Yazmine's P.O.V.
"So, she thinks she'll have a happily ever after? Ha!"
"They don't know you have one more insider," Jadin smiles.
"We'll make sure she's mentally unstable, and Audrey is sent away."
"I miss the torturing already."
"Hmm, let's see how this plan goes."
I contact our other insider.
Ratchet's P.O.V.
After what happened last night, Ryley insists on taking Audrey for the morning. Jasmine panicked the second the door closed.
"Easy, she's taking Audrey to their room," I assure her.
"No, she's not safe."
Scrap, she thinks Audrey is in danger.
I text Rung and Prime before trying to keep Jasmine from panicking. I have her sit on the bed and hug her.
I know there's worse, she could trust none of us, but this is heartbreaking. Does she think I'm a target? Everyone?
Optimus and Rung come in and try to get Jasmine to calm down, but she ends up crying, terrified we won't be able to keep her or Audrey safe. I don't know if she thinks Damian and Ryley are in danger or not.
"She has the right to know our security system even if all this didn't happen," Prowl reminds Optimus as he closes the door behind him, "I've been working on improving the system with Red Alert and Wheeljack."
"Show her, but it's still going to be a while before she feels safe," Rung explains.
The three mechs leave the room once Jasmine is calm, Prowl telling me to call him when Jasmine is ready to go to his office.
Jasmine needs a little time before she's ready to get breakfast, and I worry she'll soon refuse to eat. The terror twins and Ironhide are at the table, not liking it's already been a rough morning.
"It's ok. We'll keep you and your family safe," Ironhide assures as he takes her hand.
"You know everyone is armed in the base? Though only with handguns, it's still effective," Sunstreaker adds.
We know he has his knife on him.
I didn't think Sunstreaker would argue for resuming his duty as Jasmine's guard.
"If she's like Jamie; she'll be happy to have more time with you but also hate how you're not doing your job," he's right, but I worry about the other side of this; she'll struggle not to be with me, "I know it's tricky; she could be ok with you working in the medbay today, but not tomorrow."
Sunstreaker sounds concerned, which is surprising. It's hard to say if he feels sorry for Jasmine, though this isn't like what happened to him and Sideswipe.
Jasmine isn't liking I told her I don't want her working for a while, and Rung agrees she shouldn't be training.
"You're still recovering from what happened," I explain, "I'm sorry, but you're not mentally fit. At least we can temporarily suspend duty, unlike the other branches in the military."
I hug Jasmine as she cries. That glitch is ruining everything for her. As Sunstreaker said, she will not like the change to my schedule I've made, but I think she needs days with Audrey and me to help her recover.
While Jasmine is at her appointment with Rung, I talk to Jolt.
"Ratchet?" Sideswipe asks as we cross paths in the hallway, "mind if I'm part of Jasmine's support group? Everyone supports her, but I think time with me will help her relax."
Sideswipe acts childishly, but perhaps it's now a good thing. I ask him to get Sunstreaker as I go talk to Jolt.
"What about studying in her office?" Jolt asks when I tell him I'm putting Jasmine on sick leave.
"No, she needs to focus on her mental health. I know this makes her happy, but I don't think she's stable enough for work."
"You know she will not like this?"
I nod and leave the medbay.
Jasmine's P.O.V.
I don't know what to say to Rung. He says the same lie over and over; they all do.
I'm not safe unless I'm dead, but I can't leave Audrey, never knowing her close family, so I'm left giving Yazmine what she wants... but if I'm deemed unfit to take care of Audrey.
Rung's P.O.V.
It's good I'm seeing how bad Jasmine's anxiety is, but I also dread watching her go through an anxiety attack. I quickly text Ratchet before sitting next to her and trying to calm her down. I don't know if a baby can be affected by this, but Jasmine needs to see that Audrey is ok. I'll let Ryley know what's going on and decide whether to bring Audrey here. I know what set this off and what I'd say is like a broken record to Jasmine. More needs to be done to help her realize she's safe.
Ryley came by with Audrey at the same time as Ratchet. I didn't think she'd rush here with the stroller, nor did I think she'd take charge. Though she's Right, Jasmine needs to be with her family. It's been slow, and Ratchet can get to the medbay when needed, but I worry about the baby near Jasmine. I know she doesn't understand what's happening, but I worry this can affect her development. Ryley knows more about babies than me and insists this is what we need to do.
Ratchet takes Audrey and sits on the couch next to Jasmine. He takes Jasmine's hand to feel Audrey's tiny hands.
"I think she'd smile if she could," Ryley smiles.
Ratchet gets Jasmine to focus on Audrey. Within a few minutes, Jasmine holds the baby with Ratchet, adding extra support.
"I'll wait in the hallway," Ryley tells me.
I sit at my desk and leave the family alone.
Ratchet's P.O.V.
I fear Yazmine had Jasmine watch her parents be murdered, and now she's afraid Yazmine will not, like another sibling, has the chance to be great — or as she'd put it — better than her. I don't know if assigning Audrey a guard will help Jasmine feel safe. I know Sideswipe worries about her, and oddly, so does Sunstreaker.
I swear this baby knows how to distract her sister.
"Ewe, Audrey," Jasmine comments in disgust.
We retrieve the stroller and take the baby to our room to avoid making Rung's office smell. Ryley laughs at our expressions of disgust.
"You couldn't cry for a bottle instead?" I comment as Jasmine changes the diaper.
"I wonder if she'd be laughing right now if she knew how to?"
"Probably."
"So we're raising a femme Sideswipe, great."
I mean, what I said, but this gets Jasmine to laugh.
Once Audrey is asleep, I tell Jasmine what I think we should do. She's not pleased this will end up being whoever I pick spends their day in the hallway.
"How about the terror twins? It wouldn't be my first choice, but Sideswipe relaxes you, and Sunstreaker already told me he wants to continue the job — though I think he meant to protect you rather than the baby — I know he'll protect both of you."
Jasmine agrees with this, and I inform the terror twins. There's still the matter of letting Jasmine continues to work, do her studies, and train. I don't think the judge will take Jasmine not working in the medbay as proof we can't provide for Audrey, but Jasmine is still dealing with the psychological wounds from what she went through. I'd rather not have the terror twins in the medbay, even if it's only in Jasmine's office or following her as she works, and something reminds her of what Yazmine did. I will have to deal with potential triggers in the medbay at one point, but I can hold off for now.