A/N: I am not very pleased with how this chapter came out. I'm not sure I got my idea across very well. But it is late and I have had a very long day. At least I hope it helps explain some things. I do want to thank everyone for leaving reviews or favoriting/following this story. I cannot tell you how much it means to me.

June tried to find a comfortable spot. The decking was cold and thrummed with the powerful engines. Finding a spot behind Optimus she curled up against the wall. Looking at the pair before her it was difficult not to allow the despair to overwhelm her. The dead weight in her chest that sapped the strength from her limbs. Not even on her worst night in the ER had she felt so helpless. At least there she had her training to fall back on. Here she had to rely on her gut instinct and best guess. She knew she'd been lucky so far, but luck would only get her so far. Resting her head on her knees, she closed her eyes. She couldn't help but wonder how Jack was doing. Hopefully he and Arcee were safe. If Megatron was here, then he wasn't out searching for them. It was a small comfort.

She jerked awake, the soft groan still echoing in the chamber. She looked around, but nothing had moved. Optimus and Knockout were darker shadows, only lit by the glowing cuffs on their wrists. The image reminded her of something off a horror movie. Again that soft pained groan. That's not Knockout.

Getting up she winced as stiff joints protested. Shuffling over to Optimus she peered up at him. His optics were barely open, slits of blue the only thing visible in the darkness.

"Optimus. Are you alright."

There was no answer.

"Optimus, please. Talk to me."

There was flicker as he blinked. "I am sorry June, but I do not feel like holding a conversation at the moment."

"I know you don't, but you are in pain and I would like to be able to help. That cut on your side-"

The blue winked out completely. "Its not that kind of pain."

"Oh."

She waited, shivering every so often. He didn't open his optics and nothing else was said.

"I know you are upset Optimus. Who wouldn't be in this situation? But you cannot do this alone. I will do what I can to help, but you have to let me."

"I don't know."

"Optimus?"

"I don't know what to do . . . I can't let Megatron get the Matrix, but . . ."

"But you don't see a way to stop him either, is that it?"

He finally opened his optics to look at her. "It has been calling to me, but I don't know what to do. It's lead me to great things before, things that helped in our quest."

"Wait. What is calling to you?"

"The Matrix, it is a guide-of sorts. I get feelings, impulses . . . But nothing overt or explicit. As the collected wisdom of the Primes it grants me tremendous insight, but only when it deems fit."

"When it deems fit? So you cannot access the information at will."

"No. And for the last few days it has been tugging at me, but I do not understand why. Unlike the other times I cannot sense a destination."

June allowed a moment for this information to sink in. It was a lot to comprehend. Robots who believed in such esoteric things was a lot to take in. If she didn't know better she'd almost think Optimus was talking about a pilgrimage of sorts. Was that even possible? She knew from their encounter with Unicron that they had a similar concept to deities, but this was going beyond that even. The way Optimus talked, it was like the Matrix was a holy relic passed down from Prime to Prime through the ages.

"Well, I guess the only thing to do is get you out of here so you can find out."

"As much as I appreciate that sentiment June, it is not a possibility. I will have to trust that my team will be able to handle things without me."

"Optimus! You can't talk like that! If the Matrix thinks-Is that the right word?-Anyway, if it thinks there is something out there that could help you then we need to at least try."

"I do not think it is something to help me, June."

The defeated tone of his voice brought tears to her eyes. "You are Optimus Prime! Of course it is! How can you give up now?"

"I am not giving up. I am accepting that which is inevitable. Megatron plans to use me as an example. I have no doubts that he intends to kill me in order to demoralize the Autobots and any who would help us."

June knew it would. She'd seen how upset Wheeljack had been and he wasn't even officially an Autobot. "So you are willing to let yourself be made a martyr, is that it?"

"If there was another way-"

"There is always another way, we just have to look harder. I think you are letting your situation get to you too much. Sure you are injured and captured, but you are alive. As long as Megatron has a reason to keep you alive then the Autobots have a chance to rescue you. You say you trust them, so believe they will do that very thing. I have to believe they will. Otherwise, I will be dying right along side you."

Optimus blinked several times looking down at her. She couldn't read his expression in the dim light but it seemed he was considering her words. Walking up to his foot she put her hand on it, a tingle running up her arm. He was warm to the touch. Not the warmth of a hot engine, but a living warmth.

"I believe in you Optimus. I know that may not count for much, but I've seen how hard you fight for what you know is right. You've done everything in your power to keep everyone safe, but there is a limit to what you can do. Even as a Prime."

The tingle had intensified as she spoke and Optimus twitched.

"What-what are you doing?"

She jerked her hand away. "I-I'm sorry I didn't realize . . ."

"Did you feel that?" He was staring down at her, optics wide. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"When you touched me there was . . . A charge."

"Oh . . . I don't know. I thought it was just you, making my skin tingle because of the electrical current."

Blue optics narrowed and he looked over at Knockout. "Stop pretending to sleep Knockout."

"Scrap. How did you know?"

"June can you reach Knockout?"

"I can barely reach you Optimus."

"Wait. What? I don't what that thing touching me!"

