Chapter 28

Jinx was being cuddled when she onlined the next morning.

At first, all she could think of was how warm, and safe, and good she was feeling. The smell of moondust, of Backlash, filled her olfactory senses. Happily, she pressed further into him. Then she tensed, her optics popping open when it sank in that this was Backlash. His scarred chest, with his scarred arm draped over her and holding her close. Like he was afraid to let her go.

Backlash. Was holding her.

Her spark started freaking out. Backlash was holding her. She didn't even have an arm around him, like she'd cornered him into it. He was holding her of his own free will.

Completely stunned, Jinx slowly tilted her head back to look at him. She could tell by his soft, steady intakes that he was still in recharge. Still, she had to look at his face to be sure. His expression was slack, peaceful. If only she could see past that stupid visor. Jinx stayed still, memorizing every detail of the moment while she thought about the night before.

He was incredible.

Jinx's spark was overjoyed. She could hardly process what she was feeling, and the fact that Backlash was going through the same motions was absolutely amazing. If she wasn't being anchored to the berth, to him, by his arm, she'd be floating right through the ceiling now.

Shuttering her optics, Jinx made a happy peep before nuzzling back into his scarred chest plates, loving the rough texture of him. She relaxed, focusing on slowing her intakes in hopes of slipping back into recharge.

The med bay doors slid open. Feet stomped in. Jinx only partially listened, more interested in enjoying this rare moment, the very first like it, with the mech. At least until she heard his creator's voice, very clearly, say, "I can see those two are feeling much better."

PITS. Jinx's optics snapped open wide for the second time that morning. Her face heated when she read the amusement in the mech's voice. A second voice, Demona's, murmured, "Don't wake them."

"He's out cold."

"She may not be."

Embarrassed out of her processor, Jinx wanted to crawl into Backlash's armor and hide. She held still though, forcing her frame to stay slack to imitate recharge. Jinx listened as they came closer.

"I never thought I'd see the day," Jolt said when they stopped a few paces away, "of all the 'bots that could have reached him, it was her."

They both fell silent, and just when Jinx was beginning to wonder why, Backlash's body tensed with awareness. She felt his fingers flinch against her back before his entire arm tightened around her. Jinx smiled stupidly wide at the feeling. Her spark simply rolled in the attention. She loved it. Backlash went still, then greeted, "Mother, Father."

"Good morning, sweet spark."

The usual 'how are you feeling' and 'tell us about your repairs' discussion took place. Backlash answered each question softly, not once loosening his hold on her. She knew he was doing it on purpose, and couldn't make up her processor to be embarrassed or happy. His creators' held a spunkier note than usual, and Jinx could picture them both with bright optics. She shifted at the image, tucking her arms in against his arm between them like she was just readjusting in her slumber.

"Shes recharging pretty hard."

Backlash responded smoothly, "She was exhausted from their errand." Jinx silently thanked him for not exposing her. She made a note to smother him in hugs and cuddles later, when his creators weren't watching.

"Ratchet took some of the equipment down to have it recalibrated. He won't return for a few hours yet. I'll stop by on the way back to update him on your recovery."

"Thank you." Jinx felt Backlash nod.

"You're welcome. Get some more rest, son."

"Yes, father."

They left. The moment the door shut behind them, Jinx heaved a vent of relief. "Thank you for not telling them I was, uh, awake."

A breath of silence, then, "How long have you been awake?"

"Since they came in." Jinx wiggled her fingers before hooking them into his armor. He tensed slightly, but accepted it without argument. "Which was maybe two minutes before you onlined." She paused, thinking that now it might be a good time to make good on her promise to cuddle him.

"You realize that you don't have to hide your affections around my family, or around the autobots." Backlash said quietly. Jinx noticed how he categorized 'family' and 'autobots' into two different things. Questions filled her processor. She knew that Backlash was a neutral. He didn't have a faction, even though the rest of his family were autobots, and he had clearly allied himself with them. Jinx couldn't help but wonder why. If he was holding the fort down on the moon and looking for any new arrivals or decepticons coming in from space, why would he refuse to claim the faction? Jinx had never taken a badge because she made it a point to be a nuisance to all factions.

"Its just awkward," Jinx said, gently scratching her fingertips over the underside of his scarred armor. She blinked when she felt marks on the back, too. This wound had gone straight through his armor, probably right into his protoform. Possibly his frame. "It doesn't make you...uncomfortable? Not even a little?"

Backlash was thinking. She could tell just by glancing at his face. He was thinking hard, probably trying not to be distracted by what she was doing. She grinned. "No." He said after a moment.

