Note: Once again credit to Tyroth Darkstorm for his help in this chapter.

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Two

Mischief in the Morning

A few of days went by and Ratchet soon recovered from his injuries, yet he was still sore and regretting the way he had behaved, despite the fact that Prime, the other Autobots and the mutants had forgiven him.

Sephie offered to give him a few sessions to talk about what happened to which the medic was rather hesitant, but after some convincing he decided to give it a go, yet he wasn't sure if it would work.

One morning, whilst the rest of the Hamato Clan, Tyroth and the Geckolings were asleep and the other Autobots were recharging, Sephie rose early to talk to Ratchet before the others woke up.

Ratchet couldn't believe he had been talked into this, and it was only the first morning after Sephie had proposed the idea to him the night before.

Flashback

Ratchet stood at his workstation monitoring them for any energon signals or Decepticon activity yet he vented as he worked.

He was still feeling guilty over the episode with the synthetic energon and even though he had expressed remorse over his actions and apologized to those he had hurt, especially to Optimus who was quick to forgive him saying that it was the synthetic energon talking and not him, he still felt awful and it niggled at his spark.

As he worked, he wasn't aware that Sephie had been observing him from a distance over the past few days and she could tell that he was still feeling sore from what had occurred and she felt she needed to speak to him about his feelings, if he let her.

"Ratchet?"

The Medic looked up from his work and he turned to the concerned Gecko watching him from the raised platform.

Ratchet sighed a little being distracted from his work, but he didn't want to be rude so he turned to her.

"What is it?" he asked.

" I can't help but observe, it's been almost a week, and despite your physical wounds healing, it seems to me that those within have not..." Sephie explained.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Ratchet replied "I've run the scans, and I'm perfectly fine!"

Sephie couldn't help but feel humored by Ratchet's response and she held back a chuckle.

"I think you know what I mean." she said "I meant your emotions."

"What would you know of my emotions?" Ratchet asked defensively "They are fine just as they are, thank you very much."

Sephie shook her head.

"I can tell when someone's not being honest Ratchet, I can see it in your optics, and the way you just responded, you're still reeling from your experience with the synthetic energon."

"It did... do a number on my systems" Ratchet admitted "But I'm fine now, and it won't happen again."

"I'm sure it won't," Sephie said "But I can tell it's still affecting you, your emotions about the experience, you're still feeling regret.

Ratchet vented a little.

"Of course I feel regret. I accused Optimus of something I know he didn't do." he said in an irritated tone.

Sephie's eyes widened a little.

"Did you now?" she asked "A lot of us do say things we don't mean in the heat of the moment, or under the influence." she added the last part quietly.

"What I'm saying Ratchet, is it's not good to keep your emotions bottled up, and I want to offer you a chance to let those out, like I've done with Arcee."

Ratchet scoffed.

"How could a short-lived being such as yourself even understand." he stopped himself realizing what he had just said "Um, no offence meant." he said sheepishly.

"None taken." Sephie said shrugging off Ratchet's response.

"You might be surprised, but I do," she added "I know what it's like as I've listened to people who have been hurt badly or lost loved ones, or have done things they regret."

"You sound just like a bot I used to know," Ratchet sighed "But his name eludes me. He also spoke about speaking about one's emotions and mind. I've always written it off as nonsense."

Sephie blinked surprised at Ratchet's words.

"Why nonsense Ratchet?" she asked.

"The only real way to 'mend' someone's mind is through cerebro surgery." Ratchet replied "Actively modifying the physical brain module. A practice that is both barbaric and a horrible violation of privacy."

Sephie was shocked.

"Oh my gosh!" she cried, she was curious to know what this certain procedure was, yet she decided to ask him about it at a later date as she felt she needed to tackle his inner emotions which he had refused to admit.

"No Ratchet." she said "That's not what I would do, I just talk to people and give them a chance to let out their emotions, then they feel better, or at least start their healing process."

Ratchet scoffed.

"I fail to see how that is even supposed to work." he grunted yet he jumped a little as Arcee walked past him and spoke.

"Well you won't know unless you give it a chance."

Ratchet looked over his shoulder to see the femme turn to him and place her hand on her hip looking at him with her head on one side.

"You too, Arcee?" the medic asked rolling his eyes.

