-a few weeks later-

Elita walked to Optimus' quarters and looked in at the two femmes. Nova and Luna were fast asleep on Optimus' berth, under his blankets and snuggled up together. Elita smiled and quickly took a picture. She put it on the spare data pad and smiled. She walked over and tucked them in. Nova stirred and her optics opened slightly.

"L-Lita?" Nova sounded like she wanted to cry. Elita looked down at her.

"What's wrong Nova?"

"I...I had a bad dream." Elita sat down next to Nova and stroked her helm.

"What about?"

"...mama died..." A tear slid down Nova's pale purple cheek.

"It was just a dream Nova." Elita wiped her tears.

"You're mama's not going anywhere any time soon. He's safe and sound here with all of us." Nova sniffled. Elita kissed her helm.

"Do you want to go see your mama?" Nova looked up at her.

"But mama's in the med-bay."

"I know."

"But what about Luna?"

"You can wake her up and I can take both of you." Nova looked at her twin and shook her.

"Luna wake up." The smaller femme mumbled and yawned.

"W-what now Nova?"

"Wanna see mama?" Luna nodded. Elita picked them both up and kept them wrapped up in the blanket and walked to the med-bay.

-In the Med-Bay-

Optimus leaned against the wall next to his berth and drank an energon cube. 2 empty cubes were in the floor beside his pede. Ratchet picked them up and trashed them.

"It's good to see you've got an appetite again Optimus." Optimus looked up at him.

"In my absence...what happened here?" Ratchet blinked a few times.

"Well...Blue had some tests done, she had her ultrasound done, Ellie and I have discovered we're having twins, and Nova bonded a lot with Elita."

"Congratulations Ratchet...a-and Nova was bonding with Elita?" Ratchet nodded.

"Elita was taking care of the twins for you Optimus. She is close to them now." Optimus finished the energon cube and Ratchet took it. A small smile appeared on Optimus' face.

"You seems that you're feeling a bit better Optimus." He nodded.

"I'm still a bit shaky though." Ratchet nodded in understanding.

"When Ellie came back she was shaky too." Optimus shifted and felt another wave of nausea hit.

"Optimus...if you don't mind me asking...What happened to you when you were on the Nemesis?" Optimus froze. Elita walked in with the twins.

"I-I'll tell you later."

"Mama!" they said. Optimus looked up at them. Elita sat next to Optimus and the twins climbed onto Optimus' lap and snuggled against him.

"My darlings." He hugged them close. Elita smiled.

"We missed you mama!" they said.

"I missed you guys too." He kissed their helms and held them close. Luna smiled up at him. Optimus looked down at her and stroked her cheek. Nova clung to him. He looked down at her.

"Nova is everything alright?"

"She had a nightmare earlier," said Elita.

"Oh...what was it Nova?" She clung tighter.

"...you died mama..." Optimus frowned a bit.

"I won't die. I promise. I won't be leaving any time soon."

"Won't be leaving base any time soon either," said Ratchet. Nova and Luna looked confused.

"Why not?"

"He's sick."

"With what?" asked Nova. Ratchet looked at Optimus.

"Your sire...hurt me. I'm recovering from everything he did." They both looked sad and mad.

"I'll be fine. Don't frown darlings." They laid against him and Optimus stroked their helms. They fell into recharge again.

"Do you want me to take them back Optimus?"

"No...I miss holding them...Do you remember the night they were born Ratchet? Nova wouldn't let go of my finger...Luna was just lying there...She was the most carefree sparkling ever..." He smiled fondly at the memories.

"They were so little. Luna fit in my servo." Elita smiled and leaned against Optimus.

"She's still little Optimus. Both of them are." Elita stroked their helms.

"You're going to have another chance to see a newborn Optimus. Don't be so melancholic now." Optimus looked at her and smiled a bit.

"Yeah I know." Ratchet smiled at the four on the berth and shook his helm gently.

-later-

Optimus still held his daughters close to his chest.

"Ok Optimus. Will you tell me now what happened?"

"Yes Ratchet..." Ratchet grabbed a small stool from one of his benches and sat down in front of Optimus. Optimus kept his helm down.

"Megatron had knocked me out and when I woke up I was in one of the Nemesis' cells. My servos were tied together above my head and I was on my knees. I was alone for about...3 hours, maybe, before Megatron came in and he had a energon whip with him. I was still bleeding out so I was weak and couldn't fight back. He whipped me for about 20 minutes then left. I couldn't move so I eventually fell into recharge again." Ratchet was quiet.

"I woke up again to being kicked. My arms weren't tied up anymore. I opened my optics and Megatron was back again. He said, "All I want is the femmes and if you give them to me, I will let you go." I told him no. He would hurt them and I wouldn't be able to bear it. He lost it. He started hitting me, kicking me, and yelling at me. I still couldn't fight back. I was starving. It turns out that I was out of it for 4 days." Ratchet was stunned silent. Optimus held the twins closer.

