Transformers Prime: Domestic Salvation

Chapter 1: A friend in need is family Indeed.

This story deals with VERY mature themes. After watching season one again and after Rafael says "sometimes I can scream and no one even hears me." that really struck me.

I wrote this months ago and was so afraid to put it out there but now that I have I think I can finish Surrender.

This takes place after Transformers Prime: Life. please read it first as it will clear up who Wrench is.

When June Darby had returned to the base she shook her head as she exited her small car. Placing her hand upon the roof she sealed her eyes and shook her head again in a repetitive frustration. "June?" The voice that rumbled at her had brought her out of her thoughts. "Something is troubling you."

"Optimus." She said softly as she turned meeting his azure gaze. June considered her words quietly. "Yes, it is." She sighed and her hands fell to her sides as she considered a moment before speaking. "Raf has a rather large family." She offered up slowly. Her eyes darted around as if she shouldn't be telling him this. "He's got seven brothers and sisters, plus his parents and they're expecting another." She folded her arms over her chest. "When his mother was at the hospital today I thought we could talk about him, but she didn't seem to want to." She shrugged. "She barely knows him and she's his mother."

Optimus knelt down slowly. He could see the concern and frustration that was ebbing on anger inside June's eyes. "There is more." Optimus said knowingly.

"Yes." June took a deep breath. "I just came back from dropping him off…" She reached up wiping at her eyes. "And his father grabbed him by the arm." She shook her head. "I'm going to report it in the morning first thing. I felt so helpless. He dropped his glasses, it was rough for both him physically, and myself emotionally to have to watch."

"Grabbed?" Optimus shook his head "Clarify for me please."

"He bruised Raf. Grabbed him hard enough to bruise." She said slowly her hand mimicking the move Rafael's father had made only hours earlier. "Wrenched his arm good and tight. I could never imagine myself doing something like that to Jackson." She reached up to her eyes pressing away the tears that dared flow. "There are too many children in that small house. His father's an alcoholic and there's no telling him that, or telling their mother to leave him she loves him too much."

"Sometimes love drives us to do things that are unwise." Optimus nodded. "It is most unfortunate."

"Yes, but Raf doesn't deserve that. He hasn't done anything wrong." She sighed. "I'm going to see if we can get child services involved. Get him taken out of there maybe his other siblings too, it's too dangerous in there for all of them."

Optimus' quick scanning of the Internet pulled up the necessary information. "Would you like me to accompany you?" Optimus asked slowly. "To retrieve him tonight?"

"Oh Optimus as much as I appreciate the gesture; that's kidnapping." June smiled and reached out patting his large index finger. She pulled her hand back slowly and wrapped her arms around herself.

"They never know when he leaves to join us. He is with us far more often than he is with them." Optimus clarified. "He should not stay there if it is not safe. While it may be wrong to take him, if he removes himself from the home of his own volition, than we will not be extracting him ourselves. He will stay here at the silo as to not draw suspicion upon you."

"I can't believe you're suggesting this." June shook her head and almost laughed. "Optimus we can't intrude in their affairs. I mean not like that, there are procedures and protocols to follow, you of all…" She blinked "Of all people… should know that." It was the best way to put it.

"What are you talking about?" Ratchet broke in as he stepped into the main room on the silo. "If you made June cry Optimus I swear to Primus-"

"He didn't doctor." The nurse steeled her features. "Rafael is having problems at home." June said softly. "His father is a little too rough with him and his siblings, there are too many children in that home, and they just fall to the wayside."

"There is great stress that comes with being a creator." Optimus said slowly. He rose and gave Ratchet a knowing look. "But also great pride."

"You both would know." June smiled at them.

"I'm Wrench's Sire not his Creator." Ratchet said sternly.

"I fail to see the difference." June blinked folding her arms over her torso. "You're one of his parents."

"While that is most certainly true, I'm the…" Ratchet turned around mumbling out the rest of it. "In your terms I'm the mother." Ratchet rolled his optics, as his voice grew louder. "And raising one is hard enough."

"You know what being a parent is like." She started for the catwalk and rose up the steps as the mech's optics followed her, she came to their eye level. "Rafael's got a huge family." June said firmly. "I wouldn't know where to find time for all of them, and with the new baby on the way I'm sure that it's going to be even harder. It's neglectful parenting; they're using them as basic tax deductions. She stays home and he was fired from his last job.""

"He said he was related to a great many, I saw the photo myself. He said he could scream and no one could hear him." Ratchet blinked stepping over to them. "I'll text Raf to pack a bag." Ratchet sighed. "Bumblebee is on recon with Arcee, and with Bulkhead and Miko in Japan visiting her Family." Ratchet sighed softly and looked at Optimus with complete seriousness. "I wish to go retrieve the boy myself, I owe him that much." Ratchet looked between the human woman and the red mech who could feel his conviction as he could feel the air on his armor plates.

"We shall all go." Optimus said pushing as much calm to the medic as he could. Ratchet didn't reciprocate the gesture, but he didn't block it either.

"There's no talking you two out of this is there?" June asked folding her arms over her chest.

"No." Ratchet said bluntly.

