HERE'S THE LAST CHAPTER! :') I started this story a little over five years ago, and I want to say a huge thank-you to everyone who's read and reviewed and sent me supportive messages, followed the fb page, and checked out my artwork for it on deviantArt. It wouldn't have been the same without you all, and I've been so touched and encouraged by all the kind words I've received. Many, many thanks and warm regards to all of you. I have the sequel in the works now, and I hope to post its first chapter before too long. Its title is This Love Will Carry, and I'm very excited about it.

Chapter 95

Sunny is dozing facedown on the couch in his studio when he gets an intercom from Praxus.

::Sunnnnnstreaker! Are you busy?::

::Pretty busy,:: Sunny replies, cracking open his optics to see how much light is coming in through the windows. It's daytime still, but it's getting later in the day. Sideswipe will be wanting dinner before too long. Sunny checks his fingers for paint. ::Why?::

::Prowl would like to see you.::

Sunny stiffens, fighting emotion and spark-break. Closing his fingers into fists, he gets up from the couch.

::I guess I can come over for a little bit,:: he answers.

::Okay!::

Sunny gives Praxus an ETA, signs off, and then leaves his studio, locking it before transforming sharply. He doesn't want to see Prowl how he is, so battered, mute, and broken. He shoves himself into gear and then rips down the road, wishing he were going the opposite direction.

oOo

"Pruddle talky now!" Starlight chirps happily in Praxian at Ratchet when he returns to the room. Praxus brought the sparkling in while Ratchet was in another room with Jolt, checking on the preparation of dinner Energons.

"That's great!" Ratchet answers with enthusiasm while raising an optic-ridge at Praxus to request a translation.

The dark winger smiles and intercoms him what Starlight said, and Ratchet can't keep a little smile from appearing on his own face.

"Still ouchie," Starlight sighs, looking at the bandaged Prowl. Ratchet nods and then gets on with checking some data. He knows that word all too well.

"I'll get better soon," Prowl reassures the sparkling, giving her a careful touch on the helm. "I will do exercises to help my hands, just like you did exercises to help your wings."

Starlight looks back quickly at her wings and then flicks them up and down and up. "All better wings," she says contently. She reaches for Prowl's hand, and he lets her take it. "Up-down fingers?" she asks, holding his thumb and taking his first finger.

Prowl halfway smiles at her. "Yes, I will have to bend my fingers up and down like you moved your wings up and down."

Gently, she bends his finger toward the palm of his hand. "Careful…" she says. "Good. An uhhhp."

Prowl looks to Praxus with a hint of a twinkle in his optics. "It looks like she's going to enter the physical therapy practice before you are."

"She'll be my assistant," Praxus replies, beaming happily. "I'll have her charm and handle all the very difficult patients."

"I'm not difficult," Prowl answers. "Auri is the difficult one."

Auri widens her optics at him in mock outrage. "Calumny and lies, shame on you, Prowl."

This makes him chuckle softly.

"Bad?" Starlight asks, looking to Auri with concern.

"I just teasing Prowl," Auri explains.

"They're flirting," Praxus clarifies. "They're going to be mushy faces."

Starlight snorts in amusement and starts giggling at the prospect. "Nushy faces. Eeeeew," she says with relish. Then she scowls. "Him!" She points at the doorway.

Sunny is there, hiding a wistful look of regret.

"Sunstreaker is nice now, remember?" Praxus tells the little femme. "He's nice and good to me. He's the one who gave you all those paints to play with."

Starlight shifts her wings. She isn't going to forget how mean "Evil Sunshine" was to her brother any time soon. She isn't going to trust him or be bought with fun toys. But, she is a good sparkling with a sense of Praxian honor so she will treat him civilly.

Most of the time.

She dismisses him with a flick of her wings and then ignores him and goes back to helping Prowl exercise his fingers so he can be healthy and well again.

"Sorry," Praxus says to Sunny, shifting a wing uncertainly.

"It's not your fault she's mad at me," Sunny answers quietly as he slips into the room. "Hi, Prowl…" he says. "Prax said… you wanted to see me." He pauses as he notices that Prowl looks unusually pleased, the Praxian mech's optics twinkling as they take him in from helm to pede and return to rest on his face. Sunny raises a quizzical optic-ridge. "Did you… did you just check me out?"

"He did kiss Ratchet earlier today," Praxus inserts mischievously.

"Praxus!" Auri objects.

"Well, he did," Praxus points out.

Sunny gives them all an irked look.

"Prowl can see colors now!" Praxus announces. "Ratchet fixed the colors when he fixed Prowl's optic!"

"Wh- really?!" Sunny's pedes rush him to Prowl's side; he doesn't even think to be nonchalant. "Prowl! That- that's wonderful! Oh, mech…" He starts to reach and lean toward Prowl to hug him, but he stops, drawing back quickly with uncertainty.

Gently, Prowl takes his hand from Starlight and her tender ministrations, and he holds it out to Sunny before motioning the golden mech in. Praxus and Auri both watch, riveted, holding their venting systems quiet. Air gusts through Sunny's system, however, hard, and he wraps his arms around Prowl without a second's hesitation, swiftly but gently, taking care because of Prowl's injuries.

Auri puts a hand on Starlight to keep her from scrambling to bite Sunny in Prowl's defense.

"Him!" Starlight objects, wings flicking.

Sunny will deny it later, but tears fall on Prowl's armor, and they are Sunny's tears.

"Peace, Little Star," Prowl tells the sparkling.

"And you're talking, too!" Sunny chokes out with joy.

"Auwi! Safe Pruddle!" Starlight wails. "Bwuver!"

"Peace," Prowl says to Starlight again. "Sunstreaker is my friend. Yes, he did bad things, but he's had his punishment, and he's been forgiven. And he wouldn't hurt me." He rubs Sunny's back softly. "He's like a brother to me. You know, sometimes you are mad at Praxus, but you always love him."

"Oh, slag," Sunny says, releasing Prowl and pulling out a cloth as he realizes that he's crying. "You wing-dings and your soppiness have contaminated me."

"Him saided a bad word!" Starlight accuses, pointing at Sunny, looking justified in her distrust of him.

"Sometimes bots slip up and say bad words when they have strong feelings," Prowl explains.

Starlight glares at Sunny. "You a gwitch fwagger."

"Starlight-!" Praxus is aghast. "Starlight, you don't use those bad words!"

"My has feewings," Starlight tells her brother, hunching her wings with tears in her optics. "Meanie."

Auri chokes back laughter at the look of dismay on Prowl's face as he realizes that Starlight has taken his explanation of Sunny's expletive as excuse for her profanity.

Ratchet looks over. "Is she piecing together full sentences? I don't know much Praxian, but it sounds like she's making headway into sentence structuring."

