Are we really at the one year mark? Well, I can't believe I've been working on this for a year!


Chapter 43

Drift knocked on the door of his grandcreator's condominium in the sea of the Kaon suburbs. Moonrider stood next to him and both of them smiled at eachother before the door opened and Drift was immediately snatched in the arms of his carrier who sniffed as tears fell down her face.

"I'm so glad you're safe" she kissed his cheek and squeezed harder.

"I'm alright carrier" Drift laughed and gently patted her back and then she let go and rubbed the tears out of her optics before smiling at Moonrider "Glad you could come Moonrider"

"Thanks" Moonrider looked at Drift and his carrier turned around and walked back into the condominium. As they both walked in, Moonrider shut the door. Everyone sat in a living room watching holo vision. Drift's grand carrier was warming up some energon in the kitchen and she gave a warm smile as she tapped the wooden ladle against the pot and walked over to her grandson.

"Hello" she smiled

"Hi grand carrier" Drift gave her a kiss on the cheek and hugged her. He let go and nodded his helm.

"Hi" Moonrider smiled and Drift's grand carrier went in to hug her.

"That was a great match to watch, good job you two" Drift's sire leaned on the couch and smiled "You two witnessed history at the end too, it's not everyday someone tries to assassinate a prime"

"Yeah, this would make a GOOOOD documentary" Drift sat down at a kitchen chair and his grandcarrier set down an energon cube in front of him "Thank you".

"We saw it live on the news!" his grandsire almost yelled "One of the greatest wallops I've seen in a long time!" he smiled and Drift did as well.

"Thanks grandsire" Drift nodded his helm "I think that accurately describes how it feels" he placed his arms on the table keeping good educate.

Amity came over and tipped her helm at her big brother before sitting down next to him. Everyone else say down and Drift's grand carrier served everyone energon.

"How has school been for all of you" Drift's grand sire asked

"Good" everyone responded

"This is better than primary school by a long shot" Drift smiled "I always liked going to sword ranges but when you're fighting someone it's a rush" he nodded at Moonrider "Would you agree?"

"Yeah, I would just have fencing matches with my carrier but having a whole team really changes everything"

Amity places her cube down "I wish the matches we're longer, It sucks it ends so quickly"

"Well…" Drift strokes his chin and then looks back at his sister "It is realistic. If we didn't wear thick armor plating one of those slashes would injure us or worse"

"Yeah" Moonrider put her cube down "We wouldn't want you to get injured like last time"

Drift's sire laughed "It was just a flesh wound right champ?"

Drift chuckled a bit "I guess your right sire" he picked up his cube and drank some more of it.

Amity sniffed "For only three seconds of activity you smell like a walking locker-room"

Thermal and his sire laughed almost obnoxiously and Drift looked down and sniffed. He looked back up embarrassingly and downed the rest of his energon. "If all of you don't mind I'm going to wash up" he got up and collected all of the empty cubes. He walked over to the sink and washed them and then took a rag and dried them. He collapsed them and placed them in the cupboard. He walked in the direction of guest room and Moonrider got up out of her seat and joined him. Both of them walked in the door, and then clicked the door shut.

"Both of them are going at the same time?" Drift's grandcarrier asked a little concerned.

"Noooo stopping them" Drift's sire then heard the water turn on. He smiled. "Drift and Moonrider have something special going on between them, you can see the looks they get in their optics when they're together." He chuckled "Reminds me of a story"

"Come on Thermal" Starwing held onto Thermal's shoulders as they mated in the tan hospital bathroom. Thermal looked deep into her beautiful optics as he continued to thrust.

"Ughhh Frag" Thermal growled and he and Starwing moaned as he filled her port with mech fluid. Both of them breathed heavily and Thermal leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss on the helm.

"Great, just great" Starwing pulled herself off of her mate's slimy cord.

"What?" Thermal asked as she slid her pelvic armor over her bare legs.

"I spent too much time in here, frag, they'll know I'm up to something now" she panics as she slides up her leg armor. Thermal smiles as he leans on the handicap toilet rail and watches her get dressed. She finishes getting dressed and smiles when she sees the smiling face of her new mate. "Your wounds are healed, I wouldn't be surprised if you get to leave today" she looked at the scars on his chest "I'm quitting here when you discharge"

Thermal approached her "I've never said this to a femme before but...I" someone knocked on the bathroom door

"Starwing! You in there!" A wave of dread flew over her.

