#transformers prime reader insert

You leaned forward in your car, squinting as if that would help you see through the haze of the white-out blizzard. The harsh, wintery scene on the other side of your windshield worsened by the minute.

In driving conditions that were so far below ideal, memories of a sunny day in Jasper played across your mind like a slideshow. You’d think it was some tropical vacation spot with the way you exhaled in a sigh that was just short of wistful as you struggled to keep the car in your lane. The nearest snowbank that lined the route seemed to be calling out to your vehicle, making it sway this way and that as the tires slid.

If you didn’t know any better, you’d suspect this rental car to be an undercover Decepticon trying to foil your travel plans back to the hotel.

Perhaps it hadn’t been the best idea venturing out at this hour in the evening, but you couldn’t dismiss the desperate need of comfort food any longer- to hole yourself up in the hotel room with it and watch some TV.

It was all a distraction. The truth was, you’d only been away from home for a few days on business, but the homesickness reigned when the sun went down. It was no longer kept at bay with tasks to keep you busy during daylight hours.

You missed the kids; Jack, Miko, and Raf. You missed Optimus and Bee. Bulkhead and Arcee. Ratchet...  Heck, even Fowler crossed your mind as you went down the list of faces you wanted to be surrounded by again.

When you’d first told the group that you’d be out of town for work, Optimus voiced his concern and suggested that a bot accompany you on the trip. You politely refused, telling him he should have all servos on deck in case of something major. There was rising suspicion about impending Decepticon activity.

Truth be told, a small part of you was wondering what it would be like to experience a few normal days without Autobots or Decepticons or the fate of the world at stake. Just a couple days of peace and quiet.

It didn’t come as easy to you as you imagined. The quiet in your hotel room each evening was deafening.

Which is why you would do just about anything to not be faced with it right away- including driving around in the middle of a blizzard with dinner bagged up and buckled into the passenger seat.

“I think there’s a turn here,” you said aloud to no one in particular. “Oh. Oh…No.” 

It all happened so quickly. The tires began to slide as you took the curve just a tad too fast, and the steering wheel resisted your attempts to correct. 

“No, no, no!” You shrieked as the entire vehicle skidded to the right and sailed straight into the ditch.

You sat there in shock for a moment, the entire world tilted to the right from where you sat in the slope of the ditch. “Oh, great,” you grumbled. “This is just great. I’m still miles from the hotel.”

Silence.

Sigh.

Your forehead rested against the steering wheel, and the only thing you could see was his faceplate. Those stunning bright blue optics that at times you swore could see right through you. He hadn’t said much after the announcement of your business trip, especially after you insisted that no autobots accompany you. He’d simply blinked at you, the gears turning behind them, and returned to his work with no comment or even a huff at the very least. 

All this happened simply because you’d wanted some time away from the life and death scenarios...Well, not so much. 

In reality, what you sought was just a few days without hearing the gruff voice belonging to that exasperated, fussing, scornful, selfless, painstakingly diligent, kind, and most loyal bot.

A humorless laugh escaped you in the car. What had you expected? His insistence on your protection? Ratchet was never one to utter protest if it meant he got to stay behind.

With the car running, you climbed out to better assess the situation. The headlights illuminated the chunks of snow that fell from the sky. You peered at the fender from beneath the hood of your coat. Fortunately, there didn’t appear to be any real damage. It was just a matter of getting the vehicle pulled out. You hurried back into the car, shuddering, and took out your phone to search for the nearest tow company.

Just when you were about to dial the number, a piercing ring sounded from your device as the screen lit up. Raf’s name was displayed, and you couldn’t help but smile as you answered.

“Hi Raf, what’s up?”

“Hi,” he greeted on the other end. “The bots are on a mission, so it’s a bit quiet around here. I just wanted to see how your trip was going!”

Your smile softened. What a sweetheart he was. And you’d be lying if hearing a familiar voice wasn’t exactly what you needed right there and then.

“Oh, it’s going,” you replied, peering out the window. “I, uh… I’m having a bit of car trouble.”

“Car trouble?”

“Yeah, I’m actually stuck in a ditch.”

“You’re stuck in a ditch?” Raf repeated loudly in disbelief, and you heard another familiar, gruff voice in the background.

“She what?”

You covered the phone mic to hide your stifled chuckle as something metal clanged to the floor on the other end. Once the commotion had settled, Raf spoke again.

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt at all, are you?”

“I’m fine,” you said. “A little worried about the rental car. It doesn’t look bad, but it’s hard to say how bad it is until it gets towed out. I’m out in the middle of nowhere.”

