AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thank you so much to Audi for some of the Barricade and Starscream dialogue in the second Decepticon part!

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

We're getting into the Clara/Sam romance part.

=P

****

Starscream had been a little skittish around Megatron the last five months, mainly because everyone around him seemed to be being more helpful than he was. He was fairly certain also that Megatron was still a little sore about him making them run when Optimus killed The Fallen in the last battle they had actually encountered. The cowardly bot was cooking up a scheme in his head, trying desperately to figure out how to get back into Megatron's good graces and not quite sure how to do that exactly.

"Your nervousness is kind of distracting." Devastator pointed out as he tinkered away on Machshifter.

Starscream jerked his head in the direction of the fellow Decepticon. "I am simply trying to figure out how exactly to carry out this plan. I would like to be the one to follow Machshifter out for his testing, but the jobs like that are always given to Barricade."

Devastator nodded. "To be fair, Starscream, Barricade is the only one that has gotten close to Clara besides Megatron, so doesn't it seem only fitting he should be the one to go back out into the field to bring her in so that Megatron can in turn lure Optimus here?"

Starscream shrugged. "It seems to me that Barricade gets to have all the fun around here."

At the sound of a noise behind them Starscream gave a small yelp, Devastator laughing when Bonecrusher came in to check on how things were going, leaving and laughing himself at Starscream's reaction. Tossing Devastator a glare, Starscream remembered that it had in fact been Barricade that had cornered Clara when he realized that she wore a symbol of Cybertron—Barricade who had been defeated by Optimus back when the All Spark was still whole. Clara had only ever been close to capture by Barricade and so this mission was personal to him…but Starscream wanted to have his moment in the sun too.

"You're thinking…don't hurt yourself." Devastator told him, attaching a couple pieces together.

Starscream looked at him angrily. "Oh, ha, ha, ha—make fun of the coward."

"Well since you gave me permission to." Devastator said with a laugh and then held his hands up in surrender. "Sorry, I've been bored lately…want my advice, Starscream?"

"Yes." Starscream said after a pause. "I really would."

Devastator nodded. "When I get Machshifter up and ready to go, follow even if Megatron doesn't tell you to go—nab Clara before Barricade can, and bring her back here and see how Megatron rewards you."

Starscream started to smile as he ran Devastator's suggestion over and over again in his head and he really couldn't see the problem. If he kidnapped Clara and brought her in, then Megatron would have no choice but to give him more respect, and the other Decepticons would have to stop picking on him all the time. In fact, if Starscream pulled this off he would be the one that would be picked first to go out and gather things up and take people out…even if he wasn't really so happy about battling if Optimus was involved.

"Good idea…let me know when Machshifter is up and running." Starscream told Devastator, and left to go and put his capture plan together.

****

Jenna had decided to bring Adriana with her to NEST because the two of them had graduated early. Almost 18 and out of school, Jenna wishing Clara would talk to them because her 20th birthday was soon, and she knew Sam wanted to throw her a big house-warming/birthday party and it just wouldn't be a good birthday party if her sister wasn't talking to her. Besides, it had been three weeks since Sam and Clara had moved in and though a little less accommodating and more stubborn, she was still the same old Clara since she took the necklace off and handed it over to Optimus…so was giving up the necklaces the way to go? It really didn't help that Rachet and Ironhide were really upset.

"Ironhide! Damn-it, stay still!" Emma yelled, sighing loudly. "I'm really getting sick and tired of your PMS!"

Jenna sighed. "I take it he's still being a big baby about the necklace thing?"

"Who isn't around here?!" Emma asked exasperatedly, shocking Ironhide on purpose to immobilize him. "This is what I'm reduced to doing in order to outfit him with new fucking weapons! Hey, Andy…I'll be down in just a minute and show you guys where your room is. I believe you wanted to help with the communications and Jenna, you wanted to get combat training? I'll run you guys through the tour soon…just let me cross a couple wires and put this thingy in."

"Take your time, Em—really." Adriana told her, looking around the enclave. "Wow…you guys really have all the fun."

