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DECEMBER 18, 1987 (one day before the wedding)
...

"Are you sure you want to do this, Skywarp?" Thundercracker asked.

"I'm sure!" Skywarp told him. "But don't do it before I say so!"

Skywarp was lying on his side, with his top armor off, feeling a little bit nervous. Along with his brothers, he had been scouring the Internet for ways to induce labor, and they had finally settled on acupuncture. Starscream was unwilling to touch the needle (due to his fear of sharp objects) but Thundercracker was more than glad to do it. Skywarp gave the green light, and Thundercracker stuck him with a needle. The purple Seeker yelped in pain.

"Does that hurt?" said Thundercracker. "I thought this was supposed to be relaxing."

"That is, it's supposed to stimulate activity in the gestation chamber," Starscream told him.

"OW!" said Skywarp as Thundercracker stuck him with another needle. "This might not have been the best idea."

"I think you're supposed to put them in certain places, not just at random," said Starscream, looking at his data pad. "Hmm, here's an article that might help--'How To Do Acupuncture'."

While Thundercracker operated the needles, Starscream told him where to put them--including Skywarp's feet and hands. It didn't seem to be working. Maybe it was because in order to make a dent in metal, they had to raid the med bay for extra-sharp, giant needles, the kind used for shots. Either way, this sparkling was seriously refusing to come out.

"Get used to this," said Thundercracker. "If you're going to have an epidural, they'll use a needle too."

"Scrap," Skywarp mumbled, then cried out in pain as Thundercracker stuck him yet again.

After Skywarp was full of needles, they didn't know what to do--just wait for him to go into labor?

"Do you feel anything yet?" Starscream asked.

"Not unless you count the pain these needles are causing me," Skywarp moaned. "Can you please take them out?"

"Fine." Thundercracker started to remove the needles as they discussed other ways Skywarp might be able to go into labor.

"Starscream, how did you induce labor again?" Skywarp asked.

"You seriously don't remember?" Starscream raised one eyebrow. "I don't think it's going to apply to you."

"I don't remember!" Skywarp insisted. "My pregnancy always makes me forget stuff."

"Well...we were having sex, 'Warp," Starscream said quietly. "I guess, y'know, he kind of...hit something...and next thing you know...I was in the med bay, filled with back labor."

"Maybe that's not an option for me then." Skywarp shrugged. "Is there anything else, though?"

"We can rub your wings," Starscream suggested. "And maybe give you a nice bath, too. Heat is supposed to relax your body, which releases the hormones you need to go into labor. In fact, I tried it when I was overdue with Sapphire. It didn't work, of course, but it does work for a lot of other moms-to-be. So you might want to try it."

"I will," Skywarp told him, smiling gratefully. Not long after, Thundercracker had removed all the needles, and they were running a warm bath for Skywarp in the self-maintenance room. Starscream massaged Skywarp's wings while Thundercracker rubbed his feet.

"This is better than sticking you with needles, right?" said Starscream.

"Definitely." Skywarp glanced at Thundercracker, who was giving him the foot massage. "Hmm, so that's what my feet look like."

"You couldn't see your feet?" Thundercracker asked incredulously.

"How easy could it be, with that sparkling-bump in the way?" Skywarp asked him. "The water doesn't even cover it. And now my belly feels really cold."

"Just...rub it with a warm washcloth or something," said Thundercracker, pausing with his foot-rubbing and grabbing a washcloth off the bar near the tub. Skywarp proceeded to do so.

"It's not working," Skywarp said, depressed. "I haven't gotten the smallest contraction. Not even a Braxton-Hicks."

"Braxton-Hicks doesn't mean you're in labor," said Starscream. "Remember? We learned that the hard way."

"Are you ever going to let me forget about that?" Skywarp looked indignant. "I was just trying to help!"

"Let's not turn on each other," Thundercracker said flatly. "Okay? We have to work together."

"All right," Starscream and Skywarp both mumbled. Starscream resumed the wing massage, Thundercracker continued the foot massage, and Skywarp just tried to relax.

THAT NIGHT...

"Careful," said Megatron as he held Starscream's hand, helping him step into the bathtub. It was night, and Megatron decided he would try to give a bath to the Seeker he would marry tomorrow.

"Thanks." Starscream lowered himself into the bathtub and Megatron started rubbing his wings, the same way Starscream had for Skywarp earlier that day. Labor had not followed, but at least Skywarp was a little more relaxed while he continued to wait.

"You're a little bit tense," Megatron told Starscream. "You aren't nervous...are you?"

"Are you?" Starscream laughed. "Wow...I can't believe I'm going to marry you tomorrow."

"Is that good or bad?" Megatron raised an eyebrow.

"Good!" Starscream reassured him, laughing even more now. "I meant it in a good way. Don't worry."

Megatron smiled slightly and picked up the bottle of body wash on the side of the tub. "Well, let's get you clean then."

"I think I can do the washingmyself," said Starscream.

