I had planned on getting this chapter out sooner. Sorry for the delay.

a/n: boxes of tissues required.

Leo

I sighed in disappointment as I didn't feel Kacey beside me. Then I realized I was in my crib. I giggle softly. It was a problem that could easily be fixed.

With ease I climbed over the rail and dropped to the floor. I didn't hesitate to go back to my sister's room. Only she wasn't there. So, I headed for mamma and dada's room.

The door wouldn't open. I look up to see the red lights on. Darn. The doors locked. But that also means Kacey's not in there either. All of this meant that Kacey's out somewhere. And I was determined to find her. I almost always did. The few times I didn't was because I was captured and returned to mamma or dada.

I paused a few feet from the main door and noticed it was locked too. I bleeped angrily at the mechanism hoping it'd understand my desire to be with my sister. Nothing happened.

Suddenly, my circuits flash within my processor and the solution I've been looking for for so long has come to me! I now know how to get through the locked door and outside!

The chair was easy enough to push over. Climbing up onto it was not a problem either as I've very good at climbing things. I've even climbed up dada much to his delight as he laughs at me every time and calls me a little monkey. I don't know what a monkey is. I just know dada loves me when he laughs at me like that. I can feel his love.

Now, from what I recall, dada hits this button, then that button twice to open the door. I've seen him do it a number of times as he always holds me in his arms when we leave our quarters.

The door whooshed open and I laughed out loud victoriously. As quickly as I could I got down from the chair and ran out into the hall. No one was around. Not even uncle Prowl who always found me no matter where I was hiding. It was quite annoying actually and I told him all about it the last time he found me but he didn't understand a word I said.

At this time of day, there was only one place Kacey would be. Outside. I ran excitedly through the hall, laughing because I was alone with no one to capture me. But once I was outside I grew silent. I was determined to sneak up on my sister as she's done to me so many times.

First to figure out where she was. I didn't see her in dada's and hers usual spot. Then I heard the familiar sound of Kacey flying. I looked up to see her land way up high…way high. Undeterred, I marched to the rocky wall and started climbing.

Did I mention I was good at climbing?

Optimus

The pleasant after effects of our bonding still lingered through me as I lay quietly with Elita in my arms. I've noticed now that each time we merge our sparks our bond seems deeper, more intimate. It's like I can feel more of Elita within me now even after our sparks have separated.

The intricacies of bonding are still such a mystery to many of our kind. It is to me. I don't question it. I just accept it for what it is. I only know that the femme's spark is synchronized with a mech's thus giving a bonded couple the abilities to produce the miracles of sparklings.

Regardless, my love for Elita is deeper than it ever was before.

"You'd better get going or you'll be late," Elita murmured to me.

I gently pulled her hand from my chest and pressed it against my lips.

"Optimus, get your cute aft out so I can get another hour of recharge before Leo wakes up."

"You really still think my aft is cute?"

"Go!" she laughed, trying to push me off the bed.

"Ok, I'm going," I chuckled getting to my feet.

I strolled lazily down the hall to find Kacey had already gotten up. Presumably was already outside waiting for me too. She seemed to understand when to disappear whenever Elita and I were intimate. Out of habit, I checked on the twins to see they were recharging in their own beds. I quickly fixed their thermal blankets then moved across the room to the crib.

"You little pit spawn," I muttered with a smile seeing an empty crib. I quickly activated my internal communicator. "Kacey, is Leo with you?"

"No. I woke up to find him recharging with me so I put him back in his crib before I left. I even locked the main door to our quarters so he couldn't get out."

"Ok. Thanks, hon. I'll be there in a few minutes."

We've all had to get in the habit of locking the main door now whenever Kacey left to tend to her duties with the humans. It's the only way from keeping Leo from making his grand escapes. First time he threw a fit and cried himself into recharge; he was a little angry at us for doing such a thing. But we had to protect the humans and Leo had to learn that he couldn't go gallivanting about the base on his own.

I entered the main room expecting to see him recharging by the door as he's done before. Only he wasn't there. My sensors didn't even detect that he was in the room. And a chair was pushed near the door's control mechanism. I then noticed the controls indicated the door was unlocked.

I groaned covering my optics and activated my internal communicator.

"Prowl, are you up?"

