Transformers Short Story

Sparkling Sitting

Ratchet watched Gold Line, over his datapad, as she played with her metal blocks on the carpeted floor of their hab-suit living room. The sparkling was now a 6-month old in human terms and had just learned to squeak out a couple of full words to her creators on occasion. She glanced up at her carrier with a large smile, before pulling herself to her pedes, walking unsteadily towards Ratchet, who was occupied by his datapad once more. Gold Line grabbed onto his pedes with a delighted squeal, startling her carrier. Ratchet peered down before smiling softly, pulling the attention-seeking femmeling into his lap, turning back to his material. Gold Line chewed at her servo, staring up at her carrier curiously before her digits were removed softly from her intake by her carrier's will. Gold Line batted her servos against the data pad in Ratchet's hands, trying to gain his attention again. Ratchet sighed before setting his datapad aside, peering down at his sparkling with raised optics ridges, "What is it little one?" Gold Line chirped happily at him before pointing at the door to Optimus's study, "Sire?" Ratchet placed his servo to support her back struts as the movement almost toppled her over, "He's not here right now...he's in a council meeting." Gold Line titled her helm before pouting slightly, curling into Ratchet's chest plating to listen to his spark beat, "Sire." Ratchet rubbed at her helm soothingly, allowing the sparkling to relax into his form. Gold Line stubbornly kept herself from falling asleep, although she was overdue for a recharge, instead, she traced the edges of his armor, tapping at each wire or joint playfully. She gently pulled at the ones closest to her and Ratchet ex-vented, taking the wires from her servos and fixing them back into his frame. Gold Line opened their shared creator bond and poked her Sire tentatively. Optimus tickled her side of the bond, making the sparkling squeal in delight and poke him harder. Ratchet patted her helm again, "Gently." Gold Line blinked before trying again, tugging at their bond with a softer pull. Optimus answered again, sending love flooding into their shared bond and a promise to return soon. Ratchet closed off their bond slowly, settling more comfortably into the couch and picking up his datapad again, "I've got some readings to do little one...do you want to play up here or on the floor?" Gold Line's optics surveyed the floor and then the couch before pointing at him happily. Ratchet smiled, allowing his sparkling to slip from his lap and collect her metal blocks before pushing them up onto the couch triumphantly. She made grabby hands toward him, letting Ratchet pick her up and set her next to her toys with a watchful eye. Gold Line set up her stacking cubes with a quiet whirl, trying her best to pile them as high as her servos could reach. The tower collapsed on her last cube and she chipped in frustration, collecting the blocks to try again. After a couple of tries, she lost interest in stacking the blocks so she switched to making crude shapes. She formed the cubes into a circle before looking over at her carrier with a small chirp. Ratchet looked up from his work, smiling down at her circle before returning his focus. Gold Line yawned, suddenly exhausted from missing so much recharge, and cycled her optics fixing them again on her carrier. She crawled the short distance to him, smushing her helm into his thigh plating with a content sigh, letting her optics fall closed with a sleepy purr. Ratchet glanced down at the intruder, trying not to disturb her too much, as she needed to recharge before she went into a fit again. He stroked her helm, checking her Energon readings with his scans, noting the levels with a sigh. He placed the datapad aside before leaning back into the couch, letting his optics fall shut to join his sparkling in recharge for a few minutes. 

The sound of the hab-suit doors whooshing open woke Ratchet from light recharge. He rubbed at his face plating before peering down to watch the gentle rise and fall of his sparkling's frame against his thigh plating. Gold Line curled into a tighter ball, clutching Ratchet's plating with a firm grip. Optimus cleared his pipes as he entered their living room, "I was beginning to think you weren't home." Ratchet shushed him harshly, switching to their private bond, "She hasn't fallen into proper recharge for goons...don't mess this up or you'll have to deal with a cranky sparkling." Optimus smiled down at the femmeling, warmth filling their bond, "I will try my best old friend." He pressed a kiss to the medic's chevron before moving to his studio with a small smile at the pair on the couch. Ratchet's next words stopped him before he could make it through the door, "I'm going to the clinic tomorrow...First Aid said they had foot traffic today and he'll need more servos." Optimus pursed his lip plating, moving to rest his hand on Ratchet's shoulder plating, his voice kind, "You just had a sparkling...can they not cover for you a little while longer?" Ratchet glanced back at Gold Line, still recharging peacefully, "I...I can ask." Optimus's optics filled with concern and he kneeled to view Ratchet's face plating, who was actively avoiding his stare. Optimus placed his servo on Ratchet's knee joint, letting his EM field wash over the two of them in a comforting hum, "What is wrong?" Ratchet blinked before shaking his helm, "It's nothing...it's not important." Optimus furrowed his optic ridges with a snort, letting his hand travel up Ratchet's frame to turn his optics on him, "Everything you say is important Ratchet." Ratchet pursed his lip plating before sighing, "I feel quite useless sitting here while you're slammed with the council and your Prime duties." Optimus's optics cycled and his face plating formed into a frown, "You are not useless Ratchet...our sparkling needs you now more than ever...I don't think I need to remind you how much work a sparkling is, especially one such as ours, " he trailed off in amusement before his tone turned serious again, "I know your dislike of mandatory leave but you are doing a job here too...if it's any help I will try to convince the council to hold earlier meetings so I may sparkling-sit while you work in the clinic...only after you use all your leave." Ratchet considered his proposal with a small smile, "I suppose I could do that...you think you can handle her?" Optimus eyed the sleeping sparkling before shrugging, "I will try my best." Ratchet smirked, "You'll need that and more."