It was the screaming that did it. Recharging with Jazz nearby the scream had been suppressed under his presence in her life, leaving her free. Now, away from him, it resounded with a vengeance.

The sound as shattering as the spark pouring it out, haunting Solspark's recharge and throwing her back in time. Trapping her there. The piercing cry encompassing her, her pain at failing. Entrusted with a living Matrix to protect others and she lay injured beyond the ability to send a distress call.

Quaking, the femme felt her shell waning as medical codes dimmed into grey lines across her optics, their warnings dire. Anger warred with despair as hard as the floor she laid on. All she had endured, fought for and done reduced to a shattered frame, the remaining energon leaking out ravaged lines by a medic's choice. Suffering instead of healing.

The acrid odor of her own melted spires filled her sensors; the sizzling of the repair torch as it burned into the floor a distant horror. The way it had burned her.

Her hand rose, outreaching as it shook towards the light of her greatest gift, stolen by one she trusted. The spasming of light from the Matrix through the mech's fingers faded. Solspark felt the thudding impact as the mech collapsed, the sound stopping.

A comforting warmth filled her hand as systems offlined, the closing of her remaining fingers around it with hopelessness. The once smooth shell cracked and jagged, the pain in her palm distant as it slit into her broken lines. The barely pulsing warmth unable to stop the edging cold darkness.

Power core failing.

Abandoned and betrayed.

Broken.

"We are here. You are safe. Know us," echoed through her. The layers of voices acting as an anchor pulling her back forward. Their sparks blazing in vibrant pulses sheltering her from the cold.

Solspark felt the strong arms go around her, holding and reassuring. Even the echo of the scream faded as memory files closed, her rough venting the only sound as the room solidified into warm existence. The femmes surrounded her, the energy signatures designated friendly and recognized. Sharing a room, the femmes recharged on a pile of pads in the center like a nest instead of recharge berths. The warriors reinforcing and protecting one another even in the safety of the Ark when not with their mates. No one spoke as they waited with her, letting Solspark recover as she kneeled shaking. Then the overhead lights triggered to brighten slowly.

"I'm sorry if my cries woke you," Solspark vented raggedly, raising her helm to see the Femme Commander facing her. Only kindness reflected in her expression as she gazed back.

"You didn't, not exactly. You never made a sound," Elita stated firmly before nodding towards the wall reflection.

Solspark glanced over, the mirror reflecting them as they surrounded her with one exception. Her. Optics bright white flaring with power. 'The light,' she realized. The memory of the attack triggering a power outlay, flaring in the dark in a room of femme warriors. Warriors having to always be on guard lest mechs target them, believing them weaker. Blue light recognized, red light instantly targeted and obliterated or challenged. Her white light an unknown and trigger to awake.

"Nice claws by the way," Chromia noted from the side, looking down.

"My what? Oh," Solspark vented softly, tugging her hands up, the large metal claws overlaying her fingers dug deep into the flooring. The metal surface rent from her scimitar double edges engaged by the need to reach out. Sheepishly Solspark flexed the back of her hands, sliding the claws back away as Hot Rod had designed and installed.

"Retractable not subspace? Handy."

Embarrassed, Solspark fumbled at what to say when they began moving.

"We are the weapon, everything else is accessories," Moonracer encouraged, rising to return to her favorite pile. The blue armored femme sent an update of the event to her mate Ratchet on an encrypted line lest Solspark hide her pain forever.

"Strength is what we gain from the madness we survive," Chromia stated, rolling over to take her spot back, weapon alongside. Her mate Ironhide while out on patrol was a strong presence in her spark, answering back a need to be with her in the morning. And a promise to offer Solspark the tools to deal with the horrors of trauma as he had Bumblebee, learned from his own existence.

"We mature with the damage, not the vorns," Firestar reminded, moving to the far wall, her spot angular to the others and facing the outer door. Her systems set to respond the fastest and automatically should the outer door be opened.

"No femme is born a warrior. You become one when you refuse to stay down," Greenlight quoted, curling on her side. The deep pitted lines in her body armor a testimony to her battle prowess.

"There's still hope is not a comfort sentence but a call to action," Lancer added, stretching out on her back next to Chromia's spot one over. Deadly even before the war, having been an officer in the Elite Guard to the Primes and High Council. Her message to her beloved Mirage, a request to help Solspark as the mate of Jazz to whom they owed their very existences.

"Remember this, you will not be my first battle, nor my last," Beta Twelve said, the eleventh femme to honor her clan lineage as she stretched out on her front, folding her arms under her head.

