Rod of Fire: Chapter 10 (Rosa is rescued, but is she really free? The sparkling?)
"Iacon, Jungle base. We have Rosa Pax in custody."
Rodimus can't help but sigh, "Thank God. Thank you Primus." He rushes out of the room to the space bridge. Arcee, Kup, and Wheeljack are on his tail.
Before he can activate the bridge Arcee asks, "Sir, are you sure…"
Rodimus smiles at her this time, "Arcee, a member of the Autobots has just been returned to us. As Prime I must assess the situation. Get off my back. Got it?"
"Rodimus, I meant no disrespect."
"Arcee, let me do my job. Alright?" Arcee has to step back. She has called him out on the wrong terms this time. This time he was right. She just hopes his spark doesn't get broken by what he encounters. He holds a hand out to her, "Fine, come with me and be my bodyguard. You'll see."
Everyone is watching her. Arcee is embarrassed that she just questioned the commander's mind set. But she also knows, this could all go horribly wrong. No Autobot wants to watch another Prime's spark crushed. She takes his hand. Kup and Wheeljack follow right behind. They bridge out.
~~ The bridge bursts forth inside the base and they dash through the gates. Sideswipe meets them in the hall way. Rodimus can see by one look on his face that it is really bad. Swipe is rubbing his own eternity mark on his hand. Rodimus notices it, he gives Swipe a wary smile and shows him the rose on his hand. They share a secret smile. Then Sideswipe nods to a med-bay door. Sideswipe holds Rodimus back for a moment letting Wheeljack in first. Wheeljack gasps. Arcee follows Wheeljack, silent. Kup stays beside Rodimus. Sideswipe has to hold his arm tighter. Rodimus looks him straight in the eyes, "It's worse than Casey." Then lets go of his arm. Rodimus heard about Casey's capture. She had released her offspring's pod prematurely (Manta) in order to protect it.
Rosie. What about their sparkling? He pushes past Kup into the room. Rosie is anchored down to a gurney. Rodimus swallows hard. Physically she has been torn apart. But it stabs him harder the words coming out of her mouth.
"Look it Shockwave, I may look like a dumb broad, but I'm not. Bring on all that poisoned Energon you got, buddy! You will never get anything from me. I already told you, they ousted me. Arcee, the little tart. She's Prime's little plaything, you want to know what I saw? You want details, you twisted mech? I wouldn't touch that Prime! Fragger stole my father's mantel and I'm take'n it back! I can do this all day, you bastard. What's next in your bag of tricks!"
Arcee gasps at the venom spewing from Rosa, "Rosa Pax!"
"Oh, so now you want to pretend you are Arcee? Oh good well, let me tell you Arcee what I think of you. You are a-"
"Pax! That is enough!" Rodimus growls out a sharp short order. Everyone turns to him shocked. His back is ramrod straight and in full command, hands fisted to his side. Rarely has anyone ever heard him speak this way. Never at Rosa!
Rosa smiles broadly, "Oh I wondered when you were going to bring back your Prime voice. You know, a bit more gruff than I'm used to but, alright. If that's the way you want to play it."
"Silence!" Rodimus barks the final command. It sends shivers through everyone in the room but Rosa. It just eggs on her smart attitude.
"Fine. Sir," she finishes with a snort. With a snap of his fingers Prime has everyone leave the room. He points to Wheeljack and Red Alert and motions them to stay.
In the hallway, Rodimus turns to Sideswipe, barely able to keep his voice from shaking, "Get Casey. We'll need her help." Sideswipe starts to walk away, but he touches his shoulder once more, "Ask her to bring a priest." Sideswipe smiles and nods.
Arcee turns to Rodimus still in shock, "Rodimus. Oh my goodness. What have they done to her?"
Rodimus covers his face and sighs, "I don't know, but I'll rip them limb for limb when I do find them." Then he turns back around, enters the room and secures it.
Rodimus is alone in the room with Wheeljack and Red doing their tests and Rosa with a sneer on her face. Rodimus puts a finger to his lips when Wheeljack looks up at him.
Rosa begins spouting again. "So, Wheeljack, how bad does it look?"
