Another new fic when I have plenty that need work...it's not like I can say no to these two when they come knocking.

Please enjoy!

Prowl's faceplate didn't show any expression as he entered the sparsely furnished room. There was a berth tilted at a forty-five degree angle, a control console and a single chair. The walls were a utilitarian grey that sapped away any joy in his spark. The difference in the décor was intentional; he mechs brought to this room would never leave it. The change in atmosphere served to bring the point home and encourage any last minute confessions.

He hated this room. It felt like death.

Prowl's optics moved over the mech on the berth and his spark ached. He was chained at every possible joint, there was no way he could ever escape his bonds. The black frame was scratched and dented, evidence of his capture and subsequent interrogation. The mech had yielded sensitive information with only minor resistance, but not enough to stay his execution. He was classified as extremely dangerous, with a long list of offences to his name.

"Sir, you don't have to be here for this."

He turned to face the technician in charge of deactivating the prisoner. Weary blue optics in a grey face that had seen too much waited for him to leave. This Autobot had been taking sparks from Decepticon prisoners for several vorns and Prowl could see the duty was straining the poor mech. He made a mental note to reassign the technician elsewhere.

"Everybot deserves to have their end witnessed." Prowl replied, his voice steady and bland.

"Ya gonna mourn me, copbot?"

He turned his head and finally looked the prisoner in the optics. "Not for a moment."

The mech's face, dented and cracked with drying energon, faltered. The prisoner was clearly not used to being without a visor as his silver optics revealed his inner turmoil. Prowl's spark prickled knowing that he was going to be the last person this mech would ever see.

The once handsome face stared at him intently and Prowl could read the mech's desire to talk, not that anything he said would change his fate.

Prowl faced the Autobot again. "I would like to speak to the prisoner, please wait outside."

The technician darted a glance to the restrained prisoner. "Are you sure you want to be alone, sir?"

"The chances of him escaping and incapacitating me are infinitesimal, especially in his current state."

"I'll take ya on, copbot." The mech called out with a cackle.

Apparently reassured that his absence wouldn't get the Second in Command attacked, the tech threw a warning glare at the prisoner and left the chamber.

Prowl turned to face the berth. "You will be executed today, Meister."

"I know."

"You are resigned to your fate?"

White shoulders moved as much as they could within the restraints. "I expected to be dead long before now. I've been livin' on borrowed time."

"Do you understand why you are being executed?"

The mech grinned. "For my crimes against ya?"

Prowl nodded. "For your crimes against the Autobots and neutral Cybertronians alike."

He let out a low whistle. "Goin' all the way back, huh?"

"You will be held accountable for all the crimes we have evidence you were involved in."

Prowl moved around the room, deactivating the recording devices set up to document any last confessions.

"Ya gonna stay and watch?"

"Yes."

He stopped next to the inclined berth; silver optics looked up into his. The bare emotion in his gaze was Prowl's undoing. His spark jolted and started to race, the reality of the situation tearing at his control over his emotions.

"Not gonna mourn me, Prowler?"

"Not for a single moment, Meister."

The mech flinched, his optics full of hurt and confusion before he averted his gaze. Prowl brought his face back with a hand on his dented chin.

"I will mourn you for eternity."

Relief and slight amusement replaced the darker emotions swirling in his optics. Once again Prowl was amazed at the way this former-Decepticon could change moods.

Meister pressed his cheek into Prowl's hand. "Sweet talker, I don' know why tha Autobots think ya have no spark."

"None of them tried to find it. No one did until you."

Pride burst onto the face Prowl adored. It had been a tumultuous relationship from the beginning but somehow they had managed to make it work in an unorthodox kind of way.

Meister had been a Decepticon when he'd captured Prowl the first time. He'd tortured the senior tactician for information before realizing that Prowl wouldn't break. It had taken several days. Prowl had then managed to escape his bonds and knocked out his attacker in a brief scuffle before returning to base. From that point on Meister had appeared whenever Prowl had left the relative safety of Iacon, chipping away at Prowl's resistance.

