Chapter 42:

By Transformersnewfan

After Soundwave locked down the Decepticon Underwater Base for the night, he joined his sparklings in their quarters.

Rumble and Frenzy debated if they needed to tell their Sire.

"Hey Pop?" Rumble asked, "Do we have any problems with sea creatures getting into the Base?"

Soundwave looked at him, "What do you mean?"

"Frenz and I heard, like, something like a crab dragging around in the attic," the blue Cassette explained, "so, um…"

"Probably came through the ventilation systems," Soundwave nodded, "it will either find its way out or die there. Nothing more." But he wondered if it was something more, "What happened?"

Rumble didn't say any more; Frenzy was silent. So, Soundwave began cleaning up a bit before bed. Finally, Rumble piped up, "Pop, I don't want Skywarp and the baby in that room anymore. I think they need to move somewhere safer."

Wow. Rumble had never cared for anything before; not even Frenzy.

"Tell Thundercracker he should move out too," Rumble continued, "their room's right by those vents and the elevator. It ain't safe."

The Tapedeck took his son seriously, "In the morning, I will speak to them."

He then made sure all his sons were in their berths and turned in for the night. It was two-thirty in the morning.

In Skywarp's Dream:

The Seeker had no idea he was dreaming…

He was working on the files in the Control Room, just like any other day. He was working alone, meaning Soundwave had not reported for his shift yet. He had a local television station on one of the monitors. An anchorwoman was reporting on a cooking demonstration.

He opened the next box and pulled out a file folder. He opened it, and there it was: Gravechaser's mugshot and the criminal record! He finally had it! He could finally show the others who the ghost was!

It should have occurred to him that the mug shot would not have been Gravechaser in his current form, rather, it would have been Scourge's original Seeker chassis. But just then, the television turned to snow, making static. And then, a song:

"If only you knew…"

Skywarp's neck cables snapped up; he spun on his heels and looked at the screen.

"If…only…you…knew…"

The pregnant Seeker approached the screen, scared; his air intakes hitching, ready to keen. He got close enough to hear it clearly:

"Iiiiffff…oooonly…youuuu…knewwwww…"

It stopped abruptly. Followed by dead silence. Skywarp didn't even feel his own chassis.

The stillness was cut by the frightened wail of a newling.

He looked down and saw his flat abdomen.

"AAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" he grabbed at his form, horrified that his unborn femme had vanished.

He was in a total panic when the second time the newling keened, he ran into the hallway, "SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

Gravechaser had his little Crystal in his crawls. He was floating away with her at an unearthly speed.

"STOP!" Skywarp cried out, "GIVE ME MY BABY!" he tried to chase them, but the ghost was moving too fast.

"NOOOOOO!" Skywarp cried out.

End of Skywarp's dream:

Thundercracker awoke to his little brother's keens and whimpers. He saw Skywarp thrashing in his berth, in the throes of a nightmare.

"Warp," he whispered now, trying not to scare him, "you're dreaming."

"HELP ME! AAAAUUUUGGGGGHHHH!" Skywarp shrieked out; his optics shuttered tightly.

TC jumped out of his berth and shook his brother, "Skywarp, wake up!"

The black and purple Seeker's optics snapped open finally, internal fans whirling, and he couldn't catch his air intakes, "TEECEE!" he grabbed his brother's arms, "HELP ME!"

Thundercracker's optics were still refocusing, and his systems were still lagging; he looked the younger Seeker over for any injuries, "W-What?"

Skywarp was sobbing in his sleep, "My baby's gone!"

Oh, God.

TC pulled all the blankets off, throwing them on the floor. But there was no Energon-blood or fluids to indict anything had gone wrong with the pregnancy.

Skywarp finally realized it was all a bad dream. He was still carrying his little femme. But it had all seemed so real. He sat up now, hugging his abdomen with both arms, rocking back and forth; coolant tears bursting from his optics.

"Skywarp, tell me what happened?" Thundercracker pleaded. He had been out of it for hours, not even realizing Starscream had picked up the triplets. He wrapped his arms around his young brother as the other continued to cry.

"When was the last time you felt your sparkling move?" the blue Seeker asked, worried.

Skywarp looked at the clock; it was four in the morning, "C-Couple hours…" he felt his baby moving her legs now; she always did that when he was sobbing, and she didn't like that, "S-She's moving now…"

TC sighed in relief, resting his chin on Skywarp's shoulder. He put one of his hands on the other's pregnant belly now, making sure his niece-to-be was alright.

"Um…" Thundercracker stammered, "Sometimes, sparklings don't always move…I mean, they fall asleep…She was probably asleep." He was that thinking Skywarp didn't feel her moving and panicked.

Skywarp just let him think so. He didn't want to tell him about the nightmare.

The two held onto each other and Skywarp's belly for a little longer before they were getting cold again. "Come on," TC helped him up, and they went to the blue Seeker's larger berth, picking up the blankets and wrapping themselves up, holding each other tightly, arms and legs intertwined with Skywarp's tummy nestled safely between them.

