Authors Notes- Hey! Look! I finally got around to update my fic. Sorry, it took me forever to get around to this, life you know? And as you can probably gather by now I don't own Transformers that belongs to Hasbro. Now that we got that out of the way here is Chapter Two of First Do No Harm.
Chapter II: I'm Watching You.
June needed to keep busy. That was what she told herself one morning , as she found herself, on her only day off no less scrubbing the inside of bathtub of any and all non-existent grime. Granted, the tub, the toilet, and everything with in the Darby house had been cleaned hours ago. And yet, June remained fixated on one teeny tiny little spot near the drain. But it didn't matter, it seemed to take her mind off of...off of- No!
June gave her head a harsh shake, blue eyes narrowed. Forcibly shoving those thoughts to the dark recesses of her mind, as she gave up trying to get that spot, and nearly jumped out of her skin when she had turned around and found Jack staring at her. Clad in his pajamas, black hair disarray.
"Mom?" Jack asked, eyebrow arched. "What are you doing?"
June huffed a laugh, running her fingers through her hair, feeling just a little sheepish for being caught off guard like this. "Oh, just a little house cleaning." Moving towards Jack, she whispered in his ear. "I think the dust bunnies are beginning to multiply."
This in turned earned a chuckle from Jack, as he looked the upstairs where his room was. "Perhaps I should get around to doing some house cleaning as well." He said, looking to his mom once more. "I think my dirty clothes are beginning to merge into some type of new life form."
As Jack moved June placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. Jack looked over his shoulder at his mom, seeing the faint smile on her lips, and the tired look in her eyes. His eyes narrowing. Obviously June's co-worker had continued to harass her long after they had returned home. That is, if what she told him was true. Jack had a sneaking suspicion that she was hiding something from him. Something that irked him to no end, after all, she always told him there was no secrets between them and yet-
"Jack?" June's voice cut through his thoughts. Blinking Jack looked up at his mother once more.
"Sorry, did you say something?" he asked, feeling sheepish for zoning out when she was talking.
"I asked if you had anything planned for today?" June said, taking her hand off her sons shoulder.
Jack thought for a moment, as far as he knew he had no plans with either Miko or Raf. And when it came to the Autobots things had been kind of quiet. Looking to his mom he shook his head. "Nothing really, why?"
"Well, I was wondering if you didn't have any plans if you wanted to go to the mall for lunch or something?" June asked.
"Sure," Jack said. "Just let me take a shower and get dressed and we can go." With that Jack turned away, and headed upstairs. Closing the door behind him June sighed.
Guilt gripping her as she turned away from the stairs where Jack had been standing not too long ago. She hated this, she hated lying to her own son, hated keeping secrets from him. She knew he deserved to know what was going on. But, how could she tell him? How could she tell him the truth about his father? Even though she had lied to him all those years ago, telling him that his father had died in a terrible car accident, and god how she wished it was true. Then maybe she wouldn't be going through this right now.
Sighing June ran a hand through her hair, a memory flashing through her tormented mind. Of fingers running lovingly through her hair, of whispered 'I love you's' that soon meant nothing. Of angry shouts, of rough hands grabbing and pulling her hair. Of feeling worthless, or bruises she had to hide and more than a few broken bones.
NO! A harsh voice snarled in her mind, as she shook her head once more, her ponytail swinging as she did. Enough. Forget him, forget what he's done. She thought. A feat easier said than done when the very man who had haunted her nightmares, who left her feeling paranoid years after she left him was back. Who would find where she and Jack lived and hurt her again, hurt her son! I said stop it! The voice whispered in her head once more, and she was soon jerked from her thoughts as Jack stepped out of his room. His light blue towel slung over one shoulder as he smiled at her, and made his way to the freshly cleaned bathroom.
Biting down on her bottom lip she moved towards the living room, and plopped down on the couch, letting her head fall back. A sigh escaping her lips. Since she had blocked his number she hadn't received anymore texts from him, but another question was what if he was here, what if he was close, did he know where she lived? Where she worked? Where Jack went to school and work? Would he go after Jack just to get to her? No! June's eyes snapped open at that thought. Jack had Arcee, and June knew that the Autobot would never let anything happen to him.
Even if the threat was a human, Arcee would protect Jack as if her life depended on it. June on the other hand, well, sure if need be Arcee would protect her, but June had no one. She was alone, and frightened. As she thought this the woman damn near jumped out of her skin as she heard someone walking up her front steps. Was it him? Had he actually found out where she lived? Swallowing thickly she tensed, eyes glued to the door, slowly and quietly she crept to the front window and peeked through the curtains.
Releasing the breath she had been holding when she saw the mailman walking down her drive way, flipping through the countless letters and flyers he had to deliver. But that was a least of June's worries, as her eyes settled on a strange black sedan parked a few houses from hers. A car she had never seen before, and she had lived here for years. And she knew the elderly woman that lived in the house the car was parked in front of didn't drive. Feeling her throat tighten she stepped away from the window, and ran to her bedroom, slamming the door shut as she did so. Turning on the lamp, June dropped to her knees and removed a shoebox from underneath her bed. Where the small handgun lay nestled.
