When I got the letter I was in total shock. I mean, becoming the official mechanic to the Auto-Bots was something of a dream of mine ever since I was a wee girl fixing a motorbike on the Scottish hills. I never believed in all my years, especially at only twenty-one years old, that I'd get to work with the Auto-Bots. I had gotten a scholarship to Oxford at sixteen. I got my doctorates degree in Robotics, Engineering, and Mechanics at nineteen, a bloody genius in my field. Well respected and, well, in possession of my own Auto-Bot.

It was when I turned eighteen that he crashed into my backyard in Alexandria, but as soon as he figured out where he was he calmed down a little. He called himself Hyperdrive, so I studied him, drew him, and fixed him. I took notes, photos and kept file after file on his systems and knowledge of his race. He's very, um, loud. I think he just needs to lay off the oil he chugs down so fast I had to start buying boxes of it at a time. I'd been living in Virginia when I wasn't in Oxford, but when we moved to Washington, D.C. after finishing school, we'd started working for the government.

First time we went in I took my tool belt with me and all the special tools I had made for working on Hype; that was when I saw some trying to pull of the chest plate of the mechanical wonder right in front of me. Ignoring my tour guide I started off to the dullard and shouted at the man, "Aye, bloke, get down from up there and stop trying to tear it off! What are ya some kind of an idiot?" He shouted derogatorily back at me so I took it a step farther by climbing up and shoving him aside. Quickly I pressed the release and opened him up. "Severed fuel line and a couple of blown circuits but nothing bad, I'll see what I can do to ye on such short notice."

I pulled out the spares of circuits and a new fuel line to patch him up. Hype was helping me out by sodering some things inta place. I still couldn't believe the giant mecha was what I was working on. I was fixin' the damn thing! The blue optics of the 'bot turned on me, the voice that came out nearly made me fall down, "How did you know that?"

I didn't expect the question so I replied truthfully, "My friend, Hype, he has the same release as ya, so I knew what I needed to do. Me name's Bonny, what about ye, eh?"

He responded in his deep auto tuned voice, "I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Auto-Bots. " I didn't say nothing, I just finished my job and chewed over my options. I could tell him my plan now or wait till we knew one another better, I opted for the second

"Alright then, good as new, best be goin' now; don't want to infuriate me tour guide any longer. It was a pleasure to meet ya Optimus. "

"The pleasure was mine, Bonny."

Hype had been silent until we left. That was when he let me have it, "Bonny, you can't just chat with the leader of the fragging Auto-bots, man, you just can't!" His tiny motor was buzzing so loud that our young tour guide looked afraid that Hype would blow into tiny pieces.

I snorted, "Aye, and you can shove your comments up your bloody aft, you silly little bot!" I pulled out my torch, "Or perhaps ye would like a remodel into a femme, eh?" His optics widened at that and he went and floored himself behind our tour guide. I laughed deep within my gut, a laugh my Da taught me when I was a wee girl only as high as his knee. "I'm only kiddin' ya, Hype."

He chirped, "Man, you can go 'round kiddin' a bot like that, dang, I nearly pissed myself."

I laughed again, the guide cleared her throat. "Ma'am, I'll be handing you over to Ratchet now, he is the chief medic for the Auto-bots."

I nodded, "Aye, sounds like a plan." She looked relived to finally be rid of us as a large yellow and red Bot walked forward, shoving twin green and red bots out of his way.

"Hello, my name is Ratchet. I'm the chief medic for the Auto-bots; I hear that you are the premier expert on our race." He bent down and extended a finger for me to shake.

"Aye, tis a pleasure ta met ya. As for an expert on ya race, I've still got a lot to learn, me name's Bonny. Engineer and scientist at your service!" I took his finger and shook it gently, but I felt a rush of warmth run up my arm. I didn't let it seep into my facial features, but god did it surprise me.

