Hey, everybody! Still alive, still active. It's been pretty hectic in my life recently, but hopefully things are starting to get back on track. I'm not giving up just yet - sometime in the future, maybe, but that time is not now.
And with that out of the way, here's chapter nine. Enjoy it, and please review!
Simple Acts
My Deliberations
I didn't know that it was so cold
And you need someone to show you the way
So I took your hand and we figured out
That when the time comes
I'd take you away
"All You Wanted" - Michelle Branch
xxXxx
"You wanna what?"
The shout was so loud and so sudden that Smokescreen and Johnny both jumped slightly. Even Magnus looked as though he hadn't been expecting it, much less from his son of all people.
At the moment, Josh's face was a one-of-a-kind perfect mixture of shock, incredulity, and bewilderment. His eyes were stretched open practically to dinner plate-size, and his jaw had dropped farther than any of the other three people in the room had thought possible. Johnny couldn't explain why, but the look on the other boy's brought to mind the image of a monkey – the kind with big, bulgy eyes and mouths that opened so far that they were practically half the size of the creature's head.
It was more than enough to send Johnny into complete hysterics. He laughed loud and long, and so violently that Smokescreen had to grab onto the back of his chair to keep it from falling over. That wasn't to say the young Autobot wasn't amused; he snickering right along with his soon-to-be ward. All the while, Ultra Magnus watched calmly from his desk. He found the whole spectacle to be oddly enjoyable, in a way.
After a little while, Johnny's laughs finally gave way to deep breaths and weaker chuckles. He gripped his knees to stabilize himself while he took in all the oxygen that he could. Tears of mirth had run from his eyes, leaving faint dark streaks down both sides of his cheeks. "Thank – thank you, Josh," Johnny gasped slightly. "I needed that."
"You good?" Smokescreen looked down at him with a wry smile. Johnny nodded, and Smokescreen released his grip on the boy's chair.
"Okay, fine, fine. Laugh it up," Josh waved his hand, and then in an instant he was all business again. "But seriously, you wanna what?" He looked up at Smokescreen with awestruck eyes.
"What, you didn't hear it the first time I said it?" The Autobot jabbed at Josh playfully. "Alright, pay attention this time – I want to foster Johnny." He smiled warmly down at the boy he'd grown so very fond of, and received a grateful smile in return. It made his spark surge with joy – he liked that boy's smiles. He'd have to make sure to see more of them in the future. "We talked about it on the ride over here, and we decided we'd give it a shot. I mean, I don't mean to speak for you, buddy, but-"
"It's fine," Johnny assured him. "I'll give it, a chance. I want to."
"Guys..." Josh started, at a loss for words. "This is... this is huge! I mean, I never thought Smokescreen would – and no one deserves it more than – this is awesome!" He was practically giddy with excitement, arms spread wide and a big jolly grin evident on his face. The sight of it made Johnny and Smokescreen laugh once more, and Ultra Magnus chuckled deeply as well.
"Yes, it was a surprise to me as well," Magnus admitted, drawing their attention to him. "But from what Smokescreen has told me-" He turned to face the Autobot in question, who sat up a little straighter in response. "-he appears to be very sincere in his request."
"Completely, I swear," Smokescreen replied firmly. "Whatever it takes, I'll do it. Just point me the right way, and I'll sprint there, Magnus."
"Sir," Magnus corrected him, more out of habit than anything else. "And I'm quite pleased to see just how dedicated you are to this. I assure you, the process will be frustrating at times, and it will be tedious. But if you truly can see it through to the end..." The leader turned to face his son with a loving smile. "Then it will be worth every second you spend."
The joyous look on Josh's face warmed Johnny's heart and filled him with longing at the same time. For a long time now, he'd forced himself not to look too closely at parents and their children. All it did was remind him of his own messed up home life, and Lord knew he didn't need any more things to get him down.
That feeling of longing hadn't really changed over the years, but now Johnny finally had a chance to do something about it. There was finally an open door for him amidst all of the shut and locked ones. Where it led, he had no way of knowing, but he was tired of wandering around and waiting for an opportunity that never bothered to show itself.
