randomplaces | Nottabeater 'verse. Private medbay at the Autobot base. Bronx

"Alright," said Ratchet gently as he looked up from the burly protoform laying on the table. "Bumblebee, Jazz, if you could help Waltz up on the other table?"

The pale yellow femme looked at the new shell and shivered slightly, her brown optics dark with fear.

"Shhh," said Bumblebee softly. "It'll be alright. You'll see. And your dad and I are here."

Waltz gave a little squeak and nodded, but she looked like she was going to cry.

Jazz played soothing music, a woman singing softly with chiming music about her baby. "It'll be okay baby doll. Ya mama did this four times before, and Ol' Ratch has done it loads of times now."

"I... I'm okay," said his second youngest daughter softly, letting her mother gently lift her onto the table and laying down. "I'm okay."

Ratchet came over, his concern canceling any semblance of looming over the smaller bots. "I'll give you a sedative. That will make things easier, alright?"

Her dark optics looked up at her teacher with uncertain trust, then turned toward Bumblebee. "Won't that make Bronx groggy too?"

"It shouldn't... admittedly, after I helped Rap get here, he seemed to want to rest a lot even without anything drugging him," Jazz murmured, running his hand over Waltz's head. "But like I said, ya mama and Ratch know the drill better than me."

"They were all sleepy," said Bumblebee softly, her engine purring soothingly as she moved to the other side of the table and took her daughter's hand.

Ratchet nodded as he got the override gun. "The effort of coming online can be stressful. Jazz, will you stand by the protoform?"

Jazz frowned and moved to stand next to the protoform reluctantly. "Here?" Yes, he rather be standing beside his daughter.

Ratchet nodded and Waltz perked a little.

"He gets to see you first," she said, the fear fading from her optics.

"Guess so." Jazz stated, trying to smile. "That means if he gives any folks trouble, I'm the boss."

Bee looked at her mate knowingly. "Do you want to trade places?"

"Nah, I can handle it. Besides, I wasn't here to make an impression on Scatcat and look how he turned out," he joked, finally loosening up. "Besides, seems like this is where Waltz wants me."

"Scatcat," rumbled Ratchet, gently administering the sedation override. "Is just like his father."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Jazz smiled wider, soft lullabies playing from his radio.

Ratchet just smirked at him, then sobered and turned his attention to opening Waltz's chest. "There he is. He's a big one."

Bee blinked and then smiled as she managed to make out the new spark snuggled next to Waltz's. "Jazz, he's the same colour as yours."

"Hah! Takes after grandpa then?" He grinned watching the glow. "Mm, though the size thing seems more your style lady love."

"He seems more even tempered than either of you, to judge by the fact that he's neither hiding or trying to crawl out of his mother's spark compartment," snarked Ratchet gently as he carefully scooped the new life from its bed and turned to install it into its own body.

Bee only closed her sleeping daughter's chest, too concerned for her and caught up in wonder to even think of razzing the medic.

"Harhar," Jazz replied as he opened the protoform for the new spark. "That must come from his mother. I find it hard to believe that anything about Sunny or Sides can have a good temperament."

"As I've said before." Ratchet clicked to himself as he watched the new spark settle and beat steadily. "Thankfully the LOL seems to have made the youngster only from Waltz's codes. There's nothing of Sunstreaker or Sideswipe to him whatsoever... there we go."

As they watched the protoform filled out, getting even broader in the shoulders and hands. Satisfied that all was going well, Ratchet closed up his chest and turned back to bring Waltz back online.

"Still, I'm considering them his dads because of this." He smiles as the young bot begins to take shape. "Looks like he's gonna be handsome."

"So 'Hide's the dad to the kids they got from inhaling fountain water?" asked Bee softly, her mouthplate moving as Waltz stirred and beeped.

Meanwhile, the youngbot's form settled; rounded head, large shoulders and arms, and a body to go with them.

And optics of a pure Autobot blue that blinked up at Jazz for a moment with a newspark's confusion and fright before there was a blur and a flash and the table in front of the silver mech was suddenly empty.

"What?" Bee stared as Ratchet whirled and gaped with surprise. "Jazz, what did you do??"

"All I did was smile!" He looked around for where Bronx could have run off to. "Bronx? Hey kiddo, I'm your grandad. Ain't no need to be scared of me!"

