Disclaimer: I do not own transformers…only after I have taken over the world…but I do own little Sparks ^_^

Dirty Mech

Optimus was tired so very tired, the only thing he wanted to do was check on Sparks and then hit the berth for a nice long recharge. Ever since the talk he had had with Sparks the other night the Prime found that he couldn't fall into recharge and now he was coming off of double duty. With Sideswipe's old injury giving him problems, Optimus didn't want him out on patrol so in the end he took the extra shift. The sun was just setting in the sky as he walked into the Nest and things were quiet. The Prime had his fingers crossed that no one was walking the halls, he really didn't want to deal with issues right now even if it was his job. Even the large wash bay that had been put into the base wasn't appealing to the tired mech, as much as he would love to wash all the dust off his body from the large amount of driving he had done.

As he passed by the med bay Optimus made a point to walk as softly as possible, there was no way that he wanted to run into his medic at the moment. Knowing the old CMO there would be a whole lot of questions and lectures on why he was out on patrol so late. Prime had almost made it across the doorway when he got busted.

"And just what in the name of Primus do you think you were doing! Taking on two patrols! " Ratchet was livid, the last thing that the Prime needed to be was overtired.

"I know what your going to say Ratchet, and I know I shouldn't have done it but there was no one else to take the shift; I had to do it." The large Autobot left his slouched position and stood back to his full height.

"Under normal circumstances I wouldn't be ticked but I know you haven't been recharging properly, and don't you give me that slagging crap that your charging just fine. So here is what is going to happen, first you are going to go and recharge your processor out, then you are going to play with your sparkling and relax for the day. Got it?"

"Yes Ratchet." Optimus went back to walking towards his berth room when Ratchet called out to him again.

"Oh, hey…wait a second….Prime! Hey! I need to tell you something!"

"If its doesn't have anything to do with Sparks or the Decepticons then I don't want to hear it right now Ratchet." The conversation was not going to continue, not if he could help it.

"But…." Ratchet sighed as he watched Optimus round the corner and headed towards his room. "Oh well, guess he's going to find out the fun way." Reaching back the medic opened the doors to his med bay and went back in to continue going over the scans that he had done earlier in the day.

Coming to a halt in front of his door, Optimus made sure to open it quietly in case Sparks was in recharge and he didn't wish to wake her up. Not bothering to turn on the lights the Prime made use of his acute sight as he walked into the berth room. He hadn't even made it ten paces into the room when a soft voice came from his berth.

"Optimus."

He thought that he was dreaming either that or really over tired and was now seeing and hearing things; but he could have sworn that his beautiful Elita was there getting up from the berth where Sparks lay curled up with her blanket. Shaking his head Optimus started to walk again only to find that someone was in his way. A pair of gentle hands suddenly rested on his chest as that sweet sweet voice spoke again.

"Optimus."

It had to be real, this dream was too real to be one and since when did hallucinations feel this real. Did he dare look down? Optimus almost didn't want to for fear that it all was just a dream and he would wake up to find that she had vanished.

"Optimus look at me."

There is was again, except this time there was a bit of a demanding tone behind the voice. Taking a deep breath the Prime finally looked down to find what he had been dreaming about for so many years. Energon began to gather up in his optics as only one word came from his mouth.

"Elita."

"The one and only." Standing up onto the tips of her small peds, Elita brushed away the energon tears that had escaped her mates optics. She hated to see him such a state, but now that they were together again things would get better.

"Is this real? Or am I dreaming?"

"I'm real, this is real…just as my love for you is real." Elita pressed her lips to Optimus tear stained cheek and gave him a soft kiss to drive home her words. It seemed to work as she felt a pair of large trembling hands reach around and pull her forward in a tight hug.

"Oh my Elita…I never thought I would see you again. I sent out a signal every night and there was never an answer from you….why didn't you answer?" The words rushed out so quickly that Elita had a hard time making out what he was saying, but years of being with the Prime taught her how to listen when her mate was rushing so much.

"My receptors were badly damaged and I had limited supplies to repair them, what little was repaired wasn't enough to hear your call from where I was. It ended up being your spark calling out to me that showed me the path to you."

Optimus quickly pulled back and held Elita at arms length looking for any damages on her pale pink and silver chassis. "Are you still damaged, did Ratchet look at you…was he here when you arrived…we should get you to the med bay right away just in case…wha…what.."

Elita was trying hard not to laugh at her mates frantic words, she really was. There was also the fact that a sparkling recharging in the berth that lay less than five feet away. "I'm ok Optimus, really I am; Ratchet fixed me up and gave me the all clear. Now would you please go get washed up before coming to recharge; I don't think Sparks would like having you get dust on her favourite blanket…and where is Little Ravage?"

"Ummmmm…..he's out playing with Skids and Mud Flap…how..how did you know about Sparks minibot?"

"Well Sparks told me about him, she said he was with you today." Elita gently turned her mate around and with a little pressure from her hands she began to guide him towards the door. "Now lets go get your cleaned up, and while we are doing that I will fill you in on all that has happened."

The Prime let himself be led towards the door, he was in too much shock to bother fighting his mate. Even the little voice of his sparkling barely penetrated the haze he was suddenly in.

"Daddy….where are you going?" Sparks had woken up when her daddy was talking with her new mummy but didn't want to interrupt them so she stayed on the berth all quiet and still. She could now see Elita pushing her daddy out the door and into the hall.

"It's ok Sparks, I'm just going to take daddy to the showers since he's all dirty; but we will be back soon ok." Elita went over to the berth to reassure the sparkling that everything was ok, that her daddy wasn't leaving her.

Sparks let Elita tuck the blue fuzzy blanket around her before she placed a kiss on her forehead. "Ok, are you coming back with him too?"

"If you want me to I can." Elita smiled down at the little sparkling; it hadn't taken her long to fall in love with Sparks. The sparkling had been the first one to approach her after Ratchets question that morning and since then her spark felt a motherly connection with the little one.

"I would like that."

That was typed in record time I think…and on a new laptop, which im still trying to get used to..probably doesn't help with the gels lol…so forgive me my spelling mistakes….thank you so much my little gum drops ^_^ and of course I had to deliver Elita one after having so many demands for her presence lol. And at least this chapter isn't such a cliff-hanger. Maybe the next one will be.