Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Just the plot and OCs.

I should be finishing up my finals papers.

But I'm not.

Chapter 26

"Me want down," Bumblebee whimpered as for some unknown reason the two medics kept jabbing him it the back even though he was quite sure yelps of pain from a youngling were the universal signs of 'please stop'. It seemed Fire and Aid had forgotten that little detail this orn.

This was not something that pleased the tiny yellow mechling however, and he was making that quite known by the whirling and whimpering he was doing as he yanked hard on the bond that linked him to Sunny and Sides trying to make the two big glitches stop standing there doing nothing and make the medics stop hurting him.

From where he was being pinned in First Aid's palm faceplate down on his belly he can see through the medic's red fingers the twins flinch as he pulled on the bond. Those deep blue optics narrow and conflicted as they watched him being poked, but for the first time in his life the twins didn't come running when he called them.

His big baby blue optics widened.

What the frag was going on around here!?

"Down. Aid. Please. Down! Hurts. Me Sorry." He wasn't even sure what he'd done, but whatever it was it wasn't on purpose. He'd fix it if they'd just let him down and stop poking him because it hurt!

"Hang on a klick, Bumblebee." First Aid muttered as Fire pressed a bit harder into the budging plating on the youngling's back. He gave another cry of pain that had both his pups snarling at their feet, but this time Fire got what she was after with the touch. The plating over the top right bump under Bee's shoulder blade and next to his main backstrut buckled with the pressure of the push and the bright femme saw what she'd needed.

A growing doorwing.

Bumblebee . . . was growing two sets of doorwings.

Well . . . their lives just got a lot more complicated.

There was a long moment of silence in which all of them—even the femmes who Mirage had not told what he'd found too—simply stood there staring at him. It was unnerving for the spy who by now was so use to going unnoticed that it made him want to switch on his clocking and vanish. Mirage was no coward though. He'd been sent on this mission to find out what, where, and how. He'd been sent to discover the secrets that were the tiny sparkling that had been thrust into all their lives.

And find it all he did.

He had the brand new scars to prove it.

It seemed however, that the only one among those before him that seemed to be able to get a damn word out was the hulking beast of a giant thing Mirage really wasn't all that sure he remembered. Wasn't this that beast mech Wheeljack found out in the middle of nowhere that tried to eat Prime?

Mirage was pretty sure that's who it was.

Though the huge femme that stood uneasily beside the massive mech he was positive he had no idea who was. What did these bots do while he was gone, start an ancient bot petting zoo?

"But me Grimlock thought you Ironhide him Itty Bitty's Sire."

The deep rumble as that massive head swung to lock his crimson gaze on the hulk of an ebony mech standing there in the drizzle looking like somebot shot him didn't even process at first. It took Hide a moment, too caught up in the words that wouldn't stop running on repeat through his head, but eventually the weapons specialist gave his head a good shake as he slowly turned his attention to Grimlock even if his optics never left the honest look in Mirage's noble bred optics.

"He's not my creation, Grimlock. I adopted him."

The beast mech tilted his big head. "What that mean?"

"He's his guardian, Grimlock." Jazz mumbled out his own optics staying fixed on Raj. "Adopting him means assuming responsibility and care of something."

Grimlock blinked in thought before rumbling. "Like him Wheeljack did with us Dinobots?"

A flash of warm emotion managed to make its way through the dumbstruck haze the bots found themselves in at the massive mech's words before Ratchet sighed. "Yes, Grimlock. Like that."

Another deep rumble left Grimlock before he turned his narrowing gaze back to the small blue mech he vaguely remembered. "Itty Bitty belong to us." And he was willing to squash something to prove that point. He was more than a little pissed off that the Prime and his mechs weren't seeming that way as well.

"He didn't come from any of us though." Mirage sighed, arms cross over his chest in a defensive jester. More than anything it was to keep himself in check.

All he really wanted was to turn on his heel and race to wherever it was Quickfire was.

He . . . had so much time to make up for. So much to say, so much to do, and all of it was riding on the fact of whether or not the brightly painted femme would forgive him. He knew deep down that he should be far more concerned with his current mission and the fact that the monster that created the Rings was the Sire of that tiny bundle of yellow protoform he remembered.

But he wasn't.

He wanted see to the femme that he loved.

It was selfish, but Mirage was not too proud to admit that he was a bit selfish at times. He'd been locked away in a pit hole for more vorns then he wanted to remember though.

He damn well deserved a little selfish right now!

And maybe it was a bit spiteful, but honestly, at the moment Mirage didn't care. "He came from a monster that is looking for him."

And that was when Prowl finally decided to glitch, tipping forward with a pop and a crackle only not landing on his faceplate in the mud because of Jazz's quick reflexes.

Funny thing was though, Mirage figured he was going to do that klicks ago. He guessed it just took a while for it all to catch up with the mech.

"Me Scorn confused." The giant femme grumbled with a shake of her long thin muzzle.

That kind of summed up everybot present at the moment. Maybe that's why the rich, smooth tone wasn't all that strange to hear as she gazed around at all of them like they had all lost their minds.

With what Mirage had just said. That was a likely possibility.

"He's growing WHAT!?" Sunstreaker bellowed, slamming his palms down on the medical table before him as First Aid maneuvered a still very put out Bumblebee around ignoring his frustrated clicking and whirling as he placed the mechling down on the table the golden twin had just assaulted. Partly because it would stop the mech from destroying his medical supplies and also because it would calm the little mechling down.

Bumblebee let out a unhappy huff as he was plopped down on the table that Quickfire was now digging around in the cabinets of. He still wasn't all that sure what it was Aid had told Sunny that made him yell like that. He'd been too busy being happy that Fire wasn't going to hurt him anymore. The reaction however was enough to really catch his focus enough that he turned his big optics up to gaze at the two mechs leaning against the table around him. First Aid wasn't watching him, his pale gaze was on the frontliner twins.

"I said he's growing doorwings, and another set of something. I'm not sure yet what they are. They might be a second set, but there is no way to tell until they actually grow in." First Aid repeated quietly, his gaze fixed on the two less then stable at the moment mechs. Sides actually swayed on his feet a bit before he caught himself on the table while Sunstreaker reeled back like the medic struck him before his vivid optics narrowed into dangerous slits.

"That's not possible!" The elder twin snarled, making Bee shrink down a little on the table. His antennas pinned down even lower than they already were and his spark pulsed in confusion. It earned him worried whirls and hisses from the floor as his pups tried to figure out how to get to him. Something told him Scout leaping up into the big middle of everything at the moment though was going to cause nothing but a whole lot of trouble. So it was with a quick pulse Bee told both the mech pup and his sister to stay where they were prowling around the medics' feet.

He might not have any idea what was going on at the moment, but he wanted to figure it out. The best way to do that would to be to listen.

