#15 - Pain Within and Without

"Ready?"

"I'm not so sure about this."

"Bird-bot hazz been zaying that ever zzzince she left the bazze thizzz morning."

"Then I'll say it again; I'm not sure about this."

"Oh c'mon, we picked a spot with water, like you said, in case you don't get it the first time."

"Or twenty."

"It not that hard, Bird-bot."

The three fliers were in their respective beast modes about a mile from the base. They stood in a line on a cliff high over a pond. The two mechs were going to show their femme pal how to do a 'J' dive. They called it a J dive because you jumped or dove backwards and just before you hit the ground, you turned over and swooped back up while doing a barrel roll. They had too much time on their hands.

"Could one of you show me again? Please?" Starfeather requested.

"We've already shown you fifty times," Terrorsaur replied.

"Wazzpinator do it again!" Before anyone could say or do otherwise, the wasp had leaped over the edge. He gave a razzing cry of excitement as he spun up just before he touched the surface of the water, barely causing a ripple. He zipped back up to face the two still on the ledge. Terrorsaur gave Starfeather an expectant look and motioned with his wing towards the edge. She gulped as she looked over the edge again. Waspinator stared at her eagerly.

Come on Star, you can do this. You're a robot, a flying robot. You've done dives before. And you don't want to look like a scardy-cat in front of them, do you? You didn't when you were human, she thought.

"Oh... fine!"

She spread her wings and fell over backwards down the cliff towards the water. She screamed and shut her optics as the wind rushed passed her audio receptors. Bad idea. She splashed into the water and sank down a ways before she opened her optics again. She then made her way to the surface and gasped when her head sprung out. Terrorsaur was hovering right there to smirk on her face.

"You closed your optics, didn't you?"

"Oh shut up," she growled and grabbed his foot in her beak and yanked him in with her. He let out a surprised squawk before water filled his mouth. He transformed and sprung to the surface.

"What'd you do that for?" he demanded, floating in place. Starfeather transformed as well.

"'Cause you deserved it," she grinned and dove below the surface when he went to lunge at her. He growled and hit the water with his fist. Waspinator cackled in his buzzing manner. Terrorsaur glared at him.

"What're you laughing at, bug face?" Waspinator eeped and zoomed away. Terrorsaur sighed. Starfeather soundlessly resurfaced behind him and shoved him down, giggling. He got an idea and grabbed her ankle and dragged her down with him. She punched him in the chest playfully and swam away, bursting out of the water, and soared up to the cliff ledge, laughing. Terrorsaur followed.

"Get back here you tar-drenched punk!" he yelled.

"I don't think so- ...ooh..." Out of the blue, Starfeather didn't feel so good. She lowered to the ground, holding her stomach. She sank to her knees and took quick, deep breaths. She felt like she was going to vomit. She had no idea why. She had felt fine a second ago. Terrorsaur landed beside her, no longer in a playful mood.

"You alright?" he asked, concerned. Waspinator saw what happened and had been inching forward.

"Izz Bird-bot okay?"

"I... I don't know-" she was trying to say, but started hacking. The two mechs weren't sure what to do. They could only watch as she tried to hold it back but she finally lost. She threw up a few times and had several dry-ups. When she gained control over herself, she curled up on the ground away from her ick, shaking violently. Her wings wrapped tightly around her shoulders.

"Can... can you get up?" Terrorsaur asked, trying to push away his shock and took a step closer. Starfeather shook her head.

"W-what's-s-s wr-wrong with m-m-me?" she chattered. She felt so cold and her internal heating systems weren't doing any good. Waspinator and Terrorsaur looked at each other. Then, slowly, the red mech knelt down to pick her up. She didn't feel cold to him, she felt overheated, but she was acting like she had drunk a shot of liquid nitrogen. Coolant fluid was condensing on her forehead and all over her body in fact.

"Let's hurry," he said. The two then took off back to the base.

