Prime Blood: Ironbands Chapter 6

a/n Maybe I should copy and paste this to Prime Blood contents. Seeing how so many authors here have different ways of procreation. Well, this works too. Cybertronian Anatomy 101 per Dr. Ratchet. I have no idea where I cam up with Ironhide's back ground.

/closed helm com/ speak

Bee knew he really shouldn't be nervous about talking about such a thing in front of three of the most trusted Autobots in the whole universe, but still he was. There was Optimus sire of three. Ratchet, Chief Medical Officer, and smartest Transformer doctor in the universe with the softest spark under his gruffness-shield. And then there was Ironhide and Chromia. The only couple more in love than Optimus & Elita or Inferno & Firestar. Dang! the walls of the training center rocked and nearly sang when those three couples sparks merged. And when Powerglide came in and Moonracer disappeared, watch out. If all four couples were merging at the same time (which did happen a few times) Bee could feel his whole body hum with the tingle as if he was touching the AllSpark again. He could just feel pure honest love radiating through the armored walls of the military base.

He chuckled, internally, if the 'Cons ever tried to attack at those times, there would have been a string of Decepticon carcasses from Cybertron to Unicron. Could have ended the war PDQ.

"Bee?" Ratchet's soft question brought the young yellow bot back to the present. "Are you alright?"

Bee nods with his own blushed smirk, "Yeah, just thinking." Ratchet cocks a optic brow asking him to explain, but Bee shakes the medic's question aside. Instead, the youngest bot straightens himself up, picks up another piece of fudge and takes a bite, "Alright, lets see what I know. The tanks on a mech in the pelvic region contain code or our half of a sparkling. During interfacing, the tank pump kicks on. At the, um… proper moment, (he coughs, Ironhide blushes and Chromia giggles) the code is forced up the center line and into the, uh, prepared cord and umm… expelled? "

Ratchet nods seriously and takes his place back beside Prime nudging his big peds out of the way. "Well put, Bumblebee." Chromia giggles seeing both Optimus and Ironhide blushing. Ratchet scowls at her, "Fine, your turn. The femme side."

She sighs and leans in smugly to her mate trailing a hand over his chest, noticing her feet are just inches above the armor covered cord of Optimus, "So when the mech is properly primed." Optimus coughs and squirms at the term twisting his title. She kicks the armor at her feet hard knowing it won't actually hurt him, but makes him hold still quickly. "As I was saying, if we femmes are lucky," Ironhide scowls at her implication otherwise, "The code will be deposited into my own tank just below my spark chamber to mix with my own," she cocks a seductive pose towards her mate and lowers the tone, "sweeeeet drops of precious fluid. Triggered to be released by my lover's stimulation." Ironhide groans in want and has to adjust his hardened object very close to Chromia hand.

Ratchet's optics go wide and lean down, "Chromia I wasn't suggesting a simulation while sitting upon your CO's, uh-hem?"

Chromia adjusts her eyes from her heated mate and can see the extra heat rising from the reinforced armor plate at her feet. She looks up to Optimus' face and sees that familiar look: pinched nose bridge. Chromia snugly responds, "Sorry Prime." He only grunts.

Ironhide squirms to get calmed down and focused back on the pod under his fingers. Chromia settles herself in Ironhide's lap so they are snuggled up together with their offspring.

Bee waves his half eaten piece of candy in the air with a confused look, "Okay, so with the way Optimus, Inferno, Powerglide, Jazz and Ironhide are constantly depositing their code into their mates… like freak'n petro-rabbits, shouldn't we have the Cybertron completely repopulated by now?"

Optimus coughs so hard he launches upright dumping the also startled Ocean City Commander couple into his lap. That was his last straw, any more of this and he was going to faint. Ratchet on the other hand, gapes and then stars laughing so hard tears come to his optics at how perfectly correct Bee had been. Those couples were bad at interfacing whenever and nearly where ever they could. War had shattered their homes but not their physical relationships. If anything, made them more needy.

