Tesoro
Author's Note: I honestly had to write this. Every bit of me was yearning to get it right and to be truthful, Prime Shockwave has a different approach than most of his incarnations. At least, as far as I can attest. So here's a little one-shot where Red Alert's sparkling is born.
Also, Tesoro is Italian for "Treasure".
"One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star."
- Friedrich Nietzsche
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
- John F. Kennedy
By: VampireQueenAkasha
~O~
Red Alert was excited.
But also afraid.
She had never birthed a youngling before a day in her life. That, and a half-Energon sparkling concerned her, but only in the way a nurse would be. She had seen results of such couplings and rarely did they end pleasantly.
But Jhiaxus assured her he would be there for her and prevent all of such possible problems.
Shockwave seemed unusually anxious as she drew closer to birthing. She had never witnessed such a change in him, but knew that most males were typically this way. Particularly first-time spark-fathers. She just didn't know that Shockwave could express that so easily.
"Shockwave, I'm fine." she assured him, when he led her to her berth. "She's kicking a little more than usual."
Shockwave turned to a table and gathered some Energon. "I've prepared this for you. It should help with the pain."
Red Alert had been given these Energon drinks every day, three times each day. Shockwave refused to let her do anything else and made sure she drank it all before she went about her daily routine. It pleased her that he was so considerate to do so, but sometimes she felt frustrated. But that was normal, considering the fact that her sparkling sent her Energon levels haywire.
"I've improved the taste." Shockwave told her.
Red Alert laughed a little. "Thanks, sweetspark. I would hope not to get used to that terrible bad-oil flavor."
"Get some rest." Shockwave said. "Jhiaxus insists on it. As does your mate."
Red Alert smiled affectionately. "Will do."
She laid back in the berth and Shockwave leaned over her. "If you need anything, I will be in my lab." he said. "And if anyone disturbs you, they will answer to me."
She chuckled. "I know."
Shockwave stood up and walked out of the room, to his lab. He found Hot Shot there and seemed to be begging Jhiaxus for something. The former warlord had his face buried in a microscope.
"No." Jhiaxus said.
"Please!" Hot Shot begged.
"No."
"Why not?"
"The answer will be the same as many times as you ask me."
Shockwave looked at Hot Shot. "What are you bothering him about?"
"Our dear Hot Shot wants me to supply him with knee extensions. I told him that he needs not be taller. He's fine as he is." Jhiaxus said, still not looking up from his microscope.
"Uh, have you SEEN me compared to Cyclops?" Hot Shot insisted. He made a gesture with his hand. "Me tiny. Him hugey!"
Jhiaxus chuckled. "You're fine as you are."
"Says the guy who can crush someone with his pinky joint!"
Jhiaxus still didn't look up from his research. "I told you. It wasn't my pinky - " He held up the joint for emphasis, waggling it a few times. "It was a data pad pen and it was in his optic."
Then, he finally looked up at Shockwave. "How is she doing?"
"She's recharging now." Shockwave said.
"Good. She needs her rest."
"How long do you think it will be?" Hot Shot asked them, forgetting his request.
Jhiaxus sighed. "Not much longer. I've been monitoring her recent Energon levels. They're unusually low, which is why I want to take precautions."
Shockwave nodded his head. "As do I."
O
That following morning, Red Alert did not want to tell Shockwave of the nightmare she had.
In the nightmare, she had been strapped to a table and something had worked its way through her abdomen. It was a monstrous form, ripping through her gestation chamber walls, emerging from her with a body soaked in Energon, hissing and screeching...
The dream was not something she felt necessary to tell him. Perhaps her Energon levels were interfering with her recharge.
It was normal. As a nurse, she knew that. But as a sparkmother for the first time, she was worried.
"Red Alert?"
She turned and noticed a bot step into her library. "Uhm, I know you told me not to let him stop by, but he did and I'm worried Jhiaxus might kill him."
Red Alert looked shocked. "Who is it?"
Before the bot could answer, Rodimus stepped into her library with an embarrassed smile. She blinked once. Twice. Then, she frowned.
"Rodimus, are you crazy?" she cried. "If Jhiaxus or Shockwave saw you - "
"I know. But I felt like I had to apologize for my behavior." Rodimus told her. "You're going to be a mother too? I'm happy for you."
