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Of The Spark And Heart

Part 1

Chapter 39

Once again, the air of the room seemed too heavy- too full of a pressure that crushed the audio receptors and made the energon pound in the cranial unit. A frustrating array of blocks and sucking black thwarted any and all attempts made to remove them. Contact was often brief -if it happened at all-, while stamina was usually drained with the first few seconds. The lights were too bright, the space too constricting. Color was anything but, leaving ash-greys and onyx shadows to overwhelm a fresh connection that had been so open only days before.

There were four figures in the square prison, locked away behind a bolted metal door so their activities would be kept private. The cameras remained on a loop, the microphones shorted. According to any alien whom would dare enter into the situation, this would appear as a serious interrogation, of which the occupants refused to acknowledge anything but their current activity. The tallest figure here, a soaring mech with red and blue decal flames painted on his armor, held himself in the back corner. His arms remained crossed and his expression was unreadable from the blanket of dark that obscured his features. The only thing visible from his faceplates would be his ever-so-blue optics shining like two small stars. They flicked constantly as he observed those before him.

Another being, yellow-green in color, made yet another round circling the table mid-floor. His expert servos jotted down every aspect he saw as he watched the two on the berth. His patients were a single mech of red and black paint, and a female human, of pale ivory skin, and a tumble of golden hair. Both remained seated, optics and eyes closed to the outside world. The mech's faceplates twisted in an invisible strife, while his female comrade's face was equally as concentrated. No one could truly understand what was transpiring but the two peers, but it was possibly to get as much as he could out of simply observing their behavior towards certain things or events.

Suddenly, she yelled out and climbed to her feet, the plastered cast on her foot sending a ringing tone across the air. "This isn't working Ratchet!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air while her icy-blue eyes flashed in aggravation. Ratchet paused, digit stalling in logging his finds. He sighed, making the girl's mech counterpart open his optics as well. "Of course it is Fera, you just need patience." Ratchet assured, tilting his helm back down as he finished his entry into the compad.

Solas gazed down upon his charge with a weary spark. They had been at this for over four kalons now, stretching and struggling towards a connection that had been fine before the CMO's intervention. They would make a steady progress together, only to have it shattered when it dissipated, as if it never having been in the first place. The red and black mech groaned, leaning back on his servos as he contemplated their progress. Before coming to Ratchet, Fera and himself had held up the bond with ease, even going so far as to hold an entire conversation with each other through the silent link. Fera had made the breakthrough of being able to send back her own messages in the Earth days following her discovery of the bond. The Guardian had been shocked that she showed no signs of withdrawal or discomfort, instead being almost comfortable with it.

Fera had become quickly used to the idea that she was connected to him. Her smooth adaptation was interesting to Sol, yet disturbing as well. He didn't know what to think about it, or what he had expected in the first place, but he'd understood that he'd have to deal with her constant change in demeanor. That was the Fera Lennox he'd come to know after all.

Ratchet set down the compad and Fera dropped to her aft, her expression anything but pleased. "Why don't we try something else?" the medic suggested. "Optimus, what are your original perks of being bonded to Rethalia?" the Prime jerked at this question, his arms dropping. Solas shifted uncomfortably, nudging Fera in the process. Sparkmates and their...abilities were supposed to be a private matter. This was getting personal to involve the Commander and his fembot.

After a moment or so, his faceplates tilted as he pondered the question. "You are suggesting sharing files?" he wondered, stepping into the light. Ratchet tread around the berth and looked between Optimus and Solas before he leaned forward and narrowed his optics at Solas'. Solas reared away from the medic, uncertain of what he was actually doing. Seeming satisfied, Ratchet pulled away, "If that is an option, yes I am." he said, peering back to Optimus.

This was all unnecessary to Sol. He knew that the bond was what it was and Fera and himself were just facing a simple blockage in their connection. It would clear up in time, and there was no need to dwell on it for so long. He blew out of his lip plates like Fera did when she was annoyed, but he didn't allow himself to speak his processor for awhile. If there was one thing he'd learned over the decacycles of working with the CMO, it was that you never doubted the Hatchet without very, very good reason. "Is there really any need for this?" he questioned, catching the mechs' attentions, "It's just a simple clog in the bond-"

"A clog that could possibly mean so much more than you know." Ratchet interrupted, causing Solas to snap his mandible shut. Fera nudged him with her shoulder, reminding him that he wasn't the only one dealing with the medic's temper. Ratchet grabbed the compad again, beginning to record something down. "I want you to try to project something to Fera. It can't be message or emotion because apparently that's not working."

Solas jumped, his optics widening and his body leaning forward in shock. His spark jolted in his chest and leapt into his throat. He could feel Fera moving behind him, but he paid her no heed as he allowed his disbelief to show in his expression. "You've got to be kidding!" he denied, hoping that this was some form of sick joke. Ratchet gave him a look that was anything but humorous.

The warrior's memories were his own; they were never to be shared or simply given away. Ratchet was asking him to show a piece of himself that he'd kept secret for vorns to a human whom he'd only known for less than a decacycle! There were things he'd seen, things he'd known that were best left to himself and not shared. His personal experiences drowned him in nightmarish loops for entire recharges sometimes, never allowing him to rest in peace without fear that they would creep back. He didn't wish to put his charge through the same.

His spark stuttering and his tanks rolling, Solas looked between his leader and Ratchet, hoping that one of them would speak up against the idea. Optimus offered nothing but a concerned dip of his optic ridges, while the CMO appeared stern and emotionless. "I wouldn't joke about bonds Solas," Ratchet continued, "especially when they could affect my patient either physically or mentally. Fera is not an average 'Bot with regular, everyday symptoms. The smallest development between you two could be catastrophic." he tipped the compad towards the said human before returning to it.

"You're asking me to-"

"I'm asking you to make it easier to help her." he cut in again, his tone drenched in warning, "You will not receive defaults from this, however, Fera may. I am asking you to put aside your selfish strive for privacy for the sake of your charge." he narrowed his optics, daring Sol to argue. The mech's processor went blank and his lip plates hung open, pausing to gather his thoughts and process a good retort. Though he hated to admit, Ratch had a point. Fera was far more sensitive to this than he ever would be, meaning she was more susceptible to problems later on that he wasn't.

But was it worth it to prove a theory at the cost of a personal memory?

Fera shifted again and Sol looked at her, finding her coming to a stand. She gazed up at him and patted his arm, providing a small grin. "I'm ok with it as long as you are. It's your choice." she assured, limping forward awkwardly before stopping before the edge of the berth. Solas vented another sigh, his annoyance growing. This show of thoughtfulness from his charge wasn't making things any easier to consider. She was giving him a choice in a matter that he'd rather not be faced with. Why now of all times?

