"Sire!" The sparkling yelled. He jumped up and hugged his leg tightly as he cried with relief. Ratchet blinked a couple times and heard the cons coming. He picked up the little Prime and held him close as he ran back down the tunnel.

"What did you get yourself into?" He asked as he ran and looked for the others.

"I was... trying to... fix things." He sobbed and buried his faceplate as he held on tightly. He thought for a few minutes then furrowed his little optic ridges. He looked up at him with his big blue optics.

"How did you find me?" He asked quietly as he looked around. Ratchet glanced at him and smiled slightly.

"That stupid song Miko taught you." He muttered and stopped as he looked around.

Dead end.

He furrowed his optic ridges and listened quietly. He heard the cons but not the team. He cursed under his breath and looked for a place to hide the little one. He tried to com the others but it didn't work. He grumbled something under his breath and went back to the tunnel. He stopped suddenly as Megatron walked down it and blocked the exit. He narrowed his optics and smiled wickedly as he saw the medic.

"I didn't expect to see you outside of the base doctor." The con sneered. Optimus looked at him and whimpered quietly as he held on to Ratchet.

"Step aside." The medic growled angrily as he held the sparkling close. Megatron laughed darkly and stayed put.

"Hand him over and I will." He said as he watched them.

"Over my sparkless husk." The medic seethed angrily through gritted teeth.

"That can easily be arranged." Megatron growled as he aimed his cannon at his helm. Ratchet looked around for something to fight with and transformed a servo into his blade.

"You can't hurt me without getting close. You have no blasters." The con snarled and unsheathed his blade. Ratchet thought for a moment then smirked.

"True. But I know someone who does." He muttered and the sparkling looked at him. "Optimus. Megatron wants to play tag." The medic said calmly as he smirked.

The little Prime furrowed his optic ridges then they widened as he realized what Ratchet was doing. He grinned happily and transformed his servos into cannons. The con furrowed his optic ridges and fired at them. Ratchet ducked and let the sparkling go.

"Tag!" He yelled as he shot at the con. Megatron stumbled back as the sparkling fired rapidly at him. He yelled angrily as the little Prime giggled.

The sparkling let his instincts, or more of his old self, guide him as he fought. Ratchet watched in surprise then rammed into the con to push him out of the tunnel. Megatron stumbled back and tried to shoot at the medic. The bot dodged as the sparkling held on to one of the cons shoulder spikes and shot at him. Ratchet rammed into the con again and he stumbled out of the tunnel.

Optimus jumped to Ratchet and shot at the cons peds. Megatron yelled angrily and managed to punch the medic. Ratchet grunted and stumbled as Optimus fell. The little Prime looked up at Megatron and narrowed his optics. He activated his mask and pulled out his blades. He let out a battle cry and started stabbing the cons legs.

Ratchet ducked again as Megatron swung at him. He rammed into the con again and punched him hard in the faceplate. The warlord stumbled and fell on the ground. He grunted and shook his helm as he fought the dizziness. Optimus climbed on to him and stood on his chest plate as he glared at him. Megatron looked at him and raised an optic ridge.

"You're a bad little mech for not beehiving." The sparkling said as he folded his arms and glared.

Megatron growled angrily and reached for him. Ratchet hit the con in the helm with the wrench, or Brian as Optimus named him. The con went limp and he groaned as he tried to fight the pain.

The sparkling jumped off and ran towards the medic. He stopped suddenly and ran back to Megatron. He gently set his little servo on the cons helm.

"Sorry." He said quietly and went back to Ratchet. The medic picked him up and ran off to find the others. It didn't take long as they heard blaster fire and metal grinding.

They turned the corner and saw the rest of the team finishing off the vehicons. Optimus held on to Ratchet and furrowed his brow as he looked at them.

"Peter! Cullen!" He yelled happily and waved. The vehicons didn't know why they answered to the names, but they did. The bots stopped fighting the two and watched quietly.

"Bulkhead! Bumblebee! Those are my friends." He said as he smiled. The cons lowered their cannons as they stared at him blankly. The wrecker chuckled softly and shook his helm.

"I'm not going to bother explaining things to him." Ratchet muttered as he rubbed his faceplate tiredly.

He walked behind the other two in case the cons tried to attack. Bumblebee glared at the two cons and thought for a moment. He pointed down the other tunnel, silently telling them to leave. The cons hesitated and looked at each other. They then turned and ran off.

"Bye!" The sparkling yelled as he waved happily. Peter stopped suddenly and looked back at him. He stared for a moment then half waved before leaving.

The bots looked at each other then headed back down to find the portal. Optimus reached out to Bee and the scout took him and put him on his shoulder plates. The sparkling told him about what he did and the friends he had made. Bulkhead chuckled softly as Ratchet grumbled something under his breath. The sparkling yawned and rested his helm against the scouts as he drifted. He started humming quietly and Bumblebee smiled slightly as they walked.

"Tell everybody.... I'm on my way.... and there's no where..." he yawned. "...else that I'd rather be..." he trailed off.

::New friends and new places to see...
With blue skies ahead, yes I'm on my way.:: Bee chirped softly reminding him of the words he forgot.

