A/N: Wow! My awesome beta got both my chapters done! So a big round of applause to TFPKOFANGIRL for being awesome as always and her work on these two chapters!

...

CHAPTER 8
First Day

Even if Dylan wouldn't admit it, he was scared to start at a new school. It wasn't that he had any attachments to the old school, of course, he'd tried to stay away from making bonds. But it was always a scary thing, going to a new school, where he knew no one. Well, that wasn't true, he supposed he'd know this kid Shawn he was supposed to meet. But the thought of that was a problem itself. He'd probably been tossed on this kid, who probably had his own friends, and his own classes to deal with without him. He probably would get tired of him quickly, just as most kids his age did.

But Ratchet didn't give him a choice of leaving, not at all. In fact, he was right there beside him as they entered the school, approaching the office. The school was bigger, and nicer than Dylan's old one, the type of public school that a parent would want to send their child to, unlike his last one. And that was already an improvement, considering he hated his last school, which had looked like it could have fallen apart at any moment, and reeked.

"You'll do fine here," Ratchet offered as they walked down the hallway. "This is a much nicer high school than yours. And you'll find that they will be very understanding of your disabilities," Dylan opened his mouth to protest. "I know you need the extra help in math, at least. You'll thank me for talking about them later," He explained.

Great, Dylan thought, it was a good thing he'd get extra time and stuff probably. But the thought that other kids in school would know about his disability. It was bad enough that they were all going to figure out that he was a foster kid relatively fast! He held the strap of his backpack tightly as they entered the office to the school, where Ratchet activated his holoform, so they could walk up to the human side main desk together.

The human sitting there gave a look up to them, and a bright smile. Dylan couldn't tell if it was fake or not, but he still kept his eyes anywhere else. "Hello there," The woman spoke politely. "How can I help you today?"

"Yes, we were just here to pick up my son's schedule. It should be under Dylan Elijah Logan."

Dylan's eyes shot up, had Ratchet just called him his son? Without a "foster" attached to it? It shocked him even more than the fact that he knew his full name at all. He tried not to show the way his eyes lit up when he called him his son, but all the same, it did show a bit. "Oh! Of course, the new student," She smiled, nodding her head as she went to the back to grab a file. "Ninth grade, right?" She got a nod in response. "Alright, here we go, Dylan Logan," She nodded as she came back, handing him a paper. "Looks like your first class of the day is English with Mr. Franks, he's on the second floor, classroom 14B."

Dylan nodded with a quiet "Thank you." before turning and starting for the door. He was expecting Ratchet to leave then, but the mech lingered as they walked out of the room. "Alright, you heard her. Now Shawn is going to meet you near the gym to show you around. Which is why you're here a half an hour early," Ratchet looked at him. "Are you nervous?"

Dylan frowned, what did he care? But still, caught himself before doing it long, and slowly nodded his head. After all, he was definitely nervous, he always was when this happened. "How can I not be? This is my eleventh school," Dylan commented with a sigh. "And this time you aren't giving me a choice in keeping my head down and keeping quiet. And I'm not exactly good at being, y'know, social," He muttered.

"Well you already know one person other than Shawn here. At least in a pleasant way," Ratchet explained, Dylan raised an eyebrow at him. "Scarlet attends school here as well. So see? You don't need to go it alone anyway. No reason to keep your head down," Dylan grimaced a little, looking at the ground. "You know, you aren't tough to get along with when you're not putting on a mask. Be yourself, and you'll have no problems making more friends," He added.

Dylan tried to hide the fact he didn't want to make friends. He figured he had a few months at the best with Ratchet, and any friend he'd make he'd have to leave anyway. He didn't want to go through that again, but he was being forced into it by Ratchet, and he wasn't sure how much he liked it. "Yeah, and what happens if I have to leave them to go to the next school?" Dylan asked honestly. "It'll have been for nothing."

