Well I survived the sock hop at my school. We also feed the families and kids that come and I worked the kitchen. I did all the cooking which I used to be a kitchen manager so I enjoyed it even though I had taught school all day. It was fun and my husband and son had a good time.

I hope you liked the last chapter. Sentinel Prime is not my favorite and even when he is in good writings there is an edge about him that I don't like so I hope I have done a decent job of depicting him for my fans.

Please take time to leave a review so that I know how you like my writing. I wish I could get more readers but I am hoping that it will pick up. I have sent out a few e-mails but haven't heard anything. If you know anyone that might like my writing please tell them about my stories. Enjoy!

Optimus could tell that Allie was very tense. The scene around the dining table had been a disaster. Sentinel had done everything that he could to make Allie look foolish and it made Optimus see the older Prime in a different light. Megatron had said very little and Optimus had begun to wonder what Megatron knew that he was missing. Sentinel would make things as difficult as possible and now that Prime had been away from his mentor he realized that he did not really care for his god complex or his superior attitude toward Allie and the success that she had achieved with hard work. Optimus definitely decided that he would be more selective in his evaluation of the situation before allowing Sentinel to push him into a quick decision.

Allie had left for their quarters earlier but when he had tried to follow, Ultra Magnus had stopped him. They had talked over matters for several minutes until Sentinel tried to join their talk and things became too strained between the three of them so Optimus excused himself to go and look for his mate. He found her in the steam room that the femmes used after they work out on the training floor. She was lying down on the marble bench and breathing in the spearmint and eucalyptus with deep even breaths. Optimus closed the door and sat next to her frame as she continued breathing in the pleasant fragrance.

"Tough day?" He asked simply.

"Wasn't until the transport came in." Was all she said. Optimus sat there listening to her deep slow breaths. He wondered what she would do if he was to take her and kiss her until the stress left her body but he also knew that sometimes it was better to let her work it out for herself.

"Do you want to talk?" He finally asked as he sat there in the hot steam.

"Truthfully? No." She sighed long and deep and then added, "I hate him. I want you to know that. I never cared for him on Cybertron and I blame a lot of the bombings and deaths on him." She kept her eyes closed as she went back to slow even breaths to help ease the processor ache and stress that encompassed her body.

"The Decepticons are as much at fault as he is." Prime returned. He retracted his battle mask and rubbed his hands over his face as his optics revealed how tired he was by the situation that had developed between her and Sentinel. "You can't blame is attitude."

"If he hadn't have been so arrogant and uncompromising the war could have ended sooner." She stated. Allie never opened her eyes. "Can we discuss this later, please my lord?" She cried. Optimus immediately felt contrite as he stopped talking and listened to the steam as it ran in the room.

"Can we just cuddle tonight? I sent a message to Shalon and told her I didn't really feel well and she said she understood." Allie asked in a small voice. Optimus bent down and gently kissed her.

"If you need to cuddle and nothing else I have no problems with it. Whatever you need Allie, you know that I am here for you." He very gently kissed her again and Allie raised up and crawled into his lap.

"I love you so much, Optimus. You have become everything to me." She whispered as she stroke his face plates and throat. "I am sorry that I am not good company tonight…"

"It doesn't matter. Good or bad I will love you no matter how dark or shadowed you become, you are my life, my essence." He interrupted and stated to her. They sat there for a few moments in the steam room and then Optimus picked her up and walked her out. No one seemed to notice him as he carried her through the corridors and up the stairs to their quarters. He unlocked the door and walked in to see Megatron sitting reading a data pad. Megatron looked up, but then went back to reading as Optimus carried his mate to their room.

