Hey, sorry for the late update!! Very, very late I have to say but I'm sorry! I was studying for the ACT I had this morning!!
Thanks to:
Elita One: Thanks for the review! All your support is muchly welcomed!
electrogirl88: Thanks for your reviews! It makes me think my fanfiction is worth reading.
Stesuna the Dragon: I love all the reviews you give me!! Thank you!!
Chapter 14
The Midnight Trip
It was the middle of the night, hot and sticky; the sweltering heat could make your skin literally melt off. Bugs were buzzing around outside, hoping to land on their unsuspecting pray and feast on their blood. They knocked against the winged girl's window, smelling the sweet combination of skin and sweat.
Nexia was sleeping soundly in her bed, but had kicked of her sheets and blanket in an attempt to keep herself cool. She was having a rather vivid dream. It was not a nightmare but all she could make out were snippets of sounds and small flashes of color. It was frighteningly real…and she was helpless. She could neither move nor speak. Then she heard a voice practically screaming her name. Nexia frowned in her sleep, recognizing the voice as Ratchets.
Suddenly, Nexia was snapped out of her sleep by the sound of something hitting her window. The winged girl sat up, wondering what the hell hit her window. It very well could have been a bird…but the noise it would have created would have been significantly louder.
Very bright lights suddenly shone through the window as well, making her eyes squint against the sudden brightness. Nexia stumbled out of bed and to the window, opening said window as the lights died. The winged girl blinked and wiped at her eyes as she stuck her head out the window. When they opened again she found herself staring blankly at the face of Bumblebee. They held their gaze for a few moments before Nexia noticed the two humans on the ground, quietly waving their arms to get her attention.
"What do you want? Don't you realize its past midnight?! You'll wake Sarah and Will…not to mention Ironhide!" Nexia half whispered and half yelled down to the couple. The two looked at each other and grinned, showing her their bathing suites. At first the winged girl had no idea what was going on but soon her mind cleared as the sleep faded away.
"We thought you might want to go for a little nightly swim. Y'know, to relieve your stress. You've been worrying a lot lately." Mikaela said, smiling up at the winged girl. She knew that the winged girl worried about the safety of the Autobots but now since the Decepticons had discovered her she needed to worry about herself, too.
Nexia stood at the window, still as she was thinking about the situation. It was true; she needed a break from all the worrying she was doing. Surely the humans and Bumblebee wouldn't let any harm come to her…and if the Decepticons showed up she could fight. Finally, she made up her mind.
"Just give me ten minutes. I'll be down soon." she whispered to the two teens. Sam and Mikaela grinned at each other, eyes sparkling with accomplishment. Bee made some crooning noises, chirping happily that his new-yet-not-so-new friend was going to come with them.
Nexia tiptoed around her room, quietly slipping on a two piece bathing suit. It was black with silver glitter sewed into it. On the left breast there was a giant white JB for the Jonas Brothers. Sam and Mikaela didn't particularly like that band but the winged girl found their music to be soothing. Just listening to the lyrics made her think about her relationship with a certain Search and Rescue hummer.
She hastily put on a pair of shorts and a tank over the bathing suit, tugging the strings to make sure it was tied tightly. She slipped on her ninja sandals and banished her wings – so she could huddle - as she escaped out her window and into Bee's hand. The way the yellow scout handled her was surprisingly gentle for a mech of his size but Nexia smiled, eyes glittering with mischievousness.
Everyone was smiling happily but there was one thing that would cause distress. In her haste Nexia forgot to write a note telling Sarah and Will where she was going.
Since Nexia banished her wings Bumblebee lifted her with ease and then set her down beside the other two teens. He transformed into that sweet Camero form of his, opening his doors in one smooth motion. The teens all climbed inside, cheering quietly as they crept past the sleeping Ironhide. Once they were sure that they had made it past the slumbering weapons specialist the humans broke out in a round of laughter.
About an hour later they arrived at the lake where all of them first met Nexia. The humans and Nexia climbed out of Bee's camero mode and he transformed. There was nobody out that late at night so he didn't have to worry about someone spotting him.
Sam and Mikaela wandered off somewhere and started to swim in the deeper part of the lake but Nexia slowly peeled off her shorts and shirt. The truth is…the winged girl couldn't swim very well. She had no reason to learn but at least she could keep her head above water.