"He left after he finished beating me and Knockout brought me energon. I was barely able to hold it...The next day he came in again, he tied my servos over my helm again and he whipped me again." Optimus held his helm with his left servo. Ratchet put his servo on Optimus' arm.

"He abused me in so many ways...I couldn't handle it Ratchet...I can stand most things but I couldn't stand what he was doing to me. I cried...in front of him...he just stood there, smirked, and cackled." Nova and Luna snuggled against him. Optimus held them close. Ratchet looked down.

"You're safe now Optimus. You can relax again. We'll keep you safe."

"Thank you old friend."

-later-

Blue walked in the med-bay.

"Orion?" She saw him holding his helm but he looked up when he hear her.

"Oh hello Blue. What bring you here?"

"I came to tell you that me and Smokescreen picked a name!" He smiled.

"What is it Blue?"

"Sapphire."

"That's a beautiful name Blue." She smiled and sat next to Optimus.

"Thank you Orion." She hugged him and he hugged her back. She rested her helm against his chest.

"I missed giving you hugs. Your hugs are always so warm Orion." Optimus smiled and kissed her helm.

"Thank you my sweet sister." Blue giggled. Optimus stroked her helm. She smiled.

"I can't wait for her to be born. I want to hold her."

"Impatient as always I see."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He smiled and laid his helm against hers.

"It passes by quickly Blue, believe me, I know."

"I sure hope so."

-a Few Days Later-

Optimus laid on his side on the med-bay berth. Nova and Luna had come to visit him. Nova laid right beside him and Luna laid on his side. He smiled at them. The older femme snuggled against him and the younger laid limp. Optimus smiled and held Luna with his left arm and Nova with his right. Both of them held his servos.

"You two need to stop growing," he said.

"Aww Mama." Luna giggled and slid off Optimus' side and laid beside Nova.

"We'll always be your little femmes mama," Nova murmured. Optimus wrapped his arm around them and kissed their helms. He smiled.

"I know you will." All three of them fell into recharge.

-later-

Blue laid on her and Smokescreen's berth and recharged. Smokescreen walked in and smiled. He sat down on the berth beside her.

"I'm back sweetspark," he said quietly. He stroked her cheek then looked at her bump and smiled. She smiled in recharge. He laid beside her and held her close.

"You suck at being quiet ya know." Smokescreen jumped and looked down at the blue femme in his arms.

"I-I woke you?!" She laughed sleepily.

"Yeah...but it's ok. I recharged for like 3 hours." She cupped his cheek and kissed him. Smokescreen pulled her closer and kissed back.

"I love you," she mumbled.

"I love both of you." Smokescreen stroked her cheek with the back of his knuckles and then gently stroked her bump.

"I can't wait to meet Sapphire."

"I can't either Smokescreen." He smiled.

"If only my siblings were here. They'd love you."

"You have siblings?"

"Yep. Three of 'em. My twin, our big brother, and our little sister."

"What are their names?"

"My twin's name is Bluestreak, he's the youngest between me and him, Prowl, our big brother, and our baby sister, Azalea."

"I've heard of your big brother. I think I may have met him once. When I was little and still in Orion's care."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Was he second in command?"

"Yeah! That's Prowl! He served as Optimus' SIC during the war. He helped me get my job as Alpha Trion's guard." She giggled at his excited tone.

"What did your twin do?"

"He stayed with my mom and sister." Blue giggled again. Smokescreen smiled.

"Who all was in your family?"

"My dad, Sunbeam, my mom, Melody, my uncles, Allegro, Legato, Jett, Spirit, Zen and Micah, my aunts, Topaz, Amber, Jewel, Medley, Carol, Celesta, and Lyra, my grandcarriers, Arietta and Azure, and my grandsires, Cyan and Forrest."

"You have a very big family."

"Yep. Well Praxians usually have big families. All my grandparents had sparklings who were one or two when they were your age. I really don't know why. That's one of the reasons my family is so big." She chuckled and snuggled against his chest.

"We...had a small family. It was just...me...Orion...and mama and papa," Blue mumbled as she fell back into recharge. Smokescreen held her close and smiled.

"Sleep well sweetspark."

-Few Days later-

Optimus walked into the med-bay. Ratchet looked up.

"Right on time Optimus. Sit." The Prime sat down on the med-bay berth. Ratchet walked over and scanned the Prime. He wrote down the results and pulled out a needle. Optimus looked at Ratchet.

"Is this going to help it?"

"Yes Optimus. Hold out your arm." Optimus did was told and Ratchet filled the syringe with a lavender colored liquid. He felt Optimus' protoform for an energon line and then emptied the contents of the syringe into Optimus' energon line. Optimus winced in slight discomfort.

"Sorry Optimus." Ratchet disposed of the needle and looked at Optimus.

"You're free to go now Optimus." Optimus got up and left. Ratchet sighed and held his helm. Ellie walked in.

"Ratchet," she whined. He looked at her.

"What's wrong Ellie?"

"I'm bored!" He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I love you Ellie."

"I love you too Ratchet." Ratchet picked her up in his arms and kissed her.