Chapter Four
Disclaimer: All rights to Transformers Prime and its canon characters belong to Hasbro and the Hub. Dream'sRealm owns Shiv, Drift, Jolt, Darkstorm, and Skybreak. Blondie-moyashi owns Skye Shelsher.
After many more hours of repairs, Darkstorm had finally finished working on the 'Bots and had even straightened out her arm. Thankfully no energon lines had been punctured or important wiring destroyed but, it still caused her quite a bit of pain to deal with.
Darkstorm turned to her charge. "Well, Skye, I believe it is safe to take you home now. There is no recorded Decepticon activity and my team has been repaired, as best as I could manage anyway. I shall escort you back to your family."
Skye smiled at her guardian. "Great, thank you. Though . . ." she looked up and down Darkstorm's frame. "I fear a giant robot may be a bit . . . noticeable for a group trying to keep its existence a secret."
"I thought you might say something like that," Darkstorm grinned and activated her holoform. The young woman wearing black and purple clothing and sunglasses giggled. "See? Quite discreet, aren't they?"
Skye's eyes went wide and she practically grinned ear-to-ear. "That's incredible! Okay . . . there are some woods behind my house-maybe we eh, what's the term, bridge? Maybe we bridge into there, then we can walk to the house. That way we don't have to worry about anyone seeing it."
"Sounds perfect," Darkstorm smiled.
"But, someone should go with you, Sister," Skybreak interrupted. "I mean, you're still hurt."
"Yeah, 'Storm. Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" Bumblebee added.
Darkstorm raised an eyebrow. "My arm is fine now and I believe I have proven before that I can take care of myself. Don't worry. I shall be back before you know it."
"The coordinates of your dwelling, Skye?" Ratchet asked the human femme.
Skye looked back and forth between Skybreak and Bumblebee, seemingly ignoring Ratchet for the moment. "Eehhh yeah. I'll have enough of a time explaining Darkstorm away, but bringing guys to the house?" She huffed. "Would not end well. As for coordinates . . . I honestly don't know. Can we just Google Maps it or something?"
Ratchet stared at Skye as if she had lost her sanity. "Google Maps?"
The femme looked between the group, 'Bots and humans alike. "You don't . . . know Google?" She laughed nervously. "Eehhhh." She spotted Raf in front of his computer. "Help me out, Raf?"
"It's a search engine. You basically type in a few key words and sift through information. One of Google's features is Google Maps where you can find locations, Skye's house in this case," Raf explained to Ratchet.
"Very well. Give me the location of your house then and I will use. . . Google Maps," Ratchet said.
"It's in Keene Valley, New York, United-" she shook her head, cutting off the rest of the sentence. "My house is on the . . . west side of town." Her expression suggested that she didn't have much more information.
Ratchet vented heavily but searched for Skye's house with what little information he was given. "Is this it?" he asked impatiently, pointing to a blip on the base's computer.
Skye looked surprised. "Yeah, actually." She circled an area with her finger from where she stood. "That area to the west should be good. No trails or paths."
Ratchet nodded and promptly opened a ground bridge portal to that specific location. Darkstorm entered the portal and gestured for Skye to follow. The femme jogged to catch up with her, still limping. When they exited the ground bridge portal, they were met with lush forest.
Skye took a deep breath, eyes closed. "Smells amazing, doesn't it? Not like I didn't smell this earlier today, or every day for the past two years." Her eyes shot open and looked to Darkstorm. "Oh, how do I introduce you? Darkstorm isn't exactly a . . .common human name."
"My human alias is Dawn," Darkstorm smiled. "And yes, this area does smell. . . amazing. Pine, isn't it?"
Skye shrugged. "I dunno. I don't know a pine tree from a grape vine." She seemed to dwell on something for a moment. "Heh Dawn, Skye . . . that's kinda funny."
"Indeed," Darkstorm giggled. "Both related to the realm above us in some way. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were a Seeker yourself."
She shrugged. "Just because I'm not one in body doesn't mean I can't be one in heart." She smiled and nodded toward a structure a short distance away. "That's it."
Darkstorm began to make her way over to Skye's home. "I do hope your parents will be understanding."
The femme sighed. "They don't have to be, nor do I altogether expect them to be. You know how I mentioned being a guinea pig and whatnot? Well, I'm well-compensated for it. I have a bank account in my name, to which funds are funneled after I partake in studies and trials. As long as I'm around and give my consent, my parents have access to these funds. But if I, say, go across the country and lock my account, they're shut out." She shrugged. "And of course there's the matter of me being the pride of their lives, their little baby, flying the coup, on my own in the cruel world, yadiyada."
Oh, wonderful, Darkstorm thought with an inward sigh. Something tells me this will not be like a visit with Rafael's mother. When Darkstorm finally reached Skye's house, she nervously knocked on the front door.
Skye opened the door without a response. She turned and smiled at Darkstorm. "It's my home, I don't have to knock," she teased.
"Ah, of course," Darkstorm chuckled, still a bit nervous.
Skye turned to her as they walked. "You can relax. My mum may cling to me like a leaf to a tree but she doesn't bite . . . hard." She turned her head and looked into a room around the corner from where they stood. "Mum? I'm back."
A femme sporting the same hair color as Skye jumped in her chair, her back to the femmes, before standing and facing them. "Skye, do you have any idea what time it is?"
"Mum, I explained earlier that I would be back late. Besides, some stuff came up at the hospital. And, long story short, I'm leaving for a while." She turned, indicating a staircase behind Darkstorm. "So, I don't suppose dad's around somewhere?" She followed Darkstorm up the stairs.
"Leaving? What do you mean leaving?" Skye's mother asked incredulously but her protests went unnoticed by her daughter.
