Transformers Fan Fiction ❯ Cover Me ❯ In the Stars ( Chapter 19 )

Cover Me

By Black Dragon Queen

Author's note: Um, my Internet connection just went and self-destructed this past week, so I haven't really been able to read any reviews till today when I got to the college… Wow… now I'm really worried about posting this chapter. However, I swore to update every Monday so here you go. Er, I did put a little glossary at the end and hopefully it will help. And I did delete most of the “star” terms and just left it as Link or Aligned. Hopefully everyone can work with it now.

New Warning: Incest (though they're robots so I don't know if that counts…)

PAIRINGS REVEALED THUS FAR:

Wheeljack x Ratchet, Inferno x Red Alert, Sunstreaker X Sideswipe, Past Prowl x Jazz

Font Index: “Speaking”, `Thinking', “-Radio Transmissions-”, “Cybertronion” “:Link:”

~*~

Chapter Nineteen: In the Stars

There had been a large sigh of relief when Ratchet and Wheeljack exited the hanger and announced that Sunny was in alt mode and already healing. Most of them had cheered and even the humans all felt a sense of joy that Sunstreaker was going to be okay. Sam himself held a feeling of overwhelming freedom that Ratchet was able to help the Lamborghini even though most of Ratchet's tools were squirreled away in his father's garage. He spared a quick glance at `Bee and could see the large Autobot felt the same relief that he did.

“How is Sideswipe doing?” Optimus asked as Perceptor and Inferno helped Wheeljack log on to the web and quickly download the planets different dialects.

“He's just as relieved as we are,” Ratchet told him. “He's still with Sunny who's in recharge.”

Wheeljack let out a huff of laughter as he translated the conversation. “I'll say he is.”

“Jack,” Ratchet drawled in a warning tone. “It's their secret to tell.”

“But Optimus should know about it, shouldn't he?” Wheeljack protested

“What?” Optimus glanced back and forth between the two mechs puzzled. “Guys… What are you not telling me?”

Ratchet shook his head. “They'll have to tell you when they're ready,” he persisted.

“The twins have a secret?” Ironhide scoffed. “That'll be the day.” Wheeljack and Ratchet both glanced at one another and shared a secretive smile. Ironhide scowled at the two when he saw the look. “What?” he asked confused. “What'd I say?” he asked Optimus. Optimus shrugged just as puzzled and now even Inferno and Red were snickering at the group's confusion.

Ratchet tilted his head in question and Red Alert simply smiled as he leaned back against the larger fire truck. Ratchet glanced between the two in confusion before his optics suddenly brightened as he finally understood the quiet hints and he began laughing hysterically. “You knew too?” he asked and both of the red mechs nodded gleefully. Ratchet laughed even harder as the now comprehending Wheeljack joined in. Now everyone was staring at the four like they had all gone completely around the bend.

“Could someone let us in on the joke? Please?” Iornhide actually whined. “This is getting annoying.”

“Now you know how we felt when you guys kept switching back and forth between languages,” Perceptor stated and the others all glanced at one another in complete surprise.

“We were?” Ironhide asked in amazement and Ratchet reached over and whapped him over the head.

“You mean you didn't notice?” he asked and the others shook their head as the top kick.

“What? I really didn't,” Ironhide admitted.

“Okay,” Optimus said after some of the laughter had finally died down. “Now that any and all imminent danger is thoroughly over with, we have some other major issues to attend to. Starting with what it was that was affecting Sunny.”

“Yes, are you sure it was Energon?” Perceptor immediately questioned, going into science mode. “All preliminary scans of this planet showed absolutely no traces of any crystals.”

“As I said earlier, it could be that there's something in the Earths elements that is akin to Energon, but we don't know for sure,” Ratchet stated.

“But we should have been able to locate it by now, shouldn't we?” Ironhide asked puzzled. “There's been nothing on the scanners anywhere.”

“I've been up and down this country when I was searching for Sam's family and I never came across anything remotely resembling Energon in my travels,” `Bee told them.

“Well, most of our internal scanners aren't meant to penetrates this planets surface material,” Wheeljack explained seriously. “They're more for scanning metallic objects, not this brown … organic… stuff,” he finished lamely and he kicked up some of the dirt to prove his point.

