***Damn you to hell plot bunnies! Why can't you let me finish the stories I've already started?! Why?!***

TALK KEY: Normal, ::cybertronian::, emphasized, thoughts, *comm. line*, //bond//

-The Voice

"You wanna piece o' me?!"

"No, I want two!"

Pain.

Awareness. The first thing his CPU registered was the return of pain. Excruciating and merciless; it coursed through his frame like wildfire. He could feel hands trying to hold him down as he arched his back uncontrollably. Panicked voices occasionally leaked through his own agony filled screams to reach his audios.

"Jazz."

How that calm voice managed to pierce through the pain, through the screams, would forever mystify him. That familiar sensuous tenor belonged to someone he thought he'd never hear or see again. A surge of energy hit his CPU and the image and sensation of Megatron ripping him in half resurfaced with another flash of pain. The voice was drowned out.

"You wanna piece o' me?!"

"No, I want two!"

His vocals crackled threatening to short out as he screamed again.

"Jazz."

That voice. It was difficult, but he forced his body to stop fighting the hands. He's here. Oh Primus, he's here!

"Good. Concentrate on my voice."

He felt another surge forming and braced himself. A gentle hand rested on the side of his helm and he knew it was the owner of the voice that haunted him. It took an enormous amount of effort to activate his optics but it was worth it when he saw one of Prowl's rare small smiles. His optics went out when another wave of pain washed over him.

"He is able to hear me Ratchet, I am sure of it. He looked at me."

"Oh good, then you can tell him not to fraggin' do that again. The last thing he needs right now is more sensory input. His CPU is stuck in some sort of info loop."

"Ratch an I will have this little problem fixed in no time Prowl."

Jazz laughed hysterically inside at that comment. Only Wheeljack would consider what was supposed to be permanent deactivation a little problem.

"Understood. Jazz, I am not sure if you heard what Ratchet said or not, but you need to limit your sensory input."

"You wanna piece o' me?!"

"No, I want two!"

Jazz turned his head and pressed his face into Prowl's hand as the pain surged through him. His vocals finally shorted out unable to keep up with the screams. The energy surge abated taking the pain with it and leaving him panting through his intakes. He began to shut down all sensors as instructed before the next wave could hit but maintained his audios. He would rather die again then cut himself off from that voice.

"Shhhhh, that's it Jazz. It won't be much longer."

D'you know how beautiful your voice is? Keep talkin' love. I'll rejoin the world o' the functionin' for that voice.

"You wanna piece o' me?!"

"No, I want two!"

Prowl turned his optics away as Jazz tried to scream through shorted out vocals. The silent scream sent shivers throughout his frame. "Ratchet, I do not wish to rush you but how much longer until this is resolved? I…I cannot bear seeing him like this."

"Almost there. If this doesn't do it we'll have no choice but to put him back into stasis, regardless of the risks. Ok…ok…done! If you pray to Primus, now might be a good time."

"You wanna piece o' me?!"

"No, I…"

The image turned to blackness so quickly that Jazz was suddenly fearful that he had died…again. Several minutes passed with Jazz doing the mental version of twiddling his thumbs waiting for something, anything, to happen. He timidly activated a few of his systems as a test. No pain, no images, no energy surges. Growing more confident, he slowly began booting up the other systems.

"Jazz?"

Jazz stared silently up at Prowl drinking in the sight of his age long infatuation. Perhaps he really was dead this time and was in their version of heaven within the Matrix. Experimentally, he raised a shaking hand and placed it over the one Prowl had on his helm. He attempted to speak but was reminded rather painfully that his vocals had shorted out. Ratchet walked into his field of vision and shook his head at him.

"Luckily for you, the damage to your vocals is not as extensive as what was done to Bumblebee's. Don't move."

Jazz resisted the urge to squirm as the CMO wormed metallic fingers into his throat. A few minutes passed before the medic pulled back and nodded towards him expectantly. He took a deep breath of air in through his intakes and put his vocals to the test. "You've got some cold fingers Doc."

Ratchet threw his arms up in exasperation. "Are you fragging serious?! I perform nothing short of a minor miracle bringing you back from the brink of permanent deactivation and this is the thanks I get?! Next time you pull a stunt like that I am going to leave you in two pieces you little ingrate!!" Wheeljack stepped up beside the CMO and smacked him upside the helm.

