Sorry this chapter took so long! I've been trying to avoid updating the same fic twice in a row, but the chapter for the other story I was working on just did NOT want to happen. It's still a jumbled mess so I just gave up and started this one.

And…I'm pretty happy with it! Even though if we're headed out of light-hearted land for a bit. Starscream's an idiot & Megatron never likes to make things easy. Feel for Rumble. He's pursuing the Second in Command! Obstacles are part of the package. So on that note - please don't hurt me. XD

Aanyway- Thanks for reading, reviewing & being generally great!

Chapter 19

Rumble was shaking slightly over his entire frame down to the bolts holding his plating together. The small cassette was clearly terrified now that his crush was no longer there to play middleman and scream 'rank.' Soundwave smiled slightly behind his faceplate. At least the brat (though still very much Soundwave's brat) knew he was in trouble and was probably expecting a horrific punishment. Soundwave reached up to his chest-panel control on his shoulder. Time to throw Rumble off guard. "Eject: Frenzy."

"Huh?" Rumble let out accidentally when he heard Soundwave's latest command. Where was the yelling and the punishments? Where was 'Return: Rumble' in that angry monotone? Where was the threat that he'd never be allowed out of Soundwave's chest again? His bother's cassette popped from the chest before transforming to land before his twin. "Frenzy?"

"Hey, Rumble." Frenzy acknowledged quietly, feet shuffling. Being let out was just as much a surprise to him as his twin. What was Soundwave going to do? Punish Rumble with an audience?

"Rumble." Soundwave began and stood straighter when the cassette jerked to attention. "Disobeyed direct command."

"Yeah! But I had good reason." Rumble started to defend himself. Or attempted at any rate. "Uh, Boss he was there you see and had a point about out ranking you and we didn't do nothing bad! Really! Come on, it ain't even like you had a good reason to punish me in the first place…" Rumble trailed off. He was rambling and Soundwave wasn't budging. "Uh, Sorry." Rumble bit his lip and looked down to the ground. He hoped whatever the big guy was planning to do he just got it over with quickly. "Boss."

"Punishment." Soundwave waited a beat before pointing a finger at the much more well behaved twin (as of late, anyway). "Frenzy chaperone."

Rumble flickered his optics up at the Boss. Frenzy shrugged next to him clearly having no prior knowledge of this command. "Chaper-what?"

Soundwave smirked. "Chaperone. Human term. One who supervises during social events. Frenzy to be Rumble's chaperone until further notice."

"So, I'm just following Rumble around?" Frenzy asked and shifted so he was standing shoulder to shoulder with his twin. He pretty much did that anyway when he wasn't asleep. Frenzy didn't want to question it, but this didn't seem like a punishment. There had to be a catch somewhere. "That's it? Really?"

"Yes. Rumble is freed of previous punishments and restrictions. In place, Frenzy will accompany Rumble at all times." Soundwave's optics glowed menacingly to get his point across. "ALL times. No exceptions."

"Boss, but-"

"No exceptions. I will know." Soundwave nodded before turning around and heading back to the main control room. He wanted to be in place and dutifully doing his work (sabotaging Starscream a little more for good measure) when Megatron returned from what would hopefully be a fantastic beat down.

"Wow, Bro." Frenzy almost giggled in relief after Soundwave rounded the corner. "You got off easy." The cassette wondered if his little pleading to Soundwave the other day at taken hold after all. Maybe Rumble was getting a break for this whole mess! Frenzy noted after a second that Rumble did not answer him. In fact, Rumble looked pretty horrified for some odd reason. "Bro?"

"This, this is horrible!" Rumble growled and scratched at his helm. How could Soundwave do something like that? He basically gave Rumble permission to do whatever the hell he wanted but now even that was ruined! "Boss' trying to make me miserable on purpose. That's gotta' be it."

"What on earth are you talking about Rumble?" Frenzy took a few steps around until he was facing his twin. "You disobeyed Soundwave and ran off with a mech he hates. A mech who then made an idiot out of him by absconding with one of his team. You're luck he didn't force you into cassette mode and remove your transforming cog."

