Daisy Chain

Judy Witwicky wasn't a mean woman, not by any stretch of the imagination. Sometimes though, Sam did have to wonder if she was sane.

When he and Bumblebee had pulled into the driveway that afternoon, the last thing they'd expected to hear was Judy chatting away in the backyard to someone who was obviously not human. Sam and 'Bee both peered around the corner of the house and into the backyard, eyes and optics widening at the sight before them. There, next to a partially replanted bed of daisies, was Judy Witwicky and Jazz. The human of the pair chattered aimlessly from the way the soil should be mixed to the depth of the holes. Jazz, for his part, withstood the barrage quietly as he used his claws to make said holes in the dirt.

"What are you doing?" Bumblebee sent through text message.

Jazz gave the other Cybertronian a quick glance before texting a short reply.

"Help!"

The yellow mech snickered out loud, prompting very exaggerated shushing motions and a push from Sam instructing him to get back to the driveway. Unfortunately, they were not the kings of stealth. Judy turned and saw the two just as Bumblebee returned to Camaro form and Sam made a break for the drivers side door.

"Oh! Hey, Sam! Come give us a hand in the garden!" she called, motioning in the flowerbed's direction.

Sam visibly cringed, shoulders drawing up and his head drawn down. Even Bumblebee startled a bit, engine sputtering once before leveling off. Jazz gave the two an imploring look, one bordered on amusement and pain.

"Uh, gee mom. We'd love too, really but you see, we, uh…" Sam began, trying to find the easiest way out, "we gotta go get Miles. We're studying today."

Judy leveled him with a look, one eyebrow shooting upwards.

"It's summer vacation, Sam. You don't have homework."

The boy mentally slapped himself and simply scratched his head.

"Extra credit?" he tried, weakly.

His mother gave him another look and the boy slumped. Dragging footsteps carried him along the path and to where the white Cybertronian and his mother sat.

"You too!" Judy called out. The Camaro that -had- been inching it's way back down the driveway, stopped and shook a little.

"C'mon. Get out here." she said, motioning for him to come.

With a sigh, Bumblebee transformed back into his bipedal form and gingerly made his way into the backyard. He settled himself next to Jazz while Sam settled next to Judy. The Solstice gave him an elbow in the side and a mock-glare for his attempt to leave. 'Bee just gave a slight shrug and another sigh as Judy began her flower tending lecture from the beginning.

Afternoon melted away and under the watchful eyes of Judy Witwicky, the daisy garden was swiftly and effectively replanted, thoroughly watered, and mulch replenished. The sun was nearly completely gone below the horizon before she had Sam put the gardening tools away and told him to clean up for dinner. The two humans went inside, leaving Jazz and Bee to their own devices in the yard. The Solstice trudged wearily to the corner behind the greenhouse, being very careful to mind the grass, and sat down with a groan.

"That's going to give me nightmares." he said.

"What? The flowers?" Bumblebee asked, sitting next to him.

Jazz simply shook his head, "No…Judy." he said, eliciting a chuckle from the Camaro.

"How did you get roped into this anyway?"

"Beats me. I just asked her what kind of plant that was and couldn't escape after that. She's worse than Ratchet at his crankiest." Jazz replied.

The two sat in a companionable silence for a while before Jazz leaned his shoulder into the other mech, giving him a nudge.

"You weren't really gunna leave me here, were you?"

"Well…" Bumblebee started, glancing at Jazz. The Solstice gave him his most hurt pout he could muster.

A sigh escaped the yellow mech and he continued, "Well, I -was- going to go find some reinforcements."

"Like?"

"Ironhide."

Jazz simply looked at the other mech for a long while. The image of the big, burly warrior planting delicate organic flora all while being directed by a human less than half his height set both mechs into fits of laughter.

Both eventually settled into quiet chuckles as the images replayed in their minds. Jazz leaned against Bumblebee's shoulder, and gave a tired hum. The Camaro gave his counterpart a sidelong glance.

"How long did she have you out here anyway?"

"Since you and Sam left this morning."

Bumblebee gave a small shake of his head, wrapping an arm around the white mech's waist.

"You could've called me, you know. I've never seen you this drained except for right after a fight."

Jazz gave another hum as he shifted, trying to get more comfortable on the yellow shoulder.

"Worse than Ratchet…" he repeated, voice low. Bumblebee let out a soft snort as Jazz continued, "I don't know how Sam does it."

"Carefully and with lots of running and hiding."

He didn't get a reply and considered giving the mech a nudge of his own, however, the familiar sounds of systems shutdown kept him from the movement. He gave the Solstice another glance, finding the blue optics of his companion dark. The larger mech carefully leaned himself back against the fence, shifting the other as little as possible so as to not wake him. The last thing he did before letting his own systems shut down for a while, was allow himself a quiet chuckle at the thought of the Autobot 2IC taken out by a human female over flowers.