Hey, FINALLY got this out. This is the oneshot for the 300th reviewer, HeartsGuardianSol that I finally felt like finishing. Her first request was one that i had no idea how to do without completely giving away some really important parts so her second one was of Ratchet growing up. I was really excited to do this, once I figured it out, because of the not totally accurate image people have of Avalon.

So without further delay, Critical Choices.

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14 metacycles ago

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Six metacycle old Ratchet giggled as he watched yellow-gold legs walk by. They paused before the mech continued on. Thinking he was safe, he made a mad dash for the couch only to let out a squeal when strong arms wrapped around his tanks and yanked him up a familiar chassis.

"Gotcha!" Avalon yelled as Ratchet squirmed. He let out another shrieking laugh as Avalon blew kisses into the side of his neck.

"Would you two keep it down?" Mica asked with a smirk as she walked into the living room with her arms crossed over her glimmering paint.

Avalon and Ratchet shared a sly look before he released Ratchet and lunged forward to grab his mate in a hug. With a sharp yelp from her, he swept Mica up before falling with her in his lap onto the couch. Ratchet pounced on her as Avalon mercilessly ran his digits up her side.

"I told you don't do-!" Mica gasped before breaking up in laugher as Avalon hit the armor seam he was after.

"Don't do what sweatspark?" He purred before kissing her neck. He tweaked a wire in her side and she nearly jumped out of his lap.

"That!" She squawked, swatting his servos away. Avalon responded by grabbing her wrists, pinning her crossed arms over her chassis.

"Get her Ratchet!" He called as she squirmed. Ratchet grinned before sinking his digits into the gaps in her armor. Mica howled with laugher, withering to get free and not accidently send her mechling flying across the room and he wiggled his way onto her lap.

"I got her Sire, I got her!" Ratchet giggled as he gasped for air, a huge grin on his faceplates.

"That's my mechling!" Avalon praised before finally releasing Mica. The femme twisted with a grin on her faceplates, latching onto Avalon's armor.

"My turn." She said before she planted a kiss on his lip plates. He stiffed in surprise before relaxing only to nearly shoot off the couch when Mica dig slim digits in to his armor.

"No fair!" He wheezed as Ratchet climbed higher up the couch to wrap his arms around his sire's neck cables in a hug.

"Totally fair Love." Mica said before kissing him again. Avalon managed to get an arm free to hug her and return the kiss. Abruptly he pulled away, holding a servo up as he glanced away.

"Comm?" Mica asked.

"I need to go." He said abruptly and Mica frowned.

"Of course you do." She said as she reached out to pick Ratchet up and set him on her hip bolt. "We'll see you this evening."

"I'm sorry Mica." He said as he stood up and brushed invisible dust from his gleaming frame.

"Come on Ratchet, want to head to the park?" Mica asked, ignoring him as she turned away.

"Mica! Don't do this." Avalon said with a frown.

"Don't do what." Mica asked in an innocent tone as she turned to look at Avalon. "You're the one leaving. Enjoy your time with the Prime. Now if you'll excuse us." She continued before gliding out the door.

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"How come you and Sire fight all the time?" Ratchet asked in a small voice as he watched traffic drive past Carrier's window.

"We don't fight all the time." Carrier corrected. "Just…"

She trailed off with a sigh before pulling over to the side of the road. The side door popped open and Ratchet jumped out, waiting for Carrier to transform. She did and he reached out to grab her servo as they walked down the busy sidewalk.

"Sire is just really busy." She said. "His job is really important to him and to us. Without him we'd be nothing. You understand right?"

Ratchet glanced up with his gold optics to lock on her similar pair.

"Yeah, I guess." He said, glancing down as they continued down the sidewalk. Shadows in an alley caught his attention and for a moment he locked optics with a scrawny, red optic mech. "We're better than them?" He asked, watching the mech until they were past the alley before glancing back up at Carrier.

"Yes. Their purpose in life is to serve us." Carrier replied with a nod. "But at the same time…"

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing. It doesn't matter." Carrier said simply. "You don't have to worry about anything."

"Get out!"

Ratchet clung to Carrier's servo at the sudden yell and she jerked him back as a mech crashed to the ground at their peds.

