After she divulged the other half of the story, Optimus refused to let her return to the Nemesis. She attempted to argue; the files are too important and they're behind because of her. She needs the opportunity to fix it and the secrets were bound to get out anyway. Despite the valid arguments, Optimus crossed his arms.
"As you mentioned, we are behind the Decepticons. I don't want to add knowledge of your abilities to their advances. Having you here with us will cause a much needed counter balance. In good conscience, Sonica, I cannot allow you to leave though you're reasons for doing so are legitimate."
For a moment, she thought to give him a determined stare and fly out of there but the concern in his countenance snuffed that out like water on hot embers.
Sonica did everything she could to stay busy outside her returned nightmares.
If she isn't dreaming about careening out of control and using all types of energon against all Cybertronians, she is hearing Doradus whisper that sparks must be worthy, and her current judgments are wrong. Those, and the blips of waking nightmares that Unicron is hunting her.
The single plus to her being here with the Autobots, is Murderer is...gone? He's like a dark oil stain in the back of her mind with no hint of consciousness. For a while she wondered why but after getting a high-five from Optimus, she remembered because the silver energon source within her leapt. The Matrix must have something to do with it. Thank Primus, she has her neuro-net all to herself again...sort of.
Sonica is reduced to sweeping, to pass the time. Ratchet is bent over the counters and science equipment. He tries asking her a question about the gold energon but she doesn't get it with all the sciencey words he threw in there. Between him trying to dumb it down and her unsure of what he means, it was like a language barrier. She laughed after a few cycles and walked over to his sample under the microscope. Tugging on the different elements, he watches which ones she moves and names them.
"I can't believe you do this without understanding how it works."
Sonica giggles, "You see protons, electrons, and over-all chemistry, I see puzzle pieces. They all have a different feel and shape, and I know which ones will fit where."
"It might help if you learn and you could describe it better."
Sonica nods, "It would be easier. Are you volunteering, teacher?"
He thinks about it, "I suppose it's necessary."
Just then, Bulkhead's voice rumbles over the coms, "Hey Ratchet? The signal was a trap and...something's wrong with Bee."

They all convened in the medical nook as they deduced that the ghoulish M.E.C.H. are the ones responsible for Bee's missing T-cog. Sonica wanted to say she'd swear to stomp on these organic pop-its but to avoid a Prime lecture, she kept it to herself.
Seeing Bumblebee hurt was nastily contagious; not even a hug helped after Miko's comment.
On top of all that, the next couple days consisted of catching up with the Decepticons as they raided Iacon relics. Sonica put off her lessons with Ratchet to keep Bee busy; since they're both confined to base and it helps some.
She enters his room, with his permission, for an idea to try but found he'd taken down all the racing posters Raf helped hang. A tiny model of a car that looked like Bee stood in a corner buried in shreds of paper.
Ow.
She takes a seat on his recharge bed where he is, head in his hands. Now she isn't sure if her idea is going to help. They sit quietly; alike company. Sonica's nightmares plague her waking thoughts and she wonders if she should reveal the rest of the types to the Autobots. If she does go crazy like in her nightmares, they should know what they're up against.
"Hey Bee, want to know a trick?"
This time, he's not as interested in a distraction.
She ejects a small blob of white energon from the needle in her wrist, then guides it to hover before his downcast gaze.
After a moment, she hears the light whirl of his optics focusing on it. She waits for him to make the connections and raise his head to look at her.
"Is that energon?"
With a kind smile, she nods. "This one is a healer."
His optics widen.
"A picky healer," she's quick to add before hope climbs too high, "if a spark is strong enough and willing enough, it'll save anyone moments from termination, deriving its strength from the spark."
"Could it heal my T-cog if I get it back damaged?"
Sonica shrugs, "I could try. Worse-case scenario is that the white energon dissolves and disappears, finding nothing to do. Another option would be to mortally injure you and then inject it."
She tries a joking smile, but his pensive countenance looks serious.
"Bee."
He gives her a sideways look.
"That was a joke."
He shrugs, "If Ratchet can't fix it, I'm willing to do anything."
She aches for him and an awkward silence falls between them. After some thought, she decides to try a little psychology on him.
"If it comes to that, it may be best that Optimus doesn't know. It would look really bad if I just suddenly stab you." She watches him carefully. Let's talk about it, make it real...that should scare him.
Bee shakes his head, "No, I'll do it."
"You serious?"
"Don't tell Optimus," Bee's optics stare into her spark, "and let's hope it doesn't come to that."
She bites her lip, "I have no rights to say this but: this is a bad idea. What if it doesn't work? What if I something goes wrong and I have to get Ratchet?"
"It heals what's dying, right? Organs can die."
"Yes, but..."
"Then it has to work if it's taking strength from my spark, right?"
She hesitates.
"Right?"
"...yes."
He clasps a hand on her shoulder, "Then it'll work."
Sonica's expression puckers with worry. Did she just agree to this somewhere? This was supposed to be psychology, not assisted suicide... "Bee, I can't...we shouldn't."