“Well just how are we going to find out?” Perceptor asked exasperated. “From what I can tell, this is a large planet with all sorts of different minerals throughout its entire surface. How are we supposed to locate it?”

“That's what you're going to figure out,” Optimus told the surprised scientist.

Perceptor frowned at the big rig. “I only have a limited amount of tools with me,” he admitted solemnly. “It may take me a long time before I can locate the source of the odd waves. Can we afford to wait that long?”

“I'm actually quite sure that the humans will help you with whatever your may need,” Ratchet assured him. “They've been quite helpful so far.”

“And anything else that you need I can probably slap something together for you,” Wheeljack said cheerfully. Everybody else just cringed.

“I think you'll be a little busy,” Optimus smiled at the silver green mech. “I need you to start working on designing a new base of operations. As you can see,” he gestured at the old military base around them. “We seriously need the update.”

“And modifications,” Ratchet added excitedly. “It would be nice to have an actual, operational med bay,” he stressed towards Optimus.

“Indeed,” Optimus smiled at him. “Red, could you show Wheeljack your original ideas for security out here and see what the two of you can come up with.”

Red nodded as Wheeljack eyed the group before him doubtfully. “You think I can actually design a base?” he asked bemused. “I'm an engineer, not an architect.”

“Well, you're the closest thing we have,” Optimus told him point blank before grinning again. “Besides, I'm sure you'll do fine. Probably better than anything we've come up with so far.”

“Yes, I saw the trench,” Wheeljack said with a definite note of humor in his tone as he immediately looked towards Red. “Dare I ask what it's for?”

“Well, I've come to learn that humans aren't too bright,” Red smirked at him.

“Hey!” the three humans cried out.

“Well, he caught you didn't he?” Ironhide laughed at the ranger's sour expressions. Even Sam had to chuckle at that as Epps once again bemoaned the destruction of his jeep. “By the way, didyou ever get your jalopy fixed?”

“Jalopy?” Epps screeched indignantly.

The others chuckled and Ironhide grinned madly. “So what do the rest of us get to do?” he asked turning back to Optimus. “Do we finally get to relax at last? Catch a little R and R?”

Optimus let loose a rather evil grin and Ironhide was instantly on the alert as the big rig just smiled at him. “Oh no,” he said cheerfully. “Now comes the fun part.” He walked over to `Hide and threw an arm around the other truck, frightening Ironhide more than he cared to admit. “The rest of us get to help them build it,” Optimus finished with a grin. “Starting with a new transmitter. The last two had unavoidable… accidents…”

“What?” Wheeljack yelped shocked at the announcement. “Two? The one I sent you with had enough force to survive an EGC explosion! What the Matrix happened to it?”

No one said a word but Ironhide did lift his arm to point at the insane mech beside him. Wheeljack gapped at their leader and Optimus faked a coughed as he took a step away from `Hide. “Okay, it's been a long night so I suggest we all get some much-needed recharge. We'll get everything sorted out after a few good hours rest.” Everyone nodded and the humans were set down so they could head towards the human bunkhouse as the rest of the Autobots began dispersing to find a good place to slip into recharge for a few hours. Ironhide was just about to follow them when Optimus dropped his hand back onto his shoulder. “Wait, not you.”

“What?” Ironhide yelped. “Why not?”

“Because,” Optimus grinned, “you're on gremlin watch.”

Ironhide gawked in complete disbelief as his leader gave him one last thump on the shoulder and headed towards one of the side hangers. “WHAT?”

~*~

It took Sunny a while to finally come back online and when he did later that afternoon, he discovered much to his horror that he had shrunk! Either that or Sides had gotten really, really big. “:Sides?:” he called out on their Link. “:What happened to you?:”

Sideswipe chuckled as he knelt down next to the Gallardo. “You're in your alt mode,” he explained gently. “Do you remember what happened?”

Sunny stared up at his partner in confusion before he started to sift through his most recent memories. “:A lot of my temp files are corrupted,:” he announced dismayed. “:I remember fighting the `Cons and then pfth.:”

Sides nodded understandingly. “Shift out of that form and we'll do a data transfer.”

“Oh no you don't!” Ratchet suddenly appeared as Sunny completed his transformation into `Bot mode. “You need to rest!”

