EmeraldMoonGreen, who owns Eclipse, asked for this one. Here you go, Amiga! Enjoy! :)

Transformers Prime belongs to Hasbro. I own nothing.

Only Comfort In Our Arms

Eclipse was in her dragon mode as she played by herself around the base, waiting for her daddy and the others to get out of the meeting they were in. She just continued running around, chasing after one of her foam balls that she had and having a great time, not noticing that she was near the Energon Vault until she got a little too excited and released a scream attack, hoping to hit her ball.

It hit the door to the vault instead.

Megatron had stood up and was giving his report. "While we've settled most of the rogue 'Cons battles, we still-,"

BOOOOOM!

The loud explosion stopped him and made them all jump in alarm. "What was that?" Bulkhead asked.

Starscream quickly triangulated the explosion and his eyes widened. "The Energon Vault!" He said urgently.

They all raced out, soon finding a very scared and guilty-looking Eclipse standing in front of the vault door, which was now a melted pile of metal with an enormous hole in it and half of their Energon stores were blown apart. Everyone was in shock except for Ultra Magnus and Prowl, who both gave the young femme stern looks.

"You know better than to play near the Energon Vault, Eclipse," Ultra Magnus said, his voice very stern.

"Look at this mess. You destroyed half our Energon stores, young lady," Prowl said, joining in on scolding the femme.

"I-It was an accident," Eclipse said, stammering a little, her voice small. "I-I didn't mean to."

But the two weren't appeased by her apology. "You've just created more work for us," Ultra Magnus said.

"Magnus, I believe I know a perfect punishment for her," Prowl said.

"A punishment is exactly what she needs to learn that this is unacceptable," the leader of the Wreckers agreed.

As soon as she heard the word 'punishment', Eclipse began to panic, but the two scolding mechs didn't notice as they were discussing the punishment. Soundwave, who had snapped out of his shock, noticed the change in Eclipse's eyes. They were glazed over and she was breathing abnormally, signs of the start of a panic attack. "With all due respect, Ultra Magnus, Prowl, you both should stop," the former silent 'Con cautioned.

"She needs to be disciplined," Ultra Magnus said sternly.

Before more could be said, they were startled into silence as Eclipse began whimpering and clicking like a newborn sparkling, shrinking herself down to the floor and making herself as small as she could with her ears pinned down flat to her helm and her tail tucked firmly between her legs as she began hyperventilating now.

"Please…I'll be a good girl. I'll be a good girl. Please…don't…I promise to be good," she whimpered, tears falling from her eyes.

"Eclipse?" Starscream asked gently. "What is the matter, young one?"

But she didn't hear him. "Please, I'm sorry," she continued whimpering. "Master, please, I'll be a good girl. Please, don't use that spiky whip. Master, please."

Realizing his daughter was in one of her worst flashbacks, Ratchet immediately went up to her. "Eclipse, sweetspark, calm down," he said soothingly. "He isn't here. He can't hurt you anymore. He can't get into this base. You're safe, sweetheart. Calm down. Daddy's here."

Eclipse didn't really register his words and was unable to calm down, something Ratchet saw and he lightly sighed, changing one of his fingers to a hypodermic needle and gently injecting a small amount of sedative into her systems. She didn't struggle and soon became limp as she passed out and Ratchet picked her up, taking her to the medbay. "Ultra Magnus. Prowl, to the medbay," he said in a voice that brooked no room for argument.

The two followed wordlessly while the others stayed behind. "Optimus, do you think Eclipse will be alright?" Starscream asked.

"I hope so, Starscream," Optimus said with a nod.

"Ratchet's really going to 'give them an earful', as humans say," Wheeljack said quietly.

The others nodded before they headed back for the meeting room, deciding to continue without the other three, since they had already given their reports.

In the medbay, Ratchet placed Eclipse down on one of the berths and pulled a blanket over her, tucking it around her gently and gently stroking her head before turning to glare at the two mechs behind him.

Now it took a lot to make Ultra Magnus and Prowl flinch, but the fierce glare they were receiving from Ratchet made them both wince as they realized Ratchet was about to go into full protective father mode and they were on the receiving end of his wrath.

