"excuse me?" Optimus ask.

"why explode?" Reflect ask.

"I... don't know. you'll have to ask Wheeljack." Optimus says, shaking his head a little.

"Opmis?" Reflect ask.

"yes?" Optimus ask.

"where Opmis trailer?" Reflect asks.

"its in the N.E.S.T. hanger. I don't bring it everywhere with me." Optimus chuckles.

"Opmis?" Reflect asks. the Prime sighs again, trying to keep his patience.

"yes?" he ask.

"color with Reflect?" Reflect ask.

"no thank you. I'm trying to do paperwork." Optimus snorts. Reflect pouts, going quiet for a few moments once more.

"Opmis? why is Epps colored funny?" Reflect ask.

"I... I don't know." Optimus frowns.

"does Opmis know why Jazz pick on Prowl?" Reflect ask.

"no I don't." Optimus says.

"does Opmis know why Ratchet always angry at Wheeljack?" Reflect asks.

"there's a lot of reasons Ratchets angry little one." Optimus frowns.

"does Opmis know why Sun-Sun stinky at video game?" Refelct ask.

"um... poor servo-optic coordination?" Optimus offers.

"Opmis, why Wheeljack horn go beep beep but Ironhide horn go beeeeeeeeepppp?" Reflect ask.

"different horn model." Optimus says.

"Opmis what that?" Reflect asks pointing. Optimus follows his finger.

"I believe humans call them spiders." Optimus frowns.

"why does spider have so many leg?" Reflect ask.

"I don't know Reflect. you'd have to ask someone like Wheeljack. he'd probably know." Optimus frowns.

"Opmis why does Jack explode?" Reflect ask.

"because he's careless." Optimus frowns.

"Opmis?" Reflect ask. Optimus sighs.

"Reflect, did you know there is actually a 't' in my name? its Optimus not Opmis. why don't you practice on that for a minute while I read this datapad." Optimus says firmly.

the sparkling qoes quiet again for two or three minutes.

"Optimus?" Reflect asks. Optimus sighs a little, putting the datapad down. this little sparkling will not let him get any work done. he's starting to understand Ratchets struggle. the medics paperwork had started becoming late afte Reflect had started talking.

"yes Reflect?" he asks.

"Ratchet say Ironhide spark die... Ironhide gonna die?" Reflect asks softly. Optimus frowns and shakes his head.

"I can't answer that little one. Ratchet will do everything he can, he won't just let Ironhide die you know that. but he has a very weak spark. his spark ripped in half when Will died." Optimus murmurs softly.

"Ratch no fix...?" Reflect asks. Optimus reaches down and pats his head gently.

"you can't fix a spark little one, but Ratchet really is trying. he's going to do everything he can to keep Ironhide safe, okay?" Optimus asks.

"okay." Reflect murmurs. "Optimus...? Reflect annoy Optimus?" Reflect asks hesitantly.

"no little one, you're just very curious." Optimus says, picking his data pad back up.

"Ratchet say Reflect like Wheeljack... but lots bots say Wheeljack annoying... that make Reflect annoying too..." Reflect trails.

"you're not annoying little one, you are a lot like wheeljack, but neither of you are annoying,." Optimus assures gently.

"Optimus?" Reflect asks. "does Ferno get Reflect room?" Reflect asks. Optimus sighs and picks the sparkling up, putting him on his lap gently.

"yes little one, Inferno gets your room, just for a little bit. is that okay? you still get to stay with Ratchet and Wheeljack and Inferno gets to stay in a room and doesn't have to stay outside." Optimus murmurs.

"okay. no want stay outside." Reflect says. Optimus nods a little. Reflect shifts and hugs Optimus neck, making the Prime sit back. "Reflect hiding from Jack, Optimus keep watch? Reflect need nap." the sparkling yawns. Optimus chuckles a little and nods.

"yes little one, I'll keep watch while you take a nap." Optimus assures.