"Yeah, but." Rumble groaned. "It just ain't fair."

"You're still losing me, Bro."

Rumble felt the whine leave his throat. "How am I gonna' frag Starscream with you hanging around watchin'?"

Frenzy felt fully justified in whacking his brother upside the head so hard it left a minicon fist sized dent.

Starscream did not bother to knock, or otherwise inform Megatron of his presence. Mech knew he was coming and the mech could deal with the sudden intrusion. It's not like Starscream hadn't been in their glorious leader's quarters before. In fact, he'd been in there so often for repairs alone that he had the room layout memorized. He even knew where Megatron stashed his high grade. Starscream threw the door open confidently and entered without preamble. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact." Megatron turned away from the monitor on his personal console and was prepared to address the Seeker. He'd been angry at first that Starscream had left the base, but soon realized time to collect his thoughts was probably to his benefit. However, he wasn't quite expecting this. "Why is there earth rubbish caught in all of your joints?"

"Soundwave assured me that this meeting could not wait." Starscream reached up and plucked a branch from his shoulder trying to hold onto a dignified appearance. Megatron didn't need to know he crashed. Starscream just, flew through a tree. For fun. That was it. "Not even to clean up after a bit of self training flying through, harsher conditions, such as earth trees."

"Self Training? Is that why you were out?" Megatron hummed before lifting up from the wall station and towards the table in the middle of the room. He took a seat in the chair next to the table and motioned for Starscream to join him. Megatron laced his fingers together and leant back in the chair smugly. "And the need to bring Rumble with you instead of your teammates?"

Starscream was proud of himself; he managed not to even flinch at the name. Well, any great liar knows you need truth mixed in to be believable. "I wanted to make Soundwave angry. A little payback from all the grief he's caused me as of late concerning said, tag-a-longs."

"Tag-a-long." Megatron corrected. "There is only one cassette, that has held your interest as of late, Starscream. And if I recall, the reason why Soundwave was hounding you to begin with?" Megatron looked towards the Seeker thoughtfully and took in the new dents that now were scattered among his frame. Including a few too small to have been from an earth tree. Megatron couldn't fight the slight growl that snuck into his voice. "In fact, Rumble has been taking up much of your free time as of late, hasn't he?"

Starscream remained standing next to the table just out of arm's reach. Megatron would have to stand to reach him and by then the Seeker could make a run for it. Something was very not right at the moment with his commander. Starscream was running a list of things through his head that he could have possibly done to tick off Megatron but then came up with nothing. He really had been good! Righteous indignation taking over his self-preservation circuits, Starscream put his hands on his hips and huffed. "And if it has?"

Megatron shifted his shoulder slightly and tried to calm himself down. "It's unusual." The warlord looked at the ceiling, trying to fake nonchalance, but knew his tense posture was giving him away. "He's hardly your usual fair and there are far more effective ways to get Soundwave riled up than taking his cassettes to the berth." Megatron looked at Starscream straight in the eyes. "Though, considering this is hardly a one time event, I doubt it is merely to annoy Soundwave, now is it?"

Megatron knew. Starscream felt an odd shiver go up his spine. Megatron knew that Starscream was interfacing with Rumble on a regular basis. And he appeared to be quite angry about it. And Starscream couldn't even begin to explain why Megatron even cared at all whether or not Starscream was in a relationship (no, it was just fragging!) with Rumble. It just didn't make any sense and the warlord was tense, angry and looked to be holding himself back- Starscream's eyes widened slightly in revelation. Was Megatron, jealous? Starscream thought to himself.

It wasn't such a hard thought to entertain after Starscream thought for a moment. This was the first mech he'd seen for more than a one night fling outside of his teammates. But they were a constant; didn't count. Now that Starscream's processor was sorting the data through again, it wasn't like Megatron had taken up a more permanent partner either. Starscream used to enjoy gloating inside that the beast of a leader had been unable to find a replacement for him.