"You just know enough Praxian to know I'm getting sworn at," Sunny says drily, smirking at Praxus's disconcertion. "Chill, scraplet. I've been called worse."

"But she's a sparkling," Praxus protests. "She can't say that. Even if it is true." His wings twitch as he looks at his sister. "You can't say things like that," he tells her, speaking to her in Praxian. "We have to be nice even when other bots say mean things."

Starlight looks at him with reproachful doubt and wipes a tear down her cheek from her optic to emphasis her outward expression of emotion.

"He's my friend now anyway, I told you before," Praxus tells her.

Starlight gives him a look of further skepticism as she shifts a wing.

"She looks pretty unconvinced," Sunny comments, halfway watching the sparkling as well as noting how Praxus's wings have lowered. After a moment of hesitation, he goes over to Praxus. "It'll take time, mech," he says. "Seems to me like she kinda takes after Auri a bit in holding a grudge and staying mad at someone. Really, there's been multiple times in my life where Auri's refused to speak to me or have anything to do with me, but we're okay now, so there's hope that Starlight might maybe eventually forgive me."

Praxus sighs. "I just… just wish everything could be okay."

Sunny shifts on his pedes. "That's a pretty much impossible thing to wish for, everything being okay. No one bot can have everything just how they like it."

Regarding this, Praxus shifts a wing and seems –impractically- to somehow think it could be possible for him. Sunny raises an optic-ridge as he sees this body language.

"You're not quite that special," Sunny says, laughing softly. "Like the rest of us, you'll just have to settle with things being partially okay for now. Okay?" He touches the dark winger's arm, eliciting a scowl from Starlight.

"But I want everything to be how I want it," Praxus says with a bit of a sigh.

"That might be genetic," Sunny points out drily.

"Sunny!" Praxus gives him a light tap with his fist.

"Get 'im!" Starlight squeaks eagerly, wiping away her tears so she can better see the fight.

Biting back a smile, Sunny makes a sign of truce.

"Sunstreaker, I don't want to rule everything," Praxus explains. "I just want to have everything the way I want it to be. And who doesn't want that?"

Sunny looks at him and decides that he doesn't need to tell Praxus that there is a difference between a bot wanting everything and actually thinking they can have everything. "Okay," he concedes. "You have a point. But you still can't have everything."

"-Yet," Praxus adds, causing Sunny a great deal of exasperation. The golden mech turns to Auri and Prowl in appeal.

"There is no reasoning with him," Prowl says in Praxian and Auri translates. "I usually just give him a hug and move on."

"A hug?" Sunny quirks an optic-ridge up again. "I'm sure the tiny femme of vengeance would love it if I hugged her beloved and much misused brother."

"Well, I would like it," Praxus says, always open to getting a hug whenever possible.

Sunny shakes his helm. "You really should have picked Sideswipe to be your friend if you wanted a friendship with hugs," he says, but he motions Praxus to him and draws him into a hug, moving slowly in hopes of not provoking Starlight too much.

Starlight stares, looking a little disconcerted, a little outraged.

"See?" Praxus says to her over Sunny's shoulder. "He's nice to me."

"I still bite'im," Starlight says, shifting a wing.

"She still wants to bite me?" Sunny guesses as he releases Praxus.

"Yeah."

"No surprise there." Sunny shrugs and then pats Praxus on the back. "I'll just watch out for my fingers." He waves his digits. "And she'll come around in time. No worrying about it."

Praxus sighs and looks at his baby sister, however, mildly flustered and frustrated as well as a little stumped. "But…"

"Praxus," Prowl says gently. "You are the most forgiving bot I know, and possibly –probably- the most forgiving bot I've ever met. Thus no one –and that includes Starlight- is going to forgive anyone as quickly or as soon as you are. Sunstreaker is right; you will just have to give her time. You have explained things to her, and you have set a good example. That is all you can do; you can't force your will on other bots."

Praxus considers this. Then he shifts his wings. "But… she's a sparkling… doesn't she have to be made to learn and do the right thing? …to some degree? Maybe?"

Prowl hesitates, uncertain. "Um…" He realizes that while his processor is working better now, he still can't think very well. "Um." He looks to Auri to see if she has any ideas or thoughts to input on the subject.

"I don't know," she says. "At least… no, not really. I mean… she ought to forgive Sunny, but forgiveness has to come from the spark so you can't force it. But… uh… I don't know about teaching that to a sparkling."

Prax's wings twitch suddenly as he thinks of something else. "Just how do you two think you are going to raise some twins if you don't even know how to suggest a little advice for me regarding my one single sparkling?!"

"Praxus!" Auri protests as a looks of dismay overtakes Prowl's expression. "Don't make Prowl worry!" She tucks Prowl's hand protectively in both of hers. "We'll cross that bridge when we get it –and that's a long time from now. And we'll have Ironhide to ask for advice. He knows the most about raising sparklings of anyone on this base, I guess."

"Brilliant," Sunny says. "Why don't you go ask Ironhide right now?" he says to Praxus.

Praxus looks at him for a moment. "Okay," he says amiably before trotting to the door.

"Hey," Sunny calls. "But why don't you take your little sister with you so she doesn't have to bear the indignity of my presence?"

"Well, okay." Praxus goes back and retrieves Starlight from Auri's lap. Then, since he's there, he decides to give Auri a quick little hug, and then he goes around the berth to give Prowl a brief cuddle on his way back to the door. Sunny sidesteps to avoid being the dark winger's path, giving him an impatient look behind his back once he's passed by.

"He is the touching-est scraptlet I've ever encountered, including my brother in his early days," Sunny huffs once Praxus is well down the hallway and out of hearing range.

"You manage to put up with him somehow, though," Auri points out with a smile.

Sunny shrugs. "Well… He's a relatively promising art student, so…"

"Mm-hm," Prowl answers with a hint of a smirk.

Sunny opens his mouth to retort, but then he changes his mind, considering how well Prowl knows him. "And he's not a bad mech," he admits, mumbling a slightly. "You know."

Prowl nods softly to this and then motions Sunny to sit with them. After a moment's pause, Sunny decides that he isn't as busy as he'd said he was and that Sideswipe can handle dinner himself. Or, better yet, Sideswipe can bring him some takeout in Med-Bay. He sends Sides a quick message.

"So…" he says to Prowl as he settles by Auri's pedes. "Now that you can see colors… do you think you'll get back to doing art?"

Prowl gives him an interrogative look of incredulousness and lifts his clumsy better hand, shifting his fingers to show Sunny how uncoordinated their moments are.

"I mean, after therapy and stuff," Sunny clarifies, absently flexing his own fingers with elegant dexterity. At this, Prowl gives him a Cybertronian hand sign that is mildly rude but not vulgar. "Wh-?" Sunny starts, confused at this response, but then he realizes the answer. "Oh." Stilling his fingers, he clasps them. "Sorry."

