Ok, it took me years, and I know those who know this story are probably pissed but, hey, this is the final fully written version and you can rest assured this one will stay this way. First of all, sorry for deleting the previous version, but I hope that you will enjoy this just like you did its predecessor. Regular updates are to be expected.

The story follows the TFP canon but will diverge with the inclusion of my OCs and then go into AU. It more or less stays true to the Aligned continuity lore but I also took creative liberties with certain details that you'll surely notice later on.

Don't be intimidated by the POV format, believe me, it works. Anyway, have fun if you give this a chance!

Warnings: I don't own TFP or its characters, I only own my OCs! Grammar failures and misspellings are possible, my native language isn't English.

Chapter 1: Neutral rules

...

Halo POV

Neutral rule number one: avoid Decepticons. And Autobots. And every fragging bot with a badge. Many would think it's as easy as it sounds. When both factions are on your tailpipe, it's a bit harder to keep the rule though. But Primus forgive me, I was only serving the community. The small community of two others of my kind and myself. Oh, and that human fleshling. Hm, at second thought maybe the human didn't count. He was home after all, we weren't.

But putting my petty thoughts aside, I had larger problems to focus on at the moment.

Another blast hit the ground within an arm's distance beside me and I took a sharp turn, accelerating ahead with no clear destination. The pebbles on the dusty road clanked loudly against my sides, making me grow irritated with each passing nanosec. Okay, I admit, maybe sneaking into an energon mine currently filled with Decepticon miners to steal some cubes wasn't the best idea I've ever invented in my life.

But hey, I was hungry. My friends were hungry too.

"Get fragged! All of you!" I shouted angrily, driving out of the way of another shot. The jet was quite stubborn. When will he run out of firepower? Will he ever run out?!

My knowledge wasn't very up to date on Vehicon troopers because I rarely ran into them. From now on this will surely change, since I've gained more than enough attention.

The car behind me was catching up, making my spark beat rapidly. They have never gotten this close before. What if this time I won't get away? I should have listened to Crossflare! Why do I never listen to her!

On this very day, I would have fallen into Decepticon hands if it weren't for the arrival of an unexpected savior. But luck came, in the form of a green bulky car from my right. It collided with the purple Con with brute force. My audio receptors hurt from the sound. Uh, poor Con won't survive this without painful dents!

I shouldn't have dwelt on such things in such a serious situation. The small distraction averted my attention and the jet eventually shot me. Pain cut into my back as I felt the metal of my hood burn. Like fire had run through my tubes and circuits, my whole frame twisted in agony and I tumbled over, rolling into the dust helplessly. Silent screams got caught in my throat.

My head ached, I felt dizzy, my surroundings became dull. I heard blasts, some yelling, a smash and a loud crash-land somewhere... Steps. Yes, someone was coming. But these light pedes couldn't belong to a Cybertronian.

"Hello! Are you hurt? Is anyone in there?" a feminine, young voice spoke in my direction. Then I felt a small hand on my door and my upside-down lying alt-mode eased at the light touch. This wasn't an enemy.

I wanted to answer, but no voice left my vocalizer. My thoughts were drifting away, I was probably slipping into unconsciousness. Not good timing. I have to get up and get out of here as soon as possible.

"Oh...no one?" the young human, who was carefully peering through my window retreated with a surprised expression, then she turned around and shouted over to the green car with sheer excitement in her voice:

"Bulk! There is no driver in here! I guess we found a Cybertronian!"

That time I had no idea how she would know, nor did I know that an Autobot had saved me. The next time I woke up, I met blinding lights and a small unfamiliar med-bay. An unfamiliar mech's figure covered my view and held a small flashlight in one servo, directing its light into my optics and snapping his fingers beside my audio receptor with his other. It wasn't a very pleasant sound.

"S-Stop it..." I moaned hoarsely, my vocalizer struggling to give any sound.

"Optic function is normal, audio receptors perfect," the mech responded with a pleased smirk, "But rest your voice, no need to panic. You are in the best servos."

I blinked several times, trying to take in the surroundings. The mech stepped away to look at the green screens beside me and I followed him with my gaze. I was pretty sure we have never met before. He had a white and orange paintjob, and his broad back made it impossible to see what he was looking at. Judging by his voice he was surely older than me. Much, much older.

