Disclaimer: I own the main character and the rest of her screwed up family, all others belong to Hasbro and whoever else had a hand in the movie.

Disregarded

Chapter 29

The tiny Cybertronian sitting on her couldn't seem to run away fast enough. Jodi hissed when one of its claws scored along her ribs as it launched off of her in a blatant retreat. She sat there and breathed for a moment before rolling over to push herself to her feet.

Hands were on her, roughly checking her arms and shoulders. "Are you okay?"

She brushed off Sam's concern. Her limbs throbbed with new bruises and the line along her ribs stung, but she didn't give them any attention. Her whole body was humming, with dozens of different emotions pooling together, dulling the pain, but even those were drowned by the pure elation that had made a home in her chest.

Jodi's flawed eyes were riveted to Barricade. He stood several yards away, partially turned away from her to glare after the two retreating Decepticons. He was still terrifying in this form, frame thick with heavy armor and covered in sharp angles, but his body posture was the same as his Holoform. The familiarity of it cut through her hesitance and allowed her to step forward.

"Jodi, don't, come on," Sam hissed, a sharp whisper. "Jodi!"

Jodi paused mid-step as Barricade turned towards them, pinning her with a look. His bright red optics were easily as intense as the crimson irises of his Holoform, and twice as hard. She held his gaze steadily for several long seconds before something in his posture softened, his frame loosening ever so slightly. There was something there, a tell, she could feel it, but damned if she knew what it was. She had a hard enough time reading his human-shaped Holoform, much less his true appearance which she had now seen a grand total of three times.

Well, whatever it was dissolved the rest of her nerves and her feet carried her the rest of the way.

He kneeled as she closed the distance, bringing him closer to her level. For a moment she wished he had access to his Holo, something more her size that she could hug, or hit, but she reminded herself firmly that this was him. The real him.

Eventually she found her voice. "I thought you were stuck in the brig."

"I thought you were confined to Medbay," he retorted, voice as gruff as it ever was, but mild. "It seems like neither of us are good at staying where we are supposed to be. Dare I ask why you believed it was a good idea to wander around during an attack?"

"Can you just . . . not? I already know I have a lecture and a half waiting for me when the others get here and I just can't hear it from you right now. So just don't. Please?"

She lifted her free hand, the right one that was still wrapped in plaster, and pressed her palm firmly against the plating on his leg. A gust of air blew from her lungs, leaving a strange sense of calm in its wake. The simple touch, warm and familiar, did wonders to settle the restlessness that had plagued her since that first day she woke up on base.

'Cade was here, alive, and just as healthy as the others had claimed, if a bit scratched from his recent scuffle.

"I'm glad you're okay."

He scoffed. "Even unarmed I'm far from helpless."

She rapped his armor sharply with the butt of her pistol. "I didn't mean now, you jerk! The last time I saw your ass there was a hole in your chest! Excuse me for not believing the locals when they said you were fine!"

Instead of responding to her concern, 'Cade's optics were focused on the shiny metal object in her left hand. "I thought I heard gunfire. Where did you get that?"

"I, uh," Jodi suddenly had the urge to hide her weapon behind her back, though the gesture would be pointless. "I kinda lifted it from a dead soldier."

Sam sputtered audibly behind her. "You mean the ones back on the stairs? Aw, that's gross."

She whirled on the older boy, "At least I thought of arming myself. You didn't exactly come prepared."

"Not my fault Bee couldn't fit on the stairs," Sam said, notably keeping his distance. Jodi couldn't help but enjoy the nervous look he kept shooting at Barricade. "You were supposed to come back with me, not shoot at me. "

Barricade caught Jodi's eye and gave her what could only be a wry expression. "Firing on the Autobot's Golden Child. I believe I taught you more than I thought."

"I didn't do it on purpose," she admitted quietly.

The screech of tires echoed down the hall, followed by the deep roar of engines, announcing the arrival of the Calvary. Jodi wondered if Autobots were always so late to the party. The twin Lamborghinis were first to arrive, blowing right past them in blurs of red and yellow, clearly hoping to track down the intruder's in their base. The rest of the crew rounded the corner moments later, transforming when they got close.

Jodi groaned when she spotted Optimus Prime and an annoyed Prowl leading the way, and quickly stamped down the childish urge to hide behind Barricade's bulky frame. She did take a step back when 'Cade rose to face the group of Autobots.

Sam ran right up to Bumblebee, who was a step behind Optimus. "What took you guys so long? I thought I was bird food!"

"The corridor was collapsed. We had to create an alternate route," Optimus explained. His gaze swept over her and Barricade, as Jodi couldn't help but worry. "I see you two wasted no time taking advantage of the situation."

Barricade stood a little straighter, as if preparing to face a firing squad. Dread settled in the pit of Jodi's stomach, her gaze flickering between him and the Autobots gathered behind their leader. As all her fear returned with a vengeance, Jodi stepped in front of her friend, defending him as she had from the start. "He had nothing to do with the attack!"

"We are aware of that Miss Hunter." Optimus told her evenly. "That does not excuse the fact that he escape his cell with the full knowledge that today we were discussing his future. That will not look good to the Secretary of Defense, as it was one of the things he was most worried about."

"He did kinda save our butts," Sam admitted, albeit grudgingly, and Jodi could hug him for that tiny bit of support.

"Regardless, the decision has already been made."

Jodi couldn't breathe. "But he didn't- you can't just. . ."

"It's alright Jodi." She started at the low tone of 'Cade's voice. She could feel the defeat resonate through the air and settle in her bones.

