A/N: For readers of "No Quiet": You may skip the first two scenes in this chapter. Obviously, if you are not reading "No Quiet," then you do need to read it.

I decided to mix the idea of protoforms from Beast Wars/TFA with the straight-up designing and building or Vector Sigma/Creation Matrix infusion from the G1cartoon and comic. I also may refer to the budding process from G2 as something that is outlawed, and obviously have used the fan fave, sparking. At any rate, as a result, I've created an in-between version of procreation and will be using the protoform concept in a modified way for the entirety of this story and especially this chapter.

Edit: This chapter was originally two separate ones. However, after finishing "No Quiet" and pondering it awhile, I realized I needed less overlap and combined the two chapters. My apologies for any confusion.


Chapter 2: Our Greatest Fears

Ratchet was not a morning 'bot.

Ratchet had never been a morning 'bot.

Glancing around the ICU room he meant to convert for emergency sparkling procedures, Ratchet sometimes felt like he wasn't an afternoon, evening, or night 'bot because, regardless of the time of day, he was stuck with endless repairs, repairs, repairs. The Twins would get too feisty in battle or play a messy prank on someone, or Tracks would be having a fit over some scratch on his paint job. Powerglide would overdo his heroics, or Wheeljack would blow himself up, although right now he wasn't allowed to work with anything that could possibly go "bang." Still, it was the "bang" part that worried Ratchet.

Since the medbay was mercifully empty, Ratchet rearranged the ICU 1, then began storing the new supplies from Cybertron that First Aid had brought with him. Before long, the medbay door hissed open, and Wheeljack ran in, his blast mask not even closed after apparently inhaling his breakfast. "Why didn't you wake me?"

Ratchet glanced up from the main supply cabinet, feeling his bondmate's chagrin at being two joors late for his shift. "Because you needed the rest." He smiled. "If you have to carry again, the least I can do is keep you fed and rested."

Glancing around the medbay and seeing they were alone, Wheeljack walked over and kissed him. "Sweet, but unnecessary."

"Liar." Ratchet knew perfectly well how hard it was on 'Jack to carry so soon again and was dead set on pampering him.

Wheeljack laughed and glanced into the cabinet. "I take it you've finished stocking the supply shipment."

With a frown, Ratchet surveyed the contents; coils of wires, microchips, circuits, and various other components were arranged in labeled boxes. "Yeah, I couldn't wait any longer. We've been dangerously low on parts for so long now I was beginning to have nightmares about going into surgery without them."

"That is a nightmare." Wheeljack shuddered faintly and snaked his arm around Ratchet's waist. "Although we've done it before."

"With three sparklings in my care, I don't even want to consider it." Ratchet pointed to ICU 1. "I've spent the morning setting up an ICU chamber for emergency separation surgery just in case Jazz's sparkling decides to act up on us." Or you go off and manage to make something innocent explode, he thought to himself, half with affection and half from worry. He wrapped his arm around Wheeljack's shoulders. "I aim to be prepared. In fact, I aim to be over-prepared."

Wheeljack nodded and leaned against his bondmate. "Yeah, it's best." He sighed, a melancholy sound. "I hope it doesn't come to that. I don't want to see them have to face even a fraction of the suffering we did."

Ratchet placed his hand on Wheeljack's chest, over his spark chamber. "I don't either. And frankly, although I didn't want to let on, it did take all the courage I had to let Carly announce our news last night." He stared blankly at his hand. "If something goes wrong this time, I don't think I can—"

"Don't." Wheeljack leaned up and kissed him. "Don't even think about it. Let's just focus on positive things: our sparkling is strong, and the protoform is excellent, even if I have to say so myself."

With a small smile, Ratchet kissed him back. "Everyone did seem impressed with it, especially Arcee and Moonracer."

Wheeljack nodded, then glanced over the quiet medbay. "Sometimes I wish it could always be this way. I wish this war would end, but after hundreds of vorns, I know better."

"As you said, let's focus on what's good: at least we're still here and have each other." Ratchet hugged him closer.

Wheeljack smiled sadly. "Yeah . . . at least we have that . . ."

oOoOo

Around midnight, the red alert alarm flared to life, jerking both Ratchet and Wheeljack from their recharge.