0o0o0o0oo0

"Hey what was it like being in a cave with a helpless femme?" Skywarp and Starscream sat on the small couch they shared between their berth rooms drinking some mid-grade. Skywarp was happy that Starscream was back and they had renewed their bond along with Thundercracker earlier but he had left to check on his mate and how she was doing. Aura had been put on light duty since the pains had started and finally Doc had made her go on berth rest until they could find our why she wasn't feeling so well. Upon returning Starscream had visited her and was very concerned for her health, but Doc insisted that the sparkling was in good health and developing. Booth he and Thundercracker were getting along much better and Thundercracker had been the one who suggested they renew their bond so the three of them had gone flying. While they had practiced their aerial maneuvers they had also restated the seeker's oath, a sacred pledge that was said only to each other, and sworn to loyalty to each other. It had meant much to Thundercracker, who had felt that he had broken his pledge, but in truth Starscream could not fault him for listening to his spark. It was that very same reason they took the oath. It protected them and ensured that they were never alone in life.

"It was nice. Allie had a good set-up here. The cave was stocked with energon and a cot so although it was cool, we were comfortable. Doc said that Kiki did a wonderful job cleaning the shrapnel out of my thruster so I had very little medical needs when we came in." Starscream leaned back as best he could with his wings on the cushions of the couch. Skywarp smirked as he sprawled out on the floor.

"Yeah, but you said a cot so does that mean you shared with her?" Skywarp persisted.

"We did, but you remember what Lord Megatron said. If I had taken advantage of her both he and Allie would have torn me to pieces and left me for scrap." Starscream sighed as he remembered holding the tiny femme in his arms and how good it had felt. He wondered how she was feeling and if she was okay. He had checked on her earlier but she had only talked to him through the door of her quarters. Starscream already missed being near her and his spark longed to see her again.

"Was she warm? You know how Aura felt, all soft and hot under your touch. Did she feel like that?" Skywarp was determined to hear all the details as he leaned closer to his trine mate.

"Yes, she was warm and soft, but we weren't interfacing so I can't honestly say that she was hot under my touch." Starscream said with annoyance. He looked up at the ceiling for a while. Their quarters were nice and they still had the interconnecting doors, but on the Nemesis they had only had their berth rooms with the connected doors and here at the hall they had the living area with a couch and a flat screen television although there were not many channels. Aura said that being so close to the poles it was hard to pick up some of the satellite feed, but they did get the news and informative programming. She had also sent them a gaming console that Skywarp could play and it was entertaining for the seeker, but Starscream liked the massive library that was on the other side of the dining room. Aura had shown it to him thinking he would like the science section and he appreciated her thoughtfulness. She was going to have a computer console and desk installed in their living quarters that he could share with Skywarp. Allie's comrades were doing their best to accommodate them while they were here and Starscream wished that they could stay longer. He was curious about the energon converters and how they worked and he wondered if something like them could help the Decepticons.

"Come Star, you can tell me all the details." Skywarp was not going to let his encounter with the little femme go and Starscream became angry.

"Warp, why don't you find your own femme. If I had interfaced with her I am not going to tell you every detail. She is not like that and it would hurt her so leave it be!" Starscream sat up as the door pinged. It was late in the evening though not past the late hours and he wondered who would be at the door. Starscream stood up since he could get up quicker and went to the door. He opened the door and was surprised to see Kiki standing there looking down at the floor.

"Kiki, are you okay?" Starscream gently asked. She looked up at him and he saw the fear and loneliness in her eyes and he realized that she was having trouble sleeping. He stood back to let her in.

"Warp was leaving for berth, weren't you?" He pointedly looked at Skywarp and he rolled over and stood up from the floor.

"Yeah, I'll leave you two so that you can talk." Skywarp walked to his room and through the door.

Starscream gestured for her to sit on the couch as he took the chair opposite of the couch. She had not said a word since she had knocked on the door and he wondered if she would say anything at all. They looked at each other for a while and then Starscream stood back up.

""Do you want to watch something on the television?" He asked her. He turned back to watch her expression.

"I don't watch much television, Starscream. Can we just talk or maybe read something?" She asked. Her voice was soft and melodious and she sounded better than when he and Ratchet had helped her to her room. He smiled as he walked to his shelf and found a data pad that had short literary stories that Aura had recommended. There was one called "The Lottery" that he had been interested in and although he could not remember the author, Aura had said it was an excellent story with the theme of what happens when society is not willing to change to conform to new ideologies and a better way of life.

"Would you like to read a story together?" He asked her.