Hype wheeled himself around my feet as I let go of Ratchet's finger, "Don't listen to her, she's just being embarrassed, she probably knows more about our technology than any of Earth's top scientists, man, she's even been looking into-" I kicked him.

"What have I told ya about correctin' me? Do ya really want to be a femme that badly, Hype?" I pulled the torch out again and started chasing him with it, "Get back here, ya bucket of bolts before I shove me torch up ya aft!"

"Don't let her get me, slag it, she'll do it!" He ran away from me, but before I could catch him I felt all the muscles in my back bunch up and tighten, like someone was driving a knife into my back and twisting it.

"Ah for the love of Primus!" I gasped out as I tried to grasp my back, "Hype, hand me my pills." He nodded, silently knowing all too well how much it killed me not to be able to do even half the things I wanted to do. Lou-Gehrig disease is destroying my body, slowly, but surely. I saw a blue scanner run over my body as I took the pill, swallowing without the aid of water, "Ya, don't have to scan me. I'll tell ya what I have." I spoke softly, not looking him in the optics.

Ratchet looked at me, blinking his optics as the twins crowded around me, helping me to my feet as Ratchet spoke, "What is it that you have?"

"Hey, Mudflap, yous gots any idea what she got?"

"Naw, Skids, I ain't got a clue." The twins started bickering amongst themselves causing Ratchet to slap the backs of their heads.

I laughed, "Ye remind me of my own family. That's how my Da would get me older brothers to stop foolin' around. To answer your question, Ratchet, I have Lou Gehrig's disease."

Ratchet looked confused for a moment while he searched the internet for a description of the actual thing, when he found it; surprise and sadness filled his optics. "How long have you had it?"

"Since I was fifteen, right before I was accepted at Oxford we got the news. It a damn death sentence."

The green twin- Skids- started talkin', "Whatchya mean, death sentence, dog?"

Mudflap spoke up, "Yo, it killin' you slowly, man dats harsh."

"Well, it takes away all me motor functions, whither it is the small things like me heartbeat or breathin'- the things ya don't have to think about, destroys me ability to move, and eventually I'll stop breathin' completely or me heart will stop beatin' or both and I'll die. The worst part is- me mind I'll stay completely untouched while I watch me body fall apart from the inside out." I looked down at my hands; one of my fingers was twitchin' uncontrollably. I tightened my fist and made sure that it stopped, "All of me other senses will be fine- touch, taste, hearing, and sight. They all stay the same, but me voluntary and involuntary motor functions with be destroyed in time. I won't be able to move, I'll be a prisoner in me own body, after that it'll be like I said." I shrugged.

"Well, we will help you get through it, any ideas?" Ratchet sounded calm, but I looked down at my hands again and stood up. I look in his optics and saw them whirling furiously, he also looked scared.

I shook my head calmly; I understood the rage and the terror, "No, there isn't a cure, best I can hope for is to die before it makes me a prisoner. If there was a way I'd find it, but there isn't. I'll die a slow and painful death and that's that." Hyperdrive had been silent and the three others had shut up, so I broke the silence, "Besides Hyperdrive, here, ya three are the only ones that know about it, so I'd like it if ya kept it that way. Wouldn't want to lose me job before I could ever get started on it, eh?" I smiled weakly.

Ratchet nodded, "Yes, well, let me introduce you to your wards as it is."

"Hey, Ratchet, you gonna keep an eye out for her? I can't lose a good source of oil." Hype huffed in his loud obnoxious - at times - voice. I pursed my lips to keep a smile from cracking open on my face.

"So you do care! I'm flatter, Hype, maybe I won't turn you into a femme."

Cheeky bastard started grinning to himself as he wheeled backwards, Ratchet answered his question, "Of course, but no promises." I saw a smile on his face as he said that, so I rolled my eyes.

We were halfway across the hangar when a smaller yellow and black bot came over to us and start talking with clips from the radio, "Hey, Ratchet, who is… the beautiful woman…, she gonna hang with us?"