"Don't hold in your emotions Ratchet, it might just work" Arcee advised, "I had a few sessions with Sephie about Cliffjumper and Tailgate, and even though I still feel hurt, talking to her has helped me feel less guilty over what happened to them both." she said smiling at Sephie who looked back at her proudly.

Ratchet was confused as he listened.

"Really? I find that very hard to believe." he said.

"It did help a lot," Arcee insisted "Just talking about what happened and how you felt inside of keeping it bottled it might help you feel less guilty, give it a chance!"

Ratchet vented and he clenched his fists as he listened to Arcee, knowing deep down he couldn't win the argument and he shook his head.

"Fine..." he vented "As long as it doesn't interfere with my duties."

Sephie gave a mental fist pump as she heard that and she smiled at the medic.

"It won't I promise, we'll slot in some sessions around your work." she said, and she winked at Arcee who nodded at her.

At the same time, Ironhide walked past and lightly punched Ratchet's arm.

"Can't stay stubborn forever Doc!" he quipped cheekily yet Ratchet frowned.

"Look whose talking!" he muttered yet he frowned as he saw Arcee and Sephie chuckling.

End Flashback

"I never meant to hurt anyone," Ratchet lamented as he sat on his recharging berth and Sephie sat on a high table nearby listening to him and encouraged him to carry on.

"I only wished to help my team, I thought I was going to solve problems, yet I ended up making things worse."

Sephie spoke very little as she listened, yet she could hear the sadness is the medic's voice.

She could see in his optics that he regretted his actions, and that he wished he could take back what he had said to Optimus before he sped off on his own to find Megatron.

"I never imagined I'd hear myself speak to my dear friend, and my Prime the way I did."

"What did you say to him?" Sephie asked gently.

She hadn't been told the full story of what had happened out in the desert after Ratchet had tortured the Decepticon miner and what he had said to Optimus.

Ratchet was a little hesitant yet Sephie reassured him about patient confidentiality and how even as mutants or Autobots in the medic's case the rule applied.

Feeling more relaxed and comfort in that knowledge, Ratchet told the gecko about how he had insulted Optimus and even mentioned leaving Elita-One on Cybertron when he fled the planet with his team.

Sephie blinked.

"Elita-One?" she asked.

Ratchet looked a little worried he had said too much as apart from him, Ironhide and Arcee knew about Elita-One.

"She was...is.." Ratchet said "Optimus's second in command to him on Cybertron, she was by his side when the war began, then when Cybertron went dark, she choose to stay behind as we left to make sure others got off the planet."

The medic vented as he looked to the ceiling.

"I can only pray to Primus that she made it off."

"Me too Ratchet." she said feeling sad on Optimus's behalf and she hoped like Ratchet that Elita-One had managed to flee the planet.

She wanted to ask more about the femme, yet she decided to stay on topic and counsel Ratchet more on his feelings.

Meanwhile in the main silo, Pandora and Michelangelo were up early and smirking at each other as they stood at the controls of the ground bridge.

"What better way to liven things up than a good prank!" Pandora smirked. "After everything that's happened, I think we all need a good laugh, and who better to be the victim than the stiff old Doc Bot himself!"

She and Michelangelo had decided to set up a cream pie trap near the Ground bridge controls, yet they didn't have much whipped cream to make it a proper prank, and decided to use foam from one of the fire extinguishers as well as several paper plates with they put together with sticky tape.

Michelangelo chuckled as he checked over everything and that the controls were rigged.

"I haven't made one of these since years before you were born, Pandora. I had almost forgotten how fun it is!" he said to which the hybrid eyed with him with a smirk.

"Really? Who was your target?" she asked and Michelangelo chuckled.

"Your old man himself!" he replied.

"Dad?" Pandora exclaimed "Oh Shell! This I want to hear!"

Michelangelo bit his lip and looked away.

"Um... maybe another time. It... didn't end too well." he admitted "But now we've got to hurry, or we'll get busted."

Pandora nodded.

"Okay!" she smirked rubbing her hands together "Right the trap is set and ready, all Ratchet do is press the button and splat!" she cackled "Oh yeah baby!"

Michelangelo ruffled Pandora's hair "You are my favourite neice!" he laughed.

Pandora meanwhile leaned into her uncle grinning.

