From now on, to sort out the confusion, this will be the speech pattern:

"Normal."

Thought

~Comlink~

Cybertronian

Of The Spark And Heart

Part 1

Chapter 36 (35 Part 2)

The gathered group of people, Autobots, and overall personnel stared on at the speakers as they cracked a final time before going quiet. The very life of the base was still and brittle, threatening to break with the smallest sound or movement. Humans stood frozen on the scaffolds, paused in whatever they were doing to stand like statues amongst the structures. Some sat with groups while they enjoyed their break, half-eaten food hanging from their mouths. The soft buzz of the lights mixed with the deafening soundlessness of the space. No one breathed. No one blinked.

Captain Robert Epps was among the people in the room at the time, along with Colonel James Marks, Directors Cameron Ferk and Peter Solamen, General Hendricks, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Rethalia Prime, Arcee, Inferno, Firestar, Smokescreen, and Optimus Prime. The large group was scattered in the spacious area, conversing and interacting with their human allies. Optimus had been speaking with Epps before the message had hit the airways, interrupting everyone and ceasing the norm completely.

Rob was the first to move, snapping from his amazed phase to stalk across the scaffold towards those standing by the computers, their bodies bent over the keypads, their fingers hovering, and their eyes stuck on the speakers. "Soldier!" he barked sharply. The man jerked, jumping straighter when his commanding officer came nearer. He was a taller man, with a ghost of a goatee that stretched up into his sideburns. His brown hair was cropped short in the traditional military fashion, capped by a sloping barret that held the N.E.S.T insignia in the center front. "Yes sir?" he wondered stiffly.

"I want you to get a fix on that transmission. Wherever it came from, it didn't sound good." the soldier nodded and went straight to his work, joined seconds later by the Director of Technologies himself, Cameron Ferk. A small clink by the rails had Epps swinging around to face the leader of the Autobots, who had a look of grim seriousness that made his stomach churn. That look was never good. "There's no need Captain." he rumbled solemnly, "I would recognize her voice anywhere."

He lifted his face and gazed away into the distance, followed by Epps soon after. The Autobots were still staring at the speakers, refusing to shift. Their shoulders sit hunched and their expressions were unreadable. He couldn't tell what they were thinking, or what was going on, but he knew it couldn't be good. Call it a 'sixth sense' feeling. Just one more thing he'd gotten from spending so much time alongside the 'Bots.

"Arcee, locate Prowl and bring him here." Optimus suddenly ordered. As if shocked by electricity, the younger fembot started and nearly fell over herself. When she regained her balance, she nodded with wide eyes and ran off to the other halls. "Smokescreen, retrieve Rainwing as well. I will need her to organize transportation for herself and four other Autobot comrades for air travel." Optimus went on. Smokescreen wasn't as spooked as Arcee had been when called on, but he did turn away just as quickly to sprint for the correct path, "Inferno and Firestar, you two will join Bumblebee and Mirage when this transport is ready, compute?"

Epps sighed and ran a hand through his short, greying hair, using his free one to grab onto the rail. The four assigned Autobots left for their places as Epps raised his chin towards Optimus. The bright eyes of the towering mech was watching around him, studying and observing without a word. "Alright Optimus," he began, catching the Prime's attention, "what shit are we dealing with now? Fire-breathing refrigerators? Flesh-eating toasters? Giant, overgrown creatures who somehow know how to fly?" the Autobot didn't laugh.

"That voice was Soulsearcher, a Guardian who resides along with her comrades on the San Diego base in the state of California..." he paused, "she was holding."

"Holding what?"

The Prime turned his noble head back to the human man and gave him a grim, knowing look that was full of a dreary sorrow, "A sparkling, Captain Epps." he explained, "It is something your kind would refer to being 'pregnant' so-say."

Epps' face fell immediately, his expression shocked. His entire body language changed in an instant, from frustrated anxiety to horrified disbelief. Pregnant? That 'Bot had a kid? Finding a new side to himself that he hadn't felt in years, Epps leapt to his feet and he leaned over the rails, cupping a hand beside his mouth, "All capable military personnel to the front hangars immediately! This is an unannounced assault on an American facility by what we assume is Decepticon work. I want a full squad in a Chinook carrier by sixteen-hundred sharp, got that? Move out!" at his command, multiple men and women ran from their spots and out the doors of the base. He kept watching them until they were no longer in sight, carrying out his orders like the highly trained soldiers they were.

