Massive thanks to my dear sweet Beta Bee, to my readers, and my reviewers. Hint hint.

Chapter 164 - Plotting and Acclimating

(MnPOV)

One orn. It was official. Megatron's sixth in command, the only bot that had chosen his place in the hierarchy of Decepticon ranks, and had rarely, if ever had to defend that ranking, was gone.

He'd felt his weakling brother strip him of his title, and Soundwave had been on the receiving end of his wrath to that effect. That had been a mistake. Soundwave had been his most loyal officer.

Even when the pathetic little Starscream had fallen beneath that Femme's Siren call, Soundwave had been there, pulling him from the rubble, tending his wounds and getting him out of the battle zone upon their loss. But regardless of that loyalty, Soundwave had felt the brunt of his wrath.

Then he'd gone into recharge. Everyone needed to recharge eventually.

In theory, Soundwave would have been too injured to make his escape. His spark-chamber having received a deep dent, and his protoform leaking energon from several gashes. Megatron had been counting on that. He'd needed time, and he'd needed a clear processor to devise some way to keep that mech under his control! Soundwave was instrumental! The optics, auditory receptors and battle-computer of the Decepticon forces! It had been Soundwave advising him on his greatest triumphs! Given him the tactics necessary for the large-scale assaults, the plans of action for battles that had initially won him the wars!

Now, Shockwave was feeling the brunt of his wrath, he'd ordered the pathetic scientist to watch Soundwave. Even if he'd needed to slag the loyal Soundwave once more and give Shockwave full access to the mech's memories again.

He needed that mech. And the mech was gone.

Megatron afforded another kick to Shockwave's torso before he turned away, sitting on his rough bench with a scowl. As much as it relieved his temper to beat his subordinates, it was distracting. And in this moment, he needed his processors clear of distractions.

Because he needed a plan. He needed Soundwave back. The Decepticon forces were badly crippled, he needed to contact the forces that he'd held in reserve at Soundwave's suggestion. It rankled his spark deeply to admit just how instrumental Soundwave was.

But Soundwave had been correct, unfortunately, to win this new battle he needed the element of surprise. His aerial forces were answering to their elder. He needed to discredit that elder, kill him. Once the elder seeker was eliminated Starscream would return to him. Of that he had no doubt. He needed to eliminate Optimus, take the gorgeous femme for a force-bond mate. No doubt where she went Sentinel would follow. He needed Sentinel's bridge. The Femme's inexplicable charisma. He would enjoy breaking her.

However, in order to bring his forces to win this battle he needed to call them. Calculate where to strike, the timing of the strikes... in all of this he needed Soundwave.

Therefore, the first step would be to capture that mech, alive, and destroy the coding responsible for his unwavering loyalty to the High Protectorate.

(LPOV)

Lena took a deep breath and sighed happily.

She was completely cocooned by her Jolt, his spark-chamber beneath her, and his hand resting protectively above. It had been a remarkably calm few weeks.

If of course, you didn't count Soundwave taking up residence in the quarters next to Jolt's. That had been freaky for a little while. Or of course the fact that the Brotherhood of Man had taken up residence in the front of Sentinel's symposium.

Mind, Soundwave was apparently one of the much lesser evils of Decepticon kind, there had been any number of bots stating that Soundwave had helped them at some point, even if it had simply been to not fire the killing shot. Brains especially, the drone was a massive supporter of the mech.

He was quiet though, evidently having taken it to spark when Kae had informed him he was free to recharge for as long as he wanted.

The mech had slept for a week, so the first time Lena had seen him?

She'd been in the decon with Jolt, washing his armour just the way her bot loved it when Soundwave stepped in. He'd looked at them for a moment.

"Apologies." he stated in that weird monotone and made to step back out again.

"No!" Jolt had called out. "Come in, Soundwave, you are welcome here."

Soundwave nodded and walked in, settling on one of the berths on the other side of the decon.

"Ravage: Eject. Windrider: Eject..."

On and on until a half dozen comparatively tiny animal-looking bots sat around him.

