Chapter Four: Good Deeds, Bad Repercussions

The next day was one that Mikaela had off so her and Sam went on a date. That left October alone. In her small house she walked over to a wall filled with books. She was a loner so she was a bookworm. But today none of the titles seemed to appeal to her. The three book cases were side by side and only one and half was filled so she figured why not bike to the book store and get a few more books. The store was a twenty minute bike ride away and by the time she got there she had wished she had a car, if only for the AirConditioning in the eighty degree weather.

So taking it slow she got out her bike, added the attachment, then with an icy water bottle in the holder she headed off. Her head bobbed in time to music only she could hear. The volume that murmured though he head phones was so low she could barely hear it. It was low due to her want to hear if a car were to come screeching at her.

It was a lucking thing she did too. It was not the signs of screeching that caught her attention but the loud sound of a thrumming engine not planning to stop. pulling onto the shoulder of the road she waited for the car to pass. The van like vehicle of a police car sped passed her at illegal speeds.

Continuing on her way she made it to the bookstore and was glad for the air conditioned building. Finding several books was what she planned. But none of them held her interest. After meeting real live alien robots no title from sci-fi or any type of fiction caught her interest. Non-fiction had never been her thing before either. The hour wasted wandering around the large book store ended with her purchasing and insanely expensive book mark. It should be illegal how much they charge for a thin piece of paper with a bead attached to the sting at the end.

But the day was not lost yet, she stopped at the super market. While she refused to buy things that needed to be kept cold- the half hour bike ride from here would spoil it all in this heat- she still got several things she had needed. Fruits, waters, and other like necessities. As she was paying a lady with her daughter got in line behind her.

Today October's hair was pulled back in a braid for convince. It kept loose strands from flying out and possibly getting in her face or sticking to her sweaty skin and still covered her neck. The little girl grabbed a toy and set it on the conveyer belt, "I told you no, Annabelle! Stop doing this shit!" October held onto her card when the casher went to take it to scan. Holding up a finger the guy behind the register shrugged, he'd wait a minute if necessary. "God, you are such a brat."

October took the toy the little girl was about to cry over and bought it. The G. I. Joe doll in desert cammies cost her and extra six bucks, the guy behind the registers used his employee discount card for ten percent off. He too took pity on the little girl. Going outside October opened the doll and handed it to the sniffling child when she came out. The older sister or babysitter, for no mother would have treated their daughter in such a way- at least not in public, walked ahead of the lagging behind child.

The figure was held out to the little girl with blonde pigtails. Her blue eyes widened and she looked up at October. "Daddy." the girl said as she took the doll. Ah, so that was it. Her father must have been military. A car started up and then drove off but October saw the driver, who was on the phone.

"How do I contact your mother or father?" October asked as she watched the ditzy teen babysitter driving away. The small dark blue VW bug was getting smaller and smaller. The little girl just cocked her head to the side not knowing how to reply. "What's your name?"

"Anna! Anna! Anna!" she chanted. noticing a heart shaped necklace around the girls neck she opened the locket to find a picture of a male on one side and a name on the other.

"Anna Lennox. Your daddy and mommy are going to freak. How about we get you home?" Anna lifted her arms and October picked her up. Taking out her phone she called Sam but as soon as it rang one time she immediately hung up. This may be an emergency but she didn't want to disturb Sam and Mikaela on one of their few dates recently. Their work schedules had completely clashed and today they had both gotten off for this date.

There was someone else she could call though, a number that Bee had programmed into her phone yesterday. "Hey, Bumblebee, you're a robot with free wifi and unlimited access to nearly every database, right?"

"Yes, why do you ask, October?" His own voice said over the phone. while trying to speak he couldn't due to injuries but through communications such as this his internal database was unharmed so he could speak.

"I need to find a Lennox that's in the military." There was the sound of whirring on the other end like the robot was sputtering.

"Captain Lennox, what for?" Bee asked making sure to mask their conversation from not only the Decepticons but other Autobots too.

