A/N: There will be an abrupt change in perspective from third person limited to third person omniscient. Sometime hopefully soon, I will fix things up to reflect this change in the first 13 chapters. Sorry about the suddenness of it all!
The pickup's tires squealed, leaving marks on the pavement. Bypassing the demolished cars to the sides of the road, Midge steered carefully and toed the gas. Even with her eyes on the road, she felt sick.
Images of Sam flipped through her head like old photos. Seeing him in their elementary school before she graduated from it. The day he lost his first baby tooth. Seeing him go to the sixth grade dance with a girl. His blubbering face when he found out Midge was moving.
He may not have been the best brother in the world, but Midge could've been a better sister. What she did then was a perfect example.
Midge ran from the problems at home, leaving Sam alone to deal with the mess she left behind. She packed up and moved out when she went to university in Nevada. She had four years of freedom with nothing to drag her down. No DJ, No Douglas, no fake friends, nothing.
Her little brother was out there, in the middle of a battlefield, and she was leaving with his support system.
"Sam's still back there," Mikaela said, as though speaking the words straight out of Midge's guilt-ridden psyche.
Midge sighed, stubbornly avoiding Mikaela's probing gaze. She knew she'd rather be next to him, making sure he's okay, but these two needed help, too. Mikaela was still just a kid and Bumblebee was injured. None of them belonged in an active combat zone.
"We could go back," Mikaela insisted. "If the military can't take out that tank thing, then Sam is—"
There was an abrupt, sharp pang in her ankle, making everything suddenly feel much more high-stakes. She yelled, the pain sudden and intense. Midge snapped, the pain turning her words harsher than intended.
"Fuck! Don't you think I know that?" she seethed at the girl and gritting her teeth. She shouldn't have. It wasn't Mikaela's fault, none of this was.
The situation was fucked up and evidently so was her leg. Holding back a grunt, Midge let her forehead fall to the wheel. She breathed, trying to rein in her irritation.
"Sorry. I'm sorry."
Mikaela, feeling lost, wasn't sure what to do. Midge was supposed to have the answers. She was older than Mikaela and was always such a cool, in-control presence. She couldn't help but wonder: What now?
She met Bumblebee's optics through the rear windshield. He nodded at her, then turned a wondrous yet concerned stare on Midge.
Reaching out with bated breath, Mikaela hesitated, a moment of uncertainty passing through her. She wasn't sure if she was overstepping, but she owed it to the woman to try.
Mikaela touched the older woman's back, rubbing it slowly. Noting the uneasiness in her eyes, Mikaela peered closer. "Are you okay, Midge? You don't look so hot."
Midge sucked her teeth. "My foot fucking hurts." Bending her knee, she lifted her foot up to the chair. Her sock was soaked, her blood staining the white fabric red. "Shit... Well it looks worse than it is."
They both looked the gore, uncertain. Peeling down her sock revealed a metal shard stabbing her flesh from below. The rod speared her through the ankle, pinning her muscles in place.
She yanked it out, knowing she had to, in order to free her muscle. She pressed her lower leg against the seat and hoped the cushion would help stop the bleeding. She could barely feel it. She didn't know if that should please her or scare her.
"Use your other foot."
Surprised and uncertain, Midge met Mikaela's eyes. She had never heard the younger girl sound so discompassionate. Then again, the stakes were astronomical. The world was forfeit if the Decepticons won.
"The world needs him, and he needs us to help," Mikaela whispered, her eyes shining with unshed tears. She only wanted everyone to be safe at the end of this.
Midge was shaking her head, opening her mouth to say no, when Mikaela kept going, cutting her off.
"Homecoming Race, 1999. You've driven with worse."
Midge laughed, sputtering like an engine, but there was no humor in it. "That was a lifetime ago."
The girl shook her head, inky locks waving around her heart-shaped face. "And yet people at school still talk about it. The prom-dress wearing smidgen of a Witwicky that won the Speed Queen trophy four years in a row... even driving with her left foot."
Closing her eyes, Midge breathed through the stinging in her foot. Impacts sounded all around them, war still being waged on the streets of Mission City. Gunfire rang in her ears. What awaited them back there was surely death.
"The answer is no. You're asking me to risk—" Midge tucked a wayward strand of auburn behind her ear, looking behind her to the 'bot once again.
His pleading was evident in his gaze, the bright blue optics burning with worry and eagerness. He didn't want to turn tail. He wasn't afraid of dying.
Instantly, she realized her folly. Her indignance faded, replaced by guilt as she recognized the fear in his face. He was afraid of what would happen if he didn't help, not fear of death.
Midge wanted to keep them safe, and she was making the choice for them. She was forcing Mikaela and Bumblebee to go along with what she wanted. She got so caught up in her protective nature that she hadn't realized.
"I hate it when you're right," Midge huffed.
Her left foot moved up to the brake pedals. It had been a while but she still had the touch, whichever foot she used.
She threw the truck in reverse. She gave the gas and brake a tap, feeling out the new sensation with her foot.