"That would be nice, but I tend to read a little slow because I like to absorb the words in." she said.

"Just tell me when to change the screen." He said back to her and she smiled as he sat down next to her. She snuggled closer and pulled the blanket that Starscream and Skywarp had left on the couch over her legs. He turned the data pad on and adjusted it to the first chapter as they begin to sit together and read the screen. She was a little tense but as they settled down and finished the first screen Kiki had begun to relax in his arms. As they were reading Skywarp walked out.

"Sorry. I wanted to get another cube of mid-grade. Do you and Starscream want something?" He asked them as they looked up from the couch. Kiki started to move away but Starscream stopped her.

"It's okay. Warp won't say anything." Starscream said as he looked at Skywarp.

"Sure, I understand." He said to Starscream's warning tone.

"Do you have any rust sticks or those energon snack cubes?" She asked tentatively.

"Yes, right here in the cabinet." Skywarp grabbed a container and brought them to her and Starscream. He knelt down in front of her and gave them to her.

"Thank you." She blushed at his close proximity and Skywarp could tell she was not comfortable with him being so close. For Starscream to gain her trust was a momentous event and Warp was glad that she was beginning to trust his trine mate.

"Starscream is a good mech and he won't hurt you for any reason. He'll take good care of you." Skywarp looked her from optic to eye. "He has taken many beating just to protect me and Thunder; he'll take good care of you if you give him the chance." Skywarp reached over and patted her hand. Starscream noticed that she didn't pull away and smiled at his trine mate in appreciation.

"Thanks Warp." Starscream said softly. "We were reading a story. Want to join us?" Starscream asked out of courtesy.

"No, I just wanted another drink before I laid down to recharge, but thank you for the offer." Skywarp stood back up and walked toward the door. "Good night."

"Night Warp." Kiki said softly and Skywarp turned back and gave her a smile before entering his room.

"He is very nice." She said to Starscream. "What is it like being part of a trine?' Kiki asked wonderingly.

"It is nice because you know that you are never alone and because we are bonded we work very well together, better than a group of flyers that are not bonded. I like that we can sense each other's thoughts and movements. It makes it easier to plan maneuvers when you are sensitive to your partner's needs." Starscream stated softly as he held Kiki.

"Allie says that our internal bonds with each other is what keeps her going. I don't remember anything before here. I know since Allie has regained her memories of Cybertron she has talked about them, but she says I was barely out of my youngling years when we landed here and I was part of the science team. Do you know I helped develop the energon converters that we use?" She said.

"Really, I was wondering if Megatron decides to return to earth if we could use them. It would be nice not to have to steal energon." Starscream replied.

"I can ask Allie if I could give you the blueprints. I am sure that it would be no problem. We do it for the cities all the time." She said as she looked up at him. He smiled but suddenly he eyes turned serious as she studied him, but before it could turn any more serious she broke the spell that was starting to ensnare them by looking back at the data pad that was in his hands.

"Are you even curious to why I came here?" She whispered as she looked at his hands.

"I think I have an idea why." He replied as he watched her. She had braided her hair back out of her eyes and the silky strands felt soft against his chest as the braid fell down just below her shoulders.

"Every time I closed my eyes I saw the soldiers that were on patrol at the waterfall." She simply said. She touched his hand that held the data pad and he shivered from her touch.

"Kiki you are safe here; you know that."

"I know, I just can't sleep since I came back." She said. "I…I…" She looked at him pleadingly and he realized what she was trying to say. He pulled away and Kiki whimpered as he stood to put distance between them. His spark hammered painfully in his chest as he thought about what he would say to her.

"Kiki," He finally said as he turned back to her. "If you stay… I can't be just a friend to you." Starscream looked at her with all the longing and desire in his optics. "I want more from this relationship and I don't think you are ready."

He saw the tears blur her eyes as she started to get up but stumbled. "I understand." She said. Starscream ran to her to help her.

"I'm sorry, but I rather be honest than lie to you and hurt you." He said to her as he held her. She struggled against him but then relented as he just held her.

