Author's note. Here's a new chapter at long last, sorry for the long wait.
Got a question for everyone, originally I was going to have Megatron as all-out evil and have him remain like that but now I'm not sure. Would it be too cliché if the one to soften the Decepticon tyrant is Valour? So, what would people like to see, Megatron being as evil as ever or maybe softening just a bit so he's not as evil as before.
Suggestions are welcome.
Enjoy and please review.
"Let's go home," Optimus murmured after making sure both Blackarachnia and Valour were safe in his arms.
"I can't believe it, daddy," Valour said excitedly as he snuggled against the spider lady's breast. "You got your best friend back, Elita One's alive."
"Yes, she is," Optimus said softly although he knew she was only really alive in one sense of the word.
"I bet she'll want to stay forever once she's seen the base," Valour was now exclaiming as Optimus made his very careful way off the building. "And she'll fall in love with you, you can get married and have lots and lots of Sparklings..."
"Valour," Optimus said firmly but gently. "That is something for me and most importantly Elita to decide. It may be that we're not suitable as a Bonded couple and you must not pester her about it. But we're a long way from that, she's suffered a lot and I want us to be friends again before we even think about anything like that."
"Okay daddy," Valour sighed, disappointed that his daddy wasn't sharing his excitement. "But you are happy she's here?"
"I'm very happy she's here Valour but it's complicated," Optimus explained patiently. "The last time we were together, it didn't end very well as you heard. She's been alone for a long time and probably won't take kindly to being put to sleep."
"But we can make her happy here," Valour declared with Sparkling confidence. "Everyone will love having a Femme around; Sari says you need to have a balance."
"She's right," Optimus agreed with a chuckle. "If Elita agrees to stay, it will do everyone good. And I'm sure Sari would enjoy having a Femme friend around."
"Yeah," Valour said with a nod as he snuggled against the spider lady. "Daddy, can we carry on trick a treating?"
"You can with your uncles," Optimus said after a moment's thought. "I'll need to get back to the base with Ratchet."
"Great," the little Sparkling cheered, to him the night was still young and he had a lot more goodies to collect. After all, Halloween only came once a stellar cycle and the amount of sweets he got ended up lasting a very long time.
While Valour was mentally going over all the treats he wanted to collect, Optimus contacted the rest of his team.
"It's alright guys, I've recovered Valour."
There were cries of relief at this and Prowl said in a tight voice.
"What happened?"
"An old friend of mine turned up," Optimus said grimly. "But the situation is under control and Valour wants to continue trick a treating. If Ratchet will come back to the base, there's someone I want to introduce him to."
"Boss bot, who took Valour?" Bumblebee demanded hotly.
"Valour will explain but she's not a threat at the moment," Optimus replied prompting a stunned silence.
"This was a Femme?!" Bumblebee exploded in complete shock.
"It was," Optimus confirmed. "But not just any Femme, a Techno Organic."
"Like Sari is?" Bulkhead questioned.
"Ah, not quite," the Autobot leader said. "I will explain later, it's a bit complicated."
"But...?" Bumblebee began but Ratchet suddenly spoke over him.
"Enough, Prime'll tell us when there's time. Your job is to look after Sari and Valour and make sure they have a good time tonight. I'll be at the base Prime; I'll head there right now."
"Thank you," Optimus said gratefully. "Where are the rest of you?"
They told him and he headed in their direction, knowing that they were on their way. He looked down at the sleeping Femme and smiled slightly. He was happy that she was alive but also disappointed she had felt the need to join the Decepticons. Had they really been her only option? Did she embrace the entire Decepticon culture and beliefs or did she just work for the Cons?
These were questions he couldn't answer right now, only Elita could. He hoped she wouldn't be too angry with him but when it came to Valour, he would take no chances. For now, Elita would remain under his protection and watch even if she didn't like it. She probably wouldn't and he'd have to take precautions so that she didn't lash out.
"There they are," Valour squealed excitedly, as he saw his uncles' approach.
Optimus smiled, at least one problem was taken care of for now. Satisfying Valour's sweet tooth.
Sometime later
"Never seen anything like it," Ratchet grumbled as he examined the prone form of the sleeping Femme.
Optimus had to admit he'd never seen anything quite like her either. Her sleek black and purple form spoke of deadly power and the strange spikes and other spider's parts she had were very strange. The fact she had more than two optics was a tiny bit unsettling but Optimus still thought there was a beauty about her. If you looked close enough, you could see the old Elita One within her, making the Prime wonder if they could ever restore her.
Even if they couldn't, he wanted her to be his friend again, to show her he didn't care about her appearance. After all, it didn't bother his little son so why should he be bothered by it? As long as she was no threat to any of them, he couldn't care less about how she looked. Megatron had been good looking in his own way but he'd also been a brute and a cruel Mech.
