I just finished reading a Mirage/Jazz M-rated slash by rageai called Noblesse Oblige. If you like Mirage and Jazz, the first several chaps are smut and slash free, so you might try it anyway. It lets you know when you're getting into the robosexual zone. It's totally how I imagine Mirage's childhood now, minus the slash. If you're underage, for crissakes don't read smut.

Last final in the morning! Wish me luckz, i'll need it. Hopefully working this job won't hurt the writing :\

Oh, and if you care to know, look up 'persian blue lotus elise' and that's our girl's alt mode :)

"Um, Mirage, I kind of left Mikaela at South Lake Tahoe." I handed a large energon cube to the blue mech, then got a smaller one out for myself.

"We know, she called Sam. Hotrod was scheduled for patrol, so he went to get her and take her home. He was already on the road before that, though. I think he was trying to get you. He was gone before he knew we were releasing Skywarp."

Strangely, I was pleased that Hotrod would be picking up the car-smart young woman. Maybe Hotrod would see something in Mikaela. Hopefully she would see something in him, too. The odds were probably pretty low, but I really didn't want things to go too badly when Hotrod realized I'd decided to take my chances with Skywarp.

You're a mess, my logic processors grumbled. Optimus said don't choose, and what do you go doing as soon as you think you see a knight in shining armor? Chances are high that this will end badly, just like Optimus said.

Ignoring my logical side, I smiled at Mirage. "So, what did you mean, you were spoiled once? You don't seem spoiled at all."

The two of us sat at the bench, and Mirage took a sip from his cube before responding. "Well," he said after some thought, "I was privileged. My family was rich, and we moved in the elite circles of society. I had the nicest everything, but I was a snob, and I didn't care about anything outside of our estate."

I couldn't help but see the similarity between us. I'd been privileged too, and from the few memories I'd accessed I had often tended towards snobbishness. "What made you change?"

"The Decepticons. I wasn't very interested in what was going on between the factions, but I had to choose. Megatron ordered The Towers where the high society lived and worked to be bombed. It's pretty clear that I didn't die that day. I chose the Autobots and it's taken a long, long time, but I've grown, I think. I feel like I understand what's important now." The Lexus was staring off into space, looking wistful.

I reached over and touched his arm, snapping him back to reality. "I know why we get along. I came from a rich family too, but since I hit my head my priorities have changed." It was ironic that my alt mode was blue; we weren't only the blue bots, but the blue bloods as well.

Mirage laughed. "Maybe that's it. I've been telling you from the start you like me best, right?" He winked, and I felt a brief jealousy at his skill. I still couldn't figure out how to turn off just one optic!

A harsh laugh escaped me before I could contain it. "You're the only friend I've got who really just wants to be my friend. Hotrod's been alone too long, and I think Skywarp misses a femme who died a long time ago… You're the only mech I can really count on as a friend, you know?"

"I know," he said quietly.

His expression, a little sad and bitter under the mild mask, confused me, so I looked away awkwardly.

Minutes passed, and I finally decided to get nosey. "What's wrong, Mirage?'

His head snapped up and he looked at me, all trace of melancholy wiped away. "Nothing! I was just thinking."

It didn't seem like nothing. "What about?"

"Just about how…" He cut himself off and stared down, his hands clenching as they rest on either leg. He struggled with the words, then continued quietly. "Sometimes, you have to give up the things you want, so that you can do the right thing." He avoided my gaze at first, but then his blue optics burned into mine with an unusual intensity. "No matter how much you want it."

I reached up and rubbed my arm nervously. He's trying to tell you that he cares about you too much to make your life any harder than it already is. My vocal processors tightened. Of all the mechs who could've said it, it hurt the most hearing it from Mirage.

"Mirage, I-"

"It's ok, Bravura. Really." He rested his hand on mine, which was still perched on his forearm. "I want you to be happy, and if somehow that Decepticon can… Just promise you'll come back if it's not what you hoped for, ok?"

"I will." Leaning over, I wrapped my arm around his waist, close enough to hear the hum of his systems. "You're still the coolest babysitter in the galaxy."

He put his arm around me with a sigh, and we stayed that way for a long time. After a while I decided I should check on Skywarp, so I eased away from the Lexus and got to my feet, tossing the empty energon cube all the way to the recycle bin.

"I'm going to go and check on Skywarp. Will you be here all day?"

The mech nodded. "Recharging some of the time, but I'll be here."

It was surprisingly hard to smile at the dark blue mech. There was no point in wishing, but a part of me hated seeing him sacrificing his own possible happiness for mine. If things had gone differently…

But they didn't. You are choosing Skywarp, aren't you? Yes, I'd chosen him. I knew there was more to the Raptor, and I was determined to find the best in him.

