Lost memories Part 9

"It was her. She was there on that day." Tailgate said in shock as he reopened his optics.

"I knew it." Fowler said.

"I can't believe it. She tricked me. And I fell for it." Tailgate seethed in anger as he hit the berth with his fist.

"We all did. Especially me. This never would've happened if I didn't get caught." Arcee said with her gritted dentas as she gripped her arm.

"We all fell for it, Arcee. You're not the only one." Cliffjumper said as he put a servo on her shoulder.

"What do you mean you guys fell for it?" Tailgate asked him in confusion and concern.

"Because when Arcee was captured, Airachnid had told her that you were… dead." Cliffjumper said as he gripped his other servo. He was gonna make Airachnid pay for the trauma she put Arcee in.

"She did? Why?" He asked in disbelief and worry.

"To get information. Back then, our team had received coordinates for an attack on enemy territory. She thought I knew the coordinates. That's why she told me you were dead. It was part of a sick trick to make me talk. She knew that no matter what she did, I wouldn't talk. If I had known that you were still alive, I would've searched all over Cybertron to bring you back." Arcee explained as she had to stop the tears from welling up.

"As would I." Cliffjumper agreed.

"How did you find out about all of this?" Tailgate asked. He wanted to know how they found out that he was still alive.

"The base scanners had detected an energy source emanating from an abandoned factory in Siberia. A Decepticon beacon to be precise. The beacon came from the Stasis Cell. The one in which you were locked in. We suspected that you were inside the Decepticon ship called the Harbinger. When the ship was about to crash on the planet, someone on board had sent your Stasis Pod into the surface. That would explain how you landed in Siberia. By accessing the data of the Harbinger's wreckage, we were able to figure out who was put inside that Stasis Cell. That's how we found out you were still alive." Ratchet explained to him. Tailgate felt grateful that they were able to help him but he was still confused about one thing.

"How long was I… in stasis?" He asked Ratchet.

"Long enough for them to make you their prisoner." Ratchet told him before he turned to his partner.

"Arcee, you said that you were captured. How did you escape?" He asked her as she looked at him before looking at Bumblebee and Cliffjumper with thankfulness in her optics.

"I didn't. Cliffjumper and Bumblebee came to save me." Arcee said.

"After I lost contact with you, I tried looking for you both. We only found her." Cliffjumper said.

"After we got captured, Cliffjumper had located my position." Arcee explained.

"When we got there, you were nowhere to be found. Arcee told me you were dead. I didn't want to believe it. I had spent several weeks looking for any sign that you were still alive. But then I had come to the conclusion that you were truly dead. I'm sorry I gave up on you. I should've kept looking." Cliffjumper said as he regretted not continuing searching for him.

"It's okay. I don't blame you. You couldn't know." Tailgate reassured him with a smile.

"Maybe not. But what we do know is that we're going to make Airachnid pay for what she did." Arcee said with anger directed to the spider femme but Tailgate stopped her.

"No, vengeance won't help us. I don't want you to risk your life like that." Tailgate told her as she sighed before looking at him.

"Hmm. You may not have recovered your full memory. Yet you're always protecting me." Arcee said with her usual grin.

"Guess old habits don't go away that easy." Tailgate said with a smirk.

When Cliffjumper saw how both he and Arcee were smiling at each other, he felt sad yet happy as things were going back to the way they were as his expression didn't go unnoticed by Emily and Bumblebee.

"Welcome back with the good guys. With you on our side, we might get a chance to give those cons a good beating." Wheeljack said with a grin.

"Now you're talking." Bulkhead laughs.

"Yeah!" Smokescreen cheered as Bumblebee whirred in agreement but Ratchet stopped them before they could celebrate.

"Yep, yep, yep, hold on an astro second here. The patient needs his rest. So there won't be any fight against the Decepticons until I say so." Ratchet told them sternly.

"The kids are right. You need to learn how to chill." Smokescreen said with a grin and got a snicker from Miko.

"Oh burn." Miko snickered.

"Oh for Primus' sake." Ratchet grumbled as he covered his face plates.

"So I guess this means we have a new member." Jack said.

"That hasn't happened in quite a while." Raf said as he was pretty excited about getting to know Tailgate more.

"Oh my gosh, that's right. We have a new member. Huge party tonight!" Miko let out a whoop.

"Whoa easy there, Miko." Emily said as she watched Miko.

"Too late for that." Fowler said with a chuckle.

"We have a new member! We have a new member! Well, Tailgate, since you're now part of the team. I officially want to welcome you to Team Prime. And I hope that you can help us in our fight against Megatron and the Decepticons." Miko said excitedly with a grin.

While everyone was happy to celebrate the arrival of a new member on Team Prime however Tailgate didn't seem to share that same happiness as everyone.

"No. I can't stay here." Tailgate said as everyone stopped what they were doing.

"What do you mean you can't stay here? Of course you can." Cliffjumper said as he and everyone looked in disbelief.

"I can't and I won't. I will not fight with you guys." Tailgate said with a shake of his helm.

"He's joking right?" Smokescreen asked in disbelief.

Cliffjumper was too shocked but he just covered it up with a forced smile.

"Of course he is. My twin brother has a huge sense of humor. That was a really good one, brother. Very hilarious." Cliffjumper forced out a laugh but Tailgate just crossed his arms.

"I'm not kidding." He said in a serious tone.

"Right, right. Isn't he funny?" Cliffjumper said in denial.

"Is this for real?" Jack asked in disbelief yet pity.

"I'd rather not know." Emily said sadly from her position on Optimus' shoulder.

"This is so heartbreaking. Cliffjumper can't face the truth." Miko said as she couldn't help but feel sorry.

"That's sad." Raf said quietly.