:Mommy okay?: the sparkling wanted to know why they were up again, :Uncle okay?:

:Y-Yes, sweetspark…: he answered his baby, before switching Bonds, :TC, how you feeling?:

:Okay I guess…: he yawned at the same time, :Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to stay awake for more than an hour.:

:I don't wanna sleep again…: Skywarp sniffed, :I-I dream…He makes me dream…:

:Warp…: Thundercracker reached up and stroked his baby brother's helm, :We gotta tell somebody…:

They didn't talk anymore; instead, all three of them laid awake, while Gravechaser paced above them.

The next day came without incident, with most of the Decepticons leaving for their holiday destinations. Astrotrain left to visit his younger sister; while Onslaught went to Uranus with Blast Off. Some of them vacationed on Earth, with the Coneheads opting to travel to Paris, France. And Megatron packed up his small family to visit his beloved Mother in his birth city of Tarn.

"I hate to leave them," Starscream whispered as he walked around with Darkwing in his arms, "Are we SURE the Space Bridge isn't safe for unborn sparklings?"

Megatron stopped his packing and shrugged, "You'll have to ask Soundwave."

"He'll just say no," the Seeker pouted, "Megatron, what are we gonna do?"

Megatron tried to think of the best way to keep his mates' siblings safe while they were away, "Our quarters is closest to the Control Room," he concluded, "If anybody's trying to break in, they would have to get pretty deep into the Base before they reach here." Soundwave's quarters was only a room away as well.

"Okay," Star nodded, "but TC's still sore at me," thinking his oldest sibling wouldn't be willing to listen.

"He'll obey an order from me," Megs nodded, "let's go."

With nightfall coming once again, Megatron spoke to the blue Seeker and Soundwave, who also had concerns for their safety after what his sons told him. Adding to the stress was that the Underwater Base would be virtually deserted except for the Tapedeck and his family. Skywarp sat on the sofa, still wrapped up in the blankets.

"Somebody was walking around again last night," Thundercracker admitted, still not telling his brother's secret that their intruder was a supernatural, "we could hear it."

"Yes, Rumble told me," Soundwave nodded, earning a look from Megatron.

"No, after they left," TC insisted, "this was around four this morning."

"I'll check the cameras again," the Tapedeck's vocals told them he already knew nothing would show up on their surveillance system.

That was it. "Come on, now," Megatron insisted. He and Soundwave helped take some of the Seekers' things and moved them into the Decepticon Leader's quarters. Thundercracker was trying to walk, holding onto the wall. Megs took the flyer's arm and slung it over his shoulder and hurried him along, while Soundwave helped Skywarp.

While the couples' berthroom and the triplets' nursery were spacious, their guest berthroom only had a twin bed for when Esmeralda visited. Neither Seekers was comfortable in the master berthroom, so they opted for the sofa bed. "A nice way to spend our vacation," Thundercracker grumbled, but deep down, he hoped moving would help.

Before they left for the Space Bridge, Starscream tried again to speak to his brothers, "Well, the little ones are in their car seats…"

"W-We kissed them bye-bye," Skywarp interjected.

Starscream hugged him once more and petting his stomach, "Bye-bye little one," still refusing to call her by her planned name.

"It's Crystal," Skywarp told him again, smiling.

Thundercracker refused to look at the red and white Seeker.

Starscream: "Thundercracker…"

"I'll be outta here as soon as I can get my transfer," TC cut him off.

"I removed your suspension," Starscream told him, "days ago…"

The blue Seeker hadn't known that, but he stayed tough, "Alright, then I quit!"

"Thundercracker," Starscream begged now, "wait…"

"JUST GO!" was the other's response before storming into the hallway.

Starscream knew he had to leave; his sparklings were already in the transporter with their Sire. He would have to think about how to reconcile with his Trine Brothers for the rest of his vacation.

With Megatron, Starscream, and their sparklings in Tarn, and the last of the vacationing Cons finally on their way, the Base was practically empty. Only Soundwave, his sparklings, Thundercracker and pregnant Skywarp remained. With all the break-ins, they all stayed together in the Control Room, with most of the other rooms locked and dark. The nearby towns were still buried in mounts of snow, and, like the Decepticons, their human counterparts had also flown the coop for the Christmas holiday.

The Tapedeck tried to get some work done before they turned in, having lost a few days of productivity. Skywarp, in turn, got up to help by sorting the papers.

"You guys are gonna work through the vacation?" TC asked.

"Not really," Soundwave answered, "just trying to keep busy." He was turning knobs and pressing buttons now, "The real work is securing the Base while there are less inhabitants."

Skywarp was nervous now; he was standing up, sorting papers, just like he had been doing in his dream the night before. This time, he kept his left arm firmly around his belly, protecting his sparkling from any attackers.

:Hug!: Crystal thought he was hugging her.

