A/N: Well Galem, you'll have to wait and see. :)

Thanks so much for all the reviews, alerts, favorites, and stuff guys. It's so nice to see that there are so many people enjoying this. :)

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CHAPTER 9
First Steps

"How long before he fell asleep?"

"Hours, Sunny. Primus, I felt like I was having my spark torn out."

Sideswipe leaned against the counter in the rec room slowly. His blue optics shuttered a moment as he leaned towards Sunstreaker. "I've spent so long trying to make sure he stops being so... Outspoken. And does what I ask him that I forgot..." He shook his head "I forgot what that feeling of loneliness can do to a sparkling." He finished.

Sunstreaker was silent, though Sideswipe could feel a great deal of guilt through their bond. "He was younger than we were when our creators abandoned us." Sunstreaker commented "And to think I was stunned by how he acted." He shook his head "I still don't like the little pit spawns attitude, but I feel like I should have at least known better." He noted.

Sideswipe nodded a bit, turning to Sunstreaker. "I've been thinking that it's time I stopped treating him like a mission and more like.. A family member." He was quiet a moment "Just because he isn't truly family doesn't mean we can't take the time to make him feel like the part of one." He added, looking up at his brother "Maybe give him a little hope that there are good people out there if nothing else." He added.

Sunstreaker leaned back as he thought that over. He had never really been a fan of the humans, and the idea of treating the child like he would a nephew seemed odder than pit to him. But at the same time, Sunstreaker had been that boy in need of a family at one time. And he couldn't ignore that no matter how hard he tried. "I can't promise I'll be able to take his smart aftery, but it couldn't hurt to treat the squishy like family." Sunstreaker smirked "What's the worst that could come of it?" He questioned.

Sideswipe took a deep intake of air, and put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Worst that could happen is he has a hard time accepting it. But I think if we give him time, he will." He replied "Maybe we can let him in on that prank we had planned for today? Kids a natural at them, even managed to get me." He explained "It would be fun to see ole Kup's reaction when he found out a human had helped dupe him." He added.

"That actually gives me an idea." Sunstreaker nudged his brother "Go get the kid up from recharge, I have some planning to do."

Sideswipe raised an optic ridge, curiosity filling him. "What are you thinking about, bro?" He asked.

"You'll see."

...

Generally, if Arcee had been there, Sideswipe may have held back on letting their charge in on one of Sunstreaker's schemes. If only because she would scold and berate him on the fact that generally, one of his schemes could end in bodily harm. But without Arcee with them for the weekend, it allowed Sideswipe a chance to cause all the mischief and mayhem he wanted, and a human in the equation could only help things out. Jeff yawned beside him, slouching a bit as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "So, why did you get me up at six in the morning again?" Jeff questioned "I'm exhausted." He added.

Sideswipe smirked, for a moment, he thought it over, and then gently put Jeff onto his shoulder. He could feel how tense his young charge was, but kept his censors on high alert for the minuscule chance that Jeff might fall off. "Feel free to take a nap up here, kiddo, it might be a while before Sunny and I need you awake anyway." He replied "You comfortable up there?" He asked.

If Jeff were skeptical about Sideswipe's sudden change in regards to his treatment of him, he gave no indication other than a sideways glance. Gently leaning his head against the side of his neck, clearly too tired to care, or just oblivious, and yawned lightly. "It's not bad." Jeff muttered to him quietly "I'm surprised Sunstreaker even wants to talk to me after I was kinda..." He paused "Y'know." He added.

"Eh, like I said, happens all the time, he gets over it pretty easy." Sideswipe shrugged his open shoulder in response "Besides, we don't have many chances to get a human in on one of our pranks. So yeah." He glanced up as Suntreaker came into view "Hey bro, I got the pipsqueak up?" He pointed to Jeff, who simply nodded his head towards him "So what exactly do you have up your servo, bro?" He asked.

Sunstreaker rubbed his hands together, and grinned with the sort of look on his face that often made his twin nervous. Though Sideswipe was often the true prankster of the family, Sunstreaker had a rather "creative" mind when it came to them as well. A dangerously creative one at that. "So long as Jeff comes out of it in one piece. Arcee wouldn't be too thrilled if our charge came home in pieces." He added "So, where do we set this whole prank up, anyway?" he asked.

"Already done." Sunstreaker grinned, turning to Jeff "Tell me, squi-" Sunstreaker paused a moment, biting back the derogatory term from exiting his voice "Youngling..." He finally settled on "Have you ever handled a paint bomb detonator?" He asked.

Jeff stared at Sideswipe with a sheepish, yet at the same time, cheeky grin. Sideswipe merely rolled his optics at that, but Jeff turned to the golden mech with a small nod. "I think Sides has seen my way of handling a paint bomb." Jeff replied "Who are you guys going to bomb it with anyway? You guys have got like... 90% of the Autobot faction on this base it feels like." He added.

