I was in a passageway in a submarine, it was tight but there was enough height for me. I started to walk down the passageway trying to find my way around, I went all over the place I went from section to section, deck to deck but the place was empty, no one was on board, odd but then it was a dream I reminded myself.

I went through another passageway then all sirens blared away and yellow flashing lights were lit along the passage way. For some reason I ran to a particular place, a fire control room, and I put on a BA set and flash hood along with gloves and on the speakers came a frantic voice

"FIRE IN THE GALLEY! FIRE IN THE GALLEY!"

I ran back into the passage ways and now the place was populated by people dashing back and forth in the passageways. I ran towards the galley, how I knew where it was I don't know, it was like my legs had a life of their own. Soon after scrabbling past people running the opposite direction as me in the tight passageways I reached the galley and the place was a roaring inferno. I picked up a CO2 extinguisher and just let rip at the fire and it wasn't making a difference, I needed more of the fire suppressing gas. I know that on most vessels there is a whole room full of CO2 canisters ready to fill certain places with CO2 putting out most fires so I searched for the release button, and as luck would have it, it just happened to be at the opposite wall to where I was and on the other side of the flames. I had no choice so I ran forward and jumped through the flames, luckily I didn't get burned.

I climbed over worktops to the button and I slammed my hand on the big red button, nothing happened

"Oh, fuck" I breathed out.

Again I slammed it, nothing. Time to retreat but my escape route was completely cut off as the flames had increased, I was trapped

"Oh, fucking hell!" I shouted out.

I retreated the best I could but it wasn't enough so I crouched down below the level of the smoke to find another way out. There wasn't one so I took refuge under a table

"SOMEONE HELP!" But I couldn't be heard over the roar of the fire

"SOMEONE HELP ME I'M IN HERE!" Still nothing. I was panicking now I was constantly looking for a way to escape but there was nowhere to go but stay under the table.

An explosion blasted me from under the table and a fridge landed on top of me crushing me and pinning me to the floor

"HELP!" Calling out was useless. I look to the side and I saw a fryer had spilt its cooking oil and I see that I was lying in that oil. The fire was quickly engulfing the fryer and it would only be a matter of time before the oil went with it burning me alive. I tried my best to shift the fridge off me but by now more had fallen onto it and I couldn't get it to budge but I tried and tried with all my might but still it wouldn't move an inch. The fryer was on fire and now the oil was lighting, the fire was now advancing towards me slowly across the oil.

I frantically tried to escape but I couldn't free myself "OH PLEASE GOD NO! HELP ME SOMEONE HELP I CAN'T GET OUT, PLEASE HURRY!" I looked at the fire, it was feet away. "HELP!" I screamed.

Then I heard a voice in the distance but it wasn't of those trying to get to me. At first it was indistinct but soon it was becoming clearer I called out "HELP ME!"

Then the voice became crystal clear, it was Arcee's voice and it seem to be coming from all directions and if she was right next to me "I'm here now, I'm here"

That wasn't helping me "Save me, please" I was in tears, I was going to die.

The fires were really close now and I could feel the intense heat. I moved my head away as much as I could but it was still coming at me

"ARCEE! HELP!" The heat was painful now and I was screaming out in sheer pain.

Then suddenly everything disappeared and I was in my bed and I shot bolt upright, breathing hard and a cold sweat had broken out. Arcee was kneeling next to my bed I didn't know how she got in. It didn't matter right now

"Come here"

She wrapped her arms around me and held me close to her. I returned her embrace by wrapping my arms around her neck not wanting to move.

"It's over, your safe now" She said to calm me down.

My eyes were forming tears and started to roll down my face, it's not like I'm a cry baby or something but these nightmares seemed very real and were extremely terrifying. Arcee was letting me go but I didn't want her to, her arms made me feel safe. So when I was still clinging on she hugged me even tighter and she cupped one hand around my head while it rested against her. Soon she again let go and I did to lying back down in the bed.

"Another nightmare?" She asked softly like before.

