Turning Point Chapter 18, a transformers/beast wars fanfic

A/N: Thank you all so much for your suggestions! So this is it. This is the chapter. How will Soundwave react? Only time will tell. And again, my apologies for the delays. I can't wait until the end of November, it means I'll be able to update more often instead of every Monday (or whenever I physically can).

Songs are not mine.

Transformers are not mine.

Warnings: A seemingly suicidal Skywarp.

Turning Point – Chapter 18

Cracking open his optics, Grimlock felt funny. Not in a good way. Like there was something wrong. His head felt…unbalanced. Blinking, shifting slightly, he saw Swoop leaning against a wall in their volcano quarters, a hand raised to his mouth.

"Why you Swoop have hand to mouth?" the lead Dinobot asked, craning his T-Rex head up.

"Him Grimlock look funny. Him Grimlock got ears on head, pretty lights, and white stuff on body. Look very ridiculous," the flying Dinobot giggled, and gestured to the giant mirror they had hung on a rock wall for occasions they needed to check their frames. Rising from his laying position, Grimlock lumbered over to the mirror and stood in front of it.

"That bot not Grimlock!" he exclaimed.

"It is!" replied Swoop gleefully.

The robotic T-Rex could only stare at his reflection in horror and anger.

A Santa hat had been glued to his snout in between his nostrils, a pair of fluffy ears plastered onto his helm, garishly pink. Whipped cream had been 'drawn' in a line down between his optics, and also decorated his body. His tiny front legs had the tips of his claws painted red. Under his jaw many little red bows had been stuck, and fairy lights looped around the bunny ears and then wound their way down his neck. Silly string was everywhere. Not to mention the hundreds of fairy stickers plastered ubiquitously on his on the tip of his tail were several long white pieces of twine which made light sounds as he shifted.

He had been pranked.

Again.

Snarling, Grimlock threw back his great head and roared to the ceiling.

"THEM TWINS BETTER RUN! THEY REGRET PRANKING ME GRIMLOCK!" the Dinobot bellowed, and stomped out of his quarters.

He wanted to crush the puny pranksters!

Skywarp, sitting in the rec room, turned to his fellow pranksters and said, "And that, my friends, is a sign of a prank well done."

Sideswipe grinned. "And old Grimmy-poo won't be able to pin it on us because we were on comm. duty at the time!"

Sunstreaker and Skywarp snickered. "And it's gonna be hard to get me, because I'm not on camera! I just teleported. I'm glad that camera in the Dinobot's den is still out, or else it would have been incriminating for sure."

Another furious roar, closer this time, echoed through the Ark.

"Oooh, he's pissed," chuckled Sunstreaker darkly. He couldn't wait to see what the Dinobot looked like.

"Good thing that Prime's here. He's the only one that can really calm Grimlock," Sideswipe said, and leaned back in his chair, optics gleaming with mischief. Skywarp joined him, calmly sipping his ration. They waited in apprehensive glee as the thuds of large T-Rex feet stomped closer and closer to the rec-room. By now, most mechs were glancing worriedly at the doors, wondering what was to happen. Even Optimus looked ready, tensed to combat a possible threat.

The doors finally burst forward to emit a furious Grimlock, who roared loudly at the sight of the twins.

"Me Grimlock SMASH!" he snarled, and started forward.

"Oh this is too sweet," snickered Skywarp, joined by the twins as the Dinobot charged forward. They were too confident, and it showed, and Grimlock saw it and slowed.

"Him Sideswipe and him Sunstreaker did this," accused Grimlock.

Sideswipe giggled, "Nope, sorry Grim, wasn't us. We were on duty. But whoever got ya? Got you good."

"Him Sideswipe liar."

"Actually Grimlock," the calm voice of Optimus Prime broke in, and he moved in to restrain the T-Rex with a hand on his silly string covered shoulder, "Red Alert just confirmed their alibi. The twins were on comm. duty until about an hour ago, and they've been here since. I advise you to calm down."

