"Sure!" she says, taking another bite of egg.

He sets down the shot glass, and steps back. His brow furrows, and he begins to transform... into a tiny helicopter, devoid of outer metal sheet plating.

"Neat, huh?"

"My gosh, yeah!" Winnie puts down her fork and looks up at the copter with bright eyes.

"F-Fully functional," Lifeflight says, starting his engine up.

His blades begin to spin, and he lifts off the counter, hovering over Winnie's plate.

"Wow." Winnie laughs as her napkin tries to fly away.

Lifeflight backs up from her plate, over to empty counter, and transforms, landing back on the counter.

"That's awesome!" She smiles as Lifeflight walks forward.

He smiles, and sits down beside her plate, waiting for her to finish. Winnie chews her eggs and looks at Lifeflight. Looking quickly down she blushes. Lifeflight just smiles, pulling his knees up.

"I e-enjoy your-r company," he murmurs.

"I enjoy yours." Winnie takes a drink of her milk.

"I... I... yeah," he says quietly.

He sits in silence for a few minutes, before saying, "Bumblebee's asleep."

"Really? Good," she says, finishing her eggs.

Lifeflight watches Winnie pick up her dishes, and set them in the sink.

"Hmm... Lifeflight, can you com G?" she asks, brushing her hands off.

"Why?" Lifeflight asks. "I m-mean, I will, but for what reason?"

"I need to get back home, and I need a bridge," she says walking back over.

"It's w-way too early," Lifeflight says. "Y-You should take B-Bumblebee with you to remove the trees."

"It's not too early to get something done. Plus Bee needs some down time."

Lifeflight sighs. "Lifeflight to G." There is a pause, and he asks again. "Lifeflight to G."

When she doesn't pick up, Lifeflight turns to Winnie. "She's not picking up. Y-You should wait for Bumblebee."

"Thanks for trying. And I'll be fine. I've manned bridges before, I can probably work it."

"Y-You should clear it w-with G," Lifeflight says. "She's k-keeping tabs o-on us."

"Okay... let's see if we can find her." She holds her hand out for him.

Lifeflight climbs up onto her hand, and holds onto her thumb as Winnie walks. Going upstairs, she sees a light on in a room, the door open. Looking in, she sees a laundry setup, and G is sitting on the floor, holding some laundry in her lap.

"Gil?" she asks walking in. Kneeling, she touches G's shoulder. Slowly, she wakes up.

"W... Winnie?"

"Gil. You fell asleep. Here, come on." Winnie sets Lifeflight on her shoulder and helps G up.

"Bumblebee's asleep," G says. "He's really tired... totally knocked me out."

"Well, you should go to sleep too. I'll watch things around here."

Winnie walks her friend into her bedroom, where Bee is crashed on top of the sheets.

"Th-Thanks..." G says softly. "A-Are you headed out to the compound?"

"I was, but... you get some rest. I'll wait for the kids to get up," Winnie whispers back.

"Sunray's coming... he'll be here within the hour. It should be okay."

"Okay. Do you mind if I use the bridge after he gets here?"

"He'll come... you don't need to stay... you can always use the gate, it's always set for medbay."

"Thank you. I'll see you later," Winnie says backing out of the room.

"Yup... don't forget to come back tonight."

"I won't," she says, closing the door.

Winnie quietly walks into the laundry room. She sets Lifeflight on one of the tables and throws in the pile of clothes G was cleaning. A pile of clean, yet to be folded clothes lay in the corner. Winnie looks at them, then hears the warp pad firing up.

Turning, she picks Lifeflight back up and creeps quickly down the stairs. "Hello?"

"Mama?" a voice asks.

"Um..." Winnie turns around the corner where a bot stands. "Sorry... um. You must be Sunray. G is asleep upstairs."

"Are... are you Winnie?" the tall, mustard yellow mech asks, his doorwings flicking a little.

His blue eyes are bright and curious, and he looks down at Winnie, a smile tickling his lips.

"Yeah... you must be... Sunray, right?" Winnie asks.

"That's me!" Sunray says brightly, smiling happily. "Are you leaving? Mama said that your compound was destroyed."

