Authors Note: This chapter doesn't live up to the promise of the previous chapter, sorry. I'm struggling to keep this going, even though I have LOTS of evil ideas roaming around my sick little brain.
I discovered the term 'mechling' in the fanfic 'A Fighting Heart' by Canti Sixx and thought it was a brilliant description of a male sparkling (a combination of 'mech' and 'sparkling'), so that word belongs to her. She's a good writer too, go and look up her fanfics!
Chapter 7"Primus above... I don't know what to say. I'm crap at words." Ironhide roved his optics over the tiny sparkling in Elita One's arms. "He's a small critter. You said the first thing he did was laugh?"
"Yes, yes, amazing, really." Optimus stood next to Elita. He was watching the sleeping sparkling as closely as Ironhide was. He and Elita had decided to introduce their progeny to Ironhide first, since he'd already discovered their secret. They hadn't yet left Ratchet's medbay, having decided there was no reason not to begin the introductions immediately, since Sabre had fallen into a very deep recharge.
According to the CMO (an absolute hoarder of knowledge about sparklings) the tiny tyke would be recharging for another two Earth hours yet; he needed to charge up his batteries (so to speak) before he could take his first curious look at the world. It wouldn't worry him to have other 'bot's peering down at him while he slept. He'd be clueless.
Things would be different once he woke up...
"Just shows what his view of the world is already," Elita rolled her optics in mock irritation, then grinned at Sabre, "Laugh at it."
Ratchet smirked, crossing his arms and leaning against the very bench Elita had been lying on one hour earlier, "Wise."
"Yeah, smart," Ironhide scratched at his head, his cannon's creaking.
"Alright," Ratchet clapped his hands together, looking at Optimus and Elita by turn, "you want me and 'Hide to gather the rest of the troops together now?"
Optimus slowly nodded, still not able to take his optics off his son for more than a moment or two. "Please."
"Ratchet, please make sure they understand not to make a lot of noise?" Elita asked worriedly, her arms encircling Sabre protectively. "I mean, they can go OUTSIDE and make noise, just not in the same room as Sabre."
Ironhide shared a glance with Ratchet. "Oh, we'll drum that into them pretty good," the black mech grinned. The pair turned to leave the room – Elita's soft touch on Ratchet's arm as he passed halted the medic.
"Ratchet..? Thank you. I mean that. Sabre is here because of you," she said softly.
Optimus lifted his head at Elita's words, "Yes, thank you Ratchet. You've given us a gift beyond measure."
Ratchet cracked a smile, earning himself a look of disbelief from Ironhide, "You don't owe me thanks, seeing a sparkling again is enough thanks, and in any case, you need to thank lugnuts here for keeping me out of your room so you could get the time to produce a sparkling."
While Optimus choked over Ratchet's crude but heartfelt words, Ratchet and Ironhide gathered the base into an impromptu meeting in the rec room, giving out stern instructions that they were all to stay extremely quiet; despite what they were about to see. Ironhide backed up Ratchet's words with threatening looks and hunched up shoulder plates.
Optimus entered the room slowly, his head uncharacteristically bowed down. The other Autobots watched with trepidation. His head lifted slightly, his optics roving over all the mech's gathered before him. All of them friends, comrades, and loyal soldiers. He let a grin settle over his face.
"Thank you all for coming together at such short notice. I have an announcement for you all today, news that I must ask you to accept as quietly as possible... or you may frighten him."
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe shared a look.
"HIM?" whispered Sunstreaker. Sideswipe shoved him in the shoulder, getting grumpy silence back in return. The yellow Lamborghini was merely upset that this news wasn't about a 'her'; in other words, a new femme landing.
"Autobots..." Optimus Prime's chest appeared to swell. "We have a new recruit in our ranks today. His name is Sabre." He paused. Expectant faces looked up at him. Optimus didn't need a platform to stand upon, his height was enough. "And he is a sparkling produced by Elita and I."
There as no response for a microsecond. Then the room burst into utter excitement and disbelief. All over the room, jaws fell open, optics widened and went on the fritz, and CPU's threatened to crash.
"SPARKLING?!" – Prowl, losing his calm exterior and glitching, one optic fizzing out.
"...Sparkling?" – Sunstreaker.
"Sparkling!!" – Sideswipe.
