it had been three weeks since anyone, other than Ironhide and Wheeljack, had seen Will. he stayed locked up in his and Ironhide's room. it was sad, but it was the weapons specialist that had the worry of their comrades. Wheeljack said Will was actually trying to get into tune with the Alspark more to get answers he needed, he was getting a little better, but Ironhide was not. the mech never had a good way of grieving. he was angry, very angry. he was angry all the time, but no one blamed him. Sideswipe kept Lunar away, explaining his creator was just sad like his carrier. Ironhide didn't care who he was talking too, getting angry at anyone who looked at him. he generally spent his time out on the firing range, he didn't want anyone to get too close. he was grieving in the only way he knew how, the same way he'd been grieving since the war began. he let out a loud yell of anger, shooting at the targets.

"you slagging fraggers!" Ironhide hissed. he was feeling nasty and he wanted revenge. though in his processor he knew it was no ones fault, his spark craved revenge and there was only one mech that would fit that revenge. "where is Starscream?" Ironhide hissed. the other end was quiet for a moment.

"I'm not sure. did he do something?" Barricade ask.

"I want to know where he is NOW." Ironhide growled. Barricade was shocked but quickly located Starscream.

"he's at the base. can you tell me whats-" Barricade started.

"are you at the base?" Ironhide ask.

"no, I promised Lunar I'd-" Barricade tried.

"alert Megatron of my arrival and that I'm there for Starscream." Ironhide growled.

"uh I'm not sure thats-" Barricade tried.

"DO IT!" Ironhide hissed. it was quiet for Ironhide a moment.

"um... Lord Megatron, I'm unsure what the slagger has done this time, but the Autobot Ironhide, the sparklings creator, is on his way to destroy Starscream." Barricade said, sounding unsure.

"he can have the slagger." Megatron growled.

"he said you can have Starscream. I'm heading to the base to see Lunar, can you tell me what happened?" Barricade ask. it was silent for a minute, then five, then ten, and then fifteen. "Ironhide?" Barricade ask. still no answer. Ironhide wasn't wasting any time. Barricade frowned but headed to the base. he pulled up but didn't look for Lunar, he looked for Optimus. "Prime." Barricade said. Optimus looked over.

"Barricade." he smiled. "Lunar is-" he started.

"what did Starscream do?" Barricade ask.

"what?" Optimus ask.

"what did Starscream do?" Barricade repeated.

"what do you mean? what are you talking about?" Optimus ask.

"well, he was looking for Starscream so I-" Barricade started.

"who?" Optimus ask.

"Ironhide. he was looking for Starscream, so I assumed something happened." Barricade said. Optimus sighed slightly.

"Ratchet, Jazz, Bumblebee, Sam. meet me and Barricade outside." Optimus side. Barricade looked confused but followed the Autobot leader outside. the other four came outside.

"Optimus is this important? Wheeljacks having some issues." Ratchet said. by issues he meant Wheeljack was working in the lab, still as upset as Will. Optimus side.

"I'm afraid so. we must go to the Decepticon base and stop Ironhide from offlining Starscream." Optimus said.

"what did he do?" Barricade ask again.

"nothing to my knowledge, except exist." Optimus sighed. they transformed and headed towards the Decepticon base. they weren't very far away when they could hear the sound, which they all recognized, of Ironhide's cannons firing off and the mech shouting in Cybertronian. the Decepticons, standing out of the way, were watching Ironhide throw the larger mech around. Optimus and crew transformed. Megatron, and his remaining Decepticons, side stepped over.

"what happened?" Megatron ask.

"he's grieving." Optimus muttered.

"they lost the second sparkling and he blames Starscream." Barricade commed silently. Megatron nodded slightly.

"Ironhide." Optimus called. "put him down. lets go home." Optimus called. Ironhide growled and turned throwing Starscream at him.

"Prime watch out!" Ratchet hissed and tackled the Prime out of the way. Ironhide didn't care who it was. he was pissed and he needed to get it out.

"thanks." Optimus muttered getting up. they looked behind them, Starscream had taken Jazz out. Bumblebee and Sam were trying to get the Decepticon off him. "Ironhide, stop it." Optimus said. Ironhide powered up his cannons and fired at him.

"Ironhide stop!" Ratchet shouted. Optimus ran at Ironhide, taking a more physical approach, but Ratchet new better. "Prime back off you're just going to make him angrier." Ratchet said. Ironhide shouted at him in Cybertronian. "you didn't even know my carrier." Ratchet glares.

"Ratchet knock him out before he hurts someone." Optimus said. Ratchet frowned slightly.

"we can talk him down." Ratchet said, walking forwards. "Ironhide, just relax." Ratchet said. "look I know you're grieving, really I do. losing a sparkling is slagging awful. Wills worried about you. come on." Ratchet said softly. Ironhide immediately lost it hearing about the sparkling and fired his cannon at Ratchet, punching Optimus hard in the face. he shouted and screamed in Cybertronian. Ratchet didn't hesitate a second more and knocked Ironhide out. immediately they loaded him up and headed home.