"Well-"

"Oh he's doing it, no matter his opinion or not." Ratchet stopped the mech's words with a poisonous glare and a dangerous slant of his compad. Sol grumbled to himself, grousing that his freedoms were being taken away. Ratchet set the compad down, "Optimus, back me up on this." he ordered, making the Prime jump. Optimus took a large step back, placing himself far away from the medic's length of reach. Not even he, one of the almighty Primes, wanted to tick off the cranky green 'Bot. "Solas, his say is law in the medbay. Do what he wishes."

Solas mumbled, "Traitor." under his vent, hiding it with a cough as Ratchet narrowed his optics again. "Fera, go sit by Solas." Ratchet watched the human settle before looking up at Sol, "Now, I'd like you to find a memory, any memory, and push it through your bond. If and when you receive this imagery Fera, I wish for you to signal myself."

"This is ridiculous-"

A sudden light exploded on Solas' right side, blinding him and sending a burst of pain through his helm. Sol cried out and reached for his cranial unit, cupping the side that was the source of his pain. The abrupt strike to his helm left a small dent there, along with a fading ring in his audio receptors and a tingling in his senses. When the nanoclick passed and he could process clearly again, Sol found the medic before his drawing back a random wrench clutched in his digits. "Ow!" Sol exclaimed, his optic ridges dipping down.

"Cooperate!" the medic hissed, ignoring the looks Sol gave him as he rubbed his aching helm. There was still a bell in his audios, along with that dent that he'd have to pop out later.

Sol finally gave to the greenish-yellow 'Bot's orders, dropping both servos into his lap as he hesitantly closed his optics. He had a complaint burning on his glossa, but he held it back for the sake of his personal safety. With his leader out of the CMO's way, there was no one about to help the Guardian mech soon. He tried relaxing his shoulderbolts and clearing his processor, but he could barely focus with the knowing that there was two other fully grown mechs watching his every move. His optic ridges screwed together, showing his fight for concentration.

There was a distant knowing that if he was unable to create his own projection, Ratchet would put him under himself so to 'move along' the process. This was enough to create even further anxiety, thus slowing down his progress. His vocal capacitor vibrated lowly with the beginnings of a growl, his chassis trembling. The lingering bond he shared was so obscured, so jumbled and unorganized, that he had a hard time shifting through to find Fera in the first place. It had turned this way only recently, giving them this difficult bump that made it so much harder for them to communicate properly. It was similar to one of his internal pipes being full of sludge, and it angered him to no end to gather the beginnings of a sentence and not the second half. Emotions were just as jumpy and uncoordinated.

Before he could lose himself however, he felt a fleshy touch at his servo. The tiny links curled over the back of his digits, reassuring his troubles with the gentle pressure. A warmth traveled from where she touched him, like a fire coursing up his arm. Knowing he wasn't alone in this, Sol fell into a deeper sense of recharge. He allowed his files to take on a life of their own, letting them choose the path he wished to send her. Thousands of moments in his life cycle blurred along at unbelievable speeds. Flashes of faceplates both old and new burned into the back of his optics, those most dear nearly obliterating his spark. He didn't wish to show these memories- these files. He didn't wish to share them with anyone, even Fera. They were his and his alone, never to break free of his consciousness until he was ready.

Apparently that time was now.

Before he knew it, his files stalled and automatically picked one at random. Solas felt his bond opening before them, willing him to release what his life had brung to him. One memory in particular surfaced, and he went cold thinking of it. Trying to stop himself from projecting that certain file, he attempted to retract the byte. He put up a wall in the bond, wanting for it to stop. However, he was too late, and he was forced to sit back and watch as one of the most precious moments of his life cycle danced before an alien's eyes.

Solas, at this time young and full of unbridled curiosity and intrigue, trod across the hall. He carried in his servo a small trinket, made by him for a certain fembot who'd he grown close to throughout his time here. The lights were dim and dreary, masking the light of the star their planet was passing in the ding of the metallic grey of the walls. Barrack after barrack he passed, a small smile on his lip plates despite the overhanging wisdom of his current location. He stepped by another cell, down an adjacent hall, and on towards the loading chamber. His black armor melded nicely in the shadows, hiding him away as he steadily came closer to his destination.

The roaring of the crowd outside was enough to deafen, but Solas had become accustomed to it long ago. Rumbling thuds thundered overhelm, mixing in with the graveled growls and feral snarls taking up the space as he neared the chamber. Each of these mechs and fembots were prepared to kill- trained in the art of slaughter and survival. They would leave, but only few would return, never to shutter another optic in the world of the living again. Threats spewed from frothing maws and venomous glossas, taunting him and urging him nearer. He ignored them, moving on his way with his servo firmly closed. He'd learned soon enough into his arrival that it did him no good to go along with their games.

These incidents came in the days of the gladiator pits in Kaon: Solas' place of creation and his most hated city-state on Cybertron.

Solas Kaon shared his designation with the place he so loathed, but he hadn't minded then. The modern time of which he fought as an Autobot, he wore the title as a scar; he bared it with a sort of pride, wanting to show how far he'd come as a Cybertronian. At the time he was a gladiator, Solas simply stood as neither Autobot nor Decepticon. He was happily a Neutral as his mech and fembot creators were before him. They'd lived peacefully in the lower Mezzo class, surviving on the meager amounts of energon his creators brought to their domicile. Then, his sibling had come along and they fell into the upper Terminal class as Solas' fembot creator was forced to stay away from her occupation to take care of the small addition.

As their credits disappeared and their savings dwindled, they fell into a debt they couldn't pay. Therefore, kalons without the energon they needed came more and more often, leaving Sol's sibling exposed to starvation with the rest of her family unit. Her big brother was sick of the rising costs of energon because of the war, so he made a reckless, brash decision: to steal.

He had taken only two large energon cubes- enough to get his sibling through a quartex before the next nourishment would be needed. He was only a mile from his domicile, in the center of Kaon's general market. Little did he care to recall, he was in a Decepticon-controlled city-state, meaning the law was what they pleased when they pleased. And when he'd reached the outer boundaries of the market, his load of precious energy held in his arms, they'd caught him.

When he was charged to two hundred vorns in the gladiator pits, Solas had felt awful. He was leaving his family behind to fend for themselves, all because he thought he could get away with two lousy cubes of energon. However, it was then that he'd come to realize that without his extra need for their support, they could take care of his steadily starving sister. They would be better without him.

So, he went without a fight.

He'd learned how to kill- how to pull out the spark with his bare servos. Too quickly, he grew into a mech he never wished to be. It had become a necessity for him to learn the weaker points in armoring if he was to survive in the arena. He'd done things that were horrible and he was not proud of. However, this was keeping himself alive and a hope in his family that he would return to them.

