Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers

Magnia's optics onlined slowly as she blinked away a few tears and said groggily, "Mom?"

"No, just me," Ratchet said wearily. He swiped at his optics quickly, hoping Magnia wouldn't notice.

She did. "Are you alright?"

Ratchet shook his helm, "I still miss her. Even after all this time."

Magnia sniffled, "Me too. I'm sorry I tried to offline you earlier."

Ratchet smiled a little and unlocked her stasis cuffs, "It's fine."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment until he asked, "So...what now?"

"Well I don't know about you," Magnia mopped at her optics, "but I could use a hug."

"My specialty," Ratchet grinned, embracing her in a hug.

"Really?" she laughed. "Your speciality is hugs? You're so grumpy all the time."

"Ok maybe it's more of a hidden talent than a speciality," he chuckled. "And I am not grumpy!" He tilted her chin up, "You know, she might be gone, but at least now I have you back."

"I don't know if that's such a good thing," Magnia stepped back and glanced guiltily at the ruined Medbay.

"Well, I will say one thing," Ratchet sighed. "You certainly have my temper."

She laughed and he smiled and continued, "Now, you need to go make up with Bumblebee, and I need to go inform Optimus of the situation, so he can prepare a spot on the team for you."

Magnia frowned, "I'm not so sure if I want to join the Autobots."

Ratchet looked a little disheartened, "Oh. How come?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "It's just a little hard to drop everything you've ever known, the cause you've believed in, and start over."

"Ah," Ratchet nodded, "That's...understandable I suppose. I still have to tell Optimus you're my daughter anyways."

"Ok," Magnia smiled. "I guess I'll see you later Ratch-er um, Dad."

She blushed a million shades of blue when she said that, but Ratchet's faceplates lit up when she did, so it was worth it.

Once Magnia had left, Ratchet took a deep breath and commed Optimus. It was time to face the beast.

Optimus had been going over the plans for contacting all wandering Cybertronians with Prowl when Ratchet commed him.

"Excuse me, Prowl," Optimus said to his second in command. "I trust you can manage this while I am gone?"

Prowl nodded stiffly and Optimus headed towards the Medbay. A few minutes after he left, Jazz popped his helm in.

"Can I come in, Prowler?"

"Jazz, I am in the middle of something here."

Jazz pointed to the datapads and charts, "Whatcha workin' on?"

"Plans to contact wandering Cybertronians and direct them to Cybertron," Prowl said, a note of pride creeping into his voice. "Optimus left me in charge of it."

"Cool," Jazz nodded. "So, um, when ya gonna be done?"

Prowl turned and looked at him, "Why?"

The corners of Jazz's mouth twitched into a grin, "I was thinkin' maybe we could get...busy, dig? If ya got a mo."

"I am already kinda busy at the moment," Prowl mumbled, already back in his datapads.

Jazz sighed at the tactician bot, "Too bad. I did have some pretty wild ideas..."

Prowl tried to ignore him, but his curiosity got the better of him and he turned back to the saboteur, "Like what?"

Jazz's optics flicked to the table, "That table looks pretty comfy."

"On top of the datapads?!" Prowl asked, horrified.

Jazz sighed, "We can move the datapads, Prowler."

"Oh," Prowl reconsidered. "Well..."

Jazz grinned and shut the door behind him.

Optimus arrived at the Medbay to find Ratchet, unusually, sitting still. He was sitting in his desk chair, with another chair pulled up across from him.

"Sit down, Optimus," he advised. "I have to tell you something."

Confused, Optimus sat and Ratchet took a deep breath, "You remember my bonded, Crossblade?"

"Of course," Optimus nodded unhappily. "You haven't been the same since you lost her."

"Optimus," Ratchet hesitated. "Magnia...was her daughter. My daughter."

Optimus sat there in stunned silence, "Magnia...is your daughter? Why didn't you tell me? I was going to offline her!"

"I only just found out today," Ratchet sighed. "That's why she attacked me; Megatron told her that her father killed her mother, so when she found out her father was me, she went haywire."

"Oh," Optimus glanced around nervously. "Where is she anyways?"

"I convinced her that I didn't kill Crossblade, so she went to go find Bumblebee."

Optimus frowned, "Alone? You don't think we need to give them 'the talk' do we?"

