Another chapter is here to stay, my friends. 12 fragging pages! Hopefully this will put a smile on your faces! Now, onto replying to reviews.
Tai Prime: Yeah, they call Ratchet the Hatchet for a reason…lol
ZAFT Prime: Thanks, I wasn't sure if the shortness would hold out well from the other chapters, but it did. Expect more in the future!
Now we shall go on to the story!
o.O I forgot something. When you see :: … :: it means that the bots are talking over their comm link!
I still do not own Transformers…
It was too damn early, for this slag.
Groaning about wasting her life away and a certain Ratchet not letting her free. Serenity had decided that she would glare at the mech, until he let her out.
Oh, how he wanted to toss his wrench, but rules forbade him to when humans where of concern. Thinking, he wondered who could distract the femme for a while and then he knew who. Switching on his comm link, he pinged for a certain bot.
:: Ratchet to Jazz. ::
:: Jazz-man here! ::
Optics rolling. :: I have a femme here, in the need of a major, distraction. ::
:: o.O really? Then perhaps, I could be of some service? ::
:: Please. :: Ratchet wasn't much of a pleading kind of mech, but he was at a loss to what to do with Serenity.
:: On my way, Hatchet! ::
:: JAZZ! ::
Laughter was heard over the comm, before it went silent.
Fiddling with his precious wrench, Ratchet waited for the mech to show his face. He didn't have to wait long, because as soon as Jazz popped his head in, the wrench flew.
"Ratchet my man!"
CLUNK
"Oww."
Smirk.
"You wound meh…" Laughter could be heard in the background and with a quick twirl on his feet; Jazz turned around and look at the femmeling.
"You laughin' at me, femme?"
"Yes!"
"Well, arigh'."
Looking up at the dazzling silver mech, she looked him over and felt that tingling sensation in her stomach, and knew who was before her. "You're Jazz, right?"
"I sure am, little lady." Jazz had felt the eyes of her searching and he wondered if she remembers who he was when they kind of first met.
"Your alt mode, a Silver Pontiac Solstice GXP is sleek and sexy."
Pausing in his work, Ratchet couldn't believe Serenity said that. That's all he needed, was Jazz to have an ego burst.
"Do it with style or don't bother doin' it at all."
"Exactly!"
'…And I lost them,' Turning his audios down, Ratchet placed his attention on his work, while softly listening to the conversation behind him.
"Is he always like that?"
Pause.
"Who? Ratch? ...Yeah." Smirks.
"Thought so." Smiles.
Trying to stay on task, Ratchet so wanted to but in on their conversation, on him.
Smiling at Jazz, she could literally feel the anger and tension that Ratchet was radiating off his spark. Taking a side glance to where he was, she back off with going further in the danger zone. "So, Jazz? You like music!?"
"Slag yeah!"
Giggling at his curse, Serenity motions the mech to follow her, so they could let Ratchet work in peace.
"Thank Primus…" Ratchet was in the clear to work with little noise from the femme. Rubbing his hands together, he smirked and got down to business.
Later the afternoon, Jazz had to leave for his shift, and had left a sad femme. He didn't want to go, but duty was calling for him. Promising Serenity that he would visit again, and bring an iPod for her the next time, he said his goodbyes and headed for his shift.
Deflating as boredom set in, she looked over to where she last saw Ratchet and groaned. He was nowhere in sight, but there was a certain human. "Conner!"
"Yes!?"
Smirks. "Can we go for a walk and get some food?"
"Are you trying to get me killed?"
"…Maybe."
The sound of rummaging was heard, as Conner was looking for something.
"What are you looking for?"
"My wrench..."
Frowns. "…that's not funny."
"I thought it was." Laughs.
"…Jerk…"
"That's the way of life."
"No it's not!"
Smirking at Serenity, he instead pulled out a cane that he was hiding. It was wooden, with a silver handle in the shape of a snake.
"Where'd you get that?"
"EBay…?"
Staring at Conner with a not amused look, Serenity walked forward and took the dreaded cane in her hand. Looking it over and letting her hand glide over the smooth frame, she was deeming if it was worthy or not to have, and if it was going to hold her weight when she needed it too.
"Is it up to your standards?"
"For now, yes, thanks."
"No problem."
"So, food and a walk?"
"You asking me on a date?" He was smirking.
"No."
"…I'm not sure…"
"Please, I want to get out of here."
Conner had a feeling he was going to get in trouble for this. "Ratchet is going to kill me."
"That's the spirit!"
Glares.
