First of all, thanx a lot for the encouragement regarding this pairing and seeing as there might be a happy camper out there if I do what I do, I shall post Hide-lations at the end of the chapter.

All other review-responses would be too long to fit into this A/N, but one thing. Wouldn't it be boring if the whole logic behind the fic had been revealed in chapter two? And do you really think a Decepticon Seeker would give such insightful information to a mere common Autobot and a non-flier at that?...My thought pattern exactly, so the sneaky seeker that TC is, conveniently forgot to mention one or a few things :D

And last chapters fifth reviewer was my lovely twin! Now bow before your new-chappy-bringer! XP

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Slowly blinking his optics online Thundercracker came back into awareness and started briefly at the unexpected surroundings. Then his memory banks filled him in on the last events before his offlining and his spark filled with dread. What had the autobots done to Starscream?! Almost toppling off of the berth because of the speed with which he forced his chassis to comply, he swirled around and pried at the air commander, shielded behind the red warrior. Thundercracker relaxed and then noted Optimus Prime in the med bay, his processor calculated just why he could be there, but he couldn't think of any other viable reason apart from Starscream.

"Morn'."1, the gruff weapons specialist bellowed and the hand that had stilled at the sudden movement resumed it's strokes over the seekers right wing.

"How are your systems?", the medic queried instantly and Thundercracker decided to give him a full status report so that there might be less fuss. Then he heard the question he had dreaded, knowing it would be asked hadn't done anything to ease his processor about the fact that it was going to be asked and aside from that he would have least expected it to come from the medic.

"What is this spark instinct you mentioned?"

The words rang clear in his audio receptors, yet his optics still dimmed, while his head lowered and he truly had to think about his answer. Finally he had decided just how much to tell them, he knew that an informed medic could only prove as an asset, the warrior would have had to be told anyway, the only one in the knowing that irked him was their Prime. They did not want this to become public knowledge after all...

"Spark instinct happens one orn out of every vorn in a seekers function. It's when the spark is...I believe 'fertile' would be the medical expression.", he was interrupted by a shout of protest from the Prime, demanding that his medic should prove the seeker wrong. Yet Ratchet only nodded for him to continue, entirely disregarding Optimus's protests.

"The spark demands to...find a mate and spark. It doesn't even matter if the seeker in question even likes the mech or not, as proven by Starscreams choice. Usually trine mates would be approached during a seekers orn, yet he could feel the weakened state of my spark subconsciously and avoided me because of that. I have no idea why he didn't go for your medic, seeing as he is far more appealing to the optics...", Thundercracker trailed off, optics roving over the white chassis in appreciation. Ratchet turned away, blushing furiously, yet only Ironhide could tell, because he had known him the longest amongst the Ark-crew, if one didn't count Wheeljack with whom the medic had practically survived sparklinghood and many an explosion.

"Yet we can not change that he didn't. Judging by the process of the merge...I'd guess you did manage.", the blue seeker smiled mysteriously and Ironhide started at the statement, while Optimus only shook his head wearily and Ratchet gasped in wonder.

"Apparently your sparks were either harmonic or compatible enough to brush cores...who would have thought.", he chuckled darkly and Ironhide growled at him instinctively, balling his left hand to a fist as if to ward the seeker off.

"I mean you no harm, neither do I wish you any ill.", Thundercracker quickly assured the red autobot and the growling stopped as if muted by pressing a button.

"I do guess that there is a fair lot more to this and I will need the specifics. Are you willing to share your knowledge on this?", Ratchet asked calmly and the blue seeker reverently nodded in agreement.

"Dahs tha' meah wha' Ah th'nk 't meah's?"2, Ironhide asked with wide optics, pleading with their trusted medic that his processor had gotten this wrong.

"If you processed that you just sparked with a seeker, then you got it right old friend. I doubt that the constructicons could build a suitable chassis for the new sparkling. How do you intend to upgrade his armor once he's fully created? We are at war, you can not leave him unprotected.", Ratchet first emptied a bucket of icy cold water over Ironhide's processor, figuratively, and then he turned back to Thundercracker to work the details out.

"But...", the weapons specialist protested weakly, staring at the air commander in disbelieve.

Optimus ordered him to leave the med bay and stay in his quarters for the next eight joors, forgoing to order him to report to the brig because of the delicate matter of their conversations subject. Staring at his Prime incredulously, Ironhide felt a potent mix of anger and frustration churning through his systems, but he thought better of arguing back and just complied with his superiors order. Shooing a by far too nosy and cheerful Jazz away from him in the rec room, he got himself some energon and buried himself in his quarters, diminishing his private high-grade stock considerably over the next joor and over all just mopping around miserably until he would be summoned to the med bay.

After Optimus had left the med bay, filled with the soft sounds of a wailing Starscream, tossing and turning in his recharge, Thundercracker slowly made his way over to the air commander, steadied by the medics firm grip on one of his arms. Sitting down next to him, the seeker appeared to be sensing him, morphing into a shivering ball of platings that curled close to what little he could reach of the blue seekers chassis.

"He needs a spark right now, a presence that won't leave. Your Prime shouldn't have thrown him out, the oaf was only startled. Now he only managed to make it worse.", Thundercracker complained and lightly stroked over Starscreams wing tips to calm him.

"How so exactly?", Ratchet inquired, worried how the seeker appeared to be shaking with something akin to system shock, the symptoms certainly looked alike...

"Like I said, he needs a spark. Every spark merge produces energy and the sparkling will be feeding off of nothing else but that to grow. But without constant presence of a spark there is no certainty for a merge to take place and no reliable possibility to obtain the needed energy. The sparkling is seeing it's existence threatened by the absence of an older spark, that's what compelled Starscream to act the way he did, while still in recharge.", the blue seeker explained patiently, while assuring Starscream of his presence with firm strokes to the small of his back with his left hand.

