Much, much thanks to XLizardXQueenX, Kapu37, InvaderEmily, and Richard'sQueen aka LGFS for reviewing! Oh, and all of you who faved and suscribed! You guys are awesome, keeps me inspired. :)

Here's another update - Inspired by Invincible, By Hedley.

Warnings: Angst.

Continuity: AU, Movieverse Elements.

Genres: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Angst.

Chapter Summary: At the NEST base, Sideswipe's charge is feeling down - and when the crimson mech is gone on a mission out of town, the child gets advice on his emotions by one of the most unlikely mechs on base. Short and sweet.

Enjoy! I don't own anything, credit goes to the respective owners.


Invincible

I find myself reminiscing about old memories, looking in scrap books, old family videos, all that jazz, and I see myself. How different I look, physically, longer hair, taller, sharper features, and mentally, I've become stronger, I can reign in some emotions, usually I can find a balance.

But some days I find that there are problems you just can't fix with peace. I feel angsty; rage fills my very core and I just need to start a fight. It bubbles inside of me at first, just barely there, simmering beneath the surface - then explodes like an erupting volcano. Unstoppable, inevitable.

And it's hard sometimes. I'll see Marie, my twin sister, over there, happy, playing, just being a normal preteen. It's like she doesn't have a care in the world, and I'm almost jealous.

Now, my classmates tell me that being so in tune with such emotions - sadness, sorrow, comfort - is me being a softy. I hated that. I was not going to be called a softy, and if my fellow students said being myself is being soft, then I was going to change.

Which is why I'm like this now, no hold on my emotions, sulking in a corner of the recreation room.

Multiple times, my sister had sent me questioning looks, even came up to me and asked me what was wrong, but I shrugged her off and glared at her each time. Sure, I feel bad about being so hostile about this, but a guy needs his alone time!

I sat on the table Sideswipe would always occupy in the rec. room, curling up into a ball. My knees tucked into my chest, while my arms came to wrap around myself, and shielding my face from the outside world, I let a few tears fall. Damn this, damn Marie, damn everything. Why does life have to be so hard? It's days like these that I feel no one has the time or even cares enough to just, I don't know, try and talk to me - step by step; unlike my sister who barges into a situation and tries to get it done and over with.

I sighed, sad and sorrowful.

...

How long was it when I felt a sudden presence in front of me? I don't know, but when I opened my teary eyes and a certain Praxian came into view, I internally groaned. It was the pole-up-his-aft SIC of the Autobots.

"What?" I snapped at him, face still partially covered by my knees.

The mech remained ever stoic; damn him. His chevron gleamed in the light of the room and that's when I realized it was only us and a few humans still in here. Seriously, how long had I remained in this position?

Finally, the black and white spoke, albeit so quietly I strained to hear it, "How are you, Max?"

I blinked. He was asking how I was doing?

"What does it look like?" I nearly shouted.

Still, the SIC remained neutral, "It looks like you could use some help."

Turning my head away from his piercing indigo gaze, I mumbled, "What's it to you?"

It seemed he either didn't hear me or just dismissed my, somewhat rude, remark, and stayed quiet. We remained in this awkward silence, before he started musing outloud.

"I remember life on Cybertron, still a youngling I was. Foolish, mischievous, somewhat shy," He snuck a glance at me and when he saw I wasn't going to interrupt him anytime soon, he continued, "And also angry, violent. There were moments in my long childhood that I thought no one care about me; my creator was always working, and my carrier was ill. Nobot was really there to take care of me, presumably because life was hard where we lived on our home planet, but we were getting by decently."

...What? Why the heck was he telling me this? I almost shrieked outloud, This guy really needs to see Ratchet.

"A lot of days, I felt like I was failing my family. They cared so much for me, and usually I never showed the same affection back. One day, I even hit my creator for punishing me when I did something horrible."

I raised an eyebrow. Now this was something interesting.

Prowl's gaze fell to the table, not yet focused on me, but almost there, "I had gotten into a fight a couple earth hours earlier, the reason why? Well, that's a story for another day. The point is, I came home, very hurt and angry, but smug, proud of myself. I had won the fight, and I loved the feeling. Metal buckling under my own fists; the screams of rage or mercy derived from my own servos, it fuelled me. So from that point on, I fought a lot. Many mechs feared me, were intimidated by me.

"But, on one fateful day... I just stopped."

I looked up at him fully, not quite in the feetus position anymore. My eyes widened in shock...he had just stopped?

"Why?" My voice seemed innocent, so sweetly innocent, and I cringed at the tone of my own words.

He chuckled at me, a surprise considering I'd never seen any emotion coming from this guy, and he finally stared at me - warm optics to sad eyes, and he smiled.

"My carrier, I recall, was a music prodidgy. And I have to admit that no matter how violent I was, I cared for her deeply. She was my weak spot, and when her illness finally reached it's peak, the final stages, she gave me her favourite instrument. In human termonology, I can say that it's like an Autobot-sized violin."

I tilted my head. So? What did that have to do with Anything?

"In that final hour in the land of the living, she taught me a short, sweet song. It was bittersweet-like, and in the few moments I played for her, I really saw her for who she was, and it was my breaking point.

"I realized that it didn't matter how others saw me, but how I saw myself. I define who I am, and no one can say different. From then on, I played music. I played, and played, and played...until the war started."

A gasp left my lips, "Oh...uh, I'm sorry."

He gave a mourning sigh, "It's alright...did my story help at the very least?"

I paused... Had his story helped?

I define who I am, and no one can say different.

A smile adorned itself across my face, no matter how much I tried to coax it to stay at bay, and apparently that was a good enough answer for him, for he stood up and walked away with a flutter of his doorwings.

I panicked as he did, scrambling off the table to try and reach the mech who'd already left the room. Damn tall tables! I hadn't gotten the chance to thank him!

It took me 10 freaking minutes to finally reach Prowl's office, and just before I could knock to enter, I realized the door was already open a crack. Sneaking through said opening, I gaped up at the SIC.

He stood in front of his desk, a serene expression on his face and a smile just tugging at the corners of his lips as he played a large metallic instrument. A strong, yet soft tune played from where he was standing, and I found myself actually relaxing into the notes of the unique song.

The tune was actually kind of familiar, and before I could stop myself, I started singing. It felt so natural, like this had meant to be.

Our gazes met in good-hearted companionship as the last tune of the song played, and I dragged out the last word of the song just as he did with his metal violin.

"Invincible..."

...

It was a big surprise when Sideswipe had 'pulled a Prowl' as Ratchet had called it, and crashed into stasis when I told him about my newly formed bond with a certain black and white SIC, however.

Now, it was a week later, and I sat outside the med bay while Sides was being lectured inside it. And, a familiar black and white form passed me.

I smiled up at him, as he did to me, and I uttered two words just as he was out of audio range.

"Thank you."

Surprisingly, he turned around to face me. I guess he had heard it after all.

"Your very welcome."


Okay, how a human and Cybertronian song could've been the same? I don't know! But, I loved the idea.

Eh, it could've been better. Anyways... Good? Bad? Did it rot teeth with the sweetness or have I completely failed? I'd love it if you'd review! No flames please!