Authroess Note: Wow, more than twenty reviews! I'm so excited!!

dandyparakeet - Wow. Just Wow. When I read your review I was like 'HOLY CRAP!! You're psychic!!' Read below and find the answer to your question!

Elita One - Yeah, I didn't want her to be lonely so I gave her a kitten to look after.

Stesuna the Dragon - Plenty of fluffyness coming up, but you'll have to wait until the next chapter. Sorry!!

Enjoy!!

This chapter has been revised!!

Chapter 5

Jazz and Flying High

"The party was a blast! I had so much fun." Nexia murmured to herself, smiling softly as the little black kitten curled up beside her. Sam was snoring loudly in another corner of the medical bay, chocking on his spit once and a while, and she and Mikaela shared one of the larger cots across the room.

The surprise welcome party lasted for hours and went on past midnight; it was so late that Optimus granted permission for them to stay. Sarah and Will had to leave and put little Annabelle to sleep before her babysitter tore the house to pieces from boredom.

"Mrow…murrf…" Asuma purred in his sleep from his position on her stomach. His ears twitched ever so often as he dreamt; he was probably dreaming of fish and crème - his favorite treat.

She chuckled as she lightly ran a hand over his smooth fur, causing him to jump and lift his head. His molten eyes stared at her as she picked him up and stood beside her cot. She secured her ninja sandals before standing, noticing a flash of silver light out of the corner of her eye. The winged girl finished dressing in something comfortable, to guard herself from the night's chill, and decided to investigate the shiny object.

Just as the object was within sight she realized it was the Japanese style sword Ironhide and Will gave her. Ironhide said it was made out of a special Cybertronian alloy, which made it much sharper than normal weapons and harder than diamond. She knew that the gruff old bot wanted her to be safe and that's why he created the weapon; it was specially made for her.

"Come Asuma. I'm not tired. Let us go for a stroll around the base." the Phoenix whispered, grabbing the ornate sword and attaching it to her back with a thick leather strap. As soon as she was finished with the straps she and Asuma headed for the door.

She glanced at the clock on her way out, noting that it read six in the morning. She flexed her wings, slightly aware of the dull throbbing on her injured one. Nexia sighed, hoping that they would heal soon enough. She slumped her shoulders, a little disappointed that she still would not be able to fly.

"Lets go, Asuma." Nexia whispered once she was done with her musings, watching as the energetic ball of fluff sauntered down the hall. She was about to follow the rambunctious little ball of fur but stopped, suddenly aware of a small force drawing on her subconscious. It was hesitant but also somewhat warm, lightly tugging her in another direction. She couldn't say no to it; it was like an instinct. The tugging was light but insistent, pleading with her to relieve its pain.

"Asuma. Lets go this way." she called softly, directing the kitten back to her and down the hallway the strange feeling came from. The further along she went the stronger the tug came and the better the feeling was. It was like the feeling got…happier the closer the Phoenix came to the source.

She picked up the kitten when the feeling became more insistent and started jogging down the hallway, guided by the strange presence in her subconscious. Finally, when she thought she could go no longer, she arrived in front of a door with Cybertronian markings on it. Her lungs felt like they were going to explode but a feeling of satisfaction welled within her being. Nexia set Asuma down, stepping up to the door to read the characters.

"Here lies Autobot Jazz, Warrior of Cybertron, former Second In Command, and dear friend." she read aloud, stepping forward solemnly as the door slid open to her touch. It was unusual - most of the doors were locked when the organics were around. It was mostly out of safety because something could fall on them…but whatever was in the room must be extremely important.

She gasped softly as she took sight of the room for the first time. It was bare except for a large berth; a small silver mech was laying on the berth…except for the fact that his upper body was severed - no…more like literally torn from his lower body. Attached to the mech were various tubes, which pumped some sort of clear fluid into his metallic body.

All of a sudden the tugging started again as she was pulled toward the table, easily climbing up upon the berth itself despite its tall stature. From there she took the time to study him, carefully tracing the mech's outline.