Not long after he'd come here, he made a dear friend, one whom went through what he did and experienced his pain and longing for home. A friend, who happened to be the champion fembot and one of the most deadliest of them all in the gladiator pits.

Solas stopped at the entrance to the loading chamber, his spark beating in his chassis. He swallowed the lubricant in his mouth, willing his trembling servo to stop shaking. A gladiator knew no fear, and they backed down from no challenge. Solas had faced hundreds of opponents, and he was quickly climbing the ranks. If not for current champions, he could very well be the champion mech. This put a sharp energon knife through his spark every time he thought about this. He was becoming a killer...a very, very good killer. This wouldn't make his creators proud of him, and he knew it. He hated every single, minute astrosecond of it all.

The doors popped open, dropping to the floor as the winner of the match sashayed into the smoke and out in the open. The smoke swirled and curled around her, clinging to her and surrounding her in tendrils of vapor. She was clad in a few thick pieces of armor, the rest of her protoform exposed. There was a deadly grace to her frame, with boxed shoulderbolt protectors and a sharp helm on her neck. Her legs were thin, but strong, dressed in slips of more protection. Her ion rifle hung on her hipbolt while her signature swords slipped into their holsters on her spinal support.

The fembot stopped dead in her tracks and snapped around, flashing her bright white optics and magenta paint. Her optics met Solas' and a broad smile stretched across her lip plates. She stepped towards him, walking out of the smoke and showing off the flecks of glowing, still-live energon on her frame and protoform. Sol wasn't even fazed by this, too relieved she was alive to care as he met her halfway and enveloping her in a large hug. As he spun her around, the fembot giggled in his audio receptor before pulling away and landing back on her peds. She was quite a few feet shorter than him, which was considered pretty average for a fembot at the time. Her faceplates were round and small, delicate and petite to the optic. One would go as far as to call her beautiful...if they had a death wish.

"Sol, I did it! The Arena Masters, they liked me! I think they're going to let me out early!" she cried excitedly, still wrapped around her friend. Sol smiled back at her, pride welling in his spark. The sweetness of her voice was enough to fix any bad kalon for him, making each killing seem so much less worse than it was. They were as close as gladiators could be, even referring to each other as siblings from time to time. "That's great Astrea," he replied, soaking in the joy of her optics, "I'm really happy for you. What do you plan on doing when you're out?"

At this, Astrea grabbed his servo and began to drag him down the halls, tugging him against his will to her quarters. Once there, she shut the door and faced him, nearly bouncing on her peds. She then rushed to her desk and grabbed a small holocube, tossing it to Sol. The mech fumbled for a nanoclick before catching the device, gaining an amused chuckled from Astrea. Brushing off her reaction and turning on the cube, he noted a small map of the Cybertronian city-state Praxus, center for the art and culture of the planet. "It's where I'd like to go afterward," she finally explained, leaning back against the desk with her arms crossed, "just to get away from it all, you know?" the room was so small that her peds almost touched Sol's.

It was a box-shaped space, with a single hanging light instead of windows to let in any brightness. Laying around the floor, a desk, a berth, and a flush station sat. There was a communal wash area toward the back of the arena, but it was rarely used. With barely room to move here, it was almost too cramped to house even a single fully upgraded Cybertronian. Solas always had a difficult time situating himself while visiting Astrea.

Stroking a digit down the hologram of the beautiful city-state as it played, Solas quirked a smirk. "You, in the cultural and artistic center of the planet? Is the champion of the gladiator pits aesthetic now?" he chuckled and Astrea gave him a harsh glare. "What? You can't see it?" she demanded hotly, jumping up and snatching the holocube from Sol. The mech raised his servos placatingly, letting her take the device without complaint. "I was joking with you Astrea, don't be angry with me." usually, they always teased and poked at one another. They'd always test the other, and in their time together, they'd learned what lines not to cross. Astrea looked away from Solas, her expression telling him that she was in no mood for humor.

Finding her behavior odd and slightly disturbing, Sol knitted his optic ridges and moved away from he berth. "Hey," he stood, approaching the fembot he found watching her servos. She continued to turn the offed holocube over and over, studying it instead of meeting optics with him. "you really want to go to Praxus?" he questioned, lifting her mandible with a single digit. Astrea raised her helm away and moved it up and down.

"I want to be something more than this Solas- more than a gladiator." she reached up, grabbing his servo in both of hers, "I want to protect the citizens, not kill them for simple, absurd things. Praxus can offer me a new light to my life, an opportunity to make myself into something more." her optics shined with her words, growing bright with possibility and hope. Sol sighed, patting her servos and taking his back. "You want to join the war?" he assumed, his spark twisting with the thought of his sister involved with more death and hatred. Astrea's faceplates contorted into a sort of disgusted look, making Sol grin. "Of course not," she admonished, "there is a such thing as too much fighting."

"That sounds...wonderful actually."

"Then why don't you come with me? Go to Praxus with me, where we can leave this behind and start fresh. Just you and me."

Shocked, Solas screwed his optic ridges together and stared at his adoptive sister. Astrea and him? In Praxus? There was nothing else he ever wanted than to live with his sister and family unit, outside of this arena and far from the danger constantly facing them. However, some things, no matter how lovely they seem to be, cannot become reality. "You know I can't just leave my family here Astrea, I couldn't bare to never see them again." he murmured regretfully.

"But you may never here either, don't you realize? If you leave, they'll think you perished in the pits. I'll even tell Nightjade to say that it was the twins you fell to. Your family won't know-"

"Know that I'd left them behind to go start a new life in another city-state with an ex-gladiator fembot?" he finished darkly. He was more than halfway through his term here in the pits, and he'd be blasted to Pit if it would be Sideswipe and his psychopathic brother Sunstreaker he'd apparently perish to. "I'd rather be sent to the smelting pools than leave them to themselves. I want to return to them somekalon Astrea. I want to provide for them and make them truly happy for once."

Astrea snorted and stepped away to pace in the upper half of the room, a nervous habit a certain mech would unconsciously pick up vorns later in his life cycle. "Happy? In Kaon? I thought you were smarter than that Solas." she twisted on her heelped and narrowed her optic slips, "There is no being happy here. This is gladiator territory, remember?"

