A/N: Meant to say this last time, but I realized I totally described the Jackhammer incorrectly many chapters ago. I was thinking of Ultra Magnus' ship with the lift, but whatever. Minor detail.

And thank you so much for your lovely comments and reviews! They make me laugh and cry (in a good way) and make me feel like I'm hitting the target as a writer. So thank you for your support!

Transformers: Prime

Brave New World - Gilded Earth

"Solus, my intumus conjex endura, I promise that I will spend ten thousand years in strict apology to you, my love, so please wait until I am finished returning all to as they were."

Legends of the Primes Act 24, Scene 4, Line 338

Chapter 14: Mea culpa

June wanted the last thirty minutes of her life back. Scratch that; she wanted the last several days of her life back. Double scratch that; she just wanted to be human and safely at home with Jack. Regardless, the universe was really screwing her over and she was pretty ticked off about it.

She hovered next to the Jackhammer, warily eyeing the new giant robot that had landed alongside them. He was massive, about the same size as Optimus Prime. And what the heck was with his shoulders? Miko would have a riot drawing him in her sketchbook. Several times she saw the newcomer glance her way and she would stiffen under the stare. If Ratchet was considered prickly and Wheeljack aloof, then this Ultra Magnus would be correctly described as stiff. Straight and rigid, his stern face seemed to put both Ratchet and Wheeljack on edge. Wheeljack moreso, as he shifted from foot to foot and scowled across the expanse as if in challenge. She was slightly grateful that Ratchet took it upon himself to greet the blue mech.

"What's your problem?" She mumbled quietly without taking her eyes off the distant exchange.

"Nothin'," was Wheeljack's quick lie.

June couldn't stop snorting in disbelief. "Yeah right. You're practically vibrating over there. And you were telling me to keep my EM field in check."

Wheeljack twitched at the accusation. His frown deepened but the interference June was experiencing dropped significantly. She thought about pushing him for details but ultimately decided that it was none of her business. Whatever history these three mech had with each other had absolutely nothing to do with her. June's momentary distraction with the wrecker ended when out of the corner of her eye she saw Ultra Magnus reel back. Wheeljack looked on with interest and a smirk crossed his face.

"My bet is Doc just told the big guy what you are."

"And what's that?" June snapped at him while simultaneously staring down Ultra Magnus. The blue mech didn't seem to know what to do as he kept turning his head to the medic then back to June. "A freak?"

It was Wheeljack's turn to snort. "The prettiest freak I ever saw," he murmured as he slowly straightened his stance. Ratchet had turned around and started walking over to them with Ultra Magnus following slowly, almost cautiously, behind.

There was an awkward moment's pause when the two stopped before June and Wheeljack. Again, there was a ripple of agitation from the wrecker that June suspected she only noticed because she stood right next to him. Regardless, she didn't let that distract her and focused her attention on Ratchet. Silently, she was waiting for him to make the introductions as June certainly wasn't about to do anything. Not with how furious she still was.

There was a brief crackle of static before Ratchet coughed and said, "June, uh, I would like you to meet Ultra Magnus. He's Optimus Prime's second-in-command."

Reining in her emotions, June politely nodded her head and looked up to the large mech. She moved a half-step forward before stopping. She wasn't sure how to speak with the new Cybertronian as she only knew English. And would a handshake even be appropriate? His giant, flat fingers would totally engulf her own. So she paused, considered her next move, then gave Ultra Magnus a small smile. It couldn't be called warm, but she was trying her best to appear non-threatening.

Ultra Magnus looked just as awkward as she did, if only for the briefest of seconds. He readily accepted her nod with one of his own but when he realized she wasn't about to speak he seemed to gratefully turn to her white companion. June was also happy for Wheeljack's blessed distraction as that allowed her to take a subtle step back from the crowd. She desperately needed a moment to collect herself before she could look at Ratchet. The Autobot medic had moved to the side after the introductions and didn't seem interested in the berating Wheeljack was being put through. He was, instead, staring intently at June like she was some specimen under the microscope. She didn't like that. For a second, she thought to abruptly turn heel and walk away but unfortunately Wheeljack barely beat her to it.

June wasn't paying particular attention to the two Autobots, but it looked as if Ultra Magnus had given the wrecker some command. And Wheeljack was having none of it. June didn't know much about the 'bot, but it was obvious from both Fowler's and Miko's accounts of the mech that he was just like a punk teenager. And it seemed that Ultra Magnus was his direct opposite. The two were utterly incompatible, which is why it came as no surprise that Wheeljack snarled a few short words back and stomped around the side of his ship leaving Ultra Magnus standing there dumbfounded for a minute before snapping himself to attention.