-x-

"And that'zz when Bird-bot get zzzick," Waspinator finished. The two mechs were explaining what happened to Megatron and Tarantulas. Starfeather had been placed in a CR tank but that didn't seem to be working. She would still cough up when she tried to drink more energon to replace what she lost so they gave up on that.

"Oh no," Tarantulas suddenly groaned. Now he thought he knew what was wrong.

"What is it?" Megatron demanded.

"That tainted energon you wanted me to create to infect the Maximals," the tarantula said. During the past week, since Scorponok's venom didn't exactly work and in case their latest plan to infiltrate the Maximal base didn't succeed, Megatron had him working on energon to give all the Maximals something similar to severe food poisoning in organics. With them all sick to the stomach, they wouldn't be able to fight back.

"It went missing this morning and I think she might be the culprit."

"What?!" Terrorsaur and Waspinator exclaimed at the same time.

"Can you make an antidote?" Megatron asked.

"Yes, but it will take time. Time Starfeather might not have."

"What do you mean "time she might not have"?" Terrorsaur demanded.

"The tainted energon was also designed to slowly shut down the drinker's internal systems. She has about three days before- Gack!" Tarantulas answered, almost solemnly, before he was grabbed by the throat.

"How could you let something that dangerous just sit out where she could get to it?!" Terrorsaur yelled, grabbing Tarantulas by the neck.

"Terrorsaur! Release Tarantulas at once!" the Predacon leader barked. The pteranodon did so and recoiled. He didn't understand why he had gotten so upset. "Scorponok, go check on our downed comrade," Megatron ordered.

Scorponok transformed to robot mode and did what he was told. He went to the medical bay where the sick femme was laying asleep, at last, on an examination table. The sight of her moved even him. She was so dull looking, hooked up to a few machines to monitor her condition. He shoved these unwanted feelings of pity and sickness away and went to a screen to analyze the readings. Her spark rate was irregular and vital system operations were gradually decreasing.

Starfeather was stable at the moment, to say the least, but it still wasn't good and wouldn't get better without a cure. Her optics flickered online dimly. She saw the Second and took the opportunity to ask,

"How long was I out?" Her voice was raspy.

"Less than a few hours," Scorponok answered. "Have you discharged again since someone last checked on you?" She nodded slowly.

"Once... Do you know what's wrong with me?"

"Tarantulas could better explain. He should be trying to formulate a cure as we speak."

She nodded again and rested her head back on the table. She felt like she had a form of stomach flu. She had had it twice before when she was human. What a Christmas and Valentine's day those had been.

-x-

Her optics widened when Tarantulas finished explaining what was happening to her. All Starfeather had really heard and understood was "you have less than three days".

"Am I going to die?!" she exclaimed.

"Not if I can create an antidote in time. Now, hold still so I can take a sample from you," the spider hissed, trying to hold her still so he could insert a syringe in her arm.

"No! I hate needles!" she protested.

"Would you rather I do it or die because I didn't?" he growled. She froze and thought it through.

"...will it hurt any?"

"No." At least not much, he thought devilishly with one of his trademarked chuckles. She sighed.

"Fine, just... get it over with." No sooner said and he stabbed the needle into her upper arm. She screamed. "OW! That hurt you lying son of a bitch!"

"I've done it, get over it." The tarantula slowly pulled the needle out and left with what he needed. Starfeather growled as he stalked out. Suddenly, she felt like vomiting and leaned over the edge of her bed and gazed down at the bucket placed there for her needs...

-x-

She was so hungry. Well, energon starved anyway. She knew that if she so much as swallowed a drop of the powering substance, it would just come right back up. She was sick of throwing up and of her insides hurting. Either she had become a hypochondriac or it really was happening but she could feel other systems beginning to malfunction.

Tarantulas said that she wasn't contagious unless someone literally ate her, which they all assumed that no one would do, so she wanted some company. She was watching her wingmates enter the medical bay.

"How're you holding up?" Terrorsaur asked, trying to sound casual and not fearful of her life.

