Note: "normal speech", "comm line", ::bond speech::

Warning: mentioned previous torture, violence, induced miscarriage

Wings

Lightspeed was hiding in Starscream's cockpit while they walked on the Ark's corridors, Thundercracker and Skywarp shielding them from both sides, wings flared threateningly, ready to protect them from any possible enemies. Jazz was careful to walk a few steps beside them, knowing just how paranoid Seekers could be when around a sparkling. Especially when that sparkling was all but a fortunate survivor of their escape from the Nemesis. They weren't exactly prisoners now… but they couldn't go free either. Their quarters were observed, they had a strict schedule of flying, while Starscream had to stay inside with Lightspeed; and they had an escort all the time outside their rooms.

They had the dubious status of suspicious, mistrusted neutrals. At first Prime decided to allow them to stay on the Ark until the sparkling's emergence, but when it was born, not even the most cold-sparked of the staff could say no to their plea of being allowed to stay and let Ratchet to fix the crippled, little Seekerling to the best he could. Jazz was one of those who saw the little one after emergence and the sight still caused some shudders to the hardened spec ops commander. The date they had to leave Earth altogether was postponed, then postponed again as the little Seekerling's true condition came to light – most of his injuries would stay with him until his final frame.

Starscream was a mangled mess when they'd arrived, freed by Jazz and Mirage after they found the two Seekers locked into dark cells in the Nemesis brig, while Starscream was literally dying on the floor of another. The explanation that they gathered later was that Megatron discovered that he carried sparklings, took it as a betrayal and a personal affront since the Sires were his trine-mates and not him. He tortured Starscream to near deactivation before ordering Hook to remove the two newsparks, extinguished them and left him to die slowly of his injuries and the broken sparkling bonds. But he didn't deactivate then and survived until their escape and arrival to the Ark, although neither of them would have hoped that.

The dying Seeker was brought to Ratchet's medbay and his most serious injuries fixed before the medic discovered the third sparklet that hid silently, close behind his carrier's spark and so he survived undetected. It was small, weak, stunted from Starscream's starving, injuries and the pain of loosing its siblings; it had signs of injuries on the spark and the developing protoform as well – but it survived until emergence. It caused his Carrier too to survive, Starscream's carrier coding not letting him deactivate while he could still sustain the little one – the sole survivor of their little trio of sparklings.

No mech had the spark to make them leave with the dying Starscream and the doomed sparkling who couldn't have survived his Carrier's deactivation. They were allowed to stay under strict conditions – noone took them for spies under the circumstances, but they were still long-time enemies. The distraught, mourning but frantic Seekers accepted all the terms that were demanded of them for the chance to see the last of their sparklings to survive. 'Take my wings and use them for decoration, but please let us give him a chance' was how Thundercracker, the proud Seeker expressed it, shamelessly begging to the Autobot officers over his mate's unconscious frame.

In the end they were allowed to stay, let Ratchet try to repair them, for however long it took. The tentative suggestion from Perceptor to let the crippled little Seekerling pass away as a kindness was met with violence from the Seekers, even from the half-mangled, hardly able to move Starscream – and Ratchet categorically forbid the scientist to be around again the same time as the Seekers visited the med-bay. No matter how well-meaning the suggestion was, no matter how oblivious to emotions Percy was, and no matter what he thought of the suggestion; the medic didn't want him to be deactivated by an enraged Carrier.

"Hop on the berth." – Ratchet told Starscream when they arrived to the med-bay – "You two, stand on that side and stay there!"

Starscream sat and accepted the poking, prodding and checking of his systems with wings held in a deliberately neutral position. He was healed, he knew but if Ratchet wanted to make sure, then he wasn't going to complain. The less he was reminded to the ordeal by the scars and aches, the more he could lock it away, never to remember it again. It was his sparkling the more important, his wellbeing and his issues. He sent a support/love/care pulse to Lightspeed and slowly opened his cockpit. The small sparkling was curled up into a ball on his servo, visibly trembling and hiccupping small sobs as he was brought to the outside.

