Jazz walked with Red Alert to the security director's quarters. After a septorn of Blaster and Jazz running in and out of the med bay to see him and Red Alert trying to log into the security network, Ratchet declared him fit enough to get his aft back to his own room. The welds on his chest didn't allow him to carry Halo so Jazz had the sparkling cradled in one arm while he watched Red Alert with a critical optic. The damage done to Red Alert's circuitry and sensor net by electrical charge meant he often lost his balance. He stopped when Red Alert started listing toward him. It was another second before the red and white mech realized it and tried to straighten out. He compensated too quickly for his damaged systems and had to catch himself against the wall.
Sinking down against the wall he sat with his legs pulled up and his hands pressed flat against the floor. "I still feel like I'm moving. I'm not moving." Backwash of anger and annoyance echoed through his bond with Halo. The sparkling squeaked and ducked his head against Jazz's shoulder. Taking as deep a breath as he could manage the wave of emotion was gone as quickly as it had come. "I'm sorry, Halo," he said softly. Jazz put the sparkling in his lap and leaned against the wall next to him.
"Critical system damage, Red, that's not something a good night's recharge fixes. It's gonna take time," Jazz reminded him. Red Alert shuttered his optics and nodded. "You ready to go?" His fingers flexed against the floor a couple times before he nodded. Scooping Halo up again, he helped Red Alert stand and held him steady while his systems recalibrated for the change in position.
A dark glower washed over his face again. "Fragging pain in my aft, should've fragging known he wouldn't let me leave the med bay without a catch," he continued to mutter darkly but whatever anger he was feeling was carefully shielded from Halo.
Halo squeaked at someone behind Jazz and reached out. "'Sup, lil' mech," Blaster said cheerfully. "Red, Hatchet finally set you free?" Red Alert's scowl deepened but he couldn't turn to the other mech without losing his balance so he kept walking.
"Sore subject," Jazz said. He handed Halo to Blaster and put his arm around Red Alert's waist. Red Alert could afford to glance at Blaster with the additional support and his glower became wary. "It's fine, Red. He knows how to hold him." Red Alert continued looking worried but nodded.
"Hey Red, why you walkin' like you're overcharged?" Sideswipe asked coming around a corner, probably headed to the bridge. Sunstreaker looked like he was going to smack his twin and then changed his mind. Red Alert's angry scowl returned and a growl rumbled through his frame.
"Easy, killer, he's just glitchin' around like he does." He pegged the red twin with his own glare. "Keep walkin' Sides, if Hatchet finds out you and Red got into a fight it'll be my aft he welds to the wall." Sideswipe snapped a smart salute and marched past them. Sunstreaker paused to say hello to Halo. "I would tell you to smack him, but I don't want to break up that fight either," Jazz said.
"He's on one today, I don't know what his deal is. Think he got some new blackmail on Mirage," the yellow twin said watching his brother do a parade turn around the next corner. "Primus," he muttered. He rubbed between Halo's wings one last time and then started after his brother.
"Primus," Jazz said, trying not to lean against Red Alert. "I'll be breaking up that fight before the orn's over." That got a brief chuckle out of Red but most of his concentration was on his feet.
When they finally reached Red Alert's quarters, the red and white mech fell onto his berth with a relieved sigh that quickly turned into an angry hiss. "Ah, Red," Jazz said with sympathy. He'd had his equilibrium circuits fried a time or two before. The tank churning spinning was nothing to laugh at. "Here, roll onto your back." He rolled the mech over before he could protest and placed a gentle hand on his abdomen. The chest was better for centering, but he didn't want to add to Red Alert's discomfort by messing with his welds. "A'ight, focus on my hand, Red. Just relax and focus everything on the center."
When the cords and cables in Red Alert's neck began to loosen Jazz took his hand away. "Better?" Nothing tensed up and Red Alert's intakes remained steady.
"Yes, thank you," he sighed. Jazz didn't sit on the side of the berth, the small shift of weight could be enough to send the room spinning again, instead he sat next to the berth.
