Hello, again! So, I was trying to come up with a sequel to Conjux, but, instead, I ended up writing a prequel…
Anyway, for this story, I chose to modify the timeline; so Elita and the femmes weren't on Earth during the battle in Egypt (mostly because I don't like the backstory given to them, nor how they ended in ROF, neither do I like the aesthetics used). This way, they get to live in the saga.
Hope you enjoy it!
Warning: English isn't my mother language, so there may be some grammar mistakes in here.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers franchise, nor its characters. It is a registered trademark of Hasbro.
ARRIVAL
Optimus, for an instance, was taking a break, lying on his berth, although checking his chronometer from time to time, making sure he wasn't late for his next appointment; even though he didn't have so many anymore ―not since Ratchet told everyone that he needed to take it easy for the next few months. The large mech sighed, and eyed his quarters' ceiling lazily.
His health has been everyone's main concern, ever since the team returned from Egypt; especially since he started feeling and looking more tired than usual, almost as if there was something draining him from the inside. The leader, who was known for his speeches, found himself in the distress of being unable to best describe the dull feeling within his chest. There was nothing he could compare it to… Whenever he attempted to ponder about it, all he could come up with was that it felt similar to a bad covered void; like there was something missing, but not completely… With a description such as that, nobody could tell him what the problem was, so he left it aside; even though it didn't solve the issue. Thus, growling in discomfort, the large mech simply accommodated on his berth, massaging his chest-plates in hopes it would help; although he knew it was futile. Ratchet had scanned his inner wiring and systems over and over again, making sure his wound had healed properly, and never detected anything out of place; meaning that this wasn't coming from his frame… It left him with only one other option, and it was his spark. There was something wrong with it.
«Prime, come to the control room. We've got another one » Lennox suddenly announced through the com-link.
"On my way" responded the leader, quickly sitting up and sliding his legs off the berth.
Another one. Another incoming Cybertronian. Both Autobots and Decepticons had been raining out of the sky on the past few years, ever since he launched the message. And he hoped there would be more…
Careful, Optimus rose to his full height and maneuvered around his quarters, trying not to tumble anything over; an ability he had perfected ever since their installment on Earth, and their alliance with the humans came to take place. Morshower and his soldiers attempted to make accommodations that were big enough for them; of course that, the only things within said rooms were a bunk and a desk… Later on, they've discussed the need of wash racks with the humans, who didn't hide their surprise at their request of having 'bathrooms' and 'restrooms' ―as they called them. Just like in the past, the organics were having trouble when it came to see non-organic lifeforms as anything other than mere robots; thus, showing signs of trouble when it came to accepting that they had similar needs. Apparently, as far as the former Sector Seven was concerned, their bodies behave as machines, so they didn't require anything other than a place to power down and Energon to refuel. So many years keeping Megatron in the freezer, and, yet, they didn't learn much about them… Ratchet gave the humans a crash course on Cybertronian biology; just the basics, enough for their allies to better help them survive within the planet. And, from the leader's perspective, it was a good thing he did… Because, not a week after Optimus sent the message, the escape pods started arriving.
As he walked into the yard, his optics were met by the half dozen bots who were now training side by side with human soldiers. "We have come a long way in few years" thought the Prime, walking by. However, he couldn't hide his sadness, because the one face he had dreamed with seeing again wasn't among that crowd…
Another dull feeling hit his chest at that moment, making him grip his plates, over the spark-chamber. At this rate, he would've to pay a visit to Ratchet and tell him about it. Spark-scans weren't fun, but it was a necessary procedure when something wasn't working as it should; and, by all indications, there was something wrong within him…
Ignoring his own condition one more time, as he approached the hangar where the high command had installed itself, the tall mech prepared himself to face his human allies. After a split second, he walked into the ample room where different vehicles flowed back and forth in a constant timing, carrying different materials for the base; afar, next to a wall full of screens and computers, there was a tall catwalk where three men were waiting for him: Lennox, who waved as soon as the red and blue bot stepped inside the place; Morshower, who patiently waited for the bot to approach the platform… And Galloway, who ―unfortunately― they had to rescue from his unplanned trip to the desert. Given his state at the time, the Autobot leader wasn't all too sure as of how exactly did his team manage to pull that stunt, even after reading the reports and listening to his friends… But, he couldn't deny that the mere idea of Galloway wandering around, right in the middle of literally nowhere kind of amused him; his only regret being the fact that he missed the scene.
Rapidly pushing the thought aside, Optimus greeted his allies, respectfully bowing his head. As expected, once everyone was present, the General didn't waste his time to explain the situation: a spacecraft made it through the atmosphere, right before sending a distress signal and crash land right in the middle of a national park.
As the man talked, the Prime observed the pictures on the screens. It was an Autobot vessel; there hadn't been one since the Wreckers arrived, a year ago. This one wasn't very big, but, anyway, it ensure that there would be multiple newcomers inside. They would need more than just one airplane for this retrieval; plus, they would require to have the cleanup team ready. As soon as the crew was secured, the removal of the spaceship had to begin.
Agreeing, Morshower nodded and allowed both Lennox and Optimus to choose the best approach to the issue at hand, and dismissed both people.
Less than thirty minutes later, the Prime found himself strapped to the floor of a cargo plane, in vehicular mode, next to his medic. The humans were sitting at their respective area, with only Will coming back and forth between sections, checking on the bots every fifteen minutes or so; especially because there had been some turbulences during the flight. It was the usual protocol for every single Autobot who made it to Earth: Optimus and Ratchet would go and greet the newcomers, explaining quickly how things were going to be, only to fully debriefing the new elements once they were all back at Diego Garcia. Lennox was simply escorting the Big Guy, and was meant to be the first human face the arrivals saw… However, this time, Galloway had managed to convince Morshower of coming along…
"We are almost at the arrival coordinates." Optimus noted, calling Will's attention; the guy had been sitting within the truck's cabin for the last twenty minutes. "Shouldn't you return to-…?"