There was muffled talk, like Raf was repeating what you said to another. Then, there was that low voice from before again, saying,

“Tell her I’m coming.”

Then, you heard Raf’s voice again, clearly. “Hey, you still there? Ratchet says he’s coming to help.”

“It’s fine, really. There’s no need. I’m about to call a tow truck,” you rambled, panicking at the thought of the autobot medic leaving his post to deal with something so silly when you could handle it yourself.

You could picture Raf shaking his head. Once Ratchet made up his mind, there’d be no swaying it. “It’s too late, he’s locked onto your location and is activating the ground bridge now.”

A bright blue swirling light cut through the snowy darkness, growing in size until the orange and white autobot stepped through it, and then it closed behind him. His piercing optics shone beautifully as they immediately found you. You could hear the soft tic tic tic of snow clumps hitting the metal surface of Ratchet’s form.

You heaved a sigh and climbed out of the tilted vehicle once more, and Ratchet knelt down, one of his servos cupping around you as if to catch you if you stumbled.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked.

You nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. I wasn’t injured.”

He gave a sigh of relief before looking at the car. “You’re fortunate.”

“I suppose it could’ve been worse,” you conceded with a shiver.

Ratchet reached over to carefully lift the vehicle from the snowy ditch and set it back down on the road with ease. You approached it, avoiding his gaze as relief washed over you to see that it was all in one piece. His optics were narrowed as they surveyed the path ahead, and he scoffed.

“It’s no wonder this happened. These driving conditions are extremely hazardous.”

You gave a small shrug as if to say, “it is what it is,” and Ratchet eyed you. “I only have a few miles to go.”

“Not in this you don’t,” he replied, and you looked up at him in confusion. “Come back to Base for the night.” Before you could voice any protests, he continued, “I’ll groundbridge you back in the morning for work.”

Standing there, eyes traveling the length of the icy road before you as it faded away into the white out, Ratchet’s offer was beyond appealing. Your heart warmed at the notion of crashing on the Base couch for the night- as you had many times before. After this ordeal, you were exhausted, and falling asleep to the soft glow of the television on the loft with the sounds of keys typing and the clinking of test tubes in the background was what you wanted more than anything.

“Okay,” you agreed finally, and Ratchet lifted a servo to communicate with Raf- a request for a groundbridge. You got into the car and shut the door, lips pressed firmly together in a line as the luminous vortex appeared once more, and Ratchet stepped aside to let you through first.

You carefully drove through and found yourself smiling again as you found yourself in the middle of the Base. Ratchet’s heavy footsteps approached behind, and you got out of the car.

“Thank you.”

He merely gave a nod before heading back to his station, and Raf came running over.

“Hey! You okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s good. I guess I’m staying here tonight.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Later that evening, after feasting on your boxed dinner, you were all settled in comfy clothes, warm, safe, and sprawled out on the couch with a quilt covering your form. The other autobots had returned, and all the kids were taken home by their guardians. Even though the television was on, your full attention was on Ratchet in your peripheral. Aside from his usual grumbling about the others making noise before, he hadn’t said much. Despite having said, “thank you” when first returning to Base, something was amiss. It felt like there was more to be said, but what? You weren’t sure.

You turned, finally, to observe him without reservation. Resting your chin on the back of the couch, eyes following his enormous form as he moved between the computer and a table of experiments.

Ratchet returned to the computer and began typing again. Without looking up, he cleared his throat quietly and asked, “something on your mind?”

“Thank you for coming to make sure I was alright, for getting my car out of the ditch, and…for bringing me back here.”

He hummed in acknowledgement, and then paused, servo halted mid-type. “Things weren't the same.”

“Hm?” You shifted on the couch to tuck your knees under. 

“While you were away,” he clarified, his optics meeting your gaze. “This place wasn’t the same. I’m aware that you wished to take some time away, and I respected that. No matter how concerned I was that you were going unprotected.”

You smiled at his confession, and decided it was time to add your own. “I thought I wanted a few ‘normal’ days away from all this, but… as it turns out, it doesn’t sit well with me”

The corner of his mouth curled in a rare, roguish half-smile before shifting to grab a tool from his work bench. You were unable to take your eyes off him, wondering if you’d catch that expression on him again anytime soon.

“Y/n, really, Miko already tried. And Arcee, if Optimus sent you tell him I respect him big time, but if you’re at war with the Decepticons, there’s nothing I can do to help,” says Jack, turning around so his back faces us. 

“Optimus didn’t send me, and no one’s asking for your help,” says Arcee behind you.

 “Ok, so if we both agree that I’m not warrior material…” Jack trails off.

