A/N: Here's another chapter for everybody. R&R, if you please. ~Gin
Chapter 4:
"Speaking"
"Bumblebee Radio"
Finally making it to her room, Ace tossed her tool bag onto her bed before sliding into her car and slowly driving it out onto the tarmac before Bee rumbled up beside her.
"What do you think, Bee?"
"Sweet ride!"
Chuckling at the voice from the radio, Ace began to drive forwards,
"What about a race?"
"Yes!"
"Around the base once and whoever makes it back here first wins. If you win you get a full frame massage. I win and you start teaching me how to scout."
Bumblebee's engines revved in eagerness before Ace got one of the soldiers to act as referee and as soon as they yelled go, the shriek of tires and the roar of engines was all that was heard.
Ace followed close behind Bumblebee but not too far behind, getting a feel for his speed and maneuverability.
Half a lap went by before Ace whooped and stomped on the accelerator, shifting gears in perfect time as her engine roared shooting her forwards.
Honestly, Bumblebee had never gone up against such a good driver with such a good machine in their control, watching as Ace drifted around the corner, barely bothering to slow down.
It was definitely a treat to see how well Ace drove as a human as she overtook him, her normal human car out gunning him.
Having heard the roar of the engines and the squeal of the tires, quite a crowd had gathered to see Bumblebee left in the dust as Ace crossed the designated finish line.
Cheers and whoops sounded causing Ace to laugh as she slowed to a stop, turning off the car before the NEST soldiers practically tackled her in a hug and various cheers sounded. Ace was even scooped up by some of the Autobots and hugged carefully before being set back on her feet.
Of course now the lambo twins wanted to race her which she agreed to, however she would have to wait until Ratchet gave her another free day seeing as her car had been sitting for two weeks and then had been pushed into a race.
She'd have to give it a bit of a tune up and probably start driving it around the base instead of walking to make sure it stayed in top condition.
Of course bots and people had talked when she had managed to outrace Bumblebee who was known to be quite fast for a scout.
Everyone was talking when she had managed to outstrip the twins in a completely fair setting and true to their word, Bumblebee began to teach her how to scout and the Twins explained jet judo to her.
In all honestly, Ace thrived under the bots tutelage, learning everything that she could or were willing to teach her.
When the bots went to battle, Ace went with them, driving her car across the battlefield to provide aid to their bots as she could move much faster than Ratchet, she could get them at least stabilized until he got there.
Scanning over his exhausted, trembling assistant, Ratchet had her wash her arms off with the water she always carried in the trunk as they had energon on them.
Not enough to do damage but her skin would be sensitive for a couple weeks if not just a week afterwards.
For her first time on an actual battlefield, Ace had done very well, she hadn't lost her head or panicked once, not even when one of the Cons had given chase after her.
Using the skills that she had honed over the years, Ace had outmaneuvered them and had darted back into the protection of the Autobots who had closed ranks around her.
Scooping Ace up into his servo after she had washed the energon from her arms, Ratchet gently revved his engine as she lay pressed against his chassis, eventually pushing her into sleep as Bumblebee very carefully grabbed Ace's car and carried it back to base.
Everyone had been warned that if they had damaged her car she would cannibalize them for parts and that had definitely caused everyone to make sure to keep an optic out for her and her ride.
Jolting awake with a gasp, Ace looked around wildly, finding herself back in her quarters and her car set carefully were she usually parked it.
Rubbing burning eyes, Ace got up, stretching comfortably as her body popped and crackled as she walked into the wash racks as the Bots called it.
Showering quickly, Ace turned off the hot water, drying off with the scratchy towel before pulling her pajamas on but rather than lay back down and go to sleep, Ace began to roam the halls.
The smooth floor was cool, almost cold under her bare feet but it didn't bother her all that much as she continued to walk the halls until she was able to head outside.
Hearing the soft rumble of an engine, Ace turned, spotting Optimus sitting, one leg propped up slightly on a boulder as his arm rested over his knee joint as he looked up at the sky.
"Optimus, may I join you?"
Torn out of his thoughts, Optimus looked over to find Ace standing near his pede, dressed in her pajamas as she called them though he was quick to note that she was barefoot.
"Of course."
Setting his servo down beside Ace, he waited until she had climbed into it before lifting her up as he rested his arm once more on his knee joint, though this time his servo faced up instead of draped down.
"Are you alright, Optimus?"
"I am, thank you for asking."
Smiling, Ace hooked her arm over Optimus's thumb, pressing her body against the side of it to get some extra warmth as it was quite chilly.
Noting this, Optimus settled back on the ground, his arm coming up to rest behind his helm as he settled Ace on his chassis over his spark chamber where it would be the warmest, as well as cycling warm air through his frame.
Resting on her back on Optimus's chassis, Ace folded her arms behind her head as his servo rested slightly over her to help keep her warm.
"Hey! It's my favorite constellation."
Curious, Optimus began to look through the sky, many constellations popping up and many different names for each one,
"May I ask which one?"
"One of the easiest to find. Orion. See his belt?"
Looking up, Optimus did indeed see the constellation Ace spoke of,
"Alnilam, Mintaka, and Alnitak are the three stars that make up Orion's belt. Betelgeuse is the right shoulder, Bellatrix is the left shoulder. Hatsya is the tip of the sword that hangs off the belt. Meissa forms Orion's head, Saiph serves as Orion's right knee whereas Rigel forms the hunter's left knee."
Optimus listened with interest as Ace named the stars that made up the Orion constellation as it definitely wasn't common knowledge and most humans only knew the name of the constellations, not the names of the stars that made them up. It also greatly amused him that her favorite constellation was his former designation.
"I can always find Orion in the sky. In the summer the stars are close together but in the winter they space out quite a bit. It's really cool to study."
Giving a different study to talk about, Optimus began to ask questions about their stars and was pleased to find that Ace had the answers for them but after a couple hours she had lapsed into sleep, resting warm and comfortable on Optimus's chassis.
When Optimus got up he was very careful not to jostle Ace as best he could, cradling her in his servo against his chassis.
Figuring that Ace wouldn't mind, Optimus headed to his own quarters, settling on the berth and pulling the thermablanket up slightly after making sure she would not fall from his chassis.
Slipping into recharge was easier than it had been and Optimus did so gladly, his frame relaxing beneath Ace as she rested curled up on her side, over his spark chamber.