I blink a few times, it was kind of odd that he wasn't using his real voice, "Me name's Bonny. Nice to meet you." I held out my hand for him to shake and he did.

"My name is…, Bumblebee… Nice ta meet ya!" He used a clip of an Irishman talking.

Laughing I pulled my hand away, "I believe I deserved that one, aye? Though I have got a question for you."

"Fire away."

"Why do ya speak with the radio?" He chirped sadly, "Did ya lose it when ya landed here?"

He lifted an eyebrow and clapped, "Bingo, we have a winner!" the sound of a game show audience played

"We'll, I'll just have to take a look at ya when I'm done tourin' the place, I'll see if I can't rebuild ya vocal box." He cheered up and I waved good bye as Ratchet took me off to the next stop on our list.

"That one over there is Ironhide, you'll get to know him well, and he always needs someone to help him stay functioning." I nodded as he called him over, placing one hand lightly on my back, "Ironhide, this is Bonny, she'll be helping me."

I the big black bot looked at me snorting; he pulled his cannons and pointed them at me, "Don't even think about comin' near me with your tools." He licked his lips and grinned at me, "Lest you want a bullet in your brain."

I smiled right back at him and spoke sweetly, "Well, unless ye want ya cannons up your aft and ya specs remodeled into femme, I wouldn't point 'em at me. Of course I can always do both. Maybe even paint ya pink."

His optics twitched and I believe if a bot could he'd have gotten pale he would have. "Why you little fleshy punk!"

"Put them away Ironhide."

"But…"

"Now." Optimus glared at him, "She is a friend to our race."

I smiled at him smugly, and glanced up at Optimus, musing out loud, "I feel very short. Well, I am short but this is just madness." I sat down cross-legged, and tilted my head upwards. Hype wheeled over to me and sat on my lap. Just like a cat. I pet him softly, I knew he liked it best when I used a cloth to polish him, but I forgot it at home. I had spaced out until I felt Ratchet nudge me, "Huh?"

I tore my eyes from the place I was staring at, "You zoned off on us, need a lift?"

I smiled and nodded, pushing Hype off my lap, "Get off me ya lazy glitch."

"Hey, what was that for, man?" Hype shouted at me indignantly as Ratchet extended a hand to me and helped me up. I held on the climbed nimbly up to his shoulder and sat down, holding only one of the metal plates for balance.

"Where to now, Ratchet, who are we going to see next, eh?" He was silent for a moment, "Ratchet?"

"I'm taking you to the infirmary. I need to do a thorough check of your vital signs." I blinked a few times, frowning.

"I'm fine, I'm just tired." Counting on my fingers I listed off all the things I've done today, "I unpacked everything in my new house, right here on the base, went grocery shopping, picked up five cases of oil for the drunkard living in my house."

"I heard that!" I rolled my eyes at Hype.

"That will last about a week if his habit keeps up, and I reported here for this wonderful tour. Whenever I get tired me, um, problem gets worse. The blood flow to me muscles starts to weaken, and the muscles start to cramp." I shrugged, and leaned back, after shifting positions so my back was facing his head. He was silent so I started talking, "How long have ya known the others?"

"Hmm, well, since before the war, so hundreds of years."

"War?"

"Yes, the Civil War that destroyed our home planet, Cybertron."

"Oh, yes, I remember reading about that. The Decepticons, they indirectly destroyed the planet and most of your kind because they wanted power."

"Yes, but when the war started, we didn't know what they were really going to do." He shook his head slightly, grumbling, "Never even saw the betrayal of our brethren until it was too late."

"They were built for war, eh, but ya weren't. It couldn't be helped." I patted his shoulder. I tilted my head, and pointed, "Who's that?"

He glanced up and looked at the silver car and the three bikes. "Sideswipe and the Triplets, they got here just a little while ago."

"Oh, anyone else 'ere that I need to meet before I go back to me house?"

"Lennox will want to see you before you leave." He stated, I couldn't help but smile at the slight disappointment in his voice.

