Chapter 28 - A/N final chapter everyone, thanks for reading. You're all great! This story is for all of you who supported me and encouraged me. Here have a happy. It's more than RL gives us.

Prime wandered the halls of the former Autobot base. It had taken the combined efforts of the Decepticons and his Autobots to break through the stronghold of the Autobots' fortified base. His first act had been to order the release of all the human prisoners and to have the ARC destroyed.

The place was a formidable fortress, filled with torture rooms and an arena stained with goodness knows what. Prime was sickened to find a swarm of Sharkticons held in the lower levels of the compound. The sick feeling quickly turned to fury when he was told by Starscream what the creatures were used for.

He approached the cells where the Autobots from this twisted universe were being held. It had taken all the diplomacy Prime had to talk Starscream and Megatron out of simply giving them a taste of their own torturous medicine before off lining them publicly.

"What do we do with them?" Starscream questioned as soon as he stepped into the room. "It's not like they'll integrate well into Decepticon society." He sneered, receiving a patient yet pointed look from Prime.

"You'll have to discuss that with them. Once Jazz returns with Prowl and Sunstreaker, you could always send them back to Cybertron, destroy the space bridge and help the humans rebuild their home here."

"If Jazz returns." Starscream added quietly, averting his optics when Prime looked at him. He ignored the soft growls from Ironhide and Sideswipe at his bold statement, not to mention the glares from the rest of Prime's Autobots.

"He'll return. Jazz can't stand to fail." Prime replied just as quietly, before turning to his 'bots. "We better take the prisoners to the space bridge. We need to be prepared for Jazz's return and to send them back to their home."

The Autobots shifted and worked with their unlikely allies to corral the alternate universe Autobots and prepare to lead them to the space bridge. At that moment, the comms of Prime, Starscream and Megatron all pinged at once, much to the worry of everyone else.

Starscream was the first to answer. /Yes?/ His optics brightened as he listened to the message, one which Megatron could also hear. The two mechs gave each other a quick glance and cut the comm. to stare in absolute shock at Prime and his 'bots.

"Starscream, what is it?" Prime frowned, concern growing in his spark.

"We have a summons."

"Who the slag is doing the summoning?" Ironhide groused, fidgeting with his weapon in agitation.

"Prowl. Your Prowl."

"What?"

All the Autobots exclaimed at once, igniting the room into an excited yet wary fervour, until Prime held up his hand for quiet. "Explain."

Megatron stepped forward. "Your scientist has received a transmission through the space bridge, from our home world." He glanced at Starscream. "They should probably hear it for themselves."

"Agreed." Starscream marched from the room, calling out behind him as he passed. "The prisoners can wait, I have a feeling we have more pressing matters to attend to."

"There have been some major developments that we can only discuss with you in person. Starscream and Megatron must also attend, this is vital to the future of Cybertron. Prime, Jazz and I need to speak with you in person regarding what has taken place here. I can only assure you this isn't a trap…

…Have you told him about...?

…Yes Sunstreaker, I have, please refrain from speaking during the recording."

A faint sigh could be heard through the recording and Sideswipe grinned and nudged Ironhide, who merely shook his helm with bemusement, as both of them could picture Prowl's stoic patience, his door wings held high on his back, his face plates the epitome of impassive. "That's our Prowl alright." The front liner spoke up, once the recording was finished.

Prime's brow remained furrowed. Starscream regarded him curiously. "Still think it could be a trap?"

"Yes, but what choice do we have?" He straightened and turned to Ironhide. "You're in command until we return, work with Thundercracker and ensure the prisoners are not maltreated. Starscream, Megatron and I will return as soon as possible, hopefully unscathed."

"Prime, I'm coming too." Sideswipe stepped forward, weapon at the ready, face defiant and determined, he wasn't about to back down any time soon.

Prime gave a small nod and turned to head to the space bridge, only to meet the earnest gaze of First Aid who stood in his path.

"Jazz was injured before he went through and Prowl has been a prisoner for who knows how long. You'll need me, if only for peace of mind."

