Good morning everyone and welcome back for the next chapter! Can I just say how happy I am? I woke up this morning, put on some country music, and started writing this. I just forgot how relaxing it is to write. This was a big part of my life and living without it was tougher than I ever realized. But I'm back baby! I'm ready to get these chapters written out and posted for all of you to enjoy! Then maybe I could try and finish some of my other unfinished projects. I know I want to eventually finish Adventures of Agrabah.

Anyways without further ado, let's get this party started!

Disclaimer: No own.

Chapter Seven:

The school week had finally ended following the events of pyscho science Ratchet. I'm pretty sure the kids avoided doing homework at the base all week in fear that Ratch would once again try to help. He wasn't amused, but Cliff and I thought it was pretty hilarious. At least, until I was working on a history paper and Ratchet asked me if I needed any assistance.

I tried to let him down as gently as I could.

Now it was Saturday. I was up at my usual time of 3:20 a.m. so I could head to training. Agent Fowler was waiting for me when Cliff pulled up to drop me off. I saluted him when I got out of the car, a gesture that had been ingrained in my mind since I started coming out here. "Miss Sutton, you'll be taking a test today so we can determine how far along you are in your training. Sergeant Malone is impressed with your progress and has kept me updated each week. Now I'd like to see it for myself."

"Yes, sir." I said. I heard Cliff snort in amusement and I reached back to hit his door. That just made his holoform full out laugh before he took off to do whatever it was he did while I trained. I rolled my eyes before smiling at Fowler. "Lead the way, Agent Fowler."

I was trained in how to properly speak to and address military personnel, but I could get away with not using it since I wasn't actually enlisted. I was still pretty amazed that they allowed a civilian into the base to train as if she were military. When I asked Prime about it, he just said that I was part of their team. Still, it'd be cool to have military clearance.

Fowler went into the training area while I ducked into the womans changing room. I was given a couple pairs of military training clothes to wear, which was pretty sweet. I kept them here in a locker so my parents didn't freak. I tried to assure them that, despite the fact that I was working with the military, I wasn't actually enlisted. They still worried though. I knew they didn't understand exactly what it was that I was doing, but they couldn't know. Imagine if they found out I was working with a group of alien robotic organisms that stood as tall as skyscrapers, or that I somehow possessed the power of the Allspark.

Yeah, that would be pretty bad.

I quickly got dressed and walked out into the familiar training area. Today there was an obstacle course set up. I looked around curiously, noting how difficult it would be for someone who wasn't trained. It would probably be difficult for someone who wasn't enhanced like I was. To me, though, it seemed fairly simple. I knew not to get a big head though. The minute I got cocky, they would throw something out there that would completely mess me up.

"This looks fun." I told Special Agent Fowler and Sergeant Malone when I got up to them. Malone was a very strict instructor. He had a sharp, no nonsense personality and a constant stern demeanor. It didn't matter that I was civilian, he treated me likely any new recruit who was wet behind the ears.

I liked him. He was fun.

"Miss Sutton, you are to complete this obstacle course in the quickest time possible. If you do not complete it in under five minutes, we will consider it a fail and you will resume your training as usual." Sergeant Malone informed me.

"And if I complete it in under five minutes?" I asked curiously. Neither of them answered, just looked at me expectantly. "Right. Well okay. I can do this. Five minutes, no problem. That's plenty of time." I muttered to myself as I headed to the start of the course. When I got to the front, I looked over at the two and waited for the signal to begin.

Sergeant Malone raised his whistle to his lips and blew it, indicating that I start. I took off, climbing under, over, up or down whatever came my way. I jumped, ducked, and swung at each new obstacle, pushing myself harder than I ever had before. I tried not to laugh in exhilaration. This was honestly the most fun I've had in training.

The last obstacle was one of those climbing walls. I stood several feet back then ran straight at it. I had planned to run straight up the wall like you'd see in America Ninja Warrior. So imagine my surprise when I was able to push off the ground and jump straight to the top. It was nearly ten feet tall and I jumped up with zero problems, like a freaking power ranger! I stood there stunned for a moment. "Finish the course, Sutton!" Sergeant Malones voice rang up, reminding me that I was in a timed event. I pushed myself forward and rang the bell, stopping the timer.

