Episode: Darkness Rising, Part 4

Pairings: OptimusXRatchet

Summary: Ratchet reflects on his first combat experience in years.

The base was now almost completely empty, the only two occupants being Ratchet and Optimus. The kids were now home and Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee were all off on curbside duty. The old missile silo was completely void of any fleshy nuisances. No more screechy Earth instruments, no more irritating video game noises and no more having to watch where they stepped. Ratchet vented a sigh of relief. He could finally focus on his work.

But while Ratchet did indeed have time to work, his arm was still restricted it its brace, making it difficult to weld or do anything else besides type.

Ratchet wasn't used to not being able to do something within his own laboratory. He looked over at his injured arm. While he was underneath a pile of Terrorcons one had been hell-bent on pulling it off with his own dental plates. The medic squeezed his optics shut at the memory. Terrorcons. Never in a a thousand eons would he had ever dreamed that the war would come to this. That Megatron would stoop so disgustingly low.

Ratchet was so absorbed in thought he had stopped his typing and was now staring blankly on the green-tinted monitor, internally cringing at the mere notion of dark energon could have. Completely oblivious to the fact that Optimus had entered the main room, and was now standing behind him.

"Ratchet?" His old friend called to him. The red mech snapped out of his daze and turned to face Optimus.

"Hm..yes?"

Optimus raised an optic ridge. "Something is troubling you."

Ratchet blinked. Optimus knew him too well.

"I'm just...decompressing from today's events, is all." He turned back to face the monitor, determined to finish this encryption code before his body forced him into recharge. Optimus walked up behind the medic and placed a firm but gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I know today was not easy for you, old friend. It would have been draining, both emotionally and physically, even for the most experienced warrior."

Ratchet's fingered stiffened in their positions on the keyboard.

"I...never thought it would amount to this. Raising fallen warriors from the dead." He brought a hand to his helm and rubbed his optics. Another flash of being smothered by the Terrorcons. Wisps of gaseous dark energon stinging his optics as more and more of the undead piled on top of him.

"You fought valiantly, old friend. Arcee would be impressed."

Ratchet smiled. This is how he could tell that Optimus could knew he was upset. The Prime rarely ever used humor, but when he did it was only to console an upset Ratchet.

"Turns out I'm not that rusty." Ratchet turned to face Optimus and a rare, warm smile spread across his face. The rest of the Autobots could attempt to help, but Optimus was always the one who made him feel like he could really online every day and face this war.

Again his thoughts wandered to the horde of zombies crushing him. Just when he'd given up hope he heard Optimus' rushed footsteps hammering towards him. That moment when light finally cascaded down through the corpses and Optimus' face appeared...

Optimus now took Ratchet's hand, and cradled his damaged arm.

"I apologize. Had I known what we would be facing, I would have brought warriors that were more equipped to the battlefield, instead of the lab."

Ratchet stared up at Optimus's face, who was gazing down at his arm. His leader felt guilty. He always felt guilty.

The ambulance reached up and wrapped a servo around Optimus' neck, and brought his helm down to lightly rest on the crest of his.

"Well...I couldn't just leave you, Could I? You might have gotten your paint scratched."

Ratchet could feel Optimus' low rumble of a chuckle starting in his chest.

"Primus forbid."

Ratchet grinned successfully and kissed Optimus. As long as his leader was happy, he was happy.

Another perk of having the base to themselves, Ratchet though, was being able to openly show affection for his partner again. Not that the other bots didn't know or had any real problems with it, Ratchet just got mercilessly teased for it by Bulkhead and Bumblebee. And it's not considered tactful if your leader is seen making kissy faces at the team's medic all day.

They broke the kiss and Optimus slowly made his to the back corridors leading off from the main room, calling over his shoulder, "Don't stay up all night."

Ratchet turned back to the monitor and smirked triumphantly to himself.

"I'll be in shortly."