Author's Note: What It Takes To Live is an everyday fic that takes place after Aggressive Negotiations and Revenge. It will be updated once a week so expect the next update next Thursday or Friday. Enjoy and I own nothing but my OCs

What It Takes To Live- Presenting...

"My theory is that if you look confidant you can pull off anything-even if you have no clue what you're doing"-Jessica Alba

Alejandra Castaneda ran a hand through her hair once more and took a deep breath until she stepped in front of the green screen to give her presentation. When the camera man signaled that they were good to go she flashed a brilliant smile and began. "Hello everyone. My name is Alejandra Castaneda and I am the public liaison of a new project known as NEST. NEST stands for Networked Elements Supporters and Transformers. It is a diverse branch of the military specially designed to allow us to work with the Autobots and Decepticons. Both factions are not from our planet but rather came fleeing the destruction of their own. They fight by our side and live among us. More information will come at a later date." Ale managed another wide grin before the camera man motioned for them to cut to another story.

She breathed out in a sigh and walked out of the news office to see John Keller standing in the hall waiting for her. "John. I didn't expect to see you here," she said with a smile, walking over to him. John Keller was one of the few men in politics that Ale actually respected.

"How did it go?" Keller asked as they walked down the hall together.

"Well enough," Ale said. "For slinging a bunch of crap together at the last minute it went excellent." Keller laughed at that and Ale grinned.

"Unfortunately I'm here to add to your work load," he told her. "The government thinks people will adjust to the idea of giant alien robots better if they actually see them."

"Oh no," Ale moaned. "Please tell me you're joking."

"Unfortunately no," Keller said. "It's not as bad as you think though. You aren't going on tour or anything. We are however bringing foreign diplomats to Diego Garcia." Ale just sighed and shook her head, dark hair swishing.

"Thank you for the warning," she said as she slipped out the door he held open for her. "And it was nice talking to you John." Then she slipped into the waiting government car that would take her to the airport. Now only three hours till she would be back on Diego Garcia.

"Ratchet we may have a problem." A week ago that sentence would have signaled wounded from an attack of rogue Decepticons but now, long after the rogues were dead, the medic wasn't sure what to expect. Arcee looked as if she was struggling to hold back laughter as she stood in the doorway of the med bay. "Sides and Sunny were arguing with Skids and Mudflap. Neither of the twins were aware that Jolt had set up a trip wire with the help of Skywarp. They're a little tangled up." A giggle escaped her as she looked at the livid medic.

"What?" Ratchet asked in a deadly voice but Arcee knew he hadn't misheard her.

"They need a little help," she said with another snicker that caused Nova to glance up at the older femme and giggle as well.

"They're going to need help getting put back together when I'm finished with them," Ratchet snarled, stalking past Arcee. "Watch Nova." With that said he was gone to help, and yell at, both sets of twins. Arcee giggled once more and then turned her attention to Nova.

"What'cha doing?" she asked the pale blue and silver sparkling. Nova shrugged, an odd motion coming from someone as young as her, and smiled. Arcee walked over and saw the small fingers manipulate a crayon in an attempt to color a part of the paper blue. It wasn't working very well but Nova was a tenacious sparkling and wasn't about to give in easily. It took a couple minutes but the young femme finally put crayon to the paper and manage to get a few blue scribbles across it. There was the sound of footsteps and then someone paused at the doorway.

Nova looked up and cried, "Momma!" Her blue optics sparkled with delight as she scrambled clumsily to her feet and darted over to grab onto Shadow's leg. The black femme lifted her sparkling up with a laugh and Nova waved the picture in her face. "Look Momma," she said and held perfectly still while Shadow surveyed the drawing.

"Very pretty," Shadow said seriously and Nova chirped delightedly. "Hello Arcee," the black femme added, smiling at the pink one.

"Hello Shadow," Arcee replied with a smile. "Ratchet went to untangle the twins and left me to watch Nova."

"Which set?" Shadow asked as Nova wiggled in her arms.

"Both," Arcee said and Shadow turned disbelieving red optics on her friend.

"What do you mean both?" she asked.

"Exactly what I said," Arcee told Shadow with a wide grin. "They were so busy arguing that they didn't notice the trip wire Jolt and Skywarp set up and somehow they got tangled up." Shadow snickered and Nova giggled at her mother's laugh.

"They're gonna need a medic when he's done with them," Shadow said and Arcee nodded. There came a chirp from the other room and Shadow put Nova down, leaving the young femme with the very capable Arcee.

She entered the next room and blue optics looked up at her. Sunstorm chirped again and held out dark blue arms tinged with gold for his femme creator to pick him up. Shadow obliged with a smile and re-entered the other room. Arcee smiled at the scene the two made; the dark Decepticon warrior and the small, helpless youngling that was cradled in her arms.

Optimus Prime was in the main hanger when Ale arrived. She looked tired but satisfied by the results of the news cast she had left to present and Will caught her to talk to her by the door. Ratchet had stalked by the Autobot leader almost an hour earlier muttering about stupid twins and Optimus felt it prudent to check on the situation before it went any farther south than it already had. He made his way out into the warm autumn sunshine towards the proving grounds where he guessed Sideswipe and Sunstreaker would have been. There he was met by a sight so absurd he had to fight back laughter.

Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Mudflap, and Skids were completely and utterly tangled up. Someone it seemed had lay a rope down to act as a trip wire and it had somehow ended up twisted around both sets of twins. Ratchet was delicately working on cutting the rope without cutting any of the twins' major energon lines. He was also snarling and cursing under his breath so loudly that Optimus thought it prudent not to get involved. He already could guess the culprit of this particular prank. Skywarp, and probably Jolt. The Autobot leader shook his head with a grin and turned to go back the way he came. All in all just another morning on Diego Garcia.