[Location: Autobot Base]

With the lack of really anything to do, Elita-One was taking inventory of what was stock-piled at the base. Optimus had suggested, with Ratchet's insisting, that she stay at the base as much as possible while she adapted to her new transforming abilities. That was fine with her; she wasn't feeling all that great anyways.

The phantom pain in her torso could only make her smile. She was feeling things in her body aside from the dull ache in her brain core that had let her know she was alive, but up until Vector Sigma fixed her up, removing the virus from her system, the world had looked like she was viewing everything through some sort of movie or T.V. show. She could hear and see, but the other senses were non-existent.

Taking a moment to let the pressure pain to pass, she closed her eyes and rested her hand over the area. Maybe she should have Ratchet take a look. Surely this wasn't normal. Shaking her head, she dismissed the idea. She'd just has to get use to feeling again and this would eventually pass. And besides, Ratchet was busy today doing an upgrade on the ground bridge.

Walking back into the main part of the base, Elita spotted the medic curled into a part of the flooring, mumbling as he worked. She could only smile. He was always working, but then again they all did some sort of job while the kids were in school. And a good chunk of time the kids were there they helped out.

Jack worked most afternoons at his after school job, which Elita thought was giving the young man a great work ethic. Rafael was too young to be 'officially' working, but Special Agent Fowler had managed to give the young man some sort of allowance for all the help he's given the Autobots.

Miko spent more time in detention after school than Elita had really thought possible, mostly because she had trouble doing her homework. The girl was hyper, but the newest Autobot understood completely. She had been almost the exact same way when she was Miko's age. School bored Elita, or Ellan back then, to tears because it didn't keep up with her. Maybe she needed to come up with something to help engage Miko more.

While pondering over ideas, Elita was doing her best to set up the computer system to replace the one she broke. She could do some, but was limited by how large her hands were. Rafael was having to do most of the work and it just made her feel guilty over breaking it all over again.

Ratchet had paused, catching himself watching Elita as she worked. What was it with these females and their choosing such a wild alternate mode. Well, given their size was there an earth vehicle that would fit them better? With the paint job Miko had originally done, Elita now looked a bit like someone's mid-life crisis, at least he thinks that's the human phrase for the idea.

And in some sort of way, she had become his.

He had gotten to know the kids as well as the others, spent time with them while his companions were out in the field. He taught them as much of Cybertron and its history as he could, pleased when they would actually listen. And in turn they shared their knowledge of their world with him. And over time, they had grown close to his spark, especially when time after time they had helped the team. But now he truly understood the bond that Bulkhead, Arcee, and Bumblebee had with their humans. In the time that Elita had been with them, he slowly realized how dull it was when he was alone in the base.

When he realized that she was looking over at him, he quickly buried himself back into his work, smiling at hearing her giggling. She still had her human mind and he had to walk her through the things that all Cybertronian's knew inherently, but she approached it with gusto. And that probably endeared her to him the most.

He still snuck in a scan or two throughout the day, when she was the most occupied. The two life signals in her chasse still bothered him, but in the week since her return the signals had actually started to match up. One was now just a slight echo of the other. Just when he decided he was going to run another scan on her he heard the tell-tale sounds of the others coming into the base through the drive tunnel. School must be out. He'll have to run the scan later. Right now he had to finish up his work with the ground bridge to get it operational again. Optmus was due for return soon.

Ratchet looked up as he heard his friends transform, but they were facing him. Behind them he saw Elita pause, facing mostly away from the group, she had her hand up to her torso. So focused on her turning to greet everyone as if everything was normal that he didn't hear Bulkhead speaking to him.

"Hey, Ratchet," the former Wrecker said, bending down a bit towards the medic, "when is the ground bridge going to be back online?"

"Oh, um," the red and white bot bent back down into the area he was working in, "just a few more moments." He set the last few components back into place before pulling himself out of the flooring with Bulkhead's help. If Elita was noticing issues herself, he'll just have to make her have a scan.

[Author's Note]

I DO NOT OWN TRANSFORMERS PRIME NOR ANY CHARACTER IN THE SHOW.