"What! How does it not make you uncomfortable? When your creators walk in on you cuddling someone?" Jinx rubbed at the scarring as if the hurt was still there and she was trying to soothe it.

"They know about things." He summarized, "I see no reason to be uncomfortable, nor to hide our..." He trailed off, thinking again.

"Relationship?" Jinx offered, withdrawing her hands when her attention wasn't getting a big enough reaction from him. She tucked her helm in beneath his chin and traced her fingers down over the scars on his side, where he'd been blown open by Lockdown's grenade. The welds were still fresh, so she was extra careful with it. She smiled softly when she remembered seeing him, the complete relief and hope that had flooded her when he met her optics in the belly of that pit-spawned ship.

"Yes." He shifted slightly, readjusting his arm around her and raising it marginally, offering her more access to the wound. The gesture confused her, but she made use of it, trailing her fingers up. "Relationship." He repeated slowly, tasting the word.

Jinx giggled at the uncertainty in his voice, and wondered if he'd ever even said it before. "Can I ask you something."

"If I say no, you'll ask anyway."

Her giggling turned into a quiet laugh at the familiar comeback. "Why do you distance yourself from the autobots?" She dug back into her memories, sifting through previous conversations she'd had or seen between him and someone else. "Ultra Fragnus said something about your sister being exiled? I don't get why. Shes a really cool femme...once you get past the dentals."

"When I was a sparkling, before we were exiled to the moon, Sundance was a treasured member of the autobot ranks. She was friend to everyone. She was mortally wounded when she sacrificed herself to save a member of our family, and essentially became what the humans call 'brain dead' from catastrophic energon loss. While in recovery, she was captured and taken to Shockwave by a decepticon trine."

Jinx's optics brightened, immediately thinking of her conversation with Sundance only yesterday. A trine of seekers. Beast-formers. Backlash continued, the quiet timbre of his voice filling her head and spark. "and was reprogrammed into believing she was a decepticon, and a part of that trine. Horrible things happened. Obviously, she was able to remember who she was, but not before irreparable damage was done. The humans became afraid of her, and ordered Prime to have her exiled. He had no choice, or thats what they say. My family would not let her be alone, though. We all went to the moon, together, until we were needed badly enough on earth to return again."

Jinx blinked owlishly at him. "Thats...fragged up."

"Extremely." Backlash agreed in an irritated voice.

"You know...she really scared me when she first came down, but now that I think about it, I really can't picture her being a sparkless killer."

"She was for a short time." Backlash paused when she slid her hand down his side to his hip, fingers still mapping the ruins of his armor. "Its wrong to blame her for something that was out of her control. My sister is pure in spark. She and Flashback both love this planet too much to ever do it's inhabitants intentional harm."

Again, Jinx noticed his wording. He said 'she and Flashback', not 'we'. "But you don't?" She asked carefully, hoping she wasn't crossing a line.

"This planet is not my home. The moon is."

"You enjoy the darkness on the moon more than the light here?"

"Once...I dreamed of coming back here, before I realized that I was not made for the 'light'. My place will always be there, not here." A moment of hesitation. Jinx felt tension grow in his body. "and you?"

"And me what." Jinx wiggled around, propping herself on her elbow so she could see him better. He was watching her with a subtle frown on his face.

"Are you of the light or the dark."

Jinx paused. The light or the dark? She mirrored him, the corners of her mouth also turning down. She considered her answer, knowing by his reluctant tone that this question, however strange it was, was very important to him.

Jinx couldn't lie to him. She liked this planet, and all of the life it had to offer. She loved seeing the skies change color, loved seeing the thousands upon thousands of life forms. She had never been able to enjoy a planet like this, having to always hop from one to another to avoid being caught or executed.

Yet, at the same time, she liked the quiet stillness of the moon. She liked the way it wore its age, its surface pocked and marked in craters and crags and rings. Dull and scarred beyond comprehension, ancient and celestial. She liked the way it caught the sun's light in a different manner than everything else, how it danced from shining like stars to staying perfectly hidden.

"I think I might have been made for the light," Jinx said. Backlash's expression gave nothing away, but she somehow knew that her response was having a negative affect on him. So she leaned down over him, raising her other arm up to curve under his own and bring them closer together. "but I love the dark." Her optics shifted over his armor, "I'd rather stay with it." Her gaze lifted back to his.

She smiled when he gently grasped her back plating to hold her. She rested her forehead against his. "You're getting so much better at this touching thing." She chirped, "its nice."

"I don't have much of a choice." He muttered. Jinx laughed again.

"Is it weird?"

"Very."

She snickered, "At least you're trying."

"Its not so bad."

