Chromia POV
Autumn seemed to be much more relaxed with Bluestreak present. Even with the short amount of time that I had known her, I could see a great deal of difference in her actions and attitude. She was friendly though a bit reserved with Jazz; timid, and fearful with those she didn't know… but she would even joke with Bluestreak present. I knew that those two had shared a sparkbond that has since been dissolved; though how that was done, I have no idea. What I do know, is that Autumn trusts Blue enough that she doesn't worry as much when he's with her. That's something I will certainly be keeping in mind.
I was still chuckling a bit about the joke Autumn had made about Galloway's head being hard enough to damage my pedes. Sure I knew that it wasn't that funny, but lately things have been so rough that I've had very little to even smile about, let alone actually laugh.
Autumn looked down as she pulled something out of a subspace compartment. "Do… do I have to give this back?" She asked hesitantly.
I took a better look at what she held and my jaw fell open. I knew about Praxian mating customs. Being a femme, I knew the mating customs of just about every frame type, so I knew exactly what the object signified. It was a small mirror, trimmed in silver and encrusted with two hundred glittering sapphires. This was what Bluestreak had given Autumn to begin their courtship! For a Praxian, it was an incredible offering, and to know that Autumn had accepted such an offering told me that Blue's feelings were fully reciprocated. I knew that I was a great deal older than Bluestreak, and that he would accept my judgment on something like this. I also knew that Autumn had recently been a human female, and most likely knew very little of mating customs.
"Autumn, you really shouldn't even make that offer, unless you regret ever bonding with Bluestreak." I told her seriously.
"Regret it? Why would I regret it? Bonding with Blue was the best thing that ever happened to me… and they took it away!" Autumn shrieked desperately with the last being yelled in very intense anger.
I was still standing close to Autumn, and I took full advantage of the proximity by placing a servo on her shoulder. "Autumn, the only reason, and I mean the only reason that bond was dissolved, is because for right now, you are too young for it. Later on, once you are old enough and physically ready, Bluestreak will be able to bond with you again, if the two of you want that. Now, among Praxian frames like you and Blue, offering a shiny object signifies a romantic interest. The shinier the object, the stronger the feelings involved. For Blue to have given you something like that shows that he truly loves you Autumn…"
"I love him too!" Autumn shouted as she interrupted me.
"I know you do Autumn, believe me I know. Your anguish and anger over having that bond dissolved is proof of that. But I want you to know, that you can have that bond with him again. All you have to do is wait. Most femmes who bond with a Praxian only get one shiny object. In order to show that he wants to renew his bond with you, Blue will have to present you with another shiny object which will have to be just as beautiful as the one you have, because otherwise that would indicate a lessening of his feelings for you…"
"So it'll have to be even better!" Bluestreak interjected quickly.
Autumn's doorwings rose in surprise as she gaped at the mech. I too looked over at him to see a very wide and self-satisfied smile on his faceplates.
"That is going to be very hard to top Bluestreak. That mirror is very elegant, and by human standards, is very expensive." I told him seriously.
"I know, but she's worth it." Blue said simply.
The way he had said those few words, made it sound as if he had stated an immutable and undeniable fact. That alone told me that he was seriously in love with Autumn. The change in her was almost beyond belief. Her tight hold on Ravage loosened up a bit, and I knew that the Cybercat appreciated it. A smile of pure joy graced her faceplates, and her optics brightened in purest joy as she looked at Blue. I knew then, that Autumn and Blue shared a love that would never die, no matter how long they had to wait.
"I think you might be right on that Blue. Autumn might still be a sparkling, but I'm beginning to see a lot of potential in her." I said with a smile.
Sunstreaker POV
My brother and I waited on the tarmac for more than two full bream. I was getting fed up with waiting for Autumn to finally make her appearance. That femme was certainly timid all right. But then I suppose that most sparklings are. I don't know because Autumn is the first one that either of us has ever been around.
"I'm going to go get her. Wait here." I snapped at my brother.
Sides just smirked. I knew that he was just as impatient as I was. Sure teaching that femme to drive did involve some effort and a lot of patience, but it was also pretty obvious that she loved it. From what I was able to tell, she liked driving almost as much as Sides and I.
I stormed into the main hangar and saw Prowl speaking to Optimus, Ironhide, and Smokescreen. I did wait until there was a break in the conversation. I'm not stupid, I know better than to interrupt Prime when he's talking serious business.
"Prowl, where's Autumn? She was supposed to meet us on the tarmac almost three bream ago." I snapped impatiently.
"Autumn is currently in the medical bay. She needed to have her doorwings replaced after an incident with Ironhide yesterday. She is fully repaired and should be ready to begin her training with you." Prowl answered calmly.
