Finding Home

Chapter 50

By Voodoo Queen

XXXXXXXXXX

Author's Note: Hello, Dear Readers! Can you believe we're 50 chapters deep already? It's crazy! So sorry it took me so long to get this posted. I've been super busy. I feel like, as this story goes on, the chapters are getting longer and longer and it's taking me more and more time to get them out for you. I hope you don't mind. I think I'd rather take my time and give you some depth and quality than just pump out super quick updates. This story has sort of become my baby and I'm trying so hard to nurture it so it can grow, lol. Anyway...Many, many thanks to all who've read, followed, and favorited. My undying love to those who've taken the time to let me know what they think: Guestdude, SkyenhaMarisa, TerrorTwinsFan, MayTylers, "Guests", the everchanging, shelby20125, monkeybaby, maria-ioanna984, Voos guest (thank you for my 1000th review!), "The Amazing" jellybeanz513, Wolfsredfalcon, Gothic-Angel342, Halie, Cinematronix, xIliadx, SolusPrimeLightblast, KayleeChiara, SoundlyManners, Brianna, TC Howl, Ponderella, fandomsbrokeme, Deimoss, Bambam411, Yuri Tk, AngelReddix, ImpartingAbyss, Iland Girl, No-Shmucks-Given45, ScarletSea, HanaeTakahashi, fusterbuster126, .Princess, LaurenA007, Tai Prime, Jayflower44, Yoshito22, AfterShock, Kalissa55, Rin-Gildy, Silver566, Halie, JerseyPrime23

I'm dedicating this chapter to jellybeanz513 whose lovely messages in between chapters just to say hello have really brightened my day, even when I've been too busy to answer right away. I want you to know that I appreciate you, your enthusiasm, your ideas and insight, and just you being you! I hope this chapter finds you feeling fantastic!

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

XXXXXXXXXX

Amy stifled a yawn and tiredly rubbed at her eyes, willing them to focus on the screen before her. She'd finally managed to input the last few strings of data into the report she'd spent all morning compiling at the Autobot SIC's request. Rolling her shoulders to release her kinked muscles, her eyes flicked quickly over the screen as she scrolled back up, rereading and rechecking her work for accuracy and ensuring that she hadn't omitted anything of importance. Once she was satisfied the data was complete, she signed off on it and fired off a copy to both Optimus Prime and Captain Lennox, CCing both Prowl and Jazz as she'd been previously instructed.

The report worried her, honestly. Over the last couple of days, Ratchet had been monitoring the Allspark shard closely. Amy was by no means an expert in alien artifacts and hadn't understood a lot of the technical jargon but she'd been able to glean the gist of the report and if she hadn't been sketched out by the Allspark before, she certainly was now. Even the esteemed CMO was at a loss as to what was actually happening with the shard but it was behaving in an ever increasingly odd manner. The strange noises that had been plaguing her had finally been overheard by Bumblebee which had been both a relief that she wasn't losing her mind and a concern that all was not well. Add to that erratic energy fluctuations as well as a rapidly expanding EMF field, both documented by Ratchet in real time, which had the bots worried about the effectiveness of the containment facilities to keep the strange antiquity hidden from the Decepticons and Amy believed you had the makings of a very bad horror movie waiting to happen. I she hadn't already had enough reason to stay as far away from the freaky thing as possible, she certainly did now.

Her work done for the moment, she was determined banish thoughts of the Allspark from her brain...at least for the time being. She pushed away from her desk, pausing for a moment as the strange feeling of not quite being in focus with her own body washed over her briefly. She shook her head, effectively dispelling the odd sensation and reminded herself that she really did need to discuss the peculiar feeling with Ratchet as it seemed to be happening more and more often. Overall, however, she felt extremely well and so paid little attention to it when it did happen. Standing, she stretched her arms as high above her head as was humanly possible, going so far as to push herself up onto her tiptoes for a maximum stretch. A small groan of pleasure passed her lips as her back popped. She sighed, relaxing her posture, and rubbed at her tired eyes once again with the pads of her fingers before reaching absently for the styrofoam coffee cup on the corner of her desk. She took a healthy swig of the dark liquid, her nose wrinkling slightly at the bitter taste, before sitting it back down with a weary breath. There was no use in trying to deny it. She was absolutely exhausted.

It really shouldn't have been too surprising given her lack of sleep over the last couple of nights. It wasn't eerie dreams preventing her rest this time, however. The fault could be squarely placed on the twins' broad shoulders. Though, she supposed that she was just as much to blame. She knew very well that a simple declination of their advances would have been more than enough to buy her a full night's sleep, no questions asked. The problem with that, however, was that she had neither the desire nor the inclination to say no to either of them. She was, she realized, completely smitten by the pair. She'd never imagined it possible to feel so absolutely connected to another person...or persons, as the case may be. Tired or no.

That, however, brought up a whole other slew of issues and concerns that she was sure any reputable psychologist would have had a field day with. There was no doubt that she had long been invested in them emotionally, perhaps more than even she realized, but was she really, seriously embarking on a intimate relationship with not one but two individuals? Twin brothers? Twin brother robots? Twin brother robots from another planet? Where did that put her on the sexual spectrum, exactly? Was this some form of polygamy? Incest? Mechanophilia? Xenophilia? Did this make her some sort of sexually deviant pervert? A freak? Did it even count as having sex if there was no actual intercourse involved? The answering tingle that ran down her spine confirmed that, yes, it definitely did count.

She could only imagine what other people would think if they knew. The very thought caused her heart to over in her chest. Honestly, there had been a wave of panic when the reality of what they'd actually done with one another had set in once all was said and done that very first time together. It had been short lived, however. The twins, apparently, had expected as much and Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had done a wonderful job of answering any questions and putting to bed any doubts that came to her mind. They'd had to work through their own doubts about engaging in an interspecies romance as well, after all. In the end, the three of them had agreed that it really all boiled down to physiological and cultural differences between their respective species. It was an easy enough concept for Amy to wrap her brain around and accept without too much difficulty and one she clung to as they explored this previously uncharted territory together.

