Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dark. Everything was dark. Where was he? Starscream grunted. His frame felt like it was on fire. Everything hurt. He could hear voices but his processor was struggling to come online. It wasn't connecting the voices from his audials with words and meanings. Primus, why did his spark hurt so much? It felt like he was burning from the inside.

He gasped, jerking up into a sitting position as his optics finally listened to his commands to online themselves. He was clutching at his spark chamber. His cockpit's glass was shattered. He blinked, confused. What in Primus' name had happened? Where was Wheeljack? He recognized Thundercracker's dark gray servos grabbing at him and his audials registered the sound of…crying? "Where's-?" Starscream started but he was suddenly dragged into a tight hug. His chassis burned. It hurt.

"How is he alive? This is highly illogical." Starscream recognized Shockwave's voice coming from his left. He sounded irritated.

"Starscream: not welcome in the Well." Soundwave joked.

"What are you talking about?" Starscream rolled his optics, trying to pull away from Thundercracker's grasp but he was quickly shoved deeper into Thundercracker's arms as Skywarp joined the hug, crushing them both together. His attempt to escape from his trine quickly wore him out. "Where's Wheeljack?" He mumbled.

"That glitch shot you in the spark chamber!" Thundercracker growled, tightening his grip on his trine leader. Starscream could hear the anger in his voice. It was such a foreign sound coming from the blue seeker. So Wheeljack had actually shot him? How curious.

"Is Wheeljack alright?" Starscream asked, resting his helm against Thundercracker's shoulder, exhaustion creeping into his frame.

"The Autobots took him back." Skywarp cut in. "Not that you should even care about that waste of energon! Didn't you hear Thundercracker!? That fragging autobot shot you!"

"How is he even alive?" Shockwave complained, letting out a disappointed huff as he started packing a few tools up.

"What do you mean?" Starscream squinted in the purple scientist's direction.

"Starscream: was terminated." Soundwave supplied.

"Clearly not." Starscream snorted, his wings flicking behind him and smacking Skywarp in the faceplates.

"Gack-!" Skywarp warped away from the hug but stayed close by, rubbing at his faceplates.

"Your spark faded away." Thundercracker squeezed Starscream even tighter. It hurt a bit.

"Perhaps Starscream has an outlier ability?" Soundwave suggested.

"Perhaps." Shockwave agreed. "I've never seen a mech come back from the dead before. Maybe we should try killing him again." He held up his gun-servo. Thundercracker shot the scientist a glare and Shockwave hesitantly lowered his servo.

"I think I would remember dying." Starscream scoffed.

"Your frame was grey just a few kliks ago." Skywarp shook his helm, creeping closer. "But suddenly your spark erupted back to life. You were dead for a deca-cycle."

Starscream frowned. "You've got to be joking."

"I'm going to study your CNA." Shockwave held up a vial and a few needles. "I need to figure out what happened. You'll indulge my curiosity, won't you, Starscream?"

After several tests and lots of poking and prodding from Shockwave and finally pulling away from Thundercracker and Skywarp's grasp, Starscream was allowed to return to his quarters. His berthroom was so empty without Wheeljack. He walked over to the table and stared down at the car model Wheeljack had put together for him. He picked it up and inspected it again. "Oh sweetspark, I'll bring you home." He hugged the model close to his scarred and bandaged chassis. "I can forgive you for this transgression."

—

It had been nearly a deca-cycle since Wheeljack had last seen Starscream. He was starting to think he had hallucinated the seeker in his grief. He hadn't really slept since he woke up and realized Starscream's ghostly figure was gone. At first he'd panicked. And Ratchet had tried to calm him down, explaining that Starscream was dead. Had been dead. Hadn't been there at all. Wheeljack couldn't wrap his processor around it all. His frame felt numb. Everything felt meaningless. Like a waste.

Even now he was staring up at the ceiling of his berthroom, not bothering to answer the comm messages he received from Ratchet, Jazz and Ironhide. What was the point? Ratchet had overwritten the access code to his berthroom a few times to scan his helm and ask him how he was doing. Wheeljack couldn't really muster much of an answer whenever his friend stopped by. He just couldn't pull himself out of the dark mood that hovered over him.

"Wheeljack! I'm coming in!" Ratchet's voice called from outside the door. Wheeljack didn't even bother to glance over at the door as Ratchet entered the room, turning the lights on. Wheeljack squinted against the onslaught of bright light. "Come on, Jackie. You look like scrap. You can't lay around forever." Ratchet sat at the edge of his berth, resting a servo on his shoulder. Wheeljack tensed up at the touch, finally glancing over at his friend. Ratchet was frowning. "Maybe it's time you started moving forward." Ratchet was holding something. Wheeljack squinted, optics still adjusting to the light.

It was paint.

Wheeljack's empty tanks lurched. All he could picture was Starscream's smirk as he painted over the Autobot insignia on his chest, replacing it with the dark purple one that graced his frame now. Wheeljack subconsciously reached out to it, clutching at his own chassis. Panic was creeping into his frame. Ratchet wanted to get rid of the only thing he had left to remember Starscream by.

Wheeljack scrambled to his pedes, pushing Ratchet over as he ran for the door but Ratchet grabbed him, pulling him back. "Wheeljack! Wait! I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do. But just listen to me for a moment." Wheeljack was struggling to focus on what Ratchet was saying. His voice sounded so far away despite the close proximity between them. Ratchet held onto his arm tightly, not daring to let go. "You've heard of Stockholm Syndrome, right?" Ratchet asked.

"It wasn't like that!" Wheeljack shouted, yanking his arm away.

"Then what was it?" Ratchet asked, narrowing his optics. "Because that's sure as frag what it looks like. He kidnapped you, Jackie. Held you hostage for deca-cycles. You did what you had to do, but it's over now. He's dead."

"No! Yer wrong!" Wheeljack took a step back, his finials flashing bright red. "He loved me!"

"He was obsessed with you." Ratchet corrected him, letting out a deep ex-vent. "He didn't even know you. He was delusional."

"Shut up!" Wheeljack felt like he was suffocating. Like his whole world was crashing down around him. All he wanted was for Starscream to come back. For his death to be a bad dream. But that also made him feel sick. Why would he want to go back to being held captive? To having no choice in what happened to him? Maybe Ratchet had a point. Maybe he was going insane.

He dropped to his knees and started dry-heaving. There was nothing in his tanks to purge. He'd hardly had any energon since being rescued. Rescued. That didn't sound quite right. Was it really a rescue when he wanted to stay? Ratchet was rubbing gentle circles in his lower back, saying everything was alright now.

"N-nothin's alright." Wheeljack sobbed, grabbing onto his friend tightly. "I killed 'im!"

