Title: Over The Top
By: Moonlit Sea

Summary: Is there such a thing as 'overcaring'? Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are about to find out.

A/N: This was suppose to be a fluffy little story of Sunny and Sides taking care of a sick Sam. Though it kinda mutated into this. Hope you all like it. Oh and it takes place sometime after Jealous Sides.

Ratchet sat catching up on work when the serenity of the medbay was interrupted by two mechs worried and panicked voices as they ran in. recognising who the voices belonged to the mech sighed, would those two ever leave him alone? Though the worried and panicked tones in their voice intrigued him, he walked out of his office and over to them. He was surprised to see scared looks on both mechs faces.
"What is it this time?"

"Sam's dying."

"Dying?" Ratchet said curiously as he raised an optic ridge.

A groan was heard, "Sides, I told you. It's just an expression, I'm not really dying."

Ratchet looked at the female in Sunstreaker's hand, she did look a bit pale. "How many times must I tell you two…" he stopped as he heard Sam make a strange noise, he then proceed to watch as the human took out a white object wrap it round her nose and made another strange noise.

"You wouldn't happen to have a bin round here, would you Ratchet?" she asked wiping her nose and sniffing.

"See. That can't be healthy." Sideswipe said.

"Look I told the two of you. I have a cold, a human illness. It drains us for a few days then goes. You DON'T die from it."

"You were coughing so much you had tears in your optics." Sunstreaker pointed out.

"Then you said you were dying." Sideswipe added.

Sam groaned again "Ratch, remind me never to use human expressions around them."

The medic chuckled making her smile then quite seriously, "This…cold. Is it contagious?" he didn't fancy having a base full of sick mechs.

"Only to other humans."

"Hmmm…"

"Well! Aren't you going to do anything!?" Sunstreaker suddenly said.

The white and red mech folded his arms and gave the yellow twin an annoyed look.
"And what would like me to do, Sunstreaker. She's human…"

"That we know. We're not stupid, Ratchet." Sideswipe said partly annoyed.

"Are you quite sure about that, Sideswipe?" he gave a small smirk as he heard Sam chuckle knowing what he was getting at. " I have told the two of you time and again that she needs to be seen by a human medic. Though it seems it's not getting those thick processors of yours."

Sunstreaker growled, his free hand curling into a fist.

"You know he's right." Sam said surprising the two warriors. "As much as I love your…caring over me, bringing me to Ratchet every time is not only…not helpful and time wasting but also annoying…to him…not saying that your not a good doc or anything, Ratch." She said seeing him giving her an annoyed look. "Um…yeah…I'll just shut up now." Her voice starting to sound gravely, looking down at Sunstreaker's hand.

"Sam." Ratchet began "What would you suggest to get rid of this…illness?"

"Rest and medicine." She answered quietly.

Ratchet looked at Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. "Then I suggest the two of you do that." Walking back towards his office.

"What…" Sideswipe started to say.

"Human medicine, Sideswipe."

Sideswipe looked at his brother Where are we suppose to get human medicine from?

How should I know, Afthead. Sunstreaker replied. He looked down upon feeling something brushing back and forth across his hand and saw Sam idly sweeping her hand across his palm. "Sam?"

"Hm?" looking up at the yellow mech.

"Are you sure your going to be okay? That your not dying." Sideswipe asked, she nodded in reply. "In that case…" he looked at his twin a devious smile appearing on his face making Sunstreaker chuckle slightly at what his brother had in mind.

-----

Two days later Jazz sat in the rec room talking with Mirage and Bumblebee. When Sam ran in looking slightly panicked but also fed up and devious at the same time. The three mechs watched as she frantically looked around, 'eeped ' and ran and hid. Jazz chuckled shaking his head as he took a drink from his cube.

"What's that all about?" Bumblebee asked.

Jazz didn't answer knowing two mechs were about to enter to room, no sooner had he thought that red and yellow mechs walked in, one headed in Jazz's direction while the other looked around.

"Jazz."

"Sideswipe."

"Sam." The red mech said knowing the Porsche would know what e was talking about.

"What about her?"

"Hand her over." He said sounding serious.

"Sideswipe, Sam is not with us." Mirage said.

The Lamborghini looked between the three mechs unsure whether to believe Mirage or not. He and Sunstreaker had looked all over the base for their lover, checked with all her 'regular' mechs, none had seen her or so they said and Jazz was the last one.

"Ya heard Mirage, Sides." Jazz said trying to keep the humour out of his voice. "Ya tried Ratch, Prowl, Red, Prime?"

Sideswipe sighed looking over at his brother when movement caught his optic.
I think I've found her he said to his twin thought their bond But she can see me and will run if I move.

Then… a sneeze caught Sunstreaker's attention and a whispered "Crap it, damn stupid cold." Leave feeling the confusion though the bond he continued She's not going to come out until she sees your gone, Slaghead.

