Author's Note: Wow! I am amazed that so many people have already taken an interest in this story! Thanks for adding me to alerts and favorites! :D

As a side note, I will be writing based off of a few Transformer Prime episodes but some of it will be different due to the fact that this is indeed a parallel universe they are living in. So Jack may have a few characteristics and mannerisms, personality, etc that we have never seen in the actual show. Also, alternate Ratchet for the sake of this story did the opposite of what the original Ratchet did in the Prime universe: he learned as much as he could about human science and medicine! I'm going to do my best though that the majority of the characters retain their original personas! I don't want to be too OC. Although I'm still debating if the bots holoforms are going to be solid or not. Please give me your opinion and let me know what you think of that idea!

Disclaimer: I do not own "Quick-clot".

Chapter 2

Jack Darby released a heavy sigh as he trudged out of the K.O. drive-in restaurant. During his shift while he was taking customer orders at the drive through counter, his arch-nemesis and school known bully Vince, decided to pay him a visit. Vince ordered what he wanted and being the jerk that he was, made fun of Jack. Usually Jack would just ignore the jock but giving Vince the silent treatment only seemed to provoke the guy. Jack almost regretted mouthing off to the bully but he'd had a long, hard day as it was and didn't need Vince to make it any worse.

Well he did.

Vince grabbed the bags of food Jack placed on the counter and sped away in his car before he even paid for it! His manager was not happy with him. Because of what happened, Jack was going to receive a slight reduction in his next pay check to make up for the lost profit. Jack learned his lesson well though. He made sure from then on to ensure that every customer PAID for their food before setting it anywhere near them.

He opened his cell phone when his mom called to tell him that she unfortunately had to pull a double shift that night because one of the other EMT's called in sick.

"It's, okay mom. I'll be fine. Yeah, I'll just order a pizza. Have a good night, love you," Jack smiled when his mother wished him the same.

He put his cell phone in his pocket and walked towards the bike rack where his bike was locked up. He entered the correct combination on the lock and stuffed it in his backpack. Now he had to go home and put his bike in the garage. He built his bicycle from scratch and modified it. There was a small gas motor that powered his bike but he rarely used it. That too, he built with his own bare hands. The teen nodded minutely with a small smile in the general direction of a familiar blue motorcycle that was parked nearby and then began to pedal down the street. His house was about four blocks away. The motorcycle followed discreetly at a distance with a holoform as a rider.

It really wasn't long ago that he met Arcee and the other Autobots and learned of their secret war with the Decepticons. Optimus Prime ordered Arcee to be his guardian but Jack knew his mother would have a coronary if she discovered that he had ridden on a motorcycle once…a vehicle he was forbidden to ride. His mother was extremely overprotective but Jack could understand. His mother was a paramedic and knew first-hand the risks and dangers involved with operating one.

The motor powered bicycle Jack built himself was the only exception. It had a top speed of twenty-five miles an hour…well, thirty if he really pushed it. His mom wouldn't allow him to go any faster than that. Not until he was eighteen. Jack only used the small little engine if he was running late for school or work. Otherwise he just pedaled the old fashioned way.

There was a reason why Jack did not often ride with Arcee. Well two actually… Firstly, he for some reason found it extremely strange to ride on top of a living, alien being. It kind of creeped him out. If he was a highly intelligent robotic alien like Arcee…would he want someone riding on him? Yeah, no. That wasn't happening.

Secondly, it was kind of embarrassing to admit…but he had a phobia of falling off of fast moving objects that he couldn't control. He'd had that fear since he was a kid after his abusive father forced him to ride a roller coaster. Thankfully he and his mother were relocated from their hometown in Arizona to Jasper Nevada after going through a clinic for battered women and children. He and his mother hadn't seen or heard word of the man since then, which suited them just fine.

So thanks to the bad experience he had as a child, Jack was terrified of falling off of Arcee even though his guardian promised him that he wouldn't. She even offered to give Jack full control of her vehicular form with the hopes it would help him overcome his phobia. Jack thanked her for the offer but the thought of controlling another living being freaked him out.

