Chi felt arms wrap around her middle and smiled as she leaned back into them. Sunstreaker had just gotten off monitor duty, and Sideswipe was still out of patrol. He would be for a while yet, meaning that Sunstreaker had Chi all to himself at that moment.

"Good afternoon love." She chuckled. "How was monitor duty?"

"Same answer as all the other times." Sunstreaker sounded slightly irritated, causing her to turn around in his arms to study his face.

He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes without a word. Chi wrapped her arms around his neck as she reached for him through the bond and found that he was hiding just how upset he was about something.

"What happened love?" She asked quietly, pushing gently at the block he had put up. When he just shook his head ever so slightly, she pushed harder and cupped his face in her hands in order for her to lean back and study it closely. "Tell me."

"It's nothing that you really need to worry about Little Spark." He opened his eyes and met hers unflinchingly. "Just some of the newcomers spouting off."

Chi's eyes narrowed and she stood on her tiptoes to press a gentle kiss to his lips.

"What did they say?" She asked, keeping their lips only centimeters apart. It was a trick she had used before to get him to tell her what was wrong.

"Nothing that should have bothered me." He whispered, eyes sliding closed again as Chi pressed another gentle kiss to his lips.

"Please tell me, love." She asked, once again pressing their foreheads together as he lifted her in his arms so that she didn't have to keep standing on her tiptoes. "You never have to hide anything from me."

Sunstreaker stared into her eyes from inches away before sighing deeply and carrying her to her desk so that he could sit with her in his lap. Whatever the newcomers had been saying was obviously bothering him immensely.

"They kept saying how it was idiotic for us to bond with you. How a human could never truly be a bondmate because of how short their lifespan was…" He muttered quietly, and she felt a flare of anger through the bond. "It reminded me how easily you can be hurt and it… I didn't like remembering that."

Chi's eyes flashed red for a split second before settling back to their normal icy blue. She mulled the information over for several seconds before shaking her head and curling up in his lap, head resting on his chest.

"I'm not going anywhere love." She whispered softly. "My life is bound to yours and Sideswipe's. They don't know what they're talking about. And you know that I can handle myself, between Jazz and Prowl's battle and tactical training and Ironhide's marksman training, not to mention the training you and Sideswipe gave me yourselves I can't be hurt easily. And Wheeljack just finished developing that shield he's been talking about. He and Perceptor are testing it now, so it should be ready in a week or so. Once I have that it'll be even more unlikely for me to get hurt."

"I know, I just hate thinking about you getting hurt." Sunstreaker sighed, arms tightening around her. "There have been so many times that we couldn't get to you in time and you ended up injured… what if we're too late one time?"

"Don't think like that." She pushed herself up to stare into his eyes again. "You guys will always be there for me. Just like I will always be there for you. I promise love."

Sunstreaker nodded, but she could feel that he was still upset by the entire situation. She sighed again and stood up, choosing to approach him without the use of the holoform. She saw his optics light back up and look at her in slight confusion before she motioned for him to put his hand down for her. Once she was on his shoulder, she pressed herself against his neck cables tightly, one hand pressed against the side of his face and the other steadying her as she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"I will always be here, with you." She whispered softly as she sat on his shoulder. "And the newcomers can get fragged to the pit for all I care. Whatever they want to say they can say to me and I'll take care of it. Okay?"

Sunstreaker reached for her through the bond and she threw it open widely so that he could feel her dedication to those words. After a few seconds he nodded solemnly before standing with a small smile.

"Wanna go grab some lunch?" He asked.

"That sounds amazing." Chi was smiling again, glad that she was able to comfort him.

She skipped breakfast. Sideswipe had been listening to their conversation quietly, and he sounded pissed about the subject.

"You did what?" Sunstreaker's voice was calm, and that made Chi flinch.

"I just wasn't hungry." She shrugged. "I'm really not that hungry right now either but I know I need to eat."

She had that weird dream that she can't remember again. Sideswipe supplied. Every time she has it, she won't eat unless someone tells her to.

"Again?" Now the yellow twin sounded concerned. "You should really talk to someone about it Little Spark, if it keeps happening and affecting you like this it's not a good thing."

"I know, but I can't remember what's happening in it." Chi shook her head, as if to dispel the ominous feeling she got every time she even tried to remember the dream. "I can't really talk about it unless I remember it. So…"

"You need to talk to Optimus about it then." Sunstreaker changed course, heading for Optimus' office. "You always wake up in a panic when you have it, and then it bothers you for days afterwards."

This morning she sat upright and yelled 'warn them about what'. Sideswipe added helpfully. So, whatever it is Optimus could help.

Chi rolled her eyes and huffed as Sunstreaker knocked on the office door. After a second, they both heard Optimus say, 'come in' and the door slid open.

"Is everything alright?" Optimus asked as he caught Sunstreaker's look of concern and Chi's irritation.

"She's been having a weird dream that is reoccurring. She'll barely eat the day after having it and feels creeped out for days." Sunstreaker sat in the chair across from Optimus. "She didn't want to tell anyone because she can't remember what happens in the dream, but Sideswipe said she sat up and yelled 'Warn them about what' this morning. I figured you might be able to help."

Optimus studied the way Chi was refusing to look at him before nodding slowly.

"Chi." Optimus paused, prompting his adopted daughter to look at him.

"Yes dad?"

"Explain as much as you can about this dream." He leaned forward and steepled hi fingers in front of his face, optics focusing solely on her.

"I don't know. It's black, literally can't see anything, and a voice keeps repeating 'warn them' as if it is showing me something but I can't see anything." She threw her hands in the air. "That's literally all it is, I can't remember anything else."

"Perhaps that is all the dream is." Optimus tilted his head to the side as he contemplated it. "Do you feel anything during this dream?"

"Confusion, fear… a sense of impending doom?" Chi shook her head, as if trying to dispel the emotions she was describing. "It's just a dumb dream, Dad. Nothing to be worried about."

"Can you describe the voice?"

Now Chi gave Optimus a confused look before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. Forcing herself to recall the dream. Sunstreaker immediately reached out to 'see' the memory of it with her.

"It's a warm voice, commanding." She whispered quietly. "Almost like how yours is, but more… regal?"

"It almost sounds like Alpha Trion's voice." Sunstreaker supplied as he listened to it too. "But I haven't heard it in so long that I really couldn't tell you."

Optimus paused before leaning back and pulling a data pad out of one of the filing cabinets. He chose a file on it before pressing play.

:: Until that day, Until all are one.::

Chi immediately sat upright and stared at the data pad. She didn't want to say for certain but that sounded exactly like the voice that she heard in the dream.

"That… it sounds super similar." She looked at the top of Optimus' desk. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you are somehow hearing the voice of Alpha Trion." Optimus sighed heavily as he put the data pad away.

Chi stared at him in confusion before shaking her head.

"I don't know why, or what he's trying to warn us about." She growled, her eyes fading to a deep violet. "I just… I think it's just a dream. If it changes in any way, I'll tell you but for right now I need to eat and Sideswipe will be back from patrol soon…"

"Very well, please tell me if it changes." Optimus sighed deeply. "And please take care of yourself Chi. If you need to talk about anything, I am always here for you."

"Thanks Dad." Chi gave him a tight smile, her eyes returning to their normal blue color as Sunstreaker pushed calming waves to her through the bond.

With that they left his office, heading towards the rec room so that Chi could grab a bite to eat and to meet up with Sideswipe.

~.~ ~.~

Whew, yeah… Chi's gonna have a few words with the newcomers. Ya'll will just have to wait and see who it is talking like that. Please review!

Until all are one,

Chistarpax