{A/N: This chapter is huge! It took forever to get where it decided it was going, and not where it was going when I started. Fluff, cooking, descriptions of girl bits by robots using robot terms and some tiny bits o angst occur within, so be warned you now must! The scene wherein the Trine arrives to retrieve Kalomel is a result of something that my 2nd Cousin Hillary's, Boyfriend Lalo said upon his arrival at her door one day. "I'm here! What are your other two wishes?" Good job Lalo, Quote stolen and altered to fit the Trine. Have not started any promised side stories for this yet. I will write the Soundwave/BumbleBee fic after I clear chapter 16 maybe sooner if i get more then one person excited about it.}
The whole base was stirred up like someone had poked a giant ant hill with a stick. Kalomel supposed that sooner or later they would get around to questioning her about what she knew. In truth until the conclusion of her big brother Prowl had been confirmed she had not known who it was at all that had been captured only what her fate sense told her was going on. The virgin bot was in good hands with Soundwave. He would care for the mech very carefully and keep Megatron from damaging him if he could until it was time to trade for Bright Edge.
"The seekers have offered a huge amount of oil and some of their seeker formula energon for you little sister. Prime Wishes to have words with you and then you should get some sleep before the time comes for the exchange."
"I suppose so Prowl."
~*~
"Sam was not harmed when Bumblebee was taken, other then to be knocked out and left on location. I am surprised at this but very glad. Now please tell me what you know medic."
"Nothing much really. I only got a sense of what was on Soundwave's processors when he commed into the channel while I was talking with my Seeker companions. I suppose it is because I have all my senses turned towards my friends among the Decepticons that I was able to sense anything at all. Soundwave won't actually hurt this Bumblebee Mech person. I told him he had better not be anything but gentle with him and he did give his reassurances that Bumblebee will be returned undamaged when the exchange for Bright Edge is worked out."
"You actually believe this to be true?"
"Know it for a fact Mr. Prime Sir. Soundwave said it therefore it will be so. He keeps his word without fail always. That's his nature. Other people and mechs lie for their own convienience or to get what they want from someone. Soundwave will always tell the truth or he will stay silent. If You don't believe me when I say this you have several mechs among your group who knew him back in the pre war days. Ask them."
"It is true Prime. Soundwave was always that way before. If he says it it is just as he says it is. What did he say?"
"Never mind Bluestreak. Thank you for your input. Get back to your duty station for now if you would please."
"Prime."
The mech left with a Salute and the Prime was staring down at Kalomel again with that command presence of his going full bore. She just sat there and shook like a leaf in the wind for a minute before getting her grip again and staring back at him.
"Don't tell me it was your wish to be the first partner for the Mech in question Mr. Prime Sir? That is the only reason why you should be so upset when you are going to get him back well and happy soon enough."
"Any good leader worries when his mechs are captured by the enemy. As for Bee's interface status that is none of my business nore would I ever try it. The size difference is too great. Soundwave is just about my size but not quite. I suspect that he will be able to interface with Bee without causing him any pain. I simply wish that this war was over so that being on different sides would not be an issue. You have not met Bumblebee but he is the kind of Mech who would not causally interface with anyone. He would have to be drawn to them spark to spark first."
"Good thing. From what my senses say Soundwave has been holding out for a long long time to finally get this chance. Bumblebee won't be sorry and I think that My comrade will be so much the happier when next I see him."
"The idea is stranger then anything but I suppose we all have to bow to the fates now and again."
"I have been telling you that for years Prime. Figures that now you listen."
"Sometimes information in stereo works better Prowl. If you ever need an assist in that way after the war comes to a close you let me know eh?"
Prowl laughed before transforming and opening his passenger door for her to climb in. She sat primly with hands folded and feet together as Prowl drove across the base.
"There is one more person who needs assuring that though a bit X rated by human standards the intent of Soundwave is not bad for Bee."
"Sam?"
"Exactly."
~*~
"They have BEE! How can it not be anything less then awful?!?!?!"
"Calm down boy. Your friend won't be hurt. Soundwave has had his eye on the mech for a really long time, well longer then there have been human beings. He would not hurt the mech he wants as a permanent partner."