"Optimus has a sparkling?" - Bumblebee.
"I KNEW IT! Didn't I say so, didn't I?! I so did!" - Sunstreaker.
"... But I thought there would be no more of those?" – Bumblebee, again.
"Holy Primus..." - Prowl again.
"What was the name again? My CPU just glitched. Permanently. Prowl, whack me in the back of the head, would ya?" - Jazz.
"QUIET!" Ratchet hissed. Ironhide growled, adding his displeasure with one whirling cannon gyro. Despite the pairs demand for silence, the two elder 'bots looked the happiest any of the others had ever seen them.
Once the room had settled down again, the side door to the rec room opened. Elita One appeared. All optics strained to stare at the hardly visible bundle in her arms. The Femme Commander appeared shy, coming to stand close to her mate.
The mech's gathered in a loose circle around Elita. "Guys, this is Sabre. You're welcome to have a peek at him. No touching yet though. He's recharging." She smiled tenderly, "he's only a few Earth hours old."
Sideswipe strained to see, "Wow. So small."
"Yup," Jazz nodded, in awe, "small. And cute! It should be illegal to be that cute!"
A yellow blurr whizzed across the room.
::WHACK::
"OWWW!" Optimus held his arms out, gaping in shock at the yellow mass of mech hugging his right leg. "Oh. Heh. Hello Bumblebee." He patted the mech on the shoulder.
"He's beautiful, Optimus. Congratulations!" Bumblebee grinned wildly up at his Commander. "This is great! Can I sparkling sit? Can I?"
The Leader nodded, "Yes. It is. Thank you, Bumblebee. It means a lot to me that you're okay with this. Can you, er...?"
"OH!" Bumblebee let go and stepped back, looking sheepish. "Sorry."
"That's okay," Optimus chuckled, waving off his apology, "I expect that everyone will be put off kilter by this sudden surprise. And yes, we'd love you to, uh, 'sparkling sit' when we're busy. I couldn't think of anyone better."
Bumblebee practically glowed, nodding vigorously. Wait till he told Sam! The boy hadn't even met Elita yet, either. Talk about a double-whammy.
"I think that's enough now. Elita, you better take him to your quarters. You go too, Optimus. Spend some time with him. I'll come by and check on him in another hour." Ratchet made stern shooing motions at the goggle-optic mech's.
Optimus and Elita found it to be a relief once they'd reached their quarters. They needed time alone. Elita perched on the edge of the recharge berth, watching Sabre closely. He was beginning to wiggle a bit, but his optics were still off and closed over.
"Do you want to hold him?" Her optics looked up to her sparkmate.
::click, click, click::
"PRIMUS!" Elita gasped in shock, "He's awake!"
Small blue optics gazed up at her. Fingers opened and closed. Sabre's head turned to stare at the other bot in the room. He squealed and blinked at his father. He knew where his mother's spark was, and he could feel a faint connection to another spark, belonging, he reasoned, to the tall figure looking down at him. One sparkling arm lifted up towards Optimus.
Optimus Prime's spark almost melted away. He hadn't thought it was possible to feel so much love for another.
"He wants you to hold him," Elita cautiously patted the recharge berth, "Come and sit down. I'll transfer him over."
Optimus sat down but looked extremely nervous. "I don't think we should upset him, he looks comfortable-"
"Upset him?" The femme blinked, interrupting him. "He just wants you to hold him. Here, hold you arms out." She lifted up Sabre, preparing to transfer him.
She was shocked when her mate flinched away, looking disturbed. "Optimus?!"
Prime looked ashamed of himself, "... I can't! I'll hurt him, I'm too strong, you keep him, 'Lita. Please, he's too small, I'll crush him or something."
Sabre's mouthplates began to tremble. He could discern worry and fear coming from the other bot. He sniffled, and clicked sorrowfully at his mother.
"It's okay Sabre, Optimus is just being a big boofhead. Of course he can hold you." Elita kicked her foot sideways into Prime's lower leg. "Stop being silly, you WILL NOT hurt him."
"I will! And I don't wish to! You don't understand, 'Lita." Prime cringed away. "I've got too much strength, it's not easy to gauge how much pressure to use. I'll crush him or drop him."
