Through a Youngling's Optics

(Sequal to "Sparkling at the Door")

...CHAPTER 1...

As the sun rose over the horizon, a cool breeze blew across the grasslands of the great state of Michigan. The whole world seemed to be coming alive once again. Birds sang their morning hymns as to announce the new morning's arrival. But in the city of Detroit it was another story entirely. Like always, the city was alive with commotion. People up and about doing their normal routines, and the Autobots like always, were up and ready for what the day may bring. But unlike three years ago that day, they were waking up with not only five Autobots, but six. It was three years ago on that day that StarChaser, Optimus Prime's daughter had come to Earth trying to find Optimus.

Because three years had passed, many things had changed. The location of the base, for one because Megatron now knew where the old one was and Optimus wouldn't risk StarChaser or any of his crew being killed. So they moved the base to an old sugar mill just sixteen blocks away. True, it was a long haul to relocate ALL of their belongings, but in the end, they all felt it was worth the trouble.

The second thing that had changed was StarChaser. True she was still young but she was catching up to her fellow machines. In just three years time, she had gone from barely being able to reach above Optimus' knees to being able to lean her head against his waist, mostly because her body was able to adapt to upgrades quickly. She was growing….physically as well as mentally.

All Autobots were in the recreation room of their new base that they had been in for some time now. Bumblebee was doing his usual routine of playing videogames with StarChaser right by his side. And the best way to put the situation is that StarChaser was owning Bumblebee miserably.

"Come on Bumblebee! I bet Ratchet could play better than you right now!"

Ratchet from the other room. "Hey! I heard that!"

Bumblebee looked at StarChaser and both started rolling on the floor laughing, neither one caring anymore about who was winning. StarChaser sat up and rubbed the lubricant from her optics before reaching over and shutting off the game counsel.

Looking at Bumblebee she started laughing. "Have ya' noticed that Ratchet is even more grumpy then usual?"

Bumblebee looks up from the floor then sits up. "What'd ya' mean? Isn't he grumpy like this all the time?"

Just then a hub cap flew across the room like a Frisbee and hit square in the back of the head. Bumblebee while rubbing the back of his head turned to see Ratchet on the other side of the room. "You two know that I CAN HEAR YOU!"

StarChaser looked down covering her mouth and giggled quietly to herself. Bumblebee just passed and uneasy glance to her. "How come he hit me and not you?"

"Because Bumblebee, I don't hit girls." Ratchet then shook his head and looked and pointed at StarChaser. "But I DO need you to come with me little one."

StarChaser rolled her optics. "Ratchet, how many times do I have to tell you, don't call me 'little one'…I'm not that little anymore you know."

Ratchet laughed to himself while walking toward the med bay. "Technically you're STILL the youngest here, and you're STILL the shortest too."

StarChaser turned away grumbling. "I'm only a couple of feet shorter then Bumblebee."

Bumblebee wheeled around looking at StarChaser. "What was that?"

Ratchet laughed then motioned toward the med bay. "Come on now, your father asked me to run some tests on your systems."

StarChaser again grumbled then lay back down on the ground and stared at the ceiling with Bumblebee watching her. "Ratchet, why is dad so worried about me lately?"

Ratchet laughed. "I don't know kid, maybe it has something to do with these sudden growth spurts of yours."

StarChaser sat up and looked at Ratchet while crossing her legs. "I don't get it, what's wrong with me being tall? Dad's tall, why can't I be?"

Ratchet walked over and leaned down beside her. "I don't think it's so much that you're becoming tall, but it's more…well…"

StarChaser cocked her head. "It's more what Ratchet?"

Ratchet sighed. "Maybe your father will just have to explain, I was just told to run a diagnostic test, that's all."

StarChaser looked down and sighed, then looked up suddenly and looked around the room. "Where is my dad anyway?"

Ratchet smiled then looked away but then back at StarChaser through the corner of his optic. "I'll give you three guesses."

StarChaser cocked her head. "Is he out trying to catch those escaped convicts again?"

Ratchet laughed. "Yep, and guess who he's in pursuit of as we speak."

StarChaser thought for a moment before looking up. "Nanosec?"

Ratchet shook his head. "Nope."

"Slow-Moe?"

"Try again."

Again StarChaser cocked her head and looked up horrified. "Please tell he he's not after Professor Princess again, I still have had nightmares about dad coming home with hot pink and purple armor. THAT WAS THE WORST NIGHT EVER!"

Ratchet shook his head laughing hard. "No, he's out chasing the Angry Archer again. Apparently he broke into a jewelry establishment and now is on the run."

As StarChaser rose to her stabilizing servos, she looked at Ratchet half laughing. "Well, that's better than Professor Princess; it took dad two whole weeks to wash that paint off. I would hate to see him go through something like that again."

Again Ratchet laughed. "I don't even think HE wants to go through that again, it was pretty embarrassing for him, but on the bright side, we all got a good laugh out of it for a while."

StarChaser laughed too. "Yeah we did; didn't we?"

"Got a laugh out of what?"

