When All Lights Go Out II (TFP)

Chapter 13

Both Jack and June follow Optimus and Ratchet to the med bay quietly. June was still gazing around her surroundings in awe at the size of the base itself while also managing to keep up. Jack had yet to tell June this was a former missile silo, so not everything about the base has been modified to fit the autobots. But that was a detail Jack would tell his mother a bit later as he knew that it was just one thing at a time. She didn't need to be further overwhelmed with what was already happening now. Though as they enter the med bay, June was immediately intrigued by what she saw. There was many different medical equipment in this room, along with a console area and medicinal cabinet. June did not realize that the bots used medicine, when necessary, but it was intriguing.

Jack led his mother up to a catwalk to give the autobots space so that they didn't have to be concerned with accidentally stepping on the humans. But it did also allow the humans to observe what was taking place. June watched as Optimus sat down on one of the berths, and she could see he was a little irritated as he laid back with a light grunt. She had noticed he didn't seem to enjoy the check ups on his and Azura's health, which was amusing. June didn't know if this was normal for him, or it was just because he was tired and uncomfortable from carrying.

As June and Jack lean on the railing watching Ratchet as the medic walked over to some equipment to get them ready, June looked at Jack with a curious expression. "I am curious, did you know that Azura was an autobot from the first time you met her?"

Jack shook his head, and Optimus glanced up at he listened in quietly. "No. She was sitting by herself the first time I saw her. Which is not surprising, since she was the new kid...but no, she never mentioned it. Not ever. She told a few stories about herself at the orphanage in Wyoming and that she had met her parent...but I didn't even know until Azura felt ready to tell us. But there was an incident that forced her to tell us she was an autobot before she was ready."

"I see..." June tapped her fingers on the railing lightly and looked at Optimus. "I remember having your daughter over at our house a few times when she and Jack were helping each other with their homework and assignments. They were really good friends. She seems like she was very sweet girl."

Optimus smiled as he did not know much about the time from when Azura left the base to the time Arcee brought her back. "Thank you, June. I am pleased she was well behaved and polite towards you."

"She most certainly was. I can tell she likely gets it from you, and you should be proud of that." Optimus nodded as he caressed his abdomen lightly. "Which is why..." June clasped her hands together as she moved onto the next question. "I am trying to understand this situation. If she is your daughter, which I could believe, but you are carrying her within you. Ratchet called you her carrier...does that mean she doesn't have a..."

Optimus's expression softened as he listened to the woman. "I think it would be best to tell you the full story, June. Azura's story did not start very well, and her creation wasn't something that I had expected. Especially as she was the result of a cruel, decepticon experiment that resulted in a lot of pain in other autobots, and myself." Ratchet was rolling over the ultrasound as he listened to the conversation. "I don't remember everything, as Ratchet was present when it happened. He can fill in some of the story."

Ratchet nodded. "Yeah...especially as Optimus was unconscious for part of it." He moved to Optimus's right side to begin attaching lines to his body to check on the status of his system. "Sometimes I still can't believe it was that long ago."

Optimus felt the same way. Even more than Ratchet. Especially as Optimus had once believed that he wouldn't find his sparkling again. "A bit over thirty Earth years ago, the decepticons had developed a strange weapon that had only been used once. We can only assume their top scientist had made such a device, but it was a device that would emit a special type of to infest the bodies of autobot mechs and femmes with habloid sparks."