Author's Note: Ah what the heck, I'll update this story too. Oh, and there is one swear word in here, just a head's up.

Chap. 14: It's Such A Pity

Astrid waited as the time slowly went by. As the moment for her to leave drew closer, she began to feel sick and nervous. Chills ran through her body and she got a bad feeling in her gut. Taking a few deep breaths managed to calm her though and get rid of some of the sickening feelings. Finally, the time for her to leave came and Astrid disappeared through a dimension gate.

She stood on the surface of the moon unable to see any of the autobots or decepticons. They had really hid themselves well; it was almost like they weren't there. Astrid hoped that they really were there, and not somewhere else. She lifted her head and looked around confidently. Astrid was ready.

A laugh sounded from behind her and she turned to face Starscream. He approached her, just as confident as she was. "Ah there you are my dear Astrid," he stated, "So nice of you to show."

"Just give me back my family and we'll end this right now,"

"End? I thought you and I were only beginning," he sneered wrapping his arms around her waist, "You came alone didn't you?"

"As you requested," she lied.

"You know Astrid, this whole universe could be ours. If you leave Megatron and come to me he'll be too heartbroken to put up a proper fight,"

"Somehow I doubt that," she thought then stated, "You really think so?"

"I know so, he was too heartbroken to fight the autobots when I killed his first mate," he remarked, "I've given you plenty of opportunities to join me and rule beside me. It's such a pity I was forced to drag your family into this whole matter when all you had to do was say yes."

"Who knew you would come here prepared with an entire speech," she said sarcastically.

Starscream glowered at her and then decided to ignore the comment, "This is the last time I'll ask this to you Astrid, join me as my queen or you and your family dies."

Astrid looked down knowing she had to say yes in order to save her family, and herself. She just felt like she was betraying Megatron, even though she was only acting. Starscream grew impatient and growled, "Make your choice."

Astrid looked at him and then stated, "Alright, you win. I'm yours, now let my family go."

Starscream grinned wickedly, "I want proof that you've really given into me."

She swallowed hard; this wasn't supposed to happen. "What kind of proof?" she asked hoping that he wouldn't say anything that involved a bed.

"Tell me you love me and mean it,"

Sighing heavily she prayed Megatron wouldn't hate her for doing this. "As you wish, sir," she said pulling him into a deep passionate kiss.

Megatron and Optimus were together hidden behind a giant wall of rock. They watched as the kiss started to drag on. The decepticon leader balled his fists, "He's going to pay for making her do that."

"Megatron, you need to calm down. She's only acting remember?"

"Well what if that was your girlfriend up there that you loved more than life exchanging saliva with a traitor?"

"You've got a point there, let's just hope the kiss ends soon so we can get her parents, kill Starscream, and get out of here,"

"Leave Starscream's death to me,"

"As you wish,"

Starscream and Astrid broke away at the same time looking in each other's optics. Without missing a beat Astrid breathed passionately, "I love you Starscream." She wanted to rip her tongue out for saying that.

The traitor grinned and said, "I believe you." Suddenly a purple sphere formed in his hand and through it Astrid could see her family. He handed the sphere to her reassuring her that they could breathe. "Take this," he said, "And let them go."

Astrid took the purple sphere and opened a dimension gate to her house, "Starscream, I'll be right back I promise, if I don't come back within five minutes you can do anything you want to me."

Starscream smirked, "In that case, take your time."

Astrid stepped through the dimension gate and ended up near the ravine. She broke open the sphere and gently set her family on the ground.

"Astrid sweetie, what's going on? Is that monster after you?" asked her worried mother.

"Yes, but that's all I can tell you for now, I got to get back. I promise I'll explain what's going on to you later," she answered opening another dimension gate and disappearing through it. The femme ended up back on the moon with Starscream.

Starscream rewrapped his arms around her waist and whispered into her audio receptor, "Shall we head back to our ship?"

Astrid was ready to throw up. Now was the time the autobots and decepticons were supposed to show themselves, but they hadn't. What was going on? The plan was they were supposed to come out once her family was safe. Her family was safe, but where were they?

Megatron glanced over at Optimus, "Let's go, before Astrid starts to panic."

Optimus took out his gun, "Right."

The two jumped out from behind the rock wall and the rest of the autobots and decepticons emerged from their hiding places with their weapons drawn as well. Astrid smirked at Starscream's surprised reaction and stated, "You must feel like a total ass right about now."