"Well, that went better than expected," Ratchet rumbled.

She almost made the mistake of asking him how badly it could have gone, but closed her mouth shut just in time. Offended by her own ease around the medic, June crossed her arms and turned her head away. She was uncomfortable being this close to Ratchet but beyond ignoring him, she wasn't sure what else to do. Wheeljack had already taken the dramatic exit from her. And they were in an unfamiliar area. It was dark out, too. She could see OK with these new eyes in the low light but that didn't mean she was stupid enough to go walking around on her still trembling legs.

"Ju-" Ratchet started just as Ultra Magnus rumbled something. With the medic distracted by the commander, June spotted her get-away.

With shoulders straight, she walked off. Not the wisest idea, but oh well. June was fed up with the whole situation and just needed space, trembling legs or no. She had to resist with everything she had to not look behind. Did his face crumble or shoulders slump? How similar did this mechanical being react compared to when she was human and a brief moment in time a little more than a decade ago?

She didn't know.

She didn't know, and right now she was too stubborn to find out. She was acting a lot like... he did back then.

June didn't know when she ended up in front of the giant metal wound on the Jackhammer's side or how long she had been staring at it unthinkingly, but when awareness dawned on her she felt… upset. A sick, sludge-like feeling creeped from that space in her chest and rose to her head and sank to her feet, making her feel woozy and uncoordinated. The feeling wouldn't go away, no matter how much she tried cutting it off. It was like it was flowing in her veins. And the usual human method of breathing in and out did nothing to help her. In fact, it only seemed to make the energon heat up and flow faster the more she sucked in air. June knew she was close to having a panic attack, if only because all the mental signs were there.

He was going to leave her! And he was fine with that!

That hurt her. June had forgotten how badly it felt to be left behind. To be told to start all over again. On her own. For one small moment she had believed there was someone she could rely on through this whole crazy, unfathomable ordeal. But he was ready to just throw her out the door for reasons she just couldn't comprehend when things started looking bad.

How was she supposed to approach him now?

As if hypnotized by the open hole, she brought a hand up to touch it. The previous jagged and melted edges had been cut away to make preparations for welding the new material easier and safer. But it looked as if a lot more work needed to be done before that happened. Bundles of broken wires were twisted and shoved to the side while others looked haphazardly spliced together. Clear lines of energon had been tightly clamped to prevent more leaking of the radioactive substance, but several of them looked to have come loose during their panicked flight. And whatever critical parts and pieces of this ship she couldn't name were still half-melted or scorched. Those were probably parts that were impossible to replace on this backwater planet she called home.

She was adult enough to recognize that the whole situation wasn't entirely her fault, but that didn't lessen the looming shadow of guilt casted over her. It was her panic, her screams of terror that distracted Wheeljack from flying the ship properly. They would have been fine. Wheeljack proved his capabilities by shooting down the Decepticons even with a hole in his ship, so he certainly could have done it without her interference. They would have landed in a safe area to pick up Ratchet and then… and then… and then immediately left Earth.

What was she supposed to do? Could she really leave Earth? If this latest incident proved anything to her, it was that Ratchet and Wheeljack were willing to do anything to escape the clutches of the Decepticons. If this craft was capable of spaceflight she had no doubt they would have left the solar system by now, whether or not she really wanted to leave her home. But since they were stuck here they had decided to go another route. And they were just about to follow through if Ultra Magnus hadn't revealed himself.

They were about to leave June behind.

June was going to be left alone. Again.

June was angry.

There were no other words to describe it. That sickly, sludge-like feeling that weighed her down and squirmed along her tendermost parts was disgusting and she hated it. But she also just couldn't let it go. And she hated herself for that.

"Are you aware of what's happened, Ratchet?"

The medical office scoffed. "There's a severe lack of information at the moment, considering that the Omega One base is gone. But yes, I am very aware of Megatron's newest weapon."

"Weapon?" Ultra Magnus sounded genuinely surprised. "I think few, if any, cybertronians would call the…" he had to pause and recall the name Ratchet had used to describe the relic. "Omega Lock a weapon."

Ratchet frowned at that. That was certainly a good point. He was living proof that the Omega Lock was the furthest thing from deadly to a cybertronian. All his worn out functions were fully restored. It was truly a miracle of the ancients.