"He wants to have SEX with BEE!!!!????!!!!!"
"Yeah robot sex, refered to as interfacing by the mechs. Hell if they had the time they would probably do something they call Spark bonding. Not up on what that is so don't ask. Doubt they would have time cause that is apparently not the quickest of quickies by anybody's standards. Megatron is gonna want Bright Edge back ASAP, so he will be trading back that friend of yours like a disliked player on a baseball card sooner then later. A week or two tops."
"How do you know all this when you have been here and not in contact with them except when you were supervised?"
"Fate Sense. Same as Prowl. Ask him to explain it. I make people mad at me whenever I explain it and what it means to a flesh based life form who has it."
"Will you tell Bee I am ok when you get there since you will see him long before we get him back?"
"Will pass the word along when I see him. Or if all else fails make Soundwave tell him."
"Thank you. I'm sorry I screamed at you. It was not your fault."
"No but I understand how freaked out you were. If it were one of the Trine I'd be crazy by now."
"Bee and I are not like that. I mean I would like to be but if he wants to be with Soundwave I got to let him do that and not stand in his way."
"Bots don't operate on that set of commands kiddo. He'll be with you if you want him to be and still be able to be with Soundwave. You see when it comes to mating and sex type stuff they simply are not jealous. They want their partners happiness so much that they will let them do what makes them happy and fulfills their every wish. It would be bad if they were only that way sometimes or only a few of them were that way but hell even Megs the nucking futs is that way as far as I can tell with as little as I try to converse with him. So all of them are generous with intimacy. It is just that way. Lucky us huh?"
"I still don't know what I am going to do about Mikaela. I want to be with her as bad as I want to be with Bee but I don't think she has the wiring required to share."
"Honesty counts here kid. I would not have expected my situation would be something I would want or need or accept before it was something I came upon. Maybe it will be the same for her. Who knows maybe she will end up Soundwave's Human and you be BumbleBee's. That would be awesome I think."
"Maybe, or maybe not, but I don't even know how to begin that sort of conversation."
"My favorite sort of luck has fallen on you then Sam Witwickey. She's overheard the whole thing thus far."
The Boy's jaw dropped a meaningful amount and Kalomel figured it was her cue to depart to check on Bright Edge and then get some rest. Tomorrow she had to start working on a relationship of a romantic nature with not one but three aliens who happened to be sentient mechanical beings. This was the start of her not getting enough rest for a decade or so, or at least that was what Kalomel guessed. She had better just sleep and worry about tomorrow when it came.
~*~
Kalomel woke early on despite having gone to bed exausted the past evening around ten. Dawn had yet to turn the skies from navy to daytime sky blue. It would be another two hours until the exchange was scheduled. Even so she was eager to 'get ready' for her return to the mechs who had traded so eagerly for her. While she showered and shaved her legs of the three days of stubble she had grown, she thought of the three mechs and what they might be feeling right at that moment.
Starscream would be dignified about it. However, her sense told her he had been worried near to sick the entire time she had been in autobot custody. Despite the contact confirming her well being, the little exchange over comm would not have improved his mood one bit.
Skywarp believed in her a rediculous amount. He would have been worried for the possibilities, but he would also know that she would try her hardest. He would trust that with the autobots having a faction wide decency handicap she would be salvageable if not out and out fine by the time they got her back.
Thundercracker kept his processor conclusions to himself more often then not. He might or might not be worried. Thunder, she felt, was going along with this fondness towards her because it made the other two happy. He might not have any feelings of his own on the matter, or he might be madly in love with her, But she could not tell from a sense standpoint. Her fate sense was staying shut up about the feelings of the Trine.
Normally when she tried to sense out other people's moods or feelings it gave her fairly accurate readings as long as the person in question knew what they were feeling themselves. With all the mechs she knew they were sure of themselves and their opinions and felings, but she had been forced to learn certain visual cues from Hook because the sense basically laughed and told her she was out of luck when she aimed it at the 'Spark' of any of her Trine boys.
