That next morning, Thundercracker woke up to Gemstone. He had taken her home with him last night, as she had agreed to stay with him at base for a couple days. When they'd gotten home and entered the Seekers' room, Starscream was there, fast asleep. Since the last thing they wanted to do was wake him up, and Moonbeam and Skywarp were in the guest room, they headed to the 'facing hideout of choice—the med bay. They were both tired, and Thundercracker had finally run himself dry for the night, so they'd ended up just dropping into stasis, without anything really steamy happening.
So that was why Thundercracker woke up on the repair table that morning, with Gemstone, still asleep, wrapped up in his arms. He was thirsty and wanted some breakfast, so he gently shook her awake to see if she wanted something too.
"Good morning, handsome," she whispered, as soon as her eyes opened.
"Have a good sleep?" Thundercracker asked.
"Oh, yes," said Gemstone smoothly. "I was dreaming about you all night long."
"Thank you," Thundercracker told her. "Now, do you want to go get some breakfast? You can meet my brothers and the rest of the Decepticons, too."
"After so long living at that Decepticlub, I've always wondered what it would be like to live with Decepticons, not just charge them for a quick frag," said Gemstone.
"What do you mean, living at the club?" Thundercracker asked.
"I don't have a home of my own," she explained, shrugging. "So I spend my time in the club, looking for clients. You're the first one who's ever brought me home, though."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," said Thundercracker. "Staying here has got to be better than being at the club 24/7, right?"
"Oh, but I think you have a valid reason for bringing me home." Gemstone smirked. "We'll make that Moonbeam femme jealous, won't we?"
…
By the time Thundercracker and Gemstone had entered the main monitor room, Starscream was already there, watching the blaring TV and snacking on a huge pile of sparkling red energon—the rarest kind. Megatron would scarcely let anyone consume it.
"Oh, hey, Thundercracker!" said Starscream, then shoved another handful into his mouth. "Who's that?"
"This is my new girlfriend, Gemstone," Thundercracker said proudly, slipping one arm around Gemstone's waist. Gemstone smirked and giggled.
"Nice to meet you." Starscream's voice was a little muffled as he struggled to swallow the little red pieces of energon.
"Where did you find our rare red energon, Starscream?" Thundercracker asked warily. "You know Megatron doesn't like us to eat it on a regular basis."
"Oh, I've been craving them like you wouldn't believe the whole past week, but I had to wait until today, when the boss was on a mission," said Starscream colloquially, then flicked one of the little pieces over to Thundercracker. "Want one?"
"No thanks," said Thundercracker, catching the fuel in his hand, then giving it to Gemstone. "Do you want it?"
"Thanks, honey bunch," she cooed, and popped it into her mouth. "Mm…no wonder these things are so rare! They're delicious!"
"Aren't they, though?" Starscream didn't even bother to chew his next one.
"You know, Screamer, just because you're carrying doesn't give you the right to sit on the couch all day hogging the TV and inhaling our entire fuel supply," Thundercracker said matter-of-factly, sitting down next to Starscream.
"Um, yeah, it does," said Starscream.
"What the—you're carrying?!" shrieked Gemstone, then sat down on Starscream's opposite side. "That's adorable! When is your sparkling coming? What are you going to name it?"
"They'll be here in a little under five months," said Starscream, eating yet another handful of red energon, "and we haven't decided on the names yet."
"THEY'LL be here?!" Gemstone repeated. "Multiples?"
"Yes, twins," said Starscream, smiling a little. Luckily, he seemed to be in an unusually good mood today. "In fact, they were kicking for the first time yesterday…and a little this morning too."
"Oh, congratulations on your new little ones!" Gemstone squealed, and gave Starscream a hug.
"That's great news, Screamer," said Thundercracker, patting Starscream's shoulder.
"So…who's the other parent?" Gemstone asked. "It wasn't you, was it, TC?"
"Definitely not," Thundercracker said quickly. "Seekers are meant to interbreed, of course, but I wouldn't ever mate with Skywarp or Starscream."
"So who was it, then?" Gemstone still looked curious. "One of the other jets, I suppose?"
