Chapter Warning; More heavy and hard subjects and themes will make appearances in this story, rating upped from K+ to T (May become higher later)

-Chapter 3- Validation is Key part II

Quotes about emotional validation

The next morning was similar to the last, everyone leaving to do their shifts on the island. The only family left in the house was Cody and Jess, just sitting in the kitchen chatting about little things like her studies and his school work.

Cody has not changed much since she last visited the Island, which is a pretty good thing. That most likely means that he will not have trouble figuring himself out when he grows older, it is a blessing really. A lot of people never figure out what they really want to do with themselves.

It's not a bad thing, not knowing what to do with the life you have; it just makes things a little more challenging for a while. It will feel like everyone around you knows what to do and how to do it, and you will just sit there wondering what it is you are meant to do. It also just means you get to try so many different things, and that idea in itself is exciting and fun. Which will you like better, maybe it will be retail, maybe it will be nursing, and it could even be something off the wall like animal care. The stereotype that one has to know what they want since childhood is a bad stereotype. Sometimes the fun of life was getting to experience all the things it has to offer before you settle down and make the choice of careers and jobs.

"I'm just not very good at this kind of thing…" Cody sighed as be looked down at the blank paper in front of him.

"I think as long as you try it will turn out ok." Jess said as she pulled out her phone and played a small game to pass the time.

Believe it or not, nothing exciting was planned for today. Jess just wanted to relax at home with her favorite little cousin. Maybe watch a movie and eat some junk food while laughing at nothing, just enjoying each others company. She hasn't had enough lazy days lately due to her job and school, and she knows everyone else is just as busy. Being able to spend quality time with her family was precious, even if they did nothing but sit around and do absolutely nothing.

"I hope so…" Cody said as he started writing on his paper.

"I know so." Jess said as she continued to play her game on her phone. She was in the middle of a puzzle when her phone vibrated as indication she had a message waiting for her to read when she had a chance.

She mentally shrugged and decided to put her game on hold as she checked the message despite the gnawing feeling of anxiety creeping into her mind. Since last night she has been afraid to check her messages, and she wasn't entirely sure why she felt such anxiety coursing through her mind. She was a grown woman, after all, she had no reason to feel such things like a deep sense dread and panic. She should have grown out of it, or at least that is what her mother said.

As the menu popped up she scrolled through what was unread. Two messages from her Mother, a message from one of her college instructor, three from one of her friends back home, and one from the number from last night she didn't want to think about. She had to hold her breath as she felt the panic rising in her head again, she decided to read that message last as she pulled up the ones from her friend.

The three messages from her friend Celina were the ones she actually wanted to read, as she was one of her best friends from the mainland. Celina was studying to be a neuro surgeon, and she was working on her paramedic stuff on the side. Jess really admired Celina's tenacity and determination, and was glad she had such a kind roommate like her. They were renting out a small apartment together closer to the school campus so they didn't have to have a dorm. It was cheaper in the long run, at least the way Jess calculated it to be, she wasn't always the best at math.

'Hey, you totally missed it! Caleb actually talked to me… me!'

'Ha OMG I passed all my classes! When you get back we have to celebrate!'

'Sooo, that foreign exchange student asked me about you! He thinks you're cute, when you get back you should totally go out with him!'

Jess laughed as she read her friend's messages, leave it to Celina to make her feel at ease. She was not only a good student, but a good friend as well. She could be pushy at times, but that was just a small part of who she was, and all her good traits outweigh her bad ones. Her nosiness into Jess' love life should be addressed as well, but she couldn't help but smile at her friend's antics.

She wasn't feeling as bad at this moment as she replied with a short 'I've only been gone two days and you already fall apart :p'. She smiled as she pictured her friend in her mind laughing at her message while shaking her head back and forth. Returning to do whatever it was she was doing before being interrupted by Jess' text.

She returned to the message menu and read the one from her college professor, one that she respected greatly, as he was very experienced in his field of study. He instructed an introduction level medicine course as well as an intermediate level of chemistry, both a requirement for all EMTs in training. He was also in charge of a few clubs on campus, including one she was president of.

Jess was in charge of the Cooking club, as she was there to help the school cater special events held on campus. It keels her busy when she is not in her classes, and she doesn't like to be too idle sometimes. It can get demanding at times but she enjoyed seeing people made happy by the food she prepared.

