Queen's note: This is based on a RP with a friend when the Age of Extinction movie came out, and I'm taking it over to make an story. So this chapter and many of the following are co-written with Fatala.

Why?

We both like the glorious green bastard, and this is a funny idea.

Just A Stray, Just A Cover

Chapter One

Street

Stupid humans, did they really think they could catch him? Crosshairs watched as the cops drove by looking for a much different looking car than the form he was now in. The now green and black car stayed ducked low over his tires in the dark alley way as he planned his route out of the city.

He couldn't stay in the city any longer, not with the humans had gotten wise to him hiding there. Maybe he could meet up with Hound, the mech had said he and Drift had found a good hiding spot; though Crosshairs really didn't want to get tied down with any other mechs. It was easy to get caught when together; though he might consider it... once he got out of the city.

There was a skittering, not the same sound as an adult human running. A huff and then a smaller form ran around one if the back corners, wavered to correct her balance before spotting the car that wasn't normally here. Running right over to the hidden Autobot, the young organic almost ran into the driver's door, hand razed to knock on the glass before seeing that it was empty inside. She half spun at the sound of a clatter farther back, whined and dropped, rolling and scooting under the mech before trying to pull her myself flat against his undercarriage, he could even feel the shivers from the thin frame.

The mech knew the human was coming even before she rounded the corner. She was only a youngling; the human sparklings and younglings were far from a threat. Even if one saw him the adults never seemed to believe them. Crosshairs didn't care, it worked to his advantage.

Still, he had not expected the human to hide beneath him.

Great...little slagger, you don't belong there. Crosshairs thought to himself waiting for a moment for the human to move. When she didn't move fast enough for him Crosshairs revved his engine loudly. There was a frightened yip like sound, but the human youngling wasn't moving. More afraid of what caused her to run then the sudden starting of the car.

Now Crosshairs growled to himself. I am not getting caught just because of you. Stupid humans; he never understood why Optimus and some of the others had a soft spot for them. They were nothing but trouble.

He revved his engine again, this time growling out loud so only the human could hear him but no one else could. The voice was male, and had a gravely edge to it even light this. "Get out from under me human, now."

The human, the human sparkling let go if his undercarriage, more then frightened, and already scared of something else she did the only thing she could. Balling up on her side, trying and failing to hide from this mad car, but not wanting to face what was 'back there.' Twitching, shivering she whined and just tried her hardest to melt into the ground instead, everything hurt, including her own stomach that seemed to be eating itself, it was so late and the growling car just put her past her endurance.

"Fine. I tried being 'nice.'" With that, even though it might not be true, the black and green car spilt apart around the human, transforming into the mech's true form. In a matter of moments a tall, slender cybertronian towered over her. His armor was primarily green with black highlights and patters, and the appeared to have a flexible 'duster,' over armor that fell around the lower half of his body.

The mech knelt down close to the frightened girl, giving her a good look at his face and the goggles he had on his forehead. If she was like any other human he had met than it wouldn't take much more then that to scare her off.

"Boo." he said with a wicked looking smile.

The human, girl, flinched, but... didn't move? Didn't try to run, in fact she seemed to brace herself as if expecting to get hit, protecting her vulnerable front and her neck. Even balled up as she now was, the mech could see she was a lot thinner than other youths her age, even just smaller in general. He could likely picked her up pretty easily like that.

No blow ever came, nor did the mech draw his weapons. He was more confused by the human than threatened by her. Just as long as no other humans stumbled on him he would be fine.

"That is yea'r que to scram, small fry." Crosshairs said when the human still didn't run.

There was a very small but insisting shake of her head, and just because of him being a mech did Crosshairs hear the near chant, "...don't scream, makes it worse...hold your breath." She didn't seem fully aware that this new threat was that different from whatever scared her before.

"Hey. Yea even listening?" The mech plucked the human up by the scruff of her shirt, uses the sides of his blunted talons to force her to stand. "If yea're smart 'lil human, yea'll leave an' pretend yea never seen me." He then let go of her shirt.

She had started to nod, but went mute, starting up at him, then buckled down to sit on her knees once let go. Then something happened as she looked up at the mech, softly speaking, "You're...a mech..." She was coming out of the fear haze, what was it called? Panic attack?

"Yeah I am." Crosshairs said, before making gestures with his hands. "Big 'scary' mech, now go run, scream; whatever yea humans like to do." He didn't care, in a couple minutes he would be out of the city.

