The Time-travel, Fix-it, In Which Maedhros Gets A "do-over".

The time-travel, fix-it, in which Maedhros gets a "do-over".

Maedhros is consumed by the fires of the earth, expecting darkness everlasting.

A Fëa does not, cannot, open its eyes. Nonetheless, Maedhros opens his.

Maehros has lost his father, himself, and five of six brothers as price for a terrible oath made in rage and ignorance.  Maedhros has paid for his father's oath (his too) with his innocence and the blood of innocents. His hope died with his cousin in the Nirnaeth. The last of his love he sent away to keep safe. And yet...

Yet when Maehros opens his eyes he knows he is not dead, and not just by the lack of darkness of the void or the impossible light shining through what he remembers as his bedroom in his parents house in Tirion.

Impossible Treelight.

And yet...

Here is a secret Maedhros never told anyone after being rescued from Thangorodrim (not even Fingon):

Maedhros knows what it feels like to exist purely as a spirit, as a soul unfettered by a Hröa. He knows the torment of Sauron's maiarian hands as shackles about his Fëa, his hands of chains which do not permit answering the Call of Mandos.

Knows what it is to be shoved back into a body which breathes due to the Black Foe's sorcery.

Maedhros opens his eyes—Fëa and Hröa perfectly balanced together as they have not been since Angband and Thangorodrim—and screams.

what if optimus was a human teacher?

Well here is an interesting concept I am 100% going to go crazy with. This is a long one though so I'm going to break this up with a read more and a warning that this isn't going to go the way you might think.

Not So Normal Teacher

The Archivist in Optimus was bored.

Megatron had been quiet for over a year and not a spark had a thing to do until the Decepticons made a move. He had already reorganized the Autobot database three times and he couldn't exactly go wandering off with how much energon he used. He was stuck at base handling communications and mission assignment, and Primus, even the Matrix was antsy. He wanted something to do, anything really. And so after months of sitting around being driven half mad by lack of stimuli, he came up with an idea.

The Archivist in him wanted to teach, to preserve history, and to collect data. What better way to do all of that than by taking up a position as an educator? It was rather outlandish considering he was a Prime and from another world, but there was a school in the nearby human settlement hiring. He had no need for human currency nor was it particularly wise to go sign up as a teacher when the Decepticons could resurge at any moment. However he reasoned that if nothing else he would gain greater insight into human capability through his endeavors.

Ratchet was against his idea from the get-go but allowed Optimus to go through with it after he gave his reasoning and pointed out that he would actually use less energon if he kept his frame at base and worked elsewhere. Thus with Ratchet's begrudging assent, Optimus made himself a whole forged identity for his human holoform, plopped his real frame down in his berth, and got to work.

Orion Pax turned up to the interview looking his best, but despite his efforts there were still a few little things that set him apart. He was indeed professional in wearing a simple turtleneck sweater and jeans with a belt. However that was not what made the interviewer a little concerned, no it was fact that Optimus's hair looked like the American flag with the mixed red white and blue alongside the little markings on his face just under his eyes along with scars that had also transferred over. There was also the fact that his eyes were a little too bright, his movements a tad too stiff, and the way his voice seemed nearly melodic in nature.

However since Orion Pax managed to answer the interview questions perfectly, had a clean record, and was the embodiment of politeness and patience, he was accepted in short order. Thus Optimus got himself a job at Jasper Nevada Memorial High School as history teacher.

Orion Pax befriended the entirety of the teaching staff by the end of week one with his kind disposition, patience, and wisdom beyond his years. He assisted the math teacher in grading papers and even taught him a thing or two with all the patience in the world when the teacher began to struggle. He aided the English teacher by bringing her a cup of coffee and pointing out a small error in her class prep work. He helped the gym teacher get the court set up for the lesson that day and helped him organize the various equipment in record time. He stopped the science teacher from accidentally creating a deadly gas when the teacher passed out from exhaustion halfway through an experiment, leaving Pax to carefully clean up and then grade the teacher's papers for him. Then to top it all off, he assisted the music and arts teacher in her efforts to decorate her classroom for the school year.

The staff loved him, especially the school cleaners since Pax would always stay up late to help them clean despite their protests. He was the perfect co-worker, and quickly found himself as the most loved teacher once the school year started. His students were skeptical of the teacher who looked like he crawled out some sort of cosplaying event and had an American flag for hair, but they swiftly warmed up to him due to his manner of teaching.

