Author's note. Really sorry for how long it's taken me to update, I started this chapter ages ago but had a lot of trouble finishing. But it's finally here and I hope everyone enjoys it.

With thanks to Mediziner for her ideas.

Enjoy and please review.

"So what we going to do with him?" Rumble wanted to know as Ravage lovingly washed Spike's head.

"Play a game?" Frenzy suggested. "We've got some awesome ones, like Rapid Fire and..."

"He's too young for video games," Ravage chided, pausing in her licking. "You'll need to think of something else."

"Alright, alright," Frenzy grumbled. "It was just a suggestion."

Spike chirped curiously as Soundwave came over to them.

"Play nice with the Sparkling," he commanded. "I am going to recharge; I do not wish to be disturbed."

"In other words," thought Spike. "Don't make a lot of noise."

"We'll be fine," Rumble said with a wave of his hand. "You can go and rest, we won't bother you."

Soundwave gave him a stern look before departing into a back room. As soon as he was gone, Frenzy and Rumble grinned widely, obviously relieved that the authority figure had departed.

"Now we can have some fun," Rumble declared with relish as Ravage shook her head. Spike giggled her tongue or whatever they called it was ticklish.

"Just don't cause a mess," Ravage warned him as she finished with Spike and stood up with a stretch.

"Where you going?" Frenzy questioned.

"Out for a run," she replied. "Now look after him or there'll be trouble."

"Yeah, yeah," Rumble said, waving a hand. "Geez, I think we can handle one Sparkling."

"We'll see," she said simply as she left.

"Pft, as if we'd screw up," Frenzy said with a smirk. "But we can have some fun."

"Too right," Rumble declared as Spike looked at them curiously.

"So what are we gonna do?" his brother questioned as Spike started looking around.

"I dunno, maybe dress him like a retro-rat?" suggested Rumble. "We could scare some of the dorks with him."

"Nah, he's too cute for that," Frenzy said with a shake of his head. "But I doubt he'll care whatever we do with him."

Rumble nodded and glanced to where he'd last seen Spike.

"Uh, where is he?" Rumble asked, looking around for the young Sparkling.

"There," Frenzy half yelped and Rumble turned to see Spike half way up a data pad case. He was just reaching for the next level but his hand was closing on a data pad and if he yanked, he'd probably go flying backwards.

"Holy slag," Rumble yelled, lunging forward and leaping upwards to grab Spike who squeaked in surprise.

He lifted Spike down and firmly set him back on the ground.

"Don't do that," Rumble scolded him sternly as Spike stared up at him with wide optics. "If you fall and injure yourself, Soundwave and Thundercracker will have our heads. Is that what you want...aww, slag it."

Spike had started to whimper, his optics filling with slivery liquid as the two cassettes gaped in horror at him.

"No...don't cry," Frenzy tried to say but Spike wasn't stopping, the whimpers were starting to turn into sobs.

"Shut it you idiot, you're making it worse," Rumble snapped at his brother, causing Spike to burst into noisy tears.

"No, you're making it worse," Frenzy argued as Spike cried harder.

"Frag it all," Rumble grumbled, going over to Spike and nudging him. "Hey come on, stop that."

This naturally made no difference and the Minicon threw up his hands in frustration.

"This is ridiculous," Rumble said furiously. "Why won't he stop?"

"I don't know do I," Frenzy retorted, giving his brother a hard shove.

"That's obvious," snarled Rumble, giving him his own hard shove.

They started shoving each other, trading insults as Spike watched, still crying. But eventually, Frenzy gave Rumble a hard shove and Rumble responded with one that was so powerful, his brother was almost sent off his feet. Instead, Frenzy went stumbling backwards and hit an old case that had a bowl balanced on top of it. The bowl rocked precariously before spilling its contents which happened to be Energon treats.

"Ow!" Frenzy yelped as the Energon treats rained down upon his head before tumbling onto the floor. "Ow...Ow...Ow...Ow!"

For a moment, Spike just stared before he burst into laughter

"Chirp...chirp...hic...chirp...hic...chirp...hic," Spike laughed while also hiccupping as the cassettes stared at him.

"What the frag's wrong with him now?" Rumble exclaimed, starting to get even more panicked.

"I think he's got hiccups," Frenzy said worriedly, rubbing at his head. "We gotta get him to stop."

"I know that idiot," Rumble snapped angrily. "But how are we gonna do that?"

"I dunno," Frenzy said mulishly. "You're always boasting you're the smart one, you think of something."

"Uh, let's put the TV on," he said in desperation. "Maybe there'll be something on there."

"Okay...that could work," his brother said with a nod. "He'll forget he's hiccupping and stop, yeah, sounds good."

He switched on the telly and a new programme came on. With an air of disgust, Frenzy switched channels, his dad and some of the others enjoyed the news but him and his brother didn't. It was just so boring. As he flicked, he suddenly spotted a wrestling show and whooped, this looked good.

"Much better," he said in satisfaction as his brother planted Spike right in front of the telly. The Sparkling gazed up in amazement, still hiccupping but at a less frequent pace. Pleased they'd solved the problem, the twins settled down to watch the fights.

However, they were soon back on the feet, cheering on their wrestles, showing off their own moves.

"Hit 'em, hit 'em," Frenzy yelled, punching the air.

"No, not like that," groaned Rumble as the wrestler he was supporting hit the deck.

Spike was now watching them, they were more entertaining than the so called wrestlers. Especially when they started jumping about, punching and kicking invisible enemies, all the while whooping, that was the best. However, the floor was not entirely clear and Spike could see Rumble was heading towards a lone cylinder lying on the floor.

