going to have to fix the chair after the party or officially label it as his. Taking another sip she plopped down next to him who made no indication to her presence until he spoke.
"The world must be ending if you're drinking."
Nudging his foot she replied, "Only if you consider Sarah's advice the prediction of one then yes."
Mimic cracked open an eyelid and watched her fidget with the peeling label. He had heard the conversation between the two women, and the fake human hoped that his fiancée was getting her nerves loosened up from their taunt position. Looking over to him she offered up her beer to him.
"I'm not drinking all of it."
"No, but you should at least drink half," he grabbed it and took a swig himself. "Don't worry, one of these days I'll teach you how to hold your liquor."
A un-lady like snort was his answer before she took another sip, "I would say good luck, but since I'm the victim . . ." Another swig.
"GET THAT SLAG OFF ME!" Both heads snapped in the direction of the alt. forms. A clicking sound followed by whirls and hissing hydraulics signaled Ironhide's transformation sequence, and a pale Epps sprinted out from the collection of vehicles. It was amazing to see how fast a person can run when their adrenaline kicks in. Epps headed for the human R&R building cutting through the dinner area with the wrath of a weapon specialist on his heels. Ironhide (surprisingly) nimbly stepped around the groups to grab Epps before he made it to the building.
Ashlyn watched the entire scene with her own adrenaline kicking in; grabbing Mimic's hand she held on to it like it was her lifeline. Mimic watched her carefully, measuring her heart rate and respiration. She gasped when Ironhide had grabbed Epps and started yelling at how much of a punk he was. Linking his fingers with hers he squeezed gently. Reluctantly looking away from Epps' pleading and the boisterous laughter from the spectators, she had a wide eyed look when she turned to him.
Picking up his deformed chair to get closer to her, the pretender freed his hand to wrap it around her shoulder. Mimic began to rub her upper back and leg murmuring, "It's alright, Ash."
"I know," she snapped taking in deep breaths to calm herself, cursing what was left of her PTSD from when the destruction of Birmingham occurred leading to Ashlyn's meeting of the Autobots. She was all too glad to be able to sleep again and concentrate on her job despite taking an extended vacation due to her anxiety disorder. The first several months were rough for the woman, and her brother stayed up comforting her every time she woke up screaming or was startled by loud noises. The urge to run and scream diminished over the year, especially when Ashlyn had met the Autobots and started to understand their culture and cause.
Both watched Ironhide fold back down to his monstrous alt. form, activate his holoform, and drag Epps to the bigger building to grab a bucket and cloth. Turning her gaze to the person who started the whole fiasco, Ashlyn saw Sarah smirking in triumph, although the younger woman wasn't sure if the blonde was happy that she won the dare or she was just enjoying Epps' embarrassment. The two returned and Ironhide meticulously watched Epps scrub down his alt. form but was distracted by Optimus saying something to the mech, and Epps took full advantage by turning the hose to the holoform. A loud growl escaped the fake human's throat who gave full chase after the fleeing Epps.
A giggle escaped Ashlyn's mouth before a full blown laugh developed shaking her entire frame. Many turned to look at her loudness, half of them glad at her reaction and the other worried that her mental state had finally broken. Even her fiancé was giving her a questioning look, "You okay?"
Her hand waved away his response, taking a few moments to control herself and replied, "Yes. I'm sorry, but I couldn't help it."
An encouraging smile replaced his worried face; his grin grew even wider when she placed her head on his shoulder, "I'm fine. I promise."
A girly scream resounded through the evening air reminding the couple that the chase was still on. The two had zigzagged through the crowd before Epps was tackled by the gruff mech. Epps was dragged away, pleading for his life and for mercy, but his cries were ignored. Sarah stepped into their path before bending over to whisper something in Epps' ear, he shook his head slowly in reply. A smug smile appeared on her face as she turned away leaving Epps to Ironhide's mercy and left to grab her daughter for a bath and bed. Monique followed her best friend once she rounded up her five children.
Patting her hand on Mimic's thigh, "I'm going to go help Carly clean up."
