Little Optimus (TFP Little Series)

~2~

The next morning Optimus was in his normal mind set and had figured a few things out. He concentrated on keeping his mind intact as he used a data pad to type a few things down. He was doing his best to help his team. He had to remind himself his frame was smaller and needed more attention.

This frustrated him a little and he didn't like how small he was. He was so used to looking down to see people, now he had to look up. Not that it was bad. It was an interesting predicament to say the least. He furrowed his little optic ridges as he forgot what he was doing and slowly faded back into a sparkling again.

Smokescreen walked over and stopped suddenly as he looked at the little Prime. He frowned and crouched by him.

"Um... Optimus sir.... I don't mean to tell you how to do your job.... but I don't think you're supposed to... eat the data pad." He muttered and gently took it. Optimus looked at him as tears filled his little optics. He reached for it and gave the speedster puppy eyes.

"You... uh... can't have it." He said hesitantly and looked at the others. Optimus choked back a sob and buried his face in his servos as he cried.

"What did you do?!" Ratchet snapped angrily and looked at him.

"He was eating the data pad!" Smokescreen shouted back and stood up. The sparkling reached for it again as he sat there and cried. He saw a wrench by him and picked it up. He started chewing on it and held it tightly.

"Optimus don't eat the wrench." Ratchet said as he sighed in exasperation. The sparkling just looked at him innocently.

Smokescreen hesitated then took the wrench away as well. The little Prime looked at him as if he had destroyed his world. He started to cry harder and reached for both items.

"Low..." he sobbed. They looked at him and Ratchet scanned the little bot. He frowned.

"Has he had any energon since he got back?" He asked and shot them a nasty look. They glanced at each other and shrugged slightly. The medic sighed in exasperation and drug his servo across his face plate.

"We uh.... didn't think about it." Bulkhead muttered and rubbed the back of his helm nervously.

"I don't think the bots know how to take care of babies." Miko said quietly as she glanced at the others. The Autobots all looked at her and glared.

"Thats where you're wrong. We know perfectly well how to watch a sparkling." Arcee muttered as she glared and folded her arms.

Bumblebee looked at the crying sparkling and he whirled sadly. He ran to the energon storage room then came back with a cube. He cocked his helm slightly and punched the energon until tiny shards fell off.

"Bumblebee! You're making a mess!" Ratchet snapped as he walked over. "Besides he probably can't consume it this way." He muttered.

::He seems to be doing just fine to me.:: he beeped as he narrowed his optics and gestured to the Prime. Optimus looked up at them as he munched on a small shard. They watched him quietly for a few minutes.

"Well... don't let him hurt himself." Ratchet muttered and walked back to the computer.

Bumblebee rolled his optics and sat by the sparkling. He watched him carefully as the Prime consumed energon. The others wandered off to make sure the base was still safe for him.

::I wonder if you can understand me as a sparkling.:: he chirped quietly. ::You always understood me.:: he whirled sadly and rested his chin in his servo. He stared at the opposite wall for a moment.

Optimus looked at him then grabbed a few shards of energon before sitting in the scouts lap. He blinked a couple times and stared at the little one.