Finding Home

Chapter 21

By Voodoo Queen

XXXXXXXXXX

Author's Note: Hello, Dear Readers! So, the results are in. I've read all your reviews and messages and the consensus seems to be that you all like your fluff with a healthy side of smut (my kind of people!) so I'm definitely going to keep that in mind. As always, much love to those who've added this story to their alerts and favorites. So happy to have you along on this adventure! Special snuggles to those who've taken time to leave me reviews and feedback: YaoiPrincess12, AD Axe, Malkah5967, adelphe24, opalwolf12, DaLadyofSouls, Stranno Roza, Bearloveforever, Songbird's Spirit, ElleGirl19, HenriettaDarlington, iGleep, KayleeChiara, Guest, sakurawriter, MysticFire101, Autobot-Bre-Lightblast, Ixsa, the everchanging, Leonixon. The review feature has been kind of jacked up this week so if I've missed anyone, I'm sorry! This chapter didn't turn out quite how I wanted it but it's as good as it's going to get. The jig is up!

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, just my own original characters and plot.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was a quiet Saturday morning, one that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were most appreciative for as they were few and far between. Though, there was an underlying anxiousness that pervaded most meetings recently mostly due to the fact that things had been eerily quiet on the Decepticon front, a development which certainly didn't sit well with anyone. Regardless, they were free for the day for once and they'd carefully checked the duty roster to ensure Amy had no where that she needed to be either. She was in the clear for the weekend so there was no rush to be up and about. Good, old Jazz looking out for her, no doubt. Lucky for them all the TIC believed wholesparkedly in the benefits of down time.

The evening previous had been an enjoyable one, even if they hadn't got to carry out their original plans. Still, they chose to view any time spent with the femme as a good time if it furthered their fledgling connection. They could certainly feel it, the need to be close and protect what belonged to them. They wondered what it felt like for her on her end. Confusing, no doubt. Sideswipe, especially, felt guilty for leaving her very much in the dark regarding the true nature of their situation but also viewed it as a necessary evil for the time being. After all, he and Sunny were still trying to figure things out themselves. Right now, however, they were simply enjoying the opportunity to take some time to relax in each others' presence.

Sideswipe lay propped up in his berth, still feeling lazy even after one of the most restful recharges he could ever remember having in a really long time. He hummed quietly along to the music he was streaming from the internet as he read over a data pad. It was an old book, a classic, written way back during Cybertron's 'Golden Age' that he'd probably read a couple hundred times already but he enjoyed nonetheless. Sprawled across his chest plates, upon a folded up blanket to protect her from his pointy bits, Amy was still fast asleep. He'd accepted the femme from his brother earlier that morning so that he could go retrieve their morning energon rations. Despite how much Sunny grumbled and complained about drool and organic-ness, Sides knew he was quickly becoming attached to the woman. He looked down upon the dozing femme, and smiled to himself. She was, without a doubt, adorable...at least in his optics. Human or not. No one could convince him otherwise.

Feeling as if all were right in the world at that very moment, Sideswipe gently ran the pads of his fingers up and down her back in a comforting motion and returned to his reading. Amy shifted slightly at being touched, stretching, and causing Side's fingers to graze along her arm for a moment instead. As it did, the fabric of her t-shirt caught on the slightly roughened pads of his fingertips, raising her sleeve slightly and exposing the soft flesh beneath. Carefully disentangling himself so as not to damage her clothing, his optics drank in the sight of this new, previously unseen skin. As he did so, however, his brow plates furrowed in concern.

Turning the woman's arm to get a better look, he delicately pinched the fabric of her sleeve between two fingers to pull it up further. He counted five small, slightly raised circular marks marring the skin between her wrist and elbow joint. Curious, he carefully raised her other sleeve, as well, where he counted six more. A twinge of anger flashed across his synapses. He recognized scarring when he saw it. Primus knew he and Sunny had their fair share of weld seams. For some reason, though, these strange, little marks seemed purposeful in their placement, not something that would occur naturally or from accidental injury.

The door to the berth room opened slowly and Sunstreaker poked his head inside. Seeing his twin still in the berth and their femme still snoozing away, he quietly slipped inside and shut the door softly behind himself. He approached his brother's berth with a cube of energon in hand and an amused grin on his face. "Still not awake? Does this femme ever sleep when we're not around?"

"I guess her bed isn't as comfortable as you are, apparently." Sideswipe teased his brother, grinning playfully but quickly turned his attention back to the woman's arms. "Hey, Sunny...have you these?"