Then things finally settled in my head and my thoughts cleared: a Cybertronian I don't know, a fully equipped med-bay and a professional, calm medic. Oh no...

I wanted to spring off the medical berth but the cuffs on my wrists and pedes stopped me. Not to mention the pain in my spine that stabbed me like I just broke it in half. My panic only rose from the thought of what it could mean.

"Whoa, I told you not to...!" the medic noticed my attempt at escape and quickly came to my side. He pushed me back but I kept struggling to free myself, ignoring how much it hurt.

"Don't touch me! Where am I?! Let me go right this nanosec!"

"We are Autobots! We won't hurt you! Just lay back and accept the help you insolent femme, or I will sedate you!" the mech reached towards his table and grabbed a syringe which was already full, ready to be injected into my energon line unless I cooperated.

The pain itself was what convinced me to calm down and I dropped flat on the berth, venting tiredly. Slag, this hurt. My back...my back is on fire! Make the pain go away!

"Need help, Ratchet?" another deep voice and a smash of fists sounded. I looked up to see a green bot enter. Oh, is he the one? The one who came to my rescue?

"If she does this once again, then I might need you to hold her down," the medic, now finally given a name, so Ratchet put the syringe down and shot me a disapproving look.

"Whe-wh-where I am?" static interrupted my words and I bit my tongue in annoyance. A nanosec before I was able to form a coherent sentence without any difficulty. What's with my voice again?

"I just told you, but you were too busy destroying my hard work. The patch on your back opened, didn't it?!" Ratchet stepped to me and slid a hand under my back, touching the broken weld, "Yes it is! Argh, do you have any idea how long it will take me to get that right?!"

I blinked several times. Nope, he is not a pleasant nice old Autobot medic at all. Rather, a grumpy, old Autobot medic who wishes to have a fight with me. Gathering all my self-control, I flashed a bright grin and cooed:

"As excellent as you are, I guess it won't take that long."

Both mechs were taken aback and Ratchet mumbled something to himself before clearing his throat and puffed his chest out.

"Well, a few hours and you will be fine. But no more of this again, are we clear?"

"Like a cloudless sky," I nodded, widening my grin.

The medic huffed and walked back to his table to gather some tools and the green mech edged closer with a confused smile.

"Erm, hello. I'm Bulkhead. Miko and I saved you from the Cons earlier."

"Miko? The human?" I mumbled, trying to recall my last memories.

"That would be me, yeah!" small running steps signaled the arrival of the small creature when a young girl strode into the med-bay and proudly pinned her thumb against her chest, "You were in quite the trouble! You should thank us for the quick rescue! But first: what's your name? When did you come to Earth? How is it that we haven't met before?..."

"Enough Miko, she can barely speak..." Bulkhead took the girl in his servo and lifted her, trying to hush her but she retorted in excitement:

"Come on Bulk, aren't you curious? Everybody wants to know who she is!"

I forced a small laugh, a bit confused by all of this. My friends and I were aware that an Autobot team resides here on Earth but we have never met them before and we tried to keep it that way. Neutrals didn't like to interact with any factions because the enemy could always misread the signs and label said Neutrals secret spies or something similar. Who would have thought that the Autobots and their human companions would be this excited to see me?

"My designat-nat-nation is Ha-Halo. Hi," I stuttered, feeling the urge to slap myself in the face.

"Oh! Hi Halo! Are you an Autobot too?" Miko's attention immediately turned back to me and she nudged Bulkhead's servo to bring her closer which the mech reluctantly did.

"That would interest me as well," Ratchet spoke up from beside his table. It seems he has suspected that something is not okay.

"I'm n-not an Auto-bot. Neutral," I shook my head, easing as I heard a sigh of relief from both Bulkhead and Ratchet. It seems they were concerned about whose side I'm on. I can't blame them, I have no insignia anywhere on my chassis so they could only guess.

"Neutral? You never told me Neutrals existed!" Miko pointed up at her big green company with an accusing finger.

"Neutrals exist in all kinds of war, you should have expected," Ratchet walked back and released my limbs. His stern optics warned me to stay put and don't dare make a dash.

"But why didn't we know that some of them are here?" the young girl puffed her cheeks stubbornly.

"We knew," the medic replied curtly, busy with helping me turn around so that he would have an open access to my back.

