Standing here
I’m cold inside with fear
And I can't feel my soul

Fear.
He was shaking, and afraid, his hands up near his chest like a scared child. Primus, what had he done? Wasn’t he supposed to be helping him?! And now … and now …
Starscream put his hands up to his face as Soundwave came rushing in, took one look and Megatron and ran over to him.
“Starscream …” He murmured, looking over at him. The seeker let his hands fall, suddenly switching into full panic mode.
“What’s wrong with him?! S-Soundwave ---”
“Starscream! Take a deep breath and Calm. Down.” The tape deck instructed with emotion heard all over his voice. He placed his hand over Megatron’s cranium, running some scans. “He’s not all that badly hurt but he’s loosing a lot of energy, and his CPU’s gone into shock. I need you to fetch Hook and Scrapper now. And don’t argue!”
The seriousness of Soundwave’s voice, and the flash of his optic band that indicated he was on the verge of screaming at him had he of disobeyed, was one Starscream had very rarely seen, and like most when they heard it, were calmed instantly and set about doing the task required. Starscream gave a shaky nod and bolted out of the door, tearing down the hallway as if death was at his heals.
How could I let this happen?!

***

Without much explanation from Starscream, the Constructicons followed him back to the Care Centre to tend to Megatron. They had seen Starscream panicky, but never like this, and even they knew that when Starscream looked like he did just now that the situation was not to be taken lightly. They knew he tended to exaggerate things, but they also knew, somewhere in their cores that Megatron was indeed in trouble.
When they got there, they saw Megatron had been laid out on his bed and Soundwave was examining the chest wound. They hurried over with Starscream hovering in the background, trying not to be disruptive for once.
“This doesn’t look as serious as it seems,” Hook stated. He turned to Starscream and Soundwave. “This shouldn’t take too long to fix, but he’ll need a bit of time to recover. Might do best to come back in an hour or so … we should be done by then.”

Lead me from the fear
And I won't leave you here
There’s a way out, there's a way out
There’s a way from here-beleive

But Starscream could never wait very well. He sat on the roof of the Care Centre with Soundwave at his side, worry clear in his optics still even with the promise of a full recovery.
“He …” Starscream hated trying to start a conversation with Soundwave. He much preferred for the silent ‘con to speak first, but he knew that would never happen. “He did it to himself …”
Soundwave looked over, watching him. He was so unused to Starscream being so different after the long years of peace, compared to the many years he had seen him in battle. He was far more calm … matured. Like he had grown up from being a teenager to an old man wisdom-wise in a matter of eleven years. It was unnerving yet it was also inspiring to see. And now, he was actually concerned for the well-being of the person who had treated him like slag for almost the entire time the young jet had been at war. To him, it showed a great amount of maturity on his behalf to even start to forgive Megatron for what he had done … and although he didn’t know much about the occurrences of what they had spoken to about and everything else, even he could see the drastic change they had both gone though. But there was still a fair way to go … and yet, only a short amount too.
It would not be long now before they finally understood each other.
“Yes …” Soundwave said carefully. “I know he did.”
Starscream gripped his head, “I honestly thought he was getting better, Soundwave!” He looked at him in despair. “I really did! But …” He looked down, shutting his optics sadly. “Maybe I took this too fast. But I really thought he was ready …”
Soundwave reached over and gently tilted his chin up to face him, seeing Starscream’s optics flicker in surprise.
“Megatron chose to come out, Starscream.” He said, his voice hinting a gentle tone. “You may have helped to convince him but we both know that if he wasn’t ready to come out, he wouldn’t of. He may have not been ready for what had happened at that party, but …”
Soundwave paused. Starscream watched him. “But what?”
Soundwave looked up at him and gave a smile. “He might’ve done it for you.”
Starscream drew back slightly in shock, and a small blush crept onto his face. “For me …?”
Soundwave gave a sigh. “Megatron told me once a few years back that now there was peace around, and seeing so many happy faces, he wanted to be like that as well. To see you happy after all the years of torment he put you though surprised and scared him. But he LIKED it.” He put extra stress on the word. “For once, he actually liked seeing you happy. And slowly, he came to realise that he wanted to talk to you again, and told me to get you. And well … you know the rest. But seriously … you have helped him, Starscream.”
Starscream blinked, the blush still on his face, then he gave a smile and his optics softened. “Thankyou Soundwave …”
“Anytime.”

