That very orn, Jazz left his home with Prowl and Optimus flanking him on either side, not intending to return until he had found a way to do as Optimus so threatened Starscream they would and remove the Seeker trine from Jazz's home and life. It proved to be easier to eject them than anyone had projected. Optimus's high standing had allowed them to cut through a lot of red tape, and they were soon granted access to the city's data records. All it took was a few orns of searching to find the information they needed: the official will of Jazz's creators. It showed that his sire had left a small number of credits to the Seeker's creator in thanks for her services as an aid to him in his last orns and caretaker to his sparkling, but the bulk of his estate, including the house, was left to Jazz. The estate was meant to be handled by the femme until Jazz came of age, but when she had deactivated before that time came, her three creations had all too willingly stepped in and taken advantage of the situation.

With the proof of his ownership in hand, not even a full deca-cycle later, Jazz returned to his home, escorted by Prowl and two Enforcers, and ordered the Seeker trine out of his house. Starscream, fury just barely contained, had tersely insisted upon Jazz allowing them an orn to collect their belongings, and then they would be on their way. Jazz, with ill-disguised satisfaction, denied the Seeker his request. According to the document he held, the house and all items within it upon the time of his creator's deactivation belonged to him, and as the Seekers could not prove which affects had been brought into the home after that, they legally could remove nothing without Jazz's permission.

It was at that point that the precaution of bringing along a pair of Enforcers became a necessity. Absolutely enraged at being stripped of his possessions, Starscream lost all manifestation of self control and lunged at Jazz with an unholy shriek of fury. One of the Enforcers managed to tackle the livid Seeker to the ground before he could actually touch Jazz, holding him down as his partner forced him into a pair of energy cuffs. Starscream bucked and thrashed against his bonds and captors, screaming deactivation threats to Jazz, Prowl, and even Senator Optimus at the highest level of his screechy vocalizer. He was half carried, half dragged out of the house by one of the Enforcers while the other escorted Thundercracker and Skywarp, who were, fortunately, choosing to go quietly, if not unhappily.

Jazz was elated to see them go, practically quivering with barely contained glee as he watched all five mechs troop through the door. It had barely shut behind them when he let out a whoop of joy. Letting his creator's will and deed to the house fall to the ground, he flung himself at Prowl, kissing him with a passionate force. Taken by surprise, the taller black and white was knocked off balance and the two went the same way as the datapads, tumbling to the foyer floor in a tangle of limbs, lip components still connected in a crushing kiss.

"They're gone," Jazz whispered as he pulled away a moment later, voice quivering from the overwhelming happiness that fact caused. "They're gone, an' I don' ever have ta see 'em again!"

"Well, that's not entirely true," Prowl informed him. "No doubt, after Starscream's little come-apart, the Enforcers will suggest you press charges or, at the very least, set up restraining orders, and you will both have to attend the formal meetings those things entail, so –"

"You always gonna spoil good moods like this?" Jazz cut him off, trying to look exasperated, but unable to really pull it off due to the large grin that would not entirely go away. Prowl smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Over-active logic processor."

"Well, tha's fixable," Jazz murmured, voice a sultry purr. He wriggled against his partner. "Already know how t' freeze it up an' everything…"

"Jazz…" Prowl barely resisted groaning his name, which would have been very detrimental indeed, making it sound as an encouragement rather than the warning it was.

They were yet to actually interface. Prowl, still feeling rather guilty for having allowed things to go too far their first meeting, despite Jazz's reassurances that it had not been forced upon him, wanted to take things slowly. Jazz reluctantly allowed this, mostly because he had never before treaded the waters of an intimate relationship and did not know how to move things along himself. He was learning quickly, though, and had driven Prowl to the point of arousal where his logic processor did indeed freeze up on him several times already. (That was usually the point where Prowl would cut things off, knowing he would have limited control much beyond then.)

Jazz smiled down at his almost lover, kissing him gently once more, before gracefully pushing himself to his pedes. He held out a hand to Prowl, who took it and pulled himself upright.

"Le's go see what we can sell back t' those fly-mechs," Jazz said, linking his arm with Prowl's and heading for the stairs. "Screamer's got a lotta stuff in his lab I'm sure he wants back…"

The red and white flyer did indeed want the contents of his lab back. It was he who contacted Jazz first – through a messenger, as the restraining orders had been set up by that point – asking what it would take to obtain them. Jazz answered with a price list, each item documented with a rather hefty number of credits attached. It no doubt hurt Starscream's already scalded pride to do so, rubbing cosmic rust into the wound, but he did end up purchasing back much of what was once his. Thundercracker and Skywarp did the same with a few personal effects. Jazz walked away from the exchange the obvious winner, extorting a ridiculous sum of credits from the three of them. Neither he nor Prowl was sure how they paid for it, though, as they no longer had access to the accounts attached to the house.

"He's an aft, but he is smart," Jazz commented off-handedly. "Prob'ly had another account set up fer all he was earnin' from the science department he works for."

