To make up for my absence, here is a super long chapter! I really hope you all enjoy!

*Disclaimer: I don't own transformers*

~ o ~

That afternoon, I left Abby napping on her bed, shedding my human self just as soon as I stepped foot into the main hanger. I'd been awake laying next to Abby's prone form for about an hour, for fear that once I left the feeling of our grandparents being there in the room with us would disappear. As I stepped out into the brilliant sun, I found myself heading without hesitation to the trail that led to the beach. I wandered away before any of the others took much notice of me, happy to be alone. Exhausted, slow, and emotionally spent as I was, hapless as I might be, the magnificence of the beach never failed to revive my spirits. Standing on the shore, watching the waves thunder across the vast blue at least once a day, day after day, had become de rigueur.

An hour out, I was struck by the sudden certitude that a presence was falling from the heavens above me. I froze, unsure of whether to alert the others or remain perfectly quiet. The AllSpark within me sparked to life, much like a lit match thrown onto gasoline: Suddenly the coordinates of the tiny spark materialized in my vision, so close that I could see her. A little femme, I realized a second later. My optics held onto her fast descending form, her tiny spark pulsing weakly in my enhanced vision, before I bounded straight into the ocean with my hands extended to catch her.

"Ah!" I yelled when the impact of the little bundle landing in my palms sent a wave of intense pain ricocheting up my arms, almost sending me face-first into the water, but I held onto her anyway, managing to remain standing despite the force of impact and pain. "Oh, baby," I said to her as I stood, almost waist-deep in the rolling water and stunned, wondering what to do next.

She looked stunned too, her expression both adorable and tired. It occurred to me that I was holding an actual sparkling in my hands, though she was nothing as I had expected one to be. I'd never seen a sparkling, aside from what had been given to me in the data-packets. At the very least, I'd expected them to be larger than what this one was: her small frame fit perfectly in the cup of my hands. She had beautiful speckled midnight blue armour and two little doorwings. I pulled her carefully to my chest, a part of me sensing instinctively that the pulse of my spark would help calm her, my optics never leaving hers.

"Jane!"

I blinked and turned, seeing a group of bots making their way towards me from the western-side of the beach. Prowl was in the lead with Optimus and Ratchet following behind him, looking shocked and worried. Both stopped in their tracks at the shoreline though when they caught sight of just what exactly I was holding while Prowl came bounding straight up to me, wading through the water that only came to his upper-thigh instead of his waist like me.

"Are you injured?" asked Prowl as soon as he came up to me, a hand coming up to touch me under my elbow joint in case I needed support. I winced as fireworks of searing pain shot up my arm and he removed his hand like I had burned him, only to support me by grabbing my waist when my legs began to shake uncontrollably.

I gasped as my fingers gave an involuntary twitch as though to secure that I a tight hold of the sparkling, only for another flash of burning hurt to emanate from the area to my shoulder almost. I knew then that the damage I'd sustained was bad, especially since a couple of my fingers refused to bend at all. Before my legs had the chance to give out completely though, I felt myself being scooped up by Prowl, who carried me bridle-style back to the shore where Optimus and Ratchet were standing. I half-expected him to set me back down, but he only continued to hold me, his spark engulfing mine in warmth over our bond, though his face remained closed off.

Ratchet was at my side in an instant, though he moved slower than I would have expected, seeming to keep a sharp optic on Prowl for some reason, whose grip had tightened minusculely on me as the medic approached.

"Slaggit, she damaged her wrist again," Ratchet cursed, after I felt a familiar tingle run through my body, "and this time far more severely. I need her transported to medical bay so I can seal the damaged lines and get to work on repairs."

Prowl didn't respond; only turned and took off in the direction of the main hanger, holding me gently but firmly in his arms. I could sense the stares of nearby soldiers and bots as the beach vanished behind us, but I didn't mind because of the wonderful way his frame felt against mine so I could feel our sparks pulsing in sync. I let my head fall against his chest with a dull clang, my optics glued to the sparkling I still held in my hands. She had curled up against me, though her sky blue optics still watched me. It was odd to see her—and not only because she was the first sparkling I'd ever encountered. It had been ages since I'd been in the company of a child.

"Primus! Is that a sparkling?" asked Sideswipe from somewhere next to us. I tore my optics away from the sparkling to find that said mech had approached and was leaning over to examine what was huddled under my hands. Sunstreaker stood behind him, and though he didn't come over to study the sparkling like his twin did, his usually indifferent face still held an expression of surprise.