There is silence for a moment "No, it's just me!" Thermal yelled back

"Your not supposed to lock the door Corporal"

"Sorry, I forgot"

"Well, Starwing is five minutes late, she is usually with you on her break time"

"I'm not sure where she went"

There is a pause "Ok, thank you corporal"

He hears the nurse walk out and he wipes his helm "whew"

"Whew is right" Starwing checks herself in the mirror.

"I'll see you later?" Thermal asks crossing his pedes

"Why wouldn't you?" She smiles and leans in and kisses him again. "Thanks again" she opens the door and walks out "Can I get you anything else Corporal?"

"No, that about settles everything" she waves him off and he nods his helm at her.

As her shift ended, she brought two energon cubes into Thermal's room but when she pulled the curtain away from the berth. No one was there. Starwing rubbed the back of her helm in questioning and she placed both of the cubes into her subspace. She knocked on the latrine.

"Thermal? You in there?" she continued to knock when another nurse walking down the hallway noticed her.

"No use sweetie, he's been discharged" Starwing's optics exploded in surprise.

"DISCHARGED! HE DIDN'T SAY GOODBYE!" She was furious, now she knew why Thermal was being so nice to her. He wanted her to spread her legs for him.

The nurse shrugged her shoulders "Sorry, some things aren't meant to be" she lowered her helm in sympathy. "He still likes you, he was ordered to immediately return to his unit"

Starwing was still extremely angry "I don't care! He couldn't at least say goodbye!" she shook her helm. "Frag him, I'm going home" she growled and brushed past the nurse as she walked down the hall to the elevators. She pushed the button and she anxiously tapped her pede in anger.

"Typical Decepticreep" she growled to herself and the door to the elevator opened and she was surprised to see a smiling soldier in his service uniform, black torso, grey pants, and shined pedes. On his arms were two corporal chevrons, and a wrecker tab on his left shoulder, and prime shield on his right. On his chest read Thermal:221. In his servos was a bouquet of flowers.

"THERMAL!" Starwing yelled and charged him and wrapped her arms around the mech. He wrapped his arms around her as well and nuzzled into her neck. "Frag you Thermal, Frag you!" she began to cry from the udder joy of his return. He patted her back and he kissed her cheek. Starwing took her helm from his chest and looked into his loving face to check if he was real.

"You really thought I would leave without saying goodbye?" he took his right arm from her back and punched the button for the first floor. The elevator closed and it began to move down with a light hum.

"I…I" Starwing was at loss for words.

"Love you" he smiled. "I know. That's why I thought I'd get you these" he slightly shook the bouchet of flowers and Starwing's optics lit up in happiness.

"Thank you Thermal" She took her arms from him and gladly accepted and sniffed the flowers.

"Are these red roses?" she laughed and Thermal blushed a little bit. The elevator door opened however and Thermal immediately stood at attention and saluted an officer wearing a red and blue army dress uniform.

"Good morning sir!" Thermal sounded off and the officer casually saluted back and stood in a corner of the elevator and read something on his datapad. Thermal didn't want to break his professionalism in front of the officer so he stood in the corner, extremely stiff. The elevator stopped on the first floor and Thermal waited for the officer to depart before stepping out into the busy hospital atrium. Soldiers from all over the battlefield were being flown to the military hospital due to all sorts of battlefield wounds. Thankfully, everyone down in the atrium was either healed or about to be. All of the incoming wounded were airlifted to the roof of the hospital.

Starwing walked beside Thermal and then a little spark in his helm ignited. He spotted another soldier in the same Wrecker uniform as him. Sitting in a motor chair he soon spotted Thermal and got a happy smile on his face. Thermal approached him and then happily saluted him and he returned the favor. Thermal extended his servo and so did the mech. Both soldiers shook servos.

"I knew you survived" The mech cheerfully laughed as both of them let go. "I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to thank you….for saving my life."

"No problem Spoiler…ugmm sorry…Lieutenant Spoiler" he chuckled and so did his commanding officer.

He laughed "It's ok" he then noticed the beautiful blue and red femme standing next to him. "Is this your sparkmate? You didn't tell me you had one." He questioned and Starwing and Thermal laughed

"I met her because of you!" he smiled "Florence Nightingale effect. You ever hear of it?" he chuckles

Spoiler smiles "What is your name?" he asks Starwing and he extends his servo towards her. She takes it and shakes

"Starwing"

"You're very pretty Starwing, Thermal defiantly got lucky meeting you" They let go and Spoiler turns his attention back to the Corporal.

"Did I mention I've recommended you for the Medal of Primus?" Thermal's face explodes in happiness

"THANK YOU SIR, THANK YOU!" He is elated and he wraps his arms around Starwing and then kisses her on lips in a giant smooch. He turns back to his C-O. "Thank you so much sir, it means so much to me!"

