A/N: I almost had this ready last night to post this morning, but I had wanted another scene to get it to at least as long as the previous chapter. However, even after going through it three separate times and making small edits and adjustments, I never got to a point where I knew what additional scene would fit into this chapter. I learned a long time ago that stressing over chapter length is an unnecessary stumbling block, so while I'm glad I took extra time to go over this chapter a few times to get it just right, I decided to leave it with just these scenes. It's not overly shorter, after all, and it's still longer enough than the prologue to qualify as a proper chapter for this story. Not every chapter has to be around the 5,000 word mark. Some may be shorter, like this one, some may end up longer. The important part is the flow and the quality and that shouldn't be sacrificed for length, especially not in writing. This isn't a thirty minute episode of a cartoon, I don't need filler data if I don't have any that both makes sense and furthers the story in any way.

Chapter 2: Troubling Thoughts

The memorial for Cliffjumper took place the following morning in a remote location the US government had provided the bots to bury their dead. Cliffjumper wasn't the first bot they'd had to bury while on Earth, his grave sitting in between two others—Huffer and Dion.

The team of five Autobots remaining on Earth—Optimus Prime, Arcee, Ratchet, Bumblebee and Bulkhead—stood around the graves in a half-circle, Cliffjumper's grave centered among them.

"We must not allow our anger over the loss of Cliffjumper to impair our judgment," Optimus said. "As of today, only we five Autobots remain on this Earth. We owe it to ourselves. To the memory of Cybertron. To any Autobots in any galaxy seeking safe harbor. To any neutrals like our guest seeking the same. To humankind."

Arcee stepped forward at that, kneeling in front of Cliffjumper's grave and setting a bouquet of gladiolus they'd been provided to honor her partner's strength and integrity. It would've been nice to have something more Cybertronian, but they made due with what they could on Earth.

"And we owe it to the memory of our fallen comrade," Optimus continued meaningfully. "To survive."

Arcee stood back up, frame tensing for a moment before she turned and walked away, bypassing the others entirely. Bumblebee whirled worriedly.

"Arcee," Optimus called.

"Cliff's gone," Arcee said, voice rather stern, as if she was the one calling the shots and not Optimus. "Standing around here sulking isn't going to bring him back. So unless anyone minds, think I'll get back to protecting humankind." With that, she transformed into her vehicle form and drove off into the desert.

Ratchet moved closer to Optimus as Bumblebee whirled worriedly again and Bulkhead placed a hand on the smaller mech's shoulder to comfort him.

"Optimus," Ratchet said to address him, watching Arcee go. "Helping humans is only going to result in more tragedy."

"Your opinion is noted," Optimus replied.

I groaned when I came to, feeling a stiffness in my entire body. The first thing I noticed was the fact I wasn't in as much pain as I had been in for a very long time. The next thing was the fact there was what appeared to be an IV attached to my arm. Followed by the fact my visor was gone. It also felt like my wings weren't squished behind me, but were hanging through a hole in the bed, yet my frame still felt properly supported.

"Fudge on a stick," I grumbled, rubbing my optics as I gusted air through my systems. I turned my helm after a moment, opening my optics to look around.

I saw my visor sitting on a counter across the room, some tools sitting next to it. Closer to me was the stand holding the container for the fluids being put into my system by the IV and a machine that was clearly monitoring my vitals. A small table sat next to the machine with what looked like a datapad or something on it. A glance around the rest of the room said that Ratchet wasn't in at the moment. It also revealed that Cliffjumper's body had been removed while I was out. I wondered how long that sedative had had me out for.

I shifted a little, testing if I could potentially sit up or not while I ran through the events before being knocked out by the sedative in my helm. I was definitely going to gripe at Ratchet about surprising me with the sedative. Had he talked about it with me, I would've been ok with it, but being sneaky like that was not appreciated. But the main thing my processor kept trying to go back to was Cliffjumper.

It seemed like I was in the same universe the TV series Prime took place, or a universe adjacent to it. Which meant I had already affected the events by my mere existence. When Cliffjumper had shown up on the scene my first thought had been "Oh, maybe I can prevent his death. Maybe I could-" and then my thoughts were cut off by him being literally stabbed in the spark. How did I even explain that to the bots? How did I explain the fact I had potential knowledge of events that might have no bearing at all, but could potentially prove dangerous if their base is the same as the show, cause there's a potential Shockwave got that information without my knowledge? And would they even believe me? And would Arcee forgive me if it seemed like his death was my fault? It felt like my fault.

