Greetings my fellow fanfiction enthusiasts, yet another wonderful chapter I have for you all but first a few announcements. I'd like to take a moment to reply to the Guest who asked a good question in the reviews. No, Sparkbeats is not connected to Never say Goodbye. First of all the time lines don't match up and Jazz is revived in NSG via Allspark shard. Connecting them was something I had considered but I really wanted Jazz to be in NSG, and for Sparkbeats to be set in the days after Mission city. Another thing to note is that I've taken to using songs as chapter titles. I thought that since Nicole is a DJ it would be something fun to do so I did it. I just want to say I do not own these songs and to feel free to listen to them because they will likely have something to do with either that chapter or the story as a whole. Or you can ignore them, that's always an option too. The first chapter is by The Fray, second chapter is by Thriving Ivory, and the third is by Rob Thomas. This chapter's song is by Five for Fighting, and if you listen to the lyrics I believe it really represents this story well. They are all good songs and bands so I recommend listening to them. But enough about that let's get on to the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own scrap, song titles, or any recognizable Transformers but the general plot and OC's are my own invention so please ask before using them. Also, credit for this inspiration goes to the story 'Juxtaposition' by Vaeru. I bow to her greatness and hope she can forgive me for hijacking her plot bunny and turning it into… whatever this is. So without further a due, enjoy!

"Talking"

'Nicole's thinking'

~Jazz~

Sparkling talk

(Note: A Joor is six hours in my fic.)

Nicole rushed around her apartment, already forming plans and lists for what she and the sparklings would need for the trip back to Mission city. Both she and Jazz had wordlessly agreed that the sooner they got to Mission city the better. First she took the time to rewrap her head and tend her injuries which were healing at a surprising rate, take her medication, and throw some clean clothes into a traveling bag. She also put most of her DJ equipment into a large duffle bag, putting in anything she might need for the DJ battle. Jazz's disapproval was a tangible presence on the other side of the barrier as she ignored him and also planned for the DJ duel at the Nova. However even he had to admit that she needed the money to be able to care for the sparklings, and she was going to be in Mission city in any case.

She cleaned the apartment, picking up the sheets she had slept in, the things the sparklings had knocked over earlier along with a few other things that had been messy since before she left. While Nicole did all this the sparklings had settled down in the small spot of sun coming through the window and seemed to be napping on her bed in a little pile of metal limbs. She would glance over at them occasionally, sometimes to make sure they were alright and a few time to make sure she was still sane. Nicole was slightly surprised at how easily they were to take care of, so far, or at the very least how much easier they were easier to care for than human children. From what she could get from Jazz's knowledge and what she had seen for herself the sparklings were fairly self-reliant in many ways.

They could more or less feed themselves, didn't need diapers or even a bathroom, they weren't likely to spontaneously expel bodily wastes, and they were fairly intelligent and adorable to boot. However, they did come with a few interesting and unique challenges. Unlike a human kid they couldn't be seen by anyone, if they were noticed it spelled immediate trouble and danger. Once everything in the apartment was ready for the inevitable departure all she needed was to go online and buy the bus ticket. Nicole threw on a bright pink sweater over her ratty black shirt, put a green beanie on her head to cover her bandages and put her laptop into her purse. She paused and looked over at the sleeping sparklings.

~Ya better bring 'em with ya. No tellin' how they'll react if they wake up an' yur not here.~ Jazz suggested.

Nicole bit her lip for a moment but agreed. She was uneasy about walking around with three sparklings in her purse but rationalized that they had hidden there for days without discovery before. Gently she stroked the sparklings between their wings since they seemed to like it, and they woke purring at the contact looking up at her sleepily.

"I need you three to transform into your phone forms ok? You can still sleep but I need you guys to stay quiet and hidden. No transforming or coming out of the purse, alright?"

Cinder and Pixel seemed to accept this, but Neon, who was a little more awake than the other two was curious.

Why? The little blue sparkling peeped.

