"I was so distracted by thinking about everything that'd happened recently, I didn't even think about why Soundwave sent us out there to begin with," his warm hands, still steady, moved to hold mine, trying to give me what I think was meant to be a reassuring squeeze. I only felt worse.

What would happen now that we realized my family was gone. How had it even happened to begin with?

We'd left a while ago. My heart was aching and my head was pounding hard enough that I felt like something inside of me was going to explode. And thus my world ended. Not with a bang, but with a whimper.

Or maybe a hysterical inability to breathe.

Regardless, I could tell that Sunstreaker was trying, even if I was making his life difficult, choking on air and shaking as my teeth chattered and fingers turned number than when I'd been stung by a jellyfish and colder than the ice and snow that had chilled the back of my neck many times.

"If something happens to you, Megatron and his minions will be seriously slagged off with me, since he stuck his neck out, and he's gonna be so slagged off dealing with everyone trying to get rid of us," the heat was blasting through his vents, but I still shivered profusely. What on earth was wrong with me? I never got cold, not like this.

"S-sorry," I forced out weakly, a pitiful shaking having entirely overtaken my body, "I-I'm just c-c-cold,"

Human Sunstreaker shook his head profusely. "You are freezing to death, slaggit, come here, I can keep you warm," he said, but I hesitated, still pulling my parka as tightly around myself as I could. His eyes softened, "I don't bite, I promise. The frost does, apparently. Just come here, if you get all sick and get a human virus, then Megatronus will have to get in line behind Knockout, who will fret over you, kill me, and then fret some more,"

I laughed, but choked on the air itself and started coughing, nose feeling as if it were burning something fierce, "S-sorry," I managed to hack out, something that surprised the mech, "D-don't you have to focus on driving?"

"Nah, I'll be okay, I've got more processor capacity in half my helm than ten humans put together," he offered weakly, though his gaze flicked between me and the road he was now blazing down, ridiculously fast in spite of the gravel he had seemed so infuriated by only moments before, "It'll be okay," he offered, though to who or about what he was speaking was left up in the air.

Somewhere I wished I could be. The temperature in his alt-mode was searingly hot, and needles tingled up and down my whole body as I struggled to adjust, and I would have killed for fresh cool air. Yet somehow, I found myself  at a loss for words, unable to find my voice and so much as whisper feebly about how uncomfortable I felt.

So I resigned myself to sweating, a lot, and being gross, while peeling off my layers, one by one.

"How is it we always end up like this?" He laughed, "I keep having to prevent you from losing your life, limbs and sanity to the cold," somehow, his goofy smile made its way onto my face, if only slightly.

He was trying, trying really hard, too. I didn't have the heart to do anything but smile at the holoform, seated on the squishy, surprisingly comfortable seats. Of course, they were huge, especially because I was unfortunately smaller than I'd have liked, "I think at this rate, you might just put me in a freezer for long term storage. Just so I stay out of trouble," I managed, weakened dry throat only adding to the poor quality of my voice.

This time, Sunstreaker really laughed, his red eyes glowing jubilantly as his voice pierced the air, sounding like a church bell ringing. Something other than the heat warmed the gaping hole formed in my chest, the emptiness replaced with something cheerful and akin to hope. I could feel the

It didn't make any sense, but somehow, him trying as hard as he was, it made a difference. He never once stopped staring at me, waiting, watching for any response, and as soon as that smile started to fade, a pang of guilt struck me. I mustered up what courage I had, and let myself smile.

The holoform took this as his cue to continue, hesitation slipping away, chattering on excitedly, "You know, some of you humans actually freeze your bodies to preserve your brain function and possible come back in the future. It's fascinating your race's investment in tomorrow. I mean, all you do is work towards something better in the future, and those who don't are seen as oddballs. Back home, it was ridiculous to just work for no reason. I mean, you have a reason, obviously, but so many humans don't live in the moment! Younglings seem to be the only exception to the rule-"

And pressed up against the plaid shirt of my semi-human companion, I could only listen, the comforting tenor of his chatter helping to level my breaths and steady my heartbeat. I'm embarrassed to admit it, especially since he'd been so excited to just talk to me, but I fell asleep quite comfortably within the seat of the Lamborghini, something I never thought I'd say.

Whether it was because it was in the arms of some guy, in one of the nicest cars known to mankind, or with an alien, I'm not sure, but something made everything just so strange, and I probably couldn't have pinpointed it if I'd tried.

----

When I stirred, ever so slightly, dark blue assaulted my vision, only interrupted by the faintest of reds glowing, something only just visible through my eyelashes.

