Last chapter had a cliffhanger. This story's getting better now! I think! Dani finally confronts Barricade on her own terms in the last chapter.

What's the Giver of Life?

Chapter Thirteen

"What's the Giver of Life? I thought God can only give life."

"Both of our Gods can. Primus and yours." Barricade said. "You possess Primus' gift."

"I absorbed an artifact."

"Listen to me carefully!" Barricade said sharply. "You absorbed a gift from Primus! Do you not understand?"

"No! I don't!" I said.

"This would be a good time-"

"Danielle. The Giver of Life is a metal shard the size of what you humans call a quarter. The metal shard can disguise itself as a stone. It can take the shape and form of anything it so desires." Overseer said calmly.

"So if it wanted to be a, um, a heart shaped pendant, it'll be a heart shaped pendant."

"Yes."

"How about a necklace?" I asked. "A complete necklace?"

"It can be anything. Why do you ask?"

"I had pendants from my mother when she went out on digs. She'd buy me small pendants on chains. For my eighth birthday, Mom and Dad both put their money together and gave me a locket. Inside that locket was their picture. I didn't want to wear the locket because I cherished it so much. I put it into my jewelry box to keep it safe." I said. "The next time Mom came around, she had an artifact on a chain. She gave it to me and I found that the necklace didn't fit. I made a promise that I'd someday get a bigger chain and then wear around my neck."

"What happened?"

"I put it into my jewelry box on top of the locket. After a few days, I went to put on my locket because there was no school that day. I looked through my jewelry box and couldn't find the locket." I said. "I was about to give up on looking for it, it was there. I picked it up and put it on, not noticing that the necklace Mom recently gave to me was gone. I wore the locket for a day before I felt this terrible pain around my neck from the chain and then a burning in my chest. I couldn't tell what was going on with my neck and chest. I looked in the mirror to see a red mark where the locket and chain had been. Shortly after that, the red mark disappeared. I never told Mom and Dad about the locket's disappearance. I'd figure they'd get mad at me if I told them I lost it! It was pretty expensive, too."

"Did Prowl confiscate it?" Barricade asked.

"I don't know." I said. "Prowl didn't tell me if he did or not."

"Your jewelry box would be in his office." Overseer said. "Under lock and key."

"So, does that mean I won't get to have my jewelry pieces anymore?"

"No."

"But I can ask him, right?"

"Doesn't hurt to ask." Overseer said.

"Is that Dani?" Pierce asked, coming into the room.

"Yes."

Barricade put me down.

"I'm so glad you're here!" Pierce said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes."

I smiled and said, "I pulled a wonderful prank on Sunstreaker. Wanna hear?"

"You did? Yes!"

The both of us left the living room and into his room. He sat down on his bed, ignoring the pain. I sat down on the floor. "I sprayed Sunstreaker with a sprayer from the sink. He kind of got mad and I went looking for him. When I went outside, he was waiting with a hose. He got me good and then I ran to get another hose." I whispered. "I aimed for Sunstreaker, but I got Ironhide and Optimus instead. Ironhide and Optimus managed to get me."

"You mean you got Optimus and Ironhide? Both of them?"

"Yes."

"Cool. We should get Prowl!"

"Prowl? Why him?"

"When you weren't around, he came into my room and questioned me. I didn't like his questioning because it was a bit personal and I wanted to forget all about what I had went through. He pushed me and told me since I met them, I'd be in danger from the Decepticons."

"They're keeping you against your will?" I asked Pierce.

"Yes." He whispered.

"If you're planning on leaving, don't bother. I tried running away three times and they found me every time."

"They must have their own tracker."

"Yeah! Prowl, Red Alert, and Inferno!"

Pierce chuckled lightly. "Yeah! They must be the Autobot's trackers."

"Dani?" Barricade called. "Can you come out here for a minute?"

"Sure."

I stood up and left Pierce's room. "Yes?"

"Did you tell Sunstreaker where you were going?"

"Yes. I told him before I left. Why?"

"Well, he just commed me to ask where you were and I told him you were here." Barricade said. "Did you tell Sunstreaker face to face?"

"I told him when I was at the door."

"You told him when he was in his office?"

"No. I told him just before I left his apartment."

"At the front door?"

"Yes."

"Stand by. He's letting this slide as well."

"He is?"

"Yes. Go talk with Pierce."

"Thanks." I walked back into Pierce's room. He was lying on his back and smiled when I came back in.

"Ah, what were we talking about?"

"Trackers." I said simply.

"Oh. That's right!" Pierce said. "I wonder if Red Alert and Inferno are the trackers."