Ironhide scrambles to his feet shooting his disgusted look between Optimus and Bee for two different reasons. Optimus is still coughing trying to dislodge the candy from the wrong pipe in his throat. Bee just casually sits back and pops the rest of his candy into his mouth giving them time to recover resting his peds on the desk top, and clasping his hands behind his neck.

Ratchet comes round from his giggling fit and with a gentle hand pushes Optimus to lay back, then resettles the human couple beside their Cybertronian offspring. He wipes the remaining optic fluids from his face and smiles to very smug Bee, "Out of the mouths of babes, I believe the human saying goes. But, you are correct Bee." Ratchet turns to Optimus, "Which brings us the next part of the conversation. No offense to the sire, but I'm going to keep this clear by sticking with the creators, alright?" Optimus knows exactly what Ratchet means and nods. Ratchet then turns to Ironhide pointing to Chromia, "How much does she know about Poco?"

Ironhide shakes his head, "Um, not a whole lot. I wasn't sure what to say."

Ratchet looks up to Optimus who is trying to shutter his optics and lay a right palm over his face, "Sorry big guy, but all the skeletal frames are coming out of the closet today."

Optimus nods, "I am ashamed of nothing. I would do it all again."

Ratchet thumps him on the forehelm hard, "Yeah but you would tell me everything from the start. Right?"

Optimus peeks through his fingers and ponders the question, "Give me a reason to do it differently?"

Ratchet reaches over and takes the right palm off his friend's face expertly bending the finger to stroke two of the three marks on the palm side of the right ring finger. Ever so softly Ratchet answers the question, "I'll give you two." Ratchet locks optics with his dear friend, "Hey, she may have been your mate and they may be your children, but you aren't the only one who loved them. Alright?" With that, he throws the hand away to clang down on the berth in anger making Optimus wince in pain. The throw was in the same manner in which Ratchet felt Optimus had thrown his trust in their friendship aside.

Chromia gapes and Ironhide grasps her hand tightly. It's becoming clearer to Chromia what is going on. Optimus not only took a second mate, but had another family. Children, not sparklings? How? What?

Optimus' voice is almost a whisper as he answers Ratchet's hurt, "I'm sorry, Ratchet. I really screwed up."

Ratchet nods curtly, "Yes, you did. Do you have any idea what I could have done for you both? She was right there before me carrying your child and neither one of you told me. She was in my hand! I could have… I should have… Damn you Prime!"

To this, Optimus grasps Ratchet's wrist. This was a long time in coming. Ratchet had every right to be angry with him. Poco had been Ratchet's friend too. Optimus knows Ratchet has waited to lay into him for a long time. But out of respect for all the grief of loosing each piece of his family one by one, hadn't until now. Optimus knows it's also up to him to keep his team whole even against his own infractions to their trust.

He wait until Ratchet accepts his apology and then takes the doctor's soft hand and brings it closer to his chest. Ironhide and Chromia carefully move aside so Ratchet's black ungloved hand can lay on the new sparkling pod.

"Ratchet, save this one. What do you want to know?"

A shuttering breath comes from the doctor, "How did Elita create the sparkling?"

Optimus won't let Ratchet's hand move. Chromia and Ironhide come back pressing their bodies against Ratchet's palm keeping them all focused on this little one. Optimus closes his eyes and lets his memory float back to those days, "She came to me with a gift from Alpha Trion. Water from the Well of the AllSpark. She fed me some and she partook of some. Elita said Trion suggest her tank be filled. So, like Firestar did to Inferno, proceeded to drain me dry and bond repeatedly over the next three days. As you well know."

Ratchet nods, "I though it was just because you had be separated for so long. Just a bonded couple's thing. I didn't realize it was more of a conceptional procedure. You looked exhausted."

Optimus smiles weakly, "I was so slagging tired. If she touched me one more time, I was afraid my pump would cease. I was never so grateful for that shot you gave me. And my spark, wow… that I just can't even begin to explain how it felt. But it all worked."

Chromia looks up to Ratchet, "Elita was in very good health. Firestar did say that. Not a drop of sickness."

Ratchet nods, "Yes and the sparkling was healthy too."