'Have a good break Jess, don't forget when you get back we need to prepare an event for the fall club party on campus.'

She smiled and sent a reply; 'I won't forget. I will start right away when I get back'. He always worried about the reputation of the club, and he tended to forget that Sherry is just a good a cook as she is. She is more than capable of handling big events on her own like that. She has seen Jess do it many times, and the college sophomore has proven herself ready to take control of an event.

Jess let out a small breath as she read the messages from her mother, hoping that it wasn't anything that could ruin her perfect day. Its not really her mothers fault more than her own, at least that is what she thinks. Jess just needed to get her anxiety under control, that is what she told herself anyway as she pulled the messages up.

'Tell Charlie to call me when he gets back to the house please'

'I think he is ignoring me again…'

Jess let out a small breath and smiled, her mother must have forgotten what happened yesterday. Or she just did not know the implications it had on Jess in her mind. To be fair, not a lot of people understand what goes on in Jess' mind, as she tends to think with more emotion than even she is comfortable with sometimes.

Jess typed a simple response of, 'When he gets back I will make sure he calls you right away' and hit send with a small smile on her face. She was about to read the next text and felt her hand shake a little bit before she could stop it from doing so. Her anxiety reaching a new peak she wished it hadn't needed to explore.

As she was in the message menu of her phone she heard a loud bang as the door to the garage busts open, and Kade saunters in with a goofy grin on his face. Jess welcomed the distraction from her phone and put it away in her pocket of the black high waist shorts she wore today.

Cody also looked up and noticed Kade had an interesting look on his face, as he turned to look at Jess with a quizzical look. Jess only giggled and shrugged as Kade reached into the cabinet to find whatever snack he could grab at. Jess sighed, as Kade could eat almost anything if he really wanted to, he was far from picky like she tended to be.

As he began to munch on a bag of chips while leaning on the counter, Jess decided to be the first to quench the two at the table's curiosity. "You are home early… And you seem very happy about something." Jess said as she watched his reaction to her question worded as a statement.

"Yeah I am! Dad said I could cut my patrol early, so as soon as I finish with my snack I am going to get ready for a nice date with Hayley." Kade said as he scarfed the rest of the chips down quickly.

Jess had to hold from gagging watching him just shovel food away like that, she could barely stand the smell of those barbecue chips, let alone watching someone eat them with as much gusto as her cousin did. "I hope your eating manners are better when you are around your date." Jess said as she turned away while smiling a little at her own dramatic behavior.

"I will have you know I am a perfect gentleman." Kade said as he threw the bag away in the trash bin and walked out of the room with a kick in his step. She swore she heard him humming to himself, but she might have just been hearing things.

Jess remembered Hayley fairly well; they hung out a few times in High School, but not enough to be called best friends or anything. She was a nice girl with a big interest botany and science, and Jess remembered Kade having the biggest crush on her since they were freshman. How he convinced her to go on a date with him now she will never know, but it made Jess happy to know that Kade was happy and seeing someone he really liked.

Her last relationship did not end very well, as all her ex wanted was a physical relationship. She never wanted to go out and see movies or even stay in and order food and just hang out. It was always the need to touch and feel Jess in a way that made her uncomfortable. She really did like Lucy, but she was just too demanding and touchy feely for her taste.

She never really told her family about Lucy either, as she felt they would not accept and understand Jess' decisions in the people she decided to date. She loved her family to death, but something like that could really throw everyone for a loop, and she just never wanted to deal with it really. The past is in the past however, and she did eventually tell her mother about it. She just said she was proud of Jess for not letting anyone force themselves out of her comfort zone without her consent, and that she did not care about Jess' choice in the dating world and that as long as she was happy than so was she.

To this day it still brings a tear to her eye how accepting her mother was and still is of her life choices, but ever since that relationship she has pretty much avoided dating all together. High school was the same way, as she was too focused on school and friends to worry about dates and connections with someone on a romantic level. Jess is content connecting with people on a platonic level, maybe it was because she feels so deeply that to her it is almost like experiencing romantic attraction.

