2. Charge (A TFP Fanfiction)

Chapter 11

Taylor

My eyes opened slowly, but my body woke slower. I sighed as I felt a small throb in my head and leg, but the wound on my lower stomach wasn't bothering me anymore. I sat up, rubbing my eyes tiredly, and took in my surroundings. I was laid out across the couch, my crutches leaning by my heels. I moaned sleepily as I turned my head, finding that it was hard to see everyone from the human area. None of the kids were here; I wondered if they were off with their guardians, since I didn't see any of them either. Indeed, it was only Optimus and Ratchet today, as far as I could see. The Autobot leader was at my guardian's side, discussing something that, by the tone of his voice, sounded very serious. Then again, his tone normally sounded that way. Yawning, I stretched the best I could without hurting myself, and found the headache leaving me. Ending the yawn through my nose, I swung my legs over the couch and took the crutches carelessly, the clatter catching the attention of the two conversing Autobots.

Optimus was the first to speak up, the corners of his derma flittering up ever so slightly. "Taylor. Did you sleep well enough?" he asked.

I nodded as I stood with my crutches. "Yeah, thanks. Feels good."

"Ep ep ep!" Ratchet scolded as I made my way towards them. "You really ought to stay resting."

I shrugged my shoulders, indicating I was fine. "It's fine, Ratchet. I don't feel anything right now. The stitches come off tomorrow and the cast next week."

Nevertheless, my guardian merely scoffed with another roll of his optics and hurried over to where I was hobbling. "You may use your leg when the cast is off. Until then, you were instructed to remain still most of the time to allow it to heal." He stopped and knelt over to where I had frozen, watching him with a silly smirk.

"Okay, okay," I sighed, raising my hands in surrender. "But it looks like you've trapped me in this spot," I joked with a tiny giggle.

He sighed, exasperated, and lowered his servo for me to step on. Beaming brightly, I used to my crutches to go forward only a couple steps before I left them on the floor and hobbled on one foot into his palm. He let me rest gently and comfortably before he lifted me up. He held me at his chest chassis, like he had done ever since I had gotten my injury, but I didn't want to stay there this time. We were supposed to be getting closer after all that had happened. I tapped his digits as he began to walk back, and he paused to glance down at me again.

"Can I sit up there?" I asked politely after an embarrassed pause. I did my best to keep my face straight as he thought it over. Finally, he seemed to give and raised his servo, allowing me to slip into my spot next to his shoulder pad. I grinned happily and got comfortable.

"So what were you two talking about earlier?" I asked, peeking over to the screen, but it was still out of sight. "Wondering where Wheeljack went?" I teased my guardian.

"After his reckless antics, I could care less where that Wrecker is," he groaned. 

I had only met the bot once, while the others had met him a long time ago, before I had arrived. Apparently, he and Bulk were best friends, which meant he and Miko got along well, too. From his behavior, I could tell he was a explode things first, ask questions later kind of guy. Something that did not fit very well with Optimus' kind of order and Ratchet's OCD. He had seemed nice enough, but offering to take me on a joyride after he had nearly blown up Bulkhead, himself and Optimus along the way, didn't seem like such a great idea. That, and once Ratchet got word of it, he blew up at the white mech just before he left. Which Wheeljack had only laughed at before he went to go "explore". All in all, he and Wheeljack didn't get along very well!

"A few different things we have observed, Taylor," Optimus told me as Ratchet stopped next to him at the console. The Prime was still looking at the screen, tapping away at something and pulling up a picture of a mech I hardly recognized. "For one thing, Knockout's assistant Breakdown has been off the radar for some time. We have not seen or heard from him in the past week."