Disjointed

Chapter 2: Where we are

The reviews have been crazy good! Thanks everyone! I'm really starting to like where this is heading, this will not be LONG by any means as more possible outcomes will be posted to this STORY as well.

Please note I write these robots as if they have no gender. Their gender is merely personified, I.E. like when a man turns to his car and says "Isn't she a beauty?" It's not because his car is a girl, it's because that's how he SEES it. I write them how we SEE them but they in his instance have no gender as their race comes from the core of cybertron.

June sat worried on the little cot in the small room she'd been given at the military base. "No one is to enter sir." A man said outside.

"I gave that order soldier now move." Bill.

June stood as the door opened and William Fowler stepped inside. "Any word?" She asked.

"No." He stated softly. "I'm sorry." Stepping in further he let the door seal behind himself. "We have a few minutes so I guess I'll let you know about the state of things." He sighed. "The base is destroyed. Completely leveled." He shook his head. "We don't know where the Autobots or children are or if any survived. If any are in the rubble we just don't know. We can't get close enough to sweep." He put a hand over his eyes as he tried to keep himself composed but it was hard. "We're doing all we can to get close but the cons air support is driving us off, luckily they haven't killed anyone else."

"No." June's voice quivered and she looked down to her feet.

"Jack is alive." He said to her with an honest conviction. "I promise you that. Prime would have gotten those children out of there. You and I both know that."

"But what if he's not?" Her voice cracked. "I lost his father…if I loose him too I'll…" She sobbed softly not wishing to reign anything in.

Fowler stepped forward and took her into his arms. His hand rested against the back of her head as he lowered her head to his shoulder. "Look, I know this is incredibly hard on you." He frowned. "We'll find them …alive and well." Pulling back slightly he lifted her chin so she could look him in the eyes. "You'll see." He smiled.

"Bill?" She asked softly as she wiped a tear away.

"Yeah?" He lowered his hand looking down at her with a smile. His hand cradled her face for a moment and he thumbed a stray tear away.

June was about to speak when the door creaked back open.

"Agent Fowler?" A soldier entered into the room. "There's a Yellow Muscle car doing 80 down the freeway. Local PD said there's a kid at the wheel. Looks like it's headed here …the PD are all over it."

"Rafael." June looked up with a shocked expression.

"Come on." William turned to her and took her hand leading her out of the room. "Let that car into the base as soon as it gets here. Tell the local Po-po to back off …it's one of ours."

"But sir."

"I SAID DO IT!" Fowler shouted as he led June to the main door of the building out into the parking area.

The gates opened just as Bumblebee pulled into the base and stalled slightly. "This way!" Fowler pointed to a far hanger. "Get that car inside and get it out of sight!" He called and was running, with June close behind, to get to the car.

Pulling into the hanger the car stopped and the men began to pull the doors closed. June ran to the driver door and it opened on it's own.

Rafael lay in the driver seat wrapped in a blanket asleep. There was a bottle of Gatorade in the cup holder and a few stray fast food wrappers in the passenger seat. "Rafael?" June smiled down at him and reached in lifting him up. "He's okay." She nodded to Fowler who came forward.

"Mrs. Darby?" Rafael blinked. "Bee?"

The car beeped from behind as the boy yawned. "We didn't know where else to go." Rafael said quietly. "I knew this is where Fowler came for his reviews so we came here."

"It's okay kid…we'll get you a bath and a hot meal…get you cleaned up okay?" Fowler smiled. "I have a few questions."

"Kay." He murmured as June lowered him to his feet. "I don't want to leave bee." He said softly.

"And Bumblebee will be right here." June smiled. "Come on." She held out her hand and Rafael nodded. "Agent fowler can you get the trash out of the front seat so he can stretch?"

"Course kid." Fowler nodded turned to the car. "But hurry back you have to translate for speed demon here." Fowler sighed and reached in grabbing the drink and then moved to grab all the food wrappers. "I bet this stuff isn't fun clogged in your joints huh?"

Bumblebee let out a low whine. "Now that I understood." Fowler smiled. "I hope you have some answers pal, because right now, at this juncture we need them."

Agent Fowler didn't see the soldiers coming into the hanger, but it caused him to look up and blink. "I think we've got a problem little bug." He said softly holding the armful of trash from the muscle car's interior.

Ratchet sighed. "I've done all I can." He said shifting back from the table. "I've attached one of Dreadwing's arms to his systems, though I can't say if it will take or not." He frowned. "He's no seeker, so we'll just have to wait and see."

"You did what you could." Wheeljack smiled as he rubbed the fresh mesh on his torso. "That in and of it self is amazing."