"I'm gonna die, huh?" Starfeather sighed. She had picked up on his cover.

"Bird-bot not going to die," Waspinator stated determinedly, crossing his arms. She smiled at him.

"Believe me, I'm a fighter when it comes to my life. If I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go kicking and punching right where it hurts." Terrorsaur smirked.

"Remind me never to get you upset."

"Nope." She grinned evilly and weakly laughed as they laughed too.

"Can we play Bird-bot'zz Uno cardz game?" Waspinator asked eagerly. Starfeather smiled again.

"Sure, I can sit up still." Just to prove it, she hoisted herself up and easily swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She wasn't hooked up to the machines for now so she wasn't restricted. "But I don't think I should walk. Could one of you go to my room and get it? It should be on the desk."

"I'll get it." Terrorsaur offered before Waspinator could and left the room. He didn't want that wasp going through her stuff. Wait... he was doing it again! He was acting... not normal. Before he knew it, he was standing in her quarters and sure enough, there was the game rig. He grabbed it and left before any more of these weird thoughts and feelings could make him act up again.

-x-

Starfeather had had fun last night. But today, she felt even worse and had to remain hooked up to life support machines. She could barely talk, her throat hurt so much. Things were also looking bleak for her condition. Tarantulas wasn't even half way near being close to finishing the antidote. She was beginning to suspect that he wasn't even working on it but that was stupid. Mega-pervert still wanted his way with her and he couldn't do it while she was sick or dead. Unless he was a necrophilic type...

She sighed, long and noisily. She was tired of lying around and wanted to go back to monitor duty if it meant she got to move around a little, but her body felt so heavy. If she moved too much, she'd throw up what little she had finally been able to keep down. She wondered what would happen if she did die. Not about herself, but about her friends and her teammates. What would the Maximals do? Mourn her for a while, then forget her? Remember her with honors? And what about her wingmates? Would they mourn her too? Would they even miss her like they said? She wondered this because she planned on telling them about her truth before her end. She felt that she owed them at least that much.

Then she wondered what dying would be like. Where would her spirit or spark go? Would she go to heaven or this place called the Well of All Sparks? If she did, she would be surrounded by transformers she didn't know. Would she go to hell or the Pit for her crimes? Would she get reincarnated and get a second chance at life? Would she maybe go back to her old body and her old life as if all this never happened? Was there even an afterlife at all?

She shook her head. No, she wasn't going to let herself die. She would be strong and move along from this phase. It was all she had. She would live to see the end of this war. She would live to see and explore her new home on Cybertron. She would live to play another game of Uno.

-x-

Cheetor was worried today. He was worried about Starfeather. She hadn't been to her usual place in days. He wondered if anything had happened to her that had to do with Megatron. The thought made him cringe. He longed to tell Big 'Bot so that they could help her... Or maybe, he could somehow trick her into telling Optimus herself.

If she was still alive. He sighed to himself.

"I hope she's okay."

-x-

Megatron decided to pay their downed comrade a visit while she slept. He soundlessly entered the medical bay to see Starfeather sound asleep. She looked so thin and dull, it nearly made him sick. Nonetheless, he approached her frail figure and hovered over her like a hawk waiting to make its kill.

"Sleep in peace tonight, my dear. You shall live to be mine when all is said and done," he vowed quietly. He then longingly ran a finger along her face before leaving the room. She grimaced as a nightmare began to cloud her feverish dreams.

-x-

Terrorsaur had somehow gotten it in his head that he wanted to see if Starfeather was okay. He had gotten up before anyone else and crept to the medical bay. He slipped inside like a shadow and went to her bedside. Her silky black feathers and silver frame were dull and hardly gave off a shine in the dim lighting. Her steel blue highlights looked almost gray. Her optics were off but he could still tell what hue they were when online. Compared to the rest of her body, her dark optics were the only thing that appeared to hold even the slightest bit of brightness. Her face also still held some sheen. Even in her sickened state, he thought that she looked as beautiful as ever. He winced. Where did that come from? He was about to smack himself to clear his mind when he felt something touch his other hand. He looked down again and saw that she had woken up.