Then, Soundwave had calmly begun washing each and every one of them.

That in itself had put him in Lena's good graces, because it wasn't until he'd finished caring for...

"Symbionts." Jolt had supplied patiently. Lena looked at him.

"Electric-bot: correct." Soundwave added.

"Are..." Lena prompted them both.

"Symbionts: Sparked drone bots sharing Soundwave's spark frequency and frame." Soundwave stated immediately. He finished washing the last one, allowing them to bask in the soft, warm blue light as he tended to his own frame.

"It means that they have a bond to him," Jolt added, humming as Lena continued washing his armour. "They live off of him, and remain within him a lot of the time, but they heed his command. Ravage alone is a force to be reckoned with."

"Electric-bot: Ravage appreciates compliment."

Jolt had grinned at the bot.

"I wanted a symbiont at one point, but they're generally considered to be more of a Decepticon thing," Jolt added with a low laugh.

Ravage had jumped down from his perch then, trotted over and jumped up.

Lena and Ravage had promptly begun staring at each other.

"Ravage inquiry: Electric-bot Femme Symbiont?" Soundwave stated.

"No, our sparks haven't bound yet, and she doesn't live in my frame. She'll have her own frame eventually." Jolt replied comfortably.

"Electric-bot Femme: still sparking."

"Not by human standards." Jolt snorted. "She's a fully grown human."

"Electric-bot Femme: still in hatchling frame."

"Huh, that's sort of true, isn't it," Jolt grinned at her.

"What?" Lena asked curiously.

"Well, when we upload you into a bot body, technically you'll be receiving your adult body like Kae did. So technically, your human body could be considered your hatchling frame. You know, your child's body, the one that your spark developed in."

"You're both weird." Lena informed the mechs in the room. Ravage began batting at her lightly, she was worried until she noted his claws retracted. So he was simply investigating her then.

But the weird thing, was when he turned to Soundwave and yowled, adding a few trills and clicks at the end.

"Ravage inquiry: what happened to Banshee Hawk Femme's wings?"

Lena scowled as her Jolt burst out laughing.

(WPOV)

Will stood at communications.

He was staring at Soundwave. He knew he was, but the point stood.

The mech still had his Decepticon insignias, he was hooked into the computers and rapidly scanning the frequencies.

It was weirding him out, and very obviously weirding out several of the techs. Because as quiet as Jolt had been? Soundwave made the auto-bot technician look like a fraggin' gossip!

The mech's eight hour shift was almost up, and Jolt strode in, Lena lounging on his shoulder as she always did.

Jolt looked around for a moment and snorted.

"Soundwave?"

"Electric-bot."

"You might want to consider getting your paintjob updated, the Decepticon insignias on your armour are weirding out the humans."

Soundwave looked at Jolt for a long moment and nodded.

"Suggestion: taken under advisement." Soundwave nodded.

"I'm here if you want to roll," Jolt grinned at the mech.

"Gratitude." Soundwave nodded again. "Colonel."

The purple mech turned and left communications.

"So... uh..." Will started with a small frown.

"Hang on a sec..." Jolt grinned at him, plugging into the computers. The tech promptly seemed to scan everything. "Yep, he's on our side, not so much as a spam virus in here."

Well, he'd take that.

"Now you're sure you don't mind me heading to the seminars?" Lena asked, seemingly again.

"I don't mind," Jolt smiled at her. "You shouldn't have to stay cooped up just because I'm on duty, my Lena."

Lena leaned over and pressed a kiss to Jolt's faceplates before saluting Will and sliding down the ladders, in a few moments she was gone.

"Wow, that's what, first time you've been separate?" Jerry grinned at the mech.

"She'll be fine, she's gonna be fine," Jolt murmured, more to himself than anything else.

"Okay, no bugging Jolt," Will snorted. Jolt looked up at him curiously. "God only knows it killed me every time I had to leave my Sarah behind."

Jolt smiled at him somewhat and settled onto his bench, his optics dimming as he took up scanning the frequencies again.