Simply stated, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were twins, a state of being that took on an entirely different dimension within Cybertronian society and culture. They were physically, intrinsically linked to one another by their sparks. Their culture recognized and made social allowances for this, both accepting and encouraging such loving, intimate relationships as the one they shared with her. What they were doing together was considered to be perfectly normal and healthy where they came from. Amy, growing up in a different culture lacking such phenomena and with rigid social rules dictating what was acceptable and what was not, had been conditioned against such arrangements. For the first time in her life, she found herself wishing she wasn't human. Things would have been so much easier if she wasn't. Be that as it may, all she could do was try to shift her perspective to see it from their point of view in order make everything make a whole lot more sense.

At the end of the day, they were three consenting adults. There was nothing dirty or degrading about what they were doing. This wasn't some weird incestuous or mechanical/flesh fetish. This was simply the natural progression of a relationship between three people who loved one another. Nothing more, nothing less. The fact that they weren't even the same species was a moot point that really had no bearing on the situation when all was said and done. It was what was inside that mattered...literally. At the end of the day, they were still people and she loved them unconditionally and they had shown her, quite literally, that they felt the same by allowing her access to their most intimate parts—their sparks. As such, she was more than willing to try to set aside her preconditioned notions of what defined a "normal" relationship by her own species' standards and simply enjoy the time spent together.

For the first time in her life, her heart felt full.

'See? They were all wrong,' the voice in her head had assured her. 'There isn't anything wrong with you. This is fine You're fine. You're normal...'

Was she, though? She was still pretty sure news of an intimate relationship wouldn't be widely received with well wishes and adoration...at least on her side of the aisle. As far as her,own thoughts on the new physical aspect of their relationship, judging by the butterflies she got in her stomach just thinking about it, about them, Amy certainly couldn't complain.

After their first tentative experience together, the nervousness and anxiety they'd all felt had lessened significantly. The twins, armed with newfound confidence and the knowledge that they could make it work, were very inventive to say the least. When Sideswipe had said he and Sunstreaker were good at adapting, he hadn't been exaggerating. Their creativity seemed to know no bounds when it came to finding new and interesting ways to explore this previously uncharted facet of their relationship. They were quick to come up with ideas, quickly moving on to the next at the slightest hint of her discomfort or distaste. She really couldn't have asked for better or more generous partners and she hoped they felt the same.

Honestly, she was almost afraid to ask where the twins were pulling their information from regarding human sexual practices. Then again, she had a pretty good idea. The Internet was a veritable cesspool of easily accessible sex and debauchery. She couldn't even imagine what the Autobots must have thought about humanity the first time they jacked into the web. The words horny degenerates flitted through her mind and she snorted in amusement. She would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation. She could almost imagine Ratchet's response. As much as it both amused and disturbed her to imagine the bots sitting around and indulging in adult entertainment, she couldn't deny that the twins had put their knowledge, wherever they had procured it from, to good use.

Amy, unfortunately, had no such information at her fingertips regarding her Cybertronian partners. She had to rely solely on their guidance which, she supposed, wasn't at all a bad thing. She found them to be extremely patient and competent teachers and she was a fast learner once she set her mind to a task. They showed her how and where to touch them, never pushing her farther than she was comfortable with or ready for. The very idea that someone as small and insignificant, as she sometimes felt herself to be, had the ability to reduce two of the strongest beings she'd ever known into trembling masses of metal with a single brush of her fingertips was almost more that she could comprehend. It was humbling, really...and made her love them all the more if that were even possible.

So, yes, she was exhausted...but happy.

A smile smile tugged at her lips as she stretched once more, enjoying the feel of her muscles loosening with the movement. She bit back another yawn and reached again for her cup of coffee.

"Are you alright?"

Amy startled slightly at the sound of Prowl's voice in the enclosed space. He tread so lightly that she hadn't even heard him come back in. His presence, in itself, wasn't a surprise, however. With Jazz being tied up in the med bay with Ratchet, the SIC was performing not only his own duties, but the First Lieutenant's as well for the time being. He'd been in and out of the office all morning, moving quickly between various tasks and meetings at a pace that made her head spin. She wasn't sure how the mech managed to juggle the tremendous workload piled upon his broad shoulders, but he did so without complaint and with a certain grace that made it look easy. She imagined it had a lot to do with his legendary tactical and organizational skills. She knew she couldn't have pulled it off.

She turned and smiled at the mech, nodding. "Yep. Just tired, is all." She lifted her cup to her lips and took a sip. "I guess didn't get enough sleep last night, but I'm fine. Nothing a little caffeine won't fix."

A slight frown creased the mech's expression. "Do I need to have a word with the twins? I know they can be boisterous. If they're keeping you awake at night and impeding your rest..."

Amy spluttered, nearly choking on her beverage. She shook her head vehemently back and forth while she waited for the bitter liquid to clear her windpipe. "No," she managed to croak. "No...that's...that's not necessary."

Prowl looked less than convinced.

Amy cleared her throat. "It's my fault," she assured in a clearer voice. "Not theirs. I should know better than to stay up so late when I have to be up early the next morning. Thats all on me."

The SIC seemed to study her for a long moment, as if weighing the pros and cons of arguing with her before finally relenting. "Very well," he agreed. "Adequate rest is fundamental for good health and considering your own personal circumstances I suggest you try getting to sleep earlier tonight."

"Yes," Amy quickly agreed. "You're absolutely right. I will. I promise."

