(c) Hasbro/Takara

02/27/2011 - Edits DONE! I think... I've made it about as good as it can be without having to re-write the story. Here's to looking forward and learning from mistakes and stumbles.

Final note: Thanks to everyone just for reading, even through the ups and downs in quality. This story took a while, but I'm proud to at least have finished it, even if there are things that I would change if I were to do it again. This was really just something fun I did for myself, but I'm happy that at least some people got enjoyment out of it. I realize there are more popular stories out there, but it's just nice to be able to share and know that at least one person had a look.

I would like to continue writing, so there may be a continuation story on the way tentatively titled "Pendulum's Fall." I haven't worked out a lot of the details yet, but I'm hoping to avoid the nonsense plot loops that I got caught up in this time around, and do a better job with Allison (not having to re-write large chunks of story comes to mind). Please stay tuned.

Speech in italics = com talk

I did my best with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker for the brief amount of time they're here. Once again, I'm taking some liberties with canon, so this is kind of my interpretation. And we'll just pretend this medically makes sense.

Much love and thanks again! -Disgruntled Cola

"Come on Ratchet, you know you missed us."

The cheerful, almost cocky observation over the shared com was enough to grate on Ratchet's already tested nerves and make him shudder with the nervous tension he was feeling. If Sideswipe wanted to play that game and make things worse, then fine.

"About as much as being stepped on by a gestalt," Ratchet grunted in response.

"That much, huh?" The red Autobot currently driving haphazardly along his flank was completely unfazed by the medic's sarcasm. In fact, he only seemed to find it encouraging, and continued to drive along side Ratchet as if he wanted to be tormented. Autobot or not, Sideswipe and his brother simply loved to mess with him.

"I still think bringing you spark-punks along was a bad idea. But orders are orders, and I trust Prime's judgment," Ratchet said curtly, cycling air within his systems out of sheer frustration. "If not his taste in backup" he added testily. If Prime was listening in on the conversation he didn't let it be known. Ratchet knew that Prime would never let his amusement show, opting to appear outwardly neutral. He would simply let them carry on, like he always did, unless things turned exceptionally disastrous.

If the twins were known for anything, it was their constant disruptions. If they were not rigging up some horrendous prank that inevitably led to the physical harm of some poor unsuspecting Autobot, it was them in pieces in his med-bay. It seemed whatever they did, they were always getting themselves or others in trouble, and it was always up to Ratchet to clean up after them. Or, in some cases, put them back together. And of course all they would do is complain about it, much to Ratchet's displeasure. He'd long ago stopped trying to discourage them. Whatever lecture he served up generally went out the other audio anyway.

"C'mon Ratchet, just say it..."

Sideswipe had sidled up next to his brother, who was surprisingly mute during the whole affair. That could either be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on one's perspective. Silence generally meant that Sideswipe's yellow and black counterpart was in a foul mood, and that was often less desirable an alternative.

Ratchet had no doubt that Sunstreaker likely felt it beneath him and a waste of his precious time to come to Allison's aid, and was now going to pout about it for the duration of their journey. Sideswipe by comparison was practically the complete opposite, which was all the stranger considering they were Spark-twin brothers. Sunstreaker was haughty, arrogant, and at times a crude pain in the afterburner. His brother on the other hand was usually the instigator of their shenanigans, and had about as much common sense and class as an exhaust pipe. But he at least knew when it was appropriate to be serious and keep his mouth shut. At the very least, he seemed to have a shred of humanity to him. His brother did not, which was somewhat unsettling, making it well known that he found most human affairs completely uninteresting.

The Autobots didn't like to talk much about Sunstreaker, partially because if the Autobot warrior ever found out, that was a guaranteed trip to the medbay, sometimes in pieces. Still, he had proven his usefulness often enough, and with Sideswipe there to balance his brother's aggression and keep him in check, Ratchet did not question his loyalty to the Autobot cause and what they stood for. He would do what was necessary and what was asked of him, but not without complaint. Even so, it was no secret that Sunstreaker had certain distaste for the planet and its natural inhabitants, even if it was just a front for a deeper psychosis.

Which was part of the reason why Ratchet was uncertain as to how well the rendezvous was going to go. If Sunstreaker was already in a bad mood, then there was no telling how he would treat Allison, who was, as Sunstreaker would call it, a mere flesh bag. There was no doubt that Allison would not find the term endearing, and neither would Wheeljack.

Thankfully he wouldn't have to linger on that thought long, as they were nearing the the valley where they were to meet up with Wheeljack and his human. Ratchet felt that it couldn't be any sooner, for the way Sideswipe was taking full advantage of the road it was some type of Primus-willed miracle that they had not earned themselves an audience.

"So..." Sideswipe began again over the com, his voice almost tentative, but curious. "Is she hot?" Ratchet nearly swerved off the road in disbelief.

"What the-"

"Boys, cram a sparkplug into it." Arcee finally chose that moment to say something. Up until this point she had opted to remain quiet, riding silently from her position close to Ratchet. She would be lying if she tried to deny she was getting some amusement from the twins giving the older Autobot a hard time, but she also wanted to be close enough in case Ratchet decided to put an axe into Sideswipe's windshield. Not that she could blame him after that little comment.

"Hey," Sunstreaker said slyly, finally entering the shared conversation over the com. "I think you upset Ratchet, brother. We gotta be careful about what we say in front his lady, you know?"

"My what?" Ratchet spluttered.

