Jasmine held Jade closer, afraid to let go. She still couldn't believe her tiny girl was here. Her baby was . . . not alive . . . but not gone . . .

She planted a small kiss in the smooth black hair, proceeding to brush back a few strands.

Jasmine's voice came in a low, soothing tone as she spoke.

Jasmine: "What are you doing here, Baby?"

When Jade looked up at her mother slowly, streams on her pale cheeks indicated the path several tears had already taken. An instant pain filled Jasmine's spark.

Jasmine: "Oh, Sweetheart . . ."

She held the girl closer, allowing Jade to rest her head against Jasmine's sternum without any more questions.

And for the next few hours of night, Jade wanted nothing more than to just drink in her mother's presence, her mother's love, before it was taken away from her again.

~General Narration: Orion~

It would have been a normal night. It should have been a normal night. But the odd dreams came to him again. It started innocently enough.

He was holding that green femme again, but as the . . . different version of himself.

They sat on the berth carefully. They didn't spend much time around anyone lately . . . they didn't want anyone finding out about the . . . children prematurely . . .

They wanted to keep it quiet for now, which was reasonable. Especially when they didn't want to take any chances that the Decepticons would take notice.

Of course, that meant that when duty called, he often had to leave her behind, however reluctantly.

He hated those days. Hated how he felt about it. Like he was deserting her.

Even worse was that, despite his status as Prime, every time he left to battle against the Decepticons, no real promise existed that he would return.

He didn't know if he could do it today. He didn't know if he could leave her behind again for an energon mine . . .

The look she gave him broke his spark. It had been mere days since the loss of the twins . . .

Instantly, he remembered the conversation they'd had for naming their small ones . . .

Blade: "Optimus, what do you want us to have? Boy or girl?"

She looked up at him from the servo that guarded her abdomen. Though no danger existed in the room, instinct had easily taken over.

He gave her a small smile, his large servo coming to rest over hers.

Optimus: "I think a young mech would be nice . . . A little warrior . . ."

She laughed lightly and his smile grew.

Blade: "Oh really? And what would you name this little boy?"

He pondered for a moment . . .

Optimus: "I'm partial to Blaze . . ."

It was a nice, Cybertronian-type name. And one that made him think of his fiery mate. It was rare that she wasn't so passionate about something that she wasn't willing to make a stand, to fight for it.

That passion had aided him . . . The first day she'd entered this form . . . Some days, he forgot she'd been born human.

Her smile took that thought away as she spoke to him again, breaking through his thoughts.

Blade: "And what if it's a girl?"

His helm tilted slightly, thinking it over. He shrugged after a moment.

Optimus: "I don't know what I would name a femme."

Her smile only grew as she looked down.

Blade: "What about Jade?"

She was no expert on Cybertronian names, but it felt appropriate enough.

He smiled sweetly, kissing the top of her helm.

Optimus: "That sounds perfect, Maiden."

The memory was bittersweet . . . awful against his palate . . . and yet he wanted to relive it over and over again . . .

Then the dream went in an unexpected direction. It suddenly felt . . . different. Just as a scarlet blur moved past the doorway.

Optimus looked down at his battered femme . . . emotionally battered, anyway . . .

Optimus: "Maiden, did you see that . . . ?"

She kept her optics down, voice empty.

Blade: "See what . . . ?"

Optimus vented slowly, it was hard to see her like this. He didn't want to leave her, even for an instant, but something called him to the hall.

Optimus: "I'll be right back, Maiden."

He stood, going to the hallway and glancing around from the space just outside the doorway.

He saw nothing but darkness. It was late at night, after all, so no one should've been active . . .

That's what he thought until that crimson streak appeared and disappeared in an instant in one of the intersections down the hall.

It looked like a young Cybertronian . . . hardly older than a sparkling . . . and that thought made his spark ache, but he went to the intersection, glancing up and down the perpendicular hallway.

Again, the large mech was only met with darkness and confusion.

A servo slipped to his helm, rubbing the back of it, trying to remain vigilant yet calm.

Was this some new trick by the Decepticons?

Before he knew it, his optics were blocked by small servos, a pressure on his shoulders.

Optimus struggled somewhat, knowing this intruder meant no real harm, but instinct had seized him.

???: "Calm down, Dad! It's just me! Jeez!"

Optimus froze, his servos resting on the small legs of the young mech on his shoulders . . . His optics were still covered, but something in his spark told him all he needed to know . . .

Optimus took a deep intake, releasing it slowly.

Optimus: "Blaze . . . ?"

The small mech grinned boldly.

Blaze: "Ding-ding-ding we have a winner! What's his prize? He gets to see his long-lost wife, that's what! Tally-ho, Jeeves!"

Optimus gripped the small mech by the underarms gently, lifting him off his shoulders to hold him at eye level in front of him.

The mech looked like he would have been seven in human years . . . but the gleam in his sapphire optics told of age older than that . . . even more so, it made him think of something else . . . someone else . . .

Maiden.

He quickly set the young mech down, rushing back to the room and peering in only to see it empty. He whirled around to the vivid red mech behind him.

Optimus: "Blaze, where is Maiden? Where is your mother?"

So many pieces of logic fought against him, but he tried to accept what was being presented. His son was here . . . and Maiden was not . . .

The young mech was already walking towards his father, still smiling.

Blaze: "Where did you and Mom first kiss?"

Optimus thought for a moment, trying to recall the instance.

Optimus: "The cave?"

He looked to the younger mech for confirmation to the riddle. Blaze just shook his helm.

Blaze: "No, no, no. Where did you first kiss before she had ANY idea that you loved her? Before YOU even realized that you loved her. You were so deep in denial, but the second she called you for support, you were off! Where did you give her her FIRST first kiss and then you played it off as acting?"

Realization filled the older mech's optics.

Optimus: "The pond . . . the willow trees . . . It was a beautiful day."

The grin on Blaze's faceplate just grew even more.

Blaze: "She's there now . . . are you going to go see her or not?"

Optimus nodded, taking his son's servo. He focused on the pond, but Blaze did a fair amount of work for the transfer. The extra push was all it took . . .

In an instant, they were at the pond, no longer Cybertronians, but techno-organics. Blaze now had hair practically identical to Jade, black with an auburn sheen, but his was more prevalent, giving the illusion of his hair being a fire casting a bright light against a starless sky. His eyes were still the same sapphire blue that his father had.

Only a hundred feet away lay a woman with auburn hair, a young, pale-skinned girl in her arms with the hair of the boy at Optimus' side. He looked between the two for a moment before he couldn't control his sight anymore. He stared at the woman on the ground, her eyes were closed. She and the girl were clueless to their presence.

Blaze nudged his father, and seeing his father's stricken expression, took matters into his own hands.

Blaze: "OH LA-DIES!! WE'RE HERE!! YOUR KNIGHTS IN SHINING ARMOR HAVE ARRIVED!!"

The female pair instantly opened their eyes and looked over at them.

Jade's eyes looked fairly disinterested at Blaze, but upon seeing her father, widened slightly. This was it. They were a family again.

Jasmine stared at the pair,eyes wide, but still didn't move. 

Jasmine: "Optimus . . ."