She Thinks She Needs Me: Part 3

Most people out there wouldn't believe how quickly you can cover the distance between Oregon and Kentucky when you have to. I suppose its perspective really but humans seem to think that it's an impossibly long way from one of those states to another. In this case one in particular human, My Angel. She squirmed, she fidgeted, and messed with my radio and if she could have gotten up and paced I think she might have.

As much as her relatives back in her home got on her nerves, she was still worried about them. I suppose I couldn't blame her, I've done things to protect my own kind back home before my self.

Still I was quite certain that my upholstery had claw marks in it when we pulled up into the rest stop. She was so distracted in fact that she didn't noticed that we'd stopped moving until Alyssa appeared and knocked on my window.

"Earth calling Angel," She called, "Come in please!"

Angel jumped about a foot straight up and then looked out and down at the other girl, "What? What happened?"

"We've stopped," Alyssa tugged the door open and grinned, "Come on You have that, "I'm in desperate need of a soda" look on your face."

She blinked down at her friend for a moment over that one and finally slid down from my cab with a slight shrug. I sat there and watched the two of walk over and head into the store. I sat there keeping an eye on them through the windows. Alyssa was doing a good job of getting her mind off of what was going on, still there was just something in the way that she was holding her self right then that told me how up set she really was.

I heard some one pull up beside me and noticed that it was Wheeljack.

"She's really up set huh?"
"Yes, I think both of them are really," I thought for a second, "Though for some reason Angel seems to be taking it particularly hard."

"Why? I mean, it's not like any of this is her fault."

If I could have shook my head I would have, "I don't know, maybe she feel responsible because she came to the ark with me and left her family there."
"That's silly," He shot back, "She's got a right to have her own life, No one expects her to stay there for the rest of her life."

"I know that and you know that, but some times I wonder if she knows it. She has a lot of issues with her family."

"I guess most people do," Wheeljack told me, "Primus knows that Alyssa dose."

"That's true; thankfully Angel's parents haven't done any of that…Yet."

If he had been in robot mode he would have been raising an eye ridge at me, "What you don't think they will eventually, do you?"

"I … how is it Angel puts it? Oh yes, I take the fifth on that one."

There was no response from the white lancia for a second and then, "You've been hanging around that girl too long."

At that point the girls came back out of the truck stop and had some snacks and drinks in tow. They both seemed a bit more cheerful, whether it was due to the caffeine or just that Alyssa was an expert at making people laugh. It was a relief actually to see Angel smile some, after having her in my cab worrying for almost 90 miles. She grinned at Alyssa one more time and then turned back to me.

"So, you ready?" She asked.

"Yes, the question is, are you ready to go? I think you could use a bit more of a break."

She sighed and leaned against my door for a second and then came back up, "Chances are I could, but I don't think we can waste the time waiting for me to get composed."

"If it makes you feel better than it's not a waste of time Angel," I told her.

She pulled her self up into my seat, "Thanks for trying to think of me Optimus, but I don't think one girl's nerves are worth risking the whole eastern sea board for."

She shut the door with a finality that told me that she wasn't going to really be getting over any of this any time soon. She had a point though and it was time to keep moving. I didn't want to see her like this but it proved to me once again that she was just as strong as I thought.

I pulled out on to the highway and continued heading back to Kentucky. She huddled back down into my seats and put her arms around her self like she needed some one to hold her. I wanted to stop, transform and do just that. The truth is though, that if I had stopped and delayed any more she would probably have gotten mad at me. So I kept on going.

It was about three hours later when we finally made it into Kentucky. I watched her sit there and pull out the cell phone then proceed to call her parents. I guess them having a fit, as she would say, is completely understandable but I don't think even she was expecting the loud screech that came from the other end. She pulled the phone away and glared at it for a second and then got back on.

"Look! I know you worry about me! I'm not a fool! But this is bigger than your parental fears! So you can just deal with it!" She took a deep breath, "If you wanna be mad at me then be mad! I know you've had brain surgery and dads had quad bypass, and the LAST thing in this world you wanted was for me to be with Optimus! But you know what? I have a right to do what I want to for once in my life, so if you can't be happy for me then at least TRY and understand!"

She snapped the cell phone shut and glared out the widow.

"So I take it your mother was a lil ticked?"

She sighed and flopped back into the drivers seat, "Why no Optimus what ever gave you the idea that the nut case on the other end of the line was ticked?"

"Well she is your mother; she has a reason to be a bit concerned."

"I know she's my Mom, and I know she's got a right to worry about me, but this is just a bit silly."

"Well perhaps she won't complain about the results." I told her.

"She's going to complain about me BREATHING!" she peeled her hand off her face, "What I don't understand is why she's being a nutcase and my dad is being so calm."

"I take it it's normally the other way around?"
"That's the understatement of all time. You should see him when he has to come get you if your car breaks down. Screams like a mad man. I dunno what's the matter or why he does it."

I had to grin a bit at the frustration in her voice. Something all young people go through when they are trying to declare that they are adults. It's not something that's fun but it's something every one has done. I think I've had a lot more time to work this out, like it or not I was quite a bit older than her. So I think I could take this in better. Still it bothered her and I did my best to try and placate her.

"Just let them be Angel. Eventually they will come to terms with every thing."

"Sometimes I wonder." She flopped back again.

"Well don't. Your autonomy is safe with me and every one else back at the ark. No one there is going to question that you are your own person and that's what should matter to you the most."

She took a deep breath and then smiled, "I guess your right. Thanks for putting up with my whining Optimus. I really don't know what I'd do; most men wouldn't be able to deal with all of that."

"Well Angel," I heard the laugh in my own voice, "I'm not most men."

"That's very true." She cuddled down into my seats, "They broke the mold when they made you."
"You could say that."

She laughed a bit more at me, "Really thanks for being such a wonderful person Optimus. I don't think I could ever do any thing to thank you for just being you"

I had to grin to my self; there she was going again thinking that she was the one that had some kind of debt to me. Once again I had to wonder if I would ever get up the nerve to tell her that it was more than that. That it was the exact opposite. That I owed her for being around and just being there and letting me love her. I suppose that should have been the end of the whole thing, unfortunately we were heading a fight and that left the situation open for a whole different batch of problems.

We spent about 15 more minutes driving and finally made it to where the military was waiting for us. They had a base camp set up not to far from where the Decepticons had taken control of the weapons depository. The whole set up to me looked more like something from a cheesy human movie than the place of a possible battle ground. Apparently both the humans and Megatron were being careful to not set the stuff off accidentally. This was more than a bit strange, usually they weren't this subtle. Hat left us open to try some different battle tactics.

"Exactly what do you mean by different tactics?" I asked Alyssa.

"I MEAN, " She told us with a evil grin, "Since the ole pop gun in command over there decided that he was going to cause us some problems. We might as well have a lil bit of fun prying him loose from this newest fiasco."

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