Chapter 1: Settling In

This is the entire main story of the Starscream Family Chronicles. Please be aware that this is very old and that some of the concepts etc will not conform to any new and current TF universe stuff.

G1-based.

Dedicated to all you TF fans out there.

Transformers and all names etc are © Hasbro

'The Starscream Family Chronicles', 'Rachel', 'Julie', 'Ryan', 'Cobalt', 'Comet', 'Sirius', 'Astrum Star IV', 'Ionia', 'Aetna', 'Uncinus', 'Olympus', 'Arion', 'Ihy', 'Byae', 'Anez', 'Dionysus', 'Medusa', 'Midas', 'Atlas', 'Helios', 'Rhea', 'Apollo', 'Hemera', 'Perses', etc are © Me

The Starscream Family Chronicles

Chapter 1

Settling In

It had been a few months after the wedding of the Autobot leader Optimus Prime and his human wife, Julie. Rachel, the daughter of Julie, was trying her hardest to adapt, but found it very difficult. They'd moved out of their house for a while and were living in Autobot HQ and she missed it. It was the house she had grown up in and she felt very uneasy about her new metallic surroundings.

Although the place had an unwelcoming feeling, it was quite the contrary to how the Autobots made her feel. They were all so friendly and each one had an interesting personality and many stories to tell. They were truely fascinating.

Rachel had made a lot of friends since her mother married Optimus. Her closest friends were Bumblebee, Jazz, Ratchet, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. The group were regularly seen hanging around together, laughing, joking, swapping stories and generally getting on like a house on fire. (Or, as Bumblebee would say, 'Like a combusting Class 1 Astro Cruiser.')

Bumblebee was her best friend, though. He was always kind to her and tended to follow her around like a lost sheep. Prime speculated that he found her quite intriguing and merely wanted to know more about her. He was always watching over the two, just in case Megatron should randomly appear and cause them harm. Julie, on the other hand, just made jokes that Bumblebee fancied her, which was actually, not far from the truth.

"So, I see Bumblebee was following Rach around again today." Julie had just walked into her and Prime's private quarters.

Prime looked down from what he was doing and over to his wife. "Yes, he was."

"He's like a love-sick puppy."

Prime let out a little laugh before turning to face her properly. "Is it a problem, do you think?"

"Nah, I'm sure she can handle it. Besides, I don't think she even notices it."

"I had wondered about that, actually. She carries on as if nothing's going on."

"I would imagine that's very frustrating for Bumblebee." Julie tilted her head to Prime, who instantly caught her meaning.

"I'll have a chat with him later, don't worry." Optimus' optics narrowed to show he was smiling and flashed a brilliant blue. "Now, care to help me? I'm drawing up plans for a new base."

In the mess hall, Rachel was busy trying to keep Bumblebee calm. He had spotted something out of the corner of his eye and was not happy about it. He was brave at times, but most of the time he was as skittish as frightened kitten.

"Eeeee, where is it!" He held his hands close to his mouth in terror, as his optics scanned the room for any sign of the mysterious moving shape.

"I don't know, Bee. Whatever it is. I didn't see it, so I have no idea what I'm looking for."

"It was HORRIBLE," cried Bumblebee swiveling round to make sure it wasn't creeping up behind him. "It looked like a hideous hand!"

"What?"

"It did! I swear!"

Bumblebee shrieked with terror, leaping onto the nearest table as a loud noise echoed in the room.

"Silly, it's just Ratchet making repairs next door. Get your butt down already..."

Bumblebee stepped onto the floor, holding onto Rachel's arm tightly.

"Oh my... PRIIIIMUUUUUS!" He leaped back up onto the table and pointed frantically towards the corner of the room. "THERE IT IS! Demon hand!"

Rachel turned her head to see where Bumblebee was pointing. The room was darker over in the corner, so she had to squint to see what was there. She couldn't see anything.

"What, where? I don't..." She was cut off mid-sentence. "There, there, there!" Bee's hand thrust back and fourth, trying to show her the scary creature lurking in the shadows.

"Seriously, I don't see anything." Rachel sighed and walked towards the corner, only to be tackled to the ground. "Nooo, don't do it!"

"What the hell, Bee?"

"You'll get eaten alive! It'll wear your skin and use your heart as a football! Well, finger ball... Nooo!"

"Stop being so melodramatic, you silly stick. Get off of me, before I respray you pink."

Bumblebee stood up quickly. The idea of a pink respray was worse than the lurking horror before him in his opinion.

