Chapter Co-Authored with Storm Dracona and Omicron the IceQueen

Added notes:

"Spoken human dialogue is like this."
"Spoken Cybertronian dialogue is like this."
::Internal Cybertronian dialogue is like this.::

This is the time scale for mechs [inspired by Ultra Rodimus Prine]:

nanoklik = 1/8 second
nano – two seconds
klik = 496 nanokliks/62 seconds
bream = 8 kliks/8.27 minutes
groon = 9 breem/1.24 hours
mega cycle – 2.5 hours
joor = 6 groon/7.44 hours
tak – 18 hours
shift – 3 days
orn = 42 joor/13.02 days
decacycle – 2 months
decaorn = 32 orns/1.14 years
metacycle = 8 decaorn/9.22 years
vorn = 9metacycles/72 decaorn/83 years


Autobot Pet

Breeding Attempt

"Dude," Athena commented with a lazy drawl and smirk down at the red mech below her. "Do you think I'm like a cat in a tree or something Ruby?"

It was strange to think that, but here she was up on the highest point in the rooms she was allowed in. She was sitting on a shelf, a spot she found about what the woman estimated a month ago, when exercising and doing the only equivalent of rock-climbing she could. Climbing and jumping into random high places, the thrill of doing so outweighed the risk of climbing without equipment. Not that she didn't know how to do so in the first place with her training and profession. That and it freaked out the mechs sometimes when they found her in the random spots.

She had a new collar now, and even though she s till hated that it was a collar it was at least comfortable. It was made with something metallic but oddly more flexible. It had what she had guessed were rubies and some other yellow stones in it, and from how the mechs always seemed to know where Athena was, likely a tracking chip... Or maybe the chip was in her since she did have two cases of being knocked out by a sneaky slip of tranquilizer in the... what? Almost half a year maybe she had been living with these two mechs. It had to have been that long since she had her bi-monthly cycle three times.

Athena hoped she weirded out the mechs, but now... she was a little on edge and suspicious. The whole home had been cleaned completely, and the yellow mech- Daisy, had seemed to be OCD-cleaning ~her~ more than normal. Athena wasn't sure she ever had that many baths in a week-ish time. Plus earlier this 'day' he had been gathering those shinny paints and slim brushes he normally used for when he wanted to paint on her.

So, the woman had slipped away to perch on her favorite spot out of the mechs' easy reach and watch what looked like fussing before Ruby started to look for her.

When the Ruby mech found her, he started buzz-clicking at her, arms up and fingers wiggling at her. He seemed to be trying to coax her to jump down to his hands.

Daisy made no such effort at coaxing. He came in with a stool, setting it down and climbing up on it, so that he could reach her.

Athena eyed him, not moving from her her perfect balanced spot, tail constantly twitching and moving to help keep her in place on what looked like a squat bottle of shining liquid gold paint. "Yes?" she asked.

He buzz-clicked at her, his hand coming up and moving in quickly to grab her. He was gentle, but there was no mistaking that he meant business.

The woman knew better at this point to fight more than to squirm to get her arms and tail free. Crossing the former over the yellow hand, the fingers curled behind her back and scrunching up her sleeveless shirt, and Athena wrapped her tail around one metallic digit like a ring- they seemed to like that.

"...sooo you really want me to be painted again that much?" she asked, puzzled.

He buzz-clicked at her as he carried her over to his work station. He undressed her, then pulled some damp cloths out of nowhere and wiped her down with them. They dried almost instantly, and then he got out some tiny brushes and paint, beginning the job of applying it to her. It was cold and tickled as it went on, but it also dried within seconds.

Athena's tail spasmed, fighting to keep from dissolving into a giggle fit, tying not to move as she knew that the stricter yellow mech would completely pin her down on the table top instead of just keeping a few light finger tips on arm and leg as she stood there., "You know, be happy I'm not like some girls who would flip out every time you strip me." She poked at one of the pink footprints she'd impishly put on the table a while ago, when she insisted so much that the mech had finally relented for the first time to let her 'help' in Daisy's work. He had cleaned and removed most of the doodles but here and there it was like he wanted a few prints.