Quirking an optic-ridge up at Sunny, Prowl telegraphs a "you should be" look with a bit of a smile.

"Good thing Prax took Starlight with him, though, huh?" the golden mech quips.

OoO

Praxus returns to Med-Bay a good bit later to find that Sideswipe has joined his twin in visiting Prowl and Auri, and that the four of them have apparently had a feast of sorts.

"You dined without me," he says, surveying the various takeout boxes and oil dip cups and Energon cubes, all mostly empty, while Starlight –after a brief sniff at Sunny- regards his twin with much more favor.

"Aw, sorry," Sides says. "They said they didn't know when you were coming back, and you were gone for quite a while."

"That's fair," Praxus decides, settling on Auri's berth beside Sunny. Starlight flicks a wing and then crawls over to Sideswipe, who offers her a bite of his oil cake.

"So… did you talk with Ironhide?" Sunny asks, poking among the boxes to find some stray pewter crisps.

"Uh-huh," Praxus answers, taking an Energon cube from subspace. Sunny offers him the crisps. "Thank you. Is there any dip left?"

"Maybe." Sunny starts inspecting the assorted takeout cups. "Was Ironhide's advice sage?"

"Eh…" Praxus shifts his wings and hands Starlight's bottle to Sideswipe, who passes it on to the sparkling. "Well… he was kinda ambiguous. Helpful and encouraging, but ambiguous. So I also asked some humans on the road what they did about raising their sparklings, and they had various and conflicting opinions on it, and they got into a debate, so I left them. I've decided that no one actually knows just how to raise a sparkling; they just have some basic guidelines. So you try your best and hope things turn out okay, apparently."

"That's how it is for a lot of things in life," Sides says. "Give it a shot and hope for the best."

"I know you can do that, Prowl," Praxus says to cheerfully to poor Prowl. "So no worries about raising your future sparklings, even if you do have twins of them."

Prowl's optics go wide in protest to this light treatment of so serious a thing, and he opens his mouth, but he can't find words to even begin to explain to Praxus, not even in Praxian. He shakes his helm instead, and then he kisses Auri because he knows that she understands even if Praxus doesn't.

"Nushies," Starlight says.

"Seriously, you want twins?" Sideswipe asks. "Do you even know how much trouble twin sparklings are?"

OoOoO

"What is the big appeal of the beach?" Chromia asks Uplink as the two femmes step from the pavement into the sand and head toward the water in the fading glow of the sunset. "It's so gritty and requires extra washing after a visit, not to mention all the squishy sea-plant debris you have avoid stepping on, the unavoidable wind, and the shiftiness of the sand."

Uplink smiles at the complaints, recognizing them not as griping but as mere annoyed curiosity. "Well, the sand is firmer near the water."

"I do know that. I have been here before," Chromia says drily. "Just not as often as you and certain other door-wingers, specifically Prowl, who's obsessed with this place. What's with that?"

"For one, I believe he likes the solitude, the escape from the other bots. I like it for the same reason."

"But you brought me with you. And Prowl brings Auri."

"I'm not allowed out of Med-Bay alone. If one cannot be alone, one should seek good company."

Chromia raises an optic-ridge. "I'm good company?" she teases.

"Well, Ultra Magnus was busy tonight, so I had to settle," Uplink deadpans with a mischievous smirk.

"Ha!" Chromia snorts in amusement. "Okay, but what's Prowl's excuse for not coming here alone?"

Uplink glances sideways up at her and chuckles. "As if you didn't know."

Chromia snickers. "Oh, right. He's afraid of the seaweed."

"That's definitely it." Uplink smiles in twilight as she sees some of the notorious plant lying ahead in their path.

A slight smirk crosses Chromia's expression at their joking, but she doesn't add further remarks, her mood growing quiet as her thoughts turn to Prowl and Auri. All of Ratchet's reports on them have been positive and encouraging, but, even with her slowly increasing respect for the old medic, Chromia still doesn't entirely trust him or his reports completely. A fear remains in her spark for Auri's well-being as well as for Prowl's. Both door-wingers seem to be recovering steadily and doing well, she's seen it with her own optics, but she still fears some kind of deception. Daily, what-ifs corner her with worry, and she knows a relapse in one of the sweet-sparks with trigger a relapse in the other, harming them both.

"What are your thoughts?" Uplink asks gently. "If you don't mind sharing them?"

"Just wondering how logical Prowl's fear of seaweed is," Chromia jokes, deflecting the question even as she realizes that Uplink has no doubt seen her pensive look in the twilight.

"It's probably as logical as Ultra Magnus's fear of it," Uplink answers lightly, recognizing Chromia's response for what it is. "But less logical than the fear I feel toward getting too close to the ocean's water," she adds, and the truth in her words makes Chromia glance toward the darkening mass of saline liquid that seems –in that moment- to be more than simply a part of nature but rather a living presence within it.

"It certainly wouldn't do you any good if you got in those waves," Chromia says, considering the salt and the power in the battering waves."

"When I am well, I'll have reason to feel fear toward them. –Nor toward many other things."

"'Many other things'?" Chromia queries softly. She knows Uplink isn't joking, but she doesn't associate Uplink with fear. "You never seem afraid. Tired and stressed, yes, but never afraid."

"I work to keep fear out of my spark," Uplink answers. "I acknowledge that I feel fear, but I don't let it define me or enter me. Confining it to my processor, I deconstruct it and study its pieces, asking 'why' and laying it out to regard with so I can find an understanding of it."

Chromia keeps her a quick dubious look.

"The process requires control and a takes a willingness to open your optics to a different perspective."

"Sounds like guru in a crystal cave stuff," Chromia says. "But it seems to work for you, so okay."

"It works better for than high-gr -" Uplink bites her tongue quickly but too late.

"Than high-grade does for me," Chromia finishes drily.

"It's not what I should have said." Uplink dips her good wing. "I am sorry."

"I'm not offended, Uplink." Chromia touches the smaller femme's shoulder. "We're both outspoken in our own ways, and I accept that in you. Besides, you are correct even if not polite."

"Politeness is a challenge for me at times," Uplink admits.

"I wouldn't say you're rude, though. Just a bit blunt, despite being so refined."

"Refined?" Now it is Uplink who gives a quick dubious look.

"Having composure and coolness. You know, like Elita, but more cheeky."

Uplink chuckles at this description of herself but sees how it fits. "So, you're saying I have poise like Elita and sass like you?"

Chromia smiles because Uplink says it like it's a good thing. "Yes. I like that."

"Have we danced around enough?" Uplink asks.

With a sigh, Chromia gives the sand a small kick. "Despite Ratchet's good reports and everything, I'm still worried about Auri and Prowl. I don't… I haven't gotten over my distrust and… part of me feels like… like Ratchet is lying to me."

