AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Okay, this chapter focuses on the necklaces, Machshifter, and the relationships that aren't so much romantic—mainly the relationships the Ferguson's have with each other.
Next chapter focuses more on Clara and Sam, and the chapter after that is the girls and their protector bots.
=)
****
It honestly wasn't as hard for Clara to part with her necklace as she thought that it would be. Clara cared about Optimus so much that she was willing to do absolutely anything for him—including give up the one thing she thought connected her to her feelings for Sam. Strangely, Clara found herself still rather in tune with her emotions, but she couldn't help but feel that something was missing. Knowing this was really her last shot with her sisters, she headed to find them, not liking the determined looks on their faces and taking a deep breath. Clara knew her sisters well enough to know these looks, and she knew that an argument was about to ensue.
"What is it now?" Clara asked them. "You two look like you've come to a decision…one I'm not going to like."
Emma nodded. "You're definitely not going to like what it is we have to say."
"We're not giving the Autobots our necklaces, Clara. Look, we're sorry, but this just isn't our battle this time." Jenna explained with a shrug. "The necklaces were given to us, we like them, the Autobots don't need the energy source, and so we're keeping them."
Clara stared at her sisters in shock and suddenly felt rage bubbling up inside of her—how could they not give the necklaces back? The necklaces had only been bestowed on them for keeping until the right time came and not ever meant to be theirs to keep. She couldn't believe how selfish her sisters were being and thought they had quite the nerve to stand up to her and flat out refuse to help Optimus. What about the others? What about the Autobots that Jenna and Emma claimed to love so much?
"What the Hell is wrong with you two?" Clara ended up asking, her sisters throwing her angry glance. "This isn't just about some power that the necklaces give us! They were never ours to keep and our protectors need us right now! This is like spitting in all of the Autobots' faces! I mean come on, Emma! You really think Ironhide is going to be happy with you that you're ruining a chance at rebuilding Cybertron for them? And Jenna! Rachet is never going to see the logic in your choice or believe you to be compassionate for his future in anyway! And Optimus!"
"Yes, we know about your bond with your precious Optimus!" Jenna snapped, her eyes blazing. "For your information, they have no idea what this energy source even does, so don't get all righteous on us!"
Emma nodded defiantly. "Jenna's right—this energy source might have nothing to do with rebuilding anything…and who says we want them to go back if it does?"
"Unbelievable! You know what? Until you decide to be sisters again instead of selfish brats, don't talk to me." Clara replied, and she headed out of the room, going straight for Sam and Bumblebee, asking them to take her home.
A seventeen-year-old Clara found herself climbing up the side of the Witwicky house, trying hard to keep her grip. It was a lot more challenging than she had thought it would be, and yet when she made it onto the roof next to Sam's window, she felt pleased with herself. It was far too late to go knocking on the door, even though she knew that Mr. and Mrs. Witwicky would gladly let her in to see Sam if something was bothering her. Something was definitely bothering Clara but she didn't think it was important enough to wake up the entire Witwicky household.
"Sampson?" Clara whispered as she opened his window, thankful it was unlocked.
Sam stirred and yawned. "What the…?"
Clara laughed and got in the window, closing it behind her. "Sampson? I'm sorry to wake you but I need to rant, so it was come over or sulk by myself."
Sam nodded and lifted up the covers for her, letting her snuggle herself into him like it was natural to do so. Clara fit right into him even though he never took the time to notice, and she couldn't focus on that with the things that were on her mind. Lately it seemed like no matter what she did, things at home were just hectic, secretive and confusing, and only Sam seemed to get her…only Sam wouldn't judge her.
"What's wrong, Clarabear?" Sam asked her, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead before snuggling back into his pillow to try and doze and listen at the same time.
Clara took a deep breath. "Ever since Jenna and Emma started High School they've been driving me up the mother effing walls, Sampson! Today they actually blamed their teacher for giving them so much homework that they couldn't do their chores and I got stuck doing dishes for the fourth time this week! I have more homework than they do!"
"Technically it is the teacher's fault for the homework." Sam replied.
"Sampson, are you on my side or aren't you?" Clara asked him rather annoyed.
Sam opened his eyes and they made eye contact as he gave her the brother/sister peck on her lips. "I'm always on your side, Clarabear."
Noting the foul expression on her face, Sam knew he should just keep his mouth closed and take her home, but he was too curious. Glitcher pinched him, noting the look in his eyes and trying to keep him from upsetting his precious Clara. However, Glitcher hardly ever got Sam to shut his yap when he wanted him too, so when Sam opened his mouth, Glitcher made noises and got into the backseat of Bumblebee as he turned into the yellow Camaro.
"Clarabear? You mind telling me exactly what's going on here?" Sam asked her.
