Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. It doesn't seem that long ago that I started this story but I am enjoying writing it. If any of you like Christian writings and essays I have a new blog. You can access it on . I only ask that if you read it please leave a review. I write one to two posts a week. They are the essay form of my food pantry sermons.
I am still trying to tie loose ends in this story but it may take a while because of the complicated relationship between Optimus and Megatron. It wasn't supposed to be about them but then so many of the stories do revolve around their inability to resolve their problems (mostly stubbornness on both parts). I am trying to wind this story up but I still don't know how many more chapters. It will not be like United! I don't want another long drawn out story when I have other projects in mind.
If this is your first time reading my story, then please leave a review. I dearly love to read them. Enjoy!
Chromia woke up. She felt warmth beneath her chassis as she discovered that she had fallen into recharge still sitting in Shockwave's lap. He had laid them both down with her on top so as not to crush her. Her hand that was lying over his spark between their bodies instantly curled in remembered warmth and passion and her processor felt sluggish and confused that she would find pleasure and joy from the bond that they had created between the two of them. He slowly shifted her upper weight on her other arm so that she could pull up to loom over him. Chromia looked at his heavily scarred face with sadness. It hurt that she could still feel his pain from the betrayal that he had gone through while he had been a senator. She couldn't stop the coolant that collected in her optics as she slowly shifted until she was straddling him on top. She touched one of many scars and saw his optics come online.
"You shouldn't pity me." He said softly. He knew the pain. He lived with it daily.
"How could they? We trusted them to make our laws and keep our world civil and this is their justice?" She whispered. Her optics reflected the pain that he kept buried deep inside, but now that she knew there would be no way to keep it secret.
"It is a different world now." Shockwave told her softly. His arm reached up to cradle her helm. "Come back to berth. It's still early yet and Ratchet is covering the early tests results from our latest experiment."
"You just brush it aside." She commented sadly as if she didn't hear his soft command.
"It was a long time ago and Starscream made sure that they died." Shockwave replied to her pain filled comment as he gently nudged her to lie back down.
Chromia looked at him for the longest moment before expelling air from her vents and doing his bid. She laid her audial over his spark listening to comforting pulse of it as she blinked her optic off.
"I think I am in shock." She finally whispered.
"I would not be surprised. You went back on your word and bonded with me." Chromia turned on her optics and looked up at Shockwave since she was tucked under his chin. "You said you would never bond with me." He stated ruefully with a gentle smile on his ravaged face. "I, for one, am very grateful that you changed your mind. I remember you as a sparkling who sat in my dear friend's arms that day on the senate steps. I remember feeling ashamed that my spark could react in such a violent way towards a cheeky little sparkling that kept peeking at me over her sire's shoulders." Chromia laughed as a tear slipped silently down her face only to have Shockwave brush it away with such tenderness that Chromia's air vents hitched in shock and surprise. "I never forgot you and I grieved deeply when your sire and carrier were killed in that construction accident."
"Then why?" Chromia asked.
"That I tried at every turn to kill you? That I chose to become a Decepticon knowing that you were with Ratchet and already fighting for the Autobot cause?" Shockwave looked at her before turning his helm back to its natural position to look at the ceiling. "I hated what they did to me, Mia. I hated them with a passion that would have snuffed your spark if we had been together." He stopped to reflect more on his past. "Do you know that I approached Ratchet once to ask if I could court you?" He looked back down at her as he saw her surprise. "Ratchet said no of course. He thought you were too young and war was already being whispered among the unsettled citizens. Then you saw what was happening to my friends and colleagues. That came just after I approached Ratchet."
"Does he…" Chromia started to ask but Shockwave cut her off.
"He suspects."
"Oh."
Chromia listened silently to his spark pulse marveling at how in sync so quickly that she and his had become. It would not take many merges to seal the bond. Even she could tell by how strong their feelings were for each other in the bond. It scared her terrible but then Shockwave knew that. It was why he had been so patient with her. Everything she had known was lost and now she had to accept this strange new world where Megatron and Optimus took prominence.
"Will you tell him?" Chromia asked a long while later when Shockwave was almost in recharge and had to blink his optics and fight against the dazed lulled lethargic feeling.
"I haven't thought about it." He finally answered thinking about why she would ask.
"He would want to know. He loved you." Chromia finally said in a tired voice before falling into recharge.
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Arcee sat in the rec room. Soundwave was pouring his cube and getting her medical grade one for her and the sparkling. She smiled as she felt the little flutters of her son just beneath the protoform 'flesh' under her abdominal armor. She gently rubbed soothing circles to let him know she was aware of him as she smiled indulgently toward Soundwave as he headed back to their table.
"He's kicking?" Soundwave gently asked. He never let his real voice get above a whisper when in the open and hardly anyone heard his regular speech except Arcee. He was always careful to not let the mystery that made him so feared be demolished.
