A/N: Gonna have this part split up into three. The last three chapters of the story.
So yeah. There's lots of hiding places for surprises and fun to crop up from! Enjoy! :D
'It is said that when a Sparkling is born from a femme's Spark, a Pulsar gives its raw energy and dies so that the Sparkling may live.' – English translation, Cybertronian Author Unknown
Ratchet saw the femme from the corner of his optic enter the doors of the base is if it were her second home and watched her drive around a long moment before finally speaking, "Barricade, what are you doing here?"
"Looking," was the curt reply from the Mustang.
Confused, Ratchet wrinkled his nose, "Looking? Looking for what?"
"I'll let you know when I find it," Barricade's time was getting at hand. She knew it; she could feel it. She now knew what she was feeling back at Starscream's base when her programming was flashing warnings in her HUD about her Spark output and other various anomalies. The teens knew something was up since she was shaking uncontrollably. She abruptly booted them out of her interior with Blacklight.
She had decided to seek shelter away from the Decepticon base because there was too much chaos for one femme and two newborn Sparklings to handle. While she hunted for a nest, several times did she pass the medics' bay, each time slowing as she neared it, eyeing it. Suddenly she stopped and entered when neither was in there, finding it to be quite large, quiet and comfortable.
It was perfect for birthing grounds. The door slid shut behind her.
Needless to say, Ratchet and First Aid were chased out every time one of them tried to enter for a tool after that by a very territorial and peeved Barricade. She even threw things at them. The door slammed shut and she locked it from the inside when she'd finally had enough.
As she snooped and looked around, she found something very interesting. Without a second thought, she reached for it and chugged it. Hey, she was hungry.
Optimus furrowed his optics in question. "So you can't get her out?"
"Nope. We've tried." First Aid stated.
"She has apparently claimed it to give birth if my readings of her are anything to go by." Ratchet looked back towards his lab, "She's very close to delivery."
"Let her have it then, at least if something goes wrong she will be in the right area, and what's the worst that could happen? Perhaps this is the peace sign Starscream has been waving. There would be no greater honor between the Autobots and Decepticons."
"I doubt he can even get her out of there. She's giving birth there whether anyone likes it or not… honor be damned." Ratchet looked around.
"Barricade! You can't just Bogart the doc bot's work spot!" Sunstreaker called to the femme in the locked bay, "What if one of us are injured, you slagtard!"
"The hell I can't!" She yelled back, refusing to leave, "I hope you die from injuries!"
"We can come and take you out if you refuse to leave!"
"Just try it. I dare you, Autosnots!" she challenged. "I will kill you so hard you're gonna die twice!"
Sunstreaker looked at Sideswipe and Sideswipe returned the look. That had to be one of the stranger things to come from her. Sideswipe turned to the door, "Get out of there Deceptibitch!"
"What colorful language from the younger generation," Wheeljack noted nonchalantly as he looked up from his seat in the rec room where the twins and Barricade were yelling back and forth.
"It's amazing what you learn off the internet on Earth," Prowl noted back as he read over his data pad. He knew Barricade better than all of them and knew better than to argue with her. The very fact she was giving birth made him want to leave the planet. But he stuck around.
Blacklight only watched with interest next to Mikaela from the sidelines. Of course, he wanted to know why Barricade was distressed and acting funny back home. But he knew better than to ask her or get into the way of the Autobot twins when they were on the rampage and yelling like that. He sat back near Mikaela and watched back and forth from the door to the twins, "She gonna be okay?" he glanced at Prowl then to the door Barricade was behind.
Mikaela looked up. She wanted to be there with Barricade through this, but was told it would be too dangerous. "She'll be just fine, 'Light. It's normal."
"What's happening to her?"
"She's getting ready to give birth; I know she told you about the Sparklings."
Suddenly Sunstreaker got up, followed by Sideswipe, "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Prowl said casually to them.
"Well you aren't us!" They both called back in unison. It wasn't that they really cared that she was in there in the first place, but it gave them a reason to be trouble after finding out who she really was. They both walked to the door and stood on either side of it, listening for where Barricade was in the room. When they pinpointed her, Sunstreaker put in his hacking code and the door opened.
An eerie whisper came from the inside, "…Eenie, meanie, miney… You!"
"You sure sheee…it!" Her flail came flying out of the room before Sideswipe could finish his sentence, instead it came out crooked.