It was being onery too. It would cooperate with Bright Edge, the lambo twins, Soundwave, Ratchet, and several other mechs she had met, but in the case of the Trine boys and Prime and even Megatron she was out of luck for the most part. It did tip her off when she needed to dodge or die around the mercurial Decepticon leader though. Prowl, well it laughed almost audibly at the idea of reading him, and then said NO in big bold type in her head.
She had met his Mate Jazz for a few moments during her stay and she could see how their energies twinned around one another like a DNA helix. That would be worth it. That would be worth it times infinitum, to find someone like that who would be the other half and put an end to the emptiness every being was searching to fill. Kalomel had excised herself right away when Prowl had arrived on scene and Jazz had greeted him with an eager "PROWLIE!!!! BABE!!!!!" Brother or not she did not want to break down and cry in front of an Autobot. She had to try a little bit to preserve Decepticon dignity after all.
Finally dawn finished recoloring the sky and she could feel the hum in her sense that told her the Trine was coming closer. Her heart started to hum along like it was an old familiar tune that she had forgotten the words to. Prowl had setled into his mech form after she got out of his chassis and was waiting with his Mate beside him looking concerned. Apparently prisoner exchanges were touch and go a great deal of the time due to Megatron's wicked and sometimes deadly mood instability. Optimus Prime was not present. This struck her as odd. So used to being by herself or with trusted people, Kalomel had never bothered with the fine art of refraining from speaking her mind, so she just asked about it.
"I am Optimus Prime's Second in Command. I negotiated the price for your return to the Seeker Trine, therefore his presence is not required at the exchange."
Starscream was slowly descending towards them from the North. He landed with a graceful transformation from Jet to Mech that left him standing before the two Autobots.
"Greetings Junior Medic Kalomel. I have arrived. What are your other two wishes?"
Thundercracker soared in from the South West and executed the transform as you land trick that Starscream had just performed.
"Kalomel. I am now present. You have one wish remaining mini-medic."
Skywarp was not in the air. She was beginning to be worried after a fraction of a second, then a loud bang like air being displaced by something forceful occurred and Skywarp was standing there as if he had been coming from further away and warped in from the South East.
"Here I am Mel! Final wish granted. We will have to get you another lamp for next time."
"Perhaps with something a little less frighteningly Ugly then a Seeker 'Djinn' Trine in it if she's lucky."
Jazz cracked wise all the time from what Kalomel could tell. Apparently the Trine knew this as well and thought nothing of it. Skywarp's arrival in the way he had was both showing off and needful as he had a hand on the stack of barrels on wooden pallettes that obviously contained her ransom fee.
"You are very valuable to them little sister. I hope they do not forget that as time goes by."
"We will surely not forget the value of our Junior Medic. Please feel free to examine the proffered goods. We will scan Kalomel."
Apparently Hook had obliged the Trine in installing medical sub rutenes and scanners as she was subjected to this once for each Mech and pronounced Hail for a Human who had previously been beaten half to death by her local law enforcement. The energon and oil offerings were found to be pure and uncontaminated and "OH PRIMUS THAT'S GOOD!" By Jazz, who tasted the Seeker brewed energon. His reaction had brought a chuckle from the Seekers. Thundercracker brewed for the three of them for the most part, but had not yet shared his secrets with Kalomel before her capture.
"Gonna teach me how to make that stuff too Thunder?"
"Of course Kalomel."
"Does our part of the exchange meet with your approval Autobots?"
"Without a doubt Air Commander. Is our part of the exchange satisfactory?"
"We have received the Junior Medic in a condition actually improved upon from her last known state of repair. Please convey my appriciation of his work ethic to Your CMO."
"We'll tell Ratch you said such nice things. Not that he will believe us but…"
"Jazz, Behave better will you. You are going to give your Mate a logic circuit short."
"She is a medic dancebot. You had best listen to what she says. She would not joke about any mech's health not even an Autbot's."
"Course I wouldn't. Especially not with my big Brother Prowl here. Can we go back to base now Air Commander?"
"Yes Junior Medic, we are now departing."
