The Flaming Dawn
by Zaru
New Summary: Time has passed. A government team is now working with the Autobots. The past comes to present and a relationship is tested. And Decepticons are ready to make their way back to earth only to realize their sparks are pulsating for none other, than humans.
Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. I do own Zaru Kiys. I own Club Kunoichi. Leiana Lopez belongs to Ninjalala. Rose Connelly belongs to BlackwingRose. Jade Rivers belongs to Icarian Angel Wings. Kia Hawkins belongs to weapon13white fang. Piper Somoon belongs to BlackHealer222. Erin Timmons belongs to Strawberrytop007. Bethany King belongs to Mrs. Optimus Prime. I own characters with small/very minor roles as well. Songs sang/mentioned belong to their writers/singers/creators.
A/n: Chapter 9. I think it's great. Don't you? And I'm sorry for the late update of chapter 9. I've been pretty busy. And sick. And having major headaches more than usual. XD
Chapter 9
A couple days later….
Erin sat at the breakfast table in the small kitchen scooping cereal out of her near empty bowl. She ate slowly, keeping an eye on the time while also reading the information packet she was given for Tranquility College. It was rather close to the time when she and Jade were to pack themselves into the jeep she owned and drive over to where her friend worked as a singer. Meeting the boss would also give her an opportunity to ask for a job. If there was one available at least. Jade had mentioned to her about a couple waitresses and waiters being fired recently, so positions were open. Unfortunately, Erin had no prior experience in serving. So, her chances of actually achieving her goal of getting a job soon would be slim to none.
As the minutes ticked by, the strawberry blonde was almost finished with her cereal. But her stomach wouldn't' allow her to consume anymore due to it being full. Sighing, she stood up and scooped the rest of the cereal into the garbage disposal before flicking the switch, jumping at the loud sound it made. Mental note: Ask Jade to get quieter garbage disposal. Shaking her head, the newcomer made her way out of the kitchen and down the hallway to knock on Jade's bedroom door hoping her friend was up and ready to go.
"Hey, Jade, you up?" Erin asked softly. When she received no answer, her fingers knocked loudly on the oak door. "Jade!"
"Yeah?" She heard a mumbled voice through the door.
"You're up I'm guessing."
"No. I'm just talking in my sleep." Jade chuckled.
Erin pursed her lips before shouting, "Smartass!" Reaching down, she jiggled the handle to see if it was unlocked. It was. "I'm coming in so you better be decent, Jade!"
Jade was brushing her hair out when her door opened. Her New York friend was leaning against the door frame, a smirk on her face.
"What are you smirking about, Erin? I've never seen you smirk before."
"Well, it could be the fact that I'm finally going to meet all of these friends you've been telling me about. Especially this boyfriend of yours!" The smirk turned into a grin. "I'm totally excited about it."
Jade stopped brushing her hair and sighed. "Yeah. I just hope this time he shows up without problems with any other Decepticons." She mumbled.
The strawberry-blonde tilted her head in question. "What's wrong, Jade? You seem upset about something."
"I-It's nothing to worry about, Erin. I'm just talking to myself like always."
"Yeah. Okay." Nodding, Erin pushed herself away from the door. "I'm gonna get my bag and we'll get going. Okay?"
"Sure thing!" Jade smiled brightly as her friend left. Please don't let anything go wrong while she's here with us.
At Club Kunoichi
Rose staggered up the spiral staircase leading to the second floor where her office was located. She had left her purse in there, not wanting to take a chance of somebody breaking and entering and stealing her private information. Behind her, trudging slowly, was Sideswipe.
He was bored out of his mind. There was nothing else to do at the club except sitting around to wait for Jade and that new friend of hers to arrive. Although, he was thrilled at the prospect of having a new friend join their small, yet sociable group of humans. An extra femme in the mix? Oh yeah. He was satisfied.
As they made their way up to the office, Sideswipe couldn't help but hear mumbled noises coming from behind Rose's closed office door. Raising an eyebrow, he grasped a large hand around her forearm, stopping the redhead in her tracks.
"What's wrong, Sideswipe?" She asked. "Why did you stop me?"
He motioned with his head toward her office. "There's somebody in there." His voice lowered a few octaves before brushing around Rose to get ahead just in case it was somebody dangerous. "Stay right behind me."
