A woman’s laugh echoed off the walls as the door burst open. It was smothered into a kiss, cutting off the joyous noise. The black-haired man held the auburn-haired woman in his arms. He wore a navy blue suit with a red tie, and she was adorned in a white dress with a layer of chiffon over a satin base, green and purple beading across the skirt, a silver pattern across the bodice. They had tonight to be alone. To be happy and joyous, even as the growth of the twins began deep in her womb.

He shifted her in his arms, only to toss her over his shoulder and jog around to the stairs and up, a half-laugh of a shriek escaping her as he did.

Jasmine: “You brute! You horrid, evil brute!”

She called out, but she couldn’t help from smiling as he took her upstairs, locking the door to their bedroom, their bedroom. The thought hit her like a splash of warm water. Comforting and startling but she wouldn’t change it for the world. Orion tossed her on the bed and she laughed again as he drew the blinds and curtains, leaving them in darkness and complete, utter, privacy. She smiled up at him as he lit a few candles around the room. The scents of citrus, lilacs and warm rain mingled in the air.

When nothing but a soft glow illuminated their skin and set her emerald eyes ablaze, Orion strode over to the bed, positioning himself over her, only to kiss her over and over. On her lips, across her forehead, her temple, her cheeks, her nose, her eyes when they closed, her neck, her collarbone, her jawline. He couldn’t kiss her enough. He couldn’t love her enough. He couldn’t show her how much he truly loved her with just gestures and words and actions. But he was trying his damned best to make her see exactly how happy he was with her. To make her see the joy she’d brought him.

It made his spark swell when he thought about it. When he thought about how they’d been given a second chance. All that tragedy and now . . .

Jasmine took his face in her hands and kissed him fiercely, smiling as their lips met. She’d been worried before about the twins, but Angel had offered the explanation after all the drama on Cybertron, alongside Ratchet, of course, which made it all the more convincing and calming.

~~~

Angel: “You see-,”

Angel started again when she noticed the questioning gazes the couple gave her.

Angel: “Jasmine, Jewel, you are and were, artificial. You were an artificial Cybertronian and that was why the pregnancy failed last time. That was why it just didn’t work, because your metal body wasn’t really sure how to do something like that. It couldn’t manage to do it naturally. But now you’re a techno organic, even though I know you have plans to change that in the future. Anyway, as a techno organic, even an artificial one, the fluidity of your human half, even though it’s fake, allows your body to adapt. Which means your body will adapt much faster than it would if you were a Cybertronian.”

Jasmine blinked, squeezing Orion’s hand, and he squeezed back. He couldn’t help his eyes from drifting to her abdomen. It was still unnoticeable. It had only been a day since they’d found out. Only a day. How had the time that had passed been so small and insignificant and yet so monumental? Angel sighed when the realization didn’t cross their faces.

Angel: “It means that your body will recognize the babies and that they’ll be nourished and protected inside the womb. They’re going to be just fine, Jasmine. They’re going to live this time.”

The sitting woman’s chest tightened at the phrase ‘this time’. She’d spent so many years thinking her babies were unattainable, and that was when she remembered them at all. But that didn’t mean she’d ever stopped fighting for them. She’d battled Megatron, ShockWave, BombShell . . . And she’d do it all again.

~~~

“MOMMY!”

Checkmate.

It was a risky move. Megatron would know. But it HAD to be done. It was the only way to get through to her.

The high-pitched scream finally snapped through her mind. Her emerald eyes snapped from the ground to where the man held the young girl.

And all of a sudden, she felt the utmost rage. All of a sudden, everything came flooding back to her despite the walls Megtron had always unintentionally placed when he invaded her mind.

But tonight was different. Tonight Jade had come for her.

And she would allow nothing less in return.

Jasmine: “MEGATRON PUT HER DOWN!”

The command was harsh, absolute, and thanks to her greater control of the UP than Megatron, thanks to her natural affinity for it, the ropes vaporized in an instant.

