Queen's note: I might be (am) writing out that image/memory of Grandpa Leadfoot... so expect to see that soon =D

Just A Stray, Just A Cover

Chapter Five

Second Night

An odd sense of movement stirred Amy awake and she shifted on her new spot. The girl looked around the dark 'camp' of the Autobots. With almost a full day of rest, and some more after they had returned and changed to a new location. Still in the desert but now in a cavern like space, Hound moved several boulders to narrow the entrance and block the natural lights from the mechs from being easily seen from outside, and not at all from above by any passing planes or helicopters.

Amy yawned, squeaking softly from her spot on the comforter blanket and under Crosshairs' over armor. The small sound did not disturb the Wrecker but somehow had gotten Bumblebee's attention, and then in turn Hound's as well.

"Hmm?" Hound pulled the 'cigar,' bullet, out of his mouth as the scout frame gave an oddly soft whistle from normal. He blinked and realized Bumblebee had stopped talking with him about the new local area and where the nearest bolt-hole should be. He turned and blinked before snorting, "Ah, the bitlet woke up? You staying in there sparkling?"

The girl hesitated, holding onto the blanket, really debating but finding that she was not scared, and attracted by the soft, reassuring sounds Bumblebee was making... Amy edged forward, she heard the bigger green mech start to chuckle as the girl fell out of the shelter of the over armor. Looking around, now standing up beside Crosshairs' leg, she found it wasn't as dark, as there was a small light source nearer to the other three Autobots.

A soft churr and shifting metal frame drew Amy's attention as Bumblebee stood, wiggling his door wings at her and holding his hands out. The scout frame ignored the huff and comment from Drift as he came closer and couched down, coaxing Amy closer and away from Crosshairs so not to wake the thorny mech. It was as hard to admit as it was not that he missed having humans around. More so the younger ones. Amy was quiet a bit younger then Sam had been but still.

The mech hummed as the girl examined his fingers for a moment, lifting her arms as his right hand came over and behind the girl. She was far too light as she sat on his fingers, but bumblebee knew that could be fixed. Bumblebee ignored the other mechs as he stood up, focusing on making sure he curled his hand the right way to keep Amy stable. He smiled in his way, the scout's other hand came up to give a small pet on the girl's side before letting her grasp his finger tip, splicing together some words from the radio he picked up a long time ago. "Cute- little girl."

Amy giggled.

"Ugh, ya gonna get to soft. Softer." Hound grunted, staying where he was, though did not want to admit just yet he had not minded carrying Amy in his holo-form that day.

Bumblebee wiggled his door wings at Hound before sitting down beside him, the girl still cupped in his hands around her. He played spliced together clips if human music to mimic humming a lullaby from Iacon as a gentle finger pet over Amy's legs. The girl held onto his right hand thumb and peered over it to watch the other digit as it traced down her leg, Amy was surprised and maybe a little awe that she barely felt it. Amy smiled in the mostly dark as the tip of Bumblebee's finger lightly tapped the underside of her foot.

Hound watched the surprisingly innocent interaction, not quite sure what to think of it. Amy was peering over the scout's thumb to watch the other hand, starting to lightly tap her feet on the fingertip with a soft, pat-pat sound of socks against living metal. Unexpectedly it reminded him of just before this mess, before the hunts when he had first come to this world and was resting in a joint Nest base.

He had be sitting with Leadfoot and dinking some needed energon, something that had tasted like solar that the Wreckers had made. The oldest of the Wreckers had sat up, grinning and yelled out at first it seemed Ironhide as he walked by ("Get yea'r aft over here and let me see that soft spark!"). Then Hound had spotted the organics walking between the black mech's pedes.

Fearless some of those Nest-humans had been. Hound remembered the old black Autobot snapping back at Leadfoot, but moving over only after he realized his companion had diverted course to come over. Ironhide growling the way over about Wreckers and threating Leadfoot's spark if he hurt his two charges, and the dark green mech had been surprised at seeing an organic sparkling giggling in the arms of the older. Leadfoot had been happy to sit up, shifting and holding a hand out before his snark turned into gravely rumbles when- of all things, the male human had willingly lifted the sparkling up into the waiting hand.

Bumblebee now was acting much like the older mech had back then, happy at holding something sparkling sized-

Ah.

For all the differences Amy had with a real Cybertronian sparkling, such as being the age of a new-spark that couldn't leave an adult's frame for the warmth. Amy was about the same size, yet able to see and focused like a sparkling just about twenty local years old. Just able to really interact, only Amy was able to communicate easily.

Hound pulled a drag off his bullet, feeling a little tang that came from a dude round, sharp like the taste of nickel ore but not as sour. Leadfoot had been happy back then to have the human sparkling climb up to his helm and visit for a few kliks, promising to get her first training weapon made before Ironhide did- and starting an argument between himself, Ironhide and the girl's sire about when that was appropriate, much to the sparkling's bemusement and Hound's enjoyment.

"Ya really like the kid." Hound mused aloud, watching Bumblebee's wide optics look up at him before the scout frame hummed a broken note from his real voice box. Amy giggled as she was lifted and given a nuzzle, leaning against the large cybertronian face she was now against. Hound grunted at the over-obvious display of affection, shaking his head. "Primus we shouldn't be getting' attracted..."

"Good luck with that Hound." Drift said from his spot, sitting where his back and sides were safe against solid rock, not unlike how Crosshairs had wedged himself, only higher up.

"Yeah, yeah..." Hound grunted again, settling his bulk down in a better position. "Get some recharge while ya can Drift, it's your turn anyways."

Bumblebee chittered in agreement in his own way, lowering Amy to let the girl climb onto his thigh, before offering her something edible that made the girl squeak once it was closer. She nibbled and looked up between Bumblebee's sapphire and Hound's own teal optics. She could really only see those points the clearest.

"Thank you," Amy's voice was soft, after sorting out that Drift must be sleeping. There was more to the gratitude then just for the snack, Bumblebee attempted to hum out a welcome without using a clip he had many of.

Hound rumbled something back, looking to the entrance and his long rang scanners again. He was not so surprised that Amy would nod off herself again, but he was surprised to find she did nap on his ankle before making it back to Crosshairs' over-armor for the rest of the night. The lean mech lifted the edge as he woke up enough out his dose to realize Amy was missing- sort of, but trying to get back where he put her against his side.