"What do you mean it's not possible?" Quickfire huffed, popping back up from where she'd been digging around for the sedative she needed. When she righted herself her optics swept to the twins with an arched brow that dared them to question what she'd say next. "We have no Primus damn idea what makes up his coding. We have no idea what he will gain as he grows. He could grow thrusters for all the idea we have of it. Genetic coding isn't something we can scan to work out mechs. That's like saying we could figure out why his protoform is yellow or yours two is grey, or why his optics are blue or why Grimlock's are red. It's just the coding that he was sparked with. We've no control over what that will make his frame do as he grows. All we can do is make sure he has the necessary minerals and updates to make sure everything grows as it should without complications."

Sides hissed under his breath, his attention snapping down to look at the small mechling sitting there between them. Worry and dread twisted in his tanks as he opened up a comm channel between his brother, himself, and the medics.

"Doorwings . . . hurt when they grow in." He mumbled.

The short pair of doorwings that Quickfire sprouted from between her shoulders twitched as she laughed through the link. "What? Don't you think I know that? I went through it, Sides."

"I'm not saying that!" The warrior snarled only to have his voice drop off again. "I'm saying . . . they . . . that's gonna hurt him."

"Yes." She nodded. "It will hurt, but there are meds that will dull it out."

"He won't take them." Sunstreaker was fuming, though with who he wasn't yet sure.

"He'll have too." First Aid sighed. "Wings of any kind coming in, be they flier wings or grounder wings, ache when they grow. It's no different than any other protoform growing only this protoform isn't just stretching. Its contorted and jumbled up and tearing through protoform that is already there to get out. It's not a pretty processes."

"You should try going through growing them back after they get ripped off and your grown." Fire mumbled under her breath.

"Can we not even begin to bring something like that up?" Sides pinched his noseplate.

"It's just a fact, mech." Quickfire shrugged.

Sunstreaker snarled to the comment, but Bee's curious and slightly scared chirp called all attention back to him. He was gazing up between all four of them, his big confused optics clouded with unease.

"Sunny?" It came almost came out as a beep as the little mech pulled at his fingers in his lap. "What me do?"

The twins sagged as both medics sighed under their breath.

He always thought everything was his fault.

"You didn't do anything, Half Pint." Sides bent down, leaning against the table so that he was optic level with the youngling.

A tilt of that tiny head as Bee kept pulling nervously at his fingers. "Then why?"

Sides' gaze flickered up to Fire's before he leaned back and let the red, orange, and yellow painted femme crouch down to Bumblebee. Her thin arms circled him pulling him close to her chest with a soft purr.

"Bee," She started. "Do you know how doorwings grow in?"

She gave the appendages in question of her own a flex and flare behind her back, watching as their movements caught those large, intelligent optics while they gazed over her shoulder then focused back in on her own bright orbs before he shook his head.

"They're just like any other protoform, only you aren't sparked with them. Like the rest of your protoform grows as you do they form under your existing protoform until they're ready to come out. Which is why they're a bit worse than normal growth spurts. It's a lot of change at once and they have to break through the protoform that's already there instead of just growing along with what is already there." She explained.

On some level Bee figured all that had to make some kind of sense.

To somebot.

Possibly.

Just not him.

Which was why the youngling sat there wrapped in Fire's arms staring up at the femme's pretty faceplate doing nothing more than blinking every now and again until some of the words actually settled into his young processor and some of it clicked.

A slow grin worked its way up Bee's cheeks as he began to wiggle, the itching and the pain forgotten for a moment. "Me getting' wings!?"

The sheer volume of the happy squeal had Fire flailing back giving her head a good shake to try and clear her audios from the ring of Bee's tone. The response got the twins to smile a bit at him and his pups to calm down slightly but Aid shifted uneasily on his feet.

"In a manner of speaking yes, Bee."

"Fire says wings! That mean me get wings!" By this point the little ball of yellow protoform was bouncing on his tiny skidplate clapping his hands together in front of him. He looked slaggin' adorable, but the truth was there wasn't going to be anything adorable about the doorwing growing process. Now after he had them, both Fire and Aid were absolutely positive the already cute Bumblebee was most likely going to get even more adorable. If that was physically possible.

It was just a fact. When doorwings grew in on younglings they were always over-sized and cumbersome until the bot grew a bit more and learned how to really use the openly expressive and vulnerable appendages, but they were completely and utterly adorable.

But the whole in between period of when they finally managed to shove through his back and then keep pushing their way out until they were a mushy, crumbled up mess before they finally started unfurling and hardening wasn't going to be all that much fun and not in the slightest bit adorable. It was going to hurt, it was going to take a while, and it was going to be damn near impossible with a youngling that hated sedatives and refused to sit still.

Damn.

Where was Ratchet when they needed him?

"Yes Bumblebee you're getting wings, but mechling you have to listen to me for a klick." Quickfire tried to talk him down around his bouncing. However, Bee was too far gone into giddy giggle land to pay much attention to the femme now.

"Me gettin' wings! Me gettin' wings! Me gettin' wings! Me gettin' wings! Gonna get to fly!"

"Hey now, hold on there Half Pint." Sides managed to finally snake a hand around all of Bee's wiggling and clapping to latch hold of him and get him to be still. He couldn't take the glitter out of the mechling's optics though as he gazed around at all the bots giggling and twittering he was so happy.

"You're not going to be able to fly, Half Pint." Sunstreaker's words brought the giggle fest to a screeching halt.

Literally.

One of Bee's happy giggles cut off mid-stream making a static like sound from how fast his vocal processor switch gears while he whirled his head around to look up at Sunny like the golden frontliner just smacked him or something.

"Huh?" He squeaked, the static like pitch still in his voice as his vocalizer tried to reset itself.

The warrior let his optics shift up quickly to catch the medics' gazes only to see First Aid shrug. They couldn't tell what the wings that were growing in were going to look like, but they could tell that Bee wasn't starting growth on any kinds of thrusters to go along with them. When fliers grew their wings as younglings the thrusters came along with them. Airborne bots learned to fly young.

However, there were no thrusters starting up anywhere in Bee's little form. He was getting grounder wings, not the ability to fly. Even if he did for some strange reason really seem to have a desire to be able too.

That was one of those things the others hadn't figured out yet. Not many grounders ever had the urge to get off the ground. It just wasn't in their coding. For Bee to want it so bad so young . . . it was strange. Then again, most things about the tiny mech were strange. In this point in their lives there were few among this glitched as all get out family that still questioned why and how Bee did the things he did.

It didn't take all that many run-ins with Trickster and his freaky siblings for those that knew what the myths had said to ring a little eerily true. For there was something very special about Bumblebee. It only took one bit of connect with that brilliant spark of his to figure that one out.

Now if only they could figure out how to convince the little thing to take the pain killers he was going to need so that he didn't spend the next decacycle screaming as his new wings came in.

"Damn it Prowl!" Ratchet hissed, spinning on the two tone mech that Jazz was pulling back up as he hung limply in his arms. "We don't need this!"

Jazz flashed a dark smile. "Come on, Hatchet, we all knew this was overdue. Look around you mech. He can't filter through all this and not glitch just a little."