This seemed to satisfy the mech for the time being and he retreated to Jazz's desk, settled himself down into the seat and picked up a data pad. Amy breathed out a sigh of relief and eased back down into her own chair. She wasn't ashamed or embarrassed by her relationship with the twins but certainly didn't want to discuss the reason for her last couple of late nights with the Autobot's Second in Command no matter how much of a standup guy he may have been.

Amy took another drink of her coffee, effectively draining it dry, and quickly changed the subject to something less personal but also near and dear to her heart. She tossed her empty cup into the wastebasket and asked, "Did you have a chance to stop in and check on Jazz? I was planning on swinging by the med bay once we're done for the day and keep him company for an hour or two."

"He would enjoy that very much," Prowl looked up from the pad and gave the woman a small yet meaningful smile. "And, yes, I did. Ratchet is very thorough and doesn't expect to be done with testing until late this evening but I was told that things are looking very positive so far and that he's confident that he'll have Jazz's transformation abilities restored by tomorrow evening at the latest."

"That's great news!" Amy's smile stretched nearly ear to ear.

Prowl made an amused noise. "You seem nearly as excited as Jazz was when he received the prognosis."

"I can tell how hard this has been on him," she shared. "He never says anything but I can tell being stuck here while everyone else is rotated through the ground team makes him feel like he isn't pulling his own weight. Besides," she mused, "Jazz strikes me as the type of guy who has to be moving all the time. The physical restrictions must be killing him inside."

Prowl sat down his data pad and spun in his chair to face the woman fully. "You, Miss Doe," he stated as-a-matter-of-factly, "are an extremely observant femme."

Amy smiled and shrugged, "I have my moments."

"Indeed," he rumbled amusedly.

She took the opportunity and studied the SIC carefully for a moment. This was probably the most one-on-one time that she'd ever spent with the mech outside of Jazz's presence. Though he had a reputation for being a no nonsense, stick-in-the-mud, that hadn't been Amy's experience with him in the slightest. She genuinely liked Prowl. Yes, the mech took his duties seriously, but that was completely understandable. They were in the middle of a war, after all. He was polite and professional, but she was learning that he also had a great, if not covert, sense of humor and actually made for extremely pleasant company. She could totally see why he and Jazz got on so well with one another and spent so much of their downtime together. Prowl really was good people.

"You said you guys have been friends for a really long time, since before this war ever started, right?"

"We have." A fond look settled over the mech's face plates and he nodded. "Our families were very close. Jazz is practically a brother. Honestly, we're probably the closest thing to family either of us have left. Seeing him struggle as he has...hurts," he candidly admitted. "While I'm grateful for Ratchet's ability to heal his physical wounds, I must thank you, as well."

"Me?" Amy's brow scrunched in confusion. "I haven't done anything."

"He loves you," Prowl simply stated. "It's been a very long time since he's allowed himself to get this close to anyone. Fear of losing them, I suppose. I believe his relationship with you, more than anything, has aided in his recovery."

Amy was silent for a long moment, unsure of what to say. Jazz never spoke very much about his past, the painful parts anyway, or the accident that had nearly claimed his life other than to say that he did what he felt needed to be done at the time. This wasn't the first time Prowl had hinted at some tragedy in Jazz's life. She hadn't brought it up with her guardian figuring that, much like she dealt with her own trauma, that he'd talk about it if and when he wanted to. She didn't bother asking Prowl to elaborate. She knew enough about the mech to know that his loyalty and respect for his friend's privacy would prevent too much disclosure.

Amy finally spoke, her response slipping easily from her lips. "I love him, too."

"I know you do," Prowl answered softly.

The room again lapsed into a comfortable silence before Amy spoke again, her face taking on an almost whimsical expression as she thought to herself. "It must be nice."

The SIC raised a brow plate in question.

"Having such a close friend for so long," she clarified, and then sighed. "You're lucky. I've never been very good at making friends. I moved around too often to really get to know anyone. After a while you just don't see the point anymore. You give up trying and resign yourself to being alone, you know?"

"Yes." Prowl frowned, but nodded in understanding. "Jazz worries about you," he stated bluntly. "He shared a bit with me about your living situation prior to your enlistment. No one should ever have to endure such a thing, let alone a sparkling, and I'm truly sorry that you had to experience it. It sounds very... lonely."

Amy shrugged. "You get used to it, I guess." She gave a short, self-deprecating laugh. "Not like I was given much of a choice. I still think I turned out alright, all things considered."

"You certainly did." The mech steepled his fingers beneath his chin and gazed at the woman thoughtfully. "You know," he began in a gentle tone, "the Autobots are much more than a combat unit. We may not always see optic-to-optic and differences of opinion do happen, but at the end of the day we're a family and we do care deeply about one another." He stressed, "Yourself included."

"Yeah," Amy agreed softly. "I'm starting to figure that out."

Prowl looked as though he wanted to say more but was brought up short as his optics narrowed. He muttered something under his breath and shook his head. Drawing air down deep into his intakes, he released it in a long sigh as he rose from his seat. "Apparently, Ironhide is having some issues with supply procurement that he feels I need to address immediately."

"Yuck," Amy grimaced, again feeling pity for the SIC and his never ending workload. "Have fun with that."

"I shouldn't be gone long," the mech assured, giving the young woman an apologetic look. "When I get back, we'll tackle the 12 o'clock report."

"It's a date," Amy smiled, quickly agreeing. "Good luck."

Prowl tipped his head in farewell and slipped out of the office as quietly as he'd slipped in, leaving Amy alone with her thoughts once again.

XXXXXXXXXX

As Prowl approached the freight elevator to go sort out Ironhide's "urgent" supply issue, the doors opened and Sideswipe stepped from its confines with Bumblebee close behind. The two mechs were loaded down with crates, the contents of which the SIC could only speculate.

