Blindness

Sight was never something Jazz had thought much about before. Oh sure, he'd been technically blind now since his early days back on Cybertron, back when life was so much simpler. During those days he could race across Cybertron's endless steal streets going no where in particular with no other reason than living itself. Moving from place to place, meeting all types of interesting people, discovering something new. It was a wonderful life. Not a care in the world, no war, no Decepticons no duties…Jazz wished it could have gone on like that forever.

And sure, there had been a down side to that life too. He didn't have a home to go back to the next day, no family to return to and of course he was completely blind at that point. After all, Jazz didn't regain his sight until he meet Wheeljack and Ratchet when he officially joined the Autobots. But then, looking back on it now, he didn't really mourn his sightless optics nor his lack of a home. Back then it was about living it up and having as many adventures he could. Now his life was complicated.

Now he had friends and a home. Someone to turn to and a place to stay. Not as to say he hated his current lifestyle either. Jazz cared about each and every single Autobot here- some more than others- and they had become the family he never had. It was like he had about twenty brothers all living along side each other which brought a few fights but for the most part it was much like a big family.

A warm breeze blew past him bringing him out of his thoughts and back to the present. Fall had just arrived at the Ark and that wonderful crisp clean feeling of the air hitting your face was here again. Some trees had begun to loose their burden some leaves and pumpkins found their way to the doorsteps in town along with the smell of pumpkin pie drifting with the opening of windows down the street. Even Jazz had to admit, fall was one of his favorite seasons as he wondered down Wickenburg Street to stop and smell Mrs. Jones' famous apple pies. True, Jazz had never tasted the pies but it did smell wonderful. Small children were playing ball just outside too, running gleefully around each other in a world all their own.

Jazz gave a deep sigh and settled himself along the curb, content to sit and listen to the sounds of the neighborhood. These people had the simple life and a family to boot. No pressures of war. If he had the chance, he probably would trade lives with any of the other humans too.

How wonderful would it be to walk into your own house? To smell warm pie floating on the breeze. To give your spouse a hug and kiss… Spouse. Jazz sunk deeper on his tires at that thought. Technically, Cybertronians didn't marry one another but rather "bonded" to other transformers by spark connection. It was a lot different that a wedding band and a white dress on earth. You couldn't just get a divorce from your bondmate. You were bonded till the day your spark extinguished, always feeling the other in your head and always feeling their pain and happiness.

Jazz had always longed for that feeling.

Some of the others- namely Ratchet, Prowl and Prime- knew of Jazz's supposed best friend. Or at least that was how Jazz had always described it. No one believed him though. Prowl especially had always suspected she was more, and at one point asked the saboteur about their relationship but the answer had always remained the same.

Friends. That's it.

Unless you counted that one time he and she…

But no. Jynx refused to believe in a relationship beyond friendship. After all, Jazz had been Jynx's best friend for nearly their entire lives. They went everywhere and did everything. And got in so much trouble sometimes… but Primus was it fun. The black and white saboteur sighed, sounding more like a engine rev to hide his true self from the people around him. There was no need to interrupt them going about their daily lives with a giant lonely robot.

"My my, now what would such a beautiful car be doin' out here?" A small plump woman walked up to Jazz's shiny exterior, running her hands down the slick lines. "Comin' back for those apple pies there, Jazz?"

Jazz smiled inwardly at her and gave a small rev of his engine. "Hey there, Mrs. Jones. Thought you were inside makin' um for me." He chuckled.

Mrs. Jones covered her mouth with a short giggle, her brown curls bouncing lightly. "I would make them for you, but you never try them."

"I'd love to, if I could but tha' might not settle well in me."

"Oh I know." The little woman walked around to the front of him and sat on the sidewalk. "What are you doing here anyway, young man-er…young…one?" She smiled politely but her blush gave away her embarrassment of saying the wrong thing.

"I was just wonderin' around, Mrs. Jones. Had some time off is all. How's the Mr. anyway?"

Mrs. Jones huffed, "That subborn old coot." She waved her hand dismissively, "But he's not important. I saw you out here all alone again, third time this week."

"I'm touched, ya counted how many times I been here." Jazz sunk slightly deeper on his tires.

