Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, or the idea of this human universe. I based this off of Demyrie's Odd Couple and Odd Moments. And off of my Odd Brothers AU to her Odd Couple. Demyrie owns Dai since he's making a mention-cameo in this chapter.

Claimer: I own Raptor. ^^

A/N: Uhh... I just realized that my math is totally off. In this, Hot Shot is 12 years younger than Hot Rod and Barricade, and yet in Odd Brothers, he is 16 to Rodimus and Barricade's 23/24. So, uhh... Just fair warning, I know my math is off... o/o But I'm lazy and I like the ages in both stories soooo, deal with it...? *most likely will fix it later* So, uhm, if you didn't notice it before, just forget I said anything. If you did notice... Why didn't you tell me!

Chapter Eleven:

Time Flies

Kup watched as the boys grew up. Once Hot Rod hit 18, the boy grabbed Hot Shot and left to be on his own. The old man knew the red haired young man was in denial, since Springer had just upped and left, but he was taking it a little too far out of proportion. At least, Barricade always complained about his friend doing that. But Kup just shook his head, and let the man take the young boy and go. It broke his heart to watch it happen, but he couldn't do anything about it. He wasn't their father. No matter how much he wanted to be.

Barricade, once he turned 19, told Kup that he was hitting the road, having gotten a contract with a racing manager who "liked his style". Kup let him go. He was 18, after all. But his heart still broke as the last boy in his care left him. He had to admit, time flies. And four to five years with the boys just wasn't enough for him. Every morning, he'd wake up, expecting to hear idle chatter in the kitchen as the boys tried to be quiet so they wouldn't wake him. But it would be deathly quiet. And it hurt to realize just how attached he got to the boys.

"How are you holding up?" Hot Rod had called him as soon as he discovered that Barricade had left town. He put on a brave front for the kid.

"Fine. Just take care of Shotty." And he hung up. As the years passed, Hot Rod sent him emails and pictures of Hot Shot. He came over with the child every holiday, Barricade dropping in for them when he could, and they spent Christmas like they used to when all of the boys were just teenagers and a toddler. With loud music, Christmas stories/movies and tales of what Barricade's done on the road, filling the young child's head with intense dreams of one day doing the same things, only better. On his birthday, he'd receive a visit from Hot Shot and

But Kup never knew that having an empty nest would make him feel just as heart broken as the day Ratchet left him all those years ago. He finally realized that time, when he was finally enjoying life, really did fly away from him.

ACACACACAC

Short, yes, but it is almost one in the morning and I start classes for the spring semester tomorrow. Today? Tomorrow? Whatever. On the first of february. So, it short. 83