Okay first of all: WOW! Thanks so much for the reviews guys! Having this story received so well has just been so wonderful! I've decided to post up another chapter, seeing as you guys just gave me so much inspiration that I just KEPT WRITING hahaha.
This chapter doesn't have much of the N.E.S.T crew, because it's more just a look into Tessa as a character; giving you guys a little more about her to associate with. DON'T WORRY, the Autobots will most likely be up in the next chapter or two (depending on how impatient I am to get them into her life hahaha) so please bear with me guys!
After all, she's only just been hired; they aren't gonna let her in on ALL their secrets just yet are they? Besides, anticipation is half the story!
PLEASE keep up the reviews everyone; it's honestly what keeps me writing, when you guys aren't interested, I'M not interested. So let me know what you think, even if it's something you want me to improve on, or incorporate into the story.
Disclaimer: Until the respective owners realize my awesomeness and give me the copyrights, Transformers does not belong to me.
"Oh thank God that's over with…" Tess groaned at the memory of all that paperwork, swinging the door of the military truck open and leaping down from the passenger seat. She turned to look at the driver who had dropped her off; Will Lennox. She smiled politely and saluted him sloppily before checking to make sure her keys were in her pocket. "Thank you for the lift, I hope it wasn't…you know, too far out of the way."
He shook his head. "It's okay. Now, make sure you've got your stuff ready by 7 this evening; you'll be working pretty late tonight. Because they need those vehicles repaired ASAP, you'll be staying on base for the next few days or so."
"Yeah, I know. I'll have my stuff by then."
Lennox smirked cheekily before gesturing vaguely behind him with his thumb as if pointing at the base itself. "Don't forget, they're still trialling you. Until you're definitely permanent, someone from N.E.S.T is always going to have to pick you up or drop you off from the base; and they'll probably keep doing the blindfold too."
Tessa felt like groaning in annoyance, but resisted; she still didn't know Lennox very well and he was still her superior. Instead she nodded with a small smile. "Okay, thank you Mr Lennox, sir. I'll see you at 7." He gave her a short wave before assaulting the truck's gears and hauling it out of the driveway. She had to smile at…what an interesting afternoon it had been. Sighing heavily she turned and made her way up the gravel path towards her front door before fumbling the keys from her pocket and shoving them into the lock.
She pushed the door to open it, but as usual it stuck; the wood was swollen which made it difficult to push it through the door's frame. Using her shoulder as a battering ram she thumped her full weight into the door, cursing loudly as it swung open and she went flying through; almost falling to the floor. Then she kicked the hellish thing shut before tromping up the hallway to her kitchen. Her house wasn't flashy, in fact it was anything but; however it was a roof over her head, and it was affordable; just a simple two-bedroom house with a full bathroom and a spare toilet attached to her bedroom. The back yard was barely mentionable; choked with weeds that she'd never gotten around to pulling up, and her basement doubled as both a rumpus room-slash-junk heap.
However the rest of her home was relatively tidy, even if there were scuffs in the floorboards, cracks in the paint and chips in the kitchen counter; it was her sanctuary. The one thing about her home that she was proud of, was the double garage; the only part of the house that she kept immaculately clean. There was always a table set with mechanical junk she was working on, whether it be cleaning a part or welding an entirely new one; there was always something there for her to use as a distraction from the everyday.
Dropping her keys onto the kitchen counter with a loud rattle, she opened her fridge and pulled out a carton of guava juice; twisting the lid off and drinking straight from the bottle. It was a disgusting habit she'd developed from living with two older brothers, but now that she lived alone she had no need to worry about anybody else. Not even if she had visitors over, because nobody was entitled to drink her guava juice. She got awfully territorial when it came to her sugar, a fact that wasn't difficult to see with the Skittles packets constantly present in her pockets. After her thirst was satiated, Tessa took a quick look around the kitchen, making sure her house was as she'd left it that morning; two glasses and a plate waiting to be washed and the toaster on the counter next to the sink from breakfast. She filled the sink and washed up before putting away the toaster and checking the time on the microwave.
