I'm back! Did ya miss me? I am just floored by all the positive reviews I've had. I would love to name each and every one of you that has reviewed this story so far, but alas, my poor little brain won't let me remember everyone's names! Anyway, I love all the reviews, and I get so excited when I see a new one! They make me want to write so much more. And away we go! Hey! Who let Powerglide in here?
It had been a week since the battle that had left Optimus injured and deep in stasis lock. Elita had stayed by his side, day and night, much to Ratchet's chagrin. Elita had requested that Jazz take command in her place so she could stay with Optimus. She was sitting next to Optimus, her head resting on his chest plate. The soft beeps of the machinery he was connected to and the gentle humming of his spark had almost lulled her into recharge. Ratchet walked over to check on Optimus, and Elita was alert at once, but Ratchet was so busy he didn't notice.
"Ratchet -"
"AAAH!" Ratchet screamed, nearly knocking himself upside the helm with his own wrench. "Primus, femme! You scared me half to death! I nearly lubricated on myself! What do you want?" He growled, still clearly agitated.
"I'm sorry, Ratchet. I didn't mean to startle you like that." Elita said, chuckling softly. "I just wanted to know if there has been any change in Optimus' condition. I'm worried about him. It's been a week now, and he still hasn't awakened. Do you have any idea when he will?" She asked.
"His injuries were rather extensive, but the shot missed his spark chamber, thank Primus. He is recovering, but slowly. Injuries, such as the ones he sustained can be fixed, but they put a great deal of stress on his system. He will actually heal faster the longer he stays in stasis, as his body can use all available resources for repairs, instead of day to day functions. We are all worried about our leader, Elita. Every bot here has been in to either see him, or enquire about his condition; sometimes both. I can assure you he will be fine. I can also tell by the readings I am getting that he knows you are near." Ratchet continued to check the various monitors, and checked Optimus' repairs, to ensure they were healing well. As he was doing this, one machine began to beep. Ratchet rushed over to see what was going on, and a frown crossed his faceplates. "I was afraid something like this might happen." he said softly
"Ratchet, what's going on? Is something wrong with Optimus?" Elita asked, worry evident on her faceplates.
"The spark rate monitor is showing a decrease in Optimus' spark rate." Ratchet sighed.
"I thought you said he was going to be fine!" Elita cried, energon tears pooling in her optics. "Please Ratchet; you have to help him! I can't lose him after all we have been through!"
"Calm down, Elita. You'll be no good to Optimus if you panic. He can feel everything you feel through your bond, and anxiety will only make things worse." Ratchet continued to work on Optimus, all the while trying to figure out what had caused the decrease in spark rate to begin with. Suddenly Ratchet stopped cold. "Of course! Primus, why didn't I think of this before? Elita, his bond with you has been weakened because of your near off lining and the amnesia you suffered along with it prevented the two of you from renewing your bond. A spark bond would strengthen his spark and correct the low spark rate. It could also hasten his healing"
"How can I bond with him while he's in stasis lock, Ratchet? He needs to be conscious to signal his chest plates to open."
"You're forgetting something, Elita. Remember how I told you that he can feel that you are near? He feels you in his spark, and his spark will respond to yours when it is close. All you need to do is open your chest plate, and his spark will do the rest. I am going to go to my office for a little while. I want you to spark bond with him while I'm gone, and for Primus' sake, lock the medbay doors before you do. I don't want anyone disturbing you two. Spark bonding is meant to be private." He walked toward his office, entered, and closed the door.
Elita laid her servo gently on Optimus' cheek plate and caressed it softly. She then leaned down and kissed him, her mouth plates lingering upon his for a few moments, and signaled her chest plates to open. She looked down at Optimus, and noticed his had opened as well.