Later, Soundwave escorted them to their temporary quarters, making sure they were safe and turned in with his family.

They weren't used to the large quarters, "I miss the triplets," Skywarp said offhandedly.

"Well, we're gonna have our own kid," Thundercracker told him, "that was the plan, remember?"

The two brothers continued to stay close, not leaving each other's sides, guarding one another during nightly showers. Megatron's wash racks had a bathtub; Skywarp didn't want to try to get up from that; not tonight anyway.

The sofa bed wasn't as comfy as the one in their own quarters; Skywarp had to prop his big belly on a pillow, and another in the middle of his back. He had the habit of rolling over onto his back, and he was still thinking about that nightmare where Gravechaser had somehow 'removed' Crystal from his gestation chamber.

Thundercracker was feeling better at least; he was awake for more hours today than the previous day. Still, it was late, and he was ready to fall back into recharge. He held his little brother close, making sure nothing happened during the night.

The night and the next day went by without incident. Soundwave and Skywarp worked on their paperless-society project, with TC and the twins helping, and things were actually going well for once. Afterward, the night was again, uneventful.

Skywarp began to relax and recover from the attacks. It crossed his processor that Gravechaser may have attached himself to someone that had left the Base and would be left behind at some far-off destination.

Twenty-eight weeks carrying now, seven months pregnant, he was starting to get hopeful again about giving birth to his daughter and raising his little femme. One of the things he was looking forward to doing was leaning back and holding the baby against his canopy glass under the blankets and cuddling together.

In the morning, just like a week earlier, he enjoyed looking in the mirror in the wash racks (Megatron had a full-length mirror) and admiring his sparkling bump. His datapads were making him nervous though: They all said in the third trimester, he was going to get bigger rapidly and his belly more round-looking. He was nervous because he was already over the expected weight gain for twenty-eight weeks, "I already look like a swallowed a beach ball," it was very sensitive too; he rubbed it gently before patted it. Then he wrapped himself up in his blanket again. He was shy and not used to others looking at him or touching his belly. At least it was only TC and Soundwave around for a while.

At the afternoon med-bay appointment, Soundwave did another ultrasound on the Seeker. Poor Skywarp kept flitching and complaining that the medical equipment strapped to his stomach was too painful; the Tapedeck kept having to readjust it. Some medics were hard on their patients, but luckily, Soundwave wasn't one of those medics. For one, he didn't believe in strapping his patients down. Instead, he had Thundercracker hold his little brother steady during the examination, "Geez, why are you squirming so much?"

"Cause I'm sick," Skywarp whined.

"Pregnancy is not an illness," the Tapedeck noted, "and it's not to be treated as such." He gave Skywarp his blanket for added comfort, "This is normal, the chassis becomes extremely sensitive." Finally, he was able to complete the sonogram, and thankfully, everything was progressing normally. The black and purple Seeker calm a little; at least his little femme was healthy. Now, he laid back in his brother's arms.

Soundwave: "So how have you been feeling?"

Skywarp knew he should tell him, "I get pains all the time," he began, "like…I'm being stabbed."

"Braxton-Hicks," Soundwave noted, "they tend to occur more often in the last few weeks. It's from changes in the gestation chamber. Some patients notice them more than others."

It wasn't what Skywarp was referring to. He had read the datapads; he had read the websites; he KNEW what Braxton-Hicks contractions were. THIS was the sharp pain on his lower right side. And it didn't even feel like it was coming from within his gestation chamber. He had trouble thinking of the words to describe it, sometimes it felt like a muscle or a tube was being pushed or squeezed.

Soundwave: "Skywarp?"

"Okay," was his only response. He had zoned out there. So, he just let Soundwave remove the medical equipment, and he sat up, still hiding all his worries about the future from both his brother and his doctor/friend.

For the rest of the visit, Soundwave explained what would happen next: The third and final trimester meant that the ultrasounds now had to be every two weeks instead of every month, and at thirty-six weeks, they would switch to weekly visits. As for the pains—or what he was led to believe were—Braxton-Hicks contractions, "The main remedy for that is the minimalization of stress. Remain calm, do things to relax, and don't let yourself panic." He and TC looked at each other, "Which isn't easy, I understand, with all that's happened with the intruder."

"Starscream caused a lotta stress too," Thundercracker spat bitterly. It was evident that the blue Seeker's own rift with their Trine Leader was showing now, "at least he's gone for a while."

Talk like that only hurt the black and purple flyer; deep down, he knew that it was Gravechaser that was behind a lot of their fights, and he was still hoping his family would all reconcile before his daughter was ready to be born. He didn't want to tell Thundercracker about his wish to make Starscream the Godfather; not yet anyway.

"Well, I have to admit, those files also caused strife," Soundwave sighed, referring to the LA Coroner photos, "I can assure you, Skywarp, none of the remaining files contain anything like that."

With the exam complete, Skywarp was walked back to Megatron's quarters to rest for a while. Working in the Control Room could wait until later. He needed some more sleep.