I took the rappelling rope wall down. When I touched down to the ground, I unhooked myself and walked over to the other two, trying not to look too expectant. Fowler was watching me curiously, as if he was trying to figure out just what it was he saw when he looked at me. Malone looked impressed, though he tried to hide it.

"Well Miss Sutton, that was quite the show." Fowler informed me, folding his arms and giving me an amused smirk.

"Thanks, I try. How'd I do?" I asked, unable to hide my eagerness anymore. My mind kept going over the jump I did. Clearly there was more to be discovered when it came to the changes the Allspark did to my body. "Four minutes, thirty-seven second, an impressive time. You probably would've been under four minutes if you hadn't stopped at the top of the wall." Sergeant Malone replied, giving me a look for my blunder. "No matter, you passed. Congratulations."

Then Malone did something I hadn't expected. He saluted me. Quickly I saluted him back, trying to mask my shock. I've never seen him salute anyone who was a lower rank first. I knew it was only done when that recruit did something to really impress him. "Good luck out there, Sutton. You're gonna need it." Sergeant Malone said before turning and leaving the room. Now it was just Fowler and I.

"What just happened?" I asked, surprised. "Am I not going to be training with Sergeant Malone anymore?"

"No, Miss Sutton, you won't. This course was you're completion test. You've now finished basic training here. Of course, you'll still need to take a couple courses for weapons. I've already gotten you a concealed weapon clearance. However, you'll do all this training back at the Autobots base." Agent Fowler informed me.

"So I won't be coming back here? Wow. I thought basic training usually lasted a couple months?" I was pretty amazed, honestly. I figured I would be training for at least another month. I didn't know much about military basic training, but I knew there was a lot more to it than what I had been through the past few weeks.

"Typically that would be the case. However, you're not our usual recruit. With your enhanced abilities, you've left all the other recruits in the dust! Plus you're not here because you want to join our military, you're here for something much bigger. I've talked to the pentagon, and we've been thinking about adding a new branch of the military, specially trained to fight with the Autobots, instead of just hiding them away. However we need someone to lead this new branch, someone connected to both the humans… and the Autobots." Fowler explained and I couldn't help but feel astonished by his words.

"And you think that person should be me? But like you said, I'm not military."

"True, but if you accept this, then you will be given special clearance." Fowler laid a hand on my shoulder. "Jessica, you are in a unique position here. As someone who channels the Allspark energy, you are important to our Autobot allies. And as a human, you are also connected to our people. You have a foot in both worlds, making you the perfect candidate for this position. It is, of course, your choice. I cannot carry on the position of Autobot liaison forever, and both Optimus and I agree that you would be best to take over for me."

"That is a lot to take it. I still have a lot to learn though, I really don't think I'm ready to lead an entire branch, especially one that would be so new." I tried to rationalize.

"Of course not. However, none of this is exactly set in stone. I believe that having a branch that specializes in Cybertronian training would be a good idea, but the boys upstairs have different opinions. Right now, this is all speculative. However, if it ever does come to pass, I want you to be the one who leads it. That was why Optimus and I agreed to give you this training." Fowler assured me. "Now then, take some time and think it over. You don't have to make a decision yet. Just continue your training. I'll see you soon, I'm sure."

When Fowler walked away, I stood there for a moment stunned. Today had certainly been interesting, and it wasn't even six a.m. yet! First I discovered that I could jump up to ten feet, maybe even more if I put the effort into it. Then I discovered that both Fowler and Optimus wanted me to one day lead a military branch that specialized in fighting the Decepticons along side the Autobots.

What exactly had my life come to?

Still, I felt honored that they believed I could do something as important as this. And like Agent Fowler said, it was all pretty speculative. Who knows if this would even come to pass? For now, I just needed to focus on my school work and training. Future Jessica could worry about future problems.

I left the training area and went to hit the showers.

Once I was finished, I called Cliff on my comms and let him know I was ready walking outside. My guardian was already waiting for me when I came out. "Howdy partner." I greeted as I climbed into Cliffs vehicle form. "Howdy. How was training? You weren't in there very long. I was expecting to patrol around for another couple hours."

"Actually, that's the weird thing, Fowler said I was done training here. He said I had completed it. Now my training was going to take place at the base." I replied.