Bee settled down on his back as Nexia slowly sat down in the shallow end of the lake. She sighed contently as the water came up to around her breasts. The small waves of the warm water were soothing; it helped her relax and all the tension from the past couple of months was fading away. It was all quiet except for the sounds of Sam and Mikaela splashing each other in the background.
Sarah Lennox woke with a start, having been suffering from a mild nightmare. A cold sweat dripped down her face and her hair clung to her forehead as she gasped, sitting up in the bed. Her nightgown also clung to her body from the sweat.
She looked around the room, trying to sense if anything was off. The blonde woman frowned as she climbed out of bed, quietly slipping on a light robe she crept out of her room. She walked as quietly as she could down the hall to check on her young daughter before slipping downstairs to check on the doors.
The older woman was relieved when she found that they were locked. Her dream had been so vivid. People had broken into the house and held little Annabelle hostage. The winged girl was being tortured by another man who had held her at gunpoint. The man shot her in the wings, causing her to scream. Her husband had a knife held to his throat – it was horrible.
The blonde woman felt better now that she knew that the doors were locked. She sighed in relief when she saw the bulky form of Ironhide settled in their driveway. The memories from the nightmare melted from her mind as she slowly walked back up the stairs. Little did Sarah know that Nexia was not in her room and the winged girl's window was wide open.
Sarah was calmed considerably as she climbed the stairs to Nexia's attic room. Sarah paused outside the door, listening for the soft breaths of someone sleeping. Moments passed without a sound; something wasn't right. Her heartbeat spiked as she realized that she couldn't hear anyone breathing.
She almost didn't want to open the door but panic and curiosity got the better of her. Sarah opened the door and almost cried out when she saw the vacant bed and the open window. Leaving the door open she rushed down the stairs to their bedroom.
"Will!" she exclaimed, shaking her husband awake. Since he was a soldier his reflexes had been sharpened. He was awake and on his feet in a matter of seconds, glancing wildly around the room. He was alert and his eyes shifted back and forth, searching for the cause of his wife's distress. His eyes landed on his wife and his mind went into a frenzy; he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around his wife's shoulders.
"Will, Nexia's gone! The window is open and her room is a mess! I can't find her anywhere!!" Sarah exclaimed tears streaming down her face. Her bottom lip quivered as she thought about the possible outcomes of the situation. Will scooped his distressed wife into his arms, not bothering to ask why she was awake at this hour. She was known to wake and check on their daughter. The military man pulled away, running his thumbs across her cheeks to clear away her tears.
"Hey. None of that. Why don't you search the house and I'll go inform Ironhide. Maybe she's gone for a late night flight?" he said, watching her nod. He switched out his boxers for a pair of pajama pants – he wanted to be at least modest - before he stumbled downstairs to talk to the giant GMC Topkick.
Will knew that Ironhide was a heavy sleeper so he had to kick the great black mech in the tire to get his attention. The black mech woke with a start, shuddering as he accessed the situation. It took several seconds for his processor to reboot but after that he was wide awake.
The weapons specialist scanned the house as Sarah emerged with Nexia's katana, the strap neatly hooked into place. Ironhide's processor went into overdrive as he scanned the grounds of the Lennox household. She wasn't there, which sent his spark into a panic. Usually the old mech was quite calm but the winged girl was placed in his protection…plus he really had no interest going up against an angry medic.
"Will, where is Nexia? My scanners indicate that she is nowhere in the general area." Ironhide asked, transforming into his bipedal mode. He was a weapons specialist and therefore his scanners only went about a half-mile before they cut off. Will and Sarah shook their heads. Tears sprung forth from Sarah's eyes as Will wrapped her in his arms once again. Alarms went off in his processor as the black mech stood to his full height.
Ironhide to Autobot Base. he said, opening up an emergency alert communications channel with everyone present in the Autobot base. That way the weapons specialist wouldn't have to repeat his conversation and he would be able to save time.
Go ahead Ironhide. State the emergency. Optimus' voice replied over the emergency network. He sounded somewhat worried since Ironhide never had to use the emergency network before.
Prime, we have a problem. Nexia was found missing from her quarters. Her quarters were also found in a mess and her katana was left behind. We can't track her since her katana isn't with her. Ironhide explained. Once he was finished he could hear several gasps, one of which tore at his spark. It was Ratchet and from the sound of it he had either fallen to his knees or sat down somewhere.