"As always, Prime. Leo escaped again?"

"Yes, I swear the little lugnut is going to be the death of me!"

"I'll check his tracking device and we'll collect him for you," Prowl laughed before severing the communication.

Before I could turn to inform Elita I felt an overwhelming sense of fear from Leo. He must have reached out to Elita and me because I heard her shouting my name from our bedroom.

My instincts told me to run. My armor quickly slid into place and ran as fast as I could. I blew past Prowl in the hallways who didn't say anything but just followed me as best as he could. The fear in my spark was growing from Leo and suddenly I felt it from Kacey too.

My first thoughts were the Decepticons. But that was an irrational fear as our sensors would have picked them up if they'd approached the base and the alarms would have sounded. I headed outside as fast as I could. My optics frantic in their search, my spark racing in its chamber.

The thunderous sound of Kacey's plasma burners echoed loudly through the icy morning air.

"There!" Prowl shouted, pointing.

I turned to see the orange glow from Kacey's plasma burners rocketing straight down from the cliff top. My optics quickly adjusted to the pre-dawn light to see Leo…falling fast.

"Leo!" Elita gasped from behind me.

The three of us ran even though I knew we wouldn't be able to make it before he hit the ground. I honestly didn't think Kacey was going to be able to reach him either, even in her jet form. That was until she abruptly lurched forward, after putting more speed into her plasma burners and blasted towards him rapidly catching up to his form as he got closer to the ground.

Primus help her, she was going way too fast. I knew she wasn't going to be able to stop in time. Kacey had to have known too. Regardless of the danger she transformed just as she reached him. At the last possible moment she was able to grab hold of him and rotate around just before slamming into the ground.

My spark clenched at the metal crunching sound. Elita yelped loudly. The force of the impact caused Leo to pop up into the air out of Kacey's grasp. He landed a few feet away, screaming.

Kacey wasn't moving. Her optics were offline.

"RATCHET!" I screamed over my communicator, as I slid onto my knees near Kacey. My hands shook badly as my sensors didn't detect any energy readings whatsoever. "Primus, no…no…no….please…no…"

"He's ok," she quickly said holding Leo close to her chest. "I think he's just scared more than anything but I don't detect any damage. What about Kacey?"

I swallowed hard, fighting to keep my tears at bay.

Ratchet

I was already up getting ready to start my day when Optimus' desperate scream came over my communicator. I had never heard such fear in his voice before. My spark was literally thumbing hard against its inner chamber wall.

"What happened? Where are you?" I asked running out of the Med Bay.

"Outside! Please hurry…its Kacey! Primus, Ratch…I'm not getting any energy readings from her!"

"Don't move her! I'm on my way!"

Since it was early I transformed and raced through halls. My alt mode could drive much faster than I could run. And I stayed that way once outside as I headed for Optimus.

I had no idea what happened but Leo was screaming while Elita was trying to calm him down. She herself was in tears. Prowl had the most concerned looked on his faceplates that I had ever seen. And Optimus was doing his best to hold his tears back but I could see his hand trembling as he stroked Kacey's faceplates.

Even as I was transforming my sensors detected that nothing was wrong with Leo.

Kacey on the other hand…

With my medical scanners I could detect what Optimus couldn't. All her systems were barely registering. Her spark was barely pulsing. There was damage to her back structure due to a high velocity impact and worse…

"Red Alert…Wheeljack! I need you in the Med Bay now! Emergency surgery!" I said over a private communication link to them.

"On my way Ratchet!" Wheeljack quickly responded.

"Acknowledged!" Red Alert replied.

"Talk to me, Ratchet!" Optimus demanded, grabbing hold of my arm.

"Kacey's spark chamber has cracked."

Both Elita and Optimus gasped, their normal resolve shaken badly. Even Leo was now quiet, clinging to his mother. Every transformer knew the danger of a cracked spark chamber.

"Wheeljack and Red are prepping the operating room now. Prowl, come give me a hand."

The mech was unresponsive. No doubt he was feeling as bad as Optimus at the moment. Kacey was loved by all of us. By Optimus' closest friends most of all, me included despite the terrible pranks she played on me. But for now I needed help and for now, Optimus and Elita were of no use to me. I could see the terrified look in their optics.

"PROWL!"