I nodded as I couldn't seem to speak at all. "A fire?" I nodded. "It's over now so try not to worry about it" I again only nodded and rested my head back on the pillow and she reached the bed sheet and tucked me in.

I know I'm a grown man but I was seriously shaken up. Mentally I have taken a right beating, quite a number of times. Now I could find a way to speak again "How did you get in?" I asked quietly.

"The door you use isn't the only door in here, basically your room is the equivalent to a Cybertronian sized cupboard" She explained. "If you want I can stay with you for the night. Help put your mind at ease" She suggested.

"Please" I didn't want to be on my own for the rest of the night.

"Try to get to sleep. I'll be here, so you're perfectly safe now"

I closed my eyes letting the sleep grab me. I could feel Arcee's finger stroking my head which was very soothing and quicken my journey to a restful slumber and very quickly I fell into deep sleep.

The next morning I slowly woke up to see Arcee sitting cross legged at my bedside. I didn't think she would actually stay the whole night.

"Morning, how you feeling?" She asked softly.

"I feel well rested, thanks for staying the night. Shouldn't you be getting Jack to school?" I noticed my bed side clock showing it was nine.

"I got Bee to deal with it. I also called Jack explaining what happened in the night" I looked away feeling embarrassed. "Hey don't be like that, we all know that these nightmares of yours must be truly frightening, we all care for you. You don't always have to be a tough guy all the time. We all get scared from time to time" I looked back, but all my usual confidence just wasn't there. It felt like I was someone else.

I sat up in the bed and saw a cup of tea waiting for me on the side table next to the clock. "Yeah, I know you like tea so I made it for you. I'm glad I didn't use your usual mug as I broke three trying to make that. Don't have human sized fingers" She showed me her fingers which were massive compared to mine even though I had big hands, for a human.

"Thank you"

I picked up the cup and drank it. I'd never had a cup of tea in bed just when I'd woken up. Arcee got up filling most of the room with her head touching the ceiling. She pointed at the door I use "You use that door, I use this one"

She pressed against the wall with the door and the whole wall swung open, the wall was itself a door to my disbelief. She stepped out into the control room on a raised platform near the human area.

She turned around before closing her door she said "I'll let you get on with whatever you humans do when you wake up" She closed her door and room became back to how it normally was. I got out of bed and into the ensuite. I had a hot shower then washed my face and had a shave, annoyingly causing a few small cuts all over where I'd shaved and quickly my face seemed to be covered by blood so wash that off and kept doing so until it stopped.

I got dressed wearing tatty jeans and a dark red t-shirt with safety boots.

I left my room into the control room went to cook my breakfast in the kitchen I had managed to put together which was in the same area as the T.V. and sofa.

The make shift kitchen comprised of the fridge, kettle, toaster, a microwave and one of those pug-in hot plates placed on a worktop with an array of cooking tools. This morning's breakfast was no different to what I normally make. Bacon, scramble eggs and toast with a cuppa of course. While I got the hot plates warming up Arcee came over.

"What are up to?" She asked.

She'd never seen me do this before as she was doing the school run with Bulkhead and Bumblebee.

"I'm cooking my breakfast, that's what I'm doing" I said.

She looked interested "So what do you do?"

So I as I made my breakfast I went through the process of making it with Arcee and she seem intrigued by it by. Why she was so interested by this is beyond me. Anyway I cooked up my breakfast and sat down to watch the news channel. I watched the updates on the civil war still raging on in Libya and other news such as the world economy still in massive trouble and the usual end of the world, doom and gloom that plagues the media these days.

"Well that's very cheery" I commented.

But if you think that's it, there still more bad stuff out there in the big bad world that I have seen with my own eyes, which isn't shown, otherwise people would be too scared to venture out from their homes. Well that's enough of the news so off with the T.V., I wasn't going to let that depress me as I had better things to do than mope about what's wrong with everything.

I got started on the boat and first thing that I would address is the hydraulics for the propeller pitch. I opened up the engine bay covers and took a look inside for the pump. It looked fine at first glance, maybe it wasn't the pump itself so I slowly undid the line to the actuator which wasn't finger tight, not a good sign. And when I got it off no fluid came pouring out as it should do.

