The next few weeks had been absolutely miserable for everyone. Terra and her sisters were gone a lot to either go to the hospital or to be together for long periods of time. Starscream knew this was all part of the grieving process for humans, but he hated not being able to see Terra for such long periods of time.
Poor Terra was an absolute wreck the days after her rescue attempt that killed her twin sisters. She would barely eat and she didn't get enough sleep. It pained him to see her like this, but he did all he could to support his little sparkmate. Most nights where she stayed at the base were spent holding her as she wept for her slain family. Other nights, he couldn't even be in her room since her sisters would sometimes stay the night with her. The youngest sister cried the most for her missing parents. It was a horrible sound. He wanted to help, but the tiny child was still terrified of him and couldn't understand what was going on that prevented her from seeing her fallen family members.
Starscream paced back and forth in the main chamber of the Autobot base. The other Autobots had retired for the night, but he didn't feel the need to recharge just yet. There was still so much on his mind. What did the future hold for him and Terra? Megatron certainly would be keeping an eye out for Terra and would easily snatch her up at any opportunity. He had to be extra vigilant in order to protect Terra and her sisters, but that was going to be hard if they still feared him. The one named Bela was always nervous when around him and the little one was simply impossible.
Starscream grunted in annoyance as he went to sit on a stool, resting his head in his hands. This was going to take a while, he was sure of it. Terra had told him numerous times that she reassured her sisters that he was safe to be around despite his frightening appearance, but something certainly wasn't working.
He sighed, shaking his head. He was tired, but he didn't want to recharge.
There was a loud clang as something fell to the floor, alerting Starscream. He looked around and noticed movement in the main hallway. It was dark, but he could see a tiny figure failing to hide in the shadows. That had to be Alcina.
"I know you're hiding there, little one. Come out," he said.
There was silence followed by the shuffling of feet. Alcina stepped out, looking beyond terrified as she looked up at him with wide eyes. In the past, he would have loved seeing such terror from a small human, but now he felt more sorrow for the child.
"You're supposed to be asleep, Alcina. Why are you up?" Starscream asked while remaining seated and slowly lowering his wings to make himself less threatening. He didn't want to frighten her with any sudden movements. Alcina was silent, wringing her hands while looking back at the darkened hallway as if expecting one of the Autobots to come running in to save her.
"Terra was crying in her sleep so I couldn't sleep. I...just wanted to walk around some," she said. Starscream sighed as he listened to the child. The poor thing still didn't quite understand what was going on. Terra had told her that her parents and sisters had gone away and wouldn't be coming back and Alcina refused to believe her, claiming that they would never leave her.
"Your sister is going through...a very bad time, Alcina. Eventually she won't be crying in her sleep," he said.
Alcina grew quiet, looking down at her feet while sniffling. He could only imagine what this must be like for such a small human.
"The others say the same things. Do you know why Terra's so sad? Do you...know where my Mama, Papa, and sisters are?" Alcina asked, taking a cautious step forward. Her shoulders were trembling as she looked up at him. Did he want to tell her the truth and make her cry or did he want to lie to her and make her all the more confused? She had to know sooner or later.
"I know where they are, little one. I...don't think you'll like what I'm about to tell you," he said while getting up to lower himself to be at her level. He carefully reached out to her, pausing when she gasped and hid her face in her hands.
"I won't hurt you, Alcina. You...can trust me," he murmured while carefully scooping up the child in his claws. Alcina didn't dare move while peeking at him from between her fingers.
"Ms. Arcee says you're dangerous...Do you eat little girls?" Alcina asked. Starscream wanted to laugh at such a question, but he held back the urge and just rolled his optics in annoyance. Arcee filling the child's head with all sorts of lies was typical of such a grudge-holding Autobot.
"No, I wouldn't dare harm you or your sisters. Whatever Arcee told you about me is wrong...mostly because she's jealous that she'll never be as great as me," he crowed as he went to sit back down on the stool. Alcina pulled her hands away from her face, looking a little less terrified of him as she let out a tiny adorable giggle. It was going to be a shame to break the news and no longer be able to hear such a cute sound from her.
"Ah, what were you going to tell me again?" Alcina asked once she was done giggling.
"I was going to tell you about your parents and your sisters," Starscream replied solemnly. Her expression quickly went back to a worried look.
"What happened?" She asked, wrapping her tiny hand around one of his claws. Starscream thought about the best way to tell her without making her cry and waking up anyone in the base.
