Thank you Mercedes, Sakura and hermine! Love my reviews! You inspire me to keep going on this fic. It's so much fun message if you have any ideas or have something you wanna see!

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I remember swaying in my fathers sparkling hold and finally being aware of it. I figured we'd gotten on the boat at some point in the night. Besides nightmares there was little my mother or father could do to wake me up. When they transformed or walked or moved I just moved with them. I didn't know ho long we'd been sailing but I was done recharging for the time being and I wanted out and to explore.

I probed my father and got a grumbled answer through the bonds and my sparkling hold opened a little and let the light from his spark in, above me. And there I saw it just a foot above me nestled in his park which I touched many times glowed differently with the Matrix mixed with it. I reached up with my thin arm and managed to stroke one of the silver tips. IT felt like lightning with out the pain of getting shocked running through my systems. And I was surprised when it didn't' blow me into bits with its power. But instead it filled me to almost overflowing and it knew me and with a possessive surge I felt like it had claimed me and would own me one day. But that didn't make much sense to either adult or babybot me and with that ominous controlling feeling I began to wail.

My cries weren't common and when they happened I could get a lot of attention. My fright and worry was being carried down the bonds like a flood and both the feeling and cry awoke my mom and dad. I'd pulled my hand back the second it had claimed me. And my father could feel the echoes of the power from the Matrix. Both parents could discern the overflow from my systems. My father movements were quick and forced as he pulled me from his sparkling hold trying to put space between me and the relic. But the damage whatever it was had already been done.

The thought of being possessed in any shape or form scares the hell outta me and I wanted no part of this. The thought froze my soul and spark to the strut and the distress was jarring. My father handed me to my mother so she could pull me to her calming warm spark and he could deal with the Matrix. He sat and turned his gaze inward toward the power in his chest. I could tell he was somewhat distant in the bonds but the echoing power in our link made me shy away from his bond. Ignoring my avoidance of the link, I could feel him using his concentration to dig deeper into his self. Curling into my mother, her spark began to filter my fathers and tried to unravel the close connection that the Matrix seemed to have formed with me. Her spark could dampen the affects but not break it. It almost felt like I'd been branded with what I didn't know and I cringed inwardly and outwardly from that thought. In my mother's bond I heard her whisper to me in my revulsion, "Sweetspark, do not fear. We will not anything let claim you sweetling." I continued to cry even as she continued to mitigate the effects of the Matrix.

The bots were unsettled and moved in close to my mother's location allowing their sparks to reach out to mine through the knowing trying to give me comfort also. Their Prime was sitting against the wall with out any warning going slack and they had their sparkling screaming bloody murder cringing away from her father. They all were concerned about me but at the same time nervous about their leaders condition. But a wave of relief quickly rippled through the sparks that were close to me that I assumed was my mother telling them what happened but they continued to rally around me as my mother rocked back and forth where she stood.

My father suddenly came out of his trance looking state with a start like he'd been tossed back in his body. The power in the link flared again but didn't seem to touch me. There was a barrier that cut off most of the connection to the Matrix but let in my father's thoughts and feelings. The force of my family when they rallied together was something to really behold. In the back of my mind I marveled at the inherent strength in their sparks just bonded as they were to protect me. He looked at me careful to stay where he was not making any sudden moves. His hands were raised in a surrendering position. The hurt that my father felt being force to keep his distance was searing my insides. I wanted to go to him but the Matrix had to be disentangled first.

I saw him open his chest plates and pull the doubled edged remnant of our Primes of old from his spark. The power that laced his spark dulled somewhat down to pre Matrix levels and he closed his chest panels. Ironhide immediately came forward and took it from Optimus as risk to himself but suffered no will effects as it was set in to his servo. Only Primes could levitate the artifact. The weapons specialist wrapped his fingers round it and stepped away to the farthest back corner of the cargo hold in the ship. Then my father was suddenly free of the Matrix's power and I could feel his bond clear and true as he came forward and took me from my mother carefully. It was comforting to feel him again without the foreign power in his spark that seemed so much like him at first but had defiantly established itself as something completely different.

"My daughter," He hugged me tightly to his chest his spark syncing with mine for a much needed sharing of deep connection.

"Daddy," I cried in answer to his words. Ratchet I could feel next to us scanning us. From the edge of my awareness my mother was right behind me shielding me continually with her spark but I could still feel in that far corner something pulling at my spark. I gave the weapons specialists' hand a dower look and then snuggled into my father.

