"When you're in love you never really know whether your elation comes from the qualities of the one you love, or if it attributes them to her; whether the light which surrounds her like a halo comes from you, from her, or from the meeting of your sparks."
- Natalie Clifford Barney

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Several Months Later.

Sam Witwicky was careful with his aim. He knew that one step too far could blow this entire thing, and he was quite determined to get this exactly right. It was a dangerous task, and failing it would mean that he would pay the ultimate price. It was important to do this absolutely perfectly, in order to beat his adversary.

He narrowed his eyes, nodded, and then began to run, yelling. “WHOOOOOOOO!” he shouted as he leapt off the end of Optimus Prime’s arm, somersaulting through the air and landing with a neat but impressive splash in the warm lake below.

Ironhide snorted as the boy surfaced for air, grinning. “You think that was a big splash?” he said scornfully. “Foolish boy…”

“What, y’think you can do better, Ron?” Sam grinned from the water, his hair soaking wet. “C’mon then, let’s see the great weapons specialist of Cybertron go swimming.” He pulled a face. “Or aren’t you man enough?”

Chromia smiled from where she was lazily lying on the grassy bank, basking in the heat of the midday summer sun. “Go on, Ironhide, Sam’s challenging you,” she pointed out to her mate, who glared at her irritably. “I thought you always accepted a challenge?” He narrowed his blue eyes at her but she merely blinked her own at him, knowing that he could never be angry with her.

Although she was now repaired, Chromia had lost the one that she had been partnered with. It had been too late to save Tess Parsons after she had lost so much blood, and she had finally died in Hoover Dam, surrounded by the friends she had made, both robot and human. Even when the paramedics had been called to the scene in an air ambulance, the defibrillator had not worked, and she could not be brought back.

Chromia had survived. When Victoria’s sympathy for Starscream had broken the bonds, it had broken every bond – not only those of the Decepticons. Their connection had been shattered – and Tess’s death had not affected the body of her partner. But it had hurt them all deeply inside, particularly Chromia.

She had not spoken for a month, withdrawing into herself to mourn in silence for the young woman that she had come to know as her friend and comrade. Finally Ironhide, desperate to see her old fiery personality, had gruffly admitted to her that he had what he called ‘warm feelings’ for her. With a bit of glaring from Bumblebee and Jazz, this had led to his admittance that he ‘felt very strongly’ about her. Although they had carried egging him on, he had merely glared at them right back.

She’d understood. And her first words since Tess had died had been a gentle, ‘I love you too, Ironhide’.

“Traitor,” he muttered in her direction now, before he turned towards the lake. “Move it, Witwicky.”

Sam hastily swam away and hauled himself out of the water and onto the bank. “What, you’re actually going to do it?” he asked incredulously. “Wow. Ironhide. I actually never knew that there was a wild, fun, party-loving side of you.”

Ironhide dealt him a contemptuous look. “That would be because there isn’t.”

Bumblebee chuckled. “But you’re wrong, Ironhide,” he said, sounding almost hurt by the suggestion. “Don’t you remember when you and Hound managed to steal all that energon from Thrust’s personal supplies and we had a celebration? You certainly had a good time then. You were singing! And I’m quite sure I saw you trying to spark with that femme from –”

“Bumblebee,” Ironhide thundered, “If you ever mention that again I shall have you melted down to slag.”

Chromia raised an optic ridge. “What femme, my beloved?” she questioned sweetly. “I wouldn’t like to think there was anybody else that you wanted to spark with… am I not good enough for you?”

“No, no, no!” he denied swiftly. “It was a – I mean – you know what happens when I have too much energon, Chromia –”

Sam rolled his eyes irritably. “God, lover’s tiff or what?” he groaned. “Stop stalling, Ron. Get your metal ass in that lake or I will continue to repeatedly call you Ron for the rest of your life. I will even come back and haunt you with it after I’ve died. There’ll always be a Sam Witwicky ghost on your shoulder, going –” here he put on a ghoulish voice and waved his arms, “’Ron… Roooooooon…’”

Ironhide pointed his cannon at Sam. “Stop wittering on, Winklewittle.”

