Please, thank The Lion King for this speech and thank some waaaaay early chapters.
And I have to say that I fail in writing 'exciting' parts. I seriously fail. -.-
I might rewrite these couple of chapters when I improve in my writing. – this is just a thought. I have many, many thoughts
The three men scanned, in every way, the construction site. Or at least, they scanned the recess. Bumblebee and Ironhide couldn't scan anything, and Ratchet also came up with nothing.
"…Ratchet. Are they still breathing?" Ironhide asked Ratchet.
"My scans don't indicate any change, but it's very unlikely."
"You mean they are…" Bumblebee started.
"Dead?" Ironhide finished.
Ratchet gave a heavy sigh. "I'm afraid there's nothing we can do. We don't know where they-"
Suddenly, a faint pop could be heard as all of their eyes fell onto the recess below them, where a small gray smoke escaped the recess. Like someone tried to fire a firework underground. Bumblebee and Ratchet looked to each other as Ironhide wasted no time running down the recess.
He skidded on his knees the way down, quickly getting up and running to the place where the gray smoke had once been.
Behind him he could faintly hear Ratchet and Bumblebee running down, but he was most focused on falling to his holoform's knees again, and digging and pushing the gravel away.
He fiercely dug through the gravel, trying to get a grip on something, anything.
And it must have been either Primus or God that smiled on him that day, because his hand grabbed something firm and warm. Bumblebee and Ratchet joined in the digging, trying to get the object Ron had in his hands. Ron pulled, until a hand was visible. Soon, the hand turned into a forearm, and from there, Ron gripped the forearm and lifted the person from the gravel.
Melissa was the first to come out. "Get Nicole." She barely coughed it out as Ratchet came to her side. Ron had to restrain himself from helping Melissa, he had to help Bumblebee find Nicole, if she was still alive down there.
The managed to pull her out as well, as Ratchet already gave Melissa essential water. He moved to help Nicole get the water inside her system.
"Primus, Melissa." Ron gave her a tight hug. "Oh, thank the Matrix…" he pressed his head against hers, rocking her as they were both sitting on the ground, only she was in his arms. Her body hadn't the strength to move. She was still trying to inhale oxygen and regain consciousness.
"Nic…" she muttered.
"She's alright." He responded quickly. "You're alright." He didn't care that Ratchet was here. He couldn't resist the urge to press his forehead onto hers. "Thank Primus, you're alright." He whispered.
"Get her home now. They need immediate nutrition and warmth." Ratchet said, getting up on his knees as both guardians picked up their charges. The giant Topkick, since being the only agile enough truck to do that, slowly drove down the recess cliff and onto the gravel. It transformed there, taking Nicole and Melissa up on ground level.
Ironhide brought himself up again, folding into the Topkick as he loaded Melissa into the cab with his holoform.
As Melissa wanted to say something, Ironhide remembered how she angered him a day earlier. How she didn't do as she was told, no matter the numerous times he did something for her. He actually, for that mere second, thought of her as ungrateful.
"Hide I-" Melissa started as Ron got into the truck, igniting the engine. His cool façade turned on.
"You deliberately disobeyed me." He emotionlessly said, like he was talking to a soldier. She knew what she did was utterly wrong and a sickening, déjà vu feeling came over her.
"Hide, I'm… I'm sorry-"
"Let's go home." Was all that Ironhide said before all of the present Autobots got ready and turned on their engines.
Soon, everyone was ready to begin the very long journey home.
The poor girls were in those abnormally short and tight dresses. Ratchet thought twice about lecturing them, considering they had a near death experience, just a few moments ago.
XxXxXxXxX
Ratchet made sure they stopped a couple of times on the edge of the highway, he had to give Nicole and Melissa something to eat.
It had been a long travel home, it took them eight hours to get to the dorm. It was empty, Amanda had left to spend the night with Josh, but she left the door unlocked so that Bee and Ron could get in and out of the dorm, presumably to take Mel and Nic home.
As the guardians carried their charges to their beds, they left the medic outside. Melissa had some strength left in her, because she left for the bathroom to change her clothes there, while Nicole could barely move, and she trusted Bumblebee enough to change her clothes.
Ron thought when was Melissa going to trust him to change her clothes? Not that he wanted it, that is, not that he wanted to admit that he wanted it, but it was just a passing thought that vanished as soon as Melissa exhaustedly exited the bathroom, not bothering to close the door behind her.