"Oh slag!" Sunstreaker cried as they tried to duck, failing. They suddenly went into the wall across from the medical bay. Both twins stared in shock as the door slammed shut once again, wondering what exactly had transpired in those few seconds.
"Your first mistake was thinking about it!" A sudden growl called from behind the med bay doors, "And your second mistake was going through with it! Stay OUT!"
"And they said Starscream is not even Spark, but Star-Mated to that monster?" a voice floated through the rec room, recognized as Smokescreen.
"Ha, you should be happy you were on patrol when Starscream brought her here for a check."
"I heard." The diversionary deadpanned, "I'm glad I was."
"She… she hit us!" Sunstreaker pointed accusingly at the door yelling towards where Ratchet had been sitting, "I declare a war!"
Said CMO only glanced up at them casually, "You were told to leave her alone," he then looked away as if nothing had happened, "War can be declared after the Sparklings are born."
The yellow twin then frowned, looking down at his now very damaged other hand.
"Haha! Owned!" Hot Rod paused his game to point at the twins, "By a femme!" he was young, yes, but even he knew not to mess with a femme in labor. And did so doubly well, because of whom exactly it was that was in labor.
"Owww," Sideswipe cradled his now sore head, "You'd think he'd show some mercy being a medic and all,"
"Ratchet? Merciful? What planet are you from, again?" Ironhide snorted.
"I did warn you to leave her alone. Obviously you learned nothing of when she was brought in for her exam," Prowl remarked just as casually as before, "I could have told you how she would act. She is the epitome of cranky in a good mood. Whatever made you think she would be peachy during Spark-Birthing?" he set the data-pad down and went for another. "I wouldn't know how she's feeling or anything; I'm only her older brother." He eyed the data pad and then set it down, going for a different one, "Nope, wouldn't know a damned thing about her."
"I dare you to try that again, Barricunt!" Sideswipe turned from the most useless Prowl and glared at the door, tempting his brother to use his hacking codes once more, who was shaking his head viciously.
Lesson learned: Do not mess with this femme while she's in labor! Maybe another time is best.
"Wow, now that's a new one. Ha! Barricunt… that should be her new designation!" Jetfire noted with a laugh as he glanced between the twins and the door.
"Get bent, Jetfire!" Barricade snarled from the door.
"Obviously they have never dealt with a femme in labor before," Optimus Prime noted as he also looked up, wondering how long this was going to go on in his base. Barricade was the last one he had expected to barge in, let alone steal the Medical Bay to deliver her Sparklings. He did offhandedly wonder where Starscream was in all of this. The mech had to know she was getting ready. "Call Hook, give him updated status." The leader then stopped, "And find out where Starscream is in all of this."
"Clearly they've never dealt with Barricade in labor before," Sam commented from the sides, remembering the day he had come upon her at the warehouse, now knowing what it was he had come across.
After about two more hours of the ongoing bickering, "That's it… That's it, I can't take this anymore!" Ratchet walked from his seat and headed for the twins, "Both of you, leave Barricade alone!" he whacked them both upside their heads, effectively clanking their heads together in the process.
"I win!" Laughter roared from within the med bay.
Wheeljack looked up then back down to his data pad after watching Ratchet, "I win," he said softly, offering his hand for the upgraded fuel-converted-to-energon. Prowl passed it without looking away from what he was reading.
About 4 hours later, Starscream suddenly bolted into the base, set his pilot down and ran around a moment, looking around frantically. He finally locked his target towards where he sensed Barricade. Surprise was evident on the other's faces as they saw him, "Starscream, what happened? Where have you been?" Optimus asked.
The Seeker ignored the question and hit the door with his fists when he found it locked, "There you are! Let me in, 'Cade!"
"No! I came here to get away from you! You're up my aft!" She hissed, "Jump off a cliff!"
"Hey, be polite! Besides, I can fly dim-wit!"
"You want me to be polite? How's this for polite… go-"
"Don't start with-!"
"-kill-" Started.
"'Cade!"
"-yourself!" she yelled.
Polite indeed, "I get enough shit from my Trine; I don't need it from you too!"
Between the pair's bickering, others were heard. "Are you sure they really are Star-Mated?" came Trailbreaker's voice from behind Starscream.
"It's your fault I am in here to begin with, 'Screamer!" Barricade growled. There was a loud bang and Starscream jerked back when the door dented. Obviously she had thrown something at the door or hit it.
