TFP: Youngling

Ch.18~ Family Ties

I laid in my berth, I couldn't sleep from excitement, I pulled out my datapad and thought back to all of us together. Smiling I began to sketch out a drawing of me with my family, I added Sire to the back have him holding Carriers shoulderplates and smiling his optics closed. Once I finished the sketch I looked over it sadly, I may not have Ja and Sire, but I do have my brothers.

Sitting up in berth I sighed, I missed Bee, but he would return with my brothers in tow. Getting up I walked around the silent base, no need to lie in my berth awake. Entering the main room, I saw Optimus working on the console. I raced and jumped onto the Prime's pede, he looked down at me in confusion.

"Stargazer why are you awake at this hour?" he asked, I leaned into his plating.

"Can't sleep…" I admitted, he reached down and picked me up.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked, nodding he smiled down at me.

"I miss Bee, but I am excited my brothers are coming, even with them though… I want my creators back, I miss that, I miss them so much. I wonder what they must think of me now?" I rambled, he pulled me close.

"It may not be a replacement, but you do have me and Ratchet here for you." He soothed, I smiled hugging him.

"Yeah, you and Rache are the best…" I muttered, I yawned laying against his chassis.

"I am glad we make you happy." He stated, I looked at him smiling. "Now how about I tell you a bed time story?"

"A story, well that sounds nice." I stated, he chuckled and carried me to my room.

(Optimus's POV)

"What story are you going to tell me?" Star asked, cuddling up to my chassis.

"Did I ever tell you how Ratchet and I met?" I stated she shook her head. "Well I had already befriended Megatronous and during one of his matches he had been injured. I accompanied him to a small hospital just outside of Kaon; you are actually named after the hospital's founder."

"Wow." she replied.

"I waited in the lobby for him to be treated and I noticed all the small youngling and sparklings playing in the lobby. To pass the time I began to play with them, giving them rides and helping them with puzzles. Soon Megatronous and his doctor came out to see me being crawled on by the younglings. Can you guess who his doctor was?"

"Rache."

"Indeed. After leaving the children for a moment I greeted him, he told me he was happy to see the children playing with someone. He told that they were all sick and staying at the hospital till they could be cured."

"Why were they sick?"

"They were children of the poor sector, many of them were orphaned; the hospital was founded by Ratchet's elder sister who wanted to help the lower classes. They offered lower costing medical care and if the situation seemed dire free medical care. When his sister died, Ratchet had taken it over getting a bit of council money to keep the hospital running. Seeing how much good he was doing I donated money to his hospital and began to stop by regularly, along with Megatronous. Soon me and him had become great friends, he had even been there to send us off when Megatronous and I addressed the council. When I became a Prime, he too changed his name."

"What his name before?"

"Starwatcher."

"You two have been friends for a long time."

"More than four million stellar cycles."

"Opmis, can you stay till I go into recharge?"

"Of course."

Yawning she curled up in my servos laying her helm against my spark as I cradled her. I watched with a soft smile on my faceplates as she drifted into recharge. Leaning down I kissed her helm before laying her down on the berth.

"Good night my little Star."

(Ratchet's POV)

I was a bit worried Orion was pulling an all-nighter, he did not seem to respond to me probing. Leaving my room still partially asleep, I looked to see Orion leaving Stargazer's room. I walked up to him probing for answer, he smiled he had a sad but fond look in his optics.

"Stargazer was having trouble sleeping so I told her a story, seems she woke up due to her excitement for the twins." He explained.

"Twin terrors you mean?" I joked, he chuckled.

"They aren't that bad." He hushed, I shook my head chuckling.

"What story did you end up telling her?" I asked absently.

"I told her how we had met." he replied, I smiled.

"You had looked so funny with all the younglings on top of you; they did enjoy your company."

"You did too."

"I don't know how you liked me; if I am remembering correctly you told me that you got interested when we first talked."

"You had such a kind spark, I fell for you fast; I believe the humans call it love at first sight."

"Remember when we first tried to kiss, I turned at the last second and you smacked into my audio receptor."

"Hehehe, indeed you were pretty flustered that you had ruined that kiss, in the end I got my kiss."

"And a wrench to the helm when you wouldn't stop."

"Addicted after the first kiss."

"I'd say, for a while I couldn't be near for more than a few clicks without getting a kiss."

"Do not act as if you did not like it."

"It could be rather annoying."

"Hahaha, I was just glad to have gotten you."

"And avoiding Hide's wrath."

"Yes, that too. If I remember correctly I hide behind you the first couple of times."

"With good reason, you were rather helpless back then."

"The others would probably never believe that you used to be my protector."

"Probably not..."

