Where the Heart Is 4 Miko
A Transformers Prime Fanfiction
Set During the Events of "Darkest Hour" "Darkmount NV" "Scattered" "Prey"
Unfortunately, purple mountains majesty could only awe a city girl for so long. Miko slumped in the passenger's seat of Bulkhead's alt mode watching the trees streak past out the window. So many trees; conifers she thought they were called? Maybe. They had the pointy green things instead of the flat leaves, and big old pinecones. Supposedly if you measured the cones and counted the pointy leaves it would tell you which trees they were…The girl let out a groan arching her back and straining against the seatbelts as she rubbed her face.
"What's the matter Miko?" Bulkhead asked worriedly.
"I am so bored I am reviewing science homework in my head!"
"Oh," the Wrecker shifted uneasily.
A bored Miko was a dangerous Miko, but then she gave a small sad sigh as her mood changed again and she curled up into a small ball on his seats.
"Hey, they are all tough," Bulkhead offered. "I'm sure everyone made it."
"I know, I know. It's just…"
"Just what?"
"Before, back when I was working. I, I got used to being alone. To never having friends, or only having one friend at the most, but now…" her voice trailed off as she leaned into his window and stared out at the passing scenery.
The mech remained quiet and let her mull over whatever was in her mind. Her breath began to condense on the glass and the Autobot was about to send a warm wash of air over it to clear her view when her finger cam up almost of its own accord and delicately traced two arcs in the moisture. A stylized heart he realized as she deliberately blew on it, making the symbol stand out.
"I miss them Bulk," she whispered hugging her knees to her chin. "I miss them all so bad."
"Me too Miko. Me too."
"And I'm hungry," she pointed out.
"We'll stop at the next place. You already ate all the emergency stuff I packed?"
"Yup, how long till the next place?"
"Awhile," Bulk answered with a sigh.
"Window?" the girl requested softly.
The mech lowered the passenger window as they came to a series of tight turns. Miko leaned into the cool wind and let it soothe her hot skin. She sniffed and dug through his dash compartment for a tissue and was loudly blowing her nose when the rumble of a motorcycle engine approached them from around the corner. A dozen or so gleaming black Harley's were cruising in formation up the road. They smiled and waved at the girl as they passed on the corkscrew turns. Bulkhead rumbled a bit uneasily as the littlest Wrecker waved back at the burly men. They were paying entirely too much attention to her and he rolled up and tinted the windows as quickly as he could. She snorted and kicked lightly at his interior.
"Easy there 'Dad'. They were just being friendly."
"Humph."
"Did you seriously just say 'humph'?"
"Uh, yes?"
The girl burst into laughter and Bulkhead relaxed a bit. Outside the trees flashed past. Miko grew quiet again but seemed in better spirits over all. The summer sun seemed to have lured out the two wheelers because they were passed by several more groups of bikers going both ways. It did seem to Bulkhead that they were paying a bit too much attention to him but he was able to brush it off until a more massive parade of at least two dozen bikes rumbled up behind them and fell into flanking positions.
"Ah Bulk," Miko started looking nervously out the windows.
"I know. I know," the Wrecker muttered. "They aren't cons. That much is for sure."
The girl reached under the seas and pulled out the heaviest thing she could find; which turned out to be the first aid kit.
"If they try anything funny they are going to get a serving of irony to the face!" she growled swinging it experimentally.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Bulkhead cautioned as he scoped the land around them for escape routes.
It didn't look promising. On one side a cliff dove down several hundred feet and on the other granite walls hemmed them in. Up ahead the road widened for a rest area but there was no alternate exit, just in and back out onto the road. Eight of the bikers pulled ahead of them in perfect formation and before the Wreckers had realized what had happened they were blocking the narrow road past the rest stop in a tight criss-cross pattern. Bulkhead estimated the mass of the heavily built bikes. If he needed to he could simply bust right through them but if there was any way to avoid harming the humans and drawing attention to themselves he was going to take it. Carefully he backed up onto the cracked asphalt of the rest area and clamped his doors locked when the bikers began to circle them in concentric rings. Miko was glaring and hissing out the window when she suddenly gasped and pressed her hands and face to the darkened glass.
"Wait Bulk! I know them!"
"You know these bikers?"
"Not personally. But I know the gang! They-" her voice cut out and her face scrunched up in confusion. "How the scrap did they find me?"
"Who are they?" the Autobot asked frantically as the gleaming black cycles circled.
"B.A.C.A."
"Hey! Don't call me an idiot because I don't know!"
"No, no, not baka. B. A. C. A.! See the fist in the circle on their leathers? Bikers Against Child Abuse. Agent Jones took me to one of their rallies once before he got me settled down in Jasper. They are a great bunch," the girl explained as she unbuckled.
"So they are not dangerous?" the green SUV inquired relaxing a bit.
Miko let out a bark of laughter and grinned up at him fiercely.
"They are totally dangerous. You mess with a kid they are protecting, you pay in blood mech!"
"Oh," Bulk replied a bit uncertainly as she opened the door.
"Hey! It's the twins. I met them at the rally. Heya, Tayna and Tiif!"
"Miko!" both women called out in delight leaping off their rides and running forward to bump fists with the girl in turn.
"How did you find me?" the slim Asian demanded setting her hands on her hips and glaring fiercely up at them.
"Woah! Good to see you too girlfriend!" the tall round blond held up her hands defensively.
"Seriously! I got some bad dudes after me! Not the jerks you deal with either. Like the kind you need to call in Delta Force to deal with!"
"Chill girl," the other twin stepped forward waving off the circling bikes. "We don't have all the details but we knew enough to keep this on the down low. Tiff and I are the only ones who knew your name, the rest of the searchers were only going on a description. We pegged you about a day back and got here as fast as we could."
"Who sent out the word I needed searching for in the first place?"
"A friend of ours by the name of Franklin; a real pain in the saddle but he has heart when it comes to what matters."
"Franklin?" Miko demanded incredulously. "That old fashioned trucker dude?"
"Well, it was the younger Franklin," Tayna offered.
"Sheesh, he writes letters. Who does that but old guys?"
"That 'old guy' put the word out to be on the lookout for you and your friends," Tiff pointed out with a smile.
"So he's a great old guy," Miko conceded, and then her eyes grew sharp. "So what now that you've found me?"
"The instructions were odd," Tayna said with a frown. "We were supposed to offer help but stay away as much as possible."
"Yeah! That's for your own good!" Miko nodded puffing her chest out importantly. "If I need backup I am gonna need more muscle than you got."
"So we gathered," the woman smirked. "So here."
The sisters stepped to the side and two massive bikers came up carrying a loaded backpack each.
"Food, water, survival kit, sleeping bag; basically whatever we figured you'd need," Tiff explained taking one bag and starting towards the SUV.
Miko opened the door and grinned in thanks as the bags were tossed inside.
"Now before we leave," one of the men spoke up for the first time. "We are going to risk sticking around for one more thing. You look skinny and hungry girl!"
"Stoker," Tayna groaned. "Real smooth."
"No he's right," Miko interjected eagerly, nose twitching. "But we just got here how is that ready already?" she asked pointing at a grill that was wafting out smoke and the delicious scent of meat.
"Sorry girley," the bearded biker grinned proudly. "Family secret! Now; burgers, ribs, or hotdogs?"
"Hotdogs!" she whooped darting over to where tubs of baked beans and potato salad were being laid out.
Bulkhead settled back on his struts, letting himself relax for the first time since they had abandoned the base. The Wreckers' meeting could wait for a bit while the youngest refueled.