A soft smile grew behind the battle mask at the bravery of his soldiers. Optimus nodded and gave a gentle squeeze of the small medic's shoulder. "Alright then. Starscream, Megatron… when you're ready."

"We shall leave immediately." Megatron declared, some of his old confidence returning. He almost seemed to be the mech who had led the first rebellion against the tyrannical Autobots, much to Starscream's relief. The seeker cared a great deal about his faction but he still did not yet feel cut out to be leader and it would be an honour to serve by Megatron's side once more.

The small band of mechs was met by armed guards upon their arrival to Cybertron. Prime was astounded by the beauty of the city. They had been fighting over a dead husk for so long that they had almost forgotten what it was they had been fighting over. Seeing Cybertron in all its glory, was a stark reminder of what they had lost and what they could one day, somehow, regain.

They followed the guards in silence, not wanting to exacerbate the situation, given that they didn't really know what situation they were walking into.

It didn't take them long to be taken to the top most part of the palace. Prime frowned when he entered the room, there were still scorch marks from plasma rifles, scarring the walls and notable dark stains on the floor. There had clearly been some form of battle in the room, one which Prime found himself more than curious to learn the outcome of as he recognised the room as the Prime's personal suite.

The guards left them as the doors swung open. Each mech spun round to stare at the newcomers. They recognised the alternative Prowl with his black and chrome paintwork, being helped in by a distinctly familiar Ratchet and their Jazz. Sunstreaker followed with Thundercracker and Starscream, who regarded his counterpart with suspicion.

Prowl whispered something to Ratchet who glanced up with a scowl on his faceplates. He turned to the two seekers behind him and Starscream gave a subtle nod, a sneer spreading across his face. "With pleasure."

Chaos suddenly broke out when the seekers rushed forward to take hold of Megatron and restrain him. "Starscream you're enjoying this too much." Thundercracker quipped with a raised optic ridge.

"It's not like I'll get chance to do this back home now is it?" He retorted, the sneer still very present on his face.

Megatron struggled, albeit weakly due to his injuries. "What is the meaning of this?"

Prime whirled round to face Prowl as he was helped into a seat, clearly still in some amount of pain. "Explain yourself. What's going on?"

Prowl grimaced apologetically. "He is a traitor to his faction, Prime. My apologies for not bringing it to your attention sooner but I couldn't risk him overhearing." Prowl's vocaliser was scratchy and laced with faint bursts of static from his ordeal, but as far as Prime could tell he was fully cognizant.

"I don't understand he helped us."

Prowl shook his helm sadly. "He was working with my counterpart; I overheard the comm. transmission while I was his prisoner slave."

"Wait, you were a slave?" Sideswipe interrupted with a growl.

Sunstreaker rested a hand on his tense twin's arm. "We all were, Prowl's the only one who managed to break the programming."

The mechs all turned to Megatron. "Sounds like you have a lot of explaining to do, Megatron." Starscream snarled, his characteristic calm replaced with anger borne of hurt and betrayal. "How could you do this to us?"

Megatron gave up his struggle and hung limply in the seeker's grasp, a now defeated mech. "I just couldn't take it anymore…" His once powerful voice, sounded meek and feeble to their audios and Starscream simply snorted in disgust.

Prowl was the first one to break the uneasy tension. "I don't believe he knew, that Prowl was going to double cross him. It seems he had planned on removing all threats to the position of Prime and taking up the mantle himself."

"Well that explains why you're such a control freak then." Sideswipe grinned, and snickered, more than glad to have the un-amused tactician alive and well in front of them.

"Indeed." Prowl quirked an optic ridge at the flippant remark, the words bouncing off him as they always had. He turned his stern gaze back to Prime. "Ironically, that is what we need to speak to you about."

"Oh?" Prime didn't think things could get anymore surreal than they already were so he was more prepared for whatever Prowl wanted to say.

"I need to stay behind and help them rebuild their world. If the Autobots believe all their leaders to be dead, there will be riots the likes of which Cybertron has never seen and their world will become not unlike ours."

Prime stared for a moment in absolute shock at what he was hearing. Of all the things Prowl could have said, that was one that he hadn't expected. "You can't be serious."

