I do not own Transformers Prime or Harry Potter
(Chapter 6)
It has been three weeks since Jacqueline met the Autobots, and William promised to keep their interactions a secret from both the Pentagon and MACUSA. In weeks that followed, Jacqueline and her friends were forced to stay at the Autobot base wherever they weren't working, or for Raf, going to school.
Jacqueline sadly was forced into a bind when it came to keeping her job a secret. As it turns out, Arcee was under the assumption that she worked at KO Burger in Jasper. He heard her conversation with her mother and came to the wrong conclusion about where she worked.
Fixing her shirt, Jacqueline frowned, "This is so demoralizing." She was in the back alley behind the KO Burger, waiting for Arcee to pick her up. She wanted to tell Arcee and the other Autobots that she didn't work at KO Burger, but she couldn't expose the nature of her actual job to them. She was forced to tackle onto Arcee's misconception and lie about her job. "I work at an apothecary. Do they know how hard that is?" Jacqueline spent most of her actual day brewing potions for clients and helping her boss gather ingredients. While, in essence, her work sounded easy, she wanted to tear her hair out some days. Potion making was a very complex art, and it required her fullest attention. In the wizarding world, potioneers are very respected since it is such a challenging field of magic. Even though she had her potioneers license, this wasn't what she wanted to do for a living. This job was temporary until she found out what she actually wanted to do.
Sitting on the sidewalk, Jacqueline pulled her wand out and looked it over. "I can't believe I said I work here." It added to the appearance that she was just a simple human with a low-paying job. Arcee made a joke under his breath about where she worked to Ratchet, but she'd let it slide. 'Those two are just jerks.' Jacqueline didn't know what to make of Arcee or Ratchet, but she did not like their rude comments about her species.
On the other hand, she found herself enjoying Bumblebee and Bulkhead's company when they went to the Autobot's base. They treated her with respect and were curious about humans. As for Optimus… Jacqueline rarely spoke with him. He was always so busy she never had the nerves to interrupt him. But he did seem very nice.
Unbeknownst to Jacqueline, she never noticed the glances she got from Optimus or a few of the other bots. Especially when she was around Raf and helped him with his school work. Even today, Jacqueline was going to help Raf make his model of a volcano for his muggle class. Miko suggested they use some magic to make the volcano real, but they had to explain to her that this was for his science class. Raf didn't seem too excited about the project, but the school forced him to do it.
Arcee drove around the corner, "C'mon, let's go." He sounded exhausted.
Jacqueline got onto the bike and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Are you okay, Arcee?"
Arcee yawned behind his helmet and started driving towards the base, "Long day. Scouting for energon… I need to recharge." Once he got back to base, he was going straight to bed. He was able to convince Bumblebee to give her a ride home later.
Jacqueline was cautious when she spoke, "You didn't need to pick me up. I could've just gone to the high school. I don't think Bumblebee would've mind giving me a ride with Raf."
"Optimus's orders." Arcee gave another yawn, "Besides, I was already driving back, so it makes no sense to not pick you up." Jacqueline was his charge. But there was another reason he wanted to pick her up, despite being overly tired. The cybertronian sighed behind his helmet as Jacqueline held his waist. There was a powerful itch that had been building up in the back of his processor within the past three weeks. Feeling Jacqueline's arms around his waist made his muscles and servos lock up in a strange but pleasant way.
(Autobot Outpost)
Jacqueline watched Arcee leave down the hall, likely going to bed for the day. It was only 3:45, but he was clearly exhausted. The witch smiled softly and thought about how she could've concocted him a wide-eye potion. He would've been awake for the rest of the day.
Raf, who had driven in behind Arcee and Jacqueline, pulled her arm, "Jacqueline, do you mind if Bee helps me with my project?"
Jacqueline looked over at Bumblebee. The strong man was clearly trying to act like he wasn't listening in, "It's your project. I don't see why not." She glanced at Bumblebee and smiled, 'I think this is the first time I'll actually be able to have a reason to talk to him.' Usually, Bumblebee would walk away whenever she came around. She was partly under the assumption that he didn't like her.
As Raf got his supplies out of Bumblebee's car, Jacqueline walked over towards Bumblebee, "Hey, Bumblebee, so you're going to help Raf with his project?"
Bumblebee glanced at her and nodded. His spark was pounding in his chest. "R~raf mentioned it, but I'm not sure I'll be of much help. I don't know much about volcanoes on Earth. Hehe~I just didn't have the spark to tell him no." It's not that Bumblebee didn't want to help his charge, but he doubted he'd be of any use.
Jacqueline glanced at Raf as he gathered his supplies, then turned back to Bumblebee, "I know what you mean." She whispered, "It's hard to say no sometimes to that adorable little face. Please don't tell him I said that."
