Third Person Perspective

>~<•>~<

"You just completely fainted today in gym! What do you mean you're fine?!" Jack practically shouted as the, now, five humans walked up the stairs. Jack seemed to be fuming, Raf had a worried expression on his face, though he hung back, obviously not liking the fighting, Miko was taking lead up the stairs, keeping an eye behind her ready to jump in at any moment, and (Y/n) was trying to keep herself straight, holding Percy's hand as she listened to Jack's scolding.

"I mean I'm fine. It's not the end of the world. I'm not hurt or anything, just tired." (Y/n) answered, gently squeezing her brother's hand who seemed upset about the scolding Jack was giving her. She set Percy down on the couch and stood tall, arms crossed, her tired eyes gazing at Jack.

"You can't just faint and 'be fine' (Y/n)!" Jack scoffed, arms crossed, despite his hands flying around only a second ago. The twos quarrel caught the attention of the bots at base. Ratchet, Bulkhead, and Optimus. The five had group tripped over in Bulkhead.

"Yes I can, I'm just tired. A bruise isn't the end of the world for me. I'm sorry I scared you, but I'm fine." (Y/n) replied, she sounded like she was trying so hard to stay calm. Her voice was like glass that was about to shatter.

"You keep saying that, but you don't show it! You fainted! Just collapsed unexpectedly and was in the nurses office for 3 hours! How is that fine?!" Jack retorted, Miko was trying to get a word in, but Jack's suddenly loud voice kept drowning her out.

"Can you stop?! I said I'm sorry, so drop it!" (Y/n) snapped back. Percy shifted uncomfortably in his seat, Raf looked uncomfortable, Miko huffed and her gaze dropped, the bots looked at one another, confused and worried.

"No I'm not going to drop it (Y/n)! We care about you and every time we try to help you push us away!"

"Because I'm not comfortable with talking about it! I'd think as my friend you'd understand that, but you obviously don't!" (Y/n) had tears in her eyes by now. She hated her emotions for getting the best of her. She hated how this was happening in front of everyone.

Why couldn't the world just stop for a second. Stop turning and have time freeze. That wasn't possible though. And the look in Jack's eyes will never be erased from her mind. He looked hurt. She had just accused him of being a terrible friend. A terrible friend for caring about her. He wasn't a terrible friend. He was a great friend. But she just couldn't open up in fear they were going to do something, to her, or Percy.

Her eyes wandered around. Her brother and Raf cowering, upset, on the couch, Miko looking a little defeated. Jack— she couldn't bare look at him again, the bots: they looked confused, they didn't know what was going on after all. She could feel the worry radiating off the metal bodies. (Y/n) dropped her head and walked away, quickly. She needed to leave this area so she could calm down.

Miko had given her a tour of the base when Percy wasn't with them. So she just left to another area of the base, leaving everyone confused and worried and Miko calling out for her to come back. Jack was pissed though and just sat on the couch and went onto his phone as a distraction.

"What just happened?" Bulkhead asked, entirely dumbfounded of the scene that just played out before them. He had somewhat overheard them arguing in the car, but it had only gotten louder when they'd entered the base.

"Well... earlier today (Y/n) fainted. Someone had to take her to the nurses office. All three of us were there when it happened. Jack completely freaked out and when you came to pick us up... me and Raf were just trying to figure out what happened when (Y/n) and Jack started arguing." Miko explained.

"She worked 11 hours straight and came to school anyway." Jack added, a growl in his voice.

"She said she was sorry Jack, why couldn't you leave it at that?" Raf asked, a bitter tone in his voice and a deep frown on his lips.

"Because all she says is sorry. And clearly 'Sorry' makes no difference. She's never going to change, despite it being for her own good." Jack scoffed.

"She told us she's not comfortable, she's only really known us for a few months. Whatever it is, is personal, we should respect that. I'm not happy about her overworking herself, but there's nothing we can do about it." Raf shrugged.

"You should hold more faith in your friends decisions Jack, maybe they might seem reckless to you, but they could be thoroughly thought out." Optimus commented, adding more to what Raf has said.

"Yeah Jack. You have no idea how long it took for me and Wheeljack to actually open up to each other. It's your job to be her friend and be there for her. Just keep holding out for her and when the time comes, she'll come to you." Bulkhead added with a heartwarming smile.

Ratchet watched as the humans calmed down. He felt it best to bite his glossa and keep his thoughts to himself. He walked away from the group, going to find (Y/n). Though he didn't particularly care for the humans presence, he also did, very much, care; he'd never admit that though.

Their new addition was no different. A well disciplined child who is a caring, hard working sister. He'd keep his theories of her to himself, clearly having observed that (Y/n) wouldn't react well to them. Ratchet couldn't blame her though, it was, as Rafael had said, personal.

It didn't take long to find (Y/n). She hadn't made it far and didn't make much effort to go terribly far. She sat in the doorway of the energon stock. Of course Miko had shown her the glowing blue cubes, but she didn't know how to get into the room like Miko did, so she just sat there.

"Please, I don't want another scolding..." The girl spoke to Ratchet, knowing he was right there and had been looking for her. The bot paused and shook his head with a sigh.

"I'm not here to scold you." Ratchet said, looking down at the small girl. (Y/n) looked up at him, her eyes red and tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Then why are you here?" She asked, a whimper in her voice. Ratchet took a second to sit down and he examined her.

"I wanted to make sure you were ok. Jack said you worked 11 hours and went to school. So you've pretty much been up for 17+ hours with only a few hours of sleep."