Switching to another group, he pointed to a set of idle vehicles by the back windows, "Get those loaded too, I don't know what we're dealing with yet, so we may need some heavier equipment." when they started for the trucks, Epps turned back to the Directors and his General and jerked his head towards the stairs, "After you, Sirs. I'm going to talk to Optimus Prime here for a little while longer. I'll join you all shortly." he nodded respectfully as each man passed, traveling down the stairs one after the other until the scaffold was empty, excluding Epps and the stray man by the computer monitors.

"You're telling me there's a pregnant alien on that base?" Epps tilted his head to the side, watching Optimus incredulously with one eye. The Autobot leader sighed and Epps noticed his shoulders drooping. He looked extremely tired, even for a robotic giant with a big metal face. Rob felt the warm wave of air that escaped from Optimus' vents running over his body. A shaking rattle accompanied this action, and the human fully twisted his face to the Prime in concern. "Are you ok Prime? You look about ready to collapse."

Slowly, Optimus shook his head from side to side. His sad, gentle eyes drifted to the ceiling as the room began to clear. Somehow, deep in his gut, Epps knew something was wrong. The way Optimus stood and spoke was deep with an inner meaning unable to be explicitly expressed. It was like a personal battle that he was just not winning. "I'm fine, Captain Robert..." that was definitely a lie. By no doubt in his mind, Epps knew the Autobot was hiding some secret. It hurt to know that he was, though he was an alien with his own personal issues and such. This had to be a private ordeal, he was sure. But didn't people always say talking about it made things better?

Did that work with 'Bots anyway? A complete different species might have different ways to feel better about themselves than humans did. "I know I'm not a..." he looked for the word, "therapist or anything, but do ya wanna talk about it?" Rob realized that he would always be disconnected with them, never to truly understand their emotions, thoughts, or pain. Optimus gave him a merciful glance, but he didn't respond to the question. The captain leaned over the rails, folding his arms beneath himself as he allowed Optimus to simply walk away. Damn they're transparent, Epps groused to himself. Was it even possible to understand them without actually being one of them? It looked like that was going to be a little difficult considering Rob couldn't read their mind. Was Fera any closer to figuring them out?

Epps gave a short snort and smirked as he began to recall the all-too-brief times he'd had with Fera in her childhood. She'd come so far, turning into something no one could ever have imagined. Her time with the Autobots had brought out that kiddish ire and bright spirit Epps had loved so much from her past years. She seemed so natural around them; it was almost as if she'd been here just as long as the rest of them. Rob could confidently say that she had a closer relationship with them than he did. But ever since she'd been kidnaped...

His smile fell when his thoughts traveled. His poor little niece, brought down by his enemy. Rob let his face fall to the floor, where he bore his lips into a deep frown. The sight of her nearly stopped his heart. Outside with the group when she'd arrived, Rob merely stood off to the side, watching from a distance. The pale skin she'd gotten from her mother was speckled with her own blood and sketched with lines of scabs. The wind ruffled her lifeless locks and ragged clothing, while it seemed like her eyes were dull and dejected. So bad did he want to run forward and take her into his arms, soothing her pain and shield her from the world he'd tried so hard to keep her from for so long. He'd made a promise to Will. One, that he'd mistakenly broken.

"Sir, we've established contact with Amoret, and they've been informed about the San Diego attack." looking up at the voice, Epps saw the same soldier he'd spoken to earlier standing beside him, hand saluting by his forehead. Rob stood to face the man and he stole a quick glance at the soldier's nametag. Colt. "Thank you, Colt, you are dismissed."

Colt snapped his boot-clad feet together and he yanked away his arm, briskly dipping his head in acknowledgment. "Sir." he then started away, descending the stairs until his head disappeared below. Alone and left to his mind, Epps made a mental note to visit his adoptive niece properly. He still hadn't seen her yet, and it bit at him realizing this. Sarah would want to see her too, but neither of them were allowed to see her until she had gotten a full day's rest. All he could do was wait and pray- pretty much the same thing he's done since day one.

"Let's just hope Sarah doesn't shoot someone in the meantime." the longer he stood there, chuckling at his own joke, the scarier that thought began to be. Sarah...with a gun. Cursing under his breath, Epps stood and took the stairs two at a time. Another thing people said: Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn.

