Ratchet POV

Ironhide seemed strangely pleased as I repaired the rather large dent that had caved his driver's side door completely in. I knew without a single doubt, that if a Con had done it, the old Weapon's Specialist would be highly fragged off. But it hadn't been a Con who had caused this damage; it had been a sparkling in an adult frame. A mere sparkling with only a few orns of combat training under her chassis. To Hide, that made all the difference that mattered.

"What are you so smug about?" I demanded irritably, even though I already knew the answer.

"Autumn got the drop on me. She was halfway across the hangar, and sittin down at that. She jumped up and kicked my holoform so fast that I didn't have a chance to react. There's a lot of potential in that little femme!" Ironhide answered almost proudly.

"How is that something to be happy about?" I asked in confusion.

"Simple… if she can get the drop on me from that far away… just think about what she'll be able to do to the Cons once she's fully trained!"

Okay, so he had a point… a slagging good one! I had to admit that, but still… Autumn had inflicted a massive amount of damage to his door, and subsequently his frame, so he didn't really have anything to be pleased about. Especially considering that I was the one who had to repair that damage! It was just this kind of thing that made me glad I had forced him to wait to have that damage fixed.

Once I finally had Ironhide fixed up and out of the medbay, I turned my attention to the frame Autumn was constructing. I decided to ignore the spark chamber assembly, since I had no way of finding out if it would even work without a very powerful spark to put in it. Looking at the other circuits in the frame, I saw that there were quite a few memory modules installed. This was in addition to what would be placed in the helm. What was strange about those memory crystals though, is that there were so many! Even the planet wide network that we'd had back on Cybertron didn't have this kind of memory space. That network had encompassed everything known to Cybertronian science, and it hadn't needed a tenth of this much memory space!

I shook my helm on that one, because that was something that I knew I'd never figure out. I started looking at how the torso unit was assembled and saw that this frame would have much greater flexibility than normal. Despite its sheer size, it could very well end up as what the humans call a 'contortionist'. Normally, torso modules are fairly rigid, so that they can house and protect the often delicate circuitry contained inside, but this one wasn't. With as much mobility as a human torso, this unit was positively filled with flex points!

Whatever it was that Autumn was trying to build, this bot was going to be a real power house, with a lot of flexibility, mobility, and memory space for a lot of knowledge and experience. Any one of these features would be an incredible asset to a bot, but to combine all of them in this way added up to something I didn't understand… Primus knows I want to though.

I covered the torso unit back up with the tarp, and went over to sit down at my desk. I had been dealing with that pit spawned paper work courtesy of Galloway for almost two bream when the door opened and Autumn walked in. I looked up and noticed that even though she held Ravage in her arms, Autumn looked like she was in a stupor. An expression of shocked and total confusion was on her faceplates as Chromia followed her into the medbay with an amused expression. Chromia was almost smirking if one were to be honest about it.

:What are you looking so smug about?: I asked curiously..

:Ironhide blew Autumn's processors by complimenting the way she kicked his holoform yesterday.: Chromia answered easily. :Autumn was so surprised that I thought she might blow a few circuits. We just came from the rec room where it happened as she was leaving. I'm not sure she remembers the walk here.:

:That's quite a feat. I know she's terrified of Ironhide because of that training incident. She probably doesn't like him after the way he called her a glitch while Soundwave was tampering in her processors. I have to admit that she does have legitimate reasons to avoid him. I know he doesn't like it, but it wasn't until I was examining Autumn afterwards that we discovered her true age, and level of maturity. If any one of us had known just a bit more about her, a lot of the problems she's had would never have happened. It's a pit slagging shame that she's gone through what she has, but once we found out a few things about her, we've all been trying to help her.: I sent back as Chromia guided Autumn to a berth and had her sit down on it.

:I know Ratchet… Ironhide told me. He still sees her chained up every time he enters recharge. In a way, he feels that he's failed her because she wants nothing to do with him. That half sparked threat to Ravage certainly didn't help his cause any. I know that he wants to socialize with her and even befriend Autumn…: Chromia said before trailing off.

:I don't think she'll ever trust him enough for that to happen.: I sent seriously.