"You two!" Arcee shouted, sternly. "Enough. Primus, I'd forgotten your manners needed such a fine-tuning..." She said with all the delicacy of a mother scolding her children. Ratchet scowled internally.

"I'd say there's a lot more then that needing a fine-tuning," he grumbled caustically.

"Hey, no problem here, I was just curious, you know. I mean if that crazy old mech can bag a femme, then there's hope for anyone, right? It was an honest question..." Sideswipe almost pouted.

"You couldn't bag a Decepticon corpse..." Sunstreaker added dryly. His dull tone made it hard to tell if he was being sarcastic or simply trying to instigate a fight. Sideswipe didn't pay it a second thought, which was just one more of his talents: Ignoring his brother.

"Admit it, you want to know what she looks like too. Primus, a squishy little femme. This is just like Bumblebee all over again-"

"That squishy little femme has a name, and believe you me if you talk like this in front of Wheeljack, he'll have you on his dissecting table, cutting open those flashy turbocharged boosters of yours and using your spark casing as an energon tray. And I just might let him." Ratchet said with feigned disinterest in the prospect.

Optimus Prime finally chose that moment to delicately interrupt their little conversation.

"Now all of you, let's stay focused. I am detecting a disturbance from up ahead." Prime rumbled
with a sense of urgency.

"Disturbance?" Sideswipe's interest was peaked, and much to Ratchet's disdain the younger Autobot even sounded excited, despite the sheer danger of the situation that he knew was present. Sideswipe, and even Prime to some degree had not been here. They didn't know what truly had been happening, or at least had not experienced it first hand: Starscream's focused brutality and perverse interest in Allison, and Soundwave's silent violence that had tormented the human even though she would have never admitted it. Not to mention the utter calamity she had undoubtedly experienced at her office building and Wheeljack's haphazardly thrown-together safe house before Arcee had intervened.

Ratchet wasn't stupid, and despite the fact that Allison thought she had been hiding her emotions well, her human eyes betrayed more than she could have ever imagined. Her imbalanced chemical levels and fluctuating vitals told a richer story that words never could, even if she had decided to purge her feelings. Wheeljack could mask it by being stubbornly indifferent, even casual about getting blasted to pieces, and Allison would play along, but it was more than obvious that she was terrified. Ratchet never shared his much more finely-tuned observations with Wheeljack, because he knew it would only turn the engineer into an even bigger smothering basket case than he was already shaping up to be.

Even though none of them knew this, Ratchet felt the need for respect begged him not to share any of these observations. Prime could get his report later in the privacy of his office. Allison could tell Wheeljack her entire galaxy-worth of feelings if and when she ever felt like it. Right now, there was a new sensation of alarm amongst the convoy, only intensified by Prime's next confirmation.

"Decepticon."

"Slag-it," Ratchet spat angrily, increasing his speed to level-out with Prime. "They don't stand a chance if they're out-numbered." Ratchet knew that Wheejack was no frail-flower and was more than capable of handling himself in battle. Wheeljack may have been more of a pacifist at the Spark, but he knew that the scientist would defend Allison to the death if necessary, and he would not be shy to hold back. However, even Bond-induced instinct would not be able to hold off an army of Decepticon forces, no matter how mad the engineer was.

"Odd, I am only detecting one Decepticon presence..." Optimus Prime observed as they entered the valley, the sprawling rendezvous point in sight. Incredulous, Ratchet began his own scan of the area and surprisingly came up with the very same result. Only one Decepticon...

"How can that..." Ratchet began, but stopped short as an explosion rocked the fairground, a glowing plume of fire blossoming up from the ground and into the sky. The receding echo of the blast shook the valley as the column of fire gave way to angry black smoke, covering the grounds like a renegade storm cloud.

"Hurry!" Ratchet heard the words escape him audibly before he even realized that he was speaking, hoping that they were not too late. The convoy urged forward, Ratchet's constant scan only bringing up two, lonely hits. One Autobot, and one Decepticon. There were no other discernible heat signatures in the vicinity, only the fragmented hints of discharged weaponry and fire. That was not good.

"Prime, I need to find Allison. I'm not picking her up anywhere..." Ratchet's voice was stilted with the tense fear of the reality of what he was about to find. Optimus Prime's silent affirmative was only followed by focused silence as they charged into the already opened gates of the fairground. It was not hard to follow the destruction, but they relied on internal scans to pinpoint the most recent location to see blaster fire. It was oddly quiet.

"Fraggin' Decepticon scum..." Sideswipe muttered to none of them in particular as they blasted through the wreckage consisting of broken and warped pieces of what had previously been infrastructure. Ratchet skidded to a stop and transformed, his momentum carrying him forward a few steps into the carnage. The rest of them followed suit, and immediately fanned out to cover more ground.

"Spread out," Prime commanded, pulling his blaster around from it's resting position on his back. "We need to find Wheeljack and his charge immediately."

Ratchet did not need to be told twice as he began picking through the wreckage, scanning every available frequency and space of ground that he could for some kind of sign. He sidestepped what looked like a small passenger car amidst the wreckage. Slightly concerned with this anomaly, Ratchet looked further and noticed that there were more of them, and they looked glaringly out of place amongst the shattered wood and plaster. Judging by the angle of the destruction, he was able to follow the supposed path of the cars, optics moving upwards to the human entertainment structure above them. They had come from the Ferris wheel ahead. The cars on the top were the ones that were missing, and that could only mean that they had been pulled by someone who could reach up there. Or fly.

