Transformers Fan Fiction ❯ Cover Me ❯ Mother Madness ( Chapter 27 )

Cover Me

By Black Dragon Queen

PAIRINGS REVEALED THUS FAR:

Wheeljack x Ratchet, Inferno x Red Alert, Sunstreaker X Sideswipe, Past Prowl x Jazz

Font Index: “Speaking”, `Thinking', “-Radio Transmissions-”, “Cybertronion” “:Link:”

~*~

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Mother Madness

The drive back after the double feature had been rather quiet. The fact that both of the two humans had fallen asleep on the way could have had something to do with it but `Bee thought that it was more likely because the two coherent beings just didn't like each other. The yellow Camaro sighed as he made a turn towards the direction of Miles neighborhood when suddenly he received a small incoming signal from the mech behind him.

“-Turn left at the next intersection,-” Barricade sent to him.

Bumblebee was surprised at the sudden connection and a little irritated by the command from the older mech. Just who did that `Con think he was? “-You don't know what you're talking about-” he sent back. “-Miles house is a right turn.-” `Moron,' he thought silently to himself.

“-I know that,-” Barricade hissed back at him angrily. “­­-I also know about the cop that's parked in the small cul-de-sac at the other end of Miles street. So either you turn left up here or we wake up our `drivers'. Or we just let them get ticketed for sleeping at the wheel. Now I don't know about you, but I wouldn't like to have any humans questioning why two cars could drive down a road with both their drivers sound asleep.-”

“-Slag,-” `Bee muttered as he suddenly hit his breaks as he had already passed the turn; gently however, still conscious of his snoozing passenger. “-You could have said something earlier you know,-” he muttered as his reverse lights clicked on and he began backing up.

Barricade's chuckle wafted out of the radio as he had already turned down the side street and was making his way slowly down the road, waiting for the younger mech to catch up to him. “-Where would have been the fun in that?-”

`Bee huffed again as they drove aimlessly about the neighborhood, studiously avoiding the one street for a while. “-How'd you know he's there anyway?-” `Bee finally asked. “-And don't just say it's because you're disguised as a patrol car. That shouldn't explain it.-”

The Autobot could clearly hear the Decepticons' sigh as they made another loop around the neighborhood. “-Three letters bitbot,-” the Decepticon sneered. “-`G. P. S.' All patrol cars are equipped with them.-”

Bumblebee jolted in surprise and felt his small passenger suddenly shift at the motion. Instantly slowing down, he waited until Miles finally rolled over to his other side and fell back asleep with a contented murmur. “-Is he leaving yet?-” he asked petulantly and the `Con gave a soft laugh at the whining tone.

“Nope, he's still there,” he said aloud as he went around into the opposite lane to pull even with the yellow car.

“Slag…” `Bee muttered again. The two just sat there at the stop sign, neither one saying a word as they idled.

“We could always drive over the back lawns,” Barricade smirked.

“What?” `Bee asked surprised.

“To avoid being seen… It'll be fun! Can you imagine the humans trying to figure out who it was that went over their precious manicured grass?”

“No we are not going to drive over everyone's lawn,” `Bee growled as he tried to go back to ignoring the `Con.

“Aw come on,” Barricade insisted. “I bet we would make the morning news…” he tried to cajole the other mech.

“Are you ever awake for the morning news?” `Bee jibed. “I swear I've never met a mech so content with being in recharge as you are.”

“Well what else am I suppose to do in that slagging garage? Besides rust?” Barricade retorted bitterly. “Now come on! I'm sick of just sitting here…”

“No!” `Bee snapped angrily. “We are not going to go driving through the human's backyards…”

Barricade sat back on his tires with a small huff. “Killjoy,” he muttered. “So then why don't we just head back to Ladiesman217's house?” he finally asked. “It's already late by human standards, so why are we sitting here waiting for that… authorities human to leave?”

“Well Miles' parental units are strict about his `curfew' so we have to get him back by one.”

Barricade instantly checked his internal clock. “Its twelve thirty now you know,” he enlightened the other mech. “I think we have to wake `em up.”

