Basis: G1
Pairings: HoundxMirage
Whoa... almost 6500 words, I think that's my longest chapter yet...
Awesome. It was worth it.
Big ending... I like it. :) Again, might be graphic to some, depending on whoever's reading it... Hope ya like!
"Mirage, are you sure you feel like working?"
"Red, I'm fine. This is one of the simplest jobs on the Ark."
"...Well... okay..."
"'Raj, put that down, you don't need to be lifting that!"
"Sunny, I'm fine. Quit your worrying."
"Mirage, that much strain could cause you to go into labor..."
Mirage grunted as he tossed the stack of metal sheets over his shoulder. "I need it, Sunstreaker. If you want you can help me."
"Alright, fine."
"Mirage!"
"What?"
"Don't strain yourself!"
"I'm fine."
"Mirage. Please. You should be on berth rest."
"Mirage!"
"'Raj! You shouldn't be working!"
"Mirage! Put that down."
"Mirage!"
"Mirage..."
"Mirage - "
"WHAT?"
Hound stopped dead in the doorway and looked up at the scowling noble with wide optics. "Uhmm... I... just wanted to ask if you got enough metal sheets..."
Mirage exhaled deeply in frustration. "Um, yes, yeah I got more than enough."
Hound set the datapad on top of a roll of metal bars and walked towards him. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing... I just - Ughhhnnn..." Mirage shot both servos to his abdomen, Hound catching him as he nearly collapsed. "Uhnn... " he managed as he caught his breath and got to his pedes again. "Sorry... I'm just... gonna smack the next mech that shouts 'Mirage! Put that down!' or 'Mirage! You shouldn't be working!'. 'You should be on berth rest... stay in med bay.' 'Mirage!' this, 'Mirage!' that... Primus, it's driving me absolutely insane!"
Hound merely laughed as he cautiously let go of Mirage, stroking his forehelm with his thumb. "Mirage, they're just worried. You know this is the first Autobot sparkling in millennia..."
Mirage gave him wide optics.
"...That's survived... or, will survive..."
Mirage just smirked as he walked over to Hound's datapad. "Where's Ironhide?" he asked.
"On his way, he had to help Blue with something."
Before Mirage could ask another question, Ironhide stepped through the open door to their quarters. "Evenin' mechs," he greeted cheerily.
"Hey 'Hide."
"Sorry I'm late - "
"Don't worry about it. We have time."
"Fantastic," he exclaimed. "Let's get started."
After three full cycles of working, the three mechs eventually finished their project.
Well, two mechs mainly, since Mirage was only allowed to do what the other two thought was safe. They would have started the project sooner, but neither had had the time or flexibility to work around their crammed schedules.
Hound somehow found time in the chaos to read one of the many datapads stacked up to the point they'd fall over. So much to do... the sun was setting, and the sparkling could come as soon as - right now, Hound realized. He looked up from his datapad as Mirage walked over to him, smiling.
"When are you gonna talk to Optimus about those?" he asked gently.
Hound smiled back thoughtfully. "I know, 'Raj, I will."
"At least go get some energon... you've been so busy caring for me and making me drink it all that you've been practically starving yourself."
"Fine, 'Raj," he said, patting his cheek like a creator would. "Do you want some?"
"Sure," he said, turning and walking towards their quarter's single back room to take another look at their finished work.
Hound grabbed a clean cube and aligned it under the nozzle, pulling the trigger.
The quiet rec room allowed him time to think, something he knew would be lost when the sparkling entered their world. He watched the purple liquid pour from the nozzle, drizzling slowly into the translucent cube container.
"Good evening, Hound," he heard in that familiar, deep voice he hadn't heard in a while. He looked up as he switched off the trigger, Optimus' optics fixed on him.
"'Evening, sir."
"How are you and Mirage?" he asked, grabbing his own cube.
"Oh, fantastic, Optimus. we just finished building it; it's sitting in the back room ready for use," he said playfully. "Mirage is fine; he sometimes keens when the sparkling kicks, but he's holding up pretty well," he chuckled.
"Great!" Optimus exclaimed. "That's good. Glad to hear it."
Hound moved over so Optimus could fill his own cube. "Actually, Optimus, I - we, were wondering what's up with all the datapads..."
"Mhmm..."
"...I mean, with the sparkling coming n' all, I, um, I'm not gonna have much time to read all these 'pads," he chuckled nervously. "I was just wondering if you could... maybe reduce the quantity."