"I know." Ratchet kept ahold of him, choosing his words carefully. "It's okay. Starscream wouldn't want you to be so sad, would he?"

"No." Wheeljack mumbled.

"He'd want you to take care of yourself, right?" Ratchet said slowly.

Wheeljack narrowed his optics. "Yer not paintin' over it." He said.

"That's not what I'm saying." Ratchet shook his helm. "When's the last time you refueled?"

"Dunno." Wheeljack looked down at the ground.

"Let's start there." Ratchet suggested. "Let's get some fuel in ya." He led Wheeljack back over to his berth and sat him down. Wheeljack looked defeated. Ratchet hated seeing him like that. He pulled some energon goodies out of his subspace. "I got some of these from Bee." He dropped a few into Wheeljack's servos. "When's the last time ya had some of these?"

"Starscream gave me some." Wheeljack mumbled, just staring down at the goodies.

Ratchet internally cursed himself. Of course that damned seeker had pulled all the stops to try and win Wheeljack's affections. But Ratchet ex-vented in relief when Wheeljack retracted his blastmask and popped one into his mouth. His finials flickered for a second. That seemed promising. But then Wheeljack froze, staring forward. His finials flashed bright red for a klik.

"What's wrong?" Ratchet asked, fearing his friend was about to start panicking again. He was right to worry.

"He just commed me." Wheeljack whispered, looking up to meet his optics.

"Who?" Ratchet asked, scared of the answer.

"Starscream." Wheeljack started shaking. "I saw 'is spark burn out. How's he…?"

"Are you sure it's him?" Ratchet was starting to fear Wheeljack's mind really had cracked at this point.

Wheeljack opened his wrist port and held his arm out. "Look." He whispered. Ratchet hesitated before plugging in his diagnostic cable. Wheeljack opened his comm messages and the newest message glared out at him.

S: Don't worry, sweetspark. I'm coming back for you.

Ratchet felt his fuel lines run cold. "You're sure that's him?" He couldn't help but ask. But Ratchet looked further back, reading through some of the older messages from the same sender. It could only be from one mech. A dead mech. Ratchet was hit with a wave of emotions from Wheeljack. There was a mixture of excitement, happiness, confusion, anguish, disgust, dread, fear and one stood out over the others: HOPE.

Ratchet had to unplug himself. "It has to be a glitch." He wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure Wheeljack or himself. "It has to be."

"But what if's not?" Wheeljack asked and Ratchet didn't like the look in his friend's optics. Ratchet was scared Wheeljack would willingly go back with the seeker if he somehow showed up again. And Wheeljack seemed to be thinking the same thing. His optics looked brighter than they had been in cycles. "It has to be 'im." Wheeljack was standing up now, digging his digits into Ratchet's shoulders so hard that it hurt. "It has to be."

"Jackie, listen to yourself!" Ratchet tried but Wheeljack wasn't listening anymore.

"What if I can get 'im to join the Autobots?" Wheeljack was talking too fast, excited. "We were workin' on a formula for synthetic energon! Maybe we could finally test it out!" Wheeljack was pacing now, finials flashing bright blue.

"Jackie, I'll be back. Stay here." Ratchet ran off to find Optimus.

—

Wheeljack was feeling downright giddy at the prospect of seeing Starscream again. But that feeling also disgusted him. He stopped his pacing, glancing over at the door to his quarters. Ratchet had been gone for a while. Wheeljack checked his comms again. He re-read the message Starscream had sent him.

S: Don't worry, sweetspark. I'm coming back for you.

Wheeljack knew he should send a response. But what could he even say to the mech he'd shot in the spark?

WJ: Star is that really you?
WJ: I'm so sorry!!! I didnt mean to pull the trigger!

Wheeljack felt sick to his tanks again. He leaned against the wall and slid down to the ground, waiting for a response. Scared he wouldn't get one. But suddenly his comms pinged again.

S: Are you at the Autobot base?
S: I could never be mad at you, sweetspark.
S: I forgive you.

Fluid welled up behind his optics and Wheeljack couldn't help the sob that escaped his intake. It had to be Starscream. No one else would be able to use his comm signature.

WJ: I thought you were dead!!!!
WJ: Im at the autobot base.
S: Stay put, love. I'll come get you and bring you home.

Wheeljack re-read that message over and over again. His spark was spinning so fast that he thought he was going to have a spark attack. Ratchet was back in front of him again. Ironhide was with him. Wheeljack blinked, confused on when Ratchet had made his way back into his quarters.

"I'm sorry, Jackie. But this is for your own good." Ratchet stuck him with a needle and suddenly everything started fading to black. Wheeljack tried to protest, but his helm just lolled to the side as Ironhide lifted him over his shoulder. He struggled to keep his optics online, but his processor was feeling more and more sluggish as the kliks ticked by.

When he came back online, Wheeljack found himself in a cell. He grunted and pushed himself up into a sitting position. Ironhide and Prowl were standing guard, whispering quietly between each other but they glanced his way as he shifted into a sitting position, holding his helm with a servo. "Hey, Jackie. You alright?" Ironhide asked carefully.

"Why'd'jya..?" Wheeljack mumbled, trying to get his processor and vocal components to link up.

"We disabled your comms and weapons." Prowl said, frowning in his direction. "I also read through all your recent messages."

Wheeljack blinked his optics, trying to figure out what was happening. He spat static before resetting his voice. "What's happenin'?" He finally managed to spit out.

"We received a message from the Decepticons." Ironhide sighed. "They're requesting your immediate return."

"Starscream?" Wheeljack perked up a bit, still groggy.

"I told you he's turned into a sympathizer." Prowl growled.

"Ratchet thinks his processor is…" Ironhide got quieter as he spoke. Wheeljack couldn't make out what he was saying. But he didn't like the implication.

"'M not crazy!" Wheeljack shouted angrily. He tried to push himself up to his pedes but stumbled and fell back over.

"No one's saying you're crazy, Jackie." Ironhide waved his servos. "You're just in there for your protection."

"Starscream won't hurt me." Wheeljack frowned, finials flashing. Ironhide let out a disappointed ex-vent. Wheeljack's tanks twisted at the sound. "How long're ya gonna keep me in here?" He asked. Ironhide and Prowl exchanged a glance but neither said anything. "For a while then, huh?" Wheeljack rested his helm on the wall behind him. "Shoulda known." He checked his comms. True to Prowl's word, they were all disabled. "Can't even comm Ratch?"

"He'll be down here in a bit to check on ya." Ironhide said. "I'm real sorry, Jackie."

"Hah. No yer not." Wheeljack mumbled and offlined his optics. He supposed he should get comfortable.

