Chapter 5: Better Friends

All Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. I own nothing but my OCs (Zettabyte, Sasha, Adalia, Colette, Sasha's family, etc.). I just made up the name for some of the unnamed characters (Miko's host parents (Nora and Patrick), Sierra's friend (Isabella), M.E.C.H. soldiers, etc.). If you have not seen The Gift or Shutter, be warned that this chapter has some mild spoilers for the movie. I also don't own any songs displayed in my fics either. The same goes with food brands/brand names (candy, cereal, cookies, etc.). Don't like it, hit the back button. For everyone else, enjoy.

Inside door-Door in the house that leads to the Morgan garage ~Ha~-singing

*Ha*-Reading aloud

Third Person Perspective

Sunlight spilled into the house through the closed lacey, cream colored curtains as dawn turned into morning. All was quiet in the Morgan house. Upstairs in her room, Sasha slept soundly, hugging her black pillow case covered, bamboo fabric pillow to her head. She was faced away from her window which was bright with the sun's rays. Everything was calm until her phone alarm went off and Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life" began to play.

~Wake me up!~

~Wake me up inside!~

~I can't wake up!~

~Save me!~

~Call my name and save me from the dark!~

Sasha's eyes snapped open as she slowly lifted her head in a sort of dazed fashion, pushing her raven mane away from her face. Turning off her phone's alarm, she saw that it was seven thirty-five. The Goth sat up in her bed, stretching her arms before rubbing the sleep from her violet orbs. Normally she would sleep late on Saturdays but she felt well-rested enough to get up. Worry overcame her when she recalled what had happened the day before. Throwing off her covers and slipping on her dark magenta slippers she hurried downstairs in nothing but her sleep wear; a dark purple tank top with a silver star in the middle and black pajama bottoms dotted with silver stars.

She quietly opened the inside door and peeked in. Zettabyte was still there in his alt. mode which made Sasha sigh in relief, knowing that her extraterrestrial friend was still safe and present. The soft venting she heard last night was still going on, meaning that he was still in recharge. Choosing to let the mechanical youth sleep in she closed the door and headed back upstairs to prepare herself for the day. Once she had made her bed, she headed into the bathroom down the hall. While her aunt and uncle were not ones to show off their wealth, they had a taste for housing with many rooms, which was what exactly what their house had.

It was only two stories but had much space. Three bedrooms, a guest room and one master bedroom with a bathroom attached to it, two more bathrooms with the smallest only having a toilet and a sink and being adjacent to the inside door, a bookshelf, a laundry room and a medium sized supply room that was sometimes used by her aunt and two female cousins as a meditation room. All five rooms had closets. The guest room, which was Sasha's new temporary bedroom, had belonged to the live-in maid, Sofia, before her retirement. At the end of the right hall was a room that was a combination between an office and a bedroom where Sasha's aunt would use for making her crafts or her uncle would use it to pay bills in peace. Sometimes her cousins would use it as a study room if they had study buddies over and didn't want them in their bedrooms. A somewhat large kitchen with all the essentials including a dishwasher and a pantry and two dining rooms; the smallest right beside it while the largest being in the next room with a small crystal chandelier above it. A medium sized activity room for music, games, reading, or arts and crafts. Adjacent to that was the family room which had one large couch, one small one and a wide-screen TV.

In the backyard there was a small, covered patio and beside it was her aunt's garden which Sasha eagerly said she would take care during her stay. There was a small grassy area and a medium sized maple tree, whose leaves were on the brink of turning into their fall colors, next to the swing sets and slide with a platform and stairs that her uncle had installed when he and her aunt bought the house. A small, white single convex fence wrapped around the backyard. And of course there was the garage and shed. The garage, the same one where Zettabyte was currently residing in, was big enough to house three cars and a moped. It was spacious and the ceiling was somewhat high and the whole structure was connected to the house. The shed was big enough for a motorcycle and two bikes and was only slightly smaller than the garage. But unlike the garage, it wasn't connected to the house. Instead, it stood a few feet from the garage.

When Sasha had been shown around the house, she thought it would get too lonely and quiet with her aunt and uncle gone for a number of months whilst their children were away at college.

"Except I'm not alone anymore. I have a robotic alien as a friend in my garage," the raven-haired girl told herself with a strange sense of new found optimism as she entered the bathroom.

Twenty-five minutes later; Sasha's Perspective

Once Sasha had showered, dried off, brushed her teeth, blow-dried her hair, and gotten dressed, she headed downstairs for breakfast. Her new attire for the day consisted of a dark forest green spaghetti strap tank top with a dark grey skull in the middle, dark gray yoga pants with a small circle of golden stars and a purple scorpion in the middle on the side of the left pant leg, with dark lavender and mint green striped socks. The only make up she wore was some dark lavender lipstick. She had put her hair up in a neat bun using a dark blue hair band with only two strands only two strands of hair loose, one on either side of her head.

Making her way into the kitchen, Sasha considered her breakfast options. Her aunt and uncle had purchased organic eggs, and soy breakfast meat products like soy bacon and soy sausage among other meat substitutes. The only thing that she wasn't going to eat was the chunk of salmon her aunt and uncle forgot to finish off. However, Sasha didn't feel like a hot breakfast today. Instead, she opted for two pieces of toast, one with grape jam and the other with honey, strawberries and banana slices, blueberry yogurt with granola, orange juice, and double-chocolate Krave cereal. As she was cutting the fruit she noticed that her nails, which she had painted black with electric blue and solar gold stripes out of boredom during the move, were starting to flake a bit. The nature-lover made a note to re-paint them again later while she dumped the banana peel and strawberry tops . Along with moving some of her belongings into the guest room, Sasha had been allowed to add some compost and recycle bins.

After arranging the fruit slices like her grandfather use to (smiling sadly as she remembered), she poured the milk into her cereal and dug in, savoring the chocolate flavor. She ate in silence for more than twenty minutes before she gathered the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. Just as she was about to go to her room to grab her backpack and finish the rest of her homework, she heard a knock at the door. Walking over to the door, she answered it and discovered it was Mr. Sanderson.

Smiling politely, Sasha greeted, "Good morning Mr. Sanderson."

"Good morning Sasha. You're up early today. I guess not all you kids like sleeping in on the weekends," the brown-haired man greeted with a warm smile.

The Goth shrugged with a cool smile, "I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep so I thought I would get on with my day. I was just about to finish my homework."

"Well at least the wife and I won't have to worry about you getting your assignments done," he sighed with a slightly exasperated smile. Sasha nodded feeling a small hint of pity for the man. Having to keep an eye on someone like Miko was most likely not a picnic.

"Well I like to get the work out of the way to have the rest of the weekend off," the nature-lover said casually.

Mr. Sanderson nodded in approval before saying, "I would also like to apologize for Miko's little stunt yesterday. Believe me, she will never pull something like that again. She got what was coming to her; she's grounded until late September. No going anywhere except school until the twenty-fifth."

Sasha couldn't help but smirk on the inside. The first day of September was still a couple of days away.

The brown-haired man continued, "Listen, I'm heading to work. Nora is gonna stay home and keep an eye on Miko to make sure she doesn't sneak out. Can't tell you how many times that has happened. If you need anything just ask her."

"I will. Thank you," Sasha said politely.

Patrick Sanderson smiled as he headed to his truck waving, "Good. Have a great day."

"You too!" the Goth called as he drove away. The moment he was gone she heard a loud metallic tapping. Sasha smiled knowingly when she realized it was coming from the garage. Closing the door and walking to the inside door, she opened it to just in time to see Zettabyte, in robot mode, turn towards her with a sheepish grin. He was has half crouched, half kneeling in the middle of the garage.

"Hello," the ruby and sapphire mechling greeted kindly.

Sasha smiled, "Well good morning to you too. How was your rest?"