"But I wanted to confirm that Optimus Prime and his team were on Cybertron. Tell me again the events in order, with time signatures."

"Uh, yes, of course." Ratchet stuttered. His optics had wandered to June's retreating figure. He felt his spark sputter for a second when he saw her round the corner without even the slightest hesitation in her steps. For some reason that made his concentration falter.

Pushing the blue-opticed femme out of his processor for the moment, he gave the commander an account of the events from when Starscream stole their Omega Keys. It took several breams but Ultra Magnus seemed satisfied with the details. When finished, the stern frown only stretched.

Warily, Ratchet asked, "So what do you know?"

There was a subtle fluctuation in the fields and Ultra Magnus hesitated. He raked Ratchet with a look then abruptly turned around. "You were one of Optimus' closest confidants."

"Yes," Ratchet answered immediately, though it really wasn't a question. His anxiety spiked with the SIC's evasive probing.

"Then you should follow me to the ship. There's something you need to see."

For a brief moment, Ratchet thought that this was an elaborate trap meant to separate him from the group. But he just as quickly dismissed it. If this wasn't Ultra Magnus then there were plenty of opportunities to destroy them. There was no need to go through all the trouble of speaking with them. And besides, no one could verbally raze a wrecker quite like the commander.

So when he was informed he should sit down in one of the chairs, Ratchet did so with a growing sense of fear. He wasn't fearful for himself, as he trusted that this was Ultra Magnus, but he feared what the mech was preparing to show him.

"I had left the Ark to finish it's repairs sometime ago because I had received Optimus Prime's encrypted directive. The majority of the crew was still on board, but others had left for fuel runs. Prowl was given orders to finish the last repairs as quickly as possible, then gather as many Autobots together and head for these galactic coordinates. I made the decision to fly ahead as backup for Optimus, as well as to inform him of the Ark's progress.

"When I entered the solar system, there was a massive energy surge. Soon after that I received two messages that were broadcasted over all public channels. These are the messages."

Without any fanfare, Ultra Magnus brought them up. Ratchet knew he wasn't going to like them, just from Ultra Magnus' somber tone, but he didn't know how much he could hate a message. It was Soundwave's production, no doubt. Megatron was front and center of the carnage, boasting about his latest victory. The bastard looked gleeful as he was bathed in the blazing blue-green light of the Omega Lock. Ratchet couldn't care a scraplet's front tooth about the deranged tyrant, but still he was drawn into the speaker's tirade. And it made him sick. When the video panned to show the defeated Autobots, Ratchet rose out of his chair in fury.

Bumblebee! What did he do to the scout!? Hadn't he already mutilated the young mech enough? His medical instincts kicked in and he was racing through the options of cauterizing sensitive wounds like that. Then the video panned to show Arcee. Oh, Primus, help her! That was not something survivable without immediate medical attention. For once, he was happy to see Knock-Out leaning over his comrade. The Decepticon medic was a formidable warrior and wouldn't hesitate to snuff a spark in battle, but he was still a medic. Ratchet stared, riveted to the claws that traced the femme's gaping wound. Surely he knew that this was fixable. She just needed treatment. Surely- no, this wasn't a time for a mercy kill. He couldn't-

The video zoomed away, and Ratchet smashed his fist against the wall. For a moment he was grateful that Wheeljack had left, because if he saw this, then… Ratchet wasn't really sure what the unstable mech would do, but when it came to hunting Decepticons he was more determined than the Earth equivalent of a starved wolf. And Megatron would no doubt be at the top of that hunting list for this latest atrocity.

With mixed emotions, and none of them positive, Ratchet watched the video end with the echo of Megatron's rasping vow. Weary, the Autobot sank back into the chair. Propping his elbows against his knees he dropped his face into his servos. He didn't know how long he was like that but it was much too soon when Ultra Magnus spoke up.

"So I need you to confirm again, Ratchet. Was Optimus Prime on Cybertron? Was he there for this battle?"

Ratchet dug his digits into his helm. He wanted to scream, but he settled for cold, exacting, weary words, "Yes. Optimus left with the team to retrieve the Omega Keys on Cybertron. He had Bul-Bulkhead, Arcee, Bumblebee, and Smokescreen with him, along with all the relics we collected, except the Forge. They had a foolproof plan. They- There should have been no way for them to- to lose."

"Then where is Optimus?"

By Amalgamous, this 'bot just wouldn't let him think!