Did Smokescreen feel the same way? Johnny couldn't help but wonder.
"Now, down to the point," Magnus continued, growing firm and business-like. Johnny could sort of see the change in the way the Autobot sat, and the way he looked at the three others before him. "Smokescreen, Prowl has informed me that he has spoken to you about the fostering process. Is that correct?"
"Yeah," Smokescreen nodded. "He gave me the basics. I was kind of hoping you could give me a clearer picture of what to expect here, though."
"I can indeed. But it will be a long explanation, and we have other matters to speak of as well. We'll have that discussion later. As for you, Jonathan..." Magnus' gaze turned to the young man. "Once the process begins, you'll be required to stay in an already approved foster home until Smokescreen completes his part of the work. So please understand that you won't be allowed to continue living in your own home."
"Got it," Johnny said. "But where will I...?" He trailed off as his mind locked up again.
Fortunately, Smokescreen had understood the question. "The youth sector, probably. Just for a little while, until everything's done and official. Maybe a few weeks."
A few weeks... That didn't sit well with Johnny. It was foolish, probably, to not want to be alone for that time. He'd already been alone for much longer, after all. Maybe it was the unfamiliarity of the idea – he knew what it was like to be by himself in his own home, and he knew, at least a bit, what living with Smokescreen would be like. But he knew little about the youth sector. "What's it like there?" Johnny asked.
"Don't worry, it's actually not a bad place," Josh answered. "I had to stay there for a while back when Dad was working on his own application. The 'Bots there are really nice, and they'll make sure you're taken care of. Trust me, you could live someplace a lot worse."
Johnny mulled over that and sighed, fingers still pressed up against his head. "Okay. I don't – I'm still not sure, but I guess, guess if it's only for a little – while."
"Totally. And don't worry, me and some of the others will make sure to swing by when we get the chance," Josh reassured Johnny with a friendly pat on the leg.
"You'll likely have to depart sometime in the next few days, soldier," Magnus added. "So start thinking about what you'll need to take with you. They'll have living facilities there, so you won't need to bring anything like a bed. Josh can be of assistance there, I'm sure." He turned to glance at his son, who gave him a firm thumbs up in response.
"Furthermore, there are some mechs who wish to make your acquaintance in the coming days. I figured I would inform you of this ahead of time, so you would be able to prepare adequately." Magnus picked up a datapad and turned it to allow Johnny to see. It currently displayed the images of three different Cybertronians, all Autobots. "I believe you've already met Bluestreak, but I haven't heard from the other two."
Indeed, Bluestreak was one of the three mechs being shown to Johnny. His friendly but cocky smirk was captured in a small portrait next to a larger full-body image that slowly rotated on a vertical axis. Johnny looked next to the second, an austere-looking white and black-colored mech bearing a yellow visor and a star on his chest with the Autobot insignia within it. "Who's that?" Johnny asked, pointing to the 'Bot in question.
"That's Prowler!" Smokescreen chimed in. "Remember, I told you about him?"
Johnny searched his mind for a brief moment before locating the memory. "Oh, yeah. He's the stick in, in the mud, isn't he?"
Josh's sudden whoop of laughter caused Johnny to jump in his seat slightly. "Stick in the mud? Yeah, sounds about right!"
"He's also your godfather, Joshua," Magnus countered with what could have only been practiced timing. "So I'd be careful about saying things you don't wish for him to hear." Josh slunk down into his seat a bit, and Smokescreen chuckled softly.
Godfather, huh? Johnny would have to ask about that sometime. And Prowl... Johnny prayed that the mech in question would take kindly to him.
Johnny moved onto the third and final robot on display – a hulking, broad-bodied green mech whose large chin piece made discerning his expression difficult. Johnny couldn't help but think him fearsome, and his nerves began to spark once more. "Who's this? He scares me."
"Who...?" Smokescreen said, looking down at the datapad in confusion. After a brief moment, his perplexed expression gave way to a grin. "Oh, don't worry. That's just Bulkhead! You know, my roommate?"
