CHAPTER ONE

The Trouble With Love

***

Bianca: Hey, Meg?

Meg: Yes?

Bianca: What were those songs Emma was singing at the end of part one?

Ratchet: I know what they were – Life Is Like A Boat, by Rie Fu, and Love Will Save The Day, by Des'ree.

Emma: How did you know that?

Sunstreaker: He looked it up on the internet, the cheater.

Ratchet: *Glares at Sunstreaker*

Sunstreaker: *Cringes*

Meg: The twins,

Bianca: And Ratchet,

Emma: Will always hate each other,

Meg: And that's that.

Bumblebee: Please read and review!

Sideswipe: Yes! There'll be a poll coming up, soon!

Bumblebee: Ooh! What about!?

Meg: Never you mind…

***

I got dressed in record time, and went downstairs for breakfast. I ate fairly quickly.

Jerome was reading the paper, and shaking his head. "More unexplained destruction…" I heard him mutter, and I cringed. Yikes! More bad news, because of the Autobots and the Decepticons. This was bad. What if someone got hurt?

Oh, wait, they already had…

"Hey, Nenona?" I said suddenly.

"Yes dear?"

"Can I get a cat?"

"Oka…what?" She stopped cooking rice pudding on the stove and turned to look at me. "Emma?"

"A cat," I repeated. "I'd really like to own one." I would too. It was something I had decided long ago, but never really dwelled much on.

Nenona and Jerome exchanged a glance, which only husband and wife can do. I felt a stab in my chest for some reason, and it would not go away.

"Well, we'll see," Nenona said, as I tugged at my head bandage, and then checked to make sure that my chest and arm bandages were still in one piece.

Ratchet would kill me if I took them off. I loved him, so I wouldn't want him to be weighed down with the burden of my death.

I loved all of my new friends. I was closest to Bianca, the twins and Bee, of course, but the others were close to me as well…well, not so much Ironhide, but we were working on that. He was trying. I was trying. We'd meet somewhere in the middle, eventually.

Then there was the weird stab in my chest. It didn't feel like pain. Just like an…empty hollow. I couldn't shake it off.

I heard a knock on the door. My heart leapt, and I hurried to open the door.

I flung it open. "Bee!?" I exclaimed.

"Ah, no miss," Said a man wearing a suit and holding a clipboard and vouchers. "We're raffling off a…"

"I'm not interested!" I cried, and slammed the door in his face.

Out in the driveway, I could swear I heard Bianca laughing.

Then, suddenly, there was another knock on the door. I turned angrily and flung the door open. "I said, I don't want…" I trailed off as I stared into Bee's aqua eyes.

He didn't say anything, he just looked at me.

The stab in my chest went away instantly, replaced by a warm glow.

"H-hi, Bee…" I hadn't seen him since before the fight – after I'd woken up on the operating berth, Ratchet had whisked everyone else out, and then I'd been whisked away back home before Nenona and Jerome beat me to it. It was weird, looking at somebody who had just helped to save my life (Ratchet didn't count, it's his job, after all…but Bee…he did it on a completely voluntary basis, and probably he had only just learned CPR, too…oh great, my life had been in the hands of an amateur…)

"Hi Em," He replied, just as nervously. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better…" Bee was cut short when I threw my arms around him, nearly hitting him with my backpack, and hugged him as tightly as I could.

"Thank you," I whispered in his ear, closing my eyes briefly…

*

Bumblebee's P.O.V:

I was so happy when Em opened the door and started yelling at me, because then I just knew that she was okay. But I truly believed it when she hugged me, whispering a thank you in my ear for helping to save her life. I closed my eyes also, and just enjoyed standing there, with my arms wrapped tightly around her.

On the night we'd been attacked, just before that in fact, Em and I had been talking about spark partners. We had been cut off right before I had been about to say something very important to her.

I wasn't entirely sure…and, yet, I knew it in my spark…

Emma was my spark partner.

*

Bee and I could have stood like that forever, except Sideswipe suddenly yelled: "Are you two lovebirds finished or what?"

Bee and I moved apart as if we'd both been stung (lol) and looked at each other for a moment, before hurrying to the driveway, where he transformed, and then waited expectantly.

"Uh, Em?" Sideswipe suddenly said. "How about riding with me this time? You haven't yet…"

I glanced at Bee. Already the stab in my chest had started to come back, a dull reminder of what I might face. I didn't understand it at all, and it annoyed me.

But, as I said, I love Sides and, besides, I hadn't ridden with him yet, so I said: "Okay, sure." And gave Bee a quick smile, before getting into Sides and buckling my seatbelt.

His holoform turned to me as we sped down the street, and began to speak: "Em, did you know about the dance?"

"What dance?" I think I did know but, what with all the recent events, it had completely slipped my mind.

"Well, it's a ball," Sides said, as we turned left. "For year twelves."

"Oh, so did you find anything out about it?" I wanted to know.

"Oh, I already know everything," He assured me. "So worry not. It's just that…"

I wondered where this conversation was going. "What?" I asked him.

"Well, you're going, and I'm going…"

I suddenly knew exactly what he was going to say, and I didn't want to hear it. He was going to ask me if I wanted to come to the ball with him and, if he did, then I wouldn't have the heart to say no.

