"If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete."

Honestly, it wasn't as bad as Pan had thought it would be.

Pan had stood blank-faced as Ratched shouted his frustrations at her. Basically telling her to think about her actions, and to make sure she didn't injure herself.

After Optimus had finally arrived back at base, calming his friend down(and telling the medic to go take a break) Pan finally got to tell her side of the story. Well, as best she could with it being written down and Wheeljack jumping a couple of times to add his parts.

After Pan rolled her eyes at the white mech for the ninth time, she finally had enough.

Throwing her rock climbing hammer at the wrecker, a loud clang sounded through the base; causing everyone to freeze and look at the silently pissed off Pan glaring at Wheeljack.

'Can you please shut up?' Pan note seemed almost polite, only her facial expression giving away how much annoyance was meant.

Wheeljack chuckled, "Sure sunshine," he teased, "You're like a mini-Hatchet."

Pan narrowed her eyes, holding her second climbing hammer up threateningly.

Wheeljack's optics widened as he shook his helm and servos, "No need for that!"

Pan smiled as she placed her climbing hammer back on her belt beside her other climbing equipment.

Wheeljack venting in relief, unknowingly with the rest of the Autobots(minus Optimus who merely shook his helm in amusement as he continued to compare the Medic and his charge), all of them being on the medic of doom's wrench side once or twice.

🛠️

"It's like a recurring nightmare," Ratchet groaned as he was fixing the monitor for the ground bridge.

The mech glared at Miko was playing her guitar in time to the music playing with Jack and Raf dancing along.

Pan stood off to the side, going through her bag and frowning when she blew the dust off a few of her belongings.

Ratchet would never admit it, but seeing her adorable face was spark-warming.

Bulkhead grinned as he turned to his wrecker friend, "Now that you're part of Team Prime, we need to pick out a vehicle mode for you," he said excitedly, "I have some ideas."

Wheeljack shifted back on his pad awkwardly, "Uh, about that, Bulk," he started, "Now that my ship's repaired, I'm itching to know what else I might find out there," Wheeljack admitted guilty at the crestfallen look on Bulkhead's faceplates.

Miko almost teleported in front of the two mech's, "Wait, you're leaving? Why?" she asked as Jack and Raf followed her.

Pan's head bolted up at Miko's question, a knowing smile drawing across her lips.

Bulkhead sighed before letting out a chuckle, "Oh, because some bots never change," he answered knowingly.

Optimus walked up, a small smile on his derma, "Wheeljack, know that you'll always have a haven here," he said. Wheeljack nodded to Optimus.

"Jackie never stays, but he always comes back," Bulkhead said giving his friend a one-armed hug before they fist bumped.

🛠️

"There's room for two, Bulk, even with a backside like yours," Wheeljack offered to his friend.

The four humans were standing beside Arcee and Bumblebee as they watched the two wreckers.

"Who knows who we might find out there. Some of the old crew?" Wheeljack continued hopefully.

Miko's face fell. Pan placed her hand on Miko's shoulder as Jack did the same in hopes of comforting her. Bulkhead seemed to think about it before turning to look at Miko who was looking at the ground sadly.

"Heh. Sounds like fun, Jackie," Bulkhead chuckled, before glancing back to his charge, "But my ties are here now with them, with her," He said.

Wheeljack nodded, a little sad about his friend's decision, before looking to Miko, "If anything happens to my favorite wrecker, I'm coming after you," he half teased, half promised Miko.

"I'll take good care of him," Miko vowed, bringing out her phone, "Now say 'Cheese'," she said as she took a picture of the two.

"Keep an optic out for this one," Wheeljack smirked, pointing his digit at Pan who huffed and poked her tongue out at him, "Don't want to see her dead if I come back again."

Jack grinned, "We will."

"Hopefully," Raf joked, smiling up at Pan who rolled her eyes at all of them.

Wheeljack grinned before heading inside the Jackhammer.

The four humans waved to the ship as it took off into space.

🛠️

Pan shifted anxiously as Ratchet drove.

The atmosphere in the medic's alt-mode was tense as feck.

Pan glanced up to look at Ratchet's steering wheel before her green eyes darted back down to watch her fumbled her hands nervously.

Ratchet's engine seemed to soften slightly, causing Pan's body to tense up slightly as he vented.

"Why didn't you even warn us?" Ratchet asked her finally.

Pan shrugged, her hair drifting in front of her face, hiding her expression from the bot.

Ratchet vented deeply again, trying to move his side mirror to see her expression to be blocked by a curtain of her hair.

Ratchet mentally groaned, "At least take care of yourself," He muttered, relooking over his scans of her.

Several bruises, her muscles were strained and were going to be painful later for her. She also had a shallow cut on her arm that looked like it was going to be fine.

Pan chuckled quietly, brushing back her hair as a small smile drawn on her lips.

Again, Ratchet was drawn back by how angelic she looked, before cursing himself for even thinking that.

Ratchet almost missed Pan's street, lost in his thoughts, causing Pan to blink to his steering wheel and tap his dash to bring him back to the present.

"Thanks," He said gruffly. Pan nodded. Her cute smile back on her face as she watched for her house.

Ratchet finally pulled up beside the Hammer household.

Pan grabbed her bag from the floor and sipped out as Ratchet opened the door for her. Pan "shut" the door and smiled her thanks before racing to her house.

If Ratchet could, he would have shaken his helm at her. Despite what he wanted to admit, he found the silent girl to be someone he cared for.

So with a heavy spark, he fled back to base. 

Here's Chapter Twenty Four.

There's going to be a lot of denial in this story(Ratchet!). And a lot of obliviousness(Pan!).

Omp, I finally got a job interview! Ekk! So nervous.
Wish me luck!

Hope you enjoyed!
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