Bumblebee's cheeks were burning behind his mask. 'P~primus, help me.' He was trying with all his might not to stare at Jacqueline. She was a gorgeous femme and seeing her act loving and protective of Raf made his spark burn in delight. Jacqueline grabbed Bumblebee's forearm and pulled him towards where Raf was setting up his volcano. Bumblebee unexpectedly found his entire body locked up as a strange sensation flooded in through his forearm.
"Bumblebee, are you coming?" Jacqueline asked as she held his arm. The handsome mech was just standing there in silence.
Bumblebee slowly nodded, "Yes." When Jacqueline released his arm, that strange feeling disappeared. All that was left was the echo of where her hand was on his arm. Bumblebee studied his arm as he walked with Jacqueline. The mech felt his body heat up, and he instantly started to feel withdrawal from where Jacqueline touched him. 'What's happening to me?' Behind the mask that covered his lower jaw, Bumblebee found it challenging to breathe as euphoria flooded his body.
Jacqueline glanced at Bumblebee and felt her cheeks heat up. 'Does he have to wear that?' Bumblebee was wearing a black tank top that clung tightly to his muscular physique. She kept staring at the muscles that littered Bumblebee's arm. A small part of her wondered what it would feel like to run her hands across his muscular arm. She silently desired to trace the black tattoo that was on either side of his arms. Jacqueline looked away from Bumblebee as her face turned beet red, 'What the hell is wrong with me!? C'mon, Jacqueline, get it together.' She wasn't about to be caught staring at Bumblebee like a shy schoolgirl. However, she found it very difficult to be around the Autobots in general. They were all incredibly strong and handsome, each in their own way.
As Jacqueline and Bumblebee helped Raf start his project, they didn't notice the giant mech in the room staring at them from the railing on the next level. Bulkhead was watching them help Raf and was curious about what they were doing. Bulkhead jumped when Miko spoke up behind him, "What are you doing?"
"What?! Nothing!" Bulkhead said quickly as he looked back. Miko was giving him a cruel smirk.
"Doesn't look like nothing." She leaned to the side and looked down, "It almost looks like you're spying on them."
"N~no! I~uh… I was just… making sure everything was alright." He said as he fell under Miko's cynical look.
"From all the way up here?" Miko chuckled, "Are you sure you aren't staring at my friend? I mean, you were giving Jacqueline a pretty long stare just then." She saw how the wrecker was looking at Jacqueline. Within the last couple of weeks, Miko had caught Bulkhead gawking at Jacqueline almost every day.
Bulkhead gave a nervous laugh, "I don't know what ya mean. I wasn't doing anything." He knew he'd just gotten caught by his charge. Bulkhead wanted to deny it, but he knew he was staring at Jacqueline. 'Aw~frag, how can I not? Just look at that femme.' Jacqueline was very breathtaking. The wreck felt his fingers twitch as he desired to feel his massive hands across that perfect body of hers.
Miko rolled her eyes and leaned against the railing, "Mhm~sure. Keep telling yourself that, Bulk." Miko looked down at her friend and noticed Bumblebee acting just as strange as Bulkhead, "You know. I noticed you were flexing your muscles off to her the other day. What was that all about?" Miko nearly toppled to the ground laughing at Bulkhead's expression.
The wrecker shook his head as his optics widened, "N~no, I wasn't. I'd never~" Miko pulled out her phone and flipped it open. She showed Bulkhead the picture she took of him, obviously flexing his arm with Jacqueline to his side. This wasn't the first time he'd been caught flexing near her. Bulkhead felt his face flush with embarrassment.
'Scrap.' He thought. Bulkhead knew he wasn't the smartest mech, but he couldn't help that he found a human, like Jacqueline, to be sexy. He doubted she realized how strenuous it was for him to not ogle her. "I was just flexing my servo. Is that a crime?" Bulkhead asked defensively.
"Seriously?" Miko asked sarcastically, "Dude, you're so obviously flexing for her." The young Japanese woman wasn't afraid to call out the obvious. "I'm not judging, Bulk. I'm just saying~you kinda make it too obvious." Miko knew Jacqueline was blind to how Bulkhead was acting around her, but she knew better. This wrecker clearly had a crush on her friend. At first, she thought he might be trying to show off, but Bulkhead was clearly acting nervous around Jacqueline within the last three weeks.
Bulkhead rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm not! I was just rotating my joints."
Miko looked back at Jacqueline and Bumblebee before speaking to Bulkhead in a low voice, "Why don't you go down there and help them? It might give you a chance to actually meet my friend. She's not gonna bite, Bulk."
"Nah~they look like they've got everything. Besides, I don't have the brains for uh… that sorta science stuff." Bulkhead said, sounding disappointed in himself.
"Dude, it's a fricking volcano." Miko said it as if it were obvious, "I'm just saying they might need some heavy lifting. Who knows, maybe they'll need you." Miko gave a mischievous smirk as she lied.
