TG 'verse. The Prime's compound in Iacon. Battlefront.
"...And it turned out to be just a retro rat crawling around in the circuits." Red Alert shook his head, then looked down at the femme who lay with her head in his lap and smiled as her laughter came over the link. "I know. And they call me jumpy."
Sunstreaker sent affection and amusement, and a picture of the last time she'd seen him trying to figure out the input from his jangled and fritzing sensors.
"That was a long time ago." He gently stroked her helm, feeling a little sad to realize just how long it had been. "I'll have to go back to Earth sometime soon. Just to see how it's changed; maybe talk to Powerglide and Blaster."
Red guys.... Sunstreaker's body remained as lifeless as ever, but inwardly she was smiling.
"We're not that bad." Red Alert chuckled, but then sobered as he felt her grow serious. "She still needs you, Streaker. A brother that you find is no substitute for a sister that you were built with."
He felt her soft sigh and her weary yearning to get away from the pain, and slipped an arm under her to cradle her comfortingly, being careful of the wire that joined their wrists. "I know. I know."
The sadness continued for a moment, but then she rallied and teased him, and he blushed and stuck out his jaw, refusing to put her down. "You're still beautiful, Streaker. And Swiper hasn't got anything to be jealous of. I love you both."
Different... she told him. The feelings are... different.
"What?" He frowned and looked down at her still face. "What do you mean?"
She gave him an image of herself. Sister.... And then a picture of Sideswipe. ...More....
"What?" His blush returned. "No. That's not funny, Streaker. Please stop it."
Sunstreaker gave him a mental poke, and then her sigh echoed through his processor and she asked him to hold her close, unworded requests for reassurance lurking at the corners of her mind.
He rocked her gently, letting his cheek rest against her helm. -I'm here. I'll always be here, for both of you.-
She silently soaked up comfort for a few moments, then rose above her own war to ask about the larger one that affected them all.
Red Alert smiled and let her feel his pleased optimism. "The Meredronians are retreating on all fronts. Rodimus' new tactics and weapons are too much for them."
Sunstreaker's weary spark sang with fierce joy that faded away to another sigh.
"Don't say that." Red Alert stroked her helmet again. "Someday you'll see the sun again. One day you'll leave me in the dust, just like you used to do back on Earth."
She refuted the well meaning words gently, then dropped back into stasis, and Red Alert felt her pain fade as her spark slipped free of her battered and unresponsive body as it had so often before.
He held her as he always did, feeling grateful that her very weakness masked these excursions from her sister, and watching and protecting till she came back again refreshed and strengthened for another round of battle.
Sunstreaker sent affection and amusement, and a picture of the last time she'd seen him trying to figure out the input from his jangled and fritzing sensors.
"That was a long time ago." He gently stroked her helm, feeling a little sad to realize just how long it had been. "I'll have to go back to Earth sometime soon. Just to see how it's changed; maybe talk to Powerglide and Blaster."
Red guys.... Sunstreaker's body remained as lifeless as ever, but inwardly she was smiling.
"We're not that bad." Red Alert chuckled, but then sobered as he felt her grow serious. "She still needs you, Streaker. A brother that you find is no substitute for a sister that you were built with."
He felt her soft sigh and her weary yearning to get away from the pain, and slipped an arm under her to cradle her comfortingly, being careful of the wire that joined their wrists. "I know. I know."
The sadness continued for a moment, but then she rallied and teased him, and he blushed and stuck out his jaw, refusing to put her down. "You're still beautiful, Streaker. And Swiper hasn't got anything to be jealous of. I love you both."
Different... she told him. The feelings are... different.
"What?" He frowned and looked down at her still face. "What do you mean?"
She gave him an image of herself. Sister.... And then a picture of Sideswipe. ...More....
"What?" His blush returned. "No. That's not funny, Streaker. Please stop it."
Sunstreaker gave him a mental poke, and then her sigh echoed through his processor and she asked him to hold her close, unworded requests for reassurance lurking at the corners of her mind.
He rocked her gently, letting his cheek rest against her helm. -I'm here. I'll always be here, for both of you.-
She silently soaked up comfort for a few moments, then rose above her own war to ask about the larger one that affected them all.
Red Alert smiled and let her feel his pleased optimism. "The Meredronians are retreating on all fronts. Rodimus' new tactics and weapons are too much for them."
Sunstreaker's weary spark sang with fierce joy that faded away to another sigh.
"Don't say that." Red Alert stroked her helmet again. "Someday you'll see the sun again. One day you'll leave me in the dust, just like you used to do back on Earth."
She refuted the well meaning words gently, then dropped back into stasis, and Red Alert felt her pain fade as her spark slipped free of her battered and unresponsive body as it had so often before.
He held her as he always did, feeling grateful that her very weakness masked these excursions from her sister, and watching and protecting till she came back again refreshed and strengthened for another round of battle.