Disclaimer: Alpha, Omega and Orcus are mine. Jade, Hammertread, Driveby and her crew belong to Lady Starscream, but she lets me use them. TF is a registered trademark...blah, blah, blah, of Hasbro.

It was a few weeks later, exactly a week after Alpha's memories had completely been restored, when the femme walked into the rec room and plopped down onto the couch in front of the TV, a tired look on her face. She had been up all that night with nightmares again about what the Decepticons had put her through. She thought she had finally gotten over it, but the nightmares just made the wounds fresh again. She glanced down at the scars on her wrists from the shackles and sighed slightly; they wouldn't ever fully go away, but Ratchet had said that they would fade sooner or later so you could barely see them. That was a good thing…right?

Alpha glanced up upon hearing the minispies enter the rec room and instantly turned on the TV. She wasn't willing to hear them tease her about what she had been through. The television didn't completely drown out a comment and the femme choked on a sob, but forced it down. Did they really think that she went willingly to the Decepticons? That she wanted to be tortured, nearly raped, and then betray her own faction? There was no way they could think that, yet they acted as if she had done it.

The femme, who had once said she would die before betraying the Autobots, was wounded more deeply by the comments from her own teammates then whatever Soundwave or Orcus ever threw at her. She glanced up upon seeing a shadow fall over her and saw her brother looking down at her.

"Ya okay, sis?" the black seeker asked, squeezing her shoulder.

"I'm fine." Alpha swallowed, quickly regaining her composure. She didn't want to show her little brother how hurt she really was by all this.

"You're lying."

"I'm-"

"It wouldn't be the first time." Cliffjumper snorted as he and the others walked by. Alpha flashed them a glare, but he shrugged. "What? You know it's true. You can't be feeling okay considering you're in a room surrounded by people you betrayed."

"That's it." Alpha said, standing up. She walked over to a snickering Cliffjumper and grabbed him up by his shoulders, pinning him against a wall. She got in his face; there were tears in her optics. "How dare you?" She hissed in his face, "How can you sit there and go on and on about how I betrayed you all? Don't you think that if I truly wanted to betray you I would have gone up to Megatron and given him the codes WITHOUT BEING TORTURED?!" She screamed and then threw him down.

Cliffjumper glared up at the femme as soon as he hit the ground. He stood up and clenched his fist. "How do we know that you bring tortured wasn't just to cover up what really happened? Hmm?"

Alpha couldn't take it anymore. She cried out and then slapped Cliffjumper, the force of her hand made his head turn to the side. "If you really think…" She choked out, containing her tears, "that I betrayed you…then I did a really bad job of keeping my mouth shut, huh? Maybe if you guys hadn't have rescued me and I ended up dead then you'd have figured it out. I'm no traitor!" With that, the pick up truck turned and headed out of the rec room.

Omega stared after his sister in complete silence for a moment before turning to Cliffjumper and glaring down at the mech, who was holding his slapped cheek. "And you call yourself an Autobot." He seethed to the red car before hurrying after his sister. "Al! Al, come on! Al, wait up!"

Alpha covered her audios when she heard her brother yelling for her and picked up her pace. The tears continued to try to force their way out of her optics, but she wasn't going to let them fall. She couldn't cry. She wasn't going to. The femme clutched her head as a tiny voice in her head teased and prodded her, just trying to make her life more and more hellish.

"He's right, you know." It said, "After all, you did give up mighty easy. Only a week? Is that really all it took to break you? Hmph. I can't believe you thought you were so tough."

"Shut up. Shut up." Alpha whispered, turning and heading down a dim hallway. "Just shut up…leave me alone…"

"You know it's the truth." The voice continued to hiss, "So why deny it? You're no Autobot. You betrayed them the moment you felt you had to."

"No. No. I would never…I didn't…" The femme leaned against the empty hallway's wall and slid down so she was sitting on the floor. "I didn't want to…I didn't mean to…"

"You gave Soundwave the codes out of your memory!! How could you not mean to?!"

