Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Author's notes: Hope you enjoy this installment, and that you like the vehicle and colors I picked out for Alexis. If not, they can always be changed. :)

Chapter One

Thanks to Kicker's raising of Ocean City before its scheduled time, Alexis was allowed inside sooner than she'd thought. After exchanging some brief words with the troublesome teenager and Hot Shot, and engaging in some friendly banter with Demolisher (Starscream's closest friend) at the front entrance, she had soon made her way down to the human living quarters.

Her first stop was the kitchen area to grab two cans of tuna from the pantry. Alexis had them open in no time and the contents of each were soon unloaded onto a plate which she'd set on the counter.

Starxis wasted no time in indulging in this meal, as he propped himself up by planting his front legs on a stool that had been bolted into the floor and tilted his head to begin eating. It was about the only thing he would ingest; Alexis supposed it bore a resemblance to whatever delicacy existed on his own planet.

After the youngling was done chowing down, Alexis reached out to stroke his head, asking simply, "Good as usual?"

Starxis gave her a smile, and then spoke a single word, in a cheerful, chirrupy tone. "Yum." When he'd begun talking nearly two years ago, it had surprised her immensely; she'd not thought him capable of articulating her language (or Starscream's, for that matter) until then. However, this too bore a resemblance to a human child's learning to talk. Starxis never seemed to go beyond one to four words at any given time, and his sentences were often broken. Sometimes, she and Starscream had been forced to guess at what he meant.

Alexis' own smile grew even larger. For a moment, she said nothing, lost in her own thoughts, then she focused back on the youngling. Starxis was capable of reading her mind, so he had to know what was in store, but she had to wonder if he'd truly be okay with the change in her appearance. After all, the only way he'd known her up until now was as a human.

Starxis looked up at her with inquisitive green eyes, prompting Alexis to tentatively say, "You know that I want to be like your father, right? That I'll look similar to him?"

Starxis gave something like a nod, then responded with, "Still be Mommy?"

Alexis wasn't sure if it was meant to be a question, but she answered as if it was. "Yes," she said warmly, patting his head. "I always will be…"

The reassignments of both Autobot and Decepticon soldiers was put into effect at roughly seven o'clock that evening. As the troops who'd been stationed here in Ocean City began to be transported to different locales (either here on Earth or in outer space) through the exterior Warp Gate, Alexis and Starxis stood off to the side, both of them seeming to grow more and more anxious by the moment.

She could feel her heart literally skip a beat when Starscream appeared on the platform alongside two other Transformers. It didn't take long for his glowing orange optics to find her soft blue eyes, and when they did, it caused both him and Alexis to smile warmly.

Hot Shot, as the highest ranking officer stationed in this city, had been barking out orders for each and every arriving soldier about where they were required to report to. However, he faltered when faced with a certain red and white jet, then threw a brief glance at Alexis and Starxis before giving a dismissive gesture. "Go on," Hot Shot said encouragingly, proving just how big a pushover he could be when it came to two people in love.

As she and Starscream (and the youngling) began to walk in the direction of the bridge, Alexis found herself briefly wondering just how Hot Shot had come to be aware of the relationship between the two of them. But then, she and Starscream had never been entirely subtle on hiding their feelings for one another; it was likely that half the population of Ocean City was aware of the fact. Nevertheless, she could hear some minor complaints from bystanders about why the jet should get any special treatment, but she didn't wait around to hear Hot Shot's response to this.

Starxis had gotten big enough over the past decade that he could no longer fit inside the jet cockpit that made up part of Starscream's chest. However, the youngling was a fast enough flier that he could keep close pace with the Transformer so long as the latter was flying on low impulse. It didn't take long for the family of three to make their way back to Alexis' cottage, roughly twenty-five miles inland.

