CHAPTER 2
It was several weeks after they met that Magnus began to visit Robbie regularly. Some days, he'd take patrol near his school specifically to keep an eye on him. Other times, he'd simply visit him. It wasn't that he was a stalker, or wanted to scare Robbie, it was that he was nervous for the boy's safety. Ratchet's tests he had done when Robbie had been at NEST Base had shown several bruises, ranging from hours to days before he and Robbie had encountered one-another. It bothered him, just as many human mysteries did. Robbie didn't seem to mind either, he seemed to have grown accustomed to the Semi Truck's presence. The Autobot many times had helped him with his homework, other times the two would simply relax and hang out. The only time he ever really didn't seem happy were at the end of those days when he would bring him home.
Magnus had many a time wanted to simply peek into the home, and see why. But each time, he believed that would be crossing boundaries. He after all, had to learn to not grow attached to every human child out there. It had happened before, and ended up being absolutely nothing. "Robbie the correct answer to number 7 in 4.32." Magnus commented as they sat in the grass one afternoon, Robbie was writing on his paper with his binder, Robbie looked up nervously "What?" He questioned.
"I agreed for you to be my tutor Magnus, but you can't do my homework. I need to learn some of this stuff on my own." Robbie looked over at the mech, smirking a bit, he shook his head "Jerry would hate to know I'm letting my Autobot friend technically 'cheat' for me." Robbie looked thoughtfully for a moment, then sighed "Then again he doesn't even know I'm spending most of my time after school with an Autobot so who cares?" He admitted.
"Why do you call him Jerry?"
"Because he's not really my Dad. He's just someone who takes care of me for a paycheck." Robbie commented to Magnus, he crossed his arms a bit "Fostering's like a job for some people, he feeds me, clothes me, gives me a bed. And in return he gets a butt-load of cash for it." He groaned a bit, shaking his head "It's not like adoption where they're your actual kid. Man I'd swear we went over this." He commented.
"We have, but your ways continue to puzzle me." Magnus admitted, staring down at his young human friend quizzically "With my kind when we take in a sparkling their is emotional investment involved. We 'adopt' them as you put it right away. Yet your kind does this 'fostering' business where none is required." Magnus rambled slightly, but caught himself before he rambled on too far "Can none of these people adopt you? I mean if they chose to." He questioned.
Robbie closed his eyes tightly the very thought of Jerry adopting him was a haunting one. The thought of knowing there was no escape from the cold monster he lived with. He felt Magnus gently rubbing the side of his arm, tenderly as he tensed. The touch of his metal fingers was quite soothing, it was even nicer when Magnus would once in a while put on his human hologram and do so. Robbie sighed a bit, leaning against the mech's leg, he stared up at him. "If you love the kid, yeah, you can try and adopt them. But Jerry, trust me, doesn't." Robbie thought quickly then, only speaking when he felt confident in his lie "He likes me, but not enough to adopt me basically. It's not that big a deal." He told the mech calmly.
"Do you not wish to be adopted by Jerry? To live somewhere permanently?"
"The latter yeah, but I'd rather it be with someone who loves me." Robbie shrugged his shoulders, looking up at Magnus "You need to understand Magnus, being adopted doesn't mean you're automatically happy. You could be adopted and still have horrible people for parents." He shook his head slightly, biting his lip "Listen can we um not talk about this, it's a difficult subject, and no offense. But I'm uncomfortable having it with you." He commented.
This was what concerned Magnus the most, how Robbie seemed to speak of these things. He would talk to him about everything but adoption, being happy, as if Robbie somehow believed he didn't deserve to be happy. "Robert..." He commented lowly, Robbie turned his head to Magnus "Is there something about Jerry that you're not telling me? I have asked this question on eighteen separate occasions. No matter how many times you tell me 'no' your actions when we speak of him worry me." He commented, staring the boy in the eyes as best as he could "If this man was doing harm to you, or anything of the like, you know you could come to me, right?" He commented.
"Even if he was, and he isn't." Robbie lied, looking at the mech calmly "You couldn't do much about it without kidnapping me, and I don't think Prime would be too happy with you." He looked down a bit, then back at Magnus who turned his optics away "It's better you stop worrying about my Foster Dad and worry about the war. Or about giving me the rest of the answers so that we can actually hang out." He commented, chuckling a little.
Magnus chuckled evenly at his young friend, and his sudden change of opinion on his 'help'. Magnus with one gentle finger, belittling his strength rubbed the boys head affectionately. It may have been what humans did with puppies. But doing anything more risked hurting the human he was becoming more fond of by the day. His optics shuttered for a moment, thinking to himself, of many things, but mostly of how easily this boy had gotten to him. A part of him had always wondered of taking Robbie in himself, however, the ramifications were a great many. He'd be in constant danger, have to live on a Military base, and accept he would not be around consantly.
A part of him wanted this boy for his own sparkling, even yearned for it. But another part of him could never do that to a child. "Magnus, are you okay?" Magnus stared down at the boy calmly, he looked concerned "You look distracted, I'm not boring you right?" He questioned.