"A match blessed by Unicron himself," Hot Rod commented as he restarted his game with Bluestreak, not even taking his optics off of the large LCD screen in front of them.
Starscream gasped at Barricade's accusation, "You… you wanted it!"
"Yup," the Engineer replied to the Maroon bot in between the pair's backbiting.
"You seduced me," she pouted from behind the door.
"I would never!" Starscream huffed indignantly.
"Oh yeah... sure..." She said almost calmly but her calmness quickly did a flip as she suddenly barked, "Like any mech, you'd take advantage of a femme in her… her whatever it is!"
Maybe the softer approach would work. "Obviously you're distressed, let me in so we can get the birth over with, 'Cade."
"I rather let Soundwave probe my processors than allow you in here with me!"
Nope, charm was not winning this one. Starscream pointed vehemently at the closed door, "That can be arranged! Open the do-"
"-No!"
"As your Supreme Command-"
"Fuck you and your rank! Get lost!"
Miles watched the two with an amused smirk, "Cats and dogs, I tell ya. Cats and fuckin' dogs. What it is to find true love, huh?"
"If that's love, I want nothing to do with it."
Starscream's claws grated on the metal of the door in frustration as he listened to the comments behind him as well as he dealt with Barricade, "just-let-me-in!" he demanded quickly so she couldn't cut him off again.
"Never!" came the curt reply from within the bay, "Shove it up your thrusters, 'Screamer! Leave me alone!"
"Barricade!" Starscream argued, trying to get the irate femme to let him in. At least he would be able to help her, he thought. His optics wandered over to the twins, and his voice went low into a whisper, "Sunstreaker?"
"What?" the yellow warrior barked, still holding his now sore head and hand where the flail had hit him.
"Can you break in?" he asked with a smirk.
"Of course I can," Sunstreaker nodded, "Will I? You know what?" the twin suddenly growled, "…you are out of your slagging processors!" he pointed to the Seeker and then pointed to the door, "Whatever that creature is in there, I don't want to be anywhere near it!"
Surely Barricade wasn't all that bad already, "I didn't ask you to go in, all you have to do is get the door to open,"
On second thought…
"What are you talking about out there?" Barricade's voice suddenly yelled through the door, causing Starscream to reel back in surprise. Was she sitting by the doors listening?
"Uh… nothing 'Cade!" he waved the yellow Lambo over to him, and pointed to the door keypad.
"I really wouldn't do that if I were you," Prowl warned, "Seriously Starscream, you might lose something,"
Starscream looked at Prowl knowing he was right but it was his job, no matter how bad she was going to be. Starscream knew he had to be with her, glancing at the door in anxiety. He turned to Sunstreaker before getting the twin to open the door.
What happened next was a surprise as a missile came flying out of the open door, hitting Starscream square in the abdomen, causing him to screech and fall from the force of the hit. The door slammed shut with a click as it locked once more, "What part of no do you not fucking comprehend, Seeker?!" her voice carried.
Starscream turned quickly, pointing at the closed doors, "Alright… Who's bright idea was it to give her access to a missile launcher?!" He idly hoped she didn't integrate it.
"She probably found it in there. It's Ratchet's place, Primus only knows what he has stashed in there," Hot Rod shrugged. He heard Ratchet growl and winced with a chuckle.
"Hey, Wheeljack's lab looks a lot worse. You never know what you can and cannot trust, 'cause either something comes crawling out at you with or without legs," When he got confused glances he shook his head, "you don't wanna know… or something explodes." Sunstreaker shrugged when Wheeljack frowned at him, "What? It's a nightmare,"
Wheeljack whined, glancing at the mech with a mock pout. Surely, his lab wasn't all that dangerous. He managed to live in there quite well. Besides, he knew where and what everything was. It wasn't his fault they didn't think to ask.
And another hour was followed by Barricade and Starscream yelling at each other from both sides of the door until none other than Ratchet came up to the door, stopping just short of Starscream who was still on his aft, "I can't work with you two yelling, shut up!" he yelled, getting through to both of them.
"He started it by sparking me," Barricade sulked.
"I don't care anymore, Barricade! I want it to end!" Ratchet stomped back to his spot and sat down, folding his arms.
"I win," Wheeljack smirked. Prowl once again handed him the upgraded Energon.
Starscream deflated as he walked from the door, "She is ten times the bitch when she's pregnant with twins than she was when she was carrying Blacklight," he muttered, "…and that's saying something,"
"May you randomly fall out of the sky…" Barricade retorted bitterly.