:I know… so does Hide. That's something that pains him greatly. To be as young as she is, she's nearly as mature as a youngling. It's something that could never have happened if she had been sparked as a Cybertronian from the beginning. Hide wants to be a part of her development. The first sparkling any of us have encountered in hundreds of vorns, and it hurts him to know that she not only doesn't trust him, but that she doesn't feel safe around him either.: Chromia said as she walked over to retrieve a cube of energon.

"Here Autumn, you need to drink this." Chromia said with a light smile as she handed the cube to Autumn.

"But I just had some in the rec room. Two cubes in fact." Autumn protested quickly.

"Yes you did… but you still need to drink this one. Your frame can't be fully developed yet Autumn and that's why you need to keep fueling meticulously. If you don't then your power levels will get so low that you won't be able to hold Ravage like you are." Chromia said seriously.

I watched in surprise as Autumn's optics widened for a second. Then she looked down at the Cybercat in her lap before she began drinking the cube of energon. My brow ridges rose in mild surprise at just how smoothly Chromia had maneuvered Autumn into drinking the energon.

:You managed that very easily.: I sent to her.

:I've seen that Autumn seems to care more about Ravage than she does about herself, so using Ravage as a reason to get her to refuel was worth a try.: Chromia sent smugly.

Elita POV

I entered the medbay to see Autumn drinking a cube of energon a bit too fast.

"Autumn, you need to slow down with that. You should only drink it fast when you're extremely low on fuel." I chided lightly. "So just sip on it. The energon isn't going anywhere, and no one is going to take it from you."

Autumn nodded her helm to me while Ravage snuggled closer to her frame. I could see that she had pushed her frame to the limits, and that she would need to recharge soon, but at the same time, she seemed excited for some reason.

"So what have you done since you emerged from recharge?" I asked in an attempt to get her talking to us.

"I… I got to go driving! Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were teaching me how to drift." Autumn said in mounting excitement.

:Ask her about the compliment they gave her.: Chromia sent to me.

I snapped my helm around to look at her in surprise. "Sunstreaker and Sideswipe gave Autumn a compliment?"

"Yeah! Sunstreaker said I was doing excellent for my first time drifting, and then Sideswipe said that if I keep taking lessons from them that I'll be one of the best drivers on Cybertron! I can't wait until the day after tomorrow so I can go driving and take lessons from them again!" Autumn exclaimed excitedly.

"You mean you actually enjoy taking lessons from those two?" I demanded in shock.

No one liked being forced to deal with the twins on a regular basis. Granted they made some incredible high grade, and even shared it often. But they were well known for a rather surly disposition… and their pranks.

Autumn nodded her helm rapidly. "I sure do! I thought they'd be like Ironhide and try to hurt me some more, but they've been showing me how to drive like a pro! I'm no Mario Andretti yet, but they said that when I finish learning from them, I'll be even better than he is!"

All I could do was gape at Autumn in disbelief. For the most part, the terror twins were merely tolerated except on those rare occasions when they were in a good mood.

"The twins are a lot of fun aren't they?" Chromia asked while almost laughing.

Autumn nodded again. "They really are. Sunstreaker goes so fast! And he can turn a corner without even squealing his tires. He said that he'll teach me to do the same thing."

I looked over at Ratchet and saw him sitting at his desk with a thoughtful expression on his faceplates. He wasn't saying anything, just watching.

"It sounds like things are going very well for you then. You're learning how to defend yourself, how to drive, and you've got a large Cybercat to hold. What more could you ask for?" Chromia told her.

"Nothing that I can really think of right now." Autumn said as she absently started stroked Ravage after finishing the cube of energon.

"In that case, you should get some recharge, so you'll be at your best for those lessons tomorrow. I don't think Jazz is going to go as lightly on you after that incredible kick you delivered to Ironhide. He was even bragging about it while I was doing his repairs." Ratchet said calmly.

Autumn looked over at the medic like she'd been struck. "He liked me kicking him?" She asked in a shocked tone.

"No. He's not happy at all about being kicked, and he told me that your kick was one of the sloppiest that he's ever seen. The fact that you fought back, and that you managed to catch him by surprise is something that makes him proud of you." Chromia said smiling.

"Really?" Autumn asked quietly as if she didn't believe a single word Chromia had said.