Starscream almost choked on his mouthful of red energon. Thundercracker, noticing his panic, decided to swoop in and rescue him.
"Actually, we don't have any idea who the other parent is," Thundercracker told her.
"That's impossible," said Gemstone. "On the standard test, both parents' names show up."
"Well, he didn't take a test," Thundercracker lied. "We didn't know he was sparked up until it got to the point where it was obvious. That sort of thing happens."
Gemstone shrugged. "I guess so."
Starscream sighed in relief, and Thundercracker shot him a look that clearly said, You owe me one.
That was when they heard familiar voices around the corner.
"Thank you so much for that box of candied cyberberries, sugar daddy," Moonbeam was saying flirtatiously as she and Skywarp walked into the room.
"Oh, no problem, kissy-wissy," Skywarp said back. "You know I'll always—hey, who's she?"
"Call me Gemstone, hon," said Gemstone, walking up to Skywarp's cheek and rubbing it. "I'm Thundercracker's new girlfriend."
"You have a girlfriend?!" Skywarp gasped.
"Didn't think I was capable of that, did you, friend?" Thundercracker smirked.
Moonbeam walked up to Gemstone and quickly shook her hand, but it was obvious from the way her wings twitched slightly and the poorly disguised look of revulsion on her face that she didn't think very highly of Gemstone. Once the handshake was over, Moonbeam wiped her hand on her leg.
"Nice to meet you," said Moonbeam. Her greeting included all the businesslike politeness due a new acquaintance, but it wasn't sincere.
"My, my, Moonbeam, might I compliment you on that lovely paint job?" said Gemstone. "The dark black does contrast quite amazingly with the beautiful blaring gold. Bold, yet understated."
"Oh, but yours is so much better," Moonbeam said back. "Only that pearly white, with no bright or lively color? Effectively minimalist."
"And your interestingly small size!" Gemstone continued. "Why, I'm quite jealous. You must be an amazing flier."
"It's not all about speed or silly tricks," said Moonbeam, shooting a mean glance at Starscream, who narrowed his eyes. "Besides, these wings just get in the way. You noticeably don't have any, so I'm sure any mech you want could scoop you into his arms and carry you away!"
"Don't be silly." Gemstone grinned and shook her head. "I admire your willingness to stand by only one mech…no matter how much of a blundering fool he is."
"Well, I try not to lower my expectations to the point where they're already met." Moonbeam laughed again. "Silly me, working so hard every day."
"I have the opposite problem!" Gemstone let out a loud laugh too. "You don't know how right you are. I'm always reaching for the stars, never giving up hope on those dreams of mine!"
"Oh, don't worry, I'm always being an idiot too." Moonbeam smirked. "For example, when I was treating one of my patients yesterday, I almost gave him the wrong diagnosis!"
"You're a medic?" said Gemstone.
"Yes I am," said Moonstone. "What do you do?"
"Well, I'm kind of in-between right now," said Gemstone. "You're so very smart! You know how I am, always waiting around to find my calling, instead of sticking with the same job for years like you do."
"I could never do what you do!" said Moonbeam enthusiastically, a smile on her face but her eyes flashing red. "I so admire you for just waiting for the right job to come along."
Gemstone and Moonbeam continued their "conversation", while the Command Trine shot looks at each other.
"Are they arguing or bonding?" Thundercracker whispered.
"I don't know, but this room feels awfully tense all of a sudden," Starscream whispered back.
Thundercracker shrugged, then got up and walked over to Skywarp and the two femmes. "Now, now, that's enough, ladies."
"I've got a lovely partner," said Gemstone.
"We're headed for the bedroom," said Thundercracker. As he swept Gemstone away, he shot a satisfied glance back at Skywarp, whose mouth fell open. "Don't wait up for us."
LATER THAT DAY…
Starscream had been taking his stasis nap in his room, so Thundercracker and Gemstone did their 'facing in the med bay, of course. When Thundercracker came back into the room, he was alone.