She wasn't sure, as things like romantic relationships and even platonic friendships can get quiet complicated and she would rather not get into it right now. Subjects for another day, as she would much rather focus on the family relationship she has with her right now in the firehouse.

As she was about to engage Cody in another small conversation she saw he already packed up all his belongings in his bag and was standing up to place his pack onto his back. Jess was about to ask what he was up to when he said Frankie sent him a message asking if he wanted to do homework with her, and he said he would love to. Jess laughed and waved bye as he rushed out the door and to his friend's house, it is good that he has relationships outside the family. While she was growing up all she really had was Kade and sometimes Dani, never really liked to communicate outside of her family much until she hit her sophomore year of High School.

She stood up and wiped the table clean of any crumbs from the small snack of cookies she and Cody shared earlier, while washing the plate and putting it away to use later. She looked out the window and noticed it was a rather nice day out, maybe nice enough for her to take a walk around town. It looked a little warm so she might change out of her long sleeve white shirt and into a tank top.

She was standing in the Living room when Kade came down wearing a pair of jeans and a simple black shirt. She paid him no mind as she began to dig through her suit case while she sat on the couch to see if she could find her favorite tank top. It was a pretty light pastel pink one with a big button on the right shoulder, it was her favorite because it was so just so simple and cute.

She started to think she forgot to pack it when Kade roughly sat down next to her, spread comfortably on the couch. It caused her to cease her search and look up at her cousin with an apprehensive look, he wants something. She can tell by the way he is trying to act casually around her, as Kade acting casual and being casual were two very different things.

"Spit it out." She said as she continued to pull out more cloths than she remembered packing. It was a last minute pack run, so maybe she really did forget her shirt.

"So I have my date right, in like five minutes." Kade began as Jess looked up at him with a curious look on her face "And earlier, Heatwave and I got a little messy doing a rescue on the scenic route around the island. Nothing big, just cleaning up after a mud slide..."

He was dancing around what he wanted her to do so she just sighed and sat up straight while she gave him all her attention. She thinks she knows where this is going, and to be honest she has nothing better to do today, but he should take care of his vehicle friend and not make her do it…

"Can you wash Heatwave please?" Kade asked as he turned to face her completely and look at her with his sad puppy dog eyes.

"Kade…" Jess sighed as she placed her palm on her forehead while shaking her head back and forth "Why can't you just cancel your date with Hayley to clean the bot yourself?"

"Do you know how hard it is to get her to go out with me? Please Jess. Please!" He said as he continued his sad look that he knew would break her. She always said yes to doing his chores, he knew she had nothing better to do anyway besides sit around and wait for everyone to come home later.

"…Fine, Kade, But don't make a habit of asking me to do your chores while I'm here." Jess said while she pulled out her swim top and a pair of swimming shorts. She stood up to go into the restroom to change as she heard Kade shout his thanks. When she was in the Bathroom she heard the door shut and sighed as she put on her swim suit.

It was a blue and green stripped bikini top she bought a few years back, and a pair of short black swimming trunks that fell a little above her mid-thigh area. She pulled out a hair tie from her suit case earlier and began to tire her hair up into a messy pony tail. She is going to have to shower after this, she can feel it, and Kade does not have the greatest track record for cleanliness.

Once she came out of the bathroom she grabbed a bucket and a few cleaning tools from the small utilities closet in the kitchen and made her way into the open garage to find a very dirty Heatwave parked by the hose to make it easier to wash him. "I swear Kade, you have got to be the most filthy and inconsiderate person on the planet sometimes…" She muttered as she placed the bucket next to the hose.

She took out her phone that was sticking out of the pockets of her shorts and put it on a small table nearby so it wouldn't get wet. She then reached up high on a nearby shelf to reach the soap and wax to start the job of cleaning and washing this bot. No doubt she will need a vacuum to clean out the interior as well, if she knew Kade as well as she thinks she does, there are bound to be fingerprints and crumbs all over Heatwave.

"Alright, Heatwave" Jess said as she filled the bucket with warm water and picked up the sponge from the now full bucket. She then put some soap in the mix and got some suds going on the sponge to scrub the caked on dirt off of Heatwave's beautiful paint job. "Let's get this gunk off of you, bud."

