despite Wheeljacks previous words, the base was completely unprepared for the little sparkling to be crawling himself around three days later. he was fast too. Will never sat in place for too long. he hated sitting still, even if the only thing he could do these days was crawl around.

right now, he was currently getting away from his temporary guardian, Optimus. Ratchet was busy putting Wheeljack back together after a bad lab accident, so they'd asked the Prime to babysit, unfortunately, the sparkling was small and fast and Optimus wasn't. he was just the opposite.

"sparkling you cannot keep running away." Optimus frowns, following after him.

"I wouldn't have to if you'd leave me alone! I have a destination in mind!"

chirp click! squeal! click click!"

"I do not understand sparkling. you need to slow down." Optimus frowns. Will shakes his head and keeps going, he refuses to slow down. if he does for even a second, Optimus will catch him before he can get where he's trying to go and he's determined. third times the charm. he will not get distracted again.

"oh hey Prime, you want me to grab him?" Jazz asks, watching the quick little sparkling crawl past him again.

"no he's alright. I just wish he'd settle down for a few minutes." Optimus frowns. "I do have some paperwork to do, but it doesn't appear I'll be getting any done." he adds.

"well... if you're sure have fun." Jazz chuckles. "good luck." he smiles. Optimus takes his optics off the sparkling just long enough give Jazz a tired look, but when he looks back, the sparkling is gone.

"thank you Jazz."

chirp.

he looks up at the closed door in front of him and frowns. he hadn't taken into account that he might not weigh enough to make the door open. he does the next best thing he can think of.

"IRONHIDE! HEY!! OPEN THE DOOR!"

screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeecccchhhhhhh!!!!!!

the door immediately opens and the grumpy black mech looks down at him, annoyed.

"what the hell do you- hey! that wasn't an invitation into my room you little slagger!" Ironhide snaps, turning to go after the sparkling who had just entered his room. "hey! you little fragger get out of that stuff! its not yours!" Ironhide growls. the sparkling doesn't listen, grabbing a hat from a box labeled Wills items, give to Ironhide and puts it on, laughing.

"look! look! its me! its me! Hide its me! its- hey!"

chirp! chirp! twitter chir- sqwaaakkk!

the hat is immediately ripped off his head.

"those aren't yours sparkling." Ironhide murmurs, holding the hat carefully. "those belong to someone special to me. he's gone now... this is none of your business. who is supposed to be looking after you? because I know its not me." Ironhide frowns, picking the sparkling up. his door immediately flies open.

"there you are." Optimus frowns. Ironhide turns and raises an optic ridge.

"this belong to you?" Ironhide grumbles.

"yes. I am sorry old friend. I looked away for a nanoclick and he disappeared." Optimus sighs, taking the sparkling. Will immediately squeals in anger, kicking at the Prime. "stop that. you cannot stay in here. Ironhide is on vacation, leave him be sparkling." Optimus frowns, turning and leaving the room. it doesn't stop the sparkling, he squirms and squirms until he can see over Optimus' shoulder, giving a sad look towards the weapons specialist, who is clutching the hat in his servo. Ironhide looks up briefly and something flashes in his optics before he shakes his head.

"bye Hide."

*sigh* chirp.

Ironhide gives him a confused look before closing his door. the annoyed sparkling huffs, pulling back to give Optimus a dirty look.

"you cannot keep running away." Optimus murmurs.

"I am about to make your life very difficult Prime."

twitter click twitter twitter.

"you cannot keep arguing with me either." Optimus frowns. the sparkling immediately screams at him, kicking at his servos. "it must be time for a nap I guess." Optimus murmurs.

"NAP!? I'll NEVER NAP FOR YOU AGAIN! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!"

screeeeeeeeeeeeeech

"hmm." Optimus frowns heading back to his office. he sets the sparkling down on his desk, hoping to discourage him from running off since the desk is so tall. he should know the sparkling would have no fears, especially not with a medic as his caregiver. "stay." Optimus frowns. "I have to go get you a cube. I'm just poking my head out." Optimus says. he watches the sparkling while walking backwards, before turning to grab a cube. when he turns back the sparkling is gone for a fourth time. "slag." he sighs. he immediately searches the office, narrowly missing the sparkling slipping away out the door.

Will wastes absolutely no time high tailing it away from Optimus' office.

"never trust an angry sparkling Optimus. I will never sit still for you now."

chirp chirp click twitter chirp click.

Will doesn't waste any time. he's thankful he knows the base pretty well, because it takes him absolutely no time to find his way outside.

"what the- hey shouldn't someone be watching you?" Sideswipe asks, looking at Will. stubbornly the sparkling shakes his head, but doesn't stop. he's on a mission. he knows Ironhide will be out on the range and he will get the mechs attention no matter what it takes. "alright. be careful sparkling." Sideswipe shrugs.