Optimus hadn't actually done any real research on human methods of teaching, instead relying on his own experience. In a school as out of the way as Jasper Nevada High School, the regulations were not as strict and so long as students passed their exams, he was allowed to teach as he wished. He did have to adapt a few of his methods to account for human biological limits, but he quickly garnered the students interest with how he went about his teaching.

Using a holoprojector he adjusted to look more like a human one, Optimus, or rather Pax gave the children a more interactive experience. He was passionate as he showed them history in simulations and introduced them to old battles in complicated holographic maps. His classroom was covered in star charts and old documents, studies, and artwork. Every student was urged to find something historical that interested them and dive into it with all their passion and enthusiasm. No students were left unheeded and all their issues were accounted for. The social students were grouped together and given specific historical figures to study in a manner similar to what the archivists of Cybertron did. The less social were given special homework, being required to study a specific event and bring in all they had gathered.

Students with disabilities such as dyslexia and other reading or information processing impediments were personally tutored and grouped. Those who had issues reading were given a partner who would do the reading while they took notes and sectioned out data. Those who had trouble paying attention to certain subjects were given work in areas that had their interest. A child who found warfare to be of interest would be given to mission to look into the Art of War and compile an alternate battle plan for the assault on Rome. A child who preferred the more domestic texts was to come up with a whole biography that was time period accurate for a fictional character living in their chosen era.

Every student had their education specialized to suit them best alongside the general education Orion had them listen to.

Orion was not harsh, he didn't give homework in the manner of other teachers and instead gave the students one big project to complete over the year and smaller personal research projects to complete once a month. A good archivist doesn't rush his research, no, instead time and dedication is given to ensure everything is correct and proper. He did everything in his power to instill this into his students, never putting stern deadlines on anything and instead focusing on fostering interest and a desire for truth.

He wanted his students to love history, not despise it. He wanted them to learn from the mistakes of their ancestors and move forward. And most importantly he made sure to remind them to not be angry at the past and instead see it as an example of another time. For his efforts his students loved him.

It certainly helped that he tended to tell his students altered stories of Cybertron's history, changing bits and pieces to make it seem like a legitimate but long dead human civilization. His students were enraptured with his tales and the battles he made come to life with his projector. Even other teachers would come to listen if they had free time. However to keep his students on task, he only told them stories when the completed their other class's homework before his, thus leading to other teachers finding more success in their lessons too.

After particularly good performances from his students, he would quietly teach them pieces of his culture. He told himself it was just because it was something for them to do, but deep down he knew the real reason why he did this. He didn't want everything of his people to be lost if he were to lose the war. He didn't want everything his people did to be forgotten and washed away by the tests of time. If he was to fail... he wanted something to remain with his students.

Thus he taught them everything he could. He told the other teachers that it was from an ancient culture long forgotten that he was personally studying and come up with some forged documents to prove it. Then his students were introduced to the Ancient Cybertronian language and received extra credit for every work they submitted written in it. He altered the manner in which the glyphs could be processed and spoken while still keeping it as true as possible so that his students could speak it and read it. Then he offered them even more extra credit if they spoke the language in class.

It brought him no end of joy when one Rafael Esquivel made it his mission in life to learn and speak Ancient Cybertronian. If he wasn't long used to having to remain on task even while under increadible stress he would have devoted a great deal of his time to ensuring the boy understood everything perfectly. However he abstained and kept his focus, teaching all his students equally and making sure they were still learning their own history. If Rafael came to him after school to learn more, Optimus never rejected him and taught him happily, more than a little pleased when the boy's glyphs came out as perfectly as they could considering his biology when he spoke.

He also showed his students old dances from all across Cybertron. He altered them as much as he could and gave students different dances based on personality. Students got extra credit if they could perform a dance perfectly by the end of the school year. He never really expected any of them to do it, but by Primus he was surprised when Miko Nakadai turned up guns blazing and performed three different dances from different castes as perfectly as she could considering her biological restraints. She was a terrible study, but evidently her interest in dancing was increadible. Optimus may or may not have taught her a few more dances a little later just to see if she could do it, only to be shocked beyond words when she could indeed do it.

Lastly he introduced his students to Cybertronian art which had a heavy reliance on story telling. It was an end of the year project since his students managed to burn through the curriculum in less than six months and get mostly through the next year's work before the Principle asked Pax to slow down and teach them something else for a while. Optimus thought slowing his student's growth was ridiculous, but he complied and taught them how to engrave and paint in the manner of Cybertronians. It was shortly after he began teaching this that he was yet again surprised to find Jack Darby of all his students to be the one to perform best.

