Disclaimer: You know the drill.

A/N: My muse failed me about half way through writing this chapter, sorry everyone. Maybe now I'll get back into regular updates, can only hope.

Tomorrow4eva - I kinda realised that when I got your review so I've altered the plot a little. But I do have a sort of plan involving Caitlyn and Ratchet's relationship (NOT a RatchetXOC, don't worry) but it'll be a while before everything becomes clear.

All Other Reviewrs and Readers - I -heart- you guys so much. Thank you for your time.

Chapter 10 Three Sixty

Caitlyn had been surprised at how well she and Ratchet had gotten along, but they had similar interests and seemingly shared a sense of humour, but it was still a shock how quickly they had become buddy-buddy. Caitlyn wasn't by any stretch of the imagination antisocial but usually it took more than one conversation with someone before she felt so at ease with them.

'It's strange, I feel as if I could go to him with anything, but I've only known him for a few minutes. Even before we started talking there was this sense of belonging. He seemed to feel the same way and what was that he said about reading cybertronian facial expressions?'

Now she thought about it, she noticed that Ratchet's expressions had been nothing like a human's equivalent, but she had interpreted them flawlessly.

'Ok, that's plain weird. Might want to get that checked out.'

But right now she had more important things to worry about, like not getting melted into a little puddle of protein. Whatever connection she had with Ratchet obviously wasn't in effect with Ironhide.

Bumblebee had been cautious but welcoming, Sam seemed to trust his judgment and acted the same way, Mikaela had been a bit warmer but Ironhide...

'He's acting like any second I'm going to betray them.'

Never mind that she had effectively severed all ties with Seen by betraying them, that if it wasn't for her they would never have known where Jazz even was, and that she was here because of their decision.

Unfortunately Optimus Prime had decided that it would be Ironhide who would explain the house rules to her, which were thus - She was not allowed out of the base without one of the Autobots with her. She was not allowed in the medbay without permission from Ratchet, the training room without permission from Ironhide or Optimus' office without his say-so, she had to clear all contact with anyone outside the base in any way, shape, or form with the Autobots, the Autobots needed to know where she was at all times and practically every minute of her day had to be accounted for.

'Blah, blah, blah, blah, BLAH! This is fricken' ridiculous.'

She was fine with the Autobots, but being cooped up in the base all day, every day, unable to talk to, do anything or go anywhere she wanted when she wanted was already grating on her nerves. She was an adult for god sake! She hadn't been so controlled since primary school. She was not putting up with this.

It seemed that Ironhide had finished so she decided to air her concerns.

"Ok, I'm fine with most of the rules but some of them border on paranoia. How am I possibly supposed to inform you of every move I make in the day? I might as well just cuff myself to one of you and have done with it."

Ironhide's reply left her blood boiling.

"How you feel is not my concern, you are not in a position of trust and need to be monitored as such. You got yourself into this situation Miss Edens."

"Excuse me? I may be mistaken but it was not my decision to be transferred to the Autobots base!"

"But it was your decision to be involved with Seen."

"Under false pretences! I had not idea what they were doing and the moment I found out I did something about it! That's a hell of a lot more than can be said for most of the people there."

"We are still not convinced of your integrity."

'Oh this guy is asking for it! He's not even going to consider easing up! I haven't done anything wrong and no one, not even a huge-arse robot, is going to tell me otherwise.'

"Well you know what you can do with your rules? You can go ahead and shove them so far up your rear that you choke on them!"

"Why you little...!"

"Oh hey Caitlyn! I was just looking for you."

Sam's entrance caused both Ironhide and herself to both relax, only slightly, and glance at the teenager. Sam's voice was forcefully bright and it was obvious that he had not had to look for Caitlyn, not with the volume she and Ironhide had been using. Sam continued to babble.

"Ok, look I've already cleared it with Prime but me and 'Bee figured you might want to pick up your stuff, from your apartment right? 'Coz not even guys can survive very long just wearing the same outfit, although we do try, and yeah, like I said it's fine with Prime and Bumblebee and me will be with you – he can probably fit all your stuff except the furniture but we can come back for that and would you mind sharing the furniture with the other humans 'round the base, coz we've only just gotten set up really and we don't have much stuff, but only if you want to, you know?"

Both the cybertronian and the human had to pause as they digested the run-on sentence that Sam had come out with. Caitlyn felt sorry for the boy and frankly, now that she thought about it, clean underwear had become much more important than trying to budge Ironhide.

"Yeah, that's fine Sam I do need some of my stuff from home and its fine for everyone to use the furniture, I'm not too attached to it."

"Cool, 'Bee's waiting for us outside."

She followed Sam through the base and outside the huge doors and stopped dead at the sight before her.

She knew that cybertronians could transform into various mechanical objects with a similar mass and she knew that the Autobots had chosen Earth vehicles to try and blend in, but she hadn't known their exact alternate forms.

