TMWolf: Alright! Next chapter up and ready to go! Had a great birthday time with my parents and had a most DELICIOUS cake~ Now I'm back and ready to roll! This chapter is more so a "happy-fun-time" chapter, so except some exciting fun times! :P It's also a good chapter for anybody with any theories about, well, stuff in the story, so look out and let me know what you got! ;) I will happily neither confirm nor deny your assumptions, bwahahaha~
Linkin Park strikes again with this chapter using their song, One Step Closer, whose lyrics have NOTHING to do with the chapter, ha ha ha! The title just worked out nicely~
Now for the reviews, which I do love and appreciate! Glad to see you all like that bit of romance. I guess I should post it more often ;D Yeeeah, but no. Not yet :P Tee hee~
angel897: Thanks! Hope you'll continue to think so! :)
Autobot-Bre: Yeah! About time they got something gong, am I right? xD;;
a Wiccan: Thanks! :D
Cascadenight: lol! whhhhy thank-you ;) And now I can't wait to see how you react to actual romance between them! xD;; Granted, it won't be the "normal" romance, or what I call "normal", anyways :P And what? You've never seen a husky? D: You need to come to my house right now and play with Bandit! Seriously- I just step over him, grab his back legs and kick them really fast for him and he LOVES it and he's sooooo cute about it! xD They're ridiculously furry, though...
Kago of the Funk: lol I know right? They're both just terrible ;) Oh, and trust me- I know ALL about reading it for hours. Those captions are freaking hilarious! PSSH. GURL. I OWN RATCHET. HE DOES WHATEVER I WRITE FOR HIM TO DO. :P
Heather Tobotua de Cybertron: Aww, thank-you! :) I prefer relationships taking time myself, and theirs is a peculiar relationship, so it's going to take longer, anyways :) Again, thank-you, and hope the wait wasn't too long for you!
Iceshadow911247: ...You're fragging luck to have him for a cousin :( And, er... well, Catherine never LIKED him, and Jazz would only have tried for it if she WANTED him like that, but since she doesn't, he's always viewed her as a little sister figure. So Jazz isn't jealous or upset or anything. And yes, the horses would SO freak out for a while xD;; ...OMP.. That... That's... fragging awesome. NO FAIR GURL :( I wish that stuff happened to me... And trust me, that's not creepy/disturbing at all xD
Joldino-Sidestreaker: Took them long enough, ha ha! Just wait for when it really gets going, and I'll do my best! :)
kaaayyytteee: Thanks! :D
LadyAmazon: Ha ha ha, my bad! Or, well, their bad I guess ;) What can I say? They're stubborn. Oh, and Huskies are fine in warm weather! Where I live it can get up to 100 degrees in the summer, but we just keep them inside, and, well, oddly enough they will spend HOURS outside, lying in the SUN on those hot days. I personally think they're solar powered, so, y'know ;) But huskies are fine! :) Just bring them in when they get too hot. You cans have them, too, if you want.
Mercedes Wolfcry: Thanks! :3
Pheonixfire1995: Aww, thank-you! I hope you'll continue to think so! :)
Reader1236: ROTF is going to start pretty soon, actually. In just a few chapter after a time skip it begins. I imagine it is seeming like it's taking a long time, but I've been using the two years between the movies to introduce new ideas, locations, characters and build relationships so I don't have to explain/extend on them later. If it helps, I'm fairly certain the time between ROTF and DOTM won't take as long.
