Chapter Warnings: swearing, I think that's all. ;P

Disclaimer: Primus I want to own them so bad, but it'll never happen. I only own Sage and her crazy side of the family.

- Until All Are One -

Chapter Nine: Some Answers, More Questions.

- Until All Are One -

Previously:

Growling faintly, his face twisted in concentration, he pinged his annoyance at the questioning pings he was receiving from the two Mechs behind him. Ten minutes after their arrival, they heard sirens before a Hummer came careening to a stop, transforming before he was fully settled. Ratchet scanned her and the other femme before focusing on the most serious injury: Sage's wrist. Pulling out a needle, he injected antibiotics before scanning her wrist more thoroughly. As he took over the medical attention, the new Bot scanned Demonta over, noting a few minor cuts and scrapes, and only a slightly sprained wrist. Following Ratchet's orders, he splinted her wrist before helping load Sage into Ratchet's gurney.

Before anyone could protest, or say anything, Demonta hopped into Ratchet and settled by the unconscious girl. Snapping his doors shut, Ratchet tore out as quickly as he could without jarring his patients. Jolt, newly arrived and very confused, looked warily at the Guardian and Warrior, who also shifted and followed the CMO. Shifting down, he vaguely wondered if anyone was going to bother debriefing him.

- Until All Are One -

Time: 1:17 a.m.

Location: Outside the club Darkest Pitch

Sarah didn't know why she glanced up at that moment, only that she was glad she did so. Seeing Sage being thrown into a driverless car, which took off seconds later, enabled her to warn the mechs in time. They watched as the two tore after the unknown Cybertronian, huddling together as they realized what had happened. Judy, surprisingly, sobered nearly instantly, and was torn between screaming and ranting, or falling on the ground sobbing. Maggie called the base, just in case Sides and Cade didn't, and received word that Ratchet was en route, and Ironhide was on his way to pick them up. Sarah hugged herself, fear clouding over, but she did notice the figure watching over them from the other side of the parking lot. Smiling weakly at the three, she trotted over to the man who appeared to be talking on a cellphone. Hearing the language he was speaking in, she stifled a hysterical laugh. Gustav, the bouncer, turned his dark brown eyes to her, and for an instant, they shifted into dark green optics. In a blink, they were back to brown, but she saw the gray and white jeep behind him shift on its axles, the wheels twisting slightly in a show of anxiety.

"Sarah," his German accent faded, turning more metallic, "we've located the Decepticon, he's, well, we've managed to trick the Bots into believing they caught his signal, they're on their way,"

"Thanks Gus," she murmured, relaxing a fraction. He briefly, awkwardly, hugged her slightly, before nodding back to the girls. She turned, spotting Ironhide's powerful alt roaring down the street. Kissing his cheek, she hurried back to the others, in time to see her husband jump out of the weapon specialist, fully geared. Three other soldiers, Epps, Fig, and Donnelly, also jumped out, helping them into the Autobot. Seconds later, two military jeeps came to a stop nearby. Sarah vaguely was grateful it was after one in the morning, most were inside the club, but few were outside to witness the deployment of several military vehicles, and the soldiers.

"Sarah!" she happily grabbed her husband, curling into his chest. "What happened?" he asked, soothingly stroking her hair.

"Sage, she was kidnapped, dragged into a Decepticon, I think it was a Decepticon, it had no driver," she stammered, trying to talk too fast. Will, her beloved, understood her words and nodded briefly, leaning down to kiss her softly.

"Thanks, we'll take it over here…"

"They've got a lock!" Ironhide's voice boomed, making them jump. "The Decepticon's stopped, ETA for Barricade and Sideswipe is ten minutes, the slagger's a fast one."

"Ratchet?" Will demanded.

"Twenty," they breathed a faint sigh, "Make that fifteen," Ironhide chuckled darkly, "The Hatchet's coming out to play, plus with those emergency sirens, everyone's getting out of his way."

"Hatchet?" Will wondered.

"Ratchet's not just our CMO," Ironhide glowered, "he's a VERY able fighter, and right now, he's verging on accessing his own battle routines."

"I take it, that's very bad," Epps muttered.

"You know how reluctant we are for our maintenance checks, right?" the Bot replied, receiving several curious nods, "well, when the Hatchet comes out, all of us run to him, instead of risking him coming after us,"

"That bad huh?" Will asked, as Fig whistled lowly.

"Worse,"

"Why?" they glanced over at Mikaela, who looked puzzled, "why would he react like that to Sage?" Sharing looks, and noting the curious expressions on Sarah's and Judy's faces, they groaned. Only Maggie knew about Sage's transformation, they realized.

"Sage is a Sparkling," Ironhide decided to be blunt, "she's also gotten ALL of us to adopt her in some way. Ratchet's, well besides her being a patient, she's managed to activate his Caregiver's programming," a brief moment of silence, before he vented lightly. "Ratchet views her as one of his own Sparklings, it's mostly his medical programming, and a mix of his Caregiver protocols, he's adopted a LOT of Younglings and Sparklings during this war."

"So he thinks of her as his own?" Judy smiled, chuckling lightly. "She's gaining family right, left, and center, lately isn't she?" She detected a slight tension in the Guardian, and grinned faintly. "What about you Ironhide?" she CLEARLY remembered how eager he'd been to cuddle with her last week.