Clara looked at him. "What's going on here is my sisters are selfish, Optimus won't force them into anything and I want to go home! I don't feel loving, or accommodating or patient, and I just need to go and we have tests to take and I just…can we please go? Rachet can bring Jenna home, Emma's staying here, and I…please just take me home, Sampson?"
Sam really couldn't say 'no' to the look in Clara's eyes when her voice softened like that, so he nodded and they got into Bumblebee, heading away from New Jersey, going back home. Clara couldn't handle being at NEST anymore when suddenly what she was meant for was being stripped away from her, and she was still unable to comprehend why her sisters were being so unaccommodating. This wasn't how it used to be—this wasn't how the Ferguson's had once acted and Clara couldn't handle anything else crumbling around her…she had to fix this.
"You still want to get that apartment with Leo just off campus?" Clara asked Sam suddenly from the passenger seat, Sam glancing over at her, knowing Bumblebee would never let them crash and burn.
Sam nodded slowly. "Yeah, why?"
Clara looked up at him, their eyes meeting. "I want to move in with you."
**
Starscream was a little nervous about sending Machshifter out before he was completely ready, and Megatron actually seemed all right with that, which made Starscream even more nervous. Barricade had been sent out to watch over Clara, and now it seemed like all that was left to do was wait to attack at the right moment—especially when Barricade came back to report that Clara no longer had her necklace. Of course Megatron was furious, but Megatron stopped at nothing and a new plan formed in his mind.
"She must have given the necklace to her precious Optimus—what of the other two?" Megatron asked.
Barricade looked Megatron in the eye. "It seems the other one that lives with her still has hers…but Rachet is watching her closely—as is Glitcher."
Megatron snarled. "Don't mention that traitor's name in my presence, Barricade! He'll get his own in the end…what of the third?"
"The third is still not traceable entirely…but she has her necklace as well—Clara refuses to talk to either of them until they promise to give the necklaces to Optimus." Barricade explained. "Our best course of action at this point is to wait it out until Machshifter is ready for his test…wait until Clara is most vulnerable for capture."
Megatron really hated the notion of waiting, but he knew he couldn't screw things up after The Fallen had actually fallen, so it was in his best interest. Knowing that, he nodded slowly and then looked at Bonecrusher and Destroyer before allowing his attention to be brought back to Barricade. Barricade was the only one so far that had seen through with the plan that he was given, and Megatron had to admit that in the past it had been Barricade that was the most reliable…and Soundwave. In fact thinking on that, Megatron suddenly had a completely new plan—an almost fool proof one at that.
"I want Clara." Megatron stated.
Barricade nodded. "I will bring her to you."
Megatron smiled. "Not just yet, Barricade…when she's at her most vulnerable, I want her brought to me…then we'll see what Optimus will do with her precious necklace."
**
August…it was August now and since she was still not talking to her sisters, Clara had gotten Sam's neighbor, Adriana Bower to help her and Sam move their things into the off campus apartment that was more like a condo in that it was a small house with a driveway. Though iffy about it at first, Clara's parents let her move in with Sam and Leo, and all three of them expecting another roommate in the next few days. Sam and Clara wanted to get the apartment up and running the way they wanted it before Leo showed, and were currently trying to get a couch moved off of the moving truck, Adriana's little Autobot helper Atom distracting everyone and making Glitcher crazy.
Since Adriana lived right next door to Sam, she was very, very aware of the Cybertronian bots, and had even snagged a little Autobot of her own. Atom had gotten rather attached to her and since Optimus was so into free will, she got to keep the bot, and helped come up with random stories to feed to the cops when things went wrong in the Witwicky house…and out on the Witwicky front lawn. She went to school with Jenna and Emma, and since she was in the same grade as them, had classes with them, and was a very welcome addition to their little group of alien secret keepers.
"Hey! Time-bomb! Stop messing around!" Glitcher yelled angrily to Atom.
Jenna sighed as she hauled a box out of her parents' car. "So where is this going you guys? It's the one that someone forgot to label."
Sam looked to Clara for some sort of word but sighed and looked at Jenna himself. "Those are the DVDs that Clara packed for us to have—you can just put them on the counter in between the kitchen and the living room."
"What?" Clara asked him as he gave her a look, Jenna going into the house-like apartment with a sigh. "I told her I wasn't going to talk to her until she gave up the necklace and she made the choice to keep it."
Sam sighed and looked at Adriana who nodded, ready to pick up the couch, Clara nodding too. It was really more like a love-seat, but it was heavy, and when Atom let off a charge—creating diversions being his specialty—Adriana dropped the part of the couch she was holding, causing Clara and Sam to jump, Sam letting out a grunt and then a slightly girlish scream that made Clara laugh. Glitcher couldn't help laughing himself, the parents too busy unloading inside to hear what was going on at first.
"ANDY! THAT WAS MY FOOT!" Sam cried.
Adriana blushed. "Sam, I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to!"