Now frantic, and knowing exactly who they were dealing with, Ratchet looked around at the others. With a heaviness in his spark, he was now feeling very, very guilty for giving Allison such a hard time.

"Uh..." Sideswipe's voice carried over one of the remaining structures. "Is that her?" his voice was low with tender uncertainty, and Ratchet felt his circuits freeze as he raced to follow the other Autobot's voice. He was standing in what appeared to be the remnants of a wall, pointing unenthusiastically into the blackness of the building's interior. The younger Autobot's optics almost looked guilty.

Ratchet pushed past him and immediately scanned the room, advanced optic sensors instantly adjusting to the change in light levels. The first thing he saw, was the murmuring form of the little drone called Bean, frantically racing back and forth around a crumpled human bundle on the ground. Cursing loudly, he did not even need to scan to know that he was looking at a deactivated organic body, one that was very important to their missing engineer.

Nearly skidding into Allison's prone form, Ratchet shooed the little drone robot with an angry push of his hand as he went hastily to work. Allison was lying prostrate on her front, skin a sickly white and body alarmingly still. Without even hesitating Ratchet turned her limp body onto her back and thought for the briefest of moments, running through his data banks and scanning all information he had stored about human resuscitation. Defibrillator. He didn't have one, and the resources he had for Autobot resuscitation would be far to powerful, not to mention completely incompatible with her smaller, comparatively weaker body. He needed to jump-start her heart. Electricity.

Without thinking further Ratchet came to a final decision, and pulled open an armor plate on his chest, yanking out a sparking wire with a painful snap. Forcefully he brought the severed, clumped end of the wire down onto Allison's unmoving chest, and willed a rush of energy straight from his own Spark chamber.

Luckily it only took one. Her body heaved upwards unnaturally as her eyes flew open wide, a healthy, haggard gasp cycling air back through her system. She sputtered wildly, flopping convulsively onto her side as a few more subsequent gasps gave way to a fit of gagging. She pawed frantically at the space of air in front of her, fending off whatever had overtaken her the moment she'd deactivated. It did not take long for Ratchet to piece together what had happened. The remnants of discharged Cybertronian weaponry was unmistakable.

"Null ray..." he muttered conclusively, and he sensed Sideswipe shift knowingly in the mouth of the wreckage. He was watching them intently, face pulled tightly within itself to form an angry scowl. Ratchet turned back to Allison, finally calmed, but she was looking around with unfocused eyes at the space around her. Ratchet didn't think she knew he was there yet, but it gave him an extra moment to go over in his mind what had happened. Starscream had clearly held back his full destructive power, as he could have completely obliterated her where she stood with embarrassingly little effort. At the level he'd used, he'd fried Allison's system with enough electricity to stop her heart, effectively killing her on the spot. That meant, he'd likely wanted to make a show out of killing her, and he'd had an audience.

Ratchet gathered that wherever Starscream was now, would be where they would find Wheeljack. He didn't know Allison was alive...

Allison finally stirred with some control of her body, and her eyes slowly fluttered as she touched her face with uncertainty. With some coaxing help from Ratchet, she pulled herself up to a sitting position, choking into the hand she was using to cover her mouth. Ratchet let her sit there gasping before she finally pulled her hand away. The spotting of red on her skin did not escape his notice, but it was not enough to cause a fuss and stress her even further.

Looking startled, and incredibly confused, she wiped the blood from her hands onto her pants and slowly looked around. Ratchet thought this was as good a time as any to say something.

"Allison," he said lightly, taking care to keep his voice down. "It's Ratchet. You're safe now…" he rumbled tenderly. It briefly occurred to him at that moment that losing her would have been painful enough for him, but watching her suffer with his own optics and trying to imagine how Wheeljack would have felt bearing witness to her fall made his Spark even heavier with grief.

Allison turned at the sound of his voice, surprisingly alert but strangely didn't appear at all frightened or startled by the sudden break in the silence. Her eyes swam with helplessness.

"Ratchet?" she murmured quietly, then looked around. Her eyes fluttered. "Where is…"

"Wheeljack? I don't know. He wasn't here when I found you…" Ratchet watched her expression go from mild confusion to deep hurt, and it meant he'd actually have to explain to her what had happened. It hadn't taken him too many nanoseconds to piece it together himself, but telling Allison was going to be troublesome, because he wasn't quite sure yet how much damage Starscream's attack had done to her, temporary or otherwise. He took a sharp intake of air, and was about to speak when her eyes focused on something behind him. Sideswipe made an odd, startled noise like a squeaking gear.

"Ah, Allison... that's Sideswipe," he muttered, turning to meet the other Autobot's azure, uncomfortable gaze and frowned. He could see behind Sideswipe that they had acquired an audience. Ratchet shot Sunstreaker a warning glare to let them know that he would not tolerate any reprehensible behavior from either of them at this delicate point.

Surprisingly, Allison didn't seem particularly involved in the moment at all, and simply returned Sideswipe's confused, glowing stare with an expression that was blank. Ratchet finally had to block her line of sight to get her attention.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer. He was trying to stimulate her bran functions and get her memory moving, to get her talking, anything to stave off the possible panic that could hit her at any moment.

