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There hadn't been a Sparkling born since the War of Cybertron started. New life sadly, hadn't blessed the Cybertornians for a very long time. If demand for an army was needed, they were created, straight-up manufactured for that purpose.
These soldiers didn't know the tenderness of being cared for, looked after. They were just thrust into a world of chaos and left to choose a side of this raging war. If they were lucky enough, they would fall under the tutelage of a bot that displayed kindness and patience. That is if they were lucky enough.
So imagine the surprise of not just a yellow Autobot and his sparkmate human partner that she was expecting, but the surprise of everyone else. Not only there hadn't been a Sparkling born ever since peace returned to Cybertron, but the fact this was something that has never happened in their History. A hybrid conceived between their kind and another.
Ratchet, when he had come to Earth to visit (mostly check up on Optimus), theorized that perhaps sparkbonding with Charlie had some strange effect on her body. While she didn't possess a Spark, she did possess a soul. An essence in a human that was just as precious as a Spark to a Cybertronian. Perhaps somehow through the bond, mutated Charlie to a certain point as it did, after all, halt her aging process.
Bumblebee had never been so distraught by the fact his bond to Charlie messed with her biology. Ratchet tried to reassure the yellow Autobot; it was all just a theory. Didn't ease the other enough, seeing as Bee began to ramble and apologize to his wife for screwing with her biology.
Charlie on the other hand, was pretty excited by the fact she was carrying the embodiment of her and Bumblebee's love in her womb. Bee continued to stress out considering nothing like this ever been recorded, and there were so many possible complications to happen. On his home planet, a sparkling was conceived of two Sparks joining together in intimacy before a carrier was chosen to care for the new Spark. At least till it formed its own body to inhabit before emerging from its carrier capsule.
Here, it was different. Humans were fragile enough as it was, and several things could go wrong from what Bee had researched in his spare time. Miscarriage, bleeding out, stillborn, and this was from just a human pregnancy. Just how was it going to be with this kind of pregnancy?
It's going to be alright, Bee. Words spoke with confidence by Charlie with a smile that dazzled like the sun. He didn't know why Charlie thought it'll be okay. This pregnancy was uncharted territory, and it was making him a wreck. It took a little consoling and perhaps a little loving to finally get Bee to trust her words that indeed things were going to be alright.
He was not going to lie; it was a fascination to watch as her belly grew bigger over months, knowing that his child, his sparkling was growing inside the love of his life. A human he met back all those years ago when he been lost, alone with no memories, where a bond had been created unbeknownst to them till they had parted that fateful day.
He loved to lay a servo over Charlie's swelling stomach, able to sense the life beneath, and he had no qualms doting on his sparkmate as much as he could even if her mood would turn for the worst. Even Strongarm and Sideswipe didn't try bicker and fight as much, perhaps both fearing to fall victim to Charlie's wrathful mood swing. Even Grimlock, who loved being around Charlie, started to keep his distance and took more care to be mindful of where he stepped, afraid to knock anything over.
By her third semester, Sideswipe had, at one point, just avoided Charlies since her mood swings had become too unpredictable for his taste. He was more than happy to escape when the Away Team had to leave to hunt down a Decepticon that would pop up states away from where Charlie was. He was perfectly fine, leaving the rest of the Bee team to deal with the moody human, especially Bumblebee, since all of that was his doing in the first place.
If anyone here was a blessing during this, it was Denny Clay.
Denny, who served not only as Bee's emotional support but attended doctor appointments and reported back everything to ease the yellow Autobot. Bee was grateful that Denny pushed them to think about finding someone they could truly trust to expose him and his team. Just in case something happened during the pregnancy.
Thank Primus Charlie's sister-in-law just happened to be a nurse and a midwife and was not just someone they could trust, but was family as well.
Everything was going fine.
Nothing terrible has happened nor going to happen.
