Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers (2007), Transformers: Generation 1 or Transformers: Animated.

Bonded Speech

~0~

There really needs to be a limit to how many times you are called to the medbay, especially in one week. Ratchet had been calling me in when he wasn't busy so that he could check on me. Couldn't he just scan me and be done with it? One day after the trivia master incident, Ratchet left me a text message on my cell phone to get to the medbay as soon as possible. Thinking that it may be a medical emergency, I went...and got stuck in a meeting with Prowl and Jazz. It wasn't exactly the topic I wanted to stick around for, but First Aid was blocking the only exit.

"Lillian, I want you to ignore Blaster-"

"I can't just-"

"He's not yer guardian. We are."

I scowled before sighing and looking at Prowl. "What are my options?"

"Acceptin' the comfort we give ya," Jazz said before Prowl could get a word out.

I crossed my arms. "Why does everything always go back to a square one homerun?"

"Loosing your virginity at the present moment would elevate your anger to dangerous levels. Jazz and Prowl will continue with your cyberninja training with no sharp weapons."

I snorted. "What do you think I'm going to do? Commit suicide?" I waited for a response and straightened up when I got none. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, guys. Really. Suicide would never be an option for me."

"It is merely a precaution," Prowl said monotonously.

I looked into his optics before huffing. "Fine. What else?"

"Touch will obviously be part of the training process unless ya wan' us ta let ya fall fifty feet," Jazz said humorously.

I twitched a smile. "Not really. No."

"We are aware that you do not like to be touched under certain circumstances and that being angry is one of them, but you will have to let us touch you," Prowl continued. "The same goes for your mental walls. Ratchet has told us to break them down when you are most relaxed."

"You do realize that my mind will only fight you now that you've told me?" I asked humorously.

"We are counting on the fact that you trust us enough to let us in regardless of your subconscious," Prowl said gently.

Guilt trip, I thought as I winced mentally, subconsciously removing a brick from a mental wall in the process. "How far did you say we would be from the ground, exactly?"

~0~

I shook uncontrollably from my position on the beam. I held onto the tree like a lifeline. "Lil, ya gotta let go sometime," Jazz reprimanded with his hands on his hips.

I took a shaky breath as I opened my eyes to look at Jazz. "Did I mention that I'm afraid of heights? 'Cause I am."

"You seem to be comfortable in our hands on the same level," Prowl commented.

"I know that I'm safe in your hands. I'm not so confident on a beam up in some ridiculously tall trees with no safety equipment."

"Lillian, do you really believe that we would let you fall?"

"No, but my subconscious fear of heights is seriously trying to erase that fact. Can I get down now?"

"Not until ya try," said Jazz. I didn't realize how serious or impatient he could be until we began training. Prowl was an angel in comparison. I turned around, hands still gripping the bark even if it stuck to my hands like glue. I stared straight ahead before glancing down. When I still didn't move, Jazz sighed. "Let meh put it this way. Either try or we poke ya til ya do."

"That will only elevate her stress levels, Jazz," Prowl reprimanded. "We want to help her, not hurt her more."

"Ah know that, but she ain't movin'."

"She's scared, Jazz."

"We're right here ta catch 'er, ain't we?"

"Um...guys?" I had moved to other side of the beam already. It was much easier when they weren't looking at me.

"You must be more considerate. Humans are used to being fragile."

"Oh sure. This coming from Mr. Considerate."

"I may not show my emotions like you do or socialize as easily, but I know when to be gentle."

"Guys!"

"Like Ah don't?"

"I didn't say that."

Whatever, I thought as I sighed mentally. I moved onto the next level without them before looking up and smirking. Oh yes. My fear of heights diminished as I focused on my new mission. I placed my left hand over my mouth and silently laughed when I heard Jazz and Prowl continue to argue without even knowing where I was. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I thought in amusement. I'll give ya one guess whose the female. Not that it matters. The female can still kick some major aft. I took a deep breath as I looked down and realized how high I was. If my calculations are wrong I'm dead, I thought nervously as I looked down. My entire weight was on two huge branches. They could hold my weight just fine, but once I jumped...It wasn't like I was that far from Jazz's head, but still. Shouldn't he sense me by now? Isn't this a good thing? If he was a decepticon...I smiled. Right. He's just a regular deception...that will catch you when you fall. Well...here goes nothing...

"Lil, what the hell?"

"If you were a decepticon you would so be dead right now," I said in amusement as I gripped onto Jazz's chest plates like a lifeline. "Ya know..." I trailed off as I attempted to look up at Jazz and ended up almost falling. I gripped the plates again as I shook. "This is where weapons come in handy."

"Easy girl," Jazz said as he held his hands out to steady me. "Ya can chill for a while."

"I-I j-j-jumped h-here." I looked up again after I took a deep breath. "Can I climb?"

"The probability of receiving cuts-" Prowl began.

"I'll be careful and Jazz will catch me if I fall. Please?"

They looked at each other. Jazz shrugged minutely. Prowl looked at me. "Don't stress yourself."

I'm stressing myself just by doing this, I thought as I started climbing inch by inch. Once I got to the top I croutched down like a lion about to pounce. Can I reach the beam from here...? I shifted into a normal sitting position. Never mind. There's no way I can jump that far.