"I… Wheeljack was here… and Starscream… destroyed the wheel…" she took a deep breath and coughed, pausing to catch her bearings. "…Wheel… he wanted to hurt Wheeljack…"

"And he knew just how to do it too…" Ratchet grumbled. The fact that Wheeljack was purposely shutting them all out was not a good sign. It wasn't too far-fetched to assume that since as far as the engineer knew Allison was dead, that he'd likely gone after Starscream himself. That meant whatever he was doing, he was acting on his own impulses, and in this situation those motivations were going to have messy results. "Listen to me," Ratchet said soothingly, his optics moving upwards to follow the gaping destruction on the other side of the building, where it was clear that two massive bodies had passed through. "I'm not going to lie to you. You were deactivated-" He stopped, correcting himself. "-Dead. Not long, but still enough to reasonably guess that wherever Wheeljack is, he doesn't know you're okay…" Ratchet could hear his audience shift uncomfortably behind him. Allison nodded dully, and looked at that moment like she was trying to decide between throwing up or having a fit.

"He left me here," she said numbly. Ratchet could see her eyes begin to widen just slightly as reality slowly began to sink in for her. Her shoulders tensed and a tremble passed over her body. She was clenching her fists together with the little strength she had, trying hard to stay calm.

"Allison, the effects of the Null Ray are instant. You were essentially dead the moment the blast hit you. On another Cybertronian the effect would have been debilitating at best, but on a human being, it was lethal. It would be an understatement to say that Wheeljack was a little bit put off by this... so I may only be guessing, but I think it's safe to predict where he went." Ratchet was trying to subtly scan her body for signs of physical distress without causing her anymore alarm than she was already experiencing. While the more severe and instant effects of the Null Ray had passed, the heat generated from the blast would most likely have left some kind of physical scarring or severe burn that could have more lasting repercussions. A close inspection of Allison's clothes and a quick analysis of Starscream's questionable self-control left him satisfied that there were no immediately alarming after-effects, but he could sense that her back was going to need proper care as soon as possible. She wouldn't feel it now, but as soon as the adrenaline ceased the pain would be excruciating.

"The human's fine," Sideswipe interjected, growling. "It's Wheeljack I'm more concerned about. He obviously ran after Starscream after the human was wounded." He snarled. "If that fragger isn't already dead I'm gonna blast his sorry face in and then-"

"Sideswipe," Ratchet snarled warningly. Sideswipe stopped and his optics widened for a split second, perhaps realizing his callousness, but he remained wisely mute. Allison's mild expression changed to one of mortification, as if she was just now processing what the other Autobot had said and realizing what had happened. Ratchet looked through the group behind them to make visual contact with Prime, who was watching them with softened optics.

"We may have a problem." Ratchet said to Prime privately. "Wheeljack has shut down his com links. All of them. I think it's safe to say they went that-away, but they're too far to-"

The silence was shattered by a thunderous roar; a deep throbbing rumble that gathered into itself before exploding into a sonic boom, quaking the ground and rattling everyone and everything where they stood. It tapered off into an ear-piercing screech from the struggling vocalizers of someone before immediately dying into silence. The prickle of uncomfortable magnetism lingered in the air for only a nano-second, tugging at all of the Autobots while they attempted to regain balance.

"If I had to guess I'd say that was a genuine gyro-inhibitor shell…" Sideswipe observed sardonically, apparently deciding that stating the obvious was the most appropriate thing to say. But the young Autobot was right, and the way he was arching a brow ridge at Ratchet suggested that he knew it too. The sound of the blast seemed to come from everywhere at once, but it would not be hard to pinpoint; Several acres south of their current location.

"N-no..." Allison choked, forcing Ratchet to turn back to her, and for a moment he thought she was about to collapse again. She'd gone pale, and was staring off in a daze at the hole in the wall behind her. Before he could stop her, she was on her feet and running through the destroyed wall. Ratchet fumbled after her but his fingers hit empty air, forcing a startled snarl from his vocalizer as he called after her.

"Allison! You're in no shape for-"

He was cut off as Sideswipe blew past Ratchet in a full-on run after the human, and to the source of the brawl that she was so stupidly inclined to join. Ratchet stood and followed in close pursuit, leaping heavily through the destruction and back outside. He just briefly saw Sideswipe turn the corner before him as a red and black blurr of movement, right before the other Autobots streaked past the open alley as a rush of indiscernible shapes.

The speed in which the human was running was surprising, but he reached her within a few mere strides, carrying her up in his arm. She squirmed against him with an insulted cry of protest, weakened little organic pump beating frantically against his arm. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had, typically, simply run on ahead of her, eager to reach the enemy first and exact some damage. He cursed under his breath, holding Allison firmly to stop her half-hearted attempts to escape his grasp, but not firm enough to hurt her further. The last thing he needed were more corpses on his hands, Autobot or human.

He was still thinking about what to say to them later when he rounded another corner, and skidded to a stop when he saw what was in front of him. It was like Omega Supreme himself had smashed two massive fists into the ground where they stood, the range of damage fanned out like a terrifying explosion. At the epicenter, the lying hulk of Starscream was sprawled on his back on the ground, his head staring up at the sky. His expression was contorted into a grotesque mask of horror. One hand was raised out, as if to defend himself from some unseen attacker, his fingers stretched out at odd angles. He was completely frozen.

Behind him, Wheeljack sat awkwardly on a raised pile of rubble, his arms limp by his side, head tilted down to the ground as if he were deep in contemplation. Sunstreaker and his brother were standing around the prone Decepticon form, gaping at Starscream in silent bewilderment as if not quite sure what to do with the enemy already down. Optimus Prime was kneeling at the Decepticon's side immersed in deep concentration, and Arcee stood just behind him. Ratchet ignored their confused expressions, placing Allison on the ground gingerly where she pressed herself against the wall of the nearest building, skin white with uncertain fear.

