My Life as a Teenage Autobot

Chapter 14: Homesick

Jenny brooded on the couch in the Autobot base. All she could think about was her decision to tell Optimus to blow the Space Bridge. She hadn't wanted to put Optimus and Bulkhead in any unnecessary danger, but the fact that she had no way home weighed on her heavily. There has to be some way to get back. She thought even though she didn't entirely believe it.

Miko noticed Jenny's melancholy mood and decided to do something about it. "Jack, I'm gonna see if I can cheer Jenny up. Wanna come with?" She asked. Needless to say, Jack was apprehensive about the whole idea. "I don't think that's a good idea. Right now Jenny needs to be alone." He reasoned. Miko stared at Jack in disbelief. "She's already alone Jack. She needs the comfort of friends." Miko countered. "I'm kinda with Miko on this one." Raf spoke up.

Seeing that he was out voted, Jack begrudgingly agreed to comforting Jenny. The children took the elevator to the level that Jenny was on. Miko was eager to console Jenny, but Jack held a hand in front of her. He figured that they needed to start slow.

He cautiously approached the sofa as if it were a bomb. "Hey Jack, hey Miko, hey Raf." Jenny sighed while remaining still. All three of the human children were startled by the sudden greeting, but took it as a sign that Jenny was at least open to some company.

"Hey… so… what's up?" Jack asked Jenny nervously. He sat down to her left but gave her some space. Jenny turned to Jack and sighed. "I'm just contemplating the fact that I'm stuck here now." She lamented. "What do you mean?" asked Raf. Jenny explained to them how Optimus was going to use the Decepticons' Space Bridge to get her back home, but had to destroy it in order to prevent Megatron from retreating to Cybertron.

Even Miko didn't know what to say now. After a long and almost painfully awkward silence Miko had an idea. "I know, why don't we watch some TV?" she suggested. Miko grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. Unfortunately the channel it was on was playing the Wizard of Oz. More specifically it was playing the scene where Dorothy taps her heels together and says "There's no place like home."

The children had looks on their faces that expressed absolute shock, guilt, and worry. I should have learned my lesson from the T-Cog Incident. Miko thought, kicking herself mentally. Jenny stood up. "Thanks guys. I appreciate you trying." She said mechanically (no puns intended.) Jenny walked toward the elevator and headed topside. She sat down next to Cliffjumper's memorial. She brought her knees to her chest, put her face into her arms, and began to cry.

She cried because of the overwhelming feeling of separation she felt, the longing to be home once more, the wish to at least see her friends and family again. As Jenny continued to sob, she heard someone come up on the lift. "Go away. I don't want anyone to see me like this." Jenny said in between sobs.

Ratchet took a few steps forward before saying, "Optimus wanted me to check on you. He has become very concerned about your emotional state." Jenny lifted her head from her arms and turned around. "Why you?" Jenny wondered not meaning any offense of course. "Optimus is busy decrypting the Iacon Database… and I am your temporary physician." Ratchet reminded.

Jenny allowed herself a small smile at that. "So I hear you miss home." Ratchet presumed. Jenny's smile faded. "Yes." She answered. Ratchet looked up at the sky, specifically at the daytime moon. "I miss mine as well." Ratchet confided. Jenny looked at the medic for a moment. For as long as she'd known him, Jenny considered Ratchet to be a pain in the servos and a stick in the sludge. Now he was opening up to her? "Cybertron." Jenny realized.

Ratchet continued to look at the moon. "In its prime, Cybertron was a beautiful metropolis, full of life and activity. I t wasn't perfect, mind you, but it was home." Ratchet said with a sense of nostalgia. "But that was stellar cycles ago. The War for Cybertron left our home torn and ravaged. We were forced to find new homes on strange new worlds like this one." Ratchet lamented.

"Ratchet, I… do you think…" Jenny began. "…that we'll ever be able to return?" Ratchet finished. "The only thing I can think of that would make our planet habitable again is some lost artifact that the Ancients wielded."

Jenny wiped the coolant from her eyes. "You'll find a way." Jenny assured. "To get you home or to restore Cybertron?" Ratchet wondered. Jenny stood up and looked off into the sunset with new-found hope. "Both." She answered. As the two walked back toward the elevator, Jenny thanked Ratchet for the therapy session. It made her realize that she wasn't alone and that she could go to any of her new friends for comfort if she needed it.

They reentered the base, where Optimus was still decoding the Iacon database and the children were playing a videogame. Arcee Bumblebee and Bulkhead were talking with each other in front of the main computer. Jetfire was manning the communications.

"Hey kid. How are you?" Arcee asked. "Better Arcee, thanks Jenny replied. "We were just talking here and wanted to know if you wanted to learn some Cybertronian martial arts." Bulkhead offered. "Sure." Jenny accepted. To start, Arcee taught Jenny the basics of the Cybertronian Ninja style. It was difficult at first seeing as Jenny usually preferred the direct approach, but her small size and incredible agility allowed her to pick it up after a few sessions.

Jenny noticed that Bumblebee's boxing style was very similar to Earth boxing. Admittedly he learned it by combining Earth boxing with Cybertronian boxing. After just one session, Jenny was able to use her flight abilities to literally float like a scraplet and sting like Bumblebee.

Bulkhead's Brawler Style seemed more suited to XJ-8 what with its solid stances and strong powerful movements. However, always the quick learner, Jenny got the hang of it after some practice.

During a sparring session with Arcee, Optimus detected an Iacon tracking beacon who's signal was originating from the mountains in the China- Mongolian border. "Autobots, prepare to roll out." Optimus ordered. "Hey Optimus, if it's all the same to you, I'd like to sit this one out." Jenny said. "I have no objection but I would like to know why." Optimus answered.

"I haven't really spent that much time with Jack, Miko, and Raf and I'd like to get to know them more." Jenny replied. "Very well." Optimus said before walking away. Ratchet activated the ground bridge and the Autobots minus Jenny and Ratchet went through. "You sure about this Jenny?" Jack asked.

"Of course Brad. Optimus and the others could handle themselves before I got here." Jenny said before walking toward Miko and Raf. "Did she just call me Brad?" Jack asked in a perplexed tone. "Freudian slip. Yet another symptom of her homesickness." Ratchet reasoned.

A/N: You have no idea how long I've been waiting to have Jenny make a Freudian slip.