Well...got this story down...so...two down to more to go. XD Plus homework...fun.
Chap. 10: A Change of Heart
Megatron had taken Astrid down to see Red Alert because it was time for her seventh check up. She was now seven weeks pregnant and only had two more weeks to go. Both Megatron and Astrid were getting excited, yet Astrid was also growing all the more nervous. And she had her reasons. This was her first pregnancy, and she had every reason in the book to be nervous.
It didn't take Red Alert long to do the test, and once he finished, he gave the results saying that the baby was fine. He then dismissed them as usual. Astrid got up from the table and thanked Red Alert. The medic looked to her a moment and then said, "Astrid, if you don't mind, I'd like to speak to Megatron privately."
Megatron and Astrid exchanged glances. Without a word, Astrid exited the room and the door shut behind her. Megatron turned to Red Alert and asked, "Well, what is it?"
"Astrid has entered the stage in pregnancy where the most critical development in the child takes place," Red Alert explained.
"I see."
"This is also the time that complications can develop…severe complications. And I've noticed it happens more to…decepticon femmes rather than autobot."
"Why?"
"Decepticon femmes have a history of not being able to reproduce efficiently. They are a small race and weren't built for reproduction. Even when they were, their reproduction systems were poor."
"What usually happens to them?" Megatron inquired feeling he would dread the answer to come.
"Well, most decepticon femmes do not become pregnant. If they do, they usually do no make it this far because they miscarry. If they make it this far, complications usually develop and during birth, the mother, child, or both can be killed. There have only been a few instances where both the mother and the child have survived without problems." Red Alert explained.
Megatron felt his abdomen filling with knots, "Do you think this will happen to Astrid?"
"I don't know, but its best we not tell her so she doesn't worry."
"Right," Megatron agreed not wanting to add any extra stress to Astrid.
"Let me know immediately if she starts having any sort of pain, or just anything out of the ordinary."
"I will, thanks Red," Megatron said leaving the med bay. He found Astrid waiting outside the doors and said trying to hold back his worry, "Ready to go?"
"What did Red Alert want?" she asked.
"Um…well he just wanted to make sure everything was alright with me and make sure that I was handling things okay."
"Well, besides sleeping with Thunderblast you've done just fine. And yes, I'm ready to go."
Megatron opened a dimension gate to the decepticon palace and the two of them stepped through winding up in their room. The decepticon leader wrapped his arms around Astrid and said, "Why don't you get some sleep?"
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea…but no; I'm going to do some reports." She replied.
"Astrid, take a break. Save your energy for when the baby comes," Megatron said and then thought, "If the baby comes."
Astrid turned in his arms and looked at him suspiciously, "Why are you so concerned all of a sudden?"
"You are seven weeks pregnant and I do happen to love you more than anything." Megatron replied kissing her forehead.
"Did Red Alert say anything else?"
Megatron didn't want to lie to Astrid, but he had been told by Red Alert not to tell. And he really didn't want to worry her, there was no telling if the extra stress would have a good or bad effect on the development of the baby. Megatron didn't want to risk anything, especially when it involved the lives of his wife and unborn son. He was just about to tell Astrid no when suddenly his comlink activated and Thundercracker's voice came through saying, "Megatron sir, we have a situation in the throne room."
"Such a classic line," Megatron thought and then responded, "What is it?"
"Thunderblast sir."
"Right…I'll be there in a minute." Megatron replied and ended the transmission. He looked to Astrid who crossed her arms.
"No drinks," she said sternly.
"I know," he answered and kissed her.
Astrid let the kiss drag on a couple minutes before she broke away from him and said, "I've got work to do."
"Right, I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Okay. Now if you excuse me, I have to get off my feet. This son of yours is sure packing on the pounds."
Megatron smirked saying, "A growing boy needs his nourishment."
Astrid grinned and then winced, and Megatron felt the knot in his abdomen tighten as he asked, "You okay?"
"I must have forgotten the detail that he's getting stronger…he kicks like hell," she responded.
Megatron couldn't keep a grin back. He hugged Astrid close to him and said, "Two more weeks of him. Now, get some rest. If I get back here and find you working on reports, there will be some paying you have to do after the baby is born."
Astrid narrowed her optics at him and said, "Thundercracker is going to wonder where you are."
"Right," he replied. He kissed her really quick before he left the room.
Astrid sighed shaking her head and turned around only to be face to face with Starscream. She gasped and took a step back, but Starscream was on her too quickly. He grabbed her by the wrists and forced her up against a wall and held her there firmly.
"You," he breathed in her audio receptor, causing unwanted shivers to travel down her neck, "I grow impatient waiting for you."
"Starscream," she groaned, "Get out of here."
"No," he replied kissing her cheek, "I've come to ask you for the final time to come with me."
"No," she replied firmly.
"Astrid, do not be a fool. I'm offering to be the father of that child, and I'm willing to let Megatron live."
"I said no!"
"Don't shout," he hissed, "I'm giving you twenty-four hours to change your mind, and if you don't, I will not hesitate to kill Megatron and the kid. Don't underestimate me Astrid; you know I'm a lot stronger than before."
It really wasn't fear that was compelling Astrid to listen to Starscream anymore. He had done everything he possibly could to her, and now that he was threatening the one's she loved, it just ticked her off. Angry, Astrid shoved him off of her and said, "Go find someone else to torture. Get it through that CPU of yours that I am never going to be yours. You turned me off from the start and you still turn me off now."
Starscream snarled and seized her by the throat saying, "I see you don't fear me like you used to…well, not for long." He put his gun to her abdomen.