Ironhide? What did he do to her that made her need to have her doorwings replaced? I might not have a Praxian frame, but slag, I know how sensitive those panels are! They must have taken a lot of damage. Glancing at Ironhide, I noticed a huge dent in his driver's side door. It was almost completely caved in. It made me wonder why Hatchet hadn't fixed it yet, but it also told me that Autumn had at least been able to give some back. That was good. I'd have to mention that to her.
I headed to the med bay, and when the door slid open, I saw Autumn sitting on a berth, with Bluestreak sitting next to her, and none other than Ravage in her lap! I knew that slagging bot was dangerous, because it could change directions in an instant. That made the slagger almost impossible to hit with a blade or plasma cannon. I know, because both my brother and I had tried… many times.
Autumn looked happy. Both her wings and her faceplates told me that. Plus there was the fact that Ravage was in her lap, and hadn't hurt her yet. I distinctly recall Soundwave stipulating that Autumn's protection was 'paramount'. I knew that bot to be many things… a telepath, a seriously cold sparked slagger, and a very deadly fighter. But one thing he wasn't is a liar. If he said that he intended to protect Autumn, then that's what he would do. My bet is that's what he has Ravage doing while he isn't there to do it himself.
"Are you going to sit there all solar cycle while my brother and I wait to resume your driving lessons?" I demanded irritably.
"I get to go driving today?" Autumn asked me in surprise before she squealed happily. "No one told me about this, so I thought it was a one time thing."
I could not believe how excited she was! She acted like I had just given her the pass codes to a storage warehouse full of energon goodies. She was actually starting to vibrate she was so excited.
"Nope. One solar cycle, you take combat lessons from Jazz, on the next you take driving lessons from me and my brother. You will keep on taking lessons from us until we are satisfied that you can drive!" I told her bluntly.
Autumn jumped off the berth with a loud squeal, grabbed me in a one armed hug, and ran out of the medbay faster than I could figure out what was going on. When I finally realized what had happened, I looked at my frame, and then looked at Bluestreak.
"I'm pretty sure she's already out at the tarmac, so don't you think you should go after her?" Chromia asked me while laughing about it.
I looked at my frame again before turning around. "Did she scratch my paint?"
"No… she didn't… which surprises me because she even had Ravage in her left arm while she hugged you." Chromia answered still laughing.
I left the medbay, and walked out to the tarmac to find Autumn bouncing on her pedes again. She seemed just as excited as she was the first time she'd gone more than one hundred and fifty miles per hour. I could see Sides laughing at her, but I could swear that Ravage was also laughing at the way she was acting.
"You won't be able to drive if you don't transform, and you can't transform with Ravage in your arms." I told her seriously.
Chromia POV
Autumn was not very happy about having to put Ravage down while she transformed. Then to my surprise, Ravage began yowling at her passenger door, once she was in her alt mode. Autumn opened her driver's side door the let the Cybercat in.
"What? That's the wrong one! Where… Oh! There it is!" Autumn said before opening her passenger door. I watched in silence as Ravage climbed in Autumn's cabin, and the while incident left me with a lot of questions.
:Blue… can you give me a valid reason for her not to know how to fully operate her alt mode?: I asked him suspiciously.
:Autumn hasn't been able to spend very much time in her alt mode. The first time she did it, Prowl put her in the brig for using the tarmac without proper authorization. Then he got involved in his reports and forgot about her.: Bluestreak told me.
:He did what? It sounds like I need to have a talk with Prowl!: I sent back angrily.
:I even told him he was being a slagger when I reminded him about her.: Bluestreak sent back sullenly. :I know he's my brother, and now he's even Autumn's Guardian, but still..."
:Still, he knew better than to do something like that. You needn't worry anymore Blue. Autumn will be well cared for, and she'll be cared for properly! The femmes will stand together on that.: I assured him.
:Thank you. It's just… I love her. I love her with all my spark, and I don't want to see her hurt anymore.: Blue told me earnestly.
:I know. I could see just how much you two love each other in the medbay. You mean everything to each other, and I refuse to see that kind of love jeopardized.: I sent back.
While Blue and I were talking over our comm systems, I watched Autumn follow Sideswipe with Sunstreaker following her around a drift track that had been painted on the tarmac. Suddenly, I got an idea. Sure, it was a bit wild, but I was sure that it had a chance to pay off in high grade.
"Come on Blue! Let's join them." I said with a grin.
Blue grinned at me before we both dropped down into our alt modes. We waited until they came back around, before forming up right next to Autumn. Ravage was sitting calmly in her passenger seat with her optic glowing brightly in delight. I knew that the Cybercat was enjoying this, because that just had to be a fang filled grin on her faceplates.
"Remember Autumn, when it comes to drifting, a screaming tire is a happy tire! Just make sure that it's your back tires that are having all the fun! Your front tires will need to control your direction." Sunstreaker instructed her as Blue took one side and took the other.
Blue and I were fairly good at this, and we matched Autumn's moves perfectly. Three cars wide, we drifted around the various turns that had been painted. Then both of the twins were assuming positions on the outside, and we sailed through the turns five wide, with Sunstreaker continually giving instructions and surprisingly… encouragement.