Jinx stared into his visor, wishing she could see his optics. "I'm sorry about what happened to your sister, Backlash. I'm sorry you all had to suffer for it." Then Sundance's story of Lotus came to the front of Jinx's processor. Pain lanced her spark. She shuttered her optics, whispering, "I'm sorry about Lotus, too."

He went rigid. Jinx clenched her jaw, half afraid that he would get up and walk away now. Backlash remained though, recovering in pieces. Slowly, inch by inch, he relaxed again. He said, "Whats done is done. The tragedies we went through turned us into what we are today. Everything that broke us, made us." His voice was a whisper. She wouldn't have heard it if she wasn't so close.

Jinx let it sit for a minute, then decided that now was the perfect time for a cuddle attack.

His only warning was a giant grin before she made her move, slinging her limbs around and tilting her body. Shocked, Backlash rolled to his back just like she wanted him to. Jinx, thrilled that he hadn't pulled one of his super fast 'I'm-Backlash-and-you-can't-catch-me' moves and stopped her, wrapped herself around him and made herself comfortable right on his chest.

She laughed when he bit out, "Seriously?"

"Seriously." She chirped, resting her head on his shoulder. "now be still and let me cuddle you."

"If I must." Still, the tension left his frame. Jinx hummed at him happily in response, watching as she ran her palm up his arm.

"Backlash?"

"Yes?"

"I'm really happy now." She whispered.

"I am too."


Backlash stood, attentive, as the autobot officers discussed the plans of an actual base they wanted to construct on the moon.

He opened and squeezed his new hand every once and a while, testing his control since, after four days, it was still giving him problems. The fits were less frequent and less painful, but they always seemed to catch him at the most inconvenient times. The last had been while Jinx was wedged under it, both arms around him while she 'blew rasberries' at Flashback.

Flashback was on the verge of approaching her, and Backlash was prepared to intervene, calmly, when his arm suddenly clenched around her in a worse fit than usual. Thankfully, the femme hadn't been damaged, but it had frightened her, and she'd made sure to stay on his other side for the rest of the day.

The stray thought had his full attention shifting to her. Glancing briefly at the door, he wondered when this meeting would be over, and just what Jinx had found to keep herself busy during the two and a half hours he'd been locked away in here. Backlash could only imagine the sort of trouble she'd gotten into since he'd left her in the hall this morning.

"...It should have the same dimensions as our base in the arctic, smaller but still highly efficient," Red Alert said, motioning with his hand, "it'll much more sturdier than the decepticon ship."

"Not many things could be sturdier than that ship," Backlash said, forcing himself to focus on what was happening here. "However, an actual, grounded structure would be a good improvement. Perhaps it will be easier to maintain as well, since it'll be designed to sit, and not fly. If there was one error in the ships systems, the entire vessel became problematic."

"An issue thats easily fixed," Ultra Magnus said, "if we agree on an equivalent to our northern base, the majority of the plans will already be drawn. We could begin construction immediately."

"Estimated time of completion?" Prowl murmured.

"Less than a month if we get enough mechs up there, and clearance for the supplies." Red Alert answered.

"Hows Burrower activity?" Optimus spoke up, having been content to listen to the ideas of his officers.

"Inconclusive," Backlash flexed his fist again when he felt the tendon cables flinch in his wrist. "considering that they were what caused the ship's explosion in the first place, and that the moon has been absent of any sort of control, theres really no way to accurately calculate whats waiting for us." His hidden optics stayed on the Prime's, "My family will come for this reason and to help with construction."

"Who else would you suggest?"

"Hotshot, Prowl, Solaris, Warhammer and anyone else whos been adapting their training since the last battle." Backlash said.

" Very well." Prime unfolded his arms. "Our priority now is to get that base finished in a reasonable time. Backlash has agreed to return to the moon and continue to monitor Earth from space. We will begin construction immediately. Backlash, thank you for being so cooperative today."

Backlash inclined his head in acknowledgment.

"We've got a lot of work to do, but it will be a much safer, more secure place for you to stay."

"Agreed." Backlash waited patiently to be dismissed.

Optimus gave them permission to leave after issuing tasks out to everyone. They all filed out, separating to see to their duties. Stepping out into the hall, Backlash paused as he surveyed the space. The base was busy today, mechs and femmes moving back and forth as they went about their day. He imagined it had something to do with all of the conferences that were supposed to take place within the next several hours.

Backlash could already hear the distant rumble of helicopter blades, alerting them that the humans had arrived. His spark turned cold and angry at the thought, and calmly declined his family's offer to include him on those meetings in particular. He had much better things to do than listen to humans argue with Optimus over how much space they were taking up and what supplies they needed for the next month.