"No you can't..." Megatron lathered Starscream's body up, trying to keep himself from getting a hard-on in the process (after all, bathing did require Starscream to remove his armor). After washing Starscream's whole body, Megatron got to the wings last. And when he massaged them in detail, his spark sank. Starscream's wings were covered in scars--undoubtedly the result of Megatron's previous beatings. Megatron winced when he got to what must have been a particularly deep gash; he remembered where Starscream had gotten that. The worst part of it was, Megatron hadn't even been angry at Starscream. The red-and-white Seeker had just gotten in Megatron's way. Megatron wondered what he would never stop wondering, a question for which he had no answer: How did I allow myself to become such a monster?

"Megatron?" said Starscream. "Are you all right?"

"Listen, Starscream..." Megatron took a deep breath. "I just want to apologize."

"For what?"

"For...for not telling you how I felt earlier." Megatron frowned and began rubbing Starscream's wings again. "You know I always loved you, from the moment I met you. But it took me nine million years to ask you to marry me."

"Why did you wait so long?" Starscream asked.

"Well, I thought you would say no," Megatron admitted. "Not only that, but...I didn't understand how this could be happening. When my mother gave me her sapphire engagement ring, I never thought I would find anyone to give it to. The only reason I kept it was because it was the only thing I had left of my mother. I thought I'd be alone for the rest of my life, and before I met you, I didn't care. I didn't think I needed anybody. I never told you this, but I wanted so much more than the sex we were having."

"I enjoy good sex, though," Starscream said jokingly.

"It may have satisfied my sex drive, but it did not satisfy my spark," Megatron said. "Soundwave kept saying I should ask you out, but I told him I shouldn't, because I didn't love you in the first place! Of course, he didn't believe me for a minute."

"And if you can," Megatron finished, "try to capture Senator Decimus during his parade. I'm counting on you."

Counting on you?! What kind of dumb thing to say was that? But Starscream just smiled. "I won't let you down, sir."

"Um, well, you better not, because if you do, um..." Megatron paused and said quietly, "I-I guess Senator Decimus won't be captured, and that would be a shame...maybe we can torture him or something...maybe make him read your science texts!"

It was supposed to be a joke, albeit a poorly delivered one, but when Starscream didn't laugh, Megatron just felt like facepalming. For the love of Primus, why could he not just SHUT UP?!

"You don't think my science texts are interesting?" Starscream asked.

"Well, um, I..." Megatron didn't know what to say, but then Starscream did laugh.

"Don't worry," he said, brushing his hand against Megatron's arm; Megatron shivered at the touch. "I know I'm just a little geek. But my brothers and I will fulfill our assignment. Have fun watching us crash the parade."

"Thanks, you too!" Megatron responded before he even knew what he was saying. Starscream snorted with laughter and left the room; that time Megatron really did facepalm. And only then did he realize Soundwave was standing behind him. "Soundwave! How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me?"

"Suggestion: ask Starscream out for some energon," said Soundwave.

"What, you mean like a date?" Megatron scoffed. "Why would I do that?"

"Um, because you love him, perhaps?" said Soundwave, pretending to think.

"I do not love him," said Megatron, shifting uncomfortably in his throne. "Starscream's just an underling, and that's all. Conjunx endura is a myth, don't you know that?"

Soundwave just cocked his head in a disbelieving position. Megatron was infuriated, mostly because however he tried to deny it, he was starting to get the feeling that maybe Soundwave was right. How could he be doing this? It just didn't make sense. Megatron did not get to where he was today by being a hopeless romantic. How could one mech turn him from a tough revolutionary to a lovesick fool? It was his worst nightmare. Why would he need someone to lean on? After all, he was an independent soul and he didn't need anyone...or so he had previously thought. But the moment he saw Starscream for the first time, it felt like all the energon in his body had rushed to his head and his spark had been pounding so fast. It had been hard to breathe. Was that love? Or was he dying?

"We all need someone to lean on," said Soundwave. "Even you."

"STOP READING MY THOUGHTS!" Megatron yelled.

"I repeat...ask him out," Soundwave insisted. "This is simply your fear of rejection."

"You are no brain grazer!" Megatron snapped, but then he wondered if he did have a fear of rejection. No! It couldn't be! Megatron feared nothing, not even death, torture, etc. Rejection? That was a stupid thing to be afraid of. Megatron buried his head in his hands and moaned in frustration. Soundwave tapped him, and they looked up to notice Starscream, entering the room again.

"Um, sir?" said Starscream, looking a little shy. In his hand was Megatron's Decepticon-insignia necklace. "I-I saw you dropped your necklace. I just wanted to return it."

"Thanks." Megatron nervously took the pendant from Starscream, running his fingers all over it. Yes...Starscream had touched something of his...now he could never throw it out!

"Okay, um, I guess I'll be going now," Starscream said awkwardly; then he turned around and hightailed it out of there. Without even knowing it, Megatron held the metal pendant in one hand and leaned on the other, then sighed dreamily to himself, a faraway look in the eyes...that is, until he caught Soundwave staring at him. Surely he was smirking under that mouthpiece. Megatron ordered the blue mech out of the room before he could ask any more loaded questions.
"You're so silly, Megatron," said Starscream. "Soundwave was right. You should've just asked me out to begin with."

"If I had known where I'd be now," Megatron replied, "I would have."