Starscream picked her up gently and set her inside the cockpit of a transformed Skywarp. She put her comm unit back on and clicked the headset into place. When she looked down in the footwell she found that instead of her Cousin's old football helmet, the Trine had gotten her a helmet that would fit her better and was attached to an oxygen mask rig just as a fighter pilot's gear was.
It was a glittery purple and had her name and rank on the one side as well as the decepticon symbol etched into the surface on the other side and filled with a shiney metallic substance to contrast the glittery purple paint. The paint was easily recognisable as something that had come from Skywarp's personal stash.
":I did the work myself Mel. I hope you like it. However this also has a more practical usage then simply a stylish gift. I am now also outfitted with an ejection system exactly as your human jet fighter planes are. Should you need to use it it is the garish black and yellow striped handle between your feet. It must be pulled out then thrust back in to activate the system. I can also do so and my mates can do so remotely should the need arise. I can be repaired from almost any accident or wreck. You can not. I do not think that I or my mates had this firmly in our processors until the fight with the law enforcement officer.:"
":It scared you guys when I was fighting him and doing so poorly didn't it?:"
":I can not speak for my Mates or the contents of their CPU's with one hundred percent certainty, but I know the idea of you being permananently offlined terrified me all the way down to the base of my spark. Please do not engage in hopeless battles any more Kalomel Nichols. I do not have the fortitude of spirit to handle the strain.:"
":I'm sorry Sky. I will try not to worry you like that again if I can help it.:"
":That is not a promise Kalomel. I do not want empty reasurances. If your expectations are that you will be unable to refrain from entering into combat with other humans then I will instruct you in Seeker Martial arts until all three of us have our expectations met. Do you understand?!?:"
":Yes Sky. I look forward to my lessons teacher Sky.:"
":You certainly shouldn't.:"
~*~
Kalomel did not spend the first hour in the presence of her Trine as she had wished she could. Instead she had performed first her duty as she had given her word. She took herself off down to Soundwave's quarters and insisted the smaller mech called Ruble tell her where the communications officer was keeping his prisoner.
"Junior Medic. He is down one level in the prisoner cells in the third cell on the port side of the holding facility."
"*I appriciate your being to the point in this matter Rumble. Please stop by the medical facilities at 600 hours please so that I can look at that arm and shoulder assembly."
"As you request Junior Medic."
She marched to the lift and used her datapad to enter a code to make it take her down to the prisoner levels. As medic she had access to nearly every locked door on the ship. The yellow mech chirruped at her as if he found the whole idea of a Human decepticon the oddest thing ever, but of course he could see right through the disguises of any immitation humans who might be mechs underneath now. She sighed. He was in acceptable if not pristine condition.
"*)Sam Witwicky says to tell you he is just fine since it might be a while till you see him. Medic's word on it."
"Thank you."
"*) You are certainly welcome. Try to not cause trouble. Your friends have one of us they are going to exchange for you sooner or later. I'd like to have Bright Edge back so I can learn some things without relying on the Trine. Oh and in case you have not noticed yet, Soundwave is an ally you are going to need for the near future. Be nice to him. That's all."
Having said what she needed to say, Kalomel walked out of the prisoner corridor and did not look back. Had she done so her inferior human eyesight would not have detected him standing in the shadow of a convieniently exposed beam. Soundwave contemplated the departing Junior Medic for a moment before approaching the cell.
~*~
A/N:This is the point where I will be writing a fic for some Wave/Bee. Just so you know that this is the spot in this main fic where it jumps off from.
~*~
Kalomel dropped into the main tunnels of the repair bots and scrambled her way back to the hallway where the Trine were going to be. She could have taken the lift again but she had no wish to run into the little red sensory dot that was a cross Megatron. The members of the Trine were all in Thundercracker's rooms, as far as she could tell. She palmed open the door easily enough. They had all granted her access to their rooms, which was the hugest of big deals in Mech culture, even though she had not realized it until recently.
She didn't even get in the door before she was scooped up and pressed close to Skywarp's spark chamber. Close enough that she could easily hear the energetic humming of power that would have been a heartbeat in a human being.
"Where did you go off to mini medic?"