"No, not quite. I haven't seen how bad it is yet," she says smiling back. "Oh, I almost forgot. This is Lifeflight," Winnie says, gesturing to the bot on her shoulder.

"Oh yes. Mama also told me... she told me... right. She told me to hide Lifeflight when you go through Base. He might be something that someone could take."

"She did? I thought Lifeflight would be safer here," Winnie says nervously.

"If you were taking him. If you aren't taking him, then... I don't know. He can stay here with me."

"Lifeflight?" Winnie says looking over at him.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to stay here?"

"Wh-What do you want me to do? I-I want-t to go with y-you, but-t whatever you decide."

Winnie bites her lip."I'd feel better if you stayed here, where it is definitely safe... but I guess you can come."

"Okay!" Lifeflight chirps, nuzzling into Winnie's neck.

Winnie's ears redden. Turning to Sunray, she asks, "Would you mind turning on the warp pad? It's been forever since I messed with one."

"It's all ready for you," Sunray says. "Hop on and you'll go."

"Thanks. Nice to meet you." Winnie waves to the mech and hops through the field.

"I'll see you later," Sunray calls.

...

Appearing in medbay, Winnie steps down from the warp pad.

Winnie quickly picks up Lifeflight and slides him in her pocket. "Sorry 'bout this," she says pulling the edge of her shirt over the pocket.

"Warm," he purrs.

"You should've stayed if you were cold," Winnie whispers to Lifeflight as she walks into the mob of Mecha passing through the hall outside the medbay.

"I'll be okay-y," Lifeflight says.

"Hey, she-human!"

Winnie jumps and looks around for the voice. She turns to see a mech, a stranger, standing in the hall. "Who are you talking to?"

Winnie smiles at the bot. "Myself. Is that a problem?"

"No," the mech says, "but it is a strange habit."

"Well I'm strange, even for humans," she says. "Pardon, but I don't think I've met you."

"No," the mech says, eyeing her. "We haven't."

"Well, pleased to meet you. I'm Winnie," she says still smiling and holding out her hand.

"Redbeam," the mech says with a smug smile. "What are you doing later?"

As Redbeam asks his question, Lifeflight pinches Winnie through her shirt. Winnie winces.

"Hi then, Redbeam. Um... I don't really know. I have a lot on my plate, I guess."

"Are you okay? You flinched. Is there something in your clothing?"

Redbeam steps closer, and a tiny growl emanates from Winnie's pocket.

"Uhh... special breed of rodent. I'm a vet and I come across a lot of new animals."

"Is that so?" Redbeam asks, "May I see it?"

"Sorry, but the breed spends its' life underground. Brining it out could cause serious damage... I'm also taking it to test for the rhabdovirus."

"I cannot catch this virus, as you say," Redbeam says, intrigued.

"Cybertronians can be carriers, though. And like I said, the light could cause serious physical and mental damage."

"I want to see," Redbeam says, reaching out for Winnie's arm.

Winnie's eyes widen. "Excuse me! I'm sorry, but..." She takes a step backwards.

"Hey!" a loud voice bellows. "Are you touchin' on Winnie?"

"Max?" Winnie spins around to see the tall mech. "E-everything is fine, Max. I jus- hey! Get off!"

She turns as Redbeam reaches out again. Redbeam looks up to see Fort Max coming closer, footsteps heavy on the floor.

"Get. Back."

Max pulls his fist back, and delivers a hard blow to Redbeam, pushing him back into the wall. Once the first punch is thrown, the brawl is on, and more Mecha join in the melee.

Winnie squeaks and tries not to get stepped on by the many mecha feet. Eyes wide and heart pounding she tries to reach the outside, but is flung aside by a stray blow. She twists in the air so as not to land on her pocket. Lifeflight skitters out into view as she lands. Winnie picks herself up, looking for Lifeflight.

"C'mon, Winnifred," a mech says, scooping her up. "Get ou' of the way."

"No... no-no-no. Lifeflight! No, where is he? Lifeflight!" She frantically tries to break from the grip.

"Wha' do ya mean, Chica? I don' know where Lifeflight is... he moved ou' wit' you, didn't he?"