He was badly scuffed and as he scrambled to his peds Ratchet clung to Carrier tighter.

"What's his kind doing here!" She spat, pulling him closer to her as she backed up.

"Please, he needs help!" The mech begged and Ratchet glanced up to see him slowly get to his peds. A bright orange mech with black accents barged out of the doorway the mech had come flying out of.

"I don't treat your kind! How did you even get this far into Iacon!" He demanded.

"He needs help he's going to terminate!" The mech continued.

"Cone on Ratchet." Carrier said, pulling him away while keeping a firm hold on him. "We'll go a different way."

"But what's wrong!" Ratchet asked in confusion, glancing back at the mech.

"Please he's my brother!"

"Nothing that you need to worry about." Carrier continued, finally sweeping Ratchet into her arms to walk away.

"He's a medic." Ratchet said quietly, watching as the mech came out of the building farther to reveal the bright red cross on his shoulder guard.

"It doesn't matter. Not for their kind." Carrier said.

"I thought medics were supposed to help others." Ratchet continued in confusion.

"They are."

"Then why won't he help him?" He asked again as he watched anther mech walk out of the medbay. He didn't have the medical cross and Ratchet buried his helm in his carrier's neck cables when the mech brutally kicked the other mech.

"Because it's not how it works!" Carrier hissed, ducking into an arch way to set Ratchet down and face him. "It doesn't work that way. That mech shouldn't have come in this far, he's lucky he isn't arrested."

"But what about his brother?" Ratchet asked.

"He'll terminate." Carrier said bluntly and Ratchet glanced up at her in horror.

"But why! Why won't anyone help him!"

"Because he's nothing but gutter sludge!" Carrier yelled. "They are worthless and no true medic will waste valuable materials on someone who has the life expectancy of a scraplet."

Ratchet dropped his optics, trying to ignore the sharp cry of pain that rang out and the loud jeering that followed.

"We're getting out of there, there's going to be a mob." Carrier growled, transforming and opening her door. Ratchet scrambled in but stayed by the window to watch as she pulled back out onto the street. Just as she pulled out a grey pickup truck streaked with blue roared past. At least another dozen other vehicles were after him.

"He'll never get out of the city." Carrier growled. "He should have stayed with his brother."

"Can we go home?" Ratchet asked quietly. "I don't want to go to the park anymore."

"Of course Sweetspark." Carrier said quietly as Ratchet curled up on the seat, his helm resting against the glass.

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11 metacycles ago

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"A medic?" Avalon asked in surprise as he quietly slid the door to his creation's room closed. "What brought that on?"

Mica turned to give her mate a shrug before refocusing on her datapad. "I don't know. He was enjoying politics but I do know his friend, Focus?"

"Yeah."

"He's training to become a medic." Mica continued. "I guess he just wants to stay with his friend."

"You know we don't have friends." Avalon said with a frown as he walked over to kiss his mate on the top of her helm. With a low hiss she shoved him off.

"Maybe you don't but Ratchet's only 10." Mica said with a frown. "He doesn't care about this political backstabbing the way you do. I think it's great that he wants to become a medic."

"I'm not denying that." Avalon said with a sigh, moving to sit down across from his mate. "But you know I only want the best for him. Yes he's young but he needs to learn fast that if he doesn't follow the laws, he could lose his position or worse."

"Make you look bad." Mica mumbled under her breath and Avalon stiffened.

"That's not true." He objected. "He's my creation Mica, I love him more then anything."

"No you don't." She continued, finally setting her datapad down to look him straight in the optics. "All you care about is your job."

He opened his mouth to object again but Mica held a servo up.

"No, it's true." She said. "Every time your comm goes off its Prime wanting this, Prime wanting that, and you jump to his side."

Avalon glared at her but let her continue.

"You're hardly home and when you are, its when he's just about to go to bed." Mica said quietly. "He misses you. You never used to be as busy."

Avalon wilted, reaching out to gently rub a digit over the back of her servo.

"I know it's just…" he vented a sigh.

"The Council is still in an uproar airn't they?" Mica asked.

"Yeah. The problem is, those punks think it's a game to see how far into Iacon they can get." Avalon said, a growl escaping him before he sighed again. "I just want to keep Ratchet safe. I don't want anything to happen to him."