Bulkhead looked at Miko, "R~really?" He sounded a little hopeful. If there was anything he was good at, it was heavy lifting. Miko just nodded as she put her earbuds in and went to the couch. Bulkhead glanced at Jacqueline, and his cheeks started heating up again.
Meanwhile, Jacqueline was flipping through Raf's history textbook. "So you're learning about Mount Vesuvius?"
Raf nodded as he put the paper mache on the volcano, "Yep. I mean, I already know about Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii, but my teacher wants everyone to create a miniature volcano." Personally, Raf wished he could have written a paper on it and been done with it.
Bumblebee, who was helping Raf, looked at the two humans, "What's Pompeii?" He beeped out with a raised brow.
Jacqueline lowered the textbook from her face, "It was a Roman city that was destroyed by the volcano when it erupted. Almost everyone died because of a hot cloud of smoldering ash." She turned the book towards Bumblebee and showed him an artist's depiction of the volcano erupting. "The volcanic ash was so horrific the people of Pompeii were covered in 12 layers of tephra… basically, it is the ash that settles after a volcanic eruption."
Bumblebee was shocked to see the artist's depiction of Pompeii being destroyed. Cybertron didn't have volcanoes, so this was his first time seeing how devastating volcanoes actually were. "Thank Primus, we don't have anything like that on Cybertron. Did it literally destroy an entire city?" The illustrations showed humans running away in terror as the volcano exploded in the background.
Jacqueline nodded, "It actually destroyed four cities, but Pompeii was the closest." As she flipped through the textbook, Jacqueline notice Bulkhead awkwardly approach them.
"Hey, What are you guys doing over here?" Bulkhead asked as he watched Bumblebee put another piece of plaster on the volcano.
"We're helping Raf with his school project. He has to make a model of Mount Vesuvius. Would you care to help?" Jacqueline saw Bulkhead lighten up at the prospect of helping.
Bulkhead lifted his arms and flexed. "Count me in. If you need any heavy lifting, I'm the mech you'll need."
Jacqueline looked away as Bulkhead flexed his arms, "W~well I don't think we'll need heavy lifting. But you can help me with making the volcanic mixture?" She lifted a beaker filled with a strange powder. Jacqueline had crushed occamy eggshells and was going to use them for the base of the volcanic eruption. Raf's class was going to be in for quite the explosion. 'I know we can't use magic, but that doesn't mean I won't make sure Raf gets the best grade there is.' She wanted to make his volcano stand out.
Bulkhead's arms fell, and he looked a little concerned, "Mixture? Oh… I don't think I'll be of much help then. That is more of Ratchet's type of thing. I'm not~"
Jacqueline grabbed his hand and pulled him over, "Nonsense. Just help me set this stuff up."
Bulkhead's spark was pounding when Jacqueline grabbed his hand. 'S~she's so tiny compared to me.' His hand went numb, and he tightened his grip slightly as she pulled him towards the volcano. Sitting down next to Bumblebee and Raf, Bulkhead helped Jacqueline with making the mixture for the volcano. He didn't know what they were using, but the material smelled strange. To Bulkhead's relief, Jacqueline explained what they were doing with ease. As Bulkhead helped Jacqueline concoct the mixture, he didn't realize how much occamy egg dust he put into the beaker. When they poured the mixture into the volcano, Jacqueline noticed something seemed off by the sparks shooting out.
"Bulkhead… how much powder did you use?" She glanced at Bulkhead, who felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"Uh~half of the stuff from that container." Everyone stepped back as black smoke billowed out of the volcano. Nobody was prepared for the powerful explosion that left the entire base shaking. Jacqueline, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee were on the wrong side of the volcano when it exploded, and they were knocked off their feet. Raf thankfully just lost his balance and was saved from the powerful explosion.
Across the base, Ratchet's voice could be heard, "Decepticons!" He and Optimus came rushing over as they jumped to a false conclusion about the nature of the explosion.
Raf blew the smoke out of his face, "It's no attack, Ratchet, just my volcano." The miniature volcano deflated and started to melt through the empty crate it was on. "Uh~at least it was." Ratchet's eye twitched as he studied the volcano that caused the entire base to shake. Off to the side, he watched Jacqueline get off Bulkhead's chest. The explosion had knocked her flat onto the wrecker.
"Ugh~Sorry." Jacqueline got off Bulkhead, and she brushed the silver dust off her clothes. "You used too much of the occamy egg dust," Jacqueline explained without thinking. She bit her tongue and realized she'd mention the magical creature.
Bulkhead was embarrassed as he stood up, "I'm so dumb." He hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. "See, this is more of Ratchet's thing. I'm only good at breaking things."
Jacqueline elbowed Bulkhead's arm and smiled softly, "Don't feel bad. It was an accident. Besides, at least we got to see it in action."
"What… in the name of the Allspark is going on here!?" Ratchet demanded.
Jacqueline looked at Ratchet and Optimus, "Raf has a school project due tomorrow, so we were helping him get it finished. You know… since he has to be here all day."
