Hey everybody! I'm so sorry for the long wait, I will admit I sort of abandoned this story because I hate having two stories in the works, and my attention was focused more on my previous, now completed story, as well as writing my current main story. However, I feel like you more than deserve this, as you've waited for SO long. So here you all go! I hoped you all thoroughly, sincerely enjoy!
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"Shit!" Jess yelled, her voice travelling over the long wheat fields around her.
Ollie stood beside Jess, looking up and down the road, watching over her with interest. She'd gotten spare last period, so she went home to drop her stuff off, only to find one of her neighbors' dogs, Loddie, in her driveway. She slipped Ollie into the back seat, used her extra leash to get Loddie and placed her in the Jeep, then drove her home. It was about a thirty minute drive, but she'd dog-sat Loddie and her brother Frizz once so she knew where they lived.
However, on the drive home, about ten minutes into heading back, she almost ran over a porcupine in the road, and her wheel popped when the animal launched its quill in order to save itself. Thankfully, she managed to swerve around it, not hitting the animal, but she almost lost control of the Jeep. Thankfully managed to keep the wheel, but ended up ruining her tire, and in her attempt to gain control back, she'd taken her passenger side mirror of by clipping a power line pole. On top of that, she slammed into another power line pole. Now, she was stuck on the side of the road, with a ruined tire, a completely dented hood, a missing passenger mirror, and at least a forty five minute walk back to town.
"Son of a bitch!" she yelled, listening to her voice echo.
And the worst part was her cell phone was at about ten percent when she got home so she, being the idiot she was, convinced herself that a phone on ten percent battery could make an hour Jeep ride so that she could plug it in at Sarah's, but it died just after she left her neighbor's place, so now it was useless.
"Ah, fuck me!" she screamed.
Suddenly, there was a large honk, the honk of an air horn from a tractor trailer.
She turned to see a red truck - what looked like a Peterbilt - coming down the road. It took her a second, seeing as in town her Dad was the only one with a truck, but she realized it wasn't a red truck, it was red and blue. Optimus.
He slowed until he reached her, and rolled the deeply tinted window down.
"You need a ride Jessica?" he asked.
Ollie barked at him once, but Jess touched in between his shoulder blades, and he calmed down, however still watched Optimus carefully.
Frustrated, she sighed. "Preferably."
He smiled. "You know what, hold on a second."
He hopped out of his truck, closing the door behind him, and rolled the sleeves of his plaid shirt up to his elbows, then grabbed the front bumper. She watched him pull the Jeep the back of his truck, and hooked him up, making sure that he was in neutral.
"There. When we get to the house I can put your spare tire back on for you, and help you with the hood. I'm sure we can find and install a new mirror. The tire on the back of your Jeep will fit, correct?" he asked.
Jess nodded. "Yeah, it's the right one. Thanks Optimus." she smiled.
"It's of no trouble. Come on, get in." he smiled.
Ollie followed her around the truck and she got in, inviting him in too, and closing the door behind him.
Optimus had gotten in as well, but paused. "Hold on, why don't you come drive? I've been curious to see how well you can." he offered.
"Really?" she smiled, the look of frustration being replace instantly.
He nodded, getting out of his seat to round the truck. She scootched over, buckling up and as Optimus got in the other side, closing the door and doing the same thing.
She smiled; she'd never driven a Peterbilt before, but she'd read online that they were good trucks.
She moved her chair forward to be able to reach the pedals, and moved everything around to make sure it all fit. She noticed Optimus watching her out of the corner of her eye.
"Okay." she mumbled to herself, and smiled when Ollie made a sound that was a cross of a whine and a groan.
She reached over, moving the gear shift; as if in surprise, the truck jolted a little. "Easy buddy." she whispered to him.
The engine growled loudly, and she rubbed her thumb over the top of the gear shift again.
"It's alright, relax." she mumbled, and put it into drive, starting to take off.
The truck grumbled, as if tired, but they pulled off from where Optimus had parked. She looked back to make sure her Jeep was still coming along with them. However, she still noticed that Optimus stared at her. The only difference was this time his stare was intense.
"What?" she asked, looking over at him.
"You treat m-my truck as if he's a person." Optimus noted.
"Well, that's because he is." she said, looking over at Optimus briefly. "He's got an attitude, a personality, habits, and likes and dislikes just like you and I. Just because he doesn't speak doesn't mean he's nothing besides an inanimate object." she shrugged.
"You believe the same about your Jeep?" he asked.
"Of course. Hasn't Annabelle told you about the Jeep's name?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Not as of yet."
She laughed. "I'm surprised. She calls him Darth Vader. He can be really mean to everyone who doesn't normally drive him, and he loves to sass me alot. But I've been driving him for a really long time, so I'm used to it."
