"Hey, Taylor! You wanna ride to school with me tomorrow?" 

I turned and smiled kindly at the team's newest recruit. Smokescreen was always the excited kind of guy, and while I thought it was sweet and funny, it was also exhausting! 

"Sorry, Smokes, but Ratchet said he would be able to take me," I said, giving him an apologetic look. 

He deflated a little, but smiled anyway. "Oh, alright. Maybe Arcee will let me take Jack!" he stated as he hurried off.

I shook my head, deciding it would be better if I didn't state that she probably wouldn't after all he had done with Jack and gone through with the Cons. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, it felt like. It was only shortly after I and Ratchet had been retrieved from MECH that things started getting messy. Using the human factor to their advantage, the other three kids and Agent Fowler had infiltrated the Nemesis and gained access to four records of Iacon, which allowed them to find relics located here on earth. I had been ordered to stay behind by Ratchet. While different groups went off in search of the ones located, they got access to the entire Iacon database. Unfortunately, Bulkhead had been severally injured during his retrieval, and the whole team suffered in silence for a long time. I got to meet his best friend Wheeljack for the first time, but I had a feeling that he wouldn't be showing up again any time soon, especially after what he did with Miko. It had only been a short time after that that Smokescreen had arrived, along with a whole new set of adventures afterwards. The entire team was now in search for the Omega keys, which could hopefully one day restore their planet.

What if he leaves you once he has his home back? What if they all do?

I sighed, once again pushing that thought into the back of my mind. I wanted to be happy for them; I was excited for them. Yet, at the same time, my fear of losing them battled those emotions. Still trying to read emotions could sometimes be a problem when they always seem to be conflicting one another. 

Another thing: I could tell, ever since MECH had taken us captive, that Ratchet was hiding something from me. He knew something I did not, and wouldn't tell me. I didn't push, and I had a pretty good idea what it was. Whenever I was around the Autobots, as in very close, I could feel some sort of.. energy emitting off of them. Like I was sensing their very being. It was always stronger whenever I was with Ratchet, and I could tell that he could feel it, too. I wasn't sure if the other Autobots could, and I didn't really know how to bring it up to them. I wanted to know what it was, but at the same time, I was scared. If even my guardian was afraid to tell me, who knows what it meant!

I sighed to myself again and shook myself out of my thoughts. I was the only kid in the base for once. Jack was at work, Raf was spending "quality time" with his family at home, which basically meant he was with the Bots too much, and Miko was out with Bulkhead. The two had been wanting to hang out more after Bulkhead's recovery. I could understand that; I was always with Ratchet, and my home was at base, though, so it wasn't harder for me like it was them. I got up off the couch slowly. My body felt achy and tired, and for a moment, I wondered why. Then I realized that I probably needed Energon. It had been so long since I'd last filled.. probably when I had been captured in the hands of MECH. I rubbed my upper left arm, which was where the ache was most profound, and turned to the monitors. Of course, my guardian was there, busy with his work. He had working a lot more as of late, which I couldn't blame him for. Still holding my arm, I strode over to the railing. Ratchet saw me approaching and stopped. 

"Is something the matter?" he asked, looking at where I was rubbing my sore arm. 

I grinned a little to assure him it wasn't so bad. "I think I need a refuel.."

He blinked, then nodded his helm, holding out his servo and leaving his work behind. I blushed a little, not being able to help but think how nice it was that he would stop working just for me, where he didn't do it that often for the others. I stepped onto his palm with ease, looking away to hide my red cheeks. He lifted me quickly and turned, walking to where he kept a short stock of Energon located for me. I had only refueled at base once, but he had made my own special stock, holding enough injections that held one dose for each time. He set me down on top of the container and opened it up, taking out the next dosage. After looking it over and preparing it, his optics flew over to me again. 

I'm going to need you to lift your sleeve," he told me, in doctor mode. 

I nodded, taking a deep breath and lifting my left arm's sleeve, where I usually got injected. The scar near my shoulder seemed to swell, but I tried to ignore it. It was probably just agitated from the cotton in my sweatshirt. I nodded to Ratchet, signaling I was ready, and he brought the syringe close to my skin. The thick needle plunged into my vein, and I held my breath as he slowly entered the Energon. I familiar rush erupted in my body, which led to slight shivers along my spine. It felt different this time, but why?

