Chapter XIV

She had no idea how long she slept for, but Nicole knew it had been a very long time. Once her eyes opened fully, she tried to think about where she was. She was actually sitting in a tub, filled with a deep blue liquid that had such a peaceful aroma that she would fall asleep again. She looked over to see a hand just barely in the strange water and knew immediately that it was her favorite mech.

Before she could do anything to wake him up, Perceptor came into the room to check on her. He smiled as he saw that she was awake and safe.

"Hey, dude," she said.

"Hello, Nicole," he replied. Both looked over to Jytter. He was laying across the floor, parallel to the tub. His arm draped over the edge of the tub. "He hasn't left, you know. He's been here ever since you came in. He really cares about you."

"I know," Nicole smiled. She moved her left hand up so it could touch Jytter's. The fingers twitched a bit and then curled to wrap around her wrist. "Good morning to you, too."

"Mmh…" Jytter looked up at Nicole with lazy eyes. A cute little smile came across his face, making her giggle. "It's nice seeing your face first thing."

"Aww, ain't you sweet?" she teased, putting a hand on his cheek. He held it there and stared at her for a long time.

"You feeling better?" he asked.

"Depends. Am I sick?"

"You had a lot of internal damage, thanks to Shrapnel's bite," Perceptor answered. "Insecticons are built with parasites that infect an organic's body, thus making it hard to even try and breathe. You're lucky that Jytter found you soon enough before that happened."

"So what's with the tub…and…am I naked?! Dude, you can't stop stripping me, can you?!" Nicole screamed. Perceptor looked over at Jytter, indicating that it wasn't him that did the stripping. Nicole's shocked eyes focused on her lover as his face seemed to create a tint of red.

"Sorry…" he said shyly.

"You are so lucky you're cute…" she growled. "Next time, you ask permission before you do anything else! That clear?"

"Transparently. May I kiss you?"

Nicole laughed for the heck of it. "Sure! Why not? The knight gets a kiss from the princess."

Jytter leaned in over the tub to kiss her. They held it for five full seconds and let go.

"More like a goddess," he whispered. Nicole shrieked inside her own head at the cuteness and bit her lip. As if knowing what she was thinking, Jytter chuckled.

"Nicole?" Perceptor interrupted. "I need to speak to you in private. Jytter?"

The orange mech's face looked down at the floor, then back to Nicole, giving a sad look. The girl was about to ask what was wrong, but he already walked out of the room, the door closing behind him. Perceptor stood in front of Nicole's vision and took a breath.

"I have some bad news, or good news, whichever you would prefer," he started. "I had promised you that you would be back home in time for school. In three days, high school begins."

Nicole's eyes filled with silent tears as she stared at her caretaker. She was going home? At last? The studies were finished, she was able to go home! But that also meant leaving Jytter, her one friend that could never be replaced. She was going to leave him forever, and, in time, forget who he was. Perceptor established the memory issue.

"To make sure you don't give any hints that we exist, I'll have to erase your memory and fill them with generated others. You won't remember any of this."

Nicole's throat had choked up, not knowing what to say. She would argue the fact that they would erase her memories-- erasing Jytter-- but with everything else, the Autobots wanted to play it safe and make sure she wouldn't flap her mouth about anything that happened.

"We're giving you one more day here. You can do whatever you like as long as you follow regular rules. Understood?"

"Yeah, I get it…"

"Good. You're clothes are hanging over there. Get dressed and Jytter will meet you in your room."

Whoa, you don't mind if he's in my room? Perceptor, where was that attitude a couple days ago when he was hurt? Nicole stood up from the tub after Perceptor left, the sweet-smelling, blue liquid dripping off her body. She grabbed a towel and dried every inch she could get to. The girl threw the towel across the room and walked over to her clothes. All the time, she was thinking of how to spend her last day with her best friend and her first lover.

* * *

Jytter sat outside on the steps, wondering how Nicole might've taken the news. She had to be devastated, right? He was her only friend since she came in for the studies. But what if she was happy? Hadn't he tried his best to be a friend when he was just someone to hang with? Primus, what's a mech to do?

"Jytter bug," said a sing-song voice. The orange 'bot turned his body around to see Nicole dressed in baggy clothes, making her look like a tomboy. "Hey."

"Hi. So?"

"Well, to be honest, I have no idea what to think." Nicole walked down the steps with him and they started strolling together, not knowing where they were going. "I want to go home, I really do. I miss the trees, birds, blue sky everyday and a moon every night. But I don't want to lose you. You've become so close to me that you're practically inside me."

Jytter chuckled at the sentence as he remembered what his other side had told him about their first kiss. He scratched his head, looking for the right words.

"Heh?" Nicole repeated. "What does 'heh' mean?"

"It means that was more accurate than you think," he said, smiling at her. "I know it sounds crazy, but right now, you've got cybertronuim running through your bloodstream because of me."

