Traitor
Emily stood in the corner of the white-walled room, ignoring the shiny new black vinyl couch and the cloth easy chair that clustered invitingly around the institutional coffee table with its plate of cookies and pitcher of water. Her eyes were on the door as she waited at a loose parade rest, and her mind was on what had happened earlier, when she and Brawl had finally managed to catch the interest of one of the Autobots.
It hadn't been too hard, finally. She'd just run out into the street in front of the little silver Solstice and called him by name, though she'd had to guess at that because she couldn't clearly remember which kind of music Ira had said he was named after. The Autobot had responded cautiously, and she'd told him that she had information about a friend of his who was in trouble.
This had lead to a ride in the little car for she and Brawl as she managed to convince Jazz that the mech who had died saving him from Megatron in Mission City was in fact alive, though in altered form. Jazz had pulled over to the side of the street as the information sank in, and Emily had been surprised to feel the Solstice shaking. Never having wept herself during her first life, it took her several moments before she realized what the Autobot was doing. And then she'd gotten impatient and told him angrily that this wasn't going to help Ira, or Ira's baby daughter. That had lead to his demand for the whole story, and then he'd turned and headed out of town toward where an Airforce base stood in the Nevada desert.
And now she was here. She'd spoken to Optimus Prime himself on the phone, and he had promised safety for herself, Brawl, and even for Kyle Crusher.
If he ever makes it back out of the Nexus, she thought absently, then wondered again what strings the Autobots' human friends were pulling right now, and how much longer she'd have to wait. She'd asked the guy who brought the cookies, but he didn't know anything except that Brawl was sleeping over in his own waiting room after having eaten everything they gave him.
Feels like it should be afternoon of the day after we got here. She ignored protesting muscles and joints that requested a rest, instead shifting her weight slightly and cocking her head as she tried to hear something outside the sound proof room. There's no going back now, even if lord Megatron would accept a squishy. I'm a traitor. No better than an Autobot myself. But I can take that. If it means that Ira and my baby are safe. And Brawl, I guess.
She scowled restlessly, but then stiffened as the locks on the door opened and then the door itself swung inward. A burly, grey-bearded figure stepped through, his hair as wild as ever. Piercing blue eyes swept the room and then brightened as they found her.
"Emily," he said gruffly, holding out his arms.
And then she was over there, nearly squeezing the life out of him as she laughed and impatiently swiped away tears. "Ira, you #$#@#$@#$@# @#$@#$#@ %$$#@@@!"
He grunted and grumbled, but only ducked his head to rest his forehead against hers. "Why the slag are you so skinny, woman?"
"You try getting enough to eat while you're living on the #$#%@% streets." She closed her eyes and just leaned, feeling a lot of the tension draining away now that he was here again.
"Optimus told me that something had happened." He straightened and frowned at her with concern, his hand going up to wipe a smudge of dirt off her cheek.
"The human bigwigs found me, and decided I was crazy and that I couldn't work." She shrugged.
He scowled darkly, but then pulled her close again. "Our human friends are working to get the baby back. Did you name her?"
"I never even got to see her." Emily's voice was quiet, but she couldn't hide the anger and pain.
Ira growled. "Well you will. We built her, and we're responsible for her."
"Right." She closed her eyes again and rested her head on his shoulder, feeling more of the tension seep out of her. "What about what I did? Aren't the Autobots going to press charges or whatever?"
"I've vouched for you." He rubbed her back and rocked slightly on the balls of his feet. "So long as you don't do anything stupid you're one of us now."
One of us. She hid her face against his neck. Traitor. Autobot.
It's worth it.
It hadn't been too hard, finally. She'd just run out into the street in front of the little silver Solstice and called him by name, though she'd had to guess at that because she couldn't clearly remember which kind of music Ira had said he was named after. The Autobot had responded cautiously, and she'd told him that she had information about a friend of his who was in trouble.
This had lead to a ride in the little car for she and Brawl as she managed to convince Jazz that the mech who had died saving him from Megatron in Mission City was in fact alive, though in altered form. Jazz had pulled over to the side of the street as the information sank in, and Emily had been surprised to feel the Solstice shaking. Never having wept herself during her first life, it took her several moments before she realized what the Autobot was doing. And then she'd gotten impatient and told him angrily that this wasn't going to help Ira, or Ira's baby daughter. That had lead to his demand for the whole story, and then he'd turned and headed out of town toward where an Airforce base stood in the Nevada desert.
And now she was here. She'd spoken to Optimus Prime himself on the phone, and he had promised safety for herself, Brawl, and even for Kyle Crusher.
If he ever makes it back out of the Nexus, she thought absently, then wondered again what strings the Autobots' human friends were pulling right now, and how much longer she'd have to wait. She'd asked the guy who brought the cookies, but he didn't know anything except that Brawl was sleeping over in his own waiting room after having eaten everything they gave him.
Feels like it should be afternoon of the day after we got here. She ignored protesting muscles and joints that requested a rest, instead shifting her weight slightly and cocking her head as she tried to hear something outside the sound proof room. There's no going back now, even if lord Megatron would accept a squishy. I'm a traitor. No better than an Autobot myself. But I can take that. If it means that Ira and my baby are safe. And Brawl, I guess.
She scowled restlessly, but then stiffened as the locks on the door opened and then the door itself swung inward. A burly, grey-bearded figure stepped through, his hair as wild as ever. Piercing blue eyes swept the room and then brightened as they found her.
"Emily," he said gruffly, holding out his arms.
And then she was over there, nearly squeezing the life out of him as she laughed and impatiently swiped away tears. "Ira, you #$#@#$@#$@# @#$@#$#@ %$$#@@@!"
He grunted and grumbled, but only ducked his head to rest his forehead against hers. "Why the slag are you so skinny, woman?"
"You try getting enough to eat while you're living on the #$#%@% streets." She closed her eyes and just leaned, feeling a lot of the tension draining away now that he was here again.
"Optimus told me that something had happened." He straightened and frowned at her with concern, his hand going up to wipe a smudge of dirt off her cheek.
"The human bigwigs found me, and decided I was crazy and that I couldn't work." She shrugged.
He scowled darkly, but then pulled her close again. "Our human friends are working to get the baby back. Did you name her?"
"I never even got to see her." Emily's voice was quiet, but she couldn't hide the anger and pain.
Ira growled. "Well you will. We built her, and we're responsible for her."
"Right." She closed her eyes again and rested her head on his shoulder, feeling more of the tension seep out of her. "What about what I did? Aren't the Autobots going to press charges or whatever?"
"I've vouched for you." He rubbed her back and rocked slightly on the balls of his feet. "So long as you don't do anything stupid you're one of us now."
One of us. She hid her face against his neck. Traitor. Autobot.
It's worth it.