Starfeather was extremely groggy, but saw the sudden weird and shocked look on Terrorsaur's face. She was glad that he had come to see her, alone. She smiled softly and shakily reached out to lightly touch his hand. When he looked down at her, she smiled a little brighter.

"Hey Screechy," she rasped.

He couldn't reply. It was like his voice emitter suddenly shorted out. All he could do was awkwardly return her smile as her hand gently clutched his. He slowly tightened his grasp as well. Her aqua green optics glittered with humor. Now she knew what this feeling was. She had felt this way toward her first boyfriend. She had a crush and maybe, just maybe, it would become something more. At this realization, she felt a wave of dizzy tiredness wash over her like a heavy blanket. Her smile vanished and she felt faint.

"T-Terrorsaur, I gotta tell you..." she managed before her optics went off again and her hand went limp.

"Starfeather?" he said, his raspy voice laced with concern and fear. When she didn't respond, he squeezed her hand in both of his. "Starfeather!" he repeated louder.

Then, the machines she was hooked up to began beeping and the screens showed that her life signs were rapidly growing weaker. Terrorsaur glanced from her to the screens and to the door, panic creeping to his systems. Finally, he laid her hand back at her side and left the room. He had to find Tarantulas right now. Starfeather's fragile life depended on it, depended on him. But when did he care so much? Sure, they were wingmates, dare he say friends, but why was he so desperate? What was this constant fluttering feeling in the depths of his spark that caused him to think of her so and act so strange?

-x-

Rattrap had been sent to see why their spy had been absent for three days. As the rat made his way into the Darkside, he wondered why Cheetor had been so revved up about her being in big trouble. The strange thing was that he wouldn't say what kind of trouble and that he wanted to be the one to go check out what was wrong. Everyone could easily tell that he had grown fond of the raven.

He crept along the duct work, listening for her voice or someone to call her name. He didn't hear anything except several 'bots moving around quickly. He went on until he came to a vent over a hallway with a door leading into the room that the Preds were coming in and out of. He couldn't see into the room so he crawled into another duct to a vent just above the room. He had to bite back a gasp when he saw what was going on inside.

What in the name of gouda is happening to her?

-x-

Tarantulas had just finished the antidote. Though it was only a minuscule amount, it was enough to keep Starfeather alive long enough for him to formulate another larger dose. The next one would definitely be enough to cure her and she would be back to normal in less than a day's time.

Right now, he was preparing to attempt to stabilize her systems to some degree before giving her the dosage. He had Scorponok and Blackarachnia on it as well. Megatron made sure that the she-spider wouldn't try anything funny to jeopardize the raven's life. As a matter of fact, the Predacon leader was watching the whole procedure. He lurked at one end of the room as Tarantulas prepared to insert the antidote.

"Systems stable?"

"As stable as they'll ever be," was Blackarachnia's truthful answer.

"Sparkbeat is fairly rhythmic, though steadily growing weaker," Scorponok informed. Tarantulas grunted and lowered the syringe. He released the tiny amount of cure into her body.

"It's touch and go from here until the full dosage is formulated," he announced and left the room. Terrorsaur and Waspinator had been watching from the doorway and stepped aside to let the tarantula out. They resumed their positions and continued their vigil.

"She's coming around," Scorponok said after a few moments. Sure enough, there was a moan from Starfeather and a cough. She opened her optics and looked around. She tensed at the sight of Megatron, but she relaxed when she saw her wingmates now entering the room and coming to her side.

"What happened?" she asked as she sat up.

"Bird-bot crashed," Waspinator said.

"Tarantulas just left to create a larger amount of the antidote to cure you," Terrorsaur added. Blackarachnia snorted and left the room. Scorponok looked to his leader and when Megatron signaled for him to leave, he did so.

"So I'm... not going to die?" Starfeather murmured.

