Well I am glad that I picked Jolt for the next mech to romance a femme. It seems that some of you are excited about the idea of a new story within a story. I am also trying to develop Hook and Arcee's romance.

I am glad that everyone is enjoying the story. Please take a moment to review because I love to know what my readers are thinking. Enjoy!

"Arcee, what did you think of Ratchet's and Wheeljack's new invention?" The fellow nurse that also assisted in the medbay at Moon base 5 asked her as they were walking to the rec room to get some energon.

"I think that it will be wonderful because it will help save sparklings that are sparked prematurely by imitating the carrying chamber." Arcee said. They watched the mechs walk by appreciating their forms and Arcee giggled. "I didn't think that mechs were so horny." She commented as she watched their optics follow their forms.

"Well, Com. Did say that it had gotten worse since the new ones had arrived from earth. I mean just imagine being in space so long without anyone to warm you through the loneliness of space. I shudder at the thought." The young femme said and Arcee laughed.

"I know what you mean but the mechs look but they haven't approached me in a while." Arcee murmured. She looked at the other femme because she usually didn't discuss things of an intimate nature except with Waverly.

"Maybe someone likes you and has staked a claim but just hasn't decided to court you yet."

"I don't know but I wish he would make a move so I could decide if I want to be courted by him or not." Arcee stated and both femmes laughed. "I doubt that is what is happening. I mean they would have made a move by now."

"I am sure you are right but don't be surprised if that is the case." The other femme said and it sounded like a prophetic statement.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Allie lay in the berth while Optimus checked on the twins. She was utterly sated from her mate's loving and it surprised her that Optimus was such an insatiable lover. She rested her head against the pillows as she felt her tanks churn uneasily. It had been happening in the evenings and Allie was hesitant to go to Doc because she was afraid of facing the true answer. Deep down she knew she was carrying but she had not had the extreme morning sickness like she had with the twins so she kept it to herself. She was scared of breaking the balance that she had with her family and even though she had a feeling that Optimus suspected she still had not told him. It was difficult to keep it from him since it was a constant thought drifting through her CPU. It was only a matter of time that she would have to tell him and then announce it to the others, as well as start the supplements, but for just a few more days she wanted to keep her secret to herself and enjoy her twins before their family became more complicated.

"Allie," she looked over her shoulder to see her lover enter their berth room and smiled, "you are brooding about something. Why don't you tell me?" Optimus said softly and the feeling that he knew overwhelmed her.

"Optimus, can I just have a few more days to be in denial?" She said just as softly as her mate. Optimus looked at her for the longest moment and then expelled air through his vents.

"As long as you don't endanger your health I will give you a few more days." He finally conceded. He pulled his frame onto the berth and carefully draped himself around her. "I hope that it is a femme this time." He whispered into her ear, "one that has your coloring from when you were on Cybertron. I always did like the pink with white accents and your beautiful helm with the audial fins."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Arcee, did you refuel today?" Hook asked her and she looked up from the desk that she was sitting at while composing a letter to Waverly. She had been with her friend when she had delivered a beautiful red and gold femme that neither Cliffjumper nor Waverly could deny as theirs. She was equally decorated with both her sire's and carrier's colors and Arcee thought she was the most beautiful femme that she had ever seen.

"I did my lord and thank you for checking on me." Arcee meekly told her superior. She glanced down shyly from the desk that she was writing her letter on. It was on the farther side of her berth room that she was assigned to near the window and she liked the warmth of the smooth metal that the desk was made out of.

"Good, I just wanted to see that you were recharged and doing well." Hook said and started to turn to leave.

"My lord…" Arcee started. She felt that something else needed to be said but wasn't sure how to start. Hook turned back to look at her.

"Yes Arcee…" He said softly as she rose from her chair and walked around the berth to face him. She stopped within two arm's length and exhaled slowly as she looked at him.

"Thank you for caring but I have to ask something from you." She said slowly as she looked down for a moment before returning his gaze.

"What is it that concerns you, Arcee?" Hook asked softly.

"Waverly asked me if you might be the one who is stopping any mech from courting me. I know that we work together quite a bit and that sometimes we have to spend extra time together but would you really stop me from finding a potential mate?" Arcee asked nervously. It was Waverly who had posed the question to her and Arcee felt that her friend was wrong. She was so confident that Waverly was wrong that she had made up her mind to ask Hook no matter how embarrassing it seemed. Hook looked at her for the longest moment and Arcee suddenly felt insecure about the situation and started to hold her breath.

"Would it be so bad that I did warn a few mechs away?" He asked her softly and took a step forward. Arcee took a step back careful not to let him too close. She wasn't sure how she felt and she didn't want to get herself caught in a bad situation.

"Hook…what are…. What are you saying?" She said in shock as she took two more steps back when he took another step towards her.

"I am just saying that would it be so bad if I wanted to be the one to court you?" He said again as he took another step and Arcee felt the berth touch the back of her knees and loose her balance. She landed with a sudden plop and Hook was there in an instant to make sure she hadn't hurt herself. He knelt down and cradled his arms around her and Arcee looked at him in alarm.

"I am not going to push you, Arcee but I want to court you." Hook said softly and growled. He went down on his knees joints in front of her as she stared wide eyed at him. "Arcee, will you answer me?"

"I don't know what to say," indeed she was surprised because they had worked almost a year together and he had never once given her the impression that he was interested. "I am flattered that you are interested but why now?" She asked still somewhat shocked but it was slowly fading to give her logical thought.

