(Raf's POV)

     I was running around with Ravage, who had the equivalent of a smile on his metal muzzle as we jumped over a few low lying beams that the vehicons had moved. They hollered at us to be careful but I was having to much fun as I flipped over another one. I was trying to figure out exactly what I could do in this Cybertronian form, and so far, it was much more than what I could have done as a human. My endurance is better, strength, and I can even think faster! The small visor quickly showed me routes using red dots that I could take, and how to maneuver over some obstacles, showing a series of flips that I know I can do, or a roll to fit through smaller spaces underneath. Of course, Ravage was well ahead of me, but he would wait every once and awhile. He was currently yawning on a beam that had fallen eons ago, looking like pride rock from the Lion King, and I stopped underneath it.

         "Don't yawn like that!" I huffed at him with a playful glare, and he merely flicked his tail to peek over the edge of his perch, "You're smiling to much to be bored!"

To this he mewed, and jumped off of the debris and onto my helm to the ground, running in the opposite direction of where we were headed before.

         "Ravage," I whined but was still smiling as I followed behind.

I jumped over another beam, launching myself from that one to a panel of metal bigger than me, only to have to watch my balance as it wobbled.

         "Well... it looked stable from over there..."

I held my arms out as I walked as close to the edge as I could without making it tip over and dump me onto a sharp end sticking from the ground, and made it out of the mine of sharp implements easily enough. I vented a sigh of relief when I touched solid ground, and ran after Ravage once more, only to run into Bulkhead.

         "Whoa there," he chuckled, a sound I bet Miko misses already, I wonder how much time has gone by since we left Earth, the difference must be dramatic, "You need to be a bit more careful in a construction zone."

         "Sorry Bulkhead, I was following Ravage."

         "Well, he went over that way," Bulkhead pointed to what my visor showed as North, "Make sure to stay away from the buildings though, they're still unstable."

I nodded, taking off after the cyber-cat Soundwave gave to me. I wonder how he's doing.

     I jumped over another beam that had fallen, though this one fell from where the vehicons were currently trying to rebuild a kind of barracks for us all to stay. Pretty soon I was back at the Nemesis, where Ravage had entered it's vast mouth, a few vehicons roaming in and out. For what, I don't know, but I can assume it was for energon rations. Speaking of, Strykeout is probably hungry by now, though my visor shows him as still in recharge.

     I neared the door, peeking in, quiet enough so I don't wake up my little brother. I couldn't help but giggle as he started to wake up from his empty tanks, blue-ish green optics flickering to life. He saw me and squealed, a wide smile appearing on his faceplate, and I knew it was okay to take him out of his crib.

         "Hello little brother," I picked him up as he wriggled and wormed, "how about some fresh energon, huh?"

Ravage agreed with the still squealing Strykeout as he rubbed against my stabilizers, so I took the both of them to the mess hall, where vehicon, miners and seekers all greeted me, a few patting my helm as they passed by. Ravage took all the attention he could get as he jumped up onto the metal counter, and a few vehicons oo'd and aw'd at little Strykeout, to which he laughed. I guess he enjoys the attention as well.

         "Your carrier had made a few bottles before she left," a miner stated, the one behind the counter, I wasn't quite used to (Y/D) being called my carrier, so nodded with a smile, not sure how to respond as the miner gave me a bottle for the sparkling in my arms, to which I gave a small 'thank you'. He even gave Ravage a small bowl so he could refuel too.

     Once the both of them were finished (amazingly Strykeout was faster than Ravage), I thanked the vehicon once again and we left to find Knockout. I wasn't to surprised to find him staring off to where (Y/D) had disappeared into the distance.

         "Uh... Knockout?" he jumped a bit as I poked his servo, looking down.

         "Ah, what are you doing all the way out here?" he smiled down at me, only to come down to about my height, bending down at his knee joints, "And with Strykeout no less." The little Cybertronian babbled his gibberish as Knockout took him from me, of which I was glad, my arms were getting tired.