Prowl

I shook my head. In doing so I forced my worse fears away. A cracked spark chamber was usually fatal. I knew that. Both Optimus and Elita knew that. But I've witness Ratchet perform miracles. If he needed help with Kacey then with Primus as my witness I was going to do just that.

"Just tell me what to do, Ratch!"

"I'm going to encase her spark chamber in a medical force field before we move her. When we do, we must be careful but we also must move as quickly as possible."

"I understand."

I watched anxiously as Ratchet adjusted the settings on his wrist. An astrosecond later he shot a beam straight into the center of Kacey's chest.

"Done…on my mark," he said maneuvering his hands beneath her upper back. I didn't hesitate and firmly grabbed hold of legs. "3…2…1…mark."

Kacey was still such a light mechanoid because of her size. It wasn't a problem lifting her or even keeping her form as still as possible as we hurried. She was still a youngling after all.

My earlier fears returned with vengeance. I couldn't stop my tears. My grip remained firm. Primus help me! I felt as if I were losing my own child.

I glanced back to see Elita was in tears. Leo was uncharacteristically quiet as he clung tightly to her. Her own arms holding him close. I could see fear in his tiny optics. My audio receptors could hear his faint whimpers. Optimus' optics focused solely on his daughter held tears that did not fall down his face plates. His arm held Elita closely by her waist.

My spark sympathized with theirs. I loved this child as if she were my own. I've seen her do amazing things. I've watched her grow before my very optics. My cerebral processor cannot calculate what it would be like to not have her in my life. It cannot.

We passed a few Autobots in the halls. The concern apparent on their faceplates. Soon the entire base would be up.

"Hound, this is Prowl."

"Hound here," he yawned back.

"Snap to attention soldier! I need you to gather up a few mechs for crowd control outside the Med Bay ASAP." I paused looking down at Kacey's dark optics. "Hound, it's our little Kacey. She's been in a horrible accident. Ratchet and I are taking her for surgery as we speak."

"Primus, not little Kacey," he gasped. "I'll do whatever you need me to do. Just give me the order."

"Good, for now crowd control"

"I'm on it!"

"Ironhide!"

As usual, nothing from his communicator.

"Ironhide! Disconnect yourself from your sparkmate!"

"For frags sake, Prowl. You don't have to yell!"

"Get your aft up now. Optimus needs you. And…" I glanced back at Leo. "Chromia needs to collect the twins and watch over them. Maybe Leo too. Not sure about him yet though."

"What happened?"

"It's Kacey. Ironhide…it's bad."

"I'm on my way."

Ironhide

Prowl said it was bad. By his tone I knew it was. But until I saw for my self I didn't realize just how bad it really was. My spark about stopped pulsing when I caught a glimpse of Kacey just before Ratchet and Prowl disappeared into the Med Bay.

She looked...

No, I couldn't say it. I refused to think of her that way. The little femme was always so full of life and spirit. I cannot imagine her any other way. My cerebral processor refuses to think to think of her that way.

Regardless of how my processor functioned at the moment, my spark trembled with fear as I entered the Med Bay. Prowl and Ratchet took Kacey into the sterile room. Red Alert escorted Elita and Optimus into the private room.

I followed my commander knowing it would do Ratchet no good if I barged in there. He needed to concentrate on Kacey. I had full confidence in the CMO. He literally is a miracle worker.

"Ratchet wants me to check Leo out as a precaution," Red spoke softly, indicating he wanted Elita to put the sparkling on the exam table.

Primus. My spark ached for the tiny lugnut. I could see his small form trembling. His little hands gripping to Elita's chest armor as tightly as he possible could when she tried to set him down. He even let out a high pitched screech in protest that about shattered my audio receptors.

"Red, just give him a thorough scan for now," I ordered. "Best to not upset the little mech any further."

Red nodded at me then proceeded with his medical scans.

I turned my attention to Optimus. He had gotten good at hiding his emotions from us as he got older. He no longer needed to wear his mask all the time. However, at the moment he was anything but a strong and confident leader. At the moment, he was a terrified father worried for his child and it was apparent as I looked into his face.

Even Elita was unable to stop her tears. She clung onto Leo as tightly as the little mech held on to her. She did nothing to stop Optimus' physical display of support as his hand continuously caressed her back. Such public affections were usually not allowed by the femme.