"I don't know!" he roared. He moved to stand, but all his strength had left him and he collapsed back into the seat. "I don't know," he choked out. "There was too much interference from the Omega Lock that I couldn't open a space bridge to Cybertron. So there's no way he's on Earth. But he just wouldn't have abandoned his allies."

"There is no footage of the Prime," Ultra Magnus stated, unperturbed by Ratchet's outburst. He rewound the video to where it showed an aerial view of the carnage. Ratchet couldn't take his eyes off the bulky, helm-less husk of the green wrecker. "So I have reason to doubt Megatron's claim of having killed him."

Ratchet twitched. He cleared his optics several times to better examine the scene. Ultra Magnus was right. Megatron, with his ego, would never pass up the opportunity to show-off the husk of his greatest rival. But Optimus's sizeable frame was nowhere to be found. And when he counted off the team, he realized he was a member short.

"Smokescreen is missing."

"I am unfamiliar with the mech," the commander said. The slightest hint of curiosity leaked into his stern speech. "Is he a master scout? His husk is nowhere in the image, so could he be hiding nearby?"

Ratchet couldn't stop his bitter bark of laughter. "Primus, no! He's a total rookie! Spent his time comfortably guarding Alpha Trion during the War on Cybertron, before being forced into induced stasis until he crash-landed here on Earth. He's missed everything. Smokescreen is about as pure and innocent as any mechling can be from our planet."

Honest surprise flittered over the EM field, before Magnus huffed. "Today is full of surprises. I hear of not one, but two innocent cybertronians in the space of a joor."

Ratchet had to blink at that. Then he frowned and said, "June… June isn't cybertronian."

"I'm not entirely sure I understand," Ultra Magnus also frowned. "You said so yourself, that she has a body exactly like a cybertronian's. Therefore she is cybertronian."

A sigh was the only thing Ratchet could produce. "She's from Earth. She was originally human. I feel like that is enough distinction to say she is not cybertronian. Regardless, we got off topic. Smokescreen may be a total rookie, but the fact that his husk isn't laying with the others means he either offlined elsewhere or he somehow managed to escape. And I hope it's the latter, as it's the only explanation for Optimus's lack of appearance."

A disbelieving brow rose on the commander's face. "Would Smokescreen have the strength to pull Optimus away from an army of Decepticons?"

"No," was the immediate reply. Ratchet could feel his hope sinking. "He's the same make as Bumblebee with far less experience."

His optics wandered to the still frame of the video. Staring at his wounded, dying, and dead comrades made that all-too-familiar cold and sparkless shell fall back onto him. Ratchet grit his denta. A small, flickering part of him rebelled against the idea of returning to that icy, cut-off disposition but logic won out. This war couldn't be won on hope alone.

Scanning the image Ratchet looked for any clue, any sign of the two missing mechs. The pieces just weren't adding up here. Frustrated, he tapped the controls and watched everything in slow motion. He still failed to determine Knock-Out's intentions several playthroughs later and he had learned everything he needed to about Megatron's cruelty. He was growing weary and was about to start the next video when a subtle detail caught his eye.

There was a drone in the background walking toward Starscream with something in it's servos. Ratchet narrowed his optics and leaned forward. With a few taps of the keys, the image was zoomed in as far as it would go and he got a clear idea of what it was the drone held.

"The Apex Armor."

"What?" Ultra Magnus sounded shocked, as he should be.

"One of the relics we found on Earth. Arcee took the Apex Armor for the battle on Cybertron. But why would she take it off if they were in a battle?"

"Perhaps they had no choice? Megatron has been known to force Optimus' servos before."

Ratchet growled at that, but it wasn't directed at the commander. They both knew, as well as the tyrant and practically all of Cybertron, Optimus's weak points.

"The only reasonable explanation as the Apex Armor has certainly lived up to its legend. But I've thought of a potential scenario of why Smokescreen and Optimus are not present."

"And that is?"

"Smokescreen was quite fond of the Phase-Shifter. That relic also lived up to its name. The runt used it rather successfully, for the most part. If he had it on him, there is a good chance he would have phased both himself and Optimus out of the battle. He's young and stupid enough to do something like that, even against a commander's orders."

Ultra Magnus twitched at that. Ratchet could almost feel the commander's impression of the young mech drop by more than two-hundred points. He would have felt sorry for Smokescreen's short-lived acclaim, if he didn't know personally how annoying the carefree racer could be.

"So they could be in hiding on Cybertron."

"Yes," Ratchet allowed the smallest, faintest sliver of hope to bloom in his chassis. He continued to frown though. "What's wrong?"