"We...we did?" Bulkhead frowned in confusion, trying to remember when he had ever heard about Neutrals on Earth during his stay here.

"They arrived here sooner than us and blended in with the help of two human civilians. When Optimus and I noticed their presence after our arrival to the planet, we negotiated with their leader. She asked us to leave them alone, so we did."

"Until now," I mumbled, resting my chin on the berth with a huff. When he said "leader", he meant Crossflare. She wasn't our leader, only our... Well, yeah, in serious cases she was the leader, but we didn't have an official hierarchy like the factions. We were friends from before the big Exodus and after all the slag we've been through, we treated each other as equals most of the time.

"Uh-oh...Did I kick up an official agreement?" Bulkhead nervously scratched his helm and Ratchet waved a hand reassuringly.

"I don't think she minds that you've saved her spark. Speaking of which, what have you done to upset the Decepticons?" Ratchet inspected the open patch from closer, then decided to remove it and make a new one so I was in for a new painful procedure.

"I -ugh, that hurts- was responsible for getting fuel today. The mine we have been visiting is totally stripped so I ventured farther to find another one and unfortunately ran into these Vehicon guys. And...you know the rest," I pouted, "Thanks, by the way."

"Wow, you hunt for energon yourselves? Without bridges and equipment?" Miko perked up in awe, looking at me with big eyes.

I chuckled quietly.

"We don't have a ground-bridge or any Cybertronian technology save for Crossflare's self-made lab equipment. So yep, we must live on what we find in our environment."

"Oh..." Miko gave me an understanding smile.

"Why don't you ask for help? We might be on short supplies but we could surely help you out," Bulkhead tilted his head, immediately getting a disapproving glare from Ratchet.

"Neutral rule. If the Decepticons found out that we got supplies from the Autobots, they would have every right to accuse us of siding with them and vice versa. Neutrals must live on their own and I share this opinion."

"Good. Because we can't afford to help you out," Ratchet mumbled, clearly pleased with my firm answer. It only made Bulkhead and Miko sigh and shake their heads in unison. It seems the case of energon supplies was a touchy subject for the old grumpy doctor.

Heavy steps could be heard and everyone in the med-bay fell into sudden silence as someone else entered. I could feel the change in the atmosphere and I looked over my shoulder to see the new bot. My curious expression soon turned into one of panic, immediately recognizing the unmistakable figure.

"Ah, Optimus. Our guest has awakened, you may speak to her," Ratchet only shot a glance in the Prime's direction and stepped slightly aside to give him a better view of me. No, don't expose me! I want to hide away!

Truth be told, there was nothing more frightening than meeting faction leaders, especially when you are a Neutral. Seriously, don't wish to be acquainted with them. They are the type of people who can change your mind just by talking their ideology into you and you wouldn't even notice. If that is paired with a good personality and likable nature, they won you.

Optimus Prime was told to be that kind of person and I had no wish to meet him personally ever in my life.

"It's good to see you function well..."

"Halo," I helped him out as he walked over to me.

"...Halo," he had a welcoming smile on his face, his posture was uptight but friendly. Like I shouldn't be afraid of him at all, "Ratchet has informed me earlier that you have suffered great damage that interferes with your T-cog's working and that you will need to be monitored for a while. You belong to the Neutrals led by Crossflare, am I right?"

I only answered with a nod. It seems he even remembers my friend's name. It's been years since the meeting between the two but Optimus has kept us in mind by the looks of it. Ah, of course. Faction leaders need to keep an optic out for every Cybertronian spark with a chance to join them on this mudball planet, no surprise.

"I'm sure she has already started looking for you. We shall inform her about your whereabouts."

Oh, that doesn't sound well...

Crossflare POV

As soon as we were on the other side of the ground-bridge, my spark jumped slightly at the sight of the Autobot team. I've never met them personally before (save for Optimus) and while I knew it should have stayed that way, I was actually glad to see fellow Cybertronians.

Then I remembered why I was here and my surprise immediately turned back into anger. Halo has caused trouble again, ignoring my good advice and rules. I always wondered when she would learn to be responsible and careful, but it seems that day is not today either.