"He has a daughter, right?"

"Yes."

"Well his babysitter just abandoned her at the super market. If you can contact him I can be at the base in ten, maybe fifteen minutes." she knew that it was a lie and the fastest she could get there would be twenty minutes. "See you soon." she hung up on him and smiled at the little girl. "Lets go find your daddy." Pushing her cart to her bike she stuffed half of it with the food while putting the little girl in the second seat. Taking out a water that she had just bought she gave it to the girl.

It was the Poland Springs water that the top popped up like a water bottle instead of a normal plastic bottle. Already condensation was forming on the sides from the intense heat. "Thank." Anna said drinking graciously from the water bottle as October buckled her in. Anna seemed to think about something then held out the bottle back to October.

"No, sweetie. That's for you." From her pocket October withdrew a small pocket knife. She stabbed it into the case of water she had put in and opened it. "If you finish that and want more take all you need."

The Base was a half hour bike ride away from here at a semi leisurely pace. October was nearly racing, she kept a close eye on Anna though to make sure she was alright. But Anna just finished her water and began to play with her doll. Anna, having taken October's offer of taking all she needed went through the bags and found a thing of gummy fruit snacks.

Slowing down October stopped to go back and help Anna open it along with another bottle of water. Once the fruit gummies were opened October poured the water into the first sippy top bottle. The time flew after that and just as she was hitting the twenty minute mark she was outside the gates. The codes for all three were typed in slowly, she having memorized it because Sam had insisted on it, and then it was into the cooler hanger.

A man dressed in desert cammies paced back and forth. Bee had informed him of something happening with his daughter, just not what it was. October was laking, pushing the bike into the hanger when he noticed her. Anger swelled in him, did this girl have something to do with his daughter? If she laid even a finger on his precious little baby-

He ran up to her and lifted her up by the front of her shirt and slammed her into the hanger wall. Thwack! her head went against the wall. "Where is she, what did you do to her?" He hissed through tightly clenched teeth. This is why she didn't like human company. Or rather any company. people assumed things and in the end most times it was her that got hurt. Figuratively and literally. Mentally or physically.

The room seemed to spin and her eyes widened and her ear rang. He shoved her pretty damn hard. "Daddy!" little Anna cried happily, not realizing the danger her father posed to the girl that had basically saved her. William Lennox dropped October, who crumpled to the floor, and ran to his daughter.

As Lennox kissed his daughters face all around October forced herself up. She was going to be sick. she managed to get outside before nausea took over and she was on her hands and knees vomiting. Spots littered her vision and she had to sit back and she leaned against the wall.

Inside Anna told her father, as best as a three year old could, what happened. How mean Candice called her a brat, left her at the store. Then the nice girl saved her, gave her something to drink after Candy wouldn't and let her have a snack since Candy didn't want to. Guilt washed over Will when he realized he had attacked the girl that had saved his daughter.

Turning around he noticed she wasn't there anymore and became worried. Then relaxed, if she knew the codes to even get in then she would be fine with the Autobots. The sound of retching outside made him set Anna down. She went back to the seat that he had taken her from and withdrew a water bottle and a toy soldier. Looking outside he saw her lean back against the wall then he noticed immediately when she slumped and began to slide sideways. "Hey!" Lennox cried and moved to get to her.

But she bolted up right before grasping her head and leaning over. "Fuck, my head." Will helped her stand then into the hanger where them, and Anna, went into the second part of the hanger where the bots had been waiting. Anna ran to Ironhide who lifted her up in his hand. He didn't even notice the human girl that was on the verge of passing out again.

Ratchet did though. He scanned her and wondered how she got a concussion. It was a mild concussion but with the way Lennox was giving off guilty pheromones he had to wonder just what had happened. Shifting into his alternate form his holoform came to life and he helped Captain Lennox get her into the back of his vehicle. There, laying on the bed, she fell unconscious again.