Mi Vida Loca: Part 5

Alyssa finally got the boats strapped back to my roof and we headed back down to find Optimus and Angel. I should have known that something would happen but I wasn't really prepared for the look that was on the girl's face.

"Guys," She said.

"I know that look," Alyssa replied, "What happened?"
"We're not going to be able to go on the rest of the trip with you," Prime finished.

"Awwww!" Alyssa got out, "Why? What's the problem?"

"Something has come up and He's needed back at the Ark. I go where he goes." Angel finished.

"Is it something that you need me for?" I asked Prime. "If you do …"

"If you need us," Alyssa continued for me, "Then my Dad's family can wait."

"No," Optimus said, "I think this is something fairly simple. I just have to be the one to look into it in case its not."

"I see," I thought about it for a second, "Mind telling me what this thing that your called back to base for is?"

"They think that the space bridge might be about to materialize again, and since I'm in the area…"

"WE'RE in the area," Angel prompted.

"We're the area," he amended, "Prowl thought it would be appropriate for us to look into it."

"Are you positive that you don't need the two of us to back you up?" Alyssa asked.

"I think we should be able to handle something this simple. There shouldn't be any confrontations involved. Just go in, see if it's actually there and then leave."

"Uh huh," I chimed, "And Tell me something Optimus. Just how often dose it actually work out that way? Are you two 100 percent positive that you don't want some kind of back up?"

I watched as Angel grinned held up her hands and shook her head.

"It's your Call Optimus," She told him.

"Wheeljack, I think the two of us shouldn't have much of a problem dealing with this. We did handle Motormaster after all."

"Okay fine!" I agreed for the moment, "But if EITHER of you think that there might be any thing that you need help with you have to promise to call us immediately okay?"

Angel held up her hands, "We both promise that if any thing shows any indication that it's going to cause a problem we will."

Alyssa came up beside me and looked at them, "Now I'm not kidding you two, if you think…."

It took a few more minutes of them assuring us that the two of them would do their level best to keep out of trouble before we were finally convinced to trust the two of them. We spent a few more seconds there in the park watching them as they drove off. I could tell from the look on Alyssa's face that she felt just as apprehensive as me about letting them wander off on their own.

"Is it just me," She asked me quietly, "or do you get the sense of impending doom watching them go off alone?"

"Sense of impending doom," I echoed, "That sounds about right. Ever single time Prime goes off on his own something happens."

"Ditto for Angel it seems." She agreed, "So tell me this then?"

"What?"

"Why exactly do we keep letting them do the very thing that attracts disaster to them?"

"You want to try and tell those two hard heads that they can't do what they want when they want? Because I don't know about Angel, but I've tried with Optimus and it JUST doesn't work." I admitted dryly.

"Well I can definitely see that in him." She looked somber for a second and then started giggling, "And people sit around and wonder why those two wound up together."

"Kinda makes you wonder about normal people doesn't it?" I laughed back.

We had a good long laugh about all of that and then managed to some how get back onto the road. The truth was I was kind of glad that it was now just the two of us. Something in me was convinced that it would be easier if her relatives didn't have Prime glaring down their necks and Angel loosing her temper at them if they did decide to behave like Alyssa's other set of family had.

For her part, Alyssa made a point of enjoying our time alone and making the best of it that she possibly could. As we kept heading down that highway she made me laugh and wonder if maybe it were possible for things to actually go right for a change. It was impossible for me to not some how take part in all of that wonderful energy that was coming off of her.

Finally we pulled into the town where her Father's family made their home. I took one look at the place and realized that it pure and simple screamed TEXAS. It was rather charming actually, and it seemed like some where that would have good people in it. I remember that we had met her dad once before when he and her mother and step father had come to be introduced to all of us. The truth is, he was the only one out of the three that had even shown any kind of sign of being any thing other than completely and utterly hostile. Some how that had slipped my mind but now it offered me some comfort in getting ready to face this whole group.

Then just as I thought that, the stage fright hit me full force. Despite what I had been thinking less than a few seconds ago actually, I was now starting to feel like I would never be able to face any of them. NO matter how kind hearted or open minded they turned out to be. I guess its something that every mech has to go through in his life time one way or another. The whole meet the parents thing. Still I didn't want to do it and I couldn't for the life of me force my self to some how come around to wanting to.
Thankfully noticed all of this and looked at my monitor her face full of sympathy.

"Awww Jack, if you're that up set we don't have to do any of this."

I took a deep breath and some how managed to steady my self, "No babe. I guess I just have a case of the jitters ya know? Everything has been so strange with your family; I think I'm afraid that this will turn out the same way."

"And I'm the one that talked you in to this, I really am sorry."

"Well don't be Alyssa," I sighed but kept driving around trying to put off the inevitable confrontation as long as possible, "Besides, if these are the people that you came from. Then they must have some good qualities. They managed to breed something as wonderful as you."

I watched her blush some over that and finally made up my mind to head off to see her family. Even if it turned out to be a complete and utter disaster, I knew that she wasn't going to just up and leave me. So I may as well face them now and see what happened. After all if it proved to her how much I cared, facing her family down, then every thing I did was worth it.