a/n: Sorry this has taken me so long. I forget about this sometimes, though I have so many waiting to be posted. :)

Title: The Greater Good

Characters: Jazz, Prime

Universe: Bayverse, post ROTF

Rating: K+

Warning: ref to canon character death, implied mechslash

Description: With all decisions, there comes a price.

Earth is beautiful in its own evanescent and organic way. It can never compare to Cybertron and will never be enough, but it is adequate.

For now, it will suffice. For now, it is home. A home made more welcome by the arrival of stray Autobots and the return of one thought lost.

He is lucky to have been granted one miracle during his lifespan. Primus is gracious enough to allow Optimus two, though he must wonder if his own resurrection is a curse.

He is so very tired of this war. And it feels like a betrayal of his Autobots and his Prime standing to admit so much. Admit that he longs for peace, that he can't bear to see any more Cybertronians offline – Decepticons included. That it's shattering his very spark far worse than Megatron's blade had.

He longs so very much for the serenity of the Well once again. To have been snatched from it feels like a punishment and that... that is Optimus' personal betrayal. To his Autobots and the Matrix.

"Yer thinkin' heavy thoughts, boss bot," Jazz says from where he's perched on Optimus' chestplate, idly flicking the Prime's windshield wipers.

Optimus reaches up, drags a hand down Jazz's dorsal plating, fingers tracing a thick weld, physically obvious with it's inferior Earth-based forging.

"Do you regret it?"

Jazz tilts his helm. "Do I ever regret?"

Ah. Foolish question. Optimus corrects himself. "Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes." Clawed hands lazily slip between armor plating, toying at sensory lines beneath. "That kind of peace 'n quiet is very enticin'."

He can't conceal a wince. "I apologize. I shouldn't have-"

Jazz tweaks a line, making Optimus' vents stutter. "Shush. I wanna be here. The Well's good and all but... a bot gets lonely." His visor flashes, a tweak with his claws making Optimus shudder. "Sides, ya needed me here."

Optimus' spark thrums. "That I do." He shutters his optics. "You were missed."

Jazz chuckles. "Oh, I know that. Now come on. We don't wanna waste the night off Prowler gave us, do we?"

a/n: Oh, there will probably be a continuation of this. I have a secret love of Optimus and Jazz, especially together.

More bits to come!