"Makes it even sadder to be the one to watch this." Agent Fowler as he was feeling sorry for Cliffjumper.

"Let me tell you something, guys. You haven't lived until you've heard the Energon Slug story. Come on, brother, tell them about your famous joke." Cliffjumper said but it sounded like he was desperate.

"Okay, first off, I can't tell you guys about that Inargon or onergan or whatever it was because I don't remember. And second, I'm not joking. I'm being very serious. I'm not staying here, and I won't help you out in this war. I can't." Tailgate told them all with a serious look in his optics.

"What's wrong, big horns? Are you scared?" Wheeljack challenged him while taking a step forward.

"Wheeljack, try to be more understandable. Tailgate is recovering from a very traumatic experience. Now I'm sure that all he needs is a good rest to clear his mind." Ratchet told him as he stood in front of Tailgate.

"I don't need to rest to clear my mind. I'm fine and I've made up my mind. If you guys don't want to accept, that's your problem. But I won't fight with you guys." Tailgate told them as he looked away.

"Whoa, back up. You mean you're quitting the Autobots?" Smokescreen took a step back from shock at this.

"Yes, I am." Tailgate said while not meeting their eyes and optics.

Tailgate's decision had shocked everyone to their very spark. Optimus, who was in control of his emotions, was shocked too even though he didn't express it like the others.

"That's one huge crusher. And nothing worse for the band to see someone quitting the band." Miko said with a deflated look

"Well, will you look at that? Mister big horns lost his cool and now he's scared to get his paint dirty. That's one way to thank us for saving his tailpipe from that ugly eight legged freak. If you ask me, the new guy is a bit ungrateful." Wheeljack mocked but this seemed to snap everyone out of their shock as Cliffjumper turned to him with an angry look in his optics.

"Excuse me. What did you just say?" Cliffjumper asked in a calm yet angered tone.

"I said that he is ungrateful. Not to mention a coward." Wheeljack added as this angered Cliffjumper.

"You better take that back. No one talks about my brother like that." Cliffjumper said as he clenched his servos in anger.

"Why don't you come here and make me?" Wheeljack challenged him as Arcee stood beside Cliffjumper.

"What gives you the right to judge him? You don't know him like we do!" Arcee exclaimed angrily as the kids, Fowler, Bumblebee, Smokescreen, Bulkhead, Ratchet and Optimus all knew that an argument would break out.

"No, but I know he's a coward." Wheeljack argued.

"You better take that back before I start kicking your tailpipe!" Cliffjumper exclaimed angrily.

Bulkhead quickly stood between Wheeljack, Arcee and Cliffjumper as he tried to stop them from fighting each other as Bumblebee and Smokescreen got in to help him.

"Calm down, Jackie." Bulkhead said as he held Wheeljack back.

"Take it easy, guys." Smokescreen said as he and Bumblebee held Arcee and Cliffjumper back as Bumblebee whirred and beeped for them to calm down.

"Stop it, guys, there's no need to fight between us." Emily said as Optimus set her down via his servo as she approached them all.

"Tell him that. He's the one who started it." Wheeljack said as he and Cliffjumper sent each other glares.

"You're the one who started this whole thing by insulting my brother." Cliffjumper gritted his dentas.

"Hey, chill out, you guys. There's no need for all this fuzz." Miko said as Tailgate put a servo on Cliffjumper's shoulder.

"It's alright, Cliffjumper. I don't mind what he said." Tailgate said as Cliffjumper looked at him in disbelief.

"You don't? How could you say that?! He called you a coward and an ungrateful guy? And you're gonna take that?!" Cliffjumper exclaimed in disbelief but Tailgate held up a servo to stop him.

"I'm not, because I'm not a coward. Think about it? Is it cowardly to step back from a fight? And choose a better life rather than killing your own species and destroying a whole world? The Decepticons may have caused the war and Cybetron's destruction but you Autobots have your share of guilt. You had a lot to do with our home's state. And now you guys are here fighting on this planet, risking the lives of the humans who live on it. Take that girl for example. She risked her own life to save us. Ever thought of what would happen if she never came back? Or if something bad happened to her friends? We already lost one world. If you ask me, this war is not worth putting another one in danger. So forget it, I won't fight with the Autobots. I already lost too much because of it." Tailgate said calmly but he was feeling a little stressed.

"Tailgate, I get that it's hard for you right now. But you can't give up on us like that. The cons surpass us everyday that comes by. If we don't stop them now, all that we will be fighting for would be lost." Arcee tried to reason with him.

"Not that you wouldn't understand because you were in stasis." Wheeljack said as Arcee gave him a glare.

"Keep talking and you're about to get some dents." Arcee warned him as Bulkhead stopped them.

"Calm down, guys." Bulkhead said as Wheeljack scoffed.

"No way I'm calming down, Bulk. That guy wants to bail and no one here wants to do something about it." Wheeljack said as he looked away.

"Uncle Jackie, we have to try and be understandable." Emily said as she looked at him.

"I don't mean to take sides or anything but I agree with Tailgate." Smokescreen suddenly said as everyone turned to him.

"What, really?" Miko asked as he nodded.

"Yes, because I too was in stasis. Long before I had my first battle, I was a guard. When I joined the Autobots, I wanted to fight for Cybertron. Be part of something great. Now that I am part of something great. It took me a long time but I finally had my chance but… when I saw that I wasn't on Cybertron, it was hard. It made me realize that even though I was given a chance to fight, we would end up losing our home. You guys have a right to be angry with him for wanting to leave. But don't forget that we Autobots fight for freedom." Smokescreen said as everyone looked at each other before Wheeljack spoke up.

"No offense, kid, but when you say fight for freedom, you talk about fighting for a planet we long lost." Wheeljack said as Smokescreen just looked at his servos and clenched them.