"It was different but not terrible. I've never recharged in my alt. mode before," Zettabyte stated gently.

Sasha smirked, "I'm not surprised. I highly doubt that your people slept in garages back on your home planet, right?"

Zettabyte couldn't help but laugh, "No we don't."

"Zetta," the Goth said suddenly, causing the metal titan to look at her in confusion.

"I beg your pardon?" Zettabyte asked curiously.

"It's a nickname I made up for you. Zetta, Zee. That is if you want one," the raven-haired girl explained carefully.

The adolescent Cybertronian smiled after a moment and says, "Yes, I would like those very much."

The nature-lover can't help but giggle herself before saying, "Hold on a sec, I need to get something from my room. I'll be right back."

After a quick nod from Zettabyte, Sasha hurries up to her room. Grabbing her backpack and any other textbooks and materials she needs, she heads back down. Just because she needed to finish her homework, doesn't mean she couldn't do it while talking with her new friend.

Once she returned to the garage, the raven-haired girl shut the door, sat on the ground in front of the mechanical titan, took out her homework, and smiled up at him.

"As we were," she spoke in a friendly tone.

Five hours later; Third Person Perspective

It was about noon by the time Sasha finished her homework. She had managed to juggle her homework with talking to Zettabyte. It may have taken a bit longer than she had anticipated but at least her homework was now done. During that time they had exchanged different subjects, including their planets' cultures, likes, dislikes, hobbies, family history and life goals.

"My grandfather would use all sorts of plants back in his youth when he was traveling the world. He even used papyrus to make himself sandals and paper like the Egyptians did," the nature-lover proclaimed with a bright smile.

"I never got the chance to examine organic flora or fauna. Sentinel said it was unsanitary and unnecessary," Zettabyte spoke with a bashful look.

Sasha snorted, "The girls that my mom use to make me hang out with said the same thing when I took part in my middle school's Earth Day project. We would make compost, recycle stuff, conserve water and electricity, and plant trees and flowers."

The ruby and sapphire mechling looked at her curiously as he asked, "What did you say?"

"I told them that it was my choice and what I wanted to do and that they couldn't change that," Sasha announced proudly.

Zettabyte smiled wistfully as he spoke, "I wish I had the same courage and confidence you had."

The Goth looked at him with a look that was half sympathetic and half encouraging as she said, "You are courageous. Yesterday proved that. You just need a bit more confidence. Like my friend Chip. He use to be real shy up until he impressed everyone with his computer skills. Now he's almost as sociable as he is tech savvy."

Zettabyte smiled a bit and then asked, "Do you often miss your friends?"

"Everyday. Chip's mom and Raoul's aunt made a deal with them that they can't chat with me until they get their homework done. It wouldn't be a problem if Raoul didn't have a habit of procrastinating. Plus Chip is the only one with a computer at the moment," Sasha confessed.

"What about your parents and your grandmother?" the mechling asked.

"They're like my other relatives. They like to make sure that all of the Morgan auto shops are in tip top shape and aren't being messed with. And they don't like to leave my grandma alone so they most likely took her with them. But yes, I miss them too," she sighed with a defeated shrug.

Zettabyte gave her a gentle look, "Well, at least your father has shown you that he loves you. There were times when Sentinel would leave for business without even telling my Amma and I until he had gotten to his location of business and messaged."

Sasha felt her heart clench in pity for the mechanical youth. Her father may have been busy at times but he would always make time for her and the rest of his family. He was one of the few people who didn't mind her interests and goals and even accepted it as her grandparents had. When her grandfather had passed away a little over a year ago, their bond didn't waver. Meanwhile, Zettabyte had barely gotten any paternal love and affection. It was no wonder why the ruby and sapphire mechling had no qualms with admitting that his adoptive father was wrong to establish his planet's caste system and proclaiming that it was, in fact, criminal.

Walking over to the front of him, she put a hand on his knee joint in a comforting manner and said, "Thank you. I'm sure your adoptive mother was an amazing wom-, er, femme."

Zettabyte grinned with a nostalgic look in his mismatched orbs, "You have no idea. She was so caring and kind to those in the lower caste. And they loved her for it. Not to mention that she knew had to make those more snooty, mean-spirited nobles look like fools and babble like they were glitched in the processor."

The Goth couldn't help but snort, "She and my grandfather would've made great friends."

"Just like us," the ruby and sapphire mechling beamed happily with a short, soft laugh. Sasha nodded laughing before their humorous moment was interrupted by a low grumble that resonated from the nature-lover's abdomen. A blush came to her face as she looked up at Zettabyte's surprised expression.

"Sorry, it's just that it's lunch time," she explained with an embarrassed shrug.

The mechling nodded in understanding, saying, "Understood. I'll be right here when you get back."

"Thanks," the nature-lover said gratefully as went back inside the house. However, five minutes later, he heard Sasha let out a somewhat loud groan of exasperation.

"What happened?" Zettabyte asked, his voice loud enough so his human friend could hear. She came back into the garage with a frustrated look on her face.

"I forgot that my aunt and uncle used up some of the groceries they bought for the dinner we lunch we had with the Sandersons on Wednesday," the Goth huffed, kicking herself for disremembering the meal that had used up some of the items she required for lunch. Getting these groceries wasn't a problem for her. Of course her parents, grandmother, aunt, and uncle had put large amounts of money into her account and would continue until her return to New York. Not to mention her birthday and Christmas money was one of the many thing she brought with her so purchasing the groceries wasn't the issue. Getting to the store was.

"You can't go to the food depot yourself to get what you need?" the ruby and sapphire mechling asked quizzically.

"I think you mean grocery store and I would if I had something to help carry the groceries. We're not allowed to take the carts out of the parking lot and even if I had my bike I wouldn't be able pack the groceries on it," the raven-haired girl told her mechanical friend civilly. If there wasn't the danger of running into Vince who would either try to flirt with her or harass her, she would have gladly decided to walk. She remembered Mr. Sanderson saying to ask his wife for help if she needed it but that would mean interacting with Miko and Sasha was in no mood to deal with the little viper.

"If you like, I could drive you," the Cybertronian youth offered sincerely.

The raven-haired girl looked up at him as she spoke, "Are you okay with that though? I don't want to leave you alone while I head into the store and come out to see some thugs trying to break into you."

The mechling just nodded his head, "I'm sure everything will go smoothly."

"Alright. Thank you. Let me go grab a pair of shoes and some money and we'll go," the nature-lover said with a grateful smile before once again retreating into the house. Three minutes later she reappeared, now sporting black sneakers and a black wallet (made of recycled fibers) with dark blue skulls on it. As she opened the garage door to let the now alt. mode disguised Zettabyte out, she peeked outside and over to the Sandersons house. To her relief, there was no evidence that Mrs. Sanderson or Miko had seen them. Quickly closing the garage door, Sasha jumped into the passenger seat (making a note to herself to have Zettabyte tint his windows) and they were off. Less than twelve minutes later, they arrived at the grocery store. To draw less attention, they parked near the side of the store's parking lot. Putting the garage door remote in Zettabyte's middle compartment, the Goth got out.

"Uh Sasha, I think I'm parked on something. I feel it under my right tire," the mechling whispered so only his human friend could hear. Sasha stopped just as she was about to close his passenger door, feeling a little alarmed. Had he ran over a nail or glass shard? Looking at his right tire, she indeed saw something peeking out. It seemed to be a piece of paper of some sort. Bending down, she managed to grab it out from under his tire, revealing it to be a twenty dollar bill.

"It's just some money. And since you technically found it, it's yours to keep and use whenever you want," the nature-lover explained as she placed the bill inside the compartment.

"What can I possibly use it for?" Zettabyte questioned in an intrigued tone.

"I'll tell you when I come back, I promise," she spoke gently as she headed to the front of the store.

