Disclaimer: Bluecat is an OC of mine. Everyone else belongs to Hasbro. Actually, Sabertooth belongs to AuroraFerreri

A Life Brings A Death

Even though it was well past midnight, Jazz could not get any rest. He needed to, as he had patrol the next day, but…he looked over at the small, vivid blue femme that had moved into the quarters he shared with Prowl. Bluecat was whimpering, curled around her off-white blanket, tossing and turning fitfully in recharge.

She was Carrying a Sparkling, but something seemed to be going wrong. Either she was getting a virus, or the Sparkling was. And that worried Jazz. The small, half-cat bot had become an almost-constant companion to him. She shuddered in her sleep, then went still with a tiny whimper.

"Blues?" Jazz asked, getting up from the desk he'd been sitting at, crossing the space over to her. "Ev'rythin' okay?" But he knew what they answer would be. :: Ratch…Blues is hurtin' agin. Can ya help 'er? :: He asked the CMO through a comm.

:: I'll be there soon. :: was Ratchet's short reply.

"Not okay…" came Bluecat's soft voice. "H-hurts…" she whimpered, flinching in pain, curling up like a roly-poly.

Jazz gently picked her up, cradling her small form close against his own. "This ain't right, Blues…" he murmured, rubbing her back in a soothing way.

One of her catlike audios flicked against Jazz's shoulder in silent confusion.

"I hate seein' ya like this…in so much pain." He explained. "Ye're tougher than this. A lot tougher than some other bots I c'd name."

"I'm not tough…" she said softly, whimpering as another pang of discomfort rippled through her. Starting from her Spark chamber.

"Don't see yourself short." Jazz told her. "You are tough. Your vocalizer was damaged when you were how old? Even though you prob'ly coulda see straight from the pain, you pushed past it. Many would say you're tough merely for traveling with Riksaw for so long. And he never once cut you up when he glitched out. You stayed with him, despite the danger."

"He needed me." Bluecat defended her friend.

"My point is that you are one tough-as-nails little femme." Jazz said firmly.

Whatever might have been said next was drowned out by Bluecat's sudden shriek of pain. Her claws snapped out as her back arched. Her Spark felt crowded! And it hurt!

Jazz winced at the high pitch of her scream, and the pain of her claws digging into his armor. After several seconds, Bluecat went limp, shivering with echoes of pain.

"Blues?" Jazz looked at her, fearing the worst. He was almost relieved when Bluecat uttered a whimper of pain.

She looked up at Jazz, "I'm not…going…until my little one…is Sparked." She said softly.

Don't die, Blues…Jazz thought, gently petting her head. That's when Ratchet arrived. He'd brought a painkiller that would ease Bluecat's discomfort without affecting the Sparkling too much.

"I'm assuming the scream I heard not long ago was her?" Ratchet asked as he administered a small dose of the painkiller. He had to guess at the amount, because of Bluecat's size, and the fact she was Carrying. He'd never before encountered such an anomaly as Bluecat.

"That was her, alright." Jazz nodded, holding Bluecat as she slipped into recharge finally. He indicated the gouges on his chassis, "Her claws snapped out when she yowled. What d'ya think's wrong with her? Is it a virus?" he asked, looking up at Ratchet, who shook his head.

"She's not sick, Jazz."

"Then why-"

"She's too small."

"Too small?" Jazz was confused, and looked down at the peacefully recharging Bluecat. Sure, she was small but…what did Ratchet mean by 'too small'? It didn't make sense.

"The last scan of her showed that her Sparkling will be the same size as a normal one. Her own Spark is being crowded by that of her Sparkling."

Jazz frowned, seriously confused. "So…her Sparkling's hurting her?" he said after several moments of serious thinking.

"Looks that way." Ratchet sighed. "Jazz, I don't know what will happen when she gets closer to Sparking. If anything changes, tell me immediately."

Jazz nodded, wrapping Bluecat in her blanket, but not setting her down. "I'll do so."

The two bid one another goodnight, and Ratchet left, leaving Jazz alone, worrying about his small friend.

v^v^v^v^v

The day Bluecat's conditions changed, she was alone. She barely took note of this as she woke, feeling as if something was crushing her Spark. She gasped when she realized what it was. Her Sparkling. The Spark nestled beside her own flared with a burst of energy, and dropped into her Carrying chamber…which really had no use except to separate the Sparks at the end of the Carrying phase. Pain shot through her small body, making her screech in pain, curling into a ball. She lay on the floor, her blanket draped over her. Her optics shuttered wildly at the pain that was suddenly washing over her in waves. Having her vocalize damaged didn't even hold a candle to this!

:: J-Jazz… :: she whimpered in a comm. to him. She never got further. Pain slammed through her again, making her howl, and curl into an even tighter ball. She felt the Carrying chamber reshape into a proper Spark chamber, and start pulling away from her body. She knew that she'd have to give up a good portion of her own frame so her little one would live.

Jazz jerked into awareness at Bluecat's call. He was on monitor duty with Red Alert and he was bored…and tired. It had been several nights with little or no proper recharge due to Bluecat's discomfort. Her call had been filled with…not just pain, but agony. With a short, "Sorry Red, Blues needs me." He got up and left, heading back to his quarters, where Bluecat was. Concern and dread quickened his pace.

