Authors Note:
I was so excited to see that Mrs. Prime loved the first chapter that I had to get started on the second. So here it is!
Chapter 2: It's a Prison...
and bot, is it. Tehehe.
Chapter 2: It's A Prison
Amelia woke to her alarm clock and grunted unwillingly as she moved her arm and tapped it. Rolling over she sprawled out and stretched.
"Why must there be work today?" she groaned.
"Because you're a punk and didn't answer your phone last night."
Amelia's eyes shot open before she jumped off the bed and grabbed a bat, screaming as she went.
Lennox raised his arms in surrender "Hey! Easy, easy! It's just me." he said, gesturing to himself.
"How the hell did you get in here?!" Amelia roared.
"Front door was unlocked...you really should remember to lock it." he pointed out, more concerned about the fact than making a snide remark.
Amelia growled and lowered the bat slowly "What are you doing here? Don't you have Autobots to direct or something?"
"I did, but the order got canceled so I thought I'd drop by and invite you to coffee and breakfast" he offered.
Amelia eyed him suspiciously and lowered the bat completely, standing up straight "What the hell, Will?...just what the hell?"
Lennox doubled over laughing at that "What? Is it so bad I want to do something nice for you?"
"Yes...because usually you get something in return, like yesterdays little trade off" she noted.
"Like...right now where I get to see you half naked in red and blue lingerie?" he chuckled.
Amelia went wide eyed and looked down at herself, screaming and quickly grabbing the sheets from the bed to cover herself and threw a book at Lennox, making him duck and dodge it.
"Pervert! Get the hell out of here!" she demanded, a bright red blush across her face.
Lennox laughed as he ran out of the room and down the stairs to the lower levels. Amelia sighed in frustration and rubbed her face.
"Damn it." she hissed and threw the sheets down, moving over to the dresser to look for some nice clothes to wear to work.
Walking down the stairs, now fully dressed she buttoned up the rest of her shirt and fixed her jacket. Looking up she found Lennox sitting on the leather couch in the living room. She glared at him which in turn made him stand.
"Take it easy, Amy. I was only joking around with you." he tried to calm.
Amelia snorted and moved past him to gather her things. Lennox walked over and patted her back.
"Besides, you're going to love me. You really should have answered your phone last night but maybe I'll tell you now instead of during breakfast." he smirked.
"Frag it, Will! What is it?" she snapped, turning around to look at him with a not-too-happy face.
"Well. Maybe I won't tell you...not until you cool off at least." he folded his arms.
Amelia felt like her head was going to explode and held it before running her fingers through her hair "Just get me a white chocolate mocha and something to eat and we're square."
Lennox chuckled "You got it!" he saluted, hooking her arm and pulling her away from her bag.
"Wait! What are you doing? I need that!" she called, struggling against him and trying to grab her bag.
"You're not going to need it right now." he chuckled and dragged her out of the door, locking it behind him.
Amelia growled and brushed herself off "Damn it, Will. You're really pissing me off today."
"It's what I do best isn't it?" he smiled and gestured towards a familiar Corvette.
Amelia sat in the passenger seat, staring out at the wet roads and sighed, her breath fogging up the small space on the window. This was not the way to wake up, she thought and rubbed her head, a headache threatening to envelope her. The brilliant silver sports car soon splashed a puddle as it rolled up to a nearby Starbucks.
"I'll be right back." Lennox said "Sides, make sure she doesn't try to run for it."
The car revved its engine before going completely quiet. Amelia heard the door open and shut and looked up from staring at the sidewalk, watching Lennox wander into the busy place of business. She looked at the door latch and grabbed it, pulling it slowly to her. It was locked.
"Figures..." she groaned.
"Hey. What happened to your spunk from yesterday?" Sideswipe asked.
"Just got a rude awakening. And honestly I'm still tired and want to go back to bed so I can dream a little more." she rubbed her eyes and yawned.
"Well why don't you?" the dash asked.
"Because I have work at the N.E.S.T office" she grunted and laid her head against the window watching little droplets of water trickle into the already large puddles.
"Being a 'Librarian'?"
"Exactly." she sighed and closed her eyes, the sounds of the city slowly drifting off into a quiet buzzing.
"Optimus was curious about that." came a faint noise.
Amelia opened her eyes some "What?"
"I said Optimus was curious about your career." Sideswipe repeated.
"Optimus?" she perked up, everything getting louder again "What did he say?"
"You're going to have to ask him yourself. Besides, it wouldn't kill you to give him a little company every so often when Lennox sneaks you into the base. He could use it. Mind you he's not very talkative, but if you get him on the right subject he might just talk your audio receptors off." Sideswipe chuckled.
"You mean ears". Amelia poked the dash to correct him.
"Ears?...You humans are weird." Sideswipe turned the steering wheel to show he was shaking his head.
Amelia rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. Optimus was curious about her? About her being a Librarian? Why? The drivers side door opening shook her from her thoughts as Lennox handed over a large coffee cup and a box with a Reuben sandwich and Caesar salad inside.
"Alright Amy. Ready for the news?" Lennox asked, a big smile on his face.
"Yeah, sure, whatever." she shook her head, not thinking it was going to be so exciting and took a big sip of her white chocolate mocha.
