"Miko, you have got to be kidding me," Jack muttered, facepalming as he saw what the young Japanese girl was carrying once she got out of the car.

A toaster.

"Nope! Meet Tim, my amazing boyfriend!"

Raf held back a laugh as he shoved his nose into the book he'd been reading to hide his smile. Cassidy only raised an eyebrow, a little freaked out. Jack shook his head and grumbled a little.

"He's so sweet; he makes breakfast for me every morning!" Miko exclaimed, looking at her toaster lovingly as she sat on the couch between Jack and Cassidy.

"Every morning?" Bulkhead asked. "You had a...'fruit' in your hand when you walked out the door."

Miko placed her hands over the toaster, almost as if she were covering imaginary ears.

"Shh! He's sensitive. And yes, every morning. He toasted a bagel for me, which I ate before grabbing a banana."

Bulkhead was tempted to roll his optics but refrained from doing so.

"So, where's Ratchet?" Miko asked, turning to the others.

"Energon storage room," Raf replied without looking up. "He said he'd be back in a minute."

As if on cue, Ratchet entered the room and headed toward his monitor, glancing at the kids for a second, but then doing a double-take.

"Miko..."

"Yes?" she replied innocently as she stroked her toaster. Ratchet narrowed his optics.

"My answer's still the same."

"Yeah, but I'm in love with a toaster. So...you'd have to be-"

She was cut off by Cassidy putting her hand over her mouth, effectively shutting her up.

"Finally," Ratchet muttered, making his charge smile a little. Miko glared at Cassidy and licked her hand, making Cassidy remove her hand from her mouth and wiping the saliva on Miko's sleeve.

"His name is Tim."

"Your toaster cannot be a gender," Ratchet immediately replied as he walked off.

"He makes amazing toast."

"Fascinating."

"He's a good listener."

"Go blab off to it then, not me."

"And he's polite," Miko added pointedly.

"Good for it."

"And he's willing to pretend things are real."

"This is no longer about the toaster, is it," Ratchet stated as he turned around to face her.

"What?" Miko asked innocently, a smile forming on her face. Ratchet rolled his optics, before looking at his charge briefly, who only gave him a shrug.

"Believe what you want, Miko, but my charge is only that, my charge. Not my love interest," he said to her. Cassidy grabbed her notebook and took the pencil off her ear to start writing, before showing it to Miko.

Plus, he only calls me "charge", so I don't think he likes me even as a friend yet.

"Oh he will," she replied, the determination evident on her face.

You can't force people to like each other, Cassidy showed her her notebook again after writing down another sentence.

"Maybe, maybe not," she replied as she made sure Tim was secure on her lap and continued stroking him.

"Miko, your toaster is not a pet. Quit stroking it like that," Jack muttered. Miko only shrugged as she started playing with the dials. Arcee and Bumblebee walked into the room and noticed Miko's "companion". Arcee smirked a little.

"You actually brought one?"

"Yes. Ratchet needs to stop denying it and admit his true feelings." she replied matter-of-factly. Cassidy facepalmed and shook her head as Ratchet sighed in exasperation.

"I think perhaps you need to give up and admit Ratchet only cares for Cassidy as a charge," Arcee replied, giving Miko a look.

"Thank you," Ratchet replied, before he blinking a few times as he realized what Arcee said and turned around again silently to face his work. The femme chuckled a bit.

Miko shrugged again, before placing her chin on top of the toaster and staying quiet a few seconds.

"So can the toaster go away?" Jack finally asked. "You got your answer."

"Only when Ratchet addresses Tim as Tim," Miko replied, looking over at the medic, who only sighed and shook his helm.

"Fine."

"Say hi to Tim," Miko smiled, sitting up straight again before holding out her toaster to the Autobot medic, who didn't look at all pleased.

"Hello...Tim."

Miko grinned and set "Tim" on the floor.

"There. Now was that so hard?"

Ratchet grumbled something that no one could make out before turning back to his work. Miko smirked, exchanging a glance with Cassidy, who looked at her confusedly before shrugging and tossing Miko a controller, to start up another game of racing. Miko caught it, but handed it to Jack.

"I need to practice a Slash Monkey song I just got the sheet music to. Thanks, though," she grinned, before getting up and starting to walk off. She forgot Tim was there and tripped over him, and landed hard on the floor with a grunt. Ratchet turned to see what had happened and managed to hold back a smile as Jack walked over and extended a hand to her. Miko stood up, and kicked the toaster away a little.

"Sorry Tim. I guess it didn't work out this time."

~~~

Well, what do you guys think? I'm a little rusty I suppose. But this is the first Without a Word oneshot out of many! (Hopefully). Please, requests are appreciated! Leave them in the chapter titled "Heyyo!" Please and thank you!

-BP