"he's supposedly hiding, but Reflect is curled up in my lap having a nap while he hides from you, so you might want to take your time."

"thanks Prime. I'll come get him later then."

Wheeljack finds it just as amusing as Optimus does. the sparkling has been spending a lot more time with the Prime recently, which was refreshing seeing as he hadn't liked Optimus for a while.

Wheeljack waits until the sparkling shows signs of waking, before he wonders into Optimus' office grinning.

"there you are. Epps was pretty sure you were hiding in the hanger but I wasn't." Wheeljack chuckles. Reflect turns his head to look at him looking a little confused.

"oh... I forgot I hiding." Reflect mumbles sleepily. Wheeljack chuckles and walks over, taking the sparkling when he sits up and reaches for him.

"thats okay, you won." Wheeljack murmurs. Ratchet and Wheeljack had used the three hours he was asleep to help Inferno get settled in and to double check Perceptors rust had been taken care of. "I still can't believe you're sleeping so much." Wheeljack snorts. Reflect snuggles in, laying his head on the inventors shoulder.

"feel sleepy." Reflect mumbles.

"thats because you need a cube." Wheeljack chuckles.

"and cold." Reflect pouts.

"thats because we are coming up on winter. you were a little too little last year for us to expose you to it. so we always made sure you were nice and warm, don't worry, we'll warm you up." Wheeljack murmurs softly. "it will be colder this year than it was last year, we're looking at something the humans call, snow. which is just frozen water that falls from the sky." Wheeljack murmurs. he rubs the sparklings back gently, carrying him into the medbay.

"oh hey, there you are squirt." Ratchet smiles, walking over and rubbing the sparklings cheek gently. Reflect reaches for him, engine purring happily. Ratchet takes him gently. Reflect nuzzles against him happily, snuggling against his chestplates. Ratchet smiles a little, kissing the little sparklings head. "you're being very cute and cuddly today. whats gotten into you?" Ratchet asks.

"its getting cold outside, he's getting cold. he wants to cuddle for warmth." Wheeljack snorts.

"I see." Ratchet chuckles. he gets a somber smile on his face. "Nitro used to do the same. always curled up with someone." Ratchet murmurs.

"that was how he got his name." Wheeljack smiles a little. he walks over and hugs his family gently. "I know I'm not going to say this right... so don't have me for it coming out the way it does... but I'm glad Nitro never had to fight this war. I like remembering him all sweet and innocent, curled up with me when an experiment went bad or cuddled to you when you had a hard patient that barely pulled through... I don't like to think how he would've changed seeing the war." Wheeljack murmurs Ratchets silent for a few minutes, probably reminiscing on the short time they had with their sparkling.

"yeah... me too." he murmurs, squeezing Reflect gently. he steps away from Wheeljack with a small smile. he shakes his head, putting the sparkling down gently. "okay little one, can I get you to take a couple of things to Inferno for me?" Ratchet ask.

"okay." Reflect mumbles, cuddling to him.

"you can come right back and curl back up when you're done." Ratchet snorts. "and you don't have to talk to him. just give him this one datapad and come right back." Ratchet murmurs, handing him a datapad.

"okay..." Reflect mumbles. he takes it and heads off.

"why'd you send him off like that?" Wheeljack frowns.

"we need him comfortable with Inferno. you know that." Ratchet frowns.

"yeah but he's cold Ratch." Wheeljack pouts.

"I know he is. we've got ten minutes to come up with a solution for this and get to work on it. something to keep him warm without us having to hold him the whole time. I love him, but he's going to be our size shortly. we can't keep carrying him around." Ratchet frowns.

"thats true. we could just get him a thermal blanket. like the ones from Cybertron?" Wheeljack says.

"the ones we used on sparklings in the medbays after they were sparked? I don't even know how to make those. we ordered them." Ratchet frowns.

"yeah, from a lab." Wheeljack grins.

