A/N: This one is a bit on the shorter side (compared to my average length), but I did that on purpose. It wasn't for lack of inspiration I just needed to end it there to match my chapter themes. Plus, I wanted to get you guys a chapter to read before I left for vacation this Sunday! ALSO, happy (early) birthday to Autobot Novastar! You said you wanted me to get a chapter out as a birthday gift to you and I freaking delivered. Granted it's early, but better early than late!
Oh and look at this! We just hit double digits chapter wise for Lil'Bit. Yay! Hope you guys enjoy the tenth chapter, leave me more reviews they make me super happy.
Chapter Ten:
Better Together
"And how come it's so hard? It's not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving. I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together." –Jack Johnson (Better Together)
There were a lot of moments in my life that I could look back on and say I regret. I know they say you're supposed to live your life without regrets, cherish every moment you're alive, and look for the bright side of every scenario. Well, I say fuck them. They, whoever the hell they are, apparently never experienced anything worse than the embarrassment, shame, and resentment I felt for myself right now as I stared into the beady eyes of one pissed off liaison.
Why had I turned this corner so fast?
Why hadn't I just told Ratchet to call Optimus?
Just, why?
"Soldier, I said give me your name and rank." Galloway demanded for the second time as I just stood there. He must have thought I was part of the military due to the whole 'wearing an ARMY shirt' and 'being on a secret military base' thing. This was a literal worse case scenario for me though, and it wasn't just because I literally ran into the one person everyone said I should probably avoid. The timing was God-awful too. Right now I was internally freaking out about the shit that just went down in the medbay with that creepy ass Cybertronian accessory that Cade was wearing. "Do I have to repeat myself?"
Honestly, the timing was bad for him too. I was on edge, and I never made very good decisions when I was on edge like this. Good for other people that is. There was a part of me that was bubbling with anger again, just like earlier, except this anger made sense. I had heard about this ass. Many people had told me the horror stories of how rude he was to the personnel here, the Cybertronians especially.
However, punching this guy in the teeth would not help my case right now.
"I said-"
"Yeah, I heard you." I blurted in annoyance, and then quickly clenched my jaw. If this was going to end well I needed to do the exact opposite of what I would want. "I was just trying to er, think about-"
He stepped forward, "Wait a minute."
The critical look on his face was almost comical. I didn't mind him interrupting me though. Better him talk than me. That lessened the chance of me screwing up.
"You look just like her." He said under his breath while taking a step back. His eyes traced me from toe to head in skepticism.
It took a moment for it to really click. He recognized me, and that only meant one thing. I quickly cleared my throat, "You mean Dr. Bradshaw." He bobbed his head once and I continued, "She was my mom before she like…died."
It was awkwardly quiet between the two of us for a moment. The sounds of soldiers in the hanger behind us could still be heard. Finally, he straightened his shoulders and nodded, "Dr. Bradshaw never mentioned having kids."
"I guess you can just call me the family secret then." I let out a small laugh that he didn't join in on. It died and I tried to save face, "Still, can't argue against it considering I probably look just like her. A younger, not dead version that is."
Galloway scrunched his eyebrows together questioningly before nodding, "I suppose. She was a good woman, your mother. We got along quite well. In fact, she was probably the only person on this base with any sensibility or logic whatsoever."
Of course this universe me would get along with this stiff. Of course.
"She talked about you a lot." I lied in hopes to play to his ego. It worked and I watched as a smug little grin formed on his face. Unfortunately, it didn't last long and he went back into questioning mode.
"Why are you here though? You have no clearance for this kind of base-"
"Aj."
I whipped my head around to see Sunstreaker's holoform walking toward me as his alt mode sat behind him further in the hanger. Never before had I been so happy to see the mech.
"Sunstreaker." I breathed and quickly walked toward him.
He lightly pushed me behind him, and then locked eyes with Galloway. The liaison marched forward, "Excuse you, but I'm in the middle of questioning her."
"Talk to Prime and Lennox."