         "I guessed Strykeout would want to see his Sire."

Knockout nodded as he bobbed the tiny thing up and down, making my little brother laugh. Ravage jumped up onto Knockout's arm, which made him cringe, obviously worried about his finish and Ravage's claws, but I knew he was gentle enough not to cause any sort of damage.

         "I see..." he let out a small vent when Ravage jumped down, seeing no scratches.

     There was a long pause, mostly silent aside from Strykeout's odd babbling, some clicks, others whirs, a few sounded more like actual human baby babble. It reminded of my ever growing curiosity that was getting the better of me, and while I knew it was a personal question, I couldn't help but ask.

         "Knockout..." he answered with a small hum, "Wh-why... why didn't you and (Y/D) try for a human child?"

~Knockout's POV~

     If I had energon in my intake I would have spit it out. The main reason was... well most already know. But there is another reason more specific to his question.

         "Well," I tried not to choke on my own words, still quite stunned at his question, but I could tell he was ready to say 'sorry' at any moment, somewhat embarrassed, so why not answer it? It is a valid question after all, "You see it wasn't physically possible."

His embarrassment lifted after I answered his question.

         "What do you mean?"

This will be awkward...

         "Um, well... you know that... certain parts have to work, right?"

The youngling nodded.

         "My holoform doesn't have the right... biological liquids, to spark a human femme."

         "Yet you can cry?"

If (Y/D) told him that I cried I swear by the allspark...

         "It's an illusion," I responded, "The holoform may be solid, and respond like any human might, but none of it's real, simply a hologram."

         "An advanced one anyway."

To this I nodded with a smile. Rafael is such a smart youngling, he can think things through pretty well... Speaking of thinking things through.

         "So, personal question, in exchange for a personal question?"

         "You're not dropping your 'Con like ways are you?" he asked with a chuckle.

         "That's not Decepticon, that's Neutral," I countered, having to give Strykeout back to his big brother, "you still didn't answer my question."

He nodded, still smiling, and I asked what had been gnawing on both mine and (Y/D)'s processors.

         "Why did you risk your life to become Cybertronian?"

He hesitated before sighing, and looked at the still smiling sparkling in his arms.

         "When... when Darkmount was built, Jasper had to be evacuated... a lot of homes were destroyed, very few casualties... but, my family wasn't spared." He continued to look at Strykeout, who played with the tear that had fallen on his tiny servo, "so when I realized all I had was (Y/D) anymore, I didn't want to be apart from her... then she went into a coma... I-I thought I had lost all that I called family, aside from the Autobots, but (Y/D)... (Y/D) was like a mother to me... then Soundwave told me about the properties of the Cyber Matter... he also told me the risks. I knew she wouldn't come back to Earth once she had a spark, and I'd be orphaned if I had gone back... s-so I... I took the risk."

My spark fell at his story, this reason, the only reason he needed to possibly throw away his life. 

     I brought him close in a gentle hug, which surprised him as he stiffened, but soon relaxed, and I let him cry. (Y/D) would be proud, I'm risking my finish.

         "I don't think you'll lose any family while you're here," I assured, "Cybertronians are to hard to offline, especially (Y/D)."

This made him laugh a bit through his small hiccups, and Strykeout whined at the fact that he was all wet with Raf's tears, waving a servo in his brother's faceplate. We both laughed at this.

         "How about we find you an alt mode?" I asked him, "We can ask one of the vehicon femmes to care for Strykeout while we're gone."

Raf's expression lit up with the joy of this prospect, and we went to look for someone fit for the job... which was harder then expected...

(Oof, this was harder to right than you all think. I know I haven't been updating but A) I've been busy and B) I've had writer's block :| Soooo, yeah, sorry everyone. By the way I actually made a picture of Strykeout, I'll get that on here when I can!

Another thing: I always find it interesting when people write that the main female character is pregnant as a human, cause it's not possible, like Knockout said.)