"She was once a normal Femme," Optimus said softly. "An Autobot training to become a Prime. On our last mission together, we went to an organic planet...which was full of giant spiders."
Ratchet looked at him sharply.
"They did this?" he questioned, gesturing at her body.
"They did but we didn't know, we thought she had perished," Optimus replied bitterly. "She was left on that planet all alone and transformed into something she hated. Apparently the next bots to visit that world were Decepticons so she joined them."
The medic was staring hard at him; he knew his leader would never risk his little son by having a Decepticon around. So he must have some sort of idea in mind. Optimus saw him looking and said softly.
"I don't believe she will betray us, she knows what will happen to Valour if she does. She feels angry towards me but because of what has happened to me that angry is a lot...less than it should be. And because Valour has only responded positively towards her, she does not have any animosity towards him, only affection."
This caused the old Medic to smile.
"He's something special alright, that son of yours."
"He certainly is," Optimus said with a wide proud smile. It was sometimes hard to believe that Valour had been sired by a monster like Megatron but he had. And it proved to him that he had been right to take Valour away, for he was sure his son wouldn't be half the bot he was now.
"And maybe he can help heal Elita," he added softly.
"He's got as good a chance as any," Ratchet said with a nod. "Heck, probably a much better chance than most."
"Yeah," Optimus said with a chuckle as he now looked at Ratchet. "Is there any hope she can be transformed back?"
"I really don't know," Ratchet said sombrely. "Honestly, I'd say no, defiantly not with normal techniques. Pretty sure she'd have explored those anyway."
"What about with the AllSpark?" Optimus questioned softly. "It's a powerful object; we've seen its healing powers."
"For full transformers," Ratchet couldn't help but point out as he took another scan of Elita's body. "We've never tried using it on anything even remotely organic; it's not an artefact for organics. I can't say it definitely won't cure her but something tells me on its own, it won't help."
"But...?" the Autobot leader questioned.
"Well, I've studied a little of human medicine," the medic said thoughtfully. "When they are bitten by something venomous, they require an antidote made from the creature's venom. Now, this is just me thinking ahead but if it were possible to get hold of that venom, study it and maybe combine it with a small shard of the AllSpark or Sari's key...then she might have a chance."
"It sounds like a good possibility, Optimus said with a smile before glancing back down at Elita. "Hopefully, she'll give me enough time to explain that."
"Eh, you'll be alright," Ratchet said with a wave of his hand. "Just tell her what an idiot you are and how clever and right she is. That's what Femmes want to hear."
"I'll bare that in mind," Optimus chuckled.
"Why don't you take her to her room, there's not a lot else I can do," Ratchet now suggested as he offered his leader a cube stuffed with goodies. "Here, maybe these will sweeten her up."
Optimus took them with a slight shake of his head, he somehow didn't think they'd work but you never knew. After carefully placing the goodies in sub space, he bent down and scooped Elita into his arms. She twitched but didn't wake up for which he was grateful. If she was going to go crazy, he'd rather deal with it on his own.
"Can you take any calls?" Optimus asked the medic who nodded.
"And make sure the kids aren't home too late," Optimus added which made Ratchet grin.
"They'll be up all night anyway Optimus, with all that sugar and energy."
"Probably," the blue and red Mech conceded before carrying the unconscious Femme away.
It was actually two hours later by the time she started to really stir. Optimus was relaxing in a chair, reading a data pad and occasionally getting a comm. from Ratchet telling him everything was alright with Valour and the others. As always, Valour and Sari were having the time of their lives, meeting up with old friends and collecting as many goodies as they could carry. Or rather, as many as Bulkhead and Bumblebee could carry.
"Elita?" he said softly, putting his data pad aside and watching as she started to wake.
"Hmmm...wha...uh...," she mumbled, her body trying to shake off the effects of the sedative.
Optimus secretly hoped that it would continue to dull her movements until he'd calmed her down. No matter what form she might be wearing, he knew his old friend would remain the same in one aspect...she was going to be royally pissed off.
"It's okay," he said gently. "Everything's alright, you're safe here."
"Uhh...my processor," the purple and black Femme groaned as she sat up. "What the slag happened?"
"I apologise," Optimus said sincerely as she blearily looked round at him. "But I couldn't risk you changing your mind."
"What are you?" she began before realisation spread across her face as she saw she wasn't on that roof top anymore.
"You slagger," she snarled, lunging at him, fangs bared and those strange feeler things on her back aiming right for him.
He moved in an instant, bracing himself on the chair and grabbing her wrists. Keeping her at arm's length prevented her from stabbing or injecting him with those feeler things. She snarled and hissed, fighting furiously as she tried to rip the Autobot Prime apart. He grunted she was strong and furious; he hadn't had to fight an enemy bot in a long time.