"Right, thank you." She proceeded to move to the corner of the room again, arms folded with irritation. "Well, I think your so-called hand has..."

Suddenly, something moved in the shadows.

"WOAH!"

"Ahhhh, Rachel nooo! Has it got you!"

"Shhh. Silly bot. It's just a spider!" She reached down to pick it up, receiving a yelp from Bumblebee's direction in the process. "A rather large one, but still. It's harmless."

Rachel held the spider in her hand and walked towards the quaking Bot.

"See!"

Prime and Julie were busy with the plans for a new HQ when all of a sudden screams filled the air. They weren't the screams of a human, or an animal, but the metallic screams of an Autobot in spidery distress.

"What the...?"

Prime walked to the door and poked his head around the corner, only to see Bumblebee running around with a black shape clinging to his face.

"Aaaaahhh! Get it off of meee!" He ran past Prime, his arms flailing wildly in the air.

Rachel was not far behind. "I'm sorry, Bee! I didn't know it could jump!"

Prime shook his head and placed a hand on his forehead. "Vector sigma..."

"What's going on?" Julie poked her head round the corner with Optimus to see what all the fuss was about.

"Bumblebee and Rachel. I think Bumblebee has some creature attached to his face."

"How the heck did he manage that?"

"I don't know, but I think Rachel may have had something to do with it."

Bumblebee came crawling back round the corridor, fatigued from his frantic flailing. "Get... Get it o... off me. Please."

Optimus walked over and leaned down to look at the creature on his face. His head tilted in puzzlement at the spider. It was unusual. It was black, but had purple speckles down it's abdomen and glowing red eyes. "Strange."

"It's not going to kill me is it," shrieked Bumblebee, hiding behind Rachel.

"Did it bite you?" Julie walked round the corner and eyed the creature in Primes hand.

"N-no."

"Then no, Bumblebee. It's not going to kill you."

"Unless it secretly inserted parasites behind your optics while you weren't looking," grinned Rachel playfully nudging him with her elbow.

"Huh, wha-WHAT! ARGH, no! It won't have, will it?"

"Gods, you're such a hypochondriac."

"I am not!"

"Yes you are."

"I am NOT!"

"Yes you are!" Prime and Julie joined in, causing Bumblebee to pout at them.

"I shall take this to show Ratchet in just a moment." Prime eyed the creature in his hand as it flailed it's legs wildly trying to escape his grasp. "Go and calm yourself down in your quarters Bumblebee."

"Y-yes Prime." His head lowered sheepishly as he turned and made his way to his room.

Prime watched him turn the corner, before turning back to Rachel. "And Rachel?"

"Hm?" An innocent smile formed on her face.

"Please try not to scare him like that. It's bad enough hearing Sunstreaker's screams when his paint got scratched earlier, let alone having his on top of it all."

Rachel let out a chuckle. "Y-yeah. There is that."

"Speaking of Sunstreaker. He said that him and Sideswipe wanted to see you when you had a moment spare."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Something about a... Mirror?"

Another laugh left her lips. "Oh THAT! Yes..."

"Dare I even ask?" Prime tilted his head down at his adopted daughter.

"Probably best not to. So, er... Where are those two anyway?"

"Last I heard they were with Ratchet. Sunstreaker was having his scratches removed."

"Ah, so that's what the clanging was..."

"Clanging?"

"Sunstreaker always punches Ratchet when getting those sorts or repairs."

"He does?" Prime's optics narrowed. "Why?"

"He thinks he'll add more scratches. You know what he's like."

"I did not know this. I shall have to have a word with him."

"Or... I could?" A sinister grin formed on Rachel's face. "I could rough him up for you."

"Haha, no. There'll be no need for that."

"Aw, c'mon!"

"No, no..."

"A TINY PIECE!"

Prime rubbed his free hand against his mouth guard. "...Ok."

Rachel let out a giggle before turning on her heels and running towards medical.

"I take it..." Prime turned and peered down at his wife-unit. "I take it she gets that violent streak from you."

Julie turned her nose up playfully. "I don't know WHAT you mean."

In medical, Sunstreaker was busy shouting at Ratchet for bringing a sharp tool too close to his chassis.

"Do you know what that could have done!"

"Sunstreaker, it was no where near you! I was moving it to the other side of the room, for Primus' sake!"

"STILL! IT COULD HAVE!" Sunstreaker's head was raised, but his body had been temporarily deactivated due to his 'punchy' reaction earlier. It seemed to be the routine.

"Will you silence your vocal processor, please. I have another very badly damaged bot in here who is trying to recharge!" Ratchet pointed over to Huffer on the recharge berth opposite.