And finally, his foot connected with it.

"Come on, you just gotta...AHHH!"

He tripped and went flying; smashing into a cabinet which came open and Spike spotted a bright pink cube tittering dangerously. He watched it in absolute fascination as it leaned further and further out.

"Yow," Rumble yelped as the cube crashed to the floor. "Damn it."

"Well that went well," Frenzy muttered, going over to help his brother up and forgetting about the sparkling. Which turned out to be a big mistake.

Spike eagerly went forward and touched the glowing liquid with one little hand. With a giggle, he smacked the ground, causing the Energon to splatter everywhere. A few flecks hit his armour but he didn't care, he was having too much fun making a mess. Frenzy bent and scooped up a little of the Energon, giving it a lick before exclaiming.

"Aww Pit, this is High Grade."

"You're kidding me," Rumble growled. "What else could go wrong?"

"That," Frenzy said dumbly as Spike suddenly realised he was covered in very tasty Energon and decided he wanted to stuff a dripping fist into his mouth.

"Frag, if he drinks that and gets sick, we're slagged," Rumble cursed, striding forward and grabbing Spike.

"Right, you take him and clean him up, I'll deal with this," the purple cassette ordered his brother. "Stick him in the tub or something, he can play there."

"Why me?" Frenzy exclaimed. "You just want to hog all the High Grade."

"Your better with him," was Rumble's answered, handing the Sparkling to his brother. "Go on before he gets cranky."

"Fine," Frenzy grumbled, carrying Spike into their wash room. It wasn't easy, Spike was sticky with energon and was also wriggling madly as he wanted to play some more in the High Grade spill.

"Hey, hey," Frenzy exclaimed as Spike almost escaped over his shoulder. "You're not getting away from me."

"Bah," was Spike's response to him.

"Yeah, bah yourself," Frenzy muttered, finally making into the wash room and somehow closing the door. He placed Spike in a large tub which had steps that were obviously for the cassettes.

Frenzy grabbed a few bottles and poured them onto Spike who giggled with delight and started smacking at it. Frenzy sighed as he turned on the taps to start filling the bath with hot liquid. As it hit the substances coating Spike, it turned foamy and a rather sweet smelled wafted about the room as steam filled it.

"That alright for yah?" Frenzy asked, moving close to Spike in case he fell in too deep.

Spike giggled at him and started smacking at the water and foam, squealing with delight.

"Aww," Frenzy grumbled, quickly climbing into the tub so he could hold Spike still. "Come on, just get yourself clean alright?"

"Sorry, I'm having too much fun," Spike told him with a chirp, trying to sink himself lower into the bath, it felt so good.

"You're a bit of a brat, you know that?" Frenzy told him as he received a face full of foam courtesy of Spike's splashing.

As he spat out soap suds, he became aware of a strange sound coming from their living room. He frowned, it sounded a bit like Rumble but what the pit was that sound he was making?

"Hey!" he yelled. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing...hic...nothing's wrong...hic...hic," was the reply.

"I don't believe it," Frenzy groaned, Rumble was hiccupping now.

"Stupid fragger," he muttered, he was drinking the High Grade for himself.

Spike giggled, he should have known that one of them would drink that stuff. He was actually having a pretty good time now and this bath was so warm. Frenzy murmured a few more curses before turning back to Spike.

"Alright, I suppose I'd better get you clean," he sighed as the Sparkling just giggled at him. He was starting to wonder if this was what Soundwave felt like when they'd been young? He thought about it for a moment before giving himself a shake.

He took hold of the Sparkling and started to scrub him with a wet cloth as the youngster continued to splash about. It took him a while but finally, Spike was properly clean. As he lay back with the Sparkling still splashing, Rumble came stumbling into the room.

"Hic...hey?" he asked, swaying on the spot. "Wazz 'appening?...hic"

"Frag off," snapped Frenzy grumpily as Spike giggled.

This had turned into a very fun play date.

Sometime later the three of them were collapsed on Soundwave's berth, feeling very tired. Spike couldn't help but purr slightly with contentedness; he was warm, sleepy and very happy. Who knew he could feel that way in the Decepticon base surrounded by Cons, most of whom had had a go at him when he was a human.

Soundwave had already left quite a while ago; he'd somehow had a very peaceful recharge and had allowed them to rest on his berth. The cassettes did so gladly and Spike was happy to snuggle with them. He still missed his dad, his friends and having a human body but he had to admit, this wasn't as bad as he'd thought it would be.

...

"How has he been?" Thundercracker questioned with a smile, seeing his little Sparkling almost asleep in Soundwave's arms.

"Sparkling has been well behaved," Soundwave confirmed as he handed him over.

"Excellent and it looks like you've tired him out," Thundercracker said very approvingly. "I might have to bring him round again."

Soundwave inclined his head, indicating that would be acceptable. Thundercracker bid him goodbye. The Seeker carried the sleepy Sparkling away, smiling proudly at the sight before him.

"You do look like you had a good time," Thundercracker told Spike softly.

"I did," Spike chirped very softly.

"You can have a proper nap when we get back to my quarters," Thundercracker assured him, watching as Ricochet sleepily yawned widely.

"My beautiful son," he murmured softly to himself as Ricochet slipped off into recharge.

Author's note. Wheeljack tries to fix his invention but something else goes awry. And meanwhile, Thudnercracker notices something off about his charge. Find out what it is next time.