Sideswipe left leaving two confused mechs and one very amused one.

"Jazz?" Mirage asked seeing the amused smile on the saboteur's face.

"Watch." Was all Jazz would say.

Bumblebee and Mirage looked back over to where Sam was and saw her cautiously step out from her hiding place only to squeak when Sunstreaker picked her up and walk out, they looked back at the white and black mech confusion still on their faces.

Seeing this Jazz decided an explanation was in order.
"Ever since Sam got ill those two have kept her 'locked up' in their quarters."

"So that was…her trying to…escape?" Bumblebee said trying to make sense of everything. Jazz gave a nod.

"This isn't her first time, is it." Mirage suddenly stated.

"Nope. An' she's running outta places ta hide."

-----

Sam lay on a makeshift bed looking up at the ceiling not at all listening to what Sunstreaker was saying…wait, was it still Sunstreaker or had Sideswipe now joined in. their level of care for her overwhelmed her, she never knew they loved her this much. Her name being called brought her out f her thoughts. "Hm?" looking over at two very annoyed mechs.

"You're not listening to us." Sunstreaker said, his annoyance was clear.

Sam was about to give a humorous answer response but decided against it, although she knew that Sunstreaker would never hurt her a pissed off Sunstreaker was still a dangerous Sunstreaker. She sat up and walked over to a makeshift medicine cabinet, since both of them had got virtually every kind of medicine possible. She popped two lemsip capsules into her mouth taking a swig of water to swallow them down with. She knew she was pushing her luck by not answering them but there was such a thing as overcaring. She went back to her bed and lay on her side her back to them.

This only made Sunstreaker angrier and had Sideswipe not got in the way he was quite sure he would have done something he would regret, instead he stormed out.

Sideswipe shook his head sadly and turned the female.
"We're only worried about you." He said softly.

"There's such a thing as overcaring, Sideswipe." Her voice sounding bitter as she voiced her earlier thought.

"We just don't want to lose you again."

The brown haired woman sighed. "Sideswipe…I know you and Sunny cared about me…deeply. But…if your…concern is that I'll leave the two of you…then stop giving that choice."

"What do you mean? We haven't…"

She turned to look at him sitting up at the same time annoyance in her eyes. "Haven't you? Taking me to see Ratchet every time I have the slightest injury, not listening to me when I explain one of our sayings, keeping me here, not letting me see my friends. Tell me, Sides, does that sound like someone wants you or that they're fed up with you and want you to leave." Her voice getting harsher and bitterer.

Sideswipe stared at her, had they really been giving her that signal? He carefully put a stray piece of hair back behind her ear and stroked her face. "I guess we were kinda choking you." He placed a finger on her lips to stop whatever she was about to say "But know this…" just at that moment an alarm sounded throughout the base. "Damn fragging cons!"

------

Optimus was worried the recent 'battle' was a diversion for something, only a handful of Decepticons were at the power plant and Megatron was pleased even though he lost, claiming he won and they lost.
They were halfway back to the ark when a familiar trine of seekers flew overhead, heading towards where they had just come from. He began to have a sinking feeling in his spark. Optimus Prime to the Ark no reply, that sinking feeling was growing. He tried twice more with the same result. It was then the seekers returned landing in front of them. Everyone stopped and transformed.
"What do you want, Starscream?" Optimus asked. He noticed that Thundercracker and Skywarp were chuckling behind the Decepticon second-in-command.

"Recognise this." Showing them what he had in his grasp.

"Sam!" sideswipe said horrified.

"I'd let her go if you knew what's good for you." Sunstreaker said viciously.

The brown haired woman suddenly sneezed making the blue and black seekers chuckle. "Take it." Starscream said throwing the human at them. "We don't need that contamination that it has." The three then flew off.

Optimus turned to Ratchet. "Contamination."

"He must be talking about Sam's illness." The medic replied.

"Ow. Oh that's so gonna leave a mark." Sam said remarking on how she landed when Ironhide caught her. "Damn stupid Decepticon."

"Care to explain what happened?" Ironhide asked her.

Sam chuckled, "I sneezed on him…or rather in him since he was in his jet mode at the time. Seems he didn't like it too much." A round of chuckles followed.

"That would explain the humorous looks on Thundercracker and Skywarp's faces." Hound said.

"Let's get back to the ark." Optimus said.

-----

"I didn't mean to annoy you earlier, Sunny." Sam said as she lay on the yellow mechs chest.

"I know." He replied placing a hand over her.

"We shouldn't have been so…over the top." Sideswipe said gently running a finger down her face.

Sam sighed contently. "I love you guys." She said snuggling into Sunstreaker's chest and falling asleep.

Both mechs looked at each other small smiles on their faces before looking back at her. Sideswipe placing a small kiss on her cheek.
"And we'll always love you."