Magnus continued to rub the boys head and shook his head a bit. Finally removing his finger, he sighed a bit, leaning back, he looked down at Robbie calmly. Even if he couldn't likely, and never would likely, make him a part of his family, he still could keep watch over and protect him. "Nothing youngling, I was simply thinking." Magnus straightened a bit as he noticed the sun slowly setting in the far distance "It's getting late now, won't Jerry expect you home around this time?" He questioned.
"Do I have to go home right now?" Robbie questioned, looking up at Magnus.
"I need to get to work, around now is the time we might be starting to be deployed overseas." Magnus replied, quietly, leaving Robbie always made him feel terrible "But listen, if you and your friend Alex have free time Sunday. I do believe we can spend my erm... Day off as you humans put it together." He commented smirking "I think Alex seemed to enjoy the last time you introduced the two of us." He added.
"Sounds good." Robbie smiled nervously "Can I get a ride home Magnus? I hate walking home when it's dark." He commented.
Magnus smiled, transforming into his big rig form, he opened the passengers side door, allowing Robbie a few moments to climb in. Robbie felt the heat go on, and the seat belts go over him calmly. The drive was spent in silence until Magnus finally came upon the small suburban home. This time, the door locked, Robbie, confused, looked at the dashboard. "Magnus? What gives?" He questioned.
"Your Foster Father just smacked a woman. And then called her a-." Magnus stopped short of saying the filthy word the moment he realized what it meant "Robert, has this man ever done the same to you?" He questioned, it didn't take much for the robot to put two-and-two together.
"Magnus, please don't do this right now."
"Robert, answer my question." Magnus's tone was firm, anger was laden in his voice, but not at Robert who sunk back in his seat "Robert, HAS HE HIT YOU!" He questioned, his silence was the only answer he needed "How often... How often has this man ABUSED you?" He questioned.
"Every time he's not taking it out on someone else."
Words could not explain how Magnus felt at that very moment, not only was this man in his bedroom with a hooker. But he had been hitting a child who had been entrusted into his care, who he was being payed to take care of. Had Magnus not been a normally calm mech, he would have blasted the home to smithereens, and taken off with Robbie in toe. Human laws be dammed, he was not leaving a child with this man. "Will he attempt to attack you if you go inside? Simply to get what things you need?" Magnus questioned in a very deadpan tone, trying to keep his cool demeanor.
"Magnus, you can't kidnap me."
"Oh really? Watch them stop me." Magnus threw the passengers side door open unbuckling Robbie "Get your things, Robert. If you're not out within fifteen minutes, whether he's after you or you're refusing to come I will come in after you." His voice became more soft now, comforting "Robbie, he will not touch you. If he even tries, just scream for me." He commented.
Robbie was quick to climb out nervously, the door closed behind him. Robbie turned his head towards Magnus, taking one deep breath, he rushed into his home. Fumbling with the keys, he closed the door quietly. The home was dark, cluttered, and messy as always. It smelled of a mixture of tobacco and alcohol in one rather rancid smell that left a bitter taste in ones mouth. He moved into his room near the den, quickly pulling his backpack off his shoulder. He grabbed a picture of himself and his parents, some clothing, his cell phone, and a pocketknife that had once belonged to his Father. He had zipped it all up when the door came FLYING open and his Foster Father, Jerry came in.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing, leaving." Robbie made a move to get around Jerry, who had the foul stench of liquor hanging over him "Have a nice life asshole."
Jerry clearly didn't like that, considering within moments, he had a firm hold of Robbie's neck. Pushing him forward into the wall, his eyes glaring right into Robbie's fear filled ones. Robbie didn't even need to scream out either, before the man was literally thrown across the room. Magnus's holoform stood as six foot tall human, with brown hair, and piercing blue eyes. His eyes were so filled with anger that one would say they were actually glowing. "If I see you near the child again, you had better pray that your 'God' has mercy on you. Because I will show NONE." He commented, flatly.
Jerry seemed to stunned that Magnus had appeared out of nowhere to even protest. As Magnus took hold of Robbie's shoulder and began to lead him out, he would swear the man had wet himself. The mech smiled, hoping he was that afraid of him, because if he didn't listen he would make good of his threat. He led Robbie out calmly, helping him into the truck calmly. It closed behind him, and Robbie would swear the seatbelts that went over him were in a tight hug. "He didn't hurt you beyond that, did he?" Magnus questioned.
"No."
"Good, now listen here Robbie, if you ever lie to me like that again..." Magnus thought for a moment "Just don't lie to me again, alright? I care about you, if I had known this sooner I could have taken you out of this situation legally." Magnus sighed a bit, his holoform looked Robbie right in the eyes "Don't worry though kid, Prime will give you asylum. We don't know you that well... But he would never leave a sparkling in the hands of an abusive caretaker." Noticing uneasiness in Robbie's eyes, he quietly added "I swear you will NEVER go back to that home again."
As he drove into the night, for the Space Bridge that would bring him home, Magnus inwardly cursed. And wondered what exactly he was about to get himself into.
...
And here's where the real brunt of the story begins. :) Hope the first two chapters were good!
