Queen's note: I'm not dead, I promis...I don't think I am. Just working and getting magor ADD over on tumblr. Ohh, that said, come check me out there! You'll see early story clips, headcannons, story clip fryday, rps, dream catchers and other things. I'm omicrontheicequeen there, as well as having some side rp blogs

Just A Stray, Just A Cover

Chapter Twelve

Let the grump sleep

Jolt tilted his head, listening in the tunnel he was in. Without the constant background hum on the surface it was not hard to find the sole human in the quiet. More so when Jolt realized the second sound he was hearing was not a fault machine but Crosshairs snoring.

The blue mech shook his head, it was not nearly as bad as Leadfoot, did all Wreckers snore to some degree?

Well...

Ironhide had not been much better when in a proper recharge. It seemed to be something common in the front line fighters as well, maybe some sort of damage to their vents?

At least the steady sound made it even easier to find where Crosshairs had retreated to the day before. Jolt paused just outside of the entrance to the alcove like room, maybe duble checking for a reflexively set up trap. Only once sure it was safe did Jolt walk carefully into the room. Holding his energy field tighter than normal, to mute the feel of the mech's natural charge, as he looked over at Crosshairs on the low berth. Bright blue optics landed on the sparkling sized form also on the berth, Amy sitting cross-legged with her back against the trooper's hand.

It was an oddly cute, he would admit to that. Jolt noted the supplies and spotting the thing on the floor. The girl was looking up, having gotten into one box and nibbling on a carrot, looking up surprised at seeing the blue mech.

The Autobot purred softly, walking the last few steps, "Hello again little one. Do you need down?" Jolt tilted his head at the rigged up 'potapotty' on the floor.

Amy glanced at what she could see of Crosshairs, before nodding at Jolt, "Yes please."

The blue mech pulled his field even tighter as he stepped closer. Reaching out and wiggling his fingers to coax Amy closer, being careful with her as much as not to wake the green Wrecker. Once Amy had moved over and willingly climbed up into Jolt's hand, the mech lifted her up and down to the ground by the device. He paused to be sure the girl knew what she was doing. Then he stepped back, still careful of waking the other mech up with Jolt's energy as he grabbed the boxes. Subspacing everything but a single water bottle between two fingers.

Semi-theft almost complete, Jolt turned back to weight for Amy. Gently scooping the girl once done, "There, let's go little one, and let your guardian rest."

"How long will he be asleep?" Amy asked, resting her hands on one of Jolt's digits.

Jolt waited until he was back out in the hall like tunnel, before he answered, "Depends on how... tired he is. Crosshairs can be in recharge for a day or two." At seeing a worried look on the girl he added as he loosened his field to wrap it around Amy, to give reassurance, "That's normal. A good long recharge can be a few days. It might do Crosshairs good to get a rest... He'll have a better attitude for the most part."

Jolt glanced behind him over a shoulder as he walked away from where the wrecker would stay. He looked back down and started to hum, the blue mech carefully touching the small back as he judged how tense his passenger was. There was a fain spark of energon in his hand. "So, as you don't need as much sleep compared to us, you can come with me. Or explore? It's safe down here- and Steeljaw is 'sleeping' as well right now."

That seemed to make Amy happy, the girl was not quite sure about the cyber-wolf still. She shifted, edging back to sit more in the mech's palm, rather than on the semi-clawed digits. Amy grasped one large finger and taking a moment to consider, not protesting the second pet on her back, "Do we have to explore right away?"

"No," Jolt shook his head, giving a smile as best as he could in the human way. He paused, thought about something and lifted the girl up to muzzle her. Jolt's grinned more in his way as his action made Amy squeak, and then started to giggle at the affection. "You are very cute soft spark. You can stay around me, even old rusty Leadfoot, no need to push exploring Amy."

Amy nodded back in response, shifting in Jolt's hands for a few quiet minutes as the Autobot walked down the massive main tunnel. She blinked against the lights that were a little brighter out here as they turned on at Jolt's approach, and then off a bit behind them. Finally Amy dared to reach out and patted at the chest plate she was beside. The motion was shyly light at first, so it took a moment before blue optics looked down at the girl again.

Jolt gave a questioning chirp, though he could guess what was wanted. He waited for her to ask though.

