Namesake

Namesake - Eleven

          "So that's the spark chamber, over there's the energon tanks, next to it are the hydraulics and depending on the 'bot the weapons' lines are either above or below them?" Ratchet smiled at her.

"Exactly. Now, for example..." Alice spent hours with Ratchet and Mikaela on weekends. Ratchet taught them as much as he could, the two soaking up his instructions like sponges. It was summer, so it was easier for Alice to split her time between the 'bots. When school came it would be harder, but Alice didn't care. The 'bots were worth it. After her morning with Ratchet, Alice had decided to hang out with Optimus, sneaking into his office while her twins stayed with her parents for the rest of the day.

"Good afternoon Optimus!" The dozing bot jerked, sending a datapad flying. Luckily he caught it, before setting it down on the desk and looking over fondly at Alice.

"Good afternoon Alice." She grinned at him, walking closer across the Autobot sized desk.

"Paperwork gets to the best us, I suppose. Any headway on that Diego Garcia situation?" Optimus' optics brightened, the tell tale signs of happiness lining his faceplates.

"The islands are ours, as well as several large locations spread out across the United States." Alice's grinned widened.

"My Uncle Rob is great, no?" Optimus only smiled. The leader of the 'bots offered her a servo, to which she carefully stepped onto. Optimus brought his servo to his shoulder plate, where Alice stepped off like she usually did. Sitting down and leaning against his neck, the older teen let Optimus' warmth and sparkpulse lull her to sleep. It was definitely one of her most favourite things to do.

          Alice awoke with her heart in her mouth and the last vestiges of a horrified scream escaping her throat. Her stomach lurched and rolled, her forehead slick.

"Alice?" She took in a deep ragged breath.

"I'm okay. Just... nightmares." She closed her eyes, feeling Optimus scoop her gently off his shoulder.

"I think it is much more than just that," Optimus ventured. Alice lifted her lids. Wiping her brow, her breath stalled in her throat at the sight of the luminescent liquid.

"Oh geez, now I'm sweating the stuff too?" She groaned and wiped it on her shorts.

"What do you mean by that Alice?" The older teen sighed, having been hoping to not have to deal with this until much later.

"'Bomb and Steel have been feeding off this stuff for a while now. At first I thought it only happened when they were hungry and only from my fingertips. Guess I was wrong." Optimus hummed.

"So this is not a new occurrence." Alice shook her head.

"No."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Alice looked away.

"No one should have to deal with my problems." She replied honestly. The air filled with an uncomfortable silence, Optimus' frame tensing visibly.

"Why... Why would you think that Alice?" The blonde didn't bother censoring her response.

"People had had to deal with my problems up until I was nine. I wasn't blind. I'm still not. They were visibly more stressed and exhausted then they would've been if I hadn't been one big mess of problems. When I was finally able to take care of myself, I decided that I wouldn't bother the people I care about with them." Abruptly they were moving, Optimus standing quickly.

"We're going to see Ratchet." Alice didn't get a chance to protest, Optimus walking down the corridors with long, powerful strides. They were soon in the temporary medbay. With a grunt, Optimus plopped her on a berth. Within seconds Ratchet was out of his office and standing next to Optimus.

"Oh Alice," Ratchet sighed. She said nothing, not thinking their was a single thing wrong with her or her line of thinking. Alice felt the tell tale shivers of scans going through her. Minutes later Ratchet took a step back.

"Well Alice, looks like you've become a miniature energon generator. Nothing harmful." Alice looked up at Ratchet, comprehension slowly dawning on her.

"You mean the stuff that is like literally your life blood?"

"Yes."

"The stuff that is usually poisonous and corrosive to humans?"

". . .Yes."

"And it's not harmful?"

"When produced by you, no." Alice sighed.

"Yay. I get to sweat glowy blue stuff," she raised her hand and pointed, circling her pointer finger, "Whoo." The two 'bots chuckled at her reaction. It was pretty typical for her.

"Indeed."