Optimus woke up early, earlier than usual. He had beaten the sun in rising, and he smiled at that thought as he stood. He dusted his armor absently, purring quietly to himself so that he wouldn't wake anyone around him. He had let the restless ones recharge in his quarters the night before, which means every Autobot in the base piled in to recharge on the floor. For reasons unknown to him, they were extremely honored by him saying that they had to sleep on the floor. It was no trouble to them, which confused Optimus. But he had shrugged and laid out pillows and blankets for them.

He stepped over Hound, Huffer, and Prowl to get to the door, but he was stopped. He had accidentally brushed Bumblebee's helm and the little warrior had wrapped his arms around his ankle. He stood still before he finally stooped down to brush his helm with his digit tips. "Bumblebee…"

The little yellow being released him in favor of his servo. The Prime smiled more and he gently teased his servo out of his arms. "Rest well, my dear Bee…" He stepped out into the hall. He stretched as he walked, enjoying the feeling of simply being alive. He greeted the little humans curled up on the medberths, instantly hushing when he saw they, too, were sleeping. He smiled and tucked the blankets tighter around the father and the son.

He decided that a good drive around the mountain would do him some good. He didn't want his Autobots to fear that he had abandoned them, so he left a note on the screen of the nearest and biggest monitor, then he started for the door.

"Optimus?"

The Prime turned and saw Spike sit up and rub his eyes. He walked back to him and he knelt, hushing him. Sparkplug had rolled over. "Hush," he breathed. "It is late."

"Early," Spike corrected after looking down at his watch. "Extremely early." He looked back at him. "Where are you going at such an early time? The sun hasn't even considered waking up yet."

Optimus smiled. He liked this human and his father. They were nice, and they understood that they were beings with needs, not machines that could be replaced. "I am going for a drive. I have risen before the sun and my team."

"Where are those guys anyway? I haven't heard Blaster in nearly eight hours. I'm a little concerned," he laughed. He bit his lip when his father rolled back over and he smiled at Optimus. "Oops."

"Come. A drive will do us good." Optimus lifted the human in his servo and he smiled as he carried him outside. He enjoyed the company of the humans. They were not so different from sparklings of their kind.

When he got outside, he transformed and tucked Spike safely into his front seat. "Take the wheel," he joked. He chuckled as Spike made exaggerated steering that his calm and slow driving did not warrant.

Because he was distracted with Spike, he nearly missed the box. He steered sharply, his seatbelt tightening around Spike. "Look out!"

"You're driving!"

"It is a reflex!"

Optimus transformed with Spike in his servo. He set the human on the ground, but he kept the young one from investigating the strange box. "Careful…"

"What is it, Optimus?"

"I do not know, Spike…" He strained his audios when he picked up a sound. "Listen."

The soft sounds of snuffling came from the box and Optimus wanted to lift the box lids, but it could be an Autobot trick. He was so wrapped up in thought that he didn't notice Spike lifting the box lids.

"Spike!"

"Optimus, it's a sparkling!"

oOo

Optimus held the squirmy sparkling as Ratchet examined him.

"He's extremely young, Optimus. Where did you find him?"

"Outside the ship behind this mountain. I went for a drive with Spike and I nearly hit him."

Ratchet nodded as he gently took the sparkling from him and he smiled down at him. "He's extremely young," he repeated. He was fascinated with the little thing. Such a small sparkling couldn't have been able to live as long as the test results said.

Bumblebee was instantly attached to the little one. "Can we keep him?"

Ratchet laughed as he let the sparkling climb onto his shoulder. "Well, we can't exactly put him back outside. Primus knows what the Decepticons would do to him if they found him…" He looked up at Optimus, who was watching them silently. "But…it is Prime's decision…"

Optimus rubbed at his battle mask thoughtfully. "A sparkling is a lot of work. Are we sure we can take care of him and meet all of his needs?"

Ratchet looked around at the others and he realized how inexperienced they were. "I guess not…"

"Well, then…"

Every 'bot looked up at Prime.

"We will have to learn a thing or two from him as we raise him to be exactly like an Autobot."

The Autobots broke out into cheers and excited laughter. When they settled down, the sparkling blinked around at them before bursting into hysterical laughter and hugging Ratchet's chest. He pressed his face into the chestplates, purring and giggling.

"He's precious…"

oOo

Optimus sat in the pilot's seat, groaning as he looked slowly at the stump of his arm. He gripped the controls, urging the ship forward. He contacted the Autobots that remained on Cybertron, and informed them in quick words of what had happened, but it didn't offer them the information they wanted. Only the things that they needed to know, Optimus decided as he leaned back into his chair. He closed his optics.

He opened them when he felt the ship rock with the force of the bullets slamming into the flanks. He slowly pushed the ship to aim at the other ship that was firing at him. It had to be done, for his family to live.

He pushed the ship to increase speed, which was all the ship could do. Pieces of it started to fall off, and the controls under his servo were breaking. He felt a tear roll down his cheeks as he felt his short second-time come to a close.

"Until all…"

Thirty seconds till death.

"Are…"

Twenty seconds.

"One…"

Two seconds.

I never regretted taking you in, Rodimus…I love you.

Destruction.