He was by far the shortest mech. He was shorter than most of the other mechs she had met, but that didn't mean that he had any less fight in his spark. Her eyes studied the tiny rips and tears in his beautiful silver armor, then studying the visor situated over his optics. Nexia swore that she saw a little spark of light flare up…but when she shook her head and looked again it was gone. It must have just been her imagination.

His fingers curved into what looked like claws and he had two little antennae protruding from his helmet. Actually…the winged girl found them to be rather cute. Finally, her eyes came to a rest on his abdomen, where the majority of his wound was. Wires frayed from the center and the armor looked like it had literally been ripped apart. It was melted in some places; the winged girl couldn't even imagine the pain he must have been in. She closed her eyes, letting a lone tear fall in mourning for the mech in front of her.

So, little birdie, can y' fix me? I'd kinda like t' be fixed. a deep voice reverberated throughout her mind. Nexia's eyes snapped open and up, opening wider when she was face to face with a whitish blue orb. It floated in an extremely large tank on another berth, which she did not notice upon arrival, not too far from the one she was on.

She looked upon it with awe, watching the way it pulsated slightly when it talked. Nexia shifted her wings, for once not feeling the dull ache that had been present for the past few days. She walked up to the tank, which the spark was floating in, and placed her hand upon the glass. She watched how the spark floated closer to the glass; she smiled noting how the spark grew brighter the happier it seemed to get.

"You are Autobot Jazz, are you not?" she asked quietly, closing her eyes and leaning her forehead against the tank. She focused her mind on one point, imagining what it would be like talking to him face to face.

She imaged a somewhat short, but definitely muscular, African American man wearing semi tight jeans and a white muscle shirt. Black converse were on his feet; silver and red custom designs were on the black backdrop material. His face was warm and pleasantly plump and his hair was in cornrows; his bright blue eyes sparkling with kindness. He had a gray arm warmer on one of his wrists - on it was the red Autobot symbol.

Yeah, I am. So, can y' fix me? Jazz's spark asked again, pulsating slightly in anticipation. Nexia sighed and opened her eyes, revealing the molten pools of her irises. She looked at the spark sadly as she bit her lip, racking her brain for an answer. All in all she didn't know if she had enough power to fix his extensive wounds.

"I don't know." she finally replied sadly, watching the light dim on the spark. A tear crept down her face as she watched the helpless orb float in its prison. She wished that it was back in its spark casing but she knew that she shouldn't wish what couldn't be done. Nexia looked up in determination, vowing that she would find a way to heal his tortured soul.

"I don't know…but…that doesn't mean that I can't try." she said firmly as the orb brightened once again. It shined in happiness as loud footsteps echoed down the hall from where she was.

Soon the door swished open, revealing the bulking mass of the Autobot leader. He stopped for a moment when his optics landed on Nexia, but continued when he saw she was watching him. Eventually he stood next to her, optics sparkling with interest and curiosity.

"Hello Optimus." Nexia said, settling down next to Jazz's tank. Optimus also sat, pulling one of the transformers sized chairs next to the berth. They sat in silence for a moment; Optimus was gathering his words together to not offend the little one sitting next to him.

"Hello little one. I see you have found Jazz. We hope to have him fixed soon as he is getting a little antsy." he states, waving a massive hand in Jazz's direction. The spark glowed, happy that he was being included in on the conversation. She turned and smiled slightly at the little dance he was doing inside the tank.

"Yes, I have. He asked me if I could fix him. Not to be offensive but I didn't think he would be able to talk…since he is just a spark…" she said, still looking at the spark. She rested her chin on her knees as Optimus' optics widened in shock.

"He spoke to you? And you understood him? What did you say?" the Autobot leader ground out through his shock. Nexia lifted her head to look at the great mech, sighing and shaking her head. Her sadness still glowed through her molten irises as she recounted the brief conversation in her mind.

"I told him the truth - I didn't know. To fix him I need my spark, wherever it is, and I need to know how he got to be so…gruesome. Even then I don't know if I can fully reattach his spark to his body." she said, shaking her head sadly. Optimus thought about the dilemma for a while before his optics brightened with realization.

