Gift

Crystal/Thundercracker

(Story: Never Saw It Coming)

Crystal walked through the shopping centre, it was a rare occurrence that she was 'set free' like this. Even when everyone went on missions she was told to stay at base, so it was nice to be around other who weren't thirty-foot-tall and could easily squish you without a second thought. She happily walked through the crowds enjoying the hustle and bustle of people meeting friends, deciding on which stores to visit and so forth. She browsed through a couple of shop windows, bought a few new outfits but the one thing she aimed to get was a gift. Not just any gift though, this had to be special as she was giving it to Thundercracker. Though…what do you get a thirty foot transforming robot? Even the largest thing for a human would be considered tiny. She knew that he wouldn't care that they'd already been together for a year but she wanted to get him something, anything. The problem was, she didn't know what. A picture frame? No, one look at that and Skywarp would never let him live it down. Something for his jet mode? Yeah right, like she could go up to the military and say, 'I'm looking for a gift for a fighter jet who also happens to be a Decepticon.' She'd be arrested on the spot. She sighed why is this so hard? She thought to herself frustrated. She looked at her watch, she only had ten minutes before she was picked up and she didn't want to be late, she could just imagine the screams and panic as the three jets looked for her because she was late. Everything she could think of though was either too goofy, too lame or would get the poor mech laughed the life out of. And they say buying for men is hard, they have no idea how easy they have it. She thought dejected.

Thundercracker sat waiting in his alt mode for Crystal to arrive. She was five minutes late but he wasn't worried, this was the first time she had human contact in just over a year it was only natural that she'd want to stretch it out as much as possible but if she wasn't back in fifteen minutes he was going to go look for her whether she liked it or not.

He still after all this time could not believe that he had fallen for her. How it happened he didn't know, one minute he was trying to get information out of her the next he'd fallen in love with her. Her answer to Skywarp when asked why an 'Autobot loving human', as his trinemate had put it, would fall for him still amazed him. "You can't choose who you fall for."

"What are you thinking about?" a female voice asked bringing the blue mech out of his thoughts.

"You're late." He grumbled, annoyed at the fact that she was able to sneak up on him. If that was an Autobot he'd be dead already.

"Sorry, I had a last minute purchase and the traffic here was terrible." Crystal apologised as she climbed into his cockpit.

"What did you do, buy the place?" he remarked seeing the number of bags she had. She laughed and he couldn't help but smile inwardly, he loved it when she laughed.

"I only bought a few new outfits." She half lied.

"A few? I don't think I'll be able to get off the ground." He joked.

Thundercracker was starting to get worried. Ever since Crystal had her 'shopping spree' three days ago the female had become more and more distant from him. Almost like she was losing interest, he hoped that wasn't the case but lately he couldn't get a thing out of her. She sat in his quarters in what she had deemed 'her corner' and worked on something, he couldn't see what it was nor would she answer when he asked about it. Though the strangest thing was she seemed to be with Skywarp more than him and he was quite certain, no definitely certain that the black seeker couldn't stand humans. Could it be that he was making an exception in Crystal's case? Thundercracker lay on his berth and sighed as he stared up at the ceiling.

Hearing the sigh, the golden brown haired female looked over in concern. She looked at her 'project' then back at the blue mech giving a nod as she came to a decision and carefully put away her work before walking over to the saddened seeker. She climbed the human size ladder that had been installed on the side of the berth and gently crawled over to his head. "Thundercracker? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He muttered.

"I know something's up." She stood and kissed his cheek gaining a confused look from the mech. "any better?"

"That all depends." He replied.

"On what?"

"On whether you tell me why you'd been so distant lately. Are you planning on dumping me for Skywarp?" Crystal couldn't help it, she laughed much to Thundercracker's annoyance. "I don't see what's so funny." He said sitting up.

She smiled and walked over to him hugging his arm before looking up at him. "I could never replace you, Thundercracker, I love you."

"Then why have you been ignoring me and hanging around 'Warp?"

"I was making you a gift. To celebrate us being together for a year." Crystal explained "I wanted to surprise you that's why I was keeping to myself…and I was asking Skywarp's help in certain things."

Thundercracker smiled, he lifted her up and kissed her cheek. "You don't have to get me anything." He began.

"I know but…" she was silenced by the mech putting a finger on her lips.

"You're my gift, Crystal." He continued "everyday I'm thankful that you're still around, that you chose me instead of returning to the Autobots. Primus knows you've had a lot of chances to do that but you always return to me and I am truly grateful for that."

Crystal removed his finger from her mouth. "I'd never leave you, Thundercracker. I love you too much."

"And I love you. Though if you want to give me a gift continue to be around me, laugh and smile and just be you. That's the best gift you could ever give me."

(END)