"That's not a little!" The yellow and red medic fumed as he stalked across the wet ground to pull the SIC from Jazz's arms before he went to trying to bring him back around. More so then anything so he could ignore the words swimming in his processor. Even if there was no real ignoring them.

He'd heard what the spy said, and now those few words were burned into his spark forever. No matter how he wished them away.

The Ring Emperor.

The mech the twins told him—them—about.

The mech that started and ran the Rings.

That was tiny, adorable, sweet, clever little Bumblebee's sire!?

What the frag was wrong with this world!?

"He's a bastard." Mirage mumbled. "A big, mean, scary bastard. And I never even saw him."

"And you didn't tell us this while we were running because?" Chromia glared back at the bright spy from Ironhide's side since he still seemed unable to really say much.

"Umm, because we were getting shot at for most of it." Raj tilted his head and lifted an optic ridge. "Sorry Chromia but I was trying to get us all back alive. I didn't tell you much more than his name and how he got here for a reason. There were other things on my processor. Besides I didn't go looking for you three. I just found you. You weren't the assignment. At the time it wasn't important. Now it's important."

"Important!?" Somehow that word above all the others the spy had said stuck like a blade through Hide's chest and that was when Ironhide was really able to conquer up an actual response to what the spy said. A response that was more bellow them words. "You think it's important!? Do you even know what you just said!?"

His cannons had whirled to life by the end of that and it was only Mia latching hold on his thick arm that kept the ebony mech from shooting Mirage right between the optics just because he could.

If the spy noticed Hide's murderous intent he didn't show it.

Not that he even cared about the glare.

Pit. He'd been down there. Ironhide's temper didn't scare him anymore.

"Ironhide!" Optimus' bark wasn't as powerful as it normally was. Not a fact that was missed by those present. He was still the massive commanding mech that breathed the right of respect all the same though and when he cut his narrow and pain filled gaze to his friend it burned just as it always did. This time though Hide didn't back down. If anything the massive mech puffed up even more even with Mia holding onto his arm as he glared daggers between his leader and the spy they'd long since thought dead.

Because one did not just tell an overgrown, overprotective guardian that his charge was the sparkling of a monster that was now looking for him!

That simply wasn't going to work for Hide this orn.

Nope.

Just nope.

He refused.

But since there was nothing but truth shining in Mirage's optics it was still tearing Hide open from the inside out.

"It's not like I found all this out to frag you off." Mirage sighed, giving a shrug. He was doing his job. No matter if they didn't like it. This was what they wanted, and this was what they were going to get. The truth. Even if it was ugly. "I did what you told me to do. I found out what you wanted me to, I found your fraggin' mates for Primus' sake, and I got us out of there alive so that I could bring them and what I found out back."

Optimus shifted uneasily looking down at the shorter mech unsure of what to say or do. How was he supposed to respond to that? Besides shooting something or somebot nothing really seemed all that satisfying. He wasn't all that far off Ironhide's reaction inside, but Optimus had spent far too long under the harsh glow of politics to let himself buckle. If he could keep himself standing on his feet when his sparkmate, whom he thought was dead, walked back into his life he could handle Bee's sire being . . . that.

It was all about compartmentalizing . . . and falling apart when nobot was looking.

For now though he had to be the mech his own Sire had turned him into. He couldn't do that while he was screaming while he was shooting things.

And so the giant mech took a deep breath, pushed down the overwhelming need to purge his tanks, and opened his mouth. "Tell me what you found out."

Mirage's optic ridges lifted to the mighty mech before he snorted. "No."

And didn't that get a reaction.

"No?" Jazz blinked before glancing around at the others trying to make sure he'd heard that right.

No? Did Mirage just say no?

To Prime?

Umm. What?

"Yes." The spy nodded. "No. I'm not telling you anything. Not until after I see Fire. Now if you will excuse me I think I've been away from home long enough."

So with that the blue and white mech spun around and headed the direction he'd been going in the first place. Back to the Autobots' ship.

Back to Quickfire.

The rest of them all could just go to pit for a little while. He didn't care about anything but his femme.

Bee's full bottom lip wobbled a bit as he looked around the gathered bots. "But . . . but wings. Wings mean can fly."

"Not doorwings, mechling." Fire knelt to his level with him again. "Like mine. Can I fly with mine?"

Bee's pout grew as he looked down and went back to pulling at his fingers. "No."

"You're not exactly a flier, Bee." First Aid tried to softly remind him, but all it did was make Bee pout harder a glare begin to form in his bright optics.

"Stupid fly-less wings." He huffed. "What good if can't fly?"

The four bots glanced around at each other, every set of optics in the room demand that somebot say something before that huff turned into a fit. As per usual it was Sides that went scrambling for a bright side.

"They're kind of like giant sensor hubs, Half Pint, well they are giant sensor hubs." Sideswipe shrugged. Sadly that was the best he could come up with. Desperate scramble for a distraction time. "Besides who needs to fly when you can race?"

Bee knew what the big bright mech was up too though, he knew he was just trying to distract him from being unhappy. But he kind of realized Sides might have a point. The only problem with that was Bee wouldn't be able to race for what seemed like forever. He wouldn't be able to use an alt mode until his second frame, and there was that small part of Bumblebee that was afraid he was never going to ever grow enough to get a second frame.

The part of him that knew he was small. More so then he should be.

Which might have what been what led to more pouting as he continued pulling at his fingers with his antennas pinned down to his head again. Because what were the point of wings if he couldn't fly with them?

"Bee," Quickfire let out a breath as she scooped the youngling up and brought him to rest against her chest. He made no arguments as he burrowed his tiny self into the warmth of her plating, leaning his head above where he could hear and feel her spark pumping away. He relaxed into the feeling—unsure if it was a natural youngling reaction to a carriers' spark or just him being him again—as he traced meaningless patterns over her bright orange armor while her voice rumbled through him as she went on. "Do you understand that growing these doorwings will be like the other times you've grown?"

He almost chirped from where he was burrowed, the thought of an upside brightening his gloom slightly. "Get bigger?"

"Well . . . no." She was digging around for something among the things she'd got earlier, but Bee wasn't pay much attention. He much preferred listening to her sparkbeat. It was less disappointing then finding out he was growing wings he couldn't even fly with, and that he still wasn't growing. "Most times wings come in on their own. They're enough of an onslaught to the systems as is. Do you understand what that means?"

"Wings can't fly with. Yep. Me get it. Pointless."

The twins couldn't help but chuckle at that. First Aid couldn't help the smirk that worked its way up his lips at the comment either while he went to completing the task Quickfire was trying to manage with one hand that wasn't really going as she would like. He skillfully—with a fluidness only those who had been working side by side for so long could manage—slid his hands around her own and finished the task of filling a very intimidating needle with the appropriate meds. Both medics were very sure Bumblebee wasn't going to let anybot anywhere near him with a needle of that size, and both knew it was very possible it would be better to wait for Ratchet to come back. If for no other reason then so Ironhide could be the one that Bee would bawl to while he was forced to take something he wanted to do with.