"Great, must be a leak somewhere" I said to myself annoyed.

I found where the line went to and undid it at the other end and took the whole rubber tubing out for a closer inspection. It seemed ok but it only needed a tiny crack to cause a leak. I got a bucket of water with slight amount of washing up liquid and dipped the line in it and back out, then I blew in one end and then looked to see if any bubbles had formed along the rubber. I then notice what I had hoped to find, small bubbles, very small which meant it was only a tiny breach but large enough given time for the fluid to seep out. So what could have been a massive job now wasn't. I knew that Jack used to ride around on a ten-speed so he must have a puncher repair kit. I'd ask him when he would come by later. With that to one side I would start with a big job, the hull and this I knew would take time. I had everything I'd need, I'd just have to get on with it.

I had Bulkhead help me set up a big tent around the boat as I didn't want to get all the dust around the room. That and I didn't want to be on the business end of Ratchet's infamous wrench that the others had warned me about.

I put on the overalls I had been wearing when I first came to the base after being rescued from the Decepticons. I first had to pressure wash the hull to get all to get all the muck and grime off below the water line, but it was very slow going as it had set into the paint.

I stopped for lunch and for a well needed break, pressure washing constantly for hours is very tiring. Bumblebee came back to the base and noticed the large tent that had now appeared in the base, guessing it was my doing, he towards me for answers.

At first he started his normal beeping and chirping which only the other Autobots and Raff can understand. He realised his mistake had raise one finger up in the 'hang on a sec' gesture and after a few moments he started beeping in long and short beeps.

I clicked my fingers and pointed with both hands at him "Brilliant, you learned Morse code. Nice one mate" Finally I could understand him.

"I know, it's great isn't it? So what's with the tent?"

"I'm working on the hull. I didn't want to make a mess. That and I don't want to be whacked by a huge wrench" I said the last part quietly so Ratchet wouldn't hear.

"What was that, Mr Rickers?" He did.

"Oh nothing, nothing really" I looked at Bee and pulled against my collar while pulling the facial expression that I might be in a bit of trouble. He laughed.

"What are doing with the hull?"

"Pressure washing, so far I've done most of one side, I reckon I will finish washing it down tomorrow, so I'd better crack on"

I went back to the boat, put on my overalls and switched on the industrial strength pressure washing machine which hummed ready to let rip. I held the three foot long nozzle and braced myself for the recoil. Fired the trigger and I was pushed back slightly and I steadied myself. I advanced to the hull and soon I was blasting muck and grime off the hull once again.

I kept going for a couple more hours almost non-stop when I heard Bulkhead blasting his horn announcing that he, Bee and Arcee along with their charges had returned. I stopped my work and came out of the tent to greet them.

"Wow you're a mess" Miko told me.

I looked down at myself and indeed I was, my dark blue overalls were soaked through and caked with what I was blasting off, and so too was my face. I started laughing, I did look a bit ridiculous.

"Well I going to stop with that today, I'll continue with it tomorrow"

I went back to my room to get showered and tidied myself up. I put on a dark blue short sleeve shirt tucked into a pair more tidy jeans along with brown leather shoes. I came back to the kids who were amazingly doing their homework.

I purposely took a step back and faking shock horror "Oh my god, so you do actually work outside of school!"

"I always do homework" Raff corrected me.

"Ah true"

Jack explained for their change in behaviour "We have the first set of exam of the school year, a sort of what have you remembered from last year test"

"Fair enough"

"That and… well Arcee told me I had to, or I would have to start pedalling to school if I didn't do some homework where she could see me do it"

That's when I noticed Arcee was keeping an eye on him from the distance. I couldn't stop myself from laughing

"HA HA HA! Oh dear mate, I'm glad I'm not you right now" I carried on laughing. "To you need any help?"

"No it's ok thanks"

I remembered I had something to ask Jack "Oh, by the way err do you have a puncher repair kit? I need one to fix the hydraulics" I said while pointing behind me with my thumb.