She began where she could reach without having to maneuver too much to reach the high places. The side of his body were first as she scrubbed with a little force to get all of the dirt off of his frame. Once she finished with one side she started on the other, making sure to let some soap suds sit on some hard stains and hope she can get them out this way, if not she is going to have to pull out the detail buff from one of the containers in the room.

Her family always took pride in keeping their vehicles clean and maintained, as it showed that there was care in the appearance of the cities rescue force. Jess began to clean the harder to reach places and had to climb on top of Heatwave to reach the areas. She picked out leaves and rocks from his windshield, she has had to wash big vehicles by hand before, since her father was in the market of big rigs and semi-trucks. She is no stranger to big vehicles or driving them, as it was kind of a requirement from her father to learn to drive them.

Once she finished cleaning the hood she slid off with ease as his wet frame made it easy to slip around, and she would have giggled if she wouldn't feel like she would embarrass herself. She doesn't know why, but she feels like someone is watching her, not that she minds, as company is always welcome. She is just a little self-conscious about some of the weird things she does sometimes. Her mother calls them quirks; she calls them abnormal actions caused by a small lapse in judgment.

How sometimes she will sing to herself the cheesiest pop songs she remembers hearing on the radio while she is cooking, and sometimes she even does a silly dance while holding the utensils in her hand as a microphone. She has caught herself doing it many times, and other people have caught her doing it as well. She gets so flustered when others call her out on it, as she hates those dumb little things she does.

She dunked the sponge in the clean water and rung it out, walking up to Heatwave's grill to try and get it as shiny as possible. Once that was all done she took the hose and began to spray the soap and suds off his frame. Most of the mud and dirty came off with ease, but there were a few trouble spots she noticed that would require more attention. She put the hose back down and began to scrub at the stains again with a bristled brush she was able to locate not far from where the soap was.

It took a little longer to get rid of the spots, but once she had she smiled to herself and pulled out a dry microfiber rag. She began to run it across Heatwave in order to avoid any type of hard water stain or streaks that might have resulted from the rinsing she did. He was back to being shiny and red again and Jess smiled proudly at the work she has done.

"I'll be right back, Heatwave. I need to grab a vacuum to clean out your interior." She said as she walked back into the house to see if she could find a small vacuum to take outside.

Once she was inside Heatwave let out a breath he was holding in his vents as he shuddered a little from all the attention she was giving him. She knew what she was doing, that was for sure, as she must have experience in keeping paint on a vehicle sparkly and nice. He noticed she had a container of wax and a buff brush out as well. Kade never did that for him, and just rinsed him and called it good.

Earth doesn't have wash racks like they did back on Cybertron, and it was really difficult to clean ones self without the proper facilities to do so. Using water and fancy soaps instead of the special compounds and minerals found on Cybertron was more difficult than he thought. It was a little upsetting at first, having to rely on the humans to keep him clean; it was demining in a way. Heatwave found he liked it sometimes though; it felt like he was being pampered and treated like a noble would be back home.

At least when Dani or Graham helped to wash him, Kade just kind of spray the hose on him for a few minutes and said it was a job well done. Jess looks like she is going to do a thorough job of cleaning him, and he can't help but feel excited about the next part of the treatment. She would vacuum and clean the inside of his cab, scrub his rims until they sparkle, and then wax and buff his frame until it shines.

There was that voice in his processor screaming at him to not let her touch him, and to make her stop and to leave him alone. Right now, the other voice, the one that wants to be pampered is winning the internal fight as he waits for her to return with more tools to continue washing him. He didn't have to wait for long until she came back out pulling a small hand held vacuum with her.

Heatwave was tempted to turn off the sensors in his cabin again as she opened his door and climbed in. He ignored it as she began to use the small machine to get rid of all the gunk and dirt that has collected between his seats over the last cycle he has been on earth. It felt nice to finally be rid of that annoying itch he has had to deal with for the past few weeks. He is for sure this time not going to let Kade anywhere near him with any kind of food, as that guy can make a mess out of anything he is holding.

Once Jess was done she wiped off a few prints and spots that appeared on Heatwave's dash, how Kade let his robot partner get this bad was beyond her, but it was in the past now and there was nothing she could do about it. Once she made her way out of his cabin, and gently closing his door, she began to use a special brush to clean the scud off of his rims and using a special silver polish to make them shine like they were brand new. She smiled as she finished the last of his rims, seeing her faint reflection in the sterling metal that made up the inner part of his tire.

