As I fought the Cons, I saw Starscream about to throw a grenade at my brother and Star.

Oh scrap no! I will not let that little glitch hurt them! I thought as I shot the Con I was fighting.

"Look out!" I called as I jumped in front of the grenade.

I caught it and used myself as a shield. The grenade exploded and sent me back a few feet. I felt a burning pain throughout my body and fought to stay awake.

"Blue. Blue you gotta keep your optics open you hear me! Can you move at all?" I heard Star ask me.

"G-go...help the...others. I'll...be okay," I managed to say, even though I knew I probably wasn't going to be okay.

Please, Star. Don't be stubborn, I thought.

"You didn't answer me can you move?" Star asked me again.

"Y-yeah," I replied.

I tried to sit up, but I couldn't because of the pain.
Well scrap. This is just great, I thought.

"Please, Star...go take care...of the others," I said.

"They aren't hurt, scrap it! You can't move. OK this is going to hurt like death itself but you will be fine. I promise," Star said as she started welding small pieces of scrap on me.

I tried not to cringe at the pain.

"Okay one more piece then we can try to get you to Ratchet. Hey Blue keep your optics on me please. I don't want you falling asleep okay. I know it hurts. Just stay with me," Star told me.

"It doesn't hurt," I lied as I somehow managed to stand up.

I have to keep fighting, I thought as I took out my sword.

"Although someone is going to feel a whole world of hurt soon," I said.

"If you are fighting with an injury like that you're going to need a medic by your side," Star said as she took out her blasters.

"Fair enough," I replied, knowing better than to argue with a medic to a point.

I looked around for Starscream, but he was nowhere in sight, which caused me to start panicking. A moment later, the Cons retreated. I followed them outside and saw Starscream flying off...with Cascade and Orion! Then, I saw Optimus chasing him. I was about to transform and follow him, but I immediately realized I couldn't when pain shot through my body.

"Scrap!" I exclaimed.

I saw Optimus transform, then come back to base. I put my weapons away and leaned against what was left of the wall. I started to feel weak, fighting to stay awake.

The battle really took a tole on me, but I can't stop now. Cas and Orion need me, I thought.

I shook my head, but that only made things worse.
"I'm...going after them," I said as I started to walk out.

Star placed a hand on my shoulder.

"No, you are too hurt you can barely even stand," she said.

"I-I'm fine. I have to..." I replied, pushing Star's hand away.

"Blue, I know you want to go after them but please. Listen to Star. You are not fine and you know it," Optimus said.

"He's right, sis. I want to go after them too, trust me, but we have to make sure we're able to," Bee added.

I sighed and stared at the ground. I stood there, not saying anything.

"Blue, he's twice as strong as you. You want to know why? It's because he has not just your CNA but also Optimus'. We will get that son of a glitch and make him pay but first you have rest. Trust me," Star encouraged me.

I looked at all of them. I trusted Star because she was my best friend, I trusted Bumblebee because he was my brother, and I trusted Optimus because, well, I love him and I know he loves me too. I looked into my sparkmate's eyes then hugged him tightly, hiding my face in his chest, a few tears escaping from my optics. Optimus rested his head on mine.

"It's going to be okay. We will get him back," he whispered as he held me closer.

I nodded slightly, keeping my face hidden. I started to feel lightheaded. My vision started to go white, even though my optics were closed. Then, suddenly everything went pitch black.

--------------

I slowly opened my eyes with a groan. I saw Optimus and smiled as I held his hand.

"What's up?" I said with a smirk.
Optimus smiled at me, which made me chuckle.
"Glad you could join us," he said.

That's when I remembered about Orion and Cascade. I sat up, swung my legs over the side of the medical table, and stood up.

"We will get them but first we have to make a plan," Optimus said, still holding my hand.

We stared into each others optics for a moment.
"I love you," he said as he kissed me.

I smiled into the kiss as I wrapped my arms around him, the world around me temporarily fading.

"This war is taking its tole on all of us," Optimus said when we broke apart.

He wrapped me in a big hug and rested his head on mine. I yawned and rested my head on his chest. I closed my optics as I started thinking about the kids again. I would give my life for them to be safe. I drifted off into what seemed like a very short nap. I woke up, still in my sparkmate's arms, when I heard the sound of a jet. Starscream! I was instantly alert, ready to take down the Con commander that threatened my family.