"Told Scout Bumblebee that his human friend was ok, Then I came right back here again."
"What caused the delay in your return?"
"Took the tunnels back up here. Megatron is in a snit of some kind and I thought my health would be improved by staying clear of the swath of destruction."
"At the least it would be maintained instead of incuring an unknown amount of damage."
"Try a lot of extremely painful and perhaps dibilitating damage. It would only be unknown because it would be incalcuable."
"Your health would also be inproved by refueling Kalomel. I have prepared one of your dehydrated noodle dishes for you as per the instructions. Please consume it prior to attempting to complete any other tasks."
Kalomel took the bowl that Thundercracker handed her. Starscream also passed her a bottle of mexican hot sauce with a lable entirely written in Chinese. She could only tell it was mexican hot sauce because of the senorita on the lable of the bottle. She guessed that it was intelligent of her not to ask questions. She added a few dashes to the bowl of ramen and consumed it fairly quickly. An apple was placed on her lap, allready sliced into perfectly even sections and the core portion removed from each section. Peanut butter had been applied to each slice of apple very carefully. She sat cross legged in Skywarp's palm and enjoyed the treat.
"*) I was very near to empty on my fuel reserves. Thank you for being so considerate as to provide what I required."
"Your accent is improving Kalomel. How has this been accomplished?"
"Bright Edge was instructing me as was Brother Prowl and Autobot Wheelie when he could spare a moment from his stewardship of Mikaela Banes. I learned a great deal during the unfortunate time I spent outside your company. It was not a total waste but I feel much better now that I am back again."
"You were able to repair Bright Edge?"
"Of course I was! After all I am completely compitent at any task I take on."
"No offense was intended Kalomel. I merely wish to remain informed. As Air Commander my responsibility is to all Decepticon Seekers and fliers. "
"Sorry Screamer. I am still a bit overly agitated from being surrounded by Autobots and Military types. The second group of which gives me the shakey terrors."
Starscream was smiling. It was kinda scary by itself, but it made her feel warm all over when she realized the reason why. She'd said Screamer. She had called him by his Trine given nickname. That it could make him that happy, and so simply. Well it made her feel really good, so she echoed his smile. He extended a talon and gently stroked it down her back a few times. It did what he meant it to do and she felt comforted.
~*~
Thundercracker watched the small femme sigh and lean into the touches of his mate. It was something that he was surprisingly pleased with. He was usually very 'self centered' and he did not bother to deny it. But now he was beginning to see more then his own life and happiness as important. Though it felt strange this being able to care again after so long also felt good.
He reached out and added a talon of his own to caress the human. She leaned into it just as much and made another sigh of contentment. The medical scanning subreutines kicked over and showed him that her muscles had been held tightly by stress and recent exertion. Now they were slowly un-knotting a little bit more with each caress of a talon. He commed Starscream and shared this intel. Starscream's eyes narrowed for a minute and then he proceeded on with his present actions without replying to Thundercracker's comm.
Finally the novelty of caressing the small femme wore off for Starscream and he went back to analysing the next mission's perameters. Skywarp had gone off to find some special barrels of energon to share with them in celebration of Kalomel's return. This left him with the femme in his talons.
Kalomel sat there eating another peanutbutter covered apple with all signs that she was enjoying the food very much. He sometimes envied the squishies their multitude of choices when it came to refueling. He handed her yet another bowl of the noodle dish and watched her devour it.
She was very hungry and had been shorted calories for some time. Obviously the Hatchet had been going off the number of calories a normal human female would need not a 'workhorse' like Kalomel was. She had at least fortyfive percent more muscle mass then an average human female. When she trained in the arts with Skywarp she was going to be fierce.
Amusement glinted in his optics as Kalomel insisted she be let down to go find more food then she had allready eaten. She was absolutely starved, or so she swore. He believed it. He watched in amusement as she set up some sort of device in the corner sat carefully on a crate that would not suffer from being exposed to cooking temperatures.
She had declared it her 'counter,' and that it had to be resistant to cutting while she chopped things into smaller bits as well as heat resistant. Into the appliance in question a chunk of animal protien would soon go as well as several 'peppers'
"What is that device Kalomel?"
