I sighed as I got up from my desk, feeling the scar where the stitches had just come off stretch. Almost out of instinct, I reached to my right to grab my crutches. When my hand snatched empty air, I remembered with a smile that I no longer required them. I looked down at my leg, where my cast had been replaced with a boot-like one that I could walk on. The past three days had shown that my recovery was going well, and I felt extremely relieved and proud. Ratchet, of course, had been glad as well, but still always fret over me. I thought it was sweet.

As I swung my backpack over my shoulders and limped out, I heard hurried footsteps behind me. Thinking nothing of it, since it was school, I continued walking. Then out of nowhere, I felt a slap on the back. I turned sharply with a yelp of surprise. 

"Hey, Tay!" Jay shouted, waving his hands enthusiastically. His eyes were wide and excited, and he threw himself into a fit of laughter. 

I put a hand to my chest and exhaled. "Jay! You scared me!"

"That was the idea!" he chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, walking beside me as I made my way out of the school again. "So, going to go see your friends again today?"

I nodded my head nonchalantly, but I was smiling. "Yeah, I go see them everyday with the others."

"That's awesome! You seriously need to take me sometime!" he exclaimed.

This kind of talk always made me uncomfortable. I sighed and shook my head. "When they're ready. They go through a lot, okay?"

He gave me a quizzical look. "Yeah, okay, sure. Whatever you say. Sorry.."

I gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm really sorry. It's not you. I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

He immediately perked up. "Sweet! I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" He slapped me and the back again and took off running, laughing like crazy again.

I snorted and shook my head, holding back some more laughter. I felt Miko walk up next to me, watching Jay go. "Wow, that boy sure has energy!" she said in awe.

Jack, who was walking out with her and Raf, smirked. "Says the girl who runs through GroundBridges to get pictures all the time!" he laughed.

Raf beamed, looking up at me as he held onto the straps of his backpack. "So, is Ratchet picking you up today, or do you need a ride?" he asked.

"No, that's okay," I replied, waving my hands in shy dismissal. "Ratchet has been very keen to picking me up during my recovery."

The three other kids shared a look, before nodding. "That's true," Raf said. "You still haven't been on that race with me and Bee, though."

I smiled apologetically as I heard our guardians beeping at us to hurry up. "Okay, maybe tomorrow! See you in a bit, guys!" Despite the funny cast on my leg, I was quick to pick up speed and run over to where Ratchet was waiting at the curb.

"Taylor!" he said as I swung the door open. "You shouldn't be running like that!"

I giggled nervously as I shut his door. "Sorry, sorry. Just ready to get out of the stuffy classroom."

The doctor hummed in response as he started to drive away. "It's been a long time since I was in education. It seems much different than your 'school' however."

I was waving out the window to the other kids, and turned back around as he spoke. "Really? You had school, too? What was it like?" I asked, intrigued. 

He scoffed. "I already said it wasn't like your 'school'. Also, how would you have expected me to become a medic? We learn, embedding the data into our processors through time, study, and experience."

I leaned forward and rested my chin in my hands, I signal that I was listening intently. "Interesting.. how did it differ?"

"Your 'classrooms' as you call it, did not exist in our world. Nor did the buildings for such education. The term 'school' was never even used. If it were to be addressed, it would simply be called 'what we were learning' or 'the study' or our 'education'," he explained.

"So, it was kind of like our homeschooling, then?" I questioned, pointing a finger out from under my chin. "I was homeschooled for a while; I didn't go to a classroom, just learned what I needed at home with my mom."

"Similar, but not quite," he answered. "We did have teachers. They would each go to a certain students house at a certain time, give them their lecture and work for the next few days, and then head on to their next student."

My eyes widened as I thought it over. "That's interesting. I never thought it could work that way."

"Some students, if they had the time and wealth, would get their own private teachers," he continued as he turned a corner. "They would come every day and watch over any and all of their work and study forms."

"Yikes," I hissed. "That sounds tense." I paused, something else coming to mind. "So, everyone did their work alone? No one was ever taught.. you know, together? You learned by yourself?"

I heard him hum behind the engine. "I did, yes. However, there were few who would have the same teacher and same learning times. When that happened, the students would meet at the designated house, and the teacher would give the lecture there. Students of the same teacher were allowed to work together on homework and projects, as long as it wasn't copies of each other's works."

I nodded. "So cheating was the same general idea," I added with a smile. "So what was your teacher like? Was he private, since you didn't ever study with anyone."

"She, actually," Ratchet corrected. "And, no, she had several other medical students to attend to as well. I never worked with others because I preferred it that way."

I giggled, closing my eyes. "Yeah, that seems like you. I never would have pegged you for the social type."

He chuckled himself, amused. "You know me well." The statement made me blush and I nodded sheepishly.

Just as we left the open road of Jasper, entering the desert area, there was a loud sound from beside us. As he swerved almost completely out of control, I saw dust kick up from out the door window with a flash of red and orange. Ratchet cried out as he nearly tumbled on his side, but he thankfully righted himself before I could go crashing into his side.

"What was that?!" I screamed, clutching onto the seatbelt for dear life.

The medic growled as he stepped on the gas, another explosion ringing off to the left. "Starscream," he hissed. Ahead I saw the thin seeker's body firing at us.

"That guy?!? I shouted over the noise. Suddenly my seatbelt came undone and I was sent flying around. I was confused and screamed, but I moment later, I was in the comfort of Ratchet's servo. He quickly started dodging more missile fire, but since this was wide open desert, there wasn't much cover.

"Taylor, as soon as I set you down," he shouted as he covered his helm, "I want you to run!"

"Why did you transform?" I shrieked, covering my own head as sand flew into the air.

"From what I have learned, human's can be severely damaged by car accidents," he explained as he swerved left and right. "There's a better chance of you getting out unscathed if you run!"

I nodded, too afraid to reply. As he ran, he bent over and lowered his servo to the sand quickly. I jumped off, landing on my good leg, and immediately took off. I forced myself not to look back as I heard Ratchet shout angrily and his servos turn into blades. Without blasters, there was no way he could shoot the seeker at long range. I whimpered as I limp/ran across the plain, trying to drown out the sounds behind me. I managed to block it out the best I could, squeezing my eyes shut every now and then as I ran out of fear.

It wasn't until I heard a shout of pain from my guardian that I did look back. I skidded to a stop when I saw him rolling on the ground. I knew instantly that a blast had either hit him, or the force of it had sent him flying. My breath hitching, I watched as the Con bend low and run over next to the medic just as he started trying to get up. I was frozen, stunned, as the thin, grinning seeker kicked him hard, sending back to the ground with a groan. 

Then I was falling onto my butt in fear as Starscream turned and took lumbering steps towards me, still grinning evilly. My cries of terror only came out as whimpers as he reached down and took me in his long, clawed digits.

"Taylor..," I heard Ratchet moan. He was laying on his back, Energon leaking from several small wounds, his optics half lidded. His faceplate looked worried and pained, but he blacked out a moment later.

I swallowed in pure fright as Starscream lifted me close to his helm. "Not sure why Silas needs such a small human femme like you," he sneered.

Then he started squeezing. "But who am I to complain? I need my bio-organism back.."

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Sooooooooooo, what do you guys think will happen to Taylor and Ratchet?

Also, I want to thank all of you guys that went and followed my younger sister, @Fan_FictionGirl2 !! You all went ahead and made her feel loved before she had even written her first chapter or edited her profile! She was very touched, and so am I. I am very grateful to you guys.

*waves*