"Ratchet!"

"What?"

"How do you guys reproduce?"

Ratchet, who HAD been drinking his energon cube in peace choked. As he became preocupided with trying to hack out the energon that had gone down the wrong tube. All the others, autobots and humans, just stared down at Miko who was currently doing here homework, which was quite a rarety to see. Miko in return just stared back with a curiousity.

No one was expecting THAT to pop up. Everyone was relaxing in the the base for once, even Ratchet was sitting on the ground drinking his energon slowly. Prime was reading a data pad as he was leaning against the wall. Arcee was cleaning her weapons. Bulkhead and Bumblebee were trying to help Jack, Miko, and Ralph with there homework. Sadly this peace was rudely ripped away when that blasted question came up.

"... um Miko was that really appropriate?" Jack asked as he and Ralph gaped at her. "um... yes?" he groaning. When he heard Ralph giggle he turned to see what was so funny. And what he saw threated to make him roll on the floor lauphing. For there was Bulkhead looking at Miko with moouth wide open and a slight horrified look, Bumblebee who's eyes looked like they were going to pop out, Optimus who dropped his data pad and was staring at Miko as if she had suddenly turned into ET, and last but ont least Ratchet was choffing as if there was no tomorrow with his back turn to them.

"Miko what brought that up?" Optimus slowly asked as he slowly bend down, still staring at her, to pick up his data pad.

"Well right now I'm doing my health homework and well the question suddenly popped up and I couldn't get it out of my head and truthfully I am curious on if you guys could make babies." She stated as if there was nothing wrong with the subject at all.

By this time Ratchet was finally able to compose himself and Bulkhead had managed to successfully close his mouth. "Miko... " was all Bulkhead was able to utter was he was over come with embarassment. Ratchet, however, glared at her and asked "Do you need to know?"

"Yup!"

"Why?"

"Cus I'm curious."

"... Why asking me?"

"Because your a medic. Duh."

Silently staring Miko, Ratchet commed Optimus, "Do I have to?"

"... I think it would be best to tell them."

Finally turning to the autobot leader, Ratchet's face just stated "Really?" loud and clear. "And why, may I asked, Do they need to now how we reproduce?"

"Because if we dont tell them now and satisfy Miko's curiousity who nows what she will do to find out."

"... Fraggit! Fine but I'm only going to give them the extremely simplified version!"

Turning to the children with a air of defeat Ratchet sighed.

"Basicly we do it the same as you humans." And with that he turned away and went to his medbay to spend the rest of the day cleaning his tools in SILENTS and PEACE.

"Oh... so do any of you guys have kids?" Ratchet froze.

"Um. Hey Miko wanna go for a ride in the dunes!" Bulkhead quickly as he tried to distract her. Emphasis on try.

"Uh maybe later Bulky" then adressing the rest of them "So are any of you guys parents?"

Everyone became silent. The silents was deafening.

Turning slightly Ratchet whispered so quietly that everyone had to strain their ears to hear. "Yeah... I'm a parent" Then he disappeared.

"Oookaay, what was that all about?" she asked to no one in particular.

Sighing Bulkhead looked up at Optimus, who was staring sadly after the medic, knowing full well the old scars he carried. He then turned to each of his team members and then to the human children they had befriended.

"What I am going to tell you must be kept private." Once he got the affermative from them he continued. "As you know we are at war, and have been at war for quiet a while now. And to top that off our planet has been destroyed and uninhabitable." At this Jack seemed to realise where this was going and was beginning to look more solome as Optimus continued explaining. " Nearly everyone was dragged into that war whether they liked it or not. And well... not many were able to live through it all." He pause and looked at the children again. They all now seemed to realize what the problem was. "There is also a very big possibility that our species are now endanger, as you humans put it, so very few are left alive."

"...fuck..." was the only thing able to come of Miko's, oh so blunt, mouth.

Crap! So in short I probably ripped open some deep wounds in the old bot. She thought, "...how may did he have?"

"... He had two... only one is alive now." well thats good.

"who he hasnt seen since Cybertron's demise." and shit.

"Sooo wait how do you know he's still alive?"

"We don't."

"...That sucks"

"Very."

"Sorry"

"Its ok and Ratchet understands you did not know."

"Should we talk to him?"

"That... would not be wise right now."

And as if to emphasis this there was a loud bang in the medbay followed by Ratchet's unitellegible scream of rage.

"...sorry"

"As I said he understands."

"Should we go home now?"

"It probably be for the best."

With that Optimus turned to Arcee, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead. He nodded his head and they all transformed. When they all left he slowly made his way to the medbay. Once inside he immediatly looked for the old medic. Currently he was hutched over his medical tools with his head hanging down in defeat, his hands planted firmly on both sides of his tool tray.

"I'm sure Prowl and the others are looking afer him." soothed the leader as he put his hand on Ratchet's shoulder.

"...are you even sure they're alive?" the worn medic sighed.

Optimus hesitated, he wanted to comfort his old friend but he could not lie to him. How ever the pause was all that Ratchet needed.

"I'm a horrible caretaker." he stated as he shook Optimus's hand off of him. "Ratch-" the leader tried to interfer but the medic cut him off "NO! I'm the worst and you know it Optimus!" he yelled as swung around to face him, his voice staticy with so much greif and his optics so full of guilt and pain. "I can't protect any of my younglings! And they ALL end up dieing!"

With that out burst he slumped against the counter panting slightly. Optimus looked down sadly at his friend. "Ratchet... it wa-" but once again he was cut off. This time however it was from the alarm.

Ratchet stood up tall "Lets go." and with that he stompted out to the terminal. without a word Optimus followed but mad a mental note to have a word with the medic afterwards as soon as possible.

Once at the terminal Ratchet looked for what was wrong, only to snap back as if he was slapped. "Ratchet whats wrong?"Optimus asked as he sided up next to the medic as he began so shake uncontrollably.

"...They're here..." was all he was able to hear from the shaking form.

"Who?"

"Prowl's unit"

...well that was well timed.

"You wanna go and greet them?"

"yes"

"Then lets go."

And with that Optimus transformed as he commed the others to tell them to watch over the base when they returned while they greeted the in comeing comrades. Ratchet transformed next to Optimus after he opened the space bridge to the landing location. His mind occupied with the thought of meeting his youngly. His only younglying left in the living world.

As he was entering the spacebridge after his leader he whispered quietly so himself, as if to pleading to any entity out there in the universe."Sideswipe... please be safe."

Hey! so yeah this is my first story... Yay! Any ways please review and give me constructive tips on how to improve my writing and etc. and please inform me if you want this story to continue. Thank you!