Out Of This World

by Death Phoenix

He just had to reign in the urge to beat the Chief Engineer over the cranial unit with his favorite wrench. It wouldn't do to dent the wrench after all. Set after OE. Crossover between G1verse and Movieverse.

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers or anything associated with Transformers. I do own Nightstrike.

xxxxx

Nightstrike should have known, should have expected this.

He really should have, but some things were just completely out of his hands.

Wheeljack did have an uncanny penchant for having inventions either do something vastly startling as in having secondary effects that have seemingly no correlation with the original invention, and not always in a good way, or having them explode in a spectacular fashion. Nightstrike really wasn't sure if he wouldn't have preferred the explosion over what had happened. And that was a tad worrying actually.

He just had to reign in the urge to beat the Chief Engineer over the cranial unit with his favorite wrench. It wouldn't do to dent the wrench after all.

Perhaps he wouldn't be so upset if Prowl and Bluestreak hadn't been dragged into this?

Most likely it was because he knew all of them were feeling a little restless and he knew why. Knowing the reason actually made him more restless but it also made him... happy.

xxxxx

With the Warp Gate the Autobots wouldn't need to constantly use Omega Supreme for transport or sneak through the Space Bridge. Amazingly it only took two years of research and testing to perfect the Warp Gate and safely make it work the way it was designed. A relatively long time by human standards, but riduculously fast by Cybertronian.

Between Nightstrike, Wheeljack, and Perceptor they installed a main Warp Gate in a room hidden deeply within the Ark with the help of Grapple and Hoist. Red Alert with a little help from Nightstrike and Inferno tightened security around the Warp Gate room so that no Decepticon would ever get near the room much less steal the new technology.

In fact, the only ones capable of building a Warp Gate in any size, because they had bulit one that could be installed in Autobots even if its range wasn't capable of going further than the Earth's Moon, were Wheeljack, Ratchet, Perceptor, and Nightstrike. Nightstrike had even gone so far as to teach Wheeljack, Ratchet, and Perceptor a Black Ops trick to make sure that the information couldn't be used by the Decepticons even if one of them were captured and the information forcefuly extracted.

The encryption of information within one's processor was something few thought possible unless they were taught how. Special/Black Ops are taught this trick upon acceptance into the branch to ensure that all data pertaining to anything sensitive is relatively safe. Needless to say the scientist, CMO, and engineer appreciated learning the trick and ended up encrypting quite a lot of data in their processors.

Prowl and Bluestreak had volunteered to be among the first to have the smaller Warp Gates installed along with Nightstrike and Wheeljack. Perceptor was currently on Cybertron with Hoist and Grapple constructing another fully sized Warp Gate in the Autobot's Iacon Base. Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Jazz were on monitor duty together at the moment and would have theirs installed after their shift was over.

Each of the smaller Warp Gates had to be individually installed into each Autobot by Nightstrike, Wheeljack, Perceptor, or Ratchet who all had all the data on all the special programming that had gone into making sure the new technology couldn't be stolen. The individual Warp Gates were specially keyed to the system of the Autobot they were installed in so that they can't be tranferred without specific override codes. Neither could they be removed from the Autobot they were installed in without specific overrride codes. If they were transferred or removed without the override codes, codes known only to those four capable of installing the Warp Gates, the Warp Gate would automatically delete all information inside its components and a key component would self-destruct.

Nightstrike had been adamant that all of these security measures be taken to ensure that the Warp Gate would never be used against the Autobots. He had seen one too many Autobot inventions used against them by Decepticons.

xxxxx

He blamed himself for not paying closer attention to what Wheeljack was doing. Admittedly he was busy checking to make sure that the Warp Gates he had just installed in Prowl and Bluestreak had no problems. The Warp Gate Ratchet had installed in Nightstrike hadn't had any problems when the visored medic had tested it out earlier; transporting directly to New York City and back in less than a klik had been fascinating. However he wasn't taking any chances with his loved ones.

But he really should have paid more attention when his instincts started prodding at him. Considering they weren't screaming danger, as in mortal-we-are-going--to-die-if-we-don't-do-something-danger, Nightstrike not exactly ignored it but didn't pay full attention. The medic wasn't sure if that had been a mistake or not though he could see consequences both good and bad, now and later.

xxxxx

Wheeljack had been absently tweaking one of the individual Warp Gates. That alone should have been their first warning of what was to come. The supervision of Nightstrike, Ratchet, and Perceptor, when the scientist wasn't just as enthralled with his work as the Chief Engineer, had cut down on the number of unexpected secondary side-effects and explosions created by anything Wheeljack had a hand in inventing. So of course Wheeljack's luck with inventions struck while Ratchet was busy in the med-bay, Perceptor was off-planet, and Nightstrike had his back turned doing other work.

At least Wheeljack wasn't alone when it happened because well, the consequences of that don't bare thinking about.

Nightstrike knew the astro-second something was going to happen. Because his instincts and his Gift, something that only happened in very rare and very special circumstances, overrode some of his dampener protocols and brought the sensitivity of his sensors up far higher than he normally let them outside a battle situation or a mission.

That alone happening told the Disciplinary Officer that while Wheeljack might not be at fault he was being used as a catalyst of some sort. Because really you can't argue with the will of your God, especially with a god like Primus. Nightstrike knew what was happening was being influenced by Primus because of the way his Gift activated. Primus had direct links to his creations, all of them, through those with Gifts, even those whose Gifts are not trained.

In fact, the more trained the Gift the stronger the link to Primus and thus the universe one is. One could liken those with Gifts to being priests of Primus with their position being dependent on how trained they are. But they are not priests in the sense that they have to preach about the worship Primus to the masses. All Cybertronians knew Primus existed just as they knew the Matrix, the Allspark, and Vector Sigma existed. The Gifted did tasks for Primus when he bid them to do so to keep the Balance of Creation.

As a master of Circuit-Su, a martial art style focused heavily on the mental and spiriual aspects and grounded heavily in control, Nightstrike was one of the most trained of those with Gifts in existence. He desperately needed control due to the nature of his beginning Gifts, meaning the Gifts he had onlined with. Being uncontrolled would have been disasterous for all involved. As one of the Gifted grew older and thus more experienced, and by extension more controlled in the use of their Gift, they could earn more Gifts.

Nightstrike had started out with empathy just like his other trine-mates but he also had the beginnings of precognition, which he ended up passing along to his trine-mates as he and they developed thier Gifts. Being as old and as experienced as their trine was they had a large number of Gifts shared between them, which was possible due to the nature of their bond. But they really didn't use many of them all that often unless the situation called for it. Though they really couldn't ignore their empathy, seeing as that was their first Gift, anymore than to shield themselves enough not to let it interfere with their work and lives.

Now Nightstrike wasn't boasting or being prideful with his assumption that Primus had a task he wanted Nightstrike to perform in particular. Prowl and Bluestreak's Gifts, which both Jazz and Nightstrike had been helping them develope and control, were nowhere near strong enough though both of them were exceptional students. Frankly there just wasn't enough time to teach them as both trine-mates wanted to. They had been helping the some of the other Gifted onboard the Ark as well such as Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Red Alert, but with the amount of work everyone had and trouble in the form of Decepticons there rally wasn't enough time to devote to it.

So it was most likely that Primus had some task for Nightstrike to do with the assistance of Prowl, Bluestreak, and Wheeljack. Besides the brief brush of utterly divine awareness against Nightstrike's Gift that the medic felt as they were being transported away there was logically no way outside of divine intervention that even Wheeljack could have sent them to a completely different dimension just by touching the miniature Warp Gate. No one had luck that bizarre.

Nightstrike only had a split-astro-second to send a large data-burst through his bond with Jazz to explain to his trine-mate what he sensed was happening. The Higher Powers really gave no thought to the convience of their creations when they had something they considered vital to be done. Never mind that all four of those sent to do Primus's bidding were vital to the Autobots, and specific others, for a variety of reasons.

xxxxx

Jazz went reeling and had to grab a hold of Sideswipe's arm to stay upright as he recieved the data-burst from his almost frantic trine-mate and then felt the bond between them stretch as his dark trine-mate left their dimension.

The worried looks on the Twins's faces would have amused Jazz in another situation. But he really didn't like the news and data he had just recieved. And he really hated how he almost couldn't feel Nightstrike in his spark anymore, just enough to know his trine-mate was alive.

The Twins and Ratchet were going to flip out and he just might join them.

xxxxx

It was a good thing the visored medic had sent that data-burst to Jazz. It cut down on a lot of needless panic over the sudden disappearances of Prowl, Nightstrike, Bluestreak, and Wheeljack from inside the Ark. It didn't cut down on the upset that rippled through the ranks though.

And the reactions of Ratchet, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Jazz over the disappearance of their lovers and loved ones didn't bare thinking about. Finding out they were in a different dimension didn't go over well either and that was without the potential time differences between dimensions being pointed out.

xxxxx

Nightstrike was pleased to see that they had arrived at their destination exactly how the Warp Gates were designed to. Though moving from Mt. Saint Hilary in Oregon to what appeared to be a military base in Nevada in a completely different dimension was definitely not what the Warp Gates were designed to do.

Of course the first thing the medic had done, because he unfortunately did have experience with the supernatural, miraculous, and divine due to his being Gifted and his professions, was establish a comm-link among the four of them and had sent data-bursts explaining what was going on while they were traveling in the Between as well as trying to set up a plan among them as to what exactly to do. Because they really didn't know just what kind of situation they were going to land in.

So needless to say he'd seen and experienced some impossible things in his life. Being sent to another dimension really wasn't that much of a stretch even if he didn't appreciate being sent here or having some of his friends and loved ones sent with him. He had known dimensional travel was possible but it was hard and usually advised against unless you knew about the dimension you were traveling to. Cybertronians had never shown an interest in it so Nightstrike learned about it from Waggants, a technologically advanced organic species that loved learning from the Kiketti Quandrant.

His only consolation was at least they were still on an Earth even if it wasn't their Earth. This Earth though was more advanced technology in some aspects. It seemed they were on an Earth sometime in the future.

But what really interested him, besides the absolutely lovely information network this Earth had, was the group of stunned beings that were looking at them with wide optics.

Nightstrike had seen some odd things in his long existence but what he was seeing was pretty damn odd. The stunned group looking at them consisted of humans, which was to be expected, and Autobots, thankfully. But these Autobots were painfully familiar as in the four dimensional traveler could recognize them despite the difference in alt-modes. Seeing your dimensional counterpart was strange and Nightstrike was the only one spared that experience. It didn't help that some of them were counterparts to those already sorely missed. They would have to look at this little trip as an extended mission, which it was in a way.

A quick exchange of data had the four travelers deciding to pretend to ignore the group to watch and gauge their reactions to see if they were hostile. Nightstrike let up on his dampeners even more and even onlined his optics. He could feel the other three silently bring their own sensors, all of which while not as sensitive as Nightstrike's were exceptional due to upgrades from the medic and due to their own professions. It made Nightstrike happy to recall that any scans they preformed would be undetected as would any activity from their sensors if they were scanned.

