Hey there once again! There are some elements in this chapter regarding Delphine's reason as to why many don't know she's a techno-organic. This should unearth itself in later chapters. I hope you enjoy! :) P.S. Don't hesitate to ask me any questions, but if it's part of the plot to keep it a mystery, I can't tell you. :)
Disclaimer: Transformers does not belong to me.
It had been a very morose early morning.
Hot Rod had led Delphine to her room by seven o'clock, where she had fallen quickly into dreams filled with dying transformers and war-torn landscapes.
Kup had taken Daniel to the room next door, before leaving for a recharge that was severely needed.
Hot Rod had decided to recharge as well, but not before tucking Delphine into her new bed and securing her luggage near the closet. She had muttered a 'thank you' to him before falling asleep.
Delphine emerged from her room nearly eight hours later, wearing black sneakers and a dark purple long-sleeved jumpsuit with a wide black belt. She didn't wear much makeup, just some eyeliner and mascara around her icy eyes. When living with transformers, flexible clothes and sturdy shoes were best. The playsuit allowed her easy movement. She retraced her steps through the large halls back to the main entrance area.
She felt better than earlier. Despite her grief at the loss of her adopted father and several comrades, she knew there wasn't much she could do. Ratchet wasn't around to help anymore.
She had just emerged from the hallway when she spotted two different Autobots on the other side of the large cavernous area; she recognized the familiar red and yellow paintjobs.
"Sunny! Sides!" she called, cupping her fingers so her voice could travel farther.
The two Autobots immediately stopped conversing and turned to look at her.
Sideswipe's optics widened a fraction. He turned to Sunstreaker. "Is that who I think it is?"
"I think so…" Sunstreaker agreed, dumbstruck.
Delphine ran over. "Oh, guys, you're okay!"
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe met her halfway. When they got to her, Sunstreaker picked her up under the arms like a toddler, examining her.
"What's he doing?" she asked Sideswipe.
He chuckled, "He's checking to make sure you're you."
She grinned. "Aw, did you miss me that much? Come here," she outstretched her arms toward him, "let me ruin your paintjob."
Sunstreaker guffawed and set her down. "Yeah, definitely her."
Sideswipe burst into laughter, then picked Delphine up and settled her on his shoulder. "We've missed you, little femme."
"As I have you." She replied sincerely, wrapping her arms around Sideswipe's neck as much as she could.
The moment was interrupted by her stomach growling.
"Aw, slag." She moaned, retracting her arms.
"Hungry?" Sunstreaker asked, grinning.
"Your color reminds me of an omelet. That's why." Delphine responded, smiling as the twins headed towards what she hoped was the eating area in the whole facility.
"See, Sunny? You're delicious." Sideswipe teased as they entered the kitchen area that had been suited for Spike and Daniel years ago.
"Shut up, Sides." Was the half-hearted response.
Hot Rod woke up from his recharge at around five o'clock in the afternoon. He felt better strength wise as he exited his room, hoping to find Delphine and check up on her.
He really took a liking to her. Despite the awful circumstances they had been brought together under, he felt that they had connected generally well on the trip to Autobot City. The only thing that confused him was her appearance. Why did she seem so young?
Arcee had willingly taken Daniel as a temporary charge while Spike had been working on one of the moons of Cybertron.
Perhaps, he contemplated, she could be his charge? He felt he should watch over her, as a favor to the late Prime.
"Hot Rod, do you read me?" came Ultra Magnus' voice through his COMM link.
"Yes, Ultra Magnus, I'm awake." Hot Rod replied, walking down the hall towards the human quarters in the half-damaged base. "Actually, I was planning on asking you something."
"Ask away, Hot Rod." Ultra Magnus said kindly. "Is it about Delphine?"
Hot Rod was surprised. "Well, yes. I was wondering…um-"
"Yes?"
"Does…has she been assigned a guardian?" Why were his circuits all twisted asking the question?
It was Ultra Magnus' turn to be surprised. "No, I haven't assigned her a guardian. Are you interested in the position?"