A satisfied smirk fell onto Mikaela's lips, watching as Midge started returning to her normal self.
She opened the front window, leaning out to scream, "Legs up, Bumblebee!"
While he did listen, his metal still scratched the asphalt, sparks flying from the friction.
Swerving onto the main road, Midge straightened the vehicle. The tires squeaked as she veered around debris.
"If you've got ammo, I can chauffeur!" Midge smiled, the intensity of the situation getting her high off adrenaline. She couldn't remember the last time she drove like this, save the time she was trying to save Sam.
She pressed the pedal to the metal, reversing down the street and facing Bumblebee toward the enemy. Lennox and his crew seemed to be taking cover in a blown-out bodega.
Going reverse at full speed, Midge deftly piloted the vehicle to avoid the totaled and stalled cars all over the road, their drivers long gone.
The Decepticon became visible around the bend and Bumblebee raised his blaster.
Mikaela was turned around in her seat, watching closely as the yellow 'bot fired round after round toward the far-off silhouette.
"Shoot! Shoot!" Mikaela shouted, egging him on with the encouragement.
"I think he plans on that!" Midge shouted, watching the road through the rear view mirror. Bumblebee moved with grace, adapting best he can to her wild steering. She avoided all the obstacles, weaving through abandoned vehicles like nobody's business.
She almost rammed them into a taxi, narrowly missing it by slamming the brakes. The tow truck skirted the sedan, drifting around its edge.
Midge spotted the green-and-brown clad bodies of Lennox's men huddled behind cover and she gunned it. Bumblebee, seemingly anticipating her every move, let his blaster fire only after he took aim and compensated for the shaking tow truck.
The ugly Decepticon lights up here and there, explosions rocking its body. The final blow comes as one of three.
The last shot buckles the 'con, taking out his spark chamber and taking him offline permanently. His lifeless frame dropped to the ground, the asphalt shuddering.
Midge felt relieved, but the tension didn't leave her shoulders until she was standing next to Bumblebee, looking up at his joyful face plate.
"Nice shot," Mikaela complimented as she trounced into the broken down bodega. Lennox's men hollered their thanks and congratulations at them, some of them cheering about the victory.
It was all too soon that they were moving out again, darting down a side street to find the action.
Mikaela, sitting tiredly on a chair in the ruined shop front, pulled her flip phone out of her tight jeans. She dialed a number and put it to her ear.
"Dad? Are you okay?" Her words were shaking, but there was strength in them.
Midge, her head pressed into the chassis of her friendly 'bot, soaked up the heat of the sun. While they both rested their injuries, she laid on top of him and he laid on the back of the tow truck. A breath left her, the stress draining from her shoulders. The only thing she was missing was knowing her brother was safe.
For now, they'd done their job. Mikaela, Midge, and Bee had taken out the tank and that was all they needed to do. Lennox and the others would be alright. They'd get through this.
Lennox left them with one of the bulky, brick-like radios that they had and promised to call when things were safe.
They basked in the aftermath of their battle, even as sounds of combat echoed around them.
"I'm just glad you're okay. You'll be okay, right? You can just... get new legs or something?" Midge asked, gesturing down at his missing servos.
His radio hummed, "Something like that."
As they reclined together, Bumblebee never truly relaxed. They were still in a war zone and the girls at his side were just that. Soft, fragile, breakable humans.
He'd seen a lot of good soldiers go offline.
But they weren't soldiers or fighters, no matter how scrappy they were. He hated seeing his human friends get hurt, especially Midge. It pained his spark to see her like this, fluids leaking out of her
Bumblebee's large finger prodded gently at her ankle, startling her awake when she started to doze off. The warmth of the sun and the sheer exhaustion had almost lulled her to sleep.
"What?" She said, feeling his chrome. "It was just shrapnel from the explosion. Don't worry, it's nothing."
But his palm curled over her like a blanket or a shield. His eyes said that it wasn't nothing, a low whine stemming from his gears. His presence enveloped her. Maybe he could worry about her a little and that wouldn't be so bad.
When she came out of her nap, it was because the radio on her stomach was buzzing. A voice rang out, muffled only by the speaker's crummy quality.
"Megatron is down."
The tires hadn't finished settling before Mikaela burst from the truck. The older woman smiled, watching over the back of the bench seat as she ran toward Sam.
Midge got out, gently hopping along the side of the truck to stop by Bumblebee's hulking form. She was sure Sam wouldn't want his "embarrassing older sister" to ruin his moment with Mikaela, so she hung back with the 'bot.
She leaned against Bee's frame and let her gaze drift over the soldiers and bots they'd fought beside, their silhouettes bathed in dust and sunlight. It was a relief to know it was over.
She closed her eyes, sending up her prayers for Jazz. Ironhide handed his lifeless parts to Optimus, a few words of sorrow leaving him.
"Oh, Jazz..." Optimus lamented, taking his lost friend in his servos. The dawning Sun rose over the skyline, beams of gold shining onto the Prime's plate. "We lost a great comrade, but gained new ones. Thank you, all of you. You honor us with your bravery."
