In truth, Air Raid had merely been looking for a way out of seeing Ratchet. His Majesty was especially pissed off at the moment, having been up to his elbows in Sideswipe's intervals all night after a battle in which Menasor had stepped on him, so he wasn't fond of gestalt mechs right now to say the least. The CMO also hated injuries that could have been avoided with a little common sense. Put them together, and Air Raid was one unlucky mech. But hey, speaking of gestalts, that's what First Aid was for. That was if he could find the fragger.

Air Raid had asked Streetwise, who'd said he was probably in their shared quarters. All the other Protectobots were on shift, and First Aid's was due to start soon, but hopefully he could catch him before he left. Cradling his twisted arm, Air Raid entered the code Streetwise had given him. Big mistake, that. By the time he got to their quarters he already had a prank planned out and everything - he'd have to act fast before they changed it. But now was not the time, the aerialbot reflected as he keyed it in. Maybe later, once First Aid fixed the proof of his stupidity.

The doors whooshed open, and he paused in surprise.

An equally surprised human yelped and tumbled off the transformer sized couch, quickly recovering to crawl underneath it in an attempt to hide. What the-

What the slag was a human doing in the Protectobots' quarters?

"Hey, you're not supposed to be in here." Air Raid called, stating as much. Muted scrabbling told him the human was moving farther under the couch, and he knelt down to peer underneath it.

"What the Pit kid, what are you doing in here? We don't do tours."

The boy (couldn't have been over ten) just quietly glared back. Annoyed at receiving no response (rude), Air Raid reached a clawed servo into the confined space in an attempt to just pull the little asshole out. He stopped at First Aid's panicked shout of,

"Air Raid!"

Air Raid withdrew his hand and looked up. Streetwise had been right, First Aid was in here, and he looked utterly mortified. Somehow. For a guy without a face.

"Get out!" The medic barked.

Air Raid pointed dumbly to the couch with his good arm. "Erm...you do know there's a kid in here. Right?"

"Yes, he's mine. But you shouldn't. This is classified work so get out."

Now, Air Raid liked First Aid as far as medics were concerned, and of course all the Aerialbots saw the Protectobots as a sort of 'younger brothers'. The kid had to be smart to be Hatchet's apprentice; but damn could he not tell a lie.

Air Raid inched closer to the couch. "Oh yeah?" He simpered. "What kind of classified work. And since when does Prime let humans in the barracks?"

Something felt off about this. Maybe it was the human's frightened look when he first entered. Why would it be scared of him?

First Aid didn't say anything. Air Raid cocked his helm, cheeky smirk fading. "Prime does know he's in here, right?"

"Of course." First Aid lied.

Okay, now Air Raid was starting to get suspicious. "Oh, so then you won't mind if I comm him right quick?"

"No!" First Aid said quickly, a little too quickly, before realizing what he'd done. Now Air Raid was frowning. What if….

"Why not? 'Aid…if I ran an ID on that kid, would he turn up missing?"

First Aid shook his helm. But he didn't deny it. "Please don't. Just trust me, okay? I know what I'm doing. You don't have to tell anyone about him."

But his pleas fell on deaf audios. Air Raid was already comming Silverbolt,

/Silverbolt I think First Aid's been keeping a human in his quarters./

/What? Stop prank comming me, Air Raid./

In response Air Raid sent him a photo of the human staring, wide-eyed, from under the couch. Silence. Then,

/On my way./

Their glorious leader sounded most displeased. And honestly, as a Protectobot, First Aid should have known better. They were programmed to protect the humans for crying out loud, not kidnap them!

"Who are you talking to?" First Aid demanded, probably guessing the Aerialbot was on the comm. "I said get out!"

Air Raid glared at the medic. "Not without that human. Kid, are you alright?" He asked the couch, addressing him. No response. Odd.

"Why isn't he talking?"

"You're scaring him!"

"I'm scaring him? Do you have any idea what you've done? You can't just keep a human like some kind of pet you fragger, he's coming with me!"

Just then Silverbolt arrived. He glanced around and noted his subordinate yelling at Hot Spot's subordinate, but no organic in sight.

"Where-" he began, but Air Raid cut him off. "The couch."

Silverbolt nodded and knelt down to get a good look. Yup, that was a kid alright. He looked pretty terrified at all the shouting, too. The slag?

"Hey, stop it!" First Aid said when the Commander reached to grab it. He tried to shove past Air Raid to presumably do that, but even with one good arm the bomber was able to hold him back. "I can explain!"

"Oh, you'd better." Silverbolt growled, standing back up with it clutched in his servo like a mouse. He eyed the kid, who had gone deathly still in his grip (except for his heart, which was racing at a speed that could put the Twins' alt modes to shame). It looked like a male, and he sported semi-short hair and a familiar T-Shirt and jeans.

"Hey, isn't that Spike's T-shirt?" Air Raid gawked, still holding back a fuming First Aid.

Spike had spent the night with Bumblebee in the rec room a week ago in a human ritual he called a "Sleepover", whatever that was, and had lost his duffel bag in the process. The Autobots had promised to let him know if they found it.

Silverbolt gently prodded the human with his free hand. "Hey. Kid. You okay?"

He flinched but otherwise didn't respond, still hunched over in Silverbolt's servo with his eyes scrunched closed as if he expected to be crushed. Was he deaf?

Silverbolt turned to First Aid and snapped, "You. Explain this. Now. What's wrong with him?" If First Aid had hurt him...he was a medic! What was he thinking?

"Give him back!" First Aid begged in reply, but he sounded defeated. "Please."

"No way."

And he turned to leave, human in hand. There was a yelp from behind and he spun back around as Air Raid crashed to the floor in a twitching heap. First Aid pointed his phaser at him - what the, Silverbolt hadn't known he was armed - and apologized, "I'm really sorry about this Silverbolt."

