Hot Shot's girl: Sorry for not updating in forever DX I wanted to update when I put the next chp to Program Override, but then I couldn't think of the next chp and then I recently got hooked on One Piece (surprisingly) But yeah . . . sorry, and enjoy :) The plan will be put into action VERY soon ;D

For the whole week Starscream never got tired of Alexis' smile. He had no idea when he started finding emotion in seeing the gestures of the humans, but she was something else to him entirely. That smile of her ignited something inside him he had no idea what was, but had a feeling he'd soon come to terms with what it was and willingly grasp it, because he knew if it was caused by her then it was something good.

He loved seeing her smile, laugh, and sigh in happiness. She just seemed to glow with it. Starscream couldn't believe her spirit after going through a birthing process. Humans were different from transformer femmes, yet very similar in so many ways. If one didn't know any better they could possibly mistake Alexis for one in disguise, but then again this was only Starscream's thought on this.

After almost offlining Alexis seemed to speak to Starscream with more emotion than ever. She seemed to look at him with something in her eyes Starscream knew was affection, or love. This seemed to have brought her so much closer to him than he would have ever thought—this is what he had wanted all along and if he only knew that allowing her to partake in this project and carry his sparkling would do such a thing to their bond then he would have done it sooner.

Not only had Alexis' mood changed but his own as well. He couldn't tell someone the number of times his fellow 'cons had caught him sighing, smiling, etc. It was quite embarrassing on his part, but when he was around Alexis his embarrassment could be fragged for all he cared. For she of all people loved seeing him express himself and by Primus he was with her.

Right now he was just content with sitting on top a crate in the mess hall with his head resting on his fist, his metallic lips curled into a smile, just looking at Alexis bounce her—their sparkling in her arms smiling and talking sweet to him. Next to her on the table was a bottle filled with concentrated formula energon. It was half full due to the little tyke next to it.

"Hm, you like that Evan?" she asked with a smile picking up the bottle again. "You want some more?"

The sparkling squealed as he flailed his arms wanting the formula he seemed to enjoy so much, thus making his mother-creator giggle the sweetest motherly giggle.

"Alright, alright, here you go dear," she said with a shake of her head as she placed the nipple of the bottle to the sparkling's mouth who immediately began suckling away.

"What was that Alexis?" asked Starscream perking up his head at the word. "Did you just name him?"

"Uh-huh," she said with a soft and gentle smile as she looked up at her gracious donator. "I named him Evan, it was a name I liked for a long time and thought about calling my son one day. That is . . . if you like it."

"Oh I don't mind," said Starscream with a smile as he leaned forward to get a better look at his sparkling who suckled away at the rest of his energon, his dark eyes darting up lazily to his father-creator.

"Starscream?" asked Alexis casting her eyes somewhat sadly upon her sparkling.

"Yes, what is it Alexis?" asked Starscream poking out his chin slightly informing her she had his attention.

"Did you ever want kids—well, uh, sparklings?" she asked still keeping her gaze on her boy.

That was a bit unexpected for Starscream. He flinched back slightly being caught off-guard by that question. He knew he had to be honest with her though and so he sighed and leaned back on his seat.

"No, not really," he said truthfully gazing out into space. "The truth is I never really thought about it, but when this project came about and Doctor asked me if I wanted to donate for the first one I was just appalled. I didn't want no useless human femme to carry my sparkling and corrupt it with her human genes."

"I see," said Alexis in a dark tone tightening her grip on her child.

Starscream caught sight of this and knew he had to choose his words more carefully next time. He leaned forward towards her and said—

"But not you Alexis. When Doctor suggested I donate for you I was neither appalled or afraid my child would be weak from your genes . . . no . . . I wanted—" he said as he reached forward and placed a sharp finger gently on the side of his sparkling's frame. "This."

Alexis loosened her tight grip and turned to see Starscream smiling gently at her with the softest ruby optics that you'd think he's gone Autobot.

"Ugh, you'd think he's gone Autobot," came Barricade's disgusted voice as he looked at the 'family'.

