When The Children Cry - White Lion

Optimus sat at his desk, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He was tired. No, he was beyond tired. He never thought that not hearing Russell cry out at night would wake him up. A sigh left him and he dropped his helm to the surface of his desk. "Prime!" He looked up as Mearing walked in.

"Is there something you require?" He stood, crossing his arms. He was angry, yes. But that didn't mean he should forget all manners.

"Your men are out of control. Half of them have left base and the other half have taken the human's advice and egged my office." He sighed and looked to her.

"I will deal with it in the morning."

"Excuse me?!" She said. Optimus stopped in his tracks, looking down at her.

"I have not had much sleep of late. I have been too busy worrying about my son." He added a bit of venom to his words before turning away. "Now if you'll excuse me." He swept out of the room, heading for his berthroom. As he neared it, he could feel anger and sorrow from Alice's side of the bond. However, it was heavily diluted by alcohol. Enough that Optimus began worrying about his bonded.

He walked into the room and noted first that the lights were out. He turned them on and heard Alice groan. "Go 'way!" She said, shielding her eyes. Optimus frowned and walked over, mass-shifting as he did so.

"My spark." She looked up at him with puffy red eyes. She sniffled and brought the bottle in her hand up. Optimus grabbed it quickly and frowned. "No more. You need some water."

"No. I need things to quit falling apart." She muttered, holding her head in her hands. Optimus sat in front of her, hiding the bottle of Jack Daniel's.

"This is not just about Russell, is it?" She shook her head.

"Hijack's in jail and there's nothing I can do about it. And to make matters worse I'm being discredited everywhere I go. Mearing also has a full investigation going into my past and she's going to find out what I am." She gushed, keeping her face hidden. Optimus reached out, pulling her to his side. "All this stress is making me sick and my abilities don't work anymore."

"I am sorry my spark." He hugged her closer, resting his forehead against her own. She simply stayed there, hugging him tightly. Soon she fell asleep, her arms falling lax at her sides. Optimus smiled faintly and lay down, resting her beside him. "Goodnight, my Hysteria."

-

Zach sat with Theo, holding the young boy as he slept. Zach couldn't wait to get the boy back to town, where he'd buy him something to eat and something new to wear. He would also buy him a toy or two, just because he could.

Theo shifted a little and Zach adjusted him, keeping him steady as Cliffjumper looked over the rest of the house. So far he had found two other kids, one ten and the other about seven. The elder was a boy, who stuck close to the younger's side. The seven year old was a girl, who had been making rapid movements with her hands to him.

The boy replied, glancing to Zach as he began humming to Theo. The boy nudged his sister and jerked his head towards them. They stood and walked over, sitting by the demon. He stopped humming and looked to each of them with a smile.

"Tony wants to know what you were humming." The girl asked quietly. Zach went to answer but paused.

"You know I don't quite remember. It's been so long since I've actually heard the words. I don't rightly remember." A slight accent covered his words as Cliffjumper returned with a seventeen year old and a little six year old.

"Well, according to Billy here, this is all of them still in the house." Zach nodded as Tony and the girl lay against his side. Cliffjumper's spark melted at the sight and walked over, Billy and the girl walking over to sit with them all.

"Mister, do you know what he was humming?" The seven year old asked gently.

"Sadly I don't. Zach's been humming it for a long time, and I still don't know." Zach shrugged.

"Must have come from the days before the Civil War." He said nonchalantly. The children all looked up with wide eyes.

"Wow! You're old mister!" Tony elbowed the girl and scowled. He signed rapidly and the girl pouted.

"Well miss...?"

"Andi!" She grinned.

"Andi. Yes, well miss Andi, I am." A southern drawl coated his words and Cliffjumper looked to him. Zach merely smirked and kept going.

And if he loved making Cliff blush with only his voice? Well, that was his own business.

-

Jason glared at the figures around him. A holographic simulation designed by Wheeljack and Jenny to help train. Currently each and every form was Nexus, laughing and insulting him. He was slicing through them with ease, having carefully programmed in the blood and how the light in her eyes would fade the day he did kill her.

He cut through another, grinning sadistically as it fell. They all vanished a second later as the door was thrown open. He turned, glaring at the woman who entered. "Who are you to disturb me?" He snapped.

"Charlotte Mearing. I'm in charge here. And who the hell are you?" He grinned again, turning to her and walking forth with his blade still drawn.

"Oh hell is just it." He growled, resting the blade at the hollow of her throat. "My name is Jason, and you're interrupting my training." He turned back and she frowned.

"Your training involved killing an unarmed woman repeatedly. I doubt that's necessary-"

"You doubt it?! This woman is the cause of most of our suffering! Nexus is the reason that Jenny is now missing and Juliet is currently not speaking to me! Now you tell me. It is still unnecessary to do as I am doing? To wish over and over again that I may finally rid us of this evil once and for all?! Should I just roll over and allow that bitch to walk all over me and what I hold dear?!" His anger was growing by the second and Mearing was smart enough to back up.

"Cruel or not, this facility is not here to encourage murder." He growled.

"But is that not what they do anyways? Is that not what happens in war?" He growled. Again Mearing was silent. "What do you want Sierra?" He looked up and Mearing was relieved.

"Well, I want her out of here. But since that's not going to happen I figured I'd settle on using the training room."

"What do you have against her?"

"She threatened my mate and daughter." Jason returned his glare to Mearing, his eyes flicking to their demonic color.

"You. Did. What?!" He growled, grabbing her around the throat and lifting her from the ground. "How dare you threaten my sister's family?! How dare you threaten my family." He growled.

"I-" She was cut off as he tightened his grip. He then threw her aside.

"I assume this is why Alice has confined herself to her room?" Jason asked, looking to Sierra.

