Authors note: OH! My fav chaps are coming up! I love building all these relationships between the Transformers and Madelyn! I was finishing up chap 22 and realized how many of them there were...I was surprised and was slightly worried I may not bring each relationship into full bloom as I wanted to but I'm trying. Also I've hit a little snag in the story. Not plot wise, no that's all good, but more of a structural type deal. Pretty much it's a problem of OK, I have all the dominos set...which one do I push over to start the fun? This story has roughly 5 story arcs, possibly six depending on how I proceed with chapter 23. You've seen #1 and the begining of #2 (this chap).

With the Autobots looking to the Keys for their salvation, Madelyn has a lot of growing up to do before she's ready to save anyone...

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Chapter Nine: Recovery…

Madelyn spent a great more deal of time recuperating in the med bay, slowly regaining her strength. It took some time for her to recover enough to stand, let alone walk but lucky for her Ratchet and Wheeljack seemed determined to getting her walking around again. Madelyn had a funny feeling Ratchet was feeling guilty about something. For one thing, he hadn't yelled at her since her awakening (and even that was controlled) and refrained from doing so while she remained bed ridden. Instead he seemed to calm down quite a bit and spent a great deal of time checking up on her.

Though she had no way of knowing, the Gigas Marta was abuzz with chatter about the organic femme who has raised Sideswipe from the dead. The only information available to anyone was through Sunstreaker – Sideswipe's brother and Twin – seeing as he was the only Mech Ratchet was allowing into the Recovery rooms at the time. Daiga made constant check up with Madelyn through the link and telling her about what everyone was saying about her.

'Oh! And Jazz says Hi,' Daiga's voice added.

Madelyn laughed. 'Tell him the same.'

'How long's Doc got you cooped up for?'

'Probably until I can walk again.'

'What? You can't walk?'

'No,' She replied sadly. 'When I woke up I could barely lift my head.'

'Whatever you did to bring Sides back,' Daiga told her. 'Don't do it again. It sounds dangerous. Especially for someone like you…'

'What does that mean?' She asked accusingly.

'It means little organics don't need to be reenergizing sparks all willy nilly.'

'Wow you really know how to cheer a girl up Daiga…you should be a motivational speaker…'

'Ha ha,' Daiga mocked. 'Just don't be getting yourself hurt by doing anything stupid!'

'You're starting to sound like Ratchet,' She pointed out with a grin. There was an odd feeling in her mind that felt as if Daiga was shuttering at the thought.

'Primus, strike me where I stand if I ever turn into him,' He added. 'Well, I should leave you be for a while I guess. I think Prowl's trying to tell me something and I haven't gotten the knack for having two conversations at once. I don't know how Blaster does it. The guy's got like seven processors I swear! Well see ya around kiddo.'

'Bye.'

Madelyn felt Daiga's presence in her mind drift away, leaving only her.

At the same time she was recovering, Sideswipe was as well. The repair on his body was at the point where he could get up and walk around (when Ratchet wasn't looking). On his first excursion away from his berth, he walked, rather unsteadily, over to Madelyn's bed.

His face had a small dent, right above the left eye ridge, and his shoulder looked as if it was still being repaired. His chest was most noticeably the heaviest damaged. A large silver plate replaced the whole that was once there, like a giant metal bandage. He favored his right leg as he limped over to her bed. Meeting her gaze curiously, he smiled.

"Hey there," He said. Madelyn felt an odd feeling inside her, almost like elation, at seeing his alive and up and around. "So I've been told that I owe you my life."

"I'm just glad you're OK." She replied. "When you came in you didn't look too good."

"No I don't suppose I would've," Sideswipe admitted sheepishly. "Hydraulic cannons will do that to you." Giving her a once over with his Optics he added, "You're not looking so good yourself."

"I'll live," She added with a grin. "Necromancy isn't without some fallout."

Sideswipe smiled sweetly. "So what do I call you?"

"My name's Madelyn," She replied. "And you're Sideswipe right?"

He nodded with a grin. "The one and only."

Madelyn couldn't help but giggle at his enthusiasm. Even when though he was close to falling apart by the bolts, plus having been officially dead, and brought back again, he still seemed so confident – strong. She couldn't help but feel envious. But this was the life they lived. Their people were at war. It was normal for them. They were use to it. She wasn't. She was the outsider. Her mind barely grasped her new reality. Her old life seemed nothing more then a withered old photograph that she continuously looked at; faded with age and crumpled into something unrecognizable and sad.