"Yeah, I've got one in the garage. I'll bring it round tomorrow, alright?"

"Brill" I slapped the back of his shoulder and left him to his homework. Miko obviously didn't look like she wanted to do homework, she'd probably want to either watch monster trucks with Bulk, play video games, dune bashing or just find more ways to irritate Ratchet so I decided I should keep clear of her so I wouldn't give her a reason to stop working.

Raff didn't seem so busy so I decided to bug him a bit. "Hey Raff, how's life going?"

"Going well thank you. How's the boat?"

"Going as well as it can be. I know you work a lot with Ratchet and I was wondering if you have worked out how I ended up on the Decepticons warship?"

"I don't know about that, you'd better ask Ratchet. I've been monitoring the port's security scans like you asked, and nothing so far before you ask"

"Cheers" I ruffed up his hair and left him to it.

Time to ask Ratchet, so far I haven't asked him yet as I didn't want to constantly bother him, and he said it would take time to work out. I think I have given him enough time to at least ask. I came up to the side of the giant keyboard which Ratchet was typing on.

"Ratchet?"

"Yes Mr Rickers" He still carried on typing not looking away from the screen.

"Do you have an explanation as to what happened to me?"

He stopped typing throwing his full attention at me "I was wondering when you would ask. I'm not certain of it yet, but from studying the archives and with discussions with Optimus it would be safe to say that, when that container full of energon exploded, it caused a rudimentary ground bridge portal. Now I must stress that this is almost unheard of but it's not impossible. What happened to you was the second worst thing that could have happened"

"Second! What's the first thing?"

"Simply you would have most likely ended up in space or inside the planet"

It didn't take a genius to work out that that would mean instant death. "Ok, I'm feeling very lucky right now. So tell me, why I'm I not dead then?"

"This bit I'm not so certain on, but both Optimus and I believe that somehow this ground bridge locked onto the nearest ground bridge device. You were just unlucky that the Decepticons were closer to you than we were, over wise you would come flying through our ground bridge and you wouldn't have been left at Megatron's mercy"

"Thanks, you done your side of this investigation. Now I must find out why the hell there was energon in that container in the first place"

I walked away to do some self-studying like the others but Ratchet called me "Michael, there's a call for you"

"Who?"

"I don't know, but there is a number beginning with… 044191"

"Ah that's a South Shields number, I know who it is" I went back to my desk and press the speaker button and the line with the waiting call. "Hello there"

Two voices came though the speakers "WARSAAAASH!" Came the first voice.

"OOOH, IT'S AN ACADEMY!" Followed the second.

It was Jake and Paul, two cadets who were on the ship when Richard and I came on board. There greetings had caught all the others attention even that of Optimus who just happened to arrive back at base.

"Hey guys, how's Newcastle?"

"Newcastle? South Shields man" Jake sounded shock in his very thick Geordie accent.

"Neah, your all Geordie. What's the difference?"

"OIY! Watch it you Welshy"

"Let me guess you're going to call Glaswegian you sheep sh-"

"Hey, watch it there, children who can here you know" I stopped Paul with his… Scottish accent in his tracks.

"Oh, err… sorry kids. They can hear me right?"

"Yeah, so what's it like back at college?"

"Oh the usual, Jake and I have been down the pub every night with the other lads getting pissed as we always did last phase"

"And the lectures?"

"Boring as ever, all we've done so far in stability calculations and the lecturer is soooo dull"

"Well that's what you get for going to a COLLEGE, ha"

"And what, Warsash is better? So how's was the rest of your voyage? You and Richard get pissed in LA like you did in Singapore, that was a funny night, you and that… massage parlour I think you thought it was, HA HA HA!"

Everyone was looking at me trying to gauge what Paul was on about so a mouthed to them 'I'll explain later'

"Is Richard with you?" All there confused looks turn to into sympathetic ones.

I sighed "Haven't you heard?"

"Heard what? WARSASH FRIEND!" Jake joked at me.