"Slow, Red. You gotta take it slow for a while or you'll be on the floor more than not." Red's soft huff was the only answer he got. Halo crawled over to Jazz and sat in his lap with a tiny yawn. Jazz nuzzled his head and held him close. "What's this lil' spark? Did Adventures with Red wear you out?" Red Alert snorted, but if Jazz had to guess he would say the older mech was close to recharge himself.
"Speaking of Adventures with Red," Blaster said.
"This had better not become a theme," Red Alert said.
Blaster grinned but there was an edge to his smile. "Been keeping an audio on the frequency channels, a familiar one popped up late last night, early this orn. Not too far out, a septorn or so."
"You tell Prime?"
Blaster's smile became a bit more feral. "Nope, din't have to. Frequency came in as an encrypted message for him."
Jazz tilted his head a fraction while he thought about what Blaster said. "I take it he didn't tell you anything," he asked narrowing his optics.
Blaster's suffering sigh was authentic. "He never does, didn't even let me keep the encryption key."
"That's why Sideswipe's in a good mood, you asked him to back trace it while he was on the bridge." Jazz rubbed between his optic ridges. "I don't know how Prowl does this every orn," he said wearily. "He's gonna get caught, and then I'm the one who has to dish out punishment."
"No he's not," Blaster said with a sunny smile. "Because the only one who ever routinely scans those backdoor frequencies just got back from med bay and can't sit up without falling over. You think Trailbreaker checks those things or Ironhide even knows they exist? Psh, Pit no."
"I don't need to hear how poorly maintained my security network is while I'm lying here and can't do a thing about it," Red Alert growled.
Blaster waved that off. "It's not poorly maintained, it's just not as…thorough. Everyone knows to double check where I'm poking around, but with as irritated as Sunny is and Sides prowlin' around like he's looking for a new victim, no one will think they're gettin' any work done." He paused and tapped his foot while he thought. "Ya' know, it's been fun runnin' around gettin' into all this trouble without anyone noticing, but I miss the challenge, ya' know. Like, Red, we gotta get creative to get around the firewalls and avoid trippin' detection code an' everything else you put up to keep us in check and Prowl always seems to know when we're up to something. We gotta watch where we even talk about pranks and whatever else because he'll just pop up right next to ya' and put you on cleaning duty."
"I'm so glad the network I work so tirelessly on is your favorite playground," Red Alert said dryly.
Blaster rolled his optics. "That's not what I meant. I mean, I miss you mechs. This ship is just…it's not the same without ya'."
Red Alert's laugh was mostly disbelief and no humor. "You miss me?"
"It's true," Blaster argued. "You have any idea how weird it is to get off third shift and not see you two sittin' at that corner table in the dispensary going over reports or settin' up next septorn's schedule? Or walkin' by the rec room before first shift starts and you two are watchin' some weird history vid or one of those ridiculous Praxian holovids? I swear it's the only time anyone really sees you two smile. And we've gone almost an entire kel without Prowl threatening to blow open the door to the security room and drag you out."
"The schedules are off," Jazz added. "I'm tryin' but I just can't seem to make it work like you two. I don't even know how it happened but fraggin' Mirage and Cliffjumper were on security a couple orns ago. Probably a good thing everyone's stuck to the No Weapons rule in that room."
Red Alert was quiet for a long moment and Jazz thought maybe he'd gone into recharge when he said, "Those are such odd things to notice. Aside from the schedules, not one of those has anything to do with function on this ship."
"We're not missin' your function, Red," Blaster said with exasperation. "We miss you. You and Prowl are…you're important. Everyone feels a lil' off balance not seeing you two every orn." Halo clicked and Jazz looked down at the sparkling cuddled against his chest. "Well," Blaster amended with a snicker, "They don't know they're seeing you two every orn." Red Alert's soft snort was heavy with recharge. Jazz kept Halo snug against his chest and stood. Red Alert opened one optic but didn't move.
"Want Halo?" Jazz asked softly.
A smile curved Red Alert's lips. "As Blaster said, I can't sit up without falling over. I don't think I'm the best candidate for keeping track of a rambunctious sparkling." Halo wriggled out of Jazz's arms and climbed over Red Alert chirping softly.