I was pulled from my musings by the sound of the door opening. I lifted my helm a bit, having decided to not sit up just yet, to see who was coming in. Ratchet was coming in, followed by who could only be Optimus Prime. I started to shift to sit up.

"Up, up, up," Ratchet said, moving toward me immediately. "Don't you dare move from that position. Your frame is much too fragile for too much movement."

"Too fragile to sit up?" I asked dryly, raising an optic ridge doubtfully at that, but ceasing movement anyways.

"Who's the medic here?" Ratchet asked, taking out something from his subspace that looked like a scanner.

I just sighed and settled my frame again. "Ok, ok," I said. I turned my attention to Optimus as he approached my bed on the other side from Ratchet. "Hello. I see I'm meeting the big boss today." I half grinned up at him.

Optimus blinked. "My name is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots," he told me.

"And you will show him respect as long as you are here if you know what's good for you," Ratchet said grouchily.

I flinched slightly at his tone, pede twitching slightly. "I mean no disrespect, ever," I said, glancing back toward Ratchet. I looked back at Optimus. "I hope none was taken." My tone was hopeful, voice a bit small.

"None taken, my friend," Optimus replied.

I paused at that and couldn't stop myself from narrowing my optics at him. Him calling me "friend" warmed my spark, but it felt weird to be called that right off the bat. "Kinda soon to call me that, isn't it? We met, like, a minute ago."

"You will be here for some time," Optimus told me, resting a hand carefully on my arm. "It will be a lot easier for you to be our friend."

I chuckled a little bit at that. "I mean, you're not wrong," I said. "Forgive me if I don't immediately trust everyone. Life has taught me to be slow to trust."

"I understand, but know that you are safe here," Optimus told me.

"Luckily it appears you don't have any trackers on you, so the Decepticons shouldn't find you here," Ratchet said as he adjusted my IV.

I hesitated at that. "Err, about that," I said, pausing as Ratchet adjusted the bed I was on so I was sitting up, but still completely supported by the bed. "There's something I should talk to you about sooner than later. It's a potential problem."

Optimus blinked and looked me in the optic, as if searching for signs I had lied to Arcee or something.

"What kind of problem?" Ratchet asked.

"Well," I said. "Do you guys believe in parallel universes?"

"I have read theories, but no one's been able to prove anything," Ratchet replied, raising an optic ridge at that.

"Hm, well, you might as well believe, cause I'm from an alternate timeline," I replied. "One where Cybertronians are completely fictional beings part of several fictional universes created through tv shows, toy lines, comic books, novels and video games."

Ratchet stared at me. "You can't be telling the truth," he said. "First you used to be human. Then you were rescued by Vector Prime and now you're from an alternate reality where we're from works of fiction?! Preposterous!"

"Sounds it, I know," I said. "Believe me. If I had not spent the last few years in literal torture, I would not believe any of this is real either. I would be fully convinced this is some crazy dream and I'm gonna wake up with my fianceé at any time now. I would love nothing else than to have not spent the last few years going through a torturous change, escape it and then witness a bot get murdered while protecting me from a freakin' brute. You have any idea how traumatizing that is? To lose literally everything you've ever known in every sense of the word and then watch someone die in front of you? Why would I want that to happen and thus make it up?"

Ratchet was silenced by that and after a moment of staring at me in realization and a glance at Optimus, he sighed. "You're right," he said. "It's just so…"

"I'm aware how it sounds," I sighed. "But my point is, I don't know if Shockwave knew he was plucking a human from an alternate reality with some…rather sensitive knowledge. I don't know if he went through any of what I know or not, my knowledge of what exactly all he did isn't…completely clear. I don't know how much of my knowledge could actually end up useful, though there's a few pieces I think that aren't reliant upon prior events being consistent. My mere presence here has already had an effect on events, but there's at least one thing that poses an immediate risk if he plucked it out of my mind."

"What information is that?" Optimus asked.