Ratchet moved past the group indifferently, climbing up to where Wheeljack's body sat and immediately began scanning for signs of life. Perplexed, Ratchet placed his hands on the Autobot's arm to try and will a response from Wheeljack through touch after scanning multiple times with the same result. He wasn't quite sure what exactly had happened, but the Autobot was alive. He was just... not there. The optics were dark and lifeless, and Wheeljack was still as a stone, a wounded Spark beating soullessly in his chest. But Ratchet couldn't quite shake the nagging observation that something was missing as he looked at the Autobot, something that he wasn't immediately processing. He was clearly damaged. The most obvious was the shattered fin on his back, leaking copious amounts of energon like little trails of pearlescent rivers down the jagged plating that remained. There was something else...

"Wheeljack, what happened? I wish..." Ratchet began, but his words were cut short as Wheeljack's body lurched suddenly, his optics blinking on with a solemn azure glow. The engineer suddenly jerked, startled as an unintelligible garble of noise erupted from his vocalizer. Ratchet shouted back, alarmed at the outburst as the scientist ripped his arm out of his grasp. Wheeljack's gaze locked onto Ratchet's perplexed stare, and it was just then that he finally noticed that Wheeljack was missing his battle mask... He knew something had seemed off.

Wheeljack's face was exposed, something that he never did. The exposure of his face could only mean that Wheeljack had simply given up...

"You're not an angel," Wheeljack said solemnly, the movement of his damaged face jarring. The spidered pattern of scarring on his right cheek created an uneven, painful map of wounds long suffered, making his face appear tight with improperly mended metal. Ratchet's eyes dimmed with guilt. He'd tried to help Wheeljack so many times, but he'd always refused, opting to suffer some untold guilt in silence.

"No," Ratchet said slowly. "I'm not an angel, whatever that is."

Wheeljack's expression dimmed, as if defeated. "Primus, that must mean I'm still online..." The ragged cracks along the Autobot's oral plates tensed as his mouth tightened into a deep, awkward frown. Wheeljack's hand instinctively hovered at his jaw in a half-hearted attempt to shield himself from view.

Ratchet slapped Wheeljack's arm angrily, having no patience for his little quirks any longer.

"Damn it Wheeljack! You scared the Spark right out of me. Now what on Cybertron happened here?"

Wheeljack craned his head over Ratchet's shoulder, and his expression turned severe. Shoving the medic to the side where he stumbled with a grunt, Wheeljack stood and lunged forward in only two steps. Before Optimus Prime could protest, Wheeljack yanked the stiff body of Starscream up by the chin, his other hand tightened into a fierce fist. The Decepticon did not even so much a blink, the only reaction a startled gurgle of fear from his throat as he was ungraciously hoisted awkwardly off the ground.

"Wheeljack." Prime said warningly. He had stepped back and was hovering near Wheeljack with an air of fatherly understanding despite his tone. Wheeljack snarled, partially exposed dental plates grinding in anxious frustration.

"I have unfinished business."

"Wheeljack..." Ratchet turned quickly, startled at the female voice that had finally decided to make itself known. Wheeljack gaped, dropping Starscream with a heavy thunk like he was burned, and the Decepticon's body slammed onto the ground with a heavy crack that made them all wince. Ratchet saw Wheeljack physically react as Allison limped forward, a wane smile on her face as if to offer some form of comfort. The Autobot's expression however, was the complete opposite of relief.

"Ratchet... is this... what humans call a ghost?" Wheeljack muttered quietly, his words unexpectedly shifting to Cybertronian as if the pale girl slowly shuffling forward, doubled over in fatigue was not something to be trusted; The enemy. Ratchet looked at him sadly.

"No Wheeljack. Allison isn't a ghost." He made a point to respond in Allison's language.

"'Jack..." Allison repeated, hesitating once she neared the stiff body of the Decepticon on the ground. She was eying Starscream warily, and he saw her attempt to straighten her body as if to defiantly feign some sort of strength she didn't have. The small demonstration was more than her weakened state was capable of sustaining though, and she faltered, leaning forward with a grimace. Ratchet had to resist every urge to make her lie down, realizing that this was probably not the best time. She coughed lightly, "I know what you think you need to do...and it's wrong."

There was a pregnant silence after her words as none of them knew what to say in response to her observation, but still understood the weight of its implications.

Wheeljack was looking at Allison as if he still couldn't quite believe that she was standing there. She was keeping her distance, unsure if it was...safe...to be too close to Wheeljack when he was this unstable. Admittedly, Ratchet wasn't quite sure how to interpret Wheeljack's terrified expression.

"Ratchet, I think I'm malfunctioning..." Wheeljack's face went rigid.

"For Primus' sake Wheeljack you're not. I reactivated her. She's standing right in front of you... She's had better days, but she's alive. Now acknowledge her before she faints right here on the spot."

"But...I was too late to save you," Wheeljack murmured, looking down at Starscream's null ray with a grimace. "I saw you die." Allison shifted, emitting a forced laugh, which made Wheeljack's gaze snap back in her direction sharply.

"I think I can find it in my heart to forgive you, Wheeljack, but you have to do one thing for me. I know you want to... kill him..." she hesitated, taking a wide step around Starscream's body towards them. Ratchet watched Wheeljack stiffen as she moved closer to the Decepticon's face. Allison stopped short and looked up at the distraught Autobot.

Before she could continue Wheeljack grabbed Starscream's head and forced it to turn towards her with a resonating crack of parts being forced passed their limits. This made everyone standing around the scene tense with knowing discomfort, but there was no attempt to intervene. Allison nearly stumbled back in fear as the surprisingly alert red optics focused on her.