Shortly after that, Starscream had seated himself on the ground facing her house, reclining slightly against a large, sturdy oak tree in her front yard. Positioned on his right hand that he had up close to his chest, Alexis snuggled against him with a sigh, feeling a rush of affection. Tilting her head to look up at his face, she said lightly, "I haven't called this place home for very long, but oddly enough, I think I'm going to miss it."

Starscream smiled slightly, keeping his optics fixed on her. "I feel the same way about Earth sometimes." There was a slight pause, then he went on with, responding to her thoughts, "I would love to watch the sunset with you, just the way we are."

Alexis sighed and shifted her weight slightly, throwing a glance at Starxis as the youngling laid down on the ground next to Starscream, his own gaze fixed on the horizon. The next hour was spent in silence for all three of them, as the sun sank ever lower in the sky, soon giving way to a nice blend of blue, orange, red, and dark purple. Alexis had been subjected to this spectacle many times before, but this time, it caused her eyes to well with tears. Perhaps it was because, past today, it was unlikely she'd ever be seeing it in the same way again.

Past sunset, Alexis asked for a little more time in order to pack up all the keepsakes (mostly pictures) from her house that she wanted to hold onto, and to place a call to a friend of hers at Ocean City to bring some food for Starxis over the next few days. Once that was accomplished, she returned to Starscream's side in a nearby clearing, both of them now illuminated by the light of the moon.

Sensing Alexis' last-minute hesitancy as she came to stand before him, Starscream was compelled to say, "It's not too late to back out…"

Alexis bit her lip, but shook off her doubts just by raising her eyes to look at him. Despite the fact that her life as a human would be over, the one that awaited her would undoubtedly hold its own share of wonder and possibilities.

Seeing her resolve in the way she squared her shoulders, Starscream bowed his head slightly, bringing to mind his vision of what she should look like as a newly-born Transformer who'd not yet selected a vehicle mode. Shifting his gaze to look at Starxis, he proceeded to voice the specifically worded desire that he and Alexis had agreed upon some time ago, as any variation could have led to unpredictable results.

"I wish for Alexis to be a Transformer…"

She hadn't known just what to expect, but later on, she was glad that Starxis made the process as painless as possible. Seconds after the words had left Starscream's lips, the youngling's green eyes began to glow with an iridescent light. As if the image had been pulled from Starscream's head, a life-size replica of Alexis' proposed form appeared between her and the jet.

It took Alexis some time to figure out what Starxis was waiting for, until she took a good look at the mirage and imagined that maybe she didn't want to wind up being the exact same height as Starscream. The hologram reacted accordingly by shrinking a few inches, leading her and the jet to figure that Starxis wanted them to have a clear-cut, agreed-upon vision before it was actually applied.

It took roughly an hour for Alexis and Starscream to mold this mirage just the way they wanted it, though there was some argument on his part when she employed a feature that was unheard of among his kind. Specifically, she wished to have slender metal filaments on her head that bore a resemblance to her current human hairstyle. When it seemed that Alexis was unwilling to yield on this, she and Starscream settled on a compromise where the "hair" would be more cropped.

When she and Starscream announced for Starxis' benefit that they were ready, the hologram moved towards Alexis, soon enveloping her. The resulting change was instantaneous, and Alexis wasn't aware that anything had happened until she looked up and found that she was suddenly close to Starscream's own height.

The sudden change in viewpoint was so disorienting that it caused her to stumble forwards. Starscream was at her side in a split-second, catching her by the elbow with his right hand to hold her steady. Reflexively, Alexis laid both hands against his chest, then looked up at his face as the reality and intimacy of the situation hit her.

Starscream almost didn't dare speak, as if this were nothing more than an illusion and uttering a single word might somehow shatter it. Slowly, he raised his left hand, brushing aside some stray filaments that had fallen across her face. He might have dreamed of this moment, but he had been unprepared for the emotions that seeing her this way would stir up. And, save for the makeshift hair, she hadn't even chosen her own unique form yet!

