Author's note: Hi there, it's me again. I have some good news for you. I just finished writing the first script of this fic yesterday and I now know how this story is going to end. If there isn't going to be any changes in the plot line, this fic will be 32 chapters long, so we're getting closer to the end now. I still need to work on the script to make it actually look like a story so I'll probably keep posting these new chapters once a day like I've done so far.

Also, have any of you read the novel Christine by Stephen King? For any of you that don't know about it, that's the thing Max is referring to in this chapter. I really recommend you read it. It's a good book.

Max's mother was really nice. She never shouted or scolded or even furrowed. She was always smiling like life was the best thing she knew.

When Emma told she had forgotten about the eggs, she just smiled and said it was okay. That smile and reassurance made her feel even worse about slipping the eggs.

"Where were you?" Max asked, sitting on the sofa and facing the TV.

"I… I met an old friend."

"Oh. Cool. Small world, huh?"

"Yes. Small world indeed."

The fact that Max wasn't even looking at her while she was talking annoyed Emma greatly. She went to sit down next to the boy.

"You've actually met him before", she announced silently, waiting to see his reaction.

"Uh-huh."

Emma turned to face the television. She had no idea which of the comedy shows was on, they all got mixed up in her head until they were a big gray mass of laughing tracks.

"I think he's still parked up on your driveway."

No response. Max was too absorbed in the show, he wasn't even listening to her anymore. Emma sighed disappointed and ran her fingers through her hair. She wasn't sure what she was doing in that house.

"Have I even told you why I'm here? I mean in your house? Have I told you why I felt the need to run away from my home?"

"Yeah."

"No," Emma said. "I have not. And you haven't asked. At first I thought it would be nice, you know, to get away from people that know me too well. I thought it would do me good. But no, I still feel the same and I'm starting to get tired of it."

Apparently something funny was going on on the show since Max started to laugh. He was holding his stomach and cackling like mad. Emma just looked at him, a blank expression on her face.

"I thought it would be nice to be around people like you, carefree and oblivious. You know, you remind me of my best friend. I bet I could tell you my mom is dead and you still wouldn't listen to me."

"Huh?" Max said, finally tearing his gaze from the TV. Commercial break. Of course. How convenient. "Your mom is dead? When did you find out about that?"

"About four years ago."

He was giving Emma a blank stare that nearly rivaled her own.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" he asked slowly.

"I… I didn't feel like it," she said, turning her eyes away from him. "And to be frank, I don't think I would have ever even told you if it wasn't for the car."

"The what?"

"You know, he came all the way here just to see me. He didn't even kidnap me… for that long. He let me go just like that. Like… like he just came to see that I was okay or something."

"I think you lost me," Max muttered.

"And he made me realize," Emma continued getting up from the sofa, "that I can't keep living like this. I… I have to do something! I can't just keep waiting. I… I…"

"You what?"

"I need some time to think," she said leaving the clueless boy behind. Her head felt like it was about to explode. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do about it, but Emma knew that there was something that needed to be done.

Climbing to the house's second floor she went to the guestroom she was currently living in. Anna had been there again and the bed had been made for her. Paying no mind to the obvious lack of privacy in the house she picked up her cell phone ad dialed a number she had known by heart since she was little.

"Yeah. Hi dad. Yeah, I just called to tell you that I think I'll be coming home soon. Yes. I know. And… I think when I get back home… we… we need to talk."

-o-o-o-o-o-

The morning came with a chilling scream from somewhere downstairs. Emma woke up with a start, jumping out of her bed more quickly than she would have thought it to be possible. The wail of fear did not seem to stop and for a moment she thought it might be a good idea to hide under the bed.

She decided against it. Instead she did what any stupidly curious person would do: she went downstairs.

Anna was there in her sweetly pink bathrobe, laughing silently while trying to cover her mouth with her hand. Emma had thought Max's mother was the one screaming, but no, the feminine cries came from the boy.

He was shouting something incoherent while hiding behind the sofa.

"What is going on?" Emma asked warily, sifting her gaze between Max and his mother.

"It's Christine!" Max was whispering loudly. "She came to avenge!"

Anna doubled over and just couldn't bottle the giggles. Emma took a careful step away from the woman.

"I don't understand", she said.

"You! You brought it with you!" Max accused, eyes flaming with anger. "You fucking bitch brought the Devil's car with you!"

"Maximilian!" Anna exclaimed ceasing her laughter in an instant. "Clean up that potty mouth of yours before I do it for you!"

Emma heard him apologize weakly as she went to the front door. Just as she thought. The familiar car was still standing where she had left him, as innocent as can be. She felt her lips tug with amusement when she tiptoed next to the car.