"if you can make one that won't hurt him. it better not explode, burn, or in any other way injur my sparkling." Ratchet warns, turning away from the inventor to head into his office. Wheeljack watches him go.

"hey Ratchet?" Wheeljack asks.

"what?" Ratchet asks, turning to look at him.

"you're beautiful." Wheeljack grins at him.

"and you're an idiot." Ratchet mutters. Wheeljack grins sauntering over to him.

"you're cute when you're flustered." Wheeljack teases. Ratchet frowns, stepping back.

"back up. get off me. back- get off me! idiot!" Ratchet snaps. Wheeljack laughs and hugs him. theres a sudden sound of metal on metal and Wheeljack jerks.

"ow!" he huffs, turning to look behind him. Ratchet, confused, follows his gaze. Reflect is standing behind them, looking angry, one of Ratchets tools in servo.

"Ratchet say OFF!" Reflect frowns, pulled back and ready to hit the inventor again. Ratchet immediately starts laughing.

"you heard him, off!" Ratchet snorts. Wheeljack huffs and puts his servos up, stepping back. Reflect wiggles between the two, shoving at Wheeljacks leg. it pushes the inventor further away from Ratchet.

"shoo! shoo! mine!" he glares. Ratchet puts a servo over his mouth, attempting to remain serious and not let the sparkling hear him laughing.

"alright alright. I stepped back." Wheeljack snorts.

"mine!" Reflect glares, dropping the tool before turning to hug Ratchets legs tightly.

"yeah I know, baby." Ratchet murmurs, scooping him up gently. Reflect hugs his neck, wrapping his legs as tight as he can around the medic. he turns his head back to keep his glare at Wheeljack.

"mine." Reflect mumbles.

"okay. I get it. he's yours." Wheeljack murmurs, walking over. "but I can have a kiss right?" he grins.

"no stupid." Reflect huffs, hugging tighter. Wheeljack snorts, getting closer. Reflect reaches out with one arm and shoves Wheeljack away.

"Jack you better listen to him, he's prepared to fight you." Ratchet snorts.

"he is a wreckers sparkling." Wheeljack grins. Reflect growls in warning and the inventor steps back quickly. "okay. okay, you know he was mine first." Wheeljack frowns.

"MINE!" Reflect screams. he pouts, hugging Ratchets neck tighter.

"fine keep him, I have things to work on anyway." Wheeljack mumbles, walking out of the medbay.

"Reflect, you can't keep me and Wheeljack apart you know that right?" Ratchet snorts, heading for his office. Reflect blows a raspberry.

"mine." he mumbles.

"yeah, but Wheeljacks my bondmate." Ratchet murmurs, sitting at his desk.

"like Will and Hide." Reflect says. Ratchet nods.

"yeah, like Will and Ironhide or Inferno and Red Alert." Ratchet chuckles.

"Bee and Sam?" Reflect asks, tilting his head. Ratchet frowns.

"no little one I don't think so." Ratchet shrugs. "but I never ask." Ratchet murmurs. he settles the sparkling in his lap gently. "here, I've got a cube for you." Ratchet murmurs, holding it out to him. Reflect takes it happily leaning back against his chestplates. he smacks Ratchets servo away, content to hold the cube up himself. the medic gives a small sad smile. it wasn't all that the sparkling refused to drink his cube if someone else wasn't holding it. "you're getting big fast squirt." Ratchet murmurs. Reflect looks up at him, tilting his head a little, but doesn't put the cube down. theres a small knock on the office door and Jazz pokes his head in.

"heyo."Jazz says.

"out." Reflect glares, snuggling against the medic. Ratchet snorts a little.

"what do you need Jazz?" Ratchet asks, sounding amused.

"we need to borrow a couple of tools, we're turning the heaters back on in the base before it gets too cold. don't wanna freeze the sparkling out." Jazz says.

"we can't do that, we would leave everyone else burning up. don't worry about the sparkling. we're coming up with a solution for him." Ratchet assures.

