Jack was raised to never lift his hand to a woman, but Miko was asking for it right on that air filled head of hers. How could she be so clueless about this? The two of them, along with Rafael and Agent Fowler were almost killed by the Decepticons, and she was acting like it was all some big video game. Rafael was shaken up pretty badly, Fowler was hurt by that one tall, creepy looking 'Con, and even with Jack's own "experiences", he was pretty freaked out by all this as well. Granted, their little "adventure" turned up some equation of some kind that could be useful to the Autobots, but things were getting too dangerous for Jack, and he's had enough danger to last a lifetime. Ratchet and Optimus Prime returned to base shortly after the rest of the team did, looking like they had been through hell and back. Jack was all too familiar with that feeling. When Ratchet revealed what he and Optimus had been through, Jack felt the blood drain from his body.

"We engaged an army of undead Cybertronian warriors."

What? Undead...? Jack could feel his heart going into overdrive, and bits of sweat seeping through his pores. 'Not again' he thought, 'I can't do this again.' Of course, Miko thought it was the coolest thing in the world, while Jack thought it was another nightmare.

"Zombies? You fought zombies, and I missed it?"

Was she freaking kidding? Miko showed Ratchet the "equation" that they had found aboard the Nemesis. Miko was still acting like it was all fun and games.

"At least that's what he looked like before Bulkhead rearranged his grill."

Jack had enough at that point. Someone needed to hit Miko with a dose of reality, the reality that they were all in danger.

"Miko, Raf was almost killed. This isn't a game! When are you gonna get that through your thick skull?"

"Hm, we were all almost killed Jack, you, me, Raf even them!"

What? That was her argument? Almost doesn't count, like it was some kind of...Jack stopped trying to understand her logic, and made a decision, one he knew was for the best. If zombie robots were coming to Earth, the Autobots can handle it. He, on the other hand, was done.

"Well, if this was just an average day with the Autobots then I don't wanna be a part of it, not anymore."

What else could he do? Nothing he'd experienced had prepared him for this. He was of no use to the Autobots, and couldn't do anything to try and stop whatever horrors Megatron was cooking up. He couldn't do it...not again. The base felt like it was getting smaller, and Jack needed to get out of there. To his credit, he kept his composure, but he was in a state of panic on the inside. Optimus had assured him that he had not intended to endanger his or the other children's lives, but respected his decision to leave. Jack was thankful for that. Despite what happened, he had come to respect the Prime a great deal. Ratchet was all too happy to send Jackson off. As the groundbridge flared to life, Jack walked in it's direction, before he remembered something. He looked back, and saw that Rafael was not following him.

"Come on, Raf."

But the boy was hesitant, as if he was unwilling to leave. 'Please come with me, Raf.' Jack silently pleaded. He didn't want to leave him here, to be in danger. Ultimately, the boy made his decision as well.

"I'll be okay, Jack. See you at school."

Everything in Jack wanted to grab the boy and run...and tell him the truth about what really happened in...No, he couldn't tell anyone. No one could know. Still, Rafael was going to stay with the Autobots, and there was nothing Jack could do but hope for the best.

"Sure thing...Take care of yourself Raf."

The way he said it caught the attention of both Optimus and Arcee. He spoke as if he didn't expect to ever see Rafael again. Something had changed in the teen, Arcee realized. As he walked to the groundbridge, she stood in his path.

"I know, you don't exist."

"Don't make me hunt you down."

She meant that as a joke, but Jack winced when she said it. Something was wrong with him, and she could see it. He went past her, and through the groundbridge without saying anything else. There was a bit of awkwardness in the air after he had left. Bulkhead and Bumblebee were kind of bummed to see him go. Arcee was as well, but also worried. Despite her initial coldness towards Jack, she had come to like him somewhat. He was young, but very mature for his age. Optimus was concerned as well, considering the youngling's demeanor before he left.

"It's for the best, Optimus." Ratchet spoke up. "The Decepticons have bigger things to worry about than one human child. The boy should be safe. We have bigger things to worry about as well, and one less human to protect would allow us to deal them more efficiently."

"Yes...you are right, old friend."

"Of course I am. Besides, the kid didn't have much spark to him anyway. His stress level was going through the roof before he left."