Chapter Text

Wheeljack onlined his optics when he heard Ratchet walking down the hallway, recognizing the sound of his old friend's gait. He stood up, stumbling over to the bars. Ironhide and Prowl were still standing guard. "Can I talk to him privately?" Ratchet asked Prowl once he reached the jail cell. The cop glared but relented.

"You get ten minutes. I'll be down the hall." He stalked away. Ironhide hesitantly followed, glancing back at Wheeljack as if to apologize.

"Ya know, druggin' me 'n draggin' me down here doesn't make ya much better than Starscream." Wheeljack crossed his arms, leaning on the bars.

"I know, I know." Ratchet ex-vented harshly. Wheeljack could see the exhaustion in friend's frame. His optics looked dull and his paint a bit worse for wear. "Look, I had to tell Optimus about Starscream's comm message to you. So I did. Prowl's the one who recommended we lock you up for the time being. I couldn't really argue with him. And we needed you offline so we could disable your comms. I'm sorry, Jackie." He pulled out a medical scanner.

"You didn't think I'd come down here willingly?" Wheeljack asked, shaking his helm.

"I wasn't sure what to think, Jackie. You haven't been acting like yourself since you came back." Ratchet dropped the volume of his voice, in case Prowl was listening in from down the hall. "But Ironhide's sticking around to make sure you're alright. He didn't want Prowl trying to interrogate you or anything. Prowl's gotten his wires all twisted over the fact that you haven't gotten rid of it." He motioned toward the purple insignia that still graced Wheeljack's chassis.

Wheeljack grunted in response, averting his gaze. "I'm not a 'con."

"I know that. You've been through a lot. And this certainly isn't helping." Ratchet scanned him. "For what it's worth, I'm really sorry. You shouldn't be locked up down here for long. So just take it easy and get some rest." He held out some more energon goodies and Wheeljack took them, thanking him.

"Do ya really think 'm crazy, Ratch?" Wheeljack asked, staring down at the servoful of energon goodies.

"I think this war's doing a number on us all." Ratchet replied. "I can't blame you at all for what you're feeling."

Wheeljack choked back a sob, vents hitching a bit. Ratchet reached through the bars to rest a comforting servo on his shoulder.

"Okay, time's up." Prowl walked back over to them, arms still crossed. Ironhide trailed behind him.

Ratchet glanced down at the scanner. "Well, your scans are all fine, Jackie. Like I said, just take it easy."

"Alright." Wheeljack rubbed at his optics with the back of a servo. "Thanks."

"Just let Ironhide know if you need anything from me." Ratchet said, meeting his optics for a moment.

"Will do."

There was suddenly an explosive noise from above them.

"What the-" Prowl growled, checking his comms. "Damnit! The Decepticons are attacking!" He readied his blaster, shooting a glare toward Wheeljack. "If I find out this has something to do with you-" He was cut off by the sound of blaster fire. And Wheeljack stumbled back as he watched Prowl's helm explode. Ironhide and Ratchet stood there in shock, staring as Prowl's frame fell to the ground, energon seeping out from his neck.

"Shouldn't have threatened my sparkmate." Wheeljack fell to his knees at that voice.

"Scrap!" Ironhide reached for his blaster.

"Don't!" Wheeljack shouted. Ironhide was shot in the shoulder, forcing him to drop the blaster he was holding as his arm was blown off. Ironhide fell backward but was otherwise unharmed.

"You're fond of these two, aren't you?" Starscream asked, motioning toward Ironhide and Ratchet with his blaster. HIS BLASTER. The one Wheeljack had made and shot Starscream with. Ironhide was groaning from the floor. Energon pooled underneath him. "That wound won't kill him as long as he gets medical attention in a timely manner." Starscream aimed the blaster at Ratchet. "Now release Wheeljack for me, won't you?" Ratchet's vents hitched.

"Don't shoot 'im!" Wheeljack begged, scrambling back over to the bars of his cell. "He's my best friend!"

"Ratchet then." Starscream kept the blaster trained on him. "I don't have any intention of killing you. But you need to open that cell. Now."

"I don't have the access code." Ratchet replied, raising his servos in surrender. "I assume Prowl did."

"Ah. How unfortunate." Starscream took a few steps closer, walking past Prowl's greying corpse. Wheeljack finally got a better look at his seeker. The glass of Starscream's cockpit was melded together with a red glass between the yellow shards. And Wheeljack could see welded metal behind the glass where he'd been shot in the spark. "How about him?" Starscream motioned toward where Ironhide lay, moaning in pain.

"Not sure." Ratchet answered honestly. "I can ask him." He slowly stepped toward Ironhide. Starscream watched, narrowing his optics.

"Don't even think about grabbing his blaster. Or I'll blow your arm off too."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Ratchet knelt down next to Ironhide, gently resting a servo on the red mech's shoulder. "Ironhide, what's the access code to the cell?" He asked, gently shaking him.

"Can't tell ya…" Ironhide groaned, optics flickering. Wheeljack gripped the bars tightly. His spark was spinning so fast that he thought he was going to pass out.

"Come on, 'Hide." Wheeljack begged. "Just give it to 'im!" Ironhide glanced over in his direction, squinting. Wheeljack didn't like how much energon was pooling beneath his friend. Ratchet was kneeling in it.

"It's okay." Ratchet said reassuringly. He hoped they'd have a better chance with Wheeljack out of the cell, but at the same time he was also scared that Wheeljack would go willingly with Starscream.

"I'm getting impatient." The seeker growled. "And you're running out of time."

"534793." Ironhide's helm lolled to the side so he could get a better look at Wheeljack. "Don't go with 'im, Jackie." He mumbled.

Starscream finally lowered the blaster to type in the access code. As soon as the cell door opened Wheeljack shot forward, grabbing at the blaster still in Starscream's servo. Starscream twisted his frame so the blaster was just out of his reach. Ratchet grabbed Ironhide's blaster from the ground and raised it, aiming for Starscream's helm this time. Maybe that would kill him for good. He just had to make sure he didn't shoot Wheeljack in the process.

Wheeljack grabbed onto the seeker, struggling to try and wrestle the blaster from his servos, grasping at his wrists. Starscream grunted, flapping his wings and standing on the tips of his pedes so Wheeljack couldn't reach it. Wheeljack managed to grab his wrist and he tried to yank it down but Starscream was stronger. Then a LOW FUEL LEVEL warning flashed across Wheeljack's HUD. That's right. He hadn't refueled properly since he was rescued. SHUT DOWN IMMINENT. His grip on Starscream's wrist weakened and he collapsed onto the seeker.