"It's alright Steel," he comforted me. Rubbing my back and lying me up on his shoulder I sort of hung my arm over the side of his shoulder and let the other wrap around his neck cabling. He did his best to put as much of his armor pieces between me and the Matrix also. They had an odd effect on the feeling between me and it. The tentative tether on my spark seemed to feel slightly looser but still looped around my soul. The slack on the hold was a slight relief.

"What the pit happened Prime?" Ratchet asked hard pressed for answers.

"You all know she's my daughter since she bonded to me," he got a round of nods. Elita continued to stay quiet waiting for his explanation. "The Matrix of Leadership knows Primes even when they are sparklings and it was recognizing that in her. However there is a trade when accepting its power. IT took her willingness to touch it as her acquiescence to this unspoken pact between bearer and Matrix." My sniffles remained as he wrapped his arms around me still keeping the relic at bay.

"What is the exchange, my love?" Elita asked.

"When a bearer accepts the Matrix you are branded with its power and after being claimed fully the power is yours to wield. The Primes who sacrificed themselves help put this safeguard on it because of the Fallen's misuse. Your will must be in coordinance with Primus or it is useless. Their sacrifice allowed this connection to the well of sparks and thus the creator."

"And the price that the bearer pays is…?" Sideswipe asked a skeptical note to his tone.

"In turn you are a tool of Primus directly. Having direct access to his power also gives him direct access to your spark. It can be a great burden to a small spark or one that is still healing. The inability to shy away from the light that's invited into your spark can be hard to bear when you still need to expel the darkness even darkness that is not your own." He said this for my benefit I knew. There was much from my previous life that wasn't my darkness that followed me but I continued to hold on to it unable to release the well's putrid contents all at once for fear it would consume me from the inside out soul and all devouring me whole. The soup that festered in there was like acid. Airing that to that type of light, pureness and power made me shiver. I didn't know if I'd ever be ready.

"She is not ready to carry the mantel of a leader, my sparkmate," Elita said softly still standing next to my father. He nodded.

"The Matrix has claimed her but it is not binding till she has accepted its powerfully. When it came in contact with her resistance and then fear it stopped the process of binding fully with her spark. The armor and spark of a Prime and mate can reverse the effects. Primus is not without foresight. IT will just take some time but she can already feel the contingent connection working loose now." I was finally settled and nodded to him still snuggled tightly into the crook of his neck.

"Well her systems are returning to normal," Ratchet diagnosed. "Her spark seems to be recovering."

"Daddy I'm sorry," I whispered to him quietly. He just nodded into my body.

"It's alright my sparkling. It is not your fault. You are so young and know not our history or the importance of such things. It is natural for you to be curious my daughter."

"And it was shiny?" I said with an almost hiccup, or the bot equivalent. That lead a rustle of laughter through the cargo hold. I then yawned and the natural way I slide into his arm being shielded from the Matrix for now and its loosening grip I took a proffered cup of energon.

XXX

Sometime later it must have been a few hours I was content enough to just lay in my fathers arms till the Matrix was completely done with me. I don't know if I could ever face that thing again but at least it didn't necessarily want me. It would be my choice eventually. My father retrieved it and joined it with his spark again and I felt the power come back but it wasn't attached to me and I knew my dad was in control of it and he would protect me. Both parents were weary for the first few minutes but I was ok with him feeling his bond even with the boost from the artifact. I just knew I would NEVER touch it again that's for damn sure at least not until I was way grown up and I had a damn good reason to, like end of the world shit or something, other than that dad could keep it!

It crossed my mind that I didn't see Sam anywhere again. I nudged my dad over the bond as to his location. "Sam is sleeping sparkling. He and Mikaela are in the same room next to the cargo hold. Bumblebee has scanners on them." I didn't like the fact that the couldn't be in here and I was the only one small enough to get in the boats hallways. As tall as a ten year old I still crawled.

"Can I go?" I asked I wanted to make sure he was ok. My father thought better of it for a moment but then relented. It wouldn't hurt to check on the boy.

"Yes but don't be gone long and don't leave the hallway," I nodded at his instruction. He put me down and I opened the door. I held myself against the wall and walked a few steps toward a door on the left side of the hall. I turned up my audios and was making sure they weren't doing anything I should not be walking in on. I heard murmuring that might be a conversation or sleep talking but I wanted to make sure. So I dropped to my knees and crawled to the door and opened it quietly. There was a small light on and I went in on my hands and knees still. It looked like the jumped into their beds when the door opened.