Ratchet scanned the room, then snapped a command to Teletraan.

"Subject is not in the base," came the computer's reply.

"What? Then where is he?" Bee hugged Waltz as the younger femme started to cry.

"Unable to reply. Subject is outside this unit's range."

Ratchet blinked. "...He can't be outside your range, you've got satellite tracking."

"Subject is outside this unit's range," insisted the emotionless voice of the computer.

"...Oh sweet mother of Primus." Jazz clawed at his head. "Ratch... did my daughter just give birth to a teleporter?"

"That... appears to be the case," said the medic slowly, his optics blinking as he leaned a hand on Waltz's table for support. "And... I hope... one of incredible range."

Bee stared up at him, then hid her face against Waltz and rocked her. "He's okay. Baby, he's okay. He's just out of range. That's all. He's okay."

"Where would he know to go to?" asked Jazz, moving to gently rub on Waltz's back. "Ratch, does Teletraan count the Nexus as out of range?"

"He doesn't know anything yet," said Bee, lifting her optics to his. "Except the basic stuff, and there's nothing about the Nexus in there."

"We don't have any sensors for it in the Nexus," Ratchet reminded his smaller friend heavily. "But as Bumblebee says, how would Bronx know to go there? Logic dictates that he must still be somewhere in this reality... but not on Earth, the moon, or Mars."

"How would he know to go any of those places either? Where would his fear take him, Ratch. I mean he doesn't know about anyplace but Waltz's spark chamber." Jazz frowned. "And we know he ain't in her."

"I... don't know." Ratchet shook his head slowly, his expression showing misery as Waltz continued to cry.

//Dad... ain't he out yet?// came a cautious ping from Rap. //Honey's havin' a fit out here.//

//Umm Rap, this is a bit of a bad time.// Jazz's voice shook with uncertainty. "I... am going to try the Nexus... send either Starforge or Endy out to look into the rest of the solar system. Bee? After Waltz calms down, have her broadcast out on Teletraan calling for Bronx. He at least has to recognize her voice."

Bee nodded and blinked away tears, then turned her face to her daughter and began to speak to her softly.

//...Did Bronx....// Rap paused. //Daddy, is everybody okay?//

//I am going to tell you something and I need you not to freak out.// Jazz took a mental breath. //Bronx is alive, but he's a teleporter. And currently where ever he is, he is out of reach of satellite tracking.//

There was a moment's silence, and then, //Okay. Whaddya want us to do? I should tell Hormah....//

//If you can think of options, I'm all ears. Being as he shouldn't know where to 'port himself, he could really be anywhere. Though Ratchet's theory is that most logically he still might be in our 'verse// Jazz took out his pin and sighed. //I don't remember either side having this ability, and the last 'porter on record is dead.//

//Hormah's a Primus servant. He talks to her.// Rap accidentally transmitted the sound of a deep intake. //And she knows stuff.//

//...I'll be damned.// Jazz stopped. //Get her to hunt him down then! He's too new to be out by himself! ...And tell her to tell him I'm sorry.//

//Okay. Ow! Honey Bee! Sorry, Daddy....// The link cut off then.

"What is it?" asked Ratchet, having been watching Jazz's face.

"Did you know Rap was dating a servant of Primus?" He blinked and turned to Ratchet. "And he's going to get her to see if she can find Bronx?"

The taller mech blinked as well. "I... believe she said something to the effect once or twice. But I didn't take her seriously."

Despite her distress and distraction Bee shook her head at him, then looked down and started to murmur to Waltz again.

"I... he seems to have faith in her... I guess I'll..." He trails off. "Would it be sacrilege to go forward with search efforts anyway?"

"I don't think so," said Bee, hugging Waltz as her daughter's sobs finally softened. "He doesn't just use his servants. And I just comed Paster Bob, too, so he can ask God for help."

Ratchet sighed, then turned toward the door as he caught another yelp from the waiting room. "It seems Honey knows. Don't forget your other creations. I'm going to consult with Optimus."

"I'll go see to them first. At least he can't get hurt in the Nexus." Jazz nodded, leaning over to kiss Waltz, before heading out to soothe his oldest.

((co-written with

dajazzmech))