Hello! I'm sorry if this chapter seems a bit incomplete, the second half wasn't quite finished and didn't want to make you guys wait.

Enjoy!

A special thanks to my wonderful reviewers; (Guest), (Guest), ladybug1995, CherryVanillaCoke, Edges05, and RatchetsGirl1

Chapter 18

At the halfway point of their return trip, the plane landed at an airstrip where they were met by Ratchet and two base medics. The team received the necessary immediate care before they finished the final leg to Diego Garcia. Sunstreaker was fine, except for some scrapes from bullets. Ratchet was able to combat the virus in their systems, making him fully operational again. Sideswipe's t-cog was malfunctioning due to shrapnel. He'd need surgery once they got back to base, but Ratchet assured him that the overall damage was minor and he'd be able to transform within 36 hours of the operation. Sunstreaker did not look pleased knowing his twin would be unarmed for the time being. The yellow mech wordlessly unsubspaced a hand held pistol, which Erin did not even know he had, and shoved it in his twin's servos. Even among allies, he was over protective. The sight made Erin smile.

Her own injuries would take longer to heal. She had three severely bruised ribs, her shoulder was infected, and she had a concussion. The cuts on her back would not take long to heal. Although, there were several large splinters and pebbles embedded in her skin. Having them removed was not fun for Erin or the human medics. The former because it hurt like hell, and the latter because Sideswipe, lie a worrisome mother hen, watched intently to make sure his partner was alright. The medics, who had previously had only seen the 'bots from a distance, seemed uncomfortable with one pacing behind them.

Ratchet, of course, also checked in on Erin after he was done with the twins. He made her chug two bottles of water before he would lessen his steely glare. Meanwhile, the two human medics sanitized her shoulder. Was it painful? Yes. Did she scream or cry? Of course not. Did she accidentally react poorly and throw a medic over her shoulder when he poked it without warning? Maybe.

When Sunstreaker returned, just in time to watch the man go airborne, he laughed. Not the dark chuckle Erin heard him use on occasion. It was a full, boisterous laugh that rang through the air. It was almost musical. Not yet containing the slip of his mask, he commented to Sideswipe, "You'd think by now everyone would know not to mess with that femme."

After another moment, he finally noticed Erin's wide eyed stare from what she was hearing. "What?" he scowled at her before stomping off to continue his regularly scheduled brooding.

Sideswipe shot Erin a quick wink before following his twin to offer some company.

After Ratchet deemed Erin fit enough to fly, they finished the journey back to base. Of course, Ratchet insisted on waking her every hour to check on her condition. Since she was already a light sleeper, she did not get much rest.

Upon Erin's insistence, she was allowed to go to the human medical facilities to take a shower. Her wound was again sanitized and medicated. She was then removed from the combative duty list for five weeks to allow recovery. However, she would be allowed to preform basic duties after five days.

The night they returned. The three were separately debriefed. Erin had convinced Sideswipe to give her credit for all his kills. So he claimed to act as a shield while she took out the enemy. Erin managed to describe Sunstreaker's assault on the mech agents as necessary defense. There was no way she could take credit for the carnage once an investigation team took record of the evidence. Should mech not have already cleaned it up, it would be clear that neither Erin nor Sideswipe took part in that battle. She had told Sunstreaker and Sideswipe how she would spin the story an could only hope they would follow her lead. She did not care whether spinning the truth was dishonorable, it served their purposes and that was good enough for her.

Prime, Prowl, and Lennox, who led the debriefings, were astonished by Colonel Bishop's betrayal. After Erin stated that he recruited soldiers to N.E.S.T to serve as spies, Prowl began tapping away at his data pad, likely going through the staff database. She would likely be on the list of possible candidates.

Erin's observations of the events brought up another possible implication. Mech wanted to dissect the autobots. Not only that, but Silas showed evidence of already knowing some of the autobot's biology. The virus weapon, and knowing the aim for Sideswipe's t-cog were two factors that confirmed they already had gotten their hands on a Cybertronian. Erin knew it was dangerous to come to conclusions without complete evidence, but Silas did imply whom he had in his possession, and that individual was no longer alive. While it was still possible the data Mech used was gathered on Diego Garcia, Arcee was still missing and in her team's absence, it was discovered that one of the human remains in Alsace had been positively identified as a N.E.S.T soldier. The others had yet to go through enough testing. Prowl realized one of the men sent on the mission had been recruited through Colonel Bishop. And there was one less body than the number of soldiers on the mission. Sending them with that man may have been their death warrant.

The new Team Prime members were commended on their actions during the unexpected betrayal. Even Sunstreaker was let off for his 'self-defense'. Erin was also provided with her new military badge. After the debriefing, she was made to report back to the medic where she would be observed for the night. Her shoulder wound was cleaned regularly every few hours. Luckily, she was barely conscious as exhaustion finally took its toll.