Starscream grabbed her by the throat, "No! How could you? This was a trap from the start!"

Megatron stepped forward, "Once again Starscream you let your lustful ways get in the way of common sense, and look what happens…you're under arrest for betraying the decepticons, kidnapping not only Astrid but me as well, attempted rape, sexual harassment, and murder."

"Murder? Who did he kill?" asked a curious Thundercracker.

Thundercracker's question was left floating in space when Starscream forced Astrid into a headlock, "Try and arrest me and your mate suffers the consequences."

"Let her go Starscream," Megatron snarled taking a step towards him.

Starscream put his sword to Astrid's throat, "Never. Now that I have her you're not getting her back." Suddenly he opened a dimension gate and stepped through it with Astrid.

Megatron tried to get into the dimension gate before it disappeared, but right when he got to it the gate vanished. "No," he whispered trying not to collapse to his knees, "Not again."

Optimus came up from behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Pull yourself together, this battle isn't over yet. We're going after him."

The decepticon leader turned to face Optimus, "Just you and I?"

"No," he answered turning back to his troops, "Leobreaker, Wing-Saber, Scattershot, Hotshot, and Red Alert, you're coming with us."

"Scourge, Thundercracker, you're coming too," Megatron ordered opening a dimension gate for the command center of the Atlantis.

The nine of them went through the dimension gate and into the Atlantis's command center. Only Sideways was there and he stood up from his chair shocked to see them. Megatron sneered, "Well if it isn't another traitor. I'll spare you if you tell me where Starscream and Astrid are."

Not liking how his life was being bargained Sideways replied, "He took her to the south section of the ship. That's all I know."

Megatron grumbled, "Thundercracker, stay here and make sure this traitor doesn't go anywhere."

"Yes sir," Thundercracker responded aiming his gun at Sideways's head.

Satisfied, the other eight bots left the room. Optimus then suggested, "Perhaps it would be better if we split up into groups."

"As long as we hurry up and find her," Megatron stated.

"Right. Leobreaker, Wing-Saber, Scourge, you're a group, search down this hallway here. Cybertron Defense Team, you go that way, and Megatron and I will continue on ahead,"

The troops all nodded and ran off. Optimus looked at Megatron, "Let's go."

Megatron continued straight on ahead with the autobot leader.

Starscream dragged Astrid kicking and screaming into a hidden room and restrained her to a wall. He then went to the door, locked it, and turned back to Astrid. He wasn't the least bit happy as he remarked, "You will pay for all that you have done to me."

"If anyone should be paying for anything, it's you Starscream. Don't try to make yourself look like the innocent one here,"

He walked up to her and stopped with his body inches away from hers. Looking her up and down he whispered lustfully, "You really are beautiful. It's a shame your mind has been poisoned by Megatron. But it doesn't matter now, I have you, and I'm not letting you go."

"Megatron will rescue me like he did before,"

"Or he'll die trying like he did before," Starscream smirked, "You're in for a beating Astrid."

"Don't touch me," she hissed.

Starscream ignored her and proceeded to place his hands on her sides and slowly started working them downwards. "If you make any sort of noise, I'll beat you."

"No," she whimpered, "Don't do this."

His fist made contact with the side of her face, "What did I tell you?"

Astrid was afraid to answer and Starscream smiled piercing her side with his sword and running it down one of her vermilion highlights. She gasped in pain and Starscream punched her in the side of the face again. She felt her jaw crack painfully and failed to suppress a whimper. Starscream then removed his sword from her side and traced over the rest of her highlights leaving oil dripping from them.

When her highlights were nothing but bleeding slits, Starscream clasped her broken jaw in his hand. Astrid cried out involuntarily and the traitor sunk his sword into her breastplate and began to carve out her spark. He snickered evilly before saying, "I'm going to kill you Astrid. If I can't have your love, no one can. I will take your spark and keep it forever."

At that moment rape sounded a whole lot better than death.

Both Megatron and Optimus had heard Astrid cry out and they knew they were getting close. But just as they rounded the corner, they hit a dead end. Megatron was in disbelief. "What the bloody hell?" he exclaimed.

"We'll have to go back," Optimus remarked.