Red Alert nodded. "Thank you, but you should really go."
"Red Alert, please listen to me. I'm afraid. I'm afraid for you. Remember when this happened before with others? Others who tried to birth half-Energon younglings?"
"Rodimus, stop."
He took a step forward. "It's his fault." he growled, clenching his fists. "He did this to you and now you could possibly die and I can't let that happen!"
Red Alert backed from him and instinctively brought her hand to her abdomen. "Rodimus, we knew the risks. You have to go before something bad happens. Now."
Rodimus placed his hands on her shoulders and her optics widened. "Please..." he begged. "I can't lose you. I can't! I can stay silent if you choose Shockwave over me, but if you die..."
"Rodimus, listen to me. I - "
Just then, Shockwave entered the library. He looked at the two and Red Alert sensed a growing black stab of fury from him.
"Shockwave, I'm fine." she said, quickly.
Shockwave did not linger. He did not stop to speak as he often did. In that precise moment, he did something neither one of them expected.
He charged at Rodimus and grabbed him. Rodimus thrashed in his grip and Shockwave threw the Autobot through the wall of the library, out into the open.
"Shockwave, I'm fine!" Red Alert insisted. "Stop this!"
But he did not.
In fact, the two bots began to engage in combat outside where several mechs and femmes scattered to avoid them. Shockwave grabbed Rodimus by the shoulder and threw him into the air. The smaller bot crashed into the ground and struggled to stand, but Shockwave grabbed him again.
"I have restrained myself plenty, Autobot," Shockwave whispered. "Now, you will die."
"That. Is. Enough!"
Jhiaxus stepped through the crowds, speaking firmly. His optics fell on Rodimus and he let out a sigh. Though this time, he seemed less-than willing to threaten him this time.
"I knew you wouldn't stay away." he said, annoyed.
"Red Alert might die!" Rodimus cried. "She's going to birth a result of half-Energon and I can't bear to see that happen!"
Several mechs and femmes whispered to one another. Jhiaxus looked annoyed for a few moments more before he closed his optics and sighed through his intakes. He opened them and regarded Rodimus with empathy.
"Several mechs and femmes here have successfully birthed such," he explained, "I have been present for each and every one of their sparklings. There are always complications, but I see to it that not a single one ends their lives. Red Alert is in good hands."
Rodimus looked toward her and she nodded her assurance.
"You are welcome to stay, if you do not cause trouble," Jhiaxus told him. "These femmes and mechs around you are my family. Should you ever do anything that threatens them again, your limbs will become my personal properly. Do we have an understanding?"
Rodimus considered this and Jhiaxus arched an optic eyebrow, leaning forward with a show of his fangs. He growled somewhat and Rodimus rolled his optics.
"All right then..." he said.
O
Red Alert didn't feel comfortable about this.
Rodimus had been ordered to leave the planet, but now Jhiaxus was fine with him staying. Perhaps because they had shared history, he felt it was fine to have him remain.
Maybe something bad would happen...
No. She couldn't think that way. It was just first-time sparkmother jitters. It was normal to feel that way. And she knew she wasn't helping Shockwave's anxiousness any.
She sat in her library that evening, just absently rubbing her abdomen. The sparkling within shifted a little, twisting on her internals, making her wince.
"Come on," she said, "Don't do that. I won't have any internals left, you know."
It was calm, for a moment.
"It'll be all right, little one." Red Alert murmured, "We'll be fine."
Another shift, followed by a scraping. She winced sharply now and stood, but a dizziness in her helm nearly toppled her. Red Alert held the chair to steady herself and she felt a dampness seep from her plating. Staring down, she noticed it began to pour from her abdomen in horrid, blue rivers.
"Oh Primus..." she gasped. "You're ready to come out, aren't you?"
She struggled to make her way down the corridors to find Shockwave, but each pang of agony greatly limited her speed. She attempted to project her urgency to him as hard as she possibly could.
Shockwave was speaking with Jhiaxus in his lab when he felt his mate's distress. He immediately rushed out of the lab with Jhiaxus following.
"Shockwave, what is it?" he asked.
They found Red Alert leaning against the wall, surrounded in her own birthing fluids. Shockwave quickly rushed to her side and scooped her up in his arms. Jhiaxus saw this and his optics widened.
