[Optimus POV]

We were able to get Rachel back to base, but stabilizing her spark was another matter of its own. She had less than one percent energon left in systems, and it was still tainted with dark energon. We were slowly pumping more in, hoping it would flood the system and allow us to safely bring her back online. Her lights were still slightly on, but she wasn't awake. Her optics were still shut, but I could feel her sparkbeat...

Otherwise, I don't think I would still be online.

I am still.. confused about all of this. However, I know the time for the questions will come, but right now was not it. I wait as patiently as I can outside of her berthroom. Ratchet said it would be best for him to work where no one would be... leering. I tried to not feel as though he was speaking specifically to me, but knowing he was right.

I have had to come to the realization that my fondness of Rachel has grown into... something I thought I wouldn't feel again. I had become too involved in my role in the Autobots, and Elita-1 said it would be too much stress on us both if we stayed together. We are still comrades, but I haven't felt the same feeling around her again. She said the feeling was mutual, but she wished to remain friends...

And now, I was feeling that jitter in my spark all over again. 

Nerves were peaking...

My spark was skipping...

'I can't lose her, as well.'

"Optimus..." I turn to see... nothing? My gaze shifts down, and I spot Jack at my ped. I kneel down and offer a servo. He carefully steps on it, and grasps a digit in his hands to steady himself. I lift him up and he easily jumps onto my shoulder. I turn back to watching the doors, and Jack settles down. He says nothing at first, but I could feel he was wanting to speak.

"Jack... I am sorry..." Is all I start with, and I feel the boy let out a sigh. "For what, Optimus?" He replies, and I turn my helm towards him, confused. He looks over at me, and locks eye to optic. "None of this is your fault. And don't try to say otherwise." He says the last part louder as I had started to speak. He continues on, saying, "Look, all of this had started way before we ever actually met you. Our father-"

"Actually met us?"

My interjection catches him off guard, and I see his face pale. He looks away, and I remember a story Rachel had told me long ago. It was about Mission City and our first Earth battle. I remember her story of the building collapsing...

My optics widen, and when I turn to look back at Jack, he averts his gaze. I feel my spark drop as I speak. "The building she was near when the... accident happened... her father was crushed by the building as it was collapsing..." Jack slowly begins to nod his head, and I slightly step back. My backstrut rests against the wall and I feel guilt start to weigh heavily on me. 

'It... It was my fault... I am the reason this has all happened...'

I feel small hands suddenly touch the side of my helm, and I see Jack gazing at me. "Optimus, it isn't your fault!"

"No, Jack. It is my-"

"Did you start the invasion on this planet?"

His question leaves me speechless, and he quickly continues. "Did you start tearing apart cities and killing innocents to find the Allspark? Did you torture Rachel on the Nemesis to know what made her tick? Did you voluntarily get thrown into that building on your own?" He huffs for air, his hands curled into fists. I am unable to reply, and he seems to realize this. He calms down and sighs. "You did none of that. It was the Decepticons that started all of this. If they had never come here, if they had never found the Allspark before you guys, none of this would have ever happened." I can see the logic in his words, and the truth is there...

But the guilt in my spark says otherwise.

"Optimus.... Please don't do this to yourself..."

I raise my optics, but the doors to the berthroom are still shut. Jack seems to notice this, and gazes around. "Optimus? Is something wrong?" I turn to him and look him over. "You... did not hear her?" Jack shakes his head in confusion. "Hear who, Optimus? No one else is out here but us." I turn back to the berthroom doors, and I feel my sparkrate spike as she speaks again.

"It's me, Optimus... It's me."

I cannot seem to understand what's happening, and I don't hear anything until another servo clamps down on the shoulder not holding Jack. I turn my gaze to my oldest ally, Ultra Magnus. He had arrived the same day we almost lost Rachel to the dark energon in her veins. He gives me a look over, and I try not to make any notion of what I was thinking.

He makes no face, but offers a servo to Jack. The boy jumps on it, and he turns to me with a smile. "Go get her, Optimus." I gaze up to Ultra Magnus again, and he nods. "I can take care of the team for now. You have other business to attend to, Commander." With that, he turns and heads out of the berth hall, leaving me alone to stare at a door.

I feel my peds unwillingness to move, and my spark urges me forward. It isn't until she speaks again that I am finally able to move.

"Optimus.... You don't need to be afraid."