"not my orders." Jazz shrugs. "Prowl and Primes." Jazz says, walking out of his office. Ratchet shakes his head getting up. he heads for Optimus' office, not even knocking. he almost never knocks on Optimus' door. Optimus and Prowl both look up, as if they'd been expecting him.

"Ratchet?" Optimus ask.

"we can't turn the heaters on Prime." Ratchet frowns. "its still 80 degrees outside." Ratchet adds. Optimus looks confused.

"what are you talking about? why would we be turning on the heaters?" Optimus ask. Ratchet looks just as confused.

"Jazz said... Jazz." Ratchet growls. he drops the sparkling onto Optimus' desk. "Jazz you get out of my medbay!" Ratchet snaps running off. Reflect puts his cube down, turning on the desk to look at Optimus, confused.

"I don't know either sparking." Optimus frowns.Reflect looks over at Prowl.

"I don't know." Prowl shrugs. Reflect frowns and looks at the door.

"PRIME!!!"

rings out loudly over the base before theres a knock on Optimus' door. Wheeljack leans in hesitantly.

"Prime, I don't know what happened.... but its bad." Wheeljack frowns.

"alright, can you take the sparkling?" Optimus ask. Wheeljack nods and takes the sparkling, cuddling him.

"Jack?" Reflect whimpers.

"I know. you don't like the yelling. its okay." Wheeljack assures gently, hugging him tight. "its okay." he murmurs. "we'll stay out of the medbay, but let me know what happened." Wheeljack frowns, taking the sparkling. he carries Reflect towards the rec room gently.

"what happened Jack?" Ironhide frowns.

"no idea. me and the squirt were not gonna be part of that. you know he doesn't like yelling." Wheeljack frowns a little, squeezing the sparkling gently.

"is that a normal occurance?" Inferno asks.

"unfortunately." Wheeljack frowns. Reflect turns to look at Inferno. Wheeljack smiles down at the sparkling, rubbing his cheek. "are you gonna be friendly this time?" Wheeljack ask. Reflect turns quickly to face Wheeljack, frowning. he turns back to Inferno, who smiles at him.

"hey squirt. gonna at least tell me 'hi'?" Inferno asks. the three bots look at Reflect, who appears to be thinking it over.

"you 'nother stupid slagger that piss Ratchet off?" Reflect ask.

"Reflect!" Wheeljack shouts. Ironhide bursts into laughter while Inferno stares at the sparkling.

"uh... no?" Inferno says, looking unsure.

"hi." Reflect mumbles, laying his head on Wheeljacks shoulder.

"Reflect you can't just... you...." Wheeljack trails.

"Ratchet warned you about teaching him slagger as his first word." Ironhide grins at the inventor.

"uh... so any idea what happened yet? Ratchet said anything to you Jack?" Inferno asks. Wheeljack frowns.

"I got a very angry com about tools being tied to the ceiling out of his reach and something about things missing from his office." Wheeljack frowns.

"tired to the ceiling?" Ironhide ask. Wheeljack shrugs.

"apparently the twins used Jazz as a distraction and as soon as Ratchet left, a group of bots decided to prank Ratchet." Wheeljack frowns. Ironhide looks even more confused. "something about... your photo album." Wheeljack winces. Ironhide immediately straights up.

"what?" he demands.

"thats what Jazz said when I ask him!" Wheeljack says quickly, stepping back. Ironhide gets up quickly and storms off.

"photo... album?" Inferno ask.

"a book of pictures." Wheeljack says.

"Will gave to Hide!" Reflect chirps.

"Will?" Inferno ask. Wheeljack frowns a little.

"William Lennox. he was a human that ended up absorbing part of the Allspark when it was destroyed.... the Allspark exposure ended up causing him and Ironhide to bond, but... Starscream stomped on him. humans don't have a protective shell...." Wheeljack trails.

"humans squish squish!" Reflect squeals.

