Moon

I wake up way earlier than usual.

  I just couldnt go back to sleep.

  Anti and Nightshade were still out cold.

  My earpiece went off.

  I press my finger to my ear, and it's Anti's father.

  "How's everything going?" He asked, sounding exhausted.

  "Im fine.  How's Galaxy?" I whisper, making sure I dont wake up Anti.

  "Ive been at the hospital all day waiting to see her.  But no one would let me, so I went home."

  That explained why he sounded terrible.

  "Alright. Well, what time do you want him home?"

  I heard him sigh.  "Any time is alright. I know he wants to spend time with you."

  "Okay.  I might take him home earlier if the bots have a mission today, though." I say, rubbing Nightshade's ears.

  "That's fine with me, Moon."

  "Alright. Get some rest, now." I say hearing him yawn.

  "Will do."

  The comm cut off.

  I shifted my leg a little.  I wasn't used to Anti sleeping on my leg the whole night.

  I just kept stroking Nightshade as I heard some shuffling.

  Smokescreen was awake.

  I turn around, and he stretches.

  "Hey." I say, waving to him.

  "Who's that?" He asks, a little too loud.

  I kind of forgot it was really dark for him.

  "Shush! Its me, Moon." I say half whispering, covering Anti's ears.

  "Oh." He whispers, finding his way over to the couch.

  Anti stirred, rubbing his eyes.

  I glare at Smokescreen, and he looks guilty.

  "Mornin', little one." I say, lifting him into my arms and cradling him.

  "Morn..." He drifted, passing right back out.

  Nightshade also stirred, nuzzling me before his eyes got heavy again.

  "Couldn't sleep?" I ask, resting Anti's head against my collarbone.

  "No.  I kept thinking."

  " 'Bout what?"

  " I guess my destiny as an Elite Guard."

  I sigh. "Smokescreen, don't worry about your destiny so much.  I've seen many so consumed in thier destiny, they forget about the present."

  "Oh." He blinks blankly.

  "Just be mindful about that, okay?"

  He nods.

Anti stirs again, shaking.

  He grabs at his neck, choking himself.

  I shoot up and set him on the couch, pulling his hands away.

  He kept fighting me, his hands desperate to choke him.

  "Screeny, need some help over here." I grunt, struggling to keep his hands off his neck.

  Smokescreen helped by using his thumb and forefinger to spread Anti's hands apart.

  I struggled to keep his body down as his neck kept trying to come into contact with his hands.

  Anti eventually stopped, his arms going limp.

  "What was that?" Smokescreen asks after Anti settled down.

  "I don't know.  But I will set up a investigation." I say, cradling him in my arms again, feeling his heartbeat.

  It was at it's normal rate. His body temperature was normal, too.

  "He gonna be okay?"

  "I dont know.  Like I said, I have to set up an investigation."

  He nods, eyes worried.

  Anti starts shaking again.

  I shoot up again, ready to keep his hands away from his windpipe.

  But it doesnt happen.

  I sigh, picking him up and walking around, calming my nerves as his heartbeat drummed against my skin.

  "I'll be right back, Smokescreen. If anyone asks where I went, tell them I had to take Anti to the hospital."

  " I will."

  I wake up Nightshade, laying Anti along his back.

  Nightshade sniffs his arm and snorts, then shakes his mane.

He knew something was wrong.  He was right, like usual.

  I need to find out what is going on with Anti. 

  First his heat flashes, now this?

  Coincidence? I think not.

  I tell Anti's father what happened, and he said that he would be at the hospital waiting for us.

  I open a portal to the hospital and step through.

  No one is here, strangely.  Usually two or three patients are in the waiting room.

  Then again, this wing is for serious cases only.  Isnt usually busy.

A nurse at the reception looks confused.

Her bright red hair is up in a loose bun, black eyes tired.

  Her thin lips are pinched together, seeming like she was always determined.

She is Fire Storm, Ruby Blood's wife. Ruby Blood and I have known each other for a while, and he is also the head doctor here.

  Her wings are a duller red, but it adds to her natural beauty.

  Her powder blue scrubs smell of dish soap.  It might have been the general smell of the hospital, I don't know.

  "Is everything all right, Alpha Moon?" She asks, getting up from the mess of papers at her desk and coming out from behind the counter.

  "I don't think so."  I reply, sliding Anti off Nightshade's back and putting him in my arms.

  I tell her about the fever and the choking situation, and her expression goes grim.

  "Hold on a minute, ma'am.  We'll get this taken care of." She says, rushing back to the counter and dialing a number on the phone.

  "His father is on his way." I say, continually rocking him.

  She nods,  eyes determined.

  She swore, gasping as the phone refused to work.

  "I am sorry, ma'am." She said, her eyes wide.

  I shake my head.  "It's alright. Just please help him." I beg, watching him shiver again.

  Nightshade paced nervously, sniffing his hair constantly.

  She nodded gravely, punching in more numbers on the phone.

  A few moments later, a gurney was wheeled in by several doctors, along with Cosmic running on the side of it.

  I place Anti on it, and they run off.

  The nurse walks out from behind the counter and walks us outside.

  "Go back to the Autobots.  We'll take care of the boy and his mother." She reassured me, walking me down the hallway.

  "I can't leave them." I say, Nightshade trotting slightly to keep up with me.

  "Please, Alpha Moon. It'd do you some good."

  I look at her black eyes, and they are calm and reassuring, just like a mother.

  Well, she is a mother. One daughter, Fire Spark. 

  I give in to those calm eyes.  I can trust her.

  "Fine." I say, hugging her before walking out with Nightshade behind me.

"Alpha Moon." The nurse said, running to catch back up with us.

  "Yes?" I say, relaxing a little. I knew Anti and Galaxy would be well taken care of.

  "I just wanted to say thank you."

  "For what?" I reply, watching her become a little more shy.

"For granting me my child."

  I smile. "You're welcome.  I knew you were right for the responsibility."

  She wraps her arms and wings around me, shaking.

  I hook my wings under hers and hug her back.

  She pulls away, shakily breathing.  "Im sorry. I stepped over the line."

  I shake my head.  "No worries."

  Nightshade started getting antsy.  He didn't like standing in one place for too long.

  "I have to go now.  Im afraid Nightshade won't let me stay." I say, walking away.

  "Bye. Take care now." She says, heading back to her desk.

  Nightshade and I go back to base, and Smokescreen is still the only one still up.

  "Back already?"

  I nod. "They say staying here'll do me some good."

  I decide to change the subject. I dont want to think of Anti and his mother being sickly.

  "How's your driving lessons coming along?" I ask, sitting on the top railing.

  He chuckles. "Kind of fun.  Jack and I stuck this stuff called 'pizza' up this kid's exhaust pipe."

  I raise an eyebrow.  "No wonder you two were laughing so hard."

  "Training and protocol has been going well, too."

  Training.  I need to still enlist in the Academy.

  "I've been wanting to enlist in this school where I'll know how to fight, but the hard part is getting in without people knowing who I am."

  "You can probably asks Optimus or Bee to teach you."

  I never thought of it that way.  It could work.

  "I might just do that."

  Something sparked in the back of my head.

  I was walking through the halls of the Academy, the blue carpet worn but newly cleaned.

  The quartz walls newly polished, the glass roof showing a deep blue sky above.

  "Moon!" Smokescreen half-yelled, waving his hand in front of my face.

  "What?" I say, confused.

  I was back in base, sitting on the railing.

  "You blanked out. You okay?"

  I nod.

  I never stepped foot in the halls of the Academy yet.

  Why could I see the halls if I were there?

  Why did I see that after Smokescreen mentioned training?

  Am I missing something here?