He seemed to smile only a little bit or about a second and a half. "Well, you seem to be very responsive to...him." He seemed to hesitate when calling his truck a him.
She shrugged. "He's easy to handle... kind of like you a little. He's quiet; like he's thinking over everything and contemplating every action I make. Makes it easy to drive because whatever I do, he goes with it." she shrugged.
There was a loud honk from behind them, and she looked in the review mirror to see a silver Stingray Corvette.
"Who the hell..?"
"That is a comrade of mine. Just continue on your way, I'll speak to him at the house." Optimus said.
"Ooh, what's his codename?" she asked.
"Codename?" he asked.
She raised an eyebrow at him. "You're telling me that Ironhide and Optimus your real names? Or are they codenames given to you by the military?" she asked as she slowed the truck down to she entered the town.
He chuckled a little, but didn't answer as she pulled up to a red light. The Corvette pulled up beside them, and when the red light turned green, he took off, his tires squealing loudly. She took off slowly, and when they passed a group of young kids, she reached up and blew the air horn upon their request. When they reached the house, she slowed, making sure that she'd parked the truck correctly and straight so it was easier for Optimus to get out later, before hopping out. Ollie exited out after Optimus on that side, and Jess opened the Jeep to grab her bag.
However, she couldn't find her phone in her bag, and she knew she put it in there. She pushed herself up, bending over to check in between the seats, and moved her hand until she saw it glint from where it must have fallen onto the floor in front of the passenger seat. She stretched out to reach it, and slipped it into her back pocket, but her foot lost it's place and she almost fell back, off the Jeep.
Almost.
Instead, however, she landed in two largely built, muscular arms covered in plaid down to the elbow, his forearm tattered with odd looking tattoos; not enough to be off-putting, but enough to be noticeable. About three or four on his left arm, and two on his right. All in an unrecognizable writing, which was odd; Jess knew how to speak Mandarin, which is what the majority of those "Chinese tattoos" were written in.
"You okay?" he asked.
Blushing, she pushed herself away. "Uh-I-uh...yeah." she smiled. "Thanks."
His head tilted for a second. "Do you do that often?" he asked.
"Do-Do what?" she asked.
"You don't notice yourself do it, do you? You have a tendency to slip your hair behind your ear." he observed.
"Um.. no, no I've never noticed." she shrugged.
"I'll start working on your Jeep tomorrow. I believe the Lennoxs have tools in the garage to help me, and I can have Ironhide aid me as well." he said, and she nodded.
"Thanks, Optimus. And thanks for -uh, letting me drive your truck." she smiled.
"It was no bother. You're very good. Is driving trucks what you wish to do for a living?" he asked.
"Yeah, I uh.. I want to do long distance driving." she nodded.
"Why?" he asked. "Why long distance?"
"Uh, well I guess because this town. A lot of it reminds me of my Dad, because he's the only reason my Mom and I are here, so.." she shrugged.
"What about your father?" he asked.
She smiled. "That's a secret and a long story I don't think you're prepared to process. I never noticed you had tattoos. What do they say?"
This time, Optimus smiled. "That is a long story that I don't think you are prepared to take in."
"Oh, I see how it is; using my own words against me. Very crafty, sir." she giggled.
He smiled, his shoulders shaking once from a silent chuckle.
"Thanks Optimus, for everything. Especially picking me up. I would've been stuck walking an hour if you hadn't." she smiled.
"Again, it was no bother Jessica." he said.
"You can call me Jess, Optimus. Everybody else does." she shrugged.
"Do you prefer Jess over Jessica?" he asked.
Not when it comes out of your mouth, holy-
"No." she shook her head, stopping her thoughts.
Jesus Jess, he's like eight years older than you. she scolded herself.
She didn't know it, but he was way older than eight years older than her.
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Ollie groaned as he stretched his legs over Jess's lap, his head on the arm of the couch. Jess could hear Annabelle playing on the computer in the playroom upstairs. The TV was playing one of the Superman movies on mute, but Jess was focusing on her calculus homework.
Ollie had gone up with Annie originally, but came back down to lay with his human on the couch about thirty minutes ago. Jess could smell the chicken in the oven that Will had started before he and the boys had left to do some official military thing. Optimus had also taken her Jeep, saying he'd fix it for her while they were out.
She'd also met Sideswipe that day, the boy who drove the Corvette. He was about a year or two older than her, probably about twenty, but he was very... outspoken. As if he didn't have a filter to stop the words. He was very excited and happy. The exact opposite of Ironhide, and it was quite obvious that the two often got into disputes with each other, but their relationship suggested they were friendly jests often times.
