A/N: Hello people! Here be the sixth installment of Aggressive Expansion. We have, like 800 hits, but only three reviews! Come on, we know you can do better than that! Reviews make our world go round so please drop us a line and tell us what you think!
A Little Push
"And then I tried making toast, but Hound smelled the smoke and panicked, which is why there is now a large hole where the door used to be, and why I'm now only allowed to eat cereal."
"Uh huh." Charlie noticed Alex staring blankly at the wall, lost in thought.
"Are you okay? Did your meds work?" Alex shook her head and took a sip of her coffee. They sat at the small round table in the kitchen, Charlie eating her cereal, and black marks covering the counter. Alex was thinking of the mech that saved her. She was so confused. She didn't trust them, yet she felt like she knew him a little, somehow. Charlie waved her hand in her face, startling her.
"I'm fine, stiff, but fine. I won't be one hundred percent for a while yet." Charlie nodded. She had entered the med bay at six that morning, so that Ratchet wouldn't surprise Alex and wake her up. Turns out, Ratchet had been waiting for her for just that reason. He stayed out of the way while Charlie roused Alex, who wasn't in as deep a sleep as she thought. She looked like she barely slept at all. The mech on the table was still in stasis. Ratchet had given her the once over and given her the go-ahead to return with Charlie. Which brought them to the kitchen. Both the girls were now wearing shorts and tank tops they had found in a dresser. Charlie looked around, whatever food that was in their room was ruined by her attempt to cook. All that was left was coffee and cereal.
"Let's go see if we can get our stuff. I need to feed my cat, and I need a toothbrush." Alex nodded and stood up. Charlie frowned.
"Did something happen in the med bay last night?"
"I met the robot who saved me."
"Mirage?"
"Is that his name?"
"Yeah it is. Was he mean to you?"
"No why would he be?" Charlie shook her head.
"No reason. Did you talk to him?"
"Not really." Charlie dropped the subject.
"Let's go get our stuff." The girls wandered over to the control room, looking for any of the autobots. They walked in and spotted Wheeljack, Jazz, Ironhide and Optimus.
"What's up bots?!" Alex stared at Charlie. How was she this comfortable around them?
"Good morning Charlie, Alex."
"Morning Optimus." Jazz looked over at Alex.
"Ratchet let you out already. He must really like you. The doc bot's usually real strict about patients leaving the med bay." Alex looked at the wall.
"Yeah." She mumbled. Charlie grinned up at the autobots.
"So Alex and I were wondering if we can go get our stuff? I'm missing mascara, and I've got a paper coming up, and I haven't been on the internet in a few days, I'm starting to go into withdrawal." They stared at her, bemused. But Optimus nodded seriously.
"She's right. They will be staying here for awhile, they will need supplies. As well as informing their families and explaining their absences." Jazz nodded and looked thoughtful.
"When do you want to do this thing? I'm open now." Charlie smiled.
"You mean you can take us? Cool!"
"Hound is patrolling, Wheeljack, I would like you to accompany them."
"Alright Optimus. Ready Jazz?"
"Yeah dog, c'mon ladies, let's roll!" He transformed into his alt mode, and Alex's eyes dilated with fear. Optimus noticed first, and motioned Jazz back. She opened her mouth as if to say or scream something, but closed it. She couldn't move. They could be anywhere, be anyone, be any car on the street or in the parking lot. Would she ever be free?
"Alex it's okay, they can change into cars and stuff to blend in. Alex?" But she was backing up against the wall. They could be anywhere. Anywhere……
"Alexia Vegeris, you have nothing to fear from us. You have my word that nothing will harm you again." Alex just stared at Optimus.
"Alex, c'mon, yeah it freaked the hell out of me the first time too, but they have leather interiors and kick butt sound systems. Alex focus, Alex." Charlie snapped her fingers in front of Alex. "They all have different energy signatures, a decepticon couldn't sneak up on any of these guys. You'll be fine."