Bee lifts his voice, "Is it true Firestar and Inferno sparked a few years ago?" Ratchet nods. "I heard there was a fight and … poor Firestar…." He shakes his head in sorry for the couple. They are always so sweet and wonderful to Bee.

Ratchet shakes his head, "Bee, I was there shortly after the fight. I took readings on the sparkling. Even without the accident, the sparkling wouldn't have made it. It only had half the code locked. Only Firestar's. The conception was not a complete lock."

Chromia pats Ratchet's hand worried, "She's expecting again! What if..!"

Ratchet smiles sweetly to his adopted-daughter's dear friend, "I know, I know. I've been in contact with Perceptor. We figured that the Well Water was a catalyst to bond mech and femme code to lock permanently. She didn't give the water to Inferno the first time. The failure wasn't limited to their damaged bond or the accident. It was the water that only activated Firestar's code. Inferno's never fully activated because he wasn't given the Water to activate his half." He takes a sigh stroking the little pod with his thumb, "From what I can gather, and from what Elita and Firestar said, a lot of mech fluid is needed," Ratchet smirks, Optimus blushes as how his mate had drained him dry quite pleasantly, "enough to fill the femme holding unit below the spark chamber. With the water as the catalyst and the spark boding to finish the fusing process, the little spark ignites within the creator's spark."

Chromia asks, "Ratchet, you're the smartest doctor in the universe and you didn't know?"

Ratchet sighs heavily rubbing his brow, "I wasn't on the Elite Medical Team. Conception was classified to only the Well Scientists. Yes I worked on prenatal, but not conception. And very few couples went for the 'natural process'. Most were going for a more detailed selection. Getting exactly what they wanted."

Bee comes over and looks down to the pod everyone is hovering over inside his leader's chest. Chromia stokes a hand over her mate's hand, "I kind of like the thought of randomness. It's rare that you get such a pleasant surprise." She looks down to the gift, "Hello little blessing. Do you know you are a miracle?" She leans down and kisses the pod. Everyone feels it shutter in delight.

Ironhide leans in and whispers something to the pod no one could hear. With that, the pod nearly leaps in excitement, startling Optimus. Ironhide smirks to his mate, "Yep, this one is certainly yours!" She elbows him in the ribs with a bemused smirk. Ironhide just shrugs smugly.

Bee strokes the pod lightly too, "A little spark ignites within the femme's own spark, alright. That explains how Optimus was given a spark at the Well to fit inside his already created body. But this, is a pod. How did this happen?"

Ratchet smiles, "Well the development happens in stages. Normally, stage one is just the spark forming and getting it's signature. The second stage is the spark being surrounded by this metal pod casing from the remains of the mech and femme fluid and stripping a layer from the femme tank lining. Inside the little one is continuing to build it's first skeletal frame structure, developing it's processor, personality, and physical body…"

Bee touches the little pod, "Can it hear us?"

Ratchet smiles, "I think so by the way it reacted."

Bee leans in, "Hey there little one. I want you to be strong like your sire but with your creator temperament, deal? I'll teach you all the fun stuff about his planet when they aren't looking."

Chromia rubs her hand over Bee's finger, "Bee, you are so sweet." They all feel the fluttering within the pod again.

Optimus sighs at the movement, "I'm so glad my little one was still in the first stage when she died and never knew what hit her." Ratchet and Chromia freeze locking gazes with each other. Optimus felt the temperature in the room drop suddenly. "What?" Chromia and Ratchet share the panicked reaction of what to say. And then they feel Optimus begin to panic. Saying nothing had actually said everything.

A pained moaned plea comes from Optimus. One only Ironhide had heard once before: The day they told him of Elita's death. "Please say it isn't true…. No." Bee and Ratchet force Optimus' shoulders to the berth not allowing him to move when he tries to get up. "No! NO NO NO! Please say it isn't true…. Please?"

Ratchet leans over and presses his forehelm to Optimus lining his optic up directly. "You have to relax. This pod can feel you. You have to relax, Optimus. Please don't panic on us now."