"Oh, for Primus' sake." The femme stood up in front of the worried mech. "Here, then," she gently placed Sabre on the recharge bed, sitting him on his aft. The sparkling's optics were wide and he looked around curiously. "Stand up," she commanded her mech.
Optimus stood, beginning to word a protest. "-But, no, I can't-"
"No buts," she scolded him, "Now, hold your hands out, like this." Elita cupped her hands together as if she wanted to scoop water.
"Okay," Optimus said nervously. "But I don't think-"
"I said no buts." The femme lifted up Sabre and started to place him in Prime's cupped hands. Optimus froze. He was sure that Elita was making a mistake.
Sabre was propped up in the hollow of his hands, one of Elita's hands behind his shoulders keeping him stable enough to sit. Sabre's head leant back. His optics looked right up at a fearful Optimus.
...then a bunch of shrieking giggles came from the tiny mech. He twittered away, laughing at whatever he found so hysterical. His hands patted enthusiastically at Optimus' far bigger hands encircling him.
Optimus stared at Sabre. What on Cybertron is so funny?!
Elita One chuckled, "Y'know, I think he likes you. You're good entertainment, obviously."
"I've always thought that," came a dry voice. Ratchet came up behind Elita, standing and watching the sparkling happily chirrup away in his father's hands.
"Ratchet, do you know what most bots are liking to do before they enter a room?" Elita chided him, shaking her head.
The CMO gave her a droll look. "Opening the door?"
"Knocking, numb nuts."
"Oh yes. My apologies. Now then," Ratchet held his hands out to Sabre, peering questioningly at his parents. Optimus extended his arms, holding the little mech out to the medic. Ratchet plucked up the mechling easily. Optimus sighed, relieved. "I think it's time to show you what Sabre can do." He put him down gently on the floor. Sabre squeaked. He couldn't see anything from down here! He grumped to himself and scowled at the floor. Why did they take him away from the big funny mech?
"Please do not be alarmed. This is for his safety and protection." Ratchet said.
"What?" Elita's optics narrowed. The medic was going along too fast for her liking. "Explain, please!"
"I am," Ratchet gave her a firm look. "Most sparklings back home never had a transformation or any type of external protection against unwanted attacks." He paused. "Sabre has both."
"He what?" Elita demanded. "He better not have guns, or missiles or anything, Ratchet." She could picture them coming to the point where they had to say 'No' to Sabre for the first time and having him get angry, and shove a cannon in their faces. Talk about a miniature Ironhide... ouch...
"I second that," Optimus rumbled, crossing his arms over his immense chest. He didn't have a clue where Ratchet was going with this. He had some other questions to ask the medic, too. Like, if he and Elita interfaced or spark-merged again, would they get another sparkling? Why had it happened with Sabre when they hadn't instructed their programs to create a sparkling? He really didn't want to be intimate with his sparkmate every night and have a new sparkling come morning. That would be ridiculous.
"No, he has no weapons, of course he wouldn't, I'm not THAT clueless." Ratchet shook his head as he lifted his right arm and tapped a few buttons.
There was a humming noise and Sabre squealed. Abruptly, his form shuddered and moved so he was lying on his chest. Then a pair of small wheels popped out from his hips and shoulders, lifting the mechling up to be on wheels only. Sabre's head was swivelling this way and that, surprised to find himself in a changed form. By tucking his arms up to his chest, he had free movement to roll backwards and forwards. His legs were secured safely up against his abdomen.
A few more typed commands from Ratchet's end, and Sabre was moving slowly around the room. The sparkling didn't appear to mind too much. He chittered happily away.
"Sabre has wheels?!" Elita One watched, flabbergasted.
"Yes," Ratchet nodded, "This is the modification I've been trying to tell you about. He has a top speed of at least sixty miles per hour, I think. And a self-guiding computer to avoid smashing into obstacles."
Optimus Prime was enraptured. He could see the point Ratchet was getting at. Sabre would never be able to run, or even walk, fast enough to get away from a threatening situation. With wheels, he had more of a chance.
Sabre came back to them, halting with a tiny grunt in front of his parents. He wriggled, trying to get going again, rocking back and forth. Ratchet denied him, keeping the brakes locked up. Sabre was not allowed to have control of his wheels, just yet. That was for an adult to do.
