Author's Note

Chapter 6 of 6 posted today

Well, this is it, my friends. Time to wrap things up.

It's been one heck of a ride.

Go onward and enjoy!

Epilogue

Optimus leaves a few days later, after making sure they get settled safely back at the D.C. N.E.S.T. facility. He takes the Seed with him, intent on tossing it into deep space where it will never be found, wings extending from his back as he launches himself towards the stars.

Towards Cybertron.

She keeps watching until he disappears completely, wondering how long it will be until she sees him again. Any amount of time feels too long, too long to go without such a large piece of her family.

Sideswipe holds her tightly in his arms, warm metal keeping the slight chill of the predawn air at bay. "You think he'll be okay?" he asks, nuzzling against the top of her head.

"He's Optimus," she replies simply, tipping her face up to press a kiss to his lips, taking comfort as much as giving it. "Of course he'll be okay. It's the rest of us I'm really worried about."

Going forward isn't going to be easy. The world is hurting and there's still plenty of evil in the world no doubt taking advantage. But there is a plan.

"You ready to go, squirt?" Tony calls up to her, shifting impatiently at Sideswipe's feet in one of his expensive suits and hundred-dollar sunglasses. The rest of the Avengers stand behind him, along with Will and Phil, all dressed in their very best. "We need to hit the road if we're gonna make it to New York in time."

They're meeting up with Fury. At the United Nations. To discuss what's happened and the best course of action for ensuring a safer future. Ari plucks at her pencil skirt, insanely nervous even though this isn't the first time she's met with bigwigs. This time, though, feels different. It's not the World Security Council, which she dealt with for years. This is the UN, the biggest congregation of leaders in the world.

And it's completely in the open. No more hiding. No more secrets.

But, to Ari, that's actually a good thing.

"You still sure about this?" Steve asks, tugging at the neck of his tie uncomfortably. "I know I'm still learning and all, but dealing with the UN sounds like it'll be a headache more than an actual help."

"They do take a while to make any kind of decision," Sam agrees. He stuck around after everything that went down. He could have gone back to his quiet life. He could have hung up his wings for the last time.

Instead, the team brought him in as an official Avenger. Because any man willing to stand up for what's right when he doesn't have to can do a lot of good in the world. And he seems very willing to keep doing it.

"We can't just go barging in to any country we want any time there's trouble," Ari reminds them, for what feels like the thousandth time. Steve has a big heart, but he would rather ask for forgiveness than permission. Which would get them into trouble in the long run. "Would you like it if random strangers barged into your home? It's the same concept of police needing a warrant before they can just go onto private property. Sure, they're just trying to do their jobs and help people, but if they're given free reign, it would be easy to abuse that kind of power. Even if they don't mean to."

"It's not like we'll be like that though. We're not bullies."

"A lot of people will understand that. But not everyone. We need everyone on our side, Steve, we need to listen to their wishes in this, or else they'll end up fighting against us."

"Look, punk," Bucky interrupts before Steve can argue more, clapping his friend on the shoulder. He looks a lot better now, healthier, with a clean-shaven face and his hair trimmed to a little below his chin. There are still ghosts in his eyes but at least the shadows seem less now. "Ari knows what she's doing. It won't be the whole UN you'll be dealing with in the end, anyway, but a new Council. It'll be fine after you work out the kinks. And Ari'll make sure Hydra or anything like it won't ever come back."

That's the plan, anyway. But it'll be a long road.

They first have to make it through the witch hunt. All their secrets are out there, not just Hydra's. Making things especially precarious for agents like Clint and Natasha. The world didn't know they employ spies. Assassins. They'll see killers. Murderers. Ari needs to make sure they understand what the alternative would have been.

The world needs them—the Avengers, N.E.S.T., S.H.I.E.L.D., the Autobots. They stand between the people of the world and all the evil out there. Maybe their methods are questionable, but if the alternative is the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people?

They'll make the hard choice. The ugly choice. Because, with the kind of evil they face on a daily basis, you can't stop that with hugs and kind words. Doesn't mean they won't try—they're not monsters, after all—just that they're willing to do what's necessary.