"Hiya, Prowl," Sides greeted pleasantly.

"Sideswipe," the mech responded with a nod. "Bee." He motioned to their cargo. "What's all this?"

Bumblebee shrugged and looked to the silver twin to answer.

"Not really sure," Sideswipe answered honestly for the both of them. "It's a bunch of stuff Ratchet threw together. I'm guessing its all for keeping an optic on the Allspark. Optimus asked us to bring it down."

"Ah, I see," Prowl nodded. "In that case, If you would please, take it to the containment area and stack it along the wall next to the door. Ratchet can unpack it to his liking once he's free."

"Works for me," Sides easily agreed.

Bumblebee nodded.

Thinking the conversation was over and done with, the SIC moved to go around the pair when the front liner's voice stopped him once more.

"Is Ames at her desk?"

Prowl pivoted on his heel to glare critically at the mech. "She is," he confirmed, "and while we're on the subject, I highly suggest that you and your brother do more to ensure she gets to bed at a decent hour. The poor femme is exhausted."

Sideswipe didn't even have the decency to looked ashamed. If anything, he looked proud as he responded, "For your information, Prowl, we had her in the berth before lights out last night."

The SIC wore a skeptical expression and shot the mech a 'you've been warned' look as he stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to take him back to the surface.

Sideswipe waited for the doors to close and for the elevator to begin it's ascent before adding in a smug tone, "I never said she was sleeping..."

Bee glared at the mech, wishing his hands were free so he could slap them over his audios. "TMI," a voice crackled over his radio. "That's mah buddy yer talkin' about," drawled another.

"Come on," Sides chuckled and nudged the mech with his elbow. "Let's drop this scrap off and then we can stop in and say hi."

XXXXXXXXXX

The mechs made quick work of Ratchet's cargo, leaving the crates stacked neatly outside of the room housing the Allspark as Prowl had ordered before heading back towards Jazz and Amy's office.

Sideswipe paused just outside the open office for a moment. He felt his spark warm pleasantly as he watched the femme typing away at her computer. She looked so focused that he almost hated to interrupt her but the need to be close to her won out. He rapped on the doorframe. "Sweet spark? You busy?"

Amy swiveled in her chair, her expression breaking into a radiant smile at the mech's sudden appearance. "Not really. Just catching up on some requisitions while I wait on Prowl to get back," she stood and moved toward the safety rail, gesturing for him to enter. "Come on in." Noticing the other mech in tow, she greeted warmly, "Hi, Bee."

The scout warbled cheerfully and waved as he followed Sideswipe into the room to lean against the railing.

Without hesitation, Sideswipe lowered his head to Amy's, affectionately nuzzling her in greeting. Despite the fact that they'd only just parted company a few hours before, he'd missed her while he'd been attending to his own duties. He always missed her. Closing his optics, he hummed contentedly as she pulled away slightly to press a kiss to a spot right in the middle of his forehead. Though he would have loved to bask longer in her touch, he was sure that was the last thing Bumblebee wanted to see and, quite frankly, there were things he'd have loved to do to her that weren't exactly audience friendly. Poor youngling would be scarred for life.

He separated from her reluctantly, and smiled down at her. "How's your day been so far?"

"Good," she answered honestly. "Busy, but good."

"Good?" Sides looked at her skeptically. "With Prowl looming over your shoulder all morning?"

"Hey," Amy batted playfully at the mech, causing him to chuckle. "Lay off the guy. He's not nearly as bad as you all make him out to be. He's been excellent company."

"Whatever you say, sweet spark," Sideswipe teased. "I know what a hard aft Prowl can be when it comes to duty, so I brought you a little present that I thought might help with the workload."

Amy perked up at that, teasing him in return, "Air in a can?"

"Not this time," the mech chuckled. "Something even better."

Amy watched in fascination as the mech fished around inside of himself and retrieved, almost as if by magic, a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee. How they managed to stow such random items within their various nooks and crannies, she didn't suppose she'd ever know. An involuntary groan of appreciation left her as the rich smell of roasted coffee beans hit her nose.

"Coffee? How did you know," she asked as she reached for the offered beverage.

The mech shrugged, looking pleased as the woman popped the lid off, closed her eyes and took a sip. "I figured you could use it. We were up pretty late last night."

Amy swallowed the liquid and sighed, looking up at the mech gratefully. "You are truly a saint. Thank you."

"I wouldn't go that far," Sideswipe laughed, giving her a slight bow, "but, you know you're always welcome."

"Mmm..." Amy took another sip of her drink, looking up at the mech, and had to suppress a giggle. She'd nearly bitten her bottom lip raw the night before in an attempt to stay quiet, despite the twins' best efforts to make her do the opposite, and had forgotten that she'd put on chapstick earlier that morning to soothe the burn. As such, when the overhead lights caught Sideswipe's features just so, a perfectly formed lip print was visible right in the center of his forehead.

"What?" Sides eyed the woman with curious amusement. "What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry," she snorted. "I left a giant kiss mark on your face. Let me grab a tissue and I'll wipe it off for you."

"Nah," Sideswipe grinned. "Leave it. I can rub it in Sunny's face that I was able to stop in and see you while he's stuck up there helping Hide with supplies. Besides," he shrugged, "the only people tall enough to be able to see it won't care."

Bumblebee made an amused sound as he watched the pair. If he wanted evidence that not everything was doom and gloom, he had the perfect example right in front of him. He liked Amy, he really did, and enjoyed her company very much. He very happy for the twins to have found such an incredible young woman to share their lives with. It was obvious to anyone watching the progression of their relationship that the three of them cared deeply for one another. He wasn't sure who or what was responsible for bringing them together, but with all the craziness surrounding the Decepticons and the Allspark, it did his spark good to see something positive result from their time on Earth. It gave the rest of them hope that maybe not all was lost.

