Okay...short sweet and to the point:

Life is nuts. Thanx everyone. Here's a chapter!!! *runs from masses of angry readers*

More soon.


Journal entry; return

As I figured, Sarah did not return to base with us. She had only wanted to see that I was okay and then returned to the farm and their child. So, I was left to face the anger of military men.

Well, okay, for the first half of the flight I hid in Sideswipe...just 'cause I knew they were going to yell at me didn't mean I couldn't procrastinate.

~Aurian Fae

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*5*5*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I know this is your thing, Will, but you don't understand." Sarah had been so concerned that he would fly off the handle as soon as she wasn't around to stop him. "Just, think of it from her point of view for a minute, would you? She cares about him a lot." Like he didn't know that? He understood that Aurian cared about the Autobots, all of them, a lot. He knew that better than Sarah would be allowed to know. Aurian seemed overly protective of all of the mechs, actually – especially if he took Barricade into consideration – but did that mean that she had the right to put herself, and by extension everyone else, into danger like that? Didn't she realize that going off half-cocked like that without any kind of plan actually increased the danger?

They were a military faction, they knew how to handle hostage situations and could have managed just fine getting Sideswipe back on their own. Hell, they had already had a backup plan just in case the mech had gotten himself caught...but Aurian's interaction had thrown a kink into everything and that just wasn't acceptable.

He glared at the silver vehicle the woman had immediately climbed into as they prepared to board the plane. She had every intention of remaining there until they reached the base where she would go hide somewhere else, he was sure. This wasn't a behavior he would accept from his men and, despite that he was willing to give her some leeway due to her civilian status in all this, there was hardly a chance that he would let Aurian get away with it, either. Didn't she understand that she held precious information that could turn the war in the favor of the enemies?

Will approached the car in which Aurian was hiding, fully intending to speak his mind now that Sarah wasn't there to tell him he was being too harsh. Harsh? The woman had run off to face an enemy that a whole division of military had been created to fight. Alone. How was him telling her how out of line that was harsh?

"Aurian, come out here and talk to me."

The woman inside the car shook her head, stubbornly gripping the steering wheel with one hand.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Will glared, waiting for her to comply. "I would like to have this conversation privately, but if you insist, I can carry on just like this." He raised his voice a few decibels to be sure several people around them could hear him.

Rob, hearing Will's voice, or more accurately – his tone – came to join the major in his stand-off in front of the silver Stingray.

"I'd rather not have this conversation at all." Aurian made no move to exit the vehicle. Seeing Rob beside Will did not encourage her at all to abandon her safe zone.

With a smug smile, Will reached into one of his many pockets to retrieve a piece of paper. Though it was crumpled and a little abused, Aurian knew exactly what it was. "Really?"

Closing her eyes for a moment to clear her mind, Aurian reached for the door. "Okay, okay..." She pushed open Sideswipe's door, obviously he was not willing to just turn her over to the men before them but he also understood he couldn't keep her from them.

'What is that?' Sideswipe questioned over their silent bond.

"The note."

'What did you write that it has all these humans so geared up?'

"N-nothing." Aurian hurried over to where Will stood, snatching the note from his hand, and moved several feet away, making sure to stay clear of Rob as she did. "If we have to talk, can we wait until we get to the base at least?"

"I think now is a good time. What were you thinking?" Will was in full officer mode, he was going to get his point across and he was going to do it now. Rob, standing expectantly beside him, would clearly be of no assistance to Aurian. He also expected answers.

Aurian glanced at where Sideswipe sat unmoving. "Please, not now."

"What, didn't you tell him you ran off half-cocked without so much as a heads up to anyone?" Will was sure to lower his voice now that she had been coaxed from her hiding place, though he knew that low was still too loud to exclude the sensitive audios of the Autobots that shared the plane with them.

Aurian ducked her head. "If I told someone...they would have tried to stop me."

"Shouldn't that be indication enough that what you were thinking was a bad idea?"