"Can I be brutally honest with you, Prime?" wondered the soldier, suddenly, interrupting the bot. "I'm actually hiding from our dear liaison, who's being a pain on my ass after the whole… jumping-off-the-plane incident. So… If I could just stay here for, just, five more minutes, I would appreciate it…" He stated.
Both mechs chuckled, understanding their friend's situation, thus allowing him to stay with them a bit longer. However, reminding the man that it was in his best interest to be at his own seat and strapped down for landing. The Major thanked them, and went back to his own businesses, allowing the bots to do the same; although, eventually, they had to send him back to his actual seat, where the soldier was confronted by a seriously pissed off Agent Galloway, who pierced him with his looks, while he quietly went to sit and strap down.
"Do not leave me alone with that guy again" whispered Eps once his friend was in hearing range, "Abandoning your best pal just like that…" He kept ranting, making his companion chuckle.
"Then, why didn't you follow me?" wondered Lennox.
Finally, the plane had a visual of the alien ship, and started its descend, searching for a good spot for landing. Thanks to the skid marks left by the Autobot vessel, they had a large clearing where to set down; so, once they were stabilized and on the ground, as usual, they opened the cargo ramps while Will and his men went to untie Optimus and the medic. Per usual, whenever there was a newcomer, the leader was meant to be the first face around; that way, the Big Guy was capable of putting the new bot in town up to speed within a few words, asking them to download the native languages from the Web. Then, Lennox was supposed to be the first human face they met. After a quick introduction, the visitor was taken to the cargo ship to be transported back to Diego Garcia, where they would be given a full debriefing and further orders. If everything was done correctly, within fifteen minutes, they would be back in the planes, and on their way home. Hopefully, Galloway wouldn't represent an inconvenient…
Transforming as they approached the fallen ship, Optimus noticed the smoke coming out of the hull, and the exposed wiring on the sides. These bots had seen battle while on the outer space; probably some of their instruments got damaged, explaining why they crash landed. Being that the case, there could be injured mechs within the vessel, needing medical attention; so, just to be sure, he asked Ratchet to have his equipment at the ready. He wouldn't lose any allies today.
The green bot nodded and, also, searched for Autobot beacons on the proximities. Soon, six signals popped up in his radar.
"Six" repeated Lennox, who was jogging to stay beside them. "That's the largest crew since the Wreckers…" He mused out loud.
Soon, the group was standing right outside the wreckage, nearby the thrusters. According to the bots, this wasn't a large ship; rather a commercial one, which was later reformatted into a battleship ―it was a usual thing among their species, considering that their planet went dark too fast; so, when both factions declared the evacuation, they had to improvise with what they already had. Will, however, standing a few feet behind his giant friends, was craning his neck, attempting to tell where the tip of the helm was… But all he could see were broken treetops falling atop the hull. An Autobot insignia was carved on the side, indicating allegiance. "At least we're safe…" thought the soldier, who would've hated to come all the way here, only to find out that they merrily walked into a Decepticon ship…
While the man inspected the vessel, Optimus sent a greeting through a safe channel, signaling the crew that it was safe to come out; that they were among friends. In response to his call, one of the hatches started racketing, and, soon, opened; the pieces folding over until they disappeared inside the mechanisms of the ship.
Will got in position at this, noting that someone was coming out; warning his men to stand down, and let the leader talk with the newcomers first ―everyone back at the planes knew that, but he felt the need of reminding it; just in case Galloway wasn't aware as of how these missions usually went…
Nonetheless, nobody was prepared for what came out…
"What the-…?" was all the Major could mutter before his jaw unhinged, eyes widening in utter surprise at what he was seeing. He peeked at his companions, realizing that they weren't in a much different shape. Even Optimus' mouth was slightly agape in shock.
Yes, the old Prime was stunned, but not for the same reason of the soldier; but because he knew this bot… Better than anyone in there, or at the base, or in the universe.
…
Slowly, cautiously, a pink and silver silhouette made its way out of the wreckage; big, azure optics, framed by rose lids and almost red optic-ridges, were solely focused on the figure of the blue and red mech. A nimble and curvilinear frame made the new bot stand out by the contrast, not to mention details such as her rounded cheeks, or the iridescent gleam of her full lips. There was no other way for Lennox to describe this being as…
"Is that… A girl?" He asked with barely a thread of voice.
"We call them femmes, actually" corrected Ratchet, snapping out of his reverie, and glancing at the human. "And, this one, is much dear to us…" He added, then, going back to the newcomer, as she made her way off the wreckage. Soon enough, she was standing right in front of the leader, scanning his eyes as he was scanning hers.
"Elita?" The Prime ―by now, completely oblivious of the companions behind his back― called in his native dialect, almost fearing that, by speaking her name, the figure in front of him may disappear as a wishful dream.
The femme, instead, smiled and simply threw herself into his arms, embracing the mech for the first time in mega-cyles. Like himself, she was making sure this all was real and not an illusion.
Feeling her arms around his waist, just as so long ago, was enough to convince Optimus of the reality of this moment, thus why he promptly returned the hug. She was there! His Conjux had found him!
"My love…"
"I found you!" interrupted the fem-bot, gleefully, parting from her mate to look into his eyes; her smile still on place. "I can't believe I finally found you!" She kept saying, servos on the sides of the tall mech's face. "There was a battle outside the upper atmosphere, when we fled Cybertron, and half of our instruments stopped working, including our compass. By the time I received your message I had spent a mega-cycle flying blind, with no idea where to go!"
"Then how did you arrive here?" He wondered, servos on the shoulders of his beloved, optics wide and interested.
