"Optimus!" With a deep sigh, steadying himself on weary pedes, he turned to face his demons in the face. Elita threw herself around his neck, kissing and nuzzling him with as much affection as she could muster. "I've missed you ever so much my love!" She cried out happily.

"... And I you..." he mumbled, placing his servos on her back. He glanced passed her ornate and down-right queerly design helm to see the yellow mech strutting down the platform. "Sunstreaker," He smiled warmly beneath his mask. At least something was nice about this visit. "Look how you've grown, my son."

"Good to see you, father." Sunstreaker nodded. Elita stepped aside, letting her two beloved mechs shake hands as comrades, then embrace as father and son. It was a tender moment for any onlooker, and Jazz couldn't help but grin.

"I'm glad you decided to join the cause; what changed your mind?" He'd offered a place as a high ranking officer to his son many times before, but was ultimately refused. Sunstreaker's crystal blue optics darted towards Bluestreak, who was standing shyly beside Jazz, then back to his father.

"I suppose you could say... destiny called." He replied, revealing a slight smile. The glance and the smile didn't go unnoticed to the gunner, as Bluestreak's face went bright pink and he shuffled behind his superiors timidly.

"He's hot." Jazz whispered, nudging Ironhide. The older warrior just snorted, folding his arms.

"Well let's jus' wait an' see how gewd he ees on th' battlefield." He scoffed. Jazz just giggled playfully, then turned to Bluestreak, who was still backing up and had somehow found himself cowering behind Tracks and Blaster, who looked very bewildered.

"You okay kiddo?" Blaster asked gently, placing a servo on the silver mech's shoulder. Bluestreak stared at Sunstreaker, conversing with his father and explaining how Cybertron was under construction once again.

"I can't believe he followed me..." he whispered. Before the boom box could inquire anything, the gunner whipped around and darted out of the room.

"Wh- hey! Blue! What's the deal?" Blaster yelled after him, making a jog to catch him. The sudden events at the back of the room caught the Prime family's attention.

"Vector Sigma, I've never seen Bluestreak move that fast!" Optimus exclaimed in surprise. Sunstreaker tilted his helm in amusement, helm fins flicking.

"Clearly father, you've never seen him go to fetch a wash brush."

.X.

"Attention: Autobot cruiser has landed." Starscream peered up at Soundwave, who didn't look up from the main monitor. The image of the Imperial, Elita 1's personal ship, was indeed parked right next to the hangar of the Autobot base. Sideswipe and Swindle leaned to either side of their mother, peeking under his wings.

"Why Optimus would allow his bonded and son upon the battlefield, after so long keeping them away I'll never understand. However, I shall not complain," Megatron's venomous grin widened, like a snake about to strike. "I will take full advantage of this opportunity." He chuckled.

A visual of Elita 1 and her son, with Optimus Prime, made Starscream bristle, his wings twitching. Sideswipe squinted, trying to get a better look at the screen passed Soundwave. "He's pretty." He whispered to Swindle. The tan and violet mech nodded.

"Definitely a hottie."

"Soundwave; round up the Stunticons and Constructicons. Starscream; the Combaticons. Have them meet me in the hanger in half of a joor, no later!" Megatron commanded, pacing towards the door and, subsequently, Starscream. He reached out his black servo, grabbing Sideswipe's wrist and yanking him away from the comfort of his mother. "You come with me, boy."

The scarlet Lambo stretched out a hand, as did Swindle, and anyone watching the spectacle would have probably found it amusing; how they both reach out for each other in silent despair. But the only one's present were a determined Megatron, emotionless Soundwave, and their otherwise distracted mother. Swindle looked up at his mother again, servo just resting on his hip. "Mom?"

"Nothing." Starscream reached down, rubbing Swindle's helm comfortingly. "Sideswipe will be fine; really."

Well, Starscream might say that, but Sideswipe certainly didn't feel fine, being dragging none-too gently down the halls of the Decepticon base. "Ow! That hurts you big lug!" He snarled, clawing at his father's fingers. Megatron then stopped.

He'd learned throughout his childhood that whenever his father simply stopped, it meant he'd done something wrong, and out of reflex, he tensed. It always meant he'd made the warlord angry, but he just couldn't seem to stop himself from doing it. As expected, Megatron back handed the little Lambo, sending him tumbling to the floor.

"You dare speak to me with such disrespect brat!" Tears swelled in the corner of his optic as he rubbed his cheek. Oh, he was used to being slapped around by his father, but that didn't mean it hurt any less. "Such insolence; you're just like your mother." He snarled, clasping his hand around Sideswipe's throat. For a moment, the Lambo thought he was going to be strangled. But there was only a second of discomfort before Megatron yanked him to his pedes by the neck, then grabbed his forearm again and kept walking.

Within the hangar, the Stunticons and most of the Constructicons were already waiting. Megatron shoved his son in the general direction of the land based Decepticons and wandered off, doubtlessly to stock up on explosives. Sideswipe glared at his father's back, until a gentle hand pulled him a little closer. Dead End placed a disinfectant wipe to his cheek and began dabbing. "He's cracked your plating again, what did you do this time?"

Dead End, for such a depressed mech, was always so very kind to Sideswipe. Maybe it was because the red Lambo always stood up for his little brother, Breakdown, or maybe he just genuinely liked him. Sideswipe couldn't tell, but he wasn't complaining; Dead End was rather handsome, after all.

