Disclaimer: Don't own it.
Original publish date: 12/8/10
Prompt: Morning star
Verse: AUish Bayverse
Rating: K+
Warnings: Just a few TF swears; Beware the sweet fluffiness!
Summary: Jazz hasn't lost his way; he's just searching for one.
Coming Home
Driving down the white road, Jazz continued steadily at a brisk pace. He wasn't in a terrible hurry, nor was he simply coasting along—somewhere drifting in between. He was tempted to floor it and take his chances spinning out on the frosty, slick road. The snow and sleet had fallen alternately in heavy sheets during the last few days. It left the 'bots cooped up and restless, unable to let out tension. And boredom. A spinout might give him a fun challenge, but ultimately decided against it. The CMO's cautionary words rang in his processor.
"You're free to go out for a drive, Jazz," Ratchet said obligingly, though his tone took on a serious edge. "But slag it, if you're not careful and get yourself fragged, you'll find yourself welded to the berth in your quarters so fast it'll make your tires spin."
The silver Solstice chuckled to himself at the irritated warning. He was perfectly fine; the saboteur just wished everyone else could see that. Thanks to Ratchet's tender care and the graciousness of the AllSpark fragment, his spark beat strongly in its casing. Sure, Megatron had torn him in half. And sure, it had taken a few years to put all of his Humpty Dumpty pieces together again. But he had been functioning perfectly fine for over an Earth year. He wasn't going to collapse, and Jazz had had enough of being coddled by the team he arrived to Earth with—namely Optimus, Ratchet, Ironhide, and even Bumblebee.
He was driving down a less well-traveled road. One where there were no plows or salt trucks to turn the white, wet fluffy stuff to slush. Jazz didn't mind at all. The salt annoyingly ate at their paint; the slush got stuck in their gears. The smooth glassy surface of the frozen road offered an interesting drive as he glided skillfully, as if he was skating like a human. His sleek alt-mode shined in the reflective ice despite the gloomy skies littered with smoky, grey clouds. He reveled in the barely-there touch of his tire treads beneath him and the cold wind slicing over his roof.
Though it was well below freezing temperatures and the chill cut through his core, Jazz felt alive. It was almost perfect. Almost.
Smoothly braking, Jazz came to a halt as the road came to a fork. The path twisted to the right toward a glen, looking tranquil in the dark night. The path curved to the left toward a small dip in the land. Too small to be considered a valley, but enough of a drop-off to create a dead-end in the road. He debated whether he wanted to continue his stimulating drive, but ultimately turned left to overlook the drop-off. Taking care to brake slowly before reaching the edge, the slim mech unfolded from his alt mode.
Jazz released warm air from his systems, watching the steam dissipate into the air. The harsh wind continued to whip around his plating as he let his visor dim, simply taking in the crisp air. It helped clear his processors, bringing clarity to his riotous thoughts. He had needed this, a moment to get away.
Things were lively at the base recently. With almost 20 mechs now calling Earth home, they were busier than ever. Everyone was enthralled by the holiday season. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker wanted to have a party, and they implored Jazz to help. As mech with a 'jolly, happy soul' (just like Frosty the Snowman, according to Sam), Jazz was more than happy to agree. He delighted in the music, the cheer, the warmth, and the joy the season had to offer.
All the same, even amidst all the planning and festivities, Jazz felt lost. He felt alone.
His visor lit a soft blue, glowing in the muted darkness around him. Gradually, Jazz realized it had begun snowing again. Not the furious snowfall of the last few days, but a gentle pristine blanket settling around him in its embrace. Morning was rapidly approaching. Casting one more look about the lightening night sky, he spied a brilliant blue twinkle streaming across the sky sending the clouds drifting like ripples on a pond. With a gasp, Jazz felt his spark pulse within his chassis and placed a servo gently over his chest where his spark continued to throb.
The Solstice felt a small smile tugging at his mouth on his faceplate. "He's home," he whispered, the wind stealing away his words. Transforming and racing toward the base, Jazz let his morning star guide him back.