She was about to pull the canister of wax open when she heard her phone go off on the table nearby. She forgot she brought that in here with her, and placed the canister back on the ground before wiping her hands on a rag she had sticking out of her pocket.

She picked up her phone and she felt herself freeze as she let out a loud sigh, she really did not want to deal with this right now. She decided she needed some form of comfort to be around her before she read the new message, so she sat next to Heatwave and leaned against him for support.

"Here we go again." Jess muttered to herself as she pulled up the messaged from the unknown number she wished she could just forget. Veronica. The one she was closest to that was outside of her family, and the one person whom has hurt her arguably the most out of her life.

Lucy hurt her, but she was not as attached to Lucy as she was Veronica. She and Veronica were never anything more than friends, but Jess put a lot of emotional attachments in their deep and wonderful friendship. In the end it didn't matter, and she just tossed Jess out like she was trash after she refused to help her get what she wanted. She was just a toxic friend; Jess has come to conclude, and really just wanted to never hear from her again.

"Oh, Heatwave, Sometimes I wish people would just go away. You feel me?" She chuckled as she just decided to click the message to get it over with. Her palm becoming a little moist and shaking a little, her phone blinking at her that it's battery was low also did not help her feel at ease about the situation either.

Heatwave sympathized with her in that moment, as he had some bots he knew that he wished would just disappear from his life. Technically they did, as Cybertron is now a lifeless hunk of rock floating in space with no one living there. It didn't bother him as much as he thought it would, at first he was upset that Cybertron was gone, but he was never really there once he became a full fledged rescue bot.

He was always in space or in the nearby colonies in the solar system surrounding Cybertron. His home world did not hold very many good memories for him, and sometimes he is glad it is gone. He is not glad the war started and that many innocent bots died for no reason, but it felt like a fresh start for him and his team, a fresh start with a new Prime leader. Besides, Earth wasn't so bad, it had its moments where he thought it could be one of the best planet in the universe.

Heatwave couldn't help his curiosity and moved his mirrors as subtly as he could so he can catch a glimpse of what Jess phone said that made her seem upset. From what he has seen of Jess, she seems to rarely let things get to her, at least on the outside. He was the same in that sense; things bothered him more on a deeper level than they do on the surface. It was something other bots just didn't understand about him, as a big mech like him wasn't supposed to feel things as deeply as he does. It was all a load of scrap; he can feel whatever he wanted to feel, no matter what those Primus damned others thought.

He read that there were no replies from Jess, and he saw the first message as marked from yesterday that said 'Hey, Jess! It's me, Veronica. I heard you were back in town and I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out?'. Heatwave noticed Jess did note respond to the message, and two more from today where on the screen as well.

'Come on Jess, I really want to see you again. I am sorry about what I did…'

'I am leaving Griffon Rock in a few days to go to college and all I want to do is talk to you, honestly.'

It got curiosity running through his processor as he wondered who this Veronica was, and what she did to Jess to make her seem to be upset at them. She is best friends with Kade after all, so Jess must have the patience and understand of Primus. It really made him want to ask, but one that would prove he was snooping and he didn't want to get on her bad side before he even got properly introduced to her. The other reason was because she didn't know they were robots from another planet yet, and there was still no discussion of when they would let her in on the secret.

If Heatwave had his way she would have been notified as soon as she got to the house on the first night she was here, but it was not his choice to make. It should be though, considering it was his team that was what was being kept secret. There was just not a good time to bring it up for discussion, as the family was kept busy as always trying to keep this crazy place semi under control.

"What should I do?" Jess asked out loud as she locked her phone's screen and placed it in her lap "Should I just talk to her and get it over with, or should I just ignore it?" She began as she relaxed against Heatwave completely. She could swear he was warm, but it was probably just her, he was a truck after all. They don't produce body heat like human's do, she must be so stressed out that it is affecting her sense.

It wouldn't be the first time.

"Am I just being petty in holding this grudge? Am I really justified in not wanting to see her again?" Jess asked herself as she starred up at the ceiling in the garage. She hated talking to herself, but sometimes it made her feel better. She felt like someone was listening, and in a way it made her feel better, but in another way it made her think someone must think she is crazy.

