Spiritimus Prime: Yeah, as the title says, Red Alert gets to become Hot Shot's babysitter. It's so cute! I'm not particularly fond of Red Alert, but I thought it was be interesting to see what happens between him and Little Shotty. Anyway, I apologise to you all for the delay on this chapter, but I was in a hurry to get some other story chapters up as quick as possible. Enjoy the cuteness!


Chapter 7:

Red Alert the Babysitter

As Optimus Prime helped Red Alert with trying piece back together some of the pieces of the machine, Hot Shot took a hold of the CMO's wrench and played around with it, trying to settle his own boredom. He didn't have anything else better to do. Not that he could do anything, but it was good to not be able to do some physical work and fight Decepticons, which he had been doing for a fairly long time… in human perspectives.

Giggling, Hot Shot placed the wrench in his mouth and chewed on the metal, trying to satisfy his every need. But, the metal tasted horrible and Hot Shot stuck out his tongue in disgust. What an awful little thing! He chucked it onto the floor and it fell with a mighty clang on the metallic floor, but neither Optimus Prime nor Red Alert even noticed due to concentrating on the machine.

Hot Shot glanced around the room and he sucked on his thumb as he dangled his legs over the table and looked down at the floor. He was getting hungry again, but his bottle was empty, and there was nothing around him to chew on, save for the wrench he had just tried.

While Hot Shot sucked at his thumb, Optimus Prime carefully placed a piece in it's supposed place. Red Alert scratched his head, a human trait he had picked up from the kids, and folded his arms across his chest. This machine was a lot more puzzling than he thought, and this was no excuse. Sighing, Optimus Prime took a step back and rubbed his forehead tiredly. It seemed looking after Hot Shot was beginning to take its toll upon him, but he promised that he would do his best to care for him until the machine was put back together.

He was so caught up in his thinking that he hadn't noticed the alarm going off until Red Alert touched him on the shoulder, causing him to jump. He turned to face his old friend and Red Alert pointed out the alarm. Optimus nodded his appreciation and they walked back into the room where Hot Shot had been left alone and saw that he was missing.

"Where did he go?" Red Alert wondered.

Optimus felt a sudden wave of panic taking over him and his overprotective side got the better of him. He looked around under the medical table and underneath the berths where patients would rest, but he couldn't find his little sparkling that he considered his own. His golden optics flickered and he tried to calm himself down, but the panic was seizing him completely and making him immobilised with out of controlled fear.

"Optimus Prime, sir! Over here!" Red Alert called.

Optimus turned and saw Red Alert on his hands and knees in front of a vent that had been opened up. Optimus got into the same position as the CMO and peered into the vent. From inside, he could hear the faint whimpering and crying of a terrified sparkling. Gently pushing Red Alert aside so that he could get a better look, Optimus's optics brightened up a little, but not too much in case he frightened Hot Shot, so that he could see a little better in the darkness of the vent, and he squinted his optics a little. Not much to his surprise, he saw Hot Shot curled up in a ball and trembling with fear. His soft whimpering squeaks softened Optimus's Spark. It pained him to see his little Shotty so frightened.

"Hot Shot," he cooed softly. "It's okay, it's just the alarm. You don't need to be afraid."

Hot Shot uncovered his head by taking his arms off of it and his baby blue optics blinked in terror. Optimus had never seen so many emotions written on his face it was not even funny. Slowly, his silver hands reached out towards the little sparkling, but Hot Shot moved back in fear.

"Hot Shot, its going to be okay," said Optimus gently, his voice soft and comforting.

Hot Shot stopped moving away and looked towards Optimus closely. Why am I so scared? he thought to himself. It's not like Optimus is going to harm me or anything… unless it is the alarms that is startling my sparkling audio receptors.

Optimus understood the fear that Hot Shot was feeling, but if he didn't get him out of the vents soon, Hot Shot could very well be in serious trouble. He looked up at Red Alert and nodded towards him to get a bottle of Energon. Red Alert got the hint and went to go get the supposed item. If he couldn't coax Hot Shot out, then they'll have to try something else.

