(Okay, so hello dear readers, the contest is coming a long good. the answer to which I had been leaning towards was SS/oc/SS, and so far two people got it correct. I messaged them to inform them of this achievement.

The voting is as follows:

Twins/oc: 5

Hound/oc, Jolt/oc, and Prowl/oc are in a tie at 1 vote each.

It's still open, and will be for voting until next chapter. Again, you can double vote, one for each chapter, and next chapter I'll tell the winner. Then we'll see how the story progresses. So review and let me know what ya'll wana read!

An interesting fact: I wrote this while listening to Lady GaGa.)

For the passed few days it's gotten colder, so I'm convinced that it's going into winter or something. I don't know the month and I really need to ask someone about that. I heard someone mentioning Halloween, so I'm guessing that its ether early or middle October. I'm not totally sure. Yeah, I really need to ask. Currently, it's about four days until we leave for the island.

Its been raining as of late, lots of rain. I love the rain, even as a bot, because it works as a type of shower for me since they don't make robot tubs. Ratchet though scolds me when I'm out in it, even though I've explained to the best of my ability that I'm only using it to stay clean. He says that there will be 'wash racks' on Deigo Garcia. He also says I can get a virus if I'm not careful, and he says that it won't be pleasant. Well, duh. When your sick, its never fun. I didn't even know that robots could get sick. We learn something new every day.

For the first time in a while, I got scolded. By Mikaela. The reason I got scolded was because I verbally called Sam a buttfuck. The reason why I did that? He was in a bad mood and said something rude about the female gender, on purpose or not I don't know, while he and Mikaela were babysitting me for an hour or two. Though it wasn't much of a scolding, Mikaela trying and failing not to laugh as she did, it still was a shocker. I had been so used to calling my fellow soldiers that in our usual banter that I had forgotten that civilians and children don't use that kind of language. Sam got scolded too, for saying what he said.

Speaking of talking, I haven't progressed with talking at all, but I've managed to get myself to stand up for twelve seconds now. I would jump for joy, but I think I'd fall on my ass. It seems like I've been unofficially adopted by Optimus, since I always sleep in his cab, if he's not needed urgently he is the one who always feeds me, and he seems so happy when he helps me work on walking. He hasn't said anything about it though, so maybe it's just a Prime thing.

That's what we were doing right now. We were sitting in a little closed off area that was designated 'Primes Office'. Optimus was sitting cross-legged on the floor, using his fingers to keep me steady. I was slightly frustrated… okay; I was hella frustrated that I couldn't stand for longer then twelve seconds. I gave an angry chirp as I clutched Optimus's finger with my claws and my legs gave out again. My door wings fluttered in an irritated jerking motion.

I heard Prime chuckle deeply. "It takes time, sweetspark. Not everything is instant." Oh ho, that's where he was wrong. Fish can swim the instant they hatch. "Why don't you take a little break, and rest a bit."

I grunted my negative, and moved myself to stand again. This time I braced my knees against the finger I was using, so they couldn't fold downward. I grunted again, and clung to his finger as tight as I could. He let out a long large sigh that made me tilt my head up so I could look at him. I arched an eyebrow at him.

"You remind me so much of Elita-1." He rumbled softly. I blinked up at him and waited for him to continue. "You are determined like her. She was also kind, but she could be ornery if she needed to be." He seemed to be remembering something. "She was the commander of the femmes, you know. She was also my spark mate." I know what that was! It's like a significant other, only on a more intimate level. Your spark mate is pretty much your other half. Like a soul mate, but better. You feel as if you cant live without them, and being separated for a long distance is almost as bad as death.

"You know," he finally breathed out, " I don't know if you'll understand this, but I had a sparkling once." He did? Whoa. What happened to it? "A little mech, called Orion, after my past identity. He was no older then you, when he was crushed in the fist of a Decepticon." My legs gave out, and I grunted as my aft hit the floor. I let my claws slide in and sat staring up at him so I could listen better. His hand that I had been occupying rose up, and pressed against the blue and red flamed chest plates. "I can feel the void in my spark. It isn't as painful, but its still there."

