Author's Note: ''denotes recalled conversations''.

/denotes internal thoughts/

Chapter 18: Two and Two makes Six…

Rachet P.O.V

As I watched the small human woman leave the Med Bay, the beginnings of a smile spread across my dermas. Orianna, as far as humans went, was one of the more endearing of her kind. She could certainly be annoying, but she was also interesting and a mild source of amusement at times.

''Humph! When she isn't peppering me with questions!'' I turned back away from the door to my work. As I hefted the screwdriver in my servos again, I was struck by a thought. /Orianna's questions about Optimus were unusual, to say the least/. Prime and Orianna had seemed to develop a strong friendship over the past eighteen months. They could often be found together enjoying each other's company when Prime was not attending to his duties. I snorted. ''And sometimes even when he was!''

The screwdriver stilled in my servos. /That is until of late/. Orianna has been conspicuously absent on and off these past few months, and conspicuously absent from Prime's side. While I never really paid too much attention to the humans around here, Orianna was one of the few humans I tolerated and considered a friend. Her absence had been noticeable.

I stood to my pedes to walk over and collect another part for my hologram. Part of her absence was due to her not sleeping well of late. I grunted. ''Due to our conversations when she first arrived, I think we have narrowed the cause behind it to something or someone she is thinking about.''

I resumed working at my desk, absentmindedly sifting through the various parts. /Her insistence on discussing Prime's personal details and his relationship status, or lack thereof, was most bizarre. Even for her!/. I would have assumed she already knew a bit about Prime given they had spent so much time together over the past year. I chuckled to myself. ''Then again, this is Prime we are talking about. He doesn't really discuss his personal life with anyone.''

I brought a small set of gears up before my optics to examine them carefully. /Strange that she should want to know if Prime could or would be able to fall in love again/. ''What's it to her anyway?''

All at once the gears dropped from my servos and clattered on the desk below. I froze, my optics blinking rapidly as a thought slammed into my processor like the proverbial semi-trailer. ''NO! Surely not?'' I shook my helm to try and dispel the illogical and pit spawned notion.

There was a loud thudding noise as the doors to the Med Bay were flung open and the topic of our previous conversation walked in. ''Rachet?'' Prime's voice sounded concerned and not a little tired. He seemed perturbed by something and glanced back at the door he had just walked through.

''Yes Prime?'' I folded my arms across my chest and eyed him cautiously, trying to ascertain if there was any basis to my wild theory. ''How can I help you?''

He came to stand before me, servos clenched by his sides. ''Actually, old friend, it is more Orianna I feel needs your help than me at this point anyway.''

I arched one of my optical ridges and barely contained a smirk. ''Oh really? How do you figure that?''

My leader and friend moved to fold his arms across his chest and tilted his helm in thought. ''Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary with Orianna lately? Does she seem to be acting out of character to you?''

I couldn't help snorting in amusement. 'What, apart from normal you mean?'' Prime shot me a withering glare. ''Oh, come on Prime! You must admit in the eighteen or so months we have come to know Orianna, she has proven to be an interesting character full of unique charms and qualities.''

Prime sighed out loud. ''Yes Rachet. She is indeed.'' He unfolded his arms and moved to lean up against a bench, carefully avoiding any medical instruments or operating gurneys. ''But lately, these past few months, Orianna has been acting well, bizarrely.''

I cast him a quick glance as I looked for the set of gears I had dropped. ''Oh, yes? How so?''

''Well. Just now when I happened to pass her leaving the Med Bay, I tried to encourage her to stay and engage in conversation, she became quite flustered and made some excuse of needing to get going because she had some important errand to run.'' Prime's expression shifted from confusion to one of almost hurt. ''I can not help but get the impression at times she seems to be trying to avoid me?''

''That seems highly unlikely Prime. You and Orianna have always seemed to enjoy each other's company. Why would she go out of her way to avoid you now?'' I felt I knew the answer, but I wanted to get a clearer picture of the overall puzzle before I made any further assumptions.