Skye turned right at the top of the staircase. "I need to fix up my knee really quick before we head out." Darkstorm nodded as Skye started leading her down the hallway. She opened a door on the left, revealing a room with a berth, several tops hanging against the wall, a dresser, and a computer on a desk.
Her charge sat on the berth, pulling a case out from under it and placing it next to her. She opened it to reveal a tool kit with instruments the Seeker didn't recognize-clearly designed specifically for Skye's situation.
Someone stomped up the staircase, and a moment later Skye's mother entered the room.
"Skye, I demand to know what's going on." She eyed Darkstorm. "And who're you?"
Skye sighed as she worked on her knee. "This is Dawn. She gave me a ride from the hospital."
Her mother put her hands on her hips. "You still haven't explained why you think you're leaving in the middle of the night."
"Actually it's not that late."
"Skye Rennett, don't you split hairs with me."
The femme rolled her eyes but continued working. "While I was at the hospital, I was approached by a group that does work with robotic research, development, applications, the like. I was offered a position, and, seeing as how I'm out of school, have no solid arrangements with any universities, and am legally an adult now, I accepted." Skye put her tools down and straightened her leg. She bent and straightened it again a few times before smiling and packing the tools up.
"You did what?!" The woman turned to Darkstorm, her glare dangerous as she pointed to the femme. "Is this your doing?"
Darkstorm's eyes widened behind her sunglasses and she looked down skittishly. "I-I. . ."
Skye had been pulling clothes from where they hung and throwing them onto the berth, but she soon turned and stormed up to her mother. "You leave her out of this! It was my decision to make and I made it based on what I want."
"This is about more than just what you want, Skye. You should have talked to us before committing to something like this."
"Like you talked to me about my leg? Ignoring the possibility of nerve damage down the road, not telling me that it would take longer to rehabilitate, not considering that it would render me unable to swim or play sports again. Just hearing that we could participate in labs and receive funds and it was 'yep, slap one on her.' "
Skye turned again and started stuffing clothes into a bag that looked like what the younglings took to school.
"You know that's not fair, Skye."
"The whole situation wasn't fair, but I never had a choice in any of it." Skye sighed and her tone softened. "But now I do have a choice, and I'm taking the opportunity to do something special. To see things few ever will."
Her mother's face and voice were less aggressive now as well. "To see what, exactly?"
"Eehh it's classified, actually." She looked around the berth. "Have you seen my leg charger?"
"Classified, huh?" the woman asked, crossing her arms.
Skye dove across her berth, landing on her abdomen with a grunt. "That would be correct," she replied, her head upside down as she looked under the berth. "There you are," she said quietly as she reached for something. She pulled out a long cord and stuffed it into the bag before zipping it up.
She stood and slipped an arm into one of the straps. "Now to the batcave, Robin!" Darkstorm looked at the femme, confused. Skye smiled, nodding towards the hall. "Follow me." They walked into the hall, and Skye opened the door on their left, situated at the end of the hallway.
The room looked surprisingly similar to Knock Out's lab, with dismantled devices on one table, another with several half-finished gadgets stacked atop one another, and a third where several devices were laid out, most likely the finished products.
"Welcome to my cave, where all my time not spent studying is passed." Skye led her guardian to the third table. "These are the fruits of my labor. Studying my leg was entertaining for a short time, but I wanted to learn about different devices and how I could change them. Take this for ex-" The gadget she was reaching for zapped her hand from a few inches away and she yelped. "Take this piece of scrap for example," she said through gritted teeth as she picked it up slowly. "Used to be a stun gun, but I tore it apart, figured out what made it tick, and made this more stylish, if temperamental stunner." She first pointed to the husk of the stun gun on the first table, then indicated the device in her hand. It looked like a long metallic glove without fingers, but with a circular metal portion that went over the back of the hand.
She put the stunner down and smiled as she pointed to something in front of where Darkstorm was standing. "This is my favorite." She reached over and grabbed it. "This is a high-end climbing harness-not just for your average kid in the mountains, this in and of itself is strong but unremarkable. Until you add these. Magnets." She grabbed the magnet connected to the harness by a rope. "Each can hold from seventy-five to one hundred pounds, so between this and the other two I have, I can basically climb a completely flat metal surface. Not necessarily my favorite, but at least I don't have to depend on handholds where there are none."
"Remarkable," Darkstorm observed. "So this is what you meant by devices. . . And you modified these yourself?" She delicately picked up the harness and studied it. "It is far from Cybertronian but incredibly well built. It seems you have a Pr-. . . God given gift for technology."
"Why thank you, Dar-eh, Dawn. It really means a lot, especially considering your . . . background. It's funny, I played sports and did a lot of physical stuff before I lost my leg. I never realized my affinity for tech until afterwards. Kinda gives me hope, knowing everything happens for a reason, ya know?"
"Indeed. After all, what would we do if we did not have hope?" Darkstorm smiled.
"Run around like chickens with our heads cut off." The femme laughed as she spoke.
Darkstorm was not entirely sure what a chicken was but she could still find humor in the statement. She too laughed. "Or a petro-rabbit being chased by Dinobots."
Skye seemed to ponder something. "I haven't seen that, but I think I can kinda visualize it . . . a bunny being chased by a dinosaur." She laughed. "I'd place my bets on the bunny!" Once she gained her composure enough to stand, she walked to a closet next to the second table and fetched a large bag, carrying it back to where Darkstorm was standing in front of the third table.
She started packing the gadgets into the bag carefully, placing each item gently in the bottom. She grabbed the stunner and glared at it before throwing it in. Skye grabbed a blanket from under the table and laid it over the items before turning and throwing several items from the first and second tables in, including some tools.
When the bag looked about ready to burst, she zipped it up and slung it over her shoulder. "I think that's about it . . . you ready to head out?"