"Reduce the quantity," he repeated as he laughed. "I like it, Hound. But yes, of course, I'm sorry, Hound; I was merely assigning you more data pads than usual so that you wouldn't have any for a while when the sparkling's born."
Hound's optics widened as he almost did his best spit-take. He choked as he tried to speak, energon drooling down his chin before he wiped it away. "Oh..." he coughed. "I- I see; Primus, sir, I had no idea. Um, thank you."
"Think nothing of it," he replied, still laughing as he sipped his own energon. "Don't feel rushed to turn them all in before tomorrow night, either. And don't hesitate to ask if you need something, alright?"
"Alright, Optimus. Thank you again."
Optimus waved it off as he exited the rec room. "Have a nice night, Hound."
Hound returned to their quarters silently as not to startle Mirage. He didn't want anything out of the ordinary to happen to their sparkling, even if that meant not even playing with Mirage.
He slowly approached the noble who still stood in the back room, servo feeling its way down the crib frame.
"We did a nice job," Hound spoke softly as he neared his bondmate.
"Yeah," he said, optics still running down the white metal frame. "I like the color."
Hound chuckled. "Of course you do; you picked it out yourself."
"I'm surprised Sunny actually knew my favorite color," he giggled.
Hound sipped at his energon. "I wonder what the sparkling's favorite color will be..." he said slowly after a moment.
"I have no idea." The noble suddenly started laughing, earning an interesting look from Hound. "We haven't even decided on a name for her."
Hound laughed along with him. "That's right... we've started a few, but we need to think of one."
"Or we could wait until she's born; maybe how she looks will give us an idea."
"Maybe." He felt the crib's frame with his own free servo, thinking the same thing Mirage was. He could tell the noble was just as excited as he was, yet just as nervous. Especially for tomorrow, he knew quite well thanks to his constant reminder.
"Just think," he continued, whispering. "In less than two joors, our little sparkling is gonna be recharging in this thing."
Mirage hummed happily in reply. "I can't stop thinking about it."
After a while of thinking their last thoughts for the night, maybe even for their lives before the sparkling arrived, Hound spoke up. "Now, are you sure you don't want to spend the night in med bay?" he asked.
"No, Hound. I'm fine in my own berth... if something happens, med bay's not far away."
"Alright, alright... just asking."
They walked out of the back room to their berth. "Oh!" Mirage chirped as he laid down on his backstrut, only to sit back up as Hound laid down next to him. "I almost forgot; I meant to show you something, but I never got to..."
"What?" he chuckled.
"Feel..." he whispered, grabbing Hound's servo and placing it on his abdomen.
"Wh - "
"Shhh... wait..."
They waited for a long time. Hound began to pull away after nothing happened, the noble pulling and holding it back. Mirage began to worry that she wouldn't kick for Hound... what if it was too late? What if she wasn't used to Hound, and now she was developed enough and didn't want to know him?
Relief and shock flooded his circuits when the little femme kicked roughly against his chamber. Hound gasped aloud, laughing so hard tears nearly came to his optics. "Oh, jeez, Mirage, that's amazing!"
Mirage laughed slightly as the sparkling kicked a second time. "I discovered it in the wash racks, but then Bumblebee... distracted me, and I completely forgot."
"That's alright... that's really cool. Thanks for showing me," he teased, kissing his helm. Mirage slid down so he laid flat on the berth, Hound doing the same.
As they laid in the dark silence, Mirage soon found himself gripping his abdomen in pain. "Ah," he let out, his helm burying itself in Hound's frame.
"Mirage, please," he started as he stroked his upper arm. "Before something happens..."
"No... I-It's just bad... bad contractions..."
"Exactly; please spend the night in med bay..."
"No way... Now if you see oil running down my legs then we'll talk, otherwise I'm staying right here."
Hound sighed in annoyance towards the stubborn mech. "Fine, be that way," he sighed jokingly.
Mirage smiled as offlined his optics, falling into his last recharge before finally being a creator.
Day 8
The noble onlined with sweat running down his faceplate.
*Today's the day,* he kept thinking. *The big joor...*
He really didn't want this joor to come. But he did... he wanted it so badly...It'll all be worth it, he told himself. Hound then onlined his bright, smiling optics, shining them down on his beautiful noble.
And guess what was the first thing he thought.
"Today's the day!" he chirped, Mirage almost waiting in the berth for Hound to online and tell him that.
