Authors note!! -This chapter has been revised! I don't own Transformers. I only own Nexia, Asuma, and Kenai.

Thanks to:

electrogirl88 - Thanks! Yeah, things will get more interesting...if you know what I mean

Stesuna the Dragon - Yeah, I tried! I think Nexia and Ratchet make a cute couple!

Elita One - Yeah, they are so stubborn!

Chapter 11

Nexia's Find. Can I Keep Him?

A month later and the humans find themselves at the start of Summer vacation. You can just imagine how excited they were to be able to hang at the base any time they wished. Sam and Mikaela are still a couple, and so are Ratchet and Nexia. The two have almost been inseparable, and although she still stayed at the Lennox household Ratchet picked her up and took her to the base almost every day.

Nexia's spark healed itself the night they admitted their love to each other; it glowed brighter each day due to her immense feeling of happiness. Other than that Optimus received a message that two new Autobots were on their way to Earth. He did not, however, know the exact time they would be entering the Earth's atmosphere. They would have to play it by ear…and they didn't even know which Autobots they were.

Nexia could not have been any happier than she was but, unfortunately, she could not spend any time with Ratchet at the moment. The medic was currently fixing Ironhide, who had popped an energon line in his hip. It was the same hip that he had injured a millennia back on Cybertron and Ratchet didn't have the proper amount of metal to fix it. They could have requested it from Secretary Keller but the Autobots wanted to remain in seclusion…in order to protect the humans on Earth.

Ratchet refused to let the winged girl enter the Medical Bay when he was working on any of his fellow Autobots, saying that things could get dangerous because of her small size. He would never forgive himself if anything should happen to her when she was in his Medical Bay. Ratchet had allowed her to roam in the wilderness for a few hours, as long as she stayed within seeing distance of the entrance to the base. Jazz was manning the security cameras and would be able to see her if she was in any danger.

Wheeljack, much to the surprise of the others, had made a brilliant upgrade to the technology on Nexia's katana. It was something that didn't explode, much to Ratchet's delight. Now, the winged girl could press a button on the hilt and it would automatically let all the Autobots know of her coordinates and that she was in danger. He also installed a better communications system, kind of like the com-link the Autobots used…however to her it was kind of like telepathy.

It was nearly eleven in the afternoon when the happy winged girl flew in the security room, alerting Jazz to her presence. She landed on his shoulder, a pleading look on her face. The short silver bot knew that she was up to something…but since the Decepticons had been lying low he knew that he would probably crack.

"Jazz? Do you think I could go for a short flight? I'm getting fidgety…and I promise to stay within the base security camera parameters!" the small figure on his shoulder pleaded, pulling out her secret weapon: the puppy dog eyes.

Jazz's mind was correct. His resolve had crumbled even before she drew her secret weapon. With a sigh and a nod of his head she let out a soft cry of joy and victory. She quickly pecked the silver mech's cheek and was out the door of the base before he could either protest or blink. He chuckled to himself before turning back to the computer monitor - it was back to the boring job he had been assigned to.

Minutes later Nexia sighed; she was enjoying her flight through the air as the wind slipped through each feather. She was wearing the mesh outfit that Mikaela helped her pick out the day at the mall. She swore that Ratchet was going to either faint or have a nosebleed and his holoform's skin turned deathly pale. She smiled as he practically ushered her into his alt mode in order to have her all to himself.

In truth the winged girl was restless…but that wasn't the only reason that she wanted to go on the flight. She was lonely since Ratchet was in the Medical Bay all morning…and since she was lonely her memories started to attack her mind once again. This time, however, they were memories of old from Cybertron - more importantly they were memories from when her home was attacked.

Everything was burning and smoke was billowing everywhere. She still had trouble flying sometimes but she was more adept at flying than others…it was just her endurance. A building crashed in front of her as her grandfather called out her name along with Orion Pax, her grandfather's friend.

She opened her mouth to respond but an evil chuckle cut her off. The young winged girl crashed into something hard and started falling to the ground, aware of her grandfather's horrified cries. She beat her wings frantically but was jerked away from the falling sensation as something wrapped around her frail body.

