(Here is the second chapter to my short story. I hope you enjoy it. All disclaimers are in the beginning chapter.)
"Well, it appears that it will take some time before the wound can be fully healed, but I will do my best to add in some solvent and welding in a plate to keep it from getting malfunctioned." Ratchet informed the young mech and his elderly father as the wound on the young mechs stabilizing servo was lifted onto the exam table.
"I just hope I don't lose my stabilizing servo." The young mech complained.
"Now, Mirage, the medic is doing what he can. Just give him some time." The elderly patted his son's shoulder.
"Sure thing, pops." Mirage nodded to his father and winced when he felt the medical solvent being poured on his wound. It stung, but it was going to help stop any electrical problems that might occur if not treated. After about a minute, Ratchet then welded on the plate to help with keeping the wound covered up. Mirage groaned in pain but was glad the pain was over.
"Alright, now you two rest. I'll be back to check on your progress." Ratchet told them and left the father and son to talk about the sudden attack but then they were thankful to be rescued.
"They saved our live, pops. I want to do something for them in return." Mirage said.
"And, what might that be, my boy?" The elder mech, named Rooter asked his son, knowing all too well what his son was about to say next.
"I wish to join the Autobots, and help them defeat the Decepticons."
Rooter looked at his son with dread until he said, "That's what I was afraid you were going to say. Mirage, you know how I feel about sending you out into war. We have already lost your two older brothers, and I don't want to lose another son."
"But, father. That was many stellar cycles ago, and I am different than my brothers. I can become invisible, and I can never be detected. I can be useful for the Autobots. Please, let me prove myself." Mirage begged his father.
Rooter only looked at Mirage, only to see his son's optics, seeming to tell the old mech that the youngling really wanted to do his best for a cause that has taken the life of several sons and daughters. Rooter had suffered the loss of his two twin sons, Magnato and Comet, who were expert snipers and scouts who had served the Autobots for the last two stellar cycles. Unfortunately, they were captured for ransom by the Decepticons, and when the deal was unmet, the twins were executed. This left Rooter spark broken and severely depressed. And the only one who tried to help Rooter was his youngest son, Mirage.
"Oh, Mirage. You know how I feel about situations like this. I cannot bear to see a Decepticon kill you, like what they did to your brothers. I can't let that happen again, for my spark can hardly take any more pain." He said sadly.
"Father, please. I won't let you down. I'll make you proud." Mirage spoke, taking his father's hand into his.
"I've always been proud of you, and nothing will change my CPU about that. But, this decision will take me time. I really do not want you to die, you are all I have left, Mirage." Rooter said, a small tear streamed down one optic, and Mirage brought his elderly father to him in a warm embrace. Mirage knew how his father felt, but he did not want to stand idle and allow this madness to continue. He only hoped his father would see it that way.
Ratchet made it to the opening to the premade medical station, and saw the figures of Optimus Prime and Elita 1 running over to him. What caught Ratchets attention was the fact that Optimus had his arms wrapped around something very small. As soon as they came to him, Ratchet almost choked.
"Where did you find this sparkling?" He inquired his leader.
"I found him with his mother around the industrial district, but the sparkling was the only one still alive. The mother died right before me." Optimus replied sadly.
"Here, give it to me, and I'll look it over." Ratchet said and the Prime handed the baby to the CMO, and the three went inside.
Ratchet took them to one of the examination rooms and laid the sparkling down. "First thing's first, let's check the gender. We don't want the child to be called 'it' all the time." Ratchet spoke as he opened the area that was similar to a human diaper, but not as stretchy. He detached this part, and saw a small rod. It was a mech.
"A mech." Ratchet confirmed and placed the attachment back on the baby. "Now, can one of you hold him for me? I have to check his denta, it will indicate his age."
"I will. Come here, little one." Elita 1 cooed as her gentle hands grabbed the shoulders of the sparkling, but not too tightly, as the medic carefully opened the sparklings mouth. The sparkling squirmed and whined, for he didn't like having a digit feeling around the inside of his mouth.
"Take it easy. Oh, you are a feisty little rascal, aren't you." Ratchet smiled a bit, and after a few moments he pulled his digit out of the mouth. "Well, he seems to be about 2 days old. My, my, the poor little thing. And it seems he nursed with his mother, so it might be a challenge to get him used to being feed with a bottle."
Optimus nodded his head. "Yes, it will be, for I will be his caretaker."
