Once he introduced his mom to the bots he thought his life would become easier. He was very wrong. Her initial reaction was awe, but underneath she held the same accepting expression she had when she first met Arcee. His mom was insatiable, she wanted to know everything about them. He even caught some of her conversations with Ratchet. They varied from Cybertron to how they reproduced. He was very thankful that neither Raf nor Miko were there to hear that conversation. If they found out he would be teased endlessly. Having a 'helicopter mom' was hard enough.
Things had finally seemed to be settling down after his mom came to understand that she could trust the bots. Seeing his mom apologizing for worrying was surprising but not unwelcome. Hearing her talk about his 'father' was even more of a surprise. She never talked about him. Not since he was ten. After that conversation, Jack was just worried that now his mom and Arcee would gang up on him if he did something stupid. Which was bound to happen. He was a teenager.
The front door opening distracted him from one of the new conspiracy videos he was watching. They were going on about missing campers and Bigfoot sightings. They sometimes broadcasted footage of Cybertronians so Jack made a point to watch and report to Fowler about it later. It wasn't much but it was the best he got.
"Hey Jack, I will be down in a minute." He heard his mom's normal greeting that he didn't even bother responding to. Instead, his body moved on autopilot and heated her food and tea for both of them. Turns out only things similar to the water he can digest now. Small miracles in life. Moving the reheated plate of grilled chicken and asparagus to the coffee table he resituated himself and waited. Sipping his tea, he savored the favor while thinking. They both knew they were avoiding the elephant in the room. Both had secrets and both didn't want to share.
When his mom joined he let her enjoy the meal. He didn't want her not to eat because she was worried and preoccupied with their delayed conversation. Pulling out his gum case, he brushed his fingers over its smooth metallic surface. Flicking the lid back he saw the almost growing gum inside. Picking one out he held it up, admiring Ratchet's ingenuity. The small circular blue gumball was so inconspicuous. He wasn't surprised when his mom took the ball and examined it. Her dinner plate was clean and she had her full attention on the luminescent gum. Jack knew she saw Energon before, she was too curious to not have. Too worried to not ask a million questions. She no doubt knew more than the children about their new alien friends now. That thought scared him.
Without saying a thing she handed the gum back to him, eyes on the TV. He popped the gum back enjoying and craving the flavor. Pulling up his hand he made sure it was in her sight feeling the tingly, energized feeling overtake it. His light skin glowing a soft Energon blue. He heard his mom's intake. It wasn't her first time seeing it, but normally something crazy happened whenever he glowed. She was just waiting, tensed next to him for a power outage or lights flickering. He could feel her shock, almost palpable in the air when nothing happened.
"It's easier to control with this." He said softly, shaking the tin still clasped in his other hand. Releasing his concentration the glow faded. "Ratchet is the only one, he's been a real help, though he acts like it's a pain." He said, chuckling at the old medic. When the laughter died he waited for his mom to say something. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to know her secret, but he knew it was important.
"I will tell you soon, just ... not yet. This is still so new I want to know everything before I draw my conclusions." She explained. "But... in the meantime, I think we have some shows we need to get caught up on." She stated. Grabbing the remote from his reach she changed the channel, laughing as he protested her pick.
June wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that her son got buried in a cave with the psychotic leader of the Decepticons or the fact she found out a week later that it even happened. June knew that compared to other parents she fretted far more than deemed normal. When she found out about the Autobots, that only intensified her fear. Who wouldn't be fearful? Her son's science fiction club had aliens as members. They were a different species even with how similar at the heart they are. A species that happens to be fighting a war that has lasted longer than their civilization.
Gripping the steering wheel of her beat-up sedan she tenses waiting for the rock wall to open up. The entrance was a work of art. It hides the old military base without anybody being the wiser. But she didn't have time to admire it. By the time she parked her car and turned off the engine, she was greeted with silence. Huffing she shut the door with a resounding slam. 'If they thought they could hide from a mother's wrath, those bot's are in for a surprise.'
Deciding to take a seat and wait she was shocked that not even Ratchet was in the common room. He was always tinkering or complaining about something in the large room. Sitting down on the brown couch, she pulled the remote over to her and decided to get lost in a mindless show. Her bones groaned in relief as she finally rested. 'Jack always says I will kill myself by working too much.' She let her mind drift, mindlessly gazing at the TV, passing time waiting. It must have worked because she was shocked when metal footsteps came from the hallway. Spinning around from her perch she saw Ratchet head straight for the med bay. His one-track focus is often something she admires about the bot, but not today. Today she wants answers.