The boy was an excellent engraver, to the point where if Optimus were the kind of mech he might have even let Jack engrave his outer plating. He could get the glyphs nearly perfect every time and had a gift for painting that surpassed more than a few artists from Cybertron during the golden age. It shocked and awed Optimus more than he cared to admit, and much like with his two other exemplary students, he may have slid Jack over a printed copy of some other examples of Cybertronian art from the Autobot database.

He was a proud teacher, and a fragging good one too by any standard. But that was not all, he also cared deeply for his students and got to know all of them. Bonds were a serious thing on Cybertron, especially the ones found between mentor and student. Optimus took the time to understand every student he taught, to learn their likes, their dislikes, and what their situations were. By the end of his first year teaching he already saw his students as his little archivists. He stayed out of their personal lives as much as he could considering his place, but when needed he would answer a call for help.

A student who came in hurt would find their cast covered in loving little glyphs that spoke of wishes and prayers from Cybertron. A student who had a mental illness would be given plenty of small gifts and attention to help them look on the bright side. Students with body image problems were welcomed with love, always receiving a compliment when they entered. Every student was seen to and cared for, especially in the odd case where they came to him for help.

He said he wouldn't get involved, but he was a Prime, he couldn't leave anyone in need of aid. During the singular instance where a student called him in tears at the end of the school day weeping because of their abusive parent, Optimus didn't even hesitate. His holoform was reabsorbed and his real frame moved out. He transformed and drove as fast as he could until he reached the student's residence, at which point he remade his holoform, called authorities, and may or may not have busted down the door to get his student out of there before they could be hurt further.

Not a spark touched one of his little archivists. And while he did get a fine for trespassing and property damage, Optimus had no regrets. It certainly made him feel like his actions were justified when he found a small bundle of flowers on his desk a few days later from the student he saved.

The team slowly began to get a little worried for him when he began gushing about his students around base and keeping their little gifts. When questioned he had nothing but praise for his students and in the end the team just let him be. Optimus still did the work that was needed of him around base, so why argue with him when he was far happier than any of the team had seen him in centuries. Ratchet did warn Optimus not to get attached, but by that point it was far too late if the small pile of thank you gifts and other assorted thing piled on Optimus's workstation was any indicator.

His students didn't know, but he adored their gifts. Gifts were special on Cybertron, and so for every gift he received, he returned. His little archivists were in his own mind, the best. As such when Megatron made his reappearance two years later just as his first batch of students were graduating, Optimus was actually angry.

How dare the fragger turn up and put his little archivists in danger!? It was unforgivable, especially when because of Megatron's actions, three of his students turned up at base and Optimus had to try not to sputter. Jack, Miko, and Rafael, his three most invested students when it came to Cybertronian culture. What started as a harmless little subject quickly had the children connecting the dots when it came to the team.

They thought what Mr. Pax was teaching them was rooted from Cybertronian influence, perhaps from him unearthing something from Cybertron long ago. They didn't know that Optimus was the one teaching them and still turning up to classes part time every other day after Megatron returned. How was he supposed to not get attached even more when he lived two lives, one as Mr. Pax the history teacher and one as Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, both of which interacted with the children?

Optimus: Jack, have you turned in your school work for the week yet?

Jack: No... I've been having some trouble with glyphs.

Optimus: Oh? What are you learning?

Jack: My history teacher Mr. Pax has been teaching up about a long dead civilization that seems to have been influenced by you bots. He's been teaching us the language they used.

Ratchet: *glaring at Optimus* Oh really? I would love to hear more about it.

Miko: Yeah! The glyphs are boring, but Mr. Pax also taught us dances! See, look! *proceeds to perform a dance from central Iacon*

Bulkhead: Wait, isn't that a dance used by the-

Optimus: *holding a servo over Bulkhead's mouth* The ancient civilization I assume?

Miko: Yep! Its super fun!

Rafael: Mr. Pax also taught us how to speak the old language. I think I am fairly proficient. *proceeds to speak fluent ancient cybertronian*

Arcee: What the frag!?

Ratchet: I do believe we need to have a talk Optimus.

feral orion pax.... got anything?

I've always got more feral Orion Pax! I wouldn't be a fan if I didn't.