"thanks Sideswipe, do me a favor and don't have sparklings. thank god I have the brain of an adult human... sort of. ugh, memories are fuzzy."

click chirp chirp twitter click click chirp.

"have fun little one." Sideswipe waves, watching him go. Will simply nods his head but doesn't stop on his mission. he had to go, if he stopped, he'd be caught.

the little bot makes his way just about as fast as he can, not slowing for a second. it takes him nearly five minutes to get to the range, but he can see the big black mech working on his cannon, sitting on the ground silently. Will finally has to stop for a second, just for a second though, he's immediately going at top speed again until he gets to the mech.

"finally."

click.

Ironhide blinks, looking up from his canon to look at the sparkling.

"what- how did you get out here?" Ironhide huffs. Will gives him a tired look before pulling himself up with the mechs leg armor. "Optimus is looking for you." Ironhide frowns. the sparkling whines, holding tighter to his leg.

"please don't turn me in."

twitter click.

Ironhide huffs and scoops the sparkling up gently, setting him in his lap.

"I guess you can sit with me. I don't hate you, y'know? I love sparklings, I'm just... you came at a bad time. I lost someone important to me so I'm not in a very good mood." Ironhide murmurs quietly. Will settles into his lap, looking up at the mech curiously. "I accidently bonded to a human... I don't think you've met one of those yet, who had enough Allspark energy in his body to almost have his own spark... well one of the Decepticons, who I know you haven't met yet, stepped on him. humans squish when you step on them.... he died. I haven't recovered. I miss him greatly..." Ironhide explains.

"but I'm right here Ironhide."

chirp.

Will leans his head against the bigger mech and Ironhide actually gives him a small smile.

"he used to sit with me like this... just talk with me for a little bit... I dunno, maybe it was lucky Wheeljack found you squirt." Ironhide murmurs. he looks out over the sunset and lets out a sigh. it gets quiet for a few minutes before Ironhide looks down at him. "y'like guns?" Ironhide asks.

"yes! duh!"

chirp!

Ironhide smiles and carefully stands up, swapping the sparkling to his other arm so he can fire up his cannon.

"cool." Ironhide smiles. he fires up the canon, carefully using his other servo to block some of the sound from his cannon. the sparkling immediately bursts into giggles and Ironhide can't help but grin.

its almost twenty minutes after the sparkling got to him that Ironhide feels the ground shaking.

"Ironhide!" Optimus shouts, jogging over to him. "have you seen the sparkling?" Optimus asks, nervously.

"y'keep shoutin' and you're gonna wake him Prime." Ironhide frowns, turning to face Optimus. the sparkling is snorting away in his arm.

"oh, I'm sorry he bothered you again." Optimus frowns.

"nah, he likes the sounds of my cannons." Ironhide murmurs, passing the sparkling over gently. the sparkling immediately shifts, but doesn't wake.

"thank Primus. I wasn't sure I was going to get him into stasis." Optimus chuckles. Ironhide snorts a little.

"have fun with him Prime." Ironhide mutters.

"I'm glad to see you smiling again old friend." Optimus murmurs, turning and heading inside. he's almost immediately ambushed by Ratchet and Wheeljack. Ratchet snatches the sparkling, carefully so not to wake him, while Wheeljack gets in Optimus' face.

"you lost our sparkling and didn't think to come get either of us?" Wheeljack growls.

"I didn't lose him. he ran off to find Ironhide." Optimus frowns.

"you're an idiot!" Ratchet snaps, turning and heading back for the medbay. the sparkling in his arms blinks in confusion, looking up at Ratchet.

"Ratchet?"

twitter?

"sorry for waking you sparkling. go on back into stasis." Ratchet murmurs. the sparkling gives him a quiet and tired chirp, curling back up to fall asleep. Ratchet holds him for a moment, once he's entered the medbay, then laid the sparkling down carefully in his bed Wheeljack had made for him. Ratchet had insisted on the med, he didn't want the sparkling to get used to being held while sleeping.

Wheeljack comes back to the medbay after a little bit. his angry rant having lasted long enough for the nap to be over. the sparkling is still sitting in the little bed Wheeljack made, playing quietly with some of Ratchets tools. Ratchet is reading a datapad, with the sparkling clearly in his line of sight.

"watching him like a hawk, as the humans would say?" Wheeljack ask.

"take a look at the top of his helm. I looked away for two seconds and the slagger threw himself out of the bed head first." Ratchet huffs. Wheeljack frowns and walks over, there's a freshly repaired small dent on the top of the sparklings head, but the sparkling just grins at him.

"ouch, looks painful." Wheeljack frowns, patting his head gently.

