The morning sun dawned late in the deep canyon and Jazz's systems came online one by one. At some point during the night, the fire had gone out and he'd retreated towards the canyon wall carrying a sleeping Zoe in his arms. He was immediately aware her position had not changed.
Zoe curled up against his grill facing him. If she had been a true Cybertronian, they would be spark to spark as they were chest to chest. As always, when her spark was so close to his, he found himself distracted and simply speaking, aroused. It was a bit frustrating for him; they were so different in form. He knew she should have more, although she'd never expressed an explicit need for more. It seemed to be a human trait that sex and sexual encounters were one of their basic needs.
He struggled to understand why. Yes, it was nice to share tactile sensations with one you were close to, but Autobots did not carry the depth of sensory inputs that humans did. In fact, humans, and probably most organics, held more sensory inputs in just their fingertips then a typical Autobot had in their entire arm. He wondered what sort of processing power it would take to recognize the breadth of available tactile stimuli.
The saboteur carefully dropped an arm away from Zoe without waking her and ran it over the nearby rocks. He could see that their surface was rough, littered with cracks and bumps, but he couldn't feel most of them. His claw-like fingers were much too large, and his metal, while pliable was simply too hard to process the myriad of minute details his optics told him were present.
His sensors told him that there were other things there he would never truly feel, not in the way Zoe could. The temperature of the wind across skin, the crunch of sand beneath his feet, the true taste of food, warm water splashing against the skin in hundreds of droplets; these weren't things he ever missed, rather he'd never known existed. Things he didn't particularly care too know, until he experienced them, secondhand, through Zoe's eyes. Now, he was past intrigued.
Zoe stirred in his arms but did not open her eyes. "What's the matter Jazzy?" she said sleepily.
"You going to sleep all day, boo?" He chuckled. "Sun's up and everything."
She made no motion to get up, or even to change position. "Why? I think everything's perfect right here where I'm at." She snuggled against him tighter.
Jazz could not help but smile at that. Nevertheless, it was their last full day together till she got back from Cybertron and he was determined to make the most of it. The smile turned dark for a moment. Their lives could change in the blink of an optic. Cybertron was a long way away, and between it and Earth, was the entire Decepticon army. Unconsciously, his arms tightened around her.
Now Zoe opened her eyes. Something was wrong, and she lifted her head towards Jazz curiously. "Jazz? Are you ok?" There was a wave of unhappiness radiating from him. It worried her.
It was gone quickly and he graced her with a lopsided grin. "Naw, it's cool." The grin faltered somewhat when she continued to stare at him, obviously seeing through the pretense. "Be careful, out there…Zoe." He said finally, his optics growing a bit dark. "The universe is bigger than you can imagine. I should go with you…"
"No!" She said, fully sitting up. "Jazz we discussed this. Optimus Prime needs you here. Bumblebee needs you here." When he didn't respond, Zoe laid her head on his chest, her fingertips tracing the patterns in his grill. "Your comrades need you here, on Earth."
"Oh?" He said, pulling back from her a bit, "And what about you?"
A smile played across her face then, and she chewed on her lip delicately. "Me? I have you. What more should I need?"
Jazz decided then that humans were very good at those sappy, corny lines. He wanted to laugh, but it disappeared as Zoe's skillful fingers caught a hold of the mechanisms that held his chest plates closed and exposed his spark. The chill air played across the sensitive cables and an involuntary shudder went through his body then. He didn't have time to analyze that strange sensation before Zoe, her own spark appearing through its disembodied glow, rushed forward to merge with his. She was getting good at this.
Again, the Autobot found himself immersed in a world of sensation and complex emotions he couldn't understand. It was a world of color and light, of smoke and cinnamon. A world juxtaposed to everything he knew and accepted. Still, Zoe was beside him and her life essence made him feel complete, invincible.
Through this time, he was determined to take her through pathways and nuances of his life that he'd never shown anyone before. He wanted to show her she was special, that after thousands of years wandering the galaxy, fighting a war, and knowing only death and destruction, she was the one to bring him out of that downward spiral. That she was the one to whom he'd anchored himself in the storm of chaos that was every Autobot's life.
