As Sarah pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot, she looked for a spot that was close to the entrance. She knew that even though Stephanie was blind, that she couldn't use a handicapped space because she didn't have a placard and didn't want her car towed while she was inside. She got out and helped Annabelle out of her car-seat in the back, before going around the Cooper Mini and leading Stephanie into the store.

"Hey Sarah! Wait up!"

The question of who was calling Sarah's name was quickly answered as Annabelle let out an excited shout.

"Keala!"

"Keala… you come shopping too?" Annabelle asked after getting the young woman's attention.

"Sure am! I told you I was buying a new laptop today, didn't I?" Mikaela asked the five year old after running over to join them.

"Uh huh. You did telled me that. I member you telled me that." Annabelle replied.

"Well, that's why I'm here, so I can buy my new laptop." Mikaela answered brightly.

"Oh…" Annabelle muttered in understanding before she quickly brightened up. "Hey, Keala… I gots a new fwiend! Her name Stephy… Her's nice, but her's is sick right now, so her can't play with me. Her's is blind too, so her can't see at all." She said seriously.

"Hey… I want to thank you for watching Annabelle for me earlier." Sarah said gratefully. "It's not easy to find a sitter on Saturday without notice. So I really appreciate that."

"Hey no problem. She's a lot of fun to hang with." Mikaela said cheerfully before nodding towards the girl on Sarah's arm with a curious look on her face.

"Mikaela, this is Stephanie. She's a pretty nice person, and I'll tell you about her when we get back to the base. Annabelle wasn't exaggerating about the blindness though." Sarah explained as she indicated the girl holding on to her left arm.

"In that case…" Mikaela said with a light smile as she turned to the girl in question. "It's nice to meet you, Stephanie. I'm Mikaela."

After several years of avoiding almost everyone, Stephanie was highly uncomfortable meeting and being around people. She'd met more people in the past few days than she'd even known during the past four years. It wasn't something that was easy to get used to in a short time.

It had been so long that it actually took Stephanie a moment to remember how to introduce herself properly to someone. She gave a nervous and apologetic smile as she let go of Sarah's arm to stick her right hand out.

"Hi, Mikaela." She said with an apprehensive smile as she felt someone shake her hand.

"So… what are you guys doing here?" Mikaela asked while taking Annabelle's hand.

"Well, Stephanie just arrived, and she's going to be staying with 'The Jazz Man' and his roommate. Since all she's got to her name is what she's wearing, we're here to get her a couple things to wear along with some hygiene articles and a few essentials." Sarah said emphasizing the last word quietly.

"She doesn't have anything?" Mikaela asked in disbelief.

"Not even a second pair of socks or a toothbrush." Sarah confirmed.

"Sounds like a hardcore shopping spree is in order," Mikaela replied with a serious expression before she suddenly grinned. "Count me in!"

ooo000ooo

Stephanie was sitting on her bed after the shopping trip to Wal-Mart. Sarah, Mikaela and Annabelle had left, and Stephanie was waiting for either Jazz or Prowl to come back. She had no ideas as far as what to do, because now that she had already eaten much more than she normally would have found on a lucky day, she didn't have to search for food to eat tomorrow or the next day.

Before she had met Jazz, Stephanie had been sure that the only people who would have cared whether or not she got plenty to eat, and had a warm bed to sleep in were her parents. After their death, she had been convinced that no one would care what happened to her. She knew it, because it had been proven several times. It was a depressing and unbelievably lonely feeling to know that the only reason someone would care about the fact that you died was the mess that was left for them to clean up afterwards.

Now, Jazz and his friends were showing her something that was almost like a different reality… a different world entirely. That was when she remembered what Mrs. Lennox had said about Ratchet. As she thought about it, Stephanie realized that Mrs. Lennox had to be telling the truth. Ratchet was only being grouchy to her because he actually cared about what happened to her. The only times that Ratchet had seemed to get really grouchy or mean was when he was trying to make sure that she was taking care of herself. The only time he'd really gotten mad at her when he found out that she'd been eating stuff she got from dumpsters, and he'd only yelled at her to keep her from walking off a ledge. So maybe Mrs. Lennox was right, and that Ratchet really did care. If he did, he sure had a weird way of showing it, but she decided that she would give the grouchy medic a chance.