Are you sure she is gone?! She could be flying somewhere outside to relieve her stress or something along those lines!! Ratchet exclaimed, his shaky voice making Ironhide wince. The Autobot mech was obviously worried about his lover.
We will alert Hound, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Bumblebee to Nexia's condition. Ironhide, you will stay in case she comes back. Optimus' worried voice sounded through the communications system. Since Hound, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Bumblebee were on patrol their emergency broadcast system wouldn't be activated until they got back. It was kind of stupid to have it off but it was to help prevent distraction.
Affirmative, Prime. I will contact you if I see or receive communications from her. Ironhide out. the great black mech said, cutting off the communications system. It would seem like all he could do for the moment was wait.
"Well? What are you going to do?" Will asked, worry etched into his voice. Ironhide sighed and transformed back into his vehicular mode, causing both the humans to look at him strangely. Usually he would be tearing out of the place at the first sign of something unusual. Ironhide in turn sat back on his shocks, worry also evident in the great warrior's voice.
"We are to wait here. Optimus has alerted those on Patrol while Ratchet will most likely head out on his own to search for her. He knows all of the places she is likely to be at." Ironhide relayed, watching as Will nodded his head and yawned. He turned to his wife as she rubbed her eyes a little more.
"Go back to bed, Will. I will stay awake and alert you if she is to return." Will looked uncertain at first but after a bit of prodding by the Topkick he finally gave in. Soon after the humans went to sleep Ironhide finally opened a private communications link with the Autobot Medic. He was stern but he realized that the medic needed a little more pushing in order to go after the winged girl – or at least get him out of the shock he was most likely in.
You better find her. was all Ironhide said before shutting the link and sighing in worry for his winged friend. He turned to look towards the sky; at least he had gotten enough recharge for the night.
Ratchet barely registered anything the Weapon Specialist said through the private communications link as his mind was in turmoil. Several questions were flying through his processor at lightning speed.
Did someone break into Nexia's room? If so, then who was it? Was it a Decepticon? How could a Decepticon have gotten through the Autobot Defense system drilled into Ironhide's core processor? Would they hurt Nexia?
At this thought Ratchet's spark clenched painfully as he staggered to his feet. Ironhide's warning bore through his processor, jumpstarting his mind. The Autobot medic's face was stern and determined. He was going to find his lover and there would be hell to pay.
He rushed through the many twists and turns of the Autobot base until he got to the entrance. Not bothering to slow down he transformed mid jump, narrowly escaping a collision with Wheeljack. The white bot's voice indicators flashed in annoyance as the Autobot medical officer refused to apologize. He had no time for that.
"Hey! Watch it, Ratchet!" the white Autobot yelled, flattening himself against the wall. Wheeljack frowned but held himself from scolding the medic as he knew not of what Ratchet was going through. The medic had just found his lover and he knew that the medic wouldn't give her up without a fight.
Ratchet sped by Optimus and Jazz, both of him giving him silent looks. Nexia was dear to everyone at the base but if she was ever lost Ratchet's spark would surly extinguish. It was bad enough that the battle hardened Autobot rarely showed any kind of emotion other than anger…this kind of anguish tore at the mechs' sparks.
The Autobot medical officer sped down the dirt road connecting the countryside to the military bases. Ratchet thought that he should check all of the winged girl's favorite spots. He transformed back to his bipedal mode, skidding upon the dirt when he reached the thicket of trees and bushes. The medic activated his scanners, desperately searching for the one who captured his spark. He sighed in despair when he couldn't recognize her specific heat signature. The medic raked his fingers across his helm, trying to figure out where else she would go.
Suddenly, his emergency communications receptor flared to life. The mech paused, slowing his ventilation systems in order to hear his commander's voice.
Autobots I have some bad news. Optimus' voice reverberated through the system. Ratchet's spark was sent into overdrive as he awaited the news from his commander. Had Nexia been located? Was she hurt? Could she be in pain and he couldn't help her? His spark shuttered painfully at the thoughts.
It has been over one hour since Nexia has been missing and she has yet to return home. We also tried contacting the mechs on patrol and Autobot Bumblebee is not responding. We are not sure what this means but it could be anything. Stay alert, Autobots. Prime out. Optimus said, ending the emergency transmission. The Autobot medic's processor was reeling from the information.
