Destinies (Transformers Prime)

Epilogue

Ratchet sighed forcefully as he read his datapad and walked down the hallway to the energon room. He needed to check on inventory and report to the team so they knew how much to bring back. He worried that they wouldn't be able to get a lot though. He heard giggling and furrowed his optic ridges. He stopped suddenly and looked to the training room as the kids laughed about something. The medic walked to the doorway and his optics widened as he saw the sparkling sitting on the floor, and the kids were painting her.

"What in the pits are yo doing?!" He asked as he walked in. They jumped and looked up at him as the sparkling smiled brightly.

"Coloring." She said and looked at herself. "I didn't want to be gray anymore... I wanted to have a color like the others... and a name... or designation." She said sadly and looked at the floor.

Ratchet just stood there for a moment as he realized they neglected this. He felt bad and walked over, then knelt on one knee plate.

"I'm sorry for not taking this into consideration. Let's get you painted then find a name and... possibly discuss a proper sire for you." He said the last one hesitantly. He didn't know how they'd manage that, and Arcee was the only option for a carrier.

"I... would rather talk to everyone about my name... and..." She trailed off as she thought about who her sire could be. Perhaps someone that wasn't busy. But that didn't seem to be an option at all. "I'll be okay... without a unit..." she whispered.

"No. You need to feel loved and wanted." He said seriously. "You need to feel like you belong." He whispered and she smiled a little before hugging him tightly. He tensed as she got paint on him and did his best not to grumble.

"Now, what color do you want to be?" Miko grinned as she held up some paint and a few brushes. The sparkling squealed as Ratchet face servoed and sighed in exasperation.

He helped them get the proper paint and then helped them color the sparkling, as she and Miko put it. Jack and Raf laughed as they helped Miko. The medic watched them and wondered who would be a proper sire for her.

Despite how much he'd want to, he couldn't bring himself to become her sire. It pained him to look at her at times. She reminded him of Piper and that wasn't even the worst of it, the guilt of not being able to save his sparkling was eating him up inside. He couldn't recharge because he only heard her and his sweet sparks cries for help. How he tried to save them and failed, as usual.

He could only ever fail.

He stared at the children then looked at his servos as he remembered what happened to them in his time line. He sighed and squeezed his optics shut as he fought back the horrible memories. No, he couldn't do it.

A little later she had a beautiful shade of purple, some blue and a little bit of burnt orange, she loved the colors the children picked out for her. They ran to the main room to show the others but stopped as they listened to the team talking.

Miko and the sparkling looked at each other as they realized they were talking about the latter, and who should be her unit. The sparkling slowly peaked into the room without making herself known. The children followed as they listen to them discuss the matter at hand.

"I wouldn't mind doing it... but like I said... it would be too difficult for me to do at the moment." Ratchet said and glanced at Optimus as they had a silent conversation. The Prime understood, from speaking privately with him earlier that day.

"Why? I mean you're here all day and don't do anything. If anything you'd be the most qualified." Smokescreen said as he frowned. Wheeljack smacked him in the back of the helm and glared darkly, knowing why the doctor couldn't. Even though he didn't talk to him about it.