Another time skip. Fast forward quite a few years. Also, I've decided to make this a mix of the 80's cartoon and the movies.

Optimus Prime's View:

Time flew by and the war still dragged on. My sparkling was no longer a youngling and had just turned sixteen stellar cycles. She was now tall enough to come up just past my shoulder and had grown into a beautiful femme. She was also now in training to become a spy under Jazz' supervision.

Bumblebee had also grown quite a bit as well, though he was shorter than Star. He came up to her shoulders, but he made up for it with his fighting spirit. He was training under Jazz' watch as well, but he was training to be a saboteur and scout. I was very proud of both of them.

Hot Shot was also doing quite well. He was quickly becoming a great warrior and honing his skills at welding fire. His sire, Rocket, was able to do the same thing and was the top warrior on Cybertron during his time. I just hoped Hot Shot wouldn't meet the same fate.

Starlight's View:

"Remember what I taught you. Aim, exhale, and then fire." Ironhide yelled from behind me. Bee and I were at the firing range and practicing with a few other bots. "Begin!"

The moment he gave the word, bots all around me started firing on the targets that were placed in front of us. I took a little more time than the others to start because I wanted every shot to count and hit my target dead on. Bee on the other hand just went at it with the rest.

"Hold!" Ironhide called and everybot put their guns down. "Roll 'em in!" He made a motion with his hand and the metal targets moved on their track closer to us. The red mech started walking down the line, grading us. "The frag are you aiming for! You're supposed to hit the target, not the wall!" He yelled at one poor blue mech. He continued that way until he got to Bee. "Not bad, kid. Work harder on your aim and make sure every shot hits where you want." I looked over and Bee missed his mark a few times but otherwise the shots were mostly in the midsection. The old war mech got to me and just looked at it.

Did I mess up? I worried that I had done something wrong. He was never this quiet during target practice.

"Everybot, come here." I gulped as everyone gathered near me. "See this target? Do you see any marks missed?" I didn't dare look back at everyone but did look at my target sheet. Not one hit outside of the outline. How did I do that? "All of you should aspire to be like Starlight here! Make every shot count! Bumblebee and Starlight with me. The rest of you slaggers are to reset and try again!" Everyone was in stunned silence.

Bee and I followed Ironhide into his office and he motioned for us to take a seat in front of his desk.

"You two have been under my wing for what, nine staller cycles?" He sat on the edge of his desk and waited for our reply. We nodded. "Pit, you two have shown the most improvement and are the best shots of your class." I had no idea where he was going with this. "I'm giving you the ok to get weapons upgrades. I already sent the message to Prime and Ratchet. Return here when you're done. Get going!" he waved us off. Bee and I were still in shock by his words it took him yelling at us to get out of there and go to the weapons depot.

Ratchet was waiting outside the door for us and sighed. "Why he's okayed you to have weapons this early is beyond me…" We heard the medic mumble and he scanned his optic to open the door. "Come on! Let's get this done and you two can practice with them." He led us inside and we looked all around us. This room was different than the gun storage area. This one was filled with weapons that were fitted into bots arms, shoulders and even legs. "Alright, pick one out and I'll fit it on ya."

I went to the right and looked at the weapons on the wall. On this side was mostly swords and smaller guns. The variety that was available had my head spinning! I couldn't decide and was still exploring options after Bee choose plasma cannons to have installed in both his arms. I sighed and continued to look. I knew I wanted to have a melee weapon like my Sire had but I also wanted a gun installed. I finally settled on having two wrist blades and having a plasma-pulse machine gun installed on my right arm.

"Alright younglings, it took three joors to do, but you finally have your weapon upgrades." Ratchet sighed and stepped back from Bee. I was done with mine first since Ratchet wanted to do the easier of the two installations. I smiled and extended my new blades. They had an orange glow when active and could slice through a Con's armor like cutting through mercury. "Hey! Not in here!" I quickly put them away to avoid the medic's rage.

"Sorry doc bot. I'm just a little excited." I smiled nervously.

"You'll get to use them soon. Alright, you two are dismissed." He motioned for us to leave the weapons room and return to Ironhide. Bee and I beamed at each other and took off. I couldn't wait to test these babies out and show off to Sire!

