(Yeah so, just so y'all know I love both Ratchet and Wheeljack and I wanna kiss them. And kiss them and hug them and touch them. )

___________

Xstar stirred awake, the sharp pain in her leg pulling her out of unconsciousness. Her optics flickered, her vision blurry and her processors inactive.

"Agh, Knockout!" she groaned, her voice edged with frustration. "How many times do I have to tell you to-"

Her words stopped as her optics adjusted, revealing the Autobots gathered around her.

Her gaze landed on Ratchet, who was meticulously tending to her injured leg.

"Oh... oops," she muttered, her voice tinged with embarrassment. "Yep, yep, yep! That hurts, Dad."

"DAD!?" The room echoed with shock as Smokescreen, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead stared at her, optics wide.

Wheeljack smirked. "That's right," he said casually, leaning against the wall. "She's the sparkling we rescued during the war."

Ratchet's hands didn't stop moving, but his lips quirked into a smile. Despite her battered condition, Xstar's personality seemed intact.

"She's in rough shape," Ratchet said, his tone serious as he worked on her damaged leg. "These injuries aren't just from one fight. This is prolonged neglect and abuse."

Xstar flinched slightly but said nothing, her optics darting nervously.

"How long until she's fully recovered?" Ultra Magnus asked, his tone businesslike.

Ratchet straightened slightly, his expression serious. "If she follows protocol and doesn't push herself, maybe a few months. But if she overdoes it-"

"Oh, come on, Dad!" Xstar groaned dramatically, throwing her head back against the medbay table. "I've got bombs to test!"

Ratchet froze mid-motion, optics narrowing. "You what?"

Wheeljack chuckled, his grin widening. "Now this I gotta see. Taking after me already, huh, Ratch?"

"Don't encourage her!" Ratchet snapped, shooting Wheeljack a glare before focusing back on Xstar. "You're not touching anything explosive until you're fully healed. Even then, you'll need supervision."

The Autobots chuckled, though Optimus remained stern. "This is no laughing matter," he said, his calm yet commanding tone silencing the room. He turned to Xstar, his optics steady. "Your presence here raises questions, Xstar. Your time with the Decepticons cannot be ignored."

"Optimus... or sir... or, uh, I'll just call you Optimus," She started, her voice steady but carrying an edge of nervousness. "I understand that this is very sudden. It's unexpected even for me, but let me explain."

The room grew quiet as all optics focused on her. Taking a deep breath, she beggan.

"I went to Lord Megatron..." She paused, a sly smirk crossing her face. "Wait, I can call him whatever I want now."
Her smirk widened mischievously.

"I went to the ugly-ass bitch Megatron to ask him a question. But instead of answers, I walked into him and some new Decepticon questioning why a 'girl Autobot' was there. Naturally, I was confused. Then Megatron went ballistic, yelling that he'd rip out the guy's voice box again if he didn't shut up."

Xstar paused, her expression darkening slightly. "That's when I started getting suspicious. Was I really an Autobot? I mean, it would explain why I never felt... right in the Decepticons. I tried to ask others about it, but no one would tell me the truth. That's when Starscream approached me."

Her optics narrowed as she recalled the memory. "He said he'd tell me everything I wanted to know... if I made him some powerful bombs. I didn't trust him, but I agreed. And that's when I found out."

She straightened, her voice quieter now with a hint of pain.

"Back during the Cybertronian war, I was left alone in a fire, scared, unsure of what to do. That's when as you know, Ratchet, and Wheeljack rescued me. They didn't just save me, they took care of me. But... then everything went dark. I was taken, tortured by Megatron.
He turned me into what he wanted a Decepticon. But now... I'm done. I know the truth, and I'm here to fix what he's broken."

Bulkhead, Smokescreen, and Bumblebee exchanged surprised glances, while Ultra Magnus and Optimus remained stoic.