"s-squish squish...?" Inferno asks. Wheeljack frowns.

"Will died. the photo album was Wills. Ratchet damaged it and you know what happens when you lose a bonded. Ironhides spark has already been weak and torn but then Ratchet damaged his dead bondeds property. Ironhide collapsed. was stasis locked for two weeks... the base didn't take it well." Wheeljack explains. Reflect squirms, whining.

"Ironhide." he whines.

"okay, go get him." Wheeljack murmurs, putting him down. Reflect runs after the weapons specialist.

he heads straight for Ironhides room, running right in. Ironhides standing in the middle of the room attempting to remain calm. the Primes words ringing in his audio receptors.

"Ironhide...?" Reflect asks quietly, walking up behind the mech. he reaches out and touches the back of Ironhides leg, but he doesn't respond. he's got to get himself under control he can't be this angry or upset. he needs to calm down and relax or he could end up killing himself. "Ironhide?" Reflect asks again, walking around to the front of the mech. "Ironhide okay?" he ask.

"not right now sparkling, please leave." Ironhide manages.

"I not leave Ironhide." Reflect murmurs. "Ironhide need hug?" Reflect asks, throwing his arms up. Ironhide watches him a moment, before sighing. he doesn't feel like picking the sparkling, but he could do with a hug from the little sparkling. Ironhide kneels down, wrapping Reflect up in his arms as tight as he dares, not wanting the sparkling to get hurt.

"yeah. I do. thank you." Ironhide murmurs softly. Reflect hugs his neck tightly.

"Ironhide miss Will?" Reflect ask.

"all the time." Ironhide sighs, squeezing him gently. "I always miss him." Ironhide adds quietly. he stays knelt down as long as he can, before he eventually stands with the sparkling. Reflect immediately latches onto the bigger mech. "what are you so... 'lovey' for?" Ironhide grumbles.

'lovey' had been a word Will previously called Ironhide when he got into the very very rare cuddle mood. the random days where Ironhide would suddenly remember Will was his bonded and that his bonded didn't even have a ⅓ of his life span and would die long before Ironhide or the days Will was feeling depressed and like he had nothing to live for. days when Ironhide couldn't get out of his head and all he could think about was the friends he'd lost in the war. Will would call him lovey in those occasions when Ironhide would scoop him up with his holoform and carry him off, either to his backseat or to the bedroom to curl up with him for a few hours. just cuddle up to his bonded for a little bit until one, or both, of them felt better.

the word makes Reflect huff, like Ironhide himself used to do when Will said it.

"I cold." Reflect mumbles. Ironhide chuckles a little, hugging tighter.

"yeah? you trying to steal body heat then?" Ironhide snorts. Reflect nods and curls up.

"but still love Ironhide." Reflect says.

"yeah I know kid. I love you too, but you love cuddles more." Ironhide snorts, hugging him gently. Reflect whines.

"I cold." he pouts.

"yeah I know. come on, we'll go check on Ratchet and see if he's got a way to warm you up while we're in there." Ironhide grumbles.

"Ratchet scary. yell really really really loud." Reflect pouts, cuddling up to him.

"I know. I won't let him yell at you." Ironhide murmurs gently.

"don't like yell." Reflect says.

"I know that too. I won't let him yell at you Reflect. I promise. I promise buddy." Ironhide assures gently, kissing his head. 'its okay. its okay." Ironhide murmurs.

he carries the sparkling to the medbay.

"Ratchet?" Ironhide asks.

"what?" he snaps.

"easy. just me and the sparkling. trying to figure out if you need help." Ironhide grumbles.

"no, Optimus got my tools down and both Prowl and Wheeljack are chasing down all my stolen items." Ratchet grumbles. he's beyond pissed.

"they got something important." Ironhide frowns.

"the only picture I had of Nitro. I can get another one made of course, but Wheeljack had that one made for me." Ratchet mutters, slamming his hammer down hard on his workbench. Reflect immediately jumps and whimpers, clinging to Ironhide. Ironhide rubs his back gently.

