Warnings include: Referenced Non-Con, Mech Preg

Coming out of stasis was unpleasant. He didn't feel the immediate stabbing pain in his stomach though like last time, and that in of itself confused him. He hadn't been let out stasis the previous time for anything.

Warily opening his optics, Jack thought his spark was going to jump out of his throat. He stared into blue optics, and zooming out saw they were set in a familiar face-Arcee! Jack felt relief course through him, but it paled in comparison to what followed when he realized fully she was here.

"What took you so fucking long!" he snarled.

Arcee jerked back, surprise written clear across her face, a hurt in her optics like he'd just slapped her. Part of him regretted it, but the bigger part overshadowed it. Jack shifted, green optics taking in the fact that not only was Arcee here, but so were Bumblebee and Ratchet.

"One of you answer me." Jack hissed, annoyed that he could still feel the restraints holding him down. Did they think he'd attack them when he woke up? He probably would have given how pissed he was. "I deserve to know that much after all the crap I've been through."

"There's no answer we could give you that you would accept." Bumblebee said sadly.

Jack glared at him. "Try."

Bumblebee looked hesitant to reply, but then his optics hardened and he nodded. "We messed up. We…we thought that you were either dead or just locked up somewhere. We didn't know what Shockwave was doing to you."

Jack stared at him, expression unreadable but the fact his optics were still glowing green was answer enough. "How long have I been here?" He got no reply. "How long?"

Arcee finally answered him, her voice quiet. "You were missing for almost three months."

Jack gritted his denta. He grounded them together as all too easily he could remember exactly what happened when he woke up the first time. "In that time, I've been humiliated-repeatedly-raped-repeatedly-and I've been used as an incubator for those leeches," he glared down at the developing protoform, "repeatedly."

It was just the one this time, but that was no comfort at all.

"So tell me-what were you all doing? Because it certainly wasn't trying to find me!" Jack growled. Deep down, he'd always tried to ignore what Shockwave said about the Autobots-that they didn't really care, that he wasn't important to them-because he'd just passed it off as the mech being horrible, but…but now?

"We made a mistake," Ratchet said shortly, "but if you're looking for someone to blame, then blame me. I wasn't able to get that remote from Shockwave."

"No, if anything it's my fault." Arcee said. "I should have kept you safe. If I stopped the Eradicons from taking you, none of this would have happened."

Jack stared at them, optics narrow and suspicious. "You left something out." He whispered. Arcee tensed up. "You left out I was the one who gave away our location in the first place-"

"It's not your fault this happened!" Bumblebee said sharply. "You didn't deserve this, and we are going to carry with us the guilt of knowing now that we failed you so completely."

Jack stared at him, his optics fading back to blue. "This doesn't mean I forgive you." He said bluntly. "And if you failed before, how did you find me now?"

The three Autobots exchanged a glance, and Arcee vented heavily. "Predaking found you," she said, and Jack tensed up, "and after he killed Shockwave he-"

Jack tensed up. "Did-did you just say that Shockwave's dead?" Arcee nodded, and Jack felt several emotions coursing through him. He couldn't believe that his tormentor was actually gone, and by Predaking no less. Although…Jack thought grudgingly, Predaking does love me. It's not the craziest idea in the world to believe he'd kill Shockwave to save me.

It was though hard for Jack to stomach the idea.

Months may have passed in the real world, but to Jack each time he exited stasis it felt as though only hours had gone by. The first time he'd woken up, he was horrified and scared by the realization he was giving birth when not 'hours' before the leeches were nothing more than balls on a string.

This time he'd woken up surrounded by Autobots, when before being put back into stasis Shockwave had just finished giving him a 'thorough cleaning', the repulsion of his actions still churning in his not-stomach where the leech resided.

But he needed to know for sure that it was over-and he didn't want to look at the Autobots anymore.

"Leave." Jack said shortly. "And tell Predaking I want to talk to him."

"Jack-" Arcee stopped, when Jack tensed, glaring at her. Her servo had almost touched his arm, and being touched was the last thing he wanted. She had the decency to look guilty about it. "Right." She said quietly.

Bumblebee looked as though he was going to say something, but thought better of it and followed after Arcee.

Ratchet stayed behind, and Jack frowned at him. "I know this is not the time, and I'm one of the last bots you'd want around, but when you're ready, I think it's best you get a medical check-up."