An instant later, she was lunging at him. He barely had time to react. The young girl was dropped, and she landed without grace, but well enough so that she was without harm. Her bright eyes watched as her mother took on the man she’d watched torture her night after night . . .

She smiled. This was the side of her mother she’d known existed but had waited so long to see.

This was the side of her mother that was so fiery and passionate.

Jasmine pinned Megatron to the wall immediately, her scowl deep. He’d been caught completely off guard, and was now staring at her in disbelief. She’d been helpless, devoid of fight, of hope, and now . . .

The blows came to his skull relentlessly. To his ribs and abdomen. To his chest and shoulders. He was disoriented to the point that he couldn’t prevent her from what she did next. It didn’t even register.

She grabbed him, one hand to his shoulder, the other to his opposite waist, a knee weakening his core strength and any resistance as she lifted him, flipping him from his standing position and sending him onto his desk, through his desk.

The wood splintered and cracked as the momentum crushed the frame. He stared up at the ceiling blankly, and Jasmine slowly crossed into his vision, arms crossed above him. She crouched down, gripping his head tightly.

She thought for a moment, then her hand went to his throat, gripping his flesh roughly.

Jasmine: “Listen to me you son of a hell-bitten lugnut, got it?”

Her voice was a low growl, her resentment clear.

Jasmine: “You. Do not EVER. Touch her. Or Optimus. Or Blaze. You do not touch ANYONE I care about. Not any family. Biological or adopted. Got it? I swear to AllSpark I will END you if you cross that line.”

Her hand tightened, and were it not for the disorientation he was feeling, he would have fought back, but the blows had caused a serious lag in his processor.

Finally, she released, still glaring at him, but she calmed herself and turned around, standing up.

She was real. The young girl. The young girl she could not deny her connection to.

~~~

    Her eyes glazed over slowly as she lost herself into the UP unceremoniously. Where Jade and Blaze were being held down in their Cybertronian forms. By ShockWave.

The pair looked up, optics brightening at the sight of their mother. Their Cybertronian mother.

Blaze: “Now you’re in for it, Cyclops!”

He taunted, and the purple mech looked back, glancing at the green and purple armored femme.

ShockWave: “Your appearance is . . . illogical.”

The grown femme scowled, spark burning at the sight of her sparklings in his clutches.

Blade: “Screw your stupid logic you overgrown calculator!”

Of course, it was a question what he meant by ‘appearance’. Was it her appearing in the UP in general that he found illogical, or the fact that she’d reverted to her Cybertronian appearance. The UP was fluid, and even for those who had a fractional control, was easily manipulated. The thing that unnerved her was ShockWave. Certainly he was with the other ‘Cons . . . as a TO . . . So how had he done the same . . . ?

She didn’t want for an answer before she charged him, but quickly came to a skidding stop when he held Jade and Blaze up as a shield.

Blade: “You lowly piece of a-.”

Blaze: “Hell-bitten lugnut!”

He interrupted, and JewelBlade flushed. Apparently her son had picked up some language in his covert observances. She would’ve scolded him had the situation not been so dire, but made a quick mental note to watch what she said, even if it was accurate and appropriate.

ShockWave shook the small mech roughly in his large servo, the cable supporting his helm bending a little too far for JewelBlade’s comfort, but if she dared strike, he’d move them into her path. She’d have to catch a good angle and moment to deliver a decent blow.

Upon careful examination of his large, red optic, she could still see a scratch, leftover from where the sensory device had been split open by a dagger. One of her daggers. She imagined he was still a bit sore about that.

Jade had remained silent, but her optics flicked around constantly.

Blade: “What do you want, ShockWave?”

The femme growled, staring up at him, fibers itching to remove his helm from his body. She wanted so badly to obliterate him right now.

ShockWave: “Lord Megatron requests these two terminated or used for experimentation.”

Her optics blazed, denta grinding together against her will.

Blade: “Lord Megatron has no right to them. They cannot be exterminated or removed from the UP.”

ShockWave: “Your argument is illogical. They seep energon as does any living Cybertronian. They feel a comparable amount of pain and can break.”

Blade’s optics flew downward. Each held a small cut on their shoulders and both of the smallest digits on their left servos were broken in an unnatural way. A few bruises littered their arms.

Blade: “YOU SICK SON OF A FRAGGER, I’LL KILL YOU!”

The green femme lunged a millisecond too quickly for the Decepticon scientist to react properly, and she delivered a strong blow to his optic, causing the tiny scratch to shatter and implode on itself, a few shards imbedding in the sensitive wiring beneath.

His grip was lost on the small mech and femme as he flung back, hitting the level ‘bottom’ of the UP with a thud, the green femme quickly on top of him, drawing a dagger as his servos flew to his optics, a small yell of pain escaping him before he silenced, venting heavily.