They weren't going to have that luxury though.

He was going to start to feel those budging wings in a matter of klicks and the only thing worse than a youngling crying about how much he didn't want the meds was a youngling crying about how much he hurt. And then there was the simple fact of what those who had left would do to the rest of them if they came home and found him bawling because he was in pain and they didn't do anything to stop it.

It was in everybot's best interest if they got some meds in him very soon.

"They're not pointless, Bee." Aid rolled his optics. "You might actually think they're cool once the sensors fully integrate into your sensornet."

The youngling just blinked at him.

"Yeah," Side drawled from the other side of the table. "I don't think he knows that any of that meant."

"I don't think you know what any of that meant." Fire shot him a look as she pet Bee between his flicking antennas while he held himself to her chest.

"I know that wings are jammed full of sensor panels." The warrior snapped, before a slightly devious smirk shinned into life. "We've had a bit of experience with them."

Sunstreaker snorted with a smile of his own not at all caring when the femme glared at the two of them as she covered Bee's audios. "I'll slug you both if you don't shut up."

"Awe come on now Fire we didn't say anything." Sideswipe teased.

"Get your processors out of the scrap bin!" She practically growled at the brothers. "This is not the time for this."

"Time for what?" Bee peaked up at her.

"Time for the twins to grow a sense of decorum." First Aid responded without missing a beat as he finished up with the needle.

"It not time for that?" Bee tilted his little head and two frontliners almost fell over laughing.

"Nope." The red brother almost wheezed as he clutched his sides. "You heard him. Not time for it!"

Then Sides promptly broke down into another fit of laughter while Sunny smirked. Fire and Aid didn't find it all that funny. Then again, they were the ones that were going to be trying to shove a needle full of numbing sedatives into a youngling here in a few klicks. They were the ones he was going to scream at.

Not the twins.

Lucky glitches.

"Bumblebee," Quickfire said, turning her attention back to the little bundle of protoform hugging himself to the plating over her spark. Her own orb of life was pulsing back in return to his closeness. She'd long since grown quite the soft spot for the mechling. It was impossible not to, and it wasn't often she got much bonding time with the tiny creature. That might have been partly why this was so freaking hard to go about doing. Hurting Bee was the last thing in the world she or any of them wanted—and when he got a system full of sedatives making it to where that brilliant spark of his couldn't do the very thing it was doing now, reaching out and simply feeling all that was around him, it did hurt the mechling—the problem was those wings growing in with all his nerves still fully functional would hurt him far worse in the long run. For his own good they had to get some meds in him.

He let out a soft beep in return as he tilted his head back to look up to her optics again.

"Do you understand that these wings growing in will hurt?"

And with that the snuggling youngling suddenly straightened while he gazed up at her.

Umm. No.

No he didn't understand that.

They were going to hurt?

Pointless wings he didn't even want were going to hurt?

This was so not okay!

"But . . . but me don't want pointless wings!" His bottom lip went back to wobbling. The motion causing Fire to hug him tighter against her chest as she tried to pet a reassuring finger down his backstrut. She wouldn't lie to him and tell him they wouldn't hurt. Because they would, and if he didn't have a good enough reason there was no way in pit they were going to get anything in him. So it was the truth, even if it was a bit watered down. That and she really had to get him to stop thinking these things were pointless. Because they were coming in whether he wanted them to or not. No amount of bawling was going to change that. It was only going to make them all feel even more awful about the process they could do nothing to change.

"They're not pointless, Bee." She sighed, her own flicking without her notice behind her. "Believe me, one orn you're going to like them. They have quite a few interesting qualities."

He just pouted harder.

They were going to hurt apparently and they wouldn't even let him fly. He didn't really see the point.

"The point is, Bee." First Aid went on. "You're gonna have to take some sedative until the wings fully grow in."

Bumblebee snapped to attention again like the medic already stuck him with the very long needle he suddenly realized was in the red and white medic's hand. He went as ridged as physically possible in Fire's hand when his bright optics settled on that tube full of weird green looking stuff.

He shot his optics around the gathered bots more than aware how much fear was sparkling in those orbs. Sides and Sunny cringed at the look, wanting more than anything to make it go away, but they weren't any more willing to watch the Half Pint suffer then the medics were. They would do what was best for him. Even if he wasn't going to like it.

"Come on Half Pint," Sides leaned across the table to reach out and stroke Bee across his pinned down antennas in an attempt to calm him down. "It won't be so bad. It's just for a few orns and then you don't have to have it anymore."

"I don't like sedatives." Shrinking down against Fire's chest he shivered to the very prospect. He didn't want anything to do with anything that was going to numb his spark.

"We know, but it won't be for long." Quickfire tried to assure him when he started trembling. They all knew how much not being able to feel those around him bothered Bumblebee. This wasn't going to be a choice though.

"Don't make us force you, little one." First Aid sighed quietly watching the little mech curl tighter against Fire's chest as he gazed around.

"Can't feel with them." He whined.

"It won't be as strong as the ones you had after the virus-viper, Bee. And it won't be for near as long." Aid assured him. "You'll be rid of them before you know it."

"Besides, Half Pint." Sunstreaker rumbled. "It's take it now or take it when Ratchet gets back. There is no other option. And you know ol' Hatchet will be far less happy if he comes home and finds out you refused it when you needed it."

Bee hated it when they were all right. He still wasn't happy about it, but he knew when he could win an argument and when he couldn't. His adorableness might win him more than a few battles around here, but it could only take him so far in matters such as his health. No matter what he might want in stuff like this Ratchet and his well trained apprentices reigned supreme.

And in Bee's short life so far he'd yet to see one thing that was a equally terrifying as Ratchet when somebot disobeyed his medical expertise. Considering he'd seen Hide, Optimus, and Grimlock angry. That right there was saying something.

So it seemed sedatives it were for the pointless wings he was now growing were just going to be the way things were.

With a huff and a cross of his thin arms Bee beeped out a okay.

He'd do it, but that didn't mean he was going to be happy about it.

"Nothing we say is going to stop him is it?" Jazz sighed as he watched Mirage stalk off toward where the ships where docked.

"At this point, probably not." Optimus let out a deep breath of his own before turning his attention back to the beautiful femme standing to his side once again. Elita turned her gaze up to him in return. Her bright optics shown with a mix of joy, relief, unease, and worry. A part of the powerful mech was still not fully sure he could believe it. Even if the long cold bond tethered to his spark was suddenly vibrant and of so very alive again.

It was there, but he didn't have time at the moment to fully appreciate it.

No.

What he wanted was going to have to wait—those bright optics shining up at him knew it too—Elita just smile softly at him before her attention turned over her shoulder as his gaze rested on the still slightly shaking with anger Ironhide as he glared after the spy. Held in place only by Mia's hold. Arcee was helping Ratchet, the CMO was distracting himself with the task of trying to get Prowl back to the land of the waking. With Arcee bent double beside him Jazz was leaning around her shoulder making sure his best friend was alright after he knew Mirage wasn't going to do anymore talking. He knew the two of them could get Prowl back on his feet so the silver saboteur turned back to the Prime only his gaze got stopped halfway there by the shifting of a massive silver form swaying uneasily on her powerful legs. Inching her way away from Grimlock as he stared after the returned spy Scorn watched them all carefully. When she caught Jazz's gaze though she held it. Bright, luminescent orbs seeming to bore into his visor and see all that was hidden behind it.

