When All Lights Go Out I (TFP)

Chapter 32

The doors of her room open and Azura saw Optimus, Ratchet and Bumblebee entering her room. Azura barely paid attention to them as she was sobbing hysterically. She held the unicorn plush against her face to try and keep her tears from staining her face, but it likely would not matter. She felt familiar hands pick her up from the berth and was brought close to his chassis. Azura was quick to bury her face into his chassis as she sobbed and held onto the plush tightly for additional comfort. Optimus rubbed her back gently to comfort her as best as he could.

Bumblebee looked at Azura sadly before looking at Ratchet. "You did not tell her a weird or scary story before she went into recharge, did you?"

Ratchet looked at Bee in surprise at the accusation. "Are you seriously asking me that?" The scout nodded and Ratchet shook his head affirmatively. "I did not tell her anything of the sort. I only told her stories from my past, and nothing from my past has anything remotely nightmarish." He looked at Azura as his expression softened. "Azura might have simply had a nightmare of something else."

"It matters not if you had told her a story with frightening details," Optimus said to the two autobots as he kept his attention on Azura. "She had a nightmare, and that is the only detail I care about."

Ratchet was glad that Optimus was more concerned about Azura's tears than he was about why she had a nightmare. He was still worried about what she had dreamed about. It was the first time she had woken up screaming since she has been here. Ratchet was glad that Optimus and Bumblebee had only just returned when she woke up, as he didn't know if he would even be able to calm her down like Optimus could.

But Azura was still sobbing hysterically and she was trembling against his chassis. Optimus knew that it didn't matter if he didn't know what she had dreamed of, he would be there to comfort her. He said nothing for the time being as he held her, allowing her to hear the pulse of his spark within his chassis.

"I might check over Bumblebee while you stay with Azura," Ratchet said softly, gesturing to the door as he knew he was of no help. "I am afraid I'm of no help for the moment, unless I bring her hot chocolate."

"I think checking Bumblebee's system is a good idea, Ratchet," Optimus said to the medic gently. "There isn't much you can do here."

"Are you sure?" Bumblebee asked as he stepped forward. "Hey, Azura..." The girl flinched hearing Bee speak to him. "Nightmares are pretty scary, aren't they? Whenever I have them, sometimes I wake up with my blasters ready to shoot someone." She still didn't react to him as she listened, and Optimus knew Bee was trying to make her laugh. "That doesn't happen all the time, of course...but..."

"I am sure she appreciates your efforts to make her laugh, Bee," Optimus said to the scout kindly, turning his head to look at the bot with a smile. "But I'll handle Azura. She needs to be given time to calm down."

"Hopefully she won't be terribly tired when you take to her to school," Ratchet said gently, placing a hand on Bee's shoulder. "Come, Bumblebee. Let's get you checked over." Bumblebee nodded as he turned to leave the room. Ratchet looked at Azura with a smile, even though she had her face buried into Optimus's chassis. "One good thing about nightmares, Azura, is that they will never hurt you outside of your dreams."

Azura heard Ratchet and she did not respond. If only he knew what she had just learned. Azura felt so...she didn't know how to feel. She was extremely upset to learn that she and Megatron were related. She had accepted she only had one parent, but it didn't occur to her she had another. And that parent happened to be the decepticon leader. This was going to be one information she was going to struggle accepting. And she didn't even know how she was ever going to bring up the topic to Optimus and Ratchet. Alpha Trion said Optimus didn't know, and she believed him.