Chapter 25

Gears smiled, watching as her youngest climbed his way down from his place on her hip. Her hands were ready to catch him if he fell, but he made it down safely.

He settled on the floor, and looked up at her with a smile, "I can't wait until Ratchet finishes fixing Demona! She looks a lot better!"

He blinked and twisted around to stare wide-eyed as a couple of big trucks rolled in. Gears knew who they were, but she had yet to show him what each of the bots looked like in their car mode. But, being a boy, little Alex was simply fascinated by the sheer size of the trucks. He looked back up at her, "Momma, who's are those?"

"They belong to themselves, baby," Gears answered him. He gave her a confused look, then grinned real big, and before she could worry or say something, he was gone.

He cried, already halfway across the room, "come get me, momma!"

Gears took off in pursuit, sliding across the floor with an equally big grin across her face.

The 'hot rod' semi rolled to a stop and idled, the Top Kick following it's lead as the tiny boy skittered past. Gears was seconds behind, dropping down to her hands and knees when he came in reach. Giggling, the boy rolled under the big black truck.

There was a minute stab of fear inside her, but Gears then remembered that these vehicles were sentient-never thought I'd say that one-and that one was Prime, who wouldn't ever hurt a child. She wasn't positive about the other, but after the way she'd seen Ironhide get defensive over Demona, she had some faith in him.

"Sorry," Gears muttered to him, laying flat and reaching her hands under. Still giggling madly, Alex crawled to the other side and squeezed himself beneath the semi.

Gears snorted, "I'm going to get my hands on you, goober...whether you like it or not..."

"not if you can't catch me!" He sang from his hidey-hole. Gears blinked when the top kick actually raised on it's axles, allowing enough room for her to safely pass. She smiled and quickly dove beneath it. She rolled out from beneath it and reached out almost blindly beneath the semi.

Her fingers brushed baby-soft red hair and then over smiling lips. She closed her hand softly around his arm and pulled him out, wrapping her body around him and pressing her face into his neck to give him a big wet kiss. He fought, but not hard, and caved in to her with bright squeals of laughter. Soon his little arms were squeezing her.

Gears eased the two of them out from under both vehicles so they were between them. She relaxed on her side, loosening her hold so he could wiggle up and bury his hands in her hair. She closed her eyes with a smile, "I caught you."

"Momma, you're silly," he said, "I let you catch me. I'm way faster than you."

"maybe..." Gears said, "but I'm pretty quick, too."

He tried to break free but she hugged him tight, and he exclaimed, "AND strong!"

She chuckled softly, letting herself sink into the moment.

"Be careful, it may take a minute to find your balance," Ratchet said, posting himself beside Demona as she pushed herself up.

Alec stepped back from her on the berth, watching as she glanced down at her feet. She flexed her claw-like toes experimentally, each one restored.

The old strength filled her...she'd never been happier to look down and see that her legs were whole. Demona gripped the edge of the berth and slid down until her feet landed on the cold floor. She felt the medic's hand on her back, ready to support.

Demona waited for the trembling to leave her, and when it did, she took her first step...

...And nearly fell flat on her face.

Ratchet saved her, hauling her back upright with his hands under her arms. He warned, "easy, youngling."

Demona gave a single, small nod and waited for him to back off before she tried again. This time she held her own.

She made a few trips around the berth before the medic cleared her to actually leave, after weeks of being stuck in the same room, on the same berth. But he had only done so after making sure she knew that she was to return before nightfall. Alec offered to accompany her, and uneasily settled himself in her hand when she lowered it to him wordlessly.

Demona ignored the curious look the mech sent them, and made her way out.

She stopped in the hallway when she met the wide-eyed gaze of a second mech, the only one she had not actually spoken to yet. He was smaller than the others, just a little bigger than Jazz, and he was a bright yellow. He too carried a human in his hands, the boy that had been among the crowd present when she had dug herself out of the rubble.

Immediately, the boy in his hands tensed up, and the mech did as well, the shock leaving his face to be replaced by suspicion.

Demona paused, staring back. She kept her expression carefully blank. Alec shifted in her hand, standing up and taking a step closer towards the edge. Instinctively, she bent her fingers to create a safe barrier.

Alec called, "Are you Sam?"

The boy blinked back, the tension seeping out of him, "Um, yeah."

Alec folded his arms over Demona's finger and sent him an odd look, "so you're that Witwicky kid every ones been talking about."

"Are you Gears' kid?" the one called Sam shot back.

"I'm Alec James, and yeah, she's my mom."

Demona glanced down at her young charge, watching him as he communicated. She caught the mech cast her one last careful look before looking down at his own human in the same manner.

"You can chill," Alec told them, "Demona's not going to blow the place to hell or anything."

Sam blinked, "but she's..."

Demona blinked when she felt the young one in her hand tense up like he was about to strike, "Can we skip the whole 'she's a decepticon' talk? Because she's not one of them. And if mom catches you talking like that she'll do horrible things to you."

The human blinked again.

Demona felt her spark warm a little, and she brought the boy closer to her chest. Her optics dropped to the floor when an familiar sparkling cried, "Demona! You're standing up!"

And before she could process what he was doing, Alex had flung himself across the floor and molded to her toe-claws. Gears was smiling as she walked after him, "How are you feeling, Dem?"

"Whole," Demona answered, "Ratchet does his job well."

The woman smiled softly at her, passing the yellow mech. She reached Alex and managed to pry his little body off of her. Demona knelt slowly, reaching out with her free hand to lightly touch the boy on his back. He grinned at her, "your legs are all better! And you got your toes back!"

"Yes I did," she answered quietly. She felt her optics soften when he reached out and touched her hand. Gears followed his example, running her fingers down a knuckle.

"You look good, Dem," Gears said softly, "I bet you're happy to be back on your feet again."

Demona opened her mouth to answer when the entire structure shuddered with an explosion.

On instinct, Demona bent her body over her humans. She felt Gears and Alex huddle between her toes, Alec dropped to his knees in her palm and covered his head. The yellow mech across from them fell to a knee but held his charge close to his chest. His free hand had already transformed into a cannon.

Ratchet charged out, "What the slag-"

There was a painful yank on her spark that almost made Demona stagger beneath it's intensity. She snarled, gathering their attention, "Megatron!"

She had just enough time to get the name out before Hoover Dam shuddered again. Something collapsed with a roar outside.

The assault began.

Yeah...not happy with this one...I hate the part where they meet Sam. It's not right...

Anyway, happy days are over! :D Naturally, the moment Demonas cleared is the same one Megatron decides to attack...Anyway, sorry for the crappy chapter. :(

Love to my readers...

Demona, Gears and her family, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.