Coming to a standstill, Uplink tilts her helm and tries to see a few stars through her weak optics as she thinks about Chromia's difficulty. Things are better between the blue femme and the old medic than they had been, but Uplink, upon reflecting, realizes that merely the surface of the situation has been smoothed over. The deeper problems still remain below.

"They're pretty, even with so many obscured by the earth's atmosphere the light pollution," Chromia comments, following Uplink's gaze toward the heavens.

"I can see barely a few," Uplink answers quietly. "Chromia…" She starts walking again, but more slowly than before.

"Hm?"

"Is Ratchet the first medical bot you've had issues with?"

Chromia freezes, her silence sharp and threatened.

"You don't have to tell me," Uplink tells her softly.

"I guess I just did."

"Well…" Uplink stands still.

Chromia halfway smiles. "Well… I suppose I need to separate out what Ratchet is from… what the other doc-bots were."

"I think it's a good idea. Disentangle Ratchet's identity from that of the other medic and consider him as he is, not as he could be or might have been. Liberate him from the harms of your past. He has his faults, but not –I think- the exact faults to the degree you feel he has. And he's not lying about how well Prowl and Auri are doing, I can assure you of that. I've seen all Prowl's and Auri's data; it's more extensive than what he's shared with you, but it all says that same thing in the end."

"Wait, why do you get to see all of Prowl's and Auri's data? Isn't that confidential?"

"They both consented to it so I could better help them handle what they're going through. Ratchet does his best to encourage and be supportive of them, but he thinks like a doctor, not like a regular bot."

"Oh, and lotta help I am," Chromia mutters.

"No," Uplink objects. "Don't say that. You've been as much help as I have been, and they've truly needed and appreciated your support."

"You haven't passed out from drinking yourself glitched."

"Indeed not. My physical condition makes me pass out without assistance. –and quite more often than you, too."

"Oh." Chromia doesn't know how to answer that. "Er… I guess you have a point."

The Praxienne sighs. "On that note…" she says, her voice betraying tiredness.

"Did we walk too far? Slag, how far did we come…" Chromia checks their coordinates. "Double-slag. I'm carrying you back. Ratchet is gonna kill me and ground you if, or when, he finds out how far we went."

"I might be able to talk him out of the former," Uplink jokes softly as Chromia crouches to lift her up with infinite gentleness.

"I think you can. Your tongue is as persuasive as it is blunt."

"That as nice a compliment as I've ever gotten," Uplink murmurs.

OoOoO

"It might be a long time before I draw anything," Prowl says one day, surveying the screen of his data-pad. He's been practicing at drawing diagonal lines, but nobody could really tell at this point that they were supposed to be straight diagonal lines.

"I think you're getting a little better," Auri says. She's holding the data-pad for him since his left hand is still not recovered enough for much activity. She likes the set up for Prowl's drawing practice; she sits close beside him and rests her helm on his shoulder while he draws, her hand holding the data-pad in place against his legs, which he's pulled up as a support for the data-pad. She holds the data-pad from the top and rests her hand on his knee, her fingers softly in contact with his armor. He always winces when he draws his legs up because the effort makes them sting, but once he has them resting in place, the sting eases quickly enough, and Auri always sees a little smile catch his lips when she settles her hand in its place.

Prowl sighs and decides not to disagree about his progress. "Thank you," he says.

Shaking her helm at him, Auri swipes and taps the screen and pulls up the practice lines from his first try at drawing diagonal lines. "See? Uh… a little better."

Looking at the comparison, Prowl notes that he has improved almost imperceptibly.

"You've only been doing this for five days, anyway," Auri points out. Prowl looks at her and takes comfort in her confidence in him. She smiles up at him and then gives him a little kiss. "Finish up the next page, and then we'll do something else."

"Yes, ma'am," he teases.

"We'll have you draw circles."

He drops his stylus in dismay. "Do you want me to feel sad-?" Then he realizes that she was teasing back.

"Well, I could cheer you up, and that would be fun," she answers, optics twinkling.

He chuckles softly. "Yes, it would." Then he looks for his stylus. It fell between his thighs, so he reaches to retrieve it, and out of the corner of his optic, he sees Auri smile and look slightly but not entirely away with warming cheeks. This little response of hers makes him smile softly and recount the months they have left before their engagement.

Once he has his stylus, he refocuses on his work. He fills the next page with lines slowly, making an effort to keep control while not tensing up. When the page is finally done, he puts the stylus away with a sigh. His hand aches, but he and Auri have been through this before, so he knows it won't hurt for long. Auri takes his hand to gently rub and soothe away the soreness, running a soft current from her fingertips to his fingers to disrupt the pain relays.

Before very long, his hand feels better, and he turns it over to catch Auri's hand with it. Softly, she rubs her thumb against his armor.

"Good now?" she asks even though she knows.

"Very good," he answers. He's drowsy at this point now, but there's one more thing he has to say. "I love you, Auri spark."

"I love you, too, my Prowl," she answers.

He naps, and when he wakes, Auri is giggling under her breath and Praxus is shushing her.

"Are you two being bad?" Prowl asks without opening his optics.

Auri's giggles break into full volume.

"Well," Praxus says. "How long have you been awake?"

Opening his optics, Prowl raises an optic-ridge. "Mere seconds?"

"Praxus was predicting how well things are going to go once we have sparklings," Auri says, her mirth still evident.

"Most imaginatively, I surmise," Prowl says a bit drily but with a hint of a smile.

"It's basically going to be catastrophic," Praxus answers cheerfully. "The sparklings are going to overrun all your meetings, accidently delete important stuff off your data-pads, chew all your styluses up, disrupt your mushy time, pick up every gross thing they find on the beach, especially seaweed-"

"Praxus." Prowl holds back a chuckle. "You're forgetting one important thing."

"What?"

"As our best friend and the sparklings' adopted uncle, you are going to have the special privilege of being our sparkling-watcher."

Praxus pauses and stops grinning. "Oooooh."

"Exactly."

"But I can't watch nine sparklings at one time!"

"Nine?!" Prowl about chokes at the prospect. Then he shakes his helm calmly. "Praxus… Nobody makes nine sparklings all close together. They have one or two, and then they wait for them to upgrade to younglings before they make more sparklings."

Praxus snickers. "As if you'll be able to wait that long between – doing it."

"Umm…" Prowl pauses. "Prax… every physical conjunction does not result in procreation."

Praxus's wings twitch. "I know that. -The pleasure femmes never had any sparklings. But… when a bot likes the bot they're 'conjugating' with…" He pauses as his certainly fades. "No…?"

Prowl shakes his helm, gently.

"Oh," Praxus says. Then he doesn't say anything else for a bit, and Prowl and Auri both wait to see what he'll come up with. His wings shift after about a minute of him looking meditative. "Well, I'm going to go get some snacks. Do you want some snacks?"