Then he too was on the floor. Silverbolt's wires and joints were too clenched at the sudden charge for him to do anything as the medic manually pried his servo open. The last thing he saw was First Aid looking down at him and transforming his hand into something...ugh, his vision..blurry...needed backup-…..

…...

He went to the rec room to get a drink; now was as good a time as any. It wasn't very crowded this time of day, but having been in the repair bay the last two shifts he knew that was more due to the circumstance than timing. As Blaster would say, the party wasn't dead - it had simply relocated. To the medbay. With Ratchet as its (less than) gracious host.

And he worried. Not about the upcoming confrontation with Silverbolt and whoever else they got involved, at least not as much. He could probably ride it out. No, what most concerned him was Matt. The kid needed him.

First Aid took a sip of his ration. He almost never drank highgrade (unlike certain gestalt mechs, cough cough Streetwise), and certainly never broke the rules, but he did so now, almost as if steeling himself for the inevitable. For inevitable it was: he noticed right away when his older brothers swept into the rec room like a barely contained hurricane headed directly for him.

Sigh. The forecast? Stormy with a side of I'm going to the brig for this. But the medic didn't say anything until it made landfall in the form of Silverbolt taking a seat opposite as Air Raid roughly shoved him into the booth.

Um, oww?

"I will ask you one time, First Aid. One time. Where's the human?" Silverbolt said, expression unreadable.

"He's fine." First Aid growled back, feeling a smidge overprotective at the thought of Silverbolt manhandling him again. "I didn't hurt him." A pause. "Sorry I stunned you guys."

"Oh gee, thanks." Air Raid snapped, slapping him (forcefully) on the back in a mock of good nature. "That makes me feel sooooo much better. Except- oh yeah, you fragging stunned us. What the Pit is wrong with you!?"

"Where is he?" Silverbolt demanded again despite his earlier warning. "Do you really want to get Prime involved in this?"

"You probably already told him, or if you haven't, you will. I would." Was all First Aid said.

Air Raid kicked him under the table, though not very hard. "Answer him! What did you do to that human?"

"Nothing! Just forget about it!" First Aid said. It was true, things had been done, but not by him. He was just trying to fix it. It was what they built him for.

Silverbolt spared a second to glare at Air Raid for the footsies. "You know I can't do that. Let's go."

He went with them of course, it wasn't like he was going to go Sunstreaker in the middle of the rec room. The three made an awkward procession, with First Aid sandwiched between the two flyers as they made their way to Prime's office.

/This is nuts./. Air Raid commed to Silverbolt over First Aid's head.

/Just wait until Hot Spot finds out./

/I mean, he could have a good reason. Maybe he rescued the little guy-.../ Air Raid suggested.

/First Aid went way out of bounds this time and you know it, even if it was for a good reason, which I highly doubt./

/Yeah, I guess. It's just, you know how Hot Spot gets. Hope he goes easy on him./

/We'll see./

Prime called "enter" when they knocked, which was totally unnecessary given they could detect each other's spark signatures. Earth must be rubbing off on them. Their leader and Perceptor looked up from his desk, where a datapad showing some kind of schematic rested.

Silverbolt raised an optic ridge. "Is now a bad time?"

Prime glanced at Perceptor, who nodded at the silent inquiry. "Nothing that can't wait if this is an emergency, Commander. Something to report?"

Silverbolt nodded. He and Air Raid both looked at First Aid. Air Raid elbowed him.

"I-umm-I…." First Aid stuttered, unsure of where to begin or what to say or even to say. Air Raid rolled his optics.

"For the love of-First Aid had a human on him in his quarters, when we tried to take him he tased us and did something with it."

Optimus stared in a most unPrimely way, and the bomber wondered if the expression under his mask matched. Perceptor also looked confused.

"First Aid," their leader said slowly, eyeing the Protectobot. "Is that true?"

"Not entirely, Sir."

"Do you care to elaborate?"

"No."

There was a beat of silence. "No?" Optimus repeated, all audios now. This should be good. It always was when Silverbolt dragged one of the gestalt mechs into his office, though usually they were of the flying variety. Where was Hot Spot?

"No."

"No?"

"No Sir."

Prime leaned back. "No Sir."

"No Sir, I d-don't care to elaborate." First Aid said, feeling like they were going in circles. "I have done nothing illegal or against the Autobot code and the humans, and I see no reason to be further detained."

True, true, true and true. Technically anything he did wouldn't be illegal; the boy wasn't exactly human, and he wasn't Autobot. Though of course if First Aid had his way, he would never let anything bad happen to him again. But it looked like he wasn't getting his way now.

"What the-that's the biggest load of slag I've ever heard. Where's that kid then, huh? Where'd you stash him?" Air Raid growled.

"First Aid, did you hide a human on the Ark?" Prime had to ask incredulously.

First Aid fidgeted. "Maybe." Let them make if that what they will. Truth was Matt was no longer on the Ark, much as it pained the medic to let him go. He'd find him again.

Optimus blinked. Well. He wasn't expecting this kind of thing from Ratchet's own. From Sideswipe or Sunstreaker, sure, but not First Aid. Optimus looked past him to Silverbolt. "I'll take it from here. If we could have a moment alone?"

Silverbolt nodded at the dismissal and dragged the still scowling Air Raid away, Perceptor taking the hint too. When they all gtfo Optimus stood to his full height and looked down at Ratchet and Wheeljack's youngest creation. "I do not tolerate anyone under my command endangering human lives, First Aid. I suggest you explain yourself. Now."

First Aid gulped, steeling himself for the repercussions of what was to come. He looked his leader dead in the optics and simply said, "I can't."

Just had this story idea floating around in my head. Will update whenever. Let me know what you think, I love getting reviews!