Last chapter. I'm not sure whether to be happy or upset. It's been a long, satisfying ride. (For me, at least.) Enjoy. Except for the fight scenes. I'm… not too good at those… in fact, the only thing I'm worse at is mech secks.

"Transformers" © Hasbro. And the title comes from Oasis.

oOo

Skyfire dropped some of the automobile-Autobots off on the top of the Decepticon base, (which was, thankfully, sticking out of the ocean instead of submerged) than flew off to go wait onshore for further instruction with Wheeljack and Prowl.

"You're going to have to be quiet, Blue," Prowl had told the younger Datsun prior. "Are you sure you can handle that?"

"Yeah, Prowl, I can. Don't worry about me. It wouldn't really be fair for Starscream to keep suffering because of my stupid problems."

So here they were. The tension in the air was so thick, even a chainsaw would have trouble slashing through it. The hallways in the Decepticon HQ were oddly vacated.

"Alright," Jazz ordered. "Sunshine, come wit' me to go kick some Cyclops aft. Swiper, Blue, and Bee will go get Starscream from the cell and meet back here. Bee, you remember how ta get to the prison cells?"

"How could I forget?" Bumblebee nodded, trying to ignore the nervousness he felt. He'd been sent on spy missions before, but never actually to Decepticon HQ.

"Hold up," Sunstreaker glared at the saboteur. "Why do Sideswipe and I have to split up?"

"Cos yo' brotha's one of the few mechs who can keep Blue's mouth shut without sendin' the poor kid into depression!"

At Jazz's reply, Bluestreak looked away, slightly embarrassed. Sideswipe noticed and pat the other's head affectionately.

"It'll be fine, Sunny," Sideswipe smiled. "Besides, it's for Starscream, right?" He continued to grin, eyes glazing over briefly as he added something mentally.

Sunstreaker sighed. "I guess."

oOo

Shockwave, having only one optic, didn't have the best vision around. However, like humans, he made up for this sensory deficiency with heightened other senses. Which is why, even though Jazz was a master of stealth, he still heard the other entering the throne room.

"Who's there?" he demanded, whirling to face the door.

"Slag!" a voice cursed, but the mech who it belonged to moved quickly enough to only be registered as a golden blur.

"Get back here!" Shockwave brought up his gun arm, trying to aim.

"Oh no ya don't!" Jazz shouted, leaping onto the purple mech's back and grabbing the gun appendage, pulling with all his might til it was bent at an unsightly angle. Shockwave used his other arm to pry Jazz off and hold him to the floor.

A sudden kick to the throat made Shockwave gurgle and stagger away, releasing the saboteur from his grip as he did so.

"Thanks, Sunshine," Jazz gasped.

"No time for thank-yous – look out!"

oOo

For all his eagerness to help, Skywarp wasn't doing a good job of thinking up a plan. The security systems would go off even if they could get out of the cell, and they had no weapons to defend themselves with. It was pretty frustrating. He tore out yet another page of the notepad, grumbling.

"Watch it," Thundercracker glared as a crumbled ball of paper hit dangerously close to his optic. "And quit wasting my paper!" He turned to Starscream who was for once, Primus bless him, quiet. "You gonna be okay?"

"I'm fine," Starscream muttered, though, judging by the quiet vocal tone and dim optics, he wasn't fine. The red seeker shuddered slightly for a second.

"What was that for, then?"

Starscream glared at the ground, which meant he didn't want to answer for fear of being thought pathetic. Thundercracker, anticipating it, continued:

"That's not fair, Starscream. We know everything about each other."

"It's obviously fine for you two to keep things from me, though."

"Are you still mad about that?" Skywarp piped up. "Touchy, aren't you?"

"Touchy?" Starscream repeated. "No. Crazy? That's a possibility…"

"What do you mean?" Thundercracker asked.

Starscream shifted uncomfortably. "I want to see him so badly, it's like I can hear his voice… it's pretty stupid, isn't it?"

Thundercracker was silent for a breem before answering, "It isn't stupid – I can hear it, too!"

All three seekers cocked their heads, listening. It was faint, but it was there:

"…Swipe… you doing?… that … stupidest … never …"

"Relax, Bumble … Sunny and… brig thousands …"

"Sideswipe," Starscream whispered, and, despite himself, a slight smile adorned his face.

