Epilogue:
6 months later….
Alexis smiled closing her eyes and enjoying the slight breeze that caught her hair and brushed across her body. It brought with it the smallest tang of salt and the sound of laughter that relaxed her down and into her very soul.
"Lex, c'mon!" Emily's voice pulled her from her reverie and she opened her eyes to spot the woman standing down on the beach off the back of the porch she stood on. "Don't wanna miss Sy's first run do you?"
Alexis laughed a little at this and hurried on down the steps to the beach, and once there her bare feet enjoying the feel of sand bellow them and over to Emily snatching the small boy she held from her hands. He giggled and wrapped his arms around Alexis's neck with a squeal.
Optimus had found Kaikane two months earlier and the toddler had refused to let go of Sylas when they'd been introduced. Emily had thought it the cutest thing in the world, commenting that the two had been thinking about kids now that the war was over and Kaikane was a great start to the idea. Sylas, Emily and Kaikane had been inseparable since.
"Where are they?" Emily questioned slightly apprehensive. "They're going to miss it!"
"They'll be here," Bumblebee's voice caught Alexis's attention and she turned to spot him walking down towards them as well. "Optimus and the others are just as happy to see the leg built for Sylas in action as we are."
Emily nodded this before turning and darting down the beach to where Sylas was getting herself ready. Today was the first day Sylas felt brave enough to test the newest limb of hers in the water. Alexis with the help of Ratchet had built a prosthetic for Sylas, only instead of typical metal and plastic, it was built from cybertronian metal.
It had been a long process, including waiting for Sylas to trust Alexis enough to wire the piece through to her nervous system to act just like the limb she had lost. She had relearned to walk and was now ready to try what she had been missing all this time, surfing.
Alexis smiled shaking herself out of her thoughts when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and a chin rested on her shoulder opposite of where Kaikane was holding on to.
:I hope this works.: Alexis commed to Bumblebee a little apprehension settling in.
:It might take some trial and error, but I don't doubt your ability to wire the leg:
"Didn't miss it, did we?" someone else called out and Alexis turned to see Butterfly walking down towards them Optimus and the others close behind.
"Almost." Alexis smiled nodding down to Sylas and Emily. "Em was starting to worry,"
"She should know we wouldn't miss this for the world!" Gunpowder proclaimed and Kaikane's head popped up at that voice turning and reaching for her. Gunpowder caught him up and swung him around before tossing him lightly in the air. "Ah! How're you Littlespark?"
"Don't let Emily see you do that," Adrenaline advised her friend as she looked out over the water. "Here we go,"
Emily and Sylas had both headed out into the water. Emily though, stopped a short distance out letting Sylas head on out into the waves.
There was a moment when all held their breath watching Sylas roll under a wave or two before getting herself in prime position to hit the next wave when it crested. Alexis's hands fisted up crossing them over her chest almost defensively as Sylas momentarily disappeared causing her to think the worse.
Then there was a shout of absolute unfiltered joy from Emily and Alexis spotted Sylas again quite confidently standing, hand anchored in the water, on her board zipping down the wave just ahead of the crest of the wave falling behind her.
Gunpowder let out a shout as well jumping up with Kaikane and twirling around on the beach not bothering to hide her elation at the situation. Adrenaline smiled her shoulders instantly dropping in relief and glanced at Alexis who laughed.
"Well looks like there's a celebration in order!" Sam said announcing he and Carly's presences to the group.
"There is," Alexis nodded looking out to see that Emily had joined Sylas on the next wave coming in. "You guys care to stay for a while?"
"Of course," Optimus agreed after a second. "Nowhere else we'd rather be."
Two hours later found Alexis standing on the porch again watching everyone laugh and play in the sands or the water. Sylas and Emily had joined them back on land and were currently playing with Kaikane in the surf as the little one splashed and squealed his excitement. Adrenaline was standing just next to Ironhide, who was talking with Will about something his arm wrapped around her waist. Gunpowder was sitting with Carly holding Oriana, Butterfly just next to her talking with Sam and Twitch and Pitch were chasing each other up and down the surf.
She then shifted her gaze to where Sunstreaker sat on his alts hood, beer in hand with his brother just beside him as they watched Annie building a sandcastle. He shifted his own gaze seeming to realize he was being watched and locked gazes with Alexis before smiling a little and lifting his beer in a salute to her. She smiled and nodded to him shifting her gaze again to land on Jasper and Justine who were dancing along to a small radio they'd found, then on to Ratchet and Serenity, who had found themselves a log to sit on and talk among themselves almost looking trapped in their own little world.
Then she spotted Bumblebee watching her from the bottom step of the path leading down to the beach and smiled at him which he returned. Her attention was then gained by someone else walking up to the porch with her.
"It is very peaceful out here," Optimus said with a little smile stepping up beside her and looking out over everyone just as she had been doing.
"Very." Alexis agreed after a beat. "Good resting place for the soul weary."
"I can see why," Optimus nodded his gaze holding on Butterfly for just a moment or two before turning his attention back to Alexis, a question in his eyes that Alexis had been anticipating all night. "Have you and Bee given any thought to what you are going to do?"
Alexis hesitated, then moved placing a hand hesitantly on her lower stomach absently. "I think we decided it might be safer to stay here with Kaikane, Emily and Sylas, away from any major fighting for the most part, least for now."
Optimus didn't say anything for a long moment before he noticed the hand on her stomach and the way Bumblebee hadn't let her out of his sight all night. He then smiled softly.
"How far?"
Alexis smiled a little herself at the question looking down at her stomach then backup to Optimus to give him an answer.
"Bee thinks about 2 months." Alexis said finally. "He's been noticing something off for a while but just noticed the second sparkbeat last night." Alexis looked back at her stomach for a moment, moving her hand absently in circles there. "We haven't told anyone, including Ratchet, so we're not absolutely positive, wanted to be sure it was truly a separate beat."
"Well, let me be the first to say congratulations." Optimus said and Alexis looked back up at him. "It will be a joy to finally have some Sparkling's running underfoot again."
"Yeah, I think so too." Alexis agreed with a little laugh. "And thank you Optimus."
"You are quite welcome." Optimus chuckled a little and there was a brightness to his brown eyes that she had never seen before.
"You realize this will make you a Grandpa?" Alexis teased unable to keep a bright grin off her own face.
"I am surprisingly okay with that,"
"Hey, you two wanna join the party down here?" Will called up to the two of them, noticing they were off on their own.
"Of course, Will," Optimus answered for them and they both moved to join the others.
Alexis went over to where Bumblebee sat joining him as Optimus went over to Butterfly and she leaned back into his presence behind her.
"You went ahead and told him?" Bumblebee questioned pulling Alexis up and against his chest placing her between his legs, arms gently wrapping around her middle to lay on her stomach.
"Yeah," Alexis confirmed leaning her head back and placing her own hands on top of his on her stomach. "He finds it a joy to think about Sparkling's underfoot again."
"That it will be." Bumblebee agreed lying his chin on her shoulder to watch everyone else around them. "It definitely will be."
Alexis smiled looking down at their joined hands on her stomach. She had her family, and her Sparkmate all safe and happy, and with the war now over for the first time in her life she wasn't scared of what might come in their future.
And this is officially the end! Thank you guys so much for reading and enjoying this story!