"That's what makes this so perfect." Sunstreaker smirked "I've been trying to get that old cruster, Kup for months without being noticed. But every time I get close, he catches me." He then added "With a tiny little human holding the detonator? Oh Primus, it's going to be priceless." He noted.

Jeff looked thoughtful for a moment, his eyes peering up at Sunstreaker. He knew that Kup ran the base, and in a way, that made pranking him nearly as bad as pulling a prank on Optimus Prime himself. "Are you sure that's such a safe thing to do?" Jeff questioned "If I get caught-" He began.

"You won't get caught." Sideswipe reassured "You've got the two best pranksters in the Autobot ranks helping you."

Jeff was silent a moment as Sunstreaker handed out a small, remote detonator to him. With a tiny grimace of uncertainty, he took the detonator, and allowed himself to be lifted down to the ground. "Now, while you handle that, Sides and I have another prank we're gonna pull off." Sunstreaker grinned, putting his hand on his shoulder "We'll meet up with you back at both of your quarters in three hours tops. We'll celebrate your first non-guardian prank." He added.

Jeff nodded his head, glancing at Sideswipe, than at Sunstreaker with a hint of suspicion, but heading off. Sideswipe calmly turned to Sunstreaker, and smirked widely. "Who are we hitting?" Sideswipe questioned.

"Want to see how badly we can make Red Alert glitch?"

Sideswipe only grinned, and followed his brother down the hallway at that. A plan for how to do so already formulating in his head.

...

Sideswipe was called into Kup's office nearly an hour and five Red Alert freak-outs later. The first thing he noticed that a multicolored rainbow of paints adorned both the walls and Kup himself. For a moment, Sideswipe wondered if he believed he had did it, it wouldn't be the first time, or the last. Then he saw the form of Jeff, who was sitting in a corner, staring at the ground, his eyes didn't even venture up towards Sideswipe. "Hey, Kup, you wanted to see me...?" Sideswipe had to suppress laughter.

"Stop grinning, this is serious." Kup growled a little bit "Do you realize what your charge has done?" He slammed a data pad, which seemed to be on the fritz and covered in the paint onto his desk, and glared hard at Sideswipe "This is five months of undercover work by our spy, Punch, down the drain, Sideswipe. A report that in his standing within the remaining Decepticons, we cannot replace." He noted "And the boy was caught with the very detonator that we have confirmed set it off." He added.

"I said I was sorry-" Jeff began.

Kup merely grimaced, and sent Jeff a look that he needed to keep his mouth shut. The boy recoiled a bit at the elderly mechs infamous rage, not daring to look up again. "Your charge is about to be escorted to the brig for the next six hours. Something I will be putting on his record here at base." He spoke bluntly "I understand the intention of this prank was not to do such an act as this... But I cannot condone such risky and dangerous-" He began.

"Jeff didn't do anything."

Jeff stared up at Sideswipe, confusion in his eyes, blue optics looked down at him. "He must have not wanted me to get in trouble or something. But I was the one who set up the paint bomb. I must not have realized I had put it where you kept your data pads." Sideswipe shifted a bit "I asked Jeff to press that button, but he never knew what it did. He was just a..." He paused "Unwilling participant." He added.

Kup's optics flickered at Sideswipe silently, though he knew it to be a logical story all the same. "Is this true, Jeff?" Jeff looked at Sideswipe, who shot him a look that said "say yes" quietly.

"Yes, sir."

Kup nodded his head slightly, crossing his arms a bit, and staring up at the young mech before him. Sideswipe knew he would get in trouble for something Sunstreaker should have been in trouble for, along with Jeff. But the last thing he wanted to do was see Jeff be put in a cell for the next six hours for something they had practically forced him into. Nor would he turn in his brother. "Report to Red Alert and have him confine you to a cell for the next six hours as he would have done to Jeff." He turned to Jeff silently "You may be excused with my apologies, Jeffrey." He added.

"I-It's okay." Jeff managed.

As Jeff and Sideswipe exited the room, Sideswipe felt the young humans eyes cast upon him. "Why did you take the fall?" Jeff questioned, suspicious, and it was evident, uncertain "You didn't even have a part in that prank." He added.

Sideswipe only smiled faintly, shrugging his shoulders. "I've been in the brig for far longer." Sideswipe replied "You're just a kid, you don't deserve that type of time for something we do." He titled his head slightly to the side "And besides, I don't particularly feel like fighting with Red Alert about letting my youngling go free early." He added.

Jeff took a minute to register that Sideswipe had just called him his "youngling". Though it made him feel good, he did have to remember silently that it was very easily a slip of the vocal receptor. "Right..." Jeff replied, nodding "Well, thanks." He then added "You should go." He added.

"Yeah, go find Sunny and have him take you out or something." Sideswipe replied "It'll be a while."

As Jeff watched his guardian go, he could only silently wonder what had very obviously gotten into him.

...

A/N: Arcee's back next chapter! YAY! :P