"Suit yourself. I offered." Amy shook her head in amusement, took another drink, and turned her attention to the scout. "What brings you guys down here, anyway? I'm pretty sure it wasn't just to bring me coffee."

"Special delivery," a voice crooned from his speakers. "The good doctor sent us..."

"Oh," Amy shuddered. "More equipment to study the Allspark, huh?"

Bee nodded in the affirmative.

"Better him than me," she muttered, her whole body breaking out in goosebumps at the thought.

Sideswipe noticed her discomfort and poked her gently in the side, causing her to jump slightly. "It's just a broken old piece of space junk, sweet spark. There's no reason to be afraid of it."

Amy shook her head. "I'm not afraid of it," she protested. "Not really." Her own feelings toward the relic were harder to classify than simple fear. She tried to explain. "Every time I go back there I feel like something is watching me. Like...like it knows what's going on out here."

The theme from 'The Twilight Zone' began to play from Bumblebee's speakers.

"Yeah," Amy laughed at her own paranoia. "I know. It sounds ridiculous. I even talked to Ratchet about it in passing earlier when he came down with a load of his own."

"You did?" Sides cocked a brow plate in curiosity. "What did he say?"

Amy sighed. "He said not to worry too much about it and that it's probably just the EMF screwing around with my perception since it's been fluctuating. He said high EMF frequencies have been known to cause anxiety in humans and even auditory and visual hallucinations if its strong enough. He thinks once they get the containment all sorted out that should be the end of it."

"I don't know, Ames." Sideswipe's voice took on a worried tone. "I mean, anxiety and hallucinations? Maybe you shouldn't be down here until Ratchet get things under control."

Amy shook her head. "As long as I keep my distance, things are good. It stays in its room, and I stay in mine. Everyone is happy. I'm fine. I promise."

Sides vented, "If you're sure..."

"I am," she assured.

The mech still didn't look completely convinced, but relented, changing the subject. "Have you heard from Jazz?"

At the mention of her guardian's name, Amy's good mood returned. "I wanted to stop in and see him first thing this morning but Ratchet said he was...in stasis?"

Bee explained for the woman, "To sleep – perchance to dream..."

"Ah, gotcha," Amy smiled at the scout and nodded in understanding. "He was super busy and I hated to ask what it meant." She continued, an excited sparkle in her eye, " but Prowl checked in not that long ago and said Ratchet told him everything is looking positive and that he should have him all squared away by tomorrow night."

Sideswipe grinned, "that's great news, sweet spark."

"On the road again," Bee played. "I just can't wait to get on the road again..."

"I know!" Amy could barely contain her own joy over the mech's miraculous recovery. "I'm so thrilled for him. I can't wait until he—"

"Hello?!" A sudden shout from the computer room effectively shut down the trios conversation. "Does anyone actually work down here?!"

Sideswipe cringed, "Please, tell me that isn't who I think it is..."

Bee backed toward the door and popped his head out around the corner. He quickly jerked it back in again, his own features settling into a look of distaste as he confirmed Sides' fears. "I'm afraid so, doc."

Confused, Amy looked between the pair.

"Galloway," Sides clarified, a slight sneer playing on his lip plates.

"What?" Worry washed over the woman. "Why? He's never been down here before."

"Primus knows..." Sideswipe replied, moving closer to the woman and taking up an almost protective stance. "That fragger goes wherever he thinks he can cause the most problems."

"Batten down the hatches, boys," Bee's radio announced as he retreated to stand next to Sideswipe. "There's a storm a'comin..."

The three waited in silent dread as a moment passed in which they could hear the National Security Advisor stomping around the computer room before the footsteps changed direction and began to trek down the hallway. Amy found herself wishing the mechs had secured the bast doors before coming to see her. She was fairly certain Galloway hadn't been provided with the access code. She'd never had the misfortune of personal direct interaction with the problematic politician and she certainly didn't wish to start now. She'd heard enough horror stories from the bots to last a lifetime and turn her off from wanting to ever share space with the man.

She swallowed hard and dipped her hand into her pants pocket, feeling her cell nestled safely against her hip. Her fingers locked around the device as if it could keep them all safe from the National Security Advisor's wrath. She looked to Sides for advice, her voice lowered to a whisper as if afraid the man in question might hear her. "Do you think I should call Prowl?"

The mech opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by said National Security Advisor finally barging into the room.

In typical Galloway fashion, the man appeared red-faced and angry. He clutched a fistful of crumpled papers in his right hand, waving them about in an agitated fashion as he marched directly to the stairs and stomped his way up onto the mezzanine where Amy's "office" was located. Just when Amy thought things couldn't have gotten any worse, she noticed that he just so happened to be followed by a certain smirking and bespectacled redhead who was busy furiously scribbling down notes of some kind on a stack of papers carried on her clipboard. Now that she'd seen the other woman, however, she hadn't missed the way her eyes had widened as her gaze had traveled appreciatively over both Sides and Bee before darting back in her direction and narrowing in what appeared to be a mix of suspicion and jealousy. Amy had bigger things to worry about than an overzealous xenophile, however.

She felt her stomach twist into knots. She'd never had any issue dealing with higher ranking military officials, her professionalism and military bearing hadn't failed her yet, but Galloway was obviously on a whole other level of power tripping. She swallowed down the lump of nerves that had gathered in her throat and steeled her spine, reflexively falling into an attentive posture and trying to look as professional as was humanly possible. Her lips parted to impart a polite greeting but she was cut short as the man practically spat at her.

"You!" Galloway snapped, shoving the papers into her face. "Where the hell is the First Lieutenant?"