"Shhh, little Light, it's all right." – he tried to calm down the fearful sparkling – "It is Ratchet only, you remember? The one who fixed us."

Ratchet knew better than come closer before Starscream calmed him down a bit with gentle strokes and reassuring words. The sparkling's fear twisted his spark too not the least because he had caused pain to him and would probably do again. He had to. The reconstruction of the small frame that emerged from Starscream's mangled reproduction chamber was a complex job, taking a long time and Lightspeed was bright enough to connect the visits to the med-bay and the pain of the new systems afterwards. Even with the best care Ratchet gave to the carrying Starscream, fixing up his frame, he couldn't heal the sparkling's protoform that grew defectively in the damaged reproduction chamber.

The dark, malfunctioning optic sensor was the first they had replaced and by this time he already used both optics just like he has emerged with them. His crippled left arm was the next item – it lacked the necessary cabling in the shoulder and arm and it was a long, difficult operation to dismantle the whole shoulder assembly and replace them. To his missing left pede, they had only fabricated a crude prosthesis so he could get used to its presence and learn to stand when the time came; Ratchet still didn't know how he would fabricate him a working thruster and whether he could ever learn to use it. Unlike the arm, the leg was missing the protoform from the knee-joint down along with sensors, connection and protocols for it.

"Has he used the left arm at all?" – he asked Starscream after Lightspeed calmed down and he moved closer to inspect the tiny frame.

"Yes… a little. But he has to be reminded that he can." – Starscream prodded the little arm a bit and Lightspeed latched onto his digits with a desperate force, whimpering to him his wordless plea to go away, hide, stay safe.

"I see… it will get better as he uses it then." – Ratchet slowly leaned closer to touch a scanner to the tiny frame. Lightspeed twitched and tried to sink into his Carrier's plating in fear. Thundercracker tightened his servos into fists and tried not to jump the medic and tear him off Starscream and the sparkling and not let Warp do it either. He'd done it once and it didn't end well. The Prime had no compunction about throwing him or Skywarp to the brig, which he'd never do with Starscream. They shouldn't threaten their privileges when intellectually they knew that the medic was no danger. But it was a hard effort after the horrors they survived.

"Don't fear little Light… it is safe. He is safe. Ratchet won't hurt you."

Lightspeed still tried to draw away from the big form above him but Starscream stopped him with his other servo, sending reassurance to his field. Cheeping nearly without a voice, he had turned his tiny helm towards the medic, bravely drawing from his Carrier's strength and calming field.

"Red…" – he nearly whispered to Starscream, a bit more calm. Red was Carrier and Carrier was safe. So red was a good colour.

"Yes, sweetspark he has red too. See? He is okay." – Starscream commed to Ratchet – "He discovered colours lately and identifies red with good things. Blue is okay with him too."

"Does he see well otherwise? Or just colours?"

"He is okay with shapes too. Just likes colours."

"Lightspeed? Do you know who I am?"

"R-rache?"

"Yes, Ratchet. Do you know what I do?"

"F-fix?"

"Bright little Light you are. I fix mechs. I fixed your Carrier and your arm. Remember?"

A hesitant nod answered to him, but Ratchet took it as assent.

"Now, can you show me which is the arm that I fixed?"

Lightspeed looked down, observing his servos. They were both clamping hard on his Carrier's plating and he'd have to lift one away for the big mech. He thought a bit then decided that the red mech was good and he fix'd Carrier too. Carefully, he lifted the left servo away from Starscream's armor and showed it a little towards the fix-mech. He was a little scared when Rache pointed something to him but the thing only whirred a little and didn't hurt.

"You can grab it if you want." – in fact that was exactly what the medic wanted and he made one red LED light slowly blink on the end of the scanner.

Lightspeed stared at the red light with a sudden delight. – "Red!" – he squealed and reached out bravely to touch the pretty light. Ratchet took his readings quickly.

"The servo responds well." – he commed to Starscream. – "It is giving me hope that maybe I can do something about the wing as well, in time."

"I don't dare to hope…even if the wing will work, one thruster is not enough."

"Wheeljack had an idea with that as well… but it's too early to say what will be needed."

