Raising a Sparkling Together (And Apart)

Carrier and Sire

 In all honesty, Knockout had no idea what he was doing. Of course, he had taken classes on how to care for a sparkling while getting his medical license, but that wasn't the same. This was his sparkling, his little bundle of joy he got to raise and teach how to be a proper femme (aka, how to race in her alt mode). He and Breakdown were responsible for how this sparkling turned out, how she matured and grew up. During his classes, he was never taught how to properly love a sparkling, just how one functions, how to help a carrier give birth, and how to ensure the sparkling was alright afterward. His teachers only went a little more in-depth after that.

Knockout stared down at his sparkling—Paradox—with love. He sent some through the bond he shared with the femme and smiled as he felt Breakdown send his love through it too. Since they all shared bonds with each other, whenever Knockout sent something through it, Breakdown would receive it, too, since Paradox couldn't properly block off bonds yet.

From the scans he had taken, one of the only things he could do without doubting himself, Knockout could tell that Paradox was around one year old. Knockout couldn't tell her exact birth date, so with some arrangements with both Breakdown and Megatron, they made her new birthday on the day they found her instead. Of course, she wasn't born that day, but it was the day she bonded with her adoptive parents, so it was close enough.

Knockout suddenly looked down and saw his little baby femme staring back at him. Paradox has been crawling, which made Breakdown super emotional and Knockout the proud carrier he is, and a tripping hazard for anyone that ever stepped foot in the med bay. Knockout kept everything dangerous out of reach from the small femme so she couldn't hurt herself, although Knockout wasn't sure about the passing vehicons. The vehicons loved her. Ever since Breakdown introduced her to them, they had been making surprise visits to his med bay. Some had pitiful excuses of, "My pede hurts," which would make Knockout roll his eyes and simply hand them Paradox. At first, he was hesitant to let anyone touch his sparkling, but he got used to the idea after Breakdown taught them how to hold her properly.

Knockout smiled down at Paradox lovingly before picking her up, holding her flush against his chestplate as he cooed down at her. "How has my little femme been? Have you been having fun playing with your toys the vehicons got you?" Paradox simply giggled in joy while clapping her little servos together. Knockout smiled back and held her even closer. "I'm happy you like them. Now, this datapad here says that sparklings should begin to talk around your age, so can you say Ca-ri-er? Come on, say it with me; Ca-ri-er!" When Paradox began to chirp and gurgle along with his words, Knockout chuckled. "Close, sweetspark, but not quite."

Breakdown walked through the medbay doors and smiled when he saw Paradox giggling and clapping in his conjux's arms. He walked up and wrapped an arm around Knockout's shoulders before leaning down and cooing at Paradox. "Hi sweetspark. How's your day been?" His smile widened when Paradox replied with little giggles and chirps of her own. "I bet! Your day sounded great. I wish I had been there."

Knockout frowned and moved his arm to wrap it around his Conjux's waist as he moved Paradox to his hip. "You were busy in the mines, Darling. Think of it this way; now we all have some tasty energon to eat every day thanks to you."

Breakdown paused his frowning to smile down at Knockout. "Yeah, I guess so." He moved to face Knockout and rested his helm against his lover's bright red one. "Thank you for that. I needed it."

It was quiet until Paradox, deciding the silence was dull, slapped her servos against her Sire's and Carrier's cheeks. The action made a loud clang! noise which made both of them pull back and look down at their daughter, who wore an evilly innocent smile. Knockout bit his derma to not yell at the sparkling to watch his finish, while Breakdown smiled down at her and pulled her from an obviously irked Knockout. "That's my little destroyer! You're the best femme any mech could ask for."

Knockout crossed his arms as he leaned back on his hip. "Hey now, what if she wants to be a medic like me?"

Breakdown rolled his optics and moved Paradox so she was facing Knockout, still gurgling happily as she stuck her digits in her mouth. "You say that like you haven't ever hurt another bot before."

Knockout went to argue but was cut off by Paradox beginning to gurgle louder than before. They looked down at her as she started to piece letters and syllables together. "B-Buh."

Knockout stepped closer and crouched down to Paradox's level. "Come on, Paradox. You got it! What are you trying to say?"

"Buh-buf," she glanced up, saw her parental units looking down at her, and became inspired. She kicked her legs as she waved her arms around. "Buhfp—Buhft—buhfter."

Breakdown glanced at Knockout in confusion, not knowing what she was trying to say. Then he noticed how happy Knockout seemed and instantly got suspicious. "Do you know what she said?"

"Oh my Primus, those are the best first words ever! She's just like me!" He pulled her from Breakdown and held her close to his spark chamber. "Oh you're going to grow up and become a beautiful, polished femme, you hear me? I will buff you every day and get you the best polishes on this planet, okay?" He continued to ramble while Paradox laughed happily in his arms.

"Knockout? Knockout? Knockout!" After Breakdown yelled his designation, Knockout stopped twirling Paradox around and looked at his conjux with confused optics. Breakdown sent some adoration through the bond they shared, and Knockout couldn't help but share it as Paradox giggled at the emotions she was being sent. She grabbed near her spark like it tickled, and Knockout gently nuzzled the top of her helm. "What did she say?"

Knockout lifted his head to look at Breakdown while lifting a brow. "What? You didn't understand her?" Breakdown rolled his eyes, pushing his temper down, and waved for Knockout to continue. "She said 'buffer.'"

Breakdown swore he felt something snap. Oh, Primus, he thought. No, I can't handle two of them. I can barely handle Knockout. Now I'll need to buff both of them? Knockout cut off his thoughts by laughing.

"You project too much when you're worried, Breaky." Knockout chuckled before handing Paradox over to his conjux. "And you won't have to worry about buffing us both, I'll buff her for you." He turned to leave and heard Breakdown's relieved sigh, only to smirk. "But you'll still have to buff me."

Breakdown groaned, and Knockout laughed. "There's a mission we need to do, Megatron's orders." He said before turning back and glancing at his sparkling. "But who's gonna watch Paradox?"

They both looked down at her, watching as she kicked her legs and mumbled "buhfter" to herself. They then glanced at each other and spoke through their bond.

'Who do you think is trustworthy enough to watch her while we're gone?' Knockout asked.

'The Vehicons?'

'No, they couldn't defend her if someone tried to attack.'

'Yeah..' Suddenly, an idea came to Breakdown. 'I know it sounds crazy, but what about Megatron?'

'What? Why?'

'You saw the way he smiled at her, plus he's a warlord he knows what he's doing.'

'Are you sure?' Knockout replied while glancing back and forth between Paradox and Breakdown.

'Positive.'

'Okay then, I'll comm him now.'

Knockout cut the bond and held his servo to his commlink. "Megatron? Do you think you could do a little sparkling sitting for us?"

"What?"