Chapter Text
We had walked in the door when I saw June carrying an empty suitcase down the stairs. I paused. “What is that for?” Miko and Raf walked up behind me. “Oh, did you forget? It’s the first week of summer. We’re going to visit your cousins.” My stomach dropped. I had completely forgotten. This year we were going to visit my cousins. I grimaced “I'm going to assume that you haven't packed yet?” I shook my head. “Go pack, we leave tomorrow.” We all went upstairs, leaving June to pack her things.
Over the past year with the Autobots, we'd gotten into some serious trouble. Fowler’s superiors found out about us, we were captured and tortured by Decepti-creeps, and we fought the literal planet. We had collected a bit of trauma, because of this we developed...behaviours.
Miko doesn't wear headphones in public unless she’s having a panic attack. Raf doesn't like having anyone behind him or touching him unless it’s me or Miko. I don't like small spaces, among other things. But above all, there is one thing we can't stand: separation. Every time we have ever been separated without our partners, we end up hurt, captured, or unconscious. Over time, we developed a dependency on each other, so this trip was going to be an issue.
We had just entered the room when Raf spoke, “Are...you going to leave?” I grimaced. “Yeah, I have to. June doesn't know yet.” Miko looked at me. “What are we going to do?” I thought about it realistically speaking i couldn't just sneak them onto the trip that would be stupid. “What if we just ask her if you both can come?” Miko looked at me, "That's the smartest thing you’ve said all week." I rolled my eyes. “Shut up and help me pack.”
After two hours of packing and arguing, we went downstairs to talk with June. We told her Raf and Miko wanted to come. her brow furrowed. "Hmm," she looked at us, "I would need to check with my brother and you would need to ask your parents but , Alright, Miko and Raf can come." A quiet sigh of relief swept through us. "But," she added, "You three need to be on your best behavior. Understand? I don't want you to cause trouble."
We all nodded. "Alright.“ I said, Miko echoing with a loud "Yes, ma'am!” and Raf with a quiet, "Understood."
June smiled, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Alright, then. Now, are you packed? Because I need to start loading the car tonight."
We headed back upstairs, happy we wouldn't have to do something stupid. As we talked, a plan started to form in my mind.
We had to tell Optimus and the team about the trip. It wouldn't be fair to disappear without telling them, especially considering our track record. We also had to get approval from Raf and Miko's guardians , go to their house ,and pick up things they would need. All had to be done before the end of the day.
_ _ _ _ _
We decided to go to Raf's house first so we can get permission and pack his things . The afternoon sun was already beginning to dip towards the horizon. Time was running out. We piled into Junes old car.
“Okay, first Raf’s,” Jack said. “Then Miko’s. We need to get both permissions and packed bags before the end of the day. We also need to check in with the autobots before Optimus and the others start wondering where we’ve run off too.”
Miko gave a low whistle. “Op is fine. It's Optimus Prime. He probably knows what we had for breakfast three Tuesdays ago.” Raf giggles and I roll my eyes.
We arrived at Raf's suburban home, the picture of quiet and calm. The smell of Mrs. Esquivel's cooking wafted from the open windows. We exchanged nervous glances before Raf unlocked the door.
Mrs. Esquivel, a warm and welcoming woman, greeted us with a smile. Meanwhile her kids were running around the house like they just ate a bucket of sugar. Explaining our impromptu trip to her, however, felt like trying to go through a pile of scrap. We made up an excuse, emphasized the educational aspects, the "cultural exchange" (a generous overstatement), and the promise of constant supervision.
"A trip to an island full of advanced technology, with your class?" she asked, her eyebrows raised slightly. "Without prior notice?"
"Well..." Jack stammered, "It was a last-minute opportunity. Another school had to cancel but those who signed up during the school year were offered to go. It's very educational and hard to get permission for, that's why it's last minute. " He stammered out the excuse they came up with.
Luckily, Raf, sensing the tension, intervened. "Please, mom," he said, his small voice surprisingly firm. "I really want to go. It'll be fun!"