"Now what?" Ratchet growled, mostly irritated but also concerned. He stood up from their berth, preparing to contact the command center.

Wheeljack stood as well, then grew still in the manner that suggested he was getting an incoming message. "Ah, frag!" Without any explanation, he ran from the room.

A moment later Ratchet's comm. link activated. ::Prowl to Ratchet. Prepare medbay for wounded.::

::Acknowledged.:: Ratchet wanted to kill with his bare hands the first Decepticon he saw. Of all the blasted times to attack! Slaggin' 'Cons. First Aid was still on Earth, but he was in the Netherlands helping with some kind of riot. I guess Hoist and I will be dealing with most of this because there's no way I'm leaving 'Jack at risk. He reached through his bond. ::'Jack, as soon as you're finished carrying out whatever order you received, go to the bomb shelter!::

::I will, I will,:: came the reply. ::I should be down there in a klik or two.::

::Hurry!:: Ratchet said, and knowing Wheeljack wouldn't argue, raced to medbay. More quickly than he liked, the wounded began coming in, and he was up to his servos in leaking energon and torn metal.

Two breems into the battle, Ratchet feared Autobot City wouldn't survive the attacks. The entire city shook from missile impacts, and as the floor shuddered violently, Ratchet was thrown against a repair berth. "Slaggit!" He steadied himself and glanced around to see if any supplies had fallen onto the floor.

Hound, his newest patient, moaned faintly. "Fraggin' . . . 'Cons . . ." His optics were dim and unfocused, indicating he would soon slip into emergency stasis lock.

"Hush." Ratchet picked up a welder and began sealing a deep gash on his side. He had to work quickly to seal the leaking energon lines and narrowed the flame. Hound would need four replacement lines in his side, but given the depth of the wound, it could have been worse.

All around him, chaos multiplied. Hoist and Grapple rushed between patients. Gears bled energon all over his berth and the floor. Broadside and Topspin both sat against the wall, groaning in their half-unconscious states. Mirage was in stasis lock, his shoulder crushed, and Beachcomber had collapsed three steps into the room and lay crumpled on the floor. Then Swoop entered, carrying a screaming Powerglide over to a berth.

"Him Powerglide lost wing," Swoop told Ratchet, his empathy obvious in his voice. Laying down the wounded plane, he hovered at his side, looking torn between staying to help and returning to the fight.

"Seal off any leaks," Ratchet yelled over the noise, making Swoop's decision for him. "Your training is more than adequate for that. And get Beachcomber out of the doorway."

Swoop complied, moving Beachcomber to an open berth. Ratchet sighed in relief as First Aid hailed him on his private comm. link.

::First Aid to Ratchet. Protectobots approaching. I'll be there to help in approximately three kliks.::

::Acknowledged. Please hurry.:: However, before his relief could sink in, Ratchet felt a pulse of horror through his bond. He tensed, recognizing Wheeljack's panic as the kind associated with a dying friend. Before Ratchet could send an inquiry over the bond, however, Blurr swept into medbay.

"Medicalemergency! Prowl'sbeenhitinthechest." He skidded to a stop by Ratchet's side.

Feeling sick to his tanks, Ratchet took in the sight of the pinkish-purple energon plastered on Prowl's frame. "Ah, slaggit! ICU 1, immediately!"

Blurr seemed to vanish, and Ratchet turned off the welder, throwing it down. "Sorry, Hound!" He hated abandoning patients mid-treatment, but he had no choice. He ran for the ICU, yelling orders as he went. "Hoist! Emergency surgery!" He reactivated his comm. link and was unable to keep the panic from his voice. ::Ratchet to First Aid. Get the frag here, now! Sparkling separation emergency.::

::One klik or less!:: First Aid sounded equally panicked.

Ratchet raced into ICU 1, Hoist and Grapple both on his heels. Blurr had deposited Prowl on the berth. "Hoist, seal off the leaks. Grapple, get the energon feed ready. Blurr, get Kimi's protoform out of storage cabinet E4!"

Blurr zipped from the room without even replying as Hoist and Grapple scrambled into action. Ratchet scanned Prowl's chest and, seeing the extent of the damage, immediately began removing what was left of his armor. His fingers tried to slip from the split energon, but most pieces came away with nothing more than a simple tug.

