Days passed and Mirage was my near constant companion from sunup to sundown. We practiced playing regular games I'd known since childhood to improve my dexterity. We played a very silly version of soccer using a stolen exercise ball. We often chased each other down the halls, and always Mirage was showing me new ways to use my computers.

I could call people. I could get on the Internet. I could listen to radio stations, traditional and satellite. I could use GPS. I could feel out the others here on the base, if they weren't in recharge or hiding from me. It seemed like the only thing he never mentioned was an alt mode, and while as I became more comfortable with myself the idea became intriguing, I was still perfectly happy the way I was. Of course… it was kind of miserable be trapped underground all of the time. Everyone else could just transform and take off if they got cabin fever.

Mirage and I took to spending a lot of time on the upper deck, both during the day and at night. The glass curved up just slightly, enough to see a small selection of stars. He taught me about space travel, about some of the things he'd seen.

"You know," he said one night, the both of us lying on our backs with our heads smooshed to the glass to see as much of the sky as we could, "You probably think organic life forms are the primary living beings out there, right?"

"I hadn't thought much about it. I guess I do."

"Do you think Cybertronians are the only inorganic species out there?"

"Would I bring wrong to say yes?"

I could seem him smile in the dim light. "Yes. There are lots of inorganic species out there, enough so that an organic space faring race wouldn't be surprised to meet one. I've met a few, actually."

"What were they like?"

"Everybody usually acts about the same when it comes to interspecies relations… They're either diplomatic and peaceful or they shoot first and ask questions later. Same as organics."

"Did you ever… fall in love with another species?"

Mirage looked at me knowingly. "No, I never did, but I might have if I'd met someone worth falling in love with, and if I'd had the time."

I thought about my question for a while, tracing the edges of the metal on my stomach. Finally I was able to raise the question, "What do you think I should do about Hotrod? I haven't seen him in days. He means well, I know he does, but I… I don't think I'm there, you know? And between Skywarp and him with the male possessive complex issues, it could ruin any chance of getting Skywarp to give up the war."

Mirage sighed heavily, then sat up and looked down at me, his eyes bright in the darkness. "Do you love him?"

I shifted uncomfortably and sat up too. "I don't know. I… I think I told him I did, when I thought I was going to die. It seemed easy to do, then, even if I survived. There wasn't exactly much of a reason to worry about it when I was human."

"But now you realize you would have to take a relationship with him seriously."

"I guess so," I mumbled, pulling my knees up to my chin and wrapping my arms around my legs. "And… you'll think I'm crazy, but if I had to choose between them, Hotrod and Skywarp, I feel kind of obligated to choose Sky-"

"Whoa, hold on. You didn't just almost say you'd choose a Decepticon over an Autobot, did you?"

"He's not that bad, Mirage, he just needs something to care about."

Mirage shook his head. "You can't change people, Bravura. Love is beautiful, and I know the humans have a saying that 'love conquers all,' but you can't assume that someone's love for you will change their nature, their personality. If you can't accept them for what they are from the start, you shouldn't pursue it thinking you can make them ideal."

I sighed softly. For a mech who hadn't had much love in his life, he knew an awful lot about it. Despite that, I knew he was right. "But if I don't, he may never stop fighting. If he defects, maybe Thundercracker would too. Even if the rest, Barricade and the Constructicons, still refuse, we'd have the upper hand. We could end everything so easily then."

"Nice sentiment, but it's never that easy," Mirage said, getting to his feet.

I followed suit, taking his hand up when he offered it. "It's not even worth a try?"

"Not if you don't love him."

"Then you think I should choose Hotrod?"

Mirage turned to me and knelt down, hands on my shoulders, to look me in the eye. "You don't have to choose anybody. When you're in love you won't have to ask, you'll know."

I nodded, a quick, jerky motion, and then put my arms around the bigger mech's neck. "Thank you, Mirage." When did he become my best friend?

He hugged me back, then pulled away to give me a smile. "Besides, everybody knows we're so together."

I laughed and nodded. "Oh, definitely a match made in heaven."

He got a mischievous look, then started to lean in. "Come on, angel, gimme a big kiss!"