Meanwhile, Ratchet was puttering in his office, straightening his desk, while he was trying to give Elita time to bond with Optimus. A brilliant flash of light, seen through the crack in the door, told him the bond was in progress. The light flared brighter and brighter, until it finally dimmed and he heard the telltale sounds of two sets of chest plates closing. Knowing the bond had completed, Ratchet went to check on his patient. Arriving at Optimus' berth, he saw Elita lying next to Optimus, and cuddled up to him, her helm resting on his shoulder, recharging soundly. He proceeded to check the spark rate monitor, and saw that Optimus' spark rate had returned to normal. He knew he should wake Elita and tell her the spark bond had worked, but he didn't have the spark to do it. He rechecked all the monitors, and finding everything to his liking, turned to leave so Optimus and Elita could rest.
"Ratchet?" Elita whispered sleepily. He turned to see Elita, optics barely online, looking up at him. "Did the spark bond work? Is Optimus' spark rate normal now?" she asked softly.
"Yes, Elita; the bond was a success. Prime's spark rate is normal and he is stable. Go back to recharge, now. You need the rest." Ratchet walked away to clean up the medbay and Elita snuggled closer to Optimus and drifted off into a long and peaceful recharge.
Several hours later, Elita awoke from her recharge and looked up at Optimus from where she lay snuggled against him. She kissed his cheek plate and began to get up. She soon found she was unable to, as a strong arm held her close. Ratchet noticed Elita stirring and hurried over to check on Optimus once again. Just then, a deep groan emanated from Optimus. His cerulean optics lit dimly, and sensing his mate next to him, held her close. He also sensed another mech close by, and his protective coding activated to keep his mate safe.
"Mine!" he growled savagely, showing the mech that this femme was his, and he would protect her with his life, if need be.
Ratchet backed away, knowing that Optimus wasn't completely coherent right now, and with his protective coding active, he was a very dangerous mech indeed. "Elita, you need to talk to Optimus and calm him down. His protective coding has activated and he sees me as a threat. Even in his weakened state, he will tear me apart if I get too close. He sees me as a threat and thinks I am trying to take you from him." Ratchet explained quietly.
Elita looked up at Optimus and spoke softly to him, sending pulses of love to him over their bond at the same time. "Sweetspark, relax. Everything is alright. I am in no danger whatsoever. We are in Ratchet's medbay, and the mech you are sensing is Ratchet. He only wants to make sure you are all right after your injury, nothing more. Please my love, shut down your protective coding." she said, stroking his faceplate gently. Elita's gentle touch and soft voice calmed Optimus, and his protective coding shut down as his processor finally completely came online and he awoke fully.
"Elita; I was so worried! The last thing I remember was seeing Dirge pointing his weapon at you. I thought I was going to lose you again, and I couldn't bear it;" he said, as energon tears pooled in his optics. He reached over and took Elita in his arms and held her close, his enormous frame shuddering as he wept.
"Shhh sweetspark, it's over now, and I'm safe;" she whispered. "I'm so sorry I frightened you.
Optimus looked down at her, tears still in his optics, and lowered his helm to kiss her. The kiss was somewhat needy, the feel of her lip plates on his reassuring him she was safe with him. Neither one wanted to stop, and they wouldn't have, but Ratchet's gruff voice ended their moment.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to give you one last checkup, then as long as things check out, you are free to go, Prime." Ratchet readied his instruments as Elita stood up from the berth and Optimus lay on his back. Ratchet thoroughly checked every system, and circuit, and lastly, his spark. Finding everything normal, he turned to Optimus. "You're free to go, Prime, but ONLY to your quarters! You are not to do any kind of work for one more week. I mean it, Prime! If I find out you've done any kind of work, even reading a data pad, I'll weld your backside to your berth, then smack you with my favorite wrench so hard your grand sparklings will feel it! Now get out of here, you two, and let me get back to work. And make sure you spark bond as often as you can. Your bond still needs strengthening!"
Elita and Optimus left the medbay and returned to Optimus' quarters (they would retrieve Elita's things later). Unbeknownst to them, Ratchet had sent Ironhide to guard the door so they wouldn't be disturbed while Optimus was recovering.
Well, that completes one more chapter. The next chapter may be the last one. I hope you liked this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please review, and remember: HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!