randomplaces | bwverse, The /Axalon/, Silverstrand

"What..." Optimus stared at the tiny, fluffy being in Silverbolt's arms. "Do I want to know what happened?"

Blackarachnia chuckled from where she was standing next to her joyfully beaming mate. "Birdboy here was letting the baby envy get him down. So we went to the Nexus and sat on a couch."

Optimus blinked and turned his stare from the fuzzy little plush toy knockoff to its mother. "You what?"

"Sat on a couch." Silverbolt's beam intensified. "The lovely lady Hormah asked her attendant Smallfoot to transform that we might seat ourselves and be exposed to a gas that that young femmebot emits. And this..." He cuddled the sparklet. "Is the result. Isn't she beautiful?"

The Maximal leader once more turned his attention to the furry spiderling, who looked back with bright black button eyes and somehow, despite having mandibles, seemed to be making a kitten face at him. He had to admit it, the kid was adorable. "...What's her name?"

"Silverstrand." Silverbolt nuzzled his daughter and was rewarded by a squeak and a little foot patting his face. He laughed softly and spoke to her in a mixture of gentle clicks and nonsense.

Optimus couldn't help the grin that twitched his face. "So... what was wrong with waiting?"

"Why wait when you can get what you want when you want it?" Blackarachnia grinned at him, her dark optics sparkling. "This way she can grow up with Shakespeare, and keep the little lizard in line."

"Whho is keeping Shakespeare in... line?" Dinobot was scowling as he strode into the command room, all his protective instincts at the max.

"Her." Optimus pointed to Silverstrand, who caught hold of his finger and tested it for flavor.

Dinobot stopped and stared, then glanced from the nearly exploding with joy Silverbolt to the quietly smug and satisfied Blackarachnia.

And then he started laughing, a hand going to his chest as the rumbles rolled out of him and caused Silverstrand to squeak with delight.

"She... very hrrrn well might, at that," he said at last, his rugged face creasing into a smile as he reached one clawed finger toward her.

Silverstrand squeaked again, caught hold of it with both pudgy front legs, and then trilled softly.

"She... hasn't made that sound before," said Silverbolt, his voice hushed with wonder and affection.

"She wasn't this interested in anything before." Blackarachnia crouched slightly to watch as her daughter examined the Dinobot finger. "What are you going to do with that, hmmm?"

Silverstrand ignored her, all eight eyes intent as Dinobot wriggled the end of his finger gently.

"What... do you see?" the former Predacon asked the fuzzy sparklet softly.

"Baw," she replied absently, using one foot to see if she could stop the wriggling. "Booo..."

"Indeed?" He stooped his own head to watch her study, his expression gentle. Then he chuckled as she suddenly squeaked and rubbed at her eyes. "Yes, the world is full of data when you're just... ssstarting out. You need to... hrrrn... process it now."

The newspark yawned, then wriggled and transformed.

Optimus found himself staring. "By the Matrix, I didn't think she could be that cute in both forms!"

Silverbolt's laughter echoed softly through the command room. "I told you she was beautiful."

Then his optics softened as he turned to look at his mate. "Just like her mother."

"What a suck." Blackarachnia looked smugly at the ceiling.

Dinobot shook his head and looked at the new parents sternly. "You... sssshhhould not be out here, overloading her processsor. Take her to your quarters at oncccce and let her... hrrn... bond."

"Hey, who died and left you the kid expert?" Blackarachnia frowned at him.

"No one... died. But my ssson lives, and I remember well how things were for him when he firssst left Lockjaw's sssspark compartment," retorted Dinobot. "She will be uncomfortable if you continue parading her about, and then she will sssstart ssscreaming."

"Oh... is that why he..." The spider femme exchanged a glance with her mate, and then allowed him to take her arm and lead her away.

Optimus chuckled at their restrained haste, then turned to look up at Dinobot. "Speaking of your son, where is Shakespeare?"

"Hrrrn. Helping the other children cut reeds." Dinobot peered around in his intent way, and then focused on his leader. "And... hrrrn... Rattrap is passed out on the path leading to the base."

Optimus sighed and aborted his sitting maneuver with his butt halfway to his chair. "Well that's just prime. A fine example he's going to make for the new Fire Tribe members that have come from the Caves."

Dinobot watched him leave the room, then smirked and settled into the abandoned chair for a nap.

((Written by

random_xtras))