"Alcina, there's a horrible creature out there named Megatron. Terra...she made him angry and he tried to hurt her. I became friends with her and I...helped her escape. This made Megatron very angry and he tried to hurt her by...kidnapping your family," he explained. Alcina listened intently, her greenish blue eyes wide with confusion.
"I saw them kidnap my mama, papa, and my sisters. They blew up our house, but I got away because I'm fast," she said.
"I'm sure you were quite fast, Alcina. It's good that you got away because if you were taken you would have been...hurt like the others," Starscream replied. He swore he heard footsteps coming from the main hallway, but when he paused to listen, he heard and saw nothing.
"Did...they get hurt?" Alcina asked.
"They did, Alcina. They were hurt very badly which is why they're not here. They can't be here for a...long time," he said. Alcina looked up at him in confusion.
"But they'll get better eventually, right? People always get better after getting hurt," she said, looking up at him hopefully. Starscream frowned again with another sigh. He cursed Megatron internally for bringing such pain and confusion for Terra and her family.
"I...don't know when they'll be better, little one. Their injuries were very serious. Only time will tell and hopefully you will...be able to see them in the future," he lied, pulling the child close to his chest. Alcina grew quiet once again as she rested her tiny head against the spot above his spark chamber. Hopefully she wouldn't ask any more pressing questions.
"I miss them," Alcina whispered. Starscream didn't say anything except hum a gentle tune that he was sure would help the child sleep. He had seen Terra do this some nights when he looked into their room. The child would fall asleep rather quickly as Terra held her. Surely he could do something like this.
"Sleep now. Perhaps you'll see them in your dreams," Starscream muttered as he covered her body with a single servo. The child was quiet, breathing softly. He felt...odd. He had done many odd things since abandoning the Decepticon cause, but this felt the oddest. He didn't think he was the type to be gentle with such small humans, but here he was now.
He looked down at Alcina who slept soundly despite the sorrowful expression on her face. It was going to pain him and everyone else when she would find out what really happened to her family. For now, gentle lies would ease the child.
Terra groaned, opening her eyes. She just couldn't sleep tonight. She moved her arm to pull Alcina closer to her and froze when she didn't feel her little sister next to her. She gasped softly and sat up in her bed, looking around in a panic. Bela was fast asleep across the room. Nothing seemed out of place at the moment despite her panic.
"They didn't attack. She's probably walking around," she whispered as she wiped her eyes and got out of bed. She looked at a nearby clock and saw that it was past midnight. She groaned, stretching her arms some. Alcina was probably getting into some sort of trouble if the Autobots had turned down for the night as well.
She walked out of the room and took in her surroundings as she walked down the hallway. It felt much bigger and longer than usual.
Once she saw the entrance to the main chamber, she heard a familiar hum that filled the air. She cocked her head in confusion and slowed down, looking around the edge of the giant doorway. What she saw warmed her heart.
Starscream was seated on a stool, holding a sleeping Alcina close to his chest while humming to himself. He looked down at her sister fondly, his optics half-lidded as he ran a claw through her short hair. Terra could see a faint smile on Alcina's lips. It was such a sweet sight. Alcina looked so calm. She wished she had grabbed her phone to take a picture, but she was sure Starscream would protest if she did that.
She stepped forward, alerting Starscream to her presence as he looked over. He appeared nervous at first, but immediately relaxed upon seeing her.
"How sweet. Was she bothering you any?" She asked while walking over to him, smiling tiredly.
"No. She was just being a curious little thing, but I was able to answer any questions she had. Are...How are you feeling? Alcina said you were crying in your sleep again," Starscream replied, covering Alcina's whole body with a single hand. Terra let out a soft sigh. She wanted to lie, but there was no use to it. Her nightmares had been getting worse since the day Alcina and Bela were rescued.
"I feel...awful. I keep having terrible dreams and they just keep getting worse and...and I don't know what to do," she said, feeling tears well up in her eyes which she wiped away. She had been going to a trauma therapist to talk about her feelings and experience, but just talking to that woman didn't feel like it was working. Sure, the therapist was from the government and she didn't have to hide anything about the Autobots or the Decepticons, but she couldn't help but feel the woman didn't understand her.
"You're still in deep mourning, Terra. The pain will go away in time, but for now you must focus on yourself. You might have to talk with that nurse who's here often...or Ratchet if you still feel so bad," Starscream said. She was sure talking with Ratchet would get her nowhere. Ms. Darby was a different story though. Perhaps she could help her some.
Terra rubbed her eyes tiredly, feeling tired, but not wanting to sleep just yet. Maybe spending some time cuddling and laying with Starscream could help her get some rest.