Optimus his heaving in painful memories and agony. Not only had Optimus grieved for Elita, but through their bond, he had actually FELT Elita and their sparkling die… executed. There was nothing he could have done… nothing… nothing…

Bee releases Optimus' shoulder when the large bond-mech's venting begins to slow and his body relaxes, but Ratchet doesn't move. Optimus closes his optics trying to calm down further.

The tears still streak from the shuttered optics of the grieving mech and his voice shakes, "Is this why Magnus wouldn't let me see the damage to her chest?" Ratchet nods.

Chromia's voice cuts through, "Optimus… please. It's done. There's nothing anyone could have done differently." Optimus nods and his venting becomes even slower. Ratchet pulls back seeing that Optimus is going to be alright.

Bee wipes away his own tears and with pained optics begs Ratchet's forgiveness. Ratchet leans over and cups Bee's chin again, "Hey, Bee, it's alright. You did nothing wrong. Peace my friend, peace. Alright?" Silently Bee shutters his own labored vent sinking to the floor directly beside the berth. He reaches up to hold Optimus' hand. Optimus squeezes it back in gratitude.

It takes a few minutes to get everyone settled back down. Ironhide seems the most relaxed so Ratchet asks the next question to him, "Ironhide, the morning of the accident, when and how much code did you give Chromia?"

Ironhide has a blank look, "Huh?"

Ratchet sighs and tries again with a more blunt question. "How many times did you overload into Chromia's port in the last twenty four hours before the incident?"

Ironhide sputters to find an answer to such a blunt and personal question. Instead, Ratchet huffs in frustration and asks Chromia, "Could your chamber have been filled?" Chromia bites her lip and smiles a slight nod. Ratchet smiles back, "Yeah, I know, it was a stupid question. But I had to ask anyways." Ironhide, having regained his composure just scowls at his friend.

Ratchet then turns to calm Optimus and nearly growls, "How long did it take for Poco to conceive?"

Chromia turns to Optimus watching his reaction. Optimus knows they all are looking at him and to regain some dignity, places a hand over his optics again, "First of all, I wasn't exactly trying, to impregnate her." But the two older beings in the room knew him well enough, that was a half truth. Ironhide huffs. Optimus groans.

Chromia sputters, "Optimus Prime! Explain yourself!"

Optimus curses under his breath and then knows it's time to let the cybercat out of the bag. "Look, I loved her very much. Still do." Optimus lift his head and narrows his gaze directly at Ironhide, "If you could give the femme you love the one and only thing in the world she ever wanted, would you try?" His optics glance down to the pod resting under their little hands.

Ironhide holds Chromia a little tighter, "Of course."

Optimus nods, "Yeah, well, so did I." He lays his head back down, but catches Ratchet's gaping mock, "I had no idea if it would work and I certainly wasn't going to let our relationship be an experiment, alright?" Ratchet has to nod silently and settle back. Silence fills the room for a few minutes. And then the low muttering answer comes out, "The first night."

Everyone gasps, "What?"

Optimus mutters a little bit clearer, "You heard me. The first night. And you all were there when I found out myself." He looks directly at Ratchet with a scowl of his own, "I begged you…. But you didn't…"

Ratchet shakes his head, "I didn't know. I thought it was just a betrayal of trust…"

Optimus nods, "Yeah, I know."

Bee breaks the tension, "Umm, Ratchet. What does the conception of Optimus' human children have to do with the amount of mech code in Chromia's tank?"

Ratchet points to Bee, "Probably the first intelligent question we've had so far." The others scoff at the put down by the doctor. Instead of responding to them, Ratchet points to the pod, "I've been trying to figure out how a stage two sparkling pod could be created by the plasma-virus-bolt shot through the chest of a mech and femme bonded couple. I have a feeling that shot went straight through the junction of their reproductive and spark chambers. And if I'm correct, this pod is actually the entire casing of Chromia's tank infused with pieces of Ironhide's spark chamber. It's the only way any residual ration of both parents' signatures could sustain the growing sparkling." Everyone gapes again at the information. Ratchet points to Optimus, "If you were able to have viable sperm, that's human mech trans-fluid Bee, on the first activation of interfacing that's a strong indication how potent this virus really is." Ratchet points to the human couple, "And knowing you two, I bet Chromia was overflowing."