"I know," he sighed, his faceplate still dripping with sweat. And he wasn't even in labor yet.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah... just... extremely nervous..."
"Well don't be. We'll be right by your side, helping you all the way."
"And you won't leave me if I squeeze your servo too tight?" he joked.
"Of course not, love," the scout giggled.
He stood up and helped Mirage on his pedes, barely noticing his abdomen. Mirage did, though, when he stepped in the wash room. The noble stared at his overly-stretched abdomen in the mirror, feeling it with his servo; he was by now equivalent to a human 9 months pregnant, and could start labor any minute and still have a healthy sparkling. Ratchet didn't call him 'due' yet until this afternoon, but anything could happen for a newbie, especially if said newbie is fairly young and a noble.
At least he didn't have to worry about being paranoid around the other mechs. He actually started to get used to all the attention, especially from the twins and Bumblebee.
"Ugghhnnn..." he let out, long and low as he clutched onto the wall. Hound caught him before he fell any lower, helping him back to his pedes.
"Okay, time for med bay..."
"NO! No, Hound, I said I'm fine..."
"That was last night. When you weren't due any minute."
"I'm not due until this afternoon, Hound. I said if we see oil running down my legs, we'll go. But I can still work light shifts."
Hound exhaled rather loud. "Very light shifts, 'Raj. I swear, you're gonna break your own energon..." he laughed.
"No I'm not. She's a trooper... trust me."
Hound chuckled lightly again. "I'll let you work, but as long as you're with me, alright? You can... monitor my datapad for stealth."
"Alright fine. Anything to get me away from berth rest."
"So did you get anymore of those datapads read?"
"Yes actually, I'm almost done," he replied as they walked to meet Jazz outside the entrance. "I'll finish them tonight."
Jazz spotted them before they got another word out. "Hey, guys!" he pitched, clasping his servos together. "Today's the big day!" Several cheers and whoops left the small crowd of mechs who could hear behind him.
"Yes, we're well aware," Hound said as he looked at Mirage. "We're also too stubborn to visit med bay."
Jazz just laughed as he turned to walk out to the field, the two following him. "So, fellas, do ya have any names picked out?"
"Not really... we were going to wait until she's born to name her.".
"Seems legit..." Jazz responded cheerily.
Hound looked to Mirage as the noble rested a servo on his abdomen, paranoid that his energon would break any nanoklik. Mirage shot him a reassuring smile, forcing him to not worry about him.
"Well, you know the drill Hound, watch - "
Two more cardboard 'Cons shot up from the ground. Hound had been practicing his stuff for the past two orns; he fought like he knew where every "'Con" was located. A dodge here, a leap there, a few more turns and a decapitated cardboard figurine.
Mirage observed with intent.
He had no idea how... graceful... his bondmate was... except for in the berth of course.
*Crazy sparkling,* he thought. *Making me think weird things...*
It was as if the femme read his mind. She kicked what seemed like the hardest she had all this time, making Mirage grunt in pain as he bent over at the waist and Hound lose his focus of the cardboard. He turned to the noble, just in time to earn a nice blow to the helm by a line of hot pink BB bullets.
"Primus..." he gasped as he regained consciousness and was able to stand on his own again. Hound kept his optics on him as he fought another Decepti-cardboard, but Mirage waved him to continue as if nothing had happened.
The scout followed his command, although he wasn't too happy about it. He wished so badly Mirage would just go to med bay... he was really starting to give him spark strain.
"You alright over there?" Jazz called to the noble. Mirage nodded, waving him off as well with the datapad.
Mirage stood there, reading over his report. He looked up from time to time when someone shouted out, or simply if he wanted to watch Hound be so graceful as he chopped off cardboard limbs. He chuckled lightly to himself, almost forgetting about the little creation inside him, growing, still growing... would always grow, when she was born. He kept replaying images in his processor on how he would get to watch his little femme grow over the years... stay with her when Ratchet gave her annual checkups and frame advancements. Protect her when she would be curious and explore the wrong things. Or even when real Decepticons attacked, not just cardboard.
He was so caught up in the moment that he barely noticed the oil trickling down his legs.
The next few moments happened so fast...
Suddenly Hound was in his face, shouting his name and smiling.
Why was he smiling?
*And why are my legs warm and wet?*
He gasped as he clutched his abdomen and practically fell into Hound as he caught him. He managed to flicker his optics to the sky, and to everyone else who was staring at him and smiling. An F-16 flew overhead, everyone's optics leaving the gasping noble and focusing on the jet...