"I, uh," Amy spluttered, taken slightly aback by the man's aggressive approach. "J-Jazz is, uh, indisposed at the moment due to, uh, medical matters. Prowl is covering his duties today. He's currently out of the office handling other duties and should be back soon, but I can call him if you'd like?"

"Medical matters?" Galloway sneered. "Why is that not surprising? That broken down piece of junk has done nothing but drain resources since he got here! And now," he waved the papers in her face once more, "he has the audacity to ask for more money and more resources to babysit this...this...Allspark...that should have never left government hands to begin with!"

Amy blanched, her teeth gritting together as a hot wave of protective anger washed over her at his rant against the mech who'd essentially taken her in as his own. It took every ounce of willpower she possessed not to lash out at him in retaliation. Her voice trembled, "with all due respect, sir..."

"Don't waste your breath, sweet spark," Sideswipe interrupted in a low, dangerous voice. "This slagger doesn't know anything about respect."

The man spun angrily around, finally acknowledging the two mechs in the room. Had it been up to him, he'd honestly have liked nothing more than to have them all locked up in a secure government facility somewhere where their alien technologies could be properly broken down and studied for the tactical advantage it would have given the military. He snapped, "you two aren't getting paid to hide down here and socialize with the help."

Before Amy could fully appreciate just how rude the man was, Sideswipe had already plucked the papers from his hand and smashed them forcefully back into his chest, causing the National Security Advisor to stumble backwards, nearly tripping over his own feet.

"First of all," the mech growled in a tone Amy would have normally associated with his much more volatile brother, "you don't ever come down here and speak to her like that. Ever. In fact, I'd prefer you didn't speak to her at all." He jabbed the man in the chest with one large finger causing him to stagger backwards once more. "Secondly, Jazz was injured trying to protect your fragging dirt ball of a planet and you will show him the respect he deserves." Sideswipe's optics glinted coldly as he leaned down close and continued his tirade, barely a hair's breadth from the man's face. "Third," he grit out, "I'm not getting paid at all. Are you getting paid, Bee?"

"Nope," Bumblebee replied with an amused shake of his head. "I got nothin'."

Bee was a people person, but he couldn't muster any warmth in his spark for the National Security Advisor. Galloway certainly knew how to grind everyone's gears and he'd picked the wrong place and time to flex his authority. The scout hummed in amusement as the man spluttered in indignation, cursing the gall of the silver front liner to speak to him in such a manner. The human never seemed to learn, and Bee knew that if the man had any sense he'd be down on his knees thanking Primus that it had been the Lesser of the Two Evils that had decided to enjoy Amy's company this lovely afternoon. He had no doubt that, had Sunny been present, they'd be cleaning one useless bureaucrat up off the floor with a mop and bucket.

From the sidelines, the redheaded tech analyst watched the scene play out with a poorly concealed look of awe and wonder on her face. She'd never been so close to any of the aliens, well, except for that one time. A small smile pulled at her painted red lips as she remembered the incident back in DC that had gotten her banished from direct contact with their visitors from space. They may have been giant robots from another planet, but damn if they didn't look good, and the curiosity was killing her. The scout was adorable, but the taller silver bot and his brightly painted brother were something else altogether. What she wouldn't have given for the opportunity to press their buttons...both figuratively and literally.

Macy's greedy eyes roved up and down the silver twin's frame, pausing and narrowing as they honed in and focused on the strangely shaped smear on his forehead that caught in the light as he moved. It looked almost like...a lipstick smear? Her gaze shifted to the other woman in the room and narrowed suspiciously as she noted the dewy gloss the sailor wore. Though she couldn't prove anything based on an ambiguous blemish marring the mech's finish, a wave of indignation washed over her just the same. The woman had had the audacity to lecture her in regards to appropriate behavior and yet her tingling senses told her that the sailor's own interest in their robotic allies fell outside the realm of strictly professional. She grit her teeth, determined that if she couldn't indulge her curiosity, no one else could either. She shifted her focus away from Petty Officer Doe and toward a new direction.

Meanwhile, the battle raged on.

Galloway's face grew even redder and the vein in his temple bulged to the point where no one in the room would have been surprised had it burst. His heart beat hard in his chest, partly out of fear and partly in disbelief that these mechanical monstrosities would have the audacity to question his authority. "Who the hell do you think you are telling me how to address my personnel," he demanded. His tone turned condescending, "Do I need to remind you that our government provides the roof over your head and the crude oil your species requires for conversion into energon? Without us, you'd starve!"

"Right," Sideswipe scoffed and rolled his optics. "I must have forgotten all about that while I was out there being shot at and risking my own life trying to save your species and your slagging planet from being completely overrun and destroyed by Decepticons. Did you forget that your people asked us to stay? And for your information, she isn't your personnel. She belongs here, with us, and as for who I think I am," the mech straightened back up to his full height and crossed his arms over his broad chest to glare at the man, "you better pray to Primus you never have to find out."

"Sideswipe!" Amy blanched and fumbled desperately for the phone in her pocket. She'd already decided she couldn't stand the man, but intimidating a high raking government official was not in anyone's best interest.

The National Security Advisor's eyes widened behind his glasses. "Are you threatening me? You...you...machine!"

Amy's head whipped around and she stared at the man in shock. Did he seriously just go there? There was so much she wanted to say, but she bit her tongue. Not in uniform, she repeated over and over in her head like a mantra. Not right now. Do something. Stop this before someone gets hurt. Do your job!

Sideswipe seemed unfazed, however, and gave an unimpressed snort. "Did you hear that? The meat sack called me a machine. I think he's trying to hurt my feelings."

Bumblebee made an amused sound at Sides' comment that only seemed to anger the man further.

"Optimus Prime will be hearing about this," Galloway threatened.

"Whatever." Sides shrugged, "He already knows you're an incompetent pain in the aft."

