I ran a Poll on this chapter, but one of my readers,'purrpix' suggested I'd write Prowl as a guardian or roommate to Dani.

Answerthecall: I'm glad you enjoyed chapter thirteen and look forward to reading this chapter.

A surprise awaits for Dani once she gets into her new room and a slight altercation occurs that causes Dani to feel distressed.

Character Rants:

"Noella. You need peace and quiet to write. So use my office for the time being, but do not eat and drink in here." Prowl

"Dang! Optimus let me have popcorn and coke in his office."

"I do not tolerate messes."

"Sorry." Under my breath. "Picky 'Bot."

"What did you say, Noella?"

"Nothing. I'm going to write now."

Before I get into trouble with Prowl, I'm going to write my story. I don't want to spend the night in the Brig. I heard there was a family of giant metal rats down there. Shivers.

So here goes:

Chapter Fourteen

Dani's POV

Prowl's apartment was too clean and very orderly. Everything had a place. Mechanical books filled up a bookshelves. All of them were in alphabetical order. How on Earth did Prowl get these books all in order?

Tell you what. I'm not a clean person and no matter how many times I tried to keep my room clean, I'd drop out of my routine. I just knew that I wouldn't get away with leaving a mess. I looked around the apartment for my room. "Dani. Your apartment is this way." Prowl said, interrupting my thoughts. My stomach churned and my neck burned for the first time I had been here. I rubbed the back of my neck for a minute before following Prowl to my new apartment. I slowly walked into my new apartment and my heart dropped to my feet. Everything from the house was in here. It was basically my Mom and Dad's furniture. I saw pictures of my Mom, Dad, and myself were hung perfectly on the walls. I walked around the living room and checked out the rooms. I saw my bedroom, a single bathroom, and a small eat in kitchen.

"Dani?" Prowl asked. "Is it acceptable?"

I nodded.

"I will leave you to get used to this apartment. If you need anything, let me know."

I nodded again, to stunned to speak. Prowl's footsteps clanked away and I sunk into the familiar sofa. I lay down to smell the sofa's smell. A smell of 'Febreeze' Extra Strength wafted from the sofa. It smelled 'almost' like home. I took a deep breath and turned over on my back. I sighed, thinking about Mom and Dad. I covered my eyes and laughed a strange laugh. It was like a strained laugh. Then I sat up and shook my head. "This is stupid." I said, getting up from the sofa. I went to my room and went through all of my stuff. I tried to give my room a personal touch. I left a few books out of place, placed a doll on my bed. Looked for Mork and Mindy. They weren't in their usual place. I went back out into the living room and found them sitting on the coffee table. "Morky, Mindy!" I cooed. "Come to Momma." It was the first time in days since I had spoken to them, but it was coming naturally. I took them from their tank and held them while I sat down on the sofa. I was trying to keep them on the sofa until Mork decided to climb down the sofa and out the open door. "Oh no," I said, rushing Mindy back into the tank. I snapped the lid on quickly and ran out of the apartment. I looked everywhere for Mork and couldn't find him anywhere. Prowl was going to literally kill me! I hadn't meant for Mork to come out and every second seemed to make me worried sick. I was about to give up when I spotted his little face peeking out from under the mech sized couch. "Oh you come here, Morky!" He looked up at me and then scurried back under the couch when I rushed over to him. "You stay right there, Morky! I've got your favorite treat some place." I said, running back into my apartment for the jar of peanut butter. I looked for it and found it. I grabbed the peanut butter and rushed back out toward the couch. I bent down and looked. Morky wasn't there. I stood up and began thinking about what Morky liked to do. He used to hide behind the washer and dryer in the laundry room. I shook my head. He wouldn't be looking for a place to hide and play. I walked around the Mech sized living room, keeping an eye out on Morky. "What the slag!" Prowl said in astonishment. "How did you get out of your tank?" Morky ran out of the office and straight toward another room. His holoform rushed out and I watched as he chased Morky. I walked to the room and watched Morky run underneath what looked like a filing cabinet. I walked into the room, opened the lid on the peanut butter. I jabbed finger into the peanut butter and took it out. Prowl spun around to see me standing there. I walked over to the filing cabinet and I sat down on my knees. I managed to coax Morky out of his hiding place little by little. When I got him, he held onto my finger, licking the peanut butter off my finger. "The both of us need to talk about pets." Prowl said.