"I order you-"
"Talk to Prime and Lennox." Sunstreaker repeated with a dangerous edge to his voice. Galloway stumbled back a step and it looked like a lump had formed in his throat. He shook his head, shot me a quick glare, and then turned on his heel and rushed away. I let out a breath of relief and let my head rest on Sunstreaker's back. "Why the pit did you run out of the medbay like that?"
I didn't answer his question so Sunstreaker turned around and placed his hands on my shoulders. He carefully pushed me back a step so he could look me in the eyes. He raised an eyebrow and I shook my head. His gaze darkened in worry, "Did that human hurt you?"
"God, no." I groaned. Now I had to answer him or else I'd have to worry about the twins threatening the newest base resident. "I…I freaked myself out. It's hard to explain."
Sunstreaker knew I was leaving something big out. I could see it on his face, but he didn't call me out on it. That was one thing I always appreciated about him and Sideswipe. They never pushed past what they needed to. They gave me my space when I really needed it.
"Should I be worried?" Sunstreaker asked as he started to lead me toward his alt mode. His gaze wasn't on me anymore, but I continued to look at his stony expression. The way his jaw was locked and his eyes hardened.
"No." I lied, "Probably not."
Tyler readjusted his uniform before entering the large, busy hanger. This hanger was always busy considering it was the main communication hanger, but on days like today it was filled to the brim. Soldiers moved to and from stations working on various things. The communication screen was on, but all it showed was a seat. General Morshower must have stepped away. In front of the screen, on the railing, were Lennox, Epps, Peter, Sam Witwicky, and a number of other higher up officers. Behind the railing were Optimus, Jazz, and Prowl in their bipedal modes. Tyler walked down the railing and glanced around. He could see Wheeljack and Sideswipe standing further back speaking to each other while Ironhide stood beside them with his arms crossed. Even further back was Bumblebee in his bipedal mode leaning against the wall. Taylor was sitting on his shoulder talking with him while leaning her head against his. He had seen her leave the medbay right before he went in, and this must have been where she went.
"Tyler, please tell me you got good news for me." Lennox called out as he got closer.
He shook his head and came to a stop in front of Lennox and the screen. Instinctively, his hands folded behind his back and he stood at attention, "Not really, no, but what else did we expect from today?" Lennox hung his head and Tyler chose this moment to continue, "All the background information I found through the system is as follows: Cade Yeager is an inventor from Round Rock, TX. He's lived there his entire life and has one daughter, aged 17, who is currently in New York City. His wife is deceased and has been for 13 years now. My interview with him confirms a good bulk of this information."
"And the artifact?" Optimus asked.
"He states he has no recollection of how it came to him. Yeager states that he was knocked out and when he came to the artifact was there."
Jazz leaned against the railing, "You believe 'im, cadet?"
"Not at all, but that still leaves us with no answer because he's ticking with that story." Tyler answered. Lennox turned to Epps to speak and Tyler let his eyes drift back over to Jazz. He spoke under his breath, "Also, I stopped being a cadet years ago."
The saboteur grinned at him, "You'll always be my cadet, younglin'."
Tyler couldn't help but smirk in amusement, but movement from the screen made him straighten back up. General Morshower sat back down with a frustrated look on his face. He rubbed a hand across the top of his shaved head, "Sorry about that. What's the latest news?"
"Nothing of note. I just got word that Director Galloway made it safely on base." Lennox's voice was blunt and frustrated. Tyler didn't think Lennox could be anymore stressed than he was now, but a visit from Galloway could definitely make things worse. Hell, Galloway could make anything worse.
Morshower sighed, "Fantastic. What's the word on clean up?"
"We have Blaster out there right now along with squadron 3 and 4." Epps spoke up, "They're working on it, but clean up is slow."
"And how are we on media?"
Peter stepped forward with a shake of his head, "We got most of it back in control."
"Most stations are just focusing on either honoring the dead, helping the injured get back in touch with family, or blaming the drones." Sam added, his arms were crossed over his chest, crinkling his black suits, and his face was currently devoid of emotion.
The meeting continued for the next few minutes. Tyler glanced over his shoulder to see Bumblebee picking Taylor off his shoulder. She pressed a kiss against his cheek before he set her down. She began to walk off and looked up at where he was. His twin offered him a tired smile that he returned with a slight wave.
