I do want everyone to know that the characters will be a little out of character, but that's because they are quite young. I'll try to have them mature into who we know them as, but right now they're not. Just letting you all know! Please, enjoy!

Ratchet sat there staring at the sparkling that had walked into his medical center. The child was hurt. His shoulder was dislocated, and he was covered in cuts and dents. His armour was covered in dried and drying Energon. He simply sat watching the child. The sparkling had walked in like he was perfectly fine. He just simply asked for something to wrap a rather large gash across his lower chassis. At Ratchet's reluctance, he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Ratchet called. The sparkling turned. "I'll wrap that wound, if you let me repair the rest," he offered. The sparkling nodded. He let Ratchet lead him to a medical berth, where Ratchet had him lay down. Ratchet repaired him, but found there more damage than he thought. "What's your name?"

"Optimus," the sparkling replied.

"Optimus, I'm going to put you under so I ca finish the repairs. Alright?" Ratchet asked. The sparkling very slowly nodded. Ratchet did as he said, and watched Optimus' optics dim. A minute later and Ratchet heard the door swing open.

"Hey, Ratch. You here?" a voice called.

"Yeah over here. I have work to do though Ironhide," Ratch answered. Ironhide's red and gray frame approached from Ratchet's office.

"Hey Ratchet. What happened?" Ironhide asked pointing at the sparkling.

"I'm not sure. The poor thing came in wounded. His name's Optimus. That's all I know," Ratchet responded. He welded the large cut closed. He moved away to reach for a tool. "He's so young. Barely a youngling. He knows how to talk, and walk. While he is a sparkling, he's smart. We might as well call him a youngling."

"Who do you think are his creators?" Ironhide asked. He dragged his hand down the side of Optimus' helm.

"These wounds look like he was attacked. It's possible he was abused. Ironhide, we should alert some one. I've never worked on a sparkling without my father before. Now that he's dead, I haven't worked on a sparkling since. Were're not even a full grown yet ourselves!"

"If he doesn't have loving creators, I think you should take him in then. You have no one to take care of you. You should care for him. If he doesn't have parents or he was abused," Ironhide countered. Ratchet smiled lightly, before turning back to his work. A few hours passed and Ratchet managed to finish the repairs. He gave the sparkling some pain relievers, so Optimus wouldn't be in agony when he woke up.

"I'm going to wake him up now. Ironhide, you'll need to be quiet. He seemed like he didn't want me to even touch him before. I don't want you to scare him," Ratchet stated. He pressed a button on the consol controlling how much medication to give his patient. They waited until Optimus started to move.

"Hey there little guy," Ironhide greeted Optimus.

"Hi," Optimus replied softly. "Thank you for helping me. I need to get going."

"Where?" Ratchet asked. He need to know if Optimus was going back to a dangerous place.

"Please, sir. I need to go."

"Hey. Optimus, can you tell me something?" Ironhide asked. Optimus turned to look at the one who so far had pressured him to talk. The sparkling nodded. "Who are your creaters?"

"I don't know."

"Where do you live?"

"No where."

"We'll be right back. Can you stay here for me?" Ironhide finally questioned. Optimus nodded. Ironhide grabbed onto Ratchet's wrist and pulled him into the medical office.

"He lives on the streets. He could've been attacked there then. We need to report this Ironhide we can't-"

"The kid seemed afraid. Ratchet, let him stay with you. You have somewhere to stay, even though you're parents are gone. How would you feel if you were in his position? Let him stay here. I can find an apartment for you both later. My mother would never let me stay with the kid. I know what it feels like to be abused. You should know, I've come in here with more than enough dents or scrapes," Ironhide stated. Ratchet sighed. The two had been friends for a while, and Ratchet had repaired Ironhide from the damage his mother inflicted.

"Alright. He can stay here. He seems to like you better than me," Ratchet replied. Ironhide grinned and they shook on it. "You should ask him to stay with you."

"Will do. Wait here. I'll have him stay," Ironhide told him before walking out to Optimus. The sparkling was staring off into space when Ironhide walked in. "Hey kid."

"Yes sir?"

"Can you do me a favor? I don't want a kid like you livin' on the streets. Ratchet has a home, but lives alone. Can you stay with him for me?" Ironhide asked. Optimus shook his head no. "Why not?"

"I don't think your friend likes me. I would stay with you, but not him. I don't want to bother him," Optimus replied. Ironhide closed his optics. His mother would kill him but...

"I'll stay too. Stay with Ratchet, and in a day or two I'll join you. Alright?" Ironhide asked. Optimus nodded. "I'm going ta tell Ratch, stay here. I have to go home tonight. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," Optimus said. Ironhide stood up. After telling Ratchet that Optimus would stay, Ironhide started home.

When Ironhide arrived at home, his mother was drinking high grade in the main room. He walked in and grabbed a cube of regular Energon then went to his room. He layed down on his berth with his optics closed tight. When he heard his mother walking through the hallway, he downed the cube and left his room. He found her in her study.

His mother was a femme with black armour. She had a heavy build. Her optics were an odd shade of green. Her face was very similar to Ironhide's. She had a horrible drinking problem, and after Ironhide's father's death it only got worse. She blamed Ironhide, and abused him because of it. Ironhide had a major fear of his mother.

"Hi mother," Ironhid greeted. Fear filled his voice as he walked towards her.

"You. You little fragger. What do you want?" She slurred. Ironhide stepped forward a little more.

"I want to stay with a friend. You could be free from me for good that way," Ironhide replied.

"You, want to leave me? You're just a pain in the aft! You're not leaving me. You still need to pay for his death," she stood and slapped him. He flinched. "You're just a weakling! I made a mistake when I sparked you." She hit him over the head with a data-pad that shattered. She kicked him causing him to fall. She kicked him and punched him until his optic stopped working, and his arm and side were leaking. "Get out. Leave, and never come back!" She screamed. Ironhide slowly pulled himself off the ground before he hurried off to see Ratchet. Ironhide had tears streaming down his face plates.

::Ironhide to Ratchet::

::Ratchet here::

::Is Optimus around you?:: Ironhide

::No. He's recharging on the berth you left him on. Why?:: Ratchet

::I don't want him to see me right now. I need repairs:: Ironhide

::Come on in. I can repair you in my office. We'll just have to be quiet:: Ratchet

Ironhide walked in holding his arm. Ratchet sighed as he got his tools ready. He shook his head as he started to repair Ironhide. "She got your optic this time."

"I know," Ironhide replied as he wiped the tears off his face plates.

"You should report this. This is only getting worse," Ratchet stated. Ironhide shook his head.

"I'm not going back. She told me to leave for good, so I did. Can I stay with you?"

"Yeah. Optimus will be happy."

"He said he didn't want to bother you so if I didn't stay he wouldn't either. He also thinks you don't like him," Ironhide replied, causing Ratchet to sigh.

"I don't dislike him, it's just..."

"You can't do it without your father," Ironhide finished. Ratchet nodded. He couldn't fix Ironhide's optics here, but he fixed any cuts. The dents were left it because the noise would wake Optimus. "Thanks Ratch. The three of us each have problems. We just need to help each other."

"I guess you're right," Ratchet agreed. He gathered the tools then left the office to put the tools in their places. Ironhide went to stand near the berth Optimus was on.

"I hope you can help us out," Ironhide whispered so softly no one could hear.