I am excited about the last set of reviews. I am glad that everyone enjoyed the last chapter.

I am in the middle of chairing an auction for my church so the updates may get a little scarce since I am deeply committed in trying to raise as much money for our Youth Camp project.

I hope that the reviews continue since they fuel my desire to continue to write. I also hope that the last few chapters don't get dark because I am going through some pretty emotional days since one of my friends killed herself. It was very unexpected and no one saw it coming but we are all coping and she is in a better place where her depression can't attack her any more.

Hound is the last transformer that I will write about in this series and Mirage and Raven will eventually settle so don't worry. Without further ado, please enjoy the reading and don't forget to leave a little note for me!

She was an enigma! Hound had asked her out three times and each time she kept turning him down, yet she flirted with him by coming and talking with him at least once a week. The program she wrote and the school performed had received rave reviews from the orphanage and local parents of the students. Hound enjoyed the two part harmony and the rounds that the children performed while helping to keep student quiet back stage until their turn to sing. Hound just couldn't fathom why she would not go out on a date with him or allow him to formally court her.

He silently graded papers as his CPU heated in frustration at the dilemma that kept looping through and playing over and over. His students glowed with pleasure when he decided to take them on a field trip along the back of the ball field and hiking down to the creek to collect specimens for them to build a habitat in the science room. Perceptor had been appalled to find all types of organic insects, fish, and a rare find, a turtle, tucked away in his pristine science room that he shared with the peace loving biology and geology teacher. Hound found it amusing as he listened to the students laugh and joke about Perceptor's face plates when he turned the lights on to discover that the tiny lizard they found sitting on his desk after escaping his warm habitat. Cassie listened to Perceptor's tantrum while silently collecting the beautiful majestic creature and returning him to his habitat of bugs and heat lamps that kept him warm and happy.

Hound pondered the femme that was slowly creeping into his spark. The warm air was changing outside and Hound listened to the gentle howl as the leaves shifted to their golden and red hues before leaving the branches to litter the damp ground from the changing air currents and storms that rolled through the sky. Hound sat at his desk finishing the dissection papers that his students turned in. It pained him to slice into the wonderful organic life but Cassie assured him that it was part of the cycle of life and students needed the experience of dissection to appreciate the value of each and every being.

Hound looked up to see that it was time for Nocturne to take her break as he heard the bell ring. She usually walked in about the time he finished the last paper but today she was late. He wondered if he should go and check on her before his next class. She had missed temple and Hound felt lonely without her beautiful music playing between prayers and worship to Primus. When he asked the other teachers, the fourth grade teacher informed him that she was taking time off for personal reasons.

Hound stood up and walked out of the science room. He turned right and headed out the door and down the ramp to the next building where he knew Nocturne's music room was. He put his pass code into the secure entrance to the building and turned to the left. Her room was the first door inside the hallway and Hound gently knocked waiting patiently for an answer. He heard footsteps and strangely they did not sound like hers and he was right as a sub opened the door.

"Oh hi Hound, do you need something?" Pam asked as she looked expectantly up at him appraising the utility green paint of his armor.

"Uh no Pam, I was looking for Nocturne." He said bashfully expecting Nocturne to turn up at any moment.

"She has to take some time off. I am subbing for the next two weeks until she gets back." Pam informed him as she stepped back. "Can I help you with anything or do you need to come inside?"

"No but thank you for telling me that she isn't here." Hound rubbed the back of his helm perplexed. Where was she and why did she need time off?

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"Allie, are you going in to work tomorrow?" Optimus asked her as he set the breakfast energon on the table while Allie nursed Elita. They had sat down as a family to eat before Optimus went to work and now the boys were chattering away before Optimus dropped them off for preschool. Roddy and Orion enjoyed their time at school because both were very social mechlings while Elita and Optronix would go to a "Mom's Day Out" program two days a week so that Allie could go in to work.

"I am planning to Optimus. Why did you ask?" Allie replied as she settled Elita before placing her in the high chair that Wheeljack made for the little femme.

"There has been a new development occurring in the south quadrant and Prowl would like for you and Soundwave to analyze it." Optimus said as he handed her the other twin sparkling for feeding.

"Saraphina would be better at researching it since she used to be undercover in that area. If anything is occurring then she would have a keen insight about what is going on." Allie told him as she struggled to get her smallest son to latch on. He had been fussy and Allie thought about seeking out Ratchet to make sure he wasn't coming down with a virus since that he and little Elita were doing to daycare two times a week. Allie had just increased her office work to two days a week instead of one while taking short breaks to nurse the twins.