"Yes! I knew it was a bad idea!" She snapped, finally reaching the limit of lectures on her actions. "But bad or not...there was a life at stake and I couldn't just let them kill him!" Her anger swelled to a near blind tirade of fears and tears. "If I didn't do anything he would have killed him without thinking twice! And then Sunstreaker would have been left crippled in the middle of a fight and he could have died too! He knew Sunstreaker was coming and fully intended to use their bond against him! What was I supposed to do?" Her fist clenched as she continued, "I'm not some military trained hard-ass who can spend Gods knows how long scheming some plan when someone I care about is going to die. I'm just a plain person with nothing viable to offer so when my measly existence can be traded for the better of everyone then I don't think it's too much to have given."

~To fit a better purpose.~

"That's a fool thing to say." Will spoke softly, almost dangerously. This was what he was afraid of, Aurian didn't understand that she was more than just a 'plain person' in the eyes of every faction – the Autobots, the Decepticons, even the various human militaries saw her as...as something to be guarded.

'Aurian...'

'I would have what?' Sunstreaker's outraged voice broke into whatever his twin might have said. 'I wasn't even in battle when you made that idiotic decision! How can you...'

Spinning away from the two men glaring daggers at her to face the accusing mech behind her, Aurian couldn't help but to let her emotions take over. "Because you would have gone after him! Hell, you were on your way to go after him!"

'That doesn't mean I would have been offlined...'

"But you could have been and that's my point!"

'Aurian,' Sideswipe broke in before his brother could continue the argument, 'What Sunny's trying to say is that we would have been fine.'

"So you both keep saying. But I didn't know that. Hell, Sideswipe..." her voice shook with her anger, and frustration, and the resurfaced fears of what could have been.

'Femme, you're an idiot.'

'Sunny...'

'No, Sides, it's true. She's an idiot for thinking for one slaggin' klik that her life isn't worth anything. If she was so slaggin' unimportant would all these humans be so geared up? Pit, half the base nearly lost their processors when they found out she up and ran...'

The two men watched Aurian suspiciously as she carried on her conversation with the twins. Only hearing one-third of the conversation left Will feeling that he was being cut out of the lecture that she was receiving and he knew there was more that he should add. He had to make her understand that they weren't angry because she had followed her 'heart', or 'emotions', or whatever she wanted to call it. It was because she had put herself in danger. Maybe that's what she didn't understand? Or maybe he was just feeling his own guilt for only now realizing that she had become an object to be possessed by whatever faction could keep their hands on her.

It was clear that his 'major' way of approaching soldiers wouldn't work on this woman; she was far too emotional, too 'soft' for that kind of treatment to be anything but further damaging to her. The only thing he could think of to try was to show her that he was her friend, that he cared about her and that her loss would be more than just the tactical hit that the military would make it seem to be. 'Maybe Sarah had a point...'

When Aurian fell into what appeared to be a stunned silence he decided would take back the conversation. "Aurian, listen to me. I really didn't intend to upset you, or any of this," he waved his hand in the general direction of the two vehicle representation of the twins. "I just wanted to make it perfectly clear that your actions weren't the best. It was stupid and a huge risk..."

"I get that already..."

"But," he held up a hand to stop a further outburst, "I can see that you didn't think you had a choice. Do you at least know what kind of danger you were facing?"

"Of course! I probably know better than any of you..."

"And did you think, for even a moment that maybe the Decepticons would use you against us?"

Aurian's entire demeanor seemed to deflate, all her anger and self-defense fleeing her at the mere thought. "Yes...but I...I wouldn't have...I had...plans..." This was the part she didn't want Sideswipe to hear, or Sunstreaker, or any of the mechs on the plane. She didn't want them to know that she had intended to make sure that she would not become a pawn to be used against those she cared about. Silently she pleaded with Will to not make her say the words aloud, to either figure it out on his own and just keep quiet, or to wait until they were back at base and alone for her to explain herself.

