Amber was stunned. She stared at the large mech for a couple moments before she nodded her head to acknowledge what Optimus had just told her. She knew that she had gone through a very painful and humiliating experience for each one of those movies. It seemed that Optimus understood that as well, because if she understood him correctly, he'd just told her that there wasn't any price high enough to pay for what had been done to her.
"Optimus is right Amber. Even if they had only done those things to you once, that entire collection along with everything Optimus offered still wouldn't be enough payment!" Gail said firmly as she rapidly figured out how the 'payment' had been made.
"That is no joke Amber. There isn't enough money in the world to pay for what they did to you… especially against your will. Don't try to say you agreed to it either, because those bruises say otherwise! I think you're a little scared right now Amber, because you know we're really pissed! And that is absolutely true… but we aren't mad at you. Never think we are. We're pissed at them!" Rachel seethed as she too understood what had happened.
"I want you to think about something Amber. Your papas enjoyed what they did, but everyone else gets phenomenally angry about it. Doesn't that prove that they knew they were doing something wrong?" Arcee asked gently.
Amber looked over at the blue Arcee unit that had spoken to her. She didn't really want to admit it, but she knew that she was being told the truth. Some of the soldiers had even wanted to kill her papas for their 'games'. She knew that Mikaela was still mad about it, but so were Gail and the others. They were mad about a lot of things though. Her Hentai movies that showed people playing those 'games', and even her clothes that Mikaela said were for nothing but those 'games'. There was even that woman from the hot tub yesterday who had gotten mad from just seeing the bruises that she normally kept hidden.
"Amber, I know you didn't come here to be lectured. That's not what we're doing. We just want you to understand the truth. The truth is that they violated you Amber! They violated your body, they violated your love, and they violated your trust. I'm not saying that you have to trust us Amber, but we would like the chance to prove to you that we deserve it." Elita told the girl in a gentle tone.
Ratchet decided to remain silent. He knew that Amber held an extraordinary amount of hostility towards him and that she would ignore everything that had been said to her if he added anything. The CMO knew that Amber needed to listen to what was being said by the others, and having her ignore all of it just because he said something wasn't going to help.
"Look… I know we took a lot of things away from you. In one way, I'm sorry, but in another way, I'm not sorry at all! But we only did that because all of that stuff was something you never should have had! I'll pay to replace those clothes with something you can actually wear, but don't think I'm going to get you anything transparent because I'm not. There's not a responsible adult in this entire country who would. We aren't trying to be mean either. If we were, we wouldn't be making sure that you got the kind of clothes a girl your age is supposed to have." Serena told her truthfully.
"What kind of clothes are we talking about?" Sarah asked suspiciously.
"A bunch of things, and all of it was inappropriate for her age. There were even several transparent and crotchless bodystockings!" Kimberly answered.
"What?!" Sarah Lennox gaped at the woman who'd answered her question before turning to the girl everyone was talking to. "You couldn't pay me to try one of those on in private! Those should have been shredded before they went in the trash."
"I cut it all up with my combat knife before putting it in the dumpster." Serena smirked.
"Good!" Sarah snapped angrily as her eyes flashed in rage before looking back at Amber. "I've got a young daughter of my own, and I'd kill somebody for trying to put those things on her at your age!"
Amber's mouth dropped open as she stared at the woman she'd only seen once before. She knew with absolute certainty that she had done nothing to this woman. It meant that this near stranger had just gotten really mad over the clothes she'd had. That more than anything proved that she was being told the truth by the soldiers and the bots.
"Don't think she's joking Amber, because I know she's not. Her husband is the soldier who was in charge of the humans when we picked up you and Bluestreak the other day. He would also try to kill someone for making his daughter wear any of what was taken from you last night. There are a lot of the people on this base would do the same thing." Arcee said softly.
"Like I told you the other day… they're the ones in trouble, not you. That's exactly why they took off when Bluestreak got you away from them. They knew that they'll be going to prison for everything they did to you Amber." Mikaela said seriously.
Amber looked over at the dark haired woman and nodded. She remembered Mikaela telling her that. Although she hadn't really believed it at the time, she certainly did now. Seeing how mad everyone would get was a very good indicator that Mikaela had been telling her the truth.
"So why do I feel like I'm the one in trouble?" Amber asked plaintively.
"That… I don't know Amber, but Mikaela's right; you're not in trouble here. You've done everything that's been asked of you. You've cooperated with some things that you certainly didn't like. Then there is the way you helped me yesterday. Right now, all three of my frames are cleaner than Ratchet has ever done. He's almost always busy doing something to help others and doesn't really have the time wash my frames. Thanks to you, I'm cleaner than I've been since I was injured sixty five hundred years ago. I greatly appreciate that, I really do. You've done absolutely nothing wrong Amber." Arcee told the girl seriously.
"So what happens now?" Amber asked softly.
"Right now, I'm willing to take you to a store where you can pick out some decent clothes to wear! You get to pick out the clothes Amber, but if anyone with us has an objection to it, then you will need to find something else, okay?" Serena stipulated gently.