"Sounds accurate..." (Y/n) mumbled, curling into herself, releasing a small sob within her action. Ratchet frowned a little and set the data pad he had on his lap and hooked it up with his scanner.

"Would you mind standing momentarily? I need to scan you." Ratchet asked. He then watched as the girl sighed and stood up, keeping her arms loose at her sides and her head down. Ratchet did a quick scan and looked at the information that was now on the data pads screen. "You have an injury on your left side and a scar on your right."

(Y/n) suddenly tensed, wondering how he knew that and what exactly that thing scanned. She also wondered if it showed her smaller injuries.

"H-How'd you find that out?" She asked, trying not to just completely panic.

"I picked it up on my scanner. I haven't looked a whole lot into human things, but just enough to scan the humans when they run out on missions to make sure they're ok. Is the bruise from falling?" Ratchet explained before quickly going back to the main topic at hand.

"Yeah, it doesn't hurt much though. I think I slept through most of the beginning pains." (Y/n) cooperated with Ratchet. It's not like he was asking anything personal, just about the situation that had happened. He was a medic after all and maybe he cared more than he let on.

"If you'd like some ice for your bruise, let me know." Ratchet commented, then took another look at the information. He decided not to ask about the scar, considering it was old. "You just need some rest and then you'll be fine. I can't say much mentally, but physically, besides the bruise, you're fine."

"Thanks Ratchet..." (Y/n) said, her tears had stopped and her frown turned into a small smile. He then stood back up.

"I'll leave you alone then. Come back when you're ready, I think everyone has calmed down." He said before leaving (Y/n) to her own thoughts once more.

Arriving back to the others, Optimus looked at him as if he knew he went to check up on (Y/n). Optimus knew his friend well and despite being the grumpy person Ratchet is, he knew that he had a soft spot for some. In this case, it was (Y/n).

"How is she?" He asked, looking down at Ratchet as he set the data pad to the side.

"Physically, she's fine, just a bruise from falling. She needs some rest and she'll be fine." Ratchet said, he saw, out of the corner of his optic, Optimus nod before turning around to leave. "Where are you going?"

"Contact me if anything happens." He said before going into the hall to find (Y/n).

(Y/n) had just gotten up when she saw the leader walking down the hall. Maybe she got an easy ride back to the others?

"Hey Optimus." (Y/n) called up to the metal giant. Optimus saw the girl and knelt down.

"Hello (Y/n). I was hoping you'd accommodate me on a drive." Optimus said, examining the girl below him. (Y/n) paused before agreeing.

"Sure." She replied. Optimus nodded before transforming. The passenger door opened and she got in. They then left the base. (Y/n) texted Percy to assure him she'd be back and that she's ok.

Percy had a phone, he just didn't use it often. He didn't like it a lot. Percy responded anyways that it was ok and that he and Miko were hanging out anyway.

"So why'd you want me to come with you?" (Y/n) asked, hoping he wasn't going to be the one to scold her.

"I have a question." Optimus stated. (Y/n) sighed and nodded, waiting for the question. "Why did you make the decision to work so late that you lost time to rest?"

(Y/n) sighed and smiled. She felt tears return to her eyes. She remembered yesterday's and today's shifts. It was hard. A group of people had quit, so she felt obligated to stay and help. She had been promised an extra two days off with a full two days of work pay. So basically a paid leave.

"I did it for my boss. A group of people quit suddenly during our busiest times. He promised a two day paid leave if I helped. I took it knowing the risk of passing out later. But I wanted to spend more time with everyone. I thought they would be happy to hear I got two extra days off, but then I passed out. And now I just made things worse..." (Y/n)'s smile turned into a frown. Every decision she seemed to make seemed to end badly.

"You had good intentions, but you should've at least taken the day off of school if you knew you were going to faint." Optimus inquired.

"No I couldn't have done that... I've already failed senior year two times, I'm not failing again." (Y/n) said, holding a concept that was trying to overcome previous defeat.

"Why did you fail the last two times?" He asked, his curiosity returning.

"The same reason I fainted. I had to work. But I lived in a more expensive area before, in an expensive house. I used to work two jobs. I barely had time or energy for school." She huffed brushing her hair back and leaning against the door. "That's why I moved here. Small town, cheaper, and the business I worked for had a place here and gave me a raise for moving here. Now I can focus more on school and get a second job in the summer and keep everything at a steady pace."

"It's nice that you're doing better than before." Optimus tried to comment, not exactly relating. He knew life was sort of easy for him before the war. Things were almost completely okay back then.

"Thank you for listening Optimus, but I really shouldn't burden you anymore about my past." She mumbled, closing her eyes, the pain of the previous situation returning.

"You are not any burden to me, (Y/n). Everyone faces trials. If you need—"

"Don't. Please... don't." (Y/n) pulled her knees to her chest and rested her forehead against them. She didn't want to hear that. She'd caused enough problems by accepting that offer and not using it.

Optimus went silent, realizing that that's all she wanted right now. He figured it'd be best if he let it go. He shouldn't put so much pressure on her either way. If she wasn't comfortable, she wasn't comfortable.

<~>•<~>

The next day Jack and (Y/n) seemed to have come to terms with each other. No more arguing between them and everyone got along as before. It was strange, to say the least. It seemed like both humans were going to be butting heads for the next few weeks, but that didn't happen.

"So how did you two make up?" Arcee asked, while (Y/n) was busy working on homework with Raf and Percy. Jack looked at (Y/n) then Arcee.

"She explained some things." Jack said, a hint of pity in his voice.

"Like what?"

"I promised not to say."