This group of people, soldiers, warriors, aliens, humans, enhanced. Avengers. They're necessary so that everyone else can be safe. So that the world doesn't fall under the weight of the evil it carries.

Once the UN sees that necessity, Ari will make her move. She'll urge them—force them if she has to—to make a new organization to defend the Earth from all the bad everyone else doesn't know about. And this time it'll be all of them working together under the same name. The UN can have their oversight if they want to, but she will fight for as much autonomy as they're willing to give her.

Though it won't be just her. Phil will be one of their organization's leaders as well, Fury deciding to step back to let them lead the world into something new. Something better.

And, she suspects, he wants to take the time to do some Hydra hunting of his own.

So they'll have the S.H.I.E.L.D. side for the humans and the N.E.S.T. side for the aliens, sharing the weird and strange that doesn't fit into either category. The Autobots and Avengers will be special task forces of sorts, brought in for the dangerous things no one else can face.

Together, they can do this. They've just got to get the people to let them.

And if they won't? If the UN tries to arrest them all or put a yoke on their necks that's more of a shackle? Well, she's not above using some alien muscle. Including her own. Her inability to age makes telling them about the AllSpark necessary for the long run—she's not going to pretend to be a different person every couple decades—so they will know the kind of knowledge available to her.

And they'll know she's not afraid to use it.

Bucky's right. There will be a lot of kinks to work out. But they can do it, she has no doubt.

"Come on, Steve," Natasha tells him, looping her arm through his and dragging him towards Ironhide's alt mode. "You worry too much. We'll get this worked out just fine."

They split off among the Autobots going with them. Tony and Bruce go with Jazz. Natasha, Clint, Steve, and Sam with Ironhide. Thor, Will, and Phil with Elita, and then Ari with Sideswipe, of course. Lina stays behind with Sunstreaker—since they have a lot to work out—Rob is in charge of what remains of N.E.S.T.—they really didn't do too bad, in the end, with only a handful of Hydra plants—and Jane and Darcy need to get back to their science.

But Bucky lingers behind, too.

He's dressed up in a suit as well, since Steve asked him to come, but Ari notices his steps slow the closer he gets to the alt modes, eyes traveling back to Jane and Darcy every few seconds.

Ari comes to a halt, drawing his gaze to her. He looks so conflicted, like no matter what decision he makes, he'll be in pain either way.

He may be better, but being better and being healed is like the difference between tap water and filtered water. Both will do in a pinch, but only one is truly refreshing. Bucky's got his own kinks to work out and he can't do that while also fighting on the front lines.

He doesn't want to disappoint his best friend. Steve wants Bucky by his side again, fighting the bad guys together like they used to. But Bucky needs rest.

Ari gives him an encouraging nod and his face smooths out, a tension easing from him she didn't realize was there. This was really eating him up inside, but he shouldn't have to worry about anyone else if it's his own health on the line. He needs to think about himself for a change. For the first time in decades.

"I…," Bucky croaks out, clearing his throat before starting again, "I ain't going with yah, Stevie."

Steve turns around, brow pinched and mouth ticking up like he knows he heard wrong or there's a punchline coming. "What do you mean?"

"I ain't going with you," Bucky repeats, regretful but firm. "You got a good thing going here but I…I can't be a part of it. Not this time."

Hurt and disbelief flash across Steve's face, reminding Ari of a kicked puppy. It makes Bucky flinch, tossing her another uncertain look, and she tosses him another nod to hold his ground.

"But…but Bucky," Steve stammers, holding up his hands, palms up, like a supplicant offering even though he holds nothing. "We've always fought together, remember? You've always had my back before when I needed you."

Bucky takes in a deep breath, swallowing thickly. "I know that. Really, I do. But you don't need me anymore. You…You've got this amazing team. This family, and I—"

"You're my family, Buck," Steve insists, taking a step forward. "You're…You're all I got left."

"But I ain't the same man you remember," Bucky admits, speaking the hard truth the two of them have been dancing around since Bucky first woke up. "I've seen things and done things. Things that can't be undone." Steve opens his mouth but Bucky cuts him off. "I know they weren't my fault. I know. But I still gotta carry them. I still gotta deal with it, which ain't easy."