"I had noticed Ratchet, and that is what concerns me."

"You saw it too." Arcee had said as she walked up to them.

"He's just a human sparkling, Arcee. The other two are the odd ones for not being afraid." Ratchet rationalized.

"You are correct, Ratchet. But it was not until we spoke of our battle with Megatron that he had begun to show signs of panic."

"Maybe he saw a really scary zombie movie when he was a kid and is super scared of them now." Miko butted in from the walkway. "Me, I hate spiders. I know I'd be scared if I came across some giant spider-con or something like that."

Optimus and Ratchet winced, while Arcee glared at the teen. Bulkhead stepped in before she could say anything else.

"Uh..hey Miko, let's watch another monster truck rally before we take you home, huh?"

Arcee brushed off Miko's thoughtless comment, and thought again about Jack. Aboard the Nemesis, he managed to keep his cool pretty well, which impressed her to say the least. So why were undead Cybertronians causing so much fear in him? As the day went by, and Bumblebee and Bulkhead took their charges home, Arcee was still thinking about Jack. She was still worrying about him, but she was also beginning to miss him. Seeing how Bulk and Bee were getting along so well with Raf and Miko made Arcee wish he hadn't left. Without Cliffjumper around, she really needed a friend. She didn't want to be closed off like she was before him, when Tailgate was taken from her. The thought of Jack not returning to base felt like another loss for her. She wanted Jack to come back, but she wasn't gonna force him. He had to come back on his own, and she hoped that after some time away, he would.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

When Jack left the bridge into his garage, the first thing he did was call his mother. She wasn't in any danger as far as he knew, but he had to be sure. He frantically dialed her number, and waited for her to pick up. Calling her during work hours was something he was told not to do unless it was an emergency, and he'd hope she would understand him risking her getting in trouble. The other line rang a few times with no answer.

"Please pick up, Mom."

After about five rings, he heard the voice of June Darby on the other end, which filled him with relief.

"Jack?"

"Mom, are you alright?" Jack asked a little too quickly.

June paused on the other end, most likely in confusion.

"I'm...I'm fine, sweety."

"You sure, nothing happened?"

Again, another pause. Now June was getting worried.

"I'm alright Jack...Honey, what wrong?"

Jack let out a sigh of relief, and sat down on the garage floor with his free hand on his head.

"Jack, you're scaring me. Is everything alright?"

"It's...it's fine, Mom. I'm sorry."

"Jackson, talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."

"It's just... I had a nightmare."

June paused for a third time, letting it register what he was talking about.

"A nightmare...or that nightmare?

Jack's silence answered her question.

"Oh, Jack."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I shouldn't have called you with something so stupid."

"No Jack, I'm glad you called me. Are you okay?"

"...I feel better, knowing that you're alright."

"Of course I am, sweetheart...Jackson, we're safe here. Nothing like that is ever going to happen again. And as long as we don't talk to anyone about it, like they said, no one will bother us. You still have her number right?"

"Yes...She changed it again, but I have it written down, and it's on my phone."

"Good. If we find ourselves in danger again, she'll help us, just like before. But that won't happen, because the people who were responsible have already been brought down. Besides, I still have both vials in the safe, and you know the combination. It'll be okay, Jack. That's all in the past."

Jack breathed in and out to calm himself. His mother had become really good at helping him forget about what happened.

"Do you need me to come home, Jack?"

"No Mom, I'm fine."

"I love you, sweety."

"I love you too, Mom. Thank you."

