Authors Note: Hello, fellow TF fans! Work has been super crazy and I also got my wisdom teeth out. All of that will cause a writers block. Has everyone seen TF3? I went to the advanced screening and loved every second of it. It was freaking amazing and I wish it wasn't the last. Anyway, this story will continue until the very end. I know it's taking so long to finish this, but you have to stick with me. I know I'm going to finish this. Trust me, we are very close now. I'll be sad to see it go, but I'll be glad I took the journey. Now, on with the story. I hope you guys like it enough to review it! Those are a huge inspiration to me like you wouldn't believe. Later!

Title: Starting Over.

"Can't you go any faster?" Ella asked frantically as she looked out the window. She could see other cars following behind them, not quite matching their speed.

"Do you really want to be picked up for speeding? You are the one in the drivers' seat right now." Ratchet called over the radio. He was already going over the recommended speed limit, but not enough that would cause suspicion.

Ella put her head in her hands and shook her head. "I'm scared, Ratchet. I don't want to do this." She snapped her fingers nervously. "What if the worst happens?"

The Autobot would have clicked his tongue if he had one. "You've survived worse. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"You expect too much from me," she sighed, "and it feels like my heart is trying to get out of my throat." She clutched her neck and swallowed hard.

"You know," Ratchet snickered, "You are taking this graduation ritual much harder than I ever thought. You do not want to go through with it?"

Ella gave a half-hearted laugh to her best friend. "Of course I do. It just doesn't help that I'm running late and I have to give a speech in front of every student in my class." She shook her head again and rubbed her eyes. "Why was I stupid enough to try out for it?"

"Do not forget your fellow students' family members. They will be there as well."

"You're not helping!"

With a sudden ring and a high jump from Ella, her cell phone went off. It was her aunts' ringtone.

"She must be looking for you. I told you that you should hurry." Ratchet scolded her.

"Oh, be quiet." She hit the answer button on her phone. "Hi, Celine. Sorry, but I took too much time in the shower. I'm almost there."

"Ella, I 'ave bad news." Celine sounded serious.

"Oh god, what happened now?" Ella could feel her heart rate rise again. There was a soft click in the background of the call indicating that Ratchet had patched himself in. He must have been concerned by what she said.

"I will be at zee graduation, but I'm afraid I can't stay. I 'ave to go into work and will only be zere for your name to be called." Celine sounded disappointed, but not that much.

Ella sat in stunned silence for a second. "Wait, you're going in? Are you kidding me right now? This is one of the biggest days of my life and you're not staying for the whole thing? What about pictures?"

"Sorry, but zay need me. I promise I'll stay for your college graduation, oui?" Celine tried to make it better. It wasn't working.

"That's four years away if I'm lucky!" Ratchet could hear the hurt in the teenagers' voice. "I know you'll be there, but at least stay for my speech. It's right after the names are called."

"I'm sorry, Ma Petite. Zat ess sad, but I 'ave to do my duty." There was a shuffling noise as if Celine was shrugging.

Ellas' anger was rising. "Why the heck are they calling you in on a Saturday? They knew you were watching me."

"I'm not going to argue zis. I will see you in a little bit. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures while I'm in zee audience." Her voice sounded unnaturally happy.

The teenager gave a sigh of defeat. There was no talking her aunt out of this. "Fine. I'll look for you on the bleachers. Bye."

"Good-bye."

There was a click of the other line hanging up, but Ella kept her phone on. This was the biggest event of her life so far. She had worked so hard to get here. She had even taken college classes and made it to the top ten of her class. Well, not without the help of her favorite CMO, but she still made it. Now her aunt couldn't even stay to hear the speech that had been practiced so carefully.

"Ella," Ratchet spoke up, "I am very sorry you are hurt."

She was looking down at her lap, phone still in her hand. "It's okay. I kind of thought something like this would happen." She wiped away a tear that was trying to escape. "At least she'll be there for a little while. I guess that's better than nothing."

"It is something to you. You want her there. You want her to hear you." He could easily analyze the girl without even doing a scan.