“Jack, just yesterday I followed you onto the Decepticon Warship because you were worried that Miko was in danger. You could have waited and called for backup, you probably should have anyway, but without even thinking you left the safety of the Autobot base to rescue her!” You exclaim.

“Well yeah, but we ended up getting captured, didn’t we?” Jack argues, facing you again.

“But we escaped. Jack, I watched as you saved all of our lives multiple times. In that room when the Decepticon was shooting at Raf, who tackled him out of the way so that he wouldn’t get shot? And in the hallway when that Decepticon head was about to squish Miko, who pulled her out of the way? And when that explosion knocked out my hearing, who grabbed my hand and led me to safety? Jack, you risked your life to protect ours. And you say you’re not warrior material?” You say, flinging out your hands for emphasis.

Jack frowns and rubs the back of his neck, looking at the ground.

“I didn’t want any of you guys to get hurt,” he says quietly, turning around and grabbing his bike. “Besides, I’m not a warrior. I didn’t ask for any of this to happen to me.” 

Jack mounts his bike and gets ready to leave. You bite your lip and mount Arcee, but before you leave you say, “Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing, Jack.”

You can see that it struck a nerve, because Jack hesitates; you can practically see his mind working over what you just said. He looks at you and you can tell that what you said works.

“Do you think anyone would be glad to see me back?” He asks with a small smile.

“I can think of a few people. Besides, I think Arcee really missed you,” you say, matching his smile.

“I’m right here you know,” says Arcee indignantly. 

You and Jack laugh and head to Jack’s home to drop off his bike. You get off and let Jack sit in the front of Arcee with you on the back. Smiling to yourself, you’re glad that Optimus was right, Jack could come back if he chose to. With a little convincing.

When you, Arcee, and Jack pull into the base, all the Autobots are facing the ground bridge, ready to go somewhere.

“Hey. Guess who’s back?” Asks Jack, pulling his white motorcycle helmet off.

“Autobots, prepare for departure,” says Optimus, ignoring Jack.

“Ouch, sounds like you’ve been missed,” you say to Jack teasingly, to which Jack responds by lightly punching your non-injured shoulder.

“Where too?” Asks Arcee, stepping forward.

“The final frontier!” Says Miko in a dramatic voice.

Your eyes widen and you inhale slightly. “Woah, you guys are going to space?”

“I thought they didn’t have a way to get there?” Asks Jack.

“They don’t, really,” says Raf, being lowered to the ground by Bumblebee.

You frown and look over to Cliffjumper, who is standing by Ratchets’ med bay. You jog over to him and he crouches down on one knee, wearing a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Hey y/n. So, space huh? Should be fun.”

“You better come back in one piece, Cliff,” you say and your frown deepens.

Ratchet said the ground bridge could transport the Autobots to anywhere on Earth, but what about outside of Earth? 

“Oh, don’t worry about me! Nothing’s going to happen to me,” says Cliffjumper.

“You don’t know that,” you say, looking away from Cliffjumper. “And this time, I won’t be hiding with a rock to throw at any Decepticons that want to mess with you.” 

Your brows crease with worry and unease, but Cliffjumper waves a dismissive hand. 

“You’re such a worrier! I’ll be fine y/n,” he says and you look up uncertainly at Cliffjumpers’ bright blue eyes. They are filled with determination and confidence, but you can see the anxiety he tucks away. 

“Besides,” adds Cliffjumper, “You can’t get rid of me that easily! You’re stuck with me—”

“For the long haul,” you finish, smiling at the frase that you and Cliffjumper had started saying to each other, and place your hand on his bright red arm. The metal was cool and patchy in some places, scuff marks showing signs of the many battles the bot had been in. 

“I guess I can’t get rid of you that easily,” you say and Cliffjumper winks at you.

“Cliffjumper, it is time to go,” Optimus says, standing next to the ground bridge that Ratchet has already powered up. Cliffjumper stands and nods to the tall bot.

“See you soon, Cliff,” you say. “Bring me back something cool.”

“Ya got it,” says Cliffjumper, walking over to the other Autobots.

The two parts of Optimus’ battle mask slide together and he yells, “Autobots, roll out!”

You watch as Cliffjumper transforms into his sleek Dodge Challenger and follows Optimus through the vortex of green and purple swirling light. And then the Autobots disappear into the light, transported to the stars. Ratchet closes the portal and mans his battle station, bringing up all of the Autobots’ signals on his computer monitor.

