New chapter, people! This was a hard one to write, so I hope you like it!

A crash shook the base floor, and Prowl jumped several feet in the air. "Bulkhead, can't you keep it down?"

"Sorry." The big Autobot picked himself up. "Tripped."

"Relax, Prowl," Optimus told him. "Riella will be fine. Ratchet knows what he's doing, and I'm sure there's a reason he won't allow anyone else in the medbay."

The instant Ratchet had seen Riella's condition, he had rushed the fembot back to the base, forcibly removing Prowl from the medbay when the ninjabot wouldn't cooperate. "I don't need you in the way," the medic had snapped. "Get lost. I'll call you when you can see her."

"Yes, sir," Prowl muttered, stalking off in the direction of the medbay. I'm going to find out what's going on. I don't care what Ratchet said.

Just as he reached the medbay, the door slammed open, and Ratchet stepped out. "PROWL! Oh, there you are. She's in trauma shock again. Get in here!"

"What?" Prowl had definitely not expected this reaction. "Why?"

Ratchet grabbed his arm and practically hauled him into the medbay, slamming and locking the door. "Because you know what's going on. And I need your help NOW."

Prowl tried to look past the older Autobot at Riella, but his view was blocked. "What's wrong with her?"

Ratchet looked around and lowered his voice. "Processor wavelength adaptability. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Oh no. No. "Yes," Prowl rasped, looking past Ratchet at the bunk Riella was laying on. "I knew."

Ratchet nodded. "This is why she didn't want a scan, isn't it?" Before Prowl could answer, Ratchet continued. "And that's not all. Look." The medic stepped aside, allowing Prowl to run to Riella's side.

The ninjabot gasped when he saw the damage. Her chestplates were pushed apart, and her spark chamber was braced open with a thin medical instrument. It wasn't much of an opening, but it allowed Prowl to see the mangled, scarred spark within. He'd seen it before, but even so… "What…why do you need me for this?"

"You knew." It wasn't a question.

"Yes." Prowl took one of Riella's hands in his own. It trembled slightly, but there was no other reaction. "Is it…is she going to…"

"I don't know." Ratchet sighed. "I can't get any further inside her spark chamber to look. She's in trauma shock; she doesn't know what's going on, and her instinctive reaction is to slam her spark chamber shut and keep it that way."

Prowl shook his head, gently rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand. "I don't blame her! Ratchet, please listen, you can't tell anyone about this…if the security 'bots find out…"

"I know, I know." Ratchet raised one hand in surrender. "Trust me, I won't. I've heard what happens to telepaths…and the spark damage that I can see is more than enough to tell me the rumors are true. I called you in here because I think you can snap her out of the shock. She trusts you – at least, more than me – and if you can get her to cooperate, maybe I can get a chance to take care of her."

Prowl continued rubbing the back of Riella's hand gently, feeling his spark thrum with fear. "What do you want me to do?"

"Anything that wouldn't be part of a memory, or assimilated into one." The medic studied the fembot with sympathetic optics. "But whatever you do…be careful. If she panics again…"

"I know." Prowl didn't want to think about the damage that could result. "I know." The ninjabot leaned over Riella, keeping his gaze away from her damaged spark chamber and running his free hand over her forehead chevron. "Riella…Riella, can you hear me?"

Nothing. Not even a twitch.

"Riella…" Prowl leaned forward, resting his forehead against the fembot's and brushing his nasal ridge with hers. "Riella, please…it's me, Prowl…I saved you back on Cybertron, remember? I helped you get away from them. You're safe with me, I promise. I'll keep you safe, Riella…"

One blue optic flickered, and static crackled from the damaged vocalizer. Prowl shushed her quickly. "Shh, it's okay…shh…" He tightened his hold on her hand desperately, trying to pull her back with sheer force of will.

Gradually, almost painfully slowly, slim blue fingers closed around the sturdier tan ones. "Prowl…*khhhht*…don't…let…them…"

"I won't," Prowl murmured softly, still resting his head against hers. "I promise…no one will hurt you as long as I'm here."

Riella's optics flashed briefly, almost white from trauma. "…but…they're…try…ing…reach…my…spark…"

"No, they're not," Prowl soothed. "Ratchet is going to help you. He won't hurt you. I'll be right here. I'd never let him hurt you." As she started to shrink away, he pressed closer, hoping she would read his mind, somehow. "It's all right. I know you're hurting. Ratchet's going to fix what's wrong. Okay?"

"Pro…mise…?"

Prowl shifted so that Ratchet could reach the mangled spark chamber, but retained as much contact as possible. "I promise." Out of the corner of one optic, he glimpsed Ratchet removing the object keeping her spark chamber open, and felt Riella's reflexive jerk away. "Shh…stay still. No one will hurt you." She stopped moving immediately, but her frame continued to tremble as her optics onlined slowly. The ninjabot lifted his head, allowing her to focus on his face. Her lip components quivered a bit as she whimpered. "Prowl…?"

"Yes?" he whispered, hoping to distract her from Ratchet's actions.

"I dreamed…" Her optics flickered again as she stared up at him. "…we…were…alone…"

Concerned for the state of her vocalizer, Prowl squeezed her hand lightly. "It's okay. You can tell me later. Just rest."

Riella shook her head violently, coughing. "*khhhhht* no…dreamed…you said…you…love…me."

"You heard that?" Prowl determinedly ignored the look Ratchet shot in his direction. "Riella, you weren't dreaming…I did say it. I thought…you were dying."

Concern flickered across her face. "…meant…it?"

"I…it was…" Prowl realized what the answer was, even though telling her had been instinctive and not at all thought through. "Yes. I meant it."

"…but…me?" Riella gasped sharply, and Ratchet pressed a hand to her shoulder. "Stay still, kid. Part of your spark chamber is bent inward and pressing on your spark; no wonder it hurts. Prowl, out of my way; I have to bend it back. You can finish your chat after I'm done." The medic pushed Prowl back, but the ninja managed to keep his hand closed around Riella's.

"Okay, Riella. I gave you a painkiller, but I can't sedate you until your spark is stable. This is going to hurt a bit, but just hold still and I'll make it quick. Okay?" At her slight nod, Ratchet carefully reached into the small spark chamber, gripped something that Prowl couldn't see, and pushed outward sharply.

OW! Riella shrieked in pain, vocalizer nearly shorting out; the cold metal felt like it had gone straight through her spark. A moment later, though, the horrible pain faded to a dull throb, and she felt Ratchet gently closing her spark chamber. Only then did she realize she was still gripping Prowl's hand, and that she'd probably nearly crushed it. "So…rry…" She couldn't see, and her voice wasn't really working, but she could sense that he was close. Very close. A second later, his arm gently wrapped around her shoulders. "You didn't hurt me. Just relax."

She couldn't. Not yet. She still had to know, to tell him… "You….know…loving…me…means…?"

She felt a fingertip brush against her lips. "I know. I can handle it."

Her hand tightened under his, clutching at him as if he was her lifeline – which, in her mind right then, he was. "…have…tell…you…"

"Riella, just wait, please?" His voice was almost pleading. She could feel how concerned he was for her safety. But he had a right to know.

"I…love…you."

Hope you guys like this little development. I'm sure you saw it coming. ;) Reviews make me happy! Very happy!