Optimus woke up panting again, sitting up almost instantly. The horror of the image was flooding his helm, and he wanted to scream. He wondered if he actually had aloud in his sleep. He brought a servo to his chest chassis, trying to calm his spark and slow his venting. After a few agonizing minutes, he had returned to normal, although the fresh memory remained. He opened his optics and blinked lubricant out of his them, trying not to cry even though he wanted to so badly. He was slowly losing himself to this madness... why was it that the war had to end this way?

He got up off the berth with a sigh, scanning the room for his old friend. He found that he had too fallen into recharge, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His faceplate was twisted in his sleep, making Optimus' optic ridge furrow with worry and understanding. He wondered if he should go and wake him, but decided against it. Instead he turned to see how much of the Energon Ratchet had processed while he had been resting. He found that most of it had been converted into cubes, which made the Prime wonder just how long he had been asleep.

Wondering what to do to pass the time, he walked over to the monitor. He found the crackling screen annoying, and imagined that Ratchet felt the same. He brought his servos to the keyboard and began typing, looking to see if Nurse Darby had somehow managed to contact him, though he figured it nearly impossible now. He found in the recent search history a name, one he had recognized.

Taylor.

He remembered that it was the name of the girl that had been with Nurse Darby. Getting curious and confused on why Ratchet would be looking up such a name, he started to dig in to whatever his old friend had been looking into. He found the exact same girl as he had seen before, mostly pictures of herself before Megatron had ruined her planet. Her hair had been shorter, and her face more cheerful. She looked like a happy girl, and there were a lot of pictures with what Optimus would had to guess was her carrier. The girl's 'social media', as the humans called it, was full of pictures, and Ratchet had somehow hacked into the system to get even farther into her phone, showing much of her information. Optimus stopped scrolling when he came across a picture that left him reeling.

Taylor was holding her phone out as far as she could, giving the camera a gentle smile while holding up two fingers in the peace sign. Behind her was what had Optimus stunned and confused. Leaning down so that the camera would catch his faceplate, was Ratchet himself. He was making a shocked face, obviously surprised that she had just taken a picture. Optimus continued scrolling, finding more and more private pictures of Taylor and Ratchet, most of them where she was laughing while he would looked surprised. He stopped again at one that made his spark both sink and lift at the same time. Taylor was sticking her tongue out, making a daring face that seemed unlike her while making another peace sign. It was evident that she was sitting between his helm and shoulder plate, for his helm was right next to her. His faceplate was something Optimus had hardly ever seen on him before. He was grinning widely, his expression cocky. Behind him, he was making the same peace sign that the human was. The picture was taken outside, and as Optimus kept searching, he found that all the others were as well.

He realized slowly that Taylor must have accidently discovered Ratchet and came to know about the Autbots, although it seemed that Ratchet had kept that to himself. Optimus wondered if he should be mad at the medic for not telling him about another human, but since he didn't feel upset, he decided that it wasn't necessary right now. It was apparent that Ratchet had often checked up on her to make sure she was safe without the other Autobots knowing. Taylor seemed to be enjoying his company from the pictures. Optimus cocked his optics ridge in confusion. Hadn't she been terribly frightened of them before? Even Ratchet had had her on edge. Nurse Darby seemed to be the only one she was comfortable with.

"I didn't want her to get caught up in our war," came Ratchet's dry voice behind him, making the Prime jump.

He turned quickly, facing the grumpy medic. Ratchet's faceplate wasn't angry, however, more like.. remorseful. He uncrossed his arms with a sigh, pushing himself off the wall and walking to Optimus' side, gazing at the pictures with his one good optic.

"How.. how did you to meet?" Optimus asked gently.

The old medic sighed, still staring at the pictures of her. "You remember the Synthetic Energon incident, of course. Well, while I was arrogantly racing off to find Megatron, I wasn't careful around the human areas," he said with another sigh, this time with frustration in himself. "I nearly ran her over, and riled up as I was, I showed her my biped mode. Not on purpose, mind, but I was getting annoyed. I did it to scare her off."

Optimus listened intently, shocked that Ratchet had never told him these things.

"After I came to my senses, I went off and found her. She was still afraid, but I managed to assure her that I wasn't a threat." He finally looked over to the Prime, his faceplate a little sad as he grinned slightly. "I found myself continuing to check on her, over and over. She wanted to meet you all, but I refused. I wanted her to stay away from you, in fear her life would be endangered." He vented and looked down. "Selfish, I know. But I thought what I was doing was right."

Optimus smiled at his friend and placed a servo on his shoulder plate. "I do not blame you, old friend, nor am I angry. I understand your intentions."

Ratchet looked up with a pained look. "Now she will never get to meet any of the others..."

The Prime shook his head. "Do not dwell on that." He paused, thinking for a moment. "If she was close to you, why was she so afraid?" he asked.

Ratchet glanced away, his optics resting on the screen again. Optimus could have sworn he saw lubricant in his eyes. "I was wrong," he said shakily. "The Decepticons did know about her. After they captured us, they went and found her, too. They tortured her badly, in both mental and physical ways. I tried to rescue her once," he explained, and Optimus knew he was choking back a sob. "She was too terrified. Of all of us Cybertronians, no matter the affiliation. She doesn't remember me now." He looked down and closed his optic, gritting his denta and clenching his servos, even the mangled one, into fists.

Optimus knew he was fighting tears, and felt himself ready to cry a little as well. Optimus had never known about her, but he could tell that she meant something significant to Ratchet. The Prime then felt himself getting angry, but not at his friend. Would their torture never end? Just how much more could Megatron take from them? From his oldest friend? He felt his own servos turn into fists and his optics narrowed.

"Why do you not go speak to her now?" he asked gently, even though inside he was infuriated. "She seemed to want us to stay for a moment, when we were leaving."

Ratchet shook his helm and turned his back on the Prime. "I don't want to frighten her more... I'm afraid."

Optimus took a step cautiously, resting his servos on his friend's shoulder plates. "Afraid of what, old friend?"

It took the medic a minute to answer. "Afraid that she will never wish to see me again. That she will despise me for who I am, and what I couldn't do."

"What do you mean?"

"Her carrier. I can only imagine what the Decepticons did to her. Taylor was very close to her, and loved her dearly." He lifted his helm, staring up at the ceiling blankly. "What if when they tortured her mind, they told her that it was my doing?"

"That is just an assumption," Optimus assured him. "I believe you should go see her, old friend. I feel in my spark that she longs to see you."

Ratchet was silent for a little while longer, his optic gazing up at nothing as he thought. He eventually let out a shaky sigh, turning around and brushing Optimus' servos off. He stared at the floor for a few moments longer, before taking a deep vent and looking up at the Prime.

"Alright," he said quietly, looking defeated.

Optimus smiled at his friend again in assurance. "Do you wish for me to join you?"

The doctor pondered for a moment, before nodding once. "I want her to meet you."

The leader nodded back. "Then I shall go with you." He turned to the monitor and began to open a Bridge.

Ratchet took another shaky sigh as it opened. Optimus saw that he really was afraid, and probably praying that Taylor would accept him. Optimus stepped through first, Ratchet hesitantly following behind him. His optic widened as he stepped through.

Waiting for them at the cave was Taylor herself, tears staining her cheeks as she hugged herself.

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Yay, more Taylor!!! I really love my OC tho.

See ya next chapter!

*waves*

(Wow, I'm actually not so sad this chappy!)

Okay, actually leaving now.