ANNNND WE'VE MADE IT!

Thank you guys so much. Like literally. This was my first longfic since I essentially stopped writing for transformers about a year ago. I've slowly entered back into the fandom and I had a blast writing this. I was honestly scared at first mainly bc I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get Prime's mannerism's down correctly, and even now I'm not sure how well I did. All I can say is that I had a blast writing this and I hope ya'll had fun reading it. I can't thank you guys enough for the support and the reviews - they mean so much to me and rlly helped me keep writing. I'm hoping to take some time and go back and fix grammar/spelling mistakes. No big changes, just little stuff.

Anywho, onto the end!

Some pros and cons of us saving the world:

Pros: We got a castle.

N.E.S.T was still rogue, but able to now operate with the full support of the United States. And they'd relocated to, you guessed it, a castle.

Holy shit I own a castle.

Cons: well….I shouldn't even have to list them.

"Can I watch TV before bed?" Izzy asked, clad in her pajamas. Sqweeks chirped, looking just as eager. "I want to see what the news is saying about us now."

"It's probably not good."

"It is hardly ever flattering," Optimus stood, arms crossed. It was nice, having a home big enough to where he rarely had to use his holoform. "And the reports are hardly ever accurate."

"It'll die down soon. I mean, c'mon, Cybertron is…there now. Just, you know, doing it's thing."

"You didn't answer my question," Izzy frowned. "Please?"

"For an hour," I said.

Izzy thanked me, leaping up the stairs with Sqweeks in tow. I watched her go, still lounging on the couch with my notebook in hand. It had been a month and I was still sore. Still sluggish and popping pain pills once a day.

"I need to vacuum for when Cade, Viviane and Tessa come," I murmured. "And Tessa's new boyfriend. Or friend. She won't tell me what they are."

"She says its 'complicated,'" Cogman entered the living room with a tea set. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, madame."

"Cogman. You don't have to call me madame. You can call me dude. Bro. Bad Bitch. Anything."

"Oh thank Primus," Cogman began preparing the tea. He glanced up at Optimus, who stared with a disapproving look on his face plates. "I don't mean to disrespect your mate, Optimus, I just…while you were absent she, uh…"

"I pissed him off," I explained.

"Her eccentrics caught me by surprise," Cogman softened the blow. "My offer to plan your wedding still stands, however. I already have someone to prepare the meal, if needed."

"Drift?"

"Drift," Cogman nodded. "And the DJ? Bumblebee. And this is all free."

Optimus and I exchanged knowing looks, before Optimus said slowly, "I will have to…think about it. We have not made any formal plans for marriage, however I doubt such a thing is very far off."

Cogman seemed happy with the response. I didn't even remember requesting tea, but I drank it anyway. After I finished, I headed upstairs, checking on Izzy. I peeked into her room and saw her asleep, television off, with Sqweeks recharging in the corner. Elated and praying that she wouldn't suffer another nightmare, I headed towards my room.

I immediately opened the balcony doors, glancing over at the telescope. I'd used it to peer at Cybertron's damaged surface, wondering just how Cybertronians planned to rebuild their home world. If it ever happened. It seemed like the Autobots already on Earth were sticking around, and I wasn't complaining.

Optimus had told me about Unicron. I was the only one who knew. I had no clue if Quintessa had been fucking around, using the claim to mess with Prime's head. The idea seemed almost outlandish to me, but then I'd remembered Burton's words.

There is a reason as to why they keep coming here.

Earth was a giant magnet. A lure. Or maybe it wasn't Earth at all. Maybe Earth was just a disguise.

"You are deep in thought," Optimus' holoform kissed my neck from behind. The hairs on his bare, muscular chest tickled my skin, stubble firm against my throat as he planted kisses right beneath my ear. "Is Izabella asleep?"

"Yeah. Sqweeks to. He'll wake up if she has a nightmare, and come get us."

"Let's hope she sleeps soundly," Optimus sighed as I turned ton face him, tilting my chin and resting up against Optimus' chest. He held me, stroking my hair and kissing the top of my head. When he pulled away there was a suggestive look on his handsome face. His fingers skimmed at the exposed sliver of flesh above my hip. His next kisses landed on my mouth and I chuckled as he said, "Oh, how I have missed this…"

I lifted my arms, prompting Optimus to quickly peel off my shirt. He looked me up and down, letting out a deep breath before cupping my face and murmuring, "You are magnificent. You always have been," then, softer, "I do no deserve it…I do not deserve you, not after what I did…"

He was crying. Liquid leaked from his holoforms eyes, and he sagged against me as he rested on the bed. This was the first time I'd ever seen him she'd a tear. I could feel it through our bond as he let it all out, weeping for his fallen comrades, for his planet, for me.

