Warnings: this and that.

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Transformers.

Klik - seconds

Breem - minutes

Joor - hour

deca-cycle - weeks

Orn equal to days

cycles equal to months

Vorns- years


Ratchet slump tiredly onto one of the benches that wasn't covered in whatever his friend collected. While he cares for Wheeljack, sometimes he wondered if he should give the mech a processor scan or weld a monitor on him. He was also surprise, happy, but surprise to find that there were other mechs who looked past his tendencies to blow himself up. Though he wished that it wasn't mechs who seemed to cause more problems.

The two Praxians he had met vorns ago both walking into his clinic looking for the world like a pair of lost turbopuppies. Now the youngest has had his sparkling and had taken in serval younger mechs. A pair of twins, a youngling gestalt, a host mech, and a mech with the worst paranoid glitch Ratchet has ever seen.

First Aid's report on the group made things easier for Ratchet as he went and dealt with each one. The host mech, Ratchet had his suspicions about him, but from the looks of the young mech he would leave it to his caregiver to deal with. but he was healthy as was his symbionts.

The gestalt, four seekers and one young aerial were a curious bunch. First Aid left side notes and Ratchet just confirmed about their origins. But unlike Aid and his brothers this group wasn't related to each other. It was a force bond and Ratchet made sure to check every inch of the flyers for any anomalies. Luckily, there were none and after finishing the repairs to Silverbolt's wings the group had taken to stalking either Ratchet himself or the Portectobots outside. Hot Spot and First Aid were amused the rest of their family not so much.

The leader had even taken the young aerial aside under First Aids watchful optics, since the flyer should have been resting, and the two had been talking in low tones since. Ratchet wouldn't be surprise to know if the leader of the group was given the younger some tips. The only one the flyers seem to have trouble with was Blades, though it was he who they were most interested in. The rotors were something new and interesting and poor Blades couldn't find any peace.

Ratchet next had looked over the two hellions. He glared at the two, Sideswipe smiling innocently back while Sunstreaker scowled. The medic was reconsidering reattaching the red pit spawns arm which had been completely rebuilt by Wheeljack. When Ratchet sent his friend, a questioning ping the engineer head fins flashed, "They sometimes fight in the arenas," came his reply.

The medic quickly shut his mouth on the automatic response about younglings fighting in the arenas. Their caregiver must have known what he was thinking and simply said that they were aware and the twins could not go to the fight rings unless one of them was with them. but it was mostly their older brother that went with them.

"Aw look Sunny he does care," the annoying one said as Ratchet started his repairs only to yelp once he met the broad side of his wrench. "Ow what was that for?"

"For messing up my med bay and for causing me more work." He growled. It did not escape his audios of the twin growls from behind and above him. But he was not attack as he kept working. "There, give a few orns then your arm will be as good as new."

Sideswipe gave the appendage a few swings, testing its full motion before grinning at the medic. "thanks Hatchet," he chirps before dragging his twin out of the lab. But he popped his helm back in, "You should check out Red next, he's more of a workaholic then Prowl."

That had the medic narrow his optics as they zeroed in on the nest that the mech had station himself in. said mech was sending his brother a scathing glare before turning that gaze onto the medic.

"I can either come up there and drag your aft down or you can come down yourself and get it over with." Ratchet yelled up at the mech.

Red Alert duck back into his nest. Ratchet growled and was about to march up when Prowl placed a restraining servo on his shoulder.

"Red Alert does not like medics for a reason Ratchet," he said calmly. "You must let him come to you unless he is in critical condition. Otherwise he would only distrust you more."

Ratchet snorted, "And how does he get to trust me when this would be the only time I'll get to examine him?"

Prowl nodded, "I will speak to him, for now continue with your examinations. I am sure that you wish to look over Bluestreak before we leave."

Ratchet look like he wished to argue but dropped it when he saw that he was wasting time. Trying to help these mechs when he couldn't keep any records would be a pain. Especially with a soft spark Prime who by now has heard of First Aid's kidnapping and Ratchets chase of said kidnappers. No doubt Optimus was leading others towards their last known location.

Ratchet also knew that trying to keep these mechs here for that length of time was fruitless. Prowl already had a bad history with the Autobots, it didn't matter that a new Prime had taken over and the mechs under Sentinels rule have long been gone. The only one that could still be harm the Praxian was Meister, the mech who terminated Sentinel then finding out that the mech had been part of the Decepticon's the whole time. The medic had had his suspicions about the one who sparked Prowl and he guess that just this once he'll have to turn a blind eye.

'besides if its fate that Optimus and Prowl cross paths then he would let it happen naturally.'

