Without a Word-a TFP Ratchet Guardian Fanfic (Completed)

Chapter 19

The GroundBridge didn't work.

I knew it wouldn't, it was folly and a desperate attempt to reach Cybertron.

On the bright side, we had gotten the coordinates to the Decepticon's SpaceBridge and seized it thanks to Starcream, even though patching him up was not at all pleasant.

I frowned at the memory of his whining, but I didn't say much about it, as he did give us the location to the spacebridge after I repaired him.

After all, we had Optimus back.

"Are you...certain I am worthy?"

"You have no idea."

"Optimus, it has truly been our darkest hour. But from all indication, your spark never ceased being that, of an Autobot."

I smiled a little, before being jolted out of my thoughts by Optimus.

"Ratchet? What are you doing?"

"Thinking," I replied, turning to him. "Did you need something?"

"I was hoping you could explain it to me again."

I nodded, proceeding to tell him about what had happened between Nurse Darby learning of our existence and Cassidy leaving Team Prime. Optimus had gotten those six weeks he had forgotten back thanks to Vector Sigma, but I had a feeling he didn't seem to trust his own memory and wanted me to tell him.

This was the third time, and I was growing impatient.

Cassidy's P.O.V.

You went to Cybertron?

My mouth hung open in shock as Jack nodded, sipping his chocolate milkshake.

It had been about two days since Ratchet and I last spoke, and Miko had insisted we all get together again. Jack offered to go out for lunch at K.O. drive-in, and here we were, all crowded in a small booth sipping milkshakes or eating cheeseburgers and fries.

"It was pretty cool, too. Arcee wasn't too happy in the beginning, though."

We talked openly as the diner wasn't very busy that day, nobody was really around and we had chosen the farthest booth from the cashier. It wasn't like she would notice us anyway; she was rapidly texting on her phone and looking pretty involved in a conversation. Even so, we kept our voices down.

"So what was Orion Pax like?" Raf asked Jack excitedly.

"He was...not Optimus. He asked if he was worthy before I gave him the matrix. And then he punched Megatron." Jack smiled at the last part.

"That is awesome," Miko muttered to herself in amazement. "So, did you have to go to the bathroom?"

We all gave Miko a look, and she only shrugged and smiled, before shoving a fry into her mouth.

"So Cassidy, what did you and Ratchet talk about?" she asked after swallowing, before reaching for another fry. I flipped to a page in my notebook after wiping the ketchup off my fingers with a napkin.

Nothing.

"Come on. It had to be something." Miko replied. "Ratchet yelled at me because I asked."

"He probably yelled at you because you kept asking," Jack replied, which made Miko roll her eyes.

"Whatever," I heard her mumble.

"But...I'm pretty sure all of us are curious," Raf said quietly, before taking a sip of his vanilla milkshake.

Fine. I exhaled softly, before starting to write. Our table was filled with an awkward silence for a while as the others waited for me to finish.

Nurse Darby led us to the same road we first met, and then left us alone. I told him I wasn't coming back, and he asked why Lillian was so important to me before telling me to forget it, and then he wasn't in the best of moods the rest of the time.

"I think we noticed that," Miko said, referring to the last part of my reply.

"It scared me, honestly," Raf replied. Jack shrugged.

"I wasn't there."

I only nodded, taking a bite out of my cheeseburger.

~~~

Okay, that had to be the shortest chapter yet, and the least detailed.

But...it just leads you a chapter closer to the end.

By the way, I have decided this book is going to end around 30 chapters.

Unless I get another plot idea before then. But I doubt that will happen.

Thanks for reading, guys!

-BP