The Wildling of the Archives

When Ratchet was young he met Orion Pax while searching for a medical text. It was a simple meeting and he found himself enjoying the company of the well mannered and soft spoken student of the master archivist. During the vorns they spent developing their friendship, Ratchet developed a very specific view of his friend, one that was so deeply engrained into his mind that when Orion finally felt comfortable enough to show some of his more wild traits, it took Ratchet by complete and total surprise.

It started small of course. Orion began simply by showing off his fanged denta more often, a sign of trust since most shied away in fear when he smiled. Ratchet raised a brow but said nothing in regards to Orion's denta. He had seen far more interesting mutations and modifications in the medical ward. A fanged set of denta was nothing to him.

Then when Orion grew more comfortable he also started wrapping his field around Ratchet's, albeit hesitantly at first. That set off a few alarm bells for Ratchet but he once again didn't make a comment on it since Orion never smothered him in his field or tried anything sketchy. To Ratchet it seemed like a greeting and defensive gesture and so he allowed it to be without issue. Of course when Orion began quietly allowing bits of emotion to flow through and into his field Ratchet began to reconsider his stance on remaining silent. But as Ratchet observed and saw that the emotions were all soothing and protective in nature he opted to continue to allow Orion to do as he wished. It was odd having another constantly wrap him up in their field as if he were a glass doll, especially in Iacon where every mech kept their fields tucked as close as possible. But Ratchet had heard tales of places where such behavior was normal and so thinking Orion must have come from such a location on Cybertron, he began returning the gesture.

The first time he allowed his field to tentatively reach out to Orion's, the archivist's optics blew wide and he nearly dropped what he was holding to stare in awe. The surprise didn't last for long as a huge smile soon spread across Orion's face which was quickly followed by his field intermingling with Ratchet's happily. It was rather overwhelming and Ratchet pulled his field back, wrapping it as close to his protoform as he could while he dealt with the string of emotions that came from Orion's end. And while Orion looked apologetic and somewhat put off by his harsh retreat, the archivist never took the moment to spark and life continued as always, with Ratchet sometimes allowing his field to brush across and mingle with Orion's when he was feeling confident.

On such occasions Orion never ceased to smile in joy, his whole frame puffed up in pride as if he had just won something. Ratchet did not understand at all but as usual didn't comment on the increasing oddity that was Orion Pax... right up until Orion went nuts when a mech began harassing him.

Ratchet had always been told he was pretty, by his peers, his friends, and even by Orion on occasion. But the mech before him was taking it too far, probing and getting in his personal space in such a way that Ratchet wanted to purge. Throughout most of the interaction Orion had been civil, watching and glaring at the mech, his ever so slightly clawed digits curled up in a fist but otherwise not acting. But when the mech got close enough for his field to touch where Orion's wrapped around Ratchet like a shield, revealing all the mech's perverted intentions, all hell broke loose. Before the mech could react Orion screeched with enough volume and intensity to cause the nearby mecha to pause and stare in horror as Orion punched the mech clean in the face. He didn't stop there and clambered all over the mech, digging his claws into exposed seams and biting down on any piece of plating he could connect to.

It was the most terrifying deviation from the normal, kind, and calm archivist that Ratchet knew, so much so that he fell back to the ground in shock as his friend tore into the mech. Orion only stopped when Ratchet regained his senses enough to tear Orion off the mech even as Orion hissed and flailed, eager to get back into the one sided beatdown he was engaging in. Even when he finally calmed enough to disengage, Orion clung to him, his plating flared and growling at any mecha who came near, even officers who came to investigate. Ratchet was contemplating trying to knock his friend out or even make a run for it when Alpha Trion turned up, scruffed Orion, and dealt with the situation.

Orion was kept away from everyone for a few days afterward and when he did meet with Ratchet... it was awkward until Ratchet just asked the question that had been eating at him.

Ratchet: What in the pits was that?!

Orion: It was... a reaction from my base coding

Ratchet: Your base coding is still active?

Orion: Yes, and when I get... attached to other mecha, it tends to act up more often around them. My apologies.

Ratchet was dumbstruck by the revelation. Never once did he imagine that his kind and quiet archivist had active base coding. Not only that, but the fact that it was active had worrying implications. After all, the only way base coding remains active in fully developed mecha is due to extreme stress or exposure to another with active codes. And since Ratchet was 99% sure no one else in the archives had active base codes, he held Orion close after the revelation and treated him with all the care in the world as he dug around looking for who might have hurt his dear friend.

