Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Thanks to readers for the addicted list suggestions. It was a group effort. If anyone wants to expand a rule into its own fic, please let me know. About a dozen have been. This week has been beyond hectic and I posted when I could.

Congratulations to fantasyaddict101 for her fic "A loss of essence" about Elita losing their first sparkling from the earlier story arc. Beautifully written with emotion and showing the love Elita and Optimus share. For a lighter silly fic read Clifjumpersfangirl "Sideswipe vs hedgehog." Links to both are on my profile plus others.

Credit to ladyofdarkstar for the Ratchet "strength" quote. Current story arc is finishing and a new one beginning. For now, couple mushiness for February and such then return to battles and general life. Next chapter will reveal the sparking name of Optimus and Elita's little mech. So stay tuned. Onward to staying with family and continuing with teammates.

TR TR TR TR TR TR TR TR TR TRANSFORMERS

Major Will Lennox watched his best friend and Master Sergeant pull the silver laptop out of his travel bag and frowned. He moved closer confirming what he was seeing. Reaching out a hand, he tapped the laptop. "Do I even have to say it?"

"Course not man," Epps answered. "I'll order you one. Neat huh? Bright blue and red vinyl, perfect design. I scanned it in and ordered through the online site then a few days later, 8 x 8 inch Autobot logo to place on the top of my laptop. Vinyl is made for cars and will last for years, probably longer than what it is stuck too. And I have a mini one for my flash drive case and wait until you see my id tags."

"I meant why that logo? On base or while on NEST missions maybe but what if a civilian sees it? When traveling between bases or while on personal leave!" he gestured his frustration by waving all directions.

"Like the civilians who saw the broadcast of the Fallen couple years ago? 'To the human hive, we exist and oh yah, a super secret team called NEST saved all your afts yet again," he retorted, plugging the laptop cords in and powering it up. "Sides, turn it this way," he flipped it upside down, "kind of looks like a cat. Stylized lion face if you prefer. And with my looks, military hair cut, and muscles do you think some geeky nerd is going to challenge me over a sticker?"

"Still have that Ravage flash drive I see," Will commented, giving up and sitting down in the empty chair one spot over.

"Yup. And the case I store it in, see?" He held it up, a dog tag dangling from the zipper pull.

The other man leaned closer, blinking at it. "Ironhide's face?"

"Knew you would recognize it. I have Prime on my travel case zipper pull, Ironhide on my files and Ratchet on my cord wraps. What? I have no kids or family except my sister and she hates having her photo taken. This way, I know which gear is mine," Epps pointed at his then the plain sets all over the console counters.

"How did you get this all made without triggering a breach of confidentiality investigation?" Will asked, beginning to work on his own laptop.

"Website that makes any design of your choice, all automated. Scan in the image and they transfer it then mail it out. I got this last week," he pulled out a standard mouse pad, flipping it over to show Bumblebee in both his forms. His yellow and black Camaro alt mode on the right in the background and a fighting bi pedal mech pose on the left, without his battle mask or arm cannon though. "Image is embedded into the material so the mouse optics slides across and the image won't fade, peel or crack like store bought ones. Ordered a set for Sam and Mikeala as a wedding present. "

"They set a date?" Will looked up in surprise.

"Not yet but even if they take forever, classy gear never goes out of style."

You know you are addicted to Transformers when:

46. You call a fellow human an Autobot name by mistake by being tired, distracted or not paying attention. Marcy became Arcee, Jack to Jazz and Henry to Hound for example.

47. You see a falling star and first thought is "Decepticon or Autobot inbound?"

48. You have assigned a Cybertronian name to your personal vehicle and have used it around the vehicle.

49. You don't know whether to kiss or hunt down your recruiter who signed you up for the military but you can't tell them anything because the inter galaxy treaty and confidentiality agreement.

50. You take loads of advanced computer courses, and search for how-to-programs on the internet not to hack any system but find a clue on how to get back for what the twins did to your computers, again and again.

51. You are hungry and started to say "I need some ener..." stumbling over the word energon and switch it to "energy drink or energy bars."

52. You are updating your burial wishes and think, "Add a spark and throw me into a Transformer shell please or can I join the others at the well of sparks? I would love to talk to some of the early bots."

53. You watch a vehicle roll by itself and wait for it to transform instead of calling the driver an idiot for forgetting to set the brake when they got out and left it running at the store.

54. You compare people to Transformers. He is as arrogant as Starscream, that auditor is nasty as Megatron, cute as Bumblebee and she is feisty as Arcee.

55. You install digital locks, automated timing controllers and verbal command sensors at your home then wish you could install a comm link in your own body.

56. You are considering asking / begging / pleading for a subspace puller instead of more money at your next performance review and raise.

