Sorry it's been a bit. Life's been hecktic, and will probably be like that for a few more months. Not much I can do about it, so just hold onto your hats and keep calm. I'm still going to update Shadows and Gold, it will just be longer than I like.
I don't own anything, sadly, but I'll survive somehow. Enjoy!
Chapter 6
"Wha' ya doin' out here?" came a thickly accented voice that had become very familiar to me over the past few weeks. But I didn't turn to face the saboteur, my face remaining towards the dark sky, rain falling heavily all around me.
The storm had hit the island closer to my predicted time than Prowl, so I once again won at our little game. Right when that first crack of thunder had sounded through the thick, heavily armored walls of the Ark, I had left Prowl's and my room. I hadn't even bothered to change out of my pajamas.
I didn't care if I woke my guardian or not, I just wanted out of the room. It had suddenly felt like it was suffocating me. So I went outside, just in time to see the first fat raindrops fall from the clouded night sky. Lightning streaked across the sky in brilliant flashes, thunder right behind.
In the downpour, I stood still, finally relaxing after all these years, being stuck in the enemy's brig, then the hospital, and now at the ship. I did appreciate all that the Autobots had done for me, particularly the Charger that was my guardian, but I loved storms. This was my escape.
"It is only for me to know, Jazz," I answered the TIC, eye closed, enjoying the feeling of the water hitting my body and soaking me to the bone. I was quite a distance away from the ship, so he had to be very wet, or as wet as metal could get. "Ratchet would have a fit if he found out that you were out here in this storm." I finally turned to face him, being met with a smirk and glowing visor.
"Ah could say da same thing fer ya, Colonel," he cheekily replied. "Ya comin' back now? Prowler's getting' worried."
"Tell him that I will be in after it blows over." It was a cryptic answer, and we both knew it, but I refused to elaborate. I needed Jazz gone. I needed to blow off steam, and it couldn't happen with the master infiltrator here, in the same vicinity.
During storms, when I learned how to talk and walk, every storm I was outside for. I even went as far as to breaking out of the brig from a well-deserved punishment, just to go in the rain. Boy, my parents were mad, as were the other members of team.
Storms were my release. I could cry out my fears, dance in my joys, and everything in between. And I don't mean like crying with salty tears, but shouting to the vast nothingness. I would never dare tell anyone those things. But Jazz didn't leave, just like I had predicted. He wanted answers, answers I wouldn't give him unless I trusted him without doubt, and that would take a very long time to achieve.
"Prowler, Ah'm out 'ere with her. Don't worry, Ah'll keep an optic on her." The TIC was talking over the comm link to Prowl. I was unable to hear the SIC's response, but my best guess was that he grudgingly accepted Jazz's offer to 'keep an optic on me.' "A'right. Talk ta ya later."
"Jazz, you should just head back to the Ark. I want to be alone."
"Sorry, bu' Ah promised Prowler that Ah'd stay 'ere with ya. No gettin' rid o' meh."
"I won't ask again." Okay, so I never actually asked him to leave, but I needed to be alone. Why didn't he just see that and go back to the ship? Why did he have to come out here, at or not at Prowl's request? I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I'd mentioned it before that I have been doing so since I was ten years old. "Leave," I ordered, my normal monotone voice tense with frustration and anger.
"No," he said back, defiantly. "Ah'm not leavin'." There goes my relaxation, I thought as I turned to finally face him.
"When someone wants to be alone, you should respect that. There are reasons why I wish to be left alone, but you must be on a need-to-know basis, which you aren't. You don't have to be out here, I don't care if you want to be. If you want to, go do it someplace else, and just leave me alone." I stressed the last word, my eye burning into his blue visor.
"No." Fed up, I turned on my heel and began to walk farther away, deep into the storm, slowly making my way towards the wave-battered shores. And Jazz followed, but kept a distance between us, for which I was grateful. Trees swayed in the wind, waves crashing against the sand and rock of the coastline. Rain poured down in fury, lightning flashing, and thunder cracked. The island was being beaten into submission by the tropical storm, but it refused to give up.
I began to hum quietly to myself as I walked away from the trailing Jazz. I knew the perfect way to get rid of him, too. All I had to do was go in the water, swim for a bit, then come back once the coast was clear of all saboteur plating. I had become a strong swimmer, learning different techniques from my mother, my Navy SEAL father, and when I went into the Marines. I liked to swim like my father had taught me, pretending my arms were tied and hands bound behind my back. I always called it swimming like a dolphin, but my mother said we swam like mermaids.
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance...I hope you dance.
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance...I hope you dance.
I hope you dance...I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
Dance...I hope you dance.
I hope you dance...I hope you dance.
I hope you dance...I hope you dance..
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone)
I sang it quietly, under my breath. Unseen, unshed tears pricked behind my eye, wanting to fall, but with a strong will, I pushed them away. I always loved that song for as long as I could remember. That and Who I Am. Those were songs that really described me as a person.
I looked upwards at the sky, the heavy rain becoming a mere sprinkle, and I was still distinctly aware of Jazz somewhere behind me. My golden-amber eye closed, and I felt the raindrops shift to a fine drizzle, the strong winds dying down. I hadn't gone into the water, which now had calmed, but I was soaked as if I had actually done so. With a parting sigh, now content that I had sung in the rain, I walked straight past a stunned Jazz, towards the Ark. I hadn't gotten to dance like I normally did, but for now, I was actually happy. With a smile unseen to anyone, I continued on my way, my mind a million and some miles away.
Hope you like this slower chapter. For the next few, I think I'm going to jump ahead in time and give you some more fight scenes and such. Tell me what you think of it so far, and I'll take anything you have to say in consideration. The two songs were I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack and Who I Am by Jessica Andrews. Both are country songs/artists, which is what I mostly listen to. I gave you a bit more background info in my OC, so I hope you like it.
I bet you never would've guessed that she liked to sing and dance in the rain. I have played in the rain when I was little, but I haven't had the chance to do as I had described in the story. But I had always wanted to sing and dance in the rain, like Thana normally did.
Hope you enjoyed it and have a great day!
