The Wisdom Years

Rating: T

Genre: General

Summary: I started working at NEST when I was thirty-five. Now, I'm in my late forties and, in a few months, entering my early fifties. I hear them talk "She needs to retire". I know…it's just hard to let everyone go after watching them basically grow up around me.

Take aim, pull the trigger, and then brace yourself for the recoil.

Damn that recoil

I bit back the small growl that climbed my throat. I was getting old; almost too old to handle the damn recoil on my gun. And hell if that didn't just piss me off.

"Why can't we fight somewhere where there are fewer things to get smashed with?" I muttered under my breath as I once more took aim at the Decepticon tearing up the urban streets.

The soldier next to me, Lennox surprisingly, just snorted humorlessly at my words, "Because that would be unethical." He replied sarcastically.

"Don't be getting fresh with me kid." I warned with hints of humor to let him know not to take the statement seriously.

"I'm in my late thirties." The Captain replied humorlessly.

"I'm forty-nine."

He was silent but only for a moment, "I outrank you."

"Barely," I snorted and gave a slightly relieved sigh as an Autobot; Sideswipe if I remembered correctly, came rounding the corner.

He managed to tear the con to pieces with a simple ease humanity could only wish for. I stood and popped my arms a bit as Lennox went over to check the progress of the teams.

"Jacky," The woman looked to the Autobot as she knew very well Lennox never possessed such rich tones in his voice.

"Aye, what do you need?" I replied tiredly.

The warrior checked his surroundings before awkwardly squatting down to be more on my level…at least I assumed as much. The silver mech sighed and shook his head.

"Perhaps it would be best if you returned to the base with Evac. He is done with his part if-." The alien being began to suggest but I interrupted him.

Okay, this was getting annoying.

"For heaven's sake Sideswipe," I shook my head, "Not you too."

The Autobot could only offer a somewhat sheepish look, "I…but don't you think they might have a point?" he said carefully.

"Completely," I answered without hesitation.

"Then why don't you-."

Once more, interrupted him, "Look, I know I'm old and don't you dare tell anyone I just admitted to it," a trace of a smile flickered on the silver mech's face-plates, "I'm just not ready to retire yet."

"Oh?" he said with an amused tone as he straightened back up.

"My shoulder isn't cracked yet." I sighed, referring to the pain recoil brought.

A sly smirk spread across his features as he stopped for just a moment.

"Actually, my scanners indicate-."

"Fuck your scanners."

Being able to return to base was one of the many things to rejoice in. I sure as hell did when I was able to. Soldier work could be virtually non-stop depending on your forte.

But that was one thing also highly taken advantage of.

No one had the right to look forward to going back to base. The universe owes humanity nothing. You could die at any moment. Seeing those large doorways was always a sign of safety and end for me. No more shooting until I left them behind again in a standard green military jeep.

I passed the common areas, merely wanting to go through the female side break room and into the gender-respective human housing area.

"I am way to damn old for this," I sighed with a small and somewhat satisfied smile.

"Then why haven't you retired?" Yet another voice no human could possess rumbled from behind me. And I knew this voice rather well.

I turned and gave the black weapon's specialist a weary smile, "Speak for yourself, old-timer." I replied good-naturedly.

An amused smile graced his lip components. "I'm sure you realize the differences in aging." He snorted.

I rolled my eyes and continued walking down the massive halls, now able to exchange easy banter with the people around me. "You're still old." I shrugged with a loose hint of stubbornness in my tone.

The gung-ho mech just rolled his own set of optics, "Stubborn." He sighed.

"Trigger-happy," I replied just as smoothly.

Ironhide just shrugged indifferently. There was no arguing that point.

I've worked at NEST for fourteen years. It shouldn't even take half as long for one to realize their not that different from you besides the fact their gigantic…and made of metal.

They also live such long lives that Ironhide was probably alive when humanity still lived in caves and took a dump whenever and wherever they felt the need to.

"But in all seriousness," The old mech sighed, "You should consider retirement Jacky. You're almost fifty. The executive board might just shove a notice in your hands…or however that works."

"Please," I chuckled, "military's going to milk every drop of fight I've got until it's gone."

"Jacky," he said with a no-nonsense tone, "I'm serious."

I just sighed, "I'm aware Hide," I muttered, "I suppose you have a point along with every new recruit who believes I'm completely deaf and can't hear their insults." I laughed bitterly, "But I also think that it's…perhaps a bit more complicated."

"How so," Hide questioned and answered my silent one, "At your current rate it will take about seven to twelve minutes to reach human-housing. I've also got nothing better to do since the shooting range doesn't quite exist anymore."

"That was your own damn fault and you know it."

"Don't change the subject."

"I didn't, you did." I smirked a tad cheekily.

The black-armored mech raised a brow-plate, "Watch yourself femme, I will take you to Ratchet."

I paled a bit. He was the most insistent about my retirement…It wasn't surprising either. Again, I'd worked with the same aliens for fourteen years…I knew them and they knew me as I was one of the few humans to last this long just as Lennox and Epps had.

"So, what were you saying?" I prompted.

"You mentioned having complicated reasons for avoiding retirement." Hide reminded me, "See, already having amnesia."

I glared at him, "If you're taking me to Ratchet then that statement just earned you a one-way ticket to the Medbay from hell."

"You'd drag me down with you?" He bantered along just for the heck of it.

"You're damn right I would." I replied.

Then everything just kind of faded into a comfortable silence. Nothing more needed to be said and the moment was just in a comfortable position neither of us felt the need to ruin with my retirement shit. Once at human housing we parted ways, for obvious reasons, and I just went straight down to my room.

I sat down of the edge of my bed, trying not to wince as my older bones protested the movement. I leaned back against the wall and rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

"Face it Jacky," I murmured to myself, "They're right. How much longer were you going to lie to yourself?" I took a reluctant glance towards my desk and considered actually turning in the notice to them for the umpteenth time.

In the end, I merely laid down in bed and put it off for another day.

So that was the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed and could possibly jot down a review? Please let me know how I did, it'd be much appreciated.

Songbird