Ratchet stared at him for a long moment, as if stunned that he had asked him. But instead of getting angry, Ratchet crouched low, making sure Dylan could look him in the optics. "Dylan, there isn't going to be another school if I can help it. Just like there isn't going to be another home," He told him honestly. "If you leave my home, it will be by your own choice. But I made a promise I will not give up on you, and I'm sticking to it."

Dylan felt a knot in his throat, Ratchet had meant that? He was actually going to try to stick with him? Dylan crossed his arms silently, hiding a ghost of a smile as he looked at the older mech. No one had ever tried this hard for him before, no one had even said things like this before. "If you say so," He managed to say, his voice strained a bit, as he tried to figure out how to react. "I guess I could give them a chance."

"That's all I'm asking from you," Ratchet replied honestly. "Now go on, I have work, and you have someone to meet," He added. "I'll be here to pick you up at two, and if I'm caught up with something, First Aid will be here."

"Alright."

Dylan had started off down the hallway when the medic's voice spoke again. "And Dylan?" Dylan looked back towards him quietly. "Have a good day, youngling. I happen to know you're a sharp one, so I doubt you'll have trouble," He explained. "But, if you have any concerns, tell me once we see each other again, will you?"

Dylan paused for a long moment, still taking in how much Ratchet cared. Then nodded his head carefully, and started off further down the hallway.

...

"Hey! You must be Dylan."

Dylan quietly took in the boy he assumed to be Shawn. He was taller than him by a few inches, with slicked back blonde hair, and bright green eyes. And for a moment, he had to take in how muscular, and tough looking he was. Dylan got the feeling right off the bat from that and his letterman's jacket that he must have been a jock. "Yeah, that's me," Dylan managed. "Are you Shawn?"

"That's me!" Shawn replied brightly. "It's nice to finally meet you," He said as he held his hand out for a shake, which Dylan took with great hesitation. "So my dad says you're Ratchet's kid, right?" Dylan decided to nod, just going with it for the moment. "Wow, that must be interesting. Living with ole Ratchet the Hatchet."

Dylan raised an eyebrow at that comment, what was that? A nickname of some sort? Either way, he shrugged, given he didn't know much about what living with him was like yet. "I guess it's quite an experience," Dylan replied. "Going from my "warden" to my foster father," He explained. "But he doesn't seem as bad as other families," He muttered. "So what's with the nickname?"

Shawn laughed slightly, as if surprised he hadn't heard a thing about that. Was this some big deal? What did this guy expect from him, since he'd only been in his home a few days. "Aw, the twin's taught me that nickname," Shawn explained. "It goes with his bedside manner. Have you had to see him for a check-up yet?" Dylan shook his head. "Oh boy, you'll see why."

Dylan didn't know if he should be afraid, or amused, but forced a smile. Shawn put his hands in his pockets, looking the boy in the eyes. "So, dad says you're from Oregon?" Dylan nodded. "Cool, I've never lived outside of Jasper myself. I was born here, and lived on the streets here, so," He shrugged. "You'll have to tell me some stories about that. I always like hearing stories about states I haven't been to," He added.

"You been to many?" Dylan asked.

"Yeah, dad's job lets him travel. And I usually go with him," Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "He works building Autobot bases and stuff. So whenever they need a new one, we go to the town and all," He looked at Dylan calmly, and nodded. "You'll meet him soon I think. When Prime comes into town next week we'll all probably meet up," He added.

Dylan froze, Optimus Prime was coming here? And he was going to meet him? While he didn't hero worship him like most kids, the thought of meeting the leader of the Autobots was nerve-wracking for a kid like him. "Optimus Prime is coming here?" Dylan asked as the lump in his throat began to form. "Ratchet would be crazy to take me to meet him. That's like taking me to meet the president. I'd screw up, royally," He admitted.

Shawn gave him an understanding look, and Dylan was getting the feeling he did understand. He was adopted too, after all, and maybe he was adopted when he was a little older. "When I was five I met him for the first time, and I'd spent almost my entire life on the streets," Shawn told him. "But Optimus isn't like that, Dylan. He's a really understanding mech."