"You're going to be working at the base as Mearing's new assistant" he blurted.
Amelia felt her throat hitch up, her eyes going wide before the surprise hit her and she spit all of what she had in her mouth all over the dash and windshield.
"Ah! Oh come on Amy! Not cool!" Sideswipe whined, turning on his windshield wipers but remembered they were only on the outside "Oh slag me driving," he cursed "it's everywhere!" he groaned with disgust.
Lennox had wrenched back and away from the fountain of coffee so he didn't get any on him "Woah...didn't think that'd be your reaction."
Amelia looked down at herself and almost screamed but instead clenched her fists and shut her eyes tight and snapping towards Lennox "What the hell, Will! Mearing's assistant? I won't last 10 minutes without trying to rip her head off...or mine for that fact!"
"I know she's a bitch, but you're great with filing papers and finding information and writing it and that's what we need." he explained.
"I already do that for N.E.S.T!" she shot back.
"Not on the base...not out in the field...you just get relayed the information. But what we need is an actual on the scenes informative. Consider it a promotion to field journalism." he smirked.
Amelia stared at him and growled "Fuck being promoted..." she huffed and sat back in the seat, arms folded and staring out the window.
"You are such an unhappy camper today." Lennox shook his head "Let's get you back to your house so you can take a shower and put on fresh clothes and we'll start transferring your office to the base"
Amelia sighed deeply and rolled her eyes "Sounds grand."
Sideswipe transformed when they reached the Health and Human services building and shook his frame, coffee dripping down onto the floor.
"I need to hit the racks..." he groaned, walking off and leaving Lennox holding a box of office supplies and Amelia looking around, still amazed at the bases vastness.
"This way" Lennox nodded forward and started towards a large hallway.
Amelia followed silently, glancing this way and that and remembering each place from yesterday that Optimus had pointed out to her. When her mind slipped back to the thought of the Autobot leader she felt joy ripple through her. Since she was working in the base now, she could see him more than just on her laptop.
She had to suppress her giddiness as they entered a room. A large desk sat on the opposite end with a nice comfy looking chair. A state of the art desktop on one end, and a Macbook Pro laptop on the other. Amelia's jaw dropped and looked around the room, finding a sink, a microwave, a mini fridge and even a flat screen T.V hanging on the wall in front of the desk.
"What do they expect me to do? Live here?" she asked and frowned as she walked over to a darker looking spot in the wall and pressed on it.
To her amazement a bed folded out from it slowly so she could get out of the way in time. Lennox chuckled.
"No. It's just for those really late nights you will most likely be taking while working here" he informed.
Amelia pressed on the bed, finding it awfully soft and smiled. She flopped onto it and sighed "Mmm...bed"
Lennox walked over to the desk and set the box onto it, starting to put things away for her. He smirked when he found a drawing of Optimus Prime and her kicking Megatrons aft. He would have to show it to the big bot, not just because it was amazingly done, but because it would embarrass Amelia and it was always so much fun to do.
He folded the paper carefully and put it into his shirt jacket. Amelia sat up and smiled.
"I think I might actually like it here..." she began until Mearing entered the room, making the whole atmosphere change to that of a prison.
"So. You must be Ms. Dupree. I'm Director Charlotte Mearing and from tomorrow on, giving you plenty of time today to get settled in, will be my assistant. I expect reports turned into me promptly, a Tiramisu and a Mocha Latte served to me at exactly 8am..." she stopped and looked at Amelia "Do you have an Iphone?"
Amelia shook her head "No."
"Get one." she ordered "Because wherever you go you're going to have to have something to get into contact with me through both calling and emails and whatever else. Your work will be with you at all times. Do you understand?"
Amelia stared at her with both shock and anger "Yes ma'am." she nodded.
"Good and don't call me ma'am." she walked over and slapped a large book next to Amelia on the bed "Read this and memorize it. I won't tolerate slipped protocols." she slapped another thing down on top of it "And this is what you'll be in charge of and what I expect on every day of the week, through the months and over the course of the year. Memorize it."
Amelia looked down at it with wide eyes and then turned to find Mearing in her face.
"Do I make myself clear?" Mearing seemed to growl.
Amelia glared, not liking being bossed around "Loud and clear, Director Mearing." she gritted through her teeth.
Mearing smirked "I'm liking you already, you learn fast and do as you're told. Good. Well done Ms. Dupree. Carry on" she nodded, spinning on her heels and heading out of the door.
Once Mearing had left Amelia looked at the stuff she had been given and growled, picking the biggest of them and throwing it at Lennox.
"Damn you!" she hissed "Now I have to deal with this domineering shit constantly!"
Lennox dodged the book and caught it, putting it on the desk "It's not so bad. Just try not to bend the rules like I do and you should be good." he laughed and ran for the door.
"Will!" Amelia yelled and watched as the door closed.
She beat her fist into the bed and looked over at the desk. Sighing reluctantly she stood, thinking of what she better get started on first. Probably getting an Iphone and then reading and memorizing the manuals she had been handed. That seemed to be the right priority.
Amelia sighed heavily "I miss being a Librarian..." she whispered to herself and headed out the door as if she had been given a lifetime jail sentence.