To her and Mercy, who was walking right beside me, I was like a guardian sometimes. Scolding them for their mistakes, helping them with their problems and encouraging them when they needed it. Out of the three of us, Mercy has always been the shy, peaceful one with a very low chance to survive on her own. She was weak physically and emotionally, living in an ideal world inside her head most of the time until one of us faced her with cruel reality. But she was the spark of our trio, the one who never failed to make us smile or cheer us up in her own way.

Halo on the other hand was a much more difficult case. She was headstrong, uncontrollable, independent and sometimes unpredictable. And she was blessed with infinite creativity in the field of pranks and trouble. In spite of this, deep down, I knew that she cared and would do anything to protect us.

Mercy gasped, catching her gaze from one bot to the other, clearly happy to see others from our race after being in hiding for so long. I made a mental note to warn her about staying discreet as much as possible but I've already gotten close enough to the Prime in front of me to turn towards her. I had to concentrate. I recognized Optimus immediately. No one can mistake this paintjob, the height and those wise optics.

"Welcome. We are glad to have you in our company again," Optimus spoke, his voice deep and firm.

I nodded my head slightly, expressing only the basic amount of respect for the Autobot leader before going onto the important subject:

"Thank you for helping us out and taking my friend into your care. May I see her?"

The Prime gestured towards Ratchet with a nod and I wasn't surprised to see the old medic here. Ratchet was a miraculous doctor on the field, and I, who used to work with medicine, has heard a few things about his work and his devotion to the Autobots and the Prime in particular. The two have been friends for a long time if I remember correctly.

He sent me a not really impressed glance and grunted as he waved a servo as a sign to follow him. Without doubt, he was already fed up with Halo's nonsensical behavior and would rather give her back as soon as possible. Well, at least we don't have to stay for long.

"Was she behaving well?" I asked with a bit of amusement in my voice when I hurried after him, to which he grimaced.

"Lets just say she belongs to the type of patients I don't necessarily like."

With a glance to the side, I saw other three bots standing curiously but quietly in the door of some kind of tunnel which I guess led to the outside since it had human-made painted stripes on the asphalt.

I recognized none: a big green mech with servos large enough to crush my head, another mech with black and yellow paintjob and was seemingly very young, maybe younger than Mercy, and a short, blue femme, probably a motorbike. Out of the three the femme had the most unwelcoming expression, the mechs were only slightly confused and of course, very curious.

Oh. And humans? Two boys and one girl stood excitedly on a platform, leaning over the fence to see and hear better.

I had no more time to get lost in inspection because they disappeared from my sight as soon as the walls of the corridor blocked their view out. Right, attention back to important business. Halo and I will have one or two things to talk about.

"Hiiii girls, what's up?" our mentioned dear friend welcomed us with the widest and most innocent grin she could put on in her cuffed-to-berth state. She knew she was in trouble.

"We aren't as happy about your little stunt as you are," I hissed, angrily running my gaze over the patches on her.

"How are you? Does it hurt?" Mercy immediately ran to her side, worriedly placing her white servo on Halo's arm.

"Good as new. Just a little scratch, nothing serious!"

"This 'nothing serious' injury she speaks of is a very bad spine circuit damage that had a bit of an effect on her T-cog. My measured recovery time is about one or two weeks. Depends on how many times she intends to reopen her wound," Ratchet contemplated with a cough and shot me a meaningful look.

"One or two weeks?" Mercy gaped in disbelief, "B-but we can take her home, right?"

"I'm afraid not. If moved, her patch comes off again and I don't really have more material to make up for it. Sorry to disappoint, but she will have to stay here for the time being.

"Hey, let them take me! I'm not going to stay!" Halo yelled and wanted to kick her legs out, only to realize she was still cuffed to the berth so she began squirming in an attempt to free herself but Ratchet literally flung himself across the distance and slammed his servos on her to hold her down.

"Stop it or I will break your spine in two myself!"

Mercy POV

As much as I felt the obligation to stay beside Halo for now, seeing how Crossflare and Ratchet were occupied with her, my curiosity led me out to explore the place and meet the Autobots face to face.

I found my way back to the command center, immediately attracting attention when I showed up. All the bots, even Optimus seemed to be standing in a semi-circle by the platform next to their human companions.

