Ch. 55

Sand. Everywhere. Starscream frowned. Now he remembered why he didn't like beaches.

"What's wrong, Blue?" Arcee smirked, "Afraid of a little dirt?"

"This is NOT dirt!" Starscream snarled, "And don't call me that!"

Optimus shook his helm and frowned in concern, "Arcee, Starscream, this has to stop."

The pair looked at the Prime, then glared at each other.

Starscream spoke first, "I already did my part. It's up to her to accept it."

Arcee growled, "Accept it?! What am I supposed to accept?! That you killed Cliff or that you're trying to avoid apologizing for it?!"

The seeker's wing flared out wide, "I did apologize!"

"That was NOT an apology!" the femme glared; she walked up to Starscream, poking him in the chest plate, "You pawned off your confession to Bumblebee and expected him to relay the message! That wasn't an apology; that was you trying to avoid confronting me and the rest of the team!"

Starscream glared down at her, "That was the best way to deliver the news! Do you think that was easy?!"

"You don't want to know what I think!"

The seeker threw his servos up and struggled to walk away, the spikes of his peds sinking into the loose sand of the beach.

Arcee followed after him, "So you're going to walk away from this?! You're just going to leave it at this?!"

"And why shouldn't I?!" Starscream snarled, "You don't want to talk, you just want to verbally abuse me and force me to defend myself! I received enough of that on the Nemesis, I don't need it from you!"

"Enough!"

Optimus's firm, deep voice echoed out onto the beach and through the jungle beside them and the two fell silent, optics wide.

The Prime was frowning harder, "Both of you need to see the error in your accusations. This unrest does both of you the greatest harm, not only to each other, but to everyone on our team," he looked to Starscream, "even those who have not yet been able to join our ranks formally," he spoke softer, "Arcee, Starscream has admitted the fault he has made, and has done his best to rectify the wrongdoings he has assisted in and been a part of. Starscream, Arcee has fought by your side without hesitation and has, on more than one occasion, vouched for your decisions, despite the past the two of you have shared. Neither of you..." he shook his helm, "no, none of us, from Bumblebee to Soundwave, are blameless in this war. Time has only allowed our anger and hatred to grow. It does not matter which side gains control in the end because there is no true winner, only the faction that will do the right thing. And now, the two of you need to do the right thing. Remember the pains, but forgive them. Remember the wrongs, if only to correct them. But do not blame each other any longer. Before your admittance, Starscream, I was witness to Arcee's admiration towards your acts of bravery. Saving her life and the lives of our comrades did more for us than you will ever truly know. So I ask of you both, bury this now, today, and work together to help achieve peace. For if we cannot maintain such a thing among ourselves, how are we to achieve it for the rest of our kind and every sentient being?"

Arcee was trembling, but she said nothing. Her arms were crossed tightly.

Starscream's optics were wide and his wings flat against his back; he finally let out a soft intake, shuddering, "Wow, do you ever just look in the mirror and say 'I... am Optimus Prime'?"

The Prime's optics narrowed, clearly unamused, but the seeker put up his servos as he explained, "No, no, I heard every word you said, I understand, it's... you can just say your name and it's a powerful thing. Every speech you make must send shivers through everyone, I'm serious-"

"I'm sorry..."

Starscream stopped his nervous rambling and looked down at Arcee, his arms stiffly resting against his sides.

The femme didn't look up at him, "I'm sorry," she murmured again, "and not just for being so angry with you. I'm sorry you had to come with so many attachments. I thought... I don't know what I thought. I had just hoped that you would join us and we could forgive the mistakes. I didn't think for even a second that you had done that to Cliff. I trusted you. I fought at times to rescue you. And I think that's why it hurts so much more because if I had known about this before... before it all..." her voice became shaky and she paused to steel herself, "... I don't think I would have been able to help you. And then you wouldn't have been able to help us. I know some things have to happen for a reason. But I don't understand what reason there is for this."

The seeker stared her down. He was beginning feel small again. He hated this feeling. He clacked his claws together nervously and grumbled, finally crossing his arms.

"I... don't understand all of this myself. It's been an ordeal. But I am... full of regret. For things that have happened and things that could happen. Things I know did happen..." Starscream sighed, "I'm not going to give you an excuse. I'm not going to tell you the reason why I ki-... why it happened. I can tell you that what I'm trying to do now is the right thing. It's not only going to save me, but it will save others. And... I am..." he clenched his servos tightly around his elbow joints, "I-I am sorry... I'm sorry that... it took a second chance for me to see anything. I'm sorry I didn't have whatever this is before he died. If I had known what I know now, I wouldn't have... done it..."

Arcee let out an intake she had been holding and nodded, but said nothing.

Starscream smirked in amusement, "You really trusted me?"

The femme scoffed, "Don't read that much into it. You saved Jack and June, then me and Jack again. I thought it was going to end up being a pattern."

She walked passed him to go down the beach and the seeker rolled his optics, "It did become a pattern! A horrible, malicious pattern I had to endure!"

Optimus watched the pair carefully as they began to walk down the beach, following closely, "Are the both of you on good terms?"

Arcee shook her helm, "Oh, no."

Starscream cackled, "Not in the slightest! ..." he looked down at the femme, "But we're better. That's saying something, isn't it?"

She nodded, "For now. And it can only get better or worse from here. It just depends on if you have my back or are aiming at my back."

The seeker feigned hurt, "Oh, you wound me! Did me rescuing you from Airachnid near the Harbinger do nothing to sway your skeptical mind?"

Arcee chuckled, "It did nothing at all."

"Clearly," Starscream agreed.

Optimus smiled softly as the two goaded each other back and forth. No, it wasn't perfect, but he understood how the both of them felt. Starscream had been working hard to overcome his mistakes. Arcee had been willing to risk her spark to save the seeker, to call him a teammate. No, it wasn't perfect at all. But it was a start. He couldn't have asked for anything more.