Likewise, Zoe too wanted to give more to Jazz. It was aggravating that she found it so hard to relate to him at times. She knew he didn't understand the complexities and contradictory nature of the human brain. So much of what she did confused him, annoyed him, frustrated him, and yet he was willing to set it all aside in order to make her happy. He'd been alive for thousands of years, and she, less than 25. He had eons of experience upon which to call in order to deal effectively with their relationship …while she only had what she'd shared with Alex.
During their joining, Jazz had deliberately remained aloof about that part of her life. He'd made it a subtle point to avoid those pathways that lead to anything about the two of them in any sort of romantic encounter. Zoe hadn't pressed upon it either, but she knew why.
Inevitably, Zoe knew, beyond any doubt, all guys, whether from Cybertron, Earth, or even Mars…were the same. What she had learned from Alex, and from late night Cinemax and the few racy movies Harley had smuggled into the base, combined with her intimate knowledge of Jazz's innermost likes and desires…was plenty.
The sun was well past its apex when they finally separated. At some point Jazz had shifted and put his back against the ground with Zoe over him. Zoe opened her eyes blearily and squinted as they adjusted to the sudden light. Below her, Jazz rumbled softly, himself recovering. The merging was always so intense and it left Jazz in need of a short recharge.
Although his eyes were still closed when Zoe picked up her head and stared into his still open spark chamber. The intense bluish-gold light that mirrored his optics, was throbbing and pulsating in a slow rhythm. She could see tiny orbs of denser rarified energon orbiting one another deep within the circle of energy and remembered what it had been like, not so long ago, when she'd carried his spark back from the Well. She knew she shouldn't touch it now, but that didn't stop her from reaching in and running her fingers along the clusters of cables that lead to, surrounded, and connected to the octagonal chamber that housed the actual spark.
The wires were hot, nearly burning, but soft, pliable, and they vibrated beneath her fingertips. The cables, once nearly translucent, began to react physically to her touch and a myriad of colors began to pulse along their lengths. Likewise, Zoe nearly lost her perch when Jazz's body seized beneath her forcefully. His optics flew open and a strangled cry escaped his vocalizer.
Startled, she rose to her hands and knees, above his chest. "Jazz? Did I hurt you?" Zoe had not missed his earlier shudder from the winds caress over his chamber. Now she was just worried it was painful, rather than pleasant. Though the feeling coming through their link wasn't pain, she was still new at deciphering the complex web of emotional subroutines the Autobots displayed. It over-shadowed the byzantine human psychology at times.
It was a moment before he responded. "Only in a good way. More."
Zoe laughed. "Bossy-bot." But she obliged him and strummed his wires like strings of a harp. It brought out deep, rumbling groans from Jazz and was causing Zoe to be dangerously flooded with emotion herself. She fought against the rising tide and would not allow herself to stop. "I told you I'd make it up to you." She whispered with a grin and leaned forward blowing cool air over the exposed connections. His spark surged, sizzled with intensity, and his fingers dug shallow furrows in the soft rocky soil beneath him.
Jazz's body arched upwards and Zoe replanted her legs to stay stable. She stroked the bundles of cables, back and forth, with the pads of her fingertips, before she switched to dragging her slightly pointed fingernails across the thick bands. The change brought out a series of static filled whimpers from her mate that sounded both strained and rapturous at the same time. Zoe worried that this might be too much. "Maybe I should stop," she half-teased. This couldn't be good for his processors.
"No." He growled. "Don't you dare!" At this point, he would have done something, anything, to make her keep going, if he had been physically able to move. Primus, her fingers were like electrified plasma over the most sensitive area of his body. It was impossible that Cybertronians could stimulate one another in this carnal way. Although it was possible for them to link up using a series of ports located on their torsos, it wasn't the same. Linking that way was nothing more than a sharing of memories and events that each chose to share. It was still mental. This was physical. This was a new level of ecstasy.
Jazz felt like he was flying through the cosmos, his body pure energy, with a nebula of crackling, electrical color pouring into every processor, every sensor. His optics closed, he continued onwards, a streak of light, towards a star shining high above him. His body vibrated, and his limbs twitched in a series of increasing spasms.
Zoe couldn't help but smile at the state of her mate. Calm, cool, collected Jazz, was whimpering under her fingertips. She pushed her thumb upwards on a cable, against its 'grain' and it vibrated, which caused Jazz's body to shudder and another moan-like noise to escape his mouth. The flood of emotions was making her hot as well, her body reacting from his arousal while she continued to press on his pulse points. He was close to overloading, she could tell. So she reached in, pinching another set of multicolored lines in rapid succession before she placed her fingertips over the opening to the spark casing, and squeezed.
