AN: Based off a bunny on TFBunnyFarm on livejournal. Prompt made by merrypaws on there.

After Mission City the American government had given the Autobots allowance to stay on Earth, and more importantly, in the United States of America. Optimus Prime himself had expressed his desire to stay in Nevada, simply because Bumblebee had grown attached to the little teenage organic that had been dragged into their war. Secretary Keller, the one in Charge of anything to do with the Autobots, had agreed, and a month later Autobot City had been put into commission somewhere off the map in a rarely traveled area of the desert, only a couple hours away from the town that Sam called home.

Most of those who lived in Autobot City, naturally being the Autobots and the soldiers they had come to call friends, just referred to it as the Autobot base or just the base in general. The human barracks had extra room so whenever Sam and Mikaela wanted to stay for a few days they could.

Wheeljack, Jolt, Sideswipe, Skids, and Mudflap all landed on Earth about three months after Mission City, during what the humans called summer. Wheeljack and Sideswipe had been separated from their team, which had Sideswipe's twin Sunstreaker in it, and Jolt had been stuck playing babysitter to Skids and Mudflap. The five had heard Prime's message and met on their way to Earth. When the newest 'bots arrived on Earth the city had needed new additions added on, but that had only taken a few weeks.

Wheeljack had quickly become popular with the human contingent of the base, especially after he created the Dinobots. Once the Scientist had learned of the creatures that used to walk the Earth millions of years ago he had decided to make some for himself. That was when Swoop, Snarl, and Grimlock were born. Grimlock, the leader of the dinobots, was a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Swoop was a Pteranodon and Snarl was a Triceratops.

He was also well known for the explosions his experiments would create. Loud bangs followed by the ground shaking and smoke pouring out of the lab that had been built for the Scientist, and whatever other Autobot scientists that made their way to Earth, was an almost daily occurrence. It wasn't even that surprising if it happened more than once a day.

But the Autobot base had been oddly quiet for about two weeks now. There hadn't been a single explosion in those fourteen days, and everyone and mech was starting to get a little worried. Ironhide was certain that meant that when the explosion happened, as one happening was inevitable, it would destroy half the city, and he had gotten paranoid enough to follow around the organics for when it did happen so he could try to protect them. He only stopped when he went to the Scientist and demanded an answer. Even Sam, who rarely managed to get out on the base with Bumblebee, had noticed the difference and the tension in the air it caused.

"Wheeljack's been… subdued lately." Sam commented idly, searching for an answer without directly asking.

He was in the recreation hangar, and it had been built large enough to fit a good number of the 'bots and the humans together. At the moment Optimus Prime, Ratchet, and Ironhide were all seated on a large metal couch together. There was also Sideswipe and Bumblebee in the room, along with Epps and Will.

"Yeah, apparently someone taught Swoop to build card houses from aluminum sheets, and 'Jack's been going out of his way to avoid any explosions, 'cuz he hates upsetting any of the Dinobots." Ironhide replied, using a cloth to clean out one of his treasured cannons.

Ratchet turned to the Weapons Specialist, "... Find me the mech who did that, I want to kiss him."

While Ratchet and Wheeljack were good friends, with the number of times the Scientist managed to blow himself up the Medic was constantly ready to offline him himself. Most of the time Wheeljack managed to avoid any injuries, not particularly enjoying Ratchet's bedside manner, but whenever he did get hurt it was spectacularly bad. Almost always a limb was missing or something else that was just as bad. Since the Scientist had landed Ratchet's work load had increased to about five times in an effort to keep up with the parts his friend needed.

"Well, Ratch," Sideswipe drawled, sauntering over to the Medic and trailing a servo up his chest plates. "Pucker up."

There was silence in the rec-room as Sideswipe smirked down at the surprised Medic, and Ratchet just shuttered his optics. Sideswipe was a whole other processor ache, and was even worse without his twin there to calm him down. The Frontliner had taken to carelessly picking fights when he was grouchy, or flirting with anything that had two peds and was mechanical when he was feeling particularly happy. On one occasion he had even flirted with Sam, but Bumblebee had quickly chased him off. Ratchet was generally his main target, half because of his reactions and half because the soldiers loved the show down.

With the Medic's optics shuttered Sideswipe took the moment to slide his unaccounted servo underneath the Medic in one fluid gesture, groping his aft. Ratchet's optics flew open and an indignant squawk left his vocalizer. Within seconds Sideswipe was flat on his aft, clutching at his helm and groaning at the newest dent he had while Ratchet loomed over him, optics bright with anger. His main weapon, at least against his fellow Autobots, was a wrench that he had firmly clutched in his servo.

"Not if Primus himself told me to." Ratchet gritted out before stalking out of the room.