"Um, nice to meet you all," I took a few careful steps towards them, trying to read the looks on their faces to determine who was the most welcoming. Well, one of the humans didn't hide her excitement:

"Oh, oh, com'ere! Yes, yes, you! What's your name? How old are you? You look very young! Why are you a Neutral? Don't you want to join our team?"

"Miko! We have talked about not asking such questions!" the bulky green bot quickly scolded her in a hushed tone.

The small female managed to confuse me with her many questions and I blinked several times, trying to process them all.

"I-uh, my designation is Mercy..." that was all I could get out.

"We are pleased to meet you Mercy. I'm Optimus Prime and I think you haven't met Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead before," the Prime introduced the team and I waved a servo in a friendly gesture to which I received a small smile from Arcee, a few happy beeps from Bumblebee and a similar wave from Bulkhead, "Our human allies are Jack, Miko and Rafael," the kids waved their hands as well and I offered a gentle smile in return.

"I would like to ask you a few questions but if you would feel more comfortable with your partner around, it can wait," Optimus continued, easing the stress in my spark as I pondered on my decision for a moment before nodding:

"Ask anything, there is not much to hide to be honest."

"The incident that happened with your friend is more than alarming. Are you and your friends threatened by the Decepticons?"

"No. We haven't been until now. I'm pretty sure they know about our existence but we've never confronted them personally."

Optimus simply nodded.

"I've been informed about how low your energon supplies are and that you possess no technology to detect energon. Your friend has rejected our offer to help but I think you should reconsider."

I knew where this was heading and I quickly shook my head and raised my servos in an apologetic way.

"Sorry but we can't accept anything. You treated Halo, and it's more help than we could ever ask for. We have rules."

Even if the thought of some kind of device helping us find fuel made me excited, I knew that it would be risky to accept, especially if it is Autobot-origin. Who knows when Decepticons will kick the door on us, find it and mistake it as proof of a secret allegiance.

"You Neutrals really like your rules," Miko puffed her cheeks in an annoyed way.

"They keep us alive and safe," I replied quickly, the line Crossflare always said during her lectures.

Ever since we landed on Earth, life has never been the same. None of us were the same anymore. The memories of home hurt more than anything, and the time we spent on a Neutral ship during the Exodus even more. The last day…The moment when we lost everything.

Earth seemed to provide us with everything we needed to stay alive but we couldn't say it welcomed us. We had to stay in disguise and hide from the world. I think we wouldn't be here now if it weren't for Crossflare and her rules.

"We respect your wish to stay away from factions," Optimus' words were meant to me but I could see a quick glance towards Miko, something like a warning, "But in case you are in desperate need, we are always ready to help."

"We are grateful and will keep that in mind," I answered carefully, flashing an appreciative smile because I didn't know any better. Negotiation wasn't my strength, especially not with faction leaders.

The Prime appeared to notice my discomfort in his presence and took his leave, excusing himself with something important to do. I was left with the team to get acquainted.

Bee was the first to come to my side, happily noting that I was only a few thousand years older than him. It bothered me why he chose to speak in beeps and when I inquired about it I managed to make his cheerful attitude drop and his wing-doors lowered in hurt.

"Uh, did I ask something wrong?" about to correct my mistake, I was interrupted by Arcee's explanation.

"His voice box was damaged in a fight against Megatron. It's a touchy topic."

Bee shot the smaller femme a resentful glare, probably not appreciating the way Arcee put the facts into words and I already regretted asking in the first place.

"So...how is it that you are a jet?" one of the humans, the older boy, called for my attention and I turned towards the platform in surprise.

"Yeah, isn't that too Decepticon-like?" Miko added, pointing an accusing finger towards my white wings which pointed towards the ground in a long triangular shape. This was the first time I heard such a thing.

"Decepticon-like? How so?" I took a glimpse at my wings, trying to understand what she meant.

"Autobots are cars and most of the Decepticons we have met so far are all airborne," the little boy pushed his glasses up, his curious gaze also inspecting my figure.

"Alt-modes don't determine factions, kids," Arcee corrected them with a small smile and Bulkhead chuckled in amusement as well.

"I was sparked like this and I would never choose the ground, even if I was forced to," fluttering my wings slightly, I recalled the first moment I took off to soar through the sky. There is nothing better than a good flight in the sunset, up above the clouds.

"Oh, oh! And what were you before the war? You know, like Bulk who was a builder and stuff!" Miko raised her hand into the air in excitement, almost falling over the fence while doing so.