rEdRoSeSiNaUgUsT: (Hope I got all the letters right) I'm guessing that fluff made you happy, ha ha? ;)
Starscream's Prime: Ha ha, wow- if I get an EEKNESS x2 for THAT small bit, then I wonder what you'll do when they really get going with their relationship :P
Szynka2496: Ouch. That sucks. And my summer lasts until August. I can actually probably leave sooner than I thought, which is awesome (for me) :D College can be wonderful sometimes, ha ha. And yes, apparently there is! xD I believe it was Everbear01 who said it and I liked it so it stuck :P And oh yeah! I know what you're talking about! It's actually a continuation. They had another one before it, too. Pssh. Tell that to my mom and her vacuum lol! But yeah, they're awesome. Or, well, only Bandit is awesome cause he so much fun to play with. The other two are old and grumpy D: And, uh, if you're siblings are bad enough then a husky might not be a good thing xD;; They can be as bad as little kids sometimes~
TeresaFanFic: Ah, well no need for guessing when you tell me at the end, ha ha ;) And thank-you soooo much! :D And, uh, now that you mention it... I guess their diction is pretty specific. I don't really think about it, to be honest xD;; Also, uh- *uses Pheonix Down* let's, uh, try not to keep dying? I don't want to have to be charged with murder, ha ha ha~ :P
TheBlackRose: Oh good Primus! People keep dying! xD;; It's obviously not safe for me to write fluff! And lol yupupyup! Totally possible, although it would be a little different ;) Yesh, that's how you spell Husky's. :D And, uh, erm... No, uh, comment, on Sunny. -flees-
Topkicker26: What? noooo... Scruff is just awesome. Seriously. Love scruffiness. :P Nemesis Prime was sooooooo good! "Grill" wasn't all that exciting, but the ending was HILARIOUS! xD;; It's all so awkward at the end with Prime right there at the window, bwahahaha! and OMP LOL! Oh, Wheatley! You and you're British-voiced quotes! :] Adnd ooooh! I didn't know the one in California was coming out so soon! :D One day when I have enough of my own money to spare and friends to go with me I shall do so! Unless my parents go on their own xD;; AND NO IT'S NOT SMUTT, YOU! -throws shoe at- It's just fluff ;)
WantFanFics: I know right? Catherine! Sideswipe! Stop taking forever! -throws shoe at them- D:
And here we go! Action!
XXXVII. One Step Closer
"So you, uh, forgot your things," the brown-haired young man chuckled, lifting up the box held in his hands. Catherine, her arms folded across her chest, grinned and pushed off the railing of the house's porch to saunter over and relieve her friend of the cardboard box. Behind them, Bumblebee's gears whirred and clicked as he shifted and changed into his bipedal form. His wings flexed along with his limbs, and he chirped happily.
"So I noticed," she chuckled, and then looked beyond him at the yellow Autobot. "Sideswipe and Jazz are out in the fields if you want to go see them."
"Roger that," he replied, giving her a salute.
"Now, now 'Bee. You have to talk normally with me, alright? You promised!" she replied, pouting, and the Autobot's optics brightened with a smile.
"I suppose I did. My apologies, Catherine," he stated, laughter lingering in his tone. "You and Sam enjoy yourselves in the meantime."
Both young man and woman nodded and watched the Cybertronian trot off, and then Sam looked at the redhead with an expression that made her raise a brow in return.
"What?" she asked and he put his hands on his hips.
"Why you got to mess with me and "bee's mojo, Cat?"
She laughed, "C'mon in, Sam. The parents are out and they took Annie with them, so we've got the house to ourselves for a few hours."
"Don't mind if I do," he chimed, moving into place next to her as they ascended the porch steps. "I take it the 'parents' couldn't stand being away from their little girl after last night?"
"Oh, well, actually, they decided to have their date tonight, instead," the redhead laughed, and continued on when Sam gave a loud, emphatic "what". She imagined his face was one of quite a lot of shock and possibly disappointment, but she didn't look back as she led him through the door and down to the kitchen.
"Yeah. They ended up figuring last night was too soon, so they pushed it to today," she finally stated once she'd set the box onto the counter and sat in one of the bar chairs. "We just have to put Annie to bed and then tend to her if she wakes up. No big deal."
"Tsk… Oh, alright," he sighed after a moment, throwing his head back in exaggeration. "It can't be as bad as taking care of Mojo… And it sounds like someone is getting all cozy with the family, giving them nicknames."
She grinned at his teasing as she nodded, "Well, I am part of the family now, so it's only natural Annabelle's big sister figure gives her a cute nickname. We'll have code names soon enough when we want to pull one over Lennox."
"Oh, geez! Poor guy! You're going to ruin him!" Sam laughed, the redhead smirking mischievously all the way. "My Mom's going to get jealous, y'know, hearing you've got yourself a new set of parents. They were pretty keen on adopting you after I told them what happened."
"Well, you can tell her I appreciate the offer and would jump on it right away if Sarah hadn't claimed me a year ago and if I wasn't dead according to my official file," she chuckled back, and Sam folded his arms thoughtfully.
"Yeah, I guess that does provide a problem. I can't rightfully have a zombie-sister. I think there are some legal issues. Maybe. I think? I dunno—are there laws against having zombies in a family?"
