mewmew, a guest reviewer, asked for this one. Here you go, Amigo! Enjoy! :)

Also, just a quick author's note: If you'd like to read the prequels that I or guestsurprise have written sequels to or any other stories that are mentioned in guestsurprise's or my more recent stories, you can find the stories on my page (if the story or prequel to a story I or guestsurprise wrote is on another writer's page, I will list the writer's name and the title of the story). :)

Transformers Prime belongs to Hasbro. I own nothing.

Like A Family To Them

"They can't do anything right," one bot said.

"They're so useless they can't be apart from each other," said another bot.

"Optimus would never consider them for his team."

The Twins, who were the brunt of these hurtful words, didn't say a thing as they stood eagerly near the front of the line. They had both come to the Academy to learn fighting maneuvers to join the Autobot army under Optimus' command and were still in their first year, but Optimus was known to want to see everyone who went to the academy to either pick them to join his team or to keep them in mind for the next time he visited.

They had never met him before, but were at least hoping to. "Do you think he'll talk to us, Sunny?" Sideswipe asked him.

"I've heard he does," Sunstreaker said reassuringly.

"Yeah, to those of us who are worth it," said one of the bots from before.

"Why would he want to talk to two scrapheaps like you?" Another asked.

"Buzz off," Sunstreaker said, even though he really wanted to punch them. Fighting among each other meant brig time and he and his brother really wanted to not land there today.

Sideswipe cried out when he was suddenly punched and Sunstreaker turned to stop the bullies, but also got punched too. "Hey, knock it off!" A femme said, coming up to them. "Optimus Prime is coming. We're not supposed to be fighting."

"Back off, Arcee," said the lead bully. "We're just making sure these two know Optimus will never choose them for his team."

"Suppose I do?"

Everyone had been watching the fight and hadn't seen Optimus come up to them and now all jumped and stood at attention, except for the Twins, who were groaning a bit as they tried to get up. Sunstreaker looked up at him, giving him an apologetic look. The director of the academy came out and was about to reprimand the Twins when Optimus shocked everyone into silence as he helped the Twins to stand and turned to the bot beside him. "Ratchet, would you help these two while I speak to the director?" He asked.

"Right away, sir," the orange-and-white mech said in agreement, at once going up to Sunstreaker and letting the gold-colored bot lean on him.

A blue femme quickly moved towards Sideswipe. "I can help," she said, instantly draping Sideswipe's arm over her shoulders and helping him to walk.

Optimus turned to her. "May I ask you name?" He asked.

"Arcee, sir," she said, standing a bit straighter. "And this is Sideswipe. That is his twin, Sunstreaker, that your medic is helping right now."

The leader of the Autobots nodded and let her continue helping Sideswipe to Ratchet's mobile medbay as he turned to the director and silently accepted the list of names and turned to speak to the three bots that had been bullying the twins. "I believe you three will make fine warriors, but are not yet ready to join my team," he said, immediately dismissing them. He then went through the rest of the ranks, watching the students and selecting others for his team and encouraging some of them to keep practicing and that he'd keep them in mind. The ones who really wanted to please him but still needed a bit more time to learn were comforted by his encouraging words and that he wouldn't forget them when he came by again. They knew he'd keep his word.

After finishing up his visit with meeting the director and gaining the files of the students he had chosen for his team, Optimus went into Ratchet's mobile medbay to check on the Twins. Sunstreaker saw him come up and went to sit up, but Optimus very gently pushed him to lie back down. "It's alright, Sunstreaker," he said with a smile.

The gold-colored mech looked up at him. "Sir, thank you for…having your medic repair us," he said.

"You're welcome, soldier," the Prime said, still smiling.

Sunstreaker was stunned. "You…You've selected me to be on your team?" He asked hopefully.

Optimus nodded and the gold mech's face broke out in a grin before he suddenly lost his grin and shook his head. "Sideswipe," he said, looking at his twin. "I can't leave him."

"I've selected him as well," Optimus said.

Sideswipe looked up. "Really?" He asked in surprise. "But…why? We can't be away from each other for very long. We wouldn't make good soldiers."

"You two already are," the leader of the Autobots said. "I was watching from when those three were bullying you. You chose to not fight them when they said those hurtful words to you, even though you were upset about what they said. You both took the high road and that is one of the things I look for when selecting students to join my team."

The Twins smiled, as did Arcee as she walked up to Optimus and politely saluted him. "You won't regret choosing them, sir. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are very loyal and would never abandon their duty," she said.

Optimus smiled at her. "You are very loyal as well, Arcee," he said. "I also selected you to join us as well."

She gasped in surprise and straightened immediately. "You won't regret it, sir," she said as she saluted. "We'll make you proud."

"You three have already done so."

That made the twins and Arcee smile hugely.

Years later…

Sideswipe was deep in thought as he sat at the table, drinking some Energon. He remembered when Optimus had taken him, his brother, and Arcee under his wing and personally trained them for quite a few years before Ironhide took over training them.

Sunstreaker gently tapped the table to let his brother know he was there. "What's up, Sides?" He asked. "You've been pretty quiet today."

A gentle hand rested on the red shoulder. "I have noticed that too," Optimus said.

Sideswipe sat up a bit straighter. "Just remembering when you selected us from the Academy to join your team, sir," he said to Optimus.

The Prime smiled. "I remember that day," he said with a nod.

Sunstreaker smiled. "We never told you this, sir, but…we saw you as a father to us," he said. "And the rest of your team was like family to us."

Optimus smiled and nodded. "I believe, in a way, we are all family to each other," he said with pride.

The Twins nodded in agreement.

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GoldGuardian2418