Nicole suppressed the sigh that wanted to escape at the dreaded question. While it was true that a child's, or in this case sparklings, curiosity should be encouraged there are always questions that are harder to answer than others. The last thing she wanted to do was scare the sparklings, but she needed to impress on them the reality of the need to stay hidden. Nicole kneeled at the foot of her bed and placed a gentle hand around the three of them. Her expression was calm but her voice was serious and slightly commanding, making sure the three young sparks listened closely to her words.

"Because I don't want you to get hurt. You see not every human is going to understand how special you three are. And sometimes when people don't understand something they get scared, so they hurt the thing that scares them. Other people don't know that you're only sparklings and that they don't need to be scared of you. I would never let someone hurt you, but we have to be careful. There are also other bots out there, made of metal like you guys but much bigger with red eyes. If those big bad bots find you they might try to take you away from me. That's why you have to stay hidden. Do you understand?" The sparklings chirped back and forth for a moment before turning back to her.

Understand. Neon bobbed her whole body with the strength and exuberance of her nod.

We be good. Cinder replied with a sleepy acknowledgement, but Nicole was satisfied that the headstrong sparkling realized how important this was.

Don't want to be taken away. Tiny Pixel beeped worriedly and tried to bury her tiny head into Nicole's palm.

"Don't you worry Pixel I would never let them take you. As long as you three stay hidden they can't find you ok? You don't have to be scared; Jazz and I'll keep all of you safe." Nicole soothed comfortingly.

~Nic, ya do realize that you'd stand about as much of a chance against a Decepticon as a rusty nail in a smelter right? An' I'm kinda useless in a fight stuck in yur head like I am.~ Nicole wanted to make a snarky comment about how she had found him and his general uselessness but refrained.

'Of course I know that. If they're even half as bad as you've told me I'd be lucky to walk away alive from one. I'm not an idiot Jazz, but I wouldn't just hand the sparklings over to save my own skin either.' Nicole scowled mentally at Jazz. The protective feelings she had already developed for the three innocent sparks in her care boiled at the thought of what Jazz was suggesting.

~Calm down, ah just had ta be sure.~

Nicole could sense he was satisfied with her answer so with a shake of her head she let it go and ignored him. Her words had had the desired effect in calming the sparklings, they trusted her completely in her ability to protect them. Once they had transformed she gently picked up all three and put them in her purse where they settled and went back to sleep.

The blue haired girl paused while she took a moment to double check what equipment she was taking with her, and looked over to her purse. It sat on the table which she had set down with unusual care so as to not disturb the sleeping sparklings too much. Nicole quickly distanced her thoughts from the wall and shielded them from Jazz, even though the effort greatly increased her migraine. The last thing she wanted was for Jazz to somehow influence her opinions or feelings. To be perfectly honest Nicole was beginning to have doubts and second thoughts.

'Why am I doing this?' She wondered to herself.

Nicole was slightly disturbed to find that her once solid goals and convictions were suddenly shifting, and in a direction she wasn't entirely sure she liked. Before all this madness with alien robots her only ambition was to be a successful and popular DJ in San Fransisco. Now she was finding herself focusing more on caring for the sparklings and finding the missing brothers and less on her all-consuming career. It was a fact that alarmed her slightly because she had only known that these sparkling even existed for less than 24 hours. Nicole had only known Jazz a little longer but she hadn't even believed he was real until the sparklings showed up.

Nicole looked over her shoulder to the recharging sparklings and asked herself once more. Why was it suddenly so important to her that she help these sparklings? The answer was painfully simple. All her life Nicole had been raised to believe that everything came at a price. 'Nothing is for free,' was practically her personal motto. Even after she had managed to escape her family at eighteen and their selfish life style, that mentality hadn't gone away. If anything it had strengthened, and she became jaded and almost agonizingly cynical.

Money quite literally made the world go round, a fact that was still true even after she moved away from her parents. She found that people outside of her family's group of 'friends' were just as phony if not even worse. People lied, stole and put on false smiles, each and every one of them an actor trying to reach the top of a non-existent pinnacle. It was the main reason Nicole didn't have many friends or even speak to her family anymore. She had been taught that love was only a false promise people spoke of when they wanted something from her.