"When the revolts end….." he shakes his helm and then a nurse comes over to the group.

"I'm sorry but the Leautenant is due for surgery" she smiles and walks behind him and taps a button combination on the back.

"Well, goodbye sir, and thank you" Thermal salutes him and he salutes back.

"It's the least I could do; you take care of yourself…..SERGEANT!"

Thermal's optics light up again and he watches the motorchair start up and begin to move. The nurse follows next to it and Spoiler turns around a little in the chair and nods his helm to his soldier.

"What do you want to do tonight? I heared that you have to report to your unit tomorrow." She looked at him and he smiled.

"How does dinner and mating sound?"

"Deal" she immediately responds.

Thermal laughed as he took a break from his story. He held Starwing's servo and he smiled at her. "I seriously can't believe you actually thought I just got up and left!"

Starwing laughed "WELL! What was I supposed to think?" she patted his servo.

Thermal turned his attention back to his creators and daughter "And thus begins the story of Drift" he chuckles. They hear the water turn off and Amity scoffs.

"Well, they're done already."

Thermal's sire laughs "You want to tease him" he shakes his helm "I'm going to regardless" the older mech then yawns.

His mate then rubs his shoulder "You look tired, I think you should go to berth" he looks over at her

"I aint going to berth just yet" he sets his servos on the table. "The trial is on tonight and I've been itching to see it"

"Trial?" Amity asks "Did someone get arrested?"

Thermal laughed "No Amity, we would have told you by now" he then noticed, his son and his mate walk out from the washroom still a little wet.

"Drift, whose trial is tomorrow?" Thermal smugly asks

"Other than Megatron's…" he stroked his chin " I can't think of anyone else's" He paused before sitting down "Wait….am I right?" everyone at the table laughed and Drift shook his helm as he and his mate sat down.

"You've always been interested in that sort of stuff." His grandcarrier laughed "You must get it from your grandsire" she patted the old mech's leg and he jumped as if he we're sleeping. Everyone laughed at him and he rubbed his helm anxiously.

"Yep, she's right, I'm going to berth" he rubbed his optics and stood up. He leaned down and kissed his mate on the cheek and he smiled at everyone before walking to his berthroom with a servo on his hip.

"Anyone want me to finish my story?" Thermal asked.

"You ended it just right sweetspark" Starwing smiled and Drift got up and obtained everyone's attention.

"I'm watching this" Drift walked over to the couch with holovision in front of it and he found the remote on it and turned it on. The channel was already on the news and a blue decepticon femme was on. The rest of his family was soon sitting on the nearby easy chairs and other couch. Drift sat and Moonrider sat next to him. He put his arms around her and both of them leaned into eachother.

"….has no comment" The camera switched to an older autobot mech next to her

"Sentinel Prime announces that twenty five thousand soldiers will leave the Kaon city limits due to the lull in city wide violence. Military forces are expected to gradually downsize their presence in the region and city and province enforcer units are expected to return to work by next month."

"And now for our top story" A big flashing message reading TOP STORY flashed on screen and the femme returned.

"After a sword competition at Kaon Military Institute this evening between KMI's Cannons and Iacon Academy's Warriors, Rodimus Prime" a generic school photo appeared next to the femme. "…survived an assassination after the match. Our reporter, Analog, has more." A screen went into split screen with a decepticon femme with purple armor. She stood in the foreground of KMI'S gate, illuminated, and with soldiers standing guard behind caution tape. "Analog, good evening"

The screen went fully into Analog's camera and she smiled. "Good evening, the competition at KMI was full of tension today. The crowd was fairly hostel but nobody would expect what would happen next. We do warn you, the footage you are about to see, is highly graphic."

The camera then switched to the media who stampeded for the locker room door. The elite guardsman posted there got a shocked expression much like one of the guards in Metal Gear. He flipped his rifle sideways in an attempt to shove the bots back but they pushed past him and into the now open door. They then followed their way to the lockers. They found the team and there was a noticeable black bar where Moonrider's breasts were and Drift and Springer immediately stood in front of her as she got dressed

"RODIMUS PRIME, RODIMUS PRIME, RODIMUS PRIME!" They all yelled pushing cameras and microphones in his face.

"I'll ANSWER ONLY ONE QUESTION!" Rodimus pointed to the camera and the room got quiet.

"How do you think this competition will affect the political situation!" A voice asked.

Rodimus tapped his pede "I feel this will show that despite the complex situation in this city, business will go on as usual and the city will in time recov…"

The elite guardsman pushed his way through the crowd "Sorry sir they pushed right through me!"