"I can always hang out a little longer if ya want." I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, he brighten up noticeably.

"Hmm, you'll need your rest, but I think that staying a little while longer won't hurt you." I giggled and relaxed a little.

Lennox was talking to a general via wireless uplink, I frowned slightly as I heard what they were saying, "With your permission, I'll let you hear from the leader of the Auto-Bots."

"Proceed." That was the general.

"General our alliance has countermanded six Decepticon emersions this year, each on a different continent. They're clearly searching around the world for something and last night's encounter came with a warning."

"The Fallen shall rise again." It was a recording but it sent chills down my spine.

I looked at Ratchet, turning to face him, "The Fallen? What's that, eh?" He shushed me and I listened to the conversation again.

"The Fallen? Meaning what?" That was the general.

"Origin unknown. The only recorded history of our race was contained within the all spark and lost with its destruction."

"Excuse me!" The shout came from on the ground, a balding man with glasses and an annoying voice spoke up, "Uh, with this so called 'all spark' now destroyed, why hasn't the enemy left the planet like you thought they would?"

I mumbled to Ratchet, "He's gonna get hurt if'n he keeps that up, I might just do a little operation on him." He laughed quietly, still listening to the conversation.

"Director Galloway, our national security advisor- the President just appointed him liaison." That was Lennox.

"Well I guess I didn't get that memo." I chuckled at the general's comment.

"Forgive the interruption, general. Excuse me coming through, excuse me. Excuse me, solider." I was really starting to dislike the man, "Uh, after all the damage in Shang Hi, the President is, uh, hard pressed to say the job is getting done. Now, under the classified alien auto-bot cooperation act, you agreed to share your Intel with us, but not your advancements in weaponry."

"I could see why when so many people are such a bunch of dullards most of the time, eh." I whispered to Ratchet who nodded.

"We've witnessed your capacity for war. It would absolutely bring more harm than good." Optimus stated. I nodded to that, humans are violent creatures. We are self-destructive and sometimes have no morals at all.

"But who are you to judge what's best for us?"

"With all due respect, we've been fighting side by side in the field for two years." Lennox sounded a little peeved.

"We've share blood, sweat, and precious metal together." A black officer I didn't know spoke up from his spot next to Optimus.

"Solider, you're paid to shoot, not to talk." My head snapped up when I heard that.

"Ye pumped up over rated asshole, yer talkin' to a man who does more for his country in a day then ya'll ever do in yer pathetic lif-mhhhfmm!" Ratchet plucked me off his shoulder and put a finger over my mouth to keep me quiet.

"Easy, Bonny, don't let him get to you." I groaned wanting to tear him apart so very much.

"Don't tempt me." Grumbled the black officer.

"Easy." Optimus motioned with his hand as he spoke to calm the solider down.

"And the, uh, newest members of your team, I understand they arrived here after you sent a message into space, an open invitation to come to Earth, vetted by no one from the White House." Mr. Galloway was ranting.

"Let me stop you right there Mr. Galloway. It was vetted right here, and in my experience the judgment of both Major Lennox and his team has always been above reproach."

"Well, be that as it may general, it is the position of the President that when our national security is at stake, no one is above reproach. Now, what do we know so far? We know that the enemy leader- classified NBE1 aka Megatron is resting in peace at the bottom of the Lorenchian Abyss. Surrounded by souse detection nets and in full time surveillance of submarine ships. We also know that the only remaining piece of your alien all spark is locked up in an electro-magnetic vault, here on one of the most secure naval bases in the world, and since no one can tell me what the enemy is now after, well, well there is only one clear conclusion. You. The Auto-bots. They're here to hunt you. What's there to hunt for on Earth besides that? The Fallen shall rise again? That sounds to me like something's coming. So let me ask if we ultimately conclude that our national security is best protected by denying you further asylum, on our planet, will you leave peacefully?"

"Freedom is your right, if you make that request we will honor it. But before your President decides, please ask him this; What if we leave and you're wrong."