Dylan heard that thrown around a lot about a lot of different people. But they couldn't all be nice, could they? All of Team Prime were combat veterans, and all of them still went into combat when needed. They were hard afts that didn't take anyone's crap, Ratchet had proven as much by now. "Yeah, we'll see about that. Not many people put up with me, just ask my last fifteen "families"," He shrugged. "So, he said you're supposed to show me around?"

Shawn took that as a sign that Dylan was done talking, and he was right. Really, he didn't much care to stand around talking about their guardians all day. "Right, well you come from the school on the other side of town, right?" Dylan nodded. "They're not too much different. All high school's kinda look the same around here I think," He explained. "But here, let me see your schedule," As Dylan handed it over, he scanned the classes. "Ah, English, good that's on the way to my class. Sorry to say it looks like you don't have classes with me, but I'm not surprised. You're a frehshman, I'm a sophomore."

Dylan huffed, so he was going to mostly be on his own after all. He couldn't believe he felt this way, but he did feel a little disappointed. Considering Shawn, at the moment at least, didn't seem so annoying. "It's fine. I'm usually on my own at school anyway," He replied honestly. "It's easier that way since I move from home to home."

"That sounds like it sucks," Shawn replied. "But you're friends with Scarlet Hide, right?" Dylan nodded, surprised by the response. "She hangs with my group too, and she's in your English, math, and science classes if I remember correctly," He added to which Dylan's eyes bugged. "I gotta say, you set your sights high with Scarlet if that was an indication of a crush. I wouldn't want to be on that side of Ironhide's daughter."

Dylan blinked, Ironhide? That was an Autobot name! Scarlet's parents were Autobots too? He supposed he shouldn't be too surprised, considering he knew only a little about Scarlet's home life. But the idea that he hadn't heard yet, well, it surprised him. "Wait, Scarlet is an Autobot kid like you?"

"Like me, and like you too now," Shawn commented. "I'm surprised you didn't know. Ratchet and 'Hide go way back, and she was adopted from foster care, too," He explained honestly. "I thought he'd leave showing you around to her really. But then again, maybe Ironhide might have read that the wrong way. And Chromia hates it when he gets worked up," He laughed.

Scarlet had been a foster kid too? Suddenly, everything made a lot more sense to Dylan. The reason she had been so willing to accept his problems, and why she reached out to him so quickly. And here he had been, thinking Scarlet couldn't really relate and could never possibly understand him. When she probably understood him even better than someone like Shawn did. "Wow, I just... The entire time I've known her she'd never mentioned," Dylan admitted, his voice quiet. "You'd think she'd have at least brought up foster care," He replied.

"Yeah, Scar's a tough nut to crack," Shawn agreed. "You don't know a lot of us are Autobot kids unless you ask. But we're everywhere these days. Whereas we used to be a real rarity," He explained as Dylan just stared at him with continued disbelief. "And you'll find some of them have histories like yours. Going from home-to-home, never really knowing what a family was," He explained. "The Autobots were so crippled by the war in some ways it's hard for them to reproduce. So they reach out where some other parents are scared to."

Dylan never thought about that, but it made sense. The Autobots had lost their planet, and perhaps generations of their species. So why not reach out, and try to pass on their legacies through generations of humans? And maybe, if Ratchet meant all that he'd said, his bloodline would become part of that legacy. But he shook the thought away quickly, he wasn't going to stay with Ratchet, he was convinced the mech was going to dump him eventually. That he was going to go to home seventeen and this was just another stop.

But some part of him, as small as it was, hoped he was wrong.

Because truth was, he was starting to like Ratchet, as strange an emotion as that was. And if he did continue to prove he was nothing like his dad, maybe becoming his legacy wasn't such a bad idea. "Hey, you still with me?" Dylan looked over at Shawn. "Come on, I've gotta show you around still."

Dylan took the opportunity to get his mind off this, and followed without any argument.

...