One ped moves, then the other. Soon, the door opens, and I see Ratchet turn to face me. Surprisingly, he doesn't send me away, but instead beckons me over. I come closer, and I see that he was near Rachel's spark. He looks to me with a soft smile. "I suppose she called you in?" I look to him in surprise, and he slightly chuckles. "We've all known for a while... You two have a funny way of hiding it." I say nothing, but he taps part of her chest. It shifts, but refuses to open. "I need to make sure her spark is receiving the energon properly, but she refuses to let me in her spark chamber...."

He turns to me, and I already know what he's about to ask. He doesn't speak, but he turns to leave. "I will let you two have a moment alone." He leaves, and I feel my spark slightly settle. I turn back to the predacon, slightly startled at the optics watching me carefully. I can't help but give a slight smile, and she returns it with a soft. "Hi."

"Hello."

She slowly lifts her helm, and looks me over carefully. I could tell she was still exhausted...

Because I could feel her exhaustion.

She smiles at me. "I can feel your confusion as well, you know. And... your pain." She slightly lowers her helm, and I can feel her own sorrow and guilt flood through her. "I... I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want you to blame yourself... Like I knew you would." She lifts her helm and we lock optics. I near her, and she slightly shifts her position. I feel my spark slightly skip, and she visibly blushes. "Optimus... I... I care about you, deeply... and I.... I-I don't want-"

"Rachel."

She stops and looks up at me, and I can feel my faceplates heating up as well. I near her, and I lower myself to her optic level. I gaze into her cyan blue optics, and I know what I am about to ask is the right thing to ask. I summon up the courage and speak as level as I could.

"Will you be my sparkmate?"

I can see her optics shift, and she looks over me carefully. I feel slight fear start to rise until she launches herself off the berth and at me. She laugh and shifts into her bot form before embracing me in a hug on the floor. "Yes! Yes I would!" I feel peace flood me as I open my spark chamber. She does the same and I feel them begin to merge. Her joy and love flows into me, and mine into her. I cannot help but press my helm against hers, and she does the same. Our optics shut as the process completes, and we both release a vent of relief.

Carefully she sits up, and I see her optics slightly dim. I can feel the weariness start to set in, and I am able to sit up in time to catch her before she falls. "S-Sorry... that was...." She doesn't have to say it. I know what she means. I help her up and lay her back on the berth. She sighs and I cannot help but smile at her. She returns it, and I hear the door open. Ratchet walks in, and I see Rachel gaze at him. "Well, I see your spark is running smoothly, and you two have finally made it... what do the humans call it? Official?" I feel my faceplates heat again, and Rachel releases a laugh.

"Yes, we have. Now, about the other thing?"

The doctor's optics widen and he nods. "Oh, yes of course! They're ready when you are. The transfer was smooth." I turn to Rachel, and she holds out a servo for me to take. I help her stand and she smiles at me. We make our way out of the room and towards the end of the berth hall. "Didn't you realize it was a bit to.... quiet?"

"I... don't understand."

"Don't understand what, boss?"

My helm snaps up, and I see Jazz sitting on a berth. He was his old body, but it was nearly completely repaired. There was still a thin gash from where he had been initially torn in two. I start to feel sorrow, but peace and joy flood my spark instead. I turn to Rachel, and she gives me a soft smile. "I had the doc work this out with the help of Onyx Prime, so we could... you know... have some real privacy." I give her a thankful smile, but a low growl-like groan hits my audio receptors.

"This... feels weird." I recognize the voice, but it takes a moment for it to register. The predacon emerges from the side of the room, shaking his wings out a bit. "I feel weird only having four legs..." He shakes each one out to test it, and I turn back to Rachel in confusion. She shrugs. "We couldn't find predacon remains that matched his original form. This is all we could manage to create in a short amount of time." The predacon huffs, gain my attention again. He bows his helm towards me and vents. "It will suffice for now. Thank you." I nod to him, and his name flows through the bond.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Broadwing." He nods, then turns and walks away. "I am going to attempt to rest, now that he's finally out of my head." His tail flicks towards Jazz, and the bot huffs. "Whatever." Jazz then looks at us, and winks. I hear Rachel slightly giggle, and I can't help but feel joy rise in my spark.

Finally, it felt like everything was going right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey guys!

It's been a while since I did anything with this story, but I had this ending planned out for a while. Thinking of doing a few one-shots with what happens next, but this was the ending I had...

I just didn't want it to end yet, ya know?

This is my first book that is 40+ chapters long and filled with comments and likes and so many views! But, all good things come to an end, and this is it for this book...

for now!

You have any questions for the crew? Want to know what happens next? Comment below! Let me know, and I will try to answer when I can.

Anyways, 

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