"If he does chose to become a medic, he'll still be close by." Mica said with a smirk. "You can still keep an optic on him and if that's what he wants that's a bonus."

"It is a well-paying career." Avalon said with a one sided shrug. "And with my connections, he'll be well off."

"Exactly. You won't have anything to worry about." Mica said with a smile, leaning forward to kiss him.

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10 metacycles ago.

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Ratchet burst into the apartment, a grin nearly splitting his faceplates. He couldn't believe it! They'd accepted him! He was going to study at the Iacon Medical Academy with Focus!

"Sire!" He yelled, remembering at the last moment to close the door as he waved a datapad over his helm. "Carrier! I got in! They said they would take me!"

"Ratchet that's wonderful!" Carrier said as she walked into the room with a beaming smile and her arms wide. Without slowing down Ratchet ran into her arms giving her a tight hug. He couldn't believe it! "I'm so proud of you."

"Yeah I get to see the Academy in a few cycles and see where all the classrooms are and everything!" Ratchet continued before pausing and glancing around. "Where's Sire?"

Carrier sighed before shaking her helm.

"He's at the Estates. But he said that we could come by when you were done school." Carrier said.

"Really?!" Ratchet asked in surprise. He almost never got to go the Estates. The place was amazing!

"Sure, we can go now if you want."

"Yeah! I can't wait to tell Sire." Ratchet said as he followed Carrier out into the hall. He quickly grabbed her servo even though he knew he was too old for that and practically bounced down the hall to the lifts. Finally he could do something!

He jumped into Carrier as soon as she was sitting in her alt mode and was still twitching with excitement as the safety belt slid around his waist.

The drive took way to long considering it wasn't that far away but he was too excited, clutching the datapad to his chassis. They finally made it through security and he burst out of her cab before she could even open the door. Before he could take off though she'd transformed and grabbed his arm.

"Oh no you don't!" She said with a laugh, dragging him back to her side. "You have to behave here, remember?"

Ratchet gave an exaggerated sigh before nodding and straightening up properly.

"That's my mechling." Carrier said with a grin as they started down the massive hallways. Ratchet tried to look dignified, he really did, but when he saw that unmistakable yellow gold armor he tore free of Carrier and bolted toward Sire.

"Sire!" He yelled as he ran toward the surprised mech as he spun around.

"Ratchet?!" He squawked as Ratchet collided with his legs in a fierce hug.

"I got it! They accepted me! I get to train to be a medic!" Ratchet said into his legs before Sire finally crouched down to his level.

"That's great Ratch, it is but…" Sire trailed off with a wince and Ratchet finally glanced up to see Sentinel Prime standing just off to the side, looking down at him in amusement.

"S-S-S-Sir!" Ratchet stammered, finally remembering his manners and dipping into a formal bow. "I apologise I didn't-"

"Do not apologise Ratchet." The red and silver Prime said with a faint chuckle, giving Sire a smirk before glancing back down at Ratchet. "That is good news. A medic you said?"

"Yessir." Ratchet replied, bobbing his helm and shifting his weight back and forth. He was far too excited for formalities.

"Then I wish you the best with your studies. It is not an easy career."

"No sir." Ratchet said, bobbing his helm again. "I just wanna help mechs that don't have anyone."

Sire stiffened, optics shooting to Carrier before he dropped into a crouch beside Ratchet.

"Hey mechling, let's say we go out to a fancy place this evening?" Sire asked softly. "To celebrate?"

Ratchet nodded, still grinning as Carrier came up and rested a servo on his shoulder guard.

"Alright then. I'll see you tonight." He said with a grin, gently taking Ratchet's helm in his servos to plant a quick kiss on the top of his helm before pulling him into a quick hug. "I'll see you at home."

"Ok." Ratchet said with a grin before reaching up to take Carrier's servo and following her out.

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Avalon watched his mate and mechling leave, feeling his armor crawl as Sentinel's gaze slid to him.

"Help mechs that don't have anyone?" Sentinel asked in a low voice.

"I apologise for him sir." Avalon replied, too nervous to meet the Prime's glare. "He didn't know what he was saying."

"I hope so." Sentinel replied. "He takes after you. I would hate for him to get involved with matters that he shouldn't."