Ultra Magnus had pressed his lips against each other so tightly that they looked like a professional weld. "I want to believe you," He started slowly, "But Megatron seems far too confident for Prime to have just slipped away from him. You should see the next video."

Ratchet did. And again. And for a third time. He would never admit to Megatron's grandiloquence, he was never pulled in by the gladiator's humble orations to begin with, but this latest speech would certainly be effective. It was evocative, powerful, and enticing; Everything that would make the tyrant's scattered, disillusioned followers come falling back to his pedes. It was everything Ratchet feared.

There was a certain sonorous resonance to his lively speech that wasn't there before. And the insufferable cockiness had wholly consumed the mech's ego. If that wasn't enough, there was a particularly mad light in his optics that seemed to challenge anyone who dared to disbelieve his lies. That confidence Ratchet had only seen twice before, when, twice before, Megatron had declared himself the victor in their eternal struggle.

Megatron was fully convinced that he had offlined Optimus Prime.

And Ratchet was chilled to his core because he had no proof to say otherwise.

"How long ago did you receive this one?"

"Little more than twelve joors ago."

Ratchet sucked in some air, allowing his energon to flow faster. With every klick their situation turned more dangerous. Abruptly he stood from the chair.

"Where are you going?" the commander demanded. Anyone else lower in the chain of command might have wilted at the gruff tone, but Ratchet knew the mech was merely asking to be politely informed of his actions.

"To go speak with June. I-" Ratchet halted. A flurry of emotions ran through him, but he was trained enough to not let them escape. "In case you didn't notice, she bears the marks of a medic."

"I did."

"But she has no knowledge of even basic cybertronian functions, so I promised to teach her. But I'm going to speed up her training by imparting some of my memories through a P-2-P Data Transfer."

Ratchet was on a roll. He would have a story to tell about how he made Ultra Magnus react surprised five times in a sol. That is, if he ever got to see any other comrades again. Luckily, the former leader of the wreckers wasn't as obstinate as Wheeljack, but Ratchet suspected it was due to the mech's entire background being firmly entrenched as an enlisted. Magnus could only base his knowledge on rumours and the intelligence from a few trusted others.

"A P-2-P Transfer? Are you certain? Isn't there considerable risk to the procedure?"

"The procedure itself is fairly simple and straightforward," Ratchet quickly assured. "I've done the needed testing and I've determined that June would be a wonderful candidate for a transfer. She's wholly determined to become a medic and Primus knows we need more competent medics."

Ultra Magnus readily nodded his helm in agreement. He was a commander. He knew what the numbers were like. Adding just one more reliable medic would be a huge boon to their cause.

"But she's not a fighter," Ratchet warned. There was a steely note to his tone, and he drove the point home by staring down the SIC. "She has absolutely nothing to do with our war. She should be given the freedom to do as she pleases."

"Understood, Ratchet," Ultra Magnus agreed. The medic could feel a bit of the sudden tension leave his struts. But the commander wasn't done. "But she should be aware that if she defects to the Decepticons she will be treated wholly as one, as according to the Tyrest Accord."

Ratchet let out a sharp bark of laughter. "No. I don't think there's any chance of her joining the Decepticons. It was Megatron who turned her into what she is now. And I can assure you, she did not agree to it. And besides, her son was Arcee's human partner. He- he accomplished plenty for the Autobot cause, despite being an organic. No, June may not fully fall in-line with the Autobots, but the All-Spark would have to grow cold before she would join the Decepticons."

The Autobots' Second-in-Command seemed satisfied with Ratchet's answer. "Very well, then. I give you permission to proceed with the transfer. Just make sure you come out of it just as capable as you are now. You are undoubtedly any faction's best medic, Ratchet. No new trainee would be worth the cost of replacing you."

In his younger days Ratchet would have been high over Cybertron's three moons with that kind of praise. Now, he could only tiredly nod his head at the heavy expectations. Half-heartedly he gestured with his servo as he allowed the lift to take him down. "Of course," he agreed just as tiredly.

But when he got to the bottom he gazed intently ahead. June may not want his help anymore, considering how she was acting earlier. Her woeful hope during that harried flight only drove home the long-lost consequences of the drawn-out war. And after watching those two horrid propaganda files, Ratchet was more determined than ever to impart his eons of wisdom to June.

Not waiting for hesitation to slow him down, Ratchet quickly crossed the distance between the two ships. He had to walk around to the backside where he found a grisly sight; June's servos, upper struts, and chassis were covered in bright splotches of energon.

