I just realized, I never gave any time references. So, here they are.

Nanoclick - Second

Click - Minute

Cycle - Hour

Solar Cycle - Day

Decacycle - Week

Lunar Cycle - Month

Stellar Cycle - Year

That all the ones I'll be using sorry about that. Here's the next chapter.

~Love, ArcMaximal

Chapter 6 Painful Trust

The Earth's sun was still cycles from rising and the Predacon femme was already out of bed.

Why the frag am I up? Razorgear thought as she walked through the halls of the Axalon. It wasn't often she was up this early. Though, never the less she was still up. The young femme walked quietly to the command center of the Maximal ship.

At least she wasn't the only one up.

Optimus Primal was typing on the control table, with his back to Razorgear. He was in the same spot as he was when she went to recharge. The leader never went to bed.

Razorgear stepped into the command center, and the leader froze in place. "Rhinox?" He asked without turning around.

"Nope, just me." She answered, as she stepped beside the leader.

He let out a heavy breath, "Thank Primus. I was worried Rhinox was gonna find me still up." Optimus laughed.

Razorgear smiled at the transmetal gorilla. "What are you still doing up?"

He shrugged as he kept typing, "Well, between you and me," Then he began glancing down toward Razorgear. "I'm too awake to sleep." Optimus winked an optic at her.

"What does that even mean?" She asked, wiping her arm over her tired optics.

He smiled tiredly, and went back to typing on the control table. "It means that I woke up and could fall back into recharge."

Razorgear rolled her optics, "Or you never went to your quarters last night."

He breathed out loudly, "Or that. Just don't tell Rhinox, OK?"

She giggled, "Alright, I won't." Optimus looked away from and continued reading the control table. The leader remained quiet, trying to avoid further conversation with the young femme. "Why don't you recharge?" Razorgear continued to speak.

He sighed, again, and then answered. "I have too much on my processor. I wish sometimes I wasn't here. I just want to go back to Cybertron." He froze, he didn't mean to say all of that. Slag, I do need to recharge.

Razorgear stared at her feet, taking a few steps back. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

Optimus interrupted her, "No. I shouldn't have said that. It's not you, I promise!"

Razorgear lowered her head again. "It's OK. I mean to bother you." She turned to leave the command center.

"Razorgear, please I didn't mean that. I just have a lot of thing to worry about." The young femme looked back but didn't speak. "You know I had family back on Cybertron before I volunteered for this research mission, that turned to this war."

The leader's statement intrigued the young femme. She walked back toward Optimus Primal, buy still remained silent.

"I was with someone, a femme. Her and I were planning to bond when I got back to Cybertron. But now, who knows." The leader sighed, staring aimlessly at the wall across him. "I miss her, and as leader here I have to make sure everyone is safe. That takes its toll on me, Razorgear."

A few silent moments passed, the young femme stared at Optimus Primal with a new interest. "What's her designation?" She smiled at him.

"Skydust."

Razorgear smiled, and sat in one of the monitor chairs next to the transmetal gorilla. "That's a pretty name. What's she like?"

Taking a seat beside her, Optimus answered. "She's smart, but she can be a pain in the aft." He gazed into the ceiling. "She's kinda like you, too. Stubborn, cocky, and nice only to people she likes." He laughed, "She's a lot like you."

Razorgear didn't know what to say. Why is he saying this to me? She didn't believe there was another person that was anything like herself. Yet, Optimus Primal says his lover is just like Razorgear.

"We were talking, before I left, about having sparklings. I said if anything I wanted a mech. Of course she wanted a femme." Optimus laughed again, and smiled at Razorgear. "Now, I think I want a femme too. And I pray to Primus that she will be like you."

She stared back at the older mech, old enough to be her sire, unable to believe what he was saying. "You don't want her to be anything like me, Optimus. Not at all."

Startled and hurt, Optimus stared at her. "Why not? I've known you long enough to make a statement like that."

No. No you don't. "You don't want anyone to be like me. I'm useless." Razorgear muttered, brushing her hand down her own arm nervously.