Suddenly, Elita lowered her optics, lost in deep sadness at the memory. All her previous excitement worn off.
"I felt your spark fading, and, then, I felt it coming back…" She admitted, watching him through the eyelashes, analyzing his reaction to her words; noticing how Optimus sighed and flinched in pain at the mention of that episode. "I followed that." She said, pointing a digit at his spark-chamber, jabbing his chest.
The leader nodded, understanding that she wanted answers; nevertheless, it wasn't the time nor the place to speak about those things. He needed to grab Elita and her team and take them back to the island, before any Decepticon noticed their presence. So, making his mind and dedicating a quick glance at Ratchet and Will, he took a deep vent to calm himself, and gazed upon his companion.
"We cannot talk here, my spark; there will be time, once we are safe at base. For now, I need you to call out your crewmates and to follow my instructions."
Understanding, the pink femme straightened up and placed a digit on the side of her helm, where the com-link was located. With a commanding tone, she gave the others the order to get outside.
Lennox approached the bots tentatively, right about the moment when another five figures stepped out into the light, and went to meet with the pink one. All of them female. He could feel the headache of explaining this to Morshower already… Not to mention further implications, such as the bots' current quarters at Diego Garcia. Did they have enough rooms available for the girls? He knew some Autobots were bunking up already ―ok, the twins were bunking up because they've never been separated before; but, still… And now that he thought about it, what about the bathrooms? Will's head felt like exploding by simply contemplating all the changes that would soon take place at the island…
One of the femmes, a blue and cerulean one went straight to greet the Prime with a friendly punch on the shoulder; a small, fuchsia was one also showing familiarity with the giant mech, talking excitedly in Cybertronian, which Lennox couldn't understand. But, by the sounds of it, they were exchanging happy words.
"Old friends of his?" The soldier questioned the medic, looking at their new teammates; the idea of the Autobots having females already naturalized by him.
"Yes. Those three are sisters, and they've known Optimus from long before the war broke out." Ratchet answered, nodding. "Like Ironhide and myself." He added with a shrug.
The Major nodded, feeling happy to know that the Big Guy reencountered with someone he cared about, and went back to wait for the signal. This was pretty simple, the Boss Bot would quickly tell the new ones to switch to English, and then, would ask the man to step closer to introduce him.
Finally, Optimus optics searched for him. Obeying to the silent command, Will walked closer to the giant, who quickly presented him to the femmes as a loyal and brave ally of them, here on Earth. This earned him a respectful bow from the pink femme, who introduced herself as Elita-One, leader of the entire female branch of the Autobot army. She was in the company of her most trusted soldiers: Chromia and Arcee, her sisters; Greenlight, her pilot and main engineer; Moonracer, sharpshooter, and Firestar, her medical officer. Each of them bowed at the mention of their names, except for the blue femme, who, also, happened to be the commander's lieutenant…
Lennox greeted each new bot, and explained that they had orders of taking them back to their current base, where they would be briefed by General Morshower, about the conditions for them to stay; then, after receiving a nod, he started leading the girls towards the plane ―not before Ratchet was received as enthusiastically as Optimus, thing that the doctor used to quickly scan each one of the gals, making sure they were in good shape.
At the cargo bay, Eps was waiting for his friends in the company of Galloway, anxiously begging for the others to return.
A smile appeared on his face when he heard the Big Bot's footsteps closing in, immediately seeing him rounding the ship to enter the cargo section, followed by Ratchet… And a bunch of obviously female Transformers. "What the-…?" He couldn't help but stare at the new faces, who bowed in his way, saluting, as they followed their leader's example and shifted into their current alt-modes, quickly filling the cargo bay. The poor sergeant was brought back to reality when the hand of his friend, Will, tapped him on the shoulder.
"Are those-…?!"
"Yeah…" interrupted the Major, not looking at his pal. "Get the guys to secure them to the floor, and let's get going." He ordered, trying hard for his men to not start asking questions all the sudden. However, as he passed next to their liaison, he couldn't help but stop, stare and chuckle; the man, pale, jaw fallen down and eyes unfocused and opened wide, was staring at their new companions as if he would've been faced with a ghost. "And someone, please, reboot Galloway. exe… It stopped working."
…
The flight back to the island was filled with joyful Cybertronian chattering at the planes' cargo bays, where the girls were evidently asking lots of questions to the medic and the Prime, whose voices were hearable from time to time as they gave some answer. Moonracer, the youngest of the bunch, was pretty much making most of the talking, telling over and over again how good it felt to finally have found some other Autobots; especially after they utterly failed to repair the compass… A comment that made Greenlight cry in irritation, stating she did everything she could with what she had; thus earning a rebuke from the mint green female, and so on…
"Welcome to my world…" muttered Elita, sighing in annoyance. As expected, she had gotten into the same vessel as the Prime, and was currently strapped right next to him.
"Just wait to meet mine, sweetspark" retorted the mech, chuckling… Though, deep down, he mentally grimaced, remembering that Skids, Mudflap, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were awaiting him back at the base. "You will miss that ship, I assure you…"
"You say that 'cause you didn't live within that thing for mega-cycles, Prime" interloped Chromia, who was flying with them and Ratchet; there was an underlining chuckle within that comment.
As the two femmes began retelling their life within the spaceship, putting their friends up to speed, Optimus couldn't help but notice that his discomfort from that morning was pestering him again; stronger this time. At some point he must've shown evidence of it, considering how the medic asked the leader if everything was alright with him. Cornered now, he had to come clean, admitting that there was a dull feeling bugging him within his spark-chamber. The older mech, alarmed, told the Prime to get to the med bay the moment in which they touched ground. If there was one thing that nobody should fool around was spark abnormalities. Those things could be lethal if not treated on time, and Ratchet was more than aware of that.