"I know. But freedom isn't just about Cybertron. It was about fighting for our freedom so we could be free from oppression." Smokescreen said as Bulkhead had to agree.

"He does have a point." Bulkhead said as Bumblebee agreed.

"Normally I wouldn't say this but Smokescreen is right." Ratchet agreed as well.

"So that's it? You guys are gonna let him bail?" Wheeljack questioned them as he looked at the team.

"I know it's hard. But you forgot that Tailgate has been through a lot. We saved him and brought him back here. Yet the decision of him staying belonged to him and only him. I get that we were all excited to have someone new here. However, if he wants to leave, we can't stop him." Emily said as she looked at them all as Optimus agreed with the others

"I concur, it's true that right now we are in dire need of help. Despite what some of you might be thinking. It takes a lot more courage to stand down from a fight than to go into battle. Tailgate is free to leave and stay off this war if that is what he desires. After all, freedom is the right of all sentient beings." Optimus said as they just stayed silent but Miko broke it.

"Uh, can you repeat that? You lost met at the blah blah of freedom and all." Miko asked in confusion as Bulkhead chuckled.

"I'll explain later, Miko." Bulkhead said before Fowler spoke up.

"Prime, now I know that you have a lot of ideals for freedom and I deeply respect. If the new guy here wants to stay off this conflict, that's your call. However as a governmental agent, I feel obliged to tell you that having an alien robot running free all over the planet is dangerous. If someone took a picture of big horns and posted them all over the net, it could jeopardize the whole operation. Uncle Sam might even force us to close the shop for good. Unless he's sent to a facility where he can watch. Letting him go free like that won't happen." Agent Fowler said as he brought up another problem as Tailgate looked dumbstruck.

"You mean I can't leave?" He asked in confusion and disbelief but Cliffjumper reassured him.

"I'm afraid not, brother. Here on this planet, humans don't know about us. Except for them. Here's a tip, Arcee did it." Cliffjumper said before pointing to the kids who all just smiled sheepishly as Emily gave Jack and Arcee a look.

"I heard that. Bottom line is that if you go out, the risk of being seen by humans is very high. That's why you're gonna need a vehicle form." Arcee explained and the words vehicle form sparked Tailgate's curiosity.

"A vehicle form? What's that?" He asked curiously as Optimus explained.

"It's a transformation mode that allows us to transform into a vessel that we have scanned. This unique ability is why we are called transformers and how we keep our appearance as robots in disguise. To the eyes of the human race, we're merely earth vehicles." Optimus explained to him as Tailgate nodded before he remembered something.

"Wait a minute. I think I'm remembering something. I think it has something to do with that vehicle mode you spoke of." Tailgate said but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"You mean you forgot? Really? A bot who forgot how to transform? Is that possible?" Miko asked in disbelief as Raf shrugged since he didn't know.

"Physically you look okay. So go ahead, transform." Ratchet said as Tailgate rubbed the back of his helm sheepishly.

"Right, okay. How do I do that?" He asked as Smokescreen grinned.

"That's easy. You just do this." Smokescreen said before he transformed into his vehicle mode.

"That looks to be a bit hard." Tailgate said as Wheeljack smirked reassuringly.

"You need to focus, newbie. Like this." Wheeljack said before doing the same like Smokescreen did.

"It's still not helping." Tailgate deadpan while looking at the two show-offs.

"Okay, well, try and relax your body. Remember to stay positive." Emily advised him as he took a deep breath.

"Okay. Here we go." He said and closed his optics and started to focus.

At first, it didn't do anything then the parts of his body started to move and made transforming noises but he still wasn't transforming into his vehicle mode.

"That's it. Keep going, you can do it." Emily encourages him.

"Come on, man." Miko cheered.

"Don't give up now." Raf joined in.

"Almost got it, almost got it. Gah! I can't do this, guys." Tailgate said before exclaiming in frustration. The transforming part can't be this hard right?

"Really? After we showed you how?" Wheeljack asked while looking at him with his mirrors.

"Let's not be too harsh on him. He hasn't transformed in quite a while so it's gonna take some time." Emily told him as Wheeljack just shrugged.

"You guys have any ideas what he will transform into?" Miko asked in excitement.

"Beats me. So far we've only seen how the team looked like in Earth vehicles. We never saw them as Cybertronian vehicles." Jack said as he was pretty excited since Tailgate is the only Autobot that doesn't have an earth vehicle mode yet.

"Trust me, Jack. If you think I look good as a motorcycle, you should've seen me back in the old days." Arcee told him as Jack looked at her curiously.

"Bet you looked swag." Jack complimented as Arcee smirked.

"Me, swag? I was a total knockout." Arcee said with a smirk.

"She sure was. She knocked me down a lot of times." Cliffjumper said with a fond smile.

"How about I knock you down by hitting your big fat head?" Arcee teased him with Miko snickering.

"My head isn't fat. Is it?" Cliffjumper said before looking confused.

"Not at all." Bulkhead said with a shrug as Bumblebee shook his head.

"Hey, guys, can we return to me not being able to transform?" Tailgate said as everyone stopped and watched.

"Perhaps you're too tense." Emily noted as Tailgate shook his head.

"I'm fully relaxed." He said but Emily could tell that he wasn't on the inside.

"Yes but you have to feel inside yourself. Let's try it again, and this time try to believe in it." Emily said as Tailgate sighed but nodded.

"Okay." He said before closing his optics again.

His body started doing that weird transforming sound again. At first, it didn't do anything but then all of the sudden Tailgate transformed into his Cybertronian vehicle mode as he revved up his engine. He looked like a futuristic muscle car. Everyone was shocked and overjoyed by it, especially Team Prime. Even the kids and Fowler were impressed.