The first and only time he had ridden with Arcee was the day he first met her when the vehicons were chasing them. Since that day, his phobia of falling off of fast moving objects merely tripled. That too hadn't been a good experience and the memory still haunted him. Arcee had been kind and told him that they could drive slower but Jack still felt weird about sitting on her…

Plus, he didn't want to betray his mother's trust by disobeying her behind her back. It made him feel guilty. What if she found out? His mom would kill him!

So Jack made a compromise with the Autobots. Arcee could watch him from a distance and only interfere with his day-to-day life in public, if his life was actually threatened. The only other time he could ever really have direct contact with his guardian was when his mom had to work double shifts as she was right now. That was when he made it a habit to visit the Autobots at their hidden base.

After Jack put his bike in the garage, he made sure to finish his homework and then walked out to where Arcee was patiently waiting for him on the side of the curb. Arcee rolled herself inside the garage and Jack followed. The teen closed it so that they could converse in private and away from prying eyes.

"Hey Arcee. Please don't take offense at this… but I think I'm just going to take another ground-bridge today. I'm sorry."

"I understand Jack. There's no need to apologize."

::Ratchet, we need a bridge!:: Arcee contacted her comrade via comlink.

The Autobot medic acknowledged their request and within seconds, a glowing green portal opened up behind them.

"Ladies first," Jack gestured with a playful smirk.

"How kind of you Jack. You're a true gentleman," Arcee teased.

They both entered the portal together and emerged on the other side. The large interior of the Autobot base loomed above and around them. The enormity of it all was quite awe inspiring.

Now to see what everyone at the base was up too…

Ratchet was trying to fix a mangled tool of some sort that Bulkhead accidentally broke, much to the medic's frustration. Optimus was speaking with agent Fowler, about what, Jack didn't know. Bumblebee was watching Raf and Miko play their current video game and Bulkhead was out on patrol.

Optimus summoned Arcee from where he was standing near one of the monitors. Arcee was ordered to relieve Bulkhead and take over his patrol duty a few minutes later.

"Catch you later Jack!"

"Bye Arcee! Be careful!"

The slender femme smiled and then disappeared through a ground-bridge portal seconds later.

"Hey Jack!" Miko and Raf greeted him once they found time to pause their game.

"Want to play with us?"

"Uhh…I can't right now. Maybe next time," Jack smiled apologetically.

Miko and Raf looked at each other and shrugged before resuming their game. They never questioned or bothered Jack when he politely declined spending time with them since for some reason it always seemed like the elder teen always had something else on his mind. They figured Jack was just the shy type and gave him space. Once Jack felt comfortable he was more than welcome to join them.

Jack walked over out of sheer curiosity to see what Ratchet was working on. The teen knew he was too small to actually fix an Autobot sized tool but when it came to mechanics, he wanted to learn everything he possibly could. Jack ran up three flights of stairs and rested his arms on a railing after he made it to the upper floor. He wanted to be more eye-level with Ratchet.

It took a while for Ratchet to warm up to the humans but he finally reached the point where he could tolerate them. As stern as the Autobot medic could be, he didn't mind showing Jack a thing or two. They both shared a love for the same thing: fixing things.

"So, what are you working on today?" Jack questioned from where he was standing on a platform above the medic's usual workstation.

"Well I've managed to repair the worst of the damage on this welder but with a few more adjustments it should be working again. I was originally using the welder to create a holoform interface before Bulkhead managed to break it," Ratchet responded without looking up at the boy.

Jack remained quiet and casually watched as Ratchet finished his project. When the medic completed his task, he tested the welder out on a piece of scrap metal and once satisfied, he turned his full attention on Jack.

The old bot would never admit it to anyone but he'd grown rather fond of the eldest human child over the course of time. The boy had talent. While at times Ratchet appeared or sounded gruff or harsh, he had one of the softest sparks of all.

"What is this holoform interface? And what does it do?" Jack questioned with keen interest.

"Our holoforms are projected from out spark energy. You've already seen Arcee's. I'm hoping that the holoform interface device will allow our holoforms to actually become solid. It's nearly complete and I just need to field test it, which I will do later."

Ratchet looked Jack directly in the eye and could tell there was something on the boy's mind.

"I didn't expect to see you here today. I'm rather surprised you aren't spending time with Raf and Miko. Is something troubling you Jack?"

"Do you think Arcee hates me?"

