tpf. Maria's Place. Return Part 1

[dens_extra_pups]

Red Bull: *over in the sandiest part of his new pen, busy rolling around on his back and waving his legs comically*

Pete: *issa rolling too!*

Maria: *working on getting Red Bull's food trough filled, is dirty, and covered in all manner of plant matter and sweat as well*

Billy: *sitting on the fence and yelling at the dust bathers. Very happy red tail!*

Pete: *sudden squeaky sneeze that has Red Bull turning his head without rolling over*

Red Bull: Mmmmmmm?

Maria: *bit of a grunt as she lifts the bag of feed up enough to empty it into the food trough*

hand: *large, slender, and black* *takes the big bag of feed and pours the right amount into the trough*

Maria: *startles badly, tripping over her feet with a panicked yelp*

second hand: *catches her and settles her gently to the ground*

Maria: *stunned silence. Is flat-out staring*

Soundwave: *softly, the hope clear in his mechanical voice* Maria?

Maria: *scrambling to her feet, then she's practically launching herself at you with a sob, Soundwave*

Soundwave: *lifts her and holds her close. He's trembling slightly*

Maria: *hiding her face against his chest, her entire body shaking as she cries*

Soundwave: *soft static as he cries too* I'm sorry.

Maria: *just hugs with all her might and cries*

Pete: *so much cryings!* *Mama and the big strange thing are cryin'! Kitty must cry too!*

Beeper: *drops his lizard and bites the strange thing on the foot*

Soundwave: *soft squeal as he looks down there*

Beeper: *moar bite!*

Maria: *wiping at her eye, will look* ... Crazy bird.

Soundwave: *can wince just fine, even with no face* Beeper...

Beeper: *scold!*

Pete: *stares at Bubby*

Maria: Pete, come get Beeper.

Pete: *get Beeper? Okay!* *squishes birdy down and starts giving him a bath*

Beeper: *what? No! Gotta save Mama! Wriggle!*

Maria: *more wiping at her eye*

Red Bull: *soft "mmmmmm" as he talks to his lady and the funny big blue car*

Billy: *just watching everything, her feathers slightly floofed*

Maria: ...I need a shower.

Soundwave: *startles and looks back to her from the Pete and Beeper show*

Pete: *talks about bath and runs toward the bath house*

Beeper: *he gets there first!* *forgot all about his dead lizard!*

Maria: I haven't showered since yesterday. *and she's kind of dirty and sweaty*

Soundwave: *stands and carries her gently over to the little building that she built before he died. Sets her on her feet* *quietly* I have no perfume soap.

Maria: That's alright. I went grocery shopping the other day.

Soundwave: *hesitates, but then offers her something in his closed hand*

Maria: *blinks and looks to see what's being offered*

Soundwave: *is offering her the one thing that she ever asked him for. They are pale pink, and sewn from thick, soft lace*

Maria: *wibbly snerk as she accepts the boonies*

Soundwave: *quietly* Is this what you meant?

Maria: Yeah... *will reach to gently touch his face* *quietly* Welcome home.

Soundwave: *gently touches her cheek with a knuckle, and then looks toward where the cat and roadrunner are calling from in front of the bathhouse door*

Pete: *waaaants baaaaath!*

Maria: *soft chuckle* Let's go get cleaned up.

Soundwave: *quietly* I will not fit.

Pete: *tries to climb the door*

Maria: ... *small frown, will think on how to take care of this*

Soundwave: *gentle push* Go ahead.

Pete: *falls and just misses Beeper*

Beeper: *darted out of the way. And now he's scolding again*

Maria: I need to grab a change of clothes.

Soundwave: *walks over to the clothesline and carefully moves the pedal-powered washer so that he can take down a fresh pair of khakis and the embroidered denim shirt. Shows these to Maria*

Maria: I need a bra, too.

Soundwave: *points to the adjustable soft infinity bra and looks at her for confirmation*

Maria: *nods*

Soundwave: *takes it down and brings it over, along with the pants and shirt* *offers them*

Maria: Thanks. *will reach for the offered clothes*

Soundwave: *gives* I will wait here.