After a second debriefing, made in search of any extra details, Erin was finally allowed to return to her room. With four days of leave left, she was unsure of what to do with all the spare time. Sideswipe, however, seemed to have those plans covered.

Erin had wisely decided to lay back and relax in her room.. Without the distraction of survival, her mind dwelled on the soreness emanating from her ribs. They were injuries she was wholeheartedly encouraging to heal, less she face the wrath of Ratchet, whom had threatened to tape her down on a berth in the med bay should she further injure herself. Knowing the medic, he would be good on his word.

She could have set out for the human common room, or observed training exercises, but she decided to let her antisocial side play through. Thus, Erin laid out on her stiff mattress, sketching little comics of the autobots. She was getting pretty good at them. That, and she was starting to use real conversations with them, rather than made up situations. Ratchet announcing that she was menstruating in front of Sideswipe was a rather painful example. Yet, it was amusing in hindsight.

Suddenly, a notification popped up on her data pad from Sideswipe. -Meet me outside, can't break your promises!-

Erin had certainly not forgotten her promise to Sunstreaker. It was on the forefront of her mind for a while. The thing was, she really was not looking forward to it. She replied, -Ratchet said no strenuous activity.-

Within seconds, Erin heard a tapping sound on her window. She had a sneaking suspicion from whom it was. When she got up to investigate and pulled the blinds, lo and behold, there was Sideswipe crouching into view. Erin hoped glaring at the mech would deter him, but he responded with a cheeky grin and waggling optic ridges. With a sigh, she unlocked the window, something she had not done since before the balloon prank incident, and opened it, letting the hot, humid air rush in.

"You promised Sunny a wash." he stated, a shit eating grin on his faceplates, "Do you really want to disappoint him?"

Erin decided to level with him. "Look, I don't know why Sunstreaker even wants me to touch him. I'm more scared of getting crushed than his disappointment."

"Rin," his voice softened along with his facial expressions, "We both know Sunny and 'humans' don't exactly mix. But, this is his effort to genuinely try to accept you."

Erin's retort was caught in her throat. Her eyes widened slightly at the sentiment. She had, in fact, made strides with the yellow front liner. But she never really expected him to reciprocate so much. Well, Sideswipe had her in a bind. "Fine." She grit out.

"Great!" all sincerity was lost in his victorious grin. "I'll drive you," before Erin could retort, he raised a hand to silence her, "You did say Hatchet wanted you to take it easy. We'll both be scrapped if he catches you running around base. So driving it is. Oh," he added with a sickening smile, voice dropping an octave, "You might want to get dressed."

Erin slammed the window shut and dropped the blinds. She hadn't been wearing a shirt. Normally, she wouldn't have a problem over being seen in her sports bra (she didn't have any normal lingerie). If the other men on base could work out shirtless, she certainly could as well. But the way he spoke made her feel scandalized. Probably because of how off it was, the flirting tones of an alien trying to get a rise out of her. Whenever a human hit on her, she could just punch him, doing that to the mech would likely break her hand, and arm, and the rest of her still healing body. Erin had half a mind to pull her blade on the cheeky autobot. Who side violence was never the answer? It solved a lot of problems for her.

Asshole… or afthole. Perhaps she should just march out in only her sports bra and spandex, just to show the 'bot how little she cared. But knowing him, he'd only take the opportunity to get another reaction from her.

Sideswipe, of course, insisted on driving Erin to their destination. Still sore and tired, the young soldier relented and allowed the 'bot to take her. If she could survive a ride with Sunstreaker, then she should be fine with his slightly less homicidal twin. At least with him, she could see where they were going. She did not, however, expect to find the 'vette going up the Lennox's driveway. From what Erin could see, no other autobots, Sunstreaker included, were present.

"Why are we here?" she questioned as Sideswipe pulled to a stop.

"That depends. Sunny says he wants us to barrow Mrs. Lennox's cleaning supplies 'cause it's designed for human use. But, he really just wants to try it out." Sideswipe giggled, his alt-mode shaking slightly.

"So I'm just an excuse?" Erin deadpanned.

"Pretty much, he's just too prideful to ask Mrs. Lennox for anything."

So much for progress.

"But," Sideswipe interrupted Erin's oncoming negative thoughts, "That doesn't change the fact that he likes you more. Excuse or not, he's never let humans touch him before. And, you're the first to ride with him."

"That's only because he didn't have much of a choice." She muttered.

"Knowing Sunny, if it was any other human, he'd make them call a cab, or just walk. Trust me, he's made big steps with you." Sideswipe sounded oddly wise in his analysis of his twin. If anyone was an expert on the manic marigold's moods, it was him.