Pulling up her hair, Athena wondered if he thought it was cute or something.

"We want you to look your best," Daisy was saying as he worked. "Bluestreak's coming over and bringing his human. He thinks that the two of you would make good mates. We'll see, but having you painted up and including some luck charms won't hurt."

"Hey Sunny, you think human males have a shiny reflex the way Fire does," 'Ruby' asked as he crouched down on the other side of the small table, wiggling his fingers at their pet, crooning in an oddly cute chirr, "What do you think Fireburst? Ready to give us pups now that you're fertile again?" Sideswipe paused and added, "If we get two I want to keep one, but Bluestreak should get the other."

He smiled as the human flipped her hair over one shoulder to try and groom it straight, eyeing him in that way that was always amusing to him.

The woman knew something was being said about her but not what. "What are you buzzing about Ruby?"

"...hey! I think she knows her name now Sunstreaker!"

"I would think it's quite common," Daisy replied, finishing up his work painting, and gently turning her around so that he could get to work on her hair. It hadn't taken long for him to notice her finger-combing her hair and to create a comb to use on her hair. Now he was using it to dampen her hair and then used tiny tools in his hand to create several French braids running along her head, putting jewels every so often in them, and then merged them into one larger braid in the back, also with jewels tucked in amongst the strands. "And of course we'd split if there ends up being two. What do you think the odds are of this actually working? They might be both land humans, but they're still two different types of human."

He chuckled at his brother. "Well, humans are supposed to be rather smart. I wouldn't be surprised if she does recognize it." Sideswipe chuckled at the scene. "I don't think many have three names brother. Fireburst Comet, Fire and Little Fighter? Poor think must be confused a lot. But she's so pretty." The red mech poked at the small cans of paint that were harmless to the human, finding a pretty blue shade with crystal dust in it to make the dried paint catch most light. He held it hopefully out to his brother, and grinned wider as the human seemed interested in the shade too, pausing her attempt to reclaim the red strands. "Are you going to just paint her dorsal area and shoulders?"

"You want that color on her too?" Sunstreaker sighed. "Fine. Once I'm done with her head fur." He soon had her hair completed, then he took the blue can and his smallest brush. After dipping it in the blue paint, he began to use it to add accents and highlights to the designs he had already painted. "And I've already done the design I wanted to do. Leave the art to the artist," he grumped at his twin.

"That's colder than before!" Athena yelped, leaning away a little bit and shivering, her tail flicking.

"Ooo! Could you do her tail again?" Sideswipe asked with pleading despite what his brother just said, watching the soft limb, "That was pretty when you did it last orn!" The former front line warrior paused, tilting his head to the side as an ~Idea~ entered his helm.

Sunstreaker tightening his hold on her a touch to stop her from squirming away again. "This is a different design, doufus," he said.

"But what if something on the tail is apart of attracting a mate for this breed," Sideswipe tried, grinned at the protesting squeaks from their pet, "You know she likes to dip the end in colors and make rings or curls on it when you let her play with some left over paints." He pointed out.

"Or it could mean she's not ready for mating. We have no way of knowing. Now shush," Sunstreaker retorted, setting the brush aside once he was done.

Sideswipe pouted, slumping his shoulders while tweaking his fingers to drum on the table. His semi-stillness didn't last long, wanting to pick up the human to see what Sunstreaker wrote on her back. "I think I might know how to make some extra creds!"

"Can I have some clothes now?" Athena demanded, squirming in the golden mech's hold a little more daringly now.

"What is your idea?" Sunstreaker asked, not really interested but knowing he would hear either way.

"You know how the Towers and other spots in Iacon have competition for Turbo Foxes, Cyber Raptors and Cyber wolves?" Sideswipe was perking back up all the way, holding his hands out hopefully for their now prettier runner breed of human, sneaking a pet in, in case his twin wasn't done yet, "The humans have been getting popular. What if there's a competition for them now- the other breeds can get a ~lot~ of credits for the top five winners. I was looking in the data fields, the organics have been in privet markets longer than public for like, more than a few metacycles."