I ran outside with my blasters out, but what I saw stopped me in my tracks. The jet was purple and black, like a normal Con. The thing that threw me off though was that it was carrying Cascade and Orion! The jet gently set them down and I put my weapons away, too eager to see them again. I ran up to them and knelt down, carefully examining both of them. I heard the Con transform and looked over. It was a girl I didn't recognize.

"You're welcome," she said as I stood up.
"Why?" was all I asked.

Star made her way over to me and picked up both Orion and Cas, then went behind her brother.

"Just because I'm black and purple doesn't mean I'm a Decepticon. Before you go getting your hopes up, I'm not an Autobot either," the female jet replied.

"Prove it," I said, ready to attack if needed.

She sighed and transformed into a wolf, then ran into the forest. I ran over to Star and my sparkmate. Star handed me Orion. I smiled and nodded a thank you as I cradled him in my arms. My sparkmate wrapped the two of us in hug.

"Glad to see you are alright," Optimus said as he tickled his son a little, making him giggle.

I smiled as a few tears started to escape from my optics. I was really happy that my family was back again. I kissed Orion's forehead and handed him to Optimus. My brother came over with...another sparkling?

Where did...ohhhh, the kid is a con, I thought when I noticed the sparkling's colors.

"Seems we have another bundle of joy. We could send him back to the Decepticons or we could raise him. I mean, it's not like they're going to miss him," Bee suggested.

"Well we wouldn't be heroes if we didn't help every bot we meet even if they're a con," Star said.

"Agreed," Optimus added.

"So what do we do? I mean who will take care of the little guy?" Star asked.

"Well, one of us could take care of him," I replied.
"I'm okay with that," my brother said.

Optimus looked at me and nodded, letting me know he was okay with taking care of the poor sparkling. As we were talking, Ironhide and Mirage walked up to us.

"Glad the kids are okay. Who's the new one?" Mirage asked.

"A Con kid," I replied.

"Here, you two will take care of him," Bee said, shoving the sparkling into Ironhide's hands.

"Anyone know where a free base is?" Optimus asked, making me laugh quietly.

"When I was out on patrol one day, I discovered a huge cave. Maybe we could use that," my brother suggested.

"Temporarily maybe, but for a permanent base it wouldn't really work unless someone can build doors and other electronic devices like the Space Bridge," I said.

"Let's do it there should be enough metal and rubble here to get us started then we can get the bigger details done," Star said.

I shrugged.

"One small problem: how do we take the kids? We can't walk there," Bee pointed out.

I got an idea, so I looked at Optimus.
"Hey babe, you still have that trailer?" I asked him.

"Yeah it's over in the back," Optimus replied as he went to go get it.

Orion reached out for him and made some sad little noises.

"Hey don't worry. Daddy's just going to get something. He'll be right back," I said as I held him close and kissed his forehead.

Optimus came back and unloaded the trailer. Then, he came over to Orion and me.

"Hey bud, how you doing?" he asked.

Orion grabbed his finger and gnawed on it, making me chuckle and Optimus smile.

"How are you doing?" he asked as he wrapped his arm around me.

I looked up at him and smiled.

"Better now that the family is back together, but those Cons are still going to get beat," I replied, resting my head against his shoulder.

"I know, let's just hope they don't so we can raid them," Optimus said.

I noticed Bee had put Cascade in the trailer. I walked over to them and put Orion in the trailer next to his cousin. Star got in the trailer with the kids. Ironhide came up and put the Con kid in, too.

"Go, get ready to go," Star said.

My brother nodded and ran into what was left of the base. I followed him and went into the room I shared with Optimus. I found Orion's red stuffed T-Rex. I picked it up, along with his Hawkeye action figure that Ratchet built for him based off of the popular Earth superhero. I walked back out to see Optimus transformed and at the front of the trailer, ready to go. I gave my son his stuff, which he took happily, then closed the door. I transformed and drove up next to my sparkmate, ready to go as soon as the others were.

We followed Bee to the cave. I drove beside Optimus. It took us about half a megacycle to get there. When we stopped, my brother transformed and I did too, along with the others. Optimus joked around with his sister before taking Orion, who was sleeping with his action figure and stuffed dino. I smiled as I walked over to them. I wrapped my arms around them both and pecked my sparkmate's lips. He brought me in closer and kissed me properly.

"There. I didn't feel it right, it was only a half kiss," he said with a smile.

"So it's like that now," I replied with a smirk.

I placed a hand on his chest and the other behind his head. I gently pulled his head down into another passionate kiss. Optimus smiled into the kiss.

"You are never going to leave my side," he told me after the kiss ended.

"Yes sir," I replied with a smirk.
"Ratchet!" my brother called.