The resulting flare of energy from his spark, caused her to close her eyes, and the surge of energon through his body, caused Jazz to convulse in waves for a moment, before his body resettled. Zoe opened her eyes and watched his spark throb in rapid and uneven pulses. She didn't say anything, but smiled, trying to cool her own body down. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, she thought to herself. Now she was hot and bothered, and Jazz was in no condition to even speak. "You ok, boo?" she asked quietly, pushing his chest plates closed gently.
"Can't….must….recharge…." came the staggered, almost tired, answer. Jazz's optics, already closed, remained that way, as his systems powered down.
Zoe giggled and slid down off her perch. Well that was interesting, she thought, looking back at her mate fondly. She'd have to remember some of those places she'd found in her merging with him. His spark casing wasn't his only sensitive spot, but it was by far, the strongest one. Still, it made her feel good to have made him feel incredible, yet her body was burning up. They shared more than just thoughts through the link; they shared feelings as well.
Because of what she did to him, Zoe was now feeling overly aroused too. ~Damn.~ she thought, and glanced over at the river. ~Bet that water's cold…~ Within minutes she had stripped and immersed herself in the slow flowing, but chilly Colorado River.
The water felt good against her heated skin and she quickly felt her body retreating from where she had taken Jazz's body earlier. She had to try harder to reign in her own reactions; acting like that in front of him would serve only to frustrate them both. She knew there would be a repeat performance; it was just too great to see him so fully satiated.
A bitter chuckle escaped her then. Why now? Why now that she'd discovered an entirely new and unique activity that she should have to travel across the galaxy and be separated from the only being that could look beyond her considerable flaws. Life was never fair, she lamented briefly. She glanced at Jazz's prone physique. Well, on the other hand, life was good. It brought her, him.
It was over an hour before Jazz had finally sorted himself out enough to sit up. He was still feeling the effects somewhat. The effects of being over-energized on ultra-grade were similar, but this was deeper, not so fleeting, and definitely better. He glanced around the area briefly, looking for his human. She was in the river swimming, probably doing laps. She was all the way on the other side.
Briefly, the thought that she was in danger passed through his mind and he ran a scan on her. His diagnostic scanner was nowhere nearly as refined as Ratchet's but he could tell she was mildly hypothermic, and tired. How long had she been swimming? Since he went off-line?
A hand went to his chest and a shudder passed through him from the memory. He'd never even suspected manipulation of his spark chamber could, would, feel like that. It felt just so wonderfully gratifying. It was hard to imagine that inorganic beings could find the same erotic pleasure from physical stimulus as organic creatures, but that proved true.
He couldn't wait to tell Ratchet. Ratchet knew everything…except this.
Right now, he rolled forward into a transformation to his alt. mode and his holoform activated at the far shore, waist deep in the water. "Yo, sup gorgeous?"
Zoe let out a small shriek as a man suddenly appeared in front of her. Her hands flew over her chest in instinctual modesty. "Jazz! Shit!" she squealed. Jazz only grinned at her until she finally smiled at him. "I guess you're feeling better now?"
His blue eyes sparkled. "If you mean to compare how I feel right now, with how I felt several breems ago…" A short laugh erupted from him then. "I feel lousy. Horrible. Awful." He reached up and tapped his chin innocently.
Zoe rolled her eyes as she slowly kicked backwards through the water from him. "Silly bot." She teased. "I'm not sure that's so good for you. Maybe we shouldn't do that anymore. Ratchet is going to yell at you."
He disappeared from in front of her then and she blinked in confusion. Suddenly strong arms encircled her waist from behind and a low husky voice growled in her ear. "You shouldn't tease me. I don't react well to that."
Jazz had to fight to hold back a triumphant laugh as Zoe's instant reaction. Her heartbeat sped up, her body tensed against him, and her breath caught in her throat. A noticeable chill from the water pervaded her body that made him wonder if that was unhealthy for her. He adjusted his holoform's temperature upwards several degrees even as he tightened his grip around her and began to explore her shoulders with his mouth.
Unconsciously Zoe melted against him, the heat was nice and in stark contrast to the chilly water. She laid her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes quickly losing herself in the sensation of Jazz's mouth against her skin. Each tiny kiss sent tingles of electricity, or perhaps energon, racing along the surface of her body. It ignited her in places she'd long forgotten.