"Well…I was part of the Art caste, and a trainee in public entertainment. I haven't got the chance to perform before the war reached my city so...I was no one before the war and I'm not much more now either," my voice trailed off a bit, mixed feelings resurfacing at the memories. I thought I had made peace with them already.

Being born into the Art caste, my only duty was to entertain and perform. I couldn't complain, my life was quite perfect, maybe too perfect to be real. My Creators kept me hidden and safe. Through the lessons of my carrier, I mastered skills which these tough war-torn soldiers would look down on: singing, poetry, literature and dancing is useless in war after all.

When I arrived on Earth, its colorful culture fascinated me. I could never get tired of listening to human songs or watch these tiny, flexible creatures dance like they were one with the melody.

That's what I was going to be: a public entertainer, a performer. But I never got to be one. For the better or worse, I will never know because right now, I don't exist. I'm a Neutral. And being Neutral means you don't exist in the system, you are invisible. For your own sake.

"Let me guess then..." Arcee put her servos on her hips, her mouth curling into a knowing smile, trying to ease my nerves, "You're from Praxus?"

"Pretty easy to figure out, yes," I chuckled.

Yes, my life was better than others', and sometimes I felt guilty for not doing something sooner to make a change. For being so blind during all those wasted years...

Crossflare POV

"Thank you for the patience," I put the syringe down and watched in satisfaction as Halo finally calmed down - thanks to the sedative - while mumbling incomprehensible things mostly to herself.

Ratchet grunted, shaking his head like he wanted to comment on it but kept his mouth shut instead. He didn't hide his curious stare when I insisted on sedating Halo myself. While I'm aware that he must be one of the best medics across Cybertron, I like to tend to my friends myself as long as I'm capable of doing so. I'm no field medic, not even a medic in any capacity, but when it comes to medicine and chemistry, I stand my ground well enough. Back then I worked for the Pharmaceutical Industry's research and developer section in Altihex, my home city. That was my life, my everyday routine, my duty, as one born into the Science Caste. As opposed to many others, I found my place and joy in what I was doing. My work mattered to me the most. Well, until I met Sidewire. That stubborn mech and I have been working on a project together. While I was trying to focus on research, he did everything to get my attention, in which, he succeeded.

I rarely regret my choices, but thinking back on my history, I feel like it was a mistake to seal our bond as conjunx enduras. Without it, my spark wouldn't hurt so much now and there wouldn't be this hollow, void feeling in my chest.

I regret the day I accepted his offer and I grieve the day I lost him. The only reason I keep going with my head held high is my responsibility for Halo and Mercy.

The three of us became inseparable during the war and our journey through the stars. I swore to protect these younglings, I promised them that everything will be fine as long as we are together. I had to be strong for them to see hope for the future.

"You seem to be experienced," Ratchet's voice jerked me back from my deepest thoughts to reality, making me flinch.

"Are you the one fulfilling the medic's role out of the three?"

My optics briefly met his before I turned my gaze back to the emptied syringe. Such information is dangerous, especially in the hands of a faction. I hated lying. My very being loathed it. But even my distaste for lies and liars couldn't prevent me from lying once in a while, life is just that twisted.

"Sort of," my sense of justice won, saying the truth quietly like it was forbidden to speak about it, "I have no training though. It's not my field. Has never been."

My immediate defensive attitude made him raise an optic ridge, but he didn't inquire more.

"Well then, let her rest for the time being," Ratchet gestured towards the door and I started towards it without a moment of hesitation, putting down the syringe mid-way on the counter.

"She doesn't take well to long term confinement," I remarked on our way back to the command center and I heard him groan behind me.

"We can have Miko be her entertainment once she gets too handful," he suggested.

Hm...must be one of the humans, I guess.

Mercy POV

When Halo left yesterday to get fuel, I didn't think that I would sit with many new friends in a circle in an Autobot base the next day. But I was here, smiling sheepishly while enjoying some old stories from home. Quite nostalgic, now that I think about it.

The humans curiously walked around, spending most of their time around their 'guardians', but they also approached us to get to know us from closer.

Crossflare's introduction from yesterday was a bit cold, maybe even distant to the others, but Arcee and her somehow found something in common and they had their own little conversations and small understanding smiles I couldn't decipher.