Ratchet opened his mouth and attempted to come up with some answer, "I~well… you can't do this here. You're making a mess!" He closed his eyes and sighed, even he knew that was a weak excuse.
"But this project is a huge part of my grade," Raf said, "And my teacher is making us create a volcano, so if I don't do it, I won't get a good grade." Ratchet looked at Raf and started grumbling under his breath. It was hard for him to say no to a sparkling, especially since he was learning about the science of volcanoes.
Miko came down from the catwalk and leaned against a crate, "Ya, I mean it sucks, but he does have to do the project."
"Oh!?" Ratchet said dramatically, "And what would Bulkhead or Bumblebee know about Earth's volcanoes? We're not Earthlings, and they're not scientists."
Jacqueline crossed her arms, "And? You don't need to be a scientist to understand how a volcano works." Ratchet's comment made her a little angry because Bulkhead already felt stupid enough. She didn't need Ratchet chiming in, making this seem out of his field of knowledge.
Optimus looked at Jacqueline and recognized that she was trying to make Bulkhead feel smart, "Ratchet, would it hurt to learn more of Earth by helping our young friend with his school work?" The archivist inside Optimus was fascinated with Earth. The planet had a natural beauty that rivaled Cybertrons, and human culture was quite interesting to hear about.
Ratchet crossed his arms, "Well, maybe our 'young friends' should learn more of Cybertron."
To the side, Miko shrugged, "Does Cybertron even have volcanoes?"
"Well~no, but."
Miko rolled her eyes, "So you're getting on them about volcanoes, but your planet doesn't even have one?" Miko scoffed, "Ugh... muggles." She sat on a crate and put her earbuds back in, and tuned the world out.
Bumblebee scratched his head and leaned close to Bulkhead, "What's a muggle?"
Bulkhead's mouth opened and closed. She used that word before, but he didn't know what it meant, "No idea." Bulkhead glanced down at Jacqueline, who stood in front of Bumblebee and him. Both mechs felt their optics cloud over as they envisioned pulling this human into their chests.
Bumblebee's spark was pounding as he looked the femme over from behind, 'I never knew a human could look so pretty.' When they were blown back by the explosion, Jacqueline had been smashed between Bulkhead and him; At least for a few seconds, until Bulkhead decided to turn her over onto his chest. Speaking of the wrecker, Bulkhead scratched his chest and felt a numbing sensation spread across his body. He wanted to feel more of this femme stretched across his chiseled chest. Bumblebee wasn't faring any better as a unique smell crossed his nose. 'She has such a powerful scent.' Energon scouts had a superior sense of smell, and this femme's scent was making his dick harden.
To everyone's surprise, Ratchet and Optimus decided to help Raf with his project. They had to stop Ratchet from turning the volcano into a mad science experiment. The biggest shock for the Autobots was Optimus deciding to help. They half expected him to leave the room and focus on finding more energon deposits. Ratchet waved his hand as Bulkhead attempted to touch the volcano, "Yep~yep, no touching. Just watch."
Optimus was holding the history textbook Raf was given for his class. The Prime was curious about learning how horrific the events of Pompeii were for these humans. 'I can only envision what fear these early humans must have felt.' The thought of being wiped out by a cloud of smoldering volcanic ash would scare any mech.
Jacqueline watched Optimus flip through the history textbook and smiled, "So, Optimus, what do you think about human history so far?" He was obviously skimming the chapters.
Optimus glanced down at Jacqueline and smiled, "I must confess I do not know much about your species or your history."
Jacqueline gave a shy smile as she tried to not stare at Optimus, "I guess now is a better time than any. What are you reading about currently? Maybe I can explain something to you."
Optimus lifted the book, "I am finding it rather difficult to understand this so-called 'Salem Witch Trials,' mentioned in this book."
Jacqueline's locked up, "The Salem Witch Trials?" She asked aloud. "Um~well… there was a time when muggl~I mean early European settlers were hunting for people they thought were witches."
Optimus raised a brow and nodded, "Yes, I have heard about witches from your kind. I do believe I saw some young children dressing up during this so-called Halloween you humans celebrate." From what Optimus remembers, witches wore big round hats and had green skin with crooked noses. At least that came up on the internet when he first searched the word.
"Anyways, people were hunting for witches because they used magic. They believed that it was evil and anyone who used it was worshiping the devil… or some nonsense like that."
"Magic?" Optimus thought about the word and remembered instantly what it was, "Ah~yes~forgive me, my knowledge of human words is not exceptionally well. Did humans actually believe in magic?" Optimus has seen many things in his life, but he could firmly state he didn't believe that magic existed. The idea behind it was fascinating to hear, but it was just childish imagination for humans.
