Please note that these characters belong to their original creators as do any songs used in this fiction, not me, this is just my take on what might happen enjoy and let me know what you think.

also i am still trying to fix any mistakes that i might have missed in past chapters (i.e spelling, grammar and so on)

"are you satisfied with the tests ratchet?" asked Optimus as he watched the Medbot almost stalk around his own med-bay. Ratchet gave a long "humm" before he said "your system is clean and I can find no sign of further damage to your circuits but I'm still not happy about the strain this put on your spark, no message is so important that you risk offlining your self for it". The Autobot leader chuckled lightly before he said "it matters little now as the message is gone forever, all I was able to recover were the words "danger, decepticon, matrix, transformed" and although I know it's a warning about the decepticons I don't know how the matrix fit's into it". Ratchet made a "humrf" noise as he organized a few tools on a work bench in answer to the statement. "what is it ratchet, I've never known you to keep your thoughts and opinions to your self?" asked Optimus as he watched the Medbot tidy more tools unnecessary. Ratchet could feel the gaze of the Autobot leader on his back even though he was doing his best to ignore it and the question. This carried on for a few minutes but ratchet knew that he could not win a waiting game with Optimus as the leader of the Autobots had almost infinite patients and was well practiced at using it. Finally Ratchet turned and looked at Optimus who was still watching his every move as he waited for an answer. The Medbot let out a sigh before he said "I know that you have this thing about dealing with problems your self some times and I know that if this was a message then it was of great importance but..." Ratchet paused hoping that the few seconds would give the following word more weight. "you cant take risks like this, not any-more" Ratchet's face took on a stern look before he continued "you are the leader of your people now and although you are no longer the only prime you are the older prime and as such you need to still be online in order to teach sam all he needs not to mention the little matter of restoring our civilization here on earth while ensuring the safe development of the humans".

Optimus Remained silent as Ratchet spoke "I know that you have spent a long time fighting on the front lines, I was with you in the thick of it but you need to think about trying to make it past this battle past the next ten battles if our people stand a chance of making a fresh start here on earth, you of all bots know the price of a mistake and it's that fact that will allow you to guide us into our future now that we have one once again". Optimus let out a deep "humm" as he leaned back in chair he was sitting on, he was not used to being in this situation at least not in this role during this kind of conversation. The room fell silent for a few minutes as neither bot wanted to say anything. Finally Optimus spoke "your right ratchet I have to many others riding on me at the moment to take risks like that to often" Ratchet was about to interrupt but Optimus stopped him as he continued, "I still think that it was worth the risk as we now know that there is some unseen danger coming for us, something beyond the decepticon in orbit, more than the tick devices that were scattered around the city and now we know that it's there we can get ready". Ratchet turned back to his tools for a few seconds before he said "if you try that again you probably won't have any trouble hearing the message as you'll get your self all the way to the well of allsparks trying to retrieve it" Ratchet paused for a second and when he started speaking again his voice had a gentler tone that was rarely associated with him, "optimus enough of us have died over the years, now that we have a new home lets try living for a change".

Optimus got to his feet and said "once this world is safe I think we should all start doing that ratchet". The leader of the Autobots left the med-bay and transformed as he headed across the city to check in on the two youngest Autobots who now called this place home. The first thing that greeted Optimus was the sight of Apache sitting in front of the quarters where both Sam and Bumblebee were still deep in the bonding process. The aerial Autobot had taken his post shortly after being released from the med-bay and just like those he was standing guard over he had not moved since his arrival. Apache's alt form sat in the sun unmoving and looking like any other helicopter, unlike those he was keeping watch over Apache would respond when someone spoke to him but he had decided to remain in his alt form while he waited as he had become attached to it. "has there been any change?" asked Optimus as he approached, "none so far sir, mrs witwicky is inside keeping watch over them at the moment and I'm sure that she'd be throwing a party right now if they'd finished" replied Apache in his southerner British accent. Optimus came to a stop and transformed, the Autobot leader crouched next to Apache and said "you don't need to keep watch all the time apache, you should take some time for your self and find a place to call your own here in autobot city". "thank you sir but I'd rather keep watch over sam and bee while their still so vulnerable, I don't really want to lose my commanding officer to a decepticon sneak attack if I can help it" Apache's reply varied little from the one's that the others had received when they had asked him about taking a break from his self imposed duty. Optimus simply nodded as he knew that even if he ordered Apache to leave the aerial Autobot would come back as soon as whatever assignment he was given was finished, the aerial Autobot had a very stubborn streak when it came to a decision he had made.

Leaving Apache to his watching and waiting Optimus went inside so that he could check on both Sam and Bumblebee, just as Apache had said Judy was sitting across form her son her face showing the deep worry that she was feeling about all this. Wordlessly Optimus took his seat near hers and looked over the bound form's of the youngest Autobots that existed. A quick scan showed him that there had been no change since his last visit, Sam and Bee were still deep in the bonding and showed no sign of finishing in the next few days or weeks. Optimus turned his gaze from the unmoving Autobots to find that Judy was already looking at him with an intensity that could have been mistaken for her scanning him. "there's no change is there, your scan didn't find anything new" thought the wording was that of a question Judy's tone was one of a statement. "no there's been no change" replied Optimus, "that's how it always is, every time I'm here and an autobot arrives I watch them scan my son and his bonded always knowing what the answer will be" said Judy a hollow calm in her voice. Optimus let out a deep sigh before he said "I know this is hard to watch but they are safe and so long as we keep them that way they'll come back to us". Judy Looked at him her eyes seeming empty of their usual fire and emotion as she said "I watched my farther, sam's grand-farther slip into a coma before he died, we sat by his bed side for weeks on end hoping that he'd wake up while the doctors told us that he was doing fine and all we'd have to do was wait for him to come out of it" Judy's voice had a hollow quality to it once more as she seemed drained of all emotion. "we weren't there when he passed, one day we came to see him and everything was just the same as it had been since he'd been admitted, the next day we came to see him and there was just this empty bed in an empty room" Judy seemed to trail off as her thoughts turned to something that frightened and upset her.

