Sorry it took so long. Been a busy week in RL, you know how that goes. Plus, I was having trouble with the beginning of the chapter, wrote then rewrote it a number of times. While I wanted to get it out as quickly as possible, I also wanted to make sure it was up to par with the other chapters. Finally, here it is! Woohoo!

FTI – This is with regards to the other stories I'm working on. The Magnus one shot (called 'A Day in the Life of Ultra Magnus') (phoenix13, please, pick yourself up off the floor, I know you fainted reading that title!) and chapter 34 of My Beautiful Rising Star are nearly complete. I wanted to post them at the same time or at least close to the same time. Once that is done I will be updating Cosmic Castaway. The majority of those readers wanted more sparkling scenes with Optimus and Magnus. So there will be one more sparkling chapter for that story.

Now, on with Oops and let's see how Optimus and Ironhide's first meeting goes. Once again, I thank you for reading this story. I'm glad you're all enjoying it. Thank you.

Early morning Optimus and Elita's quarters

Optimus woke up. At first he was a little scared having remembered how he woke up before in the dark. Only this time there was some light from the ceiling. It wasn't bright but it was enough to keep his fears away.

First thing he did was grab his toy bot and greet it with a hug and warble. It was his favorite toy. Wherever he went, it was with him. Even in the bath Lita gave him last night. That was lots of fun.

Oh. Where's Lita?

He quickly stood up holding on to the railing for support and peered across the room to see Lita's optics were offline.

"Lita," he called softly.

The femme didn't move.

"LITA!" he shouted.

Not even a little twitch came from her.

Optimus let out a long, soft whistle of disappointment. Ah, but where there was a will there was a way. The floor wasn't that far. Only Optimus couldn't climb with the toy in his arm. He needed both hands to climb. Crawling on three limbs was not a problem. Climbing was a bit more complicated.

After a few moments he realized what he had to do.

The toy landed with a small crash on the floor making Optimus giggle. And like that, he was up and over the rail dangling. Then, as usually, he landed on his feet only to fall onto his aft.

With an abandon squeal of excitement, and with the toy in one arm, Optimus hurried across the floor to the bed where Lita was recharging. There he was face with his next dilemma- how to get up there with his toy?

Or maybe he didn't have to!

Optimus set the toy down then used the side of the bed to stand up. His optics just barely peeped over the top to see Lita was still recharge.

"Lita!" he called again. "Lita! Lita!"

And still, she did not wake.

Undeterred, Optimus bent down holding onto the side of the bed with one hand, and picked up his toy with the other. His legs kept wobbling and threatened to buckle but he managed to stand up straight with the toy in hand. However, as he tried to push the toy up onto the recharge bed his legs gave way and he fell onto his aft. The toy fell on the floor between his feet.

"Oops."

He sighed then tried it again. This time with success! And a few astroseconds later he was on the bed with Lita.

"Lita," he purred, optics dimming slightly, going nose to nose with her like she does to him all the time when she fills his spark with her love.

Elita was still kind of recharging but kind of waking when she felt something touch her face. On instinct, she shoved whatever it was away before her optics even came online. She had no idea she just sent Optimus rolling backwards off the bed and onto the floor.

Her optics came online at the sound of a loud crash. Sparkling cried instantly filled the room and a now wide awake femme scrambled off the recharge bed.

"I'm so sorry Optimus," she cooed, scooping him up and gently rocking him as she held him close.

He rattled off a few chirps at her as he continued to cry.

"I know, I said I was sorry. I didn't realize it was you. What were you doing out of your crib anyway?"

Of course he didn't answer that question. Instead he just nuzzled his face against her neck for comfort. Oh well, at least he was quieting down. She sighed wearily. Unfortunately, the day had begun, much too soon for Elita.

She prayed that once she and Optimus and their own sparkling the little bot wasn't going to be an early riser like Optimus. And if the little femme or mech was, then she was going to leave it to Optimus to tend to the little dear that early in the morning!

"You hungry?"

Optimus nodded his head. He finally understood some of the things Lita was telling him. Mainly eating time, recharging time, and play time. What else was there anyway?

Elita made sure to grab the toy bot before leaving the quarters. She thought Optimus was going to blow a gasket when she accidentally left it behind in recreation room last night. Thankfully Bumblebee had seen it and was already chasing Elita down to give it to Optimus before his tears became totally inconsolable.

