ONE YEAR LATER…

The Decepticons in the main monitor room were startled by the sound of their buzzer—and even more surprised by who was coming to visit them on this special day.

"Ratchet," said Megatron, opening the door. "What brings you here?"

"Well, since Rosepetal is turning one year old today, I thought her godfather might stop by and give her a little present." Ratchet smiled and set a little gift box down on the coffee table and sat down on the couch next to Starscream, who was holding Rosepetal in his lap, helping her have lunch. She was trying to balance a cube of low-grade in her hands, but when she tried to pick it up, it spilled all over Starscream's lap. Rosepetal giggled and licked the bright pink liquid off of her fingers.

"No licking your fingers," Starscream said jokingly, gently tickling her in the side as she screeched with laughter. "That's rude."

"What an adorable child," said Ratchet. "It warms my spark to see her so healthy and strong now."

Rosepetal, after her birth, had remained on spark-support for the next six weeks of her life, and was moved to intensive care shortly after. As she neared the three-month-old mark, she was finally given clearance by Ratchet to come home—where she soon became the happy, thriving giggly sparkling she was meant to be.

"Tell me about it," said Starscream, lifting Rosepetal up in the air and smiling at her; she smiled back and squealed with joy. "She's the happiest sparkling in the world."

"Starscream is the happiest mommy in the world," Megatron added. "We were so close to losing Rosepetal, but here she is, with us today."

"That's why we made you her godfather," Starscream explained. "You saved her life, and probably mine too."

"Well, y'know, just doing my job," Ratchet told him. "Not to mention they caught Cemetery Wind—that is, when they found the men who caught you and put you in the warehouse, they also managed to find the whereabouts of Cemetery Wind, I think through interrogation."

"That's good news," said Megatron. "I hear they're an awful terrorist group—and the ones who caught us got in trouble because apparently whatever Cemetery Wind was going to use us for would endanger the humans."

"May I ask what you brought Rosepetal for her birthday?" Starscream asked.

Ratchet smiled and opened the box. Inside was a little box with a picture of a flower on it.

"Plant your own baby roses," said Ratchet. "I brought her some fresh topsoil, plus some seeds for roses and other flowers, so she can someday grow her own little flower garden."

Rosepetal twitched her bubblegum-pink and white wings and Starscream let go; she floated up into the air and landed on the coffee table to look at her gift, then resumed hovering in the air, stopping every so often to land on somebody's lap and visit.

"Do you like your gift, Rosepetal?" Starscream asked, holding out his arms, and Rosepetal descended right into his lap, where he opened up a fresh energon cube for her.

"I think she does," said Megatron.

"You're right, Starscream." Ratchet smiled as Rosepetal giggled and snuggled into Starscream's cockpit as he wrapped his arms around her lovingly. "I've never seen a happier sparkling."

"And she makes us happy too," Starscream replied. "I can't wipe the smile off my face."

-the end-