Amy looked down, up again then she patted one of the large claws around her, "Um... Can... you said before that if it started to hurt," Amy paused to peer up at the owl-like face above her. Slowly she continued, feeling better as the mech's energy field flushed with reassurance again. "Can... can you do the, um... thingy? Please?"

"Thingy?" Jolt could not help by smile, even as his free hand moved, fingers twitching as a charge started over the claws. The Mech chuckled as he got a nod, "Thingy it is."

The Autobot flexed the free hand again, and the charge became visible. 'Small' lightning like trails of light crawling over his hand, before tapping Amy's knees. The girl gave a nervous giggle at the strange sensation. She lifted her arm as Jolt moved the large digits up and around to Amy's back. Letting the numbing charge sink in, and in turn Amy relaxed at the petting motion. Stressed muscles went limp quickly after the first tensing.

Jolt chuckled, shifting his hold to support the girl better as he started to walk again. "There, feel better?"

Amy nodded, sighing in relief before daring to rest her head against teal armor. "Thank you... it doesn't hurt anymore."

"We should find a human medic for you." Jolt snorted and shook his head, "But until we find some Nest, or just Autobot loyal humans it'll be safer here. We have some safe scanners for you."

"And food?" Amy asked, stirring to sit up in the supporting hands a little more. She gave up and just leaned on Jolt's other hand that had not pulled away yet, both arms flopped over one digit. That let her look around at all the things, mostly the carved stone tunnel supports that she had not seen when in the armor pocket.

Did Jolt have an armor pocket too?

"And getting you some proper food," Jolt agreed, trying to remember the talks he had with not just Ratchet and Ironhide, but those base medics.

"But I like carrots?" Amy half asked, and giggled as Jolt gently nudged her with a buzz of playful energy.

"Those are good for you, I know that much." Jolt agreed as he walked. The mech snorted as he considered this strange situation, here he was, the robotic 'alien' trying to make sure the organic youngling to eat better. He shook his head, "You should have more things. But maybe..."

Jolt glanced up, advoiding some boxes, as large as his knee that got over looked, but for the most part this side passageway, and the main tunnel of the bolt hole were open. One mostly ran the risk of running into a wall more than tripping over something. He hummed, and then looked back down as Amy made a puzzled sound. Realizing he was producing too much energy at seeing the girl's hair started to lift, the blue mech pulled the excess charge out of her.

"What was that?" Amy squeaked, looking all around and back up with wide green eyes.

"Static charge," The mech said, grinning, Jolt giving her a light poke, making her hair lift again for only a moment. The Autobot seemed to make up his mind before taking turn deeper into the tunnel network rather than back to the entrance where Leadfoot was working on the lift. "Let's get you cleaned up first, than we can annoy Leadfoot."

It would keep Amy from Wrecker snarls and cursing a little longer. Jolt could hear the faint echoes of that even if the girl could not. He shook his head, delicately twitching a clawed digit before smiling as he headed into the wash-racks he had found the day before. The mech made a mental note to shove Crosshairs into here too before surrendering Amy.

"Here we are, the cleaners are... cleaned up so it's safe for you." Jolt said, grinning at a squeaking from his hands, lifting Amy up to put the girl on the counter in the far back of this larger room. There was a pool big enough for most mechs to Jolt's left, and on that same side three stations for some heavier duty cleaning with cleansers that would be...burning to organics.

Amy slid off Jolt's hand only once it was still and looked around the... Amy giggled as she realized it was a counter top that she was standing on. Getting tapped on her head the mech moved to what just looked like a sink, though wider and longer than anything a human house would have. She trailed after the mech, a little nervous, "That... that's not going to fill is it?"

"No, not for this." Jolt tilted his head watching the human as he paused in reaching up to the supplies, looking at the girl. He was pulling the charge back and tight against him, out of his hands for sure. "Can you swim Amy?"

Amy shook her head, hugging herself as she thought about the fall into the lake water before Crosshairs had pulled her back up. The girl looked down, shaking her head again, almost whispering, "…no…"

The blue Autobot tilted his head, lowering his arms and setting a, well, dish, down and folded his arms on the counter. He gave a soft chirp to get Amy's attention and once the girl peeked up, Jolt cupped one hand around behind her. It was alike enough to what Crosshairs did that she started to relax again.

"That's okay Amy, not all humans can swim, or mechs." Jolt snorted and grinned in his way, "You should see Ironhide try, he sinks faster than anyone. But you do need to be cleaned up, so we can use that."