Wheeljack once again looks at Rodimus. He nods to tell her the truth. "Well, there is the cosmetic damage to your shoulder panels and shin guards."
"Trifle issue." She sneers. "I never was a prissy bot."
"The cranial area looks like it has been probed extensively."
"Well, no duh! You know that, Shockwave. You've been poking my head for months. How long has it been?"
"Six months." Red Alert answers. "Your optic chambers have frozen and shattered. I think I can repair that."
"Leave them. Don't bother. I really didn't care for the look of your mug anyways. But repair them if it is for me to see your demise." She laughs.
"I think you need a sedative."
"What? Now you want to give me a downer? I thought the object was to see how long you could keep me active and drive me crazy. You can't drive me crazy. All you can do is drive me further to full fill my dream. Conquest. I will rule the Transformers!"
Wheeljack stops what he is doing. Rodimus leans back against the wall. He does not know this being in front of him. He is shocked and terrified. Rodimus motions for Wheeljack and Red to leave the room. Reclucantly they comply.
Rodimus is left alone in the room with Rosa. He keeps his back to the wall, arms tightly crossed over his chest and just watches her. Who will she be with no one in the room?
She bellows out, "I know you can hear me! I know you haven't left me alone. I will get free! I will take you all on. I will not let you destroy me. I will whip all your cans. I will stop this war! I will full fill my father's goal!" Then she goes silent.
Rodimus still doesn't move. He just listens. He watches. And prays she can't hear his spark racing in his chest wanting to gather her in his arms and kiss & stoke away every trace of Shockwave's memory. But he doesn't have to wait long to see the change.
Rosa begins reciting The Lord's Prayer. He has heard it enough times from some of the human funerals he has attended. Then she begins singing hymns. She sings one after another. Onward Christian Soldiers ,her tender praising voice to her God is too much for him. Her very comforting very tender soft voice. She isn't completely lost. Rosa Pax-Rod is still in there, but doesn't know she is safe. How can he reach her?
But just as he is about to quietly leave the room, he thought he saw something flicker on her body. Like a phase shift of a hologram. He watches carefully, he doesn't see it again. He waits for Wheeljack to return.
A few minutes later, Wheeljack, Casey and the priest all return. Rosa turns to her feisty self again. Wheeljack tells Rodimus, "Prime, before we go any further, she should go through the decontaminate wash. I've already sent Casey, Swipe and Manta through it. But I just don't want to take any chances."
"Alright."
Casey steps towards Rodimus and whispers in his ear, "Is there a code or secret phrase just between you two?" Prime narrows his gaze at her. But she touches his rose, Sideswipe had told her. Rod nods. "I suggest you tell that to her. It could help her to know, she is safe." He nods again. The priest puts a hand on Casey and they begin some prayers.
Wheeljack prepares his injector and whispers to him, "Sedative. I don't want you carrying her and getting hurt."
Rodimus comes directly to Rosa's side. He leans down and puts his lips against her audio, "Rosie Pax-Rod, you are safe. You have come home. I only wish Papa Mas was here." He rubs his thumb over his flames on her finger. Rosie lets out a sigh of pent up release. Rod keeps his lips against her cheek while Wheeljack administers the sedative.
Then the tears start streaming down her face. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Rod. I couldn't stop…" A sob escapes her.
"Its alright, my love," he whispers to her, "I have you now."
As Casey and priest pray, Rodimus soothes (saying his own prayers for their child). Rosa begins to dose. There was so much stimulant given in the last few hours, that it couldn't completely knock her out.
Wheeljack then begins to loosen the bonds. Rodimus rises and helps him. Casey and the priest step aside as Rodimus lifts Rosa into his arms. He lifts her broken wrist over his spoiler tip to prop her up higher. She is very limp. Rodimus doesn't move right away. He leans his head to press their foreheads together. He has waited so long, afraid his would never feel his mate in his arms ever again. Alive. A couple silent tears slips from his own optics to meet hers. Her left handed fingers barley lift to stroke the nape of his neck. A cough from Wheeljack gets him moving.