Though he knew she was hearing his thoughts, Starscream still said aloud, "You… are beautiful…"

Alexis was never sure which of them made the first move, but somehow, their lips did end up meeting each other. Oddly enough, this was her first kiss ever; she'd not even experienced this prior to meeting any of the Transformers. Nothing had ever felt sweeter, and he was being so tender that it would have brought tears to her eyes had she been capable of crying.

I love you, she thought, and lost herself completely in his embrace…

Somewhere in the midst of their kissing and purely innocent touching of each other, Alexis and Starscream had made their way into the barn-like structure located in the back of her property. When Alexis brought her optics (they were a nice shade of blue, according to her companion) online the next morning with a little instruction from Starscream on how to do so, it was to see that they were laying on the ground and he was holding her close to himself, their bodies slightly intertwined.

She wasn't aware of when the youngling had joined them, but Starxis was currently snuggled to the left of the jet cockpit on Starscream's chest. Feeling a wave of affection, Alexis reached out with one metal hand to stroke the little guy's fur. Starxis stirred slightly at her touch, and offered a sleepy smile even as he began softly purring.

After a moment, Alexis looked back at Starscream, marveling over how much brighter and clearer everything seemed now that she was seeing it with a different set of eyes. Softly, she said, "I never asked how your latest stay on Cybertron was."

Starscream sighed, reaching out with one hand to tease her hair; he was now somewhat glad that she'd insisted on this unique feature. "Other than missing you and Starxis every day, I…" He paused, tilting his head to look at her better. Referring to the overall commander of the Autobots, he said, "Optimus had me training some of the new recruits in sword fighting, for the most part."

Laying her head on his chest, she asked, "Anybody showing promise in that area?"

Starscream pulled her slightly closer, brushing his lips against her brow. "There is one -- Ironhide… But I don't know what to make of him yet. He might turn out to be a good fighter, but he seems to be in awful rush to prove himself as such… I couldn't tell you how often I've seen bad endings in store for one with such an attitude." A pause, then, "I can only hope his eagerness doesn't land him in trouble someday."

Alexis gave a slight smile. "Did you run into any of our friends from the old days?" she asked abruptly. After a short pause, she added, "I can never keep track of who's stationed on Cybertron at any given time, other than you."

Starscream laughed briefly, then nodded. "Scavenger's still an instructor at the academy, specializing in hand-to-hand combat. He keeps saying he's going to retire, but I think he enjoys teaching too much to give it up." Starscream paused, his optics slightly glazed as if he was trying to recall who else he'd seen that she would remember. "I did run into our favorite medic, Red Alert, when I went in for a routine maintenance check. Near as I can determine, he's doing well. And… I think that was it." He focused back on her. "I'm not sure where the rest of the old gang are these days."

Alexis hesitated, then propped herself up on her left arm to look at him better. Resting her right hand lightly on his chest, she said, "I know we've talked about this before, but do you think I'd make a good soldier?"

Starscream offered her a warm smile, then raised himself up slightly, positioning both his elbows against the ground to keep himself elevated. Jarred by the movement, Starxis opened his eyes and reflexively jumped down to the ground, where he gave a yawn and pawed at the dirt as a means of stretching. Starscream watched the youngling in adoration for a moment before focusing back on Alexis. "I think you'd make an outstanding one," he replied, recalling the different forms of martial arts she'd been studying over the past decade (she'd even devoted a semester of college to taking classes in this subject).

However, the last thing he wanted at this point was for her to get all gung-ho about starting training as soon as possible. Leaning closer so that his lips were nearly touching hers, he raised one hand to rest against the nape of her neck and whispered, "But for now, I'd prefer to have you all to myself…"

Had they not received a visitor around noon, Alexis didn't know how long she and Starscream would have remained lost to the joy they felt at being able to hold and kiss each other without restraint. However, when they heard the barn door creak open and a young feminine voice calling out for them, both she and the jet remembered themselves and reluctantly pulled away from each other.

