Author's Note: Basically this fic is my explanation as to why Sentinel graduated to the Elite Guard, but Optimus ended up with the repair-crew, I've seen others do similar things, but I'm doing it differently and I think my way may be a bit more emotional than the others that I've seen. That, and in this Sentinel isn't as much of a jerk as he seems. It takes place just after Elita 'dies', they've come back to the Autobot Academy and are getting a talk from Ultra Magnus himself.

Warning: Bittersweet friendship of Sentinel and Optimus. Implied Sentinel x Elita; gets rather emotional.

Disclaimer: If I owned TFA, there wouldn't be so many people hating Sentinel (I think his reaction to Elita's 'death' was appropriate and many people skip over that because he's such a jerk to OP.)

Reassuring words

Optimus shifted uncomfortably, it seemed hours since Ultra Magnus told them to wait here, while he read their report on what had happened. Optimus felt sick, so much had happened in only a few hours, and he could feel Sentinel's accusing optics on him.

"This is all your fault!!"

"Sentinel…?" He started, turning to face his friend.

The other Autobot glared at him, "I don't want to talk to you!" His voice was filled with anger, pain and guilt. Their optics held a gaze for a moment before Sentinel turned a way. A noise escaped his throat. A sob.

Optimus reached out a hand to pat his shoulder, but before he touched Sentinel he thought better of it and set his arm down again. He heard the laughter of new recruits as they passed Ultra Magnus' office, completely unaware of the tragedy that had just occurred. Optimus sighed, wishing he could have that kind of bliss right now.

"Optimus…?" Sentinel whispered.

"I thought you didn't want to talk to me." He replied, hoping that perhaps Sentinel wanted take back what he'd said earlier. But his voice capacitator didn't process the words the way he wanted and it came out sounding like an accusation.

Sentinel snorted, "Well I was going to, but if you're going to be like that…!" he turned away again.

"Sentinel!" Optimus said quickly, "I didn't mean it that way, I-"

He was cut off by the sound of a door opening. Ultra Magnus entered carrying their report. The two of them sat straight, ready to hear what was to become of them. Another sob escaped Sentinel, Optimus barely heard it, but he could feel Sentinel quivering. He wanted to take his friend's hand and tell him it would be alright, but when he reached over Sentinel yanked his hand away.

"Let me get this straight." Ultra Magnus said with his optics still on their report. "You both knew Organic planets were off-limits, but you went to one anyway?" Optimus nodded, Sentinel lowered his head in shame. "Not only that, but you brought your other team mate Elita-One with you?" Another nod. "When you were attacked, you went further into the cave, instead of turning back? You found a Decepticon warship full of energon and used their explosive matter as a weapon against you attackers, spiders, I believe? And when you tried to escape Elita didn't make it out? Is that correct?"

They nodded together.

"Your disregard for the rules cost an Autobot her life." he said sternly.

"Yes." They groaned.

"And I have every reason to kick you out of Autobot academy for this." He might have continued if it had been for Sentinel.

"I wanted to go back for her!" He shouted, standing up and banging his fists down on the desk angrily. "I wasn't going to just l-leave her! But Optimus wouldn't let me! I-It's all his fault she's dead!" He screamed and headed toward the door.

"Sentinel!" Optimus cried, grabbing his arm.

Sentinel shook him off and pushed him back, "I'll never forgive you Optimus! I never want to talk to you again, I hate you!" he shouted and stormed away slamming the door behind him.

"Sentinel!" Optimus cried after him, ready to go fetch him back when the head Autobot ordered.

"Let him go." Ultra Magnus told him to his surprise. "Sit."

"But-" Optimus started, looking towards the door.

"He'll be alright; I want to have a word with you." the wise leader said.

Optimus hesitated a moment but finally took a seat in front of him.

Ultra Magnus looked him over a moment before opening the report again and skimming through it. "Ah-ha," He muttered finding what he was looking for, "it says here that you thought it was a bad idea and suggesting turning back. Why didn't you?"

Optimus looked at his hands, "They had their sparks set on finding that ship." He said.

"Hmm, then why didn't you go back to the shuttle you brought and wait for them to have their fill of adventure?"

"I…I couldn't just let them walk into danger alone like that, I mean, I didn't know what was out there, but there's safety in numbers right?" he answered still looking at his hands.

"And you insisted on turning back after the first spider attack, when the others appeared you and Elita split up, while Sentinel covered your escape." He said.

"Yes."

"But you didn't try to get back to the surface?" Optimus glanced up to the famous Autobot and saw that he'd leaned in closer.

"No…we were all separated, I thought we'd meet at the ship and then escape."