"Me Grimlock want to smash!" Grimlock repeated, snarling and shrugging the hand on his shoulder off. "Me Grimlock look silly. Me Grimlock no like look silly. Me Leader!"

Making sure his amusement didn't show, Optimus said, "Yes, you are the leader of the Dinobots. Now…get Swoop to help clean all of this off of you, you don't want to look any more silly, right?"

Grumbling and growling, the Dinobot nodded his helm and skulked off to his quarters unhappily. He wanted to know who did this to him, but that would just have to wait.

Meanwhile in the rec-room, the Twins and Skywarp gave each other covert high-fives as the rest of the mechs that had viewed the spectacle began to chuckle and laugh. Even Optimus had an amused gleam in his optics as he turned and went back to his seat to talk to Ironhide. Things eventually settled down, but the memory of a thoroughly pranked Grimlock would never be forgotten.

That night

Leaning on the doorjamb to his friend's room, Blaster grinned and complimented, "Nice shine. Rumble and Frenzy help you out with that?"

"They did," replied Soundwave, putting his journal datapad down on his berth and switching it off. Looking back to Blaster, he smiled. "It's time?"

"For me to kick your butt? Hell yeah!" the boom box replied enthusiastically, bouncing on his heels like an excited sparkling. The enthusiasm filled the room and Soundwave couldn't help but absorb it and he smiled wider, standing up and canting his helm to the side in question. "Shall we?"

Beaming, the red mech yelled, "Let's go and party!"

Answering cheers erupted from their cassettes as they left the large quarters and made their way to the rec-room. They were almost there when they felt the floor vibrate beneath them from the sub-woofers and the level of the music. Soundwave let the thuds reverberate through his being and he felt his cassettes do the same. Music truly affected them all in such wondrous ways.

Blaster opened the doors, grinning as the music assaulted them immediately. This was his element. His and Soundwave's. Taking a blue hand, he led them through the crowded dance floor and to the two DJ stations, which Jazz had been looking after. "Jazz, my mech! Nice tunes!"

"Pretty sweet huh?" Jazz asked, winking his visor at them before disappearing into the dancing bodies on the dancefloor.

Soundwave, meanwhile, had tensed. "Autobots: overcharged already?" he asked cautiously.

"Yeah. When there's a really big party like this, everybot wants to cut loose and whatever. That's why I brought you down here later, so you wouldn't be fully caught up in the influenced mechs," replied Blaster, shrugging. If a mech could have any vice, then letting go every now and then was it.

Soundwave remained wary, determined to keep a mental tab on his creations, but settled, picking out his track for the evening. He and Blaster had agreed that they would do opposite songs

His own choice would be one of his favourite songs that he had listened to time and time again in the Nemesis with that radio. Not because of what the song meant, but for the sound of the voice and of the beat and edgy style of music. 'Wake up Call' had something about it. Looking around, he chose the music as he and Blaster waited for the current song to wind down. They had planned it like this. Show up and abruptly start. It had been their style and was familiar to them both.

As the current song wound down, Blaster smirked and placed his own track on to play. This was going to be good.

"Mechs! Get ready to see who's gonna get your circuits in a spin!" he called out, attracting all the attention. He grinned as the first bars of his song began to play. The more partying mechs like the Twins, Jazz, Bumblebee, and so many others whooped excitedly. This song was too popular for them not to be excited.

"I should have known you would have chosen your favourite artist," Soundwave mentioned to him.

"Hello pot, I'm kettle," replied the red and yellow mech with a smirk.

The DJ turntables weren't like any in human existence. They didn't have the typical space for the vinyls. No, the music was played through a different medium. The turntables instead had a small miniature disc to represent the music track, with a multitude of buttons and sliders all around it. Blaster let his fingers run fondly over these while the first verse began to play.