"Is that so? I was wondering when I would get the chance to begin training you."

"You're training me?"

"Yes. I'm your mentor as well as your guardian. Optimus has decided that I'm the best fit to train you. But I warn you, I am a tough teacher. If you're going to be out there fighting the Decepticons, I want to make sure you're fully prepared."

"Huh." I leaned back against the seat and folded my arms. "Well then, at least I know you won't take it easy on me. I want to be ready to fight the Decepticons. With the Allspark energy inside me, I will always be a target. If I can't defend myself, and they manage to get their claws on me, who knows what kind of damage they can cause."

"You're not wrong there."

We pulled into the Silo and I climbed out of the vehicle so that my guardian could transform. Ratchet was working near his computer while Optimus and Arcee were looking over one of the datapads. "Hey guys." I waved. The three of them nodded in greeting before returning to whatever it was they were doing. A minute later, Bulkhead and Bee came riding into the silo, dropping off the three other humans.

"Miss us, Doc Bot!" Miko called out cheerfully.

Ratchet did not look amused. "Shouldn't they be in school?" He asked no one in particular and I snorted. "Ratch, it's a Saturday, remember? We have the weekends off."

"To spend with you!" Miko laughed enthusiastically. Ratchet huffed and looked away. Jack walked over to his guardian. "I wasn't expecting a carpool Arcee, what gives?" He asked her curiously. She informed him that she had exploration duty that day. "Aw too bad, it's a beautiful day for a ride. I would hate for you to feel guilty for leaving me indoors." Jack attempted her to guilt her into taking him.

"Arctic Exploration duty." She added, a hand on her hip. Jack decided indoors would be better. Raf, however, was interested in going because her had always wanted to see snow. "I would invite you, Rafael, but the conditions are much too extreme, even for us Autobots." Optimus informed him. Raf was disappointed but understood. Optimus and Arcee walked towards the now powered up groundbridge, when Optimus paused and turned around to face Raf once more. "But, I will bring you back a snowball."

Raf's face light up. "That would be awesome!" I smiled, happy for Raf. The Autobots truly were incredible beings. The groundbridge closed behind them, but the sound of a slight explosion cause me to jump in alarm.

"By the Allspark!" Ratchet mumbled, hitting the side of it in frustration. "Blasted Earth tech."

"Is everything alright?" I asked him. The other three went up to sit on the couch and play video games, so they didn't pay us much mind. Ratchet was running diagnostics on the computers. Bee, Cliff and Bulk had joined us as well. My guardian bent down and offered a hand so I could get a better look.

"I am not sure. Something is wrong with the groundbridge power." Ratchet replied after a moment.

"Hey guys, look what I found." Raf called out and I looked over to see him carrying what looked like a mini robot pet. It was kind of cute, but it gave off a weird vibe. Ratchet growled, saying that they were busy, but turned around nonetheless. Then the bots did something I never thought I'd hear or see, they shrieked in fear. All four of them. They pointed their weapons at Raf, causing Miko and Jack to run in front of him. I would've done the same thing if I weren't still in my frightened guardians grip.

"Whoa guys! What's going on!" I yelped at the same time that Miko asked what was with them. Cliff had sort of swung me around when he had pulled out his weapons, so I was feeling a bit of whiplash. Bulkhead began screeching something about Scraplets while waving his cannons at the four of us. "What's a Scraplet?" Raf and I asked at the same time.

"The most dangerous vermin to ever crawl on the face of Cybertron." Ratchet hissed. I exchanged bewildered looks with my human friends. Who could something so tiny be considered dangerous? "It doesn't look very dangerous." I commented and Raf agreed with me, saying it wouldn't hurt anything.

Right after he said that, the things eyes blinked open and it looked sluggishly around the room. As soon as it's eyes laid upon the four Cybertronians, though, it's mouth opened to reveal razor sharp teeth. "What the hell." I gasped when he fell out of Raf's arms and charged at Bee. Bee wildly shot at it, but missed. The thing jumped onto his leg and began chomping down. "Bumblebee!" I gasped.

Bee grabbed it, but the Scraplet his through his hand. The scout flung it onto the ground and quickly scooted away from it. It stood back up, but before it could move, Raf whacked it away. He then began to beat the Scraplet mercilessly. Jack ran over and took it from him, saying "Whoa there, killer."