"Seen what?" Hearing the worry in his brother's voice, Sunstreaker sank down next to him on the berth, being careful not to jostle the femme and wake her, to better see what had caught his attention. His optics narrowed and his jovial mood instantly evaporated. "What the frag are those?"

"They look like scars," Sides muttered. "What do you think made them?"

"No idea," Sunstreaker shook his head and ran a finger lightly over the exposed skin, tickling, and causing Amy to twitch. "But, I'm going to find out if she ever decides to wake up."

Sideswipe opened his mouth to respond but before he could there was a loud pounding on the door.

Sunstreaker was up on his feet instantly, immediately going into defensive mode. He cursed, "Son of a glitch..."

The sound had startled the slumbering woman on Sides' chest and she had flew up into a sitting position with a gasp, hands clutched over her pounding heart, confused and frightened. It was only Sideswipe's fast reflexes that allowed him to get a hold on her before she tumbled off of him onto the berth, or worse, hit the floor.

Amy blinked in up at Sideswipe, still groggy and confused, "Whatsit...whashappened? Where am I?"

"Hey, hey, hey, Ames..." the mech soothed the addled woman. "You're with us. You're okay. You're fine. You fell asleep out at the lighthouse so Sunny and me brought you home with us for the night to crash."

"She alright?" Sunny eyed the female with concern, scars momentarily forgotten.

"Yeah," Sides nodded. "She's fine."

The pounding came again except this time Ironhide's voice rang out with it. "Open up, you clutch-munching piston-lickers!"

Sideswipe eyed the door warily, concerned for Amy's sake. "The Pit does he want?"

"Don't know," Sunstreaker growled. He turned to his brother, giving Amy another once over to assure himself that she really was okay. Physically, she was fine but otherwise looked completely lost and slightly rattled. "Hide her somewhere."

Sides looked around the room. "Where?"

Sunstreaker snapped, "I don't fragging know! Somewhere that bucket head won't see her."

"Frag me..." the silver mech muttered. His optics swept over the area looking for anyplace big enough to stash a human. They finally landed on a large box sitting in the corner that they'd been meaning to throw out. It had, at one time, contained a bulk shipment of handmade, hand poured, Mitchell & King car wax that Sunny had specially ordered after reading an article about the stuff in a luxury car magazine.

"I know you frackers are in there!" The pounding came again.

Sideswipe looked at Amy, face full of apology. "We're so, so sorry about this sweet spark."

Amy was still having trouble figuring out exactly what was happening. "What's going on?"

"We're not sure. We're going to find out but right now," Sides vented anxiously, "We need you to get in this box and be very, very quiet."

"I...what?" Amy shook her head as the mech lifted her from the berth, "Why?"

"Please, sparklet," he nearly begged. "We don't want to get you in any trouble. I promise you, we'll make it up to you later. Just...trust us."

Amy opened her mouth to argue but snapped it shut again. Despite her better judgement, something in her did trust the two of them. "Alright," she reluctantly agreed, "Okay..."

"Thank you," Sides breathed in relief as he pressed his lip plates to the woman's forehead in both apology and affection. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's just until we can get rid of Ironhide, I promise, " he assured her as he lowered her into the container. "Be still and be quiet."

Amy nodded in agreement and sat down, hugging her knees up to her chest as Sideswipe closed the lid and sealed her in darkness.

"I don't like doing this, Sunny. We shouldn't have to sneak around. We aren't doing anything wrong," Sides glumly stated as he threw Amy's blanket over the box to hide it.

"I know," Sunstreaker admitted. "Me neither." He cast a glance from the box back to his brother, "Ready?"

Sideswipe flopped back down onto his berth, trying to look as casual as possible. He nodded, "Ready."

Drawing air down deep into his intakes, the yellow mech forcefully wrenched the door open. He grit his denta together, growling out, "The frag you want, Hide? We're off duty this cycle."

The Weapon Specialist grinned, almost sadistically. "Contraband inspection."

Sunstreaker demanded, "Who's authorization?"

"Mine." The carefully clipped voice of the SIC sounded as the black and white mech appeared at Ironhide's side. "Ironhide has informed me that you've advised him to 'feel free' to check your quarters for Advisor Galloway's missing projector."

"Unbelievable," Sunny rolled his optics. "Is that flesh bag still whining about that slag?"