Rob, however, wasn't at the mercy of Aurian's pitiful gaze and he found himself feeling rather bold for the moment. Unlike Will, he was not currently satisfied that Aurian had received the lecture she was due. "Are you sayin' that you were going to face the 'Con's with some 'plan' that would take you out of the tactical equation?"

The instant the words left Rob's mouth, Aurian felt a spike of alarm from both Sideswipe and, surprisingly, Sunstreaker.

"Rob, please..."

"No, I want to know what plan it is that you had that was so much better than letting us deal with it." The angered man didn't move from his position beside Will, though he did note the way the major tensed uncomfortably as he continued his own speech.

"I..." Aurian faltered, her guts wrenching at the thought of telling them, and by default all that were listening, that she had intended to kill herself as soon as Sideswipe was free...

"We're listening, Aurian." At this Rob spread his arms to indicate everyone that, by now, had stopped whatever they may have been doing to listen in on this abrupt conversation.

Aurian, fully frustrated, angered and terrified all at the same time, could not think of what to say that would not end with her being locked away somehow. Be it in a cell for defying the military, or in her room by over-protective 'friends'. So, before she could think of anything further, her body acted without her consent and she lashed out, striking Rob squarely in the face.

Instantly she was regretful of her action. "Oh! Rob! I...I didn't mean to!" She stepped away, prepared for the man to strike back in anger. 'I hit him!' She couldn't believe it.

Much to her and to everyone else's surprise, Will started laughing.

"You hit him?" He was looking between Rob and Aurian in complete amused, disbelief.

To further confuse Aurian, Rob chuckled too. "She hit me." He rubbed at the slightly tender spot on his chin where the woman's fist had made contact. "Pretty good, too...for a girl. Dang..." He shook his head and walked away. This conversation was very clearly over.

Will turned his attention back to Aurian, his eyes gleaming with unexpressed laughter. "You overstepped your boundaries."

"I know." Aurian groaned. Now what would happen? She'd hit a high ranking military officer; wasn't that a federal offense?

"It's a good thing you're out of my jurisdiction for punishment." He winked at Aurian, telling her that, though he couldn't tell her that he supported her actions, he respected them at the very least. He looked around him to all the soldiers still standing still in disbelief, "Nothing happened, get back to work!"

With a few short salutes and the shaking of heads, everyone scattered, leaving Will to speak with Aurian alone. Well, as alone as they could be on a plane full of soldiers and large alien robots. "I can't say that half the men I've ever worked with would have run into the lion's den like you did, and they are 'military trained hard-asses', as you put it." He smiled at the woman, "You ever consider a military career?"

"Me?" She laughed with disbelief. "Have you seen the trouble I get myself into?"

The tension in the hold broke instantly; anyone who might have been still listening, either by chance or by effort, burst into laughter. They were all familiar with, if not involved in, Aurian's previous mishaps and could agree with her oh-so-simple yet so-very-true statement.

Will patted Aurian on the shoulder, "Just promise you'll never pull a stunt like that again."

"I...can't." She shrugged, "I don't know what the future holds and, even now, I can't say if I were put in the same position that I wouldn't do it again."

"You..." Will's voice drifted off as he stepped back to give the woman a heartfelt glare; however, what caught his attention stole away it's intensity. "You're bleeding. What is that?" He grabbed her wrist before Aurian had even consciously registered what he had said.

Looking at her hand she saw the Allspark shard once again held in her grasp, only this time she had gripped it so hard that the shard had cut into her skin. Or perhaps it had sliced her skin when she had struck Rob. 'I can't believe I hit him!'

"Is that the Allspark shard? How'd you get it?"

"I..." she wasn't sure what to say, partially because she didn't want to incriminate Sunstreaker of theft and partially because her own mind was rolling over the fact that the damned thing kept ending up in her hand whether she wanted it or not, "don't know."

