Author's Note: So. Yeah. Plot bunnies. They nibble away at my brain.

Story behind this one: Nine in the Afternoon by Panic! at the Disco (they give me all the best plot bunnies). It was on the edge of my mind whenever I listened to that song the last few days and I just couldn't get it. Very frustrating. And I also wanted my ninth published fic to be a Wheeljack centric one. Why? Nine is my fave number.

So, I was listening to Nine in the Afternoon tonight, and the bunny pounced. Quite suddenly too. I love it when they do that. And it was all like "Looks! I haves Wheeljack!" And I was all like "Woot! Now I can finally publish a ninth fic!" :D

'Tis a Ratch/'Jack friendship fic. They be the best. 8D Good plot bunnies make me loopy...

This also goes out to all the kids who feel like no-one likes them. I have a friend who actually contemplated committing suicide because she was shunned by all of her 'friends' in her grade (I'm a year younger than her) and she became a social outcast. There is always someone that cares. Remember that, and feel the love!

Disclaimer:.... Nope still don't own. Damn.

Wheeljack stared at his pedes as he walked down the crowded streets. Bots of all shapes and sizes passed, none of them paying attention to the young bot, and him giving them just as much attention.

Why? Why did they all hate him?

The off white bot kicked a stray energon cube away from his path, mood darker than the gray metal beneath his feet.

He had just entered the Science Academy. He thought it would be a good experience. Meet bots that could actually keep up with his thoughts and ideas for once. But even there he was an outcast.

It was one idea that went haywire. How was he supposed to know that is you mix comiddium with carbon dioxide at the right temperature it would explode? The instructor didn't even know that! But no, it had slightly damaged the leader of all the popular bots and now he was shunned. He kicked the energon cube again.

Wheeljack was normally a chipper bot, and not a lot could bring him down, but being ignored at school by all of his peers for five deca-orns straight will wear down on anybot.

He turned off of the busy street into a side street. It was quieter here, but there were still too many bots for Wheeljack's current mood to handle. He continued to stare absently at his pedes as he turned onto another side street. So absorbed was he in watching the ground go by he didn't notice the other bot until it was too late.

With a resounding 'CLANG' the two bots collided head on.

Wheeljack fell back on his aft with an 'Oof'.

"Oh, oh. I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going," The other bot scrambled to his feet as he babbled out apologies. A red hand was thrust into Wheeljack's face. His eyes followed the hand up a white arm, to a white shoulder with junior medic symbols on them, to a light gray face with a chevron adorning the brow. The face smiled as the hand moved forward slightly, encouraging. Wheeljack blinked once and took the offered hand. The other bot pulled the soon-to-be engineer to his feet and looked at him anxiously. "Nothing's damaged?" He gave Wheeljack a once over.

"No." Wheeljack shrugged, not really looking at the other bot.

The other bot gave a small concerned smile. "I'm Ratchet, by the way." He waited expectantly. No answer came, "And your name is...?"

Wheeljack continued to study a crack he had found in the sidewalk, "Wheeljack."

"Well, Wheeljack, sorry but I've got to run. Late for a class. But I'll see you around, right?" Ratchet gave the other a friendly smile, before running off again with a quick "Bye!"

Wheeljack watched the other leave with dimmed optics. Like he'd ever see 'Ratchet' again. Yeah right. No body paid attention to him for long.

The young bot returned his attention to his pedes and walked the rest of the way home. Alone.

Wheeljack returned to the Academy the next day without really any drive to go. But his creator expected it of him, so he went. His first two classes he sat in the back. No body even spared him a passing glance. It was like he was invisible.

Hmmmm.... His processor mulled over that thought. What if he could make someone actually turn invisible to the optic sensors? That could be extremely useful for--

No. It wouldn't work. None of his ideas worked. They all just ended up blowing up in his face. Literally.

The day continued like that. Wheeljack going through all his classes. His classmates ignoring him. Just like every other day.

Something was different today though.

