Taylor

My entire body was shivering violently, for a couple different reasons. My spark felt like it was on fire, but like it was freezing at the same time. Because of this, my body had been shot into a feverish state, shivering, cold and hot at the same time, and there was an occasional nausea. My vision would get hazy and then super sensitive, the small light in the room suddenly as bright as the sun on a hot summer day. My spark chamber would sometimes involuntarily open and close, like it was reaching out for something. Or trying to reject something. Often times it felt like it was trying to pull itself out. I understood what Shockwave had meant when he said the spark was tainted. It was dying.

Which probably meant that I was dying as well.

I was terrified.

There was also another good reason to be terrified. The entire building that Megatron had created was collapsing on itself. I could feel the explosions and shaking and groaning of the structure. Tears had long filled my eyes and fallen down out of pure fear. That seemed like the emotion I could feel and recognize anymore. Terror, fright. As dust fell from the high ceiling above me and I covered my head for the next ten minutes, I sobbed without sound into my legs, my knees bent at my forehead. Squeezing my eyes shut, my chest tightened as horrible thoughts began to fill my head once more. 

You are going to die here.

No one will care.

Not the Autobots.

Not your friends.

Not even Ratchet.

They have all abandoned you, just like everyone else did before.

You are a freak. 

You aren't human, you aren't Cybertronian.

You are just disgusting.

Which means no one will take you back. 

So just die here. 

As the building shook and swayed again, sending me off balance and fumbling around, I screamed loudly and shook my head. I didn't want to believe that. Ratchet would try to save me, wouldn't he? He knew I was afraid... right? Another crash tumbled across the structure just as I tried to stand up, sending me falling and rolling across the cold metal floor. Pain flew up my body and I grit my teeth, groaning sharply as I pressured my arms against the floor to try and steady myself. 

This was crazy.

What on earth was happening?!

I was going to die!

I forced myself to sit up again, leaning against the wall despite the agony it sent up my muscles. I clenched my teeth harder as I hissed and closed my eyes again, the tears falling more and more. My hands turned into fists, and for a moment, I wanted to end it right then and there. This was too much. The agony of pain, knowing I was dying, unsure whether anyone would come to save me, knowing that I was so different and not wanting to be. I wanted to crush my own neck, crush my own head, do something that would make it all go away.

I just wanted to see her again. The one person I knew still loved me. 

Maybe I could join her in death. 

Maybe then I would be happy.

Maybe then I would be free.

I wouldn't really realize how grateful I was for this action until later, until I really realized just how far I had been willing to go. Just as those thoughts seemed to be the only thing that swarmed my mind, I heard a loud crash against the door. Out of terror, I had flung my eyes open, huddling against the wall as the banging continued, getting harder and harder as the seconds flew by. I screamed as the door finally gave and flew across the room, landing only a few feet away from me to my left. My eyes were wide and both my heart and spark were beating violently against my chest by a mile a millisecond. My breath came out as heavy gasps, my body nearly going into a panic attack as I saw a sky blue and red mech barge into the room, hard optics scanning around quickly before they settled on me. He perked up a little when he saw me and hurriedly rushed over, which only frightened me more. I had had enough of these aliens messing with me and poking me and doing things to me and hurting me...

"NO!!" I screamed, flinging my arms over my head as he got closer and down on one knee plate. "NO, DON'T COME NEAR ME!! NO MORE, PLEASE!!" My shouts were coming in heavy, loud sobs as I did my best to scoot away from the mech that still approached me.

The Cybertronian only raised an optic ridge at me in slight confusion, not really understanding my fear. When another explosion shook the building, he seemed to tense and leaned in closer, which only made me scream more. "Human!" he shouted as his other servo shielded his head from falling debris. "I am retrieving you! We must leave immediately!"

"Please, no more!!" I kept screaming, locking onto his optics and not able to look away. "I don't want to hurt anymore... please, don't do this to me!!"

The mech once again blinked at me in slight confusion. His shoulder plates gave a little as he seemed to realize something with a sigh, something I didn't really understand at the time. He slowly reached out with his servos, but stopped them just in front of me as I choked on my cries. "There is no need to fear me, human femme," he said roughly. "I am here to rescue you and return you to Autobot care."

Though I flinched, my arms lowered a little and my spark calmed just a tad. "You.. aren't going to.. hurt me...?"

He shook his helm sadly, though his expression grew more urgent as we shook once more. "Your guardian sent me to find you. Ratchet, the medic?"

I gasp flew out of me as my entire body jumped, my arms and legs hitting the floor. Tears filled my eyes and I erupted into sobs. "He sent you? He wants me back?"

"Yes, urgently so!" he said, shouting now as he pressed his servo forward a bit more. "He would not let me leave you! Now, make your decision, we must go!"

