"Everything seems to be under control." Ratchet had performed another scan on Lily, observing it closely while she sat on the berth. "There are still parts of your body under a bit of stress, but I think it'll clear up soon."

Lily tried for a smile. "But there's nothing life-threatening?" she pressed.

"Not from what I can see."

A sense of relief washed over Lily, but she still felt a little anxious. "What about the whole 'absorbing into my body' thing?" Lily asked. "Is it still doing that?"

Ratchet's Holoform nodded. "There are small remnants of the All Spark that are still being absorbed into your body," he sighed, looking at her solemnly. "But I wouldn't worry. If everything keeps up like this, I'd say you would be just fine."

Lily nodded wordlessly.

Optimus' Holoform stood beside Lily, putting a hand on her upper arm in silent support.

Even Ironhide, who wasn't always available for Lily's check-ups, showed support for her. He'd give her encouraging words every once in a while, saying that he was proud of how well she was handling everything. Lily didn't say, however, that she had had a few panic attacks in the span of time that passed since finding out what was going on.

"But other than that, everything seems fine?" Lily shifted a little where she sat, hoping she didn't look too anxious.

Ratchet nodded wordlessly.

"Is there anything else you need from her?" Optimus' Holoform rumbled, looking at his medic expectantly.

"I'd say I'm about finished," Ratchet sighed. "I'm almost done with the device that will hide the Energon Signature. I'll contact you immediately, once it's finished."

Nodding slightly, Lily murmured her thanks before hopping off the berth. Ratchet's Holoform was dismissed while Optimus walked Lily over to where Ironhide would be waiting.

During the time that passed, after Lily and Optimus had spent that drive together, the two had a good, friendly relationship. They enjoyed each other's company when they were together; sometimes they had casual conversations, maybe talking about how their day had been or anything else, or they'd find some kind of personal story they deemed fit to tell at the time and just talk about that. They were respectful of each other and were mindful of each other's boundaries. Though they didn't see each other that often, when they did, they were polite.

"Well, this has certainly been a good experience," Lily said, throwing a small, friendly smile Optimus' way.

The Holoform looked down at her for a moment before smiling in return. He was glad to hear about Lily's improvement, hoping that she'd continue to go down that path. In the times that he's seen her since finding out about the All Spark being in her body, she's been anxious and restless. He was hoping that she'd continue to be as relaxed as she was at that moment. "I'm glad," he rumbled. "Your safety is important."

Lily's smile broadened slightly before she hummed in response. "Has there been any decisions on what's going to happen with you guys?" Lily looked up at Optimus' Holoform with a slight frown.

"Captain Lennox is seeing if it'd be possible for us to work with your military against remaining Decepticon threats." Optimus' voice sounded a bit thoughtful on the matter, but there was a hint of hesitance in it.

"That sounds like a good idea."

"As for how something like that could work, I remain unsure and a little skeptical." Optimus and Lily stopped at the entrance of the base, where Ironhide was parked just a few feet away. "I must think of what's good for my soldiers, too." Optimus' vivid blue eyes bore into Lily with a hidden intensity.

Nodding, Lily gave a slight shrug. "That makes sense," she sighed. "I guess that's what makes you a good leader, then." Optimus' head tilted a little to the side, as if silently telling Lily to continue. "You're thinking about the others before yourself, what's good for them. Soldiers need a leader like that."

A hint of a smile appeared on Optimus' face.

-0-0-0-0-

"You and Prime seem to have gotten close." There was teasing tone in Ironhide's voice as he drove Lily back home. It hadn't gone unnoticed by Ratchet or Ironhide that Optimus' and Lily's friendship seemed steady, and while it didn't bother Ratchet in the slightest, Ironhide seemed to get some sick kicks out of teasing Lily on the matter.

"Oh please," she scoffed. "He's a good friend. It's not like I see him every day like I do Bee."

"But you and Prime do spend a considerable amount of time together," the weapons specialist exclaimed.

Lily arched a brow playfully. "'Cause Ratchet's busy and you're off doing God knows what." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Besides, I'm a civilian, I shouldn't be getting in the way of the other soldiers."

"Well, you seem to have become more than just a civilian to us," Ironhide said.

"I'm not entirely sure what that's supposed to mean."

"You and your human companions have earned our respect," Ironhide stated. "You humans are stronger than I've given you credit for."

Giving a soft hum, Lily leaned back in her seat. "Thanks, I guess," she mumbled.

Though she didn't voice it, Lily knew that everyone who'd helped the Autobots weren't given much of a choice. They were thrown into a war they knew nothing about against an alien species that seemed too impossible to be real. Aside from that, their planet was in danger. What were they supposed to do? But Lily knew better than to say that; it would be inconsiderate to the Autobots, who'd lost their planet in their war.

For the most part, she'd gotten over her inner battles and befriended the Autobots; she didn't want to lose it because of something she'd said.

-0-0-0-0-

After thanking Ironhide for driving her home, Lily went into the house and up into her bedroom. Sam was out with Mikaela for the afternoon, and there'd be no telling when he'd be back. Ron and Judy, who knew Lily would be visiting the military base that day, had gone out for the day, saying they'd be back by late evening. Which meant Lily had the house to herself.

Throwing off her shoes, Lily trekked into the kitchen to make herself something to eat. As she did so, she took her cell phone out of her pocket to see if she had any messages. When she saw a text message from Alex, Lily didn't hesitate to open it.

`if I ask u something, could u answer it honestly? xxx Alex`

It seemed a bit odd that Alex would be asking her something like that, since he never really asked her for anything, even advice. Alex was the kind of person who wanted to sort out things on his own.

`sure! what is it? xxx Lily`

Setting her phone down on the counter, Lily continued making herself something to eat before she got another message. When she read it, she felt a lump form in her throat.

(A/N):

Heya, everyone! Hopefully this chapter was decent enough. Let me know what you think, OK? Your reviews are super important for this story.

Nothing in this franchise will ever belong to me. All I own are my characters and the shower in my bathroom.

Let me know if there's anything I can improve on.

Many blessings,

Indigo Callahan