"Mind your own business Barricade!" growled Starscream in a warning and protective tone.

Barricade just rolled his optics and head as he left down the hall. Starscream just continued to glare harshly at the place where Barricade had been, that is until he heard a giggle from a precious person of his.

"Huh, what is it Alexis?" asked Starscream glancing down at her.

"Oh it's just—I was thinking the same thing," she said with a giggle looking up at him with those still soft and warm motherly eyes.

"Uh! I do NOT!!" protested Starscream glancing away as he felt his cheek circuits flair.

"Yes you do!" she said with a louder laugh now.

Starscream felt his cheek circuits spark more and he just had to look away no matter how 'cute' she looked at the moment. It was then he realized how enjoyable and pleasant sounding her laughs were to his audio receivers. Oh he hadn't heard such a beautiful sound since the wailing of his newly birthed sparkling.

"You know," started Starscream getting Alexis' attention as she looked at him whom still had his gaze averted from her own. "I—like the way you laugh."

At that Alexis smiled and looked so gently at him. The way she had been doing since she became the mother of his little mech. Starscream's optical lights then fell on her again and he zoomed in again on those soft and warm eyes—he's never seen such soft affectionate eyes before.

"And your eyes," he added. "I've never seen such warm and gentle eyes. They are the eyes of a mother-creator you know."

"Aye, I do," she said with a nod as more affection for him poured into them.

Starscream just smiled just as gently to her, but soon her attention was caught in the bundle in her arms. Her eyes turned to him and widened as she said—

"I almost forgot!"

At that she placed him on her shoulder and began patting his back. Starscream only chuckled inside which came out as a rumble sound outward.

"Alexis, are you trying to get the sparkling to disperse of those air sacs of yours?"

At that Alexis landed one good, stern, and final whack to the child's back who let out an 'air sac' like Starscream had explained. There Starscream sat with his optics more brighter than before just starring in disbelief. Did his son just—burp?

"There, all better Evan," she said with a smile as she laid him back in her lap and tightened the blanket around him so he could sleep/recharge peacefully.

"I guess he's more human than I thought," said Starscream starring at the slumbering bundle.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" asked Alexis standing up and getting ready to go place him in his crib that was graciously given to her for the time being.

Starscream could only stare as he watched Alexis leave. She had a point and when she had a point she spoke it—or pointed it out. Starscream only shook his head and smirked—he liked his femmes like that, nice and sassy.

Starscream got up and waited a bit before he headed to Alexis' room. Once he did he scanned the insides only seeing the cradle empty of the slumbering child who should have been in there. It was then he noticed two life forms on Alexis' bed, one being Alexis herself and the other being their young son.

He could tell he was in recharge, but Alexis was still awake. He could see her caressing his smooth and soft skin with her hand as she hummed a sweet lullaby to him. It was a bit strange to Starscream after clearly getting Alexis to be their spy and possibly assassin if need be—not this motherly type he sees before him.

"My how sparklings change someone," came a voice beside him.

Starscream straightened to see Barricade. Barricade who was scanning the inside of Alexis' room too and watching the wander. Starscream remained silent as he looked at the dark Decepticon.

"It's hard to think she was once the girl you saved from that icy death not too long ago," said Barricade turning his head to Starscream.

"Aye," said Starscream glancing briefly at the physics expert.

"No one can ever tell the future I guess," said Barricade with a sigh.

"No—no one can," said Starscream still continuing to stare at them.

"Well," sighed Barricade straightening and leaving. "Don't get too used to this sight for soon Doctor's gonna need to accelerate that child's upgrading and then you'll just be starring at him through a glass tube."

With that he left Starscream to think of, which frustrated him to no end. Starscream cursed mentally as he glanced at Barricade's retreating frame thinking to himself—

Fraggin' Barricade for ruining my thoughts!

What Barricade said was true though. Starscream knew it'd break Alexis' heart being separated from him, but she knew the consequences of agreeing to partake in this project. Still though—her broken features was something he was not in the mood to see or deal with at the moment and he knew Doctor couldn't have 'Evan' at the moment unless Starscream said it was approved to do so.