There, waiting with a quietly purring engine, was a bright yellow, sporty looking car with black details. She had seen this car before.

'Ahh, what did you expect? That the Autobots weren't working with the government to flush out Seen? That was some sheer naivety on your part.'

Caitlyn decided not to grill Sam about it; the boy was obviously already worried about the dynamics between the Autobots and their newest housemate. And as much as she hated it she was going to have to put up and shut up, at least for a while.

'Just remember, the bathrooms here are private, which is more than you'd get in federal prison.'

"Nice form." She commented to both Sam and Bumblebee. Sam laughed.

"'Bee wasn't actually this awesome when I met him; he changed alt modes after we met"

A rumble came from the engine and a voice boomed out of the car.

"I was perfectly happy with my prior alt form, but had to change it in order to improve my standing with Mikaela."

Caitlyn looked quizzically at Sam and the boy began to explain, running his hands nervously through his short hair.

"You see, 'Bee used to have a much older Camero form, so he could get himself bought by my dad and me as my first car, he was pretty beat up but the guy still wouldn't let him go for four thousand, so 'Bee blew out every other car's windows with his sound system." Sam smiled at the car, and 'Bee sunk on his shocks a little, seeming embarrassed.

Sam motioned for her to get in the car and the side door popped open obligingly. They got in and 'Bee began to drive.

"Ok, but that still doesn't explain the alt form, Sam."

"Oh, sorry, I'm just getting to that. So after 'Bee saved us from Barricade we were driving through a tunnel and Mikaela asks me "So if he's this, like, 'super advanced robot' why does he drive around as this piece of crap Camero?" So 'Bee slams on the breaks and shoves us out and I'm thinking that she's really pissed him off and there goes four thousand bucks and then he comes back in this form! Greatest day of my life, I swear."

Caitlyn smiled. "I can just imagine, so what kind of car is he now anyway?"

Sam stared at her open mouthed and 'Bee's horn blared in what was possibly shock, if his reaction matched Sam's.

"You mean you don't know?"

"Sorry, guys, I'm not a petrol head - a car enthusiast." She explained.

"'Bee happens to be one of the two thousand and nine Camero concept cars, only a few exist!"

"Yeah, I guess that's pretty cool."

Sam shook his head, obviously stating that Caitlyn wasn't giving the scenario proper reverence. That was fine, she knew that she knew nothing about cars and didn't much care, though she possibly might pick up something now she practically lived with cars.

The rest of the drive was uneventful, she and Sam just chatted, with occasional comments from Bumblebee, either in his own voice or through the radio. The drive was actually shorter than she had expected and Sam explained that the base wasn't that far from Tranquillity.

"So I went all the way from here to Washington and back again? Bit of a waste of time, don't you think?"

"Yeah." Came Sam's reply. "But the government's got some strange ideas about 'protocol'." Sam winced, obviously being one of the few humans to know the Autobots personally put him in tight spots now and again.

They were pulling into Caitlyn's apartment when Sam took the wheel and muttered 'holoform' to Bumblebee and she nearly had a heart attack when a blonde twenty-something male appeared in the backseat.

"Jee-sus! Warn me next time guys!" She yelped.

The 'holoform' that was Bumblebee apologised. Once her heart stopped hammering Caitlyn found she was curious about these 'holoforms'.

"Can you all do that?"

"Yep, when you've been travelling the galaxy for as long as we have you learn that not all species are 'accepting' of you. So we used the holoforms, mostly to blend in, sometimes to hide."

A nasty thought crossed her mind at Bumblebee's answer.

"Can the Decepticons use them too?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Some of them are even quite good at it." Bumblebee said with annoyance.

"Bugger."

There wasn't much else to say about the holoforms so the three exited the car, Caitlyn unlocked the door and they trooped into the living room.

"So what do you have that you want to take back to base?" Asked Bumblebee.

"Hmm, my clothes, toiletries, some other bits and pieces – Ooh, and the three sixty!"

Sam and Bumblebee stopped and looked at her Xbox with sudden wariness.

'Okay, what is it about my gaming console that is so suspect?'

"Exactly how long have you had that?" Asked Bumblebee suspiciously.

"God, ummm, couple of years?" She answered

Bumblebee and Sam relaxed, and Caitlyn wondered what the heck was going on.

"So, you gonna explain what that Spanish Inquisition was about?"

They both looked sheepish and Sam explained, coughing a little in embarrassment.

"See, at the Mission city battle, I fell while holding the All Spark and it let out a burst of energy, bringing an SUV, a drinks machine and an Xbox three sixty to life, the SUV and the drink machine went crazy and got caught – we don't know if the Xbox is crazy, but we haven't found it yet."

"So...you have a morbid fear of three sixties?" Caitlyn asked, trying to hold in her laughter.

That was just too much; she collapsed onto the living room couch, laughing hysterically.

Bumblebee and Sam looked at each other. Then Bumblebee spoke.

"At least she's still conscious."