But these sparklings, their smiles and chirps of happiness weren't false. She couldn't see any hidden motives in their bright blue optics. The three of them were like a breath of fresh air to her already world-weary self because they were still new and unpolluted by this world and all its lies and hidden agendas. They were so innocent and trusting, and they were depending on her of all people to care for them. She found herself worrying for them, wanting to give them all she had and more and for once in her life not expecting anything in return. She simply wanted them to be happy. Why she wanted that so badly she really couldn't say, so she decided she would leave it be for now and figure it out later.

Feeling a bit better she undid the shield from her thoughts with a bit of relief, her migraine didn't fully disappear but it lessened some. The effort it took to distance her thoughts from the barrier and Jazz while shielding them at the same time was both painful and far too taxing to maintain for an extended period of time. Jazz had noticed her sudden retreat and protection of her thoughts and probed the barrier curiously but not invasively for what she had been thinking about. Nicole mentally shoved his curiosity with a mental 'mind your own business' but that hardly dissuaded the nosy saboteur.

~What's on your mind Nic?~

'You.' Nicole deadpanned as she focused on her packing once more.

~Primus Nic did you just made a joke? I'm doing you some good already!~ Jazz barked a laugh, his amusement almost making Nicole smile in response but she just barely held it back. If she cracked a grin now it would only further inflate Jazz's already exaggerated ego.

"First you call me kid, now you're calling me Nic. Why can't you call me by my full name uh?" She muttered to him as she put on her shoes and grabbed her purse, slinging the bag over her shoulder gently.

~Aw come on, I thought it was pretty clever to give ya Nic for your nickname. Get it? Nicole? Nickname?~ Jazz laughed.

Nicole could only sigh and mentally rolled her eyes at Jazz's bad joke as she locked her apartment door. She was already anxious and hyperaware of the three little lives tucked into her purse. However she jumped violently when she turned and almost collided with her next door neighbor Adrian. Adrian lived just down the hall from her since she had moved in over a year ago, he had even been the one to help her move her things in. He was good looking in a simple but classic way with his long straight nose, curly light brown hair and lanky muscles. He had the tendency to occasionally flirt with her but it wasn't entirely unwelcome. However, Nicole was far too busy with her job as a DJ to even entertain the idea of a boyfriend so Adrian stayed only a neighbor and one of her very few friends. Adrian was only a few years older than Nicole but easily towered both head and shoulders over her five foot two frame.

"Whoops. Sorry there Nicole I didn't see you there. How've you been? I thought I heard yelling from your apartment last night. You ok?" He spoke quickly, firing one question after the other without waiting for an answer. All while giving her an adorable bright, toothy smile.

~Didn't anyone ever tell this guy ta mind his own business?~ Jazz groused crossly.

'Quiet you.' Nicole frowned, but quickly changed her expression to a small smile for Adrian.

"I've been better. Things have been kind of crazy since getting back from Mission city." Nicole said mildly, trying to change the subject from the yelling he must have heard when she had argued with Jazz last night.

"That's right you must have been in Mission city when that terrorist group attacked. Are you ok? You weren't there were you?" Adrian asked with concern in his brown eyes. Nicole sighed and shifted the beanie on her head enough to give him a glimpse of the bandages around her skull. Adrian's eyes widened slightly as she tucked the bindings back out of sight.

"I did get caught in it actually. I got very lucky actually; just a few bumps, a burn on my arm and a few bruises. The doctors tell me I'll be fine in a week or so and that I'll just experience some headaches. I just got back from the hospital yesterday night actually."

"Well thank goodness you're alright. Did you see the terrorists? The governments trying to keep it all quiet like so there have been some pretty crazy conspiracies flying around about who did it. Everything from UFO's to Lady GaGa music videos, and animal rights activists rioting."

Nicole laughed stiffly at Adrian's joke, he was uncomfortably close with the UFO reference but he didn't have to know that.

"No I didn't see anything like that. I actually hit my head pretty hard and got a concussion so I don't remember much from the attack." She lied smoothly.