Check that out, what they playin'
That's my song that's my song
Where my drinks
I've been waiting much too long much too long
And this girl on my lap passing out, she's a blonde
The last thing on my mind is going home

From the window to the wall
This club is jumping, til tomorrow
Is it daylight or is it night time?
1 o'clock 2 o'clock 3 o'clock 4
We gon' tear the club up.

Blaster smirk was kept firmly on his face as he pressed two buttons in synch, letting the last note extend longer seamlessly, adding in a higher note to it.

"Tentative, Blaster?"

Soundwave couldn't help but goad his friend. It was amusing to watch Blaster's optics flick a light glare to him before the chorus played.

Ayo me say day oh
Daylight come and we don't wanna go home, go home, go home,
Yeah so we losing control (control)
Turn the lights low cause we about to get blown….b-b-b-b-blown, b-b-b-b-blown!

Soundwave hid his smirk as Blaster added in the extra sound effects one by one. Mechs below were dancing happily to the music, while others watched from the tables.

Let the club shut down, down-d-down
We won't go oh oh oh, o-o-o-o-o-o-h!
Burn it down
To the flo oh oh oh
Ayo me say day oh, whoa-ah-oooh!
Daylight come and we don't wanna go home.

Blaster mixed it, creating more sound affects as the song played, getting into the groove of thing easily. From fading the music in and out at strategic points, to amplifying it, to making the words repeat and making that vinyl scratch sound, he was in his element…and the Autobot crowd loved him for it.

The red mech found himself singing along to the music, lights flashing brightly over the turntable, spinning around on the spot before he hit the synth wave slider again, making the frequency of the song change.

Ayo me say day oh
Daylight come and we don't wanna go home, go home, go home,
Yeah so we losing control (control)
Turn the lights low cause we about to get blown….b-b-b-b-blown, b-b-b-b-blown!

Let the club shut down, down-d-down
We won't go oh oh oh, o-o-o-o-o-o-h!
Burn it down
To the flo oh oh oh
Ayo me say day oh, whoa-ah-oooh!
Daylight come and we don't wanna go home.

A cheer rose from the group of partying Autobots and Blaster bowed graciously, grinning. Stepping aside, he motioned at the turntable. Let's see if he could beat that!

Soundwave's expression remained the same, although Blaster thought he saw challenge gleaming in that visor, the same challenge that had always been there whenever they had versed each other on the battlefield.

Soundwave let calm overcome him. He couldn't afford not to. He didn't look at the crowd, but let his song play, the opening synthesized sound immediately soothing to his audials.

Didn't hear what you were sayin'

I live on raw emotion baby

I answer questions, never 'maybe's'

And I'm not kind if you betray me

So who the hell are you to say we

Never would have made it babe

"Hah! I knew you'd pick Maroon 5!" crowed Blaster, leaning back and waiting for Soundwave to begin.

If you needed love, well then ask for love,

Could have given love, now I'm takin' love,

And it's not my fault, cos you both deserve what is coming now,

So don't say a word.

The gunshot drum sound was Soundwave cue, and a techno weave was his first weapon of choice, speeding up the tempo of the song, making it more danceable. It seemed like the crowd agreed as they began to move again. The twins especially were taking over the dancefloor in their usual way, moving in synch with each other in hard, fast movements.

Soundwave immediately lost himself in the song. He couldn't hear anything apart from each individual beat, the timbre of Adam Levine's voice, the way he changed it in a smooth flow from original to remix.

Wake up call-all-all
Caught you in the morning with another one in my bed (my bed)
Don't you care about me anymore?
Don't you c-c-care about me? I don't think soo-o-o-o-o.
Six foot tall (Six foot tall)
Came without a warning so I had to shoot him dead-ead-yeah
He won't come around here anymore
Come around here? I don't think so.

Blaster watched in admiration as the blue mech before him relaxed, becoming one with the music, with the way he DJ-ed. The lyrics of the song didn't quite fit, but that didn't matter. The fact that Soundwave was doing what he truly did best and what he enjoyed warmed the red mech's spark. It had taken a month to get him comfortable again. Not fully, but comfortable enough, and that was as much as he could hope for. Optics dimming and smiling, he couldn't help but continue to stare over the strong planes of the telepath's body. So handsome.