You walk over to Ratchet and silently climb up the ladder to the platform with the human sized computers. You reach the railing facing the medic and swing your legs over the bar so you can sit on the railing. Ratchet briefly glances over your direction before turning back   and promptly ignoring you. You aren’t bothered by this and instead turn to watch as Jack, Miko, and Raf start climbing the ladder behind you. They all find seats next to the computers and you turn back to listen intently to the comm chatter, but you can’t hear very well and start to worry. 

Did the Autobots make it through the ground bridge? Is Cliffjumper ok? What’s going on?

You didn’t know what was going on and you didn’t like it. You think you hear something so you lean closer to the computers, but quickly lose your balance. The cool metal railing skims your back and you let out a sharp intake of air as you start to fall through the air. A flash of white, orange, and silver fill your vision and you find yourself in the palm of Ratchet’s hand.

“Y/n! What were you doing? You need to be more careful! You could have gotten hurt if you fell,” Ratchet says sternly.

“I-I’m sorry, Ratchet. I couldn’t hear the comms and I was worried,” you mumble.

Ratchet stares at you a few moments before setting you gently back on the platform. 

“They made it through just fine.” 

Miko immediately asks if you are ok and you nod quickly as you release a deep breath and relief floods through you as you lean against the railing. You watch as Ratchet turns up the volume of the comm channel, and you can hear Optimus’ low voice speaking.

“Without the dish, Megatron will be unable to aim the space bridge towards Cybertron.”

“Don’t the Decepticons know where their own planet is?” Asks Raf.

“Naturally,” scoffs Ratchet, “but Cybertron is many light years away. To reach their target their aim must be astronomically precise.”

“Because if the Decepticons are even a few centimeters off, over that great of a distance it could be miles off, right?” You ask.

“That is correct, y/n,” Answers Ratchet.

“If Megatron went to the trouble of rendezvous with his space bridge, he must have an alternate targeting system,” says Optimus. “A remote one.”

“Hmph,” scoffs Ratchet. “From what I know of Earth’s technology, I doubt there exists a single radio telescope dish on this planet powerful enough to pinpoint Cybertron.”

“What about a whole bunch of linked radio telescope dishes?” Asks Raf, typing away on his laptop, and all eyes turn to the boy.

“Like that giant group of dishes in Texas?” You ask, picking up on what Raf is thinking.

“Ah ah ahh this is not child’s play!” Retorts Ratchet, leaning closer to you and Raf.

“Good thinking Raf and y/n,” Optimus says through the comms. “Ratchet, have Agent Fowler alert the array staff to the security hazard.”

Just then everyone looks to Agent Fowler who is laying in a medical bed. He sits up and yells to no one in particular, “Hey! Soldier! You’re out of uniform! Put on some pants,” and then slumps back down on the bed.

You at Ratchet share an incredulous look before he says, “That...may be a challenge.”

“Uh, my Dad works for the military. Maybe if someone logs into the network, they could pose as one of my Dad’s superiors and use their clearance to evacuate the security? But they'd have to bypass the firewall…all three of them,” you offer.

“That might work,” says Raf, although he looks unconvinced. “Can you get to the main website?”

You furrow your eyebrows in concentration and bite your lower lip, trying to remember the url address. You saw it a few times when your dad gave his mission reports. Nodding your head, you type in the address and work on getting past the firewalls. You type like a madman, but the code was a tricky one.

“Wait wait wait, you both know how to hack?” Asks Miko disbelievingly.

“I have a lot of free time,” you shrug.

But nothing you do seems to be working, and you sigh in frustration.

“Let me try, y/n,” offers Raf.

“Please, be my guest,” you say, hands gesturing to the laptop and standing back so Raf could work his magic. 

Two hackers are better than one, right?

He types furiously for a few minutes before shaking his head and saying, “I can’t get past the erase firewalls, they’re too thick!”

“I didn’t say it would be easy,” you mutter under your breath.

“You two, actually think you can keep the Decepticons out?” Asks Ratchet cautiously.

“Maybe. If we could get in,” Raf says. 

“Wait Raf, y/n, what if we could get you all the way in. Like, inside the building in?” Questions Jack.

“Of course! We wouldn’t have to bypass the firewalls because we would just be able to use the computers already in the building!” You exclaim.

“And then one of us could log into their internal network,” finishes Raf.

“This could work,” you murmur.

“The risk is too great, the Decepticons will be there. Perhaps even on site,” says Optimus from the comms, making Jack frown and step forward.

“Optimus, with all due respect you said it yourself, this is bigger than the safety of four humans.”

“Yeah, if we let the Decepticons win,” adds Miko, “we’re fragged along with everyone else on our planet.”

“Raf?” Asks Optimus.