Jacqueline looked slightly offended by his question, "Yes, magic was believed to exist throughout human history. B~but it's not real." She looked away and seemed glum, "That was just… early humans believing in hogwash." The irony of the situation fell hard on Jacqueline's shoulders as she spoke with Optimus, 'Of all conversations, we just had to talk about magic. I hope Optimus doesn't think witches are green and have crooked noses.' There was a common misconception that a hag was a witch. The Wizard of Oz was not particularly favored by wizardkind.
Optimus noticed Jacqueline seemed quiet, "Are you alright, Miss Darby?"
Jacqueline looked back, "Hm? Oh~yes, that explosion from earlier just rattled me, that's all. And I told you, you can just call me Jacqueline." She wasn't too keen on being overly formal about her name.
Optimus nodded, "My apologies." As he looked her over, Optimus's hand felt as if it were burning up. The former archivist smiled as he watched Jacqueline go back to helping Young Rafael with his project. There wasn't much for Optimus to do besides watch. A part of his spark desperately wanted to help this sparkling with his work, but he did not want to be a nuisance. 'I suppose Young Rafael has all the help he will require for the evening.' Closing the history textbook, Optimus silently started to walk away. He was going to scout for more energon deposits.
Optimus did not get far before a small finger tapped his shoulder, "Optimus, where are you going?" Jacqueline looked confused by his sudden departure. "I thought you wanted to help Raf with his project."
"I believe my services aren't necessarily required. It appears that Young Rafael is well taken care of by the rest of you."
Jacqueline gave a little laugh as she looked over her shoulder, "I think you mean just Ratchet. He's hardly letting Raf work on his own project." She turned back to Optimus, "Uh… besides that… there was something I wanted to ask you, or perhaps Ratchet, but I think he might just brush me off."
"Yes?" Optimus was curious about what she wanted to ask him.
"Since you want to watch over us, you wouldn't mind if I learned more about you, right? I've hardly spoken with you as it is."
Optimus stared blindly at the human. He wasn't much of a social mech like he used to be, but he understood why Jacqueline wanted to know more about him. It was his decision, after all, to take them under Autobot's protection. At the very least, she deserved to know a bit about him. "I suppose you deserve to know as much; since you are now under our protection."
Jacqueline smiled, "Okay… um… I didn't honestly think you'd be down to talk with me. I guess we could do a few ice breakers."
Prime raised a brow, "Ice breakers? I am unfamiliar with this phrase." Did she want them to go break some ice?
She giggled lightly at Optimus's question, "An ice breaker is just a phrase humans use. You basically just start asking general questions about the person and 'break the ice.'" Optimus nodded slowly but still seemed confused, "Um~for example. What do you do for a hobby?"
"A hobby?" Optimus went silent. When was the last time he had a moment to focus on himself? "I do not have one."
Jacqueline looked concerned, "No hobby? Alright. What type of music do you enjoy listening to?" She hoped these questions weren't too personal for him. Optimus gave off the sense that he wasn't social.
"I have little time to listen to music." Came his immediate response. Optimus was uncomfortable with these questions. It had been so long since he's had a conversation about such simple topics. However, Optimus attempted to mention something about himself, "I am not entirely certain what instrument it is that you humans use, but I have heard rather calming notes from your own species." He hoped that made sense.
Jacqueline thought about his statement, "What does the instrument look like? I might be able to tell you what it is."
Optimus attempted to dig into his processor, "It is black with many inputs for notes stretched across a non-virtual interface."
Jacqueline raised a brow, "Uh… what?"
"There are a series of white and black bars laid out that you humans press down on to create the music from this instrument." Optimus awkwardly raised his hands to mimic what he saw a human do once.
A lightbulb went off above Jacqueline's head, "Oh! You're talking about a piano." She covered her blushing cheeks. She felt embarrassed for not realizing what he was talking about sooner. "I also love the piano. I mean, I've only had a few lessons personally at my old school, but I'm no master at it. Though my father did teach me how to play the harmonica." Jacqueline made a motion with her hand, signaling him to continue, "Now you ask me a question."
Optimus felt his processor go into overdrive. What could he possibly ask her? There were millions of potential questions with an exponential number of answers. What if he oversteps and asks something too personal? "What is your favorite color?" He asked awkwardly. Optimus wanted to hit himself over the helm for asking such a pointless question. He had heard other humans ask this question, but he never understood why it was of any importance.
"Blue," Jacqueline said. Optimus continued to have a blank expression on his face, but she could tell he seemed lost. "Optimus, the point of this is to ask me anything. That includes simple questions. You're trying to get to know me. Just as I'm trying to get to know you. Now… what is your favorite color?" She asked with a comforting smile.
Optimus thought about the question, "I have never particularly given such thought to a preference of color, but I suppose blue is a rather comforting color."
"You don't say," Jacqueline motioned her eyes to his hair, 'Is his hair naturally blue and white?' Optimus's hair made him stand out, but strangely, Jacqueline wasn't bothered by his hair color. A small part of her wanted to touch his hair and see if it felt as soft and clean as it appeared.