I paused for only a moment, still crying as I searched his faceplate. I figured that he was telling the truth, and every part of me really wanted to believe that he was, because I wanted my Ratchet back so much. As the building trembled again, more dust and debris falling from the ceiling, I quickly leaped into his large servo, despite the pain in my bones. He seemed satisfied, quickly jumping up and racing out of the room, holding me securely in his servos, though it was a rough, bumpy ride. As he turned through the halls and up stairs, a wave of familiar nausea fell over me and I flung a hand over my mouth. There was no way I was puking on a bot that was rescuing me. That, and a part of me was still terrified of him, making him angry with me. 

As he ran to the top of the structure, leaving us on a wide rooftop, I heard something that sounded like jet engines approach us. I flinched on instinct as I looked up, my eyes widening when I saw the huge Autobot land in front of us. He looked a little different, his build larger and sturdier, but there was no doubt in my mind. This was the Autobot leader who I had been told was dead and buried underneath rubble. Optimus Prime was here.

"Ultra Magnus, we must leave!" he shouted over the noise of the building collapsing. His bright teal optics fell on me and then widened, his derma parting slightly as he gazed at me for a moment.

"Ratchet instructed me to find his human charge before I made my leave," the mech, Ultra Magnus, explained to the Prime, seeming to know him. "I retrieved her and am ready to return."

Optimus watched me for a few moments more before nodding his helm to the mech. "Thank you commander. I will take her for you now," he said as a GroundBridge opened up behind him. 

The commander nodded his helm once slightly as he held me out in his servos. The movement jostled me and I huddled my knees closer to my chest. On instinct, I cringed and leaned back when Optimus reached out a servo for me to climb into. Both of the mechs gave me confused expressions, Optimus tilting his helm slightly. The gesture reminded me of the innocence of Orion I had seen in him before, and I relaxed slightly. It took me a moment to convince myself that they were here to help me. My lungs stung as I took a heavy breath, crawling into his palm quickly as the building once again trembled. 

Optimus smiled down at me. "Do not worry, Taylor, I will have you back in a moment," he told me as the other, Ultra Magnus, ran into the portal. As the Prime turned quickly to follow, my eyes flew over my prison one last time. Fear fell over me as I saw the place like a nightmare was, but it washed away when the bright colors of the GroundBridge flew into my vision. 

It was only a few seconds before we were in what seemed to be a broken down ship. I wasn't really paying attention to the details as I shrank farther into Optimus' digits. All I knew was that it was dark, lonely, and terrifying. Just like my prison. My heart lifted a little when I saw the other Autobots around us, however, looking up to their leader excitedly and cheering. Optimus smiled and nodded to them without a word, then holding me out for them to see. Their optics widened in surprise, a collective "Taylor!!" shouting around the room. I flinched at the loud noise, and while I was happy to see them, I was still afraid.

My spark sank as I realized that Shockwave and the Decepticons had scarred me, traumatized me in a way that would affect me harshly. I was afraid of even my own family, just because of what the evil versions of Cybertronians had done. Tears began to fill my eyes again and I bit my lip. 

"Move!!" a familiar voice cried as the other bots started to crowd Optimus and I. My heart leaped up as I saw the Autobots getting shoved aside, letting out noises of surprise. 

And then there he was.

"Taylor! Optimus!" Ratchet cried joyfully as he pushed through Bulkhead and Wheeljack, hurrying over to the both of us. His faceplate was the happiest I had ever seen it, and it sent my heart and spark into all kinds of flutters. 

"Ratchet!!" I screamed while Optimus held me out gently with a grin. I leaped to my feet, but the moment I did so, pain flew up my body again and I stumbled forward. I saw everyone's expressions turn to surprise as I teetered out of Optimus' servo. I cried out as I hit another set of warm servos, looking up fearfully into my guardian's frantic and worried optics. 

His expression softened as he gazed down at me, his derma parting slightly. "Taylor..," he said quietly, lifting his servos up to his faceplate. His shoulder plates hunched a little as he nudged his faceplate into me, a form of hug. 

A relieved and happy sob burst from my mouth, and I was overjoyed, because I was with him again, and I could feel the warm feeling again. I wrapped my arms around him the best I could as I hugged his forehelm, squeezing my eyes shut and quietly crying into the warm metal. "You wanted me... you wanted me back.."

His digits ran up and down my back a little, gently and carefully. "Of course I did... I'm so glad you're back.."

I could feel the others all watching us with fond and happy expressions, but this time I didn't get embarrassed. I didn't care. I was with him, and that was all that mattered. He had needed me back, and that was what I had needed. 

It didn't matter that I was hurt, broken.

I was home.

It didn't matter that I was dying.

I was back with my family.

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Just over 2000 words!!

Yay, I updated this book!! I am so proud and happy of how far this story has come, and I'm excited to keep going! The rest of this book is going to be so ADORABLE AND AWESOME!!

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I do writing it.

See ya next chapter!!

*waves*