"Please…just shut up…" The tears rolled down Alpha's face and she closed her optics tightly. "Please…leave me alone…just leave me alone…"

She didn't notice the huge, looming shadow above her.

Hammertread's optics dimmed momentarily. Then he swept up the crying femme into a tight hug. After a moment of holding her completely off the floor, legs a-dangling, he gently set her back down. He didn't like to see her cry like this.

He didn't like to see her cry at all.

Alpha hadn't even noticed he was there until he had outright picked her up and hugged her, lifting her entirely off of the ground, and even then she wasn't sure who had her. She had been ready to scream, beat his chest the best she could until he put her down and then run, but didn't. Somehow, she managed to keep herself calm, at least looking calm, and cool until he had put her down. Then, the femme saw who had been holding her.

It was Hammertread.

Alpha looked at the ground and stepped around Hammertread, ready to leave. She didn't want to talk to him anymore. She didn't want to talk to anyone anymore. She just wanted those stupid voices and the mini spies to stop blaming her, to just leave her alone. The femme felt Hammertread grab her arm and turned around to face him, but paused when she stared into his red optics, which were nearly the only source of light in the dim hallway...

::Flashback::

"Lemme go, you slag suckin' saurians!" Alpha yelled as she kicked, struggled and bit at whichever seeker came closest to her. She felt Starscream's foot connect with her gut and she gasped, doubling over the best she could considering she was chained tightly to the wall.

"Hehehehe..." One of the seekers, Alpha couldn't see who, cackled, "Glad Megatron gave a chance to try to get the codes, eh, Warp?"

Skywarp's fist connected with her cheek, sending her head snapping to the side. His only response was an unseen nod, a grin on his face. Alpha glanced up, energon running down a cut in her temple that blurred her left optics' vision. "Go to the pit...all of ya...slag suckin', aft kissin' mother-"

Starscream grabbed her so his hand was covering her mouth and forced her to look up at him, snarling. She wrenched her head free of his grip and growled definitely. The 'king of the seekers' simply frowned and lashed out again; his foot connected with her throat and Alpha gagged, nearly falling to her knees if it wasn't for the chains. She struggled to breathe as Thundercracker cackled and Skywarp stomped over.

"Stop hoggin' the fun, Screamer." Skywarp said before a fist connected with Alpha's emerald optic, nearly shattering it. The femme let out a soft whimper of pain. "We helped capture her as well."

"Yeah!" Thundercracker agreed. He pushed the two others out of the way and Alpha realized he was looking at her, deciding what to do.

Alpha had little time to draw a shuttering breath before the seeker kicked, shattering her windshield and causing her to yell. She stumbled. A hand grabbed her throat and forced her to look up; the beaten femme could only comply.

Megatron's demon red optics seared through her and she squirmed slightly in his grasp. She knew what he wanted. "Give me the codes, femme, and you'll go free."

Alpha closed her optics, but could still see his even in the darkness. She summoned up all her courage and then spat. Right in the Decepticon tyrant's face. "No. Never." The femme said, gagging slightly when his hand tightened around her throat.

Megatron snarled and let go of her neck, only to backhand her a moment later. Alpha cried out. She looked up at him and spat out of the corner of her mouth, a defiant look in her optics. She wouldn't back down; she wouldn't let him beat her.

She wouldn't betray her friends.

"Little glitch." Megatron snarled. He walked out and the seekers resumed their beating the young femme to an inch from death.

::End Flashback::

Alpha stumbled away from Hammertread, wrenching her arm free from him, and then stared up at the taller mech, emerald optics filled with fright. Oh how his optics, though not at all angry, filled to the brim with evil or demon-like, reminded her of Megatron's! She held her cheek with a shaking hand as she trembled slightly like she had when the tank had yanked her to her feet after receiving his memories.

"Alpha..." He paused seeing the look on her face. "I heard what happened in the rec. room. You're not a traitor. And if you want me to rip off that little red drone's head, I'm sure it would look nice among my head collection." He knew that probably wouldn't be the thing to say. But he was trying to be funny. He doubted Alpha would realize that. As if the Decepticons were bad enough. She might think he was something like them for having an imaginary head collection. Not to mention the way she was looking at him. Was that anger? Fear? Both? He wasn't sure what to say, but he knew he had to say something.