I chirped at him. Poor guy lost his mate and his kid. I'm sure that Elita-1 is still out there somewhere; otherwise the poor guy would have gone insane I bet.

He smiled at me and scooped me up to bring me to his chasis. "The pain of the void is lessened when I spend time with you, young Nightstrider."

"Strider." I corrected him.

"Hm?"

"Nickname Strider." I faded into a few chirps and clicks. Compound words were difficult, but not impossible.

He smiled again. "Alright, Strider." He stroked a digit lightly over my helm, a ghost of a touch really, but I still purred when he brushed my antenna. "I… think of you as my sparkling, Strider." He rumbled. "I have since the first time I fed you. Do you remember that?"

The look on his face and the rumble his engine made? Hard not to. "Yes." I answered.

"When you had hesitated, I thought that you didn't like me. I was willing to hand you to Ratchet. But then you cooed." His smile softened and he cradled me gently to his chest plates. "And then the pain lessened."

I smiled gently up to him. That's good. Though I guess he thinks me as his child then? I never had a father that I can remember. My dad left my mother before I was a year old. He wanted nothing to do with me. Mama met my step dad when I was four. She was married two months, before it was found that he was banging Skylar's, my cousin remember, biological mom. My Mama should have known he was up to no good. He did just get out of prison.

So I guess… that was fine, him thinking me as his child. It would take me longer to return the feelings fully, though I already had some feelings for the bot starting. I don't know what to think of them just yet…

I heard him inhale deeply, and then exhale. "Elita would have loved you if she were here. She loved sparklings…" he seemed to stare off into space.

I chirped loudly, gaining his attention again. I pressed a small hand to his chasis, the closest part of it I could reach where I could hear his spark beating. He needed to know that she wasn't gone, not entirely. Loved ones always remain in your heart, apart of you. I learned that when my mama died, she told me herself. She had said that no one was truly gone; they lived on in the people they loved and cherished. "Not gone. Still there. Space. Still here, in you're-" my voice fizzled out loudly and painfully, not ready for extensive talking. My still forming voice box sparked briefly. "Spark." I cracked out.

I coughed and used my hands to rub my throat. It hurt. It had never done that before. I grimaced, and suddenly found myself in front of Optimus's optics. His free hand tilted my head back slightly, and I felt the tell tale signs of a scanning. He sighed. "You've strained you're vocal processor. You should let it rest, don't try and speak English for a while little one." I chirped at him when he let my head down. He blinked at me and brought me closer to his face. "You may not know this for a long time, but you are wise beyond your years little one." Not really. I just know what to say, having consoled families of my fallen comrades before, and my own family over the phone for various situations.

Contrary to how I seem all the time, I'm not heartless. Well, sparkless. I can empathize with people, especially ones who lost their loved ones. But, I'm about as likely to break down into a sobbing blubbering mess, as the titanic is to form itself back together and pull into port bearing still living passengers who haven't aged.

I leaned over and pressed a hand to the side of his face and cooed at him to let him know I knew what he said.

He lowered me back down to his chasis with a smile. He made the noise of clearing his throat, though I don't know if robots have to do that, and rumbled. "With that said; Nightstrider, will you allow me to be your legal adopted mech creator?"

He wanted to adopt me. Holy shit. I was wanted as a child by a giant fucking robot. Holy shit.

"Now I understand if you don't want me to." He said when I didn't respond immediately. "I know that we haven't known each other long, but doesn't it always take time for any form of friendship and the like wise to form? We can wait, if you like, and see if we get closer."

I chirped to get his attention. He blinked at me. I blinked at him. Then I opened my mouth, and ignoring the spark that danced across my throat, I said, "Yes." I would allow him to adopt me. Worst that can happen is we clash a lot, but I have the feeling we will do that anyways when I'm bigger and can actually hold an argument.

I found myself held tightly to a chasis that rumbled loudly and happily.