"slagger laughed. he laughed at my panic." Ratchet glares at the sparkling. Will immediately bursts into giggles, grinning at the mech. "you're lucky you're cute." Ratchet mumbles. Wheeljack chuckles a little and scoops the sparkling up, setting him on floor.

"you stay in the medbay, or I'll lock the doors and keep you here." Wheeljack warns. Will blows a raspberry at him, before high tailing it for the door. "hey! what did I just say?" Wheeljack huffs, taking off after him.

"its a game now. have fun." Ratchet snorts.

the sparkling doesn't stop, he takes off as fast as he can with Wheeljack chasing after him.

"sparkling! come back here!" Wheeljack calls. Will laughs happily and shakes his head. if he's gonna have to grow up again, he may as well enjoy being childish.

"woah, sparkling on the run." Jazz laughs, moving out of the way.

"get out of my way! I'm not stopping!"

squeal! chirp click!

"he did the same to me." Optimus frowns. the sparkling immediately stops, sits back, puts his servos on his hips and mocks Optimus before taking off again. Wheeljack laughs and continues after the sparkling.

"come here sparkling." Wheeljack chuckles, chasing him.

"and just where the hell do you think you're going?" Ironhide snorts, scooping the sparkling up. the sparkling squeals in surprise.

"he thinks he's getting away, but I almost had him." Wheeljack chuckles. the sparkling glares and pouts, trying to kick free from Ironhides grasp.

"easy there sparkling. if you make me drop you, Ratchet will have my skidplate." Ironhide says. "oww! you little slagger! I am not on the menu! if you're hungry say something!" Ironhide frowns, pulling his fingers back quickly.

"you're the stupid slagger that put yoru finger in his mouth." Wheeljack snorted, snatching the sparkling from him. "but that does remind me, I don't think Optimus fed him. I probably should." Wheeljack frowns.

"well I didn't bite him for my own entertainment! feed me you neglectful bastard!"

screeeeech! twitter click click twitter chirp!

"alright! alright! I'm sorry! I'll feed you now! geez." Wheeljack says, heading quickly to grab a cube.

only once the sparkling has a cube in his mouth, sucking it down happily, does Wheeljack relax. Wheeljack heads back to the medbay, sighing in relief. the little sparkling in his arm is content now that he has a cube in his mouth. Ratchet looks up hearing Wheeljack walk in.

"oh hey, good thing you went and got him a cube." Ratchet says.

"didn't have a choice. he tried to eat Ironhides servo." Wheeljack snorts.

"and I'll fucking do it again!"

chirp click!

"well you and Prime starved him." Ratchet scoffs, walking over to take the sparkling from Wheeljack. "and you're not even holding him right while feeding him. look at this Jack, he's dribbling everywhere." Ratchet frowns, wiping at the energon of the sparklings chin. the sparkling growls in warning when he gets too close to the cube. "I'm not taking it little one. I'm just trying to clean you up." Ratchet assures gently. the sparkling kicks at his servo, but he's careful about it, he's already learned he can't hold it himself and actually can drown. Jazz had almost killed him the first time he'd fed him. "okay, okay. I'll wait until you're done then I'll clean you up." Ratchet murmurs.

"don't drown him." Wheeljack says. Ratchet glares him down.

"it was Jazz who did that! not me!" Ratchet glares. Wheeljack just grins at him. "and you were trying to drown him did you not see all that energon leaking everywhere! you could have-" Ratchet starts. he's cut off at the sound of a loud alarm, causing all three to jump. "oh great." he frowns.

"what are we supposed to do with him? we can't take him out onto a battlefield." Wheeljack frowns.

"I got an idea." Ratchet says. "you head out, I'll be right there." he frowns, heading out of the medbay quickly. "Ironhide!" Ratchet shouts, catching the mech as he's retreating to his room. he's still on 'vacation', as Optimus had put it, and wasn't allowed onto the battlefield until medically cleared by Ratchet. the medic was taking his time with it though.

"what?" Ironhide frowns.

"I need you to keep the sparkling." Ratchet says.

"absolutely not." he huffs.

"I can't take him out into battle." Ratchet frowns.

"leave him with Wheeljack." Ironhide mutters.

"the alarm in the medbay went off, meaning we both have to go." Ratchet says. "please its just a few hours." Ratchet says. Ironhide rolls his optics but reaches for the sparkling, who immediately reaches back towards the mech happily. "thank you." he sighs in relief, handing the sparkling over. he wastes no time running off. "be good for Ironhide or he'll end you!" Ratchet shouts running off. the sparkling looks up at Ironhide confused.

"come on. guess I'm stuck with you until they get back." Ironhide mutters, walking into his room.

"stuck? thats rude."

*huff* chirp.

"don't give me attitude." Ironhide frowns, putting the sparkling on his berth. "and don't run from me like you do everyone else. I won't be happy if I have to chase you." Ironhide adds.

