He remembered their first date. Gourd's on the west side of Praxus. A beautiful place and ever so expensive. He had been kissed when he drove him that night. He came in and Wheeljack had asked him how it went. He only said, "Perfect".
He remembered him showing up one afternoon with a picnic lunch and his youngest, Buzzsaw. They had sat in the park while Buzzsaw played with the technobirds.
He remembered him coming to him one night and telling him that his family had been threatened. That to protect them, he was joining the Deceptions.
He remembered seeing him joors later, battle weary and cruel on the battlefield. It scared him to see him fight like that. It scared him to see Buzzsaw and Laserbeak be shot at from the air. It scared him to see Ravage, Frenzy, and Rumble fighting when Frenzy, the oldest, hadn't even graduated from the academy.
He remembered crying one night, Ratchet rubbing his back and Wheeljack stopping anyone from coming into his quarters.
He remembered asking Ratchet, "Would you turn traitor, if it meant being able to love Barricade again?"
He remembered his answer as well, "I would if I had that chance. Do you?"
He remembered Ratchet knocking out Red Alert so he could run, run to the Nemesis.
He remembered his face as he was brought into the throne room in front of Megatron.
He remembered being vouched for, and being led to his berth. Recharge, glorious recharge.
He remembered fighting for a cause that he didn't believe in, but didn't matter because now, Buzzsaw and Laserbeak weren't sent out, Rumble and Ravage continued to learn, and Frenzy finally accepted him.
He remembered the vorns after; the Autobots winning the war, being able to live on Cybertron, and being able to live with his family for the first time in eons.
He remembered Soundwave.