"Wow… That's so…" Jack said but trailed off when he tried to find the right words.

"Great?" RAF suggested.

"No, no, that's not it." Jack said.

"Super?" Emily asked with Bolty on her head.

"No, no, it's something else. How can we describe this?" Jack said as he tried to come up with what to say.

"How about super mega awesome?!" Miko suggested with a grin.

"I was gonna say cool but, yeah, you're totally right, Miko. This is super mega awesome!" Jack agreed with Miko.

"I gotta admit. These wheels look good on me." Tailgate said as he drove around in a small circle.

"Well, I'll be a bald eagle's uncle. You transformers sure know about fancy driving. Not to mention that it's a sweet style. Way better than my four wheel." Agent Fowler said in impressed.

"Hey, Bulkhead. How come you never told me you guys had a Cybetronian form that made you look so cool?" Miko asked as she turned to her guardian curiously.

"Well…" Bulkhead started but Wheeljack beat him to it while transforming back.

"I think I can answer that. Back then, Bulk was kind of chunky looking." Wheeljack started with a smirk as Smokescreen transformed back as well.

"He's always been chunky. What's the difference?" He asked in confusion.

"Well, he was so chunky that it even showed whenever he would transform." Wheeljack continues to explain.

"You didn't seem to complain when we used to crash some cons down." Bulkhead said as Wheeljack shrugged.

"Yeah, well, you kind of made it hard to complain. Personally I don't think that there was a highway huge enough for a big guy like you." Wheeljack snickered as Bulkhead gave him a look.

"Hey." Bulkhead started.

"Whoa… I can't believe it. Seeing you like this is, well, it brings back a lot of good memories." Cliffjumper said as he looked at his brother's Cybertronian vehicle mode.

"I see." Tailgate said.

"You always had a better style than your brother here." Arcee pointed.

"Hey, that's insulting." Cliffjumper gave her a look.

"That was the whole point of it." Arcee said with a small smirk.

"I'm glad you haven't forgotten your aptitude for transformation. But this form will not be fit for this planet. You will have to use a vehicle form." Optimus told Tailgate who transformed back.

"How about we go outside and start scanning some vehicles?" Jack suggested but Emily beat him to it.

"I may have a better way." She said before turning on her holo-computer and made a 1970 Dodge Challenger car to appear and it looked identical to Cliffjumper's earth vehicle mode.

"Try scanning this." Emily suggested as she made sure to enlarge it.

"How do I scan?" Tailgate asked as he looked at the hologram curiously.

"The same way you transform. You must focus and try to scan every detail of the vehicle." Emily said as he nodded.

"I'll give it a try." He said and started to focus.

In a matter of seconds, his eyes shot out green scanning beams and started scanning the hologram of the vehicle Emily had made appeared as a hologram. The schematics of the vehicle had been perfectly scanned. After that, Tailgate transformed as his earth vehicle mode had blue flames on the side and it looked identical to Cliffjumper's vehicle mode, only difference was their color.

"Rad." Miko whistled.

"You can say that again." Jack had to agree.

"Agreed." Agent Fowler nodded.

"Nice, really nice." Emily said with a smile.

"Hey, he has the same vehicle mode as I have." Cliffjumper said as he looked at them.

"Yeah but you don't have flames. He does." Miko pointed out.

"Hey, what gives? Mine is a racing car." Smokescreen said while crossing his arms.

"It's cool but it doesn't have flames." Miko pointed out the difference.

"Great." Smokescreen pouted.

"Looks like you guys just got burned." Bulkhead couldn't help but chuckle.

"If you want, I can throw you a bucket of water." Wheeljack teased as Smokescreen rolled his optics.

"Ha ha ha, very funny." Smokescreen laughed sarcastically.

"Well, then." Tailgate said before transforming back into his robot form.

"Now that I have an earth vehicle form, I am free to go." He said but was stopped by Optimus.

"Yes but unfortunately it is not that simple, Tailgate." Optimus said as Tailgate looked at him in confusion.

"I thought you said I was free to go." Tailgate said in confusion.

"I did. And I am keeping my word. However the risk is far too great. You must go to a place where you can be free yet safe." Optimus told him as Tailgate looked at him. What did he mean where he can be safe from and free at?

"Safe? From what?" He asked as Ratchet answered him.

"Why, from the Decepticons of course. Now that you know where our base is, Megatron won't stop at nothing to try and recapture you." Ratchet told him and this worried him.

"So if you go out, you have to be careful not to get caught again." Arcee warned him.

"Where could he go that the Cons wouldn't think of?" Jack asked curiously before Raf perked up. He knows a place.

"The mine at Oregon. The Decepticons haven't gone there ever since we got hold of that mine." Raf said as Emily perked up at that. That place hasn't been touched by the Decepticons ever since she first tried out her suit.

"That's a great idea. Plus it has a nice forest. That way Tailgate can do some exploring while hiding from the Decepticons." Emily agreed as Agent Fowler nodded.

"Sounds like a plan. What do you say, Tailgate? Seems like a good offer if you ask me." Fowler said as Tailgate thought on it. The place might be a pretty safe place to hide and be free.

"Well since I don't know very much about this planet, maybe it's best if I go to a place where I can stay and learn about some stuff. Also what are you doing on that mine?" Tailgate said before asking curiously since they said that it was a mine.

"We excavate for Energon crystals that we convert into fuel and ammo." Cliffjumper explained as Tailgate looked at him cautiously.

"Hold on. You're not trying to force me into this war are you?" He asked while raising an optic ridge.

"Not at all. As matter of fact I was thinking that a work on taking care of the Energon stock might be appropriate for you. That is if you want to." Optimus reassured him with a smile and a shake of his helm.

"Yeah I guess taking care of some stock wouldn't be bad. Just as long as things about me not going to war are clear." Tailgate said as they nodded.

