Notes: I am SO sorry for the long delay and am grateful to any one who was patient enough to wait for this chapter. Please forgive me. I wanted to have this up and posted by Friday, but, well, it was a busy week at work and I was tired.

Second Daughter of Eve: Mudflap won't admit it, of course, but he secretly enjoys all these people adopting him. He so needs a mother in the worst way.

OrianPrime92: Sorry, no one will be drinking in this story. I agree though, they probably do need it.

As always, please enjoy! Questions, comments and concerns in the form of a review are encouraged!

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Mudflap did not like spending time with Perceptor.

The scientist, of course, we overly-enthusiastic for a chance to work with one of the twins alone. They were almost always together, even if they were angry with one another. The science team had been studying the duo for so long, it was too easy to forget that they were two distinct, separate and different beings and Perceptor was, naturally, eager to learn the difference.

The smaller mech was a bit less enthusiastic. In fact, he was downright opposed to the idea. Mudflap was, for lack of a better word, shy. At least compared to Skids, who was fearless to the point of stupidity and a bit of a know-it-all. Rather than being intimidated by Perceptor -like Mudflap was- Skids tended to get into arguments with him, because no one could tell him something wasn't as he believed. When the twins were together, Mudflap was just as outgoing and noisy as his brother, but when he was alone…

He didn't even want to enter Perceptor's office.

"Why can't I jutht thtay wit you?" Mudflap whined as Hoist tried to push him through the door and into the other mech's personal office. The younger 'bot wasn't budging, however; he had a death grip on the doorframe and didn't plan on letting go any time soon. "I wanna thtay with you. Perthepthor ith tho boring!"

Hoist took a step back, pausing to recollect his thoughts. "We've been over this, right? I'd love to have you spend time working with me, but I have physicals coming up and that means a lot of work. As sorry as I am about it, I simply don't have the time to do this with you today." He really was regretful about it; Mudflap was dear to him and he knew Perceptor would be much more clinical than he intended to be.

"But I can help you while you help me!" Mudflap protested, fingers curling tighter around the frame of the door. "Pleathe don't make me go in there! He alwayth thaying thtuff I don' get an' I feel so thtupid!"

"He wants to help you…"

"That I do." Perceptor had suddenly appeared from somewhere in the semi-dark recesses of the room (Mudflap couldn't help but wonder why his office was so big and Hoist only got a closet for his own space), "Now come along; Hoist has work to do." He didn't quite smile, but he gestured into the room, a bit miffed by the fact that Skids often bounded in unwelcome, but Mudflap seemed to be doing everything to stay out. When the little mech wouldn't budge, Perceptor glanced up at Hoist, for once uncertain what to do.

Hoist shrugged as if he wasn't entirely certain what to do either (even though he was) and held up a handheld gaming device that he knew Mudflap was particularly fond of. "Maybe you should try this?" Though his tone was casual, it was pretty obvious that the toy was meant to be used as a bribe.

"Hey!" Mudflap yelped, "That'th mine!" He let go of the doorframe in favor of reaching for the device, only to have Hoist -who was much taller- lift it out of reach.

"After you're done with Perceptor," The medic cheerfully informed Mudflap, who tried and failed to make a jump for it and reach the handheld, "you can have this back." He paused, "Maybe."

"…Maybe?!" The youngster squawked, expression darkening to one of annoyance and something that might have been betrayal, "Whaddya mean, 'maybe'?"

Hoist smiled, patient and pleasant as always, "If you do a good job and listen, you can have it back."

"That'th no fair!" Mudflap wailed, hands curling into mismatched fists, optics shining bright with anger, "That'th blackmail!"

"No, that's bargaining." Hoist replied cheerfully, pushing the smaller mech through the door, "Have fun!" The door shushed shut behind him, leaving Mudflap alone with one of his least favorite individuals.

The small mech glanced up at Perceptor, who really wasn't that much bigger than him, but seemed it, mostly because he carried himself better. The twins tended to slouch, giving them a hunchbacked appearance, while Perceptor had flawless posture and stood ramrod straight most of the time. He wasn't built to be a warrior and was therefore only lightly armed, but Mudflap still found him incredibly frightening, mostly because he was so smart and -unlike Skids- Mudflap was aware of his own ignorance.

"Walk this way." Perceptor said, indicating that Mudflap follow him further into the dim room. Mudflap was tempted to imitate that stiff, something-up-his-tailpipe stride of the scientist (one of the oldest jokes in the book), but that was only funny when Skids was around and that realization suddenly made Mudflap feel very small and alone.

He trailed behind Perceptor, wary, until they reached the scientist's surprisingly cluttered desk. Mudflap had never been this far into the office before, and he had always imagined that Perceptor was a little bit obsessive-compulsive and that everything would be neatly labeled and organized. Contrary to what he expected, however, there were disks and data pads and notes and image files and mineral samples and all sorts of other things strewn all over the desk.

It wasn't hard to guess that the out-of-place-looking extra chair opposite Perceptor's well worn chair was meant for him, so Mudflap sat, glancing around and nervously picking at a seam in his armor.

"Now," Perceptor began, sitting stiffly in his own seat, "Our goal for today is to isolate the sounds you have trouble articulating, so we can begin working to correct those issues and you can learn to say those sounds. I know some of them you have issue with, such as the 'S,' but I would like you to read from this list, so I can determine the rest of them." He reached across the desk and handed the youngster a pad full of simple words, each containing emphasis on a certain sound.

"…Read?" Mudflap looked at the list. He didn't think there'd be no reading involved with this! He could do it, of course; they were easy enough words. But reading was not his strong suit, nor was it something he enjoyed. It was something they made him do and he moaned and groaned through it.

"Yes, read." Perceptor had another pad ready in front of him, probably to take notes on this whole humiliating endeavor, and his keen gaze was fixed expectantly on the younger mech's funny little face. "If you would begin…?"

Mudflap slouched in his chair, glancing down at the list again with dread. It was going to be a LONG day.