I think I've got most of this day finally played out... I've still got a couple kinks to play out... and I really should do a 'What about Sam?' chapter here soon since we've seen hide nor hair of him since he told Will off over in chapter 25 of LIT-TIL... and chapter 7 of TRSL... So that'll probably be next...
Many thanks to Answerthecall and Shadow Kat for reviewing!
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers
Chapter 3: Talking
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"You shouldn't be reading that."
The girl flinched and looked up at Mikaela before closing the book. "I'm sorry..." she said lowering her gaze to the floor.
"So um... Samantha..."
"Yes?"
"So um... When's your birthday?"
"July 23rd."
"Hm... What's your favorite color?"
"Blue..." the girl blinked.
"What's your favorite food?"
"Pizza! With black olives, mushrooms and banana peppers!" the girl grinned.
"And your least favorite?"
"The tofurkey that Nora made last year. There are just something's that aren't meant to be. And that was one of them." The girl dead panned, earning a merry laugh out of Mikaela.
Ratchet listened closely to the two as Mikaela kept asking the girl questions, the two of them giggling. When Mikaela reached the twentieth in the long string of questions the girl's laughter stopped when Mikaela asked, "Samantha... would you tell me what happened to Uncle John?"
Sam looked away from her mother. The child said nothing for several minutes before replying... "Thank you for playing twenty questions with me mom... but I can't answer number twenty. I don't know the answer." And without another word she moved to front of Ratchet's cabin.
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The boy hadn't said a word for over two hours, and it was unnerving Ironhide and Eject alike.
:Eject... I'm worried about the boy."
:Oh good I though that I was the only one.: Eject replied. Dion flinched when Eject's speakers crackled and his voice came out, "Are you okay Dion?"
"..."
"Dion, talk to us." Ironhide's holoform said putting a hand on the boys head.
"It's my fault. Momma wouldn't have gotten hurt if I wasn't so stupid."
"Then you must take this as a lesson and learn from your mistakes." Ironhide said as the boy looked out the window to avoid eye contact.
"That still doesn't make me not stupid..."
"Dion you're not stupid. Everyone makes mistakes. Even me and ol' Ironhide. I used to drive my brothers insane with my own immaturity. I caused all sorts of trouble for my carrier and yet he always forgave me no matter how bad I screwed up."
"Well If you would have paid more attention to the comm lines and less to the lobbing tournaments I'm sure Blaster wouldn't have been so irritated half the time with you." Ironhide pointed out. "Remember when you deleted that important transmission from Cliffjumper and-"
"Er... It was an accident..." Eject cut him off, the radio sounding slightly embarrassed.
"You just got lucky that he sent it to your brother Rewind as well." Ironhide chuckled. "See kid even we make mistakes."
"... I suppose..." Dion said as he blinked over at him. "If only I could have not try decorating my side of the room like Nora's..."
"I do remember seeing a soccer ball mixed in with all of those trophies of hers..." Eject said thoughtfully. "I take it you like bowling huh?"
"I did..." the boy sighed again as he slowly began to withdraw back into his shell.
"So what is your best score?"
"Um..."
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Nora was absently rapping her fingernails on Jazz's doorframe, thinking over the multitude of questions that were running through her head. When Mikaela had told her about the Autobots she had given her the bare minimum in way of information. The news of the twin's giving off an odd energy signature hadn't settled well with her, making her worry not just for Miki but Sam and Dion as well.
"Um... Lil lady could ya stop tha'? It's kind distractin" Jazz said bringing her out of her thoughts.
Nora blinked and glanced over at the radio. "Sorry..." she said before putting her hand in her lap. Several minutes passed before she broke the silence. "Say Jazz... is there a reason you had the twins split up?"
"Wha' ya mean?"
"Don't you play coy with me, yeah I may be a space cadet half the time, but even I cn tell when someone's hiding something from me. You guys split Dion and Sam for a reason didn't you?"
"...Yeah."
"Has it anything to do with that odd energy?"
"Yep."
"..." Nora frowned as she thought it over when a errant memory strayed through her thoughts...
"..Sam still had the energy in him. He was seeing the symbols of the language the Allspark had held in his head. But one day about three months later he stopped seeing them." Mikaela sighed as she looked down into her tea. "The energy had left him for a more suitable host."
Ejects eyes widened... "You." his voice barely a whisper.
"Not quite." Mikaela said with a sad smile.