"You what? But, Opitmus, you can't. You are the leader of the Autobots; you can't take a maternity leave for the child, we need you." Ratchet tried to deter Optimus, but the leader was not deterred.
"Ratchet, I know what faction I am a part of, but that does not mean I can't multitask." Optimus argued, and then Elita 1 interrupted.
"Optimus is right. He even said that the dying femme told him to care for her son. " She added.
Ratchet only placed a hand on his head, and grunted. "Please, try to understand. The sparkling will only distract you, Prime. You can have either Ironhide, Hound, or me be his guardian. It is only fair to have some one else be the sparklings guardian."
Optimus knew that Ratchet was trying to help, but he could not go back on the dead femme's pleas. She had looked at him, as if she knew that he would be the surrogate father for her son, him, the Autobot leader himself. He just couldn't think of letting the child go, and he felt like he needed him more than the sparkling needed him.
"Ratchet, I appreciate your concern. But, I cannot go back on my word. The sparkling will be raised by me, no excuses." Optimus said, and Ratchet found that he was winning a loosing fight. He already knew that Prime was very compassionate for all life, and would do anything to protect any life that was on the brink of death.
"Very well. But, don't say I didn't warn you. Raising a sparkling is a big responsibility. It's not a toy that you can simply put away and leave it. You have to feed him, change him, clean him, and most importantly, you have to give him plenty of love, for sparklings need plenty of love in order for their spark to function. Sparklings can go offline when they cannot find love from anyone, especially their parents." Ratchet explained as he went to grab a syringe. "I'll have to inject some fluids to help his immune system. He is still very frail and young, and he could easily get sick. Just hold him while I do the rest."
Optimus nodded and held out the baby's arm, using his other hand to cup it around the sparklings cheek plate, patting it and said soothing words to comfort the child. The shot was a but of a success, with the exception of the baby crying in retaliation and fussing about with the other examinations, but it was worth it. The sparkling to their surprise was healthy and had only a minor injury, a sore hand.
As he watched the sparkling sleep in his arms, Opitmus Prime and Elita 1 went to one of the other rooms of the medical station, for they were about to perform the bonding process. Now, since the sparkling lost both parents, the bond was between him and them was severed. And, since they both wanted to help, Optimus and Elita volunteered to share their bond with the sparkling. Now, this bond was similar to a parent-child bond, but it wasn't as effective but it was just as strong. The bind would emit love and affection, but neither of them would communicate through the bond, unlike the other bond.
The bonding process took a while, but eventually it was complete.
Elita 1 looked at Optimus and said, "I am happy to be a surrogate mother for him, but I am also worried. Suppose Megatron and the Decepticons find out, what will become of the child?" She said, worriedly but not so frantic.
"I realize that as well. Well, I will inform the other Autobots of our new little recruit, and will assign guardians for him when we are not available." Optimus informed Elita, and looked at the sparkling yet again, and it opened his optics, reaching up at the Prime. Prime lifted the sparkling up to let the baby look him over, and to the two's utter surprise the sparkling reached out and his fingers trailed Optimus's face plate all the way to his mask. The sparkling beeped and cooed in wonder.
"He's wondering why you don't have a mouth." Elita 1 snickered.
Optimus chuckled at the sparkling's cute little curiosity and decided to reward the little one by retracting his mask, showing the sparkling his face and lips. The sparkling looked with astonishment, before he squealed and giggled.
"Didn't know I had a mouth, did you?" Optimus chuckled and smiled, as the brought the baby to his face plate and rubbed his nose into the sparklings tiny nose.
Elita 1 smiled as well. "You really like him, don't you?"
"I believe so. What do you think, Bumblebee?" He asked the sparkling.
"Bumblebee?" Elita spoke.
"Of course. He has to have a name. 'Bumblebee' seems to be a fitting name. He's small, yellow, and very playful." Opitmus explained as the sparkling started suckling on of the Prime's digits.
"I think it suits him, too." Elita 1 admitted.
Bumblebee looked over at Elita 1 and reached out for her. She scooped him up and brought him to her and he snuggled close.
"He seems to like you as well." Optimus chuckled.
"And, I like him, too." Elita 1 smiled as the sparkling started to fall asleep. It truly was a wonderful moment between the two Autobots and sparkling, and there would be more moments for them in the days to come.
(Here you guys are. I wanted to have another inside story since it isn't just about Bumblebee, it is also about Mirage. The OCs Rooter, Magnato and Comet belong to me. I will try to upload more chapters as well as more chapters to my other Transformer stories. Sparkling Lover out.)