Author's Notes: I'd like to thank Gimme-chan, who wrote most of the first chapter, and finally, I'd like to thank those who made this my most popular story (review wise) yet. It's been a fun ride, and I enjoyed every moment of it!

Thanks to the overwhelming pleas for a sequel, 'Closed minds are best' will be debuting next week Friday!

Disclaimer: for the absolute last time, I own nothing!

Soundwave knew it was all good when he woke.

Yes, he remembered. He even remembered what he hadn't: the incident with the female Autobots through his cassette's optics, every thought he had heard, every thought he had spoken.

Normally, his telepathy was a burden -- who really wanted to hear what Starscream was thinking of? Did anyone really want to know what Skywarp and Thundercracker thought?

Soundwave didn't. He usually managed to ignore the intruding thoughts quite well, remembering the ones most useful for the Decepticon cause. The rest though, was useless, and forgotten.

Except they had been used to create a treaty of all things. Though, from Megatron's thoughts the female Autobots had destroyed any hope of a more permanent armistice.

Pit, he had had a civil conversation with Blaster for the first time in what – six billion Earth years?

Still, Blaster had been hit by Wheeljack's weapon of a fate worse than death. Turned into a sparkling most likely, if anything had happened at all.

Even the distraction of his brother couldn't hold forever. He was in the repair bay, surrounded by those whose thoughts he had been blurting out nonstop for the past two and a half weeks.

So forgive Soundwave if he was a bit embarrassed.

Finally, he sat up.

Silently, Megatron handed him his faceplate and he replaced it on gratefully.

Perhaps the rest of the assembled took his covering of his mouth to mean he wasn't going to start blurting out thoughts anytime soon.

Megatron nodded once. Soundwave took it, it was the only acknowledgement he was going to get – and it was the only one he wanted.

Truthfully, he he wanted to go back to Earth, scout an oil refinery and shoot something. Judging from anxious thoughts emanating from the other room, he wasn't the only one.

Optimus entered. He wasn't nearly as brief as Megatron in greeting.

"Soundwave, I am glad Wheeljack managed to…fix you."

"I thank you for providing me a place in your base." He replied. "I hope you understand that this has no…effect on our future encounters."

Optimus nodded. "I understand. "

Optimus sighed in relief and Soundwave had an image of himself telling Optimus exactly what Megatron and Starscream were up to. "That's good."

A knock was heard.

"They're here," Optimus muttered and opened the door.

Blaster stirred and sat up. He eyed the assembled bots warily just as the female Autobots arrived.

Apologies were forgotten, they saw Blaster.

"He's so adorable," Chromia said, hugging the sparkling her her frame.

Elita One slapped her palm to her forehead and turned to Soundwave.

"I'm sorry about the little…er…incident with your cassettes. We were unaware a truce was in effect." she glared at Optimus. "And have just been informed."

Soundwave nodded.

"Getoff," Blaster muttered, trying to get Chromia to back off. She continued hugging him. Soundwaev thought for a moment how jealous Ironhide would be, and remembered what he had said to Ironhide about Chromia.

Chromia looked to Elita.

"Can we keep him?"

Elita glared and her mind ran to what their super-secret base would look like in a couple days.

Megatron met Soundwave's optics and they shared a brief moment of

"I doubt it."

Optimus conceded the point. "I believe it would be wisest for Wheeljack to reverse the effect, just as he did with his--" he trailed off. "Counterpart."

"He'll kill him!" Chromia wailed, squeezing Blaster even tighter.

Optimus smiled under his face-mask. "There you have I," he said, ignoring Chromia. And the majority of the Ark's occupants will agree with me. Wheeljack, is that weapon almost cooled off?"

"Yeah boss. 'Bout five more minutes and--"

CRASH!

Moonracer gasped as the weapon fell to the ground and shattered into a million pieces.

A moment of silence reigned.

Optimus sighed. "I only ask one thing." He turned to Soundwave.

"Yes?"

"Does Blaster have any…special powers?"

Soundwave snuck a glance at his now decidedly smaller brother, extracted from Chromia, who Wheeljack was fussing over; having decided his weapon was unfixable.

"Negative."