It turned out that the nicer school was just as boring as the poorer school. Each class introduced Dylan, and made him introduce himself, and each time, he avoided much talk of home life. Indeed, in three of these classes, Dylan saw Scarlet, though he had not had the chance to talk to her at any point yet. She didn't seem to be avoiding him though, considering she'd shot him quite a few smiles during English.

It turned out he was a little behind in the lessons, but lucky for him, he caught on fast in all but math. So after math had finished, and lunch let in, he was thankful to get away from number problems. But instead, as he stepped inside the lunchroom with the sack lunch of "healthy foods" Ratchet had given him, he found a new problem: where to sit. When you walked in to the lunchroom on your first day, it felt like all eyes were on you because of this.

So he simply stared around, looking for the nearest empty table. Instead, he found a hand on his shoulder, and turned to find Scarlet had approached him. "So, you're going to school here now?" Dylan nodded his head nervously, a little shaky. "Wow, what happened with the Johnson's?" She asked.

"Long story," Dylan replied honestly. "But the short version is I'm living with Ratchet now."

Scarlet looked at him for a long moment, and then giggled. Like he had said something really funny. But after a moment, the laughter slowly died down, and her eyebrows raised. "Wait, you're serious?" Dylan nodded. "Okay, sorry... You living with "uncle" Ratchet is just surprising," She added. "Come have a seat with me, will you? This is one story I have to hear."

And so, she led Dylan towards an empty table, as she knew him better than most people. Likely, she knew he wasn't ready to talk about this in front of people, and would rather make him comfortable. So, in response, he trusted her with the story between eating lunch. He kept most of his details brief, and to the point, and by the time he was done, she looked dumbfounded. "Wow, just... Wow," She breathed. "That is some interesting stuff, Dyl. I mean, I knew about his past... But that's new behavior for him," She explained.

"Yeah, it was really out in left field," Dylan replied.

"Well I wouldn't say that. He'd been talking to my dad, who's an Autobot too, by the way," She began parting her hair a bit. "About how concerned he'd been becoming about you. But I didn't know he was considering anything like this," She leaned back in her seat slightly. "You're lucky, he rarely shows real emotion until you get to know him better. Let alone takes kids into his home."

Dylan paused a moment, Ratchet had talked about him to others? Had he really been that concerned about him? Dylan rubbed his forehead silently for a moment, and looked at Scarlet. "Yeah, well, it's true. Where do you think I got the new threads?" He joked as Scarlet gave a small chuckle. "You know, you were right all those days, he's not so bad. But I really don't get his deal," He explained.

"His deal?"

"Well, how old were you when you were adopted by... Was it Ironhide and Chromia?" Dylan asked. "Because most people don't jump at the chance to take in older kids like me," He admitted.

"Ah, so Shawn told you."

"Yep," Dylan replied with a nod. "So, how old?"

Scarlet was silent, taking a sip of her soda before looking at Dylan. He got the feeling she didn't like talking about her past, but Dylan knew how to break the ice there. Though he never liked it. "I got taken into care when I was five," Dylan explained. "Because my dad used to molest me," Scarlet's eyes widened. "Don't go spreading it around, okay? I'm only even telling you because I figure maybe on some level you understand me..."

Scarlet looked down for a moment, then back at Dylan. "Wow, I mean, I knew it had to be bad. But, jeez Dylan, no wonder you have a hard time trusting people," She then added. "And your secret's safe with me if you'll keep my past on the down-low too," She explained.

"So you keep it secret too?"

"I don't... Talk about it a lot, no," Scarlet replied honestly, taking in his nod as a sign she could trust him. "But I was a victim of abuse too. Nothing as bad as that... But," She twiddled with her thumbs slightly, deciding whether or not to trust him. "Before I came to live with mom and dad, when I was seven, by the way... I lived with an uncle who tried to set me on fire," She added.

"On fire?" Dylan nearly gagged.

"Among other things, yeah. I still have a scar going up my back from where he tried," She explained honestly, her voice cracking. "He did a lot of other things too... Beat me, pull my hair, make me sleep on the floor," She shook her head. "He was a cruel man."

