"Never Know Till We Try"

Author's Note: A little backhistory for DA Autobot City's Transformers: Integration RPG. If you've got it, have a listen to Lifehouse's "We'll Never Know" while reading this.

"Raoul, you've told some tall tales before, but this is ridiculous!"

"It ain't just a tale, Talia. I swear it's the truth."

The blue Corvette sitting in the repair shop side garage heard the two human voices from beyond the closed door that lead into the area. She won't believe it until she sees it with her own eyes. No one ever does. Sometimes it is better not to know...and so I am still not certain of this, myself.

"Baby, don't be like that. Please, I..." Tracks heard Raoul's voice take an uncharacteristic serious tone. "I...need you to believe me. Or else...we ain't gonna last. I wouldn't lie to you. As far-out as this sounds, I promise you I ain't lyin'."

The door opened and yellow light streamed into the shop garage, illuminating the sleek lines of the Corvette. Talia approached cautiously, high-tops squeaking on the floor as she pulled up short. She put a hand on her stone-washed jeans-clad hip, white cut off sweatshirt tilted on one shoulder over her bright pink, three-quarter length sleeve shirt. Her other hand brushed back through dark brown hair that fell halfway past her shoulders, a few pink streaks dyed into it. Her brown-eyed gaze swept over the car. Her hesitation was practically tangible, and Tracks felt like withdrawing into himself. The very first time she had looked him over he had been aware of her admiring gaze, appreciating a stylish car when she saw one. She hadn't been quite so favorable with the driver at the time, but the two humans ended up working together at a dance club one night, and she was willing to get to know him after that. Since then Tracks had grown accustomed to her non-chalantly leaning on his hood or trunk as any human would when they had been standing for a while and a vehicle was available to be leaned on. The distance now seemed almost cold in a way. He felt like he was losing a friend.

Raoul, in regular jeans, black sneakers, and an orange teeshirt with his black hair tied in a ponytail and a yellow bandana around his forehead, followed after her and continued on to stand beside the car, resting a hand on the hood -- as if he was reassuring Tracks along with himself. "The news reports ain't just some hoax to keep people away from certain areas. An' the Autobots really are on our side. It ain't all about destroyin' stuff. Some of 'em even like to just sit an' study Earth stuff, like the environment an' nature, an' some like to take in our entertainment culture. An' Tracks...likes bein' a normal car. Well, not normal, since he is the most stylin' ride around."

Oh, yes, let us not forget that. Tracks sighed to himself. Even I am not in the mood for ego boosts right now. Stop babbling and get to the point so we can get this over with...If she is going to walk out, let it be done with.

Raoul seemed to be of like mind. "This's been long overdue. Talia, meet Tracks. Tracks...please say hello to Talia."

There was a pause and Raoul began to lower his head, thinking his friend wasn't going to risk exposing his true nature to another human despite how they had talked about it beforehand. Oh, how they had talked about it, ever since Tracks rolled into his shop's driveway one summer night and declared he was staying over for a while. Raoul had then informed the Autobot that he now had a girlfriend and she wouldn't appreciate being ignored on long trips. That had been three months ago, and they had tried to rehearse this moment since then. Raoul wasn't following the script very well, but Tracks knew the young man had even more at stake; which was why he, too, was reluctant.

The cultured male voice then spoke. "Miss Talia...it is a pleasure to finally speak with you."

Raoul breathed a silent sigh of relief, then held out a hand to Talia in offer of support, certain she would react as most people did. Instead, she had crossed her arms and was frowning at him. "You could have rigged a recording."

"Oh, c'mon..." Raoul managed to keep a whine out of his voice. Mostly. He stepped toward her, waving one arm. "Oh, sure. You want the whole show, right?"

Tracks 'harrumphed' once. "Just don't expect me to dance for you, as well." He turned on his headlights and signaled the garage door to open.

Talia didn't look convinced yet. "Still rigged."

Raoul withheld a sigh this time and went around to open the passenger side door for her. "What'd I say about not lyin' to you?" She didn't move. "Do you want proof, or not? He can't transform here, someone else might see."

She frowned. "Why don't you just go ahead and let everyone know? Are you just trying to impress me?"