Heatwave wanted to so bad ask for clarification on her situation, as maybe he could help put her running mind at ease. He feels the need to make her calm down and explain her thoughts to him, and he had no idea why. Maybe it was that glitch he thinks he has, and that scares him more than it should.

Processor glitches are deadly when untreated and can result in a lot of issues for any bot that has them. He thought that keeping healthy with regular energon and staying active would protect him from his lineage's history with messed up processors. He should call Optimus when he gets the chance to make sure everything is ok, and if it is ok he will gladly indulge in the need to be friends with Jess.

"I'm going to do it!" Jess said as she stood up suddenly, startling Heatwave out of his thoughts "I am going to see her." Jess said as she sent a simple reply to the last message.

'We can talk in an hour, after I get dressed. Meet me by the bakery downtown.'

She hit send before she actually thought about it, and felt her blood run cold in her body. Did she really just do that? What if this was a huge mistake? She felt like she was going to be sick, but the small notification noise made her stop for a moment as she read the new message.

'No problem. I will see you then!'

"I think I am going to be sick." Jess said as she nearly tripped running back into the house to hide for a little while before she had to meet the obligation she just made. Maybe she could take Heatwave with her… That would make her feel a little better as she sat on the couch to reach into her suitcase to grab a fresh pair of cloths.

For now she was just going to shower and change into some fresh cloths. She doesn't expect anyone to be home for quite a while now, and before she went into the bathroom she plugged her phone in so it could get a little bit of a charge. Her shower was short, as she just washed her body and hair quickly.

She put her still wet hair in a bun so it would not ruin her fresh cloths, as she did not have time to properly dry it. Her hair would knot later, but that was an issue for another time when she wasn't feeling her breakfast coming back up. Why was she so anxious? She needs to just woman up and not be afraid of the past anymore!

After all, High school was such a long time ago that she felt she should have gotten over it. She was an adult now, with responsibilities and a job, and what happened between them happened when they were just kids. Kids tended to not think before they acted, and sometimes hurt people close to them without meaning to.

She meant to hurt Jess though.

She shook her head and dressed quickly in a pair of black jogging pants with a red strip running up the side. She also put on a simple pink shirt that said 'Fabu' on the chest. She pulled her university jacket over to complete the 'I was in a rush and needed to dress quickly' look. It made her feel a little self-conscious, as she liked to put a little effort in the way she looked. She thought she was decent looking, and hated looking like she didn't care about how she looked.

She checked her phone and noticed she only had ten minutes left before she had to be down town. It took about five minute to drive there, if she hit all the green lights on the way over there. She sighed as she grabbed her purse and put her phone and wallet inside as she slipped on her simple pink running shoes she left sitting by the door.

"Hey, Heatwave" Jess said as she came out of the door noticing the mess she left. She felt bad for that, and made a promise to make this place spotless to make up for it. "Care for a small trip into town with me… It shouldn't take long."

He said nothing as he popped his driver's side door open and ignited his engine for her. He could feel the curiosity eating at his processor now, and he wanted to see this situation through. He felt Jess crawl in and buckle he seat belt as she place her purse in the seat next to her.

As she began to drive away from the Firehouse she felt bad for leaving such a big mess and leaving unannounced, but she should be back before anyone else came home. It was just a quick conversation she kept replaying in her head. A simple 'hey how are you, oh that is nice, well see you later' kind of deal. That was all she needed and wanted, and she could feel bad about it later.

Driving up to the bakery as she parked on the street next to the building with the big glass pane that read 'Mr. Pfeiffer's bakery'. While she was here she should pop in to say hello to the older man, as she remembers coming here all the time as kid and getting little treats after school. To this day, other pastries never tasted the same since she ate Mr. Pfeiffer's cupcakes.

She sat in Heatwave as she waited to see if she could see any signs of Veronica anywhere. She tapped his steering wheel nervously as she watched the sidewalk like a hawk. It bothered Heatwave the way she tapped, but he would drop it for now seeing how apprehensive she looked.

It didn't take long for Jess to spot that head of fiery red hair and pale completion in the distance. She felt her stomach churn a little as she gripped the steering wheel a little hard. Heatwave noticed this lapse in character of hers as he saw a woman on the street stop and wave as she noticed Jess sitting in his cab.