I raised my head when a low growl like that of a wild beast emanated from the chest of the mech who held me. It was Prowl. His freezing optics were narrowed dangerously at Sideswipe, who immediately lifted his palms up, though he appeared confused, exchanging a look with his brother, whose expression suggested his mind was just as befuddled, before each seemed to take notice of my battered hands.

"What happened to her?" Sideswipe demanded, suddenly on alert. I smiled in spite of the pain I was in, touched by their protectiveness, but Prowl walked away with me before I could say anything. Any other time, I might have been annoyed, but as it was I was under stress and eager to get my hands taken care of. I could hear the twins arguing with each other and the bots around them as we entered the corridor. Though I wasn't paying much attention to what they said, I startled at the annoyed bark of Ratchet's voice, who I'd nearly forgotten was trailing us, accidently twitching my fingers in the process.

Tears sprung to my optics then from the fire of pain, and I could feel Prowl stiffen, before increasing his pace to a speeding walk. It was less than thirty-seconds later when we stepped into the med bay.

"Set her down on one of the berths," said Ratchet, flicking his hand toward the berths as he went to retrieve something from across the room. Prowl carried me over to the berth that was closest and set me down on it, carefully as to not jostle my arms. I felt the sparkling shift in my hands in response, and I closed my optics to blot out the pain her action brought.

"I'm going to need to take the sparkling away from you so I can repair the damage to your hands unhindered," said Ratchet from right in front of me. In reply, I only opened my optics and slowly extended the bundle I held in my hands to him.

The sparkling was calm enough, curled up in a metallic ball in the center of my palms, but the second Ratchet went to pick her up she shrieked and bit down on his finger. Ratchet, to his credit, didn't curse. Though he did release her in shock and took his hand away. I was just as stunned, looking down at her as she let out a small hiss and flapped her doorwings at him in, what I could only assume was meant to be, a threatening way.

"Well, this complicates things," said Ratchet, looking at her with a frown. I silently agreed with him, wondering what we were going to do now. I thought about setting her down where ever it was Ratchet had planned to put her myself, but that would require bending more than just my arms. Just as Ratchet reached out with his hand, appearing as though he was going to make a second attempt at picking her up, despite the way she was still growling and hissing fiercely at him, Prowl reached out and lightly touched the side of her helm with his fingertip, causing her to look at him quickly. She became still as soon as she saw him, a look of wonder replacing that of her hostility.

"Hello, Little Star," Prowl greeted softly, speaking in Praxian.

She continued to gaze up at him.

"Peace to your spark," he said in the same gentle tone, before reaching out and carefully taking her from my hands. I watched in stunned silence as he held her skilfully in his palms, the little femmling doing nothing more then staring up at him with awed curiosity, before cradling her to his chest as I had instinctively done. She snuggled against his chest armour without hesitation, but soon resumed peeking up at him, her blue optics adorably wide.

"Do you have a name, Little One?" he asked, smiling a little.

The sparkling blinked and then sat up from where she had been reclining against him. "Eyah!" she replied happily. "I Aura."

Prowl touched the tip of her nose. "Hello, Aura. I am Prowl."

"You cuddlewy," she said, curling up against him again, and I could feel my mate's amusement over our bond. Then his frigid optics darted up to meet mine, and his expression moved from an amused little smile to reproachful as he took notice of my still untreated hands laying upturned in my lap. His optics shot to Ratchet with a look that required no verbal clarification. Ratchet snapped out of his stupor, cleared his throat, and quickly set to work on my wrists.

I let out a hiss of air as soon as he did, the pain his touch evoked though he was skilled and doing his best to be careful almost blinding. I could literally see part of them sparking—the energon from my severed lines dripping onto the floor with a rhythmic pulse. Ratchet had a serious expression on his faceplates now, and he lifted a needle up from someplace beside me, though I didn't look to see where.

"Jane, I'm going to administer an injection that will put you into recharge," he said, flecks of concern and guilt shining in his optics. "You will be alright. I simply want to ensure that you feel no pain, since I am unable to shut off the pain receptors in the area."