"Oh yeah?" Atom asked her, and she smiled and picked the Autobot up, hugging him. "I would never trade you in, At—I just really like it here."

Atom nodded, trying to be supportive of her, but he was a little afraid of being left behind for a bigger more impressive bots. Glitcher felt that way sometimes about Optimus, but Clara had such a big heart with so much love to share, that Glitcher had waved it off mostly. Still, Atom wasn't sure exactly if Adriana was gonna leave him for a bigger bot, and so it was a little harder for him. He knew how much Jenna, Emma and Adriana adored Bumblebee.

"I think it's kind of awesome that you know about the Autobots, Andy." Jenna told her as they walked to their lockers one morning.

Adriana smiled at her. "You don't think I'm encroaching on your territory or something?"

Emma shook her head. "Nah, we like having someone to talk to about it."

Adriana was really glad that her friends had let her into their little circle of secrecy surrounding the friendly robotic aliens, and after grabbing their things out of their lockers, followed them to Sam's. Sam and Clara had a field day that day and were already at Sam's because they got to go home early, and Adriana was dying to see Bumblebee. He was really the only one that any of the girls interacted with besides Atom and Glitcher, and since Sam kept the poor guy locked up, it was a novelty to get to go and talk to him.

"Hey guys!" Adrian exclaimed happily upon arriving.

Clara smiled at her. "Hey, Andy! Bee's getting a talking to at the moment."

Adriana laughed. "Oh yeah? What did he do this time?"

Clara laughed too. "Ask Sam—he's the one that's been touchy lately."

Adriana nodded and went into the garage, smiling at Bumblebee as Sam went past her, waving and heading out to see Clara. If there was one thing that everyone knew, it was that Clara and Sam were closer than they were letting on…but Bumblebee was much more interesting to Adriana.

"Where is Optimus?" Adriana asked Jenna as she came into the enclave as well.

Jenna looked around and shrugged a little. "He's probably out patrolling or checking on Clara. He does that a lot…if he were human, I'd think he'd try and marry her or something."

Adriana laughed awkwardly. "What? That's ridiculous. Do Autobots even think like that?"

Jenna shrugged and laughed. "I know Emma wishes Ironhide did."

****

Starscream was certainly trying to upstage Barricade, but it wasn't working in his favor too much. Barricade was in one of his moods, and Starscream was fidgety and had no idea what he was going to do. After a little while, Barricade was getting a little upset with the noise that Starscream was making and talked to him and tried hard not to look away from Clara and Sam and Leo from a hiding place outside their apartment.

"Will you keep it down over there, Starscream? I'm trying to spy." Barricade told him exasperatedly.

"Keep it down I'm trying to spy!" Starscream mimicked annoyed. "Well I'm trying to spy also if you didn't notice!"

Barricade raised a metal eyebrow as he looked at the bot. "You call not even looking in the right apartment spying?"

"What?" Starscream asked, and then watched as Barricade pointed into the apartment, Clara's back to the window. "I caught something shiny in the window and I thought it might be a necklace."

Barricade laughed as the Decepticon started to pout and then looked back into the window. It was a little harder with Leo in the apartment now, but that situation could easily be rectified if given the right time. Eventually Clara would be by herself and even if she wasn't, Machshifter could easily pose as a college student…maybe as their new roommate.

"Well maybe if you got your spark untangled and thought for once, maybe I wouldn't have to be babysitting you." Barricade sighed.

Starscream gasped. "BABYSITTING?! I don't know what you think Megatron thinks of you, but you're certainly not at a higher station than ME!"

Barricade scoffed at him. "I'd say that I'm definitely superior to you, Starscream. You're cowardly, ridiculous, incompentent, and no one would trust you to do anything."

Starscream glared at Barricade. "If it weren't for my cowardliness Megatron and I wouldn't not be here!"

"Maybe it would be a good thing if you weren't here." Barricade said nonchalantly. "And hey, don't come back, okay?"

