the sparkling had dropped two months ago and Reflect had tried everything he could think of to cause sparking. everything Wheeljack had suggested and then some. he'd tried eating spicy human foods, bouncing on a ball, standing on his head, rough interfacing, jumping up and down (resulting in him purging), jumping jacks (more purging), squats, push ups (though those had failed miserably and he'd ended up in the medbay cramping and in tears after Ironhide managed to scrap him off the floor), sex with his holoform, regular interfacing, sit ups (this had also required a trip to the medbay and Reflect had been in serious trouble with Ratchet), yoga (another trip to the medbay), butterfly stretches (it had taken Ironhide and Optimus to haul him up after that one), climbing the stairs (Ratchet had to put an end to that when Reflect slipped and nearly fell down them because of Crosshairs), and even running. nothing had helped/

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had even tried to help by startling him into sparking, it had ended with Reflect on his back on the ground in pain and Ironhide beating on the twins.

nothing had helped induce him, no matter how hard he tried, but he wasn't going to stop until he had this sparkling.

he was sitting in the floor in the rec room, attempting his butterfly stretches again, Sam and Bumblebee watching him carefully.

"are you sure you should be trying this again?" Sam ask.

"the last time it took Optimus and Ironhide to get you up and Ironhide had to carry you to the medbay." Bumblebee frowns.

"and you were sobbing in the medbay for, like, an hour." Sam frowns.

"its fine. this is one of the few things Ratchet doesn't get angry at me for trying and if he yells at me again I'm going to scream at him." Reflect frowns.

"thats not going to help. why don't you try the ball again?" Bumblebee ask.

"I cramped my back and purged all over Ironhide last time I tried that." Reflect frowns.

"I remember hearing about that." Sam snorts.

"what the hell are you doing?" Jazz snorts, walking over to them.

"I will have this sparkling as fast as possible and I'm doing whatever it takes. Cybertronian ways and human ways." Reflect huffs, glaring at Jazz. Jazz raises an optic ridge.

"why not just wait for the sparkling?" Jazz ask.

"the sparkling is perfect fine and healthy. the last few weeks are just for reassurance. I don't want to wait that fucking long. I'm tired of carrying." Reflect growls lowly.

"have you tried the ball thing?" Jazz asks.

"yes. I've tried everything I and Wheeljack can think of." Reflect growls.

"yeah. the twins even tried jumping out and scaring him." Sam says.

"oh yeah, I remember. they're still on clean up duty in the N.E.S.T. base." Jazz frowns. "have you tried high grade?" Jazz ask.

"still can't stomach the shit. not since the accident at the poker game." Reflect mumbles, placing a servo on his bump looking ready to purge at the thought. "no thanks." he frowns. Jazz nods.

"right, I under stand that." Jazz nods.

"alright I've been doing this for an hour, I'm done, anyone wanna help me up?" Reflect frowns, looking up at Bumblebee and Jazz.

"let me call for help actually, I don't want to hurt you." Jazz frowns. Reflect nods.

"okay." Refleft nods. its quiet for only a few minutes, before Reflect hears someone approaching.

"someone call for help?" Ironhide snorts, walking into the rec room. Reflect grins up at him gratefully, but it falls seeing Optimus behind him.

"oh great a double rescue." Reflect frowns.

"I won't take offense to that." Optimus says, walking over behind him. Ironhide walks in front of him.

"alright baby, come on, nice and easy." Ironhide murmurs. it takes them a minute or two to get the mech up off the ground, but they manage to get him up.

"thanks guys." Reflect murmurs, brushing himself off a little. Optimus nods heading out of the rec room.

"you okay?" Ironhide ask.

"I'll be more okay when this sparkling gets here." Reflect mutters. Ironhide chuckles softly.

"no luck yet?" Ironhide ask.

"nope." Reflect mutters.

"just don't hurt yourself." Ironhide murmurs. Reflect nods.

"I won't, well, not too bad at least." Reflect assures. "sparking is not going to be something that isn't painful." Reflect frowns. Ironhide nods.