"Snacks would be great," Prowl answers, and Auri, struggling a bit to keep from giggling, wonders how he can keep a straight face at Praxus's so obvious attempt to retreat.

"Okay!" Praxus hops off the berth. "I'll be back with snacks." He dashes away.

Prowl chuckles once the dark winger is safely out of hearing range, and Auri stuffs a pillow against her face. "Poor Praxus," Prowl says as Auri's wings shake with her laughter.

"Poor Praxus," Auri echoes fondly once she's regained a little composure and lowered the pillow.

"He is so clever sometimes," Prowl says.

Auri giggles. "We'd be overrun with sparklings if it worked like he thought it did. And it would be chaos."

"No…" Prowl says with a slight shake of his helm. "Our society would simply be different. As would our practices to some degree."

"Oh… yeah. That's logical," Auri says, smiling at him as she reconsiders what she'd first imagined, and then she blushes a little.

Prowl, watching, smiles with mischief. "What shall we be discussing when Praxus comes back?" he asks.

Auri pauses and then giggles as she realizes what he means. "Bad Prowl," she says, shaking her helm, her twinkling optics belying her show of disapproval.

"We have a wide variety of options," he starts, running a single finger up the outside of her thigh.

"Prowl!" she squeaks, both shocked and delighted.

He chuckles softly, adoring the hotness of the blush on her cheeks at the moment. "Well?"

"Actually, I'm thinking Praxus will take all the snacks with him if we scare him off, so maybe…"

"Ah…"

"I mean, if we want snacks, we should probably choose a safe topic of conversation."

Prowl nods. "Wisely spoken," he says with a level of solemnity that contradicts the levity of their conversation, making Auri laugh. "We'll talk about the weather."

OoOoO

Auri shifts a little as she slowly wakes from a nap. The therapy session she had earlier left her tired. While she has been moving her leg to small degrees the past several days, she hadn't been really been making it work. Actually moving it and fully engaging the muscles had been a challenge, and the pain medications Ratchet gave her afterwards made her drowsy.

She feels a little sore now, but rested from the nap. Prowl's hand is a reassuring presence in her hand, and that makes her smile.

She turns toward him as her optics online, and her smile slips into a look of concern as she sees how very pensive his expression is. His optics are toward at the ceiling, but she doesn't think he's actually looking at it. He looks lost in worry. She notices then that even though his hand is in hers, he doesn't seem to be cognizant of it.

"Prowl…?" she whispers. He doesn't respond. "Psst, Prowl," she whispers again, and this time he shifts his helm to look at her. He halfway smiles, but she sees the discouragement in his optics.

"Tell me some good things," he whispers softly. "Please, my optimistic Auri."

"Oh… oh, Prowl. We'll be okay," she answers gently. "There are so many good things that I almost don't know where to start."

He halfway smiles.

"But… I starting here," she decides, giving his hand a little squeeze. "We are together days and nights, and we not even bonded yet."

He nods with a tiny smile.

"We don't have to answer the phone and talk for humans."

A faint hint of a laugh gusts through his system, and she smiles.

"Also, because you mostly talking Praxian only, I am improving on my skills somewhat."

"You are," he says gently.

"And your Cy-Stan words are starting come back."

"Very slowly," he says.

"But it's still happening," she counters, so he nods. "And on the subject of speech, I think it's exciting: Starlight is starting to put together fuller sentences."

"It is exciting."

"And… Oh, there is this: Ratchet has… uh…" She puzzles over how to express something in Praxian for a few moments and then a few more. "Ratchet has become closer at completing drugs for Uplink so he fixes her arm soon."

Prowl gently corrects this sentence for her, and she repeats it after him.

"I was close to right," she says. "Yes?"

He nods. "It was a very good try."

She decides that she should give him a little kiss on the cheek, and he smiles back at her. She can tell his mood is improving, and that makes her happy.

"Speaking of trying," she says, "Another good thing: Chromia is trying very well at being nice to Ratchet and… be amicable with him."

"I know he appreciates that," Prowl murmurs. "I appreciate it, too."

Auri giggles. "He is less grumpy when she doesn't provoke him."

"We can say that about anyone," Prowl points out, but he does smile a little.

"Well… true. But …Chromia did extra provokes to him."

Prowl considers this. "Chromia was extra provoking toward him in particular," he says.

"I think she's done with that, mostly. Uplink helps a lot."

"She does."

Auri smiles at him. "It's your turn."

"What?" Prowl looks panicked.

Auri rubs her thumb gently across his hand. "Your turn to tell me good things," she clarifies. He looks less panicked but not completely calm.

"I… I…"

"There are lots of good things, Prowl."

"I know…" he says a little faintly.

"You have to make your processer work on thinking positively."

He gives a small doubtful nod and then sets himself to the task of thinking of good things. He ends up looking more worried, though. He looks to Auri, not sure what to say.

"Well…" she says. "I guess… tell me the bad things instead."

"I can't do anything to help the Autobots while I'm like this. I'm useless to them."

Auri's optics widen in dismay. "You're not useless!"

"I am. Name one thing I've done to benefit or further the Autobots since… since… what happened."

"Prowl… Prowl…"

"Name one thing," he orders, growling a little in frustration.

"No! I'm not naming one thing!"

Jolt sticks his helm in the room. "Are you two fighting?"

"No! Mind your own business!" Auri practically shouts at him. He scoots away to go tell Ratchet. Auri turns back to Prowl. "I am not naming one thing, Prowl! I'm naming lots of things! You've softened Sunny's spark. You've encouraged everyone by not by dying. You've given Ratchet good feedback regarding his repairs on your bad hand, and that's given him and Uplink both reassurance for the upcoming work on her arm. You've reminded all the Praxians that we are resilient and must never stop fighting even when we feel like it. NOT to mention that you kept ME from giving up!" There are tears in her optics now, and Prowl is visibly distressed at them. "So- d-don't say you're useless!" she cries.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, looking abashed. "I didn't… didn't think about that. You're right, Auri. You're right." He squeezes her hand in his softly.

She sniffles. "You have to tell me good things," she says, rubbing her free hand across her optics.

Prowl squirms a little like a youngling in school who's looking at an unscheduled quiz. "Okay. Um… I… I will."

Auri sniffles again.

"We can walk on the beach in a few months," Prowl says eventually, looking hopeful.

"That's a very good thing." Auri encourages him with a nod and a smile.

Prowl thinks a little more. "Um… Ultra Magnus has a lot of experience doing my job, so… he's… probably doing it… reasonably well, so… I shouldn't- er, uh, don't have to worry about… about… about…"

"It?" Auri supplies with a half a giggle.

"I… I guess? I was… there was something more specific I was failing to find words for."

"You don't have to worry about some incompetent fumble-glitch messing things up," she says.

