Transformers Prime: TTTB3

Transformers Prime: The Ties that Bind -Part Three

  "So?" Arcee inquired as she and Jack departed the K.O. parking lot, the Diner now being mostly empty during evening hours.
  "So…what?" Jack replied casually, trying his best to maintain some false level of ignorance. Arcee, for her part, found the whole mirthful course grating, but chose to humor her charge after the less then amiable day he had endured, despite it's positive conclusion.
  "I'm waiting for the usual accolades. Something along the lines of, 'Arcee, you're amazing.' Or how about, 'Arcee, thanks for helping me stick it to those losers.' Or maybe…"
  "Okay! Okay, all of that and then some. Happy now?"
  "I suppose that will do."
  After several moments riding in silence, Jack sighed, seeming to struggle with some internal discussion before relenting to some unspoken decision. "Arcee? Thanks. For, well, everything." To impart his sincerity, Jack placed his hand on the casing of her fuel tank. Despite the durability of the alloy, Arcee could feel the warmth of his hand.
  "You're welcome." Hoping to relieve the sudden tension, she continued. "Besides, it was a lot of fun. You humans can be so darn arrogant sometimes, it's nice to put you in your place."
  "Gee, thanks." Jack replied sardonically.
  "Not you, obviously. Well, not always."
  "Is this going to be a thing now? Abuse Jack day in the U.S.?"
  Both shared a laugh and Arcee, appreciating the comfortable levity between them, put her front tire suddenly in the air before dashing ahead at full speed, leaving her rider to hang on tightly and hope they did not pass an unseen speed-trap. It wasn't long before the pair found themselves pulling into the garage of June Darby's home. Before he could dismount, Jack hesitated. Picking up on this, Arcee adjusted her mirrors to better see the human's face.
  "Jack? What is it?" She wondered belatedly if the teen had become nauseous. It had not occurred often, but there had been moments during her quick driving stints where Arcee had forgotten that humans were not as durable to spins and other sudden disorienting maneuvers. The results had left Jack incredibly apologetic and Arcee using more then a few colorful descriptive terms about never permitting him to ride again.
  "Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking…" Jack responded dismissively.
  'Again with the thinking,' Arcee thought. Aloud she asked, "What about?"
  "It's not a big deal. Not really. I mean, I was just noticing the time." It was only sometime after 7:00 pm. "I mean, it's a Friday, and here I am sitting in my mother's garage."
  Arcee, though sympathetic, could not find anything consoling to say. None the less she managed to suggest popping in on Bumblebee and Raph at the HQ, as the two were currently on watch, though given their obsession with games were more likely engaged in some online death match with one eye on the alert sensors.
  "No. Safe bet we'd just be bored to tears. Besides, I know you hate just sitting around." That was something Arcee couldn't argue against. The only concession she made to that preference was during the hours she watched over Jack as he attended school, work, and sheltered at his home. "Just forget it. It was a stupid idea anyway."
  "What was a stupid idea? You haven't even told me. News flash, I can't read your mind." She could read almost all the small nuances in his face and body movements, and often knew what he was about to say or do even before he did, but in this moment Arcee found herself genuinely at a loss. "So, spill it."
  "Scrap…" Jack said under his breath. "Well, you remember that eight o'clock show I mentioned back at the Diner? It's the new Hassledorf flick. Lots of action, great one liners. I don't know…I guess I thought you…might want to see it?"
  Arcee remained quiet, any one of a number of responses forming in her head. None were negative, but she found she could not choose one that seemed appropriate. Finally she chose the most obvious. In retrospect perhaps not the most complex option.
  "You want to see a movie?" she asked. 'Way to state the obvious…' she thought, kicking herself mentally.
  "Well…yeah." Jack responded, wondering instantly if he had made a terrible mistake.
  "With me?" Arcee clarified. 'What's wrong with you?! Who else was he asking, the Tool Box?!'
  "That was the general idea, I guess. Look, never mind, it was a stupid idea anyway." Already Jack was slipping off the rider's seat,  hands reaching up to remove his helmet.
  "Wait," Arcee said, stopping him in mid-stride. "It wasn't a dumb idea. It…sounds interesting. Sorry, that was clinical. It's sounds like fun. I just thought…"
  This time it was Jack's turn to inquire. "What?"
