(A/N) I flipping hate the episode this chapter follows but its essential to the plot, so I have to include it...

Faria soon discovered that when she's gone from base, exciting things actually happen. Well, somewhat exciting things. Bulkhead got hit in the head with a data cylinder, and became super smart. At least, that's what everyone told Faria. But the worst part was that as Bulkhead wrote what the data cylinder contained, it began to take over his mind, and caused him to start to forget his teammates, and his charge. Miko was apparently very depressed about that. Faria was just glad that they didn't lose Bulkhead, because then Miko would have been insufferable. Faria was also glad that Miko had dropped the subject of Faria and Ratchet liking each other, because Faria knew it most likely would never happen, even they both shared the same feelings.

Currently, Faria was at base, watching as Ratchet messed with what he believed to be the formula for synthetic energon. That was what was in the data cylinder that messed with Bulkhead's mind. Ratchet hummed softly as he looked over the formula.

"Hmm, surprisingly stable", he murmured aloud. Raf was watching beside Faria, and decided to speak up.

"Hey, Ratchet!" he called. "Is that synthetic energon?" Raf sounded extremely curious.

Ratchet looked up from his microscope, and spoke. "Well, yes. In fact, I'm about to test a sample", he said as he attached a large vial of the synthetic energon to some... weird looking tool. Faria honestly wasn't sure what it was. "I see you come equipped with protective goggles. "

Raf got excited. "I can watch?!"

Ratchet laughed, and nodded, so Raf went over to the machine Ratchet was using to test the synthetic energon. Faria chose to watch from a distance, seeing as she didn't want to be near the substance. It just gave her a bad feeling, and she didn't like it. She was just curious about Ratchet's work, and that was why she was over there.

"We just add some to this test engine", Ratchet said as he injected the synthetic energon into the machine. They all watched it for a moment, and it seemed to work.

"It works" Raf exclaimed as he ran up to it, before turning. "Bee!"

Faria got a bad feeling about it, and wasn't excited to see it in an Autobot. It... just seemed unnatural, like eating something you're not supposed to.

Apparently Ratchet agreed because he immediately shut Rafael down. "This iteration of the formula requires further trial before we can even think about using it for fuel, ammunition, or first aid, which is rather unfortunate, since our energon reserves at an all time low." As Ratchet spoke, he looked away, seemingly upset about that fact. "Our severely outnumbered have been rapidly burning through our stockpile of late as the Decepticon army continues to run us ragged and grind us down. Natural energon is in such short supply on your planet, and Megatron seems to have his oily claws buried deep in all the Earth's deposits." Ratchet's optics were distant for a moment before he spoke again. "But, if we can successfully produce a synthetic form, we can manufacture all the energy we'll ever need." Ratchet looked hopeful, and determined to make this work. Faria could only hope that it would work as well, because she knew how bad things were getting. Even Ratchet had been reducing his energon intake so the others could get enough. She knew that that was partially the reason why he was so grumpy half the time.

A familiar alarm went off, and they all looked toward the computers, where Arcee stated what it was about. "More energon on the move."

"Again?" Bulkhead asks.

"Their recent activity suggests a familiar pattern", Optimus spoke. "The Decepticons are desperately scouting for new deposits to mine."

Faria sighed. "Even though they control most of them on the planet? Jerks."

Optimus cast her a small smile before walking over toward the ground bridge. "Autobots!" he called, about to use his rallying cry, but Ratchet cut him off.

"Optimus", Ratchet spoke as he walked over to Optimus. "If one of you comes back wounded this time..." he trailed off, and said something different than what he was originally going to say. "Well, our energon reserves are nearly depleted."

"Understood", Optimus murmured. "Activate the ground bridge."

Ratchet moves over to the ground bridge controls, and activates the ground bridge. The other Autobots roll out, and Ratchet sighed as he watches them leave and the ground bridge close.

"Sometimes... I wish I could do more", he murmured to himself, though Faria still heard him.

"Ratch, you're the medic", she called. "You already do enough for the team, you don't need to do more. Just keep them healthy and you'll be good."

Ratchet gave her a half smile, before a look of realization came onto his face. He walked over to where they kept the partially completed synthetic energon and put it in the same tool as before. Faria realized what he was going to do.

"Ratchet, don't you dare put that stuff in you!" she cried out. Ratchet ignored her, and injected himself with the synthetic energon. He gasped, before falling over dropping the tool. Glass shattered everywhere but that was the least of Faria's concern. Faria ran down to where Ratchet had fallen and climbed onto his chassis.