Astrid narrowed her optics, "You wouldn't dare."
"I almost killed you once Astrid…don't make me do it for real. If I can't have you, no one else can."
The femme pushed him away and as she did so, Starscream fired at her, and the blast hit her in the shoulder. It stung right through her armor and she now remembered why she had to fear him. He could not be trusted, and if she continued this act, she or the baby would be killed. Starscream noticed a change in her and walked back up to her. He grasped her chin firmly and said, "Do you understand now that I am in control?"
Astrid was forced to look up at him as she slowly replied, "Yes, Starscream."
He grinned and said, "I hear footsteps down the hall. Megatron is coming."
She felt her spark pulse with joy until Starscream shoved her up against the wall again. Astrid felt sick and said, "Starscream, stop this."
His grin broadened, "You don't want to put on a show for Megatron?"
"N-No, don't—
And he kissed her full on. Astrid tried to pull away, but Starscream held her fast to where she was. Tears slowly coursed down her cheeks. Oh how she did not want Megatron to see this. What if he jumped to conclusions? Astrid turned her head away from Starscream, also in the direction away from the door. She couldn't see the look on Megatron's face when he walked in. Starscream growled viciously and snapped her head back so that she was looking at him. He smirked at her before drawing his sword; holding it to her throat he said, "Continue to resist me and you and the kid will perish."
"Starscream, you don't have to do this, there are other femmes out there," she protested.
"Perhaps…but you're the only one that has had my interest since the beginning."
"Forget me…please."
"Oh, you don't know how hard I've tried to do that," he breathed and then resumed the kiss…just as Megatron walked into the room.
Before Astrid could process what had happened, Starscream was off her and against the wall on the opposite side of the room; Megatron standing protectively in front of her. Starscream slowly got up from where he was thrown and looked to Megatron saying, "Your days with her are numbered, Megatron."
"Listen to your own words, Starscream," Megatron growled back.
The ex-second in command frowned and moved to the balcony. Before he left though, he took one last look to the decepticon couple and said, "Twenty-four hours Astrid…starting now." And then he disappeared.
Megatron glared at the balcony a few moments before he suddenly felt Astrid slide her hand into his. Quickly he turned around only to read Astrid's worried and terrified face. Feeling terrible and guilty, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him as she began to cry softly.
"It's okay," he breathed gently kissing the top of her head, "I'm here now."
"No…everything is far from okay…he's coming back here in twenty-four hours and if I refuse him he'll kill you and the baby," she cried.
Megatron felt his face twist in anger. "Kill me?" he growled lowly, "Threatening to kill me is one thing…but threatening to kill our son has earned him a one way ticket to the scrap heap!"
"What are we going to do?"
Megatron looked down and kissed her forehead before answering, "Let's just say, he'll be sorry he came back."
"Please don't get yourself hurt…I can't possibly lose you now…or ever."
He smiled warmly at her, "I won't. I swear by the spark of Primus I won't."
She leaned against him as her response and he turned her towards the bed questioning, "Did Starscream hurt you?"
"Just shot my shoulder…it's just a small burn though."
He glanced at it and saw it would heal on its own. He then said, "Alright then, you are going to get some rest. That's an order."
Astrid smirked, "You should've learned by now that I don't usually follow your orders."
Megatron smiled and lifted her in his arms saying, "If you weren't pregnant, I'd be all over right now."
"Pervert."
"I can't help it I love my wife to death," he said laying her on the bed and lying down beside her, "I'll stay right here with you to make sure my orders are followed."
"You suck," she replied snuggling against him.
"No, that's the femme's job."
Astrid's optics widened and she slapped him playfully then said, "Be quiet! Our son might hear you."
Megatron shrugged, "He'll probably know all about that kind of stuff by the time he's five anyway."
"He better not." Astrid said.
Megatron smiled and then said, "I love you."
"I love you too."
He kissed her deeply on the lips.
Thunderblast nearly jumped out of her titanium armor when she walked into her room and saw Starscream sitting on her bed. She gawked at him a couple moments before asking, "What brings you here?"
Starscream glanced at her before standing and saying, "I thought I'd inform you that I'm putting my own plan into effect…I'll tell you tomorrow whether it succeeds or not."
Thunderblast didn't care to know the details; she already had a gut feeling that whatever the seeker had done wasn't going to work. Instead she scoffed at him and said, "Whatever. Next time you come here, give me a warning."
Starscream smirked and approached her saying, "I rather enjoy surprising you."
"I'm not a fan of surprises," she replied crossing her arms.
Starscream stopped directly in front of her and looked in her the optics, only to find himself suddenly lost…lost in a twinkling paradise he had never known existed. All thoughts of winning over Astrid were erased from his CPU…reality snapped back to him and he slapped himself mentally before thinking, "What was I thinking?"
Thunderblast gave him a confused look before asking, "Starscream…are you feeling okay?"
"I've…got to go," he said and went to leave.
"Wait…stay a few more minutes," Thunderblast suddenly found herself saying without knowing why.
He turned fully to her and asked so gently, "W-Why?"
"You're…" she trailed off and then continued in a softer voice, "You're the only person I know right now that hasn't said they hated me."
Starscream smirked, "I'll see you tomorrow, Thunderblast…I-I promise."
And she watched as he left through the balcony…something felt so entirely different in the atmosphere…something…good. And suddenly, Thunderblast didn't feel so lonely.
And Megatron didn't matter anymore.
Dun, dun, DUN! I'm soooooo excited about the next chapter...I hope I get time to do it! Please review until then!