Whoever was holding her had a tight grip…and it started to get tighter as every second passed. She looked up to the giant figure, noticing a giant purple face imprinted on his chest plates.

"Let her go! We've done you no harm so you shouldn't harm her!" Orion cried, trying to pry the other figure's hands from around her frail body. With one shot Orion was sent reeling; his chest plates were sparking and she knew he would never be the same.

"I am a Decepticon. We feed off fear and destruction." the figure holding her grinned, squeezing her as she felt her bones break. She screamed as her grandfather hit him with an extremely powerful Phoenix fire blast but it was too late. Nexia plummeted to the ground and screamed one last time before her world went black.

The winged girl shook her head to clear it from her horrific memories. She looked up and smiled widely when she saw the clearing she was heading for; she was lucky for it was still in the seeing distance of the cameras of the base. This way Jazz wouldn't get in trouble and Ratchet wouldn't lecture her.

The clearing was a small one - smaller than the one she went to with Ironhide. It was a serene place she like to go to whenever Ratchet was busy at the city hospitals or working on one of the other mechs. She usually spent her time in the trees…or talking to the small creatures who drank from the small pool of water that sometimes forms from the rain. Nexia cared for the animals, helping them out from time to time if they were inured.

Nexia took a deep breath and looked at the beautiful scenery, enjoying all the different colors. Back on Cybertron all the colors were dull and gloomy, but here, on Earth, things were bright and vibrant. No more black and grey colors; everything could be a different color…or even multiple ones!

The winged girl landed on the ground before approaching the thicket around the clearing. There was a little brook, where she and the animals got their fresh water, and a small pond where she could swim. These were the bodies of water that didn't need rain to survive. Nexia smiled at her animal friends, glad that they would trust her. She needed someone to trust right now…and to be near someone who couldn't talk. She just needed silence.

Nexia made her way to the small area where the red foxes lived, hoping to see her good friends. Most of the foxes were tricksters, liking to play tricks on the other animals but the winged girl knew better. They haven't been able to play any tricks on her…but she was able to make friends with most of them anyway.

She quickened her steps when she heard the whimpering of an animal; a fox she assumed. It sounded like some sort of cross between a humanized cry and the bark of a dog. The winged girl came around a tree and gasped when she saw a mother fox lying on her side, obviously dead, with a small kit next to her. Blood was strewn everywhere…it looked like the mother fox was attacked.

Nexia's breath hitched as another memory suddenly attacked her. The scene splayed out before her reminded her of the time one of her friends from Cybertron was killed by a Decepticon. This was before she was sent out into space…but it pained her knowing that she wasn't able to help him.

"Nexia you have to run! You're too young to fight back!" the voice of a young male Cybertronian Phoenix exclaimed, pushing a slightly younger Nexia out of the door. She turned back to him, tears freely streaming down her face.

"No, Byron! I want to fight with you. I've been practicing my fire magic and I've become stronger!" the young Nexia shouted back, putting a hand on the doorframe to keep him from pushing her any further.

The rumble of the building took their attention and they screamed as the building collapsed. When the rubble cleared away Nexia could only see the crushed spark of one of her best friends.

"Byron!! No!" she exclaimed as she witnessed the splatter of blood along the walls. The crushed spark was proof enough that her friend was dead.

Nexia was pulled back to the present by the mournful cry of the little fox. The kit was holding his right forepaw in the air, a sign that it hurt him whenever he placed any sort of pressure on it. The winged girl's eyes softened as she approached the pair; the Kit was nudging his mother's side. He let out a pitiful cry when his mother would not move, causing Nexia's spark to clench painfully.

"Oh, you poor thing. Does it hurt much?" she murmured, taking a step towards the kit. He backed away from her towering frame, whimpering pitifully as she stepped closer. Nexia froze, perfectly aware that she was scaring the animal.

Thinking quickly she kneeled down to his eye level and started to hum, the sweet tunes calming the fox's cries down to mewls, and finally down to nothing. He seemed to like the sweet humming as he sat down, cocking his head to the side. She took that moment to creep closer, folding the wings tighter against her back as to not intimidate him. She held out a hand for him to sniff and froze, letting him make the first move.