"Star sure does have us wrapped around her little servo."

"We both have a soft side for younglings."

"I may have offered to have us replace Jazz and Prowl in her life…"

Smiling I leaned against him, I guess I was a Carrier to Star. I felt a pain in my spark, frowning I leaned more into Optimus. Even after so many millions of stellar cycles my spark still aches. I felt Optimus send me comforting waves of love.

"Even after so long my spark still hurts..." I muttered, I felt Optimus's servos wrap around me holding me soothingly.

"I know my love, I know..." he mumbled back.

(Flashback Optimus's POV)

I felt the pain in my spark increase as I ran as fast as I could toward Starwatcher's hospital. Please be alright. Finally, I could see the building up ahead, I saw Ironhide being beaten by Megatron. Behind my battle mask my lip plate trembled as I used my blasters to shoot Megatron.

He turned and saw me, he looked surprised but soon his look changed to a scowl. Before I could reach him, he turned and fled, I ran over to Ironhide helping him to his pedes retracting my battle mask.

"Where the scrap were you Orion?!" he yelled, I cringed.

"I went to Cybertrons core.. I was given the matrix..." I stated, he looked at me in shock.

"Yer a Prime now?" he questioned, I nodded as I helped him inside the hospital. "Orion just set me down here, ya need to get yer aft over ta Star. Before I could get here Megatron hurt him pretty bad, Chromia's doing her best for him but he needs yer support."

Setting him down, I ran into the med-bay I saw his co-workers point me toward the private room. Opening the door, I saw him lying on a medical berth with an energon drip set up as Chromia worked on him. She finished what she had been fixing and turned to me sadly. Please don't tell me he's going to die!

"Don't worry he'll live, but Megatron stabbed him in his abdominal plating... I couldn't save the protoform..." she muttered, I felt myself fall to my knee's clutching a hand over my spark. "I need to go work on Ironhide; Orion you need to be strong for him."

I watched as she ran out of the room, slowly I got back to my pedes. Shuffling over to the med-berth where Star lay in stasis I looked down at him sadly. Reaching out I placed a hand over his abdominal plating, mindful of the wound. Leaning my head down I cursed myself for not being here to protect him. If I had been here maybe our creation wouldn't have died...

"Orion..." Starwatcher's weak voice called, looking up I saw him looking at me confused. "I can't feel our little one..."

"Your injuries we server... Our creation couldn't be saved..." I stated, he looked at me horrified as he began to cry.

"No, not our... Primus..." he muttered, I leaned my helm against his as he sobbed out his grief, and I sent as much comfort I could over our bond.

"I am sorry, I failed you and our creation..." I mumbled, as he continued to sob. "I swear that we shall have another creation, one free from this war and Megatron's cruelty. I swear that to you."

(End Flashback)

I held Starwatcher close as he wept; if only I had been stronger. Frowning I let him cling to my chassis as he let out his sadness, I sent him as much comfort through our bond as I could. Biting my lip plate, I felt a single tear of lubricant fall from my optic as I held him tightly. How I wish I could take his pain away.

"I want to adopt her." he said, his voice wavering from all his weeping.

"If that is what you desire." I replied, he turned and looked up at me with his lubricant filled optics.

"Do you feel for her like I do?" he asked, I smiled sadly cupping his faceplate.

"I see her as our own, I only wish she were." I answered, my words seemed to sooth him as he leaned up and quickly kissed me.

"Thank you, Orion."

(Stargazer's POV)

Onlining my optics I listened to the voices that had woke me up. The deep voice had to be Optimus, and the other one sounded like Ratchet. It sounds like they're coming closer, maybe I'll be able to make out what they're saying soon.

"Good night my Star." Optimus said, they sounded like they were just outside the door. Closing my optics, I kept my audio's on so I could listen to them.

"I shall see you in the morning Orion." Ratchet replied, do they always use their old designations when they're alone?

"When do you plan to tell Stargazer that you're adopting her?" Optimus asked, wait Ratchet's gonna adopt me; that's great I love Ratchet.

"Soon; she'll have to know about us as well. I want her to know she'll have an adopted Sire as well." Ratchet said, they're bonded.. so I was right, they did have more of a past together.

"Of course, I love you Starwatcher."

"I love you too Orion Pax."

I heard nothing for a few minutes until finally some footsteps went down the hall. Listening I heard the door open and footsteps head toward the berth. Pretending to be asleep I let myself go limp as Ratchet picked me up, so he could lay down with me on his chassis.

The thrum of his spark lulled my already slow running systems in recharge. Cuddling up to him more chirping happily I let myself fall into recharge in my soon to be Carrier's servo's.