~~~

Orion felt shocked, amazed, really. Their small little bundles would . . . would . . . they would be properly raised and loved and cared for. They would know how much they had always been loved. How much they had always been desired, even if they were just as unexpected this time as the last. A smile crept across his lips. He’d have his true-born princess. And he would never let her go. He would never let her be replaced. He would make sure she knew that she was as irreplaceable as her mother in his eyes.

He would make sure she never thought he was leaving her again.

~~~

Orion: “There, there, Princess . . . You’ll always be my little girl . . . Don’t ever worry about that . . .”

He kissed into her hair lightly, pressing her close to his body. After a moment, she wrapped her arms around him tightly, sobbing into his shoulder.

Jade: “I- I thought you . . . I thought you’d found someone better! I th-thought . . . I wasn’t a-any good anymore . . .”

Orion: “Sweetspark . . .”

He held her tighter, nuzzling her close. Blaze smiled even more. It wasn’t often that Jade broke down . . . It was the first time she’d completely broken down like that over their parents . . . She’d shown frustration, sorrow and everything in between before, but this . . . This was extreme . . . And he couldn’t just let it tear her apart . . .

As long as their father was asleep, he was more easily accessible . . .

Orion: “I love you so much, Jade . . . Don’t ever forget that, Princess . . . You’re my little girl . . . Okay . . . ?”

She nodded quickly against him, and a soft smile spread across his lips.

~~~

The Prime couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the mech developing alongside the femme in Jasmine’s womb. The bright, optimistic, mech filled with what seemed to be endless joy.

~~~

"Calm down, Dad! It's just me! Jeez!"

Optimus froze, his servos resting on the small legs of the young mech on his shoulders . . . His optics were still covered, but something in his spark told him all he needed to know . . .

Optimus took a deep intake, releasing it slowly.

Optimus: "Blaze . . . ?"

The small mech grinned boldly.

Blaze: "Ding-ding-ding we have a winner! What's his prize? He gets to see his long-lost wife, that's what! Tally-ho, Jeeves!"

~~~

It wasn’t long after that they left the medic and Angel behind, leaving Sunny in Angel’s care under Optimus’s insistence. And even though Jasmine pressed and pressed, Orion didn’t falter in keeping his plans secret. At least, not until they’d arrived outside the bridal boutique. He left her there for no more than twenty minutes when he came back in his suit and made sure she was properly outfitted in a tie-back dress. He couldn’t help but smile and smile as he made her twirl and turn until he cornered her in the dressing room to drink in her appearance, her every inch.

She may not have been thin as a rail, no she had too much muscle, lean muscle but muscle nonetheless. She might not have had the perfect D or DD cups that the human culture so relentlessly framed and adored. She might not have the perfectly smooth skin; it was real, with pores and with hairs to be plucked. No. Jasmine wasn’t a perfect Covergirl model. But she was perfect to him. Because she was real and she wasn’t afraid to admit it.

She wasn’t afraid to be seen as she was. She didn’t need ten layers of makeup, even if it would have improved her appearance, because he loved her however she looked.

And he would never stop loving every glorious inch of her body and soul because both just fit so well with his. He took her home then, carrying her in his arms, absolutely refusing to let her down, promising that once they actually got married he would love her just as much as he did now. And he would carry her as often as he’d let him, possibly more.