"This was a bad idea…" Jess said as she slid down a little, giving a half wave and smiling awkwardly.

Heatwave was almost tempted to tighten the seat belt around her and lock his doors so no one could open them besides him. Just let the other woman talk through a cracked window to Jess. He knew it would be bad idea because again, just a transforming robot built by humans with no sentient behavior. So he watched as she left his cab reluctantly, clutching her purse to her side.

He watched as the red headed woman tackled Jess in a hug, and Jess looked like she was going to throw up. It was obviously unwanted contact, and it made his energon boil, no one has a right to touch someone who doesn't want to be touched. Even if it was just a simple hug or handshake, some bots and people just don't like contact.

He listened closely to the one sided conversation, as the other woman, Veronica, just kept spouting things about how happy she was while Jess stood there stiffly looking at anything but the woman in front of her. She gave small and simple answers, a sign she was uncomfortable. Jess was a talker, Heatwave knew that about her.

"Why don't we go inside and talk some more, yeah?" Veronica asked as she lead Jess into the building next to the bakery, not waiting for Jess to answer.

She looked back at Heatwave almost expectantly as she felt herself being pulled up the steps and into the small music store. She was almost shoved onto the couch as an excited Veronica plopped herself next to Jess. She hasn't changed a bit, it seems, still pushy and assertive as always.

Veronica continued to talk about nothing important, but stopped before she sighed and looked to her old friend sitting next to her. "I know you are still scared of me, and you have a right to be. What I did was wrong and I am sorry."

"You're sorry?" Jess said as she tried hard to not let tears run down her face. "What are you sorry for?"

"For hurting you, in more than one way. I was a dumb kid, and I really do feel bad." She said as she scooted closer to Jess.

"You left me in a burning gymnasium while screaming about how much of a, and I quote, 'a skank who won't hook her up with her hot cousin'." Jess finished in a monotone voice, starring at the floor beneath her feet.

"I-I know. I'm surprised you didn't tell anyone about that." She replied, also looking at the floor with great interest.

"Why would I? You would have gone to prison and it would have ruined your future. I'm not about tearing people down for a mistake, but you hurt me." She said as she stood up to turn her back on Veronica, physically and metaphorically.

"That is why I admire you, and hate you." Veronica spat as she stood with enough force to push the couch back. There were no other customers in the store, and the owner was nowhere to be found. It would be Jess' luck that happened.

"Always so perfect. Always so forgiving. Always better than everyone else!" Veronica went on as she threw her hands up in the air. "Never the bad guy! Always so perfect and poise! No problems at all!" Veronica said as she shoved Jess forward with a lot of force.

Jess did not retaliate, but she did not leave either. She knew this was a bad idea, as Veronica can be a little loose with her actions most of the time. Jess thought she might have an illness that makes her this way, but sh never had a chance to ask, and she certainly did not want to ask about it now.

"Look at me, I'm Jessica!" Veronica mimicked as she started throwing things on the ground and pushing book cases of cds and records on the ground. "I have no flaws and am a perfect human! Who doesn't share that perfection with her only friend!" The door was blocked now by mounds of wood splints and trash as Veronica continued on the rampage.

People walking by didn't even notice as they all had somewhere to be, but she saw Heatwave outside the window and wanted nothing more than to run to him and hide in his cab. She knew Veronica though, she would just follow and make it worse if Jess tried to move. She knew Veronica, and it is best to just let her rampage and be done with it.

"I hate you and your perfect face! And your perfect family!" She screamed as Jess heard her throw some liquid around? Where would she have gotten that. Jess turned to see a small canisters of gasoline in the woman's hands. Jess didn't have time to react as the building went up in flames quickly as Veronica kept screaming about Jess. Jess screamed and backed up into a wall as the building began to get engulfed quickly. She notice veronica was starting to smoke, and if Jess didn't pull her down she would catch flame.

Jess reacted on instinct and pulled Veronica down by the hood of her jacket on the floor, and she fell with a loud scream. She must have hit the back of her head hard enough to knock her out, because as soon as she hit he floor she stilled. Jess began to panic as she now had to not only deal with getting herself out, but getting Veronica the help she desperately needed.