"...reasons beyond me. It surfaced things I'd rather let rust." muffled, muggy voices picked up through the hazy sheen covering Fera's conscious. She was fading in and out, catching bits and pieces of conversations as they drifted along around her. A cold numbness blanketed her limbs and kept her from moving, keeping her from coming to a complete wake. There was a heavy sense of fatigue weighing her down, dragging her back to sleep no matter the amount of times she tried escaping from the clutches of the floating nothing she was in. Her fingers and toes held no sense of feel for the longest time, while the very roots of her hair pulsed hotly. Time passed too swiftly to count, so Fera simply laid in the current and let it whisk her to and fro.

Warmth continued to pass along her body from the hard surface she laid on and she sighed, curling further into herself groggily. Relaxed and sleepy as she was, she barely noticed the lack of movement in her lower leg and the increasing soreness taking over her skin. Instead of trying to fight off her sleep, she let it come, laying peacefully to wait out whatever drug was in her system. This was probably the first time she'd actually been given the chance to get a whole time of rest without her nightmares and captors keeping her awake, so she was going to take advantage.

Her arms made excellent pillows on her makeshift bed, cradling her head as she lay rolled like a human rolly-pollie. Whatever she was laying on was so comfortable and she doubted if she wanted to wake up at all from this. Along with this, it was also the only thing holding her down from her woozy world, acting as her anchor to reality. Hope was so powerful in presence that it stretched from one end of her body to the other, like a soothing bath that unwound her tenseness and allowed her to freely relent to her dreamland.

However, the longer she stayed here, the sharper everything became. Her senses began to return one by one, and the words of those around her moved from a blurry slur of noises to complete sentences. "...actions that were brash and prejudicedly in nature. Our alliance with the humans have become stricter because of your recent behaviors, causing belief of distrust to circle in concerns of you. What could you have possibly been thinking?" who was that? Fera had never heard the voice before, and she struggled to understand. Her ears felt weird. Really, really weird. There was an odd high-pitched edge to their tone, one that fell into different ticks and buzzes as they talked.

Cracking open a lid to peek around, Fera found herself surrounded by black. Her mind came to a better focus and she started, thinking she was caught up in the darkness again. She drew in a long breath and pushed herself onto one elbow so she could see herself better. Upon seeing the bandages and endless gauze covering her body, her eyebrows came down in both confusion and worry. How bad was it? Trying to lift her left leg, she found it noticeably less willing than usual. Traveling down the mummified length of her limbs, Fera found what she assumed to be her foot. It was in a bulky cocoon of white, surrounding it in a firm grasp that was itchy and uncomfortable. It hurt to move it too much, and it felt hot inside the bubble of plaster. A cast.

Groaning softly to herself, Fera leaned down towards the cast, stretched her tight abdominal muscles and causing licks of electrified whips to snap down her sides. "Ow." she mouthed, giving a small wince and pulling back from her foot.

"I wasn't, ok? Do we have to have this conversation now? I'm sure she doesn't need to deal with anything more for a long while." a newer voice, different than the first, but still abnormally high. Fera blinked and dared look up, deciding to sit back on her right leg and leave her left spread before her. The light wasn't as intense as she'd figured it would be. Instead, it was fairly fuzzy and manageable, like the morning rays through her bedroom window. She looked around dumbly, uncertain of where she was or who was here with her. After much squeezing her eyes shut and twisting her neck from sie to side, she'd made up her mind that she was in some kind of large room and not her bedroom.

"He is right Ratchet, this may not be the best time for addressing these issues." Ratchet? Was he here? Fera opened her eyes wider and she searched for the familiar, grouchy 'Bot. When she passed a blurry greenish-yellow shape off to her right, she paused, narrowing her eyes at it. "Because of Fera? She cannot understand us, awake or not."

"Yes, but perhaps it would be better to leave them alone for the next joor or so. They both need closure." the larger figure beside him responded, "You can monitor them at a better time, one where Solas and herself maybe more cooperative to treatment. Solas will be more than capable to watch over her." a snort sounded from whom she assumed was Ratchet, followed by him crossing his arms. Why did he sound so different? "Optimus," Optimus? "I want to run scans on the both of them. And judging from the previous events that transpired when I attempted to scan her, I suggest it might be better when she is in recharge." everything came into clearer focus.