Ron waited on her bed sitting, as she plopped herself down and he put the covers over her. As she looked at him, he knew that she had done something wrong and she knew it.
Ron frowned at her, as he glanced at the sleeping form of Bumblebee in Nicole's bed. He looked back at Melissa with steely eyes.
He sighed, looking at her. "Melissa, I am very disappointed in you." He started.
"I know…" She looked to the side uneasy.
"You could have been killed! You deliberately disobeyed me, and what's worse! You put Nicole in danger!" he raised his voice by a notch, but it didn't keep Bee and Nicole from sleeping.
"Listen to me, we were brave and we survived." She sternly said, even though she was mentally and physically exhausted, she couldn't keep the small tears trying to form in the corner of her eyes.
"Melissa, being brave, does not mean that you go looking for trouble." Ron tried to explain it to her, putting a gentle finger under her chin.
"You aren't scared of anything." She sniffed, pointing out the obvious, causing Ron's lips to play a ghost of a smile before they became a thin line.
"Of course I'm not scared of anything." He said, but he leaned closer to her this time. "But I was afraid today. Afraid that I might lose you." He gently said.
"Oh, I guess even you are scared at times, huh?" she smiled and as she blinked, a tear ran down her cheek. Ron wiped it away with the back of his palm.
"Mhm." He purred.
"But you know what? I think Barricade's going to fear for his life now."
"Don't worry about him. He won't be bothering anyone anymore."
"What happened to him? Did you kill him?" her little eyebrows joined in confusion.
"Yes." He proudly said. "Now you need to rest. Ratchet will be monitoring you through the night." Ron said, laying on the large bed as Melissa curled up in his chest.
"'Night." She sweetly said. He kissed her behind the ear.
"Goodnight."
XxXxXxXxX
I was so tired. I almost died yesterday. Ron gave me the hard-ass lesson. But I was grateful that I was alive. And that he killed Barricade. I slept safely that night, knowing that Barricade wasn't going to kill me. But that didn't make my nights go without nightmares. I saw those ruby red eyes, metallic doors, the insides of the car pushing me and Nicole. Suddenly, she disappeared, leaving me alone in my nightmare.
I called for help, but none came. I pushed and pushed with my legs against the doors, but they kept pressing on me. The gravel kept getting into the car somehow, the oxygen was getting away from me. I panted and screamed, my heels broken and dress ripped.
Thankfully, that's when Sam-wait Sam?!
I opened my eyes quickly, only to find Nicole's fraternal twin, Sam, shaking me from my nightmare.
"Whoa, whoa, you alright?" he asked as I panted wildly, this was one of the most horrible nightmares I had. Dying on myself, all by my own. I rubbed my eyes quickly, my vision blurring immediately.
"I'm-I'm fine." I managed to say. "You can let go now." I smiled as he unsurely let go of me and I relaxed in my bed. I sighed heavily as I put my hand on my forehead. "Thanks."
"For what?" he asked.
"For pulling me out of the nightmare. I think I would've died in there."
"Oh… well that's alright I guess."
"So, what are you doing here?"
"I came to see Nicole, she's in the bathroom now, but then you were all screaming in your room so I kinda ran into the room and shook you."
"So that's the story?"
"Yeah." He grinned.
I nodded as I got up from the bed, wondering where Ron was. And why Ratchet didn't check up on me. I took my clothes from my closet and put them on my messy bed.
After Nicole came out of the bathroom she gave me a tight hug and I returned it.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"For what? You're the one that bailed us out."
"No, thank you for giving me hope. They did find us." She hugged me neck. "Thanks so much, Mel."
"You're welcome. Thank you for believing in me and the Autobots." I said, finally letting go and going to the bathroom to change.
After that had been done, I pretty much spent the day wandering around the house, watching TV, eating, napping, that kind of stuff. Pretty much, being a lazy teenager that I wasn't. I was done with the teenage years almost two years ago.
When the TV was turned on, I heard something about half of the forest population nearby vanishing, that is, being destroyed by some sort of nuclear weapon, but it didn't give off any radiation. I waved it off, thinking it was just aliens.
But then again, the Autobots are alien in nature. Maybe one of them blew it off?
Unlikely, they don't destroy Earth. So maybe it was a Decepticon? I stopped myself right there, since I didn't want to force myself into thinking about them more than it was necessary.
