First off: so sorry to keep everyone waiting for the next chapter. Finals were hell this semester. Instead of having time to write fanfiction I was writing a 40+ page paper on nuclear terrorism and a 25 page paper on NSA surveillance practices. Fun, right?

Anyway, I'm happy to welcome several new readers who've caught up to the current chapter over the course of my short hiatus. Welcome, welcome. And big thanks to all my other readers who left me wonderful reviews urging me to hurry with a new chapter. Especially dsh, I always enjoy reading your thoughts and comments.

So, without further ado, I give you:

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Reunion

With a visibly shaking hand, Ironhide cut the vid-com line with Ratchet off. He unsteadily pushed away from the table to stand. Optimus didn't know if his sparkmate's shakiness was because of the all of the high-grade he'd been drinking or Ratchet's unexpected news.

"We gotta get ta the hospital," Ironhide said, already starting to push his way past Optimus, Jazz, and Prowl towards the door.

"Hold on," Prowl said, grabbing Ironhide by the elbow. "You're in no condition to be on the road right now."

"Ah gotta go see my kid." Ironhide tried to wrestle his elbow back from the black and white Enforcer, but Prowl wasn't that easily shaken off. Ironhide speared him with a warning glare. "Prowl. Let. Me. Go. Now."

Prowl was still undeterred. "Ironhide, I know you're anxious to go see Star, but you're drunk and a danger to everyone else on the road if you go rushing off like an Insecticon on energex. Jazz and I will escort you and Optimus to the hospital. I'm not going to try and keep you here until you sober up. There's a 96.7% probability you would try to rip my arm off at the shoulder joint and go anyway if I did. But I'm not going to let you put other innocent motorists at risk because you're in a rush."

Optimus stepped closer to Ironhide and placed a calming hand on his sparkmate's shoulder. "'Hide. Let Prowl and Jazz take us. We'll get there quickly enough. You don't want to get into an accident. That would only delay us seeing Star more." Across their sparkbond Optimus sent his own anxiety and lingering shock towards Ironhide to show him he was just as desperate to see their son as him. Those emotions were tempered, however, by concern for his sparkmate's wellbeing.

Ironhide visibly sagged under Optimus's touch. "Fine," he reluctantly growled. Prowl released his grip on Ironhide's elbow and took a small step away. "But let's get goin'. We're wastin' time just standin' around here talkin'. Ah wanna be there before Star wakes up."

"Let's go then," Jazz said.

The drive to the hospital was a complete blur to Optimus. If it wasn't for Prowl and Jazz acting as their police escort, Optimus doubted he would have been able to navigate the busy byways and streets of Iacon by himself. His mind was still trying to comprehend the full magnitude of Ratchet's news. Starfall was still alive. Optimus was almost afraid to believe it was actually true. He'd just spent the night believing his son was dead. Ratchet's news was nothing short of a miracle. He had seen Starfall's body before the medics had taken him away. He had seen the lifeless gray hue of his son's armor and the dark hollows of his optics. How Starfall was still alive Optimus couldn't even begin to explain, but he wasn't about to question it. If Starfall truly was still alive he would gladly take such a miracle at face value and just silently thank Primus for returning him to them.

Although it was early morning, there was a fair amount of other bots on the road. Jazz and Prowl's lights and sirens were enough to clear a path for them through the worst of traffic. Optimus was glad for their presence. He doubted Ironhide would have been able to safely navigate such obstacles by himself. Across their bond, Optimus could sense his sparkmate was still under the influence of several cubes of high grade. He could also sense, though, that Ratchet's news had given Ironhide a focused sense of clarity. Although Ironhide had still been a little shaky on his pedes before transforming and peeling out of the transformation lot after Jazz and Prowl, Ironhide seemed unusually focused. Like a mech on a life-or-death mission, Ironhide was just as desperate to get to the hospital and see their son as Optimus was.

Finally, Iacon General came into view. With squealing tires, the four mechs turned into the emergency drive and skid to a halt. Ratchet was standing by the doors, waiting for them.

"Where's Star?!" Ironhide shouted before they'd even finished transforming to their root form.

Ratchet eyed Ironhide up and down for a moment as though medically diagnosing the fatigue and lingering effects of high grade on him. He didn't say anything about it though. "This way," Ratchet said, immediately ushering them towards the doors. He seemed to know that he and Ironhide were in no mood to exchange pleasantries. They wanted to see their son as soon as possible. Jazz and Prowl silently trailed after them.