~Should I be concerned that yur such a good liar? First ya lie to the doctors, then the agents, now this poor sap. I'm starting ta think ya got a bad habit Nic.~ Jazz asked with a joking mental frown, but she sensed his real disapproval of the act of deception.

'You should be grateful I'm a pathological liar or I'd never be able to hide the fact that aliens are real. You can't keep a secret by telling the truth. Besides it wasn't an entire lie, I did hit my head and get a concussion.' Nicole defended.

~Ya well, ya can't lie ta me now can ya?~ Jazz chuckled smugly.

Nicole scowled and jabbed at the wall making them both wince in pain. It bugged her that he was right, because he was in her head it was almost impossible to lie or hide how she was feeling from Jazz. She hated it. Nicole's attention was quickly brought back to Adrian when heard him ask her a question. She realized that she had been too focused on Jazz and not listening to what the young man in front of her was saying.

"-so I wondered if you wanted to get a coffee with me sometime?" Adrian asked with a charming smile.

"Uh? Oh, um. I'd love to Adrian but I'm afraid I'm busy at the moment. I have a gig back in Mission city on Friday so I have to go buy a bus ticket and leave as soon as possible." Nicole said gently, honestly not wanting to hurt his feelings. Adrian's optimistic expression drooped slightly but he seemed understanding.

"So soon after getting back? Should you even be working with those injuries?"

"I don't have much choice, my rent is due next week and I don't have it yet. If I don't get paid soon I'm going to be kicked out and that is really not on option I want to consider." Nicole sighed. She wished that was all she had to worry about, now she had the added pressure of caring for three sparklings. Not to mention three more if she could find the lost brothers in Mission city, and finding them and hiding them was going to be a challenge all its own.

"I see, well I can take a rain check. Maybe after you get back?" Adrian asked hopefully.

~This bugger just doesn't give up does he?~ Jazz scowled mentally.

"We'll see." Nicole said to Adrian, pointedly ignoring Jazz and his rude comment. "I have to get going. Hopefully I see you again before I leave, ok?" Nicole said with a wave goodbye.

~Hopefully not.~ Jazz muttered crossly as Nicole went around the corner out of Adrian's sight and began marching down the stairs.

"What crawled up your butt and died? He was just being friendly." She mumbled under her breath as she exited the building onto the busy San Francisco streets, keeping a firm cautious grip on her purse. She wasn't too worried about talking aloud to Jazz since it relieved her headache somewhat. Everyone was always too wrapped up in their own lives to give a damn about a girl talking to herself anyway.

~The dude's nosy and asks too many questions. He's trouble.~

Nicole rolled her eyes at Jazz's childish explanation. She had easily deflected Adrian's well-meaning questions and concerns, also Adrian was a good neighbor compared to the snooping Miss Bunningham on the first floor.

"No, you're the one who's trouble Jazz. Adrian's just a friend and a neighbor and since he lives just down the hall you'll have to learn to suck it up. Besides Adrian's harmless, perhaps a bit too friendly but it's perfectly innocent. He won't push the boundaries of my privacy and that is what will keep him from discovering the sparklings."

~Whatever ya say Nic.~ Jazz quipped cheerfully. Nicole only shook her head and continued to the café at the end of the block. Jazz's mood was constantly swinging between serious and carefree, so fast she was having trouble keeping up.

Nicole sat unnoticed at one of the sidewalk tables just outside the café windows and set up her laptop. Using a trick that a hacker friend from high school showed her she accessed the café wifi and got to work. First she checked her finances and bought a bus ticket to Mission city, she also took the time to book a hotel room for a few days.

'Ok, so here's how it's probably going to go if things go right for us Jazz. I bought a bus ticket that leaves late tonight, since it's about a twelve hour bus ride we should get to mission city around noon tomorrow. That gives us about three days to look for the missing sparklings, hopefully we find them before my gig at the Nova. If we don't find them before then, as long nothing goes wrong and I win and get paid, I can afford to keep the hotel room and search the city for the missing brothers.' Nicole thought grimly. The pressure to find the brothers and win the DJ battle was mounting. It was no longer just about being able to pay the rent, three lives hung on it and she needed to be able to take care of the sparklings.