"My own Caregiver and Creator programming is very active in accordance to her," he admitted softly.

"Heads up," Epps interrupted, looking worried, "we just got confirmation,"

"Of what?" Will asked, tensing up. Epps locked eyes with his CO, his anxiety clear.

"A new landing, this one went completely under our radar,"

"When does he hit planet-side?" Will demanded, rubbing his forehead. The hesitance in his officer made him brace himself.

"About three hours ago," Epps rubbed his head, groaning, "wanna know the best part?"

"Sure, what else could go wrong?" Will threw his hands up.

"DUDE! Murphy's Laws, man! Shut the hell up!" Fig yelped.

"Knock on wood, knock on wood!" Donnelly swore, looking around before tapping on Ironhide's armor rapidly. Ignoring the irritated rumbling of the Bot, he relaxed marginally.

"Well, this new guy's gonna intercept the Decepticon, BEFORE Cade and Sides get there," Epps muttered darkly. The others swore violently, grabbing their communication equipment. Before they could start however, Ironhide revved his engine.

"Confirmation, Autobot Medical Assistant Jolt, he's located the Decepticon…" he trailed off, his frame tensing, seconds later, they heard what could only be a Cybertronian swear-fest.

"What? What's happening?" Judy demanded, peering into the window.

"The Decepticon just retreated, Jolt is attempting to stabilize the two femmes, Sage is severely damaged," he related.

"Ratchet's ETA?" Will demanded, then paused, "Wait, TWO femmes?"

- Until All Are One -

It had become tradition, Prime realized darkly, for all of them to glare at the medical bay's doors, after Ratchet would sequester Sage behind said doors and lock all of them out. Even Jolt was locked out; Ratchet merely said he'd perform a diagnostic after he was certain Sage was alright. The new femme, who hadn't said anything, was sitting in the brig after being forcibly separated from Sage. She had put up quite a fuss, but once she was in the cell, had gone silent and merely tapped her foot as she glared at the door. The Cybertronians had ignored her for the moment, too interested in Sage's status, calming down the Younglings again, calming down the humans, and calming down Cade, Sides, and Bonecrusher. The two Cons were bristled and had deployed their weaponry, making the humans skittish, while Sides skated up and down the hall, snarling quietly under his breath, his swords peeking out from their sheaths.

"Dat's 'nough!" Blackout whirled around, having stood there for several hours tapping his claws. His outburst briefly silenced the three grumbling, before he shoved at all of them. "Ah can't t'ink, wit ya'll slaggers 'ere! Go do sumt'ing productive!"

"Like what?"

"We're stuck on base!" Bonecrusher growled, slamming a fisted servo into a wall. Ignoring the dent, he smirked maliciously at the surprised squawks from the humans. They had clearly felt the tremor, judging by the heads poking out in alarm.

"AH DON'T CARE! GET LOST!" they warily stepped back, seeing him lose his control. Sides growled faintly but sheathed his swords and slumped on the ground, by the disgruntled Jolt, who had been watching with distaste. Bonecrusher backed up, leaning against a wall and going silent. Cade stood for a moment, staring at the door, his claws twitching slightly. Blackout frowned, staring at his Bonded for several seconds, before glaring icily at everyone there. Stepping forward, he ran his claws over his elbow hydraulics, causing the Hunter to twitch slightly, but kept his focus where his Ward was. "Caders, go, Ah'll watch ova her,"

:: I failed her, again,:: the Con twitched, freezing. Rarely did Cade ever initiate their Bond-link, usually only in dire moments or during radio-silence. Searching down their Link, Blackout felt ashamed. The self-loathing, self-disgust, his Bonded had been stewing in the past few hours, was easily detected now that he had re-opened their Link.

::Bonded, stop, ya tried ta help her, ya went afta' 'im,::

:: I still failed!:: the fury in his Spark, wasn't visible in how stiff his frame was. Blackout felt dread rise, he could feel the depression starting to grip his Bonded's Spark, could feel the tightening.

"Stop Caders," he whispered, gripping onto his Bonded's arm. "Ya didn't fail, we neva' detected 'im, we didn't know he was dere,"

"I can't feel her," his soft admission made everyone tense. The guilt undertone in his voice screamed out to them. "I can't feel her,"

"Neither can I," they looked at the Prime, who was lightly resting his servo against the door. "The Matrix, it says she's fine, but I can't feel her,"

"Is she blocked?" the worried tone made them jump; Ironhide took no pleasure from their surprise. In his arms, he held the keening twins, who kept calling out to their Creator. Lift, having shuffled behind the Guardian, looked morosely at the floor, also keening, while attempting to cuddle into the black mech's back-plates.

"Yes, no, not like last time," Prime vented, leaning his helm lightly against the door. He stumbled back, when the doors opened, revealing an exhausted Ratchet. The CMO looked around blankly, before his optics locked on the Younglings. Reaching out, he took the twins and turned around, bringing them inside. Lift followed, settling nearby against the wall, optics locked on the petite figure. The mechs slowly peered in, watching him settle the twins on either side of the bed. They clicked softly, their keening quieting, until they began humming softly. Prime and Cade straightened, their optics dimming, before they relaxed.