It made the spy uneasy in a way. Such a piercing gaze owed by such a powerful bot. It had ever instinct he had screaming to find ways to best her. He was a master saboteur after all, but the longer he held that gaze the further into her own optics he could see and he realized, this mighty creature was wary of them.

She didn't know what to do next or what to expect, and granted all that had just happened had been more than a little bit crazy. Jazz was pretty sure he might sort of be in shock, he wasn't all that sure, but somehow he didn't think any of them had fully realized yet what had truly happened yet.

And he didn't think they would until they got home.

The question on the table now was, would this strange femme be coming with them?

Scorn tossed her head still shaking off the last bit of the burning liquid that had worked its way down to her protoform, the action bringing the King's attention to her once again. When those deep crimson orbs settled on her plating the silver femme twisted herself away from him. Angling her dangerous claws and fangs back toward him as her optics narrowed. If the mech wanted to go another few rounds she wasn't about to let him get the better of her.

Grimlock didn't charge her though. He hardly even moved. For he didn't need to see her to be able to sense the tension radiating in her EM field. Now that he was looking at her though he could almost see the waves of unease surrounding her. She didn't know what to do now, obviously not trusting them enough to turn her back on them and clearly not sure what to do when they all went back to looking at her.

The ridged spikes that lined her back seemed to tense and flare out as she tensed up again making her thick armor plating contract to hide the gaps to her protoform. With the massive tail that kept her balance swishing back and forth in something between nerves and anger behind her and her neck reared up and pulled back giving her the best striking options while also keeping her vulnerable throat protected to the best of her ability she simply stood there and watched. Body language just about screaming everything her EM field wasn't. She was little more than a ticking time bomb about to go off again at the slightest miss step.

Now the Prime had dealt with ancients before—after all the Dinobots had woken up with no memory and no restraint after Wheeljack and Ratchet fixed them before—but this femme . . . well somehow the commander just knew handling her was not going to be anything like dealing with the brothers. Maybe that was why he stood there saying nothing just yet. He simply watched as her body language spoke for her. A part of Optimus waiting to have to try and stop the fight when Grimlock took offense to the threatening posture, but he actually found himself blinking in surprise when Grimlock dropped his massive head into an almost submissive stance and angled his frame in such a way that every vulnerable spot on him was openly displayed and in easy reach. It was shocking to say the least, but when the giant mech took a sidestep toward Scorn seeming to be trying to make himself small and she still bristled up even more letting out a thundering snarl of warning the King of the Dinobots did something even more shocking.

He rumbled out a soothing purr, a low echoing kind of sound seeming to come from the bottom of his clawed feet and roll out his moth like smooth oil. A sound Optimus had never heard the powerful mech make besides for Bumblebee, and with that a mesmerizing dance of sorts started.

Grimlock kept his head low and his optics on the femme as he slowly circled around her. Scorn kept her lips pealed back over her fangs the whole time. Her growl competing with that purr as he circled back her away from the cliff face she'd pinned herself against and out into the open area in the middle of the valley they stood in. Her frame radiated tension while Grimlock tried to pass off the his huge form as something not as threatening as he really way.

He was making this up as he went here, unsure of how to act or what he really needed to do to calm her down. But the big mech did know one thing. He was not going back to the ship without her. His whole life—that he could remember since waking up in Wheeljack's lab—it had only been him and his brothers left. Now there was suddenly this femme standing before him, and she knew things he desperately wanted too.

Then there was also the little fact that those bright optics of hers were sort of doing something to his spark he'd never felt before. He just couldn't leave her out here in this rain soaked wasteland. And if he had to heard her back he would. Not that he figured he was going to get her to go anywhere against her will he wasn't sure what else he could do besides try and make himself look like he wouldn't hurt her.

So far she'd proved she was more than strong enough to at least give a good run for his credits if she so desired. He had no wish to fight her again and force her back—the Prime would never allow that anyway—his only trick it would seem he had now was to convince her that tagging along after him would not be such a horrible idea.

That might be easier said than done though.

Her tail lashed out at him when he circled a bit too close for Scorn's liking, but she didn't strike out with her fangs. Allowing him to dance out of reach of her without causing any damage. That didn't mean her bright optics held any less wary unease as she glared at him though, not allowing him to have her back as she twisted to keep the circling mech in her sights. She wasn't sure what game he was playing. There was no challenge—no threat—in his motions. Head down, neck exposed, back vulnerable he was like a big walking 'kick me' sign. Scorn wasn't sure what she was supposed to do with it. She did realize he must be trying to show that he didn't want to fight her, didn't want to hurt her, but what he did want she didn't trust. She didn't trust any of these bots. She'd spent too long locked in an area being forced to take apart or be torn apart to trust any of them. They seemed too much like those that had ruled over her.

She didn't have anywhere else to go though.

She'd been running blindly through this battleground wasteland for orns with no idea where or why she was going. She just knew that if she turned back that mech would find her and her fate would most likely be far worse than dying in that area.

She didn't belong in this time. This world was no longer her own.

At least, that was what she'd thought was true. However, there was now this massive mech turning in circles with her. If all of her kind was supposed to be dead . . . then why was he standing here? Or more importantly how was he standing here?

He was just as much out of his own time as she was.

"You alone." It wasn't a question, for Grimlock knew the answer. He'd mulled over how to actually start a real conversation with the femme and not just circle her in a purr trying to convince her he meant no harm. She was still bristled and all too willing to bite, but when she'd swung and so obviously missed it was enough of a sign to tell him she at least might be willing to listen.

"Always have been." She replied, the growl still heavy in her voice.

Grimlock rumbled another purr before ending his circling and straightening back to his towering height, holding the femme's gaze when she took a few steps back. Ignoring the Prime he could feel watching him he shook out his thick frame and went on. "So what you femme planning on do now?"

She sneered a long muzzle full of razor teeth. "What matter to you?"

The Prime opened his mouth but the snarl Grim shot his way muted up pretty fast. With a snort for good measure those crimson optics glared into his two tone plating before he looked back to Scorn. He would handle this his way. This was not going to turn into the commander recruiting the ancient. If she came she would come with him. Not the Prime.

Something inside the beast mech would have it no other way.

Call it his pride, or call it his spark. Whatever it was it wanted Scorn to return because she wanted too, but because she wanted too because of him.

"Never seen another like me Grimlock besides me brothers."

Scorn's bright blue optics flashed with surprise. Brothers? There were more like her and him? Was it possible?

"Have brothers?" She took a half a step toward him, not anywhere near close, but the move lowered her head, her tail slowing in its twitching, and her armor relaxing so that her towering spines weren't bristled into a battle ready state. In short, she relaxed—even if it was only slightly—and was interested in what the bigger mech would say next.