As Ratchet navigated them through the busy hallways of the hospital he offered them a quick recap of events. "I got an emergency call early this morning saying another medic found Starfall alive down in the morgue. How that happened, I can't even begin to explain. His sparkchamber was empty when I pronounced him last night in the ER. Except for an act of Primus, there's no other explanation for how he's still alive."

Optimus numbly nodded, too overwhelmed to offer a response. All he could focus on were the rooms lining the hallways, hoping each one they passed would finally be the one his son rested inside. The deeper they ventured into the hospital, the more anxious Optimus became. Ironhide was doing no better holding his fraying emotions together on his side of their bond.

Ratchet continued his rundown. "Starfall was still suffering from several internal injuries I didn't get to repair yesterday. It took me several joors of emergency surgery to fix them all. I didn't have someone send you a message earlier because I didn't want to alert you two to what was happening in case Starfall slipped away from us again. …I didn't feel that was something you had to know about if we lost him again. Luckily, he's stable now. Foregoing any unforeseen complications there's no reason to worry about him relapsing."

Optimus had to fight to collect his thoughts. After the emotional rollercoaster he'd just survived, his emotions still felt extremely fragile. "Thank you for personally calling us," he somehow managed to choke out. It was the only thing he felt strong enough expressing at the moment.

A quick elevator ride later, the five mechs emerged into a wing of the hospital that was obviously patient rooms.

"Starfall's in here," Ratchet directed, leading them to the second door on the left.

Optimus could barely stop himself from pushing past Ratchet as he led them inside. A single medical berth stood against one side of the room. A small figure cocooned in a web of tubes and wires lay on the padded surface. Optimus and Ironhide converged on both sides of the berth.

Starfall had been laid on his side. At first glance he looked just like he did the day before when Ratchet took Optimus and Ironhide to see Starfall one last time. Optimus's spark momentarily lurched at the memory. He has to reassure himself this wasn't the same as then. Although Starfall's plating was still tinged gray, it was no longer a lifeless gunmetal hue. Dim spots of light shined in the back of Starfall's optics. The monitors flanking Starfall's berth kept track of the rhythmic beeping of his vitals.

Gently, Optimus snaked one hand through the web of wires hooked to his son's body and pressed his palm to the front of Starfall's chest. The urge to touch and physically feel his son was still alive was nearly overwhelming. The reassuring pulse of a spark answered his touch. It was followed by another. Then another. And yet another, reassuring Optimus again and again that what he felt was not a figment of his imagination.

A violent rush of emotions almost overwhelmed Optimus's defenses. An unintentional near-sob of relief was muffled against the inside of his battle mask. "He's still alive," he tightly whispered as he looked up to meet Ironhide's gaze over their son. He silently sent a quick prayer of thanks to Primus for this miracle.

The old war mech seemed just as overwhelmed as Optimus and could only mutely nod. His optics were fuzzed white around the edges with emotion. Unlike Optimus, Ironhide did not have a mask to hide his emotions behind. Optimus suspected if Ironhide had tried to speak, his vocal processor would have malfunctioned from strain.

As the immediate joy of finding his son still alive began to recede Optimus took closer stock of his son's condition. Although Ratchet had said he'd repaired the last of Starfall's internal damage, the cosmetic damage to the little seeker was still difficult to behold. Fresh weld marks and painful looking dents littered Starfall's frame. They were likely going to be tender for the next deca-cycle or more. Starfall's paintjob was so scratched he would need a full round of bodywork before he looked like himself again. But that was not the worst of the damage. As Optimus did a visual assessment of his son's injuries it was impossible for him to ignore the bandaged area of Starfall's back where his wings used to be. The mangled remains of the little seeker's back was patched with bio-metallic mesh bandages.

Ironhide followed Optimus's gaze and also came to rest on Starfall's back. His facial plates betrayed horrified revulsion. "Primus… His wings."

"There was too much damage to Starfall's wings to try and salvage them," Ratchet explained from the edge of the room. Prowl and Jazz discreetly hovered out of the way near the door. "The mech that kidnapped him obviously focused the worst of his assault on them. I did what I could to clear out the debris, but considering the extent of his other injuries he's going to need to recover more before any reconstructive work is done. He's going to need at least several surgeries to regain any kind of flight capabilities."

Optimus numbly nodded. It was terrible to think of what still lay ahead of Starfall before he was fully recovered. But at least there was now the chance of recovery. Barely a joor ago Optimus had given up all hope of ever having his son back in any kind of capacity.