Agreeing with his old friend, the red and blue truck apologized with his mate and her friend, stating that Ironhide would've to brief them instead.
This did nothing but make the blue femme perk up in excitement, upon hearing that her own mate was on this planet too. "Right, they have been apart for just as long" remembered the leader with a warm mental smile. He knew that the weapons specialist would be more than pleased of having his Conjux back next to him ―it would please a few of his recruits too, since this arrangement ensured Ironhide would be in higher moods, and with less reasons to grind them down…
Just as the plane approached their destination, both Lennox and Epps came to the cargo bay under the excuse of 'checking if the bots were secured for the landing'; both of them quickly asking the Prime if they could just spend the rest of the trip within his cabin, stating that they have had enough of Galloway for one day. Chuckling, the large mech simply opened his doors for the two men, who gratefully climbed in, and strapped themselves with the bot's seatbelts.
"Who's this 'Galloway', anyway?" asked Chromia, switching to English, curious about why these two hated the alluded human so much.
"Our liaison. He does not understand our race, nor our mission on his planet" answered Optimus, so everyone could hear, including his impromptu passengers.
"We're here to get rid of the 'Cons; what's so hard to understand about that?" the cerulean femme questioned.
"That we're actually alive, among other things…" hissed the medic, engine roaring in anger at the mention of it. "We shouldn't have brought him back from the desert…" He muttered under his breath, although high enough as to be heard by his companions.
"I'm with the doc" commented Eps, raising a hand and looking around.
"I think we all are" added Lennox, smirking slyly as a general chuckling filled the cargo bay.
Eventually, they were landing at the base, reason why the two humans had to return to their own seats ―under the medic's threats, otherwise they would've taken their chances inside the truck. As the plane's tires touched the ground, Optimus com-linked Ironhide to meet them at the tarmac, explaining that he needed a medical check, reason why the weapons specialist would be in charge of debriefing the newcomers; the seasoned warrior accepted almost urgently, stating that he was already on his way to receive them. "Must have been with the twins again" considered the Prime as the call ended. In his mind, the picture of the day in which the minor pair arrived was replayed in his processor… Especially when the black armored mech attempted to lob Mudflap into the ocean ―strangely in the company and help of Ratchet, he had to add. Thus, the leader could only imagine what happened during his absence ―hopefully, he wouldn't be forced to rescue any Autobots from the bottom of the sea; or from the trash compactor… again.
As the plane came to full stop and the rampant from the cargo bay opened, the bots rolled outside, followed by the human soldiers, who quickly scurried away to give the giants enough room to transform. Lennox and Eps, however, remained close to them and called the girls to regroup so he could tell them the basics: first, all newcomers had to be taken to Hangar A to scan an Earth-based vehicle-mode; from there, they would be taken to the control room, where they would meet with their liaison and with General Morshower to be debriefed about how they would be expected to behave within this planet; and, once all that was done, they would be given their respective sleeping quarters.
Elita, in behalf of her entire crew, nodded and thanked the human for everything, and promised they would follow this protocol ―this last thing was stressed, as she turned to dedicate a serious look to her femmes; thanks to this motion, some of them averted their optics, while Chromia merely limited to stare at her sister, in a scandalized way. This gesture made Eps have to force down a laugh, by biting his lip; he couldn't help but notice that this new bot had some mannerism in common with the Prime… The Big Guy had frown down at some of his elements due to some shenanigans that happened, mostly thanks to pranks from the twins; and the reactions were pretty similar too, when the responsible bot was caught by the leader.
The sound of loud steps, next to the loud curses and complaining of having being left in charge of 'this bunch of insolent, overgrown sparklings', announced the arrival of Ironhide, even before anyone could see him. But, eventually, the black mech entered the tarmac, face-plates in a deep frown, and gesturing wildly, all sorts of insults still falling from his mouth… Only for him to immediately seize, freezing on his tracks, nearly tripping with his own two feet; his eyes widened in utter surprise as they connected with the blue femme, who smirked at him just as only she could do it, one fist resting on the side of her cocked hip-joint.
"M-Mia?" was all that came out of his voice-box, his processor evidently working on override.
"How's it humming, canons?" greeted the femme, with a movement of the head, mimicking the way she usually did back when they were merely starting to go out.
The reaction was immediately. The weapons specialist hurried to the newcomers, and, in a joyful shout, hugged the cerulean femme, lifting her off the ground; both of them laughing out loud in happiness ―the others joining in with lighthearted chuckles, or slightly shaking their heads at the exaggeratedly emotional reaction.
Laughing too, happy for his friends to have found people who, evidently, were dear to them, Lennox patted Eps, who was chortling at the scene, and gestured his companion to get going. Both of them had stuff to do ―thanks to the discovery of the girls, the Major was demanded to make a full report of this, and to present it within six hours; hence why he and his best friend went to hide with the bots for the last few minutes of the flight. The Sergeant nodded and followed the other man into one of the hangars, though he couldn't help but turn around to take another look at the Autobots' little reunion… Just in time to see something he sure wasn't expecting.
Sure, now they knew that Cybertronians had two genders; however, the information was yet too new for him as to fully grasp its full meaning. So, the man did nothing but freeze on his place, eyes impossibly open, the moment in which Ironhide pulled Chromia into a deep, passionate, kiss.
"Will… Will. Will!" Eps called, hitting his friend's arm repeatedly in order to get his attention, and make him turn around. Unfortunately, by the time he did, the two bots had let go from each other, and the weapons specialist was now greeting the femme leader, with a more innocent hug. "Did you see that?!"
"See what?" wondered the other man, confusedly glancing to the bots and his companion.
"Hide French kissing the blue girl-bot!"