Prowl asked, "Are you still denying that you and your brother had nothing to do with it going missing? If you've nothing to hide, this shouldn't take long and you can go about your business."

Sunstreaker cast a quick glance over to his brother who frowned back at him, but nodded. "Fine," Sunny relented and slammed the door back on its folding hinges, causing it to clatter open. "Make it quick."

With a nod, Prowl stepped through the open doorway with Ironhide following right behind.

Ironhide surveyed the space, looking for anything that seemed out of place. Suspicious of how long it took the pair to answer the door he asked, "What were you two glitch spawns doing in here?"

"Twin stuff," Sideswipe cryptically answered from where he lounged, throwing in an impish grin and a suggestive waggle of his brow plates. There were a lot of rumors about the twin dynamic and what all it entailed, especially in private. The more salacious assumptions were mostly a bunch of slag but bots still liked to talk. They never bothered to correct anyone. The pair weren't above playing into gossip if it furthered their agenda, especially in their current situation. "You mechs wouldn't understand."

Sunstreaker smirked in amusement, "We'd like to get back to it so if you slaggers could..." he made a shooing motion with his hands, encouraging them to hurry.

Ironhide looked mildly disgusted but said no more, instead opting to rummage around the shelving unit.

One of Prowl's optics twitched slightly but he otherwise he kept his unaffected air. He approached the wall opposite Sides' berth, honing in on screw holes where it looked like something had been mounted. Ever the detective, he ran a finger over one of them, noting that it looked fresh. He turned to the silver twin, "What was here?"

Sideswipe shrugged, "Some ugly aft poster about electrical safety. We threw that slag straight in the dumpster."

Prowl merely cocked a brow plate as he continued his stroll around the room, mentally cataloging its contents. He gestured to a set of mounting brackets affixed to the ceiling, "And there?"

"Old lighting fixture," Sunstreaker provided in a bored tone. "It was broke so we took it down."

"I've got nothing over here, Prowl." Ironhide sounded annoyed and more than a little disappointed. "Just a bunch of wax and personal items."

"Hmm..." Prowl hummed. "Is it permissible to check beneath your berths?"

Sunstreaker slumped against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest plates. "Knock yourself out."

Prowl knelt to look under the yellow twin's berth first. There wasn't much room between it and the floor, but enough that Galloway's property could have conceivably been shoved beneath it. His optics scanned the space. There was no projector but he did spy some sort of small case that had been shoved into a crevice within the berth's frame. Reaching under, he pulled it out to inspect it. It was definitely Cybertronian in design and looked fairly expensive. He could have been wrong but it appeared to be finely forged palladium that had been buffed to high shine. Lovely craftsmanship, if he did say so. Turning the case over in his hands, he found Sunstreaker's name engraved on the lid in fancy, stylized glyphs. Curious, he stood and deposited the case on top of the mech's berth to take a closer look.

"Hey," Sunstreaker snapped, "That's personal and has nothing to do with what you're looking for!"

Sideswipe sat up and swung his legs over the side of his berth. He stood in order to better see, instantly recognizing the case for what it was. After all, he'd been the one that had gotten it for Sunny way back when, using the credits he'd made selling some unauthorized and illegal tech he'd come into possession of. His optics widened slightly in surprise. "I didn't know you still had that, Sunny. I thought it was lost a long time ago."

Sunny merely shook his head, watching as the SIC snapped open the the case to peer inside at its contents.

"These are..." Prowl's optic twitched again, one brow raising minutely, "Paint brushes?"

"Very observant," Sunstreaker barked as he stomped over to the berth and snatched the case out of the SIC's hands, snapping it shut once again. He bent and shoved the case back beneath his berth. "Nothing gets by you, does it? Now I know why Prime made you his Second."

Nonplussed, Prowl eyed the mech for a moment, then turned to inspect underneath Sideswipe's berth, as well. Finding nothing, he rose to his feet, door wings held high. He turned to face the twins. "I'm giving you both one last opportunity. If either of you know where the equipment is, say so now, and I'll be lenient in your punishment."

"You've already rummaged through all our stuff, Prowl," Sides insisted. "Like Sunny told Ironhide, we can't help you. It wasn't us. What else do you want?"

"Hey, Prowl," Ironhide nudged the other mech. "What's that?"

Sunstreaker followed the Weapon Specialist's line of sight and snarled, "That's none of your fragging business."

"Is that so?" Ironhide elbowed his way by Prowl and made a beeline for the box in the corner.