Midge was about to make a comment, but she quieted herself when a series of loud beeps and whirs left Bumblebee's faceplate. Midge blinked, stunned. For a second, she felt like she imagined it—like static made into speech, clicking and whirring. Optimus, however, responded like nothing was awry, stepping closer with fondness in his voice.
"Permission to speak granted, old friend."
Bumblebee's faceplate moved, his mandible jostling as though he was saying something. All that came out was more of the same, like an electronic device speaking to another. Glitches and tones oscillated through each syllable as he spoke the strange language.
Midge wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but she assumed it must be Cybertronian. She never heard anything like it before.
Optimus nodded as though understanding Bumblebee's strange dialect. He spoke in deference, looking to the humans. "If that is their choice."
Sam narrowed his eyes, looking between the scout and the Prime. "What was that? What'd he say?" He shouted.
"He wants to stay with you. Both of you."
"Yes," Sam said seriously. He nodded his head, the dirt on his face making him look dour and battle-worn. There was a red gash over his eyebrow that moved when he blinked.
"Yes!" Midge shouted at the same time, jumping just enough for her feet to leave the ground. She didn't even respond to the pang in her leg, the pain forgotten in her excitement. Relief hits her, emotions running high after the harrowing battle.
"They are so cute together," Midge sighed, leaning back onto the hood of the yellow Camaro.
Sketchpad in hand, she stared at the couple as they giggled together, sharing a gentle moment in front of the sunset, wild fields rolling below. California was breezy, temperate, and beautiful on this particular afternoon. It was the perfect excuse for a bit of R&R.
Warm winds carried the scent of the city, greasy food and burning rubber accenting the subtle hint of hot pavement.
Bumble buzzed, a gentle whir of his gears telling her that he agreed. Midge smiled.
After facing Megatron and the Decepticons together, she and Bumblebee had grown even closer. Two peas in a pod they were, constantly tagging along with whatever Sam and Mikaela were doing. Neither one of them was a third wheel as long as they had each other.
She was happy for Sam. He found a great girl, the kind that stuck around through thick and thin, including alien disasters. Midge had grown fond of Mikaela, despite her earlier misgivings.
The pencil in her hand left soft gray marks against the paper. She sketched out a dreamy image. Shaded silhouettes merge into one, holding each other close.
The white vinyl of the foldable lounge chair accented their shape, so Midge used it to break up and refine the drawing. Mikaela's hand was scrunched in the back of Sam's shirt and his nose was buried in her hair.
There was nothing like near-death to remind you how important your loved ones were. Midge had thought about her relationship with Bumblebee often in the months since Mission City.
Her ankle healed. Bee got his stabilizers fixed up. But none of them had forgotten the flames and twisted metal. It stuck with them.
Midge was content to relax atop her favorite 'bot and sketch the evening away, whether it was landscapes, wildlife, people, or 'bots. Bumblebee seemed unable to sit still. He nearly hummed with energy, the heat radiating off his hood.
Like a bull caged in its pen, about to be set loose for a rodeo. Like a greyhound in the moment before the gun fires and starts the race.
"What's your problem?" Midge asked without looking away from her muses, turning the pencil around to quickly erase a small smudge.
"I feel the need… the need for speed! Ow!"
Midge snickered at the sound of Tom Cruise's voice filtering out of Bee's open windows.
"What—gonna ditch us for a joyride?" The graphite skimmed over the page gently, smoothing light grays over the white paper. She tilted her head to keep the sun out of her eyes. "I see how it is."
He revved his engine, the roar rattling his hood under her. She felt the vibrations shake her body and stowed away her pencil and notebook. She smiled at the 'bot, turning over onto her front. She folded her arms under her and bent her knees, her feet swaying in the soft winds.
The speakers came to life once more, answering her in song. "Baby you can drive my car."
"Hey, Sam!" Midge called out. Sam grunted, still lost in Mikaela's eyes. Midge smiled and jumped off the hood, kicking up a bit of dust when she landed. "We're gonna go on a drive. Be right back!"
Sliding into the soft leather seat, Midge curled her graphite-stained fingers around the steering wheel. Bumblebee revved the engine for her, the vibration rattling her bones.
She was looking forward to this drive and all the ones they'd have after. As though there was something to look forward to, something to work toward, she pressed on the gas.
At least it wouldn't be boring with the Autobots around.
A/N: That's all folks! For now~ The title of this chapter had me saying "Caillou is grounded, grounded, grounded." Gold star for you if you get that reference.
I don't have a time estimate for the next chapter as I will need to format an outline for the second and maybe third movies all at once. I'll be working on it alongside another story I recently released. It's called Freedom is Finally Mine. If you like DC comics at all, please give it a try. :)
Thank you all for sticking with me on this journey! We'll hopefully move straight into movie 2 after this! I do want to eventually go back and clean up some stuff in the earlier chapters because IDK WHAT I WAS THINKING WRITING SOME OF THEM! DX Anyway, wish me luck with all that. Love you all!