Since there really wasn't anything else she could do while waiting, Stephanie decided to take a shower while she waited for Jazz and Prowl to get back. She felt her way to the bathroom, and after trying in the wrong direction a couple of times, found that it was along the same wall as her bed, but directly away from it towards the door. She got undressed and placed the clothes that she had been wearing just outside the bathroom door. Then, she remembered the stuff that she needed for her shower. She followed the wall back to her bed, and got a pair of underwear, a large T-shirt that she could either wear or sleep in, a towel, body wash, shampoo, hair brush, and the long handled scrub brush that Mrs. Lennox had found at the store. She laid the lightly tinted sunglasses on her dresser, and put the rest of the stuff in one of the plastic bags from the store, and made her way back to the bathroom.

Stephanie took the stuff out of the bag and placed it where she could get to it. The hair brush went on the small sink. The T-shirt went on the closed toilet, Underwear on top of that, and the towel on top of those. Then she put the shampoo, body wash, and scrub brush on a small shelf in the shower. She was glad that Mrs. Lennox had shown her the difference between the two bottles so she didn't get them mixed up, because the body wash had a flat top with the cap just like the bottle, but the shampoo had a regular cap on it. She turned the water on, and waited for it to get hot, then she adjusted it to a level of heat that she liked before getting in.

Being her second shower in several years, Stephanie was actually enjoying herself. The long handled scrub brush meant that she could actually scrub her back and make sure to get rid of all the dirt and grime. Knowing that she was actually getting clean, made her feel good inside. So good in fact that she was soon humming in happiness.

As Prowl entered his quarters, followed by Jazz, and Ratchet, he was greeted by the sight of Stephanie sitting in front of her bed in a split position. Her left hand was on the floor in front of her, and her right was arched over her body as she leaned slightly to her left. She was also humming softly.

"What'cha doin Steph?" Jazz asked upon seeing the strange position.

"Well I didn't have anything else to do when we got done shopping, so I took a nice long shower. I just got out a few minutes ago… I think… but I wanted to see if I could still do some of my Ballet stretches." Stephanie replied with a smile as she leaned back into an upright position and put her right arm down. "I haven't done this since… well, since I got hurt, but I didn't have anything else to do, so I figured that I might as well do something."

"Just make sure that you don't over stretch those muscles, and be careful about that scar tissue. I do not want to see you in my med bay because of pulled muscles, damaged tendons, or torn skin." Ratchet instructed firmly.

"I took Ballet classes for two years Ratchet! I know how to stretch and not over do it. Just because I won't ever get to dance after my teacher said that I had the potential and the drive to be one of the best, doesn't mean I forgot how to do it. I gave up just about everything so I could be a Ballerina when I grow up, even though that will never happen now, it don't mean that I'll ever forget what used to be the most important thing in my life!" Stephanie shot back angrily.

"I believe that you misunderstand Ratchet's warning Stephanie. He is simply telling you to be cautious. If you have not performed such exercises in several years, then it will be easily possible to become injured as you try to do something that you were once accustomed to doing with ease. Therefore, you have no valid reason for becoming angry." Prowl interjected before the situation could worsen.

"Oh..." Stephanie answered plainly. "Well he doesn't have to be so mean about it." She groused.

"Hah! She's got ya there Ratch." Jazz said with a grin. "Looks like yer gonna have ta change how ya talk to her cause she ain't gonna take yer grouchiness."

"Humph! I happen to like being grouchy, grumpy, and irritable, and no one is going to make me change!" Ratchet shot back.

Stephanie turned her head towards where Jazz's voice had come from with a perplexed look on her face. "Is he serious?" She asked in disbelief.

"Unfortunately Stephanie, the answer to that is a definitive 'yes'. Ratchet has been surly for an extremely long time; for millions of your years. In fact, I do not believe that anyone has ever known him to be otherwise." Prowl informed her.

"Wow! Sounds like he can give old Scrooge a few lessons." Stephanie muttered.

Ratchet burst out laughing when he heard that. "Scrooge is a bungling amateur compared to me." Ratchet stated proudly with a smug grin.

"Fine! Then from now on, I'm calling you 'Humbug', and don't think I won't… Humbug!" Stephanie shot back firmly.

"Well before you do that, you need to get some rest. That salmonella infection from food poisoning is not completely cleared from your system yet, and you aren't in any condition for a relapse." Ratchet ordered.

"Well I'm not tired or sleepy yet Humbug. Besides I wanna talk to Prowl and Jazz before I go to bed." Stephanie shot back quickly.

"You can talk to them after you get some sleep!" Ratchet ordered firmly.

"Not gonna happen!" Stephanie shot back with a smirk. "I'm not tired or sleepy yet, so I'd just end up laying there getting restless for who knows how long."

Ratchet growled irritably, but he knew the girl had a point. "Fine! Prowl, I want you to make sure that she does not exert herself or do anything strenuous before she goes to sleep."