"What will happen once he resurfaces from his recharge? The way I've experienced his character so far indicates that he would most likely fall into a destructive rage. You are his wing mate, therefor you know him best. What do you think he'll do?", the medic asked calmly in response to one of Prowls incessant data bursts, which was backed up by Prime.

"I don't know...like I've said...he's never sparked before, but it is not in a seekers nature to resent a sparkling, it simply doesn't fit into our programming. He'll be confused and probably scared at first...maybe you should have him handy nearby for that...Most of the time only the other sparking party is able to calm a seeker down until the first burst of confusion and agitation has passed.", Thundercracker reasoned and Ratchet sent a request to Prowl for Ironhide to be on standby and ready to drag his lazy aft to the med bay the astrosecond he called for him.

Only three joors later the air commanders systems stirred, showing the first signs of rising from recharge. Thundercracker rose from the berth and motioned the medic to stand back before all pit broke loose. Starscream was shrieking like a banshee when he onlined, fists flying around his form in a frenzy that was barely caught by their optics because of the high speeds at which the seekers body moved. Instantly Ratchet data burst Ironhide to get the slag into the med bay and as the doors opened and the warrior hastily complied with his request, Starscream whirled around and his optics caught the red chassis. The charge of his null rays diffused and his dilated optics resumed their regular focus as he recognized who the warrior was and his spark pulsed out a query that was subconsciously answered by Ironhide in less than a nanoclick. The air commander quieted down after that and complied with Ratchets request to lie back down so that he could do a thorough check up, all the while his optics never left the red autobot. Fixed by such an intensive stare, Ironhide felt compelled to step closer and steadily approached the berth as Ratchet took all the scans he had deemed necessary. Thundercracker watched the proceedings warily, on one hand he would be glad if the autobot accepted the new situation, it would certainly make things less complicated, but on the other hand he didn't want the air commander to leave their trine...

Once done with all the scans Ratchet asked a very confused Ironhide to leave again, just as he'd been about to reach out to the seeker soothingly after he had clicked for him longingly, yet both Thundercracker and Ratchet had prevented him from doing so. The blue seeker had only needed to shake his head and the medic had instantly complied, assuming that the air commanders wingmate knew what was best and just what Starscream needed right now. Grumbling lowly Ironhide did as he was told, but he made sure that they noticed that he didn't like it one bit, even though he was more scared than he had ever been in his eons of servitude in this war.

"How do you feel Starscream?", Ratchet asked in a low tone and watched the seeker closely so that he could discern if Ironhide had pulled a wire his scans hadn't noticed.

"Tired.", was the soft reply and both mechs started at the air commanders quiet tones. He sounded strangely compliant and utterly vulnerable, so much so that Ratchet was about to call Ironhide back instantly, but Thundercracker quickly took care of the situation by kneeling in front of his wing mate. One hand was rested on his knee joint and Starscream focused his dazed gaze onto him.

"That's good. Your chassis should be requesting energy after your activities. How does your spark feel?", he skilfully avoided the question he knew should have come next by asking one of his own to distract the other seeker.

"Happy.", Starscream smiled, yet it didn't reach his optics, almost as if his processor was still powering up. The safest option Ratchet came up with was to offer the seeker some energon and observe how it went from there. Summoning a cube of a mild mid-grade he always held at the ready for his patients, a quick glance and nod of Thundercracker affirmed that it had been a good idea. Upon seeing the cube held out to him, Starscreams optics brightened slightly and he carefully took it up to his dermaplates, sipping at it from time to time, while his wingmate continued to reassure him of his presence with little caresses here and there. Slowly he felt the struggle between his spark and his processor dissolve itself as he noticed that he wasn't alone in this, that he was cared for and would be taken care of no matter what. Yet what still irked was one very important mech still missing from his side...

"Where's Ironhide?", he questioned Thundercracker lowly and with a mixture of pain and hope shining in his optics that betrayed his longing and fear of rejection so very thoroughly that his wingmate had to smile at him.

"Close by if you should want to see him.", the blue seeker intoned and saw his air commander nod his head almost violently, intent to convey just how much he wanted to.

"I will fetch him.", Ratchet offered instantly and data burst the warrior. He went outside to wait for him and warn him of Strascreams rather abstract behavior and calculated just what could have caused it. Knowing the elation of creating, he could only assume that it was some kind of overbearing happiness that had engulfed the seekers processor at creating a spark of his own that had led him into such a pliant and mellow state.

Not too long after he had left the med bay behind he found himself in the rec room, as the recipient of a disapproving glare from Prowl. Grand...he had totally forgotten that he was strictly confined to quarters...Yet just then the CMO bliped him over the comm and he happily made his excuses to return to the section of the Ark he had just left. At least it had felt like he had just left it, but his chronometer informed him that he had left the med bay a full joor ago already. Had he been wandering the halls aimlessly for that long? Ratchet awaited him in front of the med bay doors, both seekers securely protected from the rest of their crews questionable care. Why was he mistrusting his own comrades again? An uncertain and troubled expression passed over his faceplates and the medic must have caught it, seeing as he approached him and tried to assure him.

"Don't worry Hide. I've had a long conversation with Thundercracker and he explained a lot.", Ratchet tried to calm the warriors obviously out of control nerves.

"Baht Ah'v got no 'deah 'bout hau ta ca'ah fer a spar'lin'! Blahme Ah'm suah hau th' tw'ns turn' aut wahs mah faul' 's well!"3, the worried mech admitted while pacing in front of the med-bay doors.

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1 Morning.

2Does that mean what I think it means?

3But I have got no idea about how to care for a sparkling! Blimey I am sure how the twins turned out was my fault as well!