"Hey, stuff happens." She reached over and tapped the dashboard. "I still have you, don't I? You'll be watching and that's all that matters."

With these final words, the rescue vehicle pulled up to the school. Ella quickly silenced her phone and stashed it in her pocket under her gown. Grabbing her cap, she got out of the vehicle and saw other late students making their way to the stadium. This was it. This was her time to grow up. She straightened her daffodil necklace so it would shine in the sun. It was her graduation gift from Ratchet, made from little pieces of scrap metal, and she was proud of it.

"I am going to find a safe place to park. Do not worry; I will be able to see you from wherever I am." Ratchet called before she closed the door. Lucky for them, not one had heard the disembodied voice coming from the vehicle.

Ella gave him thumbs up. "I'm not worried about that. I'm just hoping I don't wet myself on stage."

Not knowing if Ratchet found the joke funny, he drove away. She hoped he would find a good place shortly. It wouldn't be fun if he was late because he couldn't find a spot.

"Ella!"

The girl turned to see Joey running at her. His black gown was fluttering out behind him as he held his cap in place. "Looks like I'm not the only person that's late." She laughed.

"Mom thought we needed 100 pictures in front of the house. She already took up one memory card and had to find another." He rolled his eyes as they walked together to the outdoor stadium.

Ella tugged nervously at her honors society cords. "I've never been this scared. I feel like I'm going to puke and faint at the same time." She let out a long breath.

Joey brushed his tassel out of his eyes. "You'll be fine." He looked at her again, but his eyes narrowed. "Have you been crying?"

She hadn't expected him to notice. "Celine called. She isn't staying for the whole thing. She's going to miss my speech."

"Really?" Joey looked surprised. "Wow that really sucks. I'm sorry." He put an arm around her shoulder. It felt really nice.

"Thanks. Forget about it, okay? I'm just going to get this over with and get to the party later." She nodded toward the school, where the parents had spent days taking over the cafeteria to put together a party. The theme was still a mystery to the graduating seniors.

The two entered the stadium and saw other students lined up. There were only minutes left.

"Hey, just a second." The teenage boy turned Ella around to face him. "There's something I got to say."

Ella furrowed her brow at him. "What?"

He cleared his throat. "This is the last chance we'll be high schoolers together. The last chance to do something impulsive without regret."

The girl looked around. "I…I have no idea what you're saying."

"Oh, for the love of God," Kiki said from beside them, "he wants you to be his girlfriend. Took him long enough to ask, but he's finally doing it."

Ellas' jaw dropped. She thought Joey liked her, but not that much. "Is that true?"

There was the sound of the graduation march blaring over the loudspeakers. It was now or never.

"Very." Suddenly, Joey leaned down and connected his lips with Ellas'. She stood there stunned. She hadn't quite expected this to happen. Yet, it felt right. Pushing past her surprise, she returned the kiss. The two were only parted when another student pulled her away, her line going first.

"Yes! The answer is yes!" Ella yelled to him as she stepped up there stairs.

Coming out of the tunnel, she could see the stadium bleachers were full of family members. Some had brought grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, step families, great grandparents, and she swore someone had brought a dog. All eyes were on the students as they marched in one by one. Ella wasn't going to be sitting with the crowd; instead she was sitting on stage with the other speech givers and honors students. She felt pride in her chest. She had finally made it.

Her eyes scanned the crowd once again. She spotted Celine and gave a little wave. Her aunt didn't notice since she was on her cell phone again. Oh well, no use in fighting about it now. At least she was still up there.

A teacher whispered, "sit here, Eleanor," and pointed to a seat. She sat down and looked out to her fellow students, her back facing the family crowd. She would be addressing those she had known for so many years.

"Where are you?" Her eyes tried to find even a little hint of yellow. Suddenly, something caught her eye. It was a man standing at the back fence. He wasn't that noticeable unless you were actually looking for him. It was one that she knew very well. She smiled and winked. He had to have seen it.

"Welcome students, faculty, and families to this years graduation." The principal said into the microphone on the podium. Everyone let out a cheer, including Ella.