"...you're not that scary." The human finally said, glancing down, "You saved us."

A snort came from the mech at what she said. "An' look at all the good it did us. Now we get to be hunted by your kind." Yeah, he was regretting following Prime's call to Earth.

The hurt girl gave him a confused look, not grasping why he would say that. Hadn't the Autobot mechs protected earth from the bad ones? It wasn't hard to tell she had an innocent understanding of the Cybertronians, and the idea humans could hunt something so big didn't seem to compute either... Though she could have been addled up, as a semi-distant man's voice had a greater fear response and whimper from the girl.

Despite the young human's innocence Crosshairs was a pessimistic mech when it came to trusting others, especially in the situation he and the others were currently in. His audios heard another human approaching, Crosshairs' optic narrowed as he really seemed to see the youngling's responses. The gun toting mech knew he should just leave the human, she was none of his concern.

...Yet he knew that Prime would give him an audio full if he did nothing.

With a growl to himself Crosshairs grabbed the human by the scruff of her shirt again, pulling it tight as he picked her up and off the ground to point at her with his other hand. "Yea're gonna get in, sit down an' shut up. I don't need any of yea'r human squealin' while I get out of here."

The mech did not know what he'd do with the human after he got out of the city. Crosshairs figured he'd let Hound and Drift figure that out later. Or maybe he could toss her off on Bumblebee. That yellow scout frame might be slagging horrible at leading, but he did have a way with humans.

Crosshairs let the girl down only after getting a squeak and a hurried nod. He waited to see that she was not going to run- but noting the human just wavering in spot for balance before he transformed. Crosshairs' form collapsing into itself, the over armor vanishing as well before the seek car was back, and opened his passenger side door. "In. Now."

It seemed the human youngling was good at fallowing orders, mutely hopping in the same few seconds he ordered it. She curled up and almost slid more in the passenger side's foot well in an attempt at hiding from sight and just balling up near a sensor inadvertently. After that first time not a squeak came out of the youngling as she tried to catch her breath.

As soon as the human was completely in, his seatbelts came out as the door swung shut. The straps that grabbed the girl pulled her up and pinned her into his passenger seat. There was a very small, muted sound came from her as he pulled her up, curling up as best as she could where the mech put her. It wasn't a true sound, or really a squeak like before even. So at least the youngling wasn't screaming, even as she hunched down to brace herself. The straps he were none harmful he was sure, but Crosshairs did not want a wiggly anything inside of him, and his engine gave a roar as he exited out of the alleyway and on to the busy city streets. Several other cars blared their horns at him as Crosshairs cut in front of a few; not that he cared.

As he raced out of the city Crosshairs sent out a comm, seeing if Drift or Hound were anywhere nearby.

At least Crosshairs had a well behaved human so far.

After a moment Hound's voice crackled over Crosshairs' com. ::Well look who's still kicking. Didn't get your aft slagged yet 'hot shot'?:: the new voice seemed deeper, thicker somehow and followed by his hearty laugh that managed to have a crackle in it.

The human jumped at Hound's voice, wide green eyes- uncomfortably a little too similar to like Level Worker optics were like- scanning for the source of voice. She stared at the spot behind the radio, but didn't speak up herself, holding onto the straps that still held her down.

"Shut it, yea old rust bucket." Crosshairs growled in reply before adding on. "Just shoot me those coordinates you were bragging about the other day."

::Oh! The 'lone wolf' wants to come join the 'pack'? Ha! Knew you couldn't make it on your own.::

"Slag off, and send them!" Crosshairs growled at the other mech.

::Fine, fine.:: Hound finally said after a moment more of tormenting the green mech. The other mech was ready to say something else but was cut off by Crosshairs.

"Slagger." he grumbled to himself before his attention shifted to the human. "Looks like yea're going on a 'lil trip girly."

The girl looked up from fiddling with the belt, over her middle, and then shrugged. As far as she was concerned and knew her fate was better, as this mech even if he did not know or realize that had saved her.

The mech rumbled a hum at this response as he settled into driving. For awhile Crosshairs said nothing to the girl, though he found her lack of fear impressive; for a human at least. "So what's yea'r deal girly? Don't think I've meet a human who hasn't instantly freaked out or ran upon encountering me."

