-part 9

Perceptor's helm was a jumble of odd things. Memories flashed before his unconscious optics: His first time meeting the Seeker; he and Starscream mating, bonding; the attack on the ship; his rape at the servos of Sentinel Prime; the trial and the loss of everything. Waking up, he groaned and rubbed his helm as he sat up, noticing the two devices on the tray near the med berth. Glancing to his hand, he saw the small toy. "Starscream..." He whispered as oil tears ran down his face plates for the first time in twenty vorns.

Starscream's helm jerked up at the sound of his name, turning to see Perceptor crying. He had taken the microscope to the one place neither the Autobots nor the Decepticons would come for him, the crashed hull of the Nemesis on Earth's moon. He had found the wretched devices that had caused his mate to lose his memories and his emotions and had removed them. He now turned and swept his mate into his arms.

"Perceptor... My Precious Perceptor..." He kissed the tears away, his own optics becoming suspiciously moist as he cradled his mate to his chest. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Perceptor wrapped his arms around Starscream, his grip tight. "It's not your fault... They wanted me to work for them and removed the memories so I wouldn't try to run." He shivered and held on tighter. "They took the sparklings away... I never got a chance to hold them."

"Oh Perceptor..." Starscream clutched his mate close to his chest, feeling his spark screaming for his mate's, nearly sobbing as he pressed his hand to his mate's chest. "Please... Perceptor, let me feel you again..." Twenty Vorns was a long time, after all... And Starscream felt bitter and empty, devoid of anything but longing, hate and the lust for revenge. He needed to feel his mate once more, if only to remind himself that he wasn't only dreaming.

Perceptor blinked and pulled away, the pain of his rape still fresh. "Starscream... I don't know if my spark will handle it." At the Seeker's confusion, he explained. "I tried to escape before they tried me on Cybertron. Sentinel Prime... He raped me."

Starscream stared at his mate before a dark, burning rage twisted his face. He released Perceptor gently, standing and turning, his wings flared.

"I'll kill him." He growled, voice low and optics filled with murder. "I'll kill him for what he did to you... Nobody hurts my mate like that!" He clenched his fist and slammed it into a wall, leaving a sizable hole in the thick metal.

Perceptor jumped and whimpered. "S-Starscream, please calm down... you're scaring me." He wrapped his arms around the Seeker. "They never removed the brand, they covered it. You know I still love you, just give me some time..."

Starscream trembled as he turned and clung to his mate, pressing his face to Perceptor's neck.

"I'm sorry I just... I should have protected you... If I had he wouldn't have..." He clutched Perceptor tightly. "I'm so sorry... I'm sorry... I..."

Perceptor kissed Starscream's audio. "They would have locked you in another cell and he would have made you watch. Please, just calm down and hold me... Maybe we can try a spark merge later."

Starscream nodded and held his small mate, laying down on their berth. He stared at Perceptor sadly and stroked the younger mech's face.

"We'll find the sparklings, Perceptor... And Sentinel will pay for what he did..." He whispered, staring into those wide blue optics that he loved so much. "I promise I'll make everything right, Perceptor..."

Perceptor smiled and drifted into recharge. A few things popped into his mind, such as the fact that his sparklings had been blue and orange... Blue and orange. Perceptor bolted upright, startling Starscream. "I know where they are. Starscream, I was with them earlier."