"Yeah, Russell has to stay with Mr. Singer. And Hijack's stuck in jail. She's already stressed out enough just being the Prime's bonded. Add everything Mearing's doing to the pile and...."

"Psychic meltdown." He sighed and glared at Mearing. "You will allow all sparklings and younglings back on base with their parents. Or else." He growled low.

"Jason." Sierra whispered something to him and he looked to her. Mearing paled, fearing what else she was telling the man. He froze and dropped Mearing, grabbing Sierra's shoulders.

"Please tell me you are not lying. That they actually have found it?" Sierra nodded and Jason grinned, taking two steps and vanishing. Mearing shrieked and stared, Sierra laughing loudly and then vanishing as well.

-

Jenny lay across Gabriel's chest, half aware as he held her. He was whispering soft promises. Promises of all the places they'd go and things they'd see. Just the two of them. But that thought was what gave Jenny pause.

"Us and Lexi." She whispered. "I want to see my baby girl." Gabriel looked to the still injured angel with a faint smile.

"Of course she'll come with us. We can't have a family vacation without our daughter. Though she's been spending plenty of time with her brother lately. Might have to bring him too." Jenny giggled a little at his grimace and looked up at him.

"Gabe?" He hummed and looked to her, seeing the loving smile on her lips. She pushed up with a wince and kissed him, her wings resting lazily along his. He smiled, rubbing the appendages against Jenny's own. He grinned as she shuddered and looked around, making sure Aeron wasn't around.

After he was sure the building was clear, he pulled Jenny down a little, whispering in her ear. She blushed and smiled before tugging him into a deep and loving kiss. He returned it and held her close.

"Gabe?"

"Yes my love?" He looked into her eyes and saw her hesitation.

"Can.... Can we have children? You know like....." She trailed off and touched her belly. It was there that he saw hope in her eyes.

"Jenny...." The hope died and he felt guilty "We can. But the child would be hunted by my brothers. Just as you once were."

"I.... What?"

"Nephillim are not well received in the angel community."

"And since when have you cared?" Gabriel blinked. She had a point. He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Then let's not care what anyone says." Jenny only grinned and kissed him.

Thankfully Aeron wasn't there for the rest of the night.

-

Casidy stood in the Med Bay, arranging tools and making sure that certain medicines and medical energon were fully stocked. She reached one drawer of anti-septics and paused, the sudden rush of the smell making her head swim and her stomach lurch. She felt ready to vomit and pass out all at once.

"Casidy!" She looked up as she fell to her knees, clutching her stomach with one hand and her head with the other. "Come here. Come on my spark." She looked up as Ratchet helped her stand, moving her to a berth.

"Don't.... Don't feel so good Ratchet." She collapsed in his arms and he picked her up, laying her down gently and running as many scans as he could.

"It's okay Casidy. We'll figure this out."

She merely whimpered in response and curled into herself, feeling a ripple down her spine. Fear gripped her and she tried to sit up, a pained howl leaving her. Ratchet was by her side in a second and she whined, feeling cracking.

"Run." She growled. Go!"

"No! I will stay!" She growled and lunged, clothing tearing as she flew through the air.

And then she was on the ground, body correcting as a syringe was injected into her side. Whatever was inside took effect fast and she panted. Ratchet stood over her, looking guilty.

"I am sorry my love...." She felt the morphine relax her and panted.

"It was... needed." She held her head and shook it. "That were was different. My body. It wanted to /become/ a wolf. Just not a crude human version but a full blown wolf. Ratchet sat beside her and gently pulled her into his lap.

"Whatever it was, we'll figure it out together." She simply smiled up at him and curled into his chest.

-

Magnus smiled down at Stella as she lay beneath him, features set in a breath taking display of beauty. Beads of sweat clung to her forehead and chest as she smiled, sitting up to kiss him. He returned it, keeping her in place.

"Mmm, Magnus. I wish we could spend more nights like this." Magnus smiled.

"As do I, my Stella. But with Optimus so out of it I must pick up the work." Stella frowned.

"I hate what Mearing's done. It makes me fear for /our/ future." Magnus softly kissed her forehead at this.

"It will likely be quite some time before we have to worry about that. So breathe. And trust Optimus." Stella breathed deep and nodded. "Now sleep. For tomorrow will be a long day." She curled up with him as he lay beside her. Soon both drifted off into a somewhat relaxed sleep.

-

Juliet sat in hers and Jason's room, pulling a brush through her hair and worrying about her sister. The last she had seen of her hadn't been good. And ever since she'd hardly talked to Jason. Naturally he was pouting but she didn't care.

"Juliet, my darling?" She sighed.

'Speak of the devil and he shall arrive.' She mused to herself.

"Please dear, I'm sorry. I have some amazing news..." She turned and he held up a vial.

"And what's that?" She put down the brush and stood.

"The potion that allows vampires to have children." Juliet froze. Had he just....

"You found the spell?" She rushed over and took it. The purple substance swirled and Jason smiled.

"The spell turned out to be easier than some of the ingredients. I have long forgotten what the gem was for, but it worked. Now drink. And allow me to give you everything you have ever wanted." Juliet didn't waste any time.

She drank every last bit.

A.N. - Hey guys! I'm back! Thankfully I found my sister's old laptop to use for now but its got a few issues. So if there's and 'h' missing or an extra one it's because she spilled milk on the keyboard and that's the one key that hates me. lol Anyways, I will add the song, picture and lyrics tomorrow from my phone. But for tonight? I'm gonna crash. Goodnight everyone! {C.M.}

P.S. What gem/crystal in the TF universes is known for revitalizing the dead/dead flesh? ;) One wonders just how long Jason worked to get that one little evil thing to do one thing positive. And don't worry. There's no negative side effects. I'm not that evil. Anyways. Bye! {C.M.}