A/N: This particular bit of the story demanded to be written, but didn't seem to really fit in with any of the future chapters, so... Interlude. It's much shorter than most of the other chapters, but well, hope ya like.

Interlude: Is That a Gun in Your Pocket?

Lex and Sam had spent the better part of the day in the shade of her backyard, stretched out on Bumblebee's chest, playing 'Name that Tune'. Lex had to give Sam this—he was good. She got a lot of the 80's songs, they were a bit before Sam's time, but otherwise, he was right on the money.

For the moment though, the game was over, and Lex snuggled in closer, as always amazed that a being composed of metal could possibly be so comfortable as Bee was. A nap was starting to look like a perfectly valid option.

At least until Sam sat up and asked her, "Were you serious the other day?"

Goodbye, soupy drowsiness. "I'm always serious."

"Bullshit." But said with a grin.

Lex sighed to herself and sat up as well. She cast a longing look at the expanse of Bee's chest before asking "What other day were you talking about?"

Sam shifted around, uncomfortable, picking nervously at the knee of his scruffy blue jeans. "When you said you'd owe me a favor. Were you... did you mean it?"

"Yes."

Sam was quiet for so long that Lex considered taking that nap she was craving, but decided that would be a bit callous and sat there instead, waiting for him to work up whatever he needed to continue.

Looking unwaveringly at Bee's foot, Sam said, "The senior prom is in a couple of weeks...Would you go with me?"

Lex cut a quick look at Bumblebee. She'd expecting something like this. Bee wasn't the type to spill his charge's horrible secrets, but he'd already told her that Sam was having a tough time of it since Mikaela moved to be with her family. She and Sam had broken up, rather than try to maintain the relationship long distance, but they'd remained close friends.

That Sam had understood. He loved his family to pieces, and he wouldn't begrudge Mikaela the chance to be with hers once her father had been released.

While everything was kosher with Sam and Mikaela themselves, at school, Sam hadn't fared so well. He'd caught some shit while he and Mikaela were still together—she had been one of the most popular girls in school, and to the student body, it appeared that Mikaela had left Trent, the school's rich football star, for Sam, the school's barely-there nerd. Repercussions were expected, but after Mikaela left, it got so much worse. Rumors flew everywhere, the most popular (propagated by Trent) being that Mikaela left because Sam was some sort of psycho stalker that wouldn't leave her alone. Lex knew there had been other things, too. Shouted insults from Trent and his friends, not to mention scuffles in the schoolyard. Either way, Bee had told her, Sam's chances for getting a date to the prom were slim. Even the students with nothing against Sam didn't want to go with him for fear of inciting Trent's wrath.

Lex had already been forewarned.

Sam was still staring at Bee's foot. "Of course I will. But save your owed favor for later, k?"

Blushing beet red, Sam finally turned from Bee's foot back to Lex, and gave her a somewhat goofy grin. Before he could say anything, she stopped him with, "Now, can we please get in a nap?"

She and Ratchet had went on a bit of a road trip the next day. Destination? Beverly Hills. More specifically, Rodeo Drive. J.C. Penny's could keep their shit. She wanted to knock Sam's, and everyone else's socks off.

Amazingly enough, it turned out that Ratchet actually had good taste in women's clothes. They picked out a slinky, reddish-gold gown that somehow managed to not clash with Lex's dark red hair, but DID manage to hug all the right places. The guys at the prom wouldn't recognize it for the designer that created it, but the girls would. A pair of matching strappy heels, and Lex left with Ratchet, her heart and bank account feeling considerably lighter.

Two weeks later, standing in front of the mirror for one last check before Sam came to pick her up, and Lex felt even better about the money she'd blown. The whole ensemble came together really well. She wore discreet gold jewelry, and her hair was left to fall in large soft curls, but pinned away from her face with barrettes. She could be going to a prom, or she could be getting ready to walk down the red carpet.

Shame I don't have any red carpet. I'd bring it with me and make someone roll that bitch out. That'd rock.