"Charlie is right." Optimus knelt down in front of Alex. "What has happened to you young one, should never have happened to anyone. I'm am sorry your planet and everyone on it has been involved in our war, but I give you my word as autobot leader, that I will never allow anything like that to happen to you again, or any other human on this planet. No one should ever have to live in fear." Alex swallowed and looked at Optimus; even if she hated this entire situation, and didn't like any of these freak alien robots, she felt like she could trust him.
"Okay." Jazz pulled over and opened his door for Alex. She climbed in and stared at Charlie who was smiling happily, and telling Jazz to find a good radio station. Alex put her seat belt on and hoped for the best.
One Hour Later…
Charlie walked out of her house carrying several suitcases, her backpack and a computer bag, followed by Alex.
"Jeez Charlie did you get enough stuff?"
"Well I needed clothes and toiletries, then I needed to grab my books for school, then I thought reading text books is boring, so I had to grab my favorite books, then I was like, what if one of the fics I'm reading gets updated, and I had to grab my computer, then I thought—"
"Okay Charlie I don't really care."
"You should. I would listen to your story." Charlie stopped in front of Jazz. "You know Jazz I don't think I can fit all my stuff in you, and still have room for me and Alex." Charlie walked over to Wheeljack. "Hey Wheeljack do you mind storing my stuff for me?"
"Not at all." Wheeljack opened his door for Charlie to pack her things.
"Thanks Jack!" Charlie skipped over to Jazz and climbed in. "Time to get Alex's stuff!" Alex sighed. Charlie was having too much fun with this. They drove the few miles to Alex's house and she sighed in relief, there was no one home. She and Charlie went into her house and down into her basement to her room. She grabbed a suitcase and hurriedly packed all her clothes and necessities, before going into her bathroom and getting her toiletries. An engine was heard roaring up the driveway just as she finished. She paled and turned to Charlie, who grabbed one of her bags and leapt up the stairs. Alex took her suitcase and ran up the stairs, giving it to Charlie who went and stored it in Wheeljack. Her brother was home.
"Alex, what the heck? Whose cars are these?" Her brother strode over to her, blonde hair in his eyes and tracking mud from his cowboy boots. She swallowed.
"A friend's, we get to drive them awhile, you know, since they're nice and all. I'm going to be staying with them for awhile, me and Charlie are."
"What, for the weekend?"
"Umm, no longer than that, I don't know when I'll be back, so tell mom and dad I'm okay, I left them a note."
"You can't just leave, what the heck, aren't you going to go to class?"
"Umm, yeah, maybe, it's just a bit out of town, you know, gotta go with the alien robots, cause, you know, they're alien robots and god knows what they'll do if I don't---" She was rambling nervously, and Charlie steered her to the car and went and got into the driver's seat. Her brother was still yelling at her. Jazz's windows were tinted, so he couldn't see that Charlie wasn't driving. They pulled out of her driveway and drove quickly down the street. Alex looked stricken. "Oh crap."
"Heh, no sweat, there's no way he's going to believe you. If you had told me a week ago we'd be living with aliens, I would have you committed. Your family will probably just think college was too much and you snapped. Besides you sounded kind of crazy just now." Alex just glared at Charlie, but she did have a point. No one was ever going to believe them; still she didn't just like leaving her family like that with no warning what so ever.
"So I'm hungry. Jazz can you go to Sonic's so we can get some lunch? Oh we should probably get some groceries and other stuff, like extra towels and blankets, and a vacuum, I'm gonna need a vacuum, but let's get lunch first." Jazz laughed.
"You always like this lil' lady?" Alex spoke up.
"Yeah basically, never under any circumstances give her mountain dew." Charlie stuck her tongue out at Alex. Wheeljack's voice was heard through Jazz's radio.
"What's mountain dew?"
"A sugary earth drink. You decide to drive with your eyes closed one time, when you're a bit hyper and suddenly you're not allowed to drink pop anymore." Charlie sighed.
"You almost got us killed!"
"Yeah that was pretty dumb on my part."
"You think?" Charlie grinned. Alex was acting like herself again. Jazz pulled into Sonic's and both the girls ordered food while talking to Jazz and Wheeljack.
