(A/N: This story may need a re-write at some point, cause I finished it all in one weekend... Tell me if you guys find it boring or lacking in quality and I'll try to fix the chapter. I think it's so-so. Just so many stories that need to be completed and/or updated!)

Soundwave was terrified. Every conscience moment spent deliriously pleading with his 'captors' for Solis, begging them to find her. To save her from Megatron's clutches before something happened to her.

And something was happening to Solis. Soundwave could feel it. Fluctuations of pain that drove him from stasis back into awareness, the ex-decepticon screaming as he woke, lashing out at anyone close enough for him to reach.

This time was different. Soundwave onlined with a cold, heavy feeling in his spark, and it disoriented him for several moments, the mech only attempting to lift a servo in order to shield his optics when a light was shined into them.

"Ep, ep! Keep your servo at your side!" The autobot medic's familiar voice announced almost too loudly off to his left, Soundwave groaning softly as his servo was pressed down at his side.

Blinking rapidly, Soundwave attempted to sit up, a heavy servo on his shoulder pressing him back into the berth, the slim mech's feeble struggles barely slowing the process.

"No… please. Solis…" Soundwave pleaded in a near-whisper, vision clearing enough for him to make out Optimus Prime above him. A sight that would normally terrify any lesser Decepticon, but it sent a flicker of hope through the ex-decepticon's spark as he struggled to speak.

Ratchet was still moving around at his side, but Soundwave's full focus was on the autobot leader.

"S-Solis? Megatron?" Coughing out the words, Soundwave shifted against the berth, though he didn't make any attempt to sit up again.

The grave expression on Optimus Prime's faceplates was enough for Soundwave to fear the worst. Had they tried to save Solis? Was she offline? Was that why his spark felt so cold and dark?

"Soundwave, I made contact with Megatron." Optimus began, his voice grim and stoic, preventing the ex-communications officer from reading into the autobot's tone, to pinpoint exactly what sort of news he was going to receive. "I've attempted to negotiate Solis' retrieval… Megatron has refused."

Spark sinking in grief-stricken terror, Soundwave began to struggle, fighting his uprising panic. Bulkhead stepped forwards now, the green wrecker appearing from somewhere out of the decepticon's line of sight, large servos aiding his leader in holding him down.

"No! NO!" Soundwave bucked against their grips, Ratchet moving to lock his pedes down to the medbay berth, attempting to keep the desperate mech from damaging himself any further.

"Soundwave," Optimus said loudly, "Soundwave! Any attempt at locating the Nemesis has failed!"

Venting heavily as he slumped back against the berth, Soundwave fought the sobs building in his throat, the mech trembling violently as the autobots slowly released their grips on him.

Ratchet waved for the others to make room, the mech moving to scan the supine mech, mumbling softly as he worked.

"Trade me."

The words were so quiet that nobody heard it the first time, Soundwave struggling to muster up the strength to repeat it loud enough.

"Trade me!"

Silence fell over the medbay, Ratchet even looking up from the results of the scan, the only sound in the room the beeping of the monitors.

"Soundwave, any and all attempts at getting Solis has been refused. Megatron no longer responds to our messages." Optimus' response weighed heavily over the slim mech's spark, violet optics shutting briefly in an attempt to block them out.

The autobots stood around the berth, watching the decepticon struggle to keep from sobbing. None of them knew what to say or do, Bulkhead looking more awkward than usual, Ratchet looking around before quickly breaking the silence. "I think we should allow Soundwave to rest. Tomorrow, when he's had time to recollect himself, we'll be able to talk about what we should do for Solis."

Numbed by the reality thrust upon him, Soundwave only shut his optics in response and listened to the sounds of the autobot pedesteps as they left the room. A loud 'click' sounded as the overhead lights dimmed then shut off.

Violet optics lit in the darkness, followed by a shifting sound as Soundwave painfully pushed himself up to his pedes, steadying himself against the berth. The autobots might not have been able to locate the Nemesis, but he could.


