Illusion raced back to his quarters. He was happy to hear that he was sparked. He hoped Buster was home. Illusion ran into the quarters, eager to find his mate.

"Whoa… where's the fire?" Buster asked, nearly getting run over by his overly excited mate.

"No fire…. I'm sparked!" Illusion replied, big grin on his face, optics glowing.

Buster smiled. "Ratchet or Aid tell you that?"

"Ratchet. The machine beeped four times. I think that means I am carrying for little ones" Illusion stated, still happy about the news.

Buster was happy too. "Wow. I didn't realize you would carry so many" Buster stated.

Illusion then grew concerned. "You… you don't want them?" Illusion asked.

"That is not what I am saying, love. I do want them, I just didn't want to overwhelm you" Buster replied, using a big finger to lift Illusion's face up. "I just want you happy."

Illusion felt the touch and nuzzled the finger. "Sorry…my emotions seem to be getting the best of me."

"It's ok. We can do this. You will just have to be careful" Buster stated.

"Um…. About that…" Illusion stated.

"Yes, love?"

"I… I am supposed to run a spy mission tomorrow" Illusion mentioned.

"Like pit you are. I want to talk to whoever assigns you. You aren't going, not since you are sparked" Buster stated, and he made some comms, not even realizing that he was talking to family and bots who far outranked him. Buster finally got transferred to Jazz.

"Jazz here, hwo may I assist you?" Jazz answered.

"Jazz, my name is Buster. My mate Illusion is sparked and he has been assigned to go on a secret spy mission tomorrow. I am not sure who I talk to, but I don't want him going" Buster reported.

Jazz listened. He didn't realize that Illusion had bonded, but when he heard Illusion was sparked, Jazz knew just what to do. He knew Optimus would never send out a sparked bot and so Jazz reassigned Illusion so that Illusion would not be sent on anymore secret spy missions deep in the con base. "He is now off the duty roster. But I am going to check with the medic to make sure this is a legit" Jazz stated.

"By all means" Buster stated and he got off the comm.

Jazz commed Ratchet. "Ratchet, tell me truly, is Illusion indeed sparked?"

"Yes, Jazz. He is. He is carrying four little ones. He raced out of here before I could tell him he was medically declared off duty. I had another bot to see or I would have commed you sooner to inform you of the fact" Ratchet stated.

"Ratchet, off the record, how long have Illusion and Buster been bonded?"

"I didn't even know the bots name Illusion was bonded to until you just mentioned it. I know nothing further. If you want more I suggest you go talk to your adopted son yourself. Ratchet out"

Jazz didn't like that last part but he knew it was true. If he wanted to find out all the facts, he was going to have to talk to Illusion. Life seemed to have just become more complicated for the temporary leader.

Meanwhile, Mirage was doing his best to help Optimus, but it seemed like most of the time, all Orion wanted to do was interface. Mirage was growing a bit weary of it, and hoped that Optimus would soon return.

"Mirage?" Little Orion carefully asked, sensing something in Mirage after all the fun that they had had that afternoon.

"Yes, Orion?" Mirage answered, it came out sounding a little terser than Mirage had wished, but blast it all he was tired and in pain.

"Is…. is something wrong?" Orion asked, sadness in his optics, as he figured it had something to do with him and his needs.

Mirage admitted that there were times that Mirage hated it that Optimus knew how to read the illusionist like a data pad. This was one of those times. "Orion, my sweet, I easily tire of having some many interfacing sessions. My model was not built like yours. Tonight, since I am sore, how about we just snuggle?"

Orion pouted a bit. He wanted to practice interfacing again, but the mention of snuggling brought a smile to Orion's face, as he loved snuggling. "Ok" Optimus/Orion said with youthful eagerness. Mirage was relieved, as Mirage seemed to ache everywhere as Optimus/Orion had tried multiple kinds of interfacing without preparing Mirage like Mirage needed to be prepared. Some areas still burned on the illusionist, hence he wasn't in a mood to interface. Optimus/Orion, who loved snuggling almost as much if not more than interfacing, was quickly asleep wrapped in his mate's loving arms. Mirage dozed, aware enough that if something were to happen, he could respond quickly.

Meanwhile, Megatron had succeeded in getting the new seekers into his army. He had programmed them to follow orders. For now, since they still had the desire to please their "creator" they followed his commands, doing as they were told. Megatron once again failed to realize that while a bot's body can physically grow fast, the spark and mind take longer. HE didn't realize that they were obedient now because they thought like sparklings and sparklings behaved for their creator.

The one thing that still boiled Megatron's energon was that the femme gunformer was still remaining in her sparkling body. Nothing seemed able to manipulate her age. He was infuriated as he wanted her as a soldier. Things were not working out, yet he wasn't willing to scrap her just yet. He had one more trick up his sleeve – he would capture a bot to raise the brat in the way he wanted. Now he just had to find the perfect grown femme to force into doing this. He would make sure the femme who he would pick would only do as Megatron asked. Megatron wanted things done only his way and his way alone.