Ironhide nudges Chromia, "We've got to get him a mate and then he would really understand the facts of interfacing." Optimus huffs out a choked chuckle. Ratchet nudges Prime's ped in a not so nice fashion.

Bee just shakes his head at the bonded scoffing the unbounded. The pod flutters again and everyone shift their attention. Bee strokes the pod, "Ratchet, I'm still confused. So what does it matter how the little one is conceived, will it survive? I mean after the little one reaches stage two, what normally happens?"

Ratchet reaches over and scans the little one again, "I know Bee. That's what I'm worried about too. Normally the little one resides next to the creators spark chamber until just before hatching. That comes when the little sparkling had a strong enough frame and begins to eat away at the pod itself. When the pod is to fragile to hold it anymore, it pushes against the creator's chest and emerges at the spark slit. Hopefully the mother is aware enough and gets her heavy armor off. I'm sure Ironhide here kicked his creator's armor loose."

Chromia sniggers, "I bet he ate her armor too."

Ironhide huffs, "No. My creator was injured badly in a mugging. At the medical facility, they removed me from her chest and surgically implanted me next to my sire's spark chamber. My creator died. My sire bore me." They all get real quiet.

Chromia leans over and cups his face, "You never told me this."

Ironhide yanks his head back, "What was to tell?" Chromia leans in closer knowing there was more, "My sire said I was the spitting image of my creator's spark but was bound an determined I would not be soft like her and be taken advantage of."

Ratchet sighs, "Tin Top, right?" Ironhide looks up to him in surprise, "Your name was never mentioned, but that surgery was in the medical journals I studied. It's because of that -your- birth, I'm trying this." The two friends come to a much deeper understanding. "But one of the reasons we believed it was successful was because of how similar your sire's signature wave length was to your creators."

Ironhide nods, "Um, Ratchet, that's one of the reasons why I have such and unusual spark signature. If I concentrate enough, I can change it to hers."

Ratchet narrows his gaze to get angry and then starts laughing heavily, "I wondered how you did that! You've got First Aide still trying to recalibrate some equipment from your last visit. Heh, sorry but I have to tell him before he goes completely nutty."

Bee points back to the pod, "Ratchet, so this one is going to make it?"

Ironhide shakes his head, "It's too soon to tell. It needs me or Chromia. As beloved as our dear Prime is, he's just another mech and neither parent. Maybe the Matrix will help, but…"

Chromia looks to Ratchet, "What are we going to do? How do I get back to my body?' The she turns to Optimus, "How did you?"

Optimus scratches the side of his helm, "Well that could be a problem. I had a body and well…. I think your bodies are going to be the first priority. How bad is the damage, Ratchet?"

Ratchet's turn to scratch the side of his helm, "Take horrible and multiply it to the ten thousandth power and you might just scratch the surface." Everyone sighs heavily.

Ping the internal room-com tones, "Ratchet?" The commanders had turned off their helm coms to take this meeting with out bothersome interruptions. Jolt and Blaster knew where to find the two active high ranking officers if needed.

Ratchet scoots off the berth and touches the com, "Blaster, I'm here."

"Uh, Perceptor sent a message. I hope you understand it 'cause I sure didn't."

"I'm ready," he turns to Prime letting him know with just a look he was getting a classified message.

Blaster responds, "Arnold Chow."

"Frag." Ratchet hisses. Then touches responds to Blaster, "Anything else?"

"Yeah, he said Smudge too. Anything I can do to help?"

Ratchet sighs again, "No, there's nothing you can do. Thanks, out." The line closes. Ratchet can't let his face betray anything.

Bee asks the question, "Who is Arnold Chow?"