"Well that was unexpected." I said while looking up at my guardian. Cliff smiled uneasily at me, but I could tell he was shaken up. Raf ran over to his guardian, apologizing and asking if he would be okay. Ratchet assured him that it was only a mesh wound.

"No do you believe me? All Scraplets do is dismantle machinery and eat anything metal! Especially living metal." Bulkhead asserted, his expression wild with fear. "Well, bug squashed, game over right?" Jack asked and somehow I knew it wouldn't be that easy. Not with how tense the bots still looked.

"No, when it comes to Scraplets, there's never just one. And I fear I know how they got in here." Ratchet replied grimly. He lead us all through the base and into the storage room. It was here that Cliff finally put me down. They walked over to what looked like a metal egg chilling in a puddle of water. "It's a trap! A Scraplet trap!"

"An empty Scraplet trapped." Bulkhead added fearfully.

"Most likely ejected into space eons ago only to wind up in the Arctic where the temperature kept them in stasis." Ratchet continued.

"Until we brought the thaw." Jack gulped. Miko frowned and crossed her arms. "Now they're awake and ready to brunch."

"Just how many are we talking about here?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"Thousands, with the power malfunction and the groundbridge damaged are sure signs of their infestation being well under way." Ratchet answered before running back to the main room. He once again attempted to contact the other two. "Ratchet to Optimus, do you read me? We have a situation." The screen glitched and the medic slammed his fists down. "Scraplets have gotten to the comlink system! If we don't eradicate these creatures immediately, they will reduce the entire base into a scrapheap."

"I say we bug out of here and let em keep it." Bulkhead suggested, Bee and Cliff both nodding in agreement.

"Evacuation is not an option. If we don't get the bridge online stat, Optimus and Arcee will perish." Ratchet snapped. My heart stopped at that. All of the bots were like family to me, the thought of losing one of them was terrifying. Miko was pretty irritated with Bulkhead's willingness to run and she let him know it.

"Miko, you haven't seen a swarm of them devour a bot! I have! They pick you apart from the inside out, going for the small juicy bits first. Fuse by fuse, circuit by circuit until there's nothing left. And I mean nothing! Not even your optics." Bulkhead shuddered and I winced. Sometimes I forget just how much horror each of the bots have faced in their lifetimes. I can't imagine what it must of been like in their war.

"Okay, well, you have to let us help then. We're not made of metal so the Scraplet's can't hurt us. We'll have an easier time getting around the base unscathed." I volunteered and my three human friends nodded in agreement.

"Typically I find your fleshiness you least engaging quality…" Ratchet began and I couldn't help but feel slightly hurt by his comment. "But it would appear to provide an advantage under these extremes."

"Okay, since we're in agreement, let's split up and see if we can find the problems caused by the Scraplet's. One human to one bot. Miko and Raf, go with your guardians. Jack, I want you to go with Cliff. Usually I would be the one too, but with all the training I've done with Ratchet, I feel like I'd be better suited staying here and helping him." I ordered, immediately taking on the leader role.

Everyone nodded in agreement. I told them to be careful before watching as they walked out. Then I ran over to Ratchet, who had begun working on the groundbridge repair. "How's it going over there? Do you need any help?" I asked him, trying to ignore the screaming I heard from Bulk and the sound of gunshots.

"I've repaired the damage conductors and rerouted the central conduits, but the groundbridge still won't receive power!" He growled his reply, once more slamming his fists on the floor. "Just keep guard, I'll let you know if I need you to do something."

I nodded and walked away to get a better view of the room, grabbing the crowbar Raf had used earlier. It was almost too quiet for about five minutes and I wondered if maybe they had over exaggerated the danger. But then I heard the tiny tinkering noise of a thousand Scraplets coming this way. "Scrap." I gulped when I saw hundreds of them come into view. They were crawling on the ceiling.

The Scraplets turned their attention to me and an oblivious Ratchet. Then all of them exposed their razor sharp teeth and jumped off the wall, flying right at us. "Ratchet, you never said they could fly!" I shrieked, bringing his attention to the threat.