  "Are you asking me out? On a," What was the human term? "On a date?"
  Jack's reaction was almost comical, despite the tension that had quickly arose between them, arms flailing, hands waving as he spoke. "What?! No. No, I mean, come on. That would just be, like, weird. For you, I mean. I mean, I'm not a…" Jack had wanted to reach for the term 'Machine,' but realized suddenly that he had never, not in all the time he had known Arcee, regarded her as anything other then a person.
  "I mean, no, not a date. Just two friends hanging out in their off time. Nothing wrong with that, right? I mean, it doesn't always have to be about avoiding death and dismemberment at the hands of some Eradicons, right?" Though awkward, Jack's words appeared genuine enough, and Arcee couldn't find anything to argue against or take offense at.
  "Okay. Sure. Why not." she said at last. "We better hurry though. We'll never make it if we hit traffic."
  "Cool. Let me just change out of this shirt." Jack said, turning for the door which lead into the house proper.
  Alone in the garage, Arcee was a twister of conflicting thoughts and emotions. 'What am I doing? What did I just agree too? Is this a date, or was he being serious about just hanging out? Hanging out? What does that even mean? Ugh, humans and they're stupid sayings…'
  With a start, she realized just how bizarre her present circumstances and mindset were. Here she was, the survivor of a conflict that had crippled her home planet and nearly destroyed her race, while also being an accomplished commander and solider, a veteran of seemingly thousands of battles in just the few hundred years she had fought alongside Optimus Prime. She feared nothing. And yet, alone in a garage in the middle of the Nevada suburbs, she felt more unsure and anxious then she had ever been.

…

  The ride through town to the Drive-In theater, a novelty in this modern era from what Arcee understood, proved uneventful enough. Both Jack and Arcee attempted to maintain the comfortable banter they had grown accustomed to in their time together, but for reasons neither of them were willing to discuss, both were wound far too tightly.
  Arcee lamented this fact.
  Regardless of being out of her element to a certain degree, seeking some form of entertainment with her partner should not have been anything that could prove taxing. How often had she observed earth television with Bumblebee, or listened to the various, and often times disconcerting, music produced on the planet with Bulkhead? On several occasions, Miko had performed something she called a 'Guitar Solo,' for the enjoyment of her peers. Enjoyment being a relative term. In none of those situations had she ever felt on edge or not in control of either the moment or herself.
  But, approaching the Drive In, with it's dozens of parked vehicles occupied by humans of various ages, some of them couples on dates or outings of their own, things seemed different. It all felt too personal, especially with Jack.
  'It was never like this with Cliff.' She thought. 'I know we were close. When he died it was all I could think about. But, did I care about him like I care about Jack? With Cliff, he was like family, just like the others. Maybe a bit more then just that alone.
  'Loosing him tore me up inside, but didn't destroy me. If I lost Jack…?'
  Pulling onto the side street the Drive In occupied, Arcee came to a sudden stop. Jack, confused, looked to her mirrors, his face highlighting the obvious question.
  "I just noticed something." Arcee said quickly.
  "What's up? Don't tell me you spotted a Decepticon here of all places…" Jack inquired, head craned and eyes scanning the small sea of vehicles.
  "No. Nothing like that. Look at this place. What stands out to you the most?"
  "Uh…Popcorns way too pricey?"
  "No. Well, yes, but that aside, what 'else' do you notice?"
  "I don't know, it's kind of too packed to notice anything else…"
  "Bulls-eye. Do you see 'anyone' in here by themselves?"
  Scanning the dozens of cars on the lot, Jack could not find any vehicle that did not possess less then two occupants, though some windows were a bit steamed and difficult to see through. That last observation brought him up short.
  "No, guess its almost all groups and couples tonight. Makes sense, I mean it is a Hassledorf movie. He's not exactly known for making Disney flicks."
  "Yeah, so, what's wrong with 'our' picture?"
  Looking down at his jacket and jeans ensemble and the well polished sheen of Arcee's vehicle form, Jack could not spot anything immediately out of the ordinary between them, before suddenly realizing that the two of them was exactly the thing that was out of place, if only technically.
  "It totally looks like I'm flying solo." Once more, Jack was reminded that though he did not consider Arcee any less of a living, breathing person then he himself was, to all outward appearances she was simply an expensive looking crotch rocket when not in her complete Autobot form. "Well, I mean, it's kind of sad, but it's not that big of a deal. I mean, you're still here, and that's all that matters."