Even as Sally Jones (Kicker's little sister) wandered into view and shortly came to regard them with wide eyes, Alexis could feel her cheeks burning. Under the weight of the ten year old's stare, the newly-born Transformer bowed her head, wearing a silly smile.

Despite her age, Sally was quite the romantic and had always loved the idea of a human and a Transformer having feelings for each other. Yet, this new development had her quite bewildered, as she blinked rapidly before coming to focus on Alexis with a growing realization. Tentatively, she spoke the latter's name in a questioning manner.

Alexis nodded, saying simply, "It's me."

After a slight pause, Sally gave such a loud joyful squeal that it caused both her companions and Starxis to tense slightly. "Oh, my God!" the ten year old gushed out. "I don't believe it! How…?"

Alexis quickly filled the girl in, then cut off the outpouring of emotion that she was sure would have followed before it could begin. "Thanks for coming," Alexis said. "I'm sure Starxis must be hungry by now."

Sally paused as if she wasn't sure what the statement meant, but it seemed to register a couple seconds later. Clearing her throat, she said, "Of course… That's why you asked me to come by." She turned and started to take a few steps towards the barn door, then suddenly stopped and turned back. "Congratulations, Alexis!" she gushed. "This is so great!"

Once the young girl had departed for the main house, Alexis slowly climbed to her feet; Starscream was inspired to do the same. With his arm draped across her shoulders, the two of them walked from the barn, with Starxis close behind him. After some minor prodding from Alexis, the youngling left them temporarily to follow after Sally for his meal.

In the meantime, Alexis had Starscream follow her around to the opposite side of the barn, where she'd had several laminated posters tacked up in preparation for this very day. Each displayed a type of fighter jet that she had thought might be suitable for the vehicle mode she wanted; the one thing they all had in common was the fact that the wings were designed to be set at varying angles (either spread straight out or swept in towards the center of the vehicle).

After some thought, Starscream picked the one he felt was best suited to Alexis' size -- an MiG-27K. When she subsequently told him of the specialized weapon she had in mind to utilize in battle (having gotten the idea in part from the fact that his left wing could be detached and used as a sword), Starscream suggested she arrange to elevate the wings slightly away from her bulk and make it so they would fold in at a sharper angle than the standard model.

Keeping all this in mind, Alexis focused on the poster, prompting her processor to scan the image and allow her body to realign itself to a form best suited to match the vehicle. Simultaneously, she focused on what colors she'd like to be (a nice metallic azure and pale yellow), both of which were emblazoned onto her new armor.

When it was finished, she turned to gaze at Starscream to see him looking over her new form with a soft smile. Her new wings were folded in so they rested nearly parallel with her back, and she too had a cockpit (though less bulky and more slender than his) adorning her chest. "Do you like it?" Alexis asked shyly. Though she could still read his thoughts, she much preferred to hear him say so out loud.

Starscream's smile grew even wider. "You'd look beautiful no matter what you would have chosen," he answered, reaffirming the reason she loved him so very much. Former Decepticon or no, she had never met any Transformer who was more kind or passionate as he was.

Sally and Starxis had come back from the house at this point, and the former continued with her gushing over how great Alexis looked. Had Starxis not raised his head and spoke during a break in Sally's speech ("Go flying now?"), it was undetermined just how long the preteen might have occupied their time.

Sally took that as her cue to depart and reluctantly said goodbye, but Alexis stopped her before she could get too far. "Don't tell anyone at Ocean City about this yet," Alexis said simply. "I'd like it to be a surprise." Sally was quick to agree, then stood and watched for a moment as Alexis and Starscream moved slightly apart from each other to allow room for both of them to transform into their vehicle modes.

Moments later, two fighter jets (one red and white, the other azure and yellow) were soaring through the sky side by side, with one overjoyed furry youngling who was chirping incessantly flying slightly above them. If anyone on the ground happened to be watching this spectacle, they might have wondered at the way the two aircraft were tilted so their undersides were facing each other, so close together they were nearly touching…