[Location: Autobot Base]

Optimus Prime watched his oldest friend crouch down near Elita's human body and gently nudge it with his fingers as he called to her. When she groaned and started to move relief flooded both of them. It seemed that she was going to be alright.

As she pushed herself up onto her elbows, her long metallic red hair caught the light as it pulled through the energon. Blinking her vision clear, she was confused as to what had happened. And why was she lying on the floor?

"Elita?" she heard Ratchet ask quietly she looked up at him. As he came into focus, she had to wonder why he looked so huge. Closing her eyes, she slowly climbed to her feet, only to lose her balance. Before either one could react, her bot body's hands snapped out and caught her in them.

Now completely confused she looked up at what held her, and then down at where she rested. A dark blush covered her as her hands did as well, her legs curling up as she gave a nervous laugh. All three were surprised when the robotic form transformed into its vehicular mode, and she landed on her rump on the floor, her arms and legs quickly covering herself again.

"What in the name of Primus is going on here?" the medic asked softly.

Optimus frowned thoughtfully, thinking back to the image that the Key had projected while she was under the care of Vector Sigma. While it did show both her human body and her Cybertronian one, he had assumed that it was showing him both aspects of what she was comprised of. But now…

"I hate to be a bother," Elita said from the floor, "but could one of you get me something to cover up with?"

Both recalled that all the other humans ran around with some sort of covering, but neither one could recall if they had left any of their belongings at the base.

"There's some spare blankets in storage room four, section G, second shelf from the top." When they looked back down at her, she shrugged with a helpless smile. "I've been doing inventory."

Optimus nodded and went to retrieve the item. In the meantime, Ratchet had scooped her up carefully with both hands and carried her over to his work table. She stayed curled up, but looked up at him as he ran yet another scan over her. Optimus soon returned and gently draped the blanket around her, gaining a smile from the smaller Autobot, before he turned to begin cleaning up the mess she had made.

Looking back up at Ratchet as he was mumbling to himself, she was feeling guilty about leaving the Autobot leader, her commander, to clean up the mess. Hearing a bot transforming to her side, both she and Ratchet looked over at Optimus, but he had not moved. He too was watching as her old shell in its robot mode as it grabbed a mop and began to wipe it over the spilt energon.

"How are you doing that?" the medic asked.

"I have no idea." And really she didn't. "I was just feeling guilty about him having to clean up the mess and … it reacted." She looked back up at Ratchet, who was looking over his results.

"Elita, you are still mentally linked to your larger body," the red and white bot dropped his arms.

"Oh," she looked down at her bare knees, "so that's what Vector Sigma had meant."

"What do you mean?" Optimus had moved closer, since the robotic Elita-One was taking care of the mess.

Looking back up at their commander, Elita sighed. "It had told me that it could not return my broken life to me, but would assist me in living with both of the worlds that my life is a part of now."

The two male Autobots shared a look before turning to see her robotic form stop cleaning and stand there. "How did you make it transform into vehicular mode?" Ratchet asked.

Elita smirked, hearing that curious tone he would get when they'd talk those many days they were alone at the base together. "I was wanting to hide. Isn't that what an alt-mode is for?" Standing up on the table, she wrapped the blanket around her like a toga. "So, tell me about it."

"Well, for starters, you and your robotic form are made up of all the same structural components." The medic stated mater-of-factly.

Looking down at her hands, she gently flexed her fingers as she looked them over, and her robotic form was doing the same which both of the other Autobots noticed. Her skin had a very faint metallic shine, as if it was a part of the skin, and her nails were silver. Running her fingers through her long hair, she pulled it out to take it in as well, smiling at seeing the red tone, with a slight metallic shine as well.

Curious she hopped off of the table, Ratchet and Optimus both moving towards her in a rush to keep her from hurting herself, and ran over to the glass doors of the repair chamber. She slowed as she caught the blue light from her eyes, that glowing Autobot blue. "Well, that's gonna be hard to hide out in public."

"I still advise you not leaving the base until all of this has been settled," Optimus reminded her as they both stopped carefully behind her. "We need to see if Vector Sigma is going to give us any more surprises."

"And there are so many more tests to run," Ratchet added. Elita sighed a bit, but smiled. Her hands were small enough to finish with that computer system now.

By the time the kids arrived with their escorts the following day, Elita was absolutely worn out. Ratchet had run every test he could think of, having her do all sorts of movements that her larger body followed, and even giving it mental commands. It seemed to also pick up on her absentminded thoughts and act out some of the frustration she was feeling.

Right now it rested on Ratchet's work table as he ran diagnostic scans. And while it rested, she slept on the couch, on her stomach with her arms draped over one arm and her feet off the others, the blanket still wrapped around her with a corner pulled over her head.

"Hiya Ratchet!" Miko hopped excitedly about as she ran across the walkway the kids kept to most of the time, guitar bag strapped across her back. "Where's Elita?"