Just then Optimus walked into the room soaking wet. StarChaser looked up and had to restrain Bumblebee from laughing.

"Dad? What happened to you?"

Optimus walked in and seated himself on the couch Ratchet had run to the med bay and came back with a towel. "Prime, what happened?"

As Prime took the towel form Ratchet's hands; he proceeded to dry off his face and then his arms. "Oh, Angry Archer thought he could get away by diving into the river…but…I proved him wrong."

StarChaser looked down and shook her head. "Please tell me you didn't dive in the river after him."

As Optimus proceeded with the finishing touches of drying himself off; he stood up and walked over to StarChaser beaming with pride. "Yes I did, and I caused Angry Archer to get caught in a tidal wave."

StarChaser laughed and turned away so she was facing Ratchet. "That doesn't surprise me considering you've got an aft the size of Cybertron."

Optimus flinched for a second then looked at StarChaser evilly. "Oh really..."

Just then Optimus ran up behind StarChaser and grabbed her from behind. He then wheeled her over his right shoulder and held her with one arm. "How'd you like my Cybertron sized aft now?"

StarChaser laughed and screamed at the sudden attack. She kicked and screamed and laughed all the same. Looking at Optimus she laughed and grumbled. "Dad! Put me down!"

Ratchet sat there shaking his head. StarChaser looked up at Ratchet pleading. "Ratchet, help me; I'm being abused!"

Ratchet again laughed. "If that's abuse, then you've been getting that since you first came here."

StarChaser put her head down and again mumbled something to herself. She then looked at Optimus with a half laughing /half cold stare. "Dad, this isn't fair and you know it."

Prime looking away from his daughter and only smiled bigger. "What isn't fair, the fact that I'm bigger then you, or the fact that you know you'll never beat me?"

StarChaser gasped and looked up. "What? I can beat you anytime, and anywhere I want. SLAG, I could beat you with one servo tied behind my back plate!"

Prime looked at StarChaser and only smiled even bigger. "Oh really?"

StarChaser grinned to this too. "Yes…I COULD!"

With that there was a loud commotion as StarChaser suddenly jabbed Optimus in the sides with her fists. Optimus fell to the floor with StarChaser on top of him. And thus, the wrestling match began. For a while it seemed as if StarChaser was going to get the better of her father, what with her using her strength to hold him down in a head lock.

"What's a matter dad, don't want to fight because you know you've already been beat?"

With his head still in StarChaser's grip, Optimus looked up and grinned. "No, I was only giving you a head start!"

Optimus then used his own brute strength to raise both himself and StarChaser off the floor. StarChaser still had him, but not for long.

Optimus then threw both himself and StarChaser again to the floor and rolled over each other in a battle to see who could end up on top of who. Optimus used his body weight to even it out to his advantage. He ended up on top of StarChaser, with her face down to the floor with her servos behind her back.

"So, you still think you're going to beat me?"

StarChaser growled as she looked at her father out of the corner of her optic. "Yeah, I do…because guess what dad, I'm only getting warmed up."

Just then StarChaser thrust her stabilizing servos up and kicked Optimus in the back. She then thrust her stabilizing servos up again and caught Optimus again in a headlock, only with her feet this time. She pulled him down backwards and freed her servos from his grip, then she lunged and her father ready to begin again.

This battle of jabbing back and forth lasted for a good twenty minutes, but it was at the ten minute mark that the fight gained quite a bit of attention. Ratchet and Bumblebee had been in the room the whole time watching and laughing at this friendly father/daughter confrontation. But eventually both Bulkhead and Prowl as well as Sari heard a commotion going on in the rec. room and just had to investigate. It was to their surprise that they saw both Prime and his child rolling around on the floor wrestling with each other. Sari, Prowl and Bulkhead thought it was the funniest thing they've ever seen.

It was at the twenty minute mark that both lay there on the floor using their stabilizing servos to hold the other down. StarChaser looked up obviously exhausted.

"So….y-you still think you're going to beat me?"

Prime looked up, probably as equally exhausted. "That depends."

StarChaser looked up confused. "Depends on what?"

Again Prime smiled evilly. "It depends… on whether…you'll be able to counteract this!"

Just then Prime lifted both of his stabilizing servos high into the air thus lifting StarChaser with them. He then used his entire body mass to throw his legs down thus slamming StarChaser to the floor; not hard, but hard enough to make her let go. StarChaser then lay on the floor sprawled out and groaning. She panted hard trying to get her cooling systems to catch up with the rest of her. Optimus then got up stood over her, panting but obviously with a triumphant stature.

"Like I said little one, you'll never be able to beat me."

StarChaser then looked up and grinned evilly before looking over to the others watching.

"Ratchet, you might wanna make the door way a little bigger for my dad's big head."

As Ratchet as well as the others laughed, StarChaser then looked back at her father still smiling. "And one more thing…"

Just then StarChaser kicked Optimus causing him to fall on the floor on his back. She sat up and smiled. "…I'm not that little anymore."

Optimus looked up and shook his head before laying his head back down and putting up a servo. "How about we just call this battle a tie."