The medic rather doubted the Autobots of this dimension were like Decepticons in their dimension, especially with what his empathy was telling him and what his sensors were aleardy picking up. His assessment was helped along by exactly what kind of humans were with these Autobots. Anyone remotely like the Decepticons wouldn't let humans like these, especially human sparklings, stay around them unless they were experiments or prisoners. And they definitely wouldn't be walking around free or actually touching them if that were the case.

All of these observations and others were shared among the four and took less than an astro-second. Being observant was a must in all of their professions. Comrades and loved ones ended up dead otherwise.

xxxxx

"Ya just couldn't help yourself could ya?" Nightstrike might have been directing his question to Wheeljack but his attention was really focused on the group watching them in surprised shock. But most specifically Nightstrike's attention was on the Autobot with the Matrix of Leadership in his chassis, the Optimus Prime of this dimension. He knew the other three were paying close attention to their own counterparts. And he really couldn't blame them for their curiosity and fascination. It wasn't everyday that something like this happened.

Prowl and Bluestreak shared an amused glance at the reaction some of these Autobots had at the sound of Nightstrike's voice. It was sultry and smokey. Sideswipe and Jazz said the black and silver mech had what human's call a bedroom voice. Nightstrike claimed that if any of them had a bedroom voice it would be Jazz when he's amused or aroused. But the two Datsun's knew from experience that as sexy sounding as Nightstrike's voice was now it was even better when he didn't have his battle-mask on. That would be one of the reasons Nightstrike's battle-mask was banned from being used in their private section of the Ark.

The medic really didn't understand their fascination but if it made them happy that was fine with him. Nightstrike just didn't see how others could find him attractive, especially with his quirks and personality. But he did know that Prowl and Bluestreak thought much the same way about themselves so he had begun to push that kind of thinking aside as irrelevant and unwarranted.

Wheeljack's vocal-indicators flashed pink in embarrassment. "I really didn't mean for this to happen. It wasn't supposed to do anything like this."

"Ya I know tha' but ya tweakin' an invention tha' was perfectly fine allowed ya ta play th' catalyst for this particular predicament. I normally wouldn't be tha' upset, I've seen your track record, but for this ta happen? I didn't think your luck was tha' twisted."

/They seem to be coming out of their shock. Well at least some of them are. Their Prime looks like he's about to speak./ Prowl reported.

/It looks like their Ironhide is about to move toward us and probably power up his weapons./ Bluestreak added.

/That is not what I would be worried about. Their Mirage is playing let's sneak up on the seemingly unsuspecting while invisible./ Nightstrike told them.

No one saw Nightstrike move. One second he was looking directly at Wheeljack and Bluestreak who were directly in front of him, as the group that was watching them was off to their left near the military base while they were outside in the open, and the next second the now visible form of this dimension's Mirage was laying disoriented under Nightstrike's foot. Nightstrike's optics, or rather his visor, never left Wheeljack's.

Prowl, who was closest to the other Autobots and the humans seeing as he was on Nightstrike's left side, could see the surprise coming back and deepening in their optics. He himself wasn't surprised because he knew exactly what his friend and occasional lover did for a living even if he had never seen Nightstrike go all out in a fight. The tactician had had the pleasure of becoming Nightstrike's sparring partner as well as helping to teach First Aid Diffusion. Nightstrike had told him though that while he was a master in the style of Diffusion he really wasn't a master of the art of Diffusion like Prowl was. Nightstrike's absolute mastery laid in Circuit-Su just like Jazz's laid in Metallikato and the Twins's laid in Crystallocution.

It really was no surprise that Nightstrike had dealt with this Mirage so quickly and easily. The medic had worked with Mirage often enough, both on missions and in the med-bay, to be able to read and anticipate the spy.

xxxxx

The watching Autobots and humans weren't really sure what to make of the newcomers that had quite literally appeared out of thin air. The details they could make out on the newcomers, who were clearly Cybertronian, were sparse though it was also clear they were mechs. The problem though was that their faction symbols couldn't be seen, but that could be attributed to them not facing the direction the group was in.

But when the black and silver mech spoke more than one human blushed and more than one of the Autobots's optics widened. Not at the words being addressed to a mech that looked awfully like Wheeljack but at the sound.

It just didn't seem right that the sultry voice that just seemed tempt sin was coming from a being made out of metal. The accent in that voice was familiar as well for some reason. It tugged at more than one processor.

It really should have been a big tip off that the mechs in front of them were speaking in English and had alt-modes from Earth even if they were out-dated for the times.

Hearing exactly what the two mechs before them were saying was making this situation seem very familiar, though it was usually Ratchet waving his wrench threateningly at Wheeljack. Seeing those vocal-indicators light up on that mech though had several processors working overtime. The mechs in front of them seemed eeriely familiar for some reason.

But the most absolutely shocking thing to happen was watching the black and silver mech take down Mirage, while he was invisible, and not once move from his place or look away from the mech he was speaking with. Seeing as Mirage was now visible and under the visored mech's foot the visored mech clearly took the spy's electro-disruptor offline. That Mirage was in the position he was in at all meant that the visored mech had sensed the spy and by the lack of surprise coming from the other three newcomers they had known as well.

xxxxx

Nightstrike finally turned his head to look the Prime in the optics even if the one he was looking at couldn't see his optics through the visor.

"Now tha' was just plain rude Optimus Prime. We offered no violence or threat when we appeared here. An' I can assure ya tha' it wasn't our intention ta appear here at all. Ya can thank my companion's insatiable curiousity and inability ta leave well enough alone for our arrival here."

But it wasn't Optimus that spoke in response to Nightstrike's words. It was a human who did. A quirky human who was unusually perceptive for his kind named Miles.

"You dudes ain't from around here are you? Considering who some of you look like, how you look, and the fact you're speaking English so well I'd say you're not from this world much less this planet."

"He reminds me of Chip." Prowl observed.

"You see I had a slight accident with out new transporters. It really shouldn't have sent us to a different dimension because frankly to do so is outside of its design parameters. And I really wasn't doing anything that would have warranted this happening." Wheeljack was trying to explain himself to everyone. The words coming out of his vocalizer were sounding more familiar than some were comfortable with because they had heard this explanation countless times before.

"At least it didn't blow up like last time. Ratchet probably would have welded you to a repair berth and fixed you without any painkillers until the end after he yelled at you for being stupid and endangering others with your inventions and absent-mindedness. Of course the painkiller he would have given you at the end of the lecture probably would have been a blow to the cranial unit courtesy of his wrench. So really this isn't so bad unless we're gone for a long time then you can kiss your aft goodbye when Ratchet gets a hold of you."

It was becoming very clear just who some of these newcomers, and apparently dimensional travelers, were to Optimus and the other Autobots if the familiar rambling speech and the hasty explanation weren't enough. The vocal-indicators, door-wings, and chevrons were also helping realization dawn as well as the admittanance of dimensional travel and the mention of Ratchet. Noticing what Miles had so helpfully pointed out helped too. That and Optimus and the others could completely believe a Wheeljack of any dimension would have his inventions somehow go wrong. Yes they could completely believe that.

But Optimus focused on the newcomer he couldn't immediately identify, the one helping Mirage up from the ground, the one who had called him correctly by his designation. His SIC Prowl, who was standing next to him, was doing the same but neither made any assumptions. They might have different designations in their dimension after all.

Now that the newcomers had turned to face them the red sigils that pronounced they were Autobots were noticable as was how protective they were of each other. Their stances were deceptively open as if they could spring into action at the slightest provication but there was no hostility either.

"I apologize. Your unexpected arrival was startling, especially to those who have been at war for as long as we have. If you would introduce yourselves since you seem to know who I am?"

/Polite ain't he?/

/Well he is a Prime and Optimus Prime at that./

/Too true./

/Who wants to go first?/

/Do it by rank or shock value?/

/You are having entirely too much fun with this./

/By shock value it is then. Blue your up first and be sure to do it right./

xxxxx

The silver mech with door-wings and crimson chevron stepped forward to introduce himself first. "Designation: Autobot Bluestreak. Function: Sniper. Deployment: The Ark. Commanding Officer: Optimus Prime."

The mech with the battle-mask and the vocal-indicators stepped forward as Bluestreak stepped back. "Designation: Autobot Wheeljack. Function: Chief Engineering Officer. Deployment: The Ark. Commanding Officer: Optimus Prime."

The next mech to step forward was the black and white mech with door-wings whose aura just screamed authority. "Designation: Autobot Prowl. Function: Second-In-Command of the Autobots. Deployment: The Ark. Commanding Officer: Optimus Prime."

The last mech to step forward was the one no one could guess at. He seemed familiar but his possible designation escaped them. It wouldn't when he spoke. "Dessignation: Autobot Nightstrike. Function: Disciplinary Officer. Deployment: The Ark. Commanding Officer: Optimus Prime."

xxxxx

It was one thing to suspect but a completely different thing to have those suspicions confirmed. Though the designation Nightstrike jarred a lot of memories and caused more than one spark to ache because of the memories of who he had closely associated with that his designation brought up. Now they knew why the visor-wearing mech seemed familiar. But they didn't know if the Nightstrike of this dimension still lived or if he had already gone to the Matrix. They knew the fate of so few of their comrades and their enemies.

The other information was mind-boggling as well. No wonder Nightstrike had had no problems discerning just who Optimus was if all four of the travelers served directly under their Optimus Prime's command. It was a relief that the travelers were Autobots. But the Nightstrike of their dimension hadn't been the Disciplinary Officer, frag, they couldn't even remember what function Nightstrike served within the Autobot faction. The visored mech had been as mysterious as the dearly missed mech he was so close to. It had been so long since any of them had laid optics on Nightstrike that it was forgiveable that they couldn't remember exactly what he did seeing as he had served primarily with Ultra Magnus in Iacon.

Any more speculation was cut short by Nightstrike speaking again and what he was saying was humorous.

"No 'Jack, ya can just forget it. Both of ya can." By now everyone had noticed the fascination both Wheeljack's were exhibiting in each other and were holding back their flinches at the thoughts of what could happen. Thankfully Nightstrike was nipping any ideas they might be having in the bud. "Neither of ya are allowed in th' same room alone without responsible an' approved adult supervision ta make sure ya don't blow all of us up. I would include blowing yourselves as well but there is really only so much one can expect from Primus an' th' amount of miracles he would 'ave ta perform wit' one Wheeljack, never mind two, would be too much ta ask."

Nightstrike hadn't given either of them any loopholes to wiggle through, thus proving why he was Disciplinary Officer. Rather made Optimus wish he had a Disciplinary Officer like Nightstrike to take care of all of his rowdy, unruly, and chaotic subordinates. Prowl and Red Alert did what they could but they couldn't be everywhere at once with all their duties.

Optimus wasn't sure if he liked the gleeful glint in Ratchet's optics. He had no idea that a Ratchet from a different dimension had had the same look when he met this Nightstrike as well or that he would see it again. The Disciplinary Officer's words had been humorous in their context and phrasing and seeing the chargined reactions of both Wheeljacks was rather funny as well. Laughter rang through the desert air, easing away any lingering tension.