"See that, Decepticon? She's alive. A single, tiny human being beat you, you worthless pile of scrap!" Wheeljack snarled viciously, forcing Starscream's head into the ground, metal grinding on the concrete painfully. A weak whimper was all that escaped from behind the Decepticon's frozen oral plates. Allison raised her hand gently to stop him, silently regarding Starscream's optics as if considering something within her own thoughts. Ratchet saw Allison's expression appear almost merciful, he thought, before she turned back to Wheeljack.

"Stop it." She begged, voice only slightly raised. "This isn't you. Let him go or at least take him prisoner... Killing him might feel good now, but it won't later, I can promise you that..." Allison's voice lowered. She turned to Starscream, whose eyes had shifted to reveal an uneasy realization. He was going to owe the human his life. The red glow of his optics brightened for the briefest of moments, an expression that was a rarity for a Decepticon; gratitude. It was very, very quick, but it had been there.

Ratchet suddenly found himself feeling very uncomfortable with the whole situation in front of him. Allison was right, this was not something the Autobots did...

To say that Ratchet was pleased to see the Decepticon forced into such submission was an understatement, but he also understood that murder was not the right choice, even if he deserved it. The expression on Wheeljack's face betrayed the struggle he was having in making the decision.

"Don't pretend to know what the right decision is..." Wheeljack said in a low, disconcertingly quiet voice. "You haven't lived the years to..."

"I know enough, Wheeljack. I'm not naive."

Wheeljack's optics glowed hotly; he was clearly frustrated with the dilemma, and Ratchet was getting immensely irritated with the engineer who couldn't quite seem to grasp the fact that the human had been categorically dead not minutes before. Arguing with her was the least productive of things to be doing, and he could tell that Allison was hurt, shoulders drooped weakly with no usable retort. Her wilted posture collapsed deeper, as her whole body teetered forward before she fell to her knees, puffing air heavily. Ratchet shot Prime a heavy glare in a plea to finally make use of his authority and intervene, because he couldn't tell if Allison was crying or going into cardiac arrest.

"Wheeljack," Optimus said forcefully, resting a hand on the scientist's tense shoulder. Wheeljack pulled away without even turning to Prime, his expression pained. "I know this must be hard on you," he continued, unfazed by Wheeljack's retraction.

"On the contrary," Wheeljack said, looking down at Starscream, then turning to stare at Allison with a mournful tilt of his head. "This is by far the easiest thing I've ever had to do." He bent down over the prone Decepticon, and sparing no decency, gripped the wrists of both arms and roughly pulled them together. A compartment in his thigh opened and he pulled out a pair of glowing stasis cuffs to lock the Decepticon into a state of incapacity. Ratchet hadn't even realized he'd been so tense until that moment when he felt all his servos relax. Wheeljack bound the Decepticon, and Starscream's body jerked with an electric pop as the cuffs took control of his motor receptors, immobilizing him.

"This Decepticon has caused worlds of hurt. Not just to me or to Allison. He's ruined a lot of lives. A lot of good scientists have been sucked into his lies, only to be shot in the back. All for his own personal gain." Wheeljack shook his head. "At least Megatron has the decency to shoot you in the face." Wheeljack said, standing upright.

Prime was watching Wheeljack carefully, as if he was assessing him. "And now?"

"Now? Now he pays for what he's done. Slowly, and as drawn out as possible."

"We don't want to kill him, Wheeljack," Prime warned.

"You don't." Wheeljack bent down and gripped Starscream's face in his hand, turning it as if to get a look at something. "There's far too much in here that I can use, a lot I can only get to while he's alive." He stood back up again. "Don't worry. I won't kill him. Not yet." His panels blinked a pale, emotionless white.

Prime's optics narrowed as he glanced at Ratchet, but all the medic could do was frown. He wasn't a processor analyst. He wasn't sure what Prime thought he could do.

"Perhaps you should say something to Allison," Ratchet grunted, doubting that tone of interjection was what Prime had in mind, but he hardly cared. Wheeljack's expression softened to one of guilt, which quickly brightened when he turned towards Allison, who had at some point wedged herself against Ratchet's leg. Wheeljack came uncomfortably close as he reached forward, and began an attempt to pry the human from his leg. "For Primus' sake, is this necessary?" Ratchet scoffed, leaning away with his leg figuratively glued to the spot.

Allison coughed, but it was only masking a laugh. She looked at Wheeljack from behind the veil of her hair. Before she could say anything Wheeljack spoke first.

"I'm sorry." His face was sincere, and it was clear that Allison was suddenly aware of just how different Wheeljack seemed without the veil of his mask. He'd always been good at displaying his emotions; he almost had to be. But now she could see them at their rawest. "You don't understand how much it hurts..." he was tapping his chest symbolically, emphasizing his frustration with every beat of his hand. Allison's face was a mixture of soft wonderment and tender sympathy.

"I think I know more than you realize." She moved away from Ratchet slowly, reaching out with a hand like a curious sparkling experiencing something for the first time. Wheeljack lowered his face slowly and nervously, pulling back with a jerk just as her fingers were about to touch his cheek. He tried a second time, and this time her fingers connected. Ratchet watched in uncomfortable silence as Allison felt the coarse, scarred metal, following the corroded network of scars that led down to his chin. The right cheek seemed to have born the brunt of whatever devastation Starscream had caused. A deep ravine ran from the center of his cheek down to the corner of his mouth, where something sharp had sliced right through the solid metal exposing circuitry underneath. A single plate split down the middle, the ragged edges pushing against each other like two continental plates colliding. Even with Ratchet's help, his face would unfortunately never be the same again. Given how long it had been, Ratchet was of the opinion Wheeljack wouldn't want to fix it even if he could. He'd been stubborn this long, what made anyone think he'd change now?