"I know. I know." Ironhide murmurs softly. Reflect smiles at him.

"alright, I've got to go to the N.E.S.T. base. hang around near by. today is the fucking day and I know it." Reflect smirks, walking out.

"thats what you've been saying for two weeks." Ironhide snorts. Reflect huffs at him.

I'm having this sparkling today. I will not sleep until I have this fragging sparkling.

don't hurt yourself.

I'm going to be fine, I'm just going to have the sparkling.

Ironhide shrugs a little to himself and grabs a cube. Reflect would be fine.

"this is stupid." Sideswipe mutters.

"stop your griping and come on." Sunstreaker snaps. "idiot. it was your idea to scare him." Sunstreaker mumbles.

"he said he wanted to have the sparkling, I thought it would work." Sideswipe mumbles softly.

"listen bit for brains-" Sunstreaker starts. there's a loud scream that has them running from the N.E.S.T. base. Reflects on his back, scrambling away from Grimlock as fast as he can. Grimlock looks disapointed, like Reflect wasn't who'd been expecting.

"hey! get the fuck away from him!" Sideswipe shouts, running towards Grimlock. Sunstreakers not far behind him.

"get the fuck of fhim!" Sunstreaker roars, firing his blaster at the dino. Grimlock steps back away quickly.

"hang on Reflect, we've got you." Sideswipe ways, running over to his side. Reflect has a pained look on his face.

"fuck him. fuck the dino, help me up." Reflect says, reaching for Sideswipes servo.

:"let me call Ironhide-" Sideswipe starts.

"he won't be of any use. you and Sunstreaker need to help me up now." Reflect snaps. the twins, confused, help him up. "don't panic or freak out or anything, but help me to the medbay now." Reflect says firmly. they carefully help him towards the base, he refuses to let go of either of them, unable to stand on his own.

"are you okay? you're... creepily calm." Sunstreaker frowns.

"oh I'm fine. I think I'm just finally getting my wish." Reflect winces.

"sparkling time?" Sideswipe grins.

"I believe so." Reflect nods.

"Ratchet, Reflects-"

"I know they just brought Ironhide in. get him to the medbay."

"on our way."

"Ironhides unconscious." Sideswipe murmurs.

"I know. I told you'd he'd be useless to help me up." Reflect grunts, stumbling. his head drops forward and his body goes slack but not quiet limp.

"come on, we gotta get him to the medbay." Sunstreaker murmurs. they barely manage to pass the rec room, when Optimus swoops in and scoops Reflect up quickly, heading for the medbay.

"hey!" Sideswipe shouts. Optimus doesn't answer quickly carrying the mech into the medbay. Ironhide is sitting on a berth looking dazed. he tries to sit up, but falls backwards immediately.

"Reflect." Ironhide mumbles.

"hang on Ironhide, we've got him." Ratchet assures, patting Ironhides are as he walks past quickly. Reflect moans quietly. "just relax kid, you're not evem gonna realize anything is happening." Ratchet assures. Reflect groans dropping his head back. "when you wake up, you'll have a beautiful sparkling." Ratchet smiles.

its oddly silent in the medbay when Reflect finally shifts several hours later. he's dizzy and sluggish. his system is refusing to reboot. he groans quietly.

"shhhh." Ratchet soothes gently. Reflect onlines his optics, looking over at Ratchet.

"nnnnnggghhh." Reflect manages.

"mmhmm." Ratchet chuckles.

"sparklin...?" Reflect mumbles. Ratchet smiles, motioning to his other side.

"sparklings." Ratchet murmurs. Reflect looks a little confused, but turns his head. Ratchet walks off quickly to give them a few minutes.

Ironhides sitting on a berth on Reflects other side, legs folded up, staring intently at his lap. there in his arms are two tiny sparklings. definately smaller than Reflect himself at been. Ironhide doesn't even seem to notice he's awake. he looks a little lost staring at the two sparklings. Reflect wants a picture, but he was never taught how to turn a memory into a picture.

the two sparklings are smaller than Ironhides forearms, they could both probably lay comfortable on one of his arms with space to wiggle, and Ironhide isn't really sure what to do with them. he can't peel his optics off them though, even with the sound of Reflect waking up in the bachground.