"Considering that Stephanie is currently recovering from a case of food poisoning, and that she is not only a critical witness to a serious crime, but she is also under my supervision as well, you may rest assured that your instructions will be followed. In addition, I believe that you should note Stephanie's attire." Prowl said in what Stephanie and Jazz would have sworn was a smug tone.

"It's a large T-shirt… so what?" Ratchet groused.

"Yes. It is human apparel that is often used for sleeping. This would indicate that Stephanie does not plan to attempt anything strenuous, or otherwise exert herself, before making use of her bed." Prowl pointed out.

"Exactly! That means you're gonna have to do better Humbug, if you wanna stay on top of the game that is. I took a long hot shower to get clean, and loosen up my muscles so I could do a few stretches until Jazz and Prowl got back. Now that they're here, I'm gonna talk to them until I get sleepy, then I'm going to bed! So better luck next time Humbug!" Stephanie added with a wide and smug smile.

Jazz suddenly burst out laughing. This wasn't the kind of thing that was forced, like much of his laughter had been since his resurrection. This was a laugh that was real, genuine, and straight from the spark. He stepped over to Stephanie and picked her up while still laughing.

Stephanie gasped in surprise when she felt those large fingers grab her, but she knew from hearing him come closer because of the way that Jazz was laughing, who it was that had her. She could feel those fingers vibrating and shaking from the force of the laugh. She couldn't help but start to giggle in response to that hearty and infectious laugh.

"Face it Ratch! Steph done got ya good! Ah nevah thought ah'd live ta see tha day when ya'd get told because ya tried ta tell someone ta do somthin they were already doin ta begin with." Jazz stated while still laughing, before turning his attention to the now giggling Stephanie. "Thanks Steph. Ah ain't laughed like that in a long time. Feels good though."

Ratchet was not fond of being laughed at, but then there wasn't anyone who was, and he quickly made his exit while still fuming over the way that he'd been made the butt of a joke.

"Setting all jocularity and witticisms aside Stephanie, Ratchet did make a valid point. Neither Jazz or I would like it very much if you suffered a relapse, and required another stay in the infirmary." Prowl said seriously.

"Believe me Prowl, I don't want that either! If you think I wanna get puking sick like that again, then you're crazier than I am blind!" Stephanie said earnestly.

"Considering that I am not, as you so eloquently phrased it… crazy, it would become immediately obvious that you do not wish to relapse or visit the infirmary." Prowl observed quietly.

"Yeah… what you said. Not that I really know what it was, because the only thing I really understood was that I don't wanna get sick or go back to infirmary again." Stephanie said with her head turned in Prowl's direction.

"In that case, it is clear that you will require a vast improvement in your vocabulary. To that extent, I would most assuredly be willing to assist you." Prowl said with a light smile.

"Huh?" Stephanie demanded in confusion. "That ain't fair Prowl! If you're gonna use words that I don't know, you could at least tell me what they mean." She finished irritably.

Jazz cracked up when he heard that. He could tell already that life was about to become very interesting with Stephanie around, not to mention a bit funny as well. "Tha's exactly what he said he'd do Steph. He'll teach ya ta unnerstand the way he talks, and probably a lot more'n that too."

"Cool!" Stephanie said as her expression brightened. "So he's gonna teach me stuff, and you'll be teaching me things too right?"

"Yep! Tha's the way it's gonna be Steph. You're hangin wit us now, so ya gotta be sharp." Jazz said with a grin.

"Jazz is entirely correct in this instance, Stephanie. We will both be attending to your education, as well as your physical health and needs." Prowl explained.

"I can live with that." Stephanie said brightly as she reached towards Jazz's chest with her right hand and began feeling around slowly. "So… you can change in to a car, right?"

"Yes, Stephanie, we both do." Prowl replied.

"So what kind of cars do you turn into?" She asked curiously.

"Jazz transforms into a 2007 Silver Pontiac Solstice. It is a rather small two seater sports car. I on the other hand, am a 2010 Police modified Dodge Charger with a twin supercharged fuel injected Hemi engine. Both of us are capable of high speeds, although Jazz is somewhat faster and more maneuverable." Prowl explained.

"Oh, okay... I know what a Charger looks like, because I've seen those, but I've never seen a Pontiac Solstice before." Stephanie finished wryly.

"Don't ya worry about it Steph. All that matters is ya gonna be ridin in tha front seat when ya crusin round wit me!" Jazz proclaimed smugly. "And ya gonna be doin it in style!"

Stephanie frowned in concentration for a moment as she faced in Jazz's direction. "Wait… if you only have two seats… aren't they both the front seat then?" She asked in confusion.