"I think I may be able to help with that. I have your spark with me." he said, smiling with tenderness. Nexia gasped with delight as he pulled a necklace, a familiar one at that, out of his subspace pocket.

She looked long and hard at the tiny pendant before taking it from the large mech's grasp. She smiled gently as she clipped the clasp behind her neck, relishing the feeling as most of her energy was returned to her body. The spark set to work mending her shoulder as her face settled into a content smile. Nexia flexed her wings, squealing in delight when there was no pain.

"Now for the history. You know about the Allspark, little one?" Optimus questioned as he settled down once again. He watched as the winged girl settled back against Jazz's tube, giggling when his spark floated just above her shoulder.

"Yes…but I am unaware of how exactly it was destroyed. I know of Mission City but not to the fullest extent." Nexia commented, flexing her wings slightly. Jazz's spark dimmed as he made a noise of disapproval - a sure sign that something horrible had happened to Jazz at Mission City.

"Well…It all began when the Allspark came to Earth. We, of course, followed it…but so did the Decepticons. Sam had in his possession a pair of his grandfather's glasses with the location of the cube. For his protection we sent Bumblebee to be his guardian until the others, including Jazz, came to the planet." he explained, waiting for the girl to absorb the information. After a few seconds she nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"Eventually the search for the cube led to a major battle, in Mission City. The battle was long and grueling, costing thousands of human lives. A small squad of humans, led by William Lennox, decided to help Sam hide the cube. It was already too late." The great commander said, voice grave. He bowed his head as if in prayer, optics shuttering closed.

"Megatron had been reawakened from his icy sleep and both the cube and mankind were in danger." He finished, watching the girl's face contort into utter fear. Asuma walked over, cautious of the giant mech, and nuzzled Nexia's hand with a small meow. The winged girl jumped slightly, turning to the small kitten to give him the attention he wanted.

"Jazz, being the fierce warrior that he is, attacked Megatron head on. Since Jazz's body is so small Megatron could easily pick him up. The evil one literally tore Jazz's body in half but we managed to save his spark. He now lives in the tank until we can find a way to seal his spark back inside his body." he finished. Nexia bowed her head in silence as she thought. It was possible for her to heal the depressed warrior…all she had to do was find the way.

"Optimus, I don't think I can heal him now, but once my energy is back to normal I can try to fix him. In the meantime…may I go for a small flight? It helps to clear my thoughts and I might find a way to help Jazz faster." she asked the Autobot leader, looking up with wide eyes. Her lower lip started trembling slightly as well; the sight broke down all the resolve Optimus had built toward the girl.

"Alright. Take Ironhide with you. I don't want you getting hurt." he finally said, optics flickering in amusement as she pumped a fist into the air. She flapped her wings once and took off with Asuma in her arms. The poor little cat let out a mrow of fright, clawing into the winged girl's clothing to keep from falling.

As she flew she placed her spark underneath her shirt, quickly making her way toward the medical bay to change clothing. The feeling of being extremely dirty was high since she didn't change clothes that morning. She changed into a pair of tight black shorts and a light blue tank top, not bothering to change her shoes. She slipped quietly out of the room, walking down the hall to meet the weapon specialist.

"Hey." 'Hide's gruff voice sounded from behind her. She turned sharply to catch the black mech saunter up to her, cocky grin settled upon his faceplates. She grinned, unfurling her wings and taking off in the air. She giggled at the astonished look upon his faceplates, diving down and scooping up her little kitten. The black mech grumbled something as she flew before him – it was something like 'what a waste of time' but she knew that he didn't mind.

"We're going to the Lennox Ranch so I can show Asuma his new home!" she called, floating toward the door. Ironhide just shook his head and transformed, taking off after the almost hyper teen. His spark warmed at the sight of her wearing the Katana he and Will made for her. At least she would be protected if they were somehow separated.