`Bee let out a small sigh. “I know, but I hoped we could just let them sleep for a little while longer…” Barricade huffed at the younger `Bots hesitation and without further warning, switched to an alternative station and cranked it.

“AHH!” Miles jumped completely upright and managed to whack his forehead against the review mirror while Sam did the same in Barricade completely awake as well; though Sam had instantly fallen into action and scrambled into the somewhat crushed back seat and away from the blaring noise.

“What the hell?” Sam cried out in surprise as the music died just as suddenly as it had begun. “What the fuck was that for? Are we being attacked? What's going on?”

Barricade chuckled. “Foul little thing when he wakes up, isn't he?”

“I can't believe you did that!” `Bee shouted angrily at the `Con, already pulling out and moving towards a different area of the neighborhood as a dog suddenly began barking from one of the yards, in turn waking the neighbors dogs who all began barking hysterically.

“What? We needed to get Miles home, didn't we?”

“What?” Sam glanced back down at the dash confused before he brought up his arm. Leaning forwards over the center console, he switched on `Cade's interior light and glanced at the time. “Ok fuck! It's a quarter to one!”

“What?” Miles shouted as he too looked down at `Bee's clock. “How could it be so late? The movie ended at eleven!”

“We fell asleep, that's how!” Sam snapped as he clambered back into the driver's seat and clicked the seat belt into place. “Why didn't you wake us?” he asked angrily. “Better yet, why are we still not at Miles house? Don't tell me you forgot the way?”

Barricade began laughing hysterically as `Bee growled at the `Con. “No I did not forget,” the yellow camaro answered Sam. “There was a patrol car by Miles' house and we were waiting for him to leave.”

Sam sighed as he slouched back down in his seat a little more awake now than before. “You know, I wouldn't have minded if that was the reason you woke me up. Using loud, obnoxious music to do so however…” he glared down at the steering wheel in front of him.

“What? It worked didn't it?” Barricade chuckled.

Sam sighed as he brought up his hands to the steering wheel. “All right, let's go,” he muttered as the two cars made a quick illegal u-turn and once more set a course for Miles house.

They were very cautions as they made their way down the road, ensuring that they maintained the appropriate speed and that they managed to come to a full and complete stop at the sign before turning towards the small yellow house down the road. Sam could see the patrol car sitting at the end of the street. The lights were dark and the person within just sitting there in the black. “Is he asleep?” Sam suddenly cried out and the two cars both jerked as they turned to enter Miles driveway.

“You're kidding!” `Bee started to laugh hysterically as Barricade instantly began muttering.

“I'm almost tempted to call that in!” the mustang snarled. “It's a disgrace to badge.”

Sam raised an eyebrow at the `Con as he stepped out of the car. “One would think you actually care about your disguise,” he grinned.

“Primus forbid!” Barricade huffed.

“Primus?” Miles questioned as he made his way up the steps with Sam right behind. “Who's that?”

“Ah, kind of like their God,” Sam explained. “The actual creator of Cybertron but they actually have proof that he existed.”

“Oh… really? How do they know?” Miles asked genuinely interested. Sam smirked and was about to say more when the door suddenly swung open and both boys turned back surprised to find a woman standing there in the doorway with a rather distraught look upon her face. Sam blinked in surprise as he took in her frazzled appearance before he glanced unsure at his best friend as he heard the stifled groan then turned back towards the hysterical lady.

Her normally perfect blond hair was out of it's usual ponytail and was currently sticking out in nearly every direction in a wild array that framed her face, causing an eerie effect as the lights from the house outlined her figure. Her pastel blue blouse was only half tucked into her faded jeans and Sam noticed that a few buttons were in the wrong buttonholes as she took a step forward towards the two boys. Dark circles ringed her wide green eyes as they darted from one boy to the next. “Why are you coming back in a cop car?” Carol Lancaster shouted hysterically.

Both boys face faulted as they turned and looked back at the dented mustang still sitting in the driveway. “Mom! It's not what you think!”

“Tell me! Is it drugs? Were you boys caught doing drugs?” they both jerked back as the older woman surged forward and grabbed Miles head in between her hands as she tilted her son's face upwards as she checked his pupils.