"Because he's hidin' right now. An' I want ta show you to show you I trust you. Tracks has trusted me with his secret, an' it's a big thing for me to let anyone else in on it when he's been slowly workin' toward gainin' cover again for the past few years. 'Cause...'Cause..." He let out a tense breath. " 'Cause, baby, I want you in my life. I ended up a part of the war between the Transformers, an' even though it's quiet over here, there's still the chance it'll get bigger, an' we might be key to helpin' somethin' go right. Not that I wanna put you in any kinda danger, I'm not sayin' that'll definitely happen, but..but..."

Tracks cleared his vocalizer. "Raoul, you are babbling again."

"Shut up, man! You ain't helpin'!"

Talia rolled her eyes. "Is one of your friends in the trunk or something?"

Raoul grumbled, "The only other guys who know are Poplock and Rocksteady, an' they both moved out, Jersey an' Florida, a while ago." He held out a hand to her, still holding the passenger side door with the other. "Look, even if you don't believe me, it won't do any harm for us to go on a little drive an' find a safe spot..."

"If this is just an excuse to drive out to nowhere an' make out--"

The Corvette pulled up a little, taking the door out of Raoul's reach. "You will most certainly find another car to sit in for such activities."

Raoul sputtered. "Tracks! You know I wouldn't-- I-- Oh, you're both impossible!"

Tracks chuckled. "Talia, I give you credit for putting up with him as long as you have. Sometimes I wonder why I hang out with him. ...Possibly because he has a good heart and is a very genuine friend."

By then Talia was beginning to show a hint of amusement. "Fine, Raoul. Even if it's rigged, this is kinda cute."

" 'Kind of cute'?" Tracks echoed. "My dear, I do not do just 'cute'. Handsome, regal, fashionable, with style is more my type."

Raoul stepped toward the door again. "There's just no livin' with him when he gets started on this subject. Himself."

"Can it, Raoul. Why don't you both get in and we'll sort things out as we go along."

As Talia at last moved to enter the car, Raoul patted the Corvette's roof wearily. "Like I said...it can't do any harm to just go on a drive." He closed the door after she was settled, then went around to the driver's side and hopped in. He rested his hands lightly on the steering wheel. "You do know that some things just can't be rigged." He continued to let his hands sit as the car pulled onto the street and turned left, then straight before taking another left. The radio switched on and moved across several stations, all happening without Raoul touching a single thing.

Talia went back to being unimpressed. "You tell me. You're the mechanic. I just stand around and watch you mess with things."

"Well, okay. I am tellin' you."

They drove for a while with no other conversation, just the radio playing an instrumental in the background. At one point Raoul switched stations to one broadcasting the latest pop hits. He bopped along and hummed badly. Talia remained stubbornly silent, arms folded over her chest. The sun was beginning to set as they reached a 'scenic view' area near the Hudson. It was one of the more out of the way places, and most people at that time were merely trying to get home. Raoul turned down the radio and watched the colors shifting in the west, then reached over to tap Talia's shoulder, motioning for them both to get out. He did so, then went around even as she opened the door for herself.

"Okay, so..what's this 'whole show' you think I expected to see?"

"This," Tracks said, and he transformed. As he peered down at her, he added, "But I still refuse to dance."

She stared at his feet then raised her eyes along his form until her head was tilted back to view his face. He smiled, optics brightening for a moment.

"I think morning daylight brings out my good side best, but we'll settle with this for now."

Raoul began to feel unnerved by the lack of comments from Talia. "Um...yeah. This, I can't rig." He waited a few more seconds, then touched her arm. "Talia? Babe?"

"I...I...I don't know." She blinked up at Tracks, then looked at Raoul. "I didn't really think you were lying, but...this is..."

"Overwhelming," Tracks provided, and he sat down, placing one hand flat on the ground while leaning the other arm across his knee. "It was not my intention to shock you speechless, but at least you've got it better than Raoul did when he and I met. We went from repairs to a high-speed chase through town after some car thieves who wanted to rearrange his face. I much prefer this."

Talia just stared at him, maybe still trying to grasp that his mouth moved when he talked, different than just hearing a voice issue from a car speaker. Not to mention how he was sitting in a way that any human could. She glanced at his lowered hand and moved toward it, but was hesitant again. Tracks raised it and turned his palm upward, fingers out flat. He dimmed his optics a little and just watched her. She came close enough to touch his index finger, placing both of hers on the tip -- a solid connection to help her believe this was really happening. But then she drew back, frowning. Tracks put his hand on the ground again, tilting his head to the left and frowning as well. "...I won't let any harm come to you, Talia. That is a promise. Raoul's a hot-head, but I have kept him out of things when possible. He has been a great asset and friend to the Autobots. We always look out for our own."