Ratchet reached across Prime and batted at Wheeljack's hand. "I just fixed that stop fussing at it." He muttered.

"Yes sir." Wheeljack nodded lowering his hand. "How long before he wakes?" he didn't know what else to talk about.

"I'm uncertain." He sighed. "He took blows to every major system, and he's got helm trauma the likes I haven't seen since the attack from Devastator in Stanix." He shook his helm. "A day…maybe two." He shrugged. "I cannot be for certain, not at this juncture."

Wheeljack nodded. "Well if he's going to be counting petro rabbits; why don't you come sit out and look at the stars with me?"

"Do you do this often?" Ratchet asked lifting up a large rag to wipe his hands on. "Look at the sky?" His question was so soft.

"Yeah when it's very late…it's almost two in the morning." He smiles "Not a lot of human activity out here that late." He motioned the doctor along and grabbed a few cubes from a crate and headed to the door. "C'mon Doc lets go star gaze."

"You stargazing?" Ratchet scoffed. "Really." He rolled his optics.

"Really." Wheeljack said honestly as he exited to the outside.

Ratchet gave Prime one last longing look setting the monitor to alert him should the Prime regain consciousness. Once this was done, the medic made his way outside following the mercenary. This had to be some trick, Ratchet considered, Wheeljack was all action and this made no sense. How could a mech like that just slow down?

Wheeljack sat on a large rock sipping some high grade ten feet from the entrance to his domain. "It's nice and clear out here." He looked up. "No air traffic." He frowned. "Must be because of the cons."

Ratchet nodded and sat beside him. "I suspect so." He looked down as Wheeljack offered him the small cube. "Thank you." He said quietly. "For everything…not just the energon."

"Not an issue doc." Wheeljack kept his optics on the sky. "When I was bringing Prime here I was hoping this is where you would have come." He looked at Ratchet now. "There's a lot on that mind of yours."

"I'm so concerned with what's going to happen to us all." Ratchet admitted with a sigh taking a drink of high grade. "We're the last of our kind Wheeljack."

Wheeljack looked at Ratchet before pitching his optics back to the stars. "Wasn't there an old myth?" He wiggled his helm back and forth slightly as he tried to remember. "Something about Solus Prime and Nexus Prime?"

"Making offspring?" Ratchet blinked. "That didn't come from the core." He nodded. "Yes I've heard that, there was also tell that another of the thirteen had offspring, a youngling made of his own parts and code." He shook his helm. "I don't see any truth to either story. If we were made to make more of our kind with each other…we would have no use for a core. You would also have to consider it would have happened by now. "

"Unicron is at the center of this planet. You, as I hear from Bulkhead, didn't seem to see any truth in him either."

Ratchet froze. "That is true." He stated softly and took another drink. "I mean our species isn't like the humans…where it …takes two to tango or however Miko seems to state it."

"But could it?" Wheeljack asked.

"I am uncertain. I would not condone such an experiment. Do our people know what Love is?" Ratchet asked shifting himself back. "The kind the humans have?"

"Dunno I love the Jackhammer…she's mine." He smiled. "What about the humans could not parallel us?"

"I…" Ratchet grumbled. "I don't like this conversation at all."

"Oh come on Doc…it's all theoretical." Wheeljack smiled. "Kissing." He nodded. "That looks …fun. I could see how that could be enjoyable."

"Putting mouth components together? Touching glossas?" Ratchet shook his helm. "I don't see how that is fun nor enjoyable. It seems superfluous considering it's not needed for humans to procreate."

"You haven't done it have you?" Wheeljack turned to him. "Haven't tried it."

"Of course not." Ratchet frowned. "Whom would I try it with?"

Wheeljack took a sip of his drink before looking down. He avoided the last question. "Than you don't know do you?"

Ratchet scoffed. "This conversation is ridiculous." He repeated as he took another drink of his energon.

Wheeljack shrugged and rubbed is chest. Ratchet lowered his cube setting it beside him to turn. "Don't rub it." Ratchet reached forward; Wheeljack turned, grasping his wrist joint and pulled him dreadfully close, pressing his lips to the medic's.

Ratchet struggled back against the hold, but Wheeljack pulled him closer as the medic's protests began to ebb away. Soon the medic returned the kiss. After a few tense moments Wheeljack pulled away. "Wasn't so bad." He said his thumb trailed over the medic's lip.

"I …I suppose not." He shook his helm. "It was a worthy experiment." Ratchet said standing his voice very terse. He looked around as if he didn't know what to do with himself, as if he was agitated and angry.

