When All Lights Go Out I (TFP)

Chapter 6

Ratchet walked over as Azura positioned the chair by the passenger door in preparation to move herself into the seat. He looked at Optimus curiously. "I would have assumed you would want to go with them."

"I think she will be fine with just Bee and Cliff watching over her," Optimus responded calmly as he watched Azura lift herself from the chair and move herself into the passenger seat. He smiled as the way she moved herself into the seat without help was impressive to him. "We can't be too over the top, Ratchet. Otherwise, we could draw the attention of the decepticons a lot sooner."

"Hmm...I guess you are right..." Ratchet said as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He looked down as Azura folded the wheelchair and moved it into the backseat. "I guess I had thought..."

Optimus turned to his friend. "Ratchet, I think it is best that we do not smother, Azura. She is still getting used to us, and getting used to the fact we've essentially adopted her into our family." Azura looked up at Optimus as he said that before Cliff closed the door. He glanced at the bot as Cliff drove away, followed by Bee out of the base. Optimus let out a soft exhale. "Plus...we need to make this transition easier for her."

Bulkhead looked at Optimus in shock at those words. "Uh...what exactly do you mean by that, Optimus?" The leader looked at Bulkhead before he looked away. "No offence, Optimus, but I have noticed how you have been interacting with Azura. For some reason, it comes across as though you are treating her sort of like your own child." Bulkhead noticed Optimus's hands clench and unclenched quickly, and he widened his optics. "Oh..."

Meanwhile, Azura was sitting in the chair in shock. She had not expected Optimus to basically say they had adopted her into their family. She knew she would be in their care, but adopted...that was a word she had longed to hear for a long time. And yet, hearing it from Optimus directly felt...different. The fact she still felt like she knew the bots even before she had met them still made her unsure. Bee's theory that it could be the crystal she had was valid, but she did worry that it was not just the crystal. There could be a lot more than she realized.

Cliffjumper drove onto the road and Azura smiled as she squints from the light of the afternoon sun. She winds the window down and closed her eyes as the wind blew through her hair. This definitely allowed her to just forget about her thoughts for a short time. The air was warm and dry as it tickled her skin and blew through her hair. Azura could smell the sand of the desert, and she felt really happy at the moment. She was happy that she suggested to go for a drive.

"Thank you, Cliff," Azura said, opening her eyes and smiling at the dash. "You have been a wonderful friend to me. You and Bee have been awesome! I hope that we can do other things once my legs and back are all good."

"It has been nothing, kid," Cliff responded kindly. "Seeing you happy and thriving with us is rather nice. If it weren't for the decepticons, we probably would be doing something else anyway." Azura nodded in agreement before placing her elbow on the door and stared out. "You have something else on your mind?"

"I guess..." She shrugged a little as she watched the world go by as Cliff continued to drive. "Is it true that you guys see me as adopted? I highly doubt there have been any papers filled out or anything."

"Technically, we don't need to sign anything to consider you adopted. Just by taking you in and ensuring you are looked after with a newfound family is enough to be considered adopted. To us it is anyway." The listened to him, though she continued to stare out of the window. "Azura, I am sure you probably wish your life was different. But so do I. I wish I wasn't on this planet, I want to be back on Cybertron and return to the great races we used to have on Cybertron." She glanced at the dash as she listened to him. "But life sucks."