"I don't want to do it either. Really, I have all my hopes hung on Ratchet. But...we can't afford to be a bot short, Sonica, especially not now as relics are coming into play. I'll do whatever it takes to fix this. I think you understand that better than anyone."
She caves under his determined stare and covers her face, "Blast it, Bee."
The atmosphere somehow lightens a touch and he nudges her with an elbow.
"Just don't let me die."
"Oh slag no. I'm not taking the team's scolding by myself. You will not be getting out of it that easy..."
Bee bends back as he chuckles.
"Stop laughing. I mean it." Sonica's smile creeps despite her.
This will have to do for now. If nothing else, he has a little more hope now.

Arcee was too excited to leave so that meant Sonica, the backup, was to take charge of the surgery. But just before she was about to put Bee under, Fowler popped up on the screens.
Sonica has really struggled with Fowler in the past, she can't take him seriously. Everything out of his mouth hardly makes sense. Poor Optimus has to sift through his words and to respond sensibly. Sonica tries to keep up by looking up Fowler's expressions after he leaves. This brown man is hilarious.
"Yo, bro!"
He frowns at her, "Ah, you again."
Don't laugh, don't laugh... "Why you hatin', boi? Spill the tea."
He ignores her, "Bumblebee, make sure Prime gets these coordinates. We believe them to be a possible M.E.C.H. facility."
"That slaps! We gots it. Thank."
Fowler sighs and hangs up. She cracks and bends in half, almost snorting. When she comes up again, Bee has his hands on his hips.
"What?"
"Why do you talk to him like that?"
"Because he gets it,"
"I think he hates you."
"I'm okay with that," She laughs, "He's actually the only one I know who avoids me."
Bee fails to shake off his smile, "That sounds like a problem."
"I got more," she sings and they walk through the ground bridge together.

They were surprised to find Starscream there but maybe not as surprised as he was to see her.
"Sonica? You're siding with the Autobots?"
"You're siding with Sat-squashes! Are my choices more appalling than yours?"
He scowls, "Well, if you're with the Autobots, then you won't hurt Humans."
Sonica laughs and they storm the castle. Bee isn't afraid to hit them and send them flying at fatal speeds and distances. Sonica pulls out her tiny gun to shoot the flesh-specks one by one instead of wiping them out.
Murderer would be proud- maybe.
Starscream fires on them quickly after the Humans start losing. She takes him on and the Humans while Bee goes for his T-cog; ripping it out of the weird thing they built.
Things got complicated when Starscream shot him down and the T-cog rolled right in front of his feet. The Human with the most gall, orders Starscream to meet up with him later with the T-cog. Starscream had something to say about that but it sounded weak.
He's a consultant? Really?
Sonica gets into a stand-still with him aiming his firearm at the biomechanism. She shakes her head at him, "What do you get in return, Starscream? Really think about it. Is that enough?"
"You mind your own business."
"Will do," She extends a hand slowly, "so hand over my item of business and I'll be on my way."
Bee wakes behind her.
Starscream pretends to think aloud, "What is a T-cog worth to you?"
"What do you have in mind? Energon? You're low, by the way. I can see it."
"I'm not thinking of energon," an evil smile cuts across his face, "you, my dearest Sonica."
She gives him a bitter smile with a bitter lie, "Guess what? I can't restore your stature now. Megatron hates me enough to try to kill me."
Bee's optics whirl in surprise. He didn't know that.
Starscream chuckles, "We'll figure it out when you come with me. I'll leave the T-cog on a hilltop near here and life goes on."
Bumblebee stands up and his stance hackles.
The barrel of Starscream's gun touches the T-cog, "One step, and your precious biomech is scrap."
Sonica raises her hands between them, "If I go with you, Starscream, you must give Bumblebee his T-cog, whole and healthy. You will hand it to him directly and he will let me leave with you."
Starscream's optics glance over her figure, "Agre- AgHaGH!"
Sonica is pulled back and falls onto her rear as Bee leaps for his T-cog, only to watch it get blasted at the last second.
Starscream jumps up onto the Human's robot project and looks at her. His expression is stern, but his optics are not. Finally, he turns to Bee.
"Time to jet, because I can!" He transforms and shrinks into the sky.
She stands in a huff and brushes herself off, but the silence is too loud. With a sigh, she turns to Bee, bent over and touching it with a finger.
"Bumblebee,"
He turns just enough to see her over his shoulder.
She looks down and with the most sensitive tone... "I would've honored the trade. Starscream isn't so tough and getting your T-cog was most important."
Turning away, he slumps, "You're worth more than a T-cog, Sonica. You know that, right?"
Those words painfully ignite her spark, yet, it fills her with a touched warmth. It never occurred to her that she didn't have to be the sacrifice. She's always been the "money" of every deal and adapted to that fact to use for her advantage. She's important but...has never felt that way until now.