"At least he's still alive," Ironhide quietly rumbled from the other side of Starfall's berth, putting voice to Optimus's own thoughts. "Fer right now, that's the only thing that matters."

"Yes," Optimus softly agreed. "It is."

From between them a small groan sounded deep in the back of Starfall's intake line. Dim turquoise light brightened Starfall's optic lens, but only to half capacity.

"Star?" Optimus gently called as he leaned closer to his battered son. "Star, can you hear me?"

Another pained moan – this one a little louder – answered him. "Dad?" Starfall weakly croaked. He lethargically flickered dim optics up at Optimus as though struggling to focus on his face.

Optimus couldn't quite keep the tremble out of his voice as he tightly replied, "Yes, son. It's me."

"W-where's daddy?"

"Ah'm right here, Star," Ironhide replied. Optimus could hear the watery strain of emotions in his sparkmate's own voice. The old war mech gently rested a hand on Starfall's hip joint where there were no bandages or weld marks.

Slowly gaining more and more awareness, Starfall released a soft, keening whimper. "My back hurts," he slurred. "Where 'm I? I wanna go home."

"It's alright, Star," Optimus calmly reassured. He removed his hand from Starfall's chest to gently stroke the side of his son's dented facial plates. "You're in the hospital. You remember Ratchet from the anniversary party, right? He's a medic. He's taking care of you right now."

Optimus's reassurances, however, seemed to do little to calm the frightened seeker. "I can't feel my wings," Starfall plaintively cried. He groggily tried to roll forward onto his front, but released a startled sob of pain at the movement. "Dad, my back hurts. It hurts a lot."

Optimus desperately tried to sooth his son. "Shh, shh… Don't move, Star. You're going to hurt yourself."

"I don't wanna lay on my side," Starfall pleadingly whimpered into the berth mat. "It hurts."

"I'm sorry," Ratchet said, coming up beside Optimus to check Starfall. "But Starfall's injuries make it impossible for him to lay on his back, and I need access to the medical ports on his chest."

"What 'bout the pain?" Ironhide demanded. "He's hurtin' bad. Ain't there something yeh can give him?"

Ratchet shook his helm. "I'm sorry, but I can't give Starfall any more pain killers either. I already have him on the highest dosage I'm able to administer to a sparkling his size. I'm also reluctant to dampen his pain receptors because of the long-term damage doing that could have on his systems. His systems aren't fully developed yet and tampering with his sensor-net could do permanent damage."

Optimus tenderly stroked Starfall's helm. "I am sorry, Star, but you're going to have to stay like this."

Starfall's distress began to mount. The more he emerged from the effects of his surgery's anesthetic, the more disoriented he seemed to become. His intakes became panicked little hitches. "Why'm I here? Why's my back hurt?"

"Don't you remember what happened?" Optimus gently asked. Out of the corner of his optic he saw Prowl silently slip closer to the foot of Starfall's bed. No doubt he wanted to get Starfall's own statement for the record.

Starfall stared up at him, his optics swimming with confused fear. "No?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Optimus prompted.

Starfall hesitated, visibly replaying events backwards in his head. "I was at school. Convoy was going to come over to play. We were waiting for daddy but… but… I don't remember anything else."

"Trauma-induced short-term amnesia," Ratchet murmured behind Optimus. "Not that uncommon in situations like this."

"It's probably for the best," Jazz said. "Kid doesn't need ta remember what that mech did ta him."

Prowl released a disappointed sigh. "While I don't necessarily disagree with you on that, having a first-hand statement from Starfall against Crosshairs would have assured us an immediate conviction. That's not to say we don't already have enough evidence against him to shut him away for the rest of his function."

"What happened?" Starfall plaintively sobbed from the berth. The adults' cryptic words seemed to only be making him more upset. "Why 'm here? Why can't I feel my wings?"

Optimus leaned closer over the edge of the berth until he was almost face to face with his frightened son. "A very bad mech grabbed you while you were waiting with Convoy at school. Something happened to him that made him not like seekers. Unfortunately, he decided to take that anger out on you. Your father found you, but by the time he did the bad mech had hurt you very badly. That's why you're in the hospital now."

A frightened sob escaped the sparkling's mouth. "I don't remember that! I don't remember anything. I wanna go home! I don't wanna stay here anymore."