"I already have a place in mind. catch me if you can old man."

chirp chirp click.

Ironhide frowns at him a little.

"you think you're so cute. already have the whole base wrapped around your finger, but I'm not falling for it squirt. whats your secret eh? you some kind of human government spy? huh? where'd you come from short stack?" Ironhide ask.

"your mom asshole."

twitter.

"hmm." Ironhide frowns. he pats the sparklings head gently, before sitting down to clean his cannons, but he was careful to keep an optic on the sparkling. unfortunately for Ironhide, the sparkling slips away the moment he turns to get a cleaning rag, or at least he tries. Will forgets all about the fact he's not big enough to open the door, so Ironhide finds him sitting in front of the door. he squeals in anger, kicking the door before turning to shoot the dirtiest glare at Ironhide. "ha! forgot you were too small?" Ironhide snorts, turning back to his cannon.

"you asshole! you think you can keep me in here!?"

screeeeeeeeeeech!

Will kicks the door hard before turning around. he squeals again, before his optics land on something. immediately he breaks out in a grin and heads for the vent under Ironhides berth.

"don't get into shit sparkling." Ironhide warns. the sparkling laughs at him, crawling under his berth. "I mean it squirt." Ironhide says. Will just grins and pulls the vent cover off. immediately Ironhides up off the berth, but he doesn't have a chance to grab at the sparkling before he's taken off into the vent. "get back here!" Ironhide shouts.

Will ignores him and takes off into the vent, he's not sure where he's going, but he's intent on finding the first open vent he can and getting to his old office. he just hopes he remembers where it was.

"shit! Ratchets going to kill me." Ironhide snaps, running out into the hallway. Will gets still immediately in the vent so the mech won't hear him. he listens to the mech take off running down the hall, before heading off himself.

Will crawls until he falls out of one of the open vents in the human rec room. there's a few soldiers in there and they all stare at him. Will stares back at them a moment, before crawling off as fast as he can. he manages to make it to the office he believes was his before he hears one of the humans soldiers shout to Ironhide that they'd found him. he crawls into the office and sits down, leaning against the door with a sigh.

his old desk is still sitting there with his name plate on it. Will crawls over to it, pulling himself up into his old chair. he grabs the name plate. Captain W. Lennox. he holds it quietly, waiting for Ironhide to find him.

"alright you slagging little-" Ironhide comes to a stop immediately when he opens the door. he has been in this office since the day before Will died. he freezes in the door way, staring at the sparkling. "why are you in here?" Ironhide manages after few minutes. the hurt in his voice is palpable and Will actually feels guilty. he holds up the name plate quietly towards Ironhide. the mech hesitantly walks over and takes the name plate. "how.... where did you find this?" Ironhide ask.

"here on the desk."

chirp.

Ironhide frowns. he's gentle with the name plate before heaving a sigh. he reaches a servo out for the sparkling.

"come here sparkling." Ironhide murmurs. Will climbs up into his servo and Ironhide carefully lifts him up. the bigger mech is quiet, carrying the sparkling back towards his room. Will decides its best to stay silent.

the rest of the time spent with Ironhide is awkward and silent. Will stays quiet, but he knows Ironhide called Wheeljack to come get him as soon as they got back, because the scientist comes to pick him up, still covered in energon.

"hey little one, come on. you've gotta be good for a bit." Wheeljack says, picking the sparkling up. the sparkling is silent, peeking over Wheeljacks shoulder to look at Ironhide, before turning back around and settling quietly in the mechs arm. Ratchet scoffs as they come in, before turning back to Optimus' arm.

"Ironhide couldn't watch him for another few minutes while we patched everyone up?" Ratchet glares. Wheeljack frowns a little.

"the sparkling broke into Wills office." Wheeljack mutters. Ratchet goes silent.

"thats okay! I'll hold him!" Bumblebee assures, swooping the sparkling up. the scout wasn't too injured, but walking was awkward and unbalanced with only one doorwing. the sparkling sits in his lap without argument.

"see if you can get him to nap." Wheeljack says. Will glares at Wheeljack, cuddling to Bumblebee, he had absolutely no intentions of napping at this point, not while he was so worried about Ironhide.

he put up the best fight he could, but within 30 minutes, Bumblebee had him out cold. Ratchet immediately takes him once everyone is patched up.

"thanks scout." Ratchet murmurs.

"of course. anytime you guys need a sitter, let me know." Bumblebee smiles, walking out.

"why don't you go lay down for a bit Ratch, you look tired." Wheeljack murmurs, reaching for the sparkling.

"don't." Ratchet mutters. "he's in stasis and he's coming with me." Ratchet murmurs, carrying the sparkling off. Wheeljack sighs quietly and watches him go.