Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers. Hasbro does, which sucks major robot balls. I don't get money from makin' the fic.

Author's Note: Final Chapter! Whoohoo! A special thank you to all the reviewers: Marzol, Move-2-da-beat-femme, Kitt SummerIsle, SunnySidesofBlue, moonlightnight1, Naughtia, RedOptics7, Richards Queen aka LGFS, agd888, fieryhotspot, White Aster, RD, Zea T, Alaaya2, qtrhorse89, silberstreif, Chris, and ancara-iii. Thanks to everyone who faved and followed as well!

Please enjoy!

Unfortunate Circumstance: Resolution

Scrapper allowed Hook to take the various dents out of his frame. He listened to Thundercracker talk with the Air Commander about preparations for the winglet coming down the road. Scrapper felt his spark twist at the brave face Thundercracker showed for his wingmate's benefit.

Beside him, Swindle recovered with menders in his system. Luckily, both of them were only cosmetically injured. Swindle turned to Scrapper. Sending him a line on the comm. Swindle asked, "What do we do if Megatron comes back and says it wasn't?"

Scrapper shrugged. "I don't know."

Hook glared at them. "Whatever you two are talking about, knock it off. Honestly, what were you two thinking? Getting involved in all this stuff."

Scrapper looked away. "I just thought I'd help a mech out." Even as he said it, he knew how weak he sounded to Hook.

Swindle squirmed beside him. "Same here."

Scrapper noticed the room get conspicuously quiet. He turned to look at the seekers. Thundercracker was giving him a small, sad smile.

Thundercracker said, "Thank you, Scrapper. I appreciate it."

Starscream glared at him. "But you should have come to me."

"To us!" Skywarp interrupted. "We're his trine, for Primus' sake!"

Swindle sighed. "We didn't have enough information to give you until this cycle." He looked up at Thundercracker. "And we didn't want to blast out T.C.'s problems, you know?"

Thundercracker's smile widened. "I'm grateful for that."

The med-bay doors opened. Megatron walked through with Soundwave following closely behind. Soundwave informed them, "Conclusion: Not a forced bond. Both Thundercracker and Megatron put firewalls down."

Thundercracker gasped. He stared at Megatron's optics. The leader stared back, crimson optics blazing. "Megatron, sir, are you sure about this?"

"Yes." Megatron nodded. "I am."

Starscream shook next to Thundercracker. "A mutual bond? I'll never believe it."

"Oh, but I'm afraid you must." Megatron smirked. "Unless, you want to test it?"

Thundercracker quirked an optic ridge. "Test it?"

Hook glared at Megatron. "Thundercracker is with spark, I'll remind you."

"I'm well aware." Megatron stood directly in front of Starscream, arms open. "Come, Starscream, strike me down."

"What?!" Starscream screeched. "Have you gone mad?"

Thundercracker and Skywarp shared a slightly worried look. Skywarp moved to Starscream's side. "Starscream, if it's a mutual bond, you kill Megatron, then…"

Starscream's mouth dropped open. With a sudden loud cry, Starscream pointed at his leader. "You slagging piece of scrap! You planned this! You wanted to make sure I couldn't destroy you!"

Thundercracker softly pointed out. "Unless we terminate the bond."

Megatron whirled on Thundercracker. He walked forward, looming over the blue seeker. His optics never left Thundercracker's as he ordered, "Leave us."

Skywarp backed away quickly. Hook motioned to Scrapper and Swindle as he said, "Get out, get out, get out!" Scrapper tried to protest, but Hook was practically dragging him. Swindle ran out. Soundwave half-carried a sputtering, complaining Starscream through the door.

All too soon, they were alone. Megatron stared down at Thundercracker. The blue seeker stared up at him, obviously nervous. Megatron growled at him, "You wish to terminate our bond?"

Thundercracker winced at the anger. "My lord, I simply can't imagine you'd want to stay bonded. You made the decision, with all due respect, in an overcharged state."

"As did you." Megatron told him. Thundercracker looked down at the floor. Megatron clenched his servos. "Answer the question. Do you wish to terminate our bond?"

Thundercracker shook his helm. All too quietly, he confessed, "No. No, I don't."

Thundercracker kept his optics firmly staring at the floor. Megatron all too gently forced the seeker's helm up. Thundercracker shivered under his touch.

"Why?" Thundercracker finally asked him, "Why me?"

Megatron's hand slowly caressed the side of Thundercracker's helm. His hand traveled down, making its way to Thundercracker's chestplates. Thundercracker's trembling under his hand increased dramatically. Megatron felt the rapid thrumming of the spark beneath his hand. Its warmth brought a small smile to Megatron's lips.

"Why not you?" Megatron leaned in close. Thundercracker felt surrounded as Megatron wrapped his cannon arm around the seeker's waist. "I have no interest in the peons of my vast army. They serve the cause, but they are not strong enough."

"But I am not strong." Thundercracker informed him as Megatron's hand traveled again. When the huge overlord touched the underside of his wings, Thundercracker gasped.

"Yes, you are." Megatron nipped at Thundercracker's neck cables. "Once again, you seem to underestimate your value."

Thundercracker sighed. "Lord Megatron, I don't understand. You've never expressed interest in me. Why did you bond with me?"