"Somewhere, probably. I mean, they have 'no-sex-with-a-moose' law somewhere in the U.S. I think. Maybe Canada. Regardless, it's there, so there's bound to be a zombie one."
"Probably," he hummed, and then paused for a good five seconds before staring dead-pan at her. "Why the hell are we talking about this?"
She laughed, "I have noidea! How about we go do something fun instead?"
"Depends on what you have in mind," he grinned, and her eyes twinkled.
"You've always wanted to learn how to ride a horse, right?"
"Am I right to assume you're an expert?"
"Kinda. We'll keep the 'bots close by, just in case. C'mon, I'll introduce you to the Ladies and Gents."
"'Ladies and Gents'?" he inquired as he watched her hop off the chair and head to the back door. She laughed and just gestured for him to follow, which he did. Outside, they were met with the trio of Autobots set in what looked like the Cybertronian version of a "pow-wow" as Catherine liked to call it, where they sat in a circle and exchanged words in their electronic language. They paused once the two humans showed, of course, but continued on when the redhead waved them off and led her companion over to the horse barn. She opened up the nearest stall, which happened to house their tanned mare, whom lifted her head up for but a moment before returning to nibble on the hay at her feet, the humans of no worth when compared to the food.
"This is Sunshine, since her coat and main are so yellow. She's one of the two mares, and the most gentle," Catherine purred, stroking the horse's neck affectionately. Sam, on the other hand, kept a safe distance with his hands stuffed in his pockets.
"Oh, well, she's uh, pretty big for a girl horse," he mumbled for his reply. Catherine paused to glance back at him, brow raised, snorted, and then laughed loudly, catching the attention of a few of the other horses for a few seconds. Sam flushed a little and huffed, which finally got the redhead to stop.
"Sorry—I just can't believe you're scared of Ms. Sunshine here!" she grinned, returning to her petting. "She's really a sweet thing and has a smooth ride. She'll be Annie's first horse until she discovers her wild side and goes for 'ol Blacky."
"Yeah… Um… Actually… I'm… uh… not so sure about this, um, riding thing…" the young man frowned, rubbing the back of his head.
"Aw, c'mon, Sam! I promise it'll be fun! Western is the best!"
"'Cat…"
The redhead met her friend's gaze for a few moments before sighing in defeat and nodding. Sam visibly relaxed, having to work hard to hold back his relieved smile. Catherine rolled her eyes and pat Sunshine's neck one last time before leading him out and closing up the stall.
"Sorry, if you really wanted to ride. I just…" he began once they were standing in the middle of the hallway, but shook her head.
"Dude, it's cool. Riding's not for everybody. Although, I cannot believe you are too scared to ride a horse after Mission City. I mean, really?"
"That's… That's different! Kinda. I just—oh forget it! I know you're just messing with me now," he laughed and she gave a confirming "mm-hmm" before stuffing her hands into her pockets, too.
"So what do you want to do then? I guess I can teach you how to shoot if you want, or we can go watch TV. Or we can get one of the 'bots to tote us around, I guess."
"Good question and suggestions," he rumbled, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He went on for a good thirty seconds before his eyes brightened and he snapped his fingers. "Oh my God! I got it! Let's have a race!"
She raised a brow with an eager smile, "A 'race'?"
"You with Sideswipe, me with Bee—we find a long strip of road and race!"
"I'm assuming with us in control and not letting the 'bots drive?"
"That would take out all the fun."
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Sam grinned and turned to face the outside, "Hey, 'Bee!"
Both humans hurried out, and were met with curious looks from their Cybertronian companions. The young man explained their wishes and terms, and although the 'bots themselves would not be doing the driving, both Sideswipe and Bumblebee looked eager to test their metal against each other. Jazz teased about being left out, which turned the race into a round robin, with the lone 'bot out acting as the referee each round. With everything settled, Catherine left a message for Lennox, and everyone was off, driving down the road with Sideswipe in the lead, as he apparently knew a great place for their desires.
It wasn't too far away, maybe twenty minutes, and there they found a long, abandoned lot with plenty of room for a decent race. There was some grass growing through the cracks here and there, and there were the remains of metal fencing around the edges, but nothing that got in the way. It was also far enough from the road and ay civilization that no one would hear them and get curious.