"Why on Earth would Arcee hate you?"

"I never travel with her…not the way the others do with their guardians. I don't know Ratchet…I'm just…different I guess," Jack looked down at the floor.

"Arcee doesn't hate you. It's quite the opposite actually. She rather admires you."

"How can she admire me? It seems that there are a lot of days I just push her away…I am getting to know her a little better and I'm glad she's my guardian, it's just…hard to explain. Does she even like being my guardian?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact she does. She admires you because of your considerate nature. Personally I wish there were more humans like you…when I first came to Earth the thought of a human touching me seemed absolutely revolting."

"Really?" Jack raised a quizzical brow.

"Yes…and Arcee knows you care about her Jack. She's been watching you for a while now and understands the challenges you face."

Jack stared at the floor feeling awkward and felt his cheeks burning. It still embarrassed him whenever one of the bots brought up the topic of his unusual phobia. Or at least it was unusual in the eyes of Raf and Miko. Those two were thrill seekers…well actually Miko was…but they both loved driving fast. It took Jack two months before he had the courage to actually ride inside one of the bots. He kept asking the same questions over and over as they drove. Questions like: "I'm not hurting you am I? Does this make you uncomfortable? Am I allowed to touch that? Do I need to take my shoes off when I ride with you so I don't get you dirty?"

The first bot he drove inside of was Bulkhead. The wrecker laughed his aft off when Jack asked that last question. As Miko's guardian, getting dirty was part of the job and frankly, he was used to it at this point and honestly didn't care. That still didn't make Jack feel any better.

Jack was getting used to driving with the other bots and although it still weirded him out, he felt more comfortable sitting inside a car form than riding on a motorcycle. Arcee was never jealous and never held a grudge against Jack whenever he chose to drive with one of the others rather than with her. For that, Jack was thankful.

"I'm glad she doesn't hate me then," Jack sighed with relief while giving Ratchet a small smile.

"Jack, may I speak with you for a moment," Optimus Prime's serene, baritone voice rumbled gently as he approached the small human.

"Uh, sure Optimus. What's up?"

"Will you accompany me on an errand? A human presence is required."

"Sure Optimus…but why not have Agent Fowler go with you?"

"Agent Fowler has been called away on a government assignment. You are the second best alternative."

"I don't mind going…" Jack relented as he carefully climbed into Optimus's hand. He was very curious as to what this 'errand' was going to entail. This was going to be the first time he'd ever ridden with Prime.

The Autobot leader gently set Jack down on the floor and then transformed into truck mode. He opened the passenger side door for the boy in a silent invitation to get in. Jack got in feeling incredibly small and insignificant next to Optimus's sheer size. He did feel honored though that he had been chosen to go with him however.

"Optimus, with your permission I would like to field test my latest invention," Ratchet requested as he held up the device he just completed.

"Permission granted."

Ratchet was eager to see if it worked. He planned to test it while he was in the base and if it operated smoothly without a hitch, he thought about field testing it in the town of Jasper later that evening.

Jack wished he could stay behind with Ratchet to admire his handiwork but knew that Optimus needed him the most right now. Maybe Ratchet would show it to him once he got back.

Prime began to drive out of the base and Jack remained silent for a few minutes until he finally asked the question that had been nagging at him.

"So Optimus…what is this errand exactly?"

"Ratchet informed me that your human sustenance supply has run critically low."

Jack's eyebrows shot up into his hair line.

"You mean to say that the fridge at the base is empty?"

"For the most part."

"Oh."

Jack resisted the urge to fidget. He wasn't sure what Optimus thought or how he felt about having him inside his cabin. Optimus must have sensed his insecurity because he broke the ice.

"Would you like to listen to music? You may operate my radio if you wish."

Jack was surprised that Optimus would grant him that leisure.

"Okay Optimus, but only if you don't mind…"

Jack reached for the radio dial but once his fingers touched it he pulled his hand back with a sharp intake of air as if a viper were about to bite him.

"Ah, you know Optimus…I'd really like to know what you like to listen to."

The last thing Jack wanted to do was choose music that would annoy Prime. He really didn't know the leader of the Autobots as well as he would like since the big bot was always busy and rarely spent time with the humans.

