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Chapter Thirty Five – Precious Bots
Ratchet eased his hand into the energon fluid that protected the sparkling bodies, carefully wrapping his fingers around one of the baby's tiny frames. It was lifted out of the chamber, and Bumblebee watched with a smile, his optics soon looking down to the tear-glistening ones of his femme. He gave her hand a squeeze and leaned down, kissing her cheekplate.
"I knew you could make it through," he murmured into her receptor. "You're a strong femme."
Arcee smiled, kissing him back on his mouth. "Thanks for helping me through it, baby…"
Bumblebee purred. "Of course, Arcee."
When a hand tapped Bumblebee's stomach plating, the mech looked down, noticing Darren at his waist. The human pointed a finger in a direction. "Look," he said, grinning.
Bumblebee and Arcee turned their heads, watching as Ratchet gingerly set the baby bot's body on the medical berth and, with a single finger, he opened its tiny chest compartment, revealing a small crevice where its spark was to sit.
Bumblebee moved his arms around Arcee, sitting his head against hers.
"Baby, here it comes," he whispered, their sparks flashing in their bond.
Arcee held onto him, her optics threatening to spill tears. "Oh, Bumblebee…"
Ratchet took the tweezer-like devices in his hands again, then lowered them to the container where the two beating sparks rested, oh-so-tenderly taking one of them. The little heart was broughten over to the sparkling's body and lowered down into its chamber.
In a brilliant flash of blue light, the spark was secured.
Everyone shielded their eyes and looked away until the light was gone.
As Ratchet took a few steps back, he grinned from receptor-to-receptor.
"Got it," he breathed. "Spark one, secured."
Everyone's optics were on the sparkling. They waited.
It was silent, and then…
Bumblebee's antennae perked and he leaned forward with Arcee.
They heard it – Crying from the sparkling.
"Wahhh!" it screamed, twisting its body.
Ratchet smiled.
The little bot squirmed on its back and lifted tiny fists into the air, kicking its baby legs slowly. The medical officer chuckled and took the sparkling in his hands, then turned on his heel, lowering the baby to a nearby cart.
He wrapped the little bot in soft cloths, grinning at it as it wriggled around. Fabric fell over one of the baby's tear-filled optics and its tiny hand gripped the material, its chin trembling. Ratchet lifted the sparkling to his arms again, patting the bot dry from the energon softly before offering it to Arcee and Bumblebee.
"Your baby femme," he told her warmly.
"Xylastar," breathed Arcee.
Faceplate drenched in affection, Arcee took the sparking in her arms, cradling the femmebot against her chestplate. Bumblebee took Darren in his palms and lifted him up enough so he could see.
"Oh my, God," breathed Darren, leaning forward to look at the baby with a wide smile. "She's so cute, Bee…"
Bumblebee was speechless; he could only grin at the newborn as she snuggled against her mother's breastplate, her cries softening. Arcee quieted her, swaying her against her chest.
"Shhh, baby," she cooed, tears trickling down her cheekplates. "Mommy's here. No more, Xylastar."
The sparkling whirred as her mother gently eased the cloths away from her faceplate. Bumblebee's spark swelled in joy as he noticed the colors of the baby's body.
Her faceplate was a soft white, her eyes a pale blue like Arcee's. Bumblebee lifted a hand to part away more of the cloths, exposing some of the baby's body. Her chestplate was white and accented black on some plates, as were her legs. She had a miniature set of her father's wings fixed on her back, ones that fluttered and folded just like his.
"Ohh, baby," groaned Bumblebee, looking over their creation slowly. Tears rose in his optics and he let them fall, grinning. "She's absolutely beautiful."
Darren looked up to Bumblebee with a smile, tears in his own eyes. He'd never gotten emotional over anything like this before. In a sudden joy, he hugged Bumblebee's finger, pressing his cheek against it. Bumblebee whirred, stroking the human's head softly.
"Darren…" the mech started. He wanted to say something, but nothing came out. His happiness was overpowering. He finally managed, "…Y-Your baby s-sister."
