Disclaimer: All Transformers stuff belongs to Hasbro. The plot line belongs to me.
Author's note: I would like to thank PrancingTiger86 for co-writing this chapter with me. ^_^
Family Way
By Yami-Yugi
Chapter 2
The awkward atmosphere continued to rest heavily upon the occupants of the shuttle, but neither ninja showed it was beginning to grate on them. Prowl had found a space in the back of the shuttle in order to meditate whilst Jazz concentrated on piloting the small craft. But the elite guard ninja couldn't help but wonder why the old medic was behaving the way he was. "Say Ratchet..." Jazz started "Prowler said ya know my creator."
"Yea I did kid, Meister was one of the best I knew." Ratchet replied.
"Funny, never saw you around when I was little."
"That's because most of the time when I visited, you were deep in recharge."
"Oh."
Ratchet glanced at the elite guard ninja and knew he would have to tread carefully with what he was about to say next. "I was worried for the pair of you when your sire perished."
"You knew my sire?"
"Vaguely, he was the opposite to your spark carrier, quiet, obtuse about most things and slag did he have a stubborn streak." The old medic replied "I never would have thought they would hit it off let alone bond and have a sparkling."
"He kind of reminds me of Prowler sometimes." Jazz said.
Ratchet stiffened ever minutely in his seat but quickly relaxed in order to make sure he didn't give anything away. "They would have been very much a like if your sire was still alive today."
"No wonder I like him so much."
The old medic cringed, he had to steer the black and white ninja away from the topic before he said something that he couldn't take back. "How long before we reach Cybertron?" Jazz looked at the controls.
"We're still a few hours out." Jazz replied.
"Oh?" Ratchet said.
"Yea so back ta the topic at hand . . . ."
"Kid I didn't know your sire that well, you ought to ask Meister about him." Ratchet told him cutting him off.
Jazz frowned "I've tried but he won't tell me a thing about 'im."
"Maybe there is a reason why he's not telling you."
"Don't ya even know my sire's name?"
"No." Ratchet replied.
"What? How could ya know my sire but not know his name?"
"Kid it's complicated."
"How can it be complicated?" Jazz snapped.
"Can you two quiet down over there," Prowl said. "I can't concentrate."
Ratchet almost sighed in relief at Prowl's intervention "Look I know you're after answers, but I'm not the one to give them to you." Jazz sighed deeply, he really wanted answers but he knew he would have to wait to get them. The shuttle went silent once again. Ratchet glanced between the two ninjas. He wished he could tell the pair of them about their past history with one another, he just hoped Meister would be able to explain everything. Of course then Ratchet started to worry. If Meister found out that Prowl was in fact HIS Prowl... Then there could be some serious problems, ones he didn't want to have to address at all. But it looked like he didn't have a choice.
Pretty soon the shuttle's main console started to beep, telling them all that they were nearing Cybertron. They were contacted by those on the planet to get their verification before Jazz was allowed to pilot the shuttle toward the space port, since there had been a lot of Decepticon activity. Once they had landed, Red Alert was waiting for them. "Oh I see you came as well Ratchet." she said.
"I thought I'd lend a fresh pair of optics to help with Meister's problem." The old medic replied as he glanced at the femme who stood in front of them.
Red Alert nodded. "Follow me then." she said.
The three of them followed the femme medic into the large building and through the corridors, none of them spoke until Jazz worked up the courage. "How's ma spark carrier?" He asked.
"He's hanging in there. Especially when he heard you were coming, Jazz." she said.
"Thank Primus." The elite guard ninja replied, he felt a gentle touch upon his left forearm. He glanced at Prowl beside him and gave him a small smile. Prowl smiled back. Ratchet watched from where he was, not liking what was going on between them again, but he decided to leave the pair of them for now. After all, Jazz needed to be in some sort of high spirits when he saw his spark carrier, especially if Meister was in a bad state.
It wasn't long until Red Alert brought them to a pair of doors. She turned to face the elite guard ninja "Your spark carrier isn't in the best of condition Jazz, but he's still lucid." Red Alert warned him "you ready?" The black and white ninja nodded, the femme turned from him and palmed the pad on the wall.
Once the doors cycle open, they could see the lone black and white mech in the room, lying on the berth that was in it. Jazz broke away from the group and hesitantly moved across to the room to the only occupied berth, he smiled sadly down at his spark carrier as he reached to take one of the larger black and white's hands in his own. A pale blue visor looked up to his. A small smile curved his spark carrier's lip components "J . . Jazz, you're h . . here."
"Yeah..." Jazz said with a small smile.
Meister glanced past his creation "R . . Ratchet its good t . . to see you too."
"Good to see you too." Ratchet said "Even though it could have been under better circumstances."
"S . . same here." Meister replied, he off-lined his optics for a moment or two which had Jazz frowning in concern.
"Dad you alright?"
"Y...Yeah..." Prowl was still standing in the door way. It upset him to see Jazz's creator in such a state. The black and gold ninja hoped that whatever the medics had planned, it would work. "W...Who do you have w...with you?" Meister asked when he saw Prowl.