~What if we can't find them all before then and you don't win?~

Nicole grimaced at the thought and didn't answer. Jazz seemed to wordlessly understand that if they didn't find them and she didn't get paid, they would have to cut their losses and leave with the sparklings that they could find. Both Nicole and Jazz wordlessly hoped it wouldn't come to that.

So Nicole did what she did best and lied to herself that everything would be alright and concentrated on her work instead. She looked up her competitions music and compared it to her own. What she found made her grit her teeth and caused the unease in her stomach to grow. Madison Wood, a.k.a. The Phoenix, was a very accomplished DJ and had played in many of Mission city's higher end clubs with a lot of success. From what Nicole could find on the internet no-one had ever challenged her to a DJ battle before, but her music was top notch.

The blue haired girl listened to samples other people had posted of The Phoenix's music with growing trepidation. Until Jazz finally had enough of her anxious emotions and told her to quit worrying and focus on what she was going to do to win. So that's what Nicole did, she put on her headphones and over the next few hours she organized and synthesized music clips and melodies she would use in the Nova. This would create the base line for the set she would use in the DJ battle, something that she could freestyle and add what was needed to impress the Mission city clubbers. Jazz was surprisingly helpful and knowledgeable once he understood the basics of what she was trying to do. Suggesting different beats, cross fading and loops to help layer the music so it would claim the crowd's attention.

'How do you know so much about music?' Nicole asked as she sipped the coffee she had bought to keep the waitresses off her back about sitting at one of their tables. Jazz's answer was slightly distracted; he was mostly focused on the novel taste of her peppermint espresso.

~What can I say, yur human music is pretty interestin'. That an' I used ta be somethin' of a musician back on Cybertron. Nothin' fancy but it kept meh content until the war took it away.~

'What do you mean?' She asked. Jazz paused and the feeling of something precious lost came across the barrier.

~There isn't much room for music in war Nic.~ Jazz said quietly and retreated into the back of her mind, leaving Nicole more alone with her thoughts and feeling slightly guilty for asking.

Nicole had finished a good portion of her work by the time she felt her bag shift a little, alerting her that the sparklings were awake. She left quickly, stopping only to buy herself some fast-food supper and then rushing home. Once safely back home and the apartment door locked she gently set her purse down on her bed with a sigh letting the sparklings loose. Cinder and Neon immediately hopped off the bed and began exploring their home more thoroughly while Pixel hung back, letting her siblings do the adventuring. All three whined and hummed worriedly when she tried to hang up her purse on a hook in her closet so she left it on the bed with a shrug.

Nicole puttered around the kitchen, keeping an eye on the sparklings while finding a plate for her baked potato and fries. It wasn't long before the femme trio began to scurry back and forth, playing some kind of game that could only be understood by sparklings. Only by careful observation could Nicole deduce it was a kind of complex game of pretend/hide and seek/home base/keep away, and that the purse was the safe zone from whom ever was 'it'. Nicole chuckled a bit when Cinder jumped from her hiding spot under her bedside table with a cute little growl and chased Pixel back toward the purse.

'Hey Jazz? Do you know why they seem so attached to my purse? It's like it's their security blanket or something.'

~It kinda is Nic. Ah imagine that they think of yur bag as their sparklin' carryin' hold. Carryin' holds are specialized chambers in a femme's frame for protectin' an' totin' sparklin's around in. Since there's a lack of both real carryin' holds and femmes with 'em around here they're usin' yur purse as a kind of substitute. Not to mention it's likely the first place they felt safe after bein' sparked.~

Nicole nodded in understanding. It made a lot of sense that the sparklings would adopt her purse in this way. In fact it reminded her a lot of how orphaned kangaroo's would do the same when raised in captivity. By some mystery of her illogical brain that got her thinking about giant metal kangaroo's hopping around the city and she broke down into hysterical laughter for several minutes. Nicole allowed the sparklings to play while she watched and planned with Jazz.

