Okay, So I've had this idea for a while, I meant for it to be used after What We Do For Family, but the story I'm working on now would interfere with it. So I made it into a one-shot, I may make it into a similar story later, or maybe...it will actually lead it into a story based upon this idea. IDK! We'll find out in the future. AN: Nothing belongs to me except Blackwolf and Nitalia, even though she won't be mentioned much in this. PS also, idk if this will extend over 1 chapter, or if I'll make it a large chapter if it gets that far.

"It ends here...Airachnid." Arcee growled, the assassin laid before her. Airachnid was surrounded by a pool of her own energon. Blackwolf stood behind her, as much as he hated Airachnid, he knew Arcee's old crave for vengeance wouldn't bring her any closure.

"Arcee...I hate her too, but killing her won't change anythi-" she shot a look to him over her shoulder.

"Stay out of this Blackwolf! The hunt ends here!" she growled, activating her right wrist blade. The spider was barely conscious, her optics dim and close to going offline.

"I know she murdered Tailgate, but we're no better than her if you just mercilessly kill her. It's not an honorable kill, she's near death and is defenseless." he attempted to get his sparkmate to stop this, but she barely paid him any attention.

"The chase ends here..." she whispered, before her optics were filled with rage, vengeance lust, and fury. "Tailgate will be avenged!" she roared, leaping down, Blackwolf jumped to stop her, but was too slow, as her blade sliced it's way through Airachnid's chest armor, and buried itself down into her spark chamber.

Blackwolf looked in dread as he saw the old Arcee within his beloved sparkmate...vengeance would consume her yet. He had tried so hard to help her rid herself of the lust to avenge her partners.

"Primus...Arcee...why?" he wished her scars would stop coming back to bite her.

"For...Tailgate..." she hissed, admiring her handiwork.

Suddenly, a strong hand gripped her by the back of her neck and lifted her off the ground, she was turned to see a red eyed Blackwolf.

"Arcee! Listen to me, NOW!" he turned her back to the corpse of Airachnid before them.

"Look at it!" he growled, an almost demonic voice leaving his mouth, "Are you proud of this?! Would Tailgate be proud of this?!" she was silent, he calmed down a bit and gave up trying.

"Lets...get back to base." he sighed, they transformed and left the spider's lair.

(Two Weeks later)

Blackwolf could definitely tell something had changed...Arcee wasn't herself.

She was more quiet than usual, she would often avoid social engagement, at least not with anyone besides him, not even Nitalia or Jack. She also seemed more violent than usual, a short temper. Almost like her old self, but a bit more irritable than before.

She would lash out at members of Team Prime for no apparent reason, once even Optimus.

There was something else about this...Blackwolf hated to admit it...but she was also acting more suggestive than usual. She would lure him to their quarters for their nights together.

Just kissing her now clouded his mind it seemed. Just being CLOSE to her caused it. This wasn't normal and he knew something was amiss.

But something about it all, something deep down was causing him to crave her more...but this was unusual, it was if he wasn't craving her naturally. Something was leading him to her, as if she was a drug, and he was addicted to her, it was painful to not be around her.

He needed to get to the bottom of this.

It had to have something to do when she killed Airachnid. Blackwolf loved her dearly but knew this wasn't the Arcee he knew.

He searched their room for anything that could tell him what was going on.

He found her necklace cast away with some other things of hers. He carefully laid it aside as he searched through her belongings. He finally became intrigued when he came along a recording chip, these were commonly used to act as journal entries for Cybertronians.

Arcee was one of the few who had never used recording entries.

"Hmmmph..." he inserted the chip into his processor and played the audio.

"Log entry 3; I've deleted the first entries, can't risk using multiple chips." the voice he heard wasn't Arcee's...but he recognized the voice…it was slick, seductive, devious, and sly…

"Airachnid..." he growled...but that was impossible! She was dead!

"The idiots, they don't realize I'm leading them closer and closer to their dooms with each passing day. The love fool Blackwolf, such a sweetheart...too bad his love of Arcee will only be his undoing...the moron doesn't suspect that every time we interface, kiss, hug, or even communicate, I'm sending him feedback, corrupting his mind further, it will inevitably cause him to serve me, and I will order him to slowly pick off his friends...until nothing stands in my way. But first, the humans have to go...they're most assured to cause me trouble, snooping around. I need to take care of Jack...I'll enjoy this...his skull will be the beginning of my new collection." he was shocked, the thought to be dead assassin had been in his beloved sparkmate the whole time.

"Jack!" he gasped, Arcee/Airachnid had left with Jack to go for a drive recently, it was only a matter of time, there was no warning anyone, he had to stop Airachnid, NOW!

He took off out of the base, following the location beacon of Arcee.

(Outskirts of Jasper)

Arcee stood over her partner, Jack. He was amazed with the view of their hideout, but little did he know what was about to occur.

Arcee slowly advanced towards him, silently activating her wrist blade. He was still admiring the view as his best friend was about to end his life.