"It's called a slow cooker or crock pot. Crock pot is actually a brand of the device though and not a general term. It will cook my meals over an extended period of time without my attendance required in most cases. I am going to have pulled pork tacos later on in the solar cycle and I thought I would start them now before some other action comes up."
"It might be wise.I would like it a great deal if you could spare some time to help me with the transfer of your things to your own quarters later on in the week. That way all your devices and belongings will be set up for your use in one area. I believe the two rooms on the other side of Screamer's quarters are not occupied…"
Thundercracker looked down at the femme, certain he had heard a noise of distress. She was staring at the piece of animal protien she was preparing as if it held the secrets of the universe in the strata of fat and muscle tissues. A drop of moisture that did not originate from the food fell on the back of her hand.
"I said something ignorant didn't I?"
"You didn't know it would hurt my feelings."
"That would be the ignorant part Kalomel. Now tell me mate why my commentary has harmed your 'Feel Bads' and I will try not to do it again."
"I don't want to be seperated from you guys again…especially in situations where I can avoid it. Being as lonely as I have always been since my parents died hurts a lot. That pain finally went away and now…"
"Now I was all set to toss you in your own quarters without considering it would be a banishment in your view. My apologies Kalomel. If you wished us to carry you around like a sparkling for a few weeks after what you have been through I would not fault you for it."
"While I am sure to have a good time with that for a few hours, after that I think I would get bored. Well unless you or Sky were telling stories again. I find that I don't like Screamer's stories as much, though you had best never tell him that."
The last remark was whispered into his audio receptor. He knew his grin was a wicked one and her answering smirk was just as evil. Amused with the fair Kalomel he decided that he was going to wander around carrying her for a while longer yet. Though it was not exactly the clutching to the chest that a sparkling being toted around by its creators would insist on, it was adequate as far as his sudden longing to keep a talon on the small medic was concerned.
~*~
"Where'd 'Cracker wander off to?"
"He took Kalomel to the main mission planning room to determine a location from which to retrieve some more sustaining food sources for her. She diserves a far better diet then the one she has been receiving lately, or so he insists."
"The crazy one has really started liking her and wanting to care for her. It's so strange, but in a positive way."
"I agree. Kalomel's presence and inclusion in our Trine has been most benificial to Thundercracker. Normally he is just a selfish pain in the aft. Recently he has begun to actually care what happens to others. This can only be seen as a positive adjustment of his personal philosophy coding."
"He cared before now. He just saw no reason to show it openly because we knew. Kalomel can know all this but would still require regular reassurances according to the information I have been able to gather. The human females find it comforting to be told they are regarded with affection and honor."
"It would be best if we start with adoration and proceed from there. Or at least I will do so. I do not think that simple affection is an adequate descriptor of my attachment to the fair medic."
"Agreed. I wonder what is keeping them. I would like to have her check on the timing of her food preparitory process here. I think it may be near done."
"From the indicator lights and number readouts it has another three earth hours before it self terminates it's operation. However she did indicate that the unit was an older model and therefore somewhat less reliable…"
"Hi guys we're back!"
"Where did you end up going with her Thundercracker? I do not wish to have her encounter Megatron any time in the next sixty solars if she can avoid it. The danger increases when she is not in her duty stations or here in one of our quarters."
"For some reason unknown to me Frenzy had some things in his possession that were useful to me nutritionally and extra machine parts so I could build a few things for which I previously did not have the required items. Thundercracker took me to him so I would not have to go alone through the tunnels."
"What food did he have that you would find useful?"
"His last scouting mission took him through several suburban neighborhoods. He snitched a lot of things that caught his fancy including a ten pound sack of potatoes and four home grown tomatoes. That and a whole box of what we human tinkerers refer to as 'odds and ends.' I traded with him for a few barrels of energon that I have set brewing up right now."
"These potatoes are that valuable?"
"He had a lot of other stuff too. I just am shortening the list to the very absolute best things. Some of it is what we call junk food. It provides fuel for our cells but not much in the way of nutrients for our self repair systems and other things humans need to thrive to use. So while it is a good treat its like drinking a grade of energon too high for regular system consumption. It is not something we do all the time if we want to remain healthy."