While that was the case, he and his brothers had still taken to ravaging the house accounts. The current numbers did not match up with what the will stated was to be left to Jazz. As there was proof that it had been the Seekers that were the ones responsible for the discrepancy, Jazz filed a formal complaint against them and it was ruled in his favor – the trio of brothers would be required to replace the credits that were missing from the account. (This was after Jazz had already sold them back all their belongings. Starscream's rage could be heard all through the litigations building as the verdict was read.)

It took a few strenuous deca-cycles for all the formal business to be completed and official documents to be filed, but in the end the time seemed to have flown by. A few deca-cycles, and Jazz was a free mech, the owner of his own house, with an impressively substantial bank account to support him. That was not even mentioning, of course, the loving partner that stood by his side through the whole ordeal. (Though Prowl had been rather busy himself, somewhere along the journey having been reinstated as an Enforcer, something Mirage was only too willing to aid in.)

Once things had at last settled down, Jazz had turned his attentions to ridding the house – his house – of all presence of the Seekers. Everything in the house, whether his own belongings or things the Seekers had not purchased back, was trashed. Nothing, not even furniture, remained. For a few orns, the house was entirely barren. Jazz spent those orns thoroughly scrubbing down every floor, every wall, every nook and cranny, starting at his old attic room and working his way down.

"Jus' wanna fresh start," he'd said when Prowl inquired after his actions. "A completely fresh start."

Prowl could understand where he was coming from. Memories were painful enough – he didn't need to have constant reminders of what was lying about his home, tainting his new life. So, for those few orns, after Prowl finished his shift, he picked up a scrub brush of his own and helped Jazz rid the house of any traces of the Seekers.

Once every surface of the house was clean and sparkling, Jazz had emphatically declared it was time to go shopping. Prowl was, much to his surprise, was required to assist in each and every purchase, from large things like furniture down to the basic simplicities like drinking cubes and other kitchen items. It took them at least another deca-cycle to slowly fill the house, as they had limited time to actually make the purchases, working around Prowl's work shifts. It was quite a sight to behold once it was finally complete. What had been just a house – a cage – was finally a home. There was finally peace to be had within the walls that had for so long held Jazz captive. It was then that Jazz asked Prowl to leave the little apartment he had taken up when he'd left the Towers and come stay with him. Prowl, after the barest astrosecond of consideration, agreed. He was moved out of his temporary residence and into Jazz's home – their home – that very orn. It was later that same orn, in celebration of the fresh start to their life together, that they finally joined together in body and mind in sweet love making for the first time.

They could not have been happier together. As time passed, their love for one another only grew, evolved, multiplied. It had been apparent from the first time they met that they were meant to be together, but not even they could have imagined how deeply their feelings would go. From the first, tentative steps they had taken in the gardens of the Towers, when the seeds of love had been planted, to the present orn, where they could not imagine being apart, love for each other running from their very cores.

Before they knew it, nearly a vorn had passed since that fateful night when they had met for the first time at the party that announced Hound and Mirage as Intended. They were soon to be attending another festivity held by the noble and his mate: their bonding ceremony. Prowl was happy for his friend and ex-employer, glad that at last he would be bonded to the one he'd loved for so long. Jazz was just as thrilled the time had finally come – he'd gotten to know and grown close to the couple over the past vorn. They both looked forward to the fast approaching orn. (Prowl expressed a serious relief and gratitude that he was no longer in the noble's service, knowing the state of frantic activity the Towers would be in by now. Jazz merely scoffed at him, accusing him of being ridiculous and over-reacting.)

The party to follow the ceremony was to be, as most everything was with the Towers, a large and grand event. The ceremony itself, however, was rather surprising. There were a limited number of mechs invited to witness Hound and Mirage exchange their vows. Prowl and Jazz felt very honored to be among this intimate group. It was held in a clearing of the gardens, a few rows of chairs facing a temporary alter. Prowl and Jazz sat in the back corner, holding each other's hands and sitting in peaceful silence, each reminiscing about the last time they had been in those special gardens together.

The ceremony began. The mech performing the bonding gave a short speech before beginning the official process. He spoke of dedication, the dedication two must have to one another to perform the act of bonding. He spoke of love, the deep feelings that must already exist and the immeasurable lengths that they would grow once two sparks were made one. And he spoke of eternity. This was the ultimate step. Once bonded, there was no going back. There were no second chances. There was nothing else. They would be your reason for living, your reason for everything. There would only be your bonded, forever and for all eternity.

Linked hands tightening almost painfully, Prowl and Jazz turned as one to face one another, sharing a weighted look. Without a word being spoken, they silently agreed. A single tear of joy running down his cheekplate, Jazz leaned into his mate, capturing his lips in an ardent kiss.

They decided not to wait. Two deca-cycles – that was all they would wait, all they could wait. Once they had made the decision, their sparks longed to finally be joined, creating an almost painful ache each orn they were kept apart. They both agreed that Optimus would perform the ceremony. As a government official, he had the power to oversee the proceedings. They asked him the orn after Hound and Mirage's bonding ceremony, and, with a kind, knowing smile, he had said it would be his honor.