Then again Crosshairs had missed the entire battle of Chicago and was still relatively new to earth. He still wasn't convinced he made the right decision when he followed Optimus' call to this slagging planet.

She opened her mouth, hesitated before tentatively speaking, as he told her clearly not to talk before, "Autobots saved us... from the sun and... the planet in the sky..." She ducked, waiting to see if it was okay or the mech changed his mind.

There was no backlash from her speaking. He had asked for an answer, but he did take not of the reaction.

Still, was this human really this innocent, and really had no idea what was going on? It seemed highly doubtful. Then again he already had her, no point taking the risk and dumping her somewhere so close to where he had picked her up. "Yeah, yeah. Savors of the world, none of that seems to matter anymore."

"Why wouldn't it?" The girl asked confused, "...momma said before we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the Autobots, or we would be slaves."

Gasp!

The little thing could talk!

"Yea'r carrier is a smart femma." Crosshairs said slowly as he was starting to think he should probably drop the human off nearby for her parental units to find her after all. The Prime would not really like this would he? "Still, a femma shouldn't let such a youngling scurry in the street."

"Moma's gone," The girl said, gripping the straps holding her as she looked out the window at the moving lights. "She couldn't let me out much anyways."

"An' yea'r sire- ah frag what's it called, father?" The mech still hadn't slowed or deviated from his current course. One good thing with having a human inside, it helped him blend in. As long as no one got too nosey to see past the tint of his windows and realize the lack of a driver.

"I don't have one." The girl paused, and then swallowed looking down, "He might be... but I don't think so. I don't want him to be..."

With the small bit that was his conscious was satisfied with that answer. Now he would not need to worry about any guilt tripping about taking the human; not that he cared too much anyways.

"Well yea don't need to worry about goin' back girly. Cause we're gone." Crosshairs sped up as he hit the open highway.

"Gone?" the girl dared to peek up over the door edge and outside, then scrunched back down where she'd been pulled and held, as she remembered the mech had said to sit still. She did not seem to mind that he was taking her, at least right now, and didn't protest. If anything she tried to push back into the seat as if seeking or getting some form of comfort out of it.

"So, yea have a name? I know yea humans usually do." Crosshairs was starting to get sick of calling her 'girly'. Considering he had several hours to drive, he at least needed a name to call her.

"Amy," The girl said, looking at the dash and the screen in it, but tucked her hands in, there was just a childish want to investigate now that she was feeling safer and calming down. But again, the mech had been very clear of what he wanted her to do. Amy didn't want to upset him... and really what if she could hurt him by touching things? He took, was taking her away so she didn't want to hurt him either. "What's yours?"

'Amy'. A simple human name, human designations could be so dull.

"Name's Crosshairs." He noticed her rigidness. "No need to be so stiff, no bouncing around though. I don't need yea being tossed around like if I need to pull out some fancy maneuvers."

"You said you wanted me to sit." Amy pointed back the way they came, becoming submissive shy, "You were upset... I don't want to upset you... and I can't move anyways." The girl added, barely able to move an inch with the straps around her.

It was a valid point... the mech hadn't slacken his grip on the organic.

"Yea haven't see me upset little one. Besides it will take a lot more than a 'lil wiggling to make me mad." He said with a light huff in his voice as the seatbelts slackened to give the human a bit of room to move about.

"...it sounded like it." Amy said softly, but she relaxed and shifted so her legs where sideways instead of in front at least. It was another trusting sign though. Her green eyes were looking all around, even daring to touch a few things, but avoided the radio and screen, and driver's side, as that seemed polite to do.

"Trust me. If I was mad, yea'd know it." That was a guaranteed with Crosshairs' quick temper. Well, at least he was better at hiding it than Bumblebee and Hound were. Usually he was more snarky than anything else. "But yea don't need to worry about that Amy. As long as yea're not one of those backstabbin' humans who act all innocent before showing yea'r true colors. Then we'll get along dandy."

"Back... that's hurting someone isn't it?" Amy frowned, not liking that one bit, "I won't." She promised, she looked down and said, "I'm peach colored!" There was a pause and, "Well...sometimes purple like now."

"Wait. Wha-? ...never mind." Crosshairs was not about to question human logic, youngling logic. If he could call it that, "Alright, you'll be fine then." With an answer like the one she gave, Crosshairs doubted the human could even think of betraying anyone.

"I don't like the purple, it hurts." Amy muttered, curling up again to try and muffle the sound of her stomach protesting it had been too long since she last ate.