"That might be a little hard." this was a closer voice, one she knew immediately upon hearing it, despite the weird pitch. She swung her head around, almost knocking herself over in the process, to see who was behind her. The black helmet and red details stood out first, then the shining silver of his face, the line of the scar on his lips and left cheek, and finally his teal eyes. She grinned up at him, realizing for the first time that she had been actually sleeping on her Guardian. He's a lot warmer than I thought, she noted quietly. And a lot more comfortable too...

Fera heard the rev of a vent and she returned to the others standing before them. Was this Sol's room? "Leave them be Ratchet, our friends need be alone for a mere joor. There are others who needs your assistance, for Cloudsong cannot treat Rodimus and Titanios herself forever." Optimus nodded at the medic, who looked from his leader, to Solas, then her. He seemed to be deliberating with himself, wondering whether he should defy orders, or help those with more need.

Eventually, he seemed to make up his mind, and he turned to start for the door. "Fine, but I'm giving them a single joor before I come back for that scan. In the meantime, he can explain to her what our prediction lies as." and he was out the door and gone before anyone could remark. Wondering just what it was that Ratchet was talking about, Fera drew in her eyebrows again and aimed her gaze at Optimus for answers. What happened when I was out? she questioned. Why does everyone sound different?

"I hope you had a fulfilling rest Fera." he said kindly, his voice suddenly back to the deep basso it once was. Sitting back with even further perplexity, Fera let herself lean against Sol as she nodded. Optimus approached them and lowered himself to a better height for her, his incredibly blue eyes following every feature of her face. Feeling nervous under his watchful gaze, Fera ducked her head into her shoulders and she avoided his eye contact. "Is there something wrong? I'm not frightening you, am I?" at this, he backed off, making sure to step back to where he was standing before.

Fera lifted her head again and she waved her hands before her, shaking her head roughly from side to side. "No, no, no of course not!" she assured with a cracked voice. She flinched at the scratchiness in her words and the way her dry throat felt extremely parched. Her hands fell to her lap and she looked away in shame, "You could never scare me Optimus...it's just..." what could she say? I'm sorry, I'm afraid of you guys right now. Oh, but wait, I'm not really scared of you guys, I just am at this second!

"She's not in her right mind at the moment Optimus, I'm sure any of us makes her anxious." Solas piped in, making Fera's face flush in warmth. It was even more embarrassing hearing it from one of them. She felt awful thinking such things, seeing as they were the very beings who wanted nothing but to protect her. Even then, she felt a tinge of uncertainty when near them now. It sucked that here, in the hands of the good, she was still afraid.

Optimus offered no words but an understanding nod. Fera felt like an absolute child, sitting here, snug up against her Guardian while the Prime gave her nothing but an understanding grin. "I understand." he murmured softly, following Ratchet's lead as he went for the door and set a hand on the frame. "Feel free to speak to me at any time you wish Fera; do not fear calling for any of us at whim." he offered over his shoulder. "And Solas," he turned his words onto the Guardian, his voice back to the higher pitch, "she deserves to know the truth...no matter whether we feel she is yet ready or not." when Sol gave no immediate answer, Optimus left the mech and his charge alone.

The hiss of the door was the only sound between them for a moment, leaving them captured in silence. Their company was all that was needed for those few minutes. And when Fera let her mind wonder, the questions arose. Once the curious, always the curious she assumed. "Solas, how did I get here?" she asked, placing her elbows on her elevated knees. Solas' fingers curled around her and she cocked her head back so to see his face better. "You wouldn't let me go." he responded simply. Fera's mouth fell open and her nails dug into her knees, "The human medics didn't want to harm you further, so they aided you while with me. They had to rebreak and set your medial and lateral malleolus fractures." she didn't understand what he meant, but she assumed that was why it hurt so much.

Fera turned where she was sitting and opened her mouth to respond when she was suddenly lifted up and brought to Solas' chest. The air escaped her lungs and she gasped with the pressure built on her back. Her arms pinned against him and her legs dangling, Fera could do nothing but set her cheek on his plating and try to get over her initial surprise. The cast on her foot knocked against Solas before she lifted it away with a suck of air through her teeth.

"Sol, what are you-"

"Shush, I'm trying something." he interrupted, thrusting the room back into silence. Fera rolled her eyes, but didn't intervene, merely giving a small smile as she waited for something to happen. The thrum of his vents brushed her with warm air, the pump of his spark strong beneath her fingertips. She let herself become limp in his hands, relenting into his grip. There was no way she was getting out of this, no matter what she tried. Trapped as she was, she had a moment. The realization hit her and she nearly began to cry again. She was home. Finally...home.

