I cough as Megatron steps away from my broken and bleeding body. But no matter how much pain he inflicted on me, nothing could compare it to the pain I felt in my spark. If only I could have told him...

"What do you say we call the Autobot base and show them this precious little trinket of ours?" Megatron says to Starscream. Starscream grins and Soundwave calls the Autobot base. I looked weakly at the screen I could see, and saw 6 familiar Autobot faces. One of which being Wheeljack's. My spark lurched. Had he stayed after all...?

"Hello, Optimus", Megatron smiled evilly.

"What do you want Megatron?" Optimus asks.

"Only to show you your precious daughter", Megatron says as I appear on Soundwave's visor.

"J-aa-a-cki-ie", I cried out softly, tears flowing down my face.

"What did you do to her, buckethead?" Wheeljack shouts.

"Nothing. The question is what did you do?"

Wheeljack's eyes widen and I start quietly crying.

"Ja-ackie. I-I lo-ove you", I whisper.

Wheeljack's eyes soften as he hears me say that. "Star... I love you too."

My tears start flowing faster. "Jackie.. please... don't leave me..."

"I promise", Wheeljack whispers. I smile softly before closing my eyes.

"Oh, it looks like she might be dying. Time to throw her off the ship, I guess", was the last thing I heard as I felt myself being dragged along the ground.

*Third person POV*

Wheeljack transforms and zooms out of base towards the cave where the Jackhammer was hiding. He quickly flew it out of the cave and then called base.

"Let me know when you find her coordinates", he growls.

After a few minutes, he received her coordinates and flew as fast as he could to them. He saw her falling through the sky and quickly set autopilot before getting ready to catch her from falling.

He climbs on top of the Jackhammer and balances himself before catching her at precisely the right moment. He stares at her before hanging onto the Jackhammer as it lands softly. He jumps off and them quickly enters his ship, laying her on the ground in the back of the ship. He quickly flies back to base and takes her inside.

Ratchet sees her and instantly has Wheeljack place her down in the med bay for repairs.

Everyone started to crowd around Ratchet, wanting to make sure she was okay.

"Out!" Ratchet shouts. "I need space to work!"

Everyone leaves except for Wheeljack.

"That includes you Wheeljack", Ratchet glares.

"I promised that I wouldn't leave her", Wheeljack growls.

Ratchet raises up one of his beloved wrenches, threatening to throw it at Wheeljack if he didn't leave but Wheeljack refused to move.

"I will not leave her", Wheeljack growls.

Ratchet sighs. "Fine. But you better make yourself useful."

Wheeljack helps Ratchet mend Crimson and soon all her wounds are closed, it's just a matter of her waking up. Wheeljack sat against her berth, near her head, and refused to move. He stayed there all night long and all day and he stayed there until she woke up.

Which wouldn't be until several days later.

*Crimson's POV*
"Hello? Where am I?" My voice was echoing. I looked around, slightly scared.

"Hello, young child", a voice says softly. It was a comforting voice.

"Hi", I say awkwardly. "Who are you?"

The voice chuckles quietly. "My name is Primus, dear one."

"Primus? Am I dead?" I ask innocently.

"No, young one. You came close, but there is someone nearby who needs you", Primus says.

All of sudden, I gained a third person point of view of what was happening in the Autobot base.

I saw my body in the medbay of the base and I could see all the wounds that Ratchet was trying to repair.

The rest of the team was waiting nervously outside the base. However, I could not see Wheeljack.

"Take a closer look, young one", Primus says.

I do so and that's when I see Wheeljack sitting on the ground next to my body.

"He is concerned for you", Primus says. I felt tears coming to my eyes.

"Ratchet would have kicked him out of the medbay.... so... how is he still there?"

A new voice spoke. "He promised he would not leave you, didn't he?"

I turned around to see an unfamiliar bot standing before me.

"Who are you?" I ask, trying not to he rude.

"My name is Elita-1. I doubt you remember me, seeing as you were so little when I was killed", she says.

"You knew me when I was a sparkling?"

"Well, a mother should know her own sparkling, shouldn't she?"

I blink before trying to give her a hug but she stopped me.

"If you touch me, you become one with the Allspark", she says.

I stop and sigh softly before looking back at what was happening at the base.

"How long has it been?"

"Only a few hours. Wheeljack misses you dearly", she says.

"I miss him too", I whisper as I watch Wheeljacks every movement. I was surprised however, when he took my hand and I could feel it.

I blink at that and my mother chuckles. "You are still able to feel everything that your body feels here", she says.

I frown before squeezing my digits together in a fist. "When can I go back?"

"When your body and spark heals", Elita-1 says.

"How long will that take?"

"From the looks of your body, a long time, I'd say."

I sigh and sit down, just watching everything that happened. Wheeljack refused to leave my side even when it was time to sleep. He ended up falling asleep next to me, his head resting on the berth my body laid on. I signed before clenching my fist together once again.

What surprised me was when Wheeljack woke with a start with me doing that. "Star... can you hear me...?"

