Well, I finished this at two this morning, but I didn't feel like uploading it because I had to get up and get to work this morning...well...this afternoon. But finally I'm putting it up now. And one more story after this and I'll have updated all my stories. Happy Memorial Day everyone, and make sure you honor those veterans (I'm playing Taps, participating in a parade, and bridge dedication, so don't yell at me!)

Chap. 14: Dadda and Momma

It wasn't until the next morning that Red Alert gave permission to both Astrid and Tronic to leave and return home, along with Megatron. The decepticon leader had flat out refused to go back to the palace himself while his wife and son were in the med bay of the autobot base. He had hoped that Red Alert would have let his wife and son return home the previous night, but the medic wouldn't hear it. So Megatron agreed to stay behind instead, and eventually radioed Thundercracker to let him know he'd be off his duties until further notice. Thundercracker had once again tried to figure out what Megatron was up to, but the decepticon leader didn't tell.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Thundercracker, over the last year he had grown a strong reliance on the light blue decepticon. And over that year, he had also learned that Thundercracker would sometimes let things slip. Megatron didn't want the people of Cybertron to know that he had a child yet, that would mean a constant wave of reporter-bots at the palace for about a month, and the paparazzi was always annoying. It had been quite hectic after the war had ended and he and Astrid had settled in. Heck, even during their honeymoon, he and Astrid had been followed around by reporters wanting to get the latest gossip about them. And he didn't need that vulgarity swarming around his son either.

Instead, when Astrid was ready, along with Tronic, Megatron opened a dimension gate and the three of them went through. Astrid's family had already left a few hours after they had seen Tronic because all of them had to be at their jobs the next morning. No matter how hard Astrid urged her parents, she just couldn't seem to convince them to retire. They were getting old, and since they weren't going to have to pay her college bills or anything, they seemed perfectly fit to retire. They just weren't quite of age yet.

When back in their room at the palace, the first thing Tronic did was start crying. He cried so loud too, Megatron was afraid someone would hear him so he immediately soundproofed the room. He then turned back to Astrid who was preparing a low-grade energon bottle, Tronic in one arm, the bottle in the other hand. Megatron smiled and came up from behind her saying, "I'll get the bottle." And he kissed her.

And Tronic immediately stopped wailing and giggled. Megatron glanced down at him before asking him, "Oh you liked that did you?"

Tronic squirmed in his mother's arms and reached out towards his father.

"Guess I'm getting the bottle," Astrid said turning Tronic over to Megatron.

Megatron carefully took Tronic in his arms who grinned and started gurgling. Astrid shook her head and proceeded to prepare the bottle until she heard a knock on the door. Astrid handed to bottle to Megatron who carried on with feeding Tronic. Megatron went into the nursery as his wife answered the door so he would not be seen with Tronic. The femme opened the door only to find Thundercracker standing outside.

"Oh hey Thundercracker, what's up?" she asked in a friendly tone.

"Hey sweetie, wow you lost weight, you look amazing."

Astrid slightly blushed and said, "Um, thanks. What is it that brought you here?"

"A matter that would concern Megatron, is he here?"

"I'll take a message," Astrid replied avoiding the question.

"In that case, tell him to get back to me immediately. Just where is he anyway? And why did he take time off work?"

"Family issues," Astrid answered.

"Oh…are you guys going on a trip?"

"No, we'll be right here the whole time."

Thundercracker grinned slightly, "Oh I get it. You're going to try for children."

Astrid felt her cheeks redden again, "Well…"

Megatron emerged from the nursery with Tronic in his arms, still giving him the bottle. He had heard all of Thundercracker's questions and figured he mine as well just dispel the questions his second in command couldn't stop asking. The decepticon leader went to the doorway and asked, "Just what is it that requires my attention?"

"YOU HAVE A KID?!" exclaimed the stunned and bewildered con.

Megatron chuckled, "Yes, that's why Astrid was fat."

Astrid crossed her arms and growled, "Say that again and you won't have another kid."

"Sorry love."

"You better be."

Thundercracker blinked and then asked, "So what's his name?"

"Tronic," Megatron replied.

Thundercracker made the connection and nodded smiling, "He looks just like you sir…except for the eyes. And…his colors look a bit darker than yours."

"Yes, but at least that'll set him apart from me," Megatron responded, "Now what was it you had to tell me?"

"Oh yes, Thunderblast quit."