I nodded numbly and left the room. I went back to my apartment and drew in a sigh of relief. I almost felt like crying and kissed Morky on his back. I put the peanut butter down on the coffee table and took off the lid to the tank. I set him in it and then drew in a deep shuddering breath. I saw Morky go to Mindy and kiss him and running around like crazy. Then he drank a lot of water. I heard Prowl's feet on the floor and I turned around to face him. "I'm sorry. I didn't know he'd do that."
"You did." Prowl said. "You will keep your little pets in their enclosures, is that understood?"

"Yes sir. What if they're in their balls?" I asked.

"That is fine. I do not want to see any small animals out in my office or in my apartment. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." I answered.

"Good. If this happens again, your pets will have to be given away."

I felt like my heart was wrenched from my chest! I grabbed up my gerbils' tank and rushed to my bedroom. I closed the door and then took off the tanks' lid. I held both gerbils in my hands and began to cry. I was beyond upset and I didn't want my babies gone. I was their Mommy! I was their Protector. I put them into their tank and closed the lid. I pushed off my bedside alarm clock from the nightstand next to my bed to the floor and pushed my bedside lamp to the bed. I placed their tank on the nightstand. "I'll never let you go!" I said through my sobs. "Mommy won't let you go!" I know it sounded childish, but I didn't care. I sobbed until I was dry, but I wouldn't come back out of my room. Instead, I sat in the middle of the floor and rocked back and forth while I hugged my arms to my body. I looked at Morky and Mindy while I rocked back and forth. I was distressed. After awhile, I stopped rocking back and forth. I continued to look lovingly at my friends. I crawled toward the door and stood up. I opened the door and looked out into the apartment. Prowl wasn't there! The door to the apartment was closed. I walked out into the apartment and tried the door. It was locked! Oh my gosh! Prowl locked me in my apartment.

A sick feeling began to form in the pit of my stomach as I had second thoughts. I breathed deeply and tried the door knob again. It twisted in my hand and I opened the door. It wasn't locked! My overactive imagination played tricks on me. I looked around Prowl's living room and didn't see him. I rushed back to my room and closed the door. Then I ran out of my apartment and out of his apartment. I needed to talk to Barricade and Pierce. I made it halfway before I was found by Destroyer. "Dani! What's wrong?"

"I need to talk to Barricade." I said, huffing. "It's important."

"Tell me. What's wrong?" Destroyer asked, scanning me. "You are in distress."

I climbed into his open passenger door and sat down. "Prowltoldmehewasgoing to get rid of Mork and Mindy!" I said somewhat fast then slowed down.

"Calm down. Prowl said what?"

"He's going to send my babies away if I let them out again into his apartment! I didn't mean to!" I sounded childish again.

"Relax. He probably didn't mean it."

"He did! I let Mork and Mindy climb all over me. Morky climbed down and ran out of my apartment. I didn't know he was going to go into his office! I was trying to get him and he got mad at me."

"Dani. I'm sure that everything's okay."

"Can you take them with you? I don't want them to go!"

"Everything's going to be all right. I'll talk to him."

"You will?"

"Yes."

Destroyer drove me back to Prowl's apartment. Destroyer opened his passenger side door and I rushed toward my apartment to check on Mork and Mindy. I opened my door to my room and breathed a sigh of relief. I took off my socks and slipped onto the bed. I sat there, watching them sleep.

-0-

Destroyer found Prowl in his office, reading reports. He knocked on the door. "Destroyer?" Prowl asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Returning a distressed Dani."

"What?" Prowl asked.

"Returning a distressed Dani. Were you not aware of anything happening to her?"

"No."

"She was having an severe meltdown over her gerbils. Did you threaten to get rid of her gerbils?"

Prowl's doorwings fluttered. "Oh Slag! I did. Is that why you were returning her?"

"She wanted to speak to Barricade about her gerbils." Destroyer said. "Dani's gerbils mean a lot to her."

"I have noticed how upset she was."

"Well, you threatening to take away her gerbils is like taking out her heart. Those gerbils help her out more than you know. They're like her children. She needs them just to feel good. They make her feel human. They help relax her. She loves them."

"I will not take them away from her."

"You won't?"

"No. I will have to talk to her."

"Do it before Ratchet comes in here."

Prowl stood up and walked toward Dani's room. The apartment door was open. He engaged his holoform and walked into the apartment. He saw Dani's door to her room, open. He walked into the doorframe. Her body was against the wall, next to her pets. She saw him and moved closer to the tank.