"Where is Lennox!?"
"The universe really does hate me today." Lennox mumbled with a muted groan. He turned his body to face the direction that Director Galloway was coming in at.
He stormed in with his finger raised, "How come I never got a report about Dr. Bradshaw's only daughter? I just ran into her in the hallway."
Jazz stiffened behind Tyler and was the first to speak up, "Where is she?"
"That is hardly the question at the moment." Galloway barked.
Wow, Aj and Galloway had already met each other. Tyler was a bit disappointed he hadn't been around to see that. Although, considering Galloway wasn't sporting a black eye or any other injuries their meeting hadn't gone like Tyler would've normally assumed. Still this only added to the mess. Who would've thought today could get any worse?
"And this conversation is hardly one we should be spending any time on." Prowl replied sharply, "There are other pressing matters at hand."
"More pressing than-" Galloway continued to yell.
"Director." Morshower barked out, "This meeting has been called about the attack on Round Rock. Let's focus on that."
Galloway still wouldn't let it go. The argument continued, but Tyler felt a wave of nausea wash over him. It was a familiar feeling. This meant something was wrong over the bond. Someone was worried about something. Considering how strong the feeling was there were probably multiple mechs feeling that way. He spun around with wide eyes just in time to see all three mechs stiffen as their eyes dimmed.
"Squadron 3 and 4 are calling in an emergency." Lennox said in alarm.
"There is another attack." Optimus said gravely, "Blaster has sent in word. A city an hour away from Round Rock, two from the hive, is under attack."
Tyler felt his stomach drop. Apparently, he had spoken too soon.
Today had just gotten really, really worse.
"I need to talk to Optimus." I said again.
Sunstreaker sighed as he moved around the room looking for something, "You've said that, a million times, but you can't. Not right now."
I threw myself back so instead of sitting on his berth, I was lying on it. The metal was hardly comfortable, but that was the least of my worries. A few moments later Sunstreaker sat down beside me and tossed a large blanket over me. It was a thick comforter that was white and decorated with blue polka dots. I pulled it off my head and gave him a questioning look.
He shrugged, "Sideswipe stole it from someone."
"Why? It's hardly his size." I replied and balled it up so I could rest my head on it lazily.
"I'm pretty sure he stole it for you." Sunstreaker scoffed. It was a fair point. Should the mech have stolen someone's comforter? No, of course not. Was I complaining about it? Nope. Possession was eight-tenths the law, after all.
"So when are you going to show me some of your paintings?" I asked in a vain attempt to forget about the issues at hand. Sunstreaker shot me a skeptical look and I smiled at him, "Let's not pretend that you're totally against that. We are bestest buddies, remember?"
Sunstreaker chuckled, "Maybe one day."
"One day better come soon because-" My words came to a halt as nausea hit me hard. My first thought was that I was going to be sick right here on Sunstreaker's berth and he'd murder me. It passed though as I realized the feeling wasn't physical. Sunstreaker must have noticed my confusion and shock because he set one hand beside me in worry. "What the hell?"
Suddenly, his eyes dimmed for a moment before he quickly shot up, "There's been another attack. I have to go."
"Another attack? Where?"
"Not far from the first." Sunstreaker turned to me, "Don't go back upstairs. Galloway will be looking for you and he wouldn't dare come down here."
I stood up as well, clutching the blanket to my chest now, "You're gonna go fight? Are you kidding?"
"If anything happens here you can get in contact with us through your phone. Be careful." Sunstreaker said firmly. He was worried about me. He was the one about to go into a warzone and he was worried about me.
"You be careful you big, yellow dummy." I replied with a frown. He chuckled once before rushing out the room, letting the metal door slide behind him. Then it was quiet and I still felt sick. I didn't like this, not one bit. Here I was stuck on base while people I cared about fought. Every once in a while I'd beat myself up on days where everyone was working and I did nothing. Right now though was the worst of it. Right now, I felt beyond useless.