"It's just an empty box, Hide." Sideswipe stepped into the mech's way. "There's nothing in it. We've been meaning to toss it out."

"Empty, huh?" Ironhide eyed the mech. "Then I guess you won't mind if I take a look. Get out of the way."

"Get out of our quarters," Sunstreaker demanded. "There's nothing else to see here."

Prowl questioned, "Are you refusing to cooperate?"

"I don't need them to cooperate, Prowl," Ironhide gleefully rumbled. "I know they're hiding something. They can either move or be moved." Ironhide tried to take a step around the silver twin only to have his path blocked once more.

"I'm telling you, Hide," Sides argued, "Its nothing."

"And I'm telling you," Hide stepped closer, invading the mech's personal space, "You either hand over that box so we can see what's in it, or I'm going to take it by force."

"The Pit, you will," Sunstreaker ground out.

Before anyone in the room could really even process what was happening, Sunstreaker had charged the Weapon Specialist, catching him by surprise. The front liner's shoulder rammed into the larger mech's side, sending him off balance. Ironhide stumbled backwards, slamming into Sideswipe's berth. Prowl was already comming the others for assistance as the two mechs crashed to the floor, grappling for dominance. Sideswipe wanted to help his brother but knew Sunny could hold his own in a fight. His primary concern was Amy.

Without hesitation and completely ignoring Prowl's order to "not move", he dove for the box. If anything happened to her, they'd never forgive themselves. He ripped the blanket off of it and tore open the lid. By the time Ratchet came rusting in the room with Mirage following on his heels, he'd scooped Amy from her dark hiding place, her shriek of fear and surprise feeling as though it stabbed through his spark. He cradled the woman protectively, trying to shield her from the worst of the mayhem as Sunstreaker and Ironhide were forcibly separated. Prowl, of course, hadn't missed a beat.

"What is going on here," the black and white mech demanded.

"We can explain," Sideswipe promised. "Just...leave her out of it."

XXXXXXXXXX

Mortified. That was really the only word Amy could come up with to explain the way she was feeling at that very moment. Despite Sideswipe's request to "leave her out of it", she certainly hadn't been. If ever there was a time that she wished the Earth would just open up and swallow her whole, this would be it. She'd always been a straight shooter, trying her best to stay out of trouble and fly under the radar. She didn't need and/or want anyone's scrutiny. Life, she'd found, was easier for her when no one paid her any attention. Now, in the eerie quiet of Prime's office, she could literally feel every eye/optic in the room gazing in her direction, especially those of Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. It made her skin prickle and her face flush with heat. She tried to ignore it, sat stiffly in her chair, hands grasped tightly together, and stared intently down at her lap.

It was Optimus who finally broke the silence, his deep baritone rumbling through the room like thunder. "Can either of you explain why you were keeping Petty Officer Doe inside of a box in your room?"

"I'd certainly like to hear an explanation," Jazz had come as soon as Prowl had summoned him and filled him in on the situation. "After Sunstreaker's little episode the other day, I thought I'd made myself clear that you two were to leave her alone."

"We weren't keeping her in a box," Sideswipe insisted. "It's not what it looks like, Jazz. We were just trying to keep her from getting into trouble."

Jazz demanded, "By shoving her into a box?"

Sunstreaker growled, "We didn't shove her into a box!"

Prowl questioned, "What was she doing in your room?"

Sunstreaker threw an accusing glare in Ironhide's direction. "She was recharging until that gashole started beating the door down and screaming obscenities."

Ironhide glowered at the pair, "If you two fraggers weren't such a pain in the aft all the time, I wouldn't have had to get nasty. You're lucky that's all I did..."

"Ironhide..." Optimus pinched the bridge of his nasal plates and shuttered his optics, "Can either of you please explain why Petty Officer Doe was sleeping in your room and not in the barracks?"

"We spent the evening together and decided we'd take her home with us last night. It was late. We were all exhausted and really didn't feel like taking her all the way over to the other side of the base. Plus," Sideswipe shrugged, nonchalantly adding, "She enjoys sleeping with Sunny."

Amy's head flew up, eyes widening comically, as she felt heat flood her face. This was by far the most humiliating experience she'd been subjected to in recent memory. Certainly, she'd endured worse, been accused of worse, but once she'd escaped the system she was sure the worst was behind her. She could only imagine what was running through the minds of those present, the judgement they were passing on her in the privacy of their own heads. She opened her mouth to protest Sideswipe's poor choice of words but the only thing she could manage to get out was a strangled, choking sound.