Amy was speechless, turning and staring up at Sides with a horrified expression. She knew Galloway and the bots had a tumultuous history but never in a million years would she have ever dreamed of speaking with anyone in any position of authority in such a manner...regardless of how much they may have deserved it. She may have expected such an outburst from Sunny, but Sides? She felt like the situation was spiraling dangerously close to out of control. She needed to do something...anything.

"I'm calling Prowl." She announced loudly, her cell already pressed to her ear as she tried to rein in some control of what was going on around her. She counted one ring and then two before the voice of salvation met her ears...like manna from heaven.

"Miss Doe? Is everything al—"

"Prowl!" Amy cut off the mech's question with a desperate plea of her own. "Please, come back! I need you here, like, now."

Concern flooded the SIC's tone. "What's wrong? Are you ill?"

"No," she assured. "I'm not sick." She rattled off her current situation quickly, cupping her hand over her mouth to drown out the shouting match that had suddenly erupted between the National Security Advisor and the present twin, "Galloway came down here and he's pissed and yelling and looking for Jazz and Sideswipe is here and—"

"Cybertron below me," Prowl hissed, this time interrupting her. "I'm on my way."

"Hello? Prowl?" Amy's mouth was left hanging open at the sudden disconnect and the sound of dead air in her ear. She slowly tucked her phone back into her pocket and whispered to herself, "please hurry..."

"Hey! Keep your hands to yourself, lady..."

The sudden sound of Bee's 'voice' over the cacophony of Sideswipe and Galloway's argument drew her attention and for one agonizing moment she was afraid she'd see the young mech being accosted by Crazy Macy who, honestly, she'd forgotten about in the ensuing drama. Fortunately, Bumblebee's honor was still intact. Unfortunately, he'd actually been warning the woman away from her desk, where the technician in question had been methodically rifling through her meager belongings and papers in a not so subtle manner. Amy's eyes widened as she realized the woman held her prized snow globe, one of the only gifts she ever been given in her short life, and the first gift she'd ever received out of love.

"You break it, you bought it," Bumblebee warned, motioning for the tech analyst to place the souvenir back in its rightful place. "If it ain't your's," he pieced together, "don't touch..."

"Hmm?" Macy blinked up at Bumblebee. Her eyes flitted over to Amy, taking in the wide eyed look of trepidation on her face as she turned the snow globe over slowly in her hands. A smirk lifted the corner of her mouth as she shifted her gaze back to the scout. "You mean this? I'll put it right down."

Amy watched in slow motion as the woman simply opened her hands and let the globe drop. Bumblebee, bless him, made a grab for it, trying to prevent the imminent from happening. His metal fingertips brushed the slick surface of the glass dome but couldn't find any purchase. Instead of catching it as he intended, he and Amy watched helplessly as it crashed to the reinforced steel deck with a sickening crack. The sound of glass shattering and water splashing filled the space, immediately bringing an end to the arguing as everyone turned to see what had happened.

All Amy could do was stare in shock.

Macy puffed her cheeks out and shrugged. "Sorry," she drawled sarcastically. "It slipped."

Amy found herself wanting to cry as sentimentality reared its head. Her teeth clamped down on the insides of her cheeks until she tasted the sharp twang of blood on her tongue as she willed herself not to break down. Not here. Not now.

'Don't give her the satisfaction', that voice on the back of her mind warned. 'Don't cry. Nothing good ever comes from crying...'

"Ames..."

The soft whisper of her name and the careful brush of fingers down her back were punctuated by the steady dripping of water as it ran in rivulets to the edge of the mezzanine and off the side, dripping onto the concrete floor below. She turned toward the mech, unable to disguise the tears that had welled up in her eyes, and shook her head, begging him with a pleading look not to make the situation any more volatile than it already was. She didn't think she'd be able to hold it in if another shouting match broke out.

Sideswipe frowned as he took in the look on her face. They may not have been sparkbound, not yet, but he could read her as well as he could read his brother, and though there was much he'd like to say, he bit his glossa and offered quietly spoken reassurance instead. "We'll clean it up," he murmured, giving her shoulder a careful squeeze. "It's fine."

Amy bit her lip and nodded. It wasn't fine, but it would have to do for now.

Then, suddenly, whether by Divine Intervention or some sort of Cosmic Blessing, Prowl chose that moment to make his grand entrance. Head held high. Back ramrod straight. Poised. Calculating. Optics a fiery blue as they honed in on the interlopers that had invaded the previously comfortable and cozy office space he'd been sharing in Jazz's absence. His mouth pulled fractionally downward into an almost grimace, as if the mere presence of the National Security Advisor and his infamous minion gave him a bad taste in his mouth. As his gaze shifted to Bumblebee, then to Sideswipe, and finally came to rest on Amy, his distaste seemed to tip over into anger.

"Leave us," he commanded, his tone icy. All traces of the good natured banter he'd shared with the small human earlier were completely absent.

This wasn't "Friend Prowl", Amy realized as Sides gave the mech a sharp nod before gingerly lifting her over the railing and cradling her to his chest, Bee on their heels as they made a hasty exit. This was "SIC Prowl", "War Strategist Prowl", "Battle Hardened and Take No Shit From Anyone Prowl". She felt a surge of affection for the reserved mech at that moment and almost felt bad for Galloway. Almost.

Amy hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until they'd reached the main computer room and Sides sat her carefully down on her feet and knelt before her, looking her up and down with concern shining in his optics.

"Are you alright, sweet spark?"

"Yeah," she breathed out. She still felt shaky and heartbroken, but she'd survive. "I'm fine."

Bee made a questioning sound, prompting Amy to assure him as well.

"I'm OK." She gave the young scout a reassuring nod. "I promise."