Nodding in reply he watched her walk away, greeting Carly with the biggest smile he has yet seen on her face since she arrived on the property. The two women chatted eagerly, and Mimic noticed the happiness on both of their faces due to Epps' capture and started a small bet on whether the man was going in the brig or be forced to slave over Ironhide for a detailed wash and wax.
Mimic looked down at the half finished beer bottle as he contemplated his time spent with Ashlyn, and was ecstatic at how she had changed since he had met her. The once reclusive undergraduate had opened her heart and mind to him to become talkative and playful like she was with her immediate family. She had become more like herself with not only him but with all the people, both human and Cybertronian alike, she had met. Not to mention how much he had changed as well, no longer was he the arrogant, rich scientist from the highest level of the caste system abusing his caretakers' riches to make continuous upgrades to his pretender frame.
A sad look crossed his face when his processor brought up the subject of his caretakers, and quickly took a sip of beer to cover up the look in case anyone noticed.
Once he had finished his beer Mimic helped pack up chairs (after he labeled the one he dented with a sharpie) and tables as twilight dwindled down into a pleasant night. Once everything was put away many soldiers left with some of the Transformers for the drive back to their respective bases. Deciding that the dishes could wait until tomorrow, most of the people headed inside to watch TV in the rec. room.
Mimic followed the crowd as many of the soldiers chatted away at what team was going to win for whatever sport they were discussing.
"Hey, you're Mimic, right?" Said mech in question turned his head to the person who was walking next to him. "I'm Parker," the man said after he nodded, "I'm going to be transferring to the Science Facility with Wheeljack, and I heard that you'll be moving there as well."
"Pleasure to meet you Parker," the mech replied as they shook hands, "what will you be researching?"
The young man beamed at the question and started to talk quickly about how he was a computer coder and desired to learn better and more efficient ways of protecting NEST's system from hackers and malware. Parker kept chattering as they walked with Mimic interrupting smoothly to ask a question or two, and the techy didn't seem to mind his questions, in fact he seemed quite pleased that he knew more than a Cybertronian who was, essentially, technology.
The two sat themselves at a table on the platform ignoring the cheers and moans of the ongoing game. Overhearing their conversation, a man and a woman joined them since they both were techies as well. Mimic absorbed the information like a sponge intrigued by the process of human technology (while it may be reversed engineered from Megatron's frame, the humans still had their own twist), and he started to talk about his studies when the young woman, Lana, asked him what he studied. So absorbed by his explanation, the group hardly noticed when Ashlyn joined them with an amused smile on her face as Mimic regaled the humans with his stories of alien worlds.
The group laughed when Mimic stumbled over words to find one that most resembled the creatures he was describing, but it was hard when Cybertronian was not directly translatable to the languages on Earth. He eventually settled for "miniature-horned-whale-bat" which had the group roaring and nearly fell out of their chairs. Thomas, the other male, asked, "And you had to run for your life when your friend poked the nest?"
Mimic nodded, "Just because we're advanced doesn't mean it's easier to study a species whose planet's core screws with electromagnetism rendering a good portion of our tech useless."
Lana shook her head, "Yeah, but I'm pretty sure agitating something just to see what's inside is not the wisest of moves."
The mech shrugged good naturally, "I've never said he was the brightest of mechs, just look a 'Jack and his failures."
"They are not failures, they are just ways of not doing something correctly," the mech in questioned defended. The engineer huffed as the group laughed at his expense before returning to his data pad he was modifying.
"So when that pad explodes you incorrectly touched it with a screw driver?" Wheeljack didn't honor Ashlyn with a response that had her head cocked and a teasing grin on her face. Thomas who now noticed her presence reached across the table to shake her hand with a flirty smile.
"The name's Walker, Thomas Walker, twenty-two and single," his intended target of affection had a hesitant smile on her face as she shook his hand though she couldn't stop the blush staining her freckled cheeks. Thomas didn't notice her discomfort or the glower from Mimic.
