**Triggers for Rape/ Abuse**
Rose sat outside the school, waiting impatiently for Ratchet's arrival, she commed him again "You're still coming right?" Worry in her voice.
"Rose...I'm having issues with the groundbridge, I'll be there as soon as I can." He replied. Her response was returned with a devastating scream..."Ratch..." Then the comm went silent.
The medic paced "Frag it!" knowing he was stuck until the ground bridge was operational... putting all the other bots out of commission too. He thought for a moment. Returning to the comm. "Knockout? Wheeljack? Come in!" He called over the line, hoping for one of the Bots.
There was a small belch over the link. "Sorry, Ratchet" A small voice answered "I finally have a bit of an appetite from this pregnancy..."
The medic chuckled softly 'I'm glad to hear. We have a serious problem though. Rose was at school, waiting for me to pick her up...an issue with the ground bridge delayed me... I heard...a scream... I'm concerned her human father has her again.'
"What?! You mean-...We're on it! Knockout!' Crystal exclaimed, a motherly protective anger in her voice.
Ratchet growled softly, frustration taking over "I'll send you here last known coordinates... see if you can track her from there? Please..." There was a sense of desperation... almost, defeat, in his vocalizer.
"We got it. Knockout will track her down!" Crystal growled. Over on her end, the pregnant blonde skated away with Soundwave's Comm on her whereabouts. "I'm pulling them up!' She informed him "Knockout!" She called, firing up the groundbridge.
Ratchet vented in frustration from his end.
Rose was drug out of the van by two of her Father's accomplices...they'd already succeeded in having a little ' fun' with on the drive over and her face was bloodied, and her clothes torn.
"What should we do with ' er boss?" The tall lanky one asked
"Tie her up over there" Jon Deacon growled, motioning to a chain attached to a wooden post, similar to where one might tie a dog. The two men did as they were told, Rose only groaned, having given up for the moment.
All of a sudden, there was a blur and a loud, 'CRACK!' Crystal ran out of the groundbridge, fist balled and fire dancing in her eyes. She stood between them and Rose. "WHY I OUGHTA..."
The two lackeys ran, leaving Jon standing alone "What in the Pit are you? Some kid? They just keep passing my baby around like a piece of meat...then you all have the nerve to come yell at ME!?"
"WHEN I'M THROUGH WITH YOU, YOU'RE GONNA WISH I JUST YELLED!" Crystal marched over to him, drawing back her fist and punching him HARD...for her. She hoped Knockout wasn't far behind.
Jon blinked " Come again, Sister?" Stumbling back slightly from the punch. "You might not want to be fighting... Not with the likes of me."
Crystal growled and hiked up her tank top strap. "Ya know something?!" She landed a good uppercut that made him stumble back. "Guys like you piss me off!"
Jon laughed "Charming... " Jon backed her into a nook in the Canyon, slamming her in the chest and then kissing her, as a group of men surround Rose, with a very clear intent... one approaching her, grabbing at her exposed breast from where the other men had torn her clothes before, others groping the young girl as though she were nothing more than a piece of meat.
Crystal let out a muffled scream and struggled.
Jon pulled away, his much larger frame keeping her pinned to the wall "Watch them... watch them teach her what she's good for, Sweetheart...the ONLY thing she's good for."
"AFTH-" She was silenced with another kiss, shrieking into it as she was groped by a massive hand. -KNOCKOUT! - she shrieked in her head, terrified. Praying somehow, he would hear her, find her before it was too late...again.
Jon held her, pressing his hips, his need...his INTENT into her as he invaded her mouth once again. Red could only watch as Rose got far more than a simple groping.
'Oh, please Primus! Let him not be too late!' She pleaded with the deity as she felt him strip her of her clothes...
Jon mashed her breast in his large hands "You wants some of what little girl is getting, Sweetheart...wanna feel a real man up there?" He kissed her sloppily as he worked to remove her pants clumsily.
She couldn't fit a word in as he stripped her pants off. Crystal was an attractive, young girl. Though she never saw it.
Jon laughed, discovering her barely visible hint of a baby bump" I get two for the price of one today! Lucky me! I'd make you suck me, but you'd prolly fall over wench! This will be just like when I put a baby in Rose..." He thought " Wonder if I can rip this one outta you too?"
Rose just lay against the stake, the spark leaving her eyes as one man crawled off her and another took his place. Until she finally threw up.
Crystal struggled harder, aqua eyes wide. His fingers had slipped beneath her underwear and was now teasing her, making her let out a muffled shriek.
In that instant, a ground bridge opened, and a frantic Knockout appeared. He covered the distance between them quickly, hissing loudly.
The rest of the men scattered, leaving Rose battered and bruised tied to the pole, whimpering in barely audible tones. Jon stood firm, cocky as always, pulling his hand away "Call your DOG, did you?" Glaring at Knockout.
Crystal saw her chance, fleeing while he was distracted.
Jon blinked "Fragging FREAK!" He looks over at Rose, laughing " You want her, she's yours...she's as good as dead now, anyway... you'll have to kill me first. I'll always find her... I'll keep doing this to her! Because she's MINE!"
Knockout picked him up and Crystal's eyes widened, making a break for Rose.
"Don't look, Don't look!" She covered Rose with her hands as Jon screamed in anguish, Knockout suffocating the larger man until the girl was sure he was dead. The sound soon stopped, and Crystal pulled her hands away. The twitching, drooling form of Jon laid on the ground. Crystal sighed, looking sick. "I 'hate it when ya do that."