"There was a fire on the ship"

"Don't tell me" Paul started. "You and Richard were having one of your... celebratory cigars next to the... bunking station?"

"No. There was a big fire in the cargo hold, you next to a computer on the internet?"

"Yeah"

"Check the company website"

They went silent on their end as they saw the news of the Catalonian Star for themselves.

"Whoa" Came Jakes voice breaking their silence. "And Richard?"

"He didn't make it" It pained me to say that.

"We're ever so sorry, we know you two were quite close. Do you know why it happened?" Asked Paul.

"No" I answered flatly.

"Something tells me that you're going to find out, am I right?"

"You know me too well"

I heard some jeering in the background. "We gotta go, were off to Newcastle for a night out, well I hope you find out"

"Thanks Paul, have fun"

"WARSAAAAASH!" They both shouted down the line in there typical way. I hung up and sat there at my desk, head drooped.

"Michael, are you all alright?" A concerned Optimus asked me.

"Yeah, it's just having to explain it all over again…" I let the sentence drift off.

"I understand" He walked off to the depths of the base. Jack came over to my desk, something clearly on his mind.

"What is it Jack?"

"What did he mean about what went on in Singapore?" I looked away feeling very embarrassed.

"I got very drunk that night, and I...I… look I rather not want to talk about it"

"No, what happened?" Arcee being a bit more assertive came over resting her arms on the railings and her head on those arms clearly not going anywhere soon.

I gave in "Lord give me strength, well I got quite hammered while on shore leave, all four of us almost delayed the ship leaving. What happened was after leaving a bar in the city area, we were looking for another bar when I came across what looked like a 'massage bar' and… and" I sighed "Have you ever heard of the phrase 'a girl in every port'?"

Jack nodded

"Well…"

"Wait, you mean you… no way" He was grinning as humanly possible.

"What? Jack what does he mean?" Arcee just dying to know.

Jack and I completely ignored her "Isn't that illegal or something?"

"Not in Singapore, if they're licenced that is"

"What's not illegal?" Arcee asked in the same way.

"Look I'm finding this hard enough telling you this, but I'm just too embarrassed to tell a female, you can tell her if you want"

Jack walked to the opposite side of the control room laughing all the way and Arcee followed him and crouched down to hear what Jack had just learned. Jack whispered into her… well her equivalent to an ear so let's just call it an ear. So Jack was whispering into her ear, constantly giggling like a little girl explaining what I told him. Her eyes went wide in shock horror, she stood back up and glared daggers at me. I immediately backed up even though she was on the other side of the control room.

Then to my horror she stomped her way directly towards me. I dived under my desk. She bent down to see me shaking with fear and she growled, I wished I could retreat into the wall.

"Grrr, men" She angrily stated.

"P-please don't hurt me. I was drunk I didn't mean anything from it"

She growled again, straighten up and stomped back to Jack who thought what I did was funny. She was probably going to teach him that it was far from funny what I did in that 'massage bar'. I could see Jack saw Arcee stomping towards him, he yelped and legged it with Arcee close on his heels.

"Jackson Darby! Get back here!"

I got out from the desk with the other just staring in utter disbelief to what they just witness. And from down the corridor Jack ran down we could hear him try to escape Arcee. "ARCEE! PLEASE… NO PUT ME DOWN! HELP!" I winced, things didn't look good for him.

"Whoa, didn't expect that ever from 'Cee" Bulkhead commented out loud.

I had returned to my studies while every so often checking behind me in-case Arcee tried to sneak up from behind and pounce on me. It had been about an hour since Jack made a run for freedom from the angry female Autobot. Raff was at his laptop doing some work with Ratchet. Miko gave into watching monster trucks on the T.V. with Bulkhead, much to Ratchets annoyance and Bumblebee had gone on patrol. Optimus was nowhere to be seen, nobody had seen him since my phone call, but it was normal for him to be unaccounted for, for some time.

I heard quiet footsteps entering the control room, it was Jack. He was shuddering with unbridled fear. I quickly came down to the main floor along with Raff and Miko.