"YOU TWO ARE UNBELIEVABLE!" The medic exploded, making both mechs flinch again. "You were so bent on scolding Eclipse that you ignored Soundwave's warning that you needed to stop scolding her! Why do you think he was trying to warn you?! He was trying to get you to see you were causing her to go into a panic attack!"

Prowl and Ultra Magnus waited a few beats before the former decided to ask a question. "Why did she go into a panic attack?" He asked quietly.

Ratchet glared harder at them. "Why do you think she did?" He asked angrily.

"Ratchet, please," Ultra Magnus said, raising both hands in a surrendering gesture. "Why did our scolding Eclipse send her into a panic attack? What did she think when we were scolding her and deciding her punishment?"

The orange and white bot sighed before turning to Eclipse, who was still sleeping. He began stroking her back. "Before Eclipse came into my care, she wasn't well treated," he said. "Discipline to her was…things that no sparkling should go through."

"Ratchet?" Prowl asked. "You mean to say…she was…abused?"

He nodded. "Horrible abuse, neglect, and starvation is what the person she called 'master' deemed as discipline for her," he said, turning back to them. "She thought you two were going to physically harm her."

Ultra Magnus looked shocked, as did Prowl. "Ratchet, we'd never do that. She's just a sparkling," the leader of the Wreckers said. "We would never lay a hand on Eclipse to hurt her."

"But that's what she believed when you said you were going to discipline her," the medic said. "She probably won't want you two near her when she wakes up."

Guilt filled both mechs and they looked very ashamed. "Ratchet, may we stay here until Eclipse wakes up so that we can apologize to her?" Prowl asked.

Ratchet nodded before getting a call from Optimus. "I'm needed back at the meeting," he said.

"We'll watch over her," Ultra Magnus said.

Nodding again, the medic headed back for the meeting and the two looked at each other. "I really feel like a jerk now," the leader of the Wreckers said sadly.

"I do as well," Prowl admitted. "I hope she'll give us the chance to make it up to her."

"I do too. No one should have to go through what Ratchet told us she went through."

A few moments later, Eclipse woke up, but when she saw them near her, she let out a scream and went to bolt for the door. Ultra Magnus, seeing this, quickly blocked her path and shut the door, making the femme scrabble backwards and run away. "DADDY! DADDY! HELP!" She screamed out, making both mechs wince and Prowl quickly moved to catch her, but she evaded him.

Ultra Magnus waited patiently for the right moment and when he saw Eclipse scramble to get away from Prowl again, he moved fast, catching her in his arms. A wail left the small femme's throat as she struggled her hardest. "Mama!" She cried out, tears streaming from her eyes. "Mama!"

Seeing the small dragon in such a fearful state, the guilt both mechs felt hit them even harder. Prowl went up to her and reached forward carefully. "Shh," he gently shushed, his hands gently rubbing over her helm and her ears. "Shh, calm down, Eclipse. Calm down, little one."

Ultra Magnus adjusted his hold on the femme and used his free hand to rub her back and pet her tail, which was puffed up in her fear. "Eclipse, it's alright," he crooned softly, continuing to rub her back while Prowl gently rubbed her ears. "You're safe, young one. We won't hurt you. We'd never hurt you."

Eclipse's crying began quieting and she leaned her head into Prowl's hands, something he took as a good sign and continued rubbing her ears. "That's a good girl," he said encouragingly. "You're doing good, Eclipse."

"Easy now," Ultra Magnus said softly, smiling a little when the femme arched her back a little into his hand, a sign that she was starting to finally calm down. After a bit, she sniffled and opened her eyes, looking up at the two mechs before gently wriggling a little.

"Down, please?" She asked politely and in a small voice.

The leader of the Wreckers very gently set her on her feet and she transformed to her robot form, looking up at both of them and seeing them have guilty looks on their faces. "Eclipse, we're very sorry," Prowl said to her, kneeling down and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Your father…he told us about…what you went through before he took you in."