"I still want you to take a look since you have commanded in this area before we were here." Optimus told her. He turned to take care of their older sparklings and then let them down to get their toys before leaving. "Hurry you two," Optimus called after them and then turned back to his bond mate. "Allie, will you be alright with the twins?"

"Of course Optimus why would you even ask that?" She laughed to take the harshness out of her words and Optimus smiled tenderly at her.

"I just worry that I am placing too much on you." He stood and then leaned over to kiss Allie on her helm before turning back. "Come on mechs, your sire needs to get to work."

"Okay, sire we are coming." They heard Roddy shout out before both he and his brother came running into the living area. Optimus scooped them up in a hug and nuzzled their helms against the plate of his cheek.

"Let's roll out."

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Raven sighed as she rested in their berth. The sparkling was growing rapidly and Ratchet estimated that he would have an early sparking at the rate he was developing. Mirage seemed pleased with both her and the little mechling's progress but the last week limited Raven's activities since tiredness began enveloping her system once again. Mirage had already left for patrol and Raven was left momentarily alone until Mia came to sit with her. Allie assigned different femmes to stay with her since she was close to sparking and Mirage could not get off his patrols. Something seemed up in the air with everyone in the Hall and even Mia was running late. Raven let out another sigh as she turned on her side, the sparkling limiting her movement, making it hard for her to get comfortable on the berth. She missed Mirage and wished that he was here rubbing her back or working the knots out of her legs from the stress and pressure of carrying.

The sparkling moved sending love and contentment to its carriers and Raven smiled as she rubbed his little peds through the skin and mesh of her protoform and skin. He loved to play with his carrier and Raven smiled as she returned the love and reassurance to her little one. It was their favorite game and Mirage would join them at night while they watched a family movie together. Mirage was trying hard to make her happy and Raven had to give him credit. He truly loved her and it made her feel guilty that she was so unsure of her feeling towards him but she also knew that she needed him and hoped that one day it would grow into something more.

She hated Shockwave even though he could no longer control her. She never realized how angry she felt until he could no longer have power over her. It made her feel restless at times or angry that she could not feel more for Mirage. They talked about family counseling but Raven knew she needed time on her own to deal with the feelings of loss and helplessness that Shockwave briefly instilled within her for the short amount of time they were together. Raven wanted to overcome it so that she would not pass it on to her sparkling. They were trying to regenerate their species not pass insecurity and weakness to the next generation. So many lives had been lost and now they had a chance to start over and correct the mistakes of their ancestors.

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"Optimus, do you have a moment?" Megatron asked him as he knocked and then strode in without waiting for an answer. The red and blue truck former looked up from the data pad that he was reading to smile ruefully at his brother.

"Megatron is there a problem?" Prime asked as he leaned back to focus on the former warlord.

"Have you talked to Allie about our dead?" Megatron asked. He sat down to face his brother. Optimus regarded him thoughtfully thinking carefully how to answer the gun former.

"No, most of our dead were buried in the catacombs on Cybertron before we left. Jazz's body was repaired and held in a hangar that only our own were allowed in. I didn't want the chance of any human government or military getting a hold of him and dissecting him for their own purpose. All others were left in the Laurentian Abyss. We wanted to make sure there were no races of our technology that could fall in the wrong hands. Gears is handling Jazz's body along with Huffer. I haven't told Allie yet but many of Jazz's friends and co-workers want him buried here with others that the femmes have entombed. Is there a problem with that?" Optimus looked directly at his brother.

"No but we have some that Soundwave and Starscream want to transport here. We don't normally keep out dead but these were officers that served well and deserve to be honored." Megatron said neutrally. He didn't personally care what happened to them since they could no longer serve a purpose but Sunstorm was a seeker and to keep his seeker population happy he had to concede to some of their wishes. There were a few others as well since most had died, like the Autobots, on Cybertron.

"I will talk to Allie tonight. In all honesty I have been putting this conversation off since Raven is due to spark soon. I didn't want to worry her with it." Optimus said quietly, the sadness filtering through his voice, and he looked down momentarily as he stared at the data pad in front of him though the words blurred. He missed Jazz terribly and knew that his SIC missed him as well though Little Jazz inspire hope in all.

"Thank you for taking care of this. If you need me to be there let me know." Megatron said rising from his chair.

"No, it is better that I handle this on my own. It was devastating to here when she found out on earth and it will not be a pleasant conversation tonight so I think it will be better for me to handle this alone after the sparklings are put to berth." Prime looked up at the massive grey form of his brother and Megatron nodded in acceptance of his words. "I will see you later before the shift ends?" It was said as a question and Megatron smiled briefly as he nodded an affirmative and left Prime's office.