...That even Mirage could tell looked exactly like Starscream.
"Fantastic," he heard from Hound looming somewhere above him.
But the jet left... it flew over them and didn't stop. Didn't transform. Didn't threaten anyone, or stab a pregnant noble. "I don't think it's a 'Con," someone called.
"No Cybertronian writing," another pitched.
"Get 'em outta here!" He recognized Sunstreaker's voice this time.
Hound focused back on Mirage. "You're okay," he said, the noble's dark optics looking up at him from where he was keeled over and gripping his chamber with both servos. "C'mon, let's go..."
"Is the sparkling coming?" yelled Bumblebee through the small scattered crowd of mechs in the surrounding fields.
More cheers and whoops sounded loud enough for next city to hear after a simple mouthed "I think so" left Hound's smiling lips.
Ratchet was already basically bouncing with excitement when he got the comm. link message.
He'd been ready for the past joor. Now it was finally time.
And Mirage was not too happy.
"You're alright, 'Raj," the medic comforted him as Wheeljack attached a very narrow tube to the noble's back. "Just breathe, and relax."
He was already clutching onto Hound's servo as tight as he could, mainly out of fear over how much it would hurt. A cycling attack was the last thing he needed at the moment.
"Get some nitrous on him," chirped Perceptor. "Get him calm..."
Ratchet helped him swing his pedes around so he laid on the berth just as Wheeljack slid around from behind, a mask in his servos glowing with purple. He placed the mask over the whimpering noble's faceplate, nitrous oxide steaming into his nasal ridge. Ratchet had discovered nitrous oxide a while back, shortly before Jazz got pregnant, thanks to Spike when they were discussing their culture's different medicines. Ratchet had experimented on many of Spike's suggestions, but only found one that actually worked. Better on Cybertronians than humans, really, Spike noted for him.
And he honestly didn't know what he did without the stuff. He figured he just went with the much-more-intense screaming... he guessed that's why his audio receptors where so low.
Of course he still heard screaming, and was quite used to it. He was also used to the whimpering, moaning, growling, shouting, crying, kicking...
*Oh yeah...* he remembered. Mirage. Right.
"Okay, Mirage, relax now, you're almost there..." he soothed as he checked the dilation once more. "Just a few more minutes."
Mirage moaned aloud once again as Wheeljack took the nitrous away. He was struggling so hard not to let a cycling attack take hold of him right now... he had too much work to do. The nervousness and adrenaline shooting through his frame was exhilarating enough as it is.
Hound stroked him helm lovingly. "Looks good, Mirage," Wheeljack chimed in. "You're doing great so far."
"Ugghhh..." he groaned, not in pain, just in thought. He did not want to be here. He hated this situation with a strong passion.
A high-pitched shriek left the noble as his valve continued to expand... "Primus!" he shouted. "How big is this thing?"
Ratchet and Hound just laughed. "That's just the nitrous talking... you're fine, 'Raj. Hang in there."
"I don't want to be here..." he growled, panting.
"I know... you're okay..."
"Nnggg..." was all he said for a while as he panted in pain, trying not to focus on his aching valve stretching on its own to the point where he thought it would surely tear right down the middle. He turned to Hound, sweat starting to drizzle down his forehelm. The scout smiled at him, with passion, kneeling down as he kept a firm grip on his servo.
"It's gonna be okay," he whispered.
Mirage had his optics glued to his lover's, trying anything to focus on everything else except his dilation. He felt two cold servos spread his legs wider, the medic's optics peering in once again. "I think we can start as soon as you're ready, Mirage, alright?"
Mirage shook his helm as he looked at Ratchet with wide optics.
Ratchet chuckled. "Well, do you just want to carry her for the rest of your lifestream?"
He nodded faster.
"I'm afraid that's not going to work," Wheeljack chimed in playfully.
He turned back to see Hound laughing too. "H...Hound..."
"I'm here, baby," he said quietly as he stroked his helm. "I'm right here."
Mirage shouted in pain as the sparkling kicked again; he could feel that her little pedes had moved upwards, which meant her little helm had moved downwards... Oh Primus, he thought... she's coming... He panted as he keened, clutching onto Hound's servo for dear life.
"Alright, Mirage, listen to me..." Mirage shot his optics to the medic. "Breathe in deeply," he said, telling how he was scared and starting his own cycling attack. "That's it..."