I would speak with you privately later Optimus Prime.

Optimus looked over at Nightstrike who was looking straight at him. That hadn't been a transmission through a comm-link. The mech in front of him was Gifted. Now that went a long way in explaining why this group of travelers had ended up exactly where they had and the emphasis he put on the word our. And it gave him hope that they were the aid he had prayed for but never expected. He knew what it meant for one of the Gifted to appear as this Gifted had. Perhaps it wasn't a coincidence that the counterpart of Jazz's dear friend Nightstrike, if only he knew because some things didn't change despite differences in dimension, was here.

The Commander of the Autobots nodded in reply to Nightstrike's request even though he could already guess what the topic of discussion would be and said aloud, "You are all more than welcome to stay here until you are able to return to your own dimension."

"And we would be happy to give you our aid while we are here in return. It would be no hardship. To be frank we are still at war with the Decepticons in our dimension so our skills are still sharp. They will have to stay sharp so that we will not be a hindrance to our comrades when we return." Prowl had stepped forward among the travelers, seeing as he was trechnically the highest ranking officer among them, to accept the Prime's offer.

xxxxx

"I hate ta be th' voice of practicality an' logic but ya do know tha' stayin' here means we need new alt-modes an' temporary designations so as ta avoid confusion. I get th' feelin' humans don't know about Cybertronians in this dimension like they do back home."

The implications about the last statement Nightstrike alone made Optimus very much look forward to speaking in-depth with their visitors. But Nightstrike was being practical with his suggestions about new alt-modes and temporary designations. Introductions of their human allies were a must as well seeing as the visitors could obviously tell who each Autobot was based on the counterpart in their dimension.

No one got a chance to reply to Nightstrike's words because the visitors had just obviously scanned new alt-modes off the internet so they were transforming.

Apparently they had all decided to keep their coloring, though Prowl obviously changed his decal to match the local law enforcement's.

xxxxx

/What do you think of this one Sweetspark? I'm definitely putting the specs for some of these beauties in my storage banks to use for the others back home./

/Some of the alt-modes these Auotbots have would suit their counterparts in our dimension far better than the ones they currently have. Ironhide for example would be better suited to being a Topkick than the van alt-mode he possesses now./

/That's true. And their Ratchet's Hummer Search and Rescue Vehicle would probably be much better than the over-sized ambulance alt-mode he has now. And just look at some of the other things on the internet too./

/Blue look at this car. Do you think they would like it? It's sleeker than their current alt-modes./

/Sunstreaker and Sideswipe would love that model so make sure to save that one. What do you think about this one for me?/

/I think it suits you well. I like it and it would look very attractive on you. The Twins will probably think so too when we get home./

/If they haven't torn the Ark to shreds because of our absence you mean./

/No, they probably are just frustrated right now and irritable like we might be soon./

/What do you mean?/

/Can't you feel your spark calling and reaching out? I had not expected our sparks to pulse in sync so soon. The only thing keeping us calm right now is because is the presence of each other and Prowl who is experiencing the same thing. Because I'm trine-mates with Jazz whose spark has always been in sync with mine Prowl's is in sync with ours as well by extension. I would pity Wheeljack right now if he already didn't know how to deal with it. I've gone long periods of time without my trine-mates so I know how to deal with it too. You and Prowl will most likely need a bit of guidance but as long as we don't laeve each other for extended periods of time in this dimension there should be no problem./

xxxxx

But the real surprise came in their choices of new alt-modes. They were surprising to say the least and different in comparison to their counterparts from this dimension.

Where Prowl once stood was a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti police cruiser.

Where Bluestreak once stood was now a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.

Where Nightstrike once sttod was a Lexus LF-A.

And where Wheeljack once stood was a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.

Truly interesting choices of alt-modes among the visitors. But now came the designations. However there would be a few surprises for all involved when the visitors transformed back into their bipedal modes. It became very clear that Nightstrike's change in alt-modes had also caused changes in his bipedal mode.

And he knew exactly what those changes were when a happy Bluestreak took it upon his himself to grope his new appendages. He now had a set of door-wings adorning his back and if he didn't already know how much his silver lover already loved them he would be tempted to get rid of them. But he did need them for the sensors embedded in then. The door-wings would take getting used to and he would have to learn how to control them. He knew how much could be given away with body language and while there were few who could actually understand door-wing body language it was better not to take chances.

Good thing he had two wonderful sources and his own experience with reading those two sources.

Knowing that Bluestreak's touches would probably lead to him dragging the sniper somewhere more private Nightstrike reached around and looped his arm around Bluestreak's waist and pulled the sniper so that he was pressed snugly against the visored mech's frame.

Thankfully his wing-blades had just been sub-spaced because he had a fondness for those blades. They had been a present from his trine-mates when they were younglings. And he always tried to preserve the presents he had been given; the presents he cherished.

xxxxx

More than one Cybertronian looked on in surprise yet again as they watched the intereaction between the Disciplinary Officer and the sniper. None were as captivated with there watching as Bluestreak as he watched his counterpart's actions.

The other Bluestreak had wasted no time in touching Nightstrike's new door-wings. It was such an intimate gesture, because it was well-known that door-wings were sensitive, and only those closest were allowed to touch them. The other Bluestreak was touching them as a lover would and was subsequently pulled against the officer's frame. He put up no resistance to Nightstrike's actions and in fact seemed content to be held against Nightstrike as he was.

The affection and happiness reflected in the other Bluestreak's optics and smile as he looked into Nightstrike's visor was visible and it utterly captivated the Bluestreak of this dimension. His counterpart looked so happy with Nightstrike and the visored mech radiated contentment with the silver mech's position pressed against him and didn't look as if he were going to let go any time soon. Watching Nightstrike lean over and whisper something they couldn't hear into the other Bluestreak's but audio caused the sniper to beam at the officer holding him. It was very clear by the unashamed way the two were acting and the indulgent looks in their fellow visitors's optics that the two were lovers.

xxxxx

Bluestreak was happy that Nightstrike had asked him to pick his lover's new designation and to be allowed to pick Bluestreak's in return. He already knew exactly which designation he wanted to give Nightstrike. He had heard Jazz call his dark lover that once and he had really liked it. But it had made him and the Twins curious as to why Jazz had called Nightstrike that. The saboteur had been annoyingly vague.

'Our trine all have one art that we are passionate about and love. And sculpting ain't 'Strike's.'

They really needed to remember to get Nightstrike to tell them exactly what Jazz had meant. Or show them.

He just hoped Nightstrike liked his choice as much as he liked Nightstrike's choice for his designation. The Twins and Nightstrike had called him this when he had won one of their races.

"Silverstreak. You can call me Silverstreak and you can call Nightstrike here Rhythm."

Silverstreak knew his lover approved when his lover pulled him even closer against his frame if that was possible. The light caress of Nightstrike's mind warm with affection against his own was a large clue as well. Both of them then turned to Prowl and Wheeljack wondering if they had chosen or needed help.

They needed help.

"Ya know we could just call ya Prowler if can't think of a suitable one," Rhythm gently teased.

The glare sent his way would have reduced a normal mech to slag from its intensity alone. Too bad for the tactician that he was forever surrounded by those anything but normal.

"Don't tell me he hasn't called ya more degradin' things than tha' because I know he has."

"Rhythm."

The inhabitants of this dimension had become an audience once more, an entertained audience at that. Though the thought of two Prowls and a Disciplinary Officer had some of the troublemakers squirming a little on the inside. The Prowl of this dimension was looking forward to the help, especially since the visitors had already offered.

Rhythm's voice was serious with an undertone of teasing. "He has done it an' still does it in his never-ending quest ta drag ya out of th' work ya bury yourself in. Besides, I wasn't seriously suggestin' Prowler. I do 'ave a better suggestion. One ya might actually like. Artifice."

The tactician thought over the suggested designation and its meaning. Trust Rhythm to think of something that would suit him for the time being. "Acceptable. Now a designation must be chosen for Wheeljack."

Silverstreak barely kept in his laughter as the engineer struggled to find a suitable designation seeing as he didn't like the ones Artifice and Rhythm were suggesting.

"Come on 'Jack there must be something you like. Artifice and Rhythm are even being nice with their suggestions. I mean they could have been mean and suggested designations like Boom, Wrench, Blowup, Burst, Bomb, Watch Out..." Silverstreak had trailed off at the chargined look the engineer was sporting and the eruption of laughter from their hosts.

Rhythm helpfully continued for him. "... Blast Radius, Countdown, Ignition, Outbreak..."

And Artifice finished. "... Biohazard, Detonation, Breakout, Blowout, Eruption, Landmine.''

"You three are horrible you know that."

"An' somehow I think your lover would side with us an' our assessment in th' appropriateness of our possible designation choices. Ratchet has called ya some of those one more than one occasion. Usually when ya end up in th' med-bay because your luck decided ta strike."

That stopped a good bit of the laughter, though not all of it. It was an interesting bit of information to know that the Ratchet and Wheeljack of both dimensions were together. Made some of them wonder at the pairings in both dimension and which of them matched. Though they already knew the Bluestreak and Nightstrike of this dimension weren't together but that might just have been from not meeting yet. That and some of them knew the Twins were interested in Bluestreak. It did make them wonder why Silverstreak didn't end up with the Twins of his dimension instead of Rhythm.

"Its alright 'Jack we won't tease you anymore. I have another suggestion if you would like to hear it?" Artifice asked. The engineer nodded. They were his friends and comrades after all and were just releasing some of their stress over their situation. The designations they had suggested in jest had been funny. "Arc-Welder."

Artifice had suggested the Chief Engineer's favorite tool to use. It was his favorite because he did use that specific tool quite a bit and it was the only tool his lover Ratchet had never thrown at him even once.

"That will work just fine Artifice."

xxxxx

The four visitors fit in just fine though they were very polite as if they weren't sure how to treat their hosts. It took Ratchet pointing out rather bluntly that they were used to interacting with the Cybertronians of their dimension they didn't want to come off as to familiar just because they knew someone remarkably like them. It would have been rude to treat others that way when it was very plain that there were some major differences between their dimensions.

So both sides were a little shy until Miles took it upon himself to break the ice while dragging Sam, Mikaela, and Bumblebee along with him. The mech he really wanted to speak to was the one with the visor, Rhythm. He had spoken with Prowl, Bluestreak, and Wheeljack before, though Artifice seemed much more laid-back than Prowl did and Silverstreak didn't seem to ramble as much as Bluestreak did. He had no idea that was because both of them had lovers to ease their burdens and to care for and be cared for in return. Arc-Welder unfortunately seemed to have the same penchant for causing things to explode. It looked like no amount of Ratchet-loving was going to fix that no matter how hard the CMO tried.

Rhythm had been sitting in the rec-room going over a data-pad for Arc-Welder and Wheeljack who were currently working under Ratchet's supervision in the med-bay. He had been tempted to join them while his lover was on patrol with his counterpart, getting to know each other. But Ratchet, at least this Ratchet, had no idea that he was a medic and he knew his CMO Ratchet well enough to know that inviting himself into the med-bay without his permission would be a bad idea of the worst order.