"You mean…when the…and we…?" Nicole had no words. Jytter just nodded his head and came in for another kiss. The girl yelped at the unexpected motion, but eased when she felt a sense of calamity rush through her. She put her arms around Jytter's neck, making him lean in closer and his own arms placed around her waist. A single moan from his throat and Nicole felt a surge of power finding its way inside her. She tried to let go, to make it stop, but Jytter held her neck so that she couldn't escape. She didn't have any choice but to keep kissing the mech.

The blood inside her rushed around like fish downstream. Everything felt wild and her brain started to spin with the overload. Jytter was the dominator in this part and kept holding her, letting his body tell her to never let go, that he didn't want her to go. The feeling ran across Nicole's body as she felt shivers of that same power wrap around her insides and take over. Her Cybertronian half told her stay and be with Jytter for the rest of her life, but the human within kept screaming that she didn't belong here and to go back to Earth right now! Of course, the Cybertronian followed Jytter's example and was the majority inside the girl.

Jytter suddenly let go of the kiss, allowing her to breathe. It was obvious he wanted to hold that kiss longer, but Nicole needed some air first. Instead, he started kissing her neck and trailing licks from that point to her ear. Nicole groaned at the feeling of it and her rational side kicked in hard.

"WHOA! Red flag!" she said, releasing herself from Jytter's grasp and holding up a time-out sign with her hands. Jytter's face held confusion and she laughed. "The licking? Over the top, okay? I would only let my husband do that."

"You have a husband?!"

"NO! Hell no! I meant when (or if) I get husband!"

"Oh…I'm sorry."

"It's okay, man. But next time, if you try that again, I'm getting a big ass can of bug spray and knock you down until you scream 'uncle', okay?"

"You go, girl!" he said in a goofy, enthusiastic kind of way. He put his arm around Nicole and asked what she wanted to do.

"No clue…I think we've might've had enough fun, but I want this last day to be great! I don't care if I remember it or not, I want to make it special."

"But like you said, there's nothing to do around this entire planet that would probably involve a human. We don't even have amusement parks for Primus' sake!"

"Y'all suck…What if we just take a walk? You know, pick up on things we don't know about each other. And this time you don't have to have any excuses; you're telling me about the D-cons, no mater what happens!"

"Eh, I guess…"

Nicole saw the sadness and rejection in his optics and cupped his face to make it turn and look at her.

"I love you, all right? I love for who you are and just for loving me for me. Who cares if you were a Decepticon, I love you and I'll never stop."

"But you won't even remember any of this."

"Make me, Jytter."

* * *

The whole day went by fast, so fast that they named it after the fast-talking speedster, Blurr. Perceptor had agreed with Nicole to let Jytter spend the night for one last time. The teenagers ran to her room, Jytter tackling Nicole on top of the bed.

"Quit it!" she laughed. The orange mech ignored her and started to tickle the girl. "AH! Stop! Ha-ha-ha! YAH!"

"You know you like it," Jytter teased, tickling her some more. Nicole tried to fit into a ball to escape the touches, but Jytter always found his way to another tickle spot that was open to him.

"Ah, you're killing me!" she shouted playfully. She laughed so hard that it made Jytter laugh, too. Once he decided that was enough, he stopped tickling her and rested his body against hers, his head on her chest, listening to her fast heartbeat.

Nicole had to take in a few breaths before she spoke. "Oh, good Lord…"

"I wore you out, didn't I?"

"Ya think?"

Jytter chuckled some more. He moved his head so he was looking straight up at Nicole, and she was looking over at him. Both were smiling and both forgot that tomorrow was her last day, until it finally busted through the mech's mind. He moved his body up so he was eye-level with her head and started stroking her hair.

"Are you scared?" he asked.

"About leaving Cybertron? No. But leaving you? I'm terrified."

Jytter kissed the side of her head and whispered into her ear. "It'll be okay. You'll see."

Nicole wanted to argue. She loved Jytter all too much to be taken away; she told him that. The girl wanted so badly to stay here with him and to keep each other company. She even saw in the mech's blue optics that he loved her enough to make her happy forever. Nicole had always felt picky about having a boyfriend and then marrying him; that he would cheat on her someday when he went through mid-life crisis. But she knew, deep down in there, Jytter wouldn't be able to do that. His love was meant for her, always was and will be until the ends of time.

* * *

Nicole didn't remember falling asleep, but she knew she did once she heard a rough sound somewhere in her room. She sat up on the bed and looked at Jytter. Holy crap, he was snoring…

"Silly Billy…" she muttered as she got out of bed. She looked around to see that all of her stuff was gone, cleared out, and making the room look very dull and full of space that begged to be stuffed up.

"Jytter?" she said, shaking his arm. The mech groaned and rolled to the side. "Come on, Mr. Lonely, you've got a girl waiting on you to get your aft up and running before I do it for ya!!!" The last part of that she hollered in his audio, making him wake up suddenly and fall off the side of the bed with a loud thump.