"Can you climb up my frame, June? I want to test something if you don't mind."

"I don't mind."

Hoisting herself up on his foot she started climbing. It wasn't exactly easy, but he had lots of places for hand or footholds. His thigh was the most difficult, she'd never realized just how slick the metal was. He raised his leg slightly at assist her and she was embarrassingly glad that she didn't have to climb up his waist. It was awkward enough clambering all over the big bot as it was. She was careful to avoid the puncture wound on his side. It did seem to be healing on its own though and the professional in her wondered what sort of immune system they had. Reaching his shoulder she sat down to catch her breath. She gave his helm a soft pat.

"Well, that wasn't so difficult. Though I don't usual go that far on first dates."

"Excuse me?"

"Nevermind. Okay here we go."

It took a few minutes, but she made it to his hand. Knockout dangled a short distance away, glaring daggers at her.

"Don't you dare!" He snarled.

"Oh come on! I can't hurt you." Knockout looked horrified. "Well anymore."

Steeling herself she jumped, landing on his outstretched arm. He yelped and tried to twist away. She had to scrabble for purchase to keep from being thrown off.

"Oh calm down you big baby!" She crawled forward until she was sitting on his shoulder. She looked back over at Optimus, studiously ignoring the glare a few feet away. "What did you want me to do Optimus?"

"I want you to think. Think about when you first saw Knockout and what was going on. See if you can pull those emotions back up."

She frowned, the nodded. "I think I see what you are getting at."

Closing her eyes she thought back to the encounter in Kansas, when she'd ran him over. She remembered the sheer terror, panic and horror. The tingling began again and she put out a hand to steady herself, unwittingly touching Knockout's helm.

He yelped and tried to jerk away. "What are you doing! Stop touching me! I don't want . . ."

He fell silent as she remembered how terrible she'd felt when she'd thought she'd killed him. She hadn't mean to hurt him, only stop him. She gasped as a sudden pain filled her, nearly making her double over. She latched on to Knockout's helm as her fear was amplified, an undercurrent of humiliation spiking it. What was going on? These were not her emotions. Forcing her eyes open she let go. Knockout shook himself and turned to look at her, optics wide with shock.

"You . . . You shouldn't . . . you can't!" He wailed. "Its not possible! Optimus what did you do?!"

"I did nothing. Something else has happened. June are you alright?"

"Other than being very confused, I am fine. What was that?"

"Are you going to tell her, Prime?" Knockout snapped after a few moments passed.

"I'm not entirely certain."

"Oh for Primus sake . . . Please tell me this isn't happening. Only sparked beings can have a connection like that."

"A connection? What's he saying Optimus?"

Optimus shook his head. "It is the first of it's kind, that we know of. June, when you first found me, how did you stabilize me."

June shifted to fully look at Optimus. "After Wheeljack extracted the metal beam I attempted to seal off all the leaks. I had to . . . To crawl inside the wound."

Knockout made a choking sound.

"While you were there did you happen to see anything that emitted a glow?"

"Yes, I thought it was your spark . . . Was I wrong?"

"No, you were not wrong. Did you come into contact with it?"

"I-I might have. I was working so quickly. I was terrified that you were going to bleed out right there . . ."

"She's organic! It shouldn't have any affect on her whatsoever!"

"We do not fully understand how the Matrix works Knockout. It often puzzles me and I am it's bearer. June, can you make it back over here?"

"I can try."

Once she was safely back on his shoulder she leaned against his helm closing her eyes. "Can you please explain this to me?"

"I can try."

She was startled to feel his need to reassure her, it was both comforting and disconcerting. It seemed the longer she was in contact with him the stronger the bond became.

"The Matrix of Leadership, as the collected wisdom of the Primes possesses great power. A power that I have never fully come to understand or even fathom. It's power defeated Unicron and in the past lead me to find Nexus Prime so that I could keep the All Spark from Megatron's hands. It seems that it's power is not only limited to Cybertronians. I theorize that your touching it opened pathways as yet untapped in your mind. It gifted you power, June. The power to understand and to heal those you touch."

"Power to heal . . .? I don't understand."

"What was your greatest desire as you worked on me?"

"To help you-oh. Oh . . . I see. It felt my desire to save your life and gave me the power to do so. But Knockout is the one who did the actual surgery."

"Even so, without you I would not have survived even a fraction of the time before we were captured."

"I don't know Optimus, this is an awful lot to take in."

"I know. I can feel your reluctance to believe that you would be so chosen. I beg to differ. Why do you think I entrusted Jack with the Key to Vector Sigma? He proved worthy of that trust. So will you. You are his mother after all."

"But earlier you said the Matrix was calling to you. What could that mean?"

"I'm not sure, but I have faith I will find out."

"You won't have to wait long. Megatron is going to take the Matrix."

"I know what he said."

"Then you know you can't stop him."

"Perhaps."

June stroked Optimus cheek, feeling his determination underlaid with trepidation. For all his stoicism he was still a person. He didn't want to die, but if he had to, he would do so with dignity.

"No matter what happens I will be here, Optimus. You won't be alone."