Now Prowl looked down at his neutral lover and felt grief bloom in his spark. It had taken two vorns for Meister to get Prowl to stop shooting at him and talk, three more for Prowl to convince Meister to leave the Decepticons. Fights had been normal between them, physical and verbal as they tried to convert the other. Meister had finally agreed and defected, becoming a neutral. Less than seven orns later he had been caught by a routine patrol and brought back to Iacon.

"I'm sorry, Meister." Prowl said softly, linking his fingers with Meister's.

His free hand moved from his cheek and trailed over the marks left behind from the interrogation, willing away the pain. He touched each of the slices and burns, all of the areas where plating had been stripped and circuitry violated. Prowl had been present while Ironhide and Volt had drawn the information out of Meister, using every tool at their disposal. It had been terrible having to watch and do nothing as the knives carved into Meister's plating and the electrical charges flowed through his systems, making him thrash and cry out.

"Wha' for?"

"Being unable to save you. I didn't know they had you in custody until Optimus Prime informed me and by then you were already in interrogation." At that point he'd volunteered to be the officer observing the questioning.

Meister's shoulders moved again in a subdued shrug. "Not ya fault, babe. I shoulda known better than to hang out so close to Iacon's borders."

Prowl's doorwings drooped; Meister had been waiting for him at the boundary of Iacon's territory. He would abuse himself for that later; right now he focused on Meister's expressive optics. He'd been fascinated by the odd colour of his optics from the moment he'd broken Meister's visor and seen them. At the moment they were clear and gazing steadily back at him, no sign of fear for what was coming.

"You don't seem concerned."

Meister laughed and Prowl could just hear the tension in the light sound. "If I wasn' strapped down so well, I'd be shakin'… But I'll be alright; I've got ya here with me until they unplug me. Then I'll wait for ya in the Well."

Prowl smiled, a small lift of his lips. "I suspect even in the Well you will manage to cause trouble."

Meister grinned crookedly. "That's what I'm good for."

He shook his head once more and looked around the room. The technician would be back soon. Optimus Prime would most likely attend as well, if only to briefly speak to Meister. His leader liked these events even less than Prowl did. The Prime's view of all sentient life being allowed a chance for survival was noble but not always achievable. In Meister's case, he'd been causing havoc for far too long to simply be given the chance to escape and destroy whatever building he was in.

It would be practically impossible for Meister to escape his current situation….However, Prowl's optics narrowed as he surveyed the room with his tactical programming running; it wasn't unusual for Meister to escape in circumstances just as dire as this one.

"Whatever ya thinkin' of doin', stop it."

Prowl jerked his gaze back to Meister. "I have done nothing yet."

Meister's fingers tightened on his. "Yet. I know that look. Ya tryin' to find a way for me to escape. Stop. It's not worth ya position here."

"You are worth any sacrifice." Prowl said firmly, genuinely believing his words.

The black helm shook. "No, I'm not. I've fragged up a lot in my life but I won' let ya do the same. Ya the only one who fought for me, Prowler, let me do this and we can start new in the Well."

Prowl's doorwings drooped further as he accepted his lover's words and shut down his programming. "I'm sorry I did not do anything to stop them during the interrogation. Even after you'd given everything you knew."

The often hidden brow ridge quirked. "Knowin' ya were there kept me goin' Prowler. I knew ya wouldn' let 'em hurt me too bad. Besides, I didn' tell 'em eveythin' I know."

It was Prowl's turn to look confused. "What did you keep back?"

Meister's optics darkened subtly, his grin turned lustful and Prowl spark jumped. "I didn' tell 'em about you. I didn' want 'em to know just how gorgeous ya look when ya teasin' me with ya doorwings. Or the way ya like it when I bite ya chevron. Certainly didn' want to tell them just how good it felt when we merged, spike to port and spark to spark."

Prowl's doorwings swept up his back, his energon heating and rushing through his body at his lover's words. He glared at Meister who grinned back unrepentantly. Prowl shook his head and dropped it onto Meister's shoulder, offlining his optics to enjoy the soothing pulse of a spark close to his.

"Must you make this harder than it already is?"

A soft chuckle came from beside his audio and he felt lips press against his chevron, the contact sending pleasurable sensations through his body.