"If you are ready, then yes," Darkstorm smiled before pausing. "But shouldn't you say goodbye to your father as well?"
Skye sighed, a less than excited expression on her face. "I guess so. Hey Mum!" she yelled into the hall. "Where's Dad?"
"I think he was out working on the car." Her mother spoke as she walked down the staircase.
The femme sighed. "Of course he is." She looked to her guardian and nodded her head toward the staircase. Darkstorm smiled reassuringly at her charge and made her way down the stairs.
When they reached the bottom they turned away from the door they first entered, and walked towards a larger, fancier door. Skye walked through first, and in the fading light the femmes could see a figure lying under a vehicle of some sort.
"Dad?" Skye asked as they approached the figure, which stood up. "I'm, uh . . . going away for a while."
The figure, a man at least a head taller than Skye, wiped his hands on a rag he was holding. "Do you know when you'll be back?"
"Dad, I'm . . . it's not just a sleepover. I'm leaving town . . . for I don't know how long."
"Oh, alright then." The man sounded far less concerned than Skye's mother. "Stay safe."
"I assure you, Mr. Shelsher, your daughter will be quite safe. You have my word," Darkstorm said.
"Hmm, well then." He turned and started walking back towards the vehicle nonchalantly. "Have fun."
Skye sighed angrily before turning to Darkstorm. "Let's say bye to Mum then get out of here." She sounded frustrated . . . but there was something else too. Sorrow, perhaps? Darkstorm sighed herself before following the femme back into the house. Internally, she was a bit surprised by Skye's creator's behavior. If her youngling was leaving she would be concerned like Skye's carrier, not apathetic. Darkstorm was beginning to understand why Skye wished to stay at the Autobot base with her.
"Mum, I'm ready to go."
The woman came from around the corner, walking slowly as she approached them. She and Skye shared a look for a moment before embracing each other.
"Are you sure you want to do this, sweetheart?"
Skye sniffed then sighed. "Absolutely." The two pulled away, looking at each other again before breaking the gaze.
"Well . . . you'll call me everyday."
"I'm not sure that'll be possible, but I'll contact you as often as I can. They'll probably be working me really hard."
The woman looked sadly at her daughter before looking to Darkstorm. "Are you working there too?"
"Yes, Mrs. Shelsher, I am. And I will make sure that Skye calls you as often as possible," Darkstorm smiled. "Thank you for allowing her to leave."
Skye's mother looked back to her daughter. "I'm not sure how much input I have here. But you make sure to keep my baby safe. I do have a shotgun and I'm not afraid to use it."
"Mum, I'll be fine. I promise." Skye looked to her friend then nodded to the back door before looking back to her mother. "Bye Mum. I love you." She quickly hugged her again before breaking it off and walking towards the door. Darkstorm followed, smiling once more at Skye's carrier before exiting the building.
"Ratchet, requesting another ground bridge. We're ready," Darkstorm commed the base.
Skye kept her gaze locked on the ground as they walked back into the woods. "Darkstorm . . . thank you for coming. None of my friends have come to my house, at least not since my accident." She smiled somewhat sadly as she looked at the Seeker. "It's hard to find people who can listen to me talk about my issues and interests, let alone someone who can relate."
"You're welcome and I completely understand. During my time on the Nemesis, my only friend was my brother and. . . well, he often had his own problems to deal with."
Skye shook her head. "I still don't know how you can listen to me after you've been fighting a war for . . . well, after you've fought a war. Still are in a war."
"I told you before, your problems hold just as much weight as mine, Skye, and I am happy to help in any way I can," Darkstorm smiled. "I'll always be here to help, if you should need me."
"Thank you . . . so much." She sniffed. "I guess when you see so much pain, you'd want to alleviate as much of it as you can." She put a shaky hand in front of her face, blocking much of it from Darkstorm's view.
Darkstorm sensed her charge's distress and immediately wrapped her arms around her. "Oh, Skye . . . Everything is going to be alright. I'll make sure of it . . . You will have a new life with us, and no one will ever hurt you again."
She felt Skye's shaking arms return the embrace as the femme buried her face in Darkstorm's shoulder.
Eventually the shaking got better and Skye pulled away, wiping at the remaining tears. "You're something else, Darkstorm. I haven't cried that hard since I first saw Titanic. At least . . . not emotional tears." She sniffed again and her voice was weak. "I think losing my leg still holds the highest record." She smiled. "You . . . I think you're the best friend I've ever had. And we've only known each other for what, a day?"
"Yes, we have indeed known each other for only one Earth cycle but . . . I feel the same," Darkstorm smiled. "You truly are a special femme, Skye."
"Same to you. Now." She cleared her throat. "Let's head home."
"Indeed. Let's head home." Darkstorm led Skye into the ground bridge portal and deactivated her holoform.
Several heads turned as the ground bridge closed, many of them curiously studying Skye's baggage load.
"What are you hiding in there, a drum set?" Miko asked, one hand on her hip, as usual.
Skye smiled. "Anyone can get a drum set. But special, priceless, one-of-a-kind items are in here. They'll be bronzed and hung in museums ten years from now." She took a dramatic pose to match her tone on the last sentence. One thing was for sure though, they were one of a kind.
Darkstorm giggled and began to explain. "They're technical devices that Skye built herself and I must say, she has a gift."
Skye dropped the bags and bowed dramatically. "Thank you." She turned to the humans. "Who's up for a demonstration?"
"I am!" Raf exclaimed with an excited smile. The humans ran to where Skye stood as she started picking through the bags. She set down the magnet-harness and stunner-which zapped her when she picked it up-behind her, but the other devices she put next to the bag. The younglings stood or kneeled around Skye's bag, inquiring what the gadgets were. Some of the Autobots too gathered around the pile and stared at all the gadgets curiously.