"We can't take yeh home yet," Ironhide gently said. "Not til yer a lil better." He had yet to remove his hand from Starfall's side, as though he was afraid of losing the physical connection with his son.

Becoming even more distressed, Starfall's intakes hitched into frightened, pained sobs. Protectively drawing his arms and legs closer to his torso, Starfall seemed to shrink down into the web of tubes and wires attached to him. The movement, however, pulled on the damaged tension cables in his back which only made him sob harder in pain.

Optimus couldn't stand to see his child in so much pain. Before he could question the soundness of his actions, he gently slipped his hands under his son's shoulders and hip joint and carefully lifted him off the berth up into his arms. Starfall's battered body barely seemed to weigh a thing.

"Optimus, wait. You can't-" Ratchet tried to intervene. Optimus ignored him. He might not be a trained medic, but he knew what his son needed. And right now that was physical comfort.

Starfall whimpered at the abrupt shift of position but huddled against Optimus's chest as he arranged him more comfortably in his arms, greedily dinking in the protection and comfort of his father's presence. Tucking his helm underneath Optimus's chin, Starfall clutched at Optimus's front. It made him look like a tiny newspark in Optimus's arms. Held upright against Optimus's chest, Starfall seemed to finally find a more comfortable position. His frame seemed to melt against his father's front as he relaxed.

With one arm tucked under Starfall's bottom, Optimus tenderly cupped the back of his son's helm to his neck with his free hand. "It's alright, Star," he softly whispered into his son's audio receptor. "It's alright. I've got you."

Optimus felt Starfall release a small sigh of relief. Tiny finger digits clutched at the edges of Optimus's windshield. "My back doesn't hurt as much like this," Starfall tiredly murmured against his neck cables.

"Good," Optimus whispered. A fresh rush of emotions pushed at the back of his intake line, making it difficult to speak. Barely a joor ago he had been certain he would never be able to hold his son like this again. "Then I'll hold you like this until your back doesn't hurt anymore."

With a disgruntled huff, Ratchet came up beside Optimus to check on the tubes and wires attached to Starfall. "Well, I can still get to his medical ports like this, so if he's more comfortable like this than on the berth I'll allow it. Just be careful not to detach any of the lines. I want to keep a close optic on his vitals."

"I will be careful," Optimus distractedly nodded. His attention was focused on the hurt sparkling in his arms.

"Here," Ratchet said, dragging a chair over from the far corner of the room to the side of Starfall's berth. "Sit. If you're going to hold him, might as well be comfortable doing it."

"Thank you," Optimus gratefully nodded. Very carefully, so as not to jostle his injured son too much, he lowered himself onto the padded surface. Ratchet spent a moment rearranging the lines trailing off Starfall's frame before finally stepping back. Although he could not see Starfall's face, Optimus could feel a noticeable release of tension in the sparkling's body. Judging by Starfall's slowing intakes he was already drifting off into exhausted unconsciousness. Optimus was grateful. At least in recharge Starfall didn't have to be in pain. As Starfall slowly went limp in his arms, Ironhide came around the side of the berth to stand beside Optimus. The old war mech seemed unable to tear his optics away from his son's face.

"How long's he gonna hafta stay here?" Ironhide asked over his shoulder.

Ratchet released a tired sigh. "Hard to say. The damage he suffered was extensive. Like I said before, I fixed all the internal damage to his frame but he's going to need several more rounds of surgery to fix the external damage – most notably his wings. As a medic, I have a working knowledge of all frame types, but I'm not an expert on seekers. They're not my specialty. If repairs aren't done properly Starfall could have scars for the rest of his life, or even permanently lose his ability to fly."

A horrified thrill coursed through Optimus. Starfall never able to fly again? Such a fate would devastate him. He had heard tales of seekers during the war whose wings had been permanently damaged in battle and had chosen death rather than be grounded for the rest of their lives. Optimus looked up at Ironhide. A gleam of dread shined in the older mech's optics. Apparently Ironhide had heard the same tales as Optimus.

"I'm also worried about the lack of effect the pain meds are having on Starfall," Ratchet went on. "He's on the highest dose I can give him but he's still in tremendous pain. Those pain meds should have him completely knocked out, not awake and speaking in full sentences. Maybe it has something to do with his frame type, but I can't risk giving him any more than I already have. Too much could kill him."

Ironhide released an angry growl. "Ah'm gonna kill that mech that did this ta Star."