Laughing at his intense, but playful glare, Serenity hauled him out of the med bay with herself. Once outside in the large open hallway, her laughter carried on down and into the abyss. She was free, for the time being. Free from the stuffy med bay, free from the bed that she had slept in for the last week or so, just free.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"
Serenity jumped from his bellowing and turned around with her cane tightly in her hand. She didn't even sense him as he approached. Twitching from his yell she looked over to Conner and saw him pointing a finger at her.
"This is your fault, Conner."
"…What?"
Giving his playful glare back, she waggled her finger at him.
"I don't care whose fault it is. I want to know why you're out of my med bay."
"Food and a walk. Is that too hard to ask?"
"You're not supposed to leave the med bay, without my permission."
"But look…" points to the door of the med bay. "I'm not in the med bay now, so I don't need your permission…"
"I don't need your smart aft remarks, youngling." Glaring at the young femme, he was not happy with her smart aft statement. Turning to Conner, he smirked with evil intent, he had an idea.
"CONNER!"
"Yes Sir."
"If, Serenity here want's food, I'm sure you're more than willing to take her to it."
"Do I get to barrow the golf cart?"
"No."
"…But… but that's like…" he was counting on his fingers, "…two miles away."
"Not, my problem." Ratchet them glared at the two humans, before walking into his med bay and slamming the door shut behind him.
"I hate you." Conner said to Serenity with an upset voice.
"Love you too!"
"Let's go."
It was taking longer than what he anticipated. Serenity was stopping for all the tiny ass details of the base, and it was wearing him out in mind and body. She was currently looking at a very large painting of the Autobot insignia that which was probably painted by Sunstreaker. She was admiring it, which other human didn't.
"Serenity, I'll be around the corner."
"Okay."
The painting of the insignia was different, than the insignias that she had seen on the Autobots. There was just so much more fluidity and descriptive strokes that told a different story, to her. Over all, she felt that whoever painted this, was a true and very passionate artist. Really wanting to meet the one behind the painting she smiled and memorized the hallway, so she could easily come back to it if she wanted.
Happy for what she found, she skipped around the corner and came into contact with Conner, as he was talking to someone.
"Sorry, that took so long, Conner." Head tilted to her left, as she smiled at her guide.
Conner and his friend both turned and looked at Serenity.
Brown eyes met pale green and for a second all was quiet.
"Epps?"
"Serenity?"
The question of the names and the dropping of the cane were heard, before Serenity was wrapped with strong muscular arms. She was lifted off the floor and hugged by the African American. Tears were already streaming down her face, as she was being hugged by someone, she had not forgotten.
The grown military trained, Epps held his friend close to him. It had been too long since he last saw her. "Thank God, you're okay."
"Of course, I'm okay."
"You were taken from us…"
Pulling back slightly from his hug, she looked up into his very expressionist face. "What do you mean? You guys knew that I was going to be gone…"
Making sure his emotions where in check, he placed the small girl down. Trying to lose the tension in his shoulders, Epps looked into Serenity's eyes with anger. "You were taken away from us that day. Those bastards stole you right underneath our noses. We didn't even know of it, until the real guys in blue, showed up a few days later."
Hands shaking, Serenity was quiet. 'So it wasn't a scam, to just pick me up…but how? How did that man, that evil man, know that I was going to be transfer to a new site? How?' Grasping the nearest object, which was Epps, she clutched at his army suit, in desperation.
"That man that damn bastard knew. He knew of everything. Everything…"
Wrapping his arms, around the frail girl he held her tight as she continue to mumble to herself.
"…the pick-up time, the coördinates, everything." Growling softly, Serenity hid her head, in his chest to calm her nerves.
"I'm just glad to see you alive, kid."
Pulling back, she glared at Epps, for the nickname, which he had given her way back when they first met. "I'm not a kid."
"Yes, you are." Smirks.
"Is Lennox, around?"
Smiles. "Yeah, he's nearby."
"Would love, to dog pile him."
"I'm sure you would, but let me have a little fun, first." Epps, then turned around, "Hide behind me, kid."
"…Aww… fine." Doing as he said, Serenity stepped behind Epps, so she was hiding in his shadow. A smile was clearly seen on her face as she waited, for the action to start.
"LENNOX!"
"Do you really, have to yell?" Serenity asked.
"Yes, he's around the corner, and down the hall."
"Oh."
There was a pause, before a voice answered back.
"WHAT!?"
"Still loud as ever." She giggled.
Smirking at Serenity's humor, he replied back. "GET OVER HERE! I NEED TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING!"
"Hey, I'm not some prize, to be shown around like a trophy."
He shrugged his shoulders, as to say, too bad.
There was another pause.
