Will had discovered trying to avoid Hot Rod was like trying to avoid breathing. it was nearly impossible. he couldn't leave the room without Ironhide. he eventually just started telling Ironhide that his chest plates were hurting and that he was just going to stay in bed. Ironhide was getting worried though, after three days he finally called Ratchet down. the medic walked in.

"uh, hi Ratchet..." Will said confused.

"Ironhide said you weren't feeling too great. that your having issues with the sparkling." Ratchet said. Will shrugged slightly.

"we're fine. I just don't feel like doing anything." Will mumbled. Ratchet frowned slightly. "look. if you guys really want me to go out and walk around, someone needs to stay with me. I've been feeling dizzy and I don't want to just pass out somewhere." Will said.

"okay come on." Ironhide said. Ratchet nodded and they helped him up. Will leaned against Ironhide slightly, if he leaned on him there was a greater chance Hot Rod would fuck off. he hoped that was what would happen at least. Ironhide supported his weight easily. "you okay?" Ironhide ask.

"I'm fine, just tired." Will mumbled. Ironhide nodded slightly and helped him to the rec room. Hot Rod looked up almost immediately. his crush on Will or his need to fuck Will was incredibly irritating, though Will wished he could figure out what it was he wanted. Ironhide helped the mech sit down. "thanks Hide." Will said quietly. Ironhide nodded once at him and walked away. Sam immediately sat beside Will and smiled.

"how are you two?" Sam ask, looking around. Will wasn't an idiot.

"me and Hide, we're great. he's a pain in my ass though." Will said. Sam nodded, the sparkling was fine it just hurting his chest a little. Will rubbed his chest plate and sat quietly.

"you sure you're okay?" Sam ask. Will nodded.

"yeah. just hurts some. I'm fine. Ratchet said it's because Cybertronians haven't done that for years and their chests aren't made for it anymore." Will mumbled. Sam nodded.

"but you're okay right?" Sam ask.

"yeah. I'm fine. Ratchet said I'm fine." Will said. "Ironhide, hey come help me up." Will said reaching his hand up. Ironhide reached out and pulled him up.

"issues?" Ironhide teased.

"yeah something about the fact I have something the size of small bike in my chest plate means I have difficulties getting up." Will glared. Ironhide frowned and hauled him up.

"sorry." Ironhide muttered. Will grumbled and held his chest.

"still hanging out with that bond mate? you know everytime I see you, you're just hanging on him." Hot Rod glared.

"that would be because I have trouble standing on my own you asshole." Will glared. he stumbled back some, quickly grabbing onto Ironhide as the mech glared Hot Rod down. Ironhide immediately stuck his arm out and grabbed hold of the grill on Wills chest, holding it to keep him from falling. Ironhide stepped forward towards Hot Rod.

"didn't you already learn yoru lesson about fragging with my bondmate you stupid slagger?" Ironhide growled, jabbing a finger into Hot Rods chest plates.

"oh frag off hot head. I'm just talking to him. that a crime?" Hot Rod hissed. Ironhide gave a dark smirk.

"it will be when I'm done." Ironhide smirked. he gave a small tug to Wills grill and the mech stumbled forward a bit, but ended up back on his feet.

"thanks Hide. I needed that." Will said. "but next time could you grab something thats not already hurting?" Will ask.

"hey I caught you be happy." Ironhide rolled his optics, letting go. Will rubbed his grill and winced.

"you could've grabbed my arm, my hand, anything, you grabbed something attatched to the one thing that hurts right now." Will huffed. Ironhide chuckled.

"fine next time I'll let you fall on your aft." Ironhide smirked.

"no you wouldn't." Will said,rubbing his chest plate. Ironhide narrowed his optics, but knew Will was right. Will was carrying the first sparkling in thousands of years and he intended to keep his bonded and the sparkling safe and unharmed. Ironhide huffed steam out his nose. they walked out of the rec room.

"Ratchet says exercise is good for you both. I have to go help Prime do some stuff, just stay out of trouble, if Hot Rod gives you any trouble just call for me. while I'm sure you could handle yourself, you could put the sparkling at risk." Ironhide commed. Will sighed and nodded. "oh and to ensure you do as Ratchet has said, I have locked the room and changed the door code. I will unlock it when I come back." Ironhide smirked.

"what? you can't do that! what if I want to lay down? what if I need a break from Hot Rod? what if i need to get to my stuff?" Will ask. the main question on his mind, what if he had to hide from Hot Rod?

"Ratchet says the medbay is open for you should you need to rest or get away from Hot Rod. Bumblebee is staying in his room today do to needing a few update but would be more than willing to let you stay in there until Hot Rod frags off." Ironhide replied.