“We're not going to do anything strenuous,” Sides protested. “We're not even leaving the room. We're just going to do a simple transfer…”

“Uh huh,” the medic muttered. “Believe me, nothing that pertains to you two is ever simple. He needs to be resting!” Ratchet stressed dramatically. “I want Sunny to have a complete recovery before you two go off on any of your addle witted schemes.”

“Rest?” Sunny scoffed. “Look at me! The recharge worked wonders! Not to mention that I'm in the greatest shape of my life! And just look at me!” he continued as he made his way towards a shiny piece of scrap metal. “I look good!”

“Uh huh,” Ratchet drawled again as he watched Sunny lose his footing and Sides scrambling to catch him. “Graceful too,” he mocked. The two frowned at him and Ratchet sighed. “Still I want you to rest for at least another day,” Ratchet announced and was answered with matching groans. “Why is it that you two can constantly be found in my med bay aggravating the living daylights out of me but when you're actually injured you can't get out of it fast enough?”

“Ratchet, you scare me,” Optimus announced with a chuckle as he stepped into the hanger. “Can you honestly blame them?”

Ratchet huffed as he began to return his tools to their box. “Ungrateful mechs never knowing what's best for themselves, always wasting my time for each and every little ding…”

Optimus shook his head in amusement at Ratchet's mutters before he looked back towards the twins who were hiding their laughter from the angered medic. “So what's the diagnosis?” he asked Ratchet.

“Well, baring their obvious personality disorders…” the twins gasped at this. “He should make a full recovery. But I'm not clearing him for active duty for another day at least. I still want to monitor that fuel line.”

Optimus nodded understandingly. “Alright, you two are officially `grounded',” he announced ignoring the protests they instantly tried to make. “No arguing,” Optimus stated firmly. “Look at it this way. You now have time to catch up on what you missed; Such as learning this planet's languages and about the inhabitants.”

The two frowned as they fell back onto the scattered boxcars in a huff, each one looking like the ever disobedient sparkling. Optimus chuckled as Sides actually crossed his arms and huffed in anger. “All right you two, the truth,” he said. “What is it that had Wheeljack and Ratchet, not to mention Inferno and Red in such hysterics earlier today?”

Sideswipe instantly looked away and Sunny glanced at his brother confused before turning back to his superiors questioningly. “Seeing as I was completely out of it, I can say with absolute honesty,” he paused dramatically, “that I have no idea.”

“They know,” Sides told his brother guiltily. “Well, Ratchet does and now Wheeljack I suppose.”

“Know what?” Sunny asked confused before he suddenly whirled around to face his brother. “How?” he demanded.

“I'm your doctor,” Ratchet emphasized again. “Did you really think I wouldn't know the moment I looked you over?”

Sunny gapped at the other `Bot in shock. “You knew, and you said nothing to the others?” he asked in surprise.

“Patient, doctor confidentiality,” Ratchet shrugged. “Wasn't my secret to tell.” He let off a sly smile as he collected a few data pads and gave a small nod to Optimus before he slipped out.

“Wow!” Sunny exclaimed completely flabbergasted. “He does have a heart!”

Optimus cleared his throat and looked at the twins pointedly. “Care to let me in on the secret?” he asked and the two looked at each other guiltily.

“Er,” Sides muttered. “Well, it's like this. You see… Sunny and I are… well…”

Sunny sighed at his brother's hesitation. “We're Aligned,” he stated point blank.

“WHAT?” Optimus bellowed.

~*~

“What?” Ironhide bellowed at his best friend in completely surprise. Inferno just sighed at the other gunner's surprise.

“Don't tell me you didn't expect it,” he stated while glancing at `Bee and Perceptor to gage their reactions. “I would have thought it would have been obvious; especially after the war began.”

“A lot of mechs finally Aligned when it was official,” Red murmured and Inferno reached out to take the other's hand. Red smiled at him and squeezed their hands together.

“Yeah, but still. Shocking,” Ironhide mused, ignoring the obvious tender moment going on right next to him.

“What's shocking?” Sam asked as he wandered over to the group still yawning.

“Sam!” Bumblebee cried out surprised at seeing the boy already up and about. “It's only been a few hours.”