"But it sounded like she was right in front of us when she cried out," Megatron explained walking over to the dead end wall. Frustrated he punched it. Suddenly a set of hidden doors opened.

"Well," Optimus stated surprised, "It looks like your blind fury paid off for once."

Megatron ignored him and rushed into the room. He had to suppress the urge to double over and vomit at what he saw. Astrid's energon and mech fluids covered the floor. Starscream noticed Megatron had entered and withdrew his sword from Astrid's chest. He turned to the decepticon leader with his gun pointed, "So nice of you to join us, sir."

Megatron noticed energon on Starscream's lips and then glanced over at Astrid seeing energon leaking from her mouth. Infuriated, the decepticon leader grabbed Starscream by the neck and squeezed as hard as he could. "I'll kill you for all the pain you've caused her. Primus slag it, I'll kill you," he cursed livid and glowing with anger.

Optimus saw that Starscream was screwed and made his way over to help Astrid. He ignored the blood curdling cries Starscream ushered as he was beaten and quickly freed the femme from the restraints. Astrid was able to walk on her own. Her rage towards Starscream allowed her to do so. She noticed Megatron had snapped off Starscream's sword and it was now lying at her feet.

Picking it up she made her way over to Starscream who now lay on the floor, an unrecognizable mess of energon, mech fluid, and metal. He was still alive and breathed, "You may kill me, but I swear I'll be back, and I'll kill you both."

"Ah screw it you son of a gltich," Astrid swore before plunging the sword deep within Starscream's spark chamber.

The traitor was no more.

Using the last of her strength, Astrid withdrew the sword and cast it aside. Suddenly she began to collapse, but Megatron caught her and lifted her in his arms. Astrid looked up at him and smiled. Looking down at her he smiled as well and she exclaimed, "Thank Primus he's finally gone."

"You did great," he whispered.

"I told you I was an awesome actress," she breathed before losing consciousness.

"Astrid?" Megatron asked concerned, "Astrid!"

She didn't wake up. Alarmed, Megatron turned to Optimus, "Let's go find that medic of yours stat."

"Take her to the autobot base, I'll call Red Alert and have him come there while I round up everybody else,"

"Alright, tell him to hurry," Megatron said opening a dimension gate to the autobot med bay and stepping through.

As soon as the dimension gate closed, Optimus called Red Alert and sent him back to the med bay. He then called everyone else back and went to go get Thundercracker and Sideways. When he got to the command center of the Atlantis he was surprised to see Thundercracker had restrained Sideways to a wall and was watching tv.

"Thundercracker, what are you doing?"

"Oh howdy Optimus, did you kill Starscream?"

"I didn't, but Megatron did. C'mon, we're heading back to the base now,"

"Well, what about Sideways?"

"I'll escort him to the prison as soon as we get back, now c'mon, let's go,"

Without further delay, Optimus, Thundercracker, and the imprisoned Sideways returned to the autobot base. As soon as he had locked Sideways in one of the prison cells, he went down to the med bay. Megatron was there waiting outside.

"Is she going to be alright?" the autobot leader asked.

"I don't know, all Red Alert told me was that she was really bad and that he had to get to work quickly if she was going…to live," Megatron answered trying not to choke.

"She's strong, she'll pull through," Optimus said trying to reassure him.

Megatron squeezed his optics shut hating to look weak in front of his nemesis but he couldn't help it, "I can't lose her Prime. This is exactly why I didn't want her to go through with this."

"Astrid knows you don't want her to leave you, and she's not going to go anywhere. She's going to be alright,"

Megatron sighed, "You're right. I'll be back in a while. I'm going to go tell her family what's going on around here."

Optimus nodded, "Good luck."

Megatron opened a dimension gate and disappeared through it. As usual, he ended up at the ravine. He shrunk down to his human size and then made his way up to the house and stood in front of the front door. Swallowing hard he knocked.

Damien was the one who answered the door and nearly jumped out of his skin, "Megatron?! What are you doing here?"

"I've come to fill you in about what's going on," he explained.

Damien allowed him to come inside and offered him a seat in the living room where Astrid's parents were. The two were just as surprised to see him and Astrid's mother exclaimed, "I thought you were a lot taller than that."

"I am, I've only temporarily shrunken myself so I can fit inside this home,"

Astrid's father shot him a glare; "You better not have hurt my baby girl, now."