“Um, it's my new car,” Sam said quickly and the woman turned back towards the other boy skeptically. Sam fidgeted under the unwavering gaze. “It really is…”

The woman continued her unwavering, wide-eyed stare at him. “I know you parents, Sam. You're father would never spend the money on that hunk of… junk.”

There was gasp behind them and quick shushing noise and both boys cringed as the woman's gaze went straight back towards the two cars. “There is someone in there!” she announced as she pushed past the two boys and stalked down the steps towards the two cars.

Barricade suddenly had to resist the urge to back away screaming at the approach of the human female. This woman was clearly nothing like the calm steady Judy. Steeling himself, he waited as the woman reached forward and the driver's side door was yanked open. Both boys held their breath as Carol found herself staring at the empty cab in surprise. “It's a new project,” Sam said as they made their way towards the distraught woman. “We were going to fix it up.”

Carol looked back and forth between the two confused. “But… but you're late!” she shouted near hysterical.

“Mom!” Miles whined. “I still have five minutes before curfew, see!” Miles grabbed Sam's arm and tilted the other boy's wrist so his mother could see the face of his watch.

Carol glanced at the watch, wringing her hands on the dishtowel she still carried. “But the movies ended hours ago, where have you two been since then?”

“Mom,” Miles moaned again. “We weren't out doing drugs or with girls or doing anything illegal.”

The woman looked back at Sam and the boy blushed and shuffled his feet nervously at her pointed glare. “Where's that girl that's always hanging out with you? The one in the skimpy outfits?”

Both boy's gapped at this and Sam could feel his entire face heat up. “She's upstate on family business…” he said. Carol gave him a rather disbelieving glare. “Really!” Sam insisted.

Carol stared at him for a long moment before the door to the house suddenly opened once more and light flooded the yard once again. “Hey Sam! Good to see you!” Miles father, a rather large man who ran his own gym, tromped down the steps and approached the group. He looked down at the damaged mustang with a raised eyebrow as he swung an arm around his wife's shoulders. “Usually people trade up with their cars, not down.”

Sam gave a small chuckle as he looked back down at the silent `Con. “Er, it's a project,” he repeated. “We're going to try and fix him up. I wanted to test drive it and Miles was willing to follow me in my car incase he conked out on me.”

“Really? Cool.”

“Steve!” Carol hissed as she elbowed her spouse in the gut. Not that it did much against the solid washboard abs. “You're missing the main point!”

“What main point?” Steve looked back at her confused. “They're both here, they're both okay. They're not drunk…”

“Dad!” Miles moaned and Sam tried to stifle a chuckle.

Steve looked around with a chuckle. “What?” he looked back at Sam again. “So what do you have under there?” he asked jerking a thumb back at the patrol car.

“Oh uh…” Sam fidgeted. “We're not really sure. We can't get the hood open.”

“You want me to give it a go?” Steve wandered over and immediately tried to get the dented hood open. Sam could have sworn that he heard a whimper emit from the damaged car.

“Um. Thanks Mr. Lancaster but it's okay,” Sam said quickly.

The man shrugged and let go of the car. “So why did you bring it back here? Shouldn't you have dropped it off at your house?”

Sam blinked surprised before glancing back at Miles who quickly turned back to his parents. “Er, we wanted to make sure we were back before curfew,” he stammered.

Carol looked disbelieving but Steve's grin only grew wider. “See honey,” he said wrapping his arm around his wife once more. “We did raise a responsible kid.” Carol did not look impressed. “So did you want to leave it here overnight?”

There was a small growl behind him and Sam quickly set a hand down on the indented hood. “If it's alright with you, I think I should get this back home tonight. You know, in case it won't work in the morning.”

Steve nodded knowingly and looked back down at the other car. “Still, you think it's wise to leave your camaro here? We don't have the room to fit it in the garage.”

Sam shrugged. “Well, what else can I do?”

Steve frowned as he continued to study the yellow car. Bumblebee had to force himself from shifting nervously under the humans gaze. “Miles,” Steve turned back towards his son. “Why don't you go throw together an overnight bag and crash over at Sam's tonight.”

“Steve!” Carol cried out in surprise.

“Well, they did make sure that they got back by curfew so why not let him go stay over at Sam's?”