Without warning, her chest constricted and she swallowed to get rid of the lump. Until she was in Optimus' hold and she actually saw the light of the sun shining off the sleek forms of each of the Autobots, she didn't believe it. She couldn't. Now, it was happening again, and she had to remind herself that she no longer had to fear that her life was in the hands of a Decepticon. The table was gone; the chains were gone. Arachnid wasn't digging into her skin anymore; Platon was far away from torturing her indifferently. A shiver wracked her body and she curled closer to Sol. His chest rumbled at this and Fera sighed with the comforting hum. Her eyelids were getting heavy again...

"Fera?" Sol called gently. Fera repositioned herself and gave a "Hm?" as an answer. Her hands balled into fists and she shoved her arms between herself and Solas, "I want you to tell me what they did to you." his tone had dropped seriously and the vibrations of his chest ceased. Fera felt her heart skip a beat and her lungs quit taking in air. Her fingers locked on Sol and every movable limb stalled. Air that had been manageable before was now icy cold, biting into her skin and making her tremble. Flashes of her experiences passed her eyes like a scary movie. The wounds along her arms and body felt to pulse hotly underneath their bandages. The arch on her collarbone touched the back of her hand and she grew slightly nauseous from it.

Hope wound around her flustered heart, trying desperately to slow it down and calm her nerves. The necklace, or Stone of Primus as Rodimus had called it, began to emit steady waves of energy as Hope moved. Fera grabbed it tightly in one hand and avoided contact with the arch again. "Don't be afraid Fera, they can't hurt you anymore. I just want to know what hap-"

"I don't want to talk about it." she decided stonily, cutting him off. She closed her eyes and pressed her knuckles to her lips so she couldn't whimper like the weakling she'd become. Hope prodded her for answers, but she just blocked it from her, getting a sharp cramp in her chest as she did so. Forcing back her rising fright, Fera tried to control her breathing before she fell into hyperventilation. "Whatever they did, you can tell me, Fera. I am only here to help..." Sol assured, providing another set of tranquil buzzes for her.

Fera let herself become victim to the ease settling in her tired frame, even so much as to drop the block between herself and Hope. Immediately, it took back the hole which it had been drawn from and it surrounded her completely. "I..." she faltered when her voice cracked. Clearing it, she gathered herself and started again, "that she-devil...the fembot...Arach-Arachnid." she shook her head and choked up, "I can't, I just can't."

Sol didn't say anything, offering no other form of encouragement other than a small squeeze of his hand to her back. Hope pried around her body, seeking out her wounds and assessing each in detail. When it came to her throat, she rushed to put up a block around the arch. However, before she could, it got there with milliseconds of her wall. Hope flared almost angrily at sensing the injury, filling her with a belligerence that wasn't her own. "They..." Sol suddenly began to shake in short jerks of shivers. His chest twitched and the hand that held Fera applied a margin of harder force, making her uncomfortable with the added weight, "they branded you..." he hissed acidly.

Heart speeding and mind racing, Fera forced herself to look up at Sol. The mech was focused on something in the distance, his expression unreadable. Abruptly, his face shot down to establish eye contact, his teal gaze holding hers ferociously. "They marked you like a bonded; to break you and make you feel helpless..." one of his fingers moved by her ankle and she winced, raising it higher. "Is that what Ratchet and Optimus were talking about before they left?" she demanded, fixing him with worried eyes, "The arch on my chest? That's why Ratchet wants to scan me, isn't it?" she suddenly pushed on Sol, trying to put space between them. Horror arose in her when the memories of her seizures resurfaced from over a month ago.

"No, I won't let him!" she shoved away harder, only getting less than a foot away before Sol brought her closer again. "Fera, what are you...? Did you...did you hear our conversation?" he asked in disbelief. Fera held her ear to Sol and nodded against him, causing Sol to go stiff as a result. "You...understood us?" he questioned next, getting the same answer.

Out of the blue, Hope exploded, filling its small space and flooding outward to encase her entire body. It went after her heart, mind, and soul, delving and dipping for anything and everything that made up who she was. It forced its way into her nerves, pushing up every loose crevice of her body and taking it over with its essence. The Stone around her neck seemed alive as it almost began to bounce against the hallow of her throat. In an invasive move, Hope went after her thoughts and senses, scouring everything from her smell to what she was seeing. It felt her discomfort and it swam amongst her nightmarish experiences.

