Chapter five – Welcome

Ratchet stared in disbelieve at the spark in front of him. As medic he was used to different resonances and colours, but he had never seen nor heard about a spark this colour.

It was pure silver.

Primes had golden sparks, while the Autobots had all kinds of blue and the Decepticons red. It reflected their personality rather than their fraction, but mostly Decepticons were more aggressive, even if that wasn't true in some cases.

Starscream's spark was a silver with streaks of blue and red intertwining at the center.

A giggle brought Ratchet out of his thought and he looked into the innocent eyes of the sparkling lying on the table, "You sure are different, little one." Gently closing his eyes he concentrated before finishing with his examination and gently closing the spark-chamber.

"Is he alright?" Skywarp appeared right next to him with Thundercracker hovering behind him.

Shaking his head at the worry the flitted over their faceplates Ratchet replied, "He is a very healthy little seekerling. His spark is a different colour than I've ever seen before but otherwise he is fine." Stroking the squirming Sparklings back nubs and laughing as the little one giggled and twitched at the tickling sensation Ratchet smiled at them, "You will have your hands full with him, of that I'm certain!"

Skywarp laid his hand on Starscream's back, calming him down, before gently picking him up, "I know. But we're prepared for that." Uncertainty flickered in his gaze, "You really think Prime will allow us to keep him, to stay here?"

Ratchet laughed, "Sure, he promised you protection and now that Megatron has only a hand full of mechs the peace he has always fought for has come nearer."

Thundercracker sighed in relief, "Than we should go and introduce Starscream to the others…What about the Autobots? Will they accept him?" He put his arm over Skywarp's shoulder and tickled the Sparkling, laughing when he latched onto his finger and put it in his mouth.

"They better, or I'll make them accept you all! Seems the little one here is hungry," stepping back to his workplace Ratchet grabbed a cube of Energon before putting half of it in a bottle and mixing in other ingredients. Finished with mixing a few minutes later Ratchet turned back to them, "Here give him that. I'll have to see how he reacts to this formula before I make more."

Starscream, still nursing on Thundercracker's finger, looked ready to cry when the blue seeker pulled it away and Skywarp used the moment to put the bottle to his mouth. Sniffing carefully Starscream released a coo before latching onto it and sucking the diluted Energon as fast as possible.

Ratchet looked pleased with himself when the seekerling didn't stop or show any signs of the Energon not agreeing with his system. "Seems as if I don't have to wait to make more!"

Skywarp laughed before quieting; gently he continued feeding the Sparkling, "It's just a pity he isn't really ours. Otherwise we could have fed him…"

Thundercracker looked at him, "Warp, he is ours. He always protected us from Megatron's wrath and he told us he hoped we wouldn't have as much trouble with him around this time. He wanted to be ours, our sparkling."

Ratchet looked at the two seekers fixated in each other and their sparkling. They looked happy and Ratchet swore that when the war ended he would talk to his bonded about a sparkling of their own.

Optimus Prime ran towards where Prowl and Jazz were arguing. The two never argued much, Prowl was too serious and Jazz too playful.

But now it seemed that there was a full fight on the horizon, "What is going on here?" Optimus used his command voice and his second and third in command ceased their argument immediately.

"Ratchet attacked me and locked us out of the med bay!" Prowl's fury was evident even through the even tone he used.

Jazz sighed before he snarled, "You told him that it wasn't he had no place to argue with you and you know how he reacts to that!"

Prime looked in disbelieve at his SIC, "You told him what!?" His voice rose to new heights. No sane Bot ever came between Ratchet and his patients, even if the patients were Decepticons!

Prowl squirmed, "You told me we had to protect the sparkling! How can I do that if I can't stay near him? What if the damn seekers deactivate him?!"

Shaking his head Optimus replied, "Prowl, Thundercracker and Skywarp were Starscream's trine mates. If I understand it right as soon as Starscream is old enough they will renew their bond. Yes, Starscream is important for the future but those two will be his creators, they would rather die than hurt him."

Jazz nodded, finally seeing the worry that lay beneath Prowl's stoic mask he took his bondmate's hand, "Nothing will happen to the sparkling, Prowlie. He's with us and we protect him!"

Just then the doors to the medbay opened and a giggling sound greeted them as Skywarp carried the small seeker in his arms while gently tickling him, "You like that, don't you, Star!" He laughed as the sparkling tried to avoid his fingers and buried himself against his chassis.

Seeing the little seekerling Prowl calmed down and let Jazz take his hand.

The resulted in Ratchet looking at him oddly and Thundercracker releasing the tension he had felt after the doors had opened.

The little seeker didn't realize what was going on and looked around in wonder, until his eyes fell on the Autobots.

Coo…squirm…

He stretched his little hands out and Jazz came over holding out his finger which was immediately put into the little mouth.

Laughing Jazz tugged at his hand, which was released with a bit grumbling from the sparkling.

Prowl came over, causing the tension to return to both seekers. But the SIC only had eyes for the sparkling and when Starscream saw him he laughed in joy before reaching for him.

As soon as Prowl held his finger out to the sparkling it was grabbed and cooed at. He felt happiness rise in his spark at the sight of a happy sparkling, remembering his own and Jazz's before they had been lost to the war.

The sparkling knew no fear of either of them. Optimus, who often inspired fear in others, even when his gentle nature preceded him, was also welcomed by the sparkling.

Just the presence of the sparkling dissolved the tension between the Autobots and former Decepticons.

Making them feel welcome, finally at home.

Tbc

AN: I wish all of you Happy Easter!