The doorbell rang at eight o'clock sharp, and as soon as Lex set foot in the living room, Ratchet was their, wielding her digital camera like a weapon. She submitted to having her picture taken no less than fifty times, before opening the door and letting Sam inside.

Lex smacked Sam lightly, "Put your eyes in your head and let the Hatchet take your picture."

Fifty more pictures later, and they were finally allowed to step outside. Funny thing was, if Lex didn't know any better, she'd say Ratchet's holo was starting to get a little teary-eyed. She gave Ratchet a kiss on the cheek before turning to Bee.

Dressed in his customary jeans and t-shirt, he leaned against the grill of... himself, smiling as much with his eyes as he was with his lips. "Your chariot awaits, milady."

Bee walked to her, and leaned in as if to kiss her, but Lex stopped him by planting her entire, spread out hand on his face.

"No, sir."

Slightly muffled by her hand, "Why not?"

"Because you'll screw up my make-up. Besides, I'm Sam's date tonight."

Still muffled, "But you kissed Ratchet."

Lex took her hand off his face, and patted his chest lightly. "That's different." Bee rolled his holo's blue eyes at her, but they were twinkling with amusement.

The yellow Hummer that was Ratchet snickered and said, "Yeah, that's different, lug nut."

Bee shot Ratchet a positively filthy look, before grinning at Sam and punching him lightly on the shoulder. "Lucky bastard, she never dresses like that for me."

Sam smoothed the front of his tux, and tried to look all-knowing. "I do have skills, my man."

Eventually, they did manage to leave Lex's house. She'd finally ended up smacking some asses, both human and holo. Sam had been a little shocked, Bee had given her a slightly hungry look, but reigned himself in, and disappeared with his customary 'poof'.

Sam had been a perfect gentleman, opening Bee's door for her to get in and out of the car, and he'd brought her a lovely orchid corsage that didn't clash with her gown in the slightest.

When they entered the gym, it seemed as though everyone stopped to stare. Especially Trent. He'd come with the second prettiest girl in school (well, the prettiest now that Mikaela was gone) and this chick Sam brought make her look fugly. How did Sam Witwicky manage to get a hot chick that was probably six years older than he was to go with him to the prom? Must be his cousin.

Had to be.

Trent watched them dance to about four or five fast tunes, then the redhead started walking towards the punch bowl and Captain Dipshit found his dork friend Miles, and talked to him.

Trent made his way to the punchbowl, to talk to the redhead.

"Hi, I'm Trent." He held out his hand to her.

Lex looked at his hand as if it were something disgusting, like a slug, perhaps, and didn't make a move to take it. "Lex."

She looked at him directly in the eye, completely self-assured. Trent found that frank stare a little intimidating, but when it slid past him and looked over his shoulder, he turned to look at what caught her attention. Sam was still talking to Miles, but he had his eye on Lex. So, the dork was worried? Good. Feeling bolstered, he looked back at the hot chick before him.

"Why not dump the Serf so you can have the King?"

Lex's eyes gave him a slow once-over, starting at the top of his head and moving slowly to his feet before starting to travel back up, only to linger just below his belt. He didn't seem to have much behind his zipper.

"Sorry. I don't play with little boys. I guess Daddy's money can get you everything but a bigger dick, huh?"

Seemingly oblivious to Trent's reddening face, and the loud snickers coming from behind them, Lex finished her punch, threw away the cup and walked back to where Sam had been. He was on his way to meet her, and she slipped into his arms like she belonged there, before pulling him to the dance floor once again.

Sam looked back at Trent, then at Lex, "Was he bothering you?"

She waved away his concern, and put her arms around his neck. "Let's dance slow."

"The music is fast."

"So."

Sam slid his arms lightly around her waist, careful not to touch too much. This however, earned him a reprimand. "Sam, Bee's not going to suddenly rip the roof off the place and tear you limb from limb if you put your hands on me. Loosen up."

Sam did as he was told, pulling her against him, and Lex pulled him closer in turn, and they danced that way, a slow sway to fast song. He buried his face in her neck, and felt her hand caressing the back of his. Her warm breath against his ear made him shiver, and Lex held him tighter. The rest of the world seemed to drop away into nothing, like he was blind and deaf to all except her. He felt Lex's full lips moving against his ear, whispering above the music so that only he could hear her.

