Author's Note

Hello, everyone! Got another chapter done really fast. It was an easy chapter for me, though, since this is something I had all planned out for a while now. This might be my last chapter for a while before I go on vacation. I might get one more, but I'm not making any promises.

Oh, and Move Along has over 400 reviews now! Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews. I love reading them and hearing what you all have to say. They just make my day.

Speaking of which, it is now time for reviews!

ZabuzasGirl: I try, but you won't get immediately for much longer.

redsparrow1060: You have know idea how much I laughed when I read this. That was great.

DarkshadowXsunny-sides: Lol sorry.

SunnySides: Lol, thanks.

Princess Nightmare99: Thanks.

leebee14: Well, I'm glad I was able to give you a present even though I didn't know I was doing it. :)

Alice Gone Madd: Don't worry, it will. I'm a sucker for happy endings.

Bee4ever: Thanks. :)

Jimmy 144: I'm not sure how good I'm going to be at the tension thing, but I'll try my best.

TatteredAngel42: Don't worry, they will be.

HiddenHero220: I know, this twist can get annoying for readers, but it makes so much for these two because of all of their physical and cultural differences. It should be impossible for them to be together, quite literally on Sideswipe's part.

grapejuice101: Lol, sorry, but I'm a fan of the slow burn.

optimus prime girl: I'm sorry but, yes, Optimus is still going to die in TF2.

KeepingThemAtBay: I know, I can't wait till I can put them together. It seems so close yet so far!

professionalemail101: Lol, sorry.

Captain Tsuki Kage: Thanks. Never heard of Monsterpiece Theater. I'll have to look them up. :)

Alrighty, go onward and enjoy!

Facing Politicians

Sweat covers Ari's tired body, soaking into her workout clothes. The fist of Chromia's holoform flies towards her face. Ari deflects with her forearm but is not fast enough to doge the knee that connects with her stomach causing her to stumble back. It's a little hard to breathe but she recovers quickly and is able to block the next kick.

"Good, Ari," Chromia says. Chromia aims a few more punches and kicks at Ari and she blocks them all. "Very good, but you can't stay on the defensive forever. If you're ever going to get away from an attacker you have to attack them. Disable them so that they can't chase after you and you can get away."

Ari clenches her jaw and lashes out with a punch. Chromia easily blocks it. She tries again and again, punching and kicking, but Chromia blocks them every time.

"Come on, Ari, these hits are weak."

Ari punches harder, faster, and Chromia has to move more quickly in order to block.

"You're not weak, are you?"

Ari kicks out, her foot grazing along Chromia's side.

"I know you're strong. Prove it!"

Ari cries out in determination, pushing her body to move faster, to hit harder, until, with a well-placed kick to the ribs, Chromia goes down. Ari launches herself on top of her, legs pinning Chromia's arms to her sides, hand at her throat, and a fist held back for what would be the finishing blow.

Chromia smiles up at her. "Well done, Ari. Very well done. We'll make a warrior out of you yet."

Several of the soldiers who had been watching the match applaud and Ari smiles as she gets up, holding out a hand to help Chromia up as well. "I think I still have a long way to go for that."

"I don't know, I wasn't holding back that much."

"But you were still holding back." Their little crowd begins to dissipate and Ari goes over to a bench on the outskirts of the training mat where her towel and water bottle lay. She takes several big gulps of water and then uses the towel to wipe some of the sweat from her face. "Not like it matters, though. I'll never be as good as you."

Chromia claps her on the shoulder. "Few ever become as good as me, but I see great potential in you. Don't sell yourself so short."

Someone clears their throat very loudly and the girls turn to see Galloway standing just inside the training room, hands clasped behind his back and the ever-present scowl on his face. "Ms. Lennox, may I have a word with you?"

Ari knows that it's less of a question and more of a demand. She looks at Chromia, who's frowning slightly, but she nods at Ari. "We were pretty much done anyway," Chromia says, "and you already did your weapons training with Ironhide. Same time tomorrow?"

Ari nods. "Yeah, sounds good." She picks up her towel and bottle and turns towards the locker room as she asks Galloway, "Mind if I shower first?"

