Chapter 1- Rejection takes one.

Cody yawned as he sat up in bed. It was time for get up and get ready for school. He looked at the clock and jumped out of bed. 8:41! He had to be at school in four minutes! He quickly pulled on his clothes and his jacket. Grabbing his books and a piece of burnt toast off Kade's plate, he ran out the door.

"Hi dad. Thanks Kade. Bye everyone." He said as he rushed out the door.

He was in such a rush that he didn't even notice that none of his family said anything back, nor did he notice that the bots said "Morning Cody" as he passed. He got to school two minutes late. Thankfully, it wasn't late enough to go on his record.

He crept into his classroom and sat down. Frankie saw him and looked away. Cody was to busy to notice. He got out his notebook and wrote down every word his teacher said. Then he reviewed it all. They had a test tomorrow and he couldn't fail this one!

At lunch, he tried to sit with Frankie, but she was talking to other girls and the table was full. He ended up having to sit at the back of the room alone. Cody didn't really mind though. Everybody was allowed to have their own friends. But when he tried to talk to Frankie after lunch, she turned her nose up at him. He shrugged it off, thinking that she was just mad at him for some reason.

"Attention students. Griffin Rock has even hit with a series of huge thunderstorms. Please call and ask your parents to come and get you. Thank you." came a robotic voice over the big speakers.

All the students called their parents and went to talk and watch for them. Cody called his dad over the com.

"Hey dad. You there?" He asked.

His father grunted. "What is it Cody? Chase and I are a little busy right now."

"Oh... Okay. Is anyone free to come pick me up?" Cody asked, startled at his dad's harsh voice.

Dani and Kade chorused their answer. "Nope. Graham and Boulder are free though."

"Thanks." Cody said, shaken.

He waited for Boulder and his brother for an hour and then started walking home. Almost there, Heatwave pulled up beside him and opened his door.

"Thanks... Kade... Heatwave." he shivered fiercely.

That's when he realized Kade wasn't there. It was just him and Heatwave.

"No need to thank Kade, nor Graham. They refused to go get you. I'm not supposed to be out of the firehouse and none of the other bots aren't allowed either. I had to sneak out." Heatwave said, with an apologetic tone to his voice.

"It's fine Heatwave. But thanks for rescuing me back there." Cody sneezed.

"We need to get you home. I think you're getting sick. I wish I had a way to warm you up."

Cody shivered again. "I'm soaking wet. In till I'm out of these clothes, I won't be warm. That's how you can help... Get me home. Ahhhh... COOO!" Cody sneezed. "Sorry."

"It's fine Cody. Let's get you home." Heatwave said, speeding up some.

When they got back to the firehouse, Chief and Kade were there and they didn't look very happy. Heatwave transformed, letting Cody sleep a few more minutes.

"Where have you been?!" Kade shouted. "You weren't to leave the firehouse!"

"Well then next time you go get your brother that's half frozen to death!" Heatwave shouted angrily at his partner.

"Heatwave look here, right now. When you are told to stay here, you STAY here. Cody would have been fine." Chief said, with a no-room-for argument tone in his voice.

"And half dead most likely." Heatwave mumbled as he stormed down to the bunker and laid Cody on the couch. "Cody. Wake up."

"I'm up. Thanks Heatwave. I can walk from here." Cody said and stood up.

But the moment he took a step, proved that he couldn't. He almost fell, but Heatwave caught him. "I don't think you can." I'll help you to your room."

"Okay. If you must." Cody yawned and coughed.

Heatwave helped Cody to his room and a few minutes later, he checked on him. He was in dry clothes and sound asleep. Heatwave quickly gathered the other three bots for a meeting.

"Okay all of you, listen up! I know we were all told to ignore Cody, and not even glance his way, but as your team leader, I'm over writing that rule! What happened today was not acceptable. We are rescue bots, not rejection bots." Heatwave paced the room. "None of you are to blame for what happened today, but please, to the best of your abilities, protect Cody."

"Heatwave, please don't be mad at me. I would have gone to get Cody, but Graham wouldn't let me out of his sight!" Boulder said quietly, looking down.

Heatwave shook his head. "I know. I'm not least bit mad at you. Kade, Graham, and the others? Let's just say... Today they didn't deserve to be on a rescue team."

The meeting continued for a good 45 minutes or so, till Dani called them upstairs for a meeting with their so called "partners".

Chief looked at Heatwave sternly and shook his head. "Heatwave what you did today was unacceptable. You know what you are supposed to do."

"Yes Chief, I do. And that is what I did. I upheld our pledged to serve and protect. If it wasn't for me, Cody would be dead and you would have one less son." Heatwave growled with no respect at all.

Everyone sighed. Heatwave knew they didn't WANT to do this to Cody, but they HAD to. It was for his "safety" as Chief put it. None of the bots believed it.

"Heatwave," said Graham after a few moments of silence. "You know we have to do this."

"No. No you don't. Do you not see how much this will hurt him? He looks up to you all and you're just going to destroy that trust and admiration? I've never fully understood the strange ways of humans, but I do understand that most families don't hurt each other." Heatwave looked straight into the Burns' eyes. "It's like if I started treating the rest of the team like cons, not bits. It's plain out mean."

He looked at everyone one more time, then stormed out of the room. "Now, if you'll please excuse me, I need to go check on Cody, whom I believe is sick."

The three other bots and four Burnes shrugged. They didn't like this anymore than Heatwave. The Burnes turned towards the bots and smiled sheepishly.

"Well? His side or ours?" Chief asked.

The bots looked at each other and nodded. Chase turned towards Chief. "His."

And with that, the bots left. If anyone was going to corrupt Cody's life, it wasn't going to be them.