(SePOV)

"Sentinel?" a female voice called out. Sentinel recognized that voice.

"Technician Lena," he stated calmly, looking around and finally spying the femme moving toward him on light feet. He nodded to her as she came to stand just far enough away that he could see her properly.

"Would it be alright if I rode with you to the seminar?" the femme asked somewhat shyly.

Sentinel looked down at the femme with some surprise, she was the first to have asked him. Then, her name triggered a memory-response. She was attending his seminar in earnest, she was to be his student.

"You are to be my student during this set of lectures and the next, commuting together is logical," Sentinel nodded tolerantly, shrugging into his alt-form and opening his door for the femme.

The moment her hands touched his armour Sentinel recognized just how accustomed to Cybertronians the femme had become. Her touch was gentle, but neither was it tentative or ticklish.

"You have already learned well from your intended," Sentinel informed the femme patiently as she sat calmly in the passenger's seat, not so much as a ripple of a squirm coming from her frame.

"How so?" she asked curiously.

"Your touch is a learned one," Sentinel informed her, lightly getting into gear and making his way from the entrance bay. "Neither rough nor tentative."

"Oh. Thank you?"

"If you wish to show gratitude, why do you make it a question?"

"Because I am unsure if your previous statement is meant as a compliment."

"It was."

"Ah. Then thank you," the femme smiled at him.

"You are welcome."

Sentinel drove in silence for a time, and despite the comfort of the silence decided to begin a conversation with the femme. She was, after all, destined to become Cybertronian.

"What are your expectations of the seminar?" he asked calmly.

"Oh, like as not that it's going to be a set of mathematics that I'll barely grasp and beg Jolt to help me understand once we've returned to base." Lena replied cheerfully.

Sentinel snorted. He couldn't help it.

"You are more than welcome to ask me."

"I am?" Lena asked curiously. It was a genuine curiosity. Sentinel loved that tone.

"If I am to be your teacher you must ask the questions. There is no sense in teaching if the student cannot gain clarification from the instructor." Sentinel rumbled piously.

The grin on the technician femme's face was completely worth the fact that he was carrying a human from one place to another.

"Thank you!" the femme bubbled cheerfully. "I'm sorry that you might come to regret allowing me to ask questions though."

"Ah, you are one of those," Sentinel snorted. "The youngling that asks a million questions. Be forewarned, if you ask the question I expect you to listen to the answer, or I shall become quite cross."

"Oh absolutely sir!" Lena bubbled. "What the hell point is asking a question if you don't want to know the answer?"

Sentinel snorted.

"I invite you to explain that to the young 'Chevy' twins," he rumbled cheerfully.

It was the human femme's turn to snort.

"Good luck explaining anything to those two. Unless you're Ratchet telling them how to put each other back together again." Lena chuckled. "Not even Optimus with his lightyears of patience seems to manage to get through those thick helms of theirs."

Silence reigned between the two of them for a moment. Sentinel onlined his holoform to look fully at the femme biting her lip in his passenger seat.

That lasted all of a minute.

By the time they two reached Sentinel's lecture hall, they were howling with laughter.

Sentinel pulled up to the building and parked for a moment.

"Game faces?" Lena asked brightly.

"Game face?" Sentinel asked curiously.

"You know, when you walk around with a straight face and calm demeanour when you're still wanting to burst out laughing at something or tease somebody." Lena grinned at him.

"Ah," Sentinel nodded. He paused for a moment. "Game faces until we are on the road once more?"

"You got yourself a deal Prime," Lena grinned at him.

Sentinel grinned then straightened his holoform's face, Lena matching him perfectly. She climbed out of his cab and stepped back, waiting patiently for him to transform.

Ratchet strode toward him, the medic taking his turn in being his second controlling the mindspace. Sentinel nodded to the mech and led the way into the central. He had to bite back a smile as Lena settled into the human sized chair closest to him. Admittedly, the finish of his seminars for the day were something of a let down, because gone were the five hundred... okay, four hundred and fifty minds hungering for knowledge – the other fifty were often there with closed minds – to teach.