"Don't worry. We respect your decision." Arcee said with a nod.

"What matters is that you're back where you belong brother. With us." Cliffjumper said with a thumbs up.

"Thanks, Cliffjumper. You too, Arcee, I really appreciate your support, guys." Tailgate said as he smiled at everyone.

"So that's it? You're leaving for Oregon?" Miko asked while looking a little bummed out.

"No need to make a big deal. I'm sure we'll see the new guy again soon enough." Fowler reassured her while patting her back.

"I'll be activating the ground bridge. It's about time the other member of our group comes back anyway. Unless of course you had a change of heart." Ratchet said as Tailgate shook his head but just smiled.

"Thanks, doctor. But I'm going with the same decision." Tailgate said with a smile.

"Very well then. Since you are fully functional and therefore making amazing progress, I declare that you are good to go. And do not worry, all your memories will come back slowly. If you ever feel something, you can contact us and we'll be right there to help you out." Ratchet told him before heading off to the ground bridge controls to put the coordinates to the mine.

"I'll keep that in mind. Speaking of mind. I just remembered something." Tailgate said before giving Cliffjumper a look as he look confused.

"What's that?" He asked only to regret it.

"This." Tailgate said before hitting Cliffjumper's helm hard with his servo much to everyone's surprise.

"OWW!" Cliffjumper yelped in pain while rubbing his sore spot.

"Hahaha. I just remembered that one. I also remember that container story." Tailgate couldn't help but laugh.

"You know what I think? I think I need to remind you how I used to kick your tailpipe." Cliffjumper said and if they were in an anime, the kids could have sworn there was an anime vein mark on the side of his helm.

"I'm sorry, you kicking my tailpipe? That's a good one. Guess we now know who's the comedian around." Tailgate said with a playful grin.

"Well, you wanna know what the comedian is telling you? That he's about to kick your tailpipe and send you flying to Oregon! How about that?" Cliffjumper exclaimed as he got into his face plate.

"Well my tailpipe would want to know how you plan to do that if I kick yours first!" Tailgate countered back.

"You just try it!" Cliffjumper challenged.

"Bring it on!" Tailgate challenged back as both of them started to growl at each other.

The others watched this whole thing and felt weird about the scene in front of them. Miko could almost see two of her favorite Fairy Tail boys fighting as Raf and Jack blinked in surprise as Emily could feel the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile as Agent Fowler just had his jaw drop while the bots just looked on and would have sweat drops on the side of their heads if they were in anime.

"Uh, did I miss something?" Miko asked as she was looking between Cliffjumper and Tailgate who were both close to starting a brawl.

"If you did, so did we." Jack answered as he let out a nervous laugh.

"No kidding." Raf said with a weirded out look.

"This has gotta be the weirdest interaction between brothers that I've seen in my entire life." Emily said as she let out a small grin.

"It's like watching a bunch of kids. But in a much larger size." Agent Fowler agreed.

While the two brothers were growling at each other, Arcee hit them both on their helms really hard and caused the others to wince.

"OWW!!!" Both Tailgate and Cliffjumper exclaimed in pain as they clutched their helms.

"HEY, WHAT GIVES!!!!" Cliffjumper exclaimed and gave Arcee a pained look and a small glare.

"THAT HURTS!!!!" Tailgate exclaimed as well while giving the same expression towards Arcee.

"Well, maybe you ought to stop acting like a bunch of immature sparklings. Who am I kidding? I missed doing this to you guys." Arcee said while crossing her arms before smirking.

"Yeah, well, I just wished I didn't remember how painful that used to be. Oww…" Tailgate said as he winced slightly.

"It wasn't pleasant then and it isn't pleasant now." Cliffjumper said as he agreed with him.

"That's what I'm talking about. Girl power." Miko said before both she and Emily fist bumped.

"Boom." They both said and laughed.

At that moment, Ratchet had finished putting down the coordinates to Oregon.

"There. The coordinates are down and I told the guard you'll be replacing not to shoot at you. Activating the ground bridge now." Ratchet said before activating the ground bridge as he turned to everyone.

"Well, I guess it's goodbye." Tailgate said as he turned to the portal.

Optimus tries to get up but is having a hard time walking right but Smokescreen helps him walk to where the others are.

"I got you, Optimus." Smokescreen said as they joined the others to wish Tailgate good luck.

"Good luck, Tailgate. May Primus help you remember everything about your past. You may have chosen a different path. But somehow I feel that deep down. You're one of us." Optimus said as Tailgate looked at him with a smile.

"Thanks, I guess. Thanks for helping me, guys." He said with a thankful smile.

"Hey, no biggie. It's always a pleasure to squash some cons and help other bots." Bulkhead said as Tailgate smiled more.

"Good luck out there." Smokescreen said with a thumbs up.

Bumblebee beeps and tells Tailgate to take care of himself and to be safe. Arcee soon walks up to him to try and say goodbye but she couldn't find the right words to say it.

"Oh, this is gonna be good." Miko said before she was shushed by the others to be quiet.

"I, uh… I'm, uh…" Arcee stammered to find the right words.

"Yeah, me too. I probably don't remember much, but from what I've just seen. I know you're not really good at that stuff." Tailgate said with a reassuring smile as she nodded sadly.

"Yeah…" She said with a small sad smile.

"Well I, uh, I wanna thank you for bringing me back. If it weren't for you and… that human girl, I would've ended up into Decepticon hands." Tailgate said as Arcee was able to smile at that.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure Airachnid pays for what she did." Arcee said with a determined look.

"I know you will. But please don't do something you'll end up regretting. I know she hurt us all. But hurting her back won't help." Tailgate advised her as she nodded.