"Ashlyn Dawson, twenty-six and engaged," she would have said taken, but she changed it to make it more permanent and to discourage his advances.
A pout formed on Thomas's face before smirking, "Then why isn't there a ring on that pretty little hand of yours?"
"We're announcing tonight," Ashlyn defended, the man was attractive but far too fresh for her liking.
Thomas was pulled down into his seat by the belt loop of his fatigues with Lana declaring, "Shut up, you're embarrassing me."
The man raised his hands in defense, "A guy's gotta try."
"I thought you were into blondes?" The woman asked demandingly, she looked ready to punch his lights out.
He looked at his friend like she'd grown another head, "After my last girlfriend, no way! I'm done with blondes."
"Then why are still talking to me?"
"That's a good question 'cause you're abusive."
"Only when you need some sense knocked into that thing you call a brain."
Ignoring the bickering individuals, Parker turned to introduce himself to Ashlyn, "Parker Bailey."
Smiling with genuine she replied, "Nice to meet you."
"Can I ask what you do since you don't look like a NEST employee, no offense if you are or anything," Parker asked. The arguing pair had forgone their banter to get to know their new group member.
Ashlyn waved her hand, "No, I'm not, but I will be soon. I'm a photographer, and Lennox has asked me to help promote the Autobot cause since they plan on publishing documents to help the public understand Cybertronians. As the years progress more detailed publishing will be released as the public becomes more accustomed to them. The NEST officials really want to squash the rumors floating around on the internet now that the Chicago and Birmingham clean ups are completed." Then she added, "I'll even be moving to the Science Facility next month," after silently congratulating herself on not flinching when she mentioned Birmingham.
The other woman at the table tilted her head, "So your fiancé's a techy, a scientist, or an engineer?"
"Scientist," she smirked. Ashlyn watched Thomas lean forward to rest his forearms on the table, so she responded by leaning back in her chair to counteract the motion.
The soldier raised an eyebrow, "What's his name then?" Men, Ashlyn thought, they just don't know when to quit. Yet she was thankful when Lana harshly whispered for him to quit it.
She pursed her lips before replying, "You'll find out tonight." Trying to ignore the man's scrutinizing gaze, Ashlyn turned to Mimic silently asking him if he was ready and to hurry it up since Thomas was annoying her. He responded to her pleading by standing up with Ashlyn quickly following him as he lead the way across the platform to where their closest human friends sat which was conveniently next to the table with their closest Cybertronian friends.
"Hey, lovebirds," Epps slurred, "whaz up?" The man was sprawled over the couch and Lennox like a cat, and Ashlyn was thankful that he no longer had a beer in his hand.
Mimic blinked, "What happened to you?"
Before Ashlyn could explain it was Jazz, the mech she was about to blame piped up, "That would be me, and a bet he lost while we were on our quest for booze."
"Okay," the pretender drawled, "anyways, Ashlyn and I would like to tell you all something important." The woman in question nearly rolled her eyes as Mimic's skills on acting over the millennia came into play for he sounded deadly serious, but she played along by trying to school her face as the group magically sobered (or tried to) to the statement.
Lennox looked at the couple with a calculating gaze, "What's wrong?"
"Well," Mimic continued with his serious voice, "this woman," he motioned to Ashlyn by putting an arm around her shoulders, "was crazy enough to accept my proposal." The mech smiled along with Ashlyn as their friends congratulated them with a shout from Jazz telling them it was about time as Mimic slipped the ring he pulled out onto her finger. The couple answered their questions or completely ignored them in Epps' case about the wedding, but they had yet to plan anything. Mimic wanted to wait until they were settled in the Science Facility before they started to make plans. Both wanted a small wedding in Alabama to appease her family and Mimic's human friends, but before the wedding Ashlyn wanted to have a Bonding Ceremony to signify that she accepted Mimic and her Cybertronian family.
The crowd dwindled as the room's occupants decided to head to bed, Ashlyn helped Carly in getting Sam to their room. Once that task was done and she bade them both a good night (though she was pretty sure Sam was already passed out by that point) the happy woman made her way to her and Mimic's room. When Ashlyn stepped inside she was greeted with Mimic handing her the glucose meter, "Worry wart."