"Hide...?" Reflect mumbles. Ironhide doesn't move and Reflect chuckles softly, rolling onto his side to watch them. he doesn't bother to look down at his armor, he doesn't want to see the freshly wielded plating on his abdomen. "Ironhide." Reflect calls softly.

"hmm?" Ironhide manages, not bothering to look at him. Reflect chuckles softly.

"you okay?" Reflect ask, looking amused.

"s'two of'em. we prepared for one... s'two sparklings. we're not prepared." Ironhide mumbles.

his voice is soft in a way Reflect hasn't heard since Ironhide first met Annabelle. it was the same soft, calm, lost voice he'd had when Will first laid the giggling little toddler in his servo.

Reflect smiles a little, watching him.

"yeah. I see that..." Reflect murmurs, ready to fall back into recharge. he looks confused when Ironhide slowly gets up.

"I know you're tired, but m'not going to make you wait three days or so to hold them." Ironhide murmurs, walking over to him. the little sparklings are wrapped tightly in blankets similar to the ones Wheeljack had made him. one blanket is a dark blue and the other is a dark purple. "though... Wheeljack has held them too." Ironhide frowns, laying them beside Reflect. the smaller immediately pulls them close and nods.

"I figured." Reflect murmurs, nuzzling the sparkling closest to him. "m'falling asleep Hide, so take'em I don't wanna hurt them." Reflect manages, half asleep.

"I will. I'll take them once you're asleep." Ironhide murmurs. Reflect nods a little.

Ironhide waits like he said he would, then gently scoops the sparklings up once Reflect is sound in recharge. he sits back down in his previous position, holding his sparklings silently. he does occasionally spare a glance at Reflect to check on him, before they go right back to the sparklings.

"two sparklings." Ironhide murmurs softly, watching the sparklings. the sparkling in his left arm squirms and whines. "shhhhh. its alright little one, its alright." Ironhide murmurs, shifting the sparkling. he gently lays the other sparkling in his lap so he can shift the whining sparkling gently, kissing the sparklings head. he scoops the other sparkling up and hold them both gently.

the door to the medbay pushes open and Ratchet leads Optimus into the medbay. Ironhide doesn't budge.

"Ironhide, hey Primes here." Ratchet says softly. "Ironhide." Ratchet calls slightly louder. the mech doesn't budge.

"is he alright?" Optimus frowns, watching Ironhide carefully.

"well, they were only expecting one sparkling and they got two, but he's holding his very first sparklings. I'd say his processor is struggling to keep up, he'll be alright in a few days, just speak softly and calmly when you talk to him or you could make him crash. I did the same thing when Wheeljack sparked Nitro." Ratchet murmurs. "don't treat him like Ironhide okay, be gentle. I don't want him to drop the sparklings." Ratchet says softly. Optimus nods.

"Ironhide." Optimus says, walking over to him. Ironhide growls lowly and Ratchet immediately grabs hold of Optimus' arm, jerking him back.

"don't get too close to him and the sparklings." Ratchet warns. the growling dies out slowly and Ironhide looks at his sparklings. "give him a second to process that you're here and you're just Optimus, the you're not a threat, that you're a friend. you have to give him time to process. he'll be over protective for a few days until Reflects systems even out and he's awake so they can both protect them." Ratchet murmurs.

"s'goin' on?" Reflect mumbles. Ratchet reaches over, rubbing the mechs cheek gently.

"shhhhhh. its okay Reflect. shhhh." Ratchet murmurs softly. he smiles reassuringly at Reflect, who gives him a sleepy look. "you go back into recharge and I mean real recharge, not a light one. you get some real rest or I'll sedate you." Ratchet warns.

"then sedate me. those are my sparklings." Reflect mumbles. Ratchet chuckles softly, patting his head gently.

"Ironhide has them covered kid, trust me." Ratchet murmurs. Ironhide shifts, hearing his name. he looks up confused, blinking at Optimus.

