Moving on chapter 11
(Sideways' POV)
I was not sure how to react; there was Mindwipe, someone who had given Peaches trouble before and one of few Decepticons who was pretty close to Megatron when it came to inducing fear. The fact that he could hypnotize others was another thing one would have to worry about. He was speeding away in his own alternate mode, an F117 Nighthawk aircraft, with Peaches' and my kids inside several feet above us. I could still hear Abby, Aaron, and Crystal screaming for him to let them go.
I subsequently let Peaches get into my vehicle mode, as she was in human form, and we took off after him. I thought I had heard Optimus trying to get us to stop but I wasn't entirely sure. I was going over the speed limit but I did not care. I had to get the kids and keep them safe and my sparkmate had the same feeling.
"Sideways, you would do well to stop." Mindwipe's hypnosis was doing the trick and I was slowing down, according to what Sam had told me later.
"What do you want with our kids?" I asked angrily over my comlink, pulling to a halt and breaking his trance.
"Not much; just you and your Autobot sparkmate to come alone to get them with 100 energon cubes by midnight." He replied.
100 energon cubes would not fit in my vehicle mode and Optimus wouldn't be able to come with us and have them in his trailer. My ex-teammate knew this just as well as we did.
"You have got to be kidding me." Peaches muttered.
"You will let their family be." Optimus Prime shouted angrily.
"Oh, don't you think about getting involved Optimus; you can't protect Peaches forever." Mindwipe started laughing evilly at all of us. It was a little uncharacteristic of him but a very creepy laugh nonetheless.
I checked the time; we had 4 hours to get to wherever he was; he had already given me the coordinates. I saved them in my databanks and growled. He was going to get it once we got to him…
(Switch to Optimus Prime's POV)
I could hear Mindwipe telling Peaches to give into her anger and attempt to get Sideways to go after him, no matter how many humans got hurt but I was not going to let it happen. I knew that he was aware of my being immune to his hypnotism but what he did not know was that I could give someone else that immunity using the Matrix of Leadership and sending that energy over a bond if I did have it with them. Hence, Peaches and Sideways were both kept where they had stopped until Mindwipe was out of sight of us.
"Optimus, I can't stand this; we're not going to be able to do exactly what he says." Peaches said, still angry. "I cannot afford to lose anybody else in my family!"
"Peach, you can't do it by yourself" Sam started to say.
"You're not going to stop me Samuel James Witwicky!" she interrupted him, then got out of Sideways' vehicle mode and started walking in that direction. "I don't care if it takes me all night-"
"Peaches stop!" I ordered her.
She did so very reluctantly and came over to my vehicle mode.
"We will come up with an alternate way; he most likely will not keep his word after all." I said. "First though, do not to give in to your desire for revenge; it will only cause more harm than good."
"I haven't forgotten what you said about that when Jolt when offline" Peaches stopped talking and got into my vehicle mode.
I led everyone back to the base so that we could come up with a suitable plan and was also remembering my talk with Peaches after she had reacted terribly to that news.
(A couple of months before, just after Valentine's Day, switch to 3rd person POV)
The orange and red femme that had only discovered she was Cybertronian two years before had sworn in front of her sparkling upon hearing the news. Optimus led her to his office, leaving Mirage to watch her children. As soon as they had gotten inside said office, he had shut the door and Peaches transformed into her human mode and looked away.
Optimus Prime lifted her onto his desk and then went to sit behind it. "Peaches look at me." He ordered.
The Pretender reluctantly made eye contact with her leader. She then swore again, this time mostly quietly but was still heard.
"Watch your language while you are in my presence." Optimus sighed. He hated it when Peaches acted childishly as she was doing now but kept his cool as the humans would say.
"There's nothing you can do to help me." Peaches insisted sadly.
The Autobot leader picked her up in his right hand and said "I am aware that you desire to avenge Jolt however, I must ask you something; if everyone else close to you were to get hurt in the process, would it then make you happy?"
The femme realized what he had meant; if Sideways, Abby, Crystal, Ashley, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and others she considered part of her adopted family were harmed or worse yet killed, she could never forgive herself. "No, but I still don't understand." She replied.
"When one holds a grudge it is very draining, physically and emotionally; think of it as being a leaky bathtub drain that won't keep the water in long enough for you to get a hot bath." Optimus Prime explained. "It can also change a person for the worse; I am very sure that Abby and Crystal would not like seeing you like that and Sideways would only be reminded of what he used to be. You would be no better than the 'cons themselves if you let getting revenge get the best of you; it would not bring Jolt back and he would not want to see you changing for the worst for his sake."
Peaches thought about that for a second. "It's like a nuclear bomb; if you wanted to use it to destroy your enemies, you could but you would harm innocent people in the process." She made her own comparison, finally understanding but still upset. She began sobbing uncontrollably.
"Whatever Shockwave's end might be, whether or not in battle, we will let fate decide that. For now, I want you to know that Elita and I as well as many others are here to help you whenever you need it." Optimus said. He put Peaches close to his spark and gave her a hug.
(End flashback, switch back to 1st person POV Optimus)
Peaches had cried for 5 Earth hours that day and had cried again at Jolt's funeral. Elita and I had hugged her numerous times when she needed it. That was all we could do to help her; she often listened to music or sang to no one in particular to calm herself down if she wanted to be alone.
At this point though, she seemed to be struggling to keep her cool as I discussed with her, Sideways, Ratchet, Mirage, Prowl and the humans that had returned to base how to carry out my plan for the rescue.
"Peaches we will get them back." Sideways said in an attempt to comfort her as he gave her a hug and let her shed tears on his shoulder as he stood near the back wall of the hangar and attempted to keep himself as calm as possible. "I promise. I don't know how we're going to be able to meet his demands, but we will do so."
She looked up and said firmly "Those who harm children are the lowest criminals around, whether they are Cybertronians or humans committing the crime. I will not stand by and let him harm them! I am glad that I have friends, no family who are willing to help me do this!"
I could tell Peaches was filled with burning justice and soon she would be able to release that energy and do something with it. The plan was soon finalized.
"Autobots, roll out!" I ordered.
We then did so, keeping our optics open for any other Decepticons that might deter us from our mission...