Stalker Ch.1

Title: Stalker Chapter 1
Pairing(s): mentioned Bombrush/(female)Soundwave; mentioned Razorcut/(female)Soundwave
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Warnings: AU, gender bend, het, human, language, office/company setting

XXX

“Soundwave?”

The woman paused in her search for a jacket. It was late November and Christmas was getting closer. She had gone to Macy’s in hopes of finding some warm winter clothes for her children and her lover as presents. Her children always needed new clothes as they were all teenage boys and were either outgrowing or wrecking their clothes. Bombrush had been complaining that one of his jackets had gotten ruined before and it had been his favorite. She figured she would make a quick stop at the store to see if they carried anything she thought any of them would like.

She didn’t think that someone would call out to her, making her turn to look. Her eyes widened and she almost dropped the jacket she had in her hands.

“Razorcut?” she said, just staring at her ex-husband in disbelief.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yes… It has.”

They had been divorced for six years now when Ravage had only been thirteen and Soundwave had cut off all contact with him. She didn’t even have him pay child support because she didn’t want to have to communicate with him. Her children didn’t mind much since none of them were ever close to their father and Ravage had mentioned a few times how he hated him because he was always drunk.

Aside from the verbal fights and overall disagreement in their marriage, Razorcut hadn’t been the best of husbands either. He couldn’t hold a job and drank a lot, causing him to become violent. Though he had never raised a hand at the children and none of them knew it, Soundwave had been on the receiving end of the abuse one too many times.

She was stunned to see him in front of her. She had been certain that he had moved to another state. When they had been married, he had always talked about moving out to somewhere down south since he hated the weather in Illinois. She figured that he went down there as he always said he would.

“I never thought I would see you again,” Soundwave said, turning back to the rack and looking for more shirts in Wingthing’s size.

He laughed awkwardly once. “Yeah… I moved down to Georgia after the divorce. Got a job, an apartment, and all of that… I quit drinking too.”

She nodded, now just trying to ignore him. She did not like or trust this man, even though she had been married to him before. Of course, it was more out of obligation that they had gotten married, considering she had gotten pregnant with Ravage while they were still dating. It had been a stupid mistake, but she did not regret birthing her son. She just regretted marrying his idiot father.

“Soundwave, would you have some coffee with me?”

She paused, looking over at her ex-husband. He was gesturing toward the Starbucks in the corner of the floor, obviously not meaning to take her out of the store. Well, so long as there were plenty of people around the area, it would be fine. Besides, it was just coffee. Surely she could force herself through that much.

She gave him a nod, to which he smiled and turned around toward the back, Soundwave following close behind. He had certainly cleaned up since the last time they had seen each other, which was six years ago and that was when he was drinking his heaviest. She had loved him once, but he grew violent and drunk. He was really only good for sex as they spent more and more time as being a married couple.

She sat down the closest table while he went to get the drinks. She was surprised that he still remembered that she liked her coffee black. The Communications Manager began to wonder if it was safe to have coffee with him so casually. After what he did to her in the later years of their marriage, she had all the right to be paranoid.

He sat down across from her, handing her the drink. “How have you been, Soundwave?”

“I’ve been fine,” she said, taking a sip from her coffee.

Razorcut took a small sip from his own drink, feeling somewhat out of place. But Soundwave had always been like that, never speaking more than she had too. Still, he wasn’t going to quit just yet. He knew how she worked. He could do this.

“How are the kids?” he asked. “Have they been doing well in school?”

She nodded. “Ravage is already in college, though he still lives at home for now. The twins aren’t performing to their highest at school, but both are extremely talented in other areas and they enjoy doing their activities more than they do school. Laserbeak is doing well, except in English, while Wingthing and Ratbat are doing extremely well in their classes.”

She wanted to add that it was because she had always been there for them and she would do anything to support them successful, but she went against it. While she had been supportive of all of them, their achievements were mainly their doing. She wasn’t about to take credit to spite her ex for not being there for their children.

Razorcut just nodded, looking down at his hands as he tried to think of what to say next.

Soundwave inwardly sighed. This was going to go nowhere, she was sure of it. She glanced down at the table, her eyes catching his hand. She blinked when she saw a ring on his third finger of his left hand.

“Oh,” she said. “You’ve remarried.”

“What?” He glanced down at his hand, eyes widening. “Wait, this is–”

“Is she nice?” she asked, taking another sip of her coffee. “I suppose you two met down in Georgia. Did you come up here to tell me? A letter would have been sufficient.”

“No!” he cried. “This is the wedding ring from our marriage!”