Five minutes later outside the grocery store; Jack's Perspective

Since last night, Jack knew that this weekend was not going to be one of his good ones.

Yesterday, after coming home from yet another unpleasant shift at the KO Burger, he had discovered that his mother was still at work. As a result he had to make his own dinner, which was basically a small bag of Lays potato chips and a grilled cheese sandwich with ham and tomato with a Coca Cola. He had attempted to get started on his homework only to be interrupted by a three way phone call from Miko with Raf already on the line. What she told him nearly made him jump through his roof. And it wasn't the tricking Sasha into going to the monster truck show part. With Arcee having already left to return to the base, Jack had only one person to tell in; his mother. Suffice to say, she didn't take it that well.

Being a nurse and a single mother, June had a very protective nature when it came to children, from newborns to those beneath 21. But that didn't mean she didn't know when to lay down discipline. She had immediately taken out her cell phone and went into her room. It was no mystery to Jack which two people his mother was contacting; Fowler and Optimus. Knowing Optimus, the onyx-haired boy knew that the Prime would not be allowing him or Raf into the base as the leader and the other Autobots would need time to cool down after lecturing the moss-colored Wrecker for helping his human charge pull such a stunt. He was proven right when he went into his garage that morning to find no signs of the sapphire two-wheeler; just his bike and Sasha's still-yet-to-be-inflated electric bike (this being the result of yesterday's night shift and the unwanted surprise Miko presented him with).

The only good part about today was the fact that he had been given the day off (his boss being understanding enough to know that Jack couldn't handle the punks who would often take their food without paying). His mother had left a grocery list and some money for him before she left. Having only his half done homework to do that day, Jack had immediately set out for the store. Thankfully, the walk to the store was only ten minutes and his only items would be potatoes, apple juice, and oranges. As he made his way into the store, he didn't notice the unfamiliar hybrid sports car in the parking lot.

Inside the store; Sasha's Perspective

Sasha looked down at her groceries; canned black beans, broccoli, white, orange, green and purple cauliflower, lettuce, celery, yams, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, peaches, apple cinnamon granola, dried apricots, yogurt-covered raisins and Oreos (she couldn't ignore her craving for the sweet treat). As she made her way to the cashier, she suddenly heard someone calling out her name.

" Hey Sasha!"

The Goth recognized the Spanish accent. Her hearing was proven right as she turned around to see none other than Adalia strolling up to her with a cart of her own and a bright smile that Sasha couldn't help but share.

"Hi Addie," the raven-haired girl greeted warmly. She took note of Adalia's appearance; her hair was down but today she had a yellow flower hairclip on the left side. The Spanish girl was also wearing a short-sleeved, flowy orange blouse with faded jeans and brown closed-toe sandals with blue-green stones on the toe sections. Sasha noticed that she also had a pinkish-red and gold sun necklace around her neck. The nature-lover also saw that her friend's cart held peppers, tomatoes, beans, cheese, corn, onions, mangos, butterscotch chips, honey, bread, zucchini, and cocoa powder.

Adalia smiled excitedly at the raven-haired girl, "What's up? I'm shopping for ingredients for dinner with my mom and little brother. How about you?"

Sasha shrugged casually with a friendly smile, "Oh, I'm good. Just grabbings some items I need for lunch. "

"You excited for the movie tonight? It starts at seven thirty and Sawyer says that we're gonna pick you up at seven fifteen. I like your hair by the way. You should definitely have it that way when we go," Adalia spoke with a genuine smile.

"Oh! I totally forgot! Sorry, I had a real hectic day after school the other night," the Goth admitted apologetically.

Concern washed over the Spanish girl's face as she asked, "Why? What happened?"

As Sasha recounted the event to her, she was surprised by the anger in her classmate's chocolate-colored eyes, "I can't believe she did that! Who does she think she is?! If it were Scott, he would have taken you home as you were promised!"

Scott was the Sandersons son who was currently residing with Miko's family. The raven-haired girl had only met him on a few occasions as a child. He had his father's brown hair and his mother's green eyes. He was a reasonably nice boy who had a keen interest in chemistry. The nature-lover even felt more pity for her neighbors. How stressful it must be having your child go off to a foreign country and to bring a juvenile like Miko into your home.

"The good news is that the Sandersons grounded her so she has nowhere to go but school until September is almost over," the raven-haired girl stated, not being able to repress the feeling of justice when she said that.

"Well it serves her right for tricking you like that. Don't worry, the movie will help you take your mind off of it. And if Miko ever gives you trouble at school, we'll be there to help you," Adalia proclaimed with an encouraging grin. Suddenly the two girls heard an adult woman's voice call in a slightly more heavy Spanish accent.

"Adalia, where are you?"

"Over here Mom! Hold on, I'm coming back!"Adalia said as she turned her cart to return to her mother, she turned her head to give the nature-lover one more grin. "See you later this evening."

"You too!" Sasha called back as she turned her own cart around to head to the cashier, only to meet yet another familiar face-Jack. "Oh, hi Jack."

"Hey," the onyx-haired boy greeted with friendly tone. "How are you?"

"I'm good. I was just about to head over to the cashier," the nature-lover replied simply. "You?"

"I'm fine. Actually I'm glad I found you. There's something I need to tell you. I don't know how to tell you this though," Jack spoke in a tense tone.

The raven-haired girl looked at her classmate worriedly, "What is it?"

"Last night, Miko called Raf and I and told us about what happened," the onyx-haired boy admitted.

Sasha scowled angrily as she asked, "What did she say? That I bailed on her? That I squealed on her? That the reason that she got in the trouble was because of me?"

Jack winced before responding carefully, "She didn't say anything about blaming you. She was just angry and bummed out that the Sandersons grounded her. They allowed her one call before they took her phone away. But she did let something slip. This something…is what I'm trying to tell you."

"What did she let slip?" the raven-haired girl inquired, half curious and half on edge.

Her classmate let out a sigh as he confessed, "It wasn't Vince who let the air out of your bike tires…it was Miko herself."

Sasha backed away as though she was slapped before stuttering out, "W-What?"

"She was ranting about how "unfair" the Sandersons were being and how her work was for nothing. Raf and I asked what work. She tried to make us leave it alone but we wouldn't let her. She then admitted that she had let the air out of the tires when no one was looking," Jack explained, a hint of guilt in his voice. The Goth stared at him with a blank expression for a minute or so. The onyx-haired boy felt ice shoot up his spine when her eyes darkened in hidden rage. He jumped out of the way as she pushed her cart to the cashier, her knuckles white as she gripped the handle tightly. She didn't pay attention to the fact that Jack was following her.

As the cashier began to ring up Sasha's groceries, the onyx-haired boy came up to her and began talking again, "Listen Sasha, you have a right to be upset. I know finding out about this has made you mad-"

"No. I was mad when Vince tried to persuade me to buy him alcohol. I was mad when I thought he was the one who let the air out of my tires. I was mad when Miko tricked me to coming to the show and made me sit there for two hours. This isn't me being mad. This is me being furious!" the raven-haired girl snapped, not caring that a few shop goers had stopped to watch her yell at her classmate.

Jack winced as he tried to soother her irritation, "Look, Miko was wrong to use that method to try to get you to hang out with her. And, in all fairness, I should have stopped her."

The nature-lover balked, "Stopped her?! You mean you knew that she was planning to take me there?! And you didn't have the courtesy to warn me?!"

The onyx-haired boy held up both hands as if to calm her, "Raf and I thought that if you told her that you didn't want to be at the stadium, she and her friend would have been understanding enough to take you home. We were obviously wrong. But she is being punished for not taking how you felt into account."

"Oh trust me, when I'm done with her on Monday, she's gonna wish that the Sandersons had her put under strict house arrest," the Goth huffed as she paid the cashier who had put her items back into the cart (no plastic or paper bags). She turned away and pushed the cart out, not looking back to once.