Lennox blinked once. Twice. Then, slowly, the information started to be dissected by his brain; the whole idea of the black armored mech with an attitude, the one whom also happened to be his daughter's not-fully-authorized playmate whenever he was at the Major's house, displaying romantic behavior towards another being never crossed his mind before… But, considering the new batch of Autobots, and the fact that Ratchet stated they were old friends of the group… The notion of the weapons specialist having a girlfriend suddenly became less strange.
"Uh… Good for Hide?" commented Will with a shrug, not really minding if the guy had a love life or not.
"That's all you're gonna say 'bout that?" questioned Eps, who evidently was yet weirded out from seeing one of the bots acting so human-like.
"Is there anything else to say?" retorted the Major, challenging his friend, as he turned around. "Look, I gotta write a full report about this rescue mission for Galloway, probably accompanied by another crash course biology lesson from Ratch; and, somehow, Tetris a way for the girls to have their own living quarters. I don't have time to think about anything else, right now, Eps" said the man, walking away, and making a mental note to ask permission to build more rooms for the bots.
Meanwhile, the Sergeant remained there another couple of minutes, staring at their giant friends as Ironhide kept greeting the girls, and Optimus took his leave next to the medic. Maybe, Will was right. Maybe he was overreacting… After all, if the bots happened to have girlfriends, what was the worst that could happen? Nonetheless, it didn't exactly help him to notice how the black armored mech led the femmes away, walking hand in hand with Chromia…
…
Oblivious to their human friend's new doubts concerning their species, the Prime and the chief medical officer were entering the med bay, where Jolt greeted both mechs, as he kept cleaning the equipment.
The leader dipped his head in the youngling's way, before Ratchet dismissed his assistant, and ordered his old friend to get on a slab. As per usual, the Prime nodded and went straight for the largest one in the room, making his best to get comfortable, though the dulling feeling within his spark wasn't making it easy for him. It was so strange… In so many eons of battles, he had gotten used to being injured. More times than not, he has had to practically ignore his wounds for extended periods of time ―especially when in battle. But, now, he couldn't get his processor into anything else; not to mention that it seemed to be becoming stronger ever since he came back to base.
As the Prime mused over his current discomfort, an electric feeling made him have to steel himself, as Ratchet moved the scanner over his chest-plate, positioning it over his spark-chamber; once it was aligned, the medic ordered his leader to 'open up'. Optimus, thus begun shifting his plates out of the scanner's way, until there was nothing between it and his spark-chamber, which didn't need to be open completely, just enough for the medical tool to register his pulse and energy. Nonetheless, staying put under the invisible poking of the machine wasn't easy; not even for the Prime. To have your core practically exposed was uncomfortable enough, but to, also, have a scanner probing it to test whether it was functioning properly could make anyone squirm a little ―legend has it that Ratchet nearly welded a few of his patients to the medical berth, so they would stop moving and, as such compromising his results. Fortunately for all the parties involved, Optimus knew how to behave during medical checks, and had learnt tricks to endure this procedure. So, closing his optics and focusing on his venting, the large mech forced himself to think of something else other than his current discomfort; and, of course, it wasn't a big surprise when he found himself musing over Elita's arrival. He was overjoyed of seeing her again, especially when considering their farewell, so many mega-cycles ago… It took everything from him to tell her to stay put on Cybertron, to lead the Autobots in his absence. Even worse was the cycle of his leaving, when she made him promise that he would return to her… Because, even then, he knew there were many chances for him to end up braking that oath. Although he didn't want to say it, the Prime was aware that either he came back with the AllSpark in hand… Or he didn't at all. For his own sanity, he kept repeating himself that, if the later was to happen, Elita would have the strength to pull through; she had a strong spark…
As his processor kept drifting on those thoughts, a sharp pain made him hiss and come back to the present time, where his spark was still being poked and jabbed by the accursed scanner. Technically, this checks didn't last over a couple breems. Problem was that they were so slagging uncomfortable, that patients usually felt like they've been forced to sit there for joors…
It was always relaxing to feel the probing stop and the machine beep, indicating it was over. Even the Prime allowed a small sigh of relief leave his vocalizer, when the medic pulled the tool away, and allowed him to reseal his chest. Slowly, the blue and red mech sat up, sliding his legs off the berth, and waited for his friend to give him the results; the dull feeling was back, reason why he also began rubbing his chest-plates again. Hopefully, it wasn't anything serious… Maybe just a side-effect of nearly rejoining what was left of the AllSpark, only to be pulled back by the Matrix.
Hearing Ratchet gasp at the results didn't exactly make the leader feel any more confident about his condition…
"How is this-…? Oh, scrap… Of course it is!" mumbled the lime colored mech, face-palming on the last part, before turning to look at his friend. "Your spark is flaring!"
The Prime frowned quizzically at the diagnosis. He had heard about flaring sparks before, of course, but only in Faders ―bonded bots who lost their mates, and didn't have the strength to pull through. It was ridiculous to think that his core would be in a similar situation, considering that his own mate was merely a few blocks away, and pretty much online.
And, yet… Now that he thought about it, he couldn't feel her. Sure, bonds grows weak if the mates doesn't keep it open and healthy in a constant manner; but, still, regardless of how open or closed the connection is, echoes of feelings keeps being exchanged. So, why couldn't he feel Elita's end of their bond?
Realizing this, the Prime attempted to reach out for the femme… But just as he was about to receive an answer, a sharp pain made him hiss and recede. Noticing, the medic was beside him in a blink.
"Are you-…?"
"I cannot reach out for Elita" interrupted the larger mech, staring straight into the medic's optics. "I do not understand… The bond is there, but it does not-…" He ended up shaking his head, not fully grasping how this was possible.
Ratchet sighed.
