Wheeljack sat down as he watched Bulkhead care for the sparklings. Dragonbreath was purring and giggling, but he could tell her spark wasn't in it. Something was bothering her, but he was too occupied by worrying about Nemesis to ask her about it.

Nemesis was avoiding the day-care at all costs, even though Ultra Magnus tried to tell him that the day-care was "safe now", and that only made Wheeljack more confused.

Bulkhead waved the sparklings away, taking Lightburst's servo as he pulled him into a quick hug before the giggling Seeker could get away. Wheeljack leaned in the doorway as he watched them go, and he frowned when he couldn't see someone of great importance.

Prime's spirit was missing.

OoO

Nemesis walked around his new quarters. He didn't trust the berth. It felt like laying on a pile of jellied Energon. He felt like he would fall right through to the floor and it made him feel uncomfortably safe. So he resorted to laying in the little closet, which was small, dark, and cozy, like the cell he had taken shelter in.

He flinched when he felt Ultra Magnus brush against him.

"I see you have not used the berth."

"It's too soft," he whispered and he adjusted the pillow on the berth, which was also too soft. He shuddered.

"And the closet is somehow better?"

"You do not understand what I have been through, Maggy."

His brother shrugged and he set three cubes of Energon down. "Ratchet suggests you drink three cubes per day, no excuses, and no exceptions."

Nemesis frowned at the three cubes. "I can barely keep a half of a cube down."

"Then I suggest you drink slowly. I will be around every evening to see if you have swallowed every drop of Energon."

"Or you'll what? Beat me? Whip my aft purple?" He couldn't resist. He pressed up against his adopted brother. He had done it several times to his split-spark, which wasn't uncommon before the war. Sometimes the perfect mate was the one you were raised beside.

"Or I will summon Optimus and let him deal with you," Magnus said. He was emotionless, as always, which made Nemesis pout and pull away.

"Well, if you can just summon him, what do you need me for? Support?"

"I need you to coax Prime back to life."

Nemesis scowled. He wasn't a miracle worker. Sure, he brought Stormchaser back from the dead once, but that was on accident. There was no way he could do it again! "Sometimes, the dead want to stay dead."

"I can sense that Prime wants out."

"Unless he's Claimed someone, I can't help you."

Ultra Magnus took a step closer. "What if he did make a Claim?"

"Then I would know that he doesn't want to be dead, and I could somehow bring him back. Does Primus still accept offerings of roses for lost lovers? Maybe we can get Ratchet to drop a rose down the Well."

"That will be hard. Ratchet doesn't believe in anything that has not been scientifically proven." Ultra Magnus hesitated for a moment, thinking. "How would you know? If Prime Claimed, what would be the giveaway?"

Nemesis sat down on the desk chair, looking down at the floor. He gave a little shudder as he thought. "He would need a host, but it would have to be willing. Prime's not cruel. He wouldn't force himself on anyone, and he wouldn't take someone's free will away, but the 'bot has to be either really young or super old for them to see the dead."

Ultra Magnus paced. "We have the Retired Warrior clinic and The Day-Care for Sparklings."

Nemesis frowned. If he knew his brother, he would place his bets on some old friends, but as far as he knew, Ratchet was his oldest friend and his mate, and he wasn't sure Ratchet could see the dead, so he heaved a sigh and gave another shudder. "I think he'll be in the day-care. Prime loved babies, and that kind of love survives through death. Just look at Stormy. Still cooing to babies."

Ultra Magnus watched his brother stand up. "You don't have to go if you don't want to…"

"I don't want to, but I have to if you want Prime back." He slowly looked over at him. "I know you're worried, but he-" he spat, "-is gone, and he will be for eons. He's not coming back." He muttered under his breath as he walked out. "He's never coming back…"

OoO

Wheeljack slowly edged away from Nemesis, but the sparklings crowded him and attacked him with questions and demands.

"Tell us a story!"

"You look like Optimus! Are you related!?"

"Do you know the story of the Primes?"

"Up!"

"You smell funny! Don't you know what a shower is?"

Wheeljack swatted Firefly's helm. "You'd smell funny too if I put you in the Pits of Kaon and left you alone for years."

"YOU WERE IN THE PITS OF KAON?" The sparklings must have had telepathic powers, because they spoke in unison, and their optics stretched wide.

"I only slept in a cell. I didn't fight in the Pits."

"TELL US ABOUT THE FIGHTING!"

Bulkhead shot a glare at Wheeljack. "What did I say about violence?"

"Again, they're not our children." He crossed his arms as he watched Nemesis sit down among the babies. Dragonbreath crawled into his lap and Nemesis gently stroked her helm.

"Hello, little one. How are you? You remind me of someone." The Prime's brother spoke so softly Wheeljack and Bulkhead had to lean close and strain to catch the words.

Dragonbreath blinked sweetly up at him. "Really?"

He nodded and he tapped her chin. "You do. He was my dearest friend, and I adored the coolant out of him."

She giggled and instantly adored the new mech. "What was his name?"

"Optimus Prime," he said. The sparklings went still and their optics widened. "He was my brother." Their mouths dropped open. "We were split-sparks."

Wheeljack grinned at them and he stroked their helms. "That's right, guys. Nemesis here is Optimus Prime's brother."

Dragonbreath blinked up at Nemesis, purring loudly as she nuzzled up to him. The Prime's brother petted her helm and tipped her helm up.

They both froze.

Then the lights fizzed out.