"You have got to be freaking kidding me, Optimus," Vince growled after a minute of staring at the semi in shock.

"No," Optimus replied simply. The two remained there for another few minutes. The few cars that were out at the time were honking and driving around him. Vince glared at him but got in anyway.

"You only win because you're probably being illegal right now," he muttered. Optimus didn't reply and shifted into drive. He drove out of the city and Vince wasn't sure where he was going, but it wasn't to the base either. He turned off the road and into the dirt.

"...Where are you taking me?" Vince asked, sounding a little hostile. Optimus' side mirror adjusted to look at him before it returned to its original position.

"I simply wish to talk to you," Optimus replied.

"That's not an answer," he replied, slowly reaching over to the door and flipping the lock switch. Optimus knew he had done so, obviously, but didn't react. Vince gripped the handle.

"We're here," Optimus replied, unbuckling Vince's seatbelt. Vince opened the door and got out. Optimus transformed, he had driven behind a rock formation tall enough to hide him. Vince looked up, stepping back a few times. He forgot how tall Optimus was. The mech knelt down and set his bookbag next to him before resting his arm on his knee plate.

"Well?"

"What are you doing outside of school hours? I am only curious," Optimus started.

"You dragged me all the way out here to ask why I'm not in school?" Vince replied in disbelief.

"No. That is only one of the reasons why I brought you here," Optimus replied firmly. The expression on his face was blank, and Vince wasn't sure what Optimus was doing.

"Well, what's it to you, anyway?" Vince replied, crossing his arms over his chest. He blinked in realization. "How did you even know I was gone?"

"I want to know if you are alright. Ratchet noticed your signal had separated from the others, and you are without transportation as of late."

"Oh, because I'm part of your 'family'," Vince snapped, making air quotes with his fingers. "Well guess what, Optimus. I don't want to be a part of it. I thought I made that clear yesterday. I'm perfectly fine by myself. There's no place in Jasper I can't walk to. You're not exactly the best vehicle to fit in with the everyday crowd anyway. You say you need to protect me from the Decepticons, but I feel like if you left me alone I'd be protected enough!"

"Starscream is unpredictable at this point, we do not know what he plans."

"Right," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest again and turning away from the Autobot kneeling in front of him. Optimus' expression softened just slightly as he watched him.

"Are you alright?" he asked after a moment of silence. Vince glared at the mech through the hair that had fallen in front of his face.

"I'm fine. I don't need you to babysit me."

"I am sorry if it appears that way."

"Why do you care anyway? I'm just a random human to you that just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the others."

"This planet must be protected from the Decepticons, and that includes the life on this planet as well. You, as well as Jack, Miko, and Rafael are the few who have seen us and the Decepticons, and the few that the Decepticons have seen with us. That requires your protection. As to your question of why I care, I do not simply view you as a human I need to protect. You are an ally. You know more about Earth than we do. I view you as an equal."

When Vince didn't reply, Optimus decided to ask again a couple of minutes later. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't want to deal with school today. There, happy? Can I go now?" he replied. Optimus decided that was enough. Vince had been giving him nonverbal clues anyway.

"If you would like," he replied simply, transforming back into his vehicular form. Vince watched, slightly awestruck. He was still not used to the whole transformation process. He shook his head again, grabbing his bag before getting inside. He didn't say anything, and Optimus seemed to know where he wanted to go anyway. He drove back into the city, stopping at the corner of the street that Vince's house was on per Vince's previous desire to not be dropped off or picked up at his house. Vince wasn't sure what to say at this point. 'See you later?' 'Don't come back?' 'I never want to see you again?' 'Would you mind picking me up tomorrow?' He wasn't sure how he felt at this point and just closed the door before walking away. Optimus sat there for a moment, watching him enter his house before he drove off, unsure how much good he had actually done at that moment.

***

A few hours later Vince changed from his everyday attire to what he normally wore at work, pulling his hair back from his face with a rubber band. School would be getting out by now, and he couldn't very well just ditch his job. The shop wasn't that far and he gathered what he needed before walking out again. His music was on full volume and he was unaware of his surroundings, for the most part. Occasionally he would think he heard something and glance over his shoulder and even once he pulled out one of his earbuds. He shook his head and put it back in. He was just being paranoid.

He made it to the shop and set his things down in the main office area.

"Heya, Reese," he greeted a man working on a damaged car. Reese was the one other person that worked there besides him and his dad.

"Hey, Vince," Reese replied, giving him a two finger salute and a lopsided grin. He was holding a wrench. Vince gave him a half smile back. Reese was a family friend, practically an uncle.

"Where's dad?"

"Haven't seen him, I got here a little later than usual today. The radio's on in his office though and you know how he is."

Vince shrugged and nodded. "So what do you have for me?"

"Fender bender. Nothing bad, but they want it replaced."

"Cool," he replied with a small nod, and the two got to work.

~~~

Behold, an incorrect quote to summarize this chapter:

Vince: Every talk I have with you people gets more absurd!

Optimus: You say "you people" as if you are not part of the family.

Vince: I'm not!

Jack: Vince, you're already on the Christmas card.

Anyway, that was a pretty uneventful ending but there's more to come.

Woah, two updates in a week? Whaaat?