A World Beyond Our Own | TFP AU

26 || Friends

A/N: Just in case you don't know, the owner of Taylor (Obsession_go_BRRRR- ) has stated that she no longer ships her OC with Ratchet. I do not either. That being said, the relationship between Ratchet and Taylor in this book is strictly platonic. When I started A World Of Our Own, she still shipped them, so there may be parts that suggest a romance between the two. I just wanted to clear things up before I continued. Thanks for reading!
***

Taylor leaned back against Ratchet's flank as she enjoyed her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She couldn't remember the last time she had normal food, not that she didn't like the berries and fruits that Ratchet provided for her. She had been learning how to cook meat over an open fire before all of the chaos went down.

"Ratchet, is this truly necessary?" Optimus rumbled in what could've been interpreted as annoyance. He squinted his eyes as Ratchet rasped his tongue over his broad snout.

"Oh please, Optimus. You act like this is something new." Ratchet mumbled between licks.

Jack shifted his gaze from Ratchet to Taylor, an expression of confusion appearing on his face. "What's he doing?"

"Cleaning." Taylor replied cheerfully. She finished off her sandwich and brushed away the crumbs. "Their saliva has healing properties, so they lick their wounds to help them heal. That's what Ratchet told me."

"So why doesn't Optimus like it?" Jack inquired.

Taylor stifled a giggle and lowered her voice. "It reminds him of when he was young. Ratchet was the one who took care of him."

Jack looked dumbfounded. He turned towards Ratchet with a perplexed expression. "How old are you?"

Ratchet rolled his eyes. "Too old." He said.

As he withdrew from Optimus, his tongue flicked out a few more times to rid itself of any bits of scales or flesh before disappearing back into his mouth.

Taylor couldn't help but laugh. Ratchet was always bitter when it came to his age. Even she didn't truly know how old he was.

"Jack! Raf and Miko are here!" June's voice echoed across the yard, having come from an open window.

"Oh no, I forgot they were coming over!" Jack was on his feet in a second, frantically thinking of a solution.

"What's wrong? They're just your friends." Taylor raised an eyebrow.

"They've also never seen a giant dragon before." Jack said worriedly. "You guys need to hide!"

Ratchet seemed reluctant to abandon his comfortable resting place, especially while Taylor remained at his side. He simply laid his head down between his paws with a loud huff.

"I believe it would be beneficial if we met these friends of yours." Optimus stated, curling his tail around himself.

"Oh Jaaack!" A shrill voice split the air, followed by footsteps padded by the grass.

Jack let out an exasperated groan and hung his head. Why did he even bother?

Taylor pushed herself to her feet, eager to meet the newcomers. A girl with pigtails and a short boy with glasses rounded the corner of the house and entered the backyard. However, their approach was immediately halted once they spotted Ratchet and Optimus. Miko stared at them in awe, while Rafael adjusted his glasses and blinked in surprise.

"Are... are those..." Rafael began to say.

"Yes, we're real." Ratchet interrupted nonchalantly, blowing out a puff of air through his nostrils.

Miko practically shrieked at the top of her lungs. She ran over to Jack and grabbed him by the shoulders. "I told you they were real! You owe me a pack of sodas!"

All of the screaming was beginning to give Taylor a headache. Ratchet must've felt the same based on his unamused expression.

"You must be Jack's friends." Optimus caught their attention with a low rumble. "My name is Optimus Prime. This is Ratchet and our human friend, Taylor."

Taylor offered a little wave. "Nice to meet you guys!" She jumped in surprise when Miko suddenly rushed over and hooked her arm around her shoulders.

"You're friends with real dragons?! That's awesome!" She exclaimed.

Taylor chuckled softly, ignoring her steadily growing headache. "Yeah, it is pretty cool. Ratchet rescued me from a few Decepticons when I was lost in the forest."

Miko raised an eyebrow, obviously intrigued. "Decepticons? You mean there's more of these guys?"

Ratchet interrupted yet again by rising to his paws and shaking himself off. "There is no time to explain things all over again. We should be heading back to camp." He grumbled.

Taylor's expression deflated a bit. "But we just met!"

"Why the big rush?" Miko chimed in.

Ratchet eyed Optimus, then sighed heavily. "The longer we stay here, the more we risk attracting the Decepticons."

Optimus slowly rose to his paws, though one of his hind legs appeared to be lame based on how much weight he put on it. "I'm afraid I have to agree with Ratchet. We cannot afford to put you all in danger." His tail swayed behind him as he stood before the children.

Rafael hesitantly stepped up beside Miko. "What if we come with you? I'd like to learn more about your species since the textbooks aren't really accurate."

"Yeah!" Miko cheered. "We should totally come with!"

Meanwhile, Jack silently began to lose his mind. This was exactly why he didn't want them here. "Guys, are you nuts? We can't go with them! The Decepticons will tear us apart—literally!"

"And what about your parents? Surely they wouldn't want you wandering off into the wilderness." Ratchet said with a scowl, which earned a look from Taylor. He shook his head in response and grumbled something under his breath.

Taylor pursed her lip. Part of her wanted them to come so she wouldn't be the only human, but the other part of her wanted them to stay where it was safe.

After a brief internal conflict, she turned to Optimus for his opinion. "What do you think, Optimus?"

The Prime had been listening to the clamor between the children when Taylor spoke to him. He closed his eyes for a moment, then let out a soft sigh as he opened them. "It would do them well to learn a few things about our kind so their views are not twisted. We would keep them safe until we can return them home. I will only allow them to stay briefly."

Taylor's eyes lit up. "Oh, thank you, Optimus! You're the best!" She wrapped her arms around his thick foreleg in the tightest hug she could manage.

Having overheard their conversation, both Miko and Rafael cheered with joy while Jack and Ratchet shook their heads in disbelief.

Hopefully their parents didn't find out.