Ratchet wondered around aimlessly through the halls of the Medical Corporation. His day was like all other days; taking care of wounded warriors and by-standers who get caught up in the battles. Ratchet always felt pity at the bottom of his spark for these poor mechs, these by-standers never meant to get involved until they were hit and put in the hospital. Ratchet can't count how many times he seen the same patients over and over again...many of them he found offline. Every now and again he would be a field medic. Recently he found a wounded scout whose voice box was brutally removed by Megatron himself.
Ratchet walked into the scouts room where he was just waking from a deep power down. The black and yellow mech was bandaged up and Ratchet personally stitiched certain parts of his shell. He was still surprise that the scout was still alive and has been calmed ever since he was found. The scout looked better than he did when Ratchet found him. His wounds were patched up, the dirt and dried energon was cleaned off, the little scout looked like he was going back to normal. Except for one thing.
"I assume you know about your voice box?" Ratchet asked picking up a tablet. The scout whired and beeped at him in a pleading yet bold he couldn't believe it yet he was trying to sound brave at the same time.
"We've tried every way to fix it, but it's just far too damaged to be fixed," Ratchet told the scout with pity in his voice. The scout looked down with sadness in his blue optics. Ratchet shook his head. Poor kid was one of the last generations to be created from the Allspark before it was casted out into space, now he has to live without hearing the sound of his own voice.
"Now now darling," Ratchet smiled at the sound of that voice. He always recognized that voice box. It reminded him of a stunningly gleaming stream flowing through the shores of Crystal City. "Let's not upset the brave warrior," She patted his shoulder and walked to the young scout. The bot was a femme with a gold and blue shell and a scope around her neck. She caressed the scout's face in a caring way and Ratchet could see the scout trying to hide his blushing.
"I wasn't trying to upset him Tailen," Ratchet assured, lowering the tablet,"I was simply telling him the truth,"
She smiled and looked at him. Her smile was so warm and loving that all Ratchet could do was smile back and restrain himself from kissing her. Tailen looked back at the scout.
"We will keep trying to find a way to fix your voice box young warrior," She said sympathetically,"For now it's best that you rest," she gently pushed the scout down on the medical berth and walked back to Ratchet,"Come, let him rest," Ratchet nodded and walked out of the room with her.
"Why do you insist on telling the truth so harshly?" She asked as soon as she closed the door.
"Why do you insist on babying the patients?" Ratchet teased taking her hand.
"I am not babying them," She stopped and placed her servos on her hips,"I am trying to be sympathetic. Much more than you ever could,"
"'Now now darling let's not upset the brave warrior?' Ow!" Ratchet teased and put up his arm as Tailen hit him hard.
"Do not use my words against me," she giggled and pushed Ratchet to the wall leaving her servos on his chest plate," You think you're a funny mech don't you?"
Ratchet took her servos,"I believe I am very funny," he leaned down and kissed her neck wires.
"Cut it out now," she giggled and pulled him off. Ratchet chuckled at her reaction. He loved it when she tried to be the dominant one.
"Come now," she said taking his servo,"We better head home. The daycare closes soon and I cannot afford to keep Kclayna there much longer,"
Ratchet allowed Tailen to live with him once she found out she was expecting a protoform egg. She had no where else to turn, she trusted no other bot. So Ratchet welcomed her into his house and her daughter. However he told himself that he could never father the sparkling. He wouldn't know where to begin. True he was there when Kclayna was born, and he was her doctor, but to be a father-bot was a whole different aspect.
Ratchet was always surprised every time he looked at Tailen and Kclayna; they always looked so much alike they could be considered sister-bots. Both were very close to each other; Kclayna would run screaming to her mother-bot and jump into her mother-bot's arms. Then she would wave excitedly at Ratchet who gave a friendly wave back. Kclayna couldn't wait to get home and nor could Tailen. True Ratchet was a medic, but he enjoyed the simple things in life. A small simple house with just enough room for a mech, a femme and her daughter. Ratchet turned one of his studies into a little bedroom/play area for Kclayna. Nearly everyday they would walk home and Kclayna would either be held by her mother or took Ratchet's servo. It felt awkward when she took his servo, he wondered if she saw him as her father. He hoped that she didn't, he still failed to see how he could father a sparkling born without a father-bot.
After a few hours after the returned home, it was time for Kclayna's power down.
"Kclayna powerdown time," Tailen said picking up her sleepy sparkling.
"Momma no," The little femme yawned and put her head on Tailen's shoulder.
"Say goodnight darling," Tailen said gently.
"Night Ratchy,"
"Good night Kclayna,"
Tailen open Kclayna's door and gently closed it. Ratchet took a spot on the bench and opened his study book. For about an hour he sat in the dimmed light and silence. He jumped in surprise when Tailen moved the book and sat on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cuddled up under his chin. Ratchet set the book down and wrapped his arms around her, keeping her close to him. He felt the warmth of her shell against his, the feel of her soft metallic shell against his was like a small sheet of new metallic sheet on his form.