I felt a tiny pricking sensation in my arm, but even then I could feel a part of me fighting to remain conscious. Defensive protocols onlined with the intention of overriding the drug in my system, and I sat up straight as all my senses enhanced to momentary full-awareness: bits and pieces of my processor replaying the last time I had been drugged into unconsciousness, only to awaken as a Megatron's captive. My all-seeing optics caught sight of my not-grandmother standing across the room, and I outstretched my arm toward her, envisioning the outline of her body in my hand as I used a final burst of my strength to suppress the protocols fighting for control over my body.

I saw her mirroring my actions and for moment swore I was looking at an exact image of myself, before everything brightened to a blinding white in my vision. I was faintly aware of the shock radiating from the sparks around me. Then my body slumped forward as my vision darkened, and I slipped into unconsciousness.

I woke two hours later with the vaguely pleasant sensation that a tiny life force was close to mine. I could feel its warm weight through my armour on my belly below where my spark resided in my chest. I expanded my field in a sudden burst to better sense the sparks around me, before I onlined my optics and gazed over at the medic, who was standing with his back to me typing into a datapad.

"You know," I said, smiling when he jumped at the sound of my voice, "this med bay could really use some brightening up. There's nothing interesting to look at for anyone who isn't a medic or, like, laying here unconscious."

"Jane! You're online," Ratchet said, moving closer at the same I felt myself being scanned. "How are you feeling?"

"Like hell. But in a good way," I reassured him, glimpsing concern spike in his optics. I flexed my hands and fingers tentatively, taking note of the fact that while outwardly they appeared to be fully repaired, I could feel nothing below my wrist in my right hand. It occurred to me that considering all the damage that wrist had even sustained up unto now I should count myself lucky that it was even functional at all. I pinched one of my left-hand fingers, and was relieved when I felt a sensation in my left finger, followed by a tingling in my right-hand fingers. A moment later, I shifted my focus back onto Ratchet, only to find him watching me with a rather solemn look in his optics.

"I managed to seal and repair most of the injuries to your arms and hands, but your right wrist has been greatly damaged. I repaired what I could, however, I'm afraid that I was unable to full functionality." His optics dropped then to said hand of mine. Though he said nothing more, I could see guilt in his optics and wondered if he blamed himself for how fucked up my wrist was.

"Ratchet," I said, gently placing my left hand on his arm and looking upon his face.

"Nothing. Just." He stared at my hand for a long time before saying, "I feel that I owe you an apology, youngling. I was so easily distracted by the sparkling that I failed in my duties as a medic. I should have tended to you sooner rather than later, especially when your injuries were so obviously causing you immense pain."

"Yes," I agreed. I gazed up at him silently for a while, and then lowered my hand down to give his hand a squeeze. "But I forgive you for that. I might have been hurt, but at no threat to my life. My body would have survived even without medical intervention, and, indeed, it did."

Ratchet looked as though he wanted to argue, but simply nodded. I let him go then, focusing my attention onto the sparkling curled up on my stomach armour. I gazed upon her recharging form curiously, but not without the certain tenderness I could viscerally feel her aching spark so desperately needed.

"Her energy signature has increased since I was last awake," I said.

Ratchet nodded. "Her energy signature was weak due to a lack of energon in her system. I fed her, so that is likely what boosted her strength." He paused half a second. "I would ask how it is you knew she was coming to Earth, but I suspect that it likely had something to do with the AllSpark enhancing your sensory-level above that of any normal Cybertronian."

"You are not wrong," I said, though I knew it was more of an unleashing of my abilities rather than a temporary sensory boost, as he seemed to think. Even now I could feel the swirl of memories and voices in the back of my processor, laying the pieces down to reveal to me the greater picture. "When did Prowl leave?" I asked.

"Not long after you dropped into recharge," he answered. "I believe he had a meeting to attend regarding the Decepticon captive, though I have little doubt that the topic of the sparkling was brought up during their discussion as well."

I nodded wordlessly, still gazing at the sparkling curled up asleep atop my belly. I was aware of the sparks in proximity to me around base though, and I raised my head just as the door opened to admit two mechs, one of whom crossed the floor immediately to press his helm against mine. I closed my optics and breathed deeply, my spark singing in chorus to his, before he pulled back and I opened my optics and we looked at each other.

"How are you feeling?" Prowl asked softly.

"Better," I said, smiling up at him gently. Then I reached up and traced my fingers across his jaw, my optics snapping up to meet his teasingly. "I do think a kiss would make me feel even better though."

A bit of a shy smile warmed his expression, causing my spark to flutter. "I . . . think a kiss could be arranged."