"Get her to my lab!" he ordered.
Red Alert winced, smiling weakly at Shockwave. "Sorry. I'm leaking all over you."
Shockwave was a little surprised by those words. "I don't care about that now."
O
The agony was almost too much to bear.
Not to mention the fact that Red Alert was watching, dazed at Rodimus and Hot Shot who had decided to stay and observe her birth.
Jhiaxus was moving quickly, gathering necessary tools he would need. He began to set up Energon transfusions for her as well, but Red Alert began to whimper somewhat.
"Please...the pain..." she begged.
"Red Alert, if I put you in stasis, you may not come out of it," Jhiaxus warned her. "Your body's weakening from the Energon loss and your plates are not shifting. The sparkling is going to have to be cut from you."
Shockwave looked up sharply.
"Do what it takes..." Red Alert whispered, gritting her denta. "Save her."
Jhiaxus nodded. "I have done this before." he assured her. "It will hurt, but it will be a quick incision."
"I know."
Rodimus was standing there, anxious and worried. Hot Shot bit at his finger joints. Red Alert's fingers gripped at Shockwave's hand and she closed her optics, anticipating the worst.
Jhiaxus leaned down and brought a sharp blade toward her abdomen. He closed his optics briefly for a moment of calm before he stabbed it into her abdomen, just along the seam that was supposed to open.
Red Alert screamed in agony, writhing on the table.
"Stop!" Rodimus shouted, moving to Jhiaxus. "You're hurting her!"
"Let me do my job, Rodimus." Jhiaxus warned him, focusing firmly on his task.
Red Alert's scream died down and Jhiaxus reached into the place where her plates covered her gestation chamber. He grasped something and slowly removed it.
A small, wriggling form covered in fluid.
Rodimus and Hot Shot stared at the thing with amazement, too stunned to speak. Jhiaxus used his cloak to clean some of the fluid from the small creature, listening to a faint, barely audible squeal emerge.
"I have to work on sealing her up." he said, quickly. "Shockwave?"
The mech held out his arms to take the creature and Jhiaxus immediately went to work doing what he needed for Red Alert. She barely seemed there and smiled weakly.
"How is she?" she asked.
Shockwave stared down at the sparkling, studying her tiny details.
In most ways, she looked like her mother; she had a small, almost chubby face with tiny fangs in her mouth. She had long, ear finials like he did and sharp armor contours. Her fingers were very small, sharp points - it was no wonder she scraped so roughly.
Rodimus smiled down at Red Alert. "You did good." he told her.
She made a pleasured sound, but it was weak. "I think I did."
Her optics closed.
She barely heard the inquiry from her friends and mate as she slipped into stasis.
O
"She's waking up."
"Give her some space."
Red Alert regained consciousness and noticed that she was in her chambers, lying in the berth. Her abdomen had been patched up and she felt somewhat sore, but it wasn't as bad as what she had endured.
"Red, you had us worried." Rodimus said, smiling in relief.
Red Alert looked around. "Where is she?" she asked. "I want to see her."
Shockwave was sitting in the corner of the room, holding the sparkling. He walked to her side and sat down at the corner of the berth, offering her the mewling form. Red Alert's features lit up with delight and she cradled the youngling in her arms.
"Hello, little one!" she crooned. "Welcome to the world."
Jhiaxus stood in the doorway, smiling at the sight.
The youngling nibbled on her mother's digit and Red Alert winced a little. "Ah, you're going to be a biter." she laughed. "With teeth like that, you'll end up taking out the house."
Shockwave looked at her, watching her reactions.
"She's perfect..." Red Alert nuzzled the youngling with her cheek. "Beautiful."
She glanced up at Jhiaxus briefly before whispering something in Shockwave's audio receptor. Shockwave looked at her for a moment before nodding.
"If that would please you, it is logical." he said.
Red Alert looked at Jhiaxus. "Could you come here for a moment?"
He looked mildly surprised, but walked over to them and knelt down on one knee, bringing himself level with the femme. "What is it?" he asked.
"We would like you to name her." Red Alert told him.
"Me?" Jhiaxus was surprised by the request. "Why?"
"You have done more for us than anyone ever could." Red Alert explained, "You've helped me bring her into the world and brought Shockwave to me. I would be honored."
