Chapter 29: Confidence Rebuilding Part 5, - A New Fear

Normal POV

Wheeljack pulls into the Autobot base and lets Tracy out. She is glad that her right shoulder and knee are back to normal. The only problem she scared to start dancing again. Bobby walks down the stairs from the area with the TV and goes over to her. "So, when does the world get to see your beautiful dancing again?"

"Never. I've decided that I'm going to call Professor Gonzales and tell her that I can't accept it. I'm going to go to Med School like my parents want me to," Tracy answers.

"Am I hearing this right? You're giving up on your dream of becoming a professional dancer," Bobby gasps.

"Yes, I can't risk tearing my ACL. If that happens the only way to fix it is the surgery, and a five to six-month recovery. I had a hard enough time going two weeks without dancing,"

"You're just afraid of hurting your knee again when you do your jumps,"

Tracy nods. Bobby takes hold of her wrist and guides her over to the stairs leading to where his laptop is. She sees his go onto YouTube and looks up "Can I Have This Dance."

"Bobby, you don't know how to Waltz do you?"

"No, but you learned how at Cotillion didn't you,"

"Yes, but I had a terrible partner. He dropped me during the dip,"

"That won't happen this, promise. So, how about we tackle your fear together,"

Bobby pressed the keys, and the song starts to play through the speakers on the big computer. The 'Bots see the humans start to dance around the room. As the song fades out, Tracy realizes that she and Bobby are close enough to share their first kiss. She watches him slowly lean in, and their lips were inches away from touching when they hear Bulkhead honks his horn.

Rats, when am I going to have my first kiss, Tracy thinks.

They quickly back away from each other since they weren't in the mood to explain what a kiss means to the 'Bots. Wheeljack walks over to them. He sets his hand down in front of them. They climb his arm to sit down on his shoulder. Tracy reaches into her purse and takes out the key chain her cousin Matthew gave her the day he left to go to Afghanistan. It has an eagle and the American flag on it. Tracy closes her eyes as she holds it against her heart.

Bobby looks over his girlfriend and sees a sad expression appear on her face as she opens her eyes,"You wish Matthew were here right now, don't you?"

"Yeah, Matt has a knack for rebuilding confidence in others," Tracy sighs.

Tracy's POV

I see Miko sitting on Bulkhead's shoulder as Wheeljack rejoins the group.

"Where is Matthew," Wheeljack asks.

"He joined the Air Force two years ago. He left to serve his second tour in Afghanistan last year,"

"Isn't Matthew the one who thought you to be a sharp shooter," Wheeljack asks.

"Yes,"

"Why did he decide to join the Air Force instead of the Army?" Miko asks.

"He loved flying. Plus, he wanted to serve his country, and joining the Air Force let him do both,"

"Doesn't he usually call you?" Miko asks.

"He's old fashioned. We send letters back and forth. I haven't got one in a few weeks. I know he's busy, but I normally get one by now. Another part of me keeps focusing on the worse case scenario,"

I start to put the keychain back in my purse, but it slides off my finger tips then drops to the floor. It's about to hit the floor when we gasp in disbelief seeing a 12 week old Labradoodle puppy with apricot wavy coat run up and snatch it in its mouth. Wheeljack kneels down, and I jump off his shoulder then land on my left knee. It feels strange, but I ignore it. Then the puppy walks up to me. I hold out my hand to let the puppy sniff it before I pick up my keychain. It sniffs my hand and wags its tail happily.

I hold my hand palm side up and it opens it mouth to let the key chain fall into my hand,"Thank you little one," After I put the key chain away, the Labradoodle jumps into my arms. Then I turn around to face the group.

"How did it find the base," Bulkhead asks.

"Sorry guys, I guess after all these years stay animals are still able to track me down,"

"I think this one can't be a stray," Bobby says.

"Yeah, its way to used to being around people. I think I should take to the animal shelter to see if anyone has lost a pet,"

"I'll go with, that puppy is so Kawaii," Miko says.