"I'll be back in a few to check on you," Jazz said softly. "You need me, call. C'mon Halo, Red Alert needs a nap and you probably want something to eat." The word 'eat' got Halo's attention. His optics lit and wings rose and with a squeak he reached for Jazz. "Yes, I'll bet Wheeljack has something tasty for you, you wanna see him?" Halo squeaked again, wings fluttering with excitement. Red Alert slowly curled on his side in a more comfortable position with a faint smile still on his face.
oOo
"Jazz, you keep with this sparklin' talk we're gonna have a problem," Blaster said rolling his optics to the ceiling. Ominous blast doors scarred and discolored from fire sealed Wheeljack's lab. Blaster tapped softly and then banged hard. A sudden barrage of noise was the easiest way to set off explosions or start fires or unleash dangerous fumes. Every mech on The Ark had learned to gently ease Wheeljack away from his work.
"Blaster's just a glitch who doesn't understand how happy the sparklin' talk makes you, isn't he? Yes he is. Who's my lil' spark? Are you my good lil' spark? Yes, yes you are."
"'Jack, open the door. 'Jack. Jackie. Wheeljack, open the door. One of your lab animals is loose in the hall."
The doors slid open and Halo squealed when he saw Wheeljack standing on the other side. "What took you so long?" he asked and then he waved it off. "No matter, come, hurry, let's see if this works."
Jazz and Blaster remained where they were staring at the engineer in bewilderment. "'Jack, what kinda fumes you got goin' on in here?" Jazz asked, shielding Halo from the lab with his body.
Wheeljack reappeared in the doorway. "What are you doing? Why are you still standing out there?"
"Get your afts in here," Ratchet shouted. "We've been waiting half a fragging joor for you to show up." Blaster and Jazz looked at each other and then at Wheeljack and then leaned forward to see further in the lab. Ratchet, Ironhide, and Optimus stood further in and stared right back at them.
"Are you guys charged?" Blaster asked.
"What the frag—No! Get in here so we can see if this works, what the frag have you two glitches been doing?" Ratchet snapped. His annoyed glare became shrewd and he looked at Wheeljack. "You forgot to send the message didn't you."
Wheeljack's fins brightened almost white before he shook his head vigorously. "No, nope, no I didn't. I sent it."
A high priority message came through Jazz's HUD from Wheeljack. Bring Halo to the lab. "You just sent it," Blaster said with a glare.
"No I didn't."
"Wheeljack, it's got a fraggin' time stamp on it."
The engineer threw up his hands, "fine! I forgot to send it—"
"—Primus fraggit, Wheeljack—"
"—Wheeljack…—"
"—Dammit, you glitch—"
"—but everyone is here now so let's try this!" Wheeljack disappeared into the lab again and Jazz and Blaster followed shaking their heads. Entering Wheeljack's lab was akin to being deployed behind enemy lines. There was no way to know what was a harmless instrument of science and what was a potentially unstable compound ready to scramble your circuits or blow a limb off. The only saving grace was how tidy Wheeljack was, mostly. The floor was always swept clean, showing off the impressive chemical stains, blast patches, and gouges from heavy machines. The work surface that no one but Wheeljack ever messed with was less ordered, though not cluttered. Jazz kept a wide berth between him and a long tube of faintly glowing liquid suspended by a delicate looking tripod.
"A'ight, 'Jack, what exactly are you gonna do?" Jazz asked with an optic on the diffuser.
"Science!" Wheeljack exclaimed, blast shield coming down over his face. "Now, put Halo—Prowl—on the table."
Halo clicked uncertainly. Blaster tilted his head almost to one shoulder and stared at the engineer/inventor. Jazz turned to leave. "Get your sorry aft back here," Ratchet snapped.
"No," Jazz said over his shoulder.
"Jazz," Optimus said rubbing his forehead.
"He's got his fraggin' blast shield down and you think that's okay?" Jazz stopped and turned, panic beginning to nibble at him. Blaster put a hand over his mouth while he laughed, not inspiring any bit of confidence in the scene.
