Long before Optimus and the others got back from their battle Wheeljack and Red Alert were working on the sparklings in the me

Long before Optimus and the others got back from their battle Wheeljack and Red Alert were working on the sparklings in the med bay. Ratchet had left them specific instructions to message him if they had any problems but they didn't really run into any besides what they already knew. They were only half sparked and they had to put the sparklings in to forced stasis to keep them from hurting themselves and others. They could stay in stasis until Ratchet and the others got back and they figured out how to help them. They all had extensive damage that was fixed routinely and when they were done they all looked good as new. But as they had gotten into their circuit try they found that they were capable of so much more thought and abilities but their spark didn't support the higher functions yet.

They took the time to log in everything as Ratchet had them do every time he was gone during a patient's work being done. Once finished they placed the new sparklings in the back of the med bay in recharge births that were kept for injured patients. This opened up the trauma beds for mechs who needed immediate assistance. With the injuries coming in they knew they would need them. By all reports they had kicked Decepticon aft but with some severe damage on their side also. But almost everyone was basically operational. Ironhide was the one who was giving Ratchet fits….

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ratchet surveyed the battle field that had been an old army base hanger. His first inclination was to run to Sam who had been through not only torture but separation an almost operation, drugging, and mishandling by the Decepticons. But as he was jogging over to Bumblebee who had him he found Ironhide offlined in Bumblebee's free arm. Coming to a stop before the two transformers he looked down and saw the old soldier had a extensive damage in his lower chest area and his spark casing was sparking slightly. "Oh Primis! OPTIMUS!" The Autobot leader came running over from where he was checking on Jazz. "Help me get him flat I have spark casing damage here!"

"He was trying to protect Sam and I from Barricade. But Barricade came at us low and blasted him," Bumblebee informed them as they took the large mech from him. They were very careful how they laid him down on the ground not wanting to move his insides around to much. Ratchet and Optimus, one under each arm, had him flat in a matter of seconds and Ratchet pried open his damaged chest armor. Chromia who was overseeing Connors bandaging up Miles' arm and watching the new woman talk softly to Mikaela wrapping up her upper arm in a sterile dressing happened to looked to the right and see Ratchet over her offlined sparkmate. She jerked up form the floor and ran toward Ironhide.

Optimus caught her petite form before she could throw herself in the middle of the delicate repairs Ratchet had started. Chromia was wild suddenly. "IRONHIDE!!" She cried as her leader held onto her waist gently but firmly.

"Chromia…" Optimus called to her gently. The first time didn't work. He called her name three more times before he seemed to reach her. She calmed and looked up at the mech who had a hold on her. He towered above her like her sparkmate did and when she looked into his gentle consoling blue optics she stilled. "Chromia," he started again. "He's offline but his spark is intact but there has been some damage to his spark casing. Ratchet is trying to get that and the energon lines fixed before we move him. He will be stable then." Chromia sagged against the red and blue arms that kept her still. They supported her easily.

"He will be ok Chromia," Ratchet said calmly. That was comfort considering the mech didn't say things like that unless he believed them to be 99 true. Her head clanked against Prime's chest where he had held her. His grip loosened and he put her down.

"You ok Chromia?" he asked looking down at her. She nodded and watched Ratchet work. Optimus turned and walked back to Jazz. He helped him up to his feet from where he was sitting on the ground. There was no energon leaking which was a plus but he had a lot of damage to his right shoulder joint and upper chest area. It was caved in badly and prevented him from transforming at all or moving his right arm much. Jazz's shoulder was sparking a little from the electrical damage. "What's the damage?" Prime asked him.

"Oh not to bad bossman considerin'. Got a pole through the shoulder and a good poundin in about the same spot but no spark casing damage or main pump damage. But axillary intakes, lubrications systems, and structure supports there are slagged up but good!" Jazz grimaced a bit but smiled up at his leader.

"Alright glad to know no major damage to vital systems then." Jazz nodded an affirmative to Prime but then covered the damage with his good hand and looked toward his bonded humans. Optimus sighed looking over at the humans. Sam, Mikaela and Miles had all sustained severe injuries but the new woman, Will and Connors were intact and well. Bumblebee joined the group bringing Sam to Connors. Sam was having trouble breathing all the sudden. Jazz could no long stay away from his bonded as he walked to them. Optimus thought it a good idea to lend a hand to them also.

Bumblebee lowered Sam to Connors side and whined. Mikaela was already moving toward him but the small blonde beat her and the human medic to him. She effectively placed herself next to Sam sitting on one of Bumblebee's fingers. She put her hand on his chest and put her head closer to his mouth to listen. His breaths were in ragged gasps. Bumblebee could tell he was in pain but didn't know why he was having trouble breathing. The small woman however looked around the room quickly trying to get her bearings and see if she could find her medical equipment. "He needs a …."

