Phoenix's POV

I am officially crazy. Phoenix thought to herself as she followed Jazz to his car. This was absolutely screaming danger at her, going to a stranger's car. She knew about 'stranger danger' and the horror stories of what happened to kids who got in cars with strangers. Yet still, she followed him. Phoenix felt like she could trust Jazz somehow, although that was stupid. In this world full of selfish, hateful and greedy people, Phoenix had learned that no human being was ever to be trusted. Ever.

"Here it is." Jazz had taken them to the visitors car park, not that it was ever used anyway. The only car in the car park was a silver Pontiac Solstice.

"You've got to be kidding me, there is no way that belongs to you."

"It does." There was no way a 17 year old could own a car that expensive.

"Sure. Look, I'm not interested in going to Juvenile Prison for getting caught in a stolen car because there's no way in hell you own that."

"Well...um... ah don't. It's mah Dad's and he lets me use it." He said, thinking quickly of an explanation. He opened the passenger door for her. "Do ya wanna get in or not then?." She was crazy. This was a bad idea. Who knew what would happen if she got in the car? A stolen car at that/ "Hey, ah won't hurt ya. Ah know ya are scared of meh, but ah promise, ah will never hurt ya. An' the car realleh is mah Dad's." Her mind made up, she climbed in.

"I am not scared of you." He didn't bother to argue, and went round to the drivers side.

"So, where do ya wanna go?"

"I don't really know, I've never been anywhere before, and I don't have any money, damned thieving buggers at the home." This was all true. Jazz frowned, money was not an issue. He waved her concerns away.

"Ah've got plenty of tha' so don' worry." He did as well, Lennox had given all the bots credit cards in case they ever needed it. As a result, Jazz had plenty of money and nothing to do with it. "Ah guess we could go to ah beach." Phoenix's eyes lit up. She had only been to the beach three times, twice with foster parents and once three years ago with the kids home. She had loved the ocean.

"I don't have any swimming stuff though."

"Like ah said, don' worry, ah'll sort it for ya."

"I'd love to go to the beach then." She smiled at him for the first time since they had met and he smiled warmly back.

Jazz's POV

Jazz took her to a shopping centre first. He knew that Phoenix would probably just be wanting a swimsuit, but he inspected what she was wearing. He didn't need a scanner to know it was old and not in a good condition. So, why not treat her? She looked and sounded like she deserved a 'treat' as humans call it. After she had chosen a swimming costume, towel and goggles, he took her to a clothes shop.

"What are we doing?" she asked him, confused.

"Ya are gettin' some new clothes Phoenix."

"You're joking."

"Ah'm perfectly serious."

"I don't even know who you are, why are you doing this for me?"

"Because ah want to. Ya need this."

"If this is a dream, they I pray to God that I never wake up." And so, they spent the next few hours choosing new clothes for Phoenix. She binned her old shirt, jeans and hoodie, but told him the jacket held some kind of sentimental value for her and that she wanted to keep it. When they were done, he took her to a stretch of pretty much abandoned beach. She changed into the swimming costume behind a bush and came out.

"I've never been swimming before. The last time, the workers were too afraid of the kids drowning and the other two, the families didn't want us wet."

"Ah can teach ya." Jazz had never been swimming either, but he could download how to do it in mere seconds and have the information memorised. She nodded and he taught her how to swim. He was no human, but from what Jazz could tell, Phoenix might actually be a pretty good swimmer. Then they just sat together on the beach and stared out over the water. Jazz noticed various oddly shaped scars and old marks and bruises.

"Wha's tha' from?" He pointed to one on her arm. She looked at where he was pointing.

"Oh, that? That's from where some asshole smashed a glass bottle into my arm. This one …." She pointed to a long one on her leg "Is where a group of kids got a knife and the others are all from fights as well." Jazz frowned, sparklings and younglings were supposed to stay out of fights. If another youngling had done this, they should be punished.

"Are ya gonna be okay?" she laughed at him.

"This is how I live Jazz. I fight quite a lot. It's not usually me starting it, but you shouldn't mess with me." The last part was directed at him as a slight warning.

"Ah would'n'" he said seriously and meant it. For a small youngling, she seemed very fiercesome. They sat like that some more, making small talk about favourite colours and books and that kind of thing. Phoenix told him about her music tastes and he told her about his.

"I won't see you after this will I?" Jazz froze at the unexpected question. He had known this human for half a day, half a slagging day, which was short by human terms let alone cybertronian, and yet, he felt like he couldn't lose her. There was just something about her that he'd never seen in another human or a cybertronian before. Maybe it was her attitude or maybe it was because she interested him. He didn't know, but whatever it was he wanted to see her again, protocol be slagged.

