This really has been the most amazing ride I've ever been on. Thank you to everyone who was a part of this story from the beginning. I wrote this because I was mad at how they ended the show and it became so much more because everyone had the time to read it and enjoy it. This is the final chapter to this story.

ssssssssss

Starscream laid himself back on the med berth himself, Ratchet hesitantly setting up all the devices and nodes they would need to start the procedure. Everyone had come to see the seeker as he trembled on the slab of metal. No one could find the words to stop it all. Starscream had made up his mind.

Through angry tear filled optics, Arcee growled at him, "Optimus is giving you this and you're tossing it away?"

The seeker shook his helm, intaking shakily, "It was never a gift I could receive, Arcee. The clear processor I have now was the gift… At least, that's what I think it was."

The femme turned away. She was angry and hurt.

Bumblebee went to the berthside, speaking up next, "Does Optimus know you're doing this for him?"

Starscream nodded, "He does. But whether he likes it or not, I am uncertain…" he offlined his optics, settling into the berth, "But it doesn't matter. I'm… I'm taking a cue from some of the mechs I've gotten to know the passed few megacycles."

"Killing yourself when we could find a way to save you both isn't exactly a good cue to take," Arcee hissed.

The seeker smirked, "We don't know that."

"But we could try-"

Smokescreen grabbed onto Arcee and held her, letting her cling back to him tightly, "It's O.K., 'Cee… We're all upset."

Ratchet hovered over Starscream, finalizing a few more nodes, "Yes, we are. Are you sure about this?"

Starscream shook his helm, watching Shockwave tend to Optimus's chassis in a similar manner and open his chest plate to place the new Matrix carefully, "No, I'm not. But the greatest sacrifice Optimus gave to me was the trust he put into surrendering his spark. I lived far longer than I was supposed to because of him," he sighed, "And believe me, I'm afraid. I don't want to die. But my spark has been free this whole time doing only Primus knows what while my mind has been trapped here, learning what it needed to. I cannot force Optimus to endure a prison for the rest of eternity. I am giving back to him. If this is my end… then I can accept it."

Wheeljack and Bulkhead hung their helms, not sure what to say. Knockout looked nearly as angry as Arcee, his arms crossed and his optics cast down.

The red mech finally grumbled when Breakdown nudged him, "You don't have to do this, you know. We could fix you up, same as Breakdown and Optimus."

The seeker shook his helm, "I've thought about that. Once I thought I wouldn't want to be cloned. Then I thought I did. But I think now…" he smiled sadly, "now… I believe it would be better to start anew somewhere else… After all I've been through and all that I've seen, my mind is clear and I'm happy. And the journey from here scares me, but I know once I've started it, I won't need to be afraid. Many mechs long before us did the same thing."

"But they weren't you," Knockout snarled, finally unable to take anymore; he left the med bay, standing just outside the room.

Breakdown followed him while Wheeljack finally spoke up, his voice a little hoarse, "All the times we fought during the war, then all the times we fought together after… They're amazing memories, Screamer… I can thank you for that."

Bulkhead nodded, "S-same…" he sighed heavily, wiping his optics, "We wouldn't be here now if you hadn't been a part of this world."

The wreckers quieted down and Smokescreen looked up, "I may not have had the same history with you, Starscream, but everything we did together was something different. The good and the bad."

Starscream smiled, accepting their good byes one by one, "It means a lot hearing from each of you. I have to say, I never could have predicted something like this… Being so at peace in the end."

Arcee turned back to him slowly, "How are we supposed to feel about all this? Are we supposed to be at peace too?"

The seeker shrugged, "Optimus wanted that when he passed on," he smirked, "Shall I curse you all here and demand sadness for the rest of your functions?"

The femme and a few others chuckled in surprise, but Arcee's laughter quickly turned to choked sobs.

Starscream smiled, "Since I woke up beaten and mangled and without a spark of my own, I've found caches, built buildings, saved lives and helped other sparks pass on… All these things would never have happened if Optimus hadn't given me his spark to do so. You can all be as sad as you want to be, but one day it will not hurt so much…" he looked over at Optimus's chassis, nodding as tears filled his optics, "O.K… when you're ready…"

Ultra Magnus stepped forward, his expression in a tight lock as he reached down and shook the seeker's servo wordlessly. When he stepped aside, Shockwave did the same, patting his shoulder plate and moving for Ratchet to give him a silent nod. Soundwave crept up quietly after that, his frame only noticeably trembling to the seeker.

"Soundwave," he said softly, "Upset."

Starscream reached up and took his servo, "And I am glad you are alive to feel that way," he murmured, "We may have had our differences, but you were never a bad mech, Soundwave. I will miss you."

The seeker sighed softly and offlined his optics. And he felt nothing when Ratchet hesitantly turned on the machine and his chassis fell limp.

ssssssssss

This is the end. I know, it's hard to read...

.

.

.

.

.

.O.K., I lied. I'm evil. I know RangerBlack is pointing at the screen angrily. Love to you all. And I told you all the ending on chapter 45. NONE of you saw it. XDDD

ssssssssss

He couldn't hear very well, but he knew there was something. He heard this word before, over and over. Angrily, mostly. … And there it was again! Garbled and hardly able to register... but he focused anyway…

"Starscream…? Starscream…?"

When his optics onlined, the world was hazy and unfocused. He could feel the world around him settle and it was bright and beautiful and warm. He felt optics on him and intakes held back to keep gasps from escaping, but though they were familiar, they were not the ones calling to him.

He lazily looked to the side, seeing a smiling faceplate and bright blue optics greet him, "Starscream…"

The mech, Optimus Prime, sat up slowly from his berth and reached out, setting a servo on his shoulder plating, "Starscream…?"

The seeker nodded lightly, intaking slowly as Prime smiled wider. He wanted to look around him but the world was not as forgiving as he thought he once knew it. His focus was clear on Optimus however, so he continued to watch him.

The Prime moved his servo down from his shoulder to his servo, "Starscream. Thank you… I am very proud."

He could feel the digits wrap around his… and his digits clenched back! The seeker trembled lightly and sighed happily, letting himself relax on the berth.

As Ratchet and Knockout and Shockwave suddenly swarmed him to open his chest plate, each shouting angrily and happily and in shock at the outcome, Starscream thought back to what Breakdown had told him a solar cycle ago.

… By some freak accident or miracle…

And when the metal pulled back and his chamber exposed the doctors to a bright light, they had their answer.

But Starscream was just happy to be alive.

ssssssssss

I am saddened and relieved this story is over. Thanks again to everyone. I like this happy ending better than Hasbro's. :) And it only took 50 chapters to get there.

*Small updates. Mutant spark. G1. I'm nodding to it.