The song came to its last chorus too soon, and the words were mixed one last time.

Another cheer went up from the crowd upon completion of the song, but perhaps not as enthusiastic as the one for Blaster.

Nevertheless, Soundwave felt the utmost satisfaction in his performance.

He turned to find his friend grinning at him.

"Nice work, main machine," Blaster said, clapping. "Did it feel good?"

Yes," replied Soundwave. He tilted his helm slightly to the side as Jazz leapt onto the stage once more and yelled, "Give it up for the two DJ mechs! So, who's the best? Who's the cool cat with the style to go the mile?"

Out of the crowd came the undoubted winner.

"Blaster!"

"Blaster's the bomb, bro!"

"The Blast-man!"

Blaster's smile faded slightly. Technically, Soundwave's had been so much better than his own. So much smoother, more hip, more edgy. He had thought that the Autobots had begun to accept Soundwave more freely. Guess this favouritism towards him told him otherwise. Reluctantly, he stepped forward and made a half-hearted wave to his comrades. He didn't want it. He wanted Soundwave to be recognised for being the better DJ.

"Now, cos ya won, ya get to sing a luurve song," Jazz drawled. "But after another hip-hop."

Steeping off the stage, knowing that Soundwave was following, Blaster plopped into a vacant booth.

"Congratulations," came the soft voice of the telepath, sitting across from him.

"It should have been you," pouted Blaster.

The crimson gaze was carefully blank as Soundwave answered, "I don't think I would enjoy the prize. Winning or losing doesn't matter to me in the end, no matter how competitive you and I are."

Raising his optic ridges, the boom box asked, "Ya sure?"

"Definitely. I will enjoy watching you perform," Soundwave said quietly. Ratbat appeared then with two cubes of mid-grade, and the telepath reached forward to sample it, to savour the fuel. It was nice to be at full efficiency all the time. He looked back to his friend, who still looked put out. He reached out and tapped his hand, saying, "Please, don't worry. I know that our skills are equal."

"Whatever," replied Blaster a little flatly. He really didn't want to accept being the better DJ.

Jazz walked up to them, this little sly smirk on his face. "Hey Blast-man, what song are ya singing?"

"Whatever rhymes with 'slag the idiots who don't know talent,'" Blaster answered.

He saboteur frowned. "Hey, they liked yours better. So what? Ah'm sure Soundwave's gonna cream ya at another party."

Soundwave almost sighed with gratitude. Trust Jazz to find a way to stop Blaster from letting his charming modesty overcome him. He added, "More time, perhaps, is needed before they will more actively call out my name. I have only been here a month."

"And look how far ya've come!" chirped Jazz, clapping them both on the shoulder. "Blaster's been great, and Prowl and Ah can see it."

The telepath seemed to blush, but it was hard to tell with the tight rein he had on his emotions. Shrugging and tugging on the boom box's arm, Jazz pulled him over to the music station, leaving Soundwave alone to observe. He hadn't been given time earlier, when Blaster had so unceremoniously dragged him in here. Now, he had the chance.

Optimus was sitting with Prowl and Red Alert, the latter who had finally began to accept them around the base and seeing them on his cameras. They looked to be chatting amiably about something. It looked like they were making full use of their down time. Glancing around, Soundwave saw the large bulk of Skyfire in the corner, a certain tricoloured Seeker sitting opposite him as they talked and drank their energon. They looked subdued, and the telepath could guess what they were talking about, and it wasn't science. Thundercracker and Skywarp were dancing together. Skywarp was smiling and his lover looking content.

They had become good…well, not friends. That line between friend and acquaintance.

Other bots were in their usual cliques. Either dancing or sitting and drinking energon. Over the noise of the dance music, Soundwave was sure that he heard a drunk Huffer singing some sort of old Cybertronian space ship shanty.