"You mean the Stunticon wannabe?" Skywarp questioned, but didn't have much time to reply, as suddenly, the energy bars holding them in dissipated. "What the frag?"

"I told you so!" Sideswipe's loud voice resounded through the cell. "Go get him, Bee. The override to the alarms won't last very long!"

Thundercracker and Skywarp stood up protectively on either side of their ex-commander when the Lamborghini and Datsun entered, but relaxed a bit when they saw the Volkswagen.

"You two won't beat me up again, will you?" Bumblebee asked uneasily.

"If you get the slag over here and make up with him already, we won't have to," Skywarp smirked. Bumblebee nodded, then ran, throwing himself into the arms of the red seeker.

"Starscream," Bumblebee nuzzled the other's cheek. "What the frag were you thinking!? No wait; don't answer that. I'm so glad you're okay!" He kissed the seeker, pent up emotions making it rough. The others pretended to be grossed out, but Starscream and Bumblebee didn't really care.

They broke apart, smiling.

"C'mon," Bumblebee stood up, gesturing for his partner to do the same. "We better get out of here."

Starscream grabbed the yellow minibot's hand and announced, "I love you."

Silence permeated the air as everybody gaped at Starscream. What!? However, before Bumblebee could reply, the Decepticon alarm system began going off.

"Fuck!" Sideswipe shouted, and they all broke into a run.

oOo

"Slag," Shockwave muttered as the alarms started going off. Either some prisoners had just escaped, or the HQ had finally registered the security breach. Either way, he couldn't really deal with it at the moment. Why did these things always have to happen to him?

Right before a blow struck him in the chin, he registered a bulky form appearing in the doorway.

"Soundwave!" Shockwave shouted his loyal second-in-command's name. Soundwave would help him take down these walking scrap heaps!

Jazz looked up, alarmed. "S-Sounds!"

Soundwave stood calmly, as if taking it all in. His visor darkened as he opened his chest, releasing Rumble and Frenzy. He only needed two cassettes out – one to engage Sunstreaker, and one to engage Jazz. The cassetticon twins nodded when they understood what they were to do.

"Slag!" Sunstreaker shouted as Rumble jumped on him from behind. "Jazz, what the hell is going on!? I thought you two were on good terms!"

But Jazz didn't reply. Didn't move. He was floored by Soundwave acting against him, CPU not even registering Frenzy pushing him to the ground.

"Finally…" Shockwave muttered, and began to straighten out his gun-appendage – and was stopped by a blow to the chest. Falling to the floor, the last thing his CPU registered was the chilling voice of the communications officer:

"Shockwave: inferior."

Yellow optic dimming, Shockwave hit the floor and didn't rise again. The gaping hole in his chest was smoking. Rumble and Frenzy jumped off their opponents to get a closer look.

"Is the glitch-head de-activated?" Frenzy muttered. Rumble shook his head, pulling his brother up and ran back towards his caretaker.

Sunstreaker scowled at the blue tape for damaging his paint, but didn't do anything. With the alarm going off, they needed to act fast. "C'mon, Jazz, let's go."

Jazz didn't go, though. He turned to Soundwave, confused as ever. "Why…?"

"We needed ta distract you two Autobrats somehow," Frenzy piped up, "Or the shot woulda killed you!"

"Yeah, couldn't have our leader getting suspicious," Rumble smirked.

"Autobots: Leave immediately," Soundwave commanded.

"Your mask!" Jazz noticed as he walked towards the tape deck. "You aren't wearin' the stupid thing!"

"Starscream damaged it."

"Thank you," Jazz smiled and kissed the other on the cheek.

"Go before the others find you," Soundwave whispered.

"No," the saboteur smirked. "Not unless you come with us."

oOo

With Soundwave, Skywarp and Thundercracker helping, they were all about to get back to the shore where Skyfire was waiting patiently with Prowl and Wheeljack.

"Starscream!" Wheeljack's headfins flashed brightly as the red seeker landed apprehensively, glaring at the large jet.

"What is he doing here?" Starscream glared up at Skyfire. Bumblebee looked away, sheepishly, not knowing how to correctly supply an answer.

