Queen's note: This is based on a RP with a friend when the Age of Extinction movie came out, and I'm taking it over to make an story. So this chapter and many of the following are co-written with Fatala.

Added notes: The glorious green bastard and co. are learning some more about his new human.

Just A Stray, Just A Cover

Chapter Three

Holo-forms

It had been a long night of going back and forth; learning how to walk, talk, and act in holoform. Crosshairs and Hound had given Bumblebee quite a time with their antics and stubbornness over their hologram forms. It was still hilarious when they eventually pulled Drift into making his own holoform.

Crosshairs was still using his holoform in the morning, getting used to it was a new sort of challenge. Crosshairs was currently using it to lean against his own leg as he watched Amy sleeping with a thoughtful look. Between the blanket and the flex metal lining she had nested pretty comfortably against the mech, and it was well into day when she started to stir. The girl yawned and as she was facing away from the mech when she pushed to look up it would be in the direction of the 'man.'

Crosshairs had been very stubborn in keeping his holoform the way he wanted to. The mech's holo looked much like his true form; at least in his 'wardrobe'. He stood over 6 feet a tall, lanky man with scruffy, short brown hair. A pair of mismatched googles rested on his forehead; a long green and black duster was worn over a green shirt and black pants.

"Almost thought you were gonna sleep the day away."

The girl stared, long and hard as she was confused at hearing a voice like that of the Autobot, only not the same. No metallic reverb, or the same type of gravel in the voice. She gripped into a seam in Crosshairs' armor, clinging as she both twisted to look up at him, and try and get back down into that space between the outer armor and leg.

"Easy there girly. It's just me." Crosshairs said crouching down to make himself look less intimidating.

"How?" Amy was looking between the hologram and what she could of his real face from her spot, still pressed against the mech for protection, but could see the similarities now.

"Holoforms." Hound's voice came as his own holoform walked into view. "It allows us to at least mimic humans; for a time."

Crosshairs paused and added, his voice echoing a little as he spoke from the holo-form and his real frame, "It's not perfect; but it'll fool most humans for a time."

Amy stayed put for the few moments to absorb this, and after Bumblebee trilled encouragement she tried to get out from under the mech's over armor and then she echoed, "Holoform?"

One of Crosshairs true hands moved the duster up slightly so Amy could easily get out. "It's only a false image to fool humans." Crosshairs said before mumbling to himself. "Still don't see the use in these things."

"You weren't- here- before," Bumblebee said by splicing voice clips together, "Before- The Nest." The last one was a familiar voice, one of the humans that worked with the Wreckers.

Amy slid out, putting herself in arms reach of the hard light holo, then slowly reached out to poke him. Keeping her other hand on the black metal of Crosshairs' leg though.

"Yeah, yeah. So I didn't get to be part of the elite 'Nest' team." Crosshairs shrugged off as he reached glanced over at Amy who was poking his holo. The gentle poke didn't faze the holoform and to her it felt like she was poking normal human cloths.

"So... you're two people now?" The girl asked, still confused but not scared as she came out the last of the way out of the protection of Crosshairs' over armor. Looking back at Hound's own holoform as well. It was a bit odd hearing the mech alternating from talking normally and through the holoform.

"Not so much two people." Hound's holoform said before disappearing and the mech himself talking. Trying to explain it in a way the young girl would understand. "The holo is something we control and can speak through. Think of it as... as a 'costume'."

"Like in the Halloween movies?" Amy tilted her head, then daring to reach out for Crosshairs' hand in his holoform.

She looked up at a clip from Bumblebee that was of clapping and a voice spliced in, "You got it- June-Bug!"

Crosshairs holoform opened it's hand so she could touch it. While it looked human for the most part there was something's which could give the holoforms away; but that was only if one looked closely. Bumblebee had already sent some 'tips' on how to make their holoforms more human but Crosshairs hadn't added those details yet.

"It's not that warm," Amy said softly, before gripping the hand in an attempt to get comfort in an unconscious instinct. The girl came closer into arm's reach to inquisitively touch the mock cloth of the duster. "Do you us it when driving?" Though Amy knew he hadn't used it last night. She looked up to the face, and then back to the mech's real face, then back and forth as she saw his features were almost the same.

The mech's holoform shrugged. "Never made one of these things before; never saw a point in it. But this guy thought it would be a 'good' idea." Crosshairs said motioning to Bumblebee with an un-amused look.

"Young and- dumb- rookie." Bumblebee's spliced voice said back, followed by a razzing sound that had the human girl giggling, as he made a hand motion as well that she at least understood. ::Don't forget to give her food and water.:: He texted, having already done something off to the side where he would coax Amy to let her relieve herself soon, as he knew the girl would need to in the morning, as well as later on.

Crosshairs laughed. "Look who's talking." While Crosshairs had not been on earth long before shit hit the fan, he was by no means a rookie. If Amy wasn't there he probably would have pummeled Bumblebee to put him back in his place; wouldn't have been the first time he had done so. Though Drift had beaten him to it on more than one occasion. Mostly because of Amy being so close, Crosshairs showed some restraint for and just brushed off the comment.

No need to frighten the youngling.

"Here," Crosshairs said to Amy, pulling one of the apples Bumblebee had tossed over earlier and a bottle of water.

The girl just about jumped into his hand, squeaking happily. But her reaction had Bumblebee giving the human an odd, worried look as he watched. The scout was slowly starting to come out of that deadened state he'd been into, and really only Hound knew the difference of what bumblebee had been like before.