"Sorry, Prowler. But I can't have ya forgettin' me after they smelt me down."

Prowl reared back at glared hotly down at Meister. "I doubt that will be an issue."

"Good. I'd hate to have to come back just to harass ya." Meister shifted and jerked his head to the side. His visor slipped down out of his helm and covered his optics. "Take it, it should be loose. I want ya to have it."

Prowl carefully removed the crystalline glass and inspected it. "This will not suit me nor will it integrate into my helm."

Meister's optics rolled. "Sure, now ya let ya sense'o'humour show. Slagger."

Prowl smiled softly again and leaned down to press a quick kiss against Meister's lips. "I will keep it safe for you."

"Ya'd better. I'll be back for that." Meister laughed.

"If there is a way to escape the Well, I'm certain you will be the one to find it."

Meister winked. "If I frag off Primus ya gotta come save me."

Prowl let a soft laugh escape. "I see life will not change much at all."

He read the invitation in Meister's silver optics and gave in to it. Leaning over the restrained body, Prowl pressed into him before sealing their lips together.

Heat sparked, running through his body until his doorwings trembled. A soft sound came from his trapped lover, making Prowl groan into the kiss as his spark whirled hotly. Meister always managed to bring forward his passionate side, whether it was as a fight or interfacing.

His hand moved over Meister's chest, playing over the bindings and stroking the plating. His lover shook and strained against the cables. Prowl could clearly read the arousal as Meister's energy field flared against his own.

"Prowl, maybe ya could loosen the cables just a little?"

He shook his head, a wicked smile on his faceplate. His wings perked up on his back and he increased the pressure of his touches.

"No, I don't think I will. You had your chance for my help. You denied me. Do you remember what happens when you deny me?"

A shudder ran through Meister's body that shook the berth. His energy field brushed against Prowl's before merging with it, allowing Prowl to feel his hands on Meister's chassis. His spark quivered in his chest as he kissed Meister desperately, his processor knew what they faced next but Prowl was resolutely ignoring it. He left Meister's lips to trail down his neck, biting at the delicate cables and lines.

Meister groaned and tilted his head to allow Prowl greater access. "Oh, Primus! That's so good." He thrashed as much as he could and growled. "Ya gonna kill me, Prowler."

The words crashed through Prowl's processor like a wave of iced coolant. He jerked away from the berth, cycling air heavily through his vents as he stared straight at the grey floor. The purpose of the room slamming into him and bringing home the reason they were there; Meister's execution.

Pain burst in his chest and a soft noise left his vocalizer. His processor stalled, overcome by the sheer force of the grief in his spark. The world turned hazy around the edges of his vision.

"Prowl, I'm sorry. Come back over here."

He continued to back away, putting as much distance between himself and the berth as possible. His vents roared in the small room as they tried to cool down the growing heat in his frame. He didn't want to watch Meister deactivated, he shouldn't have to. They should have had a chance to build a life together, maybe one day Bond and have sparklings. Now none of that was possible.

"Dammit, Prowl! Get over here."

Prowl's head snapped up, his optics locking on Meister's. It wasn't often that he heard that tone in his lover's voice anymore. It was the one he used when he was boxed into a corner, hints of desperation and frustration tinting his voice.

Prowl's peds moved without him consciously telling them to. Once again he was at Meister's side, black fingers reaching out for his.

"Ya said ya wouldn' leave me."

Prowl shook his head, clearing the distortion in his neural networks. He wrapped his hand around Meister's fingers. "I'm here."

"I'm sorry, Prowl. I didn' mean it like that."

"I know. I overreacted." Prowl replied, surprised at his own actions. He never overreacted, he was constantly being accused of not reacting enough.

Meister's head bobbed. "Ya okay?"

"I will be, I must be under more stress than I initially thought."

Meister's fingers tightened around his. "You'll take some time off after today won't you? Relax your processor?"

Prowl shook his head. "No. I will focus on my work."

"Prowler, ya need to take a break, ya work yaself into stasis regularly."