"Yep! Tha's why ya gonna be ridin in tha front seat when ya crusin wit me." Jazz replied smugly.

"If you only have a front seat, then I won't have any choice… unless you stuff me in the trunk." She said wryly.

"I ain't gonna be doin somethin like that to ya Steph. Ya either gonna be in mah hand, front seat, or maybe on mah shoulder once ya get used to it." Jazz told her with a chuckle.

Stephanie lifted her head in the direction that Jazz's voice was coming from with a concerned expression on her face. "If… if I sit on your shoulder… is there something I can hold on to so I can make sure I don't fall?" She asked worriedly.

"Sure! Ya can hold on ta my head if ya need to. I'll jus make sure ta put ya on my left shoulder so ya can hold on wit yer right hand. How's dat?" Jazz answered with a grin.

"That sounds… that sounds fine. I just need some time to get used to it though. I mean, I'm not even used to being around people yet, forget about being carried around on somebody's shoulder." Stephanie replied honestly.

"Stephanie has a very valid point, and she has just made that point quite effectively. Having been forced by her circumstances to avoid interaction with others has become a necessary method of survival. Therefore, it is not unlikely that she will often be hesitant or reluctant to interact with us or others on this base. That is something that we will need to take into consideration when dealing with her." Prowl offered.

"Ya got dat right, Prowler. We're gonna have ta show Steph what it means ta live again." Jazz declared fervently.

"What Jazz has said is very true Stephanie. Part of our responsibility is to ensure that you are able to properly function around and with others. We are not your 'parents' as you humans refer to them; however, Jazz and I have assumed that responsibility in regard to you. Therefore, we will ensure that you are properly taken care of. That will include health, clothing, education, as well as a suitable living environment. It is doubtful that you will always agree with us on what is best for you, but I am hopeful that any situations or disagreements which arise might be settled amicably." Prowl replied.

Stephanie frowned as she tried to understand all that was just said to her, but that last statement left her puzzled. "I know I don't know all those big and fancy words of yours Prowl, but I'm not stupid!"

"It is not my intention to imply that you are. I am merely stating that…" Prowl began calmly.

"What he's sayin is that he don't want a yellin and screamin argument if there's something that ya don't like. He wants us ta talk it out, an still be friends when it's over." Jazz explained as he interrupted.

"I'd like that." Stephanie agreed quickly. "Both of you are nice, and I want to keep you as friends. I saw what it was like when I was at the foster home, and I had to live in a place where everyone hated me. The sewers was better, because at least I didn't have to listen to everyone tell me how much they hated me."

"I do not foresee any reason that I would hate you Stephanie. However, should you intentionally disregard a rule, then I might become disappointed with you, possibly even angry, but that would not mean that I hate you, I would simply not like your actions." Prowl replied.

"That makes sense. It'd be like if I wanted a cup of coffee before I go to bed. And you didn't let me have it. It'd keep me awake, but if I really wanted it, and you said no, then I'd be mad because you didn't let me have it." Stephanie said after realizing what Prowl meant.

"That is an excellent hypothetical scenario." Prowl responded with a nod.

"Huh?" Stephanie blurted in confusion. "What do those last two words mean?"

Jazz started chuckling at that. "He said ya gave a good example there Steph. That is only an example… right?"

"Yeah, it is!" Stephanie exclaimed quickly. "I found out the hard way that coffee won't let you get to sleep forever if you drink it before you go to bed!"

"Then that is one problem we will not be required to deal with." Prowl said a bit smugly.

"Stephanie, I wish to explain something to you in confidence. I would ask that you do not repeat this to anyone, for any reason. To date, there are only three others who know of this. Those three are Jazz, for obvious reasons, Ratchet, since he must conduct any repairs that I might need, and Optimus Prime, since he is both the leader of the Autobots, and the lawful ruler of Cybertron. I would not tell you about this under normal circumstances, but because you will now be living with us, you deserve to know what you will be dealing with. May I prevail upon you to remain silent in regard to an issue that is very personal and private?" Prowl asked seriously.

"If you're asking me to keep something a secret Prowl, then you bet! I know I haven't been told a secret in a long time, and I don't know any secrets that matter right now, but I still know how to keep one." Stephanie answered seriously.

"Actually ya do know a secret already Steph." Jazz interjected.

Stephanie turned her head in Jazz's direction with a puzzled frown on her face. "What secret do I know?" She asked doubtfully.

"Well ya know about us, and we're supposed ta be a secret." Jazz explained seriously.

"Oh…" Stephanie muttered.