"I'M BUSY…CAN'T I GET A MINUTE, TO SPEAK WITH IRONHIDE ABOUT SOMETHING?"
"NO!"
Pause.
"DAMNIT EPPS!"
Giggling against Epps back; she was very much enjoying the argumenta conversation. She was also wondering when Lennox, was going to get his ass in gear and come see them.
"I think, he's mad…"
"You, think? Epps, he's going to kill you." She was laughing silently.
"Probably, but I have a wild card."
"Which is…?"
"You!"
"Of course… Why didn't I, see that one coming?"
"…Because?"
"That explains a lot…" She could sense a spark, coming closer to them, so she went quiet. Peeking out behind Epps, left arm, she saw the large black metallic foot appear in their sight. Hiding back behind, her captor's back she waited for the outcome.
Epps smirked.
"Alright Epps, what was so important, that it couldn't wait, until I was done speaking with 'Hide here?"
Both Lennox and Ironhide had shifted around the corner. Big gruffly and black Ironhide, smirked for he already knew what, was going to transpire. Lennox on the other hand was left in the dark.
"Well…I'll show you." He then stepped out and away from Serenity.
It was just her, standing there in the hall. She could see his shocked filled olive eyes. She wanted to run up to him and hug him, but all she did, was gave a smile that he was quite familiar with. Within seconds of the smile, she was once again in the arms, of her adopted family. Laughing at his actions, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"This is good, this is really good!" He was happy. Happy to see Serenity, alive and well. "Glad your home, Serenity."
"Yeah, me too."
Hugging her close for a few minutes and just getting the feeling of her back, in the action with him and his team, he was very happy to see her alive before him. Once, he felt like he was done smuggling her, he put her back down and let her go.
Once back on the hard ground, Serenity reached out for Epps, taking his arm in her hand, she pulled him close, before doing the same to Lennox. "I'm so glad, I got my boys back!"
Epps and Lennox looked at each other, before they laughed at her normal actions.
Up above, Ironhide was softly chuckling at the interaction. It was always good to see, soldiers reuniting with their lost friends. Glad for the happy outcome, he nodded to Conner and sent him a text on his phone. He could leave, and he, the mighty weapon specialist, would get the youngling to a food source.
She couldn't have read his processor, because at that exact moment, her stomach rumbled. Blushing she unwrapped her arms around her comrades, and rubbed her hungry stomach. "Opps, sorry about that."
Both men smirked before laughing loudly at her misfortune.
"I can't help it, if my stomach is asking for food. You guys, know a place, where I can get a meal?"
"Yeah, but it's a good walk from here…" Epps replied.
"Aww…really?" she whined, as she looked passed the smirking black mech and down the hall. She wasn't sure, if she would make it to the food source, with her knee starting to tingle in pain.
"Though, if we ask Ironhide nicely, he might give us a ride." Lennox said, before turning to Ironhide.
Frowning at his charge, Lennox, he was not happy that he would assume, he would haul them around on a whim.
Looking up at the large, black, and bulky cybertronian, Serenity gave him a smile before limping forward. "I'm sure, you're quite busy Ironhide, but if you could spare a few minutes, would you mind hauling our asses… my bad, our afts, to the nearest food source?"
Chuckling softly at her correction, to their curse language, he mulled over her words. Shrugging his massive cannons as he ponders, he nodded before reaching down and laying his hand palm up. "Ladies first."
"Such a gentleman." She laughed at his antics before climbing aboard. Grasping his fore finger lightly she was hauled up, 21 feet, to his should blades. Medium blue optics told her an unspoken word as to get off, and she did. Leaning against his shoulder blades and his neck she was safely secured in between the two.
Lennox and Epps were both watching closely as she was hauled up, but their fears went unnoticed, because they could slightly tell that she was very accustomed to the action. Not sure why, they figured they would ask later.
Though now that Serenity was situated, Ironhide had reached down to let Lennox and Epps climb aboard. Making sure his scanners were on the highest setting and the three humans were safe where they were, he turned and headed back the way he and Lennox where coming from. Taking turns and keeping a close optic on his passengers.
Her attention was taken from her comrades and to the inner workings of Ironhide's frame. She could see the energon flowing freely through the tubes on his neck, but that wasn't what got her full attention.
It was his spark.
She could feel the warmth, it was radiating as it pulsed with life. Leaning closer to Ironhide's neck plates, she wanted to be closer to the pulsing orb. His spark was soothing her and she felt very safe, in Ironhide's presence. She could also sense another trait, or something along those lines, perhaps it was his trigger happy emotion to blowing up 'cons, smiling at that thought she stayed by his neck plates, and dozed off to looking at the halls of the base, at the perspective she was at.