They began swarming around my friend. "NO!" I shouted and began whacking at them. Unfortunately, the hit only stunned them. They quickly got back up and attacked Ratchet again. Ratchet tried to get up, but he was overwhelmed and ended up falling once more. "Use the fire extinguisher!" He yelled at me.

I swung my head wildly around until I found it and ran over to grab it. It took me a second to figure out how to get the damn thing to work, but once I did, I quickly began spraying them and laughed when they started to fall off. "Take that uglies!" I sneered.

"Ratchet get the first aid kit, we're leaking energon like-WHOA!" Bulkhead had walked into the main room, with Bee and Cliff not too far behind him. The exclamation was because he was suddenly swarmed by the Scraplets that I hadn't taken out yet. The bots began shooting at the offending vermin while the other kids grabbed weapons to whack them off. I continued to try and freeze them until finally all of them were down. "Holy crap, please tell me we got them all?" I begged as I tried to catch my breath.

The sound of tinkering feet was heard down the hall, giving me my answer. "These were just the scouts." Ratchet informed us wearily. Great. Just freaking great. Bulkhead asked if that meant the rest of them knew where we were, though it was obvious the question was rhetorical. "And if we allow ourselves to be their next meal, Optimus and Arcee may never make it home. We need to get the groundbridge operational. Then we can send them anywhere in the world."

"Like back to the Arctic? Like you said, the extreme cold sends them straight into stasis mode, and that was while they were in the egg pod thing. I bet if they're completely exposed, it would kill them instantly." I suggested.

"Given the body mass of the Scraplets, the subzero temperature should freeze them on contact. So think Ratchet, think! If the groundbridge is down, there must be a breach in the energon fuel line!" Ratchet exclaimed, looking hopeful that he had found the answer.

"If we weren't breaching, one of us could get back over there and fix it." Cliff jumper muttered, looking worse for wear. I walked over to my guardian and gave him a look that he knew was me asking if he was alright. Cliff just nodded with a worn out smile on his face.

"Well where is this breach?" I asked, with Raf asking how we could fix it. After all, the Scraplets wouldn't mess with us, we were humans. Ratchet looked between the four of us and I knew he was unsure. But he didn't have much choice. So he quickly explained to us about where it was and how we could fix it. "I'll remain behind and watch the bots in case they come back before you're finished." I volunteered.

The three human children nodded at me before grabbing a tool kit and heading in the direction Ratchet told them to go in. I walked over to Ratchet and he offered me a hand. All four Autobots were sitting down, looking worse for wear. I really hoped that they could get the groundbridge up. The bots might not survive another swarm attack.

"So if we get… when we get the groundbridge open, do we send creepy crawlies out? Or bring our bots in?" Bulkhead asked, bringing up something that I hadn't even thought about. No doubt Optimus and Arcee were almost out of time.

"Wouldn't Optimus and Arcee just be in danger if we brought them in first? They would be weak and easy prey for the Scraplets. It would be impossible to get them out." I wondered aloud. Ratchet agreed with me. "We would need bait."

"Where would we get bait? The Scraplets have already helped themselves into everything in here!" Bulkhead shouted, frustration and fear evident in his voice. I looked around for something that could be used but came up short. The Scraplets like living metal, one of the bots would need to draw them out and through the groundbridge.

I heard the telltale sound of approaching Scraplets and looked up to see them swarming. I gasped, swearing to myself in fear. Luckily, it was at that moment that Jack, Miko, and Raf decided to reenter the room, giving Ratchet the go ahead to start up the ground bridge.

Ratchet deposited me back on the ground before dragging himself to his feet and towards the groundbridge control. He collapsed once more after pulling the lever, turning the bridge on. "Someone needs to get their attention and go through the groundbridge!" I shouted at the other three bots.

They each exchanged looks before Bulkhead stood up, muttering something about being bait, and yelling at the Scraplets to come and get him. The Scraplets chased after him into the groundbridge, all of them disappearing on the other side. Everyone collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Then we watched the portal, hoping that three of our bots would soon enter.

After a minute or so, everyone was able to relax as Bulkhead, Optimus, and Arcee all walked in. They looked awful, but they were alive and that was all that truly mattered. All of our new Autobot friends survived. "So… who's in charge of clean up?" I asked as the lights flickered. Everyone looked around at the hundreds of Scraplet bodies and everyone but Prime, Arcee, and Ratchet started laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation.