Orion didn't notice Ratchet's efforts and just seemed oh so pleased with Ratchet's affection that he was completely unaware as Ratchet rooted out the entire archive. He dug around in staff records, scanned through security footage, looked for anything suspicious, and even did some basic questioning. He also may or may not have given Jazz a handful of shanix to get him files on individuals that he found to possibly be involved somehow. But eventually Alpha Trion stepped in and let Ratchet know that "No, Orion was not abused. He just came from the wilds" once again leaving Ratchet dumbstruck. He had been so certain he was dealing with an abuse case that he overlooked another possible answer.

He felt like an idiot and did not reveal the fact he had gone rooting through everyone Orion had ever interacted with. He still couldn't bring himself to stop giving Orion affection even after he was made aware of Orion's situation. However even with everything cleared up and Orion's behavior being given a viable cause, Ratchet still did not expect to find a dead mech-animal on his workstation around a half vorn after Orion's tussle with the mech who had bothered him. This he did comment on and told Orion quite firmly that "no, dead mech-animals are not proper presents for civilized mecha, but thank you all the same".

Orion sheepishly nodded at being told as such and didn't bring Ratchet anything of that variety again. But the medic in training often found small shiny things on his workstation instead. Once he even found what looked to be an optic, earning an innocent shrug from Orion when Ratchet brought it to him in horror. And while Ratchet did get rid of the optic, he kept everything else Orion gave him in a small and methodically organized container. He made sure to write the date of when he received each gift and kept everything clean and well maintained. Of course if anyone commented on his box of trinkets from his friend, they received a seething glare and promptly left the topic alone.

By the time Orion began preparing to go and perform politically and meet Megatronus, Ratchet had grown used to Orion's behavior and even welcomed it. He pretended to not see the subtle scratches Orion left on his plating after their meetings, a sign that he knew to be a claim of sorts. He did not object to Orion playing the role of a protector when they went out and even found it calming to have Orion stand tall, plating firm and slightly flared as he glared at passers by. He especially found it nice to not have to deal with unwanted mecha as Orion would make his claim explicitly clear by wrapping his arms around Ratchet and growling lowly. It usually got the point across, sometimes even causing misunderstandings in regards to their relationship. But in the odd event that Orion's behavior didn't warn off an offender... well, Orion had more than a few charges of assault tacked onto his record.

Ratchet was surprised to see his archivist so possessive and wild when he allowed himself to relax, but he enjoyed the company of Orion all the same.

AU that I'll probably never write where the Song of Turmoil works a little TOO well the first time around, JGY tries to wipe it from NMJ's memory to cover his tracks, accidentally erases his WHOLE memory, dumps him in a river to get rid of the evidence.

long way to say here's how da-ge ends up with a cormorant fishing family in Yunping and makes friends with some birds. meanwhile back at Lanling and Qinghe things are a BIT more suspicious

I have a Crack idea for the Sparkling of Unicron AU. Basically, Jack's dad is Unicron, who ghosted June to avoid paying child support. When Team Prime comes to Earth & meet the kids, Jack & Optimus team up to track down their dad and get the child support payments by force.

Jack here is still fleshy & has the same personality, but can basically do what a resurrected Megatron could do in Canon, just on a smaller scale. He can't control Megatron though, his will is too strong. Also, his blood is infused with Dark Energon.

When asked as to why she would date the literal God of Chaos, June states that he "had a winning personality". (We all know you like robots, June.)

I'm just going to answer yours and this anon's request at the same time since it will make my life easier. Previous part here

Little Siblings

After the whole debacle with being exiled for a time, Optimus began to heal. It was a slow process and it was not easy by any means. He had been abandoned, treated poorly, and left for scrap by everyone but his creator and the children. Thus it took time, a great deal of it. However during this healing process, Optimus noticed something new in the children.

Firstly, they fought bitterly in his defense if one of his team so much as looked in his general direction wrong. Secondly they often refused to leave his side, emitting a strange set of waves that were so similar to EM fields but so foreign. Then lastly Optimus felt a vague... connection between him and the children. It shouldn't be. They weren't Cybertronian and couldn't have spark bonds. And yet the closer he grew to them and the more he came to see them as kin, the stronger this heretical and impossible bond grew.