"You two ready?" Ironhide meet us in the hall of the firing range. "I dismissed the class so you two can practice all ya want." He gave a half smile and led us in. "Show me what ya got." The room had been reset to resemble more of a battle ground with targets all across the shooting area. Bullet proof glass was put up and we were to go into the rage and "kill the 'cons" as Ironhide put it.

I beat Bee in a coin toss and got to go first. The yellow bot sulked in the back of the room while I formed my gun and took aim. There were a total of twenty targets on the range and after the door closed, I shot at the farthest targets. Ironhide was confused by this at first but then I replaced my gun with the wrist swords and began slicing them apart. I didn't go after each one the same and showed off my close range fighting skills that Jazz and my Sire taught me.

"Impressive." The red mech commented after I finished off the last target. "Come on out kid. We'll reset and then you can go Bumblebee." Ironhide entered the range and started setting up new targets for Bee.

"Slag Star!" My yellow friend slapped me on the back and grinned. "I didn't know you could do some of those moves!"

"There's a lot you don't know about me." I joked. He rolled his optics. "What?"

"Please, we used to live together. Frag we grew up together, there isn't a thing I don't know about you." I scoffed and playfully shoved him. "Besides, it wasn't all that impressive."

"Oh? You can do better?" I watched him puff up a bit and smirk. "Show me then."

"Oh, I will!" He put his battle mask down as Ironhide came out and gave Bee the ok to go.

He formed his guns and began taking out the targets. I was impressed by him, but not in the way I expected. Yes, he did have style and moves but I was focusing on his door wings and body posture. He seemed so calm and relaxed, ready for anything and yet he was alert and focused. I couldn't help but watch every movement he made, even the smallest ones like the slight flutter of his wings caught my optic. I had never seen my friend in such a way.

When he was finished, he stepped out and walked right towards me. He lifted his mask and gave me the goofiest smile.

"From the look on your face, I'd say you were impressed?" I felt my face plating heat up a bit and looked away.

"I…think you did fine." As I said this, a warning popped up in my HUD. I opened it and it was flashing something about a heat cycle impending. I had no idea what that meant and decided maybe I should go see Ratchet. "I think there's something wrong with one of my upgrades. I'll…see you later." I quickly left before either of the two could say anything.

"Ratchet?" I stepped into the med bay and looked around for the old bot.

"He's out right now. What's up Starlight?" Red Alert answered from a room to the left. I entered, making sure no one was around.

"Well, I think one of my weapons upgrades in malfunctioning." I told him. He motioned for me to take a seat on a chair near him and did a quick scan. "I keep getting a warning about a heat cycle. Maybe one is overheating?" Red Alert stopped his scans and laughed. "What?!"

"You haven't had that talk yet have you?" I gave him a confused look. He picked up a data pad nearby and started looking through it. "About what a heat cycle is and what it intales. Look, every bot goes through this. It's your interface systems coming online…"

"Mine already have." I interrupted him. "They came on five stellar cycles ago."

"But you didn't have a heat cycle?" He looked up. I shook my head. "That's normal. Some bots don't get one right off the bat and it can take about ten stellar cycles for the first one to kick in. All it means is that your systems are working and ready." He was looking at the data pad again and going through somethings. "Every bot gets them about every ten to twenty stellar cycles. During that time, bots will feel a strong urge to mate."

"Woh…hold up, I'm going to want to do what?!" Red gave me a sympathetic smile and put a hand on my shoulder.

"You don't have to. Most ignore it and don't act on it while others…" he trailed off and let me fill the blanks. "However, other bots can sense that you are in heat. You will give off a faint scent that bots can detect. Most won't even know why they suddenly feel this attraction towards those in heat. Just know, you don't have to do anything." I was suddenly glad Black Sunshine had indeed left and wouldn't bother me during this time.

"Thank you Red." I smiled softly. "Is there anything I can do to keep it from…attracting bots?"

"Afraid not. Just stick around bots you trust." He stood from his crouched position and let me leave. "Oh, Starlight. I shouldn't tell you this but it might comfort you to know, both you and Bee are going through the same thing right now. He came in this morning with similar questions. Primus, you two really do hit everything at the same time." He said the last part more to himself than to me before he disappeared into another back room.