He scowls even more, if that's possible, but as he looks her over and sees that she's covered in sweat and grime his nose wrinkles. "Very well. Just make it quick. I'll be waiting for you out in the hall."

She's tempted to take as long as possible, but considering Galloway hardly ever talks to her she knows this can't be anything good and she doesn't want to do anything to upset him that might make him take it out on the Autobots. So, she rushes through the shower, throws on a spare pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a jacket she keeps in one of the lockers, and wrangles her damp hair into a pony tail.

When she exits the training room she, unfortunately, finds Galloway standing in the hall still waiting for her. She bites back a sigh and approaches him to face whatever slag he has for her this time.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Galloway?" she asks, trying to pull together all the politeness and patience she can muster.

"I want to know why you are on this base, Ms. Lennox." Well, no beating around the bush then.

"I'm on this base because I'm allowed on this base."

"But why? The Council doesn't just hand out all-access passes to just anyone."

She shrugs. "Guess I'm just special."

He glares at her. "Don't play games with me, little girl. There's a reason why you're allowed on base. I've tried to get access to your file to find out what it is, but have been denied every time."

"Sheesh, first Phil and now you?"

"Phil?" he asks in confusion and interest.

"Agent Coulson. With S.H.I.E.L.D."

He smirks. "So I'm not the only one interested."

"No, you're not, but unlike you, they're polite enough to keep their noses out of other people's business when asked." Galloway opens his mouth to say something, probably something nasty by the look on his face, but she holds up a hand to silence him. "Look, Mr. Galloway, my file is classified beyond everyone's reach for a reason. Based on what you told me, I'm guessing the Council has told you 'no' on several occasions. You should listen to them."

Galloway growls at her, leaning in close to her face, trying to use his height to his advantage and intimidate her. But that trick isn't going to work on her. Not anymore.

"You look here, Ms. Lennox," he says, his voice low. Threatening. "I don't care what it takes or who I have to go through, even if it's your little alien friends. I'm going to find out what you are hiding and when I do I'm going to use it to destroy you."

It's her turn to smirk. "I'd like to see you try."

"Oh, you think the Autobots will be enough to protect you?"

"I do." Her own voice turns threatening. "Last I checked they aren't so little. And if you even so much as think of hurting them to get to me, you'll be sorry. Because that is something I will never allow."

They glare at each other for a minute, neither wanting to back down, but when Galloway's phone chirps in his pocket he's forced to look away. He takes the cell out of his jacket, glances at it, and then puts it away. "This isn't over," he says with one final glare and then turns on his heel towards the main hanger.

The sound of slow applause causes Ari to turn around. Will is leaning against the wall near the entrance to the training room, clapping his hands with a huge grin on his face. He pushes off of the wall and approaches her. "That was awesome."

Ari rubs at the back of her neck self-consciously. "All I did was speak my mind."

"Yeah, but I've never seen anyone stand up to Galloway like that, except for maybe Optimus."

"Has Galloway been giving Optimus and the Autobots a hard time?"

Will sighs tiredly. "Yeah, just about every time he's here. He's really badgering us about the damage caused when we fight the Decepticons and how hard it is sometimes to keep the situation contained."

"That's not fair! The Decepticons don't care about not causing damage or staying out of sight from humans. Galloway can't really expect you guys to control what the Decepticons do? In the middle of a fight…it doesn't work like that. There's no telling what will happen."

"I know, but Galloway doesn't care. I think he's trying to put the Autobots in a bad light hoping it'll help him get what he wants."

Ari's fists clench at her sides. "He's still trying to get their weapons, isn't he."

"Yeah, but Optimus isn't moving an inch. And neither is the Council. It's a part of the treaty that the Autobots will never give up their weapons knowledge. Galloway is hoping if he makes the Autobots look bad and incompetent the Council will change their minds and decide that the only way to handle things is if humans have better weapons to stop the Decepticons ourselves."

"That's not going to end well. Do you think Galloway will succeed eventually?"

"I don't know, kid, but he's willing to keep on trying. I don't see him giving up any time soon."

