Chapter Seven

Pixie cooed, chewing on the nipple of her bottle as Bluestreak held her; he cradled her and smiled softly as he felt a powerful longing within his spark.

"She's beautiful, Prowl. A cute little femme, isn't that right, Pixie? Who's a cute little femme?" Bluestreak cooed as he nuzzled her cheek, his field flaring with gentility and protectiveness. Pixie giggled, spitting out the fuel she was fed. The mech set aside the bottle and rocked her gently, "You are!"

Prowl smiled softly as he watched his younger brother carry his firstborn and he could sense the emotion he felt in Bluestreak's field. Smokescreen was gazing at Pixie curiously, watching the sparkling coo and wiggle around in his brother's arms.

"Isn't she pretty, Smokey? And her wings, they're so small!" said Bluestreak as he held Pixie firmly to see her tiny wings that had not unfolded yet. "She'll be such a cutie when she grows up. You wanna hold her Smokey?"

At the offer, Smokescreen blinked, optics widening, "Um, uh, sure. Why not?"

Prowl half frowned, "She's a sparkling, Smokescreen. The most she will do is drool and spit up on you."

Smokescreen did not reply to his brother as he accepted his niece and held her; Bluestreak helped his older brother position his arms correctly to prevent Pixie from slipping. Pixie looked up at the new mech, staring at him from behind the visor with a blank look before smiling and lifting her servos and making grabbing motions; she wanted to touch his face. Instead, Smokescreen offered her his digits to which she grabbed firmly and waggled them around. "She is cute."

"O' course, Smokey. She's made by Cybertron's finest Autobot commanders. She's gotta beh cute." Jazz said with a proud smile as Prowl rolled his optics with a grin.

"She's beautiful because we made her with love and nothing but pure love, Jazz." countered his white and black mate.

Bluestreak internally whined, retracting his field away from Prowl's as a swift flicker of want and desire filled his field. His spark clenched as he continued to look at Pixie, wishing for the twins.

Jazz smiled, pressing a kiss to Prowl's lips, "Wit' love indeed. Ready ta carry our second?"

Prowl laughed dryly, "I said you were going to carry next. Don't even think about jumping me in the shower to spark me up."

"Aw, babeh, don' beh so cruel ta meh. Ya know ya like et." grinned Jazz as he wrapped an arm around his mate. Prowl rolled his optics with a grin.

"Not right now, Jazz. We have guests." said Prowl as his wings dipped bashfully before retaining their normal position. His mate grinned.

Bluestreak gulped as he dared to ask his brothers, "So... when can I carry?"

Prowl and Smokescreen blinked at the question, looking at the youngest of them. Prowl sputtered, "W-Why ask that, Blue? Once you settle down and find a potential mate; I mean, who are we to say you can't raise a family of your own?"

Smokescreen eyed him, ::Don't you dare bring up the twins in this matter, Blue. I know where you are headed. It won't end well and you know it.::

There was a shift in Bluestreak's field as he looked at Smokescreen, then to Prowl. Jazz spoke before Bluestreak could get the chance to, "Es our lil Blue en love er somethin'? Care ta share wit' who?" the mech was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Bluestreak sensed Smokescreen tense next to him and he received the warning again from him. He chose to ignore Smokescreen and he lifted the sound of his voice, directing his next few words at Prowl, "Then, I suppose you won't care if I wanted to start one with the twins."

All the warm emotion that filled Prowl's field suddenly went cold and his wings hitched as Bluestreak saw the old hard look Prowl normally had when the war was still in session. Instead of shrinking back, Bluestreak remained calm as Smokescreen scolded him through the communications link. The gunner ignored him again and restricted his access from the link temporarily.

"Bluestreak. I have told you once. They are brutes and unworthy of you," said Prowl with a stiff tone as his gaze went icy.

"Who are you to say who or who cannot be with me? I'm a grown mech that is of age. I can be suited by anybot, including them. Just because I'm the baby brother does not mean you have full authority over me. Protecting me is one thing, but this is another." Bluestreak had prepped this a while ago. He was ready for Prowl's rejections and disapprovals.

"They are immature, selfish, and petulant beings, Bluestreak. Someone like them, Kaonian gladiators from the pits, with you, someone so soft sparked and innocent. They will disappoint you, Bluestreak."