"So ladies, what do ya'll do for fun around her?"
"Well, I like softball, and Phantom of the Opera, and puppies, and up-finding, and crazy dance parties, Disney world, and my plan is to become a pirate."
"A pirate?"
"Yes! Oh food's here!" Charlie grabbed the food and paid the car hop.
"What about you Alex?" Alex mumbled something, while eating her sundae. Charlie decided to speak up for her.
"She likes animals, ice staking, unlike me Alex can carry a tune, so she plays guitar and piano, and-"
"That's enough Charlie."
"Why I bet Jazz wants to know more don't you Jazz?"
"Sure."
"Stop telling the robots about me."
"Oh don't mind her."
"Charlie shut up!"
"Then you tell Jazz about yourself."
"No."
"Oh, she's never been sociable with men from other planets." Charlie turned her attention back to Alex. "You know you should learn to communicate with the aliens."
"Shut up."
"You know Jazz I think she's intimidated by your rare sex appeal. I know I was taken aback by it at first." She batted her eyelashes at Jazz, and flirtatiously flipped her hair. Jazz revved his engine in return and they both started laughing. "You know Alex I could go ride with Wheeljack and give you and Jazz some alone time." She wriggled her eyebrows at Alex, daring her to say something.
Alex was annoyed, no she was more than annoyed she was bordering on downright pissed off. She was having the worst week of her life and Charlie was implying she had the hots for a robot. Charlie made another comment about robot protection, when she snapped.
"Oh shut up you idiot!" She ended up whacking Charlie upside the head and she banged her head against the window.
"Ow! Why do you always have to get violent? Damn." Alex glared but didn't apologize. Charlie scowled and muttered about how unrequited love made people grumpy. Alex smacked her again.
"I heard that!" Charlie cradled her head.
"God damn Alex, what the hell?" Alex was glaring at her. "That hurt."
"So?" Charlie glowered and hit Alex. "Hey!"
"Now we're even!" Alex hit her again.
"We're even when I say we're even." Charlie hit again, and a fight escalated from there, and ended up with the girls falling out of Jazz and fighting on the ground, with everyone in the Sonic's parking lot staring at them. Both the girls noticed at the same time.
"Eh uh, sorry!" They climbed back in Jazz and started eating again like nothing happened. They were silent for a second, when Wheeljack broke the silence.
"Does that happen often?"
"You'd be surprised. Oh good my milkshake didn't spill." Charlie started happily sipping her drink behaving as if the fight between her and Alex hadn't happened at all. Jazz and Wheeljack were stunned by what just happened.
"Oh, I see… fascinating! Is that a human friendship ritual?"
"Eh." Both girls shrugged.
"So girls have you informed everyone that will need to be informed of your relocation?"
Charlie kept on drinking her shake, Alex just explained that her brother would come up with something. Jazz kept on pressing the issue.
"What about you Charlie did you tell your family?"
"No need."
"But I thought humans were very close to their family won't yours be worried about you?" She shrugged and got up to throw her trash away.
"Was it something I said?"
"Nah Jazz, you just don't ask about Charlie's family that's all." Charlie climbed back in and shut the door.
"Well, do either of you have mates we must inform of your disappearance?" They both choked.
"Mates? Like boyfriends? No, jeez, don't call it that, say significant other or something."
"Why, what's wrong with saying that?"
"It implies a more intimate relationship, like..you know…" Jazz and Wheeljack were confused.
"A more, intimate relationship? I don't understand."
"Sex buddies!" Alex slapped her head, sometimes she just couldn't believe Charlie.
"Oh, you mean intercourse, I see." Both girls gaped at his words.
"What? How do you know about that, you're made of metal! I thought you reproduced by that all-spark, so won't that mean you can't have sex? You know I bet the whole reason for your war is because you guys can't have sex."
"The war started due to Megatron's greed."
"I bet he just needed to get laid."
"That isn't why the war was started, and for your information transformers can have intercourse."
"Really how?"
"You'll have to ask Ratchet."
