Note*~

Tie in story to 'Caduceus' and 'Out of Duty and Family'. If you had read those, you would get this.

I would like to thank my tumblr TFP roleplayers for all the lurve and help they gave through their characters. c': *heart*

Now on with the story...

Hope you like! XOXO

Sweet Dreams

Darkness clouded everywhere. The black was so dense, she couldn't see her own hand. Where the hell was she?

Diana heard labored breaths, footsteps running for dear life. The voice sounded familiar, though she couldn't quite put the finger on who it belonged to.

Oh, no...

Raf.

He was in danger. But what was after him? If she was somewhere near him, they could find each other and escape wherever they were.

"Raf...!"

No answer. The footsteps seemed further and further away as she walked through the vast nothingness. Diana began to ran, as well.

'No...! Raf...! Rafael!'

She could hear herself screaming, though there was no echo or a sound coming out from her.

Her entire frame felt cold. Her feet were sore, she felt she received a gash somewhere. Her senses where hammering at her insides.

A violet glow shot out of nowhere, the sound echoing of a gunshot. In front of her, a metallic face gave her a smile of twisted glee and menace. In his sharp claws, was a limp, pale body...

"RAFAEL!"

Jolting from her sleep, the young doctor could barely feel her chest. Beads of sweat damped her clothes, her forehead moist and sticky. Darkness was still around her, though the only light source was the fluorescent lights dimmed down for the night, and the blaring screen of the monitor.

Diana tried to get her breath back to normal.

In... Out... In... Out...

It was only a dream... A nightmare. And she saw a face she never thought she'd see again...

Megatron.

Her insides harden with rage.

The first time everyone saw the leader of the Decepticons, Diana wanted to see into the eyes of the monster who almost took away her cousin. Thanks to Raf, stepping out and having everyone follow him, they were personally introduced to the tyrant. Raf glared daggers at him. Miko yelled like a banshee to get her point across. Diana had a threat of her own.

"What you did to Raf was inexcusable... You so much as lay a finger on him again, you better watch out!"

The overlord gave an undisturbed laugh, and grinned. "A threat... from a mere bug. Then, sit back, and enjoy the show, human."

Diana just about wanted to tear him down until he was nothing but a pile of junk. Painfully, limb by limb. Her eyes began to stung.

She raised a fist in the air, Jack behind her, a hand on her shoulder.

"Hurt my family, and you mess with me...!"

Now here she was. Training in the army as a field medic. With the help of Special Agent Fowler, she was now a medic in special ops.

She was on the inside, she had connections if the Decepticons ever laid waste again. Help would arrive quicker. And all the world would be safe...

She couldn't let the 'Cons harm anyone else. No 'Con was going to take family members away. She didn't want anyone to go through what almost happened to Raf...

Thanks to Megatron, he made her what she was today.

A solider.

She went from a long way from being a meek, shy med student to a battle harden fighter.

At times, she could hardly recognize herself.

Footsteps echoed through the corridor. Ratchet entered and walked over to the monitor. Glancing at Diana, his face soften sympathetically.

"Can't sleep well?" the titan asked.

"Military has a tight schedule," Diana breathed, eyes still in sleep. "We get up at four in the morning and warm up... We could be deployed anytime, anywhere."

The med bot gave a small smile at her answer, though his face turned serious again.

"Did you... have a bad dream?"

Diana turned away, facing the Ground Bridge.

The specific spot to where the ruthless overlord stood was still crisp in her memory. She could still see him standing. Right over in that very spot.

The unmoving frown. The metallic footsteps. The menacing eyes.

His optics burned and saw right through her very frame.

Her spine couldn't stop shaking.

She closed her eyes. "... Yeah. It was a nightmare. Raf was in it, and I saw... him."

The moment she finished her sentence, it was as if Ratchet knew who she was talking about.

It was years now. Raf was in university, and they weren't children anymore, but why did she always made herself worry? She should be over it by now.

"Rafael is safe," began Ratchet. "He can take care of himself, and you've done a wonderful job thus far, what with your work at special ops. Ever since day one of meeting you, you've handle everything excellently."

A smile came across her face.

The doc had a way with words. He always gave out snappy remarks, though when push came to shove, he always pulled through at the end of the day. He knew exactly what to say, no matter how tense the scenario was.

"I know he hurt your cousin, Di, but being in this state..." Ratchet continued. "You shouldn't do this to yourself."

The hum of the monitor could be heard through out the corridor.

How many times did she sat there and watch all the people she cared about leave her? She was powerless. She couldn't do anything. Now here she was in special ops. She had the connections. She no longer stood helplessly in the sidelines. But why did she still feel so empty?

"I... I'm just so angry," she began. "I'm angry... at myself."

She looked up towards her Autobot counterpart.

"I didn't do anything when Lily passed away. When Raf almost got killed... I vowed to myself I would do anything to protect him, anything. I wasn't going to let Megatron touch him again, or anyone else for that matter, so that no one would go through the pain I almost went through. I just... wish I could have stopped Raf from getting hurt in the first place...!"

Her face began to feel wet. A ginger hand began to dry herself off. She finally said it. After all this time, for so many years. She finally undid the knots that tied her down for so long.

"It's not your fault, Di," Ratchet finally broke the silence. "You... couldn't have known Megatron was after him in the first place. Don't punish yourself for something you couldn't do. Please... don't do this to yourself."

She carried so much baggage with her for so long. Anger, sadness, revenge... Self-punishment. It was time to forgive herself... and it was going to take as long as she tore herself down.

Her insides began to feel lighter. A small smile crept at her lips. Her robot friend was the only thing that kept her together and prevented her from turning into a homicidal maniac. He made her less of a doormat ever since they first met.

He was always there when she needed him... no matter how arduous the task was.

"You have you and Rick's wedding to plan for," he smiled. "And, hey, it's your day."

She heard herself chuckle.

She always thought eloping would be easier for her and Rick, because of their work in special ops and how it would just complicate things more if they did have a public ceremony. Even Rick agreed. Though, Ratchet talked her into having a ceremony and reception, just so she could look back and have a sense of a normal life down the road. He even got Raf on his side to urge her.

She felt herself yawning. What time was this ungodly hour? Stretching her limbs, she grasped at the sheets of the cot.

"... Di?"

She turned. "Hm?"

"Do you... ever resent us for complicating your life?"

Diana was always fascinated with space. She loved reading about sci-fi and the sci-fi things her father collected over the years. When she met the Autobots and learned extra terrestrials were real, she didn't knew if she should pass out from shock or jump for joy.

Through all the trouble, she really did found something unexpected. It was an adventure. A trip of a life time.

She drew a tired smile. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, Ratch."

She could hear a chuckle near the monitor as she drifted off to sleep.

"Sweet dreams, little solider..."