Mirage took a deep breath, holding it in until Ratchet told him to let it out. "Now, breathe out...slowly..."
He choked as he exhaled, tears nearly swelling up his optics as he gritted his denta in sincere pain. "Make it stop..." he murmured raspily.
"I know it hurts, Mirage, just stay with me... I need you to do as I say, okay? When I say 'push', you push, alright?"
Mirage keened as he nodded, one servo gripping Hound's while the other clenched around the berth's handle bar.
"Ready... on three... One, two... three..."
Mirage cried out as he made his first push, too scared to even try his hardest.
"Jazz!"
"Yes, sir."
"What is the status on the jets outside?"
"Not a threat, Optimus. Simple human government mojo."
You could see the relief flood the semi's circuits. "Thank Primus," he let out, returning to the front of the rec room. The last thing he needed right now was a Decepticon attack, especially with Mirage finally going into labor. He walked up on the platform, clearing his vocals so the whole room could hear.
"Mechs, as you know, Mirage has entered the med bay. Blaster will have pictures as soon as the sparkling is born, and I advise that you remain in these quarters in case something goes wrong."
He doubted anyone would have a problem being required to stay off-shift, waiting for something so exciting as a new sparkling. But he had to say it anyway. And not everyone knew of the photos. Everyone stayed in the rec room, talking amongst one another, drinking energon, pretty much slacking off while Mirage was experiencing pain like never before.
"Has he gone into labor yet?" called Cliffjumper. "Is the sparkling coming?"
Just then a sharp scream came down the hallway, silencing everyone on board. No one moved, jumping as another shout echoed down from the end of the hall where the med bay's location was well-known.
"I think that answers your question..." Ironhide murmured next to him.
"C'mon, breathe, Mirage... just breathe..."
Wheeljack wiped a cold wash cloth over his sweaty forehelm, pressing the dampness to it. "Calm down, you're doing fine."
Panting, he screamed again as he felt that tiny formation move about his sensitive reproduction area, squirming her way out his valve.
"Oh, PRIMUS!" he screamed again, Hound squeezing his servo as Wheeljack stood by his other side. "Ra... Ratchet... nnnggg..."
"I know, I know, don't strain yourself, Mirage... you're just making more pain by trying too hard."
"Easy paces," said Perceptor softly, petting his large abdomen as he helped Ratchet. "Now, push... gently now..."
Mirage keened long and loud as he pushed again, gently like the microscope said, slowly, painfully... oh, so painfully...
He gasped for breath when he couldn't hold it anymore. "That's fine, Mirage, you're doing fantastic!"
"I'm so proud of you," he heard Hound whisper in his audio. "You're almost done... you're doing great."
He continued with the violent panting, optics squeezed so tight that the tears trickled down his faceplate. "Make it sto-op!" he shouted, vocals so weak as he struggled to cycle air peacefully. He kept a firm grasp on Hound's collar ridge as he pushed again, keening, denta so close and so pressed tight that he could bite him.
In fact he did.
What surprised him in all this chaos was that Hound let him. He bit down forcefully on the top of Hound's collar ridge, knowing he was hurting the scout, but it was nothing compared to the reason why he was biting down on him. It actually helped; he squeezed tighter on the servo, allowing himself a long and worthy push.
"Oh..." he let out, letting go of the ridge as he stopped. "Oh... oh... jeez..."
"That's great, Mirage," Hound laughed, barely noticing the sting in his collar. "You're almost there..."
"Nnnggg... Ahhh... AHHHHH! PRIMUS, I CAN'T BELIEVE I WANTED THIS!" he screamed louder than he had all morning, squeezing Hound's servo so hard that he thought he heard it crack as the sparkling emerged even further.
"You did want this, Mirage," Ratchet comforted him. "Remember? You're so excited, so happy! Wait until she's born, remember?" His words were like nails on a chalkboard at this point, as the humans say. But pretty nails... that he loved hearing deep down. Half of him wanted everyone to shut up so he could just scream this sparkling out, while the other half wanted the soothing words and touches.
"Think about the sparkling, Mirage," added Wheeljack. "Think about how she'll look when this is all over!"
With that he screamed again, pulling Hound's servo down to the berth as he clutched onto the berth's side bar. "I... AAAGGNnnnhhh... I HATE YOU!" he yelled into Hound's neck.
"I know you do," he teased, watching Ratchet work his digits over the overly-flexing valve, helping the sparkling along. He kissed his helm, taking another damp cloth with his free servo and wiping the copious amounts of sweat away. "I'm still so proud of you..."
