TF-'verse. Nellis AF base. Moving in

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Starforge looks up from where he's building a bunk in one of the spare rooms of what will be he and Arcee's new quarters. "Hunter! Knock it off. Now."

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Hunter started, then blinked and frowned.

"The mouse got away," he said.

In his corner Startracker looked up and blinked, then ducked his head. "It's ok. I've gat it," he said.

"Awesome!" Sunhunter hurried over, grinning. "See, dad? You didn't mess it all up!"

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"Mouse?" Starforge straightens and comes to see. "You didn' bring a wild mouse in here, didja?"

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"Cute." Starforge chuckles. "Bet Roach'll git a kick outta it."

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"He's not for Roach. He can't dance," the young bot said softly, bending down and looking at the rat, holding out his fingers. The giant mouse perked almost at once, ambling over and sniffing his hand before nuzzling it. The look on Startracker's face was that of utter contentness as he gently scooped up the artificial animal.

The little bot responded by nuzzling his cheek, and suddenly it was quite clear that the young mech had created the creature for companionship more than anything else.

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"What in...." Starforge stops short. "Sunhunter!"

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Sunhunter sat up quickly, looking guilty.

"Oh... hey dad," he said weakly, trying his best to seem contently confused as to why his father looked upset. "What's up?"

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"That's enough!" Starforge's deep voice drops to a low growl. "After ya git this all picked up go t' yer room 'n sit there till I say ya kin come out. I'm sick 'a you bullyin' yer brother."

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"But you can't bully somebody without wanting to hurt their feelings. I don't wanna hurt his feelings, and I can't help it if he's a crybaby and takes it the wrong way!" Sunhunter cried, hating it when he was forced to stay inside. "He is a technerd, like Ratchet, only he's scared of fighting! It's not my fault if he doesn't like it, I offered to help him change!"

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His father gives him a very stern look.

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Sunhunter looked down.

"He can make cannons n' human guns. Big ones, He made a couple, but the ain't got power or ammo or anything, and he won't let me have any, and he takes them apart right after. He said that if he could make a really good one grandpa might think he's smart n' useful, 'cause grandpa likes having the biggest cannons."

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Ironhide gives a chuckle of wonder at the little thing, amazed and awed to think that the youngster who created it is made from him. "I'd say good work... but I don't know enough about these things to know if it is."

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He blanched slightly and glanced, up, then looked down.

"It's probably not. He.... it hasn't even got good plating, or a spark," he mumbled, staring at his feet.

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"I don't hate Ratchet," he repeats, shaking his head. "He's my best friend."

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"But you always push him around and make fun of him," the boy frowned.

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Ironhide sighs a little inwardly as he senses his failure to connect with Startracker, but he only smiles and says, "Should we put the desk and chair together now?"

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"Together?" the sparkling gapes, then nods eagerly. "Sure!"

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Starforge starts to comply, but then stops short and frowns. "I wonder...."

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"What, dad?" Sunhunter looked at him.

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Starforge does so quickly and carefully, then gets the mess on the floor before taking the bucket to the sink and emptying it. "Now we jes' gotta git me cleaned up."

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"Can I do it?" Sunhunter asked gleefully.

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"Yeah. Jes' not as much." He picks up the damp cardboard that used to be boxes and starts putting it into neat bundles with some string from a storage compartment.

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"Ok," he breathed a sigh of relief. "Cause... she's small, but I still don't like it when she's mad."

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"I dunno," he says quietly. "But I know I scared 'er pretty bad a couple times."

And he's not proud of that.

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Sunhunter frowned.

"Do... do me n' Startracker scare you n' mom?" he asked.

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"Not ever'body's got 'em. 'N not ever'body's a car." He shuts the lid and looks around.

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"But Startracker said- he said for our body builds and stuff that- midsize to smaller vehicles would be best and- and that since we're kinda normal size, you know? It would be better to have 'em, just in case!" Sunhunter said quickly.

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"Sure," he says promptly, though he's rubbing the back of his neck uncertainly as he looks around. He's never been inside a normal living room.

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Startracker grinned, but Sunhunter was staring at him intently.

"You don't like it, do ya?" he smirked. Startracker looked up at once, optics big.

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Ironhide, intent on not wrecking the couch, doesn't notice. But Starforge does and puts a hand on Sunhunter's shoulder. "Hunter?"

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"Ugh," he said, shaking his father's hand off and walking out, scowling.

Startracker's grin fell, and he frowned, taking his mouse off his shoulder and holding him close.

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Another glance between the adults, Ironhide's is exasperated as he coms his opinion that the boy won't make a soldier for a good time to come.

Starforge counters with the reminder of how young Sunhunter is, then turns back and says aloud, "Fine, I'm gittin' yer mama."

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There was a moment's silence, then the door moved slightly, opening a crack.

"What'you want?" he demanded.

Something small and mechanical touched the back of Ironhide's foot, and if he looked back hed see Startracker's small mouse, peeking out from behind him warily.

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"Not something you understand well?"

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He shook his head helplessly.

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"You're too young to fight," he repeats firmly. "I know that Starforge is giving you basic self-defense training, and that's enough for now."

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Sunhunter frowned, but nodded.

"But when I get older... will you teach me how to fight like you?" he asked.