That next morning...
Starscream decided to skip breakfast time. He said to Spaceflower that he wanted a very long, hot shower, but the truth was that he couldn't face Megatron just yet, not after that mortifying experience. Besides, everyone at the base probably knew about it now.
Steam poured out of the self-maintenance facilities as Starscream emerged, wrapping a towel around himself as he did so. It felt amazing to release lubricant and transfluid, but it also felt very good to wash it off yourself once you were done.
"You know, turn that shower any hotter and you could fry your circuits," Spaceflower teased, leaning back in bed.
"Got nothing else to do."
"We could go get some breakfast," she suggested. "I would have to get a shower first, though, since you sprayed your fluids all over me last night."
"I don't want any breakfast," Starscream replied shortly.
"You can't avoid Megatron forever," Spaceflower told him. "And there's no need, anyway. He's probably forgotten all about it by now."
"Oh, sure he has," Starscream said. "I bet he laughed to himself all night long."
"He will only remember it if you avoid him," Spaceflower insisted. "If you go back to the main room and get some energon with me, or oil, then he'll see it's no big deal."
"I bet he told Lugnut, Blitzwing and Blackarachnia."
Spaceflower sighed. "I bet he knew that we were overloading each other long before he walked in on us—and he never cared enough to tell anyone then. He doesn't give a slag what his Decepticons do with each other. You know that, my love."
"Okay, okay, I'll go," said Starscream. "I'll wait for you until your shower is done."
He sat on the bed, his processor torturing him—I KNOW Megatron will make fun of me for overloading right in front of him, he thought. Then nobody would ever be able to forget it. Everyone would be making fun of him…but Spaceflower was right. He couldn't stay hiding in his quarters like a scared little sparkling forever.
He still heard the shower water running and found himself picturing Spaceflower in the shower, which meant—oh, for Spark's sake, no!—he was pressurizing again! What was WRONG with him? Maybe he should check the ingredients of Megatron's energon a little more closely. It had probably poisoned him.
"Hey, you," Spaceflower said, coming out of the shower and kissing Starscream on the head.
Starscream hugged her and stood up. "Well, if you're ready to go, I say we get this nightmare over with."
"It's only a nightmare if you make it into one, my love." Spaceflower smiled and grabbed Starscream's claw, leading him all the way to the main room.
When they got there, everyone else was already there, including the fearsome Decepticon leader—who, as Spaceflower predicted, wasn't really acting any different than usual. Starscream avoided his optics as Spaceflower gestured to the refrigerator.
"Yes, I will get you your energon cubes," Starscream grumbled. He had to keep his end of this bargain, but the question was, why had he agreed to it in the first place? He got three energon cubes out of the refrigerator and set them down in front of his girlfriend.
"Thank you," Spaceflower replied, sipping her first energon cube.
"Where's Sweetie?" Megatron asked.
"Still back in Starscream's quarters," Spaceflower replied. "Why do you ask?"
"I was thinking we should start her training today," Megatron continued. "She can learn how to walk and talk soon. Transformation and flying are both instinctive, but she still needs practice."
"If you say so." Spaceflower sounded surprised. Sweetie was still very young. Was she old enough to become a fighter?
"Well, then go get her, for Spark's sake," Megatron snapped. "I don't have all solar cycle."
"She's still recharging," Spaceflower protested. "Sparklings need their recharge."
"DO IT!" Lugnut hollered, pushing Spaceflower off her chair. "OBEY YOUR MASTER!"
"GET YOUR FILTHY SERVOS OFF HER, YOU DOWNGRADE!" Starscream ran over and attempted to pull Lugnut off, as Spaceflower did the same.
"SILENCE, FOOLS!" Megatron thundered, picking up Starscream by one wing and Lugnut by one servo. "Must I break up a fight every solar cycle? Starscream, Spaceflower, go to your quarters and get the sparkling. Lugnut, if I have told you once I have told you a million times. Do NOT attack unless I order you to!"
"As…as you wish, Master." Lugnut hung his head in shame. Megatron sighed exasperatedly, letting Starscream and Lugnut go. Starscream grabbed Spaceflower and ran back to his quarters.
"See?" Spaceflower said, once they were back inside. "I told you. You were making a big deal out of nothing. Megatron forgot all about your overloading right in front of him."
"Probably because I'm not worthy of his attention," Starscream replied sarcastically.
"Well, either way, let's just get Sweetie and go back to the main room," Spaceflower told him. She gently picked up the still-sleeping Sweetie and brought her all the way to Megatron, with Starscream following.
"Can Sweetie walk yet?" Megatron asked.
"No," Spaceflower told him. "We can teach her, though."
She set Sweetie down on the floor and stood her up. Sweetie walked a few steps but then fell down again.
"Come on, come to Mommy," Spaceflower cooed, holding out her arms. Sweetie laughed and took a few more steps.
"Transform and rise up!" Megatron commanded.
Sweetie turned into the smallest jet they had ever seen and started to fly, but unfortunately she wasn't very good at it yet. She crashed into the table and knocked it over, scattering energon cubes and oil barrels everywhere.
"Are you okay?" Spaceflower shrieked, running over to pick up Sweetie, who had shifted back into robot mode.
"Mommy!" Sweetie reached out her arms and laughed again.
"Starscream, clean up this mess at once!" Megatron thundered. Starscream pulled the table upright and started putting the oil and energon back on top of it. Spaceflower set Sweetie down and ran over to help.
"Maybe we should teach her how to fly outside," Spaceflower suggested.
"Not a bad idea," Starscream said, setting an oil barrel back on the table. "Let's do it."
…
After the mess was cleaned up, Megatron, Starscream, Spaceflower and Sweetie went outside for Sweetie's first flying lesson.
"Transform and rise up," Megatron repeated.
Sweetie transformed and zipped all around the sky until she finally crashed into a tree. Starscream flew up and retrieved the sparkling as Megatron and Spaceflower watched. Spaceflower looked nervous and Megatron looked irritated.
Starscream lowered himself to the ground and walked Sweetie over to his girlfriend and leader.
"Why are you smiling?" Spaceflower asked.
"I think we should show her how it's done first," Starscream replied. He turned into a jet and flew around as fast as he could, performing every maneuver he knew how to do. (And he didn't crash into any trees.) He soared across the sky, having fun showing off, and finally he landed on the ground again. Flying was one of Starscream's favorite things to do, and he almost never missed a chance to show off his skills.
"Good job, my love," Spaceflower purred, kissing him on the lips. He held her close and they started to make out, claws roaming everywhere, when a blast from Megatron's fusion cannon hit the tree behind them.
"Do you MIND?" Megatron hollered. "I'm trying to give a future Decepticon a flying lesson, and once again, all you fools can think about is your relationship!"
"You're just jealous," said Starscream, before he could stop himself.
"Oh, of what?" Megatron asked sarcastically.
"Jealous of our love," Spaceflower told him. "We love each other more than anything."
"However, that is irrelevant," Megatron replied, "to our present task."
"Did you see Daddy?" Spaceflower cooed, holding the sparkling in her arms. "Now it's your turn. Okay?"
Sweetie laughed again and transformed. This time she flew around a little more before she crashed into another tree. This time, though, she fell out of the tree and started wailing.
"Is she hurt?" Spaceflower asked anxiously, running over to her sparkling.
"I don't think so," Starscream said, picking her up off the ground. "But I think we should call it a solar cycle. What say you guys?"
Spaceflower nodded and reached for the sparkling. Megatron shook his head and went back inside.
"Don't worry, my love," Starscream said. "She will learn."
Spaceflower smiled, then, and the three of them went back inside.