I stood there, frozen for a bit as this information hit me. Is that why I'm feeling this way towards Bee? I asked myself. Will he now feel this way towards me? I really hoped not. I wanted our feelings to be real and not set off by a stupid heat cycle.

"Starlight!" I turned and saw my best friend running towards me. "Hey, you feeling alright?" He stopped just in front of me. "All systems go?" I knew he didn't know about me going through a heat cycle but it felt like he said the wrong thing.

"Uh…yeah. Fine." Why did Red Alert tell me about Bee?!

"Ok? You sure you don't have some wires crossed?" He teased and bumped me playfully. "You can tell me."

I felt my face heat up again and sighed. "Fine…but…not here ok?" I took his arm and led him into an empty meeting room.

"Ok…what's with the secrecy?" He quickly went into a panic mode and put his hands on my shoulders. "Is it serious? Are you dying?!" I laughed and put my right hand on his chassis.

"I'm fine. I just…" I took a deep breath and decided to just tell him. "I'm going through a heat cycle is all. I'm…just scared I guess." Bee looked up at me, his blue optics trying to figure out if I was messing with him or not.

"Oh…well…that's not bad." He backed up a little, his hands still on my shoulders. "I…am too. We can get through this together." He smiled and lightly patted my shoulder. Something about the way he was acting was a little off putting.

"Bumblebee, are you ok?" he looked away from me but, didn't make any move to leave. "Bee?"

"Star…if I tell you something, will you promise not to laugh?" I rolled my optics and smiled. "Ok…well…I-I." Before he could even get out what he wanted to say, the alarms went off. "Slag…"

"Come on, you can tell me later." I lightly pushed him towards the door.

Outside, bots were running down the halls towards the debriefing room. Bee and I followed but I was cut off by my Sire.

"Starlight, you are to go with Jazz." He said, blocking me from passing him and blocking Bee from coming back.

"But…"

"Go! He will debrief you." He took off with Bumblebee, leaving me behind once again.

"Jazz?" I called to the black and white bot near my Sire's office. "Jazz, what is going on? Why am I…?"

"Get inside." Jazz took my arm and pushed me into to office. "Stay away from the window!" He called as he locked the door and activated his gun.

"Jazz…you're scaring me…" I activated my own gun and aimed the opposite direction of my teacher.

"No one told you huh? Figures." Jazz went over and closed the curtain with his free hand. "Look, da Cons are takin' femmes and off linin' 'em. You are with me 'cause da safe houses have been compromised. I think we all know who told da locations."

"Black Sunshine…" I growled. "But why just the femmes? If he wants to eliminate are ability to…you know… shouldn't he be taking out carrier mechs too?"

"Slag if I know Sta'. I can't explain what the 'Cons do. Honestly, I don't think I want ta ever know da way they think." Jazz sighed. "If they were goin' after both…" He suddenly got very angry. "Slag, they'd go afta Prowler!" I knew the two were close, but I didn't realize how close till now.

"They'd come after you too, wouldn't they?" I made a random guess on if he was a carrier mech as well and apparently got it right, judging the way his face fell. It was difficult to tell who was a carrier mech and who wasn't. The only true way to see is if they take their cod pieces off.

"Yeah…an' Bee an'…frag it all…" He looked back towards the closed windows. "I wish I was out there." The comment that Bee was a carrier shocked me a bit, but I choose to ignore it.

"They'll be fine. I'm more worried about the femmes that are stuck out there with no protection." I knew I wouldn't be able to deceive him into letting me go out and help, but maybe I could convince him that if he goes with me, I'll be safe.

"No dice little one. We ain't ta leave this room till we get the all clear." He looked just as upset as I felt.

"Our friends and family are out there! We need to help them!" I stepped up to the mech and got in his face. "I can take care of myself and you damn well know it!" Jazz smiled and put his hand on my head like he used to do when I was little.