Starscream was torn between duty and Alexis. He knew the project came first, but he hadn't expected Alexis to grow so attached to the sparkling. He didn't know how her attachment attached him as well. Still though the day was coming when he'd tell Doctor it was time and he'd come and take Evan from his mother-creator.

Starscream sighed and shook his head. He turned and left down the hall back to his own chambers. No, he was not in the mood to deal with that today so perhaps he'd give her another week—yeah, a week should suffice.

One Week later

"When will you get me that fragged sparkling?!" screeched Doctor getting frustrated his prepared tube and device have been collecting dust.

"Don't speak about him like that!" growled Starscream. "He is still MY sparkling!"

"Yeah—a half-breed," grumbled Doctor crossing his tendrils.

"So what if he is," growled Starscream. "You yourself said they're best for infiltrating the humans instead of 'whole breeds'!"

"So," mumbled Doctor shaking his head. "So when am I getting him, hm?"

"Perhaps today," said Starscream placing his claws on his chin.

"Well hurry up and do it before Alexis gets unbearably attached," said Doctor spinning his head. "Ugh, have you seen how crazy human mother-creators get when they've been with their younglings too long?! Oh just do it SOON!"

"I know," said Starscream under his breath wondering when the right time will be.

That day was difficult for Starscream. He contemplated in his main processor on how to tell Alexis it was time to give up her little 'Evan'. Even though he knew she knew the time would come eventually because the child was to be used as a part of the project, Starscream didn't believe she was ready to carry it out.

"Hhh, how am I going to tell her?" Starscream asked to himself still finding himself not in the mood to see her motherly weeping eyes or downcast posture.

Starscream tried to shake it from his processor, the feeling to keep wanting to please her. No! He was NOT there to please her, she was there to please HIIM. He was the Decepticon leader and she was just a human subject. She needed to come to terms with things and realize where she stands!

As Starscream thought about this he hadn't realized Alexis come walking beside him, holding their sparkling. She bounced the hybrid bundle once as she looked up and smiled towards the father of the bundle.

"Hi Starscream," came her smooth and calm voice catching Starscream off-guard.

"Eh, Alexis?!" gasped Starscream taking a rough two steps back, the sound and rumble of his giant feet making Evan start a ruckus.

"Ahhh haaa!" he cried from the sudden thunderous sound.

"Oh, shh, shh," said Alexis holding onto him tighter and trying to comfort him.

"I—I'm sorry," said Starscream wishing not to make his son cry.

"That's alright," said Alexis with a smile as she placed the child on her shoulder. "It's not your fault. You were startled by my presence. Sorry, I shouldn't have came up on you without making myself known."

"Huh?" said Starscream not understanding why Alexis took the whole blame when it was clearly his fault for the upset of their child. "Alexis it wasn't—"

"Well anyways," said Alexis shifting Evan to one arm as she brought out a basket in the other. "Now that he's settled down and that whole ordeal is over I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Huh, ask me—something?" asked Starscream.

"Yeah," said Alexis with a smile and nod holding up the basket. "I wanted to ask Evan out on a picnic—and, I wanted to ask you if you'd come and take us."

"A—pic—nic?" asked Starscream not exactly knowing what that was.

"Yeah, it's where a family goes out and has a lunch," said Alexis with a smile.

"Family?" said Starscream with a quickly flicker of his optics seeing how much Alexis saw them as a family now.

"Yeah," Alexis said with a beautiful tint of pink on her cheeks as her eyes glanced away for a second.

"Uh—um, where would you like—to go?" asked Starscream scratching his metallic cheek with his talon.

With a shrug Alexis looked at him with a smile as she said—

"Some place nice. You know, like in the forest or somewhere."

"I can do that," Starscream said with a faint smile.

And so Starscream took them out into the forest like she suggested. He came to a clearing in the forest and landed there. Once they were out of him he transformed and knelt down to enjoy the outing with his—family.

Starscream couldn't help but smile as he watched Alexis place Evan down in a sitting up position as she opened they blanket and put the basket on it. Once the contents inside were out Alexis placed Evan on the blanket with her.