Ratchet contacts them then, breaking the emotional density. He tells them that Optimus and the others are on their way. Sonica doesn't tell him that everything's clear. Bumblebee could use the calvary...even if it's just for company.
Sonica looks up at the hole the rouge flew through and transforms into her flight mode: an XB-70.
"I'll be right back, Bee. I have to hit him."
He starts to protest but she's already gone. She finds the low-energon figure running through the forest like a deer. It's not hard to sneak up on him, drop in front, and slam an orange energon-coated fist in his face.
He falls back and takes a nanoklik to see straight again and cowers, "What do you want now?"
"Not much," She shakes her hand and the orange energon is long hidden in her veins, "I got the first thing I wanted."
"And the second thing? Is there more after that?"
"No, just one more item of business," She sets a hand on her hip, "I want to ask if you'd like a drink."
He makes a face, "Is this a trick?"
"No."
He glares and scrutinizes.
"What good would tricking you do? You're a jerk and earned a hit to the face but any more than that will not change what's been done. I'm not here to take anything from you."
Starscream sits up, his glare drops as his eyes fall to his lap; like he suddenly remembers.
She sits next to him and offers a hand, "I don't have a glass, but I can still give you some."
He hesitates and watches her hand hover there beside him. For some reason, he can't wrap his mind around this. Didn't he burn that bridge earlier when he shot the T-cog?
But his desperation reminds him. The Humans didn't share much at all and their fast and sudden surgery took most of that refill. He caves and sets his forearm in her hand, then waits for the stab.
As her fingers wrap around his arm, she emits some static.
Memories on the Nemesis with her flood back and he relaxes. The sting from the needle pokes through his armor and the tickling sensation but only for a nanoklik. Afterwards, the static returns and erases the pain. It washes over his senses and lightens his spark. The memories become more potent that he can almost hear the hum of working, chattering vehicons and seekers, and the bellowing decibels of the Nemesis gliding against gravity.
Then he recalls the time she saved him. Her words echo again: Why wouldn't I save you? And then her recent statement: I'm not here to take anything from you.
He sighs, "What would you like from me, now that you've saved me twice?"
Sonica shakes her head, "I'm not asking for anything. Maybe I save your silly aft because I want to. I want you alive, and you are, deal fulfilled."
He ponders this and returns dissatisfied, "Why do you want me alive?"
"Because...you don't deserve death? Will that work?"
"You mean you don't know?"
"I felt it was the right thing to do. Happy?"
He blinks once over his frown.
Sonica rolls her eyes, "Fine. I want your confidence, care, and friendship. I also want you to make something of yourself. There. My demands."
He feels the needle sliding out and the static starts fading, "You have it, Sonica Doradus."
The conversation drops and the quiet settles in with the ambiance of the forest around them.
"I should go," She begins after a while, "they're probably looking for me."
"You don't have to, you know." Starscream stands, "I have a shelter in mind and could use your help."
Their optics meet for a small eternity.
"I promised to help with the T-cog,"
He perks up, "Can you help with missing T-cogs?"
"No," She catches his disappointment, "Starscream...are you...grounded?"
He refuses to answer and she stands.
"Come with me then."
"No, I'm safer alone."
"You're safe with me."
"But I'm to make something of myself, right?" His stubborn glare is more injured than not.
"I can't leave you like this. If you insist on going alone, I have a couple things for you."
"Don't give me anything."
"It's for you to use until you get your wings back. Take them, and pay me back by swearing to never tell anyone you have them."
He swears with his usual eloquence and watches her anxiously.
In a small compartment on her hip, near her tiny gun, she takes out two small test tubes. One, she fills with silver, the other, she fills with green.
Already, she can feel the future taking aim at her head, but she'll take it in stride. She quickly explains the silver one. "Don't consume it unless you are eager to contact me. It has a few strange side effects but that's normal. Take it before I wise up."
He obeys and she hands him the green one, "This heightens your senses to superpower level and quickens thinking and calculating. Take only a drop at a time when you need to find energon or need to detect near by dangers. If you do more than a drop, you'll be miserable and overwhelmed."
He takes it with a slight smile.
She sighs, "I don't give these out easily- you need to know that. Bots must be worth confiding in when it comes to powerful matters like this."
"Worthy sparks?"
"Yes." She watches him examine them, "At least say 'thank you'."
"Thank you."
Sonica senses a spike in her gut; the Matrix.
"Did...did this silver energon just move on its own?"
"Yep, Prime is nearby. I need to go."
Starscream is now in awe of it and it's kind of cute.
Before she takes off, she touches his face and sends a hum of static. He holds her hand there and leans into it. In the brief time he closed his eyes, his confidence rebooted. Sonica could see it in his eyes as he looked slyly at her.
One last smile, like old times, then she transforms and takes off.
Despite her fear in giving up those secret types, she has high hopes for Starscream. He could just as well honor this secret if he feels so strongly that he owes her. He also swore not to tell and he said she had his confidence. Hopefully, that means as much to him as it does to her.