"I feel her," the relief in Cade's voice nearly broke them.

"It's faint, but she's there,"

"Of course, she isn't dead," Ratchet snapped, rubbing at his optics, "She's in stasis,"

"Human stasis or Cybertronian?" Bonecrusher demanded.

"Cybertronian," the weary reply made them flinch. "Her body was severely damaged, her Spark, it started to Detach,"

"Primus no," Sides shuddered.

"She's recovering, slowly," Ratchet groaned, looking about ready to collapse. Ironhide reached over, hauling the medic down to rest, despite his protests. Now that they knew she would recover, most had relaxed. Most. Blackout watched his Bonded as the Hunter watched over his Ward, even sizing up the Younglings to see if they were a threat.

"Let's go Caders," he urged softly, pulling on him gently. Reluctantly, he stepped back, before a tingling along their Link warned the tech Con.

"Stupid slagging sparkling!" his outburst startled the others, the rage simmering in his optics made them back away. "She's just like a sparkling! Always getting into trouble!" he snarled. Vexed, he clenched his servos and began pacing violently, flicking his gaze over every few seconds.

"Mah Mech," Blackout steeled, ignoring the surprised looks he now received. It was obvious that he and Cade NEVER admitted their affection in front of anyone; Blackout had already performed several affectionate actions to his Bonded now, which indicated how unstable Barricade was becoming. "Go, do somet'in', so ya dun hurt yer Ward when she comes to, n'kay?" Slowly, his pacing stopped, a thoughtful expression crossing his face, before he agreed with a sharp nod. Still looking aggravated, he locked optics on the Con front-liner.

"Let's go slag-head," he ordered. Bonecrusher vented, looking at him warily. "We're going to do something productive," he snarled the word. The two briefly commed each other, before smirking maliciously, turning and storming down the hall. Cade paused though, long enough to allow Frenzy to pop out. "Watch over her," he ordered, before continuing.

"What ya afts gonna do?" Ironhide demanded.

"Hunt that Decepticon down," Cade snarled.

"Keep busy," Bonecrusher stated almost gleefully. All but Blackout looked worried, believing destruction would be the main item. Blackout looked curious for a second before venting.

"Dey ain't leavin' da base," he reassured, or tried to. Looking worried, the Bots wondered if they should feel reassured.

- Until All Are One -

It was warm, and comfortable, and dark. Vaguely, the sounds of voices broke through the cloud of content she felt. It was odd, she drowsily thought, they shifted from soft murmurs to shouting, but she couldn't understand them. Faint words, but they didn't make sense to her mind. Curling into herself more, she briefly wished to return to sleep, she wanted to dream some more. Dreams of alien robotic beings, of gaining a large adopted family, adopting several Younglings as her own…

-Sweetie? Are you awake?- a soft voice murmured.

-No,- she replied sleepily, smiling at the soft chuckling she received. She hummed, when she felt warm arms curl around her. Relaxing, she sighed contently, remembering when her Mom would hold her like this. But…her Mom was dead, wasn't she?

-Yes sweetie, she's dead,-

-Who?- a soft giggle, a husky bell-like chime.

-Callie, you can call me, Callie. However, there are two who are quite anxious to see you again,-

-See me?-

-You may not remember them, you were only an infant,- a gentle tugging, before she felt like she was flying. –Open your eyes,- She did. Her breath caught, they were surrounded in all shades of colors, swirling together beautifully. The arms around her were transparent, she was transparent. Gaping, she whirled around, realizing she wasn't solid. They flew around, mist-like, only their heads and shoulders semi-solid. When she moved her arms, they briefly materialized, before melting back into the streaming mist that formed flowing sheer robes. The person holding onto her, the only part that really felt real, was a girl perhaps four inches smaller than her. Wispy black hair floated around them, several strands were coiled around her, keeping her close, along with the tanned arms. Dark blue-green eyes watched over her protectively, silver flecks danced in the interchanging colors, while they glowed faintly with a kind light.

-What…?-

-Have you ever heard of astral projection?- Callie asked, sounding calm and soothing the panicked instincts.

-Vaguely…-

-You were hurt, enough that your Spark began detaching,- a sad smile flickered over the young face, Sage jolted, she looked younger than her, but her eyes were full of deep wisdom, and countless years of suffering. –Sparks aren't necessarily meant to be in an organic body, it's far too easy for them to detach, unless one has a core…- her strange multicolored eyes briefly peered at Sage's chest, making the girl blush slightly, -Unfortunately, you don't appear to have a core, so you're a normal human being,-

-What is this place?-

-Home,- Sage blinked, before stifling a cry. The colors faded, leaving a creamy faceted nothingness around them. Reaching out, she was surprised to feel what felt like glass, so it wasn't nothingness after all. –They want to see you, but you must promise, not to reveal them to your other family, not yet,- Sage nodded briefly, confused.