"When I became Elita One I had a rough time the first orn," Elita began explaining softly, focusing Solspark as they knelt facing each other. "I lost my existence as Ariel, all that I had known except Optimus. We hardly saw each other, him leading and training as the new Prime. I relieved the attack that changed us when I recharged, keeping my suffering hid from every bot around me. With him I refused to merge, making excuses the few times we shared a recharge area. I felt alone and in pain that no other would understand. Admitting to it would make me weak, a lesser being. It started to control my existence and interfere with my future."

"What happened?" Solspark practically begged, needing an answer to shut down the past, to let it go and continue in the life she wanted with Jazz and the others.

"Kup comforted me once much like this. His words changed my existence. For a star to be born, there is one thing that must happen he said. A gaseous nebula must collapse. So collapse. Crumble. This is not your destruction. This is your birth. Reborn with a light that shines bright enough to help, encourage and rescue others out of darkness."

"I am not a survivor; I am a warrior. So are you. Never let any bot tell you otherwise Solspark. I have healed and am a Femme Commander by choice. As you heal fate or destiny may choose more for you. For now, rest. We will guard and face tomorrow's battles together."

Minutes later, the Femme Commander moved out of the room, reassured Solspark was recharging and shielded by the others. Each had faced their own rough times, healing as a group. While only Elita knew Solspark's true past there was no judgement in any of them for pain displayed. Elita walked the deserted corridors heading for the office and recharge area of the one who doubled her joys and made every sacrifice worth it. The office door slid noiselessly open, recognizing her immediately and granting access. The inner door to the side she stopped at.

::Optimus are you awake?:: Elita sent softly, open channel without any priority marking. The pink and white armored femme waited patiently. If no answer returned then she would continue to her smaller side office to catch up on reports and shift schedules knowing how little rest her mate earned.

::What is wrong?:: Optimus answered almost immediately, his regal tone alert.

::Nothing. I wanted to see you, unless you are busy?:: Elita asked, giving him the choice to set the time.

::Busy remembering a beautiful femme in my arms more a memory than reality:: Optimus answered, the tone encouraging.

::Then let's check reality. I am at your inner door now:: Elita announced, waiting. The door opened, two large red armored arms reaching out and dragging her inside into a tight hug against his frame before she had time to react.

"My beloved Ariel," he vented, his engine humming.

"My Orion," she murmured savoring the strength of his arms, the gentleness as he rested his head on her helm.

"Stay with me?"

"Always. Can I recharge here? Hey!" She giggled, being swung up in the air against his simulated glass front and carried to their extra wide recharge berth. "Is that a yes? I was worried you were already resting, and I would disturb you."

"Never," he rumbled, laying her down on the berth then climbed up and over her. His intense blue optics stared into hers as her venting increased, his weight supported on his arms. "Yes, I want you. Yes, I need you. Yes, you are all I desire. Recharge later femme," he smirked. The rapid pulsing of his spark and frame domination over hers made her vents hitch. "Keep your optics online?" he asked softly.

"Why?" Elita shuttered her optics rapidly, a reaction he enjoyed seeing. It was not often he could surprise her after all their time as partners.

"I dreamed of their light for over a thousand years while we were separated across the worlds," he tenderly caressed her helm with one hand. Elita vented harder before pressing her faceplates to his, nuzzling up the side of his faceplates. Ghosting over her metal, hitting every sensory node, she warmed quickly under his deft touches.

Sitting up, he reached and lifted her up, bracing her before him on the recharge berth. "Merge with me?" Any hesitation, any fear or resistance and he would stop instantly.

"I want you...merge," Elita gasped out, her cooling fans audibly whirring. Her frame tightened before a seam appeared in her center chest plates. With the transform sound, they slid slowly to the sides and upward.

Without a word, his chest plates began to slide and move to the outer edges in transformation. The brilliance of his surging spark reflected in her optics. Her spark surged, tendrils of white energy reaching for his. The energy crackled, wrapping and fighting to weave together.

THEY WERE ONE BEING

THEY WERE ONE SOUL

THEY WERE ONE

The sun rose over the forest, its light the promise of a new day as nature responded with animal calls and rustling breezes. Inside the Ark Hound stared at the updated schedule, both glad and perplexed as an unscheduled personal rest day showed across every Command entry except medical for ongoing repairs. 'Hmm. Even Optimus and Elita are off schedule. Prowl is unavailable then repairs tonight, never known him not to work. Wonder what the occasion is?'

To be continued…

Author's Notes: A short and sweet update. More to focus on Solspark, Jazz, Prowl and Decepticons and Cybertronian history during war events.