AN: Oh my Primus, Sunstreaker gave me fits with this chapter! I kept trying to tell him what I wanted him to do, and he kept refusing! shakes fist at the Sunny muse On the plus side, I tried to make it a little bit longer than the last few chapters. I kinda left it hanging again, but hopefully I won't take forever getting this next chapter out. Sides likes to cooperate a little better than his brother.

I hope ya'll like the explanation I put in with how the twins feel about Red and life in general. It's something I've been toying with for a little while. I hope I explained it okay.

Disclaimer: I don't own, much to my dismay.

--

Ratchet left the Academy at a dead run. He paid enough attention to where he was going to get back to his apartment and open the door, but the rest of his attention was going over everything he knew about glitching mechs. He stood aside as the twins moved Red inside. Between the two of them, they had him well-enough in hand that he couldn't struggle too much anymore. Ratchet didn't bother paying attention to the blue and green mechs left outside, letting the door slide shut when they didn't make an immediate move to follow. He didn't have time to waste on dithering like that.

"What can we do for him, Ratchet?" Sunstreaker asked, his worry clear in his voice. Sideswipe was still muttering in Red's audios. Red's optics flickered towards Sideswipe.

"What set him off?" Ratchet asked. If he didn't know what caused it, he could make it worse by putting him in forced stasis.

"He was upset this morning, but he wouldn't tell me why."

"Probably about the Academy thing," Sideswipe broke in, raising his voice just enough to be heard over Red's straining systems. Ratchet motioned for them to hurry up talking. The stress to Red's systems weren't good either.

"So I took him out to the energon bar near the apartment. We were sitting at the bar, and I was talking to Mirage." Sunstreaker's optics unfocused as he wracked his processor for anything that could have done this. "A mech walked behind us all at one point, and I noticed Hound kept looking back at him. When I looked, I saw a spark arch across his helm from horn to horn."

Ratchet crossed his arms and dug his fingers into his elbows. "Psychiatrists are much better at dealing with glitched mechs," he muttered.

"I think he was scared. We don't take him many places, and he normally stays between the two of us at all times when we are out. He sticks especially close to Sideswipe."

Ratchet tried to move closer, but Red's optics immediately snapped to him and his efforts to escape doubled.

"Easy, Red, it's okay, I promise. I've got you," Sideswipe said reassuringly. Red calmed a little, but his gaze moved from Sideswipe to Ratchet and back again. He wasn't going to let Ratchet come anywhere closer.

"He's been a little easier since Sideswipe got here," Sunstreaker added.

"Sunny, try letting go of him," Ratchet said softly. Sunstreaker carefully unwrapped himself from Red, earning himself a few more dents and scratches before the youngling curled into Sideswipe's chassis like he had when he was only a sparkling. He still looked over his shoulder at the other two every now and then, but he didn't let up on his tight hold on Sideswipe. "I guess just try letting him calm down. It's better than forcing him into stasis. That could make things worse if he really is scared of other mechs." Ratchet scanned him from where he stood, noticing his system activity levels were closer to normal.

It was quite a few joors before Red loosened his hold on Sideswipe. As soon as the ache in his processor subsided a little, he slipped into recharge, systems exhausted from straining against the twins' hold on him. Sideswipe shifted a little, trying to get a little more comfortable. Sunstreaker sat as close as he dared, moving a little closer when Red went into recharge. Ratchet would scan Red every few breems, keeping a close optic on the readings.

"I didn't know going out would do that to him," Sunstreaker said quietly, for Sideswipe's audios only. "I didn't mean for it to happen."

"I know, Sunny. When he wakes up, we'll tell him that too."

Sunstreaker watched Red, trying to resist reaching out and touching him. It was a familiar struggle. Sunstreaker often had trouble going into recharging at night, and would look in on Red frequently. It had been easier when he was still a sparkling and in the same room, but most nights now, Red shut the door. Sunstreaker didn't want to chance waking him. Sunstreaker shook his head a little, clearing his thoughts. He idly poked a few of the dents in his arms.

Red slowly came out of recharge. He felt Sideswipe's spark nearby, so he didn't immediately panic. As long as Sideswipe was here, he was safe. His optics flickered on.

When Sideswipe saw he was awake, he set Red beside him, but kept him tucked against his side. "How ya feeling, Red?" he asked.

Red looked slowly around the room, noticing where Ratchet and Sunstreaker were and their cautious looks. He made sure to check, too, that both the doors to Ratchet's apartment were locked. "I think I'm okay," he said softly.

Sideswipe looked to Ratchet for conformation, relaxing when the medic nodded. "What happened, Red?"

"There were so many mechs in that bar. I couldn't…I didn't know where everyone was. The last time I let anyone sneak up on me…" Red huddled closer to Sideswipe. "That mech took me. I tried to keep an eye on everyone, but Sunny's friends were there."

"You really think I'd let anyone take you?" Sunstreaker asked. "I didn't go through all that trouble of keeping you around just to let you get taken."

