Oh man, I can't stop listening to Hoist the Colors from Pirates of the Caribbean. xD My dad hates it because, and I quote, "It sounds like you're chanting something really creepy and sinister." xD My dad has some issues. But I proved that mine are bigger when I started running around the dollar store going nuts over a Transformers Coloring Book I seen that had stickers. I couldn't get it. :( Anyway, here's the next chapter! :D
Jessica awoke the next morning to Sam shaking her gently awake, the sun just beginning to peek in through her bedroom window. She blinked sleepily up at him before rolling over onto her stomach, mumbling at him to go away. But he was persistent; he grabbed her shoulder and shook her harder. When she wouldn't respond, he reached over to the bed side table, picked up her glass of water and poured it all over her. The next thing he knew he was running like hell down the stairs and into the back yard, screaming at the top of his lungs with a very angry Jessica trailing him closely.
"You little shit! I'm gonna kill you!" She roared, hopping over the path just as Sam skittered onto the driveway. He gave a shout as he slid on the rocks, his tennis shoes obviously not providing enough traction for him to sustain his current speed, and fell onto his butt. Jessica didn't have time to stop; just as she put her heels down to slow herself down before crashing into him, her knees connected with his back and sent her tumbling over his head and onto her back a foot away from him.
"That's what you get!" He panted, struggling to stand up and preparing himself to run again if he needed to. Jessica just groaned at him and flipped him the bird, not bothering to get up.
"What the hell was that for?" She grunted from the ground. Sam blinked at her.
"What was what for?" She scoffed in exasperation and put her hand on Barricade's tire to support herself as she stood and brushed herself off.
"What the hell was so important that you had to fucking dump water on me?" If she had been facing Sam he would have seen the vicious snarl on her face and would have been scarred for life. Jessica was a sweet girl by nature and was rarely this angry or vicious, but when suddenly woken from a deep, comfortable sleep by water or other means she made Megatron look like a harmless kitten.
"What? Oh! That. Bee got a message from Optimus a half hour ago saying that he's coming by to tell us something." He began stumbling over his words when Jessica shot him a rather impatient glare; she hadn't woken up and chased him through the house and yard just to be told Optimus was swinging by for shits and giggles. "Apparently it's pretty important. They want you there, too." Jessica stopped trying to get a piece of gravel that was stuck onto her knee off and whirled on him.
"What do they want me for?" Sam shrugged and shoved his hands in his jeans pockets, which made her suddenly self-conscious. She was wearing a short pair of cotton, baby blue pajama shorts with tiny red cherries on them, a pink bow tied neatly at the top, paired with a white wife beater tank top that read "Police" across in the font used for the "COPS" show. She'd grabbed it the instant she seen it; one to mourn her short time on the police force and to also poke fun at Barricade. She was half-tempted to take a marker designed for scribbling on clothing and write "To punish and enslave.." on the back in cursive just for 'Cade. She tucked her black bra strap under the wider tank top strap and shifted her weight under Sam's gaze. "What? See something you like?" She teased. Sam began to splutter and the engine of the car behind her roared angrily. "Chill out, 'Cade. I was just kidding. No need to get so defensive all of the sudden." She gave his hood a slight pat before trailing her fingers softly across the dark metal, grinning at the shiver that the touches caused.
"What is that?" Sam asked, pointing at her hand. "What is that you're doing right there?" She looked up at him, eyebrows rising.
"Um, what do you mean?" She didn't stop her movements, much to Barricade's delight and Sam's confusion. He jabbed his finger at her hand again as the car gave a particularly hard shudder as she began to use her finger nails.
"That! What you're doing right there! What, are you getting him off or something?" She stopped immediately and retracted her hand, leaving the Mustang to sink low on it's axels in disappointment. He hated that she could melt his defenses and make him act like a love-sick teenager, but he loved it all the same.