"Of course not!" Terrorsaur exclaimed. Waspinator couldn't contain himself anymore. He took a swift step forward and caught her up in his arms in a back-breaking hug.

"Bird-bot going to live!" he cried gleefully. She gasped and laughed weakly as the wasp clung to her, cutting off her circulation.

"Choking...not breathing... Waspy! I can't feel my arms!"

As Terrorsaur watched, he felt a slight twinge of something in his spark. It made him want to push the bug away from the raven and take his place wrapping his arms around her. He wrung his hands as he was screaming inside, What the frag is going on with me?!

The pteranodon wasn't the only one watching this display of affectionate friendship. The three fliers were unaware of the Predacon leader still watching from the far end of the room, his optics glowing with lust. He soundlessly left the room as the friends continued to talk.

"Let's make this a group hug," Starfeather exclaimed. Waspinator got the hint and pulled a surprised Terrorsaur in.

"H-hey! What're you- Get off me!" he protested but he froze when he felt her arm come around him. Almost as if on reflex, he put his own arm around her shoulder. Her smile brightened and her optics sparkled with happiness.

"Now this is what I call a support group," she said and laughed along with Waspinator. Terrorsaur managed a slightly nervous chuckle. Rattrap narrowed his optics, both at what Starfeather had said and the look the Pred leader had given her.

Hmm... He suddenly had an idea on what Cheetor, more like Starfeather, wasn't telling them. He then soundlessly pattered back the way he'd come and back to the Maximal base.

-x-

"Is this true, Cheetor?" Optimus asked. Cheetor looked down at his feet. It seemed like anything he said wouldn't make this situation any better, for him or Starfeather. He sighed quietly and gave the only answer he could.

"Yes, sir."

"Cheetor, how could you keep something like this from us?" Optimus questioned.

"She threatened me," the golden mech said helplessly.

"Whether she threatened you or not is out of the question. Her life is more important than your dignity," the Maximal leader stated.

"I know... and I'm sorry," Cheetor sighed. He shifted his weight uncomfortably under his commander's stern gaze and the gazes of his comrades.

"You are going to tell me all that you know about this later," Optimus ordered. Cheetor bowed his head. Dinobot's facial features hardened as he thought.

"I would not put it passed Megatron to attempt such a thing," he growled. "But it is hard to comprehend that the ex-human possessed the strength to fight him."

"We need to get her out of there as soon as she's able to leave their base," Rhinox said. Optimus nodded his agreement.

"But there could be a problem with that," Rattrap began again. "Remember how stubborn she was to leave 'em? Well, I also saw just how close she is to those fliers."

"How close?" Cheetor blurted. Everyone gave him a look before turning back to Rattrap.

"She's closer to them than us for one thing 'cause I don't think she'll be wantin' a group hug with us anytime soon."

"Hmm..." Rhinox fingered his chin.

"And what about this sickness?" Optimus continued to question Rattrap.

-x-

"Wazzpinator winzzz!"

"Aw man! I was so close!"

"Not close enough apparently."

The three fliers were playing Starfeather's Uno game again. Waspinator had somehow been able to win this time. Starfeather set her cards down and looked at Terrorsaur. He was staring off into space.

"Earth to Terrorsaur, come in Screechy," she teased and tapped him on the shoulder. He jerked back to reality and randomly, mostly out of surprise, looked right into her optics. Their gazes locked and they both froze. She tried to look away because she could feel herself heating up and turning red but she couldn't move. She couldn't even blink. She could only look back and lose herself in his crimson portals.

He tried to look away, even to close his optics to keep from turning even redder than he already was, but he... couldn't. All he could do was gaze into those beautiful pools of soft aqua green light.

Waspinator was waiting for them to snap out of it, but it didn't look like they would any time soon. He leaned forward and waved his hand in front of them.

"Wazzpinator to love birdz," he said and snickered. That got Terrorsaur's attention. He snapped his optics from Starfeather and glared at the wasp.

"What did you say?" he growled. Waspinator eeped slightly and backed up a little.