"Ah. Okay I'll ask him when we get back." Jazz was grinning like mad, he had to make sure he saw that.
"You girls ready to go back?" They nodded.
"Yeah we're good." They started driving back to the base.
One Hour Later at the Base…
"Hand me the hammer." Charlie held up a hammer for Alex to grab. The girls had decided that until they could get another door, they would make do with hanging sheets around the Hound shaped hole. Alex was currently on a ladder trying to hammer some old sheets of Charlie's into the wall.
"You know we'll probably have to use duct tape, I don't think you'll be able to hammer anything into metal."
"Hush."
"We could try using sticky tack."
"Charlie shut up."
"Or glue I wonder if glue would work?" Just then Alex fell off the ladder, only to be caught by Wheeljack. She blinked as he held her up to his face, then shied away. He put her down carefully, and she retreated behind Charlie.
"Hey what's up?"
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I was wondering if I could borrow something from you." Charlie put down the nails she was holding and straightened up.
"Sure, what do you need?" Wheeljack was ducking so that half of him could fit through the hole, but he didn't step into the room. The look Alex was giving him kept him outside.
"I know very little about earth technology, and in order to expand my knowledge, I was wondering if you had anything I might be able to examine." Charlie rubbed her chin, then snapped her fingers.
"Hold on a sec." She ran out of the room leaving him with Alex, who fidgeted nervously and refused to look at him. She was only really comfortable with any of them if they were in their alt forms. Talking cars were just easier for her to deal with than giant talking robots. Charlie skidded back in the room with her arms full of small electronic devices.
"Okay, this is an Ipod, you use it to play music, this is my GPS navigation system, I take it everywhere cause I get lost a lot, this is my cell phone, you saw this earlier, and this is my electric toothbrush." She put the tiny devices into Wheeljack's huge hand and he carefully grabbed them.
"Thank you. I will get them back to you shortly. I must say, I am very curious, you humans are such interesting creatures, I have been wondering what types of things you could create." He walked off, still mumbling to himself. Alex looked at Charlie.
"You just gave him your toothbrush."
"Yeah it's cool, I don't think he'll use it, besides, I gave him your Ipod."
"What?!"
"Yup."
"Why'd you do that?"
"Cause I don't know where mine is."
"Get it back!"
"He's not going to break it. I don't think..."
"Charlie go get my Ipod."
"Fine, fine, but after we're done fixing up the room. I still gotta clean the bathroom. I mean I really don't expect robots to clean, but for goodness sake have you seen the dust in there?"
"If he crushes my Ipod, I'll break your computer."
"You bitch you won't."
"I would if Tin-man breaks my Ipod."
"Kay, chill, I'll get your Ipod in a sec." Charlie climbed up the ladder and attempted to hang the sheets over the door.
After forty minutes and nineteen failed attempts at making a door, Charlie left Alex in their room, and went to find Wheeljack. Maybe he could just build them a new door? He was an engineer after all. She started out down the corridor, only to realize she didn't know where Wheeljack's room was. She wandered past the few doors she recognized and went into unexplored territory, when she heard what sounded like music.
"ABBA?" She started following the music wondering which autobot wanted a man after midnight. She stopped in front of a pair of doors where the music was the loudest. She sighed, most of the doors in the base weren't sensitive enough for human weight to register, so the doors would stay closed until an autobot came around. She sighed again and leaned against the door; it suddenly opened and Charlie tumbled inside the room.
"Ow."
"Charlie what are you doing here?" She gazed up at Wheeljack from her position on the floor.
"Oh you know just laying around. How ya doing Jack?"
"I am well, I was coming to return your toothbrush to you."
"Splendid!" She stood and brushed her jeans off. "I was coming to get Alex's Ipod back." She grinned up at him. "I didn't know you liked ABBA."
"Yes, I find their melodies quiet pleasant, I did not know humans had such a wide variety of music." Charlie nodded.
"Yeah, we have, like, thousands of genres. That one's from the pop genre." Wheeljack looked pensive but before he could answer something exploded behind him. Charlie blinked as he waved the smoke away. "Ummm, so, should we call someone?"
