Well I certainly am getting some interesting comments on Sentinel Prime. I'm basing him off of the Dark of the Moon movie. I'm still mad that he took out my favorite, Ironhide. I hope that everyone is enjoying the story. I am trying to write as much as possible but I am in the middle of a job change and I am having to deal with all of that. Please take a moment to review my chapters because it is very important for me. Enjoy!
"Do you see that?" Doc asked Shalon as she moved the monitor around on her abdomen. Shalon looked closely with Megatron watching intently next to her. Both were excited to see their first glance at their sparkling as Doc had measured her stomach and then checked her for any abnormalities. Doc said that she looked good and her energon test had come back with plenty of nutrients for proper formation of the protoform. Her only concern for Shalon was that she still seemed quite small through the abdomen which was surprising since part of the genetic pattern had come from her mate, Megatron. Doc hadn't said anything to the couple because she didn't want to alarm them, but Doc felt confident that the ultra-sound would alleviate any of her fears before having to say something to them.
Shalon seemed to be more excited by the sparkling and both Hook and Doc were glad. Ratchet had told them that she would pull out of the depression but even he had seemed hesitant about it. Whatever Megatron had done to stop the fear that had been knowing at the femme they were glad and Doc had told him so as soon as she had a chance in private to tell him.
"Do you want to know whether it is a femme or a mech?" Doc asked as she would move the monitor and then stop to take a picture before moving to the next side. Shalon looked at Megatron.
"Do we want to know?"
"Do you want to know, my darling? I would if you don't mind."
"What if you are not happy with the outcome?"
"It is a part of us and I will accept anything that Primus gives us."
"Okay my lord. I sort of want to know but I wanted it to be your decision. Thank you."
"Little minx."
"And you love it."
Shalon looked at Doc and saw that she was still waiting for an answer. Shalon looked at Megatron and smiled.
"We would like to know if you don't mind Doc." Megatron replied after sharing a smile with Shalon.
"Well, if you look at the screen you will see a very small protoform." Both turned to the screen and Shalon saw, after focusing carefully on the it, a small body moving within her carrying chamber. It seemed very petit for a mech and Shalon wondered if it was a femme.
"Is that…"
"Yes, Shalon, you are carrying a femme." Doc said and Shalon looked up at Megatron. He was focused on the screen for a moment and Shalon's EM field dimmed a bit.
"You're not happy about it are you?" She asked scared that he had wanted a mech. Megatron looked at her after a moment.
"Of course I am happy, Shalon. It doesn't matter whether it is a femme or a mech just as long as you are happy and healthy." He smiled as he leaned down and bestowed one of his rare sincere public kisses to reassure her. She smiled at him and raised her hand to his cheek plate in gratitude. She let out a shaky breath and even Doc was relieved. Ratchet and Hook both hovered nearby just in case, but the tension ebbed as Megatron leaned back and smiled in awe of the screen that showed them their sparkling.
"So a femme. I guess you are going to paint the nursery pink." Megatron said with distaste.
"No, I was thinking a lavender." She said smiling at him. Hook chuckled at her humor. "You're insignia is purple, right? I like purple but for a little femmling we would need it a little softer."
"If we are successful with the negotiations there might not be a need for insignias." Ratchet stated softly. "Why bring up a beautiful femmling with divided loyalties."
"I concur, but if we do decide to take our insignias off there is still no reason not to do the nursery in lavender. It is what my mate wants and I want her to have what she wants." Megatron arrogantly told Ratchet and he huffed at the Decepticon war lord. Doc snickered at the two. She had yet to tell Ratchet that she was carrying and couldn't wait to tell him that their sparkling would probably go to school with Megatron's sparkling.
"A femme." Megatron said again out loud to himself and smiled with pride.
"A femme." Shalon reiterated as she looked at him pleased.
"Your sparkling is mall but so was Shalon when Shia was carrying her. Everything looks good and I am pleased that you have come out of the depression that had gripped you last week." Doc said all business again. She smiled at Shalon. "You are doing well keeping the nutrients down?"
"Yes, the morning sickness is much better." Shalon replied.
"Good." Doc said. "I want you to stay on light duties. The next few weeks the sparkling is going to get stronger and grow. I would not be surprised if it came early. If you are like your carrier all four of her were at least two to four weeks earlier. That will not be a problem as long as you take it easy. We don't want her to come too early though."
"I'll make sure that she doesn't over do it." Megatron said with an edge to his voice. Shalon rolled her eyes. As if!
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"Starscream, do you have a minute?" Allie asked him.
"I was on my way to meet Kiki but I told her in ten. Is everything alright?" He asked and Allie had to smile. Seekers were so much alike in their basic core programming. They were beings that worshiped freedom and yet they still retained that desire to please whoever it was that lead them.