Especially considering I was stuck up on this berth. Sunstreaker hadn't set me down first, which meant I was about ten feet above the ground. My friends were out there risking their lives for the greater good and I couldn't even get myself off this stupid berth. Fuck me.
For the next five minutes, I stared at the floor and contemplated jumping. Wheeljack had said this brace could hold up when it came to force. I mean, I've already destroyed a hospital bed with it much to Ratchet's chagrin. Still, jumping seemed like a bad idea. Right before I was about to say 'shove it' and try anyways, the sound of my phone startled me and I nearly fell off the edge.
"Fragging…" I breathed under my breath while trying to get my heart rate under control. It took a moment for me to dig my phone out, "Hello?"
"Where are you right now?" Jazz asked with no hint of an accent impeding his words.
I blinked in surprise, "Sides and Sunny's room. I'm stuck on his berth."
"Be right there."
"But it's locked and you can't-"
Him hanging up the phone impeded my argument. Another sigh slipped from my lips and I just sat down where I was with the blanket balled up in my lap. Maybe since he was an officer he had access codes for all the rooms? Was that how this worked?
A few minutes passed before I heard footsteps, "Aj?"
"I'm in here, Jazz!" I called back out to the mech behind the door, "The door is probably locked though. I tried to tell you."
I could faintly hear the sound of metal tapping on metal. This went on for a moment before the door slid open to reveal Jazz's bipedal form. He wasted no time in hurrying over to me. I set down the blanket so I'd be able to use it the next time I was hanging out in here, and then I stood up, only for him to scoop me up in his hands.
"How'd you get in? Did you have the code?"
"No, I hacked it." Jazz replied, "Hold on."
Before I could ask why I needed to hold on for anything, Jazz tucked me against his chest and leaped forward. A gasp slipped from my lips as he began to transform. I blinked and before I knew it I was suddenly sitting in his driver's seat and he was speeding off.
"Fuck!" I yelled and gripped the edges of my seat, "Do not do that again."
Jazz chuckled, "Sorry, femme."
"You hardly sound it!" He didn't reply and I watched as he sped down the hall, "Where are we going?"
"Medbay."
"No!" I cried and slammed my foot on the brake. That did nothing at all, but Jazz did slow down, "We can't go there."
Jazz's voice drifted through the radio, "An' why not?" I bit my lower lip as I tried to think of an excuse. "Aj?" Nothing was coming to me and I knew Jazz wouldn't let this go. He was different from the twins. They'd whisk me away from the medbay and leave it at that. Jazz always needed an answer.
I sighed, "I don't want to see that Cade Yeager guy...or Ratchet really."
"Why not?"
"Ratchet would ask why I rushed out of the medbay away from said Yeager guy."
Jazz pressed further, he was at a complete stop now, "An' why did you do that? Did he bother you? Did he hurt you?"
"No." I groaned. Why was that always their first assumption? "I just don't want to talk to him. Ok? Let's go to your room. Please."
I knew where Jazz's room was, but I hadn't been there myself yet. There was a pause of silence before Jazz revved his engine and spun back around to go in the opposite direction we had been going in. I sank in my seat and ran a hand against the steering wheel in thanks. After a moment of me being grateful had passed I spoke up, "Can I feel negative emotions over the bond?"
"I think so. The younglings mention it sometimes."
I'd have to talk to them about it. I felt that nausea right before Sunstreaker got his message about the attack. Did it have something to do with the bonds? The nausea was gone now.
A couple minutes passed and we arrived at Jazz's room. It didn't take very long considering we hadn't driven very far from the collection of rooms in this area. The door slid open, meaning he must have activated the code remotely, and he drove in. I stepped out of the seat and glanced around while he transformed. His room was shaped just like the twins', but he had only one berth and little to no decorations about.
"Goin' up?" Jazz set his hand next to me.
I stepped on and he carried me over to his berth. I expected him to set me down, but instead he laid down and set me on top of his chest. In response, I took my shoes off and threw them to the floor before crossing my legs and staring at him, "Why didn't you go?"
"Not my turn. Someone needs to stay on base an' keep an optic on things."
"If I ask you questions about it…" I began slowly, "Will you be honest?"