"Slag, slag, slag!" Ratchet tossed aside the armor, desperately worried by the fading life signs of his patient.

Blurr raced back with Kimi's body. "WheredoIputher?"

"Just hold her." Ratchet ripped out the final panel, revealing Prowl's scorched and punctured spark chamber.

First Aid ran into the room then, his expression panicked. "Primus! I was a fool to ever think the Autobots didn't need me." He grabbed Kimi's protoform from Blurr and opened her spark chamber.

"This has to be done fast but perfectly, or she's lost." Ratchet had never felt so sick in his life. He opened Prowl's spark chamber and saw the two pale energy balls, each growing faint. "Frag!" He jerked the padded energy forceps from the tool table and held them in one hand while he picked up the energy nullifier in the other. "Ready?"

"Ready!" First Aid stepped forward, holding Kimi's body alongside Prowl's.

Ratchet grimaced, then snapped the nullifier between the two sparks, cutting the power flow between them. At the same time, he grabbed the sparkling with the energy forceps and immediately transferred it to Kimi's chest. The sparkling settled into its spark chamber, shining brighter as it accepted its home and lighting Kimi's armor with a blue glow. "Go!"

First Aid rushed Kimi to the smaller berth in the corner, Hoist following with him to help in stabilizing the sparkling.

"Don't lose her!" Ratchet felt coolant burn his optics. "Slaggit." He tossed down the forceps and lifted the nullifier, careful not to touch or jar Prowl's weakened spark.

Grapple took position across from him. "All leaks sealed. Energon feed attached."

"Bring me the charger." Ratchet trembled as Prowl's spark grew fainter. "We're losing him."

Grapple snatched the cart and rolled it over, and Ratchet grabbed the wand, holding it over Prowl's spark.

"Energizer charged!" Grapple stepped clear.

Ratchet touched the wand's tip to Prowl's spark, giving it a jolt of energy. The glow remained faint. "Again!"

A pause. "Charged."

He energized the spark again. Nothing. Prowl was losing his remaining lifeforce quickly. "Increase the energon feed and recharge the unit."

Grapple immediately complied. "Increased!" He checked the cart's readout. "Charged."

Ratchet hit the spark with another jolt of energy, knowing he was out of time. Then Prowl's spark flared like a miniature nova—a death flare—and Ratchet screamed, unable to hold back his anguish at the knowledge the spark would extinguish.

"No!" He threw down the wand, coolant pooling in his eyes. "Primus, no! You can't die! We—we saved your sparkling." He glanced at the corner for verification, and First Aid met his gaze.

"She's stable," First Aid said, his voice quiet. "Kimi is officially alive."

The news made Ratchet ache from the bitter irony. Prowl's spark flare died down, and Ratchet offlined his optics, not wanting to see the darkened chest.

"Ratchet?" Grapple whispered. "Ratchet, look!"

He onlined his optics and forced himself to look at Prowl's body. A faintly pulsing spark met his gaze, so pale he could see through it. "P-primus!" He picked up the wand again. "Half charge."

Another pause. "Charged."

Ratchet touched the spark carefully, feeding it just enough energy to stabilize it but not to overtax it. The ball expanded, its blue glow growing thicker. "Got him, but he's really weak." He set down the wand, shut Prowl's spark chamber, and collected himself. "Time for emergency repairs. I want him completely stabilized in two breems!"

"Hoist and I will get the parts." Grapple rushed from the room, his friend close behind him.

First Aid stepped up to the berth, taking Grapple's place. "We'll save him," he murmured, "so don't be afraid." He looked at Blurr. "Please rush Kimi to the bomb shelter and give her to Jazz. She's completely stable, but please stay with them in case a problem occurs."

"Yesssir!" Blurr picked Kimi up gently, then raced from the room.

Ratchet sucked several deep droughts of air through his intakes, trying to calm himself. He felt a nudge against his bond and opened his mind to Wheeljack's mental knock.

::Ratchet? Are they okay?:: Wheeljack's pain and fear were tangible, like a mental burning sensation between them.