Her willing submittal was too much for him to ignore and he pushed further, exploring her body with his fingers, keeping a mental note of which places sent chills across their link. It was for his own sake as much as for Zoe's, as their link caused him to feel what she did.
It was odd to him, so much more then he could have imagined. This was what it was like to have millions of sensor clusters. Through their bond, he could feel the chill of the water, the fire from his mouth, the electricity from his fingertips. It made his spark ache in a familiar way. Had she felt this way when she caused him to overload earlier? No wonder she went for a swim.
He pushed those thoughts aside for now and concentrated on his task. From his studies on the internet, he was aware of what areas of her body should be the most sensitive and he decided to concentrate on those. She'd had a good reaction before when he'd manipulated her neck, so he started there, pushing her wet hair to the side and delving in with his mouth along its graceful curves.
Zoe dug her fingers into Jazz's muscular arm as he began to nibble along her neck. She gasped slightly as his mouth moved to her ear and a warm holo-tongue swirled around the lobe before it delved inside. She struggled to remain in control, but her resistance was fading fast. It swept her away, like the river rushing around them. "Define 'well,'" she finally said.
At that, Jazz practically growled in her ear, causing a ripple of pleasure to buzz through her body then. A throaty cry escaped her lips and Jazz noted her ears were especially sensitive, and that growling seemed to turn her on even more. "Ya like that." He said smugly, and attacked her ear again. "Teasing me…has consequences, boo." He said in-between nibbles. "Kinda like…hitting Ironhide...he'll hit ya back."
It was becoming increasingly difficult to form coherent sentences. She had just opened her mouth to retort to that, when the hand on her stomach traced upwards to cup one of her breasts, the thumb circling the tip with feather caresses. Her body heaved against him seeking escape, but his grip tightened further and denied her. "S...so…you're going... to hit me?" she managed to gasp.
There was a cracking energy field now around his primary form but it was completely unnoticed by the ex-S7 agent in the water. It would have probably raised an optic ridge on Ratchet if he saw it, but Jazz didn't focus on anything right now except Zoe. Of course, he still maintained a vigil for danger, but the enormous expanse of his attention was on his mate. He chuckled as he drew back from her just a bit to push her head forward so he could get at her back. Cybertronian glyphs, tattooed there by the AllSpark traced down along her spine and Jazz could see that even those were swirling, sparkling with rising energy. They were beautiful and desire for his mate rose all over again in him. "Not with my fists…." He said coyly.
As his tongue traced the swirling glyphs on her back, he slowly back-pedaled towards their side of the shore. Zoe wasn't paying attention to their location and he was certain that they could tumble off a waterfall before she'd open her eyes. It was a good thing. It made him happy to know he could please her in the same physical way she pleased him. However, he knew it was more than that. He could feel that is was more than that.
He decided then that this human mating ritual, though complex, was fascinating and erotic, and something he was certain he wanted to do with her, repeatedly. Jazz figured he should be nervous; this being his first coupling with a human after all, but something about this seemed almost natural to him. Natural and yet alien all at once. He wound his other hand around her body to complete the ministrations the other hand had done to her chest.
Zoe hardly felt the water anymore, so heated was her body now. Jazz's hand were like fire across her skin and she melted against him. She felt as if she couldn't catch her breath; flying through the air on a silver streak of light. She suddenly felt the smooth pebbles of the shore under her feet but before she had a chance to react, Jazz had spun her around and captured her lips with his.
An entirely new set of sensations flooded Jazz's already beleaguered systems and he tried to mimic what he'd scanned from various television shows and movies. Then he quickly stopped trying to mimic and decided to forge his own style. He was Jazz after all; he'd do things his own way, or not at all. As he pressed his tongue onto Zoe's lips, they opened, granting him access.
She was soft and warm, and he explored this new zone carefully as his hands continued to map her body. Every nuance, every inch, every soft bit was touched gently by strong hands bent upon finding a way to return the favor she'd so graciously bestowed upon him earlier. Deftly he maneuvered them to the ground, which he softened by creating a small holomatter blanket, and he pinned her body down with his, continuing the kiss.