You look over to Raf and he meets your gaze, nodding and then turning back to the computer.

“I want to give it a shot,” says Raf confidently.

“And y/n?” Asks Optimus.

“Let’s do it,” you grin.

“Then Ratchet, ready the ground bridge,” commands Optimus.

“Optimus, are you sure this is wise, leaving the fate of the planet to a bunch of children?”

Asks Ratchet, although he is already typing the coordinates into the ground bridge.

“They are the only chance we have in stopping Megatron from destroying Earth.” 

“You gotta have faith in us, Ratchet,” you say.

Ratchet hesitates for a moment, hand hovering over the lever to activate the ground bridge. You think you see a flash of an emotion cross over his face, one that you can’t place, but it clears as soon as it appears, before Ratchet pulls the lever. You watch as the ground bridge powers up and you are the first one to slide down the ladder. The other kids follow as you begin walking through the ground bridge, shivering as a strange sensation surrounds your body. It feels like your bones are shivering and you get that same feeling you get when you're on a roller coaster that’s going upside down. The ground bridge makes a constant whirring sound that makes the ringing in your ears increase tenfold. You plug your ears and step out of the portal, stepping into the hot, dry land of Texas. After a few minutes the ringing quiets down, but doesn’t go away entirely. 

Now that I think about it, that stupid ringing hasn’t gone away since I went to save Miko from the Decepticon Warship. I’ll have to talk to Ratchet about that.

“That’ll take some getting used to,” says Jack.

You agree but promptly fall silent as you notice the giant building in front of you with large radio telescope dishes lined up to the sides of the building and a barbed wire fence behind you. Stepping forward, you lead the others into the building and find the main computer room. You step aside and gesture for Raf to sit in front of the computer. 

He raises an eyebrow and you say, “You’re a slightly better hacker than me. Slightly.”

Raf nods and hops into the chair, stretching his fingers before typing on the keyboard. You lean on the edge of the desk with the computer, hovering next to Raf.

“Shall we play a game?” You joke and Raf snorts.

“I’m in the network,” he says with satisfaction.

You frown and add, “but so are the Decepticons.”

“How can you tell?” Jack asks you.

“See the schematics on the computer?” You point to the computer screen. “This is the same kind of math that we saw on the Decepticons ship.” 

“Only this time, we can download them,” Raf says while pulling out a flash drive.

“It’s got to be the space bridge,” Miko reasons.

“The Decepticons are sinking into the dishes, but I can sink to them,” says Raf.

“Will they know?” Asks Jack, leaning closer to the computer screen.

“Even if the Decepticons see that I’m in the system, they’ll have no idea that I’m in the house,” Raf explains.

“Look, the Decepticons are locking onto Cybertron,” you point to the computer again.

“Not for long,” says Raf, fingers flying over the keys. “Wait, the dishes are heading back towards Cybertron. I’ll just undo that again.”

“What happens when the Decepticons find out they’re being punked?” Asks Jack.

“Raf’s only cyber punking the Cons. You know, like when a bunch of people are fighting each other in video games,” you say.

“Yeah Jack,” Adds Miko, “what are the cons gonna do? They’re probably like a thousand miles away.”

Just then the door squeaks and you look behind you to see a weird black and purple colored tube-looking thing. The end that looks at you has a bunch of smaller hanging tentacle-like tubes. You gasp and the thing attacks you, grabbing you with its mouth and sending you flying across the room. Your back hits the wall and you slide down it, feeling dazed. You try to get up and have to dodge to the right as Jack and Miko get flung next to you. You are sure the tube belongs to a Decepticon, which you realize a few moments later is probably in the security building with you. The Decepticon then starts to attack Raf and he has to dodge out of the way as well. All of a sudden you hear Miko yelling and with a running leap pulls out a fire axe out of who knows where, and proceeds to take a swing at the Decepticon. She misses and the Decepticon knocks her against the wall, causing Miko to drop the axe. To your horor, the Con picks up the axe and brandishes it menacingly.

“You handed it an axe?” Yells Jack.

“No bueno,” you say flatly as the axe-wielding Decepticon raises the weapon. 

But then it retracts and takes the axe out of the room. 

“Come on come on!” You yell as you rush out of the room, following the Decepticon as it speeds down hallways. You don’t have time to look behind you to see if the others are following you but the slapping of shoes and the huffing of breath tell you they are. You slam up against a pair of double doors and frantically turn the door knob to reveal a tall black and purple Decepticon standing on the cross beams of the roof. The Decepticon turns around and looks at you with a black, smooth screen, and you can see your reflection in the blank face. Miko pulls out her flip phone and takes a picture of the Decepticon, but the Con also takes a picture of us. He then transforms into a plane and quickly flies away.