The call disconnected, and Jack stood in the garage for a minute or two. When he went in the house, he went straight into his room and into his closet. In the shelf space, he had a lock box with the key still in it. He put the box on his bed and opened it to reveal a loaded pistol. It was a Walther P22, small enough for a novice like him to handle, but enough to do what it was meant to do. Also in the lock box was a box of ammo and a spare magazine. He examined the pistol, unloading the magazine and chamber, and pulled the trigger to see if it was functioning properly. Once he was satisfied with the weapon, he packed it back up, and went to put it in his closet. Before he did, he stopped and decided to leave it under his bed for easier access. He'd hoped to God that he would never have to use it, but kept it close just in case. He left his room, went into his mother's bedroom, and checked her nightstand. After finding "something" he'd wish he didn't find along with several packs of batteries in her bottom draw, he found another pistol in her top. This one was a loaded Glock 23, also with a spare mag and ammo. He examined this one, same as his own, and saw that it still functioned well enough. As much as his mother hated guns, she made sure to get a license to carry when she and Jack moved to Jasper, and bought and registered both handguns in her name. She and Jack took shooting lessons together, just in case they had to use them again. Jack wished she would carry her gun with her, instead of leaving it at home. He couldn't carry his, for obvious reasons, but she could at least keep hers in her purse or something. Jack then locked all the doors in the house, and decided he was too tired to do anything else. He changed into some clothes fit for sleeping in, and laid down in his bed. But when you think about something too much, it sticks around even when you're not thinking. Jack hadn't had one of his nightmares in over five years, but after the events of today, they were back with a vengeance. Sleep was not gonna come easy to the poor kid.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Jack was sitting in the waiting area of the hospital his mother worked at. She couldn't find a babysitter that day, and brought him to work with her. Back then, June didn't work so many hours because she was still married. Her shift should've ended a few hours ago, but minutes before she could clock out, several people were brought in with serious injuries. Jack didn't see them being brought in, but he did hear a few of them screaming, which made him want to search for his mother. But he understood that her work was very important, and she needed him to be tough. After all, he was ten years old already. Minutes went by, when Jack heard the sounds of screaming and people running outside. He was scared, no doubt, but also wondering what was happening. He stepped outside of the the waiting area, into the sign-in section. A few of the other nurses and patients were also around, trying to figure out what was happening. He peeked down a long hallway, and he saw a teenage boy standing just outside the doorway. Jack didn't like the way he was standing, so he didn't go any closer. The teen stood where he was, not acknowledging anything around him. One of the nurses went up to him, to see what he was doing. He turned his face to reveal a good chunk of it was missing, seemingly bit off. The nurse recognized him as one of the patients who was brought in earlier, and ran over to help him. But once he got close enough, the teen lunged at him, and immediately began tearing his throat out with his teeth. Jack was frozen in place when that happened, unable to move a single muscle. He couldn't even manage to scream, even after one of the other nurses did. The "monster", as Jack decided he was, brought the nurse down, and continued to gnaw at his chest. The entire time, his screams were piercing through the child. A few of the doctors tried to pull the teenager off of the nurse, only to be bitten themselves. Finally, Jack felt himself being lifted off his feet, and carried away from the monster. Once they were both outside, Jack looked up to see it was Dr. Knowles, or Tara as his mother would call her outside of work.

"Are you okay, Jacks? Are you hurt?"

Jack was too shocked to say anything.

'That boy was eating them,' he thought 'like a monster. But monsters don't exist, Mom and Dad said so.'

Tara looked him in his eyes, full of fear and concern.

"Jackson, look at me."

Jack finally registered who was in front of him, and buried his face in her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him, as she tried her best to calm the crying child.

"It's okay, Jacks. It's over now. The bad man is gone. Look, the police are here."

Jack looked behind him, and saw a few police cars pull up to the hospital. They exited their vehicles, hands on their weapons.

"See that, it's okay now."

Jack had stopped crying, but was still trembling from what happened.

"I know you're scared Jacks. But, I'm gonna stay with you until we find your mother, okay?"

'Mother, Mom! Where is she?' Jack thought in a panic.

If she was still in the hospital, then she was still with the monster. Jack was about to run back into the hospital and go save his mother, but Tara had taken his hand before he could do anything. They waited outside for a moment or two, Tara asking every doctor or nurse if they had seen his mother.

"Penelope!

Tara had caught the attention of another doctor, a woman with brown hair. Jack had often seen his mother talking to her. She called her Dr. Young.

"Tara!"

"Penny, have you seen June?"

"Nurse Darby? I..."

She noticed Tara holding Jack's hand.

"Oh my god, she's still in there. She was with one of the patients."

"Wait you mean, the ones that..."