"oh great instead of the convenience of your room 4 yards from the rec room, I now can go all the way across the base and hide in the med bay or I can barge in on Bumblebee in his room which, might I add, is about 20 yards in the opposite direction of the med bay." Will glared. he was pissed.

"I'm sorry Will, Ratchet knows whats best for you" Ironhide frowned at him. he turned and headed off.

"it's going to be yours and Ratchets fault if we get hurt becuase of Hot Rod." Will said, his back facing Ironhide. he heard Ironhide physically still a moment. a brief flash of worry over their bond, but it was gone quickly.

"you'll be fine Will." Ironhide replied after a moment. he then went on his way, though it didn't stop him from worrying over the truth in Wills words. he opened a private com, there were only two mechs that could keep his bonded and sparkling safe while he was away. "Sunstreaker. Sideswipe." Ironhide commed.

"Ironhide?" Sideswipe ask curiously.

"what do you want you grumpy old stick in the mud?" Sunstreaker ask.

"I have a very important job for you that absolutely no other bot could know about or it could seriously but two bots in danger." Ironhide said.

"oh yeah? and whats that?" Sunstreaker huffed.

"my bondmate happens to be carrying. I need you two to keep Hot Rod distracted. don't let him near them. you can't say anything, we haven't even told Prime, but Ratchet knows." Ironhide said.

"holy slag Hide, are you serious?" Sideswipe ask.

"very. I just need you two to keep Will safe. Prime needs my help off base and he's not allowed off base anymore." Ironhide said.

"whats in it for us?" Sunstreak scoffed.

"whatever it requires for you two to protect that sparkling and my bondmate." Ironhide replied. he was desperate. it was quiet a moment. "I can get you guys whatever you want." he added.

"you're actually for real about this? like a real sparkling?" Sunstreaker ask.

"would I ask you two to do something like this for me if I wasn't?" Ironhide ask.

"you can count on us Hide. we'll keep them safe and we won't say a word. Hot Rod won't come anywhere near them." Sunstreaker said.

"as soon as we figure out who Will is." Sideswipe ask.

"just follow Hot Rod, he's basically magnatised to Will." Ironhide said. he recieved no answer as he went on his way.

*rec room*

the twins walked in looking around. Hot Rod was harrassing some mech, who was off in a corner rubbing his chest plates, to the point he looked miserable. they walked over.

"hey Hot Rod. whats up?" Sunstreaker ask, taking the bots attention. Sideswipe smiled at Will with a wink. Will looked utterly confused.

"Will?" Sideswipe ask.

"uh... yeah.... and you are?" Will ask hesitantly.

"Sideswipe. thats my twin Sunstreaker." Sideswipe smiled. Sunstreaker winked at them and walked off with Hot Rod.

"okay... um... did you want something?" Will ask.

"Ironhide said you two were having an issue with Hot Rod. he ask us to keep you safe." Sideswipe said, he motioned to Wills chest plate and immediately the mech covered it with his servo. "relax. I have no intentions of doing anything. Hide ask for help and he wouldn't do that if you didn't matter." Sideswipe chuckled, sitting with him.

"so he told you?" Will ask.

"he did yeah. said your chest was hurting a bit and that you weren't feeling so hot. that Hot Rod was trying to grind your gears. he also kinda explained that you bonded him cause he was hurt, this was an accident, and that you were also human. so your innocent little CPU doesn't even know what interface is does it?" Sideswipe chuckled.

"well when you say it like that, concidering I've never even heard that word until now, I can make a pretty good assumtion." Will frowned. Sideswipe nodded slightly leaning back.

"need a cube or anything?" Sideswipe ask.

"no. I'm fine really. I don't really want a babysitter, just someone to keep him away from us." Will sighed. Sideswipe nodded getting up.

"well just com me if you need anything. com me, not Sunstreaker. he's a bit of a jerk." Sideswipe smiled and walked off.

"thank you." Will called after him. "so the twins?" Will ask.

"just in case. are they trating you right?" Ironhide replied. Will smiled slightly, eventually there would come a day where the soldier admitted his love for the weapon specialist, but today was not the day.

"I don't want a babysitter. I sent them after Hot Rod. Sideswipe said he'd come if I called." Will explained.

"be careful William." Ironhide said. Will managed to get up and head for the medbay, hopeful to talk to Wheeljack. the only person on base he knew had personally carried before.

"hey!" a voice called. Will internally groaned, already deciding he hated the twins. Hot Rod ran over to him.

"Hot Rod, go away and leave me alone. Ironhide will kill you if you touch me." Will said.

"oh I'll leave you alone, right after we have some fun." Hot Rod said, walking closer. "no one can resist me forever." Hot Rod winked. Will scold.

"I can and I will. I'm happily bonded to a bot I care very deeply for." Will said. Hot Rod grabbed his wrist. "Sideswipe I could really use some help please." Will commed quietly. he tried to pull his wrist free. "let go." Will growled.