Zoe barely registered they were on the ground until the soft feather comforter puffed-up around her. Where--? She didn't have time to think further before Jazz's tongue demanded entrance, to which she gave readily. For the smallest of moments she marveled at just how detailed their holoforms were, and then she stopped thinking as his hands traveled across her burning body heading lower.
Her own hands came up, running smooth nails across his rippled abs and followed suit, moving across the smooth tight muscles of his all-too-perfect human aft. It caused another growl from him, and to pull away from her enough so she could grab some air. The sensations were like nothing he'd ever felt before. Subtle yet they demanded every bit of his attention. He said nothing, simply content to look down at her. It was a different perspective that he had too. Here, he was her size, her level, not looming over her. His sight was pure, without the sometimes-distracting displays of his diagnostics or scanners, or tactical readouts that normally shared space with his vision.
He waited until her eyes fluttered open with confusion before his fingers snuck inside her. Preparation was important; the humans called it foreplay. He positioned himself and settled between her legs for easier access. Scientifically it was to prepare the body, but he didn't care about any of that. Scientifically, he found it fun, intriguing, euphoric. But, the reaction surprised him. She jerked beneath him, eyes squeezing shut again, and a throaty cry escaping her. Their link surged with energy at that point, and Jazz's vision swam for a moment.
About to ask him what was wrong, Zoe cried out as his fingers entered her. She was already burning from an internal fire and Jazz did nothing but stoke those flames higher. His fingers found places that only added fuel to an inferno that threatened to consume her. He was heavy and pinned her down but she writhed beneath him trying to escape those probing digits that were dangerously close to pushing her over the edge.
"Hmm…" Jazz said, nonchalantly, watching her body tremble. "This can't be good for you, maybe we should stop."
Zoe's sudden reaction cut off anything further he tried to say. Her hands flew up and grasped each side of his head yanking him down to crush her lips against his. She captured his lower lip in her teeth, and opened her eyes to stare into his. "Don't you dare!"
Zoe would have giggled at his nonchalant continence if he hadn't chosen that moment to surge forward burying himself deep inside her.
Her back arched violently, her head went back and she cried out against him, but Jazz paused briefly, himself lost in the moment, processing. This new series of tactility made what he'd felt before seem insignificant, trifling. He'd thought nothing they did could feel any better. He was wrong, though mostly he imagined it had more to do with the mental connection he had with her, then the physical one. Quickly he started to move again, when Zoe began to squirm.
He held himself up with one arm and used the other to wrap under the hollow her arching back created below her pulling her body tightly against him as he drove into her. He keep up a fast pace, aiming into certain spots that he knew would heighten her pleasure. The fast, deep thrusts quickly took Zoe over the edge and she peaked out, screaming Jazz's name.
For his part, Jazz continued to meld into her slowing down until the spasms had passed. He couldn't have done more, as her peaking energy level sent a raging surge of power through their link nearly causing him to shut down as well. It was an incredible feeling that mimicked the earlier release. He gently turned Zoe's head towards him, kissing her lightly. "Boo? You ok?"
It took Zoe several minutes to open her eyes. Her pulse was racing off the charts, her body was trembling from the experience and her voice came in small breaths. "If…by 'ok' you mean phenomenal, amazing, incredible…then yes. I'm ok." She giggled but then his mouth covered hers. After a few minutes, she grinned again. "Maybe I should tease you more often."
Now Jazz grinned. "Think so?" He bumped his lower body forward, still inside her, and she inhaled sharply, still overly sensitive. "Maybe you should…"
Eventually they moved back into their camp rather than on the banks of the river and made good use of the remainder of their second day.
It was late the next afternoon when they finally decided to peel themselves apart. With a great deal of reluctance, they began to pack up camp. Both she and Jazz had promised Optimus they'd return to headquarters today, because tonight Prowl's crew, along with Zoe, was to leave for Cybertron.
Although she knew she was carrying the the Autobot's last hope to restore their home-world it didn't help to mend the empty feeling that lumped in the pit of her stomach now. She already missed him and she hadn't even left yet. For a moment, she considered recanting her earlier declaration in that Jazz should stay here, but she shook her head. No, she can't be selfish like that. What if Bumblebee, or Ratchet got hurt, or killed, while she was gone and Jazz's presence could have prevented it. She simply couldn't be that selfish.
It didn't make it hurt any less though.