"My... older brother is a homicide detective in Toronto. He told me once, that he can always tell if a perp has a concealed weapon. He said it's in the way they walk, full of confidence, like they're ten feet tall and bullet proof."

Sam wasn't entirely sure what she was talking about. The subject had come out of the blue, and he was trying to pay attention to her words, and he was absorbing them on some level, but her lips and breath on his ear were turning into sharp spikes of pleasure, and he could feel the hard length of his arousal pressing into her stomach. Embarrassed, he tried to pull away.

Lex refused to allow it, whispering to him, "Shhh... it's ok. Bee won't be angry or hurt. It's ok." A light hint of her tongue against his ear nearly made him moan, but he stifled the sound, pressing his face back into her shoulder. They still danced, and her body swaying against his was rubbing his erection causing unbearable friction. He was trembling, muscles tense. A fine sheen of sweat covered his face. He was standing here, in the middle of the prom, slow dancing with his best friends mate, and he was going to come in his pants in less than a minute.

"You saved the world, Sam. Everyone on this planet, everyone in this room owes you their lives, even if they don't know it. I think that gives you more right than anyone to walk like you have a gun in your pocket."

He smiled against her neck at her words, and the next thing he knew, her mouth was on his, soft and wet. He opened his mouth to her, meeting her tongue with his, entwining them, her hand gripping the back of his neck, nails digging lightly into the skin there. Sam thought dimly, Maybe she's right, and his hands gripped her ass brazenly, pulling her up and against him. He felt the hot, sticky rush of his release. Sam's whole body shuddered in pleasure, his soft cry lost in their kiss.

It took a few seconds for Sam to pull himself together. He glanced quickly around the room, to see if anyone had noticed anything. All clear. Except for maybe Trent. He was staring at both Sam and Lex, gaping. Sam smirked to himself. Well, no one that was important noticed anything. He looked at Lex and saw equal parts amusement and arousal in her eyes.

"Bee won't be mad?" he asked quietly.

"Nope."

"I want to take care of you, too."

Lex smiled at him. She knew what Sam meant, and thought it was sweet, but she was all too aware of the fact that Bee DID indeed have his limits. She'd felt Bee's interest, and had sent him her side of the encounter through their rather strange, but handy, bond. She wasn't entirely sure, but she thought it might have turned the little yellow bot on. Lex wondered briefly if Bee would be open to the concept of a threesome.

Maybe...

Perv...

"I'm not sure if Bee would go for that."

"He can't blame me for trying."

They giggled and Sam said, more seriously, "Look, I'm gonna go to the bathroom and clean up a bit. Wanna blow out of here when I get back?"

"Whatcha got in mind?"

"B-grade drive-in double feature with Bee and Ratchet?"

"Deal."

Two holos and two humans piled on Ratchet's roomy hood to watch 'Why the Dead Hate the Living'. Lex sat in the middle, Ratchet on one side, Sam on the other. She had her arms around both of their shoulders. Bee was sprawled across Ratchet's hood like he owned it. Lex, still wearing her dress, but having taken off the shoes, propped her feet up on Bee's back. Sam kicked off his dress shoes, and propped his feet up on Bee's back as well. Bee looked over at him, and shot him a bird. Sam just grinned and shrugged, and blew Bee a kiss.

Lex giggled at the lot of them, and relaxed against Ratchet's windshield, glad to be surrounded by her boys. At least until she got hungry, and sent Bee and Sam off for snacks and drinks.

After about 15 minutes, Lex and Ratchet watched them come back, toting enough food to feed an army.

"What did you do to Sam, Lex?"

Lex arched an eyebrow in question.

"He's different somehow. The way he carries himself. It's like he has more confidence."

Lex smiled softly. "He walks like he has a gun in his pocket."

A/N: Really couldn't resist rubbing Trent's face in a bit of sandpaper. I like it when assholes get the shit, and the underdog wins. Couldn't resist a bit of smut either. .