Come Back to Me

by Zaru

New Summary: A few years have passed. Things have changed for the humans and the Autobots have decided to make a visit back to Earth. Possibly for good.

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Leiana Lopez belongs to Ninjalala/Artist's Inquisition. Rose Connelly belongs to Bells of Eden/Blackwing Rose. Jade Rivers belongs to Icarian Angel Wings. Kia Hawkins belongs to weapon13white fang. Piper Somoon belongs to BlackHealer222. Erin Timmons/Everett belongs to Strawberrytop007. Bethany King belongs to Mrs. Optimus Prime. I own Zaru Kiys, Sakauchi Takigawa, Arc Kiys, Maddie Kiys, Aery Kiys, Fuse Nishimura, Sawdust, Motocross and others with small/very minor roles as well. Songs sang/mentioned belong to their writers/singers/creators.

A/n: Sorry for a really long time being gone, my friends. Enjoy.

Chapter 9

"Well?" The Latina was fired up. She knew there was a secret her friends had been keeping from her, but she had no idea it was this big. To keep this from her for who knows how long was making her body shake with major disappointment. "Is someone going to give me answer or not?"

Rose kept silent, staring at her cell phone in hopes her best friend would help with the right answer. After all, she was the one found out they were back first so it was only right she give a reply.

Leiana's lips pursed together. "Before I grow old here."

The two could hear voices, though faint, they could be heard on the line. Rose's eyes drooped a little in thought hoping everything was all right on Zaru's side of the communication line.

"Zaru?" Rose asked, moving close to her phone. "Are you there, mate?"

It was quiet for a few seconds before an answer finally came. "Yeah, Rose, I'm right here. Sorry. Ratchet was just finishing up with Maddie."

Leiana's anger lightened after hearing about Maddie. Letting out a sigh, she asked, "How is she?"

"Maddie's just fine, Leiana. Unfortunately she's not in the best of moods right now." She snickered.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Oh, well, because the cut on her arm was pretty bad, Ratchet had to stitch up her arm which, by the way, she's been frantic about every stitch made. I think he got to about four stitches before she fainted."

"Oh dear. Is the Niblet all right now?" Rose was very worried about her 'niece'. "I'd probably do the same thing. Bloody hell I hate stitches."

Zaru laughed. "Yeah, well, she just woke up and -" She stopped in mid-sentence hearing her daughter talking. "Rose, I need to see what's up with her. I'll see ya later and I promise, Leiana, I will explain everything."

"You better! Because I'm tired of standing here like a moron waiting for someone to give me answers!"

"Well, um…Oh, hey, Optimus."

'Optimus is there, too?' Leiana mouthed to Rose who nodded slowly. The two women could hear Zaru speaking with the one who was probably Optimus. There was a very long silence between voices until their friend finally came back to the phone.

"So hesitant that bot is." She laughed. "Wow, uh, I can't believe this, but I've pleaded with the big bot a bit and he agrees that it is all right if you two come to the base after everything is done at the club. That is, if you are able to."

Brown eyes sparkled with excitement. Was it true what she just said? She and Rose were able to come to the base to see the Autobots? Would Sunstreaker be there? Oh how she hoped so. Her spark mate was the only thing on her mind a lot in the last three years and to see him again, oh, she had no idea what would happen, but knew it would be nothing but good.

"Yes! Yes! We're coming! We're going!" Leiana replied quickly before dashing off in the direction of the leftover party guests, shooing them out as though they were cattle. "Come, come! We're closing! You have to leave, please! And once more, thank you for coming to the club! Hope you enjoyed the party!"

Rose face palmed. "I guess we're closing quicker than usual tonight."

Zaru finished speaking with Rose on the phone, pressing the end button on her touch screen, before settling it back in her pocket. Blue eyes scanned seeing Optimus leaving and Ratchet gently setting Maddie down on the floor from the huge berth she had sat upon. The woman could see white wrappings around her adopted daughter's arm and smiled.

"Thanks, Ratchet, for patching her up."

Ratchet smiled down at the human femme, nodding. "It was my pleasure." His optics turned over to Maddie then. "You will come back to see me in three days and then we shall see how well you are healed. The stitches easily dissolve, so we won't have to worry about removing them."

Maddie nodded, smiling small. "Thanks, Medibot."

A chuckle escaped the CMO. "You're welcome, Maddie. Just remember to take care when you wash yourself. Keep the bandages dry."

"No problem." The teen saluted the medic before moving quickly over to Zaru who staring at her blankly. "What?"

"I don't know whether or not I should ground your ass or hug you tightly."

"What'd I do wrong, mom?"

Zaru snorted. "You know exactly what you did, Maddie. You should have gone with your friends the way they went. If you did, this," she pointed to the arm bandage, "would not have happened to you."

"Che. So I'm in trouble based off one mistake?"

"You could have gotten hurt worse!" Her voice raised a little. "Or even killed! Do you not think about the pros and cons of wandering into a dark alley by yourself? Kami, you are lucky Prowl was there to keep an eye on you."

"You're the one who sent him to stalk me in the first place, mom. Can't trust me at all, can you?" Maddie glared at her only to get a glare right back.

Zaru shook her head, disappointingly. "Do not put this back on me, young lady. With you being out at night and Decepticons still out there, no. I had to have a safety net for you just in case."

"Whatever." The teen looked away, biting her lower lip. She knew her mother was right. Though this was the first time she ever really knew about Decepticons, Maddie couldn't exactly blame her mother for being cautious. Sighing, she looked at her once more. "I'm sorry, mom. I didn't mean for it to get out of hand."

"Well, you did and I am very disappointed in that piss poor decision you made by wandering off on your own." Her arms folded across her chest, pausing for a moment before adding, "You're grounded for a month."