"Wait-" He mumbled. "I'll go with. Just don't kill my friends." His optics flickered. Starscream grinned, seeming to realize what was happening. His attention fixed itself back onto Ratchet as he wrapped an arm around Wheeljack's waist to keep him steady on his pedes.

"You Autobots haven't been taking good care of him." Starscream scolded playfully. "He's such an incredibly smart scientist and engineer and you piles of scrap don't even realize it. Wheeljack's the one who built this blaster." He said to Ratchet. "And I can guarantee that it's more deadly than the one you're holding. So lower your weapon." He fixed the blaster back onto Ratchet.

Ratchet hesitated, but dropped his blaster.

"Now kick it over here." Starscream continued, shifting on his pedes to better accommodate the weight of Wheeljack's frame. Wheeljack's helm bobbed a bit as he struggled to stay online despite the low fuel levels. Ratchet grimaced, but kicked the blaster over. "Good little Autobot." Starscream smirked before calling Skywarp on his comms. "Skywarp, I've got him. We're in the jail underneath the main portion of the base. I'm sending my coordinates."

The sound of a nullray rumbling to life caught their attention and Starscream glanced down the hall. Thundercracker stood there, one of his nullrays locked onto Wheeljack. "Lower your weapon, Thundercracker." Starscream glared, holding onto Wheeljack tighter and adjusting his frame so that Wheeljack was shielded.

"He killed you once already." Thundercracker's arm was shaking. "He'll try it again." Wheeljack could hear the anger in his voice. The anguish. It made his spark hurt to see the one mech who'd helped him out during his captivity be so angry with him.

"There's no need to worry." Starscream chastised him. "Wheeljack's already apologized. And I've forgiven him. He won't do it again. Will you, sweetspark?"

"I won't." Wheeljack mumbled. It took all his energy and willpower to stay online despite the warnings flashing across his HUD.

"See? Now lower your weapon. Skywarp will be here any moment. And if we're lucky, we'll get out of here before any more Autobots show up down here." Starscream smirked as Thundercracker lowered his arm.

Skywarp warped next to them. "Sorry, I got caught up with a few Autobots." He grimaced. "Let's get out of here." He grabbed onto Starscream and held out a servo to Thundercracker. The blue seeker let out a shaky ex-vent and took the out-stretched servo.

Ratchet hung his helm as Starscream stole Wheeljack from him yet again. Once the seekers were gone, he turned his attention back to Ironhide, rushing to stop the bleeding. He would have to mourn later. During war, there was always work to be done.

Chapter Text

Wheeljack was honestly surprised he'd managed to stay online long enough for them to warp back to the Decepticon base and for Starscream to gently set him on his berth. "Don't worry, sweetspark. We'll get you some fuel." Starscream petted at his helm and finials and Wheeljack offlined his optics, leaning into the touch. He could hardly think over all the LOW FUEL and SHUT DOWN IMMINENT warnings flashing across his HUD. Starscream sent Skywarp off to get some energon while Thundercracker hovered nearby, clearly uneasy and upset about Wheeljack being back again.

Starscream traced the Decepticon insignia on Wheeljack's chassis with a talon, humming. "I'm glad you kept this." He said softly. Wheeljack squinted his optics online to look up at the seeker. He could get lost in those red optics. He let out a soft hum in response, feeling too light-headed to formulate any actual words.

Skywarp warped back into the room a few kliks later, holding several cubes of energon and snacks. "Man, those Autobots really don't know how to take care of their own, do they?" He snorted, setting down all the fuel onto the berth. He grabbed a few rust sticks from the pile and shoved one into Thundercracker's face. "You should refuel too, TC." Thundercracker relented and took a bite out of the rust stick, still keeping his optics trained on Wheeljack. Skywarp happily shoved the rest of the rust stick into his own intake before holding another stick up to Thundercracker's mouth.

Starscream sat Wheeljack up and stuck a straw into some energon, holding the cube out to the grounder. Wheeljack retracted his blastmask and quickly sucked the energon down. Skywarp warped forward, shoving his face into Wheeljack's personal space. The sudden movement and closeness made Wheeljack's processor spin and his tanks twisted uncomfortably. "Where'd you get those scars from?" Skywarp asked, ghosting his talons over Wheeljack's lips. Wheeljack frowned, straw still hanging from his intake.

"Let him refuel in peace, 'Warp." Starscream gently shoved the other seeker back and put another cube in front of Wheeljack.

"The scars definitely make him more attractive." Skywarp said thoughtfully. "I think I'm beginning to get what you see in him." Starscream rolled his optics and Wheeljack just stared down awkwardly at his energon as he continued refueling.

The more fuel he got into his systems, the clearer his thoughts became. He wondered how Ironhide was doing. And what Ratchet was thinking. And Prowl's greying corpse. There had been so much spilled energon all over the floor. His tanks lurched and he dropped the energon cube, holding his helm in his shaking servos while his vents stuttered erratically. Starscream quickly pulled him into a hug, whispering soothingly into his audials and rubbing his back. But the seeker's touch just burned and made him feel sicker. His processor was spinning and his vision was swimming. He let out a strangled noise.

"Was it something I said?" Skywarp squeaked.

"He just needs some space. He's had a rough few cycles. Isn't that right?" Starscream hugged Wheeljack tighter. "It's alright, love. You're safe."

"We'll leave you alone then." Skywarp pulled Thundercracker out the door.

Wheeljack felt like he was suffocating even though cybertronians didn't breathe. His vents were struggling and his skin felt like it was on fire. He sobbed into Starscream's shoulder, shaking. This was all his fault. He never should have shot Starscream. If he hadn't, Ironhide would be alright and Prowl wouldn't be dead. Wheeljack felt like his mind was falling apart, shattering like the glass of Starscream's cockpit had when he'd shot him. "Wh-what's fraggin' wrong with me?" Wheeljack wheezed out between sobs and chaotic ex-vents.

"Shh, everything's alright now." Starscream whispered, kissing his cheeks. Wheeljack didn't have the strength to argue.

—

It wasn't until the next cycle that Wheeljack realized the energy field behind the door was no longer there. He was laying in berth beside Starscream, listening to the seeker's engine rumbling in recharge when he realized. He eyed the door suspiciously. Why had Starscream gotten rid of the energy field? It made him anxious and he didn't really understand why. He should be plotting his next escape. But he didn't have the energy. He hadn't gotten any recharge that night. There were too many images haunting his optics every time he offlined them. His frame felt heavy and weak from the neglect he'd inflicted on it ever since first being rescued.

Wheeljack wondered how Starscream could recharge so peacefully after blasting a mech's helm off the cycle before. It made him feel sick.