"You know, some women are attracted to men with scars," Allison said with a small, teasing smile. Ratchet rolled his optics with a huff of vented air at Wheeljack's puzzled look of fascination, as if he didn't quite know how to accept that as a compliment.

"Can't say anyone ever commented on my battle wounds", Ratchet said, pointing at his broken crest. A noise from behind Wheeljack brought his attention back to the Decepticon. The twins were crouched next to Starscream, taking turns taunting the Decepticon and slapping him in the face. All the poor miserable beast could do was lie there and take it as Sunstreaker suddenly stood and kicked him brutally in the head. Ratchet opened his mouth to say something but Prime was already on them like cosmic rust.

"You two! Stop that!" Prime barked, causing the twins to immediately snap to attention, a look of begrudging obedience most notable on Sunstreaker's face. "We're leaving. And you two are volunteering to help Arcee secure our passenger for the journey back to base."

"Yes sir," they both droned, and the rest of their commotion was lost on Ratchet as Wheeljack suddenly made a startled buzzing noise near his feet, making him jump irritably. Allison was leaning forward with a triumphant smile on her face while Wheeljack looked speechless, fingers hovering above his face.

"You didn't just do what I think you did, did you?" Ratchet asked, barely able to grasp the fact.

Allison looked guilty, but she feigned innocence. "I might have." She paused. "He had it coming, anyway."

"I think Allison is hungry... she just tried to.. eat me?" Wheeljack didn't seem quite as convinced of his own explanation, but he was genuinely baffled. While Ratchet hadn't seen it happen, he knew very well what the silly human femme had done: She'd kissed him.

"No, that's not what I did, Wheeljack. I can't eat you, I don't think you'd digest very well for a start. That was called a kiss, and it means I love you." She paused for a moment, as if just now realizing the truth behind what she'd said. She looked away shyly. "I mean... you know... oh never mind..." she waved her hand through the air dismissively, but it was clear by the reddened tone of her face that she knew it was too late to take it back. Wheeljack looked at her thoughtfully, panels burning a nauseatingly sentimental rosy color.

Ratchet decided it was a good time to politely cough into his right hand. He saw Wheeljack roll his optics as he shared a knowing chuckle with Allison, who was still looking like she wanted to run and hide after her little slip.

"Give me a minute Allison, I have a very important appointment it seems." Wheeljack said, and Allison nodded lightly before turning to give them some room. She walked a few paces away from them, limping slightly, and Ratchet noted the way she slowly brought a hand to her lower back. She was starting to feel it, and when it hit her fully it was not going to be pleasant. He had some time to attend to that, but right now he had to make sure that Wheeljack wasn't more seriously injured than he let on. It was already clear the way he watched Allison that Wheeljack was keenly aware of her injuries, so this was the only chance Ratchet was going to get to look him over before the engineer's priorities took a dramatic shift.

Ratchet stared at Wheeljack, his brow furrowed. "You do remember what I told you cycles ago, right? The conversation we had about all the trouble you'd get yourself into if you let this happen?" Wheeljack waved Ratchet off.

"And like I insinuated before, I still don't need a lecture." He paused, thinking. "I know what I feel is right."

Ratchet had always been wary of the Bonding from the start, but anytime a human was concerned it was always going to be a gamble regardless of how wild he was about the prospect. Despite his misgivings, there was not going to be arguing with Wheeljack about it, which would have made about as much sense as arguing with a Decepticon over the weather.

"Let me look at you," Ratchet said gruffly in defeat. Wheeljack stood patiently as Ratchet gave him another brief look over. He would need more buffing of course, and his fin would need extensive reconstruction, but he would live to commit another reckless act. "There's a weak pulse in a few of your extension energon lines, but other than that you're fine." Ratchet cycled air, ceasing his scans.

"I told you I was." Wheeljack was frowning. For a moment it was disconcerting, because he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen an honest-to-Primus frown on the Autobot's face that wasn't just a shadow of emotion in his optics. Ratchet scowled back at him, trying hard to not make it obvious that he was scrutinizing Wheeljack's exposed face very carefully, but the engineer's narrowed optics made it clear it had not gone unnoticed.

"There is the matter of-" Ratchet was cut off.

"Forget it. I'll replace it myself," Wheeljack interjected fiercely. His optics darted around subtly. "Seeing as I seem to have misplaced my old one..."

"I'd say it was more likely that your battle mask got ripped off by a Decepticon, but what do I know? You got lucky, Wheeljack." Ratchet's voice was low and filled with warning. "It wouldn't have taken much more to extinguish your spark."

"I'm not a fool, Ratchet. I'm aware of how dangerous it was. I prefer not to think about it."

"That's what I'm concerned about. If you want to pursue this...thing you have going with the human-"

"Allison." Wheeljack interjected, and the insult laced in his voice was not lost.

"Yes, Allison, I know her name. If you truly think that taking care of her for the rest of her life, assuming you don't get yourself blasted into scrap first, is something you're up for then you need to start using that overclocked processor of yours to make sure nothing like this happens again. Running into the Pit only to get yourself blown up certainly isn't going to help her, but I know you enough to know you're not going to listen to me."