Not only that, but when he was around them, he felt more stable. His form didn't flare and break apart as often. His spark remained more controlled and he could keep his physical form together with less difficulty. They made him feel safe in a way that was not too dissimilar from how Unicron wrapped him in love and care. At the same time, the urge to protect them with every fiber of his being was just as strong as their desire to protect him. They were young, they were small, and they were fragile. He thought perhaps all the emotions he was feeling and the connection that seemed to be there might be because he had been away from his team for so long and was out of touch. He almost questioned his father, wondering if Unicron had anything to do with it, but he didn't, not while he was still upset with his maker.

Then the children had to go behaving weirdly.

After his little flare that left the children incapacitated and led to his exile, there were little things that were off about them. It wasn't much so the team wrote it off and Optimus didn't even notice as he worked to restore his broken bonds and the trust between him and his team. But as the wounds healed and Optimus reconnected with his team, the children's differences became more obvious.

Rafael had an aura around him. The team couldn't sense it, they weren't attuned to Unicron's power as Optimus was. Rafael's entire being radiated strength of spirit in a way not too dissimilar from Optimus. It was almost like he too was struggling to keep his being in line, doing everything in his power to keep his form held together. The child even began to speak in the same way Optimus did when his body was too shattered to form words. He didn't seem to know he was doing it, but his emotions were clear as day with how freely they flowed from him. It was startling, especially when not long after that Rafael's eyes began to glow a startling blue whenever his emotions were projected, often becoming clearer in intent.

Miko was partially similar in that her eyes began to glow whenever her emotions got strong enough to warrant concern. At those times she would gain an aura of fear around her. It didn't bother Optimus too much considering he projected the same aura naturally when he wasn't trying to blend in. However it made him more and more concerned when Bulkhead began to shy away in terror whenever Miko got particularly mad. She didn't understand why the team were suddenly so wary of her, nor did the team know why they kept so clear of her on instinct.

Optimus knew, or rather he had an inkling, one he was growing more prevalent within him as Jack showed signs too.

It had been small and hardly noticeable amidst the flow of battle, but in a moment of stress Jack had seemingly controlled a Vehicon Optimus had been near certain was dead. The boy didn't seem to notice as he fought to keep his fellow humans safe, but Optimus noticed. How could he not? The waves of his father's power were far more intense than anything he had ever felt from an organic.

Thus after a few additional weeks of watching the children project these odd abilities, he reached out to his maker with an inquiry.

Optimus: The children are showing abilities that have your touch evident in them.

Uniron: Impossible. I have no heralds among the humans.

Optimus: Are you sure Creator? They are not like me, that is certain. However the feeling of your power is unmistakable.

Unicron: I haven't made a herald since Megatron, and I have no memory of-

Optimus: Creator?

Unicron: It seems I forgot something rather important.

Optimus: Speak plainly Creator, what did you do?

Unicron: It was during a waking sleep, one I hardly remember. However I for a time walked this earth in an organic form in a mixed delirium of emotion.

Optimus: You didn't.

Unicron: I may have ended up creating three lifeforms by accident, two by throwing around burst of power and one from a one night stand.

Optimus: Primus... you can't be serious.

Unicron: I am dead serious.

Optimus: Frag.

With the knowledge that his Creator had gone out of his way to do things while only partially aware, Optimus hurriedly moved to confirm these claims. First he went straight to the children, his frame flaring and coming apart partially in his hurry. The team were worried and watched on in growing concern as he questioned Rafael, asking for the circumstances of his birth. Rafael quickly confirmed that he had been found as a baby and adopted by his current family and that he had no real issues with it. Then upon asking Miko the same question, he received a similar answer that left Optimus terrified to ask Jack what he needed to.

It could all have been coincidence and a bad case of Optimus's outburst affecting the children in odd ways. He had seen stranger things, perhaps it was all just one big mess up. However that hopeful wish was blown directly out of the water when June was called into base and Optimus asked her a question he feared the answer to.

Optimus: Mrs. Darby, would you by chance be willing to tell me who Jack's father is?

June: Oh? I don't mind, but I couldn't really give you an answer. He was a nice guy who told me his name was Uni Cron. Odd name and pronounced very strangely, he also had some trouble with memory, but he was sweet and treated me well.

Optimus: Why is he not here assisting in raising Jack?

June: Honestly I don't know. He lived with me for a few months, we got to know each other, we spent a night together, and then he was gone the next day. I never heard from him again.

Optimus: ... I believe you may have possibly had relations with my Creator.