"Too clearly. But if I simply leave, I'll never of had the chance." Sol reached out a servo to Astrea, which she stared at for the longest time, "They mean everything to me Astrea, you know that." at his pleading gaze, the fembot finally sighed and took a step forward, taking his offered digits. They came together, mid-floor, locking in a hug that was more support for each other than any romantic gesture. Solas set his mandible on her helm, gently swaying from side to side so to comfort the stressful fembot in his arms. Something felt like it was bothering her, and Sol wanted to know what. Before he could however, she spoke:

"This never leaves this room Solas, but, I have to admit..." Astrea gave the mech a squeeze, making him choke for a moment, "I'm glad you're here. If it weren't for you, I probably would had lost my processor by now. You really are like a brother to me." though he didn't say so out loud, Sol felt the exact same way. He thanked Primus every kalon he rose that Astrea was here to support him, always there to hear his pains and laugh with his stories. There hadn't been a nanoclick in his term as a gladiator that he wasn't thankful for his adoptive sister.

"It certainly makes things easier here to have someone by your side." he agreed, crushing her back. Astrea squirmed and whined uncomfortably, making him chuckle. "You won't have someone if you crush them, you crazy mech!" Astrea escaped his hold and stepped away, rolling her shoulderbolts and shifting the swords on her spinal support. "You've definitely gotten stronger since you came here," she commented, a wince clear on her sculpted features. Solas grinned, crossing his arms. "Even now, you still have enough strength to turn me to dust with the snap of your digits. Don't give me that 'you're getting better' slag." he raised and optic ridge when Astrea laughed. He'd loved her laugh. It was such a full sound, one he'd came to take for granted over the hundred vorns knowing her.

Astrea's laughing died down and she rubbed her wrist, their conversation coming to a standstill. Silence enveloped the room, a rare occurrence that had Solas curious about the fembot's thoughts once more. "Are you alright? You seem troubled." he inquired carefully, unnerved about the lack of energy the fembot was exhibiting. Astrea nodded, obviously avoiding the question by waving it off unconcernedly. He wanted to press her further, but she stopped him when she talked, quietly beginning with, "You know," and then coming forward so she was standing before him once again, "this is the visitation kalon. You can see your family."

Solas stopped moving, his vents seizing. He could...see his family again? The last visitation kalon had been only a few quartexes after he'd been emitted to the pits. It was an emotional, gripping time for him as he gazed upon his family for what he'd figured was the last time. His creators gave him kind words and his sibling had cooed at him from behind the glass. She'd waved at him- smiled at him at one point.

"I'm sure you'd like to see Starlily again." that name sent a ghostly ache through Solas' spark; one, that was now his broken, scarred excuse of a core. Then, it had been whole and new, just beginning to experience all that was life in the pits. How ignorant he had been.

"Come with me," he urged, grabbing her servos and starting for the door, "they're just as much your family as mine. We're siblings here remember? Siblings share creators." Astrea planted her peds at the entrance, taking her servos from his. When he looked back at her, she shook her helm softly. Her optics were sad and pained, almost screaming the longing she must have felt to accept his offer. Her own family unit was long gone: killed off in the war when she was a sparkling. As her clutch got too large and she was simply no longer welcomed, she was sent here to be trained and groomed in the ways of a beast. She was skilled and deadly as any mech, but she wasn't happy with it. She often said how she wished for a family like Solas', and how she would do anything to be with them. Anything.

"No, no Solas, I'm not welcomed there. This is your time with your family unit, so use it, before never get another chance." she said, backing up into the room again. She grinned at him and set her servo on the doorframe, "You'll always be my brother Solas, but they'll never be my family...no matter how much I wish they could be." as Solas started back to her, an argument on his glossa, her door closed in his faceplates. The mech sighed and sagged in the hall, turned toward a door that he knew wouldn't open until visitation was over.

Solas cursed lowly when he found the trinket still in his grasp, reminding him that he'd forgotten to give it to the fembot now hidden behind her barrier. The mech leaned low and gently let it fall to the foot of her door.

"You're always welcomed Astrea." he murmured at the sheet of metal, never quite sure if she had ever heard him or not. Briefly, he wondered if there had been actual liquid in that fembot's optics. But the past Solas simply turned away and started for the distant halls that he hadn't used for decacycles, oblivious his future self's screams to turn his aft around.

The vision sped through his long walk, blurring his movements until he was sitting faceplate to faceplate with his family unit. The sight of them, venting with life and optics still aglow, nearly crippled the mech right then and there. The Solas in the projection merely smiled until his lip plates hurt, placing an open servo on the glass separating him from his beloved family unit. His fembot creator had tears streaming down her cheekplates, Starlily cradled in one arm. Solas' mech creator stood closely behind his sparkmate, his servo on the back of her chair while his other was placed on the other side of the sheet. The fembot pressed hers alongside her mate's to join in with them in their silent greeting. They needed no words of welcome, only love and joy.

Solas barely remembered them now, for the memory was left to rust in their files because of his fear of reliving them. He wanted nothing to do with them, for they brought back too much pain. It was hard to see again like this, before they were so wrongly taken away. Solas' fembot creator was designated Nova, and painted a light blue across her armoring. She was graceful, kind, and more any creator than what Solas could possibly ask for. Her mate was a striking emerald-green mech, taller than Solas, with a thick build, but a gentle and tender spark. His designation had been Deadlock. Solas had gained his fembot creator's lithe build and her speedy agility, but his mech creator's power and chiseled appearance.

This memory deserved to be among his most valued, and yet at the same time, he wanted to toss it away. He didn't want to remember. He didn't want to look back on a time where he was happier and full of hope for his life. Starlily was a small sparkling then, gazing at a sibling she barely knew through the glass with wide, impressionable optics. Solas greeted her too with a wave, making her smile and give a series of bubbly giggles.

"My creation...my precious, precious Solas Kaon." Nova murmured, making the modern Solas keen lowly with the sound, "You've gotten bigger now last time we met. And I notice you've changed your armor. I like it, it...suits you." she shook her helm from side to side, curling her digits on the glass before taking them away. Her mate did the same, his expression pained.

"My Solas, I never wished this upon you." he rumbled, his deep basso voice sending spikes through the modern Solas' spark. The projected Solas grinned at the bigger mech, "And I never believed so. My choices were my own, and I do not regret them."

"You have upgraded into a fine mech. I can only hope you come back to us so I may say to you so faceplate to faceplate. I've missed you Sol...we all have." his servo came onto his mate's shoulderbolt, squeezing it as her optics became watery again. She rubbed at them furiously, causing Starlily to squirm with the movement. "How are you doing Solas? Is Astrea alright?" she went on, trying to change the subject to a happier tone.

"Yes, we're both doing fine. She has become the champion fembot of the pits and has told me she plans to leave for Praxus as soon as she is released."

"That's wonderful Solas! Please tell her I said so, and good luck in her match later this kalon."

"Match? She never mentioned a match."