57. Your kids name a puppy, kitten, turtle, goldfish or other family pet with a Transformer name because they have heard you use it a million times as in Ironhide the tabby cat, Ratchet the goldfish and Soundwave the iguana.

58. You can list every make and model of the vehicles in your neighborhood but not the neighbor's names.

59. If the Transformers ever went public and were made into toys, you would buy the entire collection for yourself and a few for your kids.

Prowl moved his armored wing doors, marveling in their increasing speed and flexibility. Leaving his office, he stretched all directions checking that the last of the colored energon was truly out of his system. "Ratchet did a sufficient job, hmm, more than sufficient on them. I still have not tried their top speed." He froze them as mech treads echoed in the hallway. He turned, facing the wall and subspacing out a datapad. Sunstreaker turned the corner, paint cans in his yellow armored arms and vented once, spinning and striding back the other direction.

The second in command checked the brig status and made a timer note to verify the twin's whereabouts in seven breems. Striding outside, he returned the datapad to subspace. Sensors detected he was alone, only humans within sensor range. Slowly, Prowl began flexing his armored wing doors, back and forth. Increasing the speed gradually he moved the air and watched a discarded piece of paper float away. "How fast can they go?"

On the main concrete grid pad, the two NEST officers finished the equipment inspection, wiping sweat from their brows and grease from their hands. A whipping sound had them looking around, trying to spot the source of the noise. Moving away from the tanks, they stared at the white and black screaming blur as it zipped by. "Was that?"

"Yup," Epps nodded, wincing at the sounds of crashing palm trees and sand thrown high into the air. "Or the ugliest penguin I've ever seen."

"Penguins don't fly."

"Do they land? Cause he didn't, more crashed," the Master Sergeant said.

"Prank?" Will guessed, pulling out his cell phone and dialing Optimus' private line. "Are you missing Prowl? I think he is on the west beach. Oh, doing an imitation of a beached orca whale right about now. Right down to the distress cries."

You know you are addicted to humans when:

17. Your energon cube has a handle on the side and you sip from it while humans drink their coffee.

18. You have updated transfer protocols to warm your interior seats in cold weather, add plush floor mats for bare feet in the summer and adapt to the new booster seat for Annabelle now that she is bigger and older.

19. You run and hide when the word "shopping" or "groceries" is mentioned by any nearby human.*Ironhide, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker

20. You volunteer to go shopping, as human watching is fascinating and you do not mind them filling your trunk with bags. Exception: No Transformer shall ever go Christmas shopping, it is too cruel a punishment per Optimus Prime.

21. You have existed for thousands of years and dislike Mondays and look forward to Fridays for no reason you can process.

22. You have considered adding a coffee maker function to your interior cab or alt mode transform.

23. You cannot explain the inner workings of your blaster or how to make energon but know the calorie count, salt content and ingredient list of over 5,000 foods and drinks.

24. You are more excited about Sam's bachelor party than when installing into your adult frame.

"What is a bachelor party?" Huffer asked, looking around at the other new arrivals. They were waiting for their turn at the obstacle course. Ironhide stood in front of them, finishing his personal touches to the weapon drones.

"A party held shortly before Sam enters marriage, to make the most of his final opportunity to engage in activities a new partner might not approve of, or merely to spend time with his male friends who are often in his wedding party afterwards," Flipside answered, already well versed in the basics of human culture. The scholar was fascinated with the notion and was determined to ask, interrogate and threaten to find out every detail from attending mechs for her reports.

"Humans celebrate a lifelong commitment by being unfaithful?" Override exclaimed, spinning on her wheels. Her red and white armor contrasted with her black shoulder cannon as it rolled for emphasis. "How warped is this world?"

"No spark call? Why would you merge sparks with an unknown femme before initiating a full spark merge with the soul of your equal?" Gilese sputtered, looking disgusted.

"As if any femme would merge with an oath bound mech and Primus help him if the she finds out he is," Antares commented, looking over at her paternal femme.

"Humans don't merge sparks, interface only. Ratchet has files for you to upload on that subject," Flipside stated, determined not to explain that subject.

"All victims step up to the pre repair line, ahem, Autobots weapons ready," Ironhide corrected. His black armor reflected the mid day sun as he gestured for them to start. "First bot to make it across the finish line gets first choice at the new alt forms. Last bot gets what's left."

"What if you don't make it across?" Huffer asked.

"Now why would that happen?" the weapons specialist rolled both his cannons. "I will be the last across if I have to wear you on the end of my foot pads. NOW ROLL OUT!"

Story Arc: Hidden within a spark (part 9)

Ratchet pulled out of recharge, blinking his optics at the swath of light green above them. 'My ceiling is blue and white,' he processed, bringing sensors online. Rolling his head to the side, he came face to face with Moonracer and smiled. A true from the spark relaxed and content smile he had nearly forgotten how to make. Her optics shuttered as she recharged. He pressed his lip plates gently against hers, savoring the moment then smirked as the faintest twitch of her bottom lip plate showed she was pulling out of recharge.

