A World Beyond Our Own | TFP AU

12 || Happy

Taylor sighed, staring at the entrance of the den longingly. It had been a few days since Ratchet was punished and they had since been moved into a smaller den so that it would be easier to contain them. The only thing that mattered was that they were together instead of apart.

A growl from her stomach interrupted her thoughts and she groaned, lifting her head from Ratchet's flank so she could sit upright. "Ratchet?" She called softly.

"Mm?" Ratchet raised his head and blinked sleepily. He parted his jaws in a leisurely yawn before looking down at the tiny girl sitting by his side. "Yes, Taylor?"

"Do you think they're gonna give us food today?"

If he was being honest, Ratchet couldn't remember the last time they were given food from the Decepticons. He knew they wouldn't feed them every day, that was part of being a prisoner, but three days without food was pushing it. Especially for Taylor. He could go much longer without food or water than she could and he was worried that she'd become weak and malnourished as a result.

"We can only hope that Megatron intends on keeping you alive. If he does, then he will surely provide food when you need it." He said after a few moments of silence.

Taylor nodded, chewing on her lip as she brushed a few stray strands of hair out of her face. "What about you? You need food too."

"I can go for longer periods without food. You cannot. I prioritize your health over mine, especially because of how different your anatomy is."

"You're just saying that because you're a medic."

"Medics are supposed to care for others first before caring for themselves, aren't they?"

Taylor sheepishly looked away for a second, a bit of an embarrassed blush appearing on her cheeks as she tried to avoid his intense blue gaze. "Y-Yeah, I guess so..."

"Then you are my first priority. It is my duty to make sure you are healthy."

"Y'know," Taylor said, smiling a bit. "that reminds me of a saying that human doctors like to say a lot."

Ratchet tilted his head to the side, unsure of where this was going. "What is it?" He asked.

"They always say that they want to make sure we are 'happy and healthy'." Taylor replied, drawing patterns in the dirt with her finger.

For a moment, she was transported back into the human world. The smell of rubber gloves and lollipops, the constant chatter of the receptionists behind the front desk, and the occasional cough or scream of a little kid. While she wasn't very fond of the doctor's office, it was memories like those that made her feel alive, not just a spectator in a rapidly changing world.

Ratchet stayed silent, digesting what she had said and trying to decide how to respond. It was especially hard for him to express his emotions since he was so used to suppressing them.

"Well, I've done my best to keep you healthy..." He murmured, watching her draw in the dirt. "Have I.. made you happy?"

Taylor paused and looked up at him. Initially her expression gave off the idea that she was confused. However, the corners of her mouth curled up in a joyous smile that could light up an entire room if it was humanly possible. Without saying a word, she got to her feet and flung her arms around his neck as far as she could. When she began to slip, he quickly caught her with his paw and held her up there.

"I take that as a yes." He chuckled in amusement, carefully setting her down when she let go of his neck.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he bent down and gave her head an affectionate nuzzle with his snout that was similar to what he did with Smokescreen and Bumblebee. A deep rumbling noise that resembled a cat's purr rose in his throat, causing his scales to slightly vibrate. He curled around her protectively and allowed himself to relax, enjoying the moment while it lasted.

*
*
*

"You remember the plan, right?"

Ratchet scoffed, rolling his eyes. "This is absurd." He muttered, anxiously glancing at the den entrance as he waited for Taylor to get ready. "I could flatten you!"

"Well don't! I wanna get back to camp in one piece." Taylor retorted playfully. She crawled underneath Ratchet's underbelly and laid on her stomach so that she was as flat as possible. "Put on your acting face!"

"What does that even— never mind." Ratchet said with a groan, shaking his head. "I can't believe I'm doing this." He carefully crouched as low as he could without crushing Taylor, the soft skin of his underbelly brushing up against her small frame.

The point was to make it seem like she wasn't in the den when she actually was, but he wasn't sure if the Vehicons would buy it.

Sighing heavily, he commenced with their escape plan. "Taylor! Taylor no!" He hollered in fake shock, making sure the guards outside heard him.

When they came barreling into the room, he kept his composure.

"What's with all the noise, Autobot?" One of the Vehicons growled, flashing his fangs. With one quick glance around the room, he could see that Taylor was nowhere to be found. "Hey, where's the human?!"

Ratchet hesitated, forgetting what he was supposed to say until a small poke to his underbelly reminded him. "She ran out of the den! I couldn't stop her!" He cried, making a mental note that he needed to get back at Taylor for this.

"But we didn't see anything leave the den! How do we know you're not lying?" The second Vehicon challenged, taking a step forwards and hissing.

"Well, humans are pretty small. Maybe we missed her!" The first Vehicon said.

They exchanged fearful looks, their tails tucked between their legs.

"Lord Megatron will have our heads if we don't find her! Let's hurry! She won't get far!" The second Vehicon exclaimed, racing out of the den with the first Vehicon at his heels.

Once they were gone, Ratchet quickly stood up and winced when his joints ached in protest. "I'm too old for this..." He muttered to himself, stepping to the side so Taylor could stand up. "Alright, we don't have much time. Get on my back so I can carry you."

As Taylor brushed herself off and walked over to Ratchet, she couldn't help but snicker. "Did you really say 'I'm too old for this?'"

"Just get on!"