He lowered his voice to something just louder than a whisper. "I'm sorry what happened to you did. Nobody should have to go through that." He took a step forward. Just one, seeing if she would back away. If she wanted to be alone, she would walk away.

Alpha didn't always need someone to comfort her and give her warm hugs. So he waited.

Alpha shook slightly, but calmed down when he talked to her. The images in her head died away and she realized she wasn't with the Decepticons. His optics weren't Megatron's. She slowly lowered her hand and, though she wanted to, did not turn, run cry or hide in a little corner in her mind like a little sparkling. She wasn't going to give the Decepticons the unknown satisfaction of making her fear every little thing. So she glanced up at Hammertread and nodded slowly, but he could still see she was frightened. The femme simply looked away wrapped her arms around herself.

Rage built up slightly in her as she rubbed her arms. She wanted to tell him she knew it. She knew no one should have had to go through what she did; she shouldn't have had to been put through it, but she had been. And no amount of the pats, strokes, "there-theres", hugs or soft 'everything-will-be-okay-you'll-be-fine' looks everyone gave her could make up for that fact.

Though the high grade Sunstreaker gave her did help.

"Thanks, HT..." She said softly instead, almost a whisper, as she restrained herself from saying anything she would regret.

"Mm-hmm." He nodded. "And I'll talk to Prime about Cliffjumper's attitude." He carefully put a hand on her shoulder, hoping she wouldn't jump when he did, but she did. However, only just, when he touched her shoulder. "He shouldn't be allowed to say such things. And he was there when you were rescued. He, of all mechs, should know you're not a traitor."

Alpha slowly put her hand on top of his, it still shaking slightly, and nodded. "Thank you." She said softly. "And he should...but he doesn't...or if he does, he just enjoys seeing me like this..." She trailed off and then sighed.

The giant tank pulled her into a warm embrace, smiling softly. He was glad the fear in her optics had finally died away as well as the rage. He also knew that, unlike most of the Autobots, he was actually doing something to help her instead of talking to her gently or patting her on the shoulder like some of the others did, which he knew she didn't like most of the time.

Though Alpha squirmed slightly in his grasp, she also smiled and hugged him back, wrapping her arms around him. If there was one thing she hated the big ole tank for, it was the fact he just wouldn't let her mope and/or cry any. Wait. I take that back. That was one fact she loved about him. He wasn't willing to see her think of herself, or even act, as if she was weak.

"Awwww." Sounded from behind him.

Hammertread didn't even budge. He simply deadpanned in a clear, loud voice: "Whoever you are, you have three seconds to run. One." He glanced over his shoulder. Bluestreak backed into Wheeljack, who had said 'Aww.' He cleared his throat, "Two." He smirked, chuckling as the two backed up more, then turned and ran. "Gee, I didn't even get to two and three quarters." The tank chuckled, watching the duo retreat down the hall.

Alpha smiled and then giggled. She shook her head. "I guess that's disappointing." She smirked as she watched the two over the taller's shoulders. For a second, just for a second, she let her defenses down so she could retreat into her own mind and then whack Wheeljack and Bluestreak with her psychic powers before putting them back up and returning to the real world.

HT smirked softly, knowing she'd just done something by the way her optics dimmed for a second, as though de-focusing. If there was one thing about Alpha he liked, it was she always, or most of the time, seemed to take his side. Even if it meant going against her fellow Autobots. "So, are you back on active duty yet?" He asked her, returning his attention to her completely.

"Uh..." Alpha tried to think. "Yeah, I think so." She checked her internal clock. "Oy. I get on duty and then I'm late for my shift." She hit her own forehead with the ball of her head. "Ratch's gonna kill me."

The tank-bot nodded. "Well, you go do your patrol and I'll talk to you tonight when you get off duty." He glanced down the hall. "In the meantime, I have to have a little chat with Prime. And Cliffjumper, if necessary" He smirked.

