This was fun to write!! The school idea was inspired by Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts. Enjoy!!

Free to a Good Home part 5

In over a month that Leah had been there, there had been many adjustments made to the lives of the Fireshots. Gabriel's beer and other alcoholic beverages were kept well out of reach of Leah's curious fingers. Sebastion insisted on giving her wings a checkup every week. Alex began to teach her some martial art moves. Eric was trying to keep his cussing in line and invented new curses around her. Chase and Jazz were the parental control of the gang and gave out her punishments, though it barely happened. The one time that she got grounded (she got into Gabe's gun cabinet while it was unlocked), she wasn't allowed into the shop. Being grounded to the house was the worst punishment ever, especially since Chase and Jazz had work and everyone except Sebastion was in the garage. It was no fun!

For the Fourth of July, the entire gang went to one of the main bridges in the city to see the really big fireworks go off. It was magnificent, with many different colors and designs going off and the water reflecting the colors. The BOOM of the fireworks filled Leah with happiness of seeing the pretty lights that follow the explosion. Chase held her in his lap as the fireworks exploded, and put her in her booster seat in their car. On the way home, she fell asleep, and Jazz carried her to bed. But nothing would prepare them for one of the worst things a parent would worry about.

It all started when Jazz and Prowl were at work and the rest of the gang besides Sebastion finish closing up the shop. So Leah went to Sebastion for an itch that seemed to be everywhere on her body; they had an "I scratch your back, you scratch mine" policy in the Fireshot, and they took it seriously. If Eric asked Alex to help him get an itch he couldn't reach on his back, Alex would help him and would get an itch relieved in return.

Leah went to Ratchet, who was in the kitchen, because she wasn't allowed to help close up the shop yet and asked to relieve an itch that was everywhere. Seb was surprised at her request, then grew serious, because she wasn't feeling well the day before.

"Turn around," he ordered. Leah did as she was told and Seb lifted the back of her shirt. He let out a low whistle at the sight of her back. Leah's skin maybe dark, but it was still light enough for Sebastion to see the little angry red spots on her back.

"Oh, boy. Prowl's gonna have a fit."

"What do you mean 'Prowl's gonna have a fit?' What's wrong with Leah?" Bee asked as the rest of the garage entered the kitchen. Seb looked up from Leah's back and said, "Leah's got the chicken pox."

"I'm gonna turn into a chicken?!" Leah yelped as she lifted up the front end of her shirt to see more spots on her stomach.

"No! Gabe, stop laughing," Seb said as Gabriel laughed his head off and had to sit in a chair. Eric and Alex were trying to stifle their laughter but were having little success. Seb turned Leah around after pulling her shirt back down and explained, "You just have a virus that makes you itchy and have blisters, that's all. You are most defiantly not going to turn into a chicken."

"Oh." Leah said, the only word able to come to mind right then and there.

"Alright, into pajamas and head to bed. I'll call Jazz and tell him to pick up the ingredients of that lotion that he uses against poison oak." Eric said, laughter finally under control. Leah pouted and Gabe her a little push to her room. Turning around, Leah playfully stuck her tongue at him, and he did the same, allowing her to see his tongue stud. Giggling, she ran to her room, but heard Gabe yell, "No scratching! Okay?"

"Yes, sir!" Leah yelled back. She then closed her door to change into pajamas. After that she climbed into bed, feeling tired. Closing her eyes, she fell asleep. The next thing she knew, Leah was being lifted into strong arms and a cool, thick liquid that eased the itching on her back a bunch.

"Hold still. This should tame that itch you have until morning." Leah opened her eyes to see Jazz, a Mason jar full of green stuff that he was spreading on her back, and children's cold medicine.

"Daddy?" Leah asked softly, making sure that he was really there.

"Yeah, sugar. I'm here and so is Prowl." Leah looked over her shoulder to see Chase there, a worried frown on his face and medicine in hand. Leah gave him a small smile and said, "Hi, Papa."

"Hello, Leah. Hungry?" Chase asked after giving her the medicine. Leah shook her head no and went back to sleep, but not before feeling the two kisses to her head. Soup came to her in bed, and with Eric standing over her, Leah was forced to have every last drop of the tomato soup. This treatment continued for the duration of the illness, and Leah hated every second of being sick.