"Yeah." Wheeljack smiled and stood as well. "Lets head in." He sighed. "I could use some recharge." He thought the change of subject make

"Yes I could as well." Ratchet shook his helm.

As they entered the small domicile they sealed the doorway. Wheeljack set his security system, and turned to check on Prime who was still deep in stasis. Ratchet sat down on the ground near the table where Prime lay. "What are you doing?" Wheeljack asked.

"Getting some Recharge I'm sure you'll want your berth." He extended his legs in front of him.

Wheeljack walked to his side and reached down. "Come on Doc there's plenty of room in my berth for the both of us." He said. "No tricks just straight defrag."

Ratchet considered his hand a moment. "Fine." Ratchet took the hand and was helped to standing by the Wrecker. The two moved into the next room letting the door closed behind themselves.

"I think it's possible." Wheeljack stated.

"You think what's possible?" Ratchet walked around to the opposite side of the berth.

"That our race can procreate without our planet." Wheeljack stated with a shifting shrug.

"You just keep believing that than." Ratchet shook his helm as he turned to sit on the edge of the berth. "It's lunacy."

Wheeljack laid back and put a hand on the medic's back. "Lay down…defrag we'll discuss the logistics of it later." He uttered softly and shuttered his optics. He smirked. "Lunacy." He seemed amused by that.

Ratchet rolled his optics as he rolled his body back. Taking in a deep vent he shuttered his systems down in an attempt at some decent recharge and defrag. He was grateful that Wheeljack was here, Prime was here and alive, and mostly that they would live.

Suddenly Ratchet sat up. "Primus..."

"What is it Doc?" Wheeljack opened his optics but didn't get up.

"Arachnid was in the base...in stasis..." He looked blankly back.

"I didn't see anyone else or anything...but that rubble was deep." Wheeljack murmured sealing his optics. "If she awoke and escaped she could be anywhere."

Ratchet nodded. "That's precisely what I'm afraid of." He turned to Wheeljack who appeared to be going into recharge.

"Recharge doc." Wheeljack turned over and faced the wall. "We'll get all our ducks in a row tomorrow."

Ratchet rolled his optics. "Human vernacular...ridiculous."

Miko took another bite of her pancake and reached forward taking a sip from the straw. "Root beer…with a pancake?" Bulkhead's hologram blinked. He was a mix of cultures, but he looked as though he could pass for one of Miko's relatives.

"Anything else honey?" The waitress asked softly as she set the bill down next to Bulkhead.

Miko swallowed and shook her head. "No thanks." She smiled up. "I'm good."

"Kay you ready to hit the road again?" Bulkhead asked as the waitress moved away to another table.

"I guess…where we headed?" Miko asked.

"Not sure, though I have an idea." He rubbed his chin checking the data-pad again. "There's a Wal-Mart just up the road, we'll stop there and get you a pillow and blanket. Some snacks. You could use a coat too." He stated though it was apparent he was thinking very hard as he looked at the pad's screen.

Miko yawned. "Don't you need to sleep?"

"I can go days without it Miko." He nodded. "I will once we get where we're going, but I should be able to drive you most of the way with little to no stops that aren't for you."

"What about energon?" She asked.

"We all have a reserve tank." He smiled. "My systems are siphoning off the reserve tank." He smiled and pointed outside. "I'm fine."

"You'd tell me if you weren't right?" Miko asked.

Bulkhead rolled his eyes. "Of course I would." He said softly. "I care about you I'll tell you if I need something." He reached down and looked at the bill, he nodded and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill setting it in the black envelope and set it down on the table. "Come on we need to get to the store and get out of here." He scooted out of the booth as she came to his side.

Miko nodded taking one last sip of her soda before sliding out of the booth and running up to Bulkhead's hologram to grab his hip. "Thanks Bulk." She smiled as his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"No problem." He said smoothly and opened the door with his arm holding the data-pad as they moved outside to his waiting form. "Miko?"

The girl looked up from her side of his body and blinked. "Yeah Bulk?"

"You know how much I care for you right?" He asked seriously as his doors opened slowly.

Getting in and pulling her door closed she nodded. "Of course I do." She stated.

"Good, and don't you ever forget it." As soon as bulkhead's doors were shut the hologram vanished and the data-pad fell to the driver seat.

Miko smiled and leaned forward placing a chaste kiss on the dashboard. "Never." She nodded. "You're my best friend."

"That's my girl." Bulkhead's voice was light, and even if she couldn't see his face, she knew he was smiling. Suddenly Bulkhead's engine rolled over and they were rolling out to their next stop.