CHAPTER FOUR

Meg: I want to start naming these chapters!

Sunstreaker: I already told you…

Emma: Shut up Sunstreaker! You're supposed to be dead!

Arcee: *Gasps* Did…did you kill us off, Meg? Already!?

Meg: I…what!? No!

Sunstreaker: I'm too beautiful to die!

Emma: Bianca – attack!

Bianca: Destroy! Destroy! *Attacks*

Sideswipe: Lol. Get him, Bianca!

Sunstreaker: Traitor!

Ironhide: Teenbots…

Emma: Hey! I'm not a robot! …Am I?

Meg: Everyone R&R…Emma, duck!!

Emma: *Ducks*

*Projectiles keep on flying.*

*

I ignored the cut on my forehead, which I had gotten from some sort of flying shrapnel. I somehow found Bianca, and threw my arms across her chest. "Bianca!! Bianca, oh my God, are you okay!? Bianca!!??"

Suddenly, I heard someone laughing, and I looked to see that it was Bianca.

"Of course I'm okay, Emma! This is nothing!" She said gently, picking me up in her hand so that she could stand up.

Around us, the other robots were also standing up, none of them looking too worse for wear. The black Decepticon was nowhere in sight. I was so glad.

Bianca held me up to her blue optics, and said: "Are you alright?"

I thought about my answer before I opened my mouth. "Maybe." I said, and the silver and black robot groaned.

"Oh, leave her alone Ironhide," The robot named Arcee said. "This isn't her fault…well, not really…"

"Maybe we should go and see Opti…" Bianca said, and then the others all LOOKED at her. She seemed to blush. "Uh, I mean, Optimus Prime and the others…ummm…" She looked down at me. "Okay? He can explain this all to you. It'll be okay, Emma."

"Emma?" The robot named Sideswipe said in a strange voice. He glanced sideways at Suntreaker, I believe they were brothers. "Sunny..?" He seemed to be saying something with his eyes.

"No!!" Sunstreaker said in a way that usually means 'yes'. But what were they talking about?

"You guy know what Optimus Prime said," Arcee said sternly. "Remember?" She and Bianca were both glaring at the brothers…I began to think of them as twins, since they could communicate with their eyes…uh, optics?

They both exchanged another glance, looked at me, and then looked at Ironhide. He was glaring at me. I couldn't understand why.

"Yes." The twins said in unison, and then Sunstreaker grinned. "So, we going or what?"

"Yeah, let's get going," His brother agreed. "This just standing around is making my circuits freeze up!"

Intuition pushed me two steps ahead of them, and I answered their unspoken question: "I'm riding with my Bianca." I said, smiling over my shoulder at her.

Bianca smiled too, and then said to the twins: "I am Emma's guardian. Remember what Optimus Prime said?"

I rolled my eyes. I figured I'd meet this Optimus Prime soon enough.

Then I did something I'd made up through years of gymnastics, diving, yoga, aerobics and ice-skating all rolled into one. I jumped off of Bianca's hand, twisting around in mid air and landing on both feet on the ground.

"You know," I said, thoughtfully. "We should really find a way for me to do that and you transform so that I can swing in to you for my landing…" I then realised that everyone but Bianca was staring at me. "What?" I asked.

"That was amazing…" Sideswipe said.

*

P.O.V

'Has she always been able to do that, Bianca?' Sunstreaker asked her through a communications link.

'Sure,' Bianca smiled.

'You must know a lot about her, having lived with her for all her life…'

'I know everything about her.' Bianca suddenly grinned. 'I've even seen her in her bikini before!' Not that she really cared. She just enjoyed teasing Sunstreaker.

Sunstreaker looked up the definition of 'bikini' on the internet. Then he said: 'I hate you, Bianca!'

*

We arrived at the place that Bianca said was the Autobot's base. It was tucked away into the side of the hills, and was so well hidden that you would never have known it was there.

Before Bianca had even transformed back into a robot, Sunstreaker did, and called out: "Anyone home!? Look who we brought back!!"

"Sunstreaker!!" As I was climbing out of Bianca, I gaped as a huge red and blue robot came storming out of the base, fury in his optics. "Where have you…" He stopped short when he saw me or, namely, my Bianca.

"Opti!" She cried, and changed back into a robot. "It's been so long!"

"Ah, Bia…it has been awhile…" This robot, I'm positive that it was Optimus Prime, seemed embarrassed, and it didn't help when a small yellow robot came up and said: "Is this your girlfriend, Optimus?"