Since he had only been in a light sort of stasis, Starscream jerked awake when he heard his brother come into the room. Thundercracker looked very satisfied with himself, so the first words out of Starscream's mouth were, "Thundercracker, how could you?!"
"What are you talking about?" snapped Thundercracker. "Finish your stasis nap, Screamer."
"Thundercracker, I cannot believe you picked up a femme at a club and brought her home just to spite Skywarp and make Moonbeam jealous!" Starscream screamed, all in one sentence.
"That's a lie and you know it!" Thundercracker shouted. "Gemstone is my girlfriend and I love her!"
"It was so obvious!" Starscream told him, frustrated. "She was even in on it, wasn't she?"
"You know what your problem is, Starscream?" Thundercracker said angrily. "You claim you're so happy for everyone, and that you just want everything to go all hunky-dory, but as soon as somebody else gets a chance in the spotlight, you can't handle the pressure!"
"So now you're reducing yourself to grandiose generalizations again, huh, TC?" growled Starscream, jumping out of bed. "You were always the brooding, pondering one, weren't you? The one who always knows how everybody else operates? You think you know me so well, don't you?"
"I do!" Thundercracker shouted at him. "You're just an annoying little piece of slag, and you always were!"
"It takes one to know one, fool!" Starscream screamed back.
"WHAT THE SLAG IS GOING ON IN HERE?!" Skywarp hollered, banging the door open.
"Oh, nothing, Starscream's just demonstrating his horrible personality to everyone again," said Thundercracker, glaring at Starscream.
"Why you—!" Starscream shouted another obscenity at Thundercracker and tried to attack him, but Skywarp gently held him back.
"Please, Starscream, don't," he insisted. "Stress is the last thing you need right now. Minimal stress is essential for any sparkling's well-being."
"Then I guess our carrier must have had a lot of stress when she was sparked with us," said Thundercracker. "And, of course, Starscream acted in his usual selfish way and took all the side effects for himself."
"That's hurtful and you know it, Thundercracker," Skywarp reprimanded him.
Thundercracker expected Starscream to try to hurt him again, but instead Starscream just put his hands over his face again and sunk down onto his bed. Thundercracker was still angry, but he felt his spark soften just a little as he watched Starscream try to hold back a fresh wave of bitter tears.
"Please, you two, just leave me alone," he mumbled. "Please."
"Oh, Starscream, you don't need to be left alone," Thundercracker said quietly, sitting next to his brother. "You need a hug, don't you?"
"It's true." Starscream leaned into him, sounding heartbroken. "I need lots of hugs."
"Just let it all out, Starscream," Thundercracker whispered, giving Starscream the much-needed hug. "It's okay to cry."
"Th-That's not what Megatron said." Starscream wasn't crying (yet), but he sounded very choked up.
"Well, he doesn't know what he's talking about," said Skywarp, sitting down next to Starscream and joining the group hug. "The absolute worst thing you can do right now is leave everything bottled up inside of you. Let us be here for you, anytime you need us…please."
"Sometimes I don't even know why I suddenly get so sad," Starscream told them, and his voice broke. "I go from angry to sad to happy all in one minute and I'm so tired of it. I go through all these crazy temper tantrums and then I realize that I took everything out on everyone and then I start craving that stupid red energon and I feel bad and then it starts all over again. I feel like everybody hates me for acting like I do."
"Nobody hates you, Starscream," Skywarp soothed. "We understand that things are hard for you right now. You've got to believe that."
"You've only got five more months to go," added Thundercracker. "After that, I'm sure it will all be worth it."
"Moonbeam said I have to stay grounded for the last three months," Starscream told them sadly.
"It's because you won't be able to fly correctly with all the extra weight," Skywarp explained. "Don't worry. We'll stay with you…and only go out flying when we need to. Trust me, we'll make sure you aren't missing anything."
Starscream leaned back onto the bed, preparing to go into stasis again. Thundercracker and Skywarp stood up, and Skywarp tenderly tucked Starscream in.
"Tell the sparklings we love them both and can't wait to meet them," said Thundercracker, squeezing Starscream's shoulder.
"I will," Starscream whispered, and drifted peacefully into stasis.