-Other family?-

-The Bots and Cons,- with that said, Callie pulled backwards, gripping her hands, and pulling them through the glass. Gasping, Sage blinked at the oversized surroundings. Feeling tiny, she felt Callie tug on her, but she was distracted. Without Callie surrounding her, she felt herself slowly falling away. Looking down, at her mist-like body, she saw herself dissolving. –Focus on me,- Callie's voice rang through her; focusing on her voice and the gentle pressure of her hand, Sage felt herself reform. Once she had gotten used to keeping her concentration, Callie made them fly through the metal walls, laughing joyfully as they passed several others that Sage couldn't see properly. Hallways, doors, all seemed over-sized to her, not to mention the walls and floors and ceilings looked like they should be part of a high-tech scene from a science fiction movie. The one door they approached, easily large enough for Orion to step through with enough room for Ironhide AND Bonecrusher as well, was apparently their destination, since Callie sent them flying through the thick metal and into a control room/communications office.

-Holy Primus!- Sage gaped, spotting the two occupants. She could easily tell what they were, and her Spark jolted. As though hearing her, the smaller occupant tensed, then idly looked around. Dark green optics landed on her and Callie, almost bypassing them, before snapping back to them instantly. A strange feeling overwhelmed her, watching the Bot slowly stand up. It was a femme, Sage thought in disbelief, not understanding how she knew it.

Dark green optics revealed a childish glee, but also several millennia of knowledge and understanding. She was small, barely ten feet tall, with a slender frame. Light armor of silver and gold, surprisingly didn't attract her attention as it should have. Looking closer, she could see the engraved golden glyphs of the Allspark hidden over her frame. She balanced on clawed feet, her heels upright, giving her a fragile feline appearance, but showed her strength was in speed and agility.

-Hello Gaia,- Callie warmly greeted. The Femme hummed, staring intently at Sage with joy. The other Bot in the room was a Mech, who noticed Gaia had stood up. Turning slightly, he blinked his dark blue-green optics worriedly. Sage felt her Spark jolt again, she knew him! Much more than the femme, she felt her Spark reacting to him in a strange way. She felt inexplicably drawn to him, enough that she moved forward and tried to reach out. Gaia noticed, and laughed warmly at the childish action, alarming the Mech more.

"Cobalt, we have company," her voice was warm, full of love and kindness, with an odd huskiness that made Sage believe she hadn't spoken for a very long time.

"Who?" the mech stood upright, making Sage crane her head up in shock. He was taller than Megatron, by at least ten feet! His frame was thick and heavily armored, dark blue plates larger than herself carried easily by his powerful frame. He looked similar to Orion, she pondered, tall and semi-lanky, but he possessed the heavy steps of a Warrior, like Ironhide. More like Orion, she decided, seeing the war-weary but kind optics as he scanned the room. His weapons were visible, but only in reach, and not deployed like the battle-ready Guardian. A huge war hammer-like weapon, almost as large as the femme, was strapped securely to his back, indicating he rarely transformed, despite having a human vehicle alt? She could faintly see a human logo on one armor plate.

"Hello, our Little Spark," Gaia knelt, reaching out and gently stroking at her head. She could faintly feel the caress, despite being insubstantial, and reveled in the love and affection. The mech jolted, his Spark reaching out, sensing hers instantly.

"Sage," he whispered, then knelt and looked around avidly. "Where is my Sparkling, Gaia? Where is she?"

"Callie brought her to us, Cobalt, she brought our Sparkling to us!"

"My sparkling," a hint of irritation seeped into his voice, possessiveness clear. Gaia laughed, teasingly pouting.

"Of course, Mama Cobalt," she teased. Callie laughed, turning to the bemused girl.

-This is your grandma, your mom's mom,- she explained, urging her into the mech's open servos. Touching them, she saw the optics lock onto her, surprise, fear, happiness, and grief flaring in the heart-broken optics.

"My grand-sparkling," he murmured, lifting her up to nuzzle her against his helm. Slowly, gently, he pressed his fore-helm against her forehead, a gesture of complete love and adoration only Orion had shared with her before. Feeling her Spark singing with joy, she broke down crying, not feeling her form dissipate, or hear the alarmed noise as Cobalt attempted to keep her there. She felt pain sweep through her, before a heavy tug slammed her into something that felt heavy and restricted…

"She's found a reason to keep living," she soothed the distressed Creator, smiling sadly. "To find you again."

- Until All Are One -

Sage jolted upright, panting as though she had ran five miles in under five minutes. She vaguely heard something beep incessantly, before heavy footsteps broke her trance-like stare. Seeing a weary Ratchet creeping closer, looking half-asleep, she ignored her screaming pain-filled body, lurching up and jumping off the bed, and the berth; she realized too late, that the bed was sitting on. Ratchet instinctively grabbed her, widening his optics, as he realized what had broken his recharge cycle. Bringing the girl close, he froze when she clasped onto his chest plates and buried herself in them, murmuring how happy she was to see him, how much she loved him. His Spark swelled, he stumbled to a wall and slid down it, cradling the shaking human against his chest protectively.

Optics stared dazedly across the room, as their Link became permanent, solidifying at her verbal confirmation. She had only confirmed two of her Links, one with Prime, the other with her Guardian; his was the third she'd finally confirmed. They all had briefly wondered if she would confirm their Links, now, the CMO had no doubt she would. He could feel her overflowing sense of love and trust, not only to himself, but to all the Bots and Cons on base. His Spark pulsing, sending soothing calm waves, he felt her relax, her fear and anxiety dissipating instantly. He didn't know when she finally slipped back into recharge; he didn't even know when he did the same.