He passed Prowl on the way to their quarters. Catching the look on Jazz's face, Prowl joined him. He hoped they wouldn't be late, that they could still help Bluecat.

As they turned down the corridor that their quarters were on, a horrible, agony-filled wail echoed off the walls.

"Blues…" Jazz choked out, and sprinted for the door, typing in the code as fast as he could manage.

The door opened onto a scene that Jazz would never forget.

Bluecat lay on the floor, deathly still, not even shivering. No sound came from her at all. Her blanket was stained with fresh energon, and it was pooled around her tiny frame. She looked like she was protecting something that was coiled up against her stomach.

"Blues?" Jazz asked, hoping against all hope she was alive.

:: He's here, Jazz :: her voice was so faint, he could hardly hear her words. :: Take care of my little one for me… :: she whispered.

"No…Bluecat, ye're not gonna die!" he said, fighting back the tears that rose as he crossed the room and picked her up. But…looking at her, he knew she was dying. About two-thirds of her main frame was simply…not there. And the enrgon was flowing too freely. She was bleeding to death. "Blues? Y-your frame…what happened to ya?" he asked, cradling her close.

:: Sparkling…needed it… :: she whispered, her voice so faint in the comm. it was as if she were already gone. :: He'd die…otherwise… :: she paused as a violent shudder shook her failing body. :: Jazz?::

"Yeah, Blues?"

:: Name him… ::

Those two words were Bluecat's last ones. Jazz felt the life flee her. He stood there for a second, unaware that Prowl had entered the room. Jazz's reaction was enough for Prowl to know Bluecat died.

Jazz fell to his knees, sobbing as he cradled Bluecat's empty frame close, as if trying to pull her life back. He couldn't understand. Why couldn't she have lived and raised her Sparkling? Why did she have to die? And where had her frame gone? That's the part that was confusing.

"Jazz?" Prowl asked softly. The Datsun was holding a small, black bot that was curled into a tight ball…Bluecat's Sparkling.

"She…she's dead, Prowler…" Jazz whispered, his voice strained with tears as he turned to look at Prowl. He was cradling Bluecat against his shoulder, the way he'd done a thousand times when she was alive. "Why'd she die? How did havin' a Sparkling kill 'er?" He honestly could not make sense of how this tragedy could possibly have happened.

"Only Primus knows that Jazz." Prowl said gently. "Bluecat was different from normal femmes. From all Cybertronians, come to think of it."

"She's…really dead…" Jazz mumbled, only halfway listening to Prowl's words. He didn't want to – couldn't – believe Blues was…not there. Even though she'd off-lined, right there, in his arms. He didn't believe it. Couldn't accept it.

"She…wants me t'give 'im a name…" he went on, numb. "She asked me to name 'im…"

"He's a black kitten." Prowl supplied, trying to be helpful. Jazz was so out of it right now. He was in a state of shock. The tiny Sparkling let out a little squeak, demanding to be fed. He looked more like a cat than Bluecat had, but he had the same neon green optics she had had. Prowl noted that because of his design, the little one would have to walk on all fours his whole life. At another, more demanding, squeak, Prowl decided to take him to Med Bay to get the right type of food for him…and let Ratchet know that Bluecat had died. And that Jazz was in a 'waking coma' since she'd died in his arms. Prowl hadn't seen the damage her frame had taken, so he wasn't entirely sure why Jazz had been so stunned. But…a Sparkling's arrival had never been so depressing. And Prowl was scertain he'd never heard of a case where the Carrier died as the Sparkling was born. It was such a mystery.

v^v^v^v^v

Med Bay

Ratchet looked up as Prowl entered the Med Bay, carefull holding onto a tiny, black, wriggling…someone.

"Now who is this?" Ratchet asked, looking at the tiny black bot.

"He doesn't have a name yet." Prowl said, "He was Sparked a little over an hour ago. And – ow! He bites." He added, snatching his hand away from the hungry Sparkling, who only squeaked again.

"Bluecat?" the CMO asked, getting out the special Sparkling energon that the newborns needed.

Prowl sighed, "She's dead."

"And Jazz?" Ratchet knew the Saboteur had formed a close friendship with the little catlike femme.

"In a state of shock. She died in his arms." Prowl said. "Her dying request was that Jazz name her Sparkling."

Ratchet sighed, "It's not going to be easy, then. He might not even want to look at this little one, since he looks a lot like Bluecat."

"More catlike. OW! Would you stop biting my fingers?" Prowl demanded of the Sparkling, who only squeaked, his tail flicking back and forth.

"Just be glad he hasn't got teeth like Sabertooth has." Ratchet said, trying not to laugh. Prowl winced.

"This guy still has sharp teeth. Saber's are simply a lot bigger."

Note: yes, I realize it's long. Yes, I realize it seems to have more to it. If you'd like to see what happens with the Sparkling (as well as know his name) please let me know in your reviews. And yes…I did have to kill off Bluecat. Why? Even I don't know that.