"Always."
I sucked in a deep breath and looked away from Jazz's visor for a moment. Once I had my thoughts collected, I looked back at him. He had one hand behind his head like a pillow and it made it so his face was angled in my direction. His other hand rested behind me. He looked comfortable with one leg outstretched and the other bent up at the knee.
"Who went on the mission? That I know."
Jazz paused in what I assumed to be thought, "Prime is out there 'gain. He always is. Blaster was in Round Rock already so he was the first Autobot on scene. Ironhide, Hound, Bluestreak, the twins, and Flare-Up left base." He sighed, "As for humans… Lennox an' Epps went out with squadron 1, 2, an' 5. You know Joey an' Hemi from those squadrons. They kept Bear on base to let 'im get some rest, but…"
"But what?" I pressed.
"Tyler did get sent out."
My nephew Tyler. The thought of my Tyler running around a battlefield put ice in my veins. The Autobots could take care of themselves. They were warriors, and as much as I worried about them I knew they could handle what got thrown at them. Tyler though? I couldn't stop picturing six-year-old Tyler standing in the middle of a firefight. All I could see in my head was my little six year old nephew standing in front of one of those damned drones with a target painted on his chest because of the non-human like energy signature he gave off.
My living nightmare was interrupted by Jazz who began to slowly rub my back with one of his fingers. I brought my gaze back up to meet his, "Jazz…"
"He's gonna be fine. Blue is out there with 'im, and no Autobot alive would let anythin' happen to any of the younglings." Jazz reassured me, "'sides, Tyler's been trained. He's got a protective suit. He's good."
My hand drifted up to grab my necklace only to remember it wasn't there. I still hadn't gotten back my necklace or bracelet yet when they were removed for surgery. At least, I assume that's when I lost them.
"Is the mission dangerous?" I asked then chastised myself for the stupid question, "I mean- What are the odds?"
Jazz hummed to himself, "The odds are good, sweetspark. The city that was attacked, Killeen, brushes borders with Fort Hood. It's one of the largest ARMY bases and they were on scene real fast."
"God, I feel so useless." I scoffed and buried my face in my hands. This was bad when I thought Autobots were going to be out there, but now that I knew Tyler was in the fray it was so much worse.
"Hey now, don't say that." Jazz replied, "This is outta your servos."
"Exactly."
There was a beat of silence before Jazz spoke up, "If I ask you questions, will you be honest?" I looked up from my hands. He stared at me quietly and I gave him a small nod. "I got a few, but let's start with Cade Yeager."
"Actually, could we not?" I asked sheepishly, "Anything else and I promise I'll answer but…"
Jazz sighed, but gave in, "Fine. Let's talk 'bout Galloway." I groaned at the name and he continued, "What happened there?"
"I ran out of the medbay and right into him. Literally." I explained. "He started yelling at me, asking me who I was, but then he realized I look a lot like a past resident doctor. I told him I was her daughter and then Sunstreaker came and saved me before I said something I'd later regret."
Jazz's finger continued to draw lazy circles on my back, and I didn't stop him. It felt nice. Reassuring. He chuckled, "Would've been nice if you just slugged 'im."
"Nice? Yes. Helpful? Probably not." I smirked.
"True, true." Jazz smiled. The relaxed look on his face faltered slightly though, "He's pissed 'bout you bein' on base though. We all know he's gonna try an' get you kicked off now that you 'ave a workin' brace."
I shrugged, "He has a good point."
"Galloway has no good points. He has no good anythin'." Jazz argued in disbelief.
I shook my head, "What I mean is this… I have no purpose here." Jazz opened his mouth, but I didn't let him get a word in, "At this moment in time, I'm basically the bases' resident hobo. I don't bring anything to the table here. Hell, even Bear has a purpose."
"No one is takin' you away from us. We ain't gonna lose you again." Jazz said firmly. He sat up slightly making me lean back into his hand, "I give you my word on that." I nodded once and he laid back down. This time he did so in a way where his gaze was focused on the ceiling above him. I continued to stare at him though. From this angle, I could see the light glow from his eyes under the visor, but it wasn't enough to determine the color. "Aj?"