"That means cute, right?"

"Yup, so let's go," Miko says.

Bobby's POV

After BUlkhad and the girls left, I take out my phone. I decide to call Agent Fowler to see if he can help me out with my special mission.

"Agent Fowler, Bobby you know this isn't a casual line?"

"I know, but this is important. Do you think that General Bryce could contact the Air Force base?"

"How come?"

"Tracy's Cousin Matthew is in the Air Force. I thought he could help us out with Tracy's confidence issue,"

"I'll go see him right now, but I'm not making any promises alright,"

"Okay, thank you, Agent Fowler,"

I hang up and put my phone back into my pocket.

"Did you call Agent Fowler to see if he can bring Matthew home?"

"That's the plan Wheeljack. I hate seeing Tracy like this,"

"Are you doing this as her friend or because you two are a couple now?" Arcee asks.

"A little bit of both Arcee,"

Normal POV

Bulkhead pulls into the Jasper Animal shelter's parking lot. He parks in a space close to the door that was next to the Handicap puppy climbs onto Miko's lap. "Miko, why don't you watch her for a second, while I make sure that is still open,"

"You got it," Miko says.

Tracy gets out and walks up to the door. She reads the sign on the wall next to it.

Shelter hours

Monday - Friday 11am - 7pm

Saturday and Sunday 10 am - 6:30 pm

Tracy takes out her phone and sees that it is 7:05. She turns around, puts her phone back in her pocket before walking back to the car. She gets inside and looks over at Miko.

"I guess she'll have to come home with me," Tracy says.

"Shouldn't we at least give her a name?" Miko asks.

"It sounds like a good idea to me," Bulkhead adds.

"I know we should, but once we name her. We'll get attached to her, and it will be harder to give away when I bring her back to the shelter tomorrow," Tracy says.

"I'm sure my host parents won't mind. If I explain that she'll only be there for the night, Miko says.

"I guess that could work too, but only if they agree," Tracy says.

~Three More Energems~

Bulkhead drives back to the base. Tracy and Miko get out. She takes the puppy to the resting area and sits down on the couch. It lays down on her lap while she calls her host parents. Tracy walks over to Bobby. She sees him trying to keep himself from smiling.

"Bobby, what's going on?"

"Just a little surprise to help bring you out of your funk,"

"What kind of surprise?"

"A surprise that needed my assistant to pull off," Agent Fowler says. "Tracy, I believe that you know my guest Airman Cunningham."

Tracy looks up towards the elevator. She watches the doors slide open. The Autobots see Tracy try her best to hold back the tears of joy and hiding her huge smile behind her hands when she sees her cousin Matthew exit the elevator. The happy tears start to escape from her eyes as Matthew walks down the stairs. He stands at the bottom. They hear Tracy happily shriek her cousin's name as she runs over to him. Then they share a welcome back hug.

"When I didn't get a letter in a few weeks I thought you..." Tracy says through her tears.

"Sorry, Patricia, I wanted to surprise you when I got home,"

Tracy happy tears stop flowing, and starts to softly chuckle as she lets go of her cousin,"You always like surprising people,"

After they back away and walk over to the Autobots. Agent Fowler joins the group as well. Matthew sees his cousin kiss Bobby on the cheek then Bobby puts his arm around her shoulder. Tracy sets her head on Bobby's shoulder.

"So, Patricia, when did you and Bobby become a couple?" Matthew asks.

"I have a better question why do you let Matthew call you Patrica?" Wheeljack adds.

"Well, Matt, we've been going out for a six weeks." Tracy answers. "To answer your question Wheeljack, Matthew isn't into the nickname thing. So, he, Uncle Matasis, and my parents are the only people who can call me Patricia,"

"So, Patricia, how about you and Wheeljack give me a tour of the base?" Matthew asks.

"Sure," Wheeljack and Tracy answer.