Another secret she had kept from Jack. But she knew she needed it, had held onto it for all these years just in case. And now, it seemed it would be of some use if need be. Even if she wasn't the best shot she was at least certain she would scare off any threats...she hoped. Gathering her nerves June opened the door, and kept her eyes glued on the sedan as she got her mail. Gun concealed in the waistband of her jeans. Turning to go back inside, when she heard.
"Thank you for you help, Jimmy!"
She heard her elderly neighbor say, the one that had the suspicious car in front of it. Turning around June saw a young man about thirty or so walking to his car, waving to the elderly woman before getting into the car. June visibly relaxed as he drove off. It was only a friend or relative of her neighbor, June's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she stepped back into her house, locking the door behind her as she did so.
Just as Jack stepped out of the bathroom, towel wrapped tightly around himself as he disappeared into his room once more. Silently June retreated back into her own room, placing the little handgun back in the shoebox, and sliding it back into place under the bed, before moving to the living room once more. Waiting patiently for Jack to get ready.
She thought she was being clever. She thought she could hide from him. A cold smile formed on his lips, as he reached into his shirt pocket for an half empty packet of cigarettes. Pulling one of the cancer sticks from it and sticking it between his lips before lighting it. She thought she could run from him, and to make matter worst? She thought she could keep Jack away from him, his own son, his own flesh and blood. The gall, an enraged growl escaped his lips, his anger rising to unbearable levels as he watched from his place behind the tree across from her house. He would teach her, nobody leaves him, she was his. Sure, she might not see it right away but he would teach her.
And if Jack thought differently, well, he thought with a shrug, green eyes narrowing into slits. He would teach his son the very same thing. They belonged to him. Ducking behind the tree once more he watched as his sweet little June bug and Jack got out of the house, and headed towards June's car. Obviously the two of them were going to have a nice day out.
"Have a wonderful day, my love." He whispered, stubbing his cigarette out before getting into his own car. Intent on following them. "Enjoy it while it lasts, my darling little June bug, it's only a matter of time before you're mine once more."
"I'm just saying." June said, chuckling at the embarrassed look on her sons face, his face having turned several shades of red as he ducked down. "You should go and talk to her, she's right there." June gestured to the table behind the two.
Where Sierra and several of her girlfriends were sitting, laughing about something one of them said.
"Moooooom," Jack groaned sinking down in his seat further as June laughed.
Sometimes it was just fun to embarrass her son. "What? Is that not the famous Sierra? The cheerleader of your dreams?" she asked.
"Where did you hear that?" Jack asked.
"Miko." June said, making Jack groan again.
First thing on the agenda tomorrow. Jack thought. Strangle Miko for opening her big mouth. Despite his embarrassment Jack couldn't help but smile when he saw how relaxed his mom was. Whatever had been bothering her was long forgotten, for now.
"Just go and say hi, she seems nice." June urged.
Well, Jack thought, she wasn't going to let this go until he did what she wanted, reluctantly getting up from his seat at the food court he took a sip of his soda. As he gave his mom a half-hearted glare, and turned in the direction of the girl June had no idea her son had a crush on until recently.
Giving Jack a thumbs up, an encouraging smile on her lips, which quickly melted away when a red-head boy purposely bumped into Jack. A smirk on his freckled face as he moved to sit down beside Sierra, as Jack rubbed the back of his head, and returned to his seat with his mom.
"Aww, is widdle Jackie having lunch with his mommy, awwww." The red head taunted. And was rewarded with laughter from the group of girls he was sitting with, including Sierra.
June was silent as Jack sat back down. "Are you okay?" she whispered, glaring at the boy who continued to taunt her son, at least until a well placed glare from June shut the other boy up.
Obviously this was Vince, she had heard about him. Nodding Jack her a smile, as he finished off his soda, noting that June had already finished off her lunch.
"You ready to go?" June asked.
Nodding Jack grabbed both of their trays, and dumped the contents in the garbage next to their table.
"I just need to go to the bathroom." He told her.
June watched as he disappeared into the washroom, shooting Vince another icy glare, as the boy in question moved to follow him. Obviously intent on harassing Jack some more. Vince rolled his eyes before turning to talk to Sierra. As June waited for Jack to return she received a text. Reaching for her phone, knowing full well that she had blocked his number so there was no need to worry. However, she couldn't be more wrong. As she read the text message from an unknown number.
You and Jack look so happy. June bug.
It read. Another text popped up soon after. Jack sure has grown up, he looks just like you. As June read this fear formed in her gut as several pictures appeared. Her eyes widened when she saw that they were pictures of them in this very mall, at this very food court. It showed June laughing at an embarrassed Jack, seeming unaware that they were being watched.
Wide and terrified eyes tore away from her phone to scan the busy Saturday crowd, looking for anyone that was watching her, for anyone that looked like him. Tears welled in her eyes. He had found her, he was here...
Authors Note- This took me almost all day to write. But I hope you liked it, I'm going to go down for a little nap and this is The Exhausted Writer signing off, have a good day.