Amy moved to slide off, glancing at the holoform as it vanished as well, before she bit into the apple. A little careful until sure it was real, then settled down on the spot to eat, looking between the mechs, "What are you going to do with me?" She asked, looking back more the green and black mech then any other.

He had taken her here after all.

"It's a good question soft spark," Hound rumbled as he moved to sit down, relaxing back as much as he dared in the shade of the towering rocks around them.

"Yeah..." Crosshairs hesitated as he looked down at the girl, and then vented as he ran a hand over his face before reaching down. Blunted talons reaching out to wrap around Amy, and the girl squeaking softly as she was picked up and put on Crosshairs' right thigh. The large hand stayed near but giving the youngling some room to finish her apple. "Yea're staying with me I guess... cover. But first you need some cloths, and a bath..."

Bumblebee warbled.

The green and black mech rolled his optics, using the side of one claw to gently rub it over the girl's back in a pet, "And more food for you half pint. Yea're too thin."

"But I got out of the basement like this?" Amy half asked, finished eating the apple, tossing the seeds away from Crosshairs, though the tiny black things only making it just past his armor and falling between his legs. She blinked and scooted forward to peered over the edge of the leg as she felt being pet again.

Hound gave a snort, shaking his head as he took out a high caliber 'bullet,' a round that was made for something Crosshairs might want, but the rifle was safe in the older mech's subspace. He flipped the round over, putting it in the corner of his mouth and holding onto it with his denta and glossa. "That was cute kid, but you need to work on your throwing arm. Cross' is right, you're too thin."

Green eyes turned to look at the older mech, and even he could see the pout forming. The eldest of the Autobots present huffed softly, but waved over at the girl as the paratroop was offering her another water bottle.

"What basement soft spark?" Hound asked as he settled more into his spot, one arm over his thick armor and extra girth. He thinking of the conversations of the night before. "Where were you before this adult brat found you?"

"Yea were running from some human before yea hid under my frame." Crosshairs put in, watching the girl on his leg as she tensed at the reminder. He glanced up at Bumblebee, what should he do?

The scout frame made a small motion.

Crosshairs hesitated again before gently cupping his right hand around the human, using the edge of his thumb to rub it against the back of her shoulders.

"You didn't get those colors on your skin from just running around," Hound pointed out from his spot, getting an agreeing hum from Bumblebee. He waved a hand at the organic and Crosshairs, before stopping as he noticed the youngling flinched and looked up at him with wide eyes, "I don't know a whole lot about humans, but I remember enough from Nest. I know you're not supposed to be colorful soft spark,"

"Yeah," Crosshairs shifted his hand and gently used a blunt claw tip to very gently hock under the small chin and tilt Amy's head up so she would look him in the optics. "You're a long ways away from that alley, and city kiddo."

A small hand reached up to rest on the outer edge of the talon, surprised that despite the size difference so far Crosshairs had not hurt her. Amy fidgeted, and then spoke up as an encouraging song clip came from Bumblebee, "He was getting mean. Before I found the window unlocked."

"He?" Crosshairs echoed, thinking back as he uncurled his hand from around the girl for the most part, still cupping his fingers around her back.

"He was above, momma didn't like him, but he would bring food down." Amy started, unsure, "He normally just left me in the basement..."

Bumblebee huffed as he sat down nearly beside Crosshairs, the scout frame frowning as he looked at Amy and the other two mechs. He was aware of movement behind him as Drift coming over closer frowning to himself most likely.

"How about yea start from the start Amy." Crosshairs said, letting the girl grasp the end of his claw, nudging it gently. "Yea were in a basement, okay, how long?"

"Ever."

Hound frowned at the innocent answer, "Eh?"

Amy blinked back at him, shrugging for a moment before grasping at her ankles to feel better, "Ever, I was always down there. Even before momma vanished. That's where He said I belonged but when He started to get mean, and started to not bring food… I started playing with the window."

"And yea got out of this... basement because of the window?" Crosshairs arched an optic ridge, once more not sure how to feel about learning information from the girl.

Amy nodded, for a moment exited and then cringing, "Yeah... but it was hard to get away from Him. He grabbed my bag, it smelled bad-sour, but I got out of the straps and ran. And He was yelling, and I ran until my feet hurt… that's when I hid under you."

Green eyes tilted up to look at Crosshairs, and he rumbled before giving the human youngling an awkward pet on her back, using the back of a talon. "Yeah…you're staying with us kid."

"Indeed..." Drift said, frowning himself as he stood beside Bumblebee, and why the girl glanced over at him he made a slow motion to the girl, "For what we are worth, you are under Autobot protection now, Crosshairs' protection more so."

Crosshairs huffed, making a sound that was exasperated and something the young girl did not know what was. Something alien at least, and after a moment where the mechs were seeming to talk without talking aloud, Crosshairs spoke again. "Yeah, yeah, I found and brought her, she's my charge now."

The green and black mech gently nudged Amy before wrapping his hand around her back, not really the best of ways to give comfort but he was trying as best as he could.

"Good luck with the whole shopping thing trooper." Hound said after another pause, waving, slowly this time, at the two before putting the round back into his mouth. "But ya should bring back up with all those humans running around."

"..." Crosshairs gave a slow grin at the mechs around him as he pulled the human girl against his front. "Right. Back up."