I laughed and pushed him away, and he pretended to pout. "Oh, I forgot, you have a thing for bad boys."

"No, that's not it at all," I said coyly. "It's just that your breath is terrible!"

Mirage lunged for me and I just managed to slip under his arms, racing for the stairs. He screamed after me, "My breath is NOT terrible! I don't even have a… a breath!"

I flew down the stairs, Mirage's heavy footsteps counter pointing my slightly quieter ones, but my thoughts were in the brig, remembering my last meeting with Skywarp.

Prowl took me down to the brig, nodding to the guard who let us in, and then stopped and leaned against the wall near the door while I continued on to the Seeker's cell.

He was crouched low next to the bars as soon as he recognized me. "They let you come back?"

I nodded, arms crossed firmly over my chest. No more robo-hanky-panky. "How are you holding up down here?"

He shook his head. "I hate it here. Who wouldn't? I haven't flown in almost a month and my joints are practically rusting."

"You know… If you'd agree to Optimus's non-aggression treaty they'd let you go."

Skywarp glared at me, sitting up a little higher. "Honestly, they're feeding you that slag? Come on, it's the stupidest thing I ever heard."

"All you have to agree to is not harming humans, which you already seem to agree with, not destroying their resources or buildings, and become a neutral. They don't even want you to fight for them, Skywarp, just stop fighting!"

"Please stop, Bravura. You're young, you don't understand. I've been fighting for longer than your species has existed. I can't just give that up."

"Can't you try for me?" I whispered, leaning close to the bars. "Just try? Thundercracker would listen to you. It would mean so much to me."

"Don't ask me that, please." He leaned away from the bars, refusing to look me in the optic.

"Please, Skywarp."

He sighed, a surprisingly harsh sound. "I need to think about it."

I started to turn away to leave when he leaned close to the bars again.

"Wait," he whispered, sounding desperate. "Please just stay a little longer?" He reached his fingertips through the bars. By a glance back at Prowl I could see the Seeker was cutting it pretty close, but I reached out and laid one hand on his, keeping well outside the cell.

A message popped up in my second vision. It had never occurred to me that he could use them; I'd thought they'd turned off his communications? Then again, this was a very limited form of communication. You had to be touching the receiver.

Why did you come to see me this time, even after… our exchange? Optimus Prime made it sound like you were put out by the whole experience.

I would've blanched, but it's difficult for metal to go pale on you. Optimus had come down and had 'the chat' with Skywarp too?

It wasn't right, what you did, but you didn't really mean any harm, right? He nodded, and I continued. You probably haven't seen a femme in million years, I sent, trying to smile. I would appreciate it if you give me a choice in the matter if something like that ever comes up again, but I'm not upset. It was… nice.

"Bravura," Prowl called from the end of the hall. "Please keep it to vocal processors."

I nodded and stepped away form the mech in the cell, breaking our contact.

Skywarp had a wily look, and he gestured for me to lean closer. I did, and he whispered so that I could barely catch it, "If I ever get out of here I can show you a lot more than that."

I backed away again, embarrassed. "You'd have to agree to the non-aggression treaty for that to happen," I said nervously. "Um… I have an… appointment with Ratchet. I'll see you again soon, ok?"

The mech nodded slowly, even a little sadly, and I wished I could make things work out where everyone could be happy.

I broke out of my reminiscing when I almost ran into Perceptor, who was coming up the stairs, heading for the upper deck. He wasn't very big, only a five or six feet taller than me.

"Oh, hello! I see you're getting that coordination worked out, Ratchet was just discussing with me the need to develop efficient electronic pathways early on, as they'll be with you forever you know! Ah, yes, you really should go check in with him, he worries, though he'd never admit it."

Mirage slid down a few steps as he ground to a halt behind me. "Oh, hey Perc. Doing a little stargazing tonight?"

The scientist nodded. "My new alt mode promises to be very productive in the lab, but I'm quite interested in how this mode will deal with longitudinal chromatic aberrations."

Mirage and I nodded simultaneously. "Ah, well, that's great!" The Lexus was edging around the other mech, pulling me along. "Let me know how that goes, Perc!"

