Chapter 119 – The Prime Sparks
(OPOV)
Her spark-father, Ratchet guided Kae to her place and backed off a few paces to stand with her. Optimus glanced around at his unit as they watched the ones they surrounded.
Kae stood demurely in front of him, her armour shining and optics lowered humbly. Optimus straightened with pride that this exquisite Femme had chosen him. Chosen him. Not Prime, not the warrior he had to be. Him.
Ironhide began speaking, naming their titles. Optimus barely heard him, all he could see was Archangel Prime, Kae, his Kae. The exquisite Femme who'd chosen him. Ratchet and Prowl were standing as their speakers, their guides as Ironhide demanded the names of any naysayer, it was a tribute to the weapons specialist's restraint that he wasn't delivering an ultimatum of precisely what would happen to the naysayers. The gentle amusement in Kae's optics showed that she'd caught that just as plainly.
Prowl stepped forward and spoke the reason and command.
Kae followed his lead immediately, shrugging out of her armour and kneeling so that their sparks were on a level.
Optimus gazed at the perfection of his Kae, thinking self-consciously of the scars that riddled his frame, normally concealed by his armour. But Kae just looked at him with love, her optics seeming to drink him in.
"A bonding of sparks is a precious moment," Ratchet stated in a gentle tone, walking to stand beside them, the spark-father of his Kae reached over and laid a gentle hand on their shoulders, Optimus felt a new surge of honoured pride. In his own, gentle way, Ratchet was giving Optimus his daughter. "But realize that what is done cannot be undone until the moment you stand at the entrance to the Well of All-sparks."
Never, Optimus thought, he would never willingly let his Kae go.
"Love each other, support and respect each other, remain bonded individuals and grow together. Optimus, do you wish to control your reliant?" Ratchet finished calmly.
"I have no desire to overlay my Kae's personality," Optimus rumbled seriously, gazing at his Kae with love in his optics.
"Archangel, do you wish to dominate your guardian?" Prowl asked calmly.
"I have no wish to endanger my Optimus, body or spark." Mikaela stated gravely.
"Does anyone object to this binding?" Ironhide asked again, "speak now, or forever hold your silence," the weapons master commanded.
With joy, Optimus listened to the silence as the bots circled he and his Kae.
Every bot moved to encircle the Primes in silence. The humans moving to solidify the circle as Bumblebee ushered them forward. Ratchet and Prowl remained beside them.
"Bind your bodies," Prowl commanded gently, "accept each other, both your virtues and your flaws. Decide your dominant."
Optimus held his hands out, palm up in deference to his Kae and watched in shock as she did the same.
::. You outrank me.:: he sent to her ::. Take the dominant.::
She simply smiled at him, the gentle, loving smile that had stolen his spark. He watched in shock as she laid her left over his right, and gently turned his left to rest upon her right. Her optics glowed softly, and he knew that she would stand any down that would defy her decision.
Her chamber split open in front of him, and he copied her instantly, truly viewing for the first time her unguarded soul, and reaching toward it with his own.
Kae's spark reached for his, touching his delicately.
~How?~ she whispered to him, her spark caressing his.
~Like this, my Kae~ Optimus murmured, twining himself around and through her. She copied his actions easily, and Optimus felt a brand new surge of joy, both his own and his Kae's. Twined together absolutely, he felt her. Her love, her joy, her belief in him, and a touch of smugness, not of capturing him, but of knowing.
Know what?~ he asked in gentle amusement.
He felt her smile as she showed him her impressions, her memories, both as a human and as an Auto-bot. Memories of him.
He watched himself pull up, the knowledge that the Camaro... Bumblebee was behind her, a search and rescue hummer, a solstice, and a topkick following, converging on them. He watched himself transforming in front of her, and watched in awe as she memorized the details of him.
In her eyes he had been enormous, powerful, she had recognized that logically, she should be terrified. But the next thing she had seen was his optics, she had listened to the soft hum of his spark, and had read kindness in his eyes.