"Sounds like a good plan." Ultra Magnus took the report again and looked thought it. "Did you throw the energon cube that started the explosive reaction?"

"…Yes…I mean no! I mean…" Optimus put his face in his hands and sobbed "I-I don't know everything started happening so fast!"

Optimus felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up again. Ultra Magnus pulled back, and looked at the report once more. "Sentinel has every reason to blame you for what happened to Elita," he said, "and you could both be sent to the stockades for violating the rules and getting someone killed."

"Yes," Optimus sighed, "I'll clean out my things." He said standing up.

"No."

"What?"

"You two aren't going anywhere." The older Autobot explained "You aren't the first Autobots to go on a forbidden organic planet, nor will you be the last. It's a tempting thought and every stellar-cycle there's at least four cases of Autobot soldiers going to one. The only difference here is that this time someone got killed." He said leaning back, Ultra Magnus had a serious look in his optics, "But that was unpredictable, and there was actually nothing that either of you could have done."

"B-but…" Optimus stuttered completely taken back by what Ultra Magnus was saying, "We broke the rules! We should be punished!"

"And you will be." Came the response, "You'll retake the course, starting with the next batch of new recruits, but you both showed incredible leadership skills down there, and the lesson you learned today will make you both valuable part of this army."

"V-valuable?" Optimus repeated.

Ultra Magnus smiled, "I have a knack for knowing who is going to be great, both you and Sentinel will one day make the Autobot army proud, Elita would have too, if it weren't for this, and I don't want to let you go before you reach your full potential." His smile vanished, "Of course because of what happened to Elita, I'm afraid Sentinel's going to be a bit harder to train, I know how he felt about her."

Optimus looked away from him. He too knew about Sentinel's feelings for Elita, and hers for him, "It'll be harder for us to work together as well." He said quietly. "…I don't want him to hate me…"

Ultra Magnus put a hand on his arm, "Sentinel doesn't hate you Optimus," he said, "You two are best friends, it may take a while, but he'll move on eventually. I know he can't stay mad forever, it's not in his character." The Autobot frowned then, "But you have a point, if he hasn't forgiven you by the time you graduate it may be best to separate you."

"How?" Optimus asked.

Ultra Magnus thought a moment. "I could send one of you to work with the repair bots, or maybe that would be too extreme, what if--"

"No, I'll join the repair bots." Optimus offered.

"What?"

Optimus gave an uneasy smile, "I know how much Sentinel wanted to be on the Elite Guard, we'll just think of this as my apology."

The older Autobot gazed at him a moment and then returned his smile, "You're a good friend Optimus, and one day Sentinel will remember how lucky he is to have you, just give him some time, and don't give up on him. You can go now."

Optimus nodded and left. It wasn't quite the future he had planned, but he was willing to accept what he had. He headed back to the quarters he shared with Sentinel and Elita but paused as he reached the door, finding it open a crack. He heard noises with in.

He leaned his head against the door and listened. Sentinel was sobbing loudly. "I-I'm sorry Elita…I'm so sorry…Optimus, I…I don't hate…I-I never should have said that to him!! I never should have taken us down there... I'm so sorry!" Optimus listened as Sentinel repeated similar things over and over.

"I forgive you my friend." He whispered to the door. He left again and found himself watching some new recruits play fighting as they waited for their instructor to come.

"Just wait!" One of them said joyfully to his teammates, "One day, we'll be on the Elite guard! All of us!" The other shouted their agreement, a promise to always be there for each other. Optimus smiled slightly, remembering the same promise he'd once made with Sentinel and Elita.

Stellar-cycles later, Optimus worked with new Autobots, the repair-crew. Bumblebee, the loud yellow one boasted that he could have been on the elite-guard and one day would be, while the big one, Bulk-Head merely smiled.

"That's the spirit little-buddy!"

Optimus looked up at the stars. Even now, as he worked to his wits end with these obnoxious misfits, he didn't regret the decision he'd made so long ago.

Author's end note: See? Very bittersweet, I hope you all like it! And, please, to all of you who think Sentinel's an ass, he's suffering because of Elita's 'death' and he obviously took it harder then Optimus in cannon, give the guy a break! Also While I was writing this I was listening to F.T Island's "Hate and Resentment", it has a beat that really fits the mood for this story, and if any of you are Korean, it would make me ubber happy to have translations, because search engines on the internet hate me and I haven't even been able to find the LYRICS let alone translations!

Editor's note: I thought the points made in this were very feasible. Perhaps all you Sentinel haters will reconsider your opinions now? I don't want to force you to change your minds, but just think about it a little.