"Bee!" Optimus cheered and pointed when he saw the yellow and black mech at the far end of the hallway.

Only Bumblebee didn't hear him. Bee and the twins were laughing and walking away with their backs to Elita and Optimus.

"They're up to no good," she told Optimus. "Probably going racing. That's the only reason why they'd be up this early."

(beep)

"Don't worry. I'm sure Jazz will be up soon enough to play with you. I hope. Maybe I can get an extra hour of recharge if he is."

Actually, Jazz was already up. He had just sat down at a table in the recreation room to enjoy some energon when he heard the bubbly, happy chirps and warbles of a sparkling approach. A moment later, Elita walked in with Optimus in her arms. The sparkling looked excited to be up so early, the femme did not.

"I see he's still an early riser," he chuckled.

"Yes, he is," she groaned.

Optimus continued talking to his toy as Lita set him down on the table near Jazz.

"He got out of his recharge crib and climbed up onto the bed with me!"

Jazz started giggling. He knew sparklings were a handful in the morning.

"Then I accidentally knocked him off the bed not knowing what was near my face!"

Optimus told Jazz all about it in sparkling talk while Elita made a bottle. Jazz listened intently making sure to keep optic contact adding a comment here and there. He loved sparklings. Such a shame he couldn't have his own with Prowl. He was so sure Prowl, if given the chance, would be an excellent daddy.

"You landed on your head?!" Jazz exclaimed.

Optimus nodded.

"You actually understand him?" Elita asked in surprise.

Jazz just smiled back at her. He wasn't going to tell that you didn't need to understand their sparkling words. It was the listening and up beat response that was important.

"Here's your bottle, Optimus," she chuckled, shaking her head.

After gently setting his toy bot down, Optimus grabbed the bottle with two hands and started suckling down his drink.

"And you said you wouldn't be a good mother," Jazz smirked at her.

"I know," she sighed, sitting down with her own cup of energon. "I was terrified of motherhood. I'm not afraid to admit that. The more Optimus would ask for a sparkling the more I felt this pressure building up. But it's gone now."

Optimus paused in his drinking and spoke to Elita in his sparkling talk then went back to drinking again.

"I think that was an 'I told you so,'" Jazz laughed. Not thinking about what he was doing, he grabbed the toy bot that Optimus had set down. "I remember when Optimus gave this to…"

(squawk!)

Hey! That was his! Optimus dropped the bottled and yanked the toy out of Jazz's hands. A series of harsh chirps and beeps sounded as he scowled at Jazz.

"Sorry little boss," Jazz said sincerely, patting Optimus on the head. "It's all yours."

"Oh Primus! I didn't think I was going to make it!" Wheeljack laughed as he, Magnus, Prowl, and Ratchet walked into the recreation room.

"I honestly didn't think Ratchet could run that fast!" Magnus chuckled.

Elita and Jazz glanced at each other. What was going on the make these mechs, yes including Prowl, laugh uncontrollably.

"I swear, I had never smell anything that bad before," Prowl giggled. "I thought my intakes were going to seize up!"

"That was a bit mean of you Magnus to send Bumblebee and the twins in there like that," Ratchet said then laughed hard. "I wish I could see the looks on their faces when they smell old Hide's exhaust fumes!"

"Are you guys drunk?" Elita finally asked.

"No but my processor does feel a bit fuzzy from those fumes," Jack snickered. "And I still need some energon."

"I'll get us all some energon with high grade," Prowl said causing Jazz to raise his optic brows. Prowl ignored his sparkmate. He needed a drink!

"Now you all had better fess up!" Jazz demanded.

(beep!)

"Even Optimus agrees," Jazzed added. "What's going on?"

"Go ahead Jack, you found him," Ratchet said as they all sat at the table with Jazz, Elita and Optimus.

"This time it wasn't my fault," Jack smiled proudly of that fact. "Ironhide did it to himself."

"Did what?!" Jazz and Elita both demanded.

"While I was recharging on my work table in the lab, Ironhide came in. He must have assumed I had forgotten to turn the alien device off…oh thanks Prowl." Jack paused to take a long sip of his energon high grade mix. "Anyway, as I had told Prowl the light is always on. You have to push it to activate it."