"Whatever you say." She made no effort to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

Erin wanted to get out of his alt-form but paused. Was it rude to open the door herself? It was, after all, a part of his body. His winglet. Sideswipe had clearly explained door wings, like the ones Prowl had, and Sideswipe's smaller winglets were very different. Apparently, all 'bots of Prowl's specific race had wings. They were like sensory extensions and were a major part of their lives, from displaying emotions to mating rituals. Again, the thought of Cybertronians mating severely confused Erin. Prowl's wings hardly ever moved, but apparently, other mechs were more animated with their motions. Bumblebee, whom would soon be on his way to their base with his human charge, was another 'Praxian' with door wings. Sideswipe's winglets were just a part of his armor and mainly for ascetics. In fact, he stated they didn't have much of a purpose anymore. Erin had intended to ask him what he meant by that next time the subject came up.

Sideswipe, ever perceptive, seemed to catch Erin's pause, hand raised by the door handle. Wordlessly, he popped the door open, although Erin could feel amusement oozing from his frame.

"Thanks." She shot out as she quickly climbed onto her shaky legs. She was still tired and sore.

Without waiting for Sideswipe to transform, Erin climbed the porch to the quaint home and firmly knocked in the door. From somewhere within the house, she could hear a 'one moment please!', followed by the clattering of metal. She must have been doing dishes.

Within moments, Sarah Lennox opened the front door, greeting Erin with a shining smile. "Hello Erin, it's nice to see you back safe and sound. I was worried." Her smile faltered a little, showing that her statement was genuine. "When Ironhide said you were MIA, well…"

"It was nothing serious, just a loss in communication. I'm sorry to have worried you." Erin placated, feeling a bit awkward over her concern.

Mrs. Lennox didn't look quite convinced. She eyed Erin suspiciously. The soldier stood straight, holding onto her professional demeanor. "Well, I'm glad to hear it." she eventually said. "Now to what do I owe this visit?"

"Well," Erin cracked a bit, being reminded of her situation. She really did not feel comfortable giving anyone or anybot a bath, especially Sunstreaker. But, a promise was a promise. "I was hoping to barrow some of your car cleaning supplies."

"Really? Who's it for?" she looked surprised. It was to be expected, since most of the 'bots who were comfortable with being cleaned by anyone only ever went to her. Still, Erin had hoped she wouldn't be curious.

"I owe one of the 'bots a favor and this is how he asked me to repay him." She sighed.

Mrs. Lennox took the hint and didn't push for any details. Instead, she gave a knowing smile, which was oddly unnerving to Erin. "I understand, they're in the garage, you can follow me."

Erin did as the woman asked, following her around the outside corner of the house. She spared a quick glance to Sideswipe whom still had not transformed. However, when Mrs. Lennox gave him a nod, he responded with a friendly engine rev. How Erin understood the tone behind that noise, she was unsure. Perhaps overexposure was getting to her.

In the garage was a shelving lined wall filled with various grooming supplies for vehicles. Erin really didn't understand most of it, but she could tell the difference between cleaners, waxes, and towels. Mrs. Lennox really was an impressive hostess. She was prepared to entertain any sort of company, human or autobot. Erin could understand why some men found that place to be a sort of haven from all the anxieties of base life.

"Now, will you be doing just the exterior or the interior as well?" Mrs. Lennox questioned as she grabbed a crate and started looking through her stock pile.

"I'm not sure. But to be safe, I would appreciate a full set of supplies, just in case." Erin answered.

She smiled back at the soldier, "I'm glad Sunstreaker opening up enough to let you do this for him."

Erin flinched. "How did you it was him?"

"Well," she looked back at the shelves and started grabbing various items, "Optimus would never hold a debt over you. Ratchet would come up with some other way for you to pay him back. Prowl would insist any favor he does is a part of his duties so he wouldn't think you owed him anything. Mirage and the twins don't get along well, so any favors going on between you two would most likely upset them. And of the 'bots who would be more willing to be washed, Ironhide, Jazz, Wheeljack, Que, and Sideswipe would all just come here for a wash. Sunstreaker is the only one who would make you do the traveling. And if it was Sideswipe, he would have transformed and probably tease about getting you to 'bathe him'. While I thought Sunstreaker would never ask any human for a favor, you three do seem close as a team, so it makes sense."

"You know them well, don't you?" Erin blinked. This woman was just as insightful as she had suspected.

"I've known the autobots for a while now. They're my friends, so of course I understand them a bit. Now," she changed the subject, "If you're going to wash Sunstreaker, you'll have to make sure you do the best job possible. He wouldn't be pleased with any mistakes."