"Why did you bond with me?" Megatron leaned down until their faceplates were a breath apart. "I'm curious, Thundercracker, since you've never expressed interest in me."

Thundercracker hesitated. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Megatron tilted his helm, indicating he awaited an answer. Thundercracker shuttered his optics. "I'm loyal."

Megatron chuckled. "You bonded with me out of loyalty?"

"It's that, and more than that." Thundercracker's servos came up to gently touch Megatron's chestplates. "I struggled for so long about swearing my allegiance to the Decepticons. I swore my frame to the cause, but I swore my spark to you as our leader. I take such vows seriously."

Thundercracker bravely ran a digit along the seam where the chestplates met. "I never let Starscream know, but my spark belonged to you to moment I swore allegiance to you." Thundercracker softly said, "In any way you wanted me."

Megatron bent forward. "And now mine belongs to you, as well." Megatron gently brushed Thundercracker lip plates with his fingers. "Do you know how special you are, Thundercracker? I'm not the only one to see it. Scrapper and Swindle fought to protect you because they see it. You have strength, but the compassion to keep it tempered. You are ruthless in battle, yet affectionate to your trinemates. You question, and yet you still follow. You are a true Decepticon, Thundercracker, and I cannot think of a more perfect mech to carry my heir."

Thundercracker gasped as he shook his helm. "I can't believe you think so highly of me."

Megatron tilted Thundercracker's head up. "Stop doubting me. Stop doubting yourself. Let me in."

Thundercracker tilted his helm back. "Always."

They sealed the promise with a kiss.

Several decacycles later…

Immediately after he received the ping, Megatron dropped everything to stomp quickly towards the med-bay. He tore through the hallways, shoving mechs a little too slow on moving out of his way. He shouted in his loudest thunderous voice, "Move! Out of the way!"

Scrapper managed to dodge the huge form of his Lord by flattening himself against the wall. Swindle was not so lucky. With a yelp, he went down and basically got run over. Barricade threw himself into the garbage shoot.

After their commander continued his mad dash, Scrapper helped Swindle to his pedes with a smile. Scrapper said with glee, "It's here!"

Swindle nodded as he popped out a dent in his shoulder. "I wonder what it looks like?" Swindle was glad he just recently gifted Thundercracker with the sparkling play pen and berth. The seeker's joy made all the haggling worthwhile.

"Most likely, a seeker, so Thundercracker but cuter." Scrapper motioned for them to head towards the trine chambers. "Let's go tell Skywarp."

Meanwhile, Hook pressed the med-bay doors open. He turned to his patient on the table. "Just got word he's on the way. He's coming fast, too."

Thundercracker smiled weakly. "Wonder if he'll be disappointed?"

Two seconds later, Megatron burst into the med-bay. Thundercracker gave a small wave. Megatron stepped up to his side. Thundercracker statically said, "I would get up, but…"

Megatron scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous."

The blue seeker pointed to a little berth beside his. "She's squirming around. She's not ready to go to recharge yet."

Megatron quirked an optic ridge. "She? A femme?"

Thundercracker nodded. "Upset?"

Megatron turned to look at the small berth. He walked over to gaze at the small protoform rocking side to side. Tiny wing nubs prevented her from rolling over. Soft, grey metal shined under the stark surgical lights. She softly clicked at him, curious. Her tiny red optics squinted at him, not yet able to focus on details.

Gently, the Lord of the Decepticons brought down a digit to touch her small pede. She chittered at him. When he caressed her tiny metal foot up and down, she purred at him. He brought his digit to her wildly circling hands. She immediately latched onto his finger.

Megatron smirked, revealing a fang. "She'll do."

Thundercracker snickered. "Good to know."

Megatron turned to give his bonded a warm smile. He sent Thundercracker a pulse of pride. Thundercracker pulsed back a weary relief.

Another set of pedes came stomping into the med-bay. A high pitched voice asked, "Where's the new seeker?" Starscream came up to Megatron's side. "Wow, she's gorgeous, Thundercracker."

Thundercracker gave him a deadpanned look. "Are you complimenting your own work, Starscream?"

Starscream smirked. "Maybe a little, but you can see your coding already." Starscream gently rubbed a line across the femme's left wing nub. "But she's unfortunately got some grey from a certain Decepticon Commander."

Megatron glared at his SIC. "Get out."

Starscream glared back at him. "Fine, but I'm coming back once you're done fawning over her."

"I am not fawning! I am assessing." Megatron clenched his denta. "Get out of here."

"Yes, sir." Starscream turned to Thundercracker. He pinged him over the comm. "I am coming back later to assess the protoform. It looks fine, though. Better than."

Thundercracker smiled. "Good. Thank you for making her base form, Starscream."

Starscream exited the med-bay with a haughty strut, wings up high with pride. Hook punched the code in for the doors to close and lock right behind him.

Megatron gently continued testing the femme's responses to his touch. "What is her designation?"

Thundercracker sat up a little bit. "I've always had a fondness for a femme from myth. Tauri, the first femme warrior."

Megatron nodded. "Very well." Carefully, he picked up the tiny bundle, placing her over his spark to deepen their bond.

"Welcome to the verse, Tauri."

End