His Spark, Her Soul

Chapter 9

Victoria sat up abruptly and rolled over, off of the couch, gasping out loudly as she grabbed her stomach. It felt as if she had just been punched. Her body shook as her knees and free hand met with the cold metal of the platform. It hurts! Why does it hurts so bad!? Victoria slowly rose to a sitting position and carefully raised her tank top, revealing a giant black and blue bruise. She tried to breathe as shallow as she could, her ribs began to ache. "Victoria, are you alright?" Ratchet asked softly. He had been up wandering the hallway as he had trouble sleeping since revealing his dark past; hearing her sharp gasp and decided to check on her. She quickly put down her shirt and stood to lean against the railing as he walked towards her. "I'm fine, how are you?" She asked him trying to grit through her new found pain. He narrowed his optics slightly, her voice sounded different, "I just wanted to make sure you were sleeping alright on the couch." "Oh..." She groaned out before covering it up with a quick "-yes! Sleeping just fine but I decided to wake up, I guess." It was hard to make up an excuse as her midsection was screaming out in pain at her. Ratchet nodded slowly before he turned slightly, "Well then, I will bid you good night." "Good night, Rat-!" Victoria started before letting out a painful hiss. Ratchet turned to her, "Is something wrong?" Victoria nodded quickly, now her left side was pulsing. It felt like fire had crawled under her skin! "Please, help." Ratchet carefully moved Victoria back to the couch before he sat down on the base floor. A person appeared next to Victoria and she nearly screamed with fright. "Calm down, it's just me." Ratchet's voice came out of this man's mouth and Victoria frowned, "Ratchet? You're human?" "No." The man walked over to her and carefully laid her down on the couch, "It's called a holoform." He raised her shirt so he could examine her stomach. "It's a mix between a hologram and a form solid enough to make contact with every day things. I've been working on it recently to blend in better with your species." Victoria just listened to this man talk as his oddly warm hands embraced her midsection gently, yet with precise movement. He was dressed in an grey turtleneck with a white lab coat over it. His hair was long. The white braid that dawned an orange stripe rested against his right shoulder. The white sideburns stopped on his jaw line that aligned with his mouth. His face made him look about mid 60s. And his eyes were the familiar piercing cyan that all the Autobots had. "When did you start this project?" She asked him as she looked him up and down, shocked, still taking in his new form. "The day before you arrived." He answered her as he began to press harder against her ribs to make sure nothing was broken. "It's been almost a couple of months-!" She hissed, her hands grabbing at his, "Ratchet, that hurts!" Throwing her head back slightly against the couch arm. "I know it hurts but I need to make sure nothing is broken under the skin. It looks like you picked a fight with someone much stronger than you." He waited for her pain to pass before he went back to checking her ribs. "I know, but I didn't. I woke like this." She admitted to him. He pulled his hand back from her and carefully returned her shirt back over her body, "You woke up with these?" He sat down on the coffee table. "Yes." Victoria answered and then slowly sat up to face him, "I have never woke up with this big of a bruise." "Your ribs are not broken but you will be sore for a few weeks." He commented and straightened his back as he tried to understand this sudden issue. He looked her over before he leaned forward slightly, "With this big of a bruise?" Victoria looked down, realizing she had accidentally outed herself. "Victoria." His voice was stern. She let out a small breath, "They suddenly started appearing after I arrived in America. It was something that I didn't want to bring up to anyone as I assumed that they would just go away." "Is it the prescription you're taking?" He questioned, remembering her grabbing the bottle and taking some pills throughout the days. "No, those are for...my night terrors." Victoria whispered, staring down at her feet in the darkened room. The only light was from the small nightlight tht was plugged in under the TV. "Nightmares?"
"Nightmares that always involve me dying and then I wake in an uncontrollable panic. I couldn't sleep properly for years."
"Involve you dying?"
Victoria looked up at Ratchet, he seemed curious about her. Maybe to forget his own problems. Miko had briefly explained Ratchet's past life on Cybertron and how he lost his lover as well as explaining the war that brought them to Earth.
"Ratchet, can I be honest with you?" He gave her a curt nod.
"I'm not a high school student. I'm actually 33 years old and I have just been transferred here awaiting to meet with Agent Fowler, but as you know he has been very busy and I doubt he has time to talk to me when morning comes." She spilled her truth, "My night terrors always involve me being in some sort of fight. I can't see anyone but it's hard to breathe." She makes a motion like she gasping for air to show him, "Then mumbled words make their way to my ears and I shout something in return followed by a shooting pain in my chest which wakes me." Ratchet looks at Victoria. It had been a couple of months since she arrived at Jasper, Nevada. For some odd reason he felt a pull towards her. To protect and care for the young woman, which was shocking to say at least. He had managed to form a bond with her during the nights that she would sleep on the couch, awaiting Agent Fowler to arrive and help her. He was frightened. The feelings were the same he felt around Níki. Was he falling in love again? Was he falling in love with a human? Was he capable of loving anything the way he loved Níki? Every question struck fear within his spark. He didn't want the answers. Loving her meant losing Níki. Loving meant he could lose everything. No! He wouldn't give in. No matter how much his spark fluttered around her, he didn't care. He didn't want to open up. But what if things get better? What if they are meant to be in some weird way? What if she can heal him? What if she can make the ache in his spark stop? What ifs could mean anything. "Shooting pain in your chest? Have you had it checked out by a doctor?" Even though his mind raced with a million questions, he remained calm. "No." She replied sheepishly. He stood and suddenly a stethoscope appeared around his neck, "Let me listen." She nodded as he put the smaller pieces in his ears and then the round flat part against her chest, listening for any change of rhythm. Victoria stared forward at his chest, her face beginning to flush. She hadn't admitted all of her truth. She had a crush on Ratchet since they first met. Her heart began to beat faster and she squeezed her eyes shut.
Be still my beating heart!
"You're heart's racing."
"I'm a little nervous."
"Nervous?"
She glanced up at him, her heart was beating a bit faster now. "Vict-?" Ratchet was cut off when warm but wet lips met with his. Before he could say a word, Victoria had backed up and stared at him with pure horror, "I am so sorry!" He blinked a couple of times but his mind was blank. "I had the strongest urge to kiss you!" She explained, covering her mouth. It was clear that she was horrified by her own actions. "You kissed me?" Ratchet uttered. That's what kissing was? That's what it felt like? It was over so fast he couldn't tell if he hated it or not. "Could you do that again?"

At the Nemesis, Níki woke up and stared at the ceiling. What was this warm feeling in her spark? She stood and went to find Knockout. He was a doctor after all and could explain it.
She wandered down the dark halls until she made her way inside the medical bay, "Knockout? You in here?" "Over here Doll," Knockout's voice came from around a corner and found the red mech standing next to the giant leader. Megatron.
He towered over her.
He always spoke harshly that made her gears grind. Something about him made her feel weak. Made her shake with fear.
But also filled her with a stranger amount of rage.
"I have just been telling our Lord about the plan to take down Optimus." Knockout explained, "Did you need something?" Níki glanced at Megatron before looking back at Knockout, "Just wondering when we were going to execute the plan?" It had been over two human months since her training began and she was more than ready to fight. More than ready for the answers to all of her questions.
"We strike tomorrow night." Knockout gave her a smug grin before she simply nodded and left. She'd tell him about her spark feeling later.