"I understand sir."

ooOOoo

Avalon slowly closed the door to his mechling's room, making sure it latched before silently walking into living room.

"Rough orn?" Mica asked, handing him a cube of energon.

"Primus yes." Avalon growled, shaking his helm. "What am I supposed to do with those mechs!"

"That group in the mountains?" Mica asked softly.

"Yes. They're lead by a mech designated Gunner. Mech should have terminated metacycles ago." Avalon continued, pacing the room. "Mech's nothing but bait metal but he keeps that gang in check somehow. But it's not him I'm worried about it's that glitched medic Chrome. He's starting to become a real nuisance."

"So have him transferred. Let someone else deal with him." Mica suggested with a shrug.

"I can't!" Avalon spat. "The entire mining class is behind him! I get rid of him and we have another riot on our servos like the last time we locked him up! That mech, Gunner, he's too smart. I don't know how he keeps those mechs in line but he does. Formech's also concerned about his creation."

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's even tougher than his sire." Avalon grumbled. "I swear, if anything happens to Gunner, Dusty's gonna take over. Fraggit. And now this with Ratchet!"

"What's wrong with him becoming a medic?" Mica asked with a frown. "I think it's a wonderful idea."

"But what brought it on?" Avalon asked, glancing at his mate as he continued pacing. "Why this sudden interest?"

"His friend wanted to become a medic for a long time. I told you already." Mica replied.

"I guess. I'm just a little surprised at his career change." Avalon confessed, sinking into the couch with a tired groan. Mica came up beside him and started gently massaging his tight shoulder guards. "Sentinel was just a little nervous."

"What's to be nervous about? Ratchet's smart, he wouldn't do anything that would jeopardise himself or us."

"I know." Avalon said, relaxing against Mica's servos. "I just… Primus I don't want anything to happen to him. I just want the best for him."

"I know you do." Mica said softly. "We both do. Ratchet will make a fine medic."

"He'll be more than just a 'fine' medic." Avalon said firmly. "He'll make a brilliant medic. I know he will."

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5 metacycles ago

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"You what?!"

"I said I wanted to get Chrome to mentor me." Ratchet said with a shrug, avoiding his sire's blazing optics. "I've done my research, he's brilliant."

"And just what in pit makes you think he's any kind of medic!" Avalon demanded. "You know what he is!"

"I've looked up the numbers." Ratchet continued. "I'll admit that it was hard finding casualty reports but the ones that I did find all say that when Chrome showed up, termination rates have slowed dramatically. He's obviously doing something that affects the numbers!"

"That mech is a danger to everything you know." Avalon hissed, jabbing a digit at Ratchet as he continued pacing. "I've invested more than you realise into your career and I will not let you waste it!"

"It's my choice!" Ratchet snapped. "We get to choose our mentors!"

"Not in my house!" Avalon snarled. "I will not let you throw everything I've done for you away!"

"You've done!" Ratchet yelled, shooting to his peds to spin and face his sire. "What are you talking about! I'm the one working my aft off!"

"You really think you're that smart?" Avalon asked with a smirk, pausing to face the young mech. "You honestly think you could have gotten this far without my help. Without my credits."

Ratchet's armor flared in alarm.

"You're bribing them." He said barley above a whisper. "You're- you're bribing the Academy. How could you."

"You're grades were never high enough to get in." Avalon growled. "You never would have passed the introduction courses."

"So everything's a lie." Ratchet asked. "What about when I graduated! What about the mechs and femmes I would end up treating! Sire I could terminate someone!"

"Credits will get you far in life." Avalon said with a smirk.

"How could you." Ratchet asked again before a low snarl built in his throat. "How could you! I could have passed those courses without your help!"

Avalon barked a laugh, shaking his helm as he continued pacing.

"I could have! I don't need your credits to buy a license, I can do it all myself!"

"You don't stand a chance Ratchet." Avalon said with a sneer. "Credits are all that matter around here."

"I don't care about the credits!" Ratchet snapped. "I care about helping mechs! I don't need your help proving that I can be a medic and I sure as Pit don't need your credits!"

"I'd like to see just how far you'd get without my credits." Avalon continued, turning to stalk up to Ratchet. "You'll be kicked out in a groon."