He started to walk away. "Oh, and if you hear about someone ripped Cliffjumper into scrap metal and shoved him into the nearest ventilation duct, it wasn't me." He winked at her.

Alpha laughed and shook her head at the giant tank-bot. "Don't worry, HT. Wouldn't think about blaming you." She walked over, leaned up and kissed his cheek. "And if you see Wheeljack and/or Bluestreak running from seemingly nothing, I did nothing. At all." With that, the femme turned and headed towards the med bay.

Hey, if Hammertread threatened someone to help her, she threatened someone to help him. Or, in this case, someones.

A few hours later, Wheeljack huffed as he hurried towards the med bay, a hand over three, somewhat bleeding gashes in his side. He walked into the room and glanced around it; it was empty. Someone would have thought Ratchet was on a break had they not known better, but, luckily, he knew better. The engineer walked over to the medic's office and knocked on the door.

Music could be heard from inside the office.

That confused the mech. He pounded a little louder until, finally, it opened and light, as well as music, poured out from the small office.

"She's my little Whiskey Girl…my ragged on the edges girl…

Aw but I like 'em rough."

Alpha stepped out as the music shut off. "Yo." She said, glancing at Wheeljack. She spotted the slashes on his side and winced. "I…had no idea Fluffy was gonna do that…" She told him, knowing what the older was thinking as she led him over to a berth.

"Fluffy?" Wheeljack echoed. "That thing…you called it Fluffy?" He asked.

"Well…yeah…I mean…he's just a figment of my psychic imagination…" Alpha shrugged, dabbing the fluids away gently. She pulled out a beam and started to slowly shut the gashes. "But I had no idea it would actually be able to touch you…guess my powers are getting stronger."

"And you couldn't tell?" Asked the engineer, wide opticed.

"Err…not with everything that's been going on lately…'sides…I had t' getcha back for not lettin' HT get t' two-and-a-half." She shrugged. "Er…two an' three quarters."

"That reminds me." Wheeljack smirked; Alpha frowned. "You'll make a 'mushy Autobot' out of him yet the way me 'n' Blue figure it." He chuckled. "What with all the hugs you've been getting lately."

"Don't let HT hear you say that," The medic said as she climbed up next to him on the berth. She crossed her legs, "'Cause then CJ won't be the only mech he ripped up to pieces."

"So he did that!"

Alpha's optics widened. "Oh…Primus…he actually did it?!"

"…Fooled ya!"

Alpha blinked, then wapped him upsides his head. "Jack! Don't SCARE me like that!" She said, placing a hand over her spark. "Primus! If HT really did…gah!"

Wheeljack chuckled. "Don't worry. He didn't. But he did seriously scare the mini spy."

"And I'm dead…"

"Why?"

"'Cause he's gonna take it out on me."

"Oh, I highly doubt that." Wheeljack snickered, "With the way Hammertread scared him? We're lucky if he'll be coming out of his room within a month."

Alpha laughed and shook her head. "He deserves it."

"I know." Wheeljack smirked.

Alpha smiled and leaned back. She then leaned against him slightly. He gave her a knowing smile behind his mask. She loved to flirt with him, even if their fling had ended a while ago, there was nothing more she enjoyed when she was down, and couldn't talk to Hammertread or her brother, to find Wheeljack and talk to him, mixing in a bit of flirting as she did so. He knew what she was doing when she did it, so that made it even more fun.

Tease them with something they can't have.

She enjoyed making use of that sentence. Of course, she and he both knew it was over between them, but they had had fun while it lasted. Besides, he was bonded.

Alpha sighed. "…So…Ratch been getting any recharge now that I'm back and splitting the responsibility between the three of us?" She asked.

"Actually, yeah. When I was leaving our room, he had just fallen into an exhausted recharge." Wheeljack chuckled, "The twins, not you two, had just gotten themselves into more trouble he had to clean up."

A grin spread across her face, "There are times I'm glad I was taken off active duty for a while."

Wheeljack just chuckled and shook his head.

YP: Meh, I've been workin' on dis one for a bit. Thanks, LS, fer helpin' me. Now, ya read pwease review.