Then, Stephanie turned her face up towards Jazz and grinned mischievously. "Well… I can truthfully say that I've never seen any Cyber… Cybertronians, a mech, or a bot in my life."

"You may not be able to see us Stephanie, but that does not negate your knowledge of us." Prowl stated in a sage like tone.

Stephanie's mischievous grin grew wider as she turned her head in the direction of Prowl's voice. "Prove I know about em!"

Jazz snickered, because he knew exactly what the girl in his hand meant. He could quickly tell from her words and tone that she fully intended to keep any secret that was revealed to her. He knew that Stephanie had placed an incredible amount of trust in him mere moments after meeting him, and now, she was showing that she could be trusted just as much. That small bit of knowledge gave him a very warm feeling in his spark.

Prowl's doorwings rose stiffly as he regarded the young girl in the hands of his spark-mate. "Very well… since you wish some type of confirmation. What about the fact that you are currently sitting in the hand of a Cybertronian?"

"Prove it!" Stephanie declared defiantly. "Prove this isn't some kind of remote controlled thingy like those light pole workers use."

"Our speaking to you does nothing to prove our existence?" Prowl asked in disbelief.

"Oh puh-leeze!" Stephanie snorted derisively. "All somebody would have to do is put some kind of radio or walky-talky where the head is supposed to be. It's not nice to go around playing tricks on a blind person; you know?"

Prowl's doorwings actually ached with their upright position on his back. He stared at Stephanie with his optics and mouth wide open. He looked up at Jazz to see what that mech's reaction was, and saw that his spark-mate was actually struggling not to laugh!

"Ya know Prowler…the Humans can actually pull off a stunt like that, but Steph is right, it ain't gonna work on anyone who ain't blind." Jazz began with a chuckle. "What she's sayin is dat she ain't gonna say anything ta anyone about us! So what ever secret ya wanna tell her, she'll keep it." He added seriously.

Stephanie smiled up towards where she knew that Jazz's face was. "You catch on pretty quick." She said with a wide grin before turning back to Prowl. "I don't know all those big words Prowl, but I do know how to keep a secret. I kept me a secret for several years. I'd still be doing that if I hadn't got sick after Jazz stopped on my cane."

Prowl's doorwings dropped in shock as the implications of Stephanie's statement began to register in his processors. In a single instant, everything she had told him about her situation flashed through his processors.

"Stephanie… I can assure you that the secret of our existence is not that dire!" Prowl admonished softly.

"We are aware that sooner or later, other humans will learn of our existence. That has happened quite a few times in the past because of unfortunate circumstances. However, when that does happen, the humans involved are asked to keep our secret, and thus far none have declined to do so. You are not to allow yourself to be injured simply to preserve our secret… is that understood?" Prowl explained in a patient tone.

"Prowl, the only person I know who isn't on this base, is Vern the Coffee Vendor. I don't plan on going anywhere, so I don't know anyone to tell who doesn't already know about you. I may not be good at much else, but at least I can keep a secret." Stephanie said seriously.

"Very well, here is my secret Stephanie. Other bots think that I am devoid of emotions. There is a valid reason for this. My emotional processors are set up somewhat differently from other bots. Because of this, my emotions are stronger and uncontrollable. This causes me to burst out laughing, or break down crying for no outwardly apparent reason. All it takes is a single wayward thought, and I would react to that thought or memory. That is why I keep my emotional processors shut down while I am on duty, or around others. The only time I allow those processors to be active is when I am alone in my quarters, or here with Jazz. Since you will now be sharing these quarters with us, you should know what you will be facing with any unexplained emotional outbursts from me." Prowl explained carefully.

"You can count on me Prowl. What happens in here… stays in here! But one question… I told Jazz and Ratchet that I'd just have to try harder to get you to crack up at one of my jokes. Is that gonna be a problem?" Stephanie asked worriedly.

"That would actually be tha best way ta keep his secret Steph. With those processors shut down, ya ain't gonna be able ta crack him up, but it won't be for lack o' tryin. So tell all tha jokes ya want." Jazz said with a grin.

"Prowl, is he right about that? Will me cracking jokes really help keep your secret?" Stephanie asked in a doubtful and worried tone.

"Yes Stephanie, Jazz is correct in his assessment of the situation. While all of your apparent attempts to elicit a humorous response from me in public would fail, the fact that you continue such endeavors would be noticed by others. They would then continue to mistakenly believe as they do now." Prowl said reassuringly.

"Good! 'Cause I don't wanna give you away by messing up and saying something I'm not supposed to." Stephanie replied seriously.

At that point Prowl did something that he had only done in the presence of one other individual… he smiled.