He glanced down at Starscream's chassis, staring at the patched glass of his cockpit. He knew the seeker was a bit vain so he wondered if Starscream planned to fix up his frame better at some point. He really hoped he would. Wheeljack didn't like staring at the memory of what he'd done.

Starscream stirred, wings flicking behind him as he slowly came out of recharge. His optics onlined, nearly blinding Wheeljack with how bright and full of life they were. Wheeljack felt pitiful in comparison. "Morning, love." Starscream smiled at him.

"Mornin'." Wheeljack mumbled. His voice was chocked full of static. Starscream frowned, concern creeping into his expression.

"Did you recharge?" Starscream asked, rubbing his cheek with a thumb. Wheeljack shook his helm slightly, not taking his eyes off Starscream's faceplates. "Do you want something to help you recharge?"

"No." Wheeljack sucked in some air before slowly ex-venting.

"What can I do to make you feel better?" Starscream asked carefully, scanning Wheeljack's faceplates.

"I dunno." Wheeljack admitted. He pressed his face into Starscream's shoulder. "I just feel kinda broken, ya know? Like nothin'll fix it. Like there's no point ta anything at all."

"Is it my fault?" Starscream asked. There was an unreadable tone to his voice. The question hung in the air for what felt like forever. Wheeljack wasn't really sure if it was all Starscream's fault or his own.

"I dunno." Wheeljack whispered. He sat up. "I just know I don't like this feeling." He rested his servos on Starscream's chassis, staring down at him. He could feel Starscream's engine and even the spinning of his spark in its casing. Starscream felt real. Felt alive. Maybe that's all Wheeljack needed.

Starscream stared up at him curiously, talons tracing along his sides. The touch made Wheeljack shiver. It felt nice. "Will you kiss me?" He asked.

"If you want me to." Starscream leaned up and kissed his blastmask. Wheeljack nodded and retracted his blastmask before flopping back down onto the berth besides the seeker. Starscream propped himself up on an elbow, staring down at him with a confused expression.

"My frame feels heavy." Wheeljack explained. "I still want'chya ta kiss me. Please kiss me."

"Okay." Starscream got up and climbed on top of him, leaning down to kiss him. Wheeljack offlined his optics and grabbed the other mech by the hips, pulling him closer. Starscream licked at his lips and Wheeljack parted them, letting Starscream shove his glossa into his intake. It felt nice. Starscream hummed, tracing his talons along his frame, letting them gently catch on transformation seams and wires. Wheeljack's vents sucked in air and his fans roared to life. Starscream continued to gently kiss him and run his talons up and down his sides and chassis.

Wheeljack could almost pretend that everything was fine. That this was normal. That nothing was wrong. He could get lost in this moment and forget himself. Wheeljack tried to reciprocate, moving his servos down to the seeker's thighs but Starscream pulled away from their kiss. "Let me take care of you." He said, grabbing Wheeljack's wrists and giving one a kiss before pinning them both above his helm. Wheeljack felt his faceplates heating up and Starscream bent down to kiss his neck. Wheeljack moaned softly as Starscream raked his fangs along the cabling in his neck and peppered him in kisses.

"What are-" He squeaked as Starscream licked at one of his winglets. "What're ya thinking?" He finally managed to choke out between happy noises. He revved his engine, earning a giggle from his seeker.

"Do you want to see?" Starscream asked, leaning back and smirking. There was a dangerous glint in his optics. Wheeljack couldn't look away. He nodded his helm. "Where do you want me to plug in?" He asked, tilting his helm to the side. "Wrists? Torso? Thighs?" Wheeljack squirmed under his gaze.

"Anywhere's fine." He replied. Starscream nodded thoughtfully.

"How about here?" He traced a talon along the paneling just beneath his windshield.

"Okay!" Wheeljack squeaked again. He let Starscream open the panels on both sides and watched as Starscream opened his own panels in the same spot before starting the circuit. He plugged himself into Wheeljack first and Wheeljack was suddenly flooded with a wave of emotions and thoughts and images. He gasped at the sudden onslaught of information. It was the first time Starscream had shared so much with him.

Starscream stared down at him curiously. Wheeljack could feel the hints of anxiety creeping into Starscream's thoughts and feel the overpowering feeling of admiration and love he felt. It was intoxicating. There were so many thought trees branching in different directions. There had to be hundreds of them all going at once. Wheeljack couldn't even begin to process how Starscream was able to keep track of them all. And there was just so many feelings.

"You feel so much." Wheeljack whispered, in awe. "You're amazing." Starscream covered his faceplates with a servo, his fans finally kicking on.

"Thundercracker and Skywarp say it's overwhelming." He mumbled, dipping down to kiss at Wheeljack's neck again. Then he grabbed Wheeljack's cable and plugged it into himself. Wheeljack shivered as the electricity crackled between them. Wheeljack couldn't tell where his thoughts ended and where Starscream's began. Starscream seemed to find this amusing. He was giggling again and kissing at Wheeljack's neck.

Wheeljack could happily stay like this forever.

"Me too." Starscream whispered, kissing him on the lips again.

Chapter Text

Wheeljack felt like his mind was fractured. Like Starscream was taking him apart and slowly rebuilding him from the ground up. And Wheeljack found that he didn't really mind at all.

The door was unlocked. He had checked. Starscream had given him permission to wander the base as he pleased and Wheeljack knew he could escape if he really wanted to. But what would be the point? Starscream would just hunt him down again and drag him back to this place. And he found that he was quite content to stay here and let Starscream rebuild him and love him.

What was the point of fighting it?

Wheeljack paced the room, scratching subconsciously at his finials as he thought. Should he just get used to living here? He wasn't a Decepticon. He never would be. Right? He heard a noise and turned to see Skywarp standing there, chewing on a rust stick. He must have warped in, Wheeljack thought.

"Did Starscream send ya to check on me?" Wheeljack asked, frowning behind his blastmask.

"No." Skywarp sauntered on over to him, walking slowly around him to get a good look. Wheeljack raised an optical ridge.

"Did'jya need me ta fix somethin'?" He asked, keeping an optic on the unpredictable seeker.

"Noooooope." Skywarp finally stopped in front of him, tapping at his mask. "Show me your scars again, won't ya?"

"Excuse me?" Wheeljack took a step back. Skywarp just leaned forward back into his personal space.

"I like them." Skywarp took another bite of his rust stick, staring into his optics with that same sort of strange unreadable expression that Starscream sometimes got. Wheeljack's finials flashed anxiously. He hesitated for a moment before relenting and retracting his mask. Skywarp traced the scars that covered the lower half of his face with his optics, nodding slightly. "I think I judged you too harshly before, Autobot." Skywarp grinned.

"Wha'do'ya mean?" Wheeljack frowned.