"Called him a big lug." Sideswipe replied defiantly, placing his hands on his hips as Dead End tended to his wound. Wildrider suddenly laughed and gave him a slap on the back.

"Good on yah kiddo! Jackass deserves to be disrespected!" Sideswipe, aside from Drag Strip, was the only one who didn't mind racing with Wildrider. In fact, he went so far as to ask the trigger happy terrorist for races.

"Perhaps, but such things are not ideal for your well being, dear Sideswipe." Dead End scolded softly, placing a sticky patch over the wound to stop it bleeding any more. Sideswipe clenched his fist and looked away.

"I don't care. Humiliation is a good punishment for him! If his son doesn't respect him, how can his troops?" He grinned. Breakdown suddenly appeared out from behind Dead End, clinging to his older brother's arm like a lifeline.

"N-no one respects him... they fear h-him." There was a moment of silence, save every other bot in the room's chattering. "Th-that's why n-no one can... o-overthrow him..."

"Like it or not Sideswipe; your father is strong, and he's not going anywhere any time soon." Dead End's ominous tone was cut off by Vortex's excited cheer as the Combaticons and the rest of the Constructicons paraded into the hangar.

"Let's get this party started!" Vortex cheered excitedly. He'd been in solitary confinement for most of the day, so was itching to destroy something. The Constructicons instantly shuffled together, eager to get away from the psycho copter and his creepy team. The Combaticons, of course, made a bee-line straight to their half-brother and the Stunticons.

"Afternoon, gentlemechs." Onslaught greeted aptly, bowing slightly to the three Stunticons tending to Sideswipe. They all nodded back, Wildrider grinning, Breakdown blushing and Dead End looking away slightly. Sideswipe pouted; it was apparent that a lot of bots thought Onslaught was very charming, what with his polite mannerisms and way of speaking in that purring voice of his. The red Lambo couldn't see it, himself, but maybe that was just because he was used to Onslaught's voice.

"Decepticons," Megatron boomed through the hangar, catching everyone's attention. At some point, Astrotrain has arrived, as had Soundwave and Starscream, who were all poised behind him. "Today, we may not win the war, but we will most certainly tip it in our favour!" He grinned. "Optimus Prime's bondmate and son have arrived on Earth, as I'm sure you're all aware-"

"Optimus has a son?" Wildrider whispered to Sideswipe, who merely smiled awkwardly.

"And we shall take advantage of the knowledge that Elita 1 will never be a solider; we will rip Prime's bonded from him and cause him the greatest grief!" Through the cheering and whooping, Sideswipe and Vortex glanced at each other.

If anything; Megatron was doing the Prime a favour.

"And as for his son..." Starscream's wing perked slightly. "The greatest of honours and larger fraction of energon rations to anyone who brings me that oddly shaped helm of his!" Another bout of cheering filled the room, along with the grinding and whirring of Astrotrain's transformation. Megatron instantly marched into the cargo hold, the Constructicons and Stunticons doing the same. Blast Off also transformed, and allowed his family to clamber inside, though didn't pass up the chance to have Sideswipe trip up and fall flat on his face plates.

Soundwave placed a servo on Starscream's red shoulder guard, the Seeker seemingly frozen in an emotionless daze. The SIC placed his own servo over Soundwave's, accepting the affectionate gesture.

"Query: You can do this?" Soundwave asked, a twinge of concern in that tinny echo of his. Starscream was still for a moment, then nodded.

"Elita, I can handle. Without a doubt. In fact," He gripped Soundwave's hand a little tighter. "I will not rest until that witch is dead!" Then he seemed to go numb and limp, making Soundwave place his spare servo on the Seeker's other shoulder, in fear Starscream might suddenly fall over. "But Sunstreaker..." He whispered softly. Soundwave moved his arms around Starscream's waist, giving his comrade a quick squeeze.

"Expectation: Starscream will get hurt. Vow: Soundwave will protect Starscream." The Seeker glanced over his shoulder, smiling thankfully at, perhaps, the only friend he had left in the world. Soundwave's adoration for the Seeker was not secret to him, but... he just couldn't see the midnight blue mech as anything more than a kid brother. He felt guilty for that.

"Thank you, Sounds... I will protect you and the Recordicons, too." He smiled, giving Soundwave's servo a squeeze.

"Soundwave!" Megatron bellowed from inside Astrotrain's hold.

"Mother!" Onslaught called more gently, leaning out of Blast Off's cargo bay.

The two mechs clenched each other's servos one last time, then moved to enter the separate transport mechs. Starscream took Onslaught's hand, as his eldest son helped him inside. "Are you alright, mother?" He asked quietly, not that his brothers would hear him passed their fighting. Starscream nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine darling... just... need to sit down." Onslaught guided his clearly dizzy creator to a seat, and even strapped him in for him. By now, Sideswipe and the Combaticons noticed their mother's woozy state.

Sideswipe took up the seat on Starscream's left, while Brawl took the seat on his right. The tank wrapped arm around the both of them, while Sideswipe curled up with his head in Starscream's lap, not bothering to strap himself in (Blast Off took care of that himself).

As Blast Off and Astrotrain's engines engaged, and the two took of to the sky, Starscream stared down at his precious little Sideswipe.