Chapter Text
The door to the medbay finally slid open, none too soon for the collection of anxious mechs outside. Ratchet’s smile told them all they needed to know.
“The bud detached with no complications. We won’t know for awhile if there will be any issues from the early separation, but for right now Hound and all of his buds are resting comfortably.”
There were relieved sighs all around. “Welcome news,” Optimus said. “Thank you, Ratchet.”
Although the budding process could be uncomfortable and draining at times, it had gone smoothly thus far for the majority of bots. In Hound’s case, however, one of his three buds had formed in his armpit. One of the more inconvenient presentations, although there was considerable good-natured ribbing and competition over whether aft, groin, or armpit buds were the most awkward, but Ratchet didn’t become truly concerned until the pain from keeping his arm wrapped behind his helm or partially lifted all the time began keeping Hound from proper recharge and refueling.
When further examination determined that the bud was receiving reduced energy flow due to the strain at the shoulder joint, and that compared to his other two buds, this one was growing far more slowly than it should, Hound had reluctantly agreed to early separation. Ratchet had used magnetic resonance stimulation to speed up development to the point where the bud could intake its own energon, and then began the delicate operation to detach it along the separation seam. Even though Ratchet had reassured Hound that the risk to the bud was minimal (and well outweighed by the benefit of continuing development unattached), all procedures on buds were experimental and untested, and it was taken as a good sign that this first medical intervention had gone well.
After everyone else dispersed, a blue-and-white mech still lingered hopefully near the medbay doors. “Yes, Mirage, you can come in,” Ratchet told him, with a weary smile and a wave towards Hound’s berth. “Hound is still a little groggy, but I think he’d welcome some quiet company.”
Mirage paused on his way in, looking at the medic in concern. “Ratchet, why don’t you lie down for a little bit while I stay with Hound. You look tired.” Most bots had between one and three buds, but Ratchet, along with Skyfire, had five. Ratchet’s were still compact, unsealed bumps on his armor as of yet, but the strain of supporting so many at once was starting to show. Mirage found he needed almost twice as much recharge with just two; he couldn’t imagine how Ratchet was coping.
Ratchet didn’t argue, which told Mirage just how tired he really was, and also maybe, how much he trusted Mirage to keep a close optic on Hound and his buds, which warmed his spark a little. While Ratchet powered down on a neighboring berth with a grateful sigh (with one leg elevated - happily the rest of Ratchet’s buds were on his front, allowing him to recharge in a relatively simple position) Mirage settled in a chair next to Hound, at a slight angle to allow for the bud on his hip.
“Raj, hey,” Hound smiled up at him blearily, propped on his side with his shoulder wrapped in medical mesh, his two still-attached buds hunkered down into green lumps on his back and upper thigh. “Look who’s on the loose!”
Mirage grinned back and gently patted the little bundle tucked against Hound’s chestplates. “How do you feel?”
“Oh I feel great, just a little woozy. It sure is nice to be able to put my arm down, even if I’m not supposed to move it around yet. I can’t wait until I can pick her up!”
“Her?” Mirage asked, absently jiggling the bud attached to his own arm a little as it stirred and then scrunched back down again. Humans had assumed all of the Autobots were male, most likely because of a superficial resemblance in voice and frame type, although further contact with the humans had revealed that there was a great deal of variation and overlap of both the male and female body forms. Since humans seemed so greatly attached to their gender distinctions they’d initially just rolled with the assumption, but upon further research (and several enlightening conversations with Carly), Optimus Prime had issued the request to be honest with the humans about their own lack of gender or sexual organs, if the topic arose. (A rap song in youtube video form, complete with dancing and helpful diagrams, had not been what he had in mind, but given that it had over ten million views and even raised a good bit of revenue, Optimus conceded that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had certainly helped get the point across.) Still, force of habit was strong, and most humans and bots still stuck to the “he” pronoun.
“When organic species bud like this, they call the offspring daughters, so I figured why not?”
“Organics bud?” Mirage asked, surprised.
Hound’s optics brightened with enthusiasm. “Just the simpler forms, yeast and a few invertebrates and such, but yeah, some of them do, it’s really amazing!”
“Daughters.” Mirage shook his head, looking down at his own two slumbering buds. “It sounds so strange. Of course, so does sons.”
“How about puppies, then?” Hound said, with an impish grin.
“Puppies!” Mirage laughed. “Maybe for yours, but what about mine?”
“Kits, of course. Beautiful, wiley little turbofox kits.”
The little bundle by Hound’s chest stirred, tweeping softly. “Speaking of which,” Hound said, wriggling a little in an attempt to get a better look at his bud. “Hi, puppy! How are you doing?’
“May I?” Mirage asked.
“Sure! Just be careful of her attachment end, and she’s supposed to stay bundled up until we’re sure she’s thermoregulating all right.”
Mirage carefully cradled the green budlet, who stopped squirming and blinked at him, squinching her faceplates in confusion. “She looks so perplexed,” he said. “First time you’ve seen someone from this angle, hm?” Unlike her two larger siblings, who hadn’t had their development accelerated and were only at the peeking around stage, she had already unsealed her arms, and a few of her finger stubby finger digits had begun to unseal as well. She had managed to free them from the insulating wrap, and used them now to wave and clumsily grab at Mirage’s face in fascination. He let her explore for a few kliks, and then turned her so she could see her parent.
“She recognizes me!” Hound said in delight, as the bud began squirming and beeping excitedly, reaching with her hands until Mirage brought her within grabbing distance of Hound’s face.
“You can see if it’ll take some energon,” Ratchet murmured from his berth. “Feeding unit’s already charged and on the warmer.”
“On it, Ratchet,” Mirage said, as he leaned over to nab the feeding unit. “Now go back to recharge.” Ratchet mumbled something unintelligible and powered down again.
With Mirage’s help, Hound managed to bring his good arm up enough to help hold the feeding unit to his budlet’s mouthparts, and they both watched in satisfaction as she swallowed most of the contents, more than she’d managed before she’d been detached, before scrunching herself down into a little bundle again to recharge. Hound’s optics were dimming as well, and he was soon recharging peacefully along with all three of his buds. Mirage’s two buds began stirring again as he kept watch, poking their heads up to peer around with hazy, developing optics. He stroked their helms and talked to them softly, bringing the one on his arm close to the one on his hip so they could see one another. It felt like they were tiny sentient beings now, and not just strange, tender lumps on his armor. His daughters. His sons. His little kit foxes. So strange and wonderful. Soon they would be beeping at him and unsealing their arms and hands and one day they would be running around with Hound’s little pups. He could hardly wait.