The rest of the flight had gone rather well, aside from the small chaos created around the shard and the cut on Aurian's hand.

It had taken suspiciously little convincing on Aurian's behalf to allow her to keep the shard until she could return it to Optimus. She suspected it might have had something to do with the fact that no one wanted to know just how angered the giant mech could get and the fact that the shard had been stolen was likely to be a good catalyst for exactly that.

When the plane landed Aurian started down the ramp following Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, clutching the shard in her currently uninjured hand. She knew what she had to do and she thought she would get it accomplished as quickly as possible to be rid of the thing. However, sometimes - or in Aurian's case - most of the time, things did not go as planned.

As her foot hit solid ground she found herself almost violently grappled into a strong embrace. She yelped, reflexively grabbing onto the body that had assaulted her so she wouldn't fall.

"Damn it, woman! Can't you stay out of trouble for one day?" the voice was more joking than scolding.

Aurian knew that voice. "Roddi?"

"Told you I'd be back."

Now Aurian returned the hug almost as viciously as it had been given. "I can't believe it!"

"Believe it Auri."

It was at this point Aurian realized the two mechs that had been leading her out of the plane were now flanking them, she could feel their tension; there was distrust and a vague sensation of possessiveness between their bond. "It's okay, guys!" She smiled at them to show that she was fine. She knew Sideswipe was aware of who Roger was and hoped he knew that the man was of no danger to her.

"Sideswipe, it's good to see you're still in one piece." Roger greeted the familiar silver vehicle, but found his eye drawn to the unfamiliar gold one that sat near it. "Who is that?"

"Right, you weren't here when Sunstreaker made his appearance." She stretched her hand out toward the golden Ferrari as if to make some grand introduction, "This is Sunstreaker, Sideswipe's twin."

"There's two of 'em? Geez, bet things are real interesting around here!" Roger laughed as he looked over the car, "Nice choice of vehicles."

'Great, another one. Tell him not to touch me or I'll see just how far an organic can fly.'

"Sunstreaker! That's not nice." Aurian scolded even as she grabbed Roger's wondering hand in warning.

"What?" Roger looked at Aurian confused; had he missed something?

"Sorry, Sunstreaker doesn't like being touched. Anyway! How'd you get here? I thought your training wouldn't be over for another few months!"

"Yeah, well, call me head of the class. I finished early and they shipped me right out here. They asked me to join on some project that would be starting in a few weeks, something about an alien spark? Allspark, I think they called it."

"Oh...yeah." Aurian glanced at the shard still in her hand. "What'd they tell you about it?"

"Nothing much, just that some old government sector had it and had done some research but with the aliens showing up, new findings had been made and they wanted to explore the extensions on that front."

"I don't know what use it is anymore," she held up the fragment for Roger to see, shrugged, and let her hand drop again. "I've got to take it back to Optimus; you could come with me. Maybe he'd be interested in telling you the history of this d-thing."

'He's going to be mad.' Sunstreaker's voice reminded Aurian that the two had not left her yet. 'You should probably let me take it back to him.'

"It's okay, Sunny, I got it."

The golden car's engine revved angrily, but there was no other warning to go with it. Aurian half smiled with the minute victory before heading away from the twins. "I'm gonna take this to Optimus then see about showing Roger around the base. You two should probably go get some rest...see Ratchet."

"Like Pit!" Sideswipe snarled as he rolled off toward the Autobot's personal quarters. "If he wants to see me, he can come find me himself."

"I second that." Sunstreaker added, joining his brother after a moment longer. He was hesitant to leave the shard with Aurian, not only because he knew that he would be in deep slag when Optimus found out he was the one that had taken it, but because Aurian had seemed so unwilling to part with it. 'Femme's got glitches,' he told himself.

"Friendly couple." Roger shook his head as he watched the two cars headed away from them. He couldn't help but wonder just how fast they could go...