Prowl's mouth pressed into a thin line. "I'm always serious."

Ratchet stepped forward, laying a hand on Prowl's shoulder. "The thing is Prime. Cybertron is mostly populated by Autobots; the majority of the Decepticons were wiped out through genocide. The only ones remaining now live on Earth. We need Prowl, to pretend to be his alter ego in order to smooth the transition from war, to peace. I tell you now, the majority of Autobots weren't sparked with a hatred of Decepticons. The propaganda that my Prime and Prowl fed them, warped their thinking. They're mostly innocent; they deserve a chance, despite their failings."

Starscream snorted derisively. "I will not share a planet with them. They are barbaric, always have been, even before the war."

"Yes but they can change, with the right leadership." Ratchet countered patiently.

"You want to be that leader, Prowl?" Prime asked quietly.

"It's not a case of want, I am already recognisable as the Prowl they know and I will not leave when one of ours has to remain."

"What the frag are you talking about?" Sideswipe interrupted once more, a frown forming on his faceplates. "You've been rescued, no one has to stay behind."

"That's not quite true mech." Jazz spoke up, a wry grin on his face.

Prime was baffled as to why it was suddenly impossible for Jazz to leave. He stared at his two officers with growing irritation and frustration and was about to speak up when Ratchet beat him to the punch.

"Jazz's spark was damaged before he came here, yes?"

First Aid nodded slowly, realisation slowly dawning on him.

"Well the first trip through the space bridge aggravated his wound. If he travels through the vortex again, his spark will not hold. He will die."

The room fell into stunned silence at the bomb shell. Prime cycled air slowly as he mulled over the consequences of allowing his two senior officers to stay behind.

"We need you both."

Prowl bowed his helm slightly and shot a side long look at Jazz. "Whereas Jazz cannot travel through the space bridge, I can." He turned back to Prime. "You need only send a message through, if you desperately need either of us. We are hoping that by keeping the space bridge open, it will also further serve to improve relations with the Decepticons currently residing on Earth, if that is where they choose to stay. We are willing to give up control of the space bridge to them."

Starscream gawped at the mech, remembering himself suddenly as he spoke with a hushed whisper. "You are?"

Prowl's mouth curled in a soft, barely present smile and he gave Starscream a respectful bow of his helm.

Prime also looked to Starscream for a verdict. "Would you be willing to maintain communications with us and them?"

The seeker straightened and almost appeared regal in his demeanour. "After everything you have done and will be doing for us, it would be my privilege."

His counterpart merely glowered at him, with a faint echo of disdain, a little shocked that his alter ego seemed to be some sort of simpering pacifist. He glared at the blue seeker who snickered quietly.

"What's wrong Starscream? Like looking into a mirror isn't it?"

"Pfffft, I don't know what you're talking about." He snapped, shifting uncomfortably, tightening his hold on Megatron. There was no way he was that submissive to his leader or any leader for that matter, especially a Prime, was there?

Prime turned to regard his officer's one more time. "Is that what you truly want, Prowl?"

The door winged mech, stood gingerly and made his way to Jazz's side and interlaced his fingers with the black and white's in a subtle show of affection that was missed by none in the room. Prime's smirk was hidden by his face mask, but his optics brightened when he saw, for the first time what the two mechs meant to each other.

"I don't really have a choice, Sir." Prowl's door panels fluttered in a rare display of nerves. "I will of course follow your command, all I ask is that you allow me to remain and serve you as best I can from here."

Prime sighed softly. "I don't know what to say. How long?"

Jazz stole a furtive glance at Prowl and gave him a slight squeeze of his hand, before his visor concentrated on his leader. "Not long, Sir we know what the regulations say."

Shaking his helm, Prime held up his hand. "Let me make one thing perfectly clear, I would never have come between you. We maybe at war but we haven't lost what it means to be alive. If I started preventing the happiness of those under my command, I can assure you, I wouldn't have much of a command left to speak of." He grinned, his optics glowing warmly.

"He's right Jazz, you two are probably the only two on base who actually followed that rule. Hell Sunstreaker has already been fraggin' Bl—OW!" Sideswipe winced as his twin cuffed him up the back of the helm with a hard glare.