Knockout vented "I had to protect you."
Rose trembled, instinctively pulling away from Crystal's touch at first. Purely terrified. Shaking violently, throwing up again. Jon screaming in agony once more, before laying perfectly still.
Crystal carefully unchained Rose and held her, softly singing,
"Smile, though your heart is aching
Smile, even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
you'll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through
for you
Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile what's the use of crying
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you'll just
Smile"
Rose clung to her, sobbing "Crys...Crys..."She buried her head against the woman's chest
"Shh... Shhh..." She hushed her gently, like a mother. She stroked her head gently, her voice rising.
"Smile, though your heart is aching
Smile, even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
you'll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through
for you
Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile what's the use of crying
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you'll just
Smile"."
She whimpered softly, looking around cautiously. She wanted to sleep...the song made her want to sleep, but she fought sleep because sleep felt like death...and she couldn't die.
Crystal looked at Rose. Stroking her hair " I don't know what to do" She murmured As Knockout drove them back to the Autobot base. "Just keep singing..." Knockout answered, as lost as he charge was, and fighting his own worry, her voice kept him calm too.
Rose reached out slowly, small tremors slowly turning into her entire body shaking violently "So..." her eyes rolling back and to the right.
"You're safe" Crystal assured her, as she held her close, continuing to sing.
"Quiet your heart
It's just a dream
Go back to sleep
I'll be right here
I'll stay awake as long as you need me
To slay all the dragons
And keep out the monsters
I'm watching over you"
Eventually the shaking stopped, Rose curling into Crystal, and not so much sleeping as resting quietly against the girl with her eyes closed, having given up yet again. "Let's get her back to Ratchet..." Crystal said quietly.
Knockout tucked a blanket around the pair, scooping them up he stepped through a ground bridge and inside the Autobot base. "She needs her medic "He said smartly, the usual cocky tone in his voice subdued.
Ratchet vented running up to the pair "Allspark! What Happened?" Taking the girl, setting her gently on the medical berth, she woke up thrashing and fighting him off "Easy Rose...It's just me, Ratchet"
She trembled "Nooo..." Crystal allowed Knockout to dress her, feeling his hands on her and in her still. Silently, tears slipped down her face. Needing, trusting her own medic in this moment.
Rose screamed and screamed. It was the only other sound she'd made. Ratchet backed away slowly, looking confused and helpless. "It's ALRIGHT Rose, It's just ME! Ratchet" It was like she couldn't hear him at all. Her body tensed, convulsing again. Ratchet looked at the pair desperately. "What HAPPENED?"
"They raped her... the load of them." Knockout offered in explanation. "Almost got to Crys..."Knockout kept her close. Protecting hi femme with all his spark.
Ratchet tensed, venting heavily "At least you saved one of them." Shaking his helm as the convulsions subsided
Ratchet shook his him "I'm sorry, Sweetspark." Inching closer to her. "It's just Ratchet. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." He vented softly.
Crystal curled into her own guardian, finally, her own fear and pain emerging, and Knockout just held her, keeping her close. The usually self-assured mech almost resembling a lost puppy.
Rose keep pulling away, making any sort of exam or attempt to treat her nearly impossible, only whimpering.
Ratchet hung him helm shamefully. "I'm sorry I failed you, Sweetspark. I wish I'd been there. Fragging groundbridge! I'm sorry." He reached out for her and she pulled away. He shook his helm sadly. "I'd do anything to take it back."
Knockout placed a servo on his arm and allowed Crystal down to hold her close. "We're..." The mech was at a loss. His charge had been molested by a filthy, disgraceful human. He didn't know how to help any better than Ratchet did
Ratchet nodded, understanding what he couldn't say "Thank you. I'm sorry for what you and are enduring as well...and my part in that." Rose eased against Red gently. Ratchet vented "At least someone calms her down." Smiling sheepishly at Crystal
Rose whimpered weakly again. Crystal looked exhausted holding the girl. "The femmes seem to understand each other." Knockout mused as Ratchet used whatever bit of calm Rose gave him to examine and care for her physical wounds the best he could. He knew it would be a long time vorns... before she was well mentally again. "They have their own... spark bond..." Knockout mused.
Ratchet nodded to him "Thank you... both of you." working quickly to finish examining and treating to the best of his ability... the rest would come with time.
"Ow!" She whimpered weakly as Ratchet touched a particularly painful spot. Slowly, finally the girl let something close to real sleep consume her.
Ratchet vented. "Thank you... both, again." He smiled, nodding shamefully at Crystal She offered him a compassionate look. She didn't mind. She understood.
Ratchet shook his helm "Can I count on the pair of you to be... around...in case she needs you?" He vented softly "I'll do my best for her...but she seems to have taken some sort of connection to your femme in all of this." He shifted awkwardly on his peds.
"We'll do what we can, Ratchet." Knockout offered, noncommittally. He could only be inconvenienced so much before he got irritated. He had HIS femme to think about too, especially with the new development.
"He didn't hurt the baby?" Asked Rose softly
"Everything is fine." Knockout assured her, keeping his charge protected.
"I just wish..." Crystal started, looking up at Knockout, her eyes full of sadness. The mech looked back at her confused. Rose nodded. "The baby will love you...and Knockout cares, in his own way. It's not the same but..." She stopped, trying to collect herself. ". He'll be there...to hold you... protect you...when you're scared... when the baby comes. It was just me...and that..." She shivered, turning her head away, not wanting to remember.
Crystal nodded "Not the sort of a family I imagined, but ... family." Rose nodded "Family."