~From that moment, you had my trust, beloved~ she whispered to him. ~I felt your kindness, your worthiness, your love resonate in my soul from the moment I saw you. I wanted you. My joy, you prove me right, that you are whom I believe you to be, the one that I will joyfully stand beside to the end of days~
Optimus was dead, he was certain of it as he felt the connection settle gently into place, a warmth and richness, filling a place that had been empty far too long. Kae's amused assertion that they would not need bodies if they were dead gave him a fresh surge of delight as she practically cuddled the part of him that would eternally reside within her.
Optimus guided his Kae to re-enter her chamber, instantly soothing the shot of terrified panic that enveloped her at the thought of losing the connection.
~Nothing will ever separate us~ he soothed her gently ~Go back to your body and get your armour~ he added with a teasing caress.
Kae read his intentions and smiled, delicately releasing his spark and closing her chamber.
~You can still hear me~ Optimus murmured gently, his arms drifting up to ensnare his exquisite femme ~Whether we are less than a nanite apart or a thousand worlds away, you have but to reach for me, and I will always be here~
They rose together, and summoned their armour.
~A show of unity?~ Mikaela murmured with a low tone of amusement as she summoned her armour. ~I vote we stay less than a nanite apart for a few minutes~
His joy, his Kae turned her back to him and pressed tightly to his front, reaching up and accepting his binder cables into every coupling, shattering and integrating into him.
We straightened, and for the first time in the physical world we stood united absolutely, proud and strong as we.
(MPOV)
I felt his spark remain beside my own as we separated into two I's again. He remained, filling a hole that had ached for so long I had never noticed, my completion, my other half.
Optimus wound a gentle arm around my waist, I twined my fingers into his, content with his closeness as the unit cheered at us.
"Now if you'll excuse them," Ratchet smirked, "that is a binding long overdue it's consummation." Ironhide looked at the medic and promptly began laughing.
"Perhaps we should send them somewhere safe for that," he snorted.
"What's safer than here?" Barry called up curiously.
"Oh, not safe for them, safe for the building," Chromia piped up cheerfully. "These are nice, solid walls, it'd be a shame for them to fall over when Optimus gets excited."
I felt Optimus look around himself in mild indignation.
~It'd be rude for them to say I'd be the one breaking shit~I sent to him blandly. I could feel his laughter at the thought.
"Perhaps we should send 'em up in the Xantium, shoot 'em intae space fare a few days," Topspin called out with a smirk.
"No, we're going to need them on the ground in the event of an emergency," Barry piped up, "But I know of a nice little patch of mountains that they could hide away in for a few days," he grinned. "Think of it as my wedding gift to my god-daughter."
"Out in Montana!?" I squeaked, I couldn't help it. I loved that spot.
"Go have fun at Thirsty Lake," Barry grinned, "I'll go clear the airspace, nobody's there this month anyway."
I immediately onlined my holoform and caught Barry in an enormous hug.
"Barry you're the absolute best!" I grinned up at him.
"Go have fun baby Angel," he laughed gently, hugging the holoform. "I'll take care of your Liaison things personally while you're on your honeymoon."
"How do you intend on getting there?" Ironhide asked with a snort, "You're not exactly a graceful flier Optimus."
"Grab your flight deck anyway," I grinned, cutting the holoform and coiling myself around Optimus. My Optimus. "You take care of the driving, I'll take care of the flying?"
"At least until we are equals at the skill," Optimus rumbled, grinning down at his me.
"Only you can spin a donut with all ten tires on the ground," I snorted, stretching up to peck a kiss to my Optimus' jaw. "Showoff."
"And only you remember that," Optimus grinned, leaning down and catching my lips.
~We'd best get going ASAP, or we're not going to make it that far~ I added silently, feeling Optimus' agreement.
"Wait! You guys are going to turn into one plane?" Epps called out with a broad grin.
"Once we reach the runways," Optimus rumbled, releasing me, I quickly walked to the flight deck and lightly integrated myself into it, transforming into the trailer as Optimus folded into his truck form.
"I gotta see that plane!" Epps stated with a grin, soldiers began running toward vehicles.
"Yo fleshlin', yer wi' me!" Roadbuster called out with a snort, reaching out and lightly snaring Epps, cupping his hand but never touching him. "Ah don' have a holo yet."