Ironhide had come to love her like a niece and he would be the trigger happy uncle, always showing off his guns – or cannons in the great black mech's case. Once they were outside Nexia landed on Ironhide's bed, wanting to save her energy for flying out around the wilderness. It took about only ten minutes to get to Will's house, where Sarah was outside waiting for them.

"Optimus called and said that you were bringing a friend. He's adorable." Sarah said helping Nexia pull out all the necessary equipment Asuma would need if he was going to stay indoors. Asuma meowed in response, pawing at Sarah's shoes, and then bounding up the stairs to the screen door.

"You should be quiet. I've just gotten Annabelle to take her nap. She was extremely fussy today." the older woman whispered, opening the door for the kitten with a slight laugh. She turned to Nexia, a warm smile upon her face.

"It is a beautiful day. Go and fly. Don't worry, I don't need you here just yet." she said, shooing the teen back towards the dirty black Topkick. Nexia grinned but instead of climbing back into his bed she unfurled her great crimson wings, lifting into the air with excitement. She flew past Ironhide, who was tearing after her, and rode the air currents far into the sky.

A small beep was heard as she flew through some clouds, startling her out of her happy daze. She looked around for the little beeping object and finally noticed a small blinking dot on the hilt of her sword.

She laughed at herself as she remembered the locator Will had told her about. Apparently Wheeljack had installed a location ship in her sword that all of he Autobots could track if they knew the right code. The black Topkick must have activated it when he lost sight of her within the clouds.

Nexia laughed with glee, enjoying he wind gliding through the crimson feathers on her wings. The wind on Earth was much cleaner than on her former home of Cybertron. It didn't clog up her feathers, like back home, so she didn't need to land – well…except for when she was tired. Her chin length hair ruffled in the wind, flying every which way as the wind changed directions. Eventually she tired out and spotted a nice clearing that she could land in.

She supposed Ironhide would come to collect her once he realized that her tracker had stopped moving on his locator. The sun felt so good on her skin that she decided to lay back, closing her eyes against the harsh sun glaring in her eyes. Oh…how the sun's warm glow felt so good on her exposed skin. She sighed, content to just lay in the clearing for the time being. The rippling of the small pond in the background lulled her gently to sleep.

Sometime later, a little after noon, the winged teen woke, stretching out all the kinks in her neck, back, and wings. She looked around, expecting to see the hulking black mech somewhere, but was surprised to see that she was alone. She stood, brushing off the excess dirt from her back and clothes. She brought her hands up, rubbing the 'sleep dust' from her eyes in an attempt to see more clearly.

Suddenly, Nexia heard a twig snap somewhere behind her. She turned, flexing her wings to keep her balance, and came face to face with a snarling wolf, its pack behind him. She screamed, quickly pulling her katana free from its scabbard in hopes of some sort of defense. The sword was heavy in her hands; it was a bad thing that would slow her down in the long run.

"Ironhide! Help me!" she screeched, jumping to the side as the alpha male jumped at her. She put the sword defensively in front of her, hoping to provide some sort of defense from the hunters. The sword brought her hands down and pulled at her muscles as they quivered; never once had she fought a pack of wolves before.

"Ah!" she gasped as another wolf knocked her down from behind. The katana was knocked from her grasp as she struggled to regain her footing. Nexia swore to herself, glancing back and forth between the katana and her foe. She decided that the katana wasn't her best line of defense and chose another course of action. Her hand grew warm as she activated her Phoenix Flame, throwing the ball of fire at the wolves rushing for her.

They scattered but the alpha continued charging, leaping upon her shoulder and bit down. His teeth sank into her flesh, ripping out little chunks of skin and spraying the wolf's face with blood. She cried out in pain, but knocked the wolf off, trying to rise into the air with a strong flap of her wings. She dove, snatching the katana, and settled into a tree.

The wolves tried to scramble up it but froze when they heard a great chain of crashes. Nexia looked to where the sound was coming form, wincing when the sting of her wound intensified. She grasped it, trying to staunch the flow of blood.

