Author's note. Bit of a shot chapter but next one will be longer.

Suggestions are welcome.

I own SkyHigh and his story, I don't own anything else.

Enjoy and please review.

Jazz Loquacious.

Spike miserably cuddled into Ironhide's armour as the red Mech talked and joked with friends. The poor Sparkling hadn't been able to look at anyone after suffering the most mortifying event of his life. True, only Ironhide had been there and hadn't made fun of him but still.

He felt like he was going to die with embarrassment. What if the others found out? God, he'd never live it down.

"Aw, what's the matter little fellow?" Jazz now asked, seeing how unresponsive Spike was.

"He's just feeling a little poorly," Ironhide said, giving Jazz a significant look which the saboteur understood.

He'd told Ratchet over the comm. what had happened but the Medic wasn't worried. This was normal for Sparklings, and considering how much Energon Spike had consumed, wasn't surprising.

"Poor guy," Jazz now cooed, stroking Spike's helm gently.

"I hope you get better soon, especially as I'm looking after you tonight."

Spike looked at him but didn't respond, he was still wrapped up in his own misery. Jazz frowned thoughtfully, he hated seeing the little guy like this. Sparklings were meant to be happy creatures, not moping. But then an idea hit him and he grinned with delight.

"Can on," he encouraged. "Turn that frown upside down."

And he scooped the Sparkling into his arms and started to lightly toss him into the air. Spike squeaked with surprise as he became airborne and suddenly was back in Jazz's arms. And then he was back in the air again, little limbs spread eagled.

On the third toss, he started to squeal with laughter. He was soon waving his arms and shrieking for more. The other Autobots laughed at his joy, it was good to see a happy Sparkling again.

"That's enough Jazz," Prowl eventually said. "You don't want to overexcite him."

"Whatever ya say, Prowler," Jazz laughed, making Prowl frown disapprovingly.

The Mech with a visor let Spike fly one last time before catching him and cradling him close. The little Sparkling was giggling madly with glee, all previous embarrassment forgotten. He was now happily chirping to the delight of everyone.

"Little tyke," Ironhide said fondly, patting Spike's head.

"There ya go, all better now?" Jazz asked with a big grin, to which Spike gurgled and clapped his hands together in glee.

"Ya might wanna get him off ta bed early," Ironhide now said to which Ratchet nodded.

"He needs a lot of sleep and he's been up a good part of the day."

"Yeah, a good part of the day sleeping," Spike thought ruefully as he sucked a thumb.

But he still yawned widely showing how tired he really was.

"Come on little guy, let's get you tucked up," Jazz said with a grin.

He took Spike to his room where the Sparkling cot had been moved to. Whereas Ironhide's room had been filled with weapons, Jazz's was filled with CD's and his walls covered in posters. It was quite bright and colourful and Spike really liked looking at them all.

"Whatcha think of my room, Spike, my man," Jazz asked with a grin.

"It's brilliant," Spike said but of course it came out as a gurgle.

Jazz tucked him into the cot and stood back with a grin.

"I've got something for ya, little Mech," he said as he set up a CD player and popped on a CD.

Some soft music began to play, very soothing for sensitive Sparkling audio. Spike perked up at the sound, and chirped, indicating that he liked it. But it soon became clear that Spike was little keyed up to fall into recharge easily so Jazz knew he had to do something.

Diming the lights, he sat down on his berth, which the cot was against and peered down at Spike.

"Hey Spike, how about I tell you an old Cybertroian Sparkling story?"

Spike squeaked and looked interested. Jazz chuckled and said.

"Alight now, I'll tell you one. Hmm, now let me think, what's a good one?"

He thought about the ones he was told when he was little while Spike patiently waited. Finally, Jazz grinned and said.

"Okay, I've got one."

He tickled Spike's cheek as he said.

"This is the story of SkyHigh, the little Seeker who couldn't fly."

"Now SkyHigh was a little blue Seeker Sparkling with sliver coloured wings and more than anything, he wanted to fly. But his mama always told him it wasn't the time, he was still too small, and his thrusters hadn't formed. Not to mention he still had 'butterfly' wings.

Jazz grinned down at Spike and explained.

"When Seeker Sparklings are born, they only have these tiny little wing nubs. But as they start to grow, their wings go at an incredible rate until their nearly too big for their body. Basically, a Seeker's body grows to fit its wings span. I dread to think how Shuttle types Sparklings manages."

"Anyway, this is called the butterfly stage where Seekers learn to perfect their balance. Unfortunately, their just not strong enough to fly, their wings are just too oversized. But what really gets these little Seekers is while the wings grow to this huge size, their wings are at a perfect size for a brief time."

"This means they are able to do a little hovering and stuff, which makes them think their flying. So when their wings get too big, it feels really bad because they can't fly any more. And flying is the most important to Seekers, they can't live without it."

Spike was paying rapt attention, he was fascinated by this story. It was so different from the ones from his human childhood.

"Well anyway, this poor little Sparkling had to watch all the older Sparklings learning to fly with their parents and he really wanted to do that too."

"Mama, I want to fly too," he said to his mother.

"When you're older dear one, the time will fly."

"But time seemed to slow down for SkyHigh, it felt like he was never going to learn to fly. So he decided to try and fly anyway, though his wings were still like butterflies. He went and climbed a very high building, so high it practically touched the sky. Even though he used lifts and stuff, it took him a very long time to make it too the top."

"Now, he wasn't about to try and jump off, that would be silly. But up top, there were wind currents and he was hoping to use them to fly around that roof. He started to run about, the wind lifting him a few feet into the air before he landed again. He kept this up, having the time of his life."

Jazz paused and then leaned even closer. Spike's optics were wide as Jazz said softly.

"But then a really powerful gust of wind came and swooped him up into the air. And he couldn't control it and in another moment, the building's roof was no longer below him. He'd wanted to fly but not like this. The entire city was far below him as he glided through the air."

"At first he was terrified as he glided lower and lower but then a new gust of wind caught him and he was taken along to another building. And you know something?"

Spike optics, if possible got even wider.

"SkyHigh was so high up there were a lot of clouds, he was surrounded by them. And he could've sworn that one had formed above him and gentle hands were guiding him, showing him how to ride the air currents."

"Well, anyway, he made it safely to another building where some grownups found him and took him back to his parents. They had been very worried and were so happy he was safe but they made him promise not to do that again."

"But after he'd done this, he explained what had happened and how he'd felt like there was another flyer there, though he never saw anyone. And that's when they told him about the flyer who lived in the clouds and looked after little flyer Sparklings like him."

Jazz grinned as he finished.

"SkyHigh learned his lesson and didn't fly again until he was ready. But though he'd been very frightened, he wasn't scared of flying. Because he knew the guardian flyer would be there to protect him."

Spike's lovely turquoise optics were starting to droop, that had worn him out. But Jazz wasn't quite finished.

"Don't worry, little guy, grounded Sparklings have their own guardian who protects him. And all Sparkings be they flyer, grounder, Mech or Femme, are watched over by Primus for they are his most precious creations."

Spike gurgled in response once before he slipped into recharge, the soft gentle music finally lulling him. Jazz chuckled softly and left him alone for a bit before finally turning the lights off. He left the music on, just in case.

Author's note. What happens when Spike meets the Dinobots? Find out in the next chapter, until then.