The Diego Diaries: I can cry. You slagger (dd2 4)

-0-Later that night

They had toured the facility, going from the rec room to Ops Center. That was followed by the armory, various science labs, and the barracks for bachelor mechs. Ratchet was prescient regarding his own quarters as they asked to see the living spaces of 'married Autobots'.

Ratchet had had a long talk with Prime the night before and a decision had been made about a generalized acknowledgment regarding relationships. That they existed would be allowed if questions arose. What those relationships constituted of was going to be off limits. That there were parents among the garrison would be allowed. How the individuals became parents would be off limits.

As he listened to their questions the request was made. How do married Autobots live?

He led the way to his own quarters acknowledging the fact of his own bond. Ratchet didn't tell them who he was bonded with, that there was a sparkling created of that bond and all the rest. He stood in the doorway of his quarters monumentally glad that he had taken it upon himself to clean up Ironhide's slag. At least the humans would see some small part of himself in the mess that was called home. For a few short orns, their place would be pristine. Then when the visitors were gone, 'Ironhide Creep' would begin and they would find themselves embedded in a pile of guns, knives and other 'essentials of life'.

Hoxley was gracious, curious and delighted with each new thing. The others were, too. Thomas, a former enemy was becoming a very possible ally. He was intrigued, asked good questions and was very mannerly. Weaver and the other two Senators, one from Louisiana and another from Wyoming were civil at best.

By the time they walked to the rec room door and stood in the fading sunlight of the first day of the delegation's visit, Ratchet felt that most of the Autobot's objectives had been achieved with little loss of privacy or any sort of security breach. Any number of relevant senior Autobots got the chance to study Weaver and his allies. The visit thus far was about what he expected it to be.

At the end of their visit the delegation excused themselves and took hummers back to the base administration building for more briefings, a tour of their facility and dinner. The next day would be a tour of the base proper, an opportunity to see what Autobots could do in combat situations and a meet up with the two Aerialbots that were still here waiting for the meet and greet to pass before picking up their duties once again.

They would also meet the sparklings.

-0-Later that evening

"More to the left."

Pause.

"There?"

"Yes."

Pause.

"You did good apparently."

"Andrea Hoxley and her allies were great company today. We cemented an already good relationship with her."

"The sparkling and I hung out on the air field."

Ratchet nodded. "What first time things did you do today that I didn't get to see?"

Ironhide paused in rubbing Ratchet's peds for a moment. "I sat him on a blanket by Sky Dive and we talked while he sat in the shade playing."

"Is that all?" Ratchet asked with a smirk.

"Far as I know," Ironhide said shrugging slightly.

"You're probably lying to me."

"You wound me, Ratchet."

"I will if you keep doing first time things with the sparkling and don't come to get me."

Ironhide smiled. "He was singing."

Ratchet groaned. "Why?"

"Why was he singing or what?" Ironhide asked, his voice contrite with his own self acknowledged guilt.

"Both!" Ratchet sat up to look at Ironhide with angry optics. "Come and get me. That was the agreement. How can I enjoy this sparkling when I'm never there when he's doing something cute or doing something for the first time? How can I see him and feel the same good feeling you have right now when I'm not there?"

"You were doing diplomacy," Ironhide said. "Did you expect me to come and get you in the middle of that when the sparkling decided to sing?"

"Yes, Ironhide. Unless I'm standing inside someone's carcass with a wrench you come and fraggin' get me. What am I going to do? Do you want me to cry? I can cry."

"Don't cry, Ratchet," Ironhide said. "I hate it when you cry."

"I will. I could. I'm missing out," Ratchet said pitifully. Then he paused. "Did that sound as pitiful to you as it did to me?"

"Yes," Ironhide said.

"Good. Get used to it, you slagger. I want to see the sparkling excel too. COME AND GET ME, IRONHIDE!"

"I will," Ironhide said soothingly.

Pause.

"What are you doing?"

"Comforting you."

"Putting your servo there is comforting?"

"Isn't it?"

Pause.

"How about there, Ratchet?"

Pause.

"You think you can do The Sexy and it'll make my boo-boos go away?"

"Yep."

"You're a slagger, Ironhide."

"You said I'm the handsomest mech you ever saw. You even made sure that the sparkling looked just like me."

"Yeah. So?" Ratchet said peevishly.

"Well, I guess it gives a mech confidence."

"And?"

"I'm just sure I can make you smile."