"Prime? when did you get here?" Ironhide ask. Optimus looks over at Ratchet, confused.

"he got here a few minutes ago Ironhide." Ratchet says. Ironhide looks confused.

"didn't hear you come in." Ironhide mutters.

"I gathered that." Optimus chuckles softly. "I was just curious about our newest members. how are the little mechlings?" Optimus smiles.

"wrong." Ironhide growls softly.

"mech and femme." Ratchet corrects softly.

"a femme?" Optimus ask, looking shocked.

"if you touch my daughter I swear-" Ironhide growls.

"shhh. shhh. Optimus isn't going to touch your sparkling Ironhide. he's not going to hurt her, I promise. its alright." Ratchet soothes gently, patting Ironhide leg gently. the mech goes quiet, cuddling the sparklings gently, but keeping careful optic on Optimus. "back up a bit Optimus. Ironhides already an aggressive mech and you remember how I was when Nitro was sparked. just give him a few days to even out and don't get too close while he's holding them and certainly don't try to touch them." Ratchet frowns.

"I'm sorry Ironhide, I didn't mean to bother your sparklings." Optimus soothes, stepping back some.

"they're in stasis, don't fucking wake them." Ironhide growls.

"I won't, promise. I'm just down here to check on you and Reflect." Optimus assures. "Grimlock is very sorry for what he's done. he didn't mean to literally scare the sparklings out." Optimus says gently. Ratchet shakes his head quickly at Optimus, but its too late. Ironhide immediately looks pissed, growling to himself. steam huffs from his nose, but he doesn't move because his sparklings are sound asleep and he doesn't want to wake them.

"when I get my servos on that idiot." Ironhide growls.

"easy Hide, there's plenty of time for that when Reflect is recovered and can hold his sparklings, right?" Ratchet ask.

"right." Ironhide growls.

"just sit there with the sparklings over, don't worry about anything but them." Ratchet says. Ironhide grumbles to himself, looking at his sparklings, before glaring at Optimus.

"fuck off. get out of here." Ironhide growls.

"I was just leaving." Optimus assures.

"you best go Prime. he's too worried you're going to touch one of the sparklings. he won't relax while you're in here." Ratchet murmurs.

"thats fine, I'll leave." Optimus says, heading out of the medbay quietly.

"Ironhide." Ratchet says.

"what?" Ironhide growls lowly.

"take it easy, I'm not going to take the sparklings. did you move Reflect or did he move himself?" Ratchet ask.

"he moved." Ironhide mutters. Ratchet nods. Reflect snores shifting.

"why don't you lay down with the sparklings and get some recharge." Ratchet murmurs.

"no. I'm good. I won't let anyone hurt my sparklings." Ironhide growls.

"I can lock the doors to the medbay, but its getting late. it may not seem like it to you, but that took five hours and its almost 8PM." Ratchet murmurs.

"and if someone needs help?" Ironhide frowns.

"I'll wake you up and have you move off to the side with the sparklings." Ratchet assures gently. Ironhide grumbles a little, but lays back as Ratchet said to.

it seems to take forever for Ironhide to fall into a light stasis, but he finally settles into a light recharge around an hour later.

he jerks awake at a cry, his internal clock says its 3AM.

"Primus kid, hang on. don't go waking anyone else." Ironhide murmurs getting up. he scoops up the wailing sparkling. "you are one loud little sparkling, you almost beat your carrier." Ironhide snorts.

"everything okay?" Ratchet asks.Ironhide nods.

"looking for a sparkling cube." Ironhide murmurs. Ratchet grabs a couple that Wheeljack had made up and brings them to the mech.

"here. Jacks working on another batch. we weren't prepared for two." Ratchet murmurs.

"explains why he was so miserable though and almost exactly like Wheeljacks." Ironhide mutters, taking one of the cubes. he easily silences the little mech with a cube.

"do you want me to feed the other sparkling?" Ratchet ask. Ironhide blinks and looks down at the other sparkling. she's still asleep.