"Yeah, they're a lot nicer than they seem, I promise. Okay, well, maybe Sunny's not but Sides is!" Aurian knew the twins could still hear her, and she reveled in the fact that she had now gotten away with the dreaded nick name twice with no repercussions. 'I'm going to pay for that later, I'm sure.' "Anyway, let's go. I can't wait to show you around. How long have you been here?"

"I got here yesterday, but I can't say that they've given me opportunity to explore. Everyone's been kinda worked up about...well, I'm sure you know more about it than I do."

"Yeah, nothing much of interest. Just a road trip and some negotiations is all." Aurian knew how lame her explanation sounded, and she was sure that she was going to have to tell Optimus more than what she was really interested in repeating, but for now, Roger didn't need the details. "So tell me about your training! You learn anything new?"

"Nothing much of interest." Repeating her previous description as clear indication that he understood she was keeping the reality of what had happened from him, he shrugged. "I mean, what's interesting about a whole race of mechanical beings that have come to our planet in search of some weird 'cube' thing that the government secretly used for years to develop new and amazing technology?" he said sarcastically with a half grin.

"It wasn't really the cube...well, it was but..."

"Yeah, some N.B.E. One, Mega-something-or-other? They mentioned it too but I really can't say I was paying attention." A familiar smile crept onto his face and Aurian instantly knew that he had found something 'more interesting' than the history of the alien's effect on current technological development.

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything."

"What did you...suggest then?"

"Well, I was thinking...you told me about how you thought that the cube energies might be able to reactivate that one robot, right?"

"Yeah?" Aurian wondered if Roger knew that Jazz had indeed been resurrected, only that she wasn't sure what had brought the mech back.

"Okay, so, if this robot, N.-guy was deactivated by the this thing; I'd like to know how it is capable of doing both?"

"We never got it to work..."

"Maybe not here, but when the cube was whole they created non-biological lifeforms out of previously inactive devices, things that never were alive in the first place, right?"

"Yeah?" Aurian got a sinking feeling in her chest, something about Roger's logic was setting off bells in her head, a warning that she seemed to already know, yet was unclear.

"So, this thing that could create life out of something inanimate probably wasn't designed to actually destroy something that was."

"The Allspark wasn't 'designed'. And besides, the power was raw, delivered directly to Megatron's spark, destroying it. That's how it killed him." Or so she was hoping. Bit by bit her mind was drawing an image, a clear resounding voice in her head that had been disturbingly familiar...

"But energy cannot be destroyed..."

~Only transformed.~

"So, my theory is that the energy that was this thing's 'spark', or whatever it's called, wasn't destroyed, it was recreated – transformed – into something else."

~To fit a better purpose.~

"Roddi...you're not saying..." Aurian was having trouble keeping her mind focused. Between Roger's new, logical approach to the situation, and the 'impression' adding to it, she was growing rather unsure of what she thought she knew to be true, and that scared her.

"I know, it seems out of the norm, but how many times have we gone that path and found something awesome! I applied for permission to get a research group out there to examine the structure, see if maybe the spark is still there in another form..."

"It can't be! Megatron's dead! There's no way he can come back! None!"

'You recognize me, don't you boy?' The voice echoed eerily through her head.

Seemingly just to prove that her proclamations were questionable, Jazz sauntered past them, the walking reminder that he was, headed in the opposite direction and offering a simple wave in greeting as he passed.

"Hey, isn't that..."

"Yes, it is."

"Huh, I thought..."

"Yes, he was."

"So..."

"Shut up." Aurian sighed, this wasn't the way things should go, was it? 'There was supposed to be two more movies...maybe they really did mean to bring back Megatron. Does that mean Galvatron? Unicron?'

~We must allow...~

"No!" Aurian snapped before the 'impression' could complete the terrifying thought.

"'No' what? You okay Auri? You're acting really weird." Roger looked over the woman, seeking out any previously unseen injuries but seeing nothing more than the bandage around her hand.

"I've got to get this thing back to Optimus. I really don't want to think about...all that."