Starscream decided to test the waters. "It is true, angering Soundwave was something that came up after I had started seeing Rumble somewhat regularly. He didn't approve of us messing around, you see." Megatron's optic ticked in just that right way that Starscream recognized from experience. Oh Primus he was jealous. So what did that mean? Megatron wanted to start interfacing again? Just like that. Because of Rumble? "Is that a problem?"

Megatron grunted and was rethinking this confrontation. Now that Starscream was in front of him, just plain out asking 'frag me instead' wasn't quite working. It was time to end this meeting before Starscream could completely gain the upper hand. "Who you decide to fraternize with his hardly my business."

"Then why am I here? Oh, Lord Megatron. We've done nothing but talk about Rumble, sir." Starscream pushed. Megatron was pouting now and the Seeker wondered just how far he'd go before something happened.

"Rumble." Megatron started, inwardly cursing. "Is why you are here. Your relations with him are clearly having an affect on Soundwave and it is distracting him from his duties. I suggest you watch yourself before it becomes a problem." Megatron waved a hand and hoped that was a good enough excuse. "It seems you live to undermine me even unintentionally. Isn't it possible for you to pick a partner that doesn't cause me grief?"

Starscream was being presented with an opportunity. Megatron was in a round about way, trying to get him to dump Rumble and switch to someone else. If the way Megatron's optics kept flicking to his position across the table was any indication, the warlord was hoping to fit the bill. The seeker had almost forgotten what it was like to have Megatron look at him that way. Starscream sucked in a breath through his teeth.

However nervous it suddenly made him, the Second-In-Command couldn't help but appreciate the timing. Starscream had been thinking not too long ago that he needed to break ties with Rumble before things got too far (They've already gone too far, he hissed to himself.) Why not replace it with a far more familiar dysfunctional emotional attachment? Falling into an old game with the same skill a mortal uses to ride a bicycle, Starscream smiled shamelessly and clasped his hands together. The position held a certain reverence in it that he remembered Megatron used to love. "I think that can be arranged. It was just a phase, you know."

Megatron shifted in his seat, body matching the new confidence that had fallen over the seeker. This is what he did appreciate about the Seeker. They were always on the same wavelength deep down despite their differences. Megatron spread his knees just so there was room for Starscream to stand between them. The Air Commander did not disappoint as he rounded the table to settle in front of Megatron. For once, the commander didn't mind looking up to see Starscream's face. "Is that so?"

"Yes," Starscream felt something shift in his chest; something painful. But he shoved it down. Starscream continued despite the little needling in his spark that refused to be smothered. "He's been harboring this," Starscream searched for the right word, "crush on me for quite some time. Add in that he's rather stubborn and persistent between following me around and assisting in the lab at all hours, I'm sure you've noticed that, you can't blame me for eventually just indulging him."

"Indulging?" Megatron crooned when the Seeker pulled himself up to straddle the warlord's lap. Megatron wondered how he had gone without this weight settled over his thighs for so long. "How unlike you to grant anyone such pleasures without benefit to yourself."

Starscream chuckled before tracing a finger' across the faint indentations on Megatron's chest. Little decorative lines that had all but faded since his days as a gladiator. "I'd hardly say it was without benefit." Starscream pulled his arms straight and laced his hands together behind Megatron's head. "He's quite good at interfacing, you see."

"Is he now?" Starscream's faceplate was now close enough that he could feel the air cycling through the seeker's mouth on his own faceplate. Megatron took his cue and settled a hand around Starscream's waist rubbing little circles with his thumb. The leader leant forward just enough to nearly brush their mouths together. "Better than your last?"

"Then Skywarp and Thundercracker?" Starscream laughed refusing to take the bait. Megatron was a distraction; he hadn't earned flattery. "Of course. Best I've had." Starscream mocked. Megatron growled slightly in retaliation and pushed Starscream forward with the hand not molesting his waist. Their mouths met and the seeker memories flooded back to the forefront of his processor.

