Find Me (You Saved Me Series Book 3)

Panic

They walk through the ground bridge. Everyone else is already on the other side. Waiting for their return. Shelby is the last one to walk through, holding tightly to the small device. One that brings back so many memories. Well dream like memories. It had all felt so real while she was in the coma. She was sure the others would remember. She was really there and so were they. They all stand around watching her come to the center. She looks up at the group standing before her. A small smile playing on her lips, but she feels a part of her died along with Silas. 

"He's dead. It's over." She says loud and proud, pushing away the small feeling.

The room fills with cheers. Even Optimus has a smile on his face. Dreadwing walks up to her and places his servo in front of her. She carefully climbs on, and he raises her high in the air. The children jump for joy, minus Raf, and the Autobots shove their fists in the air. Shelby's smile only grows. That is one threat down. She can't help feeling relieved but saddened. She has killed people before, but that was in battle. Being shot at, the enemy running at her. This time the enemy was her own father and she killed him. Not with a fight. He was down and she took the shot. 

"I'd like to go lay down. I'm exhausted." She says after Dreadwing brings his servo down.

"I'll take you." 

"No, stay, celebrate." She feels the need to be alone. If only for a moment. 

"Are you sure?" He keeps her up to his face, looking her over. Maybe she had an injury he missed. 

"Yes, I'll be fine." 

He is reluctant but lowers her servo to the ground. She holds the device close to her chest and starts to walk away. That is until she is stopped. Bulkhead mentions Knockout showing up to the scene and what he gave her. 

"You brought something back that a Decepticon gave you?" Ratchet growls, stomping a few feet towards her. 

"It belongs to me." She says quietly, not looking to fight. 

"It could be a trap. I need to see it, check it for bugs. You should have never taken it." He holds his servo out for her to put it in. 

"Knockout wouldn't do that." She tries to argue.

"Knockout is a Decepticon. What about the word Decepticon don't you understand? Give it to me. They could already have our location already." 

Not wanting this to continue. She hands it over. The energy she had left is slowly leaving her. Without a word she turns back and leaves the bay. Her bed calling to her. Ratchet gets straight to work debugging the device. The others continue to celebrate, and Optimus goes back to decoding the Icon Database. With Silas being a problem, he hasn't been able to devote his time to it, but now, that is all he will do. 

The party dies down after the kids have to go home. Dreadwing makes his way to his and Shelby's shared room. He takes a breath before entering, hoping she is still awake. To his surprise, Shelby is curled up in her bed, sleeping restlessly. Her body tosses and turns. He frowns and he shifts to his holoform. He takes off his shoes and his jacket. Without trying to disturb her, he crawls into the bed with her. She doesn't wake, but as he wraps his muscular arms around her, she curls in tight. Her movements settling into him. He watches her for a moment before his eyes begin to droop. 

Even with Silas dead, he still plagues her mind. Shifting between her father as a human, torturing her to him as Breakdown, killing her brother. The way he had Dreadwing slung by cables, his body torn apart. His spark barely glowing, dimming more as the days went by. His mind being probed and prodded. Everything Silas ever did was for himself, and he could care less who he hurt. She remembers her childhood. How her father was there most of the time. He went to work but would be home almost every night. There were some weekends he would be gone to for work, but she never knew why. Now she wishes she never found out.