Drunk father scene...there isn't really any abuse but proceed with caution if it bothers you.

~~~

"It's past midnight".

Vince tensed, shoulders coming up in fear.

"So what's your excuse this time?"

"I...I don't have one."

"You were racing again, weren't you?" the voice screeched. Vince could see he was drunk again.

"No-!"

"Don't lie to me!" the hand grabbing his shoulder shoved him roughly against the wall, causing a picture frame to fall off its nail and land on the wood, cracking part of the frame and glass. Vince hung his head in defeat.

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, dad."

There was silence for a long time before the figure stepped back and disappeared into his room, leaving Vince alone in the dark. He bent down to pick up the frame, a family portrait of his family before his mother left. He softly sighed, setting the frame back on the wall before walking into his room, plugging in his phone before collapsing onto his bed.

The next thing he knew, his phone was loudly beeping in his ear as the alarm on it woke him up. He grumbled and grabbed his phone, muscle memory hitting the button that would let him snooze for another ten minutes.

Ten minutes quickly passed, and Vince grumbled as his phone beeped again, this time ending the alarm and rolling over. He yelped when his legs got caught in his sheets and he landed on the floor with a loud thud. He groggily stared at the ceiling before the memories of yesterday flooded his mind.

Giant alien robots live on our planet...and I'm supposed to meet them today.

The idea still sounded crazy to him.

He rolled over onto his stomach and forced himself up, untangling himself from the sheets, realizing he hadn't changed out of his normal clothes. He quickly changed into a different shirt and pants, still keeping his dark green jacket. He stuck his phone into his pocket and fingercombed through his hair as he walked out, grabbing his bag and walking out to his car. He pulled out of the driveway and started speeding down the road, glancing at his rearview mirror every so often in fear of seeing a red Aston Martin or a yellow Urbana 500.

He turned up the radio significantly louder once he left his neighborhood area, to try and drown out his thoughts with heavy drums and metal guitars. It worked until he reached the parking lot and saw Jack Darby just getting off his motorcycle. He took his usual parking spot next to him and rolled up the windows before he turned off the car, killing the loud music abruptly.

Arcee's front wheel turned slightly in Jack's direction, as if silently asking him why he was like this. Jack gave her a slightly confused look and half shrugged. He looked up at Vince and opened his mouth to speak.

"No, no, I remembered," Vince replied, raising a hand. Jack frowned.

"I just wanted to tell you that you and I are not the only ones who know."

"Oh great," Vince muttered, pinching his nose. "Let me guess, the loud exchange student and the loser geek, right?"

"You mean Miko Nakadai and Rafael Esquivel?" Jack replied, crossing his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow. "You're going to be around them a lot more now. Insulting them won't change that fact. They won't be any happier to see you than you them. In fact, I haven't told them yet."

If Arcee had any reaction she kept it to herself, remaining idle in between the two human males while avidly listening to the conversation. Vince sighed again.

"Whatever. I'm going to class," he muttered, blowing some hair out of his face as he grabbed his bag and slamming the door and locking the car before walking in without a second glance.

"Wish me luck, Arcee," Jack whispered to her before walking in after the redhead.

You need more than luck, Jack, the two-wheeler silently replied.

**
"Miko, Raf, I have something to t-"

"Dude! How was the race?" Miko asked, practically leaping up out of her chair and grabbing Jack by the shoulders. Jack blinked multiple times in surprise.

"U-uh-" he replied nervously, before Miko dragged him to a chair and forced him to sit. He just went with it, honestly he actually became used to it.

"So...?" She asked, gesturing for him to start talking. Jack leaned forward to take off his backpack and pulled out a sandwich.

"You already know what happened, Miko," Raf said, looking at her with an unamused expression. Miko waved him off.

"I meant during the actual racing part."

"Well Miko, we were chased about as soon as the race started," Jack replied, giving her a look. Miko only smiled at him, reaching for a French fry and eating it. Jack sighed and looked at his sandwich. He wasn't that hungry.

"But there is seriously something that I need to tell you. I didn't get the chance to tell you last night because Arcee, and my mom..." Jack's voice had lowered to just above a whisper, the cafeteria was already loud but he didn't want to take chances. Raf stopped chewing his food to listen, and the two leaned forward in Jack's direction a little.