“Yeah I know,” Sam yawned as he automatically glanced at his watch that proudly stated it a cheerful one in the afternoon. It was hard to believe that only that morning he had been standing in an empty parking lot as his group of friends from outer space met up with their other friends from outer space. `My life is a never ending circus,' he thought as he made his way over to the crowd. “Couldn't sleep. So what's shocking?” he asked as `Bee lifted him up and set him down on a boxcar.

“The twins,” Bumblebee told him. “Seems that they got themselves Aligned.”

“Still amazing, no matter what you say,” Ironhide muttered.

Sam glanced at the `Bots confused. “What's that?”

“What's what?” Red asked puzzled.

“Aligned,” Sam repeated.

“It's our form of marriage,” Bumblebee clarified for him as the newly arrived mechs all looked at Sam as if it should have been obvious. “When two mechs are meant to be together it's said that the stars had aligned for them. Therefore, our term for `married' is `Aligned' meaning that two mechs have `Aligned' their sparks.”

“When two mech are chosen, they develop this special form of communication between them that's completely unlike our comm. links.” Perceptor continued on. “It's called a Star Link.”

Sam just stared at the grope completely stunned. He would never have thought that such a technological race would have such a romantic notion. “So…” he stuttered as his thoughts whirled about. “So they're really married?”

“Indeed,” Red smiled as he leaned against the other crimson mech. “As are Inferno and I.”

Sam turned to stare at them in complete amazement. However, the longer he thought about it the more it was beginning to make sense; all the little gestures between Red and Inferno. How Ratchet knew it was Wheeljack back at the convention center before they even saw one another. How Red knew when Inferno arrived with Optimus. Even Sideswipes hysterics over his brothers injury. Wait a minute… “But I thought they were brothers!” he cried out in alarm, “How could they be together?”

`Bee gave him a small smile. “They are,” he told him gently, “they're both split from the same spark, but we have long since learned that Primus has his own design.”

“What?” Sam boggled, completely thrown by the conversation. “So… so it doesn't mater that they're brothers?” he asked confused.

“No, it doesn't really,” Ironhide explained. “We don't have `blood relatives' since we're all basically family because we're all decedents of Primus himself. So we don't really have the kind of taboo that your kind have on family marriage.”

Sam mulled over this. “So… so it doesn't matter?” he asked surprised. “If they want to be together, then suddenly it's said that they're `Aligned'?”

`Bee chuckled at the boy's confusion. “Well, it's not really like that.”

“When the Sparks of two mech's are compatible the sparks usually know it before the mechs do and they begin seeking each other out,” Perceptor explained to the confused human.

“When we met, Inferno was constantly following me around the security office and I had no idea why,” Red admitted. “I, at first, thought that he was stalking me or trying to disable our security defenses before my spark gave my processor a jolt and connected to Inferno's.”

“Connected?” Sam asked confused.

“That's the Star Link,” `Bee clarified. “It's actually our sparks that allow the two to communicate to one another, not any form of radio waves or actual vocal communication.”

Sam felt himself developing a headache as he sat back on his heels as he tried to absorb the information. “But they're both guys!” Sam suddenly cried out. He then instantly quieted as a thought occurred to him. “Aren't they?”

The other `Bots snickered at Sam's gob smacked expression and `Bee glared at the group. “Well, technically we don't have a difference between our kind like your males and females so we've never had to face any of the dilemmas as your race has.”

“We don't really classify ourselves as one gender or another,” Ironhide added helpfully. “We just are.”

Sam's face just went completely blank as he tried to absorb all the information he was gaining. “So… so… it doesn't really matter that they're both guys and brothers?”

“No,” `Bee shook his head. “As we stated earlier. If their Sparks Link, then no one would question them. Their Sparks are meant to be together and that is that.”

Sam felt himself getting dizzy at all the information that he suddenly had to deal with. “So, how do you know when two mechs are… `Aligned'?”

“Well, we do have what you would consider a marriage ceremony,” `Hide told him. “It's basically just a reason to party in order to celebrate two mech finding one another.”

“It's our planets tradition,” Red continued. “It's been in our culture since the time of Original Thirteen.”

“Thirteen?” Sam asked dazedly. Now he was just getting really confused.

“The first Cybertronions,” `Bee told him. Sam just stared at him blankly.

“Speaking of,” Ironhide began. “When did the twins have theirs?”