"Yeah, bro. Shh already." Sideswipe had taken his usual position of standing against the door frame, servos folded. He did enjoy when his brother went in for repairs. It made for the best entertainment. "Oh HEEEEYYY Rach!"

Rachel skipped in, the sinister grin still spread wide on her face. "Hey hey Sideswipe." She eyed the immobile Sunstreaker, her grin growing even wider.

"Rachel! Tell them both!"

"What?"

"Ratchet and Sideswipe are being mean to me!"

"I AM NOT!" Sideswipe nearly overbalanced, flailed a little and stomped his foot down in frustration.

"SHH!" Ratchet hissed without looking up from his work.

"Is that so?" Rachel looked up at Sideswipe and winked at him knowingly.

"YES! THEY ARE!"

Ratchet rolled his optics. "Will you shut up! Or do you want me to deactivate your vocal processor too?" He leaned back down to finish removing the scratches.

"So, what's the dealio, boys? Prime said you wanted to see me."

"Yeah, yeah! We do!" Sideswipe leaned down to her and grinned. "Got our mirror yet?"

"I've been... Working on it." Rachel smiled slyly at the red bot.

"What? You mean you don't have it?"

"No, no. I do..."

"GREAT!" Sunstreaker yelled loudly, causing Ratchet to lean over and turn off his vocal processor, leaving him fuming in silence.

"Hah! So, we can finally settle our debate then."

"Which one?" Rachel looked back up at Sideswipe after giggling at the red-faced Sunstreaker.

"You know. The usual. Who is more handsome."

"Oh THAT one! Yeah... That must be such a pressing issue." Her voice oozed with sarcasm, but Sideswipe didn't catch on. This caused Ratchet to roll his optics again.

"Seriously though. I wanna know. I know you're human an' all, but... If you had to ever, you know, date one of us. Which'd it be?" Sideswipe scratched at the back of his neck with a servo.

"Wh-what? O-oh... I'm sure I couldn't choose."

"Sure you could!"

"N-no. I couldn't." Rachel eyed Ratchet desperately, who was busy staring at them in shock. "Honest."

"Oh... OH! I see, I see! Don't worry babe." He put a hand against her back. "Don't worry about sayin' you prefer me in front of ol' Sunstreaker. He can't protest anyway. Haha!"

Sunstreaker's mouth shot open as he shouted silently, his face growing even redder.

Rachel's face went deadpan. "I'd choose Ratchet."

"BUH-WHA'!" Ratchet dropped the tool in his hand, making a fresh scratch on Sunstreaker's housing, who was actually in too much shock to even notice.

"Y-yeah!" She skipped over to Ratchet and hugged his leg. "That's who I'd pick!" Her head darted upwards to look the stunned medic in the face, as she mouthed a quick 'play along' to him.

"You... You gotta be kiddin' me!" Sideswipe fell backwards against the wall, his aft landing on the floor with a 'klank'. "You'd pick Grumpbot over me!"

Ratchet's optics narrowed, but he played along as requested. "I guess I'm just that, er... Hot? Is it?" He looked down at Rachel to make sure he had used the correct phrase.

"Mmmmm-hmmmm. Yeah. So totally hot." She cuddled up to his leg again.

"Wh... What's wrong with me! What is it? Don't you like red! Is that it!"

"No, no. I like red. A lot. I just..." She stared up at Ratchet again hoping he would help her out with an excuse. He caught on quickly, picked her up and placed her on his shoulder.

"She prefers mature bots who take their job and themselves seriously!"

"Woah, nice one." Rachel chuckled and whispered in his audio receptor.

Ratchet whispered a quick "Thanks" back, before smiling back at Sideswipe.

"Hey, I can be mature! I can take stuff seriously!"

"Oh really?" Ratchet folded his servos.

"Yeah!"

"Well, you can start by going and giving Wheeljack a hand then. He has some clean up jobs for you to do."

"Awww man clean up jo..." He noticed Rachel staring. "OK, fine! I'll show you! I'll prove I'm date-worthy!" He ran out the room, leaving the stunned Sunstreaker with the two.

"OK Sunstreaker? Can I switch your vocal processor back on now without you shouting?"

Sunstreaker's head slowly swiveled round to look up at Ratchet, his optics caught sight of Rachel, who was snuggling up to Ratchet's head, still playing her role. His mouth opened wide.

"OK. I'm turning it on." He switched on his vocal processor and instantly wished he hadn't.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

He switched it off again.