"Let's see, there's an etcher there in front of Miko. You know how some people etch things into metal? Well, that there is a super-etcher, etching deeper than others of its kind. Drawback is that it's obviously bigger, heavier, and takes longer to etch. By Raf is kind of a personal entertainment rig-smallest DVD player I could find, hooked up to a visor-style television allowing 120 degrees of vision, and pretty decent headphones. Not advised to use for more than one or two films at a time, and certainly not to avoid chores-I put a lot of work into that and would not want to see it broken by angry parents." As Skye continued explaining what each gadget was, Jack noticed something behind her back.
"What are those?" he asked, pointing to them. Skye turned to see what he was talking about.
"Ones that I'd rather keep close. But there's a climbing harness with magnets and a stubborn stunner." She reached for the latter, and it shocked her, not surprisingly. "I still need to refine it, but I have other things to finish. However, I can show you the harness." The younglings' smiles were her answer as she stood and started working her way into the straps and tightening everything. It took a moment before she was ready, but when she was she grabbed the three magnets that made the rig special.
She looked around the room and whispered something before turning to her guardian. "Darkstorm, would you like to put your armor on the line in the name of glory?"
Darkstorm raised an optic ridge suspiciously. "Yes?"
The femme laughed. "Don't worry, I'm joking. I just need a metal surface and your armor seems to allow for some footholds is all. This isn't dangerous to anyone."
"Alright then. I'm ready," Darkstorm chuckled.
Skye walked up to Darkstorm's pedde and studied it before taking a deep breath. With a magnet in each hand, she leapt, using the magnets to cling to the metal a couple feet off the ground. She then released one of the magnets long enough to grab the one attached to the harness and placing it just above her head. She slipped her feet into slits in Darkstorm's armor before using the magnets to climb a foot or so higher, before replacing the harness magnet above her head. She repeated this pattern as she ascended.
Meanwhile, human and 'Bot alike stared at the human in awe.
"Wow. . . that's amazing!" Bumblebee whirred.
Skye grunted as she climbed. "It may come in handy," she said, her voice strained by the climb. "Run across any 'Cons . . . can be like when a bug persistently annoys you. . . Distraction." She reached the top of Darkstorm's leg, and had to take a break, resting her arms across the three magnets as she breathed heavily.
Darkstorm giggled and held out her servo, which the femme climbed into. "This device is even more remarkable in action, Skye."
"Indeed," Ratchet agreed. "And you said you . . . built this?"
Her breathing was better but still heavy. "Actually, for this one I just had to order the magnets and harness online and rig it so I didn't have to pull them away with the hundred pounds of strength that I lack. The hard part with this one was recovering the strength and muscle I lost when I . . . didn't climb for a season." She bowed her head as she finished.
"Incredible," Ratchet mused.
"It seems like there's more than meets the optic with you, Skye," Skybreak smirked.
"It means a lot coming from you guys. Thanks." She looked at Ratchet and Skybreak as she spoke.
The group stood in silence for a few seconds before Ratchet turned back to his work station. "Well, we should get back to work. There's a lot to be done."
Skye looked at her guardian as the latter set her down. "Thanks for the demo, Darkstorm. And the lift."
"You're most welcome, Skye," Darkstorm smiled.
Skye looked to the group of humans and the gadgets in front of them. "Help yourselves to whatever you like. Most of them have just been sitting on tables for months." They smiled and picked through the pile.
She yawned then rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?" She yawned again. "Stupid time zones. In New York it was midnight. So it's . . . nine here? Feels so much later."
"If you wish, I can show you where you can sleep," Darkstorm offered before chuckling. "The other children will probably be up all night rummaging through your inventions."
The femme lazily smiled. "As long as it doesn't have through-traffic, that sounds good to me. Oh!" She opened her smaller backpack and pulled out a cord. "Does it have a wall plug-in?"
"I do believe there is one, though I'd have to look through my quarters thoroughly to know for sure." Darkstorm offered her servo to the femme once more. "Now, come. You look like you will go into stasis any minute."
Skye didn't climb into her servo so much as fall. "Ugh, I feel like I'm going into stasis. Wait . . . your quarters . . . we're bunking together?" She yawned again. "That's cool."
"Only until more suitable arrangements can be made." Darkstorm turned to Raf. "Raf, do you have some spare bedding I can borrow?"
"Sure," Raf smiled and rummaged through his duffel bag before pulling out some pillows and a blanket.
"Thank you." Darkstorm took them gratefully and headed towards her quarters. When she reached them, she gently placed Skye down on her berth and arranged her so that she would be comfortable.
"I, um . . ." she rubbed her eyes. "I need to plug my leg in before I zonk. Is there . . . ?" She scanned the wall next to her with lazy eyes.
Darkstorm also scanned the room until she found what she was looking for. Luckily, there was a small electrical outlet nearby Skye. The femme saw it too and plugged the cord she was carrying into it.
She pulled up her pant leg to reveal a small port on the outside portion of the prosthetic, located near the knee. "That probably sounds ridiculous, plugging a leg in. But it is run by lithium-ion batteries that-" she was interrupted by another yawn. "That need to be recharged every couple days."
"It's not ridiculous. Not ridiculous, at all," Darkstorm smiled softly and shook her helm.
Skye laid down on the bedding in what some might consider an unusual position, but she seemed comfortable enough. And was sleeping soundly before Darkstorm could say anything. "Goodnight, Skye," she chuckled before exiting the room.
She smiled when she saw Drift, Shiv, and Jolt in the hallway. "Hello there. Are you all adjusting well?"
"Yeah, we're doing just fine," Shiv grinned. "Is the human recharging?"
"Yes," Darkstorm smiled. "Which I can understand. It has been quite the tiring day for her."
