Jack moaned as he woke up. His head buzzed.

"He's waking up."

He heard his moms muffled voice. Jack slowly opened his eyes.

"Mom?"

June smiled at him. "It went well Jack."

Jack smiled, turning his head over to see Ratchet. He felt a little light headed.

"You're head might feel funny for a bit. You'll have to wear that bandage on it for some time. But your arm is connected."

Jack look to his left. His shoulder was bare. There it was the robotic arm. Where it connected to his shoulder it was red and swollen. To be expected.

"Once your head is healed some, we will work on therapy to get your arm working."

Jack nodded slowly. His head was indeed swimming. He closed his eyes. He needed to sleep.

…

Ratchet smiled. Jack looked well. His vitals were good. June was dabbing the connection point with alcohol. Infection was the biggest worry now. Ratchet looked up to Arcee who had been waiting.

"Arcee. He's gonna be okay."

Arcee breathed a sigh of relief. "So, I can tell him now?"

Ratchet nodded. "I believe the threat of a setback is passed. But perhaps wait until he is able to sit up. Brain integration is extensive."

June looked up at Ratchet. "Speaking of that fifteen hours straight on the operating table. You need to go get some rest. Jack tells me since you started taking care of him you have barely slept. I can see it. Your eyes are very dim."

Ratchet chuckled slightly. "I suppose a nap would be rejuvenating."

June twisted her face. "How about sleeping until you feel not tired?"

June crossed her arms in a defiant stance. Ratchet shrugged.

"I have to much work to do."

June turn around to Optimus. "Optimus come over here."

Ratchet huffed. "Really June?"

Optimus walked over. His eyes landing on Jack. "Is Jackson well?"

June nodded. "Hes' fine for now. Optimus I am not that familiar with how military protocol works. When does your authority supersede Ratchets on medical matters?"

Ratchet face palmed, running his hand down his tired face. Optimus tilted his head. Amused by the question that seemed to agitate the medic.

"Emergency situations or in the case of the medic themselves being incapacitated or unable to properly perform their duties."

June smiled. "Then I say the last statement to be true. Look at him. His eyes are dim. He needs rest or Hes going to get sick himself."

Ratchet rolled his eyes heavily. "You were right beside me the whole time June. I could argue you need rest."

June shrugged. "I plan on it. I'm gonna stay with Jack. But I am going to sleep on the couch for a bit."

Optimus looked at Ratchet. "Ratchet get some rest."

Ratchet waved his hand. "I will when…"

Optimus turned, he looked over his shoulder. "That was not a request Ratchet. I command you to get some sleep."

June looked up at Ratchet smugly. Ratchet just huffed and headed for his chambers. He was exhausted. He had thought of nothing else then laying on his berth and sleeping for hours, but he was the bases only medic. He had work to do.

Optimus couldn't help but smirk and shake his head as the medic lumbered by him. He was mumbling to himself in Cybertronian. Optimus sometimes thought Ratchet forgot that he understood Cybertronian. They spoke English so often it was easy to forget.

"Fragging commanders. Think they know better then medics. We know what we are talking about. I don't need as much sleep as these slagging wimps. I can stay awake for a week straight in fact I have…"

Optimus looked at Arcee who was smirking watching the medic go.

"Wow who knew he had such strong feelings."

June had climbed up to the sofa. She sighed softly. It didn't take long for both her and Ratchet to fall asleep. Aside from the beeping of Jacks heart monitor the base was quiet. Arcee had taken to reading her data pad while watching Jack.

Optimus went back to his reports.

….

It didn't take long for Jack to sit up. He was anxious to get to work with his new arm. He had secretly been flexing his fists. It felt semi natural. The odd thing with it was he couldn't feel with it. He could feel it there, but it was numb.

Ratchet had been working with him daily to make sure Jack learned the full range of motion of his arm. Jack couldn't help but notice Arcee seemed entranced by it all… or at least she never left Jack.

One such day, Ratchet had finished the therapy session with him.

"You're doing great. A few more days and that bandage on your head can come off. Then you will be free of my care. But until I discharge you from my care you are not allowed out of this base yet. You're still vulnerable at the moment."

Jack twisted his face. "Fine."

Arcee chuckled. "Awh come on doc not even if I took him for a ride?"

Ratchet shook his head. "His arm is fine. Hes got a good grasp on that, no pun intended. But his head still needs time to heal."

Jack sighed. "Oh well. I guess this will be worth it."

Arcee smiled. "Well at the least we can go up top."

Jack nodded with a smile.

Jack breathed in the crisp air. Arcee was staring into the distance.

"I get the feeling you want to talk to me."

Arcee looked over at him with a smile.

"Yeah I do."

Jack rest his head on his hands. Hands. How good it felt to have two again.

"I wasn't allowed to tell you this sooner because Ratchet was worried it would adversely affect you, but I know how hard it is to try and live with one arm."

Jack blinked in surprise. "What?"

Arcee smiled faintly. "When me and Cliff first arrived on earth, we were attacked by StarScream. He zipped through the ground bridge before it closed and followed us. He blew my arm off. I told Cliff to leave me, but he insisted he save me. Luckily Optimus and them showed up and got me to Ratchet."

Jack looked down at his metal arm. "So, your arm is fake too?"

Arcee smiled "No not really. It was pretty damaged. Ratchet was able to fix it and reattach it."

Jack blinked. "I would never have guessed."

Arcee leaned her arm over. "Look between my armor here."

She pointed. A dark weld scar ran around her arm.

"Oh, I see it. Hard with the black paint but I see it."

Arcee nodded. "Yup. It took a few days. So, I didn't know exactly how you felt. But I knew what it felt like to loose a limb. It hurts more than anyone knows."

Jack nodded. Rubbing the connection point. "Yeah I know. Even now. It still hurts sometimes. But its becoming easier to handle."

Arcee placed her hand on his back. "I'm glad to have you back Jack. And that you finally had a talk with Optimus."

Jack nodded. "It was probably the best talk I've ever had with him. We really mended some fences."

Arcee chuckled. "I was about ready to force you two into a room and make you two talk it out."

"This was much more natural."

Arcee laughed. "Optimus can be stubborn. Sometimes you have to push him."

"Can be? The Prime is very stubborn. I don't know much about the original 13 you guys mention but I bet Hes the most stubborn one ever."

Arcee laughed again. "You have to be when you lead an entire faction. I mean imagine being a data clerk and then boom you're a leader to a whole faction at war."

Jack smirked. "You know I never asked you. What did you do before the war?"

Arcee shrugged. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Jack nudged her. "Oh, you were "one of those" femmes." His tone with humorous. He chuckled at his own statement.

Arcee's eyes went wide. "The nerve on you." She joked. "No. Not by a longshot. I was a teacher."

Jack reeled back slightly. "You were a teacher?"

Arcee nodded. "War has a way of changing you. Looking back, I have no idea how I was so content with that life."

Jack shrugged. "Well, you make a better teacher then some I know."

Arcee and Jack chatted idle small talk for the rest of the evening. They watched the sun go down. Finally, Jack felt a peace. After weeks, months of living in darkness. He knew a bright future laid ahead of him. It frighten him but excited him. Who knew what it held?

What adventures did he have yet to live with his Cybertronian family?

The End?

Thank you for reading Dark Lines. What do you think, maybe a sequel? I enjoyed writing this story. It was a bit harder to write Optimus's emotional scenes, but I feel they turned out ok. I welcome constructive criticism. If you didn't like the story that is fine, there is no need to leave rude and unwarranted remarks. As the old saying goes "if you don't have anything nice to say...keep your mouth shut." If you liked the story I am very pleased I could write something that you enjoyed.