Chapter Text
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe stepped into the mobile medic tent, and found Jazz, along with Ratchet, and gave them a curious look.
“What’s up? I thought we had gotten everyone?” Sideswipe said, “Do-"
He froze as he realized there was a femme laying on the bed, with recent welds, and venting hard, as she was connected to various machines and IVs. Her armor was dented and cut, but her optics were bright as she watched them.
“Zeta.” Sunstreaker said, his voice flat.
“We just found her; she was in the rubble under one of the buildings.” Jazz said, “Bluestreak found her.”
“Why did you call us here?” Sideswipe asked, looking at Ratchet.
“She is dying.” Ratchet said, quietly, “I can not repair her damage, it is too extensive and she was under the rubble for too long.” They both looked at him. “She asked about you, because she recognized me.”
Sunstreaker vented hard, and clenched his fists.
“You took better care of them than I ever could have.” Zeta croaked, looking at Ratchet, then to the twins.
“Anyone could have taken better care of us than you.” Sunstreaker said a sharp note to his voice. “All you did was drink and blame us for everything.”
Zeta had the good grace to look away, as Ratchet laid a hand on Sunstreaker’s arm.
“I did, I will not deny the past. I was a horrendous mother.” Zeta said, quietly. “I should have left you at an orphanage; you could have gotten adopted by someone.” Bluestreak quietly entered the tent, and stood between Jazz and the twins. “Instead I was selfish, I kept you, to remind me of Beta,” She looked at the twins, “You both look just like her. Beyond beautiful, and with a fierceness that could take down the world.”
She started to cough, and Ratchet went to her side, checking over her stats. The twins had fallen silent, sadness written all over their frames, and Sunstreaker unclenched his hands. Bluestreak put a hand on Sideswipe’s arm, and he nodded to Zeta.
“This is Zeta of Kaon you pulled out of the rubble.” Bluestreak’s optics got wide, and she looked at Zeta. “She asked for us.” Bluestreak slid her arm around his waist.
“I need a minute.” Sunstreaker stepped out of the tent, with Zeta watching him. She turned back to look at Bluestreak and Sideswipe.
“I should thank you, Bluestreak, is it?” Bluestreak nodded, “I should, but I think I should have died in that rubble, and let my sons live without ever knowing what happened to me.”
“They needed to know what happened to you.” Bluestreak said, “They have had an amazing life thanks to Ratchet and Ironhide. They are some of the best fighters in the entire Autobot Army. They have grown and lived without you, but you were the first to know them, and after you disappeared, there were too many questions. They need closure with you, and By the Well, they get that chance.”
Zeta looked at her for a minute, before nodding.
“I will thank Primus when I meet him in the Well.” She looked between Sideswipe and Bluestreak, “Keep that femme close, she cares about you.” Sunstreaker joined them again, taking a deep vent. “That is rare and precious…” She took a deep, shuttering vent. “I don’t expect you accept my apology, but I am giving you one. I am sorry for what I did and didn’t do, and what you suffered.” Sideswipe bowed his head. “I am not sorry for giving you to Ratchet.” She glanced at Ratchet, “He gave you a second chance, a real family, and a life worth living.” She shook her head, “Not the pit fighters you would have become with me, or joining the Decepticon ranks with Megatron, or never finding the peace of mind you deserved.”
She lay back on the bed, closing her optics, falling silent.
“We will keep her close.” Sunstreaker said, quietly making Zeta look at him. “We will value every moment we have with her, and not destroy her memory with our sadness. We don’t want you apology, we have grown and moved on from your terrible treatment of us. We went to school, and made friends, and never thought about if we would refuel more than once in a day, or if something would get thrown at us because we existed.”
He paused, taking a vent, then continued.
“We would have never followed in your footsteps, even if we had stayed with you. You took out your anger on innocent sparklings, and then used us for press.” Zeta turned away, “Do you know how long it took us to accept that we weren’t going to be left alone again? How long it took for us to hear someone tell us they love us without us believing they wanted something from us? After bad battles, and missions gone wrong, your voice is still the one we hear…” Zeta had tears running down her face. “I’m sorry our mother Beta died bringing us into this world, but you should have honored her memory and loved us as much as you loved her.”
“You’re right.” Zeta said her voice thick. “Primus be you are right.” She took a vent. “I have no excuse.” She looked at the twins, “I can never make it right.”
“No, you can’t.” Sideswipe said, “But, you can tell us about Beta.” Zeta looked at him curious. “You never told us about her…Let us have a good memory of one of our biological parents.”
“Alright.” Zeta said, nodding.
They found chairs, letting Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, then Bluestreak, after they silently asked her, to sit next to Zeta’s bed.
Jazz and Ratchet stepped out of the tent, and exchanged a look.
“I still don’t know if this is a good idea.” Ratchet said, quietly, looking at the medical tent. “But it would have been wrong to not give them a choice.”
“And that’s why you will always be the best parent for the twins.” Jazz said, “You give them a choice, where Zeta would never have.” Ratchet nodded.
They went their separate ways, but both met at the tent barely an hour later when Bluestreak commed them.
Zeta had her optics closed, the edges of her armor gray, her stats were erratic, and Ratchet saw the twins caught between sadness and confusion.
Zeta reached out, and spoke, quietly.
“Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, I will tell Beta you grew up to be wonderful mechs and-and she…she would be proud of you.” She took a vent, it rattling in her chest. “I’m sorry, I love you, I’m sorry.” Sideswipe was the first to reach out, and took Zeta’s hand, with Sunstreaker’s hand joining them a moment later. “Do better with your sparklings than I did…”
The machine wined as Zeta’s spark went out, and Ratchet turned it off. Sideswipe pulled his and Sunstreaker’s hand away, before leaning back in his chair.
“We should bury her.” Sunstreaker said, looking at Zeta, his voice oddly flat.
“Alright,” Bluestreak said, patting his shoulder.
They met half an hour later, Zeta was wrapped in cloth, and laid on the ground, as they started to dig. The twins refused to let them dig, letting Jazz, Bluestreak, and Ratchet stand off to the side. They dug quickly, and lowered Zeta into the ground. The covered it up, and then Jazz passed out a round of hi grade.
“What are we toasting?’ Bluestreak said, looking at the twins.
“To an old mean femme, that fragged us up, and tried to make amends in the end.” Sideswipe said, raising his cubes.
They toasted, and took a sip.
“She was fragged up, but made a good decision to let us go.” Sunstreaker said, as they drank. “Good riddance and hope you find peace in the Well.”