"You don't know what I'm capable of." Ratchet hissed, glaring up at his sire. "I'll prove it. I'll prove that I don't need you buying my license. I'm just as good as all the other apprentices and I'm gonna get the mentor I want and there's nothing you can do about it!"

Avalon slapped him, the backhanded blow making his helm spin as he stumbled to the side. The taller mech grabbed his shoulder guard, hauling him back upright and shoving him toward the door.

"Get out." Avalon spat, armor flared in rage. "Get out of my house."

"Gladly!" Ratchet shot back, wiping energon from his lip plate as he roughly shoved the door open. The spark stopping pain that came next nearly sent him to his kneebolts

Like a whip, the bond with his sire snapped viciously and Ratchet grabbed the wall, fighting to stay upright against the pain. Gritting his denta and with his servo pressed over his spark, he forced himself to walk down the hall toward the lift and down to the main floor.

By the time he got outside, the sharp pain had dulled to a throb and he glanced up at the Tower he had called home. The message was clear.

He wouldn't be welcomed back.

The realisation of what he had done hit harder than the severed bond and he felt his armor tighten against his frame. He was on his own. He had no credits and unless Focus was willing to take him in, nowhere to go. Sure he only had three more metacycles left before he graduated but his marks would drop if what Avalon had said was true. He'd have to work even harder to bring them back up.

Avalon didn't think he could do it but Ratchet knew otherwise. He'd be the best medic in Iacon.

Turning around, his gaze landed on the towering mountain ridge down Iacon's east side.

He'd never forgotten about the miner he'd seen when he was only six metacycles. Seeing the mech thrown out had scared him and he'd never found out what had happened to his brother. But maybe he could stop things like that from happening. But he was only one mech. It wasn't like he could change the laws that governed Cybertron or anything.

But maybe he could change just a small part of Cybertron.

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2 metacycles ago

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Hesitantly he pulled up to the double doors in the middle of the old white building, facing higher up into the mountains. The lights were on but he didn't see anyone though the glass sliding doors. With a deep exvent to steady his nerves, he transformed to biped, the soft dirt under his peds an alien feeling after the polished metal of the inner rings. He suddenly glanced around, realising just how bad of an idea this was. He didn't belong here. His bright paint and sleek armor screamed Elite even if he didn't go by the rank any more. Out here, this was miner territory and nothing would stop the big dangerous mechs from turning him into scrap metal if he accidently fragged them off. There would be no Enforcers to keep them back.

But this was what he wanted. This was why he had become a medic. With another exvent he finally walked up to the doors. The motion sensor caught him and they slid open. Ratchet was instantly hit with the clean sterile smell of a medbay and he was mildly surprised at the impressive state the place was in. It was far nicer than he could have ever expected.

Directly in front of him was a small office with a window to see the main doors. To the left was a single doorway and he could hear banging going on inside. To the right was the main medbay. A row of counters and cabinets lined the back wall while three berths lined the wall the main doors were on. A massive berth was up against the wall beside the counters while a huge overhead door took up the end of the medbay. An average sized steel examination table sat in the middle of the 'bay while another massive table was off against the wall with the counters.

"Piper! I swear if you're back again I will beat you over the head with whatever limb you got torn off this time!" A furious voice bellowed and Ratchet jumped.

"No sir. I'm ah... I'm looking for- for the medic designated Chrome." Ratchet stammered.

So i really really hope i got the time line right because my original one is still on my whiteboard at my old place and i have yet to find a classroom size whiteboard to replace the beloved thing.

To explain!

Avalon is not a "cruel" father by any means. He's a typical dad that just wants the best for his creation, even though his job takes up maybe a but to much time. Its when Ratchet's choices start contradicting Avalon's that he starts getting a little annoyed purely for the fact that he doesn't want his creation to screw up and drag his reputation down as well. When Ratchet blatantly says that he wants to do something (Chrome) that completely goes against Avalon, that's when he gets ticked. It's not so much as Avalon changing from a good sire into the dangerous, power-hungry monster we all know and love, but Ratchet refusing to become the typical dangerous, power-hungry Elite and instead become the "weird one" in that he actually cares about those below him. Even Focus is a bit like that if you go back to the early chapter of TMJ:A.

I hope that all makes sense.

See you all next time!

Read and Review I love you guys!