"Not today, you slagger. I'm just this close to war."

"Uh, I don't think you need to go that far."

"Why not? You play with the sparkling all day long. You take him everywhere and you both have all these new experiences together while I'm laboring away making peace and slag and putting dumb afts back together when they drop something on their fraggin' helms. Do you think that's fair?"

"No."

Pause.

"Your servo there isn't going to make me feel any better."

Pause.

"I mean it, Ironhide. It won't work."

Pause.

"You slagger."

[grin] "You know you can't resist me, Ratchet."

"And why is that?"

"Because I'm devilishly handsome. Your words. Because you love me and I love you."

"Not enough to come get me."

"I will."

"Sure."

"I will, Ratchet."

"We'll see."

Pause.

"A little to the left."

Pause.

"Slagger."

[Grin]

-0-TBC 2011 (1) edited 1-12-2015 edited again 9-26-17

I am a little short tonight. Trying to put things back together is a royal pain. Take care out there and I will post more as soon as I can remember it. -Me.

EDIT: I mentioned here the many errors and edits that needed to be made because of my poor eyesight at the time. My glasses hated me. That has been corrected and so are these parts. I am putting 'edited' at the bottom to show that. I am also in a few places adding bits of this and that to make it more fulsome or something. HUGS!

The Diego Diaries: Second Day (dd2 4)

-0-Ironhide and Ratchet the next morning

Ratchet sat on the couch with his big old peds up on the small table in front of him. The sparkling sat on his lap watching everything around himself. Nearby working on one of his cannons Ironhide sat. The sparkling was watching him, his binky firmly in place, his little blue optics riveted upon his old pa. Orion looked up at Ratchet who smiled down at his boy. Pointing to Ironhide, he hummed. Ratchet overcome for a moment leaned down and kissed him on the fore helm. "That's your old dad."

Then the sparkling pointed at Ratchet. Ratchet smiled. "That's your other old dad."

The sparkling stared at Ratchet, looking up at the smiling face of his creator, then he looked at his rattle. Beating it on his leg, he focused on his favorite toy, his ped.

"Did any of the senators ask about that?" Ironhide asked glancing at Ratchet and his son. He grinned. That was one cute sparkling.

"Around the edges. I showed them our quarters when they wanted to see how 'married Autobots' lived."

"Let the secret out, did you?" Ironhide asked.

"Not much of a secret. I didn't tell them who and I didn't tell them of Orion. I suppose more of that will come out when they see the younglings." Ratchet reached for a cloth and began to rub a soft gentle wax onto Orion's arm. The sparkling staring at his arm, then his creator, frowned. Ratchet ignored him. He resumed beating his ped with his rattle.

"You and Prime have a strategy for that, I suppose."

"Yes," Ratchet said, softly waxing the sparkling's arm pit. Orion frowned deeper and looked at Ratchet, his optics betraying his ire. Ratchet grinned and thought how cute he was as he continued. Both arm pits and his shoulders were soon shiny and the yellow bands were very bright against his dark coloration.

Ratchet flipped Orion on his belly over his lap, reaching for the wax and a clean cloth. The binky fell from Orion's mouth so he chirped an angry sparkling word that made them both smile. Ironhide paused in his work, sitting back to watch as Ratchet began to wax the sparkling's back. His little aft got a wax and a buff as did the backs of his legs and the backs of his peds.

Sitting the sparkling up again, Orion expressing his ire in a loud chirp and a couple of pointed clicks, Ratchet began on the front part.

"Looks as shiny as a new penny as the humans say," Ironhide said.

"I think I can see my face in his aft," Ratchet said chuckling. "I don't think he likes a buff."

A rap on the door caught their attention so Ironhide called out. The door opened as Sunstreaker entered followed by Sideswipe and Bluestreak. They walked in and found places to perch, the sparkling watching them settle in, nearly turning his head completely around to do so. Sunny smiled. "He looks good."

"I don't have your expertise but he's not bad," Ratchet said grinning.

"I was wondering if you wanted him to be Autobranded too," Sunstreaker said reaching out to take him from Ratchet.

"Like Silverbow?" Ratchet glanced at Ironhide who was grinning at the idea.

"Like her," Sunstreaker said. "A small Autobot brand on his left arm or on his chest."

"His arm would be cute, like Silverbow," Ironhide said. Ratchet nodded, taking Orion back as all watched Sunstreaker pull his paint kit from subspace. Taking out the required tools, checking carefully that the color was right, he turned to Ratchet.