"I think I know" said the medic, taking a step away from his patient. "When your spark nearly gave, it must've severed the connection from your end; but, then, Sam reignited it with the Matrix, so it's now looking for its other half. However, since the connection was cut before, it can't find its match; as such, your spark is overstressed."
"Is the bond still-…?"
"The fact that you're actively attempting to reach her, shows that it is there. Just, much weaker…" answered the older mech, not needing to hear the full question to know what his companion wanted to ask. "If you ask me, the only way for your spark to stabilize would be for you, both, to reopen the link; let your core feel that its other half still exists."
Nodding and thanking his friend, the Prime got up and made his way out of the sick bay ―all the while being reminded by Ratchet that he was yet in medical leave, so he was banned from doing anything strenuous; reminder that made him smile, and chuckle as he walked out the door. Outside, he nearly bumped into Firestar, who was on her way to reporting to Ratchet and Jolt. The femme smiled at the leader, as he politely stepped away from the door, and asked if Ironhide had briefed them as requested; he was glad to hear that the weapons specialist did so, and that the femmes had already scanned their new vehicle-modes. Now, all they had to do was report to their respective new units, and wait for the humans to assign them their living quarters. With a nod, the Prime dismissed the fem-bot and resumed his way, happy to know that nothing was set on fire during his absence ―unfortunately, a normal fear of his, regarding his team.
As he walked into the yard, where, both, humans and bots were either resting or doing some friendly exercise, Optimus got a glimpse of Bumblebee chatting with Arcee on a side. Right. Being a two-wheeler, Elita's youngest sister usually served as a scout or a messenger; she knew how to navigate through tight spaces better than most, and was a fearsome warrior when required. It was far from a surprise for her to already be catching up with the Stealth Team, currently composed by the yellow scout, Mirage, and the older twins, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. She would be a valuable acquisition for that unit.
Meanwhile, Greenlight was already in the company of the Wreckers; and Moonracer was walking towards the shooting ring.
Ironhide and Chromia were nowhere to be seen, but he knew better than to ask about it… It was no secret that the black armored mech missed his Conjux greatly, since they had never been apart for such an extended period of time before. Besides, whom better than him to understand what the weapons specialist went through during these past mega-cycles?
With one last look around, the Prime kept walking. Everything was fine there.
"Elita" called the mech, activating his com-link.
«I'm here. » She answered immediately. He could almost see her smiling, for her good mood was hearable in her voice; a thought that made him smile too.
"I need to talk to you. What is your current location?" He asked, scanning his surroundings for any trace of pink paint.
«At the Autobot living quarters… Seriously considering to give a few tips to the humans about them, too… »
Smiling at the retort, he held back a chuckle, knowing that he has presented several requests to their organic friends, concerning their rooms. There were yet things that they needed, and Optimus was aware that Lennox was doing his best to provide them; however, and despite of the Mayor's best intentions, improvements were coming slowly.
"I will meet you there." The Prime stated, as he began walking on the right way.
As he approached the building, the pink figure of the femme commander became clear due to the contrast with the soft gray walls, and the dark tarmac. Even from afar, Optimus could see that some of her plating was different now, meaning that she had scanned a new, Earth-based, vehicular-mode; nevertheless, her silhouette remained the same with the crests and the long winglets, which resembled folded wings behind her back. For a moment, he couldn't help but remember the first time they met, back when he was Lord Regent, and she was appointed by Ironhide as his bodyguard for that particular cycle ―the black mech got called by his superiors at the War Academy and couldn't show up. Who would've thought that, later on, they would be standing here? That, even after all this time, they would still be together?
Once he was at arms' reach from her, Elita plunged forward and, standing on her tiptoes, wrapped her servos around him; an embrace that was fully reciprocated by the mech. Both of them were soon hiding their faces on the crooks of each other's neck. Neither of them could yet believe that none of this was a dream…
"I missed you greatly" admitted the blue and red bot, whispering against her neck-wiring.
"I missed you too, Optimus. I really did" answered the femme in the same manner, tightening her hold over her mate. "What did Ratch say, by the way? Is everything ok with your spark?" She, then, asked, pulling away and placing a servo on the center of his chest-plates; her azure optics showed the worry she was feeling, aware, just as any other Cybertronian, just how dangerous spark abnormalities could be.
Sighing, the Prime gently grabbed her hand, and asked her to talk in private, guiding the femme to his ―and now their― quarters; chance that he used to give her the access code to it, too. As she stepped inside, Elita couldn't help but smile and look around with almost childish glee on her optics…
The room was a small square, just as the others she has been shown by the humans that day, but her mate's also had entire piles of perfectly sorted out data-pads, resting on shelves on the walls, or on the desk's surface. "Just like his studio…" mentally laughed the warrior, remembering their house, back on their home-planet; place that, probably, had the greatest files' collection, outside the Hall of Records. It seemed like her mech hadn't change much in that aspect… Given the chance, he would immediately fill his environment with data-pads.
"Looks like some things just stay the same, huh?" mocked the fem-bot, as she grabbed one of the reports he had been accumulating over the narrow desk.
The Prime couldn't help his silent chuckling at the joke.
"Be it on Cybertron, or on Earth, paperwork seems to always find me." He conceded, smiling and closing the door behind him.
"The downside of being the Regent, a Prime and a military chief, my love." Elita laughed, putting the pad back where it belonged, feeling her mate walking up to her. "And of being bonded to one, if I must admit…" She added, turning to look at the mech, rolling her optics in annoyance; suddenly remembering all the paperwork she had to endure when he left the planet, leaving her in charge. "I was this close to blast off the next person to bring me a report talking about a power-grid malfunction in section 43, I swear… I still don't know how you managed to not lose your processor." The femme recounted, leaning against the desk, using it to rest her hip, while she crossed her arms.
