Teach Me How To Feel {Smokescreen}

Chapter 10

I own none of the characters except for Starlight.

Starlight drove next to Smokescreen through the canyons of Jasper, Nevada. It was peaceful. The two could speed along and not worry about any Earth people getting in their way. Starlight watched Smokescreen as he swerved in between rocks and switched from her right side to her left constantly. Her mind was swirling with so many thoughts. “Hey Star”, a voice said bringing her out of her trance. “What is your request?”, she said her voice a little shaky. “Wanna race to end of the canyon?” “Request granted”. She sped up, leaving the Elite Guard in the dust. Smokescreen crept up behind her. The 2 had a hard fought battle but Starlight came up victorious. “Wow, Wheeljack sure did program you to be fast”. Starlight felt that thumping sensation in her chassis again. “Requesting return to base”, she said feeling her systems overload. She transformed and stopped dead in her tracks. She could feel her systems over heating. Smokescreen came up behind her and transformed. “Are you alright?”, he asked putting a servo on her shoulder. Her optics faded out of focus and he caught her before she could hit the ground. She shook her helm softly as she turned in his arms. Starlight blinked back online and quickly jumped out of his embrace. “Systems are fine. Request to continue drive”, she said transforming speeding off. She didn’t know what had come over her. Everytime she was around him, she got this strange feeling and her systems crashed. She just couldn’t keep herself together. He pulled up next to her as she slowed down. “Are you sure you’re alright? We can go back to base if you want to”. “Status: All systems functioning properly”, she said back to him. “Well if you say so”.

The 2 bots returned to base a short time later. They both transformed at the same time and Starlight tripped a little and fell to her side. Smokescreen caught her and put her upright. She looked at him innocently and he smiled at her. The beating in her chassis grew so loudly that she couldn’t hear herself at all. The strange feeling returned and she dropped to her knees. “Not again”, she heard a voice above her. Wheeljack was there now and he and Smokescreen helped her into the med bay. “Star, I’m putting you in the med bay”. She just nodded as they placed her down on the berth. She kept her optics closed as she repaired herself. She could feel her systems getting back to normal functioning ranges. Starlight had gotten so comfortable that she didn’t feel herself slip into stasis mode. 

She woke up a little while later to voices above her. “But Wheeljack you can’t just deactivate her systems”, said a familar voice. It was Smokescreen. Starlight kept her optics closed so she could hear what was going on. “She’s imperfect Smokes. Everytime she’s around you her system goes on the fritz. I didn’t program her systems to understand emotions and she’s going to continue to shut down unless she gets rid of whatever she has going on”, she heard Wheeljack say. Starlight tensed in her position. ‘Shut down?’ “Listen, Wheeljack don’t shut her down. I have a propositon for you”, Smokescreen said. Star’s audio receptors perked up to hear. “Give me 2 weeks to teach her how to feel and if I can’t do it you can do whatever you want with her but give me a chance. I think I can change her”