"I don't know if I can do this." She whispered as she clung to his arms.

"I don't want to hurt you but I want so badly to kiss you, Kiki." He looked down into her eyes as a tear escaped.

"I'm afraid to go back to my room alone." She cried softly and Starscream thought his spark would break for her.

"Please, just one more night and I promise that if I can't sleep I'll go to Doc and get something to help me." She clung to him as if she was afraid that he would throw her away and against his better judgment Starscream picked her up and carried her to his berth room. He walked in and laid her down on the berth as she scooted over and waited for him to join her. Starscream placed the data pad on the night stand and turned the lights down low and then walked back over to the berth and her. He pulled back the blankets and slid in next to her as he pulled her into his arms. She smelled so wonderful as he took the hair tie out of her braid and undid the silky brown strands. She sighed as her eyes closed but opened when she felt him give her an opened mouth kiss on her neck. His glossa flicked across her skin and she gasped but he quickly retreated before she could voice her complaint. They stayed like this for a while as he trailed his hands over her abdomen until she finally bucked against him and cried out.

"Why? Why are you doing this?" She finally gasped out.

"Because I can't just hold you any longer, Kiki. If you don't want this you need to leave." He hoarsely rasped out. He felt her start to shake and realized that she was crying softly. "I know that it seems unfair, but I have wanted you the moment I first saw you, but I am not a saint, Kiki. I can't just lie here and pretend."

"I'm so scared, Star." She softly replied.

"I know you are." Starscream said softly.

"Did ratchet tell you anything?" She asked suddenly. "He was here when they rescued me. Did he tell you about the others who didn't make it?"

"He did."

"I wanted to die too. I still sometimes want to. Tonight was one of those nights. I laid there in my berth and all I could see was those soldiers arm bands in my mind. When they would… they… it was the arm bands that I would focus on. I didn't want to see their faces."

"Kiki, I am not them but I am a mech and I can't just hold you and you expect me to be a saint." Starscream stated.

"I know that. If I leave does that mean that we can't see each other?" She asked him fearfully.

"Kiki, I can't see you without wanting more." He replied. She cried softly and Starscream felt bad for hurting her but she had to understand why he was doing this.

"If I was willing to try and have a relationship with you could I stay?" She asked so softly that Starscream wasn't sure if he heard her correctly or not. "I really want to know you."

Starscream sighed. He had a feeling that this could end badly if he said yes, but she could also be his future mate and to say no could jeopardize it. He thought about her words carefully and decided that if he didn't take a chance then he would never know if she was meant to be his or not.

"I want to kiss you. Will you let me?" He asked her softly. She turned around to look up at him and he saw her tears as they rolled across her face. He reached down and kissed her tears as he heard her breath hitched in her throat. His hands gently went to cup her face as he continued to kiss her cheeks and eyelids and then before she could protest, his lips covered her and she cried out as his glossa gently flicked over her lips, asking permission to enter her mouth. Kiki opened to allow him entrance as he swept in and tenderly explored her. Her hands wrapped around his wrists as he carefully touched her face. She tasted of energon and he thought she must have had some before she had come to his room. He continued to kiss her but didn't let his hands stray so that he wouldn't scare her. She moaned against his mouth and it fueled his desire as he let go of her face and reached down to pull her closer. She whimpered and he broke the kiss.

"I'm sorry but I did warn you." He said hoarsely. He rested his helm against her head as they lay there on the berth panting.

"I was nice." She said after she had regained her thoughts.

"It was divine." He corrected. She looked back up at him and he groaned. "Kiki I can't just hold you." He said apologetically.

"I know that now." She scooted away. "Do you want me to leave?"

No, I never want you to leave, but I can't just be satisfied with holding you."

"I understand." Kiki pulled up and crawled over his chassis. He had turned his optics off but he could hear her get off the berth.

"I am so sorry for bothering you." She said chokingly. He kept his optics off. He didn't want to see her broken spark, but then she surprised him by suddenly kissing him opened mouth and he eagerly responded. With a muffled cry she pulled away and he turned his optics back on. He could see the tears streaking down her face as she left.