"I have wanted to ask you for a while but I am not a mech that just goes after what I want. I wanted to be sure of my intentions before involving you. If my feelings were not sure then I would not have wanted to hurt you. You are a sweet strong willed femme who knows what you want in life. I wouldn't want to change that about you." Hook looked at her earnestly as he spoke and Arcee felt warmth flood her spark. He was a handsome mech but not in the traditional ways. His frame was sturdier for the work he did and his hands were chiseled and rough from being part of a construction team plus he worked hard and was precise in his details and Arcee wondered if they would be good as a balance for each other. She tended to be rash and impulsive where he was methodical and demanded perfection.

"Hook, can we just take it one day at a time. I really like you but we seem to be opposites in personality." Arcee finally said.

"Are you saying that it is alright to court you?" Hook asked back just to be sure he understood what she was saying.

"Yes please, I would like that very much." Arcee said and smiled shyly at Hook and Hook was very pleased.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"I thought you would be beating down my door by now." Shayla said to one of her oldest friends.

"Optimus wouldn't let me." Allie said and smiled as she ushered Shayla into the living quarters.

"Where's Optimus Prime?" Shayla asked as she looked around the living area. She could still see Allie's simplistic touches but then Optimus had added his pictures from Iacon and then the few he had taken while living on base with N.E.S.T. and then later the ones of the Ark that they had brought back from the moon. Shayla looked at the gallery of pictures that Allie had combined together and hung on the wall. It was them in a nutshell and Shayla appreciated the style. Her favorite pictures were the ones of the twins recently taken from when they had gone to Thundercracker's house and played on the beach.

"Optimus went out to check some reports with Soundwave and Prowl. They are on patrol and surveying a new area of the quad. I think that Megatron and Starscream may join them later." Allie said as she watched Shayla a moment while she studied all of her family pictures. "Shayla, are you and Sentinel…"

"You always come right to the point." Shayla said and laughed. "Yes we are bonded and I knew Sentinel when he was Prime before Optimus. If things had gone differently we would have been bonded long ago but he is stubborn and so am I so we tend to do things the hard way." Shayla glanced at Allie and smirked at her dumbfounded expression. "No other femme would have him and I am to possessive now that I have had him so don't be too shocked. I love him and I loved him when I was a senator but I was too stubborn to admit it then."

"I'm not and I think that is why I am shocked." Allie said and then both of them shared a laugh together. "I think that deep down when I asked you to do the favor I knew that you would be the one to tame him."

"
Wait just a minute; taming Sentinel is like catching a gato by the tail. You know the minute you think you have won it is going to turn on you and attack. I don't think taming is the right word I would associate with Sentinel." Shayla giggled and Allie had to laugh at her. She may be the elder of the two but Shayla always had a youthful way of looking at things.

"Does he make you happy?" Allie asked after a moment.

"He makes me very happy Allie and he gives me hope that my brother may still be out among the stars alive." Shayla answered honestly.

"Then I am happy for the both of you but don't take any scrap from him." Allie stated.

"Oh don't worry; he knows that I won't let him get away with anything." Shayla said emphatically.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Jolt sat in the rec room drinking his energon and listening to the femmes and mechs that flitted in and out of the room. Bumblebee and Stargazer were playing a ping pong game in the corner while waiting for Stargazer to go on patrol with Hound and Gears. Ironhide and Mia were arguing over a video game and Jolt wondered where Stronghide was but wasn't interested enough to ask them.

"Hey Jolt." Optimus said. "I was going to go with Doc to see Emalia. Do you want to come as well?" Optimus stood towering above Jolt since he was sitting at the table but as soon as he saw his commander he stood.

"Yes sire I would like that. Are we going now?" He wondered.

"Yea, walk with me." Optimus said and he left allowing Jolt to step in to follow next to him. They walked out of the rec room in silence and Jolt wondered why Optimus was allowing him to see her early.

"I thought you might want to check on her since you have shown an interest." Jolt blinked his optics in surprise wondering if Optimus was so intuitive that he had read his CPU. "I would if it was Allie that was in trouble." Optimus added quietly and Jolt understood that he was giving him a chance to show interest in the femme.

"Thank you sir, I do want to know how she is feeling." Jolt answered as they entered the corridor that Emalia's door was on. They stopped at her door and Optimus entered the code that would allow them entrance to her quarters. As Jolt heard the beeping of the code and then the door depressurizing Doc came around the corner and joined them.

"Sorry, but I had to go see Shayla for a few minutes and check to make sure her foot was healing correctly." Doc said as she joined them. The door opened and Jolt saw Emalia sitting at her desk waiting for them but then she turned surprised eyes to him and he smiled reassuringly.

"Emalia, I hope that it is alright for Jolt to join us." Optimus told her.

"Hello Jolt; I have missed being on patrol with you. I hope everything is alright." Emalia said as she smiled at her newest friend. Optimus smiled behind his battle mask as he watched the young couple interact. He could see that Jolt had already laid the ground work towards being friends with the femme and that would help a lot in alleviating her fears.

"I wanted to come sooner but Optimus said I had to have permission." Jolt knelt down next to her as he reached and took her hands in his.

"Jolt, you might not want to be friends with me anymore. I have done something terrible." She said it with great sadness in her eyes and Jolt's spark pulsed in sympathy.

"Ema, I know a little bit about what happened and I do admire you for wanting to make things right for your friends. I don't blame you and I know that you realize that your actions were the incorrect ones. If I didn't care I wouldn't have come." Jolt told her very seriously as he looked into her eyes. Doc looked on with interest but didn't say anything.

"Jolt, I… I hurt a friend and commander of yours as well as hurt one of my own friends. I can't even seem to forgive myself. How can you?" She whispered brokenly.

"It's easy. You didn't mean to and you were only trying to save your friend's feelings. We have all done something that later seemed foolish or had dangerous after effects. It is how we learn from our mistakes. I couldn't blame you for learning something the hard way." He said while smiling wryly at her.

"Thank you." She said after taking her time to think over his words.

"You are welcome." He replied as he kept her hands enclosed within his own.