"Evan, Evan look!" she said with a smile as she held out a crown of flowers she had made for him.

Evan only squealed and clapped his hands as Alexis gave it to him and showed him how to place it upon his head. Starscream felt his smile brighten seeing this. The sight before him just extinguished his spark like nothing on Cybertron—or earth.

Precious, He thought to himself seeing his family before him.

Right after that thought though was when he remembered what Doctor told to him earlier. He knew he had to take Evan away from his mother-creator soon, but it was just unbearable to think of. He didn't want to take a sparkling away from its mother-creator—even though he knew he was a sparkless Decepticon it still wasn't right.

Alexis looked so happy as she laughed and held Evan above herself. Starscream wondered if she still knew what was going to happen. What Evan was destined and created for. He could only sigh inwardly knowing he'd have to jog her memory sooner or later.

After that entire ordeal Starscream brought the two back to the base. Alexis still having that soft smile on her face the whole time and little Evan sleeping from the sound of the caressing hum of Starscream's engines.

"Thank you Starscream," said Alexis getting out of him to let him transform.

"Um, your welcome," said Starscream feeling his facial circuits flare and spark slightly.

"Well," she said with a sigh looking down at her little prince. "I better get him to bed. See you tomorrow Starscream."

"Goodbye," said Starscream with a hesitant wave as he watched them leave.

Blast it! He thought to himself. When will be the right time?!

Starscream looked around to see a few Decepticons looking at him suspiciously. He knew their thoughts. They were all wondering when he was going to carry out the plan of the 'project'. He would not appear weak in their optics and so very soon he would go on with the plan.

Alexis groaned in her sleep and awoke feeling something strange—as a matter of fact she couldn't feel anything at all which meant—Evan!!

"Evan!!" screeched Alexis shooting up out of bed to find the little one no longer in her arms.

It was then she heard the small squealing whines outside her door. She jumped off her bed and shot out the door to see the child in Barricade's hands and Doctor examining him. She covered her mouth and cried for her child.

"Stop it!" she cried. "Put my baby down!!"

Doctor just looked annoyed at her. He let out a sigh and shook his small head as he continued to examine the child. After he was done he tapped Barricade saying—

"He's ready, go put him in the device."

"Device?!" screeched Alexis running up to the tall one's legs. "Please don't, not now!!"

"Alexis," came a softer voice.

Alexis turned to see Starscream with his arms somewhat limp at his sides. She felt tears stinging her eyes as she ran to him and fell on his feet begging him to let him stay with her just a little longer.

"Please Starscream, my lord!—please let him stay for just a little longer!!" she cried covering her streaming eyes. "I don't want to say goodbye just yet, please!"

"Bah, and have you get more attached to him?!" asked Doctor throwing his head back. "I think NOT!!"

"Please," whined Alexis. "Don't take Evan away from me!"

"I'm sorry Alexis," said Starscream moving away from her and letting her body fall the floor broken.

"Alexis you knew this would happen sooner or later," said Barricade turning with little sparkling 'Evan' and Doctor.

"I know but . . ." she cried as she slowly sat up and sniffed. "I love him."

This nearly extinguished Starscream's spark seeing Alexis so broken like this. He watched as she covered her eyes and her shoulders began to shake. It was all he could take at the moment as he turned and prepared to leave, but stopped to tell Alexis one last thing—

"Evan—won't be out of your life completely Alexis."

He could now sense Alexis' eyes upon him. He slightly bit the bottom of his lip as he straightened and said—

"You can still view him from Doctor's laboratory—if you want."

At that Starscream left wondering what the mother-creator would do.

Alexis was torn. She was torn between wanting to see her child, but not wanting to see him in that blasted tub. What was she to do? After she had cried for so long at the loss of her sparkling she had run out of tears to shed.

Her whole body felt numb like she had never used it before. It felt like her very heart had been ripped out and stolen from her. Alexis bowed her head as she still lay on the floor. She placed a hand on her abdomen . . . even her womb was crying out for its fruit that it worked so hard to grow and bring into this world. Even it was mourning the loss.