"Ratchet!" she called, worry in her voice. "Ratchet, wake up! Please wake up!"

"Ugh", he muttered, his optics opening. Faria widened at the color. They were green, not their normal, beautiful blue. "How is it that such small beings can be so loud?

"Are you okay, Ratch?" Faria asked as she climbed off.

"You fell", Raf added. Faria turned to see the young boy standing a little ways behind her.

"I'm fine", Ratchet said, as he moved his arms around a bit. "I'm... more than fine." He looked at the energy readings on his arm, and gasped in surprise. "Energy efficiency is up thirty percent? Motor functions optimal?" His servo made its way back up to the top of his helm, and he laughs happily, though there was a hint of shock in them as well. However, Faria was not excited. There was still a bad feeling in the bottom of her gut, and she was scared. She was almost never scared while she was at the base, and she was scared now.

"Any word from the others?" Ratchet asked quickly. Raf shook his head as Faria moved back up onto the platform so she wouldn't have to be worried about being squished. A few minutes later, however, Optimus' voice came over the comm link.

"Ratchet, lock onto Arcee's coordinates, and prepare an emergency ground bridge", Optimus ordered. Ratchet immediately does so.

"I'm locked on", he says. "Arcee, decelerate, and prepare to return to base."

"Save it, Ratchet", Arcee snaps. "I'm too close."

Faria groans in frustration. 'Why can't anyone just listen for once?!'

"Don't be a fool!" Ratchet snarled as he glared at the screen in front of him. Faria started pacing back and forth but stopped when Ratchet spoke.

"She's hurt", he said as he opened the ground bridge. Faria's eyes widened yet again. She watched in worry as Ratchet told Raf to man the ground bridge.

"Ratchet, don't go!" Faria cried out. "You're just a medic, you won't be any help out there!"

Ratchet only glared at her. "Watch and see, then." He transformed and drove the ground bridge. Said bridge closed almost immediately, and Faria became super worried yet again. She started pacing back and forth, until they called back for a ground bridge. Ratchet walked back in first, and Faria was relieved to see him uninjured. Arcee was walking on her own as well, making it seem like she wasn't as hurt as Ratchet made it seem.

"What happened?" Raf asked.

"I only saw the gory aftermath", Bulkhead said. "But I hear that doc was a one-bot wrecking machine." Faria frowned, and moved further away from Ratchet, which she was glad for when Ratchet scooped up Raf and bounced him in the palm of his servo a little.

"Hey, little fella", he said, before setting Raf down again. Faria frowned, especially when Ratchet looked up there. He smiled widely at her, and winked. Faria was taken aback. 'That is not Ratchet', she thought to herself.

"Alright, what's your secret?" Arcee asked, slightly amused.

"No secret", Ratchet said as he picked up a container of the synthetic energon. "Just a little something, I call synth-en." He tossed a container to her and the other bots passed the synth-en."

"From the data Bulkhead transcribed?" Arcee asked, passing the container to Bumblebee. "I thought the formula was-"

Ratchet cut her off. "Incomplete? Not anymore." Bee passed the synth-en to Bulkhead.

"Lies", Faria said, glaring at Ratchet. "You never finished the formula you just wanted to help them."

Ratchet rolled his eyes, but Bulkhead was the one to speak, the others ignoring what Faria had said. All except for Optimus, who was watching Faria with concern.

"So Ratchet makes a better tough guy than I do a smart guy?" Bulkhead asked, passing the synth-en to Optimus.

"Ratchet, I question the wisdom of using yourself as a test subject", Optimu says as he looks at the container of synth-en. Arcee spoke up excitedly.

"Optimus, you didn't see Ratchet out there", she said. "He was in overdrive!"

Faria got sick of this, and left, not wanting to deal with this any longer. She wandered base for several minutes. And then... she heard a loud crash. She ran over to the sound, and found Bulkhead laying upside down with Ratchet standing in the wreckage of a wall. She gaped at the scene, disbelief filling her entire body.

"Wha..." she trailed off. Arcee and Bee came around the corner and walked past Faria.

"What was that?" Arcee exclaimed.

Bulkhead groaned and Ratchet came out of what was the training room. "You have competition, Bulk", Ratchet gloated. "I'm a bit stronger than I used to be."

Faria backed up slightly, but stopped when Ratchet pretended to punch Bee. "Think you can take me, muscle car?"

Bee was quick to refuse, Faria could tell even though she couldn't understand him. Ratchet scoffed. "Wimp", he insulted, before walking past Arcee, completely ignoring her, and picking up Faria. Faria let out a surprised gasp, as Ratchet looked at her.