Optimus looked back towards Hot Shot and tried to coax him out again. Slowly, Hot Shot uncoiled himself and carefully crawled towards the Autobot Commander. When he was just about out of the vents, Optimus's silver hands gently wrapped themselves around Hot Shot's tiny body and lifted him up, placing him against the filters on his chest that contained the Autobot Matrix within it.

Hot Shot, still trembling, dug his head into Optimus's chest and practically shed his baby tears. Gently, Optimus brought Hot Shot up against his collar bone (not named on Transformers) and hushed him by placing his chin on top of Hot Shot's head, being careful to not put all the weight of his head on the little one's own. Eventually, Hot Shot quietened and was now just whimpering.

"Hush now baby don't you cry," Optimus sung softly, making Hot Shot quiet as he listened. "Rest your wings my butterfly. Peace will come to you in time in time and I will sing this lullaby."

Red Alert stood by watching and listening as Hot Shot's whimpering had completely ceased to exist. All that could be heard was his steady breathing as he slept peacefully. Slowly, Optimus turned to face his old friend and gently handed Hot Shot to him, who was careful to not drop the sleeping little one. Optimus then gently placed his hand upon Hot Shot's cheek and caressed it with a thumb before saying to Red Alert, "Take good care of him until my return. You'll be in charge of the base until then."

Without another word, but shooting Hot Shot a quick glance, Optimus then turned and ran out the room, leaving Red Alert alone to look after Hot Shot. Sighing, Red Alert then carefully sat down and looked down at the troublemaker he'd know since he'd first joined up at the Autobot Academy. Sure Hot Shot was annoying because of the way he played pranks on him from time to time, but Red Alert always got even with the youngling by doing a prank of his own.

Red Alert continued to gaze at Hot Shot and said quietly, "I'm actually quite surprised that Optimus would leave me in charge to watch over you instead of Jetfire or Sideswipe, but I think it has something to do with trust, or something else." He shook his head as he picked up the bottle and kept it nearby in case Hot Shot woke up feeling hungry.


"So you left Hot Shot with Red Alert?" Jetfire asked Optimus as the Autobot Commander ran up beside him. The shuttle mech and the other Autobots had been waiting impatiently for their commander to get here, but they knew that Optimus had been up to something with Hot Shot and Red Alert. Whatever it was, it had nothing to do with them.

"Yes, I did," smiled Optimus, surprising Jetfire.

"Okay, who are you, and what have you done with our Optimus Prime?" asked Smokescreen.

Optimus looked a little puzzled by the way his friends were looking at him, including the children. He didn't see what the problem was, but whatever it was, he knew that he couldn't have missed such a thing.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

"Sure you do, Optimus. You seem a bit different, as if this whole parenthood thing with looking after Hot Shot is beginning to make you… less… stoic and more like a father," laughed Jetfire.

Optimus nearly pouted from behind his silver mask. That was impossible. As if Hot Shot's change was starting to affect him and make him more like a caring surrogate father. What the slag was wrong with him? Well, whatever it was, he was in no mood to talk about it. He shook his head, denying Jetfire's suggestion.

"Enough talk, men, we have a Minicon to save! Autobots roll out!" he ordered.

"Yes sir!"


Red Alert had left Hot Shot wrapped up in his favourite blanket and was back to fixing up the machine that had caused all of this trouble right from the start. He rubbed his temples a little tiredly, but he refused to give up as he added another piece to the puzzling jigsaw. Placing his chin upon his fist while his elbow rested on the table, Red Alert pondered on how much had been done so far.

So far, only a quarter of the machine had been pieced back together. It shamed him that he wasn't even halfway, but he was pleased that he had gotten some of the tricky parts in their correct spots. It was not very easy, but luckily, he had the patience of an elephant and his patience was beginning to pay off big time.

Hot Shot groaned and opened his optics. Realising that he was lying on his back and wrapped in his favourite blanket, he glanced around and saw Red Alert with his back turned to him. He grunted and rubbed his optics tiredly.

Red Alert heard the sparkling beginning to stir and he turned to see him rubbing his optics. Smiling, he greeted him and handed him the bottle that he had been hoping to give him just to coax him out from the vents. Hot Shot giggled and took the bottle at once, suckling happily, but Red Alert made sure that he didn't drink too fast.