"Vince was taken by Knockout, thinking he was an ally of the Autobots," Jack explained. "So...he knows."

The two were silent for the longest time before Miko scanned the crowd until she caught sight of Vince, sitting at a larger table with his other buddies as well as Sierra and her friends. Jack followed her gaze and felt a small twinge of jealousy before he brushed it off.

"Seriously?" Miko suddenly, shrieked, almost making poor Jack fall out of his chair. Nobody turned to see what had happened, an outburst like that went unnoticed most of the time.

"Yeah," Jack muttered. "He's following us to the base today."

"Oh this is just peachy." she pouted. Raf quietly nodded in agreement. Jack sighed.

"I'm not happy with it either, but it is what it is," he muttered. Miko seemed to have lost her appetite and she silently got up and threw her salad away before picking up her bag, glaring at the back of Vince's head, and walking out. Raf just sat there and stared at his food.

"Raf...he's not going to hurt you, alright? We'll make sure of it. Besides, you have Bee looking out for you."

He only nodded. Truthfully, he was a bit scared.

**
When the final bell rang Miko was the first out the door to her classroom and to the doors of the school. She ran out, hoping Bulkhead would be waiting, and was ecstatic when he was. She quickly got in.

"Track number five, step on it!"

"Sorry Miko, I'm not your getaway car today," Bulkhead replied, before pausing. "Wait, do you have detention today?"

"For once, no," she replied, but when she realized Bulk wasn't leaving she pouted again and leaned back in the seat. She knew why.

She waited in near agony just for Vince to get in his car. He was talking to Jack, who almost looked...comfortable? As in, he didn't mind talking to him. Why? After what he'd done to him, his friends?

Dang, she thought. He reminds me of Optimus. Pretty forgiving.

She blinked before snorting. What if Optimus became Vince's guardian? Or even Ratchet? Either one would be gold to see.

Soon the trio of Autobots left the school with Vince in between Arcee and Bulkhead, with Bee bringing up the rear.

Don't stop at the stop sign...Darby, are you insane? Vince mentally asked, staring at the back of Jack's head. It was the law, and any sane person would stop.

When it came time to it, however, Bulkhead was too close for him to consider it without busting up his rear bumper, and he just went through the sign as he was told, in shock when the giant rock face started to open to allow them inside. That was when he could slow down, and he pulled off to the side as he stared in amazement, before his gaze landed on the robot he'd met yesterday, who was quietly talking to another, who looked like it transformed into an ambulance. Probably a medic.

He slowly stepped out, and the ambulance scoffed.

"Optimus...I was hoping that you were making a failed attempt at humor," he muttered. Optimus just blankly stared back at the ambulance, clearly unamused. He then turned his attention back to Vince, kneeling in front of him again as the others quietly got out or off of their rides, leaving their guardians to transform and stretch their legs again.

"Vincent," Optimus greeted.

"My name is Vince. Just Vince. Not Vincent, Vince," Vince replied. Optimus simply nodded once. The conversation quickly became the more detailed story of the Autobots' origin on Earth, as well as how the kids found out about them, and about the Decepticons. Everything seemed relaxed enough until Miko piped up.

"So...who's gonna be his guardian?" she asked nonchalantly. Somehow every head or helm in the room turned to Ratchet.

"Absolutely not!" Ratchet and Vince exclaimed at the same time, before they stared at each other in slight shock and surprise, before they half glared at each other.

"Well, excuse you!" they said again, before they both decided to just be quiet as pretty much everyone in the room was smiling or laughing. Once the atmosphere was calm again, everyone was looking towards Optimus, who only nodded in confirmation. Vince looked up at the large titan-who had stood to his full height some time during the conversation-and gulped.

***
Yay I updated something! XD

Again, Ratchet is so fun to write.

Also, I like getting to be able to write more about the lives of the humans dealing with being high school students and allies to giant alien robots at the same time. It's kind of a whole new side I don't really dive into much. I like it. :>

Thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying this so far. Vince's home life doesn't seem to be too great, huh? :\

Happy Thanksgiving you guys! :> I'm thankful for a wonderful community and awesome readers who support me and my works! Don't eat too much haha

-BP