"Of course I have! But what could be wrong today? You look so…down."

Jazz mentally cocked his head to the side in question. "How can ya tell? Ya can't even see my face."

She just shook her finger at him, "I'm a woman, I know all and I don't need to see your handsome face to know something's wrong. Intuition."

"Nothin's wrong, lil lady, I promise."

"Don't you lie to me, young one. I know something isn't right with you so just tell me." Mrs. Jones crossed her pudgy little arms over her chest and nodded her head at him. "I'll pop your tires before you can make a getaway too."

Jazz just had to chuckle. The mental picture of the little woman running down the street with a pin needle in hand was too much. Not to mention, her fiesty attitude reminded him of someone- something she too told him when he wouldn't let her help him with something.

"Ya know, Mrs. Jones, you sound jus' like a friend of mine."

"Oh? Which Autobot? Might I sound like that gorgeous hunk of metal…oh what was his name… the police car one…" She tapped her finger on her chin.

"Oh no, not Prowl," Jazz laughed. "No you sounded like a lady I knew back home."

Mrs. Jones' red lipstick glinted in the sunlight as she smiled mischievously, "Ohhh, does Jazz have a lady friend? Could it be that I'm not the only woman in his life?" She giggled again, patting his hood.

"Oh no no, Mrs. Jones. Ya know yer the only one!" Jazz grinned, "She was just a friend is all."

Her plump finger waved at him again. "Now young one, you said lady not buddy or friend. You said lady. No one says lady unless they're in love."

"Aint in love." He insisted again, sounding more defensive than before. Jazz didn't like where this conversation was headed but the stubborn old woman wouldn't take no for an answer either. The saboteur sighed and acquiesced. "She was…kinda my friend."

"And?"

"And…I-It's complicated. Ya see, we were- well we were best friends forever and I just…when it changed and I started to, ya know…" Jazz stuttered and stammered along. If he were human he'd be bright red by now. What was it that got him to talk to her so easily about this anyway? Jazz had never even come close to telling the others about what he felt but he was able to talk to a human about it.

By the end of the story Mrs. Jones had her chin in her palm, mulling over the story in her mind. "Seems to me, you just love her, Jazz. It's not as complicated as you think or as rare as you think; hell, Mr. Jones was my sister's best friend before I married him."

"But he wasn't yer best friend, like she is mine. It'd be weird if-"

"Oh nonsense. Mr. Jones is my best friend now, even though he is a crazy old fart. I still love him." The woman shrugged, "Looks to me like you're just blinded by the fact that she was your best friend and now she's more than that."

"Blinded?"

"Of course, young one. Blindness isn't just what you see with your eyes!" She exclaimed, "Your heart has eyes too, didn't you know that? Why, there's more blind people in this world…so many giving up marriage so easy, like it's just a piece of paper and a gold ring. If you ask me, you love this girl like the real thing. I think you better get that cute black plated butt up there and tell her how you really feel."

"But-" Jazz paused. She was right. He did love her! What should it matter if everyone found out about it? He could still be her best friend and her…significant other… at the same time. And if she said no then… then what did he have to loose? Being miserable for another five million years or taking a risk.

Mrs. Jones watched as his body frame raised up on his tires again and his engine roar to life. "Yer right, Mrs. J! I-I gotta go, thanks fer everything!"

"Goodbye young man!" She waved as he drive off into the distance, looking happier than he had for the last week.

"Hey, Love?" An old man called from the porch, "You seen m' glasses? I can' see a thin' without 'em."

"Oh you crazy old man!" She huffed and walked up the drive way and took the blue glasses off the top of his head and onto his face. "Better?"

The old man chuckled, giving his wife a kiss on the cheek. "What would I do withoutcha?"

Her angry face melted away, reveling a smiling gentle face just beneath, "And what would I do without you, you lunatic?"

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Author's Note: Did anyone catch who Mr. and Mrs. Jones were meant to be...? Not sure if I made that one clear. shrugs anyway, this fic has been sitting in my computer forever unfinished and I had no idea what I wanted to do with the begining so here it is. Yeah it's kinda cheeky but I'm a romanic writter. Can't help it, honest. Hope ya all like it and thanks much for reviews! Please please read and review. Thanks again!