Darren chuckled, nodding. "I love her already." He sighed. "Xyla…"
Xylastar chirruped, reaching her little hands out to Darren. The human grinned and waved at her. She smiled back.
"Hi there, sister," Darren chuckled, leaning forward.
Xylastar said something in her sparkling language, trying to imitate Darren. The human boy only grinned wider, wanting to hold her, if only he could. Bumblebee whirred, stroking Darren's spine.
"She loves you, too," he told the human.
Darren kept his eyes on Xylastar, but she looked away to her father.
Bumblebee looked to Xylastar and blinked at her, noticing her large optics fixed on him. They stared at each other for a long moment, then the mech leaned down, smiling at his daughter with his faceplate close. Xylastar cuddled into Arcee's breastplate, hiding behind folds of fabric. She tensed and whimpered as Bumblebee's finger stroked her tiny head, drawing little circles into her cheekplate.
"Don't be afraid," he murmured, optics warming. "I'm not going to hurt you."
Darren felt tears fall. Those familiar words…They made him remember when he first met Bumblebee. He squeezed the mech's finger tighter, the wonderful memories returning…
"No, no, it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you. It's okay…"
"You're alright…"
"Don't be afraid…"
Bumblebee's first words to him echoed in his head, making him smile. He felt his heart skip in the connection he had between Bumblebee, and he purred, feeling it too.
Bumblebee was interrupted from Xylastar when a finger tapped his shoulder. He turned his optics to Ratchet's, then to a bundle of cloths in the officer's arms.
"Your son, Bumblebee," said Ratchet, smiling.
Bumblebee's optics rounded as they fell upon Zaidian, his spark struggling just to hold in all of the joy that was welled inside it. His faceplate covered in devotion, the mech sat Darren on his shoulder, then gingerly wrapped his arms around his newborn, looking to his faceplate.
Darren peeked down, shaking his head slowly at the beautiful creation. The robot newborn looked just like Bumblebee, blue optics as electric as lightning, a faceplate made of dark metal while surrounding plates were yellow.
Zaidian looked like Bumblebee as a sparkling.
The sparkling whimpered and squirmed in his Dad's arms, and Bumblebee shook his head, bringing the baby against his spark.
"Zaidian," he cooed, touching the baby's cheekplate with a finger. "My son…"
Darren leaned against Bumblebee's face, a tear falling down his cheek. He kissed Bumblebee quickly, chuckling.
"He looks just like you," he murmured, grinning.
Bumblebee's tear-glazed optics shifted to Darren, and they upturned. "He does…" he breathed, looking back at his son. "And, I'll bet he'll look just like you when he gets his human protoform."
Darren smiled even wider. "We'll look like a real family…"
Bumblebee's spark thrummed strongly in their bond. "Yeah," he said, swaying Zaidian. "A real family." His optics turned to Arcee and he scooted closer to her, making sure Darren stayed on his shoulder. He let the human climb down his arm to get a closer look at the sparkling.
Arcee leaned her head against Bumblebee's shoulder, holding Xylastar closer to her breastplate. Bumblebee laid Zaidian's receptor against his heart, brushing his fingers across the sparkling's cheekplates lightly. Both of baby bots' optics were closed, making their creators smile with all their spark.
They slept soundlessly.
Ratchet moved over to them after putting every machine and tool in its proper place. He smiled widely, leaning down with his palms on the berth.
"How are they doing?" he whispered.
Bumblebee nodded. "Couldn't be better," he whispered back, not wanting to wake them.
Ratchet chuckled, leaning forward. His optics flashed as he saw the baby bots sound asleep in the creators' arms, the sounds of their little breathing warming them all. The medical officer sighed happily, giving Bumblebee a quick pat on his leg.
"Congratulations, Son," he said softly. He set his hand on Arcee's shoulder. "And great job, Arcee. I knew you had it in you."
The femme smiled, tucking her head in Bumblebee's neck, listening to him purr.