While Optimus did not necessarily disagree with his sparkmate's anger, his concern at the moment was more focused on repairing the damage to his son's body, not seeking revenge. Optimus digested Ratchet's words for a long moment of silence. The hand cupping the back of his son's head unconsciously hugged Starfall closer. "Would you be opposed to bringing in an outside expert, Ratchet?"

"No," Ratchet shook his head. "Do you have someone in mind?"

"Not yet. But I can contact Cloudbreaker, the Vosian representative to the senate. His mother is the Emirate of Vos. I am sure if we make an appeal they would send a medic to come help Starfall."

"Yeh think they'd do that fer us?" Ironhide said.

"I am sure of it. Slipstream has already said she considers Star a part of her protectorate. They would not let Star suffer or possibly lose his ability to fly. They will help us."

Ironhide considered this for a moment before finally giving a quick nod as though suddenly making a decision. "Ah'll go call him now."

"You will contact Cloudbreaker?"

"Yea. Yeh finally got Star comfortable enough ta recharge. Yeh stay with him. Ah'll go back ta the apartment an' grab a few things too. Once ah get back ah don't plan on leavin' the hospital again 'til Star does."

Optimus nodded. He understood Ironhide's feelings all too well. If Ironhide hadn't been willing to leave Optimus doubted he would have been able to tear himself away from Starfall's berthside long enough to do what was necessary. Now that he had their son back he was extremely reluctant to even think about letting him out of his sight so soon.

"I can have someone set up a vid-com here in the room if that would make things easier for you to contact others," Ratchet offered. "If both are you are going to stay while Starfall's recovering, you're going to be here for at least two deca-cycles - maybe longer."

"That's appreciated, Ratchet," Optimus gratefully nodded. "But I do not have any of my official contact numbers with me. They are all stored on the hard drive of my computer back home. Ironhide will still have to go get them before I can contact anyone." Motioning Ironhide closer to him, Optimus softly whispered, "After you contact Cloudbreaker be sure to call Skyfire. I'm sure he would greatly benefit from a call telling him the good news."

Ironhide nodded.

"I can escort Ironhide back ta your domicile ta get what ya need," Jazz offered. "Ya don't seem so unsteady anymore, but it's good ta make sure just in case."

Prowl took a step forward. "I am going to return to Enforcers headquarters to begin arranging a police guard. Once word that Starfall's still alive begins to circulate the press is going to be banging down the doors trying to the story. We'll cordon off this end of the hallway to make sure no unofficial personnel get in. The charges to Crosshairs also have to be changed since Starfall is no longer officially dead." Prowl glanced at Ratchet. "Until I get a team of Enforcers here, I'm going to ask you to have two guards from hospital security stand watch at Starfall's door."

Ratchet nodded. "I'll do that." He glanced at Optimus and Ironhide. "I've passed all my other current cases off to other medics. Starfall's my only patient now. He has my full attention."

Optimus gratefully nodded to all of them. "Thank you. All of you. I cannot thank all of you enough."

"Don't worry 'bout it," Jazz smiled. "Just worry 'bout taking care of Star now. We'll do the rest."

"Ah'll be back soon," Ironhide said, leaning down towards his sparkmate. "Take care 'a Star fer me til ah get back."

"I will."

Ironhide paused just long enough to rest a quick hand on the back of Starfall's head before turning and striding out of the room with Prowl and Jazz.

"I have to go make arrangements with security and talk to someone about setting up a vid-com here in the room for you," Ratchet said. "I will be back in few klicks."

"Take your time," Optimus said, gently stroking the back of Starfall's helm. "We are not going anywhere."

Nodding, Ratchet quietly slipped from the room.

As the rhythmic beeping of the monitors attached to Starfall returned to fill the silence, Optimus carefully leaned back in his chair. Starfall was dead weight against his chest. His face was gently pressed against the hollow of Optimus's throat. Optimus could feel the feather-light whisper of his intakes against his neck cables. Optimus relished the sensation. The emotions the feel of Starfall's spark pulsing against his chest in time to his was almost too much for Optimus to contain. The back of his intake line tightened with a violent rush of emotions.

Optimus leaned his head against the back of the chair. "Thank you," he softly murmured to the ceiling. "Thank you so much for returning him to me."

Whether Primus actually heard his prayers of thanks or not, Optimus didn't care. All that mattered right now was that his son was still alive and there in his arms. Until Starfall was well Optimus had no intention of letting him go any time soon.

to be continued

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