*medbay*

"what do you mean you can't wake him up?" Optimus ask.

"I mean I can't wake him. he's refusing the program. he'd rather be unconscious than awake Prime." Ratchet said looking at Ironhide. "that was drastic measures. I should've talked to him. I've been there so I should've helped him, but I didn't." Ratchet sighed.

"it was for the best." Optimus sighed looking at Ironhide.

"we interrupted his grieving method and basically told him he was doing it wrong. instead of helping him, we told him he's an idiot and knocked him out. then we carried him home. I don't know how to wake him up Prime!" Ratchet glared. Optimus shook his head slightly.

"have you told Will?" Optimus ask.

"Wheeljacks letting him know. they've really connected since it happened." Ratchet mumbled. Will walked in quickly.

"what did you do?" Will ask.

"I did what-" Ratchet started.

"not you." Will said turning to Optimus angrily. "you" Will hissed. "you had Ratchet knock him out!? he's grieving! we both are! we lost our sparkling it was Starscreams fault!" Will hissed.

"Will thats not-" Optimus started.

"back the fuck off him! you leave him alone! he's been doing everything he can to make sure I'm okay you need to leave him the hell alone so he can take care of himself!" Will glared. Optimus was shocked but after a quiet moment decided it was best for him to leave. Will plopped down beside Ironhide.

"Will?" Ratchet ask kneeling in front of him.

"can you wake him?" Will ask. Ratchet frowned.

"he... he doesn't want to be awake. he'd rather be in an unconscious state than be awake..." Ratchet said softly. "I've seen this happen before Will, he'll wake up when he's ready." Ratchet added. Will sighed and looked at Ironhide.

"can he hear me?" Will ask.

"I'm not sure..." Ratchet admitted. Will nodded.

"he'd really rather be like this than be awake?" Will ask.

"he's upset, and probably angry, he let his emotions control him like that. I don't think he realized how much this affected him too. I don't think he knows how to deal with this and is just doing his best to help you because he wants you to feel better. I think he hopes that if you feel better he will too, but he's going to hurt you both. he's angry we came out there and interupted him, stopped him from grieving and doing what he needed to do to feel better, and knocked him out. I should've done something different, but I didn't and I'm sorry. why don't you go lay down for a bit in your room, if anything changes I'll get you." Ratchet said. Will sat still a moment, processing Ratchets words. he stood silently and left the room. Ratchet motioned for Wheeljack to follow him and his bonded did so without question. the medic sighed and looked at Ironhide. Wheeljack returned after a few minutes and Ratchet was sitting on his bench, fiddling with an old war wound on his arm.

"Ratch?" Wheeljack ask.

"yeah Jack?" Ratchet ask.

"you did what you could. Prime gave you an order." Wheeljack said softly.

"I don't know what your talking about Jack. I know I did what I had to." Ratchet said. Wheeljack frowned at his bonded grabbing his arm, to stop him from messing with it.

"are you really?" Wheeljack ask. Ratchet pulled his arm free and stood angrily.

"you know just as well as me he might not wake up." Ratchet hissed, glaring at Wheeljack. his bonded was shocked at the sudden burst of anger. Ratchet was angry at himself.

"I know there's a chance he won't wake up, but you know thats a really small chance with Ironhide. he's just pissed and upset. he'll wake up soon. you know that. just give him time." Wheeljack assured.

"and if he doesn't wake up Jack? hmm? what then?" Ratchet ask.

"he will." Wheeljack assures with a smile. "I'll be back. gonna check on Lunar. just go lay down. Ironhide will be okay." Wheeljack added. he sighed and heads into their room. Wheeljack left the room, heading to talk to the Prime. its one thing to piss off Will and upset Ironhide, it's another thing to bother Ratchet so bad he started messing with his arm again. most didn't realize that out of the pair, Wheeljack was the worst when angry. he marched into the rec room, set his optics on Prime, grabbed the closest random object, and threw it hard at the Primes head. it bounced off and the room got quiet. "who. do. you. think. you. are?!" Wheeljack shouted. Optimus looked confused.

"Wheeljack?" Optimus ask. Wheeljack grabbed onto the taller mech angrily and yanked him down hard.

"who the frag do you think you are!? he's the medic he clearly knows better about situations like this! but no! you pulled the rank card! are you proud Prime? hmm? are you proud to know that Ironhide might not ever wake up because of your orders?! are you aware that you may have just given him a death sentance! that if he offlines Will and Lunar will both go with him!? do you even care that not only have you ruined a family, you thought you knew more than Ratchet and made him take drastic measures so YOU could be happy!?" Wheeljack screamed. Optimus was silent, the whole room was. Wheeljack let go and shoved him back hard, storming off. when Wheeljack back, Ratchet was still working on trying to wake Ironhide up. Wheeljack sighed slightly and grabbed his arm, pulling him to their room. Ratchet didn't resist, he knew it was no use, Wheeljack would just carry him. they laid down quietly. "I know you know he'll wake up." Wheeljack said.

"and I know you know grief can destroy a mech." Ratchet said softly. Wheeljack held him tightly and simply laid their with him.