Author's Note: Since it's been 4 months since I last updated, here's a little recap. It's Thanksgiving Day and four more Autobots have landed (Hound, Trailbreaker, Mirage, and Evac). On the coming Monday, they're going to D.C. with Bumblebee (and an OC femme named Radio Flyer) to help protect Sam, but in the meantime, Annabelle and Sarah are helping the new 'bots feel more comfortable around humans. Oh, and Annabelle went mudding with Hound. :) I promise to update more regularly now that life has settled down a bit. Enjoy!
Dad and the guys had a couple of picnic canopies set up over the four banquet tables in the back yard. Mrs. Epps and I started setting the tables, and Evac…Evan offered to help us. The Epps and Witwicky kids were all playing with Skids and Muflap, so I quietly explained the various utensils and their uses to him. The other newbies drifted our way, and I found myself giving an impromptu lecture on table etiquette. A little thrill went through me to know that these were aliens who had lived tens of thousands of years and they were all listening attentively to me – and learning from me. That was why Samuel had shown me the Matrix, I realized, so I would understand that I was not just a pet or a tag-along or whatever. I really, truly was a valued part of the Autobot team, even if I was short-lived, primitive organic.
I saw Thanksgiving dinner through new eyes this time, and it was funny to watch everyone go through the motions of human tradition. We all gathered around the tables and, one by one, said what we were thankful for. Some were mundane, like Jolt being grateful for good food, good friends, and the occasional good fight. The twins were goofy – like Sunstreaker being grateful his car wasn't boring silver and Skids being grateful for a brother who made him look smart. RaFly said she was grateful for hordes of oblivious humans, and the special few who notice. Johnston said he was happy to finally be able to do something Dr. Hatchett couldn't, and the mental image of him pulling the radioactive pellets out of Ironhide's chassis flitted through my mind. Mrs. Witwicky – Mikaela – teased Samuel by saying she was grateful to be married to the most famous man alive. Trailbreaker's was kind of sweet; he was thankful for a gracious hostess and newfound family.
When it was Bumblebee's turn, he placed his cell phone on the table and the ringtone sang, "Got no checkbooks, got no banks/ Still, I'd like to express my thanks./ I've got the sun in the morning/ And the moon at night." I grinned as I recognized it from the play our school did last year: Annie Get Your Gun.
Hound said he was grateful to be able to stand in the rain without fear, flashing Sunny and Sides a grin. Ratchet gave a pointed glare to Hyde and said he was grateful that everyone who was here last year was still here. Hyde leaned back in his chair, dodging Mia who was trying to hold his hand. "Me? I'm grateful for cannons!" Everyone groaned and his smirk widened. "Seriously, I'm grateful for 'Jack-enhanced TOW missile systems." His eyes twinkled mischievously and he gave Chromia a knowing look. "And for a shielded weapons storage facility." Everyone reacted to that one – R.C., 'Bee, Mom, and Ratchet sniggered while Dad, Johnston, and both sets of twins groaned. I didn't get it, but based on their reactions, I didn't think I wanted to.
And then it was my turn. I looked at the faces surrounding the table – some more familiar than my own and some, like Hound, completely new to me. "You've been my family for a long time. My whole family – big brothers, aunts and uncles, grandpa." Hyde harrumphed at that one, and I gave him quick a smile. "I'm grateful that I can finally, truly know you. Even if I wasn't very nice about it at first."
Optimus went last and his was surprisingly simple – he was grateful for the sun above, for a place to call home, and for his brother. It wasn't until then that I put two and two together. The way my family knew the Witwicky's was because Samuel was Optimus' brother. This was Samuel's first visit since my birthday, so it really hadn't clicked for me that Sam and Optimus weren't actually blood-related. But Optimus didn't call any of the 'bots his brother, and he didn't call any other human a brother either. I could just feel that there was a lot more to this story than I knew.
Like usual, Dad deferred to Samuel to say grace, and I realized with a start that it was because he was a Prime. I also realized that his carefully-neutral prayer took non-denominational to a whole new level.
"To the beneficent Providence that makes us all brothers, we offer thanks for safety and guidance in battle, gratitude for an increase in family and friends, praise for bounty in sustenance and joy, and ask that these blessings continue. Until all are one. Amen."
Amid the chorus of 'amen' I made a mental note to ask Hyde or one of the femmes about Autobot beliefs. The kickin' alien robot warriors had a religion? WOW!
Beside me, Trailbreaker dished a small portion of yam onto his plate and passed it to his left, just like I'd told him. I accepted the bowl and, though his holoform's smile was a little stiff still, I could feel he meant it. When I passed the dish on to Mirage, his brow creased as he stared at it. "What is this? It's an unhealthy orange."
"Yams," I explained. "A tuber, I think. My mom made the sweet version with brown sugar and marshmallows this year. It's really good."
He still eyed it doubtfully but spooned a small piece onto his plate before passing on the bowl.