Grimlock took notice, but didn't show it. Simply nodded slowly as he watched her. "Four."

Four!?

Four more like them?

How . . . .

Scorn had spent so long thinking she was the only one. The last of her kind . . . .

And now there was not only one more but there were five all together.

"Where?" She tilted her head as her posture eased even more in curiosity.

Grimlock threw his head back the direction of home with a snort. "Home."

Scorn snorted, it wasn't much of an answer. It did have her curious though. Shifting she let her optics run over the smaller bots before they settled on the big red and blue one that had driven a blade through her thigh. The memory made her sensornet remind her how deep a gash she had leaking down her leg. She was no stranger to pain and injury however. She ignored it in favor of staring at the mech.

This Prime.

Scorn had known a Prime once. The one that slaughtered her breed.

Nova Prime.

That maniac she tore an arm off of once . . . the last thing she ever remembered doing before she woke up in a cage some countless vorns later. For it was the oldest memory she had. The only one she had before everything was a great expanse of big black nothing. It was that powerful mech's hate filled gaze, the swing of a blade, his energon dripped through her fangs, and then nothing. Before that there was nothing, and after that there was only pit.

Now here stood one of his decedents. This Prime that had torn the whole world apart with his brother. She might have been locked up in a cage for longer than even she knew but she was no fool. Even if most thought she was.

She knew what had been happening in this world around her. What the so called protectors of their race had done to them all.

"Work for a Prime?" Her gaze drifted back to Grimlock, her optics narrowing into slits.

Grimlock echoed out a snorting growl of sorts. "Me Grimlock no mech's thing to order. Work for no bot. Only here because of Itty Bitty."

Her long tail twitched behind her. "Itty Bitty?"

"Grimlock," Ironhide's warning growl was ignored. They'd been talking about the youngling ever sense the spy and the femmes showed up. It wasn't like the femme hadn't heard it, and maybe it was playing dirty slightly, but Grimlock figured a surefire way to at least bait the femme into following him would be to play on the carrier card.

"Youngling." Grimlock clarified. "Them Autobots have youngling. Me Grimlock and brothers followed Itty Bitty home. Stay with Autobots because Itty Bitty wants us too. Last youngling there is. Not going to let him die like all rest of them."

Scorn's blue optics flashed as she reeled back in shock. Youngling? The younglings were dead. She'd heard the talk when the Sectors fell. That monster had been in the pit the night it happened. He'd laughed.

"All younglings gone." Her snarl had taken up again. She didn't like being lied too or taken for a fool. She might not be able to speak the way these younger bots did, but that did not make her stupid.

"Not Itty Bitty." Grimlock shrugged his thick shoulders as much as he could in this form. "Him very much alive."

These mechs really had a youngling . . . .

Sure she'd been standing here listening to all that had been said around her before, but that didn't mean she knew enough about the conversation to truly understand it. She hadn't known they were talking about a living youngling.

"How you mechs have living youngling?" She glared in disbelief. She had no reason to trust them or believe them. So she wouldn't yet.

It was Jazz that spoke up. His smooth voice drawing Scorn's focus to him. "We found him."

"Found him?"

"Yep. Hard to believe we know, but it's true. We really did just find him."

"And has youngling now?" Scorn tilted her head.

Grimlock nodded. "Troublesome little pest." That he was going to have to thank for making him come out here and finding this ancient because of it.

Shifting uneasily on her clawed feet Scorn let her gaze rake over them another time for a long few klicks before she lowered her head toward the massive mech. "Me can see this youngling?"

She couldn't help it.

A living youngling? In a world long since that had lost all hope . . . there was a living youngling. It was something she was going to have to see to believe.

Optimus shifted on his own feet wary in his own way. He didn't think this was a trick. There was no way Megatron had found some giant ancient femme and shanghaied her into coming out here in the middle of nowhere to attack Grimlock and then get to come home with them. His elder brother was full of dirty tricks, but this one . . . this one not even he could come up with. It was just too weird.

But still.

Letting this strange femme just walk home with them because she was curious of Bumblebee might not be the best idea in the world, then again. When was he ever going to find another ancient willing to walk into his crew?

Ironhide's snarl cut Optimus off before he even began though. "You attacked us femme, you really think I'm going to let you anywhere near my youngling now?"

Scorn swung to face him with her lips pulled back over her long sharp fangs. "Thought you were them. What? Think just because me Scorn look like a monster am a monster? Would never hurt a youngling!"

"Well then," Prowl's slightly groggy voice had them all spinning around to find the SIC being helped back to his feet by Ratchet as he held his head in his hand as if trying to shake of the lingering migraine that was glitching as his piercing blue optics cleared to hold them all. "If that's the case don't you think we should be trying to catch up with Mirage, Optimus? Before he does something foolish like strut back into the ship for somebot to either shot him or punch him?"

Yeah, he was probably right.

Bee couldn't stand the hazy, the dim, and the empty that came along with those meds, but he hadn't fought it when he burrowed himself into Quickfire's chest and let First Aid stick him with that needle. Now the tiny yellow bundle of protoform was curled in a ball with a blanket thrown around his shoulders and two pups wrapped around him as he glared daggers up at Sideswipe while the big red mech perched at the end of the medical berth as his brother stood beside him.

"Oh come on," The frontliner whined. "It's not my fault."

The glaring only continued.

"It's not!" Sides pleaded.

Scout snorted as he lay his muzzle in Bee's lap while Echo licked at the mechling's antennas. They're weren't all that happy either. Whatever it was the medics did they now couldn't feel their brother like they were use too.

It was a pretty safe bet to say Scout was now planning how to tear them all the tiny bits for it. If it wasn't for Echo's grumbled warning he would have long since been biting things by now. However, since biting was going to get him thrown out he settled for snuggling into Bumblebee's lap and hissing every time the red fool tried to touch him. Sides and Sunny weren't all that pleased with the pup's behavior, but they couldn't say they really had any right to complain.

For suddenly the brilliant presence that had come to be needed in their split spark was now clouded and deluded. Sure Bee was still there, enough so that they could feel the connection and feel that he was alive, but there was no way to really feel him like Bee so often did. There was no base level communication that Bee could pull off by pushing and pulling and just searching with his spark. Simply being Bumblebee.

It was weird, not feeling Bumblebee. They didn't like it. Which was why they were probably still hanging around the medical bay watching the medics bicker over what would be the next best supplement they would have to give the youngling now that his wings were coming in. The twins didn't want to be away from him when they couldn't just simply look into themselves and feel what the little mechling was broadcasting lately. Now there was no broadcasting and no secret checking on Half Pint.

And because of it they had no plans of leaving him again until Hide got home and kicked them out to put him to berth. Even then both mechs had plans of being back at his side in the morning. They didn't have shift tomorrow and with the mechling most likely going to be in a rather not-giggly mood while he was on meds with wings trying to shove their way through his back they were going to be close.