“It was pretty much after you left and all the teams were separating,” Inferno told him. “They decided that they couldn't wait any more with our numbers dwindling so rapidly and they came to us to act as verifiers that they made their pledges to one another in front of the stars and Primus.”

Ironhide nodded understandingly as Sam turned back to `Bee. “Think marriage vows,” the camaro told him.

Ironhide began chuckling and the others turned to him confused. “I wonder how long Wheeljack and Ratchet are going to wait now that they've found one another again.”

Sam gapped at him in surprise. “Ratchet and Wheeljack are Aligned?”

“Well, at this point they're just Linked,” Bumblebee explained. “They won't be Aligned until they pledge themselves in front of Primus.”

“Huh?” Sam looked between the `Bots in amazement. “So, there's going to be a wedding?” he felt dizzy. “Do I have to buy them a present?”

“I think that's enough history for now,” Ratchet chuckled as he suddenly joined the group. Ironhide smirked at Ratchet's rather bashful stance and the medic had no problem leaning over and whapping him once again. He glanced down at Sam's dazed look and shook his head. “Perhaps you should put him back to bed,” he told `Bee.

“Poor kid,” Ironhide chuckled as he looked down at the dazed boy. “Couldn't handle the information overload.”

“I wouldn't laugh if I were you,” Ratchet was saying as `Bee left the group. “Since you're going to be the one who gets to explain to Will.”

Sam smiled at Ironhide's surprised squawk behind them. “'Bee-” he began a little unsure how to ask the multitude of questions running through him.

“We'll discuss it later,” he told him softly and Sam sighed at the brush off but nodded as he allowed himself to be dropped off at the barracks. `Bee sighed gratefully as the boy disappeared back into the building. `If this is how he reacts to learning about our marriage customs, how will he react when he learns that with the destruction of the All Spark, we're the last of our kind,' he thought sadly before he turned and headed back towards his companions and the discussion of new plans for the base.

~*~

“Well, that's nice,” Judy smiled as she leaned back in her lawn chair, her bat placed artfully across her lap. “It's good to know that your kind has such sweet sentiments in your culture.”

Barricade just watched the woman balefully. “Why are you here?” he asked her despairingly.

Judy smirked at him. “Why are you spying on my son?” she shot back at him.

Barricade just huffed in annoyance. “Because your son needs spying on, obviously … not to mention the bug.”

Judy just snickered before going back to the main topic. “You know we have a saying similar to yours that when something good happens it's said that the stars aligned to make it happen. It's nice to learn that we're not the only ones who think so.”

“Great, we have something in common,” Barricade grouched. “Should I care?”

“Hmm…” Judy smiled. “And while we're on the subject, what about you?” she asked him instead. “Was there anyone you ever felt a connection with?”

“On Cybertron?” Barricade was silent for a long while. “No, I never felt any sort of connection to anyone there.”

Judy looked at the `Con sadly. “Well, if you were to meet that special someone, what would you like them to be like?”

Barricade chuckled as he thought about it. “Well, definitely not an Autobot,” he said with a snicker. “Primus forbid that I end up with an Autobot.”

Judy raised an eyebrow but said nothing about how the `Con was now practically an Autobot himself now that he left the Decepticons. “Well, what about their personalities?”

“Well…” Barricade thought a moment, different images flashing across his internal screen. “I would like them to be strong, obviously. They have to be loyal to me above all others.”

Judy rolled her eyes. “Anything else?”

“Well they have to be good a good fighter,” Barricade continued. “And they have to do everything that I tell them too.”

Judy chuckled as she stood and put the lawn chair away. “Sounds more like a slave to me,” she told him.

Barricade just laughed. “Really now, Judy,” he called out as she made her way towards the door. “Haven't you seen my side panels?”

-To Be Continued

~*~

Okay, quick glossary:

Linked: their sparks are calling each other but they're not completely bonded yet.

Aligned: Actually married.

Star Link: their `sparks' talking to one another

Okay? Are we good? I wasn't sure if I made that clear enough in my need to be different. It took me WEEKS to come up with this idea of Star Linking and being Aligned. Just ask my beta's! I threw a slew of terminology at them just to test it out and I think I just about drove them crazy. As a side note to "Another Nameless Reviewer": Pretty much everyone is going to end up with someone by the end of this story or at least hinted to.