I OWN NOTHING!

WARNING: some mech/mech its nothing HUGE but it does have some in this chapter just a fore warning...mostly in there cause I thought it would be awkwardly funny.

some OOCness and there are a cpule of OC's so if you don't like it sorry bout ya I tried to make them most 'insignificant' characters but oh well. please enjoy and R&R =3

Chapter 2

Upon arrival Tail Wind looked like a youngling in an Energon goodie store. He was bouncing off the walls with barely contained excitement, as he looked around the room in awe at how nice and furnished it was, his wings were arched high and fluttered excitedly.

The walls held all their pant and décor, with no holes and no glitch mice or cyber rats scurrying across the decking. He was so excited that when he turned to Ratchet with bright optics and panting slightly out of breath from his burst of motion; Ratchet actually chuckled softly. "Please Tail Wind calm yourself or you will-"

"Ratchet what the frag is going on in…here?" Ironhide trailed off when his optics settled on the newly polished and mostly clean yellow youngling and raised an optic ridge. "Care to elaborate, Ratchet?" at the almost disapproving look Ironhide gave them, the youngers faceplate melted into worry and he began to gnaw at his lip plate, his wings falling low and lying flat in their deflated 'popped bubble' kind of way.

Ratchet smiled gently at the slightly older mech and went to his side. "Hide, this is Tail Wind from a few megacycles ago, and his new charge. They are going to stay here for a couple of orns just till they are healed." When the mech still looked nonplussed Tail Wind tried to speak up his wing twittering nervously.

"Please? I promise I will try my hardest not to be a burden. As a matter of fact I have work at the Track tomorrow night so you won't even notice my being here!" Tail Wind resituated the hound with care its dark helm lolling lifelessly over his arm.

"If yer on shift tomorrow then of course ah won't notice ya being here, ya won't be here!" Ironhide groused out but tensed slightly when he felt the white and red mech beside him tense and glare at him sternly then turned the ire some glare to the yellow mech.

"You will not be going anywhere near the race track for at least several orns! Your welds may look like they've set but there is always a chance for complications! And the risk factor for that increases with high speeds." Ratchet snapped at the yellow mech, whose optics shone over bright at being scolded, it was obvious he wanted to say something but wisely decided to keep quiet.

'Hmm, fast learner' Ironhide thought as he smiled gently. Already he could tell Ratchet was fond of this mech for some reason. This mech had attracted the attention of his friend rather quickly, what was so special about him that had the other bringing him home like a lost hound? With a soft exvent Ironhide gained the speedsters attention. "C'mon kid I'll show ya the room you'll be stayin' in." he turned around walking back down the hall he had come from.

The yellow bot nodded pulling the small hound to his chassis just a little tighter and following nervously. Ironhide opened the door, the room was rather bland with only off-white walls, and a large berth big enough for two bots in the corner against the window. "The mutt can lay on the berth with ya if ya want. If not there's some old tarps in the storage room over there, just set it on the floor. If you need Ratchet or I, our quarters is the room just to the left of this one." He said gruffly and closed the door behind the mech.

Tail Wind gently set the limp unit on the berth as he lay next to him. Pulling the hound to his chassis, he gently stroked down the smooth metal frame the mottled, nearly marbled looking black and dark green marking indistinguishable with no good light. "You have to wake up, please." His vocals were soft and coaxing hoping to coax the hound into wakefulness, yet still to no avail. 'maybe it is merely too soon from his surgery? Ratchet said till dawn so maybe it's just a waiting game?' Tail Wind mused to himself mentally as he coddled the hound into his chassis. His wings dropping low in unvoiced worry.

Ratchet was in their shared room waiting for Ironhide when he returned from placing the youngling in his new room. "Ratchet? Why on Cybertron did ya bring work home with ya? Again." He said as an afterthought, remembering when the last time he had brought work home. It was a slim white and pink femme known as Arcee, not even in her final frame yet; she had stayed a week then finally just disappeared never to have returned. Ratchet had told him when he brought her home that she was just a young femme in need and what mech would leave a femme in need, needing? Of course he had also went on a tirade how she hadn't even said 'hi', 'Bye', 'kiss my aft', or anything when she had vanished.

The white and red medic shrugged and swirled his cube of Energon gently, not looking at his friend. "He's not a pet Ratch, you can't keep 'im" Ironhide said and Ratchets bottom lip stuck out just a hair further in a slight pout. "Are you goin' ta say somethin' or am I gonna have a full blown conversation with myself?" Ironhide said sounding the tiniest bit exasperated, and annoyed.