Fifteen minutes later back at the Morgan house; Sasha's Perspective

Sasha growled as she put the groceries away, only leaving the white cauliflower, broccoli, yams, peaches, and black beans out. She was peeved beyond words. Three classmates that she thought she could trust besides Sawyer, Colette, and Adalia and it turned out that she couldn't even trust them to tell her the truth. Okay, maybe that was a little unfair to Raf, seeing as how he was still younger than his friends and, most likely, if he had attempted to stop Miko, the Asian girl would have ignored him. But the fact that Jack knew and allowed her to get into the bulky vehicle with the foreign exchange student without so much as a hint enraged her.

"Well if he and Miko think I'm gonna let this go just like that, then they have another thing coming," the raven-haired girl snarled viciously, considering the idea of having her metal friend pull a Christine-based prank on her two dishonest classmates. She stopped when she thought of Zetta and felt a sliver of guilt. After her blow up on Jack, she had stomped out towards the parking lot to where the ruby and sapphire hybrid car. The mechling had immediately opened his trunk and allowed his human companion to load her groceries while not saying a word. Either he didn't want anyone passing by to hear him or he sensed her bad mood and decided to be quiet to let her gather her thoughts. Sasha assumed it was the latter as the mechanical youth didn't ask what was wrong or anything.

"He probably thinks I'm mad at him," she said aloud with regret as she finished putting away the unneeded groceries before looking at the inside door and making her way towards it. "I better go straighten things out before it's too late. Poor guy probably thinks he did something wrong and that I'm giving him the silent treatment."

Twisting the knob and opening the door, Sasha poked her head inside and began speaking, "Zetta are you-"

Her sentence was cut off as she threw the door wide open and stared into the empty garage. She noted that the garage door was closed so he must have phased out of the garage. Panic and guilt rose into her chest. Had she really been radiating that much anger that he was scared off? Just as she was about to run to the front door to see if she could catch a glimpse of him on the road, she heard his voice.

"Sasha what's wrong?" came Zettabyte's worried voice from the center of the garage, though Sasha saw nothing.

"Zetta? Where are you?!" the Goth called frantically.

"What do you mean? I'm right here!" his voice came again sounding both confused and panicked. Just as the nature-lover was about to ask what he meant, she fell back in surprise. Out of nowhere, her friend had just reappeared. It was almost as if he had been hiding behind a curtain that was painted to match the spot empty spot he was now occupying.

Seeing his human friend's shocked face, the mechling asked worriedly, "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"H-how did you do that?" she breathed with wide eyes.

"Do what?" he asked as he was very bewildered himself at this point.

"Make yourself disappear and reappear. How did you that?" the young human responded.

"Huh?" the mechling was still unable to comprehend what she was saying.

"Z-Zetta…I-I think you were invisible just a moment ago," the raven-haired girl stuttered in awe and disbelief. The Cybertronian youth stared at her strangely before he looked at his body. He looked at his servos…and discovered that they were flickering, from visible to invisible and back right before his and Sasha's eyes/optics. If it wasn't for the small enclosure, Zettabyte's upper body would have shot up and he would have fallen back.

Once they stopped flickering, the mechanical adolescent choked in a whisper, "Why is this happening to me?"

"I think you have a new ability…and it just manifested itself," Sasha claimed awkwardly.

Zettabyte blinked in complete shock, "Even when I'm not in the rescue mode?"

"Is that what your calling your black and white half? Your rescue mode?" the Goth questioned, initial shock now half-way gone.

"Well the first time I went into that mode was when you were in danger. And when we were coming back to your home I was worried about what or who made you upset," the adolescent Cybertronian explained.

Remembering her guilt from earlier, Sasha said apologetically, "I'm sorry if I made you feel like I was mad at you, Zetta. I'm not. I was mad at someone else and I didn't say anything because when I'm mad I tend to yell at those around me and I didn't want to do that to you."

"It's alright. I understand Sasha," Zettabyte responded with a soft smile that made the raven-haired girl smile in relief before coming over and once again placing a hand on his knee joint.

"Thank you for understanding. I'll explain what happened," Sasha promised gratefully before she blushed as her stomach rumbled louder than it had before they went to the store. "Though I should probably go and make my lunch first."

Eighteen minutes; Third Person Perspective

Sasha sat in the garage with her lunch; a plate of sauteed cauliflower and broccoli, cooked mashed yams with unsalted sunflower seeds, and black beans with onions and green bell pepper with a nectarine, peach, and mandarin orange smoothie.

"Then Jack tells me then and there that it was Miko, not Vince, who let the air out of my tires," the nature-lover huffed before taking a sip of her smoothie from an old, cleaned-out jam jar (she was thankful that her aunt and uncle shared the same idea of reusing glass containers).

"It sounds to me like you had a right to be mad. No one should be tricked into going somewhere or doing something unless it's for a good cause, not force them to endure something that they find dislikable or goes against their beliefs," Zettabyte agreed. Sasha nodded as she chewed thoughtfully on her broccoli and cauliflower. She had considered telling the Sandersons what Jack had told her but then she thought about Scott. She wasn't exactly best friends with him but he had been kind to her whenever they met; he played games with her, he would share his toys, and he would even share any sweets he had on him. She hadn't seen him since the Easter barbeque when they were nine but by what the Sandersons told her, he had grown into a social and gentle teen. She didn't want to ruin his stay in Tokyo just because she was letting Miko get to her. The Goth could handle the punkish foreign exchange student herself. Her thoughts were interrupted when her partner spoke up yet again.

"I must say I admire your vegetation only diet. I wouldn't want the flesh of a long deceased creature inside me either," the ruby and sapphire mechling complimented with an admiring grin.

The raven-haired girl shrugged her shoulders with a smile, "What can I say? I'm an animal lover. Plus being a vegetarian or vegan is healthy and can help the Earth."

The Cybertronian became more interested as he asked, "How so?"

"Well for one thing, raising crops requires less energy than raising livestock for food which means that they don't emit carbon or greenhouse gases which cause global warming," the Goth tried to explain. However, her extra-terrestrial friend seemed even more confused.

"What are greenhouse gases? And livestock? What's global warming?" the adolescent Cybertronian probed quizzically. Sasha bit her lip. It was obvious that it would take more than her own explanations to help Zettabyte understand Earth and all of its aspects. Just then an idea popped into her head.

"I'll be right back," the nature-lover stated as she took her now empty plate and jar inside. Not two minutes later, she came out with a black laptop.

"What is that?" the metallic youth asked with intrigued as he pointed at the human electronic.

"It's a laptop," Sasha explained as she opened it up and turned it on. In a matter of seconds her screensaver appeared with its icons, the screensaver itself consisting of a dark red background with bouquet of shadow black roses and wisteria colored hearts around them. "It's a portable computer for humans."

"Really? The only portable computers that my people have are battle computers and they're only installed into tacticians," the mechanical teen said, his mismatched orbs staring at the laptop with a strange excited glint. He then opened his servo and offered it to the raven-haired girl, as though he was asking for the portable computer. But before she could even ask if he wanted to hold it, something else happened.

From his index digit, two long, thin wires extended like snakes towards the laptop. The nature-lover could only stare as they hooked up to her computer with a quiet click. Without warning, the laptop was flashing different images and documents across the screen. She looked up to see that Zettabyte was looking straightforward with a blank look on his faceplates. A little less than three minutes later, the screen returned to the screen saver and the wires retreated into the metallic youth's digit. Zettabyte blinked his optics as if he was snapping out of a day dream and looked down at his human friend.

"Your planet…is amazing," he said with a genuine tone as he looked straight into her eyes with an expression of awe. Sasha could only nod as she took it for a compliment.

After a moment, he asked, "Do you have any books? Any genre will do."