Orion, watching the whole thing, fixed on the paint brush, then reached for it. Ratchet took his servos and held them, rubbing them as Sunstreaker began to paint. Orion watching that too, clicked his disdain as he tried to move. Ratchet pinning him firmly, prayed that Sunny would be quick.

"This paint dries on contact so once Sunny gets it done it'll last for a long long time. All the younglings have a brand. He needed one too." Bluestreak smiled brightly. "I think they're so cute. I want our sparkling to have one right away. Right, Sunny?"

"Slag, yeah," Sunstreaker said pausing to look at the perfect miniature Autobot face on the sparkling's arm. The sparkling looked too, their heads nearly bumping. Looking up, fixing Yellow Face with a huge grin Orion registered his approval.

"He likes it," Ironhide said admiring the tiny insignia on Orion's shoulder. "Makes him look all 'growed up'."

Ratchet snorted. "As long as it doesn't make him 'all blowed up'."

"You been reading that story too?" Bluestreak asked. "I'm waiting for the next chapter. It's the funniest thing."

"Bumblebee hasn't seen it. I'm going to text file it to him and get his opinion," Sideswipe said with a huge grin. "I wonder how a total stranger could get so much so right."

Hoots and hollers met that declaration. "It is rather awesome," Ratchet said feeling the love. "I don't think there's a better piece of fiction anywhere on the internet."

"You haven't read some of the stuff they right about us," Blue said shaking his helm. "Most of the time I'm with these two," he said nodding to Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. "But sometimes I'm with Prowl of all mechs … then there are even some about me and Prime."

Sideswipe snorted. "Must be a tight fit on the berth with all the others. I even read a very funny one where Prime tells everyone when he was face down drunk on the floor that he never 'faced anyone in his life."

It was quiet a moment.

"Nine million years," Ratchet said softly. "That's great. I do recall that Prime and Prowl are keeping company and they don't even know what 'facing is in the Mom Van story."

"I haven't read that part yet," Bluestreak said chuckling. "I don't know if I can. Feels really strange reading about your genitors 'facing."

"I like the stories about Bee and Prime. Given that Prime has two feet for every foot of Bee that's just wrong," Sideswipe said.

"It's sort of wrong with Prowl," Ratchet said chuckling. Groans met that remark. "I actually asked Prowl how they managed. Ironhide has five feet on me and that's bad enough. But Prime has eight feet on Prowl. That sounds dangerous."

"Not if you don't know what 'facing is," Sunstreaker said with a wicked grin. He patted Orion who was trying to see the insignia on his shoulder. He nearly became cross opticed doing so. Sunny fixed on Ratchet. "Are you writing that story?"

"Actually …. yes," Ratchet said as they all guffawed. As they did so a fat chuckle issued up from around Ratchet's lap. They all paused to look at the sparkling. He was grinning around his binky, looking at them with bright optics. Grins were had all around. "This is one talented sparkling."

"He is," Bluestreak said taking his arm to check out the brand. "That's beautiful, Sunny. I want one on the sparkling right away."

Sideswipe nodded. "Won't be long now."

Sunstreaker frowned. "We agreed not to talk about it."

Blue and Sides looked at him with a sigh. "I wish you would," Blue said.

"You should," Ratchet said. "Get yourself organized."

"We are. Enough, anyway," Sunstreaker said with a sour look on his face. Orion watching him, frowned too. Reaching out his arms, he let Yellow Face pick him up unaware that his own brother was holding him. He looked at Sunny and patted his face with his servos. Sunstreaker smiled.

So did everyone else.

-0-At breakfast at the Administration Building

Beau Weaver stirred his coffee as he looked at the others. They were happy and excited, entertained beyond what they expected to be and felt a sort of odd privilege about being in the company of the first aliens humankind had ever met. He didn't feel the same way. He felt that he was alone in his clarity and as such sat to one side. Conversations the night before with like minds had been productive if for no other reason than to blow off steam.

"I know that you have connections with Nast. We all do," Weaver had said as he sat on the patio with Jase Daniels. "I need his money and connections if we're going to put a stop to what's going on."

He's not into the politics, Beau. He's into the financial gain," Daniels replied. As they chatted the twins rolled past on their way to the beach. Both stopped their conversation to watch them go by. The dark looked given both by the giant creatures were not missed on either. "Those two are the worst. They're the ones who would kill you without a thought."