::Kimi is stable. Blurr is bringing her to you and Jazz. Prowl is alive but is in critical condition. We're going to start surgery now.::

::Understood.:: Wheeljack withdrew, leaving only a hum of strength to vibrate between them.

Ratchet nodded to himself, drawing on both their strength, then met First Aid's gaze. "Let's begin."

Joors would pass before anyone got rest.

oOoOo

Wheeljack awakened with a start, a pain flashing through his chest. What? he wondered, worried. Why do I have a pain? I'm only eight Earth weeks into the gestation! He stared at the orangey-gold ceiling of his and Ratchet's quarters, running a systems analysis, but found nothing. He forced himself to relax and check his chronometer, and to his relief found that he wasn't due for his duty shift for another two breems.

Ratchet was conspicuous by his absence, having likely gotten up early to release Prowl from medbay. Although it had taken joors of surgery to stabilize him, Prowl's self-repair systems had closed in the gaps after only seven orns, and he was glitching from boredom and worry. The sooner Ratchet could kick him out, the better they would both feel. Wheeljack also knew Ratchet preferred to check over Kimi as soon as he awakened, since they were all worried that she might not survive after having to be separated from Prowl a full Earth month early. Not to mention Jazz, whose weak sparkling had caused him to fall into stasis lock . . .

Knowing he had patients to help with, Wheeljack tried to convince himself to get up. Ratchet had left him a cube of energon again, and he was hungry. For a moment, though, all he did was smile at Ratchet's thoughtfulness, his Gestation Protection program making him overly sentimental. Thanks to his rough attitude, sometimes others could forget how sweet Ratchet really was.

"Slaggin' subroutine and its glitches," Wheeljack mumbled, although he knew the program existed solely to protect his sparkling. Still, he thought, I could do without the irritability, the melodrama, and the—

Nah, I like the part where it makes me want to 'face Ratchet senseless every night. He chuckled.

Resigning himself to another long shift in the medbay, Wheeljack sat up, knowing that at least he had the joy of focusing his attention on Kimi and keeping her healthy and strong. The instant he stood up, though, a second pain shot through his chest. "No," he whispered, immediately terrified. If the sparkling tries to separate now, it'll abort! There's no way to save it.

Panicked, he dashed from his quarters, transformed in the hallway, and sped toward medbay, hoping if he could reach Ratchet fast enough, the process could be stopped. ::Wheeljack to Ratchet! Come in! Something is wrong with the sparkling.::

A tendril of fear snaked through their bond, then Ratchet answered over the comm. link. ::You're on your way?::

::Yes!:: The pain had not eased.

::I'll have the equipment ready.::

Wheeljack screeched through the hallways and zoomed into medbay, transforming as soon as he crossed the threshold. He ran to the berth where Ratchet waited and lay down before his bondmate could even speak.

"Cycle air through your vents." Ratchet ran a scanner over his chest. "You need to slow your systems and get your temperature to decrease."

Wheeljack did as ordered. He never argued with Ratchet's repairs to him, and he especially didn't do so when a sparkling was involved. With concentrated effort, he returned his fuel pump to its normal rate. "What's happening?"

Frowning, Ratchet scanned his chest again. "Nothing, really. A few random energy surges, but the sparkling is fine. In fact, it's absorbing the extra energy to make itself stronger."

"Random energy surges? But it—but it felt like . . ." It felt like the pain he'd experienced right before the first sparkling had been extinguished. Suddenly, Wheeljack found his entire frame trembling.

Ratchet glanced around the medbay, but the only mechs present were Jazz and Cliffjumper, both of whom were in stasis lock. Apparently satisfied, he leaned down and pulled Wheeljack into a sitting position, hugging him in the process. "You're fine," he whispered. "You're both fine. I've seen this phenomenon before."

Trying to focus on those comforting words, Wheeljack buried his face in his bondmate's shoulder. "What is it?"

"Stop and consider the timing," Ratchet said quietly. "If our first sparkling had lived, it would have separated today, give or take two orns."

Wheeljack's intakes hitched in shock. It was true. "I-I don't understand."

"They're ghost pains." Ratchet held him close, rubbing one hand soothingly between his winglets. "Your processor recorded the date of your projected separation and is sending out signals even though you no longer need them."