Shocked at the unwelcomed entrance into her personal conscience, Fera threw up her barrier and growled when her entire chest crushed the air from her lungs. "Yes." she managed through clenched teeth, "I don't know how, but I did."

Hope pulled back hesitantly from her, giving her a chance to lower her guard by a little. "We were speaking in Cybertronian, there is no way you should have understood us...maybe it's..." his words faded and Fera glanced up in time to see him roughly shaking his head from side to side, "No, no, they can't be right. It's not possible...it can't be..." he sounded like he was trying to convince himself of something, like he was telling himself everything was only a bad dream. Concerned, Fera reached up to place a hand on his chest. Her muscles complained of the movement and she grimaced, but she still kept her limb where it was.

"What can't be? Sol, I don't know what you're talking about..." she patted his armoring to get his attention and Sol jumped like he'd been pinched. Peering down at her, he appeared as if he were seeing her for the first time. There was awe there...wonder even.

"Fera, I want to try something." he announced after a moment, "I don't want you to be scared if it works, because this is a very important test." he raised his eyebrows in wait and Fera paused in answering. She was confused and apprehensive about what was going to happen, and just why as to Sol's reason for being so secretive. However, her curiosity won over her fear, and so she quietly agreed for Sol to continue.

For the first few seconds, there was nothing. Fera was interested to see what Sol would do, and yet she was still slightly uncertain. The unpredictable Autobot could very well throw her against the wall and see if she bounced back like a rubber ball. Though, she highly doubted he would.

Hope hovered around her mind, circling her barrier and simply moving its way around the perimeter of her thoughts. But then, with actions that were as sluggish as honey, it curled away her block. Its wispy tendrils snaked as smokey fingers down her back, and to her heart. When here, it melded into the chambers of the flesh, expanding with each beat and constricting with the cardiac processes. It ran along her heart, gently pushing away the hurt, the pain, the fear. And in their place, Hope instilled a feeling of safety; a feeling of itself in her. Relief washed along her limbs, taking away her affliction to put numbness there instead. "Do you feel it?" Solas rumbled almost inaudibly.

Fera's eyes widened. He couldn't possibly be talking about...he wouldn't be...could he? She slowly raised her chin to stare at him. No, this was a joke. He couldn't...not, well...he wasn't there with...when they... "Oh my God..." she breathed. Hope revolved around her heart, letting go of its own sense of pure security. "Primus, you do, don't you?" he inquired, noticing her confounded expression.

Fera rubbed her chest, testing out her prediction as she poked at Hope. Doing something she'd never before, she grabbed Hope and searched it. She entered Hope and passed through its protective surface, finding what made it...well it. Along the swirling touches of thin vapors, Fera traveled deeper into Hope until she was at its core. Expanses of light outstretched around her, vastly enveloping her with amazing shows of power. But at the center, floating soundlessly in the air, was an extraordinary show of blue. A halo of faded iridescent hues framed the swimming shape. Waves distorted the air around like heat on a blacktop. Fera, completely captivated by this sight before her, came closer until she was within reaching distance.

Her fingertips met the edge of the object, sending a tingling zing up her arm. The further she went into the light, the harsher the electricity became. Her skin flinched and jumped, her muscles leaping and twisting with the shocks of charge. Solas shuddered when her hand slipped from the energy field and Fera stopped dead.

Reality smacked her in the face and Fera clutched at her chest, willing herself to believe; fighting the want to not. Solas was watching her carefully, assessing her reaction. Flicking her eyes off to the wall, Fera fought her hummingbird heart and struggled with her rapid sucks of air. Again and again, she opened and closed her chapped lips, trying so hard to form the words on her dry tongue. Things didn't make sense anymore, and her whole world was swimming.

"You're Hope." she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.

"You're my small spark." he whispered back.

"You were with me...that entire time..." she gazed back up at Solas and grabbed at his armor, "you kept me alive Sol, that entire time! Hope, er-you made my heart beat when it stopped, and you forced me beyond quitting, and you gave me hope, and-" she stopped and gasped, suddenly filling with a random rage. Her hands smacked against Sol and she quickly pushed herself away from him. This almost got her dropped when Sol didn't react quick enough to her. However, he was able to catch her before she flew through the air and hit the cold, unforgiving floor below.