"My have ya grown. You really are just like Rain. Ya Sire will be proud ta know you tried to challenge me." He easily disarmed me and forced me to put my gun away. "You still gotta lot ta learn Sta'. Cons don't stand still like da targets you shoot. They also don't take pity if ya gun jams. They don't attack one at a time an' will surround you and take ya down." He pulled a chair out and had me sit. "Your spark is in the right place though. I worry about the other femmes but luckily most of them are here in the main tower. The ones that were taken out were just in da wrong place at da wrong time. We lost far to many thought..."

"Has this happened before?" I wanted to know if my creator died this way. Sire didn't want to talk about it and never told me how she died.

"Na. Megatron did gather the femmes up in the beginning of da war but we were able ta save most of 'em. The rest stayed on their own free will." Jazz gave me a knowing look. "You want to know what happened to your creator, don't cha." I nodded. "*Sigh* Prime might hang me from ma thumbs for telling ya but, 'ight."

He told me what had happened. He told me the base had been attacked and she and Bumblebee's creator were out fighting when a bomb went off under them. The initial report said it had been dropped on them, but was later found to have been underground. Jazz then told me how much she had truly cared about me and about how beautiful she was.

"Primus, she was an amazin' bot Sta'. I was just a younglin' when I met her, but I remember how kind she was." The visored mech smiled. "I wish you could remember her." Little did he know, I did remember her. Not her face, but her voice was still in my memory. At night, sometimes in my sleep cycle, I would hear her singing to me.

"I…miss her…" I hung my head and felt the sting of tears in my optics.

"Hey now." Jazz moved forward in his chair and lifted my chin. "I didn't mean ta make ya cry. Come on, smile for me lil' one." I gave in after the nickname he used to call me and smiled. "That's betta. No more sad talk now." He rubbed the top of my head. "I hear you an' Bee got ya weapons now, what cha get?"

Joors later, Jazz got a call for an all clear and we were released from our "prison." Jazz said he need to check in and left me to go find my Sire and friends. When I couldn't locate them I tried to call them. Nether picked up and I started panicking. I ran down the hall towards the medical bay and heard the beeping sound Bee and I gave off when we got near each other. This only happened now if one of us was worried about the other and was all internal instead of everyone being able to hear it.

"Woh there." I was stopped from entering the med bay by my Sire. "You can't go in right now. Ratchet and his team are working on injured bots. You should not see." His optic told me he was keeping something from me.

"Sire, who's in there?"

"Starlight…" He was trying to stall but I didn't back down. "Bumblebee was injured. I should have left him here with you, but we needed all the bots we could. He's going to be alright. It wasn't anything major."

I felt my spark drop and tuned out a bit. My friend was hurt. I felt a tug on my spark and looked back up to my Sire. He was asking if I was alright without saying it out loud.

"What happened?" My voice sounded weaker than I meant it too.

"We were getting a small group of femmes to a safe zone and were ambushed. Bee was pinned down by Starscream but managed to get him off. He fought bravely and we were able to protect the femmes and get them out of there. Bee suffered a broken wing and a twisted ankle. He was very lucky Starscream didn't want to mess with us." My Sire had a look in his optics. I had seen it before and knew he was proud of Bee's bravery but knew how worried I was. "I know you two are close and can see how worried you are. I must ask, do you have feelings for him?"

"Huh? Of course! He's…like a brother to me." But even I heard the doubt in my voice. Did I really only care for him only as a brother? That reminded of what he was going to tell me before the alarm went off. I wanted to know what he had to say.

"Alright." Sire saw right through me, as usual. "Just be careful. Love is the toughest battle of all." My face heated up at his words. He laughed as he walked away.

Love?! I'm not in love with Bee! I silently yelled and sat down with a huff in one of the chairs in the hall. Was I? I quietly debated with myself and waited for Bee.

On the other side of Cybertron:

"Starscream Report." A voice called from the dark depths of a fallen sky scrapper.

"We couldn't locate her sir." A grey and red seeker knelt in front of the dark form. "She must have been in the main base." The dark form growled and hit the wall closest to him with his fist.

"I want her found and brought to me! She is the only thing standing between me and victory." The dark form turned towards the seeker, red optics glowing in rage. "I will bring my brother to his knees. Besides, I've never met my little niece. I think it's high time for a visit."

Got the bug back! Only problem is I have no time to write! Please R&R!