I tried to tell him that I could but he couldn't hear me. I let out a soft sob as I tried to tell him that I love him.

I felt something on my cheek and I wiped it away. However, it was still on my actual body, and Wheeljack noticed. He wiped it away, and I could feel it. I felt another tear escaping from my optic. Wheeljack cleared it away again. I tried to stop the tears from coming but I couldn't. Wheeljack stopped clearing them away and just watched, pain evident in his eyes.

He takes my hand in mine again before whispering, "Star, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand twice."

I clenched my fist together once before unravelling it and then clenching it tight again.

Wheeljack began to cry as he held my hand close to his face.

"I love you so much, Star. I know Ratchet said you were in a coma but I know you can hear me. So it's all I can do but ask you to forgive me."

I did the same thing I did just a minute ago of squeezing his hand. His sobs grow louder and he stands up to leave but I squeeze his hand tightly. I heard my voice come out of my coma-stricken body though it was hardly a whisper.

"Jackie..."

I knew I had said it with my body but there was so much more I wanted to tell him but couldn't.

"I love you Jackie. I love you so so much. I promise to tell you that when I wake up. Just don't leave my side", I whisper. I know he didn't hear me but he stayed by my side nevertheless. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, it was dark and I couldn't see anything. I could hear things though.

"Her spark rate has elevated", I hear Ratchet murmur. I noticed that my servos where cold and I couldn't feel any warmth near me.

'Where's Wheeljack? Where's my Jackie?'

"Crimson, if you can hear me, I need you to calm down", Ratchet says loudly.

'WHERE'S WHEELJACK???'

I could feel my spark racing faster and faster until it was pounding in my head. I could barely make out the words that Ratchet near shouted.

"Optimus, I need Wheeljack back here stat!"

I barely heard the ground bridge open and tires screeching before a hand takes mine. I instantly recognized it as Wheeljack's.

"Jackie..." I whisper softly as my mind goes back into the dark depths.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Her spark rate is rising steadily", I hear Ratchet say. I try to move my hand but I only feel it twitch.

"Her servo twitched", Wheeljacke exclaims happily.

I groan as I try to open my eyes. "Wheeljack..?"

"Hey, Star", Wheeljack murmurs.

"Where am I?"

"Autobot base. You've been in a coma for about two weeks", Wheeljack says. My optics shoot open at that but a bright light blinded me, causing me to close my optics again.

"Two weeks?!" I nearly shouted.

"Yeah. It was difficult... for all of us", Wheeljack murmurs. I don't say anything, I just focus on being able to open my optics without being blinded. Once I'm able to, I look over at Wheeljack, who looked as if he hadn't slept in days.

"But it was hardest on you, wasn't it?" I whisper. Wheeljack freezes, before getting up to leave.

"Don't leave. Please", I whisper. Wheeljack pauses.

"Before getting kidnapped... I listened to the messages you left me. And while I was in the coma, for the first few hours, I could hear everything you said. And... I know you heard what I said when the Decepticons still had a hold of me", I whisper, shifting my gaze to look at anything but Wheeljack.

"Star... we lost you for a few minutes... for a few minutes about 3 days ago, you were gone. Dead", Wheeljack says.

I thought about it for a few seconds. "Was it when Ratchet was saying that my spark rate was elevated and he had to send for you quickly?"

Wheeljack blinks in surprise. "Yeah, it was right after that, why?

"Well... um... let's just say that... I needed you by my side and you were gone and my spark... my spark wasn't able to take the strain..."

"Strain? But we're not even bonded..."

"I know, but... my spark knows what it wants and it's been trying to get me to listen to it and with my sparkmate being gone and my spark yearning after it... it put too much of a strain on my already broken body", I say quickly.

"Sparkmate? Wha-?" Wheeljack's face had a look of realization on it. "Is that why..." His voice broke off. "Is that why whenever I wasn't near you, my spark started to hurt?"

I nodded. "It's the most likely explanation."

"Star, I..." Wheeljack paused before he sighs and stands up to leave.

I sigh and let him leave this time. However before he left, he looked back at me and in his optics, I could see everything he was trying to say. He left before I could say anything.

I sighed and focused on getting up as Ratchet came into the room.

"Crimson! What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm trying to get up, Doc", I growl.

Ratchet pauses. He sighs before helping me stand up.

"Where's Wheeljack?" Ratchet asks.

"Dunno. He just... left", I whisper.

Ratchet sighs before he helps me out to the main room, where I see the rest of the team, as well as Wheeljack standing in the corner, ignoring everyone.

I wanted so badly to go over to him, but knew that he probably needed some space at the moment.

"Crimson!" Miko exclaims, successfully getting everyone's attention over towards me, including Wheeljack's.

"Hey, guys", I say weakly. Ratchet helps me sit down on a nearby metal crate while he scans me.

"Someone get her an energon cube", he says. "It'll help her regain the strength she lost while in her coma."

Bumblebee goes to get an energon cube while a bot I was unfamiliar with comes over to me.

"So, you're Prime's lost sparkling?" he asks. Just from hearing his voice, I knew that he was young and inexperienced.

