NOTE: I want to apologize for taking so long to get this up. Life has gotten hectic, but I promise that I will try and a new story up before next week. Hang in there everyone. This concludes this story. I know it is short, but I plan on making the ending as interesting as I can.

Chapter 8

Several days passed giving Knock Out and Night Stalker a chance to catch up. Their offspring joined them and it was a semi happy reunion. Smokescreen became Rodimus Prime? If Night Stalker went home then Smokescreen would be Smokescreen and not Rodiums. The others would be alive and none of this would be possible. Night Stalker sent for Grand Slam and her former antagonist appeared.

"In all the years we were apart… what are your feelings toward me now?"

"Lady there's a war going on and you want to know the PAST?!"

"Grand Slam please. We parted on bad terms. I want to know what happened to you."

Grand Slam sighed, "After you left I actually felt sad. Soundwave was depressed and refused to do anything. Knock Out went back to the Decepticons and Soundwave killed himself. Even Optimus wasn't the same after your disappearance. As for me I grew up with my spark feeling empty. I realized that despite everything I cared deeply for you. If we do somehow manage to find a way home for the both of you… give my past self a kick in the tailpipe. He needs a good talking to."

Grand Slam turned to depart, but stopped. "Night Stalker? You will find my past self moping near your room. I did that for WEEKS after your departure. I realized I should have never done all the things I did to you. I was going through a phase and when I was forced to leave it behind I found I couldn't live without you." He held his hand out and Nightwing took it. "Nightwing ends up becoming my Bondmate. Please let that continue to happen. I love him."

Night Stalker smiled. Grand Slam was nothing like Megatron, never had been. However, Night Stalker was still a little…. wary of Grand Slam and he saw it.

"I know you have no reason to trust me. After all I was so negative to you as a Youngling. However, I meant what I said. I care about you a lot, even more so now that Nightwing and I are bondmated. I know that you love your son and so I treat him kindly and lovingly."

That was all Night Stalker needed to know. "You are forgiven, Grand Slam. I'm just happy to see you happy… you little runt."

Grand Slam threw a mock punch, but was laughing as he did so. Just then Star Cross looked in. She had a forlorn look on her face.

"Rodimus wants to see Night Stalker and Knock Out… privately."

Grand Slam's face fell into guarded mode. He watched as the two elder bondmates left the room. Night Stalker was afraid. She didn't know what Rodium, formerly known as Smokescreen, wanted. The only comfort was Knock Out's steady hand on her hip. She moved closer to him and Knock Out wrapped his arms fully around her. They arrived in the command center. Once Rodimus saw them he ordered the room evacuated. Turning he looked at Knock Out.

"Where is the time machine? In order to send you back we need to know where it is."

Knock Out was calm. "Where is the city known as New York?"

Rodimus face twisted in horror. "It's gone. It was destroyed seven years after your disappearances, at the very beginning of the war."

Rodimus cursed. "I was going to use it to send you back home, change some of this reality." He looked at them, "Night Stalker knows best. This is only one possible future."

Night Stalker nodded, "There is even a few possible futures where you never become Prime or that Star Cross never existed."

"There might be a chance that the machine is still intact. Please Rodimus. To help end this we must get there."

"It's too dangerous but…. alright. I'll send my best warriors with you. If all goes well, this future will cease to exist with your return home."

Rodimus called in Nightwing, Midnight Chaser, Star Cross, Grand Slam, and Pyro. These were Rodimus' best warriors. Shouldn't come as no surprise considering who Sparked them. Rodimus gave his orders and the small group departed the base. Immediately, Night Stalker wished she hadn't. Earth was in shambles, humans and robots were fighting humans and robots. This was the worst nightmare that the femme had walked in on. She staggered and Knock Out caught her.

"We'll be fine, beloved. We'll see this through."

As they stepped farther and farther from base, the war raged on even more ferociously. Grand Slam shouted for them to take vehicle mode. Knock Out and Night Stalker did so and the small group raced off. Some flew, some drove. All trying to reach their destination of New York. Blaster fire sounded all around and the ground shook with bazooka sized grenades. At one point in time, one of these grenades landed near Night Stalker and went off. The femme spun out of control and she ended up shifting and rolling. Knock Out was at her side instantly. Night Stalker couldn't move her leg.

"She can't drive. I have to carry her. Her leg is severely injured. If we do not return to the past there is no way she can survive."

Grand Slam was by their side. "I'll stay behind to hold them off as long as I can. Remember what I said Night Stalker. Keep Pyro and Star Cross together as well as myself and Nightwing. Those futures cannot change! But you can stop this war. Now go!"

Knock Out picked up his injured Bondmate and ran off; he quickly noticed that none of their protectors were with them. They had all decided to stay behind and keep the enemy off their backs for as long as possible. All too soon there was quietness. Night Stalker and Knock Out did not like it, but the red Transformer did not stop. He couldn't stop and he couldn't see why there was silence.