She wasn't allowed to go down to the garage, so she was bored out of her mind. She was constantly watched by Ratchet. Constant bathes were also an issue. The only good that came of being sick to Leah was the green lotion. That was heaven in a jar.

When she finally got well, the first thing that she did was help out in the garage. This continued for the rest of summer, with fun trips to the park, museums, the local pool, and other sightseeing places.

Then summer was beginning to draw to a close and the gang decided to send Leah to a public school near Alex's own school. He was starting senior year and Leah would be starting kindergarten.

Now all they had to do was tell her.

"Bee, why do you have that camera?" Jazz asked as Alex came skidding in with a video camera in his hot little hand.

"To record Leah's reaction. After missing the chicken pox reaction, I am not going to miss this!" Alex explained. Gabriel snickered at that as the others rolled their eyes. A purple housecat wondered in the room and everyone checked to see if Leah was up. She had worked on her animalistic imagery all summer and progressed from snake and mouse to rat, fly, cat, and other small animals; she wasn't quite there yet on the "big animal" department yet. Sometimes her wings come out in her dreams, creating the images in her sleep. This was one of those times.

Chase shook his head as he went to wake her up. When he entered Leah's room, it was bathed in the purple light that came from her wings. He went to her and gently woke her up. Leah's amethyst eyes blinked sleepily as Prowl gathered her up in his arms and her little wings went back into herself.

"Papa?" she asked.

"Yeah, family meeting of sorts is going on." Chase said.

"Oh. About what?"

"You'll see," was her only answer.

Chase sat down in his chair with Leah in his lap as Jazz gave her a good morning kiss to the forehead. Soon everyone was at the table, and Leah eyed Bee's video camera curiously.

"Why do you have that, Alex?" she asked.

Alex snickered. "You'll see, Leah. You'll see."

"Leah." She turned around to see Jazz looking at her seriously as he continued, "We've enrolled you in a safe public school near Bee's own school. In a couple more weeks, you'll be starting kindergarten."

Leah's went wide and she yelled, "KINDERGARTEN?!"

"Of course, Leah. We all learned by going to school," Sebastion said helpfully. It backfired as Leah yelled again, "SCHOOL?!"

"We all had to go to school. That's how you get an education," Eric added.

"EDUCATION?!?" She rounded toward Eric with big eyes.

"I'm starting to feel sorry for the poor teacher," Alex snickered, Gabe laughing his head off. Leah turned to him next.

"TEACHER?!?!"

"Leah, everyone has to go to school. I didn't know the works of an engine until I went to school," Gabriel said, finally getting his laughter under control to say something. Leah looked at all of the adults' faces and asked, "Do I have to?"

"Yes, and don't worry. Alex is basicly right next door with the high school people," Prowl said. Alex nodded, confirming Chase's statement. Leah sighed.

"All right, I'll go to school, and I'll learn their games, BUT I WON'T LEARN LATIN!!!!" she declared, setting off another round of laughter. After the laughter subsided, Alex explained that she doesn't learn Latin in kindergarten.

And so the day continued as normal with Leah helping out in the garage and Jazz and Prowl at work. Then Rosanne came over for the Friday night poker games. Leah told Rosanne as soon as she came in about that morning. Alex showed her the clip to for evidence. Eric showed off his awesome fire juggling skills for Leah while supper (Chinese) was being picked up, as she couldn't get enough of seeing the balls of light be tossed hand to hand in a circle. Finally, they settled down to play poker.

"Still can't believe I have to go to school," Leah pouted.

"Yeah, I still can't believe that I'm piercing people's private places and tattooing their bodies, but doesn't change a thing," Rosanne retorted.

"All right people, ante up," Alex called; everyone put in their chips, and the game began. Yet somehow the girls seem to beat the boys more often than not.

"I can't believe I lost to my own foster niece," Gabriel groaned at the end of the games. Leah giggled, then shrieked as she was pulled into a Gabe-sized bear hug. Jazz rescued her and tucked her into bed, a habit formed early on.

"Night, Leah," Jazz said, giving her a kiss.

"Night, Daddy," Leah muttered, too tired to do much else but sleep. Prowl came in later and performed the same ritual with her. Finally, Prime, Bee, Ratchet, and Hide came in to say good night and give their hugs and kisses.

After Leah went to bed, Rosanne broke out the alcohol and the adults started their own card games.

Leah's first day of school and first piercings are coming up next!! Please R&R!!