"Jack mate, what happened?"

He looked at me, he was really shaken up, but he remained silent

"What did she do?" Raff asked worried for his friend. By now Bulkhead and Ratchet came close by.

"C'mon Jack let's get you a tea or something"

I pushed him in the direction of the stairs to the sofa. He sat straight with Raff and Miko sat beside him trying to comfort him while I prepared a cup of tea for him, but really he needed something stronger. I gave him the mug which he took with both hands as they were shaking a bit.

I tried of ages to make him talk but he never would and nobody else could make him speak either. Then we all heard the footsteps of Arcee approaching and Jack jumped up dropping the mug which smashed on the floor and he ran behind me as I was standing at the time, he was shaking like a leaf.

"Jack?" Arcee called out sounding nothing like the anger she had earlier. "Jack, please I'm so sorry. I should never have done that, please forgive me"

Jack came out from behind me. Arcee was so shocked when she saw what she did to him. She took a step in our direct and Jack immediately recoiled behind me, which made Arcee stop.

"A word" I said coldly to Arcee.

I walked down the same corridor Jack came from. After a short silent walk I stopped. I motioned with my index finger for Arcee to come closer, she crouched down till our faces were inches apart.

I stayed silent then "WHAT THE FUCK HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU ARCEE!" She almost fell over at the level of my voice

"If you want to take it out on someone, then take it out on me, after all I was the one that did it, not Jack!"

"Michael, please I didn't mean to-"

"There's no excuse Arcee! What the hell did you do to him?"

"Please Michael, I meant no harm"

"What. Did. You. Do. To. Him?" I asked again with gritted teeth.

"I-I put a blade to his neck, threatening him with it while trying to put across my point " I was flabbergasted.

"Arcee, you're his guardian, the one who's supposed to protect him and keep him safe. Not to scare the living daylights out of him!"

"I'm sorry" She sat in the corner on the verge of crying, that's if Cybertronians could cry. I came up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder

"It's not me you should be apologizing to"

We came back to the control room and now Optimus was there, clearly keeping an eye on Jack. All eyes were fixed on Arcee as she looked a broken soul. Jack didn't flinch this time but he wasn't all that pleased to see her.

"Jack, I believe Arcee has something to say to you" Jack waited for what Arcee had to say.

"Jack, I'm truly sorry, I shouldn't have done what did. Please I didn't mean to hurt you in anyway. Please forgive me" Jack was quite going for it.

Arcee then got on her knees looking up at Jack on the platform with her hands clasped together. "Jack please forgive me, I beg of you" Jack didn't need to think about it for a moment longer. Arcee wouldn't be doing this if she truly meant it. He ran down the stairs and ran into Arcee's waiting arms and they held each other tightly "I'm so sorry" I heard Arcee say quietly to Jack.

We all smiled seeing them one again together, closer than ever. Optimus walked toward me and hinted for a word. So we quietly made an exit down a corridor, still with Arcee and Jack in sight.

He kneeled down next to me "Michael. Ratchet informed me about what had transpired. Now I may not fully understand human culture but I do understand about what was mentioned of your past." I turned by head away. "I am not here to lecture you about what is right and wrong ,as I can clearly tell that you know it as well as I do" I looked back his eyes displaying huge wisdom. "But rather I am here to praise you on how you diffused the situation swiftly and for that I thank you"

"Thanks Optimus, that means a lot coming from you"

We went back to the control room and found Arcee sitting on a box with Jack in her lap. He was very upset, so upset it has him in tears and Arcee saw doing the best she could to comfort the boy. Just seeing him tucked up in her arms was a heart-warming sight. But I still felt bad I at the end of the day I really was my fault it all happened to begin with, but then again I couldn't have predicted what would happen I kept reminding myself.

For the rest of the evening everyone else did their own thing while Arcee and Jack were mending their relationship, Jack never once leaving Arcee's protective arms. Then Arcee carried Jack into the industrial size lift to the top of the base to have time to themselves.