"What the frag was that for?"

Sunstreaker ignored him and smirked at Jazz. "What he's trying to say is, it's about fraggin' time you two stopped skirting around each other."

Jazz laughed lightly. "Ya all knew?"

"Everyone but me it seems." Prime chuckled. "It seems I have no choice but to allow you both to stay. How long do you think it'll be before you can come home?"

Both mechs averted their optics and Ratchet took the cue. "They can't."

The medic let out a weary sigh at their confused looks and murmurs. "Jazz's spark, is scarred. If can't ever travel through the space bridge. His stay is a permanent one."

"I see." Prime answered quietly, knowing how sorely they were going to be missed. "Well it seems we have much to discuss before we must return home ourselves. I can see no time like the present."

It had taken two solar cycles for everything to be put into the motion. The Autobots from Earth were banished to Junkion and the colonies on the outer edge, never again to return to Cybertron under penalty of execution, by order of the newly appointed Lord Starscream.

Prowl had refused the title of Lord and simply maintained his current rank of SIC, he was to run Cybertron with Jazz's and Ratchet's help. It was soon time for Prime and the others to return home. They gathered at the space bridge for their final goodbyes.

Sunstreaker after saying a fond farewell to Jazz and much to the surprise of everyone present grabbed Prowl and hugged him tightly. "Thank you for everything you've done. Especially here, I'd be scrap now if it weren't for you." He gave a gruff nod and turned and walked through the event horizon, leaving Prowl gawping after him in astonishment.

Sideswipe stared after him and looked towards Prowl. "I don't even want to know." He grinned and hugged both Prowl and Jazz in turn. "Jazz, base won't be the same without you. Prowl… the base is going to be far, far crazier without you." He laughed, when Prowl quirked an optic ridge.

"Of that I have no doubt." He replied, a faint smirk tugging at his lip components.

"Be seein' you." He waved and dived into the vortex after his twin.

Prowl gave a squeeze of Jazz's hand and headed over to where the Starscream and his trine were preparing to depart, having now been reunited with Skywarp.

"Autobot, it's been… interesting." He smirked at Prowl.

"Indeed." Prowl brow furrowed. "You can still end it you know?"

Thundercracker shook his helm and Skywarp snorted in mockery as Starscream laughed heartily. "Ooh grounder, you crack me up." He clapped a hand on Prowl's shoulder. "Don't think for a second we'll ever be friends Autobot."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Prowl replied, his voice betraying a hint of disappointment, before brushing his hand over his chest in surprise as he felt a tug in his spark.

I'll do what I can.

He stared incredulously at the seeker who gave a terse nod and commanded his trine through the space bridge; he gave a last knowing smirk to Prowl who bowed his helm in mutual respect. The tug faded as soon as the seeker disappeared through the event horizon almost as if it had never been there.

Prowl headed back to Jazz and Prime, both mechs having said their goodbyes to everyone else.

"This is difficult." Prime stated simply. "Promise me that you'll visit or at the very least check in from time to time?"

Jazz grinned. "Only if ya can promise t' do the same Optimus."

Prime chuckled and gave a nod. "I shall do my utmost. Take care of yourselves; you will both be sorely missed."

"Likewise, Prime." Came the soft reply from his SIC.

Prime nodded finally and patted their shoulders fondly, giving each a squeeze. "I guess it's time." He headed towards the space bridge with a heavy spark. "Goodbye old friends. Until all are one."

With that and a last wave, he stepped over the threshold leaving Jazz and Prowl standing on the platform, turning away to head back to their new home. A home they would remain in for the foreseeable future. Trapped on a familiar and yet distinctly alien planet, in a foreign universe billions of light years from everything they had ever known.

The two mechs looked out across Iacon and Jazz nudged Prowl with a wry grin. "Hey at least we have each other."

He was met with the most beatific smile he'd ever seen on Prowl's face. His piercing optics glowed with affection and gratitude. "I wouldn't want to be trapped in an alternative universe with anyone else."

They began to walk back to the palace. "Yeah…" Jazz chuckled deviously. "Ya say that now."