"And Hide pushed it!" Ratchet added.

"No, he didn't? You mean?" Elita gasped, covering her mouth.

"Oh yeah, I woke up this morning and there was sparkling Hide snoring on the floor," Jack laughed. "Live cannons included."

"Ow! Please, don't remind me," Ratchet shuddered rubbing the top of his head.

"How did Chromia take it?" Jazz asked.

"I told her myself," Prowl answered, sitting beside Jazz. "She didn't react much. Just told me to take her to him. I couldn't tell if she was mad or not. It was scary walking alone with her."

"When she gets there, we're ready for anything," Magnus continued. "Only she didn't react like we all thought."

"Chromia was mad at Ironhide!" Ratchet laughed. "Primus, it was too funny. Wish you'd been there to see it."

"No she doesn't," Magnus insisted. "We would have still been there if Ironhide hadn't started releasing the most fowl exhaust fumes I'd ever smelled. Trust me Elita, you wouldn't have wanted to be there."

Elita and Jazz laughed. Optimus giggled too even though he didn't know what they were talking about. But Lita was laughing and that was good enough for him.

"Optimus had told me all about Ironhide and his smelling exhaust fumes he had to endure when they recharged on the battlefield," Elita laughed. "In fact, Optimus implored me to warn Chromia once it was apparent she was going after Ironhide. He didn't want her intakes to suffer as his did."

"Like Optimus' were any better," Magnus snorted. "I remember poor little Bumblebee was behind Optimus one time. Optimus had no idea the youngling was there, in fact he thought he was alone when he released a nasty fart. The smell was too much for little Bee and he passed out."

"Bee!" Optimus cheered.

"That's right, Bee," Magnus smiled, patting him on the head.

"Bee!" Optimus repeated pointing towards the door.

Everyone turned to see Sunny and Sides looking as if they were about to purge their waste tanks. Between them, propped up with his arms around the twins' shoulders, was Bumblebee looking a bit woozy and dragging his feet along.

"That was a mean trick, Magnus!" Sunny growled.

"I never thought a fart could smell so fraggin awful!" Sides commented. "Hide knocked poor Bee out with one!"

"Bumblebee will be fine," Ratchet smirked. "Nothing a little fresh air won't fix."

They all burst into laughter, except for the twins and Bee. Sunny and Sides actually didn't think it was so funny! They had left the lab but the smell was still lingering in their intakes!

"Come on, sit down and have some high grade," Prowl said. "Just don't set your cups down on the table and clean them when you're done."

"What about Bee?" Sunny asked.

"Set him on the couch, he'll be fine," Ratchet answered, returning back to his drink.

"Oh and get this, Chromia didn't even flinch when Hide farted," Magnus said. "I couldn't believe it."

"That's love stupid aft," Elita chided him. "Just wait until you get your own femme and she has to put up with your fraggin farts!"

Magnus looked at her 'as if!'

"Don't give me that look Magnus," she growled, pointing at him. "I know for a fact yours stink just as bad as Optimus'. And that goes for all of you!"

Optimus laughed. Mags was in trouble with Lita!

"Thank you, Elita for putting them in their place."

The room instantly fell silent and they all turned to see Chromia standing in the doorway. Air intakes seized up in anticipation. In her arms was a wide awake sparkling Ironhide chewing on his fingers. It might have been cute if he wasn't trying to cram his whole hand into his mouth with them. Thankfully his hand was too big for his mouth.

"Relax, guys," Chromia smiled. "He only lets out exhaust fumes when he's recharging. He's perfectly harmless now."

"Ah, would you look at him! He's adorable!" Elita exclaimed, making all the mech's roll their optics. Pfft! Femmes! "Oh, sit him with Optimus and let's see how they interact!"

"This ought to be interesting," Ratchet muttered.

CLANK!

"Ow!" he shouted, rubbing his head.

Optimus giggled hysterically. Ratch got hit in the head by Lita! Too funny! Oh, who's that?!

All optics watched anxiously as Optimus started trilling excitedly when Chromia approached. Ironhide turned his head. He finally showed interest in something other than his fingers as he was sat down on the table beside Optimus.

At first they didn't do anything but stare at each other. Optic covers blinked slowly as each one tried to process what they were seeing. It was Optimus who smiled first with a squeal.

