I DO NOT OWN TRANSFORMERS

"How do I protect her if I can't protect myself?!"

This very phrase ran through Optimus's mind as he faded in and out of consciousness, unaware of everything but that. He could feel movement and caught the faintest sound of sirens ringing. One name lingered on his lips as he failed to find the voice to speak it. His very being felt heavy as he was on the verge of a system overload, but all he did was repeat the same words.

"Optimus! Can you hear me?" a faraway voice called.

Other than that one noise, Prime was completely disconnected from reality except a lone memory that kept him from going offline.

"Optimus, come back to me! Come back to me now..." a soft voice whispered.

"Are you going to leave me?" she asked again.

Optimus tried to respond, but no voice came, so all he could do was mouth the word "no".

"Follow my voice and come back to me..."

As the voice faded, a figure started to shape in the blackness and soon took a transparent silver tinge to it, "I need you Optimus...why would you abandon me in my time of need?"

Again, he struggled to object, but she hushed him with a shake of her ghostly head.

"If you say no, then come back! It's time to wake up...wake up...wake up..."

"Wake up!!!" someone wept again, desperation in the high-pitched tone.

Optimus' optics flickered to life, out of focus so that the room and its occupants were of hazy colors. A loud beeping could be heard that synched up with the pulse of Prime's weak spark, but it grew stronger as he came back online, systems recharging. Craning his head up, Optimus saw at the side of the examination table, a blurry yellow figure stood. At first, Optimus thought it was Lightrunner, but as shapes began to become more defined, he could begin to tell the bot was smaller and was in fact Bumblebee. The young mech wept silently at his side at having presumed the worst. Two more figures came into view, one being Prowl with a comforting servo on the Bee's shoulder and Ratchet running more tests.

"Look!" someone gasped, seeing the spark monitor beeping steadily. "He's gonna be ok!"

At the news, Bumblebee's face shot up happily to see.

"Quick, he's coming to!" Bulkhead cheered and scooted closely to see at the foot of the table.

Optimus blinked a few times, finally sensing a dull thudding in his processor. The sounds and bright colors were somewhat overwhelming as his senses came fully online.

"Ratchet?" he strained.

"Yeah Prime?"

"What's going on? Where am I?"

Ratchet chuckled dryly at the bots questioning. "You're back at the medlab. We thought we might have lost you back there, but we knew you'd pull through"

"Some less than others," Lightrunner joked, patting Bumblebee on the head.

Optimus took a head count and his pulse hitched, which the monitor happened to catch.

"Optimus, are you alright?!" Bumblebee panicked.

Falling into a deep sense of grieving, he didn't have it in him to answer, much to the chagrin of the young bot. Ratchet immediately picked up on the signs and motioned for the others to leave and Prowl and Lightrunner had to drag Bumblebee out by force.

"Prime, I'm sorry," he sighed. "They were gone by the time we got to you."

The medabot watched in sorrow as Optimus groaned in agony while trying to sit up, the wounds still fresh from the fight. Finally in a sitting position, the red and blue mech buried his face into his servos.

"GAH! How am I supposed to protect her when I can't even protect myself?!" he bellowed, his entire frame quaking. "He took her and it's all my fault!!!"

Leaning forward, his sides heaved in despair as he wept angrily. Ratchet could do nothing but watch as his leader let out all the frustration. When Optimus could go on no longer, he merely stayed there, sinking into a state of misery.

"I should have done something," he whispered hoarsely, talking to himself more than to the medabot.

Outside the doors, Lightrunner listened to the conversation and lept backwards when Optimus had shouted, the others too had jumped at his raised voice.

"He's really beating himself up for this," Prowl muttered. Bumblebee's optics quivered as he stayed quiet next to Bulkhead. Unbeknownst to them all, Lightrunner continued listening, a silent anger starting to boil over.

"Hey Light, maybe you should give the bot some privacy," Prowl suggested, coming towards her.

"No," she answered.

"What?"

"I said NO!" And with that she burst into the medbay, startling Ratchet and Optimus.

"I can't believe you!" she shouted at Prime. "You're sitting her beating yourself up over something that isn't your fault and Lumina's out there somewhere needing you!!!!! Just suck it up and go save her! That's what you're supposed to do if you're bonded is in danger: not mope about and wait to see what HAPPENS!!!!!!!"

All the other autobots listened in shock as the femme stood there, optics blazing. Her harsh words were like a slap to the face for Optimus as they sunk in. Here he was, grieving over his bonded who could likely be alive this very moment and needed him more than ever.

Silence reigned supreme as everyone waited for what Optimus would do. Putting together his shattered thoughts, Prime lowered his head, "You're right..."

"You bet your sorry aft I am!" Lightrunner snorted.

"I'm feeling sorry for myself when Lumina is the one I should be thinking about..."

He looked up and gave everyone a firm stare. "Which means that it's time to roll out and go get her!"

"Hold on Lumina! I'm coming!"