Bucky looks down, hands clenching at his sides as his voice goes quiet. "I don't expect you to understand, Stevie, but I…I need time to get my head on straight. There's a lot going on, up here." He taps at his head with his metal finger. "And I need time figuring it all out. Time not spent holding a gun and using the same skills Hydra taught me. Doesn't matter if it'll be for a good cause. I just…."

He looks up, shame turning his eyes shiny with tears. Ari takes a step forward but Darcy beats her to it, reaching Bucky's side and placing a hand on his shoulder. His metal shoulder. He may not feel it but the prosthetic still registers the pressure, making him take in a shaky breath.

"I don't know if I wanna be a fighter anymore. I don't know if I can…keep putting myself through that. Maybe one day I'll find that I do wanna keep fighting the good fight, putting bad guys away and sticking it to Hydra. But that day ain't today. Right now, I just…."

"You need to rest," Darcy finishes for him, eyes narrowing at Steve like she's just daring him to argue. "And there's nothing wrong with that."

Steve's jaw clenches so tightly it looks like his jaw might just shatter. But it's not in anger. Or disappointment. Or denial. It's grief and sympathy and the wish to take all these burdens from his best friend's shoulders. But he can't. This is a something Bucky can only face on his own. It's not something Steve can really help with, except by giving him what he needs.

"I…alright," Steve says, taking a few steps forward until Bucky's within arm's reach. "I understand. You take all the time you need. I just…I'll miss you."

"What are yah talking about, punk?" Bucky snorts, wry smile pulling at his lips. "I'm not saying we can't be friends and we're never gonna see each other again. I'm just saying I ain't gonna fight with you. We can still hang out, have a beer or something."

"Oh," Steve intones blankly, eyes blinking before a relieved smile overtakes his face. "You could have said that, yah jerk."

Bucky slings his right arm around Steve's neck, bringing him in for a rough hug. "Thought it went without saying. You ain't getting rid of me that easily."

"Too bad," Steve chuckles, shoving away playfully. "So what will you do?"

"Thought I'd hitch a ride to their train," Bucky answers, nodding towards Darcy and Jane, who comes up to stand with them.

"Darcy and I are going to London," Jane fills in, fiddling with her notebook in her hand. "A colleague of mine, Eric, he's been getting some interesting readings he wants me to check out."

"And apparently none of their equipment is easy to move," Bucky continues. "They could use some free manual labor to help them move and get settled."

"It'll be more than manual labor, promise," Darcy quips, bumping her shoulder with his. "You can be my intern."

Steve's brow furrows in amusement. "But aren't you the intern?"

"What, who says the intern can't have an intern?" She gives Steve a playful wink, threading her arm through Bucky's. "Don't worry, Cap, we'll take good care of him."

"You can have no doubt, my friend," Thor adds in boisterously, shooting them a grin from where he leans against Ironhide's alt mode. "Darcy is the best wrangler there is, as she says. She will make sure he is fed and watered."

Bucky rolls his eyes. "You make it sound like I'm a two-year-old. Or a plant."

"I know scientists can be," Darcy giggles, ignoring Jane's indignant squawk and Tony's loud denial. Bruce just shakes his head, hiding a smile behind his hand. "Who knows, maybe you will be, too, grandpa."

He glares at her, a roguish grin lighting his face that Ari hasn't seen yet outside of history books. "We'll see about that, doll."

Red dusts Darcy's cheeks, eyes darting away as she tucks her chin down.

Oh, yeah. He'll be totally fine.

Steve shakes his head with a knowing smirk. "Guess I'll see you later, jerk. Try to stay out of trouble."

"At least until I am able to join you!" Thor calls out, opening up Ironhide's door. "We should at least have a sparring match. I wish to test out that mechanical arm of yours."

Bucky glances down at his arm, gears whirling as his fingers clench. Ari expects his mood to turn sour at the mention of the appendage he did not ask for, but instead he smiles. Especially since Darcy still touches it without any revulsion. "You got it. Have a safe trip, guys. And good luck." He shoots Ari a grin. "Though I know you don't need it."