Frenzy and Rumble came into his view, hopping into Blaster's vacated seat.

"Enjoyin' yourself Boss?" asked Rumble, grinning.

"Hell of a party isn't it?" Frenzy chimed in, raising a small cube of high grade in salute.

"Caution: not too much high-grade," Soundwave intoned sternly. He didn't like the risks of his creations being overcharged.

"Feh, we ain't worried. We got you Dad," Rumble said confidently.

Soundwave sent a pulse of gratitude to them both. It affirmed that he wasn't worthless when his creations reminded him that they loved him and trusted him to be their protector. He sipped his energon thankfully, and sat back and listened as the twins regaled him with tales of their awesome dancing skills and praise for his DJ style. He vaguely noted Blaster debating with Jazz up on the stage, no doubt about the song choice.

Then, for no reason, Frenzy suddenly giggled.

The telepath frowned and asked, "What do you find so humorous?"

"Oh, nothin'," replied the red and black cassette, but failed at nonchalance.

Soundwave felt suspicious, but let the matter drop for now. Besides, it looked like Blaster was about to sing his reward song.

Again, the saboteur stepped forward with his usual charming grin and announced to the crowd, "We've decided to do one for all the lovers out there. Step up and slow dance to the delightful tone of our Blast-man."

Jazz leapt off the stage and fetched his own bondmate as the music began to play a gentle pop song. He dragged Prowl onto the floor just as Blaster made himself comfortable in front of the microphone, clearing his intakes to sing.

I'll be your dream
I'll be your wish

I'll be your fantasy…
I'll be your hope

I'll be your love
Be everything that you need…
I'll love you more with every breath
Truly, madly, deeply do

Prowl had given into Jazz and was now swaying along to Blaster's pure voice along with a few other couples, such as Hound and Mirage, and Skywarp and Thundercracker. Ratchet was sitting, serenely watching the dancing couples when two pairs of hands snatched him up and dragged him onto the floor, despite his protests. The sight of the medic being pounced upon by the red and yellow twins made Soundwave smirk. He turned his attention back to his friend, so sweetly crooning the lyrics. The boom box's voice was very pleasing.

I will be strong I will be faithful
'cause I'm counting on
A new beginning
A reason for living
A deeper meaning, yeah

Rumble and Frenzy saw Blaster dart his optics to Soundwave, saw that same loving glance and promptly burst into semi-drunk giggles.

"Query: source of amusement?" the blue mech asked dryly. Why were his creations laughing?

I want to stand with you on a mountain
I want to bathe with you in the sea
I want to lay like this forever
Until the sky falls down on me

"Hehe, n-nothin' Dad. Just a little inside joke between me and 'Zee," Rumble replied, his visor shining with mirth.

Soundwave felt his frown deepen. Rumble was lying. He was never a good liar, it was Frenzy who was better at that. He was curious. Why did his creations find Blaster singing a song so funny? Perhaps it wasn't at Blaster, but at the song choice. While he did admit the song was soft and sweet, he didn't mind the change of pace compared to the amount of dance music they had listened to before. "Desist. You are ruining my enjoyment of the performance."

And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky,
I'll make a wish, send it to heaven
Then make you want to cry the tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certainty,
That we're surrounded by the comfort and protection of
The highest powers
In lonely hours
The tears devour you

The cassette twins couldn't take it anymore and burst out into more fits of giggles, aware of their disgruntled creator. Frenzy, in the slightly inebriated state that he was, couldn't stop the secret slipping out even if he wanted to. "Keep lookin' at Blaster, but make sure ya head's not turned towards him, or ya'll miss it. Just watch 'is face, and ya'll see why we're laughin'!"

Confused, Soundwave did as instructed by his cassettes as Blaster sang the second chorus.