Jazz laid out the distance for their race, and stood at the end so they would know where it was, while Sideswipe and Bumblebee let their engines rumble with anticipation at the starting line. In their driver's seats, Catherine and Sam sat comfortably, though their feet were ready to jam on the accelerator.
"Ready to know what it feel like to eat someone's dust, Sammy-boy?" the redhead purred aloud, the Autobots' comm. links activated between all three.
Sam laughed, "Prepare to eat your words, 'Cat!"
"Ooh, we can't let him live that one down. I hope you're engines ready, 'Sides, 'cause we're gonna cream this amateur!"
"Ready when you are, though we'd own them for sure if I was driving," the silver mech replied, no doubt smirking, and the redhead rolled her eyes.
"Don't make me lose on purpose, jerk."
"Alright, kiddos. Time ta get this thing goin'! On my mark, ya dig?"Jazz's voice spoke up loudly, and Catherine tightened her grip on the steering wheel. She spared Sam a glance, whose focus was on the white-armored mech at the other end. She honestly didn't know if Sam ever drove 'Bee at all, but she definitely knew she had more experience in driving regardless. Drag racing, not so much, but she knew how to accelerate when she needed to. It was time to show him how a real driver worked, and how fast Sideswipe's sleek form could go.
"On ya mark. Get set. An'… go!"
Both cars roared as their accelerators were almost smashed down to the floor, and tires squealed, leaving black marks as they took off. Cheers and whoops went off on the comm. links as both human tightened their grips and pushed their 'bots vehicular forms harder. The Autobots complied, their wheels spinning faster. Both were neck in neck, neither wanting to give the other the lead. Time was running short as they approached Jazz, and the distance between them shrank rapidly.
With a few final, heart-pounding seconds, the race was over, and both cars skidded to a halt, the actual owners of the mechanical bodies helping to make a skid turn that furthered the excitement of their passengers. Both engines roared a final time before opening their doors and allowing the racers to step out, eyes locking onto Jazz, whose face was in a gleeful smirk. He let the moment simmer, knowing full well both humans were eager to know who had dominated the other.
"Ya tied."
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!" both cried unison, though the redhead let her shoulders sag while Sam threw his hands into the air.
The white-armored mech laughed, "Yeah, ya both tied. Looks ya both got some hard-core drivin' skills. Against each other anyways, but now one 'o ya's gotta try ya stuff against the Jazz-bot."
"We will, we will rock you!"Bumblebee's radio sang, and Sam let a wide grin appear on his mug.
"I'd say that's our cue to go then! Let's show him the meaning of speed, 'Bee!" the young man laughed as he hopped back in, and the yellow Autobot took off toward the starting line again, leaving Jazz, Sideswipe, and Catherine amongst themselves.
"Eh, it'll just tire you out for our run," Catherine winked up at her brother-guardian, whom smirked, a twinkle in his optics.
"Ya gonna eat ya words, shorty. 'Sides ain't got the metal ta beat me."
Sideswipe's engine revved, "You're gonna be the one eating your words, ya fragger! Just don't lose."
"Ya can count on it, ya little scrap," Jazz chuckled and then gave Catherine a wink back. "Betta get the winner's kiss ready for me."
"Where'd you hear that line from?" she laughed, but the mech had already transformed and tore off faster than even 'Bee had. It helped his form was much smaller, and she suspected the mech had some extra power under his hood. She just shook her head as she finished laughing and Sideswipe transformed behind her, moving so that he was on the line. She stood underneath him, leaning against one of his wheels while she watched the two cars line up, engines loud enough to hear despite the distance.
"How long do you think we should make them wait?" the silver mech towering over her purred mischievously.
"Give it ten seconds," she replied, folding her arms with a grin. "Let 'Bee get antsy."
"You want Jazz to win?"
"Well, if 'Bee loses then we have a potential lead. Don't worry—it's not because I want to give him the winner's kiss."
"So you do want to?" he inquired, and Catherine felt her grin widen a bit.
"Is that a hint of jealousy I detect? Well, if you want my affections so badly you'll just have to beat Jazz then," she teased, rubbing her finger in a circle on his armor. She had a feeling he might have shivered if he were human, but it was just a fun thought, and the silver mech gave the signal.