Solas' fembot creator knitted her optic ridges together, concern overtaking her features. She held Starlily with both servos now, glancing up at her mate with worried optics. The mech frown deeply, a grim aura wafting from him.

"She is participating in a total wars match with the mech champion later this kalon for her freedom. She had not told you?" he asked, coming closer to the glass. Solas shook his helm, too shocked to say a word. The champion mech...he was...was...

"Solas? Sweetspark? What is the matter?" Nova questioned hurriedly, placing a servo on the barrier between herself and her dear creation. The Solas both then and now felt their sparks drop, shattering into thousands of tiny pieces as the realization settled. The champion was... "Solas?"

"The mech champion is Megatron."

How could she have been so stupid? Even then, Megatron was an impossible adversary. The fact that she was the fembot champion wouldn't help her chances, no matter her amount of experience or skill. The mech was ruthless and had a cold, merciless spark towards any who challenged him. Solas had seen Astrea in battle and was time after time impressed with her abilities. However, he'd also had the pleasure of seeing the Decepticon leader in the arena as well. To say he held all his confidence in Astrea would mean he was plainly lying. Things were comically not in her favor.

The conversation between his family unit and himself had been tense the rest of their time. It wasn't a good way to part before their next appointment in a few vorns, but the Solas then had no other process than on his sister's fate.

He said his goodbyes to his family unit, then blurred down the halls with the confusing speeds of the projection. The black of his frame blended in the dark, allowing him to slip by the other mechs and fembots coming back from their visitations. When the projection returned to a normal pace, Solas found himself back at Astrea's quarters, her door wide open. The previous Solas walked through with peds made of lead, his legs barely cooperating enough for him to move. The lights were off, the room sparse and tidy. Her desk was clear of clutter, with a single holocube sitting atop. When he came closer, he found it was the map of Praxus that she'd left behind, right beside the small trinket he'd made her.

Solas carefully picked up the piece, studying it and every detail over and over like he'd never seen it before. It was a simple thing, comprised of several twisting parts of metal scrap he'd found lying around. Sol had cleaned the slips until they'd shined, then working them into the shape he'd wished for. It took a few kalons of careful crafting and meticulous work before he could truly call it anything, but in the end, he was proud of it. What it stood for was the Cybertronian symbol for family. It was sketchy at best, and would probably need a good looking at before one would understand the twists and knots, but all and all, it was good for a mech with nothing but his servos as tools.

The mech held the symbol in his digits as he backed up into her berth, plopping atop the surface without a care. He stared at nothing but the symbol, wishing so badly for Astrea's match to be canceled. He wanted her to return so badly that it hurt. His sister in arms, one he'd trusted with his life, was out on the field with the mech champion- a champion, who was also leader of the pitiless, malevolent Decepticons. The match was unfair in all rights, but Astrea wouldn't care. She would take on the mech and not give a second thought to it. Her freedom was everything to her, no matter the cost. It twisted his spark to see her leave for each match, not knowing if she would come back or not, but he knew this was their lives. He wondered if she ever worried about him.

He imagined then and now what she would have suffered through being sent into the ring with the ruthless mech. Had she stood a chance? How long did she last? Did she go out fighting? Questions that still go unanswered lingered in the mech's processor, not allowing him any thought other than the stark fact that Astrea was out there, where he couldn't help her, fighting for the last moments of her life with a being who knew not of the word mercy. His CPU created images of his beloved sister being torn apart, piece by piece, her screams ripping through the air as her energon splattered across the metallic ground. Then and now, he cringed, feeling every agonizing attack as if it were him in Astrea's place instead.

The abrupt shaking of the building around him snapped him from his thoughts, making him jerk and jump to a stand, the trinket falling from his grip. His projection wavered and misted over, fading out with the sounds of shouting voices and ramped gunfire in the distance.

"Solas, come back, you're scaring me."

The mech's optics shot open, the light blinding him. His vents gasped for air, gulping in enormous amounts as his coolant systems pumped furiously along his warm frame. His wiring was burning beneath his plates, whirring with an energy he found new and frightening. The pounding in his helm echoed that of his spark. Licks of heat whipped up his spinal relay, dipping into each limb relentlessly. Solas felt as if his cranial unit was overloading, the information he was taking all at once being too much for him to handle.

Giving a strangled cry, Solas got to his peds. His servos grabbed at his helm, holding onto something that he felt wanted to explode. His oral sheets ground together and held back his agonized yelling. A constant tug was pulling on his spark, willing him to seek out something...no, someone. And quickly. "As.. Astrea..." he hissed, pivoting back around and stomping forward blindly. He collided with a few objects in his way, but he pushed them aside easily.

He didn't know what to do, or how to do it, for his processor was screaming at him to do something before... Before what? What was he looking for? Why? Solas roared and crashed into a strong barrier, making him fall back a step. He threw his helm violently from side to side, trying so desperately to silence the voices that all called at once. It all was too much! He couldn't handle this! He was going to explode!

"Solas Kaon, listen to me."

That voice. He knew that voice.

"Calm down. Please. You're going to hurt yourself."

Solas' spark skipped a beat and his venting began to cycle erratically, making it that much harder to focus. He took a quivering intake of air, trying to calm himself before he slowly turned himself towards where he thought the voice was coming from. The shapes were blurry and hazy, making it difficult for him to recognize any of them. He understood he was in a room, with other beings nearby, and one who was singled out from the rest. "Astrea?" he whispered, praying to Primus his sister was here, among them. The small form on the gray table before him shifted, coming closer before he could react. "Shh, it's ok Solas. It worked." no, that wasn't Astrea's voice. But, he still knew who they were.

"Fera..." he vented the name, relief mixed in with his tone. The one being who he knew he could trust with his sister's memory was here, with him. He felt her touch his arm, and he quickly scooped her up, taking her near. It was more for his own reassurance, that she was here with him and not gone like the rest of those he'd cared about before. Fera was here with him, safe. Though, she almost hadn't been not so long ago.

She returned the gesture, holding onto his plates while he cradled her like a sparkling. "I saw it..." she murmured quietly, making his vents freeze, "Astrea was important to you, wasn't she?" it was an almost apprehensive question- as if Fera was afraid to approach such a subject.

"Yes..." he admitted, just as gently, "very much so."

"Did you...did you ever see her again?"

Solas' entire frame trembled as he lifted a servo to roughly scrub his optics. When he pulled the limb back, everything became clearer. He saw Ratchet's defensive expression on the other side of the berth, and Optimus' tense stance beside him. Solas frowned deeply at the both of them, knowing full well that they were aware of the story as well as its ending. But, the human charge did not, therefore, he felt she needed to know. "No." he replied simply, beginning around the berth and on passed his comrades. He decided here and now that this 'appointment' was over. Their bond was apparently fine.

