Chapter 52: Life Begins Anew

Curled up with her legs beside her, Scrap sat comfortably as she read from a data pad on the progression of the construction of a new hospital. It would be a huge advancement on the makeshift place she currently worked at but it was taking a long time and a long time before it met medical standards. Thumbing the edge of the pad, she sighed, growing increasingly bored with the subject, when thankfully a knowing touch pressed against her shoulder and she leant back into it, optics closed. "Good afternoon Soundwave."

"Good afternoon, El." He mumbled then pulling her backwards for an upside down kiss, feeling her smile against his lips before breaking apart.

"How long have you been back?" She asked, taking the mug he was offering to her.

"Not long. What you reading?"

Groaning, Scrap pushing herself up from the sofa and took a sip of the energon before setting it at her desk, beside the data pad. "Reading the report on the hospital's progression. Looks like it's going well." For a moment, she went very still and a thoughtful look covered her face. "You know… I did a bit of research last night."

Drinking from a cup of his own, her mate shrugged. "On what?"

"Earth."

The air grew thick. "Oh."

The former human nodded as she dropped her head. "Did you know how long has passed there?"

"I try not to think about it. The last time I wondered about time… I discovered you had died."

"Well, that's not going to happen again. But… whatever happened to me… however I became… like this… I never would have imagined it happening. Even now, no one knows how it happened. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad for it." She turned quickly to look at him as he walked over to her. "I'm so happy it happened. I get to spend a whole life with you. But I just wonder… why."

Her 'husband' stood thoughtfully for a moment then stepped over, brushing his thumb over her cheek and back into her hair. "Primus wanted us to be together."

Scrap stared up into his eyes for a moment then nodded, closing the gap between them and kissing him. "I'm glad he did."

The pair enjoyed another kiss for a while before breaking apart, forehead to forehead as they rested. "I guess we should go pick them up."

Soundwave couldn't agree more but he picked up her energon. "Drink." He ordered, forcing it into her hand.

Taking the cup, Scrap downed the blue liquid quickly before shivering a little. "I still can't get used to that." Finishing it, Scrap and her bonded exited their small apartment in Koan, starting their dally walk around the cities. It wasn't a surprise when Buzzsaw and Ratbat, a pair of cybertronian wildlife the couple had adopted came flying over, Buzzsaw landing on Soundwave's shoulder while the smaller Ratbat rested on Scrap's arm and began fussing for attention before flying off ahead of the pair.

Scrap sighed as she walked. "I miss Ravage." She mumbled, knowing that the jaguar had died a very long time ago of old age. It was one of her strongest memories before waking up in Knockout's lab. When she had become cybertronian.

Squeezing her hand tighter, Soundwave smiled a little. "So do I. He was a good partner."

Scrap nodded, trying not to think about him. "So who's looking after the kids anyway?"

Soundwave shrugged, petting Buzzsaw's beak. "I believe Knockout got them today. Unless Ratchet got hold of them again."

She froze on the spot. "Knockout? Oh Primus. Soundwave I told you, never leave Knockout alone with them!"

"Mom! Dad!"

The woman rubbed her nose. "Here we go."

"Frenzy, Rumble." Soundwave greeted his two children with a nod to each of them, kneeling down allowing the sparklings to swarm into his arms.

The pair looked about 5 earth years old now and were identical to each other pardon one had red hair, after his mother and the other blue, after his father but recently they had found some hair dye and pranked their parents by swapping. Until one of the spoke, it was impossible to tell which was which.

The blue haired one spoke and for once, Scrap knew they were in their original colours. "Uncle K-K-Knockout was t-t-telling us a story. And he said something ab-bout you."

Cursing her creator, Scrap knelt down to her children, Frenzy stammering as he stepped into her arms. "Did he now? And what did he tell you?"

Rumble grinned as if he knew the biggest secret in universe and wrapped his arms around Soundwave's neck, poking at Buzzsaw's beak. "He said you were … organic."

There was a long pause, two pairs of yellow optics looked to Scrap, begging for an answer, for her to explain.