"yeah better get her covered before she wakes up screaming too." Ironhide mumbles. Ratchet nods and scoops her up gently. he gives her a cube. the sparklings are quiet adn Ironhides gaze wonders over to Reflect. the mech didn't even budge from the noise, sound asleep. Ironhide walks over to him and watches the mech.

"you okay Hide?" Ratchet ask. Ironhide nods.

"just checking on him." Ironhide murmurs. Ratchet nods a little, watching him reach out and rub Reflects cheek gently, before lifting the cube for the sparkling again.

"he's okay I promise. he's gonna be like this for a few days. I'll hook him up to a drip in just a little bit." Ratchet murmurs. "we'll get these sparklings fed first then I'll handle him." Ratchet adds. the femme in his arms shifts and reaches up. Ratchet looks down at her, smiling a moment, before he pauses. "oh." Ratchet frowns.

"oh what?" Ironhide mutters, looking over. "her optics... they're green.... doesn't that mean she's-" Ironhide starts.

"blind. yeah." Ratchet frowns.

"she's blind?" Ironhide ask, walking over to Ratchet.

"don't worry. when she's a little older I can ifx it for her. I promise. she'll just be blind for a couple of weeks." Ratchet soothes.

"Reflects going to lose his shit." Ironhide sighs softly, shifting the little mechling in his arm gently. the little sparkling is back in recharge and the cube is empty bu this point, so Ironhide sets them both down gently. "give me her." Ironhide mumbles, reaching for his sparkling. Ratchet holds her out to him. Ironhide takes her quickly, holding her. "if something is wrong with her, what are the odds something is wrong with him?" Ironhide ask, cuddling his daughter gently.

"50/50." Ratchet murmurs. "I'll look him over when I look her over." Ratchet says. "but in the morning I'll do a hearing test on him since he can see just fine." Ratchet murmurs. Ironhide sighs, looking at his sparkling while Ratchet sets up an energon drip for Reflect. "are you alright?" Ratchet ask.

"no Reflect is gonna be upset, he's going to blame himself." Ironhide sighs softly. the little femme purrs happily, cuddling up to her creator. "Reflects going to be so upset." Ironhide murmurs.

"well, he'll get over it when he realizes I can fix it." Ratchet assures. "you lay back down with them and go back to sleep. I'll get him on the drip." Ratchet murmurs. Ironhide nods a little and lays back down with his two sparklings. he puts the little femme on his chestplates directly over his spark, hoping she'll listen to his spark beat and relax. she chirps quietly, cuddling up to him and her twin cuddles up to her. Ironhide holds them gently, settling slowly back in to recharge, but the worry of how his bonded will react weighing on his processsor.

its 7AM when Ironhide wakes again, but not to the sparklings, to Ratchet shaking him.

"Ratchet?" Ironhide mumbles.

"grab the sparklings and move to my room. the Chevy twins and the Lambo twins got into a brawl." Raatchet murmurs. Ironhide nods, shifting the sparklings gently, getting up carefully. the little femme wails immediatly, making Reflect shift.

"shhhh. shhh its alright. I'm sorry I woke you up." Ironhide murmurs, carrying them off gently.

"there's cubes in there for all three of you." Ratchet murmurs.

"thanks." Ironhide murmurs. Ratchet mutters to himself, letting both sets of twins into the medbay.

"I heard a sparkling." Mudflaps grins.

"yeah where'd it go?" Skids ask.

"away you idiots." Sideswipe growls.

"you two sit over there and you two sit over here and if you start a fight in my medbay while Reflect is in here asleep and Ironhide has the sparkling in my room, I will kill all of you." Ratchet growls in warning. the twins sit in their designated areas.

"is Reflect alright?" Sideswipe asks.

"he'll be fine. just catching up on some lost recharge." Ratchet assures.

"and the sparkling?" Sunstreaker ask.

"by request of both Reflect and Ironhide, I will not be discussing the sparkling or anything to do with the sparkling." Ratchet says firmly.

"not even to tell us if the sparkling is alive and well?" Sideswipe ask. Ratchet pauses a moment in his working on Sunstreaker.