Jhiaxus still seemed amazed by the request. He looked down at the youngling in her arms and reached out to stroke her head with one long claw. The youngling let out a small hiccup through her intakes.
Rodimus smiled and Hot Shot let out a chuckle.
"Aww." Hot Shot gushed.
Jhiaxus seemed to consider in silence for a good minute or so before a fond smile touched his face.
"Asteria." he said.
Red Alert looked at Shockwave before looking at him curiously.
"It means 'of the stars'." Jhiaxus told them.
"I like it." Red Alert said. She looked at Shockwave. "What about you?"
Shockwave nodded his helm. "It is suitable."
Jhiaxus chuckled.
The youngling let out a small hiccup again and started squirming, murmuring with distress. Jhiaxus stood up and held out one finger.
"Give me a moment." he said.
He walked to a table and retrieved a small vial of Energon. "I had this made for newborn sparklings. It's something she should drink for the first few cycles of her life."
Red Alert watched in surprise when he walked back over and extended his arms.
"May I?" he asked.
She nodded.
Jhiaxus took the little youngling in his massive arms and showed them both the proper way to hold her as she drank. They watched intently the entire time and listened to every bit of his advice. Rodimus chuckled a little at the sight of a great warlord cradling a newborn sparkling.
Jhiaxus smiled a little and shrugged. "What?" he asked.
"You look really...something." Rodimus said.
"Not entirely." Jhiaxus told him. "As I have said, I have been present for the birth of every youngling here on this planet."
Red Alert smiled tenderly. "You would have been a good father."
Jhiaxus seemed a little flustered, though he cleared his intakes. "Thank you..."
Asteria let out a small peep before yawning through her intakes. Jhiaxus returned her to her mother and straightened a little, tucking his hands in his cloak.
"I am proud of you both." he told them. "Quite so."
"Thank you." Red Alert said.
Jhiaxus turned to Rodimus and Hot Shot. "Let's give them some privacy."
They left the room, but Hot Shot returned briefly.
"I think you should get back to me on the - " he began. "OOP!"
He yelped when Jhiaxus grabbed his shoulder and yanked him out of the room. Red Alert giggled a little before she leaned against Shockwave's shoulder.
"She is something." she said, watching the little youngling snuggle into her chest plating to sleep.
"Indeed. She looks like you." Shockwave replied.
"And you."
She kissed the side of his helm before yawning.
"Rest." Shockwave told her. "You have earned it."
Red Alert smiled and leaned down on the berth, holding Asteria close to her. Shockwave sat on the other side before laying down, keeping their youngling between them.
Later that evening, Rodimus was getting ready to leave.
Jhiaxus met up with him.
"Leaving soon, I see." he said.
Rodimus nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "I have another system to explore."
Jhiaxus walked up and studied the small ship before chuckling. "Nice ship."
"Thanks."
They were silent for a moment.
"She's happy. You helped her with that." Rodimus said. "How do you do it?" He watched Jhiaxus turn and face him, tuned into his words. "How do you go on?"
Jhiaxus stared into the distance for a moment before murmuring thoughtfully.
"It's...not without effort." he admitted.
They were quiet again.
"It's funny. Little things used to mean so much to Eros when she was alive," Jhiaxus said. "She treasured so much in life. I used to look at them as something trivial. Unnecessary. But those little things are what keep me alive. It's what keeps her alive, in some form. So whatever good feelings you have for her, you keep them. And that will keep you going."
Rodimus nodded somewhat. "I see."
"Well..." Jhiaxus turned. "I should be going."
He started to go, but Rodimus held out a hand. "Hey, I'm sorry about what happened."
Jhiaxus stopped and turned, frowning at him.
"I mean, with your mate. I heard about it. It was wrong."
Jhiaxus seemed to consider his words before nodding. "Thank you."
He walked away, leaving Rodimus to consider his words.
The Autobot climbed into his ship and as he left the planet, he felt...content. Red Alert was happy and had a youngling of her own now. It made him happy.
He could protect her then and love her from a distance.
Rodimus could honestly say that it was fine now.
O
Note - Honestly, Jhiaxus - a big, badass warlord - holding a child is the most precious thing I could think of for this fic. :3