"You know, for a fleshy, you're quite beautiful", he commented, before setting her down and continuing on his way.

"Did he just...?" Arcee started asking, but trailed off. All Faria could do was nod.

"Stronger, faster, studlier", Bulkhead comments. Faria shook her head, and turned to look at the bots.

"Keep him out of trouble..." she whispered. "Please. I'm worried he's going to get hurt."

Arcee smiled gently and knelt down in front of Faria. "We'll do our best, Faria. Although in exchange... I have to admit, I am curious due to Miko... Do you like Ratchet?"

Faria blushed, and turned her head away. "Yeah. I do. I really like him, and that's why I'm so afraid because the synth-en is changing him..."

Arcee frowned worriedly, before walking towards the main room, the others following her. Bulkhead allowed Faria to catch a ride on his shoulder. As soon as they're in the main room, however, Bulkhead sets down Faria on the platform. An alarm went off, and Arcee was again the one to state what was happening.

"Looks like the 'cons hit another vein."

Faria ignored what was happening until she heard Ratchet's voice. 

"But you never know if it may require additional firepower", Ratchet said. Faria turned to look at him, and she saw him leaning against the wall. Scoffing, she pulled out her phone and ignored them until they left. She found that it was Bee who was manning the ground bridge and not Ratchet. Her eyes widened as she realized that Ratchet had gone with.

She swore aloud. "Dang it, Ratchet! Why did you do that?!"

Bee whirled at her and she just shook her head at him. "Don't worry about it, Bee", she murmured. She turned back to her phone, and ignored everyone until Ratchet's loud voice came ringing through the comm-link. She looked up and listened intently.

"You know your problem, Optimus?!" Ratchet cried out. "For such a big, strong bot, you're soft! You didn't pound Megatron into scrap metal as soon as you had the chance! Many chances, in fact. Not to mention the fact that you allowed humans into our lives! Endangering them even more! It'd be better if they didn't even know about us!"

"Even Faria, old friend?" Optimus asked.

"Especially Faria!" Ratchet exclaimed. "I wish I had never known her! All she's done is gotten into trouble! Not to mention that she's broken! She should just go back to her parents!"

Faria felt her eyes start to water and she curled into a ball. She heard Bee buzz something but she ignored him. She started crying quietly, and ignored the others when they came in until she heard something that scared her even more.

"I can't get a fix on Ratchet's coordinates", Arcee said. Faria's head shot up, and she stared at the other Autobots.

"What?" she whispered. No one heard her.

"That bogus energon must be scrambling his signal", Bulkhead growls.

"Keep trying", Optimus urged. "We've got to find Ratchet before he finds Megatron."

Several minutes pass, and still nothing. Faria had taken to pacing back and forth muttering to herself, as tears silently fell down her face. Optimus had tried to talk to her, but she had ignored him, just as she had ignored everyone for the past several minutes. She stopped pacing suddenly, and fell to her knees, hugging her arms to herself and quietly sobbing.

Suddenly an alarm went off, and Faria's head shot up, and she raced to the edge of the railing as Arcee spoke.

"Optimus, Ratchet's signal! It's back online." 

"Faria, can you manage the ground bridge?" Optimus asked. Faria nods and moves over to the computer, typing in the coordinates and opening the ground bridge. "Autobots! Roll out!"

They leave and the ground bridge closes. Faria was left alone in the base. She went back to pacing. A few minutes later, Optimus called for a ground bridge. Faria was quick to open one and she watched as Optimus carried Ratchet in. She gasped at the cracks in Ratchet's armor, and the energon leaking from the cracks. Optimus immediately laid him down on a medical berth, and started working on repairing him, as well as getting some energon in him. Faria watched the entire time, tears streaming down her face, worry filling her body. She was praying to whatever being was up above that he would survive. That he would be okay.

After a few moments, Ratchet woke up and started to get up. Optimus pushed him down.

"Easy, old friend", Optimus said. "You lost a lot of energon. Good and bad."

"I didn't intend to hurt anyone", Ratchet strained, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just wanted so badly to-"

"Help us", Optimus spoke. "We know. But you nearly caused the loss of something irreplaceable. Our medic. And a most trusted friend." After a second, Optimus spoke again. "You did lead us to a much needed energon supply." Optimus moved to allow Ratchet to see the energon. "And for that, we should all be thankful." 

"The synthetic energon formula clearly needs refining before it can be tested again", Ratchet murmured. His gaze drifted over to Faria. "On machines, not Autobots."

Faria gave him a soft smile through her tears, and he tried to return it, but he found that it was hard.