"W-Wazpinator only kidding," he said nervously. Suddenly, Starfeather started laughing. She was laughing so hard that she fell over backwards to lay on the floor. Terrorsaur then glared at her.

"What's so funny?" he demanded.

"Oh, nothing," she managed. "It's just that you-" She couldn't finish as she burst into another fit. He growled, got up, and left the room. He couldn't stay in there, not with her laughing at him. And what Waspinator had said... that couldn't be true! He wasn't a love bird... was he?

-x-

Starfeather was beginning to suffer from chills again, not to mention throwing up. She wished that Tarantulas would hurry it up and make that stuff.

That wasn't what she was really on her mind. She was thinking about what Waspinator had said about her and Terrorsaur. Love birds? Was it really that obvious? ...oh no. What would Megatron do to them if he found out that they liked each other? Would he try and kill Terrorsaur? Or would he kill her to set an example for the others? Would he kill them both?

They needed to figure something out as soon as they got each other figured out.

-x-

Meanwhile, Terrorsaur was giving Waspinator a piece of his mind.

"How could you say something so stupid?! We're just friends, all three of us!"

"Wazzzpinator wazz only kidding! Pleazze Terrorsaur, no need get angry."

"You think I don't have a need to get angry?!"

"Um... yezz?"

"Well I do! Just stay outa my business, keep your mandibles shut, and no one gets hurt."

"Okay," Waspinator gulped.

-x-

Starfeather was feeling good as new. Fortunately, Tarantulas had the rest of the antidote prepared and she lived. For some reason, Terrorsaur hadn't come to see her after the incident during the game of Uno. She wondered if it was something she had said or done. When she would try to find him and apologize, he would either walk away or tell her that he didn't have time to talk. She was beginning to get desperate to say something to him.

However, right now she was lying on her stomach by the stream in her clearing, relishing in the fresh air and sunshine. She sighed and kicked her feet in the air, listening to the soft, soothing, splashing sound of the water's music. She looked up when she heard the sound of something moving in the forest ahead of her. It soon showed itself as a gorilla. She inclined her head.

"Optimus?"

"Hello Starfeather," he greeted. "How are you feeling today?" he wondered pointedly.

"Just fine now," she answered, not picking up on his direct question. "You wouldn't believe what happened to me this week."

"Not to be rude, but I already know a good deal about it," he replied. She raised an optic brow.

"Did you send Rattrap or something?"

"Yes, we hadn't detected you away from the Predacon base in three days and were getting worried. Cheetor was really concerned about you."

"Oh, well, tell him I'm just fine." She blushed slightly.

"You can tell him yourself." Optimus sidestepped to reveal the cheetah behind him, but Cheetor didn't look very happy to see her. He gave her a brief remorseful and apologetic look before returning his gaze to his forepaws. Starfeather cocked her head again.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked. Optimus transformed, as well as Cheetor. They entered her fence and stood before her.

"I think it's more like something is wrong with you." She stood too and gave him a questionable look.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean there's something very serious that you and Cheetor are not telling me." She frowned.

"What the Predacons were planning, they're not going do it, thanks to me. So far as I know, Megatron doesn't have anything else planned at the moment. What are you talking about?"

"When Rattrap went to investigate, he saw something that set off some suspicions," Optimus began. Starfeather suddenly became nervous. What had Rattrap seen? Did he see the group hug and hear the words exchanged? Did he see that awkward incident between herself and Terrorsaur? She softly gulped and continued to listen.

"He saw Megatron give you a very disturbing look." She almost laughed out loud and growled at the same time when Optimus said that. She just managed a choking noise. "Has Megatron sexually assaulted you?"

She held her breath and immediately knew that Cheetor must have explained everything she had told him. She took a step back, wrapping her arms around herself and looking away, not able to meet her commander's stern yet concerned gaze.

"It's nothing I can't handle," she said quietly.