"I called you ugly before. Remember?" Skywarp tapped at Wheeljack's forehelm with a talon. "I've changed my mind though. I think you're handsome in a weird awkward kind of geeky way." Wheeljack really couldn't wrap his helm around any of the Decepticons. They were certainly an odd group of characters.

"Thanks, I guess?" Wheeljack mumbled, not really sure what else to say.

"Anyway, I brought you something." Skywarp reached into his subspace and pulled out a strange-looking device. "Ta-dah!" He grinned as he shoved the object into Wheeljack's servos.

"What is it?" Wheeljack carefully inspected it.

"That's what I want you to figure out." Skywarp winked, sticking his glossa out. "You're free to use the lab if you want. It's how you left it."

"How I left it?" Wheeljack echoed, servos shaking a bit.

"Well, not exactly. Soundwave's cassettes cleaned up all the spilled energon." Skywarp snorted. Wheeljack took a shaky in-vent. "Anyway, let me know when you figure out what it is." Skywarp flicked him in the forehelm. "And don't freak out again. You'll make Screamer worry."

"Wait." Wheeljack grabbed at the purple seeker's arm before he could warp away.

"Hm?" Skywarp's wings twitched curiously.

"How's 'e alive, anyway?"

"Not really sure." Skywarp answered with a shrug. "He was definitely dead. His spark chamber was empty and his frame was grey. But suddenly his spark just reappeared. It was like a star exploding and going supernova in his chest. Shockwave did all kinds of tests when he came back online. But he never figured it out. Of course Megatron is really interesting in replicating whatever happened." The seeker rocked back on his pedes. "Not that I recommend trying to kill him again, of course."

"And, uh, how's Thundercracker?" Wheeljack asked.

"Still pretty upset. I'd steer clear of him for now if I were you." Skywarp shook his helm. "He really wanted to blast your chest open for what you did."

"I don't think I meant ta shoot 'im." Wheeljack looked down toward the ground.

"Hah! So you don't even know? Maybe Thundercracker's right about you after all." Skywarp gave him a quick wave and warped away before Wheeljack had the chance to ask him what he had meant.

Wheeljack sighed and sat down at the table. The box of miscellaneous tools he'd used to fix up Skywarp's vid projector was still sitting there. He set down the strange device Skywarp had handed him, giving it a quick once-over. It was made of a yellow metal and was shaped like half a sphere. There was a panel in the side so he went ahead and opened it up. His servos felt a bit heavy. He probably shouldn't be messing with mysterious devices while his joints were trying to lock up, but he needed to do something to get his processor to stop spiraling out of control.

Wheeljack grabbed at one of the wires and felt a jolt of electricity zap him. He let out a squeak before realizing he couldn't move. It was like he was frozen in place. Of course Starscream chose that moment to enter the room. He took one look at Wheeljack and burst out laughing. Wheeljack felt a bit annoyed.

Starscream doubled over, still cackling. He was laughing so hard his fans kicked on. Wheeljack rolled his optics at the display but found it strangely endearing. Starscream finally managed to drag himself over to Wheeljack's side, wiping tears away from his optics. "Oh, Primus! Skywarp really tricked you into messing with the immobilizer Shockwave made?" He pressed a button on the side of the device and Wheeljack nearly toppled over as he was unfrozen.

"He copied my immobilizer!?" Wheeljack exclaimed, exasperated.

"Yeah." Starscream grinned, trying to hold back some more giggles. "The look on your faceplates was priceless!" He jabbed the grounder in the side playfully with a sharp digit.

"I like my design better." Wheeljack huffed, crossing his arms.

"Awe, don't be like that, sweetspark." Starscream kissed his forehelm. "I told you that I gave Shockwave your immobilizer, didn't I? Of course he was going to mess around with the concept. This one can be deployed like a bomb and blast a wider radius, freezing more than just one bot at a time."

"Hmph." Wheeljack kept his arms crossed. Starscream jabbed him in the side again, grinning.

"Of course your design looks much cooler."

Wheeljack finally relaxed his frame, glaring over at the device.

"Anyway, have you been hiding out in here all cycle? I told you that you were free to roam around." Starscream wandered over to the berth and sat down, leaning back and propping himself up with his servos. "You're not a prisoner."

"I still don't get what'chyou see in me." Wheeljack shook his helm, finials flashing for a klik.

"No one said love was logical or sane." Starscream snorted, flapping his wings absentmindedly behind him.

"I killed you." Wheeljack grimaced.

"And I kidnapped you twice and drugged you." Starscream smirked. "Wouldn't you call that even? Besides, I'd say my death hurt you far more than it hurt me."

Wheeljack focused his optics on Starscream's mismatched cockpit. "Do ya plan on fixin' it?" He asked.

"Does it bother you?" Starscream kept his smirk, flicking the tips of his wings and leaning back more. Wheeljack felt like didn't deserve to be bothered by it. It was his fault Starscream's frame had been mangled and scarred in the first place.

"'M sorry." Wheeljack mumbled.

"Let's move on from it already." Starscream replied then motioned with his wings for Wheeljack to come closer. He slowly got up and walked over to his seeker. "It isn't really fair though. You got to watch my spark die out, but I haven't even seen yours." His talons traced circles on Wheeljack's chassis.

"It's not as pretty as yers." Wheeljack shuddered at the touch.

"I'm sure it's just as brilliant as you are." Starscream pulled him down onto the berth beside him. They sat like that for a while before Starscream finally spoke again. "Have you refueled at all today?"

"No." Wheeljack leaned against him. "Haven't really felt like refuelin'."

"You should take better care of yourself." Starscream sighed. "I can't have you shutting down on me."

"I know." Wheeljack stared up at the stars on the ceiling. "My tanks're just upset, 'sall."

"You're not recharging either." Starscream frowned. "Is it because of me?"

"I dunno." Wheeljack offlined his optics, reaching out to hold Starscream's servo. "I just dunno."

"Promise you'll at least drink a cube and try to recharge tonight." Starscream squeezed his servo tightly.

"Okay." He buried his faceplates deeper into Starscream's shoulder. "I'll try."

Chapter Text

Wheeljack woke the next cycle feeling a bit better. His processor didn't feel like slag anyway. His tanks were still upset, but at least he could think clearer. He shifted slightly in berth, careful not to wake his seeker. Starscream was nuzzled up against his side, clinging to his arm and venting softly. Wheeljack couldn't help but stare. Starscream looked so peaceful while he recharged.

So calm.

Wheeljack felt his spark twist in his chassis and his tanks lurched suddenly.

He'd also looked so calm right before Wheeljack shot him in the spark.

His vents stalled and he made a strangled noise. Starscream stirred, blinking his optics online. "What's wrong, sweetspark?" He mumbled.

