This is what? The third time I've posted it? Sweet Primus, let's just hope it stays up this time... Gosh, I feel so much nostalgia reading this, considering it was my first TF fanfic ever, and it's not too bad. Just some nice, sweet, short fluff, and who doesn't like that? Well I certainly do, hence why I wrote it! Hope you enjoy it as well, and please leave some feedback if you do!

For the first time in a very, very long time, the base was silent.

All inhabitants, human and autobot alike, had long since settled down for some much needed recharge, or sleep, as the case may be.

All except for one.

In what appeared to have become an unshakable habit, Arcee was once again the only one awake in the base. But unlike so many other times before, it was not due to sudden midnight restlessness or late night energon cravings. Granted, she probably should have been resting, after all, she had only been able to get Ratchet to end his several hour vigil of her vital stats because she had promised she would recharge.

But she couldn't bring herself to take her optics off the little sleeping bundle cradled in her servos. The tiny, newborn protoform had soundly slipped into his own recharge several hours before and had not shown any signs of waking since. It was a pleasant change from the angry wails he had issued upon being taken from his previous home. She had taken the time to study the sparkling, taking note of all his little features and feeling an odd warmth in her spark whenever she noticed something that was clearly part of herself or the father.

Speaking of which...

Knockout was currently recharging in a chair to her left, leaning against the wall with his servos folded across his chest plate, helm drooping forward. I'm the one who just gave birth, and yet he's the one who recharges afterward...She smiled weakly at the irony, turning her helm back to the sleeping sparkling, who had started making little chirps and beeps of sparkling babble in his sleep. With an oddly human like sigh of contentment, she held the newborn closer, bringing their faceplates close enough that he could reach and touch hers.

She studied his serene sleeping form. Perhaps what amazed her most was how flawless his bright red plating was, not even the faintest hint of the scrapes and dents that covered herself and her teammates from eons of fighting. Suddenly, with no real warning, his wide optics slid partly open, giving her her first look at two shining blue orbs. She gave a surprised blink, suddenly feeling like she was looking into a mirror. Her brows furrowed as a sudden realization hit.

"Odd..." she whispered, voice still stat-icky and rough thanks to all of her pain induced screaming just a few hours prior. "Ratchet said you shouldn't open your optics until tomorrow..." The protoform blinked in response, issuing one final little buzzing chirp before closing his optics yet again and slipping back into recharge.

"It istomorrow, figuratively speaking..." Her optics widened at the unexpected quip, helm turning to see a very much awake Knockout striding towards her and stopping by the medical berth. He gave her his signature smug grin, though it carried a bit more softness then usual. "Or I could be wrong, I'll never get used to this planet's solar cycles..." Tired as she was, she couldn't help but smile at the return of his snarky attitude. All of his panicking several hours ago had seemed quite out of character.

"And here I thought you were sleeping like a sparkling..." Primus, her voice was crackling, she'd have to talk to Ratchet about that later. Knockout didn't seem to notice though, or perhaps he was simply being polite and not pointing it out.

"Ah yes, well, I've developed a rather keen ability to fake recharge, came in handy during all those late night hormonal rampages of yours..." he replied, crimson optics twinkling with amusement. She simply rolled her optics. He continued, but on a new subject. "Anyway... I see you're-" his optics dropped to the protoform, softening more as they did so-" admiring our handy work..."

She cocked a viz scanner at that.

"Our handy work? I'm the one who carried him around for the past few months, and I'mthe one who just squeezed him out. You didn't exactly play a very big part..." she replied, only partly teasing. He chuckled, seeming to find something amusing in her demeaning remark.

"Perhaps not, but my part wasessential nonetheless, and it was a part I believe you very much enjoyed, yes?" his comeback was quick, and very true, as they always were. She rolled her optics yet again, but otherwise didn't respond. They stayed in a comfortable silence for what could have only been a few minutes. She turned her optics once again to the sleeping protoform, who had brought a tiny servo to his mouth in his sleep. Out of the corner of her optics, she saw that Knockout was watching the sleeping sparkling as well. A tenderness of the likes she had never seen in his optics brought yet another unexpected smile to her face.

"You wanna hold him?" the words seemed to form subconsciously, though she truly meant them. He seemed to stiffen suddenly, showing a rare moment of uncertainty.

"I ah... I'm not so sure that's wise... I don't have a lot of experience in... such things." his uncharacteristic stammer only made her more persistent.

"And I do? You're his father, Knockout. Just... give it a shot."

Father...

Of the many things he had been called over the eons, that was certainly not one he had ever expected to hear. Perhaps it couldn't hurt... Wordlessly, he held out his servos, and she responded by placing the still sleeping protoform gently into his hands. As if he was made of glass and would shatter at the simplest mistake, he held the sparkling close to his chest plate.

The newborn gave no sign of waking despite the disturbance. Yet again, Knockout was lost for words. Here he was, a former decepticon, sworn to following a 'might makes right' philosophy, and yet he was captivated by something so... small... It was a part of him, he could see it, feel it in the very depth of his spark chamber. This tiny protoform was a piece of him, and a piece of the femme he loved, that alone was enough to make him want to protect the little sparkling with everything he had, even his own life.

Arcee watched the wordless exchange with a knowing smile. To see this side of Knockout, this softer, gentler side, was something that in the past only she had been able to do, but know it seemed there was another. A sudden wave of weariness passed over her, and she laid her helm back on the berth. She suddenly felt like... well, she felt like she'd just given birth. She was aching, worn out emotionally, physically, and just plain old tired in every possible way a bot could be.

Closing her optics, she leaned back fully against the berth, and slept.