"What is wrong with you?!" he exaggerated.

"It's seven twenty-nine, and Perceptor said I was leaving at eight. You have to be there to watch me leave!"

"No! It'll be too painful for me."

"Jytter, the last face I want to see is yours when they erase all my memories of the last month. I'd really want you to be the one that holds my hand when they do that. Please?" se begged. Jytter looked at her face, full of pity and making him fall into that same-old sympathy crap.

"Fine, I'll do it. If that's what you want."

"Yay!" Nicole wrapped her arms around his neck, almost choking him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Gah, you're welcome already!"

"You're not much of a morning person, are you?"

"Only if it's a rude awakening."

"My bad…"

Jytter turned his back on her as she was getting dressed. She still didn't like it that he was the second mech to see her naked, and in just a month's time at that. When she was finished, Perceptor came in to lead them to where Nicole was to have her memories replaced. The girl's heart trembled at the thought of forgetting her lover. Now she didn't want to go home. Staying here would be the best thing ever, but she'd just be in the way all the time. There was no room for organics on Cybertron, take it or leave it.

Perceptor led them into the room, with Optimus Prime and Alpha Trion already there to tell her good-bye.

"On behalf of Cybertron, we were glad to have to have you here. Not just for our studies, but for showing us, um…how did that go again, Jazz?" Alpha Trion turned to the white mech for some help.

"Is called 'getting down'," he answered.

"Right, right…"

"Nicole," Optimus spoke. The girl looked at Prime, failing to hold back tears. "It's been a pleasure knowing you, and I'm sorry we had to do this."

"I understand, sir," Nicole whimpered, sniffing and trying to speak correctly. She knew she had to say something more, but that was pretty much it. The girl looked over to Jytter, purple energon coming form his optics.

"No, don't look," he sniffed. He covered his face, but Nicole removed them.

"It's rare to see a guy cry," she said. "That's really what a girl wants to see; that the man's sensitive enough to care for her. Thanks for being there."

"Y--You're welcome," Jytter cried. He put his arms around Nicole to give her one last hug. "You be safe now, okay?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll be okay, you'll see."

"Hopefully I do."

Nicole's tears came in hotter and faster, racing down her face and splashing softly to the floor. Jytter wiped some away and smiled at her. Nicole smiled back and turned to face the machine that was going to take away Cybertron, the month, and Jytter, away from her mind.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you…more than words can say," he whispered back. Nicole's throat choked up again as she walked forward towards the table. She laid down and had Alpha Trion fix the helmet onto her head. Jytter walked up and looked down at her. He leaned in to give her a kiss. It made Nicole's heart jump another beat and have her head say "What are you doing?! Get out! You love him!"

"Bye, Nicole," Jytter whispered.

"Good-bye, Jytter," Nicole whimpered as her vision became a flash and saw her memories change right before her eyes.

The girl woke up back home, laying on her bed and the alarm blaring in her ear. She moaned and reached across the table to find the snooze button. Knowing that it was going to turn off again, the girl lazily got up from the bed and walked over to her messy closet.

"Nicole, are you awake?" her mom called from the living room.

"Yes, Mom!" she shouted back. What a weird dream that was.

* * *

Back on Cybertron, Jytter stared out of his bedroom window. Hours ago, Optimus accepted him as an Autobot recruit and made him a guard for the base. But all the mech could think about was Nicole. Oh, she would've jumped for joy knowing that he was on the right side, like he should've been, but she wasn't here to share the unmade joy.

Perceptor walked in, to check and see if he was awake. The red scientist automatically knew what the youngling was thinking.

"I am sorry, Jytter," he said.

"It's not you're fault."

"I have a question: If it was any other girl we had for studies, do you think you might've fallen in love with her?"

"No, absolutely not," Jytter replied without hesitation.

"Oh. You're guarding area three this morning. Cliffjumper will take over your shift at lunch, then you report to the main hall. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. I expect to see you there." With that said, Perceptor walked out of the room. Jytter sat down and slumped on his berth. He spotted something at te corner of his optic and looked. He grabbed the object lying on top of the small desk and sniffed.

Nicole's lime hair-tie still held her scent.

xXx

Brianna: Aww, come on, now, reader, don't cry! *hands you tissue* Blow yer nose...uh, no, you can keep that... But, hey, I got some good news for ya! The only thing that'll make me write a sequel is because Shrapnel didn't die. Yeah, you right! I'M-ONNA MAKE A SEQUEL! God, I'm having a total Brainwave moment going on here. How 'bout you, Alythia? Since you're the only one here who really knows that story...

K.I.T. for the sequel!

You know what's weird? I have that lime green hair tie sitting right next to me as I typed this and didn't even see it there...ooh wee woo!