I apologize for the slight jump between the previous chapters, but I hope it will get better now I'm back in track.

Thank you for the reviews: KEZZ 1, C.S. Stars, angel897, Shado Kitsune

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"Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, hold your priest between your shared sparks," a calm voice brought her back to consciousness, "Your connection will help stabilize her spiritual form."

"Lennox, Epps, what happened?" Optimus' voice asked.

"Some mech called Vos was in the hallway down there. She said he'd kill you if we didn't distract him," Lennox sounded strained, "We drew him into one of your armories with an adjacent firing chamber."

"A metroformer laser cannon at point blank range would be enough to melt down even these fraggers," Ironhide groused, "The shield wasn't rated for humans, though."

"I was going to go, but Vos blew the wall and she must have been on the floor and closer. Epps and I were pulling Sam back up to the control panel when Vos strode by us. Sam pulled up a view of the loading bay and we saw she was in the corner where the shield was and that fragger was attempting to push his mask on her. Sam got the shield up, then initiated the firing of the laser. When it cleared, we ran in. God, she was charred."

Sarah struggled to move, to wake up.

"Easy, young priest," the soothing voice called all around her, "Bask in the shared spark of these twins a while."

Sideswipe asked, "How does this help?"

"Your sparks are linked on the same plane we priests travel with our spiritual forms. It acts like an anchor to damaged priests. Once, you two would have been very welcome at the Temple as healers."

"How did we take damage? We've never been hurt on these jaunts before," Mark asked.

"Priests are warned to be careful with their spiritual forms inside or near a Metroformer. Metroformers can slip into other dimensions, and as a result cause disruption to the spiritual plane. Enough that something from this dimensional plane can hurt a spirit as if the spirit was truly our physical body."

Sarah coughed, whispered, "No warning."

"Sarah?"

She opened her eyes, or thought she did. Only she saw nothing.

Agony washed over her, making her swallow back screams.

"We got you, right?" Sideswipe's voice sounded panicked.

She hissed in pained as Sunstreaker rumbled.

"Shield…needs…rated…humans," she gritted out, but she couldn't hear it in her ears.

"Chevron, how do we heal damage on the spiritual level?" Optimus asked.

"Time and a bit of luck. That she awoke is a good sign. How long can she hold her spiritual form?"

Sarah couldn't follow the conversation as all her focus centered on pain. She hurt everywhere. If she wasn't crying already, she would soon. Burns really hurt worse than other damage.

She expected Ratchet would give her a huge lecture on this. If circumstances had worked better, she'd have let Lennox take the spot instead.

Hindsight was always 20/20.

Slowly she felt coolness seeping into her from her back. Relief.

"Is it me, bro, or are the burns vanishing?" Sideswipe whispered.

"Chevron?" Sunstreaker called out.

"Good, it's working."

"What's working?" Sideswipe sounded confused.

Chevron stated, "I can help at this point now."

Sarah blinked, recognizing the ceiling of med bay.

She wondered how much would it take to get Sunstreaker to paint a mural, then how long she could keep Ratchet out of Medbay.

"Chi," Sarah gave an oomph when Chinook jumped unto her chest.

He chittered anxiously.

"Chinook?" She wheezed, "You are a bit heavy to be sitting on my chest. Can you sit on my legs instead?"

A shadow crossed over her and she looked up at the furious faceplates of Ratchet.

"I did wrong," she admitted weakly, then inhaled as Chinook crawled to the side.

He growled, "You got your spiritual self burned badly enough that you were asleep for 24 hours in addition to the time you were off in space."

She sighed, "I'm sorry Ratchet. I really should have let Lennox take the run instead."

"And have a dead Major?" He harrumphed, getting soft hesitant replies from Chinook and Rustwind, "No."

They stared at each other for a while.

He rubbed his faceplates, "You are making me feel as old as Kup. You need time to heal and get back where you should be."

"I know now to hide when inside or near a metroformer. Should be better next time."

"As soon as Chevron is here you will be taking lessons from him and Alpha Trion. Between them you should have all the warnings you need. That is non-negotiable."

Sarah smiled, "No argument from me."

He squinted at her, "Why do I get the feeling you already scolded yourself?"

"I did."

Ratchet snorted, smiled slightly, "Not so much fun when you do my job for me."

"It would be better if I didn't give you work to do."

"If you didn't, these two would. Rustwind bent a wing."

Sarah looked at Rustwind in concern, but saw no damaged.

"He sensed something was off with you about twenty minutes into your session, tried flying off the bed to get to the door and fell. He's alright now."

Rustwind flinched, chittered softly.

"I'm sorry," Sarah pulled Rustwind into her hug, "I couldn't let them hurt Optimus."

"Going toe to toe with the DJD as humans wasn't wise, however Prowl calculated if you hadn't taken the field, we'd have lost two of the Metroformers and half the cybertronians in the caravan."

"Two…that implies there were more. How many?"

Ratchet grinned, "Twelve metrofromers. Escorting them is all the Supremes. Prowl has plans where to place them all already drawn up," he leaned down, making Rustwind squeak in alarm, "I will be busy with retrofits for years with this many."