"Give the mech a break Ratch" the engineer chuckled. "I don't even wanna think about what he's been through."

Jazz managed a weak laugh earning him a dangerous growl from the fuming medic. "You're right. Thank you. I owe ya my life; you too Jack." Ratchet tossed his head with a snort and folded his arms across his chest. "So…did we win?"

"Yes and no" Ratchet replied letting his arms fall to his sides. "Megatron fell at the hands of the Witwicky boy but at the cost of the Allspark. A shard remained; it was with that piece that we were able to revive your spark. The shard weakened after the procedure and it remains to be seen if it will recover. As for the other problems, they can wait."

Wheeljack flashed his voice indicators happily and placed a hand on Jazz's shoulder. "Relax, recharge, an enjoy the attention that's gonna be lavished upon ya when the announcement of your recovery is made. It's good to have ya back Jazz." He gave Jazz's shoulder a light squeeze before grabbing their disgruntled medic by the arm and dragging him off.

Jazz attempted to raise his head but the pressure of Prowl's hand on his helm halted his movement. He smiled up at the tactician. "Hiya Prowler. It's a shame I wasn't around ta throw a proper welcome ta Earth party for ya. I'll have ta rectify that." His smile slipped a little when the tactician just stared at him. "Prowl…?"

"When my team landed on Earth, Optimus told me what had happened to you" Prowl interrupted calmly.

Many Autobots accused their second in command of being nothing more than a strict workaholic who was only capable of showing passion for two things; logic and the Autobot cause. Jazz prided himself on being one of the few who was able to see passed that. Right now, Prowl was upset; in fact, Jazz surmised that the tactician was just barely holding it together. "Look, Prowl…" Jazz snapped his jaw shut at the sudden brightening of Prowl's optics.

"I thought you were dead Jazz. You were dead. "Do you have any idea what…" Prowl shook his head as if arguing with himself.

Jazz felt his spark ache at the way Prowl shuddered, actually shuddered, when he mentioned his death. "Prowl, I'm sorry…" Jazz was cut off once again as Prowl suddenly reached down and pulled him into an embrace. Too stunned for words, Jazz hugged the distraught tactician back.

"Do not ever scare me like that again" Prowl whispered.

Jazz relished the feel of Prowl's arms wrapped around him; at the warm presence of the other's spark so close to his own. He had loved this mech from afar in his previous life. At that moment, he decided he would correct that mistake in this life.

Prowl pulled away from Jazz and fixed the other mech with a stern look. "I will inform the others that you have been successfully revived. They will wish to see you and I know you are probably just as eager to see them; but you are still under Ratchet's care. It will be up to him as to whether you will be allowed visitors or not. When Ratchet deems you well enough for light duty please report to my office and we will discuss which responsibilities require your attention."

Bewildered, Jazz watched as Prowl turned on his heel and abruptly departed the med bay. What…just happened there?! Jazz wracked his processor for an answer and failed to notice Ratchet as the CMO returned to check up on him. A light tap on his helm brought him out of his musings.

"You need to recharge Jazz."

"Aw come on Doc, from what I understand I've been out long enough to last me a lifetime of recharge.

Ratchet frowned while adjusting one of Jazz's monitors. "Not long enough to do that; but apparently long enough for you to forget what happens when stubborn mechs attempt to disagree with me in my med bay."

"Oh I ain't arguin' with you Ratch. I just got my spark back; I'm not all too eager to lose it again so soon."

Ratchet grinned and leaned one arm onto the repair berth. "Smart mech. I knew there was a reason I brought you back. We all missed you, you know; even the humans." His grin grew wicked as he continued. "Of course you know no one missed you more than Prowl."

Jazz suppressed a pleased sigh and pretended to look indifferent. "You all never give that mech enough credit. He cares 'bout the welfare of his troops; of all the Autobots."

"Oh of course. I never doubted it. I've just never seen him react the way he did when he was told about you."

Jazz's optics widened against his will. "What did he do?"

Ratchet's grin turned from wicked to straight up evil incarnate. "Nighty night Jazz." Jazz opened his mouth but Ratchet had already set the mech's manual recharge sequence.