"I thought for sure you'd be gone by now, even though I did hope Max would get to see you before you left. Well, at least one of my wishes came true. You should probably know that he is hiding behind the sofa at the moment", she told the car, giving it a shy tap on the hood like the night before. He felt warmer than usual, but that must have been because of the sun warming his frame. Emma retracted her hand slowly, unsure what to do with the Transformer.

The car was shaking a bit and Emma got the idea that he was laughing. She let out a nervous giggle as well.

"Am I right if I'm guessing that you are not planning on leaving any time soon?"

"Yeeeeeschhh."

His voice was creepy and made her skin crawl. Emma took a step back.

"…This is just great. I'm being stalked by a car. They are going to lock me up in a loony house."

The front door of the house opened and Anna peeked out.

"So it's your car then?" she asked with a smile.

Thinking for a moment Emma decided to go with the easiest option.

"Yes."

"That's nice", she said, obviously a lie. "Are you thinking of getting it painted?"

"Well… I was earlier", she said trying to come up with an excuse that didn't have the words "robot alien" in it. "But I ran out of money, so it was a no go."

"That's too bad", the smiling woman said, stepping out of the house the bathrobe only barely covering her flowered pajamas. "You know, there is a decent renovation shop not far from here, they don't charge much down there."

"Thanks for the offer, but I don't think – "

She felt something cold bump against her calves. She almost screamed aloud until she realized it was the car. Maybe she should have screamed even louder at that, but she didn't.

"I… I still don't think I should be spending all that money. Besides, I've been thinking about going back home soon anyway. I think I have overstayed my welcome in here."

"Oh, don't say that!" Anna said sweetly. "Max so rarely brings his friends over, let alone girlfriends."

Emma wanted to say that she was not that kind of a friend, but the sweet smile on the woman's face made her keep her lips sealed on a mock smile.

"Well, come in darling, let's have some breakfast. I think Max has come out of his hidey hole already."

She gave the car an apologizing look and followed Anna indoors. Meanwhile Max had managed to muster enough courage to peek from behind the sofa. He was pale as a lab rat.

"Is it still there?" he asked with a whisper.

"If you mean the car, then yes dear, it's still out there", Anna said and went to the kitchen. As the woman got out of the hearing range, Max bounced from his spot and grabbed Emma's hand nearly violently.

"What the fuck is that thing doing in here?" he hissed with panic clear in his voice.

Emma scoffed and shook her hand to get it free. "Apparently he followed me. I tried to tell you this yesterday. Let go, please."

Doing as he was told Max backed away, running his hands through his hair nervously, mumbling something on a low tone.

"I don't think he's going to do anything to – "

"Emma, that thing is not an Autobot, it's not one of the good guys."

She felt her face go pale. She didn't dare to say anything, she knew if she was to open her mouth it wouldn't be pretty. The Autobots were still a subject she would rather not discuss with anyone. After a while of gathering her thoughts Emma finally managed to grind out: "Well, we can't really make him go away now can we? Go ahead. Tell him to leave. See what happens."

"I didn't say we should be the ones to face him. We could call cops now, or the military."

"How would you even 'call the military'? Besides, I don't think it's a good idea."

"And why the fuck do you think like that?!"

She frowned at his harsh words and managed only barely to calm herself.

"Because I still have unfinished business with him. I need to talk to him and quite frankly… I need a ride home."

That made him gulp at words that he had planned on dishing out. For a moment Max seemed like he had lost his will to speak, he just stared at her.

"Yes. I have been thinking about going home. I still need to sort things out with dad. And I need to talk with… the car… as well. So, the sooner I'm leaving the better. I'm sorry this came out as a bit of a surprise."

For a moment she was sure he would blow up. He would get angry and shout at her and cuss and call her names. But then Max depleted like he was a balloon left in a corner and found three weeks after a party.

"Yeah. Of course. I knew this would come sooner or later. I guess I was hoping it would come later. I didn't even get a chance to use my famous pick-up lines. Bummer. But one thing I don't understand. Why can't you come with me? I mean to say, I can take you back to your house, you don't have to go with that… that… thing. It's only a few hour drive."

"I know", Emma sighed and turned her eyes on the window. She couldn't quite see the old car from where she was standing. "I guess I… want to go with him. As I said, we need to talk, him and I, and if we can't do that during the long drive home… well, then I don't think we'll ever be able to."

"Yeah", he said again, looking at the floor. "Sorry."

"About what?"

"About… everything I guess. I wish I could help you get through your problems. I wish I could be the one you could talk to."

Emma smiled weakly. "I wish it was you too."