Megatron tasted exactly the same as before. It was if they had never fought or broke apart; just a familiar sensation along his teeth and tongue. A flavor of age, oil and a flavor he now finally recognized thanks to Rumble's stories. Energon dust. Energon flakes and dust embedded so deeply in his plating from working the mines that not even millions of years could scrub it clean. If Rumble hadn't told Starscream about-

Starscream jerked Megatron forward and started to wind his arms around the mech tighter. The point of this was to stop thinking about Rumble. Megatron was the one to break the kiss and he stared at Starscream with searching eyes. Looking for motive, mockery, or an attack of some sort Starscream was sure. Not that he blamed him. Starscream smirked and looked his leader straight in the eye. "For someone trying to prove he's better in the berth than a cassette you sure are moving," Starscream dared remove a hand from around Megatron's shoulders to place it over the large grey hand still attached to his hip. "Slow. Age getting to yo-"

Megatron cut the seeker off mid-sentence with a growl and pushed him forward until the mech was flat on Megatron's berth. This wasn't quite how he had planned this evening but with Starscream's ever changing moods he'd be a total idiot not to take advantage. Starscream's hand was on his chest and leg brushing his thigh in a way so familiar that Megatron had almost forgotten they had ever stopped doing this at all.

Soundwave stared at their leader in a near horrified fashion as he entered the control room. It was his regular shift where the only other around was Soundwave and as such the warlord tended to drop his façade and be more relaxed. More open. Normally Soundwave considered it a rare honor for Megatron to be so unguarded around him but this was wrong. Relaxed didn't even begin to cover the look of contentment dripping from his facial plates.

Megatron was far too pleased.

Normally when Megatron returns from beating the retched seeker to a pulp he was in a fowl mood. Tired, disappointed and on the rare occasion, contentment that justice had been dealt. The most Soundwave had seen was a sigh of relief that it was done and over. This, this was a relaxed, content, happy smile. Like Ravage when he pinned Lazerbeak to the ground out of mid-air thanks to a well place pounce. A cat who found the cream, perhaps was the human phrase? The point was it all came down to one conclusion:

Megatron did not assault Starscream.

In fact, Soundwave had seen Megatron look like this quite a few times. Quite often prior to his split with Starscream. Megatron was horrible at hiding his conquests. They were written all over his face without question or exception. Soundwave would bet his Elvis collection that Megatron and Starscream had just spent the last few hours interfacing. Soundwave felt the datapad pen snap in his hand; Megatron too blessed out to notice.

"How are things looking, Soundwave?" Megatron practically chirped. Apparently Starscream decided they were going to make up for lost time and they had been connected together so long Megatron had honestly lost count of the surges. The seeker was still passed out in Megatron's quarters and probably still would be long after the command shift was over. Megatron snickered. Starscream never really did have all that much stamina afterwards. "All clear?"

"Sir." Soundwave answered and kept his vocalizer from clicking. How did that stupid Seeker do it! Megatron had been so angry when he was shouting for him earlier. Looked ready to rip the flier limb from limb and leaving him in Hook's bay for days! How did he escape? The pit-spawned flier could not possibly be that good. Soundwave forced an answer, outwardly remaining calm. "All clear."

"Wonderful." Megatron leant back in his seat and wondered if he could catch a quick stasis nap himself. Though there was one problem still. "Is there a problem, Soundwave? You're staring."

Soundwave jerked. "No, sir."

"Ah, good then." Megatron settled down in his chair and smirked. It had turned into such a good day. "Wake me if the Autobots do something."

"Sir." Soundwave turned back to the console and glared at it for all it was worth. This scenario was unacceptable. It did not fit into his plans at all and what was worse- Soundwave feared Rumble's reaction to the news. It was impossible for his idiot little cassette to not be hurt by this. Soundwave began opening a new set of files on the command console and started to type like a mech possessed. He was going to take Starscream down a peg if it killed them both.