She glanced over at Jazz trying to take the tent down in his holoform. He quickly grew frustrated when it didn't obey his simple commands. Parts should go where you tell them. Its transformation cog must be broken. Eventually, after a series of cascading, catastrophic failures that left him tangled up within the folds of the misbehaving tent, his holoform vanished in a spray of particles. Immediately the Porsche transformed and Jazz stomped over to the tent, his crescent cannon activating.
The tent, and the surrounding area, never stood a chance.
Zoe jumped to her feet, aghast. "Ok IRONHIDE!" she said pointedly as all the camping gear went up in a plume of photons. At least now, she only had two bags to pack.
Jazz glanced back at her sullenly over his shoulder, his mouth turned in a slight pout. "Didn't really need all that stuff anyway…."
She glanced at the smoking crater again briefly and then shrugged. It was true. It wasn't as if the Autobots were big on camping…but oh well. It was less for him to carry back. "I guess not." She leaned to her right. "Then…I'm done."
He nodded and grabbed the two bags, hooking them onto his armor and waited until Zoe found a safe comfortable hold upon him. It was a long climb back up, but not terribly difficult. He paused at the top of the canyon looking over what he filled away as 'their' spot. A small flash caught his attention then and he looked down with a smile at Zoe. "Picture worth a thousand words?"
She put her camera away, gazing at it fondly, as if the image stored there were a precious treasure. "Just three…"
"Hey hey! It's not over yet. Come on!" He said cheerfully. "Got lots of time left."
At that, she looked bewildered and he clarified. "Maybe our first camping trip is over, but we'll have another; as many as we want. We're at the beginning of our life together, not the end Boo." He dropped to a knee in front of her and gently hooked a finger under her hands. "You're going to save Cybertron, you have to. It's not like I won't be waiting for you when you come back." His voice changed; it got softer and he grinned. "I think I've waited for you for millennia…I can wait a little longer."
Zoe couldn't keep the tears from her eyes as she gazed upwards into honey-blue ones. He looked so sincere, so vulnerable, and she leaned forward until her forehead touched the bridge of his nose. It was another moment where more words seemed inadequate so she supplanted this with a simple kiss on the end of his nose.
The drive back was pleasant and although Zoe felt somewhat saddened still, she wasn't as sad as she had been. Jazz was right; he was inside her heart, only a thought away. While they couldn't truly communicate over such a long distance, they'd still be able to feel the strong emotional states of the other.
The excitement of the trip was also starting to affect her. She was going to another planet, and not just any planet, Cybertron. Other then the crew of Ghost-1 she'd be the first human to go so far into space, and she couldn't even tell anyone about it. Not that it mattered.
Simon would have loved this, she thought sadly, then, amended. Well, probably not so much the alien robot thing, but rather he would have enjoyed the scientific aspect of seeing another planet. He'd never forgive the Autobots, or the Decepticons, she knew. It was almost tragic how Simon had loved his friends, his family so much, yet lost touch with his emotions so deeply. He had been the most changed by the stolen technology both physically and mentally. Yet, he'd left them all, swearing vengeance.
She worried that his vengeance would truly be a terrible thing. Alone Simon was of little threat, but he was never one to charge into the forefront. He was support, backup. Simon did his best work with a subtle and hidden talent. Zoe only hoped that the Autobots would find themselves able to forgive Simon, or at the least, overlook whatever actions he took.
Zoe felt a strong hand over hers and she looked up and smiled at Jazz's holoform. He looked her over silently with a small smile of his own. It was rare he used his holoform while he was driving, and even now, it flickered with interference mildly. Doing his best to be reassuring, he gave her hand a small squeeze.
"Ugh," Zoe said, "I think your holomatter generator is a little … um…broken." She squeezed his hand back and then the holoform faded away.
"Yeah," he said with a chuckle. "Ratchet is SO going to have my aft. I flooded my processors, and strained an actuator or two, and overloaded my holomatrix...yeah…I'm dead, again." Even the prediction of doom couldn't eliminate the amusement from his voice.
They were almost back in Boulder, along the outskirts where the 'Bone yard' lay; or rather, Roscoe's used parts junkyard. It was here the Autobots had decided to make their home on Earth, hidden here among the scrap and buried within the hills. It was dark, well into the evening when they rolled back into the base.
Everyone was there, including Sam and Michaela. Zoe jumped out with her two bags and Jazz transformed behind her. Prowl was frowning slightly at the Lieutenant. "You're late."