When he had finished, Red Alert took the bottle off of him and gently poked him with a finger, releasing a giggle from the little one. Chuckling, Red Alert did it once more before Hot Shot took his blanket and played peek-a-boo with it, causing to Red Alert to become amused with the sparkling's attempt to make him laugh.

"Reddy, ka-boo!" said Hot Shot delightfully.

Red Alert's optics widened in shock, first Optimus's nickname, and now his?! What else would possibly surprise him? Shaking his head, Red Alert gently picked Hot Shot up and settled him on his lap, but Hot Shot squirmed and begged to be released at once. Sighing in defeat, Red Alert did so and Hot Shot crawled towards the medical table, placed his hands upon the pole and tried to bring himself up.

Okay, this is new, Red Alert thought as he watched Hot Shot trying to pull himself up.

Hot Shot tried, but he failed miserably and fell flat on his skid-plate. Without warning, his bottom lip formed into a pout and he started to whimper. Red Alert winced, he knew what was going to come up and he knew that he had to act fast before Hot Shot would burst into tears.

Just what could he use to get Hot Shot to calm down before all hell wrecked loose around the base? He looked around frantically until he spotted his wrench that had been chucked on the floor. He knew that Hot Shot had been having a chew at it because he and Optimus had chosen to ignore him for a little bit on purpose. Picking up the wrench, Red Alert kneeled down beside Hot Shot and showed it to him.

"Hot Shot, do you want to know how this works?" he asked.

Hot Shot stopped whimpering and looked at the wrench that Red Alert was showing him. He looked up at the CMO and Red Alert nodded. "Come on, I'll show you how all my tools work by making you a toy. How does that sound?"

Hot Shot, still confused, tilted his head to the side as Red Alert gently picked him up and set him on the medical table before getting the tools that he needed, including the materials, and set himself down in front of the sparkling. He handed Hot Shot a metallic pole and Hot Shot looked at it curiously. He had never seen such a think before and he banged it on the table repeatedly. Red Alert chuckled and picked up a ball. He then filled it up with some bolts and attached it to another pole that he held while Hot Shot played with another.

Hot Shot grew bored with the pole he was playing with and placed it down beside him. He then crawled towards Red Alert and watched as the elder bot quickly attached them together using his left arm. Hot Shot kept his distance as the sparks quickly flew and Red Alert was done in a matter of seconds. Holding the item in his right hand, Red Alert looked at it for a moment and then handed it to Hot Shot, who took it and shook it.

The item made a rattling sound like a human baby toy called a rattler. Hot Shot's optics widened and he squealed in delight at his new toy. He gave it another happy shake and Red Alert burst out laughing, it was amusing to see Hot Shot have so much fun.

"Reddy, down," said Hot Shot as he pointed to the floor.

"Alright," laughed Red Alert and he picked up the little sparkling in his arms before gently placing him on the floor. "But be careful, there are things around here that may cause you harm."

"Kay," Hot Shot answered and he shook the rattler happily. He was enjoying this new toy, and he liked it better than that awful Jolly Jumper thing that had made him feel uncomfortable. He just hoped Sideswipe and Optimus would be back soon so that he could show them his new toy.

Red Alert sighed and returned to work, but every second, he would look up from working and his red visor would settle onto the sparkling. He chewed his bottom lip for a moment, but then his attention became lost in his work completely. He'd lost track of time and he finally looked down, hoping to see Hot Shot still on the floor with the rattler, but… he wasn't there.

Red Alert blinked in shock. How would a sparkling like Hot Shot move that fast? He stood up and searched the room, but Hot Shot was nowhere to be found. Panic seized him and ran out the Med-Bay. If he didn't find Hot Shot, then there was going to be hell to pay when Optimus got back.


Hot Shot, who had wondered out the Med-Bay and crawled happily down the corridors with his rattler and blanket in his hands, looked around for any signs of Red Alert, but the CMO was nowhere to be seen. I'll be really impressed if Red Alert did find me this quickly, he thought and giggled. He then continued to crawl down the corridors and finally came across his old quarters where he used to sleep.

