Allora Star: Oh wow, sorry I actually meant to reply to your review last chapter in here. But unfortunately, in this fic, the timelines just do not sync up correctly for it to work. However, the good news is I plan to finally finish The Long Road to Happily Ever After after I finally complete "Bumblebee's Boy". So be on the lookout! Jeff's coming back soon. :)

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CHAPTER 11
The Breakdown

Scott was relieved that he was taken off of the face mask and oxygen soon after he woke up. What he was less stellar about? The fact that the base's CMO was so determined to see him before he left the care of the med bay. Even Bluestreak looked nervous, for reasons that the human didn't exactly understand whatsoever. He kicked his feet out silently, and kept his eyes towards the door. He didn't like doctors, in fact, they scared him, especially when it came to looking over the scars on his back and having to lie.

He tapped the side of the medical berth slightly, continuing to look up. The minutes ticked by in a seemingly endless loop. Where was this CMO? What was taking the medic so long? He was so deeply wrapped in his thoughts that when the door finally did open up, he barely registered that the older, greenish-yellow mech from earlier in the day had finally entered. "Alright, despite the strenuous circumstances," Ratchet grunted. "I was able to procure for Scott a prescription and inhaler to fit the levels of asthma I've detected in his body."

"Wh-h-h-h-hy do I n-e-e-e-ed that?" Scott questioned.

Ratchet looked at the boy, crossing his arms slightly. Bluestreak really hoped that Ratchet was going to be easy on the boy. But he knew that there was a good chance that this would not be the case, and therefore prepared for the worst. "Why?" Ratchet snorted. "Youngling, you don't quite understand, you were VERY close to offlining today. Without an inhaler, if an asthma attack of that magnitude happened again... You probably would not be as lucky," He explained.

"Scott, meet your new "pediatrician" and base CMO, Ratchet," Bluestreak nodded. "And what he's saying, in simpler terms. Is that you could very likely DIE if something that bad happened again and you weren't diagnosed," Scott's eyes widened, but Bluestreak waved him down. "Don't worry kiddo, you have now. And I can promise you I won't EVER let that happen," He explained.

"It had better not!" Ratchet replied sharply to Bluestreak. "You should have learned this earlier on! There were very likely symptoms that went ignored! You have to pay better attention to your charge," He used a wrench in his hand to hit him on the back of the helm. "You can get away with that now as you're a new caretaker but NEVER again!" He added, to which Scott couldn't help but giggle a little. "On that note, it's a pleasure to meet you, Scott. I knew your father well, but have never had the pleasure of meeting you until now."

Scott nodded his head a bit. "It's n-n-n-n-nice to meet you too," Scott replied. "S-S-S-So I'm pro-o-o-o-obably not gonna die?"

Ratchet smirked a bit, surprised that the boy didn't take his word for it. But, he reminded himself, this was a sparkling, and the last thing he was going to do was laugh. "No, the chances are very, very slim as long as you keep your inhaler and use it when needed," He explained. "Whenever you have severe trouble breathing, you need only press the button on the top and take a long breath as many times as needed. It should keep your airways as clear as they were with the devices I used today," He explained.

Bluestreak nodded, taking in the information as well as further pieces of information from the internet. No doubt, Scott was going to be using that inhaler when he needed to, even if he had to monitor the boy all the time. "I'll make sure he gets it. And if any other symptoms of other disorders come in? I promise to speak up quicker," He rubbed the back of his helm. "If only because I don't need a DENT in my helm."

"Oh suck it up you sparkling," Ratchet rolled his optics. "Now that we have that out of the way. There's something else I'd like to discuss with you," Scott looked up at him, surprise filling his eyes. "Scott, would you like to tell me how your back has so many marks it looks like an arachnid's web?" He questioned, his voice firm. "Don't worry I did not undress you, I simply did a full, very through scan that covered all your body. They are very hard to miss."