"N-no." She said, crossing her arms over his chest. "I...I don't really know how to explain it...it was never really explained to me but..." The air crackled with energy and Barricade's holoform appeared beside her, mimicking her body language as both leaned against the vehicle.
"When she touches my hood, she is touching part of my chest, the area closest to my spark." He explained slowly, almost in a degrading fashion. "Have you ever had a femme brush their fingers on your skin like she was doing to my hood?" Sam thought for a moment before giving a slight nod. He looked more than a little uncomfortable talking to the being that had tried to kill him a few days ago.
"Yeah. My mom would do that to my arms when I was a little kid to help me fall asleep." Barricade nodded to him.
"There you go. That is what it feels like." Sam didn't look pleased with that response; he gave Jessica a wary look. She responded by glaring and him and leaning against Barricade who drew her closer to him with an arm.
"Again, I will ask you; do you see something you like?" She bit back a giggle when she heard Barricade clenching his teeth together. To ease his agitation, she put her arm around his waist and gave a squeeze before mumbling lowly "I'm just teasing him, 'Cade. Chill your circuits." He didn't relax, but he didn't tense any further either when Sam began to splutter again. Mikeala decided to join them then, somehow managing to look gorgeous with her messy hair and rumpled pajamas; she wore a banana yellow tank top with thin, lacey straps and a pair of white fluffy shorts that seemed to have been made out of towel-like material. Jessica's eyes flashed with envy when she caught a glimpse of herself in Barricade's reflection; her hair seemed to be sticking up every which way, her eyes were slightly blood shot and she had an imprint on her face from where she had fallen asleep on the television's remote control. Why couldn't she look that pretty?
"What's going on?" Mikeala mumbled sleepily as she stepped up to Sam. He put his arm around her and gave her a kiss on the temple."Why's everyone outside?"
"Optimus got a hold of Bee and told him that he was going to be here to talk about some things. They wanted Jessica here for it too, so I woke her up." Mikeala gave Jessica a small smile before hugging Sam to her.
"Oh, okay. I guess that means you should get dressed then, huh?" Jessica looked down at her clothes again and shrugged.
"Meh. My tank top is fine, I just need some kind of pants...this are a little too revealing for a meeting of a sorts." Barricade removed his arm from her as she stepped away from him. "I'll be back before you guys know it. Try not to miss me too much!" She called over her shoulder as she stepped onto the pathway, pretending the grass was lava as she hopped from stone to stone.
She was back within ten minutes, having settled on a pair of Bermuda shorts that were a dark olive green color and made of a slick material that had a cargo pocket on each side. She skipped shoes completely, but brought a pair of black flip flops with her in case she had to go some where. There was no telling what Optimus would want once he showed up. Once she had herself situated on Barricade's hood and she began finger-combing her hair, Optimus pulled into the driveway. She gave a yelp when Barricade began to edge forward with Bumblebee on his tail. She was about to complain when she realized that the big guy was going to need to get into the back yard somehow, and the two cars occupying the drive way were preventing that. So she got her balance and continued trying to tame her hair, despite the random tangles she came across.
Once he was into the back yard, Optimus transformed slowly, trying to stay behind the trees so no one would see him. She nearly giggled at how careful the tall bot was being. He was obviously a hardened soldier, but to see him basically crawling across Sam's back yard, being careful not to smoosh any of Judy's flower bushes or Ron's decorations was almost hilarious. Barricade and Bumblebee transformed after he did, taking a seat on the grass and keeping themselves well hidden with ease; they were much smaller than the leader, so it wasn't much of an issue for them.
"So, big guy, what's with the sudden meeting?" Sam asked casually, grabbing three lawn chairs and setting them up for himself and the girls to sit in. Jessica sat down gratefully, her feet starting to throb from the gravel. They weren't fully healed, and she was sure a couple of cuts had been cracked open. It was a relief to get off her feet. Optimus positioned himself carefully in front of the five and began to explain himself, keeping his voice low so no one outside would hear his baritone voice.