Maddie's jaw dropped open at her mother's words. She can't really mean that! "No way! You can't do that to me!" The teen narrowed her emerald eyes. "I have practices!"

"You can go to your practices. But that is it. School and practice are the only places you will be going for the next month."

"But I have that mini-competition in L.A. in two weeks!" She growled. "Are you gonna keep me from going there, too?"

Zaru just blinked at the young girl. She was really starting to grate on her nerves. "No! It's not like you're exactly needed to go! You were only going to check out your upcoming competition." The mother turned around. "So, no, you will not be going to L.A. since I will not be taking you. Not to mention you were just injured tonight! Cheerleading is out for at least a week."

"But, mom!" Maddie fisted her hands together at her sides, resting on partially bare hips from her cheerleading outfit. "That's not fair!"

"Life's not fair, babe. Deal with it." She finally turned back to her daughter. "And another thing: You are lucky to be alive if it wasn't for me being protective of you!"

"Trust issues much?" The cheerleader scoffed. "Why can't you ever trust me to do things on my own?"

"I do trust you, Maddie! But when there is a danger lurking about, I have to take precaution to make sure you make it through every day! Prowl made certain you survived tonight! And I think you owe him a huge debt of gratitude!"

A snort escaped. "That police bot was in surveillance mode. He only did what you asked him to!"

"I did not send Prowl. Optimus did because Mirage asked him to."

"You had your boyfriend spy on me using police as cover? How low is that!"

"Maddie, just stop it! Okay? I'm done here! Whether I sent Prowl or not is not the issue! You did something wrong!" She pointed at Maddie. "He saved your life! You live to see another day and you're grounded! End of discussion!" She made a cutting motion with her hand signaling her daughter not to even speak to her about the subject any longer.

The med bay doors hissed open suddenly, alerting both human females to another presence coming inside. Glancing up, they saw it was Mirage. Zaru smiled when she saw her spark mate walking.

The Ford mech made his way over to the females in a few strides and bent down on one knee to get a closer view. "How are you feeling, Maddie?"

Maddie just looked up at him. "I'm fine, Mirage. Thanks for asking."

"When Prowl radioed in to tell us that you had been hurt on your walk home, I was very worried about what happened to you."

She shrugged. "I'm fine. A few stitches patched me up very good. So I'm fine, Mirage."

He smiled small. "That is good to hear." His blue gaze moved over to Zaru who could only shake her head. "Zaru?"

Zaru just glanced up at the mech who was her boyfriend. "I'm fine, Mirage." Clearing her throat, she turned to Maddie. "It's getting late. Perhaps I should take you girls home."

"No, mom!" She heard the call from her other daughter Aery who was running into the med bay at top speed. "I don't want to leave yet! This is the third time we've been here and there's still so much to see and learn!"

Her adopted mother raised a single brow. "Girl, you have school tomorrow."

"But aren't the others coming? Can't we see Rose and Leiana before we go?"

"You see them more than I do." Zaru grumbled and scratched the back of her neck. "Fine."

It was a little more than 45 minutes later that a ringing sound alerted the presence of an incoming visitor. Mirage walked over to a console observing the video feed. It was a familiar black convertible.

"It seems that Rose and Leiana are finally here." The blue mech turned to see Ratchet and Sunstreaker running from two different directions into the rec area of the base. "Slow down or you'll scratch your paint, Sunstreaker." He chuckled.

The yellow bot shook his head. "I don't really care if I get scratched up, dented or my paint gets chipped. I'll do anything to see Leiana again!"

The twin blonds were sitting on the slightly dusty couch, Maddie in a bad mood and Aery just overly excited. Though they looked exactly alike, at this point, you could tell who was who very easily. Zaru stood behind them, arms folded across her chest.

"Has Bumblebee been alerted to you guys being back here, by the way?" The club owner asked Optimus. "I mean, I'm sure Sam and Mikaela would be thrilled to see all of ya again."

"Bumblebee was informed the same day of our arrival. Mikaela and Sam have been notified and we should see them very soon as Sam is finishing up school before he is able to visit." Optimus said, optics a bit worried. "Though I do wonder if it was such a good idea to inform our human allies so soon."

Zaru rolled her blue eyes. "Okay, Optimus Prime. How many times are we going to have to go though this? We've been through this danger before years ago. I'm not gonna argue with you about it again." She pointed a finger up at him. "Besides, you want to see Beth again, too! So you try and say it was a bad idea to let us back into your lives."

The femme was absolutely right. There was nothing he could say. For him to see Beth again would be the best part of his world. He had come to know Beth in more ways than one even though it didn't seem like she was spark mate material as his spark never responded to her like it would. But no matter. She was the only femme he wanted around him. Nobody else but her.

"Hey, Hound, Sideswipe, you two better clear a path." Mirage said as he rested his hand against the metal base wall.

"Huh?"

"Why?" Asked Sideswipe.

Before he could say anything, they heard the sound of footsteps running down the hall and the faces of two familiar humans appearing straight ahead.

"Sunstreaker!" Leiana shouted happily.

"Bloody hell! It is you, Ratchet!"

The two mechs stood straight, with smiles on their faces as their spark mates ran for them. To say they were happy would be an understatement. It increased to excited the second Leiana and Rose were nestled in their holoform arms. Everybody watched with smiles as the couples embraced for the first time in a few years.

"We're almost complete." Zaru said.

"Agreed. Almost." Mirage said right next to her, a holoform version of his regular form standing next to her.

Her arms went around him, feeling the warmth of the metal near her body and prayed to feel that warmth for a long time to come.

TBC…

A/n: I am so sorry for this really short chapter. I will update the story a lot more often and hopefully have a better chapter for you guys.

Sweet Pervy Mechs,

Zaru