"Hey," I used the pad of my thumb to wipe away one of his tears. "He forgave you. He said it. He knew that you were under control, and he knew that you were trying to break free."

Crosshairs would have a proper burial on Cybertron. There was a little cross set up in the courtyard, next to Burton's grave.

"You have nothing to apologize for. No sacrifice, no victory." Even as I spoke, I knew that my words would ring hollow for a long, long time. Crosshairs was dead, and it hurt. For both of us. The fact that he'd been slain by Prime's own blade made it even worse.

"I love you, dearspark," Optimus whispered against my mouth. He kissed me, once, twice, intertwining his hand with mine. "And Primus, I have missed you."

"No more deep space missions, okay?" I smiled, resting my forehead against his. "Not unless I can come with you. It would be better that way — I'd keep you out of trouble."

"Me? A troublemaker?" Optimus grinned. "That is an outlandish claim."

"You may be strong, tough, smart. Handsome. But make no mistake, Optimus Prime, you are trouble."

"Tessa…your boyfriend is uh…tall?"

I wish I'd brought a camera. Cade's mouth was hanging open and Viviane and Izzy both were trying their hardest not to burst out laughing. It was like something out of a movie, and even Optimus seemed a bit surprised, though he, always the leader, got right down to business.

"Hot Rod, welcome," Optimus extended his hand, and Hot Rod shook it. "It brings me great joy to see another Autobot unharmed and well."

"Ah, Optimus! A pleasure," the red and black mech eagerly shook Prime's hand, speaking in a thick French accent. Tessa was grinning from ear to ear, darting forward to embrace her father before moving onto me.

We held each other for a long moment. I felt like I was dreaming, almost. Like everything was to good to be true.

"You look good," Tessa said. "Happy."

"I am," I glanced up at Optimus, then over at Izzy, who smiled sheepishly. "It's good to see you. Is, uh, Hot Rod really your…boyfriend?"

"Yeah," Tessa lowered her voice. "I mean, he kinda kidnapped me…kind of. He saved me really. But it worked out. He's super sweet. Handsome," Tessa chuckled. "And he can sing."

"Is this your estate, madame?" Hot Rod said eagerly. "It is quite charmant! As the mate of a Prime, you deserve only the best!"

"I like him," I said quickly, waving my finger at Tessa. "Keep him."

"Oh, I will. That okay with you, dad?"

Cade shrugged, reaching out to lock arms with a smiling Viviane. "I mean, hey. You do you, sweetie."

"You guys ready to eat dinner?" I glanced around. "Catch up? Before this place turns into a zoo."

"Next week, right?"

"Yeah. There's still so much stuff to do. This is like…alien HQ. Hound and Drift are coming back with Lennox and Simmons, and Bumblebee went to get one of his old friends, Sam, uh..Witwitty?"

"Witwicky," Optimus corrected gently. I snapped my fingers, nodding.

"Right, Witwicky. We're setting up a, uh, coalition of sorts. I don't know if that's the right word. A team, maybe. I don't know. We're just getting everyone in the same place so we can figure out what the fuck we need to do next."

"Whatever you guys plan, Viv and I are game," Cade said. Viviane nodded in agreement.

"Me to," Tessa said. "I mean, I'll be in college…supporting you. You know what I mean."

I glanced up at Cybertron. Even after all I'd seen, it would take time getting used to the new planet just outside our atmosphere. I even caught Optimus staring longingly at his abandoned home. He'd told me that he'd be okay with never going back, but that he knew other Cybertronians wouldn't share the same view. And now, with Unicron buried deep within our core…it was only a matter of time before shit went haywire. just didn't know when. Or how long.

Which meant that my lazy ass could say "Well, we'll deal with it later."

Right now, the focus was on Optimus and Izzy and everyone else. For the thousandth time my brain was asking me what the world had to offer and what it had done for me. What it had given me in return for the years of suffering I'd endured. And this time I actually had a solid answer.

It had given me a family.

End.