"Let's...put Alcina back to bed and we can go to your quarters and rest," she suggested.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea, little bird," Starscream crowed as he stood up. He glanced down at Alcina resting in his claws and smiled fondly at her.
"She's a sweet thing. It's gonna be tragic when she figures out what really happened to her parents," he murmured as he began walking toward the main hallway. Terra didn't say anything. She agreed with him and she didn't look forward to that day.
They got to her room where Bela was still fast asleep with a frown on her face. She could only imagine what it was like for Bela. She witnessed their parents dying horribly firsthand and probably saw other horrific things while trapped on the Nemesis.
Starscream went over to Terra's bed and carefully placed Alcina on it, covering her body with a blanket. He nodded in content and looked around at Terra.
"Let's go, little bird," he whispered while going over to Terra and crouching before her with a hand outstretched. Terra smiled back at him and clambered on, holding on to a claw as she was raised to chest level. She rested her head against his now glowing chest and listened to the sounds his body made as he walked out of the room and to his quarters. She was beyond glad she had him for much needed love and support during such an awful time.
"Is there anything I can do to assist you, Terra?" Starscream asked once he walked into his dark quarters. A dim light came on, illuminating his berth. Terra thought for a moment as he walked over and sat down on the berth, pulling her closer to his glowing chest. There was a lot he could do for her, but she wasn't sure if now was the time for certain things.
"Can...Can you become smaller so I can...hold you?" She asked, feeling her cheeks grow warm from blushing. She wanted to be closer to him.
"As you wish, my love," he purred before closing his optics. Terra let out a surprised grunt when he began to change form around her. She thought she had grown used to him changing form, but it still caught her off guard. She wrapped her arms around his neck and found herself sitting in his lap once he was done growing smaller. Starscream smirked at her expression and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Better?" He asked.
"Much better," Terra replied, smiling sweetly up at him before moving to better rest her head against his chest. She closed her eyes with a soft sigh when she heard the wonderful sounds his body made from within as he shifted into a comfortable position.
"Is there anything else I can do for you, Terra?" Starscream asked, running a few gentle claws through her hair.
"I just…need some sleep...in your arms," Terra admitted. If she slept with him, then maybe she would get an actual good night's rest.
"I can help you with that, Terra. You get as much rest as you possibly can and I'll make sure nothing happens to you," Starscream replied before planting a kiss on her forehead. Terra smiled in response and grabbed a nearby blanket to cover herself.
"Can you tell me more about the stars?" She asked. Starscream smirked in response and gave her a gentle squeeze.
"Of course, little bird," he crowed. He paused for a moment before it looked like he had thought of something to tell her.
Terra half listened to him as he told her about the vast star systems he had seen in his many travels through space. She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to explore space with him. It would be wonderful, but she would have to stay within a spaceship or be in a suit most of the time. A smile grew on her lips as she thought of him carrying her through the stars. Someday, that would happen.
Terra noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and saw what looked like a twisted figure in the darkest part of the room. She shivered and closed her eyes, trying her hardest to focus on what Starscream was telling her. She wouldn't let that thing scare her anymore.
"You must see," that voice whispered in her ear as she slowly drifted off to sleep.
Terra awoke to find herself in a completely different room. The early morning sun flooded the strange room she was in, bathing it in a golden glow.
"This has to be a dream," she thought. Where was she though? This place didn't look familiar at all.
Terra groaned and brought a hand to her now aching head. She froze when she noticed that her hand wasn't hers.
"What's going on?" She asked in a voice that she had only heard in her dreams.
As if on cue, the body she was in got out of bed and stretched briefly before walking by a mirror. The woman in the mirror looked a lot like the one she had been seeing, but not horribly twisted. She looked so much like herself, but only with slightly shorter hair, blue eyes, and a bit taller. The not-her brought a hand to her face with a smile before turning to walk out of her bedroom. Terra looked to the side and saw a vast desert outside of the window. Was this Nevada?
"Let's get the day started," the woman chimed as she walked into the kitchen and started making a cup of coffee. Her mind was racing, trying to figure out what the hell was going on before her blood suddenly ran cold. This was the day Starscream brought this other woman as her replacement. Terra felt numb as she let the woman go about her morning. This was going to be bad. Very bad.
Once the woman had made her cup of coffee, she took a sip and went to the front door of her home. She walked out onto a porch and sat down in a rocking chair with a content sigh. Terra took in her surroundings and noticed all the plantlife on her porch. All sorts of flowers and cacti decorated the porch, making it stand out from the surrounding desert.