"Let us take comfort in the fact that you were able to dispose of the quantity that remained", Optimus murmured. Ratchet lowered his optics, and Optimus turned to leave. Before he did, Faria got his attention.

"Optimus, do you think you could place me next to Ratchet?" Optimus nodded and laid out his servo for her to climb on. She did and he placed her next to Ratchet's helm. She smiled at Optimus, who left, and she climbed onto Ratchet's chassis, avoiding the cracks and the energon. He tried to smile at her, but failed.

"Faria, I'm so sorry", he murmured. "You told me not to do it, and yet I didn't listen. I'm sorry."

Faria tried to smile, but she started sobbing again. "Don't ever do that to me again! You have no idea how worried I was. I heard... what you said to Optimus... and... what you said about me... Optimus said you didn't mean it... but it still hurt..."

Ratchet was silent for a moment, before sighing. "Faria, there are times I wish I had never met you. It would make things a bit easier for me. But I love being around you, and I am glad that I met you. I don't want you to go back to your parents. They are terrible people, and I want to protect you." He was silent for a moment, before he closed his eyes. She felt a hand touch hers and she saw Ratchet's holoform. She blinked. "I'm technically not supposed to activate my holoform unless I'm in my alternate form, but I figured that it might make things easier."

 Ratchet placed his hand on the back of his neck nervously. Faria started crying and she threw her arms around him. Ratchet tensed before hugging her tightly as well.

"Faria, I'm so sorry. I never want to do that to you again. Could you ever forgive me?"

Faria chuckled softly. "Of course I can forgive you. I love you after all." Ratchet pulled away suddenly, and Faria realized what she said. "Wait, crap! I didn't mean to say that!"

Ratchet was silent for a moment. "So... what Miko was saying the other day was true? You... you do like me?"

Faria blushed, and looked away. "Yeah..."

"You know that would never work, right?" Ratchet asked. "We're two different species, and you're tiny compared to me."

Faria sighed. "I know... that's why I didn't want to tell you..."

Ratchet looked away from her. "I'm sorry, Faria... but I... I don't think I like you the way you like me."

Faria smiled sadly, and wiped away the tears that were starting to form. "I know. That's why I didn't want to tell you."

Ratchet sighed softly. "I'm sorry, Faria."

Faria shook her head. "It's fine, Ratchet. I... I think I'm going to go now." She sniffed, and wiped her tears away again, before sliding off of Ratchet's chassis, and walking away. She managed to work her way down the side of the berth, and quickly found Optimus.

"Hey, Optimus?" Faria called quietly. He looked down at her. "Do you think you could take me home? I think Dahlia is at work, and Ratchet is in no condition to do so."

Optimus nods, and transforms. Faria sniffed again, and climbed into Optimus' vehicle form. He drove out of the base and into the desert. Following the road, he soon came into town. After passing by several buildings, Faria soon saw her house. As soon as he had stopped, the door opened for Faria. She smiled softly.

"Thank you, Optimus", she spoke softly.

"You are welcome", Optimus replied. Faria walked up to the house, and entered. She closed the door, and walked to her room, collapsing on the bed. She started bawling her eyes out as she thought about what happened today. She continuously wiped away her tears, but they kept coming so she gave up. Sighing, she rolled over in her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Hey, Faria!" Dahlia called as she opened Faria's bedroom door. "I have work off tomorrow, so I can come to base!" 

"That's wonderful", Faria tried to sound excited about it, but she failed. She sounded more like a wilted rose than anything.

"Hey, is everything alright?" Dahlia asked, worry in her voice. She sat on the edge of Faria's bed.

"No..." Faria mumbled.

"What happened?"

"A lot of stuff", Faria sighs.

"Like what?"

"Like Ratchet injecting himself with this synthetic energon, and he slowly became mean and nasty the longer it was in his system. I was so worried for him, and then he got hurt, and then I accidentally confessed my feelings for him, and he rejected me", Faria spat out quickly. Dahlia was silent for a moment.

"Huh. That's a lot of stuff", Dahlia murmured.

"Yeah", Faria muttered. "You're telling me. I had to deal with it."

Dahlia sighed. "Alright, well, get some rest. Then choose if you want to come to base or not."

Faria nodded and rolled over to sleep. She closed her eyes and heard Dahlia leave the room. She let out a sigh, and couldn't help but start crying again. She actually ended up crying herself into a nightmare filled sleep. Her nightmares were filled with visions of her parents finding her, and of Ratchet rejecting her time and time again, no matter what she did.

She hated it.