Scott wanted to run the second that Ratchet brought up his scars. One of the things that Scott was doing everything he could to hide from his guardian. Would he put two and two together? It made him sick to think that he might not even care, for all he knew. And from some things his aunt and uncle had told him in the past, he had a bad feeling he wouldn't. Rubbing his arm slightly, he looked between the two mechs silently. "Scotty, it's okay to tell us whatever you need to," Bluestreak stated. "He's a medic, he's just concerned for your well-being."

"Even if it's Bluestreak that hurt you, you need to speak up," Ratchet explained. "Especially if these are marks of physical abuse which I feel they are very consistent with," He added.

Scott looked at Ratchet like he'd been hit by a bus, terror in his eyes. They were? And all you needed was a scan to tell that? He felt his body shake slightly, what did he say? What did he do? He didn't want to say the truth, but he didn't want to lie either. And yet... "I used to pl-l-l-lay rough," Scott commented. "I-I-I-I fell out of trees and st-t-t-t-t-t-tuff," He added.

It was the biggest crap that both Ratchet and Bluestreak had ever heard. Yet both knew better than to drag the truth out of someone who was clearly not sure of whether or not they were ready to speak up. "Alright, if that's what you say it is," Ratchet replied. "But I'll have you know that whoever it is that hurt you. And Primus knows that I am one-thousand percent positive that is what happened," He then added bluntly. "Should be facing FAR worse than jail time, if you were to ask my opinion."

Bluestreak nodded his head, but still, wanting Scott to be comfortable around him spoke up. "If Scott had been hurt by his aunt and uncle, he'd have told me, right?" He looked down at Scott. "Scotty?"

In that moment, Scott couldn't help but feel wracked with an insane amount of guilt. He shifted uncomfortably, clutching the sides of the berth again. How could he look into the optic of Bluestreak, who had been so kind to him, and lie? He struggled, and after a moment nodded. "Yeah," Scott replied. "Fo-o-o-o-or sure."

His guilt only worsened at the look of pure disbelief and disappointment in both of their optics.

...

"Blue, can I t-t-talk to yo-o-o-o-ou?"

It was only just after dinner that Scott's small voice asked the question. But even at that late of an hour, Bluestreak could tell by the tone of his voice what the boy wanted to talk about. Tonight was the night, Bluestreak realized, the night that he was going to tell him what he'd been waiting to hear. Or perhaps, he was reading far too into the question proposed by a ten year old child. But either way, Bluestreak was quick to let his holoform finish his dishes, and give Scott his bipedal form's full attention.

"Now that, my little friend, is a silly question," Bluestreak replied, his optics sparkling a bit. "You don't have to ask anything like that. If you need to talk to me, just sit down and tell li'l ole Blue what's got you all frowny-faced," Scott giggled a little at the way he said that. "No, I'm serious bud, any time, any place... My audio receptors are open," He explained.

Scott looked up at Bluestreak his blue eyes looking down. "I fe-e-e-elt bad, I do-o-o-on't like feeling bad," Bluestreak blinked slightly and nodded. "I-I-I-I lied to you, and to-o-o-o Ratchet," He said softly.

Bluestreak nodded his head, so this was it, he figured, carefully taking a seat. He carefully set his memory recording software online, determined to get solid, documented proof of what happened to Scott. Looking down at his charge, he gave him a soft, polite smile. "Scotty, I know that," He explained teasingly. "Even if we were away for a long time, I've known you since the first hour you came into the world. I knew your "tell" before you even knew your tell," He added.

Scott looked up at Bluestreak, his lips pursing as he chewed his lower one quietly. The boy looked petrified, and he could already see the waterworks starting to build in his eyes. "Yo-o-o-o-ou did?" Scott asked quietly, almost barely audible. "I don't get it, w-w-why didn't you hit me? Why didn't yo-o-o-ou scream and call me me-e-e-e-ean names?" He asked, shaking his heads. "I don't g-g-g-get it," He added.

Bluestreak looked at the boy quietly, he scooted forward, and leaned close. "Scott, is that how your aunt and uncle would react if you lied to them?" Scott waited a long moment, but finally nodded his head. "Bud, you do know how deplorable an action like hitting a child like you is, don't you?" He asked the child, who seemed to bury his face in his hands. "Scotty, it's alright, you don't have to be ashamed, or scared... A lot of people, even important people, are victims of abuse," He explained.