She could tell at once Jazz had left first. He'd snatched up the lead, and now he was keeping it. Bumblebee was working hard to catch up, and was even managing to gain some, but the redhead had no doubts her white, blue-striped brother-guardian was going to win. Her assurance was confirmed seconds later when the two vehicle careened by, the white Pontiac clearly ahead.
"You might actually have to drive a little on this one," she whistled, turning to watch as Jazz did a drift turn to face them. "He's going to be a tough one."
"Just leave it to me," he rumbled, rolling back a bit to transform just as the others joined them. Sam stepped out, disappointment clearly on his face, but he shaved it off when Catherine sent a chuckle his way.
He shrugged, "Eh, you win some, you lose some. At least you and I both tied, am I right?"
"Pretty much. Anyways, get on the finish line buddy-boy. You and 'Bee gotta give us the sign."
"Yeah, yeah. Kick his ass, will ya? I'll pay next time we go eat some place if you do," he smiled, and Catherine grinned.
"Oh, well now I just have to win! A free meal? I know exactly where we're going then!" she cackled as she spun around and pranced over to Sideswipe's waiting, open door.
"Wait! Nowhere expensive!" he howled, but the door closed and he and 'Bee—now transformed—were left alone once the silver Corvette and Pontiac shot down the raceway. Sideswipe pulled a cute stunt, doing an almost full-blown donut right on the starting line. Catherine couldn't help but laugh excitedly, knowing the mech was showing off big time. Jazz complied by doing a full donut and then another nearly almost full one to outdo the silver mech. Again, the redhead laughed, but only because Sideswipe grumbled unhappily and told her he was going to be the one driving this time.
"Are you three ready?"Bumblebee's voice spoke up, and three confirmations were given in response.
"Let's do this, 'Sides. Your kiss is on the line," she teased again, and the engine in front of her roared.
"Go!"
With a screech of ties, they were off.
-O-
"So, that, uh… Jazz, he… asked you for… a 'kiss'?" Sam asked slowly, his mind still trying to overcome the incident that had occurred barely thirty minutes ago. Catherine took one long look at him and laughed loudly. He rolled his eyes as he let her finish and adjusted her position on the couch. She leaned back, setting her legs onto his lap, and he let her while leaning back, too, though propped his legs on the coffee table in the center.
"He was just playing, Sam. Don't tell me you wanted one, too," she snickered, and he gave her a look that she waved off. "Anyways, it was just playing off the whole 'winner's kiss' thing. They don't have 'kissing' in their culture, so he's just doing it to mess with me… and apparently you. Don't think too hard about it."
"Alright, alright. Whatever. Y'know…besides the fact Jazz is an alien…that was so not you. I can't believe you actually agreed to it! Work's been turning you weird, man."
She shrugged, "Eh, it was just a kiss on the cheek and it was just for fun. I'm on vacation, after all. Anyways, all that matters is that Jazz is the king of the road, and we are pathetic in his white-and-blue glory!"
"True that. He creamed both of us! At least they're taking it well. I mean, we haven't heard any explosions outside or anything," he mused, arching his head back to try and look out into the backyard, which the Autobots had gone once they'd come home.
"They're either ignoring each other or having another pow-wow or whatever. Forget them, though—this is our time together! We gotta find something else to do… and I think I know just the thing! Wait here!" she shouted, rolling off the coach and sprinting up the stairs to her room. There she found her three creations rolling about lazily since they had been left while everyone else had gone out. They immediately perked at her presence and literally leaped onto her when she held out her arms. All three clung tightly as she made her way back down stairs and to the couch, this time sitting upright and closer to the dark-haired young man.
"It's time you met my boys!" she beamed, holding them up with the pride and love only a mother could have.
"So they really are real!" Sam breathed, eyes widening as he took them in. Cybermon made some odd noise as he leaned closer, pawing at the young man, but too far away to reach. Sam helped, holding out his hand, which the Gameboy drones latched his own, tiny fingers onto. He eventually wiggled his way out of the redhead's grip and clung to the hand using all his limbs. Blaster soon followed, though took to crawling his way onto Sam's lap. Teletraan made his way up to the young man's shoulder, beeping and flashing smiley faces all around. Across from them, Catherine beamed as she laughed.
"Aw, look! They like you already! Even if you didn't believe they existed like a jerk!"
"Yeah, looks like it. And sorry, by the way. It's just—it's hard to believe, you know? I mean, you made them. It's still hard to believe you're the Allspark. Hell, I can barely believe Mission City happened sometimes!"