"What could I possibly do with leave time without you? I'll sit around and become morose. I'd rather work until I can overcome and control the emotions."

Prowl saw Meister accept his reasoning, he also saw how much Meister disliked it. Prowl ran a hand down the scratched cheek to reassure his lover.

"At least promise me you'll talk to somebody, make a few friends just so I know ya not alone." Meister persisted.

He nodded. He could do that; surely friends would not be terribly hard to find if he looked.

Prowl's internal chronometer ticked away the time and he knew their solitude would be broken soon. He leant down and pressed his helm against Meister's, gazing into his unique silver optics.

"I love you."

"I love ya too, Prowler."

The door opened abruptly and Prowl jerked back to see Optimus Prime, Ironhide and Ratchet in the doorway. He knew his optics were wide and surprise covered his faceplate but that didn't stop Prowl from trying to come up with a reasonable excuse for being compromisingly close to a prisoner.

His mouth opened and closed several times before sound came out. "Sir, it's not…I mean I was just…"

Optimus Prime's hand came up and Prowl stopped trying to talk. "We have been aware of your relationship for some time."

Prowl felt the silence in his processor, recognized it as a precursor to one of his shutdowns. He willed the annoying glitch away; this was embarrassing enough without collapsing. Ratchet stepped further into the room, easily identifying Prowl's issue.

Meister asked the question that should have been foremost on his mind. "How?"

"Prowl told us." Ratchet replied.

Prowl shared a confused look with Meister. They had worked extremely hard to keep their relationship secret from both sides.

"He began doing things he hadn't before."

Prowl frowned. "Such as?"

"Ya took time off." Ironhide replied.

"Red Alert noticed a change in your behavior and brought his concerns to me." Optimus Prime said. "When you applied for leave we decided to monitor you."

"When was this?" Prowl's processor raced as he recalled the most recent absence he had taken.

There was an almost awkward silence between them until Ratchet crossed his arms and said. "You went to Altihex."

Prowl's optics widened and Meister coughed a few times before letting go and breaking into gales of laughter. Unable to look at his leader directly in the optic, Prowl stared at the wall instead. Of course it had to be Altihex. They hadn't seen each other in two orns and their reunion had been highly affectionate and more than a little inappropriate for public.

Meister was still laughing as he spoke. "That was a great city. I loved bein' there."

"We saw." Ironhide growled which set off Meister's laughter again.

Prowl tightened his hand around Meister's fingers in a silent request for control. Silver optics flicked to his and the laughter eased off.

"So, what are ya planning to do about it? There has to be a reason ya droppin' by before ya shut my spark down."

Prime stepped towards the berth, Ironhide close behind him. Ratchet had already taken a place at the control console and was fiddling with something there that Prowl couldn't see.

"Have you stopped your terrorizing habits, Meister?"

Shoulder plating adjusted slightly in a restrained shrug. "I still like to blow things up."

"Indiscriminately or for a purpose?"

Meister's optics narrowed at the Prime and Prowl felt him tense. "I limit my indulgences."

"That does not answer the question."

Meister's gaze was appraising, as was Optimus Prime's. Silence reigned for several seconds before Meister spoke again. "I won't attack anything that would upset Prowl."

"Have you done so to aid him?"

Silence again. "Yes."

Prowl stared at his lover as he felt the brooding gaze of Ironhide on him. This was the first he had heard of Meister being involved with anything that had to do with him outside their private lives. He certainly hadn't shared any sensitive information with the ex-Decepticon in the entire time they had been in contact. No personnel or mission files had been available to Meister, even during their interfacing sessions.

"What did you do?" The question left his lips before he was aware of it.

Meister's optics returned to his. "I removed a few obstacles. Decepticon officers, double agents, assassins, admirers."

Prowl automatically dismissed the last one. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Ya wouldn't have liked it."

"Of course not. You put yourself in danger needlessly. I am perfectly capable of handling myself."

"But ya shouldn't have to if I can do something about it. An' isn't it better when I'm handlin' ya?" Meister smirked, his brow waggling suggestively.

Prowl resisted rolling his optics at the incorrigible mech. He wasn't surprised that Meister would make such a comment with the Prime in the room. "That does not weigh into this issue."