Crosshairs looked closer at the human when she mentioned 'the purple' again. Now he noticed the bruises on the young girl, it seemed that someone had damaged her. It seemed that humans could be just as brutal to each other as they were to Cybertronians.

"Yea need some nourishment." the mech said when he heard Amy's stomach rumble. "I'm sure there'll be somethin' at one of these 'rest stops'." Crosshairs said at seeing a sign for a rest stop a few miles ahead.

"I saw one of those in a movie... don't they have cameras?" Amy asked, looking outside, though there was none here in reality it was something to pause and make sure of. Not that there was not a bunch of cameras in the world, though most human cameras were easy to jam or just flick once spotted.

"Maybe," Crosshairs said with a sound that implied a shrug in his voice. "If there is, they won't be a problem. Yea just leave them to me."

It was a few miles until they reached the nearest rest stop. Once there Crosshairs pulled around to an empty area of the parking lot along the back side of the building. The mech scanned the building looking for any cameras or security. There was some, mostly inside near the closed coffee store, but one camera outside just barely missed a lone vending machine outside.

"It's pretty," the girl said, looking more at the flowers in the planter beside them. Then looked around and gave a nervous wiggle in her seat, "can I go to the bathroom?" Amy asked spotting the restrooms.

The seatbelt keeping her safe was released just as the door popped open. "Go on and relieve yourself." Crosshairs said. "Don't be too long. I need to keep on the move."

"I won't!" Amy promised and ran, past the vending machine and under the sole camera to get to the bathroom with the basic female pictograph.

Before coming back out she made extra sure to wash her hands good, pausing to touch a yellowing mark on the side of her jaw from a trip on her escape run earlier. Amy stood back to try and get a good look at herself, blinked, and washed her face too before coming back out. The girl looked around, hoping the Autobot car-mech didn't just...leave.

Crosshairs was still sitting there, his vehicle mode still the same as before; looking completely innocent. Nothing else seemed to have moved either...though there was a decided absence of the vending machine. All that was left to show that it had once graced the now empty spot was the remnants of the power cord still stuck in the wall socket. Yet there was no sign of the machine itself.

He had the amusing sight of first seeing the girl brighten a bit at seeing him (and aw slag, that meant she was starting to get hopeful for him somehow). Then seeing Amy almost faceplate as she stopped her run back to him, staring where the vending machine had been with a confused, little worried look before finishing the dart over.

When Amy approached Crosshairs reopened the door for her, not saying a word.

The girl stepped back in willingly, going back to curl up in Crosshairs' passenger seat. Once Amy was in Crosshairs shut the door and the seatbelts came back wrapping around her again.

"That was fast." He commented, Crosshairs' voice seemed to have settled, not exactly softer but no longer annoyed. There was a click as his glovebox opened to reveal a couple bags of chips and a bottle of juice. "Got something that I think may quiet yea'r tanks for a lil bit. That machine at least had some useful things in it." he commented before his engine roared to life and he pulled away from the rest stop. And he would be long gone before anyone would discover the remains of the mutilated vending machine behind the nearby dumpsters.

Amy went for the orange juice first, and from the delighted squeak it was a favorite, or treat, to her. The chips were taken and examined while she was pressed into the seat from the acceleration. "Thank you Crosshairs," Amy said once she was adjusted to his motion again, taking happy gulps of the juice. Then there was an amusing process of opening the first bag without spilling anything on the living car.

"No problem girly. A scrawny thing like yea needs something to fill yea'r tanks. Then again, I doubt that those were made to be eaten by humans as a source of nutrition." Then again Crosshairs never claimed to be a medic like Ratchet. But at least the chips would do for now. If she needed anything later Amy could always use to money Crosshairs had pulled from the vending machine. He figured the human currency would come in handy at some point.

"I'm... eighty ...something pounds," The girl protested, nibbling away on the chips, not really aware that that meant she was under weight.

"Yeah, yea're a scrawny one." Crosshairs said, even if he didn't know how underweight she was. "There's sure to be some place to get some better food for yea farther down the road." He said, marketing several places on his internal maps as possible areas for the human to refuel, and drain.

The girl was opening the second bag of chips, the first bag held safe in her lap as Amy held the drink between the knees. "I got out of the window though." She said with pride, then blinked, unsure of how getting 'better food' work out. Amy had never shopped before.

"...window?"