There was nothing to worry--
A wail tore Bee right out of his thoughts, helm snapping towards the direction of the large storage container in the far corner of the scrapyard. Something he and the other bots built as a makeshift hospital room for Charlie when her sister-in-law would come to give her check-ups. It even allowed Bee to attend to see how things were progressing finally.
Anyone who had been in the room when the ultrasound was performed, could see the awestruck on Bee's face when he saw his child... their child growing inside Charlie.
Already making his way towards the makeshift hospital room, Bee picked up the pace when another scream tore through the air, announcing his wife was going into labor. Thankfully the other members of the team had left long ago, no one wishing to be around for the birthing.
"Hey doc," Started Bee, a servo reaching up to pull the curtain back enough to peek inside.
There was an immediate harsh response from the other side, causing Bee to flinch. "Don't come in!" Charlie's sister-in-law snapped. "Just stay out there!" To Charlie, he heard her say. "Push again!"
"I.. I can't!" Wails out his wife, making his Spark fluttered from hearing just how stressed she currently was at the moment.
"You need too. Now-- push!"
The yellow Autobot began to pace, unable to take hearing Charlie in pain as she let out another cry. He tried to reassure himself that this was normal, that giving birth was a painful process for humans. Charlie was going to be okay was his said mantra as Bee hunker down somewhere nearby unable to take hearing his wife crying out in pain, and he couldn't do much to help ease it.
–
"Push!"
"I'm TRYING!" Snapped Charlie viciously, clearly irritated from being told just to push, push and do more pushing! She was pushing with all her might, she was sure her whole uterus was going to just push out at this point! Would she complain if that happened? No siree! In fact, Charlie had made up her mind; she never wanted to go through this birthing process ever again!
Fingers were gripping the sheets with all her strength, the fabric stretching enough to start ripping if she tugged anymore. Her body flushed from being overheated, skin glistening with sweat with strands of her hair plastered to the side of her neck and face.
"NNGHHH!!"
Another cry tore from her throat after pushing again. You think with numbing drugs her sister-in-law shot her up with, would do something for the pain! Like erase it entirely during this whole process, but nope! It was still there, like an annoying gnat that just wouldn't go away.
"I see something!" Her sister-in-law shouted, peeking between Charlie's spread legs. "Come on, Char! A few more! You can do it-- Atta girl!" She encouraged as Charlie pushed with all her might.
It was a strange sensation when she finally gave birth. It was like something just popping, like a cork from a wine bottle, the pressure just releasing all at once. Charlie was thankful it was finally over as her body slumps back against the bedding. Her chest rising up and down from her hard breathing as fatigue was quickly working into her body.
Her sister-in-law stood up, a puzzled look on her face as she stared at the new life in her hands. She finally looks up at Charlie, still unsure of how to proceed. "Uh, congrats? It's a blob?"
That immediately got Charlie's attention as she struggles to sit up and see what the other was talking about. Her sister-in-law moved closer to show the strange, almost metallic looking sac, but when touched, it felt squishy.
"Bumblebee!" Charlie shouts out, a little fearful of what was going on. In the ultrasound, you could make out the newborn inside, it never showed a sac around it. The curtains were pulled to the side, and a familiar-looking face peeked in, Bee quickly moved inside without asking permission, not after seeing the panic look on his wife's face.
"What's wrong? Is everything alright? Is the baby alright?" He started to ramble before stopping as he looked down at the sister-in-law and spotted the sac in her arms. "Is that...?"
"I.. I don't know. I don't understand.." Says Charlie, starting to panic, alerting both Bee and the other female.
"Breathe, Char!" The sister-in-law started before moving to Bee. "Here, hold onto it." She gently maneuvers the squishy heavy sac into Bee's lowered servo. She quickly heads to Charlie's side to calm down the new mother.