"Sides," Sunstreaker said, though his voice was distorted and my head ached, "Don't be ridiculous. No one here is going to attack you for holding a human,"

"Slag it, Sunstreaker," The blue mech hissed, "I can't with you! I keep telling you- everyone treats me differently when you're not looking!"

"We both know you're jumpy. Calm down, they treat me just the same way. Of course they're wary, but they don't hate us anymore,"

"It's not the same thing! There's a reason I was one of Prime's favorite underlings! I didn't question him! I was one of the most loyal mechs he had out of his inner circle-"

"Then why did he want you dead?" The dark purple mech snapped angrily, "If you were so great, why the slag did he have a rifle at your helm? I can assure you, Sideswipe, it isn't because you were one of his favorite mechs in the slagging universe,"

"Because after Cliffjumper ratted on Mirage, he went after Hound,"

"What does that have to do with you?"

"Cliffjumper fed into Prime's paranoia! Said you were convincing me to try and take over, and make peace with the Cons to end the war!"

"He said that," Sunstreaker asked, dumbfounded, "Is he slagging glitched? Mention the war ending- let alone to Prime? All he wants is to keep it going. Everyone knows he goes stir crazy when there isn't enough energon spilled to sate his thirst. He's an addict! What did you do to slag Jumper off?"

At first, I thought for sure Sideswipe would she some angry, hateful thing to spring on his brother, but instead, he made a kind of sighing noise and spoke softly, "I let Windcharger offline. I could've saved him- but to prove myself to Prime, I let the glitch-spawn's spark go out."

"You didn't," Sunstreaker said, sounding horrified now, "Sideswipe, please tell me you didn't,"

"Since we're trying this honesty bullslag, yes, I did, Sunstreaker," he spat his brother's name out almost venomously, "It's stupid. The very thing that made Prime practically love me put me at the end of his barrel. But frag it, if I wasn't obsessed with earning his recognition, I don't know what I was,"

Sunstreaker practically exploded on his twin angrily, "You knew! You knew Jumper was considering turning- and it was because of Charger. To ensure his loyalty, you decided to go ahead and just slaughter-"

"It was foolproof! Prime wouldn't believe any of the slag Jumper said anyhow. Finding out Windcharger was a traitor made it that much easier!"

"Not unless he proved himself."

"Yeah well, I didn't count on that! And I thought we were in the clear, so I didn't tell you!"

"But once Hound was executed-"

"Don't forget 'Raj," he interjected,

With a glare at his twin, he kept speaking, "You didn't think to tell me at least then? Sides-"

"Don't call me that, glitch-face," the cold-sparked brother snarled,

"Sideswipe!" Sunstreaker practically begged, sounding both torn and hurting something fierce, "You could've been killed! This isn't a game! We can't afford for you to think this is all just a slagging game!"

"I know, okay? Slag it, I know! I just didn't think about it- it's only now the pieces are con together and things are starting to make sense!"

Sunstreaker was up in Sides' face instantly, a dark sort of anger, one I hadn't seen from him in the time I'd known him. Blue flinched away from purple, and I could have sworn I'd seen an entire personality switch or role reversal happen, because, oh gosh, was the usually amiable of the brothers pissed with his counterpart. While he wasn't necessarily ashamed or upset, he did seem bothered, something unlike and unusual to Sideswipe whose resting expression seemed to emanate jerkface and insensitive, unwanted bum all into one furious glare.

"Don't you dare say anything. Not to anyone. We're on thin ice as is."

"Sunstreaker-"

"This isn't up for debate, Sideswipe, frag it!" He howled, denta clenching, and I could've sworn he looked almost animalistic in his rage, "I need to talk to Megatron. Hold the femme, and I'll be back. Don't put her down, and stay out of trouble! Stay here if you have to, since you're so afraid to be seen without me,"

"Sunstreaker-"

"No. We'll deal with this later. Right now, I have another problem. Soundwave trying to snuff our sparks is not going to help the rest of these mechs like us,"

"Fine. But don't blame me when she wakes up screaming and runs away. I'm a big bad Autobot, remember? Enough that me own turned on me."

Sunstreaker didn't have anything to say to that, but before I thought to muster the strength to speak up, he was gone, and Sideswipe, despite his brother's warning, dumped me on a soft collection of items, something I strongly suspected was a bed, and I didn't dare make a sound, holding my breaths as long as I dared to avoid drawing attention myself. I certainly wanted to avoid a conversation with Sideswipe at all costs.

What had I gotten myself into? I could only hope I'd learn how to turn invisible. I sure as all things didn't want to see how that particular argument was going to end.