Before she could finish, Jack pulled his hand away, and darted straight for the hospital. Both Tara and Dr. Young called for him in a panic, trying to grab him before he could get away. He had to rescue his mom, he told his dad he would protect her. He was the man of the house, and his mother needed him. He could hear Dr. Young and Tara frantically calling out for him, and saw a police officer try to grab him before he went into the building. Jack was too quick for him, and made it past him into the hospital. Inside, it was practically abandoned. Jack could hear the sounds of shoes squeaking in the distance, but nobody was in sight. He hid himself from the officer who chased after him, until he left the building. Once the coast was clear, he started walking slowly down the empty hallways, in search of his mother. As brave as he was being, he was as terrified as a child could be in the situation. Every now and again, some sound off in the distance made him flinch and look to see where it was coming from. He was scared, and desperately wanted his mother. But he couldn't shake the feeling that she was in trouble. Suddenly, he heard loud popping sounds from somewhere in the hospital. He knew they were guns going off, and that could only mean the police had found the monster. But before he could feel relief in knowing the monster was gone, he heard more sounds of screaming and running.

'No, the monster ate them too."

Jack ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction, hoping to run into his mother somewhere along the way.

'Mom's okay. She'll be okay, you'll see Jack. Mom's just hiding.'

But even at ten, Jack was smart enough to know that if June was still in the hospital, it was because she was looking for him. Jack stopped in his tracks when he realized where she could be.

'No.'

She told him to wait in that room, where he saw the monster. She would be looking for him there, where the monster ate the doctors, and maybe the policeman. The monster could be trying to eat her right now. But if he wanted to save her, then he had to go back. Jack shut his eyes tight, and ran back to hallway that led to the entrance. He turned down the hall which led to the waiting area. There, he saw several people, police included, lying on the floor. When he got closer, he saw that they were all bleeding. Jack's voice hitched in his throat. He wanted to scream, but something wouldn't let him. Then he heard the sound of a woman crying from around the corner.

'Mom?'

He turned the corner, and saw what would haunt him for years to come. A short, dark skinned woman was lying in the floor, with bite marks over her face, shoulder and arms. The same teen, the one who ate the doctors, was tearing chunks of her leg off with his teeth. She wasn't even putting up a fight, she was just waiting to die. Jack stared at the horrific image for over a minute, before he released the breath he was holding in, which caught the monster's attention. He slowly looked at the black haired boy, and rose from his meal. He walked towards Jackson, who was too scared to run away. It got closer and closer, arms stretched to take hold of the boy, intending to devour him. It was right in front of Jack, ready to take him.

"JACK!"

Jack knew that voice, and before he could turn around, June had already closed the gap between them. With a broken mop handle in her grasp, she smashed it across the monsters face, sending him stumbling back into the wall. Before he could get back up, June grabbed her son, and ran to the exit as fast as her feet could take her. By the time she was outside, everything had finally registered with the boy. His mother was safe, and they got away from the monster. Relief, fear, and just general exhaustion set in, causing the boy to cry in his mother's arms. But she did not comfort him right away. Instead, she set him down and began frantically searching his body for any injuries. When she saw that he was unharmed, she held the boy's face and stared into his eyes.

"Jack, are you alright?"

Jack didn't say anything, he just went back into her shoulder, and let out all of his cries as hard as he could. She held him tightly, letting tears fall from her eyes as well.

"It's okay baby, it's okay. I'm here now, it's over."

"But I couldn't 'hic' I couldn't find 'hic' you."

"I'm sorry Jack. I tried to come look for you, but everyone was running and screaming...I was so afraid someone was gonna hurt you."

"Mommy 'hic''hic' was that a 'hic''hic' monster?"

"No, Baby. It was just a bad person. But we're going home now, okay? We'll be safe there."

"I want 'hic' Daddy 'hic'."

"I know sweety, so do I."

June held Jack even tighter, trying to ease her son's frantic crying. Tara and Dr. Young ran up to her and Jack.

"Oh my God, June!" Tara said as she ran up to the nurse.

She and Dr. Young saw that she was with Jack, and breathed in relief that the boy was alright.

"Thank God, you found him. Jack, why did you.."

Tara was cut off by Dr. Young. Seeing that the boy was terrified, she felt he didn't need to be reprimanded any further. She leaned over, and looked at the crying boy in concern.

"Are you okay, angel?"

Jack merely shook his head. He was far from okay. June held him closer to her.

"Me and Jack are going home, Dr. Young. I'm sorry, but we need to get out of here."