I looked at Jazz. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"The question should be if he hurt you in your surprise attack," Prowl said as he walked closer.

"I'm fine. Probably just some bruises." I am so glad that I wore thick elbow length gloves.

"If you weren't wearing those gloves your right arm wouldn't be fine. You are extremely lucky that Jazz's armor just ripped the fabric and not your skin."

"I know. I just wanted to know if I could achieve a surprise attack."

"Please be more careful next time," Prowl ordered. I didn't take it personally. I knew what I did was reckless and that he was just worried, but a decepticon isn't going to be looking for a tiny human ninja. I was just lucky that Jazz saw me when I fell. I'd be roadkill if he didn't.

I nodded before looking at Jazz. "Are you okay?" I rubbed his shoulder in comfort. "I didn't mean to startle-Oh...Okay, well, I did mean to startle you, but that's not the point."

"If yer point was that ya can scare the livin' spark out o' meh, ya achieved it," Jazz said in amusement. He rubbed my back in comfort since I was still shaking. "I'm fine physically. Prowl is right, though. Ah know that ninjas are supposed ta be silent an' deadly, but there are safer ways of practicing surprise attacks without ending up dead yerself."

"I know. I'm sorry." I hesitated. "Can we try something on the ground now?"

"I think that would be acceptable," Prowl said with a smile as he held out his hands for me.

I jumped onto them unsteadily and fell on my face. "Good. 'Cause I hate heights."

"Lil, ya jumped from ten feet above my head," Jazz said with his hands on his hips. "If that ain't courage Ah don' know what is."

Prowl attempted to put me on the ground. My legs gave out when my feet touched the forest floor. "Easy," Prowl said as he helped me lean against a tree.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

She'll be fine. Just give her time.

Jazz, she's still shaking and she's on the ground.

She just jumped from a decent height and 'attacked' a Cybertronian. I'd be concerned if she didn't show some fear considering her lack of military training.

We must be careful with her.

Ah know, love. Jazz traced the side of Prowl's face. And she knows that. Ah'm happy knowing that.

I breathed deeply as I placed my head against the tree. Easy, I repeated in my head. That was far from easy. I breathed out a final breath as I focused on the silence surrounding me. I placed my hands on the ground to feel the soil. I stood up with my eyes closed and my back against the tree. Feel the earth, I reminded myself. Relax. I stretched experimently, testing my joints, before removing my shoes and socks. It would be easier to move if I could feel everything. I opened my eyes once I felt the soft soil beneath my feet. I blinked at Prowl and Jazz's holoforms. Prowl had his hands in his pockets. Jazz was smiling with his arms crossed. "Ya okay now?" Jazz asked humorously.

"Better. Yes. Now what?"

"Now we try balancing on the ground. Can you put your leg up against the tree?" I put weight on my left foot and lifted my leg up so that it was at a ninty degree angle. "Higher." I placed my hands under my leg and lifted it up another ten degrees. "Higher," Prowl pressed.

"I might need help for higher," I said in amusement as my muscles strained. I guess it was better than trying to do a split on the ground...

Jazz literally picked me up in my current position so that I was a foot from the tree. He held me in my current position so that I didn't fall on my behind. Prowl lifted my leg up 120 degrees from the ground. Ow, I thought before Jazz slowly released his hold on me. Whoa, whoa, ack! I thought as I lost my balance quickly. They both caught me. I planted my feet on the ground and stood up. "How is this going to help me be a ninja, exactly?"

"You need basic balance skills in dangerous situations."

I sighed as I stared at the tree. "Okay. Let's go again."

"That's the spirit!" Jazz exclaimed before he pulled a football couch move.

I yelped as I jumped in the air. "Hey!"

"What?" Jazz asked innocently with a grin. "We did say there would be touch involved."

"Yeah, like with the tree just now. Not romantic advances!"

"Think of it as the quickest way to get your leg working again. It's not as sore, right?"

I got a confused look on my face as I looked at my leg. "Well, no..."

"Good. We should be heading back. Though it may be a good idea to leave Jazz behind. What do you think, Lillian?" Prowl winked.

I giggled while Jazz's jaw dropped. "I think that's a good idea."

"Hey!" Jazz flailed, which made me laugh. "Ya don' leave a mech behind! Yer a tactician!"

"You bet I am," Prowl said as he took advantage of Jazz's flustered state to make out with him. I smiled, turned around, and began to walk away. I'll just wait over here- "Where do you think your going?"

Prowl and Jazz jumped me from behind, put their arms over my shoulders and kissed my cheeks. I froze again as I heated up. "Ya okay, Lil?" Jazz asked innocently. "Do ya have a fever?"

"Fever my aft!" I exclaimed as I tried to wack him.

"If you say so," Prowl said as he lifted me up over his shoulder.

"Prowl!" I exclaimed indignantly. "Put me down!"

Prowl chuckled. "As you wish." His holoform disapeared and I dropped to the ground.

"Evil," I mumbled to the ground.

They both laughed. Jazz offered his hands. "C'mon," he chuckled. "Let's go home."

I snorted, face still red, but accepted the offer. "Home sounds nice." Very nice, I thought as I started calming down. It didn't take me long to fall asleep in the backseat of Jazz's alt mode. I guess comfort came in different ways than expected.