He brightened even more, smirking now, "The shop keeper really didn't want to lose Fireburst, and Primus she and some of the others of that breed were expensive. Plus we have her full history on data, and being formerly wild, those scar lines add attraction and prove she has spark right? And how you can make Fire' look we can get in a top five circle, or the top winner! Plus that would maybe add to her data, and later on if we wanted to sell a pup- not the first or second ones as I want them- for a good chunk of credits." Sideswipe sucked air in to vent and cool his vocal systems.

Sunstreaker just gave his brother a Look. "And put her at risk? No."

"What risk?" Sideswipe flashed his optics in a blink, not understanding. "No one would try and steal her, plus you put two identity chips in her in addition to the two trackers in collar and under the hide."

"You said yourself that she's valuable, and identity chips would mean nothing to shady types," Sunstreaker replied. He eyed the paintings critically, and then stroked her, satisfied with his work. "How long until Bluestreak gets here?"

"Should be in a dozen kliks at this point." Sideswipe pouted. He liked the idea.

Sunstreaker was too overprotective, however. "You are very pretty," he crooned to the human, stroking her. "You ready to meet a male? Have pups?"

"Is you're mother or something coming over?" The woman asked back, blinking at the soft rumbling that she had identified as the equivalent of the mecha' 'baby talk' as the red one did it to her too but never at each other.

"What about a private one?" Sideswipe asked as he watched the organic feel over her woven hair, finding the crystals fast. He flicked a small diamond shard out and offered it for a treat and to add to the collection of shiny things that their pet kept under Sunstreaker's berth.

"Wouldn't that just be a gathering of people we trust, then?" Sunstreaker asked his brother.

"...I'm not sure..." Sideswipe tilted his head as the woman took the diamond and first hopped to balance on a golden forearm, then down the other side to examine the small paint jars herself.

"You get to look, but you can't touch," Sunstreaker told her, each of the jars tightly sealed so that she couldn't open them.

Athena glanced back as he spoke, tilted her own head and then eyed the red mech as he started crooning at how cute she look like that. Shrugging she looked for her favorite color, and sat on a dark brown, "I want this one!"

"You like that color, Little Fighter?" Sunstreaker asked, stroking her back. "Next time I'll do something with that color, or I'll let you pick one then, if you change your mind."

The human hopped up onto the jar, pointing at it and took a pleading tone. Almost a wanting whine to mech audios.

"Not this time, Little Fighter," Sunstreaker said soothingly. "Next time though, alright?" He scooped her up, cradling her to his chest and stroking her back.

"Can I have my shirt back at least-" she paused as a chiming sound came. Looking in the general direction of the main door outside of her allowed area. "Is that your mom?"

"Go let him in, dumbaft," Sunstreaker ordered his twin. "We'll want to introduce them slowly."

Getting up and stretching on the way over, Sideswipe flicked his scanners backwards to be sure his brother had a hold of the human before moving past the inner door. He closed it out of habit to always have one door closed to keep their pet inside, then with a transmitted code there was a heavy thump of the main door unlocking and the red mech grinned as he opened it himself. Sideswipe grinned down at the shorter mech outside, "Hi Blue!"

"Hi Sideswipe! How are you doing? Is Sunstreaker home? Does he have Fireburst? Is everything ready?" Bluestreak babbled his greeting as he gave Sideswipe a one-armed hug before entering the Twins' house. In the other hand he carefully held his travel box for his human, making sure not to tip or overly jostle it.

The red mech lightly kicked the outer door closed after twitching winglets were well out of the way. The lock thumped closed before he drapped an arm over Bluestreak's shoulders. He leaned a little on the smaller mech to try and see the male organic, "Good, yes, yes and I hope so!" he said opening the inner door and leading their guest in, all without missing a beat, well able to keep up with Bluestreak better than Sunstreaker could.

Bluestreak leaned in and stole a kiss from Sideswipe, before going through the inner door. "I made sure Fuzzy was clean and well-fed before I left." His wings perked up as he saw Sunstreaker and Fireburst. "Hi Sunstreaker! I see you painted her again. Where should I put Fuzzy's box and take him out?"