"Quit? What do you mean?" questioned the decepticon leader.

"She told me she was done working here and she left."

"Why, why would she just go like this?" Astrid wondered hoping that her newly found friend was alright.

"She didn't really say, other than she had had a change of spark, whatever she meant by that."

"Where is she going to stay?" Astrid asked, "Does she have a place?"

"Not that I know of," the second in command replied.

Astrid crossed her arms, "Then radio her and tell her to come back until she has a place to stay, and if she disagrees, tell her I will personally bring her back if she doesn't get her aft back here."

Both Megatron and Thundercracker looked at the femme a bit surprised that she was concerned about Thunderblast that much. Megatron just nodded at Thundercracker to do so and he went off. The last thing Megatron wanted was Astrid going out and looking for her, better Thundercracker than her, especially since she was still weak from having Tronic. The door hissed shut and Astrid sighed and watched as Tronic threw the bottle on the ground.

The femme groaned slightly as she picked the bottle up and took care of it and Megatron watched her as she did so. He then looked to Tronic who had stuck his thumb in his mouth and looked up at him with curiosity in his optics. Megatron shook his head and looked back to his wife who was looking back at him, "Love, why don't you get some rest?"

She shook her head, "Nope, I got a kid to take care of now."

"I'll take care of him; you need to get off your feet."

"Megatron I'm fine."

Tronic made a gurgling noise and shifted in Megatron's arms before reaching out for Astrid. Astrid came over and Megatron handed Tronic over to her. Tronic let a groan pass his lips and then he burped quite loudly. Megatron chuckled and Astrid simply shook her head saying, "I see he got his manners from you."

"Like father like son."

Astrid smiled lightly before going into the nursery with Tronic. She went and laid him down in his crib and he looked up at her with a grin on his face and began kicking around, reaching for her. Astrid tickled him and he laughed loudly, Astrid laughing along with him. Megatron stood in the doorway, not sure if he had ever felt so proud in his life or touched by the scene in front of him at the moment. He watched his wife and son a few more moments before he went into his office to do some reports before Astrid tried to do them for him.

The femme gazed down at her son and stroked his face as he fell asleep. He looked so much like Megatron…yet he wasn't the same. She could hardly wait until he started talking so that she could hear what his voice sounded like. Though she wasn't ready for him to grow up yet, and she whispered to him as he sighed in his sleep, "Sweet dreams Tronic, I love you."

And she quietly left the room and went into the main room where she tidied up a bit and then sat down on the couch tiredly. It had been just over an hour since she had put Tronic to sleep, and she was just about to offline her optics for a nap when her son began crying again. Sighing, she got up and went back into the nursery and lifted Tronic in her arms and tried to quiet him down. After a few minutes she succeeded and she went over back into the main room and sat with him on the couch. He made all sorts of cute baby noises as she held him. After awhile, he began to grow restless and fidgeted in her arms. Astrid set him carefully on the floor before her and watched, completely amazed as he sat up and glanced around before clapping his hands together and squealing loudly.

"Do you want to play?"

He looked at her dumbfounded. Astrid smirked, "Megatron, wherever you are, come here."

Megatron came promptly and saw Tronic sitting there on the floor. He smiled, "Well, I see he's already sitting up."

"Yes, go get one of his toys for me."

"As you wish, love." And he headed into the nursery.

"There," said Astrid looking at Tronic, "Daddy's getting a toy for you."

"Dadda."

Astrid looked at Tronic with complete surprise on her face, "No way, his first word already?"

Tronic clapped his hands together and squealed, "Dadda!"

Astrid beamed, "Can you say mommy?"

"M-M-M-Momma."

She heard something fall behind her and looked to see Megatron with his jaw dropped and the toy on the floor. Tronic giggled as he looked at his father and exclaimed, "Dadda!"

Megatron picked up the toy and came over and sat on the couch beside Astrid. She leaned against him and said, "He got his brains from me."

Megatron chuckled, "I didn't know he'd start talking this early. He's hardly a day old."

"I hope he's not planning on growing up too fast."

"Momma…dadda…" Tronic pouted and reached out towards them.