Across the table from me, Mom and Mrs. Epps were explaining cranberries and turkey to Hound and Evac. "I think I'll pass," Hound said when offered the meat platter.
"You sure you don't want just a little taste?" Mom coaxed. "Just to know if you'll like it or not."
"Oh, I don't doubt it's delicious," Hound answered diplomatically. "It's just…it…was alive, you know? A beautiful, stately, brightly-colored avian."
I fought a snigger at his description, instead pointing out, "Turkeys aren't sentient."
"That's true," he hesitantly said, "and I'm sure that to you there's a significant difference between various organic life forms, but…
Mrs. Epp's eyes danced in amusement. "Hound, are you turning vegetarian on us?"
He ducked his head a little before nodding, and she chuckled. "No problem. We won't try to ply you with turkey or gravy. What about eggs and milk? Both are in the pumpkin pie."
"What about them?"
"Google 'Vegan,'" Mom said.
After a pause, Hound focused again on Mom. "Naw. Milk and eggs were never alive. Besides, if I took it to that extreme, what could I eat here?"
"Not much," Mom admitted, and I wondered if Hound knew what kind of demon he'd just unleashed. Mom prided herself on having everyone's favorite foods, which meant tofu turkey and soy-milk ice cream for Hound next year.
He shrugged, untroubled. "Besides, I'm looking forward to your pie."
Dinner continued like usual, and we humans let the 'bots kick back while we cleared the main course to make way for dessert. It had always seemed random in the past which people helped clear and serve and which ones were allowed to relax and be waited on. Like so many other things in my life, this was another mystery that being in the know finally solved.
After pie and ice cream, most of us found a quiet spot under the shade of the palms to relax for a while. I was happily digesting on a chaise lounge, half-listening to Skids and Mudflap as they told the little kids a story. Ratchet, Johnston, Quinn, and 'Jack sat on camp chairs up on the deck in the shade from the house, amiably arguing. Mia tried to coax Hyde to join her and R.C. and Cam Romero on a blanket in the shade, but he insisted on staying by Optimus and Samuel, who were still sitting at one of the tables under the canopies and talking.
Both Samuel and Optimus were leaning forward conspiratorially like they were whispering, forearms resting on their knees, while Hyde sat back and away a little bit, talking with Prowl. If I didn't already know that both Hyde and Prowl were sometimes Optimus' bodyguards, I wouldn't have thought anything of it, but like so many things these days I was seeing new layers and dimensions. The faithful bodyguards stood watch over their Primes – brothers who were born leaders, apparently – even in the middle of this safe little get together.
Mom, Dad, and Mr. and Mrs. Epps eventually joined Mia, R.C. and Cam and they began a game of penny poker. Hound convinced Trailbreaker to go for a walk with him so they could explore a bit more, and Mirage sat near Evac and RaFly, all three of them silently observing the squishy aliens. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were looking bored and giving each other a hard time, which meant a smackdown sooner or later. That or they'd try to get Prowl's goat somehow.
Laughter – booming, regal, unfamiliar – burst out under the canopies, and I looked back to see Optimus and Samuel belly-laughing. "You're on!" Optimus chortled, shaking Samuel's hand to seal whatever deal they'd just made. Then Optimus clapped Samuel on the shoulder and rose to his feet. Prowl took this as a sign and he began calling the teams together for the big Thanksgiving Day football game. (This morning's game between Cam's and 'Hide's teams had just been a warm up to get the newbies familiar with the rules.) People came and went in a swirl of motion around them, but it was like Samuel and Optimus stood in their own little bubble. I'd never noticed it before because I thought it was just that Optimus liked his space, but seeing him interact with Samuel made me realize exactly what that bubble was – respectfulness. No one clapped him on the shoulder except Samuel or leaned close to confide with him like that. They all respected him too much. It was a lonely place to be, that bubble of respect. It made me glad Samuel was here for him today, but I wondered how Optimus dealt with it when his brother wasn't around.
'Bots and humans alike took down the canopies and moved the banquet tables to make more room for the game, and I started shepherding the kids inside. They would get bored during the two-hour-long game, but Mrs. Epps was refereeing and there was no way Mrs. Witwicky would accept someone telling her to sit on the sidelines. And if Mrs. Witwicky was playing, Mom wouldn't be kept out of the game, either, so that left me babysitting the kids. I didn't mind too much this time, not with The Daily Buzz to entertain me. I started a movie, popped some popcorn for the kids, and settled in to read.
About half-way through the movie, Daniel Epps and Daemon got in a fight over Danny's plastic lightsaber (they were the same age), and I had to put away the laptop so I could break it up and make them come back to the living room. Apparently they needed more supervision.
Even more dizzying than seeing Hyde and knowing it was his holoform, even weirder than seeing Samuel hold the Matrix of Leadership, was looking at a six-year-old boy pick his nose and play Star Wars with Danny and know that he might be a future Prime. Not only that, but I was supposed to help him and his sister somehow by being a…what? Not just a babysitter, but what exactly? A friend, definitely. Someone who knew the kind of insanity they were born into and could show them the ropes? A human they could rant to when the 'bots drove them batty?