Transforming was the most difficult, joints turning with a sickening groan, grinding and screeching as plating fell into place to form his alt-mode. Soundwave's entire form trembled with the pain, his flightpath weak and wobbly as he headed off towards the Nemesis' last cell-tower ping. Because of their lack of communications arrays like back on Cybertron, Soundwave himself had re-routed the Nemesis' communications to pass through the cell towers scattered over the earth.

It was his system. It wasn't hard to track the Nemesis from there. The first ping had been in Phoenix, Arizona, and the second ping appeared in San Diego, California.

Soundwave studied the distance and time it would take for him to make it at his current speed. His calculations were portrayed in bright red, warning him that he'd never make it to the site in time. So Soundwave used his last resort. His inner groundbridge.

His entrance into his old room wasn't anywhere near soundless, the tall mech all but crashing into the old work area he'd put together for his private work.

Venting heavily, Soundwave fought to push himself back up to his pedes. The bond stirred, alerting the dark-colored mech that his mate was still alive, if barely. The added hope was enough for Soundwave to stand on shaking legs, the mech venting heavily for several moments before chancing the walk across the room.

Taking another moment at the door, Soundwave began to hack into the core systems to retrieve security feeds. Highlighting his trail to Megatron's personal berthrooms, Soundwave set the systems so that it would ping him should anyone enter that area.

Soundwave took a deep vent, optics shutting briefly before he keyed the door open and stepped out into the hall, into full sight of anyone that turned the corner. It was the distant distress coming from Solis that drove the mech down the hall, stumbling.

One pede in front of the other. The ability to do so hadn't ever been so difficult.

Finally reaching the plain, gray door, Soundwave took a moment to lean against it, sides rising and falling with the exertion it had taken for him to make the small walk down the hall.

Soundwave took a few, quick vents before keying in the code for Megatron's rooms. Due to the fact that the decepticons all believed him to have perished either from his wounds or the fall, they hadn't thought to change the passcodes. The green was a welcome sight, as was the hiss of the door sliding open.

Relief was quickly replaced by trepidation, Soundwave remaining in the doorway as the light from the hall behind him washed over the berth… and the form on it.

"Solis…" Soundwave choked out, nearly falling in his haste to get across the room to his mate. The beautiful red of the femme's plating was dented, the color faded in the time he'd been unconscious. Soundwave's spark ached as he gathered Solis in his arms. She was light… Lighter than he remembered.

Violet optics took in the damaged frame, spark pulsating in grief and fear for the young femme's life.

"What a surprise."

The rough, powerful voice was easily recognizeable, Soundwave jerking around to face the towering warlord blocking the only way out of the room. Megatron.

Pulling Solis in tightly against his chassis, Soundwave trembled with weakness and a bit of fear.

"I did very much believe you to have perished." Megatron stated in a purr-like tone, the massive decepticon wandering closer as Soundwave tried to move backwards, hampered by the unconscious femme in his arms. "And here you return. Not entirely unexpected… Prime's calls were proof enough of that. It was just a matter of when you'd come."

Soundwave's spark pulsated out of rhythm, his only thought on how to get Solis to safety. She was all that mattered to him.

"Now, leave her and surrender yourself, or I will have you chained up in here as well. To watch as I take what's yours. Watch as I torture her until she fades from existence."

"No." Soundwave rasped out, checking his fuel levels. They flashed at 56%. Enough for one more groundbridge before he'd be lost to stasis lock. "You'll never touch her again."

The bridge opened, bathing the room in green, white, and purple. Confusion and surprise showed on Megatron's faceplates, quickly followed by rage.

Soundwave pivoted as best he could, sliding Solis into the groundbridge at his side, slipping and falling onto his side with a grunt, the bridge closing just as Megatron reached him.

It was with Megatron's roar of rage that Soundwave lost consciousness again, but this time he was at peace.