"No. They watch security tapes all day!" I said, remembering all the computer screens around that office. "I wonder if it's someone we haven't met!"

"Hmm. Wish you could go with me."

"Me too. Hey, if you can, look around and see if you see any new Autobot." Pierce exclaimed.

"Okay!" I said. "I'll let you know when I investigate and find evidence."

I enjoyed playing detective and as long as it didn't get me caught and into deep trouble. "I guess I should be heading out so you can rest."

"Okay." Pierce said laying back into his pillows. "Oh? Dani?"

I turned around and looked at him. "Yes?" I asked.

"Thanks."

"For what?" I asked, not accustomed to his graces.

"Being there for me."

"You're welcome. I'll let you know what I come up with when I visit next time."

"Come by tomorrow?"

"If I'm not in lessons."

"Okay. See you later, Dani."

"See you Pierce." I turned back around and left his room. I realized I had walked in socks. My socks were dirty from the sand outside. I should've known not to worry. Destroyer intercepted me before I could leave the apartment. Instead, he took me back to Sunstreaker's apartment. Once let go, I walked to my room and changed my dirty socks.

I walked into the kitchen and looked through the refrigerator for something to drink and snack on. I grabbed a pudding snack and a coke. I went to a cabinet and took out a spoon. I walked toward my TV area and pulled back the wrapper off the pudding. I licked the lid and set it aside. I proceeded to eat and drink.

My thoughts drifted to 'trackers' while I ate. Who were the Autobot trackers? "Dani?"

"Yes?" I asked.

"Good. You're back. I want you to take a shower and get ready to go out."

"What for? I've got no shoes."

"I'm taking you with me."
"I want to stay here and watch TV."

"TV rots your brains! Now, get up!" Sunstreaker ordered.

"No." I said. "I don't want to go out!"

Sunstreaker bent down and said in a dangerous tone of voice. "Now you listen to me, Youngling! When I tell you to get up-"

"Sunstreaker? What the Slag are you doing to that poor youngling?" Sideswipe's voice asked.

"I'm taking Dani with me..."

"I don't want to go, Sideswipe! I don't feel like it! Please don't make me go!" I begged.

"Why are you taking Dani? Leave her with me and I'll take care of her."

"She has to go with me."

"Every time take her out, she gets kidnapped." Sideswipe said. "I believe I'll comm Optimus and tell him you're planning on taking her out of the City."

"Oooh! Go tell Optimus! I'm her guardian." Sunstreaker teased.

"That's it!" I said, putting my pudding cup onto the coffee table along with my coke. "I've had it! I'm going to Optimus myself."

It wasn't until I got to the door I realized I couldn't walk outside in the dirt without shoes anymore. This would be like the second time I'd be dirtying my socks and I didn't need laundry or whoever did my clothes to complain. I stepped back into the living room. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were still arguing. Then I remembered Kickback or whatever that little guys' name was. I whipped him out and looked at him. I walked to my room and wondered how to use the little guy. "Um, I'm not sure how to use you. But can you help me?"

Kickback or the little guy my Mom gave me, transformed. "Dani?" He asked.

"Hi. Kickback?"

"No. Sidekick."

"Oh! I'm sorry. I'm not good with names."

"That's all right." He said. "What can I help you with?"

"Well. I need to make a call."

"To whom?"

"Optimus."

"Whatever for?" Sidekick asked gently.

"Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are arguing over me. I don't want to go out with Sunstreaker. I don't feel like it. So Sideswipe started talking to Sunstreaker and now they're arguing. I don't like it when they argue. It scares me."

"I'll tell him right away."

"Can I talk to him though?"

"Sure."

Sidekick transformed into his cell phone self. "His comm's ringing, Dani."

I put the phone to my ear and heard, "This is Optimus Prime speaking."

"Optimus?" I asked.

"Yes? Who is this?"

"Dani."

"Danielle! How did you this- Oh. You're using Sidekick, aren't you?"

"Yes." I said.

"What's wrong? You wouldn't call if you weren't bothered about something."

"Well. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are arguing over me. Sunstreaker wanted to take with him and I didn't want to. He got mad and started to tell me something. Sideswipe walked in and asked what was he doing? And Sunstreaker told him that he was taking me out..."

"Hold on, Dani. Slow down. You're talking a mile a minute. Sunstreaker wanted to take you somewhere and you didn't want to. Did he get mad at you when you refused?"

"Yes. He started to tell me something and Sideswipe told him that if he were to take me out, I'd be kidnapped by the Decepticons..." Crash. "Optimus? Can you pick me up?"