I looked up at him and considered how to say it. "The location of the base, assuming it's a location of the Autobot base in any of the universes I have knowledge of," I replied. "And based on what I've seen, on your guys' appearances, the sounds of your voices, the bots I've seen so far and the," I glanced at the technology in the room, "technology, I'd hazard a guess we're in an old human military base located in a mountain in the outskirts of Jasper, Nevada."

Optimus and Ratchet shared a look and I knew I hit the nail on the head.

"Optimus," Ratchet said seriously.

Optimus nodded, then looked back at me. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention," he said, moving his hand to my shoulder. "I must go inform Agent Fowler immediately that our location may be compromised, but I will return to speak more to you later."

"Do what you need to do," I said. "That's why I wanted to share immediately and not put it off. I'd rather be thought crazy than have everybody at risk."

Optimus squeezed my shoulder a bit, just enough to reassure me without causing my fragile frame harm. Then he left without another word.

I sighed after he left. "God I hope I'm just being over cautious," I said.

"Better to be safe than sorry," Ratchet said and I heard him messing with something at the small table.

I didn't look, afraid he was preparing an injection of some kind and not wanting my fear to trigger any stronger than it already was. "You believe me?"

"I don't know how else to explain how you knew where the base is located," Ratchet said. "I know neither Arcee nor I told you. We came in through a ground bridge. And you haven't had a chance to snoop around. I'd have known if you'd have left that bed." I heard a clicking that reminded me of a nurse flicking a syringe to knock out air bubbles.

I chuckled, trying to focus on the conversation and not the medical stuff. "Fair," I said.

Ratchet moved closer and I focused on a spot on the ceiling as he injected something through the IV. "Out of curiosity, what event has already been changed by your presence?"

"Cliffjumper," I said quietly.

I heard Ratchet pause. "What do you mean?"

"The television show I know this reality, or maybe just one adjacent to this one, from?" I said, glancing at him briefly, only to look away immediately when I saw the syringe still in his hand. "He dies in it too, but in a completely different way. I don't know exactly how much sooner his death has happened, I don't have a clear reference point for where we are on that timeline cause it happens at the start of the show. I don't even know at this point if this timeline is going to be even remotely the same from here on out. I just know…he appeared, I thought 'Oh, maybe I can prevent his death. Maybe I could-' and then there was a sword in his spark and, yeah…" I trailed off, looking down now and wiping at some tears.

Ratchet was silent for a moment, but I could feel his optics at me and I turned my face further away, afraid of his judgment. Then his hand was laying gently on my arm. "It wasn't your fault," he said.

"But if I wasn't there he wouldn't have died then," I said. "If I had been faster to react to that 'Con suddenly being right behind him when seconds ago he had been knocked out behind me I could've saved him. I could've. I won that tussle. I don't know how. I don't know if it was adrenaline, luck or pure emotion or simply a matter of size difference, but that small mech was the one that died when I did fight him. If I had been faster or if I had fought instead of simply dodging him at the beginning, Cliffjumper would still be alive."

"You don't know that," Ratchet told me firmly. "And, besides, you were injured. It's a miracle you survived as it is. Your frame couldn't have moved any faster than you did, it wouldn't have been able to handle it. The fact you could move at all is rather impressive."

I scoffed a little at that. "My frame's in such bad condition and I get dropped off in the middle of freakin' nowhere," I said.

Ratchet huffed at that. "I have some words I could say about that Vector and his reckless disregard for life for that."

My wings twitched. "I'm glad I'm not the only one irritated at him," I said, a little quietly. "So many better choices could've been made and he was so not straight forward about a couple things. I don't know why he couldn't just tell me why he rescued me." I suddenly remembered the cubes. "Which reminds me…" I pulled the box of cubes he'd given me. "He gave me these, saying they'd help get me healthy, but I wanted to have you check them out. I drank one already, cause he gave it to me before sending me off and I haven't noticed anything bad from it, but I don't know that I'd notice past the vast array of…stuff going on with me."

Ratchet hummed, giving the box an interested, but suspicious look. "What did he say it was?"

"Energon mixed with his nanobots and minerals to help my frame create what it needs to get healthy," I replied. "He said to drink one cube a day until they're gone on top of whatever you have to provide me and I should be 'healthy in no time.'"