The little fox crept forward extremely slowly, sniffing Nexia's hand carefully. The fox must have liked the scent of her hand as he started licking it, rubbing his head against her palm. He seemed more like a cat instead of a fox…but she wasn't complaining.

Nexia smiled and gathered the small bundle into her arms, taking to the sky. She went slowly…but quickly gained altitude as the wind currents caught her wings. She knew the sudden action would scare the poor kit but she wanted to make sure that his forepaw was alright.

The winged girl flapped her wings harder to catch an updraft, letting the little fox bury its head in her stomach. The little kit was cute when he was scared as it started whimpering…but she knew it was cruel to let him think she would let him fall. About twenty minutes later she landed in front of the Autobot base, waving to the Security camera, and Jazz, who was still on security duty.

The doors to the base swished open, granting access to the young winged girl and the fox kit she was holding. She made a beeline for the Medical Bay, assuming by the length that she had been gone that Ratchet would be done. The Autobot medic didn't like to put up with Ironhide's complaining, even though the black weapons specialist was Ratchet's best friend.

Asuma wandered up next to her and started rubbing against her ankles when she landed, causing her to chuckle at his curiosity. He meowed to the bundle in Nexia's arms, causing the bundle to bark back quietly. Asuma's ears perked forward and he pawed at Nexia's legs, begging to be picked up as well. Ratchet and Wheeljack had done well; the small black kitten rarely used his claws and never used them against his owner.

"Sorry, Asuma, dear. This is a one animal load. I can't carry you both at the same time." she said, looking down at the black cat apologetically. The small cat sat back and pouted but settled on following Nexia when she moved. It was a long walk to the Medical Bay but she had the time to bond with her newfound friend.

Nexia continued to walk to the Medical Bay, not wanting to fly and injure her precious load any longer. Finally, she reached the familiar pair of sliding doors that led to Ratchets "Man-cave." When she entered the medic in question looked up with a scowl implanted on his face. His scowl softened into a soft smile when his optics settled on his lover, motioning for her to join him. She flew up to the desk, but instead of landing on his shoulder she landed on his desk, moving an arm to reveal the injured kit.

"Now, what do we have, here?" he asked, focusing his optics on the kit. Nexia smiled sheepishly and stroked the kit's head, causing him to start purring. Nexia and Ratchet shared a look and started chuckling, enjoying being near one another again. The little one in the winged girl's grasp started struggling, wanting to be let down. She gave in, setting the little fox on the desk…but she kept an eye on him to make sure that he didn't fall off.

"I found him. In the woods…don't look at me like that! I was in the small thicket near the base!" she said, ignoring the exasperated look on his facial plates. She grinned cheekily up at him and continued her story as she kept an eye on the little fox. Asuma meowed from the floor so the Autobot medic gently picked him up and set him on the table to bond with the little fox.

"I found him wailing over his dead mother. I think his forepaw is injured…so…will you take a look at him? For me?" she asked the medic, puckering up her bottom lip and widening her eyes. The winged girl's eyes watered up as she blinked, willing the tears to come forward. Ratchet's resolve melted like butter and his optics softened even more. He couldn't say no to his little Phoenix.

"Sure thing, love. You don't even have to ask." he said, booting up his scanners. The winged girl scooped up the fox, who let out a yelp of protest, but she held on tight despite his wriggling. Nexia held the kit out in front of her as his scanners flew from Ratchet's optics. Within seconds the scan was complete and he activated his holoform. The human version of Ratchet calmly walked over to the pair and prodded at the fox's forepaw.

"His paw is sprained… probably from the attack on him and his mother. If I squeeze it in the right place I can fix it, though." he explained, adjusting his glasses further up his nose.

His bright blue eyes sparkling as she smiled happily, kissing the blond holoform on the cheek as a reward. He gripped the good paw of the fox, feeling around for the bone, then he gripped the bad paw. He squeezed and a small pop was heard as well as a small yelp from the fox. Nexia set the fox own on its own feet, watching the fox as it started to prance around happily. Ratchet grinned at his success and was awarded with another kiss on the lips from his girl.

"Do you think Optimus will let me keep him? He can keep Asuma company when I am not at home or here." she asked, looking up with the medic with hope in her eyes. He looked thoughtful for a moment before he slowly smiled. He took her hand in his larger one, trailing circles on the back of her smaller hand with his thumb.