Meister's smile widened. "I love it when ya get mad at me."

"You'd be the only one." Ironhide quipped, seemingly no longer concerned about Optimus Prime's safety.

"I'm happy wit that."

Prowl covered his face with the hand not still wrapped around Meister's. His logic center was starting to overheat in a mildly uncomfortable way. It simply defied Prowl's thinking that he could possibly be in this situation; in a room with Optimus Prime, Ironhide and Ratchet while holding hands with an ex-Decepticon spy as he bantered with Ironhide….

The shut-down heralding silence had returned and Prowl focused on the joining lines in the wall as he fought back the processor stall. The general noise of the room soon returned to normal volume just in time for Prowl to hear Optimus Prime's next spark-halting words.

"I've heard what I need to. Ratchet, please prepare for the procedure."

Prowl spark went cold, his gaze snapping over to where Ratchet was smirking at him. That was it? They had exposed Prowl's relationship and now they would just shut his lover off? Why was Ratchet smiling like that?

Meister's fingers tightened around his and Prowl looked down into silver optics. Concern stared back at him and Prowl's spark jolted in pain. How long had they been fighting to avoid this very situation? It seemed like an eternity that they had been hiding their affection from everyone.

Prowl only looked up when his leader was standing across from him. Prime's optics were compassionate and Prowl felt a bubble of hope form in his spark.

"Meister, I am going to offer you an opportunity. It will never be made again and the knowledge of it will never leave this room."

Meister's silver optics flashed to Prowl's face and they exchanged a curious look.

"During the course of your relationship I have observed a change in Prowl's behavior, and although I believe change is good I also feel that if separated so definitively Prowl will return to his former demeanor, if not become worse."

Prowl controlled the indignant frown that reflexively threatened to show on his faceplate, he understood what Prime was saying and even agreed with it. Hadn't he informed Meister that he would close himself off from the world after today?

Optimus Prime continued. "Your career is well documented and we believe your skill set would be invaluable to the Autobots."

"Are ya offerin' me a job, Prime?" Meister asked, his mouth twisted in disbelieving humor.

Prowl was almost surprised that a similar expression wasn't on his face. Was Optimus Prime truly going to offer Meister a free pass into the Autobot ranks? It was unheard of!

"Under severe restrictions. You would cease to be 'Meister' a new name and form would be found for you. Today 'Meister' deactivates permanently. Under no circumstance will you ever be able to admit to being 'Meister' or you will find yourself back in this chamber. We would require you to undergo training like any other recruit and you will be under constant observation until we decide you are no longer a threat."

Meister scoffed. "Is that likely to happen?"

"Probably not." Ironhide replied. "Since I'll be the one watching ya."

"Psychological assessments will be necessary as well." Prime continued as if the pair hadn't interrupted. "Finally, and most importantly, I offer this under the promise that a Bond will be created between you."

Prowl felt the slackness in his faceplates as he understood what Prime was saying. Meister could stay functional if he defected and they bonded. Panic swamped his system as logic subroutines worked to help him through the situation. He had considered bonding to Meister but not so suddenly, in a few vorns maybe they would have discussed it and several more after that they might have actually finalized their commitment. That was the way it had worked in Prowl's head, not like this.

Had he looked down Prowl would have seen Meister smile happily and nod slowly to Prime. As it was, Prowl was pulled from his stupor by Meister's fingers tugging at his. He shifted his gaze from Prime to his lover, staring into those stunning silver optics and felt his spark pulse sharply.

"Will ya Bond with me, handsome? Make an Autobot outta me?"

Something clicked in Prowl's chest, chasing away the panic that made him want to flee. A feeling of 'right' settled over his spark and he allowed one of his rare smiles to emerge.

"I will."

"Not yet you won't." Prime said, interrupting the moment.

Prowl looked up at his leader in confusion. "Sir? I thought that was the agreement."

"Meister will have to prove that he is dedicated without you backing him up. Once his training and assessments are complete then you can solidify your Bond. I won't have my Second in Command Bonded to a potential threat."