If Optimus had been in bipedal form at that moment he would have smiled warmly at the boy. The human child had a good heart. He cared greatly for those around him and in the short time he'd gotten to know Jack, he came to learn that the boy was far from selfish.

"I like many Earth genres. I have come to find that classical is the most pleasing to my audio receptors. I have grown to enjoy listening to what you humans call 'classic rock' as well."

Optimus liked classic rock? That surprised Jack immensely. Now that he knew what Optimus liked he figured he could find a decent radio station that they could both enjoy together. Jack tuned in on a classic rock station and finally relaxed. He looked out the window and saw the green billboard sign welcoming them to Jasper. They were about to enter a populated area that consisted of roughly 3,174 citizens.

Jack began to ask Optimus a question but screamed when he turned to see a strange man sitting in Optimus's driver's seat.

"AHHH! Who are you?!"

"Do not be alarmed Jack Darby! This is my holoform." Optimus stated as he turned to give Jack a reassuring smile. The holoform looked like a man in his late forties. The holoform wore a blue baseball cap, red flannel shirt, blue jeans, and cowboy boots. His eyes were a brilliant blue.

Jack looked suspiciously at him.

"How come your holoform looks more human than Arcee's?"

"Our sparks are what generate holoforms. The older we get, the more experienced we become in generating them."

"Oh, okay," Jack breathed a sigh of relief as his pounding heart finally slowed as the adrenaline drained out of his body.

The semi pulled into a parking space at a local grocery store.

"Why do you need me though Optimus?" Jack questioned as he unfastened his seatbelt.

"My holoform is incapable of holding solid objects. I am merely as you humans would say, 'just for show'," Optimus stated serenely.

"What do you want me to get at the store?"

"Whatever it is that you, Miko, and Raf require for sustenance. Here is a method of payment courtesy of Agent Fowler."

Optimus's glove compartment opened and a silver credit card appeared. Jack grabbed it and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Alright Optimus, I'll only be a few minutes," Jack promised. He hopped out of the Autobot leader's vehicle form and walked casually into the grocery store. He selected snacks that he knew Raf and Miko loved, mainly junk food like potato chips and the like but was also sure to buy a few items that he knew Ratchet wouldn't protest to. Like canned fruits and those small cracker, cheese, and meat trays.

As he was turning a corner to walk into the next aisle to head for the checkout line, he bumped into someone and dropped one of the items he was holding. Jack reached down and picked it up and began to utter a quick apology. When he stood back up, his eyes widened and the apology died on his lips. All of the color drained out of his face and he took a few steps back when he saw who it was.

"Hello Jack."

Jack could only stare in pure disbelief. With fear slowly consuming him, he managed to find his voice long enough to whisper two words…

"…Hi dad."

June Darby frantically worked to keep a wounded patient stabilized within her ambulance's interior as Roger sped through town with the sirens and lights flashing. The person she was trying to save was a young teenager who had been shot in the chest by a rival gang member. She applied pressure as she used a quick clot solution to stop the bleeding. Every time they hit a pothole in the road however, the wound would get jarred and start bleeding again.

June's patience was wearing thin. She'd had a long, hard day filled with many complications. She yelled at Roger in frustration as she continued working on the young shooting victim.

"Roger! I need you to hold the ambulance steady!"

She was nearing the end of her double shift. It was nearly 10 p.m. She was so tired she felt ready to collapse but knew she couldn't stop, not now. Not when innocent lives depended on her. June refused to accept defeat and pushed the injured victims in her care to hold on…to cling to life. To never give up and to never give in. She rejoiced whenever one of her dying patients stubbornly defied a bitter demise and actually pulled through. Too often life was taken for granted. She used to be one of those people until she became a paramedic. Then everything changed…

"We're pulling into the docking bay now June!" Roger shouted back at her as he rolled to a stop in the docking bay.

The two rushed to get the injured teen into the emergency room. One they made it in, June was livid to learn that every triage room was full. There were no rooms available for her gravely wounded patient.

No! This was unacceptable!

"Stay with him, Roger," June shot her partner a grave look. Roger continued to keep an eye on the teenage boy's vital signs and admired June's handiwork. She managed to stop the bleeding and bandaged up the wound. It was only patch work though. This boy needed a real doctor.