"Steriod to ease his breathing," Ratchet and the blonde woman said in unison. She managed a quick look at the Autobot medic and he at her. He just nodded his head and she went back to running toward a small white bag that was on he floor. The table had been over turned in the battle but luckily most of the vials were still intact. She dug through it quickly throwing it over her shoulder and began to run back toward the other humans tapping the needle in her hands to remove all the air bubbles. Under his tattered sleeve she pulled up Bumblebee and the others found that he still had an IV undamaged and operational as she pumped the medicine into his body.

She then unhooked the front flap of the bag and hooked up a monitor to him placing the bag on Bee's hand next to Sam. The beeping noise flared to life flashing numbers and spiking rhythms. She then pulled out another needle that she inserted into his arm. Sam's battered muscles jerked under the stick and caused him to cry out slightly. Bumblebee's hands flinched slightly as he let out a low warning growl to the woman. Jazz took a threatening step forward and Mikaela did too. The Autobot was about to say something when she cut him off.

"Alright you 3 none of that. I been takin care of him since those other dumbass scrap piles attacked and made me his nurse so he wouldn't die on the way over here to this shit hole they call a base. If I wanted to hurt him I'd a done it already!" she told him forcefully. She gave the grey Autobot, yellow Autobot and dark haired girl a stern look. And just as suddenly she turned back to Sam and petted his head like he was her child. "Don't get all upset darlin'," she cooed at him in response to is increase in heart rate. "I'm just lettin' um know what's what." She saw Sam's other hand stroking the yellow mechs hand next to him. She looked up at him. Bumblebee looked at her.

"Yes," he said followed by a soft rumbled that moved through is frame. In his hands it vibrated Sam slightly in a calming way. The sound was that of a caregiver emitted to sooth sparkling. She saw Sam's body melt into the gesture and respond to the low hum and he fell into a light doze almost instantly. She nodded approvingly. Optimus took the initiative to find out what was going on since Sam seemed to be stable at the moment.

"Ma'am, how have you come to know our sparkling?" he asked her softly and respectfully.

"Well now, a real gentleman," she said turning from Sam to look up at Prime. She sized him up with a look and bowed. "You must be their leader. I am the nurse that was in the operating room when the Decepticons attacked. They were about to do a frontal lobotomy on Sam here. They wanted him to be a willing slave to their demands and taking out his personality and will was the easiest way to do it." Optimus' face plates that made up his brow drew together.

"Then you were set to help them harm Sam and now you choose to help repair him?" Primes voice was calm but demanding of an answer.

"I was a nurse at sector seven. I helped the humans who came into contact with the Allspark's energy. When there were ill affects from the experiments and research, the scientists and works were sent to the infirmary where I worked. When it was disbanded under threat of death some of the scientists and personnel from Sector Seven were absorbed into a new organization. I wanted no part of the trade any more. When the disbanded Sector Seven I was happy to give up this crazy science fiction garbage for a normal life. But when the Secretary came through with his goon squad and they rounded the necessary workers up they took us and that is how I wound up in the operating room with Sam."

Optimus Prime was silent for a moment. The Secretary couldn't have been behind all this not the man they came to trust. He was on the verge of doubt but before he jumped to conclusions he had the foresight to ask, "You have more than one Secretary in your government Cabinet. Which Secretary took you and your colleagues?" The young woman looked at him carefully.

"I don't know if I should go into any more detail. I told you what you wanted to know and I saved your 'sparkling' as you put it. I told you I didn't want to hurt him but was in no positions to say no to who I was 'working' for. When I saw that he had been saved by the Decepticon invasion of our facility I took to his aid and tried to make sure they didn't kill him as best I could. I don't want to end up dead now just because I disclosed his name now. I'm as good as free…" She was a good soul Optimus realized but a realistic one at that. She knew how the world worked but what she didn't know who were the bad guys and who was the good guys.

Optimus Prime suddenly knelt in front of the woman to get closer to her. He looked at her and bowed his head in an almost regal bow of his own. "Young woman, you have saved our sparkling at risk to your own life. We are the Autobots who fight against the Decepticons, the ones who kidnapped you and Sam. We protect the humans and the government supports our residence on your planet. I assure you the people who took you against your will are not in the main stream government. There must be a faction that is trying to destroy us and our human pod. I must request that you tell us who this man was so that Secretary of Defense and the President can clear their cabinet of the radical. He is a threat do everyone with in his extreme prejudice."

She looked at him a long minute and sighed. "Well in for a penny in for a pound I suppose. I'm already apart of all this anywho… The Secretary of Homeland Defense the man who put together the whole thing. That rat bastard! Didn't want to though." Prime gave an audible exhaust release that was the equivalent to a human sigh.

"What is your name honorable ally?" Prime asked her still kneeling.

"The name's Elizabeth Marie Cantwell." She told him looking directly into his bright blue optics with a smile. "But call my Lizzy. Everyone does." Optimus returned her smile with a nod. He got up then and went back to finishing Mikaela's wrappings while Connors was just finished pulling Miles' arm together in within the bandages. It wouldn't take long to heal since the Allspark had given him the power of quick healing. Jazz reached down with his good hand and ran the backs of his fingers down Mikaela's back. Lizzy looked on with a smile Jazz even mussed her hair like he did with all the younger humans in the base. She snorted good-naturedly and batted his hand away.