"You're right," Wheeljack confirmed. "I won't, but you wouldn't follow your own advice either if Arcee's life were in jeapordy.."

"Yeah yeah, just get out of my sight before I decide to make your recovery harder. Allison is waiting for you, and I think you two might actually benefit from a little quality time." Ratchet shook his head as Wheeljack turned with a quick nod, eager to get back to Allison. He watched as the young human femme turned, her face filled with a genuinely relieved smile as the two were reunited. Ratchet muttered to himself, shaking his head.

"Nothing good can come of this."

Epilogue

It had been a few hours since they'd left the ruined fairground behind, and it had been quickly decided amongst the convoy that a rushed, stressful journey was not going to be easy on Allison, or Wheeljack for that matter, as they were both suffering from injuries accumulated over the last month. It was as if the floodgates had finally opened. Immediate danger had passed, and the rush of exhilaration from battle had finally subsided, only to allow the more dire pains of their bodies' physical complaints take front and center. It left them both feeling the strain from wounds that had been left unchecked, the more pressing issues at the forefront of their minds having taken precedence at the time.

Now that they were on their way home, for once without the constant need to look over their shoulders, it was now that Allison finally began to feel the results of Starscream's handy work. It had come with a vengeance, and while Wheeljack could champion on through whatever pain he was feeling it was difficult for Allison just to remain awake. The rumble of Ratchet's passing over rough ground was barely enough to keep her eyes open, but she fought with her body to remain conscious. The mask that was placed over her face to ensure constant oxygen feeding into her however, was more than enough to remind her of just how close she had been to the brink of death. Every time her eyes slid closed, she struggled to bring herself out of the darkness, fearing that she would never open her eyes again. The neurotic terror of slipping into a coma and into oblivion just when she finally thought she'd made it out of the fire, was just barely enough to keep her fighting.

As that in of itself wasn't enough, added to that was the fear that out of the depths of her slumber a Decepticon would come and finish the murder he had so expertly started. Even though she knew that Optimus Prime had forged onward with their incapacitated prisoner, it did not keep the fears at bay. Starscream had been tied down to a trailer behind the Autobot leader, with nothing but a flimsy tarp indecently dumped over his frozen body, his mind still very much aware. To Allison it just felt like throwing a napkin over a lion. She half expected to drift off unaware, only to be oblivious to those red flames hovering above her, staring down at her vulnerable, beaten body with eyes that were desperate to subject her to unimaginable horrors.

That alone would have been enough to keep her alert and conscious, but she was feeling unnaturally groggy, like she'd been drugged. It let her mind wander to something far less deadly, that being how exactly Ratchet was feeding her oxygen and where it was coming from. She swore there had to be something else mixed in with what she was breathing. It had been nearly an hour since a tingling, floating sensation of peace had passed over her body, reducing the excruciating pain in her back and on her chest to a dull throb. Her mind wasn't nearly coherent enough to try and work out whether or not she was breathing some cocktail of byproducts of Ratchet's body, or something he'd been storing. Either way, she was not nearly of the right mind to be bothered by it. There would be plenty of time to be weirded out later. Right now she felt nothing but absolute bliss.

Ratchet had assured her that carrying her within him was only a precaution, but he had refused her request to ride in Wheeljack on the way home, which made her feel like he was lying to her. She had gone with it, however, and she could hear Wheeljack's engine, strangely clear, through Ratchet's panels. He was keeping stride with the older Autobot, riding beside her; her shiny, very large white knight escorting her home. Nobody spoke, or if they did it was through internal com channels that Allison was not privy too. She was happy enough to just listen to the sounds of the Autobots around her; her own little procession.

Optimus Prime had gone ahead, and much to Ratchet's vehement dislike Arcee had gone with him, as she was the only one strong enough other than the twins to provide back-up should anything happen. It had been decided it would be best for Sideswipe and Sunstreaker to remain with Wheeljack, Ratchet and Allison, as they were the significantly weaker portion of the convoy and would need the extra fighting power more than Optimus Prime would. Every now and then she would hear the thunderous roar of a high-performance engine streak past, seeming to come from all around her at once. It did well to startle Allison back into wakefulness, and for that, she was at least grateful.

Finally it became too much of a one-sided battle to fight with her body. The back of her throat started to tingle, and she briefly wondered if Ratchet knew she was still awake and was trying to force her to rest. Final thoughts of loving gratitude and acceptance filled her, for Ratchet's care for her, and most especially for Wheeljack who was remaining next to Ratchet like he was glued to the medic's side. She almost thought she could feel his presence like he was standing at her side, but she was alone, and it was getting darker by the moment.

As the darkness of sleep eventually began to overpower her, her last thoughts before drifting into a deep slumber were of the strange alien beings who had changed her life, and the one in particular whom had nearly given his life to defend her; Wheeljack. Despite the chaos, and death, and fear, he had not given up fighting for her. He could have abandoned her multiple times to save his own hide, but he hadn't, preferring to shield her from anything that he'd perceived as a threat. They had what they came for: The Pendulum, and maybe, just maybe they could finally contact their home planet. Funny how one tiny little MP3 player, one seemingly insignificant piece of human technology, had caused her so much misery.

Despite everything that she'd lost, and regardless of the physical and emotional harm she had come to, having been a part of the journey was something to cherish. In the end, she'd experienced something that was so powerful, and more important than all of the world's spoils combined; unconditional love and friendship.

She wouldn't trade it for the world.

End