StarChaser patted Optimus on the chest before lying back down on the floor beside him. "Okay dad, I think I can live with that."

Ratchet casually walked over and looked down upon the two red and blue 'bots; shaking his head and laughing. "You two are more alike then you know."

StarChaser then sat up with Optimus up sitting beside her. They passed glances to one another before looking back at Ratchet smiling. StarChaser leaned against Optimus' shoulder and shrugged her shoulders.

"It's not my fault if I've got the stubbornness of my father."

Ratchet laughed and walked away leaving the two still on the ground. Optimus turned to look at his daughter who was already looking at him; smiling from audio receptor to audio receptor.

"Do you think Ratchet is starting to get annoyed with us?"

Optimus shrugged his shoulders and leaned back placing his servos behind him on the floor. "Probably, that's just the way Ratchet, is sometimes. By now I'd think you'd be used to it."

StarChaser then leaned up against her father's chest plate with her optics shut. "Oh I am, but it just stood out a little more now than it has in the past."

Optimus rested his chin on the top of his child's head and chuckled to himself. For a while things were starting to cool down, but then StarChaser got the incentive to start again. Without any warning to her father, she suddenly jabbed her elbow into his side. Optimus looked down at his child confusingly, but she looked away smiling; acting as if nothing had even happened. Optimus looked away too before jabbing his elbow into her side. And thus it went back and forth until they both ended up trying to push the other over. Ratchet again walked into the room and saw the two back at it.

"When are you two going to give it a rest?"

Both Optimus and StarChaser turned and looked at each other and started laughing. Ratchet shook his head in annoyance. "I'll take that as 'never'."

"What's the matter old 'bot, don't have a leader who can act mature?"

Everyone turned suddenly to see Sentinel and his crew standing in the doorway of the new base. Prime looked up a bit shocked to see the blue mech.

"Sentinel, what're you doing here? I thought you weren't scheduled for another check in for at least two Earth-months?

Sentinel walked in with his chest plate stuck out and being the stuck up mech he's always been. "I have good reason to be here Optimus, and that reason I have to discuss with you in private."

"Good that will give me a chance to sit and talk with StarChaser."

Everyone again turned around towards the doorway only to see the blue femme Chromia standing with a big smile across her face plate. StarChaser squealed and threw her servos in the air with excitement. Then without warning she ran to Chromia embracing her in a hug. At first Chromia flinched but soon hugged the child in return.

"It's been quite a while since I've seen you..." she said stepping away and holding StarChaser's face up toward the light. "…and my have you grown?

StarChaser laughed. "What can I say; I've got more than just my dad's looks you know."

Chromia laughed too. "I guess you do. So, how have they been treating you?"

StarChaser smiled. "My dad and his crew have been treating me wonderfully, thank you for asking."

Chromia smiled in approval then raised an optic. "I trust that your father has been keeping you fueled."

Chromia looked to Optimus who smiled and shrugged. StarChaser saw him do this and laughed. "Oh yes Chromia, he's been taking very good care of me."

Again Chromia looked at Optimus and spoke more sternly. "No incidents I trust."

StarChaser laughed. "Nope, not one…unless of course you count play-wrestling with my dad an incident."

Chromia looked at StarChaser shocked and the color drained from her face plate. "You WHAT?"

Optimus immediately started to motion a 'no-don't-tell-her-about-that' motion to StarChaser by slashing his hand across his neck, and mouthing the words along with it. But StarChaser didn't see him or hear him clear his throat to gain her attention; instead she was happy to tell Chromia.

"Oh yeah, dad and I goof around like that all the time. You know, play fighting and stuff; but no one ever gets hurt, we just go until one of us calls it quits."

Chromia turned around and passed a cold glance to Optimus. "Oh really?"

Optimus smiled sheepishly and bowed his head slightly. But StarChaser continued. "Yeah, but most the time he wins because he cheats."

Chromia again looked to StarChaser and again raised an optic in surprise. "How does he cheat?"

StarChaser laughed and sighed. "By usually putting me on the magnet in the old base and leaving me there."

Chromia was silent. StarChaser then laughed again. "Maybe that's why I'm not so fond of heights anymore."

For a moment Chromia was silent; didn't say a single word. But then she passed a cold stare to Optimus.

"You did WHAT to her?"

Optimus sheepishly laughed. "It was just a little prank and she was in no danger at all."

Chromia crossed her arms. "Really, hanging 30 feet up in the air from a magnet that could drop her at anytime is not DANGEROUS?"

Optimus put up a servo to argue only to have Sentinel place an arm over his shoulder.

"Optimus, can we put this argument aside so that you and I can discuss some serious business?"

Optimus nodded as Sentinel removed his arm and started walking towards the door. Optimus was starting to follow but turned around at the last minute.

"Oh Ratchet, have you ran those scans on StarChaser for me yet?"

Ratchet from the other side of the room shook his head. "No Prime, not yet."

Prime looked down at the floor thinking then back up again. "Oh, well can you get that done?"

Ratchet then walked behind StarChaser and picked her up swinging her over his shoulder making her yip in suprise. "Don't worry Prime, I'm on it."