Except now? Now he was going to have one of his students returning with him.

And no doubt she would be peppering him with questions the entire way.

Excellent.

(MPOV)

Soundwave was following me, and I had absolutely no idea why.

We'd sorted out his schedule, he and Jolt were our primary communications officers now, with another bot taking a turn to fill in the final eight hours of the day. Soundwave was on his leisure time now.

But Soundwave was following me around, a shadow on my right. And I had absolutely no idea why.

"Is there something that you need, Soundwave?" I asked for the umpteenth time.

"Negative."

"Something that you want?"

"Negative."

"Then why are you following me around?" I asked in exasperation.

Soundwave just shot me what I was certain was his version of an amused look.

I made it to the Med-bay and settled onto my bench, quite ready to begin my med-bay shift.

Soundwave stood behind me.

Optimus was the only one capable of doing that without my back itching.

"This is your leisure time, Soundwave, don't you have something better to do?" I finally asked, fighting to keep the waspish tone out of my voice.

"Negative."

"Wouldn't you rather find something better or more interesting than standing behind me?" I gritted out.

"Negative."

I buried my face in my hands.

"Well could you at least cease standing behind me?" I demanded irritably. "There's only one person in the universe capable of doing that without making me antsy."

Wordlessly, Soundwave shifted to stand behind and to the side, well in my peripheral vision. I turned to look at him fully.

"Is there some piece of information within being the High Protector that I'm missing to account for you being behind me?" I demanded flatly.

"Negative."

"Are you going to tell me why you're hovering over me?"

"Negative."

"You're having fun making me guess, aren't you."

"Affirmative."

I glared at him, he simply stood, looking completely unfazed.

"You're testing the limits to see how irritated I need to be before you get smacked. Aren't you."

"Affirmative."

"It never occurred to you to simply ask one of the other bots what my tells are?"

"Affirmative. Reasoning: Femme Prime tolerance levels vary between bots."

I sat and struggled to not pout. I failed.

"Will you quit it if I state truthfully that I have a three strike system?"

Silence.

"Define."

"You insult me once, I inform you of it. Do it a second time I inform you firmly. It's not until you perform said action a third time that I resort to physical violence. You're going to be standing around for a long time before I hit you Soundwave."

Silence.

Soundwave strode to the bench beside my work table and sat, evidently processing that.

Well, at least he wasn't hovering over me. I got down to some serious servo-work, patiently building Lena's blank form. Ratchet and I were almost finished, Lena's blank form wasn't precisely blank, however. According to my Optimus, my bodily appearance in the mindspace had been damn near spot on to how I had been cast, so we were using Lena's form in the mindspace as a template.

Spark size was a simple thing to measure, we were fairly certain of her eventual physical size, all that needed doing was the fabrication of her blank form. Her spark hadn't begun consuming her body yet, it was simply existing, seeming to have plateaued for the moment.

Ratchet wasn't fooled. He was insistent on getting the blank-form finished well ahead of chance, to be perfectly honest? I was right there beside him.

"Verdict: Femme Prime highly tolerable to serve."

"Why thank you, Soundwave," I murmured in amusement.

"Request: provide assignment in creation of blank form."

I looked up at the mech in surprise.

"Soundwave: build and rebuild symbiont frames and spark-chambers. Result: Highly proficient in fabrication of Cybertronian frames."

I pursed my lip-plates slightly, Soundwave wasn't really in the loop when it came to the template of Lena's frame. However...

"Spark-chambers rarely vary in construction," I mused aloud.

"Spark-chamber: size variance only." Soundwave nodded. "Medic Ratchet: Welcome to examine work."

That'd do just fine for me.

"Thank you," I smiled at Soundwave. "Could you put a forty-rell chamber together for us?"

"Recipient: Banshee Hawk Femme." Soundwave stated, rising and striding to the materials wall and collecting what he obviously considered would be necessary.