Halo was unusually calm the first day. She was on her best behavior, which was a rare sight to see. Crossflare mumbled something like 'if she keeps this up she will heal quickly' but our hopes dispersed the second day, when Halo threw her first tantrum.

"Enough! Don't be so childish!"

"I wanna go outside! These walls are killing me!" Halo whined, tugging on her handcuffs, but nobody released her from the berth. But at least she was brought into the command center to see and hear everything.

"Claustrophobia? Even Cybertronians have it?" Jack chuckled in amusement.

"Yeah, I would think that is no problem for someone who can - you know - compact," Rafael imitated our transformation with his tiny hands very clumsily.

"That is entirely different!" Halo huffed in offense, "I'm not claustrophobic. My problem is not with the small place but the lack of freedom!"

"Can relate," Miko swung her legs carelessly, sitting on the platform fence in eye level with Halo, who sent a grateful glance in the small human's way. Miko responded with a thumbs up and a wide grin, "Cooped up in one place for long is not healthy anyway. There is plenty of cooler stuff to do outside!"

Bulkhead arrived into our circle with a large plate, small glasses of energon shining deliciously on it and he passed one to each one of us, including me and Crossflare, who stood by Ratchet's side and discussed something beside the screens. I joined them, realizing that Ratchet was showing coordinates of energon mines which were already abandoned by Decepticons. As organized as the Decepticons were, they didn't entirely strip the mines, leaving just enough for the three of us to last for a few months if spared correctly.

These mines were farther than the area we were currently resident in: New Mexico. It wasn't as energon rich as Nevada, our base wasn't a base in the Autobot sense of the word, but still something we have been calling home for years. Before we moved there, we had been living in five different states, depending on how long the land supplied us.

Just like the previous times, we should have left the state by now, we have run very short on energon in the area. But our human ally, a veteran soldier called James Barrow had set up a hangar just for us and the protection his connections with the government provided us felt too important to leave behind. He was in his thirties, had lost a leg during action and was considered a hero in his hometown. As serious as this sounds, he is actually sweet and funny, but tough enough not to be taken aback by three runaway mechanical aliens crossing his way.

He took us in. We can't thank him enough for the sacrifices he has made to keep us safe from prying eyes. And of course, his friends were also kind enough to help us out in dire situations. Knowing them made me see humans in a better light, I wasn't afraid of them anymore. Unlike the first time we have met them and their unwelcome response to our presence…

Crossflare held two digits to her audio receptor, already passing on the information to James via comm-link. If I channeled in, I could hear him too but instead of joining the conversation, I returned to the kids.

Everything seemed to be fine until Miko pulled an electric guitar out of nowhere. Ratchet's annoyed grumble, Arcee's roll of optics and Optimus' withdrawal were more than enough signs of how usual this whole ordeal was here at the Autobot base.

Watching everyone chatter light-heartedly, I smiled sadly and wished this would last longer than just one or two weeks...

Halo POV

If Miko wasn't around all the time, I swear I would have already died of boredom. But luckily, she didn't go anywhere far, nor Bumblebee and Raf who were kind enough to keep me company. I know I can be pretty annoying sometimes - okay, most of the time - but I wasn't that bad. Sure, I had a big mouth and I had a bad habit of using it too much or too loud, but hey, no one can be perfect.

My optics followed the human kids leaving in disappointment whenever they went home in the late afternoons. They were good listeners and they asked a lot, keeping my processor occupied. Talk always helped. Silence on the other hand screamed at me with its emptiness and stiffness, things I wasn't fond of.

Three days. Weren't much, but still long enough to make me itch. I wanted to roll, run, jump, whatever, just move out! Every part of my body was on fire, wishing to finally transform. Usually it didn't matter what weather it was, I never got tired of making fun or doing as I liked. This free spirit - as Crossflare often called it - might get me into trouble sometime in the future. Just like it has many times before.

For example, I once visited the districts of the lower castes in my home city, Uraya. I thought of it as a discovery adventure, but instead of returning home with a great story to tell, I arrived back barely standing on my feet, fallen victim to a virus spreading in the slums and which was unfortunately unknown to our scientists.