Soon it was late in the evening and they had to go get their bus. Nicole made sure the sparklings 'ate' some more electricity before tucking them back into her purse with a reminder to stay hidden. It was fortunate for her that the sparklings had exhausted themselves playing and went back to sleep without a fuss. Nicole had no doubt that it wouldn't always be so easy to get them asleep. For now she was hopeful that the sparklings would sleep through most of the twelve hour bus ride and save her the headache.

Once she had checked in at the bus pick up and checked her bags Nicole found the loneliest seat at the back of the mostly empty bus to sit in. The bus smelled like old carpet and cheap cleaner but the seats were at least comfortable for the most part. Nicole placed her purse in the window seat while she took the aisle, both discouraging anyone else from sitting there while keeping herself between the hidden sparklings and any prying curious eyes. Only a few other people got on and within a few minutes the bus left its station and made its way to the highway and toward Mission City. Because it was the late bus the lights dimmed and many of her fellow passengers soon drifted into sleep.

Nicole however fought her own heavy lids as waves of her own uncertainty and anxiety kept her awake. In twelve hours' time she and the sparklings would be back in Mission City where all this craziness had started for her. It was where the sparklings were sparked, where Jazz had almost died and she had saved him, where the Decepticons may still be lurking and where the brothers were lost. So very much could go wrong, but she couldn't stop going along this path any more than she wanted to stop following it. Nicole firmly set aside her earlier doubts and second thoughts. If she was going to succeed then she couldn't afford to have such misgivings about why she was doing this.

'No more ifs, and's, but's or what if's. We're in this together now.' Nicole thought tiredly as she succumbed to her exhaustion.

~Ha. You said butts.~ Jazz teased tiredly from the back of her mind.

'Shut up and go to sleep Jazz.'

So the pair of them drifted off, all the while keeping a firm grasp on the fabric of Nicole's purse and the peacefully recharging sparklings close.

Meanwhile quite some distance away on a secluded military base someone was over-riding their recharge cycle to keep working. The figure in question had been doing so ever since the battle in Mission City, working tirelessly to repair his comrades. After all, a medic's real work only begins after the battle has happened. Now however the lack of rest was beginning to get to the older bot as the welding torch in his grasp slipped and nicked his own servo.

"Frag it!" Ratchet cursed vehemently and shook out his servo, dismissing and overriding the alerts in his sensor array.

The CMO glared from the torch to his current project that he was working on with a mixture of anger and sadness.

"You better appreciate what I'm doing for you ya fragging glitch. So help me Primus or I'll whack you into the next vorn." Ratchet muttered crossly before starting up the torch once more and getting back to work.

The cranky medic continued to occasionally mutter and curse at the task on his table and didn't notice when another bot approached him from behind.

"Ratchet." Said a voice from behind the medic.

The lime green search and rescue vehicle jumped and dropped the welding torch in surprise when the bot in question spoke. This resulted in more colorful cursing, this time in Cybertronian and got a raised optic ridge from the Prime. Once Ratchet had cursed himself out and calmed down slightly he turned to give Optimus a baleful glare.

"What do you want Optimus? Can't you see I'm busy?" Ratchet snapped impatiently. Normally the CMO would have at least tried to be somewhat polite to his leader, but any patience he might have had had disappeared a day or so ago. Optimus seemed to understand this and took no offence to his old friend's cantankerous mood. It was something he had become used to long ago.

"Ratchet you need to recharge and refuel. You cannot keep neglecting yourself like this." Optimus' firm tone would have had most bots immediate agreement, but Ratchet was far more stubborn than most bots.

"I'm fine Prime, leave it be. I have too much to do to be recharging like some old relic when there's slag to get done. I need to get this done first, then I'll recharge." Ratchet turned to get back to his work but his shoulder was caught in Optimus' firm grim.

"Ratchet, you will not be able to finish if you do not first take care of yourself. Do not make me order you to take a break." The serious tenor in Optimus' voice told that he was more than willing to follow through on the threat.

Ratchet's temper snapped as he yanked his shoulder plates from Optimus' loose hold and glared at him with pale optics.

