Strongarm was screaming when Nightshade returned with Bumblebee. The mechling was furiously trying to get out, and his carrier was ready for him to leave.

Nightshade knelt in the dirt, touching Strongarm's belly as she soothed her. Sideswipe had his mate's upper body in his lap and he stroked her cheek.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"She's fine. She's in labor, not suffering from a bullet wound. Come on, mech." Nightshade grunted as she shifted Strongarm's hips. "Primus, he's heavy. Must have added at least twenty pounds to you. He's a big one."

She stroked the femme's face, suddenly gentle and tender. "It's going to be okay. Look at me. You're doing great. Shh... Can you do something for me? Just breathe... Mech, help her out."

Sideswipe looked down at his mate and smiled in a comforting way, but inside he was screaming ohmyPrimusohmyPrimusohmyPrimusshegon'die!, which would have been considered "unhelpful" in this situation.

Nightshade was grumbling about something or another, as usual, but was cut off by a wail. Strongarm gasped and she scrabbled to sit up, the purple and black femme curled around a massive mechling. Bumblebee moved closer to see.

Its doorwings fluttered and its optics opened, quickly turned to imprint on its creators and not the medic. Strongarm grabbed at her mate.

The mechling was perfectly her and perfectly him. Red, white, blue, and some streaks of yellow was spattered on his armor. His optics were bright blue with a darker circle in the middle. He purred at them, then was laid on Strongarm's chest.

Nightshade got up and walked over to the makeshift MedBay she was building. Bumblebee followed her.

"You're a good medic."

"Mhm."

"What are you thinking about?"

She turned. "He's not going to make just one oops. He's going to make thousands. You're not patient like Optimus. You can never get that patient. He would sit and watch the grass grow. We can't even wait for the sun to set."

Bumblebee shrugged, but he started to get anxious. Nightshade had this thing where she was 99.9% right all the time. "We're Cybertronians. Not perfect by any means. He had this sparkling, he can take care of it."

She smiled and Bumblebee realized her reaction was to guage Bumblebee's. "You really are trying to be like Optimus."

"Is it working?" He got excited.

Her smile remained and she shook her helm. "No."

"Awwww, come on!"