She fingers her pendant absently. "There has to be something that can be done. Someone needs to stop Galloway. To stand between him and the Autobots."

"You seem to be pretty good at it."

She balks. "Excuse me?"

"What? Like I said, you were awesome dealing with him before."

"Maybe, but dealing with Galloway on a regular basis is going to take a deep knowledge of politics which is something I don't have. And I'm sure there are others just like him I'd have to deal with, too. The Autobots need someone like Phil, not me."

"Well, yeah, you can't do it now. There's a lot you're going to have to learn, but that's what college is for. You said you didn't know what you want to do yet, right?"

"No, I don't know what I want to do." Ari has been getting college ads for a while now from what feels like every college within a three state radius. All of them have their good points and bad points, but she just has no clue. She wants to go to college, she just doesn't know where. Or what for. "I just know that I want to stay close to the Autobots. I don't think I could ever be a soldier, but I'm not really good at anything, except learning, and that's just because of the AllSpark."

Will gives her a reassuring smile. "But you are good at understanding other people, even when they're so different from yourself. When you first met Sideswipe you didn't look at him in fear. You befriended him. You got to know him. And when the new Autobots arrived on their ship, none of the soldiers knew what to do, but you walked right up to Chromia and introduced yourself."

"Okay, so I'm a Cybertronian person. But I'm not a people person. It took six Autobots and a couple of soldiers to be on my side before I was able to stand up to Ron. What makes you think I'll be able to stand up to a bunch of bloodthirsty politicians?"

"Because of what I just saw. You stood up to Galloway without even flinching. If you can take on Galloway, then you can take on any politician like him wanting a piece of the Autobots."

"But Galloway is just an egotistical aftpipe." She's gotten enough practice from dealing with Trent to handle an aftpipe like Galloway.

"They're all just egotistical aftpipes."

Ari sighs heavily, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "That still doesn't mean I'll ever be smart enough or skilled enough like them. Phil would be better at it than me. And the Autobots would have to wait years for me to finish college. And would I even be allowed to do…whatever it is we're talking about me doing?"

"You may not have the skills now, but you'll get them in college. And I know that, in just a few years, you can become so much better than them. Do you really think Coulson always knew what he knows now?"

She looks down at her feet. "No."

"No, he didn't. He had to learn everything, and so will you." Will places a hand on her shoulder. "Look, just talk to Optimus. If there really is a chance you can do this, then I think you should take it. You could make a real difference here, Ari."

Ari nods absently. "I-I'll think about it."

She walks away, back towards the Autobot hanger, unsure of what she's going to do. She wants to do something with her life that's meaningful. She's already the AllSpark, but that's not really…her. It's not something she's done, not something she's accomplished by herself. She was just made that way. And it's something that only a select few know about. Ari wants to do something by her own power that she can be proud of. She would love to do something with the Autobots but….

Can she really do this?

When she enters the hanger her eyes connect with Sideswipe's optics. At first, she felt a little bit awkward around him after Christmas, but things are mostly normal now. And they need to stay that way. Normal.

Normal is so overrated, though, but what choice does she have? At least putting on a calm facade is something she's had a lot of practice with and is really good at.

Sideswipe looks at her curiously, asking her a silent question, but she just waves him off. Instead, she heads straight for Optimus. She knocks on his shin. "Hey, Optimus?"

He looks down at her. "Yes, Ari? What is it?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Certainly." He bends down, holding out his hand to her palm up, and she climbs on. He carriers her outside, sensing her need for privacy, and they sit out in the sun with Ari propped on his knee. "Now, what is it you wished to speak to me about?"

Ari takes a deep breath and then tells Optimus what she and Will spoke about. When she's finished Optimus is giving her an amused look and her cheeks turn a little red. "You think it's stupid, don't you?"

"No, Ari, I do not think it stupid. Galloway and the other human politicians have indeed been troublesome these past few months, especially since the Decepticon sightings have started. I do my best against them, but they are not as understanding of my kind as you are. Having a human on our side who understands us and can remind these politicians of the trust we share may be what we need."

A jolt of surprise rushes through her. "And do you really think I could do that?"