"Hi, Wheeljack!" The bot looked up at his name. There was Ratchet, walking towards the Medical Wing. Waving at him. Wheeljack stopped in his tracks and stared as the Junior Medic continued on his way. Smiling. At him. And Wheeljack couldn't help but smile a little, too. And suddenly the day felt... Brighter.

This continued. Every day from then on Ratchet would greet him in the halls and Wheeljack would feel the dark shroud over his spark lift just a little bit.

Soon it wasn't just in the halls. During study hall, when before Wheeljack would sit alone at his own table, suddenly he had a table partner. Ratchet just sat down next to him one day, took out a medical data pad from his sub-space and started reading. Wheeljack was so shocked that he couldn't concentrate on the schematics in front of him for at least a breem. He kept glancing at the bot just reading next to him. The same thing happened next study hall. And the one after that. And the one after that.

Wheeljack started to look forward to seeing Ratchet at the Academy. Suddenly his grades were improving. He still didn't raise his hand that much in class, but he did it now much more than before.

He wasn't really sure when he and Ratchet started talking. It just... Happened. And it felt natural to talk to the bot. Ratchet could easily keep up one end of a friendly banter, and he new a surprising amount about theoretical physics, one of Wheeljack's favorite subjects. Soon they could talk about everything and nothing at all.

Wheeljack went to Ratchet's house first. His creator's were friendly, inviting him over for dinner. The engineer-to-be politely declined. His sire wanted him home before then.

Ratchet's room was covered in data pads full of medical knowledge. They were stacked up high on the multiple shelves around the room, scattered around on his desk, his computer terminal opened to another medical data base, some even had begun to encroach on his floor. Wheeljack loved it. It was cozy in an odd sort of a way, with a large window overlooking the busy street below and a comfy berth.

He was excited, and a little nervous, about taking Ratchet to his home. He did it eventually, with Ratchet's insistent pestering.

They walked quietly down the street 'Jack lived on. It was dingier than most, in one of the poorer areas of the city. Wheeljack warned his friend to keep a low voice and walk fast, lest one of the gangs that liked to prowl the area spotted them. They ducked into the doorway of Wheeljack's apartment building. He entered the key on the key pad out front, and the door slid open with a slight screech of bad hydraulics. They walked quickly up to his apartment on the top floor. Entering the code for the apartment, Wheeljack hopped in with a cheerful "Sire, I'm home!"

Wheeljack's sire came out to greet his creation and meet his friend before the two escaped into Wheeljack's room.

It was dark. It wasn't just dark in the room. It was pitch black. Ratchet looked around in confusion for a few seconds before hearing Wheeljack chuckle nervously behind him. "Oops, not on right now. I have to turn it off during the day when I'm at school to keep our power costs down..." He walked over to a faintly glowing pad and keyed something in. And the room lit up. But the lights hadn't turned on.

Instead, what appeared to be hundreds of little holographic images appeared. They were all sorts of different colors. And Wheeljack walked among them like it was the most normal thing in the world. He typed in a few glyphs on an orange flat hologram that looked like a report. When he was done he touched opposite corners with two finger tips, dragged them towards each other and made the report smaller, sliding it in between several others that had the same color on a self that had appeared on a wall. He slid between others, occasionally accidentally bumping into one or another, sending them tumbling gently out of his way. Wheeljack picked up a box shaped something and started to tweak some of the wires that could be seen. He brought his hands around the box and brought them outwards exposing all the internal workings of the machine and started to move things around.

Ratchet wasn't even paying attention to his friend anymore. His jaw was hanging open, his optics wide. He watched, amazed, as what appeared to be pixilated blue wind glided towards him. The med-bot lifted up a hand, and the wind moved around him, running over his arm and shoulders before gliding off and away.

Wheeljack chuckled, "Like it?"

"Love it. 'Jack, this is... Astounding. How did you come up with this?"

Wheeljack shrugged, "I just... did."

And the friends sat down on the berth and watch the room move and shape around them, so many colors in such a small space. A truly beautiful idea. That had Wheeljack's name all over it.

Longest one-shot yet. Wow.

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