With the oncoming night drawing closer Zelena knew she had to get going, or else risk starting her change away from safety, so she asked Optimus if he could drop her off a bit earlier today. Of course he had to ask why.
She said she was just really exhausted and wanted to get home to bed.

But something felt off to him. He was more concerned about his ward lately. He'd noticed she'd been acting…different of late. Nothing that gained anyone's immediate attention, but little things that he noticed here and there.
She was even more tired than she was usually around this time, and despite her claims of resting she still had dark circles under her eyes, as if she had barely slept at all. He'd also noticed that she was wearing the same clothes as the day before.
Now this wouldn't normally catch his attention, but the clothes she was wearing were covered in dust, as if she had left them outside all night long, but that made no sense. The signature on the panic-button he and ratchet had given her told him that she had been upstairs all night long, even when she was fixing the car in her garage. Of course this made him wonder if she was taking it off and going somewhere, but Zelena usually took it everywhere, she was just such a careful person. It seemed far more likely she had gotten ready for sleep then remembered the car she had to fix and forgot the device upstairs. Perhaps he really was just being paranoid, but something just didn't feel right.

This was beginning to concern Optimus more than ever. Zelena didn't have a family to go home too like the others did, she had no one else to look after her, and that's why he worried about her more. Of course she was perfectly fine looking after herself under normal circumstances, had for a while as much as he could tell. But if these weren't normal circumstances? If she wasn't well or became ill in the night or something worse happened, she was all on her own.
He asked her if she wanted to spend the night here. She'd smiled and thanked him but shook her head.

"I have some sleep aids at home that I'm gonna' take so that I'm out for the entire night."

Optimus still wasn't convinced that everything was alright with her.

She sensed this and smiled. "I promise if anything at all happens I'll hit the switch." She promised, holding the device.

He thought about and finally nodded and transformed. With the large stock of energon they had he could make the extra trip back to her home if anything did happen. She climbed in and they were off.

The drive to her garage home was nearly silent, as Zelena stared blankly out the window at the darkening sky, she wore an almost pained expression.

"Zelena are you sure you're okay? Perhaps you should see Mrs. Darby, you don't look so well."

As soon as he spoke the pained expression left and was replaced with a happy smile.
"Really Optimus I'm just tired is all. I'll get a good night's sleep and be better by the morning, you'll see." Though she knew it was a lie.

"Would you like to go back to the base then? Just in case."

She shook her head. "I really appreciate the concern, but I'm an adult I can take care of myself." She smiled so he knew there were no hard feelings.

He knew she was right, but couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He wanted her to at least see Mrs. Darby so she could check her out, but at the same time he couldn't force her, nor did he want to smother her. He knew how much she liked her privacy and did not want to become a pest in her personal life.

He gave in with a sigh. "Alright, but call me if anything happens."

"I promised I would."

They came to her garage and he let her out. She said her goodbyes and headed inside. For a couple minutes Optimus waited in front, monitoring her position. He wanted to make sure she was going to rest like she said and sure enough she went upstairs to her bedroom and laid down on the bed. Optimus sighed again and drove off heading for the base.

Zelena laid awake in her bed. She knew Optimus was still in front of her garage and only when she heard the hum of his engines fade out into the distance did she move.

She got up and first went to the cupboard in her kitchenette, she did take a couple sleep aids, wishing they actually worked and that she could just sleep away what was to come. But she knew it was wishful thinking and really could only hope that the pills would at least sedate her slightly.
She headed down to the first floor and then into the basement. She had reinforced the walls with concrete and iron bars, removing all windows and replacing the wooden door with a steel bolted one. It had taken her nearly an entire month to finish the modifications so it was strong enough to withstand her true Lycanthrope form.

She locked the basement door and bolted it behind her as she descended. Reaching the bottom of the stairs she hid the key under the loose panel of the first step. She undressed, folded her clothes and placed them under the step as well. She shivered and her skin was covered in goosebumps, she could already feel the change on the horizon. It was always worse when she had recently spilt blood, be it human or animal. The transformations always more violent, like the beast within knew and craved more carnage.

There was no bed or anything of the sort, it would have been shredded by morning anyway, so it would just be a waste to include one. Going to the center of the room she lied down on her back. She shivered on the cold floor. Even though she could not see it she could feel the full moon rising. It was, well it was almost like feeling ripples of water come and splash against you, slowly at first but growing in intensity and power. The ripples grew stronger and stronger until they were pounding against the inside of her head.

It didn't take long for the change to start. First there was a wave of heat that swept through her body, making her sweat and feel queasy, this lasted for a few minutes until it suddenly vanished. Zelena braced herself for the next part. The smell of ozone, like after a lightning strike, filled her nose and then came the pain. Wave after wave of searing, bludgeoning pain crashed into her like a brick wall, throbbing from within her in tune with the pounding waves of the moon, and her body, forced to obey, began changing against her will.
Zelena managed to hold on for a couple more seconds before the pain became too great and she blacked out, her consciousness receding to the back of her mind, as the beast finally broke through, riding on the back of the moon waves.

0o

The first thing Zelena noticed as she regained consciousness was the taste of blood in her mouth, and she began to panic, forcing her eyes open. She was still in her basement and the steel door still locked and bolted, albeit slightly more dented. She mentally sighed, the blood she tasted was her own. She didn't know what time it was but she knew it was morning and the moon was gone.

Slowly, painfully she tried to get her hands and feet beneath her to crawl to the stairs. But it was a very slow process. She was in agony, every single one of her muscles ached, her bones ached, even her eyes ached. Her jaw was throbbing from biting at the walls and her fingers were nearly numb with pain from trying to claw her way out, and she was exhausted from absolutely no sleep. As she began moving towards the door on all fours she realized she was covered in her own blood. She knew she'd probably cut herself with her own claws or while body slamming the wall. She always woke up aching from these nights, but this time it was especially awful. Killing always made the beast within more aggressive, more malicious.

She managed to get to the first step, reached behind it and removed the key to the door. She didn't even bother to grab her clothes, putting them on would be too painful right now. She grabbed the side of the wall and used it to help her stand. Zelena immediately regretted it as she was hit with an overpowering wave of nausea. She wanted to puke but her stomach was empty, so she settled on a long bout of dry-heaving.

The heaving finally slowed and stopped and tears were running down her face did she decide to move. Slowly she made the journey to climb the stairs. She opened it and headed for her living quarters.

What she needed now more than anything was a long hot soothing bath. She again climbed another set of stairs and finally made it to the bathroom. Zelena twisted the knobs until the faucet gushed hot water and steam filled the room and fogged up the mirror.

She laid down some folded towels in the water for her aching body and the tub was full she slipped in.

Zelena swore if she wasn't so tired she would have cried, as she dipped her body into the steaming water the pain flared and died down as it was soothed by the heat. She laid her head down against one of the towels and closed her eyes. There was no way she was working today, she couldn't it if she tried. When Optimus came to check in on her later she would just tell him she had gotten sick in the night.
Slowly she felt her body begin to relax and she drifted off.