"Lightspeed, can you show me your pretty wings too?" – he coaxed the sparkling to let the scanner go.

"No pretty…" – the sparkling hid his helm into the plating again. His right wing rose a bit on instinct, but the smaller one hung limp. Ratchet lightly swept the scanner over it.

"I think they are pretty. Why don't you like them?"

"No red!" – his voice was muffled by the plating but understandable. "Carri has red."

"It will soon have pretty colours, I'm sure."

"Red?"

"I'm not sure, but why not? They can be anything you want them."

"The left wing hasn't grown at all while the other did."- he commed to Starscream sadly.

"I was afraid of this…" – the Seeker whispered – "it feels… dead. Cold. But sometimes he moves it, so… I don't know."

"It may still right itself. There is a great accumulation of healing nanites where the wing joins his frame."

"I don't dare to hope…"

"Time will tell, Starscream… Now… could you hold him up, just over the berth?" – Ratchet asked Starscream through the comm.

The Seeker held his sparkling by his middle and lowered him to the berth's surface. As Lightspeed felt the metal under his pedes, he looked down, optics alighting on the bright object there and his right leg kicked towards the red ball that Ratchet produced. He didn't even try to move the left one. Ratchet caught the rolling ball and placed it back, this time nearer to the left pede and repeated the process a few times. Soon, Lightspeed realized that no matter how he tried, he couldn't reach the ball with his good leg. Squirming, he tried to slip out of his Carrier's grip, but Starscream held him securely.

"Look, Lightspeed, you can do it with this one." – Ratchet nudged the left pede, the prosthetic one.

"Is cold."

"Yes, I know it is cold. But can you kick the ball with it?"

"No."

The medic touched the knee-joint above the prosthetic lightly. – "Try kicking with this."

Lightspeed didn't answer, the concept he was thinking of was probably far surpassing his limited vocabulary. He used the knee for crawling but it was a great leap to identify it and use for another purpose. The knee-joint twitched, then jerked, momentum moving the prosthetic like a swing. The sparkling looked down, like contemplating the unexpected movement. Since the fake leg was lacking the protoform inside, it wasn't connected to his processor or coordinated by it. Lightspeed would have to learn to operate it mechanically through the implanted cables until a more complex artificial limb was constructed. He kicked again with his knee joint, making the prosthetic move again, nearly hitting the ball with it.

"That's it, clever little Light… try again." – Ratchet encouraged the sparkling, then commed to Starscream again – "Do this with him as often as he likes. Strengthens the right leg and he learns to coordinate the left."

"Okay."

"Okay, little Light, you are fine. No need to fix anything now. Happy?"

"Yeass!" – Lightspeed kicked ball happily, now that he knew the dreaded fixing was not needed. – "Play?"

Ratchet automatically gave him back the ball as it was kicked away, while he asked Starscream.

"Anything else? Any problem or symptom with either of you?"

"Just the sparks… but there is nothing you can do about those."

"Just you, or… Lightspeed too?"

"Yes. He told this orn that it hurts him."

Ratchet sighed and made an aborted wave, not wanting to scare the sparkling. No matter how he wanted to, he couldn't make sparkache disappear that came from broken bonds. Starscream was an adult, tempered by his long life and experiences and had two bondmates to soothe the wound on his spark. Lightspeed was a sparkling who'd lost his siblings before he has even emerged from his Carrier's spark chamber and never had a chance to form bonds with his Sires either, separated from them and hiding from termination as he instinctly was. Starscream said that their bonding process has already started, but it would still be some time before Thundercracker or Skywarp could get close to him and able to make him forget the pain of the lost brothers.

Time before they could be a true family that both Starscream and Lightspeed needed to feel secure and safe again. So far the other two Seekers still had to recharge in their separate room and be very careful approaching the two of them, because the sparkling trusted noone but his Carrier and feared every new mech who approached them. Pit, Starscream himself has trusted noone with Lightspeed, and he had his own problems letting his mates come close. It was a huge mess and a delicate dance they all had to play… but they had to try.

"Only time can heal that." – he sighed sadly.