Sam gave him a look that would have killed any other being but Ironhide.

With a grunt of effort, Ironhide threw himself into the air. Sam gulped and ran for it as God-knew-how-many-tonnes of robot came crashing down into the water, sending up a tidal wave of liquid that completely engulfed Optimus Prime, who was still standing calmly on the edge of the bank. The leader blinked as he was hit full in the face but did not move an inch.

Victoria, who had been sitting at his feet, shrieked as she was soaked. “IRONHIDE!” she screamed, jumping to her feet and looking down at herself.

Sam fell over laughing. “I can see your bra,” he grinned, pointing towards her shirt, which had turned inconveniently translucent in the dampness. She let out a wail of fury and crossed her arms over her chest, stomping towards him with an expression of pure fury. “Oh dear…” were his only words before she gave him a wet slap across the cheek.

“I hate you, Sam Witwicky,” she giggled, wrestling with him playfully. Optimus smiled down at the two of them as they rolled about in the grass, getting their wet bodies plastered with the greenery.

After Mikaela and Sam had had ‘a talk’, Sam had become very depressed for several weeks, speaking only to Bumblebee and looking as though all the hope had dropped out of his world. Optimus had managed to wheedle the information from Bumblebee that she had broken her romantic attachment to Sam, although she had pleaded with him to remain friends. He’d agreed somewhat reluctantly but had still not looked her in the eye for at least a month. Bumblebee had discouraged this, however, begging Sam to talk to her again, and they had finally come to a truce.

Mikaela had encouraged Sam to seek a new love, and though Sam had been slightly resentful, he had privately taken her at her word. After another week he had turned his attention to Victoria, who, despite being quite attached in a platonic way to Optimus, had agreed to become his girlfriend. It had been a good decision, and both of them were very happy.

Optimus now considered Victoria a daughter figure, someone that he was sworn to protect and defend. She often came to him for advice and when she was not with Sam she was usually with him. He enjoyed her company but had decided, still, not to become her Spark partner. It would only cause Sam to become jealous, and he wished no more unhappiness upon either of them.

“I’m sorry,” Sam laughed. “I didn’t say it was like, an unpleasant sight, or anything…”

Ironhide poked his huge head up out of the water. “Witwicky, pay attention!” he roared and Sam sprung away from Victoria, saluting. “Do I win the challenge, boy?” he snapped, and Sam paused as if he might be thinking about it. “Well?”

“Yeah okay,” he sighed. “You win.”

Triumphant, the weapons specialist emerged from the lake and shook himself off. “Right, good,” he said smugly, proceeding to collapse beside Chromia. “Let’s hear no more about which one of us is the superior man, then.”

Sam choked. “Excuse me?” he spluttered. “I never said that winning that sad little competition made you a superior man! What are you saying?”

Bumblebee watched Sam and Ironhide bicker with relief. He was delighted that Sam was back to his usual chirpy, witty self.

Sam and Bumblebee had rebonded at once. After losing Sam for so long, Bumblebee was determined to keep the boy as close to him as possible, and swore never to let his charge out of his sight again ("Within reason, Bee", Sam had agreed). Inseparable as ever from each other, they were a dynamic duo that all their friends adored, and no-one could be happier that the two were such great friends but Bumblebee.

Except… he would prefer Mikaela to be here. He missed her – he hadn’t seen her since yesterday. It wasn’t a long time but he did like the girl a lot.

He hadn’t been angry with her for splitting up with Sam, not one bit. In fact, that very night, he had left Sam at home and gone to visit her home, beeping his horn once he was outside and alerting her to his presence. She had come down in her pyjamas and sat in the back of his car, and had simply cried. ‘I had to, Bee’, she’d wept. ‘I had to’. She had stayed there all night and cried herself to sleep in the Camaro, and had spent the whole of the next day with him, talking to him about her decision.

He’d been surprised but pleased when she’d told him her reasons for the split.