Mimic smirked, "I don't want you passing out tonight."
She checked her numbers to appease the mech, "Why? What's tonight?"
The smirk grew bigger, "Well, we are engaged now." Ashlyn raised an eyebrow at his tone trying to figure out what . . . he . . . oh.
He watched as her eyes grew big and caught the meter thrown at him, "Seriously, 'Mic. Are you sure you're not human? 'Cause I've always been that's all that males think about."
The mech looked down at his disguise before dismissing it and looked back at her expectantly, "Do I look human now?" Ashlyn tried to keep a straight face but couldn't help laughing at the question and how ridiculous the mech looked in human clothing.
She headed for the bathroom to grab a dose of insulin, "I find it completely disturbing that a robot wants to have sex."
"I find that an offending term," the mech declared playing along, following her, "and I'm a pretender, appearances have to be kept for my male friends who'll no doubt ask about our sex life."
"Then either lie or tell the truth. They'll be as freaked as I am if you choose the second option."
"No, they wont," he leaned against the door frame to block her escape and watched her inject herself, "they'll give me numerous tips or just tell me to google it."
"Is that so? Then I suggest you get better friends," she tried to close the door for privacy. "Move your metal butt, I gotta pee."
"But if I do that you'll lock me out, and you'll sleep in the bathroom just to avoid sleeping with me," he pouted not moving.
"Oh, grow up," she paused, "I'll send you to the rec. room if you try anything."
"But you don't know what you're missing."
"Which is why I'm not going bat shit crazy like you are."
A pause, "I love you."
She looked up to see the sincerity in his eyes, but she knew his tricks, he is a pretender, after all, "And I love you, just not that much."
He pouted again, "Spoil sport."
She sent him her best grin, "I do try. Now move, I really gotta go, and I rather not embarrass myself when my bladder explodes."
Mimic stepped away from the bathroom, "Fine, fine, fine, but I'll be waiting." Ashlyn laughed at his attempt to use a sexy voice before shutting the door in his face.
"Told you, you'd enjoy it."
"'Mic."
"Yea?"
"Go to sleep."
A pause, "Pretty sure our room isn't sound proof."
The mech's face was promptly greeted with a pillow.
A/N: Well, that certainly didn't turn out like I was expecting it to. . . hope y'all don't mind. *Looks left. Looks right. Shrugs* I originally meant to just let this be a funny fic and kind of introduce my two OCs since I don't have them flushed out just quite yet, but I went into much further depth than I was expecting. Not that I care, but I hoped it didn't detract from the story, although I think the story somehow focused on them with the bet being something to add instead of the theme. Oh, well, I'm really happy with this piece since it's been forever since I tried writing. Can I do better? Of course. Is it betaed? Obviously not. Would I like one? I would grovel at your feet if you offered. Lol. But I did use a grammar and spell check sample from the internet. Did it do any good? A little clean up of verb usage and wordy stuff. Any and all criticism is welcomed, even the rude ones since I will find a way to make it positive. *Gives two thumbs up*
I will probably edit this chapter once I have my two OCs flushed out. I posted this mainly to test the waters of my writing and to see what kind of feed back I can get. How much will it be edited? I have no clue, I may scratch the entire thing, or change the dialogue, or add scenes. Even I'm not sure how this will change, but I am mainly writing this fic as a challenge to myself on movie-verse pretenders, their jobs before and during the war, and how Mimic adapted to living on Earth (which would be easier for him than the Autobots 'cause that's what his frame was designed for). These one-shots will just be about my OCs coming to life with y'all's feed back as help. Like I said, I will take my time in editing and adjusting my chapters and OCs (which will be difficult for me since I am a bit of an impatient person). Have a good weekend!
Thank you for reading and please drop a review (even if it is just a smiley face ;-D ). Lots of love!
Band Nerd
EDIT: Hoped it was made better. Twenty-three pages, and over nine thousand words. I'm so proud. :3