Wow.

I haven't update for this story for a long time.

But if you guys want this story updated more please go to my page and vote on a pole I have.

Whatever story has more votes will get update more often than most.

Enough said.

On with the story.

As Optimus and Arcee came out of the med-bay, they took noticed that Ratchet was gone from the computers which was an odd thing to see. Figuring that the medic had something that needed attending to, the two grown up bots walked over to the computers but not before setting little Luna down on the floor.

"I need to go out on patrol, do you think you can handle her on your own Optimus?" Arcee asked as she watched Luna crawl clumsily over to Optimus and attached herself to his leg. "I believe we will be alright Arcee, thank you." Optimus responded and the older femme nodded before transforming and driving off, leaving the sparkling with a surprised look on her.

"Never seen someone transform have you?" Optimus asked but he knew Luna would not answer him, at least not for a few more years. Turning to the computers, Optimus set out to work but was stopped when Luna gave an annoyed whine when his attention was not on her. Looking back at the small sparkling, Optimus watched as she reached her small purple servo up to him. Seeing she wanted to be held, the Prime did such but he really needed to get his work done.

"I have things that need to be dealt with young one." Optimus said and he could see the sad look in Luna's blue optics. Thinking about it, the Prime thought of an idea as to keep this little one busy. Walking back to the hallway, Optimus held the sparkling close to him as he made his way back to his room to grab something.

OoOoOoOoOo

"Morning Optimus." Bulkhead said as he walked up with Bumblebee close behind. "Good morning Bulkhead, Bumblebee." The Prime said as he continued to work at the computers. "So… how did the sparkling sleep last night?" Bulkhead asked as he noticed that he couldn't see the little femme anywhere.

"Luna slept well. She never woke up during the night." Optimus said as he finally turned to face his team. "So she finally has a name? Well, it's better than calling her sparkling all her life." Bee said as he scanned over the cluttered looking room that had boxes everywhere. "Speaking of said sparkling, where is she?"

"She should be-" Optimus started to say as he pointed to one of the many boxes but when a high pitched giggle came from one of them and as a purple and black sparkling came rolling out of a box it answered the question. "Right there." Optimus finished as he bent down and ran a servo over the sparkling's helm and running through her hair.

"So you found a way to keep her busy?" Bulkhead chuckled lightly but went silent when he started to rub the back of his helm. "… Well, it's my turn to take the kids to school. Do you think I should tell them… you know?" Bulkhead asked Optimus but the Prime shook his helm. "No Bulkhead, I think it is best if we all tell them; as a group and not individually."

Nodding his helm, Bulkhead turned back to Luna before bending down and holding his servo out for her. "Don't bug Optimus too much short stuff." Looking at the open servo, Luna smiled before slamming both her fist on it with a happy giggle. "That's a good girl." Standing up, Bulkhead left with a quick transform and drove out to pick the kids up.

"… I guess I better head out as well. If you need anything Optimus, just call." Bee said as he looked down at Luna with wide optics. "I will Bumblebee, thank you." Optimus said as he watched how Bee seemed to want to hold Luna but had this worried and scared look on him. "Bye Optimus, Bye… Luna."

Waving a small servo up at the yellow scout, Luna had a bright smile on her face as Bumblebee walked away before transforming and driving out at tops speeds. Seeing that everyone was now gone but Optimus, Luna crawled back into her box and letting out a hushed giggle.

Seeing that Luna was back to keeping herself busy, Optimus went back to working but he still managed to keep an optic on Luna as she roamed from one box to another.

OoOoOoOoOo

As the hours rolled on, Optimus noticed that Luna's constant giggling had stopped and that she had paused in her box jumping. Leaving his spot from the computers, Optimus bent down to look in one of the boxes but Luna was not in it.

"Luna?" Optimus called but he didn't get an answer. Looking in another box Optimus was met with another empty square. As worried filled the Prime, he checked out one more box and let out a relief filled sigh as he found Luna recharging in the box with her hair covering her face completely.

Smiling, Optimus reached out a servo to move Luna's hair away but when a deep growl came from the box the Prime stopped. Looking down at Luna's chest plates, Optimus saw that the creature's yellow optics were on and looked like they were daring Prime to touch the sleeping bundle.