"Go ahead and set it on the table. Why don't you hold him while we introduce them, so they can't get to each other too fast," Sunstreaker suggested, giving the talkative mech a small smile.

"It is your mother," Athena, Fireburst, said as she propped her chin on palm, elbow resting on the golden hand, her tail rapping against Sunstreaker's chest. She recognized the grey mech from apparent visits... or rather booty calls it seemed as over half the time the mechs would soon go from cuddling to honest to god robot-sex.

~That~ had been a shock. The woman had been put in a clear cube on the golden mech's desk (presumably to be out of the way), and had a front row educational show of how the mechs made little ones.

Other than those stuck hours here and there, most of time this grey mech seem to insist on fussing over Athena's two owners like a mother hen fluffing out armor and gently pushing them around to check their armor and inner systems over.

"Hi there baby-face!" She called.

Sideswipe looked over and chirped back at her, "Aw, look Blue, Fire' recognizes you now on sight!"

"Ooh, that's so 'gear. Hi Fire," Blue set the cube on the desk and went over to greet the female human. he reached over and carefully pet her. "You did a really good job, Sunstreaker. And ooo, you added crystals to her hair too. I'm sure Fuzzy will love that," Blustreaker grinned and stole a kiss from the yellow mech before returning to the table and opening the cube, carefully extracting his own human.

"Why don't you stand with him over there, and let's see if they call to one another when they see each other," Sunstreaker said to Bluestreak.

Fireburst had reached out to grasp and then pat the petting finger, and gave the mech a confused sound, watching what was going on. She seemed to perk up at hearing Fuzzy's yip as he taking out of the box, scolding Bluestreak for putting him in there with a chittering to the mechs' audios.

"It's alright, Fuzzy," Bluestreak cooed to him, stroking his back reassuringly. "I just had to put you in there so you'd be safe for the journey. But now that we're here, there's a female for you." The grey mech turned, so that they could see each other if they looked that way.

Sunstreaker stayed where he was, and stroked Fireburst's back.

"Dude! It's another person! Oh shit," Athena wrapped one arm around her quite bare chest, blushing. Across the room Jack looked up, flushed himself, and covered his eyes, or rather face-palmed.

"Cuddler, please, please don't let this be..." The man trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought aloud.

"See? She's a very nice female," the grey mech coaxed, slowly moving closer. "Why are you hiding your face from her? To show you're not a threat?"

The yellow mech frowned down at Athena, and hummed soothingly. "Why don't you stay right there a moment, Blue? Little Fighter doesn't look ready to let him closer at this klik."

Sideswipe was watching with those predatory, warrior optics that one normally didn't see often these orns. "Sunny, Fire is covering herself and hiding. Maybe she doesn't want to seem open to a new male right away. Most organic males of any kind have prove themselves I thought?"

"Depends on the organic. Some have to, others only when there's competition. I don't know which humans are," Sunstreaker replied.

"I wouldn't think they'd have to, not with how social they are," Bluestreak added, trying to be helpful.

"Fire doesn't look very impressed." Sideswipe noted tilting his helm, and eyed Fuzzy, "Maybe they can't good look at each other. Or... Fire is a bit bigger and more flesh than Fuzzy, no offence Blue. Wait- they're chirping!"

Bluestreak's wings perked up at the sounds. They seemed friendly enough to him, which only fed his excitement.

"Okay yeah, why don't you take a step closer, Blue," Sunstreaker suggested. Bluestreak immediately complied, but stayed silent, listening intently to the sounds and body language from the two humans.

::Do you think they can see each other well enough yet?:: Bluestreak asked over the comm. ::What about scent? Is he close enough to catch her scent? Would that be important for assessing her as a mate?::

::Fire seems more sight orientated to me:: Sideswipe noted, keeping his bulk back, ::And likes colors... She started chittering at him now though.:: the mech pointed out as the female organic was leaning forward as it for a better look at a possible mate.

::I don't have the painting skills you do, Sunny... Do you think not having him painted will hurt his chances?:: Bluestreak asked, and took another step closer so they could better see one another.