"And you're my favourite uncle! Oh boy! Bumblebee and Bulkhead are gonna love this!"

They quickly hurried over to the sofa and turned on the TV pretending to have been up watching some cartoons.

No sooner did they do so than they heard footsteps as the Autobots came into the main silo and not long after, the Hamato Clan, the geckolings and Tyroth joined them.

Pandora was finding it hard to contain her excitement as everyone came into the silo and Michelangelo had to remind her to keep her emotions in check.

Ratchet walked up to the screens with Sephie on his shoulder.

When he arrived at the raised platform, he held out his arm and the gecko walked along it to the platform and to her dragon husband.

"How did it go?" he asked taking Sephie's hand and helping her off Ratchet's servo.

"It went well." Sephie said winking at her husband "I think he's opening up."

"That's good to know."

As Ratchet walked up to the screens Pandora watched him carefully.

"Come on... come on... he's so close..." she muttered as she watched him, his servo hovered over the rigged button, yet to her disappointment he moved away from it.

"No, head back! Push the button!" she hissed only to feel Michelangelo nudge her.

"Quiet Pandora." he hissed.

Ratchet then turned to Optimus and spoke to him in Cybertronian as well as gestered at the raised platform to which Optimus looked over and gave Sephie a smile then patted Ratchet's shoulder.

Sephie felt a proud smile come to her face, even though she hadn't been sure what the two autobots had said, she was sure that they were talking about her session with the medic.

"Anything to report Ratchet?" Optimus then asked his old friend in English.

No, Optimus. Everything is as it should be, given our current situation." he added in cybertronian looking at the mutants.

Even though he enjoyed their company, especially that of Donatello and Loki and more recently Sephie, he still found it difficult to work as well as making sure the organics weren't underfoot as he feared of them as he said when they first met going 'squish'.

"Do not concern yourself, old friend." Optimus reassured the medic.

"Just remember to watch where you step, and trust them to remember to look up."

"I will try, Optimus. But it still grinds my gears the wrong way that the risk even exists." he said quietly yet Kemeko overheard as she was standing nearby.

"Hey!" she said looking at the two autobots "We're not that much of a burden are we?"

Optimus smiled at the young human girl.

"You are most certainly not a burden, young Kemeko, in fact, you have been very useful and helpful to our cause since we met you."

Kemeko smiled proudly.

"We have just needed to make some changes to our routines." the Prime continued then turned to the rigged console.

Speaking of which..." he said, yet as he did so, Michelangelo and Pandora saw him and they both went pale with worry.

"Oh no!" they both thought.

"oh shit! No…no!" Pandora muttered under her breath.

"Someone please save us!" Michelangelo murmured biting his lip.

Pandora meanwhile shut her eyes

"I can't look!" she mouthed.

No sooner did Optimus push the rigged button, the trap was triggered and the cream pie flew up and splattered him in the face before he could even register what had happened!

Everyone gasped in shock and horror as they saw the Cream pie hit Optimus's face and he stood there frozen on the spot, his finger still on the button.

Pandora and Michelangelo stared at the failed prank and at Optimus who had the foam covering his whole face and the paper plate slowly slipped off and landed on the silo floor.

They didn't dare move or even breath, but they could feel the eyes of the turtles, Tyroth, Sephie, Kemeko and the twins on them.

Optimus turned around to face everyone seeing their shocked looks.

Arcee was staring in shock, Bumblebee bleeped in concern, Bulkhead's jaw dropped yet Arcee pushed it closed, Ratchet was looking horrified, meanwhile Ironhide had his hands over his mouth and his shoulders were shaking as he was trying very hard not to laugh.

The Hamato Clan, especially Monalisa, Raphael, Tyroth and Leonardo looked angry as they glared at Pandora and Michelangelo.

Optimus meanwhile wiped the cream from his optics and looked at the substance on his fingers before looking at everyone in the room before looking at a very scared and guilty looking Pandora and Michelangelo then looked at Ratchet.

"Ratchet." he said, his voice making everyone jump.

"O-Optimus?" Ratchet stammered "What?"

"I believe that this was intended for you." the Prime said in a factual tone then very calmly walked out of the silo to his quarters to clean up without a word.

Everyone watched him leave, then as he disappeared, everyone looked at the orange masked turtle and hybrid.

