When Ratchet woke up that morning, he was smaller than usual, and June was curled up by his side. Optimus was grinning in the doorway, and Ratchet glared at him.
"You've been acting weird, Prime," he growled.
Optimus shrugged a bit. "The war is almost over and my oldest friend is getting back on his pedes. Of course I am feeling out of character. I do not have to give battle plans for much longer and I no longer have to worry that you are sinking deeper and deeper into depression."
Ratchet looked over at June. He was only a foot and a couple inches taller than her now. "And why am I short?"
"I prefer the term 'fun-size', but it is temporary, I promise. The Matrix is a very delicate tool and it has allowed mechs to shrink and grow before."
"Prime, when I am back to my normal size, I will throw all my good wrenches at you."
Optimus couldn't resist. "What about the bad ones?"
The medic's optics narrowed. "I have been saving those to ram them up your aft."
The Prime's optics widened as he watched him. "I bet you have," he said simply and he walked away.
Miko was waiting for him on the catwalk. "I was right?"
Optimus nodded a bit. "Mm. He was less than thrilled to find he was a good six-foot-three."
Ratchet sat up, and that disturbed June.
"Ratchet? What happened to you?"
The medic scrabbled for his data-pad, but he wasn't tall enough to snatch it off his nightstand. "Prime was struck with a sense of humor."
June rolled over onto her belly. "That doesn't sound like Optimus," she said softly. She was busy doing the math: Short human plus short Cybertronian. She was liking the possible results.
"No, it doesn't, but he's been feeling great since Megatron disbanded the Decepticons and the little rogues are padding up and mewing for Optimus to feed and care for them."
June giggled softly at that image. She could see Knock Out holding a buffer up to the Prime and begging like a kitten. She looked up at Ratchet again.
The medic was cursing as he sat down on his pillow and he was hugging his knees to his chest. She moved closer and she smiled when he looked at her with softening blue optics. "We can probably make the best of things..."
OoO
Optimus went to check on them, and when he did, he was shocked into silence.
June was laying in the middle of the bed, the sheets wrapped around her naked body while Ratchet sat, back to his full size, watching her.
As Ratchet promised, the medic chased the Prime with a bucket of wrenches.
Ratchet never missed.
Optimus never learned to duck.
EPILOGUE COMING SOON