“He has homework to finish,” Carol insisted. Steve raised an eyebrow and Carol's frown deepened. “He does.”

“Honey. It's the weekend. Let them have their fun.”

Carol scowled again before turning back towards Sam. “What would your parents say about this?” she asked him and Sam blinked in surprise.

“Um…” Sam shuffled. “I could call them…”

“Would your parents be up at one in the morning?” Carol pressed.

“Uh, well…” Carol just looked at him. “No,” he finally admitted glumly. “But I'm sure they won't mind!” he continued to maintain. “It's as you said, it's better to be home than out on the streets.”

Carol glared at him and Sam almost shrank under the unwavering gaze. Steve sighed and bent down and kissed the top of his wife's head. “Honey, they're teenagers. Just let them be teenagers. Let them hang out tonight.”

“Steve,” Carol tried to argue more but Steve had begun to maneuver his wife back around towards the house.

Miles shook his head before he turned back towards his friend. “Well this was a lucky break.”

Sam smiled at his friend. “Yeah, your dad's cool.”

Miles smile got wider. “Come on, let's go inside. You can try and call your parents and I'll go grab an extra pair of cloths.” Sam nodded and the two boys quickly disappeared up the steps and into the building.

“Oh thank Primus! I thought they would never leave!” Barricade cried out gratefully.

`Bee gasped in disbelief. “Will you shut up before we get caught?”

“`Caught'?” Barricade mocked. “If my memory banks are in working order, which I know they are, it was you who was the one who got caught!”

Bumblebee gasped. “That was an accident!”

“Really? All I did was smash his car. You were the one who transformed and threatened him!” Barricade contended. “And might I add, I have never been prouder.”

“Huh?” Bumblebee was taken aback at the sudden compliment. “Are you messing with me or are you really serious?”

Barricade chuckled. “I'm a Decepticon. What do you think?”

As `Bee tired to mull over this cryptic statement the screen door suddenly slammed open once again as the two boys trumped out carrying a bag each followed closely by Carol with Steve right behind. “Now you boys be careful on the road,” Carol was saying. “You've only had your license for a year. I don't want any speeding, no trying any trick driving, if any emergency vehicles show up you are to pull over to the side of the road immediately-”

“Carol,” Steve interrupted her a little exasperated at the ongoing tirade. “I'm sure that they'll be fine.”

“Yeah Mom! You can trust us,” Miles insisted.

Carol frowned once more but nevertheless moved forward to giver her son a kiss on the forehead. “Now do everything that Mrs. Witwicky tells you too. I expect you to be a good guest.”

Miles shifted from foot to foot embarrassingly, knowing that both of the alien cars were listening to every word being said. “Mom!”

Carol gave a small smile and gave her son another hug. “Be good.”

“I will!” Miles said as he placed his bag gently into the passenger seat of the camaro. Now that he knew that it wasn't just a car, he felt somehow wrong to just toss it into the seat as he had done in the past.

Sam smirked as he clambered into the driver's seat of the mustang and started going through the motions of starting it up. He jerked in surprise as there was a sudden knock on the window and Sam blushed a little as he rolled it down so Steve could speak with him. “Yes Mr. Lancaster?”

Steve grinned at him, showing a perfect line of even white teeth. “You let me know if you ever need any help with this thing, alright? I would love to take a test drive as well when you get her up to shape.”

“Him,” Sam absently corrected. “And I'll be sure to do that.” He smiled as he moved to place Barricade in reverse. Steve never noticed that the gearshift moved from park to reverse underneath Sam's hand without Sam ever closing his fingers under the button.

The two waved as the cars began moving slowly but surly down the road before they finally turned the corner and disappeared down the road. “Don't boys usually call their cars `she'?” Steve muttered absently. “Why would Sam call the car a he?”

Carol just huffed as she turned to make her way back into the house. “Men…”

The couple never noticed the officer sitting in the darken police car suddenly sit up and reach forward to pick up his radio as he watched the two cars disappear down the road with hard, cold eyes.