Well, screw that.

She whipped around to jab an accusing finger at Barricade. "Don't you dare quit on me now!" she hissed. She turned to glare at the rather daunting figure of Optimus Prime. "And you! Every day since I woke up in this damned place I've been smothered with all this talk of how Autobots stand for all this righteous bullshit! You do this and all you prove is-"

Her tirade came to abrupt halt at a sudden bark of laughter. Everyone, human and Cybertronian alike turned to stare at Prowl. Jodi shared a look with Barricade, who looked just as confused and maybe a little worried.

"Of course the two of you would expect the worst. You both misunderstand the situation." Prowl turned to Optimus. "With your permission sir, may I escort my brother and his charge to Medbay? I'm sure that Ratchet wants to make sure Jodi didn't set back her recovery."

"Of course."

Jodi had several questions running through her head, and she floundered with which one to start with as she gestured between Barricade and the Autobots.

Sam had no such trouble.

"Wait, back up. Brothers?"

oOoOo

As soon as Jodi stepped into Medbay she was ambushed by Ratchet for that lecture she told Barricade about. Her pistol had been quickly confiscated, and her new scrapes and bruises seen to. The soldier who took her gun didn't even looked all that surprised that she had it.

She must be developing a reputation.

Now she sat cross-legged on a rolling chair she borrowed from one of the human work stations, arms crossed and biting nervously at her lip.

As Jodi sat there in the familiar walls of Medbay, she kept expecting to wake up because she was positive she was dreaming. Barricade was sitting on a nearby berth as Ratchet re-engaged his holographic emitter, pointedly ignoring the medic as he worked. Prowl stood next to him, explaining the conditions of his parole. Having 'Cade here surrounded by other mechs who weren't trying to kill him was so strange it had to be a dream. Having long since determined that her luck is never this good, there wasn't any other option.

'Cade looked like he believed it about as much as Jodi did. Seeing him and Prowl side by side was weird, especially with the friction she had witnessed from Prowl's end. They both looked tense, but Prowl was in full on officer mode as he ran through the restrictions Barricade would be under.

Brothers huh. Explains a bit.

One side of Jodi's mouth quirked up into a tiny smile. Well. At least one of them had decent family left, estranged as they obviously were.

Things would be rough for a while, of course it would, but Jodi hoped that this was the first step to mending whatever lay shattered between the two of them.

That thought led to another and Jodi's smile quickly evaporated.

Where did that leave her though?

"Hey now, why the long face?"

Jodi turned and shot Riley a half-hearted grin as he dragged a second chair over to plop down beside her. She turned her flawed eyes back to Prowl and Barricade. "Did you know they were brothers?"

"Twins apparently," he confided, scratching his chin with his thumb. "But don't ask me how that works, I don't have a damn clue. Prowl came clean at the meeting. The only ones who didn't look surprised were Optimus and Ratchet."

"I can believe that." She couldn't help but sigh quietly. Her arms dropped into her lap, fingers tracing the familiar lines of her scar. "I'm gonna miss them," Jodi admitted softly.

"You're talking like you're never going to see them again."

"I'm not." She furrowed her brows before giving him a confused look. "Am I?"

"No one told you?"

"Told me what?"

"No one had a chance to," came Ratchet's clipped voice, showing he was obviously eavesdropping. "She bolted before anyone could inform her. Though I believe it would be best if you informed her yourself."

Riley ran a hand through his auburn hair, smile sheepish as he scratched the base of his neck. He met Jodi's expectant gaze. "So, ah, how do you like the idea of living with me for a while? I warn you, I'm a workaholic, I keep weird hours, I order takeout way too much and I have bad habits. It's no mansion, but there's plenty of room, and it's not like I'm using the space."

Jodi took a moment to process that, and then sputtered. "What, you mean live in Tranquility? For how long?"

His smile turned into a full on grin, dark eyes glinting. "Until you turn 18," he said breezily. "After that . . . you can stay until you run off to college, or until you're sick of us, but that'll all be up to you."

Her breath caught and she scarcely dared to hope. "Who's 'us' exactly?"

"Well, me and Prowl, and your guardian of course."

"Guardian? If I'm living with you, won't that make you my guardian?"

Now Riley looked downright smug. "On paper, yes. But that means very little to the bots around here, and this is a special circumstance anyway. Since your guardian wont be allowed to carry much in the way of weaponry for a good long while, he'll be forced to stay in close proximity to a mech that does. And since Prowl is already assuming responsibility for him, it only makes sense that we all bunk together, don't you think?"

"Barricade." The word was a ghost on her lips.

"Yep. So . . . what do you say? Feel like moving in with two cops and an ex-convict?"

It was all she could to keep still, her whole being screaming Hell Yes for the world to hear. Warmth pulsed beneath her breast, the sensation quickly spreading and leaving her a bit light headed.

There was only one thing to say really.

"When do we move in?"

FIN

Author's Note: Well, this is it folks. We have finally hit the end after all these years. The Epilogue is done, but needs some revision and so it won't be up until Wednesday. As soon as that goes up I'll be posting chapter 1 of On the Flip Side, which details what really went down during the Day of Hell and how Jodi and 'Cade are still amongst the living. If you are strictly a Transformers Fan, your best bet would be to ignore it all together and pretend it doesn't exist. But for those of you who enjoy crossovers and like to walk on the more Supernatural side of life, feel free to stick around and tell me what you think. I'll see you all on Wednesday. Happy Reading! -Shadow