"I have spoken with your government officials about our need of a base. They deliberated and are willing to provide the proper funding for one to undergo construction in a week's time. For now, we have been granted temporary refuge in an abandoned building. Bumblebee will remain with Sam here at his home. However.." He shot Barricade an uneasy look, briefly wondering if he should mention this now. He wasn't sure how the mech was going to handle it..."They have requested to meet with Barricade. I have informed them of his situation, and they were...less than pleased that we have a technically neutral ex-Decepticon in our midst." He looked at Jessica then, her being his next focus. "They are also aware of you, Jessica. They were understandably uneasy about you being in his care. They want to meet with the both of you, perhaps observe you to ensure your safety." She snorted at that, folding her arms over her chest again.
"I bet they would like that. And I bet they find the most miniscule thing and try and separate us 'for my own good'. I'm not buying it." She stood to leave, when Optimus spoke again.
"Jessica. They only wish to ensure your safety." It was Barricade's turn to object, his dental plates grinding against each other.
"I am quite capable of keeping her safe." Optimus vented and looked at him wearily.
"Barricade, that is hardly their point. They do not question your ability to protect her against a Decepticon attack. They question your ability to keep her safe from yourself. You still have Decepticon nature programmed in to your processor, and they are unsure of what to make of it. They do not know you like Jessica may, and they have not witnessed your change of behavior for themselves."
"So they basically have to see it to believe it?" Jessica asked hopefully, stepping past her chair to get closer to Optimus. He nodded, much to her relief.
"In a manner of speaking." She looked up at Barricade then, a smile on her face.
"I think we can show them a thing or two. What do you say? Wanna go prove some idiots wrong?" Barricade just grumbled incoherently. "I'll take that as a yes." She shrugged, the smile still on her face. Sam stood up then, helping Mikeala to her feet.
"You guys won't need me around, will you?" Optimus shook his head.
"Not at the moment. They would like to meet you and thank you for your deeds during the battle, but that is for another time. For now, I am to take them to the temporary base and introduce them to the officials necessary." He looked almost apologetic when he faced Barricade. "You will have to come with me, Barricade. Jessica has to come as well." Barricade snorted and nodded, transforming back into his alt mode and opening the door for her. Jessica wordlessly got into the car as Optimus transformed in front of them and the two vehicles left the yard and turned onto the street.
"Um...damn." Jessica said suddenly, placing her hands on the steering wheel to make it look as if she were really driving and not Barricade.
"What?" He grumbled grumpily from the radio.
"I'm hungry." He sighed over the radio, slight static mixing with his voice. This was going to be a long ride.
They arrived at the temporary base an hour later, Jessica's stomach growling louder than before. Barricade would have loved to have stopped for her to get something just to quiet the irritating noise, but until Ratchet had the time to re-wire his internal communications to where he could communicate internally with both Autobots and Decepticons [for intel purposes, as he would still pick up basic frequencies from his former faction], he wouldn't be able to inform Optimus of what they were doing. As soon as she stepped out of the car he transformed, cracking his metal claws in a humanistic fashion.
"Let's get this over with." He said with ease, as if he were a teenage boy getting ready to take an important Math test. She giggled and followed closely beside him, careful not to get too close to his feet. They entered the large warehouse-looking building, taking in the sights. Soldiers were literally scattered everywhere, walking this way and that, doing their own things. Some had paperwork and clip boards in their hands, a few carried important looking envelopes, some were talking on cell phones or walkie talkies, and others were fiddling with guns. Ratchet sat nearby working on something on his leg while Ironhide leaned against the wall looking irritated. Optimus entered the building behind Barricade, who had stopped to pick Jessica off the ground and set her on his shoulder carefully, and pointed them to one of the raised metal platforms.