Neither stopped him, and nor would he have listened if they tried. "Megatron, he..." his words felt thick on his glossa, like they didn't wish to be said.

"Autobot forces moved in that kalon to shut down the pits. Astrea's match was interrupted, but not before he..." Solas trailed off once more, his throat clenching. Fera raised a hand, setting on his chassis with her eyes full of worry. "It's ok. I understand." she assured. Solas very well didn't want to speak of the times of his past, but he knew it was for the better. Holding what he had inside for so long had damaged his spark and his trust of others. Now was not the time to block yet another being from his life. "No, I must." he said, walking towards the distant rear of the building.

It was discussed earlier that Fera was needed in the café after their time with Ratchet. She was meant to have 'lunch' with her female creator, as well as 'girl time' according to the woman. Humans were weird.

"When I escaped, I returned to my family unit in the vision that it was by Autobot fault that she was gone, for they had not saved her in their supposed 'rescue'. The war was destroying my city-state, and I felt the time had come that I needed to protect my family unit." Sol squared his mandible, not looking down in the fear that Fera's eyes would be full of judgment, "However, I refused to join the Autobots concerning Astrea's termination. Instead, the Decepticon faction was willing to accept me under their ranks because of my mech creator's previous involvement with them."

"And you joined." Fera stated flatly.

Solas flinched at her stony tone, but he didn't blame her for having her opinions. This human had been put through too much already, and he couldn't speak up for his past faction no matter what he tried. "Let me explain," he began again, trying to keep the peace between them, "energon was given to troops under Megatron's lead, as was supplies that my family unit needed dearly. Also, in joining with that faction, I was able to climb rank and eventually enact my revenge on the one whom had taken Astrea's life."

"That's insane Solas! Why would you even consider something so stupid?"

"I was grieving. My spark and processor weren't in the right place." his servo curled by his side, his digits pressing so hard together that they began to shake, "Eventually, I realized my plans were not as stable as I had originally figured, and could fall apart before I was able to put them to use." Solas kept his optics forward, unable to hold a steady gaze when he talked of his previous idiocy. Fera had seen him as an Autobot not too long ago, not as a cold-sparked Decepticon. He'd been considered as apart of the nobler side of the war to her at one time.

But now Solas' past ruined this and showed her the truths behind the faces of war. Things were not as they seemed, and the lines between good and evil proceeded to become blurred and indistinguishable. It was all a barbaric game now, full of mechs and fembots unworthy to be grouped as either moral or immoral. Sadly, things had just become to complicated to be so simple. "I discharged from the Decepticon faction, with the knowing that the threats following defected Decepticons was fatal at best. Holding onto my ignorant defiance, I detached. It was soon that I feared that my family unit was in danger. And I was right."

The pair reached the more human side of the base, coming upon groups and groups of humans all heading for the cafeteria area. Solas paused before he finally gazed down at his charge, taking in the sudden twist her features had taken. They were not full of the criticism he'd expected, but of a sympathy that was lodged deep within her icy eyes. His optics flicked away once more, unwilling to accept the pity of the human he held. "They were murdered, one by one." he finished in Cybertronian, "They paid for my mistakes, and that is why I am always worried for you Fera. Your involvement with me makes me figure as though you may suffer the same fate...all in the name of the choices I made." his helm shook from side to side, unable to continue. He quickly set her on the floor, pulling himself back almost before she had fully gained her feet. She fell back a step as Solas turned away and started down the hall, furious with himself that he would let himself fall so hard before her.

Was this how a Guardian was supposed to behave? He was meant to be invincible to her- to be her protector and make sure she never fell into harm. There was a time for personal matters and a time for occupational. Fera didn't fall into his personal category, and nor would she ever. He refused to put her in the same position as the rest of his family unit. She would not end up like them, this he swore.

Fera drew in a long breath, watching her Guardian's back until he disappeared around the corner. She couldn't believe the crap he'd gone through in his life, and it hurt her just to watch a single memory of it. She couldn't imagine her entire family being murdered, leaving her with nothing. Her mother and Rob had become her life, and she couldn't imagine her time without them. The friends she made here were special to her, and she would have hated to see anything happen to them. Had this always been Sol's life? Was he always watching those he cared about die before him? She couldn't imagine.

Giving an involuntary shudder, Fera crossed her arms over her chest and knitted her eyebrows. She wished Sol would have shown her more about his life, for now she'd become curious. She wanted to see what he'd gone through, and maybe help him to heal a little. He had become someone she'd considered a friend over these five months, and she loathed that he never shared anything with her but a few measly stories and scars. To hear what he'd been through was a complete different thing than actually seeing it.

"Fera, over here!" someone called out. The teen turned at the sound of her name, searching the thinning crowd around her for the source. Suddenly, a hand raised from the bodies, and waved at her. Fera smiled as her mother came nearer, wearing a grin of her own. When she approached, the mother and daughter hugged one another tightly. Fera found herself indulging in the moment for a moment longer than she normally would, finding her emotionally stressing time with Solas bringing out her more needy side. When they parted, Sarah turned, her arm still wrapped around Fera's waist, and she waved to someone new. Fera narrowed her eyes, but she needn't take that much time to find who her mother was inviting over.

Her eyes widening, Fera gasped and her smile brightened. The woman coming towards them pushed the glasses back up her nose before shifting the white coat she wore. She opened her arms, allowing Fera to start forward and envelop her in a large embrace. "Hey Fera," she chuckled, her arms encircling Fera's neck, "it feels like forever since I last saw you." the woman and Fera parted slightly, allowing the other to peer into their friend's eyes. "Yeah, I know. I didn't know you were coming!" Fera noted, releasing the taller woman.

"They needed more doctors here, and I wasn't really needed back in Saint Louis, so I was relocated with a few of the 'Bots. Doctor Peters is here too, though I doubt you were truly as close to him as you are to me." she winked, "At least, I hope so." this gained a sarcastic laugh from Fera. "I think I preferred you a little more."

Doctor Shelby and Fera's mother linked arms before the group started for the café entrance. They moved in together, stepping past the tables and tables of soldiers, analysts, and officials. Fera could feel the eyes of many of them following her every move, maybe assessing each and every aspect that made her, her. She felt they were sizing her up; maybe judging her on the unique relationship she held with the 'Bots. Shaking off the stares, Fera hurried up her pace and limped beside Doctor Shelby and her mother as they approached a spot near the back.

