EmeraldMoonGreen, who owns Kristin, asked for this one. Here you go, Amiga! Enjoy!

Transformers Prime and Transformers Animated both belong to Hasbro. I own nothing.

Bridge The Gap To Friendship

Kristin was searching for a way out of her cage she was now in, hoping to escape and get back to the Autobots. She had been captured by Blitzwing after the 'Con had knocked down Smokescreen. Soundwave had tried to get to her, but Shockwave had also attacked and the rogue 'Cons escaped with Kristin and Blitzwing gave her to Shockwave, who was going to no doubt hurt her for his research. She had to get away fast and then it hit her. She then saw Shockwave come back in.

"Hey!" she said. "What's that thing over there?"

He looked and sighed. "It is a universal portal device," he said. "It opens portals to other worlds, but for a short time."

"So what does it do?" Kristin asked, pretending she didn't understand.

He groaned and explained it again, but she continued to ask what it could do and finally Shockwave had enough. "I will show you," he said in frustration and quickly activated the device, but he forgot that nothing metal could be near the device when activated.

Kristin felt her cage start shaking and then the top came off before it fell over and the gravitational pull grabbed her and pulled her into the portal. She was a bit scared, but hoped she find someone to help her wherever the portal led to.

In another universe, Optimus Prime and his maintenance crew had just saved Detroit and Cybertron. Many of the 'Cons were imprisoned except for one.

Shockwave, who could transform into Longarm Prime, had just been released from operating room after the Autobot medics had removed a control chip from the single-eyed 'Con's head. Shockwave hadn't known about it, but recognized it to be one Megatron made long ago and the medics had come to the conclusion that Shockwave had been controlled the whole time by Megatron, who had no doubt come up with the Longarm disguise so that Shockwave could be a spy for the Decepticons. They had revealed this to the other Autobots and the reactions were mixed.

Perceptor then revealed to the Autobot Council that Shockwave had once been his apprentice and offered Shockwave the chance to be his apprentice again, but he had to face the council's decision on what should happen to him for his crimes. Shockwave had understood and thanked the scientist for another chance.

The council had debated until Perceptor, to Shockwave's surprise, offered a suggestion that the former 'Con go to Earth for a length of time and learn more about the humans, as Optimus and his crew had befriended a human and had many human allies who helped and accepted them. The council had agreed, but there was also a stipulation that they added: during the year Shockwave was to stay on Earth, he couldn't come back to Cybertron. If he did so, he would be imprisoned.

Shockwave was very sad at that, but agreed with the decision and was bridged to Earth for his year-long exile. His spark felt heavy as he set up his new base and he was looking forward to the year being over.

It had now been six months since then and the former 'Con had set up his base and monitored humans, but hadn't befriended one yet. The humans in Detroit only trusted the Autobots and Shockwave didn't want to ask them to ask the humans to trust him. That wouldn't work out well.

Suddenly, one of his computers beeped and he saw a universal portal had opened up. Those were rare portals and he wondered why one would open up, but then he saw a human falling from the portal and she was about to land in the lake, but from her height, she'd be killed when she hit the surface.

Transforming fast, he flew towards the lake on hyper speed and caught her just a few seconds before she would have been killed.

Kristin felt someone catch her and she struggled when she found herself put into a cockpit. "Let me go!" she demanded. The safety belts came over her a moment later to stop her struggling and she finally gave up. "From one 'Con trap to another," she muttered under her breath.

Shockwave heard that and winced a little as he landed at his base and let her out. She glanced around and saw the computers, but no one else. She then turned back to the aircraft to see it transform into a tall, blue-colored robot with a single red eye. That single red eye alone told her who it was. "Shockwave!" she said, her voice fearful as she ran away and hid behind the computers, trying not to get tangled in the wires or accidently electrocute herself.

The former 'Con winced as the human apparently knew who he was but then he heard her let out a cry and looked behind one of his computers to see her trying to get her foot untangled, but her arms were getting tangled up too. Sighing, he quickly reached behind her and caught her in his hand before she got more tangled up. She let out another cry and struggled, but the wires and cables prevented her to get free.