"Just flutters. He is still too small yet for any painful ones." Arcee said smiling as Soundwave handed her energon to her. The doors to the rec room opened and Optimus and Megatron walked in together. They headed for the communications officer before Megatron pulling a chair out to let Optimus sit before walking over to retrieve their morning rations.
"Good morning Arcee." Optimus said. He seemed better than yesterday and Soundwave watched both stubborn mechs as they interacted with Arcee.
"Good morning. Soundwave informed me about yesterday. I am sorry Optimus." Arcee said contritely. She knew how much Optimus tried to save lives and how much pain it caused him when he felt he failed.
"Thank you Arcee. Soundwave told you that they wouldn't listen." He said as Megatron handed him his energon listening attentively to their conversation.
"He did. You shouldn't blame yourself for their stupidity. They chose not to engage communications. They also chose to fire Fowler who would have advised them in the futility of their actions. There was nothing that you could do. Optimus I know that if they had come with the intentions of harming anyone you would have fired on them as well."
Optimus looked at her. He suddenly saw Arcee in a different light. She was not only defending herself but that of her unborn sparkling. Soundwave may have tried to help stop the actions of yesterday, but he would have not allowed anything to harm Arcee or their sparkling. If he had sired would he feel that way? If he was carrying he would want the sire of his sparkling to protect him.
Optimus looked at Megatron and he realized that he did see his bondmate differently. It took hearing Arcee say that she would gladly back Soundwave if he had to fire on the humans to make him realize that yesterday was not only about power but about protecting something very rare and valuable to all of them –their future.
"I am sad that so many had to lose their lives, but now I see that we must protect our future generations from harm." Optimus stated softly before hearing an explosive exhalation come from Megatron.
"Finally! You see what I have been arguing about since yesterday." Megatron exclaimed and everyone winced at the heat from his words.
"I know. I haven't been the most reasonable…" Optimus started to say as Megatron raised his brow plate condescendingly towards him.
"Lord Megatron, it hasn't been easy for either of you. Optimus has come to respect some of the officers of their government and he was only concerned about our relationship with the humans." Arcee tried to explain waving her hands in agitation.
"Whether I am right or wrong I will not allow them to harm any of the carriers here at Darkmount. They will understand this or I will annihilate them. Everyone rolled their optics except Soundwave before sighing with the realization that this was Megatron's way of ending the discussion.
They looked to see the doors open again and Shockwave standing waiting to be let in. What shocked them was that Chromia was standing next to him holding the Cyclops's hand waiting nervously with him. No one said a word as he gently ushered her in to take a seat next to Arcee who looked about ready to burst into tears.
Arcee tried to say something but only spit out static. Optimus smiled very gently as he took in Chromia's appearance. She looked healthy though she could use a coat of wax, but she looked taken care of and Optimus could not argue with that.
"Hello Chromia." He said softly to her. "Welcome to Darkmount." Megatron smiled at his mate. The movement caught Chromia's attention and she suddenly tensed as Shockwave placed his hand on her back in support.
"Good morning femme. I see that you have come to your senses." Megatron said causing everyone else to mock growl at his abrupt approach.
"I have always had my senses. It's you who can't take rejection." She said smoothly wiping the smile off Megatron's face. Shockwave tensed as he pulled her closer towards him even though he was standing behind the chair that she was sitting. Optimus crept closer to Megatron to stop him should he make a sudden move.
"Mia!" Shockwave snarled softly.
"Shockwave!" She returned glaring up at her mate. Evan with his mask over his face she could see his expression because of the feelings through the bond. Megatron smirked seeing that the femme had been tempered by the bond that had been established between the couple.
"Leave her be, Shockwave. You have done well." Megatron said. He and the femme may never get along. Too much had happened through the war, but at least Shockwave would obtain one of the few things he had wanted for many years and Megatron was happy for his loyal soldier.
Chromia glared fiercely at Megatron and then gasped when he chose to sit on the other side of her across from Arcee.
"Get used to it, Mia." Arcee said before reaching over and hugging her. Chromia instantly wrapped her arms around her sister feeling the blatant bulge beneath her armor.
"How did you get to keep your own armor?" Chromia asked as she pulled back from the hug. Arcee smirked before looking at Soundwave a moment.
"I had to earn it back." Arcee said as she turned back to look directly at Chromia. "Megatron gave it back to me." Chromia scowled at that and Soundwave laughed shocking everyone at the table which made Optimus laugh in turn.
"What? I have heard Soundwave laugh before." He said to Megatron who smiled a rare smile at Optimus that left everyone gaping. If Chromia hadn't seen the look of love pass over Megatron's face for a tiny brief moment she wouldn't have believed that the tyrant could even laugh.
Suddenly everything that was wound tight in her chassis became a little looser and Chromia looked at Shockwave. Maybe she could do this with her mate's help. At least there wouldn't be any more war, any more death.
This is short but I wanted to post and tell my readers that I will not have internet for a while. My husband and I are downsizing and we are evaluating all internet options to see which one is the best for us. I will try to post when I can. Please leave a review and tell me what you think. Thanks!