She had insisted on keeping this information hidden from Sam, although she swore to Bumblebee that she would tell him, when the time was right. She wanted him to establish his relationship with Victoria firmly before she revealed the somewhat crippling truth about who she had chosen instead – it was, after all, likely to give Sam’s ego a good bruising.

Chromia glanced over her shoulder when she heard the sound of an engine. “Oh, look, it’s Jazz,” she smiled, waving at the Pontiac Solstice that was blazing towards the lake in a cloud of reddish dust. It flashed its headlights and honked the horn a few times in greeting before rolling down the grassy bank. Maggie Madsen climbed out and smiled at them all.

The Solstice quickly shifted, transforming back into Jazz, who flipped his visor down immediately. “Phew, that’s hot,” he commented, sitting down beside Bumblebee and glancing at Ironhide. “Uh, ‘Hide? What’s wit’ you? You’re like… wet.”

“Yes,” Ironhide sighed from his comfortable position. “Because I am a superior man.”

“Where’s my favourite family?” Jazz inquired, looking around. “Did they not come?”

“Annabelle has apparently ‘caught a chill’,” Ironhide responded irritably. “What do humans mean by these ridiculous phrases? How can one ‘catch a chill’? It is an absolutely ludicrous concept.” His voice softened. “Ah, I do love that kid though.”

Will had decided to bond with Ironhide eventually. Sarah Lennox had given her full approval of the idea, and Ironhide now spent most of his time at the Lennox household with the three members of their family. Annabelle was absolutely fascinated by him and seemed not to have been touched by her bad experiences with the Decepticons, although she did occasionally mention ‘that man wiv four eyes’. Ironhide had assumed, from this, that she was remembering Frenzy.

Chromia nudged him. “Sarah said she misses her ‘Aye-Ide’,” she told him soothingly. “You’ll see them soon.”

Sarah had felt with great conviction that having Will and Ironhide bond would be good for the family. Because Will now had the ability to wield extra powers, she thought it would help his job and enable to him to protect them if they should ever need it. Ironhide, for one, expected more Decepticons to come one day, and she liked having him outside their house, watching and protecting. She also enjoyed Chromia’s company and the two of them were often seen discussing their trigger-happy partners.

Sam snorted with laughter again, proceeding to give Maggie a hug that dampened the front of her own shirt, which was thankfully of a less flimsy nature. “Sam, you’re such a smooth-mover!” Victoria laughed. “Look at that! Trying to see Maggie’s boobs as well, you’re such a… well… ladies man…” She shook her head and leant against Optimus’s foot contentedly.

“Don’t worry, Sam,” Maggie smiled as Sam blushed, looking at Jazz a bit worriedly as if he had committed a personal crime against the easy-going robot. “How is everyone?” she asked them all cheerfully and there was a general noise as everyone nodded and greeted her. Optimus knelt down to see her and she beamed up at him. “Hello Optimus.”

“It is good to see you, Maggie,” he told her sincerely. “Are you well?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “Glen wanted to be here but apparently he has to go to the opening of the new hamburger joint in town.” She shook her head despairingly. “I’ve told him repeatedly that he’s going to end up having a heart attack, but he won’t listen.”

The efforts of the Autobots and their team of human friends had not gone unnoticed by the government. John Keller, who was almost crying with gratitude to them for keeping his only daughter safe, insisted that they be rewarded – and rewarded they were. Not only did he entrust Optimus Prime with full guardianship of Victoria, he had given all the Autobots the honour of being made military commanders. Ironhide particularly was rather ecstatic about this gift and could not stop grinning when a nervous soldier referred to him as ‘Commander Ironhide, sir’.

Maggie and Glen had been promoted to Head Codebreakers at the Pentagon. Glen, delighted with his sudden pay rise, had gone on a food shopping spree the moment he had received his first load of reward money, which Sam, Mikaela, Maggie, Glen, David, Victoria and Will all received. The money had enabled them all to live quite comfortably, and Sam, after finally admitting to his parents that his Camaro was an alien robot (which elicited many a scream from Judy Witwicky), had purchased a slightly larger house for them.

