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Ratchet wasn't one to listen to music, or, at least not like how others did. Whenever Bumblebee would blast his radio or Sari would play her CD player, he would either leave the room or tune down his audials if former couldn't be done.
He had been in the communication center, dealing with whatnot, before the lively voice of the two annoying youngsters came into the living area.
Ratchet simply glanced them once before turning back to the two huge monitor screens above. He was exhausted, but was doing a good job covering it with his grumpiness.
He had almost finished his duty anyways, just a little more then he could escape from whatever shenanigan those two were about to do.
Bumblebee sat down right next to where Sari had placed her old pink CD player and was trying to turn it on. Ever the "patient", Bumblebee spoke up, though too loudly from excitement.
"Do you think this old thing still works? It's not making a sound!"
Sari huffed and stood with her arms akimbo.
"It does! It only broke down once and it was because Sparkplug accidentally tripped on it! After my dad fixed it up it never broke down ever!"
With a click after making sure there was a CD inside, the CD player started playing an old pop music, possibly popular when Sari was little.
"Ah! I remember this!"
Sari giggled and started dancing, if anyone could even call it that, which was soon accompanied by Bumblebee after he started to like the song too.
It seemed that it was a mix CD. There were different types of songs inside, all different from each other. Some lively some slow. Some too loud, some too quiet. It didn't have a balance.
Ratchet had finished his duty on the monitors by then, before he saw the reflection of Prime walking towards him from the monitors and turned at the firetruck when he started speaking.
"I can take it from here, Ratchet. You should go rest. It's clear you need it... especially after yesterday."
Ratchet gave a grumpy groan at his words, and turned back to the screens. He was planning on leaving, yet Prime's words made him feel as if he needed to prove that he wasn't tired and that he could work just fine.
It was not until Prime placed his servo on his pauldron that he gave in with a sigh and lended his place to Prime, starting to walk towards his room in a rather quick pace just to be alone.
Just then, a song started to play on the CD, it was a slow one, obvious from the way the guitar was played by the group member. Though the lyrics were what made Ratchet suddenly halt in the middle of the base and pay attention.
"If you miss the train I'm on
You will know that I am gone
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles"
Ratchet's inordinary action wasn't noticed by those in the room, as they were all focused on something, yet Ratchet still continued to walk as to not raise suspicion, just slower than normal.
"Lord, I'm one, Lord, I'm two
Lord, I'm three, Lord, I'm four
Lord, I'm five hundred miles from my home"
Cybertron.
When he had reached to his room, he walked in, yet left the door ajar and increased the volume on his audial sensors. He glanced towards the empty room—not empty, in fact very untidy and crowded with both useless and important stuff, yet it felt so empty to him.
Empty, without her.
This crampy old room didn't have the good memories of her, of them. He could only remember the sour ones.
He glanced at the hologram on the corner of the room, it shined such brightly against the dark and scrapped room. Just like how she had been in his life, the only one his spark desired to spend the eternity with, and it had never changed, not once.
I will get you to safety, Arcee. I promise on my spark.
But did he?
"Not a shirt on my back
Not a penny to my name
Lord, I can't go a-home this a-way"
He missed Cybertron, he missed the life he had before the war, he missed a lot of stuff that he wouldn't admit out loud.
So he stayed quiet, closed off and often stayed in the dark.
He slowly walked towards and stared, not once had he spoken today, not that he wanted to. He lifted a digit and slowly touched the hologram, watching as the blue hue appeared on his servo.
Blue, blue like her optics.
The first time he had seen her, it wasn't in the war, the war was where they had met each other. He had seen her for the first time when Omega supreme was close to it's completion date. He had noticed her talking with Wheeljack as he himself was fixing up a hole with metal sheet.
And she was the prettiest femme he had laid optics on.
Oh what worlds he wouldn't give to see her again.
"This a-way, this a-way
This a-way, this a-way
Lord, I can't go a-home this a-way"
~•~
The air was hot, but it was supposed to be cold.
The bombs and fire had caused the weather to feel the complete opposite.
He was trapped between the enemy fire, trying to communicate with others yet the only voice he was receiving back was static. He felt...afraid.
He docked immediately when there was an explosion right next to him. He placed his servos on his audials from the noise, and shut his optics to protect them from the dust.
He didn't like fighting. He was a medic, he was supposed to heal, not cause more damage. His job was to heal those who were hurt. He didn't carry a sword or a gun.
Yet something would happen that would make him wish he had.
"Arcee?"
~•~
"If you miss the train I'm on
You will know that I am gone
You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles"
Ratchet watched in horror, rushing away from Sentinel who was probably yelling something at him, as Shockwave had kidnapped Arcee right in front of him. He had let him get away, it was his fault.
He should've done better.
~•~
"Ratchet?"
Ratchet blinked, then turned his helm towards the doorway. Sari was standing there with her usual childish (and slightly sheepish) smile on her face, holding the now broken CD player in her tiny hands.
"Do you think you can fix this...? Bumblebee accidentally tripped on it..."
Ratchet sighed and walked towards her, getting down on one knee to grab the CD player in his palm.
"Fine, just cuz it's from yer dads. Just don't let it happen again..."
Surprised, Sari stared at him for a couple seconds, not actually expecting him to accept so quickly, without explaining how much work he already had in his servos and how they broke things so easily.
Ratchet watched the small child hop away joyfully after handing him the broken device and slowly stood up again with a grunt, staring at the device. Perhaps if he could export that music to a cybertronian datapad...
~•~
They had done it, they had saved Cybertron and captured the Decepticons, but at the cost of their best friend.
True, not everything could be achieved without losing something, yet this was the way life went. You win some, you lose some.
The team had been cheered, awarded, then separated, almost. Not in literal sense, yet the way everyone was sent to a different duty so far away from each other made them impossible to reach out without having to communicate through commlinks.
The Autobot Elite Guard didn't need him anymore like they used to when he was much younger. He was now left to do what he wanted, aside from his medic duties in medbays, of course. Despite the age, he was still a very skilled medic in his field. One of the greatest, even.
He would have felt alone, if he hadn't already had someone with him who was also willing to spend time with him, happily. Finally, together. The way he had always wanted as.
He glanced towards Arcee, two of them had been standing on a balcony that belonged to the living quarters asserted to them. This was the life she— they needed. Calm and under the twin moons of Cybertron. Just them two, to never to be separated ever again, or, at least not like that.
He watched the twin moons with a glint of appreciation. The earth only had one moon, and it looked so alone, like how Ratchet was. But back on Cybertron, they were finally complete, just like the moons.
"... Hey, Arcee." He spoke up gently.
Arcee slowly turned towards him, her beauty impeccable.
"Yes, Ratchet?"
She answered back with the same tone.
Ratchet now turned to her fully, staring at the moons casting a soft glow on her faceplates.
"Want to...listen to an earth tune?