"No. I mean yes. But he got small, and... and... LIFEFLIGHT!" Winnie scrabbles around on the floor.

"Ya get BACK!" Jazz roars, smashing a mech with an elbow, who was close to injuring Winnie. "C'mon!"

He scoops her up, and quickly moves out of the mainbay, out into the grass.

"Jazz to security. Report to mainbay immediately!"

A security team fills the mainbay, and soon the fight is under control... but Lifeflight is nowhere to be seen.

"Oh no. No, no, no. Jazz!" Winnie's hand flies to her mouth and she looks up at the bot.

She looks back into the hall and races in. Max and Redbeam are being hauled off the floor in stasis cuffs. Redbeam is bleeding from a split lip, and bloody nose, while Max wears a hard expression.

"You don't touch what's not yours," he growls, as they are led away.

Winnie spins around in the center of the room, looking for any sign of Lifeflight. She looks over at the two bots and sits down. In the middle of the floor she sits, and pulls her knees up to her chest.

...

Lifeflight squirms against the hands holding him tightly, and he whimpers. Winnie! Where's Winnie? A hand leaves his body, and he hears a door open. He is quickly lowered, and tossed onto the floor.

...

Mind buzzing, Winnie tries to remember where Lifeflight fell. But there were too many people.

"It's all my fault," she says aloud.

Standing shakily up she pushes down all the emotions bubbling back up. Would someone grab him?

...

Lifeflight yelps as he lands on the floor, skidding a little before he picks himself up and runs under the berth.

...

Winnie looks up and down the hall. Why did it have to be so big? She turns back to the medbay end of the quiet hall and jogs towards the the offices.

Ratchet peeks out of medbay and watches Winnie run. "Did you lose something, Winnifred?"

"Yeah," she mutters. "Who do I go to, to track a missing com?"

"Blaster. Why? Lose your comlink?"

"Not mine. Where is his office?"

"Sorry, Winnifred, no office. You're facing medbay, so go left, down that hallway, until you reach a huge ladder. That will take you up to communications."

...

Lifeflight hears footsteps come inside, and he whimpers. Winnie... where's Winnie? Where is anyone he knows that isn't big? He dodges a hand that reaches under the berth, pressing himself back against a dark, dirty corner.

...

Without another word Winnie sprints down the hall as Ratchet instructed. She runs until the hallway runs out, and she sees a metal ladder at the end. The rungs were designed for Mecha, not humans, and it takes a while. Climbing quickly she reaches communications within a few minutes.

When she reaches the top, she scans the surrounding room. It is in a massive dome, glass paneling showing the morning beautifully. A boxy, orange mech sits in a reclined chair in the middle, looking up into the sky.

"Blaster?" Winnie stands up breathing hard.

"Yeah!" Blaster says, sitting up in the chair and spinning around. "What can I- oh, hello, she-human."

"I need to track a comlink. Could you do that for me?"

"Depends, babe. Who and why?"

Winnie bristles. "Lifeflight, medic, and I need to find him."

"You check the medbay first, sugar?"

"He's not in there. Can you please just check?" Winnie asks, gritting her teeth.

"Easy, easy, lamb. Blaster requesting comlink override."

"Override engaged," replies a computerized voice.

"Search com code for Lifeflight, medic."

"Searching. Code found. Code is three-seven-eight-alpha-two."

"Scan for code number three-seven-eight-alpha-two."

"Scanning."

Winnie listens anxiously for the confirmation. "Thank you," she says quietly.

"Code not found within parameters."

"Scrap. Widen parameters to quadrant Delta-seven-five and surrounding sub districts."

"Scanning."

Winnie swallows as the first report is finished.

"Code not found. Search again?"

Blaster looks over at Winnie, gesturing to the system. "Again? Do you have an approximate location, Chick?"

Winnie's eyes dart around to the horizon outside. "He has to be close. He has to be. Try Metroplex."

"Aye," Blaster says. "Enlarge scanning range to include quadrant Alpha-two-eight-six and surrounding sub districts."

"Scanning. Code not found."

Winnie's stomach churns."Th-Thank you," she says, turning to the ladder.