"Hold still, young one," he said gently as he managed to get her foot untangled before going to untangle her arms. A moment later, she was finally free of the cables and wires and he cradled her in his hands when he felt her begin shaking fearfully. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said.

She looked up at him when he said that and felt him gently set her down on his desk and she noticed he didn't have his faction insignia. He saw she noticed. "I removed it," he said with a sigh. "The Decepticons were all captured after the war ended six months ago and the Autobot medics discovered I had a control chip placed in my head long ago by Megatron."

Kristin felt confused. "Um, where am I?" she asked.

He looked at her. "Detroit, Michigan, dear child," he said. "You came through a universal portal which brought you into another world and time."

"Time?" she asked and then was scared. "Did I go back to the past?"

Seeing how afraid she was, he placed a gentle finger on her shoulder. "No, you've landed in the future," he said. "2101, actually."

The teenage girl looked both afraid and sad and tears began to fall down her face. Shockwave gently picked her up and held her comfortingly. He had certainly changed a lot in six months and had started going secretly to schools and befriended some children, who had promised to keep the friendship a secret. It helped him to better understand human children, but would take a while for the adult humans to accept him.

Kristin looked up at him and then quickly sprung to his shoulder. He quickly put his hands to his shoulder to catch her, but she just clung to him and sighed. "Will I…will I be able to get home again?" she asked.

"I hope so, young one," he said sincerely.

Kristin then had a thought. "Why aren't you on Cybertron?" she asked. "Even though you were found to have that chip in your head, you're a free Cybertronian, right?"

Shockwave noticed she didn't call him a 'Con and smiled to himself before sighing. "When I was on trial, my mentor offered me to come back to learn from him, but I had to face the council's decision for my crimes and the council, which my mentor is a part of, decided that for one year I would stay on Earth and I can only return to Cybertron after the year. If I return sooner, I'll be arrested," he said.

The teenager gave him a sympathetic look. "That would be hard to bear," she admitted softly.

The former 'Con then decided he and his new friend were too sad and his gaze fell on a datapad he had created about how humans became happy or what they did to feel better and remembered one that had intrigued him and he chuckled silently before deciding to cheer her up. "What is your name?" he asked.

"Kristin," she said.

"Kristin, are you ticklish?"

He saw her instantly curl up and her hands immediately went to cover her neck as she giggled, which gave him the hint he was looking for and he chuckled before extending one arm to type in something on the perimeter computer. Kristin watched. "Wow," she said, noting how Shockwave's arms were similar to Soundwave's tentacles. She then felt sad and Shockwave saw that while his idea to amaze her had worked, he must have reminded her of something from her home. That made him feel terrible and he began gently tickling her neck.

Kristin let out a squeal of laughter at Shockwave's sneaky tickle attack and he chuckled as she tried to roll away, but his fingers gently closed around her to not only keep her from escaping, but to keep her securely in his hand too as he lowered his hands so that she could lean on his chest. He knew many mothers did that with their young to comfort them and he saw Kristin was also taking comfort from hearing his spark. "Hey, Shockwave," she said. "Thank you. For saving me."

"You're welcome," he said. "And Kristin, I'll keep my computers looking for a portal that can take you home."

She looked at him with a smile and then grinned. "You better," she said teasingly. "Or I'll tickle you forever!"

With that, she began tickling his stomach and he began laughing, startled that she had used a sneak attack on him, but she was smiling as she tickled him and he managed to get her back by tickling her neck and she laughed louder before her laughter went silent and he stopped, holding her gently. "Don't worry, I promise you won't be stuck here for long," he said.

She smiled. "You remind me of one of my guardians, Soundwave," she said. She then told him how the war ended in her world and how she had befriended Megatron and Soundwave and how both 'Cons were protective of her as her Autobot guardian Ratchet was. That made Shockwave smile inwardly and give him some hope that if Autobots in another world could accept a 'Con who converted, then perhaps the Autobots and humans here would do the same.

That evening, Kristin had fallen asleep on the comfortable berth Shockwave had constructed a while back and he placed the small jacket she had brought with her over her to act like a blanket before he also laid down and fell asleep.

A shrill alarm startled both Kristin and Shockwave and they jumped, startled. "Is that a proximity sensor?" Kristin asked.

