Disclaimer: All Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Any made up characters were created by me.

Summery: (G1) Lean the life of one voiceless Autobot within Optimus' ranks. OC centered.

blah – thinking
'blah' – Comm. Specking

Music of the Night
by Yami-Yami

Chapter 1

It was a quite night apron the Ark. Many of the crew as fast asleep in recharge. Optimus was still up in his office working on paper work that had to get done for tomorrow morning. At that moment, some soft music flow through the air. It made Prime smile softly to himself. Jazz and Blaster must had finally decided on some NICE music. he thought happily to himself. It wasn't long until Optimus finished working and headed to his quarters. He could still hear the soft music playing.

- - -

The next morning, Optimus started his meeting with Jazz and Prowl. "Oh on a side note, I'm grateful you and Blaster changed your music preference last night." he said to Jazz.

Jazz looked confused. "Wha? Blaster and I were in recharge last night." he said.

"Really?"

"I know what you're talking about Optimus." Prowl said "I and some of the others who do night shift been hearing the music every night."

Optimus looked surprised. "So this isn't the first time?" he asked.

"Apparently not."

"I wonder who been playing the music?"

"We could find out." said Jazz "Some of us could stay up tonight and fallow the sound to know where it's coming from."

"That's not a bad idea." said Prowl "It's similar to what I was planning."

"Very well, tonight we'll find out whose playing that music." said Optimus. The two other Autobots nodded.

- - -

The fallowing night; Optimus, Jazz, Prowl, the twins, and a few others were up and gathered in the main room. "It should start any moment." Prowl said.

"Why do we have to be up this late in the night?" Sunstreaker whine "Some of us need our beauty sleep."

"You can go to sleep after we figure out where the music is coming from." said Ironhide.

At that moment the soft music started to drift through the Ark. "There it is." said Prowl.

"Okay Autobots," said Optimus "once we get to the bottom of this we'll find out whose playing this music."

"Yes sir." With that the group headed off to search for the source of the music.

- - -

After many hours, the group finally came to an old storage room. "It's coming from behind this door." said Jazz.

"Odd, this part hasn't been used since Cybertron." said Prowl.

"Okay, let's see whose behind door number one."

As the door open the group looked a bit surprised and shock. There, sitting in the corner was a young male bot. But was more surprisingly that the young bot looked a bit similar to Optimus even though he was a couple of heads shorter then Prime. In the young bot's hands looked to be a human sized harp and the young bot was playing it. "Primus, Prime," Ironhide started "He looks a bit like you."

"I wonder who he is." said Jazz.

"Let's find out." said Optimus. Once the group got into the room is when the bot looked up and saw them. He looked a bit shock and surprised as he stopped playing as he saw them as he slowly stood up from where he sat. "Don't be afraid." Optimus said gently "I'm Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. What is your name and how did you get in here?"

The young bot slowly looked around the group as he slowly put away the instrument he had into subspace. Then without warning he tackled the nearest bot, which happened to be Sunstreaker. "Hey! Get this guy off me!" Sunstreaker shouted as the young bot pin him against him.

"Hey take it easy young one." Optimus said "No one is going to hurt you."

The bot suddenly took this cable from the back of his head and jammed one end into the back of Sunstreaker's head. "Hey what are you..." he was about to shout, then he went silent.

"Sunny, you okay?" his brother, Sideswipe asked worriedly.

"... I'm sorry." Sunstreaker suddenly spoke.

"Sorry about what? What you talking about Sunny?"

"He's not here at the moment." The group suddenly figured out that Sunstreaker wasn't the one specking at the moment "I'm sorry. I had to do this. I usually hate doing this without one's permission."

"So you're the one specking, are you?" asked Optimus.

The young bot nods. "Then why you using my brother and not specking for yourself?" asked Sideswipe.

"Cause I cannot speck for myself. I'm called SkidRow." The young bot place a hand on his chest during that time. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I had cause. I didn't know others heard my music."

"We don't mind..."

The bot called SkidRow, slowly smiled. "We do." said Jazz and Blaster. Optimus glared at the two. "Sorry Prime..." the two said with a sigh.

"Can I have my brother back now?" asked Sideswipe.