"Oh," Roger sounded honestly disappointed, "I was kinda hoping you'd, you know...join me on the project. They all seemed to think a lot of you and if you were to say you thought it was a good idea..."

"It's so not a good idea Roddi." Aurian shivered with the mere thought of having a hand in resurrecting the mech that had created this war. "And who, exactly, thinks a lot of me? After all the crap that's happened because of me around here? I'm pretty surprised they don't just lock me up and throw away the key."

Roger raised his eyebrow in suspicion, "So they haven't talked to you yet?"

"About what? Who?"

Raising his hands to free himself from any obligations this conversation may have carried, Roger shook his head, "Not my place to say."

"Roddi..."

"Aurian!" Will came trotting up to the pair, a mixed look in his eye, "You need to come with me."

"What's going on?" Aurian looked to Roger, hoping maybe the other man had a clue but his expression clearly stated that he did not.

"Don't worry. I just need you to come with me. Do you know where Sunstreaker went?"

"No. Why?"

"The Big Guy want's to see him."

Aurian's hand clenched around the shard slightly as she thought of a few reason's Optimus would want to see the golden twin, none of them good. "Right. No, I don't know where he went. I imagine after that fight he's probably resting."

Will nodded, accepting the answer and waved for her to follow him back toward the main building. "Roger, you might as well come too, I'm sure they're going to be needing you soon enough."

"Like you could stop me." The snark was made in fun, though there was a hint of truth to it. Aurian suddenly found herself wondering just what position Roger had secured for himself in this project.

The three of them traversed the base mostly in silence, Roger and Will exchanging light banter as they went, but Aurian remained separated from their semi-friendly conversations. Her heart was pounding and her mind spinning circles.

Roger's theories weren't as unsound as she would have liked them to be and the notion that Megatron might be coming back sent cold shivers down her spine. Her subconscious begged for her to listen to something, though any time she tried to focus on the thought it would simply drift away like a long forgotten dream.

Reaching their destination, all thoughts of Megatron instantly vacated her mind as Aurian looked up at Optimus. He wasn't glaring, per say, but there was a clear expression of displeasure on his face, and with a rather pissed off looking Ironhide and Ratchet flanking him, it completed the sensation of 'someone is really screwed'. She could only suspect she knew who.

"Aurian, welcome back." Optimus's voice belied his expression completely as he spoke to her. It was gentle, honest and kind. "Roger, it's good to see you again."

Aurian didn't pause with the other two men as the greetings were given. Instead she strode up to Optimus and held out her hand expectantly.

Optimus, being the respectful mech that he was, did not hesitate to kneel down to the human's level to see what it was she was offering him. He opened his hand for her to hand over the object and was surprised to see the Allspark shard dropped into it. It wasn't that he hadn't known the shard was missing, nor that he hadn't suspected who was responsible for it's disappearance. His surprise came from the fact that he had been completely unaware the woman held the shard until the moment she deposited it into his waiting hand.

"I never, never, want to see this thing again." Aurian was taken aback by the sheer vehemence in her own voice. She hadn't intended to sound so incredibly disgusted by the shard, just to make it clear that she didn't like it.

"How...?"

"It doesn't really matter, does it?" Aurian cut him off, her heart leaping into her throat at her boldness. What the Hell was wrong with her? Talking to Optimus like that? "I...really can't say how I got a hold of it, but I really don't ever want to see it again. Will you just accept its return and leave it at that?" Her plea was for Sunstreaker's sake and she knew Optimus would understand that.

"Perhaps we will discuss this later?" It wasn't really a question, more an opening to offer Aurian the chance to make her plea in a more private conversation.

She nodded, accepting the chance knowing that she would have to come up with something really convincing if she was going to get Sunstreaker off the hook. 'Why am I trying? He deserves what he gets for stealing the damned thing.' Without a second between thoughts, she knew that she had to try because she was pretty sure it hadn't been Sunstreaker's idea to take the shard in the first place.