This began a long line of speeches from teachers that wanted to give the students advice for the future. This was also known as the most boring part of the proceedings. Ella fidgeted in her seat, trying to stay comfortable. She could hear others shifting programs around and whispering softly to one another. Would they do the same to her? Would they find her boring?

"I'm okay." She needed to keep thinking happy thoughts.

Finally, the schools' superintendent sat down and they brought out the diploma booklets. She bit her lip, wondering which one would be hers soon. She tugged on her necklace again.

"Eleanor Therese Brass." The announcers voice rang over the speakers. Ella stood up to the sound of applause. Her friends were cheering for her.

"Go, Cyborg!" Someone called from the audience. It had to have been Joeys' little brother. No matter how many times she had said otherwise, he couldn't be convinced she wasn't a cyborg. You would think a 14 year old would have figured it out by then.

She walked across the stage to the principal. Shaking his hand, she took her diploma from the other one. Once he let go, she shifted her tassel to the other side of her cap, signifying that she was officially graduated. She wanted to cry tears of happiness.

"You did it." She said to herself as she took her seat once more. She then turned around and looked for her aunt. She was already making her way toward the exit. The two locked eyes for a second as Celine gave her a thumbs up.

Good job. She mouthed. Then, she was gone.

Ella just shook her head in disappointment, but she had to push it out of her mind. Over by the fence, Ratchets' holoform stood firmly. She gave him a little wave, one that he answered back. She knew she could do this.

The names went on and on. What did she expect from a class of over 300? She cheered for Joey, Kiki, Kimi, Bethanie, and Maddie as they passed by to get their diplomas. Joey even grabbed her hand.

"Be strong." He whispered. Encouragement was definitely what she needed right then.

Finally, all of the names had been said and the students were sitting down once more. Their eyes were on the stage, waiting for the next speaker to come forward.

"And now, Eleanor Brass will give a speech to her fellow students." The principal motioned his hand to her.

It was now or never. She walked up to the podium, her breath being amplified by the microphone.

"Good evening, my fellow classmates and their families." She began. There was a holler from the student body. It sounded strangely like Maddie.

"We all have had quite a ride together. Many of us have known each other since the first day of kindergarten, maybe even a little bit before. We have stayed by each others' sides since that day, helping one another along. Now, it's the last day that we will all be together in one place. After today, many of us will spread to all the corners of America and beyond. Some of us will be going to school. Others will be traveling the world to find their place in it. Some will find jobs to try and earn some money for their lives to begin."

She paused. No one was making a sound.

"I'm here to say that, no matter what we choose, we always need others behind us to cheer us on. We all have families and friends that help us when the going gets tough. Yes, there are those that have different situations. Some of us don't have the huge families that others have, and others are a little on the anti-social side. Believe me, it doesn't matter who you have. It just matters that you have them."

She looked over to Ratchet and smiled.

"In my experience, I have found that anyone can be a source of encouragement. You just have to find the ones that will lead you down the right path. For me, I have an aunt that makes sure I have a roof over my head, friends that know how to cheer me up when I'm down, and others that I can never thank enough for what they've done for me."

She choked on the last sentence as she looked out to her best friend. She took a second to clear her throat before continuing.

"My fellow students, I'm asking you today to never leave behind this support. Though you might be miles away, exploring your own sense of freedom, you always need them to be there on those lonely nights, and those hangover mornings."

The audience laughed at the last example. She had hoped they would.

"Let's be honest, a few of you out there will be calling home to mom every time you have a tummy ache. Anyway, I'd rather not drone on and keep you all waiting for the best part. In short, don't ever leave those you care about behind. You need them more than you think."

Ella clicked her notecards on the podium. "Congratulations, my fellow students. We made it!" She let out a cheer behind turning to take her seat. At the sound of applause, she finally felt like she could breathe. She still felt like she might wet herself, but one thing at a time.

"Introducing your new graduating class!" The senior math teacher called over the mic. There was another cheer as students threw their caps into the air. Granted, they had to find them before they marched out, but it was still a great tradition.