Talia glanced at Raoul in a somewhat accusing way. He grimaced and averted his eyes. "Yeah, I know...I shoulda told you from the start. 'Cause now it looks like you're obligated to go along with this. But you don't." He met her gaze. "If you wanna go, well, then I still trust you to keep this a secret, an' you can avoid any involvement with this or..with me."

Tracks looked on silently then transformed to car mode, opening the doors. Talia went to the passenger side without responding to Raoul, who stared helplessly at her back before going to the driver's side. He barely remembered to keep his hands on the wheel to make it at least seem like he was driving. Tracks was glad he hadn't left steering up to the young man. He wanted to lose himself in thought, too, but knew crashing would definitely not improve things -- went without saying, really. They dropped Talia off at her parents' house then returned to the shop. After Tracks pulled in and closed the garage door, Raoul remained in his seat for about twenty minutes, staring at the steering wheel but not seeing it.

"I messed up, man."

"Give her time, Raoul. It is a lot to absorb."

"But--"

"Go to bed, Raoul. We'll make another plan in the morning."

# # #

Tracks came out of recharge the next morning to find his passenger side door opening. He was about to greet Raoul since none of the other mechanics in the shop ever entered the Corvette, but the weight that settled on the seat was different. He turned on a visual scanner set in the dashboard to make sure of who it was, then spoke softly, "Talia..? Good morning..."

She stared down at her hands, tightly clasped in her lap. "H-How do you keep something like this a secret, in a city like this?"

"Very tiresomely."

"How long have you been here? Not here here, Raoul told me when you moved in but..."

"On Earth? Technically, several million years. But we have only been awake since nineteen eighty-four."

"N-No one noticed you in all that time?"

"We were buried in a volcano, and the Ark had automatic shielding defenses still in operation. And luck, I think. A great deal of luck, or else we all would be a bunch of spare parts and half reverse-engineered experiments in some government laboratory. Not a pleasant fate. I would rather be functional and fighting Decepticons. Except I have an even better option right here."

"So you don't want to fight?"

"I will fight if I have to. But the majority of us Autobots want the same thing any human would want: Peace and time to live a happy life. Just because we are machines does not mean all we can do is make war. I know numerous artists, singers, scientists, and theologians. My good friend Blaster is a consummate music enthusiast. He's the center of communications during battle and fights with everything he's got when he's on the field, but in his off-duty time he goes to clubs and concerts. Even when he's on duty, if things are calm, he broadcasts music for everyone. Not all the mechs care for his choices, of course, but just the fact that he likes to share so much...He could and would find something for everyone, given the chance." Tracks sighed. "For the time being, I hope I can remain out of the fighting for a little while. We all get tired eventually. My time for that is now. I want to live life again...though it be different from my life on Cybertron."

He fell silent in a way that made Talia squirm from the sheer suddeness and heaviness of it. Then he continued, quietly, "I..don't remember very well what life was like on Cybertron, actually, before the fighting started. It has just seemed to be one continuous battle for millions upon millions of years. You humans cannot even imagine things like that. We have been at this for longer than your planet has had sentient life. I...I have..." He stopped again. This time the silence stretched on much longer than before.

"Talia..I'm sorry. I know you came here because you needed answers, and here I am just rambling on."

She held out a tentative hand to touch the dashboard. "That's okay...'cause...I can see you're very human."

"...Thank you." The next moment of silence went by more comfortably. "Ah...Raoul really does care greatly for you. He had no idea how to bring the truth about me up to you, but he didn't want to keep hiding it. And I admit, I consider you a close friend even though we didn't get a chance to speak until now. Raoul's friendship has meant a lot to me over the years, and I think we have learned a lot from each other."

There was a tap on the windshield. "Like bein' a sentimental dork?" Raoul grinned as he looked through the driver's side window.

"Who are you calling a dork, you eavesdropping punk?"

"Ah, like the older brother I never had." Raoul opened the door and sat down. "An' no, I didn't listen in on the whole thing. But I hope..you ain't mad?" He looked over at Talia a bit pleadingly.

She smiled. "I'm not. I just..have a lot to learn."

(c) 2006 Autumn L. This work may not be copied, distributed, or reprinted without the author's permission. Transformers, Autobots, Decepticons, Tracks, and Raoul belong to Hasbro and Takara. Talia belongs to the author.