Sarah couldn't feel bad at the news, "More of your people. This is wonderful news."

"If only the other humans had such delight in that news," Ratchet huffed his face really close to her.

She leaned closer, lowered her voice, her prankster self rising, "I don't think you do, Ratchet."

"Why?" He looked suspicious as Rustwind whined then slid behind Sarah.

"None of the others would dare prank you," she smiled, "Nor could prank Sideswipe or Sunstreaker into your medbay and make sure you are ready for them as an apology."

Ratchet's optics twirled, then his faceplates shifted into a very sinister smirk, "I like that idea."

Sarah smiled, "Apology accepted?"

"How would you do it?" He asked softy.

"Plausible deniability," Sarah tapped his nasal plates gaining Ratchet's nod, "What else would appease you?"

Jazz's voice made them both jerk, "That looks cozy."

Sarah leaned to the side as Ratchet half turned to glare at Jazz.

Jazz smiled, pointed a thumb at the door, "Looked like a serious conversation. No one else saw and meh sound dampeners kept others from hearing. Ah'd be happy to assist a prank or two."

Sarah raised an eyebrow, "Do you really want to have to tell Optimus?"

"Ah'm a spy. A good prank is better shared by the victims," he grinned, "If really good, ah want ta see Prime laugh."

"There is no prank, as yet."

Jazz crossed his arms, grinned at Ratchet, "Ya hear the news?"

"What news?"

"Shockwave and his Predacons were in the caravan along with Trypticon. Gonna be a noisy place soon."

"Was Red Alert told about Trypticon? I really don't want another base shut down," Sarah rubbed her face."

"What ya should be more concerned with is the rest of Soundwave's little cons and a serious scientist who wants ta know ya."

Ratchet bristled, "Over my offlined body."

Sarah frowned at the universe's words, "Ratchet what is Shadow Play and Empurata?"

Ratchet stiffened, sent her a horrified look, "Why should you ask this?"

"Were you aware Shockwave was tortured with both of these by the high castes prior to the war breaking out?"

Ratchet sat heavily on the berth as Jazz came over to cover the medic's shoulder with a bracing servo.

"Shadow play inverts a mechs or femmes personality by forcing them to face their fear over and over again while being told they will never conquer it. None could face such alone and end up shells of their former selves. Empurata is the removal of facial plates and hands. I heard of mechs and femmes who exited either torture as stark raving mad. Having both? How can we trust him?" Ratchet asked.

"The universe tells me he once was a kind sparked senator who hid those the high castes wanted terminated and once the high castes tracked it to Shockwave, they did both to shatter him. The universe also says they choose the wrong mech."

Ratchet blinked, asked, "What do you mean?"

"I'm unclear of the details, since it sounds like I'd need to ask a ton of questions, however Shockwave's personality wasn't fully broken when they did the Empurata and then dumped him in Kaon for Megatron to pick up. He had no one who believed he was that senator Shockwave and thus he suffered. Knock Out and other gladiator arena medics gave him back one of his hands and a gun for his other. They didn't have the skills to return his face nor remove what was locking out his emotions. He's been trying to regain himself ever since while also trying not to be killed by Megatron or destroyed by his logic."

Jazz opened his mouth, closed it, then swore, "Ya not kidding?"

"This I wouldn't, Jazz. He's as much if not more a victim of this war. He uses logic to protect himself and his experiments. He apparently has a form that notes all the anticipated issues including a homicidal Megatron with his experiments. Something about an ethical study or experiment is..."

Ratchet shivered, "the most successful and academically solid. That...I said that a long time ago."

"When you and Shockwave were once intimate."

Ratchet blew out a breath, "I thought them two different Shockwaves. Not the same individual."

Jazz cocked his head, "Is he a danger?"

"About as dangerous as Wheeljack in his current condition. We'll have to impress upon him moral and ethical guided experiments are better for humans, then ensure the morals are consistent with the UN's expectations," Sarah sighed, "More poking and prodding of me ahead."

"He survived in the Decepticons by following logic? That doesn't make sense. Megatron is insane," Ratchet murmured.

"In the beginning, Megatron wasn't fully crazed. He responded to logic. Over time Shockwave had to adjust to Megatron's increasing depravities, even as he struggled to regain himself," Sarah looked at Ratchet, "He still loves you, Ratchet."

Ratchet gaped, "What? How? He has no emotions, only logic."

Sarah grinned, "He's probably the only one who has formed a web of logic to express his love. Considering he's used the time since his torture to piece it together, it's an exquisite design. Prowl will appreciate it once they sit down and talk it through."

Jazz's burst of laughter preceded his hearty clap on Ratchet's shoulder, "Sarah's looking ta the future."

Ratchet frowned, "Meaning what, Jazz?"

Before Sarah could say anything, she realized who was coming, "Ratchet, Ironhide has those newbies coming in for check-ups."

Ratchet sighed, stood, "Movor and his moaning will ruin my orn."

He walked off, collecting tools as Jazz opened the door.

Jazz smiled back at Sarah, gave a respectful nod before exiting.

Sarah gathered her children and teased them until they smiled, chittering like happy hatchlings should be.