Sam grunted as Clara hurried over to him, pushing her hair behind her ears and kneeling down to help him lift it off of his foot, looking up into his eyes as he pushed her hand away. It hurt and he didn't want her to touch it, but the second their eyes made contact he couldn't help but smile down at her since she'd hurried over to help him. Blushing herself, Clara backed off a little and stood up, punching Sam in the shoulder and then turning to look at Glitcher and Atom.
"All right Atom, Glitcher is taking you inside to help Jenna. Andy? Let's try this again, all right?" Clara asked with a laugh as Glitcher had to chase Atom first and then forcefully drag him into the apartment.
Adriana nodded and the two picked the couch up again, Adriana looking at Bumblebee as he sat there in the driveway in Camaro form, and when Clara and Sam caught the gaze and started to turn the seat on its side to get it through the door, they all remembered the first time Adriana had seen Bumblebee transform.
"Maybe you should be a little more careful, Moron!" Clara whisper yelled, Sam shooting her a look.
Clara normally didn't call Sam names other then her nickname for him, but she was rather upset with him about how he was treating Bumblebee. It had been exactly two days since they had defeated Megatron and the All Spark had been destroyed and Sam was being a little too aggressive. At first Clara wanted to blame Mikaela but she knew that Sam was mainly stressed because part of his Senior Year had been spent in the presence of aliens, and now he had to explain and clean up after the car tracks Bumblebee had accidentally made on his father's lawn.
"Maybe this isn't my fault!" Sam shot back, Adriana stirring as she read her book out in a lawn chair in her back yard.
Clara sighed. "You can't talk to him like that, Sam! He has feelings! He saved your life!"
"I know, but I can get mad about the tire tracks!" Sam responded.
Clara smacked his arm, and not entirely in the mood for the playful hitting, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, swiping his foot under hers and pinning her to the ground. It wasn't as nice a landing as he usually let her face and she started to struggle against him but he held her there under his weight. Adriana heard the struggle and went to peer over the fence, her eyes widening as the attractive yellow Camaro transformed into a giant robot and poked Sam and Clara, both of them looking up heatedly at the robot as he disturbed them trying to settle their dispute. Clara struggled against Sam again and started to say something, Sam covering her mouth to get in his own words.
"I'm sorry I yelled, Bee, but you can't track on the lawn like that." Sam told him, Bumblebee nodded and then sighing when Sam yelped as Clara bit his hand him whirling to glare at her.
"You could make the apology more convincing!" Clara yelled at him.
Sam shushed her. "Hey! Are you trying to wake up my parents?!"
"Holy purple monkeys in space! You have a giant robot?!" Adriana asked them loudly, Sam, Bumblebee and Clara all looking at her as she peered over the fence.
Sam sighed loudly. "Well now look what you did, Clara—you alerted Andy."
After the furniture they wanted to bring was set up, the parents hugged and kissed and then left, still a little unsure, but trusting their eldest children…and for the Witwicky's their only child. Jenna hugged Clara even though Clara still wasn't speaking to her, and Clara hugged her back, Adriana waving at them all and then talking animatedly to Jenna as they got into the Ferguson's car. Sam and Clara waved their parents off and then turned to each other triumphantly, hurrying into their new abode and locking the door behind them.
"It's like a Sorority only not as big." Clara said happily. "I'm really glad I'm going to get to be here with you and Leo."
"And our other roommate." Sam reminded her from the kitchen as she sat in front of the TV to rummage through video games. "What would you like to eat, Clarabear?"
Clara scrunched up her nose playfully and pondered the question. "Do we have like bagels or something?"
Sam laughed. "What kind of dinner is that?"
"The kind of dinner that two college students such as ourselves should be eating." She replied with a laugh. "And preferably out with Bee."
Sam gazed at her fondly over the counter between them and nodded at her suggestion—she was also the only one that called Bumblebee, 'Bee', besides him. Clara had always been there for Sam, and always believed in Sam, and he had heard Clara's voice saying 'I love you' right before the Primes breathed the life into him and re-forged the Matrix so he could reactivate Optimus…he just never realized it wasn't a brother/sister love then. How he had been so blind to her all these years he really couldn't understand, but he was determined to figure it out…determined to make her understand how he felt in its entirety.
"Something not messy we can eat in Bee—got it." Sam replied.
Clara stood up and went over to the counter, leaning on it and smiling at him. "I'm glad I decided to come back to campus with you, Sampson."
Sam nodded. "Me too, Clarabear…this experience really just wouldn't be the same without you."
With a fond smile and flip of her hair Clara announced she would wait for him in Bumblebee and he watched her go.
He was going to open up her eyes to him…
Note: Thank you so much to Audi for all of her ideas, and for naming Adriana and Atom and giving me the hurting Sam's foot scene idea. More of this story soon! I apologize now that it was a little on the short side.