Wheeljack's shield retracted. "What? Ratchet said there was a bright light when the original transformation took place, I was preparing for another such event." Ironhide looked like he needed a tall glass of high grade as he leaned against the wall.
"This is pretty fraggin' sudden, ya' know," Jazz said, taking a step further back. "This is just happening now, no 'hey, get yourself prepared, we're gonna try somethin' in an orn or two.'" His optics narrowed. "Why the rush?"
"I will remind you of the instability of Halo's processor," Ratchet snapped.
"Sudden? Is this sudden? I don't think it's sudden. Or rushed. Or anything. Nope, this is completely fine." Wheeljack said with an unconvincing smile.
"You're babbling 'Jack," Jazz said, backing further away.
"Ortho is en route to retrieve Prowl," Optimus said before Ratchet could fully vent his anger. Jazz froze and looked down at the sparkling in his arms watching the other officers warily. "Given Prowl is his offspring, when he gets here, I will have to turn Prowl over to him."
Jazz tightened his arms around the sparkling. "He'll hurt him, again," Jazz said. Halo's rapid spark pulse fluttered against his slower one, tiny claws held tight to his armor. "He'll hurt him again like he did before and who knows if he'll survive it." His sparkling burrowed close to his armor. No one was taking his sparkling. No one was hurting his sparkling. He bared his teeth and growled.
"Easy, Jazz. Focus. Focus," Ratchet said in a calm voice. "That is why we need to test the diffuser. If we can restore Prowl he will remain unharmed and with you."
"This is why you sent Red back so early," Jazz hissed. Optics narrowing. "You knew he wouldn't agree to this either, so you sent him back to his quarters so he couldn't argue with you." Ratchet folded his arms and didn't argue, but he continued to glare.
"Jazz, I've been running trials and tests on this thing for a septorn, there haven't been any hiccups or adverse effects. I was only a few orns away from saying we try when Optimus asked if it was ready. It will work, Prowl will be fine."
"It will take only a few seconds, Jazz, and then you can hold him again," Ratchet said. Blaster came up next to Jazz and gently took his arm leading him to the door. "Where the—"
"Mute it, Ratchet," Blaster snapped. "We'll be back in a breem. Cool it." Blaster led him out of the room and down the hall by Perceptor's lab. The quiet clink of glass and metal could be heard through the standard door. Wheeljack was the only one who needed the heavy blast doors. "Breathe ma' mech," Blaster leaned against the wall and hugged him. "Just take a breem and get yourself together." Jazz relaxed against the larger mech and made his intakes slow and even.
"You wanna talk about this?" Blaster asked after a breem.
"Yeah," he breathed. There were soft clicks and ticks coming from Blaster's chest and he wondered for a moment if he could hear his symbiotes recharging.
"Okay, Ortho is coming. Legally, Ortho can take Prowl the second he gets here and unless we want to be accused of sparknapping, we have to give him up. We know Ortho put Prowl through a series of near fatal surgeries to make him look like a Praxian inside and out, so there's a good chance he'll do the same thing again." Jazz shuddered and held Halo tighter. Blaster continued. "We know all that, you also know that Wheeljack would never jeopardize Prowl's life no matter the stakes. If the diffuser wasn't ready, we wouldn't be here right now; we'd be looking for a way to stall for time until it was ready. He said so himself he was only a few orns away from telling you to bring Halo in." Jazz nodded minutely and then took a breath and opened his optics.
"Okay," he whispered. "Okay, I think I can do this." He didn't move though and neither did Blaster. It wasn't until Halo started to fuss to be put down that they headed back to the lab.
Halo scurried into the lab ahead of them, still intent on food. He ran up to Wheeljack and gave him his best sad sparkling face with his big gold optics. "Aw, look at how cute you are." Wheeljack knew better than to pick Halo up while Jazz's nerves were so frayed and instead kneeled down and rubbed between his wings.
Jazz picked Halo up and sat him on the table. Halo made a face and tried to crawl away again. Jazz caught him and held him against his chest for a moment. "It's a'ight, spark," Jazz assured. "Ah' promise, this is as far as I'll get. I'll be right here." Pressing his head against Halo's he set the sparkling down and backed up a couple steps.