Tess's family had received her award money, and they were grateful for it, being a fairly poor couple with another daughter, a teenager named Lee. She had also received an award for her bravery, for making the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, from both the government and her prescient.

Medals were also given to all of the humans involved; Glen and Sam had taken to wearing theirs almost constantly, whilst Will had displayed it proudly next to his other military prizes. The women had quietly stored them away to look at at their own discretion, to remember those who had died and to glory in the freedom they had won.

The story told to the general public by the government was the remaining terrorists from the attack on Mission City had returned to seize Hoover Dam and use a weapon of mass destruction to launch a high-calibre and potentially lethal attack on American soil. Which was technically true. All those who had witnessed the Mission City drama knew at once what the ‘assailants’ really were, but the government simply told them that the ‘giant alien robots’ involved were merely controllable toys that the terrorists could use.

They had subsequently ‘been destroyed’. This time for good.

“I must admit that Glen’s diet worries me,” Bumblebee agreed. “The salt and saturated fat levels he consumes are simply astonishing. For a man of his height and muscular mass, he eats at least three or four times what he should be a day. Have you informed him that he may be on the path towards obesity, or even premature death?”

Maggie blinked. Bumblebee could sure be informative. Then again, he did have the World Wide Web at his disposal.

“Um… yeah,” was her only reply. “You could probably tell him yourself, Bumblebee, I doubt he’ll listen to me. I have told him.”

Jazz folded his arms behind his head in an unnervingly human gesture and sighed with satisfaction. “Ya’ll sure do have a beautiful planet,” he told Sam, Victoria and Maggie. “I mean we’ve got suns on Cybertron, but all this –” he waved a hand, “Greenery, y’know? None o’ that.”

Jazz and Maggie were rarely apart now that the battle was over. They had re-bonded almost immediately, both enjoying each other’s security and company, and the two obviously cared for each other very deeply. Whether or not their relationship extended beyond the boundaries of mere friendship was indeterminable, but Optimus for one suspected that Jazz was completely head-over-heels in love with her.

Now, Maggie went and sat beside him and he curled a huge metallic arm around her. She snuggled up against the metal that was warm from the blazing sun, sighing contentedly. Jazz stroked his fingers down her back gently as she put some sunshades on to dull the glare of the midday sunshine. “Y’ okay?” he whispered to her and she nodded, smiling at him.

“I’m with you,” she said in return, quietly. “Of course I’m okay.” His smile was a deep and genuine one and his eyes glowed with real affection as he held her close to him.

“Aw Jazz, you’re so sweet,” Victoria laughed as she watched the two of them cuddling up together. “It’s nice to see a sensitive guy once in a while,” she added, looking pointedly at Sam.

“Why thank you, lil’ miss Vicky,” Jazz replied to Victoria’s comment, winking at her. “I’m sure Sam there has his moments. Right, Sam?”

Sam nodded, puffing his chest out. “Oh yeah,” he agreed. “I’m sensitive.” Victoria snorted disbelievingly. “What? What?!” he said, sounding wounded by her doubt. “Okay fine, I’ll ask your favourite ‘bot… Optimus! Didn’t I specifically ask you not to step on my mother’s flowers one time?”

“You did,” Optimus confirmed. “You have a kind heart, Sam.”

“Thank you!” Sam grinned, and Victoria rolled her blue eyes, patting Optimus’s foot. “I care for all things, whether they be human, plant, Autobot or Ironhide.” Ironhide’s cannon made an ominous sound. “What? I love you, Ironhide! You’re such a swell guy, always so cheerful, always there to brighten up everybody’s day. You’re like, the bomb.”

Ironhide looked up. “’The bomb’?” he repeated. “Yes… yes, I rather like that characterisation. You may refer to me by that name more frequently.” He smirked at Sam's disgusted expression before looking towards the sky. "Where's Powerglide 'n' his new pilot buddy?"