Mrs. Esquivel, trusting her son's judgment and most likely swayed by the prospect of a one less kid to watch during summer, relented. "Alright," she said, "But you must promise to call every night. And try to not get into trouble."
With that settled, we helped Raf pack a small backpack. Clothes, his laptop, and a well-worn hoodie. He also insisted on bringing a small, bright yellow toy car, a gift from Bumblebee.
"I miss him when he's not around," Raf explained, blushing slightly. He was the cutest baby brother.
_ _ _ _
The next thing we had to do was get Miko her permission slip and her clothes. We’d just pulled up to her host parents' house when June called. Raff grabbed it and put it on speaker. “Hi kids, good news! Charlie agreed for you to come along.” Miko and Raf cheered, excitement clearly heard through their voices.
“Good to know! Thanks, mom, for agreeing. We have a few more things to do. We should be back by ten.”A light huff came from her side of the call “Alright, don’t stay out too late, love you. "I smiled “Love you too, bye,” I replied quickly, ending the call.
We stared at the house. It was…bland. The front door was a plain white rectangle with zero personality. The lawn was perfectly manicured. The area looks like what you'd expect from a typical HOA president.
Miko unlocks the door, and we walk into the living room. It is nothing like what I would expect from where Miko lives. Modern furniture sat on a pristine white rug. Everything looked spotless, like in a Instagram photo. Miko's host dad walked out from what I assume is the master bedroom, it looks as though he had just finished changing out of his work clothes.
After we explained the made-up situation he frowned. A deep, judgmental frown. “I’m not going to let my host daughter go to an island in the middle of nowhere. This is non-negotiable.”
We exchanged worried glances. This was not going according to plan. “Please,” Raf pleaded, his voice laced with sincerity. “We’ve already gotten permission from both our parents. It’s all sorted.” I jumped in, trying to sound as responsible as humanly possible. "Yeah, and I promise we can keep Miko out of trouble. We'll look out for her."
He looked at us skeptically, his gaze lingering on Miko. "And besides, Miko, on her own, with access to a large desert as far as you can see..." Miko cut in “with no adults.., plenty of dangerous animals…”
The next twenty minutes was a masterclass in negotiation ( begging). We emphasized the educational aspects of the trip (seeing new tech), the importance of social bonding (hanging out with friends), and, finally, resorted to emotional blackmail (disappointing Miko).
Eventually, he begrudgingly agreed, muttering something about us being responsible and him trusting our judgment. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, we practically dragged Miko towards her room to pack her things.
After 30 minutes I looked toward Miko. She was in the process of packing her bag, her music playing at a volume that would probably give her host parents a migraine. “Are they always like that? ”She shrugged, bobbing her head to the music. “Yeah, usually. That’s why I avoid them as much as possible.”
We quickly crammed the remaining clothes, her headphones, and a few essential snacks - mostly Pocky and some neon-colored candy I didn’t recognize - into her bag. Then she grabbed a small, handmade plushie, a lumpy green thing that vaguely resemble Bulkhead.
“Bulk helped me make it,” she insisted, clutching it to her chest.
_ _ _ _
Later that evening, we made our way to the Autobot base. "Optimus," I called to him from the human area. He turned from the monitor to look at us, " June is taking me to visit my cousins. Miko and Raf are coming too."
Optimus optics focused on me. "This is... unexpected. Will you be safe, children?"
"We'll be fine," I assured him. "We'll stay in contact. We just wanted to let you know."
He nodded slowly. "Very well. We will be here upon your return. Be careful. This world holds many unexpected dangers, even outside our conflict with the Decepticons."
Ratchet grumbled from his corner in the med bay where he was sorting things, "Don't bother, Optimus. I'll keep an eye on the monitors. And they better call if they think anything is wrong."
We said our goodbyes and As we left the base, Miko threw her fist in the air. "Road trip! Time to see what kind of trouble we can get into...responsibly, of course."Raf smiled. "It will be nice to see your cousins. And we'll be together."
As we climbed into the car the next morning, I couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement and unease. We were together. But the idea of being away from the Autobots, even for a week or two, was unnerving. Still, we were ready. We had each other's backs, and that was all that mattered. The trip had officially begun.