Optimus watched as she sniffed slightly and wiped her eyes, "there was some kind of miscommunication at the hospital so we weren't told when it happened and now I have to sit and watch again, powerless to do anything while my son and his lover just sit there motionless" Judy stopped speaking and took a few deep breath's to calm her self as she tried to hold back tears. "judy I promise you that so long as their not disturbed they'll come out of this with out any problems, though knowing those two sam may drag bumblebee off to some quite corner and we may not see them for a few days" said Optimus with a slight chuckle. Still sniffing slightly Judy smiled back at him as she said "you sound as bad as ron, all I got from him the other day was how he no longer stood a chance of matching sam's stamina". Now that the tension was broken if only a little Judy relaxed and the hollow expression that had filled her face faded as she asked "I hear that you've been under ratchets tender mercies for the last three days over some kind of self inflicted injury?". "and I though that cybertronians could spread information quickly" said Optimus, "that's nothing, you'd be surprised as to how fast news like that can travel in a small town compared as to how long it takes in a city of any size" replied Judy. The Autobot leader chuckled before he said "I was trying to recover a message that had been garbled but I got to involved in the process and almost shut my self down" said Optimus hoping that this was enough truth to answer Judy without frightening her as to the possibility of future problems. "I know that's not the whole story optimus, I've been a mom to long not to notice when someone is only giving me half a story but I'll let it drop as I get the feeling that I won't like the whole thing" said Judy as she went back to watching Sam and Bee. Optimus looked at her slightly surprised at the statement before he thought "perhaps I should ask ironhide if he wants judy to help him in the security office once sam has finished bonding with bumblebee".

Far across the solar system other optics were keeping watch over unmoving forms with equal anticipation. "the first tissue replacement will begin soon my fury, then we will get a more detailed idea of how strong our new decepticons will be" said Scalpel as he scuttle towards one of the pods that held Fury's crew. Fury joined him in in keeping watch over his transforming friends hoping to get a look at the process that had given him his new body and the power that he now wielded. But their observation was interrupted by the approach of the one Decepticon they did not want there. Megatron stormed through the air lock in the other room bellowing "scalpel where are you I want a progress report on the development of my weapons". Fury quickly nodded at the small crab bot as Scalpel replied "I am in here lord megatron, I must monitor the start of tissue replacement". Megatron stormed in and his face twisted with disgust as his optics fell on Fury who was standing behind Scalpel "I want a progress report scalpel, now" said Megatron as he loomed over the small bot. Scalpel shrank back and said in a truly frightened voice "we have reached the first stage of tissue replacement and I am monitoring the subjects as we speak". Megatron growled at the answer then glared at Fury before he said "why is that thing here he should be on earth distracting the autobots while we work", Fury bowed down and said "starscream ordered me to remain here" in the most passive voice he could muster. "I told him to order you to earth to protect soundwave, the humans are getting close to finding him and once they do the autobots will try to destroy him" roared Megatron his voice filled with rage.

"lord megatron" said Scalpel in a quite voice that caught the Decepticon leaders attention as if it had bee a cannon shot "starscream went to earth in fury's place as fury is needed here in order to ensure that the process is successful". "and why was I not informed of this?" asked Megatron in a dangerous tone, "I do not know lord he informed me that he would take care of it so that I could focus on my work" replied Scalpel. Megatron looked at Scalpel then at Fury as he thought this through "starscream you fool, you should know better than to disobey my orders so easily". "very well doctor how is the process going are these humans, proving useful" asked Megatron as he thought of way's to punish Starscream. Scalpel scuttled over to one of the pods as he pointed at the being inside that was at this point still mostly human "first stages of tissue replacement have begun, as before there are no signs of rejection however I need fury so that I can compare his current readings to those of our new subjects" explained Scalpel. Megatron's face twisted as he looked at the creature in the pod, soon it would be another mockery of his race walking around his ship disgracing the word Decepticon. "very well doctor, I will leave you to your work and I trust that you will inform me of developments more thoroughly than starscream" said Megatron as he turned his back on the thing in the pod. "yes lord megatron, with fury here as my alpha subject I feel sure that there will be no problems" replied Scalpel, this answer caused Megatron to let out a deep growl as he stormed out of the room planning how he could use these things to hurt the Autobots.

"do you think starscream is on to us?" asked Fury once Megatron was out of audio range, "starscream is always planning something my son we must be careful if he is starting to make his move this early on" replied Scalpel as he returned to his work. Fury went back to watching the process of transforming a human into a Decepticon as the first few pieces of Brad's human body fell away revealing the newly formed metal that would one day protect his spark chamber.