“Why is he leaving?” Asks Miko.

You look down to the mess of intertwined wires leading to different server hard drives and notice the fire axe that the Decepticon had taken from Miko. You crouch down next to the axe and say “He cut the hard drive wire. Cybertron is locked into the dishes. For good.”

“Surely there’s a way to unlock the dishes, right y/n?” Asks Jack, but you just shake your head sadly.

“There’s nothing we can do. The Autobots are on their own. We should ask Ratchet to bridge us back to base.”

The others nod and you call Ratchet to let him know what happened on your phone, walking out of the building to the place where you came in through the bridge. You walk through the ground bridge and back to base where Ratchet waits.

“The Decepticons may have a lock on Cybertron, but there is still a way to shut down the space bridge,” says Ratchet.

You and the other kids walk over to the platform next to Ratchets’ computers and climb the ladder, Raf sitting at one of the computers, Jack and Miko standing nearby, and you leaning up against the railing and watching Ratchet. You look past him and notice that Agent Fowler is awake and that he is walking over to the platform across from you. You turn your attention back to the computers and see that Ratchet has pulled up the planet Cybertron, which is facing a space bridge on one of the monitors and you can see a bunch of purple dots blinking on the screen.

“Uhh, Ratchet? What are those blinking purple lights?” You ask, watching as they get closer every second.

“Those are the Cybertronian warriors resurrected by Megatron,” states Ratchet as if it is obvious. 

“These things are getting closer. That’s bad, right?” Agent Fowler points out.

Ratchet pulls up a schematic of the space bridge and is able to lead Arcee, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead to a switch underneath the space bridge that could shut off the space bridge. Optimus, you found out, was currently locked in an epic duel with Megatron. You listen intently as Ratchet gives instructions to Arcee and you hold your breath as Arcee reverses the current of the space bridge power. You walk over to the railing that faces the ground bridge as Ratchet begins powering it up. The other kids stand next to you, Jack and Agent Fowler on your right and Miko and Raf on your left. You shift nervously from foot to foot, absentmindedly tapping a rhythm on the railing in front of you as you wait for the Autobots to walk through the portal. You wait and you wait and the time seems to stretch on and on for an eternity. 

“Do you…think they’re…” Raf starts.

Ratchet looks to his arm where the life forms of the Autobots are monitored and says, “Five life signals. One, very faint.”

Your eyes widen and a picture of Cliffjumpers’ lifeless form flashes through your mind.

No. No no no. Please please don’t be him. Don’t let it be Cliffjumper. It can’t be. It just can’t. PLease let him be ok. He has to come back to me.

Then a tall figure comes through the portal, and you are relieved to see that it’s Optimus. You can instantly tell that something is wrong, even though his metal face mask is still up. You make eye contact and stare at him for a moment, silently asking him a question.

Is everyone ok?

Optimus breaks eye contact as a second form appears through the ground bridge, Bulkhead. Miko yells his name and runs down the stairs, rushing over to where the large bot extends a hand which Miko gladly hugs. Raf and Jack run down the stairs to meet their guardians, but you don’t move and keep staring at Optimus, but he won’t look back in your direction. 

That’s not good.

A third form appears, black and yellow paint revealing Bumblebee. Raf’s face lights up and he rushes over to Bumblebee who kneels and makes a series of beeping noises to Raf. You wait anxiously, pulling your braided h/c hair over your shoulder and twist it around and around your finger. Just then you can make out an oddly shaped figure in the light of the portal and sharply inhale as Cliffjumper steps out of the portal, carrying Arcee, who is limp in his arms. The scene might have been romantic if it had not been for the dire circumstances. You also see that the leg that Cliffjumper had in a brace is leaking a strange blue liquid, and he is limping. You run down the stairs and rush over to Cliffjumper and Arcee.

“Arcee! Cliffjumper, what happened? Are you alright? Is Arcee going to be ok?”

Jack runs over to Arcee and stands next to you, worry etched in his face. You place your hand gently on the side of his shoulder.

“We’ve lost so much in this war, by the All Spark don’t let her be another,” Ratchet murmurs to himself.

Jack walks up to Arcee and places his hand in her palm. To your relief Arcee opens her eyes and weakly says “Jack, really? There are other motorcycles in the world.”

“But, you’re my first,” Jack says.

Cliffjumper puts Arcee down and kneels down next to you, but winces as his injured leg bends, his hand instinctively grabbing the injury. 

“Hey y/n,” he says a little hoarsely.