She pulled her head away and he pulled her servo up to his lips and kissed the tip of each finger. Using her other servo she gently rubbed the side of his face and he snuggled up to her shoulder pad. Slowly he moved up to her neck and gently kissed her neck. Tailen let out a pleasant sigh as she welcomed the kisses that sent chills down her body. They would do this every night before going to power down. They would take advantage of this time to just be together Ratchet still remembered the first time he laid optics on her.
He was searching for an ingredient that was needed for a medicine he was working on. It took him awhile but he finally found one. Little did he know there was another bot on the hunt for the same ingredient. They didn't even notice each other until their servos bumped into each other as did their heads. Holding the spot on his head, he raised his head up and his body went numb. With the moons shine the femme ahead of him seemed to glow a heavenly glow. Ratchet felt numbed yet stunned at the sight of her. At his shock the femme smiled at him, the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. And by the look on her faceplate, she was feeling the same way.
"Ratchet?" Tailen asked bringing him back to reality.
"Hmm?" He replied not removing himself from her neck.
"Could you pause for a moment? I need to say something,"
Uh-oh, Ratchet thought to himself. Usually when she wants him to stop kissing her means she wants to have a big conversation that means serious business.
"The war is not going to end soon, you know that don't you?" She asked as Ratchet lifted his head and looked at her.
"Of course, everyone knows the isn't going to end anytime now. With the rate we're going I wouldn't be surprised that the war destroyed Cybertron"
"I don't want my daughter to be involved in this mess,"
"What choice does she have?" As much as Ratchet hated to say it, he knew he was right." The war will still be going on when she reaches of age to join the war,"
"I cannot let that happen, not to her," She looked away sticken with fear.
"Well...what can you do?"
Tailen went silent for a moment trying to come up with a plan to save her daughter's fate.
"THe only choice..."she paused, Ratchet could see the pain in her optics,"I will have to send her away once she reaches of age. Off planet,"
Ratchet jumped slightly in shock and shook his head," Send her off planet? Is that even possible?"
"I'm not sure, but I think it can be arranged,"
"With whom dear?"
"I don't know, I haven't thought that far yet,"
Ratchet knew that if any other bot were in the room they would have thought she was out of her processor. But Ratchet knew that she was thinking outside the cube. She's done this a multitude of times.
"And even before that I have to send her to that finishing school,"
Ratchet raised an metalic eye brow in confusion,"WHy do you have to send her there?"
"She can't stay at the daycare when she's over the age limit. The only place that will be safe and for her to get a proper education is to send her there,"
Ratchet didn't have to argue with that, he knew Kclayna would get the best education at that school. But to send her off planet before she reaches of age?
"Ratchet," Tailen looked at him again, this time restraining lubricants.
"What is it?" He asked caressing her faceplate.
"I need you to promise me something,"
"Anything,"
"Promise me, that if anything happened to me-"
"Nothing will ever happen to you,"He interrupted.
"But if it does-"She argued.
"Tailen-"She put her servo up to his lips as his cue to let her finish.
"The longer this war continues the more bots we lose and anyone can be next for death. And if I become one of them or if anything were to happen to me, I need you to promise me that you will find Kclayna and take care of her. I need you to promise me that you will leave this planet and look for her. Protect her, protect yourself, get yourself as far away from this war as possible. I need you to promise me that you will find her and take care of her. Promise me Ratchet,"
She removed her servo from Ratchet's lips yet Ratchet remained silent. He was stunned. The thought of losing her was something he never wanted to happen, he didn't know if he could live without already lost everything precious and dear to him that Tailen was the only good thing he got back. It was bad enough that she wanted to sent her daughter somewhere far off planet and now she's thinking of her death?
"Tailen, I will never ever let anything happen to you. Once this war is over, you and I will find Kclayna and take care of her, together,"
"I need you to promise me,"
"Tailen-"
"Ratchet!"
Ratchet let out an exasperate sigh. He knew that once Tailen had set her processor on something she'll stick to it. That's why Ratchet has never won any arguments against her.
"Oh fine, I promise if anything happened to you I will leave Cybertron and I promise to find Kclayna and I will take care of her. But I cannot be a father to her, there's no way she would ever accept me as her father-bot-"
Tailen wrapped her arms around Ratchet again. Ratchet could feel lubricants on his back, he could hear the sobs coming from her. Ratchet truly hurt for her. Tailen loved both him but at what cost? Losing both Ratchet and Kclayna? Risking her death?
Words were not spoken again between them, there was no need. All they needed was to lay optics on each other and all words were at lost. They didn't need to say the words, once they look at each other's optics they could see how much they love each other. To see the warmth in her optics, to feel the aura of her love for him, the softness of her shell. For Tailen, once she saw the birght blue optics that belonged to Ratchet, she knew he was the one. Unlike the others, she didn't see any sigh of grumpiness or bordum in his optics. In his optics she always saw a hidden kindness that he usually covered up with grumpiness, she saw the love and joy in those optics. She saw him in a way that on other bot could.