Jack flinched, remembering all too clearly Shockwave's 'medical check'. "Not gonna happen." He muttered. He glanced down at his thighs, vented heavily. "I need something to…to cover myself though." He didn't elaborate out loud the reason being Shockwave hadn't saw any use in keeping it-Jack wasn't going to need modesty anymore.

The medic's optics didn't glance at Jack's thighs, his expression still trying to be professional. "I'll see what I can find." He replied, and not long after he left, Predaking entered the room.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Jack only stared at the taller Predacon, who gazed right back at him, his optics never straying from his face.

"It is," Predaking paused, "good to see you're awake. I was beginning to wonder if the Autobots weren't going to rouse you from stasis after all."

Jack would have dismissed his concerns straight away before, but now he found himself faltering. And he hated that he felt that way, but the Autobots mistake had cost him dearly, taken away three months of his life, and who-knew-how-much even before that. "I can't say I'm happy to be happy, given now I have to deal with all this crap."

Predaking didn't seem to how to respond, and so he only remained silent.

Jack though knew exactly what he wanted to say. "Tell me," he said firmly, "what happened when you got here-tell me how he died."

"I will not make you wait in suspense-I shot him in the spark chamber." Predaking replied bluntly. Jack frowned, and the other Predacon seemed to realize where his thoughts lied. "It was too quick, I know. I was angry; for all that he'd done to you."

"Can't say I don't feel cheated-I wanted to make that fucker pay." Jack growled, but the burst of rage faded just as quickly, leaving him tired despite the energon still being pumped into his veins. "Though I still want to know-call it morbid-what happened when you arrived."

Jack didn't know why he was stuck on it. Maybe it was the fact he wanted reassurance, to know that Shockwave's 'truths' were nothing more than fallacies on his part…that Jack was right at least about Predaking.

"Very well." Predaking said heavily. "When I came through the door, the first thing I saw was your valve-and I'm ashamed to admit I stared." He really did look contrite, which was at least different from how Starscream only looked at his valve with disgust. "It was the first thing I covered though," he added quickly, "by ripping the restraints from your legs and closing them."

Jack blinked. He'd thought the Autobots might have done that, but to know that Predaking had cared enough to cover him up at least lent credence to his 'he wouldn't hurt me' line of thought. "What else?"

"Shockwave…attempted to bait me." Predaking said reluctantly, his use of metaphor not lost on Jack as he could easily decipher what he didn't want to say outright.

So he did it for him. "Shockwave wanted you to rape me, didn't he?" Jack questioned bluntly. Predaking nodded slowly. "And did you?"

The Predacon jerked back, his optics flaring in offence and anger. "Of course I didn't! I swore I would never hurt you. The fact Shockwave believed I was still nothing more than a lovesick fool who would sealed his fate."

Jack stared at him, and maybe he was sensitive was from being so angry, feeling so used…but saw that Predaking was telling the truth. And Jack wanted to believe him just as much. "I'll be honest; I thought you were only going to help me on the Nemesis because you wanted to frag me. That…that all you saw when you looked at me was a walking incubator."

Like Shockwave did, went unsaid.

"My feelings for you are complicated," Predaking began, "and while I do not deny that having a family with you was on my mind, simply being with you would have been enough. Perhaps it was the loss, or loneliness, but knowing that you at least were there made this existence bearable."

"You had to have seen I didn't exactly share your enthusiasm." Jack said flatly.

Predaking nodded, his expression falling in shame. "I had been blind, thinking only of my own selfish desires and that you were only playing-deluding myself into believing that you would 'grow out of it.'" He looked earnestly at Jack. "I was wrong, and I do not ask your forgiveness nor do I have any notions that this will help, but I am truly sorry."

Jack was genuinely stunned. He'd expected Predaking to be remorseful about his past behavior, but didn't expect him to apologize for it. He was right though, it did little to help soothe the pain and suffering he'd went through, but what it represented meant a lot. "Thanks." He said, finding it in himself to scrounge up enough politeness for at least that-before he gave him the same riot act as with the Autobots. "Why did it take you so long to find me though?"