It sounds crazy, but it was easier to wrap my mind around my relationship with the alien robot warriors in the back yard than it was to figure out who these little kids and I were supposed to be to each other. The 'bots were my family. They took care of me and mine. Except for Skids and Mudflap, of course – they were more like obnoxious cousins. Seeing them play with Daemon and Beatrice today reminded me, though, that I hadn't always thought the twins obnoxious. I'd outgrown them.
I smiled ruefully at the children as they settled in again to watch Disney cartoons. If the twins were cousins and 'Hide was like a grandpa, then shouldn't I have at least as close a relationship with them – like cousins? Of course, the Witwicky children were human like I was. Maybe it should be even closer, like step-siblings. The thought made me smile. I was an only child, and it would be nice to have a little brother and sister. At least on loan. Occasionally.
"Need more popcorn, kids?" I asked.
"Yeah! Yeah!" Beatrice exclaimed, jumping on the couch and punching the air triumphantly. "Popcorn!" Graham Epps joined her and they both shouted and giggled as they jumped.
Shaking my head at the enthusiasm of preschoolers, I picked up the empty popcorn bowl and headed back to the kitchen.
The remainder of the game, I was able to read more on the blog posts. There were quite a few usernames I couldn't figure out, though 'Optimust' and 'NurseRatched' were pretty obvious. Some of them I could figure out by the way they wrote or the things they said, like Skids and Mudflap and Mikaela. They had all been in an uproar over an article about Samuel in a tabloid that called him "Public Enemy Number One, Take Two." I was so engrossed that I didn't realize the game was over until I heard Mrs. Epps and Mrs. Witwicky in the kitchen. Beatrice ran to her, arms wide, and caught Warrior Goddess's knees in a bear-hug, shouting "Mommy! Mommy!" the whole way.
"Thanks, Annabelle," Mrs. Epps said, picking up her year-old daughter Akeela who had crawled to her and was now trying to stand up and steadying herself against her mom's leg.
The boys – Daemon, Danny, and little Graham Epps (who was three) had already bolted out of the house in search of Skids and Mudflap.
I smiled at Mrs. Epps as we all headed toward the back yard again. "Anytime."
Optimus' team had won, despite the fact that all of Bumblebee's squad made up most of their players, and so there was lots of grumbling about beginners luck and cheating. For some reason, Sunny and Sides were convinced Mirage had done some sneaky stuff, though he struck me as a little too noble for that sort of thing.
Mia was talking with RaFly's holoform, but I didn't see R.C., and I really wanted to ask her who BrassEagle was. When I asked Johnston if he knew where she was, he pointed toward the trail that led to the seashore. I headed that way, wondering if I wanted to change into a swimsuit and play in the water a bit after everyone left. Stepping onto the beach, I saw R.C. and Cam sitting together on a palm trunk that was horizontal for a few feet, forming a natural bench. They were straddling the tree and facing each other, Cam casually lounging against the trunk where it grew straight up again. R.C. was holding one of Cam's hands in two of hers. Mom's words to Mirage echoed in my mind… only one hand unless you're trying to initiate a mating relationship. They glanced at me, and Cam quickly slipped his hand out of R.C.'s, blushing furiously.
Turning, I numbly wandered back up toward the house, my face frozen in shock. Mom was laughing and talking with Mia, Mrs. Witwicky, and Mrs. Epps, but they all stopped when they saw my expression. "What's wrong?" Mom asked.
In a low hiss, I said, "I just saw holoforms holding hands!"
Mrs. Epps was puzzled. "So?"
I shuddered. "So…they're getting kinky on my beach!"
Mrs. Epps just looked really confused, but Mia's eyes narrowed and she growled, "That's it! I've had it!" Turning on her heel, she marched over to Hyde and grabbed his hand, glaring up at him and just daring him to try to pull away. He glowered right back, but his eyes grew unfocused as some kind of silent communication passed between them – Mia filling him on how her sister and Cam were getting frisky was my guess. Focusing again, a positively wicked light flickered in his eyes. Roughly grabbing Mia, he tipped her back into a low dip and gave her a quick peck on the lips.
Every conversation in the back yard fell silent, but a shocked heartbeat later, Bumblebee let loose a wolf-whistle behind me, which was followed by cheering, more whistling, and jeers from Skids and Mudflap. The new 'bots hadn't recovered yet and just stared in total disbelief, but every other 'bot and human thought it was a riot. Hyde lifted the rather dazed-looking Mia back up to vertical and smirked. Crossing his arms (and hiding his hands), he looked down at her with an expression of amused satisfaction.
Out of Hyde's and Mia's line of sight, Prime passed what looked like some folded cash to the waiting hand of a smug-looking Samuel.
"Hey, Mom?" I asked, shaking myself out of my shock. "Where do you keep the brain bleach?"