I hadn't expected him to say more so his voice made me jump, "Yeah?"
"I have one more question for you."
His lack of an accent made me worry about what it was going to be. If he asked about Cade again I might just throw myself off him and this berth to the floor. I warily replied, "Ok… What is it?"
"Are you mad that I did what I did with this universe's version of you?"
I blinked in surprise. What? That question had come from left field and it was the very last thing I ever would've expected, "Um…You mean like…Am I mad that you gave her money?"
"I wasn't trying to replace you. I swear it, but… I missed you. A lot. And I thought- I thought… that if I could just see you." Jazz said slowly and carefully, like he was testing every word on his tongue before letting it slip, "Not you, but… I just needed to…"
"I'm not mad." I replied quickly, "I never even thought of it that way. Why didn't you talk to me about this earlier? Like on our way to the party on Sunday or….?"
Jazz shrugged and the movements made me move slightly, "I wasn't sure I wanted to ever really bring it up."
"You can talk to me about anything." I replied, "And like I said, I'm not mad. I can't imagine what I would've done if I hadn't seen y'all for twenty years. It would've been bad."
"I worried about that everyday." Jazz admitted, "And when I found out you were back I didn't know what you'd be like."
"You thought twenty years had passed for me too."
Jazz nodded, "I'm glad it turned out like this. Twenty years for me and only a day for you."
"Why?"
He tilted his head again to look at me, "I'd suffer through a millennia without you if it meant you didn't have to do the same."
I could feel my face heat up at his words. Jazz was too good for me. What did I ever do to deserve a friend like him in my life? Unsure of what to say, I chose instead to lie down on his chest. He folded his hand over to cover me like a metal blanket. Maybe a nap would do me good. Sleeping meant not having to worry about Tyler or that weird ass symbol or Director stupid head. I let my eyes drift shut.
"Jazz?"
"Yeah, sweetspark?"
"What the hell is your eye color?"
Jazz chuckles shook me, but his hand kept me in place. He didn't offer me an answer, not that I really expected one, and my consciousness was started to slip away.
Taylor's phone buzzed again on the medical berth she stood on. She had set it a good ten feet or so away on the metal surface so it wouldn't distract her while she worked. The vibrating noise was a distraction on its own though.
She forced herself to focus on the pictures of the artifact in front of her along with the results from the various scans. They were all inconclusive and useless. She let out a huff of frustration and swiped them away.
"Your brother will be fine." Ratchet spoke up. She glanced over to see he hadn't moved far from the large computer like system he worked with. He was reviewing scans much more complex than the ones she had been looking at. He didn't tear his gaze away from the results as he spoke, "He is a good soldier and they will take care of him."
Taylor was an easy book to read. She knew this about herself. Her face was expressive and there wasn't an emotion she could hide. It didn't help that her family knew her well enough to pick up on her thoughts without her uttering a single word.
"Ratchet, I'm going to examine the artifact in person." Taylor announced.
He nodded, "Be careful, and take your phone." Taylor raised an eyebrow at him and he glanced over, "Your mother will be calling soon no doubt and I am sick of the vibrations."
Taylor smiled before rushing over to grab her phone before walking back over to the edge of the berth. Ratchet offered her his hand and transferred her over to the edge of the lifted, human medical bay without a word. She didn't immediately enter the hallway and instead stood on the wide ledge going through her texts.
'I wasn't sent on the mission. Stuck on base. Be careful around the artifact. Love you, sweetie.'
Her eyes scanned over the text twice as warmth flooded to her cheeks. Being around him always made her feel safe and at ease. Even though she had just been talking with him, not even a couple hours ago, she still wished she could be with him right now or vice versa. It'd make this day a little better no doubt.
She shot him a quick reply before pocketing the phone and entering the hallway. The first sound to greet her was the sound of pacing. As she got closer to the doorway she could see Bear lying in the middle of it, his mismatched eyes following the man he was told to guard. Taylor bent down to scratch his neck and the man stopped to watch her.