"I know. At least now she won't be able to find you. But be careful out there." Arcee said as he nodded.

"Of course." Tailgate said as the kids walk up to him.

"Have a safe journey." Jack said as Raf nodded.

"Hope you come back soon." Raf said with a hopeful look.

"Be sure to call us every day." Miko said and made a hand gesture for a phone as he nodded.

"Good luck, soldier. I wish you the best of luck." Agent Fowler said as he saluted and Tailgate returned the gesture in respect.

"Well, until next time. Take care. And good luck on winning the war. I just hope that you find another way of ending this conflict." Tailgate said before he started to walk towards the portal but was stopped by someone.

"Hey, wait." Tailgate turned around to see that Wheeljack walked up to him.

"Next time you come back, let's hang around." Wheeljack suggested as he nodded with a grin.

"Sure thing." He agreed with a nod.

"No hard feelings?" Wheeljack asked as he offered a handshake.

"None at all." Tailgate said while shaking both of their servos.

He then turns around to head to the portal when suddenly someone calls for him again. This time it was Arcee as she walked up to him.

"Tailgate, wait." Arcee said as he turned to her.

"Hmm? What is it? Is there something you wanna tell me?" Tailgate asked as Arcee looked hesitant but she nodded.

"Uh, yes. It's something I wanted to tell you for a very long time." Arcee said as she looked at him.

"You think she will?" Miko asked curiously as Emily shrugged.

"Dunno. Let's all just watch and see what happens." Emily said as they watched as Arcee tried to say what she needed to say.

"Tailgate,… I… I…" Arcee tried to find the right words to what she needed to say as Tailgate watched her.

When he looked at Cliffjumper, somehow he realized what Arcee was trying to say. He knew that it had something to do with both of them. That's when Tailgate interrupted Arcee to tell her that he knew what was going on and was okay with it.

"It's okay. I think I know what it is. And I'm fine with it. Take care. The same goes for you, brother." Tailgate reassured her as she looked at him and nodded before looking at Cliffjumper.

"You too. Until next time." Cliffjumper said with a smile as he nodded back before turning to the blonde with them.

"See you later, kid, I mean, Emily." Tailgate said as he corrected himself as she nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, later." She said as Bolty gestured a wave with his little claw.

After saying their farewell to their comrade, this one left by crossing the ground bridge. Arcee was happy to have her oldest friend and partner back. She was finally reunited with the two most important bots in her life. However, it starts to feel like a problem. A problem that she held deep inside so that she could focus on her missions and she had hoped it wouldn't resurface yet again. After Tailgate left the base, Hot Rod came back with a grin.

"Hey, hey, hey, guys. Guess who's back? Also what's up with that white guy? Was it Cliffjumper? He looked a lot like him." Hot Rod asked as the ground bridge closed.

"I'm right here." Cliffjumper said as his arms were crossed.

"If you're here, then who did I just see?" Hot Rod looks at him in shock and confusion and looks at the ground bridge.

"If we tell you, you're not gonna believe it. That guy is this guy's twin brother." Wheeljack told him as Hot Rod looked surprised.

"What, really? No wonder I confused him with Cliffjumper. Talk about a big surprise." Hot Rod said with a grin.

"You don't even know half of it. Huh?" Jack told him before noticing that Arcee was looking sad for some reason while gazing at the ground bridge.

"Arcee, are you?" Jack asked as Arcee snapped out of it and looked at him.

"I'm fine." She reassured him.

"Arcee…" Cliffjumper knew that something was bothering her but she stopped him.

"Please, I just want to be alone. I'll be in my quarters. Don't bother me…" Arcee told them before she left for her quarters.

Everyone saw how she seemed to be sad however the reason for it was still unknown to them minus Emily who looked saddened and concerned.

"What's up with her?" Hot Rod asked in confusion and worry.

"No idea. You think we should…?" Emily said as she turned to the team as Ratchet shook his helm. It's best to give Arcee some space for now.

"I would say it's best to leave her alone for now. She's been through a lot today. And it's best to stay out and let her deal with it." Ratchet suggested but Miko looked at him.

"But shouldn't we help her?" Miko asked as Ratchet turned to her then to where Arcee's quarters are.

"Arcee is a strong warrior. Just give her some time." Ratchet told her but Emily interjected.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Ratchet. But if you ask me, someone should go talk with her. She may be a strong warrior, but even the strongest warrior needs helping dealing with painful stuff. Trust me, I know that." Emily told him as Cliffjumper agreed.

"The girl has a point. Arcee's tough but she needs the help of her friends. I'll go." Cliffjumper said as he started to go but Emily stopped him.

"No, it's best if I go by myself. I know you wanna help her. But this time, it's best to leave this to someone who understands her." Emily told him as Miko pointed to Jack.

"Then let Jack go. Nobody understands Arcee better than him." Miko told her as Raf agreed with her.

"That's true." Raf agreed with a nod.

"I'll go with you." Jack said but Emily stopped him with a shake of her head.

"No, Jack. I'm sorry but you can't go either." Emily told him as he looked shocked.

"What gives? She needs my help and you put me on the bench." Jack said in disbelief.

"That's so not cool." Miko said while crossing her arms.

"I know and I'm sorry. For once please let me do this. You may understand Arcee but you don't understand her like I do." Emily told them as she crossed her arms loosely.

"You kind of lost me there." Fowler said in confusion.

"It's simple, Jack understands Arcee because they're friends, partners. But I understand her more because I'm a girl, a female Cybertronian. The only one in the team. So believe it or not. I'm the only one who can help her." Emily explained to them as Jack and Cliffjumper saw that she had a point.

"I… guess you have a point." Jack reluctantly backs down.

"Emily, your desire to help someone in need is admirable. But Arcee needs to heal on her own." Optimus told her but Emily just glanced at him with a small sad look in her eyes.