For the next few minutes, Jacqueline spoke with Optimus about superficial topics; however, it was apparent to the witch that Optimus wasn't used to talking about himself. As Optimus became comfortable, he decided to ask a general question about humans that had always left him confused, "Is it true that human females only take on a single sparkmate?"
Jacqueline tilted her head, "A sparkmate? I don't know what that is."
"Humans, if I recall, designate them as their husband."
Jacqueline was confused by Optimus's question. She started to stutter, "Y~yes. Humans only marry one other person. Don't you?"
Optimus shook his head, "For mechs, yes. Female cybertronians make up a small percentage of Cybertron. However, femme are expected to have more than one sparkmate. It is natural for our species to share a sparkmate." He stated, "Do femme, such as yourself, truly not take multiple sparkmates?"
Jacqueline's eyes widened, and her cheeks started to heat up, "I~uh~well…" She cleared her throat as she became embarrassed, "In the United States, no, it's usually frowned upon." Optimus seemed shocked to hear this, "For humans, that is called polygamy. I'm a little confused. Do you have more than one wife?"
"Cybertronian men only take on a single sparkmate and are expected to share our sparkmate with anyone our femme decided to merge her spark with." Optimus long believed in his youth that he would share a sparkmate with Megatronus, but that was before he became a Decepticon. Megatron made it clear that he would never share his spark with Elita-One; he believed her to be a manipulative femme. Unbeknownst to Optimus, Megatron, at one point, thought Orion and him would have the same sparkmate. He had even hoped for it.
Jacqueline was becoming flustered by her conversation with Optimus, "I think that is called polyandry for humans. When a woman has multiple hus~I mean sparkmates."
Optimus frowned ever so slightly, "Does your species truly frown on such a concept?"
She slowly nodded, "Within the eyes of the state, it is believed you cannot love more than one person." For wizards, their kind understood that love was an incomprehensible force. Especially when it pertained to magic. Polygamy was not necessarily frowned upon by wizards, but it was not looked on either.
"A femme is capable of great compassion," That was how Primus created them, "Their sparks are created to be bound to her sparkmates, are they not? Does your own spark not yearn for multiple mates to protect you?" Optimus was growing slightly concerned with Jacqueline as her cheeks turned red. He realized he was making her embarrassed. "Forgive me. I should not question the nature of human bonding or your sparkmate."
"My sparkmate?" She repeated slowly. Jacqueline quickly shook her head, "N~no, I don't have a husband. Hell, I've only been in one relationship~if you could even call it that." She shivered as she remembered her previous 'boyfriend.' Jacqueline felt violated by him using amortentia on her for a month. "I guess you could say I had a boyfriend, but things didn't work out. It's a long and very complicated story." One that Jacqueline could never tell him because he was a muggle.
Optimus bit the corner of his tongue to keep himself from probing Jacqueline's past. But a part of him strangely wanted to understand why a mech would allow such a pretty femme to escape from their servos. From his brief interaction with her, Jacqueline did not come off as an aggressive or angry femme. Nor did he get a feeling of manipulation from her like Elita. If anything, Jacqueline seemed somewhat reserved, much like himself, but she was willing to step out of her comfort zone and befriend new people. But… Optimus could tell she was hiding something. There was something more about her from his interaction with Agent Fowler, but he had yet to figure it out. "You are unbonded?" There was a powerful itching sensation in his processor; he had a powerful desire to know.
Jacqueline shrugged, "I never really had time for a relationship, I guess. I was also so focused on my school work I hardly noticed anyone. There were a few boys I guess you could say I had crushes on growing up, but those embers died out long ago." She rolled her eyes as she thought about her past, "They were too… immature, I suppose. And a few other reasons I'd rather not get into." Jacqueline was terrified of ever falling in love with a muggle. She knew she could never keep something like magic a secret from someone she claimed to love, but her fear was they'd run away. Jacqueline had heard plenty of stories of muggles attacking or running away from wizards after being shown magic. What witch in their right mind wouldn't be horrified by the prospect of being rejected by someone who claimed to love them? In addition to her blood status, Jacqueline felt like an outcast in both worlds.
Optimus had to restrain himself from probing Jacqueline, 'Perhaps I was too invading with my question.' Even he wouldn't have given such information about his previous relationship with Elita to someone he'd just met.
Jacqueline looked over her shoulder, "I should probably let you get back to whatever you needed to do. Thanks for talking with me." She quickly turned and walked over towards Miko.
Optimus stood there confused by Jacqueline's sudden departure. A part of him wanted to continue with their pleasant conversation, but she was correct. He did have other responsibilities that needed attending. Nevertheless, he felt a knot form in his gut as she left. It has been too long since he was able to unwind and speak like a regular mech.
(Later)
Miko twirled her thumbs, "So what was going on between you and big blue?" She was leaning against the railing with Jacqueline beside her. The other bots were busy doing other tasks, and Raf was working on the written paper for his project.