Maria: *small nod, will duck into the bathhouse to clean up*

Pete and Beeper: *scoot after her. One is soon happily bathing in puddles while the other sits at Maria's feet and licks the water from his fur while purring loudly enough to be heard over the spray*

Maria: *for the first time in a long time, she's taken with the urge to sing as she gets cleaned up. Sings one of her favorite Portuguese pop songs*

Soundwave: *is soft musical accompaniment from outside*

Maria: *soon finishing up and turning off the flow of the water*

Soundwave: *music continues*

Pete: *perks as he notices it. Talks, and then runs to the towel bar and talks to his own towel*

Maria: *absently humming along to the music as she dries off and gets dressed*

Pete: *sits pretty and waits his turn to be dried*

Beeper: *looking for bugs in the corners*

Maria: *will get Pete's towel and set to drying the Maine Coon*

Pete: *as usual, he talks during the process*

Soundwave: ...What is Pete doing?

Maria: Getting dried off and telling us about it. *so amused*

Soundwave: *soft, electronic chuckle*

Maria: *dry the kitty, and make him FLUFFY*

Pete: *talk talk. Burp* *blink blink*

Maria: *snerk* Nutbar cat.

Pete: *talks! And then talks to Beeper as Beeper comes over to poke around in his fur*

Maria: *more snerk*

Soundwave: I brought chourico.

Maria: *blink* Where did you go shopping? *finishes drying Pete, hangs up the towels*

Soundwave: Mario ordered it for me. *doesn't say when it was ordered, though he knows she'll know when* He kept it in the freezer until he could give it to you.

Maria: *quietly* Oh.

Soundwave: *turns his head to look toward her vegetable garden*

garden: *bigger than it was the last time you saw it, Soundwave. And it's even got a bunch of herbs growing, too*

Soundwave: *straightens up slightly as he spots some tufts of tall, strappy leaves* *quietly* You have gladiolas.

Maria: Yeah. I got a good price on 'em.

Soundwave: *still quiet* They were John's favourite.

Maria: *quietly* Yeah...

Soundwave: *lifts his hands and looks down at them doubtfully*

Maria: Some'a the grannies at church thought I was nuts fer not tryin' ta plant roses.

Soundwave: *touches his fingers to his face* ...

Maria: *small frown as she looks around* I'm gonna need ta run ta town tomorrow, 'n get more building supplies.

Soundwave: *absently* Why?

Maria: 'Cause, there's no way you'll fit in the house right now.

Soundwave: *still absent* I will be going to Outpost Omega One.

Maria: *beep* that.

Soundwave: No argument.

Maria: *will stride over to you, Soundwave. And she'll frown up at you, too*

Soundwave: *quietly, as he looks down at her* I look too alien.

Maria: That doesn't change how I feel about you.

Soundwave: *even without a face, he looks doubtful and unsure*

Maria: *hand on yours, Soundwave* *quietly, looking right where she's pretty sure your optics are* I'm not giving up on you.

Soundwave: ...Giving up?

Pete: *strop on the new talking people truck* *strop strop. PURRR*

Beeper: *pecking at the birdy he can see in the new truck person's foot*

Maria: *trying to get the words to come out right in English, ends up saying them in Portuguese instead* Quando eu me apaixonei por você, eu me apaixonei por todos vocês. Não apenas as partes mole.

Soundwave: *gently picks her up and holds her close* Do you know what I've done?

Maria: *quietly* I read the reports. Optimus made it clear that all crimes from before returning from the well don't count. *quieter* Todo mundo merece um novo começo.

Soundwave: *silent but for the ting of Beeper's beak against his foot. And then he's turning toward lights that are coming through the gathering dusk toward the house*

Maria: *blinks and looks that way* ...

Soundwave: Vintage Toyota Tercel with a male human pilot. Two female passengers.

Maria: ... *facepalm* The rest of the Brute Squad.

Soundwave: *looks down at her questioningly*

Maria: My old team, from before the accident. Tikvah, Charleen, 'n Terrance. Our CO relied on us a lot, 'cause we were good at what we did. 'N I kept Char from killin' the rest of the unit for bein' jerks.

Soundwave: *glances toward the approaching beater again* ... Is that car pale teal?

Maria: Yup. Terrance thought it was pretty. *dryly* Least it ain't pink anymore.

Soundwave: ... *sets her down and seems to vanish into the growing shadows as the car gets close*

Maria: *quietly* They won't hurt ya. *tracking the Tercel's progress* Char'll prolly just scowl at you a lot. She does that ta everyone.

Tercel: *pulls up just then, and then a small, slim woman is crawling out the driver's side window and running toward Maria* Mama!

Maria: Tikvah! *offers hugs*

Tikvah: *throws her arms around Maria, her dark skin making her seem part of the night* Why didn't you *bleep word* call us? Little Girl tried callin' ya when Queen K couldn't get hold of ya, 'N your CO said you'd had a *bleep* death in the family.