Rose nodded and grabbed onto the back of his red t-shirt, keeping in step with the Lamborghini mech's holoform. She hoped there was nothing to worry about. Probably one of her friends messing around with her, trying to scare the wits out of her. Not like it hasn't happened before with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. With the pranks they pulled all the time, it was not unusual for everybody to watch their back for something suspicious. Especially when it involves the twins.
Reaching the top of the spiral steps, Sideswipe moved stealthily toward the door near the end of the narrow strip of second floor. Rose grasped onto the railing as her boots clomped against the ground along with Sideswipe's sneakers.
"They're still in there. Doing something."
"Well, whoever the hell it is better not ruin that paintjob I just had done this morning. It took hours ya know!" She fumed. Through all the hard work she put into working, Zaru allowed Rose to decorate her office however she felt like. And deciding it needed a change in taste, not to insult Zaru in any way, so she made sure the colors were to her liking. Not to mention a few new decorations she planned on setting up after the paint was done drying.
In any case, the two drowned out the party noise coming from downstairs as Zaru had Barricade testing out the D.J. area. Different portions of music popped in at pointed moments and there was nothing but bickering about it. Apparently, Barricade did not quite catch the concept of playing one song, then another after the first one was done. No. He just liked playing around with the different buttons and switches. And annoying the hell out of everyone was his evil deed for the day. The smirk on his face proved it.
They were now right in front of the office and stared at each other. The gothic woman proceeded to reach for the handle, only to be stopped by the red lambo twin.
"No. I'll do it. You just stay right behind me."
Shrugging, she agreed. Better him than her. Cause at least he would be able to take care of himself.
"Okay. Go ahead, love. Be my guest."
"Okay. One…. Two…." he paused a moment and grasped the handle. "Three!" He shouted as the door was shoved open.
The sight before the two of them had them double over in laughter.
Leiana's arms were wrapped around Sunstreaker's neck, the straps of her tank top loosely hanging from her shoulders. His arms were wrapped around her small waist, pressing her closer to him. The rush of heat between the two of them only heightened as her mech ground himself against her openly. Words wanted to escape her, but moans beat them to it. She only became more aroused with skin to skin contact as the skirt she wore was ridden up to her hips and her boyfriend's shorts were unbuttoned.
Having just finished a round, he was already anxious for another until they heard the door open and laughter emitting from their friends.
"Oh my god! What are you doing in my office?!" Rose mockingly fumed as her hands went to her hips.
"Uhh…." The latina blushed, her skin reddening from head to feet, realizing she didn't want to give the answer.
Rose looked over, seeing the state of dress they were in. Oh, hell they didn't!
"Y-You had sex in my office? On my desk?" Her stormy eyes roved over the none-to-gently thrown objects on the floor. "My papers! My pencils! Stapler! All my stuff!"
Sunstreaker grinned goofily as his mate wanted nothing more than to run from that office and out of sight from everybody until she was calm enough to face them.
"We just wanted to be adventurous, Rose. And what could be more of an adventure than doing it in an office at the workplace?" Sunstreaker chuckled and wrapped his arm around Leiana's shoulders.
"No. It wasn't like that, Rose! Honest! He seduced me when I came in here to drop off the schedule for next week! The dip shit wouldn't let me leave and then he started…" Her words trailed off, face-palming. "Dear lord! What was I thinking letting him do that with me here!"
"Oh come on! You had fun, Lala!" The yellow lambo twin received a death glare and a punch in the face. "Ow! Dammit!" He rubbed his cheek. "That kinda hurt ya know."
"No shit, you dumbass! It's your fault!"
"My fault? You're the one who was being spontaneous after I seduced you into it!"
Rose blinked. "Spontaneous? Do I dare ask?" Then, her eyes narrowed noticing something on the back of her friend. "Lala, turn around. There's something on your back."
"Hmm? Oh." Turning, she twisted her head to see for herself what was wrong. "What is -SUNNY!" Another punch made its way to his face as she noticed the red paint all on the back of her clothes and skin. "You son of a bitch! You made me get paint on myself!"
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker snickered. There was no way something like this wasn't going to be funny.
The financial advisor skimmed the entire surroundings, but didn't see any paint out of place. "How exactly did you get paint on your back?" She stepped forward to examine Leiana. "There's no paint misplaced."