Sideswipe, who stood closest to where she sat, looked down on her with concerned optics. He knelt, reaching to gingerly touch the woman on the shoulder. "Ames, are you alright?"

Amy pulled away from the mech, swatting his hand away. She settled for shaking her head vehemently back and forth, finally managing a stuttered, "N-no...d-don't."

Sides had drawn back as if he'd been burned, a distinctly hurt look flashing across his faceplates before it was hidden away. Her murmured quietly, "Sorry..."

"What's the big deal?" Sunstreaker pressed on, questioning his leader. "You're the one always telling us that we need to be more open minded and accepting of our human allies. We try to follow a directive and Officer Afthole over there drags us all in here to be interrogated."

"You? Accepting of a human?" Ratchet scoffed, "That'll be the day."

"Oh, like you've never been annoyed by them." Sunstreaker sneered, "I've heard you ranting and raving in the med bay. Ironhide's even worse, shoving his cannons in their faces every time he turns around. That's real diplomatic."

Ironhide narrowed his optics at the mech but said nothing.

"Why can't we socialize with a human on our own time," Sideswipe demanded more than asked. "Prime, you let Bee chauffeur that annoying Witwicky kid around and live in his fragging garage for Primus' sake."

"Bumblebee is an upstanding, young mech and a wonderful ambassador of our species," Ratchet interjected. "Unlike you two reprobates."

"Oh, go plug yourself, Hatchet!" Sunstreaker snapped. "You don't know a fragging thing about what's going on!" The mech demanded, "Why is he even here?"

Ratchet cackled, "I'm just here for the cheap entertainment. Watching you two be disciplined is one of my favorite pass times."

"Enough," Optimus brought the room back to order. Directing his attention back to the twins, "Bumblebee is Samuel's guardian, not his chauffeur. His duties require him to be present at the Witwicky household in order to care for his charge and ensure no harm comes to him."

"Our duties are to secure this base and respond to Decepticon activity as needed," Sideswipe argued. "Sunny and I do that without complaint. We know how important the mission is. We aren't half-clocked..."

"Could've fooled me," the CMO muttered.

Optimus vented, "Ratchet, please..."

Sides continued, ignoring the medic. "What's so wrong about us wanting to be friendly with the natives in our downtime?"

"Friendly?" Jazz looked at the mech disbelieving. "Was your brother being friendly when he was scaring the ever-burning spark out of her?"

"That was a misunderstanding," Sunstreaker insisted through clenched denta. "I apologized to the Squishie and we've moved on..."

"Sunstreaker apologizing for something?" Ironhide shook his head. "I don't believe it."

"She's right here," Sides gestured toward Amy. "Why don't you ask her what happened? Go on, Ames," the mech encouraged, "Tell them."

"I...uh..." Amy's eyes darted around the room as all the focus seemed to suddenly be on her person. They were all looking at her, waiting for an explanation. She felt like an ant trapped in a room full of giants just waiting to be stepped on. She swallowed thickly, feeling as though her heart had lodged itself in her throat. The crackling buzz that had since dissipated during her time with the twins had come surging back in an almost demanding manner. She felt hot, her hands coming up to tug at her collar. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead and she suddenly felt as though she were viewing the room though a long, dark tunnel.

"Squishie," Sunny observed with concern, "You don't look so good..."

"Aye, D..." Jazz's worried voice chimed in, "You okay over there?"

Amy shook her head, "I-I don't...feel well. I just...I need to leave..." She felt that if she could just get out of this room, get to where there was some fresh air she was sure she'd feel better. The atmosphere seemed suddenly oppressive and she breathed rapidly, trying to get more oxygen. She struggled to stand. The room seemed to swim before her eyes. She blinked, trying to clear her vision. She took one step, then two. The concern and protest of the mechs around her were lost as a roaring sound filled her ears. She was vaguely aware of her name being called over the cacophony of rushing blood but didn't have time to register anything more as blackness took over her vision and she felt the ground fall out from beneath her. Perhaps the Earth had decided to answer her prayers and swallow her up, after all.

"Ames!" Sideswipe had moved faster than even he'd thought possible. By the time the others in the room had realized what had happened, he was already cradling the unconscious woman in his hands. The silver mech turned to the CMO, worry and fear etched on his faceplates and demanded, "Don't just stand there, Ratchet, you're the fragging doctor! Do something!"

End of Chapter 21