"I just thought I could help him, he….Ironhide he offered me his seals just to save the life of a hound and not just any hound but a stray that was cast out, and it wasn't even a familiar with him!" Ratchet wanted to yell but his sharp hiss was more than appropriate to get through to the red mech.

Ironhide felt his optics brighten and his orbital ridges raised in surprise. Ratchet exvented hard as his frame trembled with a horrible thought, one that undoubtedly the red mech wasn't privy too. "A mech with a spark that big is too good for this world. He needs someone to watch over him or he'll just be taken advantage of-"

"Ya want to protect the kid? Oh, Ratchet…" Ironhide off lined his optics and shook his helm his servo covering his face in disapproval. Already his lover had it bad, for the youngling. "Ya barely know the kid, Ratchet… what will happen when ya find another bot with just as big a spark, then what? You can't save everyone. Or what if you wake up to find he's just left with no goodby-"

"I know that Ironhide! But Tail Wind is different he needs somebot, anybot that can and is willing to help him! I can help him, so I will." Ratchet said smirking slightly when the yellow mech came to mind and what he had said for the hound. Ratchet went to look up at his red counterpart but was met with a glossa lashing out at his lips. Ratchet pushed readily into the kiss his own glossa lashing out to tangle with the mechs.

Ironhide chuckled softly. "So the kid offered ya his seals, hm? Think the offers still open-OW!" Ironhide yelped as Ratchet smacked him. "What? If he offered he's obviously not too 'attached' ta the-OW, MECH quit whackin' me with yer servos!" Ironhide grouched gripping his helm.

"Fine I'll use a wrench instead!" He snapped and did just that, his tools readily available even as the mech tried to clamber atop his frame.

"Fragger!" Ironhide snapped but it held no true venom. He finally pounced his lover then, pinning him to the berth. "I was merely teasin' Ratchet." Ironhide said as he pulled the wrench wielding servo so his mouth plate and gently mouthed the servo teasingly.

Ratchet gasped and quivered with a moan. The wrench dropping from his grasp to clatter on the floor as Ironhide took a finger into his mouth. "Hide…." He moaned loudly. His pelvis thrust up to gain friction from the red pelvic armor that straddled his waist. "It's been a long day let's just frag and forego the foreplay!" he hissed loudly as Ironhide nipped at the digit in his mouth.

"With Pleasure…" the larger mech chuckled darkly.

Tail Wind pulled the unit to his chest as his optics grew wide with worry. He heard a few clangs, yelps, and hisses and feared the two bots were fighting about something… probably about his staying there.

He was just about to get up and tell the mechs that fighting was unnecessary and he would gladly leave to keep the peace between the two close friends but a noise made him pause. There it was again a soft lust filled moan. Tail Wind felt his face flush and he burrowed deeper into the units plating trying to save his audials from the encroaching sounds, to no avail. The moaning and hissing grew louder and more fevered and Tail Wind whimpered as his face flushed, he nearly squeezed the hound to himself to hide his embarrassment.

"Fraggit 'Hide deeper, I won't break! OH Primus you're so big!"

"Oh good Primus! I shouldn't be listening to this!" Tail Wind yelped his face so full of his life Energon it hurt. 'can I assume this means they are more than mere friends, and roommates?' Tail Wind thought just as another load moan came to his audials.

Oddly enough he remained on the berth all night though listening most of the night to the other mechs activities. Every time Ratchet or Ironhide yelped or howled in 'muted' pleasure it caused a wave of heat to flush through his young inexperienced systems. He himself was not obviously immune to such heated moans and heat built under his codpiece painfully pressing against his seals.

Granted they were strangers for the most part to him but neither mech was bad looking. So as their passion grew and continued late into the night, Tail Wind decided to do something a little more recreational because he obviously wasn't getting any recharge with his temporary house mates…

Ratchet awoke feeling refreshed and content. He onlined a little slower but that was normal after a night like the previous one. Looking over to his side he gently brushed a servo over the red mechs cheek arch fondly. The red mech stirred and his optics booted up as he smiled softly at the Medic. "Mornin'." His voice was deeper and fuzzed with static so he cleared them.

"Good morning. I think it is well past time to get up, we should check on our guest." Ironhide groaned but nodded his agreement as he rolled onto his back and stretched his cables. Both exited the room, Ratchet keyed open the room next to theirs to see... an empty room. Ratchet's face grew red and he snarled. "That sorry fragger left in the middle of the night!" he turned and left the empty room still in a tirade but froze as he entered the rec room.