Instead of smiling I waved goodbye, then turned away quickly and headed for the sick bay.

"What do you mean, he's not here?! Where is he?" I snapped at a stoic Ratchet.

"He never agreed to the non-aggression treaty, Bravura."

"You- the brig? How can you do this to him?! He saved me, he didn't hurt anybody, and he brought me back here when we could've gone ANYWHERE else!" My voice was shrill and my hands were balled into fists. How dare they?

"Please calm down. We simply can't trust him!"

"I trust him! He's given you nothing but reasons to trust him!" Perceptor was perched at his desk as usual, but he was watching me intently. I glared at him, even though he was probably innocent, then turned on Ratchet again. "If you can't trust him, you can't trust me either. Put me in the brig with him or let him go."

"That's not necessary," the medic said impatiently. "If he's so trustworthy he'd agree to the-"

"Forget the treaty! He's already a good mech, he just can't submit to an Autobot, it's his nature. It doesn't mean he's bad! I swear, Ratchet, if you don't let him go, I'll give you a reason to put me in the brig with him."

The medic crossed his arms mockingly. "And what could you do?"

"I'll tell the Decepticons where you are."

Ratchet went very still, then suddenly he was lunging at me like lightning. I had already reached the door and slammed the door release, slipping out just before he grabbed me. He had to wait a few more seconds on the door as it slid open, and by that time I was already racing for the Upper Deck.

I was only halfway there, plowing through a four-way intersection in the halls when something big slammed into me from the side. I tried to free myself, but I was pinned tightly with my stomach to the concrete floor, my arms cranked behind me painfully.

"Stop this nonsense," Prowl said close to the back of my head. "What's wrong with you?"

Wriggling my shoulders, testing his grip, I only grunted. A few moments later Ratchet caught up to us.

"Prime is coming. He'll decide what to do."

Prowl pulled my up to my feet by the back of the neck, locking both of my hands together with just one of his. I yanked away halfheartedly, but his grip held firm.

Prime arrived a couple of minutes later. As soon as I realized he was coming down the hallway I started yelling. "What do you think you're doing, locking him up? Hasn't he proven he's not the enemy? Are you so caught up in your own prejudice you can't see how good he really is?"

The Autobot leader waited until he stood next to Ratchet, then crossed his arms. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this, Bravura. Your behavior is disappointing, and if what Ratchet tells me is true, you are becoming a danger to this base."

"Damn right it's true! If you let me loose without him I'll have both his brothers here and they will get him out of here."

"Then we don't have much choice, do we? Ratchet, disable her transmitters, then take her to the brig, Prowl."

Ratchet moved in on me, but Prowl caught Optimus's attention. "Sir, which cell?"

"Opposite Skywarp's," Optimus said quietly as he turned away.

I growled in frustration. They were locking me up, but not the way I'd hoped when I'd taken this gamble.

Prowl was firm, but still kind when he put me into the brig. I went willingly, waiting until the energy bars hummed to life to look across the corridor at my Seeker. He was unconscious, draped awkwardly on his berth. Ratchet must have repaired him and knocked him out.

I ached to go and check on him, but of course I couldn't. Instead I sat down on the wall a few inches from the bars and tried to get comfortable, waiting for the Raptor to wake up.

A deep voice calling my name snapped me out of recharge. My optics flared to life, and looked around, disoriented.

The brig, my logic processors reminded me.

"Oh," I said out loud. I looked to Skywarp's cell, and he was sitting next to the bars in his cell, his red optics glowing through the energy bars. "Skywarp, are you ok?"

"What are you doing down here?" He asked, a little anger in his voice.

"They wouldn't let you go, and I didn't want you to be alone down here… So I made them lock me up, too."

"That's not the most sound plan I've ever head," he said, leaning against the wall next to his own cell bars.

"I know, I was just so upset, I wasn't thinking." I couldn't stop looking at him, amazed that I'd actually threatened to call in his brothers to free him.

"I appreciate the idea, anyway," he said with a smile. "Couldn't you have at least gotten yourself thrown into my cell?"

I looked down at my lap shyly. "That's what I was hoping, but Optimus told them to put me here."

The Seeker actually sounded surprised. "You… Look, I know you've never been one hundred percent on board with being my femme because of that dirt kisser Autobot. Why the sudden… change?"

I pointed to myself and smiled. "I'm a dirt kisser too, big guy."

"No, you're gravitationally challenged. As soon as you're big enough we'll get you an alt mode with a nice set of wings."

"We'll see about that," I said with a laugh.

"You didn't answer my question," the Seeker chided gently. "Why are you down here with me?"

I shifted uncomfortably, looking back down. "I finally realized you weren't just a big, evil Decepticon." I traced the thick blue plating covering my left wrist, the one that had once sported his insignia. "I realized I cared about you."

