Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 6

"Are you alright now?" Ultra Magnus asked. Koji hadn't said a word in the last three hours -- not that Magnus expected him to, seeing Saka again would do that to him. He'd taken the kid to some ruins Onishi used to take Koji to. Koji said it helped him feel close to his dad and if there was ever a time he needed to feel his father's presence it was now.

"Yeah. I'll be fine, but I think I'll be seeing my counselor about a schedule change tomorrow," he joked feebly.

"Do you want me to take you home now?"

"Yeah,"

They didn't make it to Koji's house. As soon as he turned his cell phone back on Koji found himself talking to a very pissed off Optimus. They were both promptly ordered to return to the base. Well Koji was ordered. Ultra Magnus was strongly advised that if he wanted all his body parts to stay attached, he'd bring Koji back to the base.

"Where the hell did you go!" Optimus yelled. He didn't get an answer. He hadn't expected one either. Koji never gave excuses, he never tried to justify himself when he'd done something really wrong like ditching school or getting drunk (which happened once or twice on Cybertron). It was something Koji had apparently picked up after being stuck with the Sakas for so long (the not making excuses thing, not the drinking). They'd always justified his abuse as punishing him for his father's sins (Whatever they were) or him being lazy or disrespectful or something. And here Optimus was thinking about the Sakas and Koji's past, which always made it so he couldn't stay mad at the boy (Koji's martyr personality made it hard too).

"Ok, what were you doing at a tattoo parlor last night?" He asked instead. He'd work Koji up to telling him what happened to make him skip the last three periods of the day. Koji only took on the martyr act when he was really upset, last time being after the Decepticons had attacked Sideburn right around the corner from the base.

Koji apparently decided showing him would be better than telling since he rolled up his sleeve, revealing his new tattoo.

Seeing it Optimus knew he couldn't be mad at Koji for it. He'd only been doing what Optimus had wanted him to do. Getting closure.

"Who's Eris Onishi?" X-brawn asked looking at the tattoo. It had two names and four dates written inside a broken heart.

"She's my mother," Koji said. He didn't know why but before they had gotten to the club he'd had the sudden desire to get something to remember his parents by. Well he couldn't say that it was sudden. Lately he'd been feeling like he was forgetting them, especially his mom who he could barely remember anyway. Getting their names, birthdays, and death dates tattooed on his arm had seemed like the best way at the time. It might have also had something to do with the three shots of whiskey he'd had before going out. He really didn't get why-- if Optimus didn't want him drinking--did he stock the house with the stuff.

He heard Optimus sigh; something Optimus had done a lot of in the last four years. Koji felt some guilt knowing that he was usually the reason.

"Why did you leave school?" Optimus asked softly.

Koji looked at Optimus' face and saw genuine concern. He knew Optimus was sincere, he always was, but he didn't usually show it so openly. Koji wanted to him the real reason he'd left but he couldn't. When Optimus felt guilty he didn't get over it. He would blame himself for putting Koji back in danger from Saka. Koji wouldn't do that to Optimus, not again.

"What do you mean 'he's back'?" Misa Saka asked incredulously, not believing her ears.

"I mean Hisao's son is back on earth, back in town, and I teach his fifth period class," Hao said.

"But- why? I thought Prime would keep him on that planet until he was at least eighteen," she said. She was worried. The Autobots had left them pretty much alone since they really didn't pose a threat to Koji while he was away but if he was back... Her train of thought was cut short by a cry from the next room.

"Mama!" her son's voice called from his playpen. She went and picked him up. He was crying, most likely picking up on his parent's distress. He was smart for a little one and her first child. She couldn't risk getting pregnant while married to Hisao since the child would legally be his. Hisao put up with her affair but she doubted he like her having Hao's child while married to him. He would have known for sure it wasn't his; he had never touched her, not even on their wedding night.

"So what should we do about it?" Hao asked.

"I have family in Kyoto. We can move there," she suggested.

"I meant what are we going to do about the kid. I'm not running from a child," Hao said.

"What would you have us do? Kill him!" she said exasperated. At the look on her husbands face She nearly gasped. "You want to kill him." It was a statement not a question.

"He's nearly an adult. If he decides to press charges now they'll listen to him. There is no statute of limitations on child abuse. They'll throw us in jail. They'll take Yama away! Do you want that!" he yelled.

"And if we kill him we won't live long enough to be sent to jail. The only reason Prime didn't kill us last time was because he was too worried about the boy to give us a second thought" she said.

"Not if we make it look like some one else did it. Prime has so many enemies how would they know it was us?"

"Maybe because it happened on Earth rather than on Cybertron," Misa said rocking her son.

"He was guarded better on Cybertron. He was within yelling distance of forty Autobots at all times. Here he only has one small one. He'd be an easy target for anybody," Hao said almost excitedly.

Misa shook her head. "I can't. I won't risk Yama growing up with out his parents."

Koji walked up the stairs toward his room. He was grounded until Saturday. Optimus wanted him out socializing with humans so he was going to let him go skating with Karl.

When he reached the door to his room he paused for a second then continued on to the attic. He'd use to hide there when he was little. It was his refuge.

Looking around he wondered if anybody had been in here since he was four. That was the last time he come-up. He'd stopped once the Sakas came into his life. He'd been afraid they would ruin it.

He found his old makeshift bed. It seemed smaller but it didn't look like any body had touched it since he'd been gone. He lay down on it and rested his head on the pillow. It was still as soft as a cloud. He was asleep in minutes.

He felt a strong pair of arms wrap around him and pull him back against a soft body. A voice began humming a soft lullaby and the arms began rocking him like a small child. He hadn't felt these arms in years. They'd held him whenever he'd been hurt, upset, or sick. Comforting him whenever he needed it.

The humming stopped and he felt himself being put back on his bed. Then the presence left, leaving a feeling of benevolence behind it.

AN: this is the last update until i get back from camping. see ya