~*~

Judy shifted as she awoke to the sound of the door suddenly slamming shut and hushed voices floating upwards from the living room. Puzzled she rolled over to see Ron still snoring away next to her so that meant it was someone else entirely downstairs. Sighing, she reached over her nightstand and snatched her bat as she slipped out from under the cover. With a glance at the clock she frowned in disgust at the bright one forty that blinked back at her. First the never ending ringing that had seemed to dominate her dreams and now this…

“It's too early for this…” she muttered angrily. “What's the use of having a police car in your garage when he doesn't do his job.” She paused as she looked down at the small Chihuahua that was snoozing on his little pillow at the end of her bed. “Well that explains it… they're all males. Males are useless… Next time I'm getting a female dog. At least they're territorial.”

She slipped silently into the hallway and paused at the top of the stairs, listening. It almost sounded as if they were in the kitchen. What would thieves be doing in her kitchen? She frowned as she made her way stealthy down the stairs and towards the swinging door that lead from the dining room into her kitchen. `They better not be stealing my blender,' she thought angrily. `That thing cost fifty bucks!'

The sound of footsteps started making their way towards her and she could hear the faint whispers of the two crooks gaining in volume. With a deep breath, Judy stepped back and held the bat high, waiting. The door swung out and she swung down, intent on doing some damage. There was a girlish scream as the first thief jumped backwards as he caught the movement of Judy's swing out of the corner of his eye and the plate he had been carrying fell down to the floor with a muffled thud as it bounced against the carpet.

The crook fell backwards with a thud, landing at the others feet as the second thief dropped the glass he had been carrying to shatter against the tiled floor of the kitchen. “Think to come into my house and steal from me do you?” Judy demanded as she leapt out in front of the two sneak thieves, bat held at the ready once more.

“MOM!”

Judy froze and blinked in surprise at the sound of the familiar voice as thuds could be heard from above as Ron finally realized that something was not right in his household. “Sam?” Judy cried out in surprise as Ron suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs and switched on the main lights.

All three of the other occupants immediately squinted as the harsh light assaulted their eyes and Judy turned back to find her own son sitting on the floor. There was an overturned plate of left over pasta sitting on the rug next to him staining it a harsh red and Miles was standing behind him staring down at the broken glass of milk that seemed to be seeping into the seat of Sam's pants. “What in the world is going on in here?” Ron demanded as he looked from his wife, bat hanging loosely from her fingers to his son sitting on the ground in milk and cold pasta.

“How should I know? I just got home,” Sam replied as he glanced down at the plate in dismay. He sighed. “Don't worry, I'll clean it up.”

Judy was still standing there in a minor state of shock. She never even noticed when Ron gently took the bat out of her hand. “Sam! Miles, what are you doing here?”

Miles blinked and shifted nervously. “Um, I was hoping to spend the night…”

Judy looked at him in surprise before she stared hard at the boy. “And your mother agreed?”

“It was my dad's idea actually,” Miles told her.

Judy sighed as suddenly there was a faint sound of little thuds tromping down the stairs and Mojo suddenly appeared, yipping furiously at Miles feet. Judy glared down at the little ball of fuzz mutinously. Bending down, she snatched the dog off the floor and whirled around towards the back door.

All three males watched as she bounced off the steps and made her way towards the garage with straight, purposeful strides. Bumblebee was instantly surprised at the appearance of Judy and watched confused as she walked right into the garage. `Bee had never been more grateful that Barricade had left the door open as Judy marched right over to the mustang, yanked open his door and dropped the poor dog right onto the passenger seat.

“I'm surrounded by useless men!” she shouted as she slammed the door shut. She sent a dark glare in `Bee's direction before turning and marching back into the house, sending all three human males scrambling to get out of the way.

Barricade was completely confused as the human female parental unit startled him out of recharge and dropped the small mammal known as a `dog' into his interior before marching right back into her home. “What was that all about?” he demanded sourly. Sam, Miles and Ron shrugged as Mojo began yipping hysterically as he started scratching against the window trying to find a way out. Barricade cringed as the dog's nails made a screeching sound against the glass. “SAM!” he bellowed. “Get it out of me! It's tearing up my seats!”

Bumblebee began laughing hysterically and Sam and Miles smirked as Sam went to rescue the Decepticon from the evils of their cuddly household pet.

-To Be Continued