"I couldn't have done it without my sparkmate," she cooed, feeling him nuzzle the side of his head against her. "And you, of course, Ratchet. Thank you for guiding me as well."
The medical officer smiled wider, shrugging casually. "It's what I'm here for, Arcee."
The femme smiled wider at him.
Xylastar wiggled in the bundle of cloths, fluttering her big blue optics up at her mother. Arcee smiled and leaned down to kiss her foreplate. Xylastar chirped happily, kicking her little legs. Arcee laughed.
"She's wonderful," she breathed.
Ratchet looked closer at the sparkling. "Her colors are rare," he told them, arching an eyebrow. "Usually, sparklings tend to have the primary colors of their creators." He shrugged.
Bumblebee blinked. "She has our…what then? Secondary colors?"
Ratchet nodded. "That's correct. She has Arcee's white, and your black." He looked to Zaidian and chuckled. "Your son looks just like you, Bumblebee."
The mech grinned, listening to Darren laugh. "Haha, yes, he does," he sighed, moving his finger in circles in the bot's chest. "My little twin…"
Zaidian awoke, staring innocently up into his father's eyes. Bumblebee smiled wider, pressing the sparkling against his chest easily. The newborn whimpered and his chin started trembling.
Bumblebee shook his head. "S'okay," he murmured.
Zaidian started crying softly, hiccupped sobs coming from his little throat. Bumblebee could only keep smiling, lifting the baby to his shoulder, rocking him slowly. Zaidian's tiny body lay against his shoulder and Bumblebee felt that tiny spark inside him beating.
Closing his eyes, Bumblebee tucked the bot in the nook of his neck, listening to his femme as she "talked" with Xylastar. His daughter made several happy giggles.
Bumblebee nuzzled his chin up and down the Zaidian's spine, and the baby quieted, his optics closing. The mech nodded, patting his son's back.
"That's right," he whispered. "Daddy's here."
Sleep peacefully now my child.
I hope that you go away to a place where your dreams can play.
Wipe all the tears from your eyes.
There is a sky of blue.
This is your time of truth…
Zaidian fell back into a sleep. Darren reached his small hand to the sparkling's shoulder, and let it run down the plate of yellow armor covered in the blankets. He smiled, listening as the bot whirred happily at him. Bumblebee smiled.
Like a bird high on the windmay you fly away
Like a snowfall in the spring may you cares melt away
Child, innocent child
Our hope lies inside your starry eyes
My innocent child…
"That's the way to do it," he laughed to Darren softly.
Darren grinned, sitting next to the sparkling, continuing to stroke its shoulder. "I'm gettin' the hang of this."
Ratchet sat himself at the edge of the berth, watching as the two robots tended to their creations. "I'll let you all enjoy yourselves before we bring in the others."
Arcee nodded. "Oh, I can't wait to see their faces," she said, patting Xylastar's stomach as the happy baby bot whirred, her little hands clawing at her mother's chestplate. Arcee looked down and kissed Xylastar's cheekplate. "They'll love you, baby."
Zaidian chirped in his sleep as Darren's fingers lightly dug into him. Bumblebee laid his head down on the bot's back and closed his optics, listening to the tiny thing's internal systems work softly inside it.
Like a candle
Like a snowfall,
Like a feather,
Like a bird,
Fly away…
Like a candle
Like a snowfall,
Like a feather,
Like a bird,
Fly away…
Bumblebee softly pressed his lips against Zaidian's head, feeling the newborn stir on his shoulder. The bot hiccupped in a pleasant whirr, then turned his head on his father's shoulder, his baby faceplate facing Bumblebee's as the mech leaned his head away. He sighed with a smile, his finger messing with one of two antennae that sat on Zaidian's head. The baby smiled and giggled.
Bumblebee's spark swelled in overflowing love.
"Little Zaidian," he breathed, swaying.
Arcee's head fell on his shoulder. "You wanna hold Xylastar?"
Bumblebee shook his head, keeping his optics fixed on Zaidian.
