Spark

~Prologue~

It all started on Earth, 31 years after the defeat of Quintessa and the disappearance of the Decepticons.

Optimus Prime and the other transformers remaining on Earth rebuilt their world without the need to suck Earth of it's resources and core to do so.

The two plants were practically on top of each other for nearly 15 human years before the planet was strong enough to begin shifting away from Earth.

Bumblebee opted to stay on Earth with a select few autobots to continue with helping other autobots and incoming Cybertronian's that received the call from Optimus of their home world's rebuilding.

Then…

It all changed for Bumblebee.

With the world coming together and shifting away, he was left with a choice of either returning to a world he had never truly known to live with his kind in peace or staying with humankind and watching over them in case Decepticons ever reappeared.

With the rest of his team and friends now returning to Cybertron and Optimus being pronounced as king of the Cybertronian's, he felt alone.

He waited three more years before giving in and leaving behind the planet to go to Cybertron where Optimus and his friends waited and greeted him with open arms and joyful shouts.

At first, everything was wonderful for the little yellow autobot. He felt at home and like he belonged. Being one of the youngest autobots, Bumblebee stayed close to Optimus and those he trusted like a sparkling getting a feel for his world.

On a cold harsh night, a cyber storm blasted across the planet. Afraid of the storm brewing beyond the metal walls of the kingdom, Bumblebee left the safety of his room and ventured to Optimus's unguarded one where the larger bot laid on his berth recharging after a long day of trying to make agreements and settle old problems before the planets breakdown.

Startled from his recharge, Optimus had not been feeling well throughout the solar-cycle. His body felt as if it were overheating, but despite the constant warnings that flashed through his optics, Optimus ignored them until his body began shutting down forcefully. Forced to retire to his berth, Optimus hoped to not be disturbed for a cycle to rest.

Upon seeing the little bot entering his room through blurry optics, something over-rid Optimus's system and he found himself in the dark and believing he had simply slipped back into a forceful recharge.

At the surface, Bumblebee found himself paralyzed in place with fear. Staring back at him was not the bossbot that took care of him and protected him… Staring back at him were a not the gentle blue optics he was used to seeing… no they the sinister eyes of Quintessa's power. The power to control Optimus.

System screaming for him to run, Bumblebee couldn't move, his frame refused to allow it. Watching with growing fear as the much larger autobot climbed out of his berth and approached the little trembling autobot frozen in his doorway, still clutching the handle in his servos.

Reaching out towards Bumblebee's face, Bumblebee flinched away, expecting his old friend to wrap his strong hand around his throat and kill him. Memories of Optimus nearly killing him, tearing him apart and throwing him around as if he were only a cyber-doll flashed through Bumblebee's mind making him tremble harder, causing a faint clink sound to echo through the silent room.

Brushing a servos over Bumblebee's helm, the touch alone made Bumblebee flinch, but not dare jerk away out of fear of it causing the larger bot to attack. Allowing Optimus to skim his servos over his face, neck, and shoulder plates before finding their way to his bee like wings, Bumblebee inhaled sharply at the gentle touch, wondering just what was going on in the older bots helm.

"You're a perfect carrier little yellow one."

That simple sentence should have jolted Bumblebee into fight or flight mode, but his mind had long gone blank with terror and hardly registered what rumbled deep in Optimus's chest as his sinister eyes glinted with something cruel.

That night, Bumblebee's cover in his valve was broken, his carrying chamber was penetrated, and Optimus's mind blank and erased of what happened the next morning.

~Chapter 1~

Bumblebee's Discovery

Puking up the last of his energon, Bumblebee shudders over the toilet bowl. Sucking in a deep breath to cool down his body, Bumblebee clears away the blurriness in his optics and shakes his helm. 'Why is this happening? This has gone on for nearly a deca-cycle now… what is wrong with me?' Bumblebee ponders as he shakily rises to his pedals and moves to the door.

Sliding open at the push of a button, Bumblebee steps into his room and freezes. Sitting on his bed, arms crossed, pedal tapping on the floor, sits Rachet… looking rather pissed off and unhappy with the little yellow bot attempting to make himself look smaller and hide. 'Damn it! How could I have not noticed Ratchet enter!' Bumblebee curses himself.

Shifting his weight on Bumblebee's berth, Ratchet's optics narrow and Bumblebee prepares himself to be yelled at and maybe even smacked upside the helm.

"Still unable to hold anything down."