- Until All Are One -

Frenzy clicked softly, his baby blue optics watching protectively. He'd nearly shorted out, when he saw the little Sparkling jump from the berth, his Spark jolted in relief when the medic caught her. Watching over them, seeing the medic relax into recharge, but not release the Sparkling in any way, he wondered when the oblivious Mechs would realize. He hadn't at all been subtle in his interactions with her, but it seemed no Bot or Con had put the pieces together. Thinking over the past few Earth months, he reluctantly admitted that it had been one major event after event. Cybertronians were used to a slower-pace; humans on the other servo were apparently a very fast-paced species. It was taking its toll on their systems, trying to keep up with all these events occurring in such a short time.

Nodding his helm determinedly, he settled down comfortably into the crook of the medic's arm. He briefly wondered again when they would start to realize, just how odd he was acting towards her. It would be Bonecrusher, he figured, or Sideswipe, who would notice first. Those two had strong Links with their Siblings, although Bonecrusher would probably figure it out first. He chirped softly, mischief gleaming in his optics as he carefully curled around the frail organic shell. As a gestalt, he would understand the Cassetticon's actions, once he realized what Frenzy had been revealing. After all, Gestalts and Cassetticons understood the Links better than most. It would be obvious to Bonecrusher, that if Frenzy was this affectionate to her, then his Siblings would be the same, and so would their Carrier…

- Until All Are One -

Judy frowned as she watched the antics of her son and Mikaela; the two seemed perfectly fine now, whereas before they'd been panicked. They had relaxed completely once they'd been told that Sage was recovering, and safe at the base. Judy had dragged all of them back to the base, determined to wait for her niece to wake from this newest incident. Her annoyance was subtle, she had yet to ream into them, so instead she was watching the others around them. The soldiers were exuding a relaxed air, but they were still worried, she was grateful they understood. Maggie and Sarah too looked slightly worried, though they kept eying her and had stopped her from yelling at her son and his girlfriend already. Sarah had tried to help defend the kids, but still, Judy knew Sam at least should have realized, after all, he dealt with Sage's quirks for several years, he should have realized, that this wouldn't go without consequences. She was worried, she didn't know how Sage would react, and that terrified her more than when they first realized she'd been taken.

Sage depended on the Bots and Cons, more so than she ever did on them or even other humans in general. Being taken, and injured, by one of the same race, might break her trust in the ones around her. She saw some of the soldiers watching the Bots and Cons warily, as though wondering why they were different, or if they even were different. Knowing how much her niece had come to care for the massive aliens, she prayed that this didn't break her.

- Until All Are One -

Shifting slightly, she sighed in contentment as a large finger smoothed over her back, deftly avoiding the warm weight curled against her back. Two Sparks pulsed on either side of her, one was a large protective paternal-like warmth she rested against, the other a smaller child-like one. Frowning softly, she reached out to poke the smaller one, feeling along Links that felt both strong and weak, but still connected. Two were strong, she realized drowsily, one stronger than the other but the other was growing stronger every day, as though creeping closer. Four others were weaker, but faintly becoming stronger as they too neared. Pinging at the Links, she felt curiosity and faint alarm. Curiosity, and then jealousy, flickered back, as well as understanding. The stronger Link, that was far away, seemed to calm the other four, before sending warm pulses back to her, genuine caring and comfort. It was strange, she fuzzily thought, her sudden confusion making her draw back, despite the cajoling light calls. She had only ever felt comfort from Orion and her human family. She'd felt reassurance from the others, but they'd always been muted, as though restrained for some reason.

Suddenly, she felt her body tilting slightly, a warm servo curled around her and keeping her in place, while the closest, strongest Link flared softly. It gently probed her open Links, but apparently decided they weren't a threat, since it admonished them softly, expertly telling them that she needed rest, not communication. Slowly, the Links were gently closed, pulses of reassurance towards her, before they were muted gently. Once they were muted, she realized how exhausted she had become, lightly pinging the Links wore her out more than she thought it had. The main Link she had open now, Ratchet she blearily realized, was soothing her back into recharge, gently scolding her for using up the little energy she'd recovered. As she slipped back into sleep, she faintly understood his whispered words.

"We are going to have a long talk later, Little One,"

- Until All Are One -

Demonta leaned back carelessly on her arms, lightly stretching her back, as she glared up at the boring metal ceiling. She was annoyed, but understood, when the soldiers had taken her weapons. She expected them to, after all, she was stranger to them, they couldn't let her run around armed. No, what really had her annoyed were the Bots and Cons. They had tried to demand information, but she had decided she needed to talk to Sage first. It was only fair, she contemplated as she cracked her knuckles; after all, the older girl didn't know anything about herself, at least that's what the seventeen-year-old figured. She'd done some research, okay a lot of research, and Sage was the closest, and sanest, of their strange little group. Smirking, she wondered if the Bots and Cons had even thought about their little Ward, or had they been too busy to think about others like her?