Predaking shifted, frowning. "I wasn't looking for you-I thought there was no need to." He explained. "I'd been under the impression that since you were previously associated with the Autobots that they wouldn't harm you-I see now I should have followed my instincts to check sooner. Had I discovered you weren't with them I wouldn't have rested until I found you."

Jack stared at him. He saw the fervent look in the other Predacon's optics, heard the determined way he spoke and knew he probably could have done it. "I wish so too." He said bluntly. He still wasn't ready to forgive though, not any of them, and he just wanted to be mad at them for a little while longer.

He'd had no choice in so much lately that he just wanted the option to stay mad. It wasn't healthy, and he could sort himself out later, but for now he didn't care.

"Take the rest of the restraints off." Jack said. "And try not to touch me."

Predaking nodded. He moved slowly to Jack's side, like he was carefully watching Jack's reaction, and when he gripped the magnet against Jack's side, the wolf Predacon froze. "Perhaps you'd prefer that med-"

"No," Jack said sharply, "he's going to be giving me my exam sometime far later and I'm trying to make myself not freak out for it."

"If it helps, he knows what to check for to make sure you valve isn't damaged." Jack's head jerked sharply up at Predaking, optics narrowed and beginning to glow green, and the other Predacon hurried along. "That is not to imply he touched your valve, rather…I allowed him to examine mine."

Jack's optics faded back to blue, surprise crossing his faceplate. "You…why?" his lips twisted when Predaking gave him a sardonic look. "You did it because of me?"

The other Predacon nodded. "I would not have asked either-" Jack knew what he was about to say, and was grateful he didn't say their names-he couldn't take seeing Darksteel and Skylynx before he went under, and now would be no better-"either of the other two for this. And…to be perfectly honest, I wanted to make sure the medic did not end up harming you by accident because he didn't know what he was doing."

Jack found himself scowling. "Shockwave probably had notes." He winced when the magnet was pulled from his side, but did not flinch as the tips of Predaking's digits brushed against him.

"He very likely does, his information was extensive on the Nemesis database, even if the subjects weren't varied." Predaking replied.

Jack gritted his denta, feeling the next magnet pulled from his arm, and then his shoulder. He slowly moved his now free arm, but didn't stop from grounding his denta together. "And now there's a whole bunch of research all thanks to me." He spat bitterly.

Predaking didn't say anything as he moved to Jack's other side. And he didn't say anything when Jack immediately ripped the clamp from his stomach, and pushed his plates forcibly down faster than they would automatically close.

Jack still felt weak though, as the energon being pumped into him was specifically regulated so that it would just renew his systems to allow the protoform to development, but not last long enough to let him have his strength back to escape. His joints ached from disuse, and it would make storming out of this room impossible. "Leave, I want to get my strength back."

"Wouldn't you prefer help-" Predaking stopped himself, understanding in his optics. "Ah, I see. Then I will merely be a call away if you require help."

Jack watched him leave, and when there was no follow up visit from any of the Autobots, he tentatively sat up, wincing as his back ached and his elbow joints felt tight. He stared down at his legs, and gently began to bend them. Pain surged through, especially from the knee that hadn't been reset properly. That would make moving on his own harder, but the thought of being touched made his not-stomach churn.

And more than that, he just wanted this to be over. He wanted nothing more than to close his optics, and wake up to being human, to believing that this all had been just some horrible nightmare-but he'd tried that before, and Shockwave showed him just how real this nightmare had been.

Jack winced as he realized his servo was resting over his stomach, and he hastily clenched at the slab edge instead. He didn't want to see those other leeches for a deeper reason, another by product of being created from Predacon remains. When he looked at Darksteel and Skylynx for the first time, when they were both emerged and in full view-

-he loved them. The urge to nurture and protect them was ingrained in his very coding, and it was something he hated. Whether this was true for all Predacons or just some-like real animals and Jack hated comparing himself to one even more-but even if it was a biological function to continue the Predacon species, it didn't mean it was welcome.

It was just another thing that wasn't his choice; that his body betrayed him on.

That was the reason Jack hadn't wanted to see his 'children.' They weren't his, no matter what his body was telling him.

…he had a lot of issues to work through. Jack frowned; he just hoped now he could. He had a plan though-get washed, go back to earth, maybe let Ratchet check him over, and just try to work through this-and for now that would be his anchor.

This is over though, and soon I can go home.