However, he wasn't about to let his patients disappear without some much-updated information. "Sentinel has been terminated for the last vorn," he said loud enough for the red and gray mech to hear him. "Meister was the one who did it and is currently running with Megatron and his Decepticons. They are the only ones left that know about you."

Prowl narrowed his optics at Ratchet as he sat with Bluestreak in his lap. The sparkling stared wide optic at the new mech for once quiet. Ratchet let the information sink in as he scanned the sparkling who squeaked when each scan tingling his little winglets. Soon the bitlet was trilling and squeaking at the medic who chuckled.

"Why did you tell me that?" Prowl finally asked.

"I figured that you should know, Meister is his sire, isn't he?" Prowl tensed wings arched high and he looked ready to bolt. Ratchet saw it and quickly continued, "No one else knows about Blue or you but me and that mech. I will not endanger my patients." Prowl relaxed a little but his wings were still arched. Red Alert however had a blaster aimed down but a flick of a wing had the mech lifted the weapon up and away.

"You could tell the new Prime about us. he would have another gestalt as well Red Alert, the twins, two tacticians; why should I trust you now?"

"No matter what I say you won't trust my word about Prime. So, I am letting you judge him for yourself as well as the mechs he surrounds himself with including Meister's replacement." Ratchet gave Prowl one glance checking all the welds and things before declaring both creator and sparkling fit and healthy.

"I cannot will not easily trust one with so much power with my family. And if you and your group are going to report us then I will defend my family from even you. No matter how I go about it."

Ratchet heard the whine of a blaster charge up behind him. The threat clear. He keeps how nervous that makes him as he steps back from the black and white Praxian. He feels the optics of both mechs following him as he goes to the tray holding his tools.

"I do not force others to do what they do not want to, unless its medical matters. For all that I can see you and your foundlings are neutrals that are friends with Wheeljack and I see no reason to bother Prime with such mundane matters. It's really none of his business anyway." He tried to smile, "Well the only two mechs that I haven't seen yet is Smokescreen and..."

"Red Alert please come down or I will get the seekers to fetch you." Prowl calmly said while he comm. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker and ordered them to come and help.

"You can't do that there's no room for those miscreants to fly in here." Red Alert shouted back down.

"they do not need to fly." Prowl kept his optics on the red and gray mech as two shadows started stalking up behind him.

"I do not need to be seen by a medic. I am fully function—

Red Alert let out an undignified yelp as he was lifted by Sunstreaker who had his upper body and Sideswipe who had taken his lower body. They haul him down to the floor and sat him on one of the vacant berths. Prowl walked over to them with Ratchet following some steps behind. Bluestreak tilted his helm and trilled curiously at his creator. Prowl smiled down at his sparkling shifting him to his hip while he stood in front of the struggling mechs.

"Let me go!" Red Alert shouted struggling out of his younger brothers hold.

"No can do, if we had to suffer." Sunstreaker started.

"You have to suffer," Sideswipe finished.

Ratchet snorted as he approaches, "you two act like you didn't deserved it." He pulled out his wrench when Red Alert started screaming accusing everyone of being out to get him his horns sparking lighting up the room. His screaming had caused Bluestreak to wail in terror. Wrench aimed high before being brought down on the mech full force to the helm. "Shut up!"

The room had gone entirely quiet, even the noises outside had stopped. Red Alert was curled into a ball clutching his newly dented helm sparks not as bright. The twins looked upon the medic in between awe and fear. Prowl cradle Bluestreak but showed no other emotion.

"Now that we can hear each other," Ratchet laid a servo on the ex-security mechs shoulder. "I am only going to look at that glitch and to make sure that there are no unpleasant surprises. I will not go or do anything without your approval."

Much to the surprise of those present Red Alert nodded meekly and sat still as Ratchet plugged in. it only took a few joors before he was done. He unplugged wrapped up the cord and step back from the mech.

"Alright you can go," the medic said.

Red at first didn't move but once he did he darted pass his brothers and up to the nest he had made. It would be awhile before they would see him again. The twins hoped that he would still trust them when he came down. Prowl just sighed but he turned to leave and go find him brother. For once he was going to take a nap with his sparkling and he was dragging Smokescreen with him. it had been a long time since they both shared a nap.

"I leave the care of everyone to your capable servos Red. Ratchet as per your orders I will go rest. I suggest you use this time to watch Silverbolt and his brothers before you depart. This may be your last chance to study a gestalt made up of flyers not related to each other."

He heard the medic sputtered but his focus went to the twins who were looking up at Red Alerts nest forlornly. "I am sure he wouldn't mind you two joining him. if you do not cause too much trouble."

