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Here's another chapter with Jazz. He makes his decision on what to do with the sparkling.


Jazz

An alarm sounded, alerting me and instantly waking me from recharged. It was from one of my sensor traps! I had company. Instinctively, I reached for the sparkling so he wouldn't fall as I got up. Only to my surprise he was gone! After a quick scan I found that he wasn't even in the room!

Spark racing, I quickly left the room to take care of the 'Con so I could return to find that sparkling. Primus! I can't believe I lost him! My mother would tear me a new aft if she found out her son lost a sparkling! Hopefully, the 'Con didn't find him!

Panicked though I was, I was still in control enough to be quiet and slow down as I got closer to the sensor trap. Weapon ready, optics focused, I slowly looked around the corner.

"Primus Almighty!" I exhaled in relief when I saw the intruder was not an intruder but was the sparkling. "Ya 'bout gave me a spark attack!"

He warbled excitedly, holding up the sensor device for me to see. To my surprise the sparkling smiled brightly at me, big blue optics twinkling with pride at what he found. He even held it up for me to take. Now how could I be mad at that face?

"Ya did good," I smiled warmly, lifting him up to my chest. "Now, come on li'l one. Let's get somethin' to eat."

Little white hands instantly clutched on to me. The soft purr of content that sounded cut deep right into my guilt ridden spark. I knew what I had to do. It was too dangerous for him to go with me on this mission. Much too dangerous. I was going to have to leave him behind, use every skill and technique I learned to not get caught during this mission, and retrieve him on my way back.

I just couldn't take him with me.

An inquisitive beep suddenly sounded as a tiny hand touched my face. Those intense cobalt orbs gazed at me as if trying to see into my very spark. Or at least, that's what it felt like as he looked at me. No matter how hard I tried the guilt would not go away.

"Ya know yur rather adorable making that face," I smiled. His face lit up at the attention. Typical sparkling. Even the two tiny red nubs on his forehead seemed brighter indicating he was happy. "Sit there while I make yur energon."

With a grunt, he landed on his aft after I set him on his peds. But he obeyed my command and sat where I told him. Again, my spark ached. He was still so hungry from the way he intently watched every move I made in making his energon. When I was done, two hands were eager to grab hold of the canister.

"Rememba to drink slowly now li'l prowler," I smiled as his little mouth hungrily latched onto the straw. Still not understanding he took a big drink too fast. He let out a startled choke and broke into crying. I quickly rubbed his back. "See. I told ya, drink it slowly. Ok. Try it again."

This time he slowly suckled down his energon ration. I quickly took advantage of this time and prepared rations for three days. That should be enough. I hope. However, three days seemed so long. I had to figure out a way to get back here as sooner. But how?

A soft burp sounded pulling me from my thoughts. When I looked down I saw the sparkling smiling up at me. Maybe I…

"Don't even go there, Jazz!" I told myself receiving a curious beep from the sparkling. "Just thinkin' out loud. Time for yur nap li'l one."

Frag, I feel like a piece of slag. But it was the only way. Let him fall asleep and then put him back into the little alcove. Yes, I convinced myself that it was the only way to leave him. Because if he was awake and I tried to leave…well I knew I'd be weak. I'd crack and given in. Only I can't afford to be weak right now. I had an important mission to complete.

"That's a good li'l prowler," I cooed as he yawned, curling up at my side. "May Primus watch over ya and grant me the speed to complete ma mission quickly."

In just a few klicks the little mech was in deep recharge. I had to move quickly if I wanted to head out just after dusk. First I cleaned out the alcove so he wouldn't have to endure three days of crawling around in waste. Then I reinforced the sides of it so he couldn't squeeze out that way. Once I was satisfied I placed the energon rations inside and then carefully put the sparkling within the alcove.

I left a light on for him near the energon rations. I doubt any 'Con would come down here and see the light through the barrier. He was a quiet sparkling too so he'd probably go undiscovered as before. At least, I was hoping he would until I returned for him.

"I'm so sorry li'l one," I whispered and grabbed the first medical berth to barricade the alcove's entrance.

I made sure it was solidly secured before turning to grab another berth. When I turned back I was confronted by the most spark wrenching face I'd ever seen in my entire life. He was awake and looking up at me with a mixture of fear and hurt in his big round blue orbs. If that wasn't bad enough, his bottom lip started to tremble as tears filled his optics.

"It has to be this way. I can't take ya with me!" I said, trying to reason with him.

I don't know what I was thinking. You can't reason with a sparkling! That was mother's first lesson to me! This little one was no different as he wailed loudly.

"Shh!" I exclaimed, covering his mouth.

It only made things worse…for us both. His small form shook and trembled in my arms as he continued to cry. And the guilt in my spark was too overwhelming to ignore. It was breaking my spark too much. I knew I couldn't leave him behind. I just couldn't.

"Frag! I'm so sorry!" I cooed, holding him close, rocking back and forth. His little form hiccupped and trembled. Tiny hands latched on to me and gripped me hard. I knew he wasn't going to let go so easily. I didn't blame him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I won't put ya in there. I promise. I swear on ma spark."

I pulled back so I could see his face and make optic contact with him.

"I swear I'm not goin' to leave ya behind. I swear it on ma mother's good name."

He continued to cry. I didn't blame him. I'd cry too if I was abandoned, left to fend for myself on to be deserted once again.

"Shh, I'm sorry, prowler," I cooed, kissing his forehead, and starting humming.

I hummed lullaby after lullaby for as long as it took to get him to stop crying. A full breem later, only out of sheer exhaustion, he fell back into recharge as he kept crying. I didn't put him down. I promised. I never break my promises.

A few klicks later he woke with a startled look on his face. Then he whimpered while clinging to me before he fell back into recharge. For another breem he continued to wake and check to see if I was still there before recharging. Until finally, he recharged for six straight breems without waking.

I knew I wasted this jour. But I wasn't going to risk harming the little one's psyche any more by leaving him behind. No way. But I knew I also couldn't abandon my mission. Since I was ordered to keep radio silence I couldn't call for help. Not that I'd get help for this mission. It was top secret and I was too far behind enemy lines to send help to.

"Like Highjump said, I just need to be maself. So I need to improvise," I smiled down at the sparkling as he drank his energon. "I'm good at that. I'm very good at that, li'l prowler."

The little mech didn't smile at me like he did before. In fact, if I had to guess from the scowl that was on his face, he was mad at me. I was fine with that. I deserved it. Besides, I had time to regain his trust. In fact, I was determined to be his friend.

"I promise to make things right between us," I said to him. "I promise."


Up next: We'll change POVs and find out just who abandoned the little sparkling and why.