C.M.D: This is the final chapter to Ears and Tails. A lot of these stories, and newer characters, are available in the sister fic Tooth and Claw, which is still a work in progress. I hope you enjoyed what you've read thus far and look forward to seeing you all in the next fic!

Title: Family Affairs
Rating: T
Summary: A memory lost in time

He remembered when the fights had started.

Brawl was just born when his momma started to frown a lot more, and would get angry every couple orns, for no reason at all. Not knowing what else to do, the little siamese played with his baby brother, trying to keep him entertained and unaware of the yelling happening in the next room. After a few decacyles, everything went quiet and Blast Off believed for a second that things would be okay.

Three stellar cycles later, Vortex was born. The yelling started again, along with smashing and the throwing of things. Many nights, his papa tried to calm momma down, but she refused to be tamed and things escalated into one giant screaming match. Usually these fights happened in Vortex's room. Blast Off spent many nights awake, trying to whisper fairytales and kind words into little Brawl's ears, stroking the trembling sparkling's helm repeatedly in comfort, while he listened to his youngest brother scream helplessly from his crib from down the hall.

Life got harder.

Blast Off became the one to take care of his two little brothers after he discovered that his momma had abandoned tiny Vortex in the bathtub, leaving the bornling to almost drown to death before the siamese had intervened. He was honestly afraid when his momma's belly got swollen again a couple months later.

He did not want a new baby brother or sister to be brought into all of this.

The fighting got worse as papa refused to let momma kill the new spark. Blast Off heard from one of their screaming matches. It was frightening, watching the two people who had given him life act like this, especially since papa loved momma so much... But he was only a little mech and none of them would listen to him. When they fought, they didn't care about anyone else.

Swindle was born, healthy and happy, and that upset Blast Off. He wasn't sure if he could protect his new baby brother from danger. Momma grew angrier and had to be watched at all times. Papa had taken to physically locking her within her own house, making sure that the femme would feed and take care of her bornling. With Swindle always in her clutches, there was nothing the siamese could do.

He felt almost happy when he saw his momma dropping Swindle into his playpen carelessly one orn, before rushing and grabbing a suitcase. Papa had to leave for a few kliks and momma used that time to pack some things, before she broke one of the windows and crawled out around the glass. She disappeared into a shiny, red car with a young, muscular kittycon, driving away with a squeal of tires and no backwards glance.

Swindle was four years old, Vortex five and Brawl eight when momma left them for good.

Blast Off was sixteen when he told their papa what happened and watched for the first time ever as tears fell from the tough mech's optics. He'd never felt so small as he did then.