Wow…been a while huh? But I never did promise constant updates now did I? I just said updates. Really I hate writing the beginnings to a story. It's such a pain. I'm great at the middle! Got plenty of trouble for our loveable characters to get into. But the beginning is such a pain! And the end is….who knows. Meh. IT IS A NECESSARY THING! ONWARD THEN!

Transformers doesn't belong to me. Like at all. Figured it needed to be said once in a while.

~IvoryCrawler

May 30, 2009

I've always had such strange, vague dreams. I don't think I've ever had a single one that made full sense, or even partial.

There was the one about the teenage mutant ninja turtles when I was younger. I only remember them getting strange glyphs on their skin and trying to kill me. That's another thing about my dreams; more often than not things are trying to kill me.

I suppose that's why it was so confusing when I woke up the next morning, trying to decide if it was a dream or reality.

Once I was up (wearing the same clothes, which are covered in dirt and sand and blood. Note to self, get clothing pronto) that doubt, and confusion was quickly dismissed….

Ho-leeeh snapper-doodles.

Stepping outside the barracks the next morning Gaby could only freeze in place at the huge friggin foot that was right in front of her. She followed it up the natural progression of a body, from foot to legs to the eventual head where she met the gaze of the Autobot Jazz.

"Uh…hi?" She shifted from foot to foot, working out the kinks in her muscles.

"Sup?" Jazz pushed off from the wall, standing straight and tall, or as tall as the shortest of the bots could. "Ah'm here ta take ya where ya need ta go fo' a bit." He crouched down to get a bit closer to me. "Lennox left ya these. Said it might help ya feel bit bettah."

She wasn't sure where he pulled it from but suddenly in his hand was a bag; more specifically, a bag of clothing and basic necessities. Gaby shifted through the things in it finding a note.

Hey kid,

Figured you'd feel a bit better with some fresh cloths and such. Had one of the other women go out and find some of the girly things you might need. You probably won't see Epps and I for a while. Any of the Autobots will be able to help you out best with the information Jayson left behind. Until we get you completely cleared and a member of N.E.S.T. don't wander off. You'll be stuck on base till then, and no phone calls. You're family, as far as they're concerned, think you're still out in the field. Be good kid.

Lennox

Gaby snorted, at least he left her some information. She skimmed it once more before shoving it back in the bag. Jazz was still crouched down by her, seeming to wait for her reaction.

"Where ya headed first li'l ladeh?"

Gaby looked down at herself and then at the bag. "Um…showers? I've got a pretty good sense of direction. If you give me basic directions I can find my way around." She didn't want to take him- at least she decided it was a him- from whatever duties he had to attend.

"Nah, got ma orders. Show ya 'round and keep ya outta trouble." The visor glinted on one side in a way that reminded Gaby vaguely of a wink. She smiled hesitantly. "If you're sure? Um? Lead the way?" She wasn't certain how she was expected to keep up with him if he walked.

Jazz lowered a hand to the ground, "Getcha aft ovah here. Ah'll give ya a lift." Gaby was starting to realize that he was grinning…or maybe smirking. She walked over to the hand and tossed her bag up on it first, then climbed on up. Her heart was pounding hard as he lifted it and started to walk.

It wasn't a very long walk, just a few halls over, but the halls themselves were enormous, made that way to accommodate bots like Optimus in his bipedal mode. Though short, the entire thing felt like an eternity to Gaby. Being so high up, in a friggin hand, was causing her heart to pound like crazy. Thoughts of accidently slipping off were running rampant in her mind.

Jazz noted it all, working to keep her ride as smooth as possible. The sooner she got used to the Autobots the better seeing as she'd be working nearly exclusively with them to get caught up and to understand. "Here ya are."

Gaby got off his hand to stand on shaky legs, "Thanks." Jazz let her bag slide off his hand before sitting back to wait for her. Soldiers moved around him expertly, speaking of experience and practice.

Standing in the shower thinking back over the last day, and especially the last few minutes, Gaby came to the conclusion this place was insane. But an insane she could, hopefully, get used to and become a part of. Maybe.

Optimus and Jazz seemed nice enough, though it was too soon to get a real read on them. Thinking on it, the trip just to the showers wasn't that bad, Jazz keeping his hand steady.

Remembering now that Jazz would be waiting for her, she hurried up and finished, changing into the spare clothes Lennox had managed to get for her. This consisted of a pair of fatigue pants and a loose black muscle shirt. She had to tighten the belt to the tightest notch to keep the pants on. She figured she'd become the smallest person on base. Slipping her shoes on and putting her hair in her customary braid she walked out to see the now familiar pair of feet.

Gaby shifted from foot to foot looking up at him. Jazz seemed to be looking right back at her but it was more difficult to tell with the visor like thing across his eyes.

"So…um…what next?"

Jazz grinned, mildly amused at this little femme. "Well, Ah've found tha' ya need ta refuel more often than us bots." His optics never left her, noting breathing, heart rate, and any other biological reactions he needed to note. So far she was calm, more relaxed than before, possibly from being clean. All bots had noted that humans were particularly affected by their state of cleanliness, always being more relaxed after visiting the cleanser.

A faint grumbling caught his attention, bringing his processor back to the now reddening femme at his feet.

"So food? That's a really good idea." Jazz began to transform down into the familiar Solstice.

"It'll have ta be on the go lil' femme. Bossbot wants ya ta get up ta speed ASAP." The passenger side door opened up for her and Gaby sat down with a bit more ease.

20 minutes later she was standing in front of what had been Jayson's office, now hers. At her side was the bag that had survived from the attack to now and most likely long before that. In her hands…was a breakfast burrito and a pepsi.

Jazz gave her a minute and 32 seconds to soak it all in before giving her a gentle nudge with one of his large digits. Gaby stumbled forward and finally opened the door only to be stunned. Papers were everywhere; symbols, and notes and pictures from all over the world. It was insanely overwhelming and Gaby knew she would have to organize this, find a starting point before she could start to even attempt to hope to understand what they said.

"Geez…" Gaby dropped the bag by the door and shuffled into the room, looking around. "Um…Jazz? Thanks. I think I'm good for now." Jazz leaned down to look in the room.

"If ya sure? Ah'll come back latah ta get cha." Gaby waved to him absently before diving into the work.

I faintly remember hearing Jazz's footsteps walking away. After that the day is a blur of paper and headaches. I'd pretty much forgotten to eat all day, which brought down the wrath of Ratchet on me when he stopped by with Jazz. From now on I'm bringing two bottles of water with me to prevent dehydration, and had to set an alarm to make sure I get food.

Ratchet is wicked scary when he gets going…Jazz just laughed at me. Apparently Jazz had been assigned as my...guardian? I think that's what they called him. Someone to keep an eye on me when I'm finally allowed outside off base and keep Decepticons from killing me or -apparently- worse kidnapping me.

Once the lecture was done with, Jazz had taken me back to my room. I've got a good sense of direction and maybe a day or two before I'm making my own way to and from.

Worse part of today: I barely made any progress. I've successfully gotten all the pictures down from the walls, after taking pictures of them for future reference if they had a purpose for being where they were. Now: to find the beginning of the notes, and hope that I could follow them and understand them. Hopefully I can get it done.

-Gaby

Hey guys! Sorry for the fluff, but it does have a purpose! Also, expect to see more Autobots at some point in the near future!

~IvoryCrawler