Challenge Set: 10

Challenge: Scream

Rating: PG

Word Count???

Pairings: None

Time frame: The twins are sparklings/

Summary: Nightmares are horrible enough, but one jets learns how bad night terrors are.

It was his scream that awoke her from her peaceful recharge and his sobbing that brought great fear to her spark. The young sparkling shot from her berth and fell off of the top bunk onto the hard, cold metal floor; she had forgotten she had the top bunk that night while her little brother had the bottom. Groaning and rubbing her head, Alpha sat up and spotted him, lying on his berth and withering in pain as he continued to scream.

"Oh slag…bro!" The pickup shot over and instantly brought her little brother into her arms, stroking his forehead and shushing him gently. However, if it worked at all, it only did a little. He clutched her chest and continued to wail. "Shh…bro, c'mon…shh…it'll be okay…"

The jet didn't respond. He just continued as his big sister held him gently. Light filtered into the dark room and Alpha glanced up; Vector Prime was standing in the doorway, his sword and one hand and using the other to lean against the doorway. He had a worried look on his face, which only increased when he saw Omega crying and screaming, refusing to wake up from whatever nightmare held him. The Keeper of Time and Space dropped his word and rushed over, gently taking the younger twin from the elder, much to the latter's displeasure.

"Omega…" Vector Prime tried, but it went unanswered. Alpha leaned over Vector Prime's shoulder to watch her brother as the elder bot sat down on the lower bunk. "Omega, you must calm down."

"N-No! Don't let them, Master!" Omega yelled, squirming in his arms. Tears rolled from his offlined frosted blue optics as his visor flew from his visor and hit the ground with a 'crack', shattering. "Master, please!"

"It's okay, child…I'm here. No one's going to hurt you…"

Seeing her brother so upset made Alpha start to sniffle. She couldn't stop the tears that pricked the back of her optics and then rolled down her silver cheeks. "M-Master…what's wrong with him?" She asked, her voice sounding like she wanted to just bawl her optics out.

Vector Prime didn't respond as he studied Omega, who had quit screaming, but was still crying desperately. After a moment, he sighed and gently put Omega back down on his berth, "He'll be alright, Alpha."

"But-But, Master! Look at him!" Alpha slid off of his back and landed next to her brother. She stroked one of his wings comfortingly, "He's still crying horribly!"

"It's only a night terror."

"A-A what?" The sparkling looked confused.

"It's like a nightmare, only you do not awake from it until you awake the next morning and you remember nothing of it. They're more terrifying than nightmares ten fold, as you can see," Here, he put a hand on Omega's forehead, "but and you never only get one…"

The thought of her brother going through more of these…night terrors as he called them chilled Alpha to her very spark. She looked worriedly down at the ash black jet as she continued to stroke his wings gently. "It'll be okay, Bro…" She told him gently, sitting down and pulling his head into her lap.

Vector Prime stood. "Can I trust you to watch over your brother?" Alpha nodded. "Good. I'll be back in a few hours to check on you." With that, he turned and left, thinking deeply about something as he did so.

"I wan' my sis…" Omega moaned, rolling over and curling up slightly. His wings twitched, as if in pain, and Alpha felt her spark stop. She started to stroke his wings gently and bent down, lips near his audios.

"I'm right here, O. You'll be okay…just calm down…I promise, I'll protect you…"

If he heard, he didn't acknowledge it. The seeker sparkling continued to moan, whimper and turn in his sleep, occasionally calling out for his master or sister when things got too bad in his dreams. The tears would come and go, but whenever they streamed out, Alpha would wipe them away for her little brother. It hurt her to see him like that, but, like Vector Prime said, there was nothing she could do for him.

Suddenly, Omega let out another scream and started to toss and turn in Alpha's lap again, crying out in pain and fear as his sister tried to hold him down. His black fist scraped across her cheek, leaving five black knuckle scratches there, but the elder ignored the throbbing ache in her cheek as she continued to try to keep her brother from hurting himself or her anymore.

"Make 'em stop!" He screamed, thrashing even more, "Please, make 'em stop! Sis! Master!"

"Omega, please!" Alpha begged, trying to hold down his wings and legs at the same time, but getting nowhere. "Calm down, little brother!"

"Let me go!" The seeker kicked his sister off of him and the truck yelped, hitting the bottom of the top bunk. She groaned when she hit the bottom bunk, lying next to her brother, and rubbed her head.

"Again with the fallin' an' the oi!" Alpha mumbled, sitting up. She barely had time to dodge a random kick before it collided with her, but luckily, she managed. "Holy slag! Bro, please!"

"I wan' my Master!" Omega sobbed, curling up. "I wan' my sister…"

Alpha felt tears prick the back of optics, but she ignored them and crawled over to her brother, helping him up. She nuzzled him gently as she pulled him so he was sitting in her lap. Even when he started to struggle again, the femme buried her face in the crook of his neck and sent soft, calming waves of energy through their mind and spark link.

It's okay, bro. You're safe…just calm down, please…

This time, she got an answer, but it wasn't a verbal one. The sparkling slowly stopped thrashing, but was still tense, as if he was ready to resume his struggling at any given moment. A tiny whimper was heard in Alpha's head, Sis? Is that you?

Yeah, bro…it's me. She nuzzled him gently and hugged him tighter, I'm here.

Where? I can't… He hiccupped slightly, I can't see you…I'm scared…

I'm here. Alpha ran a hand up his wing and stopped at the  symbol that was etched into it. She traced it gently with her forefinger, dipping it into the groove, and felt her little brother shiver in her grasp. Don't worry, bro. I'm here. Remember what Master said? We're responsible for one another at all times. And right now, it's my responsibility to protect you. Don't be afraid. Please, don't be afraid. I won't abandon you…

I'm still scared…it hurts…don't leave me… Omega's voice sounded frightened.

I'm right here. Alpha repeated soothingly.

To emphasize this point, Alpha kissed Omega's forehead gently as she helped him lay down. The sparkling wasn't fighting anymore, but he still was as sure as hell scared of whatever was torturing him. Alpha laid down beside her brother and wrapped her arm around his waist, cuddling him against her body tenderly. Omega sniffled and whimpered, but did nothing else.

You're safe, little brother.

Omega didn't reply, but he didn't start screaming or crying again either. He just laid still in his sister's arms, the only sounds coming from his mouth were that of his ragged, death breaths.

Alpha smiled and closed her optics. She didn't realize how tired she really was until that moment, but then it was too late to do anything about it. She was asleep before her head hit her waiting arm.

The next morning, Omega awoke to the feel of someone turning on his wing. He groaned slightly, remembering nothing from the terror or the night before, and opened his optics. Alpha was lying next to him, curled up slightly with her thumb halfway in her mouth. He smirked slightly and went to remove his visor when he realized it was gone. He never took it off.

Ever.

Slightly panicked, the sparkling started to sit up, but then remembered that his sister was still lying flat on his wing. He glanced at her and smirked softly; whatever happened the night before that he couldn't remember, he knew she stuck through it with him. Somehow managing to turn so he was cuddling his sis, he remembered what she told him and nuzzled her.

"Yeah, well…I'm responsible for you too, sis. One of these days, I'll knock you off that high horse of yours and show you that you need me as much as I need you." He joked, closing his optics and drifting back into recharge. He didn't see the small smile that crept over Alpha's face.

Knock me off my horse, eh? We'll see about that, won't we? Nutcase.

YP: Okay, my brother used to have night terrors and who would stay up with him? Me. While we're not psychic with each other, this is pretty much how it went. He only hit me once, people! So be nice!