"Maybe right here?" I asked, waving my right hand playfully.

Gently he took my hand into his and leaned over and kissed the back of it.

I lifted my other hand. "And here?" I asked.

With the same infinite tenderness, he picked up my other hand and placed a kiss onto the back of it as well. My spark was thrumming faster now, but I tapped a finger to my lips in a silent invitation. He smiled, leaning over at the same time I laid my hand against his cheek, keeping it there even as his helm drew closer to mine, his lips inches from meeting mine—

Ratchet cleared his throat and said, "If you two are done bashing helms, I have some energon here for you to drink, Jane."

The sudden tug back to reality startled us, and Prowl pulled away quickly from where he'd been bent over the berth inches from my face. I was blushing, but I still moved to sit up as Ratchet approached with a cube of energon, using one of my hands to support the sleeping sparkling against my stomach armour. I took the cube he held out to me, and ignored the knowing look said medic had on his faceplates to instead take an immediate gulp of the pink energon. When it hit my tank—though it was bland compared to the cubes Prowl prepared for me—I felt instantly dizzy with pleasure, just as I had when I hungrily drank the cube I had earlier this morning. By the time I was done guzzling my entire cube, Jazz had approached and was standing next to Prowl with a hand clasped on his shoulder, grinning down at the tiny femme and I.

"Ah got to hand it to ya, mech," Jazz said to Prowl as I wiped my mouth off with the back of my hand, ducking my helm in embarrassment. "Ya sure know how to pick 'em."

Prowl didn't respond, but gazed at me with surprisingly warm optics. My frame heated up in response, and I downturned my attention to the sparkling curled against me to keep from thinking about the festival we had in his quarters last night. I busied myself by watching the little femme as she slept, her doorwings twitching in occasion, and I smiled as the action instantly reminded me of Prowl and the way his own doorwings would often flutter in recharge.

"So there was something I wanted to discuss with you, Ratchet," I said, my head lifting to look over at said mech, who was standing across the room typing into a datapad. "I've been thinking—about what I'm best suited to do? I know I've trained with the intention of becoming a fighter, but I would like to train to become a medic instead, if that is at all possible." His optics opened wider, looking at me. "I know you already have an apprentice—and how busy you are. But it would mean a lot to me if you would at least consider taking me on as an apprentice." I could feel the surprise radiating from Jazz next to my berth, but I narrowed my focus to the medic who was regarding me fixedly.

"The training to become a medic is not something completed within a few weeks," he said, with an unreadable expression on his face. "Are you certain you are prepared for what is to come?" I nodded, steadfast in my want to become a healer as opposed to a killer—and the corners of his lips lifted. "I would be honoured to teach you then, Jane," he said.

I nodded, silenced by emotion and the certitude that I really did have a lot of training ahead of me. "Thank you," I said.

"So ya plan to become a medic?" asked Jazz as I returned to smiling down at the sparkling. I looked up at him and nodded. "Ah'm happy to hear that: They are what keeps us online and kickin', after all," he said. "Ah am wonderin' what made ya change yer mind though."

"It's why I was created," I said as memories of another time and place flew across my vision. "I was created with the powers to give life. Not to take. I just want a chance to fulfill the purpose of my creation."

"Ah'm guessin' this has somethin' to do with the AllSpark in ya?" Jazz said, staring at the sparkling.

"Yeah," I said, "you could say that."

Jazz hummed in response, but unexpectedly said nothing at that. And I felt the sparkling shift in my hand, flicking my gaze downward. I watched as a tiny door-wing flapped, then the sparkling onlined and looked up at me with sky blue optics in curiosity.

"Hello," I greeted, speaking in Praxian.

"Lo," the sparkling chirped, pushing herself into a sitting position with her hands braced against my chest armour. Despite my aversion for human children, I couldn't help but feel a little twitch in my maternal side as I held her cradled close to my spark—something I usually only felt for animals and the like.

"It's nice to meet you, Aura," I said. "My name is Jane," I added, speaking my name in English since there was no translation for my name in Praxian.

Aura continued to gaze up at me. "Eyah."

"Dang, she sure is cute," Jazz said, causing said sparkling to whip her head around and look at him. "Well, hey there, little femme," he said amiably. He extended his palm out to her, obviously in a form of Praxian greeting I was unfamiliar with, to which she reciprocated by hesitantly placing her own on top of his. Then she noticed Prowl standing silently by the berth closer to my head, and her doorwings lifted.

