Title: A Promise is Forever

[wildernesstales]

Rating: PG-13
Series: G1
Pairings: Sideswipe/Ratchet/Sunstreaker
Summary: After the attack on Autobot City, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe struggle to understand.
Warnings: Established character death and character death
Disclaimer: As per usual, the good things in life are not mine to have, but belong to someone else... in this case Hasbro, Takara and IDW and anyone else I’ve forgotten…
Authors Notes: Written for the twins_x_ratch October Challenge, Week 4.  Prompt was Broken Promises.  Why is it always the angsty prompts that grab me first?
Feedback makes friends.  Flames dealt with by the masters of paranoia and fire, Red Alert and Inferno.

“He lied.” Sideswipe’s voice was flat.
“It wasn’t exactly his choice!” Sunstreaker rounded on his brother.  “Do you think he wanted to break his promise?  And in that way?”
“No.  But he left us.  He said he’d never leave us.” Sideswipe’s voice was laced with a pain Sunstreaker knew all too well.  It had barely been three days since the attack on Autobot City and the realisation that Ratchet was dead.

Ratchet was dead.

Their lover, their medic, their future bondmate was dead.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He’d said that he would always be there for them.  That nothing could keep him away from them.  But the Decepticons had killed him and his promise was broken.  He’d gone down fighting, that much was clear, but that was little consolation to his two lovers left behind.  They’d seen his broken, grayed frame and it had been all they could do to not break down there and then.

They’d managed to make it back to the quarters they’d shared in Autobot City before Sunstreaker broke down, quickly followed by Sideswipe.  They’d held each other as they cried out their grief and pain in the ruins of their quarters.

The next morning had been hard on both of them; neither wanting to get up and face the day.  Face the reality that there was no more Ratchet.  That they were on their own.  After so long of pursuing the medic and finally making him theirs, they were lost without him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I miss him.” Sunstreaker murmured one day, long after they’d lost Ratchet.  The war had carried on and they had been swept along with it.
“I’ve never stopped missing him.” Sideswipe admitted.
“Or loving him.” Sunstreaker agreed wryly.  They hadn’t had the spark to start a relationship with anyone else; it had felt like betrayal, even though Ratchet was dead.
“I just wish… that he’d never gone.”
“Me too.” Sunstreaker agreed.  Although the Decepticons had paid dearly for the deaths they caused during the attack on Autobot City, it couldn’t bring back the mechs they’d lost.  Couldn’t bring back their lover.

Sideswipe sighed and sat down on their berth, wearily scrubbing the back of his hand across his optics.
“I’m tired, Sunny.”
“Recharge then.” Sunstreaker sat down next to him.
“Not that sort of tired.” Sideswipe whispered.  Sunstreaker didn’t say anything, but Sideswipe could tell he felt the same way.
“Let’s rest.” Sunstreaker suggested, lying back and nudging Sideswipe to do the same.  They curled up together, both missing their third, but finding comfort in each other.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Where are we?” Sideswipe was the first to voice the question that was on both their processors.
“The Matrix.” A voice said from the darkness that shrouded them.  Sunstreaker and Sideswipe shared a look; that was a voice they hadn’t heard for many years.
“Ratchet?” Sunstreaker whispered the name almost reverently.  The white medic stepped out of the darkness, looking exactly as they remembered him.
“I told you I would never leave you, and I never have.”
“You died.  You left us all alone!” Sideswipe protested hotly, stepping forward.
“I never stopped watching you.”
“But you weren’t there.”
“You broke your promise.” Sunstreaker couldn’t help but agree, still struggling with the concept that Ratchet was here in front of them.
“I couldn’t help that.  But I’ve been with you ever since.” Ratchet retorted.  He had kept an optic on them over the years, watching as they went into battle more reckless and fearless than he had ever seen them; they had nothing to live for now, so what did it matter if they died in battle?
“You were?” Sideswipe wanted to believe it.
“I was.” Ratchet nodded, holding out his hands to his lovers.  They stepped forward as one, each reaching out and grasping a red hand, holding on to it as though they never wanted to let go.

And they never did.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

First Aid noted the deaths of Sunstreaker and Sideswipe in the medical logs with a heavy spark.  He’d known about the relationship they’d had with Ratchet.  Pit, everyone had known about it.  Privately, he was surprised they’d lasted as long as they did; he’d been able to see the signs of grief.  Even if they weren’t bondmates, he knew they had been suffering.

Perhaps now, they were at peace.  After all, they were finally together again.