{Could you possibly be any more judgemental?} I sighed, walking into my room and closing the door behind me. Ironhide wasn't going to follow me. There wasn't a way I would let him. How he had reacted to both Joshua and Riley was totally and completely unacceptable.

He was angry. That much was very clear, especially with the bond. {It hasn't been exactly common for mechs to be with mechs on Cybertron in a while. It isn't common for humans either. Why are you so casual about it?}

I huffed, sitting down on my bed, pulling my shirt over my head. {I'm casual about it because it's okay! Love is love!}

{Who would love somebody like... That?}

His response made me so angry. Who was he to judge? We're the ones in a relationship like this! Forced, not even a real relationship. Not a chosen one. We are interracial. Isn't that worse? {Who are you to judge them?}

My question never got a reply.

"That's just too good!"

"Did you even see his face?"

"Absolutely fragging priceless!"

"What are you two talking about? You're being very loud." I walked into the recreational center because there were complaints from soldiers about them being loud.

Sideswipe had a grin on that could put the Joker to shame. "Okay, so don't get pissed-"

"- though that'd be funny," Sunstreaker snickered.

"-We had the cameras going while you were on that double date," Sideswipe continued, completely ignoring his brother. "And we got perfect shots of Ironhide's face when Josh said that him and Riley kissed in a car!"

Of course they would. Why did I even feel the slightest bit of surprise? It wasn't an odd thing for them to be so sneaky with the security cameras. But how did they get access to them? Those specific ones?

"Your uncle promised us things if we spied," Sideswipe winked. "Special things."

I rolled my eyes. Of course Uncle would promise them things. He wouldn't follow through though. "What did he promise you?"

The twins both exchanged a delight-filled grin. "High grade Energon."

That didn't sound like something they should be yearning for...

My head tilted to one side. "What's that?"

Sunstreaker blew air out of his nasal ridge. "Ever heard of human alcohol?"

"Yes, of course."

"It has the same effect on us. We just call it being 'overcharged'."

"That sounds like a very car-like term. Makes sense."

"Are you calling us cars?" he asked in a dry tone.

My eyebrows raised. "Would you rather be called alien weirdos?"

He opened his mouth to reply, but both of their heads turned towards the doorway instead. A gruff voice said, calmly, "May I speak to my bondmate alone?"

"Are you going to say please?" Sideswipe said in the same tone of voice.

Ironhide growled lowly.

The twins exchanged looks, both of terror and humor, before quickly filing out of the room. Leaving me alone with a calm, gruff, and stubborn mech that I was forced to call my bondmate forever and always.

Lord, please give me patience so I don't slap him. Because that would hurt me more than it would hurt him.

Ironhide sighed, sitting down on the ground. Not on the large metal couch. Not on the chair. On the floor. "Jess, will you please just listen to me?"

I refused to meet his gaze. He didn't deserve it. What sort of man who judges people so easily expects to be loved so much? If he can't accept other people, how can expect other people to respect him?

My hands curled into fists at my side. "Fine."

His face looked strained, at least more strained than it normally was. As if me being mad at him was taking a toll on him. "I... I didn't think that you'd be so passionate about them. I'm sorry."

"What exactly are you sorry for?" I questioned, trying my best to make my voice not harsh.

He slowly let out a breath. "I'm sorry that I disrespected them. That I disrespected Riley. I'm sorry that I upset you."

"Are you really?" I finally broke. "Are you really sorry? After all that you said about Riley before, are you actually sorry? Or do you just want me to not be mad at you anymore?"

"I-"

"Yeah. Exactly," I grumbled, grabbing my satchel. "See you tomorrow. Maybe."

A knock came at my door, then a voice. The voice wasn't who I thought it would be. It wasn't Ironhide. No... "Jessica?" It was Sunstreaker. But there was no other voice.

I sighed, throwing my pillow across the room. "Come in."

Sunstreaker's holoform came in, closing the door behind him. Just as I had suspected, he was all alone. "Are you doing okay?" he asked. Truthfully, he sounded a little bit concerned.

My eyes traveled to the floor. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Because you're lying to me and I can sense it."

"You can sense lies?"

"I can sense your lies."

That hit me. Back with the Decepticons, we had nothing to talk about. So I taught him how to detect meager lies, and how to detect my lies, just in case something happened and I was being interrogated or something. So that he would know if I was actually giving away information or just giving the 'cons shit.

"Thanks," I muttered. "At least you remembered."

He chuckled softly, taking a seat beside me. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side. "How could I forget? You were the first human I met, and you were giving me crucial information on humans and their habits. That's not something I would easily give up."

I didn't move away from him. His touch was comforting. The most comforting thing I could think of at the moment, actually. "I guess that makes sense..."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You guess?"

I just nodded.

"What the hell happened to you?"

A growl escaped my lips. "What the hell do you think happened? I'm bonded to a fragtard. One that despises the thought of a human who is different, and hates the idea of same sex love."

Sunstreaker frowned suddenly. "He doesn't like same sex love?"

"No."

"Do you know why he doesn't?" he asked me softly.

Was there an actual reason?

I shook my head.

"He doesn't like it because... Well, he's very old. The oldest mech here, besides Ratchet. Back in the earlier days of Cybertron, it was customary for mechs and femmes only to court and bond. Only recently, after the war started, mechs and mechs would bond. Though that was for creation purposes."

I frowned. "He doesn't like it because men can't have sex and make babies inside them? Are you freaking kidding me? That's the stupidest thing ever!"

Sunstreaker hummed. "I never said it was smart of him to not like same sex love, relationships, bonding or marriage. It also explains why he doesn't exactly like Riley."

"And why doesn't he?"

"Normally, below average intelligence mechlings and femmelets were either used as experiments or destroyed."

My jaw dropped. "What?!"

He shrugged. "It was vile. It almost happened Sides and myself, when we were younger. But we finally passed a certain intelligence test when we were about... For a human, it would be toddler age. We were no use to anybody back then. They didn't want our bad genetic line to ruin the future of Cybertron. Survival of the fittest."

That was terrible! Killing little babies just because they weren't growing correctly? That's the worst thing I've ever heard of! "And does Ironhide still believe that stuff?"

"He does, in a way. He wants the best for the human race, I believe. No bad squishies."

That made me laugh softly. "All squishies are different, though... All squishies have a purpose."

"What is your purpose, Jessica?" Sunstreaker asked me gently. "What do you believe you are alive to do?"

His question echoed in my brain. That was something I couldn't answer.