Over on the other side of Ironhide, was the two soldiers and they were very quiet for now. They were still on cloud nine, for the fact that Serenity was back with them, and not with who had captured her.
Epps looked at Lennox and could see him still making quick glances to Serenity. Though it was a little hard since they were both sitting on 'Hide's shoulder blades. Smirking, he gave his friend a light punch on the shoulder.
"What?"
"Leave her be, she's clearly enjoying herself."
"Just can't believe, that she is alive and with us."
"I hear yeah, man."
It was quiet for a while as they mused over the facts.
When they both had seen their lost comrade, they were speechless, but now they wanted to ask questions and talk among each other like the old days. They had so many questions, on her whereabouts for the last three years, who took her from them and what had happen to her. They had both seen the scars that litter her frame and the paleness in her normally tanned skin. Her well-toned muscles were gone, and in their place was just skin and bone. It scared them to think, that while she was MIA what they were seeing, was only part of the truth.
'It's quiet, too quiet.' Ironhide had never seen this side of Lennox or Epps, and he didn't like it. It was the younglings' fault, but not in a bad way. Optics shifting over to the femme, he could barely see her, from where she was at.
Just moments ago, he had felt the youngling lean against his neck plates all of a sudden. Fear shot through his spark and he almost comm Ratchet, when he saw Serenity's eyes meet his in an instant. Surprise crossed his optics, but concern rained in on hers.
Looking at Ironhide with concern orbs, she had felt the fear and worry that spiked through his spark. When she sensed it, her head had turned from looking at her surroundings to Ironhide, within seconds. Reaching out with her newly developed, still in training, ability, she tried to search for what had caused the mech to react like he did. Not gaining any knowledge, she pulled back and gave the weapon specialist a smile and a pat of reassurance on his shoulder, before turning back to the details of the base. She would let this go… for now.
'…? How did she know to look at me right then and now?' Thoughts of confusion raced through his processor, as he saw the look of concern in the femmeling's orbs. He wasn't exactly sure, what had happen with in the last few nano clicks, and didn't know if she knew what she just did. Letting air flow out of his intakes, he shuttered his optics, because now he was giving himself a processor ache, from just thinking about it.
Stepping down from his thoughts, he paid attention to the hallway, which he was, during the whole time, as he saw that he was coming to the destination. Stepping lightly and over the many soldiers that littered the hall, he safely came to the door to the entrance to the cafeteria.
First reaching for the men, he let them down before taking care of the femme. With extra care, he had Serenity down on the crowed floor next to Lennox and Epps, in just a few nano clicks.
"Thank-you, Ironhide!" Serenity replied as she was back on the ground. Smiling up to the large trigger happy mech, she was quite glad for the ride. "See you later!"
The femme's smile, made his spark tingle, as he felt the gratitude from her words. Nodding back, Ironhide walked with care, over to a room a few human sizes doors down, and came to a large transformer size one. Turning back to the commotion of the humans, he caught sight of the femme and could see her laughing at something Epps had said. Walking into the large rec room, that was slowing filling up with Autobots; he couldn't help but think the base just got a bit more interesting.
After Ironhide had left them, the three comrades were standing outside the door way, completely in everyone's way, just smirking at each other.
"Hey! It's Serenity!" a voice she knew, called out. About 15 heads turned from the door way and the room, when someone had caught sight of the light brown hair and pale green eye girl.
Waving to the Spanish man, known as Fig, she smiled at his good spirit.
The said man, ran up and instantly hugged Serenity and began speaking in his native tongue.
"English dude, English!" Lennox all but cried out.
Laughing at the antics that was going on, she was starting to feel right at home with the yelling and arguing from the men around her.
""You're always annoying me with the same old shit." Fig growled out, at his commanding officer as he turned to him.
"Too bad. If I can't understand yea, no one can." Lennox fiercely growled back.
"Am I going to have to separate you two?" Serenity asked with her arms crossed.
Both males looked at Serenity then each other. They knew that look and knew they would be in deep shit, if they got into a fight with her present. Stepping away from each other they frowned and looked away.
"Well… that was a mood killer." Epps popped in.
Turning swiftly around she gave him a playful glare just as her stomach growled. Looking down at her hungry tummy, she turned to look at her boys, before breaking out in a very much well deserve laugh.
All three boys chimed in with their own laughter, as the ice was broken and routines where getting back together. With smiles on all their faces and Serenity's they headed into the cafeteria to eat.
"Let's get some grub!"
TBC
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