Fera scrambled onto all fours on Sol's palm, glaring at him as she stood on her knees. "That's what Ratchet was talking about!" she realized pointedly, "You all knew about this! And you didn't tell me!" when Sol brought her closer, she pounded one raw fist on his chest. The chaffed marks on her wrists were covered in bandages and the pain she'd felt with them was now dulled and less vivid, "Do you know what I went through? All the crap you put me through doing this?" her face felt flushed and tempered, her hands swollen. She could feel the disbelieving and angered tears building.

Solas put a hand before her, blocking her fists from meeting his body. Fera pounded a few more times on his palm before giving up to catch her breath. "Fera, we had no idea what was truly happening. We had our thoughts, but it was so outlandish we barely considered it!" he reasoned, bringing her to him to crush against him, "Now listen, before you hurt yourself!" Fera growled and tried freeing herself, but Solas simply held her down until her struggles stopped. He brushed her heart, trying to calm her, but she just pulled away. Knowing who Hope was now...that it was Solas Kaon...it was too much for her to handle.

"Ratchet, Optimus, and I have briefly deliberated on the possibility, nothing more. The mere percentile that what we discussed maybe true was so slim, that we brushed it aside. I didn't tell you because it wasn't supposed to happen!" the sudden rise of his tone had Fera's head snapping up, "I didn't want you to be put through that, if it were to happen. I didn't think you deserved that..." he grunted and looked away, severing the eye contact they had just heartbeats before. Fera lowered her hands and moved to stand. Didn't want to put her through it? "Through what?" she demanded, "Knowing who it was that was keeping me alive this entire time?"

Fera leaned forward and used Sol's hand as a balance. Her legs felt weak and her knees threatened to cave, but she stayed standing anyway. He looked ashamed, refusing to return their gazes no matter how long she watched him. "Solas." she said firmly, trying to get his attention. He opened his eyes, but didn't turn to her. "Solas Kaon, look at me." she commanded. The mech stayed still after her words faded and she feared he may ignore her. However, he proceeded to sigh and reestablish their broken views. Fera saw the confliction in his features and the unsaid frustration.

"I've taken a hell of a lot more than you apparently care." she chuckled and sighed once more as she leaned against him, "You think a little presence in my head is going to affect me?" she lifted her arms and folded them beneath her head, "I've taken a knife to my side, been kidnaped by a 'Con, lost you...twice..." Sol actually chuckled at this, "got kidnaped again, tortured by a Decepticon spider-freak, kicked another 'Con in the face, and survived long enough to come back here and tell you I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? For what?" Sol asked, his chest thick with every word. Fera snuggled deeper into her arms, finding herself being lulled by the small shakes. "For almost releasing you from being my Guardian. And...everything else." she shrugged and let her eyelids hang on the edge of closing. Solas shifted her so that she was comfortably resting against him, not even having to move her arms in the process. "Well there's no need to apologize." they inclined back and Fera peeked up to see Solas lounging back against the wall. Rolling her eyes, she settled herself for a nap. "It's just good to have you back."

The comment was high and surely in Cybertronian. But Fera understood it! She could understand Solas and the others! She smiled to herself, silently praying that this wasn't all just a dream. To sum up everything learned today: she had returned to the 'Bots, discovered she knew an alien language, and apparently shared some form of connection with her Guardian. She'd always wanted her life to be more than normal, to have that extra edge no one would ever be able to experience. But, she'd never figured it would be like this.

"It's good to be back." she breathed, drowning in a sleep that she knew was either going to be riddled with nightmares, or blessed in sweet dreams.

"Those two are weird." James Marks huffed at the screen and straightened, placing his hands on his hips. The company of the room, General Hendricks, Robert Epps, and Optimus Prime, didn't seem to mind his comment. Optimus was trained on the screen like it was the only thing in the world, his audio receptors picking up more than the humans' possibly would. James turned to the others as the Guardian laid back in his given break from duty. Was this how he treated his warriors? Give them free time after they'd attacked another peaceful being?

Venting a sigh of his own, Optimus pinched the bridge of his noseplate. He would have punished Solas if he wasn't the Guardian of their priority and apparently the only one that she would stay calm around. As soon as she was up and stronger again, Solas was being dealt with. The Prime's authority could be compromised if he simply allowed his warriors to run around, fighting one another. He had already spoken with the officials of the property once, including the Directors. To summarize the discussion would be explained as many unsatisfied, contemptuous human males and one female whom surprising held more control over the meeting than Optimus had.