The blood rushed to Leiana's cheeks once again, darkening more than before. "Uh… I guess we were a little too spontaneous." She bit her lower lip and pointed to the corner of the room.
"What?" Her face fell as she glanced up towards the ceiling. "My word!" Breath hitched in her throat as she saw a huge spot above the ladder in the office was discolored. "So, that's how spontaneous you two were being."
The chuckling from the lambo twins continued as Rose just stared down a blushing Leiana.
Downstairs of Club Kunoichi
"Eck! No more Barricade! Please! I've had enough with you changing the music all the time!" Maggie Madsen plugged her fingers into her ears hoping to drown out the annoying sound of music change.
Barricade grinned and sniggered at her. "Just bugs the pit out of you, doesn't it, femme?"
"More than anything! Now, stop it please!" She begged.
"No." She pleaded again. His answer was still the same. "No." Finally, she reached over and switched everything off being pulling the plug of the entire system. "Hey, you bitchy femme! I was having fun here!" He growled out.
"Perhaps you need a lesson in manners, my friend." She tossed her blonde hair before clopping away in her heels toward the bar where Kia was having a drink along with Zaru and her grandfather.
"Jii-san, I don't really think it's a good idea for you to actually drink anything. Especially so soon after your heart attack." Zaru stated as she took a sip from the beer bottle in her hands.
Sakauchi just glanced over at his granddaughter and took a sip of the wine in the glass he held on the bar.
"Zaru, you know I only drink for occasions such as this." Sakauchi just chuckled he saw his granddaughter roll her eyes. "Oh, jou-chan, stop making a fuss over me. I'm all right. Nothing this old body can't handle."
The green-haired club owner glared at him. "Yeah. An old body that couldn't handle your heart for a moment. Which is why you had the heart attack. Need I remind you so many times, Jii-san?" She took another swig of alcohol. "Or do we need to have a lecture about it?"
The old Japanese man pouted mocking at her. "You would deny an old man the pleasure of a fancy drink?"
Kia just snickered and patted Sakauchi on the back. "Yeah. Come on, Zaru. You only live once. Let the old geezer have whatever he wants. It's his life."
"I ask you, very sweetly, to stay out of this. This is between me and my grandfather, if you don't mind, Captain Hawkins." Zaru's ocean blue eyes met steely ice-blue ones.
Kia blew a raspberry. "Geez. I was just saying." She took a sip of her own beer.
"Yeah, well, nobody was talking to you now were they?" Zaru's voice lowered down an octave, speaking in an almost threatening way.
Kia smirked. "You're just itching to kick somebody's ass aren't you?" She leaned forward a little to whisper. "Especially keeping in that anger after daddy came home." The raven-haired army woman pulled away just in time before Zaru could land a swing at her face.
"Zaru!" Sakauchi gasped as he grabbed her wrist tightly. "What is wrong with you? You do not try to hit somebody for no reason! Now apologize!"
No audible noise came from her mouth. Everything was silent all around them. People stopped talking and stared over at the bar. Kia was leaning back on her stool, a grin on her face. She was loving the atmosphere in the room. It kind of fitted her mood at that moment. Although, she wanted nothing more than to scramble and lock herself away from everybody, Ipod blasting away, drowning out the world around her.
"Zaru!" Sakauchi reached over, pushing his granddaughter's face toward him. Her eyes never moved away from Kia's. "Zaru Ceara Kiys! Answer me right now, jou-chan!"
Her heart pounded in her ears. Blood pumping away endlessly within her boiling body. She didn't mean to try and hit the other woman. It was just an instinct that took control after her father was mentioned. Because when it came to him or the rest of her family, she was one to defend. Even if he was an asshole and a liar most of the time.
"Kia! Say your sorry!" Maggie glared at her friend.
"What?" Kia's jaw dropped as she pointed to Zaru. "I didn't do anything! The bitch right here took a swing at me!"
The Australian shook her head. "I may not have been here long. But for as long as I have been here, it has helped me to read Zaru enough to know that she wouldn't harm anybody unless it was threatening. And you, Kia, must have said something to her that made her feel threatened or extremely upset."
Mirage treaded over. "Miss Hawkins here had the nerve to mention Zaru's father. Which in any case, is nobody's business. Therefore, her mouth should have stayed shut on the subject matter at hand." He leaned against the wall next to the bar, arms folded across his chest.