The Goth could only nod before hurrying inside the house and, after six minutes, came out balancing a tall stack of books which she then set gently on the garage floor. Immediately, Zettabyte grabbed the one on top, Chocolat, and began to read it. She was confused and surprised when he flipped through the books pages and his optics widened.

"I think the priest is subconsciously pushing back a sin from his childhood," the mechling claimed before once again flipping through the pages and finishing. "Yup, he was."

Sasha just shook her head and laughed in awe and amusement as he picked up another book.

At the Autobot base; Third Person Perspective

The base was slightly illuminated with light as the Groundbridge opened. Ratchet looked towards it as his leader and two team mates stepped into the base. Arcee's fist were clenched at her sides with her helm down and Bumblebee's optics held a look of sad defeat. Optimus' faceplate was as stoic as always but there was a hidden gleam of disappointment in them.

Despite knowing the answer, the Autobot medic asked, "No sign of Zettabyte?"

[No,] the scout sagged in exhaustion and misery. The Prime rubbed his youngest team mate's back gently. The three Cybertronians had spent a good chunk of the night and morning searching for the ruby and sapphire mechling. However, their efforts were in vain. Ratchet hadn't gotten to add Zettabyte's spark signature to the main computer and as a result, they couldn't use the computer to find him. They had asked Agent Fowler to keep an eye out for a non-Earthly vehicle but so far the middle-aged human had not reported anything yet. They couldn't even use the CNA from the pod the adolescent Cybertronian had come in because the government officials that Fowler had asked to drag it away sterilized it in fear of foreign bacteria.

Ratchet sighed, "Bumblebee, go recharge. You're still young and you need your rest. You too Arcee."

The yellow scout obliged and walked to his quarters. Arcee, on the other hand, remained where she was. Her face was contorted in an angry, stubborn frown.

"Arcee-," the red and white mech prepared to scold her but was sharply interrupted.

"No. Not until we find him," she growled firmly, her sky blue optics shining with pure stubbornness.

The royal blue and cherry red mech tried to speak to the femme, "Arcee, we will find Zettabyte. But we cannot do it if our systems are exhausted. We have done all we can today."

"How do you expect me to rest knowing that a Zettabyte is out there all alone where the Cons can snatch him and do Primus knows what to him?!" the two-wheeler snapped, not willing to back down. She couldn't believe that she was trying to be coerced into recharge while a helpless Cybertronian youth was out there probably cold and starving. The dark sapphire and pink femme couldn't get the feeling of recognition she had when she met him out of her processor. She felt, no, she knew that she had met him before. And while she wasn't sure, Arcee felt as though this familiarity was benevolent.

"If the Decepticons had caught Zettabyte, they would have called us. Probably to bargain him for some of our Energon," Ratchet scoffed, slightly disgusted by the image.

"And with Bulkhead still recovering from his latest encounter with Breakdown, we cannot risk being in a vulnerable state," Optimus put in, only to receive an angry look from the femme.

"That fragger is the whole reason why that kid isn't here with us! What Sentinel did was not Zettabyte's fault! He had no right to chase him out of the base," she snarled, feeling nothing but pure animosity for her mentioned team mate at the moment.

"While I agree with your reasoning, you must take into account that not having a re-energized system will only do more harm than good if we wish to find Zettabyte and bring him back. Do you understand?" the royal blue and cherry red mech spoke sternly but gently, his tone signaling that the discussion was over.

The two-wheeler stared at her leader for moment before stomping off while muttering, "Fine."

As soon as she was out of audio-shot, Ratchet said, "You know she does have a point. This whole thing could have been avoided if Bulkhead had controlled his temper and judgement better."

The Prime could only nod as he said, "The only thing we can do now it try to right the wrong we allowed to transpire."

With that, Optimus made his way to his quarters as well.

Six hours later at Sasha's house; Sasha's Perspective

Sasha inspected herself in the mirror. Taking Adalia's advice, she had left her hair in a bun and even included a dark royal purple and black lotus hair clip, which her grandfather gave her for her eleventh birthday, on the left side of her hair along with white rose earrings that she bought with her grandmother during the summer. The outfit she had chosen was a sleeveless plum purple high neck ribbed crop top with a dark magenta cat on it and black jeans with a silver fleur-de-lis on the left pant leg. Her only make up was dark grape lip gloss (animal testing free of course). She wore lavender socks that were dotted with dark magenta spider web prints and blue violet high top shoes which were a gift from Raoul. On her left wrist she wore a forest green and purple camouflage handkerchief that had a neon paw print in one corner and on her right wrist she wore a black bracelet with a red heart on it. She had painted her nails her nails a two tone of maroon and silver and on her left thumb, she drew a purple heart on the silver area.

She had already eaten a dinner consisting of the last of the left over mashed potatoes with a bit of butter, red beans, and asparagus sautéed with mush room with a can of grape juice. Once the raven-haired girl doubled-checked her appearance and taken a few iron and vitamin supplements, she headed once more to the inside door. And, of course, she was met with the sight of Zettabyte, in robot form, curled up and asleep with open books surrounding him. He had fallen asleep between finishing The Great Gatsby and starting Fahrenheit 451. The ruby and sapphire mechling was now curled up and deep in the Cybertronian version of dream land.

Making sure that her sticky note that detailed her whereabouts on the garage side of the door was still attached, she carefully and quietly closed it. She had already told the Sandersons where she was going and that she would be back late. They approved but did state that Sasha would be only allowed to do this on Friday nights and Saturday nights. As she walked to the front door, she recounted the items in her pockets; her wallet with money and her spare house key and her Smartphone. Opening the door, she was surprised to see that Sawyer on her doorstep.

"Hey I was just about to knock," Sawyer said, slightly sheepish by her un-provoked answering. He wore a cobalt blue long-sleeved v-neck with orange stripe on the sleeve and waist and a white tiger in the middle. He also wore gray denims and white tennis shoes with accents of teal. Looking past him, the Goth saw a black hybrid SUV with violet flame decals. The nature-lover could clearly see Adalia in the backseat and Colette in the driver's seat. "You ready?"

Nodding as she stepped out and closed the door behind her, Sasha asked, "Is that your SUV?"

"Yeah, it was being sold for about one-hundred and fifty dollars. My parents helped me pay for it under one condition; use it to help my grandma with errands," Sawyer explained as they got in.

"Hey, Sasha! You look great," Adalia greeted with a bright smile as the Goth sat beside her in the back. She still had her hair down but she had now replaced the yellow flower clip with a sky blue butterfly clip and wore a jade bracelet. Her new attire consisted of a pale blue casual chain-neck halter top which was somewhat showed under a half open pale teal sleeveless button laser cut top and a dark turquoise skirt with dark aqua sporty canvas shoes. Her only make up was baby blue lip gloss.

"Hello there. Looks like we came just in time," Colette said with a cool smile. She had her hair in fishtail braid and had on pale red lip gloss. She wore a rose-colored draped front sleeveless shirt with a blush-colored scarf around her neck, burgundy loose-fitting slacks, and beige and peach casual low-heel wedge shoes.

As Sawyer got in the passenger seat, Sasha asked, "So you're letting Colette drive? I didn't know you she already had a license."

"She doesn't," Sawyer said calmly as they all buckled up.

"W-What?" the raven-haired girl stuttered, not missing Adalia's face going slightly pale. Her question went unanswered as her French classmate pressed down hard on the gas pedal, flooring it. Sasha immediately gripped the cushion material of her seat as the acceleration caused her to slightly be forced against the back of her seat. She turned her head to see Adalia in the same position but only a little less freaked out than the nature-lover.

The only male in the group spoke to the first-time driver gently, "Colette, ease up on the throttle. This isn't a race. Brakes please. We're approaching a red light."