"Turn the monitor off. Doesn't anyone not get spied on around here?" General Hendricks ordered. Optimus glanced up at the gathered party and saw the colonel flip off the video feed. Epps was sitting off to the side in a rolling chair, his hands clasped between his knees. He blew through his lips incredulously at the General's comment and peered around him, "Sir, the day we signed up for the N.E.S.T campaign, we weren't given the right of privacy anymore."

The attempt of humor was not met with laughter, or even a chuckle. Instead, it was challenged in a quiet agreement. Optimus knew each one of these men came to realize that this was a rule in their places as N.E.S.T representatives. However, now that it was spoken, the outright meaning must have 'smacked them in the face', as their kind would say. "One of the lovely bonuses of being a soldier for your country I suppose." James noted, leaning back against the desk as his arms crossed. General Hendricks removed the hat he wore and flashed the greying filaments of his hair as his hand rubbed over the top, "That is, and always will be, the vows we've taken for this country men. I've built a lot of respect for all of you, including you Optimus Prime," he recognized the Autobot commander, who politely dipped his helm back, "but we've got to come up with a plan here. These hostiles cannot keep jumping in whenever they want and scare the people of my mother country." he fixed his cap on his head and fully faced the Prime.

Optimus did the same, respectfully facing the General of The Armies as they addressed one another. "And we are General," he answered calmly, "this attack on friendly allies will not go unattended, I assure you. The Autobot commander of the Sand Diego base has been has been contacted, and at this current time, we are awaiting his reply. As you may have come by, one of my fembot operatives on the premises was holding, or 'pregnant', in human cases." the general's eyebrows came down at this and his hands locked before him, "I was not. I offer my prayers in hopes that she will not be harmed in any severe way upon the outcome of this assault."

"That is appreciated, thank you General." Optimus said in gratitude. The man nodded and looked behind him to the colonel, "I want you to get Director Ferk here ASAP." he said, watching as the colonel swiftly got to his feet and started for the balcony steps, "Oh and Colonel Marks?" James turned back, "Get President Wake on the phone. This is no longer a matter of alien warfare. This is including American soldiers, therefore, it will include American interference."

James briskly turned on his heel and took to the steps as the General and Optimus followed his movement until he disappeared behind a door below. "I mean you no disrespect General," Optimus began, catching both the attention of General Hendricks and Captain Epps, "but I must depart on a rendezvous with Secretary Kepler."

There were so many other things he'd rather be doing than seeing the pompous official again, but duty was duty, and Optimus possessed a large quantity of it. His personal opinions and emotions would have to be set aside in order to preserve order and peace in N.E.S.T. The Autobot leader started away in aims to go to the said meeting, however, he was stopped when General Hendricks created a graveled set of noises from his throat in a way of clearing it. Halting for a sparkbeat to look back at the General, Optimus found the man grinning at him. Grinning? "I will deal with him Optimus, there's no need for you to worry about him while I'm around. You have enough to process already." the flesh wrinkled around his face while his blue eyes danced, "Go take a break for a while, you deserve it." his eyebrows raised when Optimus hesitated, "That wasn't a request friend, that was an order." he gave a hearty chuckle and left without another word.

"Can't beat the general's orders Prime." Epps commented, catching Optimus' optic. The captain reclined back on his chair before placing a foot on his knee and resting both hands behind his head. He gave a shrug and smiled brightly, "Orders are orders."

Prime couldn't share in the man's happiness. Soulsearcher could very well be injured, as well as her charge Firelight. Walking away before his expression would be questioned, Optimus started for the personal quarters that he shared with his family unit. Seeing them again would pick up his mood, as it always did. He thanked Primus every morning they were here with him; that he was able to see them and talk with them. Liora, his precious little Liora, never ceased to amaze him. If his files reminded him correctly, she was getting her youngling frame this kalon. The mech sent the message to his mate, making up his processor that he wasn't going to miss the greatly important milestone for his sparkling.

So you're coming? Rethalia piped up suddenly, showing her excitement as Optimus continued on to the medbay wing of the base. Yes, he sent back, relaying General Hendricks' orders to her, I wouldn't miss it for the world.

FINALLY Fera knows about the bond!

This is a nice turn of events :)

Oh, and sorry for the wait guys, I kinda lost power this week because of a tornado, so...

Power's been a little issue.

More in store to come :D

*Chapter Inspiration: Castle Of Glass=Linkin Park*