You mean you realized you could never be with Hotrod, then you decided to care about him.

When I looked up, I was rewarded with the Seeker's relieved smile.

"I have a question, too, Skywarp," I held his gaze. "Who… who was she? The one Starscream took from you?"

Skywarp's pleased expression melted into blankness. "How do you know about her?"

"When Starscream grabbed me I could understand what he was saying. And it sounded like… you were upset about something he did to a femme you knew."

"I was… I still am." The Seeker looked away, staring up at the ceiling. "She was a neutral, like you. I'd known her for a very long time. After Megatron gave us the orders to exterminate the femmes I tried to hide her where nobody would find her. Starscream followed us through his bond with me, and… he eventually killed her."

"Eventually?" I leaned closer to the bars.

The crimson optics swept down and met mine. "He tortured her, used her. He did things, horrible things that I'll never, ever let happen to you."

I shivered under the force of his stare and he looked back up to the ceiling. My internal clock read 4 am. I was still drained from producing the alt mode, but I watched him through the bars. "What's stopping Starscream or Thundercracker from finding you now?"

"It's a tug in the right direction sort of thing… You can tell which way to go, but not exactly where. When they activate those energy bars they also activate a bond disruptor. I can't feel my brothers, and they can't feel me," he grumbled, his voice pained.

"Does it… hurt? Being separated like that?" My own spark still ached dully from being separated from Hotrod, but that wasn't technically from a bond.

"It's… hard. You get used to never being alone after so long."

I nodded, though I didn't know what that was like at all.

We fell silent after that, and without meaning to I slipped back into recharge.

Someone was touching me. I yanked myself out of recharge, my hands turning into scalpels even before my optics were online. I leapt up and crossed my blades in front of me, luckily far enough away from the energy bars to keep from getting zapped. My logic processors once again reminded me where I was, and I focused on the mech who'd been touching me.

Mirage. He was crouched next the bars, frozen with his arm still outstretched.

"Oh," I said quietly. My scalpels turned back into hands.

He held a finger to his lips, gesturing behind him. I peeked around the Lexus and saw that Skywarp was recharging on the floor much like I had been. The blue mech beckoned to me, so I took his hand.

I never thought I'd see you in the brig, he sent.

I shook my head. It was a dumb move. It seemed like a good idea at the time, you know?

I didn't realize choosing a Seeker would bring out your crazy side. Do you understand what getting put in here means?

I shook my head. I guess not. I'm kind of hoping they'll just let me go when they let Skywarp go.

Why would they let him go? The Lexus frowned. He's never going to agree to that treaty, and if that's what you're counting on you'll be down here a long, long time.

I talked to him before I ran away. He said he'd agree to it. I looked at Mirage as seriously as I could. Even if they keep me here when they let him go, I'm glad he knows I'm willing to sacrifice something for his sake. He deserves to feel like at least one person cares about him.

Mirage looked like he would be sick, but he didn't say anything more about it. Well… I'll try to talk some sense into Prime, make him understand this is an intended thing. I'm sure he'll realize you didn't ever plan on giving us away to the enemy. Right?

I nodded seriously, though I actually didn't know what I would've done if I'd made it to the upper deck. I was kind of glad Prowl had caught me.

Ok, well… I still need a recharge, but I couldn't shut down until I knew you were ok. If they don't let you out soon I'll come visit, ok?

Thanks Mirage. I squeezed his hand. Have a nice recharge.

You too, little lady. Try not to go crazy in here. Well, any crazier than you already are. He winked, and then he walked down the corridor and away from my cell to wait for the guard to open the door. I looked across at Skywarp and was surprised to see his red optics online and watching me curiously.

He waited until Mirage was gone, then asked quietly, "What was that about?"

Recharge still sounded excellent, so I stretched out on the concrete floor, curling up on my side so that I could still see the Seeker. "He's going to try to talk to Prime. Are you going to," I lifted my fingers and wiggled them in the quotations gesture, "agree to the non-aggression treaty soon?"

He nodded, and I smiled. "Well, at least one of us is getting out of here.

His optics narrowed. "What do you mean, one of us? If I go you're coming with me."

"Well, I'm kind of in trouble. I threatened to tell your brothers where you were if they didn't let you go or lock me up."

Skywarp suddenly burst into laughter in the quiet brig. "You're kidding!" He managed to get out between guffaws. "I was wondering what kind of bootleggers would stick a femme in the brig just because she asked nicely!"

I smiled, glad to see the Seeker happy. "That's not all, I even made a break for the upper deck to make it realistic. Prowl had to tackle me in the hallway. They cut off my comms and everything."

"Primus, you really meant business!" He'd settled to a soft chuckle, but I could see he had a new light in his optics. He felt wanted, which meant my stunt had worked. Sort of.