His Fuzzy wasn't hiding his face anymore, and chittering back though in a softer tone. The male was more responding to the female, and shifted in Bluestreak's hold, glancing down at the ground, while Fireburst just smacked at Sunstreaker's hand and gave that demanding yip that meant she wanted down. That. Instant.

Sideswipe tilted his head, ::That seems promising, do you think they want to meet personally?:: he half asked hopefully.

::Yeah! I'm coming in closer!:: Bluestreak said enthusiastically, walking over so that the two humans could reach out and touch each other.

::Just be careful, and ready to back away,:: Sunstreaker warned his lover as he shifted slightly, not giving in just yet to his human's demand.

Fireburst was not shy, bracing herself on Sunstreaker to lean back then up and almost got out of his hand, tail wrapped around his thumb for balance. The sneaky organic was able to reach Fuzzy this way, partly balanced on both Sunstreaker and Bluestreak's hands as she examined the male as best she could.

Bluestreak couldn't help but hum at them, trying to encourage Fuzzy to move closer to the female without actually physically moving the human on his hand. His twitching doorwings belied his excitement, as did the glow of his optics.

Sunstreaker allowed her to move, but braced himself to catch her should his human try to jump away. She had well proven her ability to jump seemingly impossible distances.

Bluestreack's pet, though never really one to be too fast seemed awkward. He edged forward and was chittering quietly to the female. Fuzzy still seemed to be responding to her rather than taking charge. After a klik of this, he turned to stare with a pleading look to Bluestreak, pointing down.

::Okay, I think they both want down... Should we set them down?:: Bluestreak asked his lovers.

::At the same time,:: Sunstreaker replied. They both matched each other as they knelt down, allowing the humans to climb off of their hands and onto the floor.

Sideswipe chuckled. ::Either Fire knows just what she wants or she might have picked up that Fuzzy was from a bad home to start with,:: he said, watching as Fireburst steadied the male, then circled him and seemed to be checking over him completely. Right next to each other the similarities between the two breeds were more obvious, but it also showed that Fireburst was a good head taller than Fuzzy, darker skinned, and of course the differences in the leg shape.

Sunstreaker stood back up, but Bluestreak stayed down, keeping an optic on them. ::Do you think it'll work now? She doesn't seem to be rejecting him,:: he asked eagerly.

::I hope so, but didn't the care file say it can take anywhere from a groon to a few orns before they actively breed, right?:: Sideswipe asked looking up to his brother from where he was kneeling down near them, but not close.

::Yeah, something like that,:: Sunstreaker replied, watching them. ::You should probably back off some, not let them feel so crowded.::

::Okay, okay,:: Bluestreak replied, scootching back but not standing up from the floor. ::I just really really want this to work.::

::Umm...:: Sideswipe snickered as a breem later the three mechs were being scolded in chirps and yips by Fireburst.

The little female was holding Fuzzy by the shoulders to push him ahead of her back to Sunstreaker's room and likely to her little den under the golden mech's berth. She continued to scold him as she left the room with a bemused looking male human. Just before they left the mechs' line of sight, Fuzzy faltered.

Bluestreak's pet had been getting stronger all the time, but there were times when he needed to rest. Fireburst moved, coiling her tail around his middle and then looped an arm around her own shoulders to help him make it to the safe spot.

Bluestreak blinked at the two humans, watching them go. ::Well, she was helping him. That's a good sign, right? And isn't that where her berth is?::

"I think it is," Sideswipe said as he tiled his head to listen for any out of place chirps. "Hmm, I think we should leave them alone, maybe instinct for them is to get out of the open for mating."

"What should we do then?" Bluestreak asked. "How will we know if they've mated?" He looked between the two of them as he slowly stood.

"Sunny has scans on Fire's normal," Sideswipe tilted his head and draped himself over Bluestreak, careful of his winglets. He shifted just enough weight on the grey mech to be suggestive and nuzzled against neck cables. "And I set up a small mic near her nest. If there's odd sound we can take a peek, but otherwise maybe just keep a good scan on Fire."