The vehicle's occupants lurched as the driver smashed her foot on the brake. Sasha sat there stunned in her seat as she and her friends patiently waited for the light to turn red. She turned her head to look at Adalia and saw that the Spanish girl had calmed down first and was staring back at her.

"Sawyer has been giving Colette driving lessons and tonight is one of their practice nights. I'm sorry, we should have told you," Adalia explained apologetically.

"It's alright," the Goth said sincerely despite her surprise. Strangely enough, she only felt partial fear. The other half was…exhilaration. The quirks her friends were displaying made her feel as happy. It was nothing like the fearful adrenaline rush she had endured when she was running for her life at the stadium yesterday. It was refreshing and enjoyable. Her thoughts were interrupted by Colette speaking to her.

"Addie told us what Miko did to you. You were right to leave and tell the Sandersons on her," the auburn-haired girl said, with a firm approving tone.

"I don't know what that girl's problem is. Now don't get me wrong, she can be nice most of the time. But other times, she…she just doesn't want to act her age. Just don't let her talk you into anymore hang outs," Sawyer piped up shaking his head.

"Trust me, you won't catch me going anywhere with her ever again," Sasha assured, though she was silently doubting that Miko could ever act as anything but a little punk.

"Light's green," Adalia spoke up, only to regret her words as Colette yet again floored it and turned left with a screech of tires that caused them all to lurch to the right before they fell right back into the middle of their seats.

"Remember, stay focused on the road and in your lane. Gentle turns," the African American teen instructed as gently as he could to the female driver. Despite the slight speeding, bumps, and lurches (not to mention once instance where they splashed a jogger by accident and had shouted apologies) they made it to the theatres in one piece and the SUV was unscathed. The Sawyer, Adalia, and Colette stepped out first with only Adalia feeling a bit rattled. However, Sasha couldn't help but stumble out wobbly when as she got out.

"Whoa," the raven-haired girl breathed as she tried to shake herself of her dazed state.

"Yeah, I'm still learning," Colette stated bashfully as she gently grabbed the Sasha's arm and led her to the ticket booth alongside Adalia and Sawyer. As the Goth was just about to pull out her wallet, she was stopped by Sawyer.

"Nuh-uh. We invited you. Therefore I'll pay for the tickets, and Addie and Colette will pay for our snacks," he said in a friendly tone that had a fake "that's final" hint to it to show that he was just being polite. Sasha could only nod and thank them as he paid for the tickets and went they went inside. After getting their tickets checked, they went over to the concession stand.

"Four medium popcorns, four medium drinks, and four candies," Adalia said as she and Colette pulled out an equal amount of money and paying the concession employee. The nature-lover was shocked when instead of paper bags of popcorn, they were given round buckets that were a little bigger than a large pickle jar and were filled to the brim. And the cups were neon green with the word biodegradable in white with a dark forest green recycle symbol.

Seeing her surprised face, Sawyer explained as he grabbed his Butterfinger Bites, "The school's Earth Club petitioned for the theatre to switch to reusable popcorn buckets and biodegradable cups. It took them a few weeks but they did it."

Sasha blinked as got her Crunch Bites and spoke, "There's an Earth Club at school?"

"Yeah, they're really cool and kind, especially Ms. Kissaryn. She's the councilor who started the club. It's because of her why we have a community garden to go with the Jasper Willowfern Greenhouse. Both of them are located a few miles away from school," Adalia added as she grabbed her M&Ms. The raven-haired girl was surprised. Her aunt and uncle had mentioned a greenhouse, but not the community garden. Of course, they were so focused on making sure she would know where to go to purchase foods and other necessities that they must have forgot to mention it and tell her how to get to the greenhouse. Suddenly, she thought about the envelope that she had gotten the other day and how it still remained unopened on her bed.

Taking the opportunity as they walked to their seats, she asked, "I got an envelope that was made of recycled material in my locker yesterday. You think it could be them?"

Her three friends smiled knowingly as Colette answered back while opening her Cookie Dough Bites, "Most likely. One of the members must have heard that you're into the environment and saving the Earth. If it is, they're probably asking you to join them."

"We all are part of something at school. I'm with the soccer team," Sawyer put in smiling.

"Cooking and Baking Club," the chestnut-haired girl and auburn-haired girl chimed in unison, whispering while doing so as the previews started up.

Sasha only smiled as they turned to watch the trailers which would then lead to the movie.

Two hours later outside the theatre; Sasha's Perspective

"Totally saw it coming," Adalia said as they headed to the SUV. They had finished the movie and their snacks, gone to the bathroom, and were now out in the parking lot.

"What do you mean you saw it coming?" Sawyer asked.

"The husband was rude and conceited. He acted domineering and belittling here and there. The movie was totally giving off the same "it's the husband's fault" vibe like in Shutter," the Spanish girl explained.

"Not to mention some of the trailer hints," Colette put in.

"Now I know why most of my cousins took or are taking General Woman Studies in college," the Goth stated. The other three nodded as they got into the obsidian and violet vehicle.

Checking his watch, Sawyer announced, "It's barely gonna be 9:30. Why don't we cruise around a bit? Just for awhile."

Nodding, Colette backed out of the parking space, slow and careful. But soon as she got onto the road, it was back to lurching and tires screeching.

"He said cruise, not burn rubber," Adalia half scolded half joked. The only response she got from her French friend was a sound that was crossed between a laugh and the "pssh" sound someone makes when they're ridiculing a friend's assumption or question. The raven-haired girl couldn't help but let out a laugh herself, even as she was pulled and yanked by the auburn-haired girl's wild driving. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at a large parking lot that was attached to a basketball court.

Getting out with her friends, Sasha asked, "What are we doing here?"

Sawyer grinned as he answered, "This is where we come to just relax on weekend nights."

Out of the corner of her eye, the Goth saw Colette grab something out of the car and hand it to Adalia. Sasha saw that it was a tall mason jar and inside it were cream-colored discs and pale lavender discs. She turned to Sawyer and saw that he was grinning, his dark brown eyes glinting with what seemed like childish joy.

"What new treats do you two ladies have there?" he asked excitedly.

"I made black sesame seed lemon shortbread," Adalia announced proudly.

"And I made poppy seed lavender macaroons," Colette stated in a tone that sounded as equally filled with positive achievement and pride.

As Adalia opened the jar, the raven-haired girl's nose was filled with the tangy scent of lemon and the flowery aroma of lavender. The nature-lover could have sworn her mouth was watering.

"Try them," the Chicana said encouragingly as she held out the jar.

Sasha grabbed one of each. Choosing to try the shortbread first, she took a good-sized bite. She melted as the tasted the sweet yet tart lemon which wasn't too overpowering. The black sesame seeds gave a subtle texture. She immediately finished it before moving onto the macaroon. She nearly fainted at the warm lavender taste touched her tongue.

"Good?" Adalia and Colette asked in unison, both with big grins.

The raven-haired girl nodded furiously as she smiled and complimented, "Oh my gosh, these are amazing!"

Sawyer chuckled as he grabbed some of the cookies, "These two are the best bakers in town. And it helps that they grow some of their own ingredients."

Adalia nodded, "My family has a lemon tree in our yard. Plus the greenhouse has some vegetables and fruits like oranges and asparagus that they let you take for a small fee."

"Not to mention the different herbs and flowers that grow in mine and my mother's garden and the other flora at the community garden," Colette added.

"You know, my aunt did say that I could add some more plants to her garden while she was away. Maybe I could plant something," Sasha put in as she thought about the different vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers she could plant in the garden.

"Hey if your aunt says you can do it, go for it," Sawyer said to the nature-lover enthusiastically.

The raven-haired girl could only laugh as they relaxed under the stars.