Suddenly, a clattering of metal erupted from behind him, he darted around to see a familiar mech pull Arcee back and throw her back.

"Jack, RUN! She's going to kill you!" Blackwolf growled.

"What are you talking about?! It's just Arc-" he was stopped mid-sentence when Arcee got back up, in anger, her optics went from their gorgeous blue and pink, to a deep, and menacing purple.

"Get back!" he ordered Jack. He drew his swords, Airachnid leaped at Blackwolf, swinging her blades around rapidly at hit. He blocked her attacks, but didn't return them, he wouldn't dare lay a digit on his beloved sparkmate.

He leaped back, checking to make sure Jack had taken cover, before sheathing his blades. When Airachnid leaped at him, he leaned in to her attack, and grabbed her by the throat with his powerful servos. He threw her against the nearest tree, his red optics flashing.

"Alright, Airachnid, I want answers! What did you do to Arcee?!" he growled, she only chuckled evilly.

"I won't ask again. Where. IS. ARCEE!" he roared, his grip tightening.

"...dead..." she whispered, his optics widened in fear.

"No...NO! You're lying!" he roared, he didn't believe her.

"For two weeks...you've interfaced, loved and cared for a femme...who's not even the same femme anymore..."

He was silent.

"In the end...vengeance killed her. I win...you lose, Arcee..." she began cackling evilly, the same laugh she had on the day Tailgate died.

"NO!" Arcee shot up in an instant. She was breathing heavily, overheated and her ventilation system was working rapidly to cool her off.

It was dark, a soft makeshift mattress under her.

"The quarters...thank Primus..." she thought to herself, realizing it was a dream.

"Cee? Are you okay?" the voice of her sparkmate alerted her, she looked to see a strong servo hold her shoulder gently as golden, concerned optics stared at her in the dark.

She said nothing, but she nearly slammed into him, pulling him into a denting hug, burying her faceplate into his chest; she began sobbing lightly, blue trails of energon rolled down his chest.

"Arcee...wha-...what's wrong?" he asked her, she said nothing for several minutes; instead he wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

After several minutes of silent sobbing, she separated from him and silently excused herself; the femme left and walked into their washroom.

She activated their large metal bowl with a metal fossett, it released clear, lukewarm water with traces of energon in it, she washed her tears away and refreshed herself.

Blackwolf followed her, knowing well she didn't have nightmares...at least not commonly.

He rubbed her winged back gently as she calmed down.

"Wanna talk about what's bugging you?" he asked her softly.

"I...in my...dream...if you can call it that-!" she growled in anger, "I killed Airachnid, and weeks after, you figured out she was IN me...and that I was dead, my lust for vengeance led me to my own doom." she winced, knowing how screwed up her own life truly was still.

He sighed, "Arcee, if such a thing happened, I wouldn't let you kill Airachnid to begin with, and trust me, I'd stop at nothing to stop her." she looked up at this.

"Really? Even if I was supposed to be dead?" she was surprised.

"Arcee, I would go the farthest corners of the universe and beyond to bring you back. No one can ever tell me, that as long as a fire rages on in my spark, my sparkmate is dead. I'd search til my last days to find a way to bring you back to me...or die trying." she was shocked now.

"Are...are you serious? Blackwolf...that's so long of just mindless searching." she sighed, not encouraging him to waste his life looking for her on a lost cause.

"I told you once before, that through every battle, I'd be your shield, that my spark would search until it was reunited with yours. I did, and still do mean every word of what I said." he looked deeply into her optics, they said everything.

She always had to remember that he'd be there for her, at every turn, on every battlefield, and through every hardship; he promised from the time they became sparkmates that he swore his life to protecting her.

She was too lucky to have him in her life. She didn't deserve him, he was such a kind being, gentle, forgiving...and under that, protective, just, faithful, loyal, and brave.

She always said, if humans had a human version of Blackwolf in charge, they could conquer the world twice; and then build a bright future of peace and freedom.

In human terms, he was the equivalent to the Hand of God.

She pulled him close, not out of fear or shock, but it was a loving and passionate filled embrace.

"I don't deserve you...I've done so much wrong in my life..." she whispered, but he shook his helm.

"You deserve more than what I give you. No one deserves what you've been through, a long, bloody and unorganized war; losing your closest friend in the middle of it." he looked kindly into her optics.

He beckoned her to come back to bed, which she gladly did at his side. He laid next to her, pulled their tarp-like quilt over them, and pulled her close to him so they pressed together as they slept.

"I love you...Blackwolf." she whispered.

"And I you, Cee...and I you…" he pecked a kiss on her forehead before letting them both power down.

SO! That was Nothing Is As It Seems, interesting one shot, off color from what I usually do for one shots. Who knows, maybe the concept of this story will be used to inspire me for a bigger story. I'll admit, I kind of rushed this, but I needed to get something out to read again. I know I've left my newer story dormant, but so much is going on irl that my time for fanfiction is limited, I had to use some of my time to sleep just to finish this, that's how committed to making this I was. So I'll see you mechs and femmes when I hopefully write the next chapter to my other story.