The high pitched noise filling her head told her that the other two mechs were just as clued in on who was to blame for the shards disappearance and that they were not pleased that Optimus may be considering letting the mech get away with it.

"Aurian," Ratchet leaned down toward the woman, "I would like you to come with me to the med bay."

"Why?" It had been Roger that spoke up, the man moving to stand beside the woman before she could think to answer either of them.

"Roddi, don't worry, I'm fine." She tried to calm the man before turning to Ratchet, "I'm fine." She repeated.

Ratchet only looked at the woman, his expression clear that if she did not willingly go he was likely to just take her anyway.

"Shouldn't you check up on Sideswipe and Sunstreaker anyway?" She shifted from one foot to the other, knowing now that Ratchet was not likely to be diverted from his examination. He was concerned about the anomaly, of course, and would not be satisfied until he had her in his med bay where he would more than likely demand that she consent to the surgery he had requested so many times before. Only a few days ago she had been on the verge of submitting, but now that time had passed, she wasn't as ready as she had been.

"I will get to them in due time. You are my primary concern at the moment."

"I said I'm fine." Aurian glanced at Roger, the man obviously was not believing her and she only had Ratchet to thank for that. "I'm fine." She repeated again, though at this point she wasn't sure who she was trying to convince.

"Aurian, Jolt had not been able to obtain a scan of you since you left the Decepticon base, and currently I am also unable to do so."

"I thought it was weird you hadn't done that..."

"So you can understand our concerns. Without a scan we cannot determine the state of..."

"All right!" Aurian cut off the medic before he could reveal the existence of the anomaly to Roger, though her sudden acceptance was likely to rise his suspicions further over whether or not she was actually 'fine' as she claimed. She turned to the man and saw the worry written throughout his features. "It's just routine," she offered, hoping that Ratchet wouldn't say otherwise, "I'll meet up with you later, okay?"

"Right." His worry was not soothed by her explanation. If this really was 'routine' as she claimed, why had she been so against it? And why hadn't the medic simply stated it as such? There was more going on here than Aurian wanted him to know and that bothered him.

Will, having remained quiet this far, finally spoke up. "Roger, we need to discuss this project you're interested in."

"Yes," Optimus agreed, "I have been told you have requested permission for a special research undertaking."

Aurian, not wanting to be around for this conversation, approached Ratchet. The mech offered his hand to her and she climbed on abjectly, her mind gearing up for the argument she knew would inevitably come.

They were well on their way to the medical wing before Ratchet spoke again. "You don't want Mister Campton to know about your condition?"

"He'll worry." Aurian picked at the bandage around her hand distractedly.

"I believe, given the circumstance, that is not inappropriate."

"I'm fine, there's no need for him to worry about something that he can't do anything about anyway."

Ratchet made a doubtful sound as he entered the Autobot med bay, "'Fine' would indicate that there was nothing abnormal in your functions or structure to rise concern. You are not 'fine'." He allowed her to climb down to an examination table and fixed the woman with a concerned, stubborn glare, "I think we have waited long enough."

Journal entry continued; calling the shots

Yeah, did I call it or what? So, Ratchet was done waiting and he wasn't going to give me the option of accepting or denying that there needed to be something done about this anomaly. The only thing in my favor was the fact that he couldn't obtain a proper scan of me...of course that was also working against me. I wonder why he couldn't get one though? Strange.

Now, here's an interesting little tidbit; I had almost forgotten the little bracelet he had given me a few months back, but he mentioned that he was no longer receiving signals from it when we were in close proximity. No longer? That bastard was keeping tabs on me the whole time and wasn't even going to tell me? Aft!

At any rate, the bracelet itsself was still there, just as it had been, completely undamaged and looking perfectly normal...but it felt heavier somehow. Strange. Probably my subconscious acting out on the fact that I now knew he had been tracking me with it. Aft.

~Aurian Fae