"June! What happened?" Ratchet screeched as he rushed to her side.

In slow motion, June turned to face him with wide optics. She took a stumbling step out of his reach, before she started babbling.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean- I mean, I was just trying to help. And then I got all this stuff on me."

"So you're not hurt?" Ratchet forced himself to stay where he was because clearly June didn't want him in her personal space.

"Um, no? I mean, I sort of jammed my finger but I'm honestly OK."

Critically, he reviewed her condition. There were no visible gashes or mangled parts, so he allowed his lightning-speed sparkbeat slow, "That's… good."

An awkward pause filled the night air. Ratchet stared at June, but the femme was steadfastly avoiding his gaze. He only caught her optics when he first surprised her, but since then she would only stare at her servos or the ground.

"What… were you trying to fix that got you covered in energon?"

"Um, the hole. I noticed that some of the clamps came loose and I thought that wasn't good, so I thought I would try to… well, you know, fix it."

Ratchet inspected the hole. It seemed that Wheeljack had gotten more work done before their crazed flight, which was good, but June was correct; several clamps were coming loose. He swiped a servo over a bundle of wires to clear away some spilt energon.

"I was trying to lift a tube to see it better, when it suddenly expanded and burst. I have no idea why it did that, but it did." June spoke in broken static. She seemed to be very hesitant in speaking with him. "I'm sorry for making a mess."

Ratchet again looked at her, but she dropped her head in time to avoid his gaze. Slightly irritated, he huffed, "It's not your fault. If the energon line had swelled to that point, it was bound to burst. Better now than later, when we're in the air."

"O-oh. OK."

As he wiped away what he could, Ratchet noticed something odd. Several of the key broken wires had been twisted together and inserted into the backup communications box. It was done so haphazardly that Ratchet had a hard time believing Wheeljack was the one responsible, so he turned to June.

"Did you do this?"

June squinted at where he pointed, then ducked her head again. "Y-yeah… it just looked important and figured it needed power, so I… plugged the wires in. Was I not supposed to do that?"

Ratchet was flabbergasted. How did June know that? And how did she manage to pull the right wires together? There had to be more than a hundred packed into this space, not counting the double loose-ends of which there were many. Of her randomly putting together the right combination into the right box was mathematically improbable. He could only blink at her in shock.

"Sorry. I guess I really shouldn't be messing around with this. I don't know what I was thinking. I'll take them out."

June approached, but Ratchet grasped her servo before she could undo her work. "No, it's fine. You did a good job, June."

"I did?"

Finally he saw her optics! Solus, they were beautiful. He was sure he would have to spend eons searching for that exact shade of blue, and even then it would be hard to find them set in such a perfect-

His vocalizer hitched when she wrenched her servo out of his and took a hurried step back. Either the ground was again too soft or her struts were unbalanced because June was suddenly dropping straight for the earth. Instinctually, Ratchet reached out to catch her. When his servo brushed against hers, June slapped it away and the Autobot knew he had messed up in a big way.

Her optics, which not even an astrosecond before had been filled with panic, surged into a stubborn flash of anger. She let loose a static-filled yelp of "No!" before crashing. Hard. There was a brief hiss of ventilation before she twitched.

"June!" Ratchet knelt to check her condition, but the dogged femme only scootched away when he got close.

"I'm fine!" She snapped back.

Ratchet scowled. "Well thank you for that information," he vented, "But I think as the medic I'll make that call."

He found his scowl was perfectly matched in June. She abruptly stood up and snarled, "I'm fine. Or am I the only person you seem to care about around here? Because you certainly don't seem to care about yourself."

The snap of his denta was so loud he wouldn't be surprised if the Decepticon spymaster picked it up from deep space. Rising to his full height, he faced off against his newest protégé.

"I care about everyone's health and safety, June! And it's not because I was forged to do that, but because I chose to do so. But over the eons I've had to prioritize certain lives over others."

"I understand that. I'm a nurse, remember? I know what it's like to make those hard decisions. What I don't understand is you willfully throwing your life away out of spite!"

Ratchet's frown grew. "It wasn't out of spite, June. Trust me, that wasn't a decision I came to easily. But I decided on that because I know what Megatron will do to a 'bot like me. I may be a medic, but that only provides me the slimmest protection from-"

He cut himself off when June's optics got wide. She looked genuinely upset, but at what he had not a clue. Her EM field, though better controlled, fluctuated faster than the lights on Velocitron. Confusion, surprise, and anger was there, but so too was hurt, pain, fear, and a callousness Ratchet never would have pegged the former human as having.