"It's alright sold..." A loud gunshot rang out and it pinged against the locker next to Rodimus. The media panicked and the Elite Guardsman shoved past everyone chasing after a crimson mech. He pointed his pistol at the running soldier and fired two more shot. One bullet missed, hitting a camera in the back and another hit the guardsman in the chest making him hit the ground and growl. He propped himself up on the lockers and switched the fire mode on his rifle to full auto. He forcefully held down the trigger.

RAT TAT TAT TAT TAT TAT TAT his rifle spit out bullets all over the place and one got the shooter in the leg as he was running out into the courtyard. The cameras then zoomed in on the soldier who cursed under his breath and pulled his medical kit from his belt. He tore open a morphine pack and sprinkled It onto the open hole in his chest and growled in pain. Two more soldiers then rushed in from the door to the gym. One of them pointed to the injured soldier and he ran to the door after the shooter. The other soldier crouched down next to the injured guardsman and helped him up.

The camera cut back to the femme outside. "In the wake of the attack, Sentinel Prime has announced that special forces will be deployed to Kaon and the KPD's Special Response Team will return to operational status. Back to you Anchor."

Everyone looked to Drift and Moonrider who looked away awkwardly.

"How did it feel being shot at?" Amity asked

"Amity!" her carrier acted shocked

Drift gently patted his mate's side "Not as bad as when I had to shoot back. It was over in two seconds and I barely noticed"

Moonrider shook her helm "Same for me, I don't even think Rodimus noticed"

"Hmmm" Thermal hummed.

"In other news" The mech spoke and a picture of Megatron from his gladiator days appeared next to him. "Former gladiator and revolutionary Megatronus, better known as Megatron has been sentenced to indefinite confinement in data prison today." Drift's optics widen in shock and video footage from the trial shows. "Having been convicted of the murder and attempted murder of numerous enforcers, It seemed fitting that the sentince would have been harsh, however this is the first indefinite digital incarceration and has generated a fierce response from the Commonwealth Party who advocates that this is in fact the very definition of cruel and unusual punishment. To continue this discussion we have defense attorney, Barrister, Barrister good evening." A split screen with a middle aged mech with black armor and red optics appeared.

"Good evening"

"I can't watch anymore of this" Drift sighed

"Thank you for joining us. Could you please describe the sentence and your opinion on it"

"I watch the news for information, not for opinions" Thermal crossed his arms.

The mech nodded "Thank you, a digital sentence is where a convicted criminal is hooked up to a machine and their consciousness is uploaded to the DP database. An interesting thing about this is that it allows time to go by much much faster in the machine than it does on the outside. A FULL YEAR in this system is ONE day on the outside world. The object of this…this system is to allow a convict to serve a complete sentence and get on with their private lives within a few days." He pauses for a second. "In my opinion this is an amazing alternative for an average bot which makes the sentence longer but at the same time, makes it shorter. In the way it will be used on Megatron is almost the very definition of cruel and unusual punishment and I think decepticons everywhere can agree that this is will only INCREASE tensions in an already troubling time."

"Thank you Barrister, anything more"

"That is all, thank you"

Moonrider sighed "I don't understand this guy, why did he say *decepticons* everywhere?"

Drift and Thermal looked at her with disapproval but Drift's grandcarrier spoke up.

"We are a very communal race, it's an evolutionary thing" she speaks.

"Hmm" Moonrider retorts "I've been friends with Drift long enough to know that, but it's weird how big the backlash is. I mean, he killed enforcers for crying out loud" She reasons but then Drift takes his servos from around her. He scoots over to the side and sits up straighter . Moonrider then locks with his very angry red optics.

"As you've said, we've been friends long enough to know what this is about" he crosses his arms angrily. Moonrider's optics widen in shock.

"Drift, quit being a sparkling, she asked a valid question" Starwing speaks up.

"Valid question?" Thermal growls

"Yes, to an average bot this is a little out of control. Even I am questioning it"

Drift puffs "AVERAGE BOT" He clenches his fist "It's always about the autobots!"

"It is always about the fragging blues!" Drift growels "Us decepticons are always being kicked around like cattle and yet they always act like we're the bad bots!"

"DRIFT! YOU'RE HALF AUTOBOT!" Starwing yells "I CARRIED YOU IN MY WOMB AND BREAST FED YOU AND FRAGGING LOVED YOU!" tears formed in her optics and she rubbed them "I COULD HAVE JUST SAID (I'M CARRYING THE SPAWN OF A DECEPTICON) BUT I DIDN'T! I WANTED TO CARRY YOUR SIRE'S SPARKLING AND THAT IS WHAT I DID! TWICE!