"Good job, Ella!" Her friends smiled at her as she passed. Ella grinned from ear to ear.

Outside of the stadium, families had gathered to congratulate their grads. Ella moved off to the side, letting them have their space. She watched them all as they hugged, kissed, and took pictures. She let out a sigh. As much as she talked about having support, she still wished that one of hers was here. She couldn't have her parents or siblings there, but at least she wanted a blood relation.

There was a squeeze on her shoulder. She turned her head to see Ratchet standing by the gate. How he had gotten there, she wasn't sure. She hoped he hadn't just appeared.

"Code 2624?" She snickered at the hand on her shoulder.

"I figured you needed a bit of kind contact." He said. "Good work, Ella."

Without warning, she turned and latched him into a hug. It felt so good to have someone to hold onto. "Thanks for coming. You have no idea how much that means to me." She let him go.

Ratchet smiled. "I think I may have an idea." He patted her on the back.

"Hey, Ella!" The two turned to see Joey coming toward them. Ella met him halfway and gave him a hug.

"What'd you think?" She asked him.

"I thought it was amazing." He smiled.

Ratchet nodded to the young man. "Hello Joseph."

Joey looked up at the blue eyed man. "Hello, Doc." The teenager was so used to seeing Ratchet in this form; he had begun to use a casual name. Then again, it was probably better than what Joey might call him if he saw Ratchets true form.

"Umm, there is something I need to tell you." Ella looked nervously at Ratchet, but stayed by Joeys' side. "Joey asked me if I would be his girlfriend. I said yes." She wasn't sure how Ratchet would react to this. He hadn't liked any of the other men she had been with. In fact, he tried to chase off the last one that only wanted to kiss her goodnight.

"Is that so?" Ratchet appeared to be thinking. "Well, I have certainly been waiting for this to happen."

"Wait, what?" Ella asked.

"You did not think I could not see thing coming a mile away, did you? I have known for ages that you two are compatible. It was only a matter of time until you both saw it." Ratchet shrugged.

"Wow. Didn't expect that reaction." Ella looked at Joey with a laugh. "He's normally pretty critical. He did save my life and he doesn't want anyone to mess it up."

Joey chuckled nervously. "Okay."

"You have nothing to fear from me as long as she is happy." Ratchet leaned in a bit. "Of course, if you make her cry…"

"Hey, Ella," Joey interrupted, "my mom wants to get some pictures of us together."

"Okay. I'll be over in just a second." She waved him off as the teenage boy moved quickly to join the rest of his family. "You didn't have to scare him. You know him!"

"All the more reason to put the fear of Primus into him." The Autobot medic looked serious. "Now, you are aware that I cannot stay here for your party. It would be far too difficult not to draw attention to myself."

"Yep, and some of the parents looking after the party are members of your group. They'll be looking out for any problems." Ella smiled at him. "Ratchet, everything will be fine."

"I wish you would not say that. You cannot see into the future."

"Neither can you, and that's just how things are."

"Point taken." Ratchet looked around. "I trust you have a way home?"

"Yeah. I'm getting a ride from one of my friends. It'll just depend on which one is less tired and doesn't look like they'd crash the car." She joked. Ratchet didn't laugh.

"I trust you will be home in the early hours of the morning?" He asked.

Ella nodded. "Yep, the party goes until 4 am. I should be home not too long after that. I doubt Celine will be home by then, though. It's Saturday and she's probably going out to the club again. You can probably hang out in your real form for a while."

"I may just do that. I am expecting a communication from Prime." He stated.

Ella reached around him for another hug. "Thanks for coming, again. You have no idea how much I want to thank you."

"You do not need to thank me. You deserved it."

The girl let go and turned to go. "I'll see you at home."

"As will I see you." He answered.

When she turned back to him, he was already gone. She knew that no one has seen him disappear. He was very careful about that sort of thing. She walked back up the small hill to join Joeys' family. They all greeted her warmly.

"Wonderful speech, Ella." His mom said as she hugged him.