Jess looked around and noticed there were no back exits, this building was just a one way in, and the door was blocked by burning debris of left over mess. Jess reached into her purse and found her phone, but her heart sank as she noticed it had died. She thought she plugged it in earlier but the charger must not have been plugged into the wall.

"H-Help!" Jess coughed as she inhaled a large amount of smoke. Smoke inhalation was a big cause of respiratory problems, and can even cause death quicker than being burned by the fire. She called out again, only to fall into a fit of coughing again. Heatwave was right outside, if she could just get his attention, maybe he had an emergency override protocol that let him act without an instructor?

"H-Heatwave!" She screamed as loud as she could muster as she pulled Veronica closer to her away from the burning wall of flames heading in their direction. She was afraid this was it, as she could feel herself slipping out of consciousness due to the lack of oxygen in the room.

She heard a loud crash and something cold hit her with great force, she looked up to see Heatwave smashed the front of the building open and began to spray the flames with his knuckles. Jess coughed loudly, not only to get his attention but to help clear her lungs and breath some fresh air the water began to provide to the dry atmosphere.

Heatwave saw her huddled against the wall and quickly grabbed her and Veronica and placed them on the sidewalk where Jess saw her Uncle there with the paramedics ready to treat their wounds. She felt herself being pulled up and placed in a sitting position as she felt someone taking her pulse and asking if she was ok.

She said she inhaled a lot of smoke and probably needed a tank of oxygen and a lot of water to help the symptoms for now. She emphasized that Veronica needed help more than she did, as she was burned and passed out on the sidewalk where Heatwave left them. The paramedics gave her a tank and took Veronica in the back of the ambulance and took her to the nearest hospital for treatment.

Jess began to cough more as she took big breaths of the oxygen given to her by the paramedics, and as soon as they let her Uncle Charlie was at her side, patting and rubbing her back trying to help her cough up the toxic fumes. Smoke inhalation was hard to treat, and it can take up to three days to clear, but other than that Jess was fine physically.

After the fire was put out, and Jess' coughing began to calm down, she sat in Chase's driver's seat with her Uncle trying to get information out of her. Unbeknownst to them there was a com link happening between Chase and Heatwave about the whole situation.

"One minute the place is fine, the next I hear Jess screaming and the whole place is lit up like the Summer Festivals of Iacon!" Heatwave exclaimed as he was putting out the remainder of the fire. It was a gas fire so he switched from water to foam a long time ago. He wanted to make sure the ashes wouldn't ignite again from a random spark or increase of heat.

"You were with her the whole time. Was there any suspicious activities taking place?" Chase asked as he watched The Chief hug Jess close to him as she held tightly to him as well. Chase wanted to know what happened, but Jess was yet to speak, probably because she was in pain.

"Not that I saw, just some weird girl who kept making Jess uncomfortable. Someone from her past, Jess seemed like she wanted nothing to do with her." Heatwave said as he stood by Chase in his bipedal mode as he watched The Chief help pull Jess up.

"This will require further investigation." Chase said as he watched him put Jess in his passenger's seat. She began to nod off as her Adrenalin began to die down. He instructed Heatwave to follow them back to the house as he got into the driver's seat and made his way back to the Firehouse.

He and Chase didn't stay for long as once The Chief made sure Jess was comfortable and someone was there to watch her in the house, he went back to the scene to see if he could figure out what happened. Kade came into the house in shock as he saw the state Jess was in, he felt angry that he wasn't there to help her. He promised his Dad he would watch her until she came too.

Heatwave paced the small space of the garage as he felt terrible for letting this happen. He should have just turned around and drove away like his gut told him too, to the pit with the secret. She could have died if he did not notice the fire in time, and that would have killed him worse than her finding out about their secret. He stopped pacing momentarily to stare at the mess they left in the garage earlier. It was then that he made a promise to himself.

He will protect her as long as she is on the island.

Did not really proof read this to be honest with you, I was just like done I did it and posted it. It started getting way to personal for me, and I noticed I am writing parallels to my life and couldn't take it.

I hope you like this chapter, and let me know what you think or if you have any idea for another one. Like I said, themes might be getting heavier as the story progresses. Rescue Bots is a cute kids show but life is hard and I am a bad person so.