I want to stand with you on a mountain
I want to bathe with you in the sea
I want to lay like this forever
Until the sky falls down on me

Soundwave felt that his creations were imagining whatever his friend was doing, and just as he was going to turn his optics to them to berate them, he caught it.

The almost imperceptible change in expression for naught but a few moments as Blaster looked in his direction. Blaster's optics became softer, expression more tender, and Soundwave knew in that second that Blaster was not singing that song to everyone, but to him, for him.

The implications of this made Soundwave tense, freeze in place. His processor whirled as he tried to find some sort of explanation, other than what his rational processors were telling him.

Oh can you see it baby?
You don't have to close your eyes
'Cause it's standing right before you
All that you need will surely come…

I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish
I'll be your fantasy…
I'll be your hope

I'll be your love
Be everything that you need…
I'll love you more with every breath
Truly, madly, deeply do…

There was no way for him to be certain.

'Yes there is,' his processor murmured to him, and then Soundwave found himself in another battle. Should he use his telepathy? It would be such a large violation of their friendship if he did, but some part of him was aching to know. He needed to know. Why? He didn't know why, but now he suspected, he couldn't let the suspicion go without confirming it. It was almost tearing him apart.

Deciding to take the chance, the telepath schooled his features and let out a tendril of mental thought, searching for the singing mech's own consciousness. He found it, slowly wrapping around it, and then slipped inside while the red and yellow mech was singing his spark out.

I want to stand with you on a mountain
I want to bathe with you in the sea
I want to lay like this forever
Until the sky falls down on me

The song concluded, the dancing mechs clapping in appreciation, Ratchet stomping away from the unrepentantly grinning twins who were proud they had managed to bag a dance with the notoriously grumpy mech. Blaster grinned proudly out at them all, bowing slightly.

Soundwave was in shock.

From what he had just seen in Blaster's mind.

Blaster had thought of him the entire time he had been singing, and of nothing but him. Soundwave re-organised his processor, and slowly went through the information and the sensations he had just experienced. Blaster felt many things for him, that much was certain.

There was the want to protect. He had seen images of his friend comforting him, of wrapping him securely in his arms and crooning softly to him. The easy camaraderie and the way they talked to each other, so knowing, so full of comfort.

Then, what had made him slightly uncomfortable, was seeing what Blaster saw in his sweetest recharge. Of them together in every way possible, kissing, touching, making love on Blaster's wide, plush berth. He recalled that Blaster had seen him as desirable, beautiful, strong, with shiny blue plating and handsome features.

Did he truly look like that to Blaster's optics? How could the red mech not see him as flawed after what he had suffered under Megatron's hands? Although he told himself that he wasn't dirty, he still felt inadequate compared to what he used to be.

The images of what he had seen wouldn't leave his mind. Of Blaster laying him on the berth, being gentle, reassuring him with honey-coated words as they touched. Another mental image of himself taking charge over the red mech, of pinning him against the wall and…

The thought made him blush.

Not only that, but he had found love.

Blaster, without a doubt, loved him. It was all there, written in his mental thoughts. There was no infatuation or simple lust. There was true love. Blaster, he saw, wanted to love him with all that he was, but held back everything for him so that he wouldn't be re-traumatised.

Soundwave didn't know what to think about that. About how Blaster loved him.

The fact that his friend had been wanting him for such a long time…well, it was almost unfathomable how much hope the other split-spark had for them to be together.

"Well?" Rumble asked expectantly, breaking his creator's chain of thought.

"I…I need some time alone," Soundwave said softly, still reeling from the depth of emotion Blaster had for him. It made him feel…well, that's what he wanted to find out. He went to move out of the booth, but knocked his helm into something solid with a resounding clang. Raising a hand to rub at his forehelm, he realised he had bumped into Blaster. He looked into those glimmering blue orbs, and finally recognised that expression that had been present from the day he had first come to the Autobot base.

Blaster's optics were shining with love for him.

"Hey, where's the fire?" the red mech asked as Soundwave flinched away as if struck, standing abruptly and awkwardly.