"I'm sorry, Ames." Sideswipe vented, scrubbing a hand down his faceplates. "I'm not sure what happened in there. I know the guy's a fragging aft, but when he came at you like that..." the mech trailed off, shaking his head. "It's like Sunny possessed my body. I couldn't stop myself."

Amy shook her head. "It...it's alright. I mean, I'd heard stories and I've seen him and Lennox go at it, but..." she shuddered, "I didn't expect...that. The things he said about Jazz..."

"Prowl will handle him," the mech quickly promised. "He lives to put Galloway in his place. Seriously," Sides grinned, "it's his favorite part of the day."

At that, Amy couldn't help but smile a bit. "The way he looked when he walked in, I can believe it."

"Oh, trust me," Sideswipe chuckled, "Galloway is probably regretting everything single life decision he's ever made up to this point right about now."

Bee made an amused sound and nodded vigorously in agreement, hoping lift the woman's spirits. "This is what we train for..."

Amy did laugh at that, feeling some of the tension drain from her body as the mechs blessedly chose to change their topic of conversation to something much less stressful while they waited.

It wasn't five minutes later that a pale and shaken-looking National Security Advisor emerged from the office, his bluster and bravado effectively extinguished as he quickly scurried back the way he'd come. He kept his gaze firmly affixed to the elevator across the room and didn't even spare them a glance as he breezed by as if he couldn't get out of there fast enough. Obviously, whatever had transpired in the office hadn't gone his way and he wasn't very happy about it. No doubt he was retreating to somewhere he could fume and lick his wounds without the burden of a 17 foot tall sentient robot giving him hell.

Following a few paces behind, Macy brought up the rear. She, too, appeared slightly pale and shaken, but not to the extent of her superior. She had no qualms about staring the trio down as she strolled by, her eyes roving over Bee and lingering on Sideswipe for a long moment before narrowing and honing in on Amy.

The look she received made Amy's blood run cold.

The redhead smirked as she slowed. "Sorry about your doodad, Petty Officer. Very unprofessional of me, and I know how you like to keep things...professional."

Amy frowned and felt herself grow pale. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Macy looked from Amy to Sideswipe and back again, her smirk nearly turning into a sneer as she resumed walking. "Have a pleasant afternoon."

Anxiety again gnawed at the pit of Amy's stomach. There was something overtly threatening about the other woman's demeanor. She glanced up at Sideswipe to find him glowering at the woman's retreating back, a frown firmly etched on his otherwise handsome face. She questioned quietly, "what do you think she meant by that?"

"Ignore her sweet spark, she's just trying to rattle you," Sides muttered as the woman retreated out of earshot and joined Galloway in the elevator. "Fragging freak."

"Who? Ms. Harmon?" Prowl's voice cut through the tense quiet that had settled over the bunker as the elevator made its ascent.

Bumblebee confirmed, "Got it in one..."

Surprised, Amy turned to find the black and white mech standing just outside the blast doors, his arms crossed over his massive chest and looking no worse for the wear. In fact, if she was reading him correctly, and it was something she was getting better at, he seemed rather pleased with himself. Maybe, she mused, Sideswipe was right.

"She has proved problematic in the past," the SIC acknowledged. "What has she done now?"

"Aside from wrecking Ames' desk?" Sideswipe shook his head. "Just being a general glitch. Trying to psyche Ames out."

Prowl's brow plate raised in curiosity. "How so?"

Amy was thankful when Sideswipe took the initiative to explain the situation leading up to Prowl's entrance into the fray with Bee gladly filling in the details he'd missed while arguing with Galloway. The mech listened with rapt attention and Amy could imagine that she could actually see his mechanical brain parsing and analyzing each minute detail of the story. Once all was said and done, he'd nodded.

"I'll follow up on this," Prowl promised. "The fact that she was rummaging through your desk which contains classified materials without proper authority warrants disciplinary action, if nothing else. Neither of them should have been down here in the first place and I made sure they both knew that. We've made very clear the necessity for strict security protocols and that includes the prohibition of non-approved personnel in secure spaces. I'll inform Optimus of what's happened and see how far he wants to press matters and we'll go from there. He doesn't take kindly to having his personnel harassed and mistreated."

Amy chewed her lip and nodded. She wasn't sure why, but felt the need to apologize. "I'm sorry," she began.

"Nonsense," Prowl gently scolded, cutting her off. "You did the right thing. It's my job to deal with Galloway's tantrums, not yours. Or yours," Prowl cast a a hard glare at the silver front liner. "We will be discussing your behavior later. Understood?"

Sideswipe had the decency to look chagrined, "yeah, Prowl. Understood."

"Good. Now, back to work, gentlemen," Prowl ordered the two mechs before turning his attention to the human in their midst. "Miss Doe, I believe we have a 12 o'clock report to compile, do we not?"

The mech's calm and collected manner soothed Amy's own nerves and she again marveled at the mech's ability to juggle anything thrown at him and move seamlessly from one situation to the next. If he didn't seem bothered, she reasoned there was no reason she should be either. She found herself thankful for the quick return to normalcy, as if the last few hellish moments hadn't just happened. She resolved to follow Prowl's example and not let one self-important politician and his crazy sidekick ruin the rest of her day. She'd complete her report, finish her daily tasks, spend the evening keeping Jazz company and, God willing, maybe get some actual sleep.

"Yes, sir." Amy nodded, feeling a bit more grounded in her resolve. "We do."

End Note: I dunno gang. What do you think? Is the EMF screwing with our heroine, or is there something else going on there? And what's up with the Galloway/Macy drama? Hmm...so many questions, but the answers will have to wait because I'm super excited about the next chapter. I love Jazz and Amy's relationship sooo much and I've been waiting sooo long to write some father-adopted daughter fluff. I hope to get it out to you much more quickly than this one. Until then...LOVE YA!