"Sam?" I questioned. That wasn't like them if they were up they'd talk to me. "Mika?" I asked my voice unsure. I didn't know why'd they ignore me. I crawled over not one to take the snub, I was known for being assertive among other things. I was at Sam's bed and pulled on his military issue blanket even to my metal finger tips felt rough. It fell off his head to reveal…blonde hair? I squeaked. "Sam?" The man in the bed shot up suddenly scaring me more and the other bed exploded in a flurry of movement and blankets. I screeched as I watched both people jump up and run off. I crawled toward the door and looked the way they ran and narrowed my eyes. None of the bots had looked down the hallway yet assuming Sam had been playing with me.

Something was gong on. Where were they? I should go back to my dad and alert them but I wanted to find the kids before they were hurt too. They couldn't find them down these small halls so I hiked myself up against the wall and ran toward the intersection. Well this was technically still the same hallway so I with a somewhat clear conscious moved down toward the left the way I'd heard them run. I could hear the foot steps echoing down the hallway still distantly but then I finally lost them because after three turns I had to resort to my crawling. I was trying to figure out where they might be and on what floor when I got an idea. Sam was given a cell phone by Ratchet to keep while he was in his room it may be turned of but the chip in it wasn't I tried to ping it and it was on the other side of the ship up to floors. I sighed. Well I couldn't say that was the same hall but I went any way.

Crawling up stairs was easier now and up two flights was nothing compared to the last time I'd tried it. Once up on the correct level I was crawling in the correct direction when someone popped out of one of the room tripping over me and smacking into the other side of the hallway since they were so narrow. I sat down to look at the man on the floor who was wearing a naval uniform. When my face appeared over his he shrieked and then I shrieked back cuz he scared me. I pulled back against the wall across from his fallen form as he righted himself. The sailor looked at me and then around. "Sorry," I said shyly hoping he wouldn't get mad. He got a funny look on his face.

"They said you were human like but this is unreal," he got up seemingly unhurt and making a semi circle around where I sat against the wall. He was a young kid probably 20 or younger.

"You k?" I asked him making sure. HE didn't answer he just stared.

He then looked over his shoulder and called into the room he'd just come out of. "Hey, Tom get out here." Another soldier came out and looked down at me with wide eyes. The other one looked up at the first officer.

"This one of them robots Aaron?" the other nodded his head. "Damn they were right. Weird but kinda human." I was getting kinda pissed I was in the room, hallway, whatever, I was here and they were talking about me like I wasn't.

"HEY! I here! I'm Steel!" I yelled at them still a little broken in my English.

"Wow it can talk to."

"Not it! She. STEEL!" I growled at Tom. HE looked into my optics getting a little closer.

"OK ok. Steel. What are you doing so far from the cargo hold?"

"Sam and Mika," I answered and then crawled from between the two of them in the direction of the pinged chip.

"Hey there speed racer," Aaron said putting a hand on my shoulder. I bumped him off but someone else came out of another room to see what the ruckus was. IT happened to be in the room three doors down on the right where I had felt the ping come back from. IT was that same man from the tent. My eyes narrowed. "YOU!" I yelled. Three clumsy running steps and I was on my knees again cursing my Cybertronian sense of balance and all the systems it took to move. The two sailors were right behind me but I was already at the door and it slammed in my face. The sailors came up behind me and watched as I pounded on the door. "SAM!" I yelled, "MIKA!" There was a dent in the door where I'd hit it several times and I looked at it then my hand. I was shocked. But I heard some rustling around the room inside. Tom decided he should take charge of the situation and began to pull me by my shoulder away from the door.

"Ok that's it now you gotta go back to your cargo…"

I turned on him. "NO!" I plopped down on my but and wouldn't budge. He tried to pick me up and I pushed him, "SAID NO! Want Sam and Mika!" I was letting my sparkling programming kick in full force. If they wanted to play that way so could I. I heard the door click. IT was the lock. Sam and Mika wouldn't have left me out here like this and I knew they were in there I could hear their muffled voices.

"You better let her in or one of us out to get her," Mika was warning them as I was shouting at the sailors.

"Ya she is stubborn she wont give up…" he trailed off.