When the sounds of various cheers reached my audios, I saw that more than half the humans on the island base were watching and cheering us on.
"Do you hear that Autumn? They seem to like your driving!" I told her cheerfully.
"This is incredible!" She yelled at what had to be peak capacity of her vocalizer.
Autumn POV
I lost track of time while I was driving. But having Blue, Ravage, and Chromia there was great! Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were teaching me how to drift, and then Blue and Chromia had joined in. I felt as tall as Optimus! I did, even though I knew I would only come up to mid thigh on him. Then I heard the voices of some of the soldiers. They were cheering us on! It didn't seem to matter to them that I was trying to learn, they still loved what they were seeing. That was me they were cheering for! It wasn't some preppy girl with good looks and lots of money… it was me. They were cheering for me, the failure, the pathetic goth that no one had cared about. Maybe things were a little different now, I don't know, but hearing all those men raise their voices to cheer me on sounded better than anything I'd ever heard.
When we finished, I headed to the rec room. Some of the soldiers followed me, along with Blue, the twin gladiators, and Chromia. I grabbed three cubes of energon and sat on the couch holding Ravage. Hound and Beachcomber were watching TV, but commercials were on. I popped open one of the cubes and drank it down fast. Then I opened one for Ravage. I had to tear the top totally off of it so that she could lap it up, and I just had to smile while watching her. It was so cute! I love this giant metal kitty, and I know I'm going to be spark broken when I have to give back to who ever owns her.
When the commercials stopped I froze. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were still in the room, but 'The Dukes of Hazard' was coming on! I had promised Prowl that I wouldn't show them this, but I didn't have the remote… Hound did! I couldn't change the channel. I sat there frozen for a full bream before Sunstreaker growled at me.
"Let's go Autumn! I don't want you watching this!" Sunstreaker ordered me nastily.
"W… why not?" I asked him scared to hear the answer.
"Because they obviously can't drive! There is way too much leeway in the steering systems of that vehicle, and they are barely able to control it! The only thing about this farce that is even halfway decent is the opening song, and that could be better." Sunstreaker snarled.
I nodded my helm and started to get up when both of the twins started laughing.
"Oh this just keeps getting worse and worse!" Sideswipe laughed.
"Forget about us… Prowl could teach those cops a lot!" Sunstreaker said with a shake of his helm.
"On second thought Autumn, I do want you to watch this! Remember that this is what you are not supposed to do!" Sunstreaker said laughing at the TV.
"Now you know why we like watching this." Hound said. "It's all kinds of funny!"
I sat there sipping on my second cube of energon, watching TV and listening to the snarky, snide, and insulting remarks that were flying around. Listening to what the twins were saying, I can't believe that I had thought this was good driving. I guess that just shows how lousy I really am.
The show was almost over when Prowl came in. I looked up at him over my shoulder, and quailed. He looked as stoic as ever, and I was sure he was mad.
"Prowl! Have you seen this slag? The humans apparently think this is good driving! You'd catch those slaggers in less than a quarter bream!" Sunstreaker said with a grin.
"Yeah, but only if those other cops don't crash into him first!" Sideswipe added with a laugh.
"That's where knowing how to actually drive comes into play!" Sunstreaker replied laughing.
"Am I to understand that you two do not wish Autumn to use this as a learning aide?" Prowl asked.
"Only if it's to learn what not to do!" Sunstreaker answered with a glare at Prowl.
"Very well, I will endeavor to ensure that she does not view this program without your presence." Prowl replied.
"Good! Because there isn't anyone in that show who knows what they're doing." Sideswipe shot back.
That's when the show ended, and I was kind of glad, because I didn't want any fights to break out. I got up and started to leave the rec room.
"Autumn, ratchet wants you to recharge in the medbay for the time being. You aren't being punished or anything like that, he just wants to make sure you're functioning properly." Chromia told me softly.
I nodded my helm and looked down at the floor. Then I saw Ravage giving me a dirty look. At least I think it was a dirty look.
"Ravage will be there with you, and so will I. If I'm not there, Elita, or Arcee will be with you; okay?" Chromia said as I looked up at her.
"So… so I'm not in trouble?" I asked.
"No you're in no trouble at all. Ratchet simply wants to check a few things and he also wants to run a few diagnostics on your doorwings since those had to be completely replaced, and he wants to make sure they function properly. That can be done while you are in recharge." Chromia informed me.
I turned to leave the rec room, but Ironhide was standing in front of me. I didn't even know he was there! How did he get so close without my wings telling me?
"You need to have Jazz work with you on those kicks. Yesterday wasn't terrible, but you could have done a lot better!" Ironhide told me with a pat on my shoulder.
I was shocked! Ironhide had just told me that I could have done a better job of kicking him across the hangar! I was so surprised about that, that I don't even remember walking back to the medbay.