"Certainly, Mirage. It was nice seeing you, Bravura."

"Bye Perceptor!"

Mirage and I claimed the TV in the rec. hall, which was empty this late at night. We sat watching bad comedy for a long time, but I couldn't get my mind off of the Vanquish who should've been here wish us.

"Where has Hotrod been, Mirage? I haven't felt him in the base at all."

Mirage was quiet for a minute, eyes glued to the TV screen. I almost gave up on an answer when he finally said quietly, "He's been taking my patrols. We decided it was best for you, until you were adjusted."

"What do you mean by 'adjusted' anyway?" I pushed one of the couches out of the way so I could stretch my polished legs.

"Ratchet says you're adjusted when you are physically, mentally and emotionally prepared to live out the rest of your life as one of us, more or less."

I nodded. "Well, Physically and mentally I'm all set. Emotionally, not so much. Not all of the time."

"I didn't think so. It's a lot to swallow, even if you do have the coolest babysitter in a hundred star systems." He winked at me, which reminded me of my current obsession. How does one wink when the mental switch only flips them both at the same time?

I wiggled the switch, toyed with it, tried switching it on and off quickly, and even scrunching that side of my face like I would've as a human, when Mirage burst out laughing.

"What are you doing, shorting out?" He said, leaning over to get a better look at me.

"I'm," I tried scrunching my face and wiggling the switch at the same time, "winking!"

"That's not winking, that's just creepy!"

I reached out and gave him a light punch in the knee, something I knew he'd barely feel.

"So what's this, robot date night?" A new voice asked behind us.

Mirage and I both turned to look at the human behind us. It took me a moment, but with a start I realized it was Zeke, the human who'd inadvertently been responsible for my change of species. I reached out and touched Mirage's hand, silently explaining it to him.

"When is your kind gonna figure out we're Autonomous organisms and not robots, tiny?" Mirage said, vaguely irritated both because of the soldier's interruption, as well as on my behalf.

"Maybe when you quit looking like a bad Japanese cartoon." The man smirked. He looked very small now, and I bit back the urge to swat him away.

"What do you want? Or are you just here to pick a fight, because I can promise you you'll lose, little guy," I hissed, leaning towards the soldier in what I hoped was a menacing way.

Easy, girl. Mirage sent.

"I'm here," he said with a snotty twist of his lip, "to watch some TV, but I wouldn't want to ruin your alone time with ugly, here."

I opened my mouth to tell him off, but Mirage cut me off. "We were just going anyway. You can have it."

I looked at Mirage with a little irritation, but followed him as he got up and headed for the door. Zeke glared after us, that same obnoxious twist to his mouth ruining his already modest looks.

This had been the first time in my new existence that I'd spoken directly to one of the soldiers. "You're not ugly," I grumbled. "I hadn't realized there was so much negativity down here," I looked to Mirage as we headed down the hall to the sleeping quarters.

"Well… the two of us have been terrorizing them for a while now, running all over the place and scaring them. I doubt he'd talk to Prowl or Optimus that way."

"Oh." Whoops. "So… maybe we should start toning things down, huh? No more racing…" I was sad, since the easy, heady feeling of running was perhaps one of the best things I'd discovered about being Cybertronian.

"Maybe, yeah. I was meaning to tell you, actually… I'm on patrol tomorrow. Hotrod's worn out, he hasn't had a decent recharge since – well, you know. I'll be gone a couple of days. If you want I can ask Bumblebee to come spend some time with you, he hasn't been to the base in a couple of weeks."

I did miss Bee, but I didn't want Hotrod to think I was doing everything I could to avoid him. No, if I got desperate I'd go sit with Ratchet and Perceptor. I shook my head. "Thanks, but he doesn't have to come all the way out here. Hotrod will probably sleep the whole time anyway, and there's no way he'd do anything crazy. He's had a lot of time to think."

Mirage nodded. "I'm glad you don't have a grudge. He's a good mech, a little rough around the edges, a little foolhardy, but he's pure platinum at his core."

"I know," I said sadly. I wished I could only see the platinum again, like it had been when I'd first met him.

You'll never be alone again. I promise you.

I decided then that I'd talk to him tomorrow.