"Drift! I'm also an Autobot! Yet I love you!" Moonrider points to herself but Drift's anger is then directed towards her.

"I DON'T GIVE A SCRAP AUTOFRAG! YOU LIKE MY CORD AND THAT'S IT!"

"DRIFT SON OF THERMAL!" His carrier acts shocked but Drift ignores her.

Moonrider starts to tear up "ARE YOU SPARKLING ME DRIFT! I LOVE WHO YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU ARE YOU OVERSENSITIVE DECEPTICREEP!" Drift growls as he clenches his fist and is on the verge of picking it up and slamming it into his mate's face.

"ALL OF YOU! QUIT FIGHTING!" Drift's grandcarrier intervenes "YOU'RE FAMILY! ACT LIKE IT AND SHUT THE FRAG UP" She growls and everyone is utterly shocked that such words could come from an old femme.

Thermal sighs "I guess" he looks away from his mate. Starwing gets a triumphant smile and leans into him and puts her arms around him. Thermal purrs and returns to favor and puts his arms around her as well.

Drift looks down at the floor and then into Moonrider's blue optics "Sorry" he embarrassingly whispers and looks away.

Moonrider feels a little sympathy for him and gently rubs his arm. He looks back at her and she smiles at him. "Want to hit the rack?" she puts her servo on his knee. Drift smiles

"Ughmm, I'm going to berth. I'll see everyone in the morning" Drift gets up and walks down the hall to one of the guest berth rooms and opens it up and shuts the door.

Moonrider feels a little awkward and Amity can tell.

"I feel for yah sis" she laughs "Drift has always been like that but he's still an amazing brother"

She looks over to Starwing and Thermal. Starwing takes her servo from her mate and points in the direction of the guest berth rooms. Moonrider takes the hint and nods. "Goodnight everyone"

"Goodnight" everyone returns. Moonrider tips her helm and walks towards the berthroom. She opens it up and sitting on the berth with a sullen expression is her mate.

"Hey" Drift says as she shuts the door.

"Hi" she pulls her leg armor down and carelessly throws it over to both of their armor piles. She sits down next to him and gently punches his armored shoulder. Drift emits a little smile and he unlocks it and takes it off.

"Drift" She tries to put her servo on his shoulder but he shrugs her off and climbs under the blanket. Moonrider does the same and scoots into her mech. She puts her arms around him, expecting him to growl in anger like last time she angered him but he didn't. She scooted even closer and kissed the back of his neck but he still lied there. Moonrider began to feel around his chest and found her favorite spark beat and felt it punch her servo.

"I'm so sorry Moonrider" Drift softly speaks and turns himself around. Moonrider looks into his sad red optics and immeditaly her blue ones sink.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I fell in love with a decepticon and I'm not settling for no one else" she could see a small smile from her mate's face. "Drift, I courted other mechs before you, and none of them made me feel as safe and as loved as you. Frag, Drift, you're like a best friend I can interface with, your trustworthy, cute, strong, everything I could want in a mech and then some"

"Thank you, I'm sor.."

"Don't be. I don't want to change you, I want to be with you. You're the roller coaster and I'm the passenger, don't slow down just because I start to scream" she scooted into him and wrapped her arms around him. He did the same and nuzzled into her neck. "Frag I want to make a sparking so bad" He smiles and gently rubs her back, thinking. He kisses her nose and then smiles.

"In time, don't rush. Because you're gonna miss just the two of us. You're gonna want this back, and you're gonna wish these days, haven't gone by so fast" he starts to sing "These are the good times, so take a good look around. You may not know it now….but you're gonna miss this" Moonrider laughs taking Drift out of his trance.

"What?"

"Since when are YOU into country music?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No" she laughs "You're the biggest city mech and you still like this stuff?"

"Considering you know the song I think you might want to sing along" he smiled "Before she knows it, she's a..brand new bride."

Moonrider joins in "In a one bedroom apartment…..and her daddy stops by"

"He tells her it's a nice place."

"She says….it'll do for now"

"Starts talkin about babies…and buyin a house"

"Daddy shakes his head….and says baby just SLOW DOWN!"

Both of them hold servos and sang together

"You're gonna miss this. You're gonna WAHHNT this back. You're gonna wish these days….HADN'T GONE BY SO FAST!" They looked each other directly in the optics and laughed "These are the good times. So take a good look AHUU ROUND! YOU may not know it NOW!...But your gonna miss this" both of them lock lips and softly kiss.


Song name,

"You're Gonna Miss This"

Trace Adkins