"Ya will. Ah don' know when, but ya will see meh again."

"You know, I think that means I can say that you are the first friend I've ever had." The moment was peaceful, until Jazz received a ping over intercom from Ironhide.

:: What the pit did you do? There are three decepticons inbound to your location! ::

:: Wha'? Slag! ::

:: We will be there with back-up as soon as we can. Stay at your current position. :: Jazz shifted nervously.

:: Ah ….. can't. ::

::Why in the pit not?! ::

:: Ah, um, met a human and she's um, kinda here 'hide. ::

:: WHAT?! :: a pause, then. :: Prime says to reveal yourself and keep her safe at all costs. I almost hope the decepticons slag you before I do. Get yourself and the girl to safety. Ironhide out. ::

Jazz turned to Phoenix.

"We have to go."

"Why?" she asked, perplexed. "Do you need to be somewhere?"

"Ah haven't been honest wit' ya."

"What, you are actually a millionare or something?"

"No, it's nothin' like tha', but ….. this is hard to understan' but ah am an alien."

"Right."

"No, ah am, and there are bad ones coming here and ah have to get us outta here." She stopped laughing at the look on his face.

"Oh my God, you're not joking." He shook his head. "Okay." She quickly pulled on clothes over the top of the swimming costume which was mostly dry anyway and climbed into his alt mode. He removed the holoform. "Shit! Where did you go?!"

Phoenix's POV

Phoenix was terrified. Jazz was an alien. A motherfricking alien. And now, there were bad aliens coming for him. She had met him this morning, this was ridiculous! It was all a dream, and any minute she would wake up now and be back at the home. But she knew it wasn't a dream, and she was glad in an odd sort of way. This was impossible for anyone, let alone her meaningless self and now she was with an alien. Then Jazz vanished and she freaked.

"Calm down, ah am the car. Ah'm still here."

"Oh.." she laughed shakily. "So, what kind of alien are you, and who are the bad ones?"

"Ah am ah Cybertronian from the planet Cybertron. Ah guess ya could describe meh as a giant robot, but we are much more complicated. The bad ones, are the decepticons. Ah am an Autobot. We came here lookin' for somethin' and we left our home because it was destroyed by ah war." Phoenix didn't really know what to say at this but she didn't have too, for there was the sound of loud cannon fire and smoke appeared. She twisted to look out the back window and saw three black police cruisers, with the words "To Punish and Enslave," written on them.

"Strap in." Phoenix did not need to be told twice as Jazz began to pull crazy manoeuvres in an attempt to lose the decepticons. They pulled onto a side road to lose them and it led them to a massive scrap yard. Jazz pulled in behind a pile of scrap metal and turned off his engines and lights.

"Ssssh, they won't hurt ya while ah'm here." Phoenix made an effort to breathe as quietly as possible. Then they saw the decepticons. "Phoenix, ah need ya to get out an' hide in somewhere. Don' come out until it's safe, do ya promise meh?"

"There's three of them and one of you!"

"Promise meh Phoenix."

"I …..Promise." she said reluctantly. Jazz opened the car door for her and she ran into a pile of metal. Then, Jazz began to transform. He was massive! Smaller than the other three aliens, but still massive. She watched in horror as Jazz fought the three others. He was obviously an excellent fighter but there was three of them. They hit his shoulder, chest and leg with their cannons and one of them cut Jazz with his blades, and blue liquid came from the wounds. It was obviously Jazz's blood.

For the first time in her life, Phoenix did not know what to do. She wanted to help Jazz, but she didn't know how! She had to help him though. Seeing some rocks she had an idea. Grabbing one she hurled it as hard as she could at the nearest bad guy. It hit him and he turned around and saw her.

"Come and get me Asshole! Or are you too slow you ugly bitch!" Distracted from Jazz, he began to move towards her and she dived into the pile and cowered under it. She could hear him wrecking it searching for her. Suddenly, she saw daylight and a giant metal claw and she screamed. It grabbed her and lifted her up to an angry black metal face.

"You will pay for that human!" She was squeezed tightly, and couldn't breathe. She was going to get crushed and her life would be over at 15. Then, everything seemed to slow down. There was a loud band, then the sound of some others shouting. Then she was released and plummeted head first towards the ground. Suddenly she was grabbed in a pair of silver hands that appeared out of nowhere.

"Ah got ya Phoenix, ya are safe now." Groaning, Phoenix saw the world spin and lurch sideways and her head lolled backwards and she passed out.