"Big Blue? Miko, his name is Optimus." Jacqueline stated.
Miko shrugged, "Ooh~no need to get so defensive."
"I'm not defensive. You should just call people by their names." Came Jacqueline's rebuttal.
"So when things go off between you two, do you mind telling me all the details?" Miko almost toppled to the floor laughing when she saw the shocked look on Jacqueline's face.
"What are you talking about!?" She nearly shouted. Not wanting to sound crazy, she started speaking in a hushed voice, "I was just talking to him, nothing romantic."
Miko laughed, "Please." She waved her hand, "You were obviously checking him out."
Jacqueline glared at Miko, "Why am I your friend again?"
"Because I'm awesome. I thought we established that?" Miko gave a cheeky smirk. "Any~who… how's that new job going for you? If I worked at an apothecary, I'd probably blow the place up."
Jacqueline shrugged, "It's not bad, I guess. Mister Livingstons is actually a surprisingly understanding boss." She covered her face in embarrassment, "My second day, I accidentally brewed a potion incorrectly and created a giant blob. It nearly destroyed his shop." Jacqueline was confident she'd be fired. However, her boss was very understanding and expected her to make a mistake sooner or later.
"Did he fire you?" Miko looked concerned.
"No. He told me that he makes mistakes all the time when it comes to potion-making and that he didn't expect me to be perfect. He's just grateful I learned from my mistake." It was Livingston's belief that to be a renowned potioneer, one must be willing to make hundreds of mistakes. Jacqueline sighed, "At least I was able to fix his shop with the reparo spell."
Miko looked around, making sure none of the Autobots heard them talk, "I'm guessing you're pretty good at charms if you can fix his entire shop. I think transfiguration is a better subject, but whatever."
Jacqueline glanced at Miko, "Are you good at transfiguration?"
Miko twirled her fingers, "I'm… decent enough. My parents are so lame!" She groaned at the thought of them, "Stand up straight, speak properly… hell… they wouldn't even let me cast any form of transfiguration spells around them. They think it is a dingy and 'unlady-like' subject." Her father once yelled at her for attempting to transform into an animal. He firmly believed human-animal transfiguration was a pathetic excuse for magic that had no practical use.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I can't imagine what your parents are like." Jacqueline's relationship with her mother was the complete opposite. June is what some muggles call a helicopter mom. But she really tries not to be.
"You don't want to meet my parents," Miko stated, "If they ever found out I was speaking with a muggle-born, they'd kill me." And she meant it. "Now… it's the single life for me!" Her eyes shone with stars. Miko was free from her parents, and nothing was holding her back from embracing what she liked.
Jacqueline smiled at Miko's excitement, "If it makes you happy, then good for you." She held some pity for Miko and that she'll never have loving parents, but Jacqueline knew what pureblood families were like. They were highly toxic and, for most pureblood families, unloving.
"So when are you gonna get rid of your ball and chain?" Miko asked casually.
"I'm sorry?"
Miko motioned with her hand, signaling for Jacqueline to think about it, "Hello… helicopter mom? She's like all up in your business. Sure my parents are hardasses, but they weren't watching over me like a hawk."
Jacqueline frowned slightly, "She just cares, alright? My mother knows she has attachment issues, but can you blame her? After my father died, she was a wreck and swore she'd never let anything bad happen to me." Though Jacqueline knew there wasn't much June could do to protect her.
Miko felt as if she crossed a line, "I didn't mean to make it personal. I'm just saying your Mom is like a major control freak."
"I'm aware, thank you." she nodded, "The whole reason she let me stay at Hogwarts for all these years was so she wasn't watching over me like a hawk. I know she'll never stop loving me, but she's just terrified she'll lose me like my Father in some way." Jacqueline never told anyone this before, but June blames herself for her Father's passing. She was supposed to have the day off with her father but got called into the hospital. When June returned home, she learned the horrible news her husband died in a car accident when he took their second car. June blamed herself for not staying home and believed her husband wouldn't have left that morning if she hadn't.
Jacqueline and Miko went silent and just looked over the railing. Both witches had difficult situations with their families. Miko glanced over at Bulkhead who was lifting some empty energon crates, "Can I ask you a hypothetical question? And don't go freaking out on me." Jaclyn nodded, "What exactly would it take for you to allow us to tell them about… you know what?"
Jacqueline took a deep breath, "I want to tell them just as much as you, okay?" A part of Jacqueline wanted to see the look of shock on their faces if they witnessed magic. "I feel terrible for keeping it a secret, especially since they were so open about their existence to us." She spoke in a hushed voice, just in case someone was listening in, "But hypothetically… the only way we could really show them is if we used magic to protect ourselves or them." The only exception to the statute of secrecy was magic may be used before muggles in life-threatening situations.