Her expression softened as she looked down at her upturned palms, "Yeah, I know what you mean. They're my kids, though. If Steeljaw were here, you'd get to meet him, too. He can actually talk normal and he's very intelligent. Of course, he has a true Cybertronian spark while these guys are…well, different. They're good kids, though. They have yet to destroy the house although I've left them alone many times."
"I'm not that surprised," he grinned as he rolled his hand, earning a delighting beep from Cybermon who scrambled to stay upright. "You're their mom, after all. Man! That sounds soooo weird saying that! You! A Mom!"
"Oh, shut up," she barked, smacking him lightly. "They're the only kids I'll ever have so I take pride in my… odd motherhood."
"No plans on getting married? Not even a boyfriend?" her companion teased.
"No, I might get married one day. I just can't have kids. Human ones, anyways," she replied nonchalantly as she picked up Blaster and stroked him in his favorite spot. Across from her, Sam paused and stared with concern. She didn't meet his gaze at first, but could sense the air around him had changed. When she did look up it was only for a moment, and then she leaned further back and placed a hand against her lower abdomen—right where her uterus would be.
"Ratchet ran some scans recently, and found that the Energon in by body has been altering some things. Turns out it's messed with my reproductive systems and estrogen or something, 'cause I don't even get my periods now," she spoke up, shrugging again as she finished.
"Oh my God. Catherine—," he began, but she held up her hand to stop him.
"Sam, calm down. I am perfectly okay with this. To be honest, I never liked the idea of giving birth. Of course, that's not such a big factor in the marriage-boyfriend department, since it'd probably be hard for anyone to get past this," she sated firmly, and activated her powers to briefly light up her veins. Sam's eyes widened with both surprise and awe. He recovered, though, and smiled reassuringly.
"I'm already past it," he chuckled softly, and she smiled back.
"That's because you're my best friend and you've known me since the womb. It's a lot easier that way. Anyways, don't worry about it. These guys are a handful as it is, and they're not going to grow up. It's not so bad, though. Blaster generally chooses good music, Cybermon is adorable with his Pokémon sounds, and Teletraan is like a computer phone—kinda like an iPhone, but way better!"
"Aw, no fair! There's no way I'd ever be able to get an iPhone! I'm stuck with this brick!" he groaned, reaching into his pocket and revealing the thick flip phone he'd had since forever.
She laughed as she took it from him, turning it over to get a good look, "Oh my God that is ancient! Wasn't it your Dad's?"
"Yeah, it was. Anyways, I promise I won't worry about your thing, but what about other parts of you? It's not… hurting you is it?"
"No. Ratchet doesn't think it ever will either. Granted, being infertile might seem like 'hurting', but I personally find it a boon. Be thankful you don't have to suffer one week of every month," she seethed, and he raised his hands in defense. "But, yeah, nothing detrimental. The Allspark Energon helps with that, I think. I mean, doc-bot says it's actually improved my health, like my immune system and stuff. We're running scans every week, though, to be sure."
"If Ratchet's taking care of you, then I'm not too worried. He's the one that brought you back the first time—he won't lose you now," the young man nodded, if only to himself. "I guess we better just keep this between us, huh?"
"Yep."
"Mom would flip if she found out, anyways. She'd kill me instead of just grounding this time. I bet even Ratchet would piss his pants. Or, well, whatever they do for that."
"They leak lubricant, and yep."
"So… I guess you want to change the subject?"
"Why not? We don't need to damper the mood with my unusual bodily statuses."
"Well then… I don't suppose… we could upgrade my phone?"
She raised a brow, "Are you… asking me to give you your own Teletraan?"
"Would I need to run if I said yes?" he asked tentatively, and she let a glower appear for a good five seconds before snickering.
"No. I'd be happy to. It's safe to do that here, but just know there are some contract terms. The first and most important being that he can't be seen by anyone!" she replied firmly, pointing a finger at him while also keeping the phone in her grip.
"Roger that!" he saluted, and then took Teletraan and his phone once she handed them to him.
"Lemme find something to charge up on real quick then," she rumbled, standing up to glance around the room.
"'Charge up?'"
"Well, yeah," she hummed a she found an open plug socket in the wall. "I need energy to make sparks, and my body doesn't produce enough so I use electricity."
"Wait—how do you use electricity?"