Pulling his servo back, Optimus figured as long as he knew where Luna was he had nothing to worry about. Turning to go back to the computers, Optimus was stopped when his three soldiers came driving in with their human charges in tow. Frowning sadly, Optimus knew what was to happen next and he was not happy to share the news of Juliana's passing.

As Jack, Miko, and Raf stepped out of/dismounted their guardians, they looked to see Optimus standing before them but they also took in how his stance gave off a… gloomy appearance. "Optimus, have you found anything on Juliana?" Jack asked as he and the others made their way around the boxes to get closer to the Prime. "… We have." Optimus responded with down casted optics.

"You have?! What did you find?" Miko shouted. Hoping that she would be able to see her friend again. "Something… grim." Optimus said as he bent down, "We were contacted by some Decepticons and they relayed some information to us."

"What kind of information?" Raf asked and he didn't like where things were going. The Prime didn't answer right away and it made the three humans very concerned. "What happened Bulk?" Miko asked the large green mech but Bulkhead only turned away, not wanting to be the one to tell Miko.

"Optimus?" Jack spoke out, bring the Prime's attention to him. "What happened to Juliana?" Staring down at the small children, Optimus didn't say anything but closed his optics in sadness. "No..." Miko said as she placed a hand over her mouth. "T-that can't be..." Raf said in a shaky voice. "Julie isn't... she can't be..." Turning to his guardian, Raf looked up at Bee with tearful eyes.

"I'm sorry Raf." Bee said, finally breaking the silence. "Juliana..." Jack said as he staggered back until he bumped into a box. "I am very sorry that this had to happen." Optimus finally said as he looked down at the children who were all crying silently.

"... Did they at least give her back?" Miko said whipping away the waterfall of tears that streamed down her face. "No, I am afraid not." Optimus spoke as he saw everyone's sad expressions. "Than how can you be so sure that she's..." Jack asked and Arcee was about to answer him but stopped when a loud yawn came from the box Jack was leaning against.

"What was that?" Raf asked but got his answer when a small servo came out of the large box and followed by a face. "Whoa!" Jack shouted as he scrambled away from the box and stood in front of his friends. "Who's that?" Miko asked as she again whipped away some tears.

"That would be the reason how we know that Juliana is gone." Optimus said as he helped pull the sparkling out of the box and pushed back some locks of hair that were in her face. "This is Luna, and she was given to us by Starscream and Knock Out."

"I didn't know you guys could have kids?" Miko said, her attention fully on the half awake sparkling. "I didn't know you guys could have hair. And hair that looks..." Raf said but stopped when he noticed the color of luna's hair. "We don't have hair. Megatron ordered Starscream and Knock Out to create her and we believe her C.N.A was mingled with human D.N.A." a voice said that came out of nowhere.

Looking over at the dark hallway, everyone saw Ratchet had finally joined them but he did not look at all happy. "So, the cons just gave her to you?" Jack asked. "They had grown attached to her and didn't like the plan Megatron had in store for her. What that plan was we don't know." Ratchet responded as he started to pick up some of the boxes.

"Next time Optimus, don't leave so many things lying around." Ratchet said as he quickly picked up the last box and stormed out of the room. "...Ratchet's not taking Juliana's... passing, very well." Arcee stated, knowing that everyone could see it but wouldn't say it. "We all are. But that mustn't stop us from going on with our lives and trying to bring this little one up in a proper environment." Optimus said as he turned Luna to face the children.

"Luna, these are our human companions. Jack, Miko, and Rafael." Optimus said as each human waved up at the black and purple sparkling slowly. "She is kind of cute looking." Miko said as Luna reached her tiny servo out to them. "Be gentle Luna. Humans can be easily damaged." Optimus said as placed Luna down on the floor but kept his servo on her shoulder.

Looking down at the tiny organic life, Luna giggled happily as she held her servo out in front of Raf. "Uh... what does she want me to d-WHOA!" Raf started to say but was stopped when Luna used her other servo to push the small boy into her open palm.

Letting out a worried beep for his charge, Bee was about to take Raf away but stopped when Optimus held out his servo to tell him to wait. Watching how Luna handled Raf made everyone within relief as she gently ran a digit over his head and observed him closely. "Hi." Raf said as he felt Luna poke his side which made him let out a laugh.

Thinking she had done something wrong, Luna pulled back her servo. "No, it's okay. See?" Raf said as he quickly ahold of Luna's digit before she could get away and held onto it. "Nothing wrong."