Your throat tightens and you place your small hand on Cliffjumpers’ large one, squeezing and looking up to your guardian.

“You weren’t worried about me were you?” Asks Cliffjumper, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, maybe. A little,” you frown. “What happened to your leg? You weren’t limping earlier. And what’s all that blue stuff? Are you going to be ok?”

“Woah, easy now. I’ll live. Besides, it’s nothing Doc can’t fix,” replies Cliffjumper coolly.

“Well? What happened? Which Con am I going to have to beat up?” You ask, punching your fist.

Cliffjumper snorts and says, “Yeah, I’m not sure you want to be fighting Megatron.”

“What?!” Your eyes widen and your mouth hangs open. “Megatron did that to you?”

“Shot me in the leg. Too bad he blew up, I wanna rematch,” Cliffjumper says as he shifts on his leg. He makes a hissing noise and his face grimaces. You look up at him with concern but he waves his hand and says “I’m fine, I’m fine. I’ve come back from plenty worse.”

You see that the blue liquid coming from Cliffjumper’s leg is flowing faster than it did before and you anxiously look around for Ratchet. 

“No, no, you’re hurt pretty bad. You need to see Ratchet,” you say worriedly.

“Oh come on, you’re overreacting! I don’t need Ratchet!” Cliffjumper insists but you remain unconvinced.

As if on cue, Ratchet turns around and comes over to where you and Cliffjumper are talking. Ratchet assesses Cliff's injury by scanning his leg with a beam of green light that turns red when scanning Cliffjumpers’ leg.

“Hm, you’ve lost a good amount of energon,” comments Ratchet.

“What’s energon?” You ask curiously.

“The fuel and lifeblood of all Autobots and Decepticons alike,” explains Optimus, startling you because you didn’t hear him walk over. “How are Cliffjumper’s injuries?”

“Yeah, will he be ok?” You ask Ratchet worriedly.

“Yes, he will be alright,” the medic replies impatiently. “But he must stay off of his leg, I suggest taking a break from being y/n’s guardian, at least until the wound heals completely.”

“What?!” You and Cliffjumper say at the same time.

“For how long?” You ask grimly.

“At least a few days,” replies Ratchet.

“Aw come on Doc!” Whines Cliffjumper.

“I believe that is for the best, Cliffjumper,” Optimus says.

“But what about Cliffjumper! Who’ll be my guardian?” You question, afraid of the answer.

“I’m her guardian!” Says Cliffjumper fiercely. “Y/n doesn’t need any other bot, I feel fine.” 

He transforms and does a few donuts around the base, much to the annoyance of Ratchet, before transforming back to his bot form.

“See? I’m fine! Don’t lock me up in here, I’ll go crazy,” says Cliffjumper determinedly.

“Ratchet, what do you think?” Asks Optimus.

Ratchet sighs loudly and pointedly looks at Cliffjumper before saying, “Fine! But if his injury gets any worse, I will pull him from being a guardian!” 

“Very well,” says Optimus. 

You notice Miko walk over and she stands next to you, looking up at Optimus and asking, “So, is this the part where you say goodbye and tell us we need to forget that we saw you?”

Optimus is silent for a moment before he answers. “Without a means of leaving this world, we Autobots take strength in the bonds we have forged with you four,” and for some reason Optimus looks directly at you. “Though we did not choose to be of Earth, it would seem that we are here to stay,” 

You look over at Cliffjumper and he smiles at you. You’ve only known Cliffjumper for a week, but after almost being shot at and killed with him, you feel like you’ve known Cliffjumper your whole life. You smile back and look over at Jack, Miko, and Raf, glad to have made such amazing friends, and something Optimus said rings in your head.

We Autobots take strength in the bonds we have forged.

***

You wave as Jack, Miko, and Raf leave the Autobot base to go home. Cliffjumper opens the passenger door and you slide into the seat, closing the door. You reach for the seatbelt but Cliffjumper says “I got it,” and buckles you in safely.

You smile and thank him as he drives through the tunnel and onto the road to take you home.

“Be honest, those donuts hurt a lot didn’t they?” You ask with a cocky grin.

“Pff I don’t know what you’re talking about,” says Cliffjumper.

“Oh come on, don’t be a hero about it,” you press.

“Well, ok. It hurt a little,” admits Cliffjumper, but you raise your eyebrow.

“Only a little bit?” You question and he sighs loudly.

“Ok fine! Yes, it hurt a lot. Happy?” Retorts Cliffjumper defensively.

“Sheesh, so sensitive,” you tease.