"Elita," he said sternly, accidently using the tone he used when Valour had done something very naughty.
"My name's Blackarachnia!" she shrieked, trying to yank her wrists out of his grasp. "Get that through your thick processor, Optimus."
"You'll...uh...always be Elita One to me," Optimus grunted back. "No matter what you look like."
"I'm not a soppy Autobot any longer," she snarled back. "She's dead...she died on that Primus forsaken planet."
"And we have a chance to bring her back," Optimus snapped back, tightening his grip on her so she couldn't break free.
"What?" she exclaimed in shock. "How?"
"We've lived on this organic planet for fifty stellar cycles," Optimus explained as she paused in her struggling. "Many of our friends are prominent scientists and we believe they have a chance at helping."
"They won't be able to help," she said bitterly.
"You don't know that," he said gently. "Besides, we also have another trick up our sleeves."
"What?" she exclaimed as Optimus said.
"It's a human expression; it means we have something good which does have a good chance at helping you."
She narrowed her four optics and said.
"And just what is it?"
Optimus looked at her very seriously and said.
"I can only tell you if I know I can trust you. All I'll say is, it's almost as precious as Valour."
She frowned, she had no idea what it could be. Optimus now continued.
"I want you to give me a chance," he said seriously. "Me and the rest of my team here, we would be happy to offer you a home here."
"And what if I don't want to live here?" she growled.
"Then that's your choice but will you at least stay here for a while?" he asked softly.
"Why?" she demanded and he half smiled now.
"Once you get to know Valour...I don't think you'll want to betray him."
"I already said I wouldn't tell," she said in exasperation.
"I know...but you still harbour animosity towards me," Optimus explained. "If you go, get angry over me...something might slip. I want to try and resolve things between us before you leave. Even if we don't become friends, I want there to at least be an understanding between us."
"Oh really?" she said icily.
"Yes," he said seriously. "I want to make it up to you, if you'll just let me. Please..."
She growled deep in her throat, her whole body quivering with anger. Optimus didn't loosen his grip until her body relaxed a bit and even then he didn't let go. He knew she could just as easily attack and he wanted to be sure she wouldn't first. Eventually, she hissed.
"Let go of me."
"I will if we can talk like adults," he said softly. "And you won't try to attack me."
"I'm not making any promises," she said silkily.
"I'll need something or I won't be able to let you go," he said firmly and she raised two optics brows.
"When did you grow ball bearings?" she asked softly and he smiled.
"Having a child and raising him does that," Optimus chuckled. "We're all different for having known him, me and my team. Probably sounds strange but its true."
"I wouldn't know," she said, a touch of bitterness in her voice.
"You never know," he said softly back. "Valour's best friend is a Techno organic, a half human, half transformer called Sari. At the moment, she looks like just another human but someday, she'll need to change. When the time comes, we'll help her with that but thankfully, we don't have to think about that now. So you see, we do have a little experience with Techno organics, more than the average bot anyway."
"I suppose," she said softly, her body relaxing even more.
"What about a couple of weeks here?" he offered and when she gave him a look said.
"Fourteen cycles."
"You want me to say for that time?" she asked and he nodded.
"At the end, you can leave...or stay but at least you'll have given us a chance. Does that sound fair?"
"Perhaps," she said silkily. "Are you going to lock me up?"
"No, you'll be completely free," he said softly. "You can even decorate this room to your liking, it's yours."
"How generous," she said with a slight purr, now leaning forward, while letting her wrists remain in the same position.
"And what if?" she now asked, licking her lips. "I wanted to stay with you?"
"You...uh..," he said a bit distracted by the way she was looking at him. "Uh...you'd have to be prepared to deal with an excitable Sparkling jumping on you in the morning."
"Hmm, what about during the night?" she questioned slyly as he swallowed.
"He...doesn't normally appear," he stammered, a bit out of his depth now. It had been so long since he'd been in a sexual situation and that didn't include Megatron.
"Mmm, good," she purred, leaning even closer to him. And promptly slamming her head into his forehead, making him grunt and release her.
She leapt back onto her berth lightly and casually sprawled herself out as Optimus groaned and clutched at his head. She laughed before saying.
"What does a girl have to do to get some fuel?"
"Uhh..., here," he groaned, sub spacing the cube of goodies and somehow staggering to his feet.
"Thank you," she purred, snatching the cube with a shot of webbing and bringing it to her. "I'll see you in the morning, I feel so tired all of a sudden."
"Right," he moaned, heading for the door and almost hitting the wall.
He heard her laughing softly as he made it out the door and swayed on the spot before heading to the Med Bay.
"That went well," he mumbled to himself, knowing Ratchet was going to laugh his head off.
Author's note. How does Blackarachnia fit in? What is Megatron up to? Find out next time, until then.