"I can imagine," Drift donned a matching smile.
A few moments of silence passed between them before Jolt opened his big mouth. "So. . . Darkstorm," Jolt smirked. "You have any plans for tonight?"
Darkstorm raised an optic ridge at the Vehicon. "What do you-?"
Drift intervened before Jolt could get himself into too much trouble. "Speaking of plans, we'd better recharge ourselves. Goodnight, Darkstorm." Drift grabbed ahold of Jolt's arm and dragged him away while Shiv simply smiled and waved goodbye to her.
Darkstorm bit her bottom lip component to prevent herself from laughing as she saw Drift smack Jolt's helm further down the hallway. Shaking her helm at the mechs, she began to look for Bumblebee. In truth, she did feel slightly guilty for not spending time with him that day but, she did have a charge now. Surely he would understand since he had one of his own. Not to mention everything else that had been occurring lately. . .
She finally spotted him watching the television with Jack and Miko. It seemed Raf was just as tired as Skye had been for he was already sound asleep on the couch.
"Bumblebee?"
Bumblebee turned around and smiled. "Hey, 'Storm. I take it she's asleep?"
Darkstorm nodded. "I believe all the excitement tired her out." She smiled. "Care to take a walk with me?"
"Of course." Bumblebee began walking alongside Darkstorm as Miko smirked widely, signaling that she had an idea.
Jack glanced at her suspiciously. "Uh-oh. What are you up to?"
"Well, you know how 'Storm and 'Bee are a total item, right? But they've never been on a date. And since there's no Decepticon activity. . ." Miko trailed off.
"Eh, Miko, not sure if you noticed, but Jasper isn't exactly the best place for 'Bots to have a first date-or any date. And I don't know of any places that would work . . .do you?"
Miko shrugged. "I'm sure we can work something out. . . Hawaii maybe? Or France?"
"Well, Skye is Darkstorm's charge. . . maybe she has an idea?"
Miko light-bulbed. "Of course! We can go there saying we wanted to hang out or something and then slip away and then. . . bam! Instant date."
"I don't know. . . Shouldn't we be telling them about this first?" Jack asked with trepidation.
"Nah, it'll ruin the surprise. Come on, Jack. It'll be fine."
And so, early the next morning, the children informed the 'Bots about their plan. They all eventually agreed. As Optimus said 'Bumblebee has had to grow up rather quickly due to the war. Darkstorm, as well. I believe that this outing would be beneficial to them both.'
Skybreak seemed a bit hesitant to agree to his sister and the scout having a 'date' but then he had to tell himself that the scout did make his sister happy . . . . Besides, they would be monitored in case they were attacked and if Skybreak saw any funny business, then he'd just 'bridge there and kick the scout's tailpipe. Simple as that.
And poor Jolt? He was simply disappointed that the Seeker femme was taken. 'She's already with someone?! Why didn't you tell me?' 'We tried to, mech. But ya wouldn't listen.' '. . . Really? Well, (the Vehicon grinned) I'm sure once she gets a load of me, she'll- (Jolt was soon silenced by Skybreak pounding his fists together threateningly)' 'I barely condone this. What makes you think I'll let you near her?' 'But I-' 'Touch her and I'll rip off your peddes and shove them down your throat tubing.' '. . . Parley?'
Miko quieted the humans down when she saw Bumblebee and Darkstorm approaching. "Hey, 'Storm. Hey, 'Bee!"
"Hello, Miko." Darkstorm slowly became suspicious however as she spotted their seemingly innocent expressions. "Is there. . . something wrong?"
"No. We were just talking about hanging out at Windermere. You guys want to join us?"
Darkstorm and Bumblebee exchanged a look. "Will the others be joining us?" Darkstorm asked.
"Er . . . no. They had to go on some mission and do . . . stuff," Raf scrambled to come up with an explanation.
Darkstorm raised an optic ridge and turned to her charge. "Is this true, Skye?"
"Eeeehhh. . . yeah. They had to go on a mission," Skye smiled. "So are you coming with us?"
"I suppose. . ."
Reluctantly, Bumblebee and Darkstorm followed the children through the ground bridge. They both stared in awe at their beautiful surroundings. Lush forest and greenery surrounded them as well as a large lake.
"It's . . beautiful," Darkstorm smiled widely.
"Yeah," Bumblebee agreed.
"I'm glad you two like it. This is actually where I used to live, back when me and my family still lived in England," Skye said.
"So this is England . . . Incredible." Darkstorm was so amazed by the area that she didn't notice all the children sharing a secretive look.
"Well, uh, we need to go get something real quick. You guys just stay right here," Jack said.
"And leave all of you unsupervised? I think not," Darkstorm protested.
"Yeah . . . something about all this is fishy. What's really going on here, Raf?" Bumblebee asked his charge.
"Nothing," Raf smiled. "We'll be back soon. You just have fun 'Bee, okay?"
"But-"
"We'll be fine, Darkstorm," Skye reassured.
"Yeah! Besides, if something happens we can just call you so you don't have to worry," Miko said before smirking. "Have fun!" She winked at the two 'Bots before leaving with the others.
When they were out of sight, Darkstorm turned to the scout. "They are up to something. You know that, don't you?"
"Big time," Bumblebee shook his helm. "And it's not like Raf to be sneaky like this."
"That's what I was thinking," Darkstorm vented, "Still. . . while we're here, we might as well enjoy ourselves." She smiled. "They did say they would be back and . . . well, I think all this is nice in a way. This place is beautiful and," she glanced downwards shyly. "now that there are no distractions, we can catch up."
"Sounds nice," Bumblebee smiled. "I mean with the whole thing with Unicron and Optimus . . . we've barely had any time to talk."