"Oh my son," she wept as her shoulders should and her body tingled at the movement. "The child of my womb."

If this is what it was going to be like all the time then never again will she take part in this cursed project. She would not bring another child into this world if only it would be savagely ripped from her arms. No! It would NOT happen again!

At that sudden anger it gave her muscles the momentum to move. She shakily stood on her wobbling legs and looked in the direction they took her sparkling—the laboratory. She narrowed her eyes and slowly made her way to that destination. With each step she took the more she gained the strength to break out into a run.

Evan, Her heart cried out. Oh my Evan!

"EVAN!!" she cried out as she ran into the laboratory.

She halted seeing Doctor there staring at her as if she was insane. Barricade was there as well, but he just ignored her like he knew this reaction would come from her.

"You're quite troublesome you know that!" babbled Doctor waving his little arms everywhere.

"What did you expect . . ." came a familiar voice to Alexis, as she turned she saw it was Starscream standing in front of something just looking so solemn. "From a mother-creator?"

"Starscream," Alexis whispered seeing him and the strangely sad look in his ruby beams.

She slowly walked to where he stood as he slowly turned away from her and bore his attention back from where it came from. It took a lot for Alexis to take her eyes of the Decepticon leader, but somehow she managed as it soon fell to the subject of Starscream's attention.

With a sharp gasp and jerk backwards Alexis covered her mouth seeing what Starscream had been starring at for so long. It was Evan—but it wasn't exactly the Evan she knew. This was much older, and had wires attached to him from the device Doctor had bestowed upon him to make his 'upgrading' more swift.

"Evan!" Alexis gasped in a sort of whisper as she gazed at the young child before her that looked no more than 8 years old, in human years.

"Magnificent isn't it?" came Doctor with a cocky grin. "The mech is growing exquisite. It won't be long now 'til he is of right age growth to where he will start his first mission as a Pretender."

Alexis didn't know how, but she felt a new wave of tears seeing her sparkling like this. How come it was just so hard for her now? She knew this day would come. She knew this was going to happen to him the moment he was conceived.

Evan was born of and for this project—to be a Pretender. Alexis did this to save Starscream's life. It was all she cared for at the time, but now she had another important life in her midst, but this time there was nothing she could do to help him.

Alexis felt her knees buckle and legs give way underneath her. She fell to the ground once again broken. Her tears began to soak a stain on the floor as they rushed out of her body.

"Don't fret Starscream," said Barricade coming to him and lowering his voice as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "She'll eventually come to terms and get over this phase."

At that Barricade left. Starscream thought about doing the same, but once glance at Alexis was when he knew he had to stay strong and be there for his sparkling—for her. After all he was the father-creator and right now Alexis needed to know that.

Doctor came scurrying past Starscream and Alexis ready to head out, but he stopped as he turned to Starscream with a look of confusion. He then looked at Alexis knowing for certain she was going to be there for a while, but why Starscream was staying was beyond his normal processing.

"Starscream—you can go now. The sparkling isn't going anywhere at the moment," he said to his leader.

"No," said Starscream clasping his hands together behind his back. "I'll stay here for a little while longer."

"Suit yourself," said Doctor with a shrug as he left.

Now the room was silent with nothing but the quiet sobs of Alexis. Starscream decided he'd stay until all her tears were dispersed and evaporated, for he was the only strong being she could lean on in a time like this. He was the only one who could be strong and show Alexis that—she could too.

After was seemed like hours Starscream heard no more weeping. Not a sound. In fact he heard the shifting of limbs as Alexis struggled to stand. Starscream only straightened as he spoke to her saying—

"Alexis."

Alexis looked up at him with red swollen eyes. She was emotionally drained so weak at the moment, but she managed to stay standing and looking up at the large transformer.

"I want you to know that I'm here—with you—with Evan," he said turning his head towards her.

It was then Alexis saw the father-creator that he was. Neither could believe it but she began to cry again as she ran towards Starscream and grasped his large hand that he held out to her. There she stayed in the presence of the one who made her strong—even through times such as these.