So here he was in the rec-room. He found the sounds of the Twins playing video games with the two military humans, Will Lennox and Robert Epps, to be soothing. They might not be his and Silverstreak's Twins but they sounded like them, especially with the way they were bantering back and forth, so little else mattered. It even helped him relax a little with Silverstreak being so far away. Not that he didn't know exactly where the Ferrari and his Nissan companion were. Having their sparks pulse in sync had made Rhythm very aware of just where Silverstreak and Artifice were at any given time.

The whole trip seemed to even be strengthening not only his Gifts but the Gifts of Silverstreak and Artifice. That almost worried Rhythm because of the implications but he wouldn't and couldn't fight with Primus over the wisdom of it. Their Great Creator knew what he was doing and really nothing could stop the expansion of their Gifts. They would just have to deal with it. Thankfully it was a gradual expansion so far so they had all been capable of controlling it.

"Hello. You're Rhythm right?"

Not startled by the proximity of the humans and Bumblebee, he had sensed their approach, but vaguely surprised that they would speak with him. He had been expecting the Twins to be the first to speak with him. The Twins and the two military humans did however take their attention off their game and redirect it to where Rhythm was sitting and being addressed. It seems they were curious but hadn't known how to approach him themselves or most likely they were waiting to see how he interacted with others. Rhythm could feel the curiousity coming off the Twins in waves and had felt it since they had figured out he and Silverstreak were lovers. He could tell they both were interested in their Bluestreak.

And he wondered how they would react to finding out he and Silverstreak were lovers with the Twins of their dimension. He thought it better they don't find out just yet, it would be more amusing that way.

"Yes tha' would be me. Wha' ya need?" Rhythm responds. He knows he has to be more sociable than he usually is.

"Just to talk. You are new around here. My name is Miles and this is Sam and Mikaela. I think you already recognize Bumblebee."

"It is nice ta meet ya Miles, Sam, an' Mikaela. Ya are correct in your assumption in regards ta me recognizin' Bumblebee. Th' Bumblebee of my dimension has a vastly diffeent alt-mode, even if the coloring is almost the same. However he was the first among us to build strong ties among th' humans."

"What alt-mode does your Bumblebee have?" asked the curious Mikaela. She and everyone else just weren't expecting the answer.

"Volkswagon Beetle."

The Twins weren't the only ones who cracked up laughing. Bumblebee looked mortified that his counterpart would have that as an alt-mode.

"There are quite a few Autobots on th' Ark whose alt-mode don't fit them. But it really isn't there fault. They just dealt wit' wha' Teletraan-One gave them. Some just had worse alt-modes than others."

Anything else that Rhythm might have said was lost as Silverstreak, Bluestreak, Prowl, and Artifice came into the rec-room, obviously having finished their patrol and work repectively.

"Silverstreak, Bluestreak, ya both have less than a klik ta get yourselves ta th' med-bay or I'm goin' ta drag ya both there myself. Ignorin' things like tha' just cause ya don't want ta bother Ratchet is stupid." Rhythm didn't sound happy with them at all. In fact the Lexus got up and escorted them to the med-bay.

Attention became focused on Artifice, clearly wanting an explanation.

"Rhythm has some of th' most powerful sensor arrays in existance. He might be the Disciplinary Officer right now but that wasn't what he did before and still does now. He is one of our most skilled medics and he works closely with the Ratchet of our dimension. We introduced ourselves with our official ranks but not the background as a force of habit. That should have been apparent however because as we have been able to discern our counterparts have many duties and most if not all of them are the same."

"Huh?" That came from one of the humans but Artifice could not tell which one at the moment.

"Take Prowl and myself for example," that strange using his designation to name another Autobot, "both of us are the SIC but we are also the main tacticians and are usually in charge of scheduling, diplomacy when the Prime is unavailiable, logistics, and organization just to name a few duties in broad terms. Arc-Welder is a certified medic as well as the Chief Engineer and Head of the Science Department. Silverstreak is a Special Ops sniper as well as a gunner on the frontlines in addition to acting as a scout. Rhythm is a certifed combat medic, the Disciplinary Officer, and he works with the Science Department. Those are just a few of the duties we all carry out."

That made sense to all of those in the rec-room. It would have taken forever to introduce themselves if they were going to list ever little thing they did.

xxxxx

Ratchet, Optimus, Wheeljack, and Arc-Welder stopped their conversation when Rhythm escorted Bluestreak and Silverstreak into the med-bay and onto a repair berth. The four of them watched the practiced and professional way Rhythm went inspecting their door-wings. Three of them were surprised and one of them wasn't.

Rhythm took his tools out of sub-space. "Both of ya hit a pot-hole I take it?"

He got nods in response. "Ya both should be more careful. Your door-wings are slightly out of alignment. It probably only feels like a twinge right now but it would cause problems in th' future if left unfixed. You're both lucky I noticed."

Ratchet was stunned. Only really experienced medics would notice door-wings being even the slightest bit out of alignment. None of them had mentioned Rhythm being a medic.

"What level, class, and specialty Rhythm?" Ratchet asked. There was no way the visored mech couldn't be medic trained. Not with how unsurprised Arc-Welder looked and how easily he was doing the realignment.

"Level One, First Class, Frontline Combat." And not once did Rhythm take his attention off what he was doing. If he could do field repairs with bombs going off overhead and shrapnel flying everwhere he could deal with working while Ratchet sated his curiousity.

"And you didn't mention this because?"

"Because if ya are anything like the Ratchet in my world than th' last thing I would do is invite myself into your med-bay without due cause. These two should 'ave come straight ta the med-bay after patrol with their door-wings like this. Seein' as they didn't I made sure they did so I could take care of it. Besides, these are just small repairs and my sensors 'aven't detected anything else wrong wit' them."

Rhythm finished with the two snipers and sent them back to the rec-room accompanied by Arc-Welder and Wheeljack to have some energon. Giving his tools one more once over to make sure they were in proper working condition he put them away and looked up. Then he promptly froze as his medic's focus dissipated like smoke in the wind.

Optimus and Ratchet saw how Rhythm completely froze then sung around to focus all of his attention on an obscured door in the back of the med-bay.

"So tha' is why I 'ave been sent here." Rhythm turned back to look at Ratchet and Optimus who had just realized what the visored medic had sensed. They wouldn't have believed the Lexus could actually know what was behind the door in that room if Arc-Welder hadn't been telling them about the sensor arrays Rhythm possessed.

"Why do you say that?" Optimus asked with hope in his spark.

"Your Jazz lays seemingly lifeless in tha' room does he not? Th' ones who could help him in this world are on th' brink of death themselves so they 'ave not th' strength to help."

"Then why can you help?"

"Some of th' events of this world might be different but much is th' same. Th' reason I took a tempoaray designation is because my counterpart still lives, even if he balances on th' line between life an' death."

"That still doesn't explain what you mean Rhythm," Ratchet said, barely containing his frustration.

"I am a part of an Autobot trine, perhaps th' only Autobot trine. We were 'ave been separated for many vorns. When I was transferred ta th' Ark I was reunited with one of my trine-mates. His name is Jazz."

The med-bay was silent as the Prime and CMO processed this bit of information.

"How are they still alive? From what I know of trines, which is admittedly little, unless they have spark-mates to hold onto they follow each other into death." Ratchet had been the one to speak.

"Tha' would normally be th' case but they cling ta life in hopes of their trine-mate bein' brought back from Death's embrace. Primus probably sent them a vision or spoke to them on th' astral plane. They are as Gifted as my trine is. They cling ta life because they 'ave hope tha' their Jazz will be brought back. Is not th' very possibility more than enough ta give them hope?"

Both the CMO and the Prime nodded in solemn agreement.

"It will take a little time for me ta gather all the energy I need ta help your Jazz. The Allspark shard in th' room wit' him should provide assistance, especially wit' th' way it is crying out to heal as it is right now."

"How exactly did you know the Allspark shard is in there though?"

"When my trine worked for Sentinel Prime in my world I was charged with guarding the Allspark at times. I have touched it and been in close proximity enough to know exactly what it feels like. Given time it will restore itself enough to revitalize your Cybertron."

"Primus knew what he was doing when he sent you all here Rhythm."

"I would hope so Prime."

xxxxx

Most of the Autobots on base were currently socializing in the rec-room with high-grade. The only exception being Red Alert watching the monitors with Inferno as company and Perceptor who had holed himself up in his lab again.

Rhythm was sitting in a corner away from the main group with Silverstreak in his lap. The pair seemed rather absorbed in each other, at the moment.

The other Autobots in attendance were gathered toward the center of the rec-room. This group consisted of Optimus, Ratchet, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Prowl, Artifice, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Bluestreak, Mirage, Hound, Wheeljack, and Arc-Welder. And the Autobots of this dimension were curious about their visitors.

Ironhide decided to start it off. "Well we know that Arc-Welder is together with the Ratchet of his world and that Rhythm is together with Silverstreak-"

Artifice cut him off. "That is only partially true. Those two are a part of a quartet." Artifice turned to look at Arc-Welder with amused optics. "You do know that unless Rhythm, Silverstreak, and myself plead clemency for you that you are likely to be on the recieving end of more 'accidents' and potential beatings than you know how to deal with. Rhythm might be rather quiet normally and your creations might love you Arc-Welder but you have placed them at the mercy of their other Creator with Rhythm no longer there to take care of their problems. Anything that upsets Fireflight, Swoop, and First Aid is usually dealt with harshly and those three are very fond of Silverstreak and Rhythm as are their teammates. And that is without mentioning their lovers and the Technobots."

"I got it. I got it. You don't have to list all the 'Bots that will be after my cranial unit alright." Arc-Welder looked like he needed the high-grade he was drinking.

No one had expected Rhythm and Silverstreak to be a part of a quartet and it made specualtion run rampant. But Ironhide wasn't finished. "Well, now that that is cleared up what about yourself Artifice?"

Arc-Welder looked over at his friend and observed his sudden interest in his cube of high-grade. "You know Artifice I never have heard the story of how you two got together, because you two were as oblivious as Pit when it came to your feelings for each other."

Laughter came from the corner of the room Silverstreak and Rhythm were occupying. Silverstreak was the one who spoke once he stopped laughing.

"He and Rhythm had just came back from a mission when Artifice and I found them walking toward their quarters so tired they were holding each other up so they could walk. I don't know what Rhythm said to Artifice but he pushed the two of them into his quarters and locked the door as well as put a new override code on it so they couldn't leave."

"I was just tellin' Artifice that I approved of Jazz's choice and that they really should stop denyin' what they were feelin'. Never seen Jazz look as happy as he did when I unlocked th' door ta let them out."

"And we never properly thanked you for your actions."

"Oh you did a thousand times over."

xxxxx

Rhythm had noticed how Prowl, not his Prowl but the one from this world, stiffened at finding out that his counterpart was lovers with the Jazz of their world. He didn't like to see or feel the poor tactician in pain. Love left unspoken can wear away at the spark. If this continued this Prowl would die of a broken spark. You shouldn't have to suffer existance when those that complete you are gone.