"I don't think so. your stupid bondmate doesn't have to know. besides I've never even seen him get affectionate with you." Hot Rod rolled his optics.

"thats because we keep it private!" Will hissed, pulling free and heading for the medbay. "Sideswipe I know I said I didn't need a babysitter but I could really use your help please!" Will commed. he yelped loudly when Hot Rod grabbed him hard.

"hold on. we're coming as fast as we can. he gave us the slip." Sideswipe commed back. Will relaxed slightly until he was spun around quickly.

"you sicked the twins on me!?" Hot Rod hissed. he grabbed Will hard and slammed him back against the wall. pain shot through Wills chest. Ironhides panicked voice filled his com link.

"Will? Will what happend?" Ironhide ask.

"Hide.... he... f-fuck I can't get back up." Will managed as he slumped to the floor. he looked up as Sunstreaker slammed into Hot Rod hard.

"Ratchets coming don't move! I'm on my way back!" Ironhide replied. Will winced and held his chest as Sideswipe knelt beside him. Will was leaking energon and Sideswipe pulled one of his polishing towel out quickly holding it to the leak.

"don't move okay? Ratchet and Wheeljack are on their way. Ironhide is coming back as fast as he can." Sideswipe said gently. Will groaned softly. he could just see Sunstreaker beating Hot Rods head against the floor. Ratchet and Wheeljack ran over. the medic dropped to his knee's immediately.

"William. look at me." Ratchet said. Will lifted his gaze shakily. "what are the warnings saying?" Ratchet ask. Will whined softly, there weren't any warnings, but he couldn't say it. he couldn't speak. his body hurt too bad. Ratchet seem to understand this. he also realized Will was curled around his chest. "move your servos let me see." Ratchet said. Will slowly pulled one back and Ratchet stopped him. "stay still. don't move." he warned. Will looked down, his servo was covered in energon. "alright. lets get him up. Wheeljack and I-" Ratchet started. Ironhide flew down the halls in his alt mode, that barely fit, and transformed, skidding to a stop beside Will.

"Will?" Ironhide ask. worriedly.

"good, you're here." Ratchet said. "we need to carry him to the med bay, do not crush or compress his chest or spark chamber." Ratchet said. although Ironhide could've easily done it himself, all four mechs carefully lifted Will from the ground, ignoring his cries of pain. they carefully moved him to the med bay. Ironhide silently soothing him the whole way. Ratchet didn't even stop to tell them to get out, he immediately set to work, letting Wheeljack deal with Ironhide and Sideswipe.

"you need to get out." Wheeljack said.

"like hell I am! thats my bondmate and my sparkling and you better get the slag out of my way before you end up on one of those berths!" Ironhide shouted, pointing a cannon at Wheeljack. Wheeljack immediately coward back some and the weapon specialst shoved him out of his way, walking back over to Will. he kept his distance thought. Sideswipe stayed away from Ironhide.

"I-Ironhide I-I'm sorry we went after Hot Rod w-we didn't know h-he could just appear across the base!" Sideswipe said looking terrified and guilty. Ironhide turned to him pissed about to tear into the twin, but Will grabbed onto his servo with a weak grip. Will was looking at him. it was a pained look, but one that also reminded Ironhide it wasn't the younger mechs fault. he growled lowly, but held tightly to Wills servo. he didn't speak, he simply comforted him through their bond gently. Will gave a slightly gratefull look as Ratchet quickly powered him down.

*a few hours later*

Will awoke on the medical berth. his worried bonded sitted on one of his metal storage totes, sleeping beside the berth. Will shifted slightly and whined when it hurt. immediately Ironhide's optics onlined and he looked at Will.

"Will?" Ironhide ask softly. Will looked at him.

"you didn't hurt the twins right?" Will mumbled. Ironhide frowned, looking across the room. Will followed his gaze. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were asleep, leaned against the medbay doors to keep everyone else out. the looked a little beat up.

"not too bad." Ironhide replied. "but they proved their worth and that they had done what they could." he added. Will smiled slightly. he looked over at one of the other berths in the medbay. Wheeljack was asleep on it with Ratchet sitting in a chair beside him, he was facing Will and Ironhide, slumped slightly in his sleep, and leaned against his own bonded.

"the sparkling?" Will ask.

"is fine. Sideswipes quick thinking with the towel helped." Ironhide said. Will nodded and shifted slightly. he realized Ironhdie was still holding his hand, he looked down at their hands. the older was a amused. "you wouldn't let go, so I didn't." Ironhide smiled. Will smiled slightly and shifted some.

"thanks." he mumbled. Ironhide smiled and watched him drift back off. he would thank the twins later.