"I agree and I have been so busy with repairs and other things . . ." Darkstorm gently sat down on the ground. Bumblebee followed suite. "I've missed you, Bumblebee."
"I've missed you too, 'Storm."
Darkstorm smiled widely as her cooling fans subtly activated. "Things certainly have changed. My brother has finally returned, for good hopefully. We have new recruits . . . and I have a charge."
"You two seem to be really close," the scout observed.
"We are, though maybe that's my Seeker protocols at work. Still . . . she is such a blessing." Darkstorm smiled as Bumblebee held her servo. She vented contently and leaned into him, her helm resting comfortably on his shoulder plating. "You know, I've actually missed this."
"Me too," Bumblebee paused before turning to Darkstorm mischievously. "So I take it now that Skye and you are sharing a room, that you won't be sneaking off to visit me in the middle of the night now?"
Darkstorm rolled her optics. "That was one time and you know full well that it was only because I was having a nightmare. Besides, I'm hardly ready for a sparkmate."
Bumblebee seemed to ponder something. "Darkstorm?"
"Yes, 'Bee?"
"Have you ever thought about . . . life after the war?"
"No," Darkstorm vented. "This war has been so long . . . I'm at a loss of what I would do."
"If the war was over, and . . . you know, we were older, do you think . . . you would want to be my sparkmate?"
Darkstorm's spark beat rapidly and she turned to her scout with wide optics. "T-Truly?" Bumblebee nodded, his door wings fluttering nervously. "I-I would be honored . . . if you would have me," she smiled.
"I'd be crazy not to."
Darkstorm's cooling fans activated and she fiddled with her digits. "Imagine . . . me, being a sparkmate to someone," she chuckled before adding. "You know you'll have to ask my brother about this eventually, don't you?"
"I'd say I'm as good as offline already," Bumblebee laughed nervously.
"Oh come now. You are a good, honorable mech. I'm sure my brother would approve," Darkstorm smiled reassuringly.
"Yeah riiiight," Bumblebee rolled his optics. "I see the way he looks at me. He wants to terminate me, I know it."
"He wasn't always like that, you know," Darkstorm vented. "But if you are a femme in a city like Kaon . . . if you're a femme in the Decepticons, things tend to happen to you. Terrible things. Unless you're protected, that is. My brother simply wishes to protect me from harm but, he should realize that you're not like other mechs." Darkstorm glanced at Bumblebee with the fiery determination he so loved to see in her. "And my spark is mine to give to whom I will. Even if my brother does not approve, I still want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"Ditto," Bumblebee smiled and kissed her cheek. Darkstorm leaned back into his embrace and watched a few stray ducks fly over the lake.
"God has truly blessed me by giving me you, my beloved scout," she whispered.
The group watched as Darkstorm and Bumblebee talked from a distance, so they could plot and not be overheard while keeping an eye on them.
Skye smiled at the other kids. "I know a good place for lunch," she said in a whisper. "The owner is a friend of the family, so I should be able to get us a good table, or rather get one for them." She nodded to the 'Bots. "This restaurant also has a live band, which I'm sure I can convince to play the right music. Then, when the sun is going down, we can take a ferry to a far shore of the lake. I know a spot that will be perfect."
"You guys know how shy they get when their relationship is mentioned, so we absolutely cannot breath a word about it." Jack addressed the group, but for his last point glared at Miko. "It'll defeat the purpose and they'll be more focused on us than each other."
Everyone nodded, and Miko offered a thumbs-up. "Sounds like a plan."
They let the 'Bots sit for a little while longer, until they heard Darkstorm say something about looking for the kids and she stood up.
Skye stepped out from behind the tree they were all hiding behind. "Hey guys!" she waved to the 'Bots as she yelled. "Let's head up to the town." They looked at each other before walking up to the kids.
"What happened to 'have fun' and 'we'll be back'?" Darkstorm asked jokingly.
"We were going to be back. But then I realized there's a place in town I want to show you guys. And since you two have human forms, I figured you may as well use them."
Darkstorm raised an optic ridge. "Alright." She and Bumblebee activated their holoforms. "So . . . what is this place in town that you wish to show us?"
Skye spoke as the group made their way to Windermere. "It's a pub owned by a friend of my family's. I've been eating there . . . probably since before I could walk. No one can make a roast quite like Bernie, and half the Lake District knows it."
"A pub . . ." Darkstorm mused, not being familiar with the word. "Well, I suppose it's worth a try. What do you say, 'Bee?"
"Sure. Why not?" he smiled.
"You guys will love it. One thing I miss about Windermere is the energy. There's always music playing somewhere, and more often than not, it's at Bernie's. And it's not just a recording either, he usually has local groups or aspiring musicians come in and play. And it's a good place to sit and catch up on the gossip." Skye smiled and shook her head. "Wow, I'm not totally romanticizing it at all."
"I think we all do that when talking about home," Jack replied.
"It sounds like a wonderful place, Skye, and I would love to experience something from your home," Darkstorm smiled.
"I'm certainly glad . . . because we wouldn't be able to step one foot in Windermere without Bernie finding me and dragging me in for some food anyway." She laughed as she finished.
Before anyone realized how close they were to the town, Skye led them onto a road and motioned to the nearby buildings with her hand. "My friends, welcome to Windermere."
"Wow," Raf said in awe.
"It's quite stunning, Skye," Darkstorm said as she admired the town.
"There isn't much here, a few museums, bus services, a couple boat repair shops, but it's still home. Now . . ." she scanned the buildings as they walked through the streets. "If memory serves, it should be coming up here soon. Hhmm-ah, there it is." She pointed to an old-looking stone building with a cracked wooden sign hanging above the door. It was still a ways down the street, but the smell was already starting to reach them.