June: What? Last I checked, you were a giant robot and your Creator was Unicron-!

June: ... Oh.

Optimus: ... If it is any consolation, I was unaware I had a brother.

Not a soul or spark could utter a word as everyone stood there dumbly for a long moment. Then Optimus put forward his whole theory, to which the children stared at him with wide eyes but said nothing. It was silent, deafeningly so and everyone just.... scattered to think about it for a while, leaving Optimus, June, and the children alone.

There was plenty of nervous staring involved, but slowly and with a great deal of caution, Optimus began to talk with the children and June. He told them of his own creation and his experiences with thier Creator and in turn he told them what he could of their abilites. He offered to teach them and guard them, while also warning of possible side effects such as long life or even partial immortality. It was a very strained discussion even though Optimus was bound to the children by what he now knew to be siblings bonds, but after a while they figured things out.

June insisted on being called mom as soon as she figured out that Optimus had been left to fend for himself so soon after his creation. It didn't matter to her that Optimus was millions of years old and had watched the rise and fall of civilizations, he was a child who never knew the love of a parent and she intended to rectify that especially now that her son and Optimus were confirmed to be related. He initially tried to object, but June reaching out to pat his cheek in a comforting manner left him bewildered but strangely pleased.

Jack was left more startled than anything else and doubting his reality. Optimus attempted to soothe him with calming words and the touch of his field, but Jack wasn't having it. He needed time, and that was acceptable. Miko was on board with the thought of being siblings almost immediately and took to being related to Unicron without issue. She called it her "hero arc" or something along those liens and proceeded to make a show of pretending to have magic powers. It made the tension in the room lessen, especially when Rafael merely adjusted his glasses, looked up at Optimus and murmured.

"So what if I'm related to Unicron? So are you, and you are one of the best bots out there. Besides, we are family now"

Family. It was a word Optimus had difficulty pinning after all that had happened. Bumblebee was family, he was Optimus's sparkling even if their relationship was still a little iffy. Ratchet was family, he had been family for vorns. The team were family, but mainly because they needed to. Optimus had no family by blood aside from his maker. His "siblings" were of Primus, not of Unicron. They were cousins that he treated like blood kin. He loved all his family, but there was something so very novel about having blood related kin right before him.

Of course then when he reached out to his Creator, he found their bond silent. He sent question after question, wondering why and asking for answers, but he received nothing. Unicron was not heeding him, quite likely because he didn't want to deal with his newfound creations.

Optimus was a special case, he was intentional, he was the one and only creation Unicron had poured all his attention into. He was loved form day one, but the children? They were accidents, and Unicron had never been quick to love when it came to those not bound to him. Optimus knew this well, he could read his creator's spark just by letting his base nature take over for a moment. However he had no intention of letting Unicron go without at least speaking to his children. The children needed their father. Optimus had been denied his creator his entire existence up until earth, the children deserved better, or if nothing else the the chance to see where they came from.

Thus he began spending every waking moment hounding his creator and digging around to find another way to Unicron's core if his creator saw fit to continue to remain silent.

Could we have more Teacher Pax?

Do the kids find out Mr. Pax? What's their reaction?

Of course you may have more Teacher Pax! I do love this AU as it is.

Previous part here.

Double Life

After the kids became part of the team's life, Optimus quickly began laying low. Ratchet gave him a stern talking to about sharing Cybertronian anything with the humans, but Optimus largely ignored it. He wasn't giving his students access to any sort of weaponry or tech, he was merely instilling a sense of Cybertronian culture into them. What could be so wrong about that?

Still Ratchet was right on one front, that being that his lives as Mr. Pax and Optimus Prime needed to be kept separate. Thus Optimus did what he could to keep the children out of the loop. He even went so far as to take on the guardianship of the children while they were at school by playing his teacher role at the same time. His logical reasoning for it was that more of the team would be available to act and he would both be doing his job as a Prime and teacher. It was largely foolproof so long as nothing went wrong.

And for a long while, nothing did ever happen at school that was worthy of note. The kids came to school and were safe and then came to base where they somehow managed to get into all sorts of trouble.

It was all well and good, right up until the children gained a place in Optimus's spark as more than students. They were his little archivists, yes, but they were also his. Much like how Alpha Trion treated Orion with fatherly affection, Optimus did the same to his three human children. He simply couldn't help but give them more affection when it was appropriate. However that also meant that weather intentionally or not, he took everything regarding them personally.