"Until next time then…" – Starscream stood, turning to leave when he remembered. Comming to Ratchet he asked – "Could you please tell Prowl… and the Prime that if Skywarp can't fly more, he's going to end up being attached to Sideswipe and it won't cause much good with either of us? It's not like he'd do anything to endanger Lightspeed's position here, but he gets bored quickly."

"I'll se what I can do. One Sideswipe with an occasional Air Raid is more than enough pranksters for the Ark…" – Ratchet smiled slightly and waved them out, the silent Mirage, their designated guard now, waiting for them outside and escorting them back to their quarters.

-o-o-o-

"Sweetspark, can you be a clever big sparkling and stay with Sire until Carrier showers?" – Starscream loved Lightspeed, there was not a shred of doubt about it in his processor, but not having a single breem just for himself was starting to get to him. Besides Lightspeed was ready to trust in his Sires and stay with them alone. They hoped. After playing together for a full joor and Thundercracker promising him to read a new tale before recharge, they decided to try Starscream leaving them for a little time.

Lightspeed looked up to him almost disappointed and his wing trembled.

"Carri…?" – he whispered, fearing that he'd leave him.

"I'll be back before you recharge, okay? Sire will read you."

The sparkling nodded unhappily, scooting closer to Thundercracker's servo. He looked after the retreating form of his Carrier, close to tears and shaking with fear. The blue Seeker flared his field with safe/calm/promise and petted the little helm lightly. Skywarp curled around them, half in recharge, providing a silent protection from the outside word.

"Star will be back soon. Now, be a good sparkling and I'll read you the story I promised, okay?"

Lightspeed nodded, his optics latching on the blue plating of his Sire, to fill the yearning, frightening emptiness that Carrier's absence left in him.

"There was a young Seeker once, a long time ago, who lived in the highest tower of Vos with his Sires and his Carrier…" – Thundercracker's deep voice caressed the sparkling's small form and he nestled himself comfortably on his plating, one servo curling around him protectively. Bright red optics watched him as he read the tale, his little mouth slightly falling open in rapt listening, attention fastened completely on him. Thundercracker edited the tale somewhat, leaving the killed siblings out and jumping to the quest part.

"…and then the young mech arrived to the ruined tower, after many adventures. There was a great flier in the tower, dark as night cycle, optics flashing in angry purple…"

Lightspeed curled his little digits into the edge of the blue plating, optics widening, one wing trembling slightly. Thundercracker noticed the awakening distress and passed the antagonist's further description and continued with the fight.

"They flew and fought for many joors, both of them being masters of flight, until the young mech started to tire slightly and a painful wound was scored on his wing…"

Lightspeed yelped a little, completely rooting for the hero and fearing for him but straight away he stuffed his digits to his mouth to muffle the sound. As the description of the aerial battle continued, he gnawed on them in anxious excitement.

"In the end, the cunning and cleverness of Swiftwings won over the strength of his enemy. When the dark wings fell, he gained entrance to the tower and freed Moonstrike."

Thundercracker's voice rose lightly as he read the happy ending of the tale. Lightspeed smiled widely and clapped both servos together, the motion catching the blue Seeker's attention too. He smiled back, his free servo stroking the soft, silvery plating.

"And they flew back to the worried Winglord and his mates together, carrying the news that the dark threat was gone and they were all safe."

Lightspeed exulted loudly, very nearly jumping up and down, sitting as he was in his Sire's lap.

"Wanna fly!" – his wing, the good one flared instinctly, emphasizing his words, his wish, but the other just twitched a little as it hung limp on his back… and it took all Thundercracker's self-control not to show the well of despair that opened in him. Even Skywarp lifted his helm from the berth, looking at his mate with sorrowful optics. They all knew that their little one might never be able to fly. He stammered out the answer uneasily, his smile a forced grimace.

"That's… that's for later, little Light. Y-you need to grow a lot first."

::Maybe we should start reading grounder tales for him…: - Starscream's dejected voice whispered in the bond, their mate just coming back from the wash-racks to hear the ending of the story. - ::With no wings in it.::