Yeah, clever of me, isn't it? My only hope was finding someone who can make an anti-virus for me. Desperately trying to survive, my way led to Altihex and eventually to Crossflare. She was the only one who was willing to let me in and listen without running away from me to a safe distance. At first she was very formal, almost emotionless like her job required. But she continued to listen during all of my examinations and tests and she started to encourage me: there is hope.

I can't thank her and her bondmate enough for the effort and work they put into saving me. Without them, I wouldn't be here today to remember back so fondly. Strange how fate brings people together.

After I completely healed, I became a regular visitor and a friend in the end. Crossflare became more like a guardian to me than an actual friend, which I often mentioned to her, sometimes earning a small smile in return. I know she loved me just as much as I loved her. That's why our friendship and trust have lasted this long, surviving all the ups and downs of our history in one piece.

"Anyway, how did you three arrive on Earth? I think you've never told anything about it so far," Miko perked up the other day, her curious eyes blinking in my direction, awaiting some exciting story. Raf and Jack turned their heads around from the sofa and lowered their controllers to focus their attention on me with the same curiosity. I saw Crossflare retreat into a safe distance from the corner of my optics. I couldn't blame her. There was a reason we never brought up our arrival in the first place.

Mercy shared my conflicted expression as we exchanged knowing glances and she came up to me with a forced smile. As always, she tried to cast light on something that was a dark room in our minds.

"There was an accident," she said quietly, throwing a careful glimpse in Crossflare's direction. The change in her tone only sparked the kids' interest more and now the boys joined Miko at the platform fence.

"Remember, we have mentioned that we left Cybertron on a Neutral ship," I continued and they nodded in unison, "It wasn't as big as the Nemesis or the Ark, but it housed two or three hundred Neutrals, including the four of us."

"Four?" Raphael pushed his glasses up with a surprised frown.

"This is a very touchy subject, especially for CF," I sighed as quietly as I could and I recognized understanding in their small eyes, "Crosssflare and her bondmate have been with us since everything started. His name was Sidewire. We have lived on that ship for eons...until pirates found and ambushed us. Only those who survived got to the escape pods in time."

"And...why didn't he?" Jack inquired carefully, the sympathy in his voice was evident.

"Because he held up an attacker and launched our pod instead of risking the enemy getting to us. Afterwards, we drifted through space and eventually crashed on this planet. Just the three of us," Mercy answered instead of me, which I was grateful for. Her words hung heavily in the air and the kids lowered their gazes, as if they regretted even bringing up such a question.

"How do you know he died? What if...what if he survived?" Miko was the first to speak up again, trying to lift the mood by bringing back a thread of hope.

I only shook my head.

"Crossflare's bond died. Which means her bondmate died."

"What is a bond?" Raf frowned in confusion.

"It's a too complicated concept for humans, but to summarize, it's a rare connection between two sparks, a constant link of emotions and psyche. Crossflare shared her spark with Sidewire and when he died, he took half of her spark with him. That's how it works. We are lucky we didn't lose her afterwards. We could have..." I cast a glance in her direction, seeing how stiffly she stood with her back turned towards us on the other side of the command center. She might not hear us but she surely knew what we were talking about based on our quiet, hushed tone.

"I'm sorry for her...and your loss," Jack broke the silence that followed my explanation and we nodded in unison with Mercy, offering a sad smile in return.

We avoided conversations like this. But not speaking about a problem usually leads to worse consequences so it may be better to let it out, talk about it, even if only in a few sentences. Our sparks felt a little bit lighter. I wonder if Crossflare will ever get to a point where she finds her peace...or just the will to finally move on.

Our conversation has hit a melancholic tone and the kids stopped demanding answers, instead they retreated to their guardians to quietly talk the matter over with them, leaving the two of us to our own thoughts.

What a strange situation. To share our painful experiences with strangers, who are now turning into friends….

Little did we know that this week will lead to something more. We weren't prepared.

That's it for the first chapter. New version, new start. Also I kept the POVs, though I was considering making it 3rd POV like I did in season three but then I discarded the idea because my first two seasons are character-and-emotion-centric while the third season is plot heavy with many characters. So in order to introduce my characters to both new and old readers, I found it more appropriate to write it in POVs. It's easier to express emotions and thoughts this way, also giving enough room for flashbacks and some backstory-telling.

Is there anyone here who still remembers this? :O