Silently the medic, the prayer team, and the guards escort the couple to the decontamination chamber. Rodimus steps up into the glassed in room and the door slides shut. Just as the heated steam of cleanser comes from below, he lowers her to a standing position. But she has to lean all her weight against him because of the broken ankle and the doziness.
Now it's his turn to let out a sigh, "It's been six months. How I've missed you in my arms." She just rubs her head against his chest letting out a contented murmur.
"Turn her around, Prime." He can hear Wheeljack through the shower's com. Rodimus follows the doctor's orders, letting the steam burrow into every crag and crevasse of their bodies. Rodimus can see how much of her scalp they took. He can see her bare exposed shoulder joints. He can't help but chuckle.
"Tell me." She murmurs.
He trails a finger across her exposed joint, "You know, before we had to start camouflaging ourselves, this is what we all ran around wearing."
She chuckles, "Oh, naked. Like the Garden of Eden." She rolls her head back against his chest, "I bet you were a sight."
He leans over and smiles, "How would you like to get out of here?"
She pulls his arm tighter around her waist, "I like the warmth. But I would rather be alone with you. We really need to talk."
He begins to fiddle with his wrist, "I know." With a flash, they are out of there.
Wheeljack pulls open the doors, "Where are they?"
Kup just chuckles. Casey does too. Arcee and Wheeljack are horrified. Kup touches his com, /Prime?/
~~ They arrive in a set of quarters. Obviously it hasn't been used in a very long time. Rodimus carefully places Rosie on the bunk and helps her lay back. Then he opens a cabinet, withdraws a thermal blanket and joins his wife. He couldn't hold her tight enough.
/Prime?/ Kup calls softly.
Reluctantly he touches his com, /Yeah, I knew this wouldn't exactly work. Tell Wheeljack to begin the repair list. Let me know if there is anything urgent, otherwise, I'm going to debrief Rosa Pax-Rod myself. Got it?
Kup chuckles, /What should I tell your bodyguard?/
/She may post herself outside quarters 3B, but if she enters unauthorized, there will be Pit to pay. Out./
Rosie moans, "We aren't in 3B are we?"
Rodimus pulls Rosie closer to his side, "Not by a long shot. Now let me look at you." He touches her face tenderly. The sedative is doing it's job quite well. He can see her father's emblem was crudely crammed into her crucifix. He tries to remove it but, her floppy arm pushes his away, "Leave it. A warrior's scar." He doesn't like her talking like that. But she has certainly proven herself to Arcee and some of the others. If she comes out of this sane.
Rosie's arm slides down to her belly. "I'm sorry Rod. But I couldn't let them know about the baby. I'm afraid… I don't think the baby made it. It was our only chance."
His face drops in grief for them both. He goes to take her hand. The hologram shifts. And then, it's gone. Rosie's arm lays across her very extended belly. He pulls his hand back. The hologram shifts again, to look like Rosie's hand is on a flat belly. He reaches forward again. The belly is extended. He pulls away from her and slides to his knees beside the bunk.
"Rod?" Her voice is pleading. "What is it, Rod?"
Using both hands, he splays his fingers over where he saw the belly. It shows up again. But with both his hands the belly glows a vibrant white and orange swirl. It's very soothing. Rod can't help but lean forward and press his face to the glow. He can feel the empathy. He can feel the child reaching out to him with it's emotions. The child is very much alive. Rod projects his own feelings to the child, letting the child know she is very much loved and wanted. The child lets him know, mother's love is felt as well. Rod lets out a huge sigh of relief. His own tears begin to fall. But he doesn't know if he should tell Rosie yet. Not until it is confirmed she is back in her right mind. He feels the child's agreement. Rod promises he will protect the child with everything he's got.
"Rod, you are beginning to worry me. What is it?"
He lifts his head and comes back to her side, holding her tightly to him. "Don't worry Rosie. Everything will be alright. Just sleep. Just get some rest."
Rosa's body relaxes even more with every stroke of his hand on her back. Rodimus finds the courage to pray to Rosa's God who protected her and their child through all this. Rosa sleeps in her husband's arms, while he keeps watch. Every now and then he would drop his hand to her belly. But the child only revealed it's self with the touch of both mother and father's hands. Rodimus smiles. A very wise child.