Wheeljack retracted his blastmask and practically threw himself out of berth as he started dry-heaving. His tanks wanted to purge themselves but he didn't have enough fuel in them. Starscream was kneeling next to him in an instant, petting his wings and whispering sweetly that everything was alright. Wheeljack choked on nothing, tears streaming down his cheeks.

After what felt like forever, he finally managed to stop dry-heaving and leaned back, venting heavily. His fans were whirring loudly and his intake felt sticky with oral lubricant. Starscream was staring at him with worried optics. Wheeljack choked out a sob, burying his faceplates into his knees.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Starscream asked, voice strained and higher-pitched than usual. Wheeljack could tell he was worried and anxious. But he couldn't stop the tears leaking from his optics. He just shook his helm in response, trying to muffle his sobbing with his mask.

"I'm sorry." Starscream mumbled, wings drooping. He wasn't sure how to comfort the grounder and it made him feel frustrated and useless. And he was scared that he had somehow made Wheeljack upset again. That this was all his fault. But his processor quickly filed those thoughts trees away as they sprouted. He was in too deep to start getting regrets now. Besides, Wheeljack was all he needed. He just had to make the grounder happy. And then he'd finally be happy too.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Starscream tried, not quite sure what else to say.

"I dunno what's wrong." Wheeljack wheezed, coughing to clear out his intake. He lifted his helm to meet the seeker's optics. "I was fine 'n then I wasn't."

Starscream frowned, gently wiping the tears from the love of his life's faceplates. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" He asked.

"Can you kiss me?" Wheeljack felt his frame shaking. The sound of metal clattering together was hurting his audials. But Starscream didn't let it show.

Starscream leaned forward a bit but hesitated. "Are you sure? I don't want to make you more upset."

Wheeljack nodded. "'M sure." He retracted his mask again and offlined his optics. Starscream gently kissed him, lovingly rubbing Wheeljack's back and arms as he moved closer. Wheeljack slowly relaxed into the touch, resting his servos on the seeker's thighs, letting out a content hum as he calmed down and the shaking slowly ceased.

Starscream carefully pulled away from the kiss, but stayed close, knocking their forehelms together, looking the other mech in the optics. "Feeling better?" He asked. Wheeljack nodded. "I want you to refuel." Starscream took the grounder's servos in his own.

"My tanks're upset." Wheeljack complained, frowning.

"I know. But you might feel better with some fuel in your systems." Starscream could feel the heat coming off his sparkmate. His fans were struggling to compensate. "You need some coolant too." He kissed the back of Wheeljack's servo. Primus, even his servos felt warm. Starscream was starting to worry that Wheeljack had caught some kind of virus and that it had wormed its way deep into his weakened and neglected frame.

"Okay." Wheeljack relented, letting out a soft ex-vent.

"Stay here." Starscream kissed his forehelm then stood up.

He disappeared for a bit, hunting down some fuel and snacks. Wheeljack just held his helm between his knees, staring down at the ground. His HUD gave a LOW FUEL WARNING message and he grimaced. He really didn't feel like refueling. He was worried he'd just purge it all once it hit his tanks. And he hated the sickly hot feeling of purged energon. Primus, he felt so fucked up. He could hear his own fans whirring loudly, trying to filter the excess heat and unease out of his poor frame.

Starscream returned with a few cubes of energon, some rust sticks, energon goodies and a medical scanner. Wheeljack looked up when he re-entered the room. "Here." Starscream shoved a cube into his servos. There was a purple curly straw sitting in it. "Just sip it slowly." He opened up Wheeljack's medical port in his arm and plugged a wire into the scanner, reading over the data. Wheeljack slowly sipped at the energon. He could taste the sweet coolant Starscream had added to it. Sometimes Wheeljack really hated having to refuel.

"Everything seems alright." Starscream's optical ridges furrowed, voice trailing off as he clicked away on the medical scanner.

"You worried 'm sick er somethin'?" Wheeljack asked, frowning around his straw.

"You just seemed warm." Starscream shook his helm. "But your vitals are fine. You're just low on coolant and energon."

"I coulda told ya that." Wheeljack grunted, not liking the feeling of the energon sliding down his throat. "'m not always the best at refuelin' even when 'm feelin' alright." He let out an airy laugh. It sounded pathetic. Forced. And Wheeljack supposed it was. He didn't like the concerned look in the seeker's faceplates. It made him feel uneasy and uncertain. He wished Starscream would just tell him what to do and how to feel. That would make it so much simpler.

Starscream gently wiped at his face with his thumbs. Wheeljack hadn't realized how much lubricant had spilled from his optics. Starscream's digits felt soft and kind. Wheeljack offlined his optics and leaned into the touch, still sipping on his fuel.

"You should just rest today." Starscream fussed. Wheeljack re-onlined his optics.

"Yer plannin' on goin' somewhere?" He asked, panic settling into his spark.

"I have some duties to attend to today, unfortunately." Starscream let out a long ex-vent. "But I can have Ravage or Skywarp keep you company if you'd like."

"Can't I go with you?" Wheeljack gripped onto Starscream's shoulder tightly with a servo.

"Are you sure you're feeling well enough to?" Starscream's optics danced over his frame, as if checking him over again.

"You said my vitals're fine." Wheeljack insisted, setting down his half-finished cube.

"What are your fuel levels at?" The seeker frowned.

Wheeljack ran a quick diagnostic. "23%." He answered.

"Not good enough." Starscream's frown deepened. "Get above 50% and I'll consider taking you with me today."

"But-" Wheeljack tried to protest. Starscream dropped a handful of energon goodies into his servo.

"Come on. Fuel up." Starscream stood. "I'm going to go check in with Megatron real quick. Then I'll be back. If your fuel levels are above 50% when I return, I'll let you join me for my next obligation." He patted Wheeljack on the helm and headed for the door. He stopped right before leaving, turning back. "I love you." He smiled softly.

"I love you too." Wheeljack watched as his seeker disappeared into the hall once again. He stared down at the energon goodies and grimaced before popping one into his intake. It at least went down better than the energon did.

Chapter Text

Starscream returned less than a joor later with an irritated look on his faceplates. Wheeljack had tried asking what was wrong but Starscream had only muttered something about Shockwave being disgusting before asking him what his fuel levels were. When Wheeljack said they were at 53% Starscream relented and let the grounder shadow him.

Wheeljack stuck close to Starscream as they wandered down the dark hallways of the Decepticon base toward Shockwave's lab. Starscream was still muttering irritated curses under his breath. Wheeljack assumed some of the curses had to be in vosnian because he didn't recognize them. When they finally reached the purple scientist's lab, Starscream kicked the door with his pede and it slammed opened. Wheeljack shrunk back a bit. Starscream was seething.