"I'm coming, Dani. Close your door."

I walked over to the door and closed it. Suddenly, everything went quiet and I heard a knock on my door. I walked over to the door and opened it. I peeked and almost dropped the phone. Ironhide stood there in his holoform. "Come with me."

"Um," I said, looking at my socks.

"I know." Ironhide said holding out his hand.

I grasped his hand and we walked out to the living room. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe sat in front of Optimus. Optimus was lecturing them about scaring me. Ironhide took me to his Mech form and Ironhide picked me up. I waited until we were out of the apartment to ask a question. "Hey! Ironhide?"

"Yes, Dani?"

"Do you have trackers?"

"Yes." He said.

"What do they usually do?"

"They do what they do best. They look for people."

"Like me?"

"Yes." .

"Is it someone I met?"

"No." Ironhide said, wondering why his charge was asking. "Why do you ask?"

"Curious." I said. "So, who's your tracker?"

"Hound." Ironhide said.

"Hound? Like a bloodhound?"

"No. Hound's the name of our tracker."

"Oh! Cool! I'm sure I'll meet him one day."

"You will." Ironhide answered.

"Like today?"

"No. He's off the base."

"Oh." It was then I noticed that Ironhide was taking me toward the Autobot Hangar. "Where are we going?"

"To Prowl's office."

"What for?"

"Because you need take a break from Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's immature behavior. I'm personally thinking of having Optimus change you to be my charge. Seriously, you can pick up something you do not want to learn."

"Okay." I said.

Ironhide walked up a large hallway and I hid my eyes from the bright lights.

"Dani?"

"Lights are too bright." I told him.

"Oh. We'll be there in about five seconds."

We stopped in front of a door and I heard it hiss open. Ironhide walked in and dimmed the lights. "Prowl? I brought the Youngling because Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were fighting again!"

I looked out through my fingers and relaxed. Prowl was sitting at a desk, reviewing something. "Set her on the desk and return to your duties."

"Will do."

Ironhide lowered his hand and waited until I walked off his hand. I stood there, clasping my hands behind my back. I smiled. "Hi, Prowl."

"Hello, Dani." Prowl said, looking over to me and raised an optic ridge. "Where's your shoes?"

"Water fight."

"You had a water fight?"

"Yes. I got Ironhide and Optimus. They both got me good."

"Hmm. What is the purpose of a water fight? It does not seem logical to have one."

"Well, I started the water fight to have fun! I haven't had any fun since I came here! There's nothing to do but sit around and watch TV! I don't like watching TV. I'd prefer to be outside having fun and riding a bicycle." Suddenly, I realized I wanted to have fun! "I just wanted to have some fun."

"Dani. Why do you think you are in trouble?"

"I'm not?"

"No."

I smiled. "Good! Could I have a bicycle to ride?" I asked.

"I will speak to Optimus and see what he says." Prowl said. "I am considering of changing your guardianship status from Sunstreaker to myself."

"What?" I asked. "What about Ironhide?"

"Ironhide has a guardianship with Lennox. He is your mentor. Optimus is busy during the day..."

"So are you."

"Yes. You will be going to school during the day."

"With Ironhide?"

"No."

I frowned. School meant bullies and taunts. "So I'm to go back to school? What address are you giving the school system?" I just had to ask.

"Do not worry about that."

"What about the Decepticons?"

"Nothing has been reported about their activity. If you must know, I will be watching around the clock at the school."

"Oh." I said. "I guess I'll go back to school." I was hesitant. "Do you think I'll have friends now?"

"You approached your bully and became friends with him. I do not see why you will not have any friends in this school. All your transcripts from the last school have been transferred."

"So I'm already in there."

"Yes. You start next Monday."

I sat down on his desk. "What if I mess up?"

"You will not. If you need help with homework, I will be glad to help you."

"You'll help me with my homework?"

"Yes." Prowl said.

"Thanks." I said.

"Stand by, Dani."

Prowl seemed to be talking to Optimus or someone else. I saw the distant look in his optics. Then I asked, even though he was still comm-ing with Optimus. "Hey! What about my gerbbies?"

"Excuse me?" Prowl asked, not understanding.

"Mork and Mindy! My gerbbies."

"Your gerbbies? What are they?"

"My gerbils!"

"Your gerbils? They are with Ironhide."

"But he'll kill them!" I protested. "He considers all small animals vermin!"

"I doubt he will kill them. He is currently moving your furniture and other things to your room in my apartment."

"Thank you." I answered.

"You are welcome." Prowl said.

-0-

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