Hysteria felt like she had been to the pit and back by the time she was online.  Once again, her consciousness was operational first.  It accessed her memory and her optics kicked on to widen as she recalled what happened to her.  How was she still functional after all that?  Her audials were soon receptive to sound, and she could hear the chatter in the room around her.

“Hey!” exclaimed Cheetor.  “She’s back online!”

Those same optics scanned the room she was in just in time to see the excited looks of the Maximals that surrounded her.  She searched for one face in particular, and found him closest to her.

Out of all the looks, his appeared to be the most surprised, though he was the least expressive.  He cycled through emotions when their optics met one another’s— first surprise, then confusion, and finally anger as he tore his gaze away from her.

“What is this?” Dinobot loomed over Rhinox.  “Her optics!  You were not to tamper with her programming!”

While he was indeed relieved to see her once again operational, it was the look they shared that concerned him.  Her optics were once again green, when he had gotten used to seeing their crimson glow.  He took offense at the idea that she had once again been subject to reprogramming without her consent.

“Easy, Dinobot.  I didn’t touch it,” Rhinox said.  To prove himself, he pulled up her restoration log on the monitor.  “See here?  It seems the R chamber identified that Predacon code as malware and corrected it on its own.”

Dinobot’s temper dissipated.  His stance softened and he looked back to her.

“You…”

“Oh, don’t tell me you forgot my name,” she teased him.

With a small laugh and a shake of his helm, he replied, “No… Never, fair Hysteria.”

“Oh, brother,” Rattrap mumbled, causing Cheetor to punch him in the arm.  “Ow!  Hey, well…  Good to have you back online, Hot Spot.  I, uh… apologize for…”  He sniffed and made a vague gesture.  “… All of that.”

“It’s okay, Rattrap.  ‘M sorry for trying to make you Swiss cheese.”

“Eh, join the club,” he laughed.  “Enough about me… You, uh… Got somethin’ you wanted to tell Big Bot?”

After he reminded her of this, Hysteria looked around the quarters she had been resting in, noting how different a Maximal welcome felt than the Predacon one.  While this time around she felt like scrap, it sure beat being strapped down to a table.  She nodded, then turned to face the Maximal commander.

“Optimus,” she said.  He took a step forward.  “I… I’d like to join the Maximals, if you’d still have me.”

“Are you sure, Hysteria?” he asked, his tone soft, but serious.  “We don’t expect you to join us just because we saved you.  If you wish to go your own way now that you’re back to normal, you have that option.”

She laughed and shook her head.

“No, no…  That’s not it at all.  I am now part of this war whether I like it or not.  The Predacons made it personal.”

“The Predacons, eh?” Rattrap said beneath his breath.  He nudged Dinobot with his elbow, causing the other mech to huff and look away.

“Well, if that is true, we welcome you aboard, Hysteria,” Primal said. 

“Yeah!” Cheetor exclaimed.  “Glad to have you as part of the team!”

“Indeed,” said Rhinox.

A small laugh escaped her.  “Thanks, guys.”

“Now, I know you’re not one to take orders,” Primal said.  “But could you consider this one for me?”

She tilted her helm.  “What’s that?”

“Take it easy and finish recharging.  You took a lot of damage out there.  I’m sure your fellow Maximals would appreciate it if you made a full recovery.”

She looked up, her optics locking with one of her fellow Maximals in particular.  Dinobot gave a subtle nod, causing her to smile.

“Yeah, I can do that,” she said.

“Thank you,” he replied.  “We’ll leave you to it.  Let us know if you need anything.”

“Thanks, I will.”

Primal nodded, patting her arm before turning away.  One by one, the rest of the Maximals filed out of the chamber.  First Primal, then Rhinox.  Rattrap tapped Cheetor on the shoulder and pointed at the exit.  Taking the hint, those two walked out together, leaving Dinobot alone with Hysteria.  He took a step closer to where she lay.

“I thought for sure I was dead,” she said to him.

“While a warrior’s death would have been befitting of you,” Dinobot began, his voice uncharacteristically soft.  He reached for her servo and held it in both of his.  “For… selfish reasons… I could not allow you to have it so soon.  I… beg you forgive me for making that call for you.  Silicon Valhalla will have to wait.”

She weakly lifted her free arm, gesturing for him to come closer.  When he did, he found himself in her embrace. 

“Thank you, Dinobot,” she murmured against the cables of his neck, unwilling to let him go so soon.  The physical contact may have been foreign to him, but it was… not unpleasant.  He allowed her to hold him like that, and even found himself returning the embrace.  When her hold on him eventually loosened, he was in no rush to pull away, but when he did, he only parted just enough so he could look into her optics once again.

“The vermin said you had something you wished to tell me,” he said.

For a moment, she seemed confused.  A look of realization, then one of embarrassment crossed her face next.

“Primus.  He really is a rat, huh?” she laughed, slightly averting her optics.  When she felt his servo enveloping hers again, she sighed and met his gaze again. 

“You may speak freely.”

“You probably don’t want to hear this,” she began.  “It doesn’t feel like your style.  Especially if we are now brothers-in-arms, so to speak.”

“Anything you have to say, I will listen,” he assured her.

“Fine,” she said, a small smile playing on her lips.  “I… love you, Dinobot.”

Those four little words filled him with a triumph of which a thousand victories could not compare.  He felt a fullness in his spark that overwhelmed him, producing enough excess energy to make all his circuits buzz.  While still being mindful of her condition, Dinobot drew Hysteria in and placed his mouth upon hers.  This kiss was unlike the few they shared before.  While both previous ones were brief, this one lingered.  He cared not who walked in and saw him as his hunger for her grew, and hers matched it.  While soft at first, it quickly progressed until it was just as intense and passionate as their bouts had been up until this point.  Eventually, it tapered off, leaving both parties internal fans working overdrive to regulate the heat of the moment.

「 “Love sought is good, but given unsought is better…” 」 Dinobot softly quoted against her lips as one of his claws traced her jaw.  Let out a soft laugh, at both the quote and the fact he recited it in Old Cybertronian.  A huff of amusement left him as well as his optics remained locked with hers.  “Though I never did anticipate this, I, too, love you, Hysteria.”

She pulled him closer, pressing their mouths together once more before letting him go.  A slight grin formed as he straightened up.

“But do not think this means I will go easy on you,” Dinobot proclaimed.  “The moment you are back on your struts and have made a full recovery, you will face me again.”

Hysteria laughed aloud.  “Thank Primus.  I was worried you’d go all soft on me.”

Dinobot snorted at this, clearly taking offense as he folded his arms in front of his chest.

“I have no soft spot.”

“Right.  Sure you don’t, big guy.”