"Yes Autumn, he is. Remember, I'm sparkbonded to Ironhide just as you were to Bluestreak, so I know what he feels. Ironhide is proud of you! He wasn't really trying to threaten Ravage, he was trying to ensure that you stay safe. He knows very well that Ravage is a match for any bot one cares to name. He and Ravage have fought each other many times, but in all of those fights there has never been a clear victory for either one. Ironhide knows how dangerous Ravage can be, and so far neither his cannons nor his skills have allowed him to beat her." Chromia said seriously.

Autumn scoffed derisively. "Ravage isn't dangerous!" She said stubbornly. "She's cute!" Autumn added happily as she hugged the Cybercat tightly.

That was when Ravage huffed, before the sounds of whirling parts were heard. Autumn looked down at the Cybercat in her lap and froze as her optics shot wide and her wings rose in surprise.

"Those… those are missiles!" Autumn exclaimed in shock.

"Yes, and she also has a plasma cannon too. Those fangs and claws aren't the only things she can fight with. Ravage knows how to be very effective in combat. All Cybercats can be dangerous, but Ravage has been with Soundwave, and it wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that he's taught her some things about fighting." Ratchet informed her with a smirk.

Autumn POV

I stared at Ravage in surprise. I didn't even know she had those! I thought she was just a great big cute and cuddly metal kitty. Well… she still is, but now I know that she also has missiles! I mean… wow! She'd never even given me a clue that she had those things. She could really mess me up with those things, but she hasn't! Thanks to her, I don't have to dream about getting hit, whipped, or beaten by my father anymore, because she always pushes me away and gets in front of him.

I know those are only dreams, but somehow, I also know that Ravage is really there, and really doing that for me. She keeps saving me from my father. Because of her I don't need to fight recharge anymore. I don't wake up wanting to scream for help that will never come. I don't wake up wanting to run and hide somewhere. I don't wake up wishing that I'd never been born. I don't have to do any of that… because Ravage is there! She doesn't have to be there; I know that, but she is… she's there for me! She's something I can count on… like I used to count on my bond with Blue.

I couldn't stop looking at those missiles. Then there was the sound of moving parts, and whirring motors as she put them away. She looked at me with her single bright red optic, and I could almost swear she was looking into my soul… if I even have one. I don't know anymore. I tried to sell it a few times… all I wanted was for him to stop hurting me so much. I wasn't asking for all the time… just some of it! It never happened. Then Blue found me tied up in the woods. I guess that's when everything started changing.

I was taken away from my father who always tormented me. I was given my voice back. Then I turned into a bot, and bonded with Blue. Jazz started teaching me how to fight, and that is something I really want to learn so I won't ever have to put up with being treated the way my father had treated me. After I started hearing the voices and having the dreams of that purple bot doing something to my processors, they took away my bond with Blue. I have a Guardian bond with that scary aft Prowl now.

There's only a couple of bots that I can trust. I trust Blue, because I know he loves me, and because he isn't any good at lying, and he can't seem to keep any secrets from me; not when I was human, and not when I was bonded to him. I think I can trust Jazz. I mean, he's nice to me, and friendly, and doesn't really seem to want anything from me. Prowl… I don't know. Sometimes he seems nice; other times… he's a… a… slagger! That was the word Ratchet used. He's a slagger sometimes. I can't help but remember when he put me in the brig… all I know is that I can't ever go back there!

As for these three femmes that arrived recently… I don't know. They seem to like me, I guess. That blue one… Chromia, I don't think I want her mad at me, because even Ironhide won't argue with her or fight back… and she knocked him down… twice! As scary as he is, she has to be worse. I think I'm starting to like Arcee and Elita though. They don't seem to get as uptight as some of the others.

Then, there's Ravage. She showed up the same solar cycle as the femmes, and she's been with me since she got here. Okay… so that's not quiet true… she's stays in the main room while I visit the washrack. Somehow she just knew that Ironhide scares the slag out of me, and she wasn't going to let him get close enough to do anything. I've seen her teeth, and her claws, but I had no idea that she had missiles too. She was ready to fight Ironhide just to keep him away from me. She even makes sure that I take in my fuel. I know I need it, but most of the time, I just don't want to drink it. I can't cut my wrists anymore to let the stress and hurt flow out of me with the blood… so the only thing I know I can do is not take my fuel like I'm supposed too… it hurts, but not like the cuts did. It doesn't feel the same, and it's not as effective as cutting was when I was still human, but it helps some because that sharp ache lasts for as long as I don't refuel.