Backlash cared very little for humans, and those he didn't classify as selfish pests were already deeply integrated into his family. Which reminded him. Gears would probably have something to say if he didn't visit her while on Earth.

Backlash shuffled the thought away for later, allowing himself to become completely focused on locating a certain yellow femme. It was unusual for her to stray far from safer parameters, which were his family and occasionally Hotshot. He had expected her to be annoying the fire out of Flashback or helping Sundance look after the sparklings.

He reached for both of them through his sibling bond, questioning. 'Shes not here,' both responded. Flashback added, 'thank Primus.'

Backlash started to worry. It wasn't unlike her to get into some sort of trouble with the autobots, even if she was on her best behavior most of the time. She hadn't tried to steal anything the entire time they were here, but most of the autobot ranks still watched her like she had. It wouldn't surprise him if someone had found an excuse to have her locked up in the brig. His spark went dark with anger at the thought. He silenced it.

He was confident that he would have heard by now if thats where she was. He was also confident that those responsible would come to deeply regret it.

To his surprise, Jinx was in the last place he expected to see her.

She was hanging around outside the rec room, talking animatedly with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. Backlash tensed, anticipating a confrontation like the last time the twins approached her. He made his way over, watching the two carefully. Confusion coiled around his spark when he realized that they were grinning. Their postures were loose, welcoming even. Sideswipe conversed with her with the ease of talking to an old friend, gesturing with his hand before placing them both on his hips. Sunstreaker was in the least hostile pose Backlash had ever seen him in, his arms crossed over his chest but not at all closed off.

His caution immediately turned into suspicion. His optics left the mechs to study the femme. She was wearing a similar expression, her yellow optics bright with mischief. Something was definitely happening here. Something that didn't bode well for the rest of them.

Jinx saw him, her gaze sliding toward him. Her optics softened though she responded to Sideswipe's remark. Backlash, mentally bracing himself, went to her side. She automatically looped an arm around his back and leaned into him.

Backlash noted the way how the mechs ignored him. Their only change was a sudden tension in Sunstreaker's shoulders. The mech straightened, becoming more alert and defensive. Backlash looked over them calmly, listening to their words and the patterns of their speech.

"We need to get outta here before Prowl finds us," Sideswipe said abruptly, "but you just let us know when you want to set up an appointment, alright?"

"Sure thing!" Jinx said cheerfully, "it won't be much longer. I'll be coming to see you two before we go back up to the moon."

"Later, femme."

Backlash clenched his fist when the mech winked at her. His spark became steel, demanding to take action. It took every ounce of his self control to not slam the mech face-first into the concrete wall behind him.

Jinx, feeling his anger in his frame, brought her other arm around him to anchor him to her. She nodded at them, and both mechs turned to strut away. Backlash watched them leave, more wary than ever of the pair.

His attention reluctantly went back to her when she squeezed him. Resting her head on his armor, Jinx said, "Would you calm down, mech? You're so tense. Wait." Another squeeze, "Are you...jealous?"

"Concerned," Backlash corrected. "I thought you tried to steer clear of those two."

"You are jealous!" She squealed happily, "I didn't even think you could feel jealousy."

"I was not." Backlash vented quietly, "are you going to tell me whats going on or not."

Her body shook with laughter, "I was just striking a deal with them. You know, trying to win some allies around here?"

"'Striking a deal'." Backlash looked down at her to see her yellow optics staring back up, wide and warm. "Explain."

"Well, I snagged a ton of wax and polish of the highest grade from Lockdown's ship. The kind nobles used to use on Cybertron. Those two turned into my best friends when I showed them. They forgave everything." She hummed thoughtfully, "I'm thinking about changing my coloring. They've got a stockpile of paint in every color. Obsessed, those two."

Backlash blinked. Changing her color? "Why."

"Why not?" He felt her shrug.

Backlash's calm expression broke into one of confusion. She smiled at him when she saw that she'd disrupted his concentration again. He said slowly, "Theres nothing wrong with the coloring you have now."

"I didn't say there was. I change it every once and a while, to keep some of the bounty hunters on my aft guessing."

"You don't have to worry about hiding from them anymore," He said.

"Backlash," She laughed, "the only way I've stayed ahead of them so long is by staying mobile. I've been stuck in one place with you for how long?"

Backlash hesitated, then said, "You are not 'stuck'. You can leave whenever you wish." He tried not to dwell on how the mere thought of her leaving twisted his spark with agony.

