"What's up Doc?" Jack called as he and Grace entered the med lab. The black mech had spent one year too many in a junkyard run by an owner who enjoyed Warner Bros. cartoons.

Ratchet looked up from one of his monitors. "I was beginning to wonder. I sent Sam for you a while ago."

"He got distracted." Grace growled menacingly.

Ratchet had enough experience dealing with organic females between Grace, Mikaela, and Judy Witwicky to recognize when to not press for details.

"How do you want me, Doc?" The smaller Autobot asked, remaining in car mode.

"Like you are, pop your hood." The older mech came over and when Jack obliged his request, leaned over to peer into the engine block. After a moment of checking various parts, he vocalized. "You and Grace get into another argument?"

Neither answered, making the medic groan in annoyance. "Grace, I told you that excessive pressure on his intake valve causes pain for him."

"Wait you told her?! And you did it on purpose?! Jack couldn't look at either of them, but they each knew who was the target of what statement.

"I told her quite a bit because you only let her service you 98 of the time." Ratchet continued to check things out, ignoring the other's tone.

"I said I was sorry! I really didn't mean to hurt you!" Grace sounded defensive from where she stood a few feet away.

"Jack, did you know you're missing a bolt on your spark chamber?" The medic had long since learned to tune out the conversations of his patients that didn't involve him.

There was a long pause as the woman carefully and slowly slipped her left hand out of sight. The movement was not missed by Ratchet.

Jack spoke up at last. "Must have gotten knocked loose." He supplied.

"Right," it was clear the yellow mech didn't believe a word, but let it slid, "let me go ahead and replace that before something irreparable happens to your spark." He turned away and began rummaging through trays of spare parts. "Transform back, it's easier to work on your spark chamber that way."

The Accent quickly shifted and stood there, not looking at the female mechanic. He had given her that missing bolt, a piece of himself as close as physically possible to his spark. She had then gotten it melted down and shaped into a simple ring that fit snuggly on her ring finger. The whole situation made their recent conversation echo painfully in his processor. She'd apologized several times for hurting him, but he had yet to do the same for her.

It was quiet in the lab as Ratchet replaced the bolt. While he worked, Jack finally looked at Grace and held her gaze.

"All right, I'm done. Come back in a few orns so I can check on that and make sure it hasn't worked itself loose. And Grace, he needs an oil change."

"Thanks Ratchet." She said and moved to the door.

Jack began to follow, but was stopped by a large hand on his shoulder. He looked back at the medic. "She loves you, Jack." He vocalized quietly so not to alert the retreating mechanic.

"And all I have to offer her is a bolt." The Accent replied, bitterness clear in his voice.

"That's all you had. You already gave her your spark. I can even see that. Remember that." Ratchet released the younger mech and returned to checking his monitoring system.

Jack felt himself smile as he easily caught up to the young woman. "Hey Grace, wanna go for a ride? I'll let you shift my gears."

For the first time all day, she smiled as she eyed him. "All right, I promise to be gentle." Her smile quickly turned into a seductive grin.

A jolt went through his system (how did she DO that?) and he transformed faster than normal, throwing open the driver's side door.

She scrambled in and took over the driving. Putting in the clutch, she slammed the gearshift into first. Gentle she was not, but he loved it. They had fought and while they couldn't offer the fantastic make-up sex the web was filled with stories of, they had their own way of making up.

A shudder shook his frame as Grace slammed into 2nd, easily maneuvering through the warehouse's wide corridors to the sunlight outside. They had nothing to really offer each other but they weren't giving up. Despite everything, they were having way too much fun to quit now.