A/N: Wow, loving all the feedback I'm getting! :D Thanks so much guys. :)

...

CHAPTER 4
Meet The Hatchet

"You're going to school."

"No, I'm not."

"That wasn't a request, as your guardian, I'm ordering you to get out of this car right now."

"And for the last time." Jeff leaned back in Sideswipe's seat "You're not my father, so you can't make me do anything."

Sideswipe's holoform was nearly beating its head against the steering wheel by this point. It didn't help that the sixteen year old looked at the brown haired holoform with a form of amusement at his frustration. "Look kid, I drove you here, I'm a hot car." Sideswipe motioned around the convertible Corvette that was his alternate form "The girls are going to swoon!" Jeff was silent "Come on, what is it going to take to get you out of this car?" He asked.

"Twenty bucks."

Sideswipe frowned, grunting as he dug into his glove compartment for the cash that they'd been given to take care of Jeff. Shoving a twenty dollar bill into the boy's open hand, he shook his head slightly. "What in the name of Primus are you even going to do with twenty bucks?" Sideswipe leaned forward "What do you need it for school for?" He asked.

"I don't this'll cover my cab fair wherever-" The cash was snatched within seconds "Hey!"

To say the way Jeff was thrown from the car after that was unceremonious would have been an understatement. Grabbing his backpack from the ground, he threw it over his shoulder and turned around to face his guardian. "Tried to do it the easy way kid." Sideswipe replied simply "Now, I'll be here to pick you up at two o'clock." Jeff grunted "If you're scared, I'm sure you'll do fine." He added.

"I'm not scared of school." Jeff shrugged, though he didn't seem certain "Four years can't mean I missed much, right?"

Sideswipe shook his head a bit. "Good luck."

As the mech drove off in a hurry, Jeff stared up at the school with silent intimidation. He chewed his lip, ignoring some snickers from several teenagers, and headed towards the front door.

...

"I'm telling you, Bee, he's getting on my last nerve."

Sideswipe slammed his energon cube down on the counter as he eyed the yellow mech. They'd just entered their work shifts in the tower, and already, Sideswipe had gone for the high grade. The mech straightened a bit, and stared over at Sideswipe. "He's a youngling, give him time." Bumblebee replied, his blue optics meeting Sideswipe's "You remember how hostile I was when Optimus and Ironhide first found me." He added.

"You were six vorns, this kid's got ten years in our terms over you." Sideswipe rolled his optics "And for that matter, he isn't a youngling, he's a pit spawned little glitch."

Bumblebee tilted his head a bit at his friend, leaning against the wall. He looked thoughtful for a moment, and shrugged his shoulders. "Last week after you two had that "moment" that one night, you said you were starting to like him." Bumblebee managed to reply "Not to mention were ANY of us so different when we got saddled with our caretakers?" He added "Besides from what Prime said about his life, can you really blame him for having this attitude?" He shrugged "Kid's had it rough."

Sideswipe took a deep breath, and mowed it over in his own processor. While Bumblebee did make a good point, it didn't change the fact that they were having issues. "I know, I know. And I'm trying to be as good a role model as a mech like I can be." He shook his head "But it's difficult to have any patience with him when he just takes every fragging chance to test my patience." He sighed "He's just so much like... Like..."

"You?" Bumblebee questioned "I think that Ratchet and Prowl can both attest to that." He then added "I think that Ratchet's looking for you, speaking of. Did you hide his wrenches again." Sideswipe grinned widely in response "Yeah, exhibit A." Sideswipe quickly frowned at him after that one "Listen, if you want me to try talking to him for you-" He began.

He was quickly interrupted by Sideswipe's laughter, which subsided after a few minutes. "Are you kidding me? You try the sweet and loving approach on that kid and he will eat you alive." He told him bluntly "I'm not sure what he responds to well anyway. I've tried "tough love", but even that seems to get me nowhere." He shook his head a little "But seriously, he'd eat you alive." He added.

"But kids get along with me."

"Not a kid." Sideswipe replied "A pit-spawned little glitch."

Sideswipe made his way towards his usual monitors when his comm went off. "Ratchet if-" Sideswipe paused a moment "HE WHAT!?"

...

"You know, when you told me you got into fights. I figured you started them."