Optimus told me once it was how Elita was raised. That affection for one's mate was to be private. It never stopped Optimus from sneaking in a kiss or a hug when in public. I knew the mech could barely contain his love for Elita and she let him get away with it from time to time.

I have to laugh at how far the lugnut has grown. I still remember the day he asked me for advice on how to satisfy a femme. He didn't want to slag anything up with Elita. He knew in his spark she was the only femme for him. I teased him mercilessly about it.

But I was always so proud of him. He was like a son to me until he matured. And even though he was my commander, a part of me still considered him…family. For if I didn't I wouldn't have this ache in my spark for Kacey.

I love the little femme as if she were my own daughter, like I loved Optimus when he was a youngling. Optimus or Elita has never done anything to suggest I wasn't a part of the family. They understand that Ratchet, Prowl, and even Bumblebee are all more than just surrogate uncles to the little femme.

My spark ached so much right now for Kacey. I could feel my love reassuring me over our bond. She was afraid too.

"He has a few bruises," Red explained. "Nothing to serious but may cause some discomfort. I've given him a mild pain inhibitor for now."

"Thanks, Red," I said for the distraught family.

Suddenly Optimus staggered back clutching his chest and Leo started wailing. I hurried to steady Optimus. He collapsed into my arms surprising me.

"Hide…I can feel my baby…she's dying…" he wept clinging to me.

"What's going on, Ironhide? The twins just started crying! They're calling for Kacey over and over!" Chromia asked over a private link to my communicator.

"Bring them here now!" I told her back. "It's Kacey…she's dying."

"The twins!" Elita gasped, trying to comfort Leo as she wept uncontrollably herself.

"Chromia's bringing them now," I quickly informed her.

Red suddenly ran out of the room only to return a few moments later.

"I'll put the children into stasis," he explained holding a syringe up for Elita to see. "They won't feel it if…if…"

"Please, do it Red," Optimus pleaded through his tears, moving from me and taking Elita and Leo into his arms. "I don't want my sparklings to feel like this."

I turned away. I couldn't watch Red inject Leo. I couldn't watch as Optimus and Elita held their tiny sparkling until he fell into stasis. I could only imagine what they were felling in their sparks. At times I can have a very good imagination. Right now mine was making me weep as much as Optimus and Elita.

Bumblebee

I yawned as I staggered out the door of my quarters. It was early for me. But I promised Sam I'd be there as the family had breakfast. Since they were the only humans on the base we moved them into a smaller living quarters a few doors from mine.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed jumping out of the way as I was nearly run over by what I assumed was an Autobot late for his shift.

I chuckled. He was going to be in trouble if he was running that fast. Prowl hated it whenever anyone was late for their shift. So did Ironhide. Both mechs were known for punishing tardiness very severely.

Another Autobot raced by as I reached my destination. I watched wondering what was going on. I concluded that it was some kind of drill. Prowl had those too to keep us on our toes.

Opening the door I saw the families were barely up themselves.

"Bee, what's going on?" Sam asked as another Autobot ran by. "We've heard them running by for the past ten minutes now."

"I'm not sure. Could be a drill," I answered. "I'm not told everything. And as an officer I don't have to participate in every drill Prowl runs."

"What's that noise?" Mikaela asked.

I heard it too. I immediately recognized the cries of Orion and Ariel. Stepping back out into the hall I saw Chromia holding both sparklings in her arms.

"Bee, help me…take Orion!" she desperately pleaded.

"What is it? What's going on?" I asked, taking the sparkling into my arms.

"You don't know?" she replied in disbelief.

"I just got up."

"It's Kacey…Bee…she's dying!" she wept.

I came to a stop, gasping. I felt as if everything stopped functioning. My legs would respond. My cerebral processor didn't want to computer.

"BEE! We have to get the babies to the Med Bay now!" Chromia snapped at me. "Red's putting them into stasis just in case!"

"In case of what?" I managed to ask.

"In case Ratchet can't perform a miracle. For his sake he'd better. I'm going to rip him a new aft if he doesn't save the little femme! Now move it, soldier!"

