Chapter 145 – Where you Belong

Prime P.O.V

/How did this happen?/. The thought seems to be on a continuous loop through my processor as I near the coordinates given to me. As I make out her motionless form laying on the ground before Rachet, a multitude of emotions flood my systems.

Shock, anger, fear, relief, happiness – love.

I cut power to my rockets and land a short distance away from Rachet. Rising swiftly to my pedes, I close the distance between us in several strides, coming to kneel before her.

/My Phoenix!/.

For a moment, all I can do is stare at her face, her beautiful face. For five long years I have only seen her in my dreams. For five interminable years she has been out of my reach and now – she was here. Right before me. Ever so slowly I raise my right servo and extend it hesitatingly towards her face – as if the moment would shatter.

Ever so gently and reverently I cup her face, brushing her cheek with my digits and as I do so, I close my optics as the sensation of her races through me once again. /How many times have I pictured her face in my dreams? How many times have I imagined her being in my arms again?/. My optics open again to drink the sight of her in. ''Oh, my Phoenix! How I have missed you.''

I sweep my gaze over the rest of her form, and it is then that I see it.

Dried energon on her right shoulder, arm and face from torn and battered armour plating. My spark lurches in its casing as I quickly assess her injuries, but it is her helm that at once fills me with dread and anger. A massive, gaping laceration runs from the back of her helm up behind her chevron. Exposed circuitry and wiring send an icy wave of fear over me. I gasp out loud and surge forward, wrapping my arms protectively about her, bringing her almost lifeless form against my body. I close my optics and gently lean my helm down to lightly lay against hers. My voice cracks with the strength of my emotions as I make a vow to the silent femme in my arms. ''Never again! Never again will I let you go my Phoenix. I swear it to Primus!'' I kiss her helm gently.

''So…'' behind me I hear Sunstreaker pipe up, confusion in his voice as he watches this display of affection between his Prime and Phoenix. ''I clearly missed something. This Phoenix and Prime they are…'' I can tell Sunstreaker is casting his optics about the small group, searching for an explanation yet the others seem at a loss of what to say and how to say it given all that has transpired between Phoenix and I.

Without taking my gaze off her face, I address Sunstreaker. ''Bound to each other Sunstreaker - together.'' /Or at least I hope so/, the thought flashes through me. ''She has my spark utterly and completely and,'' I stroke her face again, ''I pray to Primus she still honours me with hers.''

Sunstreaker, unperturbed continues, ''Wait? Still? Why wouldn't she? What happened?''

I close my optics and my shoulders seem to slump as the weight of what has passed between us, my actions, my fears settle upon them.

Sunstreaker continues yet again, ''And what happened with Elita? I thought you were…''

I hear a loud metallic sound as Sideswipe slaps his brother on the shoulder, ''And that's enough from you, bro!''

Ironhide's gruff voice speaks up, ''Perhaps you pair can make yourselves useful and carry out a patrol of the immediate vicinity, make sure the perimeter is secure and we will not be set upon by anymore Decepticon scum?''

I ex-vent deeply, trying to expel the fresh wave of guilt that assails me at the mention of Elita as I hold Phoenix in my arms. Sideswipe places his servo on Sunny's arm and leads him away, his voice dropping slightly, ''I'll fill you in bro, let's go.''

Arcee calls out, ''I'll join you! Someone has to keep an optic on you both and make sure you stay out of trouble.''

Ironhide nods at her as he folds his arms across his chest and returns his concerned gaze back towards Phoenix and I. Though I say nothing I feel a wave of gratitude wash over me for my weapon's specialist. I did not have the energy, the patience or the spark to handle Sunstreaker's interrogative questions. Not when all I want to do is hold Phoenix in my arms. /Right where she belongs/.

At the sound of the troublesome twins departing, I turn to Rachet. I feel my expression of love and adoration turning to one of irritation and annoyance. ''How did this happen?'' I manage to tear my gaze away from the beautiful femme in my arms and send my medic and my weapon's specialist a stern, questioning look.

Up until this point, Rachet had refrained from speaking, allowing me a small amount of privacy. Now, he gave a small cough and stepped towards me. ''Well Prime, according to Phoenix herself, after you and she fired those shots into the magnet disabling it, debris began to fall back towards the ground, and she happened to get in the way of some.''

''What kind of debris Rachet? Her injuries indicate it must have been significant,'' I eyed him carefully.

Rachet nodded, ''Yes Prime it was. According to Phoenix, it was the bow of a large ship that slammed into her helm, neck and shoulder.''

I gasped and pulled her carefully towards me. I dare not look at the offending wound at the moment or I would be lost in a sea of guilt and anger.

Ironhide unfolded his arms and took a step towards me, ''As you can imagine Prime, she was unable to continue to fly and was knocked to the ground. She landed quite heavily on her left side and, in doing so, damaged the membranes on her wings.''