It got to the point where when he found Vince pushing his luck again by attempting to fight Jack, Optimus grabbed the child by the ear and threw him to the ground without much care. His holoform's eyes blazed and he was unable to stop the way his presence radiated wrath. He tried to be calm, he tried to be composed and not favor one student above another, but Jack was one of his now. Even back at base the team noted Optimus's expression shifting into one of discomfort and focus, his field even lashing out there. He ended up sending Vince home and tending to Jack's minor injuries personally as a true guardian should.

It wasn't much better when it came to Rafael. At one point the boy's parents seemed to have forgotten him on a day where he was to head directly home instead of to base, and Optimus could only feel bitterness over it. He sat with Rafael on the steps of the school for hours, eventually trying and failing to get ahold of Rafael's parents. It saddened him greatly, especially when the boy fell asleep against his side with watery eyes. And so he stayed, even as the team worried for him and tried to call Optimus back, he didn't so much as twitch. Rafael needed him, and so he remained until at last at nearly 9pm when the school started to grow worried, Rafael's parents arrived. They took the boy, but they seemed more exhausted than anything else. It hurt his spark.

When it came to Miko, Optimus almost wished he could take her to a human residence of his own with how often she was left alone by a less than attentive host family. There were many a day when he too sat with her when the team was not in charge of her guardianship. They tended to quietly talk and draw, Miko often being more toned down with Optimus as he silently wrapped her in his field and sang a song too low for her to hear. The girl was a very lonely child when not able to come to base. Thus Optimus began bringing her little gifts to cheer her up on such days.

He loved all his little archivists, but the children were special. He really couldn't help it when he smiled around base as the children spoke fondly of Mr. Pax. It took a great deal of effort to remain at least somewhat impartial. However as with all things, the children began putting dots together when Mr. Pax turned up on a fragging battle field of all places when the children fell into a crevasse to pull them out.

The hole was too small for the Cybertronians to get into, and lo and behold, Mr. Pax turned up to get them out instead. Optimus was sprawled on the ground seemingly out cold and the team were fidgeting uncomfortably as Mr. Pax led the children to them. The children were bewildered as the team dragged Optimus back to base and Mr. Pax led them along, totally comfortable and unconcerned with everything as he sat them down to explain while the team watched on.

Mr. Pax: I assume you have questions.

Jack: Yes, quite a few actually-

Miko: HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BOTS??!

Mr. Pax: I know of the Autobots because I am one.

Rafael: What? How can you be an Autobot if you aren't Cybertronian-?

Mr. Pax: *dissipating in a mix of static and light*

Jack: What the-

Optimus: That is because I am a Cybertronian, I have merely been using a holoform to integrate with your kind.

Miko: You mean this whole time-!

Optimus: Yes, I have been using my holoform to teach at your school.

Rafael: But why? You have cons to fight and a team to lead. Why teach us?

Optimus: Because I have always desired to teach, and when I took up the position Megatron was unconfirmed to be dead or alive. It was a good use of time otherwise spent idly.

The children were shocked, the team were mainly just happy to no longer have to cover for Optimus, and the Prime himself was content to be able to walk freely among his little archivists without fear for his identity. It took a while for the children to process, but suddenly everything made sense and Mr. Pax's oddities were all explained away.

He didn't act human because he wasn't human. He was a robotic demi-god millions of years old from an alien world. Of course everything made sense now. Miko was excited above all else and quickly grew to appreciate Optimus in both his true form and alternate human one. She loved coaxing him to dance the real Cybertronian dances he taught her. He obliged without much of a fuss, often adding song to his dances as well when he showed her. Sometimes he would even alter his holoform to be younger and smaller so he could dance with her and show her the steps.

Jack was largely unaffected for the most part once the shock value wore off. He found it a little startling to see Optimus at school but got over it pretty quick. He relied on Optimus more for aid with his work at base and was overall more comfortable around him, but nothing too big. Although he did ask Optimus to go easy on Vince once when he caught the Prime stewing over the boy's actions.

Rafael for his part was just happy to know his teacher and Optimus were one and the same. He began talking exclusively in Cybertronian when at base just because he knew he would be understood. He took great pride in showing Optimus his improvement both in school and at base. He also stopped feeling so lonely when his parents were too busy to collect him since Optimus would tend to him after school, taking him back to base or walking him home instead. it was a safe feeling knowing he had Optimus Prime backing him.