"That's it, Mirage... nice n' easy..." Ratchet soothed, words rolling off his glossa like soft candy. "We're almost done..."
"WE?" he panted, keening again. "I'm the one doing all the work...!"
The others chuckled, petting his abdomen and helm as they encouraged him with his final pushings. "C'mon, 'Raj, I know you can do it..." Hound said. "Push, baby, you got this..."
"Dear Primus..." he whined, his vocals barely nothing but static by now. "Please... oh..."
His panting grew fiercer as he sparkling's helm finally started to show itself. "There!" called Ratchet. "I see it! You're almost there!" The medic's digits softly pressed against the valve, rubbing the exterior walls, encouraging the sparkling into the world. He smiled as he saw the helm, remembering clearly Jazz's first sparkling's helm when he was in this predicament.
"Push, Mirage," he heard again. He sat up more, straining, yelling at anyone he could think of, gasping as he tossed his helm back. "Push!"
"You got this... push... push..."
Oh... so close... he was almost there! He wanted to cry he was so close... the pain was unbearable. He let the tears flow, wishing so desperately that this was over...
"I see the helm..." he thought he heard. "Push, baby... one last push" came a voice right next to him.
"C'mon 'Raj, give me just one more push... one more and you're done..." came Ratchet's soothing voice.
He keened, screaming as his whole frame shook; he almost thought he heard Hound whimper as he squeezed unbelievably tight around his servo. *Push, you moron... You're so close...*
His constant moan turned to a long shout as he made his final push, straining every cable in his body... keep pushing, he told himself...
He kept his one scream until he felt it. Everything ceased - it was like the Earth stopped spinning... servos were all over him; but he felt that empty chamber...
"There!"
"Yay!" "She's here..."
"Oh..."
Then he heard it. Crying. Wailing from tiny vocals. He onlined his optics.
He couldn't breathe.
"Get some nitrous on him!" he heard being shouted across the room.
He saw the umbilical cord being cut by red servos. The wailing became fainter as he made out a blurry red mech and red and white mech leave into another room with his sparkling. He felt servos push him down, a mask over his chin, his mouth, breathing in funny air that made him so tired... He made out Hound and Wheeljack looming above him, smiling at him, saying things that he could barely hear.
"Shhh... you're done, Mirage," Hound said so softly, so close to his audio, stroking his helm. "It's all over... you did it!"
He still couldn't breathe. He looked at Hound, trying to process his words. "Calm down... I'm so proud of you," he said with a smile, trying to get his cycling attack's intensity to decrease.
He grabbed for anything - the berth, Hound, cables coming out of him... he just wanted to breathe... He gasped for air desperately as soon as Wheeljack pulled the mask away, but nothing happened. His vision got more blurry and he felt like fainting. That was it.
"Stay with me, 'Raj," he actually was able to hear. He didn't know what was going on - he couldn't think at all. All he knew was his chassis hurt, and he wanted to breathe.
He barely noticed that Wheeljack returned the mask to his faceplate. He sucked in the nitrous drastically, forcing himself to cycle air normally. He bucked as he strained, feeling Hound's slippery servos hold him down, stroking his now-flat abdomen.
"That's it, Mirage," Wheeljack soothed as Mirage's bucking lessened. "Deep breath for me..."
He took the mask away, slowly, Mirage taking a deep steady breath. "Good... now let it out."
He choked as he exhaled, keeping his optics fixed on the hazy scientist. "Good... good job. Breathe in..."
He did.
"...Breathe out."
He did.
The action repeated several times until he quit twitching and bucking completely, managing stable breaths under the mask. He now could think straight... and how Ratchet had done the very same thing to get him through one of his major cycling attacks.
Primus, this must have been a big one, he thought.
"Are you okay?" he saw the scientist's helm fins flash bright purple as he processed the words.
He nodded, a fair sign that he was stable enough to get energon flowing to allow him movement on his own. "Good," he saw him smile. The mech took the mask away and didn't put it back, walking away to the opposite counter.
Mirage looked at Hound, panting severely. He held his helm in his servos, stroking it and resting his own against it, laughing as he comforted his lover. "Oh... Mirage, you did great... I'm so proud of you..."
"I... I'm...done..."
"You're done, yes, baby, it's all over," he chuckled, kissing his helm. Mirage laughed wearily as he offlined his dull optics, finally relaxing in Hound's embrace. "Oh, Primus... I'm so proud... I can't wait for you to see her..."