I’ll pull away the clouds
That cover you up and leave you down
I won’t leave you all alone
I’ll be there for you in your darkest hour

For all that you’ve done
You’ve got to beleive…

***

A few hours passed, and Soundwave headed home. The Constructicons told Starscream that he was completely repaired, but his mental state was a bit fragile. They said that maybe Starscream should head home as well, but the tetra jet refused. He wanted to stay until Megatron woke up, to make sure he was alright.
And so, he waited.
When he walked into the room again, he saw Megatron was laid out on his back on his bed, repaired and seemingly sleeping. He looked away, as if avoiding an imaginary gaze and headed over to the bed, perching himself on the end just near his feet.
Silence.
It didn’t last long.
Starscream gave a whimper, curling up and folding his wings right back, making him look much, much smaller than usual. He wished Megatron would hurry up and wake so that his ex-leader could at least yell at him and tell him to never see him again. Something … SOMETHING …
Megatron silently awoke, feeling his chest was whole again. He sensed another in the room and slowly lifted his head up, seeing Starscream curled up at the end of his bed. He reached out and tapped his shoulder, causing the seeker to jump and cringe, looking up at him.
He stayed silent for a moment, and then whispered, “Megatron …”
Megatron had rarely seen him look so small. Starscream only ever folded back his wings for sleep, but he had never seen him do it in fear or insecurity before. It made him see that the seeker was still insecure in a few ways, even after the many years out of war …
Or could it be that he was concerned, concerned for him?
It was then that Starscream looked up at him, worry plain on his face. “How could you run out of there like that?! You SCARED me! I thought … I thought …” He broke off, giving a sound of protest at his own thoughts and trembled.
Megatron stared at him, but then reached out and grabbed his shoulder. “I … couldn’t stay there … it was too much.”
“But you could have at least told Soundwave! Or someone!” Starscream protested, squirming against his hand.
“I don’t need to tell anyone anything if I don’t want to.” The ex-leader said sternly, giving him a half glare.
Starscream glared back, still trembling slightly. The air was thick with stubborn tension, neither wanting to say what should have been said. But Starscream looked away, shutting his optics and not moving, his wings still folded back.
Megatron then sighed, seeing finally that he must’ve scared Starscream badly for him to even want to admit it to him. But he didn’t know what to do … He didn’t believe in anything, or anyone, could help him now …
“I’m sorry, Starscream.” He said softly, causing the seeker to look at him in shock. “There’s nothing … nothing I can do for myself or you can do for me that’s going to change this …”
Starscream stared at him, and then started to shake his head in shock, but soon he grabbed Megatron by the shoulders, anger coming into play, and ramming him back against the bed.
“Is that it?!” He yelled in anger, oblivious to Megatron’s shocked look. “Is that IT?! After all you’ve been though and all you’ve done, you’re just going to give up?! I thought you were stronger than that! You were our LEADER!”
“Starscream, back off!”
“NO!” Starscream was shrieking now. “Why can’t you see that there is still hope for you?!”
Megatron had his optics shut tight, feeling Starscream’s weight on him, feeling his anger pulsing though him as though it was his own, and feeling the sadness ... disappointment …
“No one … believes in me anymore …”
And that was when Starscream’s anger died. He stared at him as Megatron slowly opened his optics to look into his. Both were upset, both were sad but for different reasons. Both needed something, and it was then that Starscream uttered one line that would cause a reaction he never expected or thought could ever be possible. But it was that one line that would head both on the home stretch of the path of healing.
“I believe in you …”

No matter what the world can throw at you
You know you can beleive
Believe in me and after all
I still beleive in you

And even if you cannot see
The brighter light ahead I’ll be
You must believe, beleive in me
And after all I still beleive in you

---------------------------------

Songs-
TRUSTcompany - Fear
Ronan Keeting - Beleive