The kids were playing with their minicons when they decided to check up on the autobots. They came to them and saw that they were practicing their battling. Hot Shot sparred with Optimus while Red Alert checked to see if the base was running perfectly fine. Before they decided to make themselvs known Optimus had flung Hot Shot across the room, landing on his back and sliding against the wall.

"Hey Hot Shot," started Rad gazing at the fallen bot.

"Huh?" said Hot Shot looking at them in surprise. "Just how long were you standing there?"

"Long enough Hot Shot," giggled Alexis.

"Great, not only is my back hurt, but my pride also," said Hot Shot getting up.

"Well you can't expect to beat Optimus Prime man," said Carlos.

"Hey, I can still dream," smiled Hot Shot.

Optimus just let out a joyful laugh at seeing this.

"Don't worry about them Hot Shot," he said. "They just want to see us fight. Now come on, let's do it again."

So Hot Shot and Optimus went again at it again, but Hot Shot, again, failed at beating Prime. He didn't give up though. He showed the kids that he was capable of landing hits on the leader. The kids just cheered them on.

"Not to bad Hot Shot," said Rad.

"I know," he grinned looking at them.

"Don't let your guard down Hot Shot," said Optimus tackling him from behind.

He had pinned Hot Shot to the floor. Hot Shot struggled to get up, but it was useless.

"The decepticons won't let you have a chance to look around," said Optimus holding the stuggling Hot Shot down. "They are merciless."

"Err, you don't think I know?!" he said knocking his head into Optimus' faceplate.

Optimus stumbled off him and this time Hot Shot pinned him down.

"Ha, ha, alright Hot Shot, that's enough for today," he said holding his hands up.

"Hey, did you just beat Optimus Hot Shot?" gasped Carlos.

"No," said Hot Shot. "He could have knocked me off, but decided not to."

"Do you think you could give Megatron a fight like this one time in the future?" asked Alexis.

"Heh, I hope sooner than that," smiled Hot Shot holding his fist up to his face.

The kids just giggled a bit picturing this in their heads.

"What, you think I can't do it?" asked Hot Shot placing his fists on his hips.

"Well Megatron is huge and . . . You're just not," said Alexis.

"Hey, size doesn't matter," said Hot Shot. "Back on cybertron I used to take on my father when I was only 6,000 years old . . . and I still beat him."

"You have a family on your home planet?" said Rad somewhat surprised.

"Well . . . yea. We're not that different than you humans," said Hot Shot.

"Tell us about your family," they said sitting down and making themselves comfortable.

"Well, where do I start?" said Hot Shot rubbing the back of his head.

"Just start when you first remember them," they smiled.

"Well, I've known them my whole life," said Hot Shot.

"You mean you don't remember them?" asked Carlos.

"No, it's just I don't remember much when they first found me," he said.

"You were adopted?!" they said in surprise.

"Well, yea," he said. "They said they found me when I was 2,000 years old, that's two in you human years. My father was hanging off the egde of a cliff when I helped pull him up. He then took me to his sister, my aunt Sandrone. They decided to try and find my real parents, but the caretaker of the orphanage only said that my mother died when she gave birth to me and that my father was still alive somewhere, and that he is a great leader."

"Wow," the kids gasped. "And then what?"

"Well, I was then adopted by them and when I was old enough I went to school and wantewd to become a military leader like my real father, but then my adopted father was killed in battle. I only have my aunt left. After this war I want to try and find my real father . . . that is if he's still alive."

The kids were silent at this. They knew a bit of Hot Shot's past. Optimus was very silent at this. He just gazed at Hot Shot with an unseen emotion in his golden optics.

"What about you Red Alert?" they asked turning to him.

"Well," started Red Alert hoping not to be part of the conversation. My parents are both doctors and I became one like them . . . it's a family tradition. For generation my family have been doctors."

"Ooh," they said shaking their heads.

They then turned their attention to the quiet Optimus and they said, almst at once-

"What about you Optimus?"

Optimus was then cut off from his thoughts as they asked him that question. He then turned to them and said-

"What was that children?"

"Your family," they said. "Do you have a family?"

Optimus was unsure now what to say. Hot Shot and Red Alert gazed at him uneasy. They knew how much it pained him to tell about his family. Optimus then gazed at Hot Shot and then at the children.

His optics were sad and he was silent.

"Um, you guys," started Hot Shot getting their attention.

"What is it Hot Shot?" asked Rad.

Then with sad optics Hot Shot shook his head and said-

"A very long time ago he lost his family. The only family he left is his brother's. It's a very long story you see, and I don't think he wants to talk about it."

"Really?" they said gazing at Optimus with sad eyes. "We didn't mean to upset him Hot Shot."

"Don't worry guys," said Hot Shot. "He'll be alright. We're pretty much like family to him now."

The kids gazed at Optimus they had no idea.

"Yea . . . that's the way of war kids," said Hot Shot.

"Do you miss your family Hot Shot?" asked Rad.

"Well . . . yea," he said. "Who wouldn't miss their family. I'm just glad I still have some left."

"Well good luck on finding your real family," smiled Alexis. "I'm sure they can't wait to see you again."

"Yea, I hope so," Hot Shot smiled.

Optimus then looked at them and with an unseen smile he whispered-

"I can't."

Then after the kids were done asking their questions they left ot go back home and now night arose. Optimus stood under the stars when Hot Shot came to him.

"Prime? . . . what's wrong?" Hot Shot asked.

"It was a night like this when I lost my child," said Optimus.

"Yea, sorry about that Prime," he said rubbing the back of his head. "I should have stopped them when they asked Red Alert."

"No, they have a right to know," said Optimus. "Doesn't a family share everything with one another?"

"Yea, I guess you're right," sighed Hot Shot.

He then looked up at the clear night sky and sighed then said-

"So now what?"

"Now we set the minicons free," said Optimus turning his head to his unbeknowest son.

Hot Shot's girl: Sorry I haven't updated in a long while I've been busy studying for my drivers written test. I passed, yeah D but I'll try and update the other stories as soon as I can.