Ironhide ran into the white back plate when it stopped suddenly. "Ratch? What's wrong?" he asked suddenly a little wary. Looking over his lovers shoulder he gasped. The residence had been cleaned spotless. Floors dusted and polished even, counters cleaned of tools…and a few weapons in Ironhide's case, paperwork that had been strewn all over the table had been placed in neat stacks all on one edge. Ratchet looked around and it was then he noticed pedes dangling half hazard like over the armrest of the couch. Slowly Ratchet approached.

It was just as Ratchet rounded the couch that a soft growl was heard, surprising the mech immensely. Laying protectively over the mechs chassis was a dusty looking cyber hound, much the same as its owner. The hound growled again at the medic and Ratchet growled right back with his engine, the hound pulled back with a look of surprise, as it slowly lowered its helm to lay back on the mechs chassis.

As Ratchet got to the others' side he lent down and brushed a gently servo over the mechs cheek arch. The hound didn't snap at Ratchet like he had expected instead it whined. Ratchet slowly reached for the hound and patted the black and dark green helm softly. "You seem to have bonded with him already, huh?" Ratchet mused aloud. It was as if the mech was a small ball of cosmic dust formed into a little sun, and now everything was slowly starting to revolve around that little ball of light. It almost frightened Ratchet when he realized how hurt he had felt to discover Tail Wind was no longer in his quarters, and the relief he had felt to discover him sleeping on the couch.

"Could the kid not get comfy in the berth?" Ironhide teased softly as he leaned against the back of the couch peering over at the sleeping yellow mech and grumpy looking hound. Ratchet smiled up at the red meh and shrugged before looking back at the mech before him.

Sitting on the edge of the couch he gently shook the others shoulder in an attempt to stir him. He received a semi harsh smack from the mech, as he slurred and mumbled in his sleep. " D.D. I told ya ta stop it, I don'… think you… like that." He grumbled and Ratchet felt a small bumble of anxious jealousy. He knew of the mech Tail Wind spoke about. D.D. was more commonly known as Doubledealer. The mech seemed nice enough but he had his devious streak too, he was also a huge opportunist. And if Ratchet thought about it the slurred name from yesterday's events had also resembled Doubledealer designation.

"Tail Wind? " The mech shifted but again didn't stir.

"Slag, the kid can really put them Z's away can't he?" Ironhide chuckled, earning a half sparked glare from surprisingly the hound, not so surprisingly Ratchet as well. Ratchet shook the exhausted frame again and still received nothing from the mech.

"Ironhide he isn't waking up do you think something is wrong?" Ratchet asked almost sounding worried.

"Nah, Ratchet the kids fine, if he's anything like I think he is- watch this." Ironhide stood from the back of the couch and walked into the kitchen reaching over to the small personal Energon dispenser he grabbed two cubes and turned the dispenser on. At the sound of the dispenser running Tail Wind and the hound both shot off the couch like their wires were on fire. Both barely kept themselves from nearly running over to the mech their optics large and pleading. Ratchet sat shocked as he watched the whole thing go down.

Ironhide handed the full cube to the yellow mech who quickly sat at the table and the half full cube to the small hound, the unit barely reaching the yellow sports cars knees. Leaning over Ironhide grabbed two more and began to fill them for himself and Ratchet, as the white and red mech began to cross the room towards them.

"How did you know that would wake him up? The dispensers are so quiet anymore?" he mused to his partner.

Ironhide laughed loudly as he watched the yellow mech chug at the cube while the hound lapped up the rest of his meal greedily. "Oh he isn't awake, he is merely in standby right now." Ratchet frown and walked around the table and was horrified to see that the red mech was correct the youngers optics were dim and far away looking his face barely even showing any form of emotion. He looked to Ironhide with concerned optics.

Ironhide shrugged with mild sad humor. "When you live in the rundown parts of cities you hear loud racket, and destruction all the time, probably even the occasional murder right outside your door. But food is scarce and almost sacred. Do you not remember when he said he had skipped his morning rations the last time we met?" Ratchet nodded as he vaguely recalled the statement. "He didn't skip it, he didn't eat cause he didn't have it to eat. You saw that your scanner had read low levels? The kid probably spends all his credits just to maintain a roof over his helm; he can't afford meals so he probably goes to shelters to eat. Yet he seems more like the type to share his rations to those who don't have enough."

Ratchet wasn't pleased. "His frame type isn't in poor condition, as a matter of fact it suggests he came from rather well off parentage, so where are they? He grew up with an adoptive spark carrier if he was dropped off as a sparkling, where are they at?!" he almost snarled.