"Sleeping," the medic replied, not looking up from his console.

The Japanese young lady had to lean around to peek behind the red and white bot, "She sick? Why is she on your table? Did you two party all night?" A woman's voice groaning her name made her stop and slowly turn towards the couch. Jack and Rafael were already standing near it, both stopped and staring at the pair of arms and legs sticking out of the blanket. "Who's that?"

She turned an accusing glare at Bulkhead, "Did you know about her? Who is she and why is she in our club house?"

The green former Wrecker only shrugged, everyone turning to Ratchet for the answers. Giving a frustrated sigh and a roll of his eyes, he motioned behind him at the bot on his table. "Vector Sigma had fused her DNA with her metallic structure when he turned her into a true Cybertronian. Apparently," he now motioned at the couch, "it also included in making a human shaped form as well."

"Saweet!"

Arcee was looking over at the couch, curious as to why Elita wasn't up yet. When the human shaped bot finally lifted her head, her face was as red as her hair. "Please tell me that the boys aren't here yet." A slow look to her side answered her question. Groaning she flopped her head back down, pulling herself under the covers more and wrapping them around her as snuggly as possible. "I'll be in my room now…" and the blanket disappeared down the hall silently, the robotic form on the table getting up to follow.

"Awkward." Miko mumbled. The youngest of the humans had used the girl's distraction to grab a controller before she did and was already getting the game started.

Jack gave a nervous scratch to the back of his head, thinking. With a smile he walked over to where the bots had gathered to be updated on their missions and what had happened the night before. "Ratchet?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"Do you think that Arcee and I can go run an errand before she heads out?" When the bots all focused on him he added, "It's for Elita."

Even if the medic didn't agree to it, Arcee did. She was moving away from the group before Ratchet even spoke. "That is very kind of you, Jack," and he looked over at the blue motorcycle, "Arcee."

The young man gave a smile, running over to his backpack to empty it out before putting it on and rushing over to Arcee, waiting in her vehicular mode. With helmet in place, the duo rushed out of the base.

Miko, since the other controller was free, flopped down on the couch and began to game Raf while Bulkhead and Bumblebee received their orders. It was just patrolling, so the teens would most likely go with them, but for now they were relaxing.

[Location: Jasper, Nevada]

Arcee was waiting outside the small store while Jack ran inside. They had already stopped by the house, where Jack called his mother to ask her about the clothing she had set aside to donate but had not had a chance to run by. With her approval, Jack grabbed the clothing and let Arcee pack it away. Now he was buying something else.

It was everything that the Cybertronian could do to not audibly groan at the sight of Sierra walk by and into the same store that Jack had ran into quickly. With how addle-brained he got around her, Arcee was worried that he'd forget why they were there.

Inside the store, Jack was actually staring blankly at all the bathing soaps that women actually had to choose from. No wonder his mother took so long shopping. This was insane!

"Hi Jack."

The black haired young man twisted around, feeling caught. "Sierra! Hi!"

The cheer captain meekly made her way over, her arms behind her back. "So… what are you doing?"

"Shopping!" and he looked back at the rows of choices ahead of him, "trying to at least."

"For your mom?"

"No… yes… Well…" he gave a self depreciating laugh as he scratched the back of his head, "It's for a shut-in friend of my mom's."

"And she didn't give you a list of stuff to get?" she eyed him with a mix of question and appreciation. He was being so considerate.

"Actually, it's a surprise."

"Ah, well…" he watched the young lady look over the choices and quickly pick out four bottles. "Most likely she won't want a bunch of strong smelling stuff, so best to go with like Vanilla or the like. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion," she listed as she placed them in the arm basket he was carrying. When she finished, she smiled up at him, which caught the young man. "It's really sweet that you're doing this."

Giving his nervous laugh, he could only smile. "She's a good friend. One of a kind, really. Thanks for your help."

"No prob. See you around?"

"You bet!" And he watched her walk further down the isle. He rushed to the front to pay for his purchases and back out to Arcee. "Sorry to have made you wait."

"I figured Sierra had something to do with that," she replied starting up after he put his purchase in his backpack and settled onto his ride.

"She actually helped me out. I'm terrible in buying things for women." Letting her rev up before pulling out of the parking space, he prepared for the ride. "One more stop and we'll be ready to head back."

"Good. I need to replace Optimus on his patrol. But it's really great that you're helping Elita out like this."

"What can I say?" The young man shrugged as they pulled up to the K.O. Burger. "She's one of us."

[Author's Note]

I DO NOT OWN TRANSFORMERS PRIME NOR ANY CHARACTER IN THE SHOW.

Basing the basic control design off of "Aelyia: The Grand Dream" written by P.J.C. Cahill. (Read it! Great book!) Main inspiration is the Head Masters, but couldn't really see having Elita being the head of her bot. Gave me a migraine just thinking about it.