"I could never do something like that, now first things first, Astrid's probably going to want to know if you're alright when I get back,"

"We're all fine," said her mother, "What about her though? Where is she?"

"She's back on Cybertron being repaired," he exclaimed, "She'll be alright though."

"What happened to her?" Astrid's father asked still not letting up on the glare.

"Starscream beat her up really bad, but we have the best medic on Cybertron attending to her injuries,"

"Just what's up with this Starscream guy anyway?" Damien questioned.

"He was my former second in command, until he betrayed me not too long ago. Ever since I brought Astrid to my side and turned her into a transformer he's always had his eye on her. Starscream always stalked her and sexually harassed her and no matter how many times I beat him for it, he didn't learn his lesson," Megatron explained, "So finally he had enough and betrayed me, kidnapped her, and tried to force her into joining him. I managed to rescue her before he did anything and that's when we confessed our feeling to each other. For along time though, he didn't show again, but when he finally did he kidnapped her again, and me along with her."

"Well don't stop there," Damien remarked, "Keep going."

Catching his breath Megatron continued you, "Starscream locked us in a jail cell but we were able to escape it. Starscream caught us though in a dead end and killed me, somehow Astrid was able to escape and go to the autobots for help. They exhumed my body from the ship and were able to somehow resurrect me. Then Starscream kidnapped you guys and so Astrid pretended to surrender herself to him so she could rescue you. Starscream then took her hostage when she got back and beat her up quite severely. I killed him though, and he won't be a threat anymore."

Astrid's father slammed his fist down on the arm of the chair he was sitting in, "I wish you saved a piece of his hide for me."

"Well just as long as he didn't rob our daughter of her virginity," Astrid's mother spoke up then paused, "Our daughter is still a virgin right?"

Megatron knew he was as good as dead when he said, "No."

Damien punched Megatron in the arm, only hurting himself before remarking, "Curse your stupid metal body. You slept with my cousin didn't you?"

"With her permission," he quickly stated.

Her father shot a death glare at the decepticon leader, "You're lucky you saved my baby girl's life so many times or else you be a pile of broken parts right now."

"Dear, calm down, Astrid wasn't going to remain a virgin forever. Now Megatron, what do you say you take us to see her?" asked her mother.

"I don't think I have a choice in the matter," he exclaimed.

"That's right you don't," said her father standing up, "Let's go."

Megatron stood and opened a dimension gate, "Follow me."

Damien and Astrid's parents all followed Megatron through the dimension gate and into the autobot base. He returned to his normal size and led them to the med bay where Red Alert was still working on Astrid's repairs. Optimus hadn't left the med bay the entire time Megatron was gone and noticed the three humans.

"So, did you force them to come here or did they willingly come?" asked the autobot leader.

"I was the one who was forced," Megatron explained, "Any word from Red Alert?"

"None, but stop worrying, she's going to be fine," Optimus stated trying to keep Megatron calm and then introduced himself to the family.

They all waited there the rest of the day and most of the night. Finally at about three o'clock in the morning Red Alert emerged yawning. Megatron asked immediately, "How is she?"

"She's going to live, but she's asleep right now. I'm not quite sure when it'll be when she wakes up, her systems are still banged up pretty good. Whenever she does wake up though, she'll be awfully sore," Red Alert told.

"Can I see her?" the decepticon leader asked.

"I think it'd be best if you got some sleep,"

Megatron shook his head, "No, not until I know she's alright. Optimus, could you show the humans to rooms where they can sleep?"

Optimus yawned and nodded. He walked away with the three humans who were so tired they could barely walk. Red Alert then walked away too to get some rest. Megatron went inside the med bay and over to his love's bedside. He pulled up a chair and sat there and took her hand in his. Her hand was warm and he held it against his cheek.

Megatron then used his free hand to gently stroke her face. With tears in his optics he whispered, "I'm so sorry Astrid, don't leave me…please don't leave me."

Tears gently fell from his optics onto the bed.

Author's Note: Holy mother that was a looong chapter. Please be so kind as to review, this chapter was a lot of work. I tried to make it as long as I could since I probably won't be able to update again this week or weekend. Hey CodeRed73, I must thank you for that part where Megatron says: "Once again Starscream you let your lustful ways get in the way of common sense, and look what happens…" I kind of copied that line from one of your reviews.