“Are you going to keep mocking me? Cause that walk to your house is a long one,” 

 “Alright, ok, I’m sorry,” you put your hands up. “You know, you should have let someone else drive me home. Like Ratchet, or Optimus, or I’m sure Jack could have dropped me off. You might be hurting your leg even more.”

“Let’s get one thing straight kid, I drive you home. Not Ratchet, not Optimus, me. Besides, Ratchet would probably kill you and Optimus would fill your head with useless quotes about leadership. From henceforth until forever, you will be driven home by yours truly,” states Cliffjumper defensively.

“From henceforth until forever? Aww, defensive and loyal. I’ve found quite the guardian,” you grin widely.

“Ugh, wipe that stupid grin off your face,” says Cliffjumper, but you can hear him chuckling quietly. 

“But don’t change the subject! Don’t think I haven’t forgotten about your injured leg, Cliffjumper,” you exclaim sternly.

“Scrap, I hoped you’d forgotten about that,” Cliffjumper mutters. 

“Yeah, nice try. You may be my guardian, but someone has to keep you safe and healthy,” you say.

“Ahh, but that’s Ratchet’s job!” Whines Cliffjumper. “I don’t need two people babying me. Ratchet’s bad enough as it is.”

“Do you actually listen to Ratchet?” You ask, already guessing the answer.

“Well, no. Not really,” admits Cliffjumper.

“That’s what I thought,” you reply. “Besides, how am I supposed to be stuck with you for the long haul if you’ve bled to death or you're missing a leg and can’t drive anymore?”

“You sound just like Ratchet,” complains Cliffjumper.

“Is he wrong?” You ask, but he doesn’t respond. “He sounds just as concerned for you as I am.” 

“Actually, I think you’re worse than Ratchet, which is worrying,” Cliffjumper says seriously, but you know he’s teasing you.

All too soon you see your house through the windshield and Cliffjumper pulls up to the curb that’s across from your house. You notice that it has the perfect view through your window, and you can see your bedroom lit up by the setting sun. Slowly you reach over to unclip your seatbelt, wishing this time you spend with Cliffjumper could last forever. Once again the image of Cliffjumper’s lifeless body lying somewhere flashes through your head, and you shake your head to get the thought out.

“You alright?” Cliffjumper asks.

You don’t answer right away, instead turning your head to look at the sun set. The sky seems to burst with color, blues, pinks, purples, oranges and yellows fading into each other. The golden rays of the sun filter through Cliffjumpers window and warm your bare skin. It was beautiful, and you took a deep breath before answering Cliffjumper.

“W-what if…it was you, instead of Arcee?” You ask timidly. “What if you got hurt? I was able to help you when those Cons tried to kill you when we first met, but I won’t always be able to protect you. I-I-I can’t…if you got hurt really bad…I mean…”

You looked down to where your hands were clasped tightly in your lap.

“Hey,” says Cliffjumper firmly but gently. “You don’t need to protect me. I’m the one that protects you, got it? The Decepticons tried to hurt you, but I’m not going to let that happen again. I will protect you, and I will protect your home. Understand?”

You nod and look at Cliffjumper’s radio. “It’s your home too,” 

“What?” He asks.

“The Decepticons destroyed your home, Cybertron, right? So now this is your home. With us humans, with me,” you say.

“Hmm,” Cliffjumper hums in thought. “You know, when I first came to Earth, I wasn’t so sure. I lost a lot during the War for Cybertron; friends, family, my home. But then I met you, and everything changed. Now I have a new friend, and a new home.”

“Oh, now you’re getting sentimental. Megatron really dinged you up, huh?” You joke.

“You started it.”

“Oh, real mature Cliffjumper.”

“You know, I think your parents are probably wondering where you are.”

“Nah, I’m sure they’re not worried.”

You open the door and step out of the car, walking to the front and placing your hand on Cliffjumpers’ hood, right next to the broken metal bull horn.

“Please be careful when you drive me to school tomorrow. Don’t overdo yourself, if you need to rest your leg please let me know,” you say with concern.

“Yes Ratchet, I’ll be careful,” Cliffjumper says.

“Mock me all you want, I’m serious,” you pat his hood affectionately. “Please promise me that you’ll be ok.” 

“I promise you that nothing will ever happen to me. You’re stuck with me for the long haul, remember?”

“Good, because if something does happen to you I’ll never let you hear the end of it!”

Cliffjumper laughs and you can hear the smile in his voice as he says “Good night y/n.”

“G’night. I’ll see you tomorrow,” you respond.

“Sleep well,” Cliffjumper says warmly.

“You too, Cliff,” 

You turn around and walk into your house, smiling to yourself as you close the front door behind you. 

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