"Go get some food, Bear." Taylor cooed. Bear turned his head to find her hand and then licked it before trotting away.
"I knew the dog was smart, but he's actually kinda scary smart."
Taylor rose to her full height. Cade Yeager was standing over by the back right corner of the room next to the rising wall. He was cleaner than the last time she saw him and bandaged up well. Aj probably did that. He still looked annoyed and troubled though, but that hardly surprised her.
"He's always been a clever pup." She stepped forward, "I was hoping to get a look at the artifact on your arm."
Cade tilted his head to the side slightly with a clenched jaw, "And I was hoping to get the hell out of here finally."
Taylor sighed, "I know this is hard and you have no reason to trust us, but we are keeping you here for your own good." He scoffed lightly and she steeled herself, "We have no idea what that thing on your arm is and we don't know if it's dangerous or not. You have a daughter don't you?"
"I do." Cade answered after a moment of hesitance.
"I seriously doubt you want to go home to her with a potentially hazardous, alien artifact attached to your arm." Taylor said in a matter-of-fact way. Cade's features softened and he came over to sit on the edge of the bed to her left. "We're on your side here. We are going to help you and we are going to get you back to your daughter safe and sound."
Cade sighed and bobbed his head, "I guess I don't really have much of a choice but to trust you."
Taylor walked over to him and pulled out a hand held scanner from her coat pocket. His shirt sleeve brushed the top of the artifact so she took a moment to carefully roll it up to the top of his shoulder. The dark metal was daunting and even a bit creepy, but she went about scanning it a few times hoping to unlock some sort of answer.
"Do you know that Aj woman?"
Taylor chuckled, "She's my a-" Her eyes widened and she quickly coughed to cover her almost mistake, "My uh, my cousin."
"That one guy was her cousin too, wasn't he?"
"Tyler, yeah. We're twins."
Cade's eyes widened slightly, "I can kind of see the resemblance now." Once the scans were done, she stuck the device back into her pocket and began to prod at the armband with her hand. The metal was cold to the touch and seemed almost fused to his skin somehow. "Do you know where she went?"
"I don't." Taylor shrugged and she gave him a skeptical glance, "She ran out of here pretty fast though. Do you know why?"
Cade quickly shook his head, "I honestly don't. I've been thinking about it, but… I don't remember saying anything that might've been offensive. If I did I didn't mean to." He rubbed the back of his head with left hand. "She was…great."
"Yeah, I heard she broke some rules for you." Taylor chuckled. The handcuff was still attached around his right wrist like some sort of strange bracelet.
"She did. I'm real grateful for it too."
Taylor smiled to herself and unrolled his sleeve for him, "That's Aj. Rule breaker extraordinaire."
"So she makes a habit of breaking rules?"
"Aj…" Taylor chuckled and reached back for the phone in her pocket as it began to vibrate again, "Aj does whatever the hell she wants, really."
Cade gave her a soft smile and she glanced down at her phone to see her mom was calling. She lifted it to excuse herself and he nodded. Taylor backpedaled out of the room while answering, "Mom?"
"I've seen the news and I just got a call from Pete. Is everything ok there?"
"Everything is fine." Taylor sighed. Mom was in Las Vegas since this was the last official week of school for Luke, Annabelle, Lex, and Eli. Things would be easier come Friday when they came back and just stayed on base in the apartments provided here. "Tyler got sent out."
Mom sighed over the phone, "I know. I know. God, I'm so worried. How is your aunt handling everything? If she knows about Tyler being gone…"
"I don't know. Last I heard she ran into Galloway and Sunstreaker swept her away." Taylor replied. She stepped back out onto the ledge and glanced over at Ratchet who shot her a quick, curious glance.
"Did Sunstreaker get sent out to the field though?"
"He did." Taylor answered, and she could almost feel her mom's anxiety over the line. She quickly added, "Jazz is still on base though. I'm positive he must have found her by now."
There was a quick pause before her mom spoke again, "Have you seen the news recently?"
"No. What are they saying?"
"Monique and I are watching it right now." She replied and there was a solemn tone in her voice, mingled with an edge of fear, "They're estimating casualties have already reached the thousands. It's bad, Taylor. It's really bad."
