Chapter: 8
"Why won't you come with us?" I asked my mother in disbelieve at her rejection. I just wanted to spend some mother-daughter quality time together, like we use to.
"Because," she sighed, "I don't want you to have to explain three cars being with you, it'll be hard enough with just the two."
"Maybe I can get Jared to help me?" I offered, staring at her hopelessly.
"Jared," she muttered, "How is that immature jokester?"
I laughed. 'That immature jokester'? That's a new one.
"He's doing fine, he made it into the police department." I informed.
"Wow, that's unexpected, I thought you said that he was going to get bit in the butt by Avalanche if he tried?" She asked with a laugh.
"Yeah, about that... I just didn't want him to never be able to hang out with me again." I confessed, that 'dream' happened a very long time ago.
"Ah, I told your father that you had some of him in you other than his nose." She laughed and I joined in with my own laughter. Even Prowl and Jazz let a chuckle slip.
"I do, don't I?" I joked, "Well, looks like this'll be our little secret, eh?"
I just couldn't resist adding the last part in, because she always had scolded Jared for slurring 'this' and 'will' and she hated it when he talked that way.
"Hey," she noticed what I was attempting to do, "That's one of the reasons why I didn't like him."
"Too bad, I sorta adopted that from him." I countered.
"Sorry to interrupt," My mother's radio transferred Jazz's voice, "But we are behind schedule now."
"Well, I guess this is goodbye, then." I began unwillingly.
"Don't worry," my mother reassured, "I'll come around for the holidays to visit you."
I gave her a smile before I turned around and raced back the way I had came. Once outside, I turned and waved. She smiled and waved back.
I slipped into Prowl's passenger seat and buckled myself in with a yawn. Prowl noticed that I was tired and decided to, slowly, lean the passenger's seat backward.
"Go ahead and take a nap, we'll be on the road for awhile." He advised softly. I nodded my head drowsily before my eyelids slid down and I was fast asleep.
"Hey, wake up, we're in the town we found you in, where do you want us to take you?" Prowl's voice cut into my dreams.
"Hmmm...?" I moaned, turning onto my back as he started to bring the seat back up. "Uh... Jared's house, he's probably worried sick."
"Where is Jared's house?" Prowl asked with both irritation and amusement.
"Oh, that's right, you don't know." I giggled to myself before telling Prowl Jared's address.
"Okay," Prowl announced, "We'll be there shortly."
Once we pulled up in front of Jared's yard we were rewarded with both the police cruiser and his everyday car being parked in his driveway.
Prowl and Jazz parked at the curb in front of Jared's house and I got out, rushing over to knock on his door. I knocked the same way I always did, but Jared still looked through the blinds to see who it was.
"Hello?" He asked, his face twisting up with a questioning expression.
"Hey, Jared, it's me, Alexis." I supplied as I shifted weight from one foot to another.
Jared opened the door, but he wasn't staring at me, he was staring at Prowl and Jazz.
"What are they doing here?" Jared asked tightly, not taking his eyes off of Prowl.
"Apparently the Autobots think I need a guardian," I began, "So I have two."
"Why two? And why would you need a guardian?" Jared asked, staring daggers into Prowl's alternative form.
"I don't know the answer to either of those questions." I answered truthfully, "At lest, not that I'm sure of..."
Jared dragged his glare from Prowl and Jazz to look at me with sorrow in his eyes, a pleading look that I hardly ever see him using. I knew something had to be wrong, but what?
It was then I noticed that he was wearing a long sleeved jacket that was his lightest one he owned, but it was still too hot out for long sleeves.
What could he be hiding? And what would be worth hiding from me, I thought to myself.
"Why are you wearing a jacket, it's too hot out for that?" I asked him, sticking my arm inside to find that it wasn't much cooler inside than it was outside. "Silly, your going to give yourself a stroke."
He motioned me inside and I stepped in and made my way to his living room. I sat down on the couch as he entered and I stared at him questioningly.
"Can I get you something to eat or drink?" He asked nervously as he shifted weight from one foot to the other.
My stomach growled and I answered with, "Sure, but something quick to make, like a sandwich or something."
"I'll be right back." He promised before he disappeared into his kitchen to prepare a snack for his guest. I waited patiently for him to return so I could ask him my questions I had about how different he seemed to be acting.
He soon returned with two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and he handed the plate to me before he handed me a glass of cold milk. I nodded my thanks before digging into the first sandwich, savoring the flavor of real food, and not junk food.
Once I was finished with the first one I took a good drink of the cold milk before starting on the second one. Jared chuckled and I stopped and looked up to see him smiling. I swallowed my mouthful and asked him suspiciously, "What?"
"Oh, nothing," He laughed, "just the fact that you normally complain about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and only ever eat one."
"You usually complain about the heat and have it so cold in your house it could snow." I countered before stuffing the last of the sandwich into my mouth and drinking the rest of the milk.
"Well, we need to talk."
"I agree," I shifted on the couch so he could sit down and patted the cushion next to me. He sat down with a sigh, shifting around to face me so we could see each other as we talked. "Let's begin with why your wearing a jacket and your air conditioner isn't on, thus making your house a boiler?"
He sighed. "My air conditioner was sabotaged last night."
"By who?"
"I don't know," he looked at his right arm, then sighed as he pushed the jackets' sleeve up to expose a metallic tattoo, "but it's probably the same person who gave me this."
Jared had a silver medal tattoo of the Decepticons insignia branded on his right arm in the middle of his first muscle that was just below his shoulder.
Author's Note: Sorry about the long time it took for me to finally get this one up. I finally got Internet connection again. As always, I wish to thank those who reviewed, and i hope you will do so with this chapter, too. Thanks for putting up with my long delay.