Everyone remained quiet and just listened to the two sparklings talking to each other. Well, it was Optimus doing most of the sparkling talk. Ironhide seemed to answer with either a long or short grunt. But he was responding to Optimus, much to Elita and Chromia's delight. The two femmes were giddy!

"Opt!" Optimus said, patting his chest.

"That's very good," Elita smiled proudly. "This is Hide. Remember how to say Hide?"

"Hide," Optimus said, touching Ironhide's arm.

Ironhide pulled his arm away, optic covers blinked rapidly. He still wasn't sure what to make of all this. Everyone kept looking at him and smiling. What did he do?

(GURGLE!)

"Oh no," Jack winced at the sound of Ironhide's tank.

"Shh!" everyone else said.

Ironhide grunted and patted his belly. What was that?!

"Jazz, a couple of bottles might be a good idea," Elita whispered.

"I'm on it," Jazz said quietly.

Optimus heard the sound again. He didn't think twice about it and held out his bottle for Hide to take.

(beep)

A collective sound of hushed awws sounded from everyone, including Bee who recovered enough to stand on his own now. This was so cool, now that the nausea was over!

"They're so cute!" Chromia and Elita cooed.

Ironhide took the object. He didn't know what it was. But there was something inside. He could hear it when he shook it. He turned the object over in his hands to see if there was a way to get what was inside out. After he couldn't find a way he started smacking it on the table.

Optimus thought it was funny so he started banging his toy on the table as he giggled. This was so much fun! Someone his size to play with!

"What is it with them always banging things?" Elita asked.

Several choked laughs and snorts sounded through the room.

"For frags sake! Get your processors out of the pit! I wasn't talking about interfacing!"

"Lita, you know that's all mechs think about, even Ratchet," Chromia smirked.

Ratchet just glared at her. He was better than that. He didn't think about interfacing all the time.

"Bottles are ready," Jazz smiled, handing Elita the two bottles.

"Here Optimus, show Hide how it works," she said, handing a bottle over. "Chromia, see if you can take that bottle away from Hide. We'll give him a fresh one."

"Hide, sweetie, can I have that?" she asked, putting her hand on it.

Ironhide sighed as the pretty black femme took the object away. He tucked his hands next to his chest, unsure of what to do now. His tank was making noises again.

"Here, you go a nice fresh bottle," Chromia smiled holding the new bottle out in front of Hide. "Go on. See how Optimus is drinking it?"

Oh! Is that how it works! Ironhide took the bottle turned it around in his hands a couple of times, glanced over at Opt to see how it worked, and then shoved one end in his mouth.

Everyone laughed. Ironhide was trying to get his energon drink for the wrong end of the bottle. Determined to get what he wanted, he grunted and gnawed on the bottle until his mouth found the sweet spot.

It was an adorable moment with two sparklings sitting side by side, eagerly suckling down their energon drinks at the same time.

(burp!)

Elita shook her head. She still had to teach Optimus some manners!

Optimus burped again making Ironhide giggle. Everyone chuckled. It was the first noise other than a grunt from Hide! Of course, he was making a mess on himself in the process. Why does that not surprise Chromia? His energon drink dribbled down his chin as he continued to giggle while suckling on his bottle. Still, Chromia's spark just melted. Some how, some way, once Hide was back to himself, she was going together with him and make a sparkling!

(fart!)

Every mech, except for Prowl and Jazz, bolted at that sound. Chairs were knocked over. Tables were sent skidding. It was survival of the fittest as they scrambled out the door of the recreation room, not caring who got stepped on or knocked down in the rush!

Two sparkling mechs blinked their optic covers rapidly as their little processors tried to work out what the excitement was all about. And two femmes shook their heads thinking they were all crazy.

Jazz scowled and smacked Prowl on the back of his head. He knew exactly whose fart that was!

"Sorry Jazz, I couldn't hold it in any longer. You know energon mixed with high grade always gives me bad exhaust fumes. You should have stopped me."

Both Optimus and Ironhide giggled hysterically.

Ok, sorry! I couldn't help it! I tossed in that last fart joke at the last second. That's if for the farting. Up next we'll see how Optimus and Ironhide play together. Will they be naughty or nice?