Wheeljack's fear did not abate. "Couldn't that send the new sparkling into early separation? I mean—"

"No," Ratchet interrupted, his voice calm. "The energy surges aren't powerful enough." He kissed his temple. "Trust me. If I thought you or the sparkling were in the slightest shred of danger, I wouldn't let you off this berth for anything."

Finally relaxing, Wheeljack nodded faintly. "I know. It's justscary."

Ratchet leaned back and triggered his blast mask open. "Yes, but you also know I'll take care of you. I always have, haven't I?" He smiled. "No matter how many times you blew yourself up."

"And I always forced you to take breaks and rest," Wheeljack said, trying to match his bondmate's teasing tone. Still, he hurt. It depressed him to know he should be welcoming a new spark into the universe but wasn't.

Cupping Wheeljack's cheek in his hand, Ratchet kissed him, his lips warm and soft. It was far gentler than their usual passionate exchanges, but it still held the force of his emotions—a spark filled with compassion and love but also fiery determination. Wheeljack leaned into the kiss, content to let Ratchet lead, to nibble his lower lip, to sip his glossa into his mouth and tease him until a quiet sigh escaped.

The Gestation Protection program surged, demanding extra energy for the sparkling, urging Wheeljack to interface, to let loose his desire and topple Ratchet into the floor. He shuddered at the metal images suddenly flying through his processor.

Ratchet broke the kiss and grinned. "Oops. I seem to have stirred up one of the finer points of your temporary subroutines." His optics flashed with excitement.

"You're hopeless." Wheeljack managed to smile. "I'll get you back for that later."

Ratchet laughed. "I look forward to it!"

oOoOo

Wheeljack pulled Kimi out of the external gestation chamber, nodded to Hoist, then carried her across the room to the cleaning supplies. Once every Earth week, Hoist would wash the chamber and all its connections and relays as well as replace the energon feed lines. In the meantime, Wheeljack would rub down Kimi and clean all her connection ports. She could remain outside the chamber for a breem two or three times an orn, and Prowl made sure to visit and hold her, lovingly caressing her face and whispering to her.

Wheeljack found the sight made him ill.

Having a long-held reputation as the base's most laidback, easy-going mech, Wheeljack knew everyone would be shocked if they knew how he really felt. He was shocked at himself, although Ratchet understood. But he couldn't stop the feelings anyway: he was still jealous—jealous that Prowl had a live, healthy sparkling, that Prowl and Jazz were going to have twins, and that despite a few scares, Prowl and Jazz were basically having an easy time carrying. Wheeljack knew the thoughts were ugly, but he couldn't pretend it didn't hurt. After his scare that morning, he definitely felt no better.

So with mixed emotions, Wheeljack carried Kimi to the corner, sat on the provided chair, and picked up the cleaning cloth. Kimi was kept in forced stasis lock, so she never awakened for her 'baths,' but her warm body and the softly whirling systems always made Wheeljack feel she could wake up at any moment. Jealousy notwithstanding, Wheeljack loved to hold her, and he smiled to himself as he ran the cloth over her black helm with its sensory horns, her tiny blue visor, and her black and white armor.

"You're like a miniature, femme Jazz," he whispered to her, marveling—despite having helped build her body—at how small her hands and face were. "Prowl wouldn't have had it any other way, though, and I bet you'll be spunky." He released his blast mask temporarily, pressing a kiss to her forehead, then cleansed the connection ports.

When he placed her back in her gestation chamber, though, a wave of depression punched Wheeljack straight in the spark. He slumped against the glass, resting his head on the chamber's roof, and just stared at Kimi.

"How did it come to this?" He wasn't sure that he was asking Kimi, even rhetorically, but Hoist had left to run an errand, and Ratchet was in a meeting with Rodimus Prime, Prowl, and Blaster. Rodimus would be leaving with the rest of the Cybertronian contingent to return home that evening.

Although Wheeljack knew he wouldn't get an answer, he continued. "Ratchet and I waited for vorns to have a sparkling. Vorns. The only reason we tried was because Ratchet's transfer request was approved. We were going to be permanently stationed here on Earth, or at least as permanently as Optimus could promise in the middle of a war. With the 'Cons so focused on Cybertron again, it should have been safer. It wasn't."