Her phone dinged and the screen lit up, and she unlocked it.
Jess, I'm taking you driving tomorrow, don't forget.
It was from her step-Dad. She smiled; another long distance driving lesson! Score!
Can Annie come?
There was a pause, and she went back to homework. Knowing her Dad, he was probably trying to find the Y on the cell phone keyboard.
Yes, sure. was the response.
K, I'll see you tonight. she sent back.
Ollie suddenly groaned again as he got up and off the couch, and suddenly barked.
"What?" she asked.
He snarled, and suddenly she heard the sound of the smoke detectors going off.
"Annabelle!" she roared, running into the kitchen to turn the stove off, but it hadn't started from there.
Annabelle, knowing Jess very rarely yelled like that, came downstairs. "Yes?"
"You go outside and you wait by the road, ok?" she asked.
Annabelle nodded. "Okay."
Jess attached Ollie's leash onto his collar, and handed him to Annie, who listened to Jess and left the house to go to the road. Jess turned, shoving all her work into her bag and tossing it outside, then heading up to Annie's room. Nothing started from in there. She shoved all of Annie's clothes into a luggage she found in a closet, along with Annie's teddy bear.
Nothing in the master bedroom, although she shoed all of Will's clothes in a luggage, and threw that down the stairs. However, when she went back upstairs the playroom was ablaze. She could easily see it hadn't started from there, which meant there was only one place it could start. She ran downstairs, tossing the two luggage and her bag as far outside as she could. Annie stood on the opposite side of the road, holding Ollie's leash just like Jess had told her.
She moved down to the basement, to see it. The wood heater. Something had been placed on top of it, and obviously caught on fire, and the fire travelled up the vents to the playroom. The basement was a blaze as well, so she ran upstairs to see the west side of the house, and the kitchen in flames, but the living room wall was quickly catching. She quickly unplugged and grabbed her phone, and ran out of the house. She closed the door, grabbing the luggage and running to the opposite side of the road, her face covered in black smoke from the fire. She opened her phone.
"Good job Annie, you did good protecting Ollie for me." she smiled, crouching down to high five the little girl.
"Are you ok Jessy? You all... fiwe-y." she said, motioning to her face.
She chuckled. "I'm fine. I've got your clothes and teddy for you."
Her little face lit up. "Fank you Jessy." she said, hugging her.
Jess smiled, hugging her back briefly, before typing in 911 to the phone, but from the black dots filling her vision, she knew something was a little wrong.
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"Jess, Annie!"
Jess looked up from where she sat in the back of the ambulance with Annabelle, holding Ollie's head in her hands. She'd been diagnosed with mild smoke inhalation, and heatstroke, but nothing serious enough to warrant a visit to the hospital. The firefighters were still attempting to put the fire out, but hadn't been successful yet.
William ran up to Annabelle, hugging her.
"You ok, baby girl?" he asked.
"I okay, Daddy." she answered, and Jess smiled.
"Are you the father?" a police officer asked.
"Yes, Captain William Lennox, what happened?" he asked.
"Miss Robbins reported that the source of the fire was something placed on top of the wood heater in your basement. The flames travelled up the vents and took over the house from there. You're very lucky to have such a brave babysitter, sir." the officer said before walking away.
"What did you do?" Ironhide asked.
"I sent Annie and Ollie to the road, and went back in to save your clothes and find the source of the fire." she explained, pointing to the luggage beside them on the ground.
Will looked at her thankfully. "Thank you."
"Jessy saved teddy too!" Annie exclaimed, hugging the bear tighter. "She got in hay lay shun though." Annie said.
"What?" Will asked.
"I was diagnosed with mild smoke inhalation." she answered, petting Ollie's head.
"How did they know?" Will asked.
"I was seeing black spots." she answered.
Will sighed, but suddenly hugged her either way. "Thank you."
She smiled back at him.
"Are you okay Jessica?"
She almost smiled; there was only one person who called her Jessica with a voice that deep. She was surprised with how genuinely happy she was to see him in this situation though.
"I'm ok. Just going to be coughing for a bit." she answered, followed by a cough.
He stepped forward, and leaned down to bring his face beside her's.
"I managed to fix the Jeep." he whispered to her.
She smiled and looked at him in the face when he pulled back.
Thank you. she mouthed, then stood up and wrapped her arms around his torso. She felt his arms wrap around her, squeezing her tightly, and she sighed.
Oh, he smells so good. she thought, and smiled against his chest.
Why did he have to smell so good?
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Why do they always have to smell good guys? Whyyy? ;) I hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll see you either in the next update of my other story, Remembering What?, or if the Terror Twins aren't your thang, in the next update! Have a good one!