"Forget home, June. You and Jack get in your car and leave the city now. Something weird is happening and you two need to get out as fast as you can."

June then noticed that a S.W.A.T. van had pulled up to the hospital and people were beginning to gather in a panic.

"Can you reach your husband?" Tara asked.

June shook her head.

"I tried his cell while I was looking for Jack. The service went dead in this area. What the hell is going on?"

"It doesn't matter. Just take Jack and go. Call him when you're out of the city."

Tara put her hand on Jack's head, ruffling his hair

"It'll be okay, Jacks. You're Mom's not gonna let anything happen to you."

"You're not getting your car anywhere in this mess." Dr. Young added.

The streets were clogged with cars trying to get somewhere.

"I'll figure something out."

Tara knelt down and took one of Jack's hands.

"Bye Jacks, be good okay? Listen to your mother."

Dr. Young knelt down and hugged the boy close.

"Be strong for your Mommy, okay angel? Can you do that?"

Jack nodded, and the doctor kissed him on his forehead. Both doctors hugged June, and bid her farewell.

"Good luck, June." Tara said with a hint of sadness.

"You be safe, Tara."

"Be careful. Get your boy out of here."

"Thank you, Penelope."

Jack and June left the hospital and tried to make their may across the street. As they did, they heard people shouting, running up from behind some of the cars. June saw that they all had panicked looks on their faces. When she heard car doors opening, and the passengers abandoning their vehicles, she and Jack knew something was wrong. She took Jack by the hand, and the two of them got on top of one of the abandoned vehicles. At the foot of the traffic, Jack saw more people running towards them, each more terrified than the last. Further back, he saw them, the monsters, eating people who weren't fast enough. Jack grabbed his mother's arm and held it tight, waiting for the both of them to start running. But she didn't move.

"Mom?"

Jack looked further back, where June's gaze was being held with disbelief. More monsters, dozens of them, coming their way. And there was nothing to stop them. This time, Jack didn't move. Fear had paralyzed his whole body. They were all covered in blood, teeth visible from where they were standing, and snarling at anyone they could get their hands on. He heard screams of agony, as people were being torn apart, and feasted upon by them. Jack heard the cry of a baby, and a woman screaming. He looked around, and saw a young mother being brought to the ground by the monsters. She struggled and screamed, trying to protect her baby from them. But her screams of panic became screams of pain, as their teeth dug into her body, and dragged her away from her baby. Another group quickly grabbed at the baby, and then...

"Come on, Jack! We have to go!"

Jack didn't hear her, or anything over the sound of the baby screaming in utter agony. The screaming lasted only a second or two before it stopped, but Jack could still hear it in his head. He couldn't feel his mother tugging him in the opposite direction, trying to get him to run. All he saw were the monsters getting closer.

"Jack, come on!"

Closer

"Jackson, we have to run!"

Closer

"Jack, Please!"

Closer

"Jack! Jack!"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Jack? Jack, honey, wake up."

Jack snapped his eyes open. The blurry vision before him took the shape of a woman with his mother's face. She was staring down at him, concerned as she always was. When it registered with him to where he was, he sat up and grabbed her.

"Jack?"

His hands frantically ran up and down her body, as if searching for something. June took hold of his hands, and looked him right in his gray-blue eyes.

"Jack, Jack stop. It's okay."

Jack stopped moving his hands.

"I'm fine sweety. There's no zombies here."

Jack looked at her with his eyes still wide from his nightmare. Once he realized that it was all, in fact, just a dream, he grabbed June and hugged her as if she'd disappear if he let go. She put her arms around her teenage son, feeling his body tremble in her grasp.

"It's alright Jackson...It's alright."
_

So I'm gonna be upfront with you all, I have no idea where I'm going with this. This was an idea that's been rattling in my head for while now. But I only banged it out because I was up all night with a head cold, and needed something to pass the time. Aside for the next couple of chapters, I have no idea where to take this story, or how far to take it. I wish I could say how often I'll have chapters up, but that's up in the air right. I can't even say if I'll be able to finish it. If anyone wants to bounce some ideas off of me, I've got an open mind, and am willing to hear you out. In any case, I hope you enjoy what I have so far. So thanks giving it a look, and may the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.