"They are over there." He was pointing to a large group of older looking men, some looking no younger than their mid-30's while some looked closed to retiring age. They were chatting amongst themselves like old friends, though their topics of conversation couldn't have been no less important than nuclear warheads or something more serious. Optimus walked with Barricade to the platform, gaining the men's attention."Gentlemen, this is Barricade and Jessica." Jessica gave a shy wave from his shoulder, which was surprisingly level with the walkway, and Barricade just nodded silently. One of the men stepped forward, his suit looking more expensive than anything Jessica had ever set her eyes on.
"So, you're the ex Decepticon?" Barricade nodded again, his optics seeming to narrow as the older man's eyes turned to Jessica. "And you're the girl he's protecting?" She nodded, her sheepish smile fading when she noticed how he looked at her outfit with distaste. She immediately felt extremely self-conscious and under-dressed and began to shrink back around the car door on his shoulder. Barricade noticed his discomfort and let out a low growl to the man, who jumped back, wide-eyed and pale-faced. He grinned at his discomfort when Optimus cleared his throat.
"She has been under his protection since...well." He turned to Jessica, hoping she would explain. Despite her hiding spot from behind the car door, she still spoke clearly and fearlessly.
"I was 9 when I found him. He promised me that night he'd protect me."
"And did he?" A new voice asked, this one sounding a little older and had less strength to it. She nodded, forgetting they couldn't see her temporarily, then cleared her throat sheepishly.
"Erm. Yeah. He did. My bad, I forgot that you couldn't see me."
"Why don't you come out from there, then?" The voice asked. She poked the side of her face from behind the door shyly before fully appearing again.
"Sorry. I just feel...extremely underdressed." The man that had spoken chuckled, looking as old as he sounded. He wore a dark military uniform that was beautifully decorated with several medals and pins. She again felt under-dressed, but this time under-accomplished. She'd barely done anything while on the police force worth mentioning or getting a medal for, save getting shot in the side and surviving.
"Not to worry, my dear. I've discussed matters with people in their pajamas." She grinned at that, feeling a little better about herself. The first man that had addressed them cleared his throat and stepped forward, silently commanding to be the center of attention again.
"I hope Optimus made it clear when we said we wish to observe you." He directed his statement at Barricade, who just gave another nod. He didn't like this human. The man looked at Jessica again. "You are to remain here on the base. The both of you." He looked at Barricade again. "We will observe you for 72 hours. During this observation, you will constantly be watched by someone, whether you're aware of it or not." Jessica gave a shiver; would they watch her while she was in the bathroom? She hoped against hope that they wouldn't. "We will be judging several different behaviors of the both of you; how well you interact with other humans and bots, how well you behave alone, how you handle different military battle situations, and most importantly, how well you interact with each other." He gave them a pointed look before continuing. "Optimus informed me that the two of you are...close. Perhaps too close. I alone will be the judge of that." Jessica gulped as her stomach tightened. Great. Just brilliant.
"Is that all?" Barricade ground out irritably. "I do believe we must return to her temporary location to retrieve her things for this stay." The other man looked up at her curiously.
"Temporary location?" She began to fiddle with the tire on his arm, spinning it idly.
"Yeah." She mumbled, just loud enough for them to hear over the noise. "Starscream came after us and blew up my house. I'm staying with Sam Witwicky and his parents until I can get on my feet or whatever." She spun the tire again before Barricade mumbled "stop it" in her ear. She huffed and poked it before settling on leaning against the door, careful not to fall off as she leaned backwards.
"Well, we just might have to fix that." He smiled and she reacted by smiling brightly back, perking up a little. She liked this guy, she decided. The other man, the one she didn't like, bid them a curt farewell and gestured for the other men to follow them, which they did like a pack of sheep following a herding dog on a farm, chatting amongst themselves once again. Some gave the two a parting glance, while others spoke in low voices. Jessica frowned as Barricade began to head for the entrance/exit of the building. This was going to be a long 72 hours.
Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I enjoyed writing it, so I hope you all enjoy reading it! Remember to review and lemme know what you think! Thank you so much to all that have been reading and reviewing since the beginning! :D