"It's gonna be a good day, Marie," the woman chimed, slowly rocking back and forth in her chair while sipping the delicious coffee. When was it going to happen? Terra felt like she wanted to pass out. She didn't want to see this. She didn't want to see what would happen next. She knew that Starscream did this to protect her, but she didn't want to experience it. What was Marie trying to do by showing her this? Was she trying to ruin things between her and Starscream?
Terra's thoughts were interrupted when a low roar filled the air. Marie frowned and stood up, walking out into the morning sun. Shading her eyes with a hand, she looked up at the sky. A familiar jet was seen flying in the distance and picking up speed in her direction. It was about to happen. There was nothing Terra could do now but watch helplessly.
"What is that?" Marie asked.
The jet flew faster and faster before suddenly stopping a distance from the house, sending sand and dust flying all over the place. Marie coughed, dropping her mug as she tried to cover her face with a cry. The familiar sound of transformation filled the air as the sand and dust began to settle.
Some sand had got in her eyes, making her rub at them and become unaware of the ground shaking.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? Is this some kind of government test? This is a civilian area!" Marie exclaimed, opening her eyes. A sinister chuckle filled the air as she looked up at Starscream who was crouched before her with a cruel smile.
"Yes, you will do nicely," he purred before quickly grabbing Marie before she could make a move. Marie let out a horrified scream as Starscream turned and jumped into the air, transforming around her. Terra wanted to close her eyes. This was just a nightmare. A horrible nightmare. She wanted to wake up now. She would wake up and be safe in his arms. This wasn't him anymore. This wasn't going to make her change her feelings about him.
Marie cried and screamed while banging her hands against the glass of his cockpit. Starscream growled and restraints wrapped around her arms and legs, keeping her in place. Marie continued to scream a horrible scream as she struggled against her restraints. It felt like her heart was trying to escape her chest now.
"Not much longer, wretch," Starscream's voice said.
Marie began to curse and scream some more before resorting to crying her eyes out. This made Starscream laugh wickedly.
It wasn't long before Starscream began to slow down and transformed again, letting Marie drop to the ground. Terra looked around in a panic and saw that they were on top of a cliff. Not good. She already knew what Starscream was going to do here.
"Why are you doing this?" Marie questioned, looking behind her and seeing the huge drop. Terra only hoped she died quickly after this. Surely, Starscream told her the truth about her dying quickly.
"It's nothing too personal, human. I'm just helping out a dear friend of mine," Starscream replied as he bent down to pick her up. Marie tried hitting his hand, but let out a pained cry upon hitting metal.
"Hush, it'll all be over very soon," Starscream purred as he stepped closer to the edge. Marie looked down and let out a whimper as she struggled weakly in his grip. Terra had enough of this. She had to wake up now, but she couldn't.
"Don't do this. I…I have family who'll be missing me," Marie pleaded, but it was obvious Starscream wasn't listening to her as he rolled his optics at her.
"Have a lovely fall," Starscream said as he dropped her. Marie let out a scream that sounded incredibly animalistic. Terra felt sick to her stomach as she watched the ground get closer and closer. It felt so far away, but so close. She could only hope that Starscream didn't do anything else to Marie and that Marie died on impact.
Marie fell onto the ground and Terror immediately found herself standing next to her body, breathing heavily. It felt so real and so...terrifying. Terra looked at Marie's crumbled body and felt like vomiting.
Terra heard Starscream flying down and looked up to see him coming down to land across from her. His smile was wide and horrible as he crouched down to push Marie onto her back. Terra had to look away in disgust.
"Perfect. Let's bring you back to Megatron," Starscream crowed while picking up Marie's limp body. Terra watched him turn and walk away. She had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach as she watched him take off.
"Why did you show me this, Marie?" Terra muttered as everything began to melt away around her, leaving her in darkness. There was no response as everything got darker.
Terra groaned as she forced her eyes open. She found herself face to face with Starscream who was fast asleep with a pleasant smile on his faceplates. He had moved so that they laid next to each other with her held protectively in his arms. She let out a sigh and rested her head on his chest.
"He did it to protect me. He wouldn't dare do something like that again," she whispered to herself. Was she right about that? Surely he wouldn't harm an innocent person again. If he didn't kill Marie, she would be in danger still, but she still didn't deserve to die. Thinking about all this made her head hurt. It was all so confusing.
"It's in the past. Focus on the now, hon. Things will get better," she murmured while wrapping her arms around Starscream. A soft purr emanated from him as he pulled her closer. She put on a smile and kissed his cheek before getting comfortable. She was safe with him now and things would eventually get better for everyone.