Rachet spoke again and I shifted my keen gaze to him. ''She tried to transform or move again and realised she was badly injured, deciding to comm me for help.'' Rachet gave a small sigh, ''I realised her injuries were serious as she was unable to provide me with a location. It was as though she had forgotten how to do it – clearly a result of her helm injury.'' Rachet had come to stand beside Ironhide now. ''We set out to find her immediately.''

I closed my optics briefly as I digested all this information, holding Phoenix possessively against me. In a soft, whisper tinged with fear, I asked the question that terrified me. ''Rachet? Will…. Will this injury mean she forgets who I am? Who I was to her?'' I raise pain filled optics towards my friend and my medic.

Rachet gave me a small, sympathetic smile. ''No Prime. She remembers who you are.'' He pauses a moment, his smile fading a little. ''Though she has made no mention of what you were to each other.''

While a part of me is relieved to hear she remembers me, a sinking feeling settles in the pit of my tanks as Rachet informs me Phoenix made no indication she recalled what we had between us. /But the way she said your name when she first spoke to you, the way she looked at you – there was something there!/. After a moment of silent deliberation, I opened my optics again. ''Very well. And this was everything that happened to her?'' I tilted my helm as I awaited their reply.

Rachet and Ironhide exchange a ''look'' of sorts as if they are debating what else they should say.

I raise my helm towards them both and narrowed my optics. ''What? What else aren't you telling me?''

Rachet sighed out loud, ''Prime, perhaps it is best not to….''

''I suggest you speak now Rachet,'' my own voice was low, wrapped in an icy warning. I held Phoenix closer to me and she seemed to subconsciously reach for me. I gazed down at her for a moment. /So much I want to say to, have to say to you but cannot – not for a while longer/. I reluctantly raise my helm and level my gaze at my medic and my weapon's specialist. They both ex-vent deeply, but do not look away.

''Well, you aren't going to like this Prime, but..'' Rachet began to speak tentatively.

Ironhide took over the narrative, ''When we found Phoenix, Galvatron was..'' He did not get a chance to finish.

The energon in my lines froze and then boiled and a white-hot rage consumed me followed by an icy stab of fear and I pulled Phoenix protectively against my chest, forgetting for a moment she was unconscious and injured. ''WHAT?! DID HE DO ANYTHING TO HER!'' I roared. My optics darted between them both, fury radiating from me.

Rachet held his servos up before him and stepped carefully towards me, ''Nothing Prime! He did nothing to her. It's okay. Apart from the wounds she sustained when the magnet gave out and her subsequent fall, she is unharmed.''

Ironhide nodded his helm, ''He is right Prime. When we arrived, Galvatron was simply talking to her and we put a rapid end to that.'' His optics hardened as he stared directly at me. ''Do you think for one moment any of us would allow harm to befall Phoenix if it were in our power to stop it?''

I flinched slightly at his tone and the insinuation that I alone cared for Phoenix. I felt some of the rage and fear dissipate and loosened my hold on her slightly, raising my optics to meet my friend's. I shook my helm slowly. ''No, I do not Ironhide. I am sorry, I just…I can't..'' My voice dropped to a whisper as I recalled what Elita endured in my absence, '''Not again… I couldn't bear it if she..'' I couldn't even find the words to explain how I felt.

Ironhide ex-vented and shook his helm, and his expression softened. ''It's okay Prime. I know.''

I nodded my gratitude. ''What did he say to her?'' In my arms, Phoenix stirred slightly and I gently rocked her in my arms, trying to comfort her. She stilled immediately, a small smile forming on her dermas.

Rachet stepped towards me then, ''I think it is best you talk to her about it Prime when she is able.'' He gave me small, sad smile, ''You have so much you need to talk about, but this is something best coming from her.'' Rachet folded his arms across his chest and gave me a stern look. ''I have a feeling Prime that that trial Primus alluded to and made Phoenix a Prime for, is coming - and coming soon. That is part of what Galvatron spoke to her about.''

A cold shiver ran the length of my body and a heavy weight settled around my spark as I closed my optics. /Will we ever get a moment's peace with each other?/. ''That is all I am going to say. On this Prime I will not be challenged.'' Rachet fixed me with a determined gaze, one I knew better than to ignore.

I nodded my helm in understanding. I may not like it, but I would accept it. Keeping my gaze on my Phoenix as she lay blissfully unaware in my arms, I felt my spark contract slightly as the deep laceration on her helm once again came into view. I addressed my medic and my friend. ''What do you need Rachet to repair her, make her well again?'' I would stop at nothing to provide it.

''As you know, her repair systems are already working to fix some of her injuries. It's the deep laceration to her helm that concerns me most Prime.'' He sighed out loud. ''Ideally, I need my Med Bay back in Diego Garcia, but I don't think that is going to happen.''

I set my dermas in a thin line of determination and nodded my helm. ''We shall see about that.''

I opened my comm line to patch through a call to the one person I thought could help me in my time of need. /Come on Lennox. Please, answer/.