With another angry glare and a little gasp, Starscream transformed and flew off, Barricade shaking his head and watching as Clara shook her head. She seemed to be rather annoyed with Leo at the moment, and Barricade started to get ideas…started to get ideas about what to do with Machshifter…about how to use Machshifter.

****

Clara rolled her eyes as Leo told a story about a Freshman girl he had the hots for, and popped a Doritoe into her mouth. She wasn't really in Leo's story for the 'ass he was gonna get this year', but she couldn't deny she thought he was funny. Leo always had some kind of ridiculous story to tell and he'd had them even when Sam had introduced them to each other. Used to them or not though, Clara hadn't quite registered in her mind that she was signing on to hear those stories over and over again.

"Wait a minute, so…you haven't actually spoken to her?" Sam asked Leo.

Leo shrugged. "I don't have to speak to her, Sam—her body speaks to me."

Clara rolled her eyes. "Oh my God you're easy."

Leo laughed. "Hey, at least I'm gonna get a little something, something this year. What about you, huh? I don't see you getting any boyfriends this year."

"Hey, lay off her, Leo." Sam said suddenly.

Clara and Leo were both a little thrown off by Sam's sudden anger on the subject, but he waved it off. Leo raised an eyebrow for a second but dove right into another story and Clara couldn't help but dwell on it. Why was Sam so upset with the talk of her getting a boyfriend when she and him had discussed it in Bumblebee? The two of them had to move on, and though she knew he wasn't entirely on board, he had agreed. In fact, Sam had told her he already had someone else lined up.

"Yay for bagels!" Clara exclaimed as Sam got into Bumblebee.

Bumblebee laughed a little, hoping the two would finally up and deal with the sexual tension between them. He'd seen the way they'd always interacted with each other, and he wanted more than anything for them both to be happy. It had become abundantly clear to him and to everyone else around them that they were perfect for each other, but they were too stubborn to see it. Sam finally realizes that he has feelings for her, and suddenly Clara needs more…she was silly.

"I got us some popcorn too." Sam told her with a smile.

Clara laughed a little and took a bite of her bagel. "I think we should talk about the living arrangements, Sampson…like how we should get ourselves some relationships—and not bring them back to the apartment—that's just tacky."

Sam swallowed a little. "So you want to get a boyfriend this year that isn't me?"

"Well come on, Sampson…it would be awkward for Leo." Clara tried.

Sam nodded. "Oh yeah, completely."

She knew he didn't quite mean it, but he was trying to support her, and she was trying to be strong. All she wanted was to be with Sam, but it was too hard every time she saw Mikaela's face in her mind's eye. Mikaela had been in love with Sam, and now Sam had changed his mind and Clara could only imagine what it was like to be in her shoes. So she talked to Sam about her plans for the new living arrangement, even if she didn't at all believe her own reasonings anymore.

"I think it's about time I decided to go ahead and get my act together and bought my school books. I mean I know we still have a few weeks, and our roommate shows up tomorrow, but I mean, come on—less party and more study." Clara said with a laugh, popping another Doritoe into her mouth.

Leo groaned. "Oh my God, is she going to be a downer like this all the time, Bro? Cause I'd like to bring chicks into a much less studious environment."

Clara laughed and rolled her eyes. "Like anyone's coming home with you, Leo."

"Yeah and besides—Clara and I already made a very strict no bringing people home rule." Sam told Leo with a shrug.

"What? Come on, guys! You have another roommate!" Leo protested.

"Yeah," Clara laughed, "one who's not getting laid."

Leo's mouth gaped open and he stormed into his room, Sam laughing and then turning to Clara who blushed when she realized he was gazing at her and quickly took her hair out of her ponytail. She grabbed the bag of Doritoes and sat on the couch, turning on the TV and trying to ignore that Sam was sitting right next to her…and that he smelled rather fantastic at that particular moment. She even somehow managed to just bite her lip when Sam ran his toes up and down her leg and tucked hair behind her ear.

"I still don't understand why you won't be my girlfriend." Sam told her softly.

Clara turned to look him in the eye and realized she didn't have an answer for him anymore.

Clara no longer had any reasons to ignore Sam Witwicky…