Chapter 17
Unplanned, But Never Unwanted

Section specific warnings: Flashback ahoy!

OoOoOoOo

Jazz looked down at the mech beneath him. Prowl's optics were shuddered and heavy, his backstrut arching up as Jazz finally leaned down. Their spark casing came together, electric charge building until it crackled along their plating. Jazz dug his fingers into the mesh, his own vision whiting out as overload ripped through them both. It felt different this time. Something had changed.

He could feel something...else there. He could feel something brushing against their bonded. Something foreign, and yet very familiar. Jazz's processor tried to make sense of it, but the overload still rippling through his systems made it nigh impossible.

He fell over Prowl insensate.

It was breems before he could gather himself up enough to close his chestplating. Prowl did the same, his optics dim and thoughtful.

"What was that?" Jazz finally said, curling against his bondmate. "I felt something."

"I...I don' know," Prowl said, already reviewing the data. "The surge was greater than usual...and it felt like something...snapped into place. I've never felt anything like it before."

"Neither have I," Jazz said thoughtfully and rubbed Prowl's sparkplates gently. "Maybe we should go see a medic. Maybe one of us...I don't know...caught something."

Prowl frowned, "I don't think it's that love. I don't know what it is, but I don't think it's a bad thing."

Jazz was silent for a long klik, "What if you're sparked, Prowler?"

"It wouldn't be the best timing...but I wouldn't complain. I've always wanted a bitlet of our own."

Jazz wiggled closer, pressing his helm against Prowl's sparkplates and listened to the whirling of his mate's spark. "Not the best timing...CN, you have the most amazing gift for understatement."

"Don't call me that. If they knew it would only complicate things more. You see how they treat Mirage," Prowl murmured. "We have enough on our plates without adding their prejudice as well."

"I know, lover. I'm-sorry.

The shared dream slipped away from their processors, as they came online. Each booting up languidly, they lay curled together for what seemed an eternity. Thundercracker was warm, his bondmates curled on either side of him, equally content to languish on the berth in each other's company. Jazz purred his own contentment, moving closer into the crook of Thundercracker's arm, and nuzzling into his side. The purr reverberated through Thundercracker's plating and was answered in kind by the revving of Thundercracker's engines, and the softer hum of Prowl's own.

"He likes this," Thundercracker whispered his optics going half shuttered, "The newspark I mean." It flitted happily against his spark, a warm little presence that was made of joy and happiness, in spite of itself and the circumstances around it's creation. It missed the others just as Thundercracker did, but these new ones...well it liked them as well. It bounced about, whirling. Thundercracker imagined how active it would be when enframed, and cracked a smile. He knew it was going to be as effervescent as Skywarp at his best, with all of Starscream's curiosity. It was a processor-blowing revelation for him, but also a comfort. They would live on in the newspark. Cold comfort. He felt adrift without Starscream and Skywarp even as he was anchored by Jazz and Prowl.

"Bluestreak was like that," Prowl said, tilting his head up from where it was resting against Thundercracker's chest to look at his face. "He was such a happy spark, I sometimes wonder what would have happened if we had not had to stop with him."

"You said that before. Why didn't you?" Thundercracker said cautiously, "weak spark?" It was a common enough ailment, especially to their kith and kind.

"It's in my CNA, I guess, at least that was what all of the medics said. Somebots just can't carry a new spark to term. It's too much of an energy drain on the systems...and with my battle computer...well...it was a close thing. They nearly lost me twice. My spark guttered. It was a bit of a miracle that I pulled through it. More so that Bluestreak did as well. We nearly lost him a few times even after he was enframed." Prowl's grip in the Seeker tightened. "We beat the odds, though. More than once."

Jazz reached out to Prowl resting their joined hands on Thundercracker's abdomen. "It was too much of a chance to try again." Jazz said. "His carrier was that way too..." Looking fleetingly at Prowl. "Three sparks, and the fourth didn't make it. It guttered along with Prowl's carrier. How could I let him take such a chance? As much as I would have loved another...that price was too high."

Thundercracker made a humming noise. "Couldn't you?"

Jazz shook his head, "Not with the war going on. They need me too much. I'm out in the field more than Prowl ever was. Could you imagine a carrying mech being caught by the Cons?" Jazz shivered, hiding his face for a moment. His tank churned at the thought of it. "Vortex...would love to get ahold of a mech like that. I've heard stories, and I don't doubt some of them are true."

"No." Thundercracker shivered. "I would not wish that on anymech. Not with the way things are," he said, sadly. "I'm glad Bluestreak made it though, he's a sweet kid. You are blessed to have a creation like him."

Jazz smiled, "Yes, he is. You know. He doesn't seem to talk about anything else but seeing his new brother these days. He-" Jazz vented, unable to find the words for once, or to express how happy he was that Thundercracker was part of their family. He fit right in like a piece that had always been missing. At least in Jazz's view. Thundercracker might not think so yet, but Jazz hoped he would one day. "-you've made us all very happy. I hope you understand that."

"You complete us," Prowl whispered on the other side, smiling as he watched Jazz crawl up and catch Thundercracker's lips. His engined revved loudly, and if anything his smile grew.