Self-conscious and needing the space to come to grips with this reality, Soundwave muttered, "I need some air. I'll be back soon."

Before his friend could respond, he dashed out of the rec-room with as much dignity as he could muster, moving through the halls and finally escaping to the outside of the Ark. He gave a brief wave to Smokescreen, who was on guard shift and continued to a small hill, sitting down and taking many deep intakes to centre himself. He felt like his perception of the world around him had turned upside-down.

Would this change anything? It was the most pertinent question for him. It meant he had to re-evalutate his own feelings for Blaster.

Soundwave leaned back, shuddering as he recalled how much Blaster had wanted him. So many emotions…so many thoughts of how the other cassette bearing mech wanted their relationship to end up like.

"If one thing is certain, at least I know I am cared for," Soundwave said aloud.

It was a starting point. He felt taut, ready to act, but with now where to channel it in any constructive manner. Not only that, but his uncertainty was climbing by the second as more questions entered his processor. Do I let him know that I know how he feels about me? Or do I let it go until he approaches me personally? Will or should I act differently? What about my cassettes? Will they see this love from him as a threat as we live in the same quarters? Sighing as the multitude of questions span in circles, Soundwave placed his helm in his hands.

How did he feel? Until now, he was certain of their strong friendship growing steadily by the day, that they looked out for one another and Blaster looked after him, even after his struggles with his defilement at the hands of his vile ex-leader. He cared for Blaster. Loved him like a friend.

But as a lover?

Soundwave forced himself to breathe deeply, to search within himself to see if he could ever have it in him.

He did.

He wasn't sure how he knew, but he knew that if this tiny speck of unknown feeling grew, that he would be able to open up to Blaster in the way a lover could. He thought his friend handsome, and admired him, and it was certainly a starting point he could act on.

It made him slightly frightened, to know that he could feel such an emotion.

Was he worthy?

Soundwave immediately tramped down on that thought. He thought of Prowl, his friend, who encouraged him to stay away from such negative thoughts. He repeated his mantra over and over again: "I am not to blame for what was done to me. It was his fault, not mine, his choice, not mine. He cannot hurt me anymore because I want to experience life and continue with it to the best of my ability."

He finally halted, calmed by repeating his mantra.

Still…

Blaster was in love with him.

He cleared his intakes and admitted to himself, "How he feels is out of my control. Blaster loves me…he loves me…"

He rolled over onto his side, playing with a few pieces of sparse desert grass in his digits. He felt all tangled up within himself still, but let it go. He thought he would simply take the Blaster approach.

Wing it.

The telepath stood and was about to leave when suddenly he became hyper aware of something behind him. He quickly scanned with his sensors, and froze when he realised that a bot as big as himself was standing there. Whirling around, Soundwave took a quick intake of breath when he saw who was not even fifteen feet apart from him, helm tilted and looking quite amused.

"Well Soundwave, it is not many who can surprise you. And…oh my, no mask either? Tut tut, living with the Autobots has degraded you."

Soundwave felt anger bubbling in his circuits as he glared at the mech. That accented voice grated on his audios, but made him aware of his slight fear. That word….'degraded'…did the mech know?

"But then again, I always found you to be too quiet. More vocal loyalty, perhaps, would have spared you this fate. I am here to collect you to take you back to our illustrious lord."

"Never," Soundwave growled, letting a threatening rumble echo out of his loudspeakers.

Shockwave tilted his helm to the other side, single golden optics illuminating the area. If he had a face, Soundwave would have called it sinister. "Well then. I will just have to take you by force."

A/N: Oooh, cliffhanger, XD. (Some of the line spacing is weird at the song bit, I have NO IDEA why DX)

Yes, I know I've left you dangling, but I hope this chapter makes up for the long absence of work on this. I've had so much real life shizz, it ain't funny.

I'd love your reviews on what you liked! The prank, the party, the songs, the end bit, anything!