"Yes ma'am." Erin was painfully aware of how vicious he could be over the smallest of things she did, just because she was human.

"First of all, make sure he's parked in a shaded place. The water here is full of minerals, which will leave spots when they dry. Keeping him out of the sunlight will slow this process, and make things easier for you. I'm going to give you extra microfiber towels, don't be afraid to use all of them up to ensure you don't accidently cause any streaks. And make sure you change towels every time you move forward in the cleaning process. When you bring everything back, it's ok that the towels are dirty, actually I would prefer if you didn't wash them, I will do that myself."

"Yes ma'am."

"If he decides he'd like you to also clean his interior, you'll want to do that first." She grabbed a small hand held battery-operated vacuum. "While I doubt Sunstreaker will have much dust in his interior, considering how often he self-grooms and the fact he doesn't give anyone rides, I'm going to give you this just in case. Use it to clean the floor area."

It appeared she had not heard of Erin and Sunstreaker's adventures. There was no telling whether or not Sideswipe was gossiping about it.

Mrs. Lennox showed Erin a black spray bottle. "This is for the dashboard and side handles. Use the microfiber towels to clean it off." She then held up a clear bottle with blue solution. "This will be for his windows and mirrors, use it both on the inside and outside. Make sure after you wipe it off, use the other side of the towel to polish in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction."

Erin got the sense she should be taking notes.

"For the seats, use this cleaner," she showed a smaller black bottle with a screw-on cap, "dampen a towel with this and wipe the seats off. Then use this conditioner." Mrs. Lennox continued to show her each cleaning product as she carefully placed them, in order, inside the crate. "The 'bots especially love the conditioner. They say it feels good on their seats. That just about does it for the interior. When you clean his outside armor. You'll first want to wash him off. Mix a quarter cup of the car washing product per gallon of water. Use the microfiber mitt to apply the soap from the top down. Try to avoid getting the suds on his windows, though."

This wash was beginning to sound more like a minefield of ways to mess up and piss off the yellow warrior.

"Use the clay bar to remove anything that may be sticking to him. The 'bots don't always notice small bits of tree sap that stick to their armor after patrols. After washing him, use the white drying towel to dry him off. It will work better than the blue ones. The next step is polishing. Again, I am unsure whether or not he will want it. Some of the 'bots prefer to let their own paint nanites take care of this."

Curious, Erin asked, "What are paint nanites?"

Mrs. Lennox smiled at the question. "They are what give their armor its color. They're programmed to turn their outermost armor the color of the vehicle they scan. Or at least that's how Ironhide describes it. Although, the 'bots can change their color if they apply paint. Eventually, the paint nanites reprogram to use that color."

"Sounds like some kind of alien skin bacteria to me." The more Erin learned about Cybertronians, the less robotic they seemed.

"I'm not sure exactly what nanites are, just what they accomplish. Although, I think symbiotic relationships, such as that between us and the bacteria in our bodies, is only an organic thing. Ratchet at least makes it sound that way." Mrs. Lennox went back to rooting over the shelf.

Erin still had a lot to learn about the 'bots, but Mrs. Lennox could be a more useful source than she first imagined. "I'm sorry for interrupting. You were saying?"

"It's quite alright." The woman smiled sweetly. "Now, polishing is rather simple. Apply the glaze by hand, using small, circular and overlapping strokes on a clean microfiber mitt. Make sure it doesn't dry completely, but once it starts to look hazy, use a towel to remove it. The final step is waxing. Usually, the 'bots only wax themselves no more than once a week, and for some, once every few months. Sunstreaker, however, seems to do it pretty often, so he'll probably want you to do that."

Erin muttered, "He did specify he would want a wax."

"Unless he has his own wax he wants you to use, I'm recommend you use the wax with the gold label, but I'm going to give you another kind as well, so he can decide which he prefers. The 'bots can be picky when it comes to the waxes they use. One kind is a liquid wax, and the other is a paste, but the technique for each is the same as polishing. When you remove them, fold the towel in fourths. Use one side to break up the wax, and the other side to remove any residue. If, however, Sunstreaker doesn't want a full wax, I'll give you a spray wax, which is like booster between waxing. And that should do it." Mrs. Lennox placed her hands on her hips and looked down at the impressive kit she'd made.

"Thank you for allowing me to barrow these. Is there anything I can give you in return?" Erin asked, although she knew the woman would not ask for repayment.

As expected, she shook her head. "I'm just happy someone is finally getting through to the twins. They live in their own world, cut off from everyone else. I'm glad they have you."

I'm glad they have you.

That comment stuck with Erin the entire ride back. She never really considered the benefit the 'bots might be receiving from her presence. They were still, in her mind, a means to an end. At least she thought they were.