"I absorb it. I'm basically like invincible against electricity now. To an extent," she replied as she looked for a conductor. She found it in the form of a paperclip. She examined it briefly before straightening it out, and finally alarming Sam. She gave him a "chill" gestures "Don't worry, I've… Well, I haven't absorbed energy like this, but I've touched a generator and Jolt's electric whips when they're active."
"A-are you sure? 'Cause I mean, if this is gonna hurt you, then I don't want you to do it!" he called out, but Catherine waved him off.
"It's fine. Just watch the show," she hummed and stuck the metal paperclip in. She felt the rush of electricity at once, and the heat of the Allspark Energy growing within her. She grinned, having not felt the sensation in such a long time. It felt good, and she was ready to create a spark, even if it wasn't going to be a true one. When she felt she had enough she released the clip and, eyes glowing a light blue, she moved back over to the couch. She grinned at her friend, whom stared wide-eyed, and she held out her hand.
"Give me the phone, Sam, and start thinking of names, 'cause you're about to have a phone-drone," she chuckled. He nodded dumbly, dropping it into her hand. "Okay, now don't freak out, but sparks are gonna fly out of my hand and I'll glow blue more than I already am, but that's normal, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah," he nodded, but then blurted out quickly, "Can I feel it?"
She paused, "Wait—what?"
"Uh, I mean. Er—can I see how it feels?"
"Uh… s-sure…? No one's… really asked that… Um, I guess… just touch my hand?"
Sam did so, cupping the back of her hand with his palms, and she met his gaze, silently asking if he was ready. He nodded once, and she concentrated on the heat swimming within her. Though it had been some time, she knew exactly what to do. It was like riding a bike, and at once her body's veins lit up bright blue under her skin and her eyes glowed ever brighter. Sam opened his mouth a little, but then seemed to relax as he turned his gaze onto the phone where sparks were beginning to form. Catherine focused, ordering the power within her to the phone, willing it to make the spark she pictured in her head.
Then something different happened. While normally the process would have been smooth and sparks would have started forming the drone at once, this time there was a pause. A strange, time-slowing pause. And— for what felt like an infinite amount of time, but we really a moment shorter than even the blink of an eye— she saw the strange landscape. It was so familiar, and yet she did not remember it. She knew it, though; she had been here before, but she had been alone then. This time, however, Sam was with her. She couldn't believe it, but he was right there, his hand still touching hers, and he knew it, too. His eyes widened more than she'd ever seen them go, but there was no sounds, no other movement between them. He looked like he knew this place, too. But then there was a calling, one that turned their gazes to the distance, where a sphere of blue light floated towards them.
And then it was done. They were back in the room. The feeling was gone. The sensation was gone. The heat was gone. It was done. She was there, her skin and eyes normal. Sam was there, the same as always, although a bit more distressed than usual. Then there was the small, robotic creature standing on their hand.
Its shape was more humanoid than Teletraan's—it looked incredibly Mech-shaped—and had bright optics with a look of intelligence that only one of her creations shared. She knew at once this phone-drone was special. In fact, it wasn't a drone at all. This small being had a spark. A real, Cybertronian spark with full intelligence and a curiosity of the two holding him—or her—up. She could barely breathe, her mind wracked with confusion and joy and more confusion. She could only wonder what was going through Sam's mind, but that lost some of its importance as it spoke in clear, precise English.
"Good Afternoon, Creators," it spoke with a male American accent, glancing between them. "Are you both quite alright? Your heart palpations are rather erratic according to the average rate for humans of your statures."
"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. Catherine. It's talking. It's talking!" Sam all but squealed as he pulled away.
"I know," Catherine breathed as she brought the Cybertronian phone closer. "Do you know who you are?"
"I know I am an autonomous robotic organism. I do not yet have a designation; either of you may provide one if you so wish, as you are my creators."
"Whoa, whoa, wait—I'm its creator, too? Did we just make a Cybertronian baby?" the young man squeaked, but Catherine shook her head.
"No, he must just think that because we were in contact and he saw you. No, I am the one who created you, little guy. Sam doesn't have the power. Now, uh, do you have a name you would like to call yourself? Or do you have a name, Sam?"
"Well, I figured R2D2 would be good," the young man shrugged.
"That's so nerdy, but what do you think?" she asked the small Cybertronian, whom tilted its head thoughtfully.
