A/N: Don't own Transformers, the usual. I'm also working on another fanfic that will be a little kinder to the Autobot fans, ha ha. There's Autobots in chapter 11, okay? OKAY. (:

"Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you" –Coldplay

--

"A-Are you trying to t-tell me something, sir?" questioned the femme, clasping her hands together behind her back.

"You ask too many questions! That isn't the issue right now." He glanced at the dissected guns on the counter.

"It's possible that I could combine the two, but it'll take a few hours," he sneered, "Are you that patient?"

"I-I can wait." Data pulled herself up onto the counter, diagonal to where Starscream was sitting as he took the weapons apart. She recalled the dream in which Comet had been rebuilt and shuddered.

Starscream's optics flickered back and forth between Data's arm, the guns, and a new set of plans he was already drawing up, frowning. Data remained as still as possible; she didn't want to test his patience today, or any other day.

Data gasped as Starscream grabbed her arm to get a closer look; he smirked.

"Not used to that, are you?"

"I-I can't say that I am."

"Feh, no wonder, living with Autobots all this time. Highly impassionate, even for scrap heaps."

"I-I was taught the opposite."

"By the Autobots…"

"Y-You're right, sir, I-I'm sorry." Starscream rolled his optics and returned to his work, Data staring into space without much thought for a while. Out of the blue, she smiled to herself.

It was ironic, she decided, that both herself and Comet had grown grudges against seekers after they'd denied the truth they'd been told, then quickly requested help from them. She let out a small giggle.

"What's so amusing?" Starscream questioned, and then quickly added, "You laugh like a child."

"N-Nothing, sir." She bowed her head, smile fading. There was silence for a while, until Starscream grabbed her arm again.

"I'm going to have to take this off to work on it."

"T-The cannon?"

"Your arm." Data shivered, nodding slowly. Starscream reached for her upper arm, more gently than Data expected; he pulled it completely out of its socket, causing the femme to whimper tearfully in pain, though she hid her face from him.

"I know what I'm doing, so stop it. You asked for it." He snapped bitterly, "It'll hurt a lot more if it gets blown off."

"I-I'm sorry s-sir, it's v-very painful," Data whispered. Watching your own arm while it isn't attached to your body is a very strange experience, she found. Slowly, the pain disappeared, and she sighed in relief.

"You might as well take off the other one too. Get the pain over with."

"Y-Yes sir," she nodded, letting him pull off her left arm as she winced in pain. Starscream smirked at the armless femme.

"And I thought you looked pitiful before." Data blushed, lying back so she wouldn't have to balance without her arms.

The hush caused Data's mind to wander once more. She decided she'd been lucky to catch him in a better mood than usual, nothing more.

She jumped as she felt something against her feet.

"S-Sir?"

"I refuse to carry you again. Now you can fly alone- it isn't exactly easy to fly with someone else with you, even if you are puny."

"T…Thank you so much, L-Lord Starscream!" she cried, smiling brightly as he reached to sit her up.

"Almost done."

Starscream fitted the arms, now equipped with larger, more powerful cannons. They were nowhere near the size or power of, say, Megatron's, but they were a definite improvement over the flimsy little ones she'd had before that only dented walls.

"I-I d-don't know how to thank you, sir…"

"There's no time for that. Come on."

"W-Where are we going?" She stretched her arms.

"I'm not going to embarrass myself by leaving you to fly on your own and then having you crash into a tree. Hurry up."

"Y-Yes sir," she smiled, jumping up and running to catch up, an extra clank evident in her step.

"The Autobots won't come this way," Starscream assured her, standing on a large boulder jutting out of the ocean. Data whimpered, looking up at the sunny sky with slight worry.

"If it makes you feel any better, I can catch you," he grumbled, "Now activate it and it should start up. They're slightly underpowered, which is why I scrapped them, but you're just a tiny thing." Hesitantly, she followed instruction, and quickly began rising into the air.

"W-What do I do?!" she cried, flailing her arms around her.

"Put your arms out in front of you and steer!" He called back; Data nodded frantically and soon found herself able to fly around in a circle. Suddenly, a weak beam shot up in front of her, and she panicked, accidentally turning off the jets and sending her hurdling toward the ground. True to his word, the seeker caught her, amused.

"They'll always try to shoot you out of the air. Jealous, I think; most of them can't even fly." Data nodded, embarrassed. She got to her feet and tried again. This time she was able to dodge a little better, and she felt a slight pride in herself. She gently let herself down to the ground, smiling shakily as she tried to catch her balance.

"Better than I'd anticipated for your first try," laughed Starscream, "But I doubt you'll need to do too much flying. What a shame."

"I-It's fun, I'll admit…"

"You think I didn't know that?" smirked the seeker, "But I suppose we should get back to base."

"Y-Yes, sir." She followed her superior back the same way they had came, her mood drastically improved from the moment she'd shown up at his door, shivering. Now she felt as if she could take on anything those stupid Autobots could throw at her.

"T-Thank you again, Lord Starscream," Data bowed, foolish smile still evident on her face.

"You shouldn't have any problems tomorrow then."

"I-I hope not, sir- M-Megatron's looking to get rid of me, I-I think…"

"You're the first femme he's seen in ages," Starscream laughed. "I wouldn't count on it."

"H-He said he wouldn't kill me 'yet'," she whimpered, "S-Sir, I-I know it's pathetic, but I'm scared," she admitted, ashamed. "W-What if he corners me and its t-too late for a-anyone to help?" Starscream gritted his teeth.

"Stop whining! Does it really bother you that much?"

"Y-Yes, s-sir…" He snickered.

"Then you'll stay with me." Data stared at him, her jaw dropping.

"W-What?!" She sputtered, hoping her receptors were merely acting up.

"Oh, hush. Just because I'm a Decepticon doesn't mean I'm without any manners; you can trust me." Data looked down at the floor. This would be an extreme case of defying orders, and Megatron wasn't exactly going soft on her anymore- but if he decided to do that anyway, perhaps it was best to have someone to theoretically protect her.

"P-Please don't hurt me," she whispered, taking a few steps toward him and letting him curl his arm around her, and for once, she somehow felt as if she knew she was safe.

--

"Hold me now, oh hold me now
'til this hour has gone around
And I'm gone on the rising tide
For to face Van Diemen's land" –U2

Candy Stars: Yaaaaaay thank you for reading !! There shall be more excitement in the next chapter, I promise promise promise!

I AM SAD! There is no Junkion fics here, and that makes me sad sad Anyway. Reviews are love! Thanks!