Optimus turned back to the console. With a huff of annonyment, he said. "No one on this ship is useless. I swear to Primus, no one."

She sat down in a chair in front across from Optimus. She didn't say another word. She watched the fearless leader. He gave up everything of his crew, she thought to herself. The leader would give his life for them. Razorgear didn't know why any self-respecting bot would do such a thing.

Maximals. It was the only explanation.

The rest of the lonely morning was boring. They didn't speak to each other. As the rest of the Maximals awoke, Razorgear left the leader to his own thoughts.

A few solar cycles later, it was early, and Razorgear held a piece of paper in her hand. It was crumpled on her hand. I have to tell him, Razorgear thought. She was terrified and nervous. After taking a deep breath, Razorgear knocked on Dinobot's door.

The exPredacon warrior stood tall as the doorway, "Do you need something, Gear?"

She nodded and pushed on his massive chest, "Yes. We need to talk. Get in." Razorgear shoved Dinobot into his room, and the door slid shut behind her.

"What is going on?" The raptor hissed as he pushed her hand off his chest. She handed him the piece of paper, her gaze falling to the floor. "What is this?" Dinobot demanded, opening the paper.

"Just read it!" She exclaimed.

The moments seemed to last forever as Dinobot slowly read the information that was contained on it. Razorgear held her breath as her friend tensed and he looked up.

"You do know what this means right?" The saurian calmly questioned, his intakes slow and controlled, as if he was trying not to yell.

A deep breath in, then out. "Yeah, I know. *gulp* What do I do?" Her optics began to be filled with tears.

Dinobot grabbed her arm and pulled Razorgear closer, "My suggestion, tell Primal! He needs to know that you are carrying a second spark."

It was different, hearing someone else say it. Razorgear was carrying a second spark, a child. And it was his. She started panicking, and begging, "NO! We can't tell him. Please, no." SHe didn't want the proud leader to know, he would look at her like she is weak. Razorgear wanted anything but that. She is not weak.

"You need to tell him." The raptor spoke with a snarl.

Reaching toward him, Razorgear snatched the paper from the warrior's hand. "I can't, not yet." She crumpled the paper, "I just needed to tell someone."

The raptor placed his massive clawed hand on her much smaller shoulder. "I trust you to make the right decision for yourself." He tilted his body down, and pressed a kiss on Razorgear's forehead. She smiled at him. "Now go rest. I have patrol, I have to go. I will see you later."

Razorgear watched her friend, the only mech she trusted, walk away. She didn't know what to do anymore. She was carrying. A sparkling was growing inside of her, and there was nothing she could do about it. Nothing at all. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to keep it or not.

What if it's mech? What if it's like its sire? A chill rippled through Razorgear's protoform. That was the last thing wanted to happen. She didn't want to hurt an innocent child, but if it's like him. Like Megatron. She didn't know what she would do.

At least she has some time to figure things out before the sparkling comes online. But until then, she was keeping the information to herself and Dinobot.

A decacycle after, Optimus Primal, Cheetor, Dinobot, and Razorgear were on patrol of a sector that the Predacons have been constantly in. They looked for any information that could determine what the Predacons were planning.

So far, it was quiet patrol. Optimus Primal watched in front of him as Razorgear and Cheetor pushed each other playfully side to side. She smiled at the slightly taller mech, and Cheetor smiled back.

Dinobot smirked, "What do you think of those two, Primal?"

Optimus laughed, "Kids, thats all it is."

"Whatever you think." Dinobot's steps quickened and he passed the maximal leader. he then walked beside Razorgear on the opposite side of Cheetor.

The Maximal leader stayed behind a few steps. He smiled at the three argued playfully. Optimus made a mental note to keep an eye out for the two youngest members of the crew. He wondered whether those two were anything more than friends. He could wonder the same thing with Razorgear and Dinobot too. He laughed to himself; he knew dinobot, of all mechs, wouldn't be in a relationship. Especially during a war with Megatron.