With lightning fast speed, my hand shot out and turned on the radio. I turned the volume waaaaay up, and sang along to this particular song:

"I see you looking at me
Like I got something that's for you
And the way that you stare
Don't you dare
'Cause I'm not about to
Just give it all up to you
'Cause there are some things I won't do
And I'm not afraid to tell you
I don't ever want to leave you confused
The more you try
The less I buy it
And I don't have to think it through
You know if I'm into you
I don't need a man to make it happen
I get off being free
I don't need a man to make me feel good
I get off doing my thing
I don't need a ring around my finger
To make me feel complete
So let me break it down
I can get off when you ain't around
Oh!
You know I got my own life
And I bought everything that's in it
So if you want to be with me
It ain't all about the bling you bringing
I want a love that's for real
And without that, no deal
And baby I don't need a hand
If it only wants to grab one thing
The more you try
The less I buy it
And I don't have to think it through
You know if I'm feeling you
I don't need a man to make it happen
I get off being free
I don't need a man to make me feel good
I get off doing my thing
I don't need a ring around my finger
To make me feel complete
So let me break it down
I can get off when you ain't around
Oh!
Let it go
Let it go
Let it go
Let it go
I don't need a
I don't need a man, I don't
I don't need a man
I'll get me through
'Cause I know I'm fine
I feel brand new
I don't need a
I don't need a man, I don't
I don't need a man
I'll make it through
'Cause I know I'm fine
Without you!

I don't need a man to make it happen
I get off being free
I don't need a man to make me feel good
I get off doing my thing
I don't need a ring around my finger
To make me feel complete
So let me break it down
I can get off when you ain't around
Oh!
I don't need a man (I'm over you)
I don't need a man (I'm over you)
I don't need a man
(I'm without you)
(I'm over you)
I don't need a man
I don't need a man
I don't need a man
Oh!"

When the song was over, we weren't quite at school yet. Sides deliberately turned his radio down, and then said: "Em…"

"Ooh!" I cried suddenly, leaning over and turning the radio up again. "I LOVE this song!"

(It's true).

"Got introduced to you my friend
You were cute and all that, baby you set the trend
Yes you did oh
The next thing I know were down at the cinema
We're sitting there, you said you loved me
What's that about?
You're moving too fast, I don't understand you
I'm not ready yet, baby I can't pretend
No I can't
The best I can do is tell you to talk to me
It's possible, eventual
Love will find a way
Love will find a way...
Don't say you love me
You don't even know me
If you really want me
Then give me some time
Don't go there baby
Not before I'm ready
Don't say your heart's in a hurry
It's not like we're gonna get married
Give me, give me some time
Here's how I play, here's where you stand
Here's what to prove to get any further than where it's been
I'll make it clear, not gonna tell you twice
Take it slow, you keep pushing me
You're pushing me away
Pushing me away...
Don't say you love me
You don't even know me
If you really want me
Then give me some time
Don't go there baby
Not before I'm ready
Don't say your heart's in a hurry
It's not like we're gonna get married
Give me, give me some time
oooo, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
na, na, na, na, na, na
oooo, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Don't say you love me
You don't even know me baby...
Baby don't say love me, baby
Give me some time...

Don't say you love me
You don't even know me
If you really want me
Then give me some time
Don't go there baby
Not before I'm ready
Don't say your heart's in a hurry
It's not like we're gonna get married
Give me, give me some time…"

"Uh, Em?" Poor Sides! Now he sounded really confused.

Good. I hope he understood that I wasn't ready to go there yet. Maybe in a few millions years or so, then I'd be ready.

We couldn't reach the stopping point before school fast enough.

I hoped that he'd been about to ask what I thought he had…and not that he'd wanted to go with Bianca, otherwise I'd be sooo embarrassed!

Then again, if he did want to go with Bia, then my troubles would be over.

*

Lunchtime had been a bit of a difficult time since Bianca, Bee and the twins had started coming to school with me. We'd had to take off, and go elsewhere. Usually, we sat down by the lake, where no one could see us. Then, they, in their robot forms, would eat energon (it's kinda freaky) and I would eat whatever was the flavour of the month with me.

Today it was dry pasta spiky-shells (the best kind).

CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

"Don't they hurt your teeth?" Sunstreaker asked absentmindedly, looking up at the sky.

"What? No…" CRUNCH! "Not at all…" CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

"Well…good…anyway, Ems," He suddenly turned to me with a smile. "You hear about the ball?"

I laughed. "How could I have not?" The SRC had posted up about a billion posters all around the school. You couldn't walk anywhere without being reminded of it.

Sunny grinned. "Yeah, well, since you're going, and since I'm going…"

I suddenly realised exactly where this conversation was headed – it was exactly where I didn't want it to go! It was just like this morning, take two, second twin.

I leapt to my feet.

"Emma!?"

"I'll be back!" I exclaimed, and ran as fast as I could towards the far side of the lake. Once there, and out of sight, I collapsed onto the ground, buried my face in my hands, and just sobbed quietly.

***

Meg: *Shakes head* If I had two hot guys like that asking me to the ball…

Bianca: Didn't you go doe to your year twelve ball?

Meg: Did I go…what? Oh, you mean like stag…uh, yeah, I didn't go with anyone.

Ratchet: …

Meg: Hmm? Ratchet? You have something to say?

Ratchet: Uh… *Sweatdrops*

Emma: *Just walked in* Ratchet, why is there a 'kick me' sign on your back?

Ratchet: What!? There is!? CURSE THOSE SLAGGING TWINS!!!! *Runs off to find said twins*

Emma: That's what's wrong with guys.

Arcee: Yup.

Elita1: You can say that again.

Bianca: *Shakes head* Okay, so, R&R peoples.