Her smile became soft, soothing the hurt, "Mech, I am happily stuck with you. I stay because I want to...but I haven't had a place to stay since I was a sparkling, and now that I do...it won't be long before some of my old, uh, clients decide to pay me a visit."

"And you have no reason to fear them." I won't let them hurt you.

She blinked up at him, optics round and curious. She read him like she could hear his very thoughts, and her smile returned. Her arms tightened around him, "Will you protect me when they do come for me?"

"Yes." He said, leaving no room for doubt. He held her gaze, "Not one of them will touch you again."

She leaned into him, tucking her head in against his chest armor. Backlash fell silent, quietly enjoying it. He was slowly getting used to this, to allowing himself to be unguarded around her. Ever since they'd talked about staying together, she'd made it her mission to keep her arms around him. He was okay with that. She was still awkward in front of his family, and Backlash wondered sometimes if it was because she was scared of what they thought about her.

"So," She spoke up, "I was thinking maybe pink or orange."

"Your coloring?"

"Yep."

Backlash tried to imagine her a different color. She kept talking, resting her cheek against his chest, "Or a combination of the two. I really like purple...I thought about red, but theres a lot of that around here. I'd blend in with everyone if I did that."

"I thought you wanted to change your coloring to stay hidden." He dead-panned, raising his optic ridges at her from behind the visor.

She rolled her optics up in innocent thought, "Well...yeah, but it doesn't mean I can't be a little flashy."

"You already are a 'little' flashy."

She blinked at him, then shifted so that she was standing in front of him. Raising up on her toe plates, she lifted a hand to his face. Her optic ridges scrunched, like she was in deep thought. Backlash rested his hand against her back, noting the way she started to lean into the touch. "You don't want me to change my coloring, do you?" She asked, optics brightening.

"I like your coloring the way it is," He admitted slowly, uncertain. Backlash really couldn't imagine her looking any different than what she did right now. This was the way she had come into his life, and he hoped this was the way she'd stay. His spark did something odd in his chest when she beamed at him. Her optics became soft and warm, lighting up. He knew then that he was on the right track, as awkward and new to everything as he was. He just wasn't sure how much farther he should venture on unfamiliar ground before he messed up and said something wrong.

"You like the way I look?" She asked.

"Yes."

Her optics were wide and innocent, questioning. "Do you think I'm pretty?"

Now how in the pit was he supposed to respond to that. Backlash's processor stuttered over the question, not able to comprehend it. At the same time, he knew that if he didn't say something soon, he'd be in serious trouble. He'd seen enough awkward moments between his creators to know better than to make a femme wait when it came to something like this. He needed to act, now, before she took it the wrong way.

Seeking some sort of inspiration, a solution, he found himself looking at her more carefully. He'd never allowed himself to be attracted to anyone before. He never even bother looking. Backlash hadn't considered the prospect of 'settling' with someone until now.

Her optics were soft. For a moment, he wished that the visor wasn't in the way so he could truly see them. The full effect of their color and their warmth, without being subdued by the red tent of the visor. He stared into them, and felt himself relax as his spark uncoiled. Her gaze washed over him, soothing like water over a burn. Without thought, his attention shifted to the scar on her face, one of the many that had come close to taking her life. His free hand came up of its own will, fingers smoothing over the almost invisible mark.

She tensed like the first time he'd done this. Uncertainty started to show in her optics, and it hurt. So Backlash said it, and it had to be one of the most awkward, honest things he'd ever spoken outloud. To anyone.

"You are not merely 'pretty'. You cannot be summarized into one simple, horribly inadequate word. You are a thousand things more, and there is no one word to contain all of what you are. You are so far beyond 'pretty'."

And he knew, the moment her optics changed when she understood what he was saying, that it was true. Her gaze filled with different emotions, many he couldn't register. Her arms loosened around him, but her fingers hooked into his back armor. She laid her head against him, completely silent. Backlash held her in the same manner, letting the quiet last.

Then, when she shifted against him, he asked, "Are you still changing your colors?"

Jinx laughed, shaking her head. She pressed her faceplates into him, "No, mech."

"Good."


So. Much. Fluff. -Rolls in fluffiness- And SQUEE. Backlash is happy X3 And awkward as hell. X'D

Alright! XD The last 'official' chapter of the series. I'd like to write an epilogue to really top this story off, so we got one more update (two once I get a 'sneak peek' of the next stories together), and then this one will be completely done.

Guys, thank you so much for sticking with me for another installment in the series! It really makes me feel good to know that a lot of you have been with me for a long, long time, and you just have no idea how much of an influence/inspiration you all are!

Much love!

Jinx, Backlash and his family and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.
If it did, I'd be rolling in dough right now. -rolls away-