3:54pm.
Deciding that it was probably a good idea to have a shower before packing her things, she made her way to her bedroom and sat on the double bed to kick off her shoes; relishing in the feeling of stretching her toes. Her mismatched socks, green on one foot and pink on the other, were the next article to be removed before she yanked her towel off the hook from behind the door, grabbed a fresh change of underwear; and made her way down the hall to the bathroom. After turning on the ventilation fan to prevent the room from steaming up, she blasted the hot water of the shower and adjusted the temperature. Tossing the rest of her clothing into the hamper next to the sink she then ducked into the water; sliding the curtain shut after her.
Pulling her hair from the messy bun, she let the water beat down on her; trying to will away the tension that had coiled between her shoulder blades. The water made her hair heavier than usual; the bottom of it now brushing the small of her back.
I should get it cut…she thought, does nothing but get in the way.
With a heavy sigh she reached for the shampoo, dolloping it carelessly into her hand before checking the fragrance; jasmine and pomegranate. She shrugged at herself and started to scrub her hair, washing away the dust and dirt that had accumulated in it from the N.E.S.T base. It was another reason she thought about cutting it, she had to use so much shampoo and it took forever to try and wash it. Once said hair had been cleaned and conditioned, she grabbed the loofa from the tap and squeezed some body lotion onto it; lychee scented this time. Scrubbing almost viciously at her arms; she finished washing her skin and brushed her teeth. She then stood roasting under the water for a few more minutes before shutting off the water. She towelled herself dry and pulled on the clean underwear she'd brought from her room, ignoring the unsexy fashion of the plain, white cloth briefs. As she moved to exit the bathroom she caught sight of herself in the slightly foggy mirror; the white towel wrapped around her form with her long copper-brown hair hanging over it. Her skin was red and inflamed from the "boil-a-lobster" temperature of the shower; stretched over her slender, barely 5'2 frame. A few minor nicks and scars marred her flesh, some so small that they were barely visible, and one or two that showed the true perils of her occupation. After all, working with cutting torches, heavy machinery and functioning engines always had its dangers; but it was the fruits of those dangerous labours that made victory all the sweeter.
Once she was back in her own bedroom she rummaged through the drawers, trying to find something decent to wear. She tossed things from the drawers, displaying little concern as a pile started on her bed.
"Ah-ha!" she exclaimed, pulling a particular piece out of the drawers, tossing it onto the top of the dresser before moving down a few drawers for some pants. It never took her long to get dressed; she didn't give too much thought to what she wore because as soon as she started working it would get dirty. She decided on a pair of dark wash, low-rise jeans, her favourite brown, steel-capped boots and a plain, black V-neck shirt made of stretch cotton. The fine, white gold chain she wore was easily visible against her collarbone; a plain and unembellished cross that her grandmother had passed down to her adorned on it. Tessa was not religious by any stretch of the imagination, but her Gran had been; and left the cross to her only granddaughter in her will several years ago.
While shutters enclose,
The boundaries of my heart,
I hold my breath,
Till the steady beating is shut out.
The sound of her cell phone going off drew Tessa's attention to the kitchen, and she near fell over herself to get there before "The Truth of My Perception" by As I Lay Dying stopped playing from it. She checked the caller I.D and couldn't help but smile as she answered it.
"Hey Riley." She greeted happily, a smile evident in her voice as she ran her fingers through her damp hair.
"Hey beautiful." Came a familiar baritone voice through the phone, a chuckle clearly underlying the response, "Didn't you have that job interview today?"
She scoffed at the question, massaging her temple with her free hand as she leaned against the kitchen counter. "Yeah…it was certainly…interesting, I'll give it that."
"How so? What happened?"