Prowl locked optics with Meister again, this time uncertainty stared back at him and Prowl tightened his fingers around Meister's in support.

Prowl winced as he watched Meister's former body slowly sink into the smelting pit. He knew that Meister lived, his spark and neural centre had been carefully harvested from his body and prepared for transport, but seeing the grey form being irrevocably destroyed was more than a little disconcerting.

Once the body had completely disappeared, Prowl turned the recording off and prepped the video package to be sent to the Decepticons.

He looked back one last time at the bubbling pool of molten metal before leaving the chamber. It would be a long time before he saw Meister again, or whomever Meister turned into. Prime had told him he couldn't know as that might compromise the ex-Decepticon's conversion into an Autobot. He merely had to wait until his lover appeared again.

It was a good thing he had patience to spare.

EXTRA

Optimus Prime frowned behind his battlemask as he waited for Ironhide to appear with Ratchet. Once the security systems turned off in the execution chamber a backup system would activate and the cameras in front of him would start displaying what was happening inside.

And the security within the room would be deactivated, Prime was certain of that. Prowl's carefully hidden romance with the Decepticon Meister had been a surprise no one had seen coming. It had been disturbing to think his most trusted lieutenant was fraternizing with an enemy agent, most concerning of all was that Prowl contained extremely sensitive information in his CPU. An experienced hacker and saboteur like Meister wouldn't have too much trouble accessing it.

The door opened and Ironhide ushered Ratchet inside. The medic looking around in confusion at the bare room until he saw Optimus standing in front of the bank of monitors.

"Optimus, what is going on? I was in the middle of training First Aid, the Protectobots will be shipping out soon and I want him ready."

"I understand, Ratchet, however we have a more immediate situation to deal with." Optimus replied. "Do you recall me asking you about spark transfers?"

"Of course." Ratchet huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "The procedure is still extremely dangerous. Probability of full recovery is sixty-five percent, and that's in a strong spark."

Optimus nodded. "I believe we will have to consider the option."

"For who?"

As if they were being watched by Primus, the bank of monitors lit up. Optimus turned to face the bright screens as he heard Ratchet's quiet exclamation behind him. Prowl stepped up to the berth, he was looking down at the chained Decepticon as he spoke. Prime didn't need to hear what was being said at this point and left the volume control at low. He winced internally at the degree of damage done to Meister during his interrogation.

"What happened? When was he caught?"

"Meister was found at the edge of Iacon's territory. He was captured and restrained with minimum damage done to the arresting Autobots."

"And I can assume his current state was thanks to Ironhide's heavy handed interrogation methods." Ratchet gestured at a monitor angrily. "Why wasn't I called to seal up at least some of the injuries?"

"He was marked to be executed. Didn' think we needed a medic to fix him up before we shut him down." Ironhide responded as he cracked his joints slowly.

"I did not call you in here to discuss the ethical treatment of prisoners." Prime said sternly. "We have a decision to make regarding Prowl."

All three sets of optics focused on the screens as Prowl's hand moved from Meister's cheek to his body, presumably inspecting the wounds inflicted by Ironhide and Volt.

"We need to decide if it is worthwhile keeping Meister online."

"In the brig?" ironhide asked.

"No, you idiot." Ratchet groused. "As a brand new mech. Prime wants me to do a spark transfer. Do you think it would be worth it, Optimus?"

He looked between his two longtime friends and back to the monitors. Prowl was leaning over Meister, clearly discussing something serious.

"I don't like the chances of Prowl taking the loss of his partner hard. He has become more approachable over the last vorn and it would be unacceptable to me not to consider his happiness at this time."

Ironhide gaped. "You'd consider letting a violent mech like Meister free just to keep Prowl happy?"

"He lets a violent mech like you run free." Ratchet retorted. "Where's the difference?"

Optimus ignored the banter. He saw the way Ratchet was watching the pair on screen, he had obviously seen the same thing Optimus had. The change in Prowl had started slowly, almost reluctantly, but it had grown steadily. Prime had seen him smile at one of Sideswipe's jokes only an orn ago.

