Summer of Sorrow ✅

Ch. 4 Criminal

Drift's P.O.V. 
My fear that Jamie will get into the weapons room is short-lived as she runs by the hall. Now I worry if she's looking to open a portal to her dimension and leave Crosshairs and me behind as we rush to catch her. I'd rather not tackle her, but I'm worried about what she's thinking about doing. Quickly, I get her to the floor in a hug on my lap. I didn't think she'd start crying. 
"It's ok," I try to assure her. 
I don't think Jamie feels insulted, but what was said has done other damage. Crosshairs helps me up, and we take Jamie to our room. 

I don't want her to fall asleep again, but that's what often happens when Jamie cries like this. We sit on the couch with Jamie on my lap, trying to get her to calm down. I don't know if we should wait until Friday to go to Jamie's dimension.  

Getting Jamie to calm down is a challenge, and I think nothing we say will help. Crosshairs leaves to get food for the three of us. I notice Sunstreaker texted me to ask if Jamie is ok five minutes ago. 
Drift: no, and I don't want anyone to come here for now.
I know Sunstreaker doesn't like this answer, but Jamie will not like visitors.  

Optimus Prime's P.O.V. 
Crosshairs isn't liking that I want to see Jamie. I don't want to order him to let me see her, but I need to now. Crosshairs agrees, though worried. 
"How do you feel about this?" I ask, "not just what happened, but how Drift loves Jamie." 
Crosshairs is puzzled about the timing of this question and sighs, "it's hard seeing how much Jamie struggles, and it's been getting worse every year. I don't think it was long after the KSI scrap. I felt like Drift, Jamie and I are a family. Even after Drift told me he loves Jamie. Oddly, I wasn't sparkbroken. By then, I felt like the three of us are a family, and I'm still with the mech I love, even if it's not romantic, even though I only realized this during the Christmas vacation. I know this makes little sense...." 
"It makes sense to me and everyone else here. I think the new soldiers think you two adopted Jamie, and they know you two are her guardians." 

Drift sits on the couch with Jamie on his lap, resting her head on his shoulder. I see so much hurt in Jamie's eyes, and there's not much I can say. My hug won't be any better, but she lets me take her from Drift. It's a quiet few minutes before I put Jamie back on Drift's lap and leave, uncertain about what I could have said to her. I hope to talk to Drift alone. 

Ratchet and Rung are concerned about Jamie after what happened in the cafeteria. The question is, what else can we do that we haven't been? We know Crosshairs and Drift are also thinking this way. 
"They're hiding something," Ratchet claims.
"I don't think they are. They'd rather keep it private," I point out.
I don't think Drift thinks he'd be told no, but he knows Jamie's mental state is a problem. 
"Something else adding to her hurt," Ratchet sighs, "now it makes sense, but I can't believe it..." 
I can't believe Jamie is hurting this much. I really hope this vacation will help her. In the meantime, we'll figure out other ways to help her. 

"Do you know if they're ok?" Sunstreaker asks me. 
I know he means Crosshairs, Drift, and Jamie. 
"As ok as they can be." 

Sunstreaker's P.O.V. 
That fleshie must pay. Who knows what damage they've done? I worry Crosshairs and Drift are thinking this vacation will be like December. I hope Sideswipe and Lily aren't too worried. 
I have until Monday to deal with this fleshie. 
Sunstreaker: do you want to see if playing video games with Like and Sideswipe will help? 
Drift: maybe later...
I can tell from the text that he's uncertain. I know he will not let Lily, Sideswipe, and I go with them this weekend. 
I wish we could help them. Sideswipe says through the bond. 
I know everyone who knows Jamie wants to help, and it's not like her guardians don't want us to. You understand the concerns and how happiness would turn to heartbreak. 
With Lily and Sideswipe playing video games, I go find that scumbag. 

To my surprise, the fleshie is in the brig. I doubt what they did was enough to be arrested, so why the brig? They've just made my work much easier. 
Optimus and Prowl walk in. There's a place I can hide. 
"Ok, Jonathan, we will let you out if you talk to Rung," Optimus tells him. 
"Fuck off!" 
"Fine, you're here until Monday," Prowl tells him.
What would he say if we weren't going on a trip? Oddly, they want to wait until Jamie isn't here. 
Once Optimus and Prowl leave, I go to Mirage's office. 

"Don't ask," Mirage says while looking at a file, "because I have his file right here." 
"Already?" 
"Would you like it better if I said it's because that scumbag attacked Jamie? Or that this was easy? That glitch has a criminal record. Though I don't think therefore he verbally attacked Jamie." 
"The scumbag abuses woman, I say that's why," I comment, reading this guy's criminal record, "unfortunately, verbal abuse isn't a crime. I don't think we can argue he'll keep doing this."
This glitch is dead tonight. 

Crosshairs and Drift take Jamie to the cafeteria for dinner, but she doesn't want to watch T.V. or play video games in the lounge room. It's concerning that Drift won't allow us in their room to do either.  

It's eleven at night, and I need to gather some things to deal with Jonathan,
I don't make it far down the hall before Crosshairs stops me and lets me see his two sleeping friends. 
"She fell asleep early and after a nap." 
"I only hope the vacation helps these two," Crosshairs sighs. 
I worry he will be up all night, but I must deal with the scumbag. Not like he'll let me stay in the room.