Eventuality

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Eventuality (n): Something that might happen. A possible event.

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Chapter 4: Trust

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Returning to their berth after a long hot shower, Chromedome found his conjunx curled up into a ball beneath the thermal blanket, deep in recharge. Even asleep, Rewind's EM field was a tangle of hurt and confusion.

Carefully, quietly, he took up his penile cap and its screws and leaned against the desk, reattaching the smooth sheath. With angry twists he tightened it. Chances were it would never be removed ever again and he'd be wearing it the day his frame was sent to the smelter.

And then he lay down beside the archivist, staring at the tiny traumatized thing.

The physical pain would pass first. The emotional pain would take longer to fade. It might be far longer before Rewind would trust him enough to interface with him again. Would it break them apart? Probably not, but scars would remain. He reached over and placed a hand upon the small body beside him.

It was with a shocking sensation of both horror and temptation that he realized it was his work hand upon Rewind, the hand that contained his mnemosurgery needles.

It would be so easy to slide the needles right in and remove the memories of the past few cycles. Rewind hadn't even been recording them, which meant it would be even easier. In less than a cycle they could be back at square one. Rewind could wake up to remember only a fabulous night of passion in which his adored conjunx had taken him to full stupor before curling up in bed with him. It would be so simple. The whole thing about remembering tonight could go to the pit.

The needles extended and Chromedome stared at them, their tips resting against Rewind's thin neck. He'd never once touched the tiny mech's memories before, but one small push and this could end well for both of them. Rewind would feel better, wouldn't he? Happier without knowing his conjunx had forced him to endure the breeding? As long as he didn't spark-merge with anyone, the implanted seminal nanites would lie forever dormant within Rewind's gestation chamber. He'd continue through life never knowing that he'd been wronged by his own mate. The trust would remain unshaken.

Trust.

Chromedome stared again at the needletips, the acidic barbs of deceit. With a bitter gasp he retracted them and drew his arm away from his sleeping conjunx. No wonder mnemosurgeons were regarded with such little respect. Their skills were all too easily abused. How could he think of using them on Rewind to erase his deed?

Chromedome folded his hand up beneath him and wept. He'd planned to go through with the breeding and to face the consequences from the very start. Maybe he'd been too determined. Maybe he'd been too eager. Maybe he'd been too desperate. But now, even with Rewind's bitter reaction, covering up one crime with another would only set things up for a bigger fall when the truth eventually came out.

Hot tears soaked the pillow beneath his head. No wonder Rewind hated that part of him. The ability was always there, always ready to send him down the wrong path. No wonder Trepan had been such an evil monster. Without strong morals to keep use from turning into abuse, it was all too easy to give in to so much power over a person.

Chromedome pulled back the blanket to gaze upon Rewind once more. The tiny mech lay on his side, hugging his knees to his chest.

"I love you, Rewind. More than you'll ever know, " he whispered. "That's why I did this. And it's the worst thing I'll ever do to you, I swear." He wriggled closer, putting his arm around the archivist's body.

Rewind stirred. "Domey?"

"Shhh. I just had to hold you again. I love you so much."

Rewind sighed. "I know. And I hate you for it."

"You're entitled to. You have some very good reasons to." He leaned in and kissed the top of his conjunx's helm. "Now let's recharge. We'll discuss it tomorrow."

"Of course," he said tiredly.

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The End

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Author Notes:

A bit darker and a bit more technical of a fic than I usually write. I wasn't sure about posting this at first, but I decided that it seemed okay once I began fleshing it out. Normally my feeling regarding IDW stories is that the series has taken us through so many horrible things, I try to write fluffier, happier, more positive pieces. In this case though... not sure what I was thinking.

I love Chromedome/Rewind as a couple, and I know they've had a difficult life together through the war and even afterward. But they seemed right for this prompt and for the angsty angle I was going for, one that would include a sort of betrayal. Chromedome, occasionally a poor decision maker in canon, made it very easy to keep the characters in-character.

I drew upon some of my own experience (as I often do for my stories) as well. Once, while on vacation in the Dominican Republic, I was terribly sick and ended up lying forgotten for hours on an exam table in the back room of a clinic. The healthcare worker running the place had put an IV into my arm and it was very uncomfortable (sometimes painful) and itchy and I just had to lie there enduring it. I thought a lot about that miserable afternoon when writing the third chapter and how Rewind would be feeling.

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