If Ultra Magnus were watching Hot Rod at the time, he would've sworn he'd seen him jump slightly at his response.
"Is that alright?"
"Sure it's alright." Ultra Magnus replied. He probably would have preferred the younger Autobot watching over the energetic female human anyway. Kup was too busy to be running after younglings.
"Oh, thanks Ultra Magnus. What is it you would like me to do?" Hot Rod asked, referring to the reason Ultra Magnus had contacted him in the first place.
"I was just checking up on you. Kup told me what happened yesterday."
"I'm fine, thank you for asking." Hot Rod lied, laughing it off lightly.
Ultra Magnus wasn't sure on the other end of the line, but he didn't pursue the issue. "Alright. Optimus would have appreciated that your offer to watch over her. I'll see you soon. Ultra Magnus out." And the COMM link went dead.
Hot Rod paused. He knew that if he was going to be the girl's guardian, there should be no secrets between them.
The guilt was definitely taking a toll on him, spark and all.
He was going to talk to her. About everything.
He sighed to the empty hallway. Things were so different then they were a few days ago.
"I could really use some energon."
It was around six o'clock when Delphine had retreated to her room to rest a little. The eight hours she had slept still energized her, but she figured too much excitement at seeing the twins would overpower her system. So she opted to sit in her designated room for an hour, at most.
At six thirty she was surprised when there was a light knocking on her automatic door.
"Who is it?" she asked while lying on her stomach on the fluffy bed in the room.
"It's Hot Rod, can I come in?"
Delphine smiled. "Sure, come in."
The large automatic door slid open, allowing Hot Rod access to Delphine's room.
She noticed he seemed nervous. She sat up, crossing her legs together on the bed.
"What's up, Hot Rod?"
He came up to the end of the bed and sat down, rubbing the back of his head. "I have some news to tell you." He said tentatively. He didn't like what he was going to talk about at all.
"What is it?" she asked, all of a sudden alert. She stood on her knees. "Decepticons?"
"No, no, that's not it," Hot Rod reassured her, pushing her shoulders back gently so she was sitting again on the bed. "It's just, I've been assigned as your guardian."
He was surprised when her face lit up. "Really? That's great! I hope you don't mind." She added, smiling up at him. She liked the idea.
He did, too. But that wasn't going to stop him from continuing the purpose of the visit.
"Well," he rubbed the back of his neck again while looking at the carpet. "I believe, since you're my charge, that we shouldn't keep anything from each other." He looked up to see her nodding in agreement to his statement.
"That sounds perfectly fair." She replied, looking up at his faceplate.
"I-I have something to admit to, Delphine." He looked at her again with sorrowful optics. "It isn't nice."
She surprised him by taking one of his fingers and pulling his hand between hers. "What is it, Hot Rod?" she asked concernedly.
He felt even worse then.
"Just tell me." She said firmly, trying to usher him along.
"The day Prime was attacked by Megatron," he felt her flinch, "it was all my fault. Optimus had his weapon and Megatron was reaching for his. I attacked Megatron. Optimus wouldn't shoot because I was in range…h-he…"
He looked up to her small face, fully attentive on his, expressionless.
"Megatron…took the opportunity and shot him multiple times." Hot Rod pulled his hand away. He felt ashamed. Telling her had lightened the weight of the guilt, but he only felt even more ashamed for feeling better because it was off his chest.
"It's my fault…" he murmured again, covering his face with the hand he had pulled away from Delphine.
"Hot Rod, let me ask you some questions."
"Yes, ask anything you want." He murmured again behind his hand.
"And if you say yes to any of them, then I'll be pissed with you."
He looked up, surprised at her reaction.
She held her legs and rocked back and forth on the bed, a knowing look on her face.
"Did you purposely attack Megatron in order to give favor to the Decepticons?"
"No."
"Did you want Optimus to die?"
"No! Off course not."
She leaned forward, both her arms supporting her weight as she leaned towards him.