She looked down at that, a few tears falling down her face and her lip trembled. Ultra Magnus kneeled in front of her and very gently wiped away her tears. "Eclipse, words can't express how sorry Prowl and I are for causing a flashback for you," he said. "But we are both sorry, little one."

Looking up at them, she leaned her face into Ultra Magnus' hand as he continued wiping away her tears. "Would…Would you two ever…hurt me?" She asked softly and haltingly.

"Never," Prowl said firmly. "We would never raise our hands to hurt you, Eclipse."

"Making you do extra chores, time out, or sending you to your room would be a few of the punishments we would enforce if necessary, but never would we physically harm you, little one," Ultra Magnus said.

Feeling a bit better, but still a little upset, she looked up at them. "Uncle Magnus? Uncle Prowl?" She asked.

Relieved that she wasn't afraid of them now, both smiled at her. "Yes, Eclipse?" The leader of the Wreckers asked.

"Can…Can you both…tickle me?"

They smiled at her and Prowl slipped behind her, his hands moving her her sides and she was soon in giggles as he tickled her sides while Ultra Magnus moved closer and began tickling Eclipse's stomach.

The little femme giggled and was soon kneeling on the floor and trying to escape them, but they smiled and Prowl motioned to Ultra Magnus to pick her up. "Didn't Ratchet once tell us she loves getting her tummy tickled?" He asked.

"Oh, yes," Ultra Magnus said with a nod as he scooped Eclipse up into his arms and lifted her up so that her stomach was exposed and he leaned down, blowing a playful raspberry into her tickle spot.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!" The femme squealed, loud giggles following as her uncle now gently nibbled on her stomach, sending her into a fit of laughter.

"Your turn, Prowl," he said.

The Praxian showed a softer side as he also blew raspberries into Eclipse's stomach and gently nibbled it too, making her laugh more until she began to cough a little, signaling she was at her limit. Prowl immediately stopped and he and Ultra Magnus waited as she recovered before she surprised them by hugging them hard. "I'm sorry about the vault," she said sadly.

"Can you tell us what happened that caused the explosion?" Prowl asked.

"I was playing with my ball and I let out a scream attack by accident because I got really excited," she admitted. "I was aiming for my ball, but…I guess I missed my target."

"Hmm," Ultra Magnus hummed thoughtfully. "Well, it could have been much worse."

"How?" She asked.

He gently rubbed her back. "You could have been injured," he said gently. "Thankfully, you weren't."

She nodded and hugged him, to which he picked her up as he stood up. "Now then, let's get over to that meeting. Your father gave us quite an ear bashing after you passed out," he said.

Eclipse giggled again, but rested her head on Ultra Magnus' shoulder while reaching out to Prowl, who let her hold his hand while they went back to the meeting room. Ratchet was outside and he turned to see them coming and nodded at seeing his daughter was now calmer and feeling better as he accepted her from Ultra Magnus.

"Are you feeling better, sweetspark?" The medic asked his daughter.

She nodded. "Yes, Daddy," she said. "Uncle Magnus and Uncle Prowl apologized and made me feel better."

Ratchet smiled because he knew how they had done so as Magnus had sent him the video clip of him and Prowl tickling Eclipse. "How about next time you don't play near the vault?" He said gently.

She nodded. "Okay," she said before letting out a yawn and reaching for Prowl, who accepted her and to his and Magnus' surprise, she fell fast asleep on him. Ratchet chuckled.

"Here," he said, accepting her from the Praxian. "I'll get her to bed."

They watched as the medic tucked his daughter into her bed and turned on a nightlight before gently closing the door and turning to them. "Very few know about what Eclipse went through before becoming my daughter," he said.

"It will stay between us three, Ratchet," Prowl promised.

"I'm just glad she understands that we'd never hurt her," Ultra Magnus said.

"She's learning that there's only comfort here in the arms of everyone here, but it's something that she has to be shown," Ratchet said.

The other two nodded, vowing to be careful next time when mentioning discipline around Eclipse so an incident like this wouldn't happen again.

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GoldGuardian2418