"Oh, get over it," Skywarp smirked tauntingly, relieved to have escaped with his life and not really caring what would happen.

"I wasn't aware," Prowl said slowly, glaring at his best friend, "that you were planning on making this a recruit misson, Jazz."

"Shove it up your exhaust pipe, Autobot," the purple seeker spat before Jazz could reply. "Like we'd waste time fighting with you."

"For the sake of our commander," Thundercracker continued, "and since once Shockwave onlines he'll put a bounty on our head, it's in our best interests to go where he goes," the blue seeker nodded towards the petrified red seeker, who was still gawking at the patient shuttle-jet, as Wheeljack went unnoticed working at repairing his arm.

Prowl didn't look very happy about that, but as long as Thundercracker and Skywarp were claiming neutrality, he couldn't legally do anything about it. Sighing, he went to tend to Bluestreak, who was, in his state of relief, babbling on and on to no one in particular. Though the two weren't technically related, it was no secret that Prowl had become almost like a paternal figure to his fellow Datsun, with the twins as his pseudo-older-brother figures.

"Well," Wheeljack finished properly re-attaching the arm. "That should do until we can get you to Ratch. Which should be soon. Hey, Jazz, when are we leaving!?" the engineer called out in pursuit of the saboteur.

And so, rather anticlimactically if nothing else, Jazz and Wheeljack rounded up everybody and Skyfire prepared for launch. Still, Starscream was understandably reluctant. Thundercracker and Skywarp rather helpfully told him to 'get over it', but it was only Bumblebee who could convince the seeker that he didn't have to board if he didn't want to. If he could keep up, he and his trine were welcome to merely flank the transportation jet.

"What do you mean, 'if' I can keep up?" was the arrogant seeker's snide reply.

Meanwhile, Prowl stood at Skyfire's entrance, watching stoically as Bumblebee, Jazz, and Soundwave (loyal cassettes intact) were the last to enter. The tactician held a hand out, stopping the latter.

"Prowl," Jazz seemed a bit put-off.

"Go on, Jazz. I need to have a talk with our old friend here."

Jazz shrugged, gave Soundwave one last look, then followed his son into the shuttle.

"Soundwave: temporarily neutral," Soundwave tried, though not with much effort, to assure Prowl that he wasn't planning to sabotage the Autobots for Shockwave's gain.

"This isn't about that, and you and I both know it," Prowl answered.

Soundwave dug into Prowl's head, only to see a mental image of Jazz smirking back up at him. To his credit, if the tape deck was alarmed, he didn't show it.

"You love him," he muttered quietly to the Autobot second-in-command. It wasn't a question.

"You were always intelligent, Soundwave," Prowl answered calmly. "And, as a telepath, you should know what plans I have in store for you if you hurt him again. Am I clear?"

The indigo mech nodded his understanding, and Prowl allowed him to board.

oOo

Skyfire's landing wasn't quite as covert as Jazz would have hoped, but luckily, Optimus Prime didn't look angry. He looked relieved, waiting there on the ground along with Ratchet and First Aid, who were fully ready to repair whatever damage Shockwave had inflicted.

"Thundercracker. Skywarp. Soundwave," Optimus addressed the Decepticons that stepped towards him. "And, I assume, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, Laserbeak, and Buzzsaw."

"Prime!" Jazz seemed surprised.

"Stupid Red Alert!" behind the saboteur, Sideswipe cried out. Next to him, the sentiment was echoed with a glare from the golden twin.

"Don't jump to conclusions, you two," Ratchet told his partners. "Red Alert didn't tell Prime. I did."

"Ratchet!?" the twins trotted over, Sideswipe asking, "Why would you betray us when all we've ever done is love you?"

"Like that's all you've ever done," If possible, Ratchet would have rolled his optics.

"It was extremely dangerous taking on the Decepticon commander in his own headquarters like that," Optimus looked down upon his subordinates. "Especially after I advised against it." Prowl and Jazz both opened their mouths to apologise, but Optimus stopped them. "It was risky, not well-thought-out, and potentially deadly. And I'd like to thank you both for going against both orders and logic, and going through with it anyway."

"Uh…" Jazz muttered unintelligently.

