Epilogue

It's been six months since Solarflare and the others left to help stop the war. Every day we've waited in hopes that our brave soldiers would return home. It's been hard without Solarflare, and he's missing so much.

Thunderstrike has learned to walk, and it's a hassle to keep him within my sight. He's learning a few words but enough to ask for things. This week he asked me a question that broke my spark.

~~~~~

"When is sire and uncle Steve coming home?" he asked me.

We were at the place where Solarflare and I had our first outing. The view was still as beautiful since then. I'd learned that Thunderstrike is scared of heights. Thank Primus for that. That's one less thing I don't have to worry about.

Thunderstrike would send video messages to Solarflare and Steve. He was especially fond of Steve, giving him the title of uncle. Steve was over the moon in joy and bragged about for a week straight. Throughout the months, the videos would go from four a week to nothing. It broke my sparkling's spark when he lost contact with them.

"They'll come home when the war is over," was my response when he sat in my lap.

"Why did sire leave? Doesn't he love us?" was his next question as he picked at the grass.

"Of course, he loves us. He left because he's fighting to protect us. Your sire is the bravest mech I know,"

"Braver than grandsire?" he asked with wide blue optics.

"Ah, well, grandsire is a very brave mech, isn't he?"

"Yeah! He defeated the old Buckethead by tricking him into a groundbridge!" Thunderstrike exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air, showering blades of grass around us.

Soundwave's fight against Megatron was a favorite tale to all the younglings. I would see them reenacting the fight in the courtyard, often coming to my medbay for bumps and scratches.

"Buckethead? Where did you get that nickname?"

"From Driftflight. He said that it was because Megatron's head looks like a bucket," he explained.

I only gave a hum. Perhaps I should talk to Crimsonwing about that, but sparklings will be sparklings.

"Do you know who else I miss carrier?"

"Who do you miss?"

"I miss Chromeburst,"

Ah yes. Chromeburst had gone to the Well of Allsparks just two months after Solarflare left. Her death had affected me greatly because, even though I knew she was dying of old age, I tried my hardest to help her, but I let her go peacefully in the end.

"I know, sweetspark. I miss Chromeburst too. She was one of the first to welcome us when we came here, and she would look after you for us."

"I remember that! She had a secret stash of rusted sticks, and she would give one to me if I was well behaved for her." Thunderstrike recalled, getting up from my lap. "Can we go home now? I promised Driftflight that I would play with him."

"Alright, let's go home," I took his servo into my own as we began our walk home.

~~~~~

I sighed to myself as I watched my sparkling rough house with the other sparklings. At least Ecplise was there to watch over them. She had recently delivered Snowdrift's and her sparkling a few weeks ago, but she was back on her feet. She had a healthy femmeling whom she named Snowdrop since she looked so much like her sire.

Our quarters felt empty without a mech around, other than Thunderstrike. Since we were now sparkmates, we would share a berth when he returned. Thunderstrike now occupies Solarflare's berth because he quickly outgrew his makeshift crib.

"What's wrong, my sparkling?" Soundwave's voice snapped me from my thoughts.

"The usual, I suppose," I hummed to myself, refolding the same towel twice. What was I doing again?

"Well, I just received word from Trailblazer. He says that the war is over and that our troops will be returning soon,"

I dropped the neatly folded towel on the medical counter and just stared at my sire. "Is this true?"

He just smiled at me and jerked his helm in the direction of a growing crowd.

Without another word, I rushed out of the medical bay and toward Thunderstrike, who was confused about the commotion.

"Where's everyone going, carrier?"

I scooped him up in my arms and walked toward the crowd. "They're going to welcome our troops back,"

His blue optic's lit up, "Does that mean sire and uncle Steve is coming home!"

"Yes! Now, let's go see them," I answered, making my way toward the front.

A groundbridge was swirling, energy snapping like the anxiety among the crowd. Everyone held their breaths as they stared at the vortex until the first mech stepped out. I didn't recognize the mech, but he was soon smothered by a young femme and a young mech, holding and kissing him. Other's followed right after that, but I couldn't see my sparkmate.

Desperately I searched the crowd for him. I saw Snowdrift reunited with Eclipse, holding his daughter. His optics caught sight of me and waved me over. "You're looking for Solarflare, aren't you?"

"Yes. Is he here?"

"He followed right behind me, so he should be close by," the white mech informed me, pointing behind him.

"Alright, I'll keep looking. Thank you,"

"No, thank you for helping my sparkmate deliver our little girl when I couldn't be there,"

~~~~~

I continued my search but to no avail until Thunderstrike looked behind me.

He gasped, "Carrier, turn around!"

Confused, I followed his directions, and time froze.

There he was, standing tall and proud. His red and orange frame seemed to glow in the afternoon lighting. His blue optics softened when he saw us and started walking.

Overwhelmed with relief and happiness, I took off running and embraced him. My fears and emotions unbottled themselves as I cried into his neck. We both dropped onto the ground, clinging to each other.

"It's okay, I'm here now," he whispered as my crying stalled.

Thunderstrike squirmed his way out of my grip, wanting his turn with Solarflare. "Do you remember me, sire?"

He smiled, "Of course I remember you. Look how much you have grown,"

The young red and gray mech puffed his chest out proudly, "Yep, and I'm the fasted sparkling here! I took care of the carrier just like you asked me to,"

Solarflare rubbed the youngling helm, "Atta mech," then he turned his attention to me, "You're just as beautiful as when I left," I blushed and turned my helm away, and he chuckled, "Come on, we're sparkmates. You should have been expecting some compliments."

Thunderstrike tugged at his sire's servo, "Where's uncle Steve?" unaware of the presence behind him. He squealed in terror when he was suddenly thrown in the air and into someone's arms.

"Where's who, huh?"

Thunderstrike's blue optics widened as he stared at the Vehicon, "Uncle Steve!" He wrapped his arms around his neck, nuzzling his face into the cables. "Why didn't you return my messages?"

"I'm sorry, Thunder, but I didn't have the time or energy to answer them, but I was thinking of you every day."

"It's okay. You're home now, so we'll have all day and all week to catch up,"

~~~~~

With Solarflare and our troops back home with the threat of war no longer looming over our helms, we slept peacefully that night.

Solarflare had told me about the mission to rebuild Cybertron and that we were all welcome to go back. It was a nice thought, but Earth is the only planet I remember. Solarflare understood that and told me that he'd rather stay. He said that he loved the nature here and how refreshing it was. The ground was soft instead of firm metal and flora that would never grow on Cybertron.

So, after consulting with sire and Steve, we made our decision. We're all going to stay here on Earth and stay with Uncle Ratchet in protecting it and its inhabitants, maybe even welcome new arrivals. I don't know what this new future will bring, but I have my family now, and life can't get any better.

~ The End ~