Edited: 10/26/08

Didn't change much, but it flows a bit better. I hope you like it! The songs are listed at the end. I own nothing but that which comes out of my head original, and that's Mercedes, so far. :D I make no money (at this at least)

Chapter Two

Optimus knew that Mercedes wouldn't stay quiet and still the entire trip, but she made a credible effort for the first ten minutes. It took credible effort to not cringe when she did speak.

"So why do you need me to watch the stars? I'd think you guys wouldn't need a human for that."

Ah, a safe subject. He relaxed, albeit not much. "Starscream was last seen leaving the earth's atmosphere and is possibly attempting to bring back…other Decepticons. We need someone who knows the stars from this vantage to look for any evidence of their arrival. Since your stargazing brought you so conveniently across our path, we needn't look far." He couldn't keep a small amount of censure out of his tone, rumbling through the cab over her small frame. She had spied them from the rooftop of the nearby university when she had apparently been attempting what she called homework, looking for anomalies…something she'd claimed to have found.

Fortunately, that happened while they were planning their next move. So far, she'd proven useful, albeit a bit disturbing.

"I thought with Megatron gone that you guys didn't have to worry anymore."

He let off the gas and shifted down without thinking. It had been two weeks since his brother died. Or had he? There was still that report of an alien robot in a mountain laboratory… He shifted back up and refocused. First things first. "There is another who vied for control of the Decepticons. Omega-Six is behind Megatron's betrayal of our kind, and the bigger threat. Since there is a small piece to the All-Spark left, he will stop at nothing to regain it."

"Re-gain it?"

If his jaw wasn't wrapped around the bottom of a Peterbuilt's engine, he'd be grinding it. "Yes. He was the one who stole it from our government in the first place." He left out the part where Omega tried to use the Cube to obliterate the Cybertronian government, eventually succeeding through more manipulative methods. It still wasn't stable and here he was, flung across the universe because he'd only been trying to keep the All-Spark from Omega in the first place.

"Why?"

He thought back to all the reasons that twisted red and black mech would have to destroy everything to do with the Cybertronians Optimus cared for. Elita's death seemed to be the beginning. Even amongst the sentience and wisdom of thousands of years, greed and jealousy remained. He just couldn't figure out how his actions had led Omega to believe it was better to destroy their entire way of life…

She ran her fingers over the center hub of the steering wheel when he didn't respond. "Prime?"

He sent an irritated and responsive ripple up the leather seats. "I told you not to do that."

She kept doing it. "Why would this Omega character be so bent on screwing with everything?"

"H-He's not." Primus-damned soft digits…

She wrapped the fingers of both hands around the steering column. "You know I won't let you finish your answer with that."

That's it! He slapped his brakes quickly to jolt her.

"Oh!"

He had no idea his seatbelt had so many sensory preceptors, the slide of her softness purring air out of his jake-brakes again. Thank Sentience, a conveniently deserted truck stop ahead. He stopped hard. "Get out."

Her fingers gripped. "Pardon?" Slaggit.

"I want to look at you when I redress you."

"Oh! Well, then, why didn't you say so."

Why did he get the feeling he'd said something other than what he'd meant? She slid down to the step-side, hopped to the ground and jumped back as he immediately transformed to stand before her.

Careful to drop down below the tree line, he peered down to the bothersome Mercedes. "Let me make myself perfectly clear. Do not touch anything on me without my permission."

He watched several emotions play over her face. Thankfully, she settled on consternation. "I can't help it."

Couldn't…? "It's easy. Just keep your hands to yourself."

"It's not that easy. I've always been infatuated with machines. Ask anyone who knows me. I'd sooner lust after Data than Worf any day."

He took a moment to research the meanings of these names. "This Data. He is a character on a fictional television program?"

"Yeah."

Optimus was surprised by what he discovered. On the web, there were fan sites for these characters with women proclaiming sexual desire for them. Data was a machine…

His smoke stacks shot steam again. The human body was a complex organic machine. What would happen if…?

He shook his head and transformed back into the rig. His voice came out rougher and deeper than normal: "Get in."

She surprised him by complying, but the second she settled into his seat, he growled.

"I didn't do anything," she protested.

"I know. Just—do as I ask…Please. We have a long way to go."

"I know, I know. Don't touch anything unless you say its okay."

"Good."

"Can I turn on the radio?"

He grudged out a yes.

"Thank you."

He didn't reply, but anticipated her tiny digits touching his dials. Before she had a chance to touch anything, he'd already tuned to a rather sad song he'd been monitoring:

When the world's gone crazy and it makes no sense; And there's only one voice that comes to your defense. The jury's out and your eyes search the room; And one friendly face is all you need to see. And if there's one guy, just one guy; Who'd lay down his life for you and die, I hate to say it, I hate to say it, but it's probably me...

He immediately tuned out to another station. Instrumental was always neutral.

"Well, are you going to let me choose what I want to listen to, or are you just going to control that as well?"

He was relieved she didn't understand the slip up humans called Freudian.

"Sorry. Go ahead."

She turned the dial from his choice to "your body is a wonderland" to "crush". He would have sighed, but settled for steam and shifted into a highway gear, ready for a long drive. She surprised him by finally stopping on a slower song that started out "At last."

Mercedes wiggled into the seat and took off her shoes, curling into the overly sensitive leather. He wondered as he listened to the lyrics if she meant anything by the song or if it was a simple selection, waiting to see if she would change the station when the song was over. She didn't. Give me a kiss to build a dream on…

It didn't mean anything. He ignored the music and paid attention to driving. He felt her hands settle against the leather and pushed on.

First song: Sting – It's Probably Me

Then, in order: John Meyer – Your Body is a Wonderland; Jennifer Paige – Crush; Etta James – At Last; and finally, Louis Armstrong – A Kiss to Build a Dream On