Wheeljack sighed, suddenly too tired to stand any longer, and slid to the floor, keeping his back against the chamber's base. "I was so excited. We were so excited. We suspected my systems would be stronger, so I'd be the carrier, and we were right. It was all going so well."

He knew the Gestation Protection program was intensifying his grief, doubling or tripling all of his emotions, but it didn't make any difference. His sense of loss was greater, even, than it had been when he'd first awakened from stasis lock and discovered the sparkling had extinguished. Coolant gathered in his optics and streaked down his cheeks, behind the blast mask. He buried his face in his hands and tried to hold in the sobs.

A pulse of worry came through his bond with Ratchet, and he could sense his bondmate's determination to reach him. Within a few kliks, Ratchet was running through the medbay doors.

"What's wrong?" He knelt by Wheeljack and pulled him into his arms. "Is this about earlier?"

Wheeljack gave up on controlling his unbalanced emotional subroutines and just sobbed. Ratchet hugged him close, rubbing his back until he calmed down. Once he had stopped crying, though, Wheeljack didn't truly feel calm. He felt nothing.

"I guess it was triggered by the pains this morning," Wheeljack finally replied, staring at the wall past Ratchet's shoulder. He didn't just feel nothing, he felt like he was nothing. Not real. Not alive.

"Are you okay?" Ratchet asked quietly, no doubt sensing the oddness through their bond.

"No," Wheeljack replied, deciding to be blunt and honest. "But you have to finish that meeting with Rodimus."

"Frag that! You're hurting."

"Finish the meeting." Wheeljack pulled away. "I'll hold it together until then. My shift's almost up anyway, unless we get a sudden onslaught of unexpected casualties."

Ratchet hesitated, then nodded. "But only if you're sure."

"I'm sure."

Looking unconvinced, Ratchet left with a frown. Wheeljack had no doubt he'd try to speed up the meeting. It doesn't matter, he thought, watching his bondmate's retreating back. Grief can't be sped up, and this pain isn't going to simply go away in an orn or two. I just have to live through it.

Wheeljack forced himself to his feet and glanced over the medbay, exhausted and unimpressed with the work left to be done. He couldn't decide what he even wanted to deal with. All of it seemed meaningless and to require too much effort.

The medbay doors hissed open, and a nervous-looking Mirage hesitated, wrung his hands, then entered. "H-hello, Wheeljack. May I have a moment of your time?"

"Sure." At least he'd be distracted.

Mirage paused, looked back at the door, and then wandered over to the nearest berth. "Could you possibly check something for me?"

Wheeljack joined him and tried to behave normally, if for no other reason than to put Mirage at ease. "Certainly."

Mirage looked at Kimi, at Ratchet's office, at the walls—anywhere except at Wheeljack. "Well, Hound and I have been trying to . . . I mean, when we were attacked several orns ago, I suspect that . . ." He clenched his fists and turned his gaze to the floor. When he finally spoke again, his voice was a whisper. "Would you check and see if I had been carrying a sparkling? I think I was, but I also think I lost it when I got wounded."

A pulse of utter horror lanced through Wheeljack's systems. "W-what?" Primus, no. "Sure. Lie down, and I'll have a look."

Mirage did as asked and folded back the armor over his spark chamber. Wheeljack did a visual scan and immediately saw it: the starburst burn mark on the chamber wall that showed a sparkling had been extinguished.

"Ah, Mirage." Wheeljack squeezed his shoulder. He'd never been close friends with the spy, but at that moment he had all the sympathy in the universe for him. "You're right. I can see it clearly."

Growing rigid, Mirage stared in the opposite direction from Wheeljack, but gripped his arm, squeezing in return. "I-I thought so." He didn't speak for long moments. "Could you—I mean, Hound and I tried to spark before we were transferred back to Earth. I was sure I'd ended up a carrier, but I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I went to medbay, but Ratchet wasn't on duty. I got Retractor instead, and he insisted I hadn't been carrying." Mirage met Wheeljack's gaze and frowned. "But I'm sure I was! And Retractor wouldn't even look in my spark chamber. All he did was scan me and verify I wasn't carrying."