Ironhide, who was only several feet away from the group, came up behind Kia.
"Well, she had no right to attack her. Even if the comment was about her father." The black-haired, muscular mech set his large, scarred hands on the back of Kia's chair. "Zaru needs to apologize for trying to strike at her."
Kia raised an eyebrow and glanced behind her at Ironhide. Is this transformer really defending me? She shook her head not wanting to believe it.
"I will say that I am sorry for trying to hit you, Kia. But if you so much as speak of my father in your tone of voice again, I will let my instincts take over without control." Zaru ground her teeth together and pulled her wrist away from her grandfather.
The army woman just snickered as she reached to the bar and chugged the rest of her beer down. "Another barkeep!"
It was several moments later that the back door to Club Kunoichi opened revealing Jade and the new girl Erin.
Erin fidgeted a little, not knowing what to expect from so many people. So many people, and just one of me. Eep.
Jade patted her friend's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, Erin. They don't bite. At least Sky doesn't." She giggled a bit at the look on Erin's face. It was priceless. "Come on, Erin. I'm kidding." Grabbing her hand, they both walked in, Erin acting like she belonged there with them.
"Guys, this is my friend Erin from New York. Erin, this is everybody." The blonde-brunette happily pulled her around the room, introducing each person individually.
"This is my boyfriend Skyfire. Er, I mean, Sky."
I slipped! Darn it! She bit her cheek.
"It's nice to meet you, uh, Skyfire, I guess."
"Yeah. Skyfire is my nickname." Skyfire's sandy-haired holoform nodded a couple times before clasping his own hand with Erin's. "It certainly is a pleasure to meet a friend of Jade's from somewhere afar. She has spoken constantly about you."
"Oh really?" Erin laughed. "All good I hope."
"Of course. Nothing but good coming from her."
Jade smiled over at her spark mate and grinned. Perhaps this will be easier than I originally thought it would be.
Pretty soon, Erin had met all the Autobots. Now, she just had to meet the humans that hung out with them.
"Zaru, Erin. Erin, Zaru."
The club owner held out her hand before laying out a pearly white smile. "It's nice to meet you, Erin. Jade has told us plenty about you."
"Yeah. So I heard."
Zaru took back her hand, grabbing at her beer. "So," she took a swig, "I hear you're looking for a job. Any luck yet?"
Erin shook her strawberry-blonde head. "No such luck. I've circled all these different kinds of jobs in the want ads and filled out the applications, but I have yet to hear back from anybody." She exhaled from puffed cheeks.
Jade looked over at her boss pleadingly as if saying 'Please let my friend have a chance.'
"Looking for a job is hard. And applying here isn't that easy either."
There was a laugh. "Yeah. Jade kinda mentioned that to me."
"I don't just hire anybody either." Erin nodded. "There's a hard application process to go through."
"I understand."
"Background checks. Hardcore interview."
The newcomer just shook her head. "You are a pretty popular club from what I heard from Jade."
"Pay's great, but the jobs aren't easy." Zaru saw the sadness melt in Erin's eyes and smiled. "But I think we'll just wave all of that nonsense."
Jade's friend perked up. "Wait! What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that I'm going to give you a chance." Erin's face lit up. "But I'm not hiring for any waitresses or waiters." The girl's eyebrow's knitted together.
"Then what job are you letting me try for?"
"Rose's assistant."
"Hey! I'm getting an assistant? Finally!" The voice of Rose came from across the room. She ran over happily and glomped Erin. "Oh, welcome to my world, love! We're going to have so much fun working together!" A grin spread across her face. "And your first task as my assistant will be…. Getting me some bloody tea! Go ahead! I'm rather dehydrated!" She let go of the girl and prodded her to get moving.
Erin looked a little helpless. "Um, am I going to get paid for doing this now?"
Everybody just laughed.
TBC…
A/n: Well, short and sucky right? Erin meets the gang. Although the meeting is rather short-lived. And she will now be working as a stressed Rose's assistant! Yay! Taking much off her back, right? Uh-oh! And sounds like Kia and Zaru are not going to exactly become good friends anytime soon. Am I right or am I right? XD
Sweet Mechs,
Zaru