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"Umm... I'm Crystal....... Crystal Jade Jenkins....." She stammered, playing with her hair again, the ear blob once again covered. She felt a bit vulnerable. They were ten times her height or more!

"Welcome,Crystal " Optimus said, stepping back so as not to seem so overwhelming. the other bots. waving and giving greetings as well. "You've met myself, and Bulkhead...our medic, Ratchet" gesturing to the orange and white bot. "Arcee" to the slim blue and pink femme-looking bot. "and Bumblebee" a nod was given to the yellow and black Scout.

She smiled shyly at all of them, twirling a lock of strawberry-blond hair. "I uh... uhm... so..." She tried to figure out the best way to ask her question without confusing everyone. "S-so who... I mean... Who knows about you? I-I mean is it a government secret or something...?"

Optimus spoke again "We have a government Liaison, Agent Fowler, but our existence is largely a guarded secret. Aside from the children, and a few select humans, such as yourself. We would appreciate if you kept it that way." Miko nudged Crystal whispering in her ear "Don't worry about Optimus, he's bossy, but he's not mean."

"N-no worries.. I mean... who'd believe me?" She shrugged. "So... uhm... do I have to do some kind of... initiation or something...?" Crystal didn't know what to say or do. Aliens. She was surrounded by talking, three-story-tall robotic aliens!!! That was enough for her to still feel woozy.

Miko quipped."That's it....giant robots that turn into cars n stuff....big secret!" Miko smiled brightly. "They're cool, especially Bulkhead! Bulk's AWSOME!"

"I... y-yeah... I can... t-tell..." Crystal stared up at the hulking green robot, locking her aqua eyes into his blue optics. When she stared directly into his eyes, she saw hurt, pain, regret and guilt. And she had a feeling what it was about.

Bulkhead locked optics with her only for a brief moment, it was true for a 'bot he was extremely transparent. A large servo rested softly on Nara. "Any friend of Miko's is a friend to the Autobots."

She looked up at him, and her timid smile grew a bit. She looked back at Miko, hazel eyes glittering. "Wait..." She remembered something. "Y-you said something about protecting me... uhm... h-how?"

Miko smiled " Giant 'bots are scary, Vince nearly lost it" she giggled softly. "Bulk's my guardian, he protects me."

She giggled. "I.. I bet! So uhm... W-who's going to be my guardian?" She hoped it was with Miko. The girl seemed so fearless and Bulkhead was nice... They both knew where she was coming from.

Miko looked around, just as confused as she was....She couldn't imagine gruff Ratchet as the girl's guardian.....and Optimus was kind...but, he still didn't feel right. "You can share Bulk with me if you want?" her head cocked softly to the large green ' bot. "Sure, if she wants." Bulkhead added.

"You... Well... I..." Crystal stammered, then softly smiled again. "I g-guess so..."

"Unless you don't wanna share....It's ok." Miko interjected softly.

"No! No actually... I'd k-kinda like to stick with you..."Crystal exclaimed, almost excitedly.

Miko smiled slowly "Yay! Team Prime has a new member!!", pulling the

Crystal took a deep breath, pulling the hair back from her ears. "Since we're sharing secrets......I'm deaf." She looked around slowly. "I only got these when I was 5....I've been in and out of foster homes. That's why I moved here in the middle of the year. I can hear pretty well....almost perfetly I've been told, as long as they're in. As soon as they come out." Crystal closed her hands for emphasis "Nada" The girl heald her breath, waiting for thier reaction, expecting to be rejected like she always was.

"Oh....Okay..." Miko finally spoke " No one human or Autobot seemed to mind at all, nodding siltently in approval. Until there was nothing but an awkward silence.

"I... Uhm... Okay..." She stammered. "So... Uhm.... Now what?" She asked Miko shyly.

Miko shrugged."Bulk and I usually just watch Monster Truck rallies unless something interesting happens. Bee and Arcee should be back soon with Jack & Raf, unless Jack's working" The two 'bots had slipped out quietly to collect their charges.

"Monster Truck rallies...?" That perked Crystal's interest. "Count me in!" Her blue-green eyes shone happily.

"All RIGHT!" Cheered Bulkhead & Miko, heading toward the couch "Let's watch the Hoedown Showdown" Miko laughed " That's his favorite."

Crystal sat down next to Miko, feeling happy and safe. Two things she hadn't felt in a while. She watched as one, her favorite, the Red Skull crushed another one. "Oh man!" She chuckled. "This is almost better than Creature Double Feature!"

Bulkhead quipped "I like this girl!" Miko hugged Crystal softly. "Me too."

Crystal laughed. She'd found 'her people'. But a vibrating in her pocket caught her attention. She pulled it out and snuck a peek. She must have received it before entering the base, she figured. She almost groaned when she saw it was from Vince. Her ex didn't know when to quit. She read it.

Miko looked over at her, head cocked "Everything OK?"

"Yeah, everything's fine!" She flipped it shut before she could see.

"

Miko grumbled, she could tell when she was being lied to.

"Uhm- oh man look at that!" Crystal looked back at the screen just in Time to see Red Skull do an almost impossible flip! Miko and Bulkhead both cheered!"Yes! Awsome!" Jack and Raf pulled in with their Autobots. Crystal didn't notice, and just cheered. "C'mon Red!!!"