Powerglide had been enrolled into the United States Air Force for his combat skill and courage, and David was his official pilot. The two of them had bonded in order to help them work together best, to share their instincts and abilities, and had become quite the dynamic duo in the force.

Victoria sighed. "They wanted to be here but David said he and 'Glide had to stay on in Qatar for a little while."

Sam slung an arm around her shoulders comfortingly. "We'll see 'em soon enough," he soothed and she nodded. He glanced around and frowned before turning to his yellow guardian. “Where’s Mikaela, ‘Bee? D’you know?”

Bumblebee did know where Mikaela was, but he wasn’t going to tell Sam. He had sworn to her that he wouldn’t tell them where she was right now, but she was not too far away. “I think she said she was going to the mall for some new clothes,” he said vaguely, waving a hand. “She will be joining us later. She said she may stop and visit the Lennox family, too.”

Mikaela, after spending so long with the Autobots, had seen the shallowness and fakery of the world she had come from. Trent’s death had caused the entire school to fall into a state of mourning – perhaps with the exception of the ‘nerd’ groups – and the students had become slightly hostile towards both Sam and Mikaela after they ‘betrayed’ him by ‘having an affair’. The whole idea was ridiculous, but both youngsters had finally had enough of their life at Tranquillity High School. They were currently on summer vacation, but when they returned to school it would be at another high school in a different part of town.

Neither of them were really interested in school any more, and no one blamed them, but they did it to keep their families happy. Mikaela’s father had finally been released from prison and he was now extremely protective over Mikaela, and encouraged her to do well in her studies. She tried, but it was difficult when she had alien robot friends to distract her.

The Witwicky family, on the other hand, now expected Sam to get top grades after going to ‘NASA Camp’. Sam had played along, although he had been threatening Optimus with the most brutal of murders when he had heard what cover-up he had used for Sam’s absence.

Sam shrugged. “Okay.”

Bumblebee smiled and looked across the lake. They had lost soldiers, and they had paid great prices for the victory. But at this particular time, he was the happiest Autobot in the world. And he knew that the friend that they were so sure that they had lost was, too.

----

The warm summer air teased at Mikaela’s long, dark hair, whipping a wavy strand across her face. She sighed with satisfaction, dipping her fingers in the lake and smiling to herself. The headphones in her ears played a familiar tune to her, so for a few moments, she didn’t actually hear him coming. It was only when the vividly yellow Hummer pulled up right beside her that she looked up, beaming.

She slipped the headphones from her ears as Ratchet transformed from his vehicle form to his true form and stood above her, looking down at the girl with an amused smile. “Ah, you waited for me,” he stated, and she sat up straight, tilting her head.

“No, I just happened to be here and this random Hummer pulled up,” she sighed, raising her eyebrows. “Who are you?”

Ratchet looked injured. “Fine, I will go. And you won’t get your present.”

He turned as if to leave but she quickly jumped up and lunged for his foot. “Wait – present?” she asked with a gasp. “Ratchet, have you been shopping or something?” She tried hard to fight down a laugh at the image of Ratchet marching around a mall with bags full of clothes and womanly shoes. “What did you get meeee?” she whined insistently and he sighed heavily.

“Well,” he mused, “Alright. I will give it to you. But only because you vehemently insist.”

He sat down next to the little human and she looked up at him expectantly, eyelashes fluttering. She frowned suddenly and sniffed. “You know, I swear I can smell…” she started before her ice blue eyes widened considerably. “Oh my God. You didn’t.”

His mouth twitched in amusement. “I did.”

“How?” she gasped.

His eyes glowed for a moment as he smiled. “Would you say my hologram was realistic enough for the job?”

His words sunk in after a few moments as she remembered the handsome man that had caught her, snatching her from the hands of death by mere inches only a few months ago. “Ohh,” Mikaela nodded in agreement. “Of course. But c’mon, give it to me,” she laughed, reaching up for the gift.

Ratchet raised his optic ridges. “I believe it is customary for you to say ‘please’,” he pointed out seriously.

She pouted. “You’re so mean.”

“No, merely concerned for your skills in courtesy.”

