CHAPTER TWELVE

Life's A Beach

***

Meg: *Can't think of anything to write in the author's notes*

Bianca: How about using them for their intended purpose?

Meg: *Slams fists into hand* Oh yeah! Everyone, I don't own Transformers (yet). I only own Emma, Bianca, Leveret, Nenona, Jerome, and Nenona's family (can't be bothered writing all their names).

Emma: Plus, Autobot Alythia owns Zikya, and Lee-Aeront owns Backdraft/Andrea/Andy.

***

On Saturday, I wanted to do some shopping in Cottosloe, and also go to the beach, Zikya said she wanted to come too and, in the end, we all decided to go, except for Opti (I just couldn't bring myself to abandon his nickname), Ratchet and Ironhide. Okay, I had expected as much. The beach didn't really seem to be their scene.

But, I had to go shopping first.

"I need stuff – for our graduation." I explained as we walked into the mall.

Bia's eyes lit up for the first time in days. "Oh, that's right, we'll be graduating together in a couple of days, right?"

"Right," I nodded, and then veered away towards a store, with Zikya right behind me. I had received some money from my adoption day to spend here now.

I was wearing a belated adoption day present, too – the leather jacket from Andy, with Princess Em sewn on to the left sleeve, my own personal monogram. I loved it.

Andy walked quietly behind us all now. She still didn't know whether or not he fit in or not, and there was nothing we could do about it, except hope that she'd prove herself against the Decepticons.

Thinking about the Decepticons whilst I had part of my mind on my shopping rampage wasn't a good idea. It was only a matter of time before I walked in to a pole.

CLAAAAANG!!!!

I staggered back, dimly aware of what I had done, and Andy caught me around the arms.

"Are you okay?" She asked my quietly, as the others hurried back.

"Yes…" I shook my head to clear it, and blinked a few times, waiting for the stars to stop swirling around my head. I straightened up. "Shall we continue?"

But the thought of Decepticons never quite left my mind. Particularly…one specific Decepiton…I couldn't get him out of my head, no matter how hard I tried. My mind was a mess at the moment, and I tried to focus on walking in a straight line, but it didn't work. I must've looked like I was drunk.

Or something.

So, when Zikya suggested going to the beach, I agreed. The water would probably do me good.

*

"Can we swim?" I heard Sides' whisper to Sunny.

Sunny shrugged. "They never said we couldn't…"

So, why had they all brought bathers, even if they hadn't known whether or not they could swim?

The boys were standing outside the change rooms at the beach, I could hear them.

"Em, are you ready yet?" Zikya called to me through the stall door.

"Not yet, you guys go on ahead!" I called, and I heard her, Andy, Arcee and Elita1 leave. "Are you still there, Bia?" I asked her.

"Yes," She replied, and I heard sadness in her voice. "Even though I'm not your guardian anymore, Em…"

"And he didn't say why?" I asked her, as I slid open the stall lock.

Bia was standing by the door waiting for me, sadness etched into her lovely face. I rushed forward and put my arms around her.

"Oh Bia," I muttered. "He must've had a good reason to do this, you know him – everything Opti does is for a good reason. That's why he's the leader."

"I see your point, Em," Bia replied quietly.

"Besides, there's something you are that no one else could ever be," I said, and looked up at her, grinning. I hated how she was taller then I.

"And what's that?"

"You were my first car."

*

I hit the water at a run, something in the air charged me, and made me feel more active.

I felt…alive.

*

Bumblebee's P.O.V:

I watched as Bianca came out first, wearing what the humans call a bikini. Hers was white.

Then, Em came out next, also wearing a bikini. Hers was dark blueish-black.

As I watched, Em suddenly seemed to break out of the trance she had been in all day, and dashed out from behind Bianca, running across the sand toward the water. Her hair flew out behind her like a cape, and suddenly she had flung herself into the surf.

Just like that. She ducked under the waves and then came up again, her hair sending cascading droplets around her.

"Bee-Bee!" She called to me, waving. "Come on in, the water's great!

I walked forward in my black and yellow boardshorts, and stopped when the water touched my human feet. It was cold, but it was also great, as Em had put it.

