I had to finish chapter 18 with the picnic and let everyone enjoy the characters. I am working toward some more sparklings but I haven't decided the order or which characters although this chapter will reveal another family in the making so I hope you enjoy. Also, please take a moment to leave a review. They are so important to me and they also determine how I want to shape my characters and story. Enjoy!

Megatron laid there watching Shalon sleep. She had seemed off during the picnic that day, but still happy and chipper. She had enjoyed the day and Megatron enjoyed her smiles and teasing, but she seemed delicate, frail and it bothered him that he could feel something off in their bond. It worried him that she had not talked to him and when he asked her if she was feeling alright she said yes. He believed her and knew she wasn't lying but then he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with her. Tonight he had laid her on their berth and it was the first time since they had secured their bond that they hadn't interfaced but Shalon had been so tired and for once Megatron wasn't thinking of himself although she had tried to stay awake just so she could please him, but he could tell that it was trying on her system and so he chose to hold her instead of taking advantage of her frail body. Indeed, she did look frail and if she wasn't better in the morning he was going to insist that she see Hook or Doc.

He still could not sleep and neither was Shalon completely comfortable in recharge. She kept moaning and tossing as if something was wrong and Megatron held her. Finally when he could take no more he gently shook her.

"Shalon?" It didn't take her long to wake up and she looked at him blearily as she looked even paler if possible.

"My lord?" She said groggily.

"Are you okay, my darling?" He asked. "You seem off or upset. Is there something wrong?"

"No, I'm not upset or angry." She reached up for her master and he cradled her in his arms. He could tell that her temperature was off as well, not hot but slightly elevated and he wondered if this was why she was not recharging comfortably.

"Shalon, would you be upset if I took you to Hook?" He asked her. It was late and chances were that either Hook was still on duty or maybe Doc or Ratchet were rotating while the other was recharging. Megatron didn't care as long as someone was there to care for her.

"No, I don't want to leave my berth." She said but Megatron wasn't convinced.

"Shalon, let me take you." He said softly in her ear. He brought her close, hugging her to his massive grey chassis. They stayed like that for a while as Megatron smooth her hair from her face but then Shalon started wiggling to break free of his hold.

"Megatron…" She cried out as she tried to get free.

"Shalon, what is it? He asked but would not let go. She still struggled against him.

"My lord, please I need… I… please let me go!" She finally ended screaming the last part loudly as he suddenly obeyed her wish. Shalon jumped from their berth and ran to the wash racks. He could hear her purging violently in there and he jumped up to assist her. He came in as she was between bouts and He held her hair back as she started retching again. A moment later Allie and Optimus knocked and then walked in as they saw the couple bent over her tiny frame as she continued to purge the contents from their picnic. It took Shalon a while but finally her body ceased its violent shakes and tremors and she leaned back into her mate's arms. Megatron held her against him as tears slipped down her face.

"I'm so sorry." She said as she slowly regained control of herself.

"It's okay my darling. You had an upset." Megatron quietly soothed her as she silently cried against his chest plates. He held her as Allie crouched down next to them on the floor.

"Shalon, baby? You need to let Megatron take you to the infirmary." She said as she reached out and touched her hair.

"No!" She cried out.

"Yes, baby. You need to go. Let one of the medics look you over just in case this is something more than a little upset." Allie said quietly back. She looked at Megatron to make him understand that he would have to take control of the situation. He reached up and took the blanket that Optimus had ran back to grab and wrapped it around her body to protect her from any prying eyes or optics.

"Shalon, let's go. Let's get you up." He said as he pulled her up. Shalon began to tremble and Megatron stopped watching her to see if she was going to be sick again. Allie came round and smoothed her face with a cold wet washcloth and Optimus came to stand next to Megatron just in case he needed help with her.

"Megatron is right. We need to get you to Doc. I've already contacted her and she is waiting for us." Allie encouraged her and Megatron once again took hold of her and tried to get her to walk. Shalon began to moan.