"That's cruel." Wheeljack found himself angry on Mirage's behalf. "How could he be so callous? Let me look again."

Mirage nodded, and Wheeljack visually inspected the inner chamber again. Nothing. "Hmm. Let me try a scanner." Wheeljack pulled the necessary tool from subspace and moved it over Mirage's entire chamber, slowly checking for microscopic starburst patterns. "There!" He hovered over the top right corner. "It's tiny, but it's a definite scorch mark. You have carried twice."

Closing his spark chamber abruptly, Mirage jumped off the table, made it five steps, then collapsed to his knees. "Primus! I knew it."

Wheeljack raced to his side and knelt beside him. Seeing the all-too-familiar tears standing in Mirage's optics, he wrapped one arm around his shoulders.

"No one even believed me except Hound," Mirage whispered, clenching his fists against his thighs again. "I didn't have any of the 'right' signs, I hadn't had a verified scan beforehand, there were a thousand reasons I could have experienced chest pain. Retractor didn't listen to a word I said, really, and it was like I wasn't even allowed to grieve because no one but Hound ever believed there was a sparkling to begin with!"

Wheeljack's tanks turned over with the force of his empathy and rage. "That's just sick! How could anyone who calls themselves a medic be so dismissive, so uncaring, so . . ." He ran out of words. "I'm so sorry. I believe you."

Mirage gave him a sad smile. "I'm intensely relieved, but I'm not truly surprised. You're carrying, after all."

Wheeljack heard it and recognized it immediately: jealousy. Just a hint, but it was there. He hesitated, unsure he wanted anyone beyond Prowl, Jazz, First Aid, and Rodimus to know, but ultimately decided it was the best thing he could do. "I also lost a sparkling during Megatron's attack on Autobot City."

Optics wide with shock, Mirage stared at him. "You—you were carrying? When you were so badly injured?" He shook his head sharply. "I'm so sorry! I had no idea." He stared at his lap. "I guess you know how I feel, then."

"Yeah, I do." Wheeljack paused as an idea hit him. "Maybe we should compare experiences or something. Losing a sparkling is not a common thing, and there aren't many 'bots who would understand."

Mirage frowned and nodded. "It would be nice to discuss this with someone who doesn't brush me off. I mean, other than Hound." He met his gaze again. "In that case, we should invite Red Alert, too. I'm just not sure how to tell him I know he lost a sparkling. I'd simply forgotten to turn off my electro-disrupter and walked right in on a conversation between him and Inferno, but I know he has to still be hurting about it."

"Red Alert was carrying?" Wheeljack was shocked.

"Briefly, apparently." Mirage rubbed his temple with his fingers. "And while Hound and I were stationed on Moon Base 1, Smokescreen and Tracks sparked, but Tracks's systems spontaneously extinguished the sparkling after fifteen orns. If you don't mind setting up a conference feed, Tracks might find our discussion useful, too."

Wheeljack stared at him. "I had no idea." So many hurting 'bots, just like me. Galvanized into action, he came to a quick decision. "Let's set up a group. If you'll contact Tracks, I'll approach Red Alert. Then we can coordinate a time when we can talk together about these things no one else really understands. I don't know about you, but I seriously thought I was alone in this."

Mirage nodded thoughtfully. "So did I, except for Red Alert, who was clearly not going to tell anyone. I think it's a good idea."

"Then I'll handle Red Alert." Wheeljack smiled to himself. Now he had a project and a plan, something he could focus on. Something that would be helpful.

Postscript: After this chapter, I'll be keeping the overlap between "No Quiet" and this story to a minimum. I just needed to get the stage properly arranged before I continued. The idea of starburst pattern for an extinguished sparkling came from Katsuko1987.


Thank you to Shadowhawk7100, Windwalker, Lady Prime, pl2363, Kookaburra, and Sin-Skyeon for their reviews! Also, for the alerts and faves, thank you to Cleargold, Donna Noble, Helana Dreath, Kirtra13, Krxys, OrianPrime92, Sin-Skyeon, X-Brawn, Yami-Yugi3, Zonadow, Coldpaws, D. Mischief, HellsAngel101, Kookaburra, Misao-CG, misswildfire, Raika Katsuya, Shadowhawk7100, and WacheyP87.