"Optimus, you can't ask me to let a friend deal with that kind of stuff on her own and you know that. Maybe you're right, maybe I should stay back and let one of my best friends be alone with her pain. But I can't… and I know that if you were in my place you couldn't turn your back on someone who needs help. Even if you want it too. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go talk with her." Emily said before excusing herself and went to where Arcee's quarters are to talk with her as Optimus' didn't even stop her knowing that she was right.

"Why didn't you stop her?" Bulkhead asked him curiously as Optimus just watched Emily disappear from view before turning him

"Because, Bulkhead, there's nothing I could've done to stop someone who's desperate to help a friend. To Emily, Arcee is more than her friend. She looks up to her. Seeing her source of inspiration hurt, makes her feel like she's been hurt too." Optimus explained before groaning in pain as his injury started to hurt more.

"Easy there. You have to lay down." Ratchet said as he and Smokescreen helped Optimus to sit down.

Raf and Miko saw how Jack felt about what Emily had told him and they wanted to know if he was okay.

"You okay, Jack?" Raf asked in concern.

"I'm fine." Jack said while feeling a little dejected.

"You sure? You look a bit down. Don't forget, Ems just sent you to the bench. That's a huge crusher." Miko said.

"Yes and no. It is a crusher but it's not a crusher." Jack told her.

"Say what now?" Miko asked in confusion.

"Emily did have a point. As partners, Arcee and I understand each other because we're good friends. But when it comes to dealing with feelings and stuff, I can't understand because I'm human and not Cybertronian, like Emily." Jack explained as Raf saw the point.

"I get it now. Since she and Emily are both Cybertronians and females, they're able to understand each other." Raf said as Jack nodded.

"That's right. I admit it's a bit hard since she asked me not to get involved but maybe it is for the best." Jack said with a small smile.

"Don't forget that you're not alone in that department, kid. Because she put me out too. I don't get it why, I understand Arcee too. I mean I am her partner too." Cliffjumper agrees with him as they look to where Arcee's quarters are and wonder what they're doing.

"That may be true. But it doesn't mean you understand her. I mean you're a guy and she's a girl. Who better understands a girl than another girl." Miko said since she knows that only a girl knows what another is going through.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but this time you're right." Jack admitted since he might have only made it worse if Emily didn't stop him.

"If there's one thing we guys don't understand at all is women." Agent Fowler said as Jack agreed.

"Yeah, no kidding." He said as Cliffjumper sighed.

"If you don't mind, guys, I think I'm gonna go for a walk around the base." Cliffjumper said as Miko eyed him curiously.

"You sure you won't eavesdrop on Arcee and Emily's conversation?" Miko asked suspiciously.

"Me, eavesdropping? Please. I don't eavesdrop, I don't even know what it means. Anyway, later, I'm going for a walk." Cliffjumper said and left to walk around the base as the kids with Fowler watched him leave.

They didn't believe a single word he said and it was obvious that he was lying.

"He's lying." Miko said with her arms crossed.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that out." Jack said as he facepalmed his face.

While the kids were talking with each other, Optimus was being checked on by Ratchet who was putting something on his knee to prevent further energon loss. That way Optimus could move without getting hurt too much, just as long as he didn't push himself too far.

"That should be enough. Now remember your knee may be protected. But you cannot push yourself too hard." Ratchet advised as Optimus stood back up slowly.

"Very well." He nodded gratefully.

Ratchet turns around to keep working on some stuff that he was working on. But before he turned around, Optimus had noticed that something was troubling the good doctor as he looked at him in concern.

"What is troubling you, old friend?" He asked curiously as Ratchet sighed and looked at him.

"Well… you may find that hard to believe. But I think that what Tailgate said earlier may have been true. We Autobots fought this war to save Cybertron. Yet our actions have only made things worse." Ratchet said as what Tailgate said was true.

"I concur, my friend. Sometimes in the fog of war. We tend to lose our objectives. And when the fog is no more, we see the price of our actions. That's why we must keep fighting. Or else it would mean dooming Earth and humanity." Optimus said as he knew that Tailgate had made sense as he looked at him.

"Yes. It may come as a shock to you. But this whole war feels like a game of chess with earth as a chessboard. Megatron had sent his best pawn to retrieve a pawn we had lost. And now that we have Tailgate back, he won't stop at nothing to capture him." Ratchet explained as he let out a heavy sigh.

"We will do our best to protect our comrades." Optimus said as Ratchet looked at him fully.

"I know we will. But what really worries me is not being able to know what move the Decepticons will do next." Ratchet said as he looked away to the side.

"All we can do now is be ready for when they will strike again." Optimus said.

"Yes. It's not like we have much choice. I just hope that whatever Megatron's next move is, that we'll be ready for it." Ratchet said as he turned back to his work.

"We will, old friend. We will." Optimus agreed with him.

While the rest of the Team Prime was recuperating from such a hard mission and still assimilating the fact that their new comrade chose to stay neutral in the war, Arcee was all alone in her quarters. Normally having her old partner back would've been a reason for her to be happy like never before. But that wasn't the case. Tailgate's return was something great however Arcee felt hurt and very confused. She couldn't retain her tears from falling. The regret that she had put aside eons ago had come back and it was torturing her. She had felt pain before but this time it's as if it's started to come out and she couldn't stop it. Suddenly she heard a loud knocking sound.

"Go away!" Arcee yelled at someone by the door to leave.

Not feeling like having some company, Arcee asked whoever was knocking at her door to leave her alone. However, that person didn't listen to what she said and started knocking the door again. Arcee started getting up and walked straight to the door to give to whoever was disturbing her a clear message that would make that person go away. She opens the door and starts giving her a clear message.