"Not quite," the former 'Con answered and his computers showed him the same event he saw yesterday and he gasped. "Kristin, I think a universal portal opened again."

She came over and he picked her up and pointed to the computer screen and she gasped at seeing a familiar figure. "Soundwave!" she cried out happily. Optimus also appeared along with Smokescreen. "Optimus! Smokescreen!"

Shockwave chuckled and set her on his shoulder before heading out to meet the three dimension travelers. Smokescreen spotted them first but he didn't dare pull out his weapons when he saw Kristin on the 'Con's shoulder. Soundwave and Optimus were in a similar conflict with themselves.

Kristin waved to them. "Guys!" she said happily.

Shockwave went up to Smokescreen and nodded to him, holding out his arm as Kristin carefully climbed down Shockwave's arm to Smokescreen's hand and the race car Autobot held her close. "Kristin, are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

She smiled. "I'm okay," she said to him. "It's not your fault."

"She is right," said Optimus. "Blitzwing and Shockwave attacked too suddenly for us to get Kristin to safety in time."

She nodded and introduced them to Shockwave and said he had saved her from falling to her death. They were surprised and Shockwave sensed the other Autobots watching in surprise and turned to see them all gaping, except for Sari, who nodded and said something that the visitors couldn't pick up, but it made Detroit's heroes smile.

"Those are this world's Autobots," Shockwave explained. "They ended the Autobot-Decepticon war here, just as you did in your world."

Soundwave then turned to Optimus. "Optimus, we need to return," he said urgently. "I can't keep this portal open much longer before it could cause an earthquake here and in our world."

Shockwave nodded. "Universal portals are dangerous that way," he said. "Our worlds are not quite ready to support such portals yet."

They nodded and Kristin turned to Shockwave. "Thank you, Shockwave," she said with a smile.

He gently stroked her head with one finger. "Thank you, Kristin," he said. "If your Autobots can accept a 'Con who has truly changed his ways, then I have hope that the Autobots here will give me that chance someday."

She smiled. "I know they will," she said as she waved goodbye to him as Smokescreen carried her through the portal that led to back home. Soundwave nodded to Optimus.

"I can only hold the portal for one more minute," he said urgently.

"I'll be right behind you," Optimus promised and turned to Shockwave as Soundwave went into the portal to keep it open on his side. Optimus held a hand out to Shockwave and the former 'Con accepted the handshake. "I wish I could put in a good word for you for the Autobots here," he said sincerely.

Shockwave nodded to where Detroit's Autobot heroes were. "You already have," he said. "Thank you. Kristin is a remarkable girl. You and your team are very lucky to have her."

"I agree," said Optimus as he turned to enter the portal, but turned for a moment to Shockwave. "Till we are one," he said.

A Prime only said this to a former 'Con because it meant he was hoping the 'Con would have a chance to become a trusted Autobot someday. Shockwave was not only stunned, but also appreciated it. "Till we are one," he returned respectfully. "Thank you, Optimus Prime."

With a nod, Optimus entered the portal and it vanished in time to prevent an earthquake from happening.

Back in her world, Kristin told them all what happened and accepted hugs from everyone. Megatron, Ratchet, and Soundwave were the most relieved of the group and were surprised that Shockwave was mending his ways in another world. "Well, if it could happen here, why wouldn't it happen elsewhere too?" asked Megatron.

Soundwave nodded and looked at Kristin. "I couldn't have changed without Kristin's help," he admitted and Megatron echoed that statement as they both looked at the teenage girl in Soundwave's hands.

"Your friendship with us, Kristin, bridged the gap to friendship between us and the Autobots," the former warlord said.

"And it looks like you did the same for Shockwave in his world," said Optimus.

Kristin smiled. "Just call me the official 'friendship bridge builder'," she said, making them all chuckle and nod in agreement.

In the Animated universe, Shockwave had just formed an alliance with Optimus Prime and his maintenance crew and helped to rebuild not only parts of Detroit still recovering from the battle long ago and also rebuilding trust with humans.

He knew that one day they wouldn't fear him anymore, thanks to a girl who gave him hope once more.

Please leave a review, but no flames!

GoldGuardian2418