Ratchet scoffed a little at that. "Unless this is some miracle cure, that's probably an exaggeration," he said.

"I figure so as well," I said, not bothered by his doubt. It was the same doubt I felt, after all.

"Though if true, it could be a revolutionary formula," he said, lifting a cube and looking at it. "The purple is disconcerting."

"Reminds you of something, right?" I asked, wondering if he was thinking of the same thing I initially had.

Ratchet glanced at me. "You know what Dark Energon is?"

"Too well," I said, making a mental note about the fact Ratchet was familiar with Dark Energon, something the show had seemed wishy-washy on. "Not personally, but a book I read described it well enough. If that were to be in that, I definitely do not want to be drinking it."

Ratchet hummed in agreement and then returned the cube to the box and took the whole thing from my lap. "You're not touching this until I've had a chance to analyze it," he said.

"I appreciate it," I said, tone grateful.

Ratchet set the box on the counter across the room and then paused for a moment before picking up my visor and bringing it with him when he returned. He passed it to me. "This got damaged in your tussle, but I was able to repair it for you."

"Thank you very much," I said, accepting the visor readily. I hesitated just a moment before putting it back on my face. I felt just a touch less vulnerable with something covering my optics again. It was familiar. I let out a sigh of relief at it's replacement.

"You are welcome," Ratchet said, placing a hand on my shoulder. Then he shifted and took out a cube of pure blue energon from his subspace. "Now, you need substance and rest." He passed the cube to me. "Med-grade Energon, supplements for your health mixed in, no suspicious purple ooze."

I chuckled a bit at that as I accepted the cube from him with both hands. My hands shook as I held it and I was thankful when he used his own to steady my hands and help me drink it at a decent pace. He took the cube away once it was empty and then lowered the bed back to where I was laying flat once more.

"I don't suppose I could lay on my side?" I asked, knowing the answer was likely no.

"Not likely," Ratchet said dryly. "Give it some time before you can move much or risk any pressure on your wings. They got really banged up."

"Fun, fun," I said sarcastically, even as I was closing my optics. "Well, see you when I wake up again, I'm sure."

"We'll have lots of medical stuff to go over," Ratchet told me.

"Naturally," I said. "Though I could get distracted and go down a rabbit hole."

"Shadebreaker," Ratchet said sternly.

"Yes?"

"Go to sleep. Or I'll sedate you again."

"How rude."

A couple hours later, Ratchet was puzzling over the results of the tests he'd run on Shadebreaker's life-en after finding out she'd had an energon laced with Vector Prime's nanobots. He'd already run some tests prior, but that tidbit had prompted him to check something else. He needed to make sure her system wasn't rejecting the mech's nanobots after all.

It turned out he hadn't needed to be concerned about that. Not only was her system accepting the nanobots, it was behaving as if the nanobots were her own. But that wasn't the most puzzling part. The most puzzling was what that, combined with a comparison of them to her native nanobots, revealed about her.

"Hmm," Ratchet hummed in thought as he double-checked the results, again. He was so focused he didn't even notice the door to med-bay open until Optimus was laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Something troubling you, old friend?" Optimus asked.

"You mean besides the fact our location might be compromised by no fault of anyone?" Ratchet asked sarcastically. He glanced over to make sure Shadebreaker was still sleeping and hadn't heard him. He didn't need her hearing him and possibly blaming herself on another account that she shouldn't.

Optimus merely gave him his patented "I know there's more" look for a moment.

Ratchet sighed and then tapped the datapad with the back of his hand. "It's these test results, Optimus." he told him. "Shadebreaker revealed to me she'd be fed energon laced with Vector Prime's nanobots so I needed to check to make sure her system wasn't rejecting them."

Optimus nodded to show that he was listening.

"Not only is it not rejecting them, but it's treating them like they're its native nanobots," Ratchet said. "But that's not the weirdest part, Optimus. I ran further tests on her native nanobots to compare them to Vector's, cause most systems don't just treat transferred nanobots as if they're native without them being related." Ratchet paused to make sure Optimus was really listening. "Turns out, they are related, Optimus."

Optimus paused at that, surprise showing on his face. Then he shifted and held a hand out for the datapad, which was handed over readily.