"Dead."

Ratchet looked down with shocked optics, it seemed the mech had come out of standby. "Tail Wind?" The voice almost sounded like a new mech, a mech that had such a cold dark secret that it hurt to even speak about it.

"My adopted carrier was killed vorns ago. I was adopted by a mech who was really sweet. He worked at the youth centers for sparkling and was the one who found me. My spark was so weak that I latched onto the first spark that was willing to offer help. I was pulled from a dark world and into one of love and devotion. He was young but a hard worker, he was hardly older than I am now, but when I 'asked' for a bond he willingly accepted… when he realized what was happening. I feasted on a meal for the first time ever."

Ratchet looked horrified, most sparkling grow up not remembering such things especially in their first few cycles, it was just too much to keep to memory so it was usually trashed but it seemed that the yellow mech made a point to remember.

Ratchet made to ask a question but before Ratchet spoke Tail Wind continued. "My original carrier gave birth to me and left me in the Youth Centers trash can, she refused to allow me to re-bond to her spark after I was born, I was dying and no one at the youth center thought there was any hope for me, so no one offered to bond, they all said similar things. 'What's the point of getting attached to a dead sparkling?' I remember hearing him even though I couldn't see him. He was hysterical…I don't think he even realized how many times I pushed at his EM field weakly 'asking' for a bond with him but when his EM field lashed out to envelope me just as I thought I was going to die I grasped it savagely and fed, and lived… His name was Ryders Luck and luck was definitely on his side."

Tail wind chuckled darkly as if remembering so many dangerous happenings that should have ended the mechs life. He slowly took another drought of his cube then continued on. "He was a racer with an older model than me. But he was so nice and I was so similar to him that most thought he was my real carrier. When he was drugged at the track for a winner take all race, he lost all his sponsors and became racing history as new fresh meat was brought in." Tail Winds wings sagged with grief at the memory and occasionally twitched as if harboring his irritation at the happenings. "We moved out of luxury and into the slums. We were hungry and dirty-" The hound stopped his eating and looked up at the mech as his communication sped up. He barked frantically as if forewarning a disaster to the mechs health. "-but happy with each other… then they just came in the night like a horrible defrag- we shared a berth as I often had nightmares and-they forced me to watch-! They hurt him and I just laid there while he screamed and begged them to leave me and take him and i-" Tail Wind seemed to fritz and Ratchet could literally see the crash coming and it did, it hit hard and fast. The yellow mech pitched sideways and right into the awaiting arms of a red mech.

Ironhide looked horrified but Ratchet couldn't tell if it was from the story or the fact that it hurt so much and stressed the mech out so much that he crashed. "Frag, Kid!" the red cursed softly pulled the small frame into his chassis and arms. "It's okay calm yer pistons, yer safe here okay?" Ironhide tried to sooth the mech but it was useless the mech was already in shut down.

Slowly Ratchet approached, his spark ached for the young mech, obviously his adoptive carrier had been killed by the assault and he had cruelly accused Ryders Luck of leaving the mech willingly. He felt like a total glitch now. Gently Ratchet stroked the now damp faceplate as oily tears streamed down from the offline optics.

"So it must have been then that he was forced to go to the youth centers to be raised, and where he met Doubledealer. It explains why he furiously worked to save the slums, he lived there and even though it held the most painful of memories it still held happy ones and those were the ones he wanted to hold onto." Ratchet cooed softly so as not to try and bother the shutdown mech.

It was in this moment that Ironhide saw the mech Ratchet did. The loving, endearing mech that was impossible to hate. The one that had caught his spark in a jar and now he held two sparks in his small servos and didn't even realize it. "Okay, I admit it… the kid knows how ta grow on ya….like rust!" he groused softly slowly rocking the mech in his grasp, careful so as not to hurt the kibble on the others back. The Cyber Hound looked on in worry but stayed sitting, an intelligent move on its part, Ratchet mused.

"Come on we can put him into berth and let him online on his own time, I really don't want to reboot him after such a hard crash." Ratchet said and Ironhide nodded, picking up the smaller mech fumbling gently in a way that he could carry him without damaging a wing.

Ratchet opened the door for the mechs and Ironhide set the youngling down. Both exited the room after covering the mech with a tarp to keep him from cooling uncomfortably. They were about to shut the door when the hound darted between their legs and right onto the berth with the yellow mech. Ratchet groused at the hound but left it to keep the younger company for when he onlined, he would need that one comfort.