Mikaela rolled her eyes, which were free of makeup. She had used considerably less of it after admitting her feelings for Ratchet – he, after all, cared for her just the way she was… he had kissed her when she was covered in dirt, and held her close no matter what she was wearing. “Fine then,” she sighed, giving him a defeated look. “Puh-leeease.”

She was rewarded with another winning smile. “That’s my girl,” he congratulated her, before extending the enormous brown paper bag to her, which hung from the tip of one giant finger. She took it from him and grinned widely when she saw the symbol emblazoned on the front. “It was Tao Peking that was your preference, wasn’t it?” he checked worriedly, as if fearful that he had done it wrong.

Her laugh made him smile again. “Yeah,” she nodded enthusiastically, delving into the bag and gasping with delight. “Oh my God, how can I possibly eat this all by myself?” she exclaimed, beginning to unload the food. “Man… wow.”

“My calculations tell me that you are quite capable of consuming and digesting all of that, if not more.”

“Well, I am kinda hungry,” she admitted, sitting cross-legged and balancing a plastic container full of noodles on her knee before twirling her fork amongst them and lifting it to her mouth before chewing thoughtfully. “Oh God, that’s good,” she groaned when she had swallowed.

Ratchet looked at her anxiously. “You like it?”

“Like is not the word for it,” she told him sombrely, raising a slice of sesame prawn toast to her lips. “Me and Chinese food are like… Bonnie and Clyde. Starsky and Hutch. One just cannot be without the other.”

He chuckled. “I see. You prefer your Chinese food to me, then?” he added, feigning being hurt.

Toast and newly made duck pancake were quickly discarded so that she could turn around and look at him. “Don’t be silly,” she scolded him, getting up and brushing herself down. “Don’t even think it.” She blushed a little before asking, “Can I have a hug?”

It had not even been worth asking whether Mikaela had minded when Optimus told her that Ratchet’s fading Spark might be saved – if she would share her own heart with him. As he slowly died, she had reached out and touched his Spark, and the release of energy had healed all of his terrible wounds, restoring him to life.

She had not cried so hard for joy since she was very young, and had been in hysterics for hours afterwards, especially after he immediately went to repair Chromia – his selflessness had touched her heart. Tess and Trent’s untimely deaths had tainted the celebration that followed, but she had even found herself being hugged by Ironhide, which she would never, in her wildest dreams, even have insinuated happening.

Ratchet obliged her, lifting her up to his chest and holding her against the plate that covered the Spark that they shared. She huddled against it, feeling the soothing warmth washing over her from within as the glimmer of his heart that lived inside of her responded to its partner’s call, warming her body and allowing a feeling of pure contentment to fill her.

There was always that lurking dread of the time when they would reveal themselves to Sam, and the fear of what the youngster might do. There was always that undeniable guilt, and the fact that they could never be together without the world condemning them. But did they really need the world? Jazz and Maggie were happy together. The other Autobots would accept them. And Sam would too, in the end.

In the end.

She heard the sigh of gears within him and looked up into his eyes. She heard a quiet voice come from his radio. "One thousand and one nights unseen, the philosopher and the queen." He studied her intently for a moment before she leant back against his chest, closing her eyes and breathing out the words that meant so much to him.

“I love you, Ratchet.”

His Spark burnt with happiness as he cradled her against him securely, his eyes rising to face the dazzling summer sunshine with a joy that could not be quelled as long as those words remained in his memory. And he could not help but whisper them in return to her as he faced the future on this planet with a smile that meant so much more than met the eye.

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Author's Note: And so we reach the end of ‘Chronicles of Love and Death’! I feel really emotional now… I had a wonderful time writing it and I hope very much that you enjoyed reading it just as much. Reviews and feedback will always be enormously appreciated so please do leave some whenever you like. I would just like to take the opportunity to thank you all so, so much for favouriting and reviewing this story – it’s you guys that helped me carry on with it all the way through and made it such a success. I'd also like to thank SkyHighFan for some ideas for this chapter.