It isn't a question, it's a statement.

Shoulders sagging, Bumblebee slowly nods his helm up and down and beeps out, "I don't understand why, I don't feel sick… my temperatures are normal and my systems are up to date, I don't have a virus either, not with the new chip you installed in my brain-stem," Bumblebee explains while gesturing to his helm and body.

smiling sympathetically at the smaller yellow bot, Ratchet's optics shift away with uncertainty and he refuses to look at the little bot even when Bumblebee attempts to move into his line of vision.

"What is it Rachet?" Bumblebee asks nervously sitting down beside the larger nurse-bot.

Looking down at Bumblebee, Ratchet wonders to himself if he should ask the smaller yellow bot, but he doesn't want to truly pry or scare the much younger bot. For all he knows, B may not even know what mating is, what a carrier or sire is. He was young when their planet was originally ruined and it isn't like anybot had spare time to sit around and explain it to the autobot, but Ratchet can't help but wonder...

All of his symptoms lean towards him being a carrier… but who is the sire? Bumblebee came to me a cyber-cycle ago telling me his symptoms… Perhaps he does not know the symptoms he has are those of a carrier. He has known since he was a sparkling that he was a carrier and therefore had to be careful… but with the wars, maybe he never knew.'

Servos snapping in his face, Ratchet jolts from his line of thought and comes back online to reality. "You okay Ratchet? You had a distant look in your optics," Bumblebee beeps out, gentle blue optics wide with concern for his old friend.

'Poor thing never did get his real voice back.' Clearing his wires, Ratchet takes Bumblebee's servos in his own, mentally preparing himself to either be blasted right through the wall or his voice ripped out of his throat. Taking a deep breath in through his vents, Ratchet stares down at the silent scout.

'Well here goes everything,' Ratchet thinks to himself. "Have… Have you found a mate B?" Ratchet asks a bit bluntly.

Surprised by the question, Bumblebee shakes his head leaving a sinking feeling in Ratchet's fuel tank. "I see… have you mated with any bot in the past deca-cycle? Or further on than that B?" Catching the way Bumblebee's servos tighten in his own and his optics shift away, Ratchet nods and releases his servos to lay his hands on his young friends shoulder plates. "Who B?"

Receiving no answer, Ratchet frowns slightly taking notice of the slight shake to Bumblebee's frame, not quite knowing what's going on in the little ones helm. 'Maybe he's ashamed of his mate? or thinks we will shame him for his young age?' Ratchet thinks to himself, not realizing the truth Bumblebee hides.

"Hey, hey, it's okay B… solar-night-cycles (Oke nightstands in Human terms) happen quite often that leave carriers believing themselves to be unworthy." Ratchet attempts and fails to comfort.

'That's what he thinks? That I had a one night stand with an autobot?... I've had my suspicions… I am a carrier and Optimus… he… we weren't… safe…. Oh Primus…' Bumblebee thinks angrily to himself and clenches his servos into fists. 'I'm not some scrappy femme bot!'Noticing Bumblebee's reaction, Ratchet realizes that probably sounded insulting and rude. 'I'm so not cut out for this line of scrappy primus work!' Sighing deeply, Ratchet turns hus knees to Bunblebee and rests his hand on Bumblebee's arm. "I'm sorry if that was insulting, but I must know B," Ratchet tries again, only this time not sounding as judging or harsh.

Laying his servos over his flat ab plates, Bumblebee nearly offlines from fear. "I'm carrying…. Aren't I Ratchet?" He asks barely above a whisper and avoiding his question all at once.

Hands hesitating, Ratchet slowly takes them away and folds his servos in his lap, unsure of what to say to the visibly distressed teen bot. "I… I believe so Bumblebee…" Trailing off, Ratchet brushes his servos over Bumblebee's hands, hating the way the little bot flinches under his gentle touch, and rests his palm on Bumblebee's trembling thigh.

"Hey." Curling a servos under Bumblebee's chin, Ratchet lifts his chin and forces the smaller yellowbot to meet his gentle optics. Smiling encouragingly, Ratchet pats the bag he brought. "I brought my portable scanner, we can find out right here… right now if you are carrying B, okay? No matter what we see on the scanner, it is going to be okay. I promise you B," Ratchet says confidently.

Lowering his optics to the bag, Bumbleber thinks over the past few weeks and how sick he's been. Deep down in his spark, he knows he is carrying, but to see it on a scanner, to know he is carrying life in his chambers... That will make everything a reality. 'Am I even ready for this?' Looking into Ratchet's unjudging optics, lubricant finds itaelf leaking down Bumblebee's face.