XxRebelWriterxX

Once the base was mostly cleaned up, Ratchet had all the bots sit down in the medbay so that they could be looked over. All of the children were doing their part to help patch up their guardians. Ratchet gave us each orders and we followed them as he said, giving him the all good for each of their bots.

"Perhaps you should get some rest yourself, old friend. You saved quite a few lives today." Optimus suggested to Ratchet. I agreed with Optimus, letting Ratchet know just how much we all appreciated him.

"It wasn't all my doing. We were just fortunate enough this infestation happened on a Saturday." Ratchet conveyed with a proud smile. He looked at each one of us, but his gaze seemed to linger on me. I held it as well, feeling warm inside from the intensity of his stare.

I heard Cliffjumper snickering and broke our little staring contest to glare at him. He winked at me before indicating that he and I were going to have a chat soon. I wondered what it was and if it had anything to do with the weird things that kept happening between me and the Autobot medic. Nah… it couldn't be.

Right?

"Our human friends may be small, but they are strong." Optimus praised and I don't think I'm the only one who blushed in embarrassment. Getting a compliment from the big guy himself was pretty amazing.

Miko suddenly shrieked, startling everyone and instantly putting us on red alert. "Scraplet?" Jack, Raf, and I asked at the same time, all three of us grabbing crowbars. We got into a fighting position and looked around the room for any threat. "Spider!" Miko squealed. "Is it on me? Oh oh oh oh!" She took off down the hall. We all watched her go in bemusement.

"Did she just scream like a little girl?" Bulkhead asked. Cliff and I both laughed at that. "Bulk we all heard you screaming earlier. You have no room to talk." I teased him.

While everyone talked among themselves, I walked over to Ratchet. He had begun working on repairing the damage left by the Scraplets. "Hey Ratch, need a hand?" I offered. Ratchet smiled gratefully at me and offered a hand so that he could bring me up close.

"Be careful and do what I tell you to do. One wrong move and this thing will zap you. And believe me, it'll be more than just a tickle." Ratchet warned me before we got to work. I had to admit though, working with him was actually kind of fun. Ratchet wasn't really one for small talk, but I got him to open up a little bit. "What made you want to be a medic?" I asked him at one point.

"The war was already growing strong when I decided to go into medical training. Good bots were dying all around me and I felt so useless being unable to save them. I was a well enough warrior but I wanted to do more. When I got the opportunity to train as a medic, I took it. And I have never regretted that decision. " Ratchet explained to me. "What made you want to go into the human medical profession?"

"I had a pretty difficult childhood. I spent most of my teen years relying on people who didn't want to take care of me. They saw me as a lost cause and never gave me the chance. If I can save one kid from that kind of hell, well then, it'll all be worth it. " I didn't hadn't gone into much detail about my past with anyone but Cliff. Ratchet was my mentor and friend, but Cliff was my guardian. Perhaps one day I would trust everyone enough with the truth, but right now my secrets were my own.

"I'm sorry your childhood was badt. However, I know you will make an excellent doctor one day. And you've come very far in your training with me. Perhaps one day you will be a medic for both human and Cybertronian. " Ratchet replied confidently. I blushed at his praise. Twice in one day, must be a new record.

I turned around to look at my friend. "Ratchet?" He looked down at me questioningly. "Thank you. For teaching me about Cybertronians and believing in me. You have no idea how grateful I am for you and the other Autobots."

"Of course, Jessica. I will always be here for you." He assured me and once more we were locked in a staring contest. I wasn't sure what it was about hid optics, but I could stare into them all day.

Laughter from the others was what broke our spell. I felt my face burn and I quickly turn back to my work. My stomach felt as if there were a thousand butterflies fluttering around and causing chaos. I decided not to think about it too much. There was much too be done and I couldn't let myself get distracted. Still I wondered why I got all goofy and gooey whenever I was around Ratchet. And what exactly did our future hold.

Alright next chapter is done and I am going to bed. Night everyone!

I meant to get this chapter out sooner, but I wanted to work on chapter sixteen first. Unfortunately, I've been struggling with it so i decided what the hell, lets just post chapter seven! Hopefully I'll be able to get it done soon. Hope you guys loved it! See you next chapter!