"Starfeather, you need to tell us these things. We could've helped you," he said, his voice having a note of tenderness. These matters must be handled with care and he was growing a father like affection for her.

"Help me how? Take me away from the Predacon base to stay at yours?" she retorted bitterly. She didn't know where this rush of anger had come from, but she was fighting to hold it back and losing.

"If that action was deemed necessary, then yes."

"Well then, you're climbing the wrong tree, sir," she growled. "Because I'm staying put and if I have to leave your ranks to do so, then so be it." A voice in the back of her mind was screaming at her not to do and say that kind of thing. She belonged with the Maximals and she knew it. Was she really willing to throw away her beliefs for two alien robots that she would just end up leaving anyway?

"Starfeather," Cheetor said, stepping toward her. "Don't say that."

"Why shouldn't I?" she snapped. "It's my life and I'm going to live it how I want!" She suddenly realized she was growing violent. She took a deep breath to try and contain herself.

"My place is at Waspinator and Terrorsaur's sides. Despite what they may have done to you, they respect me and protect me against Megatron. We plan to throw him down, together, so that we can run the Predacons our way. I'm going to see if I can't convince them to stop this fighting so we can make peace and all go home."

"How can you do that?" Cheetor exclaimed, taking another step toward her. "You're a Maximal, not one of them!" Optimus held out a hand to block the golden mech from going any further.

"Stand down Cheetor," he ordered then turned back to Starfeather. "Starfeather?" he questioned seriously. "If Megatron is threatening you, you can't stay, no matter what Terrorsaur and Waspinator are doing to try and help you."

"You don't know that!" she shouted. "They trust me and I trust them! They need me, can't you see that? They're changing because of me!"

"You can't put a foot on the dock and the ship. You need to choose where your true loyalties lie. Will you stay on our side or will you go back to the Predacons?" She lowered her gaze in thought. She didn't know what she wanted anymore. She wanted to be with her friends, on both sides. Why couldn't she have it? Her shoulders drooped.

"I can't do it... I... I can't..." She broke down, falling to her knees and covering her face with her hands, shaking with sobs. She needed to get it out of her system, to be relieved of all this pressure and worry and fear. Cheetor wanted to just place his arms around her slender shoulders and comfort her, but he knew that he couldn't. She didn't want him. She chose the Preds over him. Yet he still watched her cry with genuine concern and sympathy. Optimus, on the other hand, knelt down beside her. She turned and cried into his chest.

"I'm b-being torn apart!" she wailed. "I just wanna go- go home!" He gently patted her back, trying to calm her down.

"I know, young one, I know... We all want to go home."

"I-I've lost so much... will I lose m-my best friends too?" she sniffled. "Th-they mean the w-world to me..." she whimpered. Both Optimus and Cheetor could see how much she really did care for those two Predacon fliers. She could see something inside them that they couldn't and they just might need her as much as she claimed. If what Cheetor said was correct, she did possess the strength to fight off even Megatron when the need arose.

"If this is really what you want, you are allowed to stay," Optimus said when Starfeather had stopped crying. She looked up at him with thankfulness gleaming in her optics.

"Thank you, thank you so much." She hugged him, but pulled back shortly. "Thank you for understanding, but I think I need to go before the others miss me."

"Of course." He stood up and helped her up. "However, I expect a report within the week."

"Yes sir," she saluted and turned to leave. Cheetor gave Optimus a pleading look. He gave him a slight nod and the golden mech went forward and touched her shoulder. She stopped and looked behind her.

"Cheetor, I'm fine now. Really."

"That's not it." He shook his head. "I just want to say... I..." He sighed, unable to finish his original sentence. "Take care of yourself." She nodded, stepping away from him and reverted to beast mode.

"Of course," she replied and flew away. She felt so much better now that she had dumped all her bottled up feelings. She just wished that it would stay like that. Cheetor watched her leave wistfully. He wondered why she so wanted to stay with those slaggin' low-life Predascum. No matter what she thought she saw in them, she didn't belong with them. He would make her see the truth and bring her around.