Well, here it is, the last chapter of the story arc. I suppose it could be extended one day, but I almost feel that it would be more fun to let the readers imagine everything that came after and everything that came between :)

Life in the shadow of Darkmount could not be said to be easy in the strictest sense of the word.

Most of the citizens of Jasper remained in shanty towns all across the state, having lost everything and attempting to start afresh. The humans that did choose to return to their homes lived under surveillance to ensure that they did not violate the terms of non-disclosure and thus expose their extraterrestrial "neighbors" to the rest of the world. Not all of those neighbors were friendly, but as very few of them actually used the roads, the inhabitants of Jasper were able to avoid them for the most part. And so they coped, carefully answering the unusual and occasionally inane questions the giant robots would ask.

Still, it wasn't all bad. One of the titans—they gathered that he was the son of the alien leader...they hadn't even known that alien robots had fathers or sons—often walked the edge of the desert with several of his companions and spoke very kindly to the children that crowded the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of the aliens. Three of the children seemed particularly close to them, and were in and out of Darkmount at all hours of the day and night.

This particular evening found Jack Darby, Miko Nakadai, and Raf Esquivel perched on and between their Autobot guardians, in what had become a weekend tradition: listening to the gentle accents of a Predacon's story.

"And so Prima raised his blade against my ancestors, unable to retreat," Predaking held both the young humans and their larger counterparts in rapt attention, "Determined that he should win a vow of peace or else die in the attempt. He walked by the light of the Star Saber into the canyon and-" he broke off and raised his helm slightly.

"And if Orion ibn Megatronus takes one more step, he will learn why it is said, Do not rouse the Predacon to anger, for you will remember the struggle and never do it again!"

Optimus laughed and stepped out of the shadow of Predaking's wings. "But it is also said that good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense!" He smiled brightly and sat down beside the Predacon.

"You mistake me for a sensible mech, brother!" the larger being snorted.

Jack smiled up at the Prime. "How are the peace talks going, Optimus?"

It would take the humans a long time to trust them, especially after a centuries-long war had ended in a matter of months. There would probably always be an underlying distrust between humans and Decepticons, perhaps even more than between Autobots and Decepticons. Forgiveness would come one day, perhaps, but it would be a long road.

Optimus reached down and lifted the boy onto his shoulder and smiled a little softer. "I would like to believe that we have made some progress. Ultra Magnus is taking the whole affair rather hard, but he is beginning to understand."

Arcee nodded. "I'll be honest, Optimus. I'm not sure I've completely accepted it all either."

Miko grumbled something about Star Wars and leaned back against Bulkhead's pede, but she was hiding a smile behind her eyes.

Rafael had been the first one to accept the familial link between Optimus and Megatron, but it had taken the other two several weeks to adapt to the idea. The Autobots were still dealing with the implications.

The Prime nodded. "Megatron is resolved that he must reconcile with humanity before he addresses the Autobot/Decepticon schism. He has left such manners in my hands."

It was true: the former warlord had come to the conclusion that while the Cybertronian race had time to work out their differences, the trust of humans was hard-won and once lost, irrecoverable. Bumblebee scooted closer to his mentor with an earnest look, nearly dislodging Raf from his knee.

/And Megatron? He and the Commander haven't gotten into any more fights?/

Optimus shook his helm reassuringly at his young friend.

"No, Bumblebee, I believe their attention is more focused on the troubling matter of Shockwave's disappearance."

As if in answer to the statement, the doors behind them hissed open and the hulking silhouette of Megatron glared out at them.

"Speak of the devil!" Jack whispered teasingly.

Megatron stepped out into the sunlight and quirked an eyebrow briefly at the boy before turning to his son. "Optimus, your Wreckers have located an unusual energy trail."

Predaking rotated in his place to look at the Decepticon. "My old jailer?" he growled, armor flaring at the thought of the scientist.

"No, my friend, but something perhaps more disturbing." He leveled a crimson stare at the Autobots. "A residual trace echoing a being known as Cylas."

Arcee groaned and dropped her faceplate to her knees. He had escaped Knock Out's lab during a terrible storm, corrupted beyond recognition, and had killed and subsequently reanimated twelve Vehicons and Airachnid on his way out before they all disappeared somewhere around Bermuda.

"Why won't he die?!" the femme complained.

"Well, I mean, you haven't tried killing him with fire yet." Miko piped up. Both Bulkhead and Predaking brightened immeasurably at this suggestion.

Carefully, Optimus moved Jack from his shoulder and, in a moment of playfulness, set him down on Predaking's head. Then he stood and folded his arms.

"I take it you wish us to look into the matter?"

Megatron shrugged apologetically. "I cannot spare my own soldiers, they're still dealing with the cleanup from that Sector Seven debacle. If it would not too much endanger your people?" Optimus shot the Auotbots a meaningful look. They nodded back.

"If you do not mind the children being here, Father?"

Again, Megatron shrugged. "They can do as they like," he said, affecting a careless tone.

Miko's eyes lit up at the veiled permission. Megatron knew all too well what the trio would ask to do once the "adults" had left. It was no secret amongst the Decepticons that he practically let them have the run of the place when Optimus and Ratchet weren't there to raise concerns about safety or etiquette.

Megatron liked to pretend that it was his way of making up for using them as bait, but Optimus knew—even if he never let on that he did—Megatron simply found it amusing to spoil the three and send the Autobot medic into conniption fits. And Allspark knew there was something gratifying about seeing Ultra Magnus have to fight to keep his voice down when Megatron happened to be carrying the smallest human on his shoulder. It was far too entertaining to get to scold the Autobot commander for "frightening the children", given his own history with the three.

Predaking's helm dropped slightly, and a laughing Jack slid off and into his clawed hand. Megatron gave him a pointed look that warned "no contusions this time", and left them on the outer platform. The huge beast had a feeling that his wings were going to be quite sore before the Autobots returned.

End.