"Shockwave! Where the frag are you!?" Starscream shouted, storming into the lab.

"Shh, you'll spook him." Shockwave said from the other side of the lab. He was standing in front of a medslab. Starscream narrowed his optics but didn't yell again as he stomped over to the slab.

"I can't believe you'd go this far." The seeker hissed. Wheeljack had to practically jog to keep up with Starscream and his optics widened as they settled on the small figure seated on the medslab. It was a small golden seeker with bright red optics. Wheeljack stumbled, walking right into Starscream's wings. "And what do you plan on doing with him?" Starscream asked, plating bristling as he crossed his arms and scowled.

"I was trying to replicate your spark's unusual ability." Shockwave replied. "But it seems I failed somehow. I could always do some other sort of experiment on him…" The scientist trailed off.

"Like frag you are!" Starscream growled, shoving Shockwave. "I didn't give you permission to use my CNA for this!"

Wheeljack just stared at the small seeker. The kid looked frightened by the argument. Wheeljack gently pushed past Starscream and picked the kid up, hugging him protectively. Wheeljack had always been good with kids and sparklings. He'd even helped taken care of Bee and Cliff and the twins when they were little. The young seeker held tightly onto Wheeljack, letting out a whimper as he buried his faceplates in the grounder's shoulder.

Starscream stared at the scene, mouth hung open and voice resetting several times. His wings flicked in an irritated manner and he glared at Shockwave again. "Well, I'm not leaving him here for you to experiment on." He huffed. "Come on, Wheeljack." He pulled the grounder along behind him. Wheeljack looked back at Shockwave, the scientist's face was unreadable. The little seeker gripped him tighter.

Once they'd made it back into the hallway Starscream seemed to relax a bit. But Wheeljack could tell he was still angry by the way his wings twitched. He didn't know much wingspeak, but he'd picked up on some of the ways Jazz and other mechs had showed their emotions through their door wings and winglets.

"I can't believe that slagger." Starscream grumbled. "What the frag am I supposed to do with a sparkling?"

"He's older th'n a sparklin'." Wheeljack offered, adjusting his grip on the kid. "What exactly did Shockwave do?"

"He used my CNA to clone me!" Starscream shrieked. "I let him take some of my CNA since he was interested in why I came back to life. I never would have let the slagger take it if I'd known he would use it like this!" His servos were flying as he angrily articulated his thoughts.

"I'm sorry." The little seeker mumbled. Starscream froze, stopping in the middle of the hallway. He jerked his helm in the direction of Wheeljack and the youngling.

"Hey, you don't need to apologize for existing." Starscream let out a soft huff. "I'm not angry with you." He took a cautious step toward them and set a servo on the seeker's helm, giving it a little pat.

"So he's a clone of you?" Wheeljack said, petting at the young seeker's wings in a calming manner.

"Do you have a designation?" Starscream asked, petting his helm.

"Starscream?" The young seeker offered, glancing up at them both with his big bright optics.

"That's my designation." Starscream snorted, seeming amused. Wheeljack was just glad that he'd calmed down.

"Oh. I dunno then." His tiny golden wings drooped a bit.

"He's golden. Like the sun." Wheeljack mumbled. "How about somethin' like that?"

"Hm. Sunstorm?" Starscream suggested.

"Okay!" The little seeker squeaked.

"Alright. Now that that's settled, we need to figure out exactly what to do with you." Starscream flicked at the younger seeker's nose, receiving a giggle.

"I'm good with kids." Wheeljack offered.

Starscream eyed him suspiciously. "Are you sure you feel alright enough to look after him?" He asked.

Wheeljack nodded, hugging Sunstorm closer. "I really don't mind. I like kids."

"Okay." Starscream relented. "I guess we should take him back to our quarters for now then." He gave Sunstorm's helm another little pat then started walking again. Wheeljack followed.

When they reached Starscream's habsuite Sunstorm started squirming so Wheeljack set him down. The little seeker wandered around, looking at all the models and datapads Starscream had.

"He's a real cute kid." Wheeljack smiled.

"He's my clone. Of course he's cute." Starscream stuck his nose up. Sunstorm picked up a model jet and looked it over with wide optics. Starscream dropped himself onto the berth, letting out a long ex-vent and offlining his optics. Wheeljack anxiously shifted on his pedes. "I sent Thundercracker and Skywarp a comm." Starscream mumbled after a moment.

As if on cue, Skywarp warped into the room, grinning widely. "A tiny Screamer!" He shrieked excitedly, running over to Sunstorm and lifting the young seeker up into the air. "Too cute!" He spun around and Sunstorm giggled, still holding onto the model jet. Skywarp gave a happy chirp and set the kid down. "I can't believe Shockwave made something so cute! What's your designation, little Screamer?" Skywarp asked, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Sunstorm!" The little seeker smiled shyly.

"How adorable!"

Wheeljack took a seat at the table, watching the two seekers interact. Starscream sat up, watching from his perch on the berth as well. Skywarp pulled a pack of rust sticks from his subspace and offered a few to the younger seeker. "Don't give him too many treats." Starscream rolled his optics.

"But he's too cute!" Skywarp pinched at Sunstorm's cheeks as he chewed on a rust stick. "How could you say no to that cute little face?"

There was a knock at the door and Thundercracker poked his helm into the room. His optics scanned over them all, stopping on Wheeljack for a second to glare at him before finally falling on Sunstorm.

"TC! Come look at this little cutie!" Skywarp waved for Thundercracker to enter. The blue seeker hesitated, glancing back over at Wheeljack again before slowly entering and walking over to Skywarp and Sunstorm.

Wheeljack let out a little sigh. His spark ached at the way Thundercracker had glared at him. He understood his anger, but he missed how nice the blue mech had been to him before. And he was worried that he'd completely broken that budding friendship forever. Thundercracker's plating relaxed a bit and he mumbled a greeting to the young seeker.

—

That night Sunstorm finally wore himself out. Wheeljack laid down on the berth and motioned for the kid to climb up. He squished himself against Wheeljack then looked over at Starscream. The older seeker let out a little huff and turned off the lights before joining them in the berth. Wheeljack found himself feeling a lot better since his processor was preoccupied with the young seeker. He dimmed his optics and relaxed, letting his engine purr softly to lull Sunstorm into recharge. Starscream reached out and touched Wheeljack's mask, gently rubbing a thumb along it. He opted to message him on comms so as not to disturb Sunstorm.

S: You look happier.
WJ: I honestly feel better.
S: Good. I was worried about you.
WJ: I know.

Starscream smiled and Wheeljack retracted his blastmask to smile back.