"Yeah well what're you gonna be?" Epps called back. The wrecker snorted and transformed. "Oh shit, don't even bother with the 'form," Epps stated, staring at the machine gun laden stock car. "I'm friggen riding with you here on out."
"Guid, if I kin talk tae ya I don' have tae bother with the rest o' the dilly dallyin'. There's work what needs doin'!" Roadbuster snorted, opening his door for Epps.
It was a cheerful convoy that followed us to the airport. The banter flowed freely. Over the radio, I heard Will sigh somewhat as he rode with Bee.
"And why so great a sigh?" I asked in a gentle tone, onlining my holoform behind Will with Bee's permission. The Major jumped and turned to look at me.
"I never got the chance to have you teach me how to ride," Will shrugged, "Epps is tired of being shot at, I don't blame him really."
"He's a tech sarge," I shrugged, "Roadbuster seems to like him, we'll have Barry set him up running interference at NASA, and have him out for Christmas," I smiled. "And in the event you haven't noticed, I do have a holoform, you can have the bike you guys got me, I'll sort out a road vehicle when Optimus and I get back and we'll go for a drive. You're not getting rid of me that easily." I grinned at him, and Will began laughing.
"Yeah yeah, alright, just remember you still need to train me up a bit for the CIA stuff, now that you're not allowed to get involved in the dirty work without a ton of paperwork," Will snorted. I made my holoform pat his shoulder with a grin and offlined it.
~Which runway?~ Optimus murmured as he pulled me through the gates.
~We'll taxi to the runway that Chris clears for us~ I replied calmly ~For now, hit that open space there, give ourselves some room to work~
I could feel Optimus chuckling as he slowed to a graceful stop, gently disconnecting.
~Right, integrate to the flight deck, then we'll mesh and transform?~ I murmured with a small smile, calling my body together and disconnecting myself from the flight deck.
Optimus transformed along with me, pressing his hands into the deck and lifting it onto himself, I smiled and turned, pressing my back to him and splitting apart, integrating into we.
~You're better with flight, beloved~ he rumbled gently, I smiled and onlined an extra processor, drawing a multitude of schematics from memory and calculating the best shape configuration. Optimus smiled and ceded the control to me.
~Just because you always let me drive~ he rumbled with a snort.
I laughed and thought for another long moment before slowly transforming into an efficient hybrid between passenger jet and my own fighter generation.
~Are you alright?~ I asked my Optimus worriedly.
~This, is a shockingly comfortable form~ he rumbled with an amused snort, playing with the systems for a moment while I giggled. I took a glance at our interior and smirked as the resident air-force walked around us.
"Dude! Look what they did with the engines!" Epps shouted with a broad grin.
"Optimus, I swear to god, you gotta give us the specs for this one! When I win the lottery I want a plane like you guys!" Chance added.
~Shall we show off a bit?~ I murmured with a grin.
~Yes dear~ he laughed, I quickly constructed a lavish holoformatic interior and extended the ladders. Will was scrambling up the next moment.
"Kae, incredible decorating job," he moaned as Barry entered the cabin the next moment.
"If I wasn't terrified of suggesting it, I'd suggest inviting POTUS and the officials for a flight, can't get much more secure than a plane like this," Barry stated in a quiet, awed voice.
"Perhaps, once we have determined how well we fly," Optimus rumbled with a grin, onlining our holoforms together.
"Although I'm going to stipulate that we're refuelled properly," I added with a shrug. "No wanking in the bathroom, although if we're taking you and Sarah on another honeymoon I don't mind if you decide to join the mile high club, Will." I grinned at Will.
Will promptly flushed scarlet.
"I can't honestly decide if I'd be able to do that," he choked.
"Well, Sideswipe and Ironhide called dibbs babysitting Anabelle when you do," Optimus snorted, grinning at the Major.
"Can't get much safer than that, she'd never once be set down, would she?" Will laughed, "that's beside the point, you guys are gorgeous, we'll see you in what? Two weeks?"
I glanced at Optimus.
"Five days," he rumbled calmly, I nodded.
"Or sooner if something comes up," I added patiently.
"That's a bloody short honeymoon," Will frowned as the soldiers took turns boarding, gawping, shooting us the thumbs up and exiting.