They brighten and run up the ramp leading to the nest and dive into the nest and onto their older brother who let out a squawk when two bodies crash onto him. Prowl left the lab when hearing the three start to playfully argue. He first found Blaster with his symbionts, the mech was bobbin his helm to some music that only he could hear at that time. Prowl wanted to talk to the mech about the encounter with Barricade. He had been told that the young mech had been acting strangely since.

"Blaster," he said not even raising his voice to catch the young mechs attention. Blaster may always have his music loud but no so much that he couldn't hear if someone was talking to him. "I would like to have a word with you at some point after we return home."

The red and gold mech looked at his caregiver in the optics shoulder tense before he resettles his armor and nods. "You are not in trouble I just wish to discuss what had happen the other orn."

"yeah okay Prowl," the young mech said distractedly. Prowl raised a ridge at that but let it go in favor of not pushing Blaster. He knew from personal experience that when Blaster didn't want you to know something then he was as tight lip as Red Alert was paranoid.

He left the host mech to continue to try to find his brother. A shout above him had he looking up and seeing the seekers and Silverbolt zipping around a very unhappy Blades. He was hoping the Silverbolt was keeping his brothers out of trouble and not becoming part of it. He was also hoping that he was not around when the oncoming fight broke out.

He felt more then saw the eldest of the other gestalt member walking up, "I do hope you will keep them from offlining each other."

"Uh sure," Hot Spot came to a halt.

Prowl nodded. "Good." The corners of his mouth twitched when he heard the ground gestalt leader shouting at both the flyers and his own brothers.

He finally found Smokescreen, playing with his personal deck of cards. He could tell by how worn the cards were. The corners bent, the color faded from servos and digits, and Smokescreen's favorite card damage image smiling up at the gambler. Prowl just hoped that his brother did not pass any of those traits on to Bluestreak or any of the foundlings.

'bad enough with the twins,' Prowl mentally grimace. "Smokescreen."

The new colored mech looked up and grinned at his younger brother. "Yo Prowl what can I-

He paused mid sentence as Prowl sat down beside him and leaned against him. "-for?"

"I'm tired and Bluestreak is already in recharge." Prowl open one optic at his brothers bemused face. "Care to join us before Ratchet drags you away?"

Smokescreen chuckled, "Well I could use some charge…but I think a berth would be more comfortable then the ground." Prowl had maneuver him and Bluestreak until all three Praxians were flat on the ground.

"this is better," he mumbled.

Smokescreen again chuckle at his brother who was acting more of the youngling he used to be. "I can see that but I very much doubt our wings will thank us later for laying on them for so long."

Prowl made a noise between a purr and a growl before reluctantly getting up, pulling Smokescreen along. The elder Praxian let his brother lead them to a more shelter section of Wheeljacks home before he rearranged them to his satisfaction. Both brothers were on their sides wings facing outward with Bluestreak nestled in the middle.

"Happy," Prowl said to his brother. Smokescreen just smile and cycled down his optics. They were found later by the five flyers who had gotten tired of playing with the other gestalt team. Trying not to wake the Praixans the flyers arranged themselves around them and went into recharge.

Wheeljack found the wing mech pile later. It was not the first time he found them piled up like that, the only difference was the Smokescreen was part of it this time. Shaking his helm, he went to find a mesh blanket to cover the flyers. He doubted that Prowl wanted to have to stay around longer then he thought necessary. He just hoped that he could talk to the mech before they disappear off the face of Cybertron.

Seeing his old friend had got the engineer thinking. While having bots like Prowl and his family visit every now and then Wheeljack had to admit that it got kind of lonely out on the fringes by himself. Ratchet had, after calming down and had subspace his wrench, talk to him about his new role with the Autobots. Wheeljack was like many others before his home city was bomb, but unlike his fellows he found out that when he went to sign up the faction at the time wanted more solders not engineers. Wheeljack wasn't offended not at first, but he knew that he could help others better not with a blaster but with his inventions. He could use a weapon if the situation called for it but he saw himself more useful behind the front lines with the medics and others who help the frontliners.

He had almost signed up but the officers at the recruitment place found out about his tension of blowing things up and kindly refused his application. Wheeljack tried numerous times to help until the leaders of that time had had enough and force him to leave Iacon. Now, with a new Prime and Ratchets backing he was willing to try again, but he hated that he would have to leave the mechs who sometimes needed him.

"You should go with them," Wheeljack jumped and whirled around to see two golden optics watching him.

"Sorry Prowl didn't mean to wake you," his head fins flashed between embarrassment and surprise. "What do you mean I should go with them?"