"43… I believe that was where the Wreckers' laboratory used to be" mused the mech, narrowing his optics as he made an effort to remember.
Elita nodded.
"Glitched while they were there, and it kept glitching after they left. I've NO IDEA what the scrap did those boltheads do there, but we could NEVER fix the problem…" She said, rolling her head, and gesturing at the memories. "Scrap, if I'd to guess, it must still be glitching now."
Chuckling, the mech approached his bondmate and, placing his servos on her shoulders, bended down to kiss her. After so long being apart, at the first intimate contact, the two bots felt a discharge run through their systems; and, as such, in a blink Elita had thrown her arms around Optimus' shoulders, hands on the back of his head to deepen the kiss. The mech, at the same time, wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her close, as he straightened his back; one servo, soon finding its place on the back of the femme's neck. None of them wished to break the moment; both mates refused to let go from each other, both tightening their hold, deepening the contact…
But the moment was short lived when Optimus suddenly broke the kiss, hissing and pulling back, one hand going to rest atop his chest.
"Optimus! What is it?!" asked the pink femme, worried, as she saw her companion almost bending over, gripping his plates above his spark-chamber. "What did Ratchet say?! Are you-…?!"
"M-my spark… It can't feel you…" He admitted, optics still shut as he attempted to will the pain away.
"What do you mean? I'm right here." She said, grabbing one of her mate's servos and placing it above her chest, meaning the spark beneath it.
"I know…" vented the mech, as the pain slowly subsided, locking gazes with his Conjux; turning the servo she was holding, so he could grip her hands in reassurance, and, also, muster the courage to explain her the situation as he best could. "But-… Elita, a couple quartex ago, my spark suffered great damage; it nearly ebbed. According to Ratchet, the fact that the smallest of fractions of its energy somehow lingered into the casing was nothing short of a miracle." He confessed, staring into her optics, which widened in horror. "If it would have not been for Sam, a human boy, finding of the Matrix of Leadership… I would not be standing here today."
Lips ajar, but unable to produce any sound, the femme commander stood there; eyes locked onto the ones of the mech most loved to her, hearing how she could've lost him. How close she was of never seeing him again.
"So… So your spark's healing, still? I-I mean… You'll be fine, right? You just need time to rest" wondered Elita, trying to remain optimist about this whole case-scenario. Last thing she wanted was to overthink it, because she knew where that would lead her.
He held back a sigh and cupped her face with both servos.
"Those joors I spent offline took a toll on me, Elita. Especially on our bond, which appears to have closed on my side. As such, my spark is flaring, trying to reach out for yours; but, being unable to-…"
"It's like I don't exist anymore" completed the femme, understanding. All she received was a nod. "You could fade out of it…" She added, gripping her mate's servos, terrified at the notion of having found him, just to lose him again. "Is there anything-…?"
"Ratchet suggested that renewing my bond with you may heal the damage." Optimus admitted, letting go of the femme, who evidently calmed down when learning that he wasn't as far gone as she was beginning to think. Nevertheless, he couldn't help himself from averting his eyes in embarrassment. He couldn't believe he just said that…
Elita, on the other hand, was capable of feeling dimmed echoes from her Conjux's spark, thus was aware of his current awkwardness due to the 'treatment' appointed by the medic. A reaction that made her bubble with laugher, remembering similar situations they endured in the past ―more specifically, the day he asked to court her. "Oh, sweetspark" mentally sighed the femme, as she reached forward and, getting a hold from his chin, forced the mech to look at her and, also, to bend to her eyelevel.
"I knew I liked Ratchet for a reason" whispered the warrior, putting up her best seductive smile, before pulling him into another kiss.
… … …
Both knew that there were many things in between them now, and that there was a lot of catch up to do; however, none of them would've guessed half of it. Especially Elita, who, through the bond, got to see the battle of Mission City through Optimus' optics, experiencing the same pain he did; she got to see Sam and Mikaela, and how they risked their lives for her mate's and the other Atutobots stationed on Earth. She felt sad about Jazz's fate… The Polyhexian may had been a flamboyant one, but he was a good mech, and a good friend. Hopefully, he was in a better place now…
Nonetheless, what truly shocked her was Optimus' plan, if he failed to secure the AllSpark: melt it within his own spark, sacrificing himself. The femme was more than thankful for the human boy's quick thinking, at that time; and, then again when the same boy used the Matrix to reignite the Prime's core, after it had failed.
"I should've been here… I could've helped…" muttered the fem-bot, softly, against her mate's chest-plates, as the images returned and ordered within her processor.
Beside her, the mech tightened his hold around her, tucking down his chin, so it would rest atop her head; in a way, he was trying to become a safety cocoon for his companion. Even though he knew it wasn't necessary… Elita was the strongest female he had ever met; and her inner strength was one of the main reasons why he fell in love with her. The memories he got from her side of the connection were merely a reminder of it: how she took over the army after his ship left Cybertron, without hesitation; how she managed to keep the Decepticons outside of the Autobot-claimed territory; or, how she, singlehandedly, came up with strategies to scout for Energon without being detected by enemy patrols… Those not always worked, though; hence why she had plenty memories of battles on the front, protecting her men. However, what really took a toll on him were the images of her getting harmed in said fights. The worst was to know that he was partially responsible for the painful memories… Because, now he knew that Elita felt it; she felt the exact moment in which Megatron nearly snuffed his spark, almost as if it was happening to her.
"Do not think like that, my love. You are here now, that is all that matters" reassured Optimus, softly caressing her back. In response, the femme cuddled closer to his frame.
They remained like this, in complete silence for a few more minutes. The mech was still having a hard time believing he was actually holding his Conjux close to him, and not merely dreaming that Elita was by his side again. He has longed her company for so long… Ever since leaving their planet, his core had looked for hers; with time, it became harder for him to feel the answer to his spark's reaching out, thanks to the distance between them. When he sent out that message, a couple years ago, he was actually hoping the pink femme would be one of the first to answer ―now he knew she tried, but her ship's broken equipment didn't allow her.