The medic gently wrapped his mind around the strategist's and brought up the memories of what he had said in the med-bay as well as the knowledge he possessed about trines and the Gifted. The Prowl of this world didn't need surprises visited upon him later on. He also showed Prowl some the memory of how he had gotten the Artifice and Jazz together as well as an explanation of what his relationship with them and his own lovers was so that he could what he would potentially be getting himself into.

Optics full of gratitude, hope, and understanding looked at Rhythm where he sat and he nodded in acknowledgement. The suffering of others, especially those he liked, was not something he liked witnessing.

xxxxx

"Would you like to give the game a try?"

"Are ya sure ya want ta offer tha' Sideswipe?"

Rhythm didn't look up from the schematics on the data-pad he was going over. He honestly hadn't expected either of the Twins to try direct interaction with him unless it was in a negative fashion. He knew very well how wary they were of him because of his position as Disciplinary Officer. Truth be told he had really been expecting a prank of some sort. His Twins had never pulled a prank on him specifically, probably because he could and would find somewhere else to recharge and take his Sweetspark with him.

Though he had almost been caught in their pranks on numerous occasions but had never been subjected to them but neither had Jazz. It paid to have a sense for danger and to be vigilantly observant. The one time his Sweetspark had been caught in one of the Twins's pranks, accident it might have been, he had tied them both to the berth in a position where they absolutely couldn't move then preceded to put on a show for them with Silverstreak. The overload, knowing they were watching and couldn't do a slagging thing, that Rhythm and Silverstreak had had was so strong it knocked them offline for a cycle. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had been beyond frustrated by then and to top it off Rhythm had dragged Silverstreak out of the room, leaving the Twins still secured to the berth, and had sent Prowl to untie them the next morning after he and Silverstreak hid where they would never think to look.

They had learned their lesson and Silverstreak hadn't been caught in a prank since. Though the retaliation had been more than worth it. And the Twins had learned that if they wanted to play the Tie-Up game with Rhythm involved they had to have Rhythm's cooperation because even electro-cuffs could be gotten out of. They had apparently temporarily forgotten that Rhythm was Black Ops and that there was very little he couldn't get out of. At least the things they could procure.

"Why? Think you can beat us?" Sideswipe asked with a cocky smirk.

"He merely means he holds an advantage," answered Artifice from beside Rhythm. Silverstreak who had been leaning against his lover half in recharge nodded his agreement with Artifice's assessment.

"Why's that?" Sunstreaker returned.

Artifice had that amused glint in his optics again. "Our Twins are really well aquainted with Rhythm. Very well aquainted."

"That and Rhythm's played with them before so he know's how they play," added Silverstreak.

Rhythm looked at his lover wondering if he was aware of all the innuendo in what he had just said or if he was just being naive again. A look at Artifice told him that his trine-mate's lover was thinking the same thing he was.

"No doubt your Twins are as troublesome as ours are. I very much believe you when you say Rhythm is well aquainted with those who are likely your worst troublemakers," Prowl stated from where he sat across from Rhythm and his family.

"No, they haven't been half as bad since Rhythm arrived. If anything they are busier," Artifice replied with hidden mirth, well aware of the hidden meaning in his words.

xxxxx

He could feel the nervous energy in the air of the med-bay. Rhythm had only told his companions, Optimus, Ratchet, and Prowl what he was going to do, even if he did not exactly describe how he was going to do this. The medic was more than sure none of them would like some of the aspects of what he would have to do, especially if the death of the Jazz of this world was as violent as had been described.

It was one of his least used Gifts. His own trine-mates hated when he used it, not because it was inherently bad but because of the effect it had on him. In his opinion all Gifts had some down side as a reminder from Primus that they should be used wisely. This particular Gift just had a worse consquence than others.

Very, very rarely did he use his Gift for looking into the past through touch. It was a Gift he was not fond of and usually kept locked away. His trine-mates asked him to use it only as a last resort when the situation was dire.

For you see to bring Jazz back through the use of a trine-bond Rhythm would first have to relive Jazz's death and he would feel every moment of it. Every emotion Jazz felt, every thought, and every sensation.

The medic really wasn't sure if any of them would have asked or let him go through with this if they had known all the consequences it would involve. He was more than willing to do this. Something within his very spark told him to do this.

He did not fear what was to come.

So it was alone he walked into that back room that was at the moment the resting place of the fallen saboteur. The small group that knew of what he was trying to accomplish were behind him, watching through the doorway.

Silence hung heavy in the air that almost thrummed with tension coupled with hopeful anticipation.

The sight of the fallen silver warrior, for he was a warrior as proved by his unfailing bravery in the face of certain death, almost stopped Rhythm short. He could feel the pain and sadness well up in his spark. This might not have been his Jazz, but it wasn't hard to imagine, and if everything went well they would be just as close.

He hoped and prayed that he never saw his own Jazz or Sandstorm like this. It might just break his spark.

Reverently he brushed his fingertips over the dark visor that kept optics of a brilliant color hidden from view, then down a silver cheek and over closed mouth components, then gently down over neck cables, and then even further down until his fingertips rested over where Jazz's spark had and would rest.

During this a soft glow had begun to envelope both of their forms as the power built. The very air around them was thick with it. That soft glow changed into blue brilliance even more power built and that blue brilliance became almost blinding as the power of the Allspark shard was added to what was already surrounding Jazz and Rhythm.

Rhythm climbed up onto the platform that Jazz's form laid upon and knelt between the fallen saboteur's legs. It was imperative that he be able to see the spark chamber. With equal reverence Rhythm opened the fallen saboteur's chest and his spark chamber. Ratchet had restored Jazz's form out of respect for his fallen comrade.

Then the medic placed his hands over his chest, over his very spark chamber. And that's when the real show began.

xxxxx

They watched the events that unfolded before them with undisguised awe. There was power, pure unadultered power, all around them, seeping into everything, and it could be felt not just by those in the locked med-bay.

But the events that unfolded next were just miraculous, perhaps even divine.

xxxxx

Rhythm went rigid as power surged through him and threw his head back, his battle-mask retracting, as pure liquid sound escaped from somewhere deep in his spark.

That sound sang of unwavering determination, of bravery beyond measure, of the heat of battle, of staring death in the eye and knowing it had come to claim you, of pain never before imagined, of loss striking lightning quick, of sorrow deep enough to shatter the spark, of utter longing for what was lost, of the light making the seemingly unending darkness disperse from whence it came, of the warmth of hope blossoming like the dawn of a new day, and finally of glorious rebirth.

That pure liquid sound was startling in its beauty and told a tale that those who heard it would never forget.

And many heard the song for it rang throughout the base and it was echoed through the four others.

In the Ark Jazz fell to his knees between the concerned Twins, threw his head back, and let the song inside well up and released it for all to hear. All the while feeling exactly what his missing trine-mate was doing.

On the Xantium a very similar situation was playing out with Sandstorm who was becoming aware of just where his trine-mates were as the song graced the audios of everyone aboard.

In the Xantium of a different dimension, the one where Rhythm currently was, a Sandstorm thought lost rose onto his knees from the repair berth he had laid on to let the song come forth with hope and happiness in his spark.

In the ship Xellihelios a similiar scene to the one on the Xantium played out before a shocked First Aid as the friend and mentor he had thought lost, Nightstrike, rose up from the repair berth he had laid upon on the verge of death and let loose the song that rang through his spark.

He was whole again, they all were.

Light surrounded Rhythm and Jazz as the saboteur's spark came back into existence. Four pairs of optics watched their trine-mates with rapt attention.

xxxxx

Full reconnection could be difficult at the best of times, if only because the War interfered. Time was a luxury and the effects that came with full reconnection could be fatal in that the effects could cause distraction at a critical moment, especially when one can be called for a mission or battle at any time.

Because Primus was obviously allowing Jazz to be brought back, meaning he had some purpose to fulfil and Rhythm had a fair idea as to just what that was, Rhythm had to be brought to make sure that happened. Nightstrike and Sandstorm had tried to follow Jazz into death but had been denied just as their trine-mate had. As such both were not up to the task and obviously their Great Creator had another motive for bringing Rhythm to revive Jazz as he did.

Between trine-mates, twins, and gestalts what Rhythm had done was a full reconnection. Between other Cybertronians what Rhythm had done was spark-bonding, a complete sharing of their essences, of their lives. He would forever be connected to this Jazz and so their trines were also forever connected. He had felt the sharing of both trines though their sharing was not as deep as his own with this silver Jazz. Rhythm was just thankful that instead of becoming spark-mates they had partner-bonded.

Partner-bonded would be the equivalent of becoming family as the humans would say. They had accepted each other into their family units, which was only right seeing how entwined their trines were now. And it was a good thing that it was a partner-bond. Both of them had certain mechs in spark and mind for their spark-mates.

Of course none of the six of them were all that thrilled to find that the strength of their Gifts had expanded. And they knew they had because they could actually sense each other regardless of distance or dimension. Practice would probably make communicating with each other possible as well. But they all knew that things like this didn't come without a price of some sort.

All of them just knew they were going to be stuck with some task they were going to absolutely despise.

At least they all knew what was going on with their trine-mates now, or at least enough.

xxxxx

Rhythm watched as Jazz's visor flared into life just as his spark had. He never stopped watching as the silver saboteur, so full of life like his own white and black saboteur, sat up and smiled at him.

A clawed hand came to rest on Rhythm's bare cheek.

"It's nice ta finally meet ya visor ta visor."

Neither one of them made any mention of the glyphs, very familiar ones, that glowed brightly on their armor before fading as the power in the air dissipated.

xxxxx

Jazz's rebirth was met with much celebration and happiness. But no one saw the saboteur directly after his re-awakening. Rhtyhm and Ratchet insisted upon a full systems check to make sure that the re-instated Third-In-Command was in top condition. That and Rhythm and an amused Silverstreak had escorted Jazz to Prowl's room, not that the saboteur knew that at the time, and preceded to lock the two together in what would become their quarters. Rhythm was of the opinion that one should not mess with what works.

Seeing the reactions all of those called into the rec-room the next evening to the sight of a fully functional Jazz walking in with his hand in Prowl's was something none of the visitors would ever forget. It equaled the reaction of the Ark crew when much the same thing had happened after their SIC and Special Ops Commander had finally gotten together.

xxxxx

A whimper coming from near-by brought Rhythm out of recharge. He knew who it was coming from even before he onlined his optics. Silverstreak must have moved away from him in recharge. The sniper usually didn't have nightmares when he slept in his lovers's arms. But Sunstreaker and Sideswipe weren't here and with Silverstreak's spark calling out and only getting one response when there should be three wasn't helping.

This was the first nightmare his Sweetspark had had since they had arrived here two months ago. Rhythm counted both of them lucky that this was the first one. He hated seeing, hearing, or sensing Silverstreak in pain. That there was nothing he could do but try to soothe the sniper with his presence made his own spark ache. It also fed his anger with the Decepticons.

Silverstreak's entire city Praxus, the former home of the Helix Gardens, had been razed to the ground. Silverstreak was the only survivor found by the Autobots.