"Yet you will occasionally have cravings for this 'junk food?' or at least that is what the internet says."
"Yeah Sky. I get junk food cravings on occasion. I ignore some of them and instead eat something healthy but with a similar flavor. Sometimes is just my body wanting Salt or sugars or a bit of fat, which are all things that can be gained from ordinary good types of food."
"Only sometimes though Kalomel? What about the other situations. What is the reason behind those?"
"Exposure to some chemicals in certain kinds of junk food can be mood altering in a much gentler way then anitdepressants and other chemical formulations we humans sometimes use for mental adjustments. For instance I will tell you this now so you can be ahead of yourselves on the curve. Give me chocolate. Especially at the end of my monthly cycles when my hormones are at lower levels. I will hate you much less if you do. If its in an icecream, or cake form or perhaps a purer form of chocolate like a truffle, I would be extra special delighted. If it has a peanutbutter or caramel center, then you are going the extra mile and such efforts above and beyond will be duly noted."
"These food substances can alter your brain chemistry?"
"Yes and some of them are required for regularily used chemical manufacture by our various tissues."
"Chocolate. Got it."
"I wish you were being literal Sky, but I have not seen any thing like a candy or cupcake among the items you guys got to feed me this time."
"Is your cycle at it's low point?"
"In about three days I start bleeding so yeah Thunder I am getting very close."
"Bleeding?!?"
"Calm yourself my mate. Our little mate's breeding aparatus operates in that way. The bleeding she refers to is not literally leaking life giving fluids from damaged tubing. Instead the aparatus in question sheds a lining of tissue meant to harbor a small cluster of cells that later forms into a human sparkling. When such a sparkling does not implant then the lining sheds and renews itself for another attempt at accepting a fertilized egg."
"Not to be offensive Kalomel but I find you biological entities to be very strange indeed."
"This from someone who builds his children. Right back at you mechanameanie."
"In otherwords Screamer you offended her anyways. Now I would say it is your turn to go collect sustinance for our dear mini medic. Bring back chocolate with peanut butter or caramel centers. Maybe she will forgive the slight then."
"I'm not normally this soft in my plating emotionally, but you put stresses and hormones together with lingering damage and you have a weeping meanie on your hands."
"I apologize Kalomel. You can no more change your build then we can. I should not have remarked aloud on it."
"My mother always told me to think first then speak then act in that order. She was a smart person. I think you all would have gotten along very well."
"I speculate that our 'Mother –in-law' would have blown us up with hand grenades at the earliest opportunity. However had we all survived the first exchanges we might have indeed ended up on friendly terms."
"Thundercracker!"
Kalomel was laughing, then the laughter turned to tears and the human sobbed into her hands. Thundercracker had noted the odd perpensity of human femmes to cover their faces or mouths with their hands when expressions of emotions were beyond their control. It was as if feelings were something to be covered up and hidden because the loss of control was a weakness, was something to be held in shame.
He carefully caressed the shuddering shoulders of the small femme with the slenderest of his talons. She was reacting post crisis to all the stresses she had not been safely able to yield to during the actual events. Skywarp was often like that. Cold collected and calm, and sometimes even a smart aleck during the fight, scared and shaken afterwards. Continuing to caress her he settled in on his bunk and reclined with her still carefully caged by his talons. After placing her on his chest plate near what she would refer to as his 'throat' he began to vibrate the area creating a humming noise on the same level of sound frequency as a human heart beat.
~*~
Kalomel had passed out on Thundercracker quite some time ago. It was now nearly a new solar cycle by the way humans calculated time's passage. Starscream was also recharging next to him on the berth and Skywarp was perched on his toes above their heads but just as deeply in recharge.
Thundercracker checked the position of Kalomel to find that one of his Mates had placed one of her blankets over her draped form, and she had grabbed one edge of the blanket in her fist, but she had not moved very much otherwise. His optics shuttered and went dark once more. This rest was desperately needed by all and he was not going to do anything to disrupt it just yet.