"...You... saw h-her?"
"Yeah," he whispered softly. "Yeah, she's beautiful... looks a lot like you," he laughed.
"Really?"
"Yeah," he answered, staring passionately into those tired, wide optics. "She's mainly blue... though I couldn't see much since she was covered in energon."
Mirage laughed as he onlined his optics. "Sorry..." he teased.
"Please. Now c'mon, I'll help you sit up..."
"Hand me that tube, Perce," Ratchet chirped over wailing vocals underneath him.
The red mech handed him the narrow clear tube, watching as the medic hooked it up to the crying sparkling, feeding it energon as he finally got it stabilized and cycling air normally.
"There," he let out with a sigh. "All clean and presentable."
Perceptor smiled as Ratchet picked up the sparkling, holding her for the first real time. Wheeljack loved the look on his faceplate... one that he hadn't seen for eons since Jazz's sparkling. He never saw the medic this happy, ever - maybe during the Golden Age, but not twice after that.
And if he hadn't have made that face, he would have completely forgotten about the pictures Blaster needed.
He quickly pulled out the hand-held camera Blaster gave him and snapped the picture of the medic's face as he held that little sparkling. This, he thought, would be his favorite.
Ratchet gave him a playful look of annoyance as he turned to leave the back room.
Hound continued stroking his bondmate's helm as he sat next to him on the berth. He had the noble sitting up, his helm resting on Hound's shoulder as he offlined his optics for the time being. He also got his cycling under better control, listening to him cycle with ease, peacefully enjoying his lover's embrace as tired as he was.
"Mirage," he stirred him. "Mirage, look..."
Ratchet walked in with the sparkling, holding her with such love and gentleness that any passing mech would think he was the creator. "Look at this beauty," he teased, grin widening as the sparkling cooed in his arms.
Mirage onlined his optics, the fading dullness brightening to their fullest. He smiled silently as Ratchet handed him the femme... He couldn't believe it.
His family was here.
He made that? he wondered. *Primus...* was all he thought, over and over again. He had no words. His wide optics and big smile never left the tiny faceplate in his arms; he stared at her and nothing more, taking in the fact that he was sitting here, right now, with Hound by his side peering over his shoulder, holding his very own creation in his very arms.
Hound was right; she was mostly blue, with a big chunk of silver on her upper arms and chassis. Sparkling colors were often very dull when they were first born, developing on their own as they grew, even though their frame advancements and checkups would change it, along with when they eventually chose an alt mode and transformed.
Her optics fluttered up to Mirage... those huge, sea-blue optics, shining up at him, still squinting from the harsh lighting she really wasn't used to. Ratchet had wrapped her in a soft, dark green blanket, a rarity even the medic was surprised he still kept after all these years.
"Hi..." he managed after the longest silent moment he'd ever experienced. "...my little femme..." he whispered.
The sparkling cooed again, moving her tiny servos up to her faceplate, slowly, stretching her limbs for the first time.
"I told you she looked like you..." Hound mentioned into his audio. "She's beautiful."
Mirage's smile grew wider. He held her closer, showing her love and protection, generating heat from his chassis to warm her since she was obviously still cold from emerging out of her secure habitat. He thunked his helm against Hound, wanting to just cry again... cry tears of joy this time. Words couldn't describe how happy he felt at this moment. The pain seemed to disappear; all he thought about was this tiny half-noble Cybertronian in his arms.
"Primus," was the only thing anyone heard Ratchet say.
"An actual sparkling..." Perceptor let out. "I still can't believe my optics..."
"Me neither, Perce..." Wheeljack chimed in.
After a while, Mirage spoke a solid sentence. "What about... Glazer..." he offered, not looking away from the sparkling as everyone else looked at him. The silver on her upper half reminded him of the Towers he grew up in; always looking like they were covered with a glaze of some sort. She looked shiny... and he thought 'Glazer' fit her perfectly.
"Glazer..." Hound repeated, optics fluttering back down to his sparkling. "...I like it, 'Raj."
"That's a good name," Ratchet said with a smile. "Glazer."
Everyone paused again as the sparkling turned her helm to stretch it, looking back up at Mirage and laughing. Hound and Mirage both giggled, so happy that their sparkling was finally here in the world with them. Wheeljack held up the camera, aiming in until it was perfect, snapping the photo of the new family.