And the sniper had had horrific nightmares ever since, reliving the whole hellish experience over and over again. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were always more ruthless when fighting against the Decepticons in the battles following Silverstreak having a nightmare. It might not change what happened to their lover but it gave them a valid target to take their aggression out on. Rhythm was often tempted to join them but he was usually up to his visor in patients.

Rhythm wasted no time in gently waking Silverstreak and getting his lover calm enough to at least be aware that Rhythm was there. The medic assured his lover that he was there, that he wouldn't leave Silverstreak, that the Twins would never leave him either, that he was safe, and that he wouldn't let anyone harm Silverstreak if he could help it.

Knowing that neither of them would be able to get anymore recharge that night, not with how upset his lover was, Rhythm very gently gathered Silverstreak up in his arms, taking extra care not to jostle his lover's door-wings. The sniper clung desperately to Rhythm not wanting to leave the comfort and safety of his lover's presence and welcoming embrace. Instances like this made the medic wish for the presence of their Twins. Their sparks called out even feverishly when their longing for their Twins got the better of them.

Their Twins might not have been able to answer the call but someone else was.

Rhythm carried Silverstreak into the rec-room and settled down on one of the couches near the television. With a few clicks he turned on the television, making sure to have the volume turned all the way down so as not to disturb his lover. He settled Silverstreak against his right side, the side furthest from the door, and tenderly caressed his lover's helm and door-wings while humming softly in an effort to soothe him.

Time had no meaning while Rhythm fought to banish the terrible memories that haunted his Sweetspark, at least until the next time they came back. The quiet was one punctuated by the occasional whimpers escaping his lover's vocalizer. But the quiet was broken completely by a mewl of pure misery from the near the entrance of the rec-room. Rhythm looked up to see an equally upset Bluestreak. It seemed Silverstreak hadn't been the only one visited by nightmares of the destruction of Praxus.

Not giving it a second thought Rhythm lifted his left arm in invitation. Bluestreak took it with relief and gratitude visible in his optics. Soon Rhythm was comforting and soothing two upset gunners haunted by nightmarish memories that they didn't deserve being subjected to. So the medic was sitting on the couch with two unsettled snipers cuddled up and clinging to his chassis when he became aware of just who answered the unconscious call of his spark.

The air behind Bluestreak shimmered before solidifying enough to identify just who had projected there. It rather reminded Rhythm of the holoforms that the Wheeljack and Perceptor of this world had promised to show him how to build. The holomatter projectors would come in handy for when they returned home. In return Rhythm and Arc-Welder was showing them how to make Warp Gates with all the precautions put into them. Their new allies did need a fast way to get back to Cybertron later on after all.

The Nightstrike of this world had apparently felt his counterpart's call and had come to see the cause. And his spark was immediately captured by the dispirited sniper with the Nissan alt-mode that was pressed as far against Rhythm as he could. Nightstrike looked at his counterpart Rhythm for a moment before helping to soothe the two snipers.

Nightstrike might not have been completely solid in this projected form but with the expansion of his Gifts, his proximity to Earth, and his desire to help he was more than able to convey his presence.

It was at dawn that the four of them were found like that by the Sideswipe and Sunstreaker of this world who had gotten up early to pull a prank. Before going to do so they had gone to check on Bluestreak as was their habit because they knew of the gunner's nightmares. Finding his room and berth empty had prompted them to immediately head for the rec-room, their prank entirely forgotten.

Finding Silverstreak curled up on Rhythm's right side and Bluestreak curled up between Rhythm and a half-solid mech that remarkably like Rhythm on the other side was not what they had expected to find at all.

Nightstrike and Rhythm both looked up at the startled Twins when a noise of surprise escaped the vocalizer of Sideswipe. Nightstrike found his spark captured all over again. And Rhythm was struck by the sense that some things are just destined in some worlds because really, what were the odds of his counterpart falling for the counterparts of his lovers the first time he saw them?

Admittedly it had happened to him so it couldn't be that impossible could it?

That both of the Twins were giving Nightstrike the same kind of look he was giving them and the same kind of look they all gave Bluestreak was a big clue.

Then Nightstrike allowed his projection to fade. He needed to conserve his energy as well as Rhythm's and he would meet them all optic to visor as it were very soon.

xxxxx

He soaked in the peace and quiet as he looked up at the stars shining brightly in the night sky from where he sat looking at them at the cliff the Autobots of this world sometimes came to enjoy the view. Rhythm had a lot on his processor and knew he needed to relax. Meditation, one of his favorite past-times, was not something he had been able to indulge in as often as he wished. Sometimes, when he was desperate to just relax and become one with the universe as it were, he would ask Artifice to schedule him some training time and then leave the Ark for a quiet spot to meditate in.

But he had the feeling that meditation and listening to the Song of Creation, a part of which both trines had sung when the Jazz of this world was reborn, was not in the plans for tonight. The medic could feel the approach of Optimus Prime in his Peterbilt alt-mode. Seeing the red flames emblazoned across the dignified Prime's chassis had him pushing down his mirth everytime he laid optics on them. Optimus Prime wouldn't be Optimus Prime without the blue and red color scheme but the flames were pushing it.

The Kaonexi, because you were one for life, didn't bother to ask the Prime why he was here when he pulled up next to him and transformed. He could feel the questions and the tension just radiating off the larger mech. And he knew just who had directed Optimus in his direction. The silver saboteur was the only one who knew the Optimus Prime of his world came to him for advice or just to talk when he was stressed.

Well, Artifice knew as well because Rhythm's own trine-mate had done the same thing and had told Artifice after he had done it. Artifice just didn't know exactly what they talked about. So Optimus coming here didn't surprise him all that much. It just made him wonder if he had a sign on him somewhere that said 'confide in me, I give sagely advice,' and he just couldn't see it. One would think with his normally rather unapproachable personality that no one would think twice about coming to him for help.

Yet the Dinobots came to him when they didn't understand something with no fear of his temper, which thank Primus was very hard to set off, or his reproach, which he wouldn't have laid upon them anyway as they were but younglings trying to learn about the world around them in his optics. The Aerialbots didn't hesitate to comm him even in the middle of the night when one of them had a problem. Rhythm would just untangle himself from his lovers and go straight to them, not even lecturing them for stupidity or scolding them for getting him out of recharge. The Protectobots didn't give coming to him a second thought when they needed something. After all he was one of their mentors wasn't he? And he had recommended that Inferno and Red Alert be their other mentors. None of them would be half as well trained or prepared if they hadn't come to the medic with their problems.

Jazz, both of them, could have told the medic why he was the perfect one for others to talk to in spite of his personality. He might not have a visible sign on him somewhere nut he did give off a vibe that said he would help. Both saboteurs thought it was rather obvious why both of their trine-mates, because Rhythm wasn't the only one this happened to or the only one puzzled by this behavior, attracted the attention of the young and the open-minded. They would just have to tell them at a later date just why they were so well-suited to the role of confidant. It was just too entertaining right now to see them get frustrated over something they couldn't figure out. They would make such wonderful Creators.

"Ya really should stop second-guessing yourself or your decisions. Th' whole feelin' gulity an' broodin' over wha' happened in Mission City thin' is gettin' old." Rhythm figured the best way to get his attention and get him to listen was to be blunt because he had known exactly what this was about. He wished he could be annoyed with his partner for sending Optimus here for him to deal with. He had seen both Primes brood over the outcomes of their decisions and feel guilty for things beyond their control and he had practice dealing with it.

The medic didn't give the Prime an opportunity to respond with what was most likely a guilt-ridden reply. "Ya can't change wha' happened, nothin' can. What's done is done. It wasn't your decision ta 'ave th' inevitable fight happen right in th' middle of a populated city. Tha' is a decision tha' Captain Lennox has ta live wit'. Ya couldn't 'ave prevented Jazz's death without lettin' all those ya did save while tha' happened die. Jazz knew he was goin' ta die when he confronted Megatron head on an' did it anyway so tha' more innocent lives wouldn't be lost. An' ya couldn't dictate Megatron's actions or predict tha' he would send your people spiralin' into a war tha' lasted more vorns than anyone wanted ta contemplate."

Optimus kept himself quiet as he listened to Rhythm. His comrades respected him too much as both their Prime and as their friend to say things like that so bluntly, even when he needed to hear them. "How does...?"

"How does th' Optimus Prime of my world deal wit' it all?" Rhythm asked perceptively.

Optimus nodded.

"He talks ta Artifice who is his second in command an' who helps him carry his burdens when they get too heavy, ta Ratchet who is one of his oldest friends an' has put his sorry aft back together more times than he cares ta count, ta Ironhide who taught him how ta fight an' jumps in front of a fusion cannon for him more than is healthy, ta Jazz who is always there offerin' a sympathetic audio to pour his troubles inta an' who goes outta his way bring th' light back inta th' Prime's optics, and he talks ta me when he needs someone who'll just listen then tell him bluntly wha' he needs ta hear or when he needs a different or objective view."

"Are we that alike?" Because with the exception of Rhythm himself, even if he was coming to Rhythm right now, that sounded like pretty much what he himself did.

"Personality wise? Pretty much, especially wit' th' guilty broodin' thin' ya both 'ave. But your lives are different. Megatron was his friend instead of his brother before he became a power-hungry tyrant. He was thrust inta th' position of Prime just as th' War was startin' so he didn't 'ave th' experience of leadin' tha' ya did. Alpha Trion played Primus with Orion Pax an' Ariel an' literally made them inta Optimus Prime an' Elita-One. They didn't get a choice, not if they wanted ta live. They weren't even online when tha' decision was taken from them. Th' Aerialbots got sent back in time dutin' one of Megatron's plots an' ended up takin' Orion and Ariel ta Alpha Trion for help, though they didn't know who he was at th' time, after th' Megatron of tha' time had betrayed them an' had left them for dead."

Optimus was horrified but he didn't interrupt as Rhythm kept speaking.

"Ya 'ave both been through a lot. Watching one's brother die in front of them knowin' it was th' only way must 'ave been hard, especially when tha' brother had committed so many atrocities tha' it was necessary. I heard ya had wanted ta 'ave th' Allspark shoved inta your spark. Do you know how stupid tha' would 'ave been?" Rhythm's tone was fierce though he didn't raise his voice.

"But-" Rhythm cut off him off before he tried to explain his reasoning.

"No. It was a stupid idea tha' shouldn't 'ave even been mentioned aloud. Ya think tha' destroyin' th' Allspark an' leavin' him alive would 'ave helped? It wouldn't 'ave done anythin' but made him angry, desperate, an' more insane. He was powerful enough ta rule th' Decepticons, a group of the scariest an' cruelest Cybertronians in existence, by fear alone. He would 'ave tried ta find or create another source of power an' annihilated th' human race for their perceived offenses against him while harvestin' th' Earth of all its resources if he didn't enslave them first. Earth would 'ave just suffered Cybertron's fate an' your Autobots would probably been killed because ya were th' only one wit' a chance of winnin' a straight out fight between th' two of ya."

There really was refuting Rhythm's words or his logic. That was what would have happened if Sam had listened to Optimus instead of shoving the Allspark into Megatron's spark.