"June you would do me a great honor if you would accompany me on the trek." He smiled and reached against his own armor and touched a few pressure panels and then ensured his storage compartments were free before turning to clear himself away from her personal vehicle.

"Than I will." She nodded slowly.

"Good. Ratchet inform Rafael we shall be there within the hour." Optimus sighed. "June please gather your first aid kit. You may require it should Rafael have injuries from his father's rough treatment."

"Yes I know." She turned back to her car and pulled out her keys to pop the trunk.

"Rafael has responded and he will be ready and waiting for us at the park across from his home. He said he'd be in the Crow's nest." Ratchet looked to June. "I gather this is some human form of something, as a birds nest would be far to small for his frame."

June smiled "It's a piece of play equipment like a look out." She said slowly. "He's probably up there so if his family comes looking for him he can see."

Ratchet gave a knowing nod and turned to his computer. "I'm glad that they did not take his cellular phone." He reached beside his consol and pressed three buttons. "Wrench to the command center." He called.

"Are you sure he's ready?" Optimus asked Ratchet firmly.

"I trained him myself he is prepared."

"Trained for what?" June asked looking at the far door as the blue and orange truck strode in slowly with a soft smile on his face plates.

"Wrench will be preforming land bridge monitoring." Ratchet smiled and extended his hand to Wrench. "Come you know how this works."

Wrench stepped up and smiled at the human. "Miss June." He said politely "It's a pleasure." He looked at Optimus and gave a curt nod of acknowledgement.

"Feel free to continue your research in my open windows there. However do not be neglectful of our readouts. Make sure to check our status on regular intervals." Ratchet said slowly. "I've got our signatures and open channels in this pane here." He pointed to the next screen. "If you need to talk to us-"

Wrench smiled interjecting as his sire spoke. "I know just press the button." He touched Ratchet's arm. "Sire I can handle this." His smile was soft and reassuring. "Trust me."

"I do." Ratchet was beaming. "Good Luck Youngling."

"Wrench Bridge us to the edge of town." Optimus ordered. "Stay vigilant at your post. It is one of the most important we have." He smiled at Ratchet who nodded his agreement.

"Yes Sir." Wrench set in the coordinates and then pulled the lever activating the Ground Bridge. "Bridge activated and stable Good Luck, I'll be awaiting your call."

Optimus stepped back and transformed opening his driver side door for June, who hopped in. Ratchet transformed and pulled ahead of the two out of the spacebridge.

As the bridge closed Wrench reached over and turned on the radio. "This is NPR news in Washington I'm Jack Spear-" The best way he knew to learn about humanity was to listen to their new podcasts and the public radio was one of his favorite learning devices.

The streets were mostly empty, save for the few humans returning home from late work. The park sat across the street from the small four-bedroom home that housed the 9 member family that Rafael belonged to. Ratchet scanned the house, and found only 7 members there. Turning his scanners on the park he got one ping, and a confirmation of Rafael's phone.

June sighed. "He's there isn't he?"

"Yes." Optimus said slowly.

June reached for the door handle but Optimus would not allow his cab door to be pushed back. "Allow Ratchet to handle this."

Ratchet's door opened and out stepped a man. He was tall and older, almost white hair adorned his tan face, but the eyes were still green as ever. June froze. "Who…"

"It is not real, merely a hologram." Optimus supplied curtly. "A way for us to blend in, he hasn't used his in almost three years."

Ratchet's hologram walked slowly moving across the front of his own frame he stepped up onto the curve. Moving into the grass of the playground he sighed his hand tracing the simple play equipment that lay out before him. Coming up to the crows nest that held two ladders to its rear and two long silver slides to it's fore. The medic smiled up. "Rafael." He called slowly. "It's time to go."

A yellow and black duffle bag slid down the slide. Ratchet picked it up and as slug it over his shoulder he noticed Rafael smile down at him. Grabbing an overhead bar Raf swung down and then slid down the slide. "Hey Ratch."

"I'm sorry Bumblebee could not pick you up." Ratchet smiled softly. "Miss Darby is with Optimus, come we've got to get you back to base. Have you eaten?"

"No." Raf shook his head and with a hand he reached up to adjust his glasses. "I didn't have time to get any food, I couldn't really get near the kitchen dinner is kind of crazy, also my Dad was in there and I didn't want to risk making him upset again."

"Very well…Optimus we'll have to stop to get Rafael something to eat." He sighed softly. "Than we'll have Wrench Bridge us back."

"Wrench is operating the ground bridge?" Raf smiled. "That's really cool."

Ratchet's hologram nodded "He's quite proficient at it."

"Rafael!" The tenor voice called from behind "HEY! RAFAEL!"

Ratchet paused and pushed Rafael forward. "Go to Optimus." Ratchet turned. "Can I help you sir?"

"Yeah that's my son!" The man screamed walking up. "Rafael I don't know how you got out of the God damned house but you better turn your ass around and get back in there."

"I bet you didn't even know he was gone until someone, perhaps one of his siblings said something." Ratchet shook his head "Pitiful." His hologram appeared to sniff. "Inebriated…"

"Hey no one asked you!" The man looked up fuming with anger.