Another hour passed and found a very nervous Starscream pacing in front of the door, knowing that his mate was in the first stages of birth by her increased whining. He knew he should be in there to comfort and help deliver the Sparklings, but she absolutely refused to allow it. What was wrong with that femme? He thought about breaking the door down but reconsidered. Then he thought about asking the twins to open the door again. He would slip in and hold her while whatever she used came flying out. The door could be shut from the outside and he could do his job as mech creator whether she liked it or not.
Starscream looked at the door in thought. Of course, anything was a lot easier said than done when it concerned this particular femme. He shook his head and turned.
"Sunstreaker," Starscream nodded towards said twin, who looked up with a roll of the optics that said clearly 'What now?'
"Open it, but stay back. As soon as I get in there, shut the door and lock it from out here."
"Why out here?"
"You've obviously never been around a femme during a spark-birth," He tilted his head and looked away, silently reminding himself that he hadn't either. He crouched beside one side of the door while the twins crouched on the other, as far away from the door as possible, ready for him to give the signal, "go,"
Everything after that was a blur. He nodded, Sunny opened the door, there was a bright light and then a flail flew out and Starscream ran in as it was yanked back in for another round. The door slammed shut and he disappeared with the flail.
Blacklight was staring, completely horrified.
Everyone else but Ratchet also stared in horror at the very violent display and sounds coming from in the medical bay, "I bet Spark-Birthing is so much fun with her." The CMO was actually smirking. "May you enjoy every second of it, Starscream." He muttered, remembering the Seeker bringing Barricade to him for her first check up. Sweet, sweet revenge, and he didn't have to do a thing.
"How can that possibly be fun?!" Smokescreen yelled over the now crashing and such from the med bay as the two inside struggled, "She is the Unmaker itself reincarnated!"
"How do you think she got the name 'Hell on Wheels'?" Ratchet winced when something else banged loudly on the other side, "There goes my med bay," he sighed.
"That's being Star-Mated to 'Hell on Wheels' and having her decide that someone's lab would make a nice nest for birthing," Bluestreak laughed.
"Yeah," came a dreamy random reply, "too bad she's taken,"
It was absolutely horrible for Starscream. While the others talked outside, he was being brutally attacked by a very pissed off and in pain Barricade. He wondered where she got the energy because she hadn't been this active at his base. Had she gotten her hands on racing fuel? He then spied a holder for Energon. The Energon was a little different in color. He recognized it, "STUPID MEDIC!" the Seeker cried angrily. He was gonna have words with said medic if and when he survived this.
Ratchet glanced toward the door at Starscream's comment. A few other optics fell on the door as well, "What you do this time, 'Ratch?" Ironhide asked archly.
"How am I supposed to know? I am not in there."
Barricade was relentless in attacking Starscream, getting a yelp or screech from him. Yelling at him and accusing him of things he was sure he didn't do. He didn't speak at first, only tried to dodge her attacks even going as far as trying to hover out of her way, but she threw things.
Big things.
Things that hurt – Really bad.
She had even managed to knock him off of the ceiling when he had jumped up there to get out of the way! The Seeker wasn't exactly sure what he was gonna do now that he was in here. He was beginning to second think this whole strategy of helping her. He was randomly happy he wasn't there for Blacklight's birth.
He stared at Barricade in apprehension as she picked up something else. He snorted bitterly when she chucked a rather large piece of metal at him with all of her might. "You… are impossible."
Were all femmes this violent? Was this the true reason Megatron wouldn't allow mating? Because he knew the Decepticon femmes were this violent and would kill his soldiers? It had to be. Perhaps he was smarter than he let on after all.
Systematically he ducked and leapt out of the way from her throwing something or was blindsided and hit, or he found himself pinned under a small yet very mean femme and had to push her off before she literally gutted him in her painful fury.
He decided this femme was out of her mind. If he could help it, he would make it a point to never get her sparked ever again. Saving the species just was not worth the trouble!
She was yelling at him to get out, growling or snarling at him constantly. Starscream meekly sighed as he tried to dodge her attacks. Nope, never again. The species could wilt away and die for all he cared now.
He dealt with this for three more hours. When energy bolts starting coming from her more and changing colors he knew her Spark was preparing. Her chest started to part, the glow of her Spark peeking out was a constant as she moved around. She didn't seem to slow down at all, however. He heard her shriek and only wanted to go to her while she was in pain – but was rather afraid of losing a vital body part if he did so.