"You found my spark," he murmured as her optics opened.

"Sharpshooters never miss," she quipped softly, snuggling closer. "And I owe you an apology."

"For?" he asked, running a thumb down her cheek plates.

"Misunderstanding you. You are pure mech, strong enough to fill any warrior position and yet you chose med bay. Others, even me see you as weaker. Yet you serve all of us instead of leading or being a pure fighter. Why did you never tell me?" she answered, keeping her optics averted.

He vented hard, feeling her protoform under his armored hands, the hum of her systems down to the very pulsing of her spark now they were truly a mated pair. "I am not a braggart, or vain. It takes strength to carry an injured mech your size or larger and self-control to rip out a part and seal an energon line as they scream and thrash under your hands. Triage requires I order who is repaired or left to offline and even override Ironhide or Prime if necessary. Telling them does nothing, you have to command as an equal."

"I saw parts, brief flashes of that in your spark when we merged. The price you pay to help and heal. I could never do that," she admitted quietly.

"It takes its toll on me too."

"No wonder you are a cranky old glitch," she teased, rapping the top of his helm with her fist. He vented, optics narrowing. "And before you vocalize another word, there is something you should know." She rushed it out. "Rone and First Aid are sharing medical command and you are relieved of all duties except checking on the sparklings for the next human week."

"On whose authority?" he growled, shifting back from her, sitting up on his recharge berth.

"Yours per the medical protocol you created. And do not get huffy with me. Only a Prime or joint medical authority can place you back as CMO. You failed to complete the order beyond ordering medical assistance. Personally," she formed a wicked smile on her faceplates. "You are going to get the rest and time we need without any other bot interfering." She reached for him then winced, tucking her arm against her chest plates with a hiss.

"What?"

"Blew an internal power core getting here so fast," she said. Then blinked at how fast he moved, cupping her shoulder plate with one hand as his multi-layered optics spun in medical scans.

"Blown is right. It fragmented into your cogs and cables. What were you thinking?" he growled.

"Reaching you across two continents before your spark spires did the same," she snapped back then stared when he began chuckling.

"Maybe you do deserve me," he winked an optic while leaning in closer. "If anything changes in your system, I will know and you are getting an express ride to med bay is that clear? Rank temporarily suspended or not. Understood?"

"I do have the repair scheduled for later today," she said.

"Why later? My assistant First Aid being lazy again?"

"No, the repair is with the Paradron Medic Rone. I wanted to pull out of recharge to your chassis by mine."

"Why?"

"If you have to ask you do need medical rest," she quipped, her optics sparkling with power.

"Rest is not what we are going to get," he leaned in close, touching his lip plates to her forehead before moving down her face.

"My processing exactly. Mmmmmm...I like that."

Two quarters further down the hallway, Ironhide sipped his energon, feeling refreshed even with the recharge disruption of the night before. Chromia held their sparking, rubbing a green armored hand across Ram's tiny helm. He clicked, leaning into her caress. "Bath time for all good mechs."

"Leaves me out," Ironhide rumbled, finishing his energon cube.

"Not so fast," she challenged.

"'Mia, I do not need the wash racks. I haven't fought or done any drills and have been layered enough to hide my armor and you never objected," the ancient warrior mech reminded while refilling his energon cube.

"Good habits for Ram and our future femme. Think of it as payback for all those times you had to wash Bumblebee when he did not want it. Set a good example," she crooned, the sparkling clicking in her arms as she swayed back and forth. He chirped when his mech creator vented and began pulling out cleanser clothes from storage.

Across the hallway, in their quarters, Elita and Optimus continued an important and personal discussion.

"I believe that is the best name for our mech Elita," Optimus stated.

"I understand why but not sure it is...solid enough for him. He is the next living Prime and that name doesn't sound like a warrior," she puzzled, tapping her chin plates with her rose armored fingers.

"This war will end and while a Prime leads," he began.

"And is offlined to come back and fight again to argue with human budget advisors and idiot liaisons," she continued.

"That is not all a Prime does," he grinned down at her, used to her teasing.

"You're right. I forgot to add hand down punishment for twin pranks, rescue screaming twitchy fleshlings and reminding Second in Command officers to leave their office and datapads to prove they still exist to their teammates."

"You forgot the most important," he stated seriously, hiding his hands behind his back plates. Silently, his leg cables tensed as hydraulics slid into a spring ready position.

"Carrying the Matrix of Leadership, protecting the sun reaper Matrix or guarding and serving before the Allspark?" she guessed.

"Keeping his femme happy," he lunged forward, grabbing and pinning her against the wall. Their mass thudded, left the faintest impact shape on the wall. He leaned in to touch her faceplates when an excited clicking began from nearby. They both turned their heads, seeing their mech sparkling watching and reaching for them from his wall mounted recharge bunk.