I felt the hairs on the back on my neck prickle in fear, "He sounds pissed." I stated. Ratchet was silent.

"That's a good question." Lennox looked like he was gonna piss himself so I laughed. I guess he heard me because his head snapped in my direction. "Ratchet, who you got in your hand?"

"This is Bonny, she is an Engineer hired by your government to help me repair the Auto-bots." He didn't set me down, not that I'm complaining, the metal of his hand was nice and warm and it just eased away all the aches and pains in my body, like taking a hot bath without the water.

I nudged him, "Ya gotta let me down so I can greet the man!" He grunted and steam came out of his nose. Slowly he bent down and let me step off his hand. I straightened up and looked Major Lennox straight in the eyes, "Me name's Bonny O'Higgins. Pleased ta meet ya, Major." I smiled at him brightly.

He frowned, "How old are you?"

"Rude much? I'm twenty-one."

I chuckled, then Hype came whining to me, "Bonny, the twins are teasing me! Make 'em stop!"

I sighed, "Stop being such a youngling and grow some balls."

Ratchet roared with laughter behind me and Lennox even chuckled, "Never seen an Auto-bot so attached to anyone before, what did you do to him?"

I shrugged, "Well, I fed him, cleaned him, repaired him, I sorta became his Ma. Dunno why he comes crawlin' back to me though. Scat you pile of scrap before I turn ya into a blow drier!"

We all laughed as he transformed into his alternate mode and drove away, I wiped some tears out of my eyes from laughing so hard. "We'll, major; I'll see ya on the 'morn." I waved as Ratchet picked me up and set me on his shoulder. "What time is it?"

"About seven pm. Why?" He looked at me with his electric blue eyes.

"There's something I want ta show ya." I said with a twinkle in my hazel eyes. He walked with me outside and I pointed to the sky, "See that? That sunset is what I want to be the last thing I ever see. I want to see the stars come out to greet me on me way to heaven, I'll see me Ma and Da, me brothers, all of the family I've lost, I'll see 'em all again when I'm up there." The breeze whipped my hair around my face and turned my skin a rosy pink. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Sometimes I can smell heaven on the wind; it's the smell that comes after a summer down pour, when the air turns fresh, clean and cool. That's what I think heaven smells like."

Ratchet looked up at the sky, "I've been in outer space, and there is nothing out there. It's just empty."

I smiled sadly, "Ah, ye of little faith. Heaven can't be seen with the eyes, ya'll only see it if yer dead, dyin', or yer just lookin' for it in the right place. Heaven is a state of mind. A place of eternal bliss and happiness. Me family is there, everyone who was ever good goes there. Someday if I'm lucky, I'll be there too, but not today, not until I'm ready or this disease takes me."

Ratchet looked at me, "Do you think that your God would let us into Heaven."

"Aye, our God knows what yer doin' for us down here, He'll let ya in. All ya have to do is ask. If I make it there before ya all I'll put in a good word for ya." I never hesitated. We sat, well I sat and he stood, in silence as the sun dipped behind the horizon and evening's tendrils' of darkness descended on the world. Ratchet took me home and he made sure I'd be alright, Hype followed behind us and drove right in, I smiled, "Goodnight, Ratchet, I'll see ya in the 'morn."

He nodded, "Have a good moon cycle, Bonny." And left. As soon as I found my bed I collapsed in to the pillow and started to fall asleep. Hyperdrive sprang onto the bed and tucked himself under my arm, we fell asleep like that, and I dreamed of being a femme, of never having to deal with this disease, this torture, and of fighting alongside… someone, but which fraction was it?

OHHHHHH Chapter one is up and ready, WHOOP WHOOP! For those of you who can't read into interactions, this is going to be a love triangle, obviously Ratchet and Bonny, but whom else… Someone from the other side perhaps? We'll just have to see.

RIGHT GET ON WITH THE REVIEWING THEN!