"I am not going to let that THING in here. You were supposed to be debriefed in the tent but that bright yellow one kidnapped you and now they are sending that little machine after you like a recon drone!" a male voice yelled at them. I pounded on the door again calling their names. When I didn't get a response I threw myself backward on the metal floor and started kicking my feet and pounding my arms in a full on temper tantrum. There were few things that got the attention of as many people as possible as a good fit. Several people were now filling the hall none of which I recognized. I cried harder. My bonds were singing with energy of my cries since my fits started. I heard a phone ring. IT was Sam's.

"Don't answer that," the male voice ordered.

"It's prime probably about his kid throwing an epic fit in the hall and you don't want me to answer? DO you want a ship to get back to land in cuz they can just walk there on the sea floor if they wanted to," he quipped. HE then answered the phone anyhow. "Yeah Op we got her," he said reassuring him. I didn't hear what my dad was saying. "No we are up a few floors in a 'briefing' room" I could hear the air quotes while still wailing. "No I haven't talk to her yet they won't let me." Suddenly the door flew open and the man was standing on the back wall pale as my optics met his. Mika was already sitting by me hushing me.

"It's ok were here sweetspark," she crooned as she gathered me into her lap on the floor against the wall. I saw Will running toward us also. Finally starting to quiet Will bent to our level.

"How did you get all the way up here darling," he asked in his soft voice stroking my helm.

"Wanted to see Sam and Mika. NO there! Bumbee said they there but no there!" I cried.

"Why would bumblebee say they were there when they were up here?" he asked to himself almost but I heard.

"NO there bad people there. Not Sam and Mika." I looked at the man over Mika's shoulder as Sam came around the table to sit with me also. I glared at the man. "You takin my Sam and my Mika gen!" I shouted.

The man looked at Will. "What is this thing doing here out of its hold?" The soldier gave the other a scathing glare.

"She is not a thing. She is a baby and she is Steel. She was looking for her friends almost like aunt and uncle and she was worried." Will scanned over the two teens with a critical eye. "Does she have a reason to be worried?" he asked pointedly.

"Of course not!"

"Then why were they not sleeping like she and the other bots thought they were?" HE didn't have a smart answer for that one.

"They took us hours ago when we were about to hit the sack and the assholes didn't give us a choice. It was 'you're gonna come and talk to us'. We didn't know they'd left someone in our room. The bots are gonna flip," Mikaela said.

Sam sighed, "They are gonna insist we sleep in the cargo hold."

"I'm beginning to think that's not a bad idea," Mikaela growled at the man. Will picked me up with a grunt.

"Come on you three. Optimus is going to fry a circuit and Bumblebee is gonna start mowing through walls if we don't get back. And 'sir'" he spat the polite name, "if there are anymore instances of deception or commandeering of these two the Autobots will be in on the conference when you're reprimanded." He paled.

We walked down the hall and to an elevator that went down to the right level and Will put me down and let Sam and Mika hold my hands as I walked between them. My father was waiting at the door as we walked in and he plucked me up and hugged me tightly and then I was passed around as was Sam and Mikaela. Will was spared the indignity.

"Sparkling don't you EVER do that again!" Elita gushed worriedly. "You scared us! I don't know how I am going to keep your father let alone myself from tearing down the walls to find you!" She hugged me tightly again.

Bumblebee grabbed his charges. "There were life signs in the room! How did they…? How did…?"

"Its ok Bee," Sam said patting his hand.

"It's not your fault big guy," Mika told him too. They put to decoys in our beds to fool you.

My father's brow plates drew together. "This obsession with you is not acceptable. Who are these people that are demanding your presence?" They both shrugged.

I piped up from Ratchet's arms. "Man from da tent!" Ratchet made a growling noise in his chest.

"Those slaggin…" then suddenly cut off his string of profanity for my sake.

Optimus addressed Will. "Will you please investigate this? WE cannot for we are not able to traverse the ship unlike my little spy here," he rubbed a hand on my helm.

"Yeah, I'll find out where there from and make sure they have no more contact with the kids."

"Thank you my friend," he said to Will as he turned to me. "You rescued our Sam and Mikaela again did you?" They both nodded.

"That epic fit really did the job!" Sam snickered so did Mika. I laughed too.

"Sweep over!" I called. And the two teens groaned. They knew they'd bee sleeping in that cargo hold now. They shrugged and figured my dad's sleeper cab was big enough for the two of them. After that things settled down a bit and they were able to get some sleep in my dad's cab while I played with my mother. It was a fairly uneventful trip after that.