"The Allspark..." it was barely above a whisper but Jazz heard it all the same. He jerked slightly comfirming her growing suspicions... "You mean that they are reading as that Allspark doohickey?! So then that's how they brought my kindle to life isn't it?!"
"Erm... Ah thin' so..."
"So then the reason you split them up...?"
"The signature is stronger when they're togetha."
"I see..." Nora said quietly. She bit her lower lip as the worry began to turmoil in her again. "It... It won't hurt them right?"
I wish I could tell you no, but not even I am sure of the answer to that... Jazz thought but didn't voice as he remained silent to avoid the question. The girl stared at his radio for several minutes before letting out a soft sigh before gazing out the window.
"I am so screwed the next time I get to talk to Miki..." Nora muttered.
"Ya know you don't havta tell 'er 'bout the twins... Ah'm sure that Prime or Ratchet will fill Mikaela in on thier situation." Jazz tried to reassure her.
Nora shook her head, "Well... that'll be one less thing I have to tell her... But what I'm more afraid of her questioning me."
"Just answer her truthfully."
Nora stared dubiously at the radio. "She keeps trying to ask what happened to the rest of our family. I don't think handing her a big helping of grief is going to help her memories come back any faster."
Jazz thought it over for several minutes before saying, "You're right... It would probly make 'er retreat even fartha..."
"And worse, I'm afraid that she'll make the kids tell her what little they do know... I'm just grateful they don't remember my father."
"What happened to 'im?"
Nora bit her lip. "He was killed in a car accident. Some dumbass thought it fun to go on a drinking binge and crossed the meridian, hitting him head on. I was twelve when it happened."
"Ah'm sorry..." Jazz said quietly his tone somber.
"Yeah well shit happens is what they say right? Nana used to say that if it wasn't for bad luck our family wouldn't have any at all. I think out of all of the death notices I'll have to tell Miki about Nana Jade's is the most peaceful. She passed away in her sleep two years ago."
"And the others?"
Nora took a deep breath. "Well as you remember I told the doc that my sister Vanessa died ten years ago right? She was killed in the crossfires of an inner city gang fight in L.A. She had been delivering food to some of the homeless in the slums near the church where she was stationed, and because she was deaf, she never even heard it coming. And as for Miki's dad well... I barely remember the gist of it... I believe they said it was arson or something..." she said trailing off.
A arm wrapped itself around her shoulder as he hugged her gently. "Ah'm sorry... I didn't mean ta stir up bad memories..."
"You didn't... They've been on my mind constantly when I realized she's going to ask me what happened to them." Nora said glancing up as the base came into view. "Goodie we're almost there..." she glanced over to his smirk and poked his arm over her shoulder. "You might wanna remove your hand other wise you might piss your boyfriend off."
Jazz sputtered as he removed the arm and stared at her his holoform's eyes wide behind their sunglasses. "... How in the pit did you know I had a 'boyfriend'?"
Nora grinned. "It's in the vibes I get off you... plus it's tell tale in the way your holoform walks, also you remind me of a few of my friends from school. Also you're the one that just confirmed it... I was only playing with ya." she snickered as they passed through the gates to the compound.
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Optimus was waiting in the main hanger his arms crossed as his TIC, his CMO, and his Weapon's Specialist pulled in. The four mechs had been ignoring their comms since the night before, and after discovering Ratchet was MIA after what had happened earlier that day... Prime was not a happy mech to say the least. He stared down at the young tan skinned woman who was currently exiting Jazz's Altmode as she walked over to Ironhide to the boy who jumped out.
"Wow! You're huge! What's your name?!" he stared up in awe at Optimus who smiled and knelt down.
"I am Optimus Prime.. and who might you be?"
"I'm Dion!" the raven haired boy grinned broadly.
Optimus chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. He glanced over at to Ratchet as a girl stepped out and walked over to join the other two humans. "You don't have to shout Dion..." she grumbled sleepily... which prompted a spat among the two of them.
Optimus glanced over at Ironhide who groaned at their antics. The young woman sighed and pulled them on opposite sides of herself. "Knock it off you two." she said before smiling up at him. "Hello Optimus... My name is Nora Swift and these two are my cousin's Dion and Samantha Banes. I'm sure you're acquainted with their mother, Mikaela. I'm sure she'd say hi right now if Ratchet hadn't already confiscated her..."
Prime glanced up to notice that Ratchet had managed to sneak away while the children and the young woman had distracted him... "It is a pleasure to meet you Ms. Swift." He glanced over at Ironhide and Jazz. :I believe you two have some explaining to do.:
