A/N: Thanks to my great beta, SIDEKICKS-ANONYMOUS, for their work on this chapter!

...

CHAPTER 22
Celebrating Love

Dylan didn't mind being the center of attention after the hearing.

In fact, he didn't mind much of anything. The fact that he was adopted, that this was all over, made him happy. Ironhide went all out on his godson's adoption party, decorating his home like it was already his fifteenth birthday. But instead of a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" banner, he was welcomed with a big banner reading: "WELCOME TO THE FAMILY DYLAN CHET." It was accompanied by a chorus of congratulations from various Autobots he'd become acquainted with.

Shawn had pulled him into a bear hug almost instantly. Scarlet's hug had lingered as long as Ironhide would allow, at which point he and Chromia, as his godparents, were next, followed by Bumblebee. The rest interchanged between hugs, fist bumps, and simple "congrats." It felt weird, and good all at once to be congratulated, but also strange. Though he also knew that it was their way of showing him that they were glad he now had a family. That he and Ratchet were now an official family.

Family…he had that now. He had that and more.

Most of the members of Team Prime were there. The only exception was Optimus, who had wanted to be there but had been called away on business. He promised to make it up to a very forgiving Ratchet next month, when he'd be in town around the time of Dylan's birthday anyway. The thought of more celebration after this was crazy to Dylan. But Ratchet insisted it would happen anyway. It would be Dylan's first birthday with his family after all.

For the moment though, Dylan was simply enjoying the party. Ratchet was carrying him proudly on his shoulder now as he drank energon, and Dylan a soda. The two of them enjoyed the small talk as the music sounded out.

"Now that you're officially in the parent club, I hope you're ready." Ironhide clapped Ratchet on the back as he spoke. "It's a really fun club. But you're getting right into the teenage years."

"He's had practice enough." Bulkhead chuckled from his side. "He's had Dylan for long enough at least."

Dylan grinned too, leaning against his father's neck. The mech definitely did have a lot of experience with teenagers now. Ratchet however, only seemed to smile proudly, and looked over at Dylan. "Well, I already know I've adopted a punk." He said in a way that said it was in a loving way, thankfully to Dylan. "But I'm happy to have this little punk in my home and spark."

"Yeah, well I've got a grumpy old medic for a dad now." Dylan teased. "If anything, I have reason to complain."

"Oh? This from the boy who I found spray painting me for kicks!"

Ratchet simply tickled Dylan's rib gently at that. Dylan laughed, a serious laugh that he hardly ever did at all. As it died down, Dylan simply continued to grin. Though a small whistle grabbed each of their attentions. "Hey! Dylan, come down here a minute!"

Dylan let himself be lowered to the ground in front of Scarlet. The girl grabbed his hand, and gently led him away. To tell the truth, Dylan hoped it would be the two of them alone. But he was somewhat relieved when she dragged him over to Shawn. "Finally got him away from his new dad?" Shawn teased.

"Well, you know Ratchet. He's a proud poppa." Scarlet stated as she took Dylan's hand gently. "What about you, Dyl? You a pretty proud son?"

Dylan let himself smile a little wider at that. Even if he still somewhat expected Ratchet could change his mind, he was. He felt proud to finally be a part of someone's family. "Pretty happy, at least. I'm still kind of shocked this even happened though, honestly. I was ready for Dad to change his mind."

"Pffffft, yeah right! Ratchet is beaming!" Shawn laughed. "He was probably just as excited as you were!"

Scarlet grinned, believing that she didn't have anything to add to that. Dylan simply smiled in response, leaning his head against hers as well. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just... It's still pretty hard to believe." He paused a moment. "You guys have to know what I mean, don't you?"

"Of course I do! But look, man." Shawn pulled an arm around him, pulling him over as he motioned around. "This whole party is for you! You've got a family now, a real, serious family. Believe it or not."

Dylan laughed, he supposed his friend was right. He had family now, family that he was hoping would, indeed, be forever. "Yeah, I guess I do. As crazy as it is, seriously. To think a few months ago I would have done anything to get away from my own dad." He admitted. "I would have laughed at the thought that he would be my dad."

"Scarlet knows all about that. She should tell you her story sometime."

Scarlet slugged Shawn for that one, as if she didn't want to bring it up. Dylan only grinned, taking a hold of her hand. "We don't have to talk about it. I was just saying." Dylan told him calmly.

Scarlet grinned a little, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and pulling him from Shawn. She looked into his eyes slowly, taking a deep breath. "You know, I haven't quite given you my present. I know you're gonna get a lot today, adoption day and all... But that's okay." She explained. "Mine's a little more personal."

Dylan chuckled a little, nervous. He knew what Scarlet had in mind. They hadn't had their first kiss yet, but Dylan had held off. He wanted to wait until it was clear that he would be there long enough to get serious. And that was now, that was this moment.

"Wow, should I turn around? Are you guys going to make out? I'd hate to be the witness when Ironhide finds out." Shawn teased.

The couple chuckled nervously. But Dylan merely watched Scarlet, waiting for her to make the move. It could never be him, no, he didn't have the guts. She leaned in closely, and after a moment, he did too before meeting her lips. The kiss was deeper, and more meaningful than anything Dylan had experienced. It lasted a few moments before they noticed two eyes on them, or rather optics.

Dylan could tell that Ironhide was twitching with a bit of uncertainty. But after a slow moment, he looked at Ratchet, then poked him. "You better make sure that boy of yours doesn't go any further than that, or I will be punting him out the door." Ironhide snorted.

Though Dylan couldn't hear it, he could tell by the look on Ratchet's face that he was amused. "Well, I for one want grandcreations. So at some point they have to." Ratchet joked. "But I agree, the thought of anything more scares me. But we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves."

Ironhide smirked. "With a kiss that passionate, how couldn't we?"

Ratchet chose to ignore that sentiment.

...

The rest of the gifts were mostly things that Ratchet and Dylan could do together. Tickets to different events, a few board games (something Ratchet didn't even begin to know what to do with), and a few gag gifts for Ratchet. Ratchet also got a few books in private that his friends believed might be good for him. Different data pad books on parenting the hurt child, to be exact. They included different things to expect from here on out, and many years down the road as well.

Dylan got a few things for just him as well. First Aid had given him several framed pictures of the best shots they'd taken over their time as a family. Ironhide and Chromia had gotten him an official "welcome to the family" present: an extremely fine art set unlike anything Dylan had ever seen. Ratchet had seemed flabbergasted that they would do something like that, but all the same allowed it. Though he now wondered how they would handle his birthday if nothing else.

Around the time that things were, slowly, dying down, Ratchet clicked his energon cube to get everyone's attention. Dylan realized he was going to make a toast. Admittedly, he wanted to shrink away at the thought of Ratchet actually saying something about him to all of these people, but of course, his father gave him no time to react.

"Alright, alright, everyone," Ratchet called out. "If you'll all give me a minute I'd like to say a few words to my son before this party starts to disperse." He explained.

"Dad..." Dylan groaned from the nearby couch, covering his blushing face.

"Oh don't give me that 'dad' business, kid. You get your little aft up here, I have some things to say."

Scarlet had to practically push him off the couch, but Dylan finally approached the mech. Ratchet took that moment to hoist Dylan up on his shoulder. To get even more eyes and optics on him, Dylan supposed. Just what he didn't want. "Dylan Elijah Chet... The first time I met you, there was something about you that I couldn't put my finger on. Something I still do not fully understand to this day." Ratchet began. "But whatever that feeling was... It told me to keep an eye on you."

Dylan blushed even harder at that. Yet despite that feeling of embarrassment, he let Ratchet go on. The mech "cleared his throat" slightly, and tensed a little. "Well, at the time I thought maybe I was crazy. Or just thinking wistfully that you could be the sparkling I'd hoped for. But then a miracle of some sort happened... And if anyone here knows me, they know I'm not really one for 'miracles.'" Ratchet got a bit of laughter at that. "You became just that. You came into life, and frag, I can honestly say it's never been the same since."

"Dad, you're—" Dylan murmured.

"Oh hush! It's true. Dylan, I've waited all my life to give someone that feeling I never got until so late in my life. So I want to thank you for riding this entire storm with me. I know I'm not a perfect father—in fact, I'm probably not even close to what you were expecting." Ratchet replied. "But thank you for giving me the chance to at least, try, to be the parent that you need. The wild ride was worth it, son. We made it."

Okay, that bit, even Dylan had to admit, choked him up a bit. Ratchet raised his energon cube. "To Dylan, and to the rest of my long, long life with him."

Dylan barely heard the return gesture to Ratchet. But after a long moment, he too clicked on his glass, grabbing everyone's attention. "Okay, I guess it's my turn now, uh... I didn't really prepare anything, and I'm not even really good at this." Dylan explained.

Ratchet looked surprised that Dylan wanted to speak, and return the speech at all. Yet he didn't really interrupt him, nor did he say a word, he simply listened. "Ratchet, when I first met you... I thought you were the grumpiest old mech I had ever met. And seriously, over the year I was in Jasper before that? I'd met a lot of them." Ratchet almost frowned, but kept it in. "All I wanted you to do at the beginning was go away. Just leave me alone, and stop acting the way you were. I didn't get why you even cared, especially about my foster parents..."

He paused, taking a long, deep breath. "But I guess somewhere along the way, I realized you did it because you cared. You cared about what happened to me on a level no one else did. Then you took me into your home, you made me a part of this, forgive me, insane family. I don't think I could ever thank you enough for what you did for me. And I'm pretty sure if I did, it wouldn't come out right. But I'm gonna try anyway. Thank you... Thank you for not giving up on me. And for teaching me what love really is."

Everyone stared at him for a moment, though he could make out a few "awww"s in the audience. "Oh uh, to Ratchet!"

"To Ratchet!" The crowd cheered.

He felt as Ratchet gently ran a finger along his side, looking at him with a deep smile. And for the second time, Dylan didn't mind he had been the center of attention again. Because Ratchet deserved every thank you he gave him. That much, he knew.

...

When the party had died down, Dylan and Ratchet were left alone for the night. They found themselves on the couch, resting and relaxing. Dylan was resting in the mech's lap in a way that Ratchet had to keep his legs close together to allow. Meanwhile, he was gently running circles along Dylan's stomach in a tender way as he did some work. Ratchet carefully looked down at his son with a smile. His son, that was exactly what Dylan was now. No one else wast listed as his parent outside of birth records, and no one would be recognized as such.

He finally had his dream of starting a family.

Did that family end with him and Dylan? Well, Ratchet couldn't be too sure of that. But for now, he enjoyed the feeling that there was a family now. Primus had brought him this boy, and he would forever be thankful for it. And better yet, thankful to himself that he hadn't simply written him off that day in the police department.

Dylan finally spoke. "I didn't think it was even possible to be this happy when I met you, y'know. But I don't think I've ever been as happy as I am right now... Just sitting here with the two of us and knowing you're my dad."

Ratchet smirked, rubbing the top of his head. "I remember it being euphoric myself. It's almost like after all that waiting, you still couldn't imagine how it feels. That goes double for now... When I now know you're not just my son in my spark, but legally as well."

Dylan smiled, carefully snuggling into his father's armor. It really did feel surreal, he thought. Knowing that Ratchet and First Aid were truly his family now. That he never again had to worry about Eugene Logan showing his face around there, or taking him away again. Eugene Logan—the fact he thought of him as that spoke volumes. He'd always thought of him as "father" to differentiate him from Ratchet, but now... Now he was nothing to him, another name out there in the world.

He'd hardly noticed that tears of joy had begun to move down his eyes again. But when he did, he quickly tried to wipe them away with the back of his arm. This was a happy day, and good tears, or not, he did not want to spend it crying.

"Why in the world are you crying?" Ratchet asked quietly.

"I shouldn't, but I am. I never thought I'd be free of him, Dad. I thought no matter what he'd stand in the way of me and a family. But now I just... I don't know. I don't know how to handle the emotions I'm feeling. I've never felt this way before." He explained.

Ratchet moved Dylan so he was sitting up, rubbing his back gently. He could imagine the insane amount of emotions no doubt going through the boy's mind. "I know... It's probably a little overwhelming. But it's a good change, is it not?" Dylan nodded his head in agreement, no argument was going to come there. "Then it's tears of joy. Sometimes we all have to shed those, Dylan. Remember when you called me Dad?"

Dylan chuckled a little, nodding. "Yeah, I know... I'm just not used to it. Or being so open with my emotions and stuff..."

Ratchet nodded. He had a hard time with it sometime too. But he knew it was becoming easier to show his emotions around Dylan. Because once one had a child, they wanted that child to feel loved, and cared for at all times. Even if it meant letting those emotions they sometimes hid come to the forefront. "It's okay, Dylan. I know it's hard once you put up walls. I understand more than a lot of people. But don't be afraid to show it around me. I'm more than happy to talk through emotions when you need to."

Dylan looked up at his father quietly. "So was it worth it then?"

"Was what worth it, son?"

"Going through all this trouble to adopt someone like me. Someone... brok—"

Ratchet picked him up and held Dylan close to his chest. "You're not broken; and of course it was worth every minute I spent. I couldn't be happier to have you as my son." He told him gently. "I asked YOU for the right to adopt you, son. Not even the other way around. Surely tell me that tells you enough how much I love you."

Dylan smiled softly, leaning his head against the chest. He understood that, but he also needed that affirmation, that he did love him. That he wasn't doing anything out of pity, or out of "obligation". "I know... I just want to make sure. I mean, I just..."

"I understand. Many children in your situation have the same thoughts. It was part of the research I did upon taking you into my home." Ratchet replied honestly, running a finger along his back. "There is no reason for you to ever fear that I don't love you as much as I say I do."

Dylan only smiled. He wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that. Did he believe him? Of course he did—to a point. But anything could change... Any... Well, he supposed that wasn't true. He kept thinking about it like that, always fearing it, but Ratchet never proved him right. He'd stuck by him until the end, and now he'd adopted him - made their family relationship something so binding no one could question it. And even if he would question it, as Ratchet said, he would always know deep down he was loved by the mech.

"I'm glad, Dad." Dylan told him gently as he snuggled into his chest plates.

They sat there for a long time in silence, simply enjoying each other's company. And before Dylan knew what had happened, he had fallen asleep, albeit slowly, to the hum of Ratchet's spark. He was only vaguely aware that he was asleep when he felt himself sinking deep into the soft mattress of his bed, followed by Ratchet's holoform gently rubbing his back.

"No matter how little you think about yourself... I'm proud to call you my son, Dylan." Ratchet told him quietly. He wasn't sure Dylan could even hear him, but he also didn't seem to care. "You are the greatest thing that has happened in my life. And from here on out, I want you to know your life is going to be what it should have been from day one."

He laid the gentlest of kisses on top of Dylan's head at that, seemingly unaware of the smile that formed on Dylan's face. "I love you son. Remember that, always."

And then he was gone, leaving Dylan to mull over his words. Words that, despite those negative thoughts in his head, he found himself truly starting to believe.