"And as for our unexpected guests," the Autobot leader continued, only to be interrupted by Bluestreak:

"Don't be mad, Optimus! They already promised they weren't working for Shockwave. In fact, Shockwave was gonna have Thundercracker and Skywarp put to death, and Starscream too, and, you know, they go where he goes and all that. I guess it's kinda like the twins with each other, I dunno, but you know what I mean? And Soundwave isn't gonna hurt us, either. I mean, he's Bumblebee's maker, right? He helped us put Shockwave temporarily out of action, and if Prowl trusts him, I trust him too! And furthermore – "

"Blue, shut up and let someone else say something, will ya?" Sunstreaker interrupted. Bluestreak shrank back a little, but smiled timidly when the golden twin grudgingly wrapped an arm around his shoulder to make up for the harsh tone. Ratchet smirked, and Sunstreaker glared at the medic, almost daring him to make some sort of biting comment.

"Soundwave," attention turned back to Optimus Prime as he spoke again, addressing the tape deck. "Is this true?"

"Affirmative," the tape deck replied, hand over his face to hide that his mask was missing.

"Why?" First Aid piped up.

Soundwave looked at Jazz, then at Bumblebee and Starscream, then back to Optimus. Sliding his free hand into Jazz's, he replied, "I recently received a message from Ravage saying that some things are more important than the war."

"Ravage said that?" Jazz asked, making a mental note to thank the panther.

"Negative. Ravage delivered the message. Origin: Starscream."

"Optimus," Prowl addressed his commander. "It looks to me like Ratchet is eager to start working on the repairs so he can have some off-time later. And we have more important matters to tend to. While there are more important things, there is still a war going on, and you are still this faction's commander."

"Right," Optimus nodded, allowing the Datsun to lead him away, followed by First Aid, Ratchet, the twins, Bluestreak, Wheeljack, Skyfire, Jazz, Soundwave, Thundercracker, and Skywarp.

Outside the Ark, Bumblebee and Starscream lingered, the seeker's newly-repaired hand grasping the other's firmly.

"I've decided," Starscream said, "your idiot makers aren't all bad."

"I'll tell them you said you're welcome," Bumblebee smiled up at the gorgeous face of the ex-Decepticon.

"After all," the jet continued, "they made you, didn't they?"

That reminded the VeeDub: "Hey, Starscream? About what you said earlier…"

"What did I say?"

"Um…" the yellow mech shifted uncomfortably. "You said… you loved me…"

"I said that?"

Bumblebee nodded, then stepped back a little as the seeker kneeled down.

"Well," Starscream continued, pulling the other into a kiss. As soon as he broke it off, he said, "If I said it, then it must be true. I never make mistakes."

"Of course you don't," Bumblebee replied sarcastically, then kissed the other again.

Starscream pulled back, then whispered into the other's audio's, "Well, maybe I can be wrong sometimes. If it means getting reward sex when I admit to it."

"St-Starscream!" the Autobot looked flustered.

"Thank you," Starscream smirked.

"What do you mean, 'thank you'? For what? Saving you? You don't need to thank me for that; it's what any Autobot would have done."

"For anyone else maybe. Not for me. And that wasn't what I was thanking you for, minibot."

Bumblebee pouted cutely. "Then why?"

The seeker lowered down to capture that cute pout in a brief kiss before replying, "Because. After all, you're my wonderwall."

-fin-

Like I said. No real closure. A bit rushed at parts. Some pace issues. And the occasional mistake, too. English isn't my first language, after all. And even if it was, I've never been good at conclusions.

That all said, it's been a very long journey, and despite how hard I am on myself, I've really enjoyed it and hope you all have too. I'm proud of this story and even prouder that I managed to finish it. I wouldn't have been able to without your support. I can't possibly name all your names, but thank you very much to the 30 or so people who have this on their favourites, the 51 who have it on story alerts, and, of course, my beloved reviewers. This was all for you.

And even if this story is over, the series isn't. Head over to my profile and check out "Through Glass", which takes place in Jazz's and Soundwave's past. And if you're curious to all the allusions I've made to the twins relationship with Ratchet and mysterious dark past, check out "You May Be Right". And if you thirst for moar StarXBee, the next chapter of "Twenty" revolves around them and should be up by tomorrow.