Ratchet sank to his knees, spark tearing to shreds. If she were hurt then he would murder the one who caused her pain. He would ignore his medic's code and ensure the death of whoever dared lay a hand on his lover.
He pushed himself to his knees and decided to search one more place before he would return to the Autobot base. He had one more chance to be right. Ratchet transformed once he reached the road, not pausing to see whether or not there were any humans. It was stupid, yes, but he had no time to waste.
The Autobot medic sped down the highway to where he first met his sparkmate. Yes, it was true. They were sparkmates. Nexia had given him her spark to protect and protect it he would.
It was late at night, next to the shore of the lake. The stars were shining brightly as two human-like figures lay on the hood of a Search and Rescue Hummer. The two were Ratchet's holoform and Nexia without her wings, obviously.
They lay intertwined with each other. He was lying on his back while she was to the side, her head lying upon his chest.
"Nexia?" Ratchet asked, looking down upon her, smiling softly. This caused her to look up, a small smile adorning her face as well. It was these rare moments that the Autobot medic showed his more tender side.
"Hmm, Ratch?" she asked back as he brushed some hair from her face.
"I love you." he murmured quietly. Nexia smiled at the medic's show of affection. She knew that he had a hart time showing his emotions but she loved him anyway. It was just one of his quirks and it made it even better when he did show it.
"I love you, too." she said softly, gently kissing his lips. He beamed at her and kissed her harder, yet still being gentle. He rubbed the spots on her back, where the base of her wings would be. She gasped and arched her back - they were her most sensitive spots.
She broke from the kiss, giggling at his touch. He laughed at her, pausing when he felt something being slipped over his head. He opened his eyes, having closed them sometime during the kiss, and looked down at the spark hanging around his neck. She smiled at him lovingly as tears gathered in his eyes.
"I give my spark to you, my love." she said as he gathered her in his arms once again, kissing her with as much passion as he could muster. She had let him touch their sparks together, when he was back in bipedal mode of course, and they had become true sparkmates.
The winged girl's spark was safely nestled within his subspace, near his own spark. He glared at the road, determined to protect his mate until the very end. The Autobot medic took a sharp turn into the entrance of the camp near the lake and was about to transform but froze when he heard several voices. He parked his vehicle form and activated his holoform, slipping under the cover of darkness to see if his beloved was among those there.
Ratchet crept forward, silently sticking his head over one of the bushes to see Sam and Mikaela shoving each other in the water. His spark tightened while he looked around and finally deflated with relief when he spotted his mate next to Bumblebee. He jumped from the bush and gathered her into his arms.
"Ratch!? What are you doing?!" Nexia yelled, surprise evident in her voice. He kissed her multiple times before picking her up and sending a glare towards Bumblebee, Sam, and Mikaela. All three of them shivered, creeping backwards away from the medic.
"We need to talk. Alone." he said, passing by the other three. They looked confused as to why he was acting this way but it only took a private com to the yellow scout to figure out the story. Bee held the two humans back with an 'I'll explain later' look as Ratchet continued back to his true form.
Once there the medic enveloped his mate with a bone crushing hug, burying his nose into her now shoulder length hair. He didn't even realize that it was growing in length, something he would never take for granted again. He vowed that he was going to notice the little things. The little things were sometimes the most important.
"I thought that you were taken by the Decepticons. I thought that I had lost you." he whispered, a tear trailing down his cheek. The tear splashed onto Nexia's shoulder while she wrapped her arms around the distressed medic's waist. She bit her lip, feeling ashamed that she hadn't contacted him.
"Hush, love. I'm here, now, and that's all that matters. Why didn't you contact Bee if you were so worried?" she asked, cocking her head in curiosity. Ratchet's tear-filled eyes narrowed in anger as he tightened his grip on the winged girl, finally setting her down on his hood. He sat behind her as she faced him, sitting in his lap.
"He turned his com off." he hissed, glaring at the tree next to them.
"Really? It seemed like he was acting a little strange. But then again, he WAS sleeping." she said, yawing. She was tired as it had been several hours since her little adventure with Bumblebee began. She softly kissed Ratchet's lips and snuggled her head against his shoulder.
He slowly leaned back against his windshield, quietly messaging the other Autobots. Once he was done he nestled his head on top of his mate's. he last words he mumbled before he fell asleep were: "The next time Bee does something like this I'll weld his aft to the ceiling."