Bluestreak shook his helm, "What innocence do I have left, Prowl? I may be a genocide survivor, the finest sniper that ever touched a trigger, I am far from innocent. Innocent is Pixie who hasn't so much as witnessed the bloodshed that I have witnessed, whose seals remain intact and untouched, who hasn't committed a sin of killing others to remain alive. I am no longer innocent just because I am the baby of the family we grew up in. I know for a fact that they will not disappoint me, Prowl. They've helped me and you know it. They broke my silence after I recovered from the medical ward. I hid in my room, afraid of the monsters I saw outside. They saved me. They cared for me. And even though they were my lovers at a point in my life, despite you did not approve, they care for me. I still love them, Prowl, and I don't think another set of twins or single-sparked mechs could change my feelings that I hold. They can change-"

"No, they cannot." interrupted Prowl. "Mechs like them cannot, Bluestreak."

"Funny, because many mechs thought the same of you. Someone who was like you, a real stickler, "a walking rule book," the stoic Second in Command, could change into who you are. And, why? Why did you change? Because the mech you love changed you! None of us thought you would find a partner; why did you think we were all so shocked to see you and Jazz walk around base holding servos or being pressed against wall in the middle of a make-out session? You changed. Mechs can change, Prowl. If not, then Pixie would not have come into existence. Soundwave would not have defected and let his mini mechs die. Primus knows if the war would still be on. Don't go around, telling me that mechs cannot change." Bluestreak felt Prowl's field pull back and remain close to his frame and watched him look away, a swirl of emotions battling each other within Prowl.

"Bluestreak, that is enough." said Smokescreen intervened before the youngest Praxian could go on into a ramble. The eldest exchanged a glance between his brother before handing back Pixie who was confused about the changes in their fields. Jazz accepted her and cradled her as Smokescreen spoke, placing a servo on Bluestreak's shoulder, "We've overstayed our visit."

Smokescreen guided his brother towards the door, looking back and Prowl and saying apologetically through a communications link, ::I'm sorry, Prowl. I warned him not to bring up the subject.::

Prowl looked at his older brother before turning away and going to his room without a reply. Jazz evidently followed, taking Pixie with him.

The drive back home was uneventful, silence was between them. Bluestreak transformed first, padding the button to enter with his verification signature and he walked in with his eldest brother following. Smokescreen shut the door soundly and Bluestreak paused, asking quietly, "You're mad, aren't you?"

"Of course I am, Blue. Not only was that not necessary, it was not the right time, place, or matter. We went over there to leave on a positive note that we have a new addition to the family, not to leave with chevrons locked and wings being grabbed. I am disappointed that you ruined Prowl's happy emotion. He doesn't deserve this, Blue, not right now. He has better things to worry about than your crush for the twins. I warned you, Blue, and you didn't listen to me. Not only that, you rejected my access to your comm."

"It had to come out sooner or later-"

"But not while Prowl and Jazz were showing us their kid! That moment was for them, to feel proud about their creation that took time and effort to create. How could you be so stupid to ruin that for them?"

Bluestreak stared at his eldest brother, a pain striking him in the chest right where his spark was. The realization hit Smokescreen and he widened his optics as his field was full of apology, "I'm sorry, Blue. I didn't mean it like that."

"Of course you did mean it." said Bluestreak as his wings fell and retracted his field. "I'm an idiot; for all I care my feelings for the twins mean nothing to you."

"It's not like that, no." Smokescreen stepped towards his brother, who in turn pushed him away.

"So you say. Just... leave me alone." Bluestreak turned on heel and retreated to his room, closing the door soundly.

Smokescreen groaned, setting his servo on his face as he could faintly hear the small sobs of his brother. Great, he thought, just great. How am I going to fix this?

Smokescreen gently knocked Bluestreak's door cycles after he stopped crying; the mech hadn't come out to fuel and Smokescreen was worried. When he didn't receive a reply, he pushed open the door and saw his slumped form against the side of his berth. His wings were hanging on their hinges, chassis rising and falling as his vents came in and out-a hiccup would mix in every several vents- and Smokescreen realized he had fallen into recharge. The red and blue Praxian frowned as he made his way towards his brother and carefully lifted him into his arms; he set him down on his berth and pulled up the covers. Bluestreak whimpered the moment the covers were lifted, a visible pain twisted his facial features. The older Praxian sighed, sitting on the edge of the berth and slid a servo under the covers to stoke his wings. It was the most effective place where Bluestreak could be soothed quicker. He shushed him gently and, eventually, the whimpers subsided and the hiccups from when he was crying took their place.

"I'm so sorry, Blue... I didn't mean what I said... I'm sorry."