They might not have ever grown wings but they'd heard enough to know how it was going to be like. Add that to not being able to feel what is really going on with him inside the brothers weren't real big on being away from him until this was all over. They knew a few more that were going to feel the same way too.

"Half Pint," Sunstreaker sighed, leaning against the berth beside his brother. "You know we're only doing this because we don't want you hurting, right?"

Bee pouted but sighed. "Yeah."

"Then please stop looking at us like we shot your pups okay?" Sunstreaker pressed.

That got a smile out of him before Bee buried his faceplate into Scout's audios as the mech pup started purring and Echo settled down from her licking to burrow her muzzle into the two of them. "Mkay." Bee mumbled around a yawn that worked its way out. These stupid meds not only made him clouded, they made him tired. So as he snuggled down in with his purring pups he smiled again when Sunstreaker reached out to start massage his antennas.

"It'll be okay, Half Pint." Sideswipe purred leaning forward to nuzzle Bee—on Echo's side of the curl of pups around mechling because Scout was still growling at him—and earning an even louder purr from him. Leaning over Bee wiggled his way around Echo's tall audios to peck a kiss on Sideswipe's noseplate making the big mech shake his head with a snort to the action before he grinned. Chuckling a little under his breath Sides leaned back and nuzzled some more.

The twins and the youngling might be content to bond in the corner of the bay while meds kicked in but for Aid and Fire this wasn't really a snuggle kind of business. This was scrounge around trying to find the minerals and supplements they were going to need for a youngling that was around to be producing enough protoform to grow two sets of doorwings. The problem was, neither Fire nor Aid had most of those things they needed.

After all, the last time they'd needed any of it was when Starscream tore her wings out and she had to go through the process of convincing her frame to re-grow the needed appendages. They knew Jumpwire didn't have any, so the only other place they had to look was Ratchet's bay.

"We're gonna have to go dig around in his mess to see if we can find the carbon we need to put in this." First Aid swished the mixture of blue and green liquid in the jar he had around.

"Yay," Fire faked a grin. "Digging around in Hatchet's stuff while he's not here. Fun."

"I think he'll get over it when he comes home and sees Bee's growing wings."

"No." Fire shook her head. "You hope he'll get over it when he comes home and sees Bee's growing wings."

Aid chuckled. "Yeah well I guess we'll see."

She shrugged.

"Are you going to dig around in his storage bins or shall I?" The red and white mech pressed.

"I'll go." Fire shrugged. "He's less likely to throw something at me."

"This is true." Aid snickered, watching as Fire pushed herself to her feet and strolled toward the door only to stop short when Bee popped upright from his hound pup pile.

"Fire?" He chirped.

"I'll be back in a klick or two Bee." She assure him with a smile over her shoulder that the little mechling wasn't holding the meds against her before she was out the swishing door and heading through the ship toward the Eternity and Ratchet's med bay.

Bright blue optics narrowed as he gaze down at that shining ships below him. All three of the Autobots battleships lined up together in a fortress of crumbling stone. They were new ships though. That didn't escape the mech's notice.

A question for another time.

He had other things to do for now.

With a huff he slid down the rocky cliff face before making his way toward the ships. And not a single one of the guards on duty so much as glanced his way. He was use to it though. After all he was the invisible spy after all. Cloaking and spark suppressor hardwired into him so that he wasn't even a bleep on the radar as he strolled through the two guards standing in the open cargo bay ramp and into the ship closest too him.

Slipping unseen down halls and up stairs Mirage searched out the medical bay for if there was anywhere he was going to find his femme it was there. However, he didn't really expect to find her so soon. Let alone smack into her when she turned a hallway with an arm full of jars.

"What the slag!?" Fire squeaked as she slammed backward onto the hallway floor and her arm full of supplements went rolling away. Hand flying up to the back of her helm from where she smacked it into the floor she glanced around wildly try to figure out what in the frag she just hit and who she was going to have to punch because of it.

But the absolute last thing in the known universe she expected to see was Mirage materialize right in front of her.

It might have been the longest klick in her entire history in which Fire lay there sprawled out on the floor staring up at the white and blue form along with the high bred optics of a mech that was supposed to be dead, yet was standing there before her staring down at her like he was the one seeing the ghost and not her.

A part of her wondered just how hard she hit her head, but another part, a very quickly growing part, was awestruck.

"Quickfire," The hardly breathed whisper was like an explosion between them though, and it shattered the awe surrounding them. Almost painfully slow the brightly painted tri colored femme pushed herself to her feet keeping an almost wary optic on the mech before her.

A billion and one scenarios raced through her processor; it was a lie, she was seeing things, it was an imposter, he was supposed to be dead, and it just simply wasn't possible but there was no denying those brilliant high bred optics that were staring at her in a sweeping kind of motion.

She couldn't believe it.

Mirage . . . it was really Mirage.

Tears bubbled up in her optics while she stood there staring right back at him, but when he lifted a trembling hand trying to take a step close to her she let out a scared sounding gasp backing away. The wall didn't let her retreat far though and within a few nanos she found herself back to the wall with her hands pressed hard against the metal surface on each side of her with the larger mech crowding her against it as she stood there hyperventilating.

"Fire," He forced through his vocal processor, the word a grumbled mixture of static and syllables. His beautiful femme just squeaked in reply however, staring up at him with tears leaking over the edges of her optics. His spark broke at the sight of them.

She shouldn't be crying.

No.

He was damn sure she'd cried enough.

"No," He whispered, reaching up despite her flinch to cup her faceplate in his hands. "No tears. Please. Don't cry."

"Mir—" She couldn't get his name out, it broke off halfway into a sob before it could fully find its way from her mouth.

"Yeah," He breathed, leaning closer. "It's me. I'm back."

Her bottom lip quivered as he leaned closer, as her optics couldn't decide where to look, his optics or his lips, and then she bolted forward throwing her whole weight against him and crashing into his strong chest burrowing herself into the far less then she remembered polished metal. His arms pinned around her and squeezed tight enough that plating creaked under his strength. He refused to let her go as she burrowed deep into his chest. Almost as if she was trying to force her way through the layers of armor and protoform to the spark that lay hidden beneath it all. Mirage didn't care though. He just held her even tighter still as he buried his faceplate into the soft cabling of her neck like he was trying to breath all of her back in.

"I'm back." He sighed into her neck. "I'm back. It's going to be okay, Fire."

She clung tighter back to him, a sob echoing against his chest, and then as quickly as she latched onto him she was suddenly shoving him off so hard the mech went reeling. Crashing back into the wall behind him with a loud bang Mirage had just enough time to look up in complete bewilderment before her fist landed dead center of his noseplate.

In all reality, he should have seen that coming.

"You fraggin' bastard!" She screamed as his soft grunt of pain followed the hit and the mech bent to the side a little grasping his now leaking noseplate, but made no more to retaliate or even get out of the way as she went to slamming her curled fist into his chest and slamming him back against the wall.

He let her.

He understood.

