Friends

The lonely look on Starscream's face just about makes me cry. I'd learned of the Transformers' inability to sense auras almost as soon as the former Decepticons made contact with the Autobots. Not for the first time, I lament that the Autobots cannot sense the change in their auras as I can. They have been granted sanctuary here in the Autobots' new base, as I have, but it was reluctantly and grudgingly granted.

I don't dare attempt to endorse them further, though. All of the Transformers are in awe of—and slightly fearful of—me, and tread carefully around me. Even Jazz—after he discovered just what I am, all too soon for my taste—has become distant and deferential. The warm bond that had started to form between us in that brief time tightened, grew cold, and cut. All I find when I reach out to him now is a wall.

But I'm getting off topic. I can't push further because I want the friendship between the sides to be genuine, not forced to please someone they are afraid of. I fear I may have already done damage to that possibility when I pushed so hard to give the Decepitcons sanctuary.

I turn away from the commons area, which had grown incredibly tense when I walked in. I stalk down the hall, fuming as I remember what happened when the latest group arrived. I'd just started to make friends with a pair of triplechangers named Springer and Shadowstar when Prowl had walked in, and whispered in their audios that I was the Allspark. They blanched, and started tripping over themselves in their awkward reverence.

I could have smacked Prowl. That's the third time he's done that. I keep trying to show them there's a person behind the power, one that needs friends as much as the next person, but it just doesn't take. So I decided that I would greet the new recruits and have my friendships firmly established before the Autobots found them and told them what I was. Ha. Fat chance.

I swear to myself as I walk down the hall that as soon as I figure out how to plant sparklings and Prowl's lover makes himself known, Prowl gets quadruplets.

The Transformers are hermaphrodites, by the way. Femmes are an anomaly that happens when a spark is abnormally large. The male part doesn't form on the sparkling's body, and a femme has the ability to have children without me within a certain range, for which I am grateful. Transformers probably would have died out by now if they didn't exist, as I was on Earth for so many millennia.

"Hey, Allie, why the long face?" Mikaela asks. "Don't tell me Prowl did it again."

"Yup. I swear, as soon as I see an opening, he gets quadruplets! Or maybe quintuplets. Depends on how mad I am at that point." I smack my fist to my palm. "I know he has a lover here. It's only a matter of time before they go nutty. Then I strike."

Mikaela chuckles, and I send up a silent prayer of thanks for her and the other humans. They are my sanity. With them, I'm not just the Allspark, source of life for the Transformers, I'm also Allie, Sparky, Glitter—a person, someone, not something. And I am not feared.

I also pray that Prowl and Optimus never find out about my friendship with them, because I would never see them again if they did. Somehow, the two of them have gotten it into their heads that a sapient Allspark is dangerous. Don't ask me why, because I really don't know.

I do a quick scan of the area, then duck into the human lounge with Mikaela. Sam, Maggie, Maria, Tawni, Red, Sean, and Alex are all already there, arguing over whether to do a Simpsons marathon or an I Love Lucy marathon. Well, Sam's just laughing as he watches the others waste all their popcorn dumping it over each other's heads. Sean pipes up, "Hey Sparky, Mikaela, which one—Simpsons or Lucy?"

Mikaela and I look at each other and stifle a giggle. Our reply comes in unison. "Lucy, duh!"

Sean and Alex groan, and Red just shrugs. "HA! Outvoted, Sean! Lucy it is!" Tawni crows. The two of them are forever fighting over something. I'm pretty sure Sean likes her, but Tawni just thinks he's a weirdo. Poor Sean.

We're halfway through the episode where Lucy pretends to be the Maharincess of Franistan when Jazz peeks in. I was so absorbed, I didn't sense him coming.

"Hey, Sam, Bee wants—" Jazz stops midsentence when he sees me sitting there with a box of Crackerjacks, frozen in place.

"—to talk to me," Sam finishes, completely oblivious to the massive pause in between. Males can be so dense sometimes. "Alright." Sam gets up and walks out the door past Jazz, who is still trying to process what he sees.

"Uh, A-Allspark?"

"Yeah."

"Er . . ."

"Yes, I know Prowl is trying to find me. You ever heard of the concept of avoiding someone?"

Jazz just blinks at me.

I sigh. "Guys, you mind pausing it for a while?"

"Naw, I'll just bust out Apples to Apples for a little while," Maria says.

"Cool." I walk out into the hall with Jazz, closing the door behind me.

We move in silence for a little while. "Um, doesn't it . . ."

"Doesn't it what?"

He just gives me the strange look he's given me the past couple of months. It dawns on me that it's the same look I've given him.

I float up so I can look him in the optics. "Doesn't it bother me that they are tripping over themselves trying not to make me mad? That they aren't going out of their way to make me feel high and mighty and special? No."

His optics widen in shock, though whether it's at my answer or at my wording I don't bother to find out. I plow on, suddenly desperate to get out what I need to say while I've got the chance. "In fact, it drives me nuts when you guys do it. I hate being treated like I'm made out of glass that will shatter at the slightest touch, or a bomb that will go off at the slightest disturbance. I will not blast you all to kingdom come if someone doesn't agree with me or makes me mad, though I might argue with you or throw something at you. But isn't that what you all do in the first place? Seriously, I'm getting tired of being treated like a volatile, self-centered deity when all I am is a normal sapient person with a couple of extra powers!"

I feel a crack begin to form in the wall, and I nearly cry.

"Jeez, I . . . I didn't know you felt that way."

"Well, now you do. And I would appreciate it if you'd spread the word." I head back toward the lounge, and Jazz heads in the direction of the commons, a smile on his face.

I pause as I feel something foreign, and new knowledge enters my head. I make use of it, then I turn and call out behind me. "Oh, yeah. Don't be surprised if Prowl ends up with quadruplets soon!"

Jazz howls with laughter, leaning against the wall for support, as I enter the lounge and close the door behind me.

So, whatcha think so far? Any suggestions? Any dynamics you want played up, or characters I could add? Review, please! And no, I'm not done.