Halo watched Wheeljack bring the diffuser closer and the panels along the back of his head rose, hissing he arched his back and backed away. "Easy now, you know 'Jack," Jazz said, ignoring Ratchet's growl and again sitting on the table next to the sparkling. Blaster glared at Ratchet. Halo hissed and lowered his wings around him like shields as he watched the inventor fiddle with the settings. "Promise, when this is all over we'll get something to eat." He hugged the tiny sparkling close before reluctantly stepping away again. Trepidation rolled through their spark bond.
"All right, Prowl," Wheeljack said cheerfully. "Have you back to yourself in three…two…now." He hit the button and the diffuser's soft blue light swept over Prowl. The sparkling squeaked and ducked back but it was over in a second. He cowered under his wings for a few seconds and the rest of the officers stood hardly breathing. Wheeljack's fins started to dim when a breem passed and nothing happened. Prowl sat up and folded his wings back with an inquiring chirp.
"Primus fraggit, Wheeljack," Ratchet said tiredly. "Well, he's not getting younger and he hasn't exploded so we'll call it a successful try anyway." Jazz bared his teeth at Ratchet who raised his hands in appeasement. Wheeljack's face fell completely and he popped open a panel on the diffuser to half-heartedly tinker with some wires.
A flash of light, dim even to his light sensitive optics, caught his attention. "Don't lose faith yet, 'Jack," Jazz said. He retracted his visor, sensitive as he was he had to blink a few times before he could look at Prowl in the center of the lit room. "He's starting to glow," he said. Everyone else squinted until a bright pulse that nearly blinded Jazz became apparent to the rest. Snapping his visor into place he watched the pulse begin to accelerate.
"Well," Ratchet said, taking another step back. "Let's see which direction he goes." Wheeljack's welding shield came down as the pulse of light continued to intensify and Jazz had to look away completely. Prowl chirped and squeaked, fear washed through their bond but Jazz did his best to send gentle reassurance instead of rushing to the sparkling and holding him.
Bringing a hand up to shield his optics from the glow that pierced his visor and closed optics he could still see the light and feel a low thrum building as the pulse became a steady glow agonizingly bright. With a final burst that made him stagger back the thrum and light began to recede. Lowering his hand but not immediately opening his optics he listened hard for any sounds Prowl might make. Distant, not as strong as it had been, he felt a steady beat inside his spark. "He's okay," Jazz said with quiet certainty. He cracked his optics open a little at a time until he was certain the light was no longer shining.
Sprawled out, too big for the table, with wings dark grey and black like predawn sky a full sized mech lie. "It worked," Wheeljack hissed punching the air. "First try!"
Jazz almost snapped his neck twisting around to look at him. "First. Try? First try? You said you tested it!" Panels rose along his neck and shoulders.
Wheeljack's fins flashed once and he nodded while looking at everything but the other officers. "I did, but this was first try on a subject this sizeyouknowwhat, doesn't matter, it worked." He grinned and Jazz shuddered hard. On the table, Prowl stirred. Lifting his head a little, his wings attempted to rise but fell back again and he dropped his head. Ratchet used the limited scanners in his hands to check Prowl for immediate problems and gave the all clear.
"Ratchet?" Prowl murmured. His sonorous voice was as Jazz remembered and relief washed through him. Ratchet paused his scan and crouched down so he was optic level with Prowl.
"Prowl," Ratchet said softly. "Do you know where you are?"
"Bay?" he sounded exhausted and not quite coherent but a coil of tension loosened across Ratchet's shoulders.
"Close enough. How are you feeling?" Ratchet asked, the soft hum of his scanners filling the quiet room again.
Jazz could feel how slow and heavy Prowl was with recharge and found his favorite spot between his wings and rubbed soothing circles. "Hungry?" Prowl said drifting closer to recharge. Jazz stifled a laugh and Ratchet glanced at him but didn't demand answers.
"Do you remember anything that happened?"