Bluestreak, Prowl's younger co-creation, was brought in from the Youth Sector in Praxus for the ceremony. Jazz took to the talkative young bot immediately. He had not been there more than a few orns when Jazz, completely enraptured, had taken Prowl aside and expressed his desire for the youngling to remain in Iacon and live with them. Prowl, a bit surprised, affirmed that it was really what his mate wanted before agreeing with his whole spark. They inquired of Bluestreak himself if he would like that, to which he immediately responded, "Frag yeah!" (Prowl had a few choice words with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe after that, as the Twins had been spending just as much if not more time with the youngling than his Intended, taking the young bot under their proverbial wing and, apparently, teaching him their bawdy ways.)

Mirage and Hound returned from their post-bonding vacation the orn before Prowl's and Jazz's ceremony was to take place. Prowl wasted no time in contacting his friend and inviting him to attend. Mirage, while initially surprised at the information he was to be bonded, then shocked at how soon it was to take place, and absolutely aghast at the fact that Prowl had not allowed him to arrange an extravagant post-ceremony party for him, assured his friend that he and Hound would be there to support him and Jazz.

It was small and simple, just the way Prowl and Jazz wanted it to be. It took place in backyard of Optimus's home, their only guests being Elita, Bluestreak, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Hound, and Mirage. They gathered in a semi-circle facing the pair of black and whites. Optimus stood behind them, smiling down at them as he recited the proper ritual for bonding ceremonies. Jazz and Prowl hardly heard a word of it, optics trained on one another, hands grasped tightly, caught up in a world that consisted of only each other. They stumbled through their vows to one another, feelings of love so overwhelmingly strong they could barely speak.

"I take you as my mate–"

"—from this orn forward—"

"—loving no other but you—"

"—binding myself to you in mind, body, and spark—"

"—for the rest of time—"

"—beyond even the forces of deactivation—"

"—I will remain one with you—"

"—even as the Matrix calls us home—"

"—and all are one."

And with that, it was over. In the optics of Cybertron, they were a bonded couple. They came together, arms wrapped tightly about each other, lips meeting in a passionate kiss amid the applause and cheers of their friends and family.

They remained at the Senator's house a while longer, sipping at cubes of celebratory high-grade, allowing their small group of friends to congratulate them repeatedly, never removing the arms wrapped around each others waists. They grew more and more anxious to return to their own home as the night went on, sparks longing to physically complete what had been verbally sanctioned. Fortunately, Elita, ever observant, noticed this and brought the festivities to an end early. Proclaiming that Bluestreak was tired and needed to recharge, she sent everyone on their way. (Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, cottoning on to Elita's real reasoning for kicking them out, looked like they wanted to make a lewd comment at Jazz and Prowl's expense, but they glanced at the Enforcer's younger brother, then at the Enforcer himself, and refrained.)

Saying their goodbyes, accepting one last round of congratulations from all, Prowl and Jazz began for home, leaving Bluestreak in the care of Optimus and Elita for the night. They opted to walk over driving their alt modes, refusing to break contact with one another even for that short distance. No words were spoken as they walked. Nothing needed to be said. The tangible love that flowed between them was enough.

They finally arrived home and took to their room. As anxious to bond as they were, the kisses were sweet and slow, each lingering movement a ghosting promise of what was to come. Hands slowly reached out, stroking and touching almost hesitantly, like they were doing it for the first time again. A slow, steady heat began building within them, starting at their core and filling them outward until they could take no more and, without bidding, their chestplates parted, revealing to each other their glowing life force. As their sparks merged for the first time, they became one, instantly absorbing the essence of each other, mingling together until they could not tell where one ended and the other began. They basked in the warmth and love of one another as long as they could, holding back their overloads for just a moment more of this bliss, just a little while longer of such pure joy, until their bodies could stand no more and the powerful wave of overload washed over them simultaneously.

Reluctantly, their sparks parted, caressing one another one last time before retreating to individual chambers. Chestplates closing, sealing off their sparks, Prowl and Jazz weakly continued to hold each other close, furiously working cooling fans and the pinging of metal the only sounds in the room. Words were superfluous now. They didn't need them to know how at peace the other felt, how immeasurably happy they both were, how complete they at last were.

Overtaxed systems demanded that they initiate their recharge subroutines. Too weary to fight their own bodies, the pair of lovers allowed themselves to succumb to the tempting lull of recharge, sharing one last mutual feeling of love before slipping off-line. While they did not know what the vorns would bring them, what hardships they might face, what travesties may befall them, they knew that as long as they had each other, everything else would be alright.

Final author's note: Well, that's it! *wipes sweat off forehead* Jazzerella is now officially finished! And I, for one, am quite proud of myself for at last having completed a multi-chapter fic. (This is the first one from ANY of my fandoms. I have a bad habit of abandoning stories when the writer's block sets in.) Anyways, it was fun to write, despite it being a giant angst ball, and I hope those of you that have been following along enjoyed the ride.