Miko stared at her, "Then I hope we can show them soon enough." She raised her hand, stopping Jacqueline from giving her a lecture, "I'm not gonna do anything to put us in harm. I was just asking… you really need to take a chill pill."
(Later)
Jacqueline was currently sitting in the front seat of Bumblebee's car, looking silently at the empty streets of Jasper, "Thank you for driving me home, Bee." She turned to the Autobot in the driver seat, "Y~you're fine if I call you that, right?"
Bumblebee nodded. Although she couldn't see his mouth, Jacqueline could make out the indentation of a smile, "Of course! I don't mind." Most called him Bee anyways. Besides, perhaps Optimus or Ratchet.
Jacqueline mimicked Bumblebee's smile, 'This really is the first time I have been alone with him.' Just as Arcee said this afternoon, he wouldn't be driving her home, so Bumblebee decided to take her back. He dropped off Raf first since he wanted him home before it got too late. Jacqueline shifted in her seat as she stared down the road, 'I feel like such a burden on them. They are picking us up and dropping us off every day… I could just apparate home.' She loathed feeling like a burden on someone else. The Autobots clearly had far more important things to do than take them home.
"Are you alright?" Bumblebee asked cautiously, "You seem pretty quiet over there." The scout was trying to keep his composure as he drove. From the moment Jacqueline got into his transformer, his spark was pounding. Bee can admittedly say he found Jacqueline to be beautiful. Unlike some femme he'd seen, she didn't cake her face with make-up and carried herself with a gentle but firm grace. From what Arcee told him, Jacqueline wasn't afraid to talk back if you annoyed her. Arcee apparently crossed a line when he was in her garage, but that was all Bumblebee knew.
Jacqueline turned to Bee, "I'm… fine."
"You hesitated there for a nano-click." Bumblebee grew nervous. Did he do something wrong!? Primus, was the seat too hot? Did she want to listen to music? Or was she someone who enjoyed long talks?
"If I'm completely honest… I… I feel bad that you guys have to drive us back and forth from your base."
Bee's eyes widened, 'She's upset over that?' A weight was lifted off his shoulders, "We don't mind. At least I don't. It's fun riding with you humans."
Jacqueline shifted, "Still. You're all are very busy, and I think you have more important things to do than chauffeur us around." She desperately wanted to tell him that she could apparate and the Autobots wouldn't have to worry about getting them home or picking them up. The ground bridge used a lot of energon and was only to be used for missions. They couldn't keep turning it on to bring them home.
Bumblebee's stomach felt knotted up, "It's good. Besides, you three are the most exciting thing to happen at the base since I came to Earth. Most days, we're just cooped up and not allowed out unless we're on patrol." Which wasn't as often as the humans thought.
'That actually does make me feel a little less guilty.' She thought, "So, Raf was telling me that you are a scout for the Autobots. But you want to make warrior class?" Jacqueline raised a brow.
Bumblebee grew excited, "You bet! A scout is fun and all, but being designated as a warrior is a great honor." Optimus was the only person who could bestow such a title onto a mech. That or Ultra Magnus. Bumblebee's shoulders dropped slightly, "But I've got ways to go apparently."
Jacqueline smiled at Bumblebee. He was wearing his usual solid black suit, "I wish you the best of luck then. If it is hard to make warrior class, then I guess that just makes it more satisfying once you get it."
Bumblebee pulled up to Jacqueline's house, 'Huh? What's that smell?' There was a sweet scent that had his nose tingling. The smell was coming from Jacqueline's home, and it smelled similar to the woman beside him. "Here we are. Arcee is picking you up tomorrow as usual."
Jacqueline groaned, "Don't remind me. He's been giving me the cold shoulder ever since we met. Is he always so passive-aggressive?"
Bumblebee blinked and tried to process what Jacqueline was telling him. That did not sound anything like Arcee. While he was an aft when meeting new people, Arcee typically warms up within a few cycles. Jacqueline had been remarkably kind at their base, so he failed to see what Arcee had against her. "I'm sorry about that. Arcee wasn't too fond of me when we first met." Bumblebee gave a nervous laugh. He was there when they saved Arcee from Arachnid, and Arcee blamed himself for losing his partner. The mech also was very aggressive to anyone who came close to him. Bumblebee, unfortunately, made the mistake of saying Tailgate's name, and Arcee tackled him to the ground. "Just give him a few more cycles. I'm sure he'll get used to you."
"Get used to me?" Jacqueline sighed, "I'd better get going. Thanks again for the ride, Bee." She got out and looked back, "Part of me wishes I got paired with either you or Bulkhead. At least both of you are fun to talk to." With that final statement, Jacqueline went into her house.
Bumblebee was smiling behind his mask as he drove off, 'What's Arcee got against this femme? Eh~who knows… If he hates her so much, maybe he won't mind me picking her up tomorrow.' It was no problem for him if he had to watch over Raf and Jacqueline.