Jazz brushed his hand down the back of Prowl's head and watched his brow furrow in a familiar expression of concentration. "No," he said after a tense breem. "But I had…the strangest dream," he murmured as he fell into recharge. "I forgot how to speak and everyone was taller than me."
Ratchet's gruff laugh was quiet so as not to disturb his patient. "Thought that was a dream, did you?" He waited until Prowl was soundly recharging before picking him up.
"Where are you going?" Jazz asked with narrowed optics.
Ratchet made an irritated sound. "The fragging med bay. You think I'm just going to leave him in Wheeljack's lab? He needs a thorough scan of his internals as well as a scan on his processor to make sure the instability is gone." Jazz grudgingly stepped aside but stayed on the medic's heels until Blaster put an arm around his shoulders and forced him to slow down.
"Don't think I'm weird for saying this," Blaster said watching Ratchet walk into the med bay a few steps ahead of them. "But he's really pretty." Jazz gave him a quizzical look but the coils of tension in his shoulders began to bleed out. "I mean, he was cute when he was little, but the way those colors darkened, he's like…pretty. Like one of Sunny's paintings or somethin', you know how he likes to use all those dark colors with just a few streaks of something bright."
In the med bay, Ratchet placed Prowl on a berth and made sure he wasn't lying awkwardly on his wings. Jazz looked over the darkened shades of Prowl's adult form. He nodded and slid an arm around Blaster's waist. The once dark greys had darkened almost black, the bright splashes of white that had speckled his wings now ran together in darker shades of grey, and the bright streaks of golden yellow around his helm were darker like tarnished, aged gold.
"Pretty," Jazz agreed. After a moment he said, "Fits him, ya' know, with his name being Prowl. The bright white and black he was before didn't really work with that." Prowl moved from the position Ratchet had put him in and managed to pull his wings up around him in his favorite napping position. Ratchet glared at him but sighed and rubbed between his optics. "You done poking yet, Hatchet?" Jazz asked approaching the berth. He grinned when Prowl purred quietly and snuggled into his wings. "Aw, lookit, still recharges like a sparkling."
"Primus," Ratchet said rolling his optics. "There, your sparkling is fine, for the moment. Everything seems stable, I'll check again in half a joor." Jazz sat next to Prowl stroking the back of his head and down the long feathers of his wings.
"The crew is gonna glitch," Blaster said confidently.
Jazz chuckled softly. "He's not that different, just the colors." Blaster rolled his head to look at him.
"Are you…serious? Ma' mech, fraggin' look at this." He pulled up a still of Prowl standing at the firing range. Stark black and white, his wings held in high arches over his shoulders and partially extended, there was no give to him. Back strut straight and immobile, every piece of him lined up in precise lines like a puzzle. If the creases from his armor were cut out he would have looked like a statue. Looking down at the loose mech curled on the med berth Jazz nodded once slowly.
"A'ight, you're right, they're gonna glitch."
"He looks pretty comfortable, I don't think I ever saw Prowl lay down unless he was hurt and even then it looked kinda awkward." They sat together quietly until Ratchet told them to move so he could do another scan. Blaster stretched his back and said, "We should check on Red."
"He's gonna glitch, too," Jazz said rubbing his optics. "But we better tell him what we did, he probably got all kinds of weird backlash from the bond." He brightened a bit. "Haven't gotten any messages though, so maybe he recharged through it."
Blaster gave him a doubtful look. "Or he's on his way here right now and since he can't take two steps without falling over it's just takin' a while."
"Mute it," Jazz said, shoving him out the door.
oOo
Turning down the hall to Red's quarters they found the mech leaning against the wall. Jazz hid a groan. "Red, what the frag are ya' doin'?" The red and white mech glared at him and Jazz held his hands up. "A'ight, yeah, stupid question, but I promise you, sparkling is fine." Grabbing Red Alert around the waist he told him, "Brace yourself, we ain't got time to move slow." He dragged the mech at normal speed around the corner to his quarters.
Jazz set the mech down on his berth and kneeled in front of him. "Take a breem, breathe, and just listen. Halo—Prowl—is fine. Wheeljack's got him back to how he's supposed to be." Red Alert stopped gripping the edge of the berth so tight and lifted his head.