"No, it happens all the time." He looked slightly downcast and Charlie walked closer.
"Ummm, could I come up there?" He lifted her up to his workbench and she stepped carefully over a smoking piece of pipe. "What was it?" He sighed.
"A little experiment of mine. I was trying to convert some of your earth technology to run on Cybertronian energy but it seems they are incompatible." Charlie shrugged.
"You guys are light-years ahead of us." He nodded, looking slightly despondent.
"Ratchet said it wouldn't work." Charlie felt sorry for him. He was obviously very excited by everything on earth and he seemed very sensitive about his inventions.
"It's alright. It's a good idea, maybe you're just ahead of our time." He leaned toward her.
"You think it was a good idea?" She smiled.
"Sure. What else are you making?" Wheeljack beamed.
"Here you go lady, your Ipod's safe and sound." Alex sighed in relief.
"Good, hey I have a question for you." Charlie flopped onto the couch and turned on the tv.
"Okay, shoot."
"You told me this morning in the med bay that Mirage was watching my house, why?" Charlie blinked. That was a good question, they said they were watching her house because of a decepticon energy signal, but why were they watching Alex's house?
"I don't know, do you wanna go ask Optimus?" Alex frowned.
"Yeah, I want to make sure it's nothing I would have to inform the family about. I mean, if it's something serious, then they should leave and go somewhere safe too." Charlie nodded.
"Yeah. Well, let's go see if they're busy." The girls walked into the command center and found Optimus, Ironhide, and Jazz.
"Hi guys!" The autobots looked down at the girls.
"Hello Charlie, hello Alex. How are you two? Did you retrieve all your belongings?"
"Yup!"
"That's good."
"So… um, Alex and me have some questions we were wondering if you would answer." Optimus regarded them seriously.
"What are your questions?" Alex spoke up.
"Why were you watching my house to begin with? You said Charlie and I had different energy signatures at our houses. Why were you watching to begin with? What's with these decepticon guys? What are they after? And why were we involved? Why our houses? Why us?" Optimus sighed quietly. He knew once things settled down they would have questions.
"Your house also had traces of decepticon energy around it. And since your dwelling is more rural than your friends', I thought it might be near their base, which is why I had Mirage keep watch there."
"Oh. Are they?"
"No, the traces are fading, we now believe they were linked directly to you, after your capture." Alex swallowed and nodded. She took a tentative step toward Optimus and pointed to the control panel. He nodded in understanding and gently grabbed her and lifted her up so they could see each other better. Charlie began protesting and Ratchet lifted her by Alex.
"They said something weird, they said they captured me because I was a consort of Blackfire, I lied so they wouldn't kill me, but I have no idea what that means." Jazz looked at Optimus meaningfully, who in turn looked at Alex.
"Are you sure they said Blackfire?"
"Yeah. They said they were going to use me to get to him." Optimus sighed.
"This is bad news. Our info indicated Blackfire met his end years ago, but if he is on earth then our problems have just gotten worse." Jazz crossed his arms.
"Blackfire's bad news, that might mean it was his signal that was around her house yo."
"But no one's seen him in years, can we even track him?" Optimus shook his head.
"I do not know." Charlie waved her arms.
"Hey! What about those decepticons? I don't really get them either. You said they like to squash humans, why would they use us? Why not just, you know, step on us?" Then she looked at Alex. "And what do you mean they called you a consort? Do you mean like a prostitute?"
"That's what I thought!"
"Consort don't mean prostitute to us girls." Jazz looked at them. "They meant she was associated with him in some way, like maybe providing information or something like that." Charlie just looked at Alex.
"Are you sure you're not his prostitute? Jazz said they could have sex. Oh wait I don't even want to go there." Charlie then pointed up at Ratchet. "You need to explain that to me." Everyone just looked at Charlie. "And besides all that, why would these decepticons think Alex would work with them? How many of these guys are there? And what are they after? You said your all-spark was destroyed, so why are they still on Earth?"