"Didn't you hear me?! I said go away! Huh?" Arcee exclaimed only to stop in confusion and was surprised that she didn't see anyone when she opened the door.

"Down here." A familiar voice said as she looked down.

When she started to look down she saw who knocked at her door. It was Emily who had a concerned look. Normally she would let her come in but she wanted to be alone

"Look, Emily, you know how I enjoy your company… but I want to be alone so please just go…" Arcee said with a heavy sigh.

"I know you don't feel like having some company with you. But I thought that maybe if we talked about it. It might help you. So what do you say? Can I come in so we can talk about this? It always helps to talk to a friend." Emily said as she looked at her and hoped that she could help.

Even though Arcee wanted to be alone, she felt that maybe talking about this with someone that could understand and might help her with this confusion. After thinking about it, she decided to let Emily enter her quarters as she moved aside.

"Thanks." Emily smiled softly as she went inside with Arcee following.

"Wanna sit down?" She asked as Arcee nodded.

"Sure…"

They sat down on the floor and stayed silent. At first they didn't speak much and seeing how Arcee wouldn't be the first one to talk. Emily knew that she would have to be the first one to start the conversation so that way she would know how to help her friend.

"So, huh, Tailgate is back must've been quite a shock. I mean I was shocked when I found out at the Harbinger. But what shocked me the most was how he and Cliffjumper looked exactly the same. Well I saw how Skyquake looked a lot like Dreadwing but this one blew me away." Emily started with a sheepish look as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Yeah…" Arcee muttered sadly while hugging her legs.

"Look, I know you don't feel like talking right now. And I can see how mentioning Tailgate isn't helping." Emily said as Arcee looked at her.

"No, no, no… it's okay…" Arcee tried to reassure her but Emily could sense that she was hurting inside.

"Arcee,… you don't have to pretend everything is okay with me. Whenever I'm around you, I want you to feel like you can be honest. And whatever is bothering you, I will be there to help you out. I may not understand it, but it doesn't mean I can't be there for you." Emily started softly as Arcee didn't speak and she took that chance to continue.

"If you don't want to talk about it, I can understand that. I wouldn't be a good friend if I tried to force the truth out of you. It's just that I can see how you're hurt. And seeing you like this hurts. I know it's silly but… I guess when you have a good relationship with someone. It hurts you when they're hurt. It's like a bond. One that makes you feel the same thing." Emily finished as she hugged one of her legs to her chest.

"I know… and it's not as silly as it sounds…" Arcee said but her voice cracked a little and felt herself about to cry again.

"I'm sorry… it's just…" Arcee apologized and tried to stop the lubricant from falling from her optics.

"It's just what? Go ahead. Tell me what's wrong. Does it have something to do with Tailgate leaving?" Emily asked her softly as Arcee shook her head.

"No. That's not it. Seeing him alive has made me happy. Happier than ever before but it also made me get confused about so many things that happened long ago…" Arcee started as she looked down at her pede sadly.

"Are you sad because he's back?" Emily asked her softly.

"That's the thing. I don't know. I don't know if I'm sad about it. I don't even know what to think. Everything that I had lost had come back. I should be happy… but instead I'm crying. When Cliffjumper was brought back I was happy, seeing him again felt like he never left… and when I found out Tailgate was alive… and that everything Airachnid told me was a lie… I felt guilty. His memory loss was my fault he lost it all because of me… I failed to save him… I failed to save Cliffjumper when he was brought back into that… thing… I realize now that I can't save anyone… I can't save my closest friends…" Arcee explained as she hugged her legs closer for comfort.

"That's not true. You saved Jack when Airachnid tried to get him. You even saved June." Emily comforted her with reason as she looked at her.

"That was different. Cliffjumper and Tailgate have always been with me… ever since I joined the Autobots, being with them… helped me think that one day things would go back to normal… but now I see that the more we fought together, the more we ended being divided… and it's all because of me. Because I can't do anything to save those close to me… and be honest with them… and myself…" Arcee said as she let out a shaky vent and felt her walls around her emotions cracked.

"You're honest with me." Emily told her with a soft tone.

"So why can't I be honest with the two most important bots in my life…?" Arcee said as she looked down sadly and Emily had to blink at that.

"With the two most important bots? Oh… so that's it." Emily said as the corners of her mouth tugged into a small comforting smile.

Outside Arcee's quarters. CliffJumper was walking around while talking to himself.

"Me, eavesdropping? Come on. I'm better than that." Cliffjumper told himself.

Cliffjumper was enjoying his walk before he started looking around. When he saw that the coast was clear, he went to see Arcee at her quarters. When he got there, he started hearing Emily's voice, meaning that she was inside as he listened through the small crack of the door.

"I never would've thought this would happen." Emily said from inside the room as he wondered what they were talking about.

Inside Arcee's quarters, Arcee was looking at Emily in confusion.

"I don't know what to say. But I think I know what's the problem. You have two bots. But only one heart to give. Deep down you made your choice and it hurts. Now that one of your options is back. You're confused." Emily explained as Arcee sighed softly.

"You have no idea… I've made my choices eons ago. And yet it still hurts… not that I regret that choice… he means the world to me… but what hurts me is that I was never able to tell the truth. And when I thought he was dead,… I felt a huge regret. If only I had told the truth before it happened, things would've been normal and what makes it worse is that by trying to stay focused on my missions… I neglected something I wanted for so long… and by doing so… I hurt someone I cared… that's all I'm good at… hurting others… whether they're Bots or Cons… I don't know what to do… and I'm scared that no matter what I choose… I will only make things get worse…" Arcee told her as she started to cry softly as Emily tried to comfort her.

Cliffjumper, who was hearing from outside the door, started feeling bad about what he just heard. He was wondering if Arcee was talking about him.