"Did you make Megatron shoot Optimus multiple times?"
"No."
"Are you a Decepticon spy?"
"No!"
"Are you intending to switch sides to the Decepticons anytime soon?"
"Slag no!"
"Then you're entirely innocent."
He gazed at this tiny human, completely in awe as a result of her response.
"How can you forgive me so easily?" he asked softly.
She leaned back on the bed now that the intense discussion was cooling a bit. "You did nothing that requires me to forgive you for your actions. It was an unlucky situation," her facial expression saddened. "Shit happens."
She really didn't think that he was at fault. Rather, looking into his guilt-ridden optics, she felt a rush of sympathy for him.
Hot Rod, looking at her sincere expression, finally released the weight off of his spark. He felt much better that he had told her. And how simply she had talked to him to make him feel this way!
"Thank you." He told her, offering her a smile. (A smile that she thought would melt any existing femme's spark).
"My pleasure." She returned, turning her head to check at the clock next to the bed. It was after seven. She turned back towards him.
"I have another question, if that's alright." He asked, his expression lighter than earlier.
"Sure, what?"
"Kup said that Optimus adopted you. How old where you then?"
"I was eighteen." Delphine answered, looking up at him.
His face twisted in confusion. "Really? I thought eighteen in America was when you became a legal adult."
"It is," Delphine replied, smiling up at him. "Optimus and I loved each other like family so much he decided he wanted to be my legal father anyway." She looked down at her shoes, smiling softly at the memory.
"Then, if you were eighteen then…shouldn't you…look older?" he asked tentatively.
When she didn't answer straight away, he hoped he hadn't insulted her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask, if it's surgical-"
"It's not a big deal, Hot Rod," she finally answered lightly, no evidence of anger or sadness in her voice. "My family before Optimus was known to age slowly in appearance. Plus there are so many scientifically engineered creams and cosmetics these days that allow you to look younger." She smiled. "I'm actually turning thirty nine this year."
He was surprised; he hadn't expected her to be that old.
"Oh."
"I look much younger, don't I?" she asked him, sighing. She looked up at him again when he nodded slightly. "Sometimes it feels like a curse."
Delphine felt bad; she just couldn't tell him she was a techno-organic. She didn't want to. For some reason, she'd tried keeping the secret away from as many transformers as possible. She thought they'd look at her in a different light.
A negative light.
There was silence until she thought of something to ask him.
"Apart from the twins and Kup, how many others are here, in Autobot City?" she asked, wondering who else had survived the earlier Decepticon attack.
Hot Rod tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well, there's Arcee, Ultra Magnus, Springer, Blurr, Perceptor." He thought a bit more, "and the Dinobots."
Delphine gasped. "The Dinobots are here? Really?" she laughed a little. "I'm sad that I don't know many of the Autobots you have mentioned to me. Other than the Dinobots, that is. They've stayed here with you, in Autobot City for a while?"
Hot Rod laughed. "Yes, although I'm surprised we've kept those bozos around without them completely destroying the place." He looked down at her. "Would you like to visit them?"
Her face lit up again. "Really? If that wouldn't be a problem…"
He shook his head. "No, not at all. I'm your guardian, so it's my job to make sure you're happy. So, shall I show you the way?"
"Why yes, master. Please lead the way." She replied teasingly, before slipping off of the bed.
He chuckled again before getting up from the sitting position he had been in at the foot of her bed.
She held her hand up and grabbed one of his fingers gently. Surprised, he looked down at her. Her eyes widened as well, but for another reason entirely. "Oh, cool! I couldn't reach Optimus' hand." She grinned sheepishly. "He had to carry me."
"O-Oh." He looked down at her hand clasping his, observing.
She looked up at him. "Is that okay? I mean, I'm a bit worried about getting lost in this huge place."
He laughed, nodding his head. "Yes, it's no problem."
Both of them exited the room that way, Hot Rod making his way towards the Dinobots' holding quarters completely on the other side of Autobot City.