Peter stood stock still in the middle of the communication hanger floor. It was a little past 11 at night and the battle had been called three hours ago and the first wave of soldiers were on their way back. They should be here any minute now.
The battle in Killeen had been worse than the one in Round Rock. The damage had been catastrophic and the casualties were numerous. They lost three of their own. Henderson, Ryans, and Cox were going to be coming home in boxes. They were good men and they didn't deserve to go down like they did.
Peter ran a hand through his hair and let it fall down to his exhausted features. There was nothing he wanted more than to go back to his apartment in Vegas and hold Delilah and Amy. Today more than ever that's what he needed, but it had to wait. He was going to be stuck on base for another day at the most dealing with the aftermath of the battles.
He heard footsteps approach him and soon enough Taylor was standing by his side. She looped her arm through his and leaned her head against his shoulders, "Lennox called in. They're a couple minutes out and about to land."
"Good." Peter nodded. "Did you call mom and let her know?"
"I did. She's going to call Tyler tomorrow morning after he's rested." Taylor replied. She sighed, "Aj is pissed. She wants to be up here waiting too, but Jazz is keeping her downstairs."
Peter glanced over at his sister, "It's for the best." His eyes darted up to the railing where Galloway stood looking through a tablet of files. "As soon as Galloway sees her again he's gonna go on a rampage."
"He's such an awful man." Taylor mumbled under her breath. Peter couldn't disagree with her. He pitied Sam. As the Autobot assigned liaison, he had to work with Galloway often. Peter wasn't quite sure how the man put up with him.
The hanger doors began to open and both siblings tensed. Optimus walked in, ducking his head under the top edge of the hanger slightly, and walked straight to the railing. His paint was scuffed up and there was energon splashed over portions along with dust, but Peter could see no major injuries. Soldiers began to walk in and the ones who stayed behind greeted them. Peter caught sight of a filthy Lennox and Epps quickly marching to the edge of the room where they could climb up to the railings. The only other Cybertronian to come in was Bluestreak and he drove in straight toward the two of them.
Bluestreak's paint was a wreck and there was a deep gash along the hood. Taylor didn't seemed too panicked though so Peter assumed this meant the wound wasn't life threatening.
The door swung open and Tyler stepped out. He had his field suit on, the one that looked extremely similar to Taylor's, but without the helmet activated. The armor on Tyler's left arm was ripped to shreds and Peter could see dried blood under the messed up metal. Tyler's lip was also busted and still bleeding.
Taylor sprinted forward and threw her arms around Tyler without hesitation. Tyler hugged her back tightly as Bluestreak began to transform. Peter walked after his sister and waited patiently.
"Are you ok? What happened?" Taylor asked while still crushing her twin in a hug.
Tyler groaned, "I'm fine. Got caught by a drone for a bit. It was Rhythm." He listed the drone modeled after Jazz. "Those damn claws nearly tore my arm off."
Taylor pulled away, "And you Blue?"
"Oh I'm fine." Bluestreak shook his head, "The wound I got is mostly superficial. I'm going to head to Ratchet now actually, the others are already there. Except Ironhide, he went straight to the house in Vegas. To keep an eye on them just in case."
"Hey, Ty." Peter stepped forward and hugged his younger brother tightly. "Anybody else get hurt?"
Tyler shook his head, "Not too bad. Sideswipe shoulder looks like shit and Rewind's leg is hanging by a thread really, but they're doing good. Everyone else is just sort of dinged up."
"Riley is stuck in the communications office right now." Taylor said.
"I know, she texted me. I'm gonna stop by and see her. Mom shot me a text too saying she'd call later."
Peter nodded, "You need to go downstairs first and see Aj."
"Aj?"
Taylor agreed, "He's right. If you don't go and see her in the next five minutes I'm pretty sure she's going to come up here and murder Galloway just to make sure you're actually safe."
Tyler smirked at them, "That doesn't sound so bad to me."
The siblings chuckled to themselves with soft smiles on their faces. The world around them was still sort of a mess, but things were always better when they were together.