"Physical consummation-" Optimus began.
"While immensely fun," I interjected with a small smile.
"-is not the most important thing in the universe," Optimus continued with a smile, pulling my holoform tightly into his.
"Our souls are bound for eternity," I stated contentedly, leaning against him.
"An eternity that I will gladly spend worshiping you," Optimus murmured, reaching up to cup my cheek.
"Which is our cue to leave them be," Barry grinned, clapping a hand on Will's shoulder. "Oh! I almost forgot, I came by to give you the heads up that the heads of state want to conference with you at some point in the next month to go over Earth's defence."
"We shall gladly speak to the heads at their convenience," Optimus rumbled placidly, I felt him glance at the calender I'd gotten into the habit of keeping. "Perhaps April second, I do not foresee any holidays or events then."
"I'll pipe it through," Barry grinned, already wandering toward the ladders behind Will.
The ladders closed, and Optimus spun my holoform around.
"Now where were we?" he rumbled with a smirk, gripping me firmly.
"Taking off and going to Montana," I grinned, "unless you were planning on just staying in the airport?"
"Mmm, today is a lesson in patience."
"And flying," I added, stretching to kiss his holoform's jaw, I opened the comm. "Control this is Prime, requesting permission to take off."
"Prime this is Control, please taxi to runway five," Jenny called out, "you are cleared for liftoff in ten minutes, and congratulations Archangel!" she added brightly.
"Thank you Jenny!" I trilled cheerfully, bringing our combined engines online and taxiing to the runway. "How's your son doing?"
"He's envious as all hell that I got to see you in person," Jenny giggled. "Another five feet and I've got a clear shot of you again, love the paint job by the way."
"Gorgeous isn't he?" I purred.
"Pure power, right there," Jenny agreed cheerfully, "bet he's a monster in the sack." she added wickedly.
"Oh you have no idea," I stated smugly.
"I can still hear you," Optimus rumbled with a snort.
"Oh shit!" Jenny called over. "I am so-"
"Do not worry about it," Optimus chuckled. "Although if I may interject something in confidence?"
"By all means," Jenny replied in an awed tone.
"I would proudly call myself a monster on our berth," Optimus rumbled with a smirk, "but for the fact that my Kae is a feral animal to put the title of monster to shame."
"ATTA GIRL!" Jenny shouted, "Whoops, Prime you are cleared for liftoff, have a nice honeymoon you two!" we could hear her grin as I powered our engines up, gauging our weight and accelerating rapidly into the air.
"You have friends everywhere," Optimus chuckled, caressing my spark with his own.
"But the most important one is less than a nanite away," I murmured, holding him tightly as we climbed into the air. I glanced down and laughed as Bumblebee transformed, waving frantically at us.
::. You alright little brother?.:: I sent over the comm.
::. Yep! Just waving goodbye to my big sister!.:: he chirped cheerfully.
I grinned and began to circle as we climbed.
"Ready?" I asked my Optimus with a grin, testing our combined frames and strengthening the minute weaknesses.
"For?" he rumbled in amusement.
"A little bit of fun," I stated cheerfully. He laughed as I directed our vector west, buzzing the airport with several rapid barrel rolls.
::. Chance says you two gotta take him flying when you get back.:: Bee sent over the primary with a grin.
::. Bring us up on speaker, please?.:: Optimus rumbled patiently.
::. Yes sir!.:: Bee grinned ::. You're live.::
::. Gentlemen.:: Optimus rumbled in amusement ::. We shall see you in five days, Auto-bots, at ease, don't scar the humans.::
::. No promises!.:: Flareup shouted, anyone could hear her grin.
I felt Optimus' desire for speed and blasted the engines, going supersonic in moments.
::. Supersonic passenger jet!.:: Chance's voice bellowed gleefully ::. Do want!.::
Optimus laughed as Bumblebee respectfully cut the feed.
"Now where were we?" he rumbled gleefully, reading our flight information.
"Enjoying yourself love?" I laughed.
"When you are controlling our vectors?" he grinned, "this is well and truly enjoyable."
I laughed and adjusted our direction slightly, settling in for the flight.