Sighing, Scrap stood, her one-of-a-kind green optics closed as she held her son close. "I guess you two are old enough to know the truth. But if we're going to have this conversation, were going back inside."

Soundwave nodded and followed his bonded obediently; child in arms and Buzzsaw hovering over his back, having noticed that the walk was going backwards now.

Ratbat twitched his wings landing back on Scrap's shoulder, eager to know the story but before she could enter the apartment, she stopped, waving a hand at the metal bird to shoo him away. "No, not in the house, you're both still grounded after the mess you two made. Shoo!"

Frenzy and Rumble laughed, sticking their glossias out at the two birds as they were shooed off into the sky to their outdoor perches. The family slowly entered their home and Scrap and Soundwave took a seat on the couch, while the twins sat at their feet.

"So… you gonna tell us the truth?" Rumble asked quickly, leaning in close to the two.

"Y-y-yeah! You gonna t-t-tell us?"

Scrap tensed, looking away with clear embarrassment. She didn't like telling her past to anyone. If they didn't know she just said she was a neutral from far away. Her fame of being the first sparkling was long since dead now.

Sensing her hesitation, the children turned to the mech. "Please dad! Make her to tell us!"

"Y-y-yeah!"

Soundwave's hands cupped Scrap's in a warm comforting embrace before they slid around her back and pulled her in. "It is not my story to tell. But they need to know."

Scrap growled at her husband, eyeing him harshly before turning back to face her sparklings.

She couldn't hold back the 'awe' that escaped her lips. Her own two little creations, Rumble sitting cross legged while stetting his chin against the couch, looking up at his mother while Frenzy dangled his arms over his brother's shoulders. Defeated, she nodded. "Okay, fine. I'll tell you."

"Yeah!"

"But first you have to promise to be quite. It's a long and complicated story so I'll answer all questions after, got it?"

"Yes m-m-ma'am!"

"Sure thing boss lady."

Scrap smiled, leaning into Soundwave while he pet a hand down her hair, Scrap thought for a minute, biting her lip.

"You know that everything has a beginning? And that beginning starts off the same but then grows into a unique adventure, full of fun, planning, disappointment, dialogue, death and grief. And for every life, there is an ending, a point where life has to stop?" She let out a breath. "But when my life stopped, it began again. Primus had other plans for me."

"Knockout said Primus wasn't real though!"

"What's d-d-dialogue?"

Scrap eyed the sparklings and they both snapped their mouths shut, causing her to smile, kissing Soundwave's hand as it rested on her shoulder, laughing freely to herself at the 'ewww's' that sang from the disgusted children.

Confidence restored, Scrap looked softly, as only a mother could, to her children. "You want to know about me? Fine. I'll tell you the story of my life. It's my story, my life, through my eyes." She took a deep breath and nodded. "It all started a long time ago, on a planet known as Earth. That was where I was born. That's where my life changed forever. But my life… also changed the life of this whole planet."

The End

The story may be over…

But the love never ends


From the author

You know, for someone who prides herself on writing, I cannot find the words right now.

I don't think they even exist.

What words could explain how I feel right now?

.

I'm happy; The Sound of Scrap's Heart has been my most successful story.

I'm sad; since it's over now.

I'm proud; I've completed a project I set myself to do. To write a 52 chapter story and publish one chapter every Sunday.

I'm relieved; I kept to my schedule and believe me, at sometimes, I was scared I wouldn't!

I'm grateful; for all those who stayed with me for this story, from start to finish.

I'm honoured; by the support I've been given and those who helped me.

I'm humbled; the praise and fan art that people have done for my story.

I'm scared; about what I will do next.

.

I'm so conflicted that I can't find the right word to describe how I feel.

.

But there is one word that sticks out a little more than the others.

Thankful

Not just with myself but to all of you, those who have stayed beside me and shared this adventure. I'm certain that without your support, the sound of scrap's heart would not be the success it has become.

And as those last words said;

The story may be over

But the love never ends.

Neither my love of this story nor my love to you for supporting it will ever end. Thank you. Every last one of you.

To you all

.

Thank you.