"I don't see why not. Go ask Optimus. He is a fair mech and I'm sure that he'll let you keep the little fox." he said, turning he around and pinching her side, causing her to jump and giggle as she swatted his hand away. She scooped up the little kit and flew out through the double doors. She paused in the hallway, throwing a wink back to the smirking medic.

The winged girl flew through the control room, past a disgruntled Ironhide and Hound. Ironhide was used to her flying antics but since Hound was always out scouting he yelled out in surprise when Nexia zipped in front of his face. He pushed himself backwards in order to see her more clearly but lost his balance, instead falling back on his metallic aft.

"Sorry, Hound! I won't do it again! At least not today." Nexia apologized, grinning at the forest green mech. He scowled as Ironhide barked out a laugh, slapping Hound on the back when the forest green mech managed to right himself. Nexia laughed and yelled out another apology as she disappeared around the corner.

Soon the Phoenix reached Optimus' office, which was actually labeled for everyone's convenience. She landed on the ground, laughing when the kit tried to jump out of her arms once again. This time she learned her lesson; she held onto the kit as he tired himself out.

He finally gave up, however, when the girl holding him wouldn't release her iron grip. The girl knocked on the great set of double sliding doors and smiled when she got an answer. The fox in her arms relaxed when the double doors opened; he tensed up again, however, when they entered the foreboding room.

"Please enter." Optimus' great voice reverberated throughout the hallway. The winged girl walked closer to the doors as they opened even wider; when they had finished opening the girl took to the air once again…much to the little fox's disgruntlement. She flew towards the great Autobot Leader, settling down upon his gargantuan desk. He paused in his work, taking his optics off the huge computer screen to look at the winged girl before him. Optimus smiled warmly at the girl who became like a daughter to him.

"What can I do for you, little one?" he asked kindly, optics softening at her nervous look. The winged girl bit her lip and held out the fox kit, who promptly started to sniff around. Optimus' optics focused on the small ball of fur blinking in curiosity. She smiled slightly and started to explain the situation to the Autobot leader. He waited patiently as Nexia considered her words carefully.

"I found this little guy in the woods, injured, and brought him back to Ratchet. Ratchet fixed his paw and…well…I just fell in love with the little guy. Can I keep him?" she asked, using the classic puppy dog pout. No mech was any match for the awesome powers of the puppy dog pout.

The winged girl widened her eyes as they became glassy as well as pushing out her lower lip slightly. The lower lip started quivering and the leader's resolve melted away, much like her lover's, as he smiled warmly at the Phoenix.

"There is but one problem that you are to solve." he said, watching the girl furrow her eyebrows in thought. What problem was there that she was supposed to fix?

"What?" she finally asked, quizzically looking back at the mech.

"What are you going to name him?" Optimus asked, smiling widely at the girl's happy face. She thought for a moment before breaking out in another room-lighting smile. Suddenly, another memory hit her. It seemed like the memories were never going to end.

"What are you going to name them, Grandfather?" a slightly younger Nexia asked the elderly Phoenix. They had just rescued a pair of young children from the evil forces of the Decepticons. The children had yet to be named and it was all up to her grandfather.

"Well, my dear, I think I will name the little lady…Seraphim. The young boy I shall name…Kenai." the elderly Phoenix replied, lowering the two bundles into Nexia's arms. She smiled, pecking her grandfather on the cheek as she flew to the medic's tent.

"Kenai…Seraphim…what wonderful names." the teenaged form of Nexia commented as she handed the two babes to the head nurse. The elderly woman agreed as she fixed a bottle of formula for the babes.

Nexia shook her head from the happy memory, looking down at the kit. He had the same type of eyes that the male Phoenix child had when he was a baby. That decided her name…she was going to name him after the Phoenix child.

"How about Kenai?" she asked. Optimus smiled back at the excited teen before nodding his head and showing his approval. She squealed, hugging the great mech's hand before taking off into the air with the small fox in her arms. Optimus looked on with a warm feeling in his spark as he turned back to his blasphemous paperwork. At least Nexia knew how to brighten his day.