Ratchet groans, "It's not who, it's what. And it's not Chow (with a Chinese accent) it's Ciao (with an Italian lit)." Optimus yanks his head up at this point and pings the CMO's internal com. Ratchet turns to Prime's gaze. They clearly understand Ciao's meaning Perceptor is leaving, but why, Optimus doesn't know.

/Do you Arnold Ciao?/ Ratchet asks him via helm com. Optimus shakes his head negative. /Our alien terminators are back. Perceptor is taking Laroura and Firestar with him to the refugee base./

Optimus groans this time out loud, "Frag." They both look to the precious little life within the commanders chest. This time the Supreme Commander and the Chief Medical Officer say it in unison, "Double frag."

Optimus turns to his team, "Security on this pod needs to be doubled." Both Ratchet and Optimus know the refugee base is no place the current human-bot's can survive, therefore Ocean City will have to be tightened down. "Ratchet, how many on your team know what the pod is?"

"Only Jolt. I did contact Perceptor due to our ongoing research for Firestar. That's why he contacted me."

Optimus nods in agreement, "Make it clear Jolt is to keep his vocorder silenced." Ratchet nods and coms Jolt immediately. Jolt responds back that he had said nothing to anyone, not wanting to get anyone's hopes up incase it didn't survive. Sadly Optimus heard the relay, "Good mech. Sadly for the right reasons." Ratchet nods.

Chromia pipes up, "Prime, what is going on?"

Optimus narrows his gaze at her, "Classified. And you really don't want to know."

Ironhide stands up and leans over, "Don't pull that slag with me Optimus Prime."

Optimus sits up, letting the couple slide into his palm. He brings them up to his face so they can see his commanding domineer, "I am not your friend in this regard. I will not tell you. And this has nothing to do with your present condition. It has to do with the fact you are not Second in Command, nor are you currently Base City Commander, I am. Therefore you are not privied to the information, do you understand me Commander? Or shall I demote you any further so you do understand?" Ironhide swallows hard. It's been a very long time since Optimus has used this tone against Ironhide. Even Ratchet and Bee stepped away from the confrontation.

Ironhide leans in with his own fierce scowl, "Maybe I don't have that assignment at this time, but I am sire. Is my sparking at risk?"

Ratchet coms Optimus /He's got a point./

Optimus keeps his blank stoic façade, "Ironhide, you have to trust me. You have to let me lead."

"You did not answer my question, Prime." Ironhide stomps his foot.

"I pray not."

Chromia now leans in, "Optimus, what does that mean?"

Optimus sets the couple down on the berth and turns aside to face Ratchet, "Meeting adjourned."

Before he can get up, Ratchet puts a hand on Prime's shoulder, "I want you resting. I know you need to check in, but I want you back here within two hours. Deal?"

Optimus stands up pushing Ratchet's palm aside, "Only if the information is favorable to your timeline." It was a weak smile he tried to let Ratchet know he would do his best. Ratchet takes a few more scans and then helps him close the armor back up carefully.

Optimus turns to the bonded couple, "Ironhide, what is the status of Ocean City's weapons?"

Ironhide is confused as to weather his is in charge or not but doesn't push that issue, "The ones that fired the virus are being sanitized, but other than that, they are completely operational."

Optimus nods, "Good. Make sure the sanitation is complete and then make sure the human teams are on high alert."

Bee furrows his brow, "Are we expecting guests?" He uses the term loosely.

Optimus pulls up straight, "Better safe than sorry. Chromia, assist Ratchet. Go. You all have work to do." Bee takes Ironhide to his palm, Ratchet assists Chromia and the teams leave silently.

a/n Yes this was a short chapter, but need to get this out before the boy scout camping trip this weekend. If you read Infernal Fire or Red Star you know who the villains are. Like the Terminator poke?

My beloved husband is one of those who can control his heart rate. Just this week went in for bronchitis and while the nurse took his blood pressure, slowed his heart rate down and then sped it back up. She scowled at the machine and had to retake his reading thinking the machine was on the blink. Freak'n buzzard, as he smirked happily.Therefore, made Ironhide do this to poor First Aide. If I spelled the Italian work wrong, dang!

Working on the next one….