"In the short term a mech as emotionally restrictive as Prowl will retreat and no doubt become more difficult to deal with. Long term, he'll be fine. But by long term, I'm talking forty to fifty vorns minimum."

"How difficult will he be, do you think?"

Ratchet pursed his lips for a moment. "Consider what Prowl was like two vorns back and multiply it by two-hundred percent. If you're deactivating Meister today I want a transfer."

Optimus scowled and saw Ironhide wince. This was worse than he'd thought, Prowl was an integral part of the Autobot command core and he needed his Second in Command to be fit and stable. A mech like Meister had helped develop Prowl's social skills and without that mech around anymore…

"If they agree I would like you to perform a spark transfer."

"I would have to get some equipment from my lab but I could do the extraction today. You understand that I'll have to go with him. Crystal City would be the best place to recreate him."

Optimus nodded. "I understand. Get what you need, we will wait for you."

Ratchet smirked and left the room. Ironhide moved to stand next to him, they both watched the monitors.

"I'm not sure letting him loose in the army is a good idea."

"He won't be. I want you to watch him while he's at basic training."

Ironhide looked startled. "Basic training? This bot has single handedly brought down entire battalions."

"I am well read on Meister's file. What I want is for him to be completely integrated into the Autobots. He will need to fight his way back to Iacon and prove that it was worth our time and investment before we allow him near Prowl again."

"Ya separating them? I thought Ratchet said he'd get worse."

"I'm not going to separate them permanently. Just long enough for Meister to establish himself as an Autobot. If he can't then we remove him."

Ironhide nodded and Optimus suspected he supported the harsher angle of the plan. Meister had caused major upsets throughout the war and had become suspiciously quiet of late. If he brought up the files he was sure he'd see a correlation between Prowl's improved attitude and Meister's drop in attacks.

Optimus averted his optics as Prowl kissed Meister. It wasn't something he wanted to see after what he'd seen from Altihex. That had been an optic-opening experience.

They had hoped to find out what had prompted the change in Prowl's behavior but were instead witnessed a reunion of lovers. Prowl had been standing alone in a courtyard one moment, the next he had a silver form jumping on him. The surveillance drone watching them had continued to record as a highly affectionate Meister encouraged Prowl to kiss him passionately out in public. It was soon apparent that the two mechs had forgotten where they were as hands started to roam. Optimus had stopped the footage at that point, not wanting to see his Second in such a manner. Ironhide had been shocked but Ratchet had pouted and demanded he turn it on again.

"Prime." Ironhide's voice was curt.

Optimus looked back to see Prowl backing away from Meister, his doorwing twitching in agitation. He flicked a switch and the volume rose.

"Prowl, I'm sorry. Come back over here."

They exchanged a look of surprise at the gentle tone of voice. The only sound he had heard come from Meister was a deranged cackle.

"Dammit, Prowl! Get over here."

Optimus watched as Prowl jerked his head up and moved slowly back to the berth. His optics were slightly unfocused until he was standing next to Meister.

"Ya said ya wouldn' leave me."

Optimus' spark ached at the emotionally strained voice. He understood now why Prowl had offered to observe the interrogation and be present at the execution. Prowl loved Meister and it was very obvious that Meister reciprocated. Optimus felt that he was making the right choice.

He turned off the sound again as sharp knock came through the door. Ironhide ushered Ratchet inside with a compact machine wheeled behind him.

"I hope you're sure about this, Prime. I just had to leave my medbay in the hands of two apprentice medics. You'd better not plan on going into fight until I get back."

"I will endeavor to place this war on hold until you have returned to reattach whatever body part Megatron blows off me next."

Ratchet glared at him darkly and set up his machine. "I'm going to have to use the sedative already in the chamber. I will disable the other components so he does not accidentally deactivate…that said, Ironhide, stay away from the control panel."

Ironhide flipped Ratchet a rude hand gesture and crossed his arms. Optimus was glad that his battlemask was in place as he could never control his smile when these two harassed each other.

Regaining composure, Optimus shut down the monitors. "Let's go."

Well, what do you think? There's a second part but not sure if I will make it just one or split it into two.

Please review, they feed my ego.

TammyCat