  "Still, I think I can do one better." Arcee responded, a mischievous quality to her voice.
  Without warning, the air around Jack seemed to shimmer, and suddenly two arms, clad in a familiar leather jacket, were wrapped about him. For a moment, the sight proved disconcerting as he couldn't actually 'feel' the body of the woman now straddling the back-end of the rider's seat, aside from a strange tingling sensation that made the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stand up slightly.
  "So, how's that?" Arcee asked. So accustomed to hearing her voice either via the com in his helmet or from her vehicle form, it took Jack a moment to realize that her voice was actually coming from the Sadie projection.   
  "Uh, I think that will work." The matter settled, Arcee steered the pair onto the lot and located the area intended for smaller vehicles. The film had yet to start, with some trailers for various future feature films playing out on the massive screen. All about them, the din of voices from the car bound audiences continued on unabated.
  "One of things I love about this place," Jack observed aloud, still trying to decide whether he should speak towards the direction of Arcee's two wheeled form, or the biker girl reclining slighting behind him.
  For the sake of appearance he chose the later, turning slightly in place to look upon Sadie/Arcee more directly. Even with his understanding that he was looking at a digital image projected in four dimensions Jack felt his face flush slightly as he turned to see the gorgeous features of the construct eyeing him intently, a single eyebrow raised, waiting for him to finish.
  "Something wrong?" "Sadie/Arcee asked.
  "Nope. Nothing. Sorry. Uh, I was just saying how I love that everyone still talks at these things, even when the trailers are playing. When you see a flick at the theaters, once the previews start it's like you're in a library or something. Heck, I can even keep my cell on here."
  "Well, you don't need a cell when you're with me." Sadie/Arcee paused. "Unless we get ambushed again."
  "Right. What part of that is supposed to be funny?"
  "Oh relax. If I honestly thought we might be spotted here, do you think I would have said yes to coming out here with you?"
  "I suppose you have a point." Jack relented.
  "I usually do. So, shut up and enjoy the movie." Sadie/Arcee said, showing a smile that would have made most males go weak in the knees. It just so happened Jack was enough of the 'most males' category to be effected.   
  Clearing his throat with a short cough, Jack quickly found himself fumbling for a new topic. "I think I'm going to grab something to eat. Did you want…?" Realizing the mistake before he spoke it aloud, Jack kept the final part of his comment to himself.
  "I think I'm good. Go ahead." Sadie/Arcee said, looking amused by Jack's verbal tip toeing.
  "Right." Jack said, slipping off the back, careful to keep his legs from brushing 'through' his companion.
  Arcee watched her human move off, hands in his pockets, yet head held high. It was clear that, despite the tension of their social outing, the teen could not help but feel pleased with the picture he painted; a young man riding a motorcycle worth more then most males his age could ever hope to afford without a small fortune, with a stunning girl along for the ride. It was bound to garner some attention. In point of fact, it quickly did.
  "Sadie, right?" It took Arcee more then a second to realize the question was being directed to her and not another movie watcher. Arcee turned to follow the question back to it's source via Sadie's projected body, coming face to face with the last person she had expected to encounter up close.
  
Standing a few feet away, looking somewhat intimidated, though trying desperately to hide it, was the girl from the K.O. Diner, Sierra.
  "Yeah, that's right." Sadie/Arcee said, her voice assuming the same sultry and smoky tenor she has used in front of Jack's antagonists. "Have we met?" The question was intended to be dismissive and insulting. It worked. The girl visibly bristled.
  "Yes. Earlier today. I was with…well, I was at the Diner. I saw you talking with Jack."
  "Oh, right. You're the little girl from the Jeep." Sadie/Arcee said, leaning forward to rest her non-existent elbows on the gas-tank.
  Sierra, obviously not used to finding herself on the defensive, stumbled over her words slightly before speaking. "I'm sixteen, you know."
  "Good for you, sweetie."
  "Look, I just came over to introduce myself. Why are you being so rude?" Sierra asked, small hands clenched tightly.
  "Ask your boyfriend." Sadie/Arcee shot back, her voice all venom.
  "Brent? He's not my boyfriend. And I didn't want him to say all those things to Jack…" the girl said defensively.