Tess sighed as she recalled the day's events. "Well, I can't really tell you much because it's…I dunno…something classified or something…But, it did go well. In fact, I'm going to be staying on site for a few days; doing a late shift trial. Hopefully they'll take me on." She picked at a bit of dirt under her nails as she chewed the inside of her cheek. Riley gave a distinct snicker on the end of the line.
"I don't think the world is ready to take you on, Teresa Cecily Jackson" he snorted, Tessa groaning as her full name was slapped in her face. Then she realized that Riley was talking to someone on the other end of the line, "What sweetie…? You want…? Okay…alright I'll ask her honey." Then his voice grew louder as he spoke into the mouthpiece. "Lucy wants to say hi to you."
Tess could almost feel her face light up at the thought of the adorable five-year-old. "Sure thing put her on!"
There was a minor scuffle as the phone exchanged hands, and then the sound of a child breathing came into earshot. "Aunt Tessie?" The woman on the other end of the line felt her heart swell at hearing her niece's voice. Riley was Tessa's eldest brother who was quickly approaching 32, a fact that she just loved to jest at him about. He lived with his wife, Emma, his gorgeous daughter Lucy, and they had a new little boy on the way; that they planned to call Thomas.
"Hey there Lulu, how are you baby girl?" she gushed excitedly, her voice raising an octave or two as she spoke to the child.
"We miss you Aunt Tessie! Mommy will be having Thomas soon! Will you come and visit him?" Lucy asked. Tess could hear Emma in the background talking to the child, a smile clearly evident in her voice. Tessa gave a giggle at the small child's tone of voice, so full of innocent curiosity. It made her chest swell with love at the sound.
"Of course I will baby girl! Aunt Tessie just started a new job, so I'll be able to see you guys as soon as I get time off work, okay gorgeous?" she chimed happily. The little girl responded with a cute, high pitched "uh-huh" before Tessa continued to talk. "I need you to tell Mommy and Daddy that I have to go baby girl, okay? I have to go and fix some cars. I'll talk to you soon, sweetheart."
"Okay!" there was a distinguishable sound of conversation in the back ground before Lucy returned to the phone. "Mommy and Daddy say bye! Love you, Aunt Tessie!"
"I love you too, Lulu. Bye, bye."
Hanging up the cell, she slid it into her pocket and ran her hands through her damp, wavy auburn locks. Deciding she'd better brush it before it started to dry too much she made her way back to her room and picked up the cushioned paddle brush; running it roughly through the tousled mane. She pulled out a small toiletry bag from under her bed and stuffed it with the necessary essentials for the next few days she would be at N.E.S.T's location. Then she pulled out the old roller suitcase out from the closet and threw in the pile of clothes she had previously tossed onto her bed, not really caring what it was that was being crammed into the case. Leaving the two cases sealed and sorted for her ride later that evening, she headed through her kitchen and into her garage; her fingers tingling with that familiar itch. A dilapidated old, blue 1967 Plymouth Valiant sat waiting in its usual spot, the hood popped and ready for her to begin her work. Pulling the navy blue, trade jumpsuit from the hook on the wall and yanked it on over the top of her clothes; then she took her toolbox off the workbench, pulled up a seat and began to tinker and fix; the hours slowly slipping by without her notice.
Tessa had become so lost in her work, that she near jumped five feet when she heard a banging at the garage door. She pushed the button for the automated sheet of metal to lift up, and reveal the bald, dark skinned man she'd seen talking to Lennox when she'd arrived for her interview earlier that day. She looked surprised, and then realized that she was staring rather blankly. Snapping out of it, she tried to cover up her impolite behaviour.
"Oh! Hello. I'm Tessa Jackson!" she exclaimed, holding out her hand to shake his. Then she noticed it was marred with grease spots, her fingernails stained black around the cuticle with the oily substance. She grabbed the cloth from her back pocket to wipe them on and then tried to wipe the remaining grime off onto the jumpsuit before holding out her hand again with an awkward smile and a shrug. "Sorry about that, grease-monkey's hands."