"Megatron, I…I…don't know if I can… make it." She cried out as her body began to convulse again and she bent over and once again purged though most was dry heaves. Allie looked on in alarm as she contacted Doc to come straight to them.

"Megatron, Doc is on her way." Allie told him quietly as he held Shalon's hair as she heaved and purged what little was left in her system. All three stood over her until they heard Doc overriding the lock and coming in to their quarters.

"Out of the way." Doc said as she quickly assessed the situation and prepared a syringe for Shalon.

"This is a sedative that will relax her system and stop the purging." Doc said as she quickly pierced through the skin to a circuit under the metal and worked the medicine into her systems.

"Shalon, it will make you drowsy but it is very mild and it will help you sleep. Megatron will you help her to the infirmary?" Doc asked him.

"Yes, do you know what caused this?" He asked.

"Not until I run a scan and tests." Doc said as she help push back the rest so Megatron could get her to the infirmary. He helped her walk and when she started trembling again, he quickly picked her up and carried her there as fast as he could. Doc ran after him as they carried her down the stairs, through the corridor and into the medical bay.

"Put her over there!" Doc said as she rushed ahead to prepare the monitors. They quickly got her settled and Doc gave him a container in case she began heaving from all the motion.

"Shalon, are you still with me?" Doc asked her as she began scanning.

"Yes." Her voice was tired, weak, and Shalon was trying to keep her eyes open. She could feel Megatron pacing behind Doc and Shalon wished he would come sit beside her but she also knew him well enough to know that this was his way of keeping calm. He would never be one to lose control of his emotions especially where love was concerned but she could feel his worry through their bond. She missed his nearness and it was one of the reasons she didn't want to come here. Megatron was reluctant to show any kind of emotional contact in public and she knew it from the bond. She whimpered for his touch but he would only send warmth and love through the bond.

"Doc, what's wrong with her?" Megatron asked after a few moments.

"I'm not sure. Either my scanner is glitching or we are having the same problem as when Shalon first came home." Doc said. "Shalon, let's try an ultra sound of your systems. I am also going to draw blood and energon and check for any viruses whether biologic or robotic." Doc stopped scanning and switched her equipment over. She pushed aside Shalon's blanket that Megatron had wrapped around her and placed the gel on her abdomen. Shalon shivered since Doc had not had time to warm the gel. Doc placed the scanning device on her tummy and began to watch the screen as she slowly ran the device across Shalon's skin. She didn't see anything unusual so she began to check other biologic organs as well as her robotic systems. Something was nagging at Doc. It had been since Shalon had come home from the Nemesis. By chance Doc decided to do a few more checks and after a few moments everyone heard Doc say,

"Well this is a surprise."

"What, what is it?" Megatron demanded. He saw Doc moving to places another device on Shalon and then they heard the unmistakable pulsing of another spark and everyone froze.

"Doc, is that what I think it is?" Optimus asked softly after a long moment in which everyone watched Megatron to make sure he wasn't going to crash.

"Do you remember when I had you come in for an extra checkup?" Doc asked Shalon suddenly.

"Yes but what does that have to do with this?" She asked.

"I could have sworn you were carrying. You showed all the physical symptoms except the nauseous." She said. "When I ran tests they kept coming back negative. Now I run an ultra sound and you are not only carrying but you have been carrying almost as long as Chelsea. You are not showing in the same way as she is."

No one made a sound as Doc's words sank in. Then finally Allie laughed.

"It figures." Allie said.

"How does this figure? She could have lost the sparkling today from all the activity she did!" Megatron snarled. He was furious that Doc had not found out about this sooner.

"I meant that I am not surprised because Shia did the same thing when she was carrying Shalon. I didn't mean it in any derogative way." Allie explained. Megatron seemed to calm somewhat but Allie could tell he was upset.