Soon enough they bridged the gap, and as the group entered the pub, they were met with folk-style music presented by a pianist and violinist. The song ended, and everyone started clapping.
"Skye Shelsher!" The girl jumped as her name thundered across the restaurant. Everyone returned to their own conversations as a slightly stocky man walked up to the group, wrapping Skye in a hug when he reached her. "It's been too long, kid! How've you been?"
She laughed and hugged him back. "Good, Bernie." He released her and she looked around the pub. "Things are well, I see."
"Yea, place hasn't been the same since you left, but we've made do." He looked at the group behind Skye. "These your crew?"
She laughed as she looked at them herself. "Haven't gotten up to as much trouble as you back in the day, but they're fun."
Bernie put his arm around Skye's shoulders and leaned towards the kids. "This kid was everyone's favorite singer here back when she was little. In fact . . ."
She started to turn red. "Nooooonono."
He smirked at the others. "Wouldn't you like to see her put on a show?" They looked at each other.
"Bernie, I haven't sung since I went to America!"
"Just as well, then!" He grabbed her by the shoulders and started walking toward the other musicians. "Grab a seat anywhere!" he yelled to the rest of the group.
"Bernie, wait." She stopped him against the far wall when they were out of earshot of the others. "You see the blonde guy and the girl in the black? The rest of us are trying to make this special for them . . . as a couple, ya know?"
He looked at them, smiling deviously. "Ah hah . . . I think the boys have music for 'The Heart Asks Pleasure First' over there, that might help."
Skye's face lit up. "Really?" Bernie nodded to the musicians and she quickly walked over, still smiling. She stood in front of the piano, then turned to the pianist. "Heart Asks Pleasure First?" The young man nodded then sifted through the pages displayed above the keys.
"Ye want a mic?" He grabbed one off the end of the music stand next to him.
"Please." She accepted it, turned it on, then tested it by tapping it. "Bernie, I blame you for this." She pointed to the owner and the pub lit up with laughter. After clearing her throat, she nodded to the musicians behind her and music filled up the room.
"Silent night surrounding me on the shore of wistful sea. A kindest heart made me believe the world as I wish it to be," Skye began to sing. She felt her knees shaking horribly as she looked around the room, finally finding the table their group claimed. Her guardian smiled at her encouragingly and gestured for her to go on.
She closed her eyes momentarily, feeling her face getting hotter. "Wind in the wheat, kiss by a hearth, little hideaways for a lonely heart." She looked back at Darkstorm, smiling when she saw her holding Bumblebee's hand.
As she went on her shaking stabilized so she didn't feel like she'd collapse, but it was definitely still there. It made it better, though, thinking of this not so much as a performance on her part, albeit a reluctant one, but as a small gift for her friends. If nothing else, this would be a memory none would soon forget.
Finally, it ended. After the last notes from the piano and violin faded, they were replaced by applause as Skye bowed. She sighed, feigning grievance at Bernie, before walking away to join her table.
"Dude, that was awesome!" Miko exclaimed. "You never told us you could sing."
"What, that? It took all my concentration to get the sound out, let alone sound nice." She put her hand on her cheek. "Am I still red? I'm red, aren't I?"
"Just a little," Jack chuckled.
"Well, I think you did wonderfully, Skye," Darkstorm smiled widely. "That song . . . and your voice . . . it was just so beautiful." Bumblebee smiled and nodded in agreement.
Skye shook her head and re-adjusted herself in her seat. "Nah, I haven't sung like that since I left. Speaking of which," She turned her head, then waved Bernie over when she found him. "I expect a fine roast after that."
Bernie came over, putting a hand on her shoulder. "On its way, kid."
And Skye's friends found that no one truly can make a roast quite like Bernie. "Human food never ceases to surprise me," Darkstorm muttered before stuffing her mouth full.
Bumblebee chuckled quietly at her enthusiasm and handed her a napkin. "Slow down there, tiger. There's plenty of food to go around," he whispered so as not to draw attention to his odd vocal patterns.
"Sorry," Darkstorm said sheepishly. "I'm just not used to anything like this, I suppose." Her eyes met his as she took the piece of cloth from him and she smiled, blushing subtly. Jack shot Miko a warning look as she looked about to squeal and exclaim something that would embarrass the two 'Bots.
"You were right. This is really good, Skye," Raf smiled.
"Yup. No one can make them quite like Bernie," Skye grinned. She waited until everyone was finished before announcing to Darkstorm and Bumblebee where they planned to go next. "So . . . I was thinking after this we head over to the lake. I know a ferry that can take us over to a spot that's really beautiful this time of day."
"Well, everything you've suggested has been rather fun so far. I say let's do it," Darkstorm agreed. As they were leaving the pub, Bernie caught Skye into another hug.
"It was good to see you again. But don't wait so long between visits, eh?"
"I'll try, Bernie," Skye chuckled.
They all said their goodbyes and Skye lead them back towards the lake where several weather-beaten boats were docked. Skye went up to a particularly small boat and whispered a few things to the ferryman. What, Bumblebee and Darkstorm weren't exactly sure but, they didn't ask any questions.
The humans and 'Bots filed onto the ferry and the boat slowly made its descent to the far side of the lake. Darkstorm smiled softly as she saw Earth's sun paint colors across the steadily darkening sky. The sunsets here certainly were more spectacular than they were on Cybertron. The water reflected the extravagant colors of the sky until they eventually faded away. Night had fallen. The stars shone brightly and the only noises that reached her ears were the occasional chirp from a cricket and the soft conversations of the human children. Darkstorm blushed as she felt Bumblebee move closer to her.
