There was a part of Arcee that still didn’t believe that Aileron had come back, distinct from the small, shadowy part that refused to believe that she would come back. Though not unexpected, the months of delays had taken their toll. Arcee had kept herself busy on Earth, was happy with the work she was doing-- and the work Aileron was doing, for that matter, even if it did keep them apart. But she had come out of recharge too many times reaching for a cold spot she’d been certain was a warm body to not be wary. Millions of years of war and loss and struggle had conspired to make her hope a brittle thing.

Even seeing Aileron appear in the yawning mouth of the bay door wasn’t enough. Arcee was moving before the greetings were called, slipping through the gathered crowd of onlookers like water. Long practice kept her from stepping on any of the smaller organics, humans and refugees alike, on her way. Her attention was only for the smile perking up Aileron’s tired face.

A few people scrambled out of the way-- unnecessarily, but she didn’t really care. That smile was getting closer by the moment, not only by her own effort. Aileron was half jogging, then bounding toward her, one arm raised in a wave that made Arcee laugh. As if she hadn’t spotted her already!

They met, thanks to Arcee’s greater speed, not far from the ship. Aileron launched herself into Arcee’s arms and Arcee used the momentum to sweep her off her feet into a spin. Aileron squealed with laughter, her arms thrown around Acree’s shoulders and face buried in the crook of her neck. Arcee didn’t put her down when they stopped spinning, just nuzzled along her jaw to encourage her to look up and then caught her in a kiss.

From somewhere very far away, the crowd cheered and catcalled.

The kiss broke easily, naturally, one movement easing into the next. Forehead to forehead, noses nuzzling, the two of them took each other in.

“You’re back,” Arcee said and stopped. It was still hard sometimes, no matter how much easier it had gotten, to say everything that she meant.

“I’m back,” Aileron said, and it was more than enough. Her hands slid from Arcee’s shoulders to her upper arms and she kicked her feet lightly, a cue to be let down. She didn’t step back when her feet touched the ground, instead tucking herself in close to Arcee’s chassis. Their plating rippled gently, the edges singing against each other. When she did break the embrace, she said, “Come on. Help me unload and I’ll tell you all about it.”

The torn metal thread shreds of the Crystal City Messenger newspaper fell from my hands. My body shivered and I felt bellows build up in my voice box unreleased.

“We have truly entered a world of madness- we are dead, dead peoples,” I muttered at my doorstep in the empty residential hallway.

The front-page article and first two sentences ran over and over in my mind. THEOCONOMIST FORM-ESSENTIALISM MADE LAW AFTER TAMPERED PUBLIC POLLS. Nova Prime endorses the theoconomists favoring form over aesthetic and orders the demolition of all aesthetic archives, programs, and organizations in the name of ‘freedom,’ and ‘moving on.’ We write with urgency – because of our reporting over the millennia against the reactionary rise, maintaining of records, and projecting of voices of the decreasing population that still connects to gender or anything like it, we are among the news groups hereby outlawed-

-

In my wordless scream of frustration and his of terror, I severed his head from his neck and immediately charged towards the door, deflecting the shots and cutting down the handful of bots in front of me, while taking scatter blasts to my back in yells of pain-

Blasts that fell silent as the hauler’s metal screeched and tore from rocket explosions at the front, spinning us wildly. I stood alone, legs bent and jumping about, while the rest tumbled.

I was about to run- Don’t run- and instead began to bear down on each with my blades in rapid succession while I bled. Four stabs through sparks by the time the remaining eleven stood back up in the back corner gravity had left them in, near me, and I sliced through the group’s torsos in four blows with a triumphant yell, as all fell to my blades beyond their experience or technology.

-

I sputtered, exhaust fumes coming out of my transforming seams in nervousness in my chair in her brightly lit office.

“You can say it, you know it as I do, and we’re here for you, just like people were for me,” she got up from her chair and stood in front of me, her sturdy shoulder stacked frame’s firm graspers towards me. “Can I hold your hands? Would that help?”

“Yeah...” I reached out and held her own, feeling her fingers gently find an easy grip around me. “It’s nice to actually be able to trust a doctor and a friend with understanding me and my body, that of a linked trans gal.” 

-

"Sibling, you shouldn't be here," Galvatron crossed his arms and leaned on the wall. "This is far too dangerous, not in a combative sense, but that of you against the world," He frowned. "Including danger from your supposed patron and protector."

"You mean, the only person who has done right by our kind with any sort of power to protect us?" I stared back. "You showed up now to tell me that? No hug, no gladness to see me?"

-

“Hang on m’am I’m messaging a medic named Safety he’ll be right over with his team-” Phreaker replied.

I was flabbergasted. “Phreaker!”

“What? Just finished talking to him, sorry about that lady,” Phreaker transformed back and extended an arm. “I’m way smaller than you, but you can barely stand, and you need a friend. Lean on me.”

“Why did you use she pronouns and gender terms that some have associated with women? I haven’t told you my pronouns or my gender or terminology therein,” I stared at his cube of a face.

-

I spotted recent Cybernought tracks in the direction of my heading. No no no this is bad!! =”ANODE! LUG! Can you read me??”=

I slowed and reached the residue point- there was a crater with a shattered shield staff in the middle, and pink blood everywhere. 

I transformed, crouched, and spotted split off pieces of Lug’s chest and torso armor.

-

“Hey Arcee, what’s up? Surprised to get a call from you after our last conversation,” Windblade’s holodisplay visage smiled at me, wings outstretched.

“I’ve been playing around with Earth mode reformats to choose.” I sent her communications table the file scans of considered alt modes and altered files I had tinkered with. “And actually found some euphoria from the shapes I’m considering, but I realized, I realized I didn’t want to be alone right now for this, I wanted someone who would understand to be present.”

-

“So, after all these millions of years, after all your labor for a radical revolution and then for survival in the wider galaxy, why in the stars would-” I fumbled over my words, the weight of my title and path of peace pressed on me, as I looked on at Arcee and Windblade, the old and new wiser than me, and both our future. “Why would you, an ancient trans woman anarchist, join up with the Autobots and work as my right hand, and even a commander in my stead?”

-

“Hey, hey, Arcee, Aileron told us what was happening,” Lug rubbed my back stacks, as did Anode from my sitting position where Aileron held me. “I know it’s a lot sometimes when we visit, and especially the occasion today.”

 I let their rubbing and embrace anchor for me a moment, and then whimpered out: “come around so I can hug you- let me try to stand-” 

Aileron helped me up, and the four of us hugged close. Lug’s head nuzzled on my waist, Anode leaned her head on my shoulder, and Aileron touched the three of us with her arms and torso. We had a quiet, lovely moment. 

-

“Reading Anode and Lug’s journals again I see,” Prowl sat across from my cell bar’s door. “I have to ask, what do you of all people see in them besides curiosity? A change of spark, historical inclination?”

“It’s how they lived with the resources they had, and how strong they were with so little material,” I turned my head, and put the journal down. “They had in abundance things I didn’t value that only they could make- their euphoria, their companionship, their epistemes, their memories, their family. Resources I lost understanding for their true meaning long ago and am trying to retrace, (rest of quote removed due to spoilers)

-

Aileron's drippy face looked up at me as Gauge and Sideswipe held her hand, and Ailering, Greenlight, Anodes, Lugs, and Lancer hugged her. "I know we'll be family again too, Windblade..." 

"I know we will," I smiled and joined the embrace, letting her chest rest on my head. "I have no doubt."