"Megatron," Allie said softly as she walked closer to him and away from Shalon. She wanted to make sure that Shalon didn't hear her soft words. "Are you okay with Shalon carrying?"

"I am not surprised but I had hoped for her sake that we wouldn't have one this soon." Megatron replied softly. "She is so young and now she seems so frail."

"She may look frail but she is tough and courageous. I mean she took on you and survived. How many femmes can catch a mech like you and hold on to them?" Allie said ruefully and smiled.

She could tell though that Megatron was not fully convinced. He was worried about his mate and nothing that Allie could say could stop him from worrying.

"Megatron," Optimus said as he looked between his mate and him. "She is strong and the spark beat is very strong. I'm sure that this just caught up with Shalon, that's all."

"I agree with Optimus. She just had an upset and her system is already calming." Doc said to reiterate what Optimus said. "The sparkling is in the carrying chamber and is already starting to assimilate a protoform. She probably over did it today at the picnic and with her system burning extra energon to form and protect the sparkling her body decided to protest."

Megatron calmed some more. Shalon looked over at him with tears.

"My lord," She said softly. "Do you want this?" She said suddenly afraid of his answer. They had never talked about their future and now here they were facing being parents.

Megatron looked at her as he realized her tears were from fear and uncertainty. He quickly took the chair next to her berth.

"Shalon, look at me." He said softly. She looked into his optics, tears swirling in hers. "I know we didn't talk about this but I have thought about it and I think that you would be wonderful as the carrier of my sparkling." Shalon broke down and began to cry softly as Megatron reached over and pulled her to him. "It's okay sweet spark. You are going to be alright. It's just a shock that's all." He cooed to her as she wrapped her arms around him. He hadn't meant to upset her so much. It was just a shock that what he thought was an illness turned out to be her carrying and not just a week or so along but since almost the beginning of their bond.

"We'll give you a few moment alone to talk about this." Doc said as she shooed Allie and Optimus out. She unhooked the ultra sound and turned the monitors off and stood up to leave.

"Thank you Doc." Megatron said as he looked up at her before she left. Doc smiled down at the war lord and clapped him on the shoulder plate as she left.

"Are you alright?" He asked her softly.

"I don't know." She cried as she snuggled into his chest.

"Shalon, do you want this? The sparkling?" He asked her. Shalon thought about the life growing inside her body. She began to tremble again and Megatron held her firmly.

"Will it change us?" She finally asked fear evident in her eyes and it dawned on Megatron what she was afraid of.

"Shalon, you are my mate. You are the one that had captured my spark and made it a part of yours." He nuzzled her cheek. "Whether we have one sparkling or a dozen will never change how I feel about you." Shalon began to cry fresh tears as she pulled his helm down to her.

"I love you so much, my lord but I don't want you to feel trapped. I never wanted that. I just wanted to be with you, to feel you as I submitted to you." She cried as she clung to him. "With a sparkling, I'll be split between the two of you and I don't want it to come between us."

"But darling, it is a part of us. We made it and I promise I won't let it come between us. I promise you. I will be here for you." He said.

"But how? Won't you go back to the Nemesis? I can't stay there with you forever. I am a part of this place." She cried and Megatron rubbed small circles in her back. "I'm scared. I knew that it could happen but I guess I thought it would happen later."

"Shalon, I want you and I want this sparkling. I need to know if you can be strong." He said.

Shalon looked up at him and saw his face plates. She reached up and touched his cheek as he turned and nuzzled her hand. "I need to know that you can do this. There are so few of us left and I really need to know that you can handle this. I won't leave you and I will do what it takes to keep you and our sparkling safe."

She watched him for a few more moments and then she smiled through her tears. "You want this sparkling?"

"Yes, I want it and you. You belong to me and I protect what belongs to me." He told her.

"I love you and I will love it." She said trembling again as his words impacted her CPU.

Doc and the others walked in as they witnessed the couple holding each other, loving each other.