Ratchet smiled with satisfaction as one final 'modification' appeared. Small blast shields popped up on Sabre's sides, back, and aft. Crude, but effective. Ratchet caused the wheels and armor to retract, leaving Sabre lying on his front as his normal self once more. Sabre rolled over kicking his legs in the air happily. That had been fun!
"Ratchet..." Elita growled, stalking over to get in Ratchet's face.
"Uh, yes?"
"I hope you don't expect Sabre to be participating in battles like that."
Ratchet backed up, holding his hands up in surrender, "No, no! This is for emergencies only! I will transfer control of his extra facilities to you and Optimus. If the worst should happen, at least he was some protection, and a means to get away." The medic's optics dimmed sadly, remembering the slaughter of the innocent new 'bots on Cybertron, "Unlike the sparklings back home... they had nothing."
Optimus raised his head from examining Sabre on the floor, "Elita, Ratchet is correct. He has done the right thing. His forethought is much appreciated."
"Huh." Elita grumped, crossing her arms. "Perhaps."
"How repellent are those shields?" Optimus enquired of the medic.
"Thick, they're Cybertronian alloy. I had a few scraps left over in my subspace pocket..." Ratchet drawled on, explaining what he'd done and how'd he done it.
Unbeknownst to the momentarily distracted three bots, Sabre was getting bored on the floor. He looked at the legs nearest to him. He clicked to himself and crawled over to them. One small hand patted the red and blue foot.
No reaction.
Sabre looked up. It was a long, LONG way up there. Concentrating, he got his hands into a good position, made sure of his hand holds in the armor – and scrambled at top speed all the way up, climbing quickly.
"What the..?!" Optimus Prime looked behind him. Sabre's head popped up over his shoulder. He squeaked a 'Hello!', looking delighted with himself.
"Sabre! Holy Primus, how did you do that?" Elita rushed around to Optimus, getting her hands around Sabre's midsection and trying to lift him off. Sabre clicked angrily, holding on tight to his father's shoulder. "Sabre, let go, you shouldn't be doing that!"
Ratchet snickered, "Don't worry Elita, he's quite safe. Sparklings love to climb things."
"I'm not a thing!" Optimus protested weakly. He wasn't angry though. His head turned to look into the curious optics of his sparkling. Sabre cocked his head and clicked at him. He went to climb onto Optimus' head. "Oh no, no, no! That's far enough." Optimus laughed, using his fingers to keep Sabre's hands off his head.
"Here," Elita took advantage of Sabre's hands being free and reached up, removing him from her sparkmate's shoulder. Sabre warbled sadly. He liked it up there, lots to see! She smiled at him, "Cheer up little one. You know what? I think Ratchet hasn't had a chance to hold you yet."
Ratchet blinked. "Uh... t-that's okay."
"I insist," Elita smirked, holding out Sabre. The sparkling squealed, putting one finger in his mouth and chewing on it while he studied the new bot he was being introduced to. "Please?"
Gingerly, Ratchet held out his hands. Elita carefully placed Sabre into them. The medic's five-fingered delicate hands cradled the sparkling gently. Sabre wobbled, his face looked scared. Ratchet quickly held him against his chest to make him feel safer. The mechling clicked happily, one hand reached up and explored the metal he was leaning on, patting and probing. He put his head behind Ratchet's prominent Hummer bullbar and made a happy noise of discovery, looking around underneath.
Optimus chuckled, putting his hands behind his back casually and watching the medic stare in wonder at the sparkling in his arms. "You better get used to that, Sabre. With Ratchet around, you're going to be the best looked after sparkling in history. You'll be scanned, monitored, and tested so often you'll learn to disappear better than Bumblebee."
Ratchet didn't respond. He was busy staring down at the new life in his arms. Sabre was a gorgeous little bot. Ratchet had no doubt the tiny tyke had a super slick CPU hiding away in there, just like his progenitors. Optimus and Elita had no idea what a battle it was going to be when Sabre grew got older and learned to use his sharp intellect for his own desires.
"Welcome to the Autobots, Sabre." Ratchet announced formally. He looked back up and caught Elita giving Optimus Prime a loving wet look. The medic smiled internally. It was so nice to have some happiness at last.
NEXT: Prowl puts speed camera's in the hallways out of desperation. And Sabre meets his first humans.