"There is a Dillard's at the southern mall where she should be able to get what she needs. I am quite willing to replace the items that were removed from Amber's possession so long as you make absolutely sure that everything is appropriate for Amber to wear! I want all of it to be age appropriate for her." Elita told Serena firmly.
"Oh… I know what age appropriate is… and the stuff we confiscated last night… wasn't it!" Serena replied just as firmly.
"Can I ask why everyone is so mad about my clothes and things?" Amber inquired softly just to be sure she knew what was going on.
Arcee used her blue frame to go over and place her right hand on Amber's left shoulder. She leaned down so that the two could look each other in the eye when Amber looked at her.
"Amber… everyone is far more than just mad right now. That's because what your Papas did to you was wrong! They weren't supposed to play any of those 'games' with you. They weren't supposed to touch you in those ways, they weren't supposed to see you naked, and they weren't supposed to make you wear those kinds of clothes. Sarah and I agree on something… things like those transparent and crotchless bodystockings shouldn't exist. Things like that are made for only one purpose! That purpose is make the female body more appealing and to get a male aroused so that he needs to play those so called 'games'! That's why everyone is completely torqued right now Amber." Here Arcee put her other hand on Amber's shoulder and knelt down in front of the girl to show her utter sincerity. "We aren't angry at you or with you. Never think we are. I'll say it again. No one here is angry at you, Amber! We are angry at them for what they did to you! Do you understand me Amber?"
"Yes." Amber whispered as she closed her eyes and nodded her head.
Amber didn't want any of that to be true… but it was, and she knew it. She really hated what she was being told, but there was no way for her to deny any of it. She knew that Arcee wasn't lying to her, even though a part of her wished that the bot was lying to her. No matter how many times other people had told her that her Pappas had treated her wrong by playing those 'games' with her, she still loved them and clearly remembered a lot of good things about the four men who had raised her. She could remember good things about them, but she knew that no one else wanted to hear those things. She could tell that they believed her Pappas were worse than monsters, and she wasn't very happy about that at all but she also couldn't really argue with them.
Amber felt herself pulled forward into an embrace by Arcee. She opened her eyes to find that Arcee had her in a full hug.
"I'm sorry Amber. I'm sorry that they ever made you play those games. I'm sorry that you were made to pay for any of the things you have. I'm sorry that they made you wear those clothes. I'm sorry that we had to take those movies from you. I'm sorry that we needed to take those clothes away from you. I'm sorry about all of this! I wish that I could make it so that none of this had ever happened to you, and I know Bluestreak would wish the same thing. I would change so many things about your past Amber, and I'm sorry that I can't." Arcee said from all three of her frames that were present.
Amber looked around and saw a sorrowful expression on all three of Arcee's frames. Everyone else looked like they were sorry too. Even that grouchy Ratchet looked like he wasn't happy with the whole mess either. That was the one thing that really made an impression on her. She didn't like Ratchet very much, and she was pretty sure that he didn't like her much either.
"I'm sorry we took a bunch of your clothes and destroyed them, Amber. If you want, we can go to a store right now, and get those replaced. You can pick out any kind of clothes you want! I've two restrictions though. First… it has to be something that a responsible girl your age would wear. Second… it has to be something I can't see through! If we can see through it… you're not getting it. We aren't going to let you dress the way they wanted because if I have anything to say about it, you'll be out of college before you play any more of those 'games'!" Kimberly told Amber from across the room.
Amber nodded her head because she knew the woman was serious. "Can we go get some stuff then?"
"Come on Amber. We'll pick up what you need and get you squared away." Gail stated amiably.
As Amber walked out of the med bay, she was followed by six women and a bot as Sarah also accompanied the group. Amber got into the front passenger side of Bluestreak's alt. mode, while Gail took the driver's seat while Serena and Rachel took the back seat. Sarah went around to the parking lot to get in her red Toyota Camry. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was certainly reliable, and that was what mattered. Mikaela got in the passenger seat while Kimberly sat in the back.
Two cars and a blue motorcycle pulled out of Nellis Air Force Base and headed into Las Vegas to go shopping. The group rolled up to the mall and found adjacent parking spots so they would be near each other. Gail pulled out a camera with an attached microphone and earpiece that was a single small unit that fit in her ear like a Bluetooth attachment. Even though the unit only had a limited range, it would still allow Arcee to see and hear what was going on, and she'd be able to make any comments that she needed to.
Going into the Dillard's first, Amber was able to select plenty of underwear, although it was nothing like she was used to wearing. Hosiery and leggings were abundant, but she couldn't find any thigh high stockings in her size. She did pick out a couple nightgowns and the first thing that happened was that Kimberly took each one away from her and held it up to the light.
"The first one is fine, but not the other. That one has to be put back. I can see through it, so pick something else." Kimberly said firmly.
Amber gaped at the woman with an almost hurt expression.
"What? I told you before we even left the med bay that it would have to be something I can't see through. I wasn't kidding Amber. If I had a daughter your age, I probably wouldn't let her wear some of the stuff you still have." Kimberly said honestly.