"the sparkling is fine. alive and healthy. thats it." Ratchet says. Sideswipe nods.

"well, good, I'm glad." Sideswipe murmurs.

Ratchet nods and sets to work on all four of them. patching up the worst injuries first then moving on to the minor injuries.

Ironhide shifts the little sparklings in his arms gently, cuddling them.

"good morning old friend. how are you doing this morning?"

"Prime? I'm good. had to move from the medbay to Ratchets room because both sets of twins started fighting."

"I know. I waited to check on you until Ratchet told me you were awake and had moved. how are the sparklings?"

"they are... okay."

"you don't sound so sure."

"our femme is apparently blind."

"Ratchet will fix this. everything is okay."

"Reflect is what I'm worried about."

"everything will be alright."

Ironhide looks back down at the sparklings, squirming and wiggling in his arms, still wrapped tightly in the blankets.

"look at you, already escaping." Ironhide snorts a little, watching his son move his free arm around curiously. "your sister already got both her arms free." Ironhide chuckles softly. the little femling is playing with the armor on his arm, the little mechling is simply waiving his arm around happily. "you two are going to get cold." Ironhide chuckles.

"Ironhide?" a voice ask softly. Ironhide looks up immediately. his bonded is standing there looking tired and confused.

"hey." Ironhide smiles at him. Reflect walks closer, looking at the sparklings. "they're yours, hold them if you want them." Ironhide murmurs softly. Reflect walks over and scoops up the femme sparkling.

"she blind." Reflect murmurs.

"Ratchet told you?" Ironhide ask.

"the Primes did." Reflect murmurs.

"Ratchet can fix this." Ironhide murmurs.

"no he can't." Reflect says, watching his daughter. "he can't fix her, but he can fix him." Reflect murmurs, looking over at his son.

"whats wrong with him?" Ironhide ask.

"Ratchet can explain better than I can. we'll find out in a few weeks when he looks her over." Reflect murmurs, cuddling her. "but I lied, we're naming them early." Reflect murmurs.

"the Primes tell you their powers?" Ironhide ask.

"sort of. I saw a little of the future. I made them. I made them show me so I could know she had a happy future blind." Reflect mumbles. "their names were blanked out because we can pick what we like. their names are subject to change, but I have one in mind for her." Reflect murmurs. "but we'll give them a few weeks." Reflect adds cuddling the femme.

"are you going to allow anyone to meet them yet?" Ironhide ask. Reflect swaps sparklings with Ironhide gently, cuddling his son.

"we should tell Barricade about their arrival, but yes we can show them." Reflect murmurs. "Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are waiting in the medbay. told them I needed to talk to them." Reflect smiles a little at Ironhide.

"aren't you tired? don't you need sleep?" Ironhide ask.

"no. I'm okay." Reflect assures. he carries the mech out of the back and Ironhide quickly follows with the femme.

Reflect pokes out, checking for just the Lambo twins, he grins seeing them.

"alright guys, ready?" Reflect asks, walking around so they can see.

"oh! sparkling." Sideswipe grins.

"two." Ironhide says, following Reflect.

"oh shit another set of twins." Sunstreaker grins.

"oh! twins." Sideswipe smiles. "can I hold one...?" Sideswipe ask hesitantly.

"only if you're careful." Reflect growls, holding the sparkling out ot him. Sideswipe techs the little mechling, smiling. Ironhide passes the femme to Sunstreaker carefully.

"how are you going to tell them apart?" Sunstreaker ask.

"we had our armor painted early to tell us apart." Sideswipe murmurs.

"well, I don't think we'll need to." Reflect snorts.

"why not?" Sunstreaker asks.

"you're holding a femme and Sideswipe is holding a mech." Ironhide murmurs.

"identical in everyway except gender?" Sideswipe ask.

"thats pretty cool, and rare." Sunstreaker murmurs. they hand the sparklings back over.

"Bumblebee's in the rec room." Sideswipe says.

"I guess we're off to Bumblebee." Reflect chuckles.