Two hours later, the two made it to New York. Knock Out put her down in the shadow of some rubble and told her he would return for her. Night Stalker nodded and watched as he drove off. Night Stalker kept her leg still, but it was on fire. Twenty minutes after Knock Out's departure did the bomb strikes sound. Listening she realized they were getting closer! Night Stalker knew that she could not stay there. She would give Knock Out and additional twenty minutes before she moved on.

Before the twenty minutes were up Knock Out had returned and picked his mate up again. He quickly hurried through the ruined city of New York and came to an opening in the ground.

"That leads to the subway sewers. Below that is where I put the machine. Let's go!"

Knock Out climbed down first and was there to catch Night Stalker and he carried her again as he hurried through the maze of tunnels; deeper and deeper. Night Stalker was losing energon and getting weaker. She let out a groan.

"Almost there, beloved. Almost there."

Worry filled Knock Out's voice, but Night Stalker was fading. Soon they were in an empty room and Knock Out set her down to turn on the power and try and power up the machine. It took over an hour, but he finally succeeded. Entering the date for when he left, Knock Out picked up Night Stalker. However, by this time she was fading faster. The last thing she saw was the blue portal in front of her then…. nothing.

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Garbled voices. Blackness.

"… Stalker live?" Nothing.

On and on this went. Finally Night Stalker sat up with a gasp. A hand forced her back down.

"Easy there. You lost a lot of Energon. How do you feel?"

"Oh shut up Ratchet!"

"Well no concussion or memory loss so that's good. I'm going to go with you're feeling better."

"The last thing I remember was Knock Out leading me through the portal and some various voices afterwards. This is the first I've been truly conscious isn't it?"

"Yes. As I said you had lost a lot of Energon. From what Knock Out said, that future of which he spoke of will no longer happen. So Smokescreen became a Prime? That's something I would like to see."

"It might happen and it might not. Now if you'll excuse me I have things to do."

"You're still weak!"

Night Stalker ignored the medic and limped through the base and to the main area. She saw Knock Out with the others, talking and debriefing. It was Arcee who saw her first.

"Night Stalker!"

All talking ceased. They were talking about her? However, the mood changed and everyone gathered around her and asked her all sorts of questions. Night Stalker answered everything the best she could. However, she wasn't here for pleasantries.

"Where is Grand Slam? I must speak with him and the other Younglings."

Soundwave pointed to where they were and Night Stalker was off. She found Grand Slam with the other Younglings in Soundwave's room. She made her way over and struggled to sit down. Grand Slam looked at her curiously.

"Has Knock Out said anything to you?"

"Just that you wanted to talk to us."

"Good. Do you know about the future?"

Heads shook.

"Good. Alright so apparently that blast sent me to the future where I met… YOU. ALL of you. Now I was totally surprised by this, but even more surprised by TWO of the pairings, but I was really happy nonetheless."

The Younglings stared up at her with wide eyes.

"Grand Slam you became Bondmated to Nightwing."

The two stared at each other in surprise. The love was already there, but it was just a surprise that the love had blossomed. Night Stalker smiled and went on.

"Star Cross was bondmated with Pyro."

"What about me?"

"I do not know. You did not speak of it Midnight Chaser. However, I want to assume that your bondmate had been Iron Hide's Sparkling who had been dead long before I arrived. Murdered actually. Knock Out and I never found out why. But, I am confident that you will find your bondmate and you will be happy, Midnight Chaser."

Night Stalker sank to the ground, weak. Just this little bit of talking had wore her out. Midnight Chaser called for Ratchet who had to drag a barely struggling Night Stalker back to the medical bay. Ratchet was not hearing a word that the femme was saying.

"I did warn you that you had lost too much energon, but did you listen? Oh no! You had to learn the hard way. Now stay put until I say otherwise."

After a few moments, Night Stalker complied. Once she was comfortable she fell back into a state of regeneration. Her dreams filled her with an intense bit of surprise. Her parents came to visit her. But she had fully integrated into Transformer. What could her parents possibly want now? And what did the AllSpark need that was so important that it chose Night Stalker to speak with? The femme looked around her in confusion and awe. Images of past and future events surrounded her in a blur. Old faces arose before fading away and new ones took their place.

"What are you trying to tell me?"

"There is more to your new life than just being a Transformer, Night Stalker. There is still much to be done. Loyalties will be divided and everyone will be put to the test. You are the only one that can help those around you. Trouble times are coming and we need YOU to stop it."

"I thought that by returning to the past we changed the future?!"

"Yes and no. Smokescreen will still become Rodimus Prime, but that future is still on course with a few minor changes."

"How?! Smokescreen himself said that we weren't part of the timeline. If we came back into the past then that future should not exist!"

"All we can say is that your destiny awaits, Night Stalker! Embrace it or you are all doomed!"