Chapter 14

That new side of Rex, the one Pockets had never seen before, vanished the second he pulled into a long gravel drive with a pipeline fence on either side. Buildings and cars gave way to open green land, the occasional horse or donkey dotting the area.

"What the hell is this?" Rex asked, sitting up and staring out the window, taking it all in, "the land that time forgot?"

"It's a ranch," Pockets murmured, "right next to the city..."

"This is just friggin' weird..."

"What's wrong, Rex? Don't like cowgirls?"

Pockets smirked lightly when Rex actually considered. The blond nodded slowly, "I says I might like it here..."

Eventually a little green house with a wrap-around porch came into view. He pulled up in an empty space up front, glancing at an old ford that was settled nearby, "Must be the truck."

"There better be some fine-ass chicks here, Big Foot, or I'm hanging you over a bonfire..." Rex warned as he opened his door.

Pockets took the keys out of the ignition when the front door opened, allowing a big cattle dog to scatter through with a bark. He got out and greeted, fixing his eyes on the blonde woman, "I'm Alec James. Jo asked me to come by and look at the truck."

The woman blinked soft brown eyes at him, her long blonde hair half pulled back. She was dressed in red sun-dress, tiny and curvy like Jo with a blonde baby boy on her hip. She finally repeated, curious, "Alec James?"

He nodded. She gave him a sweet smile, "I'm Alli, Jo's mother. I'd invite you inside, but the house is a complete mess."

You ain't seen a mess until you've seen mom's room...he thought absently. He nodded, "That's fine."

"Jo's down at the barn. If you go around to the back of the house and look, you'll see it. It's a long walk, but she doesn't have her phone on her and I've got mouths to feed..."

"Thank you miss Andersen," Pockets inclined his head. When he raised his eyes to her again, her expression was soft.

Pockets gave Rex a little push to get him going, and arguing quietly with one another, they made their way around and headed down towards the metal barn in the distance.

Jo was standing on the right side of the building, which was surprisingly clean for a barn, one hand on Falak's neck and the other running down her back. She was wearing the same dusty jeans tucked into the same scarred boots.

Rex gave a loud, almost rude cough.

Jo put her shoulders back and turned like she was about to give them what-for with a scowl on her face. She stopped when she saw them, and blinked.

"Hey, Jo," Pockets greeted, "your mom sent us down here...and you forgot, didn't you?"

He grinned when she shot him a sheepish smile, "Sorry, Alec."

"It's fine."

"Ahem," Rex started beside him. Pockets' grin grew when Jo completely ignored him, "I just got back from riding, you can hang here or go back up to the track. I won't be long."

"We'll just stay here," Pockets told her. She nodded, "Did you have any trouble finding the ranch?"

"No...it kinda stands out."

"AHEM," Rex tried again. Pockets swung an arm back to elbow him in the gut. Jo raised an eyebrow, "I think your friend has a problem."

"...Friggin' ass-" Pockets cut Rex off with another jab, saying, "He's got more than one."

"I'm Jo," she said, finally paying attention to the skinny blonde. Rex wheezed out, "The names Rex."

Jo went back to brushing down her silver mare with a small smile.

"I says you're still in school, right?" Rex asked when Jo was walking her horse past them to let her loose in the pasture. Jo nodded, "Home schooling."

"Ah...lucky chick."

"Don't walk behind her," Jo warned when they followed the pair out, "unless you want your face splattered all over the walls...don't ever put yourself behind a horse's back end, Falak especially. She'll kick anything that's in range if its behind her."

Rex made a face but moved over real fast, "I says what kinda friggin' name is Falak anyway?"

"Its Arabian, means 'star'," Jo answered, leading the group down to the gate, "she's my little star, my pride and joy. Had her since she was a filly."

Pockets fell behind when a cold hand fisted around his stomach. He stopped completely and turned his eyes up.

"What the hell is a filly?" Rex asked. Jo explained, but Pockets drowned it all out. He kept watching the skies, that tension inside him only growing.

"...Hey!" A thin arm flew up and whacked him across the chest. He tore his eyes back down to the two, both staring at him. Rex glared, "What you staring at, Big Foot?"

Pockets opened his mouth to speak, but cut himself off to look up again when a sharp whine filled the air. A shape shot across the sky. His green eyes went wide as he realized that it was rapidly descending, and heading straight for them. Beside him, Rex whispered, "What the hell is that?"

"Oh no..." Pockets breathed when the aircraft came close enough to identify. Not one of them...

Falak gave a frightened squeal, skittering back and pulling at the lead rope.

None of them had time to react before the F-22 Raptor sprouted legs and arms in a twist of scarred metals, and dropped down long enough to wrap his clawed hands around them before he shoved himself back up into the air.

Well, there you go. Finally got something goin' on. Tell me what you guys think...

Love to the readers, as always...

Demona and her family, Jo, Falak, and her family as well as the story all belongs to me...Transformers does not.