"Not deep?" Amy asked, finally coming over to the dish and peered inside. It was simple enough, just about twice as large of bathtub. That seemed safe enough...

"It won't be deep, but warm." Jolt promised, flexing his hands to make sure he would not let any charge or spark happen for now. There was no way he was going to electrocute a human youngling with water around. As Amy nodded and got ready, he grabbed a few cloths, one a softer polishing cloth for after, as well as pulling out the box from Crosshairs to look for a human safe soup, but having a feeling it might be a very mild cleanser that would be used.

Thankfully for Amy the bath was uneventful, after double checking that it was not deep. It was nice, feeling clean again, and Jolt did not mind her getting into new pajamas again. She flopped into the second dry cloth, wiggling happily at the softness as Jolt flipped a corner over her head. "Hey!"

"Have to be dry," Jolt said, stepping away from the counter, he would put things away later, and instead gently used the side of a clawed digit to rub the girl's head and back. "Don't want to hurt you little one."

"I am dry though," Amy protested, but after a wiggle was fairly relaxed, it was not so bad, and she realized her hair was still damp, "Almost!"

"Almost," Jolt agreed, shifting the cloth and then pulled it back to smile at the girl, tapping Amy's nose with a talon tip. The now dry hair poofing for a moment to giggles while the Autobot carried the girl out, paused and backtracked to grab the box and subspaced it, "Let's go annoying Leadfoot, maybe the lift will be fixed."

"And something to eat?" Amy asked, now that she was active, wanting more than just that carrot.

"Of course," Jolt agreed, "There should be more in those boxes, and what Ironhide set aside. I think I saw something on the plans that there was a garden like area."

"Why would there be a garden down here?" Amy asked, shifting and then bracing her hands against the blue mech's chest as she was moved against it again. "Do Autobot's like flowers too?"

"Some do, I think most are nice to look at. But it might be trees, maybe some things Ironhide thought humans would need." Jolt shook his head as he took a left, "I love the mech, but sometimes Ironhide didn't know a lot of some human things. It's why I talked to the medics on the bases."

Amy considered, thinking of the garden that she still remembered, the one that her mother had kept, before she disappeared. Then the bare glimpse when she got out of the basement. She wondered if this garden had anything that bloomed yellow.

"Did Ironhide like flowers?" Amy asked, looking up.

Jolt blinked, his optics flashing at the innocent question...and he was not really sure. "...Maybe? We didn't really talk about earth flowers little one. Maybe we can see if he put any in that area."

"I hope there's something yellow. Momma like yellow flowers." Amy said softly, leaning against the Autobot as she was carried back to the main entrance where Leadfoot was.

Reviews!

Regan:
omg that review! I'm so glad you enjoyed the last chapter! hopefully this one is good too, even if its more fluff then adventure. [But wanting expand some more of Amy]

DeadlyNightshade97:
Honestly that's exactly it. Crosshairs is being a good guardian/caretaker, as much as he's able to be as he's learning more about humans where he didn't care before.

And I'm so happy you like the story, and my Crosshairs [and that I'm doing well with those softer moments from him]. Hopefully this chapter is good too, while Crosshairs is recharging Amy gets some better interactions with the other Autobots next chapter!

Wacko12:
A lot XD I don't like how they are killed off, and if I take a mech out I try to stick them into a recovery ward type bolthole

Guest 1:
LOL I see you turning my words against me. As for Mikaela, maybe, you'll have to wait and see!

Eldritch-Woods:
I See you there sweetie! Thank you verymuch for the first time reviewing! Hope you like Jolt getting some stolen cutes.

I hope this helps with your depression, to be honest I started writing this story again to help with my own depression. I tend to cling to Transformer related fluffs and cutes to help me. So if this is really helping I'm glad I can. -HUGS TIGHT- I hope you're getting some help sweetie.

TatteredAngel42:
Thank you! Sorry it took so long to post the next chapter [been having ADD], but welcome to the story! Steeljaw is fun to write once he knows its safe. Have some more cute

SoundlyManners:
That's exactly Crosshairs' reaction, and future reactions more then likely. I can understand, Crosshairs is an aft to most people, but I do see once he knows someone or does not see them as a threat...you are getting grabbed and pretended he's not cuddling the person he's cuddling.