"Almost finished," he assured me as my breath began to get shaky. The dosages had to be large enough for my entire body, and the process had to be done slowly. It did wonders on my body, let me tell you.

He stopped with the last push of the syringe and pulled it out slowly. I gasped sharply as it left my arm, feeling the throb a moment later. My guardian cleaned the tiny wound immediately after, careful not to harm my tiny body. I sighed as he finished, but the surge wasn't over. Something felt off. 

I felt my arm throb harder and cringed, my hand flying to it instinctively. As soon as my fingers brushed it, my arm seemed to tear itself apart. It opened like a cupboard, yet the inside wasn't flesh. I watched in horror as I saw metal give way to metal, like it was transforming. As the metal bent and twisted, a large blue glow emitted from the inside. A few moments later, my arm had opened up like two doors, and on the inside there was a perfectly carved Energon blue crystal. I screamed, wanting to shoot back, but it was inside me. It wasn't like I could just run away from it. I heard Ratchet let out a small gasp and saw his optics fly wide, surprise written all over his faceplate.

"Rathcet?!" I cried, clinging the my arm just below where it had just 'transformed'. "What is that??"

My guardian didn't reply, just quickly but gently grabbed my arm and examined the new part I hadn't known about. His expression was serious, then slowly turned into a gentle, apologetic one. He let go and sighed, closing his optics and shaking his helm. He was obviously having a hard time putting this into words.

"I knew it..," he muttered.

"Knew what?" I whimpered, my eyes darting back and forth between the crystal and my guardian.

He sighed again, looking at me deeply with those bright blue optics. "Taylor... you have a spark."

My eyes flew wide in shock. I knew what a spark was; it was the heart of Cybertronians. So what was I doing with one? There was no way I could have been born with one. So..

"Did MECH do this to me?" I asked shakilly. 

He nodded grimly, resting his chin on his digits in thought. "That must be why they sent Starscream after you.."

I shuddered at the memory. "So, I have a heart.. and a spark?" 

"Correct. This should help with the Energon flow in your body, and probably allow transformation to be easier," he told me. "However, this is obviously experimental. How did they even get a spark?"

 I tried to relax my body, but looking at it still made me feel tense. "If I had to guess.. that would be Starscream as well."

Ratchet thought about it, then nodded again. "True. He could have taken one from a Vehicon. Still, because this has never been tested before..."

"It could have the opposite effects," I finished for him with a sad tone. I knew that this could go both ways. "Is this... what you were afraid to tell me before."

He looked away, looking slightly shameful. "..Yes. I was not sure how you would take it, and it wasn't something I could just confirm on an idea."

I rubbed my lower arm and watched with slight surprise as the 'chamber' closed again, leaving nothing but the scar. My eyes brimmed with tears, but I wasn't sure if I was angry, afraid, or excited. This was all so new to me, and shoved right in my face before I could prepare. Then again, how could I have been ready for this at any point? I was human, and yet I wasn't.

"Taylor..." Ratchet looked at me remorsefully, his optics lined with pain. "I am very sorry. I understand that this is hard for you."

The tears spilled over as I nodded with a tiny sob. His digits surrounded my body in a sort of hug, but it wasn't enough for me. I stood up, my face a mess and my legs shaky, and walked to the edge of the container. I reached up like a child would for their parents to hold them. His helm cocked slightly, but his facial expression read that he knew what I meant. With a small sigh, he leaned over. At first, I thought he would let me hug his chest chassis. Then, his warm forhelm rested on my arms. I was hugging his helm. I did my best to ignore my frantically beating heart and hugged him tightly, pressing my head on his helm. We held there for a few minutes, before his servos picked me up gently. Rubbing my eyes, I let him lift me and place me beside his helm.

"I will stay with you until you feel better," he told me.

I nodded, smiling as he walked over back to his monitors to continue what he had been doing before. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to relax, but the heat in my face wouldn't leave.

Ratchet... I love you so much. And I need to tell you that, before it's too late.

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WELL NOW YOU KNOW!!!

THANK YOU FOR READING!!!

I AM MAD CUS I HAVE TO FINISH WRITINT MY RESEARCH PAPER NOW!!

SO ALL CAPS IS STAYING ON!!

PRAY THAT I GET A GOOD GRADE CUS THIS IS TAKING FOR-FREAKING-EVER!!

*WAVES*