The group slid into the seats, making themselves comfortable as they wormed around in the stiff chairs. Rob was already here, coming in from seemingly out of nowhere to sit beside Doctor Shelby before greeting them each in time. He wore the biggest smile, apparently in a good mood now that he was off shift and spending his free time with 'family'. "How's it going, Miss Rebel?" he asked jokingly, chuckling along with Sarah and Doctor Shelby as Fera rolled her eyes. Her recent explosion with Secretary Kepler hadn't gone unnoticed by the overall people of the base, and the news had spread quickly that she wasn't afraid to speak her mind when she was bothered to a certain point. Was sticking up for the 'Bots so new to these people?

"Oh, ha ha, very funny." she said, brushing off her uncle's humor with a sour squint of the eyes. This only made him laugh harder, of course. "You pull a stunt like that more often, and people'll be afraid to talk to you!" he exclaimed, calming down slightly, "You're one tough girl Fera, but I think the 'Cons might have made you a little tougher." he reached over and patted her hands, silently mending the offense he might have sparked in the girl. Fera blew through her lips, looking away stubbornly. Rob chuckled at this.

"Do you mind if we join you?"

Fera, Rob, Sarah, and Terra all looked up to see the Witwicky family standing at the head of their table. Fera grinned at Sam and nodded, even scooting over for Daniel so he could sit beside her. The five-year-old hugged her when she saw him, and she squeezed him back before he pulled away. "Hey, hey," he called excitedly, nearly bouncing in his seat, "Bee was cool! He played with me all day today, and it was fun! We painted, and drew, and he made jokes, and-"

"Daniel honey, take a breath." Carly commented from across the table, leaning forward to rub her son's shoulder, "Fera can't understand you when you talk so fast." Fera waved a hand at the worried mother, gesturing that she really was ok with the young boy's happiness. Secretly, she was enjoying the change from the recently dreary atmosphere. "Bumblebee played with you today?" she asked Daniel, the boy's head bobbing up and down in response. "Yeah!" he made symbols with his fingers, locking them and knitting them together in different shapes, "We made big puppets with the lights, and Bee was really bad, but I told him it was ok. W-we went like this," he moved his fingers around, giving her an example, "and then he lifted me up and spun me around like a rocket! We had fun! It was fun!" his toothy grin reappeared and Fera couldn't help smiling back. She lifted a hand and ruffled Daniel's hair, making him giggle. "That sounds awesome Danny." she agreed.

Sarah and Carly rose from their seats, saying something about getting a few drinks. Fera couldn't really pay attention, for hers was already grabbed by the small boy before her. When she'd look away, trying to answer one of the adults, he would actually grab her face and turn her back towards him. His stories went on forever, changing multiple times at some points and making Fera laugh with the absurdity of them all. "Fera, dear would you like some coffee?" Sarah questioned, cutting another one of Daniel's tales short. Fera darted her eyes between her mother and Danny, unsure if the constantly talking child was going to grab her again. "Yes please." she nodded at the woman and Sarah grinned sympathetically.

"Then daddy came and Bee told me about, like these times when they would go really fast, like this," Daniel proceeded to put his hands out and blow through his lips, making what Fera figured was a racecar impression, "and fight big, scary bad guys!" Daniel threw his hands into the air, his eyes wide. Fera nodded, pretending to be entrapped in the young boy's story without bursting out into laughter. She suddenly noticed the presence of Sam as he snuck up behind his son. The unsuspecting boy jumped and screamed in delight as his father began to tickle him furiously. Fera leaned away from the flailing child as he struggled to shove Sam's hands away, an amused smile on her face.

"Alright, alright you two, that's enough." Sarah spoke up, coming back with two cups of steaming drinks. She handed one to Fera, who took it thankfully and began to blow across the top of the piping hot liquid. Carly sat down with her own and she eyed her boys with a scolding pair of narrowed eyes. "Sam, why don't you take him to go play with Bumblebee again? I'm sure you can tire him out enough for a N.A.P later." Carly suggested, carefully spelling out the special word so not to include Daniel. The small boy paused for a moment, considering what his mother was trying to say.

Sam grabbed him before he could figure anything out, swinging him over his shoulder effortlessly. Daniel lost interest in his mom and kicked his legs around as he fought to get down from Sam's shoulder. Noticing that he was the last male at the table, Rob left as well, not willing to be surrounded by women and their gossip. As soon as they all had left, the small group began to converse amongst themselves. Talk would come up including Fera every so often and the girl would answer quickly and simply, never really going into depth with her words. Her mind was elsewhere, drifting off towards her Guardian's condition and why he'd been acting so strangely since her finding out about their...what did he call it? Bond?

A sudden poke at her shoulder had Fera nearly jumping from her seat. Her mother sat back down, clicking her tongue. "You're looking off into space again Fera." she said, taking a sip of her coffee. Fera felt her ears grow hot in embarrassment, and she apologized before tasting her cup herself. Carly turned to the teen, offering a hand to rub her shoulder, "Everything ok with you? You seem distracted lately." she noted. Fera shook her head, trying to avoid the topic.

"I bet it's that giant lug Solas Kaon that's on your mind." Terra pointed out, swiping at Fera's hand. Fera set down her mug and rolled her eyes, "No, nothing like that." she assured. It didn't seem the girls were so easily averted, for they all looked at one another skeptically. Fera felt herself growing uncomfortable with the creepy sync that her friends and mother had suddenly attained. "What?"

"Whenever you say 'nothing like that', it makes me wonder what 'that' really is." Carly prompted smugly, nudging Fera's shoulder. Fera felt her grin quickly drop to a frown as she began to realize just what they were getting at. Sarah laughed once and tapped Carly's mug, "With her, it could mean anything. She could be dating him behind our backs and we wouldn't know it." she shrugged when Fera's mouth fell wide open. Carly stifled her laugh, but Terra let her's loose, "Anything but that! If that 'Bot thinks he can just swoop in and take our little Fera's heart, he's sourly mistaken!" when the Doctor said this, they all cracked up into laughter, making Fera's shock grow. "Don't worry, if he breaks up with you, I'll kick his ass." she stifled another chuckle.

Her eyes widening and her horror swelling, Fera couldn't seem to find the right words to say to respond to these comments. She could only sit back and enjoy the ride as her mother, Carly, and Terra joked about 'robo-love'.

"How long do you think they waited?" Terra asked, drinking from her cup.

"Within a month at the latest," Carly beamed at Fera's expression, "I saw the way they looked at each other that first time. Sparks flew!"

"With his attitude, I doubt it will last." Sarah mumbled into her mug as she too tipped it back. Fera, finding her face flushed and boiling hot, hid her eyes, "Mother!" she exclaimed, peeking through her fingers. Sarah raised her hands placatingly, trying to hide her smiles and snickering, "Hey, you were the one getting all buddy buddy with a giant alien robot!" she accused, setting her cup down, "You can't blame us bored ladies for making up our own little dramas around base!"

