Author's Note: Well I'll admit that this chapter satisfies my need to right a sweet Ratchet/Shadow chapter. Thanks to Riptide2 for reviewing the last chapter! Enjoy and I own nothing but my OCs
What It Takes To Live- Careful Consideration
"Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, Where the heck is the ceiling?"
Shadow stood, staring into the growing storm clouds that clouded together like dark colored sheep on the horizon. Nova and Sunstorm were both deep in recharge so she finally had a few moments of peace and quiet all to her own. A smile curved on her faceplates when Ratchet slipped his arms around her waist. "What do you think about the idea?" her sparkmate asked as she sighed softly and leaned back against him, relaxing in his hold.
"Returning to Cybertron?" she asked and a wave of agreement wash to her through their bond. "I don't know," she said. "On one hand it would be great but we have no idea what the planet will be like and we'll be leaving friends behind. Especially you Autobots." The idea that her sparkmate would be hurt by leaving tempered any excitement she felt about the possibility of returning home after so long of being away from it.
"What was it like when you left?" Ratchet asked and Shadow closed her optics for a moment, considering the landscape that still haunted her mind some days. The landscape that she had left behind when she and her fellow Decepticons had heeded Megatron's call to come to Earth.
"A mess," she said heavily. "You Autobots were winning but it was still a mess. There wasn't much to go back to."
"Could we survive there though?" he asked and Shadow heard the raw longing in the medic's voice. It was obvious that he wanted to return as much as she did but was wary about approaching the subject of rebuilding or even living on their old home.
"Perhaps," she said heavily. "Interra and Neiva or even Skysong could tell you better than I can." Thunder rumbled in the distance and the wind picked up, lashing over her sleek frame and cooling her gradually. "We've lost so much," she said softly. "It'll be hard to go back."
"That it will," Ratchet replied. "But we've gained much as well. Never forget that."
"How could I," she said, turning in his arms so she was facing him. "When the evidence is right in front of me the whole time." She saw him smile and felt a wave of warmth come across the bond at the same time she heard the lash of rain in the distance. "I love you," she said softly, knowing he would hear her even over the growing noise of the storm.
"I love you too," he replied, pulling her closer to him as the rain reached them finally. She leaned against his chest with a sigh as the rain lashed around the outside of the hanger. For the moment she was at peace, simply glad to be in the presence of her sparkmate. Then Nova whimpered and they both felt a slight tug through the bond that was accompanied by her fear and the moment was broken. They slipped back into the small hanger that was both the med bay and their current residence, Shadow picking up Nova and cradling her oldest sparkling to her chest.
Lightning flashed outside and Nova squeaked, terrified optics flashing between her two creators. Ratchet was across the room in two strides to wrap his arms around both of them as the thunder rumbled. Nova cooed contentedly and snuggled against her two creators, content to be sheltered from the storm between them. Shadow smiled at her sparkmate as Nova drifted off to sleep and Sunstorm slept on, oblivious to the storm around them.