Realizing what that meant, Johnny's stomach dropped. "Your... roommate?" He gasped. Of course there had to be a catch. Smokescreen's roommate just had to be a gigantic monster of a mech – and if everything went to plan, Johnny would be living with him, too. Johnny's face pulled back into a terrified grimace at the thought.
The sight of Johnny's distress made Smokescreen frown. "Hey, come on, buddy. Don't be a downer," he chided the boy. "You've never even met him! Take it from somebody who knows, Bulk's a really sweet guy once you've gotten to know him. He may look all big and tough – and I guess he kinda is – but he's a great friend, and I know you'll hit it off if you give him the chance." The Autobot smiled, hoping to soothe the boy's tattered nerves even a little.
"Smokes is right, Johnny," Josh added. "I mean, I don't really see Bulkhead that much, maybe every few months, but he's real friendly and a ton of fun. He's the last person you should be scared of, trust me."
Johnny gulped and stared at the image of the large Autobot once more. On second glance, he didn't look particularly unfriendly. More than anything else he just looked sort of intimidating, and Johnny reminded himself that that wasn't a fair assessment of whether or not he should be scared of somebody. He'd even been scared of the Velgers once, when he'd first met them, but now he couldn't imagine what his life would be like if he hadn't. Would he even still be alive?
Johnny ruminated on everything he'd heard, and reached a verdict. "Okay, I'll give him, a shot," he decided.
Smokescreen grinned, Josh gave him a firm pat on the back, and Magnus nodded in approval. "Excellent choice, Jonathan. I think the two of you will have more in common than you realize." His voice had a knowing tone, as if there was something he wasn't telling Johnny, but it was gone in an instant. "Now then, Smokescreen, I believe this would be a good time to discuss the fostering process in depth as you asked. Joshua and Jonathan, you may want to leave now. I suspect this will be rather dull for the two of you, and there's no reason for either of you to know it."
"I'm game for heading back to my room and hanging out," Josh agreed. He rose to his feet. "Yo, Johnny. Wanna come along? We could play some Mario Kart."
"Uh, sure. Just give – give me a minute to make a call first," the other boy agreed. The two left without another word, leaving Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen alone in the former's study. They turned to face one another, visages shifting to the situation. Magnus' gaze became firm and steely, determined to analyze the mech before him as thoroughly as possible to ensure that he held no doubts about this endeavor. If Smokescreen truly wanted this, he couldn't afford to second-guess himself. Magnus himself had learned that from his experiences with Josh.
Smokescreen's face had firmed as well. He had to show Ultra Magnus just how much he wanted this to happen. To what lengths he'd be willing to go in order to make this dream a reality.
"So now, Smokescreen wants, uh, to foster me, and I'll – I'll be going into the youth sector, for a while and I just needed... I just needed to tell somebody," Johnny spoke into his cell phone. At the moment, he was just outside Josh's room. The other boy had already gone inside, and was presently waiting for his friend before they could begin. "So what do you, you think?" He asked quietly. The person on the other line had been quiet for a while now, and Johnny was feeling unnerved.
"Seriously? That's great, buddy!" Mr. Velger crowed at last, so loudly that Johnny had to pull the phone away quickly. "We've been hoping you'd get out of that house for years, and now you are! It's about time you got a break like this, kid. Take advantage of it!"
"I will," Johnny promised. "But I have to ask. You're not, angry at me for this, are you?"
There was another pause. Johnny couldn't imagine what kind of face Mr. Velger could have been making. "Angry? What do you mean? Why on Earth would I be angry?"
Johnny scuffed his feet on the floor, a clear sign of discomfort. "Well... you guys have, um, you've offered to take me in before, a lot actually, and I always – I said I didn't want that. But now I do, and I'm asking somebody, else and not you. I just don't know if – if that's something to be getting upset about." That wasn't wrong – the Velgers had suggested many times over the years that Johnny should move in with them. On paper, it made sense; they liked Johnny, Johnny liked them, and Primus knew he needed the attention of somebody else.