Rafael was frozen unable to get to Optimus. Ratchet decided to have him come back to be closer to himself for better protection. "Rafael come here please." Ratchet spoke softly. "Rafael has been spending time with my family." Ratchet said curtly. "It's better for him." Rafael strode up to him. "He is appreciated and cared for, he is encouraged and not harmed."

"How would you know what is better for him? So you lied to me?" Mr. Esquivel looked down. "Lied to your mother? There's no computer club is there? Not before school not after school. You useless little good for nothing-" As Mr. Esquivel moved to grab Rafael, but Ratchet intervened grabbing him with one hand around his wrist.

"Mr. Esquivel, you will return home because Rafael is coming with me." Ratchet said firmly his grip tightening as Rafael's father fell to the ground. "Rafael?" Ratchet's head turned toward him. "Show me your arm."

Mr. Esquivel tried to pull Ratchet's hand off his wrist but he was unable to break the older man's grip.

Rafael's father didn't understand why his son rolled up his sleeve and faced away from the man to the far side of the park where two vehicles sat. "I see bruises and the start of what could be a rotator cuff tear. You grabbed him hard enough to tear cartilage. He's twelve years old." Ratchet looked down at the man. "You want to call the police do so, but I promise you if you do they will know how bad you've hurt him, how you beaten him. His siblings too." Ratchet released the man's hand and he rolled backward into the grass. "From one parent to another." Ratchet shook his head "Take care of your children…. they represent the best parts of you and your partner, if you can't take care of them." He motioned to Rafael's arm "You don't deserve them."

Ratchet took Rafael's hand slowly and looked back at the man on the ground and shook his head. "You don't give me much hope for humanity." He turned away.

"You know what you can keep him jackass." Mr. Esquivel said out of extreme anger. "I have enough mouths to feed already. This just takes the fucking cake."

Ratchet turned at that pausing. "Do you mean that?" Ratchet said with all seriousness his voice on the cusp of a whisper as if the statement were locked solidly in fact but he had to be sure. "Do not play games with me. I will not have you say this and then recant later because you feel you were forced to say it under duress."

"Yes." The man said angrily as he forced himself up off the ground. "You can keep the little bastard."

"A lawyer will be at your home first thing in the morning with the appropriate paperwork." Ratchet said with a nod. "Come Rafael you don't ever have to come back here." He hiked Rafael's bag on his shoulder as they turned. They left Rafael's father behind in the shadows of the desolate playground, the only sound were the squeaking of the chains of the swings, that moved gently in the breeze.

"Thank you." Rafael was almost in tears as he reached over around Ratchet's body. Ratchet lowered his hand around him and nodded.

"We will Protect you Rafael." Ratchet's free hand rubbed the boy's back slowly. "You will need to ride with Optimus, June is with him she'll look at your arm." He sighed. "Does it hurt very much?"

"Yes it's throbbing…" He said slowly. Looking up at Ratchet, Rafael shook his head slightly. "Can I have French fries tonight? That's all I really want…French Fries."

"You can have anything you want from anywhere in the world." Ratchet said slowly. "You have my word." Ratchet could feel a twinge from Optimus behind him, warm and comforting. Ratchet shook it off and continued to walk his hologram back to his body alongside Rafael.

Rafael nodded and a tear rolled down his young cheek.

Walking up to Optimus the door opened and June smiled down at him "Come on…" she said slowly and the boy broke from the medic and crawled up into the cab. Ratchet handed June his bag and she pulled it into the back of the Cab. "Jack should be at work Optimus if you want to head that direction we can get Raf something to eat."

Ratchet's hologram vanished into this body as the door to the Semi's cab closed. Ratchet's voice came over Optimus' radio. "Optimus you need to call agent Fowler."

"For the lawyer?" Optimus asked quietly.

"Yes." Ratchet pulled out and Optimus fell into slow progression behind him. "What lawyer?" June blinked and held out her hands. "Wait…. What exactly is going on?"

"My dad said they could keep me, so Ratchet said he would send legal papers in the morning." Raf reached up with his left arm and rubbed at his eyes under his glasses.

"But you can't do that you're well…machines." June sat in the driver's seat turned to face Raphael as she looked over his arm.

"On the contrary." Optimus sounded pleasantly surprised. "We have American citizenship." He stated. "Or at least our holograms do, they have social security numbers, and they are part of humanity." He said firmly.

"What are you suggesting?" June blinked.

"Optimus and I will adopt him." Ratchet said firmly. "He needs better care than that of his family. I see no better place than with us. Would you have us Raf?"

June held up her hands in a defensive position. "Ok ok hold your horsepower boys…. let's get Raf some food and back to base, we'll discuss this lawyer non-sense when we get back." She said slowly and turned back to the boy's black and blue right arm.

/I believe Ms. Darby is upset with us./ Optimus' comm. to Ratchet was quiet as they made the last turn before entering the parking lot to KO Burger. Ratchet pulling into a parking spot near the door, and Optimus taking up two spots in the back of the lot.

/We'll deal with that once we get food for Rafael and get home./Ratchet sighed and let his engine idle as his hologram appeared pushing his door open.

To be continued...