Chapter Text
"Optimus!"
The quick, thudding footsteps of the Autobot leader echoed through the hallway he had entered only moments ago. "Ratchet? What is wrong?" He asked, slowing as he appeared in the main room of the base. Arcee was right behind him, having to take longer strides to keep up with Optimus'.
As they entered, Ratchet typed furiously on the large keyboard. "We're receiving a signal from an Autobot ship near the state of Arizona." He said, glancing back at Optimus as he continued to triangulate the location. "I can't create a comm connection."
Arcee hurried up behind Ratchet and placed a hand on his shoulder to get a better look at the screen. "It looks small." She told Optimus as she looked back at him. Optimus stepped behind them, and Ratchet moved to reveal the computer screen to Optimus.
"It is not Wheeljack again?" He asked hesitantly, staring at the specs that Ratchet had been able to gather.
"It can't be," Bulkhead's low voice echoed in the hall before his large frame was blocking the doorway. "He left days ago. Jackie wouldn't be back so soon."
"And, it's not the Jackhammer's signal," Ratchet added, gesturing to the specs on screen. "Wheeljack's ship is far out of range."
"It could be another Decepticon trick," Arcee suggested, studying the beeping signal.
"It is possible." Everyone looked to Optimus, then. His voice always had that effect. "But if it is not, we cannot ignore an ally. Ratchet, triangulate coordinates and open a groundbridge. You will accompany me in case medical attention is required." He turned his head to the approaching Bulkhead. "Bulkhead and Arcee as well."
A chorus of whirrs and beeps eruptted from the other side of the base. At the exit ramp, Bumblebee's engine cut, and three doors opened. Jack and Miko stepped out of the backseats while Raf hopped out of the passenger side.
"Bulkhead!" Miko called and dashed forward.
Bulkhead grinned and scooped her up to nuzzle her face. "Whoa, comin' in hot!" He chuckled. Raf smiled as he moved away for Bumblebee to transform. Jack, however, hesitated at the screen in front of Arcee. His guardian picked him up so he could better see the screen.
"What's this?" He asked Arcee.
"An Autobot signal," Ratchet replied instead. He was busy arming himself with the few medical devices he didn't already have on him. "It just appeared."
"Another 'bot? Woo hoo!" Miko exclaimed from Bulkhead's shoulder, throwing her arms into the air. Bumblebee whirred and danced, and Raf laughed.
"We do not know for sure, Miko, but I am hopeful," Optimus said, and a brief smile appeared. He nodded at Ratchet, who already had his hand on the handle of the groundbridge. Green and blue swirled to life. "There were many of us scattered across this galaxy. It is entirely possible that one ended up on Earth, just as Wheeljack did."
Ratchet began moving toward the bridge. Arcee and Bulkhead sat Jack and Miko back down on the human-sized platforms to join him.
"Hey!" Miko protested. She attempted to climb back up Bulkhead's fingers, but he snatched her up by the scruff of her shirt like a cat.
"Oh, no. Not today, Miko," He said, and plopped her down next to Jack and now Raf. She huffed and crossed her arms roughly. "It could be a trap."
"But what if it isn't?" She pressed.
"No means no."
Miko stamped her foot on the ground.
"Bumblebee." Optimus called for the scout, which made everyone silent. "Stay with the children and operate the groundbridge." Bumblebee beeped and nodded once. Optimus turned to Miko. She tensed again. "Miko, you will stay here."
"Yes, sir," she muttered, staring at her twisting feet.
"Autobots!" Optimus walked to the front of his party, just in front of the groundbridge. "Transform, and roll out!"
He took one large step forward and instantly transformed into his semi. The rest followed suit: Bulkhead, his SWAT truck; Arcee, her motorcycle; Ratchet, his emergency vehicle. They disappear into the groundbridge, one-by-one.
A loud cry from Bumblebee startled Jack and Raf, then the groundbridge immediately powered down.
"Awwww!"
Jack looked away from the frightened Bee and toward Miko, who was now standing in front of the groundbridge, arms slack in defeat.
"Uh- Miko!?" He exclaimed.
Bumblebee stomped to her, beeping and buzzing, and picked her up to place her back on the platform.
"Ugh! You're all party poopers!" Miko yelled and crossed her arms again as she stomped off.
Raf palmed his head. Bumblebee whirred lowly and gently scooped Raf up to take him to the little living room Agent Fowler had helped set up for the kids.
Jack looked around for a moment, then threw up his arms and started down the stairs. Miko had better not be in the armory again.
_____________________________________
The rumble of the powerful semi bounced between the trees. The forest Optimus and his team had bridged into was denser than originally hoped, so they found an old, unused stretch of road to travel on for the time being. With the detour, they were all rushing to get there before the Decepticons did. Optimus knew now that they couldn't have received the signal, however, because it was cloaked to Decepticon scanners.