"Would… simply R2 suffice?" he mused, and Sam nodded.
"Sounds, good, 'R2'. Now, he might not be your creator, but Sam is going to be your caretaker, which means you need to listen to him. You also need to know some rules when you do live with him."
"Understood," the newly dubbed R2 saluted, and then hopped off onto Sam's hand when Catherine held him out to the young man.
"Alright, listen up you two. Like I told you already, Sam, he can't be seen by anyone except those who know about the Autobots, but even then you have to keep that to a minimum. If they ask, tell them he was made from the left over Allspark Shard energy as an experiment and I brought him here and he took a great liking to you. You need to follow that story, too, R2," she began sternly, and both human and miniature Cybertronian nodded. "If you're alone, then you can transform and talk and walk around, but otherwise, you, R2, need to stay in your phone form to not raise suspicion or panic. Also, don't do any hacking that might get you noticed, okay? I know you can do it since Teletraan can. That was… an awkward day, to say the least. Also, if there is any trouble just go to 'Bee. He'll know what to do and can contact Ratchet."
"…This is starting to sound complicated," Sam mused, turning his hand around to get a better look at R2. It was the same silver color as his phone and about the right size for it, too. His optics reminded him of Bumblebee's—big, bright, and blue as they looked at the young man curiously.
"Well, he's not a drone, so, I mean, it is a bit more complicated, and you're not at NEST where everyone works with Cybertronians daily. But, don't worry— it's easy to get used to and not as bad as you think. After all, because he is a full Cybertronian, he'll know better than to misbehave, right, R2?"
The little guy turned and nodded, "Affirmative."
"Okay, now for some other little tidbits," she began, and the conversation moved fast. When all the rules were laid out they finally began to talk about what he could do as a Cybertronian phone, and with each passing second Sam's excitement grew. R2 seems equally excited, if only to be of good use to his new caretaker and to be the target of their joy and excitement. There was bound to be some mishaps along the way—what with the three much larger Cybertronian companions outside who undoubtedly could sense the new spark presence, but had yet to communicate with them. Catherine figured it was Jazz's doing, but that was honestly the least of the worries on her mind.
In fact, while on the outside she appeared just as excited and into their talk of her newest creation, her mind was muddled with questions and worries and a slight bit of happiness. She didn't know how or why it had worked, or why she hadn't had to take from someone else, but she had done it—she had made a true Cybertronian spark… and that shouldn't have happened. She had a feeling that she knew the answers, but no matter how much she tried, she could not recall how. She knew something had happened, but she could not remember what. She knew she had gone to some place—some place familiar, but it refused to become a word or recognizable image in her mind, yet she knew it! She knew she knew it! It was maddening!
And all through the rest of the day—long after the Autobots were introduced to R2 and their questions were asked; long after she and Sam had bonding time with Annabelle had; long after Will and Sarah had gone on their date and returned; and long after the young man had left with his new, secret friend— the plague of thoughts remained, weighing down upon her mind. However, there was one thing that was not part of it that weighed down upon her, too, and it was the happiness—the small hope that she had finally, just maybe, figured it out; that maybe she could do it; that maybe she could make sparks without taking another's life. The hope wanted so badly to consume every part of her being, but she knew better than to let it. Still, she hoped, and she thought and thought until she was weary and slept and dreamed of Cybertron.
XXXVII. End
TMWolf: Alrighty! Sooo... Any theories? Anyone? ;) So that's that chapter. Oh, and, yes, Catherine is going to suffer a lot from "knowing but NOT knowing at the same time" thing. There's a reason for it, too :D
It might just be me, but I thought Sam was adorable in this chapters~ squealing over how R2 was talking, tee hee. He's also a good kid :) Not a sore loser either, haha. Speaking of that- the kiss was a JOKE. Nothing serious. The only reason he did it was because he knew HUMANS did it in the instance and that he knew how some people reacted and wanted to mess with them. It obviously worked on Sam. Jazz is a troll, my people, and he always will be ;) He is also the kind of the road. No one beats him in a race except Blurr!
And hope you romantic fanatics liked that small bit of teasing between Cat and Sides. She's just terrible to him :D
And now we only have one more chapter I believe until we head back to NEST and then- ROTF starts! whoo! Time for some slag to hit the fan and some major battles to go down instead of just these small Decepticon skirmishes!