"I don't know how it's possible," Ratchet said. "But somehow Shadebreaker is biologically related to Vector Prime. I don't know if Shockwave used his DNA to change her with or if some other foolery is going on, but we have a direct link to the Guardian of Space and Time among us now."

"Is it not possible that Vector Prime's nanobots affected the structure of her own?" Optimus asked, just to rule out that possibility.

"No, no," Ratchet said, shaking his helm and waving a hand in dismissal of that idea. "Nanobots don't work that way. If I donated my nanobots to you it would no more make us related than a regular old energon infusion. Nanobots don't interact together like that, they just serve as repair and immune systems. Shadebreaker was already related to him before the introduction of his nanobots."

Optimus looked over at the sleeping femme, who was likely unaware of this relation of hers to the old Prime that had rescued her. "Do you think Shockwave had access to Vector Prime's DNA?"

Ratchet gave an exaggerated shrug before accepting the datapad back when it was offered. "Who knows? But if she is related to Vector Prime, it might explain why he bothered to rescue her," he said. "Given that he's not been known to interfere in the realm of our affairs for a very, very long time."

"How close is the relationship?" Optimus asked.

"Very," Ratchet said. "If not a sister, then likely a daughter. It doesn't follow with her story of being a human prior, however. Do you think those are implanted memories? Or did she lie to us?"

Optimus shook his helm. "She has been entirely truthful far as I can say," he said, placing a hand over where the Matrix sat in his chest.

Ratchet nodded, understanding that meant the relic had given him some insight. "That leaves implanted memories or she really was human before," he said.

"I don't believe it was coincidence she knew our base location in such detail," Optimus said. "I do not believe Shockwave could've implanted that knowledge."

"But how does that work?" he wondered. "A sister or daughter of Vector Prime? Growing up human?"

"We've encountered stranger things, have we not, old friend?" Optimus asked, somewhat amused at Ratchet's incredulity.

Ratchet huffed a little, then looked toward Shadebreaker. "It's possible Vector told her, but then, why would the Matrix tell you she was being honest if she wasn't? It's never misled you before?" He looked back at his Prime, knowing the answer, but needing to hear it.

Optimus shook his helm. "You can't fool the Matrix," he said.

"Right," Ratchet said. He looked toward Shadebreaker again as the femme shifted in her sleep, one of her arms pulling up to drape across her chest and the other tucking her hand underneath her. "Assuming she's been truthful, I get the impression she's unaware of this relation. She says he dodged her questions why he bothered to rescue her. I don't get why he wouldn't tell her, though."

"The mind of a mech as old as Vector Prime is hard to know, old friend," Optimus said. "We could speculate, but we'll not know unless he deigns to come tell us."

Ratchet nodded in agreement, thinking in silence for a few minutes. "Do you think we should tell her?"

"What do you think?" Optimus asked, curious what he'd say.

"It'd be nice to have more information to give her," Ratchet sighed, turning back to the datapad. "All this tells us is that she's genetically related to him. It doesn't tell us how or why she was human, if it's prior to Shockwave's interference or because of it."

"We may never have those answers my friend," Optimus said. "But do you not think she ought to know? This could have an impact on her life if the wrong bot finds out. She should have the chance to choose how to prepare for that."

Ratchet sighed heavily. "You're right," he conceded. He tapped his finger on the back on the datapad for a moment, thinking. "How'd the conversation with Fowler go?"

Optimus sighed. "How you would expect."

Ratchet scoffed a little bit.

"He is going to talk to the higher ups about finding us a different base to move to," Optimus continued.

"Well that's a relief," Ratchet said, a heavy sigh in his voice.

"How soon will it be safe to move Shadebreaker?" Optimus asked, concerned that if they moved too soon it may hurt the femme's health.

"She's fragile, but I think we'll be able to move her via the ground bridge in a week," Ratchet said. "We'll need a stretcher, minimum. Ideally we'd have a rolling bed, but I doubt the humans will afford us that much."

"I will inform Agent Fowler of this need and timeframe," Optimus nodded. "With any luck, we'll be able to start moving supplies and equipment sooner than that and nothing will go wrong while we wait."

Ratchet nodded. "With any luck," he agreed.