Dylan was silent for a moment, unsure he could trust Scarlet with intimate details of his abuse. He hadn't even gotten to trusting his own guardian enough yet. But all the same, he felt as though he could confide at least a little in Scarlet. "It's alright," Dylan blinked as Scarlet put her hand on his. "You don't need to tell me anything you don't want to. I can tell you aren't ready, probably haven't even told Ratchet, right?" Dylan nodded. "It took me four years to talk to my friends about it. The fact you even said what you did surprised me."

Dylan nodded his head slowly. "So they were your first foster family?"

"I phrased that poorly," Scarlet sighed. "If you want to know, I was put in when I was three," Dylan cringed at the thought of going through what she had that early. "They were my sixth placement."

Dylan nodded, so Scarlet may have understood, really understood. Maybe it wasn't the same kind of abuse, but somehow he felt he connected with this girl. Maybe only on the same level as Ratchet, but for now, he was okay with that, the idea of having someone else he could talk to. (Along with Bumblebee if his suspicions on the reason they met was correct) "I don't know when I'll be able to open up that well," Dylan admitted. "It's one thing to admit what he did. But details are hard..."

"That's okay," Scarlet replied. "When you are, I'm sure I won't be the only person here to listen."

Dylan couldn't help but smile a little at that. And not for the first time, he hoped he might stay around here a little longer than the other placements.

...

"So, how was school?"

Dylan was thankful that the voice had sounded out, or he might not have noticed Ratchet was actually there. He stopped in his tracks, and looked at the emergency vehicle with a look of surprise. Most foster parents made him take the bus, or sent someone to pick him up, or had an older foster kid drive them both home. But actually showing up themselves? He could only count about a handful of them. And now, Ratchet made around six of them. "You actually showed up?" Dylan asked.

"You say that like it's a surprise," Ratchet noted, popping the door open for Dylan. "Of course I showed up, I pitched a fit at them when they tried to keep me there," He told him bluntly. "Now get inside, youngling, and tell me how your day went."

Dylan wondered if he cared, or just wanted to make sure he had actually been in school. But all the same, he got inside, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. No one really asked how his day was, so he wasn't sure how to reply to that. "It was, interesting," Dylan didn't know if he should bring up Scarlet, so he decided not to. "Really different though. I mean the classes and all were the same. But I didn't feel like I had to watch my back as much," He admitted.

Ratchet could imagine so, not all "poorer" areas in town were bad. And this one wasn't either, really. But the school that was shared by it and a small fraction of the middle class kids (Dylan included given the family he had lived with) was known as being a hub for troublemakers and gangs. And though Dylan did cause trouble, he didn't cross him as one either, so he could imagine how fearful he might have been some days. "Well that's good to hear," Ratchet replied. "Now, a quick run-through of what happens today."

"A check-up, I know," Dylan groaned. "Don't remind me."

"You might not like it, but it's going to happen," Ratchet replied in a stern voice. "After that, you're going to do homework in my office. Unless you have none, in which case," He paused a moment. "I do have a suggestion for what you might do in the meantime."

Dylan crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow in response. "Alright, am I going to like this? Because I only have a few math problems," He explained, knowing even with his disability the amount he had wouldn't take more than an hour.

"Well, it depends," Ratchet explained. "On how you feel about helping out a little."

Dylan raised an eyebrow, what on Earth did Ratchet mean by that? He couldn't work at the hospital, maybe volunteer but... Oh God, no. He had enough volunteering going on with Ratchet's after-school program. "No," Dylan shook his head. "Volunteering? I do that on weekends too."

"It'd only be when you have little to no homework," Ratchet explained. "But yes, I am talking about helping out around the hospital. It would do you good to make friends with some people who work there other than First Aid and I," Dylan looked like he was going to argue, but Ratchet stopped him. "Or you can just sit in my office for then next four hours, doing nothing."

Dylan hated it when Ratchet made a point like that.