Bee was just confused as he was sure this wasn't supposed to happen. From what he has seen, human babies were birth to, not this? Looking down at the fleshy sac, he touches it gently with his digit before jumping slightly as something pulse beneath and against his servo. His Spark fluttered inside his chassis, feeling as if something had just pulled at it. As the feeling came, it was gone as quickly.
What startled Bee most is when the sac suddenly split open, releasing its fluid from inside as it peeled open to reveal a healthy fleshy looking sparkling. Its skin had a soft grayish tinge, glowing blue veins pulsing beneath with sparse strands of hair sticking to its head. A digit rubbed it's back gently, rolling it over just a bit before his newborn started to move and fuss at being disturbed. Soon it let out an unhappy cry most likely exposed to the cold air.
He choked at the sight.. "Ch-Charlie.." Ever so carefully, Bee moved closer to his wife to show the infant, who was looking more pinkish by now and the blue veins not as prominent. Bee watch as Charlie moves to take their newborn, cradling it ever so gently as brown hues took in the sight of their child.
Charlie couldn't help but let out a choked sob as so many emotions swelled up inside her chest, smiling, although her eyes were starting to sting with oncoming tears. "They're so beautiful.." She sobs again, leaning down to nuzzle and pepper her newborn in soft kisses. She looks up at Bumblebee, still smiling through tears before tilting her head against his digits as he brought them up to stroke her hair.
Returning to the new parents with some warm blankets for the newborn, Charlie's sister-in-law glances over at her new family. "Congrats, it's a.. girl?" She wasn't quite sure as there wasn't quite your typical female or male genitals to tell apart.
"Cybertronians don't usually pick what genders they prefer to be till later on in life." Explains Bee as his wife wraps their infant in the warm blankets.
"Ah." The sister-in-law nodded before looking puzzled. "So, does... your kind comes born in a sac usually?" She was curious.
Bee shook his head. "Not technically." He rubs the back of his head, looking to see Charlie was resting against the pillows of her bed, soothing their newborn down from their fit. "More like a protoform? It's quite hard to explain in laymen terms." He confesses. The sister-in-law looked just a bit disappointed but nodded in understanding anyways. She turns her attention back to Charlie, checking both mother and child to make sure they were alright before covering Charlie up with a blanket.
"Remember to breastfeed within an hour or so, alright?" She smiles and moves to start cleaning up once Charlie nods.
Bumblebee moves to make himself more comfortable, sticking close to his wife and child, just fascinated how tinier his infant sparkling was. Reaching out ever so carefully, he stroke the tip of his digit against their head, unable to stop himself from smiling as the baby responded to his touch.
"What are we going to call them?" He asks quietly, noticing how exhausted Charlie looked.
His wife was quiet for a moment, looking down at the newborn, her head tilting in thought before a soft smile grew on her face. "Well, I thought Honeybee would be appropriate." She teases Bee, who chuckles softly. "But... I like Max. Max is a good name."
Bumblebee blinks some. "Max." He says before perking up as a thought occurred. "Like from that one movie? Mad Max?" He didn't know if he like the idea of naming his child after such a character.
Charlie could only laugh before nodding. "It's a good name!" She defends her choice, her lips splitting into a grin. "It's so simple that even Sideswipe can't mess it up!" She snickers. Bee merely rolled his optics, but there was a smile on his lips to show.
"We can call them Honeybee as a nickname. It's still cute." Charlie nestles down, rubbing Max's small back gently.
Bee watches the scene fondly, unable to help but feel at peace at the moment. Right now, nothing else existed. No Decepticons, no team, nothing. While Cybertron was and would forever be his home, right now, in this makeshift hospital room built from two shipping containers, this was home.
Charlie was his home. Now his newborn too.
"Max," Bee sounded out the name again, smiling softly. "It is a good name."
The first of their kind, that was how Max Watson came into this world. A hybrid mix of human and Cypertronian.
"Hey," Charlie started up. "How excited you think Grim is going to be once he sees Max?"
"I.. I rather not think about that." Exasperated Bee.