Boy do I miss being my old self. He then crawled inside and tried to get himself up on the recharge berth that had begun to pick up dust in the time that Hot Shot had been unable to sleep on it. Mostly he had been sleeping in Optimus's quarters for his safety, and it annoyed him a little.

After several tries of trying to get himself up on the berth, Hot Shot finally succeeded and yawned as he wrapped himself up in his blanket and hugged the rattler close to his chest. In seconds, he was asleep.


Red Alert couldn't believe that Hot Shot had taken off so quickly. He could be anywhere! He'd checked the quarters of the other Autobots, the Rec. Room, the Control Room, and Space Bridge room, but he had been unsuccessful. Tired and stressed, Red Alert was about to give up and head back to his Med-Bay to prepare himself a speech to tell Optimus that he had lost Hot Shot when he remembered the one place that he hadn't checked. How could he be so stupid! He was a scientist for Primus's Sake!

He ran off as fast as he could until he reached his supposed destination and opened the door. Much to his relief and surprise, he saw a sleeping Hot Shot on his old recharge berth. Chuckling to himself and feeling tired as well, Red Alert walked inside the room and sat down beside the sparkling, picking him up gently and wrapped his arms around Hot Shot like a protective cacoon.

Hot Shot stirred in his sleep, but didn't wake up as Red Alert wrapped the blanket even further around him, but not too tightly in case Hot Shot felt too hot or couldn't breathe. He then leaned his back against the wall and he dozed off.


Optimus Prime and the other Autobots returned from their mission with triumph in their footsteps. The kids congratulated each other on a job well done and gave a high-five to the other. Optimus shook his head, but he was happy that they had gotten another Minicon. Letting the other Autobots know that he was going to check up on Red Alert and Hot Shot, he and Jetfire then headed to the Med-Bay, but… much to their surprise, Hot Shot and Red Alert were not there.

Deciding to look in the best places they believed were the correct places, their worry began to increase, but then decided that they should check one another place that they had missed. Hot Shot's quarters.

Peering into the room, Jetfire and Optimus couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Lying on Hot Shot's recharge berth with his arms wrapped around the sparkling was none other than Red Alert, who was quietly snoring away, and Hot Shot was sucking on his thumb in an uncaring way.

Jetfire snigged and Optimus chuckled at the two in their cute position. Optimus then cleared his throat and Red Alert stirred slowly as his red visor came online and he saw Optimus Prime and Jetfire standing in the middle of the doorway, looking incredibly pleased with themselves that they had caught him red handed in this amusing moment.

Red Alert looked down at the sleeping Hot Shot and he stretched a little as he stood up carefully, but Hot Shot woke up and saw Jetfire and Optimus standing there. His blue optics widened in delight and he reached out towards them.

"Oppy!" he cried in happiness, glad to see them again.

Jetfire was impressed. "Wow, he's given you a new name, Optimus. I've got to remember that one so that I can teach it to my kids in the future," he said as he laughed.

Optimus rolled his optics as Red Alert handed Hot Shot back to him. "I hope he wasn't any trouble, Red Alert," he said to his old friend.

Red Alert shook his head, saying, "Not at all, sir. Just ran off once, but that was about it."

Optimus nodded and Hot Shot showed him his new toy. "Reddy, give Shotty toy," he said excitedly. Optimus burst out laughing and he looked towards Red Alert, thanking him for looking after Hot Shot while he was gone. Red Alert just smiled, indicating that he was only just following orders.

"Shall we get you into bed now?" Optimus asked Hot Shot.

"Shotty sleepy," said Hot Shot and he stretched before he yawned and settled against Optimus's filters and was instantly asleep. Optimus shook his head and checked the time. It was late now, and he knew that sleep was important for Hot Shot's health. Wishing Jetfire and Red Alert a goodnight, he then returned to his quarters and sleep came quicker than he realised.


Spiritimus Prime: XD So cute that was! I hoped you liked it and enjoyed this chapter! Oh, I put up a poll on my profile so that you can vote for which story of mine you like the most because I have no other poll in mind. XD Remember to R&R if you liked this chapter!