"Dani. I am not here to take away your gerbils. I am here to apologize."

Dani didn't say anything so Prowl continued. "I was not aware of how much your gerbils mean to you. I am sorry."

Dani looked at him in shock and then slid off her bed. She walked over to him and hugged him. "Thank you." She said in a low voice. Prowl almost glitched, but found that she was only hugging him because she needed one. Prowl wrapped his arms around her and she gasped. She wasn't used to being hugged back. Dani struggled in Prowl's arms for a minute before she realized that he wasn't going to hurt her. She took deep breaths and then let him go. Prowl patted her head. "Are you hungry?"

Dani looked up at him and noticed she was a little hungry. She nodded and both of them walked into the kitchen. Prowl began researching 'pepper steak' and began readying all the peppers, steak, and seasonings for the meal. Dani stood off to one side, watching and observing him while he cooked.

Dani calmed down after awhile and began helping actively. She felt better now that Prowl wasn't going to take away her pets. Prowl finished his 'pepper steak' cooking and indicated Dani to sit down. Dani watched as Prowl spooned some of his cooking onto a plate. "Here you go." He said, plopping the plate in front of her.

Dani picked up her fork and began eating. Prowl sat down and pretended to eat. "You've had quite a long day."

"Yes sir."

"You do not have to be formal, Dani."

"Yes si-" She trailed off.

"The only time you have to be formal with me is if you are in trouble or I am giving an order."

"Yes sir." Dani said.

"Dani?"

"Yes sir?"

"Stop."

"Yes sir." Dani answered. Prowl gave her an odd look and Dani gave him an awkward smile.

"You are playing, are you not?"

"Yes."

Prowl crossed his arms against the table and said, "Eat your dinner."

Dani went back to eating. Swallowing, she said, "You should try not to be formal, yourself."

Prowl shook his head. "My logic processor prevents me from doing that."

"Then I should teach you."

Prowl looked at her and then smiled. "You can try."

Dani laughed. "All right! I will! Use contractions when you speak."

"That is going to be difficult."

"Oh! Come on! Try it! It's much easier!"

"No it is not."

"Yes it is!"

"Eat." Prowl reminded her.

Dani took a bite, chewed, swallowed, and repeated the eating process.

"I'm done. Is there dessert?"

"I will think about it."

"You'll think about it?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Know what I want? I want a brownie, if there is one."

"Brownie no. Fruit yes."

"Oh you've got to be kidding me!"

"I do not kid and do not approve of sweets."

"Oh come on, Prowl!" Dani raised her voice.

"Lower your voice."

Dani recoiled when she realized she wasn't going to win in this argument. She resigned herself. "Yes sir."

"Would you like a banana or apples?"

"No thanks." Dani said. She left the table and walked up to the wall to look at her parents. Prowl put away the left overs and watched Dani out of the corner of his eye.

-0-

Dani's POV

I stood there, staring at my Mom and Dad's photograph. "Mom, Dad? I know you're in a good place. But why did you have to leave me alone? Why didn't you pick normal jobs like everyone else does? Why did you have to be apart of something bigger than yourselves? Why? Why? Why?" I don't know if I was expecting an answer from their picture. But I added, "What did I do to deserve this? I hope you're happy!" I was angry. "I hope you're truly happy while I'm down here struggling to cope!" I left the photograph and went to my room. I sat down on the floor and drew my legs together. I wrapped my arms around my legs. I leaned forward and looked down at the floor. I didn't know what I was feeling at this time, but I knew I missed Mom and Dad more than anything! I felt someone wrapping their arms around me and whisper into my ear. I didn't realize that Prowl was still here and had heard me. I leaned into him and said, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Saying all those things."

"You have a right to vent."

"Thanks." I said. "Thanks for being here for me."

"That is what I'm here for." Prowl said, still hugging me close. I settled into his hug and released what seemed to be my breath.

I smiled and held on for a few minutes before he told me it was time to take a shower and he would consider bringing in a brownie for me to eat the next day. I warmed up to this idea and nodded. I took a shower and readied myself for bed.

It was an early night for me and I slipped into bed, listening to Mork's pitter patter of feet against the glass. "Good night, Dani." Prowl said softly.

"Good night, Prowl." I said, turning over on my side and putting a blanket onto my ear. I fell asleep.

Things turned out great for Dani in this chapter. Read and Review please.:)