I put my toe in the water, wondering how in Primus' name Em could have just charged in like she did.

Suddenly, she was in front of me, a mischievous glint in her metallic green eyes.

"Don't be a toe-dipper, Bee-Bee!" She scolded me, and dragged me forcefully into the cold water.

"Yikes!!" I yelled, as she pulled me under, and I came up, spluttering for breath.

I looked at her, smiling at me as her hair streamed out on the water's surface, and then I grabbed her, picking her up and carrying her into slightly deeper water.

She yelled with laughter, as I dumped her into the water, and she grabbed my hand, pulling me down with her.

We smiled at each other under the water, before she returned to the surface for air and I followed her.

"It's not so cold now that you're in here too." She said, tilting her head to one side, seeming puzzled. "I wonder why…I don't feel cold, and yet that guy over there is shivering…"

BECAUSE WE'RE SPARK MATES!!!! I wanted to scream but, at the same time, I knew that this wasn't really the time or place – when we were at the beach, surrounded by like a bajillion others, including our friends, whose eyes were boring holes into us all the way from the shore.

*

Sunstreaker's P.O.V:

"Look at those two, bro," Sides' said, as we all watched Em and Bumblebee playing in the water. "Do you think they're an item now?"

"Proly," I replied, searching for something. "Hey…has anyone seen Andy recently?"

Andy was missing.

*

Bee and I were floating in the water, side by side, when suddenly my eyes sharpened, and I looked up towards the sky.

"Did you hear that?" I asked suddenly, my heart beginning to pound painfully.

"What?" Bee noticed the edge in my voice, and we both switched and began treading water at the same time.

"Decepticons." We said in unison.

*

Barricade must've been perfecting his stealth…as much stealth as a giant robot can have, because the attack came out of nowhere.

One minute there was peace and, the next, chaos. Utter, chaos.

And Barricade's target?

Me, of course.

*

Backdraft's P.O.V:

I transformed back into my robot form (as Emma calls it) and realised immediately what was happening.

I was there in a flash, putting all of my energy into closing the distance between me and the fight.

"Barricade!" I yelled, and he turned to me.

"So it was true then, wasn't it Backdraft!" He shouted. "You really have joined the Autobots!"

I noticed that the Autobots in question had transformed, and Emma and Zikya were standing nearby, staring at the pre-battle.

I could almost see the look in Barricade's eyes. They said: What will she do?

Well, I'd show him what I would do.

I had no regrets about attacking my former allies, at all. Starscream, Barricade, they were all the same to me – they had all abandoned me.

I didn't even pay attention to the stunned looks on the Autobot's faces as I gave Barricade the beating of his life, but I only became aware that I was in trouble when Barricade managed to somehow restrain me, and he began punching me in the face.

"Andy!!" Only one human calls me that, but I couldn't let Barricade get to her.

"Stay back Princess!" I called to her, unable to move or even look. "He's only here for you!"

"Then why the slag is he pounding you!?" Emma yelled, as Bumblebee held her back. "Sunny, do something!"

Sunny?

Sunstreaker was suddenly there, a blur of yellow, as he slammed in to Barricade with enough force to demolish a steel wall. I was on my feet immediately, and backing him up, pounding Barricade in to submission.

Suddenly, I heard a voice in the back of my mind, although it wasn't directed at me.

"Barricade, retreat immediately!" The cold voice sent shivers down my spine. I recognised the voice instantly.

It was Megatron's.

*

Only when Barricade was gone did Bee let go of me, and I ran full-tilt towards Andy. She caught me gently and lifted me up to her optic-level.

"Are you okay?" I asked her. "We should get you back to Ratchet," I was speaking very fast, and breathlessly. Suddenly, I turned around to the others. "See!?" I shouted. "Andy's on our side, I told you so!"

***

Meg: I'm eating M&M's which I separated into the six different colours.

Wheeljack: You are so OCD.

Meg: Betcha didn't know I also eat the last six in this order – green, blue, orange, red, brown and yellow.

Sideswipe: Why?

Meg: Because that's the order that the sailor scouts died in Day Of Destiny.

Both: Oh.

Meg: The word of the day is 'Oh', brought to you by multiple bots.