One hour later in the parking lot; Third Person Perspective

"And so that's how we learned that it was my Uncle Aldrich who was sleep eating," Colette chuckled as they all laughed. They quartet of teens had spent the last hour munching on the cookies, talking, and laughing. The Goth had told her new friends a great deal about herself and vice versa. The trio had learned that Sasha was quite talented when it came to science, especially biology and botany. Colette had a talent for making herbal remedies as Adalia had a knack for making jewelry. Both girls were descended from excellent bakers, cooks, and confectioners. Sawyer was part of the school soccer team and he lived with his grandmother because his parents, who were in the air force, wanted him to have a stable environment and not move him around too much. He was also aiming to have a career as a member of a emergency rescue team.

"So Sasha, what do you think about sports?" the only male teen in the group asked carefully.

The Goth shrugged as she answered, "I only care about them if they have good sportsmanship."

"Good point," the African American adolescent responded with a nod and a smile.

"Besides I'm more into yoga, hiking, and other physical activities that actually have to do with enjoying it for fun or having some time to yourself," the nature-lover added after a few seconds.

"Totally," Colette agreed. A few moments of silence passed before Adalia spoke up.

"Hey Sasha, can I ask you a question? And you have a right to not answer," the adolescent Chicana asked before reassuring her friend, her tone full of curiosity.

"Sure Addie," the Goth answered calmly in a relaxed tone.

"What exactly made your parents send you here? I mean I heard something about thugs but I wanna know exactly what you meant," Adalia spoke as gently as she could while making eye contact with raven-haired girl. By this time, Sawyer and Colette had also switched their attention to the nature-lover.

Five seconds past before Sasha spoke, "Where do I begin?"

The three other teens waited patiently for her to begin her story.

"It was last Thursday. My friends, Chip and Raoul, and I were just hanging out at the skate park, minding our own business, when these three punks just walked up to us," the Goth's voice was filled with disgust as she spoke, "They tried to act like muggers and demand for us to hand over our money and belongings. We just told them to go jump in ditch."

"They didn't get the message?" Sawyer probed knowingly.

"Worse. They got mad and grabbed Chip and were about to push him in his wheelchair down the skate park stairs. He was born paraplegic so you can imagine what would've happened to him if they had managed to push him down concrete stairs," Sasha spoke angrily as the other three nodded their heads solemnly as they listened.

"And you and Raoul fought those guys?" Colette questioned.

"All Raoul could do was shove the guys away from Chip and roll him away. He had a bit of a record so if he had fought, he would've been arrested too. So he got Chip away and they called the cops while I dealt with those creeps," she corrected, hands tightening into fists on her lap.

"How did that go?" Adalia asked but she and her friends knew the answer.

"Let's see; I got out with a few bumps and scrapes and they got out with one have a broken wrist and bruised ribs, one having a broken nose and a black eye, and one with a kicked groin and missing teeth," she listed as her new friends stared at her in shock.

"Whoa. You really are a fighter," Sawyer said with an impressed tone, a small shimmer of admiration in his eyes.

The raven-haired girl blushed and smiled slightly before it was replaced with a sad yet annoyed frown, "My parents weren't impressed. They were terrified what could've happened if those guys got the better of me. So they sent me here."

"It must have been hard to leave your family and friends," Adalia said sympathetically.

Sasha nodded, "At least those jerks were put behind bars and my parents helped Chip and Raoul's family file restraining orders. I…I thought I was going to be lonely and bored when I came to Jasper. But I was wrong."

The four teens shared a smile before Colette looked at her phone.

"It's gonna be eleven in twenty minutes. We better head home. My family is going to a potluck tomorrow," the French girl said as she got up and entered the driver's seat.

"And my family is going to my grandparents' to celebrate their anniversary," Adalia spoke up as she and Sasha once again were in the backseat.

"And I'm helping my grandma with some errands tomorrow," put in as he got into the passenger as well. Listening to the others talk about what they were going to be busy with the next day made the raven-haired girl think of Zettabyte. She knew that the Internet and books could go so far. He would grow curious and want to explore his surroundings.

Maybe that's what we should do tomorrow, the nature-lover thought to herself.

"Hey Sasha, you okay?" Sawyer asked in a tone that was slightly concerned.

"I'm fine. Just thinking about what I'm gonna do tomorrow," the Goth reassured him.

Sawyer seemed to accept her answer as he turned his attention to Colette who nearly passed a red light.

Fifteen minutes later at Sasha's house; Sasha's Perspective

"Thanks again for letting me hangout with you guys," Sasha said gratefully as she exited the car.

Sawyer nodded as he smiled at her, "You're welcome. Sorry we can't hang out tomorrow."

"But we will see you at school on Monday. With some treats to boot," Adalia promised with a grin causing the Goth to smile genuinely with equal enthusiasm.

"Goodnight Sasha. Have a good day tomorrow," Colette said with a sincere voice and smile to match as she drove-well peeled rubber-back the way they came.

Sasha waved goodbye as she walked up to her door, key out to unlock it. However, as she stepped onto the front porch and was just about to put the key in she heard a rustling coming from the bush right beside the door. The raven-haired girl stared at the quaking shrub. It was too small for any human to hide in and the shaking was stronger than if it were done by a bird or squirrel. Leaning towards the bush a little to get a better look, out popped the creature that had been the cause of the rustling.

It was a cat.

A black Burmese cat, which looked to be around a year old, stepped out of the pushes and stood a few inches away from the Goth and stared up at her. Its fur was shadow black and while the right eye was green, the left eye was orange. The feline didn't seemed to be frighten at all.

"Hey cutie, where did you come from?" the adolescent female human said and the creature mewled in response. As she petted the stray, her heart melted as it purred at her touch.

Taking a chance, Sasha scooped the cat up, surprised that it didn't attempt to run or lash out at her. As she looked at its underside while picking it up, the nature-lover immediately saw that the small mammal was female. But what really shocked the raven-haired girl was that she could slightly feel the female feline's ribs. Her protective, animal-loving instincts kicked in at full force.

"You poor thing. You probably haven't had food in days," she cooed at the tiny creature cradled in her arms as she opened the door and let herself in before closing and locking it. She immediately went into the storage room. Her aunt and uncle had told her that when Chrissie had left, they used their free time to help around town. That included babysitting and pet-sitting, which they were quite good at. They had left the supplies they bought incase Sasha herself was asked to watch someone's child or animal companion.

Sure enough, as she opened one of the cabinets, she found flea and tick removal shampoo, vitamins and supplements for animals, medicine, green towels with white paw print motifs, pet food, brushes, and a few toys. Grabbing what she needed, Sasha hurried to the upstairs bathroom while balancing the feline and her supplies. She managed to make it to the bathroom and closed the door. Turning the water on, the Goth laid her materials beside her just as the female Burmese began struggling a bit.

"Mrowr. Mrowr. Mrowr," the stray meowed repeatedly as though she was saying "no" over and over.

"Hey, hey, hey. None of that," Sasha said firmly but gently. After a few seconds, the furry creature calmed down as she allowed the lukewarm water to hit her. The raven-haired girl lathered the shampoo into the shadow-colored coat. She winced a bit as some dirt, but thankfully no visible bugs, began seeping into the drain. Once she was sure the feline was clean, Sasha rinsed her off and dried her thoroughly, making sure to turn off the water before doing the latter. When the cat was dried enough, the nature-lover began brushing her coat to remove loose hair.

"Mew," the feline purred as the brush ran through her fur.

"You like that, don't you sweetie," Sasha said softly to her as she brushed the Burmese's coat. Once she finished, the nature-lover put the towel in the hamper and placed the brush and the shampoo away in the cabinet under the sink, making a note to put them back in their correct place the next morning. Taking the cat back downstairs, she remembered the hunk of salmon.

