Restricted Love

An Unlikely Ally & News From An Old Friend

(A/N: Alright. Thanks so much for the positive return you guys have given me on this story. It's really helped me through a hard time. Sorry to say, there's only a short epilogue after this!! There may be a potential re-write sometime in the future, but no promises! Enjoy!)

Soundwave, even being more damaged than Solis was at the time of his rescue, was the first to recover. Yet he also didn't have unseen injuries, wounds that lay hidden, seared into his sweet mate's soul. Megatron had done his best to destroy them, and he'd done a good job.

Solis would wake with severe memory purges, crying and pleading for it to stop, for someone to help her. It was those days that Soundwave would climb into her berth and hold her. Sometimes it made it worse, sometimes it helped her calm. It tore out his spark to know that his touch could remind his mate of Megatron's.

Venting softly, digits intertwined with Solis', Soundwave sat up beside her. The autobots had left them on their own, headed off on some mission undisclosed to him. It had taken a bit for them to trust Soundwave to stay alone in the base, but it hadn't taken long.

When Ratchet had informed Solis of her sparking, the femme hadn't taken it well. She'd needed to be sedated to calm her down.

Soundwave looked up when he heard a soft groan, optics falling on his mate. Steve sat up in the corner of the room just as the other autobots returned from wherever it was that they'd gone.

Motioning for Steve, Optimus turned and headed off again with Ratchet, the others all going to their own corners.

Soundwave's sole focus, however, was on Solis. And how she was looking at him.

"Hey... You ok?" The tall mech murmured softly, helm tilting slightly as he brought his mate's servo up to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the knuckles.

A tiny smile spread over Solis' lips. "I'm ok..."

"We think we've waited long enough to hear some answers to our questions."

Steve looked up at the medic for several moments before nodding. "Then ask me."

"What is your connection to Solis?" Optimus questioned softly, watching the vehicon with a close gaze.

Venting softly, Steve's gaze turned onto the ground before he looked back up at the autoboot leader. "That's something I'd like to explain. In front of Solis."

"Now why would you want that?" Ratchet questioned, a little confused at the statement.

Straightening up to his full height, Steve looked up at the two taller mechs with a grim gaze. "Because it's her story."

Soundwave and Solis looked up when Steve and the other two autobots appeared, making their way towards them to stand by the medberth.

Sensing the tense air in the room, Solis struggled to sit up a little straighter, optics growing wide as Steve appeared from behind the two larger mech, tears collecting as her lower lip began to tremble. "St-Steve?" She choked, trying not to cry.

Smiling sadly, Steve took the outstretched servo, giving it a firm squeeze. "I promised you I'd come, don't you remember?" He asked softly, Solis nodding faintly. "I also promised you that I'd find your creators, didn't I?"

Multicolored optics widened, Solis' free servo moving up to cover her mouth, trembling. "You found them?"

Steve gave a short nod, glancing around at the others. "I did. Myself and the others were able to piece the story together. I wished to ask you, Solis, would you rather I tell you the story in private? Or with these mechs present?'

Looking around, Solis glanced up at Optimus and Ratchet, then over at Soundwave, encouragement in the violet optics. "This is fine." She murmured softly.

Dipping his helm in understanding, Steve took a deep vent. "Megatron and Optimus Prime here," the vehicon motioned to the towering mech, "have been at war for millennium. Megatron's hatred runs deep, and it's in his nature to hurt his enemies as much as he can."

Silence fell as a few of the other autobots began to appear, remaining just inside the doors when they noticed the tenseness of the air.

"We always wondered where you'd come from, Solis." The purple mech continued, shifting a little. "Shockwave just showed up with you one cycle, and we began to search. We looked for anything that could help us place you."

Steve cleared his throat and tried to offer an awkward smile. "We searched decepticon deaths the day you appeared. Then we searched up autobots..." he looked at Optimus and Ratchet for a moment before looking back at Solis. "And we found a match. Then we tested your CNA against what we were able to retrieve from the, um... Room, where your carrier died."

Solis' mouth opened and closed as she tried to formulate a response. "Where my carrier died?" She choked out, tears rolling down her faceplates.

Nodding sadly, Steve gave Solis' servo a little squeeze. "Your carrier was called Elita One," the vehicon murmured softly, turning to look directly at Optimus. "And Optimus Prime is your sire."

A stunned silence fell over the room, the autobots turning to look up at their leader, while Soundwave sat in stunned silence.

Optimus Prime staggered a little, Ratchet stepping over to keep him from falling. "M-My sparkling?" The tall mech questioned, voice breaking halfway through.

Helping his leader sit, Ratchet motioned for the others to remain silent. He knew of Optimus' secret bond to Elita One, but none of the others had. Kup, Prowl, Jazz... But they weren't present now.

"There's more." Steve announced softly, looking down at the ground as he took a deep vent. "Megatron captured Elita One and had her executed. No witnesses besides himself and Shockwave. Even the medic was executed," the purple mech shook his helm. "Megatron ordered Shockwave to raise you, Solis, to be his mate. All to hurt you, Prime." Steve nodded his helm towards the larger mech.

Servos cupping his faceplates, Optimus shook his helm, plating rattling gently as he attempted to prevent himself from sobbing aloud.

"I'm sorry."

Solis shook her helm at Steve's apology, offering him a watery smile. "Thank you, you kept your promise." She whispered softly, sentence broken up by sobs as she all but clung to Soundwave.

Optimus moved then, the tall mech moving past Soundwave to envelope his long lost sparkling in his arms, the two breaking down then. Ratchet motioned for the other autobots to leave, Steve moving towards the door, glancing back at them before he, too, left.

Soundwave remained, but only because of how tightly Solis was clinging to his servo.