I gaped. My Bianca had a boyfriend!?

As if they could tell what I was thinking, both Bianca and Optimus answered the small yellow bot: "NO!!" Well that answered that.

"Emma," Bianca added, turning to face me. "This is Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots. The small yellow insect is Bumblebee." She added, with a small smile. I smiled back. "Jazz," Bianca pointed to a silver bot I hadn't seen come up. "And Wheeljack," A tall blue, silver and white robot with a face plate on nodded at me. I nodded back and, as I did, I felt…strangely light-headed. "Elita I," Bianca went on, looking endearingly at a gorgeous gold-coloured female robot.

"I'm impressed," I looked up at the speaker, a yellowish green robot. "You remembered all our names…hey!" He said, looking right at me. "Kid, are you okay? You're bleeding…"

I turned pale. "I'm what?" I suddenly felt something sticky on my forehead. "What is…" I reached up and touched it. "Oh no! I must've gotten hit when that black robot blew itself up!" I don't mind getting hurt, pain doesn't bother me…but blood does.

"Emma, it's okay!" Bianca exclaimed, but I wasn't listening to her.

I turned to Sunstreaker. "Why the hell didn't you tell me I was slaggin' bleeding!?"

He looked surprised. "Hold on, why is it my fault!?"

"Her heart-rate just increased." Elita 1 announced.

"Okay Emma, calm down," Bianca told me, and I realised for the first time that she, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Ironhide and Arcee were injured – their bodies were dented and, in some cases, even ripped. I froze. "Ratchet can stitch up your head, it'll be okay."

"Ratchet?" I asked, looking up at the robot. He gazed down at me calmly, and nodded. I swallowed. I felt sick.

"Okay, let's go." Bianca said.

"But wait," I said quickly. "The rest of you…Bianca…you're hurt…and Sunstreaker and…"

If I'd been paying attention, I would have seen Ratchet look at Bianca and her nod.

The next thing I knew, Ratchet had picked me up so gently in his hand, and carried me into the base.

I gasped, and grabbed onto his hand, blinking because the blood had now dripped into my eyes. It was making it hard to see.

"Don't drop me don't drop me don't drop me don't drop me…" I didn't realise I was saying it aloud until I heard Ratchet chuckle. Apparently their audio receptors pick up more then human ears.

I couldn't see by the time Ratchet placed me down on a bed, and stuck a needle in my forehead. I was too numb to feel it. Then, I felt a strange tugging on my forehead – like he was stitching it up. Was the cut really that bad?

"It's okay, Emma," Bianca's voice came from my right, and I found my hand reaching out for her. I was surprised when my hand found another human's hand, but then I heard Bianca's voice in my ear saying: "It's okay Emma – you can trust Ratchet."

There was a light tingling feeling in my stomach – it helped to calm me, and rationalize what was going on.

I also realised that, for a robot, Ratchet's touch was incredibly light…and gentle. It was so weird.

It was fine.

"Ratchet…" I said, feeling myself heading into blissful rest. "Thank you…"

I heard him chuckling as I drifted into sleep.

*

I was walking down a dark road, unaware that I was being followed until said person tackled me from the back, and pinned me to the ground.

I opened my mouth in a silent scream, but he placed a hand to my mouth, holding both of my hands by the wrists.

He held them to his chest, and said: "Can you feel it? The warmth of my spark?"

I could. My hand was practically on fire, but I liked it.

I couldn't nod, or move my head at all, so I just blinked my eyes twice, yes.

That seemed to satisfy him, and he leaned down towards me. I could see something strange glinting in his eyes, which were as red as blood.

"You are…the one." He told me, and that was when I blanked out.

*

Half an hour later, I woke up to find myself completely alone in the medical bay. I sat up in a slight panic. I looked around.

"Bianca?" I called softly. "Where are you? Ratchet? Sunstreaker? Bianca!"

"I'm here!" She called, coming into the room quickly.

I just stared. This girl had my Bianca's voice, but she couldn't be her, could she?

This girl was tall, and pale, with creamish white hair that was long and tied up in a ponytail. Here yes were blue. She wore a short white dress, tall white socks and black shoes.

I stared.

"It's me, Emma," She said gently, although her smile resembled mine on the Christmas of 94 (the first one I remember). "Bianca." She added, as if I didn't know.

I whispered: "You look amazing. What is this?"

"Our Holoforms," Bianca said calmly. "You already saw Sunstreaker's…"

"Do you all have one?"

"Yes."