SkidRow nodded. "Tell him I'm sorry please?" With that he unhook his cable from Sunstreaker's head. "Optimus!" Sunstreaker suddenly shouted "Get him off..." He notices everyone was staring at him and SkidRow wasn't holding him anymore. "Okay...what's in Primus is going on?" he asked confused as he points to SkidRow behind him "And who the slag is he?"

"Easy Sunstreaker." said Optimus "He's name is SkidRow. Apparently he can't speck so he kind of use you to speck for him."

"So what are we doing to do Prime?" Prowl asked "Apparently he was a storeaway before we left Cybertron. I don't really want to have to send the young one to the brig. He probably did it just to get way from the Decepticons." SkidRow was sadly looking towards the floor during this.

"It's getting late for most of us." said Optimus "Let's decided on this later. For now who would like SkidRow to bunk with them?"

"The kid can bunk with me." Ironhide said, with surprised most in the group. The old warrior wasn't one that like younglings too much, they sometimes drove him crazy enough to make a mess with the shooting range later on.

"Are ya sure, Ironhide?" Jazz asked confused "The kid could bunk with me and Blaster."

"And force the kid to listen to you two choice of music?" Ironhide said "Apparently his choice of music is more of the good listening kind. The kid's going to stay with me." Ironhide looked towards SkidRow. "What you say kid? Wanna hang with an old bot like me for tonight?" he asked him with a smile. SkidRow suddenly looked up at him, a look of shock and surprise on his face. Then he looked like he was thinking before smiling a bit and did a short nod.

"Then its settled." said Optimus "In the morning we'll decide on the right decision for the young one."

- - -

Later on, Ironhide brought SkidRow to his quarters. "It's not much..." Ironhide said once they entered "But its home." He watches SkidRow slowly taking in the room. "When did you lose your voice processor?" he asked. SkidRow stop looking around and slowly looked towards him. He then looked sadly on the ground, also looking a bit unsure. "Do you not know?" Suddenly SkidRow shook his head, slowly looking up. "So when?" SkidRow slowly put two fingers close together, making a small gap in between them. "When you were little?" SkidRow then made a moment with his arms like one would hold a sparkling in their arms. Ironhide's optics widen in shock. "When you were just a sparking?" SkidRow then nods sadly, looking on the floor again. "...Primus... Who would do such a thing?" SkidRow tried think of how to "explain" it. He sighed and opened his chest, showing his spark. He then made the baby motion again. He pointed to his Autobot symbol and made an "x" across it. Ironhide tried to understand what SkidRow was TRYING to tell him. "Your parents didn't want you to be an Autobot?" SkidRow nodded, but placed his hands up in a stopping motion. "There's more though..." SkidRow nodded and looked around the room for something to explain Megatron. He found a scratched up target board on the far wall. It was used a lot he could tell. SkidRow pointed to said picture that was there. "Megatron?" Ironhide asked. SkidRow nodded before making a movement to where his vocal processor should had been. Then making a movement of someone was trying to rip something out. "Mega-scum did that to you?!" SkidRow nods. "That gets my circuits fizzlin!" SkidRow slowly looked down at the floor again. Ironhide clenched his fists as he tried to calm down. He looked over at the mute youngling before him and smiled solemnly. "Hey, it's gettin late. You should probably get some sleep," he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. SkidRow slowly nods looking around but only notice one recharge bed. He looked back at Ironhide a bit confused. "You don't mind 'getting cozy' do you? If you want, I can sleep on the floor." SkidRow looked surprised, shacking his head as he motion to recharge bed. "I don't mind none, youngin. Take it. I'll be fine." But SkidRow shook his head again, still motioning Ironhide to have it instead of him. "Listen Skid, you need it more than I do. I don't mind I said. I'm tough, I'll survive one night. Go ahead." He smiled at him. SkidRow looked at him oddly and a bit confused. "Go on." Ironhide said with a smile. He pulled up one of the chairs in the room and made himself comfortable in it. SkidRow still looked a bit confused as he slowly got onto said recharge bed. Ironhide just smiled at him. He stared at him as his tired optics fought to stay open. It wasn't long until the young bot slip into sleep mode. Ironhide smiled at him and went to sleep himself.