How had he known that?
"Ratchet, how far until we arrive?" Optimus asked, his voice cutting through the rumble of his engine. He knew they were close.
"Only another mile, Optimus," Ratchet replied from behind the party. "We need to turn into the trees, then. After that, the ship will be straight ahead."
Optimus fell silent again, but it was broken by another.
"I wonder if it's anyone we know," Arcee thought aloud, speeding up slightly to catch up to Bulkhead.
"I know how much of a relief it was to see Jackie," Bulkhead said. "It would be nice to see someone we all know, like Jazz."
"I've not seen him since Cybertron." Arcee goes silent for a moment. Her voice is softer when she speaks again. "I hope he made it."
"Jazz is a more than capable warrior, Arcee," Optimus assured her. "I am sure he is quite all right."
Arcee only hummed.
"Here, Optimus," Ratchet said, slowing and transforming into his bot mode.
Optimus braked with a hiss and transformed, followed by Arcee and Bulkhead. He looked over the treeline at a faint cloud of smoke rising above them. It was still a ways into the woods. It would be just a little longer.
"Crash?" Bulkhead suggested as he moved next to Optimus. Optimus hardly acknowledged the big bot standing beside him. He only nodded slightly, and brought a hand to his chest, grazing his fingertips right over his spark casing as he squinted over the treeline.
Bulkhead's face took a bewildered look. Arcee and Ratchet met each other with similar looks.
"Optimus?"
Optimus blinked. His hand closed over his spark. "Yes, Bulkhead?"
"You ignored me," Bulkhead said, facing him.
"I did?" Optimus furrowed his brows, then looked back over the treeline. His foot shifted in that direction. "I thought I... I am sorry, Bulkhead. Something feels... odd."
Bulkhead just waved him off, then moved to follow Optimus as the latter stepped into the forest. It seemed as if something was pulling their leader in.
As they grew closer to the billowing smoke, Optimus grew faster. It was like he was attached to an ever pulling leash. He weaved seamlessly through the trunks and overhead branches, only stopping for one moment because he suddenly realized how fast he was becoming. He let them catch up before continuing at the same speed.
"What in the pits is wrong with Optimus?" Bulkhead muttered furiously, turning sideways to squeeze past a tree and tearing it from its roots anyway. He carefully set it upright.
"I'm not sure," Ratchet said, helping Arcee out of a branch caught in her frame. "He's been a bit absent these past couple days, but nothing this bad."
Arcee was free, and they rushed to catch up with Optimus again. "Is he-"
"Sick? No. I've already thought the same. He's perfectly healthy."
"We can tell," Bulkhead chuckled as he gestured to Optimus, now almost at the treeline of the open space the ship had created. The trees here were a bit less dense, and they finally caught up to Optimus just as he entered the space.
The rest of the team had their blasters weaponized, but Optimus just trotted out into the field, scanning the area and ship. Ratchet was going to call to him, but an old, familiar voice rang in his ears.
"Scrap!" It cursed after a painful metal-on-metal noise. Footsteps sounded on the ship's ramp. "Slagging good for nothing-" the voice cut off with a sharp inhale and sound of a blaster weaponizing.
Ratchet's eyes widened. He de-weaponized his blaster and motioned for the other two to do the same. They hesitantly followed suit, but stayed in the treeline. That voice, the sharpness in her words… it could not be.
Optimus’ spark tugged him a faltering step forward, toward the femme standing at the top of the ramp. Her pink plating shone in the sun, highlighting those familiar scars that littered it. The blaster held toward his chest fell and vanished within the arm that he had held long before this violence. Instantly, the energon grew hot in his veins.
"Op-?" The femme's voice struggled to form words. Her wide eyes met his. His spark stopped. It had been so long since he had heard her last, experienced her existence. "Optimus?" She breathed, clutching at her chassis.
The battle mask buried in his faceplates shot over his mouth as he tried to speak. Optimus flinched and frantically deactivated it.
"Elita?" He questioned cautiously. Optimus took another shaky step forward. She took one down the ramp. Elita-One opened her mouth to speak again, but a choked breath was the only thing Optimus heard. His chassis tightened. He wanted to speak, too, but all he could do was nod. That was all it took.
She almost immediately broke into a run, and Optimus did, too. Elita was sobbing when they crashed into each other, Optimus lowering at the last second to lift her tight into his embrace.
"Oh, my love," Optimus muttered shakily into Elita's helm. Her legs came around his waist, and he pulled her even tighter. Her head dug under his chin, sobs shaking her frame. His hand pulled her head farther into where she had placed it.