"Like I said we detected traces of decepticon energy at both of your dwellings. Yours Charlie was the strongest, but unfortunately Alex was…an easier target. Alex's house also contained older traces of the same energy that was found around your home, Charlie." Charlie paled. They could turn into cars, and decepticon energy was at both of their houses. She was getting a sick feeling in her stomach, but it wasn't possible. She started listening to Optimus again. "…after Megatron was destroyed the decepticons were divided between two former high ranking officers of Megatron's, Starscream and Soundwave. I'm afraid to say I do not know why they have chosen to battle for the leadership of the decepticons on Earth."
"It's because you guys are here and you say you care about humans. They could hold the whole planet hostage if they wanted to." They looked at Alex in surprise. She had a point.
"Yes, unfortunately. But rest assured, we won't let that happen. They will not let us live here peacefully. They will always choose destruction, they would drain your planet's energy and destroy your entire species. It is why we fight, so that their rain of terror will finally come to an end." Optimus looked seriously down at the girls, who felt nervous. This was bigger than anything they had been involved in before, and it was starting to affect them.
"Hey Optimus, Bumblebee's beeping in." Jazz joked and pressed a button on the control panel and the screen above it came to life. The girls turned around and were met with the face of a yellow autobot with what looked like a high school boy sitting on his shoulder. Both were waving and whooping excitedly.
"Hi Optimus!"
"Hello Sam, Bumblebee. Do you have anything to report?"
"Not a lot of activity on our end Optimus. Barricade's seemed to have disappeared. But we'll keep our eyes open."
"Very good. Ah we have some new guests with us." Optimus waved the girls over to the view screen. "This is Alexia Vegeris, and Charlie Sheer." The girls stared at the screen.
"Hi." Sam peered curiously.
"Hey what brings you girls here huh? Buy any alien cars lately?" He and Bumblebee shared a laugh. "Sorry, I'm Sam, this is Bumblebee, my guardian."
"Guardian?" Charlie looked at Optimus curiously.
"Sam and Bumblebee live together in Nevada, where Bumblebee is disguised as his car. Bumblebee was appointed his guardian before Sam defeated Megatron and we had no base or safe haven we could keep him. Bumblebee continues to guard him while Sam goes to school." Sam grinned.
"Yup, me and 'Bee are like peas in a pod." They gave the girls identical grins and Charlie laughed.
"Will you guys come here too?"
"I don't know, Optimus?" Optimus smiled.
"You are welcome to visit. I'm sure you would like to get acquainted." Sam grinned at the girls and suddenly Charlie had a thought.
"Hey, is it your clothes that are here? Why do you wear ladies clothes?" Sam blinked and Bumblebee laughed.
"Dude looks like a lady…."
"Aww come on 'Bee, those are Mikaela's clothes, she's my girlfriend."
"Oh, where's she?"
"Huh, oh she's working, but hey, I'm sure she'll like to meet more girls in on the secret. Hey how'd you guys get involved anyway?" They looked at each other nervously. Optimus answered for them.
"Charlie had very strong decepticon energy signals surrounding her house, and Hound brought her to base as a precaution, Alex….was kidnapped by Soundwave." Sam and Bumblebee both gaped.
"What?! Are you serious? Are you okay?" Alex looked uncomfortable.
"Yeah, now." They took in her expression and looked seriously at Optimus.
"We believe they are targeting her as a mistaken consort of Blackfire, who we now believe to be alive. Mirage rescued her and they are now staying with us here on base until we can guarantee their safety." Sam whistled.
"Wow, well… nice to meet you two."
"It's nice to meet you too."
"Bumblebee continue monitoring for decepticon activity in Tranquility, and the surrounding areas."
"Will do Optimus. Bumblebee out." The screen went blank and there was a short silence broken by Ratchet.
"You look tired, you must recharge, I would like to check your wounds again in the morning." Alex blushed. Ratchet was very persistent.
"Yeah okay." Optimus lowered her back down to the floor followed by Charlie.
"Well, goodnight, I guess." The two girls exited the room and Ironhide turned to Optimus.
"You didn't tell them the truth." He sighed.
"I know."