It was well past midnight, and (Y/N) had yet to fall into recharge as she stared at the ceiling while he worked. Soundwave knew this was from her case of Insomnia, a rather dangerous condition when it comes to anyone's work performance. Even he needed to rest sooner or later, though he had not needed to for a while. The mech watched as his diagnostic glowed on his visor, silence the primary music tickling at all three being's audios. 

     Laserbeak had developed a liking to the woman, whether he admitted it or not. The bird-like Minicon brushed it off, saying it was probably because of the strange synching of her and Soundwave's life, and in a strange, indirect way it was. She had saved him from a virus, risked her own ability to see and contact the Decepticons for one benefit: the continued secrecy of the Iacon Database. The grenade she had mentioned was also moot, and the woman was willing to remove it herself to keep any other Cybertronian from being harmed if it were to suddenly become unstable. Knockout disposed of it just so he didn't have to clean up her remains. Laserbeak appreciated her protectiveness over him and his master.

     Her willingness to do the dirty work, so to speak, was commendable and oddly specific to Soundwave's wellbeing alone. The TIC realized if he had decided to leave her with the Autobot medic, the virus would have been found in her optics when he ran a diagnostic. The intrusive coding was obvious in her small pieces of tech, both invisible and visible systems having developed symptoms while she had them still installed. 

     It was decided that these knew optics were to remain fueled by energon, and the alternative was to remain untouched. The Autobots didn't have the technology to create the new optics, but (Y/N) might not have had the deceiving skill to convince them she wasn't protecting Laserbeak. She would have been jailed.

         :Perhaps a flight would help her fall into recharge?: The avian suggested. :Inducing stasis on a human is hardly ideal.:

     Soundwave knew that. They could try a human manufactured drug, but with (Y/N)'s past alliance with M.E.C.H. who knows what immunities she had. The human organization was willing enough to experiment with Cybertronian kind, so what would stop them from experimenting with Humankind? Laserbeak's idea was more on a whim and a hunch than facts, however, and would be a useless expense of energy if it were to fail.

     But night flights calmed both him and Soundwave down enough to rest afterwards.

     The silent mech nodded, allowing Laserbeak to release. He hovered over the still awake human before descending low enough to allow her on his back. (Y/N) raised a brow at the action before looking to Soundwave as she stood.

         -/Action/Rest/-

         "The movement and whistling of air may recreate my previous mountain condition and thereby allow my mind to be convinced I am safe?"

     Soundwave nodded. This was also a hunch he had come up with, but it may work.

         "It is plausible but unlikely to work. However, I will try it for performance's sake."

     He watched at the corner of his visor as the human femme gently stepped on to Laserbeak's back, a practiced motion she had done many times before already. The cameras caught the rest as his beloved Minicon flew out to travel the Nemesis, since it wasn't quite wise to send her out in the open air. They might not be as high as they usually were, to cater to their human guest, but it was much colder above the mountains if she was not wearing the proper coverings.

     Soundwave recalled his next errand, or rather, Knockout's. (Y/N) needed new clothes if she were to remain much longer, which was going to be the case. The Communications Officer wondered if perhaps he could manufacture a debit card of sorts. The most difficult procedure would be making the actual solid object with how small it needed to be. Smaller than even (Y/N)'s hand, but no smaller than her palm. He couldn't exactly afford to step away from his console, other than to transition from one to the other. Mainly the main bow of the Nemesis, his personal quarters and the computer room that once harbored Orion Pax. Also, it would be rather idiotic for him to come out in the open without a proper alternative form. 

     A military drone can't exactly land in a parking lot.

     With these few errands in mind, the silent, purple mech began to compile a list, filed under '(Y/N)' in his unique processor. He need only think of her, and it will appear if needed. If needed being the key phrase considering he found she tip-toed into his thoughts more often than appreciated. Yet he found he didn't completely mind. It was a small nuisance, but he tolerated it, and even mulled over whatever thought came up about his charge. He was well equipped to multitask, even in his thoughts.

     Soundwave tilted his helm in thought as he stared at the computer screen that flashed different glyphs at him. Was he seriously transitioning from disliking the thought of (Y/N) so often popping up to simply accepting it? And such a quick transition in one thought process.

     He realized he had stopped his typing and resumed.

     This would not do. Their connection had to be severed, one way or another. Either the anomaly was to be found and be rid of or they hoped the terminating of (Y/N) would not result in Soundwave's as well. Yes, that would be the best course of action. 

     Then why did Soundwave feel pity for the woman? She had given them what they wanted and welcomed death as a release if Megatron so chose to exterminate her. Now she proved difficult to be rid of, resilient and wiggled her way into the approving optics of their leader yet gave no sign of allegiance other than her actions, and even those have proven she could waver after releasing Orion Pax as well as somehow convincing Soundwave to let the Autobot Bulkhead remain on the war ship unchecked. 

     He wondered why he did not regret failing to inform Megatron of the truth of how the heavy hitter got on board. He only showed who sabotaged their engine core. (Y/N) wasn't even in the picture, so she was probably tucked beneath Bulkhead's armor or at a safe distance away. He gave only part of the information to protect their human ally. 

     The idea made him stop his work once again, but he quickly resumed.

     It wasn't pity he felt towards her and the possible outcome of her demise for his benefit. It was guilt. 

     Soundwave sneered from behind his mask. Guilt was not something he was familiar with after so many eons of war and the perishing of bots by his own servo. Guilt was a useless feeling he had thought to have buried long ago, only dug up by the occasional, rare failure. If he felt guilty for merely thinking about having to terminate her, then this connection had developed far more than he had speculated. He hated it.

     Yet he felt relief for realizing it, as if saving her life was an accomplishment.

         :Our theory was correct, master.: Laserbeak suddenly informed. :(Y/N) is recharging peacefully.:

         :Return.:

     So quickly were his thoughts changing for this human. Seeing her slumbering form atop Laserbeak earning a nod of his approval, and his spark relaxed, knowing she would not be of ill health caused by Insomnia. 

     One minute he hated her, the next he tolerated her, and soon he accepted her presence and strange mannerisms. Was this from the forced connection they now shared, or had she truly grown on him? Soundwave wasn't sure and that meant only one thing, if past experience said anything about his situation.

     His mind was changing, as well as his feelings.