“I can't believe I found you.” Elita cried into his neck cables. “Holy Primus, I found you.” Hands clutched at Optimus’ shoulders and head.
“It is me. I'm here,” He whispered to her, optics wide and unbelieving. He pulled her out of his neck cables and lowered her pedes to the dirt, optics never leaving her face. On the mark just below her left optic, he traced a finger. His optics caught the discoloration on her right audial. Hands cupped both sides of her face. “You are so beautiful.”
More tears spilled from Elita as Optimus brought his lips to hers. She gripped at his forearms. He could feel their spark-bond again and the old feeling brought tears to the surface. “So beautiful.” He murmured against her. Elita kissed him back, digits tightening on his arms.
Back by the treeline, Arcee and Bulkhead moved into the clearing on Ratchet's lead. The medic, for once in his many years since the fall of Cybertron, was grinning audial-to-audial. Confusion lingered with Arcee and Bulkhead. Never had they seen Optimus so openly affectionate and definitely not in the way that they witnessed now.
As the others stepped out of the trees, Elita flinched and tore away from Optimus, almost energizing her blasters, but when she saw Ratchet ahead of them she only gaped and looked back up to her sparkmate.
“We are safe, Sweetspark. It is only us.” He assured, gesturing over to the three Autobots he considered family. Ratchet was still smiling as he walked over to the two. Elita embraced him.
“Ratchet, I thought I'd never see you again,” she said as she pulled away.
“Nonsense,” Ratchet blubbered and wiped away a few of her tears. “You aren't injured, are you?”
Elita shook her head. “A few dents and scrapes, but nothing severe.” Those blues met Optimus’ again. They made his circuits buzz. Elita pushed herself closer to him as he wrapped an arm around her waist. “Who else is with you?”
“Along with Ratchet, these two warriors,” Optimus states as the two finally appear behind Ratchet. “Bulkhead and Arcee. Bumblebee is also with us, but he is back at base.”
A smile touched Elita's lips at the mentioned Bumblebee, but she looked to the other two she had yet to greet.
“Bulkhead,” she held out her hand to the big wrecking ball and he took it gingerly. “You're the Wrecker. I remember your work on Cybertron. It's an honor.”
“Me? No,” Bulkhead insisted, releasing Elita’s hand and waving her honors off. “That should be for you.” He gave her an anxious laugh.
“Take the compliment, big guy.” Elita grinned then turned to Arcee and put out a hand for her as well. “Arcee! You and Cliffjumper were the soldiers who destroyed Shockwave's spacebridge. You slowed their pursuit of Optimus and for that, I thank you.”
Arcee's face fell at the mention of her former partner. She cleared her throat and gathered herself. “No need for thanks. It was a pleasure crashing Shockwave's plans.”
Elita laughed. Optimus gave her a gentle smile as she met his optics again. “Let us return to base,” he offered. “There, we may catch up.”
“Gladly.” Elita's shoulders sagged. “I have been traveling for far too long.” She slowly pulled out of Optimus’ touch, clearly unhappy about the distance she was putting between them. “I will cloak my ship for now. You may do with it what you will. I'm not leaving Optimus again.”
The Autobot leader's face softened greatly. He reached out and cupped her face before leaning over to plant a kiss on her head. Elita hummed softly, reveling in the affection she had been deprived of for years. Reluctantly, she hurried over to the ship and up the ramp.
Whatever had been the source of the smoke had stopped now; there were no more trails of gray puffs entering the sky. That would indeed make it difficult for the Decepticons to find.
In an instant, the ship was gone.
Elita appeared again, seemingly exiting thin air, and walked down the ramp as it began to close. She hopped off at the very end, hitting the ground hard. Her pedes hit a wet patch of dirt, then her aft met the ground.
Optimus rushed over to her, at first intending to help her, but when he realized she was not injured at all, he only snickered. Elita shot a hot glare at him. He continued grinning.
Elita rolled her optics. “Help me up, afthole,” she ordered.
“Yes, ma'am.” Optimus lowered his hand and pulled her up with ease. “Sorry, love.”
“Sure.”
The interaction between them left Ratchet feeling nostalgic, but Bulkhead and Arcee did not really know how to react. Optimus was never one to joke or make fun, but here he was doing just that. They exchanged looks, shrugging.
As the two sparkmates made their way back over, Elita grumbling about the give of the ground, Ratchet finally commed Bumblebee to open a spacebridge.
“We have a surprise, Bumblebee,” Ratchet added cheerfully. Some whirrs and beeps shouted from the other side of the comm, but Ratchet only laughed–a trait that none of the human children had grown used to–and told the young bot: “You'll see. Now open the bridge.”