"Really? Let me try!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, it's ok Fera, we're only teasing you." Carly assured her, giving her a side hug. Fera clenched her jaw and darted her eyes away, refusing to look at any of these 'bored ladies'. "Come on sweetheart, don't be mad. I'm sorry." Sarah reached over and took one of Fera's hands, causing the teen to look at her mother doubtfully. If she didn't know any better, she would have believed her mother had spread this rumor across the entire base! Fera ran a hand through her hair, tugging on the roots and untangling her knots. "You know, Solas isn't so bad. He's shown ten times over that he would try to protect you as best as he could." her mother pointed out.

Fera folded her arms over the tabletop, one hand wrapped around her mug. Giving a small grin, she slowly dragged a finger around the rim. "Yeah," she agreed, "but dealing with his attitude and overly-protective crap gets on my nerves sometimes." she admitted. Fera lifted the cup, tilting her head back so to indulge in the bitter black brew and energizing kick of caffeine. "I think it's actually kinda cute how he gets so worked up over you." Sarah piped in, "It makes me remember the old days when you were in kindergarten and all the little boys thought you were so cute and you'd come home all the time complaining about how'd they'd try to kiss you-"

Fera's eyes popped open and she quickly gulped her coffee, most of it going down the wrong tube. Her lungs hacked violently on the coffee, jerking her body and squeezing her sore midsection. Spots of coffee littered the table, while tears sprung into the edges of Fera's eyes. She swallowed what she could and gasped for air, wiping her eyes before glancing up into the surprised expressions of her mother and friends. "Mom!" she croaked, her embarrassment climbing to a new level. This was getting out of hand.

"What?" she demanded, lifting her hands in confusion, "Big 'Bots can' be cute?"

Instead of going after the Guardian and his charge, Ratchet and Optimus had stayed behind to allow them their room. The door had closed in their quiet for a click on end, the still being all they had until Ratchet released a long, rattling sigh. "Maybe it's best they try to work things out on their own." he assumed, lifted a servo to rub his optics. Optimus actually huffed next to him, making the CMO look up. A smirk appeared on the larger mech's faceplates, making Ratchet quirk and optic ridge.

"I find it simply ironic that your words seem so out of character for you." Prime explained, beginning forward before Ratchet could retort. Ratchet groaned and rolled his optics, a move he'd picked up from working alongside the humans. He found it worked perfectly for a lot of the situations he found himself in recently.

Following his leader out the entryway, Ratchet walked alongside him to the following room. Ratchet began to enter in the code for the room, allowing them entry. Once inside, the Prime and CMO found Titanios and Ratchet's apprentice taking up the space. Titanios was on the berth, allowing Cloudsong to preform a basic checkup on his vitals. Ratchet was shocked as he stopped by the front of the room, frozen by the sight of his apprentice actually smiling at the ex-Decepticon. They were speaking in hushed tones, but Ratchet could tell by the way Cloudsong looked so relaxed around this mech that she just may have found someone she can freely talk to.

Cloudsong finished logging the mech's core temperature and she once again smiled brightly at him. She looked so...comfortable around him. It was the exact opposite of what Ratchet expected her to be like around the mech. His stuttering, nervous, shy apprentice apparently had a lax side.

Revving his throat, Ratchet began forward, startling Cloudsong enough that she literally jumped. She backed into Titanios, the compad clutched to her chassis and her optics wide. She looked as though she had been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to, however, Ratchet knew this was her normal edgy behavior. She didn't have the spark to commit anything out of line. The patient behind her calmly raised his servos up, placing them on her shoulderbolts as she bumped into his legs. Cloudsong jerked away from him as well, escaping into the corner where she could see everyone, but keep her distance. Her helm sunk into her shoulderbolts as she refused to look at anyone in the optic. It was a great change from what she had been only a click before.

Feeling a protective edge creeping into his frame towards his apprentice, Ratchet approached Titanios, separating the path between them. "Cloudsong," he called, "bring me the compad." he opened his servo, taking the device from the fembot before she drew away again. Scanning over it, he barely paid any attention to the information presented. Before Cloudsong had even entered the room, Ratchet had preformed his own examination. Titanios was healthy beside the few dents Solas had left on him, and those had been knocked out by the medic in the same Earth day after it happened. He just wanted to have an excuse for speaking with Optimus again.

~I'm putting down three energon cubes that they won't keep this up past the next six months.~ he smirked, glancing at the Prime from the corner of his vision. Optimus looked at him in confusion, but he didn't say a word. ~You're gambling on Solas and Fera?~ he assumed as Ratchet moved away again. The CMO pretended to shuffle through his tools to search for something as he answered, ~I would refer to it as more of a friendly bet.~ and acquired his energon tester. It was a simple device, made to detect any foreign material in the energon supply such as poisonous particles or the rare crystallization of a Cybertronian's energon.

~I doubt they will remain anything but close associates.~ under his vents, Ratchet snorted, but he hid it as a few hearty coughs as Titanios peered up at him questioningly. The CMO inserted the needle into Titanios' exposed line, proceeding to collect a small amount of energon. ~Don't be so ignorant Optimus, you see it as much as I do that they are developing a deeper bond.~

~Like yourself and Moonracer?~

Ratchet's vents seized and he accidentally jerked, causing Titanios to growl in discomfort. Apologizing, the medic returned to his work while he tried to contain his emotions. ~That's different.~ he opted, ~Moonracer and I have a...mutually inspired relationship.~

~That sounds legitimate enough for my opinion. However, Fera and Solas are not yourself and Moonracer.~

~True.~

Ratchet pulled out the needle and began to analyze the container. The data calculated and organized itself before popping up on a small screen for him to see. Normal, just like he'd expected. "I must excuse myself," Optimus suddenly piped up, coming forward towards Titanios. The two mechs grasped at their bracers, sharing a respective optic contact between them, "You have my gratitude once again for your acts in returning Fera to us." he noted before he nodded at Cloudsong and took his leave. Ratchet, Cloudsong, and Titanios were set into silence as the CMO recorded the information given to him from the tester.

~One energon cube...and this will stay between the two of us.~

Ratchet outright smiled at this, and he set down the tester before turning back to Titanios, "Let's continue with that examination, shall we?"

Well that was a draining chapter :P

Sol's depressing life, Sarah being naughty, and Prime and Ratch made a bet

I guess it's a pretty good mix for one chapter, don't you think?

Moving on:

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Thanks for participating, and I hope you guys continue reading!

*Chapter Inspiration: Light On= David Cook*