"Everythin' worked out fine Optimus. Your war is almost completely won, your people are gathering together from their places among th' stars, an' ya 'ave been given a way ta get back ta Cybertron courtesy of Arc-Welder an' myself. Th' Allspark is even recoverin' at a fast rate an' will probably be able ta restore Cybertron in a decade or so dependin' on when Sandstorm an' th' rest of th' Wreckers arrive here."

"What does Sandstorm and the Wreckers have to do with the regeneration of the Allspark?" Optimus asked slightly confused, but knowing he needed to know the answer.

Rhythm looked at the Prime for a moment before he mentally cursed at his partner-bonded. He just knew the fragger just wanted to interface with his new lover now that they had confessed to each other and that he hadn't wanted to tell Optimus about this so he had left it to Rhythm. That deserved retribution later. Perhaps telling Prowl some of the stupid stunts he had pulled later was in order?

"Th' Allspark has always had a guardian," and he definitely wasn't telling the Prime how he knew that, "and th' guardian usually takes th' title of Lord High Protector. Th' Allspark is supposed ta choose but in both worlds th' Council an' politics got in th' way, as usual, so Megatron was chosen for th' position regardless of not bein' chosen by th' Allspark. Which was stupid of them but ya probably can already see tha'. Jazz, Nightstrike, an' Sandstorm are a trine, one whose sparks came from th' Allspark an' th' Allspark has chosen them as its guardian."

"But you said it chooses a guardian, as in one." The need for clarification was clear.

"Trines, like twins and gestalts are often seen an' counted as one bein' because of th' bonds tha' hold them together. Th' Allspark sees them as one so it chose them as one. All of them already 'ave th' power of th' Allspark flowing through them. The cube form is just a formality I suppose ya could say, or perhaps syin' it is a container for th' main part of th' power is a better way of explainin' it. Each of th' three of them are capable of channelin' th' power separately an' together. They'll 'ave ta be together ta restore Cybertron though."

"The Council will have a fit when it is reformed. I am not naive enough to believe they will not demand its reformation."

"Ya will just 'ave ta tell them ta kiss your aft Optimus. Ya are Prime, your word is law. Th' Council fragged up more than they helped. Besides, ya really think any of th' three of them is really goin' ta expose themselves ta bein' th' Lord High Protector? Megatron dragged tha' title through th' slag so much it ain't never goin' ta be clean again. An' all three of them are Special an' Black Ops who prefer workin' from th' shadows most of th' time. Ya are Prime an' changes 'ave ta be made for th' good of your people as a whole. Not just those of th' upper-class who fled at th' first sign of major trouble so tha' they didn't 'ave ta dirty themselves wit' fightin' an' came flockin' back after th' danger passed."

Optimus was seeing why his Third-In-Command had directed him to Rhythm. It made him wonder if his counterpart from this dimension would be just as good at giving advice and telling it to him straight. "You... are right, things will have to change. Has the Optimus Prime of your world ever considered...?" He let his question trail off as he was pinned in place by the glare of Rhythm's visor.

"I'll tell ya exactly wha' I told him when he contemplated it. I'll rip your up-link cable out an' strangle ya wit' it after I drag ya back kickin' an' screamin' from Death's embrace if ya ever even think 'bout foistin' th' Matrix of Leadership off on me, especially if ya got yourself slagged playin' martyr. Th' Matrix of Leadership will know who is fit ta be Prime an' will chose accordingly without ya puttin' morbid thought inta who ya think your successor will be."

xxxxx

"I like it a lot and I'm sure they will too," Silverstreak said excitedly as he took in his lover's new human holoform. The holomatter projecter made the holoforms, whatever shape they took, solid as well as allowed the use of all senses and allowed for consumption.

Rhythm was particularly looking forward to trying some human food. It looked so interesting, and some of the ideas he had seen on the human internet looked promising and like they would be very fun, especially when he got everyone outfitted with a holomatter prjector. It wasn't like he would have too much trouble convincing Optimus when his trine-mate was made aware of all the advantageous things about holoforms.

His holoform was a male with a height of five foot eight inches with skin the color of rich golden caramel. A visor that masqueraded as a pair of sunglasses covered his eyes just as his optics were covered in his main form. His face was uncovered, unlike his normal form where a battle-mask was usually a normal sight. Midnight black dreadlocks that had hints of silver cascaded down his back, hinting at another hidden feature of his.

The clothes Rhythm chose for his holoform were rather unique as well. The black leather duster reached his ankles and moved teasingly around his form. The medic had an alterior motive for wearing the duster but he didn't mention it just yet. Underneath he wore white tank top that hugged his abs over a pair of black jeans that clung to him like a second skin with a pair of equally black steel-toed boots.

If his lover didn't look so naturally attractive in black Silverstreak might have been upset. But Rhythm looked good enough to molest so he didn't complain.

"You better be careful Silverstreak or you'll have to beat girls and guys away from your lover with a stick," Mikaela commented from her position next to Bumblebee and Sam. She wasn't joking either, though she was teasing. Rhythm's holoform was very attractive and would get him more than a few admiring glances.

Rhythm paid Mikaela's comment no mind. He wanted to know if his lover approved. And he wanted to see Silverstreak's new holoform as well. To get what he wanted he shifted his stance just a little. He knew his Sweetspark had gotten the message when he transformed and let his holoform materialize. Rhythm just loved that he didn't have to say a word for any of his lovers to understand what he was saying. But then they had all had a lot of practice.

Silverstreak's holoform was the same height as Rhythm's but his skin was a pale cream. He possessed long silver hair with two strips of crimson framing his face held back in a ponytail and by the dark pair of sniper goggles sitting atop his head. His eyes were the same bright startling shade of blue as his optics were. Rhythm just knew they were as deadly in this form as his optics in his normal form; he would have to let Artifice find out for him. Black jeans encased Silverstreak's long, slender legs while steel-toed boots also adorned his feet and a long-sleeve untucked scarlet unbuttoned button-up shirt with a white tank top underneath finished up his outfit.

Silverstreak walked over to Rhythm and as he got close he noticed something he had missed before. His wicked, wicked, teasing lover was wearing a clue to the question they had been refusing to answer. Everyone but the silver saboteur Jazz was curious about who their other two lovers were because apparently they hadn't figured if out just yet. To be fair Nightstrike hadn't arrived, he was landing in a mega-cycle according to Rhythm and Jazz, and they hadn't told anyone about Nightstrike projecting into the base to help Rhythm soothe himself and Bluestreak.

Two pairs of silver earrings dangled from his lover's ears. One pair was just silver loops at the tips of his ears but the other pair was unique. On the left lobe was the symbol of Sagittarius, which obviously represented himelf, and on the right lobe was the symbol of Gemini, obviously representing Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Rhythm had been fascinated in all the constellations humans came up with and the stories behind them. The visored medic, who with Perceptor's help taught the Dinobots and helped them learn, had even gone so far as to take them outside one night to show them the constellations and tell them the stories, though he did embellish them and add in detail. It had become a popular form of entertainment and enjoyment to go listen to Rhythm tell stories under the stars.

Of course their medic had taken Silverstreak, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker outside on a clear first and pointed out his two favorite constellations, Sagittarius and Gemini, and told the stories behind them and why they reminded the medic of his lovers. It was one of those rare times Rhythm was vocal about his feelings, even if he hadn't come right out and said it. They had come to understand that the feelings in their sparks, feelings that Rhythm could feel, meant more to their dark lover than any words they could say ever could, at least while they were unbonded that is.

/You are so wicked and mean. You know that don't you?/

/Perhaps./

Silverstreak could feel the mischief radiating off Rhythm. It was amusing to watch them try to figure out who their other two lovers were. Arc-Welder, Artifice, and the Jazz of this world found it amusing too, so none of them said anything either.

Rhythm and Jazz had sat Silverstreak down after the saboteur had been reborn and had explained to him exactly what had happened as well as the partner-bond. The sniper was just glad that Rhythm's spark hadn't been mated to this Jazz's because he would have been far from the only one upset if that had happened. He didn't even want to think about how Sunstreaker and Sideswipe would have reacted.

It did make him happy that his dark lover had more family to support him, though he wasn't sure how to feel knowing that his new 'partner' could call him into this dimension. He would have to make it very clear when they got home and discussed this with the Twins that if Rhythm was needed here that he had better tell one of them or something instead of just disappearing. But he might not have to be overly worried about that because he had seen Rhythm working on a data-pad that had information on it that looked awfully like upgraded and modified individual Warp Gates. If Silverstreak had to guess he would say that dimensional travel, at least to this dimension, was looking very possible.

/I don't see how Mikaela could say that I'm going to be the one getting attention. I'm the one whose going to be keeping them away from you./

Silverstreak then preceded to prove that you could indeed blush in holoform. Rhythm resisted the urge to jump irresistable and enticing lover to spare Silverstreak any embarrassment such an act in front of their current audience would cause. Not that he was ashamed of their relationship, which he proved by wrapping his arms around Silverstreak's waist and pulling him against him, but he could tell how skittish the gunner was at the moment. Neither of them were taking the separation from their lovers well, Arc-Welder and Artifice were fairing little better, but not as badly as they could.

/You said that just to see if I would blush didn't you!?/

/Perhaps, but I did speak the truth. They would like it as much as I do./

/I hope so./

/This form is very appealing and there is so many things we can do with these forms. Humans have so many forms of entertainment that we can't try in our normal forms. Would you like to go on a date, just the two of us?/

The bright infectious smile he was granted, one that warmed him inside, gave him the answer but hearing Silverstreak's mental answer, with the accompanying emotions of delighted happiness and anticipation, through the use of his Gift took his metaphorical breath away.

I would love to.

Rhythm hadn't known Silverstreak had advanced far enough in the use of any of his Gifts to communicate with him that way. It made his spark pulse faster to know his lover was trying so hard to master something just to make him happy. Things said through telepathy, direct and full communication and contact of the minds, meant more than anything said over comm-links, at least in regards to emotional attachments.

xxxxx

The occupants of the base at large had just been witness to the sight of Artifice, who was still rather strict and calm, acting like an excited youngling as he pulled Rhythm along toward the rec-room by his wrist. Rhythm didn't look to be resisting all that much.

And so more than one set of optics swung over to Silverstreak asking for an explanation. Silverstreak on his part was amused. He knew what had gotten Artifice so excited. His dark lover had noticed how bored the tactician had been when he didn't have something to do. The three of them had all gone out on several dates together and in various combinations of pairs when one of them was busy. Sometimes Silverstreak just had to sit back and marvel at trine mentality and pray that their Jazz was doing the same things with the Twins or the Ark wouldn't be standing when they got home.

So seeing the tactician's boredom and knowing his personality well, Rhythm had built a favorite game of Artifice's, or at least a duplicate of it. Rhythm had giving the first one he had built to Artifice for Christmas his third year on the Ark.