"I'm... on my... way." The sparkling mumbled as he fell into recharge. Bulkhead chuckled softly. Bumblebee smiled and set a servo behind him so he didn't fall off. Ratchet sighed quietly and shook his helm.

Once back at the base Bumblebee carefully took the sparkling off his shoulder plates and gently laid him on the berth. He stared at him for a few minutes and made a sad noise. Ratchet typed and mixed things then looked over. The team had gathered around the berth and stared at the little Prime. The kids watched quietly from the humans area. Ratchet blinked a couple times and furrowed his optic ridges as he approached with the antidote. He stood by Bumblebee and looked at the little Prime. They all just watched him sleep for a few minutes.

::I'm going to miss this.:: Bumblebee chirped quietly and a little sadly. Ratchet frowned and looked at them. They all looked a little sad about this. But why?

"We have to do this to save Optimus." He muttered and crouched down. He hesitated as he held the syringe.

He gently set a servo on the little ones helm and rubbed it with a digit. The sparkling smiled in his sleep. Ratchet didn't want to admit it out loud, but he had enjoyed the time they had with the sparkling. Even if he was trouble at times. He still had the spark of a Prime.

The medic felt tears fill his optics and he furrowed his ridges. He gently injected the formula into his system and put the syringe away. The sparkling smiled more as he slept, and they felt a little guilty. They watched him for a while, then Ratchet silently stood up and went back to work.

During the night and through the next day, Ratchet watched over him and did what he could to make the changing process easier. He found it was harder to restore what was done to his friend. At one point during the night the sparkling sobbed uncontrollably. The medic did his best to comfort him and he finally went back into recharge.

The process was slow, and on the third night he was finally at his regular height and size. Ratchet spent the rest of the night, making sure his mind was restored to the Optimus they knew. Once the medic was satisfied he simply sat by his side. He feared the sparkling mind would be more powerful than the Primes. He had done everything he could to bring him back.

Later that morning Optimus slowly opened his optics and let them adjust as he lay there. He scanned himself to make sure everything was functioning properly. He blinked slowly and looked around for a moment. He saw Ratchet sitting by the berth.

The medic had his helm in his servos and had accidentally slipped into recharge. The Prime smiled ever so slightly and decided not to wake him. He closed his optics, and tried to remember all that had happened while he was a sparkling, or temporarily out. The base was silent again for a moment. Ratchet shook his helm slowly as he woke from recharge. He rubbed his faceplate tiredly and sighed forcefully.

"You need to rest Old Friend." Optimus said as he watched him. The medic stopped suddenly and looked at him.

"Optimus?" He asked hesitantly and the Prime nodded once as he raised an optic ridge. "Thank the AllSpark." Ratchet sighed as he rubbed his helm.

"We thought we lost you... though it wouldn't be the first time." He muttered and gave him a look. Optimus stared at him blankly for a moment.

"I... do not remember... what all happened." The leader said seriously.

"That's... probably for the best." The medic muttered and did a few scans. He was not going to explain things.

Later when the kids came from school, they were thrilled to see Optimus in his regular state. They were also a little sad as well. They felt they would miss the little sparkling and the fun they had. Ratchet was scanning him for the hundredth time and making sure his processor was functioning properly. Optimus sat on the berth as he watched the team. He felt as though he'd been away from them and wished he could remember. Whenever he asked Ratchet about it, the medic wouldn't say.

"Was there something I did wrong?" Optimus asked as he looked at them. They all stopped suddenly and looked at him. He stared back with his bright blue optics. The look he gave reminded them of the sparkling.

"Aw." Miko said as she pouted and looked at him. Optimus furrowed his optic ridges and glanced at her. Ratchet shot her a nasty look.

"No you didn't harm us if that's what you're worried about." Bulkhead said as he smiled slightly.

Their leader seemed to relax a little and he stood up. He looked at his team and furrowed his optic ridges. He for some reason was sure they were taller, a lot taller. He frowned a little and walked towards the computer. Miko smiled mischievously as she got an idea. It was clear he was having a few memories from when he was a sparkling.

"It's good to have you back." She said and he nodded slowly without looking at her. "Opie." She said as she smiled mischievously. He stopped suddenly and furrowed his optic ridges. He looked at her with confusion.

"Miko." Ratchet said warningly as he clenched his servos tightly. She snickered and the Prime went to the computer. The bots watched him quietly and went back to work.

After a few minutes Optimus walked to the hall to check something. His ped kicked something and he looked at the floor. He furrowed his optic ridges and picked up a wrench. He stared at it for a few minutes.

"Ratchet did you throw this..." he trailed off as he read the name. He raised an optic ridge as he looked at the wrench called 'Brian.' He didn't know Ratchet named his wrenches.

He shook his helm slightly and set the wrench by the medic. Ratchet looked at it and stared at the little indents. He smiled ever so slightly. He glanced at Optimus who was at the computer again.

The Prime was typing quietly and absentmindedly started humming. That annoying song Miko taught him when he was a sparkling. Ratchet shook his helm and sighed quietly as he worked. That would all disappear soon when their leaders processor finished repairing itself.

~End~