"Prowl!" she called happily, reaching for him.

"Hello, little star," Prowl greeted, taking her from me gently when I offered her up to him. He held her against chest so that she could hug him.

"I yike oo," she said, resting her helm against him.

"I . . . like you too," Prowl said, though feelings of confliction floated over to me via our bond. He cupped a hand around the sparkling, and she responded in kind with an audible purr as feelings of safety and warmth emitted from her spark.

"Guess we all know who her favourite mech is," said Jazz, with a laugh.

Prowl glanced over at him with a raised optic-ridge. "You know as well as I do that the only reason she is drawn to me at all is because I'm a Praxian."

"Then why are ya the bot currently holding her and not meh?" Jazz asked, opening his empty arms as if to showcase the obvious. "Ah am half Praxian, after all."

"She responded far better to you than she did to Ratchet," I said, unable to keep the amusement out of my voice at my sudden recollection of earlier. Said mech frowned at me as he came up behind the shorter mechs, but was otherwise silent as he ran a quick scan over me and the sparkling.

Suddenly his expression darkened and he picked up a nearby wrench off a table, whacking Prowl in the back of the helm with it.

"Ow—" Prowl shot the medic a look of reproach, cupping his hand around the sparkling more protectively as she hissed. "May I ask what that was for?"

"That was for not coming to see me regarding your neck injuries," Ratchet growled. He paused, seeming to examine Prowl's neck more thoroughly. "Though I must admit that you did a fairly decent job at pulling out all the dents," he said, with a look of surprise flitting over his features.

"Actually that was me," I said, just as Prowl opened his mouth. "I simply did what I've seen you do dozens of times, though I know without a doubt that I messed up in some places."

"No, you . . . did very well," said Ratchet, slowly. "I didn't think you were paying attention all those times."

I nodded, methodically flexing my right hand. "I wanted to have some idea just in case I ever needed to preform any of the procedures myself."

"Is that so?" Ratchet said, rubbing his chin, as he looked me with something akin to approval in his optics. I could feel pride waft over me through my bond with Prowl, and glanced up at him to find that he was watching me with a small smile. My cooling fans switched on in response to the praise and I lowered my optics to study Aura instead, seeing that she was still hissing softly at the closeness of Ratchet, her tiny doorwings flared up in a defensive pose. Ratchet paused, turning to regard the hissing little femme as if he had just noticed she was there, before saying, "She is due for another feeding."

He took a step toward Prowl as though to take the sparkling, only to pause when the action caused her to hiss a little more loudly. He regarded her blankly for a moment and then shot Prowl an exasperated look, who in reply touched her wingtip delicately to get her attention.

"There is no need to be afraid, Aura," Prowl said gently, "Ratchet is my friend and would never hurt you. He just wants to know if you are hungry."

"Eyah," Aura said, still eyeing the medic reproachfully, "but him gwabby. My no yikes gwabs."

I grinned amusedly, and Jazz laughed. "She thinks you have grabby hands," I explained to Ratchet, so he could understand, and in reply he just shook his head in resignation, muttering something about 'Praxians' under his breath.

Prowl looked like he was trying to hold in his amusement. "I will feed you if you like," he said to Aura, "but then Ratchet is going to look after you for a little while. He is a kind and good mech. You will see."

"Okay." She seemed a little reluctant, but didn't argue. "I eats now?"

"Yes," he said, and shifted her so that she was sitting entirely on one hand. I half expected him to go fetch a bottle or something, but to my utter surprise he only brought his free hand up to hover inches from the side of her head so that his wrist was near her mouth. It kind of looked like when one would lay a hand on someone's cheek, only without the actual contact. At least, until, something metal extended out from his inner wrist—

I watched in wonder as Aura latched onto the end of it and began to drink contentedly, her doorwings relaxing from their flared out position as she ate.

"You can feed her?" I asked Prowl, swinging my legs carefully over the edge of the berth so that I was facing him. He nodded, and wordlessly bent over so I could peer over his hand at what she was suckling from: a metal rod of some sorts from a part of his inner wrist. Aura gazed up at me with her sky blue optics, but otherwise was quiet as she continued to drink, her little wings fully relaxed now on her back. A moment later, Prowl straightened back up. He was close enough for me to reach out and touch though, and so, without really thinking, I wrapped my arms around his leg closest to me and rested my helm against him, shutting my optics.