Chapter Twenty-Four

In the morning, Ratchet woke up to the sound of a crash. He grumbled and left his berthroom and in to the living space where he found Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Arcee, and their human charges. He looked around and spotted the crash. He vented when he seen Swindle under an opened toolbox. He kneeled over the very small bot and removed the tools and box from the poor little guys head.

Swindle whimpered and clicked in pain. He blinked a few times before sitting up and rubbing his now dented helm. He seen Ratchet and beeped up at him.

Ratchet vented and picked up the small cybertronian before walking out of the living area and into his med bay. He almost dropped the minicon when he seen Optimus and Starscream asleep the way they were. He was not expecting Optimus to hold the small seeker to his chassis like lovers would do when comforting the other. He vented quietly and went to work on Swindle's dent.

Optimus heard the small noise and onlined his optics. He looked down into his arms and seen that Starscream was still asleep. It seemed as though she didn't want to wake up for days. Optimus worried for her health.

Ratchet finished with Swindle quickly and let the minicon down. He watched as the small being ran over to the chair that Optimus' pedes were and crawled up to Starscream's lap on top of the blanket.

Swindle looked up at Optimus and smiled. He then looked at his still sleeping friend and chirped to his sleeping friend to wake up.

Starscream heard him through a heavy drowzy fog in her helm. She hummed back to him before trying to wake up. She felt so... comfortable and warm. Starscream opened her optics halfway, too tired to open them much more than that. Everything felt so heavy to her. Her optics closed back into slumber. She barely heard Swindle chirp at her asking if she was alright or not.

Optimus looked at Swindle's worried faceplates as he saw Starscream fall back into recharge. He turned his helm slightly to see Ratchet walking over to the two of them. When he got closer, Optimus could see the scanner in his CMO's servos. All he could do was nod and smile softly.

Ratchet came closer and seen the worry on both faceplates of his leader and the minicon. He vented before kneeling beside the chair and scanning Starscream. When the results came up, he wasn't very surprised. "She'll be fine Optimus. She's just mentally and physically exhausted. If you wish, we can place her back onto the berth."

Optimus hummed. He whispered. "I do not wish to move her at this time. She seems to not want to let me go anytime soon, old friend."

Ratchet nodded. "Very well. You do realize that she'll be dependant on us for quite some time right?"

Optimus vented softly. "I am fully aware. If Megatron were to find out, I am sure he would harm her even more."

Just the mere mention of the name, even though deep in recharge, made Starscream whimper in fear. She clutched a little tighter to Optimus' chassis. For some reason she always felt safest in a big mech's arms. Maybe it was because they attracted her attention.

Both Optimus and Ratchet heard Starscream whimper. It worried them.

Ratchet vented, hoping that one day the war would be over. If not for the end of their kind then because of something far more important to everyone at the moment. He just hoped it was a possibility.

Optimus gently moved one servo to bring Starscream's blanket up a bit while removing Swindle from her lap. He placed Swindle on his shoulder that wasn't supporting Starscream's helm.

Ratchet spoke up. "Optimus?"

Optimus looked up at his oldest friend. "Yes Ratchet?"

Ratchet vented. "I'm worried about Starscream's spark. The pain she had shouldn't have been that bad. I'm... I'm unsure of what happened until she tells me what I need to know. If she's... bonded to someone... it could be harming her."

Optimus vented softly himself. "We won't know till she wakes up old friend."

Starscream reopened her optics groaning softly. She yawned as she blinked a few times. She was too tired to realize that she was being held in warm arms. She stared at neck cables for a minute before realizing she was in someone's arms. Starscream tensed slightly almost panicking that Megatron had her again before she remembered that Optimus was the last bot to hold her. She relaxed and moved her helm a bit to look around.

Optimus felt the movement and looked down to see Starscream sleepily look around. He noticed that she didn't seem to notice Ratchet or Swindle.

Starscream felt a slight dull pain in her chassis. So she rubbed it with one of her servos under the blanket she was very comfortable in.

Ratchet watched when Optimus shifted a bit looking down. Ratchet followed his friend's gaze and seen Starscream waking as well as the grimance of pain on her faceplates. He kneeled beside her and spoke softly. "Starscream? How do you feel? Is your spark still hurting?"

Starscream turned her helm to him slightly. "Rat...chet?" She mumbled. "I... I'm so... tired. My spark hurts..." Starscream paused her optics trying to close on her. "W... what's... wrong with... me?"

Ratchet vented. He shuttered his optics. "I was afraid of this. Starscream? Did you ever bond to anyone?"

Starscream struggled to nod once. "My... my... trine... Sky...warp... Thunder... cracker..."

Ratchet nodded. "Anyone else you can think of?"

Starscream let her optics close as she drifted again. She managed to whisper one word before she fell asleep again. "Sky... fire..."

Ratchet vented as he stood up. "Three bonds... It's no wonder her spark is hurting her. Optimus, I need you to lay her on the berth so I may open her chassis to look at her spark."

Optimus gently picked up Starscream and stood up. He gently lowered Starscream onto the berth. He watched as Starscream vented normally still fast asleep. He could only hope she would be okay and that Ratchet could help her out with whatever was wrong with her.

Ratchet lowered Starscream's blanket to get to the latches holding her chassis together to hide the spark chamber. He quickly but gently opened her chassis to see her spark chamber. His optics widened when he seen scars on her spark. Then he saw something different. Three little lights surrounding Starscream's golden spark. Off to the side, there was a very faint blue tint to Starscream's spark.

Optimus watched Ratchet's optics and faceplates. He spoke up. "What is the matter Ratchet?"

Ratchet shuttered his optics before latching everything back into place and moving the blanket to cover Starscream's chassis and arms. He turned to Optimus keeping his voice down. He looked... saddened by what he found. "Her spark... is taking on too much strain. She told me not to say anything about this but I believe I should tell you. She's..." He pauses venting deeply. "She's pregnant. From what I just saw, she's having triplets. She also has one bond that is not completely gone but it's barely there. Optimus... if we don't find her bond mate... She could die trying to give birth."

Optimus' optics widened. "How far along?"

Ratchet crossed his arms closing his optics. "Almost two months in human terms. Megatron must've done it before she ran away from him. Now the bond looks like its breaking and from what I've gathered it's been... over a thousand vorns. Her spark shows so much scarring. Whether it's from the rape or the broken trine bonds I won't know until she's able to stay awake."

Optimus looked at Ratchet. "Is there a way to save her from dying?"

Ratchet vented deeply again. "We either find her bond mate or... strengthen her spark with a new bond."

Optimus frowned. "We will save her old friend. I promise."

Arcee came running in. "Sir! We found a weak Cybertronian distress signal in Antarctica!"

Optimus stood up straight. "Gather the team. Ratchet, I want you to come with us." Together they left the med bay.

Swindle stayed on the med berth with Starscream. All he could do was hope that they found the one Cybertronian that went missing so long ago.