"I believe you are the only one who can." Optimus picks her up again and lifts her so that she is level with his face. "Ari, you are our first and closest friend since coming to this planet. You understand us in ways no one else ever will, and I am not just saying that because of the AllSpark power that resides within you. You treat us no differently than a fellow human. You look past our differences and treat us as equals. You trust us, the same as we trust you. If anyone is to be our ambassador, it should be you."

"Ambassador?" she asks, wide-eyed.

"Yes. Secretary Keller made sure it was added to the treaty that we would have the authority to appoint our own ambassador, someone to represent us to your leaders."

"A-And you think I should be this…ambassador?"

He nods. "I do. When it was added to the treaty, you were the first person I thought of."

"But I wouldn't be able to do it for years. Something like this…it requires schooling. Training. Things that I don't have right now. I would have to get through college first. The average bachelor degree takes four years and I won't be starting college for another year and a half."

"I have heard from Will how you are doing in school. You are achieving exceptionally high scores in all of your classes. He's said that you could finish high school early if your school offered the opportunity. Would not colleges offer an opportunity such as this to where it would not take the total four years?"

She opens her mouth and then closes it again. Yes, school has been really easy for her since the AllSpark and everything. It's been making her lessons seem…slow. Like she could learn a two weeks' worth of lessons in one day given the chance. In college, she would have a better opportunity to go at her own, accelerated pace. She could take as many classes as she wants at once, easily getting done in maybe two years.

She runs a hand over her face. "Yeah, yeah, I could finish college in probably half the time, but do you really want to wait three and a half years for me?"

"Yes, Ari," Optimus says, his voice full of certainly. "We will wait as long as it takes. I can handle Galloway and the others for now."

"Yeah?" she asks hopefully.

Optimus chuckles. "Yes."

"Al-Alright then." She looks back at the hanger and then back up at Optimus with a wide grin. "I guess I know what I'm going to do now."

When she's done talking to Optimus she runs and finds Will, Rob, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker watching T.V. in the rec room. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker sit on a Cybertronian-sized metal bench with scaffolding surrounding it. On the scaffolding are several couches with Will and Rob sitting on one. She climbs up the scaffold and excitedly tells them of her decision to become the Autobot Ambassador.

"That's awesome, Ari," Sideswipe says, his face mirroring her own excitement. "Optimus is right, you would be perfect for it."

"See?" Will says. "I told you so."

"Got any idea on where you're gonna go to college then?" Rob asks.

Ari shakes her head. "No, not yet. I'll have to do some research. Find out which ones have the best political science programs."

"But you have plenty time for that." Will gestures to the seat beside him. "Come on and enjoy a little mindless television with us and unwind."

Before Ari can even make one step towards the couch Sideswipe grabs her and places her on his leg. She laughs, fighting off a blush, and settles back against his chassis.

Just keep everything normal, Ari. You can enjoy it, but you have to keep acting like it's no big deal.

Easier said than done, though. Her heart must be beating a mile a minute, threatening to burst out of her chest. She tries her best to ignore it, instead watching whatever show is playing on the huge T.V. After a while she is able to calm herself down and relax.

But her blush does not go away. At least, it feels like it doesn't. Her face is still really warm. She presses the back of her hand to her forehead and it feels like she's running a fever. She sheds her jacket, thinking she's probably just warm. She focuses her attention back to the T.V. but then not long after a headache starts to throb inside her skull, gradually getting worse and worse. She squirms, trying to get comfortable, but all of a sudden it's impossible.

"Hey, Ari, you alright?" Sideswipe asks.

"I'm not sure." She presses the back of her hand to her cheek. It feels warmer now. "I think I might be coming down with something."

"You're getting sick?" Sideswipe sounds really worried now. "Do you want me to take you to Ratchet?"

"No, no, I'll be fine." Ari sits up and slides off of his leg to the floor, tying her jacket around her waist. "I'm just going to go lie down for a while."

Will looks at his watch. "The sun's gonna be setting soon. You might as well just stay here for the night and go to sleep now. The best way to kick the flu is to get a lot of rest."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"You want me to take you to the dorms?" Sideswipe asks.