Optimus noticed that Dinobot was walking backwards as he spoke to Cheetor and Razorgear. The transmetal ape couldn't hear what the raptor was saying but he could see the smirk on Dinobot's face.

Something caught Optimus' attention. Four figures in the sky were quickly approaching. His optics widen, Predacons! He shouted, "Take cover, now!"

Dinobot grabbed Razorgear's arm and threw her behind a large boulder, then jumped behind another on the opposite side of the path.

Cheetor stepped toward Razorgear but Optimus called to him. "Cheetor! With Dinobot, now!" Nodding, the young cat slid beside the raptor.

Optimus Primal his with Razorgear; she was already prepping her blaster and knifes for the possible battle. He smiled at her, "Easy there, we don't what to start anything too soon."

She turned to face Optimus; her optics viciously glaring at him. "If I get a shot to rid of Megatron, I'm taking it. And you can not stop me!" She snarled as her hand wrapped tightly around her weapon.

"No, I can't," the leader sighed. "But, I'm gonna tell you this. If you take that shot, you make sure it counts." He then turned around just in time to see Megatron, Waspinator, Inferno, and Terrorsaur land about 100 meters out from where they were hiding.

Razorgear looked as well, muttering, "Great, we're slagging out numbered."

"Easy, Gear. We don't-" Optimus Primal began,but he was interrupted by Megatron's booming voice. "Good day to you, Primal" The warlord called "there is no need to hide. Yess." Optimus glanced across the path to Dinobot. The raptor shook his head, but the weapon in his clawed hand was ready to fire. Megatron's voice echoed loud, "Primal, I just wish to talk, yess. I know you're there too . . . Razorgear."

The femme tensed, breathing out a curse. The Maximal leader placed a protective hand on her shoulder. She looked to him, then jumped up, and aimed her gun at the purple T-Rex. "Go to the Pit, you fragging saurian!" She screamed as her weapon fired and recoiled in her hands.

The blast coiled with Megatron's head; his roar of pain echoed perfectly. "You'll pay for that, Maximals! Yess! Predacons attack!" He said something else, but Optimus was unable to hear due to the sound of gunfire and blasts going off.

The boulders the Maximals were hiding behind came under heavy fire. Optimus Primal used his blaster to hit any of the Predacons; he was unsuccessful in causing any major damage.

The Predacon flyers were hardly shooting at Optimus Primal and Razorgear. The Maximal couldn't figure out why, but he needed to give Cheetor and Dinobot suppressive fire. Razorgear on the other hand gave all of her fire toward Megatron and Rampage - who were firing from a further distance. She shot the Predacon crab multiple time in the head. And he fired back, Megatron looked like he was yelling at him.

Cheetor's hand blasters and Dinobot's optic laser took down both of the Predacon insects from the air. Razorgear gave one last glance at the Maximal leader, and then jumped completely over the boulder and charged at the Predacon warlord.

She avoided every shot fired at her, and just as she approached the purple transmetal warlord, Rampage grabbed her by the neck, lifting her into the air. Razorgear flailed violently in his grasp. "Well, well, well. Megatron's favorite little toy decided to come out and play." Protoform X squeezed her neck tighter, "Oh, the games I'd play with you." He pulled her closer to his face, and smirked evilly. "But alas, we have orders to not kill you." He threw her into a large boulder; she shrieked with pain. "He never said anything about hurting you!"

Pointing his massive cannon at Razorgear, the crab laughed as he watched the femme fill with fear. He fired a missile: Optimus Primal jumped in front of it and was hit in the back. The Maximal leader collapsed in stasis; Razorgear screamed his name as he fell.

Protoform X laughed, "Look what trying to play hero does, little femme." Razorgear, holding back tears, gingerly wrapped her arms around Optimus' neck. "Though, I think I shall take out both of you and face Megatron's wrath later." The evil mech laughed as Razorgear buried her head into Optimus. Rampage's cannon revolved and he pointed it at the two.

End of CH 6 . . .

Cliffhanger! Please review.

~ Love ArcMaximal