(OPOV)
Optimus grinned, enjoying the sheer freedom his Kae felt as they flew together. Her flight style was smooth, their frames meshed into a perfectly streamlined craft. He looked at the configurations again and noted with shock that she was barely testing them.
"Mach two through an atmosphere and you aren't even putting stress on our frame," he rumbled interestedly.
"Balancing the stress," she commented mildly. "I'm using the atmosphere."
Optimus couldn't help but grin, feeling her minutely changing the tilts of the wings to catch a bit of an updraft, pushing them higher. He felt like a youngling all over again, learning something so new to him, that felt as normal as cycling one's processors to his Kae.
"You know you still have to help me figure out my fighting style on the ground," Kae reminded him with amusement. He instantly felt better, and began tracing his Kae's information streams as she flew, fascinated by her style.
"Try," she whispered encouragingly, handing over the control one flap at a time.
Optimus carefully took the controls, grinning as his Kae handed over the last one and seemed to lean back, relaxing in their form as he flew.
He felt it firsthand now, the exhilaration of the atmosphere pushing him higher, counterbalanced against the gravitational forces of the planet. And closer, the exquisite feeling of having his Kae pressed so close, the comforting weight and strength of her form added to his own.
He looked down at the ground curiously and scanned the area.
"That pad right there," Mikaela murmured.
"That's a helipad!" Optimus rumbled indignantly. Mikaela laughed and gently touched the controls. Optimus ceded them curiously and began laughing as Kae tilted them back into a stall, their form transforming and landing lightly beside the pad.
"You missed!" a sole man bellowed up at them gleefully.
"Oh come on Gramp!" Kae called back with a laugh, delicately forming her own body and separating from Optimus as he called himself together.
"You honestly expect me to land twenty tons on your helipad and not crack it?" she grinned, kneeling down to the man's level.
"Always the courteous one, aren't you Angel," the man snorted, "anyway, I'm out of here, go have fun, don't crush my bunker."
"You got it, Gramp," Kae smiled.
"You kept your smile, good girl," the man rasped with a bright smile, patting Kae's cheek lightly before striding toward a small helicopter.
"You know you don't have to leave!" Mikaela called out in a worried tone.
"Oh don't say that!" Gramp called out cheerfully, "I'm going on vacation! Clean the mess up when you're finished and don't annoy Gouge!"
"Yes Gramp!" Kae trilled, standing and walking toward Optimus again. He was caught by her eyes again. Sparkling blue-green mischief. "What are your views on hiking?" she asked with a smirk.
"Hiking?" he rumbled, raising a brow ridge and lightly shrugging out of the flight deck.
"C'mon," Kae grinned, bouncing forward and grabbing his hand, she began drawing him along a rough road, more of a trail leading deeper into the mountains. With a smirk, Optimus took two quick paces and snared his Kae, her own pace bringing them down onto the road. In moments, Optimus was flat on his back, looking up at his Kae. She leaned down and feathered kisses along his neck struts, eliciting a moan from him before she was gone again.
"You coming?" she called out with a bright grin, already five paces ahead. Optimus rose and glanced around, then at his Kae as she continued to walk slowly enough for him to catch up easily.
"Get back here," he rumbled with a grin, striding after his spark mate. His bonded spark-mate. That was good for an absolutely euphoric spark flare.
"Just like that?" she called back cheerfully, picking up her pace. "You don't actually believe I'm just going to lie down without leading you on a chase first!"
She promptly spun and began running along the path.
Optimus ran after her, laughing as she continually glanced over her shoulder at him. The trees grew enormous around them, and still she kept running, climbing higher until she stopped dead where the trees gave way. His Kae turned around and watched him with a smile, lightly taking his hand as he surveyed the area.
Beautiful.
Water ran freely down an outcropping, and tiny, snow white flowers peeked out from the last of the snow clinging to the meadow.
"This was my favourite place to run to," Kae whispered, coiling herself around him. In moments, he had his arms around his Kae, holding her tightly.
"Now how do you intend to escape?" he rumbled softly into her auditory receptors.
"Who said I ever wanted to escape?" she murmured, turning in his arms to feather kisses across his shoulder.
Optimus leaned down slightly, catching her lips with his own.