"Cool," I muttered, and then swung my legs over the side of the bed.

"Wait, where are you going?" Bianca wanted to know.

"You know." I replied, standing up and swaying.

"Oh, I see, you want to go and ask Optimus what the slag's going on," Bianca pushed my shoulders back, and made me sit down again. "Well, hold on, Ratchet hasn't finished with your forehead yet. He needs to bandage it up."

"What?" I asked, just as Ratchet himself came back in. "No, no bandages!"

"But Emma, you love bandages!" Bianca protested.

"Yeah, but what will Nenona and Jerome say?" I wanted to know. I imagined the looks on their faces when they saw me injured, and visibly flinched.

"You've got stitches there kid," Ratchet pointed out. He was getting a bandage out of a cupboard. "So wouldn't it be better to let them guess, then have them know you got cut open like that?"

"No," I shook my head stubbornly. I wasn't thinking straight. "No bandages."

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way." Ratchet said, holding up the bandages.

"And if I choose the hard way?" I wanted to know.

Bianca sighed, and suddenly she was a robot again. He was smaller then Ratchet – but both were taller then me.

I stared at the two robots staring down at me. I sighed. "Okay, fine, bandages it is then." I said crossly. "Stupid sneaking conniving hulks of scrap metal…" I muttered under my breath.

"Did you say something!?" They asked in unison. I knew that they had heard me.

"No." I lied.

I could tell they didn't believe me.

*

"And so that's almost the entire story." Optimus told me.

I, the human mummy, was sitting on robot Bianca's knee, listening in awed rapture. The others – the Autobots – were sitting or standing around nearby, also listening even though they must have heard this story a million times (because they'd lived it).

Then, I realised what Optimus had just said. "Uh, almost the entire story?"

He paused.

"Does Bianca know?" I looked up at her. "You know, don't you? Tell me." I said in such a dark voice that everybody except Bianca cringed.

She regarded me calmly. "Perhaps…Opti, perhaps it would be best if we told her…it might help her to understand…"

"Bia…listen…" Optimus said, and then the two seemed to be talking with their eyes. It was really frustrating.

During this, Sideswipe turned to me casually, and said: "How old are you?"

"Seventeen…umm, in earth years." I added, knowing the difference between earth time and Cybertronian time.

"Are you single?" Sunstreaker wanted to know.

"WHAT KIND OF A QUESTION IS THAT!!??" I demanded to know.

"Uh, okay, kind of an outdoor voice there…" Sunstreaker sweatdropped.

"You bet it was." I growled. "And," I added, in a completely different voice. "In answer to your question – I always have been."

"Why?" Bumblebee jumped in.

But by then Bianca and Optimus were finished with their silent conversation, and Bianca managed to quite successfully change the subject. She said: "Emma, I have the All-Spark within me."

I turned my head to face her so fast it cracked, and I heard Ratchet flinch.

"You have…the All-Spark inside of you, Bianca are you serious!?" I cried. "No wonder that Decepticon attacked us!"

The others knew all about the attack. They weren't surprised, but I saw the one called Ironhide glaring at Optimus, who was staring back at him.

Great. More eye-conversations.

"I think it's for the best." Optimus suddenly said out loud.

Bianca took me in her hand and stood up. "Home time, Emma."

"Wait, what?" Four of us said in unison – me, Bumblebee and the twins.

"She has to go?" Jazz added.

"Yes," Bianca said, and walked out of the base with me in her hand. Everyone followed us.

"When will she be back?" Bumblebee wanted to know. I smiled over at him. He was such a sweetie. He was also whining, and it was kinda cute.

"Tomorrow, probably." Bianca replied, as she placed me down on the ground and then transformed back into my car. "Get in, Emma." She added, not unkindly.

I climbed in, and wound the window down. "I'm definitely coming back tomorrow – I wanna see everyone else's Holoforms! If you all look as good as my Bianca and Sunstreaker, then I'll have to start wearing make-up!"

Then, I sat back in my seat. Wait, did I just say Sunstreaker looks good!?

*

Elsewhere:

"So…that's how it is then…we'll have to get the two of them apart…there's no way we can get either of them if they're together…divide and conquer…that's the method…"

*

Meg: Is everyone okay?

Sunstreaker: No! They scratched my paintjob!

Emma: Meg, why did you say I thought he looked good!?

Meg: BECAUSE I SAID SO!!

Emma: But I DOOOOOON'T!!!!

Optimus Prime: Uh, so please Read & Review, humans.