''I know Rachet. It seems illogical!'' I could hear growing frustration in my friend's voice. Prime furrowed his brow as he shifted on his pedes. ''Whilst I have been increasingly distracted by the growing number of Decepticon incursions, when I do have the opportunity to see her, she is only in my company for a few minutes at a time,'' he raised his helm towards me, his optics held a shadow of sadness within them, ''and when she is around me it's not like it used to be between us.''

I put the parts down and turned to face him, giving him my full attention. ''How so Prime?'' I was genuinely interested to hear what he had to say as this was rapidly developing into an interesting situation, one I had never heard of or seen before. And one I was not sure where I sat on the matter..

Prime shook his helm and stood to his full height. ''It doesn't matter Rachet. I am sure I am misinterpreting something, and all is well.'' He began to examine some of the medical tools I had out on the bench, slowly extending a servo to touch one, before rapidly withdrawing it and scrunching his face plates up in disgust.

Putting some distance between himself and anything resembling operating equipment, he continued. ''I am also aware that Orianna has her own life, and it would stand to reason she has her own interests and pursuits outside of…'' he seemed to search for the right word.

''You?'' I supplied for him, raising a teasing optic.

Prime looked perturbed for a nanosecond before he quickly schooled his features into neutrality. ''Actually Rachet, I was going to say work or even we Autobots as a group, not me specifically.'' Prime tilted his helm interrogatively towards me, his face taking on a stony expression. ''Why would you say that Rachet?''

''Just an observation Prime. You and Orianna have spent an awful lot of time in each other's company for the past eighteen months.'' I shrugged my shoulders. ''I guess it is only logical that you should feel somewhat affected by her sudden and seemingly inexplicable disconnection from you.'' I returned my attention to my own holoform device. ''Anyway, I'm sure it is nothing to be concerned about and it will all work itself out soon. What can I do for you anyway Prime?'' I turned back to face him. Prime's reaction just now to my subtle needling restored some calm to my systems. It was clear that Prime harboured no feelings towards Orianna other than friendship. /And that was how it should be/.

Prime seemed to consider my words a moment longer before he recalled the true nature of his visit. ''Actually Rachet, I came to go over the medical reports of all the Autobots to see if they are all fit for duty. We may have need to engage with Decepticons soon and I want to ensure everyone is battle ready.''

I rose to my pedes to retrieve the reports. ''Have them over here Prime. From memory, nothing significant to note.''

Prime made a low rumbling noise of approval. ''Excellent.'' His voice took on a lighter tone to it. ''I also came to see how development of your own hologram was progressing. I hear you intend to make yours look ninety years of age?''

I almost scrunched the reports up in my servos as I recalled my conversation with a particularly meddlesome woman earlier today. /Slagging Orianna!/. Irritation and frustration coursed through me in equal measure.

And then it hit me.

Prime was making a joke. He was teasing me. He was loosening up and having some fun. I blinked my optics slowly as another sudden realisation slammed into me. /Because of her! Prime was changing, had changed because of her/. My own words drifted back to mock me. ''I do not think he would give his spark away again… a Transformer's desire to form strong intimate relationships…is usually only desired and sought well after a strong spark bond is determined to exist between both Transformers.''

My deep scowl slowly turned to a ghost of a smile, a rather perplexed and illogical smile. /Perhaps if I replaced the word ''Transformer'' with ''soul'' I might have it about right?/. I felt somewhat chastened that I had been so judgmental and narrow minded, though I was still making my processor up as to how I truly felt about it all.

''Is everything okay Rachet?'' Prime's voice held some concern as I handed him the reports.

''Of course, it is Prime! Why wouldn't it be?'' I mumbled at him in mild annoyance. He simply stared at me a moment more, shuttering his optics, though he refrained from commenting as he began to give the reports a cursory glance.

''Do you think he could or would ever love again Rachet?'' Orianna's words drifted through my processor as I watched Prime study the document. That same ghost of a smile slowly spread across my dermas once more as I turned to continue working on my project. The notion of a human woman and a Transformer having any sort of romantic attachment was illogical, unnatural, and seemed doomed to failure - and yet. There was no denying the bond that existed between Optimus and Orianna. /Perhaps Orianna. Perhaps he could../.