Turns out, our dorm had some sort of back door, behind the closet. Don't ask me how it got there, turns out, when you exit through that door, you get to a porch. A porch. And I didn't even know it was there!
I pushed through the closet and out the door, sitting on the end of the porch, playing with my figers as my legs dangled from the end.
A figure sat next to me and as I looked up at it, I was surprised that it was Sam. "Hey." I said, trying to be friendly, when in reality I was again so very tired.
"Hi. I just uh, I have to ask you. No wait, I need to know everything that happened when Barricade attacked you."
"Why?" I have him a weird look.
"Nothing personal, but it's just that, you know…" he discontinued, so it was up to me to figure out what he wanted to say. I didn't get it.
"…know what?" I fished.
"Optimus needs a full report and since Ratchet and Ironhide are gone-"
"Gone where?"
"Dunno. Anyways, since they're gone and Prime wants the report now, only Bee can send it to him. And maybe you'd be more comfortable telling me than him." He shrugged.
Sure, Bee and I didn't talk much, but neither did Sam and I. I'd prefer it if it would be Nicole, but not everything in life is all rainbows and glitter. "Uh, okay." I said. The event happened a long time ago and keeping it in wasn't going to help me at all. Getting it out was. I had to get over it. "Here goes." I said, before slowly telling him the whole story.
"Just one question before we begin: Why did Optimus want a full report, because the attack happened years ago?"
"Well he told me that you should take as much time as you need, as since it has been quite a while, he still needs that missing report."
"Okay, well, it all started a couple of years ago, in my Uncle's hometown…"
XxXxXxXxX
I told Samuel everything. Every single thing. And I hadn't a clue why. Maybe it was because it finally needed to get it out, maybe because I needed to vent it out, or the fact that he was just a damn good listener.
He nodded in understanding all the time, like he was right there with me, right when it all happened.
But as I neared the end of the story, I started to cry. Not only did I have to evoke the memories of my late parents, I had to relive it all. All again.
We talked for hours on end, or that is, I did the talking. He was just there. By the time I started to cry he got closer to me and gave me a reassuring hug.
I sniffed, "Thanks." I said. I hugged him around the neck tightly. He was such a good friend.
"You're welcome, though you should just calm down, and I'll get some tissues, 'kay?" he said, patting my back as I let go and he tried to get up.
"Don't leave me now. You're the reason I'm crying."
"I'm the reason?"
"You asked for it. I told you-", I hiccupped, "what happened, and now it's your fault."
"Fine, fine, just stop crying already." He laughed, making me laugh as well. "Look at your shirt. It's like you washed it in an ocean."
I looked down on it. Well it certainly looked soaked. "Oh, well." I tilted my head. "It'll dry." I smiled up at him.
"Yeah." He dumbly said.
"Sit." I patted the place where he sat just mere moments ago. He obeyed. "How are things going with uh-", what was her name? "Oh yeah, Carly? How are things going with Carly?"
"Carly? Oh yeah, we're like, totally together now." he proudly said. "She's so sweet and such a good girlfriend…"
"Yeah?" I smiled. I was really happy that he found someone for him.
"Yeah, and she's just so beautiful…" he went day dreaming.
"Come one, lover boy, don't go dreaming on me. I just cried my eyes out."
"And Melissa, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for your parents' loss."
"It's okay. Thank you. Though you've already said it when I started telling you the story." I shrugged.
"I know, I know, but I also know how hard it is to lose someone you love. Mikaela for instance. I still love her, but I'm with Carly now. But I'm not in love with Mikaela. We've put it behind us. Though when we broke it up, it was like, real hard for me."
"Really?" I quirked an eyebrow.
"Yeah, and I know that it ain't easy, so if you ever need someone to talk to-" he patted his chest with his palms twice, "I'm your guy." He winningly grinned.
"Sure you are." I 'slapped' him across the face. It's not so much of a slap, as it was of a hard pat. But we both laughed at that.
"No, for real." He got serious. "Me and Nic are always here. So is Bee. He's a real cool 'Bot."
"So I heard. I believe you, Bee's cool, though he has a bit of a strange taste in music." I squinted, remembering an event.
"Yeah, but he's unique in his own way." Sam covered up his 'bro'. I didn't expect any less.
"Shit, my eyes burn." I said, as they suddenly started to sting and I rubbed them. "Bedtime for me." Sam stood up and waited for me to do as well. "Gimme a hand, will you?" I lazily asked as I lifted my arm up. He rolled his eyes as he grabbed my palm and lifted me up. He got me up on my feet fairly easy. "Been working out?" I said, squeezing his bicep. He flexed it, though it was nothing compared to Ron's.