"I know you've lived longer than me, Ratchet," June began slowly after she cycled some air. "And that you've been through some truly terrible experiences, but-" Again she ducked her head and scowled. "But I got scared, Ratchet. Really and truly scared. I have no one, nothing, to help me through this. And I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry to ask this, as I know it's terribly selfish but; would you please stay with me? Teach me? I need- I need somebody to be there for me because I don't have Jack."

Now Ratchet's optics widened. He had thought of what would happen to June after his death, but ultimately decided that it was better for her to be taken in, as despicable as it was, by a Cybertronian Decepticon than to die with him. But June apparently couldn't think that way. She had grown far too attached to him.

And, he realized when an uncomfortable feeling settled over him, he had as well. June… June was… a-a distraction. He needed to go to Optimus immediately! The light of the Autobot cause could be slipping back into the All-spark as they talked, and Ratchet was making no progress in preventing that.

The silence grew louder as the medic decided how to answer the femme's confession. As each klick passed she grew more distraught and the fear and hurt from her field grew in intensity. Finally, he spoke.

"June, you know I can't promise you that. I'm a field medic. Though I may not always directly be in the line of fire, it is no place for a trainee."

Her scowl was back and she snapped, "So, what, did you actually intend for me to be a medic? Or is this just a cover? A disguise to keep me safe?" She gestured to her painted arm where the brilliant red cross contrasted against the brighter white.

"No! You certainly have all the capabilities to become a fine medic, June. But you must understand that the work I am usually called to do is in the midst of battle. You have not experienced that, and by Primus, I hope to keep you from that."

June's face fell. It seemed that the fight had left her. Finally, Ratchet could get to the crux of the conversation he had been waiting for.

"And, I hate to tell you this, but our parting may be earlier than you would like." June snapped her helm up to look at him but she thankfully didn't put up a fuss. She stayed solemnly quiet through his explanation.

"Ultra Magnus has some information that leads us to believe that Optimus may be wounded and stranded on Cybertron. I need to reach him as soon as possible. Once the Data Transfer is complete we'll leave Earth. Wheeljack should have his ship space-worthy by then, so… so he'll take you to the Ark where the Autobot forces are. You'll be safe there and you'll undoubtedly learn a lot from Perceptor. He's more of a scientist than a medic, but he'll be sure to give you a good foundation by the time I return with Optimus. I- I can promise you that."

Ratchet knew he was rambling at the end, but he couldn't help it. He wasn't known as a rambler. Direct, concise information made his work so much easier, but for some unholy reason the femme that stood before him made him lose all sense of language. So when her EM field cut off abruptly in the middle of his explanation the only thing he could think to do was to keep talking. Maybe that would help her communicate. Maybe.

"OK, then," she whispered. Her struts trembled so she brought them across her chest. "OK, I'll hold you to that. So what do we do?"

Ratchet felt the relief flood through him but he didn't pause to relish in it. "I'll get Wheeljack. We'll need his help with this. But head over to Ultra Magnus' ship. We'll do the Data Transfer inside where it'll be quieter and less distracting."

"Right," she breathed. She gave him a long look before gliding past him, and ever so quietly she said, "I'm sorry."

Wheeljack heard the medic stumble up the ramp but gave no indication that he did. Fact was, he heard the entire conversation and he didn't know how to feel about it.

"Wheeljack."

The wrecker didn't bother vocalizing his reply, but did rev his engine a little higher and opened his EM field just enough to let the other know he was acknowledged.

"We need your assistance to begin the transfer. You need to come to Ultra Magnus' ship."

"You haven't told her the risks."

There was no satisfaction when he felt the medic's ire. Instead, Wheeljack felt discouraged and worn.

"She needs this knowledge, Wheeljack."

The mech curled his lipplates into a snarl and glared over his shoulder. No longer was he pretending to study the diagnostics on the screen. His vocalizer sputtered with the snappy retort he wanted to say but he just couldn't force it out. Abruptly he turned back around and huffed.

There was a tense silence and Wheeljack counted the astroseconds to when Ratchet finally broke.

"Wheeljack."

Wheeljack hated that tone. It was the same stupid tone that hung with the expectation that he was on the edge of doing something stupid. Which was stupid, because on the rare occasion he did do something wrong it was usually in a split second. Unlike what most thought of him, he didn't waste his time dreaming up meddlesome ways to destroy somebot's career.