"That I am, though at this point, I'm not lost anymore. Who might you be?"

"Smokescreen, ma'am! At your service!" He saluted

I sigh. "First of all, you ever call me ma'am again, I'm gonna kick your aft. Second of all, when did you get here?"

"Yes, ma-" he cut himself off before speaking in a quieter, toned down voice. "I arrived here about a few days ago. These guys weren't prepared to see me, and are still a bit untrusting of me."

"I can see why. You're young, and inexperienced. You've probably already gotten into a bit of trouble, perhaps?"

"A bit? How about a lot?" Arcee exclaims. I chuckle.

"Let me guess, wasn't following human laws, was seen by a human?"

:Bingo!: Bee says as he comes back into the room with an energon cube for me. I take it and smile at Bee.

I laugh. "Ah, he'll get better with time. Smokescreen may have a lot to learn, but we're the best ones to give it to him."

Everyone in the room stared at me before mumbling that I was right, causing me to chuckle.

"Since when am I ever wrong when it comes to these things?" I say with a grin.

"Egotistical much?" Wheeljack says as he comes out of the corner. My smile drops and I look to the floor.

"I wasn't trying to be-" Wheeljack cut me off by placing a servo on my shoulder.

"I know", he murmurs quietly. I blink and look up at him, yelping quietly when I saw his close he was. He was going to lean in closer but he took my yelp as a bad sign. He sighs before walking away further into the base.

"Permission to tell him?" Miko says as she looks between me and the direction Wheeljack had gone.

I sigh. "Do what you want Miko. At this point, I don't think it matters..."

Miko gives me a small grin before scampering off in the direction Wheeljack had gone. I turn to Ratchet.

"Permission to go up top?" I say quietly. Ratchet looks at me and nods, knowing it would help me out a bit. My spark was still strained especially with not knowing how Wheeljack felt about me.

I feel tears coming to my optics and I quickly brush them away before heading up to the top. I sit close to the edge but far enough away that I don't have to worry about falling off.

After a few minutes, I hear some pedesteps behind me.

"Permission to sit?" I smile softly at Optimus' voice. I nod, and he sits down next to me. There were a few moments of silence before he spoke. "You really do love him, don't you?"

"He's my sparkmate, of course I do... I just... I wish I knee if he actually loves me in return. He knows that we've been destined to be sparkmates but... he left when he found out."

Optimus hums. "Your mother loathed me at first. Thought I was too much of a nerd for her. But she grew to love me, as I grew to love her. Do not worry about the time it takes for you and Wheeljack. You have many millenia ahead of you left to live."

I chuckle softly. "You know, you and Carrier have very similar ways of comforting me. And they work. When I was in that coma, I was able to talk to her. I wanted to give her a hug, but couldn't, because that would mean joining her in the well of Allsparks. I couldn't do that to you, or to... him."

Optimus chuckles, but stops mid-chuckle. "You talked to her? You talked to Elita-1?"

I smile softly. "Yeah. She helped me out a lot there, as well as talking with Primus, though he only explained where I was. For a while he let me see everything happening in base from a third person point of view. It was nice, but... I could hear everything Wheeljack told me. It was hard. I cried so much then. And then, I couldn't see anything. It was pitch black. It was then that Ratchet urgently called for Wheeljack. After that, I saw and heard nothing until I started to wake up..."

Optimus smiles before looking behind us. "I believe there is someone else who would like to talk to you."

I heard Optimus stand up and walk away and before Wheeljack can say anything, I stand up as well as face him. He looked surprised to see me do that.

"Hey", I whisper. Wheeljack doesn't say anything but comes closer to me. "Jackie?" I whisper as he gets really close to me. I take a step back, which was a bad idea, because the cliffs edge was right there. I would have fallen back were it not for Wheeljack wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me close.

"Miko told me something interesting", he whispered into my audio receptor.

I shivered before uttering a barely audible "oh?"

"Is this the thing you were afraid to tell me 2 months ago?" he asks softly, his face getting ever so closer to mine. My mouth had dried up, leaving me unable to utter a word, so I just nodded.

Wheeljack sighs before pulling away, turning his back to me.

"I wish I could say I feel the same way, but I only see you as one of my best friends."

I feel tears coming to my optics as I choke back a sob. "Then what was that, just a few minutes ago?"

"You nearly fell of a cliff. I was trying to keep you from being more injured than you already are", Wheeljack snaps.

I wiped away tears. "What about everything you said to me while I was in that coma? You said you loved me."

Wheeljack paused. "It was a lie."

I couldn't hold back the sobs any longer. I fell to my hands and knees and just sobbed, not caring who saw or heard me. I know I heard Wheeljack take a couple steps toward me but stops and leaves to go to his ship. Before he could though, I stood up, walked over to him, and made him look at me.

"Wheeljack, I will always love you, no matter what", I whisper before limping away and collapsing on my hands and knees again.

I hear Wheeljack's ship leave and I cry my heart out. I think a scream came out at one point too but I'm not sure. I ended up crying myself to sleep on the roof of the Autobot base.