But the boy had always said no. Every time, he'd rejected their offer, electing instead to stay in the solitary confinement that was his own home. Even Johnny himself wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe he was worried about what his parents would think if they caught wind of the change. Maybe he was simply never ready for a commitment like that. The offers stopped coming eventually, as the Velgers finally accepted that Johnny wasn't interested.
And now he was calling them, saying that he'd accepted the same from somebody else – somebody that Johnny doubted they'd ever even met before. The Velgers were warm and caring people, but Johnny couldn't help but feel as though this would have to sting.
Mr. Velger let out a long sigh over the phone. "Kid... do you remember the first time we asked if you wanted to stay with us?" He asked wistfully. Johnny did indeed – he'd been eleven, and after a homework session with Val ended with Johnny on the floor writhing with a headache, the girl had immediately gone back and told the elder Velgers about it. The offer itself had come later that night, in the form of a visit from Aaron and Whitney.
Johnny had been floored when they said they wished to take him in. At the time, he couldn't conceive why they'd go to such lengths for him. Perhaps that was part of why he'd refused, and more vehemently than he'd have liked to in retrospect. But they had honored his decision, if sorrowfully, and allowed him to stay. They made sure to come around a lot more often after that, however.
"I remember," Johnny replied. "I raised a... a fuss over it."
Mr. Velger chuckled. "That you did, kiddo. I guess I get it looking back. You just weren't ready to give up on your parents yet. Somewhere in that big heart of yours you were still counting on them."
"I guess I was a lot, a lot stupider back then."
"Don't say stuff like that, Johnny. You've been put down enough as it is." The chastisement came though loud and clear. "And I wouldn't say stupider at all. I'd say hopeful. That's good – the world needs more people like that.
"Look, the point here – what I'm really trying to say here, Johnny – is that the right people at the wrong time doesn't magically make them the right people." Mr. Velger's voice took on a sad wisdom. "We wanted to take care of you, we really did. But you weren't ready to be taken care of. That sucks, and it does hurt, but it's not your fault. It just... wasn't in the cards."
Johnny was silent for a little while as he processed all of that. "I still, I still feel like I've rejected you," he admitted softly.
"Buddy, listen here. You haven't 'rejected' us until you've turned away and forgotten everything we've told you. It's been a blast getting to know you, Johnny, and you'll always be our third kid. You were just... never meant to actually be our third kid."
Something about that sparked a mix of both joy and sadness inside Johnny. He could feel tears pooling up underneath his eyes, and he wiped them away slowly. "So, we're okay?" He asked. His voice was quiet with hope.
The joy and pride in Mr. Velger's response shone through clear as day. "Kid, we've never been anything else. Just don't forget to swing by every now and then, okay?"
Smiling widely, Johnny nodded. "I promise."
"Awesome. Now, about this Smokescreen fella. Give me some details. Whitney and I are dying to hear about him."
Johnny shook his head in amusement. "I'm keeping a buddy of mine waiting here, so I'll give you the bare minimum for now," he said. He counted off everything he listed on his fingers as he spoke. "Autobot, works for Magnus, two older brothers, and really nice. I think – think he really wants to take care, of me."
"I guess that'll do for now," Mr. Velger permitted. "You think you can trust him, or do we have to step in here?"
"No, he's been wonderful," Johnny answered immediately. "And I'm still... still nervous, but I want to try. And so does he."
"Good to hear. Just don't forget about us, okay? We love you, Johnny. All of us."
"...I know. Thanks." They hung up simultaneously.
Johnny strolled into Josh's room. The other boy already had the game loaded up to the character screen. "Took you a while, buddy," Josh ribbed. "Who'd you call?"
A nostalgic smile spread across Johnny's face. "An old friend."
Josh cocked his head thoughtfully and hmmed in consideration. "You'll have to introduce us sometime. For now-" He waved a Wii Remote and Nunchuck for Johnny. "We game. Who do you want?"
"...I'll say Roy. He's my, ah, lucky charm."
And that's all for this time around. The next few chapters are all about Johnny getting to know the people who are itching to meet him. I'll try to get them out sometime soon, but as always I guarantee nothing.
But I will see you all again, I can promise that.
Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.