"Has Kiki mentioned a project to you?" Allie asked him.
"She has." They were walking towards Allie office and once there, Allie closed the door and motioned for Starscream to take a seat. She dimmed the window so that no one could see into her office and then she turned and took her chair behind the desk.
Allie smiled at Starscream. "I am glad that she had mentioned the project to you. I know that she is very excited about it and I have given her free reign to pick the colors and décor to however she likes. I haven't told her what I intend to do with the house." Allie waited a moment and watched Starscream. He looked directly at her without saying a word.
"The house is a present to you." She smiled as she watched the astonishment roll over Starscream's face plates.
"What? How? I mean why?" He asked all at once and Allie laughed. She loved these types of surprises because they were so rare.
"Humans have a custom in their culture. When they have family or friends that marry they give them a gift. Katarina is a very special femme and she is loved by everyone here. My only regret is that you did not know her before she was captured. It is rare to have a mech or femme that everyone just adores and when one comes it is so unique. Katarina is one of those rare and unique people and you have given her a second chance at living. You have given her the dignity and self-respect back that was stolen from her. We have all tried but you succeeded. It is the least that I can do for you and for her." Allie leaned back as she watched Starscream's reaction. After a few moment he finally stood up.
"Thank you, Allie. Thank you so much. This means a lot."
"No, thank you for what you did and I know this is just a starter home but I thought it would suffice as you and Katarina are just beginning your life together." Allie smiled as she too rose and reached out her hand in a human gesture she had learned from politics. Starscream took it and shook her hand and nodded his helm in gratitude, and then he walked out.
0o0o0o0o0o0o
Doc was in her office doing paperwork when Ratchet walked in.
"Cassandra, is there anything you need to tell me?" Doc looked up from her data pad and gazed at Ratchet.
"You only use that name in two places and sense we are not in our berth I can only assume that you want to have a serious discussion." She stated as he took the chair opposite of her desk.
"I do. How are we going to divide the duties between three senior medics?" Doc gaped at him for a moment so sure that he had guessed her secret that she had to try and focus on Ratchet so he wouldn't become concerned.
"Well…well…I thought that maybe… I could continue my work in bio-genetics. I have been working on a cure for one of the southern planets where that had been engaged in biologic warfare where their adult die by age thirty due to some degenerative disease that eats at the organs. Unfortunately they are born with the disease and it is passed on the their children. The last time there I had created a vaccine that was able to stop it from spreading to the unborn fetus but there still is no cure for the adults."
Ratchet smirked at her as he folded his arms behind his helm. "So you are giving up your position as Chief Medic?"
"I would like to, yes. It would be nice to open an office in the city and work three days a week. I would fill in the other two days here and of course I want to be the O/B for the femmes that are carrying. I like doing deliveries. It would be nice to slow down."
"Okay, I don't know what Hook has in mind. I also found out that Knockout had medical training."
"He hasn't said anything to me. I think he is more concerned with courting Sara, only Primus knows why he would try to court her though." Doc shuddered as she thought about that complication.
"I think that I would want you to be Chief Medic here. I haven't talked to Hook yet but I think he would enjoying being the travelling medic. We still need one on Moon base 5, and then there is also a post at Antica. You and he could share the Chief Medic position and do a rotating schedule. There are several possibilities." Doc reflected what those benefits would be and she hoped that it would be good incentives for Hook.
"Ratchet, I have something else I need to talk to you about." Doc said softly. She leaned forward. "I won't be opening a clinic until our sparkling is born." She laughed at the confused then incredulous expression that Ratchet wore.
"I suspected it a week ago. I had the nurse to the test today before Shalon had her appointment." Doc was worried because the shocked expression still had not been erased. "Ratchet, are you okay with this news. I know we did not discuss it but I want one and I thought you did too."
Ratchet suddenly stood up and quickly pulled Doc's desk aside. Doc gasped and her eyes grew big as he kneeled at her feet so that he could be optic to eye with her. He cradled his hands around her face and leaned in to kiss her.
"I am very happy, Cassandra." He simply said as the shock began to dim and Ratchet's face and chassis lit up with pride and pleasure.
"Thank you Ratchet. For a moment there I thought you were going to crash." She said laughing.
"No, I'll save that for Prowl or Red Alert." He hugged her close to him as he kissed her again.
"Have you had any sickness? Weakness?" He asked suddenly.
"No, nothing. The scan said I was a week along so it happened just after you arrived here." She smiled at him as she leaned down and kissed him on the nose plate.
"I love you." She said smiling at him.
"I love you too, my dear sweet medic." He answered.
"Am I interrupting?" Hook asked smirking at the couple from the door way. "Thundercracker and Aura are here for their appointment."
"Duty calls." Doc said as she stood up with Ratchet following. The afternoon and evening were definitely rounding out to be a splendid day.