Smiling at how Raf was interacting with Luna, Optimus looked at the clock on the computer and saw it was about time for Luna to take a nap. "I'm afraid that Luna will have to take a nap now. Excuse us." Optimus said as he helped Raf back onto the floor before leaving with Luna.

As the two were now gone, the room fell into a sad and bitter silence. True, the sparkling did take their minds off the fact that Juliana was gone but it only lasted for a short time. The pain of knowing their friend, and in a way family member, was gone would not be healing that quickly.

Deciding that the silence had lasted long enough, Miko looked over at the boys who were both looking off into the distance. "So... what do we do now?" Thinking on it, Jack sighed loudly and turned to the hallway that led to everyone's rooms. "I'll... be right back." he said as he rushed off and was gone down the hall.

"Wonder where he's going?" Miko said as she walked up the steps to the human area until she found herself sitting on the couch with Raf who had his head hung low. "Raf? You okay?" Bee asked but the young boy didn't respond. Looking at him closely, Miko saw the signs of tears forming in his eyes and quickly pulled the boy into a hug. "It'll be okay, Raf." Miko said in a tenderness that no one thought she could have. "How?" the boy asked as his tears finally fell. "Juliana's gone, we couldn't save her. She was torched and nothing we did could stop it."

No one responded to this, knowing and feeling it in their very souls that Raf was correct. Juliana was taken away from them and despite their valued efforts they could not and did not save her. Finally breaking the sad silence, Arcee walked over to the two humans and ran her digits over their backs. "At least now we know that's she isn't hurting anymore. She can rest in peace." Arcee said and Raf nodded but stayed silent.

"Maybe it would be best if we take the kids out for a drive. You know, to clear their head?" Bulk said and Arcee nodded. Picking up Miko and Raf, the femme warrior handed the children to their guardians who quickly transformed and allowed them to climb in. "I'll go find Jack. I will catch up with you later." Arcee said as the mechs drove out and she turned to go find her charge.

OoOoOoOoOo

In another part of the base, Optimus was walking back and forth trying to make Luna fall asleep but he was failing miserably. "Please little one, you must rest." Optimus pleaded but Luna was having none of it. Banging her little fists on his chest plates, Luna giggled as she found it amusing looking at herself in Optimus' truck windows. Smiling at how innocent the sparkling was, Optimus gave a loud sigh before sitting down on his berth.

"You are stubborn Luna." Optimus said in a kind voice as Luna looked up at him with a smile. Thinking of anything to put the small femme to sleep, Optimus thought of an idea but one that could cause some problems. One way for a sparkling to fall asleep was to be put next to its creators spark and have it listen to the hum it gave off. But Optimus was not Luna's creator and another problem was that if she did see him as her sire she could accidentally form a bond with him.

It was not that Optimus didn't like the idea of being Luna's sire or to any sparkling, it was just that during a time of war he would get hurt and he didn't want Luna to feel his pain. But as more time went on Optimus was starting to notice that Luna was not going to fall asleep any time soon and that idea seemed the best out of all.

Sighing once again, Optimus lifted Luna away from his chest plates and opened them to review his spark and the matrix of leadership. Luna looked at him in wonder as she was placed next to the two and Optimus closed his chests plates. Positioning himself on the berth to where he was comfortable, Optimus went quiet as he felt Luna move around a bit.

looking at his spark, Luna tried to figure out what she was listening to. The glowing object before her was giving of a relaxing humming noise and somewhere deep in her thoughts, Luna was starting to think this was her creator.

Feeling her electromagnetic fields mingle with his, Optimus had to fight and block his own field from Luna to keep her from forming a bond with him. "I am sorry little one, but I can't." Optimus said and he could feel Luna's fields slowly backing down. Hearing her give off a sad and tired sigh, Optimus didn't have to wait much longer until Luna was fast asleep.

Taking the sparkling out of his spark chamber, Optimus slowly walked over to the box he was still using as Luna's sleeping area. Placing the black and purple femme down and covering her up with the blanket, Optimus looked down at her with sad optics. "I'm sorry Luna, if we were not at war I would have gladly taken you as my own." Running his digits down Luna's hair, Optimus watched as a smile formed on her face and it made him form one as well.