They finally hit the road then, the Autobots speeding down the highway towards New York City. It'll take them a few hours so not that long into the drive Sideswipe brings out his holoform, encouraging Ari to crawl into his lap.

She sighs contentedly as she curls against his chest, finally feeling at peace as his arms wrap around her. The past week has been absolute chaos, but this right here, with her friends and family safe and her sparkmate beaming happily across their bond, she thinks they really will be alright.

"So what now?" he asks, nuzzling against the top of her head.

"Well, we get through this thing with the UN, build up a new organization, and keep doing what we're doing. Kicking aft and taking names, ruining the bad guy's day."

"And Unicron? You still going to go looking for him?"

She shakes her head, lightness filling her at her decision. "I think I'll be leaving that alone for now. I became so focused on it, I dropped the ball on everything else. I need to focus on the here and now, on picking everything else up after Hydra made it fall to the ground. And besides, I'm thinking it was never up to me to figure it out. It's Optimus's mission now."

Sideswipe grasps her chin lightly with a thumb and forefinger, lifting her face and brushing his nose against hers. "I'm proud of you, sweetspark, you know that?"

Her chest tightens, a lump forming in her throat. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. This has been one of the biggest obstacles we have ever faced before but we got through it. Because of you. Because you refused to stay down. And no matter what comes next, I know we'll be able to handle it, too."

Ari smiles wetly, lifting herself up the rest of the way to press her lips to his. Yeah, finding out about Hydra has been rough, to put it mildly. There are more bad guys in the world than she thought there were, plenty of whom they still have to put away. But they're managing.

There are still questions that need answered, more question than Ari ever thought to ask before. Including questions about herself. But she can wait. The answers will come, in their own time.

In the meantime, there's so much to do, so much to plan, and so much to build with the people who remain. Not to mention, new Dinobots to get acclimated with the world. The rest will come eventually.

She will be waiting, ready to face whatever it is. And this time, she won't fall.

Author's Note

So Fury is taking a step back so Ari and Phil can take the reins. Phil took Fury's place in the TV show Agents of SHIELD, and Ari isn't going to sit this out. I know the two of them working together is going to be epic. But it'll be a lot of work if they want to avoid things like the Sokovia Accords in the MCU and how the United Nations tried to micromanage everything so much that they pushed Steve away. But Ari has some kick-butt aliens on her side, plus the AllSpark. She'll be able to kick their butts into gear.

And because I know people are going to ask, no, Age of Ultron won't be happening. I'd like to think Ari would be able to stop all that before it got out of hand. Especially since there's no way she'd let Tony play with the Mind Stone.

As for Thor Ragnarok, well, I did kind of hint at that at the end, didn't I? ;)

I haven't really decided on Ragnarok yet. But I left it open, with the hints of Jane and Darcy going to London to check out some strange readings, plus Bucky becoming the intern's intern (because I ship Darcy/Bucky so hard, there will be no Ian either way). It's a decision I'll probably make later in time for Last Knight, just as a side note though. I don't have time for a spinoff fic.

And how do you like Bucky taking off from Steve? Honestly, he needs the rest, and I think Steve finally gets that. Doesn't mean they're not best buds still. Just that, for now, Bucky needs to not fight. I got that feeling from Bucky in Infinity Wars as well. He was...tired. I want Bucky to get that rest he really needs. And he can get that with Darcy. Plus some romance. Because he deserves that, too.

I know I left you guys hanging on Lina and Sunstreaker, and that was on purpose. They have a lot to work through, which will be addressed in the next fic. They've still got a bit of a bumpy road.

As for the next fic, I don't know when I'll start posting. I haven't even written any of it yet, though I have loads of ideas. I need to outline and plan, but before that, I need a break. This whole series has been a monster and taking a lot of my time. I just need to not think about writing for a while, and then I want to work on some other things I've started and been neglecting (including my original work). There are parts for a Doctor Who fic and a Breath of the Wild fic on my laptop I want to revisit, too. So if either of those interest you, keep an eye out.

But I will be back to this universe, within the next year. Don't worry. I'm finishing what I started. Though it will be sad to finally end it, when the time comes.

I love you all so much and thank you for all your support!

Hope you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW, and see you all next time!