"Thanks you, Mrs. Retzi." Ella let go and gave a hug to the little brother. "I knew you were going to call me Cyborg, Charlie"

"Of course!" He answered.

"Mom, you want to take the picture now? It's hot in this stupid robe thing." Joey tugged at the collar of his black gown.

His mom raised her hands. "Fair enough." She took the camera from Joeys' father. "Joseph, put your arm around her."

Joey put an arm around Ellas' shoulder. She could tell her was sweating a bit, but she didn't really mind.

"I can tell you now your deodorant is working." Ella giggled. She turned to look at the camera when, suddenly, she got a sharp pain in her eye. Instantly, she put a hand over that eye and tried to get out whatever was stuck in there out.

"Ellie, what's wrong?" Joey asked.

"I don't know, I think a bug flew in my eye." She said, trying to open her eye with her fingers. "Ow, that hurts."

Joey looked at her funny. "How does that hurt? That's your fake eye."

Ella snorted. Of course he didn't know she could not only see out of it, but had pain receptors as well. "I can still feel my eyelids."

"Oh, right." Joey said sheepishly.

Ella bent down a little bit from the pain and brushed a finger across the surface of her eye. She was so lucky the iris cap hadn't come off. She felt something drop out and the pain subsided. "Got it!"

"You okay?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, yeah." She looked down at her finger. It looked like a little bug leg, but it was made of metal. "Something must have come off the fence or something."

"You're sure?" Joey asked, looking concerned.

"No blood, no harm." She said, flicking the strange piece of metal away. "Now, let's get those pictures so we can go party!

X

It was a night that Ella wasn't soon going to forget. The parents had put together an entire casino for their senior party, and it was a blast. Students were gambling away fake money, then using their winnings to bid on different items they might need for a dorm room. There was karaoke and giant inflatable boxing rings, and even a video game area for those that wanted to relax. The food kept coming, with different restaurants that had donated to the cause. By the nights end, most of them were so stuff that they could barely walk.

By the time 4 am rolled around, Ella was feeling exhausted. She hadn't felt like that before, but she guessed it must have been from dancing, singing, and enjoying the night. She felt a bit dizzy as Joey drove her home.

"I didn't know you knew the words to 'Ice Ice Baby.'" She laughed tiredly.

"I didn't know you could destroy the high score on 'Just Dance 3'" He teased back. The road was empty at this time in the morning, the headlights the only thing that lit up the countryside.

"At least we had fun. Now we just wait for adulthood to hit us." She looked out the window at the night flowing by.

"At least you're still 17. You still have a little time to go."

Ella scoffed. "Don't remind me."

Joey glanced over. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? You're looking a little pale."

"I'm fine. I'm just tired." She answered, waving a hand in the air lightly.

The car came to a stop as Joey reached Ellas' dark home. If Celine had been there, the porch lights would have been on. Just like Ella had guessed, there were no lights to be had.

"Thanks for driving me home." Ella smiled.

"My pleasure." Joey answered. The two leaned in and kissed.

"That still feels weird," Ella said when they pulled apart, "but in a good way."

"I'll be on vacation until next Saturday. See you after that?"

"Of course."

Joey gave her a final kiss on the cheek. "Good night, Ellie."

Ella opened the door and stepped out. "Good night. Have a safe trip." She closed the door behind her and waved as he backed out of the driveway.

Once the lights were safely out of sight, she started around the house. Her legs felt a little Jell-O like, but she ignored it. Come to think of it, her eye was bothering her a little as well. "Ratchet, I'm home."

The night air was filled with the sound of Ratchet transforming. The second he laid optics on Ella, he knew something wasn't right. "Ella, what's happened to you?"

She never got the chance to answer. Suddenly, her steps ceased and her body tensed up. She made a loud gasp as her eyes rolled back into her head. Her body would have tumbled to the wet grass, but Ratchets' reflexes stop her from hitting the ground.

"Ella? Ella!" The sound of Ratchets voice was the last thing she heard before the world around her faded to black.