"any idea who was in here?" Ironhide ask.

"just Jazz and the twins, but Wheeljack says Jazz told him more." Ratchet mutters, dropping his head on his workbench.

"here take the sparkling. he's cold." Ironhide says, sitting the sparkling down. "go make your creator feel better. I've got something I need to do." Ironhide mutters, turning and leaving. Reflect looks back at Ratchet, the medic doesn't even notice he's there. Reflect runs after Ironhide, he wants to know what the bigger mech is doing.

when Reflect finally catches up to Ironhide, he's got Jazz pinned to the wall by his throat. the cannon on his other arm spinning beside Jazz' head as his servo rests against the wall.

"thats not an excuse! I can fight my own fragging battles!" Ironhide growls. "stealing Nitros picture is not the same! you tell me right now which bot on this fucking base has the picture or I'llbeat every fragging mech until I find it, STARTING WITH YOU!" Ironhide shouts.

"I-I don't know man! that wasn't the plan! no one was supposed to steal anything!" Jazz shouts, trying to push him away.

"WHO WENT IN RATCHETS OFFICE!?" Ironhide snaps.

"I-I think maybe... um... I... maybe it was...-" Jazz tries.

"SPIT IT OUT!" Ironhide snaps.

"I think it was Sideswipe!" Jazz shouts. Ironhide grunts shoving him off and storming down the hall way. Reflect runs over to Jazz.

"Jazz okay?" Reflect asks.

"get out of here sparkling." Jazz winces, rubbing his throat. Reflect runs after Ironhide, whimpering.

when he catches up once again, Ironhide has Sideswipe pinned to the floor face first, arm twisted behind his back.

"GIVE ME THE PICTURE!" Ironhide growls.

"I don't have it! get off! you're gonna break my rotator joint!" Sideswipe shouts.

"I'll break your whole arm off if I don't get that fragging picture of Nitro back right now!" Ironhide growls.

"its in the box on Sunnys berth! still in the frame! I promise! no damage! we were gonna give it to Wheeljack! we weren't gonna hurt it! just scare Ratchet into apologising to you!" Sideswipe shouts. Ironhide shoves off him and growls. he gets up and storms over to the berth. he opens the box and finds several items from Ratchets office. the picture of Nitro, a note from Wheeljack, one of Nitros old toys, one that Wheeljack had another peice of in his room, and a glass wrench with Earths top CMO engraved into it. Ironhide growls and grabs the box, storming out. he pauses seeing Reflect.

"little one, you're not supposed to be here. come here." Ironhide murmurs, scooping him up. Reflect hugs his neck, clinging to him.

"Hide get Ratchet stuff back?" Reflect asks quietly.

"yes." Ironhide murmurs. Reflect hugs tighter.

"Ratchet be happy." Reflect says.

"I know he will. angry as I am at him sparkling, Ratchet is still my friend and I will not tolerate revenge in a manner that desicrates a sparkling I considered family." Ironhide grumbles.

he storms back to the medbay, pushing the doors open. Wheeljacks sitting with Ratchet on the bench. the medics head is still on the work bench.

"don't mope you grumpy bastard." Ironhide grumbles.

"Hide get Ratchet stuff back!" Reflect squeals. Wheeljack looks up confused.

"huh?" he asks.

"like the squirt said, I got your shit back. a hell of a lot faster than Prowl, I might add." Ironhide mutters, dropping the box onto the berth. Ratchet jumps at the sound. Wheeljack gets up, watching as Ironhide turns to leave. he walks over to the box to look through it. just as Ironhide had said, everything was in there.

"s'all here Ratch." Wheeljack murmurs softly. the medic turns, looking at his bonded, then to Ironhides retreating form.

"thank you." Ratchet mutters.

"don't touch Wills shit, ever again." Ironhide snaps, letting the door slam behind him.