He knew if he could get close, he could assist! Didn't she know anything about Spark-Birthing? That's what he was even in here for, to help her with a successful delivery, not get attacked! What self-saving sanity was this madness to take her as his mate in the first place again? "If this is my life from now on, I want a fucking refund, Barricade!"
"How does it feel to want?" Barricade hissed as she prepared with something else.
He swore it was some sort of cruel cosmic joke by Primus or maybe Unicron.
His optics followed her exposed Spark as she paced, watching for her chamber to open, "Stubborn femme! Would you listen to me?"
Barricade stopped her pacing and glared at him. Again, something came flying at him as he turned, merely missing the side of the flail, "No! I told you to leave!"
Certainly, Unicron had cursed him. "I am here to help-"
"Help me what? Become sparked as soon as these are born?" She stood back against the wall, her hand reaching out for something to get a hold of. A laser precision tool would do nicely.
CLANK. Bang on. Starscream winced as she readied with something else, "Get lost, 'Screamer!"
Starscream growled and finally had enough and lunged at her, quickly subduing her and sitting on her abdomen to pin her to the ground with his weight. He had the protocols to help normal femmes. Of course, they struggled a little because Spark-Birthing surely wasn't a pleasant experience, but this went beyond any protocol that he knew about normal about femmes. He grabbed her arms and pinned her own feet with his legs, using his wings for balance, he held her under him, "Listen!" He never wanted to pin her and force her to be still. The light from her chest nearly illuminated his whole body.
Barricade glared up at Starscream, "Get off of me." She said evenly. Oh, if looks could kill.
"I came to help you-…"
"Off before you gain a new afterburner, 'Screamer, I swear…" She pulled and he tightened his grip.
"-but I can help ease your-"
"I said off!"
"-anxiety, which sometimes causes greater pain," he deflated with a sigh, realizing she wasn't listening.
"Off, off, OFF!" Barricade pulled at how he held her, "How hard is it to understand a simple word! – even in your own native tongue!"
"Let me do my job!" He called between the sparks coming from her chest and her yelling, "It's supposed to be this way! Calm your grouchy aft down!" He shied his head back as her chest started to part more and her Spark became fully exposed to him, it helped when she arched her back from the pain. There, he could see that these little ones weren't waiting for her to calm down. His HUD automatically switched to birthing protocols. She cried out in pain, making him cringe, wanting to take her pain away.
He saw by his read outs that there was still a little bit of time to go before the Sparklings would emerge, and still he held her pinned as she writhed under him in pain, "You will deliver this way if you don't knock off this nonsense you hellacious femme!"
As soon as the pain subsided a little, she continued to curse him from Earth to Cybertron and back again, "Get off," again the femme squirmed, pulling at her arms to try to get out of the Seeker's grip.
Starscream held tighter. He was amazed at the strength this femme really had, "Stop it, you're being an asshole,"
"I would rather be an asshole than a whole ass like you. Now get the fuck off of me!"
"No," He said calmly, his optics gazed in wonder as he stared at her spark with renewed awe and interest, watching for the coming of the Sparklings. He could still hear her yelling at him, but his mind was on her Spark. His claws twitched as he let go of one of her arms and brought a hand up over her chest when she arched her back in pain as if to feel the Sparklings there. "Shh…" he whispered, "That's it, 'Cade, they're coming." He spoke so gently to her, as if she would break if he yelled.
"Get-" Another pain suddenly wracked her system causing her to tense under the Seeker's grip. She slowly stopped struggling, especially when he lifted her to him and held her close.
Fans kicked in to cool her chest as vents brought in extra air. Starscream kept a close eye on her, holding her when she would cry out in pain. For about an hour, she laid in his arms and he only lightly ran his hands down her, trying to soothe her through her struggles. He knew once the Energon started moving, she would have to be flipped or turned so that her internals didn't hurt the Sparklings. Barricade's Spark chamber opened and her Spark prepared for emergence and then delivery.
The mech smirked, knowing she was now ready, "Time for some Sparklings!" He knew it was a dig. He couldn't help himself.
"Shut up you obnoxious mech!"
Yes, Ratchet, you're a cunning old brat...
And you! Starscream! Couldn't help yourself, could ya... Just had to make that one last comment, huh?