"Oh, Rhythm noticed how bored Artifice was getting when he didn't have work and didn't have a reason to leave the base so he made a replica of something he gave Artifice three years ago. It's a multi-level, multi-player game of techno-chess. Rhythm, Optimus, Jazz, and Ratchet are the only ones who can or will play the game with him and have a chance of winning seeing as they have all beat him at least once and are opponents he considers challenging. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker have come close, though even if only one is physically playing you're really playing against both. But he's dragging Rhythm because he really likes the game because it's so challenging and Rhythm is one of his favorite opponents so one game can last for several orns just from the challenge and time constraints."

Silverstreak knew he had been rambling again but all of his lovers had told them in their own ways that they liked listening to his voice so he really didn't care what others thought about it anymore. That and Sunstreaker and Sideswipe royally pranked the last Minibot that had told him to shut up and after that Rhythm had had the offending on sanitation duty for two full orns.

The visiting sniper couldn't help but watch as Prowl and the newly arrived Nightstrike visibly showed interest in the game Rhythm had made for Artifice. It didn't take the pair long to head straight for the rec-room, no doubt to join Artifice and Rhythm in playing. Silverstreak had no doubts either that they would enjoy it, especially when it promised to take several orns with the four of them playing.

He really would have to go watch, it promised to be interesting.

xxxxx

Six months. The four of them had been in another dimension for six months. Admittedly they had liked and enjoyed their stay here, but for one thing, their lovers weren't there. Artifice, Rhythm, and Silverstreak were the best off because they had each other for comfort and close proximity soothed their sparks. Arc-Welder wasn't so lucky but he could deal with it.

It didn't help matters that they had left the Ark for six months either. Rhythm and Artifice weren't looking forward to all the work that had no doubt piled up in their absence, if the Ark hadn't collapsed with only poor Red Alert there to keep everything running smoothly, well as smoothly as things ever run with the Ark crew involved.

Rhythm carefully looked over the schematics of the Warp Gate with dimensional travel capabilities. He had already reprogrammed the ones installed in his companions and himself but he had also done something else. With the help of his counterpart and his partner-bonded he had sent the schematics for it straight to his trine-mate along with instructions. He already knew Perceptor and Ratchet had put off installing any of the individual Warp Gates until their return, but Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Jazz had talked the CMO into installing one in each of them.

He had a good idea of what his trine-mate would do now that he had all the components. That was the only reason he hadn't been pushing for them to leave immediately. It would be infinitely more entertaining to see what would happen. And today would mark exactly six months since they had disappeared from the Ark and reappeared here in this dimension.

Rhythm didn't have to wait too long. He could feel something was about to happen and he wasn't the only one, though he alone had an idea of what was going to happen. Having a fair idea of what was to happen Rhythm commed his companions and a few specific mechs on base and had them all gather in the same place the four travelers had appeared. That particular area was used for outside gatherings, as it had been that afternoon six months before.

So Optimus, Prowl, Ratchet, Wheeljack, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Bluestreak, Jazz, and Nightstrike were gathered outside with Artifice, Arc-Welder, Rhythm, and Silverstreak. Before any of them could ask why Rhythm why they had been asked to come here the answer became very obvious.

The four travelers had been standing in front of those gathered facing away from them as if waiting for something. Rhythm had given his companions a little warning as to what, or should he say who, was coming.

One moment everything was still, the next a crimson blurr had picked Silverstreak right off the ground, a white and black blurr had tackled Artifice, and a golden blurr had dove right for Rhythm whose feet were no longer on the ground either, rather they were wrapped around a golden waist. A white and red blurr solidified in front of Arc-Welder, took a hold of his vocal-indicators, and preceded to remove his mask to kiss the engineer senseless.

Ratchet wasn't the only one with that idea.

Silverstreak was barely holding back moans as Sideswipe took possession of his mouth and remapped every bit of it with his lips and glossa. His hands weren't idle either. Once he let Silverstreak's feet touch the ground again one hand went straight to where the sniper's door-wings connected to his frame and the other started lightly teasing a bundle of sensitive wires in the seam just above his aft.

Artifice wasn't fairing much better under his lover's armorous assault of his person either. If the sensual kiss wasn't enough to knock his battle-computer offline then the magnetic and sonic vibrations emitting from his saboteur's hands, hands playing with his door-wings, was. Thankfully his lover became aware of their audience before that happened.

Sunstreaker and Rhythm seemed not to have that restraint. The golden warrior was devouring his dark lover's mouth with the unbridled need that he unleashed whenever he kissed any of his lovers. You just didn't kiss Sunstreaker without ending up against a wall, flat on your back, held in his arms, or left with your intakes struggling to take in air. The golden Lamborghini was just that passionate. Rhythm likened his golden lover to a storm when it came to carnal pleasures because he was fierce, unwavering, unpredictable, and wild throughout the experience.

xxxxx

The majority of their audience was left shocked. Rhythm and Silverstreak were lovers with the Twins of their world. Some of the things Artifice had said were making a whole lote more sense now that the double-meanings of them were clear. They had all thought that Artifice had meant Rhythm was well aquainted with the Twins of his world because Rhtyhm was the Disciplinary Officer, not because they were lovers with him. Though as Disciplinary Officer Rhythm must be called to deal with them a lot. It gave more than one of those present the beginnings of a CPU-ache just thinking about how strange a match the four of them were.

Of course seeing the scene in front of them wasn't helping. Six of those involved had stopped kissing and greeting each other. Rhythm, who still had unwrapped his legs from the warrior's waist or stop caressing the vents on the warrior's crests, and Sunstreaker, who still hadn't removed his hands from Rhythm's aft and his new door-wings or put him down, had not stopped kissing at all. Neither of them was being the least bit shy. The growls and other noises of enjoyment coming from them gave testament to that. Sideswipe and Silverstreak were even watching them with hungry optics. They didn't stop or pay any attention to anyone until Artifice told them continue when they returned to the Ark.

"Why did tell them that? We were enjoying the show," Sideswipe said with a leer.

Sunstreaker and Rhythm did stop though. Sunstreaker still needed to greet Silverstreak and make sure he was alright. Rhythm had known that the golden Lamborghini had been staking his claim just like his spark was urging him to do even if he hadn't completely claimed Rhythm like his spark ached to do. Besides, Rhythm still needed to greet Sideswipe and his trine-mate Jazz.

It looked as if Sunstreaker wasn't the only one who had noticed Rhythm's new door-wings because he could see Jazz taking a good look at them as Sideswipe kissed him and gave said door-wings a caress.

You all have new alt-modes. And I love the new look. Rhythm could feel the curiousity in Sideswipe's voice.

The medic sent a data-burst of the design schematics of the vehicle that he and Silverstreak thought Sideswipe and Sunstreaker would like. They had been right because the second he sent it Sideswipe scanned it and sent a copy to his twin who did the same. In mere astro-seconds there was a pair of Lamborghini Reventons, one crimson and the other golden, before they transformed back in their bipedal modes.

The alt-mode suited them. And Rhythm made a mental note to make them some new weapons for their good behavior so far. Good behavior meaning they hadn't caused mass destruction or wreaked havoc or started any fights. But he just knew Arc-Wleder was going to be threatened before they returned to the Ark.

He was right.

Not even a klik after they Twins had changed back, they and Jazz moved toward Arc-Welder until he was surrounded. Ratchet did nothing to help his lover, if only because he knew there would be no physical damage for him to fix later.

"Now 'Jack we 'ave all been real nice 'bout th' explosions wit' 'Strike in th' vicinity 'cause he would take a wrench ta our cranial units if we asked him ta avoid your lab like Cosmic Rust an' 'cause th' only big explosion he was caught in wasn't your fault," Jazz started.

"But this little fiasco involved all of our lovers an' it shouldn't have because you should know better than to play with devices that are already in proper funtioning order," continued Sideswipe.

There was nothing friendly about the looks on the Twins's faceplates. That aura of barely restrained violence looked and felt like it was about to become unrestrained violence and the look Jazz was sporting wasn't any better.

Normally they wouldn't be acting like this at all but the three behind them were their spark chosen mates even if they hadn't been claimed, yet. You didn't forcibly separate spark-mates unless you wanted a nasty reaction and some horrific retaliation in return. Because for all intents and purposes Artifice was Jazz's mate while Silverstreak and Rhythm were Sunstreaker's and Sideswipe's mates.

"Ya three quit threatenin' him or I will make an exception an' play a game of Wrench Ricochet wit' ya three as th' targets. Ratchet looks like he would be up for a game of it as well."

All three of them moved away from Arc-Welder as one. There was no need for that game. Rhythm had even taught the Ratchet of this world Wrench Ricochet when the Cliffjumper and Gears of this world had landed and complained about having to be examined by the CMO. Needless to say he had been very interested in learning the technique. The results of the learning had made the CMO even more feared and made Cliffjumper and Gears more unpopular.

When Jazz came back over to the three mechs with door-wings he laced his fingers with his trine-mate's in greeting before letting go and looped an arm around his lover's waist.

I totally dig the door-wings 'Strike. They look hot on ya.

Introductions were made to the gathered Autobots of this world who were fascinated by how different both the Jazz and Ratchet of the other dimension looked in comparison to their Jazz and Ratchet. Their personalities were much the same though.

But goodbyes had to be said because they were eager to return home, especially before those waiting for them got worried. Well, more worried than they were. And both Prowls were a little worried about having two sets of Twins in close proximity. Because it was only by the grace of Primus that the base was still standing with two Wheeljack's being in close proximity to each other for six months.

Silverstreak and Rhythm broke away from their twin lovers to give a few specific mechs personal goodbyes.

Silverstreak went and hugged his counterpart. They had become good friends and would definitely keep in touch. He had seen the Nightstrike of this world working on a cross-dimensional communicator for his counterpart and Rhythm had been collaborating with him so it was bound to work.

Rhythm had given the Bluestreak of this world a hug as well. It would have been like kicking a puppy if he had neglected to do so. Then he walked over to his partner-bonded and knelt before him like he had when they met for the first time in real life. Both moved close enough to each other to tocuh visors before they cupped each other's faces so that no one could see what they did. For a moment both visors rose up and lustrous gold met radiant silver then their visors came back down.

That action said more than words ever could between them.

Then a little bit of mischief snuck into Rhythm's processor and wouldn't let go. He hadn't replaced his battle-mask since Sunstreaker had retracted it to kiss him, well more like ravish his mouth, get his systems revved, and not follow through with what those actions promised, well at least not yet. But he knew just how to tease everyone here and get his lovers even more in the mood to get to a berth as soon as possible.

Standing up Rhythm moved quickly to his counterpart, wrapped his arms around him, and gave him a sensual kiss, including glossa, before letting go of his dazed counterpart and moving back to his frozen lovers who hadn't quite comprehended just what he had done just yet.

"May the stars always guide and watch over you," was the last thing Rhythm said before he and his companions disappeared.

The Autobots left behind were still frozen in shock over Rhythm's actions until the Sideswipe belonging to this world piped up.

"Didn't he just technically kiss himself?"

xxxxx

Rhythm - G1verse Nightstrike

Silverstreak - G1verse Bluestreak

Artifice - G1verse Prowl

Arc-Welder - G1verse Wheeljack

Just to clear up any confusion there might have been.