"I know," he snapped. He rose up gracefully from his seat and stomped across the ship to the waiting medic. "I know, and I still don't like it. What are you going to do when she finds out abouts the risks or side affects? How will you comfort her when she realizes she's no longer herself?"

He felt the medic's field shut down defensively with that accusation. Ratchet's optics glowed just a little brighter as he grimaced. Wheeljack couldn't care less about the medic's internal conflict.

"Just understand that ten thousand years of strict apology won't be enough to erase this sin," the wrecker stated lowly in warning. He stared the other mech down but Ratchet held his ground.

After a cycle of air, the red and white mech spoke. "I won't apologize," the medic said softly but firmly. "She needs this. And I know I deserve no forgiveness for doing this to her, so I won't ask for it."

A grunt escaped Wheeljack and he pushed past Ratchet. "Good to know you feel the same way, Doc. Now let's get this over with."

He ignored the fast, shocked blinks the medic gave him as he stomped down the ramp. Walking at a steady pace, he reached the other ship where June was hovering like a skittish wash-bot. Her young and innocent field forced him to dig his pedes into the organic sod a little more, just to keep himself focused and grounded. He avoided looking at her after that.

Things passed like a dream for Wheeljack. They somehow got inside the ship where Magnus was waiting. He ignored the commander's presence the best he could until Ratchet kicked him off his own ship. The commander was surprisingly compliant, but Wheeljack could care less.

He tried listening to Ratchet explain the process and kept a careful optic on June. The mutant seemed a little shocked and overwhelmed. She didn't ask many questions, but there was one that made both Autobots freeze for just an astrosecond. The more time Wheeljack spent with the femme the more impressed he became with her intuitiveness. Ratchet quickly covered that angle, too. It certainly was no lie, but it prickled his protoform to know that significant parts were left out.

But Wheeljack kept his vocalizer silent.

Then, Ratchet put her in medical stasis. Wheeljack let the proper medic do the careful opening of her processor. He tensed when the sawblade swiftly cut through June's helm, but Ratchet was beyond careful. Every incision and pull was calculated and true. It was a textbook procedure. And like a true medic, Ratchet quickly found the hard drives and connected the tiny electrodes to them. After cleaning the area, and his servos, he connected the wires to a cord, which was already connected to a box. A medical transmitter; Wheeljack had no idea where the old coot found the junk, but it was too late to ask. Ratchet was already sitting in the other seat and waiting to begin.

Wheeljack pushed himself off against the wall and took his place. No words were exchanged, though Ratchet did give him a solemn look before leaning back into his seat and giving a firm nod. Picking up the first instrument, Wheeljack began his work. It wasn't as smooth or as quick as the medic's, but the wrecker did praise himself for a job well done. A procedure like this was normally reserved for the highest levels of the best hospitals, but here he was taking a crack at it in an old ship on a backwater planet. Good thing the intelligent life on this rock hadn't figured out how real viruses worked. If they did, then maybe Ratchet would have backed down on this crazy plan.

But no matter. Wheeljack was done. He took a step around Ratchet and signaled with his servos the countdown. Ratchet obviously couldn't reply, with his self-induced A-stasis, but his optics did cycle twice intelligently. So Wheeljack stepped back and took the other cord and connected the tiny wires to that. Then, with the care of an eccentric and paranoid explosives expert, Wheeljack pulled his field in tighter than he would when spying on an active Decepticon camp. It was terribly uncomfortable but necessary and would only need to last for him to safely exit the ship. Then with a brief entreaty to the godless universe, he plugged Ratchet's cord into the box, flipped the big red switch and backed away as fast as he could.

Without bothering with the lift, he jumped straight down onto the ground. Even as fast as he was, he still got caught in the first wave of the mixed fields. His whole body shuddered as it tried to neutralize the invasive feelings. Taking a stumbling step forward, he headed to his own ship where he hoped to find peace and quiet.

A/N: I think I accidentally created a lot of fans of June/Ratchet. Whoopsie. I still fell for them (hard) and I know what's gonna happen next and wellllll…. Heartbreak's a knockout, lemme tell ya that. Good thing stuff didn't get too serious, amiright, right? Trollololololol…. I'll let myself out, thanks.

And expect multiple updates in the coming week! I know holidays are coming up for some, and I know I usually need some decompression time from family, so I'll try to throw out some chapters for your enjoyment! So have fun, and be sure to check in. I love hearing from you guys.

Thanks for everything!

~TFC