Jazz shook his head, grin still in place. "Nope. Said we'd be back today…it's still technically 'today'. Can't yell at me." He walked over towards them amid Bumblebee's squeals about Jazz's new form while Zoe joined Sam and Michaela.
Prowl fought back the urge to roll his eyes at the younger bot. He hadn't changed, well…mostly hadn't changed. "Fine." He said finally. "It's time to go. There is a hill around the back of this building that will be the bounce site." He turned towards Optimus and saluted, who returned it with a regal nod of his head.
"Zoe," Optimus turned towards her. He stooped down to hand to her a small box that contained the AllSpark shard Jamie and Prowl had retrieved from Brazil. Also, was the fragment that Optimus had removed from Megatron's chest. It had reconfigured itself into a vague key-like shape, and someone, probably Ratchet, had affixed it to a braid of soft leather so she could wear it, hidden, around her forearm. "Please be careful."
He did not mention that she held the last hope of their kind, nor did he mention that she was a friend and that he cared about her as much as he did the other Autobots. There was an ocean of emotion and thought in just those three simple words, spoken with the elegance and grace of a Prime.
"I will Optimus." She gave him a small bow as Jazz followed Prowl outside, and then she turned towards Ratchet, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Sam and Michaela.
The two humans got to her first. "Have fun," Sam said with a smile as he hugged her. Zoe nodded and hugged Michaela next.
"Hey, sorry I didn't get to know you as much as we should have," Zoe started. "We'll have to hang out when we get back."
The girl nodded. "Yeah, it would be nice to hang out with someone who understands all my auto-babble AND enjoys a manicure." She gave Sam a sidelong glance, who shrugged. Zoe giggled.
"You're on." She started to turn towards the others but found herself swept up in chartreuse hands. Ratchet held her up to his face and hugged her gently. "Be careful Zoe." He said when she wrapped her arms around his features. "Don't go letting those twins get the better of you." He warned. "They're good sparks…just a little rough."
Zoe nodded and filed his advice away as a large finger prodded her in the back. "Hmmph. Just shoot 'em. Easy enough. Bye." He stepped backwards, his dark blue optics glittering.
As Ratchet bent to set her down he whispered something in Zoe's ear quickly, and she smiled nodding a second time to him. "Bye guys. Don't let Ironhide kill Roscoe please." She turned and ran from the barn, and up the hill that overlooked the Boneyard.
Jazz and Prowl were out there already, looking over darkened landscape, speaking to each other in hushed tones. At her approach, they turned towards her.
Prowl nodded to her, "Have you informed the others of your departure?"
"If you mean 'said my goodbyes', then almost." She responded and looked pointedly at Jazz. Prowl took several steps backwards to afford the two a bit of space.
Jazz knelt down in front of her and she jumped up into his arms. The past three days were a cherished memory to each of them, a gift, and although neither was overjoyed with the separation, it was only temporary. Nothing could truly separate them.
After a bit more light banter between them, Zoe picked up her bags, "Ok, NOW I'm ready." An afterthought occurred to her then and she added. "Oh, Jazz. By the way," Zoe said as she leaned towards him a bit. "Don't tell 'Hide we made some high grade. Ratch says to remember the Kremzeek incident and that HE will NOT be the bot to clean up the mess…again."
Overhearing, Prowl suddenly toed the ground. "…erm." When Jazz looked over at him wanting explanation, Prowl suddenly turned and stomped away. "Time to go." He sent a quick message to Arcee, and a bright light washed over them. When it was gone, so were they.
Jazz turned around; headed back into the barn. Without warning, Ratchet ambushed him with the medical scanner. "Jazz!" The medic shouted angrily, red scanning lines playing over Jazz's body. "In the med bay, NOW." He gave Jazz and none-too-gentle shove in that direction. "And tell me exactly HOW you managed to sprain two processors, overload your holomatrix generator, and flood your distribution system!"
Ratchet all but pushed Jazz towards the Med-bay. As they left, Jazz heard Sam's voice. "Hey...what happened to all my dad's camping gear?"
The saboteur winced...Zoe better get back soon.
Kremzeek - originally was a small yellow electric-shaped monster that Megs and Screamer created. Later it appeared in the comic as the brand of an alcoholic(?) beverage that Ironhide and Prowl would sneak away to drink after work. It was seen in the movie adaptation too, on Sam's desklamp.