Slowly and quietly, Optimus walked out of the room and left the door slightly open. Turning to go back to work, Optimus stopped when he saw that the door that lead to Juliana's room was opened and from it a small light was coming out. No one had stepped a foot in there since Juliana was taken so seeing the door open pulsed the Prime. Walking over to it, Optimus peered in and saw why the door was slightly open. In the room was both Jack and Ratchet, the first sitting in Juliana's hammock bed and the other was sitting on the floor with his back on the wall.

Both were ever so quiet, no sound came from them, and the only source of light was coming from Ratchet's optics and the lamp on Juliana's desk. Neither of the two looked at each other but Optimus could tell that they were waiting for the other to speak or say something. After a while one of them did.

"It's not going to be the same without Juliana here." Jack said as he hugged his knees to his chest. "No, it wont." Ratchet responded as his helm looked away. "All this time I was hoping she was alright, but now..." Jack couldn't finish and he didn't need to as both Optimus and Ratchet both knew what he was going with. "I will miss her too, Jack." Ratchet said and Optimus could see how hard it was for the medic to say that by how he had his servos clenched into a tight fist.

"But not like I do," Jack continued on but with more of a harder tone. "She was like my own sister. I saw her as that; I protected her like she was my own flesh and blood. But now look what's happened!" Jack shouted as he pushed himself off the hammock. "I couldn't protect her, I didn't watch over her, I pretty much just let her die! How could I do that to someone I considered family?!" Jack yelled at Ratchet who refused to look the boy in the face. "How am I going to tell my mom this? You know, she even called Juliana her daughter. This is going to break her heart." Jack went on and Optimus could almost see the tears coming out of him.

"I know the feeling." Ratchet finally said in an almost whisper. "How could you?" Jack asked. "What did Juliana ever mean to you?! You only saw her as an annoying human pest that Optimus gave a place to stay!" By now Optimus knew that this little squabble was getting out of hand and was about to walk into the room but stopped when a small but firm servo took a hold of his own. Looking behind him, Optimus' optics were met with the pink and blue pair that was Arcee's.

"Let me handle this." Arcee said as she walked past the Prime and quietly opened the door. "You cared nothing for Juliana! If you did you wold have done more to save her!" Jack yelled but stopped when Arcee's servo came on his shoulder. "Jack," she said softly. "We all cared about Juliana and we will all miss her. But yelling at Ratchet wont bring her back." Looking back at the medic, Jack nearly gasped out loud at the state Ratchet was in. The medic was shaking, so badly that the joints in his arms and servos creaked. Finally calming down a bit Jack could see he hurt the mech, not physically but mentally and emotionally.

"Ratchet... I'm... I'm sorry." Jack said but the medic didn't respond but only looked at the wall beside him. Bowing his head in sorrow, Jack allowed Arcee to pick him up and carry him out of the room. "Try talking to him." Arcee said as she passed Optimus. The Prime knew what Arcee meant and in his mind he agreed with her but he wasn't sure if Ratchet would agree. Once the femme and her charge were gone, Optimus slowly walked into the room and stood next to the quiet medic.

For a while, nothing was said and the only thing exchanged was silence. After some time Optimus opened his mouth to speak but Ratchet stopped him with his servo raised. "Please Optimus... not now. I just want to be left alone." Ratchet spoke out and Optimus closed his mouth. There were times when the young Prime knew that talking would not help anyone and in Ratchet's case this was one of those times. Turning to the door, Optimus walked out but not before looking back at the wallowing mech who had yet to look at him.

As the Prime left, Ratchet let out a haggard breath he was holding in. All this recent trauma was having its effect on the old and sad medic. He would never say it aloud but he could feel his old spark breaking into little pieces. Juliana had made his spark feel young and loved again, but now that she was gone... it was going back to that shattered state before he had ever met her.

Juliana had this power over him that made Ratchet want to just fall in a dark cannon and offline when he heard that she was dead. He didn't want to find out what his life would be like without her in it now but he knew that Juliana would want that. She was always full of life and Ratchet would honor her by living on. Even if it meant he wouldn't be able to share it with her.

'I will forever miss you, Juliana.' Ratchet thought to himself as he slowly drifted away into a bitter recharge.

Wow. this was a bit of a sad chptr.

More of a filler if you ask me. You know, to set up for things to come and I have BIG things planed.

Like always:

review for me please! I love eating at those lovely things.

Sorry for any screw-ups you might have seen.

and until next time,

Girl Supersonicboy OUT!