Standing up and shaking off the drowsiness, she made her way over to start the 'civil' conversation with the medic. She must have been quiet because Ratchet hadn't even acknowledged her, or he was just ignoring her. Crossing her arms she glared at the mech. She knew it was probably not fair to him, especially with how much he helped Jack with his... problems. Guilty hit her hard as she thought of Jack. She had her secrets and reasons for not telling, but now she was just scared. Once she admits the truth everything would change. 'Would my son even be my son anymore,' the thought hit far too close to her real problem. Shaking off the horrid thought process she decided it was time for the long chat. Clenched fists never loosening despite trying to.
"Were you ever going to tell me my son almost died in a cave or was it needed to know?" She asked, knowing she was being unfair. The lack of typing was the only acknowledgment that he heard.
"Mrs. Darby, it was not my intention to keep you in the dark, I simply assumed that Jackson or Arcee told you." He replied giving his full attention to the disgruntled human women before him. "I hoped they did.." He said even quieter that June almost didn't hear.
She started to chuckle as she pulled out her phone, "Oh, Jack is going to get it now, once I get my hands on him he is so grounded..." She spoke indignantly before her voice tapered off. She looked at the reason for her sudden sour mood. No signal. The stupid base was blocking her from grounding her son. Flipping the phone closed huffily, she shoved it back into the depth of her pocket.
"You don't happen to know where my soon-to-be grounded son is?" She asked flipping around to face Ratchet. "Or where anybody is..?" She asked while her eyes trailed around the empty cavern of a room.
"Bulkhead I presume is with Miko and probably doing something most would consider insane in human terms. Bee took Rafael to race RC cars a little while before I let you in, and Arcee's out on patrol." Ratchet replied promptly while getting back to work. His swift digits flying over the alien keyboard.
"Oh, what about Optimus? And Jack?" She asked, honestly curious. The largest bot often intrigued her. His small mannerisms just seem to nibble at her subconscious. It was frustrating, she felt like the answer was on the tip of her tongue but just didn't click. She knew once she figured it out then she would think of herself as stupid for taking so long. That thought only exasperated her souring mood.
"Since Arcee is on patrol Optimus decided he would pick Jack up from his work, though I have no clue what's taking so long." The medic groused looking at June.
"Oh" she sighed, a question quickly popped up in her mind not even a second later. "Hey, Ratchet?" She only got a noncommittal hum as a reply. She decided to continue. "You have been helping Jack with his... diet issues, I guess, right?" Her worry was evident.
The typing stopped once more and a groan followed. "Yes, Mrs. Darby, now if you have any more questions then just ask them." He stated, turning to her, optics meet eyes, both blue only different shades. "I have been supplying Jack with Energon, yes, but I am sure you knew that. I don't like things being kept from me concerning my patient and I believe that you should understand that as well, considering your occupation."
June just turned away. She knew all of this, logically she should tell Ratchet, Jack's doctor, but that niggling worry and fear was too much for her to overcome at the moment. She bit her lip as the silence went on, Ratchet's optics never leaving her form.
Sighing, she heard metal shift, "Listen, I can't say I fully understand your situation but I do know Jacks. Each day he needs more Energon, less than a normal mech but the amount is increasing. He is glowing more without his knowledge which is dangerous out in public. Let alone the fact that extreme temperatures and cave-ins seem to have no effect." He said in an uncharacteristically soft voice. "There is no changing that, primus, not even I can figure out what is occurring, all I can do is find out more information that leads to answers." By this time June felt utterly crushed by guilt.
"June... If you know anything, I need to know... soon" Ratchet stressed, hanging his helm.
June took in the sight of the defeated medic and her mind whirled. Turning she went back to her abandoned TV show. Her mind didn't even register the screen, too absorbed in what Ratchet said.
"Give me some more time... just a little more." She said to the room, though the medic behind her heard loud and clear.
Not many could catch the warlord's interests in the later years of the war. He often didn't care, they were here for his purposes to be fulfilled and nothing more. That's what made this past week intriguing. He found an interesting specimen of humanity, though he may not even be human from what he witnessed.
He still remembered hearing the drill while he was trapped under rubble. The suffocating feeling. Unable to move, he was helpless. That was the truly stinging part of the whole situation.
The surprise was that a human came to save him. Save might not be the right word either. More like unknowingly freed. He was saved by a flesh bag, an Autobot pet no less. It was dishonoring which is why he told no one of those days' events.
Though there were some benefits from that shameful rescue. He found this human intriguing, despite all the flesh bag knew about the war, he hadn't struck the warlord down. Though that wasn't the primary reason for his interest. The warlord felt a smile creep across his faceplates, one full of dark promises as he recalled what he witnessed.
When that human, that child, was looking into his red optics, a mixture of blue and golden optics was staring back.
