Memorial Day:
Arcee walked to stand with Bulkhead and Bumblebee, in truth she was quite bored.
"Anyone else notice how the kids have kind of been ignoring us these past few days?"
BumbleBee shrugged with a chirp,
"Raph told me he is working on something with Jack and Miko, a school project I believe."
Arcee rolled her eyes,
"Since when has Miko ever put school before anything?"
Bulkhead nodded,
"I tried calling her she picked up and told me she couldn't talk. So not like her."
Optimus walked into the main room, Arcee, Bulkhead, and BumbleBee were all standing in a semi-circle and looking quite bored. Optimus looked over to the humans area, he signed inwardly when he didn't see anyone there. The base had become to quiet without the kids around, he noticed his Autobots were beginning to worry.
"Autobots?"
They turned to look at him, their eyes shone with the look of confusion.
"Where are the humans?"
Arcee growled slightly,
"Too busy to be here apparently."
BumbleBee placed a hand on Arcee shoulder as Bulkhead spoke up,
"We know where they are, they just won't answer our calls. If they do, they tell us they are too busy."
Optimus placed his hand to his com, he placed a call in to Jack.
Jack laughed as Miko threw paint at him,
"Miko on the float not me!"
Miko shrugged,
"Looks good to me."
Raph was working on the animatronics for the float. Jack looked up at the multitude of flags waving in the wind. The three had chosen each other to make a float in the Memorial Day parade in Jasper. The school had asked for volunteers to make a multitude of floats. Jack, Miko, and Raph had volunteered for the Flag float. Jack cellphone began to ring,
"Oh...uh guys Optimus is calling me."
Miko ran over to look at his screen,
"Don't they get we are busy?"
Raph spoke up from his spot near the front of the float,
"They are probably just worried we haven't exactly been honest with them. In truth we have kind of ignored them."
Jack looked at the phone as it continued to ring,
"I know and I feel bad, but this is important, this project."
Jack pressed the deny button, a small shiver ran up him. Optimus would defiantly not be happy.
"Hi, you've reach Jack, I can't come to the phone right now because I'm probably out saving the world so leave a message."
Optimus hung up before the beep. He was now more concerned then he had been initially.
"Ratchet can you track their cellphones?"
Ratchet looked up from his work,
"Why its finally quiet around here."
Optimus cocked he eyebrow at him,
"Ratchet…"
His voice was low to almost a growl. Ratchet rolled his eyes punching a few keys on the computer as the three's images popped up.
"The appear to be at school."
Ratchet stated rarely flatly. Arcee crossed her arms,
"It's a Saturday, Miko especially wouldn't be caught dead at school on a Saturday."
Optimus nodded,
"Ratchet activate the ground bridge."
Jack was startled as the ground shook at little, Miko and Raph followed his gaze as a green vortex lite up the fading evening sky. Jack moaned; he knew Optimus would be worried. He should have guessed he would come looking for them, he was actually surprised it took them this long.
Optimus was the first threw the portal, due to the late evening hour, Jasper was quiet. Most humans were at home
"Jackson, Miko, Raphael."
Jack and Raph looked at each other, Optimus generally only used their full names in a serious situation or when they were in trouble.
Optimus was the first followed by Arcee to transform. Arcee walked forward her gaze harshly on Jack as she bent down.
"Jack where in the pit have you guys been? You keep ignoring our calls. It's dangerous for you…all of you to be out of contact with us."
Jack looked behind him at the float,
"We have been busy Arcee."
Arcee looked behind him, she cocked her head.
"Your country's flag?"
Jack nodded,
"I guess we should have informed you guys we have just been really busy trying to get this float ready for Monday."
Raph and Miko nodded in agreement, their partners kneeling beside them. Optimus stood in a general proximity to all of them.
"What's on Monday?"
Bulkhead asked.
Jack turned to look at the float,
"Memorial Day."
Now all of the Autobots were confused.
"Memorial? Of who?"
BumbleBee chirped.
Jack smiled,
"Of all the men and women who sacrificed their lives for our country. It's a day dedicated to honoring those who have died defending our country, those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom."
Optimus suddenly felt slightly guilty, they of all beings should understand the need to memorialize the fallen. Optimus knelt down,
"And this…float you have built?"