'Scrap! I didnt mean to make him cry!' Panicking at not knowing how to handle his smaller friend, Ratchet awkwardly places his hand on Bumblebee's shoulder. And thats enough to spur the autobot into action and hug Ratchet. 'Poor kid, scared to the pit and back right now!' Ratchet thinks sadly as he hugs the yellow bit close to his armor.

"Let me do the scam and we'll know if you're carrying a sparkling or not okay? From there on we'll make a plan okay? I swear B, it's gonna be okak," Ratchet soothes pulling away to smile the best he can at the shaking bot with lubricant still rolling in thick droplets down his helm.

Tensing at the word Sparkling, Bumblebee bows his helm and wraps his arms around his middle in fear. "Will you tell anyone?" He beeps out, voice shaken, full of mistrust and fear that makes Ratchet's parts churn sadly.

Hating the vulnerability in the little autobots voice, Ratchet knows he should tell Optimus the results, he is their king now and will always be their bossbot as B liked to call him, no matter what… but looking into the terrified blue optics of Bumblebee, Ratchet finds he doesn't have the engine to break the yellow autobots limited trust in him. 'He's going through enough right now, when he's ready to tell the others if he's carrying, that will be his choice. He doesn't need them harassing him for the sire's name to go put some dents in him. Especially Optimus, he's overprotective and possessive of the little bot as it is. He won't likw it if B is carrying.' Ratchet thinks to himself and grimances at the thought of what might be done to the sire.

Looking at B, still waiting patiently for an answer, Ratchet sighs and puts on the best fake smile he has. "I won't tell anyone B, not a single bot, not even Optimus-" Missing the way Bumblebee flinches and curls his arms tighter around his middle protectively, Ratchet pats his leg not even looking in his direction, and turns to rifle through the bag he brought. "-But, I will need to put it on your personal file. No one but me will have access to it."

Turning back with the handheld scanner, Ratchet smiles softly at the nervous bot inching away subconsciously at the mere sight of the scanner. 'Kid just keeps making me feel worse and worse about this. I feel like a doc having to give a sparkling its first shot.' . "I just need to keep track of the sparkling growth." Noticing Bumblebee's panicked look, Ratchet quickly adds, "If there is one that is." Not that it's much comfort to either autobot.

Patting Bumblebee's shoulder plate awkwardly, but not very hard just in case, Ratchet gestures for the silent young bot to lay back to start the scan. "Lay down so I can scan B. It will take a few cycles (minutes)." Tapping away at the tablet in hand, Ratchet pulls up the scan and nods to B.

Laying back without a beep, Bumblebee folds his servos over his chest plates sparkling-like and shudders at the seemingly gentle touch to his arm in an attempt to probably make him relax and valm down, but it does the opposite for him. 'He means well… but every touch makes me feel sick to my spark core…'

Watching cautiously as Ratchet begins the scan, Bumblebee's vents feel as if they stop working and his terrified thoughts take over.

'What if I am carrying? What will I do? Sparkling's are hard to come by and need both creators to remain healthy and form a strong frame throughout the carrying-cycle… Optimus can never know… but I can't go to just any bot… even if Optimus does not remember I am now mated to the older autobot.'Too lost in thought to notice Ratchet's optics widening in horror or the way his vents sputter and his engine roars briefly with distress, Bumblebee's thoughts continue on their downward spiral…

'What if he finds out? What if he hates me, blames me, or even kills our sparkling or sparkling's? I'm a smaller bot so Primus knows how many I could carry with Optimus being much larger than me.'

Laying the scanner down, images of the single dot, the sparkling saved and already moved to a cryptic file for his optics and B's only, Ratchet looks sorrowfully down at the shaking bot, his optics distant and lubricant leaking from Bumblebee's optics. 'And here comes the hard part...' Ratchet thinks grimly.

Gently wiping away the lubricate, Bumblebee jots from his thoughts and looks up at Ratchet waiting, the hopw in his spark that he was just overthinking and not acutally carrying dying the moment he looks into those sad optics. Sinking feeling flooding his system as the look on the older bots face darkens as if what he's about to say will hurt him more than Bumblebee, lubricant free flows down Bumblebee's helm. 'No... please Primus no... It can't be... please!'

"You're carrying Bumblebee."