Scott choked out a silent sob, his eyes looking up at Bluestreak quietly. The sniper had a feeling his young charge was too sheltered to know that the actions they took against him were illegal. But even so, he clenched his fists slightly, and watched as Scott held himself slightly. "The-e-e-ey told me-e-e-e-e they'd do bad things if I told," Scott tried to explain, his voice cracking. "T-T-They told me-e-e-e no one would help. And the-e-e-ey said you left because yo-o-o-o-ou didn't want me. You'd just laugh at me," He explained all in one long, uncertain statement.

Bluestreak gawked at the words that Scott said, his optics narrowing. How could they tell the boy that one of the people that was closest to him had abandoned him? A lot of his uncertainty made a lot of sense, at least as far as some of the comments made in the beginning. "Scotty, that is so far from true. I did not abandon you at all. I backed off for a lot of reasons, but all of them were because I wanted what was best for you," Bluestreak told him gently. "I even called regularly, sent birthday and Christmas presents. Frag, I even asked to see you when I went down to where you were living once," He explained. "I suppose they never told you any of that, did they?"

"T-T-They said you ha-a-ated me," Scott shook his head. "A-A-And when I tr-r-r-r-ried to call for help... The people who answered a-a-asked for all this stuff and I... I just figured you were making them t-t-try to confuse me," He choked out a bit.

Bluestreak officially felt like a Decepticon could rip his spark out then and there. Scott had tried to call him? Begging for help? Begging to be pulled out of the hell hole that those so-called "family members" put him through? He wanted to purge his waste tanks, his optics shuttering a bit. "Scotty, I had no idea. I swear to Primus himself, and my life, I NEVER had even a little feeling," He explained gently. "If I had any idea of the things they were doing to you... To your back, and to your psyche, I would have busted that door down and carried you out of there myself," He explained.

"T-T-Then why di-i-i-idn't you!?" Scott asked loudly, his voice full of anger and confusion. "Whe-e-e-ere were you when they locked me in the b-b-b-b-b-basement!" He screamed. "W-W-Why didn't you d-d-drive there and see w-w-w-when they hit me!? Or when I co-o-o-ouldn't sleep because my bed was so wet!?" He added. "O-O-Or," he began to sputter.

At this point Bluestreak had cupped him carefully into his hand, and gently rested him against his chestplate. He cradled his charge carefully against him, letting the boy sob quietly. "It's alright, Scotty," Bluestreak cooed gently. "I wasn't here then, but I am here now. And I swear with all of my spark I'm NEVER going away again," He added, stroking him gingerly. "You understand that? They're never touching you again. I'm gonna see to it that they go away for everything they put you through. And you're gonna be my baby boy from now on, like you should have been from day one after your carrier died," He whispered.

"How do I kn-n-n-now I can trust you?" He questioned quietly. "H-H-H-H-How do I know you won't change?"

Bluestreak kept him close, cradling even more, his engine purring comfortingly. He held him close to his spark chamber, allowing the spark's humming to mix in with his engine. Primus knew that he would do everything he could for the boy, no matter what happened, that much he promised. "Because I love you to Cybertron and back," Bluestreak assured him. "And I'd sooner die than do anything those disgusting "human beings" did," He told him gently. "I promise you here and now Scott Blue West, it's only uphill from here," He said. "And you will never have to be afraid again."

Scott didn't say another word, he only rested his head against his chest, and tried, and failed to push back his tears. Bluestreak let out a deep, long vent, his hopes high that now that it was all out in the field, he could finally help the boy. Because he would rather die than ever see Scott feel this sad, or know he spent another day like he did there. And Primus help him, Scott was going to have the childhood that he rightfully deserved from that moment forth. And to make sure of that, he was going to make sure his "aunt" and "uncle" got the darkest, most cramped cell in the entire prison.

...

A/N: Yep, Scott's secret is finally out. And rest assured, a confrontation with Blue and the aunt and uncle is coming. :)