The man, who was roughly about half a head taller than her, smile and clasped her hand without any hesitation; a fact that both surprised and impressed her. Most people were put off by the general grubbiness of her fingers; and the fact that she always smelled like grinder sparks and metal.
"Don't worry about it. I'm Robert Epps; Lennox sent me to pick you up. You ready to go?" he asked, looking behind her into the garage; an appreciative look crossing his face as he spotted the car.
Tessa's eyes widened in shock at his question, "What? It's 7:00 already?" Epps looked at the watch on his wrist and gave a distinctive nod, raising his head to look at her again. She grabbed at her hair in frustration. "Oh man! I'm so sorry, I let time get away from me; I'll get my bags; just give me a minute."
Epps waved her off leaning casually against the frame of the garage with a laugh. "Not a problem. Take your time." He was dressed in military camouflage, with a red beret on his head; obviously some semblance of a military achievement. Giving a smile, Tess turned and went back into the house to gather her things before taking a few packets of Skittles; one of them already opened, from the pantry on her way through. She checked all the doors were locked, turned on the safety switch in the garage and locked the door to the kitchen behind her. "Okay; ready when you are, sir."
He gave a laughed and moved to exit the garage, turning to look at her as they walked. "Please, just Epps. You're not a part of the army; you don't need to call me sir." As Tessa turned to press the button on her keys to close the garage door, Epps took her suitcase out of her hand and she smiled up at him in response.
"Really? Thank you si-I mean…uh…Epps. Sorry, I guess I just…I think it's because I'm not part of the army that I don't know what to call everyone. I don't know any of the protocols and I don't want to insult anyone by accident; all of this is…new to me."
Placing her gear into the back of the large military truck, Epps climbed into the driver's side and opened the door for her to do so at the other side. Once she was safely buckled in he started the behemoth vehicle and put it into gear before he turned to reply to her, the truck rumbling in its stationary position. He noticed the slight clench in her fingers around the handle of her toolbox, proof that despite her apparently composed exterior; she was still a nervous little girl in the wake of something new and scary. This made him smile.
"Don't worry about it kid. We'll have you up to speed in no time. Nobody knows it all on the first day; all you need to worry about is fixing up the Autobo…the uh-automobiles, a'ight?" He cringed at his slip-up; having near provided her with information she wasn't supposed to know. It was dangerous just how easy it felt to trust her; little more than a kid whose only concern was what she was fixing with her hands. However to his relief, she seemed not to notice, or at least pretended not to; instead nodding in agreement to his statement. That was when Epps remembered Lennox quoting what she'd said to him in the interview.
"Anything you don't want me to see…consider it not seen."
This made him smile. She was either incredibly trustworthy or pretending to be; and as he noticed her pick up the black cloth from the dashboard he decided in his mind that it was probably the former. Because she held the fabric up and smiled at him with an understanding, almost cheeky smirk.
"Blindfolded right?" she asked.
He nodded, pulling the truck away from the curb. "Yup. Sorry kid; regulation until they decide to trust you themselves."
"No, it's okay. At least this time…" she grinned as she pulled a bag of already opened Skittles from her pocket and resting them on the console between them before knotting the blindfold over her eyes securely, "…I get to eat my Skittles."
Epps couldn't help but laugh. "Girl, I think you'll fit in just fine around N.E.S.T. Let me tell you, once you've settled in…it definitely ain't gonna be boring."
She grinned in response, but looked rather silly doing so because she kept her face straight ahead. Fumbling her hand around on the middle console, she picked a few lollies out of the packaging and popped them into her mouth, chewing them with relish. "Feel free to take some; I have stacks." She heard him do so, and an almost amicable silence fell between the two as they headed for base; and not once did Tess try to peek under the blindfold.
This time, she was on her best behaviour because she knew at the end of the trip; there were several gorgeous vehicles just waiting for her attention…