Prowl looks a little entertained. "Wh… 'fumble-glitch'? I… where did that come from?"

"I don't know…. It just seemed like a good combination. Is it okay to say?"

"I like it. And it's okay to say, though… probably not formally." He smiles at her.

She smiles back. "Okay."

He kisses her fingers.

"Don't try to distract me," she teases, tapping his nose softly. "You still have to tell me more good things."

"I know the best thing."

"What?"

"We have less than a year to wait before we can get engaged."

Auri beams at him. "You're good at this!"

"And then after we get engaged, we will have only a few more weeks to wait before we're bonded."

"Weeks!?" Auri's optics widen with delighted surprise. "I thought… months?"

"The wait is usually only the time it takes to prepare for the bonding ceremony. Since we're here -on earth in a small city with a small community-, we won't have a lot of preparations to make. And since we know we're getting engaged on a certain day, we can already start planning ahead."

Auri giggles softly. "I think we're just secretly engaged."

Prowl considers this.

Ratchet sticks his helm in the room, but he pauses as he sees that both Praxians are quite at peace with each other. They look at him expectantly. "Is everything okay?" he asks even though he's gathered that both wingers are completely fine.

"Yes, sir," Auri answers. "I just yelled at Prowl for a couple seconds, and we were okay after that."

Ratchet pauses.

Prowl nods. "W-we're… happy n-now."

"Well, okay," Ratchet says. He doesn't think of anything else to ask, and he leaves a couple seconds later.

Auri shakes her helm. "I told Jolt to mind his own business."

"We sort of are his business since we are patients here."

"Our personal discussion isn't his business, though," Auri says, making a face.

"I think he was worried it would get out of hand and our tempers would cause us harm."

"Oh."

Prowl nods gently, and Auri can't help but give him a soft kiss on the cheek.

"I think we finished disagreeing quite quickly before any harm could happen," she says with a contented smile.

"Indeed." His kisses her fingers before releasing them, reaching for her helm to draw her face closer to his. "And Ironhide always said to kiss and make up after a disagreement." He kisses her cheek and then her nose.

"That is definitely sage advice." She grins at him.

He kisses her temple. "More sage than his sparkling-rearing advice," he muses, making her giggle.

OoOoO

"Be careful," Prowl tells Auri. Ratchet has decided that her leg is well enough for her to try standing on it, but Prowl is still worried.

"You've already said that twice," Auri tells him gently, smiling back at him to show him that she's not scared or worried. He doesn't smile back; he just looks awfully worried.

"She'll be fine, Prowl," Ratchet tells him, speaking out of duty and not because he thinks it will convince Prowl.

"Just be careful."

"I be careful," Auri tells him reassuringly. She knows she'll be fine, and both Ratchet and Jolt are there to help her stand up and sit when need be. She knows Prowl is just worried for her well-being. Worried, though he doesn't need to be worried.

"Don't fall," he says softly with anxiety as she scoots toward the edge of the berth and Ratchet's steadying hands.

"I'm not going to fall," Auri says, shifting to look at him over her shoulder.

"Be careful," he says, this time on Cy-Stan.

Ratchet suppresses the urge to roll his optics at the silly mech, but Auri blows Prowl a kiss and then scoots closer to Ratchet. Prowl squirms a little with worry, but Ratchet's hands are steady and his motions are sure as he gently lifts Auri off the berth and begins to lower her to the floor.

"Be careful, careful," Prowl says. "Ratchet-!"

"Hush, Prowl," Ratchet says. Nothing is going to happen to Auri in his care. He's already told Prowl this multiple times, but Prowl simply hasn't listened.

"Ratchet," Prowl protests. He's too distressed to recall any Cy-Stan, and he knows Ratchet doesn't really know any Praxian, so there's not much he say. "Ratchet…" -This more plaintively. "Ratch-"

Ratchet looks at him, at the blue, blue optics wide with fear that the most precious thing they have ever seen might drop to the floor to be gathered up again damaged. Ratchet knows Prowl is anxious, but Prowl doesn't need to be anxious, so Ratchet doesn't know what to do besides tell him that. He doesn't tell him that immediately, though, because that's what he's been doing and it hasn't worked; instead, he tries to find better words for the upset mech. As he does so, he hold Prowl's gaze, keeps looking back, and then he sees Prowl's apprehension slowly ebb. In that moment, Ratchet realizes that he hadn't been reassuring Prowl; he had been dismissing Prowl. And that hadn't helped Prowl be less afraid. Prowl needed his fears acknowledged and understood, not pushed to the side. He needed to be heard even if he couldn't speak very well.

"I know you're worried about Auri's well-being," Ratchet says gently, still holding Prowl's optics. "I'll look after her and keep her safe. I won't let her fall."

Prowl doesn't look any more reassured, but he looks from Ratchet to Auri and doesn't protest further.

Auri wiggles her dangling pedes a little since Ratchet still hasn't lowered her to the floor. "I'm ready to stand," she coaxes with a smile. "I'll be okay, Prowl," she tells him, and he watches intently as Ratchet slowly eases her pedes to the floor, watching for any flinch or sign of pain.

Auri smiles when her pedes touch the floor.

"How's that?" Ratchet asks once she's standing fully, his hands still in contact with her armor but not supporting her frame.

"It seems okay," she says, looking down at her leg and then back at the mechs. "It twinges a little but doesn't really hurt," she clarifies on seeing Prowl's little frown. Then she shifts her weight, testing her leg a little more, and that makes her wince. She shifts back, placing more weight on her good leg. "Well, that hurt a little," she says, not complaining, but simply letting Ratchet –and her Prowl- how it is.

"We won't have you walk for a bit yet," Ratchet says. "Just stand for now."

"It feels good to stand," Auri says, smiling at her worried Prowl. He tries to smile back, but his concern overrides his expression, and the attempted smile turns out more like a tiny grimace that makes Auri express a fond giggle. "Oh, Prowl," she says, her optics glowing softly at him. "What shall I do with you? My worried mech…"

He halfway smiles.

"Really, though, it feels good to stand," she says, stretching just slightly. He watches. She winks at him. "Soon we'll both be up on our pedes and running around," she says.

"You'll both be walking carefully," Ratchet corrects.

"Oh, Ratchet." Auri shakes her helm at him, but she smiles because she knows he's just being sensible while she's being fanciful. Of course, she and Prowl will eventually be able to run around, but not soon as she had said.

Ratchet lets her stand for a few more minutes, and then he gently helps her back onto her berth. Prowl sighs with relief, and Auri wriggles and scoots over to cuddle against him.

"I'm back all safe and sound," she tells him, and he plants a gentle kiss on her helm. Softly, she rubs his belly armor, caressing its polished surface so warm with the heat from his body. "And I'd never go very far away without you, my darling Prowl."