"That's why Ratchet let me go so soon," Red Alert said with narrowed optics. "I want to see him."
"He's recharging and Ratchet's cranky," Blaster warned sitting at Jazz's desk. "I'd take Wheeljack with ya', keep the Hatchet distracted while you get a look at your sparkling."
"Okay, I'll take you down there and then you're going back to recharge," Jazz said tossing a pillow at Blaster. Blaster caught it and threw it back.
"Really? Hatchet probably put you back on a berth."
Jazz turned and looked at Blaster, "You not comin' ma' fearless mech?"
Blaster gave him a sunny smile. "Nope, got a shift." He stood and headed for the door. "By ma' mechs, good luck an' all that." Jazz flipped him a rude gesture as he left.
Jazz kept a hand on Red Alert's knee while the mech swayed a little and gripped the berth again, shoulders tensing. "I'm sorry, Red," Jazz murmured. "I didn't know they had this planned."
"I know," Red Alert murmured. "It was more the backlash I got from you than anything Prowl was feeling that alarmed me. I wish you would have messaged me." A shiver worked through his frame and Jazz got up to sit next to him. "Why," he whispered. "Why so sudden." A spark jumped between his horns, faint. If not for Jazz's dark room he might not have seen it.
"I thought you were still recharging. I'm sorry ma' mech." Jazz put an arm around his waist and hugged him. "That message Prime got, it was Ortho sayin' he's on his way. He was gonna take Prowl." Jazz took a deep breath. "If he was still a spark, there's nothin' we coulda done to stop 'em." Red Alert nodded and he shuddered once.
"He's okay?"
"Ratchet's got both optics on 'em and probably Aid's and Hoist's, too." Taking a deep breath his shoulders loosened and his fingers stopped digging into the berth. "You ready ta' see 'em?" Red Alert nodded and Jazz helped him stand. Keeping his arm around Red Alert's waist they started a slow walk to the med bay.
oOo
"I feel like I've been in the med bay all day," Jazz grouched. Red Alert didn't comment, his optics found Prowl immediately. He was hard to miss, a curled shadow on a berth.
Red Alert blinked twice and his hand reached up to touch his spark chamber. "Prowl?" he whispered.
Jazz squeezed him close with a wide grin on his face. "What can a mech say? They grow up so fast." A rough laugh escaped Red Alert and Jazz let go of him so he could walk the final few steps to the berth before kneeling down to optic level with the recharging mech.
"He's beautiful," he murmured.
"Blaster said pretty, but beautiful works too," Jazz said. Red Alert stood and wobbled until Jazz steadied him enough he could sit on the edge of the berth. A gentle hand stroked down the long dark feathers of Prowl's wings. Prowl purred softly and curled closer to Red Alert. Jazz sighed in mock resignation. "Haven't been in here hardly a breem and you've already got him purrin' and carryin' on."
Red Alert smiled over his shoulder. "You're not using your bond," he said softly. Jazz blinked and tilted his head to show he was listening. "When you reach out with your hand, reach out with your bond as well. He settles when he feels safe and he feels safe when he knows someone is with him."
Jazz glared at him. "You couldn't ah told me that…fraggin' a kel ago?"
Red Alert shrugged. "You're a smart mech, I thought you'd figure it out." Jazz crossed his arms and tapped his foot. Red Alert turned back to Prowl smiling.
Prowl's wings rustled and folded back a little to reveal his tired face. With sleek hard lines like a seeker along his chin and jaw and soft rounded edges around his optics he was still sparkling cute in his half-recharging state.
He blinked a few times until he realized Red Alert was sitting next to him. Without warning he twisted around so he could wrap his arms around Red Alert's waist. "I had a nightmare," he said with words still slurred by recharge. "That you got hurt and I couldn't get to you."
Red Alert almost fell over in surprise but Jazz caught him. "Never," Red Alert whispered stroking between his wings. "I'm here and safe."
oOo
A/N: Ortho is creeping closer! *Jaws music plays*