Weaver nodded. "We have pictures of them. You need to get me more. The wierder, the better. The more you can tell me about them and their habits, the better."

"We're doing our best but since they got embassy status, its hard to do. Besides, the base is behind them," Daniels said as he sipped his drink. "We aren't the majority opinion here."

"For now," Weaver said.

-0-The next morning in the base mess

Hoxley who was watching Weaver walked over to sit down. "You looked lonesome all the way over here," she said.

"I didn't want to hear all the happy talk."

"Happy talk? You find it hard to enjoy everyone's interest and attention?" she asked.

"I find it hard to enjoy allowing aliens to worm their way into our world. I find it hard to enjoy the fact that they're so different from us that there's very few similarities and no one cares but me and maybe Brinks and Weller."

The Wyoming and Louisiana Senators were sitting with Fulton swapping stories about the Korean War. Hoxley turned to look at him. "They have many similarities."

"Such as?" Weaver asked fixing her with a hard stare.

"They're intelligent and brave. They're educated and friendly. They're technologically advanced, have great friendships and structure to their lives, have families and children, fight for their protection and freedom and risk themselves to help us from the Decepticons. Optimus Prime has higher approval ratings in polls than you, me and the President."

"They're machines. They are machines, Andrea. They won't tell us about their families or how they have children. They won't tell us what they believe or their long term plans. How can we trust someone who's afraid to talk about their god? I'm convinced that they don't have one. And what does that mean for the future between us when they aren't held to a standard of morality that can be seen and understood? I can't find common ground with secretive aliens who only tell us what they want us to know. They don't share their technology. If the Decepticons are such a threat, share weapons. Share with us so we can fight them too."

"They can't give us their weapons. We don't need to have that stuff floating around. As for the rest, they have the right to keep their private things private. Do you understand the concept of taboo? Talking about some of these things is taboo."

"So they tell us. What about their children? How do they get them? What about relationships? I don't see any women around do you? That can mean only one thing."

She looked at him quashing a chuckle as hard as she could. "What would that be, Beau?"

"That would mean that they have relationships among each other. That would mean that this army is gay. Homosexual. How else could this be? There are no women. I've not seen one. If they have relationships its between males."

"If that's so and I'm not saying it is, how would that be wrong? They aren't humans. They're living their lives the way they're supposed to for their species. You did watch the film Ambassador Ratchet showed when they discussed this with Johnson and Hedges?"

"I did and two of them, that yellow Lambo and that winged thing ... they're a couple."

"And a cute one at that," Hoxley said with her patience running out. "Be a homophobe on your own, Beau. None of the rest of us are going to be applying our human perceptions of what's right and normal onto these aliens. They are aliens, Beau. Aliens."

"Our country won't stand for it," he persisted.

"They already have. They support the Autobots being here helping us with the Decepticons. Honestly, Beau … sometimes I think you're on the other side." She arose and walked back to the table where the soldiers were chatting with senators. He watched her and felt more frustration. This was a P.R. campaign and the others were being duped. He would do his best to make sure that the truth about these aliens and the treaties that kept them here was exposed. He stared at his cup and waited. In a few, they would be going to the firing range to see what well-armed Autobots could do.

-0-Outside the Autobot Embassy that morning

Hummers filled with Senators, aides and soldiers drove up to wait for Ratchet and a crew of Autobots who were going to be showing certain capabilities to the visitors in shooting and other skills that were essential to their craft. Among them uninvited was Jase Daniels. He had joined Weaver, Brinks and Weller in their vehicle to stick with them for the rest of the day. He also intended to enter the embassy and see what he could, including the children.

Ratchet stepped out followed by the twins, Smokescreen, Bluestreak, Hound, Bumblebee, Inferno, Ironhide, and Prowl. They paused before the hummers, smiling and smirking down at the familiar and unfamiliar faces before them. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Ratchet. Time to make things go boom?" Will Lennox asked as he lounged against his hummer.

"No time better," Ratchet said with a chuckle. He spotted Daniels and commed Prime internally. Then he gestured toward the firing range. "Shall we?" he asked.

Lennox nodded then jumped back in, revving the engine. With hummers in tow, the Autobots began to walk to the firing range. They passed soldiers and airmen who waved and called to them. They passed civilians who waved and called to them. They passed mercs but they didn't wave nor did they call to them. They watched it all in silence.

-0-TBC 2011 (1) edited 1-12-2015 edited again 9-29-17