"No, that's okay. I can get there by myself."

"Are you sure?"

She smiles as best she can despite how slagging awful she's starting to feel. "I'm sure. Sorry I'll be missing stargazing tonight."

"Just go sleep already and get better," Sunstreaker says and she smiles a little wider at his masked worry. She waves goodbye and heads out.

As she's making her way to the dorms she thinks over what supplies she has in her room. She has a couple days' worth of clothes in the dresser, spare toothbrush, toothpaste, shower products. She basically has all of the essentials, except for the one thing she actually wants right now: some cold medicine. Or maybe some aspirin. She thinks about maybe going back and actually seeing Ratchet, but it just sounds like too much effort to turn around and walk all the way to the med bay.

"Well, hopefully the AllSpark will help me get over this faster," she mutters to herself as she reaches for the door to the dorms. But then she freezes.

The AllSpark…Ratchet said it boosted her immune system, making it strong enough to fight off any disease, so strong it's now impossible for her to get sick. She looks down at her hands. What is this sickness then? Her headache spikes again and she hisses in pain.

Wait. I've felt this before.

Ari turns around and starts walking quickly back the way she came, fumbling for her pendant. She pushes the black button for the General Comm. "Sideswipe, where are you?"

::Still in the rec room,:: he says. ::Why?::

"I need you to come get me," she says, panic starting to filter into her voice. She doesn't want to be alone for this. "You need to come get me right now."

::I'm on my way,:: he says quickly. ::What is it, are there Decepticons?::

"No, it's the AllSpark. I'm getting another mark."

As soon as she says it the pain in her head intensifies to excruciating. She drops to her knees and grabs at her head. An engine roars somewhere nearby followed by warmth surrounding her. She knows she must be with Sideswipe now but it all feels so far away. All she can feel is pain. It gets even worse on her left arm and then everything goes black.

Ari awakens in a familiar desert. This time she doesn't have to look around and wonder what to do. Right away she heads towards the craggy mountains where, sure enough, six ancient Cybertronians stand waiting for her. Even though she understands what it all means, she doesn't understand why she is here now.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asks the first Primes. "You said I'd only unlock the powers of the AllSpark when I earned them."

"And you have," the Prime at the head of the group says.

Her brow furrows. "How? I didn't do anything."

"Oh, but you did," the femme says. "It was the decision on what to do for your future that unlocked the next mark."

"You mean become the Autobot Ambassador?"

The first Prime nods. "You decided to devote your life to helping our kind, to protect them from those who would do them harm and who do not have open hearts and minds."

"But you do have an open heart," the femme says with a knowing smile. Ari blushes and quickly looks away from her.

"To become the Autobot Ambassador will be a difficult task," the largest of the Primes says. "You will need understanding of our race that you do not possess now. This mark will help you."

Ari looks down at her left forearm. A new mark is glowing on her skin, a little bit smaller than the mark of the AllSpark and rests below it, closer to her hand, and slightly to the right. It almost looks like a Japanese kanji but she knows it's Cybertronian.

And, somehow, she knows what it says.

"Knowledge," she reads. She looks up at the Primes in shock. "I can read it. How?"

"That is the mark of knowledge," the first Prime says. "As you know, the Cube held all of our race's knowledge, our history, from the very beginning to the present. Including our language."

"So all of that knowledge is inside of me now?"

"Yes, and controlling that knowledge will be difficult. You have already had practice gathering information from your human texts and creating the doors in your mind. You will now need dozens of new doors to contain this knowledge."

"How can I do that, all at once? I've only ever made one door at a time."

"Do not worry, Ari," the femme says. "We will help you."

"And we should start now. The first Prime reaches down and takes Ari into his hands so that she is sitting cross-legged on his palms. "Now, close your eyes and clear your mind."

Author's Note

So, we now have another mark. That's two out of seven for those of you who don't remember.

And Ari is going to be an Ambassador! I know this is something done in other stories. Hopefully I do a good job once things get that far.

Next chapter is going to be some more fluff. :)

Hope you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW, and see you all next time!