"We believe you," Ultra Magnus said, his voice steady, "but belief alone is not enough. How can we trust your loyalty?"

She sighed heavily, shrugging her shouldersm
"Sir, I really don't know how I can prove it to you," she admitted with frustration. "I mean, what am I supposed to-"

Her optics suddenly widened as she glanced at her wrist. The tablet she had worn there, loaded with all her data, was gone. Her face twisted in annoyance.

"Oh, come on!" She groaned, throwing her head back.
"Starscream, you sneaky little frag! I needed that!" She cursed under her breath.

Bulkhead, who had been silently observing, let out a hearty chuckle. "Well, if nothing else, she really does remind me if both Ratchet and Jackie."

Ultra Magnus still seemed unsure about Xstar, and she knew.

Well, how do you want me to prove it?" She snapped, her tone sharper now. "My tablet with all the data was stolen by Starscream, and I have nothing left, sir."
The word "sir" came out with a slight edge, and she didn't bother hiding her irritation.

"Xstar, this is no position for you to talk back." Ultra Magnus answered, his expression indifferent.

She clenched her fists, her jaw tightening as she held back.
"No position to talk back, huh? " She muttered under her breath, clearly annoyed. "What do you want me to do? Hand-deliver Megatron's head

Bulkhead let out a low whistle. "She's got some spark," he muttered.

"Enough," Ratchet interjected, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. His voice softened slightly. "Getting worked up won't help your case. Focus on recovering. Proving yourself can come later."

Xstar sighed heavily, crossing her arms. "Fine," she muttered. "But don't expect me to sit around doing nothing."

Optimus stepped forward. "If your intentions are genuine, you will have the chance to prove yourself. For now, rest and heal. That is an order."

The tension in the room eased slightly as the Autobots nodded in agreement. Wheeljack shot Xstar a reassuring look.
"We've got your back, kid. Just don't blow up the medbay, alright?"

Xstar's lips curved into a smirk. "No promises, dad"

Ratchet shook his head, his expression annoyed but little amused.

Despite everything, Xstar was still the same sharp-tongued sparkling he and Wheeljack had once saved.

As the tense air began to settle, a soft beep echoed through the medbay, drawing everyone's attention.

"Incoming call," Ratchet said, glancing at the nearby console. A holographic image of Agent Fowler appeared, his usual no-nonsense expression plastered on his face.

"Prime, I hate to interrupt, but you're going to need to pick up the kids from school. Seems someone forgot the time." His tone was laced with mild annoyance.

Bumblebee let out a series of beeps, tilting his head in embarrassed gesture.
Bulkhead added in with a laugh, "Guess we got a little caught up with everything."

Optimus nodded, his voice calm. "Understood, Agent Fowler. We'll handle it."

"Good," Fowler said, crossing his arms. "I'd rather not deal with another principal thinking those kids are 'unsupervised.' Keep it quick and discreet."

As the call ended, Arcee grinned, rubbing his servos together. "Guess that's our message to roll out. It's been a while since we've been on school duty."
"I'm coming with y'all, need to get some fresh air." Wheeljack informed.

He then smirked, gesturing to Xstar. "Looks like you'll be taking care of things while we're gone, kid."

Xstar raised an optic ridge, leaning back against the med table. "Right. Because walking around here sounds so thrilling," she muttered, rolling her optics.

Ratchet glanced up from his tools, shooting Wheeljack a sharp look. "She's not going to 'take care of things' Wheeljack. She's recovering. And I'll be here to keep an optic on her."

Wheeljack's grin faded slightly as he crossed his arms. "Well, good. Because if she gets bored, she'll probably start blowing things up."

Xstar smirked. "Still no promises, dad."

Ratchet sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Both of you are impossible. Now, go with the team, Wheeljack. Let me handle things here."

Wheeljack hesitated for a moment before throwing his servos up in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. But don't say I didn't warn you if something explodes."

"Out," Ratchet said firmly, gesturing toward the door.