"Yeah, I think workout's been paying out real nice, huh?" he flexed a pose, but I couldn't stop myself from laughing slightly at him. "What?"
"Nothing, nothing." I brought my hand up in a fist and brushed my lips, trying to erase the smile off my face. "Let's get back in." I said, before taking the lead and going through the door. As I got out of the closet slowly, Sam slowly tagging along and closing the door behind him, I found utter terror in the room.
To say the room was a pigsty was an incredible understatement. "What the hell happened here? Everything's scattered on the floor. Nicole!" I called for her. Only she, and our guardians were here. I doubt they'd do something like this. You couldn't walk through the room! Clothing was all on the ground, along with some juice cartons and whatnot.
"Jeez, I knew she was an idiot, but I did not expect this." Sam commented, trying to get out of the closet. I saw an escape route. I'd have to jump my way through the clothes, onto my bed and from there, onto Nicole's bed and then straight out the door. Then I'd have a talk with her and demand that somebody cleaned this mess up.
"Follow me. I know how to get out." I said, my 'survival' mode or whatever turning on as I agilely jumped from the little spaces between clothe piles, successively stepping on some box. I'd rather not know what was in there. As I kept my balance on one foot, Sam was behind me, ready to catch me if I fall. "I need to get on my bed and then on Nic's bed and then on-whoa!" I gasped and screamed a little as I lost my balance instantly. I spun around as Sam caught my hand, trying to make me regain my balance, but I accidently pulled him.
I turned in the last second and landed on my bed, on my back. Sam was in freefall for a mere second, before he fell right on top of me, his head plopping down and his lips firmly crashing on mine.
Time stopped. My eyes widened. We were frozen. Both of us.
He jerked up, not caring that this time, he was standing over the clothes. "Oh no…" he gasped. I brought my hand to my lips, my eyes wide in shock. (AN: Like Mikaela in ROTF, when they need to revive OP, and they hide in some house, and just before Starscream rips the roof apart, the look on Mikaela's face is almost identical to Mel's. )
"That didn't… that didn't happen-did it?" I blinked repeatedly. I pinched myself. This was utmost real. He was at a loss of words. "I… holy shit Sam… Oh fuck. Oh fuck, look-" I immediately tried to lift up the atmosphere, "It doesn't mean anything, alright? It was just an accident, and accidents happen."
"Yeah, yeah, no, of course not, you have your partner, I have mine, it's totally understandable."
"But, it was so wrong. Oh my God, I'm not gonna be able to live with myself." I gripped my head. "I love Ironhide, this can't be happening."
"We won't tell anyone." Sam tried to reassure me.
"You don't need to. I saw everything." Someone from the entrance of the room said, and as I looked to Sam, his face paled. I looked behind me, as Ron stood at the doorsill.
"Ron." I gasped. Shit, had he seen it all? Really, all?
"Ironhide." Sam weakly said, freezing in place.
Ron started to turn around slowly. "Hide, wait, I can explain everything-" I said, getting up from the bed, but he just cast me a disappointed look accompanied with a frown from the profile of his face and he disappeared into nothingness. I looked to Sam, his head was looking to the ground. "Sam." I tried to get his attention as he weakly looked up.
"Look, Mel, what we did was an accident. They are meant to happen. So are mistakes. We learn from them. But know this, I won't think of you any less and I won't feel any differently." He very seriously said. I nodded.
"Understood. Likewise." I only needed those two words. He nodded as he didn't even try to jump to the exit of the room, but just walked over the clothes as if they weren't there at all. I sighed as I plopped down on the bed as well. I stared at the ceiling. It wasn't going to give me any answers, but the silence was soothing.
'Soothing' isn't the correct word, but at least it wasn't judging. I didn't want to think about this. So many horrible thoughts wanted to invade my mind, and half of them scared me so much, I already felt tears gathering at the corners of my eyes. I got under the covers of the bed, the lights were out, as I gripped the pillow.
"I'm so sorry." I whispered as a tear left my eyes and I slowly let go of reality for the night.
I'm sorry! Guys I really am! Please, things have been kinda hard on me the last couple of days, so no flames thank you! :D
I told you that everything will be going downhill after the kidnapping, but that's the point of the story! How far can you go before your soul breaks?