As she entered the kitchen, the raven-haired girl placed her furry companion the floor as she opened the fridge and grabbed the salmon chunk which was wrapped in a Tupperware. Grabbing a small plate, Sasha placed the chunk onto the plate and put it in front of the female Burmese. The black feline wasted no time in digging into the slab of fish. Just as she was planning to grab the milk, the raven-haired girl stopped and decided on water instead so that she could add crushed vitamins into the water.

She opened a cabinet and pulled out a porcelain mortar and pestle. Her aunt had bought it from a thrift store along with a ceramic one and a stone molcajete but the Goth decided that the porcelain one was safer to use and easier to clean. Pouring some vitamin pills into the mortar and began crushing them with the pestle. After making a fine powder, she grabbed the bowl of water and emptied the mortar's contents into it, stirring it a bit with the pestle for good measure. When she set it down, the female Burmese sniffed it warily before licking it gingerly and was soon lapping it up thirstily. No sooner had Sasha finished washing the pestle and mortar did she heard tapping on the inside door. Walking over, she opened it and sure enough Zettabyte was staring at her with a bright smile and a slightly sleepy look in his optics. No doubt it was due to abruptly awakening.

"Hey Sasha. How was your night out?" he asked politely with a kind smile.

"It was great. And it really cheered me up," the raven-haired girl answered brightly. Just then, she felt something brush against her leg. Looking down she not surprised to see the cat rubbing herself against the nature-lover's leg. The shadow-colored feline froze when it saw the mechanical titan. Turning her attention back to her extraterrestrial friend, Sasha saw that he was still as stone as well and staring at the stray with a wide-optic look. The Goth started to become nervous and prepared to grab the cat should things turn ugly. Without warning, the Cybertronian adolescent smiled and held out only pointed, silvery gray digit to the animal. To the human girl's relief, the Burmese slowly stepped closer and sniffed the digit before licking it.

"There's a good kitty," the ruby and sapphire mechling spoke softly, using the term he learned online.

"Prrrrr," the feline rumbled as the metallic alien youth gave her a careful scratch under the chin.

"She likes you," Sasha giggled.

"Well the feeling is mutual. Where did you find her anyway?" Zettabyte asked as he continued to pet the Earth creature.

"Right outside the house. I gave her a bath, a good brushing, food, and vitamins," the raven-haired girl explained.

"That was kind of you. So what are you gonna name her?" the robotic teen inquired good-naturedly. Sasha thought about it. She hadn't thought of keeping the feline but the idea wasn't unpleasant. She had always wanted a pet but her mother's distaste of the idea prevented that. But now that the nature-lover was in a new location without her mother's rules, then why shouldn't she take advantage of it? Immediately, she began thinking up various names but they didn't seem right. She looked at her phone absent-mindedly and saw that it was a quarter passed eleven. Almost midnight. That's when it struck her.

"How about…Midnight?" the Goth offered.

"I like it. What do you think Midnight?" Zettabyte asked the furry creature.

"Meow," the young cat meowed innocently. The two inter-species friends laughed.

"Looks like we'll take that as a yes. Hold on, I'm gonna go get changed and then I'll come back and tell you about how my night went," Sasha stated smiling as she left to go change out of her clothing which was still a bit damp from the bath she gave the newly named Midnight.

Sixteen minutes later in the garage; Third Person Perspective

"And Addie and Colette's cookies were heaven," the raven-haired girl gushed as she petted Midnight who was now laying comfortably in her lap. She had changed into a white tank top with a maroon spider and blue camouflage pajama bottoms with her dark magenta slippers.

"Sounds like you had a wonderful time," the mechling said with an admiring tone. He had read all the books in the house and his partner had promised that they would head to the town library later that week.

Sasha nodded before popping the question, "Do you want to drive anywhere tomorrow?"

"Where to?" Zettabyte asked curiously. The Goth thought about it. She wished that Jasper was near a forestry area so she could show him some of Earth's natural qualities. Yes, the desert part around the town and the rock formations seemed interesting, but they couldn't risk running into anyone from town or any tourists who would see them and then identify her if she came across them.

"Hmmm. That's a good question," she admitted.

Zettabyte looked down at his human friend in thought before he had an idea, "Wait I minute. I think I know what we can do."

Opening his subspace, he pulled out the device that Megatron had given him before his departure.

"What's that?" his human friend asked in a combination of surprise and interest.

"Megatron gave this to me before I left. He's the leader of the Decepticons. He said if I ever needed Soundwave , his Third-in-Command, to bridge me somewhere, to just call him with this," the adolescent Cybertronian explained. "I was thinking that we can use it. I'll tell Soundwave that I wish to explore a more green section of Earth and he'll bridge us to it. I'll just leave out the part that I have you with me."

"Will it work?" Sasha asked with the smallest tinge of nervousness.

"It should. But we don't have to try if you don't want to," the ruby and sapphire mechling reassured, feeling a little guilty for getting his friend a little worked up.

"No, I trust you. I can't say I trust the Autobots and Decepticons here on Earth but I know you would ever do anything to put me in danger. We're doing it," his companion comforted him with a smile.

The mechanical titan smiled at her gratefully, "Thank you."

Sasha nodded with a smile herself, "You're welcome. Oh I almost forgot!"

Zettabyte watched as she pulled out a blue and green envelope before asking, "What is that?"

"It's an envelope that I found in my locker the other day. Colette says that it could be from the Earth Club at school. Basically they do projects to help the Earth and it's environment," the nature-lover explained as she opened the envelope only to discover that the envelope was the letter which had been folded up to make it look like it was in an envelope. Sasha's eyes scanned down the paper and Zettabyte noticed her eyes widening with what looked like glee.

"What does it say?" the metallic youth asked, now extremely intrigued.

The Goth excitedly read it to her friend, "It says *Dear Sasha Morgan, we at the Earth Club have received news about your interest in making the Earth a more clean and eco-friendly planet. We would like to offer you a place with us this year. We'll be doing various projects that aim to help the Earth and the creatures and people on it. We also have treats and or events as a reward after each project. This club is open to any ideas you or our fellow members may have that will help the environment, animals, or people in need. If you wish to join, come to Room 12A this Monday to join our first meeting of the year. We will also have refreshments. Hope to see you there. Sincerely, Miss Kissaryn*."

"That sounds awesome. You should join!" the extraterrestrial teen exclaimed encouragingly.

"You know what? I will," the raven-haired girl confirmed with an enthusiastic smile. Out of nowhere though, she let out a yawn.

"But I guess we should get some rest now," Zettabyte stated as he too began to feel exhausted once more.

"Good thinking. Goodnight Zetta," the nature-lover said as she got up with Midnight and the letter in her arms.

"Goodnight Sasha," the mechling responded softly as he gave the Cybertronian equivalent of a yawn and curled up once again, his optics dimming as they closed.

Sasha could only smile and giggle silently before heading upstairs to her room to turn in for the night. Laying down on her bed, with Midnight curled by her side, she had feeling that perhaps she wouldn't mind this new change in her life. Or any others sure to come.

Sorry it took so long for chapter 5 to get here. Darn college. Any of you who play "Slender: The Arrival" would know that the way I described Sasha's aunt and uncle's house sounds like the house from the game. That's also because I based it on the house. I just thought since Jasper keeps being referred to as a place in the middle of nowhere and because the house in the game was very roomy, it would make a great choice. Yeah, I'm strange like that. So sue me. So I give the makers of the game credit for inspiring me to make Sasha's house like that. Anyway I would like to thank you all for your patience and to Speedy (aka Speedstreek360) for encouraging me to finally start on my fanfics and helping with some details (ex; Sawyer's SUV). Fun fact; there are people who do reuse old glass jars. I would also like to add that Mr. Parker is based on my science teachers from high school and Miss Kissaryn is based on some school therapists I had from elementary to high school. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. Flamers get flamed and haters get ignored. Until next time, enjoy my other fics.

See you later, and Happy Reading!