"Yes," I nodded.

"Banshee Hawk Femme: Forty-six-rell spark. Solution: Size transformable chamber."

"You realize you're more the expert on Spark-chambers than I, yes?" I asked in amusement, beginning to thread together the blank-form's hands.

"Probability: Ninety-three percent."

"Where does the other seven factor in?" I asked in amusement.

"Femme Prime: host of All-spark. Knowledge of Sparks: inherent."

"You know just because I'm the host of the All-spark doesn't mean every byte of her knowledge is available to my processors." I stated wryly.

"Affirmative."

I looked up at him curiously.

"All-spark knowledge: fifteen million vorn in excess. Full processor download result: backlog."

"Very true." I snorted in amusement, I turned and got back to work on the hands. We worked in silence for a few hours. Admittedly, working with Soundwave in the room was remarkably peaceful.

"Inquiry." Soundwave stated.

"Hmn?" I looked up at him.

"All-spark knowledge. Soundwave spark-mate?"

That was a bit confusing.

"You're asking..." I trailed off with a frown.

"Inquiry: All-spark knowledge. Existence: Soundwave spark-mate."

My hands froze on my project. I turned and looked at the mech. His hands hadn't stilled on the project. But the monotone manner that he spoke... it didn't matter that that was the way he always spoke, it still tore at my spark a little.

"You want to know if there's somebot out there for you," I murmured softly.

Soundwave nodded.

"There's a spark-mate out there for each and every one of us," I informed the mech gently. "Finding them simply takes time. If you're particularly impatient though, I would enlist the aid of Bumblebee."

"Bee-bot: Scout."

"He's a full scout, yes," I nodded gently. "If you have seen your spark-mate, like as not he'll follow the thread for you." In counterpart, I commed Bee, asking if he'd come to the Med-bay.

In a matter of minutes, my little brother was transforming and grinning at me. I couldn't help but smile at him.

"Do I getta find another spark-mate?" my little brother demanded with a broad grin.

I looked at him with surprise this time.

"That's the same tone you used when Optimus asked me to confirm the thread 'tween Lena and Jolt," Bee grinned broadly. "And that surprise on your face totally confirms it, now who am I gonna go find?"

I drew his optics to Soundwave's working form again.

"Does he know that?" Bee asked quietly, settling onto my bench and cuddling against my side.

"Affirmative." Soundwave murmured. Bumblebee grinned and bounced back to his pedes again, immediately striding to Soundwave and half-glaring at his chest.

"Well, no thread yet," my little brother mused. Soundwave actually sagged. Visibly.

"Quit that," Bee snorted. "Means you haven't come within three units of your spark-mate yet." He promptly stuck his head against Soundwave's chest-plates for a moment and pulled back. "Answer me honest, some time ago, did you feel a wrench, a pull, some inexplicable bit of pain in your spark, and then a little while later you felt happy again, even just the littlest bit?"

Soundwave stared at my little brother, and after a moment, nodded.

"How long ago?"

"Clarify."

"How long ago did you feel the little bit of happiness again?" my brother asked intently.

"Reasoning."

"It narrows down the search one spark-mate found on earth is one pit of a coincidence two and something's guiding our re-born spark-mates to earth." Bee stated intently. I watched him with some amount of surprise, I'd never seen him so focused, or rather, I'd never seen him enjoy such a level of focus. Nothing but enjoyment got him talking that fast.

"... Joysurge: Point three vorn."

"So they're gonna be around twenty five years old," Bumblebee grinned. "Catcha later I got some researchin' to do."

I watched in amusement as Bee promptly bounced out of the med-bay. He turned left, obviously going straight for communications central.

I turned and looked at Soundwave and damn near fell off of my workbench.

His visor had receded, and soft, fragging gentle blue optics! stared back at me in astonishment.

"Bee-bot: find Spark-mate."

"Pretty good chance of it, yes," I nodded.

"Inquiry: Why."

"You asked," I shrugged, I shot an impish grin at him and turned back to my work on Lena's hands