"I-I'm Prowl sir..." Prowl said. "A friend of Jazz's." Meister stiffened at the name mentioned which drew a confused frown from his creation, but the older mech simply covered up his shock with a small moan of pain.
"Ya okay?" Jazz asked, worried again.
"I'm f . .fine." His spark carrier replied. Ratchet came over to run a scan on Meister himself.
"So what mess have ya got yourself into this time, young bot?" The old medic asked as he completed his scan.
"R...Ratch...y...ya know me better then that..."
"Hmm." Ratchet hummed with a small smile upon his facial plates, but it quickly disappeared when he saw the results upon his scanner in his hand.
"Ratch?" Jazz asked. Ratchet glanced up from his readings to look at the white and black ninja. The virus Meister had caught was progressive and wasn't responding to normal treatment; it would eventually kill the older mech if something wasn't done soon. Prowl decided to slowly walk into the room, over to were Jazz stood. Meister glanced at the mech that now stood beside his creation. This Prowl looked so much like his own with some familiarities. But his bonded had died long ago leaving him and their son to go without him.
"What do you suggest we do?" Red Alert asked Ratchet.
"We need to boost Meister's immunity, an' the only way we can do that is by giving him a donation of anti virus software from a relative." Ratchet replied.
"We also had that in mind." Red Alert said "but we didn't know if the risks would be too great."
"What do you mean risks?" Prowl asked.
Ratchet turned to face the black and gold ninja "Well the first would be that, the recipient could die from the incompatibility or his systems not accepting the new anti virus codes." The old medic then glanced at Jazz "the second could be that the donor's immunity would be lowered as a result which in turn could open him up to other viruses."
"It's a risk I'm willin' to take Ratch." Jazz told him. He felt a slight pressure upon his hand and glanced down at his spark carrier. "Dad?"
"It's too much of a risk Jazz, I can't ask you to do this." Meister replied.
"Yea ya can, I refuse ta lose you too."
"Jazz no, I've already lost one important mech in my life without losing another." The elder black and white told his creation, Jazz frowned at his spark carrier not quite understanding why he was being so stubborn.
"Yea but we won't know anything til we try." The younger black and white replied.
"Ratchet, isn't there another one who can do it?" Red Alert asked "I read in the old files once that you save a mech's life by putting his spark into another shell..."
"It's possible but . . ." He glanced at the trio of mechs gathered together, he really didn't want to dredge up what had happened in the past as he didn't know what would happen once it was out in the open.
"But what?"
"What are ya talking about Ratch?" Jazz asked.
Ratchet ignored the young elite guard ninja and glanced at Meister who was watching his creation slowly "Meister I think it's about time Jazz knows what happened to his sire."
Jazz spun round to face his spark carrier "Dad what's he talkin' about?"
Meister sighed weakly. "I...If you are sure Ratch..."
The old medic sighed deeply and glanced at Jazz who looked just about ready to bolt, Prowl was in no better condition as he watched the events transpire in front of him "Jazz your Sire didn't die all those vorns ago."
"What?" The younger black and white demanded.
"H...He was about to...until Ratch figured out a way to save him..."
"H..How?" Jazz asked not sure whether he wanted to know the answer.
"I transplanted his spark in another frame." Ratchet said.
"So...my sire is out there still?" Jazz asked.
"B...But with the new body, he didn't remember us..." Meister said "P...Prowl really did love the both of us, Jazz."
"P-Prowl... B-But that's my name." Prowl said slowly in surprise "How can I have the same name as Jazz's sire?"
Ratchet was hesitant at first. "It's...It's because you were him." he said.
"You mean...all this time..." Prowl started, he was trying to control how upset he was. "My life was just a lie and I'm really this older mech? So this is why I was so drawn to Jazz when we met. It also explains why you were acting like we shouldn't hang out. You didn't want us to know!"
"Prowl, calm down." Ratchet said.
"NO! I will not listen to you any more! Primus! Did Master Yoketron know this too?"
"Prowler..." started Jazz.
"I'm sorry Jazz," Prowl said. "But I have to mediate on this." With that Prowl raced out the room.
Jazz watched sadly as his fellow ninja left the room. He then turned and glare at Ratchet. "Jazz I was just trying..."
"No, Prowler's right ya should had told us instead of making up lies." Ratchet sighed as eh looked at the floor.
"Jazz I've wanted to . . . ." Meister began as he clutched his creation's right hand.
"You, you kept this from me all this time, why didn't ya ever tell me?" Jazz demanded, he was not one to lose his temper, but right now he was down right livid about both his spark carrier and the old medic stood across from him. Meister looked just as upset as his son.
Red Alert moved in closer when she noticed the older black and white's readings "Meister, you need to remain calm, other wise you'll only aggravate your condition." She pointed a glare in Jazz's direction, silently daring the younger black and white to aggravate the current situation further. The femme knew that if he did, she would have no choice but to remove him from the med-bay. Jazz sighed, looking away from his carrier and Red Alert.