"SIDESWIPE!" The red Mech jumped as his name echoed through intercom. Ratchet's enraged voice bounced of the ceiling and walls. "Get you're aft back in bed now! Before I have to come in and weld you there!"

With a laugh, Sideswipe looked up into the lens of the security camera before tuning and limping back to his berth, waving his hand above his hand in submission. "I'm going, I'm going…"

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"Ready?" Wheeljack asked Madelyn; his hands wrapped around her middle, holding her up. Ratchet and Perceptor stood near by with Sideswipe peering out from his bed watching on in interest while Sunstreaker stood to the side of his brother with more of a bored look.

"Yeah," Madelyn said. Wheeljack loosened his grip and with a force of will, Madelyn pushed away from the helpful hands. She took an unsteady step forward, one back, another forward, wobbled, and fell back into Wheeljack's open hands. "Dammit!"

"Still too weak," Ratchet shook his head.

"Want to try it again?" Wheeljack asked. Madelyn breathed hard, they'd been at it for an hour and she hadn't managed more then a few steps. Frustration was firmly in place and she felt like lashing out, but somehow calmly restrained herself.

"I think that's enough for today," Ratchet announced as he walked forward.

"No!" Madelyn snapped and received an irate glare from the CMO. "One more go. Please!"

Ratchet considered her for a moment before nodding and stepping back to stand next to Perceptor once more and observe.

'Why is this so hard?' Madelyn asked herself angrily. Wheeljack set her back on her feet and loosened his grip. Instead of pushing off, this time Madelyn slowly let go and stood for a minute, balancing, for the moment, on her feet as Wheeljack withdrawn his hands but kept them out ready to catch her again if need be. She shifted her weight from right foot slowly, feeling imbalance coming on and quickly put her foot back down to rebalance herself. When she was steady, she tried to lift her foot again. She lifted it a few inches off the ground and quickly put it down before she fell to the side. Then she did the same with the next foot…and the next…and the next…and then fell.

"You walked!" Sideswipe declared encouragingly from his bed.

"If you can call it that," Sunstreaker snickered under his breath. "More like a prolonged fall."

"It's progress," Perceptor said with a smile. "And that's all we can dare hope for right now."

Ratchet walked the few steps to where Madelyn lay panting on the ground and knelt down next to her.

"Done yet?" He asked with a raised eye ridge.

Madelyn stared defiantly at him for a moment before her fast softened disappointedly and she nodded. "Yeah…"

Wordlessly, Ratchet scooped the exhausted girl up and re-deposited her onto the foam layered berth. She lay there panting a moment staring up at the ceiling.

"We'll try again later," Wheeljack said walking past Ratchet and stopping behind him. "Prime wanted me to warn you that the Exodus is going to be docking with us in the next few breems."

Ratchet looked over at he engineer with a look of mild shock. "Why would they be coming here? Why would Optimus let them more importantly?"

Wheeljack flicked a knowing glance towards Madelyn. "Can't you guess?"

"That slagging bolt welded processor of a Mech isn't setting foot in this med bay," Ratchet declared. The two exited the recovery room back into the main bay, closely followed by Perceptor.

Sunstreaker glanced at his brother. "Grimlock's coming?"

"Frag," Sideswipe cursed. "Things really are going to the pits."

"Who's Grimlock?" Madelyn called over.

"He's the leader of a rebel band of Autobots," Sideswipe explained. "And he's a huge slagger too!"

"He's a Decepticon in an Autobot shell," Sunstreaker scoffed.

"Sure is." Sideswipe agreed. "If the Exodus is coming for the keys, we're in for some deep slag."

"Why is Optimus letting them aboard then?" Madelyn asked slightly alarmed.

"Well," Sideswipe began. "The thing is, Grimlock and his Mechs are kind of important to our overall strategy so Prime has to keep on their good side or we'll loose an advantage."

"Last time Prime got on his bad side," Sunstreaker said. "Grimlock tried to over throw him and take over the Autobot command. The son of a pit born didn't like Prime's strategy or how the war was playing out so he tried to take the Matrix."

"…" Madelyn swallowed hard. "…shit."