"You still cannot land a spacecraft, though" laughed the mech, as the memory of Elita's crash landing settled within his own processor.
Gasping and chuckling to her own dismay, the femme slapped her mate's chest and sat up to stare at him with an overly scandalized face ―too bad her grin betrayed her.
"Like you're one to talk! Battle of Technahar: you totaled a convoy!" retorted the fem-bot, pointing at her mate's smirk, slightly accusatorial, although in a mocking way.
"A Decepticon convoy, sweetspark; and I fully intended to do so…" Optimus told her, sitting up too, lopsided smile still on place.
"Oh, like you 'fully intended' to almost fall into that acid swamp when attempting to abandon the ship?" Elita shot back, grinning from audio to audio, when the mech's optics widened in surprise when she remembered. "Ha!" She celebrated.
In retaliation, the mech grabbed his Conjux, pulling her into his arms, trapping her, while demanding a formal apology due to his title of Prime; nonetheless, the femme kept fighting, attempting to break free, while loud laughs escaped her vocalizer. Soon, both were a laughing fit in which nothing else mattered, nor existed; for a moment, it felt as if the war never happened, and they were merely the two bots who fell in love and bonded out of it. As if they were still living on Iacon, and not on a foreign planet… As if their lives would've never left the course they had planned, so long ago…
For a moment, being there in each other's arms, sharing their laughs, feeling echoes from their partner's spark, the two Autobot leaders knew themselves complete and unquestionably happy.
«Hey, Prime. »
Will's voice in his com-link felt like crashing against a wall, though; because it reminded the blue and red mech of his current reality. Yes, he was in the company of his other half again; but he couldn't forget the context: there was a war raging outside, and the planet he was currently inhabiting wasn't his own… And he was yet a military chief for most of the people within that base, and a guardian of his own kind; he was expected to behave as such. So, sighing, he had to let go from his mate, whom, understanding, allowed the Prime to slide his legs off the berth and, sitting on the side, take the call.
Her azure optics, however, didn't leave his frame, not one second; she may not have been here before, but she was now. And, if there was any assignment she could take in order to help, she would. She was, after all, a highly trained warrior-class.
"I am here, Major Lennox. Is there a problem?" Optimus asked.
«Not 'Cons, though I would rather prefer that to this… » answered the human, with a loud groan; considering the background noise, he must've been at the rec room. «Can you tell Ratchet to fetch me some translated copies of-… I don't know… Cybertronian Biology books? I mean… Do you, guys, even have those? I-… Sure, I know you've books ―data-pads―, but-… »
"I am sure Ratchet would be glad to help" said the leader, interrupting his ally's rambling. "Although, may I ask why are you in need of this material?" He asked, frowning in utter confusion. Ever since arriving to Earth and becoming part of NEST, he has received some strange petitions, but this had to be the winning one yet…
Lennox cleared his throat in embarrassment over the line.
«Nothing in particular, just-… For NEST's files, you know… To add… Stuff… About what we know about you, guys; that's all. »
Oh… Ok, Optimus understood now; alas, feeling a bit bad for his friend, whose smoothness needed a serious brush up.
"I will contact Ratchet, so the requested information will be delivered to you at morning, Major" assured the Prime, smirking ―and glad that the only one who could see it was his mate.
«Great! Thank you, Big Guy! I'll be seeing you tomorrow! »
"Good recharge, Lennox." That said, the Prime finished the call, and contacted the medic. "Ratchet, Major Lennox wants a translated copy of your Cybertronian biology manuals."
«Huh? Why the scrap would he be interested in that? » barked the medic, quizzically. Optimus could perfectly hear Jolt and Firestar chatting on the background, so the old mech must've been at the med bay.
"I may have an idea…" mused the leader, turning to look at his mate with amused optics.
Elita, understanding, couldn't help herself and chortled out loud, lying back on the berth with one servo covering her optics.
Meanwhile, the Prime heard the medic promising to lend the human the information, while muttering something about 'stupid organics'; then, both mechs ended the call. Optimus turned, sliding one leg back onto the slab, watching his highly amused partner with a tender and loving smile.
"Well, that explains the weirded looks we've got all cycle!" commented the femme, still unable to control her giggles. "Did humans believe that Cybertronians were all male?" She asked, grinning, both servos on her middle section.
"Apparently, they did" admitted the blue bot, lying on his side and covering his mate's hands with one of his own. "Otherwise, they would not be asking for explanations."
"That would, also, explain why they assigned me a different room from yours, trying to make me bunk up with my sisters, like when I was a sparkling…" Elita commented, pursing her lips while smiling. "Just wait for them to find out about us, or Mia and Hide. They'll positively glitch, then!"
"Be nice, Lita" chided the Prime, before peaking her lips, and fully lying on his back. It was time for both of them to power down, after all.
The next morning, Optimus couldn't help but notice that he had the best recharge yet, since arriving to Earth; and, despite Ratchet's warning, wished to resume some of his duties. Nevertheless, he rarely left Elita's side, thus offering to show her the island where the base was located.
Many humans, thus, saw the leaders strolling side by side, talking in their native language, but nobody thought much out of it; not even Will, whom they met at the rec room, already studying the material borrowed by the Autobots' chief medical officer. Even when the Major noticed that the Prime was in high spirits, even smiling, he shrugged it off, thinking that he would be happy of seeing an old friend too.
Eps, however, didn't let Ironhide and Chromia out of his sights for a week…
THE END?
Hope you liked it! And, as stated before, if you want, the follow up to this is in my old fic Conjux.
See ya!