  "Then why did you let him?" Sadie/Arcee asked vehemently.
  "It's not that simple. What was I supposed to say to him?"
  "Knock it off. Stop. You're being a jerk," Sadie/Arcee quoted, counting off each example on a gloved finger. "Pick one."
  Sierra, for her part, looked visibly admonished. None the less, she continued to attempt to defend her position. "He's, like, the most popular guy in school. Do you really think he'd even care what I thought?"
  "Oh, so being 'popular' gives him the right to belittle and ridicule someone who's more of a man then he could ever hope to be, is that right? Yeah, that sounds completely mature and logical."
  "It's High School. There's nothing mature about any of it." Sierra said, any further arguments deflated.
  "Hmm, that's the smartest thing you've said so far. Too bad you aren't willing to do anything to change that."  
  Seemingly no longer possessing anything worth speaking aloud, the girl looked down at her shoes, and turned to leave. Arcee tried not to feel sorry for the human girl, knowing full well that she could have indeed done something to help defend Jack other then making the, 'we have to go,' excuse she had used at the Diner. Frankly, Arcee hoped the girl felt as beaten and helpless as Jack must have in the drive through.
  "Sierra?" From Sadie/Arcee's opposite side, Jack's voice brought both females about. Standing there, box of Twizzlers in one hand and a drink in the other, and looking somewhere between confused and wary, Jack's gaze drifted between the projection and the physical girl, trying obviously to deduce what had just transpired in his absence.
  "Sierra here was just introducing herself. And leaving." Sadie/Arcee said, her demeanor icy. "Unless she has something she wants to tell you?" she finished, staring daggers at the girl.
  Jack frowned at Arcee's tone and choice of words, before looking to where Sierra stood, the girl seeming to visibly shrink. "Sierra, what did you want to talk about?"
  "Hi Jack. Sorry. I mean, I'm sorry about earlier. With Brent." Sierra locked eyes with Sadie/Arcee. "I know he was being a jerk, and I should have said something. You didn't deserve to be talked to like that." She continued. "I think it's cool that you work so hard. And that you helped your girlfriend when she got hurt." Her attention back on Sadie/Arcee, Sierra finished begrudgingly with, "I'm glad you're okay. Whatever happened to you."
  "Gee, thanks, sweetie." Sadie/Arcee responded, her tone clearly mocking.
  "Ar…Sadie. Take it easy, okay. She's trying to apologize." Jack turned to look at Sierra as Sadie/Arcee made a dismissive noise, her attention seemingly on the next of the holiday trailers. "I appreciate that, Sierra. Thanks."
  "Well, I'm here with my brother and his friends. I should get back." Sierra said, looking as though she wanted to get away from the angry girl on the bike as quickly as possible. "Maybe I'll see you at school?"
  "Yeah. See you." Jack said, trying to keep his tone as friendly as possible to make up for Arcee's obvious lack of warmth.
  "It was nice to meet you, Sadie. I guess." Sadie/Arcee's only response was a brittle smile. Turning to walk away, Sierra had taken only a few steps before she turned about, looking directly at the girl on the motorcycle. Sadie/Arcee wondered if perhaps the girl had chosen to fire off one last shot to salvage some teenage pride, but instead the high schooler managed to take the Autobot off guard. "You know, you're really lucky."
  Despite noticing Jack's apparent confusion, Sadie/Arcee simply said, "I know am."
  Nodding once, Sierra was gone into the throng of cars, leaving Jack and Arcee alone once more.  
  Without missing a beat, Sadie/Arcee asked casually. "So, is that all you wanted to eat? Not very healthy."
  Jack, forcing himself to blink several times in some attempt to garner some measure of control on his present reality, seemed stymied by far more questions then he knew in what order to ask. All he could manage was a half hearted, "What…?"
  "Don't worry about it. Girl talk." Sadie/Arcee said. "Come on. Sit. The movie's about to start."
  Still baffled by what had just transpired, Jack none the less slipped back onto the riders seat as the lights on the lot dimmed to almost nothing just as the film company's fan-faire rang out from the nearby box speakers.  Almost immediately Sadie/Arcee let her arms slip around the human's waist, resting a non-corporeal chin atop Jack's right shoulder. As the film started, neither seemed to notice that the tension, which had nearly put a wedge between them during the first half of the evening, was no-where to be seen.