Jasmine: “I’m not a cripple, you fool!”

She’d shouted as he took her towards the door. He just smiled down at her.

Orion: “You are if I say you are. So help me, I am Prime!”

She laughed as he kicked the door open and took her upstairs. She smiled up at him from the bed.

Jasmine: “You horrid brute. What is this, the age of the cave man?”

He grinned, and held her tighter so that she laughed again, bringing his mouth closer to his ear.

Orion: “Me, Prime. You, wife.”

He murmured into her eat in a deep voice, nipping gently at the skin just behind her ear. She snickered, pushing against him slightly but only so he'd pull her tighter, nuzzling against her neck. His breath came warm against her skin, his lips grazing her gently. Jasmine smiled.

Jasmine: "Me, Jasmine. You, husband . . ."

She pressed her lips to his firmly, hooking her arms behind his neck, suddenly very caught up in the way he felt, suddenly very annoyed by the clothing that separated them. Orion's hands slid down to her waist, holding het sensitive midsection gently. His smile grew when he thought of what was growing within her. Of who would be joining them soon enough. He chuckled gently, kissing just under her jawline, down her neck to graze her collarbone, over the top of her sternum.

Orion: "Me, Mr. Prime. You, Mrs. Prime . . . They . . ."

He paused, sliding a hand inward to rest over her abdomen. She shivered, which just made him smile more as he kissed her lips again, his voice returning to it's normal state.

Orion: "And they are going to have the most loving parents in the world . . ."

Jasmine smiled, kissing his temple, her body still heated and aching. He felt her inner thoughts and desires and gave a soft laugh.

Orion: "Apologies . . ."

He smiled, kissing over the swell of her breast lightly, leaving the lightest kisses possible against her skin.

Orion: "I shan't keep you waiting much longer . . ."

Jasmine couldn't help from smiling. He was wonderful like this. He always was, really. She couldn't imagine how she'd managed to be so lucky . . . A draft got her attention as he slid the tied back apart with deft hands. He was so gentle about, well, everything, that half the time it took her a few moments to realize what he was doing if her thoughts were elsewhere. But Jasmine managed to slide back to the present and, with a smile once that glorious, yet bothersome, dress was discarded, she happily set to slipping Orion out of his well-fitted tux.

He was just as wonderful as she remembered. And she loved him. Him and all his scars, every contour of his body, his beautiful blue eyes . . . She couldn't help but kiss him again. An appearance like his practically demanded it. She didn't care what society thought of them or her or the both of them together because he made her happier than she could imagine. And she'd be a fool to let that go.

It wasn't until after they'd gotten their flesh-based desires completely spent and they were lying there, Jasmine's smaller form atop Orion that it happened.

Jasmine shifted on him, and his arms instinctively wrapped tighter around her, some miniscule, petty part of him afraid that if he let go he'd never get her back. He refused to let that happen. It made her smile, though, his thoughts echoing faintly in her mind. She didn't push him after that, but stayed still, raising her head just enough from his chest to look down at him.

Jasmine: "Optimus . . . ?"

She whispered gently, watching him, waiting to see his reaction to see his expression as he realized what she wanted. It took a moment longer than it should have, but the magnetic pull in his spark helped connect the dots. He gave a small nod and nuzzled her, breathing in her scent as they lie there. The bond had slumbered for much of their thirteen years apart. That was the only reason it worked so long. It had become so numb after the accident . . .

But now it was starting to burn out from it's use, and just like renewing vows, it was time to renew the bond.

With a passionate kiss, their spark chambers opened up and purple collided with blue, twining the two colors together until they broke off and receded back into the other's chassis. Jasmine felt a surge that was distinctly different from last time, but that was normal on the second bonding, wasn't it?

She shrugged it off and continued to kiss Optimus well until after the glow from their sparks was gone, well until after the candles burnt out, well until after the stars coated the sky. Neither could let go, and they talked endlessly into the night, liplocks often interrupting their conversations, usually followed by smiles and laughter.

Neither could imagine a better way to spend the night, except possibly with two little bundles in their arms.