"It's stunning, isn't it?" she asked softly. The scout smiled and nodded in silent agreement. His hand found hers once more in the darkness and the Seeker sighed contently. "This certainly has been quite an outing . . . I've never done anything like this before." Bumblebee shook his head, signaling that he hadn't either. Darkstorm understood. The human would become suspicious if Bumblebee spoke since the boat was small but, it was fine this way. Darkstorm had learned to read Bumblebee over the vast amount of time they spent together. Even the smallest action he made spoke to her.
Blue eyes met concealed red and Darkstorm felt so much just from that one gaze. Love.
He truly loved her. He loved her so much that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Imagine, a compassionate, loyal, considerate Autobot scout wanting to associate with a former Decepticon. One who had done terrible things while under that banner. But in that gaze Darkstorm knew that he didn't care. He never truly did. He accepted her even with all her flaws and insecurities and she knew he would protect her, even to the end. Likewise, she would give her very life to protect him, for he had to be one of the best things that has ever happened to her.
She truly loved him. She loved him so much that she was willing to give her own life to protect him and his charge from Megatron. The very thought still baffled the young scout. What had he ever done to deserve someone like her? A sweet, kind, intelligent, and strong femme who loved him even despite his disability. Bumblebee gently took off her sunglasses and saw in her eyes that she never cared about that. To her, he was some knight in shining armor, not a reckless, immature youngling who couldn't even properly speak. And she said yes . . . She was willing to spend the rest of her life with him. Bumblebee honestly couldn't believe his luck . . . The human Primus must have had a hand in this for Darkstorm . . . she was his angel.
"Bumblebee?" Darkstorm whispered but she was stopped as Bumblebee leaned over and kissed her. Her heart hammered within her holoform's chest and immediately all thoughts of the children possibly watching or other such insecurities left her mind. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned it.
The two soon pulled away. Darkstorm felt her spirits soar as if she had drank an entire case of high grade. She felt her cheeks grow warm and she smiled widely when Bumblebee placed an arm around her shoulders. The two sat there contently, staring at the picturesque lake and sky, until the boat traveled back to shore.
The humans pretended that they saw nothing as they stepped out of the boat. "So, how did you two like it?" Skye asked innocently.
"I loved it, Skye. Thank you," Darkstorm smiled.
Her charge smiled back and gave her guardian a hug. "You're welcome, Darkstorm." Darkstorm happily returned the embrace.
"Now, I suggest we all head back to base. It's getting rather late," Darkstorm looked at Raf pointedly, "and I know it's far past your bedtime, Raf."
"O-Okay," Raf yawned. Bumblebee chuckled and commed the Autobot base as they walked back into a dense part of the woods so the ground bridge wouldn't be detected. A few moments later the bridge appeared and they all entered it, Bumblebee and Darkstorm deactivating their holoforms.
"So, how'd it go?" Bulkhead asked, a subtle smirk forming across his facial plating.
"Awesome, Bulk'," Miko grinned and gave her guardian a thumbs-up.
Bumblebee raised an optic ridge but quickly hid it. He was beginning to figure out what went on. "Come on, Raf. Your mom will kill me if I get you home late again."
"And that truly would be a sticky situation," Darkstorm giggled before smiling at Raf. "Goodnight, my dear youngling. We'll see you tomorrow." Raf smiled groggily and waved goodbye as Bumblebee transformed and drove towards his home. Likewise, Bulkhead and Arcee also transformed and took their charges home. The base was fairly quiet then. Optimus, Drift, Jolt, and Shiv were already in their quarters and Ratchet was monitoring the base's computer, though Darkstorm knew he too would go to recharge soon. She smiled as she saw her brother come up to her.
"So, I take it everything went well?" he asked.
"Yes, Brother. Everything went just fine . . . You know, it's a shame no one else came with us. You would have loved it there. The sky is absolutely stunning at night."
"I can imagine," Skybreak chuckled. "Well, I'd better go recharge. Goodnight, Darkstorm." He paused before looking down at Skye who had followed her guardian closely. "Goodnight, Skye."
" 'Night, Skybreak," Skye smiled.
The large red and black Seeker left to go to his own quarters before Skye and Darkstorm entered theirs. Darkstorm gently picked up her charge and carefully maneuvered herself to a comfortable position where her wings weren't irritated. She then placed her charge on her little spot on the berth where her pillows and blankets were located.
"Thank you, Skye . . . for everything. That truly was an enjoyable experience for all of us."
"You're welcome," Skye smiled softly before yawning.
"Goodnight," Darkstorm whispered.
"Goodnight," Skye whispered back before falling asleep. Darkstorm studied her a few moments more before bringing a digit to her lips and softly placing the digit on Skye's forehead.
"I love you, Skye," Darkstorm murmured before she too fell asleep.
A/N: *sniff* Oh my gosh . . . All the feelings in this chapter, I just . . . It's beautiful. I mean, I'm usually not into this mushy stuff but dyang. Teh feels! *blows my nose* Ahem. Anyway, we wish to thank all the reviewers and the lovely folks who have favorited and followed this story. We love all of you. And, remember, God's love for us can transcend what mere human men and women can give. People can break our hearts and betray and reject us but God never can. He loves us unconditionally despite what we may have done. He gave His only son for us so that we could spend eternity with Him . . . there is no love that is greater than that.
A/N: We not only give feels, but a bucketload of fluffy feels! Hope you guys enjoyed them as much as we did-Dream writing them, me coming back from watching Planes and squeeing while reading them (hey, just 'cause I coauthor doesn't mean I can't spaz and fangirl with the best of 'em). I hope to have some new artworks coming for this fic sometime as well ^^ but I'm getting off-topic. As Dream'sRealm said, we love and appreciate you all and your love and support :3 And give cookies to you awesome peoples *laaa*
Theme Song: One Drop- Plumb
"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Ephesians 3: 19.
God bless each and every one of you!
Until next time, Dream'sRealm