The two of them were unique, she pondered, Allspark-born Sparks in organic shells, there were only a handful of others like them. Unfortunately, most were too unstable to continue onto the next stages of their transformations. From how strong Sage's Spark was when they had touched, Demonta guessed her transformation was moving into its second stage already. She also had the longest active Imprint protocol, which would make sense as to why Bots and Cons were guarding her. Wondering if the girl had solidified her Links yet, Demonta shook her head briefly.

She needed to focus and contemplate how to go about explaining to the oblivious girl about their circumstances. She knew her mom briefly mentioned she was born part Cybertronian, but she also knew her mom had died that same day. She'd have to try and be a bit delicate in how she said things. Her normal bluntness and aggressive attitude might make the girl shy away rather than accept what she was saying.

Hearing the heavy footsteps of what could only be a mech, she smirked devilishly. Game on, she chuckled heartily; she was ready for anything they threw at her. She only wondered if they were ready for what she was going to reveal to them.

- Until All Are One -

It was very reluctantly, that Sage was allowed into a bathroom to clean herself up. Frenzy actually followed her in, making certain she didn't collapse or fall back asleep. Despite how exhausted her body was, she was adamant about making certain the other girl was alright. She had only managed to recall seeing her at the club, how she had saved her, and the brief moments of info before she collapsed. At her confirmation, Ironhide had gone to bring her to the main hangar for questioning. She'd not been pleased about hearing her rescuer was in the brig, but was too tired to argue the point. That would come later, she decided, after she could stand upright without swaying.

The shower was soothing and relaxing, enough that Frenzy had to chirp several times to remind her to hurry up. Gently washing the grit out of her arm was pleasant, not, and she was ordered to keep her wrist as dry as possible. Studying the stitches, although she praised Ratchet's astonishingly tiny needlework, it made her shudder and quiver. It was a long gash, starting just above the wrist, tearing down and curving just above her thumb. Her fingers were stiff, moving her thumb was agony, and she was ordered to clean it carefully before he rewrapped and splinted it. Luckily, it was on her left hand and wrist, unluckily, she wouldn't be able to type for a while.

It also would most likely scar, Ratchet had not been pleased. While the liquid bandage Jolt had applied did save her life, it wasn't meant to be used on organics, and had irritated the wound. This was why she needed to clean it as soon as possible, to get the residual chemical compound out. It was an angry red color, which contrasted with the scars she'd gotten in Mission. The spider web-like lines, that had turned black as they formed while she'd been channeling the power to heal Bee, had faded into silver scars that occasionally pained her. Not that she mentioned it to Ratchet, of course. Most often, no one noticed the scars, since her skin was slightly pale. If someone looked long enough, they'd notice, but she usually had her hands behind her or in her pockets anyway.

Finished, she wrapped the towel around her, which Frenzy had thrust into her hand as soon as the water was turned off. Stepping out, she sat on the toilet before squeaking softly, as Frenzy dropped a towel on her head and began rubbing it. Giggling softly, she changed her mind, Frenzy was more like a little brother to her, but something still nagged at her, pulling at her Spark. Listening to him chatter softly, she let him coddle her, knowing this was his odd way of making certain she was okay. Once her hair was mostly dry, he neatly began brushing the fluffy strands. While he worked on her hair, she lightly patted her wrist dry, then wrapped it carefully. The Cassetticon turned around, still chattering softly under his breath, while she got dressed. Once she was decent, he helped pull her socks on, then had her lean against him as they walked back to Medbay.

Ratchet studied her wrapping, declared it satisfactory, before adding a soft splint and a sling, so she didn't bump it too often. That complete he picked her up, not noticing or caring that Frenzy had scampered up his armor to sit on his shoulder, and headed to the main hangar, where they could hear an argument taking place. Just as they stepped in, they faintly heard the whirling start of cannons charging up.

- Until All Are One -

Demonta smirked as she jogged next to the large black mech, who was eying her viciously, daring her to run off. Entering the hangar, she was beckoned to join two soldiers on a raised communication platform, several other mechs standing loosely circled around it. Climbing the steps, her oddly colored eyes swept across the hangar, but didn't glimpse the one she was looking for. Folding her arms over her chest, she watched the approaching mech. He was the tallest present, his dark blue and red colors were flashy, yet gave him a sense of nobility and authority. She noted her escort stepped forward into a closer position, his frame shifting into a defensive and confident stance near the larger mech. She guessed he was a protector of the noble-bearing one, at least by his attitude.

"Greetings," the soft chatter died as the leader greeted her, leaning his head closer to the platform. "I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots," he paused, a few gears clicking and rotating, before a smaller, dark gray and black mech stepped forward. By the blades on his back, she guessed him to have a helicopter alternate mode.

"Blackout, Ah'm representin' da Cons fer dis meetin'," he introduced, shifting into a relaxed position.

"Uh, huh, nice accent," she grinned cheekily. He grinned back, making her step back slightly; he had a surprisingly sharp grin.

"T'ank ya,"

"Would you care to give us your name?" the Prime requested, forcing them back on target.

"The name's Demonta," she answered, briefly looking around again.

"No last name?" the light-skinned soldier asked, before chuckling, "Sorry, Major William Lennox, this is Master Sergeant Robert Epps,"

"Wassup? And no, no last name," she waved off the question negligently. "Master Chief huh? So that's what you look like under that armor," that got a laugh out of the two soldiers, though confused looks from the mechs.