"Go Red!" Miko and Bulkhead shouted in Unison, Miko wasn't about to let the subject drop so easily with Crystal though.

"YES!" She cheered. She turned her head briefly then looked at the screen then quickly back at Jack and Raf. "Uh... Hi?"

Jack and Raf nodded quick hellos, recognizing Crystal from school before going off with their own prospective guardians . Jack was going on patrol with Arcee and Raf was going racing with Bee.

"Boys" Miko groaned "They don't even care that there's someone new here, as long as they get to go off with their 'bots."

Crystal laughed, sticking with Miko and Bulkhead, watching the Hoedown Showdown. But the text she received kept bugging her.

Miko looked over at her "Who keeps texting you?"

"Uhm..." She stammered. "J-Just... Someone..."

"Who could be more important than Bulk and me?" It wasn't that Miko was self-absorbed in any way...she was just, Miko."Heh... No one!" Crystal replied sheepishly .Miko shifted uncomfortably. "It wasn't.......Vince? Was it?"

"No! Yes!.... Maybe?" She squeaked, then softly flipped open her cellphone and showed her the text.

Miko growled "Why is that.....why is he harassing you, NOW?" She glared at text angrily.

"B-because he... He used to be my boyfriend and he... W-well... He still tries to g-go out with me..."

Miko frowned "Why would you even talk to him after...."

"I-I try not to... B-but somehow... He always finds me out..."

Miko grumbled..... "Wish Knock Out would run him of the road. " Bulkhead chided "Mikooo..." The girl sighed angrily, tears welling up in her eyes "Really Bulk? REALLY??? After what he did to me......and Crystal......You didn't wish that just once?" Bulkhead only sighed.

"Knockout?" She tried to change the subject. Honestly, she still cared for Vince deeply. She felt so confused...

"Decepticon scum...." Miko gritted through her teeth."Oh..." She trailed off, briefly rereading his text. 'Hey babe hru? Wht do u think of u and me Fri. @ movies?'

Miko read over her. "You can't tell me you're actually thinking of going?...Are you?"

Miko unconsciously moved closer to Bulkhead all this raw emotion getting to her. "Breathe Miko....atta girl. Easy." Bulkhead coached, as though he'd done this a million times before, and it was starting to feel like he had. He rubbed her back softly with his servo.

"Yes- I mean n-no! I mean... I... I... Don't... Know." She stammered, finding it hard to breathe herself. Miko looked her in he eye. "How can you, after what he did.....?? H--How can you stand to be near him?!?"

"Because I-.... He... We... We were in love and I.... I think I still... I mean, I-I can't stand t-to be near him, but... Some part of me still cares..." She admitted.

Miko stared at her blankly, shocked "You.......After what he DID?!?" the small girl shook, rage and fear and disbelief washing over her, Bulkhead wrapping a protective arm around Miko silently.

Crystal looked away, ashamed and closed her eyes, curling up her legs tightly against herself and letting Miko take out her frustrations on her. Miko blinked slowly seeing the girl's reaction. "Crystal? It's Ok Crystal!" Miko sat beside her, scooping the girl into her lap and stroking her hair.

"I-I'm sorry... I know what he's done... you're lucky someone was there to rescue you... he did a whole lot more to me..." She closed her eyes. "I-I should have seen it coming... I could've stopped him if I'd known... w-we share the same class, Vince, you and I... I should've known!"

Miko only held the girl tighter. "I'm sorry no one was there for you. I'm so sorry. I always thought I could have stopped him too, I was too....preoccupied....to even see his true intentions."

She sniffled a bit. "I should've known he'd be trouble." She closed her eyes and gently pushed herself away. "I'll be fine... I've dealt with him for the past three months, I can handle him now."

Miko shook her head fiercely. "I've said the same thing.....I should have seen, should have known better....I didn't. Don't beat yourself up, and don't be too stubborn to accept help when it's offered." the small girl sighed softly.

Crystal looked at her and grinned slightly. "Yeah... don't ditch the help when you got it." She sighed. "Let's just drop the subject and keep watching the Hoedown Showdown."

Miko nodded. "Got it, you don't wanna talk about it, M'kay. Gotcha....just...stay away from Vince K'ay? Bulk can't always be there." She sighed "He almost wasn't there for me." her eyes fell softly to her lap, the pair could feel Bulk tense behind them ex-venting heavily.

"Uhh..." Crystal quickly trailed off by yanking out a small pen and taking it apart, and in the span of a few seconds putting it back together. She did this a couple times and gave it a couple clicks, making sure it still worked.

The small Japanese girl smiled slowly "That's pretty neat, how you can do that, n all" Nara smiled. "Thanks... I like putting things back together; patching them up and stuff." She giggled a bit, fiddling around with a mechanical pencil now.

She grinned "Sounds like something Doc Bot would say." Ratchet groaned from somewhere back in the base, overhearing. Even Bulkhead had relaxed a little and snickered softly.

She giggled. "Poor Doc Bot !" She said, easily putting back the mechanical pencil in 10 seconds flat.