June pushed her way through the busy ER and found the staff leader who was directing traffic and shouting orders to some of the nurses who scrambled to carry out his orders. It was pure chaos!

The young woman confronted the man about their problem.

"Excuse me, I'm with rescue team 117 and we have a shooting victim who needs immediate care."

The man signed off on a clipboard and closed the curtain of a patient's room and glanced at her, giving her an annoyed look.

"I don't know if you've noticed Ms. Darby, but we are short-staffed today and all available rooms are filled with patients who are all suffering from moderate to severe injuries as well."

"Surely you can make room for one more! My patient is a high priority case!"

"We are doing the best we can, given our current circumstances. There's nothing I can do, I'm sorry."

"This boy needs a doctor! He needs one right now!"

"I'm sorry but he will have to wait like all the others," the man tried to walk around the determined paramedic but June continued to block his path.

She wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

"If this child dies, then his blood is on your hands. Mark my words, it's a lawsuit waiting to happen," June growled threateningly.

The busy floor leader looked haggard and worn and gave her an impatient look. He glanced at the clipboard and flipped through a couple of pages and then gave June a glimmer of hope.

"It looks like we will have an open room in about ten minutes. Room 207. I can't do any better than that. Now if you will excuse me…" the man pushed past June in an apparent rush.

"JUNE! I NEED YOU OVER HERE!" Roger screamed for her above the noisy din.

June jogged over, flexibly weaving her way through the hustle and bustle of emergency medical staff. When she reached Roger her heart dropped into her stomach. The boy was flat-lining. He'd lost too much blood.

"Shit."

June looked desperately around the room, looking as though she were ready to cry. She couldn't bear the thought that all their efforts had been in vain. This young man deserved to live! If only Jasper County Hospital were bigger…

Why the hell did they have to be so short staffed tonight?!

All of the doctors were tending to other patients. There was no one left but June wasn't going to give up. She couldn't! Her young ward needed emergency care RIGHT NOW. As an EMT there was only so much that she could do. She wasn't a surgeon. She could only stabilize and mildly treat the wounded and the sick so that a real doctor could actually take care of them. The wounded teen on her gurney had mere minutes left to live if he continued to flat-line.

June finally lost it. She screamed and pleaded as tears finally began to leak out of her eyes, professionalism be damned.

"PLEASE! Someone! ANYONE! HELP US! Or this boy is going to die!"

Suddenly and without any warning a doctor appeared beside them wearing a white lab coat and a stethoscope around his neck. He smiled at them warmly with bright blue eyes.

"The boy is going to be fine. I promise. He's in good hands," the mystery doctor told them as he hooked up a bag of life saving fluid. He began a blood transfusion on the injured teen and miraculously restarted his heart. June stepped back and watched wide-eyed as the doctor quickly and quite impressively, saved the boy's life. She'd never seen a doctor as skilled as him before. He must be new to the hospital…

June noticed his name displayed on a silver name badge pinned to the front of his coat pocket.

Dr. Ray Atchlet

Soon room 207 opened up and the teenager was FINALLY admitted there. June turned to thank Dr. Ray but he had vanished as quickly as he had come.

Now that her shift was finally over she released a deep breath, feeling the most relief she'd ever felt in her entire life as she clocked out. Roger was gracious and walked with her out to her car. She wished him good night and leaned back in the driver's seat and took a moment to relax and settle her nerves. Maybe a nice hot cup of chamomile tea would help once she got home.

June couldn't stop thinking about Dr. Ray. She hoped she would have the chance to meet him again if only to thank him.

Once she got home she was stunned to see that Jack was still awake. That's not what was so surprising. What troubled her, was the expression on her son's face. June set her car keys on the counter and approached her son where he was sitting pale as a ghost at the dinner table.

"Jack, sweet-heart…what's the matter?"

Jack looked up at her from where he was sitting and whispered something that June could barely decipher. What he said sent a chill down her spine.

"He's back, mom. Dad's back…"

TO BE CONTINUED!

Author's Note: There will be more information concerning the Darby family's past. I know I jumped from Jack's time with Optimus to later at night with June but I plan to rewind time and write what exactly happened after Jack's encounter with his father during next chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing guys! :D