Jack looked to Raph and Miko,
"We volunteered to build the Flag Float, there is going to be a parade on Monday, starts at 11am. A parade to honor the fallen. There is going to be all kinds of floats, each one honoring a branch of service. We bring up the rear with a tribute to the flag."
Miko jumped up and down,
"I will be playing my guitar, Raph with be control the sound system and the animatronics with his laptop and Jack will be singing!"
Arcee looked at Jack wide eyed,
"I didn't know you could sing."
Jack blushed,
"I don't advertise it."
He glared at Miko.
BumbleBee chirped,
"What are you going to be singing?"
Miko wasted no time running to get her guitar,
"Raph set it up."
Jack face palmed as Miko returned with her guitar.
"Come on Jack! Don't be a wet noodle!"
Jack was red with embarrassment as Miko began to play. Jack took in a deep breath of air as he began to sing "Proud to be an American".
The Autobots sat in amazement as the kids came to a finish. Optimus felt a shiver running through him, the powerful words of the song mixed with Jacks voice. It hit him, though Jack was singing about his own people, Optimus felt the words rang true for his.
Arcee nodded as the song finished.
"Wow Jack. That was powerful."
Monday came, Jack, Miko, and Raph were on the float singing their hearts out as the rear of the parade was brought up by the Autobots, even Ratchet was moved by this special day that the humans celebrated. The Autobots had allowed Jack, Miko, and Raph to decorate them in Flags and Military symbols, Agent Fowler rode in Optimus's cab. The crowd all stood, hands over their hearts as the floats passed by. The Star-Spangled Banner blared as the floats all came to stop mid-way through the parade.
Military personal shot off rounds of ammunition as the crowd cheered and waved smaller flags as the parade floats began moving again. Ratchet commed Optimus,
"You ok?"
Optimus was slightly confused by the statement.
"I do not understand."
Ratchet clarified.
"The gun shots."
Optimus understood.
"I am fine, team?"
Everyone responded that they were fine. It had startled BumbleBee, though he wouldn't admit it as the team began to roll again. The Parade continued on for 2 more miles until it finally came to a stop, people from surrounding counties had come to see the parade and the floats as they now were set out for the general public to walk around and take pictures with. Optimus had ordered his team to line themselves up with the parade floats. Optimus had to inwardly laugh as the younger children flocked to Ratchet, they fact he was an ambulance seemed to attract them. Arcee and BumbleBee seemed to attract most of the teenagers and younger adults. Bulkhead seemed to be attracting more of the families, while Optimus himself had attracted different ages, mostly middle-aged men with their younger boys.
Jack looked to Miko and Raph as they walked back from one of the booths where, they had gotten food.
"Ratchet is going to have to decontaminate himself."
Miko and Raph almost choked on their sodas laughing.
The sun began to set over the Nevada dessert as the crowd slowly began to dissipate to a nearby field where a firework display was about to commence. The humans sat down next to their partners v modes. The navy-blue sky was suddenly a light with the fireworks display. The Autobots watched along with their humans as the sky boomed.
Jack, Miko, and Raph cheered as the final display loudly erupted shaking the ground.
"That's it."
Jack breathed as the Autobots started their engines.
"Let's head home."
Optimus lead the team with Agent Fowler sleeping in his driver seat, Jack sleeping in the passenger seat, Miko and Raph were asleep in their respective a partner. Optimus's spark felt full as they drove back toward the base. They came to a stop as Ratchet remotely activated a bridge the team drove through. Ratchet quickly transformed.
"I have never felt so gross in my entire life! What do human kids have on their hands that is so sticky!" Optimus smiled in vehicle form.
"Calm down old friend."
Ratchet huffed as he gently lifted the humans out of the cabs of their partners. He gently placed them on the humans area. Optimus transformed with the others as Ratchet quickly headed for the back area where the decontamination shower resided.
The others just watched as he darted for the back.
"Have to admit it was pretty funny when the human younglings started climbing on him."
Bulkhead chuckled quietly. Arcee nodded.
"We should let them all sleep they have had a big day, big week as a matter of fact."
Optimus nodded,
"I agree."
The Autobots headed back to bed as the humans slept soundly, Optimus stopped briefly before turning out the lights. He smiled, though they had many of their own fallen, and a world had been lost to them. He had never felt his life so full.