I moved on, numbly. Primus, not Kacey. I can't lose her. I can't! Tears stung my optics. Orion trembled and wept in my arms. He was reaching for his sister. Ariel clung tightly to Chromia. I could see fear and uncertainty in her tiny optics. I shared those feelings with her and her brother.

Now I know why everyone was running. Hound was working hard to keep everyone away from the Med Bay.

"Make a path! Let them through!" he shouted.

Everyone moved aside. Worried and concerned teary optics looked at the sparklings Chromia and I carried. Several caressed the sparklings' head, saying prayers. I prayed to like I've never done before.

All I could think about was not losing Kacey. I loved her. She and I were meant to be. I can't lose her before even telling her how much I love her.

"Give me the little mech," Ironhide huffed, taking Orion from my arms.

I didn't protest and watched as he and Chromia went into the private room with the little twins. I assumed Optimus, Elita and Leo were in there as well. It was not my place to be so I didn't follow.

Prowl was leaning against on of the exam tables, arms folded across his chest, tears streaming down his faceplates. I was shocked. I've never seen him so unsettled in all my life.

I steeled my spark as best as I could and marched over to him. I had to know. I had to find out what happened to Kacey. I just had to know no matter how much it was going to tear my spark apart to hear.

"Prowl, what happened?"

"Leo…he must have been climbing the cliff wall to get to Kacey. He was falling when Optimus and I reached outside. Kacey the brave femme that she is…she saved him. She blasted down the cliff face fast as possible. But she couldn't stop her moment. Primus, that femme is fast. She protected Leo when she crashed. He only has a few deep bruises. But Kacey…"

Prowl broke out into sobs.

"Kacey…tell me about her!" I demanded, grabbing hold of his arm.

"Her spark chamber's cracked," he whispered.

I gasped, stumbling back a few steps.

"She can't die," I breathed, my tears flooding my optics.

I must have completely broke down at that point because I suddenly realized Prowl had his arms wrapped around me, supporting me. My frame trembled as I sobbed.

"We just have to pray, Bee. Pray that Ratchet can perform one of his miracles."

"I am praying, Prowl," I replied, supporting him as much as he was supporting me. "I am…with every fiber of my being."

Wheeljack

I could barely keep up with Ratchet so I did my best to stay out of his way. My own grief was consuming me. I knew from the way Kacey's energy levels were dropping there was no chance to save her. I had seen many Autobots cease to function this way.

There are times when I wish I wasn't so smart. When I wish I didn't know so much about our forms. Because then I wouldn't feel this way. I wouldn't be so accepting of the inevitable.

Kaceystar was going to die.

Her spark chamber was damaged due to the fact that she hadn't completed her transformation sequence from her jet form to robot form. We are most vulnerable during a transformation sequence. And Kacey couldn't have impacted with the ground at a worse moment.

However, in doing so, the extraordinary little femme saved her little brother, Leo from certain death. She was so much like her father. She never hesitated to do what was best to protect those around her. For a youngling, she was honorable and brave.

I was proud to be her friend and mentor. I loved her as I would my own youngling. And I will cherish my memories of her for the rest of my life.

"Frag! Come on Kacey! I've made a habit of bringing your father back from the brink of death! Don't you go making this difficult for me by dying on my surgery table!" Ratchet growled at her still form. "Give her another jolt!"

"Ratchet I…."

"Just do it! For Primus sake! I lost one precious spark, I'm not losing another!"

My hand never moved so fast. Kacey convulsed, the electrical discharged crackled up and down her small form. The result was the same as before. Nothing. Her energy levels continued to fall.

I broke down.

"OUT!" Ratchet yelled at me.

I complied. I couldn't be in here any longer. Red came running into the room past me. I assumed Ratchet called him.

For the longest moment I stared at the closed door. I have never felt such spark ache before in my life. Never.

"I love you, Kaceystar," I whispered. "You will be in my spark…always."

When I turned I saw the teary faces of Prowl and Bumblebee. I couldn't look at them. I slid down the wall, collapsing onto the floor and just wept. I was content to remain there until someone lifted me to my feet.

"You are still so young, Wheeljack," Ironhide smiled through tears of his own. "You have not witnessed every possible miracle Ratchet can pull off."

Up next: Can Ratchet pull of a miracle? For the love of Primus, I hope you all know the answer!