"Arcee suggests that you look at something in pure cotton. It'll be nice and soft after it's washed, and it won't be transparent." Gail stated before her eyes bulged and her eyebrows rose for several moments. "Apparently Bluestreak also likes that idea." She added softly.
"Arcee and Bluestreak both can hear and see everything I look at, so they'll have input as well." Gail told Amber with a smile.
"Okay." Amber replied with a satisfied nod.
"I think you should try those gowns on to make sure you like them. Find out if they're comfortable enough for you." Sarah suggested.
"I agree. If you don't like the way it fits or feels, we won't be getting it." Serena nodded.
"Okay." Amber agreed as she headed for a dressing room.
Amber emerged from the dressing room in a light blue nightgown that had blue trim. The sleeves were cropped just below the shoulder and the gown reached down past her knees.
"Well? What do you think?" Kimberly asked.
"It's okay, but I wish it was softer." Amber said quietly.
"It'll soften up a lot once it's properly washed. Cotton does that. It'll also shrink a good bit too, so make sure there's room for that to happen." Rachel replied.
"I think I need to get a bigger one then." Amber stated.
"Okay then. You should also try the other one too." Sarah instructed.
Amber nodded her head before heading back into the dressing room. When she came out, it was clear from her expression that she wasn't pleased.
"Okay… what's wrong with it?" Mikaela demanded promptly.
"It's not the satin that I'm used to." Amber replied.
"You're too young for satin, so you can wait till you're older for that. For right now, you'll just have to put up with cotton." Gail told her.
"Other than the material, how is it?" Sarah asked.
"It's fine except for that." Amber acknowledged.
"Good." Several of the women agreed together.
When the group left Dillard's to get some lunch, Mikaela noticed a slightly sour expression on Amber's face. "What's wrong Amber?" She asked promptly.
"I don't like walking around in public without underwear on." Amber complained softly.
"You don't have any underwear on?" Kimberly demanded in a soft hiss of anger.
"What was I supposed to do after you guys took almost everything I had?" Amber retorted angrily.
"True." Serena answered while others merely nodded their heads in agreement.
"Arcee says she has a point on that one." Gail admitted quietly.
"Well dig through the bags and pick out the underwear you want. I'll take you to the Ladies Room and you can put them on in one of the stalls." Rachel told Amber softly.
"Take the tags off out here, drop the tags back in the bags, and then I'll stick the underwear in my purse so no one can see what's going on." Mikaela added quietly.
"Adding a touch of stealth to the situation. I like it." Gail said with an approving smile.
A few minutes later the small party of three returned with a young girl who was obviously in a much better mood. They grabbed a quick lunch of wings, before heading back to base with their haul.
Amber's eyes lit up when she spotted a 'Hobby Lobby' ahead. "Can we pull in that store, please? I want to see if they have some Gundams for my collection."
Before anyone could say yes or no, Bluestreak was pulling into the lot. Amber was quite happy about that. When everyone got out, Amber went straight to where the models were located. There was a small selection of Gundam models to choose from, but they were all 'PG' sized. That meant they were larger and more detailed than Amber was used to.
"Those things are rather expensive for something you have to put together yourself." Sarah exclaimed.
"All Gundams are that way. Unless you pay someone else to build it, you have to do it." Amber replied.
"You mean you built every one of those statues you have?" Kimberly asked in disbelief.
Amber merely nodded her head.
"Building something like that takes patience and a steady hand. It means you'd make for a good mechanic." Mikaela said approvingly.
"Or an excellent pilot." Serena said.
"Even a good surgeon." Sarah added.
"There are a lot of careers that require a steady hand Amber, and there's a lot more that take plenty of patience. All you have to do is pick one and make sure you have the education for it." Gail stated in an approving tone with a nod.
"I just wish I could get one." Amber said wistfully.
"Well Captain Lennox told me that he did sell some of the tools that were in your garage, so you have a few hundred dollars to spend." Gail replied.
"You mean it?" Amber demanded in surprise.
Gail nodded her head. "He hasn't given me the money yet, but Arcee says for you to go ahead and select what you want and that she can be reimbursed later."
A very wide and ecstatic smile graced Amber's features as she grabbed two model kits of the PG size. She got the 'God Gundam' and the 'Justice Gundam Seed' along with a hobby knife and sand paper.
"What's the hobby knife for?" Rachel asked suspiciously.
"All the parts are on plastic 'trees' and you have to get them off. You can break them loose, but it usually damages the piece you want, so I want a knife to cut them loose and not mess anything up." Amber answered plainly.
"That's also what the sand paper is for too, isn't it?" Mikaela asked.
"Yep! These are more than twice the size of my others, so they'll be a lot more detailed. I can probably move the fingers and everything on these." Amber said excitedly.
"You mean you can actually move the limbs and things on these models? And I thought model cars and things were detailed!" Mikaela exclaimed in shocked surprise.
"Almost all of them can be posed any way you want." Amber replied factually.
"Wow! I thought those statues were cool before, but now…" Rachel muttered.
"Okay, Bluestreak and Arcee both are telling me that they want to watch when you build those, and so do I." Gail stated.
A chorus of agreement was head as all of those present expressed similar sentiments.
"Okay." Amber agreed readily.