Jeff barely looked up as Sideswipe's holoform entered the nurse's office. He grimaced at the comment, though it hurt due to the split lip he now had. Sideswipe sighed, seating himself on the cot next to Jeff. Reaching out, Jeff flinched as he went over the black eye with a finger slightly. "Some assholes thought it would be cool to jump the new kid." Jeff shifted "What was I supposed to do? Sit there and take it." He then added "What are you doing here anyway? I'm not in any trouble." He added.

"Are you fragging kidding me?" Sideswipe grunted "They told me you were knocked out, kid, what did you think I was going to do? Sit around the base and forget you're my responsibility?" Jeff shrugged his shoulders in response "Did you at least get a few good licks in before you blacked out?" The boy nodded "Good, when you get a chance, land a few more for me." He growled.

"Mr. Devlin?" The nurse stepped over.

Sideswipe shook his head, standing to his feet, he stepped forward and held out a hand. "Nah, I'm Sideswipe. Jeff's currently in Autobot custody, I'm his guardian." The woman shook his hand carefully "Listen we've got a medic back at base. He looks pretty fragged up. Should I just bring him home, or...?" He paused "Sorry I'm new at this." He added.

"I'm fine." Jeff muttered with a groan as he tried to sit up, whimpering a little.

Raising an eyebrow at Jeff, the nurse calmly turned to Sideswipe. "I'd say after the beating he took, he should be checked for a concussion." Jeff laid back and groaned "An attitude check wouldn't hurt either." Jeff frowned a little bit "Quite the first impression you've made, Mr. Devlin. Try a little harder next time, eh?" She added.

As the woman turned around, Jeff stuck his tongue out in a childish way. Sideswipe sighed, helping Jeff off the cot slowly, he sighed a little bit. "Feeling strong enough to walk?" Jeff nodded, though he looked slightly drowsy as he did so "Easy kid, one step at a time." He grunted.

"Told you this was a bad idea."

Sideswipe would have smirked, but knew it was a bad time to do so.

...

To say Jeff was terrified the moment Ratchet came in the room was an understatement. He hated doctors, they were never people he got along with or particularly enjoyed visiting. To say that the idea of the massive green mech inspecting him was terrifying by itself. "Please tell me you don't use robot-sized needles." He heard a chuckle in response "Seriously, I hate needles." He added.

Ratchet rolled his optics silently as he turned around, staring at the boy with a smirk. "Then when it's flu season, I'll have to put you under." Jeff felt his eye twitch slightly at that "Now tell me, are you dizzy? Headaches? Foggy vision?" The boy shook his head slightly "Good, you don't have a concussion then." He then added "You seem to be a little malnourished, however. You're considerably thinner than you should be at your age." He explained.

"Well no duh, that tends to happen when you're on the streets." Jeff rolled his eyes a bit "The last two weeks are the most I've eaten in the last month practically. Everything else was like, whatever scraps everyone else threw out." He admitted.

Ratchet nodded a bit, scanning Jeff over slowly, leaning forward. "You need to eat more, regardless." Ratchet spoke up a bit, looking down at Jeff "You also have asthma, as far as I can see. Do you have an inhaler?" Jeff gave a small nod, pulling one out of his back pocket "I won't even ask how you got that as it's supposed to be subscribed. But the second you need more, you'll get it through me." He explained.

"Look, I haven't had an asthma attack since I was seven. And if I can steal this stuff from the local pharmacy by myself, I think I can handle refilling myself. " Jeff grunted "I don't need some crusty old bot nagging me every time I need a refill."

WHAM!

Jeff ducked as a wrench went flying over his head, he stared at Ratchet with a look of pure horror. "Sass me one more time, and this time you WILL have a concussion." Ratchet commented, leaning forward enough that he was nearly nose-to-nose with the human "You'll do as I say, whether I have to haul you in here twice a month or not myself." He added bluntly.

"You don't scare me." Jeff replied.

"Oh don't worry." Ratchet chuckled lowly "I will." He turned towards the door "Sideswipe, get your little bratling out of here before I throw another wrench!" Ratchet looked down upon Jeff "Get yourself to bed, rest up those wounds. And have Sideswipe come by in a few hours for your monthly refill." Jeff rolled his eyes "You'll thank me for it later." He added.

"That'll be the day." Jeff muttered as he hopped down from the berth.

Ratchet watched as Jeff made his way towards Sideswipe silently, his optic giving the slightest hint of a twitch. "Just what I needed, two of them." Ratchet muttered under his breath.

...

A/N: Couldn't resist writing out the moment Ratchet and Jeff first meet. :P