"I admit, the name fits seeing him like that," she said.

"Not like the Primes are going to tell us what to name him," Optimus stated, moving his arm up to let her duck under.

Across the military base, inside the Autobot med bay, Mikeala grinned up at Bumblebee. The yellow scout nodded, reading the sound clip. "The best part of waking up!"blared full strength from his speakers. On the medical berth, Sam's body heaved, twitching awake. His eyes opened as he gasped, arms flailing against the covers. "Ohh," he moaned.

"Easy Sam, you're in med bay. You have to eat before we can give you more pain meds. Hey now," she pushed at him as he grabbed her close.

'They are the perfect couple and I am thankful to be his guardian, no matter the cost,' Bumblebee processed. Revving outside the building got his attention briefly before sensors identified Override and Sideswipe, dismissing them as friendly.

On the tarmac, soldiers froze, letting the two racing Transformers zip around them. The red Corvette kept his distance from the humans as the red and white racing motorcycle wove in and out.

::Do not scare them. They trust our skills:: Sideswipe sent to her.

::I will not touch them. Any scaring is in their own processors:: Override replied over the comm signal. Transforming in motion, her body formed, popping up on her rolling wheels. Sideswipe was right behind, transforming onto his wheels. Both jumped the restraining wall, clearing the ten foot height flawlessly before landing on the black top and rolling down the spare runway. "I win!" she crowed, skidding to a stop shy of the grassy end.

"You didn't win, we finished our patrol in record time," he reminded, finishing their report log and uploading it to the mainframe.

"For spending times around the humans you are dense. A beautiful sunrise on an exotic world, a femme standing in front of you and you won't admit what you see?" she said, rolling around him in a tight circle. "Admit it slow poke, I'm better built for speed and better looking." She posed, her hands behind her head as her wheels retracted to form into two sets of feet pads.

Glaring at her, he ran possible pranks then remembered his twin's unique technique for dealing with a annoying femme. 'They think they have the power over us mechs,' he remembered him saying. 'Only one way to turn that on them.'

Removing all expression on his face, Sideswipe bowed her direction, catching her off guard. He rolled slowly closer, raising his right hand to his chest plates over his spark then placed his hand above her spark. "I am presenting myself for your consideration femme, without demand or reservation. I ask that you challenge or deny my spark, as equal to your own, forever apart yet one half of a whole for as long as our sparks blaze and beyond to the Matrix." He waited for her denial then shuttered his optics rapidly when she hesitated.

"I have two questions before I give my answer," she said lowering her hands to her side.

"That is not the standard answer," he sputtered, pulling his red armored hand back. 'This is not what happens! Every time Sunstreaker got a shouted no! Or Pit no! What is she doing?' he processed internally.

"I'm not a standard femme and the challenge affects more than yourself. First question, have you ever asked any other femme this way?"

"No, never. I was raised in the fighting core," he said without identifying which fighting core. "I saw mechs get distracted and offlined by their relationships interfering. My whole existence depended on my ability to fight and focus. Once Prowl recruited us for his team, we fought where it mattered. We could offline however we wanted, fast or slow and no bot cared. Prime gave us a chance and a future. The only warrior femmes were spark mated to Prime and Ironhide and I have been with a femme, once or twice," his optics focused down and to the side as his faceplates heated. "But never a serious relationship."

"Question two, have you ever considered a sparkling? Your own spark its creation. Is that new life worth the pursuit with your whole spark?" she asked.

"Yes," he admitted, his memory core replaying his feelings after watching Ultra Magnus comforting Silverblade and her new femme Estel.

"Then I accept your request for consideration mech. Without demand or reservation, I will challenge your spark as an equal to my own. If it is suitable, we will merge and become one. If not, I will deny it and neither shall be at fault," she repeated the ancient agreement then added her own line. "Consideration not acceptance. You want me, you will have to work for it and we will both have to know it is a true spark call and not an energy pulse before I take you or any mech as my own."

"You are the first but may not be the last," he challenged right back while reaching for his twin bond. ::Emergency bro!::

::Do you know what time it is? Was up late playing online games:: Sunstreaker sent back.

::I uhm, that is, Override accepted my challenge:: Sideswipe

::Challenge to race?:: Sunstreaker

::Challenge to be my mate. I did it the way you have only she said yes:: Sideswipe sent a databurst of the entire event, his complex weave of emotions transmitting alongside the words.

::You what? Hahahhhahhahahh:: Sunstreaker

::I'm serious:: Sideswipe

::Seriously messed up:: Sunstreaker

::No, I am seriously considering making it real. A relationship can take vorns. Might even get the sparkling I wanted:: Sideswipe

To be continued...