In the corner Sideswipe had looked over Sunstreaker carefully and found that he had a large whole in his armor but his core systems were untouched and his main line that was exposed was still intact. Sunstreaker was in a fair bit of pain but it wasn't something he ever catered to. But he did lean into his twin slightly as he helped him up and over to where the others were gathering. Ratchet glanced up as Sideswipe helped Sunstreaker over. "Damage?" he said as he turned his optics back inside Ironhide.

"Mostly armor plating. I think I can transform but my pain receptors beneath the plating are fused…" he gave a slight grunt before continuing when a particularly painful spark hit him, "and several servos are out of whack as well as my coolant systems. But nothing vital unless we hit some pretty high heat on the way home," Sunstreaker reported. Ratchet nodded.

"Good to know that Ironhide and Jazz were the only bots that took severe damage then. Our humans haven't fared as well. But they will heal. My scans indicate they will survive. Miles is already healing. Sam is in a comfortable resting state and Mikaela's arm has stopped leaking however will need repairing when we return." Ratchet looked up at Optimus with his report.

"Whatta we do with the cons Bossman?" Jazz asked suddenly. Prime looked back over his shoulder at the two minibots bodies.

"Their sparks are extinguished. The army will take care of their remains and dump them into the ocean with the rest of the scrap," Prime said solemnly. He then walked over to Bumblebee that was rocking Sam quietly as he sat against the wall. "How's are sparkling?" he asked quietly. Bumblebee opened his hand so Optimus could get a good look. He ever so carefully ran a finger over his hair and down his cheek. Lizzy looked on approvingly.

There was suddenly a loud call from Ratchet, "Got it!" he said. And then Ironhide's optics blinked on and he seemed to sputter to life in a flash looking around sitting up. He cringed at the movement but looked to his left and found a quiet withdrawn sparkmate. With a large arm he reached over and brought her to him in an almost crushing embrace. She returned it with the same ferocity. Ironhide then looked to his right at a very irritated medic.

"Sorry Ratch. When I onlined I forgot that slaggin Decepticon had crept under my aft and shot me! And then I saw Chromia…" he didn't finish the sentence his action spoke loudly enough.

"Well lay back before I weld your aft back so I can finish making you stable you stubborn old pitslagger," Ratchet yelled as he pulled Ironhide back roughly back to the ground. The old soldier landed with a grunt. Optimus ticked his tongue in a disapproving tone.

"Ratchet…" he said gently.

"Don't you Ratchet me Prime. Or your next!" Optimus knew when not to piss off the mech and now was that time. He decided he was smarter than to piss of the mech who does his maintenance checks every vorn or so.

Instead he decided to take a look outside the half blown apart hanger to see if there was something they could take Ironhide and Jazz back to the base in since they would not be able to change. He walked out of the doors he had previously blasted in and looked about. There was a scattering of old army vehicles and supplies and buildings. There on the other side of the yard were several older tractor trailers that may have been retired or stored on the uninhabited base. They trailers were unhitched from the trucks and he looked at them carefully. They looked as if they might hold both of them long enough to transport the mechs home.

Upon closer inspection they were roomy inside and would accommodate both of the bots. Ratchet finally sealed off the main energon line inside of Ironhide and was helped into the truck. Chromia was small enough to fit up at the front of the in side of the trailer next to her sparkmate to keep him company on the long trip home. Ironhide ended up having to lay flat on his back inside but Jazz was positioned against one of the side walls so that he could sit up and hold his arm with his other undamaged one causing him less pain. But when he was loaded Mikaela demanded she be allowed to go with him in the trailer but it was not equipped to carry humans because of lack of ventilations.

Well as one can imagine this didn't go over well. Tired, hungry, hurting, injured, burdened with Sam's pain, and a myriad of other things that she couldn't name at the time being came broiling to the surface and she flat out broke down. Tears, sobbing, stopping her feet and all that a fit entails and Mikaela was in the middle of a good one. Lizzy was beginning to understand the dynamics of the 4 that seemed to be connected together in some way probably telepathically. She simply had Ratchet use his saw to cut a hole in the opposite side of the trailer while she held Mikaela and helped calm her down.

Once done the nurse loaded her up right into Jazz's lap much to his comfort asking will to keep an eye on her. They placed some of the old army blankets that were still clean after the battle inside to make it comfortable for the humans on the way back. Sam was put inside Ratchet to keep a good eye on him since he was the most likely to become unstable on the long way home. Connors and the ever faithful Lizzy road inside Ratchet it with him and Lizzy road in the back next to him. After Sunstreaker managed to transform and was followed by his brother Optimus Prime pulled up to the trailer hooking up to it. Over the all Autobot channel he clearly messaged, "Roll for home Autobots. We'll meet up with the new arrivals on the way they just touched down outside of tranquility about 20 miles from the base." And so they all took it off at a steady pace for home.