Ratchet raised an optic ridge, "I think it's a little too late for that, Prime."

"Well," the Prime flushed. "I suppose I never got around to it with Bumblebee because I was too busy." He sighed, "He grew up so quickly."

Ratchet laughed, "Remember he used to follow you around like a lost puppy? And he had the optics to go with it too; you could never say no to him."

Optimus smiled fondly, "Yes, I remember."

A younger Bumblebee, who couldn't have been more than six stellar cycles old, was playing sadly in a corner of the Autobot Headquarters by himself.

Optimus noticed and came over, "What is the matter, Bumblebee?"

"You won't pway wiff me, Optimus," the little bot said unhappily.

"Bumblebee, I am sorry but I am very busy right now. I promise I will play with you later when I have time."

As he walked away he heard Bumblebee mutter, "No you won't. You never have time."

Optimus glanced back at Bumblebee and then at Sentinel, who was tapping his ped impatiently and sighed.

He walked over to Sentinel Prime and asked, "Sir?"

"Yes, Optimus?"

"Permission for a brief leave of absence?"

Sentinel gawked at him, "Are you out of your processor? We're about to crack the location of the Decepticon base! You're joking, right?" When he saw Optimus was perfectly serious, he sighed, "What for?"

"To spend time with my son," Optimus said firmly, gesturing to the little yellow bot in the corner.

Sentinel pinched the bridge of his nose, "Fine. You're one of my best soldiers, and in the years I've known you, you've never been anything but hardworking. Take three hours with your boy, and that's it."

Optimus smiled happily, "Thank you, sir."

"Yeah, yeah," Sentinel muttered. "Rookie."

Optimus walked back over to Bumblebee, folded his legs, and sat down. "Watcha doin?" Bee asked.

Optimus smiled, "Playing."

Bee's face lit up, "Really?"

"Really."

Excitedly, Bee handed him the smaller robot he had been playing with, "This one's my favwit but you can have it cuz I have anoder one."

"Alright."

And they played. Bumblebee had never looked so happy.

Optimus shook himself out of his reverie, "Well I suppose that's good then, that Magnia is your daughter. We do need more members after all. When is she willing to start her training?"

Ratchet hesitated, "See that's the funny thing."

Optimus raised an optic ridge, "What is?"

"Magnia isn't sure if she wants to join the Autobots just yet," Ratchet said sheepishly.

Optimus gaped at him, "So she is returning to the Decepticons?"

"No, no, no," Ratchet said hurriedly. "She is merely trying to figure out what she wants right now. She's a...neutral, I suppose."

"Ratchet, neutrals have not been in this war for over a century now," Optimus narrowed his optics. "If she is not allied with the Autobots, then, I am sorry to say, she is a Decepticon."

Ratchet began to protest at this but Optimus ignored him, "Either convince her to join our team or I will politely request her to leave."

"And when she refuses, because her sparkmate and father are here, then you will use force," Ratchet growled.

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

"Admit it; you love solving all of your problems with violence, Optimus," Ratchet spat. "Well, you know what? If you're kicking her out, then I'm going too!"

"Fine, go!" Optimus yelled angrily. "You have already called this bluff once before anyways."

"She's my daughter, Prime!" Ratchet shouted. "If you really think I'm just going to let her walk out alone into a world with vengeful Decepticons hunting her down, think again!"

Their bickering was interrupted by Prowl bursting into the Medbay.

"Prime," he breathed heavily. "This looked urgent." He handed Optimus a sealed envelope.

"Prowl, this was sent to me twenty minutes ago," Optimus frowned, reading the timestamp on the envelope. "Are you alright?"

"You're all sweaty," Ratchet commented.

"And your armor is in complete disarray."

"I-um-I'm alright," Prowl blushed so badly that even his chin turned blue.

Damn that sexy afthole Jazz, Prowl thought, embarrassedly trying to smooth down his armor. He's always interfering with my work.

Optimus had opened the envelope and was now staring at its contents with a look of horror etched across his features.

"What is it?" Prowl asked, and Ratchet edged closer, despite the fact that he was pissed at Optimus.

"Megatron," Optimus whispered and lowered his servos so they could see the candid photos taken of the warlord.

"He's back."