Terrance: *quietly* And we're all okay, so we were confused.

Maria: *quietly* It's kinda complicated...

Tikvah: *searches Maria's face with her eyes* *quietly* You never told us the family grew, Mama.

Charleen: *looks over sharply from where she was watching Beeper attack her boot lace*

Terrance: Was he good ta ya? *worriedly*

Maria: Very. Which is why it was so hard to see him go.

Tikvah: *still studying that face that she knows so well* You aren't grieving.

Soundwave: *quietly* Because I have returned.

Tikvah: *unprintable! She's not used to being snuck up on*

Maria: *can't help it* *snickerfitdie*

Terrance: *meeps and backs up a few steps*

Charleen: *quietly, as she scowls up toward the roof of the house* Dat's a bot.

Maria: Yes, and his name is Soundwave. *your point, Charleen?*

Tikvah: *studies the dark-coloured form that she can now see peering over the roof of the tiny house*

Terrance: *slight frown as he studies Soundwave*

Tikvah: ...That's your sweetie?

Charleen: *scowls at her*

Maria: *sticking her chin out a bit* Yes.

Terrance: *will approach Soundwave and look where he's pretty sure the bot's eyes are*

Charleen: *quietly* Soundwave de 'Con?

Maria: *blinks and looks to Soundwave*

Soundwave: I was a Decepticon.

Tikvah: *amused* You're still the only family without a record, Little Girl.

Terrance: *soft snort, still studying Soundwave*

Maria: *dryly* Give him time.

Soundwave: Tikvah is incorrect. Optimus Prima also has no record.

Tikvah: ...What?

Charleen: *scowls at Soundwave quizzically*

Maria: Oh, that's right... Never told ya 'bout that. *blink* Oh, 'n neither do Ratchet or Lt. Col. Mack.

Terrance: *blink* You know a Lt. Col.?

Soundwave: Ratchet has had speeding tickets.

Tikvah: *torn between what Terrance just said and what Soundwave just said*

Charleen: *just picked up a big fluffy cat and gave him a two fingers noogie*

Pete: *PURR*

Maria: *snickerfitdie* *to Soundwave* That doesn't surprise me. He's frickin' impatient.

Terrance: *distracted by the thunderpurr* Kitty!

Soundwave: And used to be a very cheap drunk.

Tikvah: *cackles and slaps her thighs*

Charleen: *tosses cat to Terrance*

Terrance: *will catch the kitty and love on him*

Maria: *snickerfit* Used to be?

Soundwave: *as he carefully walks around the house and offers her the package of sausage* Yes.

Tikvah: *perks* Mama's cookin'!

Maria: *as she accepts the offered package* Is he still a cheap drunk? *brat grin*

Soundwave: Records would suggest otherwise. *looks over at the big man cuddling Pete* Will you introduce us, Mari?

Maria: *snerk* Figures. The big palooka cuddlin' Pete is Terrance. Tikvah's the one who called him "Little Girl", 'n the bundle 'a sunshine's Charleen.

Charleen: *scowls. And then absently bites a scorpion's head off*

Tikvah: *tells her off for eating before supper* *colourfully*

Maria: *rolls her eyes* You know she did it ta get ya goin', Tikvah.

Tikvah: *expressive gestures* She *bleep*ing ate before supper!

Charleen: *scowls at Tikvah, and then looks down thoughtfully to see if there are any more snacks in the vicinity*

Maria: *calmly* Then quit fussin' 'n help with preppin' stuff so we c'n all eat. *Mama's back in business!*

Tikvah: *slight snap to attention* What do I get 'n where do I bring it?

Maria: I got some collard plants growin' in the garden. Gonna need some of those, some'a the refogado 'n some butter. Kitchen's around the side'a the house.

Tikvah: You got it, Mama.

Charleen: *presents writhing rattlesnake* Dis endangered?

Maria: *looks* That's a Western Diamondback. It ain't endangered. *grin* It's pretty good roasted, actually.

Charleen: *walks over and brains the snake against the house, then starts cleaning it*

Soundwave: 0_0...

Maria: *snerks and shakes her head* *to Charleen* Make sure ya skin it before ya roast it!.

Charleen: Teach you mama ta suck eggs. Dis go in de soup?

Tikvah: *calls* Mama? I don't see any *beep* kitchen.

((Written with random_xtras))

Continued here