"Take a break? Take a fragging break!? How can I fragging well go to recharge when there's even a chance we can still get him back? I don't need to slagging well recharge, I need to fix this."

Optimus met Ratchet's glower with a calm but penetrating gaze that only a Prime could seem to achieve.

"It is not your fault for Jazz's offlining Ratchet."

"Like Pit it isn't." Ratchet snarled as he started up the welder and soldered another delicate wire back into place. The medic continued to talk as he worked, speaking more to himself than the bot behind him.

"I saw Megatron coming out of that ally, I called for a retreat. Instead of doing what I said, instead of doing the smart thing to do what does this fragger do? He charges the leader of the Decepticons like some sort of crazy mech. He was outgunned, outmatched and out of his processor. He should have fallen back like I said."

"You know as well as I why Jazz did what he did. His sacrifice gave the humans precious time to get out of the line of fire. Jazz is an Autobot at spark and was no fool, he knew exactly what he was doing."

"Then I should have stopped him."

Optimus vented a sigh, something he had picked up from the many humans on base. He knew why Ratchet was taking Jazz's offlining so hard. Though he managed to project a persona of irritable indifference, Ratchet had a soft spark not made for the trials of war. The fact that he had been the closest bot when Jazz had been carried off to his fate by Megatron surely weighed heavily on the medic's spark. Every mech that Ratchet failed to save was a personal affront to his skills and another burden on his shoulders.

Now however there was the promise that one of those burdens could be released. With the shard of the Allspark fragment that Optimus had retrieved from Megatrons sparkchamber, there was the possibility to bring Jazz back. The fragment did not have near enough Allspark energy to restore Cybertron, but Optimus suspected that it may have enough to revive a bot. Since Optimus had revealed the shard and what it may be able to do Ratchet had worked nonstop to restore Jazz's frame so they could test the theory. That was another reason that Optimus was so worried for the already overworked medic. If they couldn't bring Jazz back from the Well of Allsparks it would only hurt the already guilt ridden medic further. Perhaps irreparably.

It didn't help that the human government was pressuring Optimus to hand over Jazz's remains. To his great frustration the government officials couldn't seem to distinguish the difference between Jazz and the other offlined 'Cons. They only wanted to give him his final resting place with the other offlined frames of the Decepticons, at the bottom of the Laurentian Abyss. The thought of burying Jazz alongside those that killed him was not an attractive one, especially when there was hope to maybe save him yet. All Optimus could do was stall and buy Ratchet some time to fix Jazz's frame. Optimus stilled Ratchet's almost frantic repairs by laying his servo on the medic's shoulder plates once more.

"I was able to stall the human officials for a few days, perhaps even a week. Jazz wouldn't want you to offline yourself just to repair him. You have the time to both repair him and take care of yourself, Ratchet don't make me give the order." Optimus chuckled. Ratchet paused and hesitated for a moment before sagging in defeat.

"Fine. I'll go fragging recharge, but only for a joor. I still have a lot of work to do if I'm going to fix this slagger in a week."

Ratchet stormed out of his temporary med bay still muttering about torn fuel lines and cracked spark casings. Optimus waited until the sounds of the medic could no longer be heard to turn his attention to Jazz's remains. He did not wish to get his hopes up but he could not help but to have faith that Jazz would be the bot to do the impossible. However if Optimus' theory was wrong and Jazz couldn't be revived, they would have to send his remains to the bottom of the ocean. He truly hoped that they would be able to revive Jazz with the shard, they needed their saboteur back in more ways than one.

So there you go. I wasn't able to get in as big of a word count like I wanted but I think I did ok. I'll do better next time. Question for my readers: any of you guys know how to draw? I know a lot of people from Diviantart draw pictures of scenes and characters from their favorite fics sometimes, and I wanted to ask if someone would like to take the challenge of drawing the sparklings. I mean I know how they look in my head but I'm looking for an artist's interpretation since I'm no good at drawing. As always remember to READ AND REVIEW! DO IT FOR THE SPARKLINGS!