Astrid picked him up and set him between them. He sat there contently, that was until he saw the toy in Megatron's hands. It was a rattle. Tronic reached for it and took it out of Megatron's hand. Megatron looked down at him as he looked the rattle over with curiosity heavy in his optics. He gurgled a bit and then attempted to stick the rattle in his mouth, but Megatron didn't let him, and Tronic began hitting him with the rattle while shouting out random, incomprehensible baby noises. Astrid laughed seeing this while Megatron just shook his head. When Tronic was through with his fit and contented himself by examining the rattle, Megatron leaned over to kiss his wife. Megatron didn't pay much attention as Tronic took his finger in his small hands…but when Tronic put it in his mouth and bit down with his sharp little teeth, Megatron broke the kiss and looked down at his son, "Tronic!"

Tronic smiled even with the finger in his mouth and removed it before yelling, "Dadda!"

"Don't you start denying my authority now," he exclaimed as he started tickling his son.

Tronic laughed loudly and Megatron stopped after a few moments because he had succeeded in giving his son the hiccups. Astrid shook her head and Megatron resumed the kiss as Tronic watched, hiccupping away. When they broke away, Tronic squealed and clapped his hands causing both his parents to chuckle. He then held out his arms to Megatron and the decepticon leader took his son and set him in his lap. Tronic looked up as his father before resting against his torso and reaching for his face. Megatron leaned closer to Tronic, and when he got close enough, Tronic kissed his nose and smiled playfully, "Momma."

Megatron shook his head, "No, that's your momma."

Tronic looked at Astrid and said, "Dadda."

Astrid laughed and pointed at herself, "Momma."

Tronic pointed at himself, "Momma."

Megatron laughed this time and Tronic looked at him smiling, "Dadda."

"That's right," the decepticon leader exclaimed.

Tronic reached out for Astrid and she took him from Megatron. He proceeded to kiss her on the nose as well and then remained resting on her torso, looking over at Megatron. It wasn't long before he fell back to sleep and Megatron looked to Astrid just in time to catch her yawn.

"Perhaps you need to do the same as Tronic is doing now," he said.

Astrid looked over at him, "I feel like it. I didn't sleep very good last night."

"Neither did I," Megatron confessed, "Come on, we'll turn in early. I'll go put Tronic to bed."

Astrid carefully handed their sleeping son to him and Megatron went and put Tronic to bed while Astrid went over to her and Megatron's bed and literally collapsed onto it she was so tired. She pulled the blanket to her shoulder and fell asleep before Megatron came. When the decepticon leader did come to bed, he saw Astrid was already asleep and he smiled. Getting into the bed beside her, he pulled her into his arms and fell asleep himself.

That was until Astrid's comlink cackled to life. She groaned tiredly as she asked with a sigh, "Who is it?"

"Thundercracker, sweetie, I got a hold of Thunderblast, she's in the throne room. She wishes to speak to you."

Astrid sighed, "Mmmkay, I'll be there in a minute."

"He couldn't have called at a poorer time," Megatron yawned, "Don't be long."

"I'll try not to be," she said getting up from the bed. She proceeded to walk across the room and exit through the door. Astrid made her way to the throne room and saw Thundercracker and Thunderblast inside talking. They silenced as soon as Astrid came in and Thunderblast looked her over before exclaiming, "You had the baby didn't you?"

Astrid nodded tiredly, "You bet, he's back at the room sleeping at the moment."

"Congratulations," said the purple and yellow femme.

"Thanks, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh, I just wanted to say thanks for letting me stay here until I find a place to stay myself."

"You're welcome to work too until you can find a new job."

"No, it's okay."

"How come you up and quit?"

"I just don't feel like my place is here."

"I understand, and it's quite alright."

"You look exhausted," Thunderblast exclaimed.

"I feel exhausted," Astrid admitted, "I was actually sleeping when I got the call from Thundercracker. But it's quite alright, I'm glad to know you're not out on the streets alone somewhere."

"No it's not quite alright, you just had a baby, you're getting yourself back to bed pronto," Thunderblast exclaimed.

Astrid chuckled and said, "Alright then, I'll be going then. I'll see you guys later."

They nodded and Astrid went back to the room and dropped onto the bed more than thankful to be back in it as she settled back beneath the covers. Megatron took her back in his arms and asked tiredly with his optics offline, "What did she want?"

"Just to say thanks."

"It could've waited then."

"It's alright…"

"Sleep well my love."

"You too Megatron."

And they both fell back to sleep.

Awww how sweet...Tronic can say two words...if that is sweet. Anywho...I'll appreciate reviews for this please, and thankful. Have a safe and happy Memorial Day once again!