OoOoO

"Tell me five good things," Auri says to Prowl the next day. Her order is out of the blue, catches him off guard, and it makes his optics widen with mild alarm. He would have flicked his wings if they weren't still in braces.

"I'm not prepared to answer that," he says, pretending to protest; he needs to buy a little time.

"Buzz, wrong answer," Auri teases, smiling up at him because she knows what he's doing. Softly, she gives him a little touch on the nose. "Try again."

"I cannot," he says. "I'm too busy."

Auri giggles at her obviously idle mech and then raises an optic-ridge of skepticism. "Busy with what, praytell?"

"I'm cuddling you," he answers with a smile.

She snuggles up a little more cozily. "That takes all your processing power, does it?"

"Almost all," he answers with that pretend serious tone that she adores. She loves it when he plays a game with her; as with everything, he commits completely to the task as best he can. Secretly, she thinks he's almost better at pretending than she is.

"Almost all?" She acts dubious.

He nods. "Yes."

"Well… You'll have to explain that," she says. Then she peeks up at Prowl, and the mischievous twinkle in his optics lets her know that that's exactly what she should have said.

"See… I have to think about the past and the present and –respectfully- consider the future."

She giggles softly. "You're making that up, silly mech."

"No, ma'am," he says. "I have to think about the past to cuddle you optimally. I have to recall what worked well and what didn't work as well, so I can repeat what you liked and avoid repeating what you didn't like. And then, too, I have to remember what I haven't tried yet, so I won't forget to try it later."

This makes her smile. She gives him a little kiss of approval. "Okay. That covers the past. What about the present and the future?"

"The present and future are interlinked in a way… I have to makes notes on the present so I can remember what to do and not do in the future. And the things I don't do presently, I have to remember to try in the future. Additionally, the things I can't do presently, I have to remember to recall in the future. And that's a whole other set of things that take up my processing powers; I have to remember what things I can and can't do so I won't do the things I can't do at present."

Auri's optics twinkle, and she snuggles a little more against him, delighted. Even though it doesn't actually take up his most of his processing powers, she knows he does put a lot of thought into caring for her to the best of his ability, and that makes her happy, warms her spark.

He adds, "There are quite a number of things I can't do at present; thus, it's quite a long list I have to remember."

"For example…?" she prompts as if she can't guess, and a little contented chuckle from Prowl rewards her audios.

"For example, perhaps I can run my fingertips up the outside of your thigh…" He demonstrates gently. "Or across the top of your leg…"

She likes this, and it shows on her face.

"But…" He stills his hand. "I cannot go caressing my fingers against your sweet inner thighs."

The thought of his fingers tracing there warms her cheeks with anticipation, and she feels her spark pulse a little faster, too. She smiles as she shifts a little.

"Additionally," he murmurs, "I can kiss you gently on the neck…" Which he does. "But… as for nipping you softly with my teeth and pulling you so much closer with both hands, that I can't accomplish injured as I am at present, and it wouldn't be appropriate at this point in time."

"No…?" Auri queries in a breathless whisper.

"No… Nor would gently pulling your armor off piece by piece while kissing and kissing and kissing you. I have to remember all that."

She's mesmerized at the thought of this. "What else do you have to remember?"

His cooling system gusts. "I have to remember to not slip my fingers under your armor to caress you bare, electricity flowing between us uninhibited by your armor."

"Oh… mech…" Suddenly she's not sure how they can wait a year.

"Indeed," he murmurs, glancing down.

"What else…?"

He hesitates. "I… err, I can't remain on this subject…"

"No…?" she asks.

He shifts a little cautiously, and she looks at him curiously to find him looking self-conscious. He distracts her with a kiss.

"I can tell you five good things, though," he says, holding her optics with a smile. "I stalled enough to think of them."

It's a different direction of conversation, but it's one Auri is still happy with. "Okay," she says.

"One, you are well enough to stand on your pedes a little bit,"

"That's definitely a good thing." She wriggles her pedes.

"Two-" He caresses her cheek. "-there is some measureable improvement in the condition of both my hands."

"That's because they have some incentive to get better, isn't it?" Auri teases.

He smiles. "Yes… I know a pert little femme who needs a smack."

She giggles, knowing her aft is quite safe from harm. "What's number three?"

"Three, Ratchet said we could go out on the patio tomorrow, weather permitting."

"Oh… yes! I'd forgotten about that! It'll be nice to go outside finally."

"Four, Optimus and Ratchet have agreed to let me have a few work data-pads."

Auri brightens with eager curiosity. "When did this happen?"

"We had a discussion while Chromia had you out for a shower this morning."

"Oh, Prowl! That's so exciting. I know your work means a lot to you and you hate being out of the loop. And if they let you work, surely they'll let me work too, and we can set up office here!" Her joy sparkles in her optics, and she beams with anticipation, bringing an answering smile to Prowl's face.

"I'm glad you're excited about it," he says, happy.

"Why'd you wait so long to tell me?" She squirms eagerly. "It's such good news!"

"I… I wanted to tell you earlier, but you were rather disgruntled when you got back, and I perceived that you needed to be cuddled rather than be told that I was going to start spending time with my data-pads."

"Oh…" Auri realizes this. "You're right… I did need a bit of sympathy." The hot water had given out midway through her shower. Had Auri been well, she would have griped good-naturedly and tolerated rinsing in cold water. Being injured, though, with healing areas still sensitive, she'd gotten unhappy pretty quickly and yipped extensively at Chromia. Ratchet had said the cold water wouldn't harm her, but it had definitely damaged her mood. "Sympathy and a warm snuggly mech."

"And how did I do?" he asks gently. Her good mood had returned under his nurturing, so he knew he'd done well enough, but sometimes he needed a little positive verbal feedback.

"Oh, Prowl," she says quickly, a little distressed at the thought that he wasn't sure. "Prowl, mech, I would score you ten out of ten stars. You were so kind and sweet. You cuddled me under that blanket, and you listened to my complaining without telling me to hushup and be grateful that the water was at least clean and running. With hindsight, I realize that I was being a bit dramatic and acting like a spoiled sparkling, but little rough things seem so much worse when you don't feel well, and you understood that and were patient with me."

The thorough positive feedback warms his spark and reassures him, and he gives her a little kiss in gratitude.

"I'm glad you get to start back at work," she says, reaching up to caress his face.

"I'm glad, too. But I will always set my data-pads aside whenever you need me to." After he says this, he hesitates, looking a little discouraged. Slowly, then, he says, "When I get back to work fulltime, I… I'm afraid I cannot promise that you will always have first priority because of the nature of my work, but whenever possible, I promise and vow you will have first priority."

"I think I will always have first priority no matter what you are doing, Prowl," she answers gently, brushing her fingers against his hand. "Because I know that when your work will seem to take priority over me, it will be something vital to the well-being of our community, which makes it vital to my well-being as well."

