Chapter Fourteen

Helios awoke with a sigh, the familiar white ceiling of the rehab room greeted him with a glare as the star's reflection bounced off it. He winced slightly before his optics adjusted to the high brightness and he heard a knocking on his door to which he allowed entry. A smile was placed on his lips as Optronix came in and sat on his berth, speaking softly, "Did you sleep well?"

Helios tried not to nod, but he did so and a small pain flared around in his neck, "Y-Yeah..."

The CMO scooted closer and set her servo upon his nape, pressing her palm into his neck and released a flash of heat to sooth his pain. The youngling hummed and offlined his optics to savor the warmth as the pain ebbed away.

"As minimal helm movement as you can, alright?"

Helios hummed in acknowledgement. The night before, he had to undergo surgery on several vertebrae struts that were cracked and healed wrong near the base of his helm; Helios hated being under constant drug and worked on, but he agreed to their terms. What brought him comfort was that he had two more surgeries to go: one for his left leg and another for his hip.

"Two more to go." he whispered as the CMO took her servo away.

Optronix smiled and nodded, "That's right." she paused to bring out a small cube of medical grade from her subspace, "I've brought you your cube."

Helios scrunched up his faceplate, "Ew, medical grade..."

"Now, now."

The youngling sighed, "I just went through surgery and I need it to help speed up the healing process. I know, I know..." He lifted his servos and accepted the cube, taking it from her hold. Optronix helped support him up as he tilted the cube back to drink it. The flavor was bitter and Helios had gotten used to it; he was tired of the same flavor and it was the only fuel his systems would hold down.

Upon finishing, Helios gave back the cube and Optronix set him back down gently before accepting the empty cube. She smiled warmly as she leaned down to place a tender kiss on the plating above his optics.

"Thank you." his small voice came as she pulled back. "Thank you so much, I really appreciate it."

She smiled, stroking his cheek, "You don't have to thank me, Helios. I'm doing what I must."

Helios' faceplate almost fell as he continued. "You've treated me so nicely, cared for me, bringing me back to full health. You're always there and I can count on you for anything. It's... It's like..." his gaze went from the femme to his pedes and he wriggled them lightly as his voice quieted.

"Like what, Helios?" asked Optronix as she touched his cheek and lifted his helm up lightly to reclaim his optics.

Helios leaned into her touch, lifting his servos to wrap around hers and further press into his cheek, "Like... you're my Carrier."

Optronix felt her spark melt with emotion with her chamber as she showed him a soft smile. Her thumb rubbed his cheek as she bent down to kiss him again. She couldn't express how much she wanted that to be true in that very instant, but she had to wait a little longer.

"Helios," she paused and the youngling 'hmm'ed in question, "my mate and I will be going to court for your custody given that your Creators cannot keep you in their own. In other words, it may be possible that you can call me 'Carrier.'"

The youngling was silenced, allowing her words to sink in and he soon found himself beaming and his servos holding onto the one on his cheek tighter than before, "Really?"

She nodded, her thumbs sweeping away the straying tears that streaked his cheeks. "We want to adopt you, take care of you, love you... You deserve so much better than what you're going through; a youngling at your age should be anything aside from this, stuck in a hospital undergoing all these procedures and complicated itineraries. You are too young to suffer. Bumblebee and I want to give you what you deserve, a family to love and be loved by."

Helios' crying became more fluid, his spark spewing so many touched emotions and they wavered out into his field. Optronix met their fields as she brought the youngling into a hug, kissing his helm repeatedly as she began to sniffle.

"Once you are finished with the surgeries, there will be a court to decide whether or not you will placed underneath our custody."

"W-Will that decide whether or not I get to stay with you?" he asked.

Optronix nodded, "Yes, it will. Hopefully, the judge will be on our side and grant us that."

Before the femme could continue on with her statement, there was a knock on the door. She permitted the other in and Pixie rushed in eagerly with Jazz behind her, "Hey, Heelie!"

She stood by the medical berth, standing on the tips of her pedes before Optronix scooped her up and set her upon Helios' side. The mechling smiled as he turned his helm a small fraction, "Hi, Pixie. Finally decided to visit me?"

She giggled, "Ay saw ya jus' yesterday. Are ya feelin' okay, buddy? 'Charge well?"

Helios hummed, "Mm-hm, I was out like a sparkling after the surgery with all the sedatives and the painkillers. I just woke up a bit ago."

Pixie smiled, her visor brightening, "Dat's really good. When do ya think ya can come ova ta mah place wit' meh an' Rhe so we can have ay play date? Bein' here all da time must have ya crazy."

Optronix chuckled as she stood up, stroking Helios' helm, "I've got to go back to work, alright, honey?"

"Okay." said Helios before giving his attention to Pixie.

"Watch over him as long as you stay?" she asked, whispering to Jazz.

The ex-saboteur chuckled as he grinned, giving a nod. "Sure thing."

The femme gave him a warm smile before she left the room.

"I have two more surgeries to go before I can leave. It's been a long time since I've walked outside the hospital walls and the play pen outside doesn't count. I'd like to come over once all this is done for." the mechling said as Pixie crawled to his side and settled down.

"Where will ya go when all dis es done? Ay don' want ya leavin' fer foster care where dey can take ya out o' Iacon. Ay'll miss ya ay lot."

Helios allowed himself to smile, "I'm gonna be adopted."

Pixie perked up, looking at her friend with a curious look, "Ya sure? What if dey take ya out o' town? Er-Er-"

"Nix is adopting me."

Silence fell upon the little femme and Jazz hid his smile behind a datapad he brought out from subspace.

"She-She es?" Pixie was beyond surprised; could Optronix do that? Helios had told her about his extended family and how his Sire said that they could not see him or he could see them. She had assumed that Helios' aunt would take him in. Apparently not.

"Mm-hm, she told me when all this is done and over, there will be a court to see if she can adopt me." he announced. Despite he had no idea how a court worked, he was excited for it. Helios enjoyed being in Optronix's and Rhea's company. He had met Bumblebee several times before and the tall minibot seemed friendly enough; Rhea had not complaints about him either. "I hope she can, I mean, she's so nice to me and has cared for me all this time since your Sire brought me... and I don't know how to thank you and Rhea."

"What fer? Weh jus' did what weh felt was right an' here ya are, gettin' bettah every orn an' soon, yer gonna beh walkin' out o' here wit ay smile sayin' "See ya!"" she tried to hide her growing blush. "Weh couldn' leave ay friend en danger like dat."

Helios smiled, "Still. If it wasn't for you, I don't know where I'd be. You're my best friend, Pixie."

The femme smiled shyly as she looked down, a heavy purple blush spreading on her cheeks, "Yer mah best friend ta, Heelie." she nestled closely into his side, her field mixing with the other youngling's in appreciation.

The younglings remained laying next to each other in silence until Helios asked, breaking their silence, "You wanna watch a vid?"

"Sure," she nodded.