"Well?" Raphael growled to which Pandora and Michelangelo quickly turned to face the angry turtle along with Monalisa glaring with her arms folded and Tyroth had that death stare in his red eyes.

"Um..." Michelangelo scratched the back of his neck sheepishly "It was like that when we got here?"

"He did it!" Pandora piped up pointing at her uncle who turned to her with wide eyes.

"it was your idea!" Michelangelo snapped.

"You two!" Monalisa snapped making them both jump "on the sofa, we're going to talk!"

"Guilty as charged!" Tyroth growled.

"Aww shell, we're so dead." Michelangelo said.

"Trust me, you are not that lucky, half-shell-for-brains!" Raphael growled.

Michelangelo gulped as he went pale.

"This might end even worse than that time it ended very poorly for me..." he said.

"Count on it!" Raphael snapped.

"I'm really scared right now..." Pandora whimpered but she then cried out as she felt Tyroth's large paw grab the back of her biker vest and Michelangelo gave a similar squeal as the dragon grabbed him and picked them up with ease before dropping them on the sofa.

"Park your butts there!" he growled.

Meanwhile the rest of the mutants looked on.

The twins and Kemeko stood together and gulped.

"Oh Pandora, Uncle Mike, you've really dug yourself a hole here." Freya said.

"Knew it was them who pulled that prank!" Loki said.

"Poor choice!" Donatello muttered as he watched Tyroth, Raphael, Monalisa and Splinter standing in front of the sofa in front of the two delinquents and he saw Leonardo leave the raised platform to go and look for Optimus.

"I hope Optimus is alright." Sephie muttered as she watched Leonardo go and look for the Prime.

Leonardo ran down the hallway from the main silo and he saw Optimus go around the corner into his quarters and he quickly ran after him.

As he entered the room, he saw Optimus wiping the foam off his face with a large washcloth in front of a large mirror.

"Prime?" he called up, "Are you alright?"

Optimus wiped the last of the foam off his face and turned to the turtle.

"I am fine, Leonardo." he said "No harm has been done."

"I'm not so sure about that." Leonardo said in a worried voice "What just happened... it's unacceptable. They will be punished for this."

"If that is what you think is the best option." Optimus replied then turned back to the mirror, and a faint smile crept onto his lips and Leonardo's eyes widened as this wasn't a comforting or knowing smile, but a more genuine smile and almost like a humorous smile that he hadn't seen before.

"Prime?" he asked to which Optimus looked down at him "Is that... is that a smile?"

Optimus snorted and knelt placing his servo on the ground which Leonardo climbed into and the Prime lifted him up.

"I just recalled a similar event from my youth, that is all." he explained.

"Oh?" Leonardo asked curious.

"There was a group of young bots that often caused minor mischief." Optimus said "Never anything that would actively hurt anyone though. I was sometimes the victim for their pranks. This specific time, they had fashioned a similar scheme to what we just experienced, with me as the intended target. However, their trap failed and it was instead Alpha Trion who got his face sprayed with fire extinguishing foam."

Leonardo blinked.

He wasn't sure who this Alpha Trion Optimus spoke of was, but he made a mental note to ask about him when they had another chance.

"No way..." he exclaimed

"I was shocked beyond belief." Optimus continued "And he only looked at the culprits before walking away to clean up, only stopping to tell me that he believed the foam was meant for me."

"Wow, talk about deja vu!" Leonardo gasped to which Optimus nodded and smiled.

"Still," Leonardo said "I am sorry about what my niece and brother did, more than likely Raph and Mona will be on their case."

"Do not be too hard on them." Optimus said "Certain bots, and I guess, organics too, are just mischievous by nature. It keeps life... interesting." he added.

"I guess they do, yeah." Leonardo said "But still, they need to learn what's right and wrong."

"That is a fair point." he said "But I have no resentment for what happened Leonardo, I promise."

He placed Leonardo on his shoulder and started to walk back to to main silo wondering how Pandora and Michelangelo were being dealt with.

So Ratchet has taken some counselling from Sephie, and Pandora and Michelangelo decided to play a prank, yet the wrong Autobot fell victim to it! Opps!

I have to admit I was giggling as I wrote this chapter! Hope it got a giggle out of you too! lol!