Ratchet plugged into the terminal with a wrist cable, trying to give them some privacy. He didn't want to leave in case Red panicked again, but he could do this.

"Sideswipe was the one that wanted me," Red muttered.

"I wanted you, Red, yeah, but Sunny's the reason anything gets done around here. I have the attention span of a turbo flea. If you two weren't around, I'd be a mess," Sideswipe said. At Red's horrified look, he tried to explain better. "I tried to explain this before, but I didn't say it well. Everything about me and Sunny is two halves of a whole. It's the way we are."

"Yeah…"

"I have the unfortunate tendency to move from one thing to another really quickly. It's why I keep my deals moving all the time, constantly have something happening. I would get bored if I didn't. Sunny, though, has the patience Primus gave the Prime. He takes awhile to get attached, but once he does, you don't ever have to doubt he'll take care of it."

"But because of our bond," Sunny continued. "We can force our traits on each other. When Sides' deals start getting boring, I can give him some patience to see it through. When I'm being an aft about making a decision, Sides gives me the push I need to make it."

"Both of us want you, Red. I wanted you first, that's all. Sunny took a little longer to convince, but you don't ever have to worry about him not wanting you."

Red was quiet as he thought this over. He'd noticed exchanges like that before. Sunstreaker had stared at a blank canvas for nearly a whole orn before Sideswipe leaned over his shoulder, grabbed a brush, put it in Sunstreaker's hand, and smeared blue paint across it. Sunstreaker had visibly lost his tension and turned out a fantastic painting of the Towers at night. Another time, Sideswipe was about ready to close an account with a mech called Hoist because the mech was dithering about the price. Sunstreaker had stood behind Sideswipe the whole time Sideswipe was on the terminal making arrangements. Sideswipe had eventually sealed the deal very much in his favor. It would make sense, really, that this would carry over into other parts of their lives. The majority of the twins' time was spent on their businesses, trying to eke out a living in the failing economy.

Sunstreaker slipped onto the berth on Red's other side. "Any mech that wants you, Red, will have to go through both of us. We'll protect you no matter what."

Red gave Sunstreaker a tentative smile and moved to lean against the yellow twin. "Sorry about that," he said, nodding towards the scratches and dents in Sunstreaker's armor. He idly traced a dent in Sunstreaker's leg.

"It's no big deal."

"Yeah, right. If I'd given you those, I'd be a pile of scrap," Sideswipe teased.

"I like Red. You're a pain in my aft."

Red listened to his two guardians bicker back and forth, content knowing they were both there.

--

"I don't feel like being here," Sideswipe said softly. He scowled darkly at any mechs that looked their way.

"We need the credits," Sunstreaker answered.

"No we don't. I can get what he needs through my other job."

"We won't have any left over. Times are getting rough."

"We'll be fine. We always are."

"There's three of us now. It's not going to be as easy as it was." Sunstreaker didn't want to be here anymore than Sideswipe did, but he couldn't justify leaving. They couldn't scrape by like they had been if the economy really did start getting worse. There was no way they would let someone else take care of Red either.

"Then I'll get another job or something. I just don't feel right being here right now."

Sunstreaker cycled air slowly, thinking over Sideswipe's words. Sideswipe was impulsive, yes, but normally his initial reactions were spot on. "Fine, let's go tell Onslaught we're leaving." They moved away from the wall and started down the labyrinthine halls towards Onslaught's office.

Louder than normal yells echoed after them. One of Onslaught's partners, Vortex, came barreling down the hall. "Iacon bots! It's a raid!"

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker shared a moment of panic before bolting for the nearest exit. If they got caught down in the Pits they were going to be jailed for way longer than they cared to think. There were too many mechs and not enough exits, and without their projectile weaponry, they had no choice but to tear through everyone else with their hands. It was brutal, but most of the mechs in their path were other fighters.

"At least one of us has to get back!" Sideswipe shouted over the din once they'd fought their way out. "Split up, ditch the armor, meet back up later." He shoved Sunstreaker in one direction and turned the other way himself.

Sunstreaker didn't hesitate. Neither of them could afford to. They'd gotten lucky with that exit. It had been a private fighter's entrance used only by regular mechs like themselves. The average new fighter, the kind Iacon had probably gotten their information from, wouldn't have known about it. For once Sunstreaker was glad for the ugly matte black armor. If he stuck to the shadows and turned his optics down, he was harder to see. He grimly noticed Sideswipe had shoved him in the direction of the quick route back. There weren't any mechs following him yet. He started stripping the armor, tossing pieces of 

it in different trash receptacles, taking a few roundabout routes to throw some in other places so he wouldn't leave a trail.

He got back to the warehouse before Sideswipe. He expected to. He reattached his normal armor and started walking sedately towards home. He didn't dare feel across the bond to Sideswipe. If Sideswipe was being tailed, he couldn't risk distracting him.

Sunstreaker and Red were in for a long night, it seemed.