"With Ratchet and the Autobots," he slowly disentangles himself. "I may have doubts about them but I can see that living out here with minimal contact has done you no favors. Your talents are wasted here."

"but Prowl what about you, Blue; what are you going to do without-

"You have done your best to teach us on how to repair ourselves Wheeljack, and add to our own talents we can survive for a while." The winged mech tilted his helm slightly, "Do you not agree that your talents can do more good ending the war?"

"Well yeah…I mean I hope so."

Prowl nodded as he placed a servo on the engineer's shoulder. "Then it would be helpful to us if you would do what you feel you should. If we need you, we will know where to find you. I trust no one else with Bluestreaks upgrades. You did after all created his next armor set. We would be foolish to have someone unfamiliar with the design to try to make it."

Wheeljack didn't know what to say, he was touched that the Praxian who was not one to trust easily, trusted him. It made making his decision a little easier. Prowl must have guess because he nodded then went back to the pile he just vacated. Wheeljack watch very amused and secretly took a few still capture images of the mechs that had become his friends before going to find Ratchet. He knew that before the two stars raised the next orn that Prowl and the others would be gone. He wanted to enjoy their company while he could. He also knew that Prowl would not be going back to wherever they had been living, it would be a long time before he would see the group again.

oOooOooOooOooOooOo

"Are you sure that this is something that we should do?"

"they know were we are Smokescreen, it would only be a matter of time before they narrow it down to the mountains." Prowl shifted his sparkling in his hardness. "Hiding in the outlands will no longer work. We can survive in the cities just as easily."

"Pit, I am going to miss that place. But I can see that moving to one of city states would be better. At least we can get better opportunities then out here now that Jack is has decided to leave…are you okay with that."

"Wheeljack is grown up enough to make his own mind about what he can do. Staying out here is not good for him."

"hey are we leaving or not, because if we want to leave before they wake now would be a good time. OW Sunny what was that for"

"jeez I wonder," the yellow twin said. "I'm riding with Bolt."

"Me too!" Sideswipe yelled.

"hey you both can't ride him." Skydive said, "He's still recovering. Choose someone else."

"Who are you to tell us what to do?"

"he flies better than the rest of you."

"Why you—

"Enough." Prowl didn't have to raise his voice to get everyone's attention. "Skydive is right, you will have to ride someone else this time."

"Yes Prowl," twin voices sulkily answered. A smug feeling rolled off the four flyers while Silverbolt shook his helm.

"Where are, we headed?" he asked.

Prowl thought about it weighing the options available to them. One place kept popping back up and while he rather not go to the Autobot capital. It gave him a slight satisfaction that he would be hiding right in front of them and they wouldn't know it. It would also be the last place that Meister would look for him and it would allow him to see this new Prime without having to face him. they could always leave if he did not like what he saw.

"Iacon." He said getting a curious glance from Smokescreen and Red Alert. "Sometimes that best way to hide is right in plain sight." He smiled before shooting into the air. He heard the others catch up to him.

: Hiding in plain sight huh? I think it's more because you want to keep an optic on jack than anything: smokescreen snickered over the sibling bond.

: he is a grown mech and has Ratchet looking over him. he does not need us to keep him out of trouble.:

: Yeah sure whatever you say brother dear: he felt how highly amused Smokescreen was as the bond was closed. "I forbid you from becoming like your uncle, Bluestreak." The sparkling only chirped back tilting his helm at his creator.

oOooOooOooOooOooOooOo

the first thing Ratchet notice was how quiet Wheeljack's home was, which in his mind was a blessing….in a way. The next thing he notice was the lack of winged mechs that should have been on the berths recovering. He was really wanting to dent someone right now.

Quiet sad laughter came from behind him, "I see that I was right. They left sooner than I thought though."

"you knew this would happen?" Ratchet scowled servos on hips.

"Ratchet, Prowl home isn't far from here. if the Decepticons or the Autobots really wanted to it wouldn't take long to fine them. I knew that Prowl would have moved after the seekers found him and the others. It was only his injuries that kept him from doing that earlier."

"tch, alright but he gets a wrench to the helm next time I see him or those pit spawns."

It was all that Wheeljack was going to get out of his friend. He opens his battle mask and smiled. "Thank you Ratchet."

"Pah! Get your things ready, no doubt that idiot of a Prime has half the bases looking for us and I don't won't to have to deal with all the dents that will cause. Primus forbid that mech stay safely back in Iacon behind the other idiot that enjoys taking the hits."

"Careful Ratch, mechs might think you care under all the snarling and growling." The engineer quickly duck as a wrench came sailing for his helm.

"Mute it!"

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Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.