Soundwave was startled by the claim and looked up at him with wide eyes, obviously confused. Razorcut bit his bottom lip and rubbed the back of his neck. She sent down the coffee and sat up straight, frowning. She had thrown her wedding ring out a long time ago. Why did he still even have his?

“Why are you wearing that?”

He balled his hands up into fists. “Soundwave… I know our marriage wasn’t the best,” he said softly. “I was stupid and drunk and violent toward you… I… I hurt you badly.” He closed his eyes and bowed his head. “I’m sorry for that… I never wanted to hurt you.”

It took him six years for an apology? Soundwave wasn’t impressed nor was she buying it. He had said sorry so many times before and he still picked up that damn bottle. She wasn’t about to forgive him, especially not after six years of him keeping quiet. But she gave him a nod, knowing he had more to say.

“Soundwave… I know you don’t think I deserve it and I probably don’t, but…” He looked back up with her, giving her helpless and pathetic expression. “Please. I need your help.”

Oh, of course. He needed her help. He needed her money was what he needed. He pulled this trick before. Right after their divorce, he said he needed money to cover up a bad loan he had. She only paid for it because she didn’t want any loan companies harassing her or her children since he had gotten the loan while they were still married.

But now, she had no ties with him and wanted none. If he wanted someone else to pay his debts, he would have to look for help elsewhere. She was not his personal funding service. She earned her money through hard work. He should do the same.

Still, she decided to humor him a little. Soundwave raised an eyebrow. “My help?”

He nodded, leaning in a bit. “Soundwave, I… I got caught up in some bad debts. My credit score is low and I can’t find anyone to help me. No matter how much I work, I just can’t… I need your help. Please. Just a little money.”

“How bad is the debt?”

“Around thirty thousand,” he said, rather quickly. She forced herself to not roll her eyes at that, just staring at him as he reached for her hand. “Please, Soundwave… Help me… For old times’ sake? If anything?”

Just as his fingers touched her knuckles, she drew back her hand. Then she shook her head. “Amazing,” she said. “The only time you ever try to get in contact with me in these past six years… It’s so I clean up your messes. I am not your mother, Razorcut.”

He was shocked by her response, just staring at her with wide eyes.

“You’re not in that bad of shape,” she continued, staring at him with an unreadable expression. “You obviously had the means to buy a ticket to fly out here and shop in this store, meaning you are in a hotel close by. You don’t need my help. You just want my money because you’re lazy and don’t want to work to pay the bills yourself. You’re pathetic, Razorcut.”

He couldn’t even find the words to retaliate, if he had any. She reached into her purse and pulled out a five, throwing it at his hands. “There,” she said. “For the coffee.” Then she promptly got up and left. She could do her Christmas shopping another day. Her mood had been ruined and she didn’t want to be anywhere hear that man. He was nothing but bad news.

Just as she made it outside the large department store, she heard her name be called out. She rolled her eyes and continued down the busy street, burying her hands into her pockets to protect them from the chilly weather.

“Soundwave!” she heard being growled behind her. A firm hand grabbed her by the arm, yanking her back. She let out a small gasp, almost slipping on the concrete. But the hold on her kept her from falling and forced her to look at Razorcut, who looked positively irate. “I try to be nice and that’s how you treat me?! Like shit?!”

She yanked her arm free, ignoring the onlookers that were now beginning to stare at the pair. “I don’t care if you were nice to me just now or not. I’m nothing to you and you’re nothing to me. I will not pay your debts when you can do that yourself. You’re not a child that needs to be taken care of.”

“I was your husband!” he snarled. “The least you could is help me in a time of need! I would do the same for you!”

“Then hell you would,” Soundwave said, wanting to spit at him. He was disgusting, always thinking of himself. “And even if you would, I wouldn’t come to you for help. You’re useless and pathetic, just like you were when we were married. The only different is you’re not drunk and abusing me whenever you got the chance.”

She hissed out that last part, which seemed to shut the other up. The two glared at each for a few moments, taking Soundwave back to the days when they were still married. They hadn’t always been like this, but the tension between them grew and grew as they stayed married. For the most part, the children didn’t notice it, but they did. Or at least she did. The drinking, the hatred, the abuse – it seemed like it was never ending until they divorced.

“You will get nothing from me,” Soundwave growled. “You will never get anything from me. Now goodbye, Razorcut. Enjoy your time back in Illinois.”

She turned away from him and walked down the street toward the parking complex where she had her car parked. Razorcut didn’t follow her, much to the relief of her nerves. She hated thinking of him, much less talking to him. Well, he was gone now and that was the end of that. She could get on with her life as he could with his.