Prowl turns his hand to catch hers. He brings it to his mouth to kiss and tastes the tanginess of her armor polish as he presses his lips against it. "You're a trusting treasure, my Auri. May I never break that trust, my love."

Auri's spark jumps at this endearment; he's not used it before, and there's something more touching and intimate about it than the other ones. She meets his optics and soaks in their deep blue adoration that mirrors hers. She wants to tell him that he's a treasure, too, but she feels a little overwhelmed at the moment. She kisses him softly yet quickly, and then nestles her helm against his shoulder. "My Prowl," she whispers. She rests against him with complete contentment for several minutes before she remembers something.

She smiles up at him.

"You have to tell me one more good thing, sweet spark," she says. "Number five."

Prowl hesitates. He looks away, looking vulnerable but also hopeful. She sees him debate within himself and feels his spark pulse quicken. He meets her optics, and she sees his small apprehension dissolve as he links his fingers in hers.

Then he whispers in Praxian.

"Before Ratchet restored my optics, I had a dream…" He pauses, thinking things over. "It was so…" He can't think of the word for it, so he goes on, still whispering. "Zephyr was there, binding copper threads together… she told me things… I… I regained sight of colors in my dream. It was grayscale, and then… colors."

Auri's optics widen with wonder. "You dreamed it before it happened…?"

Prowl nods softly, confirming. "And… and she told me to not be afraid, and that I would be ready… ready to love you without reserve."

Auri rubs her thumb across his hand tenderly. "And that happened, too," she whispers, looking up into his optics.

He is very, very still, but she feels his spark pulse quicken a little more. "And she said I wouldn't always miss Jazz," he whispers.

"Oh, Prowl…" Auri's optics widen with awe. "Do you think… possibly he's… he's… uh…?"

"Not truly dead," he supplies. He's squeezing her hand a little, and she knows he doesn't realize it. She puts her other hand over his to ground him, make him secure.

"How…" She not sure what to ask, but she's excited. "Is… is it possible?"

"Since… during this Med-Bay stay, I've…" He falters. It gets hard to piece together sentences when he's not calm.

"It's okay," Auri encourages. "No rush."

He runs cool air through his system and focuses on what he wants to say. "You know how you can sense the sparks of those you're close to when they're near?"

She nods.

"I've had… just the faintest echo of that feeling regarding Jazz… but only just as I'm waking from a deep sleep. It's like he's not exactly here, but here enough for me to sense him when I'm in a certain state of being."

"Wouldn't Ratchet tell you, though, if Jazz might live…?" she asks, puzzled.

"If he thinks Jazz might not… live or be restored, he will think it kindest to let me simply miss Jazz… Rather than give me hope of Jazz and then have that hope be… painfully torn from me. I understand this reasoning."

Auri thinks this over while Prowl's fingers caress her hand. "It would be wonderful to have Jazz with us," she murmurs softly after a little bit.

"It would. It would be so very wonderful." He hesitates and then goes on. "And sometimes… well, Praxus can be somewhat strange as is it, but… sometimes… sometimes he seems to… to have some kind of relationship with Jazz, or at least some strong interest. –When I talk about Jazz, and when there's a picture or sketch of Jazz, Praxus seems… more invested in him than you would think he would be."

Auri tilts her helm. "I've noticed that. I thought it was a bit of hero worship since you care so much about Jazz. –Like Praxus wanted to know about Jazz so he could be like Jazz."

Prowl nods. "I thought as much, too. But now… since having that dream and sensing him as I wake, I'm… I'm wondering if he's hidden somewhere and Praxus has been visiting him."

"That is the sort of thing Praxus would do," Auri muses with a soft smile. She puzzles over the bits of information he's given her and tries to problem solve. "Do you suppose you could you ask Ratchet some sort of indirect question that would give you a hint about Jazz? –Ooh, or Jolt or First Aid? I think they'd be easier to trick into giving information than Ratchet would. You know?"

Prowl cuddles her fondly. "I know what you mean. And I've considered it."

"And…?"

"I trust Ratchet. And if he thinks I shouldn't know yet, then I shouldn't go prying."

Auri shifts so she can stare at him. "But this Jazz we're talking about! –Your best friend! Don't you want to know?! I would want to know. How can you not…?"

"Shhhhh," Prowl hushes, putting a hand on her helm to calm her. "Auri, I do want to know. But… I'm a little afraid to know. And… it's like an egg. Fragile, delicate, yet bursting with potential. And you c-can't just go grab an egg expect everything to be okay then. You have to wait, you have to wait while the life inside it grows and becomes sure, and then one day, the life comes forth, and the wait was worth it."

Auri thinks about this, lowering her optics to her hands as Prowl gently rubs a finger across her knuckles. She understands; she doesn't fully understand, but she understands enough.

"I'm not going to ask about Jazz," he says. "As much as I want to, I'm not. And you aren't either," he adds, and she looks up in surprise at the sternness that has entered his tone. He hadn't said a stern word since his return, and she'd fairly forgotten that he could be stern.

For a split-second, she feels a tinge of resentment at being ordered to not do something that she wouldn't do anyway, but that vanishes when she sees the intense concern in Prowl's optics. He's not being boss or unreasonable; he's simply vulnerable and doesn't want to get hurt, she hadn't been exactly supportive a few moments ago.

"Oh, Prowl," she says softly, shifting to cradle against him. "I won't. And I wouldn't have, either," she reassures him, putting a hand gently on his armor, over his spark. "Even if I disagreed, I wouldn't have."

She hears him sigh, and he kisses her helm. "I… I should have realized that. I'm sorry."

Tilting her helm up so he can see that she isn't upset, she smiles up at him. "It's okay, my Prowl. I was only offended for a second. I saw that you were scared. You trusted me with a huge secret, and I seemed a little contrary about keeping it. But I would never do something that might hurt you."

"Thank you," he whispers, caressing her cheek. Then he halfway smiles. "Would a kiss make up for offending you?"

Her optics twinkle up at him. "Of course," she answers, smiling.

He kisses her gently on the cheek and then presses his lips very softly against her lips for just a moment before going on to kiss her jaw. She returns him a kiss, and then he smiles into her optics, causing her to smile back.

"Good?" he asks although he already knows.

"Very good," she answers. "I think we're going to be okay."

He chuckles gently. "I think so, too. We have vast potential, the best Cybertronian doctor on earth, and a very determined wing-mech named Praxus."

She giggles softly, a happy echo of his chuckle. "That we do," she says with approval and adoration.

He kisses her again. "Here's to all our tomorrows."

And that's it! Thank-you all again for everything, and please give this story/chapter its final round of reviews. It's been quite a journey. Best wishes to all of you.

And I have posted the prologue to This Love Will Carry: fanfiction s/13008070/1/

~Cairi