"You BASTARD!" She screamed. "Do you have any idea what you put me through!? Where the pit have you been!? What is WRONG WITH YOU!?"

"Fire," He tried to cut in even if he made no move to stop her onslaught of fist. She wasn't doing much damage. The hit to the noseplate had been the worst of it. That had hurt, but he ignored the sting and the energon leaking down his top lip in favor of staring down at her as she was leaning against his front beating her fist against him.

"You kissed me! You aft! You kissed me and you never came back! Who do you fraggin' think you are!? You can't just do something like that! Where the pit have you been all this time!?"

"Fire," He tried again, hurt more by the tears rolling down her cheeks then the hits to his armor. "Listen—"

"NO YOU LISTEN!" She screamed. "I thought you were dead! DEAD! You never came back!"

"I'm back now," He was pleading now, trying to get her to realize that it was true. "I'm back, Fire I'm here! Look at me, I'm right here!"

"You—" The choked scream broke with a sob as her fist slammed one more time into him before she sagged against him with another cry. He waited a moment, unsure if her explosion was done, not wanting to push her anymore then he already had by appearing in front of her after all this time. When it seemed she'd exhausted the fury he slowly wrapped his arms back around her. Squeezing tighter when she let out another gasping sob and clung tighter to him. He paid no mind to the energon rolling down his lips as he buried his faceplate back against her neck, murmuring soft purrs and letting his engine idle in a soft pitch he hoped was in some way reassuring as he pushed out with his EM field so that she could see that he really was there for her to cling too.

"I'm here," He repeated in a whisper. "I'm here."

She sobbed against his chest.

"I'm here." He murmured. "And I'm sorry."

"You." Sob. "Damn." Sniffle. "Well." Deep breath. "Better be."

He couldn't stop the soft chuckle that worked its way out while he clung to her. "I am."

Suddenly she pulled back again, and he tensed slightly waiting for another round of her temper to flare, but when he met those tear soaked optics what he found was not anger. She searched his own bright orbs for a moment before a watery smile came to life.

"I love you." She cried, and then crashed her lips to his.

"Umm . . . Optimus?" Hound blinked up at the towering bi-ped bot he'd never in his life seen before that was hovering a bit behind Grimlock's shoulder now staring up at the ships like she'd never seen anything like them before. Every other guard—a total of sixteen bots spread among the area—was staring at her and the mechs that had brought her back, but even more so were staring at the three much smaller femmes that were tucked into their mates' sides and seemed to have no plans on leaving.

"What's going on?" The older and darker form of Trailbreaker finished as he stared at the four femmes.

"I'm guessing you didn't see Mirage stroll in, huh?" Jazz just grinned as he walked up the ramp of the Eternity past the two stunned guards.

"Mirage!?" They balked.

"I'm taking that as a no." Prowl followed him up before looking back at Grimlock. "Keep her out here."

The mech who now was standing in bi-ped mode nodded, Scorn didn't look happy about it but she complied.

"This is enough of a shock as it is, Scorn." Optimus tried to make her understand. "It won't take long."

"Yeah, Magnus is going to have a fit." Elita giggled under her breath.

The two mechs standing guard just went on staring before Ironhide looked their direction. "Where is my mechling?"

Hound seemed to snap out of his stupor with a slight stumble. "Last I saw him he was with the twins. I think they're down in Aid's bay now."

Ratchet spun on the big green mech. "Why the slag are they in First Aid's bay!?"

"First Aid has his own bay?" Arcee glanced between her mate and her sisters. It was Jazz that nodded.

"Yeah, him and Quickfire are Magnus' medics now."

A bit of pride flashed through the youngest sister's optics before Ratchet was answered by the big mech.

"I don't know. Air Raid just came by earlier and said that was where he saw them headed a while ago."

"Damn glitches." Spinning on his feet the yellow and red medic stalked toward Magnus' ship. "Can't leave them alone for two joors without them breaking something!"

"As long as they didn't break Bee it will be fine." Optimus chuckled.

"Aid," Bee called tiredly as he rested his little head against Echo's rising and falling shoulders while Sunstreaker leaned beside him still petting his antennas.

Half paying attention since he was in the middle of mixing chemicals Aid hummed in reply. "Huh?"

"Where Fire?"

"She's looking for some minerals you're going to need."

"Been gone long time." He yawned, leaning further into the talented fingers that belonged to the big golden frontliner.

"Well," First Aid chuckled as he looked back toward the mechling. "You know Ratchet has his own way of sorting things."

The twins laughed as Sideswipe replied. "Oh yeah."

Bee just flicked an antenna. He didn't get it.

"No other bot gets the way Ratchet organizes things, Half Pint." Sides explained "It might take her a while to find what she's looking for."

"Oh." The youngling guessed that made sense. As long as she was coming back. With a shrug he settled against his dozing pups again. Well, at least he was going too until through the fog of his spark something strange surfaced. He didn't have enough clarity inside to make sense of what it was, but he knew it was something, or somebot coming toward the medical bay.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe seemed to notice him focus in on the doors all of a sudden making the red twin lift an optic ridge at him. "Can you feel her coming back even with those meds?"

"No. . . ." Bee blinked at the door. "Not . . . Fire . . . ."

"It's not Fire?" Sunstreaker straightened as First Aid and Sideswipe did the same.

"Think . . . ." With the meds in his system he couldn't be sure—which he hated—but it felt like Hide, Optimus, Jazz, Prowl, and Ratchet were back and that they were coming this way. The problem was it felt like there were others. He just didn't have the ability at the moment to figure out who.

He was almost sure though. He didn't know these sparks.

So who . . . ?

He didn't get to wonder much longer. He didn't even get to finish his sentence. For the doors of the medical bay swished open to the imposing forms of the main mechs in Bee's young life only the three femmes standing with them were defiantly new.

Bee bolted upright, his pups doing the same, when First Aid almost fell out of his chair across the bay and the twins stood glancing between the medic and the returning bots in confusion. It was obvious they had no idea who these bot were either, but Aid did.

The red and white medic was hauling himself back to his feet in a scramble using the table he'd been at for support, like he couldn't get up by his own power, as he struggled there slacked jawed with wide optics. None new comers attention went to the scrambling medic though.

It all landed on Bee, curled around by static-hound pups and blankets. Big blue optic wide in confusion as he stared at the strangers tucked into his family's sides.

Femmes?.

They were femmes?

Bee blinked and then shrunk shyly down into the mass that was his pups as Scout pushed himself up halfway growling toward the strangers that had come in while Echo curled tighter around Bee flattening her audios as she glared.

All the while however Elita, Chromia, and Arcee didn't make a sound. Their sparks were too busy melting into piles of goo at the sight of those brilliant blue optics.

Technically its still Sunday. At least here it is. So. Yeah.

Again, thank you all for the reviews. They mean the world to me.

I really can't wait to see what you all think about this chapter though. Gah! I love it so much. I've spent more than a year trying to get here and now here we are. It's just . . . wow.

Hope you enjoyed it. See you next time. :)

-Jaycee