"No, not now, honey," he said softly. "Just a little while longer…"
Arcee grinned. "It's no problem, babe," she giggled. "Attached to your son, huh?"
Bumblebee chuckled. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I can't let him go yet."
Zaidian whirred and fluttered open his optics at the near sound of his father's voice. He looked into Bumblebee's optics deeply and giggled, his little hands gripping his father's shoulder plates firmly. Darren, startled, withdrew his hand from the sparkling's shoulder, then chuckled.
"They don't stay asleep for long, do they?" he smiled.
Bumblebee chuckled, kissing the bot's head. Zaidian twittered, smiling at his father.
"Hello there," the mech cooed.
Zaidian giggled again, bouncing. Bumblebee grinned and waved at his son with his fingers. He eased one palm around the baby's bottom, holding it gently.
"Daddy," Bumblebee said, pointing at himself. "Can you say that, Zaidian?"
Nothing. The sparkling's big optics just stared.
Bumblebee laughed. "Daddy, Zaidian," he said, grinning. He drawled it out, "Daddy."
The baby bot blinked. "D-D…D-Da…"
Bumblebee's spark fluttered. Arcee gasped.
"He understands you already!" she breathed over Xylastar's happy squeal.
Ratchet chuckled. "Comin' from two incredibly smart processors," the officer grinned. "Of course the bot understands his father."
Bumblebee patted Zaidian's back. "C'mon, you've got it…Say, 'Daddy.'"
The sparkling blinked again, and whimpered. "D-Dad…D-Da."
Bumblebee chuckled, nodding. "You've got it, son. Keep going."
Arcee smiled, leaning to Zaidian. "Daddy, baby," she told him. "Say, 'Daddy.'"
The newborn looked to Darren, to Ratchet, then to both of his creators. The sparkling's chin trembled again and he buried himself in the crook of Bumblebee's neck, his little head fitting perfectly. Bumblebee sighed in a smile.
"I guess he doesn't like everyone watching," Darren laughed.
Zaidian sniffled, snuggling into Bumblebee's warm neck. The sparkling whimpered and pressed himself deeper, feeling his dad's spark beat in his neck, calming as he felt it.
Bumblebee nodded. "Daddy's here," he cooed.
"D-D…D-Dada."
The whole room went silent.
Xylastar made a pleasant whirr at her brother, clapping her little hands.
Ratchet breathed out, shaking his head. "Well, imagine that," he said softly.
"…His first word," murmured Darren, grinning. "Already."
Arcee couldn't help but kiss Zaidian's back. "Dear, Primus. Good boy…!"
Bumblebee's optics upturned at his son's, and he pulled the bot down to his spark, turning Zaidian over onto his back, blue optics looking up into his.
"D-Dada," said the newborn again.
Bumblebee, Arcee, Xylastar and Zaidian's sparks thrummed in their Creator-Creation bond. Darren's heart beat happily in the connection to, as did Ratchet's.
Every spark was smiling, pulsating in pure love.
Bumblebee brought the sparkling up against his spark, swaying him.
"Dada," Zaidian giggled.
Bumblebee nodded, smiling as he closed his optics.
"Dada," he repeated to his sparkling.
Dada…His son's first word. A tear fell from under an optic lid.
"Zaidian," Bumblebee murmured. "One more time for Daddy…"
Zaidian giggled. "Dada!' The bot chirped, bouncing. "Dada, Dada, Dada!"
Everyone laughed.
"What a character," sighed Ratchet. "He's gonna be some mech one day."
Bumblebee held his little son tighter.
"And Dada'll be here forever," he whispered, kissing the baby's head. "Forever." He tapped the sparkling's spark. "In there forever…"
"D-Dada…" Zaidian muttered with a smile, nuzzling. "Mmm…"
"I'll always be right here…" Bumblebee had told Darren.
"In my heart," Darren had replied. "A-And I'll always be right here, Bee…"
Bumblebee had cooed back, "In my spark."