Soon, the hulking form of 'hide came thundering through the trees. He transformed into his mech mode, charging his photon cannons. He leapt toward Nexia's tree, making he wolves scatter as his frame towered above them.

"Ironhide. You came for me." Nexia breathed, sheathing her katana and taking towards the air. She hovered in front of the weapon specialist's face as he scanned her for injuries. The blood obviously made itself known as it traveled down her shoulder in little rivulets, dropping to the ground below.

"You are injured. We must take you to Ratchet." he suddenly stated, staring directly at her wounded shoulder. She nodded as she drifted to the ground. Ironhide transformed again as she climbed into the bed, he swore to himself in Cybertronian as he raced back towards he base. It seemed like no time at all once they reached the great fortress. Nexia had bled a small puddle in his bed and stumbled a little once she hopped off.

Ratchet, prepare the Medical Bay for Nex. Ironhide opened a communications channel with Ratchet, not bothering to identify himself as he transformed.

Ironhide? What? Why? What's wrong with Nex?! What did you do?! Ratchet's frantic and confused voice replied.

Don't ask questions, just do it! She's injured and bleeding all over the place. Ironhide ordered as he skidded to a stop in front of the medical bay.

Ratchet hurriedly opened the doors, ushering the huge mech and wounded girl into the room. The battle hardened medic spent no time in stitching up the tiny gashes on her shoulder, staunching the flow of blood. She smiled shyly at the medic before heading toward the door, where Optimus was most likely waiting.

Optimus' great hulking form kneeled down and waited for Nexia to climb into his hand. He rose and waited for her to start speaking, a gentle and patient look in his optics.

"Before you say anything I was the one who flew off. It was my entire fault so please don't blame Ironhide." she said, looking directly into his optics. He looked back at her, a little shocked at what she said. She was extremely passionate, not to mention stubborn, and her eyes were glazed over with unshed tears.

The Autobot leader could tell that she was telling the truth. She bit her lip, molten irises literally begging Optimus to believe her and not punish Ironhide.

"I will not punish Ironhide but you are lucky. Even though your spark was unharmed you could have died from blood loss. Remember that you are still weak little one." he finally said sadly, handing her over to Bumblebee. He crooned questioningly, bright blue optics asking her if she was hurt.

The shock soon settled in with Optimus' words, sending her into her own little world. Soon she was trembling and tears were starting to slip silently from her eyes. Bee's optics widened slightly as he lifted her to his spark, crooning comfortingly to her.

"I'm fine, Bee. I was just a little shocked. I was so intent on flying that I didn't realize the dangers of this world still affected me." She whispered as she buried her face even deeper in his chassis.

Ratchet watched as Nexia left the room and then whirled on Ironhide, optics flashing, and threw one of his handy wrenches at the black mech's head. His eyes nearly flashed white as his anger grew, stepping closer and closer to the Weapons Specialist.

"What happened?! Where were you when she was attacked?!" the Autobot medic roared, making the battle hardened Weapon Specialist flinch slightly. Ironhide stood his ground and stared Ratchet in the optics. He set his jaw, preparing his explanation so the medic wouldn't dismantle him.

"She went for a flight - don't ask me how. All I know is that her wings are fully healed. She landed in a small clearing and went to sleep. When she woke she was attacked by wolves. I saved her as fast as I could." 'hide responded gruffly, turning toward his Commanding Officer when he arrived.

Optimus stayed silent, observing the situation with clarity. When Ironhide opened his mouth to speak Optimus raised his great hand, effectively cutting him off. The black mech held much respect for the tall blue and red mech standing in front of him, bowing his head in shame.

"I am aware of what happened, old friend. Nexia has explained. It was an accident so there is no need for punishment." Optimus said, sneaking a glance at Ratchet. The medic calmed somewhat and started toward the doors that Nexia went out of.

He stopped short as he opened the door, optics narrowing with jealousy when he saw that Bumblebee, of all mechs, was comforting the crying form of his beloved. Wait…where had that come from? Ironhide and Optimus shared knowing looks before excusing themselves out of the side door, leaving Ratchet in his jealous stupor.