"Back on target," Will focused his attention on the unknown girl.

"Explain who you are, how you located the Decepticon, and the confrontation," Ironhide growled, blunt and to the point. She looked at him for several moments, then shrugged.

"How about, no?" she stifled the amusement at the startled looks on all their faces. "Look, I'm sure all of you are interested in that, but I have to talk to Sage first,"

"Negative," Ironhide leaned forward dangerously, "you will tell us what we need to know, before you come anywhere near the Sparkling."

"She isn't a Sparkling," Demonta corrected absently, then winced, she didn't want to reveal that yet.

"Please explain," the Prime didn't sound pleased, she noted, but he remained calm and nonjudgmental, unlike the others creeping forward.

"I can't, at least not until I talk to Sage," her eyes glinted with her stubbornness. He looked thoughtful for several moments, but Ironhide only appeared more irritated.

"Can't or won't?" She blinked, then chuckled darkly.

"Well, when you put it that way," she mimed looking thoughtful, touching her bottom lip. "Won't, you pile of scrap metal," He growled deeply, stepping forward. His cannons hummed dangerously.

"You dare insult me!"

"Bring it rust bucket!"

"I will crush your puny organic shell!"

"Oh yeah? I'll dismantle you, then rebuild you into the world's most advanced port-a-potty!"

"Disgusting fleshbag!"

"Rust-ridden scrap heap!" His cannons whined as they charged up, despite the restraining grip of his Prime. The girl looked far too smug, and quite eager, since she seemed close to lunging at him off the platform. The others were too amused to notice the doors slide open to admit the puzzled medic and the two he carried.

"What is going on?" Ratchet's question went unheard, let alone unanswered. Ironhide stepped forward menacingly, one cannon raised and humming louder, pointed straight at the annoyance.

"Hide?" He paused, everyone paused, at the strangled scream. Turning, his dark blue optics landed on Sage's pale face. To their surprise, she was trembling like a leaf, staring at him in fear. Her fear made him power down his cannon, turning to step towards her. He froze, his Spark jolting, when she scrambled back, pressing into the medic's chest-plates.

"Shh, shh, it is alright," Ratchet crooned, optics wide in disbelief. "Ironhide will not hurt you, you know that,"

"It isn't Ironhide," they looked at Epps. The soldier was frowning faintly, before his eyes locked on Demonta. "The Decepticon, he didn't happen to use a cannon, did he?" She nodded faintly, understanding causing her to settle back. "She's scared of his cannons, not Ironhide," he explained briefly.

"Traumatic Stress," Will nodded, "she'll be jumpy for a little while,"

"I am still here!" her protest was weak, since she was still curled up half-way under one armor plate. Slowly, she peeked out, her fear fading slightly. Ironhide remained frozen, watching her carefully, before stepping slowly to the side and back. Her eyes followed him, but she crept out a bit more, still pale.

"Little Spark," Prime looked torn, wanting to come closer, yet not wanting to be rejected. He sent calming and affectionate waves down their Link, relaxing when she returned the emotions. His optics flickered between the two girls, before nodding in acceptance. Raising one servo, he beckoned Demonta on. Reluctantly, she hopped the metal railing, settling on his palm with a strange look on her face. Carefully, he moved over to the CMO, infinitely relieved when his sister came all the way out from under Ratchet's armor. She hopped into his other servo, stumbling only slightly in her normal clumsy way, before settling. "Demonta would like to speak to you, before she speaks to the rest of us," he nodded his helm regally, "Do you accept this?" She looked thoughtful, looking at the other for several moments.

"Yes," she agreed, nodding. He dipped his helm slightly in acknowledgement, then carried them over to another room, a human-sized room. Kneeling, he let them hop off, before giving both a stern look.

"We would like a debriefing as soon as possible," he reminded them quietly, before standing upright and moving back to his devastated weapons specialist. Sage flinched, seeing and sensing the hidden hurt the large mech was feeling. She fled into the room, unable to face the feelings she'd invoked in the strong mech, and all because of her reaction to the sound of a charging cannon. Demonta followed her in, looking uncomfortable.

"Um, it isn't your fault," she tried to comfort. Sage settled on the desk, the room was supposed to be an office of some sort, but it wasn't in use. The brunette wiped at her eyes, feeling miserable, but not crying, yet. "Sage…"

"Please don't," it was sharp, slightly rude, and made Demonta's hackles rise, but she fought down her normal sarcastic scathing remark.

"Sorry," her annoyance shone through, making the other flinch slightly.

"No, I'm sorry," she meekly lowered her eyes, fiddling with her fingers for a moment. "What did you need to talk to me about?" her voice lowered, briefly expressing her exhaustion, before she forced her attention to her.

"Well, this may come as a surprise to you, but you're not the only one who was born with a Spark," Demonta started bluntly, still faintly annoyed. "Obviously, I'm talking about the Cube, which Sector Seven had been studying and experimenting with." Brief confusion, before complete understanding and acceptance crossed Sage's face. Demonta settled herself comfortably on a chair, swinging her legs up over one arm rest and leaning her head on her hand, which rested on the other arm rest. "Yours truly is one of us, I'm calling us Shard Sparks, since we only actually have part of a Spark."

"Part of a Spark? You mean we don't have a full Spark?"

"Nope," she popped the p, looking faintly amused. "In fact, we have the option of either remaining human, or going Cybertronian, or even remaining a half-breed. From my guess, half-breed or full Cybertronian would be best," she leaned forward slightly, looking at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Not you though, for some reason you're already in the second stage of a full transformation,"

"I already chose to go Cybertronian," Sage admitted, blinking slowly. Demonta sat upright, blinking in shock.

"No friggin' way! How?"

"Mission City, I kinda activated the Cube, and its energy kickstarted my transformation, at least, that's what Ratchet says. It'll take about five years before it becomes obvious…or rather it used to be five years." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "The attacks had activated my nanites, so they're actually speeding up my transformation, so maybe less than five years."

"Whoa, wait a minute, you already have nanites? Who donated them to you? Cause no offense, but none of those mechs out there looked like they were Bearers to me!" Demonta's eyes shined briefly in excitement.

"What?" Sage felt so confused. Growling faintly, Demonta leaned closer.

"Your nanites. Who. Gave. Them. To. You?" she asked slowly.

"I don't know…"

- Until All Are One -

Chapter Terms:

Detach: similar to the humans' near-death experience, it happens when one's frame is damaged enough that the Spark fears it will be extinguished. Parts of the Spark will detach and deactivate unnecessary systems, in an attempt to contain the rest of the Spark in a safe environment. This is an extreme case of Stasis Lock, which would be a successful re-containment of the Spark. Stasis Lock can contain a Spark for several days or even weeks, depending on circumstances, while a Detached Spark can last only a few hours or a day at the most.

My Mech: a deep and very intimate, possessive term used only in Sparkmates or VERY close Bondmates on the verge of cementing their Vows.

Imprinting = a process nearly exactly the same as infant animals. Any Mature Sparks that are in close contact with the NewSpark automatically activates protective programming and forms loose Links. For this reason, Family Units usually seclude their NewSparks until the Imprinting phase is complete, which lasts between five orns to a quarter of a vorn (65 days to 21 years).

A minor note on something Demonta says: "Oh yeah? I'll dismantle you, then rebuild you into the world's most advanced port-a-potty!" I instantly was gonna use the toaster reference, but then I decided I needed something new. I giggled to myself when I thought of the most disgusting thing I could do, and thought of a public port-a-potty. If you actually think about it, it's really gross…but I'm not gonna change it.

Cybertronian Nanites = nearly identical to human cells, nanites repair systems, as well as continuously build up their "host's" frame, making them stronger and more durable.

For the reference, Sage's nanites are actually building her Cybertronian protoform frame. They have also adapted to repairing the injuries she keeps getting…I'm so mean to her…too bad I'm not done with her yet…is that wrong?

Bearer Sparks – sparks that had undergone the Budding Process and produced living Sparklings. After the birthing of a Sparkling, the Mature Spark is considered a Bearer Spark. Bearer Sparks become highly receptive to Spark Energies, the percentage of becoming a Bearer again increases. Mech Sparks range from- 20% to 40%. Femme Sparks range from- 40% to 80%.

- Until All Are One -

Review replies!

Warriorkat21: glad ya liked it! Yes, I've been reading your stories, they're awesome! Though, I apologize, I'm not much of a reviewer…T.T I really need to start thinking of good reviews.

Jayna Prime: hope that answered some of your question as to who the girl was, the chapter was getting too long and I was getting antsy with how long it's been since I updated…hope that helps!

Demonta: lol, glad you squealed, hope ya like how the story's going. If I'm not doing her character right, make certain to correct me! I tried to stay in character…lol

Awesomeness: Sorry, the thing with Sides and the Constructicons won't be happening for awhile, maybe in the next story when the rest show up. Squealing like femmes is perfectly fine in my book, so don't worry and keep on squealing! Lol! Thanks for reviewing as always!

Tylerbamafan34: Yes, I was very excited, -prim and proper- I was also sleep deprived and exhausted, and promptly collapsed into bed the second after I updated. Glad ya liked it! ;)

Itachigirl250: thanks! I think this one is better than the first one too, it was rushed through the movie, and I liked the fast-pace of it, but I'm thinking of going through it and correcting a few mistakes I made. I wasn't really keeping track of my terms with it, and might have accidentally misused some…oopsie! I'll PM you definitely! I don't mind idea swapping, and the offer goes to you as well!

Kitsune-miko-witch: how I adore your reviews, they always make me laugh and think at the same time! You are so right in your list, I honestly wasn't even thinking about